Alchemy is the science, art and study of the transformation of the base and profane into the pure and the sacred. At its heart are the disciplines of the Hermetic student, the holy words of the Kabbalah and the Koran, mystic secrets from Asia and China and an inherent assumption in the perfectibility of all things — often tied up with a healthy dose of Christian beliefs and heresies. Although thought by many to be Western magic and to date from the Renaissance, its ties and history trace themselves throughout Asia Minor and Europe, and even to China, where it is known as Tan, is closely tied with the Wu Keng and dates back at least 2,000 years.
The alchemist believes that all things in nature can be transformed, or purified, into a higher essence. At it's most basic, Alchemy is the pursuit of the Philosopher's Stone (which, depending on the alchemist you listen to, is either a tincture [usually red], a glowing stone of beauty, a powder, a solvent, a waxy substance or some other form), which can transform lead into gold (from the basest metal to the highest), grant immortality, raise the dead and perform a host of other miraculous deeds (exactly which deeds are, again, rather hard to pin down).
An alchemist could spend a lifetime trying to separate truth from the legends, lies and myths that are wrapped up in alchemical lore and still not get very far (especially because in a practice that wanders the line between art and science, one person's lie is another's solid truth). So most alchemists don't try, instead spending their lives experimenting and analyzing what has worked for them, painstakingly measuring the results of each test for any new insight or path forward on the way to their Philosopher's Stone or spend years apprenticed to another, more knowledgeable alchemist, learning his craft by rote. A few recognize the underpinning truth of alchemy: The process of purification leads inevitably to the purification of humanity, the pursuit of spiritual perfection.
Herbalism and Brewing is the art of using the natural properties of various plant and animal pates (tanging from St. John's Wort and dried bear gonads to even more exotic ingredients) to enhance the natural processes of the human body. In so doing, the herbalist can also induce effects that may seem magical to others but are (in the herbalist's eyes) merely examples of what the human body can do when properly motivated and reinforced with the power of nature.
Advanced Chemistry is a science, and its practitionets don't even think of it as being magic at all (although some of its effects, they admit, may seem magical if you don't understand the science behind them). Advanced Chemistry is similar to the more mundane chemistry studied in high school labs around the world but is more impressive in it's its foundations. Some Advanced Chemistry relies on chemical formulae and processes as yet undiscovered by more mundane scientists or on new and unique implementations of already existing knowledge, while other advances require the use of basic nanotechnology and DNA/RNA resequencing.
Alchemy, Herbalism Or Advanced Chemistry?…
So which is it? Well, all three, actually. Depending on the sorcerer and what belief structure she has, she may study any of them or some strange mixture of all three! Alchemy as a Path simply represents any number of material transformative skills that result in elixirs useful as potions, salves or unguents.
System: One WP point per operation must be spent. If a pertinent ritual is known, subtract 1 from the difficulty of the Alchemy roll. Uses of Alchemy last one day per level of effect. For each dot of knowledge the alchemist has that exceeds the level of the effect, reduce this by one day (So an alchemist with four dots of Alchemy can do a Level Two operation in a few hours). Rarely less than an hour.
| Type of Procedure |
Roll |
| Alchemical |
Intelligence + Alchemy |
| Herbalism |
Intelligence + Herbalism |
| Advanced Chemistry |
Intelligence + Science |
Each dot in this Path represents an overall knowledge of the chosen specialization (Advanced Chemistry, Alchemy or Herbalism); more dots indicate that the sorcerer can make more advanced or difficult compounds with greater effects. The rituals are examples and can be undertaken by anyone with the appropriate knowledge (most rituals have a counterpart in the other branches of study; an alchemist's Dust of Revealing the Unseen is a technosorcerer's Radioactive Tracking Powder or Etheric Interference Detection Gas). An alchemist may spend one experience point (or one freebie point during character creation) to master a particular ritual. This gives the caster -1 difficulty on all rolls for that ritual, and lets him use it as if he had one more level of Alchemy when determining the brewing/casting time.
Effects
Note that Alchemy does not have "aspects" as such. The caster need only score basic success to make a given elixir as listed below. However, the elixir may lose its potency or work with only partial strength if the player does not score three or more successes.
• The alchemist can create compounds and substances that are simply more advanced and potent versions of chemicals that already exist. These compounds don't appear magical in any way. Painkillers, soporifics, poisons and glues are common examples.
•• More advanced versions of what is available already with one dot. Some of these substances might allow the imbiber to exceed his normal physical limits or to gain access to more mystical senses, in dreams or hallucinations. You can raise one attribute by one dot (up to the normal maximum of five dots) for up to a scene.
••• You can make substances drat enhance their target to superhuman levels or create materials that exceed normal limitations (supernaturally strong alloys, etc). Some of these substances can temporarily invest their imbiber with some low level psychic ability for a limited period of time (no more than one hour or so).
•••• You can create substances that will enhance Attributes by up to two dots for a scene (one dot if affecting multiple Attributes), even beyond normal human maximums, or minor items with some potent effect.
••••• With this level of knowledge, you can duplicate the powers of supernatural creatures, including Gifts, Disciplines and other abilities of up to the third level. You can also duplicate the innate powers of those creatures (the powers of the fae, wraiths and the imbued, cannot be duplicated). These potions will normally require some sample from the being in question (Vitae, powdered dragon fang, hair from a werewolf, etc) or extended close up and personal study of the subject (this is usually only appropriate for students of Advanced Chemistry and may still require tissue samples). Such concoctions often have nasty side effects as well (the more powerful the Gift or Discipline, the more pronounced the side effects).
Sample Alchemy Rituals
• A powder that, when mixed with alcohol, induces slumber almost immediately. The target must roll Stamina (difficulty 8) or spend a point of Willpower to stay conscious; he must remake this attempt (at a -1 to Difficulty each time) every round until he succumbs or the drug no longer has a chance of success. Unconsciousness lasts for (10 - Stamina) hours, during which they cannot be roused. Vampires are almost immune to this drug (+2 to Stamina, add Fortitude, and effects, if they succumb, last 10 - (Stamina + Fortitude) minutes), but werewolves in their "normal" form (Homid or Lupus) are susceptible (+2 to the roll),
• A pill that removes all side effects from a minor cold or flu for 24 hours when taken and reduces the recovery time for the illness to one half.
•• A form of prophecy-bearing super-LSD. When ingested, the user will be able to see things that were not previously obvious to him or will be granted a vision of the future. These messages will always be cloaked in symbolism and analogy, but will be correct… to the limits of the user's understanding.
•• A potion that doubles the user's running speed for one scene. After using this potion, the user must make a Stamina check (difficulty 6) or be totally out of breath and shaky (-2 on all physical die rolls) for the next hour.
••• A metal alloy that is lighter and stronger than titanium (but easier to work), retains an edge almost forever and stays more resilient than the finest blade. Armor produced with this alloy gets an extra dot of bashing and lethal soak, and melee weapons made of it do one more die of damage and are -1 difficulty to hit with (due to their light weight and fine balance).
••• A fine metallic dust that reveals hidden, disguised or invisible things for what they truly are or disrupts illusions,
•••• A chemical compound that raises the user's Physical Attributes for (Stamina +3) hours. During this time, the user will be very hungry, due to the excess strain being placed on her metabolism. This chemical may raise her Attributes to 6 dots or higher.
•••• A regimen of drugs and potions that extends the user's life (though not indefinitely). While on the regimen, the user ages at the rate of one month for every year. If the regimen is halted, these years come back upon the user at the rate of one month per day, until the regimen is started back up or the user dies of old age.
••••• A compound that werewolves find anathema. When spread on the skin, no werewolf (or other Changing Breed) can approach within striking range of the user; they can throw things or use ranged weapons but will not willingly get within 10 feet of the wearer. Of course, the substance smells so bad that most humans won't want to either….
