When Shadows Rise™

Dice Mechanics

Normal skill rules-D13; roll gives both initiative and effect

D13 = d4+d9 (read 0-9)

Target # = attribute + skill rating

Difficulty Levels
Easy: roll d4 and 2 d9s; choose best d9 to use
Average: roll d4 and d9; keep the total
Difficult: roll d4 and 2 d9s; ref chooses which d9 to use
Uncertain: As any above, and ref rolls your d4 secretly

Number card use
Play in place of a target number or a roll (explain dramatically)
Face card use
Past life insight-skill boost-can bring skill temporarily above 5

Character Creation

I. Roll 1d13 for your spiritual Essence.
(once per campaign)
This thread runs through all your incarnations.

1. anarchist: life thrives in chaos; oppose order-free people from their “fetters” (be careful playing this one) [Metatron 1]
2. rebel: your personal freedom above all [Metatron 2]
3. trickster: catalyst, enough chaos to keep things interesting [Metatron 3]
4. Avenger RED punish injustice after the fact, restore the scales [Uriel]
5. Champion ORANGE defend the innocent before the fact [Michael]
6. Helper YELLOW heal, befriend, support [Raphael]
7. Creator GREEN make beauty (art, music, literature-never ugly) [Gabriel]
8. Visionary: BLUE make truth (philosophy, invention, science) [Remiel]
9. Scholar: INDIGO codify knowledge, develop explanatory schemas [Raziel]
10. Leader: VIOLET inspire others to act together [Raguel]
11. prophet: guide others to truth, “You have missed the way. Let me show you.” [Sariel 11]
12. ascetic: “You have missed the way. Do not contaminate me.” [Sariel 12]
13. zealot: “You have missed the way. Repent or die.” [Sariel 13]

II. Choose a name for your Essence.
(e.g. Chronos the Avenger)

III. Roll d13 for social role for your current incarnation.
(once per adventure)

1. Ruler
2. Researcher
3. Healer
4. Counselor
5. Merchant
6. Performer
7. Artisan
8. Craftsman
9. Student
10. Peacekeeper
11. Laborer
12. Outcast
13. Familiar (1d4: 1. Cat, 2. Crow, 3. Owl, 4. Dog)

IV. Choose or roll 1d4 for current gender: odd = male; even = female

V. Determine attributes.
Roll 1d4+1 for each or divide 14 among all four (max 6 in any attribute)
Body:
♣ Brawn-clubs
♠ Grace-spades

Mind:
♦ Wits-diamond
♥ Will-hearts

VI. Roll 1d49 for age.
range 11-49

VII. Determine any psychic power.
(If GM allows for this adventure)
Draw 2 cards-face card means yes
Jack = 1 level, Queen = 2 levels, King = 3 levels
Add 5 years to age for each level (no bonus skill points, see below)
Spades: Teleportation
Clubs: Telekinesis
Hearts: Telepathy (and empathy-applies to living creatures)
Diamonds: Telesthesia (clairvoyance, etc.-applies to inanimate objects)

Keep any other cards for use during play. (See below.)

VIII. Subtract age from 99 for “life force.”
range 88-50
this acts as psychic reservoir for powers and “vampirirc” feeding

IX. Calculate hit points.
(Brawn + Will) x 2 (range 4 to 24)

X. Choose skills.
Skill points = Age + Wits + Will (range 13-59; years for psychic ability don’t count)
Cost/Level: 1:1, 3:2, 6:3, 10:4, 15:5
(1 costs 1; 2 costs 1+2; 3 costs 1+2+3; etc.)

Arts*
Athletics
Beast handling*
Business
Computer
Criminal*
Demolitions
Driving
Government*
Languages*
Luck**
Medicine
Melee*
Perception
Performing*
Persuasion
Piloting
Scholarship*
Shooting
Sleight of Hand
Soldiering*
Stealth
Survival
Throwing
Vocational Skill*

*Declare a specialty; others are at half that rating (round up).
Italics denote skills not available in all eras.
**3x per adventure: Easy/Average/Difficult

Psychic Ability Mechanics

Psychic skill rules involve d99 and cards

To initiate a psychic ability, roll d99 versus age:

Success: turn up cards until total pips exceed your roll;

total pips minus age is life force cost
count number of “suited” cards for effect
(skill 1: skill suit; skill 2: suit color; skill 3: all but opposite suit)
“suited” face cards (past lives) add 1-3 levels free
“unsuited” face cards go to hand
Jokers mean loss of control-but skill level gain

Failure: turn up one card

No match means power fails
Matching suit means uncontrolled power
life force cost is tens digit of roll
effect is maximum imaginable
Exception: Matching face card means gain control
(see “Success” above)