Wraith_the_Oblivian

Teddy '"'" 'niffing glue- he wru I2 years old
Fell from rhe roofon Easr Tt(I(>-Nine
Karhy was II wl~en she pulled r.he plug
On 26 red.• and n boule of-wine
Bobby gor.leukemia - 14 years old
He looked like 65 wlten he died - he was afriend ofmine
Thnsc were t><ol>le who died - died...
They tuere all my friends - and rhey died...

- Jim Carroll Band, "People Who Died"

cforc you can hegin ro pl::t~t Wraith. you nesscs of a charncter. More importantly, these numbers nllow
must create a character. Wraith, however, the random factor created by dice to be employed in relation

is no[ like makc·bclicvc; you don't just to the character's Tmirs. A strong wraith h;1s a bcrrcr chance

make ur 3 ch::~r::tcter as you go along to snap her manacles than a weak wraith d<l<!s.

(though the Storyteller is regularly faced Character creation usually follows a pattern fron> the gen-
with that challenge). A certain amount of
crtll co the .specific. First, you develop a general concept of
work is involved - ch7~ractcrs are built.
who and what your character is- isshe more sociallyor men-
not born. Building a compelling yet honest character is acre- rally developcd'Then, youget specific by selecting the ratings
ative struggle.
of your Traits - how effective arc your Charisma, M;mipub~
This ch:lp[cr describes how ro crcarc :-1 llllif(IIC char:Jctcr,
bcgi•,ning with a gcncrttl concept and translr~ting this concept tion nnd Appearance? Do not "'se this process to cre-ate the
"best" possible character; that defeats the purpose of making
into numbers lhar can be used in Lhc ganlc. This process is
up a genuinely interesting individual. These numhcn; arc in~
very simple; players can easil y figure ir our for rhcmselves.
tended w enh:mce roleplaying, not to open :m ~venue to so1nc
However, the Storyteller should haven good grasp of the pro- mythical character Hall of Fame.
cess in ordcl' £0 answer the pla\•crs' qucsl.iO&lS accunucl\' and
Character creation is a lot like cooking: you've gm ro
succinctly.
The numbers on t·he chnroccer sheet m~y not seem pn.r.. gather the ingredients, stir them together, ~nd then let the
mixture bake for a few hours. You start by deciding what kind
ricularly cvocntivc. lr is hnrd to i1·naginc n novelist describing
:t character by s;:&ying, ••she has a Charisma of 4." However, o( cl1~lrnctcr you wan t. Arc you going to playa strcct~hardcncd
these r:;~tings mnke it simple to describe the :;rrcngrhs and weak..
punk or ~ rich ~nd somewhat spoiled dcbut~ntcl Arc you n
precocious child prodigy, or did the secrets of life reveal them-

selves somewhere in the Appalachian Mountains? The back· As the Sroryre ller, your role is ro guide the playersthrough
ground and personality of your chrua<rer arc the """nrial in· the character gcncr• cion process. After your player$ arrive for
gredients of h,. persona. From your basic concepts, you can the game session, you need to introduce rhem to the basic
1hcn srarr to work out the details, such as Attributes nnd Ad· premise of the game and dcsenbe the rules system. Your main
vantages. goal should be to make character creation as easy as possible.

Getting Starte~ Pass mot the character sheets and give the playersa minute
to look them over and ask questions. Theil go thCOUj;h rhe
ou need to be aware of five conccp!S be· charactet crealion process $!Cp by step, filling in all rhe dernils
fore you begin ro create }>Our characrer: of the char•cters' Traits.

• You can create n characrer ofnearly It is sometimes advisable to spend al\ entire game scS<inn
any age from any culture or nation; how.. creating charac1crs. Th is ensures that the players don't fetl
cvc.r, you begin the game as a relatively in· rushed and that they rake the time to crcare real and provoca·
experienced and unsophisticated wraith tive characters, not paper-thin stooges. In fact, you may en·
who has only recently died. Your charac· courage your playcors to come to the character generation ses-
tcr probably knows relatively little about wraith society unless sion with a f•irly developed idea of what kind of charocters
she was instructed by a Mentor or a Reaper, the wraith who they'd like to play.
discovered and Initiated her.
Once you are done with the practical de~ails, you em spend
• This character creation process was designed ns much the r<-st of the session runr1in~ preludes for the characters. A
to help you define your character as it was to provide you with prelude is a form of abbreviated storytelling in which you tell
a mc-•ns of interacting with the ruiCll. The proces5 of crL'llting the story of a chardcter's mortal life and death. Preludes are
a choracrer is meant to help you more accurately focus the the players' introduction ro the chronicle as well as their char·
concept of your character. Remember thai a character cannot actcrs, so make them memorable. Preludes are described 111 the
exist only as numbers; your roleplaying must shape alld define end of this chapter.
nn "Iter ego.
Step One:Concept
• This charncrer creation system is a purchase synem wirh
absolurely no dice rolling involved. By choosing Traits from a You begit\ by formuhotin~ " basic collcept for your chnrac·
variety of lim, you decide who your chnracrer is. You will rC· rer. O nly a vague iclea about rhe character's life is needed. As
ccive extra points calle-d "freebies" at the end of the process, the chronicle develops, you will flesh our your character by
roleplaying. You can create • character from any culture or
which you can rhen liSe to add do!S to any Trait, so do not natiOI\. In al\y case, you have been dead less than 30 yenI'$.

as:onite over nil your choices. Nonetheless, even with freebie There arc three basic questions you must ask: who were
points, you probably cannot buy evetythlng you want. you in life, how did you die, and why can't you let go?

• Most Trai~< are rated numerically from 1 ro 5. This sys· life

tem is similar ro the "star'' system uSl.>d to rare movies, re:srau· How did you live your life! Whar did you do? Picksome·
rants and hotels. One dot in a Trait indicates poor or novice one relatively mundane and normal, though farnot'-' tlead may
ability in that Trair. Twodo!S indicate an avernge Trait, wh ile be acceptable if the Stotyteller allows. Here are some ideas:
n rating of 5 indicates that you arc among the best in the world.
Traits arc based on an uvernge human range. • Criminal - You were a jailbird, Mafioso, cat burglar,
drug dealer or petty th ief.
• It is a good idea for your group to discuss rhe nature of
1hcir Circle before anyone creates charncrers (se<! The Circle, • Cop - You were a beat cop, dctccrive or maybe just a
below). It Is your responsibili ty to creare n character who be· pencil-pusher.
longs in the group. The characters in 1hc Circle should be
bound togerher by more thnn happenstance. Although it is • Politician - You were n judge, n mayor, tt gr..tss..roors
o~ay to have a pair ofchamcrer1 tied together by nothing more Olhrflnizer, :-t union off'icial, o senatororjuSt a wannabe lnwyer.
thnn the sLrings ofFare. ir's more interesting to play ch:lmcters
who ~now c:>ch other. Make sure your ch:> ractcr hns nt least • Faithful - You may have been pious, but you didn'r
one feature In common with every one of her compatriots, wind up where you expected.
whether this feature be a Fetter, a Passion or an enemy. If1•our
character doc.<n'r flr in and disrupts the srory as a result, you • Drifter - You were n hobo, a cowhoy,a thearer tech,a
won't have as much fun, and your Storyteller may decide that pi lgrim, a hooker or sionply homeless.
you have co crc~1tc a new chnrocter.

1

• Dileuant~: YO\t lived in a stare of hedonis:ric exces.<C or
mind-numbing Opoltlly.

• Cultist - As" member ofa cult, you subsumed ro own
dtsirts to irs n«ds.

• Punk - You wero born and died on the wrong side of
rhc rrnd::s.

• Kid - You died long before your rime.
• Artist - You l~ft behind your vision, your unfinishe<l
m:-~srcrpiccc, your UllJf.'liiUit uJJus. Wonder if anyonc'll ever r\o~
tice r
• Professional Work wns your life; now you wonder
what ~rou missed.
• Tahul:o Ras11 - A bhmk ; late. Perhaps you never lived
at a11 - or perh:.ps you h:.we fofl:Otten evel)'onc who ever
meant anylhin.st lO )!C.)O.

Death

The manner in which you died is vital to d..cribing your
re:~clion m dearh. How tiKI you die, and what was the cause?
When did it h~ppen1 Why did it h3ppen ? Here are some
ideas:

• Old A~c - Timugh you livcxl" full lifespan, you weren't
reody ro die.

• Wnr - You died on the fields of "glory."
• Ovcrdusc - The roml of JOur excess lead rodenth.

• R:lndom Viole nce - You were in the wrong phtoc at

rhc wronsc lime:.
• Suicide - Your cries for help fell on deaf ears.

• Murder- You were prey for a dark predaror.

• Disease - After much polin and suffering, )'0\1 SOC·
cumbed ro your 1cnnimal illness.

• Domestic Violence - You were a casualry of an age·
old cycle of shame, hnte, polin and rage.

• Car Wreck - It all happene-d so quickly...

• Mystery - You have no idea how it happened -or
perhaps you don't wnm to know...

• Freak of Nuturc - You were hit by lighmin~. 0 1' per..
haps a sh~rk ate you.

~egret

Why do~s your char:•crer renaciously dins m life, fiercely
denying demh, even after the breath has lefr her borlj•? Whar
did she leave behirld? What words were unspoken, what deeds
undone? In whnt Wltydid she ne\'cr trul)' live? What does she
r<grtr ~bour rhe w>y In wh1eh &le liVed? Here are some ide:u:

• Destiny You never fulfilled your dtsriny.

• Unrequite-d Love- He never looked rwice at you
well, hy God, he will now!

• True Love You left someone behind whom you v~lue

mnn; than :m)'thin~.

• Vengeance - Your last thoughts were, ul'm ~:ning to
gcr yn11 bock, you bastord!"

• Mission - You h:od a dury ro prrfonn, and ~ou faile-d to
do it.

• Theory - You never proved ynur theory or published
\'Our ideas- and maybe someone els~ will Slealthcm!

• Success- You had everything - and now u's all gone.

• Children - You didn't k-avc :mrone behind to remem·
her you.

• Legacy - You didn't lenvc- anythil)g o(lmiting value co

t he wmld.

• Failure -lmlecision, dostrust, low self-esteem: call ir
what l"" Mil, bm rou failed.

• Pleasure - Life was a banqucr, and you ~ce oatmeal.

• Travel - You never rook t h::lt nip ro Brazil 0 1' lhc Scot..
tish HiJ(hl:mck

• Sin- The chair\S of guilt >till weigh heavily on rour
soul.

• Bad Blood - You never made peace with ynur son be·
(ore you died - nnd now it's lOO hu c. Or is itl

Nature and Demeanor

Now you need ro choose pcr><m:tliry Archetypes thot de· characrcr's sclf-imar;e nnd retrtii)S II)Hl\\1 of his traits from life.
scribe both the imcmal narurc :m<l external attitude of your Atuih-utes still ruuwtr <1ucstiun! such as: How (asc arc his rc·
chnrnclcr. flexes! How uuracu\'e is hel How long docs it t:tkc him ro
unt.lcn;rand new ide:.sr
Your char(l<:ter's Nature is the most domin:mt aspect of
her true personality. The Archerypr rou choose for your First, you mu:.t 1>rioriLi:c 1he chrce categories of Attribute!.
ch~roctcr's N:nurc describes the chMacter's moSt deep-rout<-d - Physical. Mental and Social. Choose in which of these cal·
fcelin).>.S and beliefs :ohout herself and the world : it· :olso pro· cJ.torics ynur ch:mtcrer is good (primary), in wh ich he is av('r..
\'ide~ rhe prim~ry means by which she regains Willpower. a~< (secondary), ond in which cmccory he is poor (tertiMy). Is
Ch00$ing a Nature helps you dcscrrbe who your character re·
all)• is on the inside.

You should also choose a Dcmc:mor co describe the per-
son~lity your chnroctcr pretends ro possess. This is the role she

ploys to the world, the f~cade she presents to it. The Demeanor

ohmtld probably, though not necessarily, differ from the Ar·
chetyp< you have alr'"tdy cha.en as the .:hamcter's Nature.
Whmevcr you choo.<e is only the character's typic:tl pnsc; people
c.an change Dcmennor ns quickly us 1hcy change mood. You
ma~' chnnge your chflr;tctcr's Demeanor at any time, allowing

her to odapt to different people and different situ:u rons. De·

mc:mor has no procticnl effect on the rules, bur It .strves as a
useful guide for rolcpl:rying.

Some examples of p<!rsonality At·chetyp;:s arc li<red be·
luw.

Step Two: Cnoosing Attributes

A chomctcr's Amibutcs arc parr of his intrinsic makeup.
Although the chunrctcr no longer has a li\•ing body, he srill
lm> a form in the afterlife. This form, or Corpus, firs the

your character more physical than social - is he more brawny Your character concept may help suggest Attribute priori·
than gregarious? ties, but feel free to pick any scheme you please. For now, your
character conception should be very general -paint a broad,
• Physical Attributes - The Physical Attributes describe sweeping outline instead of concentrating on little details.
how stro11g, nimble and sturdy your character is. They are the
primary Attributes of an action·oriented character - the All characters start with o ne dot in each Attribute. Your
Physical Attributes concem the strengths and weaknesses of priority selection determines how many docs you get to spend
d1e body. Strength measure:; a character's lifring power and in each category. You may divide seven dots among your
how much damage she ca.n inflict in basic hand·to·hand com· character's primary Attributes, five dots among her S<.'<:ondary
Actributt'.S, and three among her tertiary Arrribures. Thus, you
bat. Dexterity rates a wmith's speed and agilicy. Stamina mea~ may choose to add seven dots ro your wraith's Physical At·
sures a character's constitution and resilience. tributes, five to her Mental Attributes, and o nly three docs to
her Social Attributes. You may divide rhe dots among the in·
• Social Attributes- Your character's Social Attributes dividual Attributes as you sec fit - you could assign all three
measure her ability to relate to, motivate, and manipulate oth· of your Social Attribute dots to Charisma, one dot to each of
ers. Charisma indicates personal lmlgnetism ;;1nd chann. Ma- the three Social Attributes, or two dors to one and o ne dot to
nipuhuion measures a charocrer's ~bilicy co ralk her way into (mother.
and out ofsituations. Appearance describes how the character
looks and carries herself. Lacer in the character creation process, it will be possible
to increase some ofthese mtings, so don't worry coo mt1ch about
• Mental Attributes -These Traits represent your your choices. Let your intuition guide you.
chMacter's thought capacity, and include such th ings as
memory, perception, learning potential, and the ability ro think Note: The space after each Attribute (and Ability) is for
quickly. Perception describes the wraith's observation skills. you to fill in a spccialt)1, a subcntcgory of the Trait in which
Intelligence represents memory, reasoning and leaming poten· the character excels. Specialties are fully explained in the
rial. Wits mCiiSures a character's reaction time and ability ro Chapter S ix; for now, concentrate on choosing your ratings.
think o n her feet.

Step fnree:Cnoosing Anilities learned throul(h school, classe$, books and reachers, but can
also be picked up through experience. I. your character edu·

Abilities delineate what your char~cter knows rather than catedi does he have a good memory?
whm he is; they describe the things he has lcurncd rnther than
the thinxs he can natural ly do. All Tnlcnt$, Skills and You prioritize thc.<e Abilities just like you prioritized the
Knowlcdgcs arc Abilities. Au ributcs. You decide how co rank )'our Talents, Skills and
Knowlcdgcs, choosing in which category your character will
E-1eh Ability you character ("'sse.~Ses is nssigned a rating be above average (primary), in whoch she will be average (sec·
representinx Lite characrer's apritude in £hat panicular are:J. ondary), and in which she will be below average (tcniaf)•).
ll>c number i.< used to determine how many doc. you roll when
your char:>Ctet attempts to w;c an Ability. You gcr 13 dnts to spend on )'Our chamcter:< prima'l' cat·
cgof)•, nine for the secondary cnt<'{,"'Y and only lh·e dors for
Abilities arc divided into throe different cate-gories: Tal· the tertiary category.
crus,Skills and Knowledges. Each type of Abollty has different
ch+lmcteri.stic.s. However, rhere: i5 one 3dditional n;suicaion: roo cannot
give your character more thnn three docs in an)' one Ability

• T.~lcnt> dc:i<:ribc inmitive Abilities. Talents do not need to (later, however, you c:m usc your "freebie" pointS to gam four
be pr.octiCl"<I/Jer:«and cannot be studied or learned from a book; or even five dor.< in an Ability).

rhcynrc rn0<1t often gained through direct experience. Is yourchar·

Step four: Advantagestlctcrsclf~tnught; c.kx..~ she possess nlorofcommon:tcnsd
• Skills are Abilities learned through ri&or<>us training of
You do nor prioritize or rank the different categories of
nny .<nrr. Thiscategory includes anyability that must be learned Advantages. You instead have :o designated number ofdots to
step by seep through acru•l practice, but can be taught or stud·
assign within <'llch one. n,ough this number is fixe-d, )'0" can
led (unlike Talents). Is your character gcxxl ar learni ng things purchase additional doll$larer with "freebie" poinrs.
frmn daily (or nighdy) practice?

• Knowledges include all the abilities requiring the ri&<>r·
ous n1>plicution of the mind. These Abilities are ~enemlly

•

k

i

Characters may choose their Arcanos - the special se-
eMs and powers of the Restless. A character begins with five
dors in Areanos, but she may purchase more Arcanos with free-
bie pointS. A beginningcharactercannot have more than th ree
dots in any one Arcanos.

Backgrounds

Everycharacter gets seven docs to allocate among Back..
ground Tr~irs. You have only seven dots to allot and your Sto-
ryteller may restrict access to certain Backgrounds. Your Back-
ground Traits should be compatible with your character con-
cept.

rassions

Wraiths are creatures of passion, and as such, they need Stepfive:finishing Touches
rensons to exist beyond death. Each Passion consists ofa con·
cise sratcm.cnt of a goal (i.e., protect my daughter, avenge my Often, thoe most Important stage of character creation is
death, ere.), followed in parentheses by the emotion that cor- applying the last touches- the little details and flourishes
responds to it (Love, Anger, etc.).
th at complete the chan1ctcr. ln rhissccp, you gain your 15 "free·
Each character has 10 points to assign to Passions. After
you have chosen and listed all of your Passions, assign a rating bie" points, enabling you to add more dots to any of the Traits
on the character sheet. Before you spend these points, how·
from I to 5 in each Passion, thereby delineating how strong
the Passion is ro you. Di(ficult or general Passions ("Help oth- ever, you must rcc<ml the base scores for your character's Pa..

ers find faith," "Gi~e hope <0 mychildren") should have h igher thos and Willpower.
ratings than simple tasks ("Recover my body," "Protect my
mocorq•dc"). ratnos

Passion ratings may not exceed 5. For more information, The Pathos rating mensure the pool of energy generated
by Passions and used by wraiths to perform Arcanos. Startin~
see Pathos and Passions on pp. 136-137. Pathos cqu~•ls 5 plus t he n umber ofdots t he wr.tith possesses in
the Memoriam &ckground. You can add additional points to
fetters your starting total by spending freebie pointS. The Pathos Pool
canno t exceed I0 points.
Ferrers are the people, places and things that tie you to
the real world. They are your strongest connections to your Willpower
mortal life, and they bind you to the Shadowlands until you
are able ro resolve them. Fetters represent the people, places The WillpowerTmit rates how much self-controla wr~ith
and things with which (or with whom) you have "unfinished has, including the degree to wh ich she can resist and control
business." Fetters arc listed in the same manner as Passions. her Shadow. Willpower is essential for controlling the actions
Unlike Passions, however, Fetters are tangible, material ob- o( your character, especially in cimt.-s of stress.
jec!S.

