Angel/Demon:The Rapture By Christopher Blankley blankley@u.washington.edu Wed, 5 Jan 1994 A Game for the Storyteller System Prologue Don't be afraid child. Nothing is wrong. My name is Simon, and I am from a realm far beyond the one you can understand. I mean you no harm. I have been sent here to help you. You see child, there are many things in this universe that you are not yet able to understand. From the Vampires to the Werewolves. From the Mages to the Fairies. But do not fear that which you do not understand in this realm. For if you fear it, you can never understand it. There are beings that walk among your kind, but they are not of your world. They are not of flesh and blood, though they inhabit it like leeches. These creatures have come to Eden in search of only your destruction. They would drag you down into the bottomless void and feast upon your soul. These creatures are not of your universe, and you can never understand them. These creatures are only to be feared. Know them as the Belial. Though no name can deliver the true depth of their evil. Know that they have no body of their own, and must work from within your kind. Know that I come here to combat them, and that I am their brother in form. Know me as the Cherubim, and know that I am your only defense against this invasion. For only I can understand them, only I can perceive their evil. Understand also that I love you, and he who has sent me loves you greater. Our blades are sharpened, and our eyes turned towards the horizon. We are ready to do battle, and no price is to great for victory. For we will never let you go without a fight. Introduction Welcome to Angel/Demon: The Rapture. A public domain supplement to the Storyteller system. After being inspired by the professional quality of the public domain supplement `Highlander' for the same system, I decided to modify a game I had developed for my own Reflex system `Angel/Demon' to the Storyteller format. Thus we have Angel/Demon: The Rapture. I hope in doing this I have make a useful addition to the World of Darkness, that can be enjoyed by all roleplayers. For I believe this game will add a new dimension to any World of Darkness game that you might be playing. Be it Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, etc. What exactly is Angel/Demon: The Rapture. and how does it interface with the rest of the World of Darkness? Well, Angel/Demon chronicles the battle that exists between the first born of god, Angels, and the minions of Lucifer, Demons. Or as they know themselves: The Cherubim and the Belial. The mythology surrounding these beings is probably known to most of you, being of Judo-Christian backgrounds, and no matter what your feelings about their true existence we must all understand that in the World of Darkness they are very, very real. These are the final days. The end of the world is near, and soon all of virtue will be taken up in the Rapture. But Satan's power has grown strong, and his minions, the Belial, move upon the surface of Eden. Corrupting, twisting, defiling. But laking physical forms of their own, these beasts must take the bodies of humans if they are to continue their evil works. Possessing the body, suppressing the mind, corrupting all those around it. Leaping from body to body they continue their destruction, bring more and more mortals one step closer to eternal damnation. But this evil does not go unchecked, for God also has his agents working amongst his children. These creatures, The Cherubim, move through humanity by the same method as their enemy. From body to body, person to person. There mission, though, is not the anti-thesis of the Belial. They are not sent to earth to save humanity, that is not within their power. They are upon the surface of Eden in a desperate holding action against the Belial. They are buying time until the Judgment day. Facing and defeating the Belial where every they encounter them. It is to this desperate battle for time that the two sides raise their forces. Will the Cherubim drive back the Belial and allow the final days to came, or will the Belial swallow up the souls of all the mortals and leave no one to be taken up in the Rapture? Only the players of Angel/Demon: The Rapture. will know for sure. Chapter 1 - The Good Fight As mentioned above, these are the final days. The devil has the world by the throat, and his fingers dig in deep. His powers have grown strong and if his actions were to go unchecked the world would fall into the pit with a year. We sit at the edge of oblivion, and all that is required is one strong push. You are the Cherubim, Angels, older than time itself, created before there was even a world to be defended. It is your brothers, the Belial, the fallen angels, who you battle. And the greatest among their kind: Lucifer. You are without a physical form on earth (or Eden as it is known to the angels) your only means of entering into the mortal domain is through the body of a mortal. With the Belial it is known as possession, with the Cherubim it is know as entrance. Even these two powers achieve the same purpose, it is done in a very different manner. With the Cherubim, Entrance is a meeting of minds, a profound experience with beautiful implications. With the Belial, Possession is mental vivisection. The subject of Possession is subjugated to his own miniature hell for the length of the encounter, and is usually left a blathering mass of evil. Within the Mortal domain the Cherubim are granted seven powers, the Belial six. One should not confuse these powers with the actual power if the angels. For the domain of man is very far from their own domains, and to maintain the connection to their realms requires most of their energy and power. The seven powers of the Cherubim are: 1. The Power of Entrance: The power to enter the body of a mortal. 2. The Power of Departure: The power to exit the body of a mortal (You will see that this is just as important as Entrance). 3. Bless: The ability to strengthen a mortal's will and body. 4. Laying of Hand: The ability to heal the sick and injured. 