Unisystem for Nightbane 2.5

UNISYSTEM FOR NIGHTBANE

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Unisystem for Nightbane

Conversion by Benjamin B [email protected]

Basic ass-coverage out of the way. Nightbane and all its associated trademarks belong to Palladium Books, and the Unisystem and all its associated trademarks belongs to Eden Studios. This thing isn’t a challenge to those trademarks, but the work of a fan of these properties written for other fans of these properties.

I based this on the flavor of Unisystem found in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG corebook. I didn’t have the Angel corebook at the time I wrote this, but I understand it would likely be a better fit. When I get it, I might revise these rules a bit (which I’ve now done, BTW). Sure, with the demon creation rules in the Angel game, it’s easy to just throw together a shape-changing demon that works like a Nightbane, but the charm of these guys for me was the random nature of the alternate form. Oh God! I’m a giant spider wrapped in barbed wire and covered in hundreds of mouths! Rolling up a gruesome morphus adds a bit of horror to the horror role playing. Note that not all the roughly parallel morphus traits balance out cost wise. What the hell, right?

Anyhow, here it is. Please feel free to kick the tires, question my reasoning, and send me feedback. Version 2.5 Updates The Work in Progress continues to progress. Here are the changes you’ll find from the 2.0 version.

• As per a certain unnamed someone’s suggestions, I’m including some notes on using Nightbane in other Unisystem games (Witchcraft and Armageddon, for example). Also, I’m including some suggestions for making the Nightbane quality more affordable.

• Now, with extra Amphibian Table! • Added a Gaseous Form Table linked off the Elemental Form table… can’t think

how I missed that one. • Corrected the odd typo, and added some fascinating new ones.

Thanks, -Ben


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Quality: Nightbane Cost: Variable (base 14 points) The Basics. It takes one round for a Nightbane character to turn from Joe Normal into his monster super freak-out form, during which he can take no other action. With a Willpower test of at least Success Level 5, you can transform instantly. Hard, but worth a shot if someone is trying to chop your face off with a fire axe. (-1 point) All Nightbane have certain advantages in their Morphus form, regardless of how weird or freaky it is. They also have a few advantages that carry over to their façade form. * In their Morphus form, all nightbane get a +3 bonus to their Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores. This can take them beyond the normal human max. (+9 points) * Nightvision. In their Morphus form, a Nightbane character can see as well in the dim light as by day. Even starlight is enough to see by, but total darkness is still blinding. (+2 points) * Sense other Nightbane. Nightbane know each other on sight, regardless of form, and with a Perception + Notice test can sense the presence of other Nightbane up to 100 feet per success level. (+1 point) * Nightbane in their Morphus forms are very tough and resilient. In their Morphus they gain 2 levels of Hard to Kill, and regenerate their Constitution level in Life Points every hour. Damage suffered by a Nightbane character is reflected in both their forms, but subtracted from any extra Life Point possessed by the Morphus first, so they won’t suddenly die when they switch back to their façade form (+3 points).

Nightbane in Other Unisystem Games

This conversion was written with Cinematic Unisystem in mind- mostly because the two books I had were the Buffy and the Angel Corebooks. I do have first edition copies of Witchcraft and Armageddon, and A certain unnamed someone suggested a sidebar noting how the new Qualities found in this doc could be adapted using the Custom Supernatural Creature character types from he Armageddon RPG (by way of the Abomination Codex). The main difference would be using points from the character type’s Metaphysics pool to purchase the Nightbane quality, and all rolled Morphus qualities and Talents, or to pay for the other package Qualities which follow with them. Essence costs could easily be inferred from similar powers where needed- or to keep things simple, just ditch anything redundant from this doc, and go with the Metaphysic powers from the Unisystem game you’re using. The Geomancer quality found below might make an especially nice conversion- the ability to tap the Dragon Lines for surges of Essence would make a simple and effective way to model the power.


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* Immune to Mind Control and Physical Transformations. Nightbane characters can’t be transformed- either with or without their consent- through any supernatural means. Nightbane characters are still subject to illusions and other perception-altering supernatural effects, however. You just can’t put the old Dracula whammy on them. (+3 points) * Mirror Walk. While in their Morphus form, a Nightbane character can take a minute or so and pass through any handy reflective surface big enough to allow them to crawl through- and pass into the Nightlands… the parallel dimension ruled by their sworn arch-enemies the Nightlords. Not a funky groovy weekend vacation spot. To carry more than few pounds of stuff along with them, they must make a successful Willpower test, and can bring over an extra 100 pounds per success level. This extra mass can be people, if the Nightbane wants. (+4- yeah, sorta cheep, but the Nightlands ain’t exactly safe.) * All the Nightbane all have the equivalent of a 5 point Adversary in the Nightlords- their ancient and implacable enemy. Nightbane also can’t learn psychic powers- Qualities such as Psychic Visions, Telepathy, Telekinesis, Pyrokinesis, Empathy, Hypnosis and the like. They can gain the Sorcery Quality, and use magic like anyone else, though. (-6 points) Got all that? Well, now it’s time to get freaky. Roll on the following tables to see just how weird your Morphus form might be. Make sure to note any additional costs associated with the things you roll up- if you run out of Quality points, you’ll have to make these points up as Drawbacks. They say you can’t choose your family, and this is true. You also can’t pick your freaky mutant alternate form. Feeling lucky?

Damn, this is Expensive!

Who knew getting a crab claws and goat feet would cost you an arm and a leg? The Nightbane quality starts out pretty steep, and gets even more expensive. Roll something especially exotic, and you’re paying 20, 30, 50 points for it. That is a crap load of Disabilities to balance it out if your GM doesn’t set you up with more points. The Unnamed Someon has a neat set of character types for Cinematic Unisystem based on those from other Unisystem games, and these typically balance extra kewl powerz with reduced Drama Points. I’ll send you a link to his work if asked. To balance out Nightbane characters in a normal Buffy or Angel game (with normal starting Quality point totals), you might authorize an exchange rate of Quality to Drama points, with a ratio based on how much you secretly hate your players: Actually Like Them: 3:1 Sometimes Annoy You: 2:1 Typical GM Loathing: 1:1 Why am I GMing for these guys? 1:2 Enjoy to see the bastards fail: 1:3 Alternately, players can take the single best bonus from any rolled Morphus quality, and pay only for that. This will cut the cost of those big package Morphus deals down to three or four points. Even funnier, let players play Nightbane for the base point cost, but when they ask what the catch is, just grin and chuckle to yourself. Cackle when they tell you what they roll, and make notes. Occasionally say things like, “Remind me- you did roll on the Arachnid table, didn’t you?” and when they say yes, just smile wide and say, “Oh good. This will be fun.” See if you can make them cry.


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Note that any obviously non-human features cause the equivalent of the 2 point Supernatural Form drawback. This gives you a base -2 Attractiveness, which is modified by any Attractiveness the character’s Façade possesses, or any of that gained from other morphus characteristics. Yeah, with the right rolls you can be a bloody nightmarish figure with broken glass protruding from your limbs, and still be hot enough to get dates… at least in the right circles. Appearance Table 1-20%: Almost Human. Roll once on the Nightbane Characteristics Table. 21-30%: Inhuman but Beautiful. Roll once on both Nightbane Characteristic Table and on the Unearthly Beauty table. 31-45%: Marred Beauty: Beautiful, but sorta messed up too. Make one roll each on the Unearthly Beauty table, the Nightbane Characteristic Table, and the Stigmata Table I or II 46-60%: Lycanthrope: Mix of human and animal. Roll on Animal Form table. 61-75%: Monstrous Lycanthrope: Man-Animal but messed up too. Roll on the Animal From Table, on the Stigmata Table I or II, and the Nightbane Characteristics Table. 76-90%: Inhuman Shape: A nasty mockery of the human form. Roll on the Nightbane Characteristic and the Stigmata table I or II. 91-00% Bizarre. Yeah, it really will be. Roll on the Nightbane Characteristics, Unearthly Beauty, Animal Form, and Stigmata tables. Whew! Nightbane Characteristics Table 1-20% Roll on the Unusual Facial Feature table 21-40% Roll on the Biomechanical Table I or II 41-60% Roll on the Alien Shape table. 61-80% Roll on the Unnatural Limbs table 81-85% Roll on the Elemental Form table. 86-95% Roll or Pick two up to 85% on this table- if you get the same ones, roll twice on the same table, and reroll duplicates. 96-99% Roll or pick three. 00% Roll or pick four. Unearthly Beauty Table 1-10% Doll-Like: Tiny and freaky. Size reduced by 1d10x8%, body is cool and smooth and inanimate. Can pass for a child with Attractiveness +3 but only in bad light. This costs 1 Quality point. 11-30% Animal Magnetism: Totally hawt and sexy, just dripping with raw primal lust. Gain Attractiveness +5 and Emotional Influence (lust), but you can’t turn the mojo off. All those who would be attracted to you normally must beat your Emotional Influence (Willpower doubled minus you levels of Attractiveness) or act as if they had the 2 point Covetous (Lecherous) Disability focused right on you. Good times. Costs 2 points.. 31-50% Elfine: All Anime and stuff- big eyes, pointy ears, floaty hair etc. Weird… but good looking. Gain Attractiveness of +2 and 1d10x3% in height. Can’t pass for human, but in monster circles you won’t lack for dates. This costs 1 Quality point.


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51-70% Physical Perfection: Cut like a Greek god, and just as self-absorbed. Gain Attractiveness +3, +1 to Strength and Constitution, and +2 levels of Hard to Kill. You also gain a 2 point Covetous Drawback linked to your desire to be know for your stunning appearance. And for mirrors. Watch out for highly reflective lakes. This costs you 5 Quality points. 71-90% Fallen Angel: You gain Attractiveness +2, Hard to Kill +1, and big feathery wings that you can use to glide or fly. You can fly about as fast as you can walk and run, with about the same amount of effort. Your wings tend to stand out a bit. This costs 7 Quality points. 91-95% Roll or Pick two- reroll if this comes up again. 96-00% Roll or Pick three- reroll if this comes up again. Animal Form Table 1-7% Roll on the Bear table. 8-14% Roll on the Amphibian table. 15-20% Roll on the Insectoid Table 21-27% Roll on the Rodent table. 28-35% Roll on the Arachnid 36-44% Roll on the Bat table 45-53% Roll on the Feline table. 54-62% Roll on the Snake table. 63-71% Roll on the Avian table. 72-79% Roll on the Canine table. 80-88% Roll on the Reptilian table. 89-95% Roll on Four-Legged Herbivore table 96-98% Roll or pick two and combine the results, taking the best modifiers when there are duplications. 99-00%: Roll or Pick three. Arachnid Table All Arachnid Nightbane gain a +5 bonus on all checks related to climbing and sneaking. 1-20% Full Arachnid: a giant spider or scorpion or something. No hands. +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution. +3 levels Hard to Kill. Spiders have a bite attach which inflicts x3 (slash/stab) damage and injects a Strength 2 poison that attacks Dexterity. Spiders can also spin webs and whatnot. Scorpions have a x4 (slash/stab) pincer attack, and a x2 (slash/stab) tail attack which inflicts a Strength 3 poison which attacks Strength. Costs 8 Quality points. 21-45% Were-Arachnid: A mix of human and spider traits. +1 Strength and Dexterity. +2 levels of Hard to Kill. Extra limbs grant a single extra attack above and beyond those from Dexterity. Gain a bite attack or poison stinger like the full Arachnid. Effectively no useful hands. Costs 7 Quality points. 46-70% Humanoid- Arachnid: More man than spider, but still totally inhuman. +1 Strength. +1 level of Hard to Kill. Unarmed attacked inflict x3 (slash/stab) damage, and gain 1 additional action per round beyond those from Dexterity. Clumsy primitive hands which impose a -5 penalty to all manual actions requiring yea’olde opposable thumbs (including Getting Medieval and Gun Fu checks, of course). Costs 5 Quality points.


