Chronicles of darkness corebook pdf download free

Rose Bailey, Meghan Fitzgerald, David A Hill Jr, Danielle Lauzon, Matthew McFarland, Matt Miller, John Newman, John Snead, Travis Stout, Audrey Whitman, Stew Wilson, Filamena Young, Eric Zawadzki

NOW... “This is all your fault,” Dawn whispered. They were running. Well, scrambling really, searching for the safety exit Ximena had been so certain was down this stretch of hallway. “Well, you were the one who shined the flashlight in its eyes. You woke it up.” “You were the one who screamed when it looked at us.” “I wasn’t expecting it to move! Besides, it didn’t even have any ears.” “Maybe you just weren’t looking closely enough. It probably had, like, a hundred ears. And it’s chasing us because you screamed at it.” “Then why are we even whispering?” Mena huffed, “It’s not like it matters. If it’s got a hundred ears it can probably hear us everywhere. Dawn….did it look like Mrs. Luz to you?” “I hope not. If I just hit Mrs. Luz with a flashlight your mom is going to kill me. Even if it was your idea to come down here in the first place.” “Yeah, well, let’s worry about how long we’re going to get grounded once we’re definitely sure we’re going to live long enough to get grounded.” They skidded to a stop in front of a smooth metal door and Mena cursed. “Swearing is vulgar,” Dawn said, breathless and bitterly disappointed. They’d finally found a door. But there was no knob. “You better run and go tell your mom, then. Don’t worry about me, I’ll just stay here and get eaten by something with a hundred ears while I’m waiting for you to stop being a baby.” Dawn crouched on the floor and peered through the hole where the doorknob ought to have been. “And I’ll know when it’s here eating you because you’ll shut up for the first time in your life.” Mena rolled her eyes. “You’d miss me so much you’d die.” “Yeah, ‘cause that thing would eat me next. My last few seconds of life would definitely be spent silently mourning you, though. Not wondering why I let you talk me into this.”

“As long as we’re clear on that.” Mena picked up a screw from the ground next to Dawn. “Geeze, whoever broke these doors sure didn’t know what they were doing. Can I have your flashlight?” Dawn handed it over. “The lens is cracked, but the bulb still works. What do you mean?” Mena gestured at the metal detritus around them. “I mean that they didn’t just take the knob off, they wrecked it. These screws are stripped, and the wood’s cracked where they must have....pulled it out? Dawn, what room is this?” Dawn looked up. “It’s pretty dark, so I’m not sure, but I think it’s the compactor room. Why?” “Who would want to break the door to the trash compactor? It’s half off its hinges.” Dawn went pale. “Mena, what are we actually doing down here?” “Well you heard my mom. When Jenna went missing, it was down here. So it’s the best place to check. And the cops didn’t even look for her. They probably missed lots of stuff down here.” “Like the creepy old woman chasing us?” “Well if they’d seen her, wouldn’t they have done something?” Dawn shot Ximena an irritated look. “Yeah, they would have shot her and then we all would have gotten arrested for making the place look untidy. Use your dang head, Mena. They didn’t look because they didn’t want to find anything.” “Maybe they knew there was something down here? I saw the cop who handcuffed your dad talking to the lawyer who’s been hassling papi to sell this place.” Dawn shuddered. “Ew, the one with the milky eyes? He gives me the creeps. Why didn’t you tell me you thought there might be someone down here?” “I didn’t think they would still be here! Or that you were going to blind the first thing we saw before cracking it in the face with your flashlight.” “At least I’m taking initiative.” She paused for half a breath. “Don’t you live here? How do you not know where the emergency exits are?” “Not all of us were born thirty years old, Dawn. There’s a map on the door in my apartment, okay? I didn’t think I’d need to memorize it.” Dawn digested that for a moment, looking thoughtful. “But, if you had to guess? The next door? The one after that? Mena, we’ve got to have run at least a mile by now and we haven’t even turned a corner. The building isn’t this big.” “Look!” Mena grabbed Dawn’s shoulder and they careened toward a door fitted so close to the wall that they had almost run past it. “See, I told you the fire door was this way.” “Mena...are you sure this is the right door?” The door was damp and hot to the touch, its surface so soft that Dawn’s hand left fingerprints where she touched it. She quickly pulled her hand away. “Ew! Mena, the door was feeling my hand. It was, like, touching me back.”

“3B? I didn’t know there were apartments down here.” The number looked like it had been carved into the door with a knife, exposing some red-brown interior wood. Mena raised a hand to touch it. “No.” Dawn grabbed Mena’s hand and started pulling her away. “No, this door is weird and it’s not the right one anyway. Let’s go already.” “Dawn, it’s just a door. It couldn’t be touching you back.” She stepped back toward the door. “Aren’t you the one who’s always saying we should, you know, examine our world? I’m going to test your hypothesis that this ordinary door is covertly feeling the hands of teenagers.” Its surface seemed to ripple slightly, smoothing into something that almost looked like wood grain. “Look! It moved! Didn’t you see it move? Ximena Luisa Salazar, there is something made of skin and old clothes that is chasing us. It seems like a bad time for you to demonstrate a sudden interest in skepticism!” Dawn started dragging Mena back away from the door. As she did, a tiny tendril of something wood-colored stretched off the surface of the door toward Mena’s hand. Dawn shrieked and pulled Mena so hard they both fell over. Mena staggered up and helped Dawn to her feet. “Okay, I’m going to tentatively confirm your hypothesis that this is a totally weird door and we should run.” “Thank you.” “Little rats, little rats, what are you doing in my basement?” The voice seemed to come from the walls themselves, dry as old paper and matte quiet, without even an echo to point to where the old woman might already be standing. They spun, waving the flashlight around them. “Oh, shit,” Dawn whispered. For all her shaking, Mena spoke up first. “It’s our basement too, you know. We live here. We’ve got just as much of a right to be here as you.”

TEN MINUTES AGO... Dawn swung her flashlight around the room once more. “Mena, I don’t think there’s anything down here. Just a bunch of spiders and broken furniture. Why hasn’t your dad cleaned this out yet? There’s practically a whole new unit.” A voice from the hallway called, “Too close to the laundry room outtake, it kept getting mildewy and no one wanted to stay there.” She poked her head through the doorway. “Gross, it even smells mildewy in there.” “What am I looking for again?” “Anything of Jenna’s. I dunno, earrings or a school book or her stupid pony pen case.” There was a clink and a roll and Dawn’s flashlight skidded to a halt. “Butterflies?” “What?” Ximena started walking into the room. “Did she like butterflies?” “Yeah, I think she collected them or something. Why?” Dawn gestured down to the jar of butterfly wings rocking against the concrete. They took reflexive

steps toward one another, and Dawn slowly panned the flashlight up. The pile of old clothes crammed between the two halves of a broken couch rippled as the light moved, settling onto a perfectly still face under the pale yellow light. “Dawn,” Mena whispered, “can you make it any brighter?” “I think so.” The flashlight clicked twice, deepening the shadows in the still, wrinkly face. Within those depths, one eye opened. Then the next. It lunged, clumsy and covered in piles of fabric and clattering everywhere with little bits of children’s jewelry. Mena screamed; Dawn swung the flashlight wildly and heard it crack. The light flickered and something howled. And they ran.

AND THEN... A figure peeled away from the shadows, close enough for Dawn to feel its breath, cold and rotten smelling, on her neck. From far away she had looked impossibly old. Yesterday, half a hallway away, Mrs. Luz had been a picture of decrepit old age, with furrows of loose skin bunched along her face and arms, crowding her faint features; squeezed into a baggy dress and dull support hose. Today, and this close, the resemblance to a person somewhat faltered. The skin seemed to shape her face, rather than the other way around, forming the impression of eyes and mouth out of shadow and flesh. The hose melted into the color of dry skin as she rippled rapidly toward them. Her hand flowed towards Dawn like water, skin crashing onto skin, lightly stretching to engulf her outflung arm. Dawn screamed and desperately yanked at her arm, now surrounded by a puddle of skin mottled and studded with tiny blue streaks that must have looked like capillaries at a distance. “Mrs. Luz?” Mena tentatively called out. Her voice sounded like bedbugs and waking up in a cold sweat. “As good a name as any other. But you can’t name me to get rid of me, little rat.” She slowly pulled Dawn closer. “This is your home too, eh? Which one of you belongs to the man who owns my nest?” More soft waves of skin crept down Dawn’s arm and across her chest, and her struggling was getting fainter. “Don’t wait too long, I might lose interest in your answer.” Mena tried to grab Dawn’s other arm, but Mrs. Luz wrenched her away, spinning her to the left. Dawn whimpered, then turned her head and mouthed something Mena couldn’t understand. “I am! It’s me, let her go,” Mena shouted The folds of Mrs. Luz’s face rearranged into something that might have been meant to be a smile. “Good girl. You will take a message from me to the man.” Dawn was shifting, very slowly, in Mrs. Luz’s grasp. She caught Ximena’s eyes again and stared; gesturing slightly to the left with her eyes. Dawn was angry, not scared, so she must need time. Mena paused and tried to catch Mrs. Luz’s eyes. “What man?”

