Appendix
Underworld Metaphysics
Gaunts and True Gaunts; Some Wraiths have managed to resolve one or two of their Fetters but unless they resolve all their Fetters they aren't really True Gaunts. A True Gaunt is a Wraith who has resolved all his Fetters. A True Gaunt can enter the Shadowlands freely. A Wraith who resolved some Fetters, but who has had the others destroyed can still enter the Shadowlands, only he can't remain very long. For every level of Fetter that has been resolved, the Wraith can stay in the Shadowlands for One Scene. A Gaunt who undergoes a Harrowing emerges onto a Byway. A True Gaunt emerges wherever he wants.Nihil Opening; In Wraith; The Great War it states that a Wraith digging into the ground will open a Nihil. This can't be. Both Wraiths and Spectres need Arcanoi to open a Nihil and they have to expend some effort in the attempt. Alternately you can have Nihils open in this fashion whenever there is a Maelstrom in the area. Otherwise a Nihil is like a Portable Hole in a cartoon. Razor thin, with an infinite space inside it. But once it's closed all the digging in the world will only reveal more dirt.
Merits and Flaws
Renegade Shadow (7 point Merit)The vast majority of Shadows are self destructive and want nothing more than to end the Psyche's existence along with their own. Your Shadow on the other hand is a different sort of beast. Among it's Dark Passions is a will to live. The selfish desire to survive at the expense of others. This means that your Shadow is not well liked by it's Spectral compatriots. This is a good thing for you since it also means that your Shadow isn't constantly trying to get you into trouble or lead you to a particularly nasty end. Your Shadow will usually offer Shadow dice liberally to help you survive situations that would otherwise lead to your end. The Shadow will also be sparing in the use of it's Thorns in order to hoard Angst. Just because it doesn't want to see you destroyed doesn't mean he's your buddy. More than anything the Shadow want's to be in charge. After all he's much better suited to surviving in the Shadowlands than you are. Catharsis is the next best thing to being in charge, so the Renegade Shadow pursues Catharsis more often than other Shadows. While in control the Shadow will usually seek to extricate itself from any dangerous or threatening situations that the bumbling Psyche has got itself into. Regardless of how many of the Wraith's friends are left in harm's way.
A Renegade Shadow is still a Shadow and does not want to see it's Psyche resolving it's Fetters. The Shadow will help to protect those Fetters beacuse upon becoming a Doppleganger they become the Spectre's Fetters. But it will do everything it can to avoid having the Psyche resolve those Fetters and somehow Transcend. The Shadow is also very interested in pursuing it's Dark Passions. Helping the Shadow to pursue it's goals may win the Psyche some brownie points when it comes to the resolving his own dilemas. A Renegade Shadow is more likely to enter into Quid Pro Quo agreements with the Psyche.
A Renegade Shadow avoids contact with Spectres at all costs. Being discovered as a Renegade usually marks the character along with his Shadow for destruction by the forces of Oblivion. For the most part the Shadow remains silent, avoiding contact with the Hive-Mind. So much so that as a Spectre it never develops the Hive-mind Dark Arcanoi. However when a Harrowing occurs the Shadow is forced by the Labyrinth to reveal the secrets of the Psyche to the waiting Spectres. The Shadow can usually get away with changing a few details to throw the Spectres off. The Shadow rolls it's highest Dark Passion against a difficulty of 9, each success provides the Psyche with one dice that the Psyche can use as if it were Eidolon during the Harrowing.
During character creation there are certain guidelines to follow when creating the Shadow. The Archetype can be anything except Martyr. The Shadow's highest Dark Passion must be related to Survival in some way. The Dark Passion is usually born from Fear. It manifests as Practice Cannibalism, Avoid Germs, Keep Track of Enemies or any other display of Paranoid or Obsessive Compulsive behaviour. Also the Thorns of Spectre Prestige, Dark Allies and Shadow Call are forbidden to a Renegade Shadow. A Renagade Shadow usually benefits from having Shadow Life, Pact of Doom and Shadow Traits.