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71-90% Arachnid Limbs: Pincers for arms, or clawed hairy spider limbs. Can mostly pass for human (assuming nothing else weird) so long as the arms stay hidden. but there is something off-putting about the character imposing -1 Attractiveness. Gain +1 Strength and +1 level of Hard to Kill. Limbs inflict x4 (slash/stab) damage, but impose a -3 penalty to all actions requiring manual dexterity. Costs 2 Quality point. 91-00% Arachnid Centauroid: Mostly human on top, spider or scorpion on the bottom. Big enough to have trouble fitting in most cars (get a van) and through most standard-sized doorways. Hands are as good as a human’s, plus you get all the benefits of the Full Arachnid thing above. Costs 11 Quality points. Avian/Bird Table 1-15% Full Bird: A giant birdy. +2 Dexterity, +2 Perception. +1 level Hard to Kill. Can fly fast- 10x Dexterity in miles per hour. Acute Sense (sight). Supernatural Sense (vision) (no penalties for distance up to Perception in miles away). Effectively no hands, but beak and claws can inflict x3 (slash/stab) damage. Costs 12 Quality points. 16-30% Were-Bird: Junior Bird-Man. +1 Dexterity, +1 Perception. +1 level Hard to Kill. Fly at running speed. Acute Sense (sight). Hands are pretty crappy wing/arm combos: -5 to all manual dexterity type checks, but beak and claws inflict x3 (slash/stab) damage. Costs 7 Quality points. 31-45% Man-Bird: Feathered dude with wings and arms. +1 Dexterity. Acute Sense (Vision). Fly at running speeds. Claws inflict x2(slash/stab) damage, but hands work pretty well (-1 penalty to manual actions). Costs 6 Quality points. 46-55% Bird Head: Bird brain. x3 (slash/stab) damage from beak. Acute Sense (Vision). Costs 3 quality points. 56-66% Talons: Big bird-claws. +1 Strength. x3 (slash/stab) damage. Costs 3 quality points. 67-80% Bird face: Big beak. x3 (slash/stab) damage. Costs 1 Point. 81-90% Feathers for Hair: feathers for hair. Free. 91-00% Winged Human: Normal looking… with wings! Can fly with the same rate as walking or running. Costs 3 quality points. Bat Table All Bat Nightbane get a +4 bonus to skill checks related to climbing, and a +2 bonus to checks related to sneaking. 1-20% Full Bat: Giant freaky bat. +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, +2 Dexterity. Fly pretty fast at 6x Dex in miles per hour. +2 levels Hard to Kill. Bite and claw attacks inflict x3 (slash/stab) damage. Active sonar- sense things in total darkness, in fog, while invisible, etc with a range 100x Perception. This morphus Lacks functional hands for fine manipulation. Costs 11 quality points. . 21-45% Were-Bat. Freaky bat-man. +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, +1 Dexterity. Can fly as fast as the character could run or walk. +2 levels of Hard to Kill. Acute Sense (hearing). Can use sonar with a range of up to 50x Perception feet. Claws and bite inflict x3 (slash/stab) damage, but crude clawed wing/hands impose a -3 penalty all actions requiring fine dexterity. Costs 7 quality points.


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46-60% Humanoid Bat. Mostly human, but pretty batty. Wing flaps allow gliding, but not actual flight. +1 Strength. +1 level Hard to Kill. Acute Sense (hearing). Claws inflict x2 (slash/stab) damage. Costs 5 quality points. 61-80% Bat Wings. Perfectly normal, except for bigass bat wings. Fly at running or walking speed. Costs 3 quality points. 81-00% Bat Head: Normal… except for a nasty bat head. Bit inflicts x3 (slash/stab) damage. Acute Sense (Hearing). Use sonar with a range of up to 100x Perception in feet. Costs 5 quality points. Canine Table All Canine Nightbane gain a +4 bonus on skill checks related to swimming and tracking. 1-20% Full Canine. A big wolf or dog or fox or whatever. Can pass for a normal animal though. +2 Strength, +1 Constitution, +3 Perception. +2 levels Hard to Kill. Ground speed is doubled. +3 bonus to tracking attempts. Bite inflicts x4 (slash/stab) damage. No functional hands, and the mouth makes a poor substitute. Costs 10 quality points. 21-45% Were-canine: Your basic wolf man- emphasis on the wolf. +2 Strength, +1 Constitution, +2 Perception. +2 levels Hard to Kill. Bit and claws inflict x3 (slash/stab) damage. Speed is increased by 50%. +1 bonus to tracking related skill checks. Poor hands (-3 penalty). Costs 7 Quality points. 46-70% Canine Humanoid. More a classic Universal monster movie wolf man- could pass for human with heavy clothing and a balaclava. +1 Strength, +1 Constitution. +1, Perception. +1 level Hard to Kill. Fully functional hands. Bite and claws inflict x2 (slash/stab) damage. Costs 5 Quality Points. 71-80% Canine Centauroid. Upper body of a freaky wolf-man (or dog-man, or fox-man, or…), lower body of a full canine. +3 Strength, +2 Constitution, +2 Perception. +2 levels Hard to Kill. Bite and claws inflict x3 damage, but hands are rough and impose a -3 penalty to fine manipulation. Speed increased by 50%. Costs 11 Quality points. 81-00% Canine Head. Just what it says. Bite inflicts x3 (slash/stab) damage. +3 Perception. Costs 4 Quality point. Bear Table 1-20% Full Ursinoid: Big honkin bear- can pass for a normal bear unless you’ve got barbed wire sticking out of your eye sockets or something. +6 Strength, +3 Constitution, +5 levels Hard to Kill. Claws and Fangs inflict x4 (slash/stab) damage. No hands. Costs 13 Quality points. 21-45% Were-Bear: Bipedal bear-monster with semi-hands. +4 Strength, +2 Constitution, +4 levels Hard to Kill. Claws and Fangs inflict x3 (slash/stab) damage. Poor hands (-5 penalty). Costs 8 Quality points. 46-70% Bear-Humanoid: Tipping the balance between bear and man over to the man. +2 Strength, +1 Constitution, +3 levels Hard to Kill. Claws and Fangs inflict x2 (slash/stab) damage. Decent hands (-3 penalty). Costs 4 Quality points. 71-80% Bear Centauroid: Humanoid bear on top, normal bear on bottom. +5 Strength, +1 Constitution, +4 levels Hard to Kill. Fangs and Claws inflict x3 (slash/stab) damage. Decent hands (-3 penalty). Costs 10 Quality points.


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81-00% Bear Head: Normal… except for the big damn bear noggin. Bite inflicts x3 (slash/stab) damage. +1 level Hard to Kill. Costs 2 Quality points. Four-Legged Herbivore Table Cows, horses, deer etc. A head butt attack inflicts x3 damage (of the slash/stab type of the Nightbane has antlers or horns). A hoofed kick inflicts x3 the normal damage for a kick. . 1-20% Full Four-Legged Herbivore. Big angry herbivore that can more or less pass for normal. +6 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +3 Constitution. Triple running speed, and double jumping distances. +3 levels of Hard to Kill. Gains a free Dodge action in combat which doesn’t count against normal actions. Too big to fit into vehicles or through many normal doors, and no useful hands at all. Doorknobs are a bitch. Costs 13 Quality points. 21-45% Minotaur Thingy: Big and beefy with an animal head. +3 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +2 Constitution. Double running speed. +2 levels of Hard to Kill. Costs 9 Quality points. 46-66% Humanoid: Sort of like a satyr- hairy with animalistic features. +2 Strength, +1 Constitution. Speed increased by 50%. +1 level Hard to Kill. Costs 5 Quality points. 67-90% Centaur: Animal quadruped on bottom, man on top. +3 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +2 Constitution. Double running speed. +3 levels Hard to Kill. Too big to fit into vehicles or maneuver in tight areas. Costs 9 Quality points. 91-00% Four-Legged Herbivore Head: Normal body, animal head. +1 Strength, +1 Perception, +1 level Hard to Kill. Costs 2 Quality points. Feline Table Cat Nightbane take one fifth the normal damage from falls, and gain a +5 on checks involving sneaking, hiding, and climbing. 1-10% Full Feline: Big cat or really freaky big domestic cat. Like panther or tiger big. +3 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution +3 Perception. +3 levels Hard to Kill. Claws and Bite inflict x4 (slash./stab) damage. Running speed is doubled. Triple leaping distances. No useful hands at all. Costs 13 Quality points. 11-26% Were-Cat: Man-cat (mostly cat). +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, +2 Perception. +2 levels Hard to Kill. Double speed and jumping distances. Claws and bite inflict x3 (slash/stab) damage. Hands are pretty poor: -5 to all actions requiring fine dexterity. Costs 9 Quality points. 27-42% Furry Humanoid: Human, with fur and catty features. +1 Strength and Dexterity. +1 level Hard to Kill. Speed increased by 50%. Claws and fangs inflict x2 (slash/stab) damage. Costs 5 Quality points. 43-58% Cat-Like: Almost normal…with the fangs, claws, and eyes. +1 Dexterity, +1 Perception. Claws and fangs inflict x2(slash/stab) damage. Costs 3 Quality point. 59-69% Feline Centaur: Really big and whatnot. +3 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Perception. +3 levels Hard to Kill. Speed and jumping distances are doubled. Claws and fangs inflict x3(slash/stab) damage. Costs 14 Quality points. 70-80% Cat Claws: Normal, but with nifty retractable claws. Inflict x3(slash/stab) damage. Costs 3 Quality point.


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81-90% Cat’s Head: Normal…except for the kitty head. +3 Perception. Bite inflicts x3(slash/stab) damage. Costs 4 Quality point. 91-00% Feline Features: Sort of catty looking. +1 Perception. Bite inflicts x2(slash/stab) damage. Costs 1 Quality point.. Insectoid Table All insectoids gain a +5 bonus to all climbing skill checks, and gain +5 to all Acrobatics checks. 1-15% Giant Insect: Argh! Freaky giant bug! +5 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +3 Perception. Either triple running speed OR gain flight equal to normal movement speed. +2 levels Hard to Kill. Level 5 Armor. Gain either a x4(slash/stab) natural attack, or a x2(slash/stab) attack with level 3 poison. No functional hands or anything. Costs 19 Quality points. 16-35% Were-bug: Bipedal man-insect. +3 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, +1 Perception. Gain double ground speed OR fly at half normal movement speed. Gain a x3(slash/stab) attack OR a x1(slash/stab) attack with level 2 poison. +1 level Hard to kill. Level 3 Armor. Poor hands (-5). Costs 10 Quality points. 36-55% Humanoid-Bug: More man than bug now. +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution. Gain 50% increase in ground speed OR flight at ½ normal movement rate. Gain a natural attack of x2(slash/stab) or x1(slash/stab) with level 1 poison. +1 level Hard to Kill. Level 3 Armor Poor hands (-3). Costs 7 Quality points. 56-70% Insect wings: Normal human, but with bug wings. Fly at normal movement rates. Costs 3 Quality points. 71-80% Bug Head: Normal…except for the big giant bug head. +3 Perception. Bite inflicts x3(slash/stab) damage. Costs 4 Quality points. 81-90% Insect Eyes: Big faceted eyes. +2 Perception, see UV and IR light. Costs 4 Quality points. 91-00%: Insect Centaur: Humanoid bug on top, all bug on bottom. Yech! +3 Strength, +1 Constitution, +1 Dexterity, +1 Perception. double ground speed and gain flight at normal movement rates. +1 Levels Hard to Kill. Level 3 Armor. Natural attacks inflict x3(slash/stab) damage. Poor hands (-3) Costs 13 Quality points. Reptilian Table All reptiles get a +4 bonus to climbing and swimming actions. 1-20% Giant Reptile. Gigantic lizard or crocodile or something. +3 Strength, +2 Constitution. Move at triple speed for short bursts equal to Constitution in minutes. +4 levels of Hard to Kill. Bite inflicts x4(slash/stab) damage. No hands at all, plus really big and low to the ground. Costs 9 Quality points. 21-40% Were-Reptile. Mix of man and reptile. +3 Strength, +2 Constitution, +1 Dexterity. +3 levels Hard to Kill. Bit and claws inflict x3(slash/stab) damage. Poor hands (-5 penalty). Costs 7 Quality points. 41-60% Humanoid-Reptile. More human than lizard. Pass for human in bad light (or with a trench coat). +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, +1 Dexterity. +2 levels Hard to Kill. Claws and Bite inflict x2(slash/stab) damage. Poor hands (-3). Costs 3 Quality points. 61-80% Reptile Head. Human body, lizard noggin. Bite inflicts x3(slash/stab) damage. +1 level Hard to Kill. Costs 2 Quality points.