“To your father, stupid child. Tell him he mustn’t sell my home to the hollow men who have been creeping around here at night. I’ll kill as many of you as I must to drive them off, but it can all stop if he promises not to sign anything they give him.” “Hollow men? The lawyer, you mean? Papi said he was a real estate investor.” “Nonsense words. He is an empty thing that traded favors for a face and a name, and the men he speaks for don’t even have the grace to cast a shadow. They are hollow men and they must not be allowed to put their clockwork...” Mena interrupted her, angry. “Wait, you’ll kill as many of us as you must? What did you do with Jenna?” “The soft, pink one? She was oily but toothsome. You, I suspect,” and she shook Dawn again, who struggled harder this time, palming something, “will need to sit a few days before you are soft enough for my old teeth.” Mena tried to stay calm. “But you’re scaring everyone away! If any more tenants leave we won’t be able to afford to live here. He’ll have to sell.” Mrs. Luz appeared to consider this for a moment. “The man’s gold is his own to track. Tell him not to sell or I’ll collect you next.” Mena didn’t quite suppress a shudder. “I will, but only if you let her go.” “I will not. You are the child with the message, so this one is for me. You are thoughtful to have brought her, and she will buy your safe escape.” “You evil old witch!” Mena threw Dawn’s flashlight at Mrs. Luz – and regretted it almost instantly when one of the folds of skin holding Dawn in place reached out to bat it away. Dawn, in that moment, wrenched herself forward to face Mrs. Luz, and emptied a can of pepper spray into the folds where her face should have been. Mrs. Luz reeled backward, screaming, as Dawn braced herself against the dress-colored flesh and pulled her arm free. “Come on, this way!” Mena was already running. “Dawn, wait, this is the way we came!” “I know, just trust me!” Mena tailed Dawn back to the door with no knob. “No, this is a stupid plan. Do you even know how to turn it on?” “Only one way to find out! Come on, help me pull this thing open.” The wood splintered and came apart. Not open, but open enough for them to crawl through. Before climbing in, Dawn pressed the remains of the doorknob into Mena’s hands. “You’re a better pitcher than me. Remember, all you’ve got to do is get her attention.” The minute that Ximena stood outside the wreckage of the door lasted six years. So when she saw Mrs. Luz charging toward her, screaming so loudly it rattled Mena’s teeth, she was a little relieved.

“If this works, I am never going to try to solve a mystery again as long as I live.” She took a deep breath and shouted, “Hey, ugly!” Mrs. Luz sped up, all pretense of human form giving way to a rolling mass of mottled flesh. To her right, she heard a slow whirr and a chunky metallic crash. With a smile, she lined up a pitch; and hit Mrs. Luz right in the center of the red, blistery mass where her face had been. She scrambled through the hole they’d broken in the door and flattened herself against the far side of the compactor door, afraid to breathe. It was terribly dark. Dawn had thrown her jacket over the red warning light, and was standing in front of the open compactor door. Mrs. Luz burst through the broken door, sending splintery shards of wood everywhere, and saw Dawn, fully illuminated by the hallway light and looking convincingly terrified. “Naughty rat. Did you think you could hide from me in my own nest?” She lunged, and Dawn leaped to the side, letting momentum take its course. Mena slammed the compactor door shut, and Dawn frantically set it in motion. They huddled against each other and waited until the screaming stopped. Neither of them could work up the nerve to open the compactor and make sure she was really dead.

AND AFTER THAT... “Do… do you think she’s the only one?” Late that night, they were crammed head to tail into Dawn’s twin bed, reminding each other that it really happened. “What would you do if she wasn’t?” Ximena swallowed hard. “Well, maybe we should look for them. Maybe they’re not all mean and crazy like Mrs. Luz. Maybe there are some nice ones who could, like, use a friend or something.” “Do you really think anything like her could actually be friends with us?” “Well maybe we should look anyway. We’ve already fought one, right? That makes us practically qualified to find – fight – monsters.” “I’ll think about it,” Dawn paused, “But you can’t tell anyone else. Especially not your little brother. He’s got a big mouth, and you never know who might be a… monster.” The next week was weird. Once the court gag order was lifted they could talk, a little, about what had happened. The official word was that a homeless woman had snuck into the basement and attacked the girls while they were cleaning. They ran away, and in her pursuit she hit her head so hard on the concrete steps that it broke her nose and cheekbone, accounting for the corpse’s unusually distorted and swollen face. Unrelated, Mrs. Luz, the longest-lived tenant of their building, died of heart failure. She left no next of kin.

Credits

Special Thanks

Chronicles of Darkness

The First Edition Authors, for opening up a bold new chapter in the history of the World of Darkness. The Onyx Path Developers, for all your many answers to arcane questions and your contributions to brainstorming. Ken Cliffe, Justin Achilli, and the 2004 White Wolf Crew, because we’d never be here without you.

Authors: Rose Bailey, Meghan Fitzgerald, David A Hill Jr, Matt Miller, Travis Stout, Audrey Whitman, Filamena Young Developer: Rose Bailey Editor: Dixie Cochran Artists: Brian Leblanc, Sam Araya, Durwin Talon, Jeff Holt, Andrew Trabbold, David Leri, Andrew Hepworth, Cathy Wilkins, James Denton, Heather Kreiter, Aaron Acevedo Art Direction and Design: Michael Chaney Creative Director: Richard Thomas

The God-Machine Chronicle Authors: Dave Brookshaw, David A Hill Jr, Danielle Lauzon, Matthew McFarland, John Newman, John Snead, Stew Wilson, Filamena Young, Eric Zawadzki Developer: Matthew McFarland Editor: Michelle Lyons-McFarland

© 2015 White Wolf Publishing AB. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of White Wolf Publishing AB. Reproduction prohibitions do not apply to the character sheets contained in this book when reproduced for personal use. White Wolf, Vampire and Chronicles of Darkness are registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing AB. All rights reserved. Night Horrors: Unbidden, Vampire the Requiem, Werewolf the Forsaken, Mage the Awakening, Storytelling System, and Ancient Bloodlines are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing AB.. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing AB. The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised. Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com Check out the Onyx Path at http://www.theonyxpath.com Book originally titled The World of Darkness Second Edition

8

chronicles of Darkness

Chronicles of Darkness Prologue: Apt. 3B

2

Introduction

17

How to Use This Book 17 Chapters 17 An Introduction to Storytelling Games 18 Inspirational Media 18 Horror and Drama 18 Storytelling Books 19 Other Chronicles of Darkness 20 Lexicon 20

The Face in the Mirror: Characters 24 Character Creation 24 Step One: Character Concept 24 Step Two: Anchors 25 Step Three: Select Attributes 25 Step Four: Select Skills 26 Step Five:Pick Skill Specialties 26 Step Six: Merits 26 Step Seven: Determine Advantages 26 Size 26 Anchors 27 Virtue and Vice 27 Virtue 27

Vice 28 Aspirations 28 Breaking Points 29 Attributes 30 Mental Attributes 30 Physical Attributes 30 Social Attributes 31 Skills 31 Mental Skills 31 Physical Skills 36 Social Skills 40 Merits 43 Renaming Merits 43 Style Merits 43 Sanctity of Merits 43 Mental Merits 44 Physical Merits 47 Social Merits 49 Supernatural Merits 56 Fighting Merits 60

Infernal Engines: Dramatic Systems

68

Rolling Dice 68 When to Roll Dice 69 Attribute Tasks 69 Muddling Through 69 Actions 69

Contested Actions 70 Argument 70 Carousing 71 Fast-Talk 71 Interrogation 71 Intimidation 71 Investigating a Scene 71 Jumping 71 Repair 72 Research 72 Shadowing a Mark 72 Sneaking 72 Time 73 Skill Specialties 73 Willpower 73 Anchors 73 Integrity 73 Breaking Points 73 Current Rating Modifiers 74 Breaking Point Modifiers 74 Meditation 75 Conditions 75 Lingering Conditions 76 Improvised Conditions 76 Experience 76 Beats 76 Investigation 77 Two Essential Rules of Investigation 77

Table of Contents

9

What is a Clue? 78 Relevant Traits 78 Step One: Decide the Scope of the Investigation 79 Step Two: Determine the Potential Clue 79 Step Three: Establish Interval 79 Step Four: Create Dice Pool 79 Step Five: Uncover the Clue 79 Clue Elements 80 Clue Tags 80 Uncovering the Truth 81 Social Maneuvering 81 Goals 81 Doors 81 First Impressions 81 Impressions 82 Opening Doors 82 Resolution 82 Example of Social Maneuvering 83 Forcing Doors 83 Influencing Groups 83 Successive Efforts 84 Chases 84 Set the Terms 84 The Edge 84 Chase Modifiers 84 Turn-By-Turn 85 Seizing the Edge 85 The Social Chase 86 Violence 86 Intent 86 Down and Dirty Combat 87 Willpower 87 Initiative 88 Attack 88 Defense 88 Unarmed Combat 89 Ranged Combat 90 General Combat Factors 92 Weapons and Armor 94 Injury and Healing 95 Objects 96 Sources of Harm 96 Disease 96 Drugs 96 Electricity 96

10

chronicles of Darkness

Extreme Environments 97 Falling 97 Environment Levels 97 Fire 98 Poison 98 Vehicles 98 Example Vehicles 98 Vehicle Traits 99 Crashes 99 Equipment 100 Availability and Procurement 100 Size, Durability, and Structure 100 Dice Bonuses 100 Game Effect 100 Building Equipment 100 Equipment Types 100 To Roll or Not to Roll 101 The Build Equipment Action 101 Fragile 102 Volatile 102 Jury Rigging 102 Repair, Modifications, and Upgrades 103 Taking Your Time 103 Examples of Play 103

Black Threads: Storytelling

106

Invisible Hands: Storytelling Responsibilities 106 Spines 107 Pulled Muscles 108 No Meat Wasted 109 Your Exquisite Corpse 110 Prick the Skin 110 Missing Persons: Creating Your Setting 110 The Missing Person 111 Crime Scenes 112 Implication 113 Community 113 Authorities 114 People of Interest 114 Media and Inspiration 115

Horrors and Wonders: Antagonists

118

Antagonists 118 Traits 119 Cocky Mob Hitman 119

Excitable Munitions Expert 119 Fanatical Cult Leader 119 Hard-Nosed Beat Cop 120 Obsessed Demon Cultist 120 Slick Professional Grifter 121 Trained Guard Dog 121 World-Weary Private Eye 121 Ephemeral Beings 122 Invisible Incursions 122 Manifestation and Possession 122 Ghosts 122 Spirits 123 Angels 124 Game Systems 124 Rank 125 Influence Effects 130 Influence Durations 130 Manifestation Effects 131 Ephemeral Influence and Manifestation Conditions 132 Anchor 133 Resonant 133 Infrastructure 133 Open 133 Controlled 133 Reaching 133 Underworld Gate 134 Shadow Gate 134 Materialized 134 Fettered 134 Urged 134 Possessed 135 Claimed 136 Numina 136 Aggressive Meme 136 Awe 136 Blast 136 Dement 136 Drain 137 Emotional Aura 137 Essence Thief 137 Fate Sense 137 Firestarter 137 Host Jump 137 Implant Mission 137 Innocuous 137 Left-Handed Spanner 137 Mortal Mask 137 Omen Trance 138 Pathfinder 138 Rapture 138

