Section 1: Introduction To the Unknown

In the first book, we told you that there were three powers waging war over humanity. This book is the first step in the wayward descent into the apocalyptic cycle. The Eternal Question is to be used as a source book for the DarkTown universe in your campaign. It is the first full length book to accompany DarkTown: The Apocalyptic Cycle and it is one of three total books which will all have different genres for the world of DarkTown. The Eternal Question deals with the magical aspects of the apocalyptic cycle, commonly known as the supernatural or paranormal--that which science denies and religion avoids. Within this text are rules for supernatural creatures, statistics for undead creatures, adventure suggestions for supernatural entities, a full length adventure, new skills for player characters, new spheres of power for supernatural creatures, and an overview of the current myths and theories of the supernatural.

The ideas and settings suggested within this book are for a genre of horror and the unknown. Supernatural creatures will baffle characters who rely on science, terrify those who believe in religion, and inspire those who follow magic. This is the realm of the mystical and unknown forces of magic. Beware all those who enter, for the encompassing power of magic is supreme here. Technology must cast away rationale and religion must lose its faith if there is to be any salvation. Only magic will be at home. Welcome to the domain of the supernatural, where nothing is how it is supposed to be and the dead are allowed to walk with the living.

Man will be forced to rely on himself for the answers to the future. Instead of looking outside of himself, as mankind has done thus far, man needs to search his inner self for the understanding of the universe. For this is a question, which is so complex, that neither magic, religion, nor technology can singlehandedly answer. Welcome to the beginning of a new era, where powers which were once thought to be godlike are now nothing, and the true power of man comes from within himself. This is the Neo Dark Age.

All creatures who are supernatural in nature obtain their powers from those who believe in them. The more widespread a myth is, the more powerful the creature is.

If you pick up a dictionary today and look up the word vampire, it will most likely be defined as a "blood sucking monster" or something to that effect. This is because someone, long ago, decided that it would be cool to come up with the idea of a "vampire." Either the person completely made the concept up, or more likely, he or she actually had a run in with a similar occurrence and thought it to be a vampire. A classic example was the confusion between tuberculosis and vampirism back in the American colonial times. Tuberculosis, if untreated, is a chronic disease, and when someone dies of it, he or she slowly wastes away. Since it is also rather contagious, many people who had close contact with the victim also fell ill. This was a time before modern microbiology, so doctors back then did not understand contagion or the concept of bacteria at all. They thought it was a supernatural "life draining" disorder. The belief slowly manifested into that of a "blood draining" disorder which was caused by the first victim returning from the grave and the rest is history. The point being that everything we believe in or cogitate about today came from our past. Our ancestors created our current stories, religions, beliefs, folklores, etc. But it did not happen overnight. Many generations were required to refine the tales. Just think of how many times the story of Beowulf was told, or how many people have heard or read The Epic of Gilgamesh. Even recent myths, such as The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, have been told to countless people and every time it is told, the person reciting it makes one or two personal alterations. These small changes in the story are the refinement. As each story is told, a slightly newer one replaces it. This is how myths evolve, one tale at a time.

A Mentalist class character designates his or her entire existence to supporting, upholding, and believing in a single explanation for the plan of reality. They view any faith other than their own as unacceptable and, in some severe cases, will even accept death over conversion to another faith. Mentalist characters will only break their faith when put in a life or death situation. Even when in this predicament, the character will still feel extreme remorse for the action. This reaction to a situation is influenced more by the failure of the faith, rather than by the character's own guilt of immorality. Mentalists will survive situations to the best of their ability, but self preservation is crippled by their stringent codes of faith. For this reason, these classes are heavily penalized for benefitting or even thinking about another faith. As for the supernatural, Scientists will never willingly accept it, but both Mages and Priests have become accustomed to it throughout the years.

-Tiff, captain of the cheerleading squad

Fighter, Gangbanger, Vagabond, Prep

Unlike the Mentalists or other aptitude based classes, these guys are not tied down by petty beliefs of faith in something other than themselves. Characters of these classes will utilize whatever means that are necessary to survive. This may involve a temporary reliance in one of the three powers or total independence from them. Survivalists are not afraid to kill the enemy while he is down regardless of the "faith." Often, these characters will walk away from an argument when two or more conflicting Mentalists have a disagreement in the party. They are above such petty differences. Establishing an explanation for the workings of the universe is of second-hand importance. Survival is always the primary objective. As a result, these characters are always exempt from experience point penalties involving faith, unless faith is taken as a moral priority.

Superstitionist

Stoner

It drinks blood? Cool dude.

-Reginald Reynolds

Thief

It is okay to steal from a dead man, just close his eyes first, so he can't see you. Then hope he doesn't wake up and try to hunt you down to get it back.

-Mark The Leper

Bard

There are more things in heaven and hell than the earth knows about.

-Ric The Bard

Occultist

Now you come for my help. After all those years of being slammed into lockers and tripped in the hallways at school. Hell, for seven years I responded to the name "weirdo." But I was right all of those years wasn't I? Now you know the truth. At least give me that.

-Delores "Featherwind" Morres

Stoner, Thief, Bard, Occultist

As the name implies, these classes tend to be the superstitious lot in society. Many are dubbed "strange" or "weird" by their fellow brethren because they are eccentric, creative, and free thinking. Superstitionists never rule out the improbable as an explanation, including the supernatural. Because they still live in a technological empire, superstitionists are heavily influenced by this belief, but are not controlled by it. And, unlike technologists, they tend to accept strange and unusual circumstances with little or no question. These characters will have no trouble at all when confronted with an undead creature.

Crusader

Knight

That which is evil or unholy can take many forms. You must be ready to strike, without heed or consideration of the reality of such an abomination, for time is of the essence. Evil moves as fast as light. Therefore you must move faster.

-His Lord and Honor, King Jacob Pendragon

Assassin

How do you deal with something that refuses to die?

-Howard Walters

Fanatic

The end of the world is upon us! The dead rising is a sign that judgement day is near. Repent! Repent I say, or be damned for eternity. I am ready to meet the Lord. I have confessed my human sin and prepared to ascend to the realm of the Lord. Hallelujah! (Dramatic Pause) Give me an Amen.

-The Good Reverend Simon Kurman

New Waver

Just because the paranormal is unexpected does not mean that it is not to be expected man, just that it is unexpected, because it is unexpected, or somethin' like that. I dunno, pass that thing back here dude...

-Eddie

Knight, Assassin, Fanatic, New Waver

Members of the crusader ideology all share aptitudes in religion, although "religious" may not be an exact definition of them. It is true that some uphold religious sanctity, but most crusaders believe in the moral teachings of divine law, rather than the divine itself. They are just, moral, righteous, judgmental idealists, who believe in beneficence towards mankind through universal law and order. This belief, however, may be demented or twisted, reflecting the crusader's own ethical and moral structure. In short, they believe themselves to be perfect alone, for no one else can abide by their own ethics as well as a crusader can. As for the supernatural, it is true that there are things out there which man should not, cannot, and will not understand. This is not a foreign concept to the crusader, and it is embraced accordingly. Though not as completely understanding of such things as superstitionists, crusaders can rationalize the possible existence of such things when in the proper scenario.

Technologist

Soldier

What? What in the hell did you just say private? Bull shit! I'll tell ya' what that is. A bunch of hillbilly, trailer trash, hicks who drink a hell of a lot of weasel piss and think they see dead ol' grandma. That's what I think it is. By the way, what did you expect to get from a bunch of inbred yellow hammers? A fuckin' Nobel prize? Get the hell out of my office private and don't waste any more of my time!

-Lt. Zachary Stephens, Assistant Castellon of the Central Keep

Anarchist

If it can burn, I can kill it. Ain't no "undead" about it. Unless the military has done some genetic engineering so the soldiers regenerate, then I can see a problem. And I know those fuckers have been doin' it. Ever since Nam I tell ya! I know man. I know...

-"Debonair" Devon Anderson, "The Vivisector"

Occupationalist

Loch Ness monster, Bigfoot, ghosts, walking dead--I'll believe any goddamn thing you want me to as long as you pay me enough.

-Butch Willis, A Semi-famous Bounty Hunter

Scholar

Even though probable, it is very unlikely for the dead to rise from the grave. On this matter I will have to side with my intellectual equal, the Scientist. After all, he is usually correct, at least most of the time.

-Dr. Daniel Hawke

Soldier, Anarchist, Occupationalist, Scholar

Characters who have an aptitude for technology are influenced strongly by science. Technologists are often cold, calculating, rational individuals, who do not let strange circumstances pass them by without question. These are the logical thinkers of society. Characters of this type must be heavily persuaded by magic or religion if they are to turn away from technology for outside support. Needless to say, they will not accept the supernatural willingly, at least not without good proof.

Unlike stone cold Scientists, technologists can be converted under the proper conditions. Overwhelming evidence supporting such things can sway the current belief of technologists. Once drawn to the unknown, these characters will support the belief in supernatural existence, but they will always eventually remember their loyalty is to science, not magic or religion.

The general personalities of technologists have a rational basis. They are very efficient and practical people. Because of their scientific trend of faith, many are impartial. Emotion has been known to impede thinking and judgement, therefore many technologists are stoics and show little sympathy towards others. In this, they share a common characteristic with Mother Nature, Lord of Improbability. Forgiveness is never an option in the harshness of reality.

The table below is an abridged version of what was just said. For quick reference, all of the classes are listed below along with their general attitudes towards the supernatural. Character classes which are noted with a "con" are naturally biased to be skeptics of supernatural creatures. Those who are "pro" need relatively little evidence to convert them into believers, and neutral classes are somewhere in the middle. Classes which are con to supernatural beliefs will tend to disregard any would be claims to the existence of supernatural creatures. Unless an exemplary amount of evidence is laid out for these guys, they will side with Scientists on decisions concerning these events. Exemplary evidence usually can be inclusive of, but not limited to, being attacked by an undead or witnessing specific undead things (these are things which are obviously not humanly possible; rising from the grave, flying, looking obviously dead and still being able to walk around, etc.).

Class Aptitude Belief Attitude

Mage NA Pro

Priest NA Pro

Scientist NA Con

Fighter NA Neutral

Stoner Magic Pro

Knight Religion Pro

Soldier Technology Con

Gangbanger NA Neutral

Thief Magic Pro

Assassin Religion Pro

Anarchist Technology Con

Vagabond NA Neutral

Bard Magic Pro

Fanatic Religion Pro

Occupationalist Technology Con

Prep NA Neutral

Occultist Magic Pro

New Waver Religion Pro

Scholar Technology Con

Section 2: Rules of Immortality

An Overview of the Undead

Live is evil spelled backwards

-Anthony Burgess

As we all well know, undead creatures have been the object of many horror stories throughout the centuries. This is the result of a widespread knowledge of the folklore of such creatures, which directly influences their apparent powers. Creatures which are believed to exist by many people are very powerful, due to the well known fear they produce. Likewise, we followed the same rationale when determining the powers of our creatures. They are due to popular demand. The Game Master can, of course, change these at his or her own will. We merely suggest these for reference.

To begin with, we have considered three main classes of undead. These are as follows:

Animates: Animate undead include all of our favorites such as zombies, skeletons, and other animated limbs or body parts. These creatures have physical bodies, but their intelligence is very low or absent. They can only obey commands from high level Priests or Mages. Otherwise, they just usually attack anything that moves. Some animates, such as Frankenstein's monster, can be explained using technology. In these instances, some Scientists may be able to intervene as well. These creatures will attack until destroyed, for they know no fear of destruction. Animate creatures may not have moral priorities and they only do what they are told. These creatures will be destroyed if they are dealt enough damage to render their physical bodies non-functional.

Corporals: Although corporal also, Animate undead have no intelligence, therefore we reserve this category for greater undead and other more intelligent species. These creatures are by far the most superior, because they have an intelligence and a means with which to use it--a physical body. Corporal undead include liches, vampires, mummies, revenents, ghouls, ghasts and others. Liches, vampires, mummies, and revenents all possess great power and are considered to be greater undead. Corporal undead may be harmed and destroyed by physical weapons because their bodies lie within this realm. Though intelligent, greater undead can only possess a limited number of moral priorities, for they are very animal-like in nature. They are cunning, quick witted, sly, conniving and able to make decisions very quickly, but they are also very self centered. A greater undead will usually have 2 moral priorities, or 3 at most, one of which must be self. The remaining corporal undead will usually have Self only. Other priorities which are usually taken by greater undead include; Intangible Wealth or Material Wealth. Some revenents will have up to 3 moral priorities and these can be any of the original 8 listed in DarkTown: The Apocalyptic Cycle.

Incorporeals: Undead of this type have no physical body. They cannot be destroyed or damaged in any way using physical weapons. Only superstitious beliefs, successful, consecutive disbelief rolls, or exorcisms will drive them off. Some magic and religious powers may also harm them, but it is doubtful if any technology will. Incorporeal undead include wraiths, poltergeists, ghosts and others which we will not name. Because these creatures cannot be destroyed using conventional means, they do not have any health levels. If they are "wounded" it is safe to assume that they will leave the immediate area to avoid further discomfort, although it is highly doubtful if one of these can truly be destroyed.

In addition, since undead are, by definition not living, they may not be harmed nor slain by many of the means which normally dispose of living organisms. This includes poisons, toxins, suffocation, asphyxiation, starvation, dehydration, freezing, and, for the most part, exhaustion and aging. Some undead are, however, more susceptible to certain weapons or substances. For example, mummies are greatly damaged by fire as are vampires. These weaknesses are further detailed under the description of each undead class, which are located in the next section of the book.

The Myth of Folklore

Life is a mystery

Everyone must stand alone

Madonna, Like a Prayer

Folklore and myth have been around as long as mankind has been. Modern myths of supernatural creatures are composites from various cultures and stories from the past. For the most part, common myths apply to all undead initially. One such being that vampires are instantly killed by decapitation. Sunlight and fire do huge amounts of damage to vampires, and oftentimes vampires will panic when confronted by these sources of damage. These are all feasible myths about vampiric weakness and they may all apply if and when the characters encounter one. But it is not entirely that simple. As stated before, myths are made up of a composite of beliefs. Every now and then some beliefs come into conflict. This is where it gets fun. What if not all vampire myths include aversion of a vampire to garlic? Then someone out there believes that vampires do not need to leave an area where garlic is around. Or, some myths even go as far as to say vampires are harmed by garlic. So, which one do we go with? The answer is all of them. If a player character (or player for that matter) believes that a vampire can be harmed by garlic, then he or she can declare a test of will versus the creature. This is resolved similar to a disbelief roll and it is detailed in the Power of False Faith section. If the character wins, then the myth which he or she proclaims is the "true one." If not, well then the bad guy has proven to have a stronger will and the myth of the character is false. This rule applies to all forms of undead, it just so happens that vampires are easy examples.

Undead creatures who receive penalties, which are either stated in their descriptions or begotten from The Powers of the Damned, cannot be changed via a False Belief roll. That is to say, it is a very common myth that vampires die when exposed to sunlight, therefore this myth should automatically go into effect without need for a Belief roll on the part of the character, unless the Game Master is particularly sadistic. Also, weaknesses, such as repulsion by garlic, can be tested on a normal vampire using a Belief roll. But if the vampire chose a Power of the Damned which caused it to be repulsed by garlic, then the character roll automatically succeeds by default.

Power of False Faith

He overcame evil,

he will not come again.

Though he was strong of arm,

he will not rise again.

-The Epic of Gilgamesh

All undead are capable of being hurt by the same myths and superstitions which give them life (or, unlife). This only applies, however, if a person's belief is strong enough, however. Every belief is initially harmful to an undead. If attacked by a such means, the defending undead creature must succeed in a supernatural disbelief roll versus the attacker's POW score. This is called a False Belief Roll. If the attacker has an Ethos, Logos, or Mythos score, this is added to the total also. Upon a successful roll, the defending supernatural creature has been defeated in a test of will and, therefore, harmed by the belief. If and when the character fails the False belief roll, then the creature has proved to be stronger than the human imagination and, henceforth, the myth does not apply to it. This is how Barlow smacked the cross out of the priest's hand in Stephen King's Salem's Lot. Barlow had proven his will to be stronger than that of the priest and he was able to disregard the holy object as a trinket of false faith.

Idiot Roll: D20 + Supernatural Score + Undead POW > Attacker's POW + Ethos/Logos/Mythos Score + D20

Tests such as these should be limited to one try per character per creature. The character can retest at a later time if they wish, but he or she must wait at least 24 hours before the next belief roll. It is also an optional rule that those who possess the skills Occult or Undead Lore can retest a failed roll immediately after it fails one time per day only.

Weaknesses from flaws cannot be contested by a False Faith roll. These undead are automatically subjected to the penalty assigned by the belief and they may not attempt to resist. This reflects the power that some human beliefs have on the supernatural.

The Science of Myth

Despite being completely arrogant and unaccepting of supernatural occurrences, one minority of science finds some rationale in it. Chaos science and the mathematics of probability cannot deny the existence of such things by definition. It is part of the unknown. Chaos science dictates that which is unproved may or may not be so. There are some things which can never be proven, but according to the definition of science they cannot be forgotten either. There is a chance, if ever so slight, that somewhere in the universe gravity does not apply. This is why Newton called it the THEORY of gravity, not the LAW of gravity. Laws are universal and meant for unchanging, static beliefs, such as religion. Science is anything but static.

Therefore, some supernatural beliefs cannot be proven wrong. This leaves gaps of semi beliefs in myths, which even science will acknowledge. This is not a common practice for technology and it is avoided to save face if for nothing else. In fact, the incidence is so rare that it is considered to be nil. All Scientists will universally deny the existence of the supernatural, even if a small possibility still exists. Unless the theory can be tested (and it cannot), the Scientist cannot accept it as reality. No matter how hard one tries, mythical evidence is just not credible when using deductive reasoning. This results in the following rules when exposing Scientist characters to the supernatural.

Science versus the Supernatural

It is this disbelief which provides the unknown with

its greatest weapon...The ignorance of its victims.

-Kyle Sullivan, Chill

All those who believe in science utilize the scientific method. Since supernatural occurrences do not fit into the scheme of reality according to the scientific method, such paranormal activities are impossible for Scientists and the like to comprehend. These types of people have to rationalize the existence of such creatures before they can believe in them. Even though this would normally tend to make a character strongly disbelieve in such a creature, it actually only offers a vent for that character to account for an exception in reality. Instead of rationalizing the state of reality, a Scientist or other character with the moral priority of Faith-technology will dismiss the supernatural as false or impossible. This is reflected in the following way.