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91-00% Reptile Centaur: Huge reptile man centaur thingy. +3 Strength, +1 Constitution, +1 Dexterity. +3 levels Hard to Kill. Bite and claws inflict x3(slash/stab) damage. Poor hands (-3). Costs 7 Quality points. Rodent Table 1-20% Giant Rodent: Like the size of a bear or mountain lion. Eeek! There ain’t a table big enough to climb up on. +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, +2 Dexterity, +2 Perception. +2 levels Hard to Kill. Double ground speed and leaping distances. Bite and claws inflict x3(slash/stab) damage. +4 bonus to climbing and sneaking. Poor hands (-5). Costs 13 Quality points. 21-45% Were-Rat: Big rat-man. +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, +1 Dexterity, +1 Perception. +1 level Hard to Kill. Bite and claws inflict x2(slash/stab) damage. +2 bonus to climbing and sneaking. Poor hands (-3). Costs 4 Quality points. 46-70% Humanoid Rodent. Mostly man than rodent. Pass for human in bad light. +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, +1 Perception. Bite and claws inflict x2 (slash/stab) damage. Fully functional hands. Costs 4 Quality points. 71-90% Rodent Head. Giant rat head. Bite inflict x2(slash/stab) damage. +2 Perception. Costs 2 Quality points. 91-00% Rodent Centaur. You know how it works by now. +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, +2 Perception. Double speed. +2 levels of Hard to kill. Claws and bite inflict x2(slash/stab) damage. Poor hands (-3). Costs 9 Quality points. Snake Table All snakes can track, swim, and climb with a +4 bonus. 1-15% Full Snake Form. Freaking huge snake. No arms, hands (or legs) or anything. +4 Strength, +2 Constitution, +1 Dexterity. +2 levels Hard to Kill. +4 to Climbing and Sneaking. Has a poison bite inflicting x2(slash/stab) damage and injecting a strength 4 poison OR is a constrictor, and gains a +6 bonus to Grapple attacks, and can constrict each round for x3(bash) damage. Costs 11 Quality points. 16-30% Limbed Snake. Basically a snake with primitive arms. +2 Strength, +1 Constitution, +1 Dexterity. +1 levels Hard to Kill. +2 to Climbing and Sneaking. Has a poison bite inflicting x1(slash/stab) damage and injecting a strength 3 poison OR is a constrictor, and gains a +4 bonus to Grapple attacks, and can constrict each round for x2(bash) damage. Primitive hands (-5). Costs 7 Quality points. 31-50% Humanoid Snake: Humanoid with snaky head and long prehensile tail. +1 Strength, +1 Constitution. +1 level Hard to Kill. +1 bonus action per round from prehensile tail (at -3). Decent hands (-3). +1 Climbing and Sneaking. Costs 4 Quality points. 51-70% Scaly Skin: Iridescent scales and shit. +2 levels Hard to Kill. Costs 1 Quality point. 71-85% Half-Man, Half-Snake. Pretty cool- snake on bottom, manish thing on top. +2 Strength, +1 Constitution, +1 Dexterity. +2 levels Hard to Kill. +3 to climbing, tracking, and sneaking. Has a poison bite inflicting x1(slash/stab) damage and injecting a strength 3 poison OR is a constrictor, and gains a +4 bonus to Grapple attacks, and can constrict each round for x2(bash) damage. Gain an extra action per round with prehensile tail (at -3). Costs 12 Quality points.


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86-00% Snake Head. Giant snake head. Neato. Poison bite inflicting x2(slash/stab) damage and injecting a level 4 poison. +2 Perception, and +4 to Tracking rolls. Costs 4 Quality point. Stigmata Table 1-5% Bloody Ooze: Covered in bloody… ooze. -4 to all Grappling attacks made on you, and +4 to escape from bonds. -1 Attractiveness. Free. 6-10% Corpse-Like: All rotting and zombie looking and shit. +4 levels Increased Life Points. -4 Attractiveness. Free. 11-15% Stitches. All sewn together and stuff. Gain -2 Attractiveness. +1 level Hard to Kill. +1 level Increased Life Points. Free. 16-23% Nails: All stuck through with pointy things. Gain -1 Attractiveness. +1 level Hard to Kill. Unarmed attacks may inflict (slash/stab) damage rather than (bash) damage if the player desires. Costs 1 Quality point. 24-31% Razor Blades: All covered and cut through with razor blades. Gain -1 Attractiveness. +1 level Hard to Kill. Unarmed attacks inflict (slash/stab) damage if desired. Costs 1 quality point. 32-39% Broken Glass: Broken glass all sticking through body. Gain -1 Attractiveness. +1 level Hard to Kill. Unarmed attacks inflict (slash/stab) damage if desired. Costs 1 quality point. 40-47% Barbed Wire: All wrapped up in razor wire or barbed wire. Good fun. Gain -1 Attractiveness. 3 levels of Natural Armor. Unarmed attacks inflict (slash/stab) damage if desired. Costs 2 quality point. 48-55% Eternal Wounds: Permanent deadly-looking ever-bleeding wounds. Fuck the drycleaners! -1 Attractiveness. +1 level Increased Life Points. Free. 56-63% Missing skin: Some or all your skin is gone. Acute Sense (touch) and Supernatural Sense (Enhanced Touch). -4 Attractiveness. Costs 1Quality point.. 64-71% BDSM Skin: Skin all sewn into a freaky black vinyl S&M suit. Mom would be proud. +2 levels Increased Life Points.. Level 3 Armor. Costs 2 Quality point. 72-79% Boils and Sores: Covered in pustules. Get some Retin-A. -2 Attractiveness. +2 levels Increased Life Points. Free. 80-85% Zippers: Wounds and orifices equipped with zippers. -4 Attractiveness with wounds opened up (-1 with them closed). +2 levels Increased life Points. Free. 86-90% Bones: Some or all flesh gone. -6 Attractiveness. Level 3 Natural Armor. +3 levels Increased Life Points. Free. 91-96% Biomechanical: Roll on the Biomechanical table I or II, except all the mods are roughly nailed on and shit, and they’re rusty and crude as well. Costs based on Biomechanical table roll. 97-00% Combination of the Two: Roll and combine two results (reroll this one if it comes up again). Pay the cost for both rolled items. Unusual Feature Table 1-7% Oversized Carnivorous Mouth: Big heavy jaws that can lock. Inflict x3(slash/stab) damage with bite, and make a free Grapple attack with a +6 bonus to lock your jaws and hang on. Every round, can make a free bit attack on the grappled foe as if they were prone or otherwise unable to resist. Costs 5 Quality point.


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8-15% Glowing Eyes: Groovy glowing eyes only mirror shades might hide. See normally in total darkness, even without any light at all. Costs 2 Quality point. 16-22% Cyclops: One big eye. No major effect other than needing new shades. Gain a Basic Supernatural Sense. -1 Attractiveness. Free. 23-30% Misshapen Features: Your features are all scrambled like Mr. Potatohead. -4 Attractiveness. Gain 2 Acute Senses. Free. 31-38% Extra Eyes: Gain a random number of extra eyes (1d10). Acute Sense (Sight). Costs 1 Quality point. 39-46% Sharp Teeth: Bite for x3(slash/stab) damage. Costs 2 Quality point. 47-55% Skull Face: Can be on fire, a freaky skull-like mask, or be warped or animalistic. Immune to special damage from Brain Shot, Break Neck, and Decapitation- such attacks inflict normal damage. -4 Attractiveness. Free. 56-62% Small Horns: Little horns. A head-butt attack can inflict (slash/stab) rather than normal bash damage. Free. 63-70% Large Horns: Big old horns. A gore or head-butt inflicts x2(slash/stab) damage. Costs 1 Quality point. 71-78% Facial Tentacles: You make a mess of your soup. Up to -6 Attractiveness (pick what you want, minimum -2). Gain Acute Sense (Taste). Free. 79-85% No Face: Face is totally blank. Everything works well enough though. Immune to suffocation, poison gas, and the Choke combat maneuver. -2 Attractiveness. Free 86-90% Biomechanical: Roll on the Biomechanical table, but apply results only to head. Costs based on Biomechanical table roll. 91-95% Alien features: Like a Grey alien.. or just something else, equally alien and weird. -1 to -4 Attractiveness, pick as you like. Gain Acute Sense of your choice. Free. 96-98% Roll twice and combine, and ignore this or the next one if they come up again. Free. 99-00% Roll three times and combine, and ignore this or the previous result if they come up again. Free. Stigmata Table II 1-20% Inside Out: A total effing gross-out. Your innards become your outards. Gain -8 Attractiveness. +4 levels Increased life Points. Free. 21-40% Translucent Skin: See-through skin. Pretty much as yucky as you can imagine. -4 Attractiveness unless covered with some kind of pancake makeup. +2 levels Increased life Points. Free. 41-60%: Extra Head(s): You have 1d10 plus one divided by 2 extra heads. These can be nasty little distorted freaky things, or side-mounted Zaphod Beeblebrox specials. -1 Attractiveness per head, but +1 Perception per head. Free. 61-75%: Withered Flesh: Like a mummy or corpse left in the desert (assuming the coyotes didn’t eat it, of course). +2 levels Hard to Kill. -4 Attractiveness. Free. 76-90%: Gut Tentacles: Yeah, you guessed it- you intestines burst out of your belly and do things that would make Cthulhu puke. You gain an extra action with them each round, but also gain -6 Attractiveness. They are very sensitive, and grant Acute Sense (touch), but your friends will likely not appreciate you stroking their new fur coat with your dripping intestine-limbs. Costs 3 Quality points.