Regenerate 138 Resurrection 138 Seek 138 Speed 138 Sign 138 Stalwart 138 Telekinesis 138 Mortal Interaction 138 Horrors 140 Step One: Concept 141 Step Two: Potency 141 Step Three: Anchors 141 Step Four: Attributes 142 Step Five: Dread Powers 142 Step Six: Skills 142 Step Seven: Merits 142 Step Eight: Advantages 142 Potency 142 Brief Nightmares 143

Nightmare Dice Pool 143 Dread Powers 144 Beastmaster 145 Chameleon Horror 145 Discorporate 145 Eye Spy 145 Fire Elemental 145 Influence 145 Gremlin 145 Home Ground 145 Hunter’s Senses 145 Hypnotic Gaze 145 Immortal 145 Jump Scare 146 Prodigious Leap 146 Madness and Terror 146 Maze 146 Miracle 146 Mist Form 147 Natural Weapons 147 Numen 147

Know Soul 147 Reality Stutter 147 Regenerate 147 Snare 147 Skin-Taker 147 Soul Thief 147 Surprise Entrance 148 Toxic (• or ••) 148 Unbreakable 148 Wall Climb 148 Black-Eyed Kids 148 The Horde 149 The House That Hates 150 Jersey Devil 152 Mothman 153 Mr. Let-Me-In 154 Nibbles the Clown 154 Pretty, Pretty Princess 155 Rachel Hrafn 156 The Swimming Hole 157

The God Machine Chronicle Voice of the Angel Gears Within Gears: The God-Machine Chronicle

162

170

All the Truth There Is 171 Mainspring 171

Shards of the Divine: Building the God-Machine Chronicle 180 The Tiers 180 Local 180 Regional 182 Global 184 Cosmic 185 Assembly Required 186 Spinning Cogs 187 Into the Machine 188 Progression 188 Chronicle Tracks 188 Protect and Serve 188 Rage Against the God-Machine 190 Space & Time 191 Wanderers 192

Hagiography: Tales of the God-Machine

196

LOCAL TALES

197

The 300 Block 197 Infrastructure 197 Interchangeable Parts 197 Blueprints 197 Linchpins 197 Methods 198 Escalation 198 Do-Over 199 Infrastructure 199 Interchangeable Parts 199 Blueprints 199 Escalation 201 Sister City 201 Infrastructure 201 Interchangeable Parts 201 Blueprints 202 Linchpins 202 Methods 202 Escalation 202 The Squares of the City 203 Infrastructure 203

Interchangeable Parts 203 Blueprints 203 Escalation 204 Wellington School for Gifted Children 205 Infrastructure 205 Interchangeable Parts 205 Blueprints 205 Linchpins 206 Methods 206 Escalation 206

REGIONAL TALES

207

Ghost Machine 207 Infrastructure 207 Interchangeable Parts 207 Blueprints 207 Linchpins 207 Methods 208 The Key 208 Infrastructure 208 Interchangeable Parts 209 Blueprints 209 Linchpins 210 Escalation 210 Missing Persons 210

Table of Contents

11

Infrastructure 210 Interchangeable Parts 211 Blueprints 211 Escalation 212 The Moon Window 212 Infrastructure 212 Interchangeable Parts 212 Blueprints 212 Methods 213 Escalation 214 Wake the Dead 214 Infrastructure 214 Interchangeable Parts 214 Blueprints 214 Linchpins 215 Methods 215 Escalation 215

GLOBAL TALES

216

A Glimpse of Mesmerizing Complexity 216 Infrastructure 216 Interchangeable Parts 216 Blueprints 216 Escalation 218 The Invisible Citadel 219 Infrastructure 219 Interchangeable Parts 219 Blueprints 219 Escalation 221 Operation: Bell Jar 221 Infrastructure 221 Interchangeable Parts 221 Blueprints 221 Linchpins 222 Methods 222 Escalation 223 Proposition 279 223 Infrastructure 223 Interchangeable Parts 223 Blueprints 223

12

chronicles of Darkness

Linchpins 224 Methods 224 Escalation 224 The Scarlet Plague 225 Infrastructure 225 Interchangeable Parts 225 Blueprints 225 Linchpins 225 Methods 225 Escalation 226

COSMIC TALES

226

The Hatching 226 Infrastructure 226 Interchangeable Parts 226 Blueprints 227 Escalation 228 A Journey Into Time 228 Infrastructure 228 Interchangeable Parts 228 Blueprints 229 Methods 230 Escalation 230 This is Hell 231 Infrastructure 231 Interchangeable Parts 231 Blueprints 231 Linchpins 232 Methods 232 Escalation 232 What Is It Good For 233 Infrastructure 233 Interchangeable Parts 233 Blueprints 233 Linchpins 233 Methods 234 Escalation 235 Urban Wandering 235 Infrastructure 235 Interchangeable Parts 235 Blueprints 235

Linchpins 235 Escalation 237

The Cogs in the Machine: Characters

240

Benjamin Wayne Masters 240 Dr. Henri Girard 241 Joseph Moore 243 Lucien McJack 244 Margret Avery 245 Mark Wilson, “Truth” 246 Melissa Charles 247 Lieutenant Samuel Hackett 248 Sarah Andrews 249 Wesley Cote 250 West Nautical 36 252 Angels 253 The Architect 253 Black Nathaniel 254 Blind Serpents 255 Clockwork Servitors 255 Dalga: The Creators of Servitors 256 Dalga: The Creators of Servitors 256 Emilio Rubio 257 Grief 258 Jenn 259 Kalka 259 Mirror Vulture 260 Mirror Vulture 260 Mr. Nose 261 Officer Strait 262 Polis Men 262 Rasha 263 Serotonin 263 Triage 264 Your Own Angels 265 The Candle Maker 265 The Lady in Red 266

The Appendices Appendix One: Equipment

268

Weapons 268 Ranged Weapons Chart 268 Melee Weapons Chart 269 Armor 270 Armor Chart 270 Equipment 270 Mental Equipment 270 Physical Equipment 274 Social Equipment 277 Services 277 Services 278

Appendix Two: Tilts

280

Arm Wrack 280 Beaten Down 280 Blinded 281 Blizzard 281 Deafened 281

Drugged 281 Earthquake 282 Extreme Cold 282 Extreme Heat 282 Flooded 282 Heavy Rain 283 Heavy Winds 283 Ice 284 Immobilized 284 Insane 285 Insensate 285 Knocked Down 285 Leg Wrack 285 Poisoned 286 Sick 286 Stunned 286 Personal Tilts 287 Environmental Tilts 287

Appendix Three: Conditions Amnesia (Persistent)

288

Blind 288 Broken (Persistent) 288 Bonded 288 Connected 288 Crippled (Persistent) 288 Deprived 288 Embarrassing Secret 289 Fugue (Persistent) 289 Guilty 289 Informed 289 Inspired 289 Leveraged 289 Lost 289 Madness (Persistent) 289 Mute (Persistent) 290 Notoriety 290 Obsession 290 Shaken 290 Spooked 290 Steadfast 291 Swooned 291

288

Table of Contents

13

Where the Shadows Grow Long We live our days completely ignorant of the true terrors lurking around us. Only rarely do our experiences draw back the veil of shadows and reveal the horror in our midst. These glimpses into the supernatural can cause us to retreat into comforting lies - 'There are no such things as monsters' - or stir our morbid curiosity. Only a few, however, can overcome their fear and dare to look deeper.

Abandon Hope All Who Enter

Introduction At a warehouse on 17th street, surgeries are performed in accordance with the phase of the moon. In the suburbs, a housewife dotes on a large dog with man-like hands. Roaming the backwoods, there is a man who traded his hand to a hungry devil for immortality. He spends his nights polishing his hook. These are the Chronicles of Darkness, tales of a world like ours, but just slightly wrong. A place we recognize, but where our fears take on lives of their own. The Chronicles of Darkness Rulebook is the key to exploring that world, a guide to storytelling encounters with the uncanny and a foundation for tales in which the monster becomes the hero. The Chronicles of Darkness Rulebook will help you and your friends tell tales of thrills and chills. It provides tools for investigation, violence, setting-building, and more, but layers them on top of a framework that lets you dial back the complexity and improvise at any time.

He must have felt that he had lost the old warm world... He must have looked up at an unfamiliar sky through frightening leaves and shivered as he found what a grotesque thing a rose is and how raw the sunlight was upon the scarcely created grass. A new world, material without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air, drifted fortuitously about... F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

How to Use This Book The Chronicles of Darkness Rulebook describes how to create protagonists for your own unique horror stories, how to adjudicate the results of their actions, and how to play a storytelling game with your friends. Use this book as an introduction to both storytelling games and the unique setting of the Chronicles of Darkness.

Chapters Chapter One: The Face in the Mirror describes how to create your protagonists. If you’re playing one of these starring characters, this should be your first stop. Chapter Two: Infernal Engines explains the rules of the Chronicles of Darkness storytelling game, from finding clues to building bombs. Players and Storytellers alike should be familiar with this section, since it’s where you’ll turn when the characters are in trouble and you don’t know what happens next. Chapter Three: Black Threads looks at the game from the perspective of the Storyteller, the player who organizes the game and plants the seeds which become stories in play. It also provides a system for creating Missing Persons scenarios that can bring a group of disparate characters together. Storytellers new and old should check out this chapter, as it’s packed with both basic advice and explanations of how to use the Chronicles of Darkness to their best advantage.. Chapter Four: Wonders and Horrors provides systems for creating monsters and other characters controlled by the Storyteller. Inside, you’ll find sample antagonists, rules for spirits and ghosts, and a complete system for creating horrors right out of urban legend, as well as several examples of the same. Storytellers will want to make a lot of use of this chapter. Chapter Five: The God-Machine Chronicle offers a variety of Storytelling advice, scenario ideas, and characters for running a game featuring the GodMachine, a mysterious force that manipulates humans to build and extend its presence in the world. This chapter is intended mainly for Storytellers, since we wouldn’t want to spoil any surprises.