••••• A potion that gives the user the Stamina, Strength and speed of a vampire for a single scene. The user has one extra action per turn, one automatic Strength success and one extra soak die versus all attacks for the scene following ingestion. The user will also have an unnaturally high temper and a thirst for blood.
Cost of Failure
Beyond the inevitable ruined glassware and loss of ingredients, a simple failure also normally means a nasty, smelly and hard to clean up mess in the lab. Botches can be much more severe; the substance may look okay but really have very different effects (and a simple toxin is the best that can be hoped for, in many cases), the substance may catch fire and explode, or something totally different from what was expecred or anticipated may happen, which is almost always a bad thing.
While most psychic abilities affect other humans, some psychics use their talents on the ‘lower’ animals. The actual method of communication may vary. Some psychics bark or growl at the animal. Others use dressage gestures, even if the animal has never even seen a trainer before. A few simply speak their native language. Animals may communicate with the psychic, though the information the relate should be limited by their intelligence and perceptions.
Animal psychics may use their power on any mammal, lizard or bird with no change in the difficulty. In fact, highly intelligent animals (dolphins, chimpanzees, gorillas) or well trained animals (dogs, horses, circus or show animals) are more susceptible to the psychic.
Roll: Charisma + Animal Ken
• Communication
The Psychic may ‘speak’ with a single animal, allowing two way communication with the beast. This communication does not give the psychic control over the animal, though misunderstandings maybe explained away. Roll diff 6.
•• Command
The Psychic can now command the animal to perform for him. The animal will not endanger itself for the psychic. However it can do any trick the psychic can adequately describe. The animal will attack for the Psychic provided the animal had some proclivity toward attacking in the first place. Roll is diff 7 (+1 for a complex command or one which the animal would not normally perform, -1 for something it would do anyways.)
••• Mass Communication
This power works like the communication power, though it now works on all animals within earshot. In addition the Psychic may communicate with multiple types of animals simultaneously. Roll diff 6, plus one for each additional species of animal in the area of communication.
•••• Mind Link
The Psychic can join his mind with that of a single animal. Once the link is established, the psychic’s and the animal’s minds are linked until the psychic drops the connection. While linked the psychic can perceive whatever the animal perceives. She can also communicate with the animal using any of the lesser communication powers, with the diff -1. The downside to the power however is if the animal is injured the mental feedback injures the psychic. For every 1 lethal the animal takes the Psychic takes 1 bashing, soakable as normal. Diff 8
••••• Domination
This ability gives the psychic total control of an animal’s mind. It will do whatever the psychic wishes even at the cost of it’s own life. Roll is diff 8 and costs 1 willpower to activate. Ex – ‘If someone attacks me, kill them.’
The power of astral projection allows the psychic to split his spirit off from his body. The discarnate spirit can travel very quickly in this form. The spirit intangibly travels across planes of thought while still able to look in on the physical world. While in astral form, the psychic cannot affect the real world, though he may use other psychic abilities (the difficulty numbers for doing so are increased by two). However, while away from the body, he cannot perceive what is happening to it. Many out of body travelers have nightmares about someone moving or harming their physical self while their spirit is roaming free.
Two astrally projecting character may affect each other, though for purpose of astral combat, they substitute Wits for Dex and Intell for Strength and their Percep for Stamina. Some astrally projecting psychics could once perceive ghosts and certain spirits, but most such spirits now appear as blurry forms, barely in the realm of perception. In general an astral spirit can see the material world or other abstract spirits in the realm of thought, ghosts of the dead and the like usually remain imperceptible except to those psychics who also have some mediumship abilities.
To release the astral form, the player spends one point of willpower and rolls for the power. Should the player botch while attempting to have his character step outside his body, the psychic is unable to leave his body for 24 hours. Pyschics who frequent the astral plane whisper that other entities sometimes intrude there, human or otherwise, and on some occasions find their souls drawn to strange spirit worlds far removed from the mortal plane. A few never find their way back way back. Caution is the rule when exploring planes unknown to humans.
Roll: Perception + Meditation (Difficulty 8)
• With only basic awareness of astral existence, they psychic can shift her senses to feel the astral realm but cannot quite enter it. The Psychic sees the astral realm overlaid upon the normal world. The Psychic may view the astral realm for so long as she maintains her concentration upon it.
•• The character can leave her body for one minute per point of Stamina. While in astral form, she can only perceive by sight. She is also limited to traveling approximately one mile away from her body.
••• The character can leave her body for up to 10 minutes per point of stamina. She gains the ability to hear in astral form and can travel up to 100 miles from her body.
•••• The psychic can now leaver her body for up to an hour per point of stamina and travel up to 1,000 miles away. Each additional hour out of her body after the first requires the expenditure of a point of willpower. If the player succeeds on a Charisma + occult roll (diff 8 ) , the psychic can manifest visually to observe as a translucent ghostly apparition, though they may not communicate verbally with the observers.
••••• The psychic may astrally travel anywhere in the world, so long as her body remains healthy, and she may use all of her senses normally. The psychic’s form (should they choose to manifest Charisma + Occult diff 8) appears as a blurry and translucent version of her usual physical appearance, somewhat idealized. While manifested, the projector can speak though only in a soft whisper. Like her visual appearance, her speech does not appear on ecordings.
Most psychics turn their paranormal abilities outward sensing things beyond normal perceptions or controlling them with their wills. Other psychics turn their powers inward. Psychics with Biocontrol regulate their autonomic nervous systems with the ease the others tie their shoes. Proper use of biocontrol allows a psychic to shut down pain regulate his internal organs or even direct the flow of blood and glandular secretions at will. While some otherwise normal people learn basic techniques of biofeedback the truly talented psychic can perform marvels beyond all but the most dedicated meditative disciple.
Roll: Stamina + Meditation
• Self Control
The psychic has power over his body to a basic degree. By entering a self induced hypnotic state, he controls basic functions. He can stop a small cut from bleeding, ignore small amounts of pain or hold his breath longer than he would be able to under normal circumstances. Roll diff 6 for effect to succeed. While in this state the psychic can do nothing else but concentrate on his body. He remains peripherally aware of their surroundings but can bring himself out of the trance at will.
•• Self-Healing
By maintaining his internal focus over a long period of time, the psychic accelerate the healing process. Psychics with self-healing recover at a vastly accelerated rate, as their bodily controls allow them to more efficiently reknit flesh and fight off infections. Tell at diff 7, though the current wound penalty does apply to the dice pool. Every success reduces the time for the wound to heal by one stage on the healing chart. The character must spend his time resting for this to be effective.
••• Hysterical Strength
The psychic gains control of his adrenal glands, allowing brief periods of hysterical strength and speed. The player rolls at diff 8. Every 2 successes on the roll gives the character one additional point to Str, Dex or Stam up to a max of 5 dots in any characteristic. The effect lasts one scene after which the psychic must roll again a difficulty 6 to soak these successes in bashing damage. As the psychic ‘comes down’ from the hysterical episode, his body responds to the excessive stress and pain.
•••• Ignore Pain Response
The psychic has the ability to shut off his pain centers for a brief period of time. This does not heal any damage, though it does let him function while injured. Roll against difficulty 7. Every success allows the psychic to ignore one die of would penalties for one scene. At the end of the scene, the wound modifiers return, and the character cannot deflect away the pain again until he has healed away at least one would level.
