========================================================================== NEW SKILLS AND SPECIALIZATIONS Arts and Crafts (Body Modification) This skill allows the character to alter another person's body for artistic reasons. This includes body piercing, tattooing, branding, and scarification. Arts and Crafts (Titillate) In ordinary situations full of mundane, people, you can find and draw attention to the bizarre and unusual. This is a creative skill used to draw attention to your stories. Your stories are not realistic or well-written, but are fantastic, sensationalistic, action-packed, and often in very poor taste. If you still don't understand what I'm getting at, think Jerry Springer's show or your average supermarket tabloid (Batboy!) Influence (Interview) This skill allows you to talk to someone and draw out anecdotes and personal stories. The information given tends to be of a nonspecific, personal nature, in contrast to the Interrogation specialization, which is used to get the who/where/what/when/why material. Barbara Walters would have the Interview specialization for Influence. Joe Friday would have the Interrogation specialization. Influence (Simper) This specialization is for wasting people's time with pathetic, inane stories that don't really seem to have an ending. It is used to evoke pity and manipulate the subject. With a successful roll, the target feels sorry for the subject and is likely to help him or her. Wild Card (Appraise) Armed with this skill, a character can judge the authenticity and estimate the value of gems, furniture, paintings, sculpture, old books, and architecture just by inspecting it up close. A successful INT + Wild Card (Appraise) Test can tell the Appraiser about its general history as well as where it was made, where, why, and how rare the object is. The Skill Test may receive positive or negative modifiers depending on rare the object is, how obscure it is, how long the Appraiser gets to examine it, if any of his other skills relate to this Skill Test, etc. Storytellers may wish to prepare several factoids concerning the object ahead of time and reveal one per Success Level on the Appraise Skill Test. Note that Appraise is for estimating the value of items, not making them. If the character wants to make saleable gems, he can do that with DEX + Arts and Cracts (Jeweller), etc. Wild Card (Gaming -[choose specialization]) This is the skill of effectively running or playing a card game, TRPG (tabletop roleplaying game), war game, computer game, etc. It typically doesn't get much use in Stories (that'd be too meta) but is listed for entertainment value. Izumi Konata from Lucky Star would have Wild Card (Gaming - 2D Fighters). Daigo AKA "the Beast" has a Third Strike specialization for this skill. Wild Card ([choose Specialization] Lore) This skill represents detailed knowledge considering a particular subject. It is not a replacement for Academics because Wild Card ([x] Lore) is for information that is (usually) not relevant in an academic setting. Examples of specializations for this skill include rare postage stamps, silver age comics, doujinshi circles, sports teams, movie trivia, otaku subculture, etc. Having 4 or more in this skill usually means you could write a book about it and spend your time managing wiki pages devoted to the object of your interest. Wild Card (Unconventional Medicine) This skill covers types of healing that fall outside the purview of Western Science. The character must specialize when he takes this skill. Specializations include Moxa and Moxibustion, Acupuncture, Accupressure, Herbal Remedies, and Reverse Pressure Massage. On a successful Skill Test (INT + Wild Card [Unconventional Medicine]), the effects are the same as the regular Medicine skill:each Success Level cures 2 points of Bashing damage or 1 point of Lethal damage. The treatment can also be used to reduce pain or other side effects of injury/harm. ========================================================================== DON'T GET EVEN, GET MAD Note: The following was heavily inspired by Fall from Grace. One of the most challenging parts of any roleplaying game is treating the subject of mental illness. If it is not handled well, it can cause frustration for the Storyteller and other players as the mad character takes up too much time and attention and turns the story into farce. In short, it takes careful attention to represent that part of the tale without derailing the story. One reason for this difficulty is that most players are sane and thus don't truly understand how madness works. This is unsurprising, as madness entails defective or malfunctioning mental processes that greatly differ from sane cognition. These issues are so severe they interfere with the sufferer's everyday life. Because these processes can't be understood through thinking logically, many players fall back on stereotypes, quirks, and eccentricities. Quirks and eccentricities are not true madness. They are showy and innefectual, but madness is a blight upon living a normal life. Someone who refuses to go outside unless he wears a hat is eccentric, but not mad. Someone who believes that he doesn't really exist and burns himself with cigarette butts in order to prove to himself that he does is mad. Madness is frightening and repulsive, and consumes one's existence. As Lovecraftian horrors now can be found in both the main Nasuverse and one of the side realities (FGO), it's possible for characters to come across these balsphemous outsiders and accrue Madness Points. Therefore, important for us to understand how the mind breaks under stress and what factors contribute to specific forms of madness. Conceptual dysfunction is the absence of certain concepts from the mind. The person doesn't know it, can't understand it, and can never relearn it. Comprehension and knowledge of the subject vanishes, and the person perceives the subject as something else. For example, all animals could be perceived as dogs. If the concept is more abstract, the response could be far more unpredictable, manifesting in depression to violent tendencies. Still another problem is defective association. The sufferer forms irrational negative association or a tangle of twisted logic and warped associations. Maybe sex and death can be mixed, or things are sorted by color instead of other attributes. This problem manifests in forms such as masochism, delusion, self-mutilation, and dissociation. Yet another malady is emotional isolation, in which the sufferer does not experience emotions, or can not understand certain emotions, or even understand that other people have feelings. In some cases, the sufferer does not understand the difference between treating someone badly (or murderously) vs treating them well. Because the sufferer doesn't feel emotions like love, fear, friendship, or other emotions, he is unable to relate to and care for other people. This can manifest in socipathy, depression, paranoia, and fugue states. In addition, another problem is compulsive delusion - the person knows that something is true (or false) but compulsively believes the opposite is true. For example, a sufferer might see a hive of bees, and know that it's a hive of bees, but that sufferer might remain convinced that the bees were sentient and waiting for him to go outside so that they could attack him. Sufferers might feel like observes in their own lives, or that they can't trust themselves. Some develop bizarre rituals of behavior that allow them to do daily tasks. This disorder manifests in phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, paranoia, delusion, and depression. Perhaps the worst of these is chronic delusion, which involves hallucinations so vivid that the sufferer can't tell them apart from reality. This might be a one-off sensation such as smelling freshly baked blueberry muffins to seeing a world of horrors superimposed over reality like in _They Live_. Some delusions are all-encompassing. For example, the sufferer could believe teh year is 1984 and that Reagan is still president. Depending on the nature of the disorder, the delusions can be perhament, intermittent, or occasional. These delusions can cause fugue, depression, schizophrenia, and paranoia. TIPS ON ROLEPLAYING MADNESS As a player, it's important to remember that roleplaying is a social activity. Find an approach to portraying the character that others will be able to accept. Think babout what your character might react to and keep notes of what types of objects or what events wil prompt a response from him. Being suspicious of strangers and doubtful of motives is a natural response from someone who is paranoid. Determine odd ways that the character might react to ordinary events and make a list of them. When the character encounters these situations, use the lists to remind yourself to react appropriately. Be sure not to dominate the game! It's possible to have your mad character take up all of the Storyteller's time, which would slow progress of the story to a halt and annoy the other players. Sometimes subtlety is called for - and simply sending the Storyeller a note telling that the paranoid character is quietly checking everyone out is enough. Overacting makes madness into farce. A more understated approach can be far more frightening. Characters who are mad don't want to show off their madness as it's their burden. They avoid situations that might provoke an unwanted response and try to avoid anyone seeing the demons that haunt them. SPECIFIC DERANGEMENTS Paranoia does not refer to a belief in conspiracies (that's paranoid schizophrenia.) Instead, the person believes that he is the center of unwanted, negative attention. People don't just laugh, they laugh at you. The person checking his smartphone is surreptitiously filming you. Every compliment is insincere or a backhanded compliment at best. Good friends react with mock solicitude. At first, it's something that merely makes the character insecure, but it worsens and becomes overwhelming. Eventually the character avoids public places, overreacts to innuendo, or carefully watches someone whose behavior is "odd". Schizophrenia covers many different symptoms. In its most basic form, it refers to a confict between emotions and desires, and manifests in the form of hallucinations or delusions. The character might wtihdraw from society and become isolated, or he could suffer from sudden mood swings. When the person is in control, he can attempt to finish something or perhaps cower in fear of another attack. When delusions manifest, the character can react in unusual, unpredictable ways. Depression is not merely being unhappy, it's the absence of strong emotion as well as motivation. The world is boring, empty, and gray. There's no point in doing anything because no good will come of it. No good can come of it. People with depression don't tend to become violent because there's no point. In short, people with depresion might not seem obviously unhappy because they're no longer capable of being unahppy. Obsessive/Compulsive disorders result in the person attempting to claim control over the world through rites because he suffers from delusions or feelings of powerlessness. If the sufferer is under stress, he might repeat his ritual (making sure all the doors and windows are locked, etc.) For sufferers, the rituals are the only thing holding the world together, and the sufferer will become agitated, even violent, if the rites are interrupted. Sociopathy causes the sufferer to not perceive other human beings as real, or capable of having real emotions or feelings. Sociopaths are self-focused and emotionally isolated, and have no problems committing acts of atrocity. Not all areas of understanding are affected, so not all sociopaths are dangerous because some fear being arrested and punished for grotesque acts of barbarism. Violent sociopaths