Chapters

17

An Introduction to Storytelling Games Chances are you know what a storytelling — or roleplaying — game is already. But if you’re new, or if you haven’t played a Chronicles of Darkness game before, let’s talk about the basics. Starting with this book, you’ll play out stories following a core cast of characters as they make their way in the Chronicles of Darkness, a distorted reflection of our own everyday world. It’s a lot like a TV drama, something like Pretty Little Liars or Breaking Bad. Individual gaming sessions, generally running two to four hours, are like weekly episodes. Secrets will be revealed, relationships will be tested, and blood will be spilled. Around two to five players take on one cast member each. You’ll make decisions for your character. When her best friend betrays her, you’ll plot her scheme for revenge. When the man with a hook for a hand comes calling late at night, you’ll decide whether she runs or fights. One player, the Storyteller, is responsible for portraying characters who don’t belong to specific players, and presenting fictional situations that challenge the other players’ characters. Think of these as the supporting cast of our imagined TV series — both ongoing characters who help or oppose the core cast, and guest stars of the week who turn up to cause unique kinds of trouble. As for challenging the player characters, it’s the job of the Storyteller to come up with scenes where the players have to make decisions fraught with conflict and danger. The Storyteller narrates a situation, then the other players say how their characters respond. The most important question a Storyteller can ask is “What do you do now?” When a character acts, the outcome of the action is determined by rolling a handful of dice. The basics are simple. You add a few numbers on your character sheet (a mini-dossier) and roll that many dice. You’ll find out whether your action works, or fails and gets your character into more trouble. While players other than the Storyteller will generally be advocates for their characters’ success, planning ways in which they can accomplish impressive deeds, a lot of drama and fun comes from when things don’t go well for the protagonists. Again, think of a television series…the most interesting episodes are often the ones where everything goes wrong for the characters until they find a way to turn it around. That said, the Storyteller should make sure characters have a chance to bounce back rather than constantly dumping suffering on them.

The Storyteller is responsible for… …bringing the Chronicles of Darkness to life through description. …deciding where scenes start and what’s going on. …portraying characters who don’t belong to other players. …involving each player and her character in the ongoing story. …putting players’ characters in tough spots, encouraging interesting decisions.

18

INTRODUCTION

…facilitating the actions players’ characters take, while making sure there are always complications. …making sure that poor dice rolls affect but don’t stop the story.

The players are responsible for… …creating their own individual characters as members of the cast. …deciding what actions their characters take. …making decisions that create drama and help keep the story moving. …highlighting their characters’ strengths and weaknesses. …confronting the problems the Storyteller introduces. …developing their characters’ personalities and abilities over time, and telling personal stories within the overall story of the game.

Everyone is responsible for… …giving other players chances to highlight their characters’ abilities and personal stories, whether that’s by showing them at their strongest or weakest. …making suggestions about the story and action, while keeping in mind the authority of players over their characters and the responsibility of the Storyteller to occasionally make trouble.

Inspirational Media Here are some books and movies that get us in the mood to explore the Chronicles of Darkness.

Horror and Drama The Crow, directed by Alex Proyas. Witness a city burning for a mysterious ritual, and a man risen from the dead to wreak vengeance upon those who wronged him. The Crow’s seedy characters and revenge-driven story are an example of what can happen when a Chronicles of Darkness chronicle goes, very, very wrong. Keep your eyes on the depiction of Detroit in the 90s, a place which must look very much like the Chronicles of Darkness. Demo, by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan. This anthology comic follows strange events in the lives of a myriad of people. Sometimes there’s a supernatural element, like a young woman who can barely control her psychic powers. Other times, the truth is more ambiguous, like when the “ghost” of a suicide leaves her boyfriend a mix tape. Demo illustrates how the uncanny can impact ordinary people. The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin. A young woman is in trouble, and the church tries to help. It could be almost sweet, except that the trouble is demonic possession and the help is a priest due for a crisis of faith. This is a great example of how a horror story can be terrifying and hint at bigger mysteries while sticking to very personal stakes. Fell, by Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith. This brooding procedural comic follows the titular Fell, a detective in a “feral city” – a major metropolis where law and order

have collapsed but life goes on. Ellis’s seedy narratives and Templesmith’s deceptively stylized visuals reveal the kinds of characters and crimes that would be right at home in the Chronicles of Darkness. The supernatural is never overt or confirmed, but an eerie atmosphere and macabre rituals permeate the story. Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, or directed by David Fincher. Gone Girl owes much of its mystery and atmosphere to its unreliable narration. Both the book and the movie switch from the perspective of Nick Dunne, who comes home one day to find his wife missing, and the diary of Amy Dunne, the missing wife. Are memories reliable? Can one really believe witnesses and news stories, or is everything just tabloid journalism? How well can you ever really know a person, whether a neighbor or a spouse? Both the movie and the novel (as well as Gillian Flynn’s other two books, Sharp Objects and Dark Places) exemplify how a seemingly-simple situation can actually possess unexpected depth, if only people know how to ask the right questions. The Terminator, directed by James Cameron. Though nominally science fiction, this classic horror-action flick is the story of a woman pursued by an implacable monster as the result of a family curse. Pay attention to the neon-lit neonoir Los Angeles setting, and the way an ordinary waitress becomes a hardened survivor. True Detective, created by Nick Pizzolatto. This show, which jumps back in forth in time, follows multiple homicide cases and conspiracies over a 17-year period. Though the series

begins with the ritualistic murder of a prostitute, it rapidly expands in scope to include biker gangs, drug deals, politics, and a possible conspiracy involving abuse at a now-defunct religious school. True Detective is an excellent show to use as inspiration for a longer chronicle wherein players slowly piece together what is really happening, while still having contained adventures in each session.

Storytelling System Books Midnight Roads revs up your game with an in-depth exploration of the Chronicles of Darkness through America’s roads. Packed with odd traveling companions, small-town strangeness, and hints at a greater purpose to it all. Mysterious Places fleshes out several locales unique to the Chronicles of Darkness. What horrors await you in a crematorium full of puppets made from bone, or when the Empty Room stalks and abducts you? Urban Legends is the Chronicles of Darkness treatment of all of the fears we hide behind fables and humor. It includes several urban legends as full adventures, plus a chapter that covers everything from tainted Halloween candy to the Mexican Pet. Hurt Locker, coming soon, is an in-depth treatment of violence in the Chronicles of Darkness, from action-packed options like fighting styles to exploring the grim consequences of trying to kill another human being.

Inspirational Media

19

Other Chronicles of Darkness The Chronicles of Darkness isn’t just one setting, it’s many. Outside of this book, most of the games focus on playing one type of monster. As of this writing, there are ten, with more to come. Vampire: The Requiem is a game of personal horror and visceral drama set in a society of predators that exists alongside ours. Werewolf: The Forsaken tells stories of spiritual threats and unrelenting hunters. Mage: The Awakening follows mystery-addicted willworkers as they seek to understand the Fallen World. Promethean: The Created is about the long road to becoming human. Changeling: The Lost explores how to reclaim your stolen life, while defending those around you from forces they could never understand. Hunter: The Vigil is about plain ol’ humans who don’t just encounter the supernatural… they hunt it down and make it pay. Geist: The Sin-Eaters follows ghost-bound people given a second chance, and their efforts to put the dead to rest. Mummy: The Curse is a game of ancient servants, awoken in the modern world to play their long games and work their ancient magic anew. Demon: The Descent tells stories of the fallen servants of a monstrous God, and their struggle to find their own personal Hells. Beast: The Primordial explores what it means to discover you’re a creature of nightmare, heir to ancient monsters like Medusa and Fenris.

Lexicon 10 Again — A result of 10 on any die is re-rolled in an attempt to achieve more successes. A further result of 10 on a re-rolled die is rolled yet again, over and over, until no more 10’s are rolled. 8 Again — A result of 8 or higher on any die is re-rolled in an attempt to achieve more successes. A further result of 10 on a re-rolled die is rolled yet again, over and over, until no more 10’s are rolled. 9 Again — A result of 9 or higher on any die is re-rolled in an attempt to achieve more successes. A further result of 10 on a re-rolled die is rolled yet again, over and over, until no more 10’s are rolled. action — A task that takes all of a character’s time and attention. The Storytelling system measures instant actions (one to three seconds, taking place within a single turn) and extended actions, taking longer (duration determined by the Storyteller). Also, there are reflexive actions, which take no

