MOLIATE

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The soulstuff of wraiths, called plasm, is a far more malleable substance than flesh. Moliate, sometimes called soulshaping, is the power of sculpting and rearranging that plasm. Wraiths who know the secrets of Moliate can make plasm beautiful, cause it to shimmer or glow, and even make it look vibrantly alive. They can also sculpt it into any horrific disfigurement imaginable. Moliate turns plasm ever-so-briefly fluid, just long enough for a talented shaper to create a vision of beauty or a thing out of nightmare. The more complicated the effect sought with Moliate, the longer it takes. Simply ripping off a chunk of plasm or drawing a clenched fist into a club is nearly instantaneous, while reshaping a wraith into a finely worked seat cushion or reworking the appearance of one’s entire Corpus can take minutes or even hours. Those wraiths that are talented in the use of Moliate almost can not help but use it on themselves to look better. If a wraith seems to be just a bit too perfect looking, chances are very good they know this Arcanos.

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SPECIAL RULES:

Failed Moliate rolls often result in something more or less the opposite of what was desired: A wraith who wants to become more handsome loses points of Charisma a Rend attack instead heals some health points; new limbs have their own eerie intelligence and a hatred of their host body. Fixing these mistakes is troublesome and taxing at best, impossible at worst, and fuel for everyone concerned’s Shadows in the meantime.

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MOLIATE + EMBODY

Yes, use of Embody allows a wraith to carry any moliated additions /alterations to his corpus to cross the shroud.

However a wraith cannot "Flesh Craft" a non wraith.

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MOLIATE COMMON

◉ IMITATE (COMMON) 
The first art a Masquer learns is how to change her face to impersonate another wraith. She may only alter the shape of her face, not any other part of her body, and has an easier time doing this if she can see the visage she wants to mimic.

SYSTEM:

NORMAL ACTION

SPEND: 1 PATHOS

ROLL:    DEXTERITY + MOLIATE

DIFFICULTY:

• 14+ If the wraith can see the subject

• 18+ If the wraith is working from memory.

• 10+ if the masquer has a Skinmask of the subject, See REND

The number of successes on the roll indicate how good a job the Masquer did.

Other characters must roll

PERCEPTION + OCCULT: DIFFICULTY 10 + Masquer's Dexterity + Moliate rank and achieve more successes than masquer did to realize it’s a disguise.

The change lasts until the Masquer chooses to change back or is somehow forced to.

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◉◉ SCULPT (COMMON) 
Sculpt lets a Masquer alter his own Corpus — or another wraith’s. This ranges from simple adornments (adding colors, glows, or tattoos), to enhancing or changing a wraith’s appearance, to major changes like creating fangs or more limbs. He cannot, however, create additional
or alternate sensory organs. To do that requires Panoply of Eyes (see below).

SYSTEM:
EXTENDED ACTION: (roll each turn until desired successes are achieved)

SPEND 1 HEALTH (Or SUBJECT SPENDS 1 HEALTH) (1 PATHOS per success IF used to heal)
ROLL:    DEXTERITY + MOLIATE RANK

DIFFICULTY: 12+

SUCCESSS:

• Mere cosmetic changes (like adding a tattoo or changing skin color) require 2 successes,

• Minor changes require 3-4 successes

• Major changes (like adding or removing limbs and organs) require 5-6 successes

• Altering the entire body requires 8 or more successes.

• All changes made are .permanent (though another use of Sculpt can change that)

• Alternatively Sculpt can heal 1 point of aggravated damage per success, although there is a pathos cost for this.

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Generally speaking, Sculpt can’t alter a wraith’s physical capabilities (or his deathmark). It cannot, for example, add dots of Strength, increase his running speed, or let him make extra attacks in a turn. Exceptions to that general rule include the following scenarios:

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• A wraith Moliated to have fangs can bite a grappled opponent + 1 attack bonus on grappled target. 

• Moliated to have claws adds a +1 bonus to brawl rolls.  (cannot stack with armory or fist loads)

• Other than this, a Masquer needs Armory (see below) to shape his body into weapons.