Each Fetter also receives a rating from I to 5. This rating
is based on the importance of rhe Fener or its COilOOt<ttion.
Some Fetters may be mysterious- why is that locked room in
rhe sub-basement of the IBM Tower so important to you!

Fetters ;md Passions can be related, though they do not
have to be. For example, you might have a "gold engagement
ring: 2" as one of your Fetters, and a Passion co 11Avcngc the
demhs of my girlfriend and myself (Revenge): 4."

Fetter ratings may not exceed 5.

A wr:>lth's \'<lillpowe.r ratingstaruat 5 andean he incre:>sed I

with freebie poinl:..

free~ie foints

You can spcrnl freebie poinlll ro mise :>ny Tmit on )'OUr
character sh<'<!t. Exrm dou cost different amounts depcrnlin1:
on rhe Tmit in question (see the chart below). Freebie point
expenditure mny I'Ri:.c an Ability over 3, bll( may not raise any
Trait over 5.

Freebie point< may also he used tOsubtmct Shadow poims
from the Storyteller, thereby reducin1: the overall power of the
character's Shudnw (see Chapter Seven: The Shadow) un u

one-for-one basis. The Sroryteller norm:~lly designs the aspect
o( your ch;,r..cter: spending freebie points :1"ain.st your Shr1dow
is a sign to the Storyteller tlmt you would like him to hold

b.1ck on urticulucing your character's dtuk side. You con also

gain up ro seven extm freebie points by allowing the Story-
teller to also use those points when cre:>ting your Shadow.

All starting wraiths have 15 frccboe poonr:s. You can spend
them acconlint: ro rhc following ch:~rr:

SparK of life

There ure some other derails of a character you should
consider. The following details will help to m:oke your ch:~roc­
rera complete nnd unique person. You do nO< nccesoarily need
to write thC>C thingsdown, but you should certainly think about

rhem, not only now. bur throughouLihc career ofyour ch~r~c·
rer. If yott ore runninu )eour char:-tctcr through a prelude, wnit

until yuu arc dune before attempthlg to complete this uspcct
of ynurch~mctcr.

Wmiths tend to assume a CufJ>u> 1har in some \V:>Y re-
flects their sclf·imagc. For example., a wmlth may appear as
she did ut the IIIC>mcnt of her death, or In the prime of her life,
orat the thnc she $u(fcrcd mosc clc~.:ply. Some wrairhs u.sc their
knowledge of Arc:111us to shape their boclics Into monstrou> or
bcmific fom1> (thus playing the "devil" or "angel")- buttlus
ofren serves to empower the Shndow. Yuu should tum the
rele,,.nrTmitsofI'Ourchamcrcr -such as rhe Social Attributes

and concepr - inro asp..-c" ofappearance. High lntelli~nce l'111..~ rhLI'l \~r], , .,r, ,•,.ll,h!!ht,t,lih "''•'I\
r.ll.r\\dl~!\ ' 1\ , .....,\t,l \1\ l· •l'lli!oll >l l,to·l\tl''··'l
can become a clear, piercing ga:e. A Dilettante co!lcept could ._,j, , /,,\\,hHI<'<r '•lhf.lll':l 11\ ,J.. I I ' k,l llj 1 1- " ' i " '
uarulate imo stylish o.nd experuive clothes. In rhis way, \'OU
an make your chantctcr's Tmits more tangible and inu~re~f·

ing. It's better roleplaying to "'Y• "There alw-ays seems to be a to piny someone \'ery differenr from herself, someone who can
sneer ofdisdflin on my fnce," than tos;>y, "You can relll'm very
condescending." say the things she normally can't- someone who can >p..'llk
om. Meg chooses a street poet concept. IIer character lives on
~pecialties
the street, often homeless, bur she has :m inner fire that in·
spires >Cuthi•~& poems about the things rhar affect her life. She

You m;:ty wish Lo give your character specir.hies in her wants ro conrmsr this character's alley-cat beginnings with a
Traits. E.1ch Troit wlrh a raring of 4 or higher can be given o high..clns.s nnme; Cassandra cnmcs m mind.
specialty. Though most players select spedalries fonheir Tmillo
during pby, ynu can pick them immediately. Specialties orr Meg ponders for a moment abour Cas,.,ndn:'s Nature and
pnrticular aspectsofTmiu ar which yourcharacter is especially Demeanor. These twoTraits will help her nail down Ca5S<lndrn\;
good. Simply loll in the space next to the Trair wirh an appro- personality more easily. The Namre is Cas>11ndm's deep-rooted
pri:tte spec:1alryi iU,mtQlion~ al'e made with ea<h Trair In ~p· psyche, the part of her rhat affects all her thou~;ha ami ae·
ter Six. Though primarol)•used for roleplaying, specialties can tions. Meg decides that Cassandra is a Visionary: she sees be·
lower the difficulties of dice rolls to perform cenain fear>. yond rhe clry screets and rhe conuprion around her to some·
thi"8 greater for herselfand her fumily. To rhe world, Cassandra
Quir~ proJecll a harden<'<~, Rebel Demeanor. She pots on a big show
of rebellion; deep iruide, however the revolution she w~nts to
By givillll your character quirks, inreresrong pcrson:ol de· lead is one of the soul. She developed the Rebel Dem<'llnOr in
mils and anecdmc-s, you call add a great deal of deprh and In· order ro sray alive in her tough neighborhood.
reresr ro him. Wrire :1few sentences on Lhc back of your ch\lr~
actersheetdescribing the mange and possibly inreresting thinJ:S Step Two: Attrinutes
rim define your chtlr>lctcr. A quirk could be~ twisted scn<c n(
humor, a gcndencs!l toward animals, or a habit ofgn.mting when Now Meg must choose Cassandra's Attributes. She pri ·
answering yes ro a question.
ol'itizcs her cnrcgories in the following wa~1:

Soci:ol is Cassandra's primary category, bec.1use her expe·

Tne Circle rience as a srreer poet has given her the interpersonal skills to
ger her poinr across.

Before anything else can begin, C\'cl')·one must agree on a Phrsical is Cassandra's second•I'\' c:nc~'Ory, bc"C"ause, well,
concept for the Circle and n the~ for rhe chronicle. While in u's tough growing up as the only girl in a family full of bo1·s.
The srreet is berrer than any fitness spa.
many ca5C$ rhe Storyteller will have prepared a oockground
Mental is Ca=ndra's rerriary car<-gory, be-cause the edu-
setting with a niche ready for rhe characters to fill. the players cation in her area is lousy, and hK:1u.st she b so ofu:n lost in
nl't.-c.l to be nware o( ond interested in the situation.~ inro which poetic reverie thar she f•ils to notice impending danger.
their chorncrc" will be thru;t.
Dividing Cassandra's seven Social pnin.., Meg assigns her

Fxample ofdmmcter Creation a 4 Charisma (three points plus the one point free for each
Attribute), a 3 Manipularion, and a 3 Appearance (all ofthese
nrc necessary (or her to get people's Hncmion1 create poems
chat will affect people, and dmw people Into her vision).

cg is going to create a Wraith char:oerer. Two of Cassandra's five Physical points are spent on

Using the outline, Meg begins the process Strength, giving her ~ respectable Stre!l~:rh of 3. She spends

that will turn her idea into a fuii-OedRed one point on Dexterity and two on Srnmin.,, ~iving her a Dcxp

chnrncter. reriry of 2 ond a Stamina of 3.

Step One:Concept Finally, two of C1SS<lndra's rhree Menr•l points are spent
em Wit>, and the last is allotted to lnttlli~ence (Meg feels
C•5S<lndr:l would have more sense than smarts). She \\'On'ie$

First, she must come up with a character concepf. Mec nbout the one poinr in Perceprion, bur plans on doillg some-
1'-:lnts ro play a female ch:orM:ter, ><>she uses that decision to thing ubout that delociency when she spend< freebie points (S<.'C

limit her concept choices. She rejecr.; srereorypic:ol female below).

ch:uacrcr": a prostitute, u housewife, an executive. She w:mrll

Step Tnree: Abilities sheet. Meg also decides rhat, of the rhree factions in Wr•ith,
she like-s the Rene~odes best, so she Mives Cassandm one dot in

Next, M(.-g has to prioritize and pick Cassandr-•'• Abili· the Renegade Background. TI1isdocsn't mean &he$~ Renegade
tics. She decides Cl$$.1ndra relies primarily on her Innate Tal· herself: she just knows a few. Finally, for one poim, she pur·
enrs co survive on the street (this becomes her primary Ability chases the Haunt Background. Cassandra's Haunt is Cafe In·
catCAOt'y). Skills arc also important to meet poets (especially fcrno, a trendy coffee shop in Adanra.
l'erfnrmance, because Cassandm i> a performer :u well as a
Now, Meg tums ro Passions. She has 10 poina to >pend:
writer), so that is her K'Condary cu•eorv- Cassandra's educa· this is where &he can really say ~ lot about her ch:m><:rer. Meg
mkes a moment to think about her characrer. Wh~tthings are
tion has be-en 'l"'mdic and spotty, so Knowledge Abiliries be· Important to her? Whar rhings drive htr! The flrsr thing thur
come her terti~ry cMegory. pops into Meu's head is that Cassandra left behind a Inver when
she died: Cynthia. This forms her firsr Passion: to proteCt
Meg has 13 points to spend on Talents. She Immediately Cynthia. Simple cn<JUgh ... and Love is a perfect focus for the
spends rwo point• on Alertness (good for spottit'8 p<.'lple who Passion. Because this Is the major drive for her charncrer right
arc following you, or for noticing when someone is paying at· now, she assigns three points to it. Meg a.sks David. the Story·
tention to you). She spends a poinr on Dodge (always good to teller, whether this is okay, noting rhar chis Passion has as i"
have) nnd two poinro of Brawl (a couple of years llgluing \'Our focus the prorectlon of one of her Fetters. David decides chat
brutheNJ will reach you nt least tluu much). O.ssnndra needs it's okay, bur suggests that she purchase some non-Fetter·re·
co know how people feel, so Meg spends two points on Empa-
thy. Street poclll obvtnusly need to have something to say and Iated ooes next. So, Meg dectdes that Cassandra was kilk-d by
the abiliry to S<l\' It well, so Meg spends three point& on Ex·
pression. Finally, Meg puts two points in Cassandra's Streetwise a gang ofthugs who rook issue with something >he said or wrote.
(cnsy to explain wlrh her street background) and one point in This forms her next Passion: "Get back at the gang," which is
Subrerfuge, to demonstrate Cassandm's understanding of how nssociated with Revenge. She rates ir m 2. spendin.i(two more
Passion poinrs. She decides tO invest two puinrs in a Passion
to mnnipulate languns:c. to keep writing and creuir'8; the :~fllliared emotion is Pride in
Me~ has mne points to spend on Skills. She gives her work. Meg also decidu rhor some sleazy publisher took
pictures of her groffiti·poems nnd compiled them imo a book
Ca~<ltndra ratings of 2 in Meditation (she's gor tO h~ve some

w:•y of keeping her peace in a violent world ... pethops she thnt hit the bestseller list. She decides to write down a Passion

prays or just walk• to meditate), 2 In leadership (she used to of "Ruin the publisher who •cole my work," with a focus of
boss her brothers around), I in Firearms (she learned how to Hare and a raring of 2. Finally, with one point left, Meg ;><\ds a

shoot a gun from her brothel'li), and I in Stealth (her time on llnle bit of humanity to her ch:uacrer by having one of her
the street has tmtghr her the necessity ofdiscretion). She fin· Passions be "Get back her favorite pen.'' an easily accomplished
ishes off this sccrion by taking ill'erfurmance rating of 3. be· Passion with a focus of Envy.
cause she wants to be entertaining while she screams her po-
etry at pc'Oplc. Next, Meg has to choose Arcanos. There are :so many...
but Meg decides rhar Cassandra wouldn't obsess on just one.
Finally, Meg represent& her haphazard, mOStly library· Her "look it up yottrself' menrolity would prompr her to le:1m

gained education by >preading our her five poinrs among l'oli· a li ttle bit about o lot of Arcanos. So, she divides her five

rics. Computer, l..mv, Linguistics and Occult. Arcanos points •unong Argos, Puppetry, Phanrosrn, Lifcweb

Step four: Advantages and Embody. Even though she spreads out her Area nos points
in this fashion, it shouldn't weaken C:wandro o"ermuch: a
broad base of knowledge can be a good thi ng in rhc

Now Meg move$ Into wmithlymatters. She muse pick from Shadowlands.

" l:trge number of Backgrounds, :mel <he only has seven points Meg must now choose Cnssundm's FerreNJ: the <hings that

to spend. MCA due>n't wanr ro play ~n unrelentingly dark char· bind her to the living world. She has IOpoinrsrospend.D•vid

actcr: she's inrcreSted in playing a "vigilan te" kind o( wraith warns her not to make her F~ttcrs too cough. First Meg chooo<s

who take. care of the people whn were important to her in rhc Madntosh computer in her c.ommuniry center, .something

life. Accordingly, >he 1>icks nvo poinrsofEidolon imn>t-diatcly; chat could be destroyed rarher easily. This is the tool on which

she wmm to be :tble ro dispel her Shadow if she needs to pro· Citssandm composed much of her poetry. She assigns ir a r.•c·

rcct someone. Meg figures that"""'' of ClSSJndra's neighbor· Inc of 2. Next, there's Piedmont Park, a big enough (and per•

hood remember> her: her poems are written on City walls all manent enough) Fetter, rated ~t I. (She used l O love to

over 1hc place, ;md every timt somcorle looks at one, she gets rollerbladc there... but she was also attacked there once, and

mclrc Memoriom .Thus. she gives c~assandra a Memoriam rot.. she did fall in love with Cynthin there...) She asks D:!vid if

inn of 2. Meg decides that C:tssandm kept her fnvorire pair uf she can make Cnfc Inferno a Fetter, sinu It is hec Haunt "'

rollcrbladcscvcn heyond the grave. so she lists Relic.• I on her well. l>•vid :tgrees, because he's nlteady decide-d th:u rhe Circle

will be centered around Cafe Inferno. Meg spends four points
on char Fener, giving her a considerable advantage using
Arcanos there. Finally, she makes her mortal girlfriend Cynthia
a Fener, rated at 3.

Now Meg muse assib'll her Willpower and Pathos scores:
easy enough. Cassandm, as a wrai£h, scans with a Willpower
raring of 5. lkcause of her Memoriam, she starts with a tom!

Pathos racing of 7.

~tep 5: finishing Touches

Finally, Meg gets co spend Cassandra's 15 "freebie" points.
Meg decides Cassandra should be a bit more perceptive chan
she is, so she spends five freebie points to raise Cassandra's
Perception ro 2.She wanes to excel in Expressi<ln, so she spends
two more points co raise it to 4. Meg also spends rwo freebie
points to raise Cassandra's Alertness rating.

Meg wants anocher Memoriam dot, s<> she spends another
freebie point co get it. David says chat Cassandra can't have
rolkrbladcs unless she spends another freebie point on theRelic

Background. Finally, Meg blows rhe last 4points on Willpower:

Cassandra's going ro need it. Thus, Cassandra's total Willpower
is 7.

While chis officially ends the character generation pro·
cess, Meg decides to flesh our Cassandra a little more. She
writes a brief paragraph describing her (at Appearance 3 she's
pretty, but not exceptional), writes a little about Cafe Inferno,
and describes the relics that Cassandra possesses (perhap.s de-.
ciding that the rollerblades arc not as useful as, say, a flashlight
and a cigarette lighter).

Meg decides to go ahead and assign Cassandra's special·
ties: she lists the specialty of Charisma as "guts" and the spe·
cialty of her Expression as "street poetry."

Meg decides chat Cao;sandra has, as a quirk, the habit of
pointing at people to whom she is speaking. Additionally, her
very expressive narure means she gestures a lot when she talks.

And there it is: a completed character. Now David will
take Meg and Cassandra through a prelude to flesh out Meg's
ide-Js about her character.

jhe prelude

Now you are ready to play your character, even though
she is not complete. The prelude is the name for this first ses-
sion. In the prelude, the character's last hours of life are reen·
acted, and her journey into death begins.

The prelude is essential to the development of a Wraith
character. Once the player and Storyteller have roughly
sketched out who and what the character is, they roleplay the
journey from life into death, including the character's initial
experiences in the afterlife.

The play~r may wish to sketch out the charncttr's life In
only the broadest nrokcs, playmg our and derniling parrkular
moment> but dacrihing litrle of the context in which they for.
Remember. too, thnt nwrnith is '1rcborn"into 1he afre.rl i(~ nnd
typically rememlx:rS lit tle of her pasr life. Details about a
chnmctcr's past may thus be discove red throughout rhe
chronicle.

If it is difficult fur u player and Sroryreller to run n pre·
ludc,thcn they should simply rolk about relation:.hipoo und Fer·
rcrs, and discuss the chnrocrcr's life and dearh.

Deat~: T~e Beginning

The prelude begins with the death scene. If a Storyteller
wants, a few rninutcs ur hours of life before the chnrnctcr's
immincn[ demise m::ty be pltt}'Cd out, bu( very liu lc inform:1·
rion should be given to the player.Some pl,.ycrs may not even
rcn.lize exacrl)~ how thdr chnrnccers die.

Then irends. The ch:~racter is dead. Most Storytcllcn wrll
wanr to give th~ir players n scr\SC of rhc sudden shock of the
death blow, the helplessness, rhe cold, the slow cessation of
bodily pmcasa, the brnin cells expiring, one by one, for llve
minutes after the body has passed the poinr of no rerum.

Some wraiths-to-be then undergo out-of·body expericnc,.,;.
The Sroryreller may let a player view hiscorpse and Lire people
:~round it. Sometimes, lhc new wrdich may ••wake lll>'• nt his
own funeral, perhaps st.:cing hi!! (riends :;~nd r!!lntives il' mourn ~
in~. Some wrairhscxperiencc n"tunnel ofliglu," while mhcrs
go directly to the Underworld with liule pomp and circum·
stnnce.

During this time the Sroryteller may have the chnractcr
relive cvenrs from his life. TI1esc scenes should be quock ond
nebulous: (orexamplc,n memoryofspending rime whh olovcr,
but no recollection of hi~ name or what became of him.