5. Trumpet of Gabriel: Command mortals through force of will for short periods of time. 6. Eyes of the Profit: Ability to find out the truth from mortals . 7. Purse of Heaven: Ability to keep a mortal's soul for God. The powers of the Belial are simpler: 1. Power of Possession: The ability to take control of a mortals body. 2. Power of Release: The ability to exit the body of a mortal. 3. Blasphemy: The ability to weaken a mortal. 4. Giving of Pain: Inflict damage and suffering. 5. Mesmerize: To take control of a mortal's mind. 6. Purse of Hell: The ability to buy a mortal's soul for the devil. Though the Cherubim are divided into different choirs, each granted with a different duty in heaven, Angel/Demon just deals with the choir of angles that directly interfaces with the mortal realm (Guardian Angels also deal with humanity though to a much lesser extent. They will be covered in a later supplement). Each choir is divided into seven spheres relating to their closeness to God. As a Cherub raises through these spheres he increases in power but his like to Eden weakens, effectively making it harder for him to Enter and Depart mortals. Hell is arranged in the same fashion as heaven, except in the negative. Of Hell there are six levels, and the distance from Eden effects the Belial as it does the Cherubim. Here is the Tellurian from the perspective of the Cherubim and the Belial: The 7 spheres of Heaven: 7. Saturn 6. Jupiter 5. Mars 4. Sol 3. Mercury 2. Venus 1. Luna The Tellurian: Deep Umbra Near Umbra Mundane Reality: Eden Near Umbra Deep Umbra The 6 spheres of Hell: 1. Purgatory 2. Styx 3. Erebus 4. Tartarus 5. Hades 6. Sheol What lies beyond the seventh sphere of heaven, and what lies bellow the sixth level of hell is beyond the perception of the angels. The Cherubim are given free will to work within the realm of mankind, they are restricted by only one rule: Do not let the fate of a mortal change because of your presence there. This rule being rather loose has been a great source of debate. Only one implication of it seems to be clear: Don't end the life of any mortal, no matter what the reason. This rule is followed by all the Cherubim to the letter, violation of it brings swift retribution. The Belial, of course, have no such restrictions. There are free to do what they want as long as the souls keep coming down... Chapter 2 - Character Creation Note: This discussion assumes that the players will be playing Cherubim characters. Will this is suggested quite strongly, there is nothing in the rules that stops a player from playing a Belial character. It is up to the Storyteller if he really wants characters like that running around in his game. Playing Angel/Demon characters will present itself as a new challenge to even the most experienced roleplayer. Unlike the other World of Darkness games the players are not playing characters brought up in human society. Vampires, Werewolves, Mummies, Immortals, and Mages, although supernatural, are basically human. The Cherubim were born before the birth of time, their intellect and wisdom exceeds far beyond even a mortals wildest dreams. They are, in short, the perfect being. Luckily this is not the characters that the players must play. Like the powers of the Cherubim, much of their intellect is taken up in maintaining the link to heaven. When in Eden they are bounded by the physical and mental limitations of humanity. They are not the super-beings that they are in heaven, and they are prone to human mistakes and error. Pursuant to this Angel/Demon players do have to make a character just like everyone else. This does not represent the true abilities of the character however, it represents the aspect of the character that can materialize itself into reality. A Cherub in his own sphere is force that humanity cannot comprehended. Even with this though, an Angel/Demon character is still mentally superior to mortals while on earth. Only compared to his true form is he a babbling fool. Character Concept Angels are not men or women. They are not tall or short, good looking or ugly, fat or thin. You do not to determine any physical characteristics for a Angel/Demon character, though you will have to do twice as much work on his mental ones. Angel/Demon characters have a Nature like any mortal character. This can be anything virtuous or selfish. This may seem a little unusual that a Cherub can be selfish, or a Demon could be virtuous, but you must keep in mind that Angels, just like humans, have the power of free will. This was responsible for Satan's fall, and it may serve the characters in a very similar manner. Remember, not even the Cherubim are beyond the grasp of Lucifer. Angel/Demon characters very seldom have a Demeanor different than their Nature. They are socially rather simple creatures, saying what they think, and feeling what they feel. Players start characters in the Luna Sphere, the lowest one, they must work their way up with good deeds if they wish to get more powerful. Attributes There are only five of the nine attributes that an Angel/Demon character can allocate points to: Charisma, Manipulation, Perception, Intelligence, and Wits. Beings without bodies have little need for Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, and Appearance. These four attributes will change every time the character enters a new host, and will be determined by the Storyteller every time the character switches bodies. In the five characteristics that the character will create, the character starts with a base 2 dots in each. She then has 9 attribute points to allocate though these attributes, and yes an attribute can be raised above five (See Players Manual for details on this). As I said, Angels are still mentally superior to mortals. Abilities Abilities, on the other had, are done in exactly the same fashion as in Vampire/Werewolf/Mage. Why are beings of such power not as advanced in abilities as they are in attributes? Two reasons. One, abilities are not something that is used outside of Eden, so everything that angels have learned they have learned while on earth. Two, angels don't spend very much