20

INTRODUCTION

time and do not prevent a character from performing another action within a turn, and contested actions, in which two or more characters compete in a task or for a single goal. advantage — A character trait such as Health or Willpower that usually represents abilities derived from other traits. Advantages are measured in dots and sometimes in points. aggravated (damage) — A damage point that inflicts a grievous or supernatural wound. Vampires suffer aggravated damage from fire; werewolves suffer it from silver. Mortals might suffer aggravated damage from a dire supernatural power such as a lightning bolt summoned from the sky by a witch. Aggravated wounds normally heal at a rate of one point per week. Aspiration — One of a player's goals for her character. An Aspiration can be something the character seeks out, or something the player wants to see happen to the character. Attribute — A character trait representing innate capabilities, Mental, Physical and Social. An Attribute is added to a Skill (or another Attribute in certain cases) to determine your basic dice pool for an action. bashing (damage) — A damage point that inflicts a nonlife-threatening wound. Bashing wounds normally heal at a rate of one point per 15 minutes. Beat — A point gained for performing certain actions. Five Beats becomes an Experience, which can then be used to purchase new traits, such as Attributes, Skills, Merits, or supernatural powers. breaking point — A trigger which causes a player to have to check for losing Integrity, Humanity, or a similar trait. chance roll — Whenever modifiers reduce your dice pool to zero or fewer dice, you may make a chance roll on a single die. Unlike a normal dice roll, a chance roll succeeds only on a result of 10. Worse, a result of 1 causes a dramatic failure. close combat — Attacks that involve hand-to-hand or weapon fighting. Such attacks use the Strength Attribute for their dice pools. Characters gain their Defense against close-combat attacks. Condition — An ongoing effect, which may be physical, mental, or supernatural. For example, a character might be Guilty or Mesmerized. Usually, a Condition modifies a character's dice pools for certain actions. Players are rewarded with Beats when they act on or resolve (end) a Condition. contested action — Two or more characters compete in a task or for a single goal. The one who gets the most successes wins. Contested actions can be instant or extended actions. damage — The points inflicted against a character’s Health or an object’s Structure, rated as bashing, lethal or aggravated. One point of damage inflicts one wound. Defense — An advantage trait determined by taking the lowest of Dexterity or Wits and adding Athletics. Characters can penalize a close-combat opponent’s accuracy by subtracting their Defense from his dice pool. dice — The Storytelling System uses 10-sided dice to represent the element of chance. Dice are collected to form a character’s dice pool for an action.

dice pool — The number of dice rolled to determine failure or success (and the degree of success) for a character’s action. Dice pools are usually determined by adding an Attribute to a Skill, plus any relevant equipment and/or modifiers. dot — The incremental measurement of a permanent trait. Most traits range from 1 to 5 dots, but some (such as Willpower) range from 1 to 10, and others (Health) can go higher. dramatic failure — A result of 1 on a chance roll causes a dramatic failure, a catastrophe worse than a normal failure. The character’s gun might jam or he might wind up shooting a friend by accident. The Storyteller determines and describes the result. A player can also turn a failure into a dramatic failure voluntarily in order to gain a Beat. Durability — A trait representing an object’s hardness, based on the material from which it is made (wood has less Durability than metal). Durability is measured in dots. An attack’s damage must exceed Durability before the object is harmed. equipment — Characters can improve their chances of succeeding in a task by using the right equipment. This benefit is represented by modifiers to the dice pool, depending on the equipment used and its quality. exceptional success — Whenever five or more successes are rolled, the character achieves an exceptional success. This achievement sometimes provides an extra perk over and above the effect of having multiple successes. For example, a character who gains five successes on a fast-talk roll might allay the target’s suspicions enough that he believes anything the character says for the remaining scene. Experiences — A collection of five Beats, used to purchase new traits or to boost the dots of existing traits. extended action — A task that takes time to accomplish. Players roll to accumulate successes during phases of the task, succeeding once they have acquired the needed total. failure — A dice roll that yields no successes is a failure — the character does not succeed at his task. Initiative — An advantage trait representing the character’s ability to respond to sudden surprise, determined by adding Dexterity + Composure. A character’s Initiative helps him get a high standing in the Initiative roster. instant action — A task that takes place within a single turn. A character can perform only one instant action per turn, unless he has a Merit or power that lets him do otherwise. Integrity — A trait representing a character's mental stability. Merit — A character trait representing enhancements or elements of a character’s background, such as his allies or influence. Merits are measured in dots, but are not always used to determine dice pools. Instead, they represent increasing degrees of quality or quantity concerning their subject. modifiers — Dice pools are often modified by a number of factors, from bonuses (adding dice) for equipment or ideal conditions to penalties (subtracting dice) for poor conditions.

point — A trait expended to gain certain effects, such as a Willpower point or a measurement of damage or Health. The amount of points available to spend is equal to the parent trait’s dots. Spent points are regained over time or through certain actions. ranged combat — An attack that sends a projectile of some sort at a target, whether it’s a bullet from a gun or a knife from a hand. Such attacks use the Dexterity Attribute for their dice pools. Characters’ Defense cannot normally be used against firearm attacks, although targets can penalize an opponent’s accuracy by going prone or taking cover. reflexive action — An instinctual task that takes no appreciable time, such as reacting to surprise or noticing something out of the corner of your eye. Performing a reflexive action does not prevent a character from performing another action within a turn. Resistance — Characters can resist others’ attempts to socially sway them, physically grapple them or even mentally dominate them. Whenever applying such resistance requires a character’s full attention, it is performed as a contested action, but more often it is a reflexive action, allowing the target to also perform an action that turn. scene — A division of time based on drama, such as the end of one plot point and the beginning of another. Whenever a character leaves a location where a dramatic event has occurred, or when a combat has ended, the current scene usually ends and the next one begins. Skill — A character trait representing learned ability or knowledge. Added to an Attribute to determine a character’s basic dice pool for a task. Specialty — An area of Skill expertise in which a character excels. Whenever a Specialty applies to a character’s task, one die is added to his player’s dice pool. There’s no limit to the number of Specialties that you can assign to a single Skill. Storyteller — The “director” or “editor” of the interactive story told by the players. The Storyteller creates the plot and roleplays the characters, both allies and enemies, with which the players’ characters interact. success — Each die that rolls an 8, 9 or 10 yields one success. (Exception: A chance roll must produce a 10 to succeed.) In an instant action, a player must roll at least one success for his character to accomplish a task. In an extended action, the number of successes required (accumulated over a series of rolls) depends on the task. In an attack roll, each success produces one point of damage. trait — An element on the character sheet. Traits include Attributes, Skills, Merits, advantages, anchors, supernatural powers, and more. turn — A three-second period of time. Instant actions are observed in turns. Combat (a series of instant actions) is observed in consecutive turns as each combatant tries to overcome opponents. wound — A marked Health point, denoting an injury from damage.

Lexicon

21

“It’s okay, it’s not like I’m alone. Now, goodnight.” Siranush closed the door gently, so as not to wake Alan. Mena was sweet, but… well, a lot pushier these last few years. She crept over to the couch, tucked the blanket around Alan, and then padded down the hall of her grandmother’s apartment. It had been sweet of him to come help her pack after Nana passed away, and she had felt more at ease once he arrived. There was something so cold and hostile about the apartment without Nana living there. Cleaning alone after the wake had left her sleepless and shaking, with an angry-looking reflection. She told herself it was because Nana’s death was so sudden. She had looked frail in her casket, all the muscle of her vigorous age melted away. It felt like a stranger’s funeral. But when Sira called Alan, he ran over to keep her company, and was now snoring faintly along with the horror movie that was supposed to help her relax. She heard a tinny scream and a loud snuffle in the living room, and smiled. She’d taken inventory of this hallway a half dozen times already; and there wasn’t much to do until the appraisers came tomorrow anyway. But she was too restless to sleep. She traced the spiderweb pattern of broken glass in Nana’s favorite mirror, and watched her reflected hand ripple along the edges. The faster she moved, the further out of sync her reflection became. Then suddenly, it stopped. Her reflected hand pressed against the glass, far from where her fingers lingered. Her face looked canny and hungry and too sharp in the low light, and Sira jumped back. She waited for her reflection to jump away, too; for the too-slow distortion to resolve back into her own image. It didn’t. The hand on the other side of the mirror began pounding. Silently at first, then distant and building, until she saw the glass shake, and crack. Siranush staggered away from the mirror and started running back down the hall. The Sira-in-the-mirror followed, her fists cracking the glass of each window, each mirror, each pane of glass. Her fingers reaching through the gaps where shards fell away. The hands bled where they were cut; dark, clotting blood, swimming with the acid smell of formaldehyde. They kept pushing through all around her, grabbing at her sleeves and threading their fingers into her hair. Why did Nana have so many mirrors? She almost made it back to the living room. Then her own hands pulled her back into the dark hallway, her screams somehow dim, as though muffled by thick layers of glass. Sira-in-the-hall pried the bloody hands of Sira-in-the-mirror off her wrist and out of her hair. And together they teetered, half in and half out of the mirror. Both fell in, and both climbed out of, but one Sira was forced back through. The other dusted the broken glass from her sweater, tucked herself in next to Alan, and put a proprietary arm around him. He startled slightly, surfacing slowly from a deep sleep. “Sira, did I fall asleep? How did the movie end?” “Don’t worry, baby. She got away.”

The Face in the Mirror: Characters

“Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.” -Ray Bradbury, Zen and the Art of Writing

As a player in the Chronicles of Darkness, you explore the story and help to weave a tale through a character you create. Your character is your means to engage with the world. As a player, it’s your responsibility to portray your character in a way that’s appropriate to her background and context, while fostering the kind of story you want to see her in. Consider that moment in a horror movie where you’re at the edge of your seat, trying to make decisions for a character who’s about to do something dangerous. With your character, you can choose to step back away from the cellar door, or to lash out at the monster instead of standing and screaming. Or, you can embrace that moment of horror and jump headfirst into the awfulness you know is coming. After all, no Storyteller can scare you the way you can scare yourself. Creating characters is best done at the table with everyone participating. Stories about characters with ties, whether they be social or simply thematic, will work much better than a bunch of strangers designed with different types of stories in mind. In game terms, you make your character through a series of traits. These traits describe her capabilities, her weaknesses, and some of what makes her unique. Imagine how many different characters you could describe as “paranormal investigators,” “curious students,” or even “truck drivers.” These traits allow you to define and refine your character’s role in the story. When coming up with your character, work with the Storyteller and the other players to figure out what kinds of stories you want to tell, and what characters could best serve that narrative. If your story is about personal horror, a team of expert martial artists might not be the best fit. However, if you want to tell an action-packed story of a village set upon by an undead horde brought upon by biological tests gone awry, that team could shine. As you delve into the mystery, the horror, and the drama of the Chronicles of Darkness, your character earns Beats and Experiences, which can improve her game traits. This allows you further customization, and lets your character grow and develop in mechanical terms. You get these Beats through a variety of behaviors; for example, you can get them through unfortunate events, from executing elaborate actions, or by pursuing character goals. Just like in a book, movie, or television show, your character grows as she interacts with the plot.