These "snapshot''scenes hnvc two purposc!i. First, rhc)' lcr
the Storyteller a11d player feel out the character and her rene·
tio11s to certain evcnu. Second, they give the Storyteller an
op;xntuniry 10 plant seeds that she can harvest for later
storylines or subplots in her chronicle.

Questions ano Answers

Dcscrib.-.d below urc some qucsrions that should be Oil·
swcrcd by the end nf the prelude. If there is no time fur n full
prelude, you should nt lct1St make un effort to :mswcr rhcse

questions. It often hdps tu wrirc our the ~nswers, evcal if you

have underxonc the full prelude.
Wirh e.1ch question we list what sorl> of thmgs rhc pln)'et

should ask himself. as well:" some advice to the Stotyteller on
how to run the prelude rn relotionship to the question.

• How old were you when you died? know the political lay of the lond?Do you hold seniority over
anyone in your area?
Were you in the prime of life, a child, or very old ' This
can dctcnnine your physicala~orance in the Shadowlands. • How did you meet rhe r..t of your Circle?

• What was your family life like? Were you brought together by a Re<>per, or dod you just
meet by a quirk of fare! lr is important co determine how you
In the World of Darknes.~, many families are not the rdatc to the o·est of your Circle. What do they think of youI
healthiest of institutions. Were you wounded by your family? What are your jobs and perks in the Circle?
Did )'OU wound rhcm? Were rhey supportive, caring and lov·
ing? llow many brothers and sisters (and stepbrothers and step· • What w.. your first run-in witb otber Underworld
liSters) did you have! Did your parents divorce! Did you have dwellers like?
a $tepmother or stepfather? Were you an orphan1
Did you run into a horde of rnvening spectres? Were you
• What was the most shameful thing you've ever done! the target of a slaver? Did" Hco·etic anempt to coowtrt you?
You should rake Into accounr your Hierarchy, Heretic or Ren•
This could be as innocent os stealing a candy bar (not egade Background when answering this question.
likely) or as terrible as murder. Think about this one long and
hard: it will shape the way your Shadow ope111tcs. • What do you do for fun?

• What was the best thing you've ever done! This is very important:death is depres.<ing.lt's nice to get
our and have some fun from time to time. Do you skinddc
Even Hirler painted roses. Even if you were a psychopath people while they make love? Do you watch TVs that are left
who brutally killed many before your demise in the electric on in department stores, relying on your un<-arthly senses to
chair, what good thing, what single moment of humaniry did hsten through the glass! Do you play tricks on mortals, nmk·
l~' exhibit! Ifyou were not so awful, what feat wos your shin· lng them do silly rhings? Do you usc your Phantasm to tell
ing moment? Did you save a homelc..shelter from being closed!
Represent someone pro bono for her divorce our of an.abusive stories to mher wrnithsr Do you amuse yourself by steali ng
marriage? Give your last dollar to a starving child!
sock• from laundromats or dice from roleplaying games (damn,
• What places were important to you in life? )"OU sriU don't have a life, do roo)! Do you enjoy making seri·
ous people laugh and funny (li'Ople serious? h'> important to
Even aside from your Fettel'$, this can tell you a lot about
your character. Was there a favorite hangout as a teenager! orlighten the mood a Wraith story from time ro time, and rhis
Did you build n treehouse as a child? Did you love to go to a
spe-cilk movie cheater? Was a particular restaurant your favor· is ont way co do ir.
itel Did you love a particular park? All of these things can
lhape your character's development and provide sources for • Where Is your favorlre Haunt?
Fetters.
This is some place affiliated with you or )"Ollr Circle. You
• How did you die? hang out there. Srories can sr:ortthere. It should be interes<ing
enough to gener:ue a fewswry ideas, but not so importanr th:u
Okay, so you've chosen yourdeath... but how did you die! you ca11'1 venture beyond lr.
Explain in detail... or are younill unaware of how you died!
Wa• there a funeral! Were you burled or cremated? What was • Where docs your Circle meet?
placed in the coffin with you? Where are your ashes now?\Vho
mourned you? Who didn't! Did your lovL-d ones carry your Does your group have a penchant for dangling off of sky·
memory around like a stone around their neck, or did they scrapers, or meeting on the trncks ofa subway (just don't touch
quickly forger you? the third mil)? Do you like to meet In the moyor'• office after
hours,or in a b.1ck alley somcpluce ! After all , the world Is your
• How long have you been dead? playground: you c.on meet anywhere. \Vhcrc will you go!

How many years! Who remembers you (if anyone docs)? • What motivates your
Hnve you lo.<r any Fetters to the ravages of time or vindictive
wraiths? How well do you know the local Necropolis? Do you What drives your chantctcr, makes her laugh, makes her
cry, makes her angry, makes her desire, makes Iocr afraid? What
gives her hope? In what doesshe believe? Once you know these
things about your charnctcr, you can begin to structure her
creation.

( II

Whnr a piece of work is man!
- WilliamShakespeare, Hamle1

~~W n Wraith, TrJil$ arc the OO.is of a charnc· here are as many archerypes as rhere are rypi·
rer- they de!cribe, conjure and delineate cal siuuuions in life. Endless repctirion lws
who and what a character really is. They engraved these extJeriences into our psychic
constiUltion ... representing merdy che possi..
enable you tu detail your character's biUty of a cerf4in rypc of pcrceprion and ac·
Dan.
strengths and weaknesses, allow you to
translate the chnrocter Into game reality by -Carl jung, Coll«ted Works, Vol. 9

usi1'1gdicc, amJ, tnost ilnponantly, help you PersonAlity Archetypes are a way ofdefining wraiths' p<:r·
focus and undcr:u:mcl your charnccer. 50nality. Characters do not_ in 6-ct, nt InfOsuch near and rid\'
G:1tegorles. ArchetypeS are the template$for an infinite num·
A character's Traits describe only the general parameters ber of dif(erem personalities, and should not be seen as abso·
of her abiliti<">. ·nlc essence o( the clmnlCtCr is create-d through lute mmdards. These p<:rsonality Archetype< are example$ of
the variety or personalities that can found; they are intended
mlcpla)'lnC nnd imagin:uion. TraH5 in Wraith are intention-- to guide, not resrrict.
ally left sketchy - at l=t the number-crunching pan - so
you will not concentrate on the character sheet too much.
What i; only cn•dely esrablishcd dunng ch•racter creation
bcco1nes Oeshed out in play. Don't look at your Traits think·

ing you htwe a complete chamcu.:r. Your rolcphwing will ere·

ate y<lur ch;1rncrcr.

The psychologist Carl )ung dilu:overed the concept of ar· ion rrend, or (XHronize a new discovery in rhe arts. New dis..
chetypes as a way ofdescribing any concept that resides in the
collective unconJCious of humanity. He believed rhat such coveries are your life, and you devote a great deal of time and
complex symbols couldn't be rigidly categorized, but he did effort to keepit\g up wirh things. Nothing pains you more than
give names to some o(the archetypes. Nonetheless, in order to hearing secondhand news. If rou're not in the front, you're
incorporate the concept ofarchetypes ituo our systems, a modi·
lie-d version of this idea is used to describe personalities, so no where.

remember to take the following guidelines with a grain ofsalt. - Regain one point of Willpower whenever you are rhe
The key to the use of Archecypes is the interaction be·
fir~t with a piel;t of news Ot other signifiCllnt dl!covery.
tween the character's Nature and Demeanor. Narure Is the true
personality o ( the character, thnt which she is but may not Bon Vivant
reveal ro others. Most people, not wishing otheN to knowthem
intimately, create fucades behind which rhey c;~n hide their Life and afterlife are poinlless, shallow and meonil)gless
uue selves. Such facades are known as Demeanors. A -so have as good a time as pos.~ible. Rome may burn, but you
character's Demeanor may be ns consistent as her Attributes shall drink wine and sing songs. You are a sell>Ualist, sybarite
or may change from minute to minute. An extraordinarily open, and parry animal; the words auslcrit)', self-denial and self-dis·
honest or simple·mil\ded individual may have the same De· cipline have no place in your life. You much prefer the con·
meanor and Nature. ccpt of instant gnuificMion. Still, you don't mind a lirrle hard
work as long as a good time awaits you upon completion. Most
Archei)'J)CS have a practical impact on the game, for each Bon Vivants have little sclf-conrrol, for they so dearly love
Archetype provides a different way to regain Willpower points. excess.
The Nature of the character Is thus vital in regaining Will·
power. The procedure works like this: the player notices her -Regain Willpower whenever you have :o truly good time
character may be able to reg-•in Willpower because of her ac· and can fully express your exultation (or perha~ even more
tions or the situation- this varies from Archetype ro Arche· points if you enjoy an especially fun night).
type. She asks rhe Sroryreller if she can regain Willpower, and
rhc Sroryteller either acceptsor rcjeers rhe request. If the Sto· Bravo
ryteller deems the request valid, he awards from one to three
Willpower point$ depending on the nature of the character's You arc a bully, a ruffian,a tough,and delight in torment·
actions. The Storyteller shouldn'r reward a character if he in& <he weak. Thing> must always go your ""'Y• and you do not
rhinks the player i• performing the action merely m regain tolerate those who cnm you. Power and might are all you re·
Willpower. spect; indeed, you heed only those who can prove their power

The Storyteller should also encourage players to develop to you.
their own Archetypes, <hus giving players the opponunicy ro
create truly unique personalities. You see nothing wrong with forcing your will upon oth·
ers. There is nothing you like better than to persecute, an·
Storytellers should also s~-, pp. 177·179 for descriptions tagonite, heckle and intimidate 1huse whom you hold in con·
ofShadow Archetypes. temp!. The emotions of kindness and pity are no1 completely
foreign ro you, but you hide from your own sense of weakness
Your sense of purpose transcends your own needs; you rry through cruelty to others. While mosc Bravos despise the weak,
w crcare something of lastit\g value for <hose who come after a few become their protectors.
you. People need many things, and you gain satisfaction by
providing whatever you can. You are the type of person who - Regllin Willpower whenever you intimidare or ph)-sl·
makes an effort to build something of value: to found a town, cally force another person to do what you wish.
create a company or in some way leave a lasting legacy.
Caregiver
- Regain Willpower whenever you create or establish
something of importance or lasting value. You always try to help thooe around you and struggle 10
make a difference in <he needs and sorrows of1he unfortunate.
Avant-Garde t>eoplc around you depend on your stability nnd srrength to
keep them steady and centered. You are the one to whom people
You must always be in the forefront. You must always be rum when they have a problem.
the first to break the news, learn the new dance, display a fash·
- Regllin Willpower whene•·er \"OU suc:cc.<Sfully protect

or nurrure someone else. Tilis pmrecrion can bt as small as a

smile of support or • shoulder to lean on at an appropriate
moment. You must help the other person in some way, though
he need nor acknowledge it openly.

You are srill immature in personality and temperament: a
kid who never grew up. Th011gh you can care for yourself, you
prefer the security of being watched over by others. Often you
seek out someone ro look out for you - a caretaker of sorts.

Some see you as a spoiled brat, wh ile orhers see you as an in·

nocent cherub unaffected by the evils of the world. This is a
very common archetype forwraiths who died when they were
young and subsequently marured mentally, but not emotion-
ally.

- Regain Willpower whenever someone does something
to help you with no apparent gain for herself.

Conformist

You are a follower. Taking charge is just not your style. It
is easier for you ro adapt, attune, adjust, comply and reconcile
yourself to the new situations in which you find yourself. You
Oit to the brightest star, the person you feel ro be the best,
throwing your lot in with her. It is difficult and distasteful for
you to go against the flow or to rebel. You hate inconsistency
and instability, and know that by supporting a strong leader,
you help prevent chaos from occurring. All smble groups need
some kind of Conformist.

- Regain Willpower whenever your group accomplishes
something because of your support and aid.

Conniver

What's the sense of working hard when you can get some·
thing for nothingIWhy drudge when, just by talking, you can
get what you want? You always try to take rhe easy way out,
the fa.,t track to success and wealth. Some people might call
what you do swindling or even outright theft, but you know
that you only do what everyone else does; you just do it better.
Additionally, trickery is a game, and you derive great pleasure
from outwitting someone. Connivers play many roles, so you
may be a thief, aswindler, a streer waif, an encrepreneur, a con
man or just a finagler.

- Regain Willpower whenever you arc able to get your
way by tricking another person into doing as you wish.

Critic

Nothing in the world should be accepted without thor·
ough scmtiny and examination. Nothing is ever perfect, and
the blemishes must be pointed out in order for the good to be
truly recognized. Your standards are high for everything, and
you insist on their being met. You encourage the same ideals
in others because low standards reduce the quality of life for
everyone. They'll thank you later, once they discover the pu·

I

riry ofyour perspective. You seek our and expo~ the imperfec· arc completely antithetical to the status quo. You are nm so
tions in every person or thing you encoun[er. You arc never much an aimless rebel as an independent thinker who does
satisfied with anything that is less thnn perfect, unle.~s it Is not belong in the society in which you were mised. You don't
yourself - nfter all, you're not a perfectionist. give a damn about other people's momlity, but you do adhere
ro your own srmnge code of conduct. Deviants are typically
-Regain one point ofWillpower whenever you di>cover irreverent, and some have rmly bitatte taste$ and desires.
a significant imperfection that others overlook.
-Regain Willpowerwhene,·er )'OU succesJullythumb )'OI.Ir
Curmudgeon nose ar wraith sociel)' and iiS preceptS withour re!llliation.

You are nn imscible, churlish pcOiOn at heart, raking every• Director
thing seriously nnd finJing little humor In life (though you may
have a wicke-dly bmbed wit). Cynicism is your middle name; it is You despise chaos and disorder, and tend to mke control
the tool with which you judge everything in life. You have a very and organize things "' order ro supptC$$ anarchy. You like to
well-defmed under;!llnding of how things really work, especially be in charge, live 10 organize, and habitually >rrive 10 make
when they involve the circus of human endeavor. The foolish things work smoothly. You trust your own judgment implicitly
actions of others have long since ceased ro $!Jrprise you. and tend to think of things in black•and·whire terms: "This

- Regait\ Willpower whenever someone does something won'r work"i uvou're either for me or against mc"j I.IThere :;.re
stupid, just like you predicted. You must predict it either our two ways to do t-his - my way and the wrong w:1y."
loud to the other characters or in private to the Storyteller.
- Regain Willpower when you are allowed 10 lead a group
Deviant and accomplish some significant task.

There are always people whodon'r fir in, and you are such
a miscreant. Your beliefs, motivations nnd sense of propricLy

You arc consurn.ed by a cause; it is the primary force in you prefer your own company to that ofothers. There are many
your life, for good or ill. All your physical, mental and cmO· different reasons why this might be so: you don't unde•·stand
tional resources are directed toward your cause; in fact, you people, you understand people roo well, people dislike you,
may feel veryguilty about spending time on anything else. You people like you too much, or you are simply lost in your own
let nolhing stand in your way - nothing that you cannot over~ thoughts. Your reasons arc your own.
come, in any cast. You ::md those around you may suffer, but
yourcause is cvcryLhing- the end justifiesthe means. Defore -When you manage to accomplish .some signific:mr msk
the game begins, make sure you describe your cause and define on your own, without the aid of others, yet which still aids the
how it may affect your behavior. group in some w·ay, you regain \Viiipower based on the signift~
cance of the achievement.
-You regain Willpower whenever you accomplish an act
rhat furt hers your c.ausc. Martyr

j•ester All possess the martyr instinct, but few acr upon ir. Even
fewer live the life of a Martyr. You, however, are such a one.
You are lhe fool, idiot, quipster, clown or comic, forever Your desire for self~sacrifice stems from a low self..estccm, a
making fun of both yourself and others. You constantly seek feeling ofa lack ofcontrol, or a profoundly developed sense of
the humor in any sitmuion, and strive to battle the tides of love. You are able to endure long-lasting and severe suffering
depression inside yourself. You hiltesorrow and pain, and con~ because of your beliefs and ideals.
scantly try to take others' minds off the dark side of life. Some·
times you'll do nearly anything to forget pain exists. Your par· At worst, a Martyr expecls sympar.hy and attention be~
ticul~r brand of humor might not always impress your friends, cause of his suffering, and may even feign or exaggerate pain
but it makes you feel better. Some Jesters manage to escape ordeprivation. At best, a Martyr willingly suffers injury oreven
pain and arc truly happy, but most never find release. death rother than renounce his reli&ion, beliefs, principle.<,
cause or friends.
- Reg::tin Willpower when you raise the spirits o( those
around you through the device of humor, especially when you - Regdin Willpower when you sacrifice yourself in a real
escape your own pain in the process. and immediate way for your beliefs or another individual.

juoge ~ebel

As a facilitator, modcracor, arbitrator, conciliator and You are a makontent, iconoclast and free-thinking recal·
peacemaker, you always seek ro make rh ings berter. You pride citrant. You arc so independent-minded and free-willed that
yourself on your rationaliry, your insight and your ability to you are unwilling m join tmy particular cause or movement.
deduce a reasonable explanation when given the facts. You You are just yourself and only desire the freedom robe your·
struggle to promote truth, but you unders.rand how difficult it self. You do not make a good follower and aren't usually a very
can be to ascertain.. You respect justice, for that is the way good leadereither (unlc.o;:; your follower.> arc willing to go whcr·
rhrough which truth can reign . ever you lead). Your insubordination a&ainsr authority ncca·
sionally reaches the point of stupidity.
In your view. people are resources, albeit ones thac arc diffi~
cult to manage and employ. You hare dissension and arguments, -Regain Willpower whenever your rebellion against the
and shyaway fromdogmmism.SometimesJudges make good lead· status quo turns out to be for the best.
ers, though a lack of vi~ion can sometimes cause them to main~
tain the status QliO instead ofsearching for a better system. Survivor

- Regain Willpower when you are able to separate the No matter what, you always man(l.ge to survive. You c:1n
truth fron'l a web of lies, or when you convince disputing indi~ endure, pull through, recover from, outlast and outlive nearly
viduals to agree wid1 your judgments. any c.ircumscance. When the going gets rough, you get going.
You never say die, and never give up- never. Norhin& an&e"'
loner you so much as a pcrsol\ who doesn't struggle to make things
bener, or who surrenders to the nameless forces o( the uni#
You arc always alone. even in the midst of a crowd. You verse.
arc the wanderer, hunter and lol\c wolf. Thot~gh others might
think of you as lonely, forsaken, isolated or remmc, in truth -Regain Willpower whenever you survive a difficult situ·
arion [hrough your own cunning and perseverance.

Traoitionalist the success indicated hy the 10, and may subsequently tryaj.oain
for anorher success, rolllnR another die for each I0 obnuned.