are sometimes referred to as psychopaths. Multiple-personality disorder is the result of trauma to the mind so severe that it causes the victim's personality to shatter and form different "selves". If the sufferer feels threatened, one of these "others" will assume control until the situation is resolved. Sometimes a particular task is always handled by a particular personality. Phobias are not merely disturbing or unsettling. Being confronted by the source of a phobia is enough to throw the character into blind panic, and the character will do anything to avoid the source of the phobia. If the sufferer can not get away or drive away the source of the phobia, he may collapse into a catatonic or fugue state. People suffering from phobias also try to avoid things associated with their fear, thus a person with a phobia of heights probably won't try to climb a ladder. PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Madness results from fractures in the fault lines of the personality and hits to the weak points of the mind. Many derangements occur organically as a natural progression of the victim's psyche in extreme situations. When your character accrues enough Madness points or you decide to talk a derangement as a flaw, look at the personality of the cahracter to find qualities or behaviors that can be amplified and twisted into a disorder. Confidence and leadership become megalomania. Caution and shyness worsen into paranoia. Control or organization worsen into obsessive/control disorder. Painful suffering splits the self into multiple selves (multiple personality disorder). Frustration becomes schizophrenia. Enthusiasm becomes hysteria. Guilt and repressed anger become fugue. Pessimism becomes manic depression. Anger becomes psychotic aggression. If you can't determine a progression of madness for the character, simply look at the event itself. Trauma can trigger insomnia, paranoia, phobias, or hysteria. Paranoia can form from any betrayal. Hysteria can come from the loss of a loved one or a close brush with death. A bad gunshot wound can trigger a phobia of loud noises. Putting thought into the way madness develops can ensure that the character remains playable, true to the situation, and believable while still being part of the story. ========================================================================== THE ART OF ZEN Note: The following was mostly imported from Kindred of the East. The following new skill and attribute combinations are designed to heighten the flavor of Asia as an exotic setting. Storytellers can look over this and get new ideas for running rites. Creating a Masterwork: (Appropriate Attribute) + Crafts This is an extended test. It takes at least three successes to start, and then a total number decided upon by the Storyteller. Certain artists spend years, decades, or even lifetimes on a single work. Self-Torture: Con + Torture To transcend flesh, ascetics deny it. They avoid sex, hide themselves away from human contact, set nearly impossible standards and vows, consume only the most meager nourishment, and reach beyond their flesh by doing so. More exotic actions include skewering the body with needles in the like. In each case, the body is harmed to drive the mind away from intellection and into a higher state of being. Pain has a way of cutting to the heart of the matter. Koans and Arcane Riddles: Per + Occultism Storytellers can have characters roll INT x 2 and subtract any successes from attempts to puzzle through koans. The intellect is a liability when trying to find the answer to those. Finding the answer to a koan might take years or even decades as the person leaves behind reasons and intellection to exist on a more instinctive level. Perform an Impressive Kata: Per + Brawl or Per + Melee As precise exercises in body control and grace, these help students to hone their skills beyond planned actions, instead it becomes movement that frees the mind for more important matter. Extended Trance: Int + Occultism to start things off with at least two successes. After that, roll Will + Con every night. Each night after the first incurs a -1 to the roll. When the player accrues no successes, his trance finally ends. The longer the character spends in the trance, the greater the chance he has of gaining some insight. Staredowns: While a staredown usually is Will + Intimidation, a really long standoff would also require Con + Intimidation to see who cracks first. Zen Archery: Per + Wild Card (Archery) Zen Arts: (gardening, painting, etc.) Per + Crafts Exotic Incense and Candles: While these are normally tools, these are extremely common meditation tools. The haze of scented smoke or the flickering candles go a long way to drive away corruption and set hte mood. Some spells and rites require exotic formulas, and raw ingredients can include poisonous herbs, flowers from alien dimensions, ground bone, dried blood, baby fat, or ash from a crematorium. ========================================================================== NEW HONOR CODE - MERCENARY Honest mercenaries might have a Code of Honor that they follow. Example strictures might include: Once Hired, Stays Bought Once Hired, Stays Bought is worth four points. As the name implies, once the character has accepted money for a job, he gets the task done, whatever it takes. However, if circumstances change beyond a reasonable limit, he may return the money and apologize. He will not betray his employer unless the employer betrays him first. If his employer betrays him, he is encouraged to take revenge. People should be sure to follow any contract they make with this character. Won't Cause War Crimes (2 points) The character with this Flaw will fight in battle, but will avoid violating the laws and customs of war. Examples of violations include - murdering/mistreating/deporting civilians to forced labor camps - genocide - killing or mistreating POWs and detainees - killing hostages - arbitrarily killing spies without a trial - destroying objects without due military necessity (civilian towns, villages, etc.) Other potential strictures include Won't Abandon a Comrade, Fight For the Honor of the Unit ========================================================================== NEW WEAPONS - EXPLOSIVES Nitrogen Tri-iodide can be made out of household kitchen cleaners. It is very explosive, dangerous, and unstable. It's only safe when it's wet; once it dries, it explodes on a roll of 1-9 on 1D10 after encounterin any sort of vibration. Even talking above a whisper. A housefly landing on it or a feather touching it will cause it to explode. It causes D10 x 5 points of damage for every 3.5 pounds (1 kilogram) at Ground Zero, then D8 x 4 in the General Area, and D6 x 4 at Maximum Range. Ground Zero is 3m. As with other explosions, this is Lethal damage. Anything past here requires an actual lab to make. Nitroglycerine can be made with Science (Chemistry) and at least two Success Levels on the Skill Test. 1/2 a pound (about .25 kg) of nitroglycerine will do D8 x 6 damage with a Ground Zero range of 3 meters. In the General Area, it does D8 x 4, and at Maximum Range it does D6 x 4 damage. Any kind of harsh vibration (dropping it, stumbling while carrying it around, shooting it with a bullet) has a chance of making it explode (a roll of 1-7 on 1D10). Fire or hot things touching it makes it explode automatically. Nitrogylcerine can be detonated remotely with a fuse (electric or fire-based). It explodes if it comes into contact with another explosion. Ground Zero is 3m. Guncotton can be made with a Science (Chemistry) Test with at least two successes. Every two pounds does about D10 x 5 points of damage at Ground Zero, D10 x 3 in the General Area area, and D8 x 3 in Maximum Range. It explodes on a roll of 1-2 on D10 if it is violently struck. If exposed to extreme heat or fire, it explodes on a roll of 1-6 on D10. It will explode if it comes into contact with another explosion. It is detonated with a fuse (electrical or fire-based). Ground Zero is 3m. TNT is very stable. It requires four Success Levels on a Science (Chemistry) Test to make. Every pound and a half of it causes D10 x4 at Ground Zero, D8 x 3 in the General Effect, and D6 x 3 at Maximum Range. It will explode if touched by another explosion. It is detonated with a fire-based or electrical fuse. Ground Zero is 3m. Plastique is very stable. It requires five Success Levels on a Science (Chemistry) roll to make. Every pound and a half does D10 x 7 at Ground Zero (4 m), D10 x 4 in the General Effect , and D8 x 3 at Maximum Range. If exposed to strong EM waves (radio tower, high-tension wires, a microwave gun) it will explode on 01-05 on D100. Static electricity has enough energy to make it explode. It is detonated with an electrical fuse. It will explode if touched by another explosion. Ground Zero is 4m. Detcord (Detonation Cord) is plastique but in a cord form. It damages the area it's touching. Lumps of it are used to blow apart walls. If wrapped around an object, the effect is concentrated. It has a 1 meter blast radius. It causes D10 x 6 at Ground Zero, but the object it is wrapped around takes D10 x 18 points of damage. In the General Effect area it causes D10 x 3 (+2) points of damage. In the Maximum Effect area it causes D8 x 3 points of damage. The above statistics are for 1 meter of detcord. It can not be made in the lab and must be manufacured. Ground Zero is 1m. Grenades A grenade does D6 x 8 at Ground Zero, D6 x 6 in the General Effect , and D6 x 2 at Maximum Range. The ranges for it are 2 meters (Ground Zero), 4 (General Effect), and 8 for Maximum Range. Unlike the other explosive types, Grenades can not stack using the Explosive Unit rules detailed below. Grenades can be used to make simple booby traps by wedging the grenade in a tight spot so the safety lever does not leave the grenade after the pin has been pulled. If the grenade is somehow freed from the pressure, the level will detach and the grenade will detonate. Stun Grenades produce an loud bang and a brillaint flash. Anyone within three yards of one (or 10 yards if used indoors) when it activates must roll CON + WILL with a -8 penalty. If the roll is failed, the person will be at -6 to all Tests for the next D8 rounds. If the target looks away, closes his eyes, plugs his ears, etc. before the flashbang detonates, give him a +3 to the roll. If activated, Smoke grenades release a cloud of thick smoke that's about 100 to 150 meters long over five turns. This can be used to give cover or signal others. In an area with strong wind, their effectiveness is reduced. If used in a building, they can cause people to choke and impose vision penalties. White Phosphorus Grenades cause D6 x 8 at Ground Zero (1 yard), D6 x 6 in the General Effect area (3 yards away), and D6 x 2 within the Maximum Range area (5 yards away). Anything they hit is on fire and will take D6 burning damage each turn until he (somehow) gets the white phosphorus off of himself. ========================================================================== INCREASING THE AREA OF EFFECT BY USING A LOT OF EXPLOSIVES Characters can use more than one "Unit" of explosive to increase the damage rolled. If using multiple Units, increase the multiplier for damage accordingly. Two sticks of TNT would do D10 x8 at Ground Zero. The area covered for Ground Zero, General Effect,and Maximum Effect also increases in size if there's a bigger boom. A lot of well-placed explosives _will_ collapse an entire building (Kiritsugu says so). EU (Explosive Units) Radius Increase 1 +0 2 +1 3 +2 5 +2 8 +3 10 +3 12 +4 17 +4 21 +5 27 +5 33 +6 37 +6 41 +7 ========================================================================== NEW PERKS Can't Stop Me Now (2) The character keeps in mind the words of wisdom from the 1989 film _Road House_: "Pain don't hurt." The reality is that it in fact does hurt, but