Berserker (2-pt.
Mental Flaw)
The Elohim was likely a foot soldier or guerilla fighter during the Age of Wrath
and Time of Atrocities, a vicious killer long before being cast into Hell. Or
perhaps her interminable entrapment in the Abyss wore away her sanity. But even
moreso than that of other demons, the fallen's Torment is a force of roiling
rage and hatred, and is powerful enough to drive the fallen angel into uncontrollable
rampages. In addition to netting temporary Torment for her actions during the
rage, a berserking demone isn't in a rational state, and will do things like
assume apacolyptic form, burst into flame, or enhance physical capabilities
– all to the detriment of foes and bystanders and the horror of witnesses.
While the Berserker Flaw almost assures that the character isn't long for this
world (due to the actions of other fallen, mortal hunters or others), she will
cause a great deal of damage while she's around. Depite the stereotype, this
Flaw isn't quite as common among Raveners as one might think; however, to no
one's surprise, many Devourers are berserkers. However, the passions that drive
Devils and Defilers overwhelm some of them during battle...
Whenever the character feels genuine rage or fear (when she's is in mortal danger
or is attacked in ernest), the character's player must make a Virtue check (difficulty
of his permanent Torment score or 5, whichever is greater). The Virtue rolled
depends on the trigger event or emotion: when enraged, Conviction is rolled
to avoid frenzy, while an angel in the throes of fear checks Courage. If the
player fails to attain a success on this roll, the Elohim automatically assumes
apocalyptic form and uncontrollably attacks the source of her consternation,
or barring that the nearest living thing, for as long as the Storyteller decrees;
a botch means the character rampages for the duration of the scene. During this
time, she is immune to fear, mind control, and pain; ignore wound penalties.
While Willpower may be spent on the Virtue roll to avoid rampage, it's not so
easy to extricate oneself from it once in that state; the character must spend
a number of Willpower points equal to half her permanant Torment (rounded up)
to pull herself from frenzy, though a botched Virtue roll demands that one permanent
Willpower point be spent to regain control.
Unless the player finds some way to buy off this Flaw, the character's permanent
Torment can never be lower than 3.
Celestial Correspondence (1- to 5-pt. Infernal Merit or
Flaw)
The character's power is linked to some sort of event, and his power either
waxes or wanes when it comes to pass. The manifestations of these mystic connections
vary wildly, but are always tied in some way to the duties of the angel's house
in Creation. For example, Defilers are often tied to the tides and sea, Scourges
have powerful connentions to weather and wind, and Fiends are affected by the
movement of planets and stars. What follows are only general guidelines; Storytellers
should tailor costs and benefits to their chronicles.
As a Merit, the cost of Celestial Correspondence is based on the frequency of
the trigger. An event that occurs often (such as noon, high tide, the spilling
of fresh blood) will cost 4 or 5 freebie; one that occurs less frequently (full
moon, thunderstorms, or menustration) costs 2 or 3; and triggers based on rare
events (solar eclipses, volcanic eruptions, equinoxes) cost but one freebie.
The benefits the demon receives as a result of the event may be any one of the
following: permanent Faith increases by 1 for event's duration; permanent Torment
decreases by 1 for event's duration; invocation difficulties for house Lores
decrease by 1 for event's duration; gain two points of temporary Faith or Willpower
at beginning or end of event; lose two points of temporary Torment at beginning
or end of event; the effects of two revelatory characteristics are enhanced
for event's duration; heal all damage at beginning or end of event.
When taken as a Flaw, Celestial Correspondence inflicts some penalty on the
character when the event occurs. Use the above guideline for frequency of triggers,
but instead award more freebie for more common events (so a noon trigger is
worth 5 freebie, and an eclipse 1). Choose one of the following penalties to
be associated with the trigger event: permanent Torment increases by 1 for event's
duration; permanent Faith decreases by 1 for event's duration; invocation difficulties
for house Lores increase by 1 for event's duration; gain two points of temporary
Torment at beginning or end of event; lose two points of temporary Faith or
Willpower at beginning or end of event; the effects of two revelatory characteristics
are decreased for event's duration; the fallen must assume visage for event's
duration or one scene, whichever is longer; the character can't assume visage
form for event's duration or one scene, whichever is longer.