••••• Mind Over Matter
The character’s control of his body is complete. At will, he can stop his own heart, suspend the need for oxygen, regulate digestive functions, control the immune system and accelerate or suppress cell growth, regeneration or processing. In effect, the psychic can direct her body consciously to perform feats of biology almost as if her cells responded individually to her mind. The psychic can nullify most toxins with a diff 8 roll, though sufficiently large does (like a quart of mercury) would overwhelm his system. He can fight of most any mundane disease, allergen or irritant and can even try to counteract severe diseases like HIV or cancer (against diff 8 ) . With pain control he can flex and contort his body into unnatural positions and slip out of bonds or into tight spaces. He can hold his breath for minutes at a time while remaining active and if necessary can actively redirect toxins to other parts of his body. The psychic can, if he prepares his body against trauma, gain a normal stamina soak against any sort of damage, even aggravated (diff 8, successes determine the max number of dice that the psychic can use to soak lethal or aggravated damage for the scene, not counting armor or other external modifiers).
Some psychics have the ability to draw upon the knowledge of those who have passed on. Channelers tap the knowledge and experience of the dead briefly obtaining skills that they personally lack. Some psychics have a repertoire of spirits they can call on for help and assistance. Others claim that they tap the collective unconscious.
While the source of knowledge varies, the effects remain the same. The player rolls the channeling pool (diff 7) every success gices the character one dot of the talent, skill or knowledge desired for the remainder of the scene. On a both the channeler has opened herself up too widely to the spirit planes, she may summon a malevolent entity that tires to control her actions, lose some of her usual abilities as her personality is lost in the influx of simply find herself unable to reach her usual channeling talents for a day, sometimes more.
Note that only one personality may be channeled at a time. Thus, a channeler cannot stack additional dots by channeling multiple personalities at a time.
Roll: Perception + Awareness
• The character can channel once per day. She has a vague sense of other personalities floating about and of the existence of some sort of consciousness beyond the body, but that’s about all.
•• The character can channel two times per-day. She also can, against a difficulty equal to the gauntlet, see briefly in the Shadowlands where ghosts live. She can communicate with ghosts for one minute per success rolled.
••• The character can channel three times per day. She can also see into the Shadowlands for and entire scene by rolling against the difficulty of the Gauntlet.
•••• At this level and beyond there is no limit to how often the character can channel, though the difficulty increases by one for each time after the third until the character sleeps. She also can let ghosts skilled in the arts of possession easily enter her body to use all her skills. The medium retains full awareness of the wraith’s actions. She can also eject a possessing wraith by winning a contest of willpower against the ghost in question each attempt costs one willpower point and takes a full turn of struggling.
••••• The psychic can now channel two separate personalities at once (And thus the player can roll channeling twice and add to determine Ability dots gained.). There is no limit to how often the character can channel, though the difficulty increases by one for each time after the third until the character sleeps. When possessed by a ghost, the channeler often gains some memories from the ghost, beyond what the possessor might do or tell. While a weaker channeler might hope that the ghost says or does something significant, the master channeler can access some of the ghost’s own memories and passions. ( In game terms the player gains a sense of the ghost’s nature, demeanor, and driving concerns.)
A clairvoyant has the ability to cast his senses away allowing him to perceive people, places or things at great distances. With this power the psychic remains conscious of what is going on about him though it can often be confusing to concentrate on both. The degree of familiarity the psychic has with the target may raise or lower the difficulty ( by plus or minus 1 or 2). Once the psychic locks on to a target he can then pan to view around allowing him to see just about anything in the immediate area.
Roll: Perception + Awareness (diff 8)
• The character can see things, though the images are hazy and dreamlike. The character can extend his senses into just the immediate area, approximately a mile from his body.
•• The character can see clearly through remote sight and can faintly hear. The range of perception is now anywhere in the immediate five to ten miles, depending on the number of successes. (1 = 5, 2 = 6, 3 = 7 and so on up to ten.)
••• The character can see and hear clearly at a distance. He can also ‘touch’ things at the remote site, though his sense of touch is vague, as if he were wearing heavy gloves. (He cannot move things.) The character’s range expands to ten miles per success rolled.
•••• The character can clearly see, hear and touch at range. Additionally, he can detect strong odors. The range is 100 miles per success.
••••• The character can use all five senses clearly and can perceive things up to 1,000 miles away per success rolled.
The master conjuror can move items (though not himself) through space; scientists call this ability apportation or telekinesis (depending on whether or not the item passes through the intervening space between where it is and where
the conjuror wishes ir to be), while those knowledgeable in Sphere magics claim that this is a limited application of the Sphere of Correspondence.
Many sorcerers who choose to practice their Arts openly, or somewhat openly, master Conjuration, if only to earn a living from their studies. With it, all manner of parlor tricks and stage magics can be emulated — of course, when a conjuror claims that there's nothing up her sleeves, there really isn't!
For the best effect, an object must be prepared ahead of time, in a ritual designed to bond the item to the caster, making it easy fot her to latch onto and command later on. This doesn't mean that the Conjuror has to do this; theoretically, a conjuror can take control of anything that she can see, although in practice this is very difficult to do and much more draining.
The more experienced the conjuror is, rhe more she is able to move and the farther and more precisely she can move it; an experienced conjuror can thread needles, summon a rabbit into a hat from miles away or move an elephant across a room. The skilled conjuror can also manipulate multiple objects.
It is very difficult to use conjuration offensively (even beyond the length of tme it normally takes to effect a change). A willing subject, properly prepared (which usually involves at least a low level of mesmerism) can be the subject of a conjuration, but the least resistance renders the effect almost impossible. With enough luck (and Willpower), a sorcerer might be able to conjure a weapon out of the hands of an opponent, but attempts at this are dreadfully prone to failure.
System: Roll Dexteriry + Occult
Modifiers: +1 for working against an object in the hands of someone who is resisting -1 for an object that is well known to the caster (Storyteller's discretion). +2 to work against a resisting, living, target Cost: None for prepared object, one Willpower for object that has not been prepared
Duration: Instantaneous. For lasting effects (a set of puppets dancing without strings, a whirling dervish of knives, etc.) pay one Willpower for every turn you want it to last.
Weight
| Level |
Weight |
| 1 |
Less than an ounce. A coin, business card, penknife, etc. |
| 2 |
A few pounds, a hardcover book. At this level, very small or simple lifeforms (insects, snails, etc.) can be manipulated as well. |
| 3 |
A largish object (computer monitor, telephone) weighing up to 100 pounds. Living beings can be moved as well, although the conjurer cannot manipulate human beings. |
| 4 |
Something as large as an armoire, weighing 1,000 pounds or so can be moved. Humans can be manipulated as long as they are willing, unconscious or hypnotized. |
| 5 |
At this level, the conjurer can move a car or an elephant around. An unwilling human subject could be moved, although this is very difficult. |
Distance
| Level |
Distance |
| 1 |
No more than a couple of feet. |
| 2 |
Objects can be moved 20 feet or so. |
| 3 |
The conjuror can summon an object from over 100 feet away. |
| 4 |
The object being manipulated can be summoned forth from (or sent away to) up to half a mile away. |
| 5 |
Summoned objects can be made to appear from five miles away. |
Accuracy
| Level |
Accuracy |
| 1 |
Almost none; the objects quiver in ways you want. |
| 2 |
Rough motor control, about equal to being shoved with an elbow or fist. Things pretty much go where you want them, but without finesse. |
| 3 |
Some fine control; equivalent to an object in hands but slow and unwieldy. Clumsy attacks (+1 difficulty) can be made with this level of accuracy. |
| 4 |
Fine motor control. Equivalent to a normal pair of hands, able to perform fine tasks (opening locks, slowly threading a needle, etc.). |
| 5 |
Extreme control. The item(s) will do whatever you ask, quickly and efficiently. |
Number
| Level |
Number |
| 1 |
One item |
| 2 |
Two similar items |
| 3 |
Three similar items |
| 4 |
A small group (under 10) of near-identical items, or three items that aren't closely related to each other. |
| 5 |
10-20 items of similar nature, or a lesser number of non-similar items. |
Rituals
••• Sword Summoning
Although more often used to draw forth loaded shotguns than long swords in these modem times, many Templars are taught this ritual so that, in extremis, they are never without a weapon. This ritual is almost always hung — the Templar ritually prepares the weapon before entering some siruation where he thinks it may be necessary, and keeps it always in his mind as he works. When he needs the weapon, he finishes the ritual and draws the weapon forth from some convenient shadow or out from underneath a trenchcoat. The difficulty is 7 (6 if the weapon or tool is well known to the user), and the device must normally be within a mile or so of the user and no larger than a shotgun or long sword. No summoning light machine guns with this ritual! If attempted in plain sight of unbelievers, this ritual will almost always fail (difficulty 9).