All Scientists have an automatic penalty of 5 to all actions when a supernatural being is thought to be involved. All actions includes everything from lock-picking to genetic engineering. This penalty is the result of the Scientist's own confusion and stress due to his or her denial of reality. Everything that he or she has believed in up until now has just been proven wrong. That can tend to make people a little insane, if only temporarily. This penalty stands until the supernatural creature is no longer on the mind of the Scientist, or until he or she makes a successful Unbelief roll, which is detailed in the section titled, Unbelief. After this time, sanity will return and the Scientist will once again be effectively functional.

Unbelief

When a Scientist first encounters a supernatural creature, he or she may attempt to rationalize the occurrence in the form of an unbelief roll. Normally, technology is at a disadvantage when confronted by the supernatural, because it is confounded. But if a Scientist can come up with an excuse or scientific reason for the supernatural, then he or she may be exempt from the penalty which is normally assigned to him or her. Upon a successful unbelief roll, the Scientist can gain several bonuses when fighting the undead. The system for an unbelief roll is the same as that for a Disbelief roll, but it must be stated that the Scientist is attempting to specifically unbelieve the creature. This roll can only be attempted once per encounter with a specific type of undead and only Scientists may attempt it. Scientists who possess the following skills can add any single one of them to the roll, but at an Experience Point Penalty. This penalty is assigned according to the skill use.

Occult

Necromancy

Undead Lore

Idiot Roll: Logos + Optional Skill + D20 > Supernatural Score + D20

If the roll succeeds, then the Scientist has found a plausible explanation for the creature's existence or apparent "superhuman" powers. For the remainder of the adventure, the Scientist will not receive the normal penalty assigned to the followers of technology, because he or she has found the answer. At least for now. In addition, the Scientist will get a +1 bonus to all technology related skill rolls for the remainder of the adventure, due to a boost in self confidence. This bonus may not be used with technological powers, only with ordinary skill rolls and it is not cumulative, no matter how many undead have been unbelieved during the adventure. When this roll fails, the Scientist is subjected to the normal penalty detailed in the Science versus the Supernatural section.

As an optional rule, the Game Master may choose to make this bonus a +2 if the Scientist has either the moral priority of Self or Intangible Wealth. This added umph comes from the Scientist's egotistical nature. He or she is so proud of him or herself for solving the problem of the supernatural, that the bonus is increased by 1.

The Powers of Magic and Religion

And all things whatsoever ye shall

ask in prayer believing ye shall receive

-Matthew 21:22

Religion and magic have the distinct advantage over technology in that they both accept supernatural creatures as part of reality. Those classes who believe in technology and science disregard the existence of the paranormal. They try to rationalize everything and if something does not fit neatly into their explanation, it is dismissed. Ignorance is the way which the followers if science deal with the supernatural. But what they do not know will hurt them. Religion and magic are more accepting of such occurrences. Instead of hiding from what they do not understand, both of these powers can assign explanations from within their own beliefs. This enables Priests and Mages to become powerful adversaries of the supernatural.

Because the supernatural fits in so well with the beliefs already present within these two powers, those with the knowledge of magic or religion find it easy to combat such creatures. Unlike the followers of technology, who must rationalize and explain first, the classes who are apt in magic and religion are free to act without penalty. They are not stricken with awe or disbelief as Scientists are. In fact, those characters with religion and magic as aptitudes are able to have special knowledge in the supernatural, especially those with the skill of Occult. This makes characters such as Occultists, Bards, and Stoners rather powerful and knowledgeable when fighting such creatures, since it is they who know their weaknesses. Both Bards and Occultists have the knowledge of many myths and folklores, for it is they who pass along this information to others. Bards use the power of songs and stories to tell their folklore, whereas Occultists are more scholarly in their documentation of myth.

Whenever a character with the skill Occult encounters an undead, he or she may make an Occult roll to see if he or she recognizes that particular creature. The difficulty for this roll is determined by the commonality of the undead type. Very common undead, such as a normal Bram Stoker/Slavic style vampire would be easy to recognize, thus the difficulty would be low. Less commonly known undead, such as an Akhkharu, which is an ancient Babylonian vampire, would require a more difficult roll to succeed. This, however, is up to the discretion of the Game Master, for it is he who initially chooses the type of undead. Other skills, such as Undead Lore, are used in the same manner.

Experience Penalties

Come on baby, don't fear the reaper.

-Blue Oyster Cult, Don't Fear the Reaper

If you take a group of normal people and throw in a bunch of undead creatures, what you get is a mass hysteria. People of today have become too dependent on science for the answers to everything. Because there is clearly no scientific reason for walking corpses, normal people will freak out if presented with the situation. This goes for all characters who are not Mages or Priests. Those which have an aptitude in religion or magic might be more willing to accept such a reality, but it still is pretty fucking weird. Characters who do not have aptitudes will not have the foggiest idea of what is going on, but they will try to survive the best they can. Since these characters have no alignment to any of the three powers, they can pick and choose their allies at will, effectively benefitting from science, religion, and magic together. This will come in use as you will later see. Science and those who follow it will be the ones who are disadvantaged in this scenario. Since the supernatural does not fit in to the scientific theory, Scientists are at a loss to figure out what it is they are trying to fight. This leaves them at the mercy of magic and religion to bail them out. But this will be at a cost to the Scientist.

Every time a character relies on a force which conflicts with his or her own personal belief, that character will suffer an experience point deduction. In the first book, DarkTown, we said that if a Scientist were to be magically healed by a Mage, the Scientist would lose experience points for violating his belief in science. This example holds true here. If a Scientist is with a group of characters who are trying to survive an attack from a vampire, the Scientist would have no idea what was truly going on. First of all, he would deny the existence of such a creature, unless he had hard-core, empirical evidence suggesting otherwise. Second, the Scientist would laugh at any anti-vampire tactics that the other party members might have, especially ones made by so called Mages or Priests. If a Priest suggested holy water as a weapon, the Scientist would shrug it off and say that it would not work. Likewise, a Mage would probably suggest something different, such as Wolvesbane, garlic, or some other arcane herb as a vampire deterrent. This is where the game spices up.

Any character who has a Faith moral priority must abide by that throughout the course of the adventure. This is especially true for the Mentalists. If, for some reason or another, a character must rely on an alternate belief to survive, he or she will be penalized accordingly. If a character believes in science, he or she will not willingly wear a crucifix as a defense against vampires. It is utter nonsense. But if that player decides to have his or her character wear the cross, then the character is docked experience points for breaking the moral priority of Faith-technology, since he is effectively relying on religion for protection. Characters who only have aptitudes should be less severely punished for this and Mentalists should get the third degree. Characters who have no aptitude or Faith can do whatever they need to survive without a penalty. This is why they are superior to the others, because they have no restrictions. Also, when Mentalists use skills which are based on other beliefs, they are docked experience points as well. Usually the penalty is only 1 experience point per violation of skill use. The skill does not necessarily need to be successfully used either, just attempted. An example would be a Scientist with Occult, a Priest with Necromancy, or a Mage with Exorcism.

In one of the games we ran, a particularly interesting situation came up when the Priest suggested that all of the party members take refuge in a local church for the night. This way the vampires would not be able to enter the holy ground to harm them. The rest of the party agreed, except for one Mage who did not want to rely on religion to protect her. Eventually, however, she swallowed her pride in order to save her life and spent the night in the church, although her lack of faith in Magic cost her all of her experience points for that part of the adventure. Ouch! Strike one for being a Mentalist.

Creating Your Own Animates

I have no time for the living.

-St. Francis of Death (Grave Digger), The Cemetery Man

How to create animates was detailed in DarkTown: The Apocalyptic Cycle, but we will include that in this book as well. Mages can create animates simply by using the Create Life spell. Priests and Scientists require special skills along with their powers to make the dead rise from the grave. Scientists must first have the skill Reanimation/Exotic Life Saving Therapy, before they can even think about challenging death. Priests, likewise, must have the skill Religious Death Rites, before they are able to call the dead back to life. Once these skills are possessed, the Priest or Scientist may purchase the power or Create Life using experience points. This power counts as a level 5 Bios technique for a Scientist and a level 5 Deity miracle for a Priest. In this way, the power of Create Life may be purchased instead of Genetic Engineering or Divine Intervention.

Keep in mind, however, that the Scientist will still justify the existence of the animate according to the laws of technology and a Priest will rely on religion. Because of their techniques and beliefs, Scientists may only animate recently deceased corpses. That is to say, that the corpse cannot be decomposed to the point of a skeleton. The muscles and nerves must still be intact if a Scientist is to animate a body. Priests are free from restrictions. Scientists, however, may create a single corpse from several partial bodies, as long as a whole body is finally patched together in the end. Technologically animated bodies also do not decompose as normal animates do. This is because Scientists can call life back into the cadaver, so it is actually living again. These creatures are still stupid, however, for they are mostly brain dead. Most animates just stare off blankly, never focusing their eyes on a single object and always have a dopy, unhealthy look on their faces.

Magical Animates

Mages can manifest energy, in the form of magic, which is then used to make an inanimate object become animate. The magic is bound to the body and energizes it at the will of the caster. Because of the mechanism involved, corpses are but one of the many inanimate objects which can be affected by a Mage. Bodies which are invigorated will obey the commands of the Mage until destroyed or rendered inoperable by an outside force. And, as always, these are magical creatures and should be treated as such.

Create

5. Create Life Difficulty 35

Any inanimate object can be animated by the caster of this spell. The animated object will obey all commands from the caster to the best of its ability, and it will remain until destroyed or disbelieved by either a Priest or Scientist. Anything from plastic skeletons to appliances or dead bodies can be animated using this power. Dead organic life that is animated has the distinct advantage in that it does not need to be made--it is already there. Golems, on the other hand, have to be made and sculpted by the Mage. Any object that is animated will obey the spoken commands of the caster alone, no one else. In addition, no animated object can possess a POW score. COM and INT are determined by the following table. Other Attributes are determined by the type of body used. These values are up to the Game Master or they can be rolled randomly using the rules for animates in this book.

Religious Animates

When a Priest creates an animate, he or she is not merely calling upon a force to move the deceased body around. Priests actually summon and bind the souls of the dead back into their own physical corpses. Calling the dead back from eternal slumber, however, is not always a kind act. But sometimes death may come prematurely and the dead must be brought back into the realm of the living. By possessing the skill Religious Death Rites, a Priest may summon the spirits of the dead back after purchasing the power Create Life. The spiritual energy of the soul once again can empower the body to move and obey commands, although the mind is long since gone. Due to the fact that the body is dead and the brain no longer functions, these undead are still treated as mindless, walking corpses, just as all other animates are.

Deity

5. Create Life Difficulty 35

Any inanimate object can be animated by the caster of this miracle. The animated object will obey all commands from the caster to the best of its ability, and it will remain until destroyed or disbelieved by either a Mage or Scientist. Anything from plastic skeletons to dead bodies can be animated using this power, all that the Priest must do is inscribe the Hebrew rune of life on the forehead of the body (organic or otherwise). Dead organic life that is animated has the distinct advantage in that it does not need to be made--it is already there. Golems, on the other hand, have to be made and sculpted by the Priest. Any object that is animated will obey the spoken commands of the caster alone, no one else. In addition, no animated object can possess a POW score. COM and INT are determined by the following table. Other Attributes are determined by the type of body used. These values are up to the Game Master or they can be rolled up using the rules for animates in this book.

Technological Animates

Life is not an unknown concept to a Scientist. In its simplest form, it is but a series of chemical reactions and electrical impulses. Since these ideas are not at all alien to medical science, doctors and Scientists have become apt at controlling and manipulating these processes at will. Using an outside form of electricity or chemicals, Scientists can reanimate a dead corpse and bring it back to life. The skill Exotic Life Saving Therapy/Reanimation does just that. Scientists with this skill are able to buy the power Create Life and use it to make crude, walking dead. One different aspect is that these animates are still living, but brain dead. They have a pulse, breathe, and require nutrients for sustenance, although they have an animal-like intelligence. For this reason, these animates do not decompose as normal undead do. But, as a result of this feature, Scientists are unable to animate anything which cannot become living. Only recently deceased corpses can be animated and nothing inorganic can be affected.

Bios

5. Create Life Difficulty 35

Any recently deceased body or complex electronic device can be animated by the employer of this technique. The animated object will obey all commands from the creator to the best of its ability, and it will remain until destroyed or disbelieved by either a Mage or Priest. Dead organic life that is animated cannot be decomposed to the bone--the muscles and nerves must still be functional. Golems cannot be created by a Scientist, unless it is a flesh golem. Any object that is animated will obey the spoken commands of the creator alone, no one else. In addition, no animated object can possess a POW score. COM and INT are determined by the following table. Other Attributes are determined by the type of body used. These values are up to the Game Master or can be rolled up using the animate rules in this book. Certain electronic devices, such as computers, can be "animated" with the Game Master's permission. The term "animated" is to be used loosely in this context, however, for it is more of an artificial intelligence that the Scientist is creating. Again, this concept is solely governed by the will of the Game Master.

Animate Table

Organic Body COM INT Synthetic Body

Body incomplete/Parts 5 1 Generic Object

Dead Animals 10 5 *Lesser Golem

Dead Human 15 15 **Greater Golem

*Lesser Golems are hand crafted by the Mentalist from limbs and other body parts, and they take up no less than 1 week to prepare.

**Greater Golems are hand-crafted by the Mentalist from limbs and body parts, and they take no less than 1 month to prepare.

Golems may be fashioned out of parts of dead, organic bodies. Scientists can only create flesh golems, which are strictly organic in construction. Fabric, metal, plastic or other non-organic materials may not be animated by a Scientist, only by Mages or Priests. All golems must be intricately put together by the Mentalist so as to assure proper functioning. Frankenstein's monster was an example of a flesh Golem made by a Scientist.

Botching a Create Life Roll

If a Create Life power roll is failed, then no effects happen. But if the Mentalist botches the roll, by rolling a total of 1 or less after modifiers or by rolling a natural 1 on the mediator, then something horrible happens. The power works, so to speak, and the animate comes to life. But instead of obeying its creator, the animate tries to kill him or her. If successful, the animate will continue killing mortals in a random, serial fashion. This will continue until it is destroyed. The runaway animate may not be subdued.

The Powers of Undead Majesty

So I looked, and behold,

a pale horse. And the

name of him who sat on it

was Death, and Hades followed

with him. And

power was given to them

over a fourth of the earth,

to kill with sword, with

hunger, with death, and by

the beasts of the earth.

-Revelation 6:8

All undead creatures will possess characteristics which make them superior to living creatures, although this does not necessarily always make them better. Naturally, all greater undead will be more powerful than the lesser ones and the animates are the weakest of all. Certain types of undead are more skilled than others in different areas. The table below lists all of the types of undead and their appropriate attribute bonuses. If a Game Master intends to make an undead from scratch, he or she merely needs to roll as normal for character generation and then add the following bonuses. Otherwise, average attributes are listed to the right. More details are given about individual powers and abilities of each undead type under their appropriate sections later in this book.

Attribute Bonus Average Attributes

Lich +10 INT STR: 15 END: 25

+10 COM AGL: 15 MOV: 15

+10 PER INT: 25 COM: 25

+10 POW PER: 25 POW: 15

+10 END BEA: 0 CHA: 15

BEA is 0

Mummy +10 INT STR: 15 END: 25

+10 COM AGL: 15 MOV: 15

+10 PER INT: 25 COM: 25

+10 POW PER: 25 POW: 15

+10 END BEA: * CHA: 15

BEA Restriction

*See the section on Mummies for more details.

Vampire +10 STR STR: 25 END: 25

+10 END AGL: 25 MOV: 25

+10 MOV INT: 15 COM: 15

+10 AGL PER: 25 POW: 15

+10 PER BEA: 15 CHA: 15

Revenent +10 STR STR: 25 END: 25

+10 END AGL: 25 MOV: 25

+10 MOV INT: 15 COM: 15

+10 AGL PER: 25 POW: 15

+10 PER BEA: 15 CHA: 15

Lesser Corporal +5 STR STR: 20 END: 20

+5 END AGL: 20 MOV: 20

+5 MOV INT: 15 COM: 15

+5 AGL PER: 15 POW: 15

BEA Restriction BEA: * CHA: 15

*See the section on Lesser Corporal undead for more details.

Incorporeal +5 INT STR: 0 END: 0

+5 COM AGL: 15 MOV: 15

+5 PER INT: 20 COM: 20

+5 POW PER: 20 POW: 20

STR is 0 BEA: 15 CHA: 15

END is 0

Animate POW is 0 STR: 15 END: 15

INT Restriction* AGL: 15 MOV: 15

COM Restriction* INT: * COM: *

BEA Restriction* PER: 15 POW: 0

BEA: * CHA: 15

*See the section on Animates for more details.

Undead Stamina

You'll never get hungry

You'll never grow old and grey

-Fastball, The Way

Undead do not receive the same penalties for damage levels as do living humans. Since undead are not affected nearly as much by pain or fatigue, they are able to withstand more damage before they are incapacitated. Undead are usually only incapacitated when they reach zero or negative health. Some undead are incapacitated only upon destruction, such as animates. Below is a table of general penalties for wound levels of undead. This table applies to all types of undead. The minuses correspond to the physical inability to perform an action, rather than the pain or shock caused by the injury.

For example, a zombie whose elbow has been shattered will have a difficult time extending its arm, due to the physical damage of the joint. But since a zombie does not feel any pain, it will not hurt it to try moving its arm. In addition, undead never need to make Stamina Checks for shock, no matter how much damage they suffer in a single round. This is because their bodies are already dead, thus they cannot enter a physiological shock.

Bruised (0)

Wounded (0)

Injured (0)

Crippled (-1)

Incapacitated* (-3)

Dead** (-5)

Destroyed (NA)

* This wound level is called Incapacitated, however undead only suffer a -3 to all actions whereas a normal human would be rendered unconscious.

