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Ilian Stigmata |
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Ilian Stigmata |
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Below is some optional rules made up for the Mutant Chronicles RPG. In this instance it is for the gaining of stigmata for heretics of the dark apostle Ilian. This was written by Vincent.
The power that the Mistress of the Void grants is tremendous, but the price can be equally high as well. The servants of Ilian become living conduits for the power of Darkness. While their Dark Gifts can appear no different from that of other apostles, in reality they are much more intense.Due to the close connection of Ilian to the Void and the Dark Soul, her powers can corrupt both the body and the mind of her servants. Why this happens is not exactly known. The Brotherhood claims that the Dark Symmetry is cursed and that sooner or later it will finish by destroying all those that use it. This might seem plausible, but the fact remains that all other heretics serving under the four remaining apostles do not gain stigmata from their Dark Gifts.
The heretics themselves theorize that every apostle is infused with a small �shard� of the Dark Soul. However, in the case of every apostle the power of the Dark Soul is concentrated in one small aspect. For example, Algeroth�s power is infused mainly into his Dark Technology. That�s why his heretics can gain stigmata from an excess of Bio and Necro technology in their bodies. In the case of Ilian, Dark Souls� power resides mainly in her magical abilities. Thus, her followers gain stigmata from an excess of her Gifts.
Whatever the true reason is, followers of Ilian believe that a stigmata is a small price for their mistress�s power. And those who think otherwise, well, they don�t have much choice in that matter. Once you join the cult of Ilian, there is no way out.
Every time a heretic of Ilian gains a new Dark Gift, he has to make a MST check with DL equal to the number of the Dark Gifts he has (including the one he just received) times three, plus one for every stigmata he already has.Example: Joe the heretic of Ilian has already four of her Gifts and one Stigmata. He now received a new Gift for his exemplary service. He must make MST check with the DL 16. (5 Dark Gifts * 3 + 1 Stigmata) = 16
In case of a failed check the heretic automatically acquires a stigmata. It is also possible to get a stigmata due to a bad roll on Ilian Heretic Special Events Table.
Once a Stigmata is gained, roll 2d20 and consult the table below.
2. Partial Void Consumption This is probably the most bizarre thing that can happen to a heretic of Ilian. A part of your body becomes a living conduit to the Void. It can exist in two states. In the first state it is material. It looks like a normal body part, except that it is absolutely black. It is also terribly cold, as if it was made from ice. The heretic himself does not feel any coldness and is absolutely unaffected by this change.
In the second state the body part can become completely incorporeal. It switches to this state whenever heretic wishes so and will remain immaterial as long as he wishes. Should he ever loose consciousness, it will return to its material state. In the �ghostly state� the body part still appears solid, but it can easily pass through any matter. Anyone touching the body part will enter into contact with the Void, and thus suffer 1d2 points of cold damage. Wearing protective armor, even one that could stop the coldness of space, is of no help. The incorporeal body part can�t be used to pick any material items and can�t be damaged by any attacks, except for the Art. The heretic himself is immune to the cold damage. Interestingly enough, he is also not affected should another heretic suffering from this stigmata touch him.
Strangely, if the heretic ever travels to the Void, all his affected body parts will return to normal, but only as long as he stays there.
To determine which body part is affected roll on the Close Combat Hit Table. Should all of character�s body parts be turned into Void conduits, his body and soul will be completely consumed by the Void. For some weird and unexplained reason, the head is always the last part to go. Should the roll on the Close Combat Hit Table indicate that the head becomes a Void conduit, simply ignore the roll and make another roll.
3. Blood Hunger * You feel thirst for human blood. You do not need it to survive, but you do love its taste. It�s like a drug to you. If you try to control your urges, make a MST roll for every week you try to avoid drinking blood. If you fail, it means that you could not control yourself and had to drink some of that delicious, warm, red liquid. Exactly how you obtained it is left for the GM. Maybe you killed someone, or maybe you just broke into a blood bank. You must make a MST check every time you are exposed to fresh blood, except your own. If you drink 1L of blood per day, you will feel satisfied and there will be no need for MST checks. Drinking animal blood is of no help. Neither is drinking your own blood.