the character rises above it. In game terms, this Perk, if combined with Resistance (Pain) helps absorb some of the penalties from being injured. This is only applicable to rounds of combat. In a given round, in order to ignore the wound penalty, the character must make a WILL x2 check at the beginning of the round as a free action. If he succeeds, he can ignore part or all of the penalty (depending on his Resistance (Pain) to his roll. This check must be made every round the character wants to ignore the penalty, at increasing difficulties (-1 the following round, -2 the round after that, etc.) Once he fails his check, he can not use this Perk for the rest of the battle. This does not heal damage, and it does not prevent someone from bleeding out after taking a lot of Lethal damage. It also has no effect on rolls to stay conscious or avoid death. Resistance (Pain) has other uses and is especially effective when trying to avoid breaking due to torture. System: Can't Stop Me Now Resistance (Pain) Effect x 1 Ignore -1 x 2 Ignore -2 x 3 Ignore -2 x 4 Ignore -4 Brachiation (1) The character can climb as well as an ape. He can effortlessly swing along via vines and even scale buildings. While most characters climb at half their Movement, this character can use his full Movement when climbing. Lurker in Darkness (2) The character adds half his WILL to any Stealth tests so long as he is in areas of darkness or deep shadow. Nightvision (2) The character's eyes either gather and reflect light like a dog's or cat's, or the character has some kind of non-discernable way to compensate for low light. In any case, starlight, moonlight, and candlelight are all bright enough for the character to see normally and suffer no vision penalties. If there is no light, the character is still unable to see. Trained Observer (2) Sociopaths and psychopaths would typically be unable to use Empathy checks to understand the people around them. This Perk allows these individuals to use Empathy normally without suffering the ban. This Perk represents cold, clinical observation of the subject in question instead of gaining insight through shared emotion. Kotomine Kirei definitely had this Perk. Underground Navigator (2) With this perk , the character can deduce what direction he is facing and how deep he is beneath the surface of the earth . A general PER + Alertness test can be made to find a way back to an area beneath the earth the character has been before. ========================================================================== LAIRS Certain ancient demons or perhaps the Dead Apostle Ancestors will set up secret lairs where they rest and store their stuff. The Dead Apostles often use layers of Bounded fields to conceal their lairs and are said to be able to fool nature itself. Clearly Finding one of these areas is difficult because the entrance is cloaked in enchantment and is often trapped. Finding a way in is extremely hard, but entering it is quite dangerous. It's also a way for your Storyteller to sneak in an old dungeon crawl into a modern-day roleplaying game. The interior of one of these areas should be created by the Storyteller. Thanks to powerful, ancient sorcery, some of these areas are much bigger on the inside than they are on the outside. Loops, dead ends, intersections, cooridors, doors, and rooms are all possible. Traps such as pits, fire jets, moving blades, spikes, needles, and poison gas might be present. Unless the players are keeping track with a compass and map, they might find themselves getting lost very quickly. If the players are going to explore the area, establish points of interest in the cooridors and rooms for them to interact with, and populate the area with guardians. Sprinkle it with traps. If you're drawing the map, you can use illustrations and different colors to establish a key for yourself. A red star might represent a monster, etc. As always, establish the statistics for the npcs and monsters ahead of time. LAIR TYPE Roll D66 11-12 Maze (roll 1D6: 1-3 Hedge, 4-6 Stone) 14-16 Railway Tunnel 21-22 Dungeon 23-24 Sewer 25-26 Boat House 31-33 Cave 34-36 Cavern 41-43 Forest 44-45 Modern (Skyscraper, School, etc.) 46-53 Castle (Chateau, Mansion, etc.) 54-55 Tower 56-61 Mountain 62-63 Island 64 Burrow 65 Old Church (probably desecrated) 66 Abandoned Scientific Test Site Storytellers can use the above roll for inspiration and should not take it literally - if the "burrow" result came up, there's no reason why the creature couldn't create its own sinister version of Bag End. Or if the creature rolled "dungeon", it could have its own hidden lair deep underneath an old prison. A "castle" could just mean a sturdy chateau or large building, and it may or may not have fortiications. An Old Church could be a shrine, temple, mosque, or community center. A "tower" could be an old lighthouse that no one uses anymore. You get the idea. Storytellers can also roll several times to have a lair with multiple aspects (The Tohno Mansion is a Castle with a Dungeon and an Abandoned Scientific Test Site.) Finding the entrance could be a very involved process (playing a cursed videocassette, taking a red pill, driving down a deserted road and finding a house that wasn't there a few minutes ago, etc.) In the case of a Dead Apostle, patrolling enemies can include familiars as well as the Dead. Demons will have thralls and other demons, but might be able to arrange some kind of working arrangement with other beings as well. ========================================================================== PLACES AS CHARACTERS While PCs and NPCs have descriptions, statistics, histories, and the like, it's important for the games' places to have those as well. Fate's Fuyuki city is based on real-life Kobe, and that's part of the reason why each place in the story feels as real as it does. If you're building your own city instead of using Fuyuki or Misaki, you ought to try to make your city feel real. Instead of thinking of the city as a whole area, think of it as a collection of different chunks. Each chunk will have a writeup describing what makes it special. If the group wants to gain control of a chunk, the group members must fulfill certain conditions. Getting rid of the current Lord usually won't be enough to possess it. Gaining control of a chunk provides immediate benefits: each PC gains 1 free XP, and the group gets 5 XP to divvy up between the PCs or sock away for something else. Remaining in control of a chunk requires the group to deal with a lot of problems, and Storytellers can provide bonus XP for addressing those. If you have access to it, the Hunter the Vigil supplement "Block by Bloody Block" provides many excellent examples. While you probably won't be able to use the examples as they are written, it might help you get some neurons firing when you have to do the work yourself. Storytellers without access to that resource can avail themselves of this link, http://tinyurl.com/blockbybloodyblock, which provides some examples from the text. I'd also recommend taking a look at Silent Hill 2 for inspiration, as the town is just as much a character as the people in that game. It is also recommended to have a look at Twin Peaks for ideas on how to pepper each chunk and its Special Locations with minor characters. Books such as the Batman "No Man's Land" anthology and the Arkham City game show how territory is a coveted resource worth fighting over. Each chunk you care to stat will have a Description, General Modifiers, Conditions for Control, Liabilities, Consequences, Special Locations, Who's Doomed, and the Lord of the area. This is a modern game, so the Lord doesn't actually have to be nobility or even one person (he can be the owner of the area, or an elected official, the board of directors of a corporation, a cult, etc.) Description is just what it sounds. It's flavor text. Think of how it looks, how it smells, the general theme and feel of the area, what sort of people or things inhabit it, and the history and secret history of the chunk. General Modifiers denote changes to Skill Tests made in the area. Free wifi gives Computers tests a +1 bonus, a great library would give +2 to Research tests, stores of inaccurate and obsolete information in an archive would give -1 to Research tests, a working medical lab would give +1 to Medicine tests, a grim and dark alley might give -1 to Social tests except for intimidation (which would get a +2 circumstance bonus), etc. Pervasive CCTV in a chunk gives a minus to Stealth checks. The stink near a chemical plant might give penalties to smell-based Alertness checks. Being in control of the Tohsaka chunk (their mansion and grounds) might give a bonus to Jewel Magic. It might also give a +1 bonus to Influence rolls when negotiating with the Matous, their old allies. Simply setting foot onto the Matou chunk would give a -1 penalty to all Fear Saves because of the oppressive feel of dread that suffuses that chunk. Actually being inside the mansion itself would raise that penalty by another -1. Conditions for Control, as you might imagine, describe how to assume control of this area. This can include marrying into a family, being elected to office in it, defeating whatever demonic force controls it, etc. Liabilities describe problems that come with being the boss of this area. Taking control of a chunk means spending a lot of time there to manage its problems, hire and fire personnel, etc. If the area is cursed, healing back Life Points could take longer and Luck points could take twice as long to regenerate. Being underground might make it harder to practice certian skills (mental skills outside of Computers and Investigation cost extra XP (maybe 2 to 3 points extra) to improve, etc.). Police surveillance of an area might give a negative modifier to Streetwise tests. Drive rolls in a crowded area might be at a huge penalty due to bumper to bumper traffic. Consequences describe the problems that come when the area is taken by the PC (or NPC). This can often be making an enemy - maybe someone in the area isn't pleased with the change of captains, or someone else wants to move in, or not having the Lord in charge means the area starts to worsen from an increase in crime, If the area provides some kind of government service, then messing around there can bring up charges of terrorism. Special Locations and Who's Doomed denote places and minor people who can be found in these places. A hidden room or base would qualify, but so would the control room for a park, or a local deli where heads of state gather, a skyscraper with a hidden altar in its spire, an abandoned car factory, a field of unmarked graves, a nightclub, a haunted apartment room, a video arcade with an malfunctioning DDR machine that periodically glitches out and shows bizarre messages, an old rundown Victorian manse that doesn't fit with the village's rustic aesthetic and for some reason no one wants to buy it, the hidden demon worm basement/tomb in the Matou mansion, etc. Who's Doomed takes the form of minor bit players who inhabit the chunk and its Special Locations. It could be someone in charge of a daycare center who knows the area, or a waitress at the Double R Diner whose boyfriend is secretly dealing drugs and may have something to do with the murder of Laura Palmer, a conspiracy theorist at a community college, etc. These bit players will not all be allies of the Lord(s) in control of the area and some may even oppose it/him/her/them. The Lord is detailed with full stats like any key PC and NPC, and should also have notes for how the Lord will react to the involvement of PCs (in good or bad ways, depending how the PCs treat the situation). If they have a good relationship, the Lord will provide minor favors for the PCs. If they have a bad relationship, the Lord may try to punish the PCs. Before you build an area, think of the following: Description, Theme/Mood, General Modifiers, Mini Locations in the Chunk, How to Get The Chunk, How the Lord Got It, Why Would Anyone Want It, and Which Mods to Rolls do the Lord(s) Get and Which Mods do the Peasants That Live There Get. Some Lords get a chunk by fighting for it, but others just acquire them by buying out mortgages and rigging elections. The Lord of an apartment complex is going to be very busy maintaining it and keeping the renters happy. The Lord of several shopping districts is going to get bonus levels of Resources. Keeping a chunk is a push and pull mechanic, and the ousted elements or those that lost out in the chunk being claimed will resist. Banks can buy up buildings vital to controlling the chunk. Cops will pay more attention to the characters. The mob or gangs will push back. Elections happen in cycles. Gaining a chunk is hard. Keeping it is just as hard. ========================================================================== ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON COMPUTERS The Computers skill allows people to operate computers, but in the interest of clarity I think it would be good to mention some additonal facts about computers. Unless the Storyteller is running a game in the far future, computers can not think. While they are capable of complex calculation, they do not infer or extrapolate. Instructions given to them must be specific and direct, and they will be interpreted literally. Computers can not produce answers if they do not have the appropriate information. They are not crystal balls. Computers can not do much without the appropriate software - to display web pages in a meaningful way, the computer needs a browser. To write a report, the computer needs some kind of word processor. In order to use a bit of hardware, the appropriate driver must be installed. Computers are useful tools for organizing and analyzing data. In the hands of someone less scrupulous, they could be used to forge IDs and alter video footage. Users can find online forums, IRC rooms, BBSes, and other places where topics are being discussed. Although voip software has greatly reduced the need to make phone calls, some people still engage in Phreaking - using devices made with the Technology skill to 'hack' the phone system. Phreaking is not done out of malice or a desire to damage the phone system, instead Phreakers want to listen in on calls, make calls to BBSes, and make phone calls - all without paying any money. Lastly, the reader should know that real-life isn't like the movie _Hackers_. Not everything is online and connected to the internet. If the machine has no connection to the internet, it can't be hacked through the internet. Instead, a hacker must go to the machine or access it through terminals it is hardwired to (usually it is connected via a special cable.) Some additional rules for the Computers skill follow: Task Difficulty Number to beat on Roll Break into a system and copy data 9 (adjust for system security) Break into a system and alter data 11 Break copy protection on commercial software 10 Phreaking (finding an unlisted number) 9 Phreaking (redirecting phone calls) 11 Phreaking (never paying a phone bill) 12 Things that can penalize rolls include - Homebrew systems. The targeted computer is idiosyncratic and has its file system laid out in a peculiar way. The time needed to 'hack' it will be increased. If the computer is running homebrew software and hardware, the Difficulty Number will also be raised. - Complex Security Systems. In addition to using passwords, the system logs what accounts are being used to what ends and the number of times a user gets a password wrong. This security report also generates a log on the time of day the account was logged into. The system's logs, if unaltered, will eventually cause intrusion to be detected. - Encrypted data. Even if the hacker gets the data, he must still find some way to decrypt it before it can be used. - Physical access. If the hacker can physically manipulate the machine he is trying to break into, he is at +1 to his roll. - System Complexity. Large-scale mainframes or commercial networks cause bonuses or penalties to rolls depending on their security suites. ========================================================================== FALLING To calculate damage caused by falls, roll 1D6+1 and then multiply that by the appropriate multiplier. Divide the distance the character falls by 10 feet and that will yield the multiplier. The multiplier tops out at 20 -- falling further than that doesn't cause any extra damage, but it does give the character more time to watch his life flash in front of his eyes. This limit helps to preserve the cinematic feel of the game -- with enough Luck points, characters can shrug off the damage. It's also not totally unrealistic, as people sans parachutes have survived falling out of airplanes. Example: To escape from a rampaging demon, Erin hops out of a third story window. That's about 30 feet or so. Thus a multiplier of 3 is relevant for calculating damage. Here's where Athletics comes in handy. If the character can pass a successful DEX+ Athletics test, each success level they roll lowers the multiplier for the damage by one. If the success levels reduce the multiplier to zero or less, then the character takes no damage from the fall. While this seems strange, consider the videos of parkour one can see on youtube - with the right training, characters can leap from building to building and drop great heights without taking damage. If the multiplier is at 5 or higher, then regardless of how many success levels the character rolls with his Athletics test the damage multiplier can never be reduced to less than one. Hey, who knew that falling fifty feet or more could be bad for you? Example: Erin rolls 2 successes on her DEX + Athletics check, so the multiplier is reduced to 1. The Storyteller rolls 1D6+1 x 1 and gets a roll of 5, so Erin takes 5 points of Bashing damage. Had Erin rolled three or more successes, she could have made it out of there without taking any damage. ========================================================================== SUFFOCATION Any character can hold out for 6 + his CON in turns. After that, he must make a Consciousness test each turn with a cumulative -1. Every 30 seconds, he must make a Survival test with a cumulative -1. ========================================================================== POISONS Poisons have a Potency rating. To determine whether the effect takes hold, roll Potency X2 : The character's CON x 2. If the poison wins, the character has one Attribute lowered by each Success Level of the poison's roll. The Attribute drained depends on the type of poison. Paralyzing agents affect DEX, and debilitating venoms affect STR. Once the primary statistic is reduced to zero, the poison begins to drain CON - and once it reduces CON to zero, the victim dies. The frequency of the rolls and how many rolls the poison is allowed to make depend on how powerful it is. Deadly poisons get to roll every turn, but less powerful ones get to roll every minute, or hour, or day. Intelligence + Medicine rolls can be used to identify the poison and put together an antidote. Magickal poisons often requrie special ingredients for the antidote. Poisons affect every character unless he has some kind of Resistance. ========================================================================== DISEASES Diseases work like poisons, but roll less often (usually once per day). Many diseases do not kill, instead incapacitating their victims with nausea, cold sweats, fevers, chills, and other unpleasant symptoms. Some diseases are mystical, in which case mystical items must be used to brew a cure. Diseases affect every character unless he has some kind of Resistance. ========================================================================== RESUSCITATION While people die when they are killed, sometimes they are intact enough to be brought back without resorting to Necromancy. Bullet wounds (except to the head), drowning, falling damage, etc. may be treated with modern medicine. If the character is burned to a crisp or had his soul stolen, CPR will not be enough to save him. Resuscitation requires the attempting character the attempt to make an INT + Medicine Test with a penalty to his roll equal to -1 per five minutes since the character died. If the doctor succeeds, the Success Levels of his roll are added as a bonus to a new Survival Test for his subject. If the subject passes, he comes back to life. Side note: it'd be good to spend Luck on either the Resuscitation Test or the Survival Test. ========================================================================== ARMOR Armor either reflects or blocks the force of an attack, preventing sharp pointy things from finding vitals and absorbing impacts. In game terms the value of armor is subtracted from the damage rolled for an attack before the damage is modified (before the x 1.5 damage for Lethal). Armor is cumbersome, heavy to wear, uncomfortable, and hot. Only geeks walk around downtown in full body armor and expect no one to notice. Sometimes a certain kind of armor protects Type of Armor Armor Value Descr Leather Jacket 2 Biker Jacket - Protect yourself and look like the Fonz from _Happy Days_. Bulletproof Vest 10(5) What to wear to a gun fight, The second value is protection vs slashing and stabbing attacks. Stab Vest 8(4) Protects against blades but doesn't do much against bullets. Combat Armor 12 Worn by SWAT teams and soldiers. Leather Armor 3 Breastplate, helmet, arm and leg covers. Going to the Ren Faire? chain Mail 8(4) For times when you get medieval. The second value is protection vs bullets. Plate Armor 12(6) Includes Saber's battle dress. The second value is protection vs bullets. ========================================================================== SHIELDS Shields are uncommon but might be used by riot police. Riesbyfe Stridberg used a strange shield-like object when she was a vampire hunter. They might also be used by characters in a fantasy setting or in the distant past. To keep things simple, for the most part, if a shield blocking Test is equal to or greater than an attack roll, the attack is deflected by the shield. The bigger the shield is, the easier it is to block with. Size Block Bonus Target +0 Small (Chair) +1 Medium (Round) +2 Table +3 Large (Spartan-Sized) +4 If the attacker wants to break/blast through the shield, the following optional rules apply: Shields have a SA (Shield's Armor) rating which shows how much protection the shield itself has against attacks. The Damage Capacity for a Sheild is its "Life Points" (reducing it to zero or negative ruins the shield). The Barrier rating is how much damage a shield can block from an attack. If damage is left over, it carries through to the character (assuming the character isn't wearing additional armor that can soak the damage). Shields are used with DEX + Melee. Blocking with a shield is a defense action. Attacking with a shield is done with DEx + Melee, and causes 1D6 x STR in Bashing damage. A shield equipped with spikes on the side would cause Lethal damage instead. If a shield has an asterisk by it, its Shield Armor, Damage Capacity, and Barrier value is halved against bullets. Shield Type Shield's Armor Damage Capacity Barrier Garbage Can Lid* 2 10 8 Wooden Chair* 6 20 12 Table* 12 100 15 Small (Buckler/Target)* 15 80 15 Medium (Round)* 15 100 20 Large (Spartan-Sized)* 15 150 30 Riot 12 100 25 -------- DUCK AND COVER Characters can duck behind a shield and use it for cover against a missile attack. This requires a DEX + Dodge Test. Size Bonus Small/Chair +1 Table +3 Medium +2 Large +4 Riot +4 On a successful roll, the character has hidden behind the shield. The attack hits the shield instead and must get through its Barrier value before hurting the