** Dead is only a state of being and undead are rather good at avoiding it. This category corresponds to the state of zero health or negative health. Some undead, such as Mummies and Liches, can remain at this state for an indefinite period of time. Moreover, they can still be functional and aware. Only when they are destroyed do undead cease existence.

Another point which must be made is that undead are not living creatures. This means that any substances which would normally affect living systems will not affect undead. Poisons and chemicals do not harm them. Likewise, undead do not require food or oxygen for sustenance. Undead do not breathe, nor do their hearts beat. They are cold to the touch. In essence, they are dead. This allows for easy identification upon close inspection. A trained physician would be able to tell that the creature was not living through these diagnostic features. In addition, since the body is dead, it can no longer grow or repair itself naturally. This task is now up to the undead creature. Vampires are able to regenerate by concentrating and consuming the blood of the living. This allows them to uphold the appearance that they had at the time of death. Other undead, such as mummies and liches, are not quite as fortunate. They require complex rituals and magic to remain unliving. Again, these specific characteristics are detailed under each specific type of undead.

Undead Health and Damage

I get knocked down,

but I get up again.

You're never gonna keep me down.

-Chumbawumba, Tub Thumping

All undead are treated as having a class health of three (3) when determining their health scores. The same rules are used as with humans, except for Incorporeal Undead. These undead do not have normal health points. Instead, they have what is called Spiritual Health or Animus salus. This is covered in more detail under the section for Incorporeal Undead.

Physical undead, like the living, can sustain damage from physical objects, such as weapons. They are usually more resistant to such damage and reducing an undead to zero health does not always mean victory. This is due to the supernatural nature of the creatures. Undead also do not have to worry about critical injuries, such as a gunshot to the head. Although an injury such as that would most likely kill a living individual, if not surely incapacitating him or her, it would only irritate a zombie or lich, and make it appear all the more horrifying. Instead, undead have other specific weakness unique to each type. These are detailed under each section entitled Undead Weaknesses.

When an undead is reduced to zero health, special rules come into effect. These rules are explained in the sections of Undead Death, which are located after the descriptions of each type.

General Flaws

No ear can hear nor tongue can tell

the tortures of the inward hell.

-Lord Byron

Immortality is not always as glamourous as it appears to be. There are many prices that undead must pay, in the form of flaws and duties they must perform in the name of rituals. The following is a list of possible flaws that an undead might have. All undead are required to take a certain number of flaws, determined by each type and the powers bestowed upon them. This is detailed under each undead type in the next section. Some of the flaws are specifically listed by each type, whereas others are generic and chosen by the Game Master.

Game Masters should not feel as though they are restricted to only taking the flaws listed with the spheres of power. Below is a list of general flaws which are available to all undead. By adding more flaws, you will give the creature quirks and personality. A description of each flaw is also given after the flaw table. Any flaws that a creature possesses may not be resisted with a False Belief roll by that creature. That is to say, a creature who takes fear of holy objects will flee when presented with an appropriate object automatically. No False Belief roll is allowed, after all that is the true weakness and the creature knows it himself.

Low Body Temperature

Icy Touch

Clammy Skin

Pale, Gaunt, Death-like Features

Eerie Presence

Sight of Death

Must Eat Soil

Must Eat Carrion

Demonic Features

Horns

Claws

Cloven Feet

Wings

Red Eyes

Fang-like teeth

Tail

Grating Voice

Rancid Odor

Decomposing Touch

Animals at Unease

Must Drink Blood

Smell of Fire and Brimstone

Must Sleep With Grave Soil

Harmed by Holy Water

Fear of Holy Objects

Intolerance of Sunlight

Ritualistic

Nightmares

Painful Memories

Partial Amnesia

Cannot Cross Running Water

Errant Shadow

Must Be Invited Inside a House

Cast No Reflection in Mirrors

Repulsed By Garlic

Cannot Leave the Site of Death

Only Seen At Night

Must Reenact the Last Living Day or Death Scene Over Again

Flaw Definitions

The following is a list of the definitions of every undead flaw. This list includes the general and specific flaws for each undead type. Rules for the flaw, as well as a physical description is listed in the paragraph following the title of each respective flaw.

Low Body Temperature

Icy Touch

Clammy Skin

As a result of the cessation of life processes, dead organisms will lose heat until they reach equilibrium with the temperature of the environment. This ultimately results in a cool, clammy feel to the skin of an undead. To most living mortals, this touch is unnerving to say the least. It usually triggers at least gooseflesh in the character experiencing the chill. Others may react more profoundly.

Still, other undead carry with them an icy chill from beyond the grave. This is a more severe cold, almost like frost. When the creature grabs or holds an object, the intense cold may cause moisture to condense on it and it may cause marks or cold burns to appear on bare, living flesh. These undead are sometimes surrounded by a haze or fog due to the coldness, especially on warm, moist, summer nights. Cold such as this stems from greater supernatural powers, like those possessed by greater undead. When one encounters an effect such as this, he or she can usually expect something dreadful, but at least we can still hope for salvation.

Pale, Gaunt, Death-like Features

When a body dies, all of the blood pools to the lowest parts due to gravity. So an upright body will have a pale, yellow, bloodless face and head, but dark, mottled purple feet and legs. Also, as decomposition takes place, or dehydration for that matter, the eyes will begin to sink into the sockets and the cheek bones will become more prominent. Dark circles will form under the eyes as the skin begins to shrink and tighten around the bones, giving a gaunt or starved look to the corpse. Other death features, such as the yellowing of hair and nails, the withering away of muscle to give an unhealthy, sickly appearance, and stiff, jerky movements of the undead due to the onset of rigor mortis and then later due to the shrinking of ligaments and tendons. The hair may also eventually fall out completely or become increasingly thin. After a while, as the corpse enters advanced decomposition, it may become bloated with gas. This results in puffy look as the putrid level of anaerobic bacteria grow inside the body. The bloated condition will continue until the pressure is released from under the skin.

Eerie Presence

Normal people can sense any undead in the immediate vicinity who have eerie presence. This does not, however, mean that the person knows who is undead, or that it is an undead to begin with. It just means that the person knows something is wrong or that evil is around. This can be done in one of the following ways. The Game Master can also feel free to add his or her own suggestions to the list.

* Candles blow out whenever the creature enters a room.

* The undead is accompanied by a cold breeze when it enters a room.

* Fog or mist always rolls at the creature's feet.

* Plants wither and die at the touch of the creature.

* The undead causes hair to stand on end when it nears a person.

* The creature causes a pit to form in the stomachs of those who are near it.

* The undead can inspire a fear of unknown origin in all those who are around it.

People who are affected by this know that something is not right, but they cannot put a finger on what or where it is coming from. Normally, if an undead enters a room full of people, say at a party, the crowd goes silent, so to speak. Let us say that those who have eerie presence are definitely not the life of such a party.

Sight of Death

This unique flaw handicaps the vision of the undead so all that it sees is death and decomposition. Everything which would be living in reality appears dead to the creature. No matter how young or vibrant, all people appear as withering, rotting corpses to the undead. Inanimate objects look corroded, broken, decomposed, or in a state of decay. Plants all appear as dead, leafless stems. Life is now just a memory and, in its wretched existence, the creature can no longer even observe it.

Must Eat Soil

As a result of this rather disgusting flaw, the undead must consume two hand fulls of soil from a grave or graveyard to satisfy their requirement for sustenance. This act must be committed at least once per day (night) or the undead will suffer one wound level of damage and will not be able to regenerate lost health until its next meal. Undead can still make rolls as normal to avoid death when reduced to zero health or less, they just cannot regenerate as normal until they feed again.

Must Eat Carrion

As a result of this gruesome flaw, the undead must devour the dead, rotting flesh of animals or humans to satisfy their requirement for sustenance. This act must be committed at least once per day (night) or the undead will suffer one wound level of damage and will not be able to regenerate lost health until its next meal. Undead can still make rolls as normal to avoid death when reduced to zero health or less, they just cannot regenerate as normal until they feed again.

Demonic Features

Choose at least one feature from the list below. The following flaws represent undead who were granted their powers from infernal investments. Any undead who make Pacts With the Devil instantly gain one of the following. Others may just start off with a demonic feature because that is how it is.

Horns: The creature has two horns, one on each side of the head. These may be small horns protruding from the forehead or large antlers growing from the sides of the head. Large horns can be used to gouge an opponent in hand to hand combat, although it is difficult to successfully hit with them. A Brawl Offensive roll is made with a penalty of 5 to the die roll, but a successful attack does kick damage plus and additional 1D3 (1D6 divided by 2 and rounded up).

Claws: Long, dirty, sharp claws are on the hands, feet, or both. These can be up to several inches long and make formidable weapons. Undead who use Brawl Offensive can add an extra 1D3 to the damage roll when using claws with a punch or kick. The claws, however, are very hard to conceal from the view of others, due to their excessive length.

Cloven Feet: The legs and feet of the creature appear to be hairy and hoofed, like a horse or goat. The undead will still walk upright like a normal biped, however. Undead with this flaw can kick for and additional 1D3 points of damage in combat. Due to the nature of this flaw, concealment of the cloven feet is nearly impossible and the odd appearance can be spotted with ease.

Wings: Very hard to conceal from view, these dark, bat-like wings sprout forth from the back of an undead creature. They can be up to several feet in length and may offer the ability of flight, although it may be more like clumsy gliding. The wings are more useful for jumping off of a high surface and floating down rather than taking off from the ground and flapping away.

Red Eyes: The eyes of the creature have a malevolent glow to them, similar to burning embers. This is evident to all who look directly into the eyes of the undead. As an optional rule, a plus 2 may be added to the Intimidation role of any undead who has Red Eyes.

Fang-like teeth: Undead with this flaw have inhuman, unnatural looking teeth or fangs. This may be due to two elongated canines, such as vampires have, or it could be a mouthful of hundreds of sharp teeth. Creatures with this flaw are capable of biting an opponent and grappling him or her for an amount equal to kick damage. Other creatures may be specialized for puncturing and draining the blood of a victim. In any case, these undead are definitely noticeable due to their impressively formidable dental armament.

Tail: Undead with this flaw have a very conspicuous one-and-a-half to two-foot long tail sprouting from their backs. This is quite difficult to hide, unless concealed by baggy clothing or a cape. It is also a good diagnostic feature, which player characters can use to identify that something is definitely not right with the individual possessing it.

Grating Voice

Undead with this flaw speak with a raspy, unnerving voice, which sounds like sands running down a washboard. This happens as a result of the decomposition of the creature's vocal chords. As it becomes less and less human, the voice will get considerably more disturbing to hear. Characters who speak with an undead with a grating voice will be uncomfortable just hearing it talk.

Rancid Odor

Undead with this flaw are even more foul smelling than a normal decomposing body. This is a form of supernatural odor and it reeks of evil. Wherever the undead is, anyone within a 50 foot radius will be able to detect an overpoweringly rancid odor with his or her olfactory senses. Since this is a magical scent, it may pass through solid objects, such as walls and doors. Consequently, this makes it almost impossible for the creature to sneak up on anyone. Game Masters may also rule that in some instances, the stench is so disgusting that characters may need to make a Willpower roll to avoid retching. The following roll would then be used.

Idiot Roll: POW + D20 > Supernatural Score + D20

Decomposing Touch

Undead with this curse will cause all non-sentient life forms around them to visibly wither and die. This includes plants, insects, and some small animals, such as rodents. The organisms must be within close proximity to the undead if they are to be slain. An example would be a vampire who walks out into a lawn. Every step the vampire takes will result in the grass underfoot turning a yellow-brown.

Additionally, some mummies or liches with this power may affect inanimate objects, such as metals, wood, or leather. Upon touch, these materials may decompose or deteriorate. Metals may corrode and organics (like wood) may rot. In either case, this power will not harm a human, unless the following optional rule is used.

At times, a Game Master may rule that undead creatures are walking, talking, reservoirs of disease (they are, after all, carrion). Some creatures may be able to pass off certain infectious diseases to humans by touch. The damage and affect of these illnesses are up to the Game Master, but the table under Create Bioweapon in the Bios Sphere of technology may be used as a reference. Usually these diseases are chronic, flesh eating disorders, such as leprosy, Candida fungus, or some other parasite.

Animals at Unease

Since animals have more attuned senses, they can pick up subtle differences and signals in reality. Because undead do not fit well into reality, it is obvious that something is wrong. To ignorant humans, these differences are relatively hard to pick up on. But to animals, it is much too obvious. Dogs will bark at approaching undead, however they will rarely attack. This is because they can hear and smell the evil. Other animals, likewise, are alerted to the presence of such horrible things and, if used correctly, may even make for detection devices of sorts.

Must Drink Blood

As a result of this flaw, the undead must drink the blood of animals or humans to satisfy their requirement for sustenance. This act must be committed at least once per day (night) or the undead will suffer one wound level of damage and will not be able to regenerate lost health until its next meal. Undead can still make rolls as normal to avoid death when reduced to zero health or less, they just cannot regenerate as normal until they feed again.

Smell of Fire and Brimstone

This flaw is similar to Rancid Odor, but instead of an overpowering stench of decay, the undead is surrounded by the smell of fire and brimstone. Characters who are within 50 feet of the creature will be able to smell what seems to be the smoldering coals of a fire, although no smoke is apparent. Undead with this flaw have been thought to receive their powers from "infernal places."

Must Sleep With Grave Soil

Creatures with this flaw are required to rest while in the contact of grave soil. The soil need not be from the creature's own grave, but it must be taken from a grave of some sort. The undead must sleep on a bed or floor covered with the soil or a coffin filled with it. Without the soil, the creature cannot fully rest and will be penalized the next night as though it had suffered a whole wound level of damage. This flaw may also require the creature to sleep in an actual grave, but that is up to the Game Master.

Harmed by Holy Water

This flaw causes the undead to automatically be harmed by holy water, regardless of whether the creature has failed a False Belief roll or not. The damage done by the water is equal to 2D6 + User's Ethos, if applicable. A successful hit must be scored in combat if the water is to do any damage, however.

Fear of Holy Objects

Undead with this flaw are fearful of any kind of holy object, regardless of the faith of the wielder. The creature does not get to make a False Belief roll to resist this fear. Once presented, the holy object will drive the creature away for several minutes. Creatures affected in such a manner will not attempt to harm the wielder in any way. The Game Master may also rule that, in some instances, a creature may even be harmed by the touch of one such object. Damage may be equal to 1D6 + Ethos of the wielder.

Intolerance of Sunlight

Throughout the ages, night has always been attributed to evil. The midnight hours belong to the minions of evil. At dawn, the sun comes to vanquish the unholy and bring salvation to mankind. As a result of this age old myth, some undead are powerless or unable to come out during the day. This may be as simple as the creature being nocturnal, or as severe as the creature being destroyed when exposed to the light of day. As a general rule, creatures with this flaw lose all abilities and powers when directly exposed to sunlight.

Ritualistic

Undead with this flaw are required to perform some sort of ritual if they are to retain their powers. These rituals are usually in the form of some sort of evil sacrifice or harm to mankind. Just as some undead must feed off the life of organisms, these undead must feed from the energy of an outside force. Vampires must drink blood, corporal undead devour flesh, and revenents and incorporeal undead feed off of and generate fear and uncomfort. Rituals are usually left to greater undead types, and those are further narrowed to exclusively include mummies, liches, and occasionally revenents. Since undead are, essentially, the embodiment of human evil, which has come back to wreck havoc on the earth, they must somehow be detrimental to mankind. This fact must hold if undead are to exist at all. Remember, magic in the universe gets its energy from an outside source. For an undead to exist, it too must get energy from an extrinsic force, such as a sacrifice, or by reappropriating energy from a greater power. For example, in the case of mummies, a sacrifice may be made to a god, which allows life to continue after death.

There are three main types of undead rituals, all of which involve a sacrifice of some sort. At least one ritual must be chosen for an undead with this flaw, as well as a penalty for failing to fulfill it. Below is a chart listing the sacrifice types.

Human Sacrifice

Animal Sacrifice

Object Sacrifice

Depending on the undead, these ceremonies must be performed once every day, week, lunar cycle, or year. Mummies, for example, may require the sacrifice of a youth or a virgin perhaps. Something which is pure or has vigor, so the energy from the sacrifice can be put to use by the undead mummy. Undead who desire to be young and beautiful again might need to sacrifice a young, beautiful individual, so that the essence of the victim's soul is taken in. Otherwise, it may revert back to the form of a withered, decaying corpse. To mummies who wish to look human, this is a travesty.

Other undead, such as liches, may require the sacrifice of magical objects or objects of power, rather than life. This can include spell books, spell components, magical items, or even living Mages themselves. As the magical energy is released from the object being sacrificed, the lich absorbs it and uses it to further its own power. This cannibalization is how a lich truly survives death.

Still other types of undead can perform rituals to create another physical body if their current one was destroyed. This can be used to escape death yet again. Undead who reserve extra physical bodies can return again and again even after being supposedly killed. This is an optional rule and has been left up to the Game Master. As a general rule, however, undead who fail to commit a ritual will suffer a whole wound level of damage or complete loss of all special powers, which can only be regained upon completion of the ritual.

Nightmares

Creatures with this flaw experience disturbing dreams whenever they sleep. The reasons for these dreams are similar to the causes of Painful Memories. Characters with nightmares, however, do not get negative moral priorities. Instead, they receive 1 wound level of damage every time they fall into fitful slumber. Upon awakening from their troubled sleep, these characters are considered to be Bruised until they heal. This is due to the weakness resulting from the lack of proper sleep.

Painful Memories

This flaw curses the undead with very unpleasant memories of the past. These events could be a result of the current condition of the undead, or just unfortunate tragedies experienced by the individual now. In either case, the subject has been the victim of severe mental trauma and will receive the following penalty. Each character with this flaw will get 1 or 2 negative moral priorities. These are chosen at will and, during the course of an adventure, if the character is confronted with a situation involving the morals, it must never accommodate them. If the creature does, it loses an experience point for each violation. This flaw should be specific, such as Friends-loved one (wife, husband, sibling, etc.). Perhaps the character lost someone special when he or she had the opportunity to save him or her and, from this point on, has sworn never to love again. Maybe the character committed heinous acts in life and is haunted by the tortured souls in his mind. All of these options are chosen by the Game Master or player.