Character Creation The system for creating a character is a simple, step-by-step process to take an initial idea for a character, and flesh her out with goals, personality, and the game traits that determine what she is capable of. It’s helpful to take a look at the character sheet from the back of the book. You can fill out the sheet as you go through the steps of creating your character.

Step One: Character Concept The first step in creating a character is to develop a general idea of who your character is. The Chronicles of Darkness, on the surface, is much like ours. Your

24

the face in the mirror-Characters

starting character concept can easily be someone you could meet on the street. Try to boil this down to a simple phrase, like “bored medical student,” “single parent trying to get by,” or “blogger obsessed with unsolved mysteries.” It doesn’t need to be particularly complex, just a good starting point. In addition to your concept, also consider your character’s Aspirations. These are goals that your character wants to accomplish, or stories and events that you, as the player, want to see happen during your character’s story. Thinking about your Aspirations early on, as part of your character concept, helps to make sure that your character is active, and that there are story hooks to get your character involved immediately. You can also use Aspirations as a way to connect player characters, by giving them similar goals. We’ll talk more about Aspirations in their own section, later in this chapter.

Step Two: Anchors Once you have a general idea and some goals for you character, you can define a bit more of his personality. You do this by selecting Anchors. Anchors are those things that help a character retain his sense of self and drive his behavior. For a mortal character in the Chronicles of Darkness, his Anchors are his Virtue and his Vice. For each of your character’s Anchors, decide on a description of a major personality trait or motivation for your character: something like Ambition, Honesty, Kindness, or Greed. For your character’s Virtue, you’ll want to pick a trait that is difficult to act on or easy to ignore, but that makes the

character feel proud when he does make the effort. His Vice, on the other hand, is the trait that represents the easy way out, the things that bring the character short-term comfort, but never seem to drive him to actually improve.

Step Three: Select Attributes Now you set your character’s basic capabilities. Attributes are fundamental traits, defining how strong a character is, how well she can keep her temper when provoked, or how quickly she can improvise a solution to a problem. A character starts with one dot in each Attribute for free. One dot represents someone who is below average in that capability, while two dots represent someone average. A character with three or four dots is above average or extremely talented, while five dots represents the peak of human ability. Attributes are divided into the Mental, Physical, and Social categories. For your character, consider which of the categories is most important. What sort of endeavors does your character excel at? Once you have picked a primary category, decide out of the remaining two which is your character’s next-best category. You’ll assign five dots to the Attributes in your primary category, four dots to the Attributes in your secondary category, and three dots to the Attributes in your tertiary category. It’s worth taking a moment to consider the Attributes and how they connect to your character concept. While picking CHARACTER CREATION

25

Size Size Object 1

Handheld object or tool, Rodent

2

Infant, Cat, Sword, Shotgun, Skateboard

3

Mid-size Dog, Child, Window, Two-handed tool, Stool

4

Spear, Teenager, Chair

5

Adult, Door, Electric scooter

6

Large adult, Deer, Bicycle

7

Alligator, Bear, Coffin

8

Vault door, Compact car

10

Sports car, Moose

12

Shark, Luxury car

15

SUV, Elephant

20

Light airplane, Yacht, Semi truck

25

Dump truck, Houseboat, Tour bus, Semi with trailer

30

Small house, Whale

40

Large house

50

Massive airliner

60

Small apartment building

80

Large apartment building, Big box store

100

Skyscraper, Shopping mall, Stadium

categories is often easy (an Olympic Athlete probably has Physical as their primary category), sometimes picking a less obvious category can make for a more interesting character.

Step Four: Select Skills Like Attributes, Skills are divided up into the Mental, Physical, and Social categories. However, unlike Attributes, you do not get a free dot in Skills. Skills represent applications of your abilities. These are things you have learned from training, books, or teachers. Having no dots in a Skill means that you have no training with it, and are barely capable. One dot means you have cursory training or dabble in the Skill, while two dots means that you can use the Skill at a professional level. Three dots represents excellent training or experience, four is outstanding, and five dots means you are one of the absolute best in the world. Like Attributes, select a primary, secondary, and tertiary category for your Skills. You have eleven dots to assign for your

26

primary category, seven dots for you secondary, and four dots for your tertiary. As always, consider your character and concept when assigning dots. Maybe your blogger has two points in Athletics because he is a marathoner, or your med student has a point in Animal Ken from volunteering at a local shelter.

Step Five: Pick Skill Specialties Skills represent broad categories of training. Someone with the Science Skill is equally familiar with particle physics, basic chemistry, and genetics. Skill Specialties allow you to differentiate more, focusing on a specific area of a Skill that your character is more knowledgeable or proficient in. A character’s Specialties say a lot about her. For example, a character with a Socialize Specialty in Formal Events is very different from one with a Specialty in Dive Bars. Pick three Skill Specialties for your character. The Skill descriptions will have some suggested Specialties.

Step Six: Merits Merits are important facets of your character that do not fall under other traits. A Merit can represent a knack, special training, people your character knows, or even things that he owns. They add unique capabilities to your character beyond Attributes and Skills. You have seven dots you can use to pick Merits. There is a list of Merits you can choose from later in this chapter.

Step Seven: Determine Advantages The final step in character creation is calculating Advantages. Use the following rules to determine the values for these traits.

Willpower A character’s Willpower score is equal to Resolve + Composure.

Integrity All mortal characters start with an Integrity of 7.

Size All adult human characters are Size 5, unless modified by a Merit.

Speed A character’s speed is equal to Strength + Dexterity + 5. A character can move this many meters in one turn.

Health A character’s Health is Size + Stamina.

the face in the mirror-Characters

Character Creation Quick Reference Here are the basic steps for creating a character. STEP ONE: CONCEPT Decide on a concept and three Aspirations for your character. STEP TWO: ANCHORS Choose a Virtue and a Vice for your character. STEP THREE: ATTRIBUTES Prioritize categories. You have 5/4/3 dots to assign to the Attributes within each category. STEP FOUR: SKILLS Prioritize categories. Distribute 11/7/4 dots among the Skills in the appropriate category. STEP FIVE: SKILL SPECIALTIES Choose three Skill Specialties. STEP SIX: MERITS Select seven dots of Merits. STEP SEVEN: ADVANTAGES Willpower is equal to Resolve + Composure. Integrity is 7. Size is 5. Health is Size + Stamina. Speed equals Strength + Dexterity + 5. Initiative Modifier is Dexterity + Composure. Defense is the lower of Wits or Dexterity, plus Athletics.

Initiative Modifier Initiative Modifier is equal to your character’s Dexterity + Composure.

Defense Defense is equal to the lower of your character’s Wits or Dexterity, plus his Athletics Skill.

Finishing Touches Check back over your character, and make sure that you have spent all of your points the way you wanted to. Make sure you’ve recorded Aspirations and Advantages, and that the character fits the concept you had. Now you’re ready to go!

Anchors All Chronicles of Darkness characters have defining personality traits. These traits not only tell a character who she is, but also allow her to regain Willpower (for more information

on spending and regaining Willpower, see Chapter 2). These traits are called Anchors. For a mortal character, these Anchors are her Virtue and her Vice.

Virtue and Vice When creating a character, you define her Virtue and Vice. These words describe key aspects of her personality. Things like Cruel or Generous work, but a physical description, like Clean wouldn’t. Similarly, you don’t want to pick a Virtue or Vice that is covered by an Attribute or Skill. Athletic wouldn’t really make a good Virtue or Vice (though Competitive probably would). Composed wouldn’t work very well as an Anchor, as Composure is already an Attribute. A character’s Virtue or Vice isn’t simply indicative of her morality. Having a Virtue like Good isn’t really appropriate, and is kind of boring, to boot. While a character’s Virtue is definitely a positive trait for her, she should absolutely be able to fulfill her Virtue while suffering a breaking point at the same time (see Integrity, p. 73). Sometimes even our Virtues can drive us to do terrible things. When a character acts in accordance with their Virtue or Vice during a scene, she reaffirms her sense of who she is. This is a way to regain Willpower during play. It’s a good idea to make sure that everyone is on the same page with regards to Virtues and Vices, both in terms of what they mean for your character, and in terms of everyone being comfortable with each other’s choices. While you cannot choose the same trait as both your Virtue and Vice, another character could have a trait as a Virtue that you have as a Vice, such as Ambitious. Also, as your Vice in particular will come up repeatedly during play, you should make sure that the Vice you select doesn’t make any of the other players uncomfortable. A character’s Anchors will likely stay the same for most of a chronicle. However, Virtue and Vice can change if the character undergoes an event that alters her life or personality.

Virtue A character’s Virtue is her higher calling, the personality trait that represents who she is when she is being her best. Behaving in accordance with Virtue gives a character a sense of satisfaction and re-affirms her sense of self. Acting on a Virtue is difficult, however.

Example Virtues The following are some possible Virtues for characters. This is not an exhaustive list, it is merely intended to help you in coming up with your own Anchors for your character. Competitive: Your character always pushes herself to excel and be the best at whatever she does. It’s not about defeating others, but about the rush she gets from honest competition, and the thrill of knowing that she pushed herself further and faster to stay ahead of her rivals. Regain Willpower when your character honestly competes with someone who outclasses them, for stakes that she will feel if she loses. ANCHORS

27

Generous: Your character feels at his best when giving to others. He may give to charity or simply lend items to friends with no questions asked. A generous character may be taken advantage of sometimes, but he isn’t in it for thanks or hope of repayment. He gives because other people need. Regain Willpower when your character is deprived of an important resource or put at risk because of his Generous nature. Just: A Just character is driven by a sense of fairness and justice. She wants everyone to get what they deserve, and will stick her neck out to make sure it happens. Regain Willpower when the character sets her own goals aside in order to make certain that justice is done. Loyal: Loyalty to a person or a group is your character’s guide. This group could be other PCs, a company, a mentor or family member, their country, or any other group that makes sense. The character is not necessarily foolish or blind to the flaws of their chosen group. The character regains Willpower when refusing to act against the group’s interests puts him at risk.