time in any one body so they don't spend much time learning one skill. Even though they are very old they are not really in any position to learn a single skill very well. Hence normal abilities. Advantages In this characteristic Angel/Demon characters are rather boring. No cool Disciplines, Gifts or Spheres; they have no Blood Pool, Gnosis, Arete, Backgrounds, Rage, or Quickening (Unless they Enter into the body of a Vampire/Werewolf/Mage/Immortal that is. See Chapter for detail on this). All and all, in advantages they are rather unremarkable. The one trait they do have is Willpower, and this trait they use to a great extent. Apart from being able to do what every other character can do with Willpower, an Angel/Demon character can all use it to fuel his powers. All characters start with a five in Willpower, and this can be increased with the use of freebie points. In this version of the Storyteller System Backgrounds are not used. This is not a hard rule however, if you can dream up some Backgrounds that make sense for an Angel character ('cause frankly I can't) go right ahead an put 7 points into them. But unless inspiration strikes you, this is a useless advantage. Finishing Touches Angel/Demon characters have 15 freebie points to spend. This is identical to Vampire/Werewolf/Mage except refer to the points costs bellow. Point Costs Attributes 5 points per dot Willpower 3 points per dot Abilities 2 points per dot Backgrounds* 1 point per dot * if in use This is basically all there is to creating a Angel/Demon character. You may want to determine what your characters motives and methods are, and how they differ from the usual motives and methods of the Cherubim/Belial. Feel free to push the boundaries of the game and what you believe an Angel to be. Remember, even heaven has its Mavericks. Chapter 3 - Traits In this chapter we will discuss the two points were Angel/Demon differs from the normal Storyteller systems. If something is not covered here refer to the books Vampire: The Masquerade, Werewolf: The Apocalypse, or Mage: The Ascension for the answer. Willpower Willpower is used in Angel/Demon not only for the standard purposes detailed in the normal Storyteller systems but also as the source of the Angel's power. Angels do not channel and use Quintessence as mages do, they are of a realm outside the Tellurian and there patterns are not formed from its stuff. The Cherubim and the Belial manifest their powers though total force of will. They are NOT Mages or Technomancers, and use none of their knowledge or skills. Angels can use their Willpower to produce the powers detailed bellow. An Angel gains back his Willpower at a much accelerated rate compared to mortals: One dot for every hour they rest/sleep. They also gain back all their willpower every time they return to their sphere. Their Willpower will never be raised above their base value by either method. Anytime an Angel drops to zero Willpower he no longer has enough power to maintain his link to his host. He will exit immediately, returning to his sphere until he totally recuperates. This is considered an automatic Departure (see bellow) and there is no chance of botching. Powers A basic description of the powers of the Cherubim/Belial has been given already, but here we will get into the game mechanics of each power. How the play can use it, and what is its effect. I. The Powers of the Cherubim 1. Power of Entrance. This, with the power of exit, is the most used of all the powers of the Cherubim. It is the power of the Cherubim to Enter into the body of a mortal, and join minds with the person living there. This is not a power that should be used lightly by a Cherub, for failure can leave possible target injured, or even worse. When a player wishes to enter into a body at a particular location, he must first find a suitable host. The restrictions on a Cherub are listed bellow by sphere: Luna: Entrance can only be to a mortal of honor and virtue (Humanity >8). Diff 4. Venus: Entrance can be to any mortal not of evil intent (Humanity >6). Diff 5. Mercury: Entrance to any mortal of not truly evil (Humanity >4). Diff 6. Sol: Entrance can be to any mortal. Diff 7. Mars: May enter Eden without a mortal host for 1d10 hours, but is ghost like and ethereal. Diff 8. Jupiter: May enter Eden without a mortal host at will, solid in form. Diff 9. Saturn: May enter Eden without a mortal host at will, is completely alive. Diff 10. Note: If a character of a high sphere enters a host that fits the description of a lower sphere he does NOT get to roll against the lower difficulty. Entrance becomes harder as you raise through spheres. The Storyteller will inform the player how many hosts there are at that particular location that he may enter. The player then chooses the one he wishes to enter rolls a number of dice equal to his present Willpower against the difficulty listed above. After determining the number of success refer to the chart bellow: Success Result Botch - Attempt has failed and target suffers damage from the experience (Storyteller will determine the details according to size of botch, etc.) Lose 5 Willpower. None - Attempt has failed, target feels that he has had a bad dream. Lose 4 Willpower. 1 or 2 - Attempt is successful but only partially. The Target's personality is totally suppressed and the physical form takes on some angelic qualities. Lose 3 Willpower. 3 or 4 - Attempt successful but the targets personality is totally suppressed. Lose 2 Willpower. 5 or 6 - Attempt successful, minor integration of personality. You will recognize family members, hosts favorite pair of slippers, etc. Lose 2 Willpower. 7 or 8 - Attempt successful, integration of most important memories and major skills (those 3 dots or higher.) Lose 1 Willpower. 9 - Attempt successful, complete integration of all memories and skills. Host is partially aware and responsive. Lose 1 Willpower. 