Wraith: The Oblivion FAQ

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wraiths. Important safety tip: Don't cross the streams.

What's with the missing paragraph from the Beast? (orWAIT?!?!! How do I regain Pathos?!?!!?!?)

For some mysterious reason, the paragraph describing how

wraiths regain Pathos by following their Passions got left

out ofWraith Second Edition. This information has beenprinted in the back ofBuried Secrets, posted on

Alt.Games.Whitewolf, and is on this homepage.

Anyone who writes to White Wolf requesting this

information will be sent an errata sheet. Additional material

has been added to the paragraph that was dropped.

Where is everything?

Courtesy of Rick Jones ():

The Skinlands are what we living folks ("The Quick," in

Wraith lingo) live in. It's the "real" world. A half-step

away is the Shadowlands - the entropic reflection of the

Skinlands. The Shadowlands mimic the Skinlands, except

for two main differences: (1) everything looks run-down

and decayed, due to Oblivion's influence on the Skinlands,

and (2) there are wraiths and wraithly objects (or Relics:

Skinlands objects that were destroyed, leaving their

Shadowlands echoes behind) there. The "dimensional

barrier" between the Skinlands and Shadowlands is known

as the Shroud.

The Tempest is another dimension that's accessible fromthe Shadowlands. It's part hyperspace, part limbo, and part

hell. Deep in the Tempest are little pockets of more-stable

reality. One of them is known as Stygia, the Dark Kingdom

of Iron. It is the center of government and commerce for

European and American wraiths. Other Dark Kingdoms in

the Tempest are the Asian Dark Kingdom of Jade and the

African Dark Kingdom of Ivory. Even "farther" away from

the Dark Kingdoms are the Far Shores, pockets of reality

that are believed by some to be the afterlives described in

various religions.

How do the Shadowlands and the Tempest relate to the

Umbra and the other planes?

The Shadowlands is part of the Dark Umbra, a part of the

Umbra more-or-less sealed off from Garou, mages and

anyone who isn't dead. The Tempest is also part of the

Dark Umbra. The Deep Umbra and the Horizon Realms

have essentially nothing to do with the cosmology of

Wraith.

h FAQ http://web.archive.org/web/20020106140905/http://www.white-

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be smelted legally. For more details, check out Guildbook:

Artificers.

Are Shades sentient?

Shades, the biggest, nastiest Spectres that characters are

likely to meet, are only vaguely sentient. For the most part,

this translates to a Willpower of 0, because if you don'thave a mind you can't really set your mind to something.

However, for resisting Willpower-based attacks, treat a

Shade's Angst as its Willpower. Even if an animal doesn't

know what's hurting it, it will resist as much as it can.

Who runs a Harrowing, the Shadow or Spectres?

Harrowings (psychodramas that wraiths fall into when they

run out of Corpus or Willpower, or when their Passions or

Fetters are destroyed) are run by Spectres, with help from

the victim's Shadow. As explained in Dark Reflections:Spectres, certain Spectres have the ability to communicate

with a wraith's Shadow. These Spectres dredge up the

Harrowing's source material through conversations with the

Shadow. Spectres also plot and "perform" the Harrowing

within the Labyrinth, drawing forth from the Tempest any

of the props, tools or other items needed to make the

experience as unpleasant as possible for the trapped wraith.

The Shadow, while fully conscious of what's going on (and

giving advice and encouragement to the Spectres), is not in

charge. It just sits back and waits for a chance to take over

for good.

Why do the low-level Inhabit Arcanos abilities allinvolve computers?

Space in Wraith was limited, and those abilities are among

the most relevant for modern-day wraiths and chronicles.

Obviously, other uses of Inhabit exist, and they will be

detailed whenever possible and appropriate. Guildbook:

Artificers contains several examples. As always, we

encourage players and Storytellers to use their own

imaginations.

Is Charon Abel?

The short answer: NO!!!!

The long answer: Abel, if he ever existed, died a loooooong

time before Charon was born. Charon came out of the

Mycenaean civilization, while Abel (supposedly) died

sometime around 4000 B.C..