Controlled Torment (5-pt. Infernal Merit)
Do to rigorous meditations, intimate understanding of her Torment, or a strong
bulwark of Faith, a character with Controlled Torment possess a remarkable degree
of control over her darkest urges, allowing her to channel Torment with less
risk to her soul. While the demon feels Torment as keenly as any other demon,
she's somewhat less subject to it, and more able to steer it in the direction
she needs it to go. However, this is akin to throwing a hornets' nest at someone
and hoping not to get stung; the roiling energy of Torment can backfire on those
who would use it to their own ends. No fallen angel can claim to truly control
her anguish.
The effects of Controlled Torment are as follows. First, the Elohim's initial
permanent Torment score is increased by 1; even as she reigns it in, her familiarity
with her inner darkness lends it strength. She may resist the temporary Torment
gain associated with channeling the high-Torment version of evocations with
a successful Faith roll (difficulty 9); however, a botch on this roll nets her
two points of Torment instead of one. The fallen also channels high-Torment
apocalytic form characteristics with less risk; when in revelatory form, she
starts gaining Tormented characteristics at a Torment rating of 5 (instead of
7), and the player may spend one point of Torment to manifest two Tormented
characteristics instead of one. Finally, the fallen's Torment is treated two
points lower than its actual rating when determining the appearance of her visage,
as her Torment doesn't ravage her spiritual identity quite so badly.
Crisis of Faith (4- or 7-pt. Infernal Flaw)
The eons in the Abyss weren't kind to the angel with this Flaw, eroding resolve
and sense of purpose before it spat the crippled spirit back into the world.
The character's beginning Faith is reduced to 2 for 4 freebie; for an award
of 7 points, his initial Faith is but 1.
Diverse Lore (2-pt. Infernal Merit)
The fallen angel made strong connections, either honorable or treacherous, with
another fallen house, and she learned their secrets. Or, perhaps God's role
for her in Creation was somewhat different than for most of her house, such
as a sea-manipulating Rabisu charged with protecting marine life. Pick one house
other than that the character belongs to. The demon may treat Lores associated
with that house as if they were common Lores and invest in them at character
generation, though she must have at least one dot of Lore from her house (her
primary Lore).
Faded Glory (2-pt. Infernal Flaw)
The crippled Elohim doesn't provoke Revelation in mortal onlookers when in revelatory
form or when using Lores. No character can have both this Flaw and the Flaw:
Mark of the Beast.
Focused Mind (3-pt. Mental Merit)
The character is confident and sure of her abilities, and knows when to exert
herself and when to hold back her reserves. Up to three times per day, the player
may choose to spend one of her character's Willpower points after the roll is
made, rather than having to call the expenditure beforehand. This allows more
efficient use of Willpower, allowing players to cancel unexpected botches and
not waste Willpower points on rolls where the extra success isn't needed. A
character can still only spend one Willpower per turn this way.
A player may not choose to spend Willpower based on the results of others' rolls,
only that of his character. For example, he can choose to spend a Willpower
after his character attains only a marginal success on an attack roll, but he
can't spend a Willpower to cancel an opponent's single Dodge success after seeing
the results of the Dodge roll.
A character must have at least a Willpower of 5 and a Wits of 3 to possess this
Merit.
Ghoul (5-pt. Physical Merit)
The character either found himself in the body of a Cainite's thrall (who do
suffer disproportionately from broken spirits), or for some reason drank Cainite
blood after he attained his mortal shell. In either case, the Elohim gains several
benefits from the presence of Cainite blood in his body, while his demonic nature
means he suffers from none of the mind- and emotion-binding that mortal ghouls
do (at least, most of the time). Be warned, however, it's not a free ride. A
Cainite master who suspects disloyalty or resistance to the "blood bond"
in a ghoul won't hesitate to kill him, so it's often in the fallen's best interests
to at least act like a loyal toady until the tables can safely be turned. Also,
the ghoul requires an infusion of undead blood at least once per month to retain
the benefits of this Merit, though it may come from any source. And finally,
certain very powerful and old Cainites may have blood potent enough to force
the loyalty of even an Elohim (with a variety of equally potent mind-control
powers to boot), though it would still take far more to enslave a fallen angel
than a mortal.
The undead blood grants the demon one automatic success on any Strength-based
roll, in addition to any he attains on the dice. (If you have Vampire: the Maquerade,
use Potence .) He may soak lethal damage at difficulty 6. The character may
also perform any one of the following feats once per day (or as often as he
feeds on Cainite blood that day): heal one level of lethal or bashing damage;
gain an extra die to roll on any one Physical Attribute for a scene.