Vice Vice is a character’s short-term comfort. It is the easy way out, the personality trait she takes comfort in to avoid confronting her actual feelings or problems. Like Virtue, acting on a Vice reinforces the character’s sense of herself, even if it is self-destructive. It still helps relieve stress and allows her to refresh herself, but it’s not healthy behavior in the long term.

Example Vices Ambitious: Your character wants to get ahead, to move up the ladder – no matter what the cost. She wants advancement, rank, and authority in advance of what she actually has earned. Regain Willpower when your character jockeys for position or tries to advance socially instead of pursuing a more useful activity. Arrogant: Your character is good at something, and makes sure everyone knows it. He defines himself by being “better” than those around him. This goes beyond justifiable pride in an ability. The character regains Willpower when he takes an opportunity to lord his superiority over someone else. Competitive: You character needs to win. Nothing makes her happier than crossing the finish line first, and nothing makes her angrier than losing. She may even be willing to cheat in order to get her victory. Regain Willpower when the character indulges in a competition that distracts from other, more pressing, matters. Greedy: Your character wants to hoard resources, keeping them for himself in case they are useful someday. Regain Willpower when you take an advantage for yourself, denying it to another character.

Aspirations Chronicles of Darkness characters start with three Aspirations. Aspirations are goals that your character wishes

28

to accomplish. They’re also statements about the sort of stories you want to tell about your character. Accomplishing an Aspiration is one of the main ways you can earn Beats to improve your character. You should aim for accomplishing about one Aspiration per session. If you are playing a one-shot, all of your Aspirations should be focused, short-term goals that you could potentially complete within that session. If you are playing in a long-running chronicle, then choosing long-term goals is okay. Ideally, you should have a mix of Aspirations, some of which can be resolved in one session, and some which will take many sessions to accomplish. If you know that your character is going to start out hitchhiking, “Find a place to stay the night” is a perfectly reasonable Aspiration. If she recently had a fight with her girlfriend, “Reconcile with Jane” is a fine Aspiration. Another important thing to consider when deciding on your Aspirations is that you want them to be active goals. They have to be something that you need to do, rather than something that you need to avoid. For example, “Don’t get drunk” wouldn’t be a very good Aspiration for a character, but “Go a day without taking a drink” could be, if your character would find this to be a struggle. Aspirations give your character life and direction beyond the scenario dreamed up by the Storyteller. They make your character feel more real, give the Storyteller hooks to get him involved in the story, and establish what your character does if there isn’t an immediate crisis in front of him. It is also okay to select Aspirations that your character doesn’t want, but that you want to see happen to the character. For example, your character almost certainly doesn’t want to be kidnapped by the man with the gray face that used to be her father, but that might be a story that you are interested in seeing. You can choose Aspirations that represent you trying and failing to do something. You can have an Aspiration like “Fail to find proof of the existence of ghosts,” or “Fail to reconcile with Jane,” if you think that it will make a more interesting story. Even though the character has failed at what she wants, you as the player still get the reward for completing that Aspiration. Aspirations are one of the best ways for the players to signal to the Storyteller what sort of stories they want to be part of. So, Storytellers, be sure to pay attention to what Aspirations your players have selected. If you were planning on a suspenseful, low-key session with little overt supernatural influence, it might be a problem if all of your players have chosen Aspirations like “destroy a supernatural threat,” or “see a monster with my own eyes.” It doesn’t mean you have to change your plans completely, but you may need to tweak the session a bit to allow for some details that fit with the Aspirations a little better. Or you can sit down and talk with the players, and make sure that you are all on the same page with regards to the story that you are trying to tell.

Changing Aspirations When you first make your character, if you are not entirely certain what Aspirations to pick, don’t worry about it. You

the face in the mirror-Characters

Sample Short-Term Aspirations Find a new job. Find out why my sister hasn’t called me back. Get beat up by the school bully. Go on a date with the new guy at work. Indulge my addiction. Mug someone. Put myself in mortal danger. See a ghost. Show myself that I’m not cursed.

Sample Long-Term Aspirations Become a parent. Destroy the beast that killed my lover. Discover what happened when my father disappeared. Figure out what happened during those weeks I can’t remember. Find my soul mate. Find out what was really living in the culvert near my childhood home. Prove that my mother isn’t crazy. Put my daughter’s ghost to rest. Take over the company.

can try to come up with a few basic ones, such as the simple, easily-accomplished Aspirations mentioned earlier. Or go ahead and leave a few of your Aspiration slots blank for now, and define them while you play the first few sessions. Aspirations are not meant to be a straightjacket or a source of stress, but a tool to help you play the character that you want to play. A character’s Aspirations will also likely change over the course of the chronicle. If you accomplish an Aspiration, for example, you should replace it with a new Aspiration after that session. This is a good thing to work on in between sessions. Sometime Aspirations are no longer relevant to a character, even if they haven’t actually been achieved. For example, if your character has an Aspiration of “reconcile with my estranged father,” it’s hard to accomplish if he is murdered in the fourth session of the game (though certainly not

impossible, in the Chronicles of Darkness). Or maybe you find out that your character’s father is somehow responsible for the eyeless, grinning thing that pulled your mother into that grove of trees the night she disappeared. At that point, you may not want to reconcile any more. If an Aspiration no longer makes sense for a character, a player can change the Aspiration between chapters with the Storyteller’s approval. This isn’t an excuse to ditch a goal that is taking too long to accomplish, but rather is an option to keep a character’s goals in line with their behavior and the overall direction of the story.

Breaking Points When a character performs certain actions or endures certain experiences, he might reach a breaking point. A breaking point simply means that what a character has done or seen has outstripped his ability to rationalize or handle it. A breaking point can fall into one of the following categories: • The character performs an action that either violates his personal moral code or that is considered unacceptable in society. • The character witnesses something traumatic, terrifying, or that rattles his understanding of the world. • The character is the victim of a supernatural attack, whether physical, emotional, or mental. Breaking points are somewhat subjective, obviously. A homicide detective with 30 years of experience in seeing dead bodies and hearing confessions of killers has a somewhat higher tolerance for human depravity than a sheltered 20-something in a middle-class liberal arts college. During character creation, it might be advisable for the Storyteller to come up with several hypothetical situations, so that the player can determine if, in her judgment, those situations would be breaking points. Note that a breaking point is not necessarily something that the character considers wrong. A character might kill someone in a clear-cut, unambiguous case of self-defense, but the experience is probably still a breaking point, even if the player (and the character!) feels the act was entirely justified. Actions take a toll on the psyche, regardless of whether the actions were righteous. During character creation, the player should answer the following five questions. Each question provides a breaking point for the character. If, during the character creation process, additional breaking points become apparent to the player, add them to the list. There’s no limit to how many breaking points a character can have. The list isn’t a strict list anyway; the Storyteller can stipulate that a given occurrence is a breaking point regardless of whether or not it appears on the player’s list. However, the better-defined your character’s outlook is, the better your Storyteller’s understanding will be of what constitutes a breaking point for that character. Breaking Points

29

• What is the worst thing your character has ever done? This doesn’t have to be anything dastardly. If the worst thing your character ever did was steal money from his mother’s purse and lie to cover it up, that’s fine. What’s important here is to consider something that your character did that made him hate himself. The superlative “worst” is something that the character would apply. Choose a breaking point based on the answer to this question. • What is the worst thing your character can imagine himself doing? We imagine ourselves in various scenarios to test our own self-image against a hypothetical situation. When children do it, it’s called imaginative play, but it fills the same niche. What can you can character reasonably see himself doing, but still know that it would be wrong? Can your character imagine killing someone in self-defense? Torturing someone for information? How about robbing a store with a gun? • What is the worst thing your character can imagine someone else doing? Of course, we all know that people are capable of some hideous atrocities. What tops your character’s list? Serial murder? Rape? Torture? Spree killing? If your character is extremely sheltered or misanthropic, he might have a skewed view, here; he might hang on to some lofty, cerebral notion of “dishonor” or “betrayal” as the nadir of human behavior. • What has your character forgotten? In the Chronicles of Darkness, it’s next to impossible to grow up without any exposure to the supernatural. Decide what your character saw and forgot. Did she see a vampire take the form of smoke and vanish? A man turn into a wolf? Maybe she caught a glimpse of an impossible nightmarescape through a door that should never have been propped open? Describe this scene in as much detail as you can. This is a breaking point that already occurred, but it helps set a benchmark for what your character would have to see in order to experience one now. • What is the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to your character? No one goes through life with no trauma. Your character might have been mugged, beaten as a child, in a serious car accident, been kidnapped by a parent during a divorce, survived a lifethreatening disease, attempted suicide, been attacked by a supernatural (or natural!) creature, or any number of other traumatic experiences. The goal here, again, isn’t to make a traumatized character. It’s to set a bar.

Attributes Attributes are the basic abilities that every character possesses, and are the foundation for most rolls. There are nine Attributes, split between the Mental, Physical, and Social categories. If a rule refers to a “Physical action” or a “Social

30

roll,” it is referring to an action that uses an Attribute from one of these categories. All characters start with one dot in each Attribute, which is below average for that Attribute. Two dots represents average ability, three dots is above average, and four dots is someone who is truly exceptional. A character with five dots in an Attribute has reached the peak of human potential within that ability.

Mental Attributes Mental Attributes represent a characters mental resilience, intellect, and acuity.

Intelligence Intelligence is your character’s book smarts and ability to process data. It represents memory, general knowledge, and ability to solve complex and difficult problems. Attribute Tasks: Memorizing (Intelligence + Composure, instant action)

Wits Wits represents quick thinking and improvisation. A character with a high Wits responds quickly to new information and situations. It also represents perception and the ability to notice details and subtle tells. Attribute Tasks: Perception (Wits + Composure, reflexive action), Catching a dropped object (Wits + Dexterity, instant action)

Resolve Resolve represents your character’s patience, concentration, and determination. A high Resolve allows a character to focus despite distractions or discouragement. Attribute Tasks: Meditation (Resolve + Composure, extended action), Staying Awake (Resolve + Stamina, instant action)

Physical Attributes Physical Attributes reflect a character’s body control and fitness.