Frozen Heart (3 point Merit)
The Wraith with this Merit isn't as restless as other Wraiths. A lack of emotion, a wall of unfeeling, a disconnection from events make the Wraith distant and hard to sway. All difficulties to gain Pathos from Passions are increased by 2. Conversely all difficulties for the Shadow to gain Angst from Dark Passions are increased by 2. This doesn't affect Pathos or Angst gained from the use of Arcanoi. Most Wraiths with this Merit supplement their Pathos with Usury and Soulfire Crystals. This Merit also raises the difficulty of Keening and Intimation Arcanoi used on the Wraith by two up to a maximum of 10.
Wastrel Wraiths
The dead who are possessed of neither fame nor infamy, the unwashed masses who would drag the rest down with them into Oblivion's embrace because they are too weak or too irresponsible to resist. Fully 60% of all Wraiths can be classified as being genuine Wastrel Wraiths. The thing that marks a Wraith as a Wastrel is a lack of Willpower. Any Wraith with a Permanent Willpower score of One to Four can be considered a Wastrel Wraith. The Wraith's Shadow still rolls five dice to determine initial Angst and many Wastrels have Shadows who are more in control than they are. The only thing that separates them from Spectres is the fact that they have yet to be totally consumed by Angst.Other than that, a Wastrel must contend with the difficulty of learning new skills. A lack of motivation and drive means that most Wastrels learn new skills at a much slower rate than other Wraiths. For each point of Willpower the Wraith has below 5, add one to the Experience cost to learn a new Ability or Arcanos. So then a Wraith with 3 Permanent Willpower would have to spend 5 Experience points to gain a new Ability and 9 Experience points to gain a new Arcanos. The price for a new Arcanos Basic Ability can be raised in the same manner or left as is with the Wraith paying the difference upon gaining enough Experience to pay the full cost of the Level One Arcanos. Once a skill or Arcanos is learned however advancement proceeds under the normal rules.
The Memphis Belle
Built July 2, 1942 and attached to the 91st Bomber Group in the French theater, the Memphis Belle is the most famous B-17 Flying Fortress ever to fly. The Memphis Belle logged 29 missions over France, Germany and Belgium from November 7th, 1942 to May 19th 1943 and never lost a crew member. Rescued from the scrap heap and 3 years of neglect in 1946, the Memphis Belle was flown to Memphis where she was restored and is on display. First to Finish and Return is the Epitaph of the luckiest bomber of the war. It's understandable then that when the Memphis Belle was first abandoned in Altus, Oklahoma the airship became a powerful and unique Relic. It's restoration and subsequent use in movies, documentaries and pictographies have strengthened its Shadowland presence. The Memphis Belle is one of the most important Relic aircraft in the Stygian airforce which means that it is well protected by Monitors. After the fall of Stygia the Memphis Belle made the trip through the Tempest to reach Memphis. Her crew and her Monitors are now allied with the Necropolis of Memphis, but they also sometimes fly missions on the side for Oboli or Soulfire crystals.A Note on Relic Animals
Animals are rare on the other side of the Shroud, but not unheard of. The most famous are the Stygian Steeds and the mummified cats of the Egyptians. But the practice of having pets has made some animals more likely than others to pass the Shroud. Animal Wraiths are more prevalent in Europe and the United States where people not only attribute emotion and intelligence to their pets, but where funerals and cemeteries are dedicated to them. The Hierarchy classifies them as Relics because even though they are animate in the way of Drones they possess no Passions or Fetters of their own and are mostly the cherished pets of mortals who cannot let go. Some animal relics don't last beyond a child's next pet. But those who were owned by adults who had invested misplaced maternal or paternal feelings in the animal can linger on the Shadowlands longer than many Wraiths.While any animal can be found in the Shadowlands the most common are of course Dogs and Cats, with Horses running a distant third. Famous animals that have died can live on in the Shadowlands as long as their memory is kept alive. Relic animals have one Trait that serves for their Mental and Social Traits in the Shadowlands. Memoriam is used for their Passion, Fetters, Mental and Social Traits. Here's an example of a famous horse:
 |
Secretariat
Memoriam: 5 (People on five continents have heard about Secretariat and Horse Breeders still obsess over his bloodline)
Attributes: Strength 7, Dexterity 5, Stamina 9, Social All at 5, Mental All at 5 (In this case an Intelligence of 5 doesn't mean that Secretariat is a genius in the Shadowlands, but he is responsive and will understand anything said to him and remember things for a long time)
Abilities: Alertness 4, Athletics 5, Brawl 3, Empathy 2
Passions: One at 5 (Running would be good, or maybe Winning races)
Fetters: One at 5 (Possibly the raceway that people most associate with him)
Corpus: 15
Willpower: 5
Angst: 0
As a Relic Secretariat would cost 6 Background points for a character to have. In general give the animal one less point of Memoriam than the character invests in the Relic Background. If the animal is particularly aggressive, rare and/or dangerous (Like a lion or a bear) add another dot to the Relic cost.