character. Arrows and bullets do only one point of damage to the shield. ========================================================================== SPECIAL TYPES OF BULLETS The rules for guns on pages 93-97 of the main book are mostly concerned with regular bullets. Here are some rules for determining the type of damage caused by particular types of bullets. Type Effect and Notes Normal Bullet Does the damage listed in the main book. Hollow-Point Bullet Does not penetrate armor well. Any armor the target is wearing provides doubled normal protection against this type. Any damage that gets through armor is increased by +4 (the bullet fractures inside the body, etc.) Armor-Piercing Bullet Halves the protection provided by any armor the target is wearing, but is less effective against simple flesh targets. Any damage that gets through armor is decreased by -4. Magnum/Super/Express This bullet has more power than other bullets of the Bullet same caliber. The damage multiplier for it is increased by +1. As seen in the rules, a .44 (D6 x5) bullet in mangnum would do D6 x6 Lethal damage. Rubber Bullet Does the damage listed in the main book but in Bashing, not Lethal. Bean Bag Round Fired from a 12 gauge shotgun. Medium Range is 6 meters, Long Range is 20 meters. It causes damage equal to a slug but in Bashing damage. Storytellers who want to be really cruel can have some sort of roll to determine of a Rubber Bullet or Bean Bag Round does Lethal damage instead of Bashing (Less Lethal ammo can still kill.) However, in the opinion of this author, doing so removes some of the cinematic feel of this system. People who want hard and gritty can play another game. The Nasuverse RPG is lethal enough. ========================================================================== THROWING STUFF Weight of Object Damage to Target Example 100 lbs or less 1D4 x STR End Table up to 200 lbs 1D6 x STR Human being, lazy boy up to 400 lbs 1D8 x STR Sofa up to 1000 lbs 1D10 x STR refrigerator up to 2000 lbs 1D12 x STR small car up to 2x above (previous +1) xSTR ========================================================================== DAMAGE TO SURROUNDING ENVIRONMENT DURING FIGHTS During a dramatic battle characters can cleave through walls, punch through them, etc. Wing it and describe as needed. ========================================================================== MAKING THE GAME MELTY Fans of the Melty Blood series may want to use a lighter-hearted style. The following suggestions are completely optional and many Storytellers will be reluctant to use them. They make the game less lethal. One thing to make the game Melty would be to allow every character to start off with two Hard to Kill levels for free and then allow the purchase of up to five more, even for human beings. Making the game Melty would also require all damage caused be treated as Bashing (even from slashing/stabbing/burning) and thus not subject to modification before being deducted from Life Points. Extra damage caused by targeting body parts (etc.) should continue to be applied because these maneuvers were designed to disable and kill in one stroke. This brings the game closer to fantasy than the current arrangement. I don't recommend setting the damage level to Melty but it may attract some players that prefer a looser game with a lot of combat. ========================================================================== BREAKING THROUGH BARRIERS The character must roll STR x 2 and get equal to or above the required number of Success Levels to break through the door or take it off its hinges. The Storyteller may decide to require the character to take Bashing damage if he keeps hurling himself against the barrier over and over again. Object Success Levels Required to Break Through Interior Door 3 Reinforced Door 4 (the first Success Level on any roll is ignored) Metal Door 6 (the first 2 Success Levels on any roll are ignored) Reinforced Metal Door 8 (the first 5 Success Levels on any roll are ignored) Interior Wall Armor value of 4, 20 points of damage Brick Wall Armor value of 6, 40 points of damage Concrete Armor value of 10, 80 points of damage ========================================================================== WEATHER This is adapted on other charts I found online. Apply common sense: a mild day in Seattle may include a light drizzle, but a mild day in Los Angeles might be sunny with patches of clouds. You can look at the average temperature for a place online and then adapt the following charts to suit that place. In general, Cold (Winter) areas are between 0-40F during the day, but 1D10+10F colder at night. Regular(Spring and Autumn) areas are between 40-60F during the day, but 1D10+10F colder at night. Warm (Summer) areas are between 60-85F during the day, but 1D10+10F colder at night. Hot (Desert and Tropical) areas are between 85-100F during the day, but 1D10+10F colder at night. Roll once or twice per day to generate weather. (Spring, Summer, and Autumn) Roll D66: 11-31 Clear [Wind Speed 1D10 mph] 32-36 Mild [Partially cloudy, spitting rain for 1D4 x 2 minutes, thin mist that evaporates in the sun, etc.] 41-43 Unseasonably Warm [Temperature + 1D6 x2 F] 44-46 Unseasonably Cool [Temperature - 1D6 x 2F] 51-65 Storm [Lasts for 1D7 hours, wind speed 30 + 1D10 x 2 mph, visibility limited] 66 Severe [A Tornado lasts 1D6 x 10 minutes, Hurricanes last up to 1D7 days and come with heavy rains. All have wind speeds in excess of 50mph.] (Winter) Roll D66: 11-36 Cold/Calm [Temperature D10x4 Farenheit during the day, - (1D10+10)F at night] 41-42 Heat Wave [Temperature +10 F] 43-51 Cold Snap [Temperature -10 F] 52-61 Precipitation [Roll 1D10: 1-4 Fog, 5-8 Rain/Snow, 9-10 Sleet/Hail. Snow and Sleet can only happen if the temperature is 30F or less. Preciptation lasts for 1d7 hours. Hail lasts for 1D10 minutes but accompanies 1D4 hours of rain.] 62-64 Snowstorm [Lasts for 1D7 hours. Wind speed is 30 + (1D10 x2) mph. ] 65-66 Blizzard [Has wind speed in excess of 50 mph and comes with 1D4 feet of snow.] (Desert Areas) Roll D66: 11-35 Hot/Calm [Temperature 80 + (1D10 x3)F, - (1D10+10) F at night] 36-51 Hot/Windy [As above, Wind speed is 1D10 x 2 mph.] 61-63 Hot/Windy [As above, Wind speed is 10 + (1D10 x3) mph.] 64-65 Duststorm [Smothers unprotected flames, characters must seek shelter.] 66 Downpour [Heavy Rain. Characters should seek shelter.] ========================================================================== DROPPED OIL LAMP TABLE 11-26 Light goes out, lamp is unharmed. 31-41 Lamp continues to burn unharmed, roll 1D8 to determine beam direction. 42-51 Lamp breaks and is now unusable. Oil spreads over the floor. Wick continues to burn with the brightness of a candle. 52-61 Lamp breaks and is now unusable. Wick goes out. Oil spreads over the floor. 62-66 Lamp breaks and spreads burning oil across the floor. The flames do damage like a small fire. ========================================================================== RANDOM TABLOID HEADLINE GENERATOR When your PCs pass by a junk newspaper, roll D66 a couple times to generate some headlines. note: some material lifted from http://www.qwghlm.co.uk/toys/dailymail/ Roll D66 Headline 11 Could dumbing-down steal the identity of (country name)? 12 Could cancer make hard-working families obese? 13 Do (thugs) have sex with common sense and decency? 14 Have pedophiles molested the royal family? 15 Will the loony left run the country into ruin? 16 Binge drinking eases mortgage pain 21 Do the polar icecaps cause swine flu? 22 Could cyclists give you diabetes? 23 Could thugs wearing hoodies have sex with the royal family? 24 Are lesbians scrounging off your daughter? 25 Justin Bieber is actually Hilary Swank 26 Political candidate actually Reptoid 31 Global warming caused by Twinkie shortage 32 Could Muslim immigrants make hard-working families impotent? 33 Has the housing price crash worsened global warming? 34 Pensioners deserve discounts for prostitutes 35 The post office is spying on you 36 The U.N. wants to take away your social security 41 Cats patiently wait to kill you 42 The Euro is one part of U.N. plot to destroy America 43 Hubble Telescope spots diety 44 Obese tourist collapses Tower of Pisa 45 Death wish vigilante slain by bazooka 46 Headless man in topless bar 51 Kiss my asteroid 52 Big Foot to reveal self to the world on Oprah 53 Juicing cures diabetes 54 It's 1984 all over again 55 Scientific ways to predict winning lottery tickets 56 Vanilla Ice predicted 9/11 in 'Ice Ice Baby' 61 FEMA camps to hide armed suppression forces 62 Tom and Thievery 63 Secret ingredient in Cookies 64 The future of our planet depends on what you do today 65 Nuclear showdown with Moon Men 66 Flash floods offer great impromptu surfing opportunities ========================================================================== RANDOM CLICKBAIT GENERATOR TABLE Just roll D66 twice and make a clickbait headline. Feel free to change the headline a little bit to have it make more/less sense. Some material was taken from the upworthy generator. Roll D66 for Table A: 11 Sixteen reasons why swords were better in the 1990s 12 What [B] did is genius 13 Watch [B] become a hero with two words and a question 14 Here is what happens when [B] talks about the elephant in the room 15 Here is what happens when [B] says what we've all thought 16 Try not to rage when you read to what [B] did 21 Listen to this one statement and tell me [B] is getting better 22 Before you say you're not racist listen to [B] 23 You need to see the sobering video [B] delighted the internet with 24 What happens when [B] doesn't worry what anyone thinks 25 The moment when [B] stands up to the critics 26 Some call it the solution to climate change. I call it a living nightmare. 31 You will gasp when you see what [B] created 32 Here is what happens when [B] says what no one else will 33 Try not to get angry when you listen to these two questions. 34 They call it the solution to climate change. I call it a living nightmare. 35 What [B] did is genius 36 If you can watch this and not feel outraged, you have a heart of coal. 41 I'll never look at [B] the same way again. 42 You'll get angry when you see what [B] has created 43 You should think about watching the ridiculous video [B] made 33 Some call it a masterpiece. They call it the world's greatest tragedy. 34 Before you say you're not a (1D3: 1 misandrist/2 misogynist/3 racist), listen to this one question from [B] 35 Try not to rage when you hear these six words. 