Partial Amnesia

Undead with this flaw do not have a full recollection of their past lives. Even though they have returned from the dead, the cursed few cannot remember what they did or why they might have come back. The confused individual might not remember specific details, such as who he or she knew, what occupation he or she had, or where he or she lived. Other parts of his or her past might be explicitly vivid. Often feelings, emotions, and attitudes about places and things remain intact. This is a particularly disturbing flaw for revenents or other undead who have returned to fulfill a goal from their past lives. With time, however, the undead will recall more and more of its past, it just may take a few years.

Cannot Cross Running Water

Vampires or other undead with this flaw are unable to cross any flowing body of water. This includes rivers, creeks, and streams. The water must be at least three inches deep and flowing at a measurable rate to qualify for this flaw to take effect.

Errant Shadow

Though some do have physical forms, because undead are not of this world, light may pass through their bodies, leaving no shadows. Other undead have shadows which do not obey the laws of light physics. These shadows move when the creature or light source are still or the shadows are cast at odd directions with respect to the light source. Subtle differences such as these may be caught out of the corner of a character's eye, by making a successful Perception Roll.

Must Be Invited Inside a House

Vampires or other undead with this flaw must be invited into a home or dwelling by an individual from within. If invitation is declined by the person within the building, then the undead may not enter. Creatures rejected in this way cannot cross the threshold of any doorways or windows, regardless of how bad they want to get in.

Cast No Reflection in Mirrors

Undead with this flaw (vampires usually) cast no reflection back from a mirror. This is usually a result of the fact that undead have no souls and only represent a figment of the human imagination, not reality. Thus, they will not reflect light back at an object because they are not truly there. They appear to be "real" to the subconscious mind, apparently there but not really so. Likewise, undead with this flaw will not show up on film either. Characters may casually notice this effect by successfully rolling a Perception Roll. The difficulty is determined by the Game Master.

Repulsed By Garlic

Undead with this flaw suffer from a severe aversion to garlic. This includes the sight or smell of garlic. Although not nearly as strong a repulsion as fear, the creature will try to avoid areas where garlic is present and will remove themselves from the immediate area. Some myths even go as far as to say the garlic does damage to the creature or vampire if touched, but for the most part it is just useful as a deterrent.

Bound To Site of Death

This flaw is usually reserved for incorporeal undead only. Those with it are bound to the immediate site or structure where they met their demise. Or, sometimes, the spirit haunts a particular area where the hidden body lies until discovered. In either case, the ghost haunts a single location, be it a room in a building, an old house, a graveyard, or an unmarked burial site. These spirits are unable to affect areas outside of their range, which is determined by the Game Master. As a basis, spirits are generally confined to spaces no more than 1000 feet in diameter.

Only Seen At Night

Usually the only undead with this flaw are incorporeal. The effects of this flaw are just as the title is stated. These creatures are entirely invisible during the day, no matter how much Animus impigritas is spent. These undead can still interact with the physical realm, they are just invisible when doing so, or at least until dusk.

Must Reenact the Last Living Day or Death Scene Over Again

The ghost or corporal undead must eternally reenact its moment of mortal death at least once everyday. This is particularly common among victims of violent crimes, innocent victims of terribly horrible, but accidental deaths, or suicide victims. The spirits must be visible when this event happens and they will perform it regardless of whether an audience is present or not. Examples include a ghostly victim who is beaten by another specter in the same room every night at exactly midnight and a ghostly woman who walks up a down the side of a highway, throwing herself in front of cars as they pass.

Just How Powerful Is That?

You can't tell me it's not worth dying for.

Bryan Adams, Everything I do (I do it for you)

Well, as you can see, undead have the potential to be much more powerful than normal humans, even more so than the Mentalists. The following is a table which lists some comparisons between the Mentalists and the undead. Included in the table are the average Supernatural Scores and Mythos, Logos, and Ethos scores of Undead and Mentalists respectively. Note that Mentalists, like normal humans, may not have a skill level exceeding 20. This includes the skills of Logos, Ethos, and Mythos. As you can see, even the most powerful Mentalist is no match for a singlehanded confrontation with an ancient greater undead.

Mage

Title Mythos

Apprentice 1

Mage 2

High Mage 5

Great High Mage 10

Arch Mage 15

Great Arch Mage 20

Priest

Title Ethos

Acolyte 1

Priest 2

High Priest 5

Prophet 10

Messiah 15

Avatar 20

Scientist

Title Logos

Student 1

Lab Tech 2

Specialist 5

Doctor of Philosophy 10

Authority 15

Leading Authority 20

Lich

Age(years) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points

Score (Ave.)

Young 100 10 30

Middle Aged 500 15 35

Old 1000 20 40

Ancient 1500 25 45

Mummy

Age(years) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points

Score (Ave.)

Young 1000 10 30

Middle Aged 2000 15 35

Old 3000 20 40

Ancient 4000 25 45

Vampire

Age(years) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points

Score (Ave.)

Young 50 8 25

Middle Aged 150 12 30

Old 500 16 35

Ancient 1000 20 40

Reverent

Rank Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points

Score (Ave.)

Minor 1 15 20

Lesser 2 20 25

Greater 3 25 30

Quasi 4 30 35

Lesser Corporal

Age(group) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points

Score (Ave.)

Young 1 5 15

Middle Aged 2 10 20

Old 3 15 25

Incorporal

Age(group) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points

Score (Ave.)

Young 1 5 20

Middle Aged 2 10 25

Old 3 15 30

Animate

Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points

Score (Ave.)

5 5-10

(1D6 + 4)

Scientist

Title Logos

Student 1

Lab Tech 2

Specialist 5

Doctor of Philosophy 10

Authority 15

Leading Authority 20

Lich

Age(years) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points

Score (Ave.)

Young 100 10 30

Middle Aged 500 15 35

Old 1000 20 40

Ancient 1500 25 45

Mummy

Age(years) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points

Score (Ave.)

Young 1000 10 30

Middle Aged 2000 15 35

Old 3000 20 40

Ancient 4000 25 45

Vampire

Age(years) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points

Score (Ave.)

Young 50 8 25

Middle Aged 150 12 30

Old 500 16 35

Ancient 1000 20 40

Reverent

Rank Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points

Score (Ave.)

Minor 1 15 20

Lesser 2 20 25

Greater 3 25 30

Quasi 4 30 35

Lesser Corporal

Age(group) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points

Score (Ave.)

Young 1 5 15

Middle Aged 2 10 20

Old 3 15 25

Incorporal

Age(group) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points

Score (Ave.)

Young 1 5 20

Middle Aged 2 10 25

Old 3 15 30

Animate

Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points

Score (Ave.)

5 5-10

(1D6 + 4)

