By Impalpable Deisgn
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Dice Modifier
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
+1
Success
Severity
1 2 3 4 5+
Havoc Bedlam Anomaly Branding Manifestation
Wisdom 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
-1 -1
2A 2B 2C 2D 2E
Bedlam
Anomaly Branding, Manifestation
One Scene One Scene One Scene One Scene One Scene One Scene Two Hours 12 Hours 24 Hours Two Days
One Scene One Scene One Scene One Scene One Scene One Scene 24 Hours Two Days One Week One Month
+2
Havoc The The mage’s spell is no longer under his control and isconsidered a Havoc
spell. It affects a randomly chosen target (or targets, if multiple targets were factored into the casting) instead of the caster’s declared target(s). The caster himsel is included in this pool pool of random victims. The The new target must be of the same type — if the mage targeted a living person, then the pool of random targets include only living people. If the mage’s target is an object, then only objects areaffected. If the caster is the only viable target present, he is the target of his own spell (unless he was was its originally intended target, target, in which case the spell affects a target of a different kind, such as an object). The The new target — including the mage himself if he is the spell’s new target target — can contest or resist the spell if it is normally allowed (see the spell’s description). In addition, the mage’s Wisdom is rolled: Dramatic Failure: Th Thee spell’s desired effect is reversed. A blessing becomes a curse, a magical perception spell blinds the mage to all resonance, resonance, or an attack spell helps the target target instead. Failure: Th Thee spell’s desired effect is reversed, as above. Success: Th Thee spell’s effect is unaltered. Exceptional Success: Th Thee spell’s effect is unaltered and the mage gains a +2 dice bonus bonus for any attempts he might make to dispel the Havoc spell. Since the spell is no longer under the caster’s control he cannot dismiss it at will. A Havoc lasts for only as long as the spell’s Duration. Note that spells with a concentration-based concentration-based Duration Duration become transitory; the Storyteller rolls a single die and the result is the number of turns the spells lasts. lasts. See Page 268
Mild derangement Mild derangement Mild derangement Severe derangement Severe derangement
Each Paradox after the first made for the same caster within the same scene. This bonus accumalates with each roll. The Mage is casting a rote The Mage is using a magical tool while casting One or more sleepers witnesses the magic (vulgar magic only)
1 2 3 4 5
Situation
In addition, the player rolls Wisdom: Dramatic Failure: The mage’s madness is contagious. One other mage per dot of the invoker’s Presence Presence also suffers from the Bedlam derangement for as long as the Paradox lasts (based on the invoker’s Wisdom, not the victim’s). Randomly choose targets from within the spell’s range, range, including any sympathetic sympathetic targets. The target may contest the Bedlam with a reflexive Resolve + Composure roll. If successful, he is unaffected. Failure: As above, but only one other target is affected. Success: Only the mage is affected by Bedlam. Exceptional Success: Only the mage is affected by Bedlam. See Page 269
Anomaly Reality cracks open and something impossible takes place.The place.The area affected is usually a radius around the caster
of 20 yards per dot of the highest Arcanum used in the spell thatinvokes the Paradox. Anomalies are not affected by Sleeper Disbelief. The important thing about Anomalies is that they’re unpredictable. The The Storyteller chooses their effects and defines the rules on how they affect the area and/or characters. Examples are provided below based on the invoker’s Path realm, but they’re just that — examples. Storytellers should should get creative and strive to confound confound the caster’s expectations, expectations, even using different criteria than Path realms. Note that if two Anomaly in the same area in the same scene, its effe cts are worsened.
) s o -A storm brews or the weather acts crazy, raining hail in clear skies. ) s u -Ill-luck taints the scene, causing everyone there to suffer a reverse of a m i -The electrical system goes haywire, shorting out anything plugged h rote action effect (see pp. 134-135 of the World of Darkness Rulebook) on r t b into the local grid. n their rolls: re-roll successes once, once, not to add new successes to the total but a O-Mana cannot be drawn from any Hallow in the area of the Anomaly c to replace rolled successes if the second roll results in failures. For example, example, h for the duration of the Paradox. A a roll results in three successes and two failures. The successes are re-rolled, t h -Tass cannot be converted to Mana in the area of the Anomaly for a this time the dice yield only two successes. t P ( the duration of the Paradox. Paradox. a and -People get a powerful sense of deja vu over and over again. They repeat P r -Mana cannot be solidified into tass in the area of the Anomaly for ( tasks they just accomplished accomplished unless they succeed in a Wits + Composure Composure e the a roll. h duration of the Paradox. Paradox. i t d e -Resonance becomes negatively aspected. This is a lasting effect. a -People and/or things move in slow motion while time outside the area of c A -Death spells suffer a –2 penalty (Death is the Aether’s Inferior Ar r the Intrusion passes normally. normally. e canum). A h -Forces spells suffer a –2 penalty (Forces is Arcadia’s Inferior Arcanum). T
) ) s s u o s g -Repressed or denied thoughts and emotions rise up r on the scene becomes enervated, lacking energy. i y -Everyone t and plague everyone’s mind. Any Social rolls suffer a It is an effort to perform physical actions (–2 to all such s h a –2 dice penalty. T rolls), even walking. Speed is halved. h -People become lost and disoriented easily (–2 on any -Flowers wither, milk curdles, animals are skittish and on M t a edge. Survival rolls to orient oneself). h P t ( -Some objects become ephemeral, existing only in Twilight. sometimes roll uphill or sideways. a -Objects d P -Destinations that are close take longer to get to l 3+ dots were used in the spell that invoked the Paradox, ( i Ifobjects than places farther away, away, as if they were at least might be transferred across the Gauntlet. m W u twice the distance apart. -Malevolent spirits in Twilight are attracted to the i l a scene, or if 3+ dots were used in the spell that invoked the n spells suffer a –2 penalty (Death is o -Matter m i Pandemonium’s Inferior Arcanum). they cross over from the Gauntlet. m r Paradox, e -Slumbering spirits in objects awaken and turn against P d e their wielders. n a h spells suffer a –2 penalty (Mind is the Primal P T -Mind Wild’s Inferior Arcanum).