36 I wish I was more revolted by what [B] proved, but I'm not 41 Try not to punch your monitor when you listen to [B] 42 Watch [B] become a role model with ten words 43 The moment when [B] stands up for the people who can't 44 You can't fathom the amazing music video [B] delighted the internet with 45 Watch [B] become a legend with one declaration 46 I thought (event) was a travesty, but then I saw this amazing blog 51 Think things were better when you were a kid? Maybe you should listen to [B] 52 Think partisan politics are killing America? Maybe you should listen to [B] 53 You can't imagine the (1D4: 1 blog post, 2 news article, 3 book report, 4 zine) [B] thought up 54 Read this post and tell me [B] can't be (something)phobic 55 I thought [B] was bad until I saw this tear-inducing vlog 61 Listen to [B] and then tell me computers have made the world a better place 62 Read about [B] and try to tell me the economy is better 63 I like how [B] is a thing, apparently 64 This video from [B] will explode your mind 65 Watch [B] speedrun though Guild Wars in under a minute 66 Watch [B] make money from watching The Walking Dead on a DDR pad Roll D66 for Table B: 11 this autistic former drug dealer 12 a dancer with a lame leg 13 a slandered bullied teenager 14 a physicist 15 this battlecry 16 a homeless pregnant teenager 21 an extroverted NFL coach 22 one transgender trailblazer 23 (tv talk show host) 24 Africa 25 a father of three 26 (famous bestselling book) 31 a criminal 32 a cancer patient 33 an angry millennial 34 a poet 35 a blind former model 36 a barrier-smashing NBA coach 41 this nostalgic mommy blogger 42 this single dad 43 babies 44 an unstoppable veteran 45 the United States 46 an unstoppable single dad 51 an unstoppable single mom 52 this angry kindergartener 53 this famous community organizer 54 a disabled blogger 55 this former child star 56 a late night TV show host 61 a bullied woman 62 unknown high schooler 63 this slandered blogger 64 this outraged stand-up comedian 65 an introverted physicist 66 this washed-up actor ========================================================================== RANDOM BAND NAME GENERATOR TABLE -Adapted from an online chartfrom Stanton Warriors Every band name is made of 1D2+2 words. ------------------ The First Word ------------------ Roll D66 11-12 The 13-14 Raw 15-16 Sexy 21-22 Epic 23-24 Warped 25-26 Ill 31-32 Bad 33-34 Sick 35-36 Smooth 41-42 Wicked 43-44 Young 45-46 Cold 51-52 Ugly 53-54 Loud 55-56 A/An 61 Roll 1D4: 1-2 Twisted, 3-4 Cool 62 Roll 1D4: 1-2 Wild, 3-4 Real 63 Roll 1D4: 1-2 Strange, 3-4 Illegal 64 Roll 1D3: 1 Insane, 2 Intense, 3 Silent 65 Slick 66 Thunder ------------------- The Second Word ------------------- Roll D66 11-12 Fallen 13-14 Stereo 15-16 Alien 21-22 Shadow 23-24 Crystal 25-26 Ghost 31-32 Sonic 33-34 Ice 35-36 Ninja 41 Cash 42 Dream 43 Thunder 44 Paper 45 Night 46 Lion 51 King 52 Motion 53 Death 54 Smoke 55 Psycho 56 Devil 61 Dust 62 Flash 63 Criminal 64 Blood 65 Pauper 66 Slash ------------------- The Third Word ------------------- Roll D66 11 Mind 12 Line 13 Sound 14 Roll 1D4: 1-2 Hustle, 3-4 Hustlin' 15 Attitude 16 Noise 21 Anthem 22 Storm 23 Roll 1D4: 1-2 Jam, 3-4 Jammer 24 Club 25 Amp 26 Therapy 31 Age 32 Star 33 Wheel 34 Town 35 Neat 36 Fire 41 Box 42 Blade 43 Fuse 44 Gate 45 Moon 46 Cube 51 House 52 Experience 53 Life 54 Euphoria 55 Eye 56 Ground 61 Era 62 Extra 63 Next 64 Fusion 65 Cartwheel 66 Spike ------------------- The Fourth Word ------------------- Roll D66 11-13 Records 14-16 Entertainment 21-23 Productions 24-26 Enterprise 31-33 Music 34-36 Records 41-44 Experience 45-51 Recordings 51-54 Records 55-62 Tunes 63-66 Business ========================================================================== RANDOM MAGES' ASSOCIATION THESES While some of these contain spells, many of them are books about magic and the occult. They are things you'll see pop up in a wizard's Occult Library. Some of them appeared in http://jrients.blogspot.com/search/label/random%20charts, others were taken from the Buffy and Angel television shows. Books from the Cthulhu Mythos RPG should turn up very rarely, if at all, because they aren't from the universe of the game (though someone could bring them across from their native dimension). Roll D66 11 Roll 1D4: 1-3 Feljun's Second Hypnosis, 4 Pyllinic Gyration Theory 12 Roll 1D8: 1-2 Idioms & Rare Cryptographs, 3-4 Lore of Subtle Communication, 5-6 Ancient Cryptomancy, 7 Traite des Chiffres, 8 Ars Magna et Ultima 13 Roll 1D8: 1-3 Classification of Spirits and Ghosts, 4-6 Theories on Cognition, 7-8 Seventy-Eight Skies of the Universe 14 Roll 1D6: 1 Manual Powers That Be, 2 Beyond the Horizon, 3 Pull Back the Curtain, 4 Pull the String, 5-6 Accelerated Gradation 15 Roll 1D3: 1 Advanced Oratory, 2 Invisible Forces, 3 Epic Heroes and You 16 Roll 1D6: 1-2 Displaced Milieu, 3-4 Creation and Modification of Matter, 5-6 Shadows of Starmine 21 Roll 1D8: 1-3 Deep Dream Hiking, 4 Influence on Solid Corpus, 5 Integrating Modern Materials into Spellcrafting, 6-7 Dissimilation and Obscuration, 8 Sacred Architecture 22 Roll 1D4: 1-2 Secrets of Nature, 3-4 Minds of the Unknown 23 Reactions of Phosphorus and Other Common Materials 24 Roll 1D4: 1-2 Repertoire of Illustrious Conjuration, 3-4 Anti-Matter and Anti-Worlds 25 Roll 1D6: 1-2 Encyclopedia of Imaginary Substances, 3 Clouds and Mist, 4-6 Studies on the Fourth Dimension 26 Roll 1D4: 1 Turning the Intangible Tangible, 2 Ordinary Necromancy, 3 Bricks of Occult Fortification, 4 Alteration of the Intrinsically Absolute 31 Roll 1D4: 1 Conceiving Conceptual Weaponry, 2 Inexplicable Reflections, 3 Bitterest Critique of the Frost, 4 Advanced Remote Viewing 32 Roll 1D3: 1 Influences and Suggestions, 2 Lords of Shadow, 3 Lamentations of Darkness 33 Roll 1D3: 1 Resonance of the Outer Void, 2 Book of Aurelius 3, Pagan Rites 34 Roll 1D3: 1 Deepest Fears of Humanity, 2 Petersen's Guide to Monstrous Beings, 3 Tiberius Manifesto 35 Roll 1D3: 1 Founding of the Secret Authority, 2-3 The Black Chronicles 36 Forgotten Sagas of Great Conjuring 41 Roll 1D4: 1-2 Passages of Parallel Worlds, 2 Journals of Dramius, 3-4 Hell's Offspring 42 Roll 1D6: 1-3 Converging Transitions, 4 The Mystery of Demon Dimensions, 5-6 Twilight Compendium 43 Roll 1D6: 1 Unknown Movements of the Universe, 2 Diary of Lucius Temple, 3 Blood Rites and Sacrifices, 4 Hebron's Almanac, 5 Merenshtahd's Text, 6 The Keppler Volumes 44 Roll 1D3: 1 Conditional Rupture of the Space-Time Continuum, 2 Hume's Paranormal Encyclopedia, 3 Labyrinth Maps of Malta 45 Roll 1D3: 1 Luminescence and Coloration, 2 Dulzuth's Book of the Dead, 3 Karsh's Grimoire 46 Roll 1D3: 1 Spherogenesis of the Multiverse, 2 Directorum Diabolus, 3 Ann's Alchemical Cookbook 51 Roll 1D3: 1 Powers of the Spiritual Will, 2 The Manifest of Lewis Vandredi, 3 Abyssus Draconicus 52 Roll 1D4: 1-2 Transcendental Impenetrability, 3-4 Tome of Rashid 53 Roll 1D4: 1-2 Manual of Magnetized Fluids, 3 Forgotten Kingdoms, 4 Making the Inedible Palatable 54 Roll 1D3: 1-2 Cabalistic Projection, 3 Text of the Sunken Spiral City 55 Roll 1D4: 1-2 Trance of the Intellect, 2 Tome of Horrors, 3 Rites and Rituals, 4 Contacting the Unknown Worlds 56 Roll 1D4: 1 Intuitive Domination, 2 Theatre of the Deranged, 3 Perpetual Engine Construction, 4 Dual Perspectives of Ougai Mori 61 Roll 1D6: 1 Puissance of the Memory, 2 Hidden Truths in Nursery Rhymes, 3 The Nameless Forest, 4 Darkness and Demons, 5 Introductory Lectures on Necromancy, 6 Circles of the Evoker 62 Roll 1D6: 1 Impressions of the Retina, 2 Pain of the Blasted Tree, 3 Truth of the Sixth, 4 Unseen Revelations, 5 Wizardry in the 21st Century, 6 The Statement of Wilton Burkes 63 Roll 1D6: 1 Oneiromantic Observations, 2 The Golden Eater, 3 Hidden Legends of Dracula, 4 Disputed Spoils of War, 5 Manipulation of the Elements, 6 Intervention of the Spirits 64 Roll 1D6: 1 Theories of Occult Mental Shock, 2 Messages on the Arrow, 3 Sons of the Sun, 4 Unified Language Theory, 5 Incredible Landscapes from Beyond, 6 The Tyranny of Beauty 65 Roll 1D6: 1 Libram of Paravisual Emanations, 2 Nemesis Theory, 3 Mystic Materiale, 4 The Universal Revelation, 5 Re-engineering the Mind, 6 Phenomena and Manifestations 66 Roll 1D4: 1 Hour Glass Symbology, 2 Avoiding Temporal Paradoxes, 3 A History of Betrayal, 4 The Ethics of Grave-Robbing ========================================================================== KEEPING MAGES FROM GOING OUT OF CONTROL The cost of Magic Circuit just went up. It will cost 3 points per level, not one. Everything else remains the same. ========================================================================== NEW NATURES AND DEMEANORS Capitalist Why give away something for free when you could sell it? You are a businessman, realizing that anything can be a commodity as long as you build a market for it. You understand how to make others think they need specific goods or services which you can provide. Anything can be used as an advantage, but you depend on your influence to help set up the big sales. Corporate bootlickers and salesmen are slaves to this Archetype. -Regain Luck when you close a deal or are able to barter a commodity. Commodities are not limited to physical things, they may be intangibles such as information, favors, or other vague details. Defender While not everyone is a warrior, you battle in your own area - welfare, medicine, religion, etc., using it to defend those who deserve a fighting chance. If you are a king, you got your title by protecting your vassals instead of favoring a lord. Some protect the weak, others protect the throne. -Regain Luck if you ward your patron or protectorate from a threat. Eye of the Storm While on the surface you're calm and collected, wherever you go, chaos is not far behind. Whether it's blazing cities, scandals breaking, or soap-opera level personal betrayals, havoc circles you like buzzards. You stay calm, but uncertainty and anguish await behind every corner. Gang leaders and other movers and shakers often have this. -Regain luck when the excrement collides with the air conditioner, whether it's a riot, a ruckus, or even a non-violent upset. Guru You've achieved a kind of inner peace and are a mentor. You may hold to a specific philosophy or creed or act as an idealist. Others recognize your harmony, which encourages them to pursue their own spiritual side. Zen masters, Cult leaders, and some priests are Gurus. -Regain Luck if someone seeks spiritual help from you and your guidance helps them achieve inner peace, especially if the course of action they take is not one they normally would. You also regain Luck if you reach an epiphany related to your own philosophy. Mad Scientist Your actions are illogical to all but you, and most people think you are bizarre; perhaps not crazy, but eccentric in the extreme. Your approach to problem-solving is radically different from the standard approach. -Regain Luck if someone misunderstood your actions or intent, which later was proved to be an effective endeavor (e.g., "They called me mad at the university, but who's mad now!") Magnificent Bastard You know that everyone will eventually turn against you, so you are out to screw them over first. You may seem normal until it's time for you to make your play. When you do act, your behavior is close to soap-opera level villany. It's a dog eat dog world, so grab the ketchup. -Regain Willpower if you find someone's weak point and use it against them. Predator Nature is based upon the survival of the fittest. You're damn fit. Predators are often stir-crazy if they haven't had a good fight in a long time; only the fresh danger of placing their life on the line in battle truly satisfies them. Ryougi Shiki exemplified this archetype. -Regain Luck if you single-handedly hunt and kill a powerful enemy. Savage Noble Civilization, diplomacy, and intrigue are the paths of cowards. Honor, strength, and bravery are the only things that count. No one gets respect from you until they prove they can hold their own. The weak are controlled by the strong. You may not be cruel, but you despise cowardice. If you have a title, you hold it through valor. -Regain Luck if your savage way of living triumphs over a civilized enemy or situation. Theorist Existence is a puzzle to be taken apart and put back together. You logically examine every situation or possibility, looking for patterns and logical outcomes. You do not always expect there to be a rational or scientific reason for everything, but you maintain a critical eye and use rigorous examination. The theories you craft may be ludicrous, but you stick by them. -Regain Luck if a systematic, logical approach helps you solve a problem, or if the data you gathered using logic is of use in more than one situation. Tyrant Trust no one else to do anything because they'll just screw it up. Watch over your charges and take matters into your own hands. Make sure they do it right -- they can't do anything without you guiding them every single step of the way. Tyrants have the vision of Directors (or at least believe that they do) but the people skills of Autocrats. -Regain Luck if you succeed through force of will, stubborness, and attention to detail. Wizard Knowledge is what gives you joy in life, and you enjoy solving problems with your wisdom as well as