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91-00: Shifting Stigmata: Every time you adopt your Morphus form, you’ve got a different Stigmata. Each time you shape change, roll on one of these two forms and see what fun fate has in store for you!. Rats, I’ve got bleeding wounds again. I was hoping for boils this time! Costs 2 Quality points. Alien Shape Table 1-12% Plasmoid: A big blob of bloody goo, able to squeeze through tiny openings, bonds, and whatnot. Able to assume any shape desired of the same mass and bloody/gooey texture. Damage from all physical attacks reduced to one fifth. Takes normal damage form fire and magic and whatnot. Costs 10 Quality points. 13-24% Bark-Like Skin: human/tree hybrid. +3 levels Increased Life Points. 3 levels of Natural Armor. Five times damage from Fire. . Costs 3 Quality points. 25-37% Bony Exoskeleton: Covered in armor plates. Gain 5 levels of Armor against all attacks. Costs 5 Quality points. 38-45% Thorns. Covered in thorny things. Unarmed attacks can inflict x3(slash/stab) damage. Costs 2 Quality point. 46-54% Crystalline: Made of rock and crystal, or well-studded with such rubble. Level 10 Armor. +2 levels Increased Life Points. Jagged crystal claws inflict x2(slash/stab) damage and heavy blunt unarmed attacks inflict x3(bash) damage. Sinks like a…well… rock in water. Costs 12 Quality points. 55-66% Living Tattoos: Covered entirely in living animated tattoos. Can shift them around, gaining +1 Attractiveness all the way down to -3 Attractiveness, as desired. Anyone who stares at your tattoos and makes Perception test has a psychic episode like the Psychic Visions quality. This doesn’t cost anything- it’s just a cool excuse for the GM to mess with you. Free. 67-77% Unusual Skin Color: Pick a non-standard skin color, and enjoy. Free. 78-85% Hulking Monster: Big, like a gorilla or something. Weight doubles or more. +4 Strength, -2 Dexterity, ½ normal speed. +3 levels Hard to Kill and +3 levels Increased Life Points.. Costs 6 Quality points. 86-95% Mouths... all over: Body covered in mouths than talk and grimace and laugh and whatnot. Uber-freaky. -4 Attractiveness. -4 to all sneaking and hiding. After a successful grapple attack, 1d10 mouths will bite a victim, inflicting x1(slash/stab) damage per mouth. For example, if 5 mouths bite, then the damage would be x5(slash/stab). If someone listens carefully to the mouths, and makes a hard Perception test, they have a psychic episode like the Psychic Visions quality. This doesn’t cost anything, as its just a cool excuse for the GM to mess with you. Costs 3 Quality points. 96-00% Combination of Two: Roll twice, and combine. Ignore this one if it comes up again. Pay cost on both. Unnatural Limbs Table 1-10% Prehensile Tail: Gain an extra action per round with tail (at -3). Tail grants a +4 bonus to climbing type actions. Costs 5 Quality point. 11-20% Spiked Prehensile Tail: As above, but tail can smack enemies for x3(slash/stab) damage. Costs 7 Quality points. 21-30% Tentacles: Gain 1d10 tentacles. Grant an extra action per round. Hard to hide though- need a trench coat or something. Costs 4 Quality point.


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31-40% Long Sensitive Fingers: Fingers double or triple their normal length. Gain Acute Sense (touch) and a +3 bonus to all actions requiring fine dexterity. Costs 3 Quality point. 41-50% Extra pairs of tiny arms: Clusters or tiny pairs of arms (1d10 pairs) here and there. They aren’t very strong (strength 1), but grant an extra action per round (limited by the strength of the arms). Costs 3 Quality point. 51-65% Four Arms: Gain an extra set of arms. Get an extra action per round. Costs 4 Quality points. 66-80% Psuedopods: Works just like Tentacles, but they hide until you make them burst out of your skin or whatever. Costs 6 Quality points. 81-90% Articulated Spines: Almost like insect legs all along the forearm. They can extend to be about a foot long, and inflict x3(slash/stab) damage, and grant a +4 bonus when you use them to disarm an opponent. By curling and hooking, they also grant an extra attack in a round (at -3). Costs 6 Quality points. 91-00% Antenna: Long weird antenna on head. +4 Perception. +4 to track, identify smells or substances, and can feel around with them when it is dark. Gain Situational Awareness quality. Costs 7 Quality points. Elemental Form Table 1-20%: Roll on the Mineral Table 21-40%: Roll on the Plant Table 41-60%: Roll on the Energy Table 61-80%: Roll on the Liquid Table 81-90%: Roll on the Ethereal Table 91-00%: Roll twice and combine results. If this comes up a second time, roll three times and combine results. Mineral Table 1-20%: Rough Metal Body: Roughly human shaped, but made of lumpy raw metal. +3 Strength, +3 Constitution. Impervious to cold damage. Gain Natural Armor 8. Weight is tripled. Sinks like a rock or… a big lump of metal. Speed and jumping reduced by half. Costs 10 Quality points. 21-35%: Metal Statue: Basically looks like a realistically well crafted metal statue. Can even pass for human if no one looks too close… or notices that cold hard handshake. +1 Strength, +1 Constitution. Natural Armor 6. Speed and jumping reduced by 25%. Impervious to cold. Weight doubled. Sinks. Costs 6 Quality points. 36-50%: Rough Stone Body: As above, but stone rather than metal. +2 Strength, +2 Constitution. Half damage from fire and cold damage. Gain Natural Armor 8. Weight tripled. Sinks like a big lump of metal… or a rock. Speed and jumping reduced by half. Costs 8 Quality points. 51-65% Living Statue: Pretty much as above, but stone rather than metal. Neato. +1 Strength, +1 Constitution. Natural Armor 6. Speed and Jumping reduced by 25%. Half damage from heat and cold. Weight is doubled. Sinks. Costs 6 Quality points. 66-75% Part Inorganic: Bits and pieces are stone or metal (arms, legs, head or patches). makes getting on an airplane a bitch- “Sorry officer, I should have said- my left


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leg is made of metal.” +1 Strength. Gain Natural Armor 4. Weight increased by 50%. -3 to all attempts to swim and jump. Costs 4 Quality points. 76-86% Part Inorganic… with Weapons: The inorganic bits have spiky mineral weapons that inflict x4 (Slash/Stab) damage. They also take half damage from heat and cold. Costs 4 Quality points. 86-90% Horns, Spines, or Spikes: Covered in spiky mineral bits. Unarmed attacks can inflict x2(slash/stab) damage rather than normal bash damage. Costs 1 Quality point. 91-00%: Crystalline Body: All shiny and sharp and stuff. New Age hippies will totally dig you. Immune to laser attack (yeah, THAT comes up a lot). Natural Armor 6. Hands are pointy crystal claws which can inflict x3(slash/stab) damage, but they are pretty sorry for fine work (-3 penalty). Anyone looking directly at you in bright light might be blinded, and takes a -3 penalty to their combat totals or score when fighting you. Costs 8 Quality points. Plant Table All Plant-based Nightbane suffer double damage from Fire, but half damage from bullets and bashing attacks. They also float quite well, granting a +3 bonus to Swimming related rolls. 01-20% Humanoid Tree: Yeah, you’re Treebeard. It’s great, except some squirrel packed your ear full of nuts. If you don’t move and talk, you can pass for a weird looking tree. +3 Strength. +3 levels Increased Life Points. Level 3 Natural Armor. Can root and photosynthesize rather than eat. Really slow (speed and jumping reduced by half) and cumbersome (-3 penalty to Acrobatics). 7 Quality points. 21-30%: Cactus Skin: Green skin covered in spiky needley things. +1 level Increased Life Points. Anyone trying to grapple with you suffers x1(slash/stab) based on their own Strength and attack Levels of Success. They continue to suffer this each round they grapple. Your own unarmed attacks can inflict Slash/Stab rather than bashing damage. 2 Quality points. 31-40%: Briar Skin: Skin covered in coiling vines covered in thorns. +2 levels Increased Life Points. Anyone trying to grapple with you suffers x1(slash/stab) based on their own Strength and attack Levels of Success. They continue to suffer this each round they grapple. Your own unarmed attacks can inflict Slash/Stab rather than bashing damage. 3 Quality points. 41-60%: Living Mannequin: A big wooden mannequin or puppet. Anyone who says you’re not a real boy needs an asskicking. +2 levels Increased life Points. Level 3 Natural Armor. Costs 5 Quality points. 61-70%: Tree Features: vines for hair, moss for a beard, wooden teeth. This kind of thing. +2 levels Increased Life Points. Costs 2 Quality points. 71-80%: Flower Child: Beautiful, with a sort of flowers-and-pollen theme. Glowing with good health, with a suspicious number of flowers woven in the hair… on the skin… pretty much all over. Gain +5 attractiveness. +1 level Hard to Kill. Insects (even monstrous demon insects) won’t attack. Any attempt to track or find you by smell gains a +5 bonus. Costs 5 Quality points. 81-90%: Bark Skin: Rough barky skin. Gain 3 levels of Natural Armor and 2 of Increased Life Points. Costs 5 Quality Points.


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91-00%: Skunky Weed: Two options here. You’re either green covered in vines and pods that, when burst, release a nauseating stench. Anyone within ten feet or so exposed to this stink has to make a doubled Willpower roll, taking a -3 penalty if they have Acute Sense (Smell), or become nauseated for 1 minute or so. They act at a -3 penalty. alternately, your body can grow the absolutely finest skunky marijuana anyone’s every toked. Really premo stuff too, and if you take to harvesting and selling the bug regularly you can gain the equivalent of a +2 Resources Quality. Yeah, you know which one you’re going for… Costs 2 Quality points. Energy Table A Nightbane with an Energy-based Morphus is immune to the type of energy he manifests, but suffers double damage from a counter-source. An electrical Nightbane might suffer damage from conductive metal weapons. A Fire Nightbane from water or cold, for example. 1-20% Energy Aura: Your body is sheathed in crackling energy. Your unarmed attacks inflict an equal amount of damage from this energy field, and you can pop popcorn just by holding it in your armpits. You give off pretty bright light- like a bonfire or electrical arc. Anyone attacking you in melee combat will suffer energy damage based on their own Strength and Levels of Success. Grappling inflicts damage automatically every round. The Aura is under your conscious control, but when distracted (like in combat) you have to make a doubled Willpower check to avoid it getting out of control and frying the environment or starting fires or whatnot. Can you say “massive property damage”? I know you could. Costs 6 Quality points. 21-35% Transitional Energy Form: Rather than being surrounded by your energy field, your body has partially become the energy. Works just like Energy Aura, except you also take only half damage from mundane kinetic attacks (bullets, punches, kicks, falling… hitting your thumb with a hammer). On the downside, your semi-material form doesn’t interact with fully-physical reality as readily, imposing a -5 penalty to actions based on fine dexterity. It is also more difficult to keep from accidentally burning the crap out of things, and the roll to avoid it is based on Willpower without doubling it. Costs 9 Quality points. 36-45% Full Energy Form: You become an immaterial creature of pure energy. This is pretty rockin, cause you’re now totally immune to mundane physical attacks- they just pass through your crackling energy body. You get all the other benefits of Transitional Energy Form, except you can’t really touch anything anymore without a conscious effort of will (A doubled Willpower roll allows you to touch things for one Turn, and requires an action to do so). You can’t control the burning effect of you body though, and anything touching you will be burned or fried- even stuff like your friends and allies, your dog Pookie, and your mint condition limited series Magic the Gathering cards. Good thing you can hover and slowly fly (at your normal movement rate)- at least you won’t set the ground of fire. Costs 15 Quality points. 46-60% Burning Claws: Your hands are surrounded by crackling energy, or perhaps you’ve got gnarly electrical blades jutting from your fingers. Whatever. In addition to normal unarmed damage, your attacks also inflict x2 Fire damage. Damage you inflict in a grapple can be similarly enhanced. Costs 3 Quality points.


