Well, because the listing of merits and flaws in version 2.0 grew so dramatically from version 1.8 I decided to isolate them into their own chapter. I hate to just list the merits and flaws without giving their text but to go any further would be pushing White Wolf (not to mention their lawyers) a wee bit too far. However, from the information given here you should be able to get a good idea of how to use merits and flaws even without running out and buying a bunch of new books or make a decision on which White Wolf books you might want.

Traditionally White Wolf has included Merits and Flaws in the Player's Guides for their various games and I assume they have done as much for Street Fighter but I haven't bought it You should experiment with variations and new ones. Here are various selections from the White Wolf games that are most appropriate and useful. Others may also apply depending on your game.

The Storyteller should decide when a merit or flaw comes into effect and what their effect on game mechanics is. They should be thought of as fluid enhancements to the characters, not merely extra power.

note : we are beginning to get into some Chinese names here. I know no, absolutely none, zilch, zero, zip about Chinese. If someone else wants to help me out with this - fine. Otherwise, don't complain. BTW, Jusenkyou Curses should not be confused with the Flaw - Cursed.

Inevitably, some players are going to want to get Jusenkyou curses. Transformation curses are very difficult to define as merits or flaws. As flaws all curses chare in common the trait that the characters can not control the transformations. That's where the similarities end however. A variety of factors need to be determined when deciding on a curse. In order to classify a transformation curse as a merit or flaw it is necessary to define all aspects of the curse's effects (near impossible) and then ascribe point values to all (hard). What physical traits or special abilities (ie. flight) will the new body have, how might it affect social interactions, and will it effect you emotionally or mentally. Will you have bizarre talents like squirting ink? How do you react to the curse and will that change? And what of all the things you do not anticipate? Does a pig have enhanced smelling? Might that carry over for the human form? What about a special opprotunity to learn pig-fu or something?

With all that said it becomes obvious that the initial instinct to classify Jusenkyou curses as merits or flaws is wrong since no definitive point value can be ascribed to them. This should not be a deterant, however. Many merits or flaws in certain hands can actually be far more beneficial or impairing with certain players than it in theory should. It would be idiotic to demand that everything would be strictly ordered and defined in Ranma 1/2 anyway - the very nature of the genre demands constant change and revelation.

So how do you choose a curse? You can either select one or get one randomly. The random option is more in keeping with the spirit of the Ranma 1/2 genre. You can create your own random charts or use the one presented here. The chart below lists thirty options for curses. If the Storyteller ever feels that a player is getting away with too much with a curse they can come up with something that will make the character's life much less pleasant.

Notes on The Curses

• The principal behind Jusenkyou curses seems to be that when an entity dies in the pool it inherits whatever that enitity's most defining characteristic and then passes it on to any living creatures dumped into the water. To date Jusenkyou water has been known to create the effects of gender, animals, twins, and even moral states. It has been demonstrated that at least one pool was able to inherit multiple traits from multiple creatures that drowned in it simultaneously. In most cases this would be impossible since another creature that drowned in a curses spring would inherit the new trait. One possible exception is in compatible traits. For example, a saint falls and drowns in a pool of drowned badger. The saint dies but his defining characteristic was his sainthood so now the pool becomes a pool of drowned saintly badger.
• The number of the pools, their age and origins are unknown. Some pools are at least several thousand years old and people have long known of their dangers. At least one other set of pools once existed in Japan but are now known to no longer exist. People have often guarded these pools (the Jusenkyou Guide) and those who watched over each set of pools knew of each other.
• There is evidence that new pools could come into existence or be "tainted" with a curse at any time.
• Apparently people can also inherit multiple curses though the mechanism of this may very depending on the person - it may just be random.
• So far all of the transforming conditions noted have been warm water with cold water transforming the person back to their original state. Presumably this is because the water is warm when they enter. Whether it would be different if the water was cold or another environmental condition was predominant when the person entered (hard to imagine if you're submerged in water) is unknown. Presumably the springs freeze over in winter.

First roll one ten sided die, and then roll on the chart that the dice roll indicates below. Then roll another ten sided die for the chart you've ended up on. Those listed with chinese names are actual curses from the manga or anime.

1. Shonmao-nii-chuan = "panda"
2. Pool of Drowned Porcupine
3. Pool of Drowned Puppy
4. Mao-nii-chuan = "cat"
5. Pool of Drowned Owl
6. Pool of Drowned Ferret
7. Pool of Drowned Turtle
8. Pool of Drowned Bat
9. Pool of Drowned Wharf Rat
10. Pool of Drowned Cockroach

1. Pool of Drowned Garden Snake
2. Nyan-nii-chuan = "girl"
3. Heito-uen-nii-chuan = "black pig"
4. Pool of Drowned Mute
5. Pool of Drowned Acrophobe --- fear of heights
6. Yaa-zu-nii-chuan = "wild duckling"
7. Pool of Drowned Hydrophobe --- fear of water - this one could make things intresting
8. Pool of Drowned Wolverine
9. Pool of Drowned Duckbilled Platypus
10. Pool of Drowned DoDo bird

1. Jackpot - roll again twice and take both
2. Jackpot - roll again once but transforming condition is determined by Storyteller; something wierd like sunlight instead of warm water
3. Pool of Drowned Corpse --- he he he he ... zombies ....
4. Pool of Drowned Fool
5. Nan-nii-chuan = "man"
6. Pool of Drowned Pervert
7. Niu-hoo-man-mao-ren-nii-chuan = "bull-crane-eel-yeti"
8. Shannen-nii-chuan = "virtuous man"
9. Tsu-nii-chuan = "twins"
10. Chan-yui-nii-chuan = "giant octopus"

Idea : Create a second character sheet for your transformed state.