•••• Shitstorm
This ritual allows the sorcerer to take a large number of small objects and spin them about himself in a deadly whirlwind of flying debris. The difficulty of this rirual is 7 (8 if cast under duress). Each success gained increases the number of items in the cloud; the base whirlwind is two yards in diameter (usually centered on the caster), plus one yard for each success gained. Anyone caught in the whirlwind takes (successes) dice in bashing damage; in some cases this might be lethal damage (if the caster is in a room filled with glass breakables or cutlery or other small sharp objects…).
Price of Failure
A simple failure means the object fails to move at all, disappears never to be seen again or drops to the ground at an embarrassing or dangerous moment (like the keys falling right behind the lecturing guard…). Botches can summon the wrong object (or person…), put it in the wrong place or destroy it in some particularly messy fashion. Botches with living targets are general very bad; stories tell of magicians assistants that disappear never to be seen again or, worse, show up in the disappearing booth days later, hideously mutilated. And few want to consider the fates of those magicians who have failed some tremendous feat of Conjuration, only to disappear themselves…
This is the ability to control electronic equipment with ones mind. While the psychic can control the machine he can not ‘read it’s mind’, that is a separate power. For all powers above level one generally thought a monitor or display.
Roll: Manipulation + Computer
• Search
The cyberkinetic possesses the ability to switch computers or easily operated electronic equipment on and off. Roll at diff 6 for machines switched by electronic relays, diff 8 from switches that rely on physical relays.
•• Link
The psychic may operate equipment without touching it, as if by remote control. This does not give him any override codes or passwords. He could enter a password without typing it at the keyboard, but he could not login to a machine without a valid password. Roll against difficulty 4 or 5 for simple acts like programming a VCR or entering data into a word processor. Very complex actions require higher difficulty, such as 7 for driving a car with power steering or 9 for a computer controlled factory.
••• Scramble
The character possesses the ability to send microscale power surges through computers, giving them the equivalent of an epileptic seizure. Computers lock up. Video equipment displays snow and recording equipment picks up nothing but static. The scrambling effect lasts as long as the cyberkinetic concentrates upon it. When the effect lapses, the machines return to normal function, though some less robust operating systems will crash. Roll against diff 7, though complex systems may require an 8 or 9.
•••• Password
They cyberkinetic overrides the operating system of computers, essentially giving himself any password or code he desires. He can force the computer to do anything the normal operating system is capable of performing. He could for instance, create administrator access for himself, erase data or forge e-mail from anyone with an account on the system. Roll against diff 7 for ordinary desktop machines, diff 8 or 9 for machines with high degrees of security or other intrusion countermeasures.
••••• Run Hot
The psychic has such control of electronics that he can effectively ‘reprogram’ the computer to exceed its normal abilities. A computer calculates fast, a robot arm lifts more, a laser burns hotter. Roll against diff 8. Every success gives the psychic an extra success to apply to his next use of the machine. However, every success also does one health level of damage to the machine. Apply the wound penalties to the devices subsequent functions until it is repaired.
This is the ability to control electronic equipment, the cyberpath can read the data stored on computers. All uses of cyberpathy require the psychic to be within sight of the computers. Generally speaking these powers take 10- 15 minutes to use though the cyberpath can use successes from the roll to reduce the time by a minute per success.
Roll: Perception + Computer
• Analyze Structure
At this level the cyberpath possesses the ability to examine the directory structure of the computer. He can see what files are stored on the hard drive but cannot access them. This can be useful to cyberpath hackers looking for a specific piece of data.
•• Read-Only Mode
The cyberpath not only can travel the directory structure but can read the files. Simple text and graphics files are easy to comprehend. Additionally, he can grasp the functions of executable programs. Unscrambling encrypted files remains beyond him at this level.
••• Download
The psychic can copy a file from a computer to his mind, writing the data in unused sections of his brain. While he can read text files, observe graphics or sound files and understand the nature of an executable program he cannot run the program in his brain. With the level two power he can upload the data back onto another computer. The cyberpath can download one file into his mind for every dot in mental attributes he has. (Example Intel 3, Perc 3, Wits 3 = 9 files). Large files such as movies may take up more than one spot in the characters head, storytellers discretion.
•••• Remote Access
With this power the cyberpath connects to any computer that his local computer connects to. He has no additional powers beyond the ability to treat a remote computer as if it were sitting on his desktop. For every hop between computers, the cyberpath looses one die from his pools.
••••• Decrypt
The cyberpaths understanding of computers as progresses to the point where he can decrypt encrypted data. The data can be on a computer or downloaded into the psychics mind.
Among the more freakish of psychic phenomena, this is the stuff of spirits, plasma made into tangible form. Through force of will and personality the psychic tugs on ghostly energies and make them solid.
Roll: Charisma + Occult
• The Big Sneeze
The psychic can summon up some strands of snotty material. The ectoplasmic created by this power wells out of the psychic’s orifices or follows in the wake of her touch, leaving slimy, glistening trails. Each success scored causes the psychic to leave a slime trail that lasts for one turn. This goo is disturbing and nasty but has no deleterious effects. Summoning up this goo only has a diff of 5. The psychic can also vaguely summon ectoplasmic fog. The thick white mists boil out of the psychic’s eyes, nose and mouth. This cloud generated is vaguely spherical and has a diameter of about five feet, plus one foot per success rolled in generating it. The cloud hangs mid-air in front of the psychic and does not move. The cloud slowly dissolves leaving only viscous goo behind. In still air the cloud lasts two turns, plus one turn per successes rolled. A stiff wind will disperse the cloud in half the time. The diff to raise the cloud is 6.
•• The Mists
The psychic’s control of the ectoplasmic cloud coalesces and the cloud begins to obey the commands of the summoner. The cloud no longer disperses in wind and last as long as the summoner concentrates on it. If kept in a sphere, the fog would have a radius of five feet, plus one foot per success rolled in generating it. However, the psychic has rudimentary control over the shape of the fog, though it is merely basic control. No complex shapes can be formed, yet. The cloud initially appears in front of the psychic, though the cloud can move five feet a round if the summoner desires. Once the psychic’s concentration lapses, the cloud dissolves in five rounds. Diff is 7.
••• A Fog So Thick
By investing a greater portion of her will into the cloud it becomes solid to the touch. The cloud itself feels like cotton candy and requires a Str roll diff 6 to pass through. If the roll succeeds, the character travels at one-quarter of normal walking speed. Attacking the fog with normal weapons rarely does any good. Bullets, blades and fists may shift the solid ectoplasm, but cannot break it down. To generate the fog, the player rolls against diff 8. The fog appears in front of the summoner and does not move. The psychic shapes the wall at the time of creation, though the total volume of the ectoplasm would be a sphere with a radius of five feet plus one foot for every two successes rolled. The cloud remains solid so long as the psychic concentrates upon it. When the concentration lapses, the cloud remains ( though no longer solid) for three rounds.