---

Advanced HTML Editor HTML Help Home > File Manager > Advanced HTML Editor Filename: eternal1.htm   Welcome to your Advanced HTML Editor. You can use this editor to code your own customized HTML. You also can see how your page will actually appear on the Web by clicking the Preview button. <html> <head> <title></title> </head> <body text="#000000" link="#0000ff" vlink="#551a8b" alink="#ff0000" bgcolor="#c0c0c0"> <p><strong></strong><strong>Section 1: Introduction To the Unknown</strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>The DarkTown Legend Revisited</strong> <p><em>For life and death are one, </em> <p><em>even as the river and sea are one</em> <p>-Kahlil Gibran, <u>The Prophet</u> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> In the first book, we told you that there were three powers waging war over humanity. This book is the first step in the wayward descent into the apocalyptic cycle. <u>The Eternal Question</u> is to be used as a source book for the<em> DarkTown </em>universe in your campaign. It is the first full length book to accompany <u>DarkTown: The Apocalyptic Cycle</u> and it is one of three total books which will all have different genres for the world of <em>DarkTown</em>. <u>The Eternal Question</u> deals with the magical aspects of the apocalyptic cycle, commonly known as the supernatural or paranormal--that which science denies and religion avoids. Within this text are rules for supernatural creatures, statistics for undead creatures, adventure suggestions for supernatural entities, a full length adventure, new skills for player characters, new spheres of power for supernatural creatures, and an overview of the current myths and theories of the supernatural. <p> The ideas and settings suggested within this book are for a genre of horror and the unknown. Supernatural creatures will baffle characters who rely on science, terrify those who believe in religion, and inspire those who follow magic. This is the realm of the mystical and unknown forces of magic. Beware all those who enter, for the encompassing power of magic is supreme here. Technology must cast away rationale and religion must lose its faith if there is to be any salvation. Only magic will be at home. Welcome to the domain of the supernatural, where nothing is how it is supposed to be and the dead are allowed to walk with the living. </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><strong>The Cycle</strong> <p><em>Here is wisdom. Let</em> <p><em>him who has understanding</em> <p><em>calculate the number</em> <p><em>of the beast, for it is the</em> <p><em>number of a man: His</em> <p><em>number is 666.</em> <p>-Revelation 13:18 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Technology gets a great majority of its power from the widespread following in society. As the empire of technology deteriorates, magic and religion will fill in the gaps which are formed. This may be in the form of supernatural occurrences, which are, by definition, unexplainable by science. Science will be flabbergasted at such things and society will begin to lose faith in the almighty 20<sup>th</sup> century technology. Mystical happenings shall become more apparent, such as corpses rising from the grave, spirits manifesting in old houses, creatures prowling the night, and the awakening of ancient evils bent upon destroying humanity. Since science is unable to rationalize such occurrences, it will merely dismiss them as random, unpredictable events of the universe. But to a Mage or Priest, such things are very real. For this reason, many Scientists are relatively powerless when compared to Mages and Priests while in the presence of the supernatural. This is the realm where that which is mystical and mythical reigns. <p> Game Masters should keep this in mind when they are running an adventure using <u>The Eternal Question</u>. Scientists who are involved in a supernatural conflict will spend most of the time rationalizing the event or trying to convince the rest of the party otherwise of the paranormal incident. Other characters who have the moral priority of Faith-technology will act similarly as well. This usually holds true, unless the event can be explained using technology, such as in the case of Frankenstein's monster. Then, science can be applied to help solve the problem. This, in turn, weakens the positions of both magic and religion. But as a general rule of thumb, technology bows to the unsolvable, impossible, unreal, supernatural. For once, science is speechless. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>The Apocalypse<em></strong></em> <p><em>When he speaks kindly, do not believe him,</em> <p><em>for there are seven abominations in his heart.</em> <p>-Revelation 26:25 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Technology has begun the irreversible downward spiral into defeat. But falling with it will be magic and religion as well. As technology fails, magic and religion will rise up for a short time, but not nearly as fast as technology declines. This will result in a void of faithlessness. As this void grows, mankind will lose faith in all three powers, thus eventually rendering the Mentalists null. Man will once again be in a dark age. <p> This is the apocalypse--The Tower of Babel if you will. A land where there is nothing to believe in, but yourself. The meek shall inherit the earth and the once powerful Mentalists will be reduced to pitiful whelps, who blindly follow shadow beliefs. Luckily, this time is not upon us yet, but the majesty of our age will eventually end, as do all things. <p> Man will be forced to rely on himself for the answers to the future. Instead of looking outside of himself, as mankind has done thus far, man needs to search his inner self for the understanding of the universe. For this is a question, which is so complex, that neither magic, religion, nor technology can singlehandedly answer. Welcome to the beginning of a new era, where powers which were once thought to be godlike are now nothing, and the true power of man comes from within himself. This is the Neo Dark Age. </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><strong>The Myth of Death</strong> <p><em>God is Dead.</em> <p>-Nietzsche <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Nietzsche is dead.</em> <p>-God <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Any biologist will tell you that, with life there must be death. That is the universal rule. But to begin with, what is death? Or life for that matter? Philosophy defines life as "that which is not dead" and death as "that which is not living." In actuality, there is no answer. Even science cannot truly define either concept. Life is considered to be a series of chemical reactions, which interact in a regulated pattern. It is not as simple as DNA. The answer lies in the entirety of the chemical processes which occur in an entity. Death is just the absence or cessation of these processes. <p> As sentient beings, however, we fear this unexplainable state of death. It is the great unknown and, as Lovecraft so eloquently puts it, people fear the unknown. That is why religion was invented: to solve the unknowns of the universe (and to promote social order, but that comes later). Religion answers some of the questions about death, although it is not scientific. This causes some of us to look elsewhere for an answer. <p> Second only to life, the answer to the question of death has probably been the most sought after piece of information in human history. Even as far back as <u>The Epic of Gilgamesh</u>, it is evident that the Sumerians tried to conquer death. The quest for immortality is a never ending one. Even though it has always been an interesting idea, in modern times immortality has become all the more enticing. Perhaps this is why undead myths evolved in the first place. <p> As the basis of popular belief shifts, so do the myths which are based on it. Take vampires for instance. The original vampire myths were not Bram Stoker/western world vampires. They were more like Stephen King's vampires in <u>Salem's Lot</u>. These were horrible creatures of the night, which were the embodiment of pure evil. Being killed and turned into one of these things was a curse indeed, immortality or not. People often sympathize with the villain of Stoker's tale, because he makes vampirism out to be an erotic existence, rather than a wretched one. <p> Now take, for instance, Bram Stoker style vampires. Stoker took the original concepts of vampires and combined the characteristics he liked into a creature known as Vlad Dracula. The original vampires had returned from the grave and were eternal. They had beaten death, but at a severe price. Stoker took the concept of immortality and, concentrating on it, made his vampires seductive and enticing. No longer was vampirism to be feared. Now, it was actually a fate which people looked forward to, in a sick sort of way. Later writers, such as Anne Rice, made vampires out to be even more seductive in nature, by heightening the pleasure of undead existence. This is the motif for <u>Vampire: The Masquerade</u> from White Wolf. Currently, this is the popular belief of the ever changing myth of vampires, but it is not the last trend by far. <p> <strong></strong> <p><strong>A Taste of the Supernatural</strong> <p><em>I see faith in your eyes.</em> <p>-Metallica, <em>The God That Failed</em> </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><strong> </strong>All creatures who are supernatural in nature obtain their powers from those who believe in them. The more widespread a myth is, the more powerful the creature is. <p>If you pick up a dictionary today and look up the word vampire, it will most likely be defined as a "blood sucking monster" or something to that effect. This is because someone, long ago, decided that it would be cool to come up with the idea of a "vampire." Either the person completely made the concept up, or more likely, he or she actually had a run in with a similar occurrence and thought it to be a vampire. A classic example was the confusion between tuberculosis and vampirism back in the American colonial times. Tuberculosis, if untreated, is a chronic disease, and when someone dies of it, he or she slowly wastes away. Since it is also rather contagious, many people who had close contact with the victim also fell ill. This was a time before modern microbiology, so doctors back then did not understand contagion or the concept of bacteria at all. They thought it was a supernatural "life draining" disorder. The belief slowly manifested into that of a "blood draining" disorder which was caused by the first victim returning from the grave and the rest is history. The point being that everything we believe in or cogitate about today came from our past. Our ancestors created our current stories, religions, beliefs, folklores, etc. But it did not happen overnight. Many generations were required to refine the tales. Just think of how many times the story of <u>Beowulf</u> was told, or how many people have heard or read <u>The Epic of Gilgamesh</u>. Even recent myths, such as <u>The Legend of Sleepy Hollow</u>, have been told to countless people and every time it is told, the person reciting it makes one or two personal alterations. These small changes in the story are the refinement. As each story is told, a slightly newer one replaces it. This is how myths evolve, one tale at a time. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>The Urban Legend<u></strong></u> <p><em>Die, by my hand</em> <p><em>I creep across the land</em> <p>-Metallica, <em>Creeping Death</em><strong><u></strong></u> <p><strong><u> </strong></u>Before a myth comes a folklore and before a folklore comes an urban legend. Urban legends are the stories which are told around the campfire, the supposed true tale of "the hook" or the "boogey monster." These are the tales which have been passed down from each childhood generation via word of mouth. They are stories that everyone knows or has heard at least a dozen times. They are our legends of this day and age. What makes an urban legend become a folklore is when it actually becomes a belief or superstition. The people in a particular society believe a folklore to be true. They will treat it as common knowledge and practice. <p> This is where "our" monsters come in. When a monster or story reaches this point, it is actually considered to exist. Therefore, for example, vampires become real entities. People have now given them reason to exist. Just as a Mage, Priest, or Scientist believes enough in magic, religion, or technology, respectively, the populous can cause a creature to manifest itself from evil simply by believing. Hence, vampires now stalk the night in search of prey, all due to the fact that they are believed to do so. The next stage in belief is the myth. This is almost religious in scope and can influence many people of many different cultures. Vampires have reached the level of myth, since you can go just about anywhere and ask someone if he or she has heard of a vampire and the response is very nearly always "yes." This is good for vampires, but bad for humans. <p> Now, this is all nice and easy to comprehend, but let us put a little twist to it. Normally you would say that the power of these creatures is self limiting. All people need to do is stop believing and everything will go away, right? In a closed system that is correct. But wait a moment and read the following hypothetical example. Let us begin with a so called Romanian Lord named Vlad Tepes. Now, if you were to ask any Romanian of the past, Vlad would most likely be classified as a hero, though he was a rather sick and twisted individual. Vlad "The Impaler" would send hundreds of people to death by torture, but back in that time it was the thing to do. Throughout the ages, people began to attribute more and more evil to Vlad, until he finally became the spawn of the devil (or the equivalent to that). At this point Vlad Tepes was no longer a human. He became an evil entity begotten by the local folklore. Okay, so now we have the beginning of a very weak "vampire, " although vampires were not a very popular belief until later on when everybody's friend Bram Stoker began to create the myth almost single handedly (or so he is given credit). How did Bram Stoker come up with this insane story about a guy named Dracula who drank human blood? Perhaps he did it one drunken night out of the blue. Or maybe he did a little cultural research and compounded many myths into one awesome story, which forever immortalized the myth of vampires. But instead, let us go to the world of <em>DarkTown</em> and see what happened there... <p> Bram Stoker was approached by the remains of the old Count Vlad The Impaler and, since Vlad was empowered by the belief of his people to exist, he was able to do this. Since the power of belief is ever so dictating, Vlad decides to tell his tale, though a little fabricated, to Bram. It is all about vampires you see. Vlad wants to be able to fly, so he tells Bram that these creatures who stalk the night can fly. Bram writes it down. Vlad thinks to himself that he has always wanted to be able to change into a wolf, so he tells Bram that vampires can do that also. Bram writes it down. Being the sick bastard he is, Vlad decides that drinking human blood would be cool, so he tells Bram this as well. Bram writes it down. Eventually, a myth about vampires is born, which grants Vlad Dracula immortality and total power within humanity. Until every person in the world stops believing in vampires, these creatures will continue to stalk mankind every night for eternity. And all Vlad had to do to begin this was tell some dumb human to spread the tale. Scary huh? <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>What is Undead?</strong> <p align="center"><em>I cannot live.</em> <p align="center"><em>I cannot die.</em> <p align="center">-Metallica, <em>One</em><strong></strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Well, an undead is simply something which is not living, but not dead either. It is a creature who is trapped in limbo, somewhere between the realm of the living and that of the dead. For some unbeknownst reason, when a person dies, he or she does not always "move on" to the next world. These spirits can remain in the physical realm for an undetermined amount of time. Sometimes the soul comes back to reinhabit the body, in the form of a corporal undead. These are bodies which have risen from the grave. Others just leave the body and return as menacing spirits, only to be seen and not to be touched. These are incorporeal undead. Finally, there are animates, which are risen corpses who have been called back to pseudo life by a Mentalist. All of these creatures defy death, but cannot return to life either. As a result, undead possess both the benefits and weaknesses of both states of existence. This, you will soon see. <p> <p><strong>But Why Undead, Really?</strong> <p> The supernatural is a force which has been around as long as man and remains strongly in the hearts of some today. It is as primordial as magic and, in its scope, dwarfs the power of such pitiful beliefs. But<strong> </strong>just as the human mind was responsible for forming magic, religion, and technology, so too has it formed the supernatural. To a Game Master, the force of the supernatural is nothing more than magic, right? I mean, after all it is only a mysterious force in the universe, which would characterize it as being magic. The players, however, along with the rest of mankind should not reach this realization. <p> Since the human mind categorizes every mental experience by association into "schemas," it just so happens that the popular beliefs of magic and the supernatural were never directly connected in the past. And, since belief dictates all, this realization shall never be fulfilled, because not everybody will believe it to be true. In fact, the degree of power that any supernatural creature possesses is directly determined by the populous. If a particular individual thinks that vampires are invincible, then all vampires are invincible against him or her. It is all a matter of belief. All creatures who are supernatural in nature gain their powers exclusively from those who believe in them. The more widespread a myth is, the more powerful that creature is. This leads us to the answer of the question "why undead?" <p> Throughout the ages, several things may have lead up to the eventual formation of these theories. This can be especially true after hundreds, if not thousands of years of tale telling. Overactive imaginations, superstition, old wive's tales, and misinterpretation of reality and scientific evidence can all eventually lead us down paths into the unknown. As you will see, modern day undead myths were not always told how they are today. A good example is the myth of the vampire. In fact, there are several explanations for this myth, some scientific and others cultural. In some medieval Balkan areas, it was fairly common practice to drive wooden stakes through the hearts of corpses to prevent them from rising from the grave. At this time these risen corpses were definitely not called vampires, because the English word <em>vampire</em> did not even exist yet. It started off from fractured tales until in built up into one famous monster we all know today. Only after the tale was created did the word come about. <p> In ancient Scandinavia, bodies of the dead were kept watch over in the presence of a light source during the night, to ensure that they would not rise up. This practice only held true during the night, for the body was thought to never rise during the day. Another early vampire myth perhaps? <p> I shall end this section with a true tale which I have heard while at work. It concerns an ambulance driver I once knew, who had to pick up a deceased woman at her home. The woman had apparently expired several hours before, while sitting up in a large, high-backed, wooden chair. As the rigor set in, she remained fixed in a sitting position, which made it very difficult to lay her flat on a stretcher. After much pulling and straining, she was finally strapped to the cart, flat on her back. The cart was then loaded onto the ambulance and the crew boarded for departure. While on the road, one of the clasps on the Gurney came loose and the strap pinning the old woman's shoulders down gave away. Consequently, she immediately sat up, despite her "dead" condition. The next time the driver glanced in the rear view mirror, he nearly had a heart attack as he swerved to the side of the road. Had the corpse really risen from the dead for a moment? No, it was simply a biological function (<em>rigor mortis</em>) that we now understand, coupled with physics. As the muscles stiffen, they become more resistant to stretching. By forcing the woman's body down, the ambulance crew had stored potential energy in the muscles of the back and legs by stretching them like rubber bands. When the strap on the Gurney came loose, the body reverted to the position of least stored energy, which was the position the body natural assumed. In this instance, it was the sitting position. Now we understand this, but back in history it may have been completely misinterpreted. Thus giving rise to yet another tall tale. <strong></strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>The Nearing Dark Age</strong> <p><em>Now did you read the news today?</em> <p><em>They say that danger's gone away.</em> <p>-Genesis, <em>Land of Confusion</em><strong></strong> <p><strong><u> </u></strong>There are a lot of skeptical people out there. Especially when it comes to the supernatural. But, deep down inside, there are also many staunch supporters of the paranormal as well. Just look at the tabloids. Somebody has to buy all of that crap. The hype of that which is strange and unusual creeps into us all, as if it were part of the human spirit itself. Perhaps there is a connection there. <p> In the meanwhile, the human time bomb has begun to tick. Faith is on the move. As technology recedes, belief in religion and magic will grow. This is reflected in society, as Scientists become less respected and Mages and Priests are sought after for the answers to more questions. Once again, magic and religion will be the norm. The common man will revere legendary wizards and worship living messiahs, and the Newtons, Einsteins, and Darwins of today will be forgotten. The return of magic and religion will mark the beginning of the apocalypse. The rediscovery of the supernatural marks the first stage of this descent. <p> As for the sheer amount of "weird" activity, that is just the beginning of the slide towards scientific oblivion. Gradually, technology will begin to lose its grip on the media blackout. The six-o' clock news will become littered with sightings and stories of undead monsters. People will become more aware and educated about supernatural creatures as this happens. The mythical age will return, as fairy tales really do come true, even though most of them will not have happy endings. Not to mention that the increased willingness of society to accept the supernatural will also help the political and social positions of both magic and religion. After all, if a corpse can walk and talk, why can't magic exist? Although they will still adhere to the Doctrine of Tres, many Mages will find themselves in a more accepting society. But, even though it is still not in the clear of the norm, magic may pose a more plausible answer than technology to some. It still, however, remains a minority, and those who follow it are, to say the least, "weird." Thus, confused as it may be, technology remains the social boss of the three, at least for now. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>Reaction of the Populous</strong> <p><em>I won't let you down</em> <p><em>So please don't give me up</em> <p>-George Michael, <em>Freedom</em> <p> At first, the followers of technology will blanket the appearance of supernaturals with propaganda and censorship. After all, Scientists do control the mass medias. But as the grand technological empire loses momentum, people will once again see true reality as an unpredictable, uncontrollable, chaotic force. Truth will slowly seep through the cracks until the dam of scientific blindness bursts, sending all of us into oblivion. <p> As time progresses, this process will speed up, in correlation with the steady decline of technology as a power. More and more people will begin turning towards magic and religion as an explanation for the paranormal. Science, which has difficulty even comprehending the concept of undead, stands no chance explaining it. Mankind's only saviors are magic and religion, and with them will be the beginning of the Neo Dark Age. <p> In the beginning, believers will be met with mass ignorance by the populous, similar to the reaction you would get upon outwardly admitting that you were abducted by alien Hitlers and taken to planet Elvis. You would get a nice white coat with sleeves that tie in the back. This may sound funny, but people actually make such remarks in real life. Is this part of a mass technological conspiracy? Maybe we are the truly blind ones and those who are deemed insane are the only ones who can see through the guise. Sounds pretty crazy, don't it? <p> So, people will completely dismiss such things, unless he or she happens to be a direct eyewitness. Even then, some will still remain skeptical. When the rate of occurrence reaches a certain point, even science will be unable to give a cop-out philosophical explanation in absence of rationale. Then, mankind will, indeed, be at a dark day. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>Popular Opinion: Supernatural Belief</strong> <p> Members of each character class will react differently to an experience with the supernatural. To reflect this, we have included the following section, which details the beliefs of five different character class types based on their aptitudes. The basic personality traits as well as opinions of each group will be discussed. And, for your reading enjoyment, quotes concerning the existence of undead will be supplied from each of the classes as well. <p> <p><strong>Mentalist</strong> <p><em>Mage</em> <p> The forces of the Ka will return to defend the deceased body. Of this, I know... <p> -Imhotep, The Mage from long ago <p> <p><em>Priest</em> <p> Forces which are strong enough to disturb the restful state of the dead are as powerful as they are unholy. The hand of god is upon us. Those who are evil will be cursed with everlasting existence. Plagued with the coming of the dead. Revelation is here. <p> -Unknown street prophet <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Scientist</em> <p> Hah! What a preposterous concept. I will believe in the tooth fairy before I can conceive the existence of such a notion. This only adds to the evidence condemning the theory of creationism, after all, why would "God" divinely create an imbecile who would believe in such things? <p> -Special Agent White, FBI </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong> <em>Mage, Priest, Scientist</em> <p> A Mentalist class character designates his or her entire existence to supporting, upholding, and believing in a single explanation for the plan of reality. They view any faith other than their own as unacceptable and, in some severe cases, will even accept death over conversion to another faith. Mentalist characters will only break their faith when put in a life or death situation. Even when in this predicament, the character will still feel extreme remorse for the action. This reaction to a situation is influenced more by the failure of the faith, rather than by the character's own guilt of immorality. Mentalists will survive situations to the best of their ability, but self preservation is crippled by their stringent codes of faith. For this reason, these classes are heavily penalized for benefitting or even thinking about another faith. As for the supernatural, Scientists will never willingly accept it, but both Mages and Priests have become accustomed to it throughout the years. </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><strong>Survivalist</strong> <p><em>Fighter</em> <p> I say we just stake the sons of bitches and burn em'. And if the Mentalists say otherwise, I say we stake them too. <p> -Blackwater Reynolds, The Indian Tribesman <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Gangbanger</em> <p> I don't care what you say man. If I pop five caps in yo' ass, you ain't gonna git up. I don't give a shit how fucked up you is. Dead is dead...well usually. If yo dumb ass starts to squirm around on the ground, then I'll let loose the entire clip, or set you on fire. That's never failed me before. <p> -Vincent "The Beater" Inconvillia <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Vagabond</em> <p> Elvis lives. <p><em> </em>-Trailer Trash Barbie <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Prep</em> <p> Like, totally gross me out freakazoid. I mean, really! Dead people getting up and walking around? You <u>have</u> to be on something. That is just not cool any more. Those monster movies went out back in the 80's. <p> -Tiff, captain of the cheerleading squad </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><strong> </strong> <em>Fighter, Gangbanger, Vagabond, Prep</em> <p> Unlike the Mentalists or other aptitude based classes, these guys are not tied down by petty beliefs of faith in something other than themselves. Characters of these classes will utilize whatever means that are necessary to survive. This may involve a temporary reliance in one of the three powers or total independence from them. Survivalists are not afraid to kill the enemy while he is down regardless of the "faith." Often, these characters will walk away from an argument when two or more conflicting Mentalists have a disagreement in the party. They are above such petty differences. Establishing an explanation for the workings of the universe is of second-hand importance. Survival is always the primary objective. As a result, these characters are always exempt from experience point penalties involving faith, unless faith is taken as a moral priority. <p> <strong></strong> <p><strong>Superstitionist</strong> <p><em>Stoner</em> <p> It drinks blood? Cool dude. <p> -Reginald Reynolds <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Thief</em> <p> It is okay to steal from a dead man, just close his eyes first, so he can't see you. Then hope he doesn't wake up and try to hunt you down to get it back. <p> -Mark The Leper <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Bard </em> <p><em> </em>There are more things in heaven and hell than the earth knows about. <p> -Ric The Bard<em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Occultist</em> <p> Now you come for my help. After all those years of being slammed into lockers and tripped in the hallways at school. Hell, for seven years I responded to the name "weirdo." But I was right all of those years wasn't I? Now you know the truth. At least give me that. <p> -Delores "Featherwind" Morres </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><strong> </strong><em>Stoner, Thief, Bard, Occultist</em> <p> As the name implies, these classes tend to be the superstitious lot in society. Many are dubbed "strange" or "weird" by their fellow brethren because they are eccentric, creative, and free thinking. Superstitionists never rule out the improbable as an explanation, including the supernatural. Because they still live in a technological empire, superstitionists are heavily influenced by this belief, but are not controlled by it. And, unlike technologists, they tend to accept strange and unusual circumstances with little or no question. These characters will have no trouble at all when confronted with an undead creature. </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><strong>Crusader</strong> <p><em>Knight</em> <p> That which is evil or unholy can take many forms. You must be ready to strike, without heed or consideration of the reality of such an abomination, for time is of the essence. Evil moves as fast as light. Therefore you must move faster. <p> -His Lord and Honor, King Jacob Pendragon <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Assassin </em> <p><em> </em>How do <u>you</u> deal with something that refuses to die? <p> -Howard Walters <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Fanatic </em> <p> The end of the world is upon us! The dead rising is a sign that judgement day is near. Repent! Repent I say, or be damned for eternity. I am ready to meet the Lord. I have confessed my human sin and prepared to ascend to the realm of the Lord. Hallelujah! (Dramatic Pause) Give me an Amen. <p> -The Good Reverend Simon Kurman <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>New Waver</em> <p> Just because the paranormal is unexpected does not mean that it is not to be expected man, just that it is unexpected, because it is unexpected, or somethin' like that. I dunno, pass that thing back here dude... <p> -Eddie </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><strong> </strong><em>Knight, Assassin, Fanatic, New Waver</em> <p> Members of the crusader ideology all share aptitudes in religion, although "religious" may not be an exact definition of them. It is true that some uphold religious sanctity, but most crusaders believe in the moral teachings of divine law, rather than the divine itself. They are just, moral, righteous, judgmental idealists, who believe in beneficence towards mankind through universal law and order. This belief, however, may be demented or twisted, reflecting the crusader's own ethical and moral structure. In short, they believe themselves to be perfect alone, for no one else can abide by their own ethics as well as a crusader can. As for the supernatural, it is true that there are things out there which man should not, cannot, and will not understand. This is not a foreign concept to the crusader, and it is embraced accordingly. Though not as completely understanding of such things as superstitionists, crusaders can rationalize the possible existence of such things when in the proper scenario. <strong></strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>Technologist</strong> <p><em>Soldier</em> <p> What? What in the hell did you just say private? Bull shit! I'll tell ya' what that is. A bunch of hillbilly, trailer trash, hicks who drink a hell of a lot of weasel piss and think they see dead ol' grandma. That's what I think it is. By the way, what did you expect to get from a bunch of inbred yellow hammers? A fuckin' Nobel prize? Get the hell out of my office private and don't waste any more of my time! <p> -Lt. Zachary Stephens, Assistant Castellon of the Central Keep <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Anarchist </em> <p> If it can burn, I can kill it. Ain't no "undead" about it. Unless the military has done some genetic engineering so the soldiers regenerate, then I can see a problem. And I know those fuckers have been doin' it. Ever since Nam I tell ya! I know man. I know... <p> -"Debonair" Devon Anderson, "The Vivisector" <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Occupationalist</em> <p> Loch Ness monster, Bigfoot, ghosts, walking dead--I'll believe any goddamn thing you want me to as long as you pay me enough. <p> -Butch Willis, A Semi-famous Bounty Hunter <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Scholar</em> <p> Even though probable, it is very unlikely for the dead to rise from the grave. On this matter I will have to side with my intellectual equal, the Scientist. After all, he is usually correct, at least most of the time. <p> -Dr. Daniel Hawke </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong> <em>Soldier, Anarchist, Occupationalist, Scholar</em> <p> Characters who have an aptitude for technology are influenced strongly by science. Technologists are often cold, calculating, rational individuals, who do not let strange circumstances pass them by without question. These are the logical thinkers of society. Characters of this type must be heavily persuaded by magic or religion if they are to turn away from technology for outside support. Needless to say, they will not accept the supernatural willingly, at least not without good proof. <p> Unlike stone cold Scientists, technologists can be converted under the proper conditions. Overwhelming evidence supporting such things can sway the current belief of technologists. Once drawn to the unknown, these characters will support the belief in supernatural existence, but they will always eventually remember their loyalty is to science, not magic or religion. <p> The general personalities of technologists have a rational basis. They are very efficient and practical people. Because of their scientific trend of faith, many are impartial. Emotion has been known to impede thinking and judgement, therefore many technologists are stoics and show little sympathy towards others. In this, they share a common characteristic with Mother Nature, Lord of Improbability. Forgiveness is never an option in the harshness of reality. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> The table below is an abridged version of what was just said. For quick reference, all of the classes are listed below along with their general attitudes towards the supernatural. Character classes which are noted with a "con" are naturally biased to be skeptics of supernatural creatures. Those who are "pro" need relatively little evidence to convert them into believers, and neutral classes are somewhere in the middle. Classes which are con to supernatural beliefs will tend to disregard any would be claims to the existence of supernatural creatures. Unless an exemplary amount of evidence is laid out for these guys, they will side with Scientists on decisions concerning these events. Exemplary evidence usually can be inclusive of, but not limited to, being attacked by an undead or witnessing specific undead things (these are things which are obviously not humanly possible; rising from the grave, flying, looking obviously dead and still being able to walk around, etc.). <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><u>Class Aptitude Belief Attitude</u> <p>Mage NA Pro <p>Priest NA Pro <p>Scientist NA Con <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p>Fighter NA Neutral <p>Stoner Magic Pro <p>Knight Religion Pro <p>Soldier Technology Con <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p>Gangbanger NA Neutral <p>Thief Magic Pro <p>Assassin Religion Pro <p>Anarchist Technology Con <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p>Vagabond NA Neutral <p>Bard Magic Pro <p>Fanatic Religion Pro <p>Occupationalist Technology Con <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p>Prep NA Neutral <p>Occultist Magic Pro <p>New Waver Religion Pro <p>Scholar Technology Con <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"></strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><strong>Section 2: Rules of Immortality</strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>An Overview of the Undead<u></strong></u> <p><em>Live is evil spelled backwards</em> <p>-Anthony Burgess<strong><u></strong></u> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> As we all well know, undead creatures have been the object of many horror stories throughout the centuries. This is the result of a widespread knowledge of the folklore of such creatures, which directly influences their apparent powers. Creatures which are believed to exist by many people are very powerful, due to the well known fear they produce. Likewise, we followed the same rationale when determining the powers of our creatures. They are due to popular demand. The Game Master can, of course, change these at his or her own will. We merely suggest these for reference. <p> To begin with, we have considered three main classes of undead. These are as follows: <p><em> Animates: </em>Animate undead include all of our favorites such as zombies, <em> </em>skeletons, and other animated<em> </em>limbs or body parts. These creatures have physical bodies, but their intelligence is very low or absent. They can only obey commands from high level Priests or Mages. Otherwise, they just usually attack anything that moves. Some animates, such as <em>Frankenstein's monster</em>, can be explained using technology. In these instances, some Scientists may be able to intervene as well. These creatures will attack until destroyed, for they know no fear of destruction. Animate creatures may not have moral priorities and they only do what they are told. These creatures will be destroyed if they are dealt enough damage to render their physical bodies non-functional. <em> </em> <p><em> Corporals: </em>Although corporal also, Animate undead have no intelligence, therefore we reserve this category for greater undead and other more intelligent species. These creatures are by far the most superior, because they have an intelligence and a means with which to use it--a physical body. Corporal undead include liches, vampires, mummies, revenents, ghouls, ghasts and others. Liches, vampires, mummies, and revenents all possess great power and are considered to be greater undead. Corporal undead may be harmed and destroyed by physical weapons because their bodies lie within this realm. Though intelligent, greater undead can only possess a limited number of moral priorities, for they are very animal-like in nature. They are cunning, quick witted, sly, conniving and able to make decisions very quickly, but they are also very self centered. A greater undead will usually have 2 moral priorities, or 3 at most, one of which must be self. The remaining corporal undead will usually have Self only. Other priorities which are usually taken by greater undead include; Intangible Wealth or Material Wealth. Some revenents will have up to 3 moral priorities and these can be any of the original 8 listed in <u>DarkTown: The Apocalyptic Cycle</u>. <em></em> <p><em> Incorporeals: </em>Undead of this type have no physical body. They cannot be destroyed or damaged in any way using physical weapons. Only superstitious beliefs, successful, consecutive disbelief rolls, or exorcisms will drive them off. Some magic and religious powers may also harm them, but it is doubtful if any technology will. Incorporeal undead include wraiths, poltergeists, ghosts and others which we will not name. Because these creatures cannot be destroyed using conventional means, they do not have any health levels. If they are "wounded" it is safe to assume that they will leave the immediate area to avoid further discomfort, although it is highly doubtful if one of these can truly be destroyed. <strong><u></strong></u> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> In addition, since undead are, by definition not living, they may not be harmed nor slain by many of the means which normally dispose of living organisms. This includes poisons, toxins, suffocation, asphyxiation, starvation, dehydration, freezing, and, for the most part, exhaustion and aging. Some undead are, however, more susceptible to certain weapons or substances. For example, mummies are greatly damaged by fire as are vampires. These weaknesses are further detailed under the description of each undead class, which are located in the next section of the book. <u><strong></strong></u> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>The Myth of Folklore </strong> <p><em>Life is a mystery</em> <p><em>Everyone must stand alone</em> <p>Madonna, <em>Like a Prayer</em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Folklore and myth have been around as long as mankind has been. Modern myths of supernatural creatures are composites from various cultures and stories from the past. For the most part, common myths apply to all undead initially. One such being that vampires are instantly killed by decapitation. Sunlight and fire do huge amounts of damage to vampires, and oftentimes vampires will panic when confronted by these sources of damage. These are all feasible myths about vampiric weakness and they may all apply if and when the characters encounter one. But it is not entirely that simple. As stated before, myths are made up of a composite of beliefs. Every now and then some beliefs come into conflict. This is where it gets fun. What if not all vampire myths include aversion of a vampire to garlic? Then someone out there believes that vampires do not need to leave an area where garlic is around. Or, some myths even go as far as to say vampires are harmed by garlic. So, which one do we go with? The answer is all of them. If a player character (or player for that matter) believes that a vampire can be harmed by garlic, then he or she can declare a test of will versus the creature. This is resolved similar to a disbelief roll and it is detailed in the <strong>Power of False Faith</strong> section. If the character wins, then the myth which he or she proclaims is the "true one." If not, well then the bad guy has proven to have a stronger will and the myth of the character is false. This rule applies to all forms of undead, it just so happens that vampires are easy examples. <p> Undead creatures who receive penalties, which are either stated in their descriptions or begotten from <strong>The Powers of the Damned</strong>, cannot be changed via a False Belief roll. That is to say, it is a very common myth that vampires die when exposed to sunlight, therefore this myth should automatically go into effect without need for a Belief roll on the part of the character, unless the Game Master is particularly sadistic. Also, weaknesses, such as repulsion by garlic, can be tested on a normal vampire using a Belief roll. But if the vampire chose a Power of the Damned which caused it to be repulsed by garlic, then the character roll automatically succeeds by default. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>Power of False Faith</strong> <p><em>He overcame evil,</em> <p><em>he will not come again.</em> <p><em>Though he was strong of arm,</em> <p><em>he will not rise again.</em> <p>-The Epic of Gilgamesh<em></em> <p><strong> </strong> <p> All undead are capable of being hurt by the same myths and superstitions which give them life (or, unlife). This only applies, however, if a person's belief is strong enough, however. Every belief is initially harmful to an undead. If attacked by a such means, the defending undead creature must succeed in a supernatural disbelief roll versus the attacker's POW score. This is called a False Belief Roll. If the attacker has an Ethos, Logos, or Mythos score, this is added to the total also. Upon a successful roll, the defending supernatural creature has been defeated in a test of will and, therefore, harmed by the belief. If and when the character fails the False belief roll, then the creature has proved to be stronger than the human imagination and, henceforth, the myth does not apply to it. This is how Barlow smacked the cross out of the priest's hand in Stephen King's <u>Salem's Lot</u>. Barlow had proven his will to be stronger than that of the priest and he was able to disregard the holy object as a trinket of false faith. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>Idiot Roll:</strong> D20 + Supernatural Score + Undead POW <u>></u> Attacker's POW + Ethos/Logos/Mythos Score + D20 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Tests such as these should be limited to one try per character per creature. The character can retest at a later time if they wish, but he or she must wait at least 24 hours before the next belief roll. It is also an optional rule that those who possess the skills Occult or Undead Lore can retest a failed roll immediately after it fails one time per day only. <p> Weaknesses from flaws cannot be contested by a False Faith roll. These undead are automatically subjected to the penalty assigned by the belief and they may not attempt to resist. This reflects the power that some human beliefs have on the supernatural. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>The Science of Myth </strong> <p><strong> </strong>Despite being completely arrogant and unaccepting of supernatural occurrences, one minority of science finds some rationale in it. Chaos science and the mathematics of probability cannot deny the existence of such things by definition. It is part of the unknown. Chaos science dictates that which is unproved may or may not be so. There are some things which can never be proven, but according to the definition of science they cannot be forgotten either. There is a chance, if ever so slight, that somewhere in the universe gravity does not apply. This is why Newton called it the THEORY of gravity, not the LAW of gravity. Laws are universal and meant for unchanging, static beliefs, such as religion. Science is anything but static. <p> Therefore, some supernatural beliefs cannot be proven wrong. This leaves gaps of semi beliefs in myths, which even science will acknowledge. This is not a common practice for technology and it is avoided to save face if for nothing else. In fact, the incidence is so rare that it is considered to be nil. All Scientists will universally deny the existence of the supernatural, even if a small possibility still exists. Unless the theory can be tested (and it cannot), the Scientist cannot accept it as reality. No matter how hard one tries, mythical evidence is just not credible when using deductive reasoning. This results in the following rules when exposing Scientist characters to the supernatural. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>Science versus the Supernatural</strong> <p><em>It is this disbelief which provides the <u>unknown</u> with</em> <p><em>its greatest weapon...The ignorance of its victims.</em> <p>-Kyle Sullivan, <u>Chill</u><strong> </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> All those who believe in science utilize the scientific method. Since supernatural occurrences do not fit into the scheme of reality according to the scientific method, such paranormal activities are impossible for Scientists and the like to comprehend. These types of people have to rationalize the existence of such creatures before they can believe in them. Even though this would normally tend to make a character strongly disbelieve in such a creature, it actually only offers a vent for that character to account for an exception in reality. Instead of rationalizing the state of reality, a Scientist or other character with the moral priority of Faith-technology will dismiss the supernatural as false or impossible. This is reflected in the following way. <p> All Scientists have an automatic penalty of 5 to all actions when a supernatural being is thought to be involved. All actions includes everything from lock-picking to genetic engineering. This penalty is the result of the Scientist's own confusion and stress due to his or her denial of reality. Everything that he or she has believed in up until now has just been proven wrong. That can tend to make people a little insane, if only temporarily. This penalty stands until the supernatural creature is no longer on the mind of the Scientist, or until he or she makes a successful Unbelief roll, which is detailed in the section titled, <strong>Unbelief</strong>. After this time, sanity will return and the Scientist will once again be effectively functional. </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><strong>Unbelief </strong> <p><strong> </strong>When a Scientist first encounters a supernatural creature, he or she may attempt to rationalize the occurrence in the form of an unbelief roll. Normally, technology is at a disadvantage when confronted by the supernatural, because it is confounded. But if a Scientist can come up with an excuse or scientific reason for the supernatural, then he or she may be exempt from the penalty which is normally assigned to him or her. Upon a successful unbelief roll, the Scientist can gain several bonuses when fighting the undead. The system for an unbelief roll is the same as that for a Disbelief roll, but it must be stated that the Scientist is attempting to specifically unbelieve the creature. This roll can only be attempted once per encounter with a specific type of undead and only Scientists may attempt it. Scientists who possess the following skills can add any single one of them to the roll, but at an Experience Point Penalty. This penalty is assigned according to the skill use. <p> Occult <p> Necromancy <p> Undead Lore <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>Idiot Roll: </strong>Logos + Optional Skill + D20 > Supernatural Score + D20 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> If the roll succeeds, then the Scientist has found a plausible explanation for the creature's existence or apparent "superhuman" powers. For the remainder of the adventure, the Scientist will not receive the normal penalty assigned to the followers of technology, because he or she has found the answer. At least for now. In addition, the Scientist will get a +1 bonus to all technology related skill rolls for the remainder of the adventure, due to a boost in self confidence. This bonus may not be used with technological powers, only with ordinary skill rolls and it is not cumulative, no matter how many undead have been unbelieved during the adventure. When this roll fails, the Scientist is subjected to the normal penalty detailed in the <em>Science versus the Supernatural </em>section. <p> As an optional rule, the Game Master may choose to make this bonus a +2 if the Scientist has either the moral priority of Self or Intangible Wealth. This added umph comes from the Scientist's egotistical nature. He or she is so proud of him or herself for solving the problem of the supernatural, that the bonus is increased by 1. </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><strong>The Powers of Magic and Religion </strong> <p><em>And all things whatsoever ye shall</em> <p><em>ask in prayer believing ye shall receive</em> <p>-Matthew 21:22<strong></strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Religion and magic have the distinct advantage over technology in that they both accept supernatural creatures as part of reality. Those classes who believe in technology and science disregard the existence of the paranormal. They try to rationalize everything and if something does not fit neatly into their explanation, it is dismissed. Ignorance is the way which the followers if science deal with the supernatural. But what they do not know will hurt them. Religion and magic are more accepting of such occurrences. Instead of hiding from what they do not understand, both of these powers can assign explanations from within their own