teaching others. -Regain Luck if you can help someone by using your store of knowledge or if you unearth an obscure piece of lore. ========================================================================== NOTES ON STORYTELLING - THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER Being a Storyteller requires a certain amount of finesse as well as the ability to stay cool. TVtropes suggests that a Storyteller (or Game Master as they like to refer to the job title) has four major roles to play: Manager. The Storyteller organizes the game, finds a place to play, deals with conflicting schedules, and tries to find a way to meet the needs and desires of all of his players. The latter task is particularly important in any roleplaying game. It is a volunteer activity and so your volunteers (or players) are important. Try to find a way to give every single one of them a chance to do something in the game. Because there will be a lot of player characters doing different things in different areas, switch focus every so often after a character successfully does something or attempts to do something. Make the players feel involved if at all possible. Referee. The Storyteller reads, interprets, and enforces the rules. If necessary, the Storyteller sets up House Rules if he does not like the rules as written. Director. The Storyteller manages the world and controls all the NPCs. He may also want to control a particular NPC that supports the group, but this may complicate maintaining neutrality. Author. The Storyteller loosely lays out the plot of the story in which the player characters do things. This must be done generally because there is no way to predict what the players are going to do. The Storyteller should set up places, populate them with NPCs, and determine any plot arcs that are occurring in these areas. Keeping all of the above in mind, I would like to offer the following bits of advice. Some appeared in "Listen Up, You Primitive Screwheads." You can not plan for everything that is going to happen. Therefore, don't try. Think about the beginning and the end of a Book when you are planning it. Storytelling is a kind of spoken jazz; you may know what the beginning and end are going to be like, but the path to get there may take unexpected turns. You also need to take a look at where the players want to take their characters and determine some of the ways their own journeys will go as the story progresses. When making your Story, it's a good idea to work with the Players and make characters that have some connection to the environment. This can include limiting possible races and making sure the characters have some link to each other so that when play begins no justification is necessary for them to work together. Look at Tsukihime - most of the characters grew up together in the same house (some were even members of the same family). Along the way, it's good to set up some planned events that help to guide the Story in the direction it needs to go. This can include side stories featuring one or two of the player characters as they go off to deal with some kind of problem (or a flashback episode). If you need to pause the game to look up a rule, then do so. I've had to do this myself as an ST. If you don't like the rule, make up a new one, make a note of it, and use it in your game instead. When writing a Story, fight scenes are your pepper. Without them, the Story would be bland and tasteless. Too much of them and it doesn't taste good. A little action now and then helps keep the players involved and interested in the Story, especially ones that generated fighter and hunter-type characters. If the players can't figure out what to do, or if they are doing something you didn't prepare for, you can always inject a little drama into the situation. Combat can also be a way to inject plot points - why were the player characters attacked? How were they attacked and what with? Who did the fighting? Combat doesn't always have to involve the PCs. An event which they witness can add atmosphere and background information. If you run the game, make sure you understand how to run combat. You can streamline a game by not requiring initiative rolls as often. Instead of every round, every 5 or 10 rounds is also fine. Note: The Athletics skill was not designed to be used in combat. It is a skill used to play sports. If characters try to use it instead of relevant skills such as Melee and Dodge, halve their skill and apply a negative modifier. If you don't have NPCs statted before a fight, take a few minutes to make DEX, CON, STR, Initiative, Movement, Life Points, and skills for each one before a fight. Relevant skills are Alertness, Brawl, Dodge, Melee, and Firearms. It takes a bit but it makes the combat run much more smoothly. Be sure to keep track of wound penalties. If you can, make stats for generic thugs, criminals, henchmen, cops, guards, etc. and reuse them throughout the Story. If you run a combat-heavy game, allow the player characters to regain a point of Luck between every scenario as compensation. As you write the story, make up some NPCs the characters will interact with. If Player Characters are going to frequently encounter certain settings, places, and people, they should be detailed before playe begins. Players will probably try harder if they see the Storyteller did his homework. If you can, try to print out articles and texts the player characters come across for their players to read. Feel free to use actual real-world newspaper and magazine articles for this. There are other thingns you can do to add a feeling of reality. Darkening the room is a neat trick to try if you are roleplaying a night scene. The neon glow of a Tokyo skyline could be simulated with a dark room, glowsticks, and crowd noises on the stereo. If you want to avoid giving your players clues from facial expressions, a pair of reflecting sunglasses can hide your eyes and avoid "tells". I talked about props (and I like to use them sometimes) earlier in this rambling narrative, but I'd like to suggest some things to avoid if you can. Having a tv running where players can hear it ruins any attempt to set a mood or narrate a scene. Kills it dead. That includes one player wandering away from the table to play Melty Blood while the rest of you are trying to tell the Story. Lighting, music, and sound effects can add ambiance but at the end they are but another tool, and therefore not as important as telling the Story itself. For every 10,000 people in your city, you need 1 memorable NPC. Each player character will probably have about 1D4 NPCs he regularly encounters. Keep track of these guys, their stats, and how they feel about and react to the player characters. You can use a spiral notebook or your laptop computer. As the player characters continue to work, these characters can come back to haunt them. If the players encounter the NPC in an area that was fully mapped out and had props, they are more likely to remember the NPC later on. The same applies to settings, which are characters in their own right (see p. xxx) The player characters in the Nasuverse RPG are generally very powerful. They're half-demons, familiars, wizards, vampires, and homunculi, and even the human characters have the gift of free will. When Nasu or Urobochi Gen plotted their stories, they were able to control every character and manage every plot arc. For that reason there is the possibility that you will have to deal with power-player. A really good example of a power player is Pete's unlikeable character R2-D2 from Darths and Droids. Pete designed a character to maximise all the skills he thought would come in most useful in a space game, at the cost of being a short, mute, fat robot with no arms. If you think one of your players is determined to be a power player, hit him with the consequences of his actions (killing an NPC in front of witnesses leads to being arrested for murder, etc.) Likewise, arguing how aspects of this game about vampires, psychics, demons, and wizards aren't realistic is a waste of time. This is a game and if the bullet damage isn't realistic enough, who cares? If the characters are making combat machines, they'll be useless in situations other than combat - they'll be unattractive, inattentive, blunt, selfish, and crude, which can hurt the group in a lot of ways. The Nasuverse is the real world with some other layers added on to it. The Player Characters have to live in the real world too. This goes for player characters walking around armed to the teeth - they'll encounter nervous store help, the police, nervous security guards, the police, will have their rents raised, the police, etc. There are ways players can cheat at roleplaying (not showing you their dice rolls, rolling ahead of time and saving a good number for a Test, saying he succeeded instead of telling you how many Success Levels he got on a Test, lying about his statistic and skill levels, etc. Stop this one right quick as soon as you see it. Ask him to only roll dice when you ask him to make a Test, and demand he do it where everyone can see it. And if he announces the results of his Skill Test before anyone can see the die roll, ask him to roll it again. Players should also announce any targeting they want to do for their shots before they make them. That means if the character is going to target the head, his player must announce his intention to do a head shot before rolling the D10, not afterward. Deciding you're going to make a called shot only after you get a good enough result is also cheating. People storytelling this system just can not do that or else the players will wonder what they are there for. Let the players enjoy the priviledge of shaping the story with you and try to adjust your plotline to what the players are trying to do. When making a Story, you have to allow the players to have input on the plot path or else they'll feel their time is being wasted. Further, if they are participatin in a a scene that is very important to your plotline, make sure it goes as scripted (lower the difficulty for a key Test in it so the player succeeds at the task. Just don't let the player know.) Social tests might receive a bonus or penalty to the roll for roleplaying. Even though you must run the enemy NPCs, you should not be out to kill the Player Characters with unfairly powerful enemies. A Total Party Kill (TPK) will bring your story to a screeching halt. Maiming and crippling are acceptable alternatives, and if the characters have made the law mad at them, they may be captured or audited. At the same time, run the enemies intelligently. If the Player Characters can think, plan, and execute attacks well, so can the enemy opposition. Bad guys don't want to be killed, so they wear armor. They set traps. Maybe they even have powers and spells. Churn out high-level enemies instead of mooks. Have their statistics about equal to that of the PCs - maybe even 1 or 2 points greater. If the players are determined to play extremely powerful characters, they are going to attract a lot of attention, and not all of it will be pleasant (Ryougi Shiki had Araya Souren and his crew to deal with.) Bank accounts can be frozen, houses can be raided, and jobs can be lost. Actions have Full Life Consequences. Even tough characters can be killed by bombs, which can be hidden and controlled remotely. Bad guys can use team tactics. A sniper can be out of sight on a rooftop, stocking up Aiming bonuses until he's ready to take the shot. Player characters have to breathe, eat, and sleep. And there will be unbeatable enemies. People have asked why I haven't statted Primate Murder or ORT [Type-Mercury]. I don't need to. If player characters fight them, the player characters lose. The End, roll credits, thank you for your time. We often talk about how the Nasuverse RPG was intended to be a Cinematic system instead