•••• Dream Shaper
The psychic’s greater control of her ectoplasm allows her to mold it into complex shapes. The creation may look like anything the psychic wishes though the ectoplasm remains a dull white color. The summoner creates the shape near her, roll against diff 8. Once created, the shape moves at 10 yards per turn. During creation, the psychic gets one point for every success rolled to divide among the creatures physical characteristics.
The dense ectoplasm takes bashing damage from bullets and cutting weapons and lethal damage from impacts and fire. It’s bashing soak is determined by it’s Stamina, and it has no lethal soak. It has three bashing health levels. The creation disappears after taking any lethal or more than three bashing. The creation is a puppet, controlled by the will of the psychic. It cannot travel outside the psychic’s perception or perceive anything the psychic does not perceive. If concentration lapses, the creation vanishes in a puff of smoke.
••••• Tulpa
By a powerful investment of mental energy, the psychic creates an ectoplasmic extension of his will. Unlike the Dream Shape, the Tulpa possesses rudimentary intelligence. The psychic spends a point of willpower and rolls Charisma + Meditation diff 7. The psychic can spend additional points of Willpower and create the Tulpa as an extended action. Every success generates 3 points.
The points can be spent as follows:
Dot of Physical Attribute 1 point
Dot of Mental Attribute 2 points (cannot exceed creators)
Health Level 1 point
Extra Senses 1 point (one free at creation, if given any mental Attributes)
Extra Movement 1 point/yard (the creation flies as fast as a person can run based on it’s Dex without an investment of points)
This ability is both beautiful in it’s own way and quite dangerious to its practitioner. There healer in effect joins her mind and body with that of the sick or injured subject. She then absorbs his hurts into her own body, where they heal normally. Empathic healers can even repair the most horrible of aggravated damage which makes such practitioners quite valuable. The drawback is, ofcourse, that it may take months before the healer is able to function after using her powers. Usually the healer will hae an assistant or friend who can watch over her during the healing process. Most practitioners push themselves past their own limits in using this power to help others.
Each level of healing requires a minimum of three successes (Char + Empathy) to be effective successes can be cumulative, though the strain on the healer is harder to bare. The base difficulty is 6 but increases by one per level level of empathetic healing beyond Sooth the Spirit. Thus Knit flesh would be diff 7 and mend bones is diff 8 and so on.
Roll: Charisma + Empathy
• Soothe the Spirit
The healer absorbs minor bruises, simple depression and grief. She can heal damage of the bruised health level. Her own body recovers in about a day. Diff 6.
•• Knit the Flesh
The psychic can heal deep cuts and stop blood loss, Hurt and Injured health levels heal, though it takes about a week for the psychic to regain her strength. Diff 7.
••• Mend Bones
Wounded and Mauled levels disappear from the subject, as the empathy mends shattered bones and connective tissue. At best she can hope for her own recovery after several months. Diff 8.
•••• Organ Repair
The healer can repair severe internal injuries and even bring back patients for the brink of death. Crippled and Incaped health level are healed. Minimum recovery time for the healer is a year. Diff 9.
••••• Pacify Madness
Only the most able psychics ever reach this level of training for it requires strict mental discipline and great courage. The healer actually absortbs the most severe forms of mental illness into her own mind and falls into the same state of psychosis she alleviates in her patient. Some healers never recover, at the least it usually takes many many months of rest. Diff 10.
This skill protects the psychics mind from mental attacks including other psychics, vampires dominate, magic spells or other ensorcelment. When someone attacks the psychic with mind shields, the target gets to roll a number of dice (diff 6) as a counter roll. These successes subtract from the effects. If the defender gets more successes that the attacker, the attack fails.
• 2 dice (versus psychic attacks), 1 die (versus other mental attacks)
•• 4 dice (versus psychic attacks), 2 dice (versus other mental attacks)
••• 6 dice (versus psychic attacks), 3 dice (versus other mental attacks)
•••• 8 dice (versus psychic attacks), 4 dice (versus other mental attacks)
••••• 10 (dice versus psychic attacks), 5 dice (versus other mental attacks)
Necromantic Psychic Ability is a frightening thing. The character can when concentrating communicate wit hthe dead. However, the dead don’t always wish to communicate back, and even if they do, there’s a serious risk of possession at the higher levels of this Numina. Necro-Psi is risky in the extreme, and most who perform it risk their sanity and souls as well as their lives.
Roll: Perception + Occult, Difficulty: 8
• At this level, the character can hear the dead speaking, but only if she concentrates. Actual communication isn’t possible, but hints and clues might be revealed if an agent with this talent takes the time to hear what the dead are saying.
•• The character can speak to the dead, but the best the dead can hear is apparently as whisper. Each question the agent asks might require a dozen or more repetitions before the dead respond, and theres no guarantee of an answer.
••• The character can be heard plainly by the dead, which is not always good. Characters using this Numina often find themselves gaining unwanted attention from the dead,, and they are sometimes the victims of full-scale hauntings.
•••• The dead seemingly are drawn to the characters at this level. Many ghosts come around to examine the character with the same fascination that a barracuda gives to something that is bright and shiny. Worse, the character begins having trouble his Necro-Psi from time to time, the power doesn’t want to shut off once it’s been turned on. The character hears the voice almost constantly, and even though they might not say anything of importance, the mental noise can lead to severe distraction or insomnia.
••••• The character can communicate freely with the dead and can get answers to almost and question – except about what existence is like on the other side, for some reason the dead don’t like to talk about that. If the character seemed like a shiny play-toy to the dead before shenow seems like a burning sun. Ghosts are instantly attracted whenever the character communicates, and many characters at this level of talent find the dead want something more. Opening up for discussion with the dead is almost like inviting them to step inside and take over for a while. Worst of all, there are dark forces out there beyond the grave, and they seem particularly interested in communication with the living.
Unfortunately, what they have to say insn’t very nice. Many agents at this level of power refuse to use their talents any longer, and those who don’t refuse sometimes end up committing suicide.
Many hypnotists promise results. Some even produce them. Psychics with hypnotic powers dwarf the abilities of the best carnival hucksters. Through their abilities lack the speed of a vampires mental command.
Roll: Manipulation + Expression
• Trance State
The hypnotist can place a willing subject into a hypnotic trance. While in the trance the subject’s memories become clearer. He may also exhibit greater control of his physiology. Though the hypnotist cannot command the subject the person in the trance automatically becomes relaxed and restful. He may regain one point of willpower for every two successes the hypnotist achieves. The psychic may, if she chooses, hypnotize themselves. Roll against diff 6 in either case. Placing the subject in a trance takes five turns. The subject will come out of the trance if shaken or disturbed.
•• Sideshow Suggestion
After placing the subject in a deep trance, which takes 5 turns, they hypnotist may command the subject to perform actions while in the trance state, each command taking a round. In the trance state the subject will perform any action he would not be opposed to doing. Additionally the entranced subject has far greater control of his autonomic responses. A hypnotized person could walk on hot coals, require less oxygen to breathe or even ignore would penalties. The hypnotist could also cause the subject to forget pervious actions that happened in the trance state. Roll diff 6 for simple commands, diff 7 for embarrassing commands and to forget actions that happened while hypnotized. Diff 8 for controlling pain response. The subject will not break the trance until commanded.
••• Delayed Action
The subject now performs actions commanded once the trance has been broken. The psychic implants any command or improved memory recall from the lower levels of hypnosis, but this time it is programmed to happen at a certain time. The commands are implanted as with Sideshow Suggestion, but the diff is +1. Every success on the roll gives the hypnotist one command to implant. Each extra condition requires a success as well. It takes five turns to hypnotize the subject, plus one turn per command to program them. The hypnotist can make on of the commands to be to instantly fall into a trance state at a later time.