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61-75% Power Coils: You can extrude crackling lashes of energy- like whips made of fire, or tentacles of electricity. You can attack with these within fifteen feet, using the Getting Medieval skill, and they inflict a base damage of 20. Costs 6 Quality points. 75-90% Deadly Breath: You can shoot energy from your mouth. Always a fun trick at parties. This has an effective range about like a pistol, and inflicts base 20 damage. You target it with Gun-Fu or a Wild Card skill. Costs 8 Quality points. 91-00 Energy Sink: Rather than project energy, you absorb it. You appear to be an inky black walking shadow because your body doesn’t reflect any light (Giving you a +4 bonus to Crime rolls that involve skulking and hiding in shadows). Your touch is freezing- inflicting cold damage like the Energy Aura power does above- and your presence drops the temperature even in a large room about 5 degrees a minute. Stay ling enough in one place, and things freeze. You cause lights to dim within fifty feet, and go out completely within ten feet of you. You drain any electrical device you come within five feet of- batteries, for example- and can cause any electrical device to simply shut down by touching it. All these effects are entirely outside your conscious control- you might be good to have at parties for your ice-making powers, but if you get near the stereo system, people are going to be pissed. You’re immune to all energy based damage, and just suck fire and energy into yourself. You can put out fires by standing in them. How cool is that? Costs 12 Quality points. Liquid Table All Liquid form Nightbane are immune to suffocation, but suffer double damage from fire (which boils their bodies away). Cold can freeze them, but this just temporarily takes them out… when they thaw, expect a very wet asskicking. Aqueous Aura: Your body is surrounded by a swirling aura of water help in suspension around you. This ever-moving aura of liquid confounds attacks, granting you a +5 bonus to dodge ranged attacks. It also gives you a +5 bonus when using the Choke combat maneuver- you hold your victim close and let them drown. You tend to get things wet though. Costs 5 Quality points. Semi-Liquid Form: You get the benefits of Aqueous Aura, plus your body is semi-liquid. Mundane kinetic attacks inflict only half damage, but you suffer a -5 penalty on actions requiring fine dexterity… or dryness. Costs 9 Quality points. Liquid Form: Catching on yet? Like Semi-Liquid Form but all the way liquid. Must make a doubled Willpower roll to solidify enough to touch anything (for Turns equal to the Success Level). While solidified, you are vulnerable to physical attack… so watch it bucko. You can distort and pour your form around any way you like, keeping the same basic mass. Costs 13 Quality points. Liquid Innards: You look normal, except you become a stretchy skin filled with liquid. You can squish and distort your body, forcing your liquid innards from one part into another part- shrinking your legs to stretch your arms, for example. You can easily escape any bonds, grappling and wrestling holds, and can force your body through an opening as narrow as your Strength in inches. You are immune to bashing damage- it just causes ripples like a waterbed- but you suffer double damage form slash/stab damage which punctures your skin, and releases jets of your liquidy insides. Costs 5 Quality points.


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Super-Spew: You can spray a high-pressure jet of liquid. Hopefully, you do this from your mouth, but there are… other possibilities. Yuckier possibilities. This has a base damage of 20, and can strike within fifteen feet. Damage is Bashing, but if you’re close enough to put your mouth right up against a victim’s face (a kiss, for example) you can make a Choke attack with a +10 bonus as you jet liquid down their throat at high-pressure. Costs 8 Quality points. Ice Talons: Your hands have long icy talons. These inflict x3 (slash/stab) damage. Costs 2 Quality points. Ice Spikes: You are covered in spikes, thorns, or spines of ice. These allow you to inflict slash/stab damage rather than Bash damage, and anyone trying to hurt you in a grapple suffers an equal amount of slash/stab damage themselves. Costs 2 Quality points. Ice Body: Your on the rocks, with a body is composed of living ice- all sharp angles and blue prismatic surfaces. +2 Strength, 3 levels Natural Armor. 2 levels Increased Life Points. Unarmed attacks inflict x2 (slash/stab) damage. Clumsy hands (-3). Costs 6 Quality points. Ethereal Form 1-20% Astral Aura: Your body exudes a hazy cloud of charged ectoplasm which is invisible to mundane people, though psychics, supernatural creatures, sorcerers, and the like can see it as a weirdly-swirling fog. The Aura reveals ghost and spirits, giving them a shadowy form, and with a Willpower + Occultism roll, you can force them to manifest. You can harden your Aura, offering the equivalent of Natural Armor 10 against immaterial attackers, or form a barrier ten feet across which no spirit, astral presence, or ghost can penetrate. Costs 5 Quality points. 21-35% Semi-Material: In addition to the powers of an Astral Aura, your body is also partially immaterial. You take only half damage from kinetic physical attacks, and can clearly perceive any immaterial spirits, ghosts, or astral presences. You are vulnerable to any magical effects which affect spirits or ghosts, however, and vulnerable to attacks from other immaterial beings Your immaterial form isn’t great for handling purely physical things, and you suffer a -5 penalty on actions requiring fine manipulation. Costs 11 Quality points. 36-50% Ethereal Form: Your body is entirely immaterial, like a ghost or Astral traveler. You can gain the same advantages as a Semi-Material form, and can enter the Astral Plane just like someone with the 6 point version of the Astral Travel quality. You are entirely immune to mundane kinetic attacks, but vulnerably to astral and immaterial attacks of course. To affect the physical world. you have to concentrate for 1 Turn and make a doubled Willpower roll. Success allows you to solidify for Turns equal to your Success Level. While solid, loose your invulnerability to physical attacks, but keep you sense of the Astral plane, and the effects of your Astral Aura. Costs 16 Quality points. 51-70% Ghost Claws: You have shadowy natural weapons that allow you to attack immaterial foes physically. You can perceive such targets, of course, and can inflict x3 (slash/stab) damage on them. Costs 4 Quality points. 71-85% Necromantic Surge: Your Morphus exudes ectoplasm that infiltrates any corpses that lie within twenty feet of your body, and resurrects them as simple zombies.


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Your aura raises all corpses which fall within this range, and you can command them with a Willpower + Occultism roll. Each Success Level is one simple command you can issue to one zombie. Your zombies hang around until they leave your resurrection range, you resume your Façade form, or they get bashed in the noodle. Costs 8 Quality points. 86-00% Shadow Cohort: Your Morphus form is surrounded by a shadowy aura of ghosts, drown from miles around when you assume your monstrous form. This is really really really unsettling- they ghosts swirl, whisper, and knock small things over. Faces can be seen in the aura, swirling apart, merging, silently screaming, laughing, staring. The Shadow Cohort causes a -5 penalty on Fear checks caused by your Morphus. The Cohort is a valuable source of good- if often confusing- information about an area- there are few things the Dead don’t know. Asking the Shadow Cohort questions requires a Perception + Occultism check, and grants once piece of information about the area per Success Level. Costs 4 Quality points. Biomechanical Table I 1-10% Armorgraft: Archaic armor fused to body. Gain Armor 8 against all attacks. Costs 8 Quality points. 11-20% Plastic: Some skin replaced with plastic- can be clear! Free. 21-25% Rocket Jets: super rocket monster boy! Fly at 100mph, but noisy as hell. Zoom! Costs 9 Quality points. 26-30% Metal Teeth and Talons: Bite and claws inflict x3(slash/stab) damage. Costs 2 Quality point. 31-40% Metal skeleton: like Wolverine! Except it pokes out here and there! Fucking gross! +1 Strength, +1 Constitution. +1 level Hard to Kill. Armor 5. Costs 8 Quality points. 41-50% Mechanical Limbs: We can rebuild him, we have the technology. +2 Strength, +2 levels Hard to Kill. Ground movement is doubled. Costs 5Quality points. 51-60% Weapon Hand: Can turn one limb into the melee weapon of choice- damage as weapon. Costs 1 Quality point per damage multiple minus 1.. 61-70% Metal Exoskeleton: Covered in a metal framework, ker-klunk. +1 Strength. +2 levels Hard to Kill. Armor 8. Costs 11 Quality points. 71-80% Metal Head & Camera Eyes: +2 Perception. Project anything seen and remembered movie-like onto a wall or screen. Costs 3 Quality point. 81-90% Wheels or Treads: Like a centaur, but with a motorcycle or tank or something. Drive at vehicle ground speeds on the road (100+ mph), move triple speed when running around with other characters. +1 Strength, +1 Constitution, +3 Increased life Points. If grafted to a tank or something, move at max of… oh…say… 30mph but get 5 Armor. Costs 14 Quality points. 91-00% Gun Limbs: Built in firearms that work about like an Assault Rifle (16 damage). It has to be reloaded and stuff- holding a max of 100 rounds within the Nightbane’s body. Alternately, a crossbow or other low-tech missile weapon can be installed. Costs 6 Quality points. Biomechanical Table II


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01-15% Screen Face: Rather than a face, you’ve got a video screen that can show whatever you like. On the upside, your features are pretty much unreadable, so you can lie without getting caught. One the downside, your friend will constantly be asking if they can watch American Idol on your face. Free. 16-30% Speakers: You’ve got speakers, and can perfectly play back anything you’ve ever heard. You can’t invent new content, speaking it with a recorded voice, but you can perfectly imitate anything you’ve heard exactly. Lots of great uses for something like this, I’m sure you’ll agree. Identifying your playback as a recording requires a listener to manage a Perception + Notice check and beat your Intelligence + Art check. Costs 1 Quality point. 31-45%: Hand Tools: One or both hands is a veritable Swiss Army knife of useful tools. Pretty much any kind of non-powered tool the character might need is- ahem- readily at hand. This grants a +5 bonus to many Mr. Fix-It checks, and allows the Nightbane to work without tools. And yes, this includes a bottle opener. Costs 2 Quality points. 46-60% Monitor Eyes: Eyes replaced with little screens that swirl and distract. By making eye contact, you can use an effect exactly like the Level 1 Hypnosis power. Costs 4 Quality points. 61-75% Chainsaw Arms: Holy Crap! You got chainsaws for hands! Ash would be proud. If both arms are replaced with chainsaws, you get an extra attack, but you’ve got no useful manipulative digits, and trying to pick your nose with a chainsaw… well… it ain’t pretty. These things inflict x5 (slash/stab) damage. Costs 4 Quality points. 76-90%: Computer Creature: You’ve got a computer all wedged into your body. Nightbane with this trait are strongly divided along lines of PC vs Mac, and it has formed the basis for more than one personal vendetta. The computer is always top of the line (and seems to keep pace with tech advancements), it can accept state of the art media, and the Nightbane’s brain is linked to it internally- so all those Bit Torrent porn can get a real workout. This grants a +5 bonus to all Computers checks made with the onboard hardware (in addition to having the benefits of a powerful and VERY personal computer). Costs 4 Quality points. 91-00% Projectile Limbs: We’re talking old skool Anime style shooting fists here. You can shoot off your arms, and after they hit the thing you’re aiming at, they return. This lets you make ranged punch-type attacks. It takes 1 Turn for your limbs to return, so you can shoot one out, and it will snap back on the following Turn. You make this attack with Gun-Fu or Kung-Fu (whichever is better). If desired, the limbs can be tethered to you by articulated cables or something. Costs 1 Quality point. Nightbane Talents Only Nightbane characters can take these special Qualities. Each use of Nightbane Talent adds to a pool of special mystical fatigue which subtracts from all further attempts to use these special qualities- the astute reader will note that this is something like how Sorcery works. An hour sleep will knock off one of these fatigue points. Anti-Arcane 5-point Quality.