10 - Attempt successful, Target is full aware. No Willpower lost. If the attempt has failed the player many not retry to enter that individual for at least a day, if at all (Storyteller's decision). If the attempt was successful, contact has been made. The Storyteller will determine what the Strength, Stamina, Dexterity, and Appearance is for this particular host. He will also tell the player what abilities and advantages they have also integrated (if any, got 7+ success). What is it like for two personalities to merge? That's a tough question to answer, and I'm sure every Storyteller will have his own interpretation on this. The major advantage to the player is that he will have the memories of the host, and he will not have to frantically scramble around trying to find out who and what he is. You should keep in mind, however, that the Angel is still in control of the situation. The Storyteller cannot pull such dirty tricks as: "Well, the host doesn't want to go do that." or "Just at the critical moment, your host decides to pull the trigger." The host is simply along for the ride. 2. Power of Departure. You will see that the power of Departure is just as important as the power of Entrance. It is just as hard to brake the link forged between a Cherub and his host than it is to make one. When a player decides that he wishes to leave his present host he must roll a number of dice equal to his present Willpower; difficulty is the same as the difficulty of Entrance (see above). After determining the number of success refer to the chart bellow: Success Result Botch - Attempt to exit has failed, Cherub is sent back to his sphere along with a large portion of the host's personality (Storyteller must determine what form of permanent damage is caused). None - Attempt to exit has failed, Cherub and host still attached. May try again in three turns. Lose 3 Willpower. 1 or 2 - Attempt to exit is successful but the host is left feeling rather dizzy and sick. The host has no memory of the incident. Lose 3 Willpower. 3 or 4 - Attempt to exit is successful, host left in hazy daze. Host has fragmented memories of the incident. Lose 2 Willpower. 5 or 6 - Attempt to exit is successful, host is left with some memory of the encounter (Whats, wheres, not whys). Lose 2 Willpower. 7 or 8 - Attempt to exit is successful, host has some concept of what was going on. Lose 1 Willpower. 9 - Attempt to exit is successful, host feels that he has had a religious experience. Lose 1 Willpower. 10 - Attempt to exit is successful, host is so profoundly effected by the experience that he feels he must tell the world. No Willpower lost. Once the Cherub is detached he is free to enter into another host or to return to his sphere as he wishes. If the Cherub is lowered to zero Willpower she must return to her sphere. Again, he we must not that the power of Departure should not be used lightly, for failure can be very dangerous. There is an important other use for the power of Departure that must be detailed. When two Cherubim/Belial are in physical contact, if one of them exits the other is also forced to leave. When two Cherubim/Belial come into contact there is an electric arching that can be seen by all around them. This is the two wills of the Angels touching. The Angel who is being forced to exit can try to resist by rolling his entrance roll. The angel that gets the most successes wins. If the target wins this roll he stays in his body, if the other angel wins they both exit. If both parties exit the body the angel in control can decide what he wishes to do. If he goes back to his sphere then the other angel is forced to do so also. If tries to reenter Eden the other angel can do so also. 3. Bless. A Cherub may use this power to strengthen a mortal's will or body. With the expenditure of Willpower the Cherub can do the following (depending on sphere): Luna: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may grant a mortal one Willpower for an hour. If it is not used within that time it is lost. Venus: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may grant a mortal one Willpower for a day. If it is not used within that time it is lost. Mercury: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may grant a mortal one Willpower permanently. Sol: At the cost of three Willpower the Cherubim may raise one of a mortal's attributes by one dot for one hour (this can raise an attribute over five). Mars: At the cost of three Willpower the Cherubim may raise one of a mortal's attributes by one dot for one day. Jupiter: At the cost of three Willpower the Cherubim may raise one of a mortal's attributes by one dot permanently. Saturn: At the cost of five Willpower the Cherubim may raise a mortal's attributes by any amount. Bless is restricted to one use per individual per day. A Cherub of higher sphere can use the power of a lower sphere if he wishes. 4. Laying of Hands. This is the power to heal the injured. Pure and simple. The players will get a lot of use out of this power if they get a little over zealous in their mission. With the expenditure of Willpower a Cherub may heal health levels of any mortal. Yes, this power will work on a Cherub's present host. Luna: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may raise the health level of a mortal by one level. Venus: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may raise the health level of a mortal by two levels. Mercury: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may raise the health level of a mortal by three levels, or may raise one level of aggravated wounds in a Vampire/Werewolf. Sol: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may raise the health level of a mortal by four levels, or may raise two levels of aggravated wounds. Mars: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may raise the health level of a mortal by five levels, or may raise three levels of aggravated wounds. Jupiter: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may raise the health level of a mortal by six levels, or may raise four levels of aggravated wounds. Saturn: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may raise the health level of a mortal by seven levels, or may raise five levels of aggravated wounds. Multiple Willpower points can be spent for multiple levels of healing. Rumors abound that through this power the Cherubim are able to make a Vampire mortal once again. Of course, this is just a rumor... 