•••• Fast Trance
At this stage, the hypnotist has become so adept at inducing trances, that he, by a powerful act of will, may do so with a glance. This costs 1 willpower and the player must make the normal roll at a difficulty of the subject’s willpower. If the effect succeeds, the subject is entranced for one round per success. While the target is in a trance, the hypnotist can then use an of the lesser hypnotic powers on the subject.
••••• Manchurian Candidate
With this ability the psychic can perform major feats of brainwashing on the target. With this level of deep programming the subject will do anything the hypnotist command even to the point of death. The target must be placed in a trance, which takes ten minutes and may not be done with fast trance. After that the hypnotist spends an hour per command implanted programming the subject. Spend two willpower and roll Manipulation + leadership (diff 7 for commands that are simply against the target’s morals, diff 9 for commands that lead to the subject’s death.) As in the delayed action power, the number of commands and the number of conditions attached to them depends on the number of successes.
Healing! Should a player botch while the psychic heals someone the character may heal the wound improperly or may inadvertently transfer the injury or disease to himself. The victim might even suffer a worse condition brought on by the psychic misdirecting the body’s healing.
Roll: Perception + Empathy
• Diagnosis
Psychic’s with this power possess the ability to instantly diagnose disease and injury to a person. This ability to sense what is wrong does not give him the ability to cure the problem, but it does allow psychic with medical training to suggest the most efficient cures. A psychic healer without medical training finds it difficult to explain to doctors what is the problem. Perc + Empathy diff 6. The number of successes determines the accuracy of the diagnosis. If the psychic has medical training, the player may add any diagnosis successes to the dice pool of a subsequent medical roll.
•• A Good Night’s Sleep
The psychic has the ability to accelerate the body’s natural healing processes with a touch. This takes approximately a minute and the psychic simply massaging the injured area. At the end of the minute, the player rolls Perc + Empathy diff 7. If the player succeeds the subject is considered to be treated by a ‘highly skilled physician (4+ dots in medicine) for the purpose of healing times. If the player scores more than three successes, the subject also regains a point of willpower.
••• Basic Healing
The psychic’s ability to knit wounds and cure disease has expanded. The healer can heal bashing damage and cure simple diseases or poisonings. (level 3 toxins or less). Roll Perc + medicine diff 7. Each success cures one level of bashing damage. Every two successes reduces the effects of a toxin by one level. It takes a turn per would level for the healing to take effect.
•••• Triage
At this level, the psychic can knit broken bones, close serous wounds and cure potent diseases. Roll Perc + Medicine diff 7 and spend 1 point of willpower. This is spent before the roll. Each success heals one lethal wound level or reduces any disease or poison of toxin rating 4 or less by one level. This takes 10 minutes per would level such recovery is noticeably swift and unusual though in the case of a seriously injured patient it might simply stabilize a critical wound and prevent death.
••••• Psychic Surgery
The psychic empathically reaches his hands into the body of a person, allowing him to remove cancers or infections from the body. The psychic can cure diseases up to toxin rating 6. Roll Perc + Medicine diff 8. The process takes 10 minutes time the toxin rating of the disease. The healer can also use this talent to harm as well as heal. This power cannot be used in combat as it takes to long, but the psychic can reach into a healthy body and remove healthy tissue. Roll Perc + Medicine diff 7. Each success causes a level of unsoakable aggravated damage. The psychic simply places his hands against the subject’s flesh and concentrates in some cases blood may well out of the flesh or the psychic’s fingers may appear to dig into the body itself.
This could be considered a form of mass hypnosis. The psychic broadcasts to everyone nearby the simply subconscious command ‘don’t notice me’. This effect does not extend to electronic or other recording media. Typically the roll for this talent determines the strength of the concealment. With only one success the character is still noticeable but people tend to avert their eyes or have trouble focusing on him. With three or more successes, the psychic is completely unnoticed by most onlookers.
Roll: Wits + Stealth
• Hide
The psychic’s ‘don’t notice me broadcast’ keeps him from being seen so long as he remains completely still. Under normal circumstances, no roll is required. However if someone is searching the area where the psychic is hiding he rolls Perp + stealth diff 6. If he succeeds and the target has no special senses the psychic remains invisible. If the psychic moves, speaks or does anything to give away his position, the effect is broken.
•• Slow Movement
The psychic has enough control of his growing talent to attempt to move while maintaining the invisibility effect. Maintaining the effect counts as an action in terms of splitting dice pools. He also cannot do things that would draw attention to him without losing the effects of the power. They psychic could walk across a room, but he couldn’t punch someone. The act of interacting with the rest of the world cancels the effect. To avoid the notice of people searching the area, the psychic’s player rolls a contested roll Wits + Stealth diff 6 versus the targets Perc + alertness diff 6. Ties go in favor of the psychic. If the target accumulates more successes than the psychic they know vaguely where the psychic is by noticing the absence of perception in that area (something is funny in that corner) but they still cannot directly see the psychic.
••• Invisibility
The psychic’s ability to now walk about unnoticed is such that he can walk around and behave normally. He can even perform actions that would normally draw attention to him. The only limitation to the power is that he cannot vanish from view while being observed. However he could create some sort of distraction that would draw another’s eyes away momentarily giving him that split second needed to vanish. People with mundane perceptions searching for the invisible psychic must roll Perc + alertness dc 9 opposed by a Wits + stealth dc 6 roll on behalf of the psychic. Those with Supernatural perceptions can attempt to use them thought the power is again resisted by a wits + stealth roll diff 8.
•••• Selective Invisibility
The psychic now has enough control of his talent to allow select others to see him while invisible. The character is invisible as in the pervious level of the power. However if the player succeeds on a wits + empathy roll diff 7 the psychic can selectively allow one person per success rolled to perceive him while the rest of the world ignores his presence.
••••• Forget You Ever Saw Me
The psychic’s talent is now powerful enough to vanish while in plain sight, and also cause those who did see him to forget the psychic was there in the first place. The psychic rolls wits + stealth (diff 7) opposed by the highest perc + alertness (diff 7) total in the group. A tie goes to the observers, who continue to see the psychic. If the psychic scores a singer net success, he vanishes from view. If he scores 3 or more successes he vanishes from view and the people who had seen him forget his presence for one previous turn for every two successes scored, if effect loosing track of the psychic’s location completely.
They psychic literally drains away emotion from his victims or in some cases actual living energies, converting them into energies for himself. The psychics often become addicted to the sensations, feeling a rush from the draw as well as desiring the extra energy.
Roll: Manipulation + Empathy
• Rush
The psychic vampire feeds off strong emotions. The emotions can be positive (joy, happiness, or love) or negative (fear, hatred, greed), though the vampire tends to find it easier to generate negative emotions. The vampire rolls Manipulation + Empathy diff 6 to ‘feed’ off the emotions. This provides no concrete benefit to the vampire, though it porivdes a rush of power. Depending on the nature of the character, this may allow him to recover lost willpower though it is recommended that the player score at least 3 successes on the roll for that to occur. The psychic must be close to the target (within 10 yard) and able to sense her to feed. The target may feel unsettled by the process, as the effect tends to mute her emotions. However, it does not remove the emotion itself and could not be used, for instance, to calm down an angry person. The vampire can use this ability to monitor the emotions of the subject, though he doesn’t have an accurate gauge of the subjects emotions until he starts the drain.
•• Sapping the Will
The drain effect sharpens here. The vampire’s leeching of life energy saps the will of the target while invigorating his own will. The psychic rolls Manipulation + Empathy (diff targets current willpower) and the target rolls a reflexive willpower roll (diff 6). If the psychic succeeds, he drains one point of temporary willpower from the target and adds it to his own store of temporary willpower. The extra willpower can exceed the psychic’s normal maximum willpower (up to 10 total temporary willpower). While the character has more than normal willpower he feels invigorated, akin to a drug high. The excess willpower fades at a rate of one point per hour. This talent can be used at a range of up to 10 yards.