of one revolving around crawling in a dungeon. For that reason, it's often important to think of the format of a serial television show in terms of structuring your games. When you introduce an NPC. give the character some quirk, accent, or other distinguishing characteristic to allow for instant recognition among the players. Regular events in the game world give players something to look forward to, and starting with the same thing every week gives a framework for beginning the game. That can be a recap, the player characters gathering together to watch their favorite show on tv, eating bad food at a family restaurant, or so on. You may have players that have never read any of Nasu's work or seen any of the shows based off of same (quibbling about quality aside, it is easier to get someone to watch a tv show than read a book.) For these players, you need to describe how the world works for them. If you can, show instead of telling. They could play Victims (pre-generated PCs who die while introducing key villains/monsters, etc.) before switching to their main characters. After the main characters are ready, introduce people they owe debts/favors to, people they know from work, and so on. As they play, you can tell them things their characters would know about the world. This includes trying to deal with cast changes. One of your players could drop out of the game, which may mean his character is either put on a bus or thrown under one. If the players want to try a different kind of game from your usual Story, then write a Limited Series and generate characters for them to play in it. It'll glut their appetites and then you can get back to what you originally had in mind. Creating an interlude where the attention shifts away from the regular group and over to someone else makes the world feel a little bigger and more complete. The interlude might also revolve around one character that isn't obviously the big fat hero of the regular group. In comic books, they called these special episodes either one-shots or team-ups. If it was a flashback interlude, update the campaign world to reflect the changes the characters made during the flashback. ========================================================================== CORRECTED RULES FOR BULLSEYES AND BOTCHES If you roll a '10' on your Skill Test, and you are doing something related to your specialization, you keep the '10' you rolled and then roll and add in 1D6. If you are not doing something related to your specialization and you roll '10', then keep the '10' you rolled and add in 1D4. If you roll a '1' on a Skill Test, you roll 1D10 and _subtract_ that from your skill + statistic pool. If '1' comes up again, you've rolled Snake Eyes or a Botch. Your storyteller will check page 83 of the main book if that happens. There is a chance it will turn out to be a Standard Failure, which isn't terrible. ========================================================================== FURTHER NOTES ON LUCK To some degree, your Luck rating helps show your character's current mood. If you are at full Luck, then you are relatively energized and upbeat. If you are at less than half of your maximum Luck rating, you probably feel lethargic. If you have no Luck points left, you are physically and spiritually spent. Almost no characters should ever be allowed to go above 10 Luck points. An extremely high Divinity rating will allow a character to go above 10, but this is a decision left to the individual Storyteller. While it is rare for a character to permanently lose points of Luck, it is possible. This can be the result of an unusually strong curse or a lobotomy. Storytellers are free to come up with other justifications. An additional use for Luck is the so-called "Luck Roll". This is done by taking the character's functional Luck and then adding 1D10. Luck Rolls can determine whether an NPC is home when the characters come to visit without calling first, or if a homeowner returns early while the PCs are ransacking her place. If the PCs are in a group the Storyteller is encouraged to use the PC with the _lowest_ functional Luck for this. If the Storyteller wants to be kind or the circumstances are favorable, a modifier could be applied to the Temporary Luck for this roll (x2, x3, etc.) Naturally the PC in question can not spend a Luck point for a bonus to this roll. ========================================================================== MUSIC FOR THE GAME Scoring your sessions of the game requires a good mix of music. Here are some soundtracks I recommend for this game. This list isn't inclusive, and you will of course need to assemble a list of tracks. I recommend putting together 60 to 90 minutes worth of music for each game and tie the tracks to certain events. If you collect these soundtracks in flac or mp3 format, you can make a folder and copy the appropriate tracks into it. As the event begins, drag, drop, and play the relevant track in foobar or winamp. I highly recommend foobar and a usb dac for playing back music. Akumajo Densetsu Remilia Bayonetta Castlevania Curse of Darkness, Symphony of the Night, and Lament of Innocence Clock Tower 3 and 4 Ergo Proxy Metroid Prime 1-3 (some of the tracks would make for good ambience) Millennium Mirror's Edge Ori, Ochi, Onoe (game ost) Portal 2 Parasite Eve (game, not the movie) Resident Evil 2 and 3 (games, not the movies) Scarlet Symphony Original Symphony Saber Marionette R Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei Silent Hill 1 and 2 Complete Shakugan no Shana Steins;Gate Tenchu 1-3 To Aru Kagaku no Railgun To Aru Majutsu no Index Tron Evolution Tron Legacy Umineko (games, not the anime) Witch Hunter Robin ========================================================================== ERRORS AND OMISSIONS Typos aside, rebuilding the PDF of the main book squeezed some stuff off of the pages. Unfortunately, the sheer size of the text has also complicated the task of keeping the text as accurate as it should be. That will be corrected here. (p10) The Director Archetype is missing something. The main difference between this Archetype and Autocrat is that the Autocrat craves power for its own sake and is pointlessly bossy. The Director wants things in order and wants to guide people to a desirable outcome which the Director has planned out in advance. While the Director wants to be the leader, he also organizes, delegates, and tries to make things work. (p25) Antisocial Personality Disorder was edged out. It is a 4 point Flaw. If the character has it, his conscience is non-functional [continue from the top of page 25 here.] (p45) A missing quality is Mega-Attribute. With this Perk, a player may increase one of his primary statistics by one level per quality point invested. After the statistic reaches level five, it requires two points to raise. Mega-Attribute is a supernatural Quality and doesn't (p66) Telepaths can form a "virtual network" with their WILL in many people as they know well (close friends, etc.) Once the network is set up, the telepath becomes an operator/switching board, and the group can communicate through the telepath with each other. This communication works regardless of distance, although if one of the characters goes to another dimension he is disconnected from the system. If the telepath himself went and everyone else remained behind, the entire network would go down. The network functions as long as the telepath is awake, but if he goes to sleep and reawakens, the network will also reawaken. A telepath can also read the mind of someone if he touches them or looks into their eyes, and the subject can resist with an opposed WILL x 2: WILL x 2 roll. Eye contact will only work if the subject is in telepath's WILL in feet away from the telepath. No long-distance reading through telescopes. If the telepathy roll is successful, the Success Levels rolled determine how long the mind can be probed. Successive attempts to probe the same mind before resting for at least three hours are tiring. Each attempt suffers a cumulative -2 penalty. If the Telepath dives into the mind of something especially alien and/or evil, he may need to make a Fear Save and take some Madness Points. (p78) Appraise is now its own skill and is seperate from Finance. (p79) Acupuncture is now a specialization within the Wild Card (Unconventional Medicine) skill. It is no longer part of Medicine. (p159) For Someone's Glory costs 3 points for Rank C, 4 points for Rank B, and 4 points for Rank A. (p160) Item Construction has been rewritten. Ranks in this Special Servant Quality show how many levels of the Enchanter/Superscientist Perk the Servant has: Item Construction Rank Enchanter/Superscientist Perk E 2 D 4 C 6 B 8 A 10 Item Construction is clearly an expensive Special Quality to possess, for the resulting magic items they can build are extremely powerful. (p165) It costs no Luck points to activate Projectiles. The Servant either has them or he doesn't. (p167) Territory Creation has no quality point cost. Rank D costs 8 points, Rank C costs 12 points, Rank B 14 points, and Rank A costs 16 points. (p212) Rin is listed as an Average One by Nasu, and receives a +1 when she attempts to cast a spell within the Flame, Earth, Water, and Wind categories. She still keeps her bonus for casting Curses. ========================================================================== EXPANDED NOTES FOR MANA TRANSFERENCE A guest writer (Cocherns) has some detailed rules for mana transfer through intimate contact.: The general rule seems to be (from Fate/Stay Night) is that the sex must be consensual and pleasurable for both the people involved, and the intent to transfer mana must be declared by both. Of course what counts as consensual can be blurred a bit when supernatural beings other than human mages get into the picture. Certain supernatural entities are known to be awfully good at seduction (which counts as consensual sex unless it's actual mind control). [Others may have] non-consensual means of gathering Mana from unaware people (demon, vampire, etc.) Sex often seems to be a way to get around mana capacity limits, and even a convenient way to deal with the problem of a Magic Circuit of less than three. But the act must be uninterrupted and have time to be suitably intimate (bare minimum of 15 minutes of game time, I'd say, with 30 min preferable for transferring large amounts). If the act is interrupted, no transfer. NO mana transfer quickies. Draining Mana from someone not intending to give it would at bare minimum require some sort of Perk (which might come with certain supernatural packages). Being unable to turn off the mana draining ability would definitely be a flaw (which may also come in a supernatural package). Draining from those without Mana this way [causes the loss of Life Points] instead, which are then converted to Mana at a 2:1 rate (succubi are infamous for this). I would allow "normal humans" to give some of their life energy (Life Points) as mana rather painlessly in this fashion, but it would count as lethal, and thus would take a lot of time to heal. This can come in the form of drinking blood, etc. Being unable to transfer mana to a Servant despite the requisite 3 magic circuit is a definite flaw, as there is no guarantee that there will be time for intimate mana transfer. If the player sees this as free points, you are entitled to make SURE it bites them in the ass. Also note that magus lovers can set up mana sharing through intimate encounters (Unlimited Blade Works says so!), but I'd rule that both have to be faithful (at least since the last time they did it) to maintain it. While breaking it off without cheating is possible, it's impossible to cheat and NOT break it (but you aren't required to tell them you are reforging it. just hope they don't try to use the connection before then). For it to be count as cheating it must be consensual.