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Who is Charon, then?

No one really knows, except perhaps the Lady of Fate.

What happened to Charon, his mask and Siklos?

Charon went down in a whirlpool fighting the great

Malfean Gorool in the aftermath of the Fifth Great

Maelstrom in 1945. His blade Siklos vanished with him,

and neither has been seen since. Charon's mask was left

behind in the Citadel but mysteriously vanished after

Charon's putative demise. It has not been seen in decades.

How can I use Wraith with the other WoD games?

Wraith can be used to keep a favorite character who has

died in the game. Certain inhabitants of the World of

Darkness (sluagh, Giovanni, Samedi, Tremere, the very few

Nagaraja out there, Silent Striders, and Euthanatos andDreamspeaker mages) have a lot of contact with wraiths,

making for good crossover potential. Then there's the

Risen, wraiths who traipse around the Skinlands in their

decomposing bodies.

Do wraiths have minds that can be affected by

Magick/Gifts/etc.?

Yes and no. A wraith in the Shadowlands can only be

reached by, for example, a mage using Mind, but only if

Spirit is used too. A wraith who is Skinriding can beaffected "normally." When a mage makes contact with a

wraith, the mind contacted will be whichever is dominant:

Psyche or Shadow.

Can wraiths talk to any supernatural beings withoutusing Arcanoi or spending Pathos?

Wraiths cannot just "talk" to other supernatural beings, or

indeed anyone in the Skinlands, for free. At least basic

knowledge of Embody is necessary before a wraith's voice

can be heard (albeit faintly) in the Skinlands, without cost.

Can become a wraith?

Vampires can become wraiths if they are not diablerized or

do not achieve Golconda. However, vampires tend to have

lots of enemies waiting for them on the other side, and

ex-Kindred wraiths are prize catches for Giovanni.

Werewolves can become wraiths if and only ifthey are


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cursed or Wyrm-tainted. Most Garou souls are "recycled"

or join their ancestors. However, those Garou whose spirits

get Wyrm-tainted or otherwise corrupted can be trapped in

the Dark Umbra.

Mages can and frequently do become wraiths (Passion: get

those Technocracy SoBs for wiping out my senior prom

with a HIT-mark, or something like that).

Changelings possess faerie souls which are usuallyreincarnated into other bodies at the time of death.

Because of this, a changeling only rarely becomes a wraith.

Any changeling killed by cold iron does not reincarnate;

that changeling's soul is forever banished from the mortal

realm and so may become a wraith.

Mummies spend a good deal of time between bodies, in the

Shadowlands.

If a fomor doesn't fall directly into Oblivion, it could

conceivably become a wraith.

Psychics, people with True Faith, and hedge magicians canbecome wraiths, but lose their Numina (with the possible

exception of True Faith).

Remember that when a supernatural being becomes a

wraith, it loses all of its old powers. No more Disciplines,

Spheres, Gifts or Rage.

How do I decide if my character becomes a wraith upondeath?

Basically, if you can think up reasonable Passions andFetters, your Storyteller agrees on it, and it makes the story

better, your character becomes a wraith. There is no chart

("12% of all people killed in drive-by shootings become

wraiths") nor rolling of dice. Just see if it makes sense for

your character.

Incidentally, turning a deceased vampire/mage/whatnot

into a wraith can be a great way to continue a favorite

character (not to mention pester those who think they've

finally seen the last of you-know-who).

Did Samuel Haight become a wraith?

Samuel Haight is dead and did become a wraith. He was

Reaped by the Hierarchy and put to use serving that august

body to his best capacity; to wit, he is now a small and

delicately worked ashtray on a Hierarchy functionary's

desk.

Are Soulforged or Moliated objects conscious? Do they


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have Shadows?

No, Soulforged objects are not conscious, nor do they have

Shadows, or at least not that anyone has noticed (though

there are unpleasant rumors). Accepted wisdom is that

Soulforging destroys the personality of the soul being

hammered. Moliating does not.

Is there anything at all about Wraith on the net?

Yes. Tons. Well maybe not tons, but several pounds.