A Masquer can add or subtract dots of his subject’s Charisma by disfiguring them. This amount of dots reduced is equal to Masquer's MOLIATE RANK 

A wraith cannot use additional limbs to attack more frequently, defend himself, move more swiftly, or the like. But the limbs are otherwise as functional as their form permits and may allow the wraith to do things someone with their original number of limbs cannot (for example, use two hands to play the drums while holding up a relic trash can lid to protect himself from thrown relic bottles in his third hand), Or could have an extra limb that the masquer can apply Armory to, leaving the subject able to use his hands normally.

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◉◉◉ ARMORY  (COMMON) 
Many Masquers make terrifying warriors, hunters, and assassins because of this art, with which they mold their bodies into armor and melee weapons. These “items” ordinarily have a gray, mirrorlike sheen, but many Masquers shape and color their Armory creations in ornate ways to personalize them.

SYSTEM:

A Wraith can only use armory on himself.

SYSTEM I: MELEE WEAPON

To form a melee weapon out of part of a Masquer’s body (typically a hand/arm).

QUICK ACTION:

SPEND: 3 PATHOS 
Each rank of Moliate adds + 1 to the wraiths brawl attacks for the duration of the night

On the other hand, shaping part of one’s body into a weapon prevents that body part from serving its normal function. For example, a hand turned into a dagger can no longer grasp things. After all, it’s now a blade, not a hand. Note: While these weapons -technically- are fist loads, they are NOT, they are swords, hammers, etc.

NOTE: Only one Moliated weapon may be used in a single attack. Growing -two- moliated weapons for each hand does NOT stack.

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SYSTEM:

A Wraith can only use armory on himself.

SYSTEM I: ARMOR

To form a melee weapon out of part of a Masquer’s body (typically a hand/arm).

QUICK ACTION:

SPEND: 3 PATHOS

Each rank of moliate  adds +1  the wraith’s BRACE roll. (Stamina + Athletics)  for the duration of the night.

On the downside, the character suffers -1 dexterity per moliate rank for DODGE  rolls. (Dexterity + Athletics)
A wraith CANNOT use this ability while wearing- armor, as to do so would render them immobile.

 

• The changes wrought by Armory are obvious to anyone who sees the Masquer. A Masquer can disguise Armory armor, making it look like his ordinary skin or clothing, but this costs an additional 1 Pathos.

• Weapons can’t be disguised this way.

 

All changes a Masquer makes to his body with Armory last for 1 night.

NOTE: This ability can be be paired with Emody or outrage.

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◉◉◉◉ REND (COMMON) 
A Masquer who knows this fearsome art can inflict grievous wounds on other wraiths just by touching them, often leaving them mutilated and disfigured. With Rend, a Masquer can literally rip another wraith’s face off. These horrific trophies, known as skinmasks, help the wraith Imitate the victim (see above).

SYSTEM:

QUICK ACTION:

SPEND: 1 PATHOS (Optional extra pathos up to a maximum of five may be spent to add +1 per extra pathos to the attack)

GAIN:   1 ANGST

ROLL:     STRENGTH + BRAWL + MOLIATE RANK vs opponents DODGE or BRACE or BLOCK roll.

Each success inflicts one aggravated damage.
If the wraith achieves five or more successes, she may tear off part of her opponent’s Corpus (an appendage or limb, his face, or just a chunk of plasm).

NOTE: If the wraith is embodied an attack against -non- wraith does not tear off parts, though it does cause aggravated damage.

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◉◉◉◉◉ BODYSHAPE (COMMON) 
The height of the Masquer’s art, Bodyshaping allows him to transform his (or another wraith’s) Corpus into practically anything imaginable: an animal, a piece of furniture, a different person, or a piece of art.

SYSTEM: Subject must be touched.

EXTENDED ACTION (Roll until desired successes are achieved)

SPEND: 4 PATHOS
GAIN:  2 ANGST if unwilling subject
ROLL:   DEXTERITY + MOLIATE RANK  vs STAMINA + ATHLETICS (If upon another subject)

DIFFICULTY: 12+ on a willing subject or on self.

SUCCESS:

The amount of successes required depends on the complexity of the form being changed into.

Something simple (like a large puddle of water, a wall, or a drab-looking chair) requires 2 successes.