••• Energy Transfer
The vampire’s ability to leech life energy now allows him to invigorate himself and to heal minor injuries with stolen life force. This requires the vampire to touch the subject for a turn. The psychic’s player then rolls Manipulation + Empathy (diff 7). Each success causes a level of bashing damage to the target and heals a level of bashing damage that the psychic has taken. If the psychic is fully healed when this occurs, each bashing level absorbed restores 2 points of willpower. The subject does get a soak roll, and soaked levels of damage do not benefit the psychic.
•••• Life Leech
This dangerous talent allows the psychic to leech away vital life energies from the target healing any damage the psychic may have taken and giving an emotional high without compare. The psychic must maintain physical contact with the target for one turn per damage level absorbed and then rolls Manipulation + Empathy (diff 8) . Each success does one level of lethal damage to the subject. This will heal one level of damage (bashing or lethal) or turn one level of aggravated damage into lethal damage. If the character is fully healed when he leeches life energy, each damage level absorbed provided the character with 3 points of willpower.
••••• Emotional Vortex
The psychic’s ability to absorb energy has proressed to the point where he can affect multiple targets at once. The psychic must have used one of the lesser powers on the target once to make the link to the target’s emotional template. After that, the psychic can use the level one or level two powers on the target at will. The range at which the psychic can drain the target depends on number of successes the player scores on the power roll (see below).
One – Line of sight
Two – A one block radius, and the psychic does not have to see the target.
Three – In the immediate neighborhood
Four – Anywhere in the city
Five – Anywhere in the county
Telekinesis, the ability to move things without touch. A psych must be able to see the target she wishes to manipulate and must use a modicum of concentration to manipulate an object. However she can split her attention and lift multiple objects so long as she dedicates an action for each object. The total weight lifted cannot exceed the psychic usual lifting capacity. If the psychic attempts to wrest an object form someone’s grasp makes a contested roll pitting psychic strength versus the targets physical strength (diff 6).
Roll: Wits + Empathy
• The psychic has an effective mental Strength of 0. She can lift only a few pounds. She can move the object 5 + Wits yards/round.
•• The psychic’s mental strength is now 1, and she can move the object at a velocity of 7 + wits yards/round.
••• The psychic has a mental strength of 2, and she can move objects at a velocity of 9 + wits yards/round.
•••• The psychic’s mental Strength is 3, and she can move a levitated object at 11 + wits yards/round. At this level, the psychic can levitate herself, regardless of weight. Due to the concentration required to fly in this fashion, she may only move at walking speed (7yards/round.)
••••• The psychic has a mental strength of 4 and can move objects at 13 + wits yards/round. At this level, she also gains a free extra object that she can move without splitting her concentration.
The ability to pick up psychic residue left on objects, places or people. Things exposed to strong emotional signatures hold flashes of information that a psychometric can read by touch. Particularly strong or violent emotions like murder may even cause sympathetic reactions in the psychic a feeling of rage, dread or other emotion imposed by the incredibly strong psychic resonance The players successes indicate the level of detail achieved. With many successes a character will have longer more vivid impressions and emotions. On a both a psychic may become lost in a dream like reverie or even become overwhelmed by emotional resonance, suffering injury or temporarily losing her personality and repeating the actions surrounding the object or place touched.
Roll: Perception + Empathy
• The character gets vague, dreamlike impressions of recent activities involving the object or more distant activities that involved strong emotions. In many cases, the reading gives just the feelings involved with the incident, instead of actual imagery. When imagery does appear (generally with 3 or more successes), it is figurative and dreamlike.
•• In addition to the previous information gathered, the psychic gets an accurate mental image of the person most closely associated with the object.
••• The psychic receives impressions of the strongest emotional incident involving that object. With 3 successes she receives a dreamlike image of the incident, including the number of people involved and a description of the area. If concentrating on the objects owner, she can determine the person’s approximate age, emotional state, hits of personality, and exactly what the individual felt at the time.
•••• The psychic can clearly visualize the event in question, as well as gathering general impressions of what happened to the object’s owner during the day the incident occurred. As an alternative, the psychic can simply replay the past day of the object, even if there were no strong emotional evens concerning the object that day.
••••• In addition to a clear picture of the event, the psychic receives clear emotional impressions of the other people at the event, and gains insight into what they were feeling. She receives clear images of the people present. She also can use the object as a psychic link to the owner, allowing her to gain a general impression of where the owner is currently.
Quite simply the ability to start fires with ones mind. Pyros are not immune to their own flames and burn as easily as anyone else. Botches with Pyrokinesis tend to be singularly spectacular, as the psychic self immolates or sends flame shooting wildly about.
Roll: Manipulation + Meditation
• Matches
The psychic can produce tiny sparks of flame, generally only enough to light highly flammable items (paper, dry wood, gasoline, ect.). These sparks of flame tend to come from the psychic’s fingers, though some pyros create the sparks in different manners. The sparks light anything the psychic could physically reach, though they do not actually have to touch the flammable objects. The sparks are not hot enough to seriously burn people. If the pyro wishes to startle someone with a spark the player rolls Dexterity + Athletics (diff 6) to fling the sparks at the target. The target must in hand to hand combat range. This effect can be dodged by a Dex + dodge (diff 6) roll. If the pyro hits the target, the targets player rolls willpower (diff 6) or else the victim loses his next action from the surprise. The target can spend a willpower point to avoid this reflexive aversion to being burned.
•• Ignite
By concentrating, the pyro causes flammable materials to burst into flame. The psychic can affect anything within a short range (less than 10 yards) though some materials are easier to ignite than others. The difficulty is as below. 4 – Very easily lit materials (paper, gasoline, vampires)
6 – Flammable objects that normally require minor assistance to light (wood, charcoal)
8 – Objects that do burn with the aid of accelerants (clothing)
9 – Materials that do burn, eventually (people)
Once ignited, items continue to burn naturally. The fire created is as big as a torch, though it could easily spread with the proper materials around. If the psychic tries to light a person on fire the target may dodge the effect by rolling Dex + Dodge (diff 6).
••• Fireworks
The pyros control of flames has expanded. Now he can create small bursts of flame out of thin air. Psychic researches believe that these bursts are made up of super excited air molecules. Tiny amounts of the air molecules become plasma, which will ignite just about anything that can burn, and create bonfire-sized fires. The psychic can create these plasma bursts at a range up to willpower x 10 yards away. To create the plasma roll Manipulation + Meditation (diff 8) . Target rolls Dex + Dodge (diff 7) to dodge the fire bursts. The bursts do two health levels of aggravated damage per turns. (difficulty 8 to soak for those with some sort of supernatural resilience).
•••• Pyrotechnics
The pyro can now not only create fire, but can control the path and shape of the fire. The difficulty depends on the side of the flame (4 for torch, 6 for bonfire, 8 for inferno), modified by the complexity of the actions attempted (0 to shift direction, +1 to create gaps or spread an existing fire, +3 to diminish fire) Roll Manipulation + Meditation. This can also be used to create shapes in the flames. (diff 5 for simple up to 9 for very complex shapes)
••••• Inferno
The pyro has immense and exacting control over all forms of flame. He can create large fires at a distance. The fires appear up to willpower x 15 yards away. The player rolls Manipulation + Meditation (diff 8) . With one success he creates a small fire in the target area. With two successes, the fire is the size of a bonfire, and with three successes, the fire fills up a large room. Everything in the area must soak the damage. People on the edge of the effect can dive out of the fire. Roll Dexterity + Athletics (diff 6) to escape the flames. Every additional success after the third increases the heat of the fire by one category. The inferno spreads rapidly, consuming as much as it can before being extinguished.