If you manage to survive three months without drinking blood, your addiction is automatically broken and you no longer suffer from this stigmata. However, you can gain it again just like any other stigmata.
As long as you have this stigmata you are +2 on all detection rolls.
4. Light Vulnerability * You are harmed by sunlight. Every body part that is exposed to sunrays will suffer one point of damage per minute of exposure.
5. Light Aversion You become very averse towards sunlight. It doesn�t cause you pain, but it makes you feel very uncomfortable. Every skill roll you make while exposed to sunlight will suffer �1 penalty. This penalty increases by one additional point for every level of Light Aversion you have. Artificial light does not affect you.
6. Sadist * Suddenly, you start deriving immense pleasure from the suffering of others. The pleasure is even greater if it is you who is causing them to suffer. Needless to say, this does not make you popular. You now suffer � 3 penalty to all Communication skills when around people who do not share your �passion.� (Assuming that they do know what kind of person are you.)
7. Power Pain The flow of Dark Symmetry thorough your body causes you pain. Every time you use a Dark Gift, you must make a MST check with DL equal to the level you have in this stigmata. A failure means that you were unable to contain and control the Dark Symmetry. Make PHY check with DL equal to the amount of MST points that you put into the Gift. Successful PHY check means that you the energies dissipate themselves harmlessly and the Gift simply fails. Failure means that you take 1d3 damage to the chest.
8. Weakness in the Mind The power inside you slowly eats your mind, your inner strength. Your spirit is being consumed. You loose permanently one point of MST.
9. Fangs * You grow fangs, similar to those of a vampire. This does not mean that you have to drink blood, or that you even want to drink blood. It just means that you have fangs. From now you must hide them. You are now on +1 on all your discovery rolls. Cutting or pulling the fangs out is of no use since they will grow back.
10. Flashy Eyes * Every time you are angered or excited your eyes start glowing with a light of a color of GM�s choice. The GM must pick what color it is. Once the choice is made, it is permanent. You are now on +1 to all discovery rolls. If you have the Glowing Eyes Stigmata, simply ignore this roll.
11. Pain from Art Presence * Just being in the presence of Art and Art users causes you pain. Being within few meters of a Brother who has even the slightest skill in Art will make the heretic feel physical pain. He will be on �1 on all skill rolls as long as he is in the presence of the Art user. The number of all Art users in close vicinity multiplies this penalty. Being close to a Keeper or someone else possessing similar mastery over Art will impose �2 penalty. If an Art spell is actually used within the few meters of the heretic, he must make a MST and PHY check with DL equal to the triple of the amount of Magnitudes that were put into the spell. If the two checks are successful, the heretic can control himself, but he will suffer from �6 penalty to all skill rolls. This is cumulative to any other penalties that the heretic has from the presence of Art users. If he fails even one check, he drops down in convulsions from pain and is unable to do anything as long as the spell lasts.
Should someone use an Art spell directly on the heretic, he must immediately make a MST and PHY checks with DL equal to five times the amount of Magnitudes put into the spell. If he succeeds, he will suffer a � 8 penalty to all skill rolls from intense pain. This penalty is cumulative to any other penalties the heretic might gather from the presence of Art users. Should he fail even one of the checks, the heretic will immediately pass out from immeasurable pain. This is in addition to any other effects the spell has on the heretic.
Interestingly, this stigmata never occurs in Brotherhood members who changed their allegiance and serve Ilian. If you are a heretic inside Brotherhood, simply ignore this stigmata and roll again.
12. Lack of Shadow * Your shadow disappears. From this moment you have no shadow. People will not notice immediately because no one cares about shadows, but they will unconsciously realize that something is wrong here. Eventually, they will notice. It is better for you to stick to areas with poor lightening where a shadow is normally invisible or difficult to notice. You are +2 on discovery rolls. This stigmata automatically cancels Shadow Movement and Cold Shadow stigmata.