You are an orthodox and cmucrvative individual. What pnysical Attrioutes
was good enough for you when you were alive is good cnOuJ(It
for ynu now. You resist change of ony sort. You especially op· Physical Attributes determine the ntw CX[ernal (XH\'Cr of
pose change for the sake of change - what point is there In che 'vraith as rnanifc:~tcd in rhc wrnich's ::'ICtions. They are the
that? You may be seen by 80me as a miser, a reactionary or t:asicsl to d efine and rhus t he easiest to comprchcnJ.
simplyan old fogy. You always strive to pr=rve the >talUs quo.
Stren~h
- Regain Willpower whenever Y"" are able 10 protect
the status quo and prevent ch.,nce. This Amibtne defines a wraith~s raw might. It rcprcscius
not only phj·sical strength, but al:.o force and capoc1ry to cause
Visionary damage. lt is used to detcrmme rhe base number of dnmo~e
dice rolled in :my ~mack.
Very few are bl"l:lve orstrongor imaginative enough w look
beyond the suffocating embrnce of society and mundane Strength ls used whet'\ n wmilh attc1 npts m lift, carry, push.
th0<1ght in ""'rch ofsomething more. Society tr~tssuch people heave or break soancthing. Srrcngth is:llso used when oucmpt..
with both respect :md conre mpc. for the Visionary pcrvcrls as ing to make any sorr of jumr or leap.
well as guides society.
Specialties: Strong Grip, Mos:.ivc, Husky, Able·llcKiied,
You may be a spiritualist, shaman, New Ager, mystic, phi· Hearty, Powerful, Wil)'. 1..-•q.oc
losopheror inventor, bur whateveq'OU are, \'OU are always look·
ing for something more. You see beyond the bounds of con· • Poor
venrional imagination and creme n ew possibilities. Though
you might have your head in rhe clouds and are ofte•l of an • • Avtrogr
impracrical bent, you are Oiled with new ideas and percep·
tlons. ••• Good

- Regain Willpower whenever you are able to convince • • • • Excc pnon:.l
orhcn ro believe in your dreams ond follow the courliC of nc· • • • • • Outstanding
tlon outlined by your vision of the fumre.
Dexterity
Attributes
This Attribute deOne$ a wmirh's capacity to perform com·
n'liths arc no longer real. at le~st rts we tmdcrstnnd the term. plex activities. h represents ph)'lfJcol ~1. grnce, [>recision
Every wraith has a Co1·pus tU1d sentience, which arc the moni ~ and the ability to perform muk:ue or subtle actions. i)("xrer·
f~stntions oftheir presence in another fonn of reality. Attributes " l' defines lhe wroith's control of her Corpus.
now serve as descriptors o f t he ir continued state of existence.
Specialties: Smovlh·Mminne-d, L~rhe, Sr~dy, Deft, Grace·
Attributes are based on self-concept, on how rhe charoc· ful, Nimble, Athletic, C:ulike ReOexes, Swift. Surc·f-ooted,
ter sees himself. A wraith's body and genernl capabilitiC$ are Fleer· Footed, Light Touch
Jx.....J on habir and expectation, and are as firm and unchang·
• Poor: Youan:buncrllnbrcn...od, so don't use;:~ch;:~ins.'lw.
ing as real-world Attributes. • • Avcnagc: You c:m chew gum and walk nt thc snmc

Specialties timr.
• • • Good: Yoo.1 h:l\'e excellent r:tw athletic potential.
For each Attribute and Ability Trait • • • • Exccpuon:•l: You can juggle five knh·es.
rated 4 or hiGher, a player con select a spe. • • • • • Outsta.ndlns:: You can juggle fh·c km\'C£ whtle
cktl ry. A 5pec:i\llty is a particulnr subcur·
egory thnt ocharacter is capable ofperform· blindfolded.
ing with additional proficiency- a charocter may be able to
drive very well, but m:ty be particularly adept at off-rood ma· Stamina
ncuvel'$..
A specialty allows the player to reroll lOs 5eored on ac- The Srominn Attribute ddinc.s chc wr::~irh'sstc;:~d(;,stness.
tions directly involving the specialty. The player get> to keep It represents not only phy•lcal cndurnnce, but also Jercrminn·
rion, mggedness. concenmnion nod desire to win. It rcnccts a

wrnith's understanding o( hcr limir:uions.
Specialties: lirclc<S, Endurmg, Tough, Determined, AJt·

grcssive, Ten.'Cious, St3l\\>art, Duroble, Forceful, l)(.,.hc:.uc<l

• Poor: You ::tre frnil in constin1tion and appearwe-dk. esting the wraith is co odlcrs. Charisma reflects a wraith's power
• • Average: You seem to be moderntely healthy. to convince others ro put their faith in him. In many ways, it
• • • Good: In life, you were in good shape, the result is analogous to Strength and is used in any attempt to influ·
cncc someone overtly.
of regular exercise. Your spirit is vigorous.
• • • • Exceptional: You could '"" a marnthon. Specialties: Smooth, Eloquent, Outgoing, Cwptivating,
• • • • • Outstanding: You could survive i" the heart of a Charming, Regal, Genial, Well-Mannered, Urbane, Sophisti·
catcd, Rustic, Gracious
Maelmom (well, maybe...).
• Poor: Others avoid being around you.
Social Attributes • • Average: You are likable.
• • • Good: People trust and confide in you.
A wroith's Social Attributes not onlyrepresent her ability to • • • • Exccpcional: Something draws people: ro you.
imemct with orhers, but also deAne her sense of self-worth and • • • • • Outstand ing: You could lead a nation.
confidence. Tiley define how the wraidl perceives herself in terms
ofher surroundings and howshe filS inro the scheme of things. Manipulation

Social Traits are viral in determining first impressions,lead· This Trnit defines a wrnith's cunning. Mani[J<olarion repre·
crship ability and lhc nature o( a wraith's interactions with sents insidiousness and precision in social dealings. In ·many ways
others. Comhined with Physical Attributes, they define the it serv<.-'S a'i 11social stealth," unlike Omrisma, which take$ a more
wra.ith's presence. head-on approach. It defines a wroith's understanding ofothc.rs.
Manipulation is used in anyattempt tO influence someone subtly.
cnarisma
Ifyou fail a Manipulation action,and the target realizes what
Charisma defines a wroith's row magnetism :;md srceng:rh you were nying tOdo (you botch, for insrnnce), she llllay well be
ofpresence. It also represents boldness, bluster,and how inter·

angered. People <~re manipulatod all the time and usually ignore
it. However, ifthe fact is brought to their att<ntion, it con be very
disturbirlft. Manipulation can net grear rauhs, but it 1$ risky to
pcrfonn openly. Owacters with high Manipulation ratings are
not overly tiUS{od by those who know them best.

Specialties: Glib, Expressive, Cunning, Persuasive,
Smooth,Silver·Tonguod, Bravado, Ingratiating, Eloquent, Blar·
ney, Double·Talker, Sophist, Winy

• Poor. You cxpre.-. yourself in as fewwords(IS possible.

• • Average: Others might believe you.
• • • Good: You'd make a good lawyer.

• • • • Exceptional: You should nm for office.

• • • • • Oumanding: You could sell ice to an Eskimo.

Appearance

A wraith's Appearanc:e Trait, unlike that ofmortals, is based
upon her sense of self·wonh. The wraith's Appearance reAecu
her satisfaction in being herselfand how she w.Jn1ll others to see
her. A high Appearance Traitdoes not necessarily indicate beauty,
but anr.octiveness (the two are not always the same).

Appearance is vital in any social situation where words
arc nor exchanged. It is more important than you might think
offhand: your impressions of another arc heavily affected by
thnt j>Crson's looks, no matter how opcn·minded you ore.

Appearance is often used by the Storyteller to judge rou~hly
howothers react to you upon a first meeting.11>us, it can affect all
other Social rolls you make involving that pe1110n (in some cases,
your r.uinc detennines the maximum number of successes from a
Social action that can actually be applied, making it impossible
for an ugly person to achieve anything beyond minim.1l wccess).

Specralties: Bold Demeanor, Alluring, CaptiY1lting, Sexy,
Luminous, Honest f"aCe, Imposing, Dignified, Pleasing, Hand·
some, Beautiful, Gorgeous

• Poor: You tend to attract the hostility of others.

• • Average: You are easily ignor<-d, for you fit in so
well with the cmwd.

• • • Good: You have a pleasing appearance, and
people treat you well.

• • • • Exceptional: You are good·looking enough to be a
modeland are given respectand attention becauseofit.

• • • • • Outstanding: Others' first reaction to you is cirher
awe, intense jealousy or complete solicitude.

Mental Attrioutes

11>c Mental Amibures represent a wraith's total mental
cap;ocity, including such things as memory, perception and the
ability to leam and think. They rep<C$Cnt the wraith's •crual
sentience and senses of inremal and external understanding.

This Tmit defines a wmith's awareness of reality. lr repre- n,e WitsAttributedescribes. Wrdith's ability co reactquickly
sents insight into others, sensitivit\' to one's surroundings and and correcliy to new situations, as well as herovc.r•ll sharpness of
intuotion. In some ways, Perception repruents wisdom in that mind and cleverness. In the simplest of terms. it measures how
those with low Perceptoon rdtings isolate the~lves from their quickly (as opposed co con-ecdy) a wr•id> thinks. A troO<I! com·
environment and arc thus inC<lpable ofgrowth. It is used when· plex view incorpomces Wits as nshrewdness, "'gacity and capac·
ever a wraith ancnlpts to detect something. ity for undermmding problems in the most basic tenll$.

While Perception is sometimes used consciously, such as Those with low Wirs Me occasiunally unable to cake appro·
when you search for something, it more often works intuitively priate actions because of surprise (like a deer caught in the glare
-you simply nmicc something. At base, Perception is a sen· o(headllghrs). A low Wits can indicate that you ore more easily
sltlvity to the world, an opcn·ey«< quality common among tricked and fooled th;m most people, for you are a gullible and
children (for whom the world is a boundless and mysterious unsophi<ricatcd studencofhuman (and wmirh) namn:.lfl'OU ha,·e
pl~ce) ~nd seldom present among the most jaded. high Wirs, you are able to r<"ACl quickly co new situations and arc
seldom caught offguard by sudden changes in evenrs. Whatever
Perception Is used ro sec if you have the insight to under· else happens, you are able co keep your Wits abnut you.
S~and or be aware of a certain fact or concept. It can help indl·
care your degree of alertness to ambushes, the subtext of a Specialties: Cle>•er, Shrewd, Sharp, Praclic.1l, Wol)•, Level·
Hiemrch's speech, or the subtleties ofcolor in a paintin;. All Headed, Creative

wmiths are extremely sen.sitive co their surroundings, but only • Poor: You send money to relev:on~:dists.
• • Average: You know when tO bet or fold in poker.
Perceptive wr.tiths rorc alert and Insightful enough to realhe • • • Good: You are capable of handling L.A. rush
what is happening ~round them.
hours (without shooting anyone).
Specialties: Insightful, Anenrive, Patient, Probing, Keen· • • • • Exceptional: You could be a stand·up comic.
Eyed, lnruirive, Visionary, Asrute, Apprehensive • • • • • Outstanding: You have a superco mputer for a

• Poor: You arc blind to anything but the obvoous. brain- it's fast.

• • Avemge: You are unaw:ore of the subtle interne· Abilities
tions thnt occur around you.
Talents
• • • Good: You arc aware of moods and textures.
• • • • Exceptional: You are constantly alen co the nu·

ances of life.
• • • • • Oumanding: You can flnd a needle in a haysmck.

intelligence

The lntelligencc Trait defines a wraith's understanding of alents are untmined and intuitive Abilities. Talents can af·
most never be studied or learned via training (though a few,
rt'!llity. It represents the ability to perform complex. cerebral like Bmw!, an: exceptions), but can be learned through direct
octivoties. lncelligcnce is used whenever analytical tasks are experience- usually during a story. Ifyour charncrcr rakes an
performed. action using a Talent he does not possess, there Is no effect on
your roll. A number ofdice equal co the base Attribute is rolled.
Intelligence represents both your memory and your abil· Talents are such narur•l and intuitive Abilities thar it is as-
iry to learn and think. It is Important when using Abilities sumed everyone has some small eapacity for each one.
that require complex thought processes. Some people deJ~Cribc
Alertness
Intelligence as a person's quickness of mind or judgment, but
Over the years, you have become pmc·
ir ,. more than that - it is the facility for understanding and ticed in noticing all th:ot luoppens around
the capacity for reasoning and evaluation. Intelligence mtes
ion individual's depth :ond flexibility of thought. you, even i( you are not actively conccn.-

Specialties: Diseerning, Creative, Knowledgeable, Prag• trating upon the surroundin!:'- You are a
matlc, Asnote, Brill iant, Bookworm, Clear Thinker eapablc bodyguard, for you have teamed how to stay alert ovtr
a long period of rime. Alertness simply indicates your aware·
• Poor: IQSO ness of the world around you. It describes how much anenrion
you pay to things other than the rumblings in your ectoplasm
• • Average: IQ 100
• • • Good: IQ 120

• • • • Exceptional: IQ 140

• • • • • Outstanding: lQ 160+

or t.hc duub<s in your mind. Alertness relates to the physical • • • • Expert: You could (Jnd a lucky four-lea( clover in
world. seconds.

A wraith can hypcrdttenua<e h~r senses at will. Sometimes • • • • • Master: You see the bizarre everywhere.
using Heightened &nses to sense things in the physical world Possessed by: Par•nonnallnvestlgators, Gypsies, Psychics
requires 3 roll o( Perception + Alcrtnes.. Specialties: Animals, Magic, Supernatural Creatures

• Novice: You tend robe a1en to chnngcs, morcso Brawl

rhan m05t. You know howto fight bare-handed. TI>is Abiliry includes
• • Prnctlced: You arc wa<chful and very attentive such maneuvers as punching, kicking, grappling, throttling,
throwing and gouging. Brnwling can get quite ruthless, but
to your surroundings. gencmlly is a nonlethal form o( combat.
• • • Comperent: You are highly vigilant.
• • • • Expert: You are a truly cautious individual and • Novice: You know wha< ro do, but you haven't
had much experience.
rarely let down your guard.
• • • • • Ma~ter: You notice everything Lhar &c>es on • • Practiced: You know where to hir people and
make it hurt.
around you.
Possessed by: Watchmen, Hunrers, Bodyguards, Report· • • • Competent: You Cl!n choose your barstool.
• • • • Expert: You are a black belt martialani<r.
ers, Burglars • • • • • Master: You could be a Golden Gloves boxing

Specialties: Bodyguarding, Tmps, Ambushes, Forests, champion.
Crowds, Noises, Pamnoia, Spectre& Possessed by: Martial Artim, Soldiers, Thugs, Police Of-
Ocers, Bouncers
This Ability dc-.cribcs your general athletic prowess and Specialties: Annloeks, Boxing, Wrestling, Karate, judo,
assumes a familiamy with most sporu. It is us.:d to see if you Tai Chi, Grappling, Throws, Showing Off
can jump across a chasm, swim Lhrough a sronn, thro'v a foot..
ball, vnult a fence or climb a rree. Dooge

Athletics concerns complex motor actions. Physical ac.. The mo5t effective way to win a (lght is not to be sttuek.
tions requiring only one type o( motor acrion, such :.s lifting, Becoming pro(Jc:lent in the Dodge Talent is avery wise choice.
do nor use the Athlct ies raring, nor do athletic actions already Your roting In this area describes your ability to ~void both
subsumed by anorher Ability. melee and missile anacks; this Includes diving for cover and
du-cking punches.
• Novice: little Leaguer
• • Practiced: High :«:huol jock • Novice: You hit the ground if someone screams,
• • • Compcrcnr: College Varsity player "Duck!"
• • • • Expen: Professional athlete
• • • • • Moster: Olympic ~ul<l medalist • • Pr"ctlced: You have no problem r.nding cover In
Possessed by: Professional Athletes, Enthusiasts, !}.meers, a fireflght.
Jock.s, Kids
Specialties: Mountain Climbing, Acrobatics, Dancing, • • • Competent: You're always the last one out in
specilk spora.s dodee ball.

This Talent represents a character's ability tO detect things • • • • Expert: A luckyshot may land once Ina blue moon.
that arc nor of rhe physical world. All wraiths have the ability • • • • • Musrcr: You can nearlysidestep gunshots.
rosense the presence ofdeath (using Deathsight) and the pres- Possessed by: Criminals, Street Fighters, Military Person·
ence ofs.opemmumlcrcmures (using Heightened Senses). Sens- nel, Bouncers, Boxers
ing things rhar arc nor of the physical world often requires a Specialties: wp, Sidestep, Duck, Cover, Dive
mil of Perception + Awareness.
Empat~y
• N0\1ic.c: You see suangt' things out of the comer
of your eye. You understand and can sympathize with the emotions of
othc..., and are thus able to respond to them appropriately. Often
• • l'rncticcd: Odd th in~s arc revc.1led to yott. you can discern the motives behind a pell!On's ~tlons simply by
• • • Com;)l!tcnr: All things have a deathly aum that listening to him. You can alsodetect when you nrc being told lies.

you can cosily identify. All wraiths have the ability to sense basic emotions.
Li(esight usually requires a roll of Perception + Empathy.

Novice: People tell you their problems ar p:utte&.
• • Practiced: Occasionally !"OU get sympQthetic pains

from feelings withom being anuncd to them.
• • • Competent: You have an amating m5tghr mto

the motivations of others.
• • • • Exptrt: No lies ever gcr p:t.u your scruti ll)'·
• • • • • Master: You often finish other people's sentences.
P~S5'!d by: Actors, Mediums, Above-Average Snlesmen,
Pick·Up Artists
Specialties: Emotions, Truths, Petson~litiCJ~, 13"ckgrounds

Expression

The Expression Ability represents your ability to get your
point across rhrough speaking orwritin,g, whether you're writ~
ing a book or debating social issues. Charncrcr> with high Ex·
preuion arc unforgettable, but only in their abihry to convey
their feelings; intelligent or meaningful expression is the pur·
view o( other Trnits. Expression at irs highest form can be art.

• Novice: Tabloid reporter
• • PracticL-d: College debate tenm caproin
• • • Competent:Successful comL-ditm
• • • • Expert: Best-selling novelist
• • • • • Master:Shakespeare
Possessed by: O rators, Politicians, Novel ists, Actors,
0\:mugogucs, Protesters
Specialties: Poetry, Impromptu, Radical, Innuendo, Meetings

intimioation

ll>c art of intimidation takes many forms, rangrng from a
$.tlxle 5ttggestion m outright physical damage. Each method of
intimidation ha.s its time and place. People with high lntimi·
dalion r.uings seem to radi-ate auras of :nnhorit)'·

• Novice: Six·yeat-olds give you the right of war

• • Proctictd: You win an occ:uiorut.l :.&an.:Jown.

• • • Competem: Yourgaze i.s very unsenhng.
• • • • Expert: You woold bcannbove-nverngedrill sergeant.
• • • • • Masttr: You can make vicious ~mimals [Urn &ail

Hnd run.

Po5S'!ssed by: Businesspe-ople, Bouncers, Millrory Person·
ncl, Mob6tel$

SpcciaiLics: Veiled Th reats, Politic~!. Milirary, Social,
Overt VIolence

Streenvise

The srreelli (whether of the Skinlands or the Necropoli)
are a major soorce of information and money, us wd l as big·
time trouble. The Streetwise Talent has • vanety of uses. First
3nd foremost, Strcctwise allows you to blend in with the loc31
scene without dmving an enrion m you....:!(. Oossip, felony,
theft anJ meet slang are also imparted through this Talent.