However, this extra power comes with a price. In addition to having to deal
regularly with the undead spawn of Caine to get his "fix" (never a
safe prospect), the demon-ghoul's effective permanent Torment rating is increased
by 1 while there's Cainite blood in his body. This dot is temporary and goes
away once the character goes about a month without drinking the foul stuff,
but it's treated like normal Torment in the meantime. The Celestial also inherits
a nasty temper which can drive him into destructive rages, as per the Berserker
Flaw (though recieves no extra freebie for it).
There is an additional risk, one that a fallen angel won't likely be aware of.
If the Elohim falls to zero temporary faith, he will become enthralled with
the Cainite from whom he drinks, to the point that he will risk his life for
his master. This also means that he won't willingly break his servitude, and
won't be able to regain Faith until the bonds of servitude are somehow broken
(which the demon won't willingly do). This can lead to some interesting dilemmas
for ghoul characters trying to reassert their identities.
Known True Name (3-pt. Social Flaw)
Somehow someone got a hold of the character's True Name (maybe through her own
carelessness), and that person can't keep his yap shut. Or perhaps it was recorded
in some well-read demonic tome. Now it's floating around out there, and the
hapless character is bullied by other demons that have her name, is summoned
by mortal magicians at the most inconvenient times, and often hears people talking
about her (which is distacting). Despite the demon's efforts at damage control
(such as killing those who know it), her name is in occult circulation and someone
always knows it. Some fallen talk about methods of changing one's True Name
either partially or totally (like eating the souls of other fallen, finding
a legendary archmagus and allowing him to "rewrite" your soul, or
swearing fealty to an Earthbound), and the character likely researches these
possibilities with abandon.
This Flaw is certain to delight Storytellers, who will no doubt make sure some
nemesis will have and use the character's True Name. To determine randomly if
a character that might justifiably know the Elohim's True Name actually does,
the Storyteller may make roll Occult by itself (difficulty 8 for demons, 9 for
sorcerers, Tremere, Baali and others); demons may add their Legacy to this roll.
Demon Lore may be subtituted for Occult; in this case, lower difficulties by
1. A successful roll indicates the Elohim's True Name is known to that individual,
though how this information comes to bear is up to him.
Legacy of the Abyss (2-pt. Infernal Flaw)
The character was especially vulnerable to the horrors of Hell, or perhaps he
has an especially monstrous nature. Whatever the reason, his starting permanent
Torment (by House) is increased by 1.
Locked Visage (2-pt. Infernal Flaw)
It's hard for the fallen to manifest her revelatory form. She must spend a point
of Faith to assume her visage (a Faith roll won't cut it), and it takes a full
turn to manifest it. While the character can act normally during the turn she
assumes her apocalyptic form, she doesn't gain its benefits until the turn after
its activation.
Mark of the Beast (2-pt. Infernal Flaw)
Something of the demon's Torment leaks to the surface, which unnerves humans
and prevents gainful interaction with them – unless his definition of
"gainful" is scaring the wits out of them (which is just fine with
many demons). While a blood-soaked Ravener, bestial Rabisu or bookish Fiend
occultist may never bemoan or even notice Mark of the Beast, those of the first
and fifth houses who bear it are at a particular disadvantage, and must take
special care to keep their Torment low.
The character's Social roll difficulties are increased by 1 for every three
full dots of Torment he has. Also, his Revelation inspires only creates terror,
and unable to inspire such things as simple awe. No character can possess both
Mark of the Beast and the Flaw: Faded Glory.
Reduced Traits (Variable)
You can sacrifice points from your character's initial spread to gain points
to spend elsewhere. Note that the freebie granted for dots don't match up to
their costs; i.e., you won't get the same freebie for sacrificing a dot as you
would have to pay to get it. Them's the breaks; if you want that fifth dot of
Lore of the Flame bad enough, you won't mind being average or inept at everything
else, right? Keep in mind the 7-point limitation on Flaws.
One dot of Attribute = 3 freebie; one dot of Ability/ Virtue = 1 freebie; two
dots of Backgrounds = 1 freebie; one dot of Lore = 4 freebie.