5. Trumpet of Gabriel. With this power a Cherub can make a mortal obey him for a short period of time. This is achieved through verbal commands, and is of varying effect as a Cherub's sphere increases: Luna: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may make a mortal take one action. This must be delivered through one or two words (Jump! Charge! Get up! etc). Venus: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may make a mortal take a few simple actions (Put that over there! Shut up and sit down! Get me that gun! etc). Mercury: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may make a mortal take a series of actions (Go to the store and get me some milk and eggs! Go and tell Bobby not to arm the bomb! etc). Sol: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may make a mortal engage in an action that would require interpretation or imagination (Grab that err... thingy and put it with the doohickey! Write a book! Go make money on the stock market! etc). May also program a few simple actions that may be triggered later by a single word. Mars: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may make a mortal engage in virtually any action no matter how complex (Get married, settle down, and have a family! etc). May also program a series of actions to be triggered later. Jupiter: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may make a group of mortals take a series of actions (All of you go other there! Fiends, Romans, Countrymen! etc) Saturn: At the cost of one Willpower the Cherubim may program a group of mortals to take a series of actions that can be called up later by a single word (Okay, when I say fish, all of you run for your lives). If the Storyteller feels that what the Cherub wants the mortal to do is against the mortals best judgment, have both the Cherub and the mortal roll there Willpower. The Cherub against 8, the mortal against 6. Whoever gets the most success is in control. 6. Eyes of the Profit. This power allows the Cherubim to glean the truth from a mortal, even if he wishes to lie. The power is the same through all the spheres, all that changes is what is requited to make the power active. If the target says the required phrase (see bellow) he is unable to lie to the Cherubim in any matter. Luna: If the Cherub can get his target to repeat the Lord's prayer, and spends one Willpower, then that mortal cannot lie. Venus: If the Cherub can get his target to repeat the first line of the Lord's prayer, and spends one Willpower, then that mortal cannot lie. Mercury: If the Cherub can get his target to simply say the first two words of the Lord's Prayer (Our father), and spends one Willpower, then that mortal cannot lie. Sol: If the Cherub can get his target to say any of the names of God (Christ, Jahova, etc), and spends one Willpower, then that mortal cannot lie. Mars: On command, and the expenditure of one Willpower point, the Cherub may make a mortal incapable of lying. Jupiter: Does no longer need to command, with the expenditure of one Willpower the Cherubim may read the surface thoughts of his target. Saturn: With the expenditure of one Willpower point a Cherub may find out his targets true motives and intent. The target of this power does not have to know the purpose he is reciting such a phrase. In fact, if a Cherub over hears someone saying the required phrase he can spend his Willpower point and use this power. The power only works for the caster. A target may not be able to lie to the Cherub, but he could still lie to anyone else who asks him a question. 7. Purse of Heaven. This power is the Cherubim's only real weapon in their fight against the Belial. It is neither offensive or defensive, but is a weapon all the same. The Belial have the power Purse of Hell, it is best to describe the Purse of Heaven in reference to that. With the power of Purse of Hell the Belial can `buy' the soul of a mortal. This is to say, at the day of Judgment Satan would get first refusal on this particular soul (And as it is widely known, Satan doesn't refuse anyone.) The Purse of Heaven is pretty much the same power for the Cherubim. Though the major difference being that a soul `bought' with the Purse of Heaven is not guaranteed entrance, it simply gives God first refusal. Of course, all of this is unimportant in the actual workings of this game. The major effect that Purse of Heaven will have on actual play is that once a mortal has taken a coin from one of the sides, the other side can never get his soul. The effect of this power is permanent and can never be rescinded. With the expenditure of a Willpower point the Cherubim can create a `coin' of heaven. This materializes into reality in the shape of a real coin. Once it is taken by a mortal it disappears in a flash of light. A coin of heaven must be taken willingly by a mortal, it cannot be forced upon them. A word of warning. Passing out these coins like candy is a bad idea. Even though there are no restrictions on who can be given a coin, the act of giving a mortal a coin means the Cherub will be a `character witness' for the mortal at judgment day. If you give out lots of coins to mortals who don't really deserve it, then creating a lot of trouble for yourself later. This power does not change as a Cherub raises through the spheres. The Powers of the Belial 1. Power of Possession. For game purposes this power is almost identical to the Cherubim power of Entrance. To the host though, the differences are like night and day. While the Cherubim Entrance is a melding of minds and a spiritual uplifting, the Belial Possession is an all out assault and rape. They tear free the mortals mind from his body and insert their own. If the mortal is lucky the Belial isn't powerful enough to torture them, and must suppress them completely. If the mortal is unlucky, his mind will meld with that of the Belial, and he will be force to watch helplessly as the Belial goes about his bitter business. Refer to the Entrance chart for the Cherubim power of Entrance to determine the result of the number of successes rolled. Refer to the chart bellow to see how the power increase through the spheres. Purgatory: Entrance can only be to a mortals who are evil and corrupted (Humanity <5). Diff 4. Styx: Entrance can be to any mortal not of good intent (Humanity <7). Diff 5. Erebus: Entrance to any mortal of not honor and virtue (Humanity <9). Diff 6. Tartarus: Entrance can be to any mortal. Diff 7. Hades: May enter Eden without a mortal host for 1d10 hours, but is ghost like and ethereal. Diff 8. Sheol: May enter Eden without a mortal host at will, solid in form. Diff 9. In all other ways this power is the same as the Cherubim power of Entrance. 