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Activate with a Willpower roll, and lasts for Success Level in combat rounds. While active, the character is totally immune to Sorcery, including any forces conjured directly by magic. Useable only in Morphus form. Go kick that annoying wizard’s ass. Borrow Morphus 5-point Quality. Can duplicate the morphus form of any Nightbane you can see, assuming it as if it were you own. You can also use any Nightbane Talents the target possesses, but can’t use your own Talents or Morphus special abilities. Make a Perception roll, and assume the target’s form for Minutes equal to the Success Levels. Darksong 2-point Quality. Can emit a stunning, distracting, or mesmerizing sound thematic to the Morphus type. Make an Influence roll against the target’s doubled Willpower, and stun them for your Success Level in rounds. This can be used in a 60’ radius, but everyone gets a +5 bonus to resist the effect. Doorway 5-point Quality Can create a doorway of dark energy that leads somewhere the character has been before, or can see. Make a Brains check, and travel up to a mile for each Success Level, or allow another person to pass through the Doorway with you. For example, you could travel 2 miles with 3 friends with a Success Level of 5. Darkwhip 3-point Quality Conjure a whip or tentacle of dark energy up to 60 feet long. Make a Willpower roll to conjure it, and it lasts for combat rounds equal to you Success Level. The attack inflicts the Success Level doubled in base damage, and can be used to Grapple and Disarm with a bonus equal to the Success Level that conjured it. Infectious Control 8-point Quality Infect the target with a bit of the Morphus’s body in a style fitting the Morphus. Beat the victim’s Willpower with your Influence, and take control for half an hour per Success Level you manage. You can only concentrate on running one body- yours of the target’s- in a given round, and the one you aren’t driving stands unmoving. You puppet the target’s body as if it were your own. Can also search the memory of the possessed target with a Perception roll against their Willpower, learning one fact per Success Level. Each such search counts as a use of a Nightbane Talent. Lightning Rider 8-Point Quality Transform into living electrical energy that leaps into the nearest metal or conductive material, or if a thunderstorm is active overhead, upwards into the clouds. With a


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Perception roll, you can then streak to the ground anywhere beneath the active storm as a bolt of lightning. You can’t use this to attack, just get around in dramatic style. With the new information age, this Talent has gotten even cooler- you can travel through electrical exchanges, phone networks, or the internet. Make a Perception+Computer check to navigate these networks, and the better you roll the closer to your desired destination you will arrive. Mirror Sight 2-Point Quality Usable in both Morphus and Façade form. Make a Percetion+Notice check, and see through any mirror or reflective surface into the Nightlands for 5 minutes per Success Level. Mirror Search 4-Point Quality With a Perception+Notice check, can look through a mirror and see out the mirror closest to the object or person being sought if it is within a 10 mile per Success Level radius. Once the Search creates the link, the character can try and use the Investigate skill to identify the location by what is visible from the mirror. Nightbringer 3-Point Quality Create a cold darkness with a Willpower check, with a radius equal to 10 feet per Success Level. Those who can see in darkness are fine (Nightbane, for example) others are effectively blind. The cloak of darkness also extinguishes fire and absorbs energy attacks, but not magic or supernatural powers. Lasts for combat rounds equal to the Success Level. Premonition 2-Point Quality Works just like the Psychic Visions quality for Nightbane, and since they can’t learn that Quality this is their only route to the groovy kooky world of psychic stuff. Reshape façade 4-Point Quality Make a Willpower check, and alter a number of features equal to the Success Level. You can imitate a specific person, but it requires at least 4 success levels on this check. Lasts half an hour per Success Level. See Truth 3-Point Quality Make a Perception+Notice check, and see a number of true things about the target equal to the Success Level of the check. For example. you can see another Nightbane’s morphus form superimposed on the façade. Or you can identify a vampire as undead, recognize illness, strong but hidden emotion, demonic possession, or the effects of sorcery.


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Shadow Shield 2-Point Quality With a Willpower roll, conjure a shield of dark energy that provides 10 life points per Success Level, and lasts for half and hour per success level or until all its life points have been consumed. All damage is subtracted from the shield first. Shadow Slide 3-Point Quality With a Brains check, become a flickering two-dimensional shadow. Slide through anything but air-tight seals, and pretty much immune to anything but fire and supernatural powers. Gain a +5 bonus to sneaking and whatnot. Lasts for 1 minute per Success Level. Shadow Blast 2-Point Quality Shoot a blast of gnarly dark energy which inflicts Willpower x 3 damage per Success Level. It is targeted with a doubled Dexterity or Dexterity+Gun-Fu check. Sharing the Flesh 1-Point Quality Heal a subject by transferring wounds to yourself. Make a Brains+Doctor roll, and transfer up to 10 points of damage per Success Level. You heal this damage normally. The Shroud 4-Point Quality With a Brains+Crime check, the Nightbane can become invisible to people and machines- selectively. This lasts for 1 minute per Success Level, and fails if you take any violent action while it is active. Soul Shield 2-Point quality When activated with a Willpower check, this creates a pool of impenetrable blackness in your mind. This blocks all attempts to read the character’s mind and anyone trying it will be mesmerized by the blackness, and unable to act without a Willpower roll better than the one which activated this Talent. Lasts for 10 minutes per Success Level. Storm Maker 8-Point Quality Can conjure the weather. Make a Brains+Science roll, and each Success Level allows one things to be changed about he weather, shifting existing conditions one degree of severity, or adding one minor weather condition. Nightbane can combine their efforts with this Talent to produce greater effects.


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Guardian 25-Point Quality Your smallish, albino, and crackling with golden energy. A solar-powered mystical warrior- once a normal human who’s life has been swept aside by the supernatural forces which imbued you with your power. As a Guardian, you receive strange visions and flashes of the future and the past and the distant present, all guiding you to seek out the evil and the profane, and fry it alive with bolts of radiant energy. But what about a day job? The Guardian quality includes the following benefits: Enhanced Attributes: Strength +3, Dexterity +3, Constitution +3 (+9) 3 levels Hard to Kill (+3) 3 levels Increased Life Points (+3) Supernatural Senses: Guardians can see perfectly in any lighting conditions, further they can see invisible and astral presences. (+5) The Power of Light: Guardians are filled with luminous power, and can release it for a number of interesting effects. All uses of Light require a Willpower + Wild Card (Light) roll, with effects based on the roll. Use of Light is somewhat draining, and imposes a cumulative penalty to further uses. Each hour of exposure to sunlight reduces this penalty by 3 points. (+20)

Use Description Effect Penalty Glow Produce light from

body Produce light almost like sunlight for Minutes equal to Success Levels. Affects vampires in 2 rounds rather than 1, and inflicts 10 rather than 20 points of damage.

-1 penalty to further Light rolls.

Regeneration Heals the Guardian Lasts for Rounds equal to the Success Level, and heals the Guardian’s Constitution in Life Points.

-1 per Round it lasts.

Healing Heals someone the Guardian touches

Lasts for Minutes equal to the Success level (or until contact is broken) and heals the target’s Constitution in Life Points per minute.

-2 per Minute it lasts.

Beams and Blasts

Blasts and burns a target

Inflicts a base damage of 20 to a target within normal pistol range. This is considered something like a combo of slash/stab and Fire damage.

-2 per Blast.

Mystical Shield Protects the Guardian (or someone else) from harm.

Grants 3 points of Armor per success level on the roll, and lasts for Minutes equal to the success level.

-2 if used to protect yourself, -4 if used to protect someone else.

Light Forms Create a solid thing of pure light that work like real versions of the same.

Lasts for Minutes equal to the Success Level. melee Weapons work normally, but cause injuries that heal like Fire damage rather than normal damage. Can you say Lightsaber? I knew you could.

Costs per minute, based on the size of the thing. Tiny (a knife- 1 per minute) Small (a baseball bat: -2 per minute) Medium (a sword: -3 per minute) Big (a motorcycle: -5 per minute) Effing Huge (a Cadillac- -10 per minute)

Dispel Magic Break spells or dispel magical influence

If the success level to use the Light is greater than the Power Level of the spell minus 1, the spell is broken. Otherwise,

Minus the Power Level of the spell to be broken- success or failure.


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the attempt is wasted.

It isn’t all bitchen cool powers- being a Guardian also carries some Drawbacks. Supernatural Form: Not terrifying, but certainly strange. (-2) Solar Powered: Requires several hours of exposure to daylight each day, or begins to degenerate. Each day without sunlight causes 5 points of damage to the Guardian. After a week, all physical actions suffer a -5 penalty. After two weeks, they suffer a -10 penalty. When the Guardian reaches 0 Life Points he slips into a coma-like sleep, and can only be awakened by a full day of direct sunlight. Exposure to sunlight for this long restores the Guardian’s Regeneration power, and allows him to heal. Only when fully healed will the Guardian loose the physical action penalties he suffers. (-3) Psychic Visions: Guardians are haunted by visions and nightmares which reveal to them the suffering and evil of the world. They hit hard, and don’t let up. Being a supernaturally endowed superhero sucks sometimes. (-3) Adversary: Guardians feel an instinctive animosity to demons, monsters, and the forces of darkness. Unfortunately, the feeling is mutual. Pretty much anyone who isn’t actually fighting the good fight for the PTB’s is going to be gunning for a Guardian. Good times. (-5) Amnesia: Guardians have broken and shadowy memories of their lives before becoming supernatural defenders- who they were, what they did, and why they were chosen. This works like the Secret drawback, but the real secret is who you were, whoever that might have been. (-2).


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Necrophim 26-Point Quality Necrophim are astral entities- tall, beautiful, and shadowy-black. Winged angels, and specters of Death. They bear chains and collars and other artifacts of a broken imprisonment, and are a baroque and insular demonic race. They also have a crapload of really cool powers, and if a vampire can fight for the good team, then no reason a Necrophim death angel couldn’t do the same, if it suited the creature’s perverse sense of humor. They are natives of the Astral Place, but Necrophim demonstrate a much greater affinity for the material world than most Astral entities. For a time, they can assume physical form, and even human guise, if there is business they must attend to in the realms of flesh- such as an especially kickin’ party, or the premier of a new M. Night. Shamalan movie. Necrophim possess the following special abilities: Enhanced Attributes: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution. (+6) +1 Level Increased Life Points (+1) Unique Kill: If reduced to 0 Life Points, a Necrophim slips back into the Astral Plane to heal and recover. They can only be killed permanently by binding them to the physical world with magic, and then… doing the usual things with the axes and the swords and the kung-fu. (+5) Supernatural Senses: Necrophim perceive more through psychic means than through physical ones. They see perfectly well regardless of lighting conditions, and possess a Basic Supernatural Sense. (+5) Astral Form: The natural form of the Necrophim exists on the Astral plane. They can transition to the Physical plane at will, requiring only a doubled Willpower roll to do so. While transitioned to the Physical realms, they are still invisible presences composed of pure psychic energy- only supernatural beings, sorcerers, psychics, animals, and prepubescent children can see and hear them. It’s pretty scary too. They can clearly see and interact with other Astral presences- most ghosts and spirits included. While Astral, Necophim can pass through normal matter without effort, fly and float at up to 100 times their Strength in miles per hour, and generally be spooky. They can’t affect the material world, except to communicate with those beings who can see them. (+5) Materialize: With some effort, a Necrophim can materialize physically in the material plane. This requires a doubled Willpower roll, and lasts for 1 hour per Success Level. After the materialization wears off, the Necrophim must remain immaterial for the same number of hours before trying again. While materialized, Necrophim can still fly but do so slower- at a rate of 10 times Strength in miles per hour. (+3) Human Form: With an even greater effort, a necrophim can change its shape to resemble a normal human being- always the same human. This may be done while Materialized or while Astral, and requires a Willpower roll (not doubled). It lasts for ten minutes per Success Level, but while it lasts, the Necrophim can’t fly. It also looses its Enhanced Attributes and levels of Increased life Points, but keeps its supernatural senses. (+0)


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Dream Dance: Necrophim possess the Dream Dance quality, and can physically pass into the Dreamlands. (+6) Fighting Chains: All Necrophim possess 3 levels of Getting Medieval, and in their natural forms use their chains to fight. The chains inflict x3 Slash/Stab or Blunt damage, and can be used up to twenty feet away. Further, they can be used to perform the following combat maneuvers at the same range- Break Neck, Choke, Decapitation, Disarm, Grapple, Parry, Takedown, Target Limb, Toss, Wall Smash, Wrestling Hold. (+5) The Necrophim quality also imposes the following disadvantages: Supernatural Form: Only by great effort, and at the loss of their major powers, can a Necrophim assume Human form. (-2) Adversary: Necrophim aren’t that popular in some demonic circles, and down right unpopular in the heroic fighting-for-the-light kind of circles. Ancient enmity makes them hate (and be hated by) vampires, and they don’t get along at all well with Guardians. Generally, even a Necrophim working for the good guys is going to have to do some fast talking when faced by right-thinking hero types. (-3) Mental Problems : Necrophim have a Severe Cruelty mental problem. (-2) Creatures of Darkness: While they don’t burn like Vampires, Necrophim can’t abide sunlight. They suffer a -5 penalty to all actions when exposed to direct sunlight, and a -2 penalty even in indirect sunlight or sufficiently bright artificial light.. Only in their materialized Human Form do they not suffer this penalty. (-3)