While the World of Darkness is indeed home to some shapeshifting monsters, a few sorcerers learn to alter their bodies through magical practice rather than inborn heritage. Perhaps it's a spoken word that calls to the primal animal within or the intervention of an animal-spirit or even a little judicious genetic engineering. This Path is very elemental, often calling upon instinctive knowledge, and many sorcerers have lost their personalities to the beast-side conjured up. Others lose their identity in malleability. For a few, shapeshifting is less an art than a natural talent, but one unchanneled by the callings of the true Changing Breeds. It seems that Shapeshifting comes in as many forms as its practitioners.
System
Roll: Stamina + Animal Ken, difficulty 5+ level used. (For Mythic Shifting, roll Int + Occult at a difficulty of 10)
Cost: One Willpower per use.
Duration: One scene.
Aspects
| Level |
Ability |
| 1 |
A minor cosmetic change: The sorcer can change eye colors, grow hair, etc. |
| 2 |
Noticeable change: The sorcerer grows small claws, sprouts scales on the hands or the like. |
| 3 |
Significant change: The sorcerer replaces some body part with an animal feature — a full clawed paw, a nasty shark jaw or an externalized digestive system. |
| 4 |
Half-shift: The sorcerer can shift half of his body into another form or find some halfway point between human and animal with significant traits of each. The sorcerer might resemble a bipedal wolf (of size somewhere between human and wolf) or could have bird wings and a beak with human legs. |
| 5 |
Full shifting: The sorcerer can change completely into animal forms. |
| 6 |
Mythic shifting: Not only can the sorcerer take on animal forms, he may turn into forms that he only imagines. |
Price of Failure
Shapeshifters have a tendency to lose control over their shifting processes; a sorcerer who botches traps himself permanently in an animal's body. A failure requires that the Sorcerer make a Self Control roll at difficulty 7. Without success on this Self Control roll the character remains trapped in the animal's body for the scene, but not permanently.
This terrifying Phenomenon allows a psychic to invade a victim's subconscious and destroy essential elements of their personality. Soulstealing doesn't cause madness; instead, it renders its targets mere shells. Most practitioners are Black Spiral kin, but, though other werewolves are loathe to admit it, a handful of their own disloyal Kinfolk know a level or two of this Numina. Some Shadow Lord kin learn it to achieve a modicum of power within their tribe. Kin who do know about Soulstealing tend to keep the knowledge to themselves.
To attempt Soulstealing, the psychic makes a Willpower roll and spends one Willpower point; the difficulty is her target's Willpower +2 (maximum of 10), and the victim must be in line of sight. Victims generally don't remember the incident; however, the Storyteller may allow them a Perception + Alertness roll to notice the Soulstealing in progress. Soulstealers can attempt this Phenomenon once per scene on any living being. They generally shun vampires and wraiths; a few Stargazers whisper dark tales about Soulstealers losing -their- minds after confronting these undead creatures.
• Dream Invasion
The psychic can enter the dreams of the victim and interact with the subconscious. She cannot plant or steal memories, but she can take part as an actor in the dreams and remember what she sees.
•• Will Sapping
With each success, the psychic drains away a temporary point of the victim's Willpower. The victim recovers Willpower in the normal manner.
••• Drain Vital Essence
Each success by the psychic drains away a Health level from the victim. These wounds aren't aggravated, however, and the victim recovers normally. No physical marks appear on the victim; rather, this is mental damage.
•••• Shift Life
For every two successes, this variation of Drain Vital Essence lets the psychic transfer one of the victim's Health Levels to her own body as an extra Bruised Health Level (or to heal one of her own lost Health Levels). She may add extra Health Levels up to twice normal (i.e., up to seven levels).
••••• Gnosis Theft
For every two successes, the psychic may steal and keep one point of Gnosis for her own. Even if the psychic doesn't possess the Merit: Gnosis, she may use this Numina to empower Gifts or fetishes - but once spent, she doesn’t recover the Gnosis as would a Garou. She must steal more.
While some psychics can sense supernatural occurrences on planes beyond, others specialize in sensing and understanding supernatural events that happen right in front of them. Either through a natural empathic connection with the supernatural world, or through an innate understanding of supernatural workings, the psychic can actually begin to manifest supernatural abilities that they witness or experience. However, simply manifesting these abilities does not indicate mastery, as the psychic will never become a true adept of their borrowed skills.
A psychic may not retain more than one ability at once. If they decide to acquire a new ability, the previous ability will be lost. Additionally, each new ability acquired during a scene increases the difficulty to acquire by one.
While some supernatural abilities are more obvious in their use, others, such as Obfuscate, are designed not to be noticed. Unless the psychic uses another ability such as Auspex to notice the usage, abilities such as these cannot be acquired. The exception would be any ability, such as Dominate, that is used directly on the psychic.
The roll to Mimic is twofold. The first indicates the psychic absorbing or acquiring the ability, while the next indicates the psychic’s attempt to replicate it.
Roll One: Perception + Empathy (diff 7) OR Intelligence + Occult (diff 7)
(Upon taking the Numina, the psychic must choose which roll they will use. It can never be altered.)
| 1 success |
Ability retained for 1 hour |
| 2 successes |
Ability retained for 1 day |
| 3 successes |
Ability retained for 1 week |
| 4 successes |
Ability retained for 1 month |
| 5 successes |
Ability retained for 6 months |
Roll Two: The supernatural ability is rolled as normal, though at a +1 difficulty. Additionally, the ability’s effectiveness is automatically 1 success lower when used by the psychic.
• All level 1 disciplines, gifts, edges, etc., that can be sensed.
•• All level 2 disciplines, gifts, edges, etc. that can be sensed.
••• All level 3 disciplines, gifts, edges, etc., that can be sensed.
•••• All level 4 disciplines, gifts, edges, etc., that can be sensed.
••••• All level 5 disciplines, gifts, edges, etc., that can be sensed.
Supernatural Mimic is a CbN Custom work.
Telepathy is the ability to read minds. The power is rarely so simple as reading text from a book, rather a telepath senses impressions of consciousness, motives and eventually the sort of inner monologue or impulse that often drive a subject. Successes scored on telepathy generally determine the duration and accuracy. With one success a psychic can grab a few words or impressions that relate in some way to an interesting topic. With three successes the character can easily read a good several turns of useful information and at five or more successes, the character could cast about for specific thoughts or memories. The difficulty is subjects willpower. A victim can generally spend a willpower point to negate a telepathic compulsion.
Roll: Intelligence + Empathy
• At this level the telegraph can feel basic emotions and sense the current mood of the target. The telepath may be able to send a simple impulse or rudimentary thought to the target. A target could be induced to twitch or make a simple or habitual gesture.
•• The character can now read the surface thoughts of people, generally what they’re thinking about at that moment. The telepath can project a single word or simple idea to a person or cause the subject to make one short motion.
••• The character can read recent memories or plans for the near future from people’s minds. At this level, the telepath can send full sentences, strong, complex emotions or even streams of memory, with enough successes; a telepath might be able to implant false memory. The subject might be forced to believe false input form his senses or caused to take on unnatural action in a turn (like dropping a weapon or ducking for cover instead of running away).
•••• The character can read deep thoughts and distant future plans. The amount of information he gets depends on the number of successes. Similarly, the psychic can send several sentences of information, implant memories, cover p a memory or even temporarily seize control of the subject’s body for turn.
••••• The character can discover the deepest secrets of people, even things unknown to the target or repressed by him. So long as the telepath can somehow sense the target he can send his thoughts with complete clarity. With enough successes, the telepath can seize control of the victim completely dominating his senses or his physical actions, rewriting memories, altering personality and the like.