Cat (Generic)
Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 4, Stamina 2
Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 4, Awareness 3, Brawl 2, Dodge 3, Intimidation 2, Climbing 3, Stealth 4
Corpus: 3 + Memoriam
Willpower: 1-5
Angst: 0
Dog (Generic)
Attributes: Strength 1-3, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2-3
Abilities: Alertness 3, Athletics 2, Awareness 3, Brawl 1-3, Empathy 3, Intimidation 1-3, Tracking 3, Stealth 2
Corpus: 4 + Memoriam
Willpower: 1-5
Angst: 0
Horse (Generic)
Attributes: Strength 4-7, Dexterity 2-5, Stamina 6-9
Abilities: Alertness 2-4, Athletics 1-3, Brawl 1-3, Empathy 2
Corpus: 10 + Memoriam
Willpower: 5
Angst: 0
Rhinefire crystals
The abundance of Rhinefire crystals in Memphis makes them a natural trade item and something that is vastly underpriced. Each crystal can hold 1 to 10 points of Pathos and sometimes they are sold in lots of 100. If a player wants to start the game with Rhinefire crystals he can buy them under the Artifact Background. Since even a minor Wraith in the Memphis Necropoli will be handed a double handfull of these crystals as a matter of course during his stay there, there is no limit to how many a character can possess. As a question of game balance the Storyteller may wish to limit the total amount of Pathos a player can have on him. However any Wraith can earn some Rhinefire crystals if he or she opts to sacrifice Corpus to the Soulforges of Memphis. The Wraith usually gets 2-5 crystals depending on how much Corpus is sacrificed. The average is four Corpus and four Pathos. Enough for the creation of four Kiingsilvers. In exchange for this the Wraith receives enough Rhinefire Crystals to hold 5 to 50 Pathos.All Rhinefire Crystals are the same size regardless of how much Pathos they origianlly contained. About the size of a medium sized button. They glow brighter the more Pathos they contain so a relative potency can be determined by visual observation. However this doesn't indicate how much Pathos the Crystal can ulimately contain. A 10 Pathos Crystal that currently holds 5 Pathos will glow as brightly as a 5 Pathos Crystal that is at it's maximum capacity.
Rhinefire Crystals and their Background cost: Note that each individual Crystal holds a relative amount of Pathos and that a Wraith with 40 Pathos worth of Rhinefire Crystals will have anywhere from four to 40 Crystals.
• 2 Pathos (1 Crystal)
•• 5 Pathos (1-2 Crystals)
••• 10 Pathos (1-5 Crystals)
•••• 20 Pathos (2-10 Crystals)
••••• 40 Pathos (4-20 Crystals)
This only affects starting Rhinefire Crystals. The character can later go on to accumulate many more, independant of the Artifact Background. Unless of course the Storyteller wishes to limit the amount of Pathos a character has available.
Arcanoi
New Arts
Krlyos
Wraiths skilled in Krlyos are marked by an unearthly chill that causes shivers to run up and down the spine of any of the Quick who happens to pass within three feet of them. They also have a purplish tint to their skins that is shared by many Wraiths who died of freezing temperatures or drowning in cold waters.
The Art of Krlyos is not represented by any Guild. Knowledge in this Art is entirely inherent in the nature of being a Wraith. In fact, the Basic abilities of this Art are extensions of properties possessed by all Wraiths. The Chill of the Grave is a universal trait in the Shadowlands and any Wraith who wishes to develop his colder nature can do so without the need for an instructor. The only thing that is really needed is a desire for total detachment from the world of the living. Wraiths who possess Arcanos which allow them to interact with the Quick generally find it hard to learn Krlyos. Embodiment and Puppetry are the two which most interfere with development of Krlyos. Knowledge in each of these two arts increases the difficulty of all Krlyos rolls by one. If a Wraith knows both then all difficulties are increased by two.