2. Power of Release. In all respects this power is the same as the Cherubim power of Departure. The Exit Chart must be modified a little to reflect the evil effect of the Belial. Success Result Botch - Attempt to exit has failed, Cherub is sent back to his sphere along with a large portion of the host's personality (Storyteller must determine what form of permanent damage is caused). None - Attempt to exit has failed, Cherub and host still attached. May try again in three turns. Lose 3 Willpower. 1 or 2 - Attempt to exit is successful but the host is left feeling rather dizzy and sick. The host has no memory of the incident. Lose 3 Willpower. 3 or 4 - Attempt to exit is successful, host left in hazy daze. Host has fragmented memories of the incident. Lose 2 Willpower. 5 or 6 - Attempt to exit is successful, host is left with some memory of the encounter (Whats, wheres, not whys). Lose 2 Willpower. 7 or 8 - Attempt to exit is successful, host has some concept of what was going on. She will be torture by the experience for the rest of her life. Lose 1 Willpower. 9 - Attempt to exit is successful, full recollection of encounter. Host is left a drooling madman. Lose 1 Willpower. 10 - Attempt to exit is successful, host is so remorseful for the incident that she commits suicide. No Willpower lost. 3. Blasphemy. This is the Belial's counter thesis to Bless. Where the Cherubim can strengthen mortals through the use of will, the Belial can use there will to make mortals fail. With the expenditure of a Willpower point a Belial may remove a number of successes from any roll according to the chart bellow: Purgatory: For the price of one Willpower point may make a target lose one success. Styx: For the price of one Willpower point may make a target lose two successes. Erebus: For the price of one Willpower point may make a target lose three successes. Tartarus: For the price of one Willpower point may make a target lose four successes, one of which may count toward a botch. Hades: For the price of one Willpower point may make a target lose five successes, two of which may count toward a botch. Sheol: For the price of one Willpower point may make a target lose all his successes, and botch. If the target of this power only rolls two successes and the Belial using it can remove three successes, the -1 successes does not mean a botch. Only if the power says that some of the successes can be used for a botch can a Belial make his target botch. 4. Giving of Pain With this power the Belial can inflict pain upon a target. With the expenditure of a Willpower point the Belial can inflict damage according to the chart bellow. This attack is dealt with just like any other attack in the Storyteller system. Purgatory: 3 Dam + successes at touch only. Styx: 3 Dam + successes at short range (3 meters). Erebus: 3 Dam + successes at long range (10 meters). Tartarus: 5 Dam + successes at touch only Hades: 5 Dam + successes at short range (3 meters). Sheol: 5 Dam + successes at long range (10 meters). These attacks are aggravated wounds if used against Vampire/Werewolves. 5. Mesmerize. With this power the Belial are able to turn mortals into their slaves. Taking control of their minds for a period of time. Once a mortal has been mesmerized he can be left to his own devices, doing what the Belial has told him. Purgatory: At the cost of one Willpower the Belial can take control of one mortal for a period of an hour. Styx: At the cost of one Willpower the Belial can take control of one mortal for a period of one day. Erebus: At the cost of one Willpower the Belial can take control of one mortal indefinitely. Tartarus: At the cost of three Willpower the Belial can take control of a group of mortals (up to 10) for a period of about an hour. Hades: At the cost of three Willpower the Belial can take control of a group of mortals (up to 10) for a period of a day. Sheol: At the cost of three Willpower the Belial can take control of a group of mortals (up to 10) indefinitely. The target of this power does have a chance to avoid domination. Both parties roll their Willpower against 7. The one who gets the most successes is in control. 6. Purse of Hell. This is the power that the Belial use to `buy' the souls of mortals. Refer to the Cherubim power of Purse of Heaven for a the discussion of how this power works. In the past the Belial have been known to develop very intricate plans and schemes to trick mortals into taking their coin. Virtually anything goes in this effect, the only rule is that the coin my be taken by the mortal willingly. The coin loses its effectiveness if it is forced upon its intended reviver. Most Belial fall back on to the most tried and true method for distributing these coins: The classic `Sell Your Soul to the Devil' ploy. In return for fulfilling some wish of the mortal has, the mortal agrees to sell his soul to the devil. The Belial almost always fulfill their half of the bargain (It's not good to get a bad reputation in that respect), but almost always make sure that the mortal takes the coin first. Remember, one the coin has been taken the deal cannot be broken. Not by anyone in heaven or earth. If the mortal has taken a coin of heaven before his encounter with the Belial, then the coin given by the demon will be completely useless. A smart mortal maybe able to use this fact to his advantage, but that would be