Strength Strength is a character’s muscular power and ability to use the force of her body. It is used for a large number of physical tasks, and is important for most applications of violence. Attribute Tasks: Holding up a heavy object (Strength + Stamina, extended action)

Dexterity Dexterity represents hand-eye coordination, agility, and physical speed. A character with a high Dexterity has fast reactions, a good sense of balance, and accurate control of physical force.

the face in the mirror-Characters

Attribute Task: Maintain balance (Dexterity + Composure, reflexive action)

Stamina Stamina is your character’s general fitness and health. It is used for sustained effort, as well as determining how much physical punishment your body can take. Attribute Tasks: Resisting Interrogation (Stamina + Resolve, reflexive action)

Social Attributes Social Attributes reflect your character’s ability to navigate social situations and deal with others.

Presence Presence is a character’s raw charisma, assertiveness, and ability to command. Characters with a high Presence dominate a room and are adept at changing people’s thoughts and moods. Attribute Tasks: Air of authority (Presence + Intelligence, instant action)

Manipulation Manipulation represents your character’s ability to choose his words, mask his intentions, and convince others to go along with his ideas. Attribute Tasks: Poker Face (Manipulation + Composure, reflexive action)

Composure Composure is a character’s ability to keep control of her emotions and resist others’ manipulations. It also represents poise, dignity, and the ability to keep a level head when under fire (metaphorically or literally). Attribute Tasks: Perception (Wits + Composure, reflexive action)

Skills Skills are learned and practiced abilities, rather than the innate abilities that Attributes represent. Skills reflect a character’s origins and interests, and can be acquired in many ways, from institutionalized learning to hands-on experience. Skills are divided into the same Mental, Physical, and Social categories as Attributes.

Skill Specialties Skills are very broad abilities, representing whole fields of knowledge or training. A Skill Specialty is a more focused application of a Skill, representing a specific subcategory of the Skill that the character is particularly talented or trained in. Skill Specialties allow you to personalize your character more. Two characters with very similar Skills can feel very different in play, if they have different Specialties.

If your character has an applicable Specialty when you are rolling a Skill, you gain a +1 modifier, allowing you to roll an additional die.

Untrained Skills A character who has no dots in a Skill can generally still attempt to use it. However, there is a penalty due to the character’s complete unfamiliarity with the Skill. For Physical and Social Skills, this penalty is -1. For Mental Skills, this penalty is -3.

Mental Skills Mental Skills generally represent knowledge, book learning, and understanding of facts or procedure. They cover things like remembering a fact, searching for a clue, or diagnosing an illness. Mental Skills are often gained through formal training, and a character may have certificates, degrees, or doctorates in her area of study. However, the rating in the Skill does not necessarily map to a certain level of education. Mental Skills are commonly paired with Mental Attributes. However, they are sometimes used with Physical or Social Attributes. For example, repairing the wiring in a broken CB radio requires a Dexterity + Crafts roll.

Academics Academics represents general higher education and knowledge of arts and humanities. It covers topics like history, language, literature, law, and economics. It is a very broad Skill that covers general knowledge in all of these areas, but Skill Specialties can be used to represent a specific focus. The Academics Skill often represents the amount of schooling a character has. However, some characters are self-taught or have learned a great deal about relevant topics without actually setting foot on a college campus. Also, some people with advanced degrees pay no attention to topics outside their area of expertise, and have a low rating in Academics. Sample actions: Recall historical facts (Intelligence + Academics), Research (Resolve + Academics), Translation (Intelligence + Academics) Sample Specialties: English Literature, History, Law, Linguistics, Research Sample contacts: Rare Book Dealer, Law Professor, Head Librarian

Levels: • Novice: Someone with a basic knowledge of history, a high school graduate or college student. A character at this level knows how to conduct effective research and probably did well in school. ••

Professional: A PhD student, a teacher, or someone who is well-read enough to have a solid grasp on a number of academic fields. A character at this

Mental Skills

31

level can recall details about many different topics, and understands how to find more information on subjects that he does not immediately recall. •••

Experienced: Someone with an excellent general education, and high expertise in one or two areas (generally represented with Skill Specialties). She is a college professor or PhD, or someone who is a voracious reader.

•••• Expert: A PhD at a prestigious school or an acknowledged expert. Someone with extensive knowledge and experience with conducting research, or a self-taught polymath and genius. He can probably teach master classes on a number of different topics, and is up-to-date on the latest ideas within many different fields. ••••• Master: One of the top minds in academia, the acknowledged expert in his field. A walking Wikipedia, with a fact for just about any occasion. The character’s memory and breadth of knowledge are astounding.

Computer Almost everyone in the modern day can turn on a computer, use the internet, and perform basic searches. This Skill represents a character’s ability beyond that level. Having the Computer Skill allows the character to develop programs, diagnose and repair major software and hardware problems, and perform more carefully focused and effective searches for data. It can also be used for things like digging into a file system, finding hidden or encrypted files, cracking encryption, hacking into computer systems, or sabotaging computer networks. Sample actions: Hack into a computer system (Intelligence + Computer), Internet and database searches (Wits + Computer), Programming (Intelligence + Computer) Sample Specialties: Data Retrieval, Digital Security, Hacking, Programming, User Interface Design Sample contacts: AI Researcher, Hardcore Computer Gamer, White Hat Hacker

Levels: • Novice: A character at this level has probably used computers more extensively than the average person. She has a basic grasp of programming, can handle complicated searches, and can find and interpret files that were hidden or encrypted by the average (unskilled) user. ••

32

Professional: The character could be an entry level programmer or IT professional. The character has a solid grasp of programming principles and can perform more elaborate computer tasks easily. She can hack relatively unsecure networks and personal computers.

•••

Experienced: The character has excellent training and talent, or has been working with computers for a while. A character at this level is extremely adept at finding the information she needs, even when someone skilled has taken steps to hide it. As a hacker, she can break her way into the files of companies that have solid security.

•••• Expert: An expert in computer theory. The character can find extremely obscure information by correlating data from many sources, and can track down just about any irregularity in a computer’s files. If she is a hacker, then she has the knowledge and patience to get into government and even military systems. ••••• Master: A character at this level is one of the best in the world. She has worked with the absolute cutting edge in computer technology, and can break into pretty much any computer system in the world. No information is safe from her.

Crafts The Crafts Skill represents a character’s knowledge of repairing, designing, and creating things. It covers tasks like rebuilding a car engine, laying a foundation for a house, or sewing clothing. It also has some overlap with Expression for purposes of creating paintings or sculpture. In general, Crafts should be used when you are trying to make something that is accurate (a scale model, an eye-witness sketch, or a reconstruction of a damaged manuscript) or useful for a specific task, as opposed to something that is being created to be beautiful or convey emotion. A character using the Crafts Skill will generally need specific tools and materials. They have the knowledge to make something, but they usually cannot do it with their bare hands. However, this generally should not cause them problems unless they are in a situation where the tools or materials are rare or difficult to access. Sample actions: Look for flaws (Wits + Crafts), Design object (Intelligence + Crafts), Repair item (Dexterity + Crafts) Sample Specialties: Automotive, Carpentry, Jury Rigging, Sculpting, Welding Sample contacts: Automotive Engineer, “Makerspace” Enthusiast, Police Sketch Artist •

Novice: A character at this level can perform basic automotive repair and maintenance like replacing brakes, oil, and belts. He can make simple repairs and fix plumbing around the house. He understands how to read and create blueprints or design diagrams.

••

Professional: A character at this level can produce high quality and professional blueprints and designs. She can perform extensive repairs of cars and other vehicles, work as a professional handyman,

the face in the mirror-Characters

or work on a construction crew for anything from a house to a high-rise. •••

Experienced: A character at this level is a very talented builder or architect. He can design and build a house from the ground up, completely rebuild a car, and handle industrial electrical and plumbing for office complexes.

•••• Expert: This character can build just about any design she can imagine. She can weld just about anything, build a new car from scratch, or machine precision parts. ••••• Master: This character can repair anything, or build working devices from the scraps other people throw out. He is a da Vinci, able to draw stunningly realistic diagrams or design fantastic devices.

Investigation Investigation is a character’s ability to find and put together clues and solve mysteries and puzzles. It represents the ability to think laterally and make useful intuitive leaps, find meaningful patterns in confusion, and draw conclusions from the available data. Using this Skill is different than the Perception Attribute task that can be found under Wits and Composure. Perception is typically checked when a character is not actively

searching, but could potentially see something out of place or unusual. Investigation is a Skill that the character actively uses to find clues and information and create a more concrete picture of the situation. Sample actions: Examine a crime scene (Wits + Investigation), Identify a pattern (Wits + Investigation), Solve a riddle (Intelligence + Investigation) Sample Specialties: Crime Scenes, Cryptography, Dreams, Forensic Accounting, Riddles Sample contacts: Conspiracy Buff, Medical Examiner, Private Investigator

Levels: •

Novice: The character is a good armchair detective and excels at puzzles, riddles, and brainteasers.

••

Professional: At this level, a character is very good at putting details together to form a larger picture. Someone who works as a coroner or crime lab attendant is probably at this level.

•••

Experienced: The character has an excellent eye for details that most would overlook, impressing even experienced detectives. He fills out crossword puzzles in pen and solves riddles without breaking a sweat.

•••• Expert: A character at this level of Investigation has abilities that seem almost supernatural. She can see connections between details that seem completely

Mental Skills

33

separate, make amazing intuitive leaps, and can easily see patterns in massive amounts of data. ••••• Master: Sherlock Holmes. This character’s investigative instincts are perfect, and no clue escapes his notice.