One of the best sources is the Wraith mailing list. To join

the list (also known as Wraith-l), send a message to

[email protected]. Leave the subject line

blank. In the body of your message write "subscribe

Wraith-l (your name)." Do not use a .sig. You should get a

reply saying you have successfully joined Wraith-l. Prepare

to be inundated with spam.

There are also several other good pages including:

Wraith Links on the Internet (http://pubweb.acns.nwu.edu

/~khu286/necro/wraith.html)

BJ Zanzibar's Wraith Page (http://ezinfo.ucs.indiana.edu

/~adashial/wod/wraith/wraith.html

Plasm (http://www.id,iit.edu/~petemaw1/www/Wraith.html

When my wraith talks to his Shadow, can other wraiths

hear it?

No, that conversation is strictly internal.

How about when Spectres talk to Shadows? Can that be

heard by others?

Nope. Again, such a conversation is entirely telepathic. For

more information, see the Dark Arcanos Contaminate in

Dark Reflections: Spectres.

How can I tell if my Shadowguide is playing my Shadowor her own character?

Suggested ways of differentiating between Shadow and

character include having the Shadowguide put on a black

domino mask when playing the Shadow, using a different

voice for the Shadow, or whispering to portray the

Shadow's voice. The best method is simply to arrange an

agreed-upon method of Shadow identification before each

session starts.


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Shadows now get experience. Who spends it?

The Psyche's player does, though input from Shadowguide

and Storyteller is recommended.

I have enough Shadow experience to buy my PermanentAngst up to 10? What happens now?

In a perfect world, you spend your Shadow experience on

something else. Permanent Angst should not be purchased

above Permanent Willpower with Shadow experience.

Why would you want to turn your character into a Spectre,

anyway?

My wraith has just been turned into a Spectre. Can Ikeep playing her?

Sure, though Dopplegangers are a lot easier to roleplay

than Shades or Nephwracks are. If your Circle will accept

your explanation for having vanished into the Tempest for

an long period of time, and your Circlemates are willing to

welcome your character back, go for it.

One of my Fetters was destroyed. Can I keep its relic asa Fetter?

Certainly not. Fetters must be physical objects (people,

places or things) in the Skinlands. Underworld objects and

denizens can not be Fetters.

What if a Silent Strider werewolf picks up my Fetterand carries it into the Dark Umbra? Is it still a Fetter?

Yes, because it has crossed into the Underworld physically

as opposed to by means of being destroyed. However, this

sort of situation is extremely rare.

Can I have Passions centered around the Underworld.

Most certainly. Most older wraiths have Passions almost

exclusively devoted to the Shadowlands and the Tempest,

and few or none dealing with the living.

How fast can a wraith move when using Ride theElectron Highway (Inhabit ), and can she take alongpassengers?


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Wraiths moving through electronic equipment move at the

speed of thought, which is pretty fast. This sort of ease of

movement has led to many Artificers abandoning the

Tempest as a method of travel between Skinlands points, as

moving through circuits is as fast and often safer. However,

it's hard to select where you're going, it's very easy to take

wrong turns, and competing for space with data packets

can get dangerous. However, wraiths traveling the electron

highway can not take passengers with them, limiting the

art's use.

What does the inside of the electron highway look like,anyway?

The entire system is representational; what it looks like

pretty much depends on what each individual wraith

moving around in it.

What other Awakened beings am I likely to see in theUnderworld?

Not many of any stripe, but the most frequent visitors are

Silent Strider Garou, and Euthanatos and Dreamspeaker

mages. Void Engineers are occasional visitors.

What about Giovanni vampires?

Even if they could travel to the Shadowlands, the masters

of Necromancy would know better than to meet wraiths on

their home turf.

How is Stygia now governed?

The Deathlords of seven of the Legions rule the Dark

Kingdom of Iron in a semi-feudal oligarchy. The Ladies of

Fate, servitors of the one true Lady of Fate, command their

own Legion but do not usually dabble in Stygian politics.

So who's really in charge?

It depends on whom you ask.

Where are the various Dark Kingdoms located in

relation to one another?