beliefs. This enables Priests and Mages to become powerful adversaries of the supernatural. <p> Because the supernatural fits in so well with the beliefs already present within these two powers, those with the knowledge of magic or religion find it easy to combat such creatures. Unlike the followers of technology, who must rationalize and explain first, the classes who are apt in magic and religion are free to act without penalty. They are not stricken with awe or disbelief as Scientists are. In fact, those characters with religion and magic as aptitudes are able to have special knowledge in the supernatural, especially those with the skill of Occult. This makes characters such as Occultists, Bards, and Stoners rather powerful and knowledgeable when fighting such creatures, since it is they who know their weaknesses. Both Bards and Occultists have the knowledge of many myths and folklores, for it is they who pass along this information to others. Bards use the power of songs and stories to tell their folklore, whereas Occultists are more scholarly in their documentation of myth. <p> Whenever a character with the skill Occult encounters an undead, he or she may make an Occult roll to see if he or she recognizes that particular creature. The difficulty for this roll is determined by the commonality of the undead type. Very common undead, such as a normal Bram Stoker/Slavic style vampire would be easy to recognize, thus the difficulty would be low. Less commonly known undead, such as an <em>Akhkharu</em>, which is an ancient Babylonian vampire, would require a more difficult roll to succeed. This, however, is up to the discretion of the Game Master, for it is he who initially chooses the type of undead. Other skills, such as <em>Undead Lore</em>, are used in the same manner. </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><strong>Experience Penalties</strong> <p><em>Come on baby, don't fear the reaper. </em> <p>-Blue Oyster Cult, <em>Don't Fear the Reaper</em><strong> </strong> <p><strong> </strong>If you take a group of normal people and throw in a bunch of undead creatures, what you get is a mass hysteria. People of today have become too dependent on science for the answers to everything. Because there is clearly no scientific reason for walking corpses, normal people will freak out if presented with the situation. This goes for all characters who are not Mages or Priests. Those which have an aptitude in religion or magic might be more willing to accept such a reality, but it still is pretty fucking weird. Characters who do not have aptitudes will not have the foggiest idea of what is going on, but they will try to survive the best they can. Since these characters have no alignment to any of the three powers, they can pick and choose their allies at will, effectively benefitting from science, religion, and magic together. This will come in use as you will later see. Science and those who follow it will be the ones who are disadvantaged in this scenario. Since the supernatural does not fit in to the scientific theory, Scientists are at a loss to figure out what it is they are trying to fight. This leaves them at the mercy of magic and religion to bail them out. But this will be at a cost to the Scientist. <p> Every time a character relies on a force which conflicts with his or her own personal belief, that character will suffer an experience point deduction. In the first book, <u>DarkTown</u>, we said that if a Scientist were to be magically healed by a Mage, the Scientist would lose experience points for violating his belief in science. This example holds true here. If a Scientist is with a group of characters who are trying to survive an attack from a vampire, the Scientist would have no idea what was truly going on. First of all, he would deny the existence of such a creature, unless he had hard-core, empirical evidence suggesting otherwise. Second, the Scientist would laugh at any anti-vampire tactics that the other party members might have, especially ones made by so called Mages or Priests. If a Priest suggested holy water as a weapon, the Scientist would shrug it off and say that it would not work. Likewise, a Mage would probably suggest something different, such as Wolvesbane, garlic, or some other arcane herb as a vampire deterrent. This is where the game spices up. <p> Any character who has a Faith moral priority must abide by that throughout the course of the adventure. This is especially true for the Mentalists. If, for some reason or another, a character must rely on an alternate belief to survive, he or she will be penalized accordingly. If a character believes in science, he or she will not willingly wear a crucifix as a defense against vampires. It is utter nonsense. But if that player decides to have his or her character wear the cross, then the character is docked experience points for breaking the moral priority of Faith-technology, since he is effectively relying on religion for protection. Characters who only have aptitudes should be less severely punished for this and Mentalists should get the third degree. Characters who have no aptitude or Faith can do whatever they need to survive without a penalty. This is why they are superior to the others, because they have no restrictions. Also, when Mentalists use skills which are based on other beliefs, they are docked experience points as well. Usually the penalty is only 1 experience point per violation of skill use. The skill does not necessarily need to be successfully used either, just attempted. An example would be a Scientist with <em>Occult</em>, a Priest with <em>Necromancy</em>, or a Mage with <em>Exorcism</em>. <p> In one of the games we ran, a particularly interesting situation came up when the Priest suggested that all of the party members take refuge in a local church for the night. This way the vampires would not be able to enter the holy ground to harm them. The rest of the party agreed, except for one Mage who did not want to rely on religion to protect her. Eventually, however, she swallowed her pride in order to save her life and spent the night in the church, although her lack of faith in Magic cost her all of her experience points for that part of the adventure. Ouch! Strike one for being a Mentalist. <p> <strong></strong> <p><strong>Creating Your Own Animates <u></strong></u> <p><em>I have no time for the living.</em> <p>-St. Francis of Death (Grave Digger), <u>The Cemetery Man<strong></strong></u> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> How to create animates was detailed in <u>DarkTown: The Apocalyptic Cycle</u>, but we will include that in this book as well. Mages can create animates simply by using the <em>Create Life</em> spell. Priests and Scientists require special skills along with their powers to make the dead rise from the grave. Scientists must first have the skill <em>Reanimation/Exotic Life Saving Therapy</em>, before they can even think about challenging death. Priests, likewise, must have the skill <em>Religious Death Rites</em>, before they are able to call the dead back to life. Once these skills are possessed, the Priest or Scientist may purchase the power or <em>Create Life</em> using experience points. This power counts as a level 5 Bios technique for a Scientist and a level 5 Deity miracle for a Priest. In this way, the power of <em>Create Life</em> may be purchased instead of <em>Genetic Engineering</em> or <em>Divine Intervention</em>. <p> Keep in mind, however, that the Scientist will still justify the existence of the animate according to the laws of technology and a Priest will rely on religion. Because of their techniques and beliefs, Scientists may only animate recently deceased corpses. That is to say, that the corpse cannot be decomposed to the point of a skeleton. The muscles and nerves must still be intact if a Scientist is to animate a body. Priests are free from restrictions. Scientists, however, may create a single corpse from several partial bodies, as long as a whole body is finally patched together in the end. Technologically animated bodies also do not decompose as normal animates do. This is because Scientists can call life back into the cadaver, so it is actually living again. These creatures are still stupid, however, for they are mostly brain dead. Most animates just stare off blankly, never focusing their eyes on a single object and always have a dopy, unhealthy look on their faces. <u><strong></strong></u> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>Magical Animates</strong> <p><strong> </strong>Mages can manifest energy, in the form of magic, which is then used to make an inanimate object become animate. The magic is bound to the body and energizes it at the will of the caster. Because of the mechanism involved, corpses are but one of the many inanimate objects which can be affected by a Mage. Bodies which are invigorated will obey the commands of the Mage until destroyed or rendered inoperable by an outside force. And, as always, these are magical creatures and should be treated as such. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>Create</strong> <p>5. Create Life Difficulty 35 <p> Any inanimate object can be animated by the caster of this spell. The animated object will obey all commands from the caster to the best of its ability, and it will remain until destroyed or disbelieved by either a Priest or Scientist. Anything from plastic skeletons to appliances or dead bodies can be animated using this power. Dead organic life that is animated has the distinct advantage in that it does not need to be made--it is already there. Golems, on the other hand, have to be made and sculpted by the Mage. Any object that is animated will obey the spoken commands of the caster alone, no one else. In addition, no animated object can possess a POW score. COM and INT are determined by the following table. Other Attributes are determined by the type of body used. These values are up to the Game Master or they can be rolled randomly using the rules for animates in this book. </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><strong>Religious Animates</strong> <p><strong> </strong>When a Priest creates an animate, he or she is not merely calling upon a force to move the deceased body around. Priests actually summon and bind the souls of the dead back into their own physical corpses. Calling the dead back from eternal slumber, however, is not always a kind act. But sometimes death may come prematurely and the dead must be brought back into the realm of the living. By possessing the skill <em>Religious Death Rites, </em>a Priest may summon the spirits of the dead back after purchasing the power <em>Create Life</em>. The spiritual energy of the soul once again can empower the body to move and obey commands, although the mind is long since gone. Due to the fact that the body is dead and the brain no longer functions, these undead are still treated as mindless, walking corpses, just as all other animates are. <strong></strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong> Deity</strong> <p> 5. Create Life Difficulty 35 <p> Any inanimate object can be animated by the caster of this miracle. The animated object will obey all commands from the caster to the best of its ability, and it will remain until destroyed or disbelieved by either a Mage or Scientist. Anything from plastic skeletons to dead bodies can be animated using this power, all that the Priest must do is inscribe the Hebrew rune of life on the forehead of the body (organic or otherwise). Dead organic life that is animated has the distinct advantage in that it does not need to be made--it is already there. Golems, on the other hand, have to be made and sculpted by the Priest. Any object that is animated will obey the spoken commands of the caster alone, no one else. In addition, no animated object can possess a POW score. COM and INT are determined by the following table. Other Attributes are determined by the type of body used. These values are up to the Game Master or they can be rolled up using the rules for animates in this book. </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><strong>Technological Animates</strong> <p><strong> </strong>Life is not an unknown concept to a Scientist. In its simplest form, it is but a series of chemical reactions and electrical impulses. Since these ideas are not at all alien to medical science, doctors and Scientists have become apt at controlling and manipulating these processes at will. Using an outside form of electricity or chemicals, Scientists can reanimate a dead corpse and bring it back to life. The skill <em>Exotic Life Saving Therapy/Reanimation </em>does just that. Scientists with this skill are able to buy the power <em>Create Life</em> and use it to make crude, walking dead. One different aspect is that these animates are still living, but brain dead. They have a pulse, breathe, and require nutrients for sustenance, although they have an animal-like intelligence. For this reason, these animates do not decompose as normal undead do. But, as a result of this feature, Scientists are unable to animate anything which cannot become living. Only recently deceased corpses can be animated and nothing inorganic can be affected. <strong></strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong> Bios</strong> <p> 5. Create Life Difficulty 35 <p>Any recently deceased body or complex electronic device can be animated by the employer of this technique. The animated object will obey all commands from the creator to the best of its ability, and it will remain until destroyed or disbelieved by either a Mage or Priest. Dead organic life that is animated cannot be decomposed to the bone--the muscles and nerves must still be functional. Golems cannot be created by a Scientist, unless it is a flesh golem. Any object that is animated will obey the spoken commands of the creator alone, no one else. In addition, no animated object can possess a POW score. COM and INT are determined by the following table. Other Attributes are determined by the type of body used. These values are up to the Game Master or can be rolled up using the animate rules in this book. Certain electronic devices, such as computers, can be "animated" with the Game Master's permission. The term "animated" is to be used loosely in this context, however, for it is more of an artificial intelligence that the Scientist is creating. Again, this concept is solely governed by the will of the Game Master. <p> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>Animate Table </strong> <p><u>Organic Body COM INT Synthetic Body </u> <p>Body incomplete/Parts 5 1 Generic Object <p>Dead Animals 10 5 *Lesser Golem <p>Dead Human 15 15 **Greater Golem <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p>*Lesser Golems are hand crafted by the Mentalist from limbs and other body parts, and they take up no less than 1 week to prepare. <p>**Greater Golems are hand-crafted by the Mentalist from limbs and body parts, and they take no less than 1 month to prepare. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Golems may be fashioned out of parts of dead, organic bodies. Scientists can only create flesh golems, which are strictly organic in construction. Fabric, metal, plastic or other non-organic materials may not be animated by a Scientist, only by Mages or Priests. All golems must be intricately put together by the Mentalist so as to assure proper functioning. Frankenstein's monster was an example of a flesh Golem made by a Scientist. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>Botching a Create Life Roll</strong> <p><strong> </strong>If a <em>Create Life</em> power roll is failed, then no effects happen. But if the Mentalist botches the roll, by rolling a total of 1 or less after modifiers or by rolling a natural 1 on the mediator, then something horrible happens. The power works, so to speak, and the animate comes to life. But instead of obeying its creator, the animate tries to kill him or her. If successful, the animate will continue killing mortals in a random, serial fashion. This will continue until it is destroyed. The runaway animate may not be subdued. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>The Powers of Undead Majesty <u></strong></u> <p><em>So I looked, and behold, </em> <p><em>a pale horse. And the</em> <p><em>name of him who sat on it</em> <p><em>was Death, and Hades followed</em> <p><em>with him. And</em> <p><em>power was given to them</em> <p><em>over a fourth of the earth,</em> <p><em>to kill with sword, with</em> <p><em>hunger, with death, and by</em> <p><em>the beasts of the earth.</em> <p>-Revelation 6:8<em> </em><strong><u></strong></u> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong><u> </u></strong>All undead creatures will possess characteristics which make them superior to living creatures, although this does not necessarily always make them better. Naturally, all greater undead will be more powerful than the lesser ones and the animates are the weakest of all. Certain types of undead are more skilled than others in different areas. The table below lists all of the types of undead and their appropriate attribute bonuses. If a Game Master intends to make an undead from scratch, he or she merely needs to roll as normal for character generation and then add the following bonuses. Otherwise, average attributes are listed to the right. More details are given about individual powers and abilities of each undead type under their appropriate sections later in this book. <p> <p> Attribute Bonus Average Attributes <p> Lich +10 INT STR: 15 END: 25 <p> +10 COM AGL: 15 MOV: 15 <p> +10 PER INT: 25 COM: 25 <p> +10 POW PER: 25 POW: 15 <p> +10 END BEA: 0 CHA: 15 <p> BEA is 0 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Mummy +10 INT STR: 15 END: 25 <p> +10 COM AGL: 15 MOV: 15 <p> +10 PER INT: 25 COM: 25 <p> +10 POW PER: 25 POW: 15 <p> +10 END BEA: * CHA: 15 <p> BEA Restriction <p>*See the section on Mummies for more details. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Vampire +10 STR STR: 25 END: 25 <p> +10 END AGL: 25 MOV: 25 <p> +10 MOV INT: 15 COM: 15 <p> +10 AGL PER: 25 POW: 15 <p> +10 PER BEA: 15 CHA: 15 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Revenent +10 STR STR: 25 END: 25 <p> +10 END AGL: 25 MOV: 25 <p> +10 MOV INT: 15 COM: 15 <p> +10 AGL PER: 25 POW: 15 <p> +10 PER BEA: 15 CHA: 15 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Lesser Corporal +5 STR STR: 20 END: 20 <p> +5 END AGL: 20 MOV: 20 <p> +5 MOV INT: 15 COM: 15 <p> +5 AGL PER: 15 POW: 15 <p> BEA Restriction BEA: * CHA: 15 <p>*See the section on Lesser Corporal undead for more details. <p> <p> Incorporeal +5 INT STR: 0 END: 0 <p> +5 COM AGL: 15 MOV: 15 <p> +5 PER INT: 20 COM: 20 <p> +5 POW <strong><u> </u></strong>PER: 20 POW: 20 <strong><u></strong></u> <p><strong><u> </u></strong>STR is 0 BEA: 15 CHA: 15 <p> END is 0 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Animate POW is 0<strong><u> </u></strong>STR: 15 END: 15 <p> INT Restriction* AGL: 15 MOV: 15 <p> COM Restriction* INT: * COM: * <p> BEA Restriction* PER: 15 POW: 0 <p> BEA: * CHA: 15<strong><u></strong></u> <p>*See the section on Animates for more details. <strong></strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>Undead Stamina </strong> </em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em><em>You'll never get hungry</em> <p><em>You'll never grow old and grey</em> <p>-Fastball, <em>The Way</em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong> </strong>Undead do not receive the same penalties for damage levels as do living humans. Since undead are not affected nearly as much by pain or fatigue, they are able to withstand more damage before they are incapacitated. Undead are usually only incapacitated when they reach zero or negative health. Some undead are incapacitated only upon destruction, such as animates. Below is a table of general penalties for wound levels of undead. This table applies to all types of undead. The minuses correspond to the physical inability to perform an action, rather than the pain or shock caused by the injury. <p> For example, a zombie whose elbow has been shattered will have a difficult time extending its arm, due to the physical damage of the joint. But since a zombie does not feel any pain, it will not hurt it to try moving its arm. In addition, undead never need to make Stamina Checks for shock, no matter how much damage they suffer in a single round. This is because their bodies are already dead, thus they cannot enter a physiological shock. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Bruised (0) <p> Wounded (0) <p> Injured (0) <p> Crippled (-1) <p> Incapacitated* (-3) <p> Dead** (-5) <p> Destroyed (NA) <strong></strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p>* This wound level is called Incapacitated, however undead only suffer a -3 to all actions whereas a normal human would be rendered unconscious. <p>** Dead is only a state of being and undead are rather good at avoiding it. This category corresponds to the state of zero health or negative health. Some undead, such as Mummies and Liches, can remain at this state for an indefinite period of time. Moreover, they can still be functional and aware. Only when they are destroyed do undead cease existence. <strong> </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Another point which must be made is that undead are not living creatures. This means that any substances which would normally affect living systems will not affect undead. Poisons and chemicals do not harm them. Likewise, undead do not require food or oxygen for sustenance. Undead do not breathe, nor do their hearts beat. They are cold to the touch. In essence, they are dead. This allows for easy identification upon close inspection. A trained physician would be able to tell that the creature was not living through these diagnostic features. In addition, since the body is dead, it can no longer grow or repair itself naturally. This task is now up to the undead creature. Vampires are able to regenerate by concentrating and consuming the blood of the living. This allows them to uphold the appearance that they had at the time of death. Other undead, such as mummies and liches, are not quite as fortunate. They require complex rituals and magic to remain unliving. Again, these specific characteristics are detailed under each specific type of undead. <p> <p><strong>Undead Health and Damage </strong> <p><em>I get knocked down,</em> <p><em>but I get up again.</em> <p><em>You're never gonna keep me down.</em> <p>-Chumbawumba, <em>Tub Thumping</em><strong></strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong> </strong>All undead are treated as having a class health of three (3) when determining their health scores. The same rules are used as with humans, except for Incorporeal Undead. These undead do not have normal health points. Instead, they have what is called Spiritual Health or <em>Animus salus. </em>This is covered in more detail under the section for Incorporeal Undead. <p> Physical undead, like the living, can sustain damage from physical objects, such as weapons. They are usually more resistant to such damage and reducing an undead to zero health does not always mean victory. This is due to the supernatural nature of the creatures. Undead also do not have to worry about critical injuries, such as a gunshot to the head. Although an injury such as that would most likely kill a living individual, if not surely incapacitating him or her, it would only irritate a zombie or lich, and make it appear all the more horrifying. Instead, undead have other specific weakness unique to each type. These are detailed under each section entitled Undead Weaknesses. <p> When an undead is reduced to zero health, special rules come into effect. These rules are explained in the sections of Undead Death, which are located after the descriptions of each type. <strong> </strong> <strong></strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>General Flaws </strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p align="center"><em>No ear can hear nor tongue can tell</em> <p align="center"><em>the tortures of the inward hell.</em> <p align="center">-Lord Byron<strong></strong> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Immortality is not always as glamourous as it appears to be. There are many prices that undead must pay, in the form of flaws and duties they must perform in the name of rituals. The following is a list of possible flaws that an undead might have. All undead are required to take a certain number of flaws, determined by each type and the powers bestowed upon them. This is detailed under each undead type in the next section. Some of the flaws are specifically listed by each type, whereas others are generic and chosen by the Game Master. <p> Game Masters should not feel as though they are restricted to only taking the flaws listed with the spheres of power. Below is a list of general flaws which are available to all undead. By adding more flaws, you will give the creature quirks and personality. A description of each flaw is also given after the flaw table. Any flaws that a creature possesses may not be resisted with a False Belief roll by that creature. That is to say, a creature who takes <em>fear of holy objects</em> will flee when presented with an appropriate object automatically. No False Belief roll is allowed, after all that is the true weakness and the creature knows it himself. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> <strong></strong> <p><strong> </strong>Low Body Temperature <p> Icy Touch <p> Clammy Skin <p> Pale, Gaunt, Death-like Features <p> Eerie Presence <p> Sight of Death <p> Must Eat Soil <p> Must Eat Carrion <p> Demonic Features <p> Horns <p> Claws <p> Cloven Feet <p> Wings <p> Red Eyes <p> Fang-like teeth <p> Tail <p> Grating Voice <p> Rancid Odor <p> Decomposing Touch <p> Animals at Unease <p> Must Drink Blood <p> Smell of Fire and Brimstone <p> Must Sleep With Grave Soil <p> Harmed by Holy Water <p> Fear of Holy Objects <p> Intolerance of Sunlight <p> Ritualistic <p> Nightmares <p> Painful Memories <p> Partial Amnesia <p> Cannot Cross Running Water <p> Errant Shadow <p> Must Be Invited Inside a House <p> Cast No Reflection in Mirrors <p> Repulsed By Garlic <p> Cannot Leave the Site of Death <p> Only Seen At Night <p> Must Reenact the Last Living Day or Death Scene Over Again<em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>Flaw Definitions </strong> <p> The following is a list of the definitions of every undead flaw. This list includes the general and specific flaws for each undead type. Rules for the flaw, as well as a physical description is listed in the paragraph following the title of each respective flaw. <p><em>Low Body Temperature</em> <p><em> Icy Touch</em> <p><em> Clammy Skin</em> <p><em> </em>As a result of the cessation of life processes, dead organisms will lose heat until they reach equilibrium with the temperature of the environment. This ultimately results in a cool, clammy feel to the skin of an undead. To most living mortals, this touch is unnerving to say the least. It usually triggers at least gooseflesh in the character experiencing the chill. Others may react more profoundly. <p> Still, other undead carry with them an icy chill from beyond the grave. This is a more severe cold, almost like frost. When the creature grabs or holds an object, the intense cold may cause moisture to condense on it and it may cause marks or cold burns to appear on bare, living flesh. These undead are sometimes surrounded by a haze or fog due to the coldness, especially on warm, moist, summer nights. Cold such as this stems from greater supernatural powers, like those possessed by greater undead. When one encounters an effect such as this, he or she can usually expect something dreadful, but at least <u>we</u> can still hope for salvation. </em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em><em>Pale, Gaunt, Death-like Features</em> <p><em> </em>When a body dies, all of the blood pools to the lowest parts due to gravity. So an upright body will have a pale, yellow, bloodless face and head, but dark, mottled purple feet and legs. Also, as decomposition takes place, or dehydration for that matter, the eyes will begin to sink into the sockets and the cheek bones will become more prominent. Dark circles will form under the eyes as the skin begins to shrink and tighten around the bones, giving a gaunt or starved look to the corpse. Other death features, such as the yellowing of hair and nails, the withering away of muscle to give an unhealthy, sickly appearance, and stiff, jerky movements of the undead due to the onset of rigor mortis and then later due to the shrinking of ligaments and tendons. The hair may also eventually fall out completely or become increasingly thin. After a while, as the corpse enters advanced decomposition, it may become bloated with gas. This results in puffy look as the putrid level of anaerobic bacteria grow inside the body. The bloated condition will continue until the pressure is released from under the skin. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Eerie Presence</em> <p><em> </em>Normal people can sense any undead in the immediate vicinity who have eerie presence. This does not, however, mean that the person knows who is undead, or that it is an undead to begin with. It just means that the person knows something is wrong or that evil is around. This can be done in one of the following ways. The Game Master can also feel free to add his or her own suggestions to the list. <p> * Candles blow out whenever the creature enters a room. <p> * The undead is accompanied by a cold breeze when it enters a room. <p> * Fog or mist always rolls at the creature's feet. <p> * Plants wither and die at the touch of the creature. <p> * The undead causes hair to stand on end when it nears a person. <p> * The creature causes a pit to form in the stomachs of those who are near it. <p> * The undead can inspire a fear of unknown origin in all those who are around it. <p>People who are affected by this know that something is not right, but they cannot put a finger on what or where it is coming from. Normally, if an undead enters a room full of people, say at a party, the crowd goes silent, so to speak. Let us say that those who have eerie presence are definitely not the life of such a party. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Sight of Death</em> <p><em> </em>This unique flaw handicaps the vision of the undead so all that it sees is death and decomposition. Everything which would be living in reality appears dead to the creature. No matter how young or vibrant, all people appear as withering, rotting corpses to the undead. Inanimate objects look corroded, broken, decomposed, or in a state of decay. Plants all appear as dead, leafless stems. Life is now just a memory and, in its wretched existence, the creature can no longer even observe it. <em> </em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Must Eat Soil</em> <p> As a result of this rather disgusting flaw, the undead must consume two hand fulls of soil from a grave or graveyard to satisfy their requirement for sustenance. This act must be committed at least once per day (night) or the undead will suffer one wound level of damage and will not be able to regenerate lost health until its next meal. Undead can still make rolls as normal to avoid death when reduced to zero health or less, they just cannot regenerate as normal until they feed again. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Must Eat Carrion</em> <p><em> </em>As a result of this gruesome flaw, the undead must devour the dead, rotting flesh of animals or humans to satisfy their requirement for sustenance. This act must be committed at least once per day (night) or the undead will suffer one wound level of damage and will not be able to regenerate lost health until its next meal. Undead can still make rolls as normal to avoid death when reduced to zero health or less, they just cannot regenerate as normal until they feed again. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Demonic Features</em> <p><em> </em>Choose at least one feature from the list below. The following flaws represent undead who were granted their powers from infernal investments. Any undead who make Pacts With the Devil instantly gain one of the following. Others may just start off with a demonic feature because that is how it is. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em> Horns</em>: The creature has two horns, one on each side of the head. These may be small horns protruding from the forehead or large antlers growing from the sides of the head. Large horns can be used to gouge an opponent in hand to hand combat, although it is difficult to successfully hit with them. A Brawl Offensive roll is made with a penalty of 5 to the die roll, but a successful attack does kick damage plus and additional 1D3 (1D6 divided by 2 and rounded up). <em></em> <p><em> Claws</em>: Long, dirty, sharp claws are on the hands, feet, or both. These can be up to several inches long and make formidable weapons. Undead who use Brawl Offensive can add an extra 1D3 to the damage roll when using claws with a punch or kick. The claws, however, are very hard to conceal from the view of others, due to their excessive length. <em></em> <p><em> Cloven Feet</em>: The legs and feet of the creature appear to be hairy and hoofed, like a horse or goat. The undead will still walk upright like a normal biped, however. Undead with this flaw can kick for and additional 1D3 points of damage in combat. Due to the nature of this flaw, concealment of the cloven feet is nearly impossible and the odd appearance can be spotted with ease. <em></em> <p><em> Wings</em>: Very hard to conceal from view, these dark, bat-like wings sprout forth from the back of an undead creature. They can be up to several feet in length and may offer the ability of flight, although it may be more like clumsy gliding. The wings are more useful for jumping off of a high surface and floating down rather than taking off from the ground and flapping away. <em></em> <p><em> Red Eyes</em>: The eyes of the creature have a malevolent glow to them, similar to burning embers. This is evident to all who look directly into the eyes of the undead. As an optional rule, a plus 2 may be added to the Intimidation role of any undead who has Red Eyes. <em></em> <p><em> Fang-like teeth: </em>Undead with this flaw have inhuman, unnatural looking teeth or fangs. This may be due to two elongated canines, such as vampires have, or it could be a mouthful of hundreds of sharp teeth. Creatures with this flaw are capable of biting an opponent and grappling him or her for an amount equal to kick damage. Other creatures may be specialized for puncturing and draining the blood of a victim. In any case, these undead are definitely noticeable due to their impressively formidable dental armament. <em> </em> <p><em> Tail: </em>Undead with this flaw have a very conspicuous one-and-a-half to two-foot long tail sprouting from their backs. This is quite difficult to hide, unless concealed by baggy clothing or a cape. It is also a good diagnostic feature, which player characters can use to identify that something is definitely not right with the individual possessing it. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Grating Voice</em> <p><em> </em>Undead with this flaw speak with a raspy, unnerving voice, which sounds like sands running down a washboard. This happens as a result of the decomposition of the creature's vocal chords. As it becomes less and less human, the voice will get considerably more disturbing to hear. Characters who speak with an undead with a grating voice will be uncomfortable just hearing it talk. <p> <em></em> <p><em>Rancid Odor</em> <p><em> </em>Undead with this flaw are even more foul smelling than a normal decomposing body. This is a form of supernatural odor and it reeks of evil. Wherever the undead is, anyone within a 50 foot radius will be able to detect an overpoweringly rancid odor with his or her olfactory senses. Since this is a magical scent, it may pass through solid objects, such as walls and doors. Consequently, this makes it almost impossible for the creature to sneak up on anyone. Game Masters may also rule that in some instances, the stench is so disgusting that characters may need to make a Willpower roll to avoid retching. The following roll would then be used. <p> <strong>Idiot Roll:</strong> POW + D20 <u>></u> Supernatural Score + D20 </em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em><em>Decomposing Touch</em> <p><em> </em>Undead with this curse will cause all non-sentient life forms around them to visibly wither and die. This includes plants, insects, and some small animals, such as rodents. The organisms must be within close proximity to the undead if they are to be slain. An example would be a vampire who walks out into a lawn. Every step the vampire takes will result in the grass underfoot turning a yellow-brown. <em></em> <p><em> </em>Additionally, some mummies or liches with this power may affect inanimate objects, such as metals, wood, or leather. Upon touch, these materials may decompose or deteriorate. Metals may corrode and organics (like wood) may rot. In either case, this power will not harm a human, unless the following optional rule is used. <p> At times, a Game Master may rule that undead creatures are walking, talking, reservoirs of disease (they are, after all, carrion). Some creatures may be able to pass off certain infectious diseases to humans by touch. The damage and affect of these illnesses are up to the Game Master, but the table under Create Bioweapon in the Bios Sphere of technology may be used as a reference. Usually these diseases are chronic, flesh eating disorders, such as leprosy, <em>Candida</em> fungus, or some other parasite. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Animals at Unease</em> <p><em> </em>Since animals have more attuned senses, they can pick up subtle differences and signals in reality. Because undead do not fit well into reality, it is obvious that something is wrong. To ignorant humans, these differences are relatively hard to pick up on. But to animals, it is much too obvious. Dogs will bark at approaching undead, however they will rarely attack. This is because they can hear and smell the evil. Other animals, likewise, are alerted to the presence of such horrible things and, if used correctly, may even make for detection devices of sorts. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Must Drink Blood</em> <p><em> </em>As a result of this flaw, the undead must drink the blood of animals or humans to satisfy their requirement for sustenance. This act must be committed at least once per day (night) or the undead will suffer one wound level of damage and will not be able to regenerate lost health until its next meal. Undead can still make rolls as normal to avoid death when reduced to zero health or less, they just cannot regenerate as normal until they feed again. <p><em> </em> <p><em>Smell of Fire and Brimstone</em> <p><em> </em>This flaw is similar to Rancid Odor, but instead of an overpowering stench of decay, the undead is surrounded by the smell of fire and brimstone. Characters who are within 50 feet of the creature will be able to smell what seems to be the smoldering coals of a fire, although no smoke is apparent. Undead with this flaw have been thought to receive their powers from "infernal places."<em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Must Sleep With Grave Soil</em> <p> Creatures with this flaw are required to rest while in the contact of grave soil. The soil need not be from the creature's own grave, but it must be taken from a grave of some sort. The undead must sleep on a bed or floor covered with the soil or a coffin filled with it. Without the soil, the creature cannot fully rest and will be penalized the next night as though it had suffered a whole wound level of damage. This flaw may also require the creature to sleep in an actual grave, but that is up to the Game Master. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Harmed by Holy Water</em> <p><em> </em>This flaw causes the undead to automatically be harmed by holy water, regardless of whether the creature has failed a False Belief roll or not. The damage done by the water is equal to 2D6 + User's Ethos, if applicable. A successful hit must be scored in combat if the water is to do any damage, however. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Fear of Holy Objects </em> <p><em> </em>Undead with this flaw are fearful of any kind of holy object, regardless of the faith of the wielder. The creature does not get to make a False Belief roll to resist this fear. Once presented, the holy object will drive the creature away for several minutes. Creatures affected in such a manner will not attempt to harm the wielder in any way. The Game Master may also rule that, in some instances, a creature may even be harmed by the touch of one such object. Damage may be equal to 1D6 + Ethos of the wielder. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Intolerance of Sunlight</em> <p><em> </em>Throughout the ages, night has always been attributed to evil. The midnight hours belong to the minions of evil. At dawn, the sun comes to vanquish the unholy and bring salvation to mankind. As a result of this age old myth, some undead are powerless or unable to come out during the day. This may be as simple as the creature being nocturnal, or as severe as the creature being destroyed when exposed to the light of day. As a general rule, creatures with this flaw lose all abilities and powers when directly exposed to sunlight. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Ritualistic</em> <p> Undead with this flaw are required to perform some sort of ritual if they are to retain their powers. These rituals are usually in the form of some sort of evil sacrifice or harm to mankind. Just as some undead must feed off the life of organisms, these undead must feed from the energy of an outside force. Vampires must drink blood, corporal undead devour flesh, and revenents and incorporeal undead feed off of and generate fear and uncomfort. Rituals are usually left to greater undead types, and those are further narrowed to exclusively include mummies, liches, and occasionally revenents. Since undead are, essentially, the embodiment of human evil, which has come back to wreck havoc on the earth, they must somehow be detrimental to mankind. This fact must hold if undead are to exist at all. Remember, magic in the universe gets its energy from an outside source. For an undead to exist, it too must get energy from an extrinsic force, such as a sacrifice, or by reappropriating energy from a greater power. For example, in the case of mummies, a sacrifice may be made to a god, which allows life to continue after death. <p> There are three main types of undead rituals, all of which involve a sacrifice of some sort. At least one ritual must be chosen for an undead with this flaw, as well as a penalty for failing to fulfill it. Below is a chart listing the sacrifice types. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Human Sacrifice <p> Animal Sacrifice <p> Object Sacrifice <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> Depending on the undead, these ceremonies must be performed once every day, week, lunar cycle, or year. Mummies, for example, may require the sacrifice of a youth or a virgin perhaps. Something which is pure or has vigor, so the energy from the sacrifice can be put to use by the undead mummy. Undead who desire to be young and beautiful again might need to sacrifice a young, beautiful individual, so that the essence of the victim's soul is taken in. Otherwise, it may revert back to the form of a withered, decaying corpse. To mummies who wish to look human, this is a travesty. <p> Other undead, such as liches, may require the sacrifice of magical objects or objects of power, rather than life. This can include spell books, spell components, magical items, or even living Mages themselves. As the magical energy is released from the object being sacrificed, the lich absorbs it and uses it to further its own power. This cannibalization is how a lich truly survives death. <p> Still other types of undead can perform rituals to create another physical body if their current one was destroyed. This can be used to escape death yet again. Undead who reserve extra physical bodies can return again and again even after being supposedly killed. This is an optional rule and has been left up to the Game Master. As a general rule, however, undead who fail to commit a ritual will suffer a whole wound level of damage or complete loss of all special powers, which can only be regained upon completion of the ritual. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Nightmares </em> <p><em> </em>Creatures with this flaw experience disturbing dreams whenever they sleep. The reasons for these dreams are similar to the causes of <em>Painful Memories</em>. Characters with nightmares, however, do not get negative moral priorities. Instead, they receive 1 wound level of damage every time they fall into fitful slumber. Upon awakening from their troubled sleep, these characters are considered to be Bruised until they heal. This is due to the weakness resulting from the lack of proper sleep. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Painful Memories</em> <p><em> </em>This flaw curses the undead with very unpleasant memories of the past. These events could be a result of the current condition of the undead, or just unfortunate tragedies experienced by the individual now. In either case, the subject has been the victim of severe mental trauma and will receive the following penalty. Each character with this flaw will get 1 or 2 negative moral priorities. These are chosen at will and, during the course of an adventure, if the character is confronted with a situation involving the morals, it must never accommodate them. If the creature does, it loses an experience point for each violation. This flaw should be specific, such as Friends-loved one (wife, husband, sibling, etc.). Perhaps the character lost someone special when he or she had the opportunity to save him or her and, from this point on, has sworn never to love again. Maybe the character committed heinous acts in life and is haunted by the tortured souls in his mind. All of these options are chosen by the Game Master or player. </em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em><em>Partial Amnesia</em> <p><em> </em>Undead with this flaw do not have a full recollection of their past lives. Even though they have returned from the dead, the cursed few cannot remember what they did or why they might have come back. The confused individual might not remember specific details, such as who he or she knew, what occupation he or she had, or where he or she lived. Other parts of his or her past might be explicitly vivid. Often feelings, emotions, and attitudes about places and things remain intact. This is a particularly disturbing flaw for revenents or other undead who have returned to fulfill a goal from their past lives. With time, however, the undead will recall more and more of its past, it just may take a few years. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Cannot Cross Running Water</em> <p> Vampires or other undead with this flaw are unable to cross any flowing body of water. This includes rivers, creeks, and streams. The water must be at least three inches deep and flowing at a measurable rate to qualify for this flaw to take effect. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Errant Shadow</em> <p> Though some do have physical forms, because undead are not of this world, light may pass through their bodies, leaving no shadows. Other undead have shadows which do not obey the laws of light physics. These shadows move when the creature or light source are still or the shadows are cast at odd directions with respect to the light source. Subtle differences such as these may be caught out of the corner of a character's eye, by making a successful Perception Roll. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Must Be Invited Inside a House</em> <p><em> </em>Vampires or other undead with this flaw must be invited into a home or dwelling by an individual from within. If invitation is declined by the person within the building, then the undead may not enter. Creatures rejected in this way cannot cross the threshold of any doorways or windows, regardless of how bad they want to get in. <p> <em></em> <p><em>Cast No Reflection in Mirrors</em> <p><em> </em>Undead with this flaw (vampires usually) cast no reflection back from a mirror. This is usually a result of the fact that undead have no souls and only represent a figment of the human imagination, not reality. Thus, they will not reflect light back at an object because they are not truly there. They appear to be "real" to the subconscious mind, apparently there but not really so. Likewise, undead with this flaw will not show up on film either. Characters may casually notice this effect by successfully rolling a Perception Roll. The difficulty is determined by the Game Master. <em></em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Repulsed By Garlic</em> <p><em> </em>Undead with this flaw suffer from a severe aversion to garlic. This includes the sight or smell of garlic. Although not nearly as strong a repulsion as fear, the creature will try to avoid areas where garlic is present and will remove themselves from the immediate area. Some myths even go as far as to say the garlic does damage to the creature or vampire if touched, but for the most part it is just useful as a deterrent. </em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em><em>Bound To Site of Death</em> <p><em> </em>This flaw is usually reserved for incorporeal undead only. Those with it are bound to the immediate site or structure where they met their demise. Or, sometimes, the spirit haunts a particular area where the hidden body lies until discovered. In either case, the ghost haunts a single location, be it a room in a building, an old house, a graveyard, or an unmarked burial site. These spirits are unable to affect areas outside of their range, which is determined by the Game Master. As a basis, spirits are generally confined to spaces no more than 1000 feet in diameter. <p> <em></em> <p><em>Only Seen At Night</em> <p><em> </em>Usually the only undead with this flaw are incorporeal. The effects of this flaw are just as the title is stated. These creatures are entirely invisible during the day, no matter how much <em>Animus impigritas </em>is spent. These undead can still interact with the physical realm, they are just invisible when doing so, or at least until dusk. <em> </em> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>Must Reenact the Last Living Day or Death Scene Over Again</em> <p> The ghost or corporal undead must eternally reenact its moment of mortal death at least once everyday. This is particularly common among victims of violent crimes, innocent victims of terribly horrible, but accidental deaths, or suicide victims. The spirits must be visible when this event happens and they will perform it regardless of whether an audience is present or not. Examples include a ghostly victim who is beaten by another specter in the same room every night at exactly midnight and a ghostly woman who walks up a down the side of a highway, throwing herself in front of cars as they pass. <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><strong>Just How Powerful Is That? <u></strong></u> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p><em>You can't tell me it's not worth dying for.</em> <p>Bryan Adams, <em>Everything I do (I do it for you)</em> <p> <p> Well, as you can see, undead have the potential to be much more powerful than normal humans, even more so than the Mentalists. The following is a table which lists some comparisons between the Mentalists and the undead. Included in the table are the average Supernatural Scores and Mythos, Logos, and Ethos scores of Undead and Mentalists respectively. Note that Mentalists, like normal humans, may not have a skill level exceeding 20. This includes the skills of Logos, Ethos, and Mythos. As you can see, even the most powerful Mentalist is no match for a singlehanded confrontation with an ancient greater undead. <u><strong></strong></u> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> <strong>Mage</strong> <p> <u>Title Mythos</u> <p> Apprentice 1 <p> Mage 2 <p> High Mage 5 <p> Great High Mage 10 <p> Arch Mage 15 <p> Great Arch Mage 20 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> <p> <strong>Priest</strong> <p> <u>Title Ethos </u> <p> Acolyte 1 <p> Priest 2 <p> High Priest 5 <p> Prophet 10 <p> Messiah 15 <p> Avatar 20 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> <strong>Scientist</strong> <p> <u>Title Logos</u> <p> Student 1 <p> Lab Tech 2 <p> Specialist 5 <p> Doctor of Philosophy 10 <p> Authority 15 <p> Leading Authority 20 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> <strong>Lich</strong> <p> Age(years) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points <p> Score (Ave.) <p>Young 100 10 30 <p>Middle Aged 500 15 35 <p>Old 1000 20 40 <p>Ancient 1500 25 45 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> <strong>Mummy</strong> <p> Age(years) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points <p><u> </u> Score (Ave.) <u> </u> <p>Young 1000 10 30 <p>Middle Aged 2000 15 35 <p>Old 3000 20 40 <p>Ancient 4000 25 45 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> <strong>Vampire</strong> <p> Age(years) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points <p> Score (Ave.) <p>Young 50 8 25 <p>Middle Aged 150 12 30 <p>Old 500 16 35 <p>Ancient 1000 20 40 <p> <p> <strong>Reverent</strong> <p> Rank Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points <p> Score (Ave.) <p>Minor 1 15 20 <p>Lesser 2 20 25 <p>Greater 3 25 30 <p>Quasi 4 30 35 <p> <p> <strong>Lesser Corporal</strong> <p> Age(group) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points <p> Score (Ave.) <p>Young 1 5 15 <p>Middle Aged 2 10 20 <p>Old 3 15 25 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> <strong>Incorporal</strong> <p> Age(group) Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points <p> Score (Ave.) <p>Young 1 5 20 <p>Middle Aged 2 10 25 <p>Old 3 15 30 <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> <strong>Animate</strong> <p> Supernatural Supernatural Skill Points <p> Score (Ave.) <p> <p> 5 5-10 <p> (1D6 + 4) <p> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <br wp="br1"><br wp="br2"> <p> </body> </html> Be sure to save your work often. 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