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Astral Travel 3 or 6 Point Quality Astral Travel is the power to mentally project yourself into the Astral Plane- the swirlly and weird universe of psychic energy which intertwines and permeates our own humdrum physical universe. The Astral Plane is the realm of thought and idea, and within it the dreams of man and demon form kingdoms, heavens, and hells. There are many creatures native to the Astral Plane, and other who can perceive it- cats, kids, and psychics can sometimes catch glimpses of the Astral, but only with this power can you fully experience it. Make a doubled Willpower roll, and fall into a death-like sleep for hours equal to your Success Levels. This creates your Astral Body- basically, am idealized version of yourself. Check it out and see how close it resembles your normal form. You might get some insight into how you see yourself. Once you have projected, you can move very very fast within the Astral plane- up to 100 times your Intelligence in miles per hour. Since this body is a projection of your will, your Intelligence as Strength, your Perception as Dexterity, and you Willpower as Constitution. Beyond this, and the whole flying thing, being Astral is pretty much like being Physical… while whacked out of your head on psychedelic mushrooms. You can do all the usual physical things- run, fight, scream in pain, pee your pants out of fear- but you’re interacting with a universe of psychic energy and mental projections. Things can get pretty weird. If you get killed while Astral, you’ll go shooting back to your body along your Silver Cord (the psychic energy which links you to the old bod). You have to make a Constitution check (not doubled) or die for real when you hit body. It is possible to perceive the real world from the Astral Plane, but not easy. To see anything, you have to make a Perception + Notice roll, and then the only thing you can see are those things onto which a mind is focused. For example, if you floated over a Britney Spears concert, you could pretty easily perceive the stage show- all those minds focused on it make it shine clear into the Astral- but the goings-on behind the stage would be much hazier. You might be able to look over the shoulder of a person writing in their journal, and make out a little of what they were writing, but you couldn’t even perceive the book at all if it were just sitting on a shelf. Generally, it is a Superheroic (-10) effort to see something without a mind focusing on it, Very Difficult (-4) if there is only one mind focused on it, and Challenging with lots of minds focused on it. This is the reason the CIA’s psychic spy programs crapped out in the 70’s- it’s hard to perceive something from the Astral that is so secret as to have no one focusing their attention on it. Doah! The 6 points version of Astral Travel works exactly the same, except you dematerialize your physical form when your transition into the Astral Plane. You keep your normal physical Attribute scores, and can rematerialize your body into the physical world anywhere you like, and can successfully perceive from the Astral. Yeah, the potential for groovy ninja hijinks are there, but if you get killed in the Astral there ain’t no running home to Body- you’re a dead’un.


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Astral Lord Variable Quality Becoming an Astral Lord grants a ordinary Astral Traveler pretty awesome control over the plane. With will alone, you can forge your own mystical kingdom, with faerie princesses and magic frogs, and gumdrop forests. Hell, lets be honest though- what you usually get is a psychodramatic ego-driven little personal party-world. Orgies from eight to noon, then gorging until dark. To those with the skillz, the Astral can give you anything you can imagine, and so considering some of the sick SOB’s out there, you get your fair share of personal hells too. By spending Quality Points, you can define the sort of realm you want. Obviously, to even get the Astral Lord Quality, you’ve got to have some access to the Astral Plane. Generally, the Astral Travel Quality covers this- and assumes a Lord can move beyond his Realm- but spells, mystical accident, and whatnot can punt someone into the Astral Plane and give them the chance to found their own realm. Without the Astral Travel quality, an Astral Lord can’t leave his own realm. So, want to build that psychedelic psychic party-pad you’ve always wanted? Here’s what it’ll cost you.

SIZE COST DESCRIPTION

1 Point Tiny Realm- about the size of an apartment or small cabin. 2 Points Small Realm- about like a house or just a more elaborate Tiny Domain. 3 Points Average Realm- about like a city block, with multiple structures and nice landscaping. 4 Points Large Realm- about like a small town, with multiple structures, and landscapes. 5 Points Greater Realm- about like small city, with lots of structures, different environments, and

complexity and stuff. ACCESSIBILITY

COST DESCRIPTION 1 Point Wide Open- just about anyone who can move around in the Astral can just waltz right

in. Good if you’re hosting a perpetual Astral Party, not so good if you’re building a private meditation garden.

2 Points Hidden- no barriers to outside access, but finding the entrance to your Realm requires a Perception + Notice check and at least an hour of searching around.

3 Points Barrier- like Hidden, but the Realm is also protected by a barrier of ectoplasm and psychic force. This barrier has Armor equal to double the creator’s Intelligence, and Life Points ten times the creator’s Intelligence. The barrier regenerates the creator’s Perception in Life Points every minute. Only those the Realm’s Lord invites in can cross the barrier without problems. Sorcery can be used to bypass this barrier with a spell of a Power Level equal to the creators Willpower

4 Points Restricted Access: The Realm is impenetrable from the Astral Plane, and can only be accessed by specific portals (which benefit from the Hidden quality as above). Only those invited in by the creator (or one designated with the authority to extend invitations) can pass through a portal. The only way around this is with Sorcery, which can be used to force a Portal or bypass it completely. The Power Level of such a spell is equal to the creator’s Willpower (to force a portal) or double Willpower (to bypass the portals completely).

5 Points Sealed: As with Restricted, but the portals can not be bypassed or forced. Only those invited in may enter. Period. Perfect for a private little getaway.

Portals


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COST DESCRIPTION 1 Point None- to get into your Realm, you have to travel through the Astral Plane the hard way

(with the Astral Travel quality, or with a spell). 2 Points Astral Portal- from anywhere within the Astral Plane, the creator of the Realm can open

a temporary portal to access it. This requires a Willpower + Wild Card (Astral Lord) check to do so, and takes a few minutes of concentration. Any other astral traveler who has visited the realm before (and who is permitted access) can make a Willpower roll to attempt to open the portal for themselves.

3 Points Physical Plane Portal- the Lord has a fixed gateway in the real world which leads to the Realm. This gateway physically transfers those who pass through it (in a similar way to the 6 point version of the Astral Travel Quality). Unless the Realm’s accessibility is restricted, supernatural creatures, children, and animals will be able to detect the portal with a Perception + Notice roll, and with an Intelligence + Occultism roll, open it. The creator of the Realm can pass freely through the portal without the need to roll anything. This can be selected more than once for more than one Physical Plane portal.

4 Points Mobile Portal- like other Physical Plane Portals, but you can move this one around. Carpets, cabinets, doorways, creepy white kidnapper-style panel-vans, etc. It has to be big enough to permit access, and always remains behind after the passage. If destroyed, the creator will have to spend a Drama Point to construct a new one.

5 Points Astral Teleport- this is the totally coolest way get to a Realm. Just concentrate for a few minutes, and make a doubled Willpower roll, and poof! You’re home. Only the creator of the realm (and those passengers he takes along, not to exceed the Success Level of the transition roll) can use this method of access. It creates a virtual portal point wherever the Lord vanishes from, and this is where you end up upon returning to the physical world. So… you can use it as a Get out of Jail For the Weekend card.

ENVIRONMENT Cost Description

1 Point Sterile- a simple, lifeless realm with no complex environments. Structures will be simple, at best. No native life, and none of the usual things you need to sustain life. You get air and ground, but water and food have to be imported… and Pizza Hut doesn’t deliver in the Astral.

2 Points Simple Landscape- still lifeless, but more complex. Structures will have useful features. You get water, in addition to air and ground at this point.

3 Points Limited Earthlike- you get a pretty close approximation of a specific Earthlike environment. A forest would have trees, a street would have rats and trashcans, an apartment might have roaches and food in the fridge. You can ‘survive on the land’ if you need to.

4 Points Complex- you get several different Earthlike environments, all inhabited with the expected life forms.

5 Points Unique- the environment is complex, but also no longer bound to be Earthlike- it can be as weird and kooky as you like.

DEFENSES COST DESCRIPTION

1 Point Alarms: If anything happens to the Realm, or anyone who shouldn’t be there is there, the creator is alerted with a psychic signal. This doesn’t give much information- just that an alarm has been tripped. Multiple Alarms can be set on different areas of the Realm, though, and the creator will know which ones have gone off. Beating one of these Alarms requires a successful Willpower + Occultism check and a successful Intelligence + Crime check.

2 Points Astral Restraints: Anyone who shouldn’t be in your Realm gets caught and restrained. The restraints can look like anything- tree limbs, horrible tentacles, jeweled crabs, animated statues, or snakes. Lots of snakes. The Realm can make one Grabble attack, and has a Combat Score equal to 10 plus its creator’s Intelligence, and a Muscle Score


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equal to 10 plus its creator’s Willpower. The target will be bound until the Lord decides to release him- if ever.

3 Points Blast: Anyone who shouldn’t’ be in your realm gets blasted. The effect of the blast is up to the creator, but it has a base damage of 15, and the Realm has a Combat Score of 10 plus the creator’s Intelligence. The Blast will attack anyone who shouldn’t be there once a Turn for a number of Turns equal to your Willpower, after which it will need an hour or so to recharge.

4 Points Taps: Any traps the creator can imagine can be built into the Realm- pits with spikes, crushing ceilings, dart-shooting idols, etc. Watch Indiana Jones and The Cube for some ideas. These traps can capture or kill, and inflict damage equal to 5x the creator’s Intelligence, and can only be avoided with Crime rolls (based on Dexterity, Perception, or Intelligence) with Success Levels greater than your Intelligence.

5 Points Portal Traps: Like Traps, but if tripped it will spit the victim out of a portal or teleport them… somewhere. Some hell dimension somewhere, or right into the middle of the ocean. See-ya!

PHYSICAL LAWS COST DESCRIPTION

1 Point Same as Astral Plane- lots of floaty, metaphorical, freaky stuff and very little reliable physics. Not very relaxing, and certainly hard to have people over for tea. On the upside, you can do all the usual Astral tricks… like float and move fast. Physical stuff doesn’t hold up well here, so don’t use it to store your comic book collection.

2 Points Same as Earth- you get gravity, chemistry, cause and effect. Pretty much what you’re used to back in the Old Country, but many Astral Lords consider this a serous waste of freakiness potential. Ordinary stuff you bring stays ordinary.

3 Points Funky Gravity- gravity works anyway you say it works when you set things up. Any surface could be ‘down’, you can have zero-G zones, a high-G gymnasium, or whatever. You can move around fine, but other folks might need a Dexterity + Acrobatics check to maneuver right.

4 Points Some Stuff Doesn’t Work- guns, blades, stakes-in-the-heart, electricity magic, mental powers, cell phones, whatever Certain things just don’t work. specified when the realm is constructed.

5 Points Some Stuff Doesn’t Work For Other People- You can use the things that don’t work (as the 4 point option) normally. A great way to be a bastard.

INHABITANTS COST DESCRIPTION

1 Point Mindless Constructs- basically robots or golems or spirits or whatever you like. They do their jobs, and don’t ask questions, but aren’t much for the social interaction (unless you go in for sexbots). There are up to a few dozen of these constructs, and each have a single primary task with which they have a score of 14. Beyond this task (fighting, gardening, telemarketing, playing chess, nookie) they pretty much suck. They have ten times your Willpower in Life Points, and if destroyed sort of regenerate from the fabric of the Realm over a week or so.