bad form. This power does not change as the Belial raises through the spheres. Chapter 4 - Systems Cherub/Belial - Mortal Fusions If a player rolls low on his Entrance roll he may suffer from a Cherub/Belial - Mortal Fusion. This happens when the Angelic/Demonic qualities of Character emerge in the physical form of the mortal host. These Fusions give the character bonuses to their physical attributes but make it hard for the character to interface with society. Some players will loves these fusions, others will hate them. The Cherub - Mortal fusion turns the skin into a rather grayish white color. The body gains about 6 inches in height but loses a good 50 to 100 pounds. The bones are brittle and the the limbs lengthen. Facial features become sharp and pointed, ears, nose, cheek bones, and the eyes glow with an eery light. On the back a pair of shrunken useless wings form, and a another finger grows out of the side of the hand. The Cherub - Mortal fusion loses one dice in both Strength and Stamina, but gains two dice in Dexterity. Appearance, as you can well guess, becomes a useless attribute. All in all it is a very strange sight indeed, but not a scary one. Most people, upon seeing the fusion, will simply stare in curious calm. If rapped up in heavy clothing, sunglasses, and a large hat the fusion might just be able to get by as human. Best to go out at night though. The Belial - Mortal fusion is a far more terrifying thing. Body mass about doubles. 4 or 5 inches in height, a good 150 pounds in muscle. The forehead sprouts short horns, and the teeth become fangs. Finger nails become as claws, and a pair of semi useful wings come from the back. The Belial - Mortal fusion gains 2 dots in both Strength and Stamina, but loses a dot in Dexterity. Like the Cherub - Mortal Appearance no longer applies. The claws can be used like a vampires, and the wings allow the Belial to glide (but not fly). They also get a bit attack like a werewolf, but this attack is not aggravated. As you can tell the Belial - Mortal fusion is a most terrible thing to see. They have no ability to interface with society, in fact they have trouble just forming words. This fusion is mainly a killing machine. Before any of your players ask, no they can't intentionally enter as a fusion. This is not an option that they can turn into when they see fit. Experience Angel/Demon characters gain experience just like any other character. Raising traits, however, is rather more expensive. Trait Cost New Ability 5 Willpower current rating x 5 Abilities current rating x 4 Attributes current rating x 6 Why are they more expensive? Angels have been around for eternity, it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks. Raising through the Spheres All players will eventually want to raise their characters to the next sphere, but exactly how is that achieved? Well, the players are going to hate this, but this is totally the Storyteller's decision. Cherubim characters can only raise up through the spheres by the quality of their deeds, and their effectiveness against the Belial. Characters should only raise through up a sphere if they achieve something truly remarkable. Belial characters will raise up (or is it drop down) through their spheres by collecting mortal souls. If they buy lots of souls for Lucifer, and cause plenty of death and mayhem, they will be advanced from their effectiveness. Dropping down a sphere is quite a bit easier than raising up one. Cherubim characters can drop down a sphere quit quickly by doing only one thing: Kill. If a mortal loses his life because of the direct effect of the Cherub, then that Cherub is almost instantly demoted. And if the Cherub is in the lowest sphere there is only one place to go... Belial Characters will drop spheres by being good, or showing compassion or mercy. This is a weakness, and will result in failure. This is the only way any creature can leave hell: By being in Purgatory and showing compassion and mercy. They would be sent up to the first level of heaven for their weakness. Storytellers, don't move your characters up and down through the spheres to much. This will give the players a casual feeling about the process, and this is to be avoided. Players should always feel that they have earned their raise in sphere, or have failed to cause their fall. Chapter 5 - The World of Darkness The Eternal Battle Exactly how does the battle between the Cherubim and the Belial work? What weapons do they have to fight with? Well, most of the battle for the Cherubim is trying to find the enemy. Unless the Belial is a fusion there is no way to tell him apart from the other mortals by sight. If the Cherub comes into contact with the Belial then there is the tale tale arching of wills, but without physical contact the task is almost impossible. The Cherubim usually have to wait for the body count to start raising before they can track down the Belial, but this is a rather morbid method of detection. A Cherub must be part detective, part warrior, and all careful. This is a most dangerous war that the angels are fighting, and the mortals are the only casualties. Allies and Antagonists How does Angel/Demon fit into the World of Darkness? How do they relate to the supernatural beings that inhabit it? So far we have only covered the Angels relation to the Mortals of earth, their main area of concern. But the World of Darkness is filled with creatures of a much stranger type, and their eternal struggle the Angels will eventually have to come in contact with them. The Umbra The Umbra, either near or deep, is not the home of the Angels. They are from a realm that exists outside even this vast realm, only accessible through the extreme boundaries of the Umbra. The Angels mainly only travel through the Umbra on their way to or from the mundane reality. They are not restricted by the Gauntlet or the Horizon, and they seldom stay in the Umbra for long. However, the Angels can enter into the Umbra just as they can enter into Eden, if they found it necessary. Like in Eden, the angels will probably need a host in that particular realm. It