Reflexive Manifestation (2-pt. Infernal Flaw)
When in danger, surprised, or witnessing manifestations of Celestial power,
the fallen Elohim has a tendency to assume his revelatory form, which can trigger
mass Revelation and panic when he's in a crowded subway – and also attract
the attention of demon hunters, other Elohim or worse things. Needless to say,
this can be a bad thing. When a trigger event occurs (as determined by the Storyteller),
the player may make a Willpower roll (difficulty 6); if she succeeds, her character
avoids assuming apocalyptic form, though he's free to do so willingly. A failed
Willpower roll forces the player to immediately make a Faith roll for the character
to assume his visage (and no, the player can't choose to fail the roll!), while
a botch forces the fallen to assume revelatory form, and remain in that shape
for a number of turns equal to his permanent Faith.
Residual Soul (2- to 6-pt. Infernal Flaw)
For some reason, something didn't go right when the demon entered the host.
The host's soul, weakened and battered as it is, still clings to its former
body, stubbornly refusing (or is perhaps unable) to release its hold and just
frigging die. Most likely, the soul's tie to the body was stronger than the
demon originally thought: she moved in too quickly, and by the time she realized
her error, it was too late to leave the body and find another (as any body,
even a shared one, is better than being pulled back into the Abyss). Now that
she's set up house, she can control the body just fine most of the time and
can access the host's memories normally, but the soul makes a point to assert
itself in situations in which the demon's actions deeply offend it (which may
well be quite often). While moving on to another body is a possibility, that
carries its own set of problems. Until the character finds a Slayer with the
Lore of Death sufficient to sever the soul from its moorings (or learns the
Lore herself) – an option in itself full of risk – she's stuck with
this mortal's soul. This predicament is often terribly amusing to other demons,
who will consider the fallen weak for being unable to wrest the body from its
former owner, and even the kindest fallen respond to her with pity rather than
respect. Add 2 to Social roll difficulties when the character interacting with
other demons.
The soul has a Willpower score and a Nature; Willpower is equal to the freebie
granted by this Flaw, minus one (rating of 1 to 5), and the Nature is usually
chosen by the Storyteller (though she may trust a player not to abuse the privilege
of picking it himself). It has no Faith (and can't become a thrall or a source
of Faith), nor any other statistics; it isn't a full spirit, just the shell
of an identity clinging to its body, unable to act other than to occasionally
harry the resident fallen's efforts. When a character acts in a way that contradicts
or violates the soul's nature (as determined by the Storyteller), the Storyteller
may roll the spirit's Willpower (difficulty of the demon's Willpower), with
each success on the roll cancelling one of the demon's successes. The spirit's
temporary Willpower may be spent as well, with each point cancelling a success
the fallen rolled; the temporary pool recovers at a rate of one per night. This
resistance can only be applied when the demon acts in a way directly contrary
to the soul's Nature (a Caregiver might subvert attempts to attack someone,
but wouldn't fight Subterfuge or Drive rolls), and the soul shouldn't make more
than three or four Willpower rolls/ point expenditures per day.
The demon, on the other hand, can cancel the residual spirit's Willpower successes
and point expenditures by spending her own Willpower, with each point cancelling
a success or spent point. While this may work for the short-term, this has the
effect of gradually wearing the fallen's phyche and resolve down – which
is exactly what the soul wants. If a fallen ever falls to zero Willpower for
any reason, the host can temporarily take control by spending one temporary
Willpower, and may act through that body according to its own Nature and desires
for one scene. During this time, the Storyteller controls the character. While
the soul may well do things the demon doesn't approve of (turnabout is fair
play, after all!), it lacks the focus and self-determination to do anything
truly drastic, such as commit suicide.
The soul is resistant to manipulation via Lore of the Spirit, as it's not technically
a ghost; it's still connected to its body, and thus alive. It is possible to
use Extinguish Life (Lore of Death ) to sever the mortal's soul from its body,
but this is tricky because the seperation between the dual souls is indistinct,
and it's possible for the operating demon to cut into the wrong soul with the
evocation. While even one success on the Strength + Awareness roll is enough
to rip the soul away (and thus freeing the character from the effects of this
Flaw), the soul is allowed a Willpower roll (difficulty of the acting Elohim's
Willpower); if the spirit's successes exceed the demon's evocation successes,
the spirit manages to shunt the effects of Extinguish Life onto the demon residing
in its body! In this case, the acting demon's successes are calculated against
the fallen normally, with nasty results.
Storytellers, beware those players who will take Residual Soul with the intention
of getting rid of it in the first few sessions. Make it tough for them to find
someone qualified to help them. If they do manage to rid themselves of the pesky
soul, feel free to make the character pay through the nose either in-game (such
as being indebted to the demon or other creature that helped them), forcing
them to spend accumulated exp, or through assigning other Flaws to make up the
difference (namely Haunted). This Flaw is meant to be a roleplaying opportunity
and unique character facet, though some players won't see it that way. Some
Storytellers may spot problem players and deny them the Flaw outright, but more
sinister ones will give it to them anyway and let them reap its rewards...