<!.!pilllit [rlil!

• Novice: You know who sells drugs. Drive
• • Pmctlced: You are considered cool by the populace.
• • • Competent: Member of • prominent sang You can drive a car and perhaps other vehicles as well.
• • • • Expert You ha,'espent mostofyourlifeon the strefiS. Simply because you have a Drive Skill does not mean that you
• • • • • Master: If you don't know it, it hrum't been said. are familiar with all land vehicles. Your difficulty may be raised
Possessed by: Onng Mcmbcn, Winos, Reporters, Home- or lowered depending on your general experience with a par-
less People, Detectives ticular automobile.
Specialties: Picking Pockets, Drugs, Fencing, Sl•ng Terms
• Novice: You can drivt an automatic automobile.
Su~terfuge • • Practic«<: You can operate a manual/shift trans·

You know how to conceal your own modvesi moreover, mission.
you know how to decipher the motives o( others and how to • • • Competent: Commercial trucker (except around
use those motives "'J"irut them. The secrets and intrigues of
othcn interest you, and you work at understanding their weak· Stonegate Industrial Boulevard)
nCllses. A command of this skill makes you the ultimate con· • • • • Expert: Formula One car driver
versntlonalist, or the ultimate spy. • • • • • Master: L.A. mffic is a cakewalk to you.
Possessed by: Truckers, Race Car Drivers, Stunt Drivers
• Novice: A few white lies never hurt anyone. Specialties: Curves, lee, Sudden Storms, Stick Shifts
• • Pmcticed:You can pick fOil\eone up in a nightclub.
• • • Competent: You could be a criminal lawyer. Etiquette
• • • • Expert: Amway salesmel\ have nothing on you.
• • • • • Master: Perry Mason wishes he had It so good. You understand the small nuances of social life and are
Possessed by: lawyers, Con Men, Casanovas, Politiciaru able to conduct yourself in a manner that Is both unobtrusive
Sp,cialties: FindingWeakne5Se$,Seduction, Little WhiteLies and gracious. You understand how to make your way through
human and wraith society. Your specialty is the culrure with
Other Talents which you are most filmiliar. You use Etiquette during actions
such as dancing, seduction and haggling. Etiquette is also used
Search, Guile, Intrigue, Instruction when engaging In diplomacy.

Skills are Abilities that are learned through apprentice· • Novice: You know when to shut up.
ship& or rigorous training. If you try to perfonn a feat involving • • Pmctic«<: You know not to wear pai51ey at a
a Skill but have no rating In it, the difficulty increases by one.
You arc simply untrolned in the techniques of that Skill and black· tie dinner.
thus have a harder time accomplish ing the task than someone • • • Competent: You know wh ich spoon is used to
who has at least some idea of what he is doing.
eot soup.
• • • • Expert: You can get along with jll5t about anybody.
• • • • • Master: You could prevent World War Ill.
Possessed by: Diplomats, Idle Rich, Executives
Specialties: Business, High Society, Street Otlture

firearms

This Skill imparts knowledge of master artisan techniqu'"l Skill in Ftreanns means that you have a brood knowledge
- woodworking, leatherwork, glassblowlng,g.:mcutting, etc. You of all guns, from a simple .22 to an Ingram Moc-10 machine
em make functional objects from v-Arious substances; the quality "un. FirearmsSkilldoes not include the ability to opcrnre heavy
o( these objects depends on the number of successes you roll. machinery such as tank guns and other artillery weapons. How·
ever, the Firearms Skill does include the ability to repair dtcm.
• Novice: High-school shop class
• Novice: You've had one or two lessons at the gun
• • Practiced: Apartment handyman store.
• • • Competent: Professional work
• • Practiced: You do all right at n flrinR range.
• • • • Expert: Specialist • • • Competent: You can pull off a few gun rricl:s.
• • • • Expen: You're cool and steady, even under pressure.
• •• • • MaS-ter: Master artisan • • • • • Master: "Do you feellucky1 Wtll, do ya, punk?"
~by1hclllc~Technicians, Htmdymen, GirlScouts, Artifioen;
Possessed by: Gang Members, Police, Criminnls, Soldietll,
Specia lties: Cooking, Carpentry, Blacksmithing, Hunters
Le:otherworking, jewelry, Sewing, Origami, Stonemasonry
Specialties: Rifles, Handguns, Pistols. Mac:hineOuns,Sprays

You can get people ro follow your lead and obey your or- Meditation is the Skill ofcalming the emotions, control-
ders by exerting authority and by example. Leadership isn't so ling rhe milld, and relaxing the physical bod!'· Meditation is
much knowing the techniques ofgetting people to follow you usually performed while seated in a special position, like the
as it is being the r.ypc of person people will follow. Leadership lotus position, but with practice, ir can be performed in a vari·
is often used in conjunction with Charisma.
ety of situ(ltionsor positions.
• Novice: You could coach a Li ttle League ream.
• • Pmcriced: Your voice is a domin~nt one; you can Meditation can be used w isolate the mind from disnr1c..

demand silence. rions, allowing a chan1cter ro focu~ on mauers of imporronce.
Mediration can also be used to catch up on lost Slumber, a
• • • Cornpcrcm: You nrc an c((cccive leader in cimes Stamina+ Meditation roll (difficulty 8) determines how many
of strife. effective hoursof Slumber are gainecl per hour o( lnt.xlit3tion.

• • • • £.\:perc: You attmct followers without reaII~~ trying. • Novice: You t.tln sit in one spot for awhile with
• • • • • Mascc1': You nrc a Napoleon, a Charon - or a out fidgeti ng.

Hitler.. . • • Practic(.xl: Youcan sir andatrain apcacd\11 Slaterimind.

Possessed by: Politicians, Military Officers, Gang Lead- • • • Competent: You can relax in any position.
ers, Executives, Police Officers
• • • • Expert: People have co go Ou[ of their wny lO
Specialtic.: Command•, Orarion, Compell ing, Friendly. break your conccntrdtion.
Nohlc, Milir:>ry
• • • • • Master: You could sc:~nd on your head in gunfire
and approach inner calm.

Possessed by: Martial Artists, Monk.., Arhlcre.<, Psychologists

Spechtltics: Relaxation, Focusing, Memory, Zen, Centering

11>c ahiliry ro (ighr with a weapon is a valuable skill in slon )'OU .,... pursu<d. Writing and speaking an: nol CO\'cr,..! by
the Gothic-Punk environment. !>roficicnq• in this Skill allows Perfomance; Lhey n;:ly on Lhc Expr.,.ion Abilrf)•.
you to usc IHuuJ~hcld \\'cnpHm:. Knives, sai, S<'lps, tonfn ond
~words arc examples of the types of weapon$ covered b)' tht.! • Novice: You c.1n pby boss in a garage band or net
Melee Skill. T his Skill b ulm<l>l mclmic in mortalsociery nm"''' in a college pial'·
Joys because of Lhc prevalence o( (~rearms, but keep In mind
thar the s.-1me is nm always true in Stygiaand the Far Realms... • • Pmctict-d: You c;m d:cmu a livingoncheclub circuit.
• • • Competent: You can get a movie or record deal.
• No,,ice: You\·e taLetl a :~JiX..\\'\.'(.-k course m (cncmg. • • • • Expert: You reRularly make the page~ of l'eiJ/Jie.
• • PrdCtic\.-d: You h:l\'c 1mluary training. • • • • • !lola-iter. Youn•\Jrk ..;!llx: remembered rhl(llrcluheo~
Possessed by: Actors, Musicians, Karnoke Regulars, Mimes
• • • OJmpcrent: Yo;r drnw brcs in kendo tournaments. Specialties: Hardcorc, Villains. GuitarSolos, While Dnrnk

• • • • Expert: Any wcnpon i:, deadly in yourgmsp. ~epair
• • • • • M~1Stcr: Bruce Let: wnh :t ('-1ir of nunchuka
Pmsc.«cd by: Police, Fencers. Kcnclo Enthusiasts,'Thug>, You are able to repair simple or· complex Jeviccs co( nil
Gang Members sorts. Such devices include dcK:trs, c.:-us rmd even compu(crs.
Specialties: SworcLI, Axe•, Rnpicrs, Kn ives, Clubs, Disarm, M1rstcry of this Skill means that you arc a jack-of-all•tmdes.
B:tllcsrra, Florcnrinc Th is Skill covers everything from simple carpentry to lltcchan-
ics. Of course, proper tool> arc ahv-•ys needed.
You are able rn pcrfonn ani<tic action<. soch as singing, gui-
r:u playing a.nd acting. You k1lOW the minutiae ofwhm 10 dn and • Novice: You can assemble ready-m:tde kits.
how ro do it. Your ~JX."Ch11ly is 1he 1)1lC o( pcrfomlance on which • • Practiced: You could wire a house.
ym1ccmccnrnuc, mort~ rh:1n likely the Orst o( artistic expres~
• • • Competent: You s:ave qui[e a few dollars 1n mt-·
chania' fees.

• • • • Experc: You are ob1e to repair pcr:,.onal eumpu•·
ers within minuLCi.

• • • • • Master: If il•s hroken, you can fix il. YO<t understand how to operate and progmm computers.
PUS>CSSed by: Handymen, Carp.nters. Eleetricians, Mt·
ch,•mc.<, HtL~bomds You may also be able ro design your own system. Ifyou wish to
Specialties: Wood, Compurers, Elccnonics, Engines, Au•
tomobik-s, Electricity break imo a computer system. )'OU need this Knowledge.
• Srudcnt: You can boot up a video g;>me.
Stealt~
• • College: Y0<1made arlea" aBin D.tta PrllCcssing 101.

Stealth is the nbility to sneak about or hide without being • • • Masters: You are a compercnr pro~;rammcr ;md
seenorheard; it is u(u.:n ruii~...J ngninst anotherchnroccer'$ Per# can design \10ur own so(cwnrc.
cep[ion.
• • • • Doctor:tte: You make a livin~sc.:anuning Ma Dell.
• Novice: You can hide in the d,.k. • • • • • Scholar: You•re on rhc vcrcc of crc:Hi n~-t Ar·

• • Pr;1c1 icet.l: You Cftl) hide in the shadows. t ifici a l l n tc ll il(cncc.
Poss~ss~ by: Programmers, Data Procc:twrS, Camers.
• • • Competent: You are an accomplished humcr. MUSH Coders. Students, Hockers
• • • • Expert: You Ct'ln \vnlk silently over rwo mchcs n( Specialties: Hacking, Virus Pto~:rams. Retrlevln~ l}.rra

dry leaves.

• • • • • Master: Nin):t clan leader Enigmas
Poosesscd by: Criminals, Spies, Reporters
Spec:iahics: Prowl, Hi<lc, Lurk, Shadows, Crowds, Crawling P\mla and probk'1llS O<XUPV \"OUI irn:ll:inalioo - 1n f.lct, you

Ot~er Skills may ev~n tnjo)' being perple.xed. Salvi"« riddle. cinil sons is n ros-

Pi loring, Ct1oki11g, Boating, Archery, Disguise >ion, ru.U this interest has given )"01.1 a lm;tek for I'""'"'C tq,octltct an.l
"'mcmbcring information viml to many kinds ofproblem«Jivmg.
knowleages
The Enigmas Knowledge ""ists player> in solving the mys-
Knowlll(lb"'-' include aii Lhc AbiliLies that require ri!IOIOU$ appll·
cation cithe mind,110( the body. Acr.ordingly, MentalTraits are used rmLerics crented by the StOryteller. It I<esscnti:rl divining St.:<:ret
to modify Knowi<Xll,-e rolls.Though the ratingsdiscu.<'l Knowloo&CS in
tennsn£collq;edC(,'I"CC1, liChool is not theonlyway rogain Knowledges """'I''pat to IU<it rc">llms, answering the riddles of my&tical guard·
- it is simply the most oommon. The« are scholastic abiliLies for the
nOll f'lrt, but sclf-s~uclyor tutoring is also possible. h\1'\S, or riddling forone's soul agninst amalcvolcm :VInl(cnn.
• Student: You c:Jn pur r<lj)crhcr a 100-piccc jig·
Ifyou do not '""'"a Knowledge. )'OU cannot even attempt :taw puz1le.

aroll involving h. There are exceptions, howevc,r, such as when • • College: You can guess the outcorne o(n myster)'
the Storyteller rules that th~ roll pertains to rrivial inform•· novel.
tion th:u :myonc has a dmncc of knowing.
• • • Masters: You can do Rubik's Cube in an hour.
Bureaucracy
• • • • Docrnrare: You'd have whipped Collum without
hobbit trickery.

• • • • • Scholar: You understand the deepesr mystcncs.

POSSC$SCCI by: Cmosword Punic Devotees, Zen EmhusiMU.
Game Players, Mystics

Specialties: Ancient, Riddles. Vist.1nl. Verbal

Thi• Knmvledgc includes the ability to make your way Investigation
through the pollticol system, in rhc Shadowhmds or ill Stygin.
The Knowledue nlso illcludes the ability to non a hurcaucmcy, You nrc trained to notice nil sorts of dcmils rh:n mhcni
which of course presupposes at lease a rudimenr:uy sense of
organiL1tion. In foct, this Knowledge can be seen as the chief ormight miss. High levels this Knowledge allow I'OU to func·
orwmitmiollnl ability in th~ gam<.
Lion ns a det~ctive. TI1is Knowledge provides un abilily to find
• Student: You ha,·e good organizationolabillty. clucll, pcrfunn forensic analysis and prNiict crime p::tHcrns.

• • College: You understand power structures and can • Smdent: Amateurdetective
intuitiv~ly sense who is in conrml. • • Collego: Police omcer
• • • Masters: Pri\'ate detecti\•t
• • • ~Lt>tcn.: Yuu can perform stalling me:tics indeAnitely. • • • • Doctorate: FBI, CIA, KGB, MlS.lnt~rpol •l:"nts
• • • • • Scholar: Sherlock Holmes
• • • • Oocrorntc: You can pcrfonn supervisory odmin.. Pusscsscd by: Dctectives.lnsumnce lnve~tigmors, Repurt-
istrmive duties. ers, FBI Agents, Intelligence A~tCt\lS
Specialties: Search, Pro\\'1, T.•il , l)ctcctivc \Vork
• • • • • Scholar: Yuu could obtain a meeting wirh the
President of the United Stat('S.

The law Is not a thiclg to trifle with, and those with knowl- You arc knowledgeable In allarcliSof rhe occult. This un·
edge of the low arc well able to use It to their advantage. If you dcrstanding of the more sinister side of the world includes
ever want to get out of jail, this Ability is e&.~ential. knowledge of curses, voodoo, magic arld mysticism.

• Student: Practical knowledge, police officer • Sr11denr: You've dabbled, bur aren't In the know.
• • College: Prelaw, beginning lawyer
• • College: You're srarcing to know what's going on.
• • • Masters: lawyer, full partner
• • • Masters: There :.re more than ghosts our there,
• • • • Doctorate: judge and yoo know a lot about rhe other residents of
• • • • • Scholar: Supreme Court justice, Death Lord the World of DMkness.
Possessed by: Police, L~wyers, judges, Detectives, Crimi·
nals, Legislaton, Hierarchy Advocates • • • • Doctorate: You can sepnrmc truth from (3ncy.

Specialties: Coura , Contract, Litigation, Criminal, Po- • • • • • Scholar: You have been fully initiated in many
lice Procedure, Hierarchy of the great rnysreries.

Possessed by: Wcirdocs, NewAgcrs, Occulrim, Scholars,
the curious

Specialties: Ghosts. Magick, Psychic Abilities

It is assumed that you can speak your n::nural hm1(un~c, politics
but you mu•t purchase ony other hmguages that you wish your
character ro speak. Each level of Linguistics allOW$ yoor char· This Knowledge providcs a familiarity with rhc polirical
acter to speak another language fluently. Linguistics also gives uruc;tures of the day, including an understanding of who is in
ncharacter ~n understanding ofthe mucrure oflonguage, which charge and how rhat person got there. It represents on under-
is in rum the basis of thought. With this Ability, you can !den· standing of both human and wraith politics. This c:rn be an
tify accents or read lips. essential Ability when attempting to deal with morrnlouthori·
ties in any way.
• Student: One additional language
• • College: Two additional language.• • Student: Protester or casual observer
• • • Masters: Three additionallangu.1ges • • College.: Campolgn worker or political science
• • • • Doctorate: Four additional languages
• • • • • Scholar: Five additional languages major
P~ssed by: Travelers, Scholars, Diplomats, Interpreters
Specialties: Curse Words, Technical, Diplomatic, Political • • • Masters: CampuiRn manager or speech writer
• • • • Doctorate: Politician
Medicine is the study of the human body and the tech- • • • • • Scholar: Machlovelli
niques used to cure its ills. While n wraith's body is different, Possessed by: Lobbyists, Politician.•, Lawyers, Protesters
un understanding of mortal health ond biology c:m often be of Specialties: Neighborhood, City, Congress, Elections,
use in dealing with the Quick. 111c Medicine Knowledge in· Oration, Radical
eludes the knowledge ofthe structure and functions ofthe body,
the use of medicine, und the di:ljlnosis and treatment of dis· Science

• Student: You know the basics of setting bones or You have at least a basic understandingofphysics, chemistry,
preventing a SLTOke. botany, biol"'.'Y· ecology, Mtronomy and orher sciences. Your
Knowltodge deals with the useful applicarlon.s ofscience. Higher
• • College: You have pnrnmcdic-quality ttainitlg. levels almost invariablyinvolve specialization in a p<~rtlcular field.
• • • Masters: You arc a doctor and can diagnuoe and
• Student: You can make smoke bombs with a
treat diseases. chemistty set.
• • • • Doctornte: You can perform surgery.
• • • • • Scholar: You are • specialist of great renown. • • College: You understalld the major thcorles and
Possessed by: Paramedics, Doctors, Nurses, :rpplications.
Specialties: Phannacy, Paramedics, Eme'llencyC:lre, Dis-
case, Ncurosursery • • • MMters: You could reach high-school science.
• • • • Doctorate: You might will a Nobel Prizesomeday.
• • • • • Scholar: Albert Einstein
Possessed by: Engineers, Researchers, Inventors, Tcchni·
clans, Pilo~
Specialtie-s: Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Rcla·
tivity, Nuclear Physics

Otherknowledges

Psychology, Bureaucracy, Finance, Art, Philosophy, The·
liter, Journalism, Military Science, Genealogy, Geography,
History, Theology, specific area of knowledge/trivia

BacKgrounds

To last an er=i<y requires an eternity of preparation. Only
e<tdltnce counts; only adtieuemm< endures.