Basic Abilities
Chill: The mere presence of the Wraith will cause a chill around her. This has little effect on the Shadowlands where everything is already cold, but in the Skinlands it has the effect of making the breath of the living visible when they are in the same room as the Wraith. Sometimes the Wraith can only cause a cold spot if he is in a particularly large room or outside but the effect extends at least ten feet. And can encompass up to 30 feet from the Wraith in an enclosed space. Regular means of combating this cold such as turning up the thermostat or lighting a fire are ineffective. If opposed by mystical means however the Wraith can roll his rating in Krlyos against a target number equal to the Occult Knowledge of the exorcist. Ties go to the entity trying to dispel the cold though, not to the Wraith.
Insensitivity: The Wraith no longer feels cold. Even Supernatural forms of cold that do damage will not elicit a response from the Wraith. This ability provides no protection against damaging cold effects. In fact all Wraiths are immune to natural and man made sources of cold. But in the unlikely event that someone tries to torture the Wraith using cold to torment his Corpus, he will find his efforts are wasted. To ignore Heat and other forms of pain the Wraith can roll Stamina + Krlyos against a difficulty of 8. With three successes or more he can ignore any pain no matter how intense.
• Cold Bite
The Wraith can make his chill felt across the shroud causing a biting pain in any mortal whose reflection he touches in the Skinlands.
System: The Wraith simply puts his hand in the general vicinity of his victim and Hypothermia marks will appear on the skin. This causes no damage but the marks are discoloring to the skin and can leave superficial scars that are generally considered unflattering. If the Wraith Attunes a person using this Arcanos then when the process is completed successfully that person will lose one dot from his Appearance score unless that would take him below 1. The scars are bad but not enough to affect a person who is already ugly. The Victim doesn't necessarily have to be a mortal but Supernatural creatures can easily resist this power and it has no effect on Vampires. If a supernatural creature wants to resist it can roll it's Stamina and a single success cancels the attack.
This Art costs one Pathos to use and if it is used to Attune a Consort the Wraith gains 3 Angst.
•• Cold Spot
The Wraith can imbue an object with the cold of the grave. This cold can be used to intimidate a mortal or to send a message.
System: The Wraith rolls Stamina + Krlyos against a difficulty of the local Shroud. Each success will extend the amount of time the object remains cold. Stone and metal will remain cold longer than wood and other soft materials. Metal and stone remain cold for one day per success. Water remains cold for one hour per success, everything else retains the cold for one scene per success. Anyone who touches the object is likely to feel a chill similar to that felt when a Wraith passes through them. If it was recently imbued (within a minute or two) it will cause the person who touches it one level of non-lethal damage per turn of contact. This damage can be soaked.
This Art costs one Pathos and one Corpus per use.
••• Winter's Chill
This Art allows a Wraith to slowly freeze a victim. The victim can escape by entering an area with a higher Shroud rating but nothing impedes the Wraith from continuing his assault, though most are content simply to drive the victim off.
System: The Wraith and the Victim enter into a contested roll. The Wraith rolls Stamina + Krlyos against a difficulty equal to the local Shroud. The Victim rolls Stamina + Survival against a difficulty equal to the Wraith's Strength +2. If the Wraith wins the victim suffers one level of Lethal cold damage per success. This damage accumulates at the rate of one per hour, making it difficult for the victims to at first ascertain that they are in danger. After three levels of damage though, even the most dense person will realize that something is wrong. The Wraith has to stay in contact with the victim as long as he wishes the victim to continue to receive damage. If the Wraith leaves the victim's side for even a moment then no more damage can be inflicted and the Wraith has to start all over again. Multiple uses of this Art on the same victim incur a +1 difficulty penalty but nothing can increase the rate at which damage is received.
This Art costs 2 Pathos and one Corpus to use. It also gains the Wraith one Angst.
•••• Chill Wind
With this Art the Wraith can cause a cold wind to spring up in the Skinlands that will scour all within it's path.