-Ghosts in Twilight are attract-
ed to the scene. They are usually ) s malevolent or aroused aroused to anger by o r magic that draws draws them. o the -Darkness becomes a palpable Mforce, dimming the light even h during day. t become delicate and a P -Things ( breakable (ignore one point of a Durability and armor when strik i g objects). y t ing -Spirit spells suffer a –2 penalty S (Spirit is Stygia’s Inferior Arca num).
The mage’s body is afflicted by his misuse of magic. He wears the spell’s warped skein on his skin. The Storyteller should create an appropriate Arcanum DotsArcanum Dots Brand 1 2 3 4 5
Uncanny Nimbus Witch’s Mark Disfigurement Bestial Feature Inhuman Feature
Brand as needed, one that seems to symbolically represent the character’s Vice. Maybe his tail is forked or his eyes glow. Or he might be surrounded by a cloud of flies (Gluttony or Greed), a miasma that causes plants to wither wither (Sloth or Envy), a herd of crawling vermin (Pride (Pride or Lust), or a pall of smoke (Wrath). He suffers a –5 dice penalty to all Social rolls (except Intimidation Skill uses).
Manifestation An entity from the Abyss enters into the Fallen World. It manifests somewhere within the area around the mage who invoked it, usually usually no farther away than than 10 yards per dot of the caster’s Gnosis. Gnosis. It does not necessarily necessarily appear within sight. It might manifest below the mage, in the sewers, or in an unseen room beyond the nearest wall.
Arcanum Dots
Entity
1
The manifestation is a gremlin or imp, a minor spirit with a dark sense of humor that troubles the mage for a short time. It is of Rank 1 (with 5-8 Attribute dots) or 2 (9-14 Attribute dots). This entity exists in Twilight and cannot cause direct harm, but it can cause any number of minor problems. It has some influence over the material world, like a poltergeist. It can open and close doors, tip things over, and send small objects flying across a room. A more powerful and menacing menacing entity (Rank 3, with 15-25 Attribute dots) manifests in the material realm. It is malicious and rarely humorous. It has a keen sense of timing, causes various hassles and has powers like those of gremlins, above.
2
3
Entities of this intensity are more complex
and capable (Rank 3 or 4, with 26-35 Attribute dots), driven less by pure instinct and emotion and more by thought and planning. They are also powerful enough to manifest a physical form and interact with the material world. They are cunning enough to pretend to have the mage’s interests at heart, while leading him astray. The promises of such creatures are not to be trusted. The entity’s power is equal to that of the mage in every respect. Such entities range from murderous monsters that stalk and kill the mage’s loved ones (or enemies, pinning the blame on the mage) to seductive manifestations of the mage’s darkest desires. Some entities this powerful, called doppelgangers, appear exactly like the mage who spawned them. Doppelgangers never appear in the same place as their double. They are always elsewhere, causing mischief. The only means of banishing a doppelganger is for the mage to confront it directly (whereupon is vanishes). Doppelgangers must be restrained in order to do this. They can sense the approach of their double and flee if at all possible. The mage draws the attenti attention on of a truly powerful entity (Rank 4 or 5, with 36-45 Attribute dots). The entity may try to destroy the mage or possess his body. Alternately, it may attempt to seduce the mage with promises of power, knowledge and the fulfillment of his desires. The entity remains in the world until either banished by the mage who summoned it or until the mage’s death. In the past, the orders have sanctioned the execution of mages responsible for calling such entities into reality.
4
5
Willpower 1-4 5-7
8-10
When a Sleeper encounters magic or the supernatural, he cannot usually cope with what he sees. Supernatural disturbances trouble Sleepers who witness them — until the embrace of Disbelief erases all evidence of of the occurrence from Memory their minds. Mages debate endlessly endlessly about why this is so. so. Ancient records The Sleeper completely forgets that he have no references to any such effect before the fall fall of Atlantis and the division division ever saw anything unusual. of the worlds. It seems that human souls, cut off from the Supernal World and He forgets what he sees but has a feeling exiled to the Fallen World, cannot cope with the truth of magic. Something of unease. He might remember events later violently tries to keep their eyes shut. When a Sleeper witnesses a vulgar act as if they were something he dreamed. Or of magic, it always triggers Disbelief. The Sleeper’s reaction depends on his he misinterprets what he sees; he might Willpower. In many cases, the effects alter or amend the Sleeper’s memory mistake a spell for a technological of the event, but humans have been known to react in unpredictable ways. phenomenon or anything to explain it away If multiple humans witness the same vulgar act of magic, each interprets it in “normal” terms. differently according to his Willpower and the resources his unconscious mind He remembers everything. uses to explain the event.