- llaltasar Oracian, Tlte An o{Wurldly W'tsdom
B:~ekgroond Trairs provide a character with special advan·
tagcs and reflect a wraith's social status and position in society.
The player 111U5t UCvclop reasons why her character pc.>.<;SCS.'iCS a
certain &ckground. Where did you meet that person? How
did you come into possession of that relic! What did you do to
(!:lin your position with the Heretics?
A Storyteller may call for a Background to be rolled with
an Attribute, such as Charisma + St'dtus to determine if the
Centurion olx:\'1 your orders, or Intelligence + Memoriam to
recognize that m)'1rerious woman who visits your gmve every
CKher Wednesday.
Backgrounds do not increase through experience points.
A wraith may gain and lose BackRrounds as the result of a
story. For example, ifyou lose your artifact in the Tempest, it is
In". If people stop remembering you, your Memoriam score
decreases. Some Backgrounds may not be appropriate to your
chronicle: ask your Storyteller.

Mlies

Allies are wraiths who aid yo<t but are not members of
yuur Circle. Allies are genemlly friendly with you, although
:!Ome m:ty only be your Allies because they owe you favors.
! loving an Ally (as opposed m hnvinga Contact, below) mearu
rh>tt y011 con coli upon that wrnlth for aid; you should, how•
ever, be aware that your Ally will sometimes ask fot your help
as well. One does not boss one's Allies around: they arc equals
ond friends, and must be created as such.

As the chronicle progresses, Allies who began as weak
chamcters may die or increase in power. You should rn'ke the
tirnc to describe your Allies carefully: they can be the source
o( many nory ideas.

• A slncle Ally of moderate power
• • Two Allies, both of rhem of moderate power
• • • Three Allies, one of them quite lnfluemial
• • • • Four Allies, one of them very influential
• • • • • Five Allies. one of rhcm extremely influential

Artifact

Everything that is ever lost evennoally ends upsomewhere In
the Underworld. Tile Hierarchy sends SGOUr4 throughout the

Underwo1-ld looking for long·lost artifacts of yore; many of them For each dot you have in the Eidolon Background, you
return with fAscinating treasures. Additionally, the Orand High may add one auditional die per session to any roll to resist the
Artificer and his elite band of artisans have discovered means of Shadow'spowers, ploys or cricks, including Thorn.•. These dice
imbuing powers into the very material of the Underworld. may also be added to Willpower rolls.

TI>e moo;c common form of artifact is one that magnifies an It is a good idea to use your Eidolon dice sparingly during
Arcan05 c:ione or more kinds. A few artifacts are m:lgical simply a se>sion, applying the extra dice only when absolutely neces·
in thesense dlllt they actuallyoperate like they did in life without lary. You may choose to roll only one Eidolon die if you wish.
using Pathos ro fuel them: n remote control mat ch•nses a TV Eidolon dice do not accumulate over several sessions, but you
channel, " garage door opener that opens garage doors, a hand· do regain your full total every game session.
gun that shOOIS bullets without needing to be relooded.
• You hear vague whispc.rs from far away.
See Artifacts in the Appendix. • • You know that there is romething guiding you.
• • • You feel that your Eidolon has a sentient identity.
• One level of Artifact • • • • You hove sensed the prcscnce of your Eidolo1\.
• • • • • You huve seen your Eidolon in a dream.
• • Two levels of Artifacts
• • • Three levels of Artifacts Haunt

• • • • Four levels of Artifacu

• • • • • Five levels of Artifacts

Even os o wraith, you know people from many walks of All wraiths create hiding places for themselves, called
life (or death); together, these disparate persons form a net· Haunts. A Haunt Is a S«ure haven unkt\own to the Hicrnr·
work of information and help that may prove useful. chy, Heretics or Rel\egndes.lt can be a forcottendrainage ditch,
an abandoned car, n set nf catacombs beneath a cemetery, or
The player must decide where his Conmcts lie: in the liv· the basement of an old house. Wraiths viciously guard their
ing world or in the Shadowlands. This determines whether his Hounts. Many times, entire groups of wraiths share a Haunt,
Contacts score applies ro wraiths or to the Quick. Players who guarding it against all intruden.
want Contacts in both the living world and the Shadowlands
should purchnsc this Background cwice. 11\e Haunt's raring Is subcracted from d\e area~ Shroud; it is
o.1tnhlished by pooling the numberofdots d,ateach ofthefounders
Major Cont3CCS are not only bcit.g:s yoo can manipulate or ofthe Haunt possesses (maximum 5).Members ofaCircle usually
bribe to gee information, but friends whom you IIU$t implicidy to share one Haunt in common, but also know of each other~ pri.
provide you with accurate infonnntion (in their areas of expcr·
tise). You should describe your Major Contacts as complete char· vare Ha<ma. Haunts are places c:J spiritual IX"'oer. "'Orkinc the
acters, either as the chronicle pro~'Tesses or beforehand.
craft of one's power is easier there. If the wraith who "owns" a
You also have a number of Minor Contacts spread through llnunt passes into Oblivion, however, the powero(the Haunt will
the area. When you wish to get in rouch with a Minor Con- die as well.The Shi'O\Id will re·esrablish itself around the area.
met, m~ke ~roll using your Contac!S raring (difficulcy 7). Each
success means you have successfully located one ofyour Minor If you want both a communal and a private Haunt, you
Contacu; ofcourse, you may need to bribe or even intimidate must purchase this &ckground cwlce. A Haunt is approxi·
him into giving you what is needed. ma1cly 10 square feet for each point in this Baclq:round.

• One Major Conmet • You have a small ci05Ct, a back alley, or some
other tiny, out-of·the· woy place.
• • Two Major Contacts
• • You have an apartment-sited pcr110nal Haunt.
• • • Three Major Contacts
• • • You have a large perronal Haunt or several
• • • • Four Major Concacts smaller personal Haunts.

• • • • • Five Major Contacts • • • • You have discovered a small but very powerful
personal Haunt that is easily hidden.

• • • • • You have more hiding places than a cockroach.

Mentor

Your Eidolon represents your higher self. This Background Powerful wraiths liOft'lerimes ch005e to aid Enfants, mold·
measures howspiritual you are (note that "$1lirirual" does not ing them into allies for the future. TI\ese lieges, or Mentors,
necessarily mean "good"). Just as your Shadow tempts you h•ve their own personal reasons foraiding rhe young and weak.
Some want reliable underlings; others try to fulfill their Pas·
toward Oblivion, your Eidolon gives you the resolve to fight sions through altruism.
the Sh;~<lnw. Unlike your Shadow, your Eidolon does not com·
munlcate with you; it merely provides you with on additional The Mentor B.1ckground can also reduce the experience
point cost when learning new Areanos. If a character wants
bit of resolve against the Sh.-.dow.

to learn a nc"' Arcanos ~ by her Mentor, the player Memori;unreprescnrsthcarnountof"eme~"P:uhoorhar

may roll a number ofdice equal to the number ofdotll in Men· a wraith can siphon per 5eSSlon. In dire straitS, a wraith who has
already rec:civcd her Pathos for the chap<er can mll her Memo-
tor; each success subtmcr. one from the number of experience riam rating (difficulty 8). TI>e number of successes equals the
pnlnts needed to le11m the Arcanos. amount of l'atl10S pointll she lnsmntly gains. If this roll botches,
her Memoriam rating reduces by one: the d..,d can only >teal so
• Mcnror ha• liulc power but is occasionally helpful. much before the memories of t.he living diminish.
• ••
Mentor has some degree of status; her advice Is Note that famous people rmnscend the I to 5 scale for
sparse, but useful. Memoriam: Elvis, for example, has an 8 Memonam (if he is

••• Your Mentor knows a great deal and shares much indeed departed ... ).

of this with you. • Only one person rememlx:rs you well.
• • A few close friends remember you.
• • • • A wise old Gaunt has chosen to pass on his
knowledge to you. • • • Your family remembers you fondly.

• • • • • If your Mentor doesn't know it, thcl\ few if any • • • • A large organiL"Ion (the Rotarians, n gnng, a
among the Restless do. church congregation, a small culr) remembers

Memoriam and re,,eres you.

Funerals. memorials, tombstont$, roonumenrs, days ofrcmem· • • • • • A building or some other pennanent public fu.
bmnce, wakes, Memorial Dly, Rowers on a gravestone, book• dedi· cility has been dedicated to you; people u:.c your

ented "in loving memory," a place set at ThanksRiving for a long· name on a daily bnsis.
dcp:tnc-d famih• member - It would seem that all these fomlS of
Notoriety
remembr-mce are more for the benefit of the living than the dead.
Although the dead are usually neither concerned nor im·
And )'Ct, the Restlessbenefit greatly from those who remember them pressed with the mass of the living, tales of the living occa·
-quite literally. The emotionalenergy ofthe living, as expressed in

their thoo&hrs. word.anddeed>, is transmitted inroawmithiUfeweb.

sionally ftlt<r even to rhe Underworld. Ofcounc, FAme among
the Restless takes a different hue than ot does among the liv-
ing: one never knoW> who will be noted in death and who will
fade immediately into obscurity.

Ce.rminly, one way to attnoct ohe Oltention of the dead is
to cause many deaths, although creating great beauty or caus-
Ing great sorrow are also notewoo thy among the Restless: No-
•oriery can win a wraith instant suppon in the Shadowlands;
Stol')•tellers may allow a wraith 10 make a Notoriety roll to see
whether a complete stranger has heard of him.

As with Mernoriarn, ccrtnin wn1ith!1 n:mscend this scale:
Adolf Hitler, for example, no doubt would have a Notoriety of
8 or 9 (and thousands of enemies Oil arrival ... ).

• A few local wraiths 11re impressed with you.

• • You're well known In your Necropolis.

o o o You are recognized by onany in the Shndowlands.

• • • • You arc quite famom; everyone knows something
abom you.

o o o o o Like jimjones, john WayneOacy and D.ovid Kaesh,
)'OU wcn:dc!piscd from rhefiost day ofyourdeath.

Status

Status represents a wrnith's social srnnding within one or
more of the major social ~;roups of the Underworld: the Hier-
archy, Heretics and Renegades. To possess Smtus implies that
one has earned the group's respect throuch demonstrating loy-
alty to the ideals of the group. With beginning characters, Sta·
tuscan mean that one of these three factions has marked rhe
character for recruitment and will pressure him to join.

Ir is possible to h~ve more thnn one St~tus &ckground,
reflecting Status within two or more s.:porate groups.

• Familiar: l11e group members are familiar with
your name and face, although you are still not.
trusted with se<:ret information or responsibility.

• • Proven: You have proved yourself to the group
members, and they trust you to a certain extent.
The group's lenders haven't yet heard of you.

• • • Respected: You arc rcspccoed by rhe ~;roup's mem·
bers and have e:omcod the attention of the local
lenders of the group. Still, you arc not yet in rhc
inner circle's lrusL.

•• •• Trusted: You arc truncd by the leaders of the
group and are rcgulnri)•Riven secrets and infor·
mation. Although" few group members m~y still
doulx yoursincerity, no one lswilling tovoke them.

• • • • • Loyal: You have proved )'OuNelf loyal to the
group. The other group memben mm you "ith·
out question, and rhe group leoders have no
qualms about revealing potentially damajling in·

formation to you. From rime to 1ime, you will be

rrusted wirh secret dtotles ond/or given special
equipment and aid.

h\ days of old, the Ferrymen would carry a departed soul

ro the afterlife fo r the small sum of two coins pressed imo the

corpse's eyes upon death. This is no longer the case. The cost
of dying has gone up.

Now the Ferrymen do nor honor the oboli of Stygia, the gcr, the appeardnce of the Corpus becomes more twisted. All
coins that have the Mask of Charon imprinted on one side wraiths beg;n with I0 Corpus Levels.
and the High Court ofStygia on the other. 11lere are denizens
of the Shadowlands who do, however. The Hierarchy uses The C<lrpus track on the Wraith character sheet lets a
Stygian coins as the currency for Its soul-economy. Souls, rel- player record the character's injuries and their effects. Each
ics, artifacts- all have a price. wound causes the loss ofone Corpus LeveLCheck off Corpus
Levels as th e character loses them, so the last check made in-
ooseThe Stygian coin is called an obolus. Oboli are often dicates the character's current Corpus Level. As the charac[er
regains Corpus Levels, erase the check marks.
broken into half-oboli, quarter-oboli,and even a"drachma.'' which
is just a sliver of an obolus. The obolus is made of Stygian iron, Th ink ofCorpus as a spectrum. At I0 Corpus Levels, the
and each obolus piece will mystically merge with other obolus wnlith is "solid" and hcalthyi if but one is left, the wraith is
slices. Therefore, two half·oboli will huddle together and evenru· nearly incap<tcimted and largely insubsrancial. As a chardcter
ally merge to form an obolus. Likewise, a collection of drach ma suffers more wounds, he travels down th~ spectrum, eventu·
will cvemually melt together and re·form into a contiguouscoin. ally reaching zero Corpus. Loss of all Corpus Levels indicates
that the wraith has discorporated completely, plunging inro
There is currently no kno wn way to debase the obolus, the Tempest (see pp. l84-186).

although the Renegades have been looking for an Artificer As the wrAith heals, he removes these checks one b\1 one
who can do so. until he is again at full Corpus.

A wraith's Wealth Background indicares three things: how The•·e arc two basic ways to lose Corpus: fromcombat and
many oboli she has at the beginning of the chronicle, what kind other violent interactions with Underworld denizens or phe..
ofwraithly resources she has available, and how much credit wraidl nomena. or from interaction with the world of the living.

merchants are willing ro extend to her. Obviously, characters who In combat, each success on an opponent's damage roll in-
are very new should not be allowed to take this Background, as its dicates a lo:ss of one Corpus Level. If an opponent scores lwO
possession implies that a wraith has spem some time fonnulating successes, the player checks off two Corpus Levels. How and
a method bywhich to receive regular wealth. when Corpus is lost in combat is explained on pp. 225.

• You have no source of income, but own a cache When dealing with the real world, it is assutncll that one
of valuables that might be cashed in at some Iacer Corpus Level Is lost every time the real world "violates" the
date. You start with two oboli. space occupied by the Corpus of the wraith. A Corpus Level
is lost whenever a living person would lHl\'C been hurt, im~
• • You are a reasonably well-offwraith, and you get paled on or juxmposed bya real-world object. For instance, if
a few oboli now and then through performing a door suddoenlyopened while a wraith was standing in front of
variousservices. You start with three oboli. it, a Corpus Level would be lost. O nly one Corpus Level i~
lost perevent, and it is assumed tluu the wraith l,c(:ornes Jn..
• • • You have a small savings of oboli and a regular corporeal during that turn.
clientele. You start with nve oboli and receive
half an obolus per story. Co•·pus is so easily regained, and so difficult to lose, that
wraiths arc able co take tremendouspul\ishment andstill keep
•••• You have a cache of valuables and have found a coming bac'k for more. They arc not confined by thesame harsh
surcr.rc way to make oboli. Other wraiths work for rules that restrict humans.
you and give you a portion of their proceeds. You
start with six oboli and receive one obolus perstory.

• • • • • You hnvc a regular source of income and several
caches ofvaluables. Youstart with seven oboli and
receive three oboli per story.

Corpus

A wraith's Corpus Trait represents thesolidity of his form.
Wraiths feel pain and can be "physically" hurt in the Under-
world. Most wraiths' Corpuses appearsimilar (though not iden•
tical) to theirearthly bodies. As a wraith'sShadowgrowsstron·

Feuc.,.are m:uerial objeas binding acharncter roreality.They
are, in fuct, pan of what makes a lost soul a wraith. Each Felter
represents somethinJl, someone or someplace that was impon:mr
to the wr•ioh in life. The shor glass at )'0\Jr f.worite b." m~y be a

Fetter, b\1t it probably represents more than might be immedi-

ately opparenr; perhaps you spem much of your time drinking
Lhcrc, ignoring your fAmily life. Your favorite tennis mckeemny
symbolize yourdreamofbecoming a smr athlete or simply ofget•
tlng n life outside your job. Take great care in choosinB your Fet·
tcrs, for they em provide a wealth ofinfonnation about )'0\Jrchar·
acter, M well as myriad ide"-' for potential plots.

Ifnll a wmith's Fetters are destroye-d, he can no lo~~j,>cr visir
the Shadnwbnds for exrended periods of time. He may remain in
the Sh.1dowlands for a maximum of (Smminn x 2) minutes.

~esol~ng fetters

Becmue each Fetter represents something left unresolved or
undone in the wmith'slife, it is possible co go back and ser aright
unfonl<;hcd busincs•. Ifa wraith can dL~e<>Ver and come to terms
with whatever meaning a Fetter held £or him in life, it will no
longer prevent him from moving beyond the Shadowlunds. A
wnlith who hns resolved all her Fetters can journey 10 Srygla and
the FarShores without fearofbeing stranded there. By usingArgos
tO cmversc the Tempest., she can pass oock and forth betwe-en the
Shndowlonrl• rand the rest of rhe Underworld wirh rclnrlve ease.
llur once her Feners arc destroyed, either due to malicious intent
or the mvngesoftime, shecan no longer return to theShadowlands.
fo< thi> rcnson, n wr~ith who~ resolved Fette!! Is highly
pn:ed by agents in Stygia and the Far Rtalms.

rassions ana rathos

If I oniJ could, I'd makt ade<1l with God,
And I'd get him to swap Ol<t places.

Sum nmning down lhtu road,
Sonrt running up rluu hill,

Start rwminR liP rJuu building,

\'(/irh "" l>roblem ...

-Knee Bush, "Running Up That Hill"

Wmiths nre driven by emotion; for them, passion is the c-s·
scnec ofcxisrcncc. Wirhout passion, life 1$ no<hing. Even beyond
de:uh, a wmith can focus her passions and thereby change the
world around her. A wraith's Passion Traits embody her desire ro
feel us she did in life. Desire can overcome ~nything, even death.