Anything between simple and extreme requires 5 successes. If altering size (No more than 10% either way) 1 additional success is required.

At the other extreme, the form of an Anacreon wearing his full regalia requires 20 successes.   

A Bodyshaped wraith retains his standard Attributes, Abilities, senses, Arcanoi, and so forth while transformed (unless this defies common or dramatic sense). He gains any additional physical capabilities the shape has (such as being able to fly, if he has wings), but NOT increase in attributes or senses. Supernatural abilities cannot be given to the form,(Example a moliated dragon cannot be a fire breathing dragon)

Bodyshaping lasts for one scene per success achieved, after which the subject returns to his normal form.

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MOLIATE INITIATE

RESTRICTED TO

◉ MASQUERS  ◉ USURERS ◉ SANDMEN ◉

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◉ SHAPESENSE (INITIATE) 

Masquers know the work of their colleagues. As a result, they can usually tell when another wraith’s been Moliated, and how.

SYSTEM:

QUICK ACTION: 

ROLL: PERCEPTION + MOLIATE RANK 

DIFFICULTY: 10+ Successes used to Moliate the subject.

SUCCESS:

The more successes achieved, the more the Masquer learns.

The information gathered could include what art was used to Moliate the subject, who did the work, and perhaps even what the subject originally looked like.

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◉◉ UNMARKED  (INITIATE) 

While Sculpt cannot change or remove a wraith’s deathmark, this old, largely forgotten art can. 

SYSTEM:

NORMAL ACTION: Can be used on self or another consenting wraith.

SPEND 1 PATHOS

ROLL:    DEXTERITY + MOLIATE RANK

DIFFICULTY 12+

SUCCESSES:

One success allows the Masquer to alter the nature of a deathmark (for example, from a scar to a tattoo), but not the mark’s form or content.

Two or more successes also let him change its form/content or remove it entirely. In either case, the change only lasts for a maximum duration of one day per success on the roll.

GUILDMARKS cannot be removed.

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◉◉◉ PANOPLY OF EYES  (INITIATE) 

Masquers of advanced skill can create additional sensory organs — or even give themselves senses they don’t ordinarily possess.

SYSTEM:

NORMAL ACTION:

SPEND: 2 PATHOS

ROLL: STAMINA + MOLIATE RANK

DIFFICULTY:

14+ extra organs for senses he normally possesses. 

18+ if he wants to create organs for new senses.

SUCCESS: 

the change lasts for one hour per success. 

The most common use of this art is to create literal “eyes in the back of his head”, or additional sensory organs of some other sort.

This makes it difficult to surprise or sneak up on the Masquer.

The Masquer Gains +1 per success to any perception + wits roll he is required to make with extra eyes. 

If he adds extra organs for seeing different spectrums of light or frequencies of sound he may double the successes earned and apply them to perception rolls. However these strange new enhancements cause sensory overload when the character botches a perception roll. Freezing them for 1 turn.

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◉◉◉◉ GIRDING (INITIATE) 

Masquers who have mastered the art of Armory can use it on other wraiths, thus “outfitting” them for combat, Helldives, or other perilous duties. Given enough time and enough resources, Masquers with this knowledge can kit out entire armies.

SYSTEM: 

Only Masquers who already know Armory can learn Girding.

It works just like Armory, but the Masquer can use it on other wraiths.

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◉◉◉◉◉ SAVAGE (INITIATE) 

While Rend frightens most wraiths, this art, a secret jealously guarded by the Guild for centuries, utterly terrifies them, because it lets a Masquer rip away enough of a wraith’s Corpus to damage him permanently

SYSTEM:

QUICK ACTION

SPEND: 3 PATHOS

GAIN: 1 ANGST PER SUCCESS

ROLL:   STRENGTH + BRAWL + MOLIATE RANK vs opponents DODGE or BRACE or BLOCK roll.

SUCCESS: 

For every two successes achieved, the Masquer reduces one of his target’s Physical Attributes by 1.

The lost attributes are gone for the rest of the night. (Or permanently if player consents!)

The only way to fix this damage before this time limit is painstaking “surgery” with Sculpt. This requires a number of successes equal to the number achieved to inflict the injury.

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