is easier for an angel to enter into the Umbra because of its closeness to the angel's own sphere. Difficulty is one less in the near Umbra and two less in the Deep. Of course, the implications of an Angel inhabiting the form of a Celestine is kind of hard to perceive. This I must leave up to the individual Storyteller to decide. Vampire: The Masquerade Can a angel enter into the body of a Vampire? Yes, as long as the Vampire has sufficient humanity (see chart above). Does the angel get all the powers of the Vampire? Well, yes and no. If the angel integrates well enough with the Vampire then they will get all his Advantages and Disciplines. But if the Vampire's personality is completely suppressed the Angel just gets the use of the Vampires blood pool and other basic abilities. Yes, the angel must still feed. And yes, if the personalities are fully integrated the angel is still bonded by a blood bond. Is it against the rules for a Cherub to kill a vampire? After all they're supposed to only not kill mortals. The simple answer to this question is no. Refer to Genesis for reasons why. Any of a Vampires mind powers will not work on an Angel when he is in any body. They are considered to be a higher generation than even Caine. Werewolf: The Apocalypse Again, yes an angel can enter into the body of a Werewolf, and the same rules apply for integrating Gifts, etc. The angel gets the use of the Werewolf shape-shifting powers, though if a angel doesn't integrate the Werewolf's Primal Urge changing form maybe rather dangerous. I'm sure you we all imagine how powerful a Belial - Werewolf fusion can be. Mage: The Ascension Angels can enter into the body of a Mage just as they can enter into the body of any other mortal. If they integrate the Mages Spheres they can use them also. Remember that angels do not gain their powers from Quintessence. Any Mage powers that they may have can only come from the Mage herself. The pattern of an angel is totally immutable. Any of a Mages powers that would effect the mind or spirit will have no effect on an angel. Of course, a good lightening bolt will fry the body that the angel is inhabiting, but it won't effect the angel at all. Mummy No special rules here that haven't been covered above. Mummies make good hosts since it is impossible to accidentally get them killed. Hunters Hunted Of course, hunters hunted characters are just normal humans. The only special rule here is if a Cherub jumps into a character with faith. If when the Cherub exits the mortal he leaves him with some memory of the encounter, the mortal can now advance his faith trait at a cost of current rating x 3 past level 5. Highlander Immortals are treated in the same fashion as regular humans. Even if the angel doesn't integrate the Immortal's Quickening trait, he would still get the usual gain for beheading the another immortal. The angel, no matter how badly they roll, still have all the powers of their host, they just don't have the skills to use them. The Arcanum The Arcanum is not really aware of the existence of angels. They have quite a bit of data on them, but nothing at all conclusive (Remember, for every actual angel that leaves evidence of its existence, there are a hundred people who claim to be one). The Arcanum would be very interested in conclusive evidence of the existence of angels. Chapter 6 - Typical Game The first obstacle you will probably encounter when you begin a Angel/Demon campaign is how to get started. And from there on, exactly how should a game go? Even though there are no hard and fast rules to this, I will try to give you a few guide lines to help you through the first couple games or so. Almost every game will start with the players being sent down to Eden to look into one disturbance or another. These disturbances should be indicative of the Belial, even if there are no behind it (Don't make every adventure a conflict with the Belial, mankind has its own demons). The Storyteller will the tell the players the number and location of any suitable hosts that they may jump into. As soon as the players have chosen their entrance point, start making the roles. The players may want to set up a meeting location before they jump in. Remember, they wont tell each other from Adam as soon as they are in their human hosts. After the players have joined back up (maybe an adventure in itself), they will start looking into the disturbance that sent them down to earth. This will probably be standard fare detective work, but you never know what the Storyteller will have in store... Once the players have determined the source of the disturbance, and have determined the enemy as a Belial, they then must extract her from her human host. Easy, right? Wrong. The possibilities in an Angel/Demon game are endless, but if you are like me you're probably going to fall into a game rut. You must try and avoid the old in, find, fight, out mentality. For as soon as you have it, everyone else playing will also. Try to be creative. Push the boundaries. If it fails, so what, its only a game. But if it succeeds, even one will thank you. Epilogue If you've reading this, I owe you a debt of gratitude. To be reading this means you have read most, if not all, of this game, and for that I thank you. Hopefully you will find it as much fun to play as I found it to write. I don't know if you liked it. If you did, please tell me so, it will encourage me to do it again. If you didn't like it, then please tell me also. Tell me what was wrong and maybe, with your help, I can make it better. Either way, please tell me what you think. I'm at blankley@u.washington.edu. If this game is received well, I have plans for a few supplements (what do you call a supplement to a supplement?): One concerning the brothers to the Cherubim, the Guardian Angels; and another concerning one of the strangest of all beings, the human offspring of the Cherubim/Belial. I also have an idea for a specific supplement to Mage: The Ascension called Witch (guess what its about). Once again, thank you for reading this, and may it be the beginning of a wonderful campaign.