As srated in Chapter Five, a player must assign 10 points
of l'nsslons to her character. Each Passion has a rating of I to 5.
11'e emotion that undc.rlics a passion is written in l)l.1rentheses
to ohe left of the rating. To recharge her Pathos Pool via a
Passion, the character must usually evoke that emotion in

.someone else or find JOincone who ls experiencing that In any scene where a wrnith works toward fuiOIIIng a pur-
emotion. Sometimes n wrnlth will change the environment to pose, the Storyteller will request the player to roll against the
evoke the desired emotioll ill spectators. Passion. If, in a scene, the purpose is S(X:cifically addressed,
the difficulty is 6. For instance, if a wraith has rhe purpose
In any scene where a character can sympathize with the "Protect my love," she will gain Pathos by defending him when
emotions of the living, the player rolls a number of dice equal he is attacked. The purpose doe.• nor have to be completed;
to the number of dots ill that Passion (the difficulty of this the character need only work toward it. When a wrnlrh strives
action is usually 8). For each succCiS, the wraith gains spiritual to fulfill her desire, she bolsters her reason for existence.
power, called Patho$.
It is also possible ro gain Parhos by addressing a purpose
Some examples of Passioru are: Love, Anger, Faith, Hope, in a general sense. For instance, a wrnith may be driven by the
Passion •Avenge my death (Venge-ance)." I( the character $1>C·
Envy, L~W, Pride, Sorrow, Pain and Grc<.'tl. cifi<:<llly played through a scene wherein she came cloocr to
finding her killer, the difficulty, 35 srnted above, lYCXrld be 6.
The P:~thos Trnlt repreaents a wrnlth's •nunement to the On the other hand, ifdre wraith acted as a vigilante, protected
real world. By understanding the esaence of life, the wrnith the innocent or pe111ecurcd a serial killer, the wmith would be
gains suength, allowing her to interact with the world around fulfilling the purpose in a general aense, not a •peciOc one.
her. f'Or wrniths, power Is found In p.'>Mion and purpose. Spe- The task is similar to the specific purpose (avenging the
cifically, Pathos points are used to fuel wrniths' Arcanos. Po· ch3f('IGter's death), under simil;ar circumstancl.-s, yet still Umws
thos <:<ln also be u~ed to heal injuries (sec Healir18 on PI!· 198). upon the Passion that underlies it (vengeance). Addressing n
purpose in a general sense instead of o specific one rniaes the
Pathos is fleeting, however. The c.1priciml$ wh ims of pas- difftculty to 7.
sion can lift a wraith to an epiphany of bliss when she least
expects ir. It can also abandon her in her time ofneed. A wmith As 5tated before, if the character is attempting to drnw
often drnws upon her PathO$, and ns n result, the level of a upon undirected emotion - that is, the Passion that under·
chamctcr's Pathos call change significantly during nn ndven· lies a wraith's purpose - the difftculty is an 8. Some wrniths
rure. The maximum Parhos rating is 10. can also force emotions on others through specific powcl'l':,such
as via the Arcanos: Keening. A wraith may feed on these feel·
Drawing Pathos from pure emotion can be difficulr. Feel- ings, but the difficulty is 9. Finally, i(an emotion is feif(ned or
ings ore sometimes ullfocused, ond sympathy Is nor always com· insincere, the emotion is nor strong enough to give rhc wn•irh
piere. However, "' wrdith cHn become even strOn1(cr when pas.. power. A Pru;sion roll is thus impossible.
sion is dire:cted townrd :\ purpose. For lnsnmce, n wnlith may
be driven by love, but her power will be greater lfherrcason to In any Passion roll, if the scene involves n wraith's Fetter
go on depends on saving her lover from Jnngcr. or Haunt, the difficulty of the roll is reduced by one.

Examples of purposu are:. Obviously, this is subjective. The wraith will nor • Iways
be able to work specifically toward her purpose. After all, al·
Anger: Fight Injustice though she <:<ln fight to maintain her tics ro her former life,
Avenge your death she has other concerns: the stability of her C ircle, polincs in
her Necropolis, and so on.ln addition, purposes are sometimes
Punish a type o ( criminal completed. If a wrnirh seeks ro protect hc.r mortal lover, atld
he dies, she will no longer be able to fulfill that specific pur-
Overthrow a comopt leader pose. She must, in that case, either seek situations similar to
Fight the criminnlsyncllcore thardesuoyed you the ones that SU$t3incd her or live on pure passion. Purposes,
however, can change subtly throughout a wraith's exrstence.
Love: Find a new owner for a cherished item Even when a purpose is gone, the passion that underlies it will
always remain. True passion never dia.
Protect your daughter
Express unrequited love T~e price of passion
Help your true love find someone ct.c
Living a passionare life does have its drawbacks. Ifa wraith
Greed: Posaess a particular valuable item cannot find fulfillment, she will find fnl$11'3tion and pain in-
Serve the Hierarchy for payment stead. l( a character botches a Passion roll, she gains one point
of Angst.
Pmrecr the family for1une

Lust: Experiencegmtifkation you never knew in life
Live vicariously through your ex-lover

Faith: Become a martyr fora cause 1•ou know is right

Foster belief In a higher power
Help your family to keep their roith

Hope: Protect rhe oppressed

Protect a homeless shelter

Prevent suicide
Sorrow: Make your Hnunt a place <>f remor;c

Give grief to your enemy

Arcanos mas. Many of these secrets are useless unless they are paired
with some inner quality of the self.
h, wl>a1a world of tyrofir and dcsiR>1
Of pc;wer, ofhonor, and <nnnipmence, In (tdllle tcnns, this is n.'Pre:;ented by the fuct that a player must
Is promised 10 rhe suulious arrisan! pair an AtTribute with an An:;mos in order to make an Arcanos roll.
The effectofd1e pairing isdetennined bywhatAttributeand Arcanos
- Christopher Marlowe, l)oc!J)l' Fausrus are used, plus a few other con.1iiderntions, such a~ wherher a Ferrer is
present, whether the wraith is enacting the An:;mos inside a Haunt,
An Aramos is aspirirual art:, one that ha'i and what fuels the art (either PadlOS or some od>et power).
robe taughtor leamed. UsingAn:;mos, wrairhs
may perfonn a variety of supernatural actions. Because wrairhs are The Seed of power

bcln~ofspirit, it is a simple matter for them to Jrumipulatc the thiflWi Wraiths must hamcss their Pathos i11 order to affect both
the living world and the Shadowlands around them.
of d1e spirit work!. Funhennore, over the l'em, many wrairhs have
developed theirartS togrant rl1en1 powerover rl1ehuman mind, emo- System: Pathos is gained from a number of sources. See
tions, tmd the ~pirit ofdeath ic;clf. Some wmith.'i may even touch the Parhos, pg. 136-137.

living world with theirans. although this can prove quite difficult. The chains of life

All Arcanos vary subtly among wraiths, depending on how Because Fetter> arc essentially metaphysical chairu bind·
thC\' view themselves and their art. Because of this, each wmith ing a wraith to her past life, it is easier to affect the living and
may have aslighrlydifferem interpretation ofan Arcanos.ln fact, the living world within the boundary of a Fetter's influence.
many wraiths have discovered new B$pe<:ts of th.eir Arcanos, new
wa\'8 to nmnifc..'St their spiritual energies. Such experimentation System: Ifapplicable, the taring of a Fetter can reduce the
can be dangerous, but can prove extremely fruitful. difficulty for an Arcanos. The Ferter must be used as part of the
crafting of the art. Roll the rating of rl1e Fetter versus a difficulty
The Storyteller may allow players to invent new uses foe· an of 6; for each success, the difficulry of an Arcanos is reducc'<i by
Areanos. The Storyteller should examine a player's proposed usc one for the duration ofonescene. (Storytellerswho like"cn<nchier''
ofan Arc.1nos and compare it with the other arrs ofthat Arcanos. rules will alter the difficulty of the Fetter roll by I or 2 depending
If the Storyteller deems that the use is appropriate and that the on how well the Fetter is imcgr•ted into the crafting.) 11>e diffi·
characrer has the required level ofability in the Arcanos, the player culty ofan Arcanos roll cannot be lowered to less than 4.
may bring the new art into play.
The shroud of Death
If the character had time to research and study this new use
ofan An:anos, then the Storyteller should assil,'ll a difficulry and The power of the living to deny the power of death is
an amount of energy appropriate to its level. Conversely, if the great. This protective barrier is called tl1e Shroud, and it in-
new use \\>ascreated "on the fly," d1e Storyteller may assign a higher hibits wraiths from affecting the living world. The Shroud is
difficulty and cost. Keep in mind as well that the am listed here often weaker around Haunts. Haunts are places affiliated with
have been tested over time - who knows what side effects or death, and they often act as a "universal Fetter" for all wraiths:
orherdangers could be discovered through experimentation!
System: The Shroud is everywhere. For wraiths, the
Ench Aromos is divided into scvcn1l arts ofincre-.dSing erudi.. Shroud is usually rated at 9.Sometimes - at night, in certain
tion, which become available to the wraith upon learning the cities, or on special holidays- the Shroud drops to 8 or 7.
secrets of that Arcanos. As the wraith delves further into rl1e The Shroud is often lower within a Haunr. A Haunt will re·
nwstcrk-s o( the Arcanos, he begins to learn greaterarts rclatl.'XI to duce the difficulties of all Arcanos performed within it by I
the Arcanos. Knowledge of the lesser arcs still remains, though per level of the Haunt. Note: the eating of the Shroud can
:;cone of the greater arrs render the lesser ones obsolete. never fall below 4.

A wnlith swdying a given Arcanos must nrst le-arn some of The Mark of power
the basics associated with that Arc.1nos. Each Arcanos has one or
more basic abilities associated with it, which the wraith may use In order to learn an Arcanos, a wraith must internalize the
when the Arcanos is nrst bought. secrets and mysteries thatmake up the body ofthe Arcanos teach·
ings. l11esc secrets mark her in many different ways- ways that
The Body of Truth are recognitable to other wraiths. Cerrain wraiths even gain
dCjlthmarks (see Chapter Two) as a result of theirstudies.
Part practical cmft, part spiritual path, an Arcanos is as

much a way of thinking as it is a tool or arc. As its Mme im·
plies, an At·canos is a collection of secrets, mysteries and enig..

System: A simple roll of Perception + rhe appropriate
Arcanos (difficulty 7) allows a wraith with a specific Arcanos

to sense wherher another wrdith knows the same one.

~eality

The effect of a Haum and a Fetter can be cumulative, but
even then, the difficulty for an Arcanos roll cannot be less
than 4. In addition, the Automatic Success rule (see pg. 93-
94) does not apply ro Aream».

Guilos

n medieval times, wraiths organized into
b'llilds OO.Cd on the A..canos to which they
had devoted themselve:5. This is no longer d1c
case. Charon once insisted that his U!gions
should learn Arcru1os,and he activelydiscour-
aged the teaching of Areanos outside of the
Hierarchy. However, the guilds were dis-
banded cenmries <lgo.
Still, the rmdirion of the g<1ilds remain., if only in the sen..-.:
d1at wraiths who master certain Arcanos often share the same
qualities, have similar valut-:;, and share ethics. If youshow )10ur..
self to know Argos, people will probably call you a Harbinger -
whether or not you choose to acknowledge that ririe is up ro you.
A fewguilds were never sanctioned by the Hierarchy. These
were the Haunters' Guild, the Procrors' G uild and the Puppe-
teers' Guild. The C hanteurs, Masquers, Oracles, Spooks and
Sandmen, while never quite respected by the Hiernrchy, were tol-
erated.The Anifleer>, MonitOrs, Usurers and Pardoners were flnnly
controlled and sanctioned by the Hierarchy.

Argos

o you mur mt!" I a.sktd h<T. I h.ld out my

Basic Abililieshand. "Do you wanrro Jet beyond the dafk.

ness'" Site nodded slowly, nnd rook myhand... Tempestpeek: This art ~llows rhc wruirh ro peer Into the

Art:ns is the knowledge of the secret Tempe-st and •ce If anyone (or anythinG) lies in wait there.

pathways through the Tempe!t and how to She may see and be seen by beings nearby in the Tempest, and

rravcrse them. h also allows a wraith to may communicn.tc with 1he.m Mwell.

"swim" in rhe Tempest's dark nuid. System: In order to peek successfully lnro the Tctnf>Cst, a

1l1is Arcuno< is used to trnvel rhrough rhc Tempest quickly wrnirh must roll Perception + Argos (difOculcy 6). 11te num·

and efficicnrly. Argos ennbles wrai rhs ro travel into, om of, ber of successes indicares the clarity of the wrairhs vision. A

:mtl through the Tempest :md to find Br"oays allowing rela· botch causes the wraith's mind to play tncks on her: she sees

tively safe tnwcl ro orher realms within rhe Underworld. something In the Tempest th:u isn't real.

S toryteller Not~s: Argos ~ovcrn~; movement in the Tempest Threshold: In orderto enterorleave rhe Tcm,

Tempest. A wraith with no Argos Arcan06 will num aim· pest, a wraith must usually find a Nihil large ono..~h to
lessly and can onI)•spend on~ Pnth06 point to change pass through. Use o( this an allows a wmith to open a

his direction. Flo.1ting about in such • m:tnner is quite doonvay into the Temp'"' and enter it. The doorwa)',

dangerous: Spectres (cspcei:tlly Shades; see the Ap· usu:rlly <mall and circular in sh:rpc, closes up itnmecli·

pendix) are comlirnrlyon the alen for n lone wraith ately after he passes rhrough.

who has nu;otc-d into their area. \Vithom knowl- System: The playN must roll Strength + Argos
·~lj:e of Arg06. it is nearly impossible to find a
Byway (althou~h it is posSible ro follow some· (dofficulry 7) to open a thrC>hold.
one else unw one). For ndditional inforrna·
Orienteering: The Tempest is an nlien and
tiun on the Tempest, see Tire Tempest In dangerous cnvironm~nt where dist:mce and
rime hav~ little bearing. This art allows a

Chapter Two. wraith to determine his location in the Tem·

Feel fre-e ro allow onecharnctcr to "carry" pest and to Ond his destination. Orienteering

the rest of the group alon~ wirh her; as long ns •llnws a wraith to travel w his chosen destina·

others do not resist the power, they can be swept ~~~~~j~fj lion along the quickesr and easiest path (u>ually a

along just by holding hands with the Artoos user. ' Bf\\'1\y), avoiding :u many obstacles as possrhle.

You may, howevN. wish to incr<-ase rhe difficulty of Tr•vel through the Tempe>t using Orienteering
Arcos actions in Lhis case. alone I$ a dangerous undertaking :lnd is usunll~, at·

tempted Oll ly by the most foolhardy. However,

Orienteering c< excellent for finding one's ""'l' our of the

Seemingly stricken woth a kind of \\'1\nderlust, Harbin· Tcmpesr should one be stranded there by some mishap.
~ers tend to m:rke nightly excursions to far-niTplaces and rerum
System: 11le player "" " r roll Perception + Argos (dlffi·
bcfurc the som rises. Manyfonnerguild members still work for rhe culty 8). Because rime and distance arc nebulous in the Tem·
Hocrarchy, carrying important mtsSages froru Stygia to the pest, the number of su<ecsses g•incd indic~tes the length of
Shadowlan<k und back. E\·en though the ~·uld is defunct, it is trnvel tim~.
considered h:td manners and bad luck ro hindrr a Harbit)ger in his
dury. 1~3 successes Standard travel time

4 successes Half standard travel time

ln the past, Harbingers were honor·bound to rescue wraiths 5 successes One-qu.1rrer standard tr•vcltime

C1luuht in 'he Tempesr: rcecntl~·, however, Spectres have be_.. Failure indicares that the wraith ha> t."nc in the wrong

gun mimic~in$: lost wmitlu in order to lure Harbingers into d irection and may become lost. If the Storyteller chooses, this

tt:liJS, andso tl,iscuslom hasbeen, fortl1c ltU).~t pare, suspended. could become an advcmure. If rhe player botches, the wraith

11te typical Harbinger is very quiet, controlled and cnlmand i$ h-eading into c<:nain danger: a nest of Spccrrcs, ::t Matl-5trom

1.•,...Ul(WOSSWiftly wherevershe One can identify a Harbonger by or some other ha~,rd.

looking into her e)'<.'S: because ofthe amount of rime spent in the Track: This ability allows a wraith to track another wrairh

Tempe-st, " H:rrhlngcr's C)'CS bccorne jet·black over time. who has gone imo the Tempest. In order w have :my chance

of success, the target wraith must be followed immedi·
atcly after disappearing into rhe Tempest.

System: The trocker must roll Perception+ Argos (diffi·
culty 6). Thisdifficulry increases by one for every turn elapsed
between the entry of rhe quart')' and the pursuer. Of course, if
thequarry is aware of his pursuer, he may attempt to evade her
by making a Dcxteriry +Argos roll (difficulty 6). Each success
scored subrracrs o ne from rhe pursuer's successes.

I Ens~roud

Because those with Argo.."i must avoid rhe hazards of the
Tempest, they first learn how to move through it unseen. This

an allows the wraith to wrap herself in dark shadows and thus
move invisibly rhrough both Tempe.n and Shadowlancb. When
first evoked, thisart causes the wroith co vanish suddenly from
vie1v. l11e wraith is thereafter cloaked in shadows.

System: The player rolls Dexterity+ Argos (difficulty i).
The number of succtsses equals the number of rums the char-
actercan remain Enshrouded. The character can attempt an·
other use of rhe arr a~ soon as she feels her first evocarion fad·
ing, although this costs more Pathos and renders the wraith
momentarily visible. l11e character can usc no other Arcanos
except Argos arts while mainraining Enshroud; otherwise, rhe
effect is broken.

II r~antom Wings

This art allows a wraith ro fly in both the Tempest and
theShadowlands. TI1is flight resembles gliding and is not very
fast (about as fast as a normal human can run), but it allows

the wrairh ro gllin access to otherwise hard-to·enter areas.

Wraiths may also use this art to hover.

System: TI1e player must roll Stamina+ Argos (difficulty
6). The ability ro fly la.<t.< one rum per success gained. The
Storyteller may require Dexterity+ Argos rolls to avoid colli·
sions and to stay aloft in certain turbulem areas (i.e., abo"c a
Nihil, or in certain areas of the Tempe.<r). Nore rhat a charac·
ter must beIncorporeal in order to fly while in the Shadowlands
(see Corpus S«u~s. pg. 197-198).

Ill flicker

The wrai~l uses ~le temporal and spatial distortions of d1e
Tempest to her advanrage when employing this arr. This allows
her to move short disrances very quickly. Generally these mini-
jumps must be widlin line-of-sight. l11is art may also be used to
surprisean opponent by flickering out and appearing behind him.

System: The player must roll Dexterity + Argos (diffi-
culty 6) when attempting to usc this art. If successful, travel
time is reduced by one mrn per success gained. Forexample, if
Mary was rrying to run down the block, and the Storyteller
decided that it would take five turns for her to do so, she could

that the character has become stuck in the Tempest and may

Mt use thi• art tO emerge: he will insread have to open a thrc:ih·
old (as in Ttmpesr Threshold, •hove).