2 Points Psychic Avatars: Like Constructs, but the drones are imbued with some of their creator’s awareness and skills. Beyond the one “main purpose” score of 15 they each possess, they also possess three other skills the creator possesses at a rank of 14. They have some measure of self determination, but in the end are just constructs.

3 Points Astral Entities: Creatures native to the Astral Plane at large who have taken up residence in the Realm. They are fully-detailed creatures, and can act independently. The creator will have no more than twice his Willpower in entities bound to the realm. These are created like NPC demons with max scores of a single 15, and none others higher than 13.

4 Points Powerful Entities: As above, but with max scores of 16 and 14. 5 Points Sentient Realm: the whole realm is alive, and can control all the variable aspects of the

realm. It has a Brains of 10 plus its creator’s Intelligence, and can direct the actions of


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any other Inhabitants, control any Defenses, Accessibility options, or variables built into the Realm. It may openly communicate with the inhabitants and creator of the realm, or may be more vague, like a spirit of the place. A Sentient Realm is aware of anything that happens within its borders.

SPECIAL ABILITIES COST DESCRIPTION

Variable Any special powers or Qualities possessed by the creator of the realm can be purchased at a discount. If only the Creator benefits from the Qualities while within the Realm, they cost 1/3 their normal cost (rounding fractions down, but the minimum cost is always 1 point). If the quality is possessed by everyone in the realm, it costs ½ its normal cost. For example, if the Realm heals its creator, granting the Regeneration (per Round) quality, it would only cost 2 points (1/3 of 6 points). If anyone in the realm benefits from it, it would cost 3 points (1/2 6 points). When you an buy +15 Strength for 5 points, you can see why attacking an Astral Lord in his crib is a pretty stupid thing to do.


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Dream Dance 3 or 6-Point quality Similar to Astral Travel, but a Dream Dancer specializes in the Dreamworld- the psychosphere of intermingling worlds created within the Astral Plane by the sleeping minds of Earth’s human (and inhuman) inhabitants. To enter the Dreamworld, a Dancer simply goes to sleep. All Dream Dancers are conscious dreamers- they know they are asleep and dreaming, but recognize the dreamstate as a distinct and real place rather than just a state of mind. Well, it IS just a state of mind, but it is also a different place. Entering the Dreamworld creates a physical-seeming body for the Dancer, save Intelligence becomes Strength, Perception becomes Dexterity, and Willpower becomes Constitution. You can play around in your own Dreamscape all you like, and can change things about as you like, with Willpower + Wild Card (Dream Shaping) checks. Of course, this kind of thing only so interesting (unless you catch some nosey demon trying to snoop your dreams), so why not peek into someone else’s dreams? Finding a specific dream requires a doubled Perception roll, and the better you know the target, the lower the required Success level (1 for a friend or family member, 5 for a total stranger). Once you lock onto the dream you want, you can simply observe it. Unless the target is a supernatural being, or possesses psychic powers or Sorcery, they are unlikely to notice you snooping around their psyche (they have to beat your Intelligence + Wild Card (Dream Shaping) with their un-doubled Perception). Supernormals get to double their Perception. Dream Dancers notice this kind of thing right off- as they notice any kind of dream tomfoolery. If you’re not satisfied with just watching, you can change things- pretty much any way you like. If they resist, the use their Willpower (if mundane) or Willpower doubled (if supernorms) or they can choose to use Willpower + Wild Card (Dream Shaping) if also Dream Dancers. Success, and you change what you like. It is possible for them to make this resistance roll and not be aware of an outside influence- this roll represents natural psychic defenses, not awareness of the intrusion. If you want to hurt the dreamer though, you can throw down some dream-fu- it is easy to create dangerous, painful, or terrifying situations, but the trick is making them real enough to hurt before the target just wakes up. You do this with the mental equivalent of a Grapple attack (rolled with your Wild Card (Dream Shaping) skill rather than Kung-Fu against their Willpower or Willpower doubled). If successful, you can hold them in the dream for a number of minutes equal to your Level of Success. Each minute you have them locked into a damaging dream can inflict as much as your Willpower in damage- damage which will be mirrored in their waking flesh. When two Dream Dancers fight it out, it works just like physical combat for them, only rolled against different skills, and it lasts until one runs away and wakes up (or gets owned, of course). The 6 point version of Dream Dance lets you transform your physical body into dream-stuff and enter the Dreamworld physically. You don’t leave a body behind, and use your normal physical attributes. You gain a +3 bonus to manipulate dreams, and when using Dream-Fu. The downside is that if you get killed in the Dreamworld, you’re dead dead dead. You can return to the place where you entered the Dreamworld like normal waking up, or you can try to manifest through a sleeper. This requires you lock


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onto the dreamer (by Grappling with them as above) and manage a Willpower + Wild Card (Dream Shaping) skill. If successful, you materialize next to the sleeping person who’s dream you’re poking around in. If you’re very very quite, they might not even wake up.


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Geomancer 18-Point Quality You know all that stuff with the furniture and the directions and how important it is to have a tank of goldfish in the bedroom… or is it the kitchen? Anyhow, all that Feng Shui stuff? Well, it’s crap. The real power isn’t in how you arrange your sofa, but in how nature arranged mountain ranges, and lakes, and seas, and whatnot. Geomantic energy courses along lines of power- dragon lines, ley lines, earth-veins- and pools in Nexuses where these lines intersect. Places of power like Stone Hinge (and other, not-so-famous Hinges), the Nazka Lines, Graceland, and your local Hellmouth, for example, are usually associated with the crisscrossing of these lines. Some people- though special mystical practices- are attuned to these lines of power. They can use the energy they draw from them to do all kinds of cool things, and many are potent sorcerers in addition to being virtually immortal and very good at geography. With a Perception + Wild Card (Geomancy) check, a Geomancer can sense ley lines, their direction, strength, and power. This has a range of miles equal to the Success Level of the check. Nexuses are even easier to sense, and can be located and read up to ten miles per Success Level plus the number of lines that cross there. If standing in a line, a Geomancer can read all kinds of information in the mystical mojo flowing along it- the distance to the nearest Nexus, whether any supernatural activity is affecting the flow of the energy, or if any other Geomancer is tapping the line for any reason. (+3) With a similar check, and a few minutes of intense concentration, a Geomancer can phase himself into the mystical flow, and teleport virtually instantly along the length of a line. Lines typically run a few miles before dipping underground, or getting tangled up in a city or complex natural feature. The Success Levels of the check are the number of miles the Geomancer can travel. Each use of this ability is taxing though, and imposes a cumulative -5 penalty on all further uses of it until the Geomancer can rest and recoup for at least 5 hours. (+4) While in contact with a line, a Geomancer can open a channel and let the power rush through his body, supercharging him. Using this power requires a Willpower + Wild Card (Geomancy) check, and adds the Success Level to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, and grants an equal number of levels of Increased Life Points. It lasts for the Success Level in minutes. When it putters out, the Geomancer is left dizzy and exhausted. He Suffers -3 to Strength and Dexterity (minimum1), and automatically acts last in combat, looses 1 action per round (either his attack or his defense). This exhaustion lasts for the Success Level times 10 minutes (the longer the burn, the longer the exhaustion). If the Geomancer taps the Line again, making the same roll, he can stave off these effects for a number of Hours equal to the Success Level, but if he leaves the line, or this duration expires, he looses consciousness for the same number of hours that he staved off the crash. When he wakes, he then has to deal with the exhaustion penalty. No free lunch, even for a Geomancer crackling with the power of the Earth. Using this power on a Nexus increases the Success Level of a successful use, which boost the power, but also the duration of the crash. (+4) While a Geomancer remains on or rear a Line, he doesn’t age and regenerates his Constitution in Life Points every day. A line is typically about half a mile across, and it isn’t hard to get an apartment right in the middle of one. If away from a line for more


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than a day, the Geomancer starts to age normally. Good thing there are so many takeout places to order from nowadays. (+1) Nexus points are often thin places in reality, and Geomancers can use them to punch holes into other dimensions. Ley lines often transcend reality, running through multiple dimensions, and at Nexus points, a Geomancer can use his skills to read the lines that run through them. Opening a portal is trick and dangerous. It requires a Perception + Wild Card (Geomancy) skill to find the right dimension, and a Willpower + Wild Card (Geomancy) skill to open the thing up. The Geomancer gets a bonus equal to the number of Lines that cross at the nexus, but this is always a Heroic task (-9). Failure gets the Geomancer a roll on the random magical disaster table with a bonus equal to the number of lines in the Nexus. (+4) Finally, Geomancers can use their skills to enhance spellcasting, using power from the lines to fuel powerful magic. One a Line, a Geomancer can add his Wild Card (Geomancy) skill to his normal Willpower + Occultism spell casting roll. At a Nexus, he gains a further bonus to the roll equal to the number of lines that cross, but this number also adds to the magical failure table if the thing doesn’t quite work. (+2)


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Spook Squad Agent 9-Points Quality Trained as a member of the American Defense Agency- A.K.A the Spook Squad. The US’s first line of defense against the supernatural. Skilled at investigating supernatural incidents, combating supernatural menaces, and dealing with the crushing bureaucracy of the US government. Other nations have their own Spook Squads, with their own colorful names and histories, but the training is about on par with the US’s ADA. All agents get some combat training which gives them +2 Gun-Fu, +1 Kung-Fu, and +1 Getting Medieval. Their training also gives them a keen insight into the supernatural, giving them +2 bonus to Occultism. All are toughened by their jobs, and gain +3 levels of Hard to Kill as well. They’ve seen things that would make ordinary people crawl deep inside themselves and whimper, so gain a +1 bonus on Fear tests. All have at least the equivalent of Rank 3, and operate as semi-independent field agents. Further, all possess the Situation Awareness quality. All this training and authority comes with some drawbacks however. They gain a 3-point Adversary (Supernatural enemies of the nation). Mild Paranoia (pretty much comes with the job). And of course, he has a Major Obligation to the ADA. Modified Sorcery Quality 5-Point per Level Sorcery works as normal- boosting spellcasting and granting telekinesis- but Fast Casting works differently. A Sorcerer can fast cast any spell, but doing so adds 2 to the spell’s effective Power Level. If the spell has any special Requirements that can’t be met in the heat of the moment, a sorcerer can sort of pre-cast the ritual elements of the spell, then lay down the whammy in a single turn. Doing so is a one-shot deal though- blow the casting, and all that prep time was wasted. A Sorcerer can only pre-prep a number of spell equal to the levels of Sorcery she’s got. Spells that don’t have any complex casting requirements can be thrown around willy-nilly. Successive uses of Sorcery imposes a -2 penalty to all further attempts, and these penalties go away with an hour of R&R per -1.


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Final thoughts… This thing got totally out of control. It started as a larky little quick conversion of the random monster tables from Nightbane inspired by Grey Elf over rpg.net way, and ended up taking on a life of its own. I’m kinda surprised I haven’t had a nasty note from Palladium on this thing… but I hope they understand all I want to do get people talking about- and perhaps playing- in the Nightbane universe again. I’m not going to host this anywhere- and would ask that no one puts it online. If you want to send a copy to someone, I can’t stop you, but I’d like to keep a list of people who might be interested in further updates, if there are any. So have them email me at [email protected] to get on the list. I know this thing has typos, tense-changes, spell-check gaffs, and likely some broken rules and effups I haven’t caught. Let me know what you find, and I’ll change it for future versions. Also, if you end up using this in play, PLEASE let me know, or post the Actual Play somewhere and point to towards it. In the end, I can’t publish this thing, have to distribute it sort of on the downlow, and certainly won’t ever make a dime off it- knowing it might get some real play is the only reason I did it… that, and I’m an incurable system monkey who loves conversions more or less for their own sake. Enjoy. -B

Documents

Unisystem for Nightbane 2.5