System: The Wraith rolls his Strength + Krlyos against a difficulty equal to the local Shroud and each success causes one level of non-lethal damage to everyone caught within it. This damage can be soaked. The wind usually encompasses an area that corresponds to the area where the local shroud remains constant. For example if the wind is called up in a cemetery where the Shroud is a mere 4 then it would stop at the boundaries of the cemetery where the shroud goes up. Or if the wind is called in a busy mall where the Shroud is at 10 then it would stop at the parking lot where the Shroud drops. However no matter how big the area where the Wraith calls up the wind it won't go farther than he can see.
This Art costs two Pathos to use, plus one per success.
••••• Entomb
The Wraith can now cause objects and creatures to freeze solid. The creature will turn purplish and then begin to glaze over with frost almost immediately.
System: The Wraith rolls Strength + Krlyos against a difficulty equal to the local Shroud (6 if used within the Shadowlands) and each success causes one level of Aggravated damage to the victim. This damage is normally unsoakable but a Wraith can soak it due to his nature and Werewolves can also soak this damage with Stamina due to their hardiness. Vampires do not receive damage from this Art, however they can still be frozen by it. The Vampire has no way of resisting short of setting itself on fire (or a magical ritual that protects against cold) and every success reduces the Dexterity of the Vampire by one dot. If Dexterity reaches 0 then the Vampire is frozen and automatically goes into Torpor. The Vampire remains frozen for one hour plus an additional hour per success above those necessary to reduce its Dexterity to 0.
This Art costs 3 Pathos to use and one Corpus per level of damage inflicted. (Or in the case of Vampires one for each success.) It also gains the Wraith 3 Angst unless he knows he used it against a Vampire in which case it only gains him one.
Arostosis
 |
Arostosis is the Art of making people sick. At the lower levels this means minor maladies that generally only impair and annoy the victim. But the Masters of this Art can inflict horrible diseases that can maim or kill a person.
Basic Abilities
Sick Sense: An extension of Deathsight the Wraith becomes sensitive enough to the deathmarks of disease to be able to diagnose the disease of a sick person and get a sense of how it entered the body. With this ability the Wraith can see what organs are infected and can plot the course of the infection even before it progresses. Any Wraith can tell that a sick mortal is going to die, but a Wraith with this ability can tell the exact minute he or she will die. The Wraith can use Perception + Arostosis, the intuitive method, or Intelligence + Medicine, the diagnostic method.
• Curse
This Art is named for it's effect, not it's method. A Curse causes some minor malady in a mortal. Something distracting but not too serious, such as nausea, headaches, fever and a runny nose. All the symptoms of the common cold.
System: The Wraith rolls Manipulation + Arostosis against a difficulty equal to the local Shroud. If he succeeds the victim suffers a +1 to all difficulties until he successfully resists. The victim can resist with a Stamina roll against a difficulty of 7 once per scene. Once the mortal acquires more successes than the Wraith the effects vanish. Only mortals, Mummies and Mages can be affected by this Art.
This Art costs one Pathos to use.
•• Flush
With this Art the Wraith can cause a full blown fever in his victim. Even though there is no disease the body reacts as if it were the target of a vicous infection.
System: The Wraith rolls Intelligence + Arostosis vs. a difficulty of the Stamina +3 of the victim. Each success inflicts the fever on the victim for one hour. During this time the victim is at -2 on all dice pools and will usually wish to remain bedridden. This Art can be resisted with a Wits + Meditation roll, but only if the victim realizes that the fever is the result of a mystical attack.
This Art costs one Pathos plus one Pathos per success.
••• Contagion
A Wraith with knowledge of this Art can pass disease from one carrier to another simply by touching the disease carrier and the victim at the same time. The Wraith doesn't need to Embody or Skinride either party but must put part of his Corpus in contact with where the two mortals are in relation to the Shadowlands.
System: The Wraith 'touches' the disease carrier and the intended victim then rolls Stamina + Arostosis vs. a difficulty of the local Shroud rating. The victim resists the disease as it normally would if it received the infection from its usaul vector. Vampires can be infected with any blood born infection in this manner, but suffer no ill effects from it themselves. Werewolves resist most diseases as a matter of course. This art is most effective against mortals, Mummies and Mages.
This Art costs 2 Pathos and one Corpus to use.