13. Paranoia * There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who have power, and those who desire power. You have power, and all others want it. You become convinced that everyone is after you. Your paranoia prevents you from trusting anybody, not even your close friends and family members. Every time you must trust someone with something important, make a MST check. If you fail it, you won�t be able to trust that person.
14. Misty Breath * With every your breath mist can be seen coming out of your mouth and nose. This looks just like the typical mist one can see in cold weather. However, this mist is visible even in intense heat. If you live in a cold climate, you will be safe. But if you live in a warm climate, you are +2 on discovery rolls.
15. Destroy Life * The Darkness inside you sucks the life from your surrounding. All plants and small animals that spend more than few hours around you will become sick and die. Larger life forms will not suffer, but if they spend a lot of time with you they will feel weakened and depressed.
16. Day Sleep * You fall asleep during the day and wake up at night. Your sleep is very deep, much like a coma. It is almost impossible to wake you up. You will feel sleepy at sunrise and fall asleep within few minutes. It was noticed that should any Art spell be cast on a sleeping heretic, he wakes up immediately. However, once the danger is gone, he falls asleep again. Similarly, at sunset you will start waking up and be up and running in few minutes. You can try to remain awake when the day comes, but it is very difficult. Make a MST and PHY check every hour. The first two checks are made with DL0, but the DL goes up by three for every additional hour. If you fail even one check, you will fall asleep within few minutes. Drugs can be used to keep the sleep away. GM decided how powerful they are and how long they can keep the heretic awake.
17. Animal Fear * Animals sense something dark inside you. They are afraid of you and ran away. If they can�t, or if you try to catch them, they will become aggressive and attack you. This make riding on any kind of a mount impossible. However, the good thing is that wild animals will never attack you, unless you corn them or something like that. The Hounds of Ilian and other supernatural animals in the service of Dark Legion are not affected.
18. Coldness * Your body grows very cold, as if you were dead. This does not cause you any discomfort, but anyone touching you will notice it. You are +1 on your detection rolls.
19. Shadow Movement * Your shadow moves from time to time, even if you don�t. Exactly how this looks like depends on your GM. Perhaps the shadow moves his hand, although you didn�t. Or maybe it sometimes reacts too slowly. For example, if you lift your hand, your shadow will do it few seconds later. After each movement your shadow will return to the �right position.� In general, the shadow will move once every few minutes. You have absolutely no control over your shadow�s movements. Normally, people will not notice it because nobody is paying attention to shadows. Even if they do see it, they will think that it was only an illusion. However, if they observe your shadow for a longer period of time, they will finally realize that something supernatural is taking place. You are +1 on all discovery rolls. If you already have the Lack of Shadow Stigmata, simply ignore this roll and throw the dice again.
20. Paleness * Your flesh becomes absolutely white; similarly to the flesh of Ilian. You have to disguise it by putting on powder and paint. You are +2 on all detection rolls.
21. Black Clothes * This is a weird stigmata. Anything that you put on will within few minutes turn black. This applies to all clothing and armor. However, things that normally are not considered to be clothing (medals, jewelry, glasses, etc.) will remain unaffected. Once you take your clothes off, they will regain their original color within few minutes. You are +1 on discovery rolls.
22. Bad Blood * Your blood become completely black. Not dark red, but absolutely black. This does not cause you any harm, but might become troublesome if someone sees you bleed. From this moment on you are +1 on detection rolls.
23. Cold Shadow * Your shadow becomes a conduit to the Void. Anyone who is touched by your shadow will feel terrible coldness in the parts of the body that are exposed to the shadow. Wearing warm clothes or protective armor and/or being exposed to high temperatures will not help since the coldness comes from another dimension. The cold is not normally powerful enough to harm someone, but it can cause damage just like exposing yourself to cold temperatures for a longer period of time can. It is left for GM to determine the exact effects. If you already have the Lack of Shadow Stigmata, simply ignore this roll and roll again. You are +1 on all discovery rolls.