.... jump

Castigate

loinlc of liae power of doe Sluldow: dark, all- One can tell a Pardoner by the black sraios on h.is fingers,

knowing. perverse. It is the ultimace enemy. which ;uisc from wuching or otherwise imcracting widl oLh~

You """' steel yoamelfagainst itS lies! Usten ers' Shadows.

co me! You musr see rile rr1dh. Lisccn co my

wnrtL~. BasicAbilities
Castigate is one of the few tools that
wraiths have against the Shadow and its Soulsight: By lookingcarefully'" another wmith, the user
~rrowing power. Those who learn if also learn what causes the may peerdeeplyinto h is soul and see the inner darkness. This
Shadow to become active, as well as what drains the Shadow
allows the user to measure the power ofthat wraith's Shadow,
of its malevolent power. and to see how dose the Shadow is m consuming him.
The u.ser may only look at another's Shadow in this way,
Each Pardoner mus.r learn his own way of Castig-<1~ not herown.

tion:physical punishment, ritual purification, sermons, This arr may also be used co sense rhe: presence

insults, taums, quiet embraces, gcndc words, drum.. of Spectres, especially Doppelgangers (see the Ap-
pendix), because the Shadow is so strong within
ming. exerrion and sensory deprivation have all been " ""'"'"' them.
System: By rolling Perception+ Castigate
used to draw out the Shadow and drain its power. (difficulty 8), the user may determine the
The most coonnwn way of Castigating the
Shadow is by ga ining knowledge of rhc nature strength of anorher wraith's Shadow. The
of the Shadow being Castigated and specifi ·
cally targeting it through a kind ofdialogue. Storyteller will describe the strength of the
This dialogue has come ro he known as the Shadow as weak, nominal, fairl1• strong,
Devil's Dialectic. strong o r eminent depending upon the
character's current Angst score. Additional sue·
Storyteller Notes: Castigate gives a wraith ccsses tnay give the user further insights into the
rome smalldegree ofconrrol ewer Shadows, bOth nature of the character's Shadow.
her ownand those ofothers. It also gives rhe wraith
agreat deal of insight into the Shadow. The Story- A failure me.tms rhat che user cannot sec the
teller should make sure that players do not abuse this Shadow (perhaps her own Shadow clouds her eyes).
power. AII dealings wirh the Shadmv should be dan· A botch indicates a radically wrong reading.
getous;even when the character hassome degree ofcon·

trol, there should be a modicum of uncertainty. Bulwark: The wrairh can briefly protect herself and
others from the ravaging effectS of a Maelstrom. It is as if

rardoners - Castigate she throws up a shield against the onslaught of the storm,
causing the Maelstrom and its Specrres m roar past unhct"<.J,

The Pardoners' Guild was the closest thing to a religious ing.

organi%arion [har Srygia ever had. Because gcrting rid ofo ne's System: To erect a Bulwark, the player must roll Stamina

Ang>t was so important to the Stygian Empire, there used to +Castigate (difficulty of the Maelsrorm's rating+ 3). The char·
be branches of the guild in every colony. Charon himself is acter must spend I Pathos for each level of the Maelstrom she

n1mored to have had his own personal Pardoner, whom he rc.. is resisting, though she may extend this protection to anyone

tained long after the guild was disbanded. she touches.

Even today, when rhe guild has been disbanded, no Hier-

·Coaxarchy Centurion will arresl a Pardoner for hanging ourhis iron

1amern) marking that he is ••in business.'' Sooner or later, ev~

cryonc needs a Pardoner. Those with rhis arr have more control over their own

Because of rhe narure of rheir work, older Pardoners have Shadows than most wraiths. Thel' are able to drow on the power
an almost religious or spiritual mindset when speaking ofCas· of their Shadows with considerably less risk.

ti&'lltion, while newer wraiths (especiallyformer psychologistS)

speak of rhc Shadow in psychological terms.

- • System: By rolling Charisma + Castigare (difficulty 6), a
wraith may modify the number of Shndow Dice (see pg. 183)
that he chooses to use for any given task. Nunnally the
Shodowguide offers the player a fixed number of txtr:l dice.
Every two succ~ gained wid• C:O.t.x allows the player to add

or subcract on~ die.

Though it does nor cost anything to use this power, an
Angst point is gained each time it is.~.

" Dark Secrets

By examining another wraith's Shadow, the Castigator may

lc-•m the wraith's dark sccrers. This is not ai>~'II)'S easy, for the
Shadow may fet-d the Castigator false information. Only the
most discern in& individuals are able ro glean much truth from
the Shadow; of course, the weakerthe Shadow, rhe easier It Is
to manipulate.

System: lly carefully examining rhe Shadow within nn·
other wraith and rolling Perception +Castigate ngainst a dlffi·
culry <qu:>l to the target's Willpower, the Castig:uor may lenm
secrets about rh3l character. The player of that character (or
the Storyteller) must answer one question per success gained.
Half·ttuths and cryptic responses arc allowe-d (the Shadow is a
master of clcceot). The target char.cter tna)' tlect to ha•·e hit
Shadow make an opposed Angst roll.

Each use of this an costs 1 Pathos.

... purl~

Through for<e ofwill , the CastiglllOr may slowlyand core·
fully brrok the powerofanother wmith's Shadow. This is clo11c
by ravaging the Shadow In a manner chosen by the Casu~ooa·
tOr. Each CaStigator has his own methods by which he purges
the Shadow from another. These methods mngc from scnnon•
lzlng to actunl flagellation.

System: When using this an rhe Storyteller rolls the
charncrer's Charisma +c,stigate (difficult)' of the subject's per-
manent An~;sr score). (The Storyteller isaware ofthe subject's
permanent Angst score.) The subject may assist by spending a
Willpo>~•tr point to aid the Castigation. The number of suc-
cesses rolled indicates the amount oftcmpornry Angst the >ub·
ject loses. The subject suffers one Corpus Level of damage for
each point thus removed. The CastigatOt will receil'e a tern·
porory point of AngSt for each "I" he rolls.

.... Casting Out

By exetling her will, the wraith may can out and forbid
the presence ofany Spectres in her immediate nrca. Jfshe is in
u stntcture, It immediutcly becomes protected from Spectres.
This an drives om all Specrres currently mamfested in the area,
as well as Specrres in hiding. For some reason, this ar1 has no
effect on Doppelgangers.

System: The player rolls Charisma+ Cl!Stigate (difficulty System: When a charncrer's Shadow attempts to take over

7). The number ofsuccesses indicates the number of turns the her character, the player may anempt to defy the Shadow by

ward lam. If a Specrre is already present, a roll must first be rolling Charisma + Castigate. The difficulty equals the

made against its Angst rating in o rder to banish it. The Spec- l '•ch'" "':te1r'scurrent Angst. Each success reduces the character's

tre may resist with an Angst roll. by o ne, and the Shadow may not make a resisced roll. If

is used to defy m\othcr wraith's Shadow, the difficulty

'"" Defiance the subject's current Ant,>st + 3.
failure adds o ne to the character's temporary Angsr. A
The wmith who possesses this Arcanc)S is able ,,11:1,, , ·1 IJOJcch:t:a"'"" <he character to add one permanent Alflgst.
a~ainst her own Shadow, defying its power over ner·.u•,no•n·

ever the Shadow anemp<s to take control, the

tempt to suppress it. She may also atremp< m do

another's Shadow.

Embo~

/one...there it i$ again . Do y<>11 ftel it! A rime, Centurions were appointed to hunt down Proctors and
enthrall them. Now, the Hl~rarchy has bigger fish to fry, al·
pinprick, n01hing more. But a real touch, a though a particularly blaro.nt tr•rucresslon will still mise the
wd feeling. fJUiuisir., isn't it! Hierarchy's ire.

Embody is the power to manifest in One can tell a Proctor by the suange patches of light and
the physical world. This Is forbidden dark on his body, marksoftoo many passings through the Shzoud.
knowledg~,asChamn's Code prohibits in·
rcrferlng with the living world . Still, Attunement
wr:liths have b«n using this Arcnnos for millennia.
After suece.sfully manifesting in a particul•r fashion to
Storyteller Notes: Going from the Shadowland' tO the a person, the wrnith can invest Willpower to create an
living world is like going from a numb, cold W"dSteland to a
warm, balmy climate. 11lc changes are superficial, but in· attunement to that person. Each time the wraith success-
credibly exquisite. fully appcan, she may invest one point of Willpower.
This represents a process of identifyin& with the Con·
Wraiths learn Embody by expc><ing theit·fragile forms sort. The closer a wr:lith was to an individual during
to imcnsc sensory Input and focusing on that input. life, the easier it is to become attuned to that per·
After n while, however, rhis Input is nor needed. Ex· son. Attuning to a stranger CO$ts five points of
ample$ ofsuch sensory Input ore: looking at oneself Willpower. Atruning to a close friend may only
In a mirror; focusingon somethtngcold, hot, sharp. rake two or three point$. Once the attunemem
or h•rd; or listening tn a very soft or very loud is esro.bli>hed, all difficulties when Embody·
voice. ing to that person (and that person alone)
are reduced by three. Additionally, there is
While a wraith Is usinll an Embody arl no Pathos cost when using Embody to appear
that allows him to nmnifest physically, he to that person.
is far more susceptible to harm. Any damage 11tesideeffect of this is that only the attuned
done to him is applied a:; though he were a person can see and serue the wraith- other mor·
mortal. (Not~ that a Materialized character will cals may think that the subject is crazy. Conversely, a
suffer Dice Pool pcnalcies for his wounds. Sec single person who believes in the wraith can footer
Health on pg.200.) others' belief, facilitating arrunement to those people.

For example, while roaming the Shadowlands, Ghostly Touch: The wraith may extend just a whisper
a wruirh named ja:iQn encounters a vampire who is of a touch to the material world, about as mong as a linger
aware of his presence. The Yamplre pulls out • pistol descending on a keyboard. The wraith must focus all of her
and fires in jason's general direction. With a lucky shot, attention in order to make even the lightest touch.
he hits jason. llecause jason is immarerial, he only suffers
one Corpus Level of damage, even though the bullet passed System: The character must roll Strength + Embody (dif·
right thro"llh his chest (the vampire scored five SUCCC$Se$). ficulty of the local Shroud) In order to use this alt.
However, ifJason had been Embodied, he would have suffered
a nu mber ofCorpus Levelsequal roth~ number of Health Lev· Mainro.in the Material Form: Though this art gives the
els the shot would hove inntcted on a mortal. wraith no new abilities, it allows the w~•ith to maintain an
Embodied form for a longer duration.
11><difficulties ofall Embodyrollsequal the local Shroud
r.ting. Embody has very little usc In the TemfX!'t. System• The player must roll Stamina + Embody (diffi·
culcy 7). Each suceess may be added to the number of sue·
froctors - Emilody cesses already gained for the Embody power being used.

The Proctors' Ouild was never a part of the Hierarch y, This art cosu one point of Pathos to use and one point of
although the Hierarchy often used it before it was offocially Pathos per success gained. If the player botches, not only does
disbanded. The Procwrs operated in the living world, perform· the roll fail, but the Embodied form insrantly dissipates.
i"llthe complex actions that could not be accomplished with
Outrnjle (although many knew that Arcanos as well). Although
forbidden by Charon'sCode to interact with mortal., they fre·
qucnrly ignored the Code and dtd what they pleased. For a

•

The wraith may make her voice heard in the living world.
The wraith's voice is no louder rhan a whisper. ( It is not nec--
essary to use this Arcanos to speak to supernaturol or magical
creatures, only beings affecr<-d by the Shroud.)

System: The player rolls Manipulation + Embody. The
dift.culty equals the local Shroud. One short sentence may be
spoken per success g-•ined. A botch means that the wraith has
lost her voice in the Shadowlan& for a scene: it got stuck in
the Shroud when she projected it there.

ll>is art costs I Pathos to use.

II rnantom

This arr allow·s the wraith to manifest as an intangible,
translucent figure. He appeMs to hover just inches off the
ground and has only barely discernible features.

Mortals who sec the wraith will become intensely afraid
and act accordingly. The moment the wrai<h vanishes, mar·
tals will begin to doubt what they saw, and will soon rational·
izc away the fact that they saw anything at all. (Sec The FoR,
pg.205)

System: The player must roll Charisma+ Embody (diffi·
culty equal to the local Shroud) . The number of successes in·
dicates the number of turns during which rhe character may
remain manifested. A botch means that the charocter imme·
dinrcly dematerializes and vanishes into the Tempest.

The character may also try to scare any mortals who per·
ceive him by rolling Manipulation + Embody (difficulty equal
to the target's Willpower). This roll may be modified if the
cluordcter has used Moliatc or some other Arcanos to modify
his appearance.

This art costs I Pathos to use.

"' ~tatue

This art allows the wraith to become solid for a period of
time. When materializing in this form, the wraith appears as
an idealized version of himself. He cannot move, speak orsimu·
late breathing; he may be touched, but his flesh will feel cold
and hard, like smcx>th marble.

Smtue is often used to hide in a crowded area (wraith or
Spectre pursuers in the Shadowlands often overlook a Statued
wrAith - for example, if they're looking for a wraith, they
may miss the "mortal" sitting quietly by the fireplace).

System: The player must roll Stamina + Embody. The
difficulty equals the local Shroud. Each success on the roll in•
dicares how many times the character can be touched, or how
man~~ scenes he can 1·emain manifested, whichever comes first.
Afailed roll results in one temporary point of Angst as the

chanlcrer's separorion from the physic:~! world grows srronaer. A botch causes the characrer tO appear briefly as a Phan·
A borch Indicates that the charocter becomes a Phantom for a tom and then vanish, bestowing one point of Angst.
few seconds, then fades away. All damage suffered is calcu·
This an cos<~ 2 Pathos.
lated as ifrhe wrnlth were mortal (see Sroryreller Nares, above).

This an costs I Pathos to use.

m•life-in-Deat~ Through the use ofthis art the wrairh can assume a n<'arly
state. EverythilljJ abou1 him appears human: he can

When rhis arr is employed, the wrAith appears as his flesh is w-.lnn, and he will bleed ifcur. Many wroirhs

what abstract form of her mortal self. Her ap,)tarortce,ITIJ t¥~'bVII!Ou1hchned by sens:~tion the finr rime they assume rhis

on her (now somewhat spotty) memory <;Sil;.ci:olly if they have been dead for a long time.

The wraith's Psyche tends ro Idealize its lfonncr form<SP this fom• the wrnith can do anyrhing he- could

using this form will usually appear rnure oe:auttrUILlll:ar 'ofllii!o.w:as srill alive - the only drawback being that
as it takes an incredible amoont ofconcentra·
in real life. When she materializes, itls as a darkJihli\~Oii!..m to mainrain this form.

penon (black skin has a grayish tinge; ~~~~~AU must roll Manipularion + Embodyto
difficulty of this roll equals the currenr
deathly white) - very similar to a Bloo";;d','JZ:~~'f!';J,r;.

Superficial examination will not A

Someone who knew the wrnlth in life, ~~j;;~~~~~

altered appearance. People may notice rl to the person viewing him, he
are cold und that she seems to be A...,.t\.1o
per succe$5. Otherwise, each sue-
FaS'ilc:Ontrati~l\to' ·~!!~~'i~::==~~~·~~xiist for as long as it rakes to draw
is because the wraith must exen

maintnin this form. • he may speak, or move, or kiss,

System: The player must in this form a the character is

Ji(difficulty of the local Shroud))ttl~=~ a monal (sec Sroryulltr Nares,

ber of successes indicates the

may remain manifested. fall immediately into the

currently wears a huma.nlik/li:

into something monsrrous, Parhos points and I Will·

,:,~~~i~~~~:~fcohroAospep•e, arrhnenccheawrahcilteerinmtahyis '-~c:l.'''"''

acrer rakes damage as if she

above).

atalism

his is rhe Two of SkulL<, siL01ifying indecision. System: By rolling l'erccption +Fatalism (difficulty 6), a
Reversed, irsuggem a choice )O" made in life wr~irh c:Jn sense whcrher someth ing is more or less imporc<lnt
wltich yo~t now regret. Crossing it is rhc Five in the "overall scheme of things." In game terms, this Mt al-
of Bone.i, s:ymb<Jliting rnaniJmfation rhrough lows;~ character w discern lhe Storyteller characters and other
reb.llior.s power. Perhaps you're being influ-
enced by rhc Renegades, no? Yo11r secrcr is safe ()layers,• c haracters in a ptlrricula r scene.
with me. Ah! The Monument. Very interes1~
ing- everyrhing disinregraus around you as rhe Mon11menr falls ... •fatalVision

WraiLhs usc this Arcanos to sense and ,·ead the mark of The wraith can read a person'sdcach marks. T hese marks,
fare on a soul. Of course, because tlll wr~iths have yet w borne by wmiths and mortals who are soon to die, tell some·
meet their end, their fare is nor yet decided. Still, a wroirh
may usc Fatalisrn ro peer into another wraith's past or thing of how 1hat individual d ied or is fated to die.
look forw,.rd inco the {possible) future. Dc.arhm::uks generally ;1ppear on mormls shortly before
they die, though they may appear earlier on one who is
Contmry to popular belief, Fatalism actually fmcd to die a particularly nagic death.
works fairly well in the Shadowlands. Sysrem: The pl>~yer must roll Perception + Fa·
talism (difficultyeq"al to the subject's Willpower).
Storyteller N otes: The a rts of Faralism com If this ability is used prior to a use of lnterpreta·
in many ways be among the most powerful of cion (see below), cHch success adds one die
when using rhm art. Fatal Vision also indi·
1he Areanos. Great catc must be taken to en· cates whether the target has been subjected
ro Famlism i:n rhc past.
sure that rhis Arcano..~ is not abused. T hese A botch indicates that the character
hns misread th.c subject's deathmarks.
ans should never be used frivolously. Fate
can be a dangerous thing ro trifle with, and " Danger Sense

t..hc wrairJ1 who overuses this art may find Atlhis point the wraith has become so attuned
herself petmanently entwined in the strands to t he webs of fate that he can sense faint vibrJtions
offate. along rhe strands, thereby gleaning wam inss of im·
mincm danger.
Oracles - fatalism
Sy$tcm: W henever the character is in imminem
Oracles are often found traveling with bands of danger, the Storyteller may roll the charocter's Perception
Sandmen , Ch:mteurs, a nd even Stxmks, bccttusc they + Faralism (dirficulty 6) .This difficulty may be raised or low-
find it safer with others atOtll\d. They don't advertise ered depending on rhe n:uurc of the danger. E;1ch success in·
their profession: rather, they wait for other> to come to crease-s rhe ~mOUIU o( (orcwarn ing the chMacccr receives-
them. 1l1ey do not give advice t<> people who do nor ask. generally one lm'n per success.

The Otacles' Guild was at one time universally hunted ... Interpretation
by the Hierarchy because the Grand High Omcle, Serena. once
toldChamn that he was fated to be destroyed in the Tempe>!. Through various m~ns ofdivination (relics) Tarot c-ards. rhc
Since Charon vanished, however, the Hierarchy has stopped 1Ching, asrroiOJ,.')' or crystal pendulums), the Fatalist can intCI'#
its persecution of the Oracles. Many yeors ago, it is said, the prct a person's fate Or discoversomethinG about his p;lSt. TI1is art
Omclcs served the Lady of Fate directly. may be attempted without the us.e of any J)iltaphernalia, th0<1gh
doing so is consiclembly more difficult and is generallyattempted
One can tell an Orocle by her gaudy dress and tendency only b}' a master or in the most d ire circurnsranccs.
to inscribe symbols of Fate on her forehead and arms.
System: The player must roll Manipulation + Fatalism
Basic Anilities (difficulty equal ro the subject's Willpower). Both rhe Fatalist

Kismet: This art allows a wraith to perceive rhe tole of and the subject ""'Y spend Willpower on the rnll. For each
(me with regard t<> a spc.:cif'ic situation or person. People wid\
b'l'Cat destinies or those for whon'l fate has a special role seem success gained, che character mn.yask one shon que-stion nboul
IO ''shine" slightly brighter than people who arc playing a lesser
role: they arc c~c;icr to pick out in n crowd.