•••• Black Wind
The Wraith who calls up the Black Wind infects everyone in its path with a wasting disease drawn from his own Corpus. The Wraith can inflict upon the living any disease he suffered while alive, however the more virulent and deadly diseases will cost the Wraith dearly to inflict on the living. The Wraith has to sacrifice from his own Corpus the toll that the disease took on him in life.
System: The Wraith must roll Stamina + Arostosis against the local Shroud to determine how much area is covered by the Black Wind. The wind extends from the Wraith for 100 meters per success and generally covers 10 feet. Everyone in that area is vulnerable to infection regardless of how the disease is normally transmitted. Not everyone will catch the disease though. Only those who fail to resist on a Stamina roll vs. a difficulty equal to the Arostosis +3 of the Wraith will actually succumb.
Apart from this Arts cost in Pathos the Wraith must also sacrifice part of his Corpus in fashioning the disease. Determine the effects of the disease and then tally its cost on the Wraith as follows: For each +1 difficulty it imposes on the victims actions - one Corpus, for each level of damage it inflicts - one Corpus, for each -1 die from dice pools it inflicts - 2 Corpus, for each dot in an Attribute it reduces - five Corpus. Additionally if the disease is transmittable then add 2 Corpus to its cost. A fatal disease would cost 8 Corpus and if it were virulent then it would cost 10 Corpus, throwing the Wraith into an immediate Harrowing. A disease can cost more than 10 Corpus with the difference being taken from the Wraith's Pathos.
This Art costs 3 Pathos plus one Pathos per success. It also gives the Wraith one Angst per Corpus invested. So not only will the Wraith who uses this power to unleash a fatal, virulent disease be cast into a Harrowing, but the Shadow will be at full power when he does so.
There is a very simple way to get around the restriction that the Wraith can only inflict a disease that he suffered in life. All he has to do is Skinride a person who is suffering from the disease. To get the full effect the Wraith should stay with the victim until the disease runs its course.
••••• Plague
Many times Kindred have heard rumors of an AIDS that affects Vampires, Wraiths have heard the same rumors about themselves. Even Werewolves and Mages have heard of a particular disease that interferes with mystical healing. This Art is the source of all those rumors.
System: The Wraith rolls Manipulation + Arostosis against the local Shroud. If the victim is another Wraith, then the difficulty is 6. For each success the Plague lasts another day. The victim can resist with a Stamina roll but the difficulty is 8. While afflicted with the Plague the victim cannot heal itself by mystical means. Regeneration, conversion of Pathos and Life Magiks all prove ineffective. Only Slumber, rest and natural healing can restore damage while under the effects of a Plague. For Vampires who can't heal naturally this means that no healing is possible.
Flayed Jaguar
One of the arts of the ancient dead of Meso-America is the ability to convert death into Pathos. Wraith skilled in the art of the Flayed Jaguar gain scars that run down their arms and across their chests. These scars are the result of self inflicted cuts that accompany the rituals of the Obsidian Kingdom arts.
Wraiths of the Obsidian Kingdom cannot learn the arts of Outrage or Pandemonium. A Wraith of Stygia cannot learn Flayed Jaguar either.
Basic Abilities
Feast of Hearts: The practitioner of this art can drink in the death of the living. Pathos gained this way is very invigorating for both the Wraith and his shadow. Whenever a mortal dies close to the wraith he can attempt to gather Pathos from the death even if his Passions are incompatible. The Wraith rolls Stamina + Awareness vs. a difficulty of 6. For each success he gains one point of Pathos. The Shadow then rolls Permanent Angst vs. a difficulty of 7 and for each success gains a point of Angst.
Eyes of Death: The Wraith can look at a place and tell if someone is going to die there in the immediate future. The Wraith wont know who is going to die or how, but he knows that someone will die at that location. Whenever the Wraith enters a new scene he can roll Perception + Awareness vs. the local Shroud. If successful he knows that there will be a death there shortly. With three successes the Wraith can tell if someone will die there within the next day. With five successes the Wraith will know that there may be a death at that location in the coming month.
• Trail of Entrails
Many Native Americans perform rituals in order to divine the future or communicate with the dead. The Quick are eager to recieve instruction and contact across the Shroud making communication easier. The Wraith hijacks the ritual in order to communicate with the living. Any ritual performed in this manner can be subverted, not just rituals of the Wraiths native culture.