24. Vulnerability to Art * You are very vulnerable to Art. Add +1 to damage whenever you are harmed by Art.
25. Invisible Wind * Your hair and clothes are constantly flowing as if some invisible wind was moving them. However, they do that even if there is no wind at all. Plus, they move in slow motion. Anyone will immediately notice it. The theory is that they react to the invisible flow of the Dark Symmetry that flows through our reality. Anyone looking at you will immediately notice the strange movement of your hair and clothes. You can prevent it by shaving your head and wearing tight clothes that stick to your body. If you don�t do that, you are +2 on detection rolls.
26. Cold Shivers Your connection to the Void is very strong. So strong that you can feel its coldness at all times. You constantly feel cold. All attempts to warm you up are useless because the coldness comes from the Dark Symmetry inside your body. The cold is unpleasant and it is always with you. It affects your body and imposes �1 penalty to all movement and combat skills for every level you have in this stigmata.
27. God Syndrome * You start feeling invincible and extremely arrogant. You feel that all your subordinates are your slaves. While you continue to respect those above you, you resent their control nevertheless. You can�t help but challenge them whenever you can. Every time someone challenges you, or when you have an occasion to show someone your superiority but prefer to keep quiet, you must make a MST check. Even so, your attitude makes people angry. You suffer �2 penalty to all Communication skills.
28. Deep Voice Your voice becomes very loud. For every level you have in this stigmata you will impose �1 penalty on all communication skills and +1 on all detection rolls. At level four your voice will become like thunder. You won�t be able to fool anyone into believing that you are human, well, unless you pretend to be mute.
29. Light Extinguish * All sources of light that are within few meters will slowly extinguish themselves. Fires will slowly grow smaller until they die. Lamps will grow darker and darker until they cease to give any light. The time it takes depends on the intensity of the light source. Candles will be gone within few seconds, while a large bonfire can take around ten minutes. Once you leave the area, all the sources of light that are still powered will within few seconds start providing illumination again. Thus, if a fire was extinguished, it won�t come back again, but if a lamp is still supplied with electricity, it will become brighter and brighter until it functions normally.
There is no way to prevent that. However, sources of light that are further away from you won't be affected, and neither will be their light. So, you don�t always have to be in darkness. All you have to do is to locate a source of light that is in a safe distance. Interestingly, light created by Art spells is not affected at all.
30. Weakness in the Body The power inside you weakens considerably your body. You loose permanently one point of PHY.
31. Temporary Blindness Sometimes you become blind and see nothing by absolute blackness. Heretics theorize that this is not real blindness, but that the heretics with this stigmata actually stop seeing the real world and observe the Void. This might be true since blinded heretics reported that sometimes they can discern some shapes among the complete darkness. Whether these shapes are real, or are they simple products of imagination, no one knows. The blindness can strike at any time. You have absolutely no control over it. How often it occurs and how for long depends on the level you have in this stigmata. At the first level you might go blind for few seconds once every few days. At the tenth level you would go blind for days and retrieve your sense of sight only for few hours before going blind again. Medical examination of the eyes will reveal that there is no apparent cause for the blindness. All treatments are pointless. Nothing will help. Not even Art.
32. White Harm * You are hurt whenever you touch something white. This is probably due to the fact that white color symbolizes the cursed Light and life. The Darkness inside you hates it and rejects it. Whenever you touch something white, that part of your body will feel intense heat. For every minute of touching white you will take one point of damage to all body parts in contact with the white surface.
33. Cold Aura * You attract the Void like a magnet and bring it closer to this reality. All those within few meters of you will feel coldness, which is in reality the Void. The coldness is very strong and unpleasant. No matter the temperature of the room and the amount of warm clothing being worn, there is no way to avoid feeling cold. You yourself, feel absolutely nothing. It is important to remember that the temperature around you does not actually drop down. It�s just that the people around you feel coldness. You are +1 on discovery rolls.