Revelatory Reflection (2-pt. Infernal Flaw)
The Elohim's mortal form's reflection is always that of his revelatory form.
Not only does this complicate grooming and dressing, it makes going to places
like clubs and casinos very tricky, and even reflective storefront windows,
water or glass can reveal him in all his glory (or infamy). Mortals who clearly
see the character's reflection are subject to Revelation. Note that this Flaw
afflicts those who have revelatory characteristics that conceal reflections;
this revelatory trait only kicks in when the character is wearing his visage.
Selective Manifestation (2-pt. Infernal Merit)
The character can briefly channel one of the benefits of his angelic visage
through his host's mortal body. This effect only lasts for a few moments, but
often that's all that's needed. A successful Faith roll (difficulty 7) allows
a character to apply a single revelatory characteristic or benefit he possesses
to his human form; this lasts for a number of turns equal to the successes on
the Faith roll, though multiple Faith rolls may be made to keep the enhancement
active. A botch drains a point of Faith from the character and renders the Merit
unusable for the next 24 hours. Selective Manifestation allows a character to
perform certain extraordinary tasks or gain useful traits without having to
employ his visage (and risk Revelation or undue attention); popular enhancements
include reduced Ability difficulties, enhanced Attributes, Extra Actions, or
apacolyptic soaking benefits. Certain traits – Huge Size, Shroud of Flames
and Quills are only a few examples – can be channeled into the host's
body, but are blatant effects and largely defeat the purpose of this Merit.
Strong Visage (3-pt. Infernal Merit)
The character has one more revelatory characteristic than normal, which may
be chosen from any visage – pending the Storyteller's discretion, of course.
(If the player is using the point-based method for building characters presented
in the Demon Players Guide, then he has 3 additional points, for a total of
19, to buy abilities.) This Merit may only be taken once.
Visage of the Beast (1-pt. Infernal Flaw)
The character's revelatory form is not that of the archetypal angel, but that
of some legendary creature, such as a totemic animal, sphinx, dragon, gryphon,
or mystical bird. While Visage of the Beast most commonly appears among Devourers,
it manifests almost as often among other houses, with the nature of the creature
reflecting that of its house. While the lack of humanoid form can be problematic
(for example, driving or wielding weapons are right out), the character gains
some sort of benefit related to her morphology in the form of a "free"
or enhanced apocalyptic characteristic; avian forms can fly faster and with
great agility, while the form of a bear would have enhanced size and strength.
The fallen may speak and think normally, regardless of the particulars of her
form. And as with conventional visages, the demon's appearance reflects her
Torment, with higher ratings in that trait yielding more monstrous forms. For
example, a Native American Slayer with the revelatory form of a great raven
would have a majestic appearance, with black feathers and intelligent eyes,
and possess advanced flight and excellent vision. However, the Tormented form
might resemble a demonic vulture, complete with patches of cracked flesh showing
through its tattered and matted feathers; the demon would sport glowing red
eyes, and exude the smell of carrion.
Real-world animals, mythical monsters, and relevant mythological figures are
below, listed by house; creative players and Storytellers can combine elements
of these creatures and divine beings to create unique visages all their own.
Even better, pick up a book on mythology and cook up your own ideas.
Namaru (Devils): Lion, eagle, cobra, gryphon, fire-breathing
dragon, the Phoenix.
Asharu (Scourges): Owl, falcon, horse, tengu, pegasus, Garuda.
Annunaki (Malefactors): Bull, elephant, scorpion, turtle, Minotaur.
Neberu (Fiends): Baboon, ibis, spider, bat, tortoise, Sphinx.
Defilers (Lammasu): Shark, peacock, Asian water dragon, Kraken,
thunderbird, Leviathan.
Rabisu (Devourers): Wolf, tiger, serpent, stag, manticore,
chimera.
Halaku (Slayer): Raven, condor, hyeana, moth, jackal, Cerberus.
Weak Visage (2-pt. Infernal Flaw)
The Elohim has one less revelatory characteristic than normal, player's choice
as to which is lost. (If the player is using the point-based method for building
characters presented in the Demon Players Guide, then she has 3 less points
to spend, for a total of 13.)