System: The Wraith rolls Manipulation + Rituals vs. the local Shroud, if successful he can cause the divination ritual to impart the message he wishes the mortal to recieve. If the mortal is a Sorcerer performing a real Divination Ritual then the Wraith has to gain more successes on his roll than the practitioner of magic does in order to convey his message. This art is easier to use in the presence of mystics of the Wraith's own culture performing rituals that are designed to speak with the dead. If the mortals are actively trying to communicate with the dead then reduce the difficulty by one. If they are performing the correct ritual for the traditions of the Wraith's native ancestry then all successes are cooperative.
•• Flayed Skin
The Flayed Skin is an art that allows the Wraith to use the pain and death of mortals to heal his own corpus.
System: Each Health Level suffered by the mortal allows the Wraith to heal one level of damage. If the mortal dies the Wraith can heal one level of Aggravated damage.
This art costs nothing to use but does accrue the Wraith one Angst per level of Aggravated damage healed.
••• Flayed Heart
The Wraith can use this art to lower the shroud in an area where there has been a recent death for a short time.
System: Whenever a mortal dies in a scene the Wraith with Flayed Heart can roll Strength + Rituals vs. a difficulty of the local Shroud. For each success the rating of the Shroud in the immediate area is lowered by one down to a minimum of 4. This rating returns at a rate of one per hour. The Wraith also gains one Angst. If he caused the death of the mortal he gains three Angst.
A Wraith can use this art to attune an area. Each time he uses the art successfully in the same spot he can spend a point of Willpower. After he has spent an amount of Willpower equal to the Shroud rating at that location the rating of the Shroud lowers by one permanently. This can only be done once and the lowered Shroud rating applies only to the Wraith who attuned the area.
•••• Flayed Bone
With this art the Wraith can convert the corpus of other Wraiths and even Spectres into objects.
System: The victim has to be willing or held immobile to use this art. The Wraith rolls Strength + Crafts vs. a difficulty equal to the victim's Stamina +3. Each success causes one Corpus of damage and allows for one grapefruit sized quantity of material to be sculpted. With an extended roll the Wraith can render the entire Corpus of the victim. This art costs one Pathos per success.
••••• Flayed God
With this art the Wraith can create a Haunt from the ritual death of mortal victims. The end result is a place of power for the Wraith that will usually stand long after the Wraith is gone and the mortal followers no longer remember the ancient rituals.
System: To use this art the Wraith needs mortal consorts to prepare the altar and the victims. This art can only be used on an area that the Wraith has attuned to himself. Once ready the Wraith rolls his Manipulation + Rituals vs. a difficulty of the local Shroud. This is an extended roll and requires 5 successes for each rating of the Shroud. It also requires the death of one mortal for each level of rating of the Shroud. Once successful the area is considered a rating One Haunt. For greater levels the ritual must be repeated, but it can only be attempted once every lunar month. The extended roll requires ten successes and the sacrifice of five mortals per level of rating of the Haunt. The Haunt can only be increased by one level of rating per lunar month. To maintain this Haunt sacrifices must be made every month. The minimum is one victim per level of rating of the Haunt, but the ancient Aztecs would over sacrifice to make the Haunt more durable. A sacrifice over the minmum is worth half a scarifice for the next month. If maintained like this for a long enough time the Haunt can even become self sustaining like a natural Haunt. Years must pass, but if the Wraith has the resources and patience then the result is definetely worth the effort.
This art costs Five Pathos to initiate and accrues the Wraith One Angst for each victim. Once intiated the Wraith can gain Pathos from the victims killed but the ritual consumes One Pathos per success.
Smoking Mirror
The companion art to Flayed Jaguar, Smoking Mirror is the art that returns to mortals the Flayed flesh of the Wraith. This ability also comprises the positive aspects of the relationship between Wraiths and mortals. A Wraith who learns this art cannot learn Castigate or Usury. Conversely a Wraith from outside the Obsidian Kingdom cannot learn this Arcanos.
A Wraith who practices the Smoking Mirror sees his skin get darker and glossier as he masters the art. At the higher levels the Corporea of the Wraith becomes like polished Obsidian.