The true heart of each Dark Kingdom is tucked away in an

oasis of safety inside the Tempest, separated from all of the

other Kingdoms. However, each realm's Shadowlands


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occupies the same physical space as does its Skinlands.

Technically, a wraith could walk from a Stygian Necropolis

to the Bush of Ghosts or to the Yellow Springs.

Who controls the Shadowlands of the Middle East?

Stygian Legions followed Roman Legions there two

thousand years ago, and haven't relinquished control yet.

One of my Fetters is a human being, and I know he'sgoing to die some day. If I get him ghouled orEmbraced, do I lose him as a Fetter?

You definitely wouldn't if he were simply turned into a

ghoul. A Fetter turned into a vampire is more problematic,

as the human being technically dies in order to receive the

Embrace. In that instant, the Fetter is lost but can later be

re-attached through Lifeweb (after your Harrowing, of

course).

I have two Passions tied up in the same core emotion.

Do I roll for both if I'm in the presence of that emotion?

Yes, though it's recommended that you not double up

Passions on emotions. You can even roll for a Passion and

a Dark Passion simultaneously.

Can I convert one point of Permanent Angst into 10points of Temporary Angst?

Yes, but that defeats the purpose of the exercise.

If my wraith gets pulled into a Sandman's dreampageant, can he still use his Arcanoi?

Within the bounds of the shared dream, most certainly.

So what's so bad about being a Spectre, anyway?

Other than constant agony and the likelihood of being

devoured by one of your own allies, not much. Did I

mention the incessant suicide charges?

What happens to a wraith caught in a Maelstrom?

Lucky ones are simply whirled off to the Tempest. Unlucky

ones fall prey to the Spectres that ride the storm winds, or


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have their Corpus stripped away by the sheer force of the

wind.

Okay, so my wraith is about to be captured by a bunchof slavers and sold to the local Artificer. Why not just

have my character dump himself into a Harrowing toavoid escape?

In the short term, this is a good plan. On the other hand,

what if the slavers have someone skilled in Lifeweb with

them? They'll just be waiting at your character's Fetters

if/when he emerges from the Harrowing, when he'll be tired

and depleted.

My vampire/mage/changeling/Garou character justdied. Can I bring her back as a wraith?

Any vampire who is notdiablerized and who did not reach

Golconda before Final Death can become a wraith. MostGarou are reincarnated or join their ancestors as opposed

to becoming wraiths, but certain werewolves with

Wyrm-taint can become Restless Dead. Any sort of mage

can become a wraith, though she won't bring her Avatar

across the Shroud. Only changelings killed by cold iron can

become wraiths.

Will my vampire still have all of his Disciplines once hebecomes a wraith?

No. Any Awakened being of any type who becomes awraith starts out as a basic wraith - no Disciplines, no

Spheres, no Rotes, no Gifts, Cantrips or anything else.

Most formerly powerful supernatural beings take a while to

adjust to the Underworld ("You mean I can't throw fireballs

any more?"). Sometimes that adjustment period is too long

for their own good. Also, a great many Awakened beings

rack up quite a few enemies before crossing the Shroud,

and some of those enemies are certain to be waiting, and

have the added benefit of years of wraithly experience.

As with other wraiths, the appearance of an Awakened

being's ghost depends on how she viewed herself in life. A

Garou could conceivably become a Crinos-Form wraith,

but she would have only the shape, not the strength that

Crinos form bestows upon the living.

What about that city of vampires that's supposedly in

the Underworld? Can't those vampires use theirDisciplines?

Awakened beings that are physically transported into the

Underworld can still use their natural (or unnatural)


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abilities. As for the City of Enoch, those few wraiths who

have heard of it alternately claim that it has its own island

in the Tempest, a la Stygia, or that it's one of the less

popular Far Shores.

My wraith was French. One of my Circlemates wasAmerican. Another was German. How can we talk to

each other?

The language of death is universal. All of the wraiths from

a particular paradigm can converse, while their Linguistics

ratings determines how well they understand the languages

of "foreigners" who speak in the Skinlands.


Documents

Wraith: The Oblivion FAQ