34. Dark Aura The power of Darkness inside you leaks out. People are able to sense unconsciously something disturbing inside you. For every level you have in this stigmata, you will suffer a �1 penalty to all your Communication skills.
35. Fire Vulnerability You become very vulnerable to fire. For every level you have in this stigmata, you will suffer one additional point of damage from all fire attacks. At higher levels your body will burn like paper.
36. Glowing Eyes * Your eyes are glowing continuously with a light of GM�s choice. This stigmata replaces Flashy Eyes, if you have it. You must always hide your eyes behind sunglasses. From this moment on you are +2 on detection rolls.
37. Darkening * Your eyes become completely black. Anyone will immediately notice that you are not human. You can try to hide this by wearing sunglasses. You are +2 on detection rolls.
38. Dark Symmetry Manifestation You channel the dark energies without the ability to completely control them. Every time you are using a Dark Gift, some of the Dark Symmetry leaks out and manifests itself. This might take any form the GM decides. For example, black lightning can dance around your hands for few seconds, or some strange, incomprehensible whispers might be heard in your vicinity. Of course, certain Dark Gifts are impossible to hide anyway because they create visible effects, but some are more subtle. Using those gifts without anyone noticing with this stigmata becomes very difficult, if not impossible. Any Brotherhood member around the character will immediately realize what is happening. Other people might not guess what exactly is taking place, but they will realize that they are witnessing something supernatural.
For every level in this stigmata the manifestation of Dark Symmetry becomes more visible. For example, at the first level a slight tremor can manifest itself when a character is using a Dark Gift. At the tenth level the tremor turns into a small earthquake.
39. Void Travel You are somehow trapped between this world and the Void. From time to time you phase out of this dimension and reappear in the Void. The observers will see you dematerialize, become transparent like a ghost and then simply vanish. Once this happens, you will end up in the Void. The frequency and the time you spend in the Void depend on the severity of this stigmata. At the first level, you will vanish once per month and stay in the Void for few minutes. At the tenth level you will disappear once every few hours and stay in the Void for days. Ultimately, it is GM�s decision how often your travel occurs and for how long it will last.
Normally, you have no control over your travel. It can happen at any time. However, you will feel what is happening a minute before you start phasing out. This gives you a chance to move to an isolated location where no one will see you vanish. From this moment on you are +3 on all discovery rolls.
40. Time Alternation The dark energies that pass through you affect the time continuum around you. Sometimes, you find yourself moving faster than the world around you, or much slower. The frequency of this event and its severity depend on the level you have in this stigmata. At the first level the time around you would be altered once per week and only for a short period of time. At such a low level you would move slightly faster than those around you (if the time runs faster for you) or slightly slower (if the time runs slower for you). At the tenth level this would occur at least a dozen times per day for few minutes at a time and you would be able to dodge bullets (if speeded up) or see everyone pass around you faster than lightning (if slowed up). The details are left for the GM to decide.
Some players might actually like this stigmata. They will tell themselves: �All right. Now I can dodge bullets. I�m a god.� First, the heretic has absolutely no control over this event. He can�t trigger it or end it. It can occur at any time. Second, you have no control how it will look like. You might be speeded up at first, then slowed down, then speeded up again.
This is also a very dangerous stigmata. Your body doesn�t take it lightly to work in a different time continuum. Every time you come back to the true time, you must make a PHY check with the DL equals to the level you have in this stigmata times two. If the check ever fails, your body will age by one month. By itself it has no effect, although accumulation of months will lead to premature aging, penalties from old age, and eventual death. The people around you will eventually notice that you form time to time move very strangely. You are +2 on discovery rolls.
Removing Stigmata It is possible to remove a stigmata. Every time you obtain a new Dark Gift, you can instead ask for removal of one of your stigmata. Also, once you start adventuring, you can spend 10 Heretic Points to have one stigmata removed. Only a priest of Ilian, or a Nepharite of Ilian can remove a stigmata.
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