Basic Abilities
Smoking Gift: The Wraith can take away the pain of a mortal. This ability is usually used on mortals who are about to sacrifice themselves. This art costs One Pathos to use.
Burning Call: The Wraith can sense the pain of his tribe even when he is not around. Roll Wits + Awareness vs. the local Shroud whenever someone of the Wraith's living community is in pain, injured or dead.
• Obsidian Dagger
With this art the Wraith can empower a weapon in the Skinlands to hold Pathos. A mortal sorcerer can use this energy in mystic rituals.
System: When the weapon is used to kill a mortal the Wraith can take the outpouring of Pathos created by the death and convert it into a mystic energy which can be used by mystics. In game terms this is treated as Tass with a Pain aspect. Werewolves can use it as Gnosis but it has a bitter coppery taste.
•• Jaguar's Gift
Using this art allows the Wraith to protect the members of his tribe from predators and lead animals to their hunters.
System: The Wraith rolls Manipulation + Survival vs. the local Shroud. If successful he can influence one animal for one scene.
This art costs one Pathos to use.
••• Snake's Gift
With this art the Wraith can heal the wounds of a mortal. When a wraith uses this art he can spend Willpower to make the mortal a consort.
System: The Wraith must be in proximity to the mortal. He then rolls Strength + Medicine against the local Shroud rating. For each success he can heal one level of damage. This art cannot heal Aggravated damage.
This art costs One Pathos per Health Level healed. Each use of this art also removes one point of Angst unless the Wraith caused the injury in the first place.
•••• Smoking Skies
The Wraith with this art has the extraordinary ability to call down rain.
System: The Wraith must spend one point of Pathos per square mile he wishes to cover with rain. Depending on the season this rain can be either a light drizzle or a downpour.
If the Wraith uses this art on Croplands he also loses Three Angst. If the Wraith has no Temporary Angst remaining then reduce Permanent Angst by one and give him Nine Temporary Angst. If the rains cause the cropland to flood and ruin the crops then all the Angst is regained.
••••• Mirror Lands
With this powerful art the Wraith can travel to the Mirror Lands of the Garou. There he can come into contact with spirits and totems that are barred to other ghosts. These spirits are wise and make excellent allies. One of the duties of the Wraith is to acquire a Totem Spirit protector for his tribe. This Spirit binds itself willingly to a human community and uses it's powers to guide and protect them. Only one Totem can be assigned to a tribe and the Totem remains with that tribe forever.
System: The Wraith needs to stare at a reflective surface for a minute, then he can roll Charisma + Meditation vs. a difficulty equal to the local Shroud. With three successes he can pass into the Mirror Lands.
This art costs three Pathos to use and removes one point of Angst. Additionally if the Wraith manages to secure a Totem Spirit protector for his people he gains One level of Eidolon, up to a maximum of Five.
New Alternate Arts
Inhabit
•• Ghost Call
The Wraith knows how to make his voice heard across the telephone lines that most Artificers use to get around. The Wraith sounds like his normal self and can seek to disguise his voice if he wishes.
System: The Wraith has to roll Intelligence + Inhabit to reach a specific phone. Caller ID will give an unknown caller message. But Wraiths who are good with computers can cause this message to display anything they want. Police trying to trace the call will be baffled as the trace leads nowhere.
This Art costs one Pathos to use.
Usury
••••• • Bank
This unique Art known only to the heads of the Usurers Guild represents the final acheivement in the Arcanos. With it a Wraith can hold much more Pathos than normal. Even with Bank though there is a certain amount of 'bleeding' and a Wraith who is over his limit will glow.
System: There is virtually no need to apply an in-game mechanic to Bank. The double factors of exclusivity and the requirement of vast amounts of Pathos put it beyond the reach of most Player Characters. Simply assume that Bank allows The King to do anything he needs to do with his Pathos and Corpus in order to advance the story. It's a plot device, pure and simple. And one that can function in the background without interfereing with the Players.
Go Back
All Images are Copyright © 2002 William Adams and cannot be reproduced without permission.
Some Characters are inspired by the TV show Buffy The Vampire Slayer and their use here does not represent a challenge to any pre-existing copyrights or trademarks.
Warning: This comic may include adult situations and suggestive dialogue not suited for minors.