EMBODY

Embody is the art of physically manifesting in the mortal world. Like many Arcanoi, it defies Charon’s Code by its very existence; only the Deathlords have authority to reach across the Shroud with impunity. Still, the lure of the flesh is strong. The change in a wraith’s very senses when she manifests is powerful, and heady enough to tempt the most stoic Centurion. The best way to learn Embody is to open one’s senses, focusing on the most intense sensory input available. Loud music, the heat from a radiator, the shimmering reflection in a lake – all can be the anchor with which a wraith can pull herself across the Shroud. If a wraith Embodies physically, he opens himself up to mortal injury.

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EMBODY SPECIAL RULES

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DIFFICULTY: Unless stated otherwise the difficulty to use Embody is 7+ Shroud Thickness Rating.

 

SHROUD THICKNESS RATING

The shroud is the veneer that separates the Skinlands from the shadowlands, generally trying to affect a target in the Skinlands from the shadowlands presents additional difficulty to an wraiths roll. Simply add the rating to your difficulty.

NOTE: This additional difficulty only applies if you are on one side of the shroud trying to affect the other. Skinlands to Shadowlands / Shadowlands to Skinlands. (You are corporeal trying to affect material or vice versa!)

RATING                       AREA                                           

    1                             Cearn                                                

    2                             Node/Graveyard                               

    3                             Deep Wilderness                                 

    4                             Rural Countryside                               

    5                             No mans land                                     

    6                             Most Urban Areas                             

    7                             Downtown alley

    8                             Downtown interior locations

    9                             Downtown Mainstreet.          

    10                           Technocratic Lab*            

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CONSORTS:  In the presence of a consort the wraith has personally attuned  (See wraith systems special rules) ,the wraith may use their attunement to their consort to ease their passage across the shroud. Reducing the difficulty of Embody rolls by 3 and reducing the pathos or health cost by 1. (If a power uses both pathos and health then only the health cost is reduced) HOWEVER: only the individual consort will be able to perceive the wraith, if this method is used.

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EMBODIED CHARACTERS: Suffer damage as mortals do. When Embodied, a wraith can be affected by other Awakened beings. That includes everything from being Dominated by a vampire to being turned into lawn furniture by a particularly adept mage. All of these will work on an Embodied wraith as they would work on a human. The effects do not automatically reverse themselves once the wraith goes back across the Shroud, which can lead to some interesting moments.

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NOTE: While toxins, poisons, venoms, alcohol and drugs  affect the fully materialized wraith as normal, most of this is psychosomatic rather than physical. When it comes to things like vampire blood , the wraith does -not- become blood bonded to the vampire nor can it be ghouled. However drinking a vampires blood causes Angst as the vampires beast literally inhabits vampire vitae, the vampire beast is analogous to a primordial shadow, the shadow that never had the chance to fully separate and form independently. Drinking another's shadow as you may suspect, will lead to heavy angst, each point of blood a wraith drinks causes them to suffer 1 angst.

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EMBODY COMMON

RANKS ◉ THRU  ◉◉◉◉ of EMBODY COMMON ARE FREE UPON CHARACTER GENERATION.

THIS IS TO ALLOW INTERACTION MORE EASILY. HOWEVER DO NOTE DICTUM MORTUUM RULES!

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◉ WHISPERS (COMMON)

The wraith may briefly whisper across the Shroud, making himself audible to listeners among the Quick. 

SYSTEM:

SPEND 1 PATHOS.

ROLL: CHARISMA + EMBODY RANK. 

DIFFICULTY: 7 + Shroud Rating.

SUCCESS:    The Proctor may speak one short sentence per success (in combat, one turn per success).

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◉◉ PHANTOM  (COMMON)

The wraith manifests as a hazy, translucent, and intangible apparition, only vaguely reminiscent of his mortal body. Mortals witnessing this manifestation react with fear and are subject to the Fog.(See wraith systems special rules)

SYSTEM:

SPEND 1 PATHOS.

ROLL: CHARISMA + EMBODY RANK. 

DIFFICULTY: 7 + Shroud Rating.

SUCCESS:  The wraith manifests for one turn per success.

OPTIONAL:

While manifested, the character may take an action to induce fear in one (Mortal) observer

ROLL: CHARISMA +  PERSUASION  Versus COMPOSURE + RESOLVE 

Each success reduces the target’s COMPOSURE + RESOLVE TOTAL  by 1 for purposes of determining the Fog’s effects. (and only for determining fogs effects)

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◉◉◉ STATUE (COMMON)

With this art, the wraith can assume solid, albeit immobile, form. The Proctor can materialize as a cold, hard, idealized version of his Corpus, a gory recreation of his mortal shell at the time of his death, a luminous apparition with blazing, accusatory eyes, or any other manifestation that reflects a single strong emotion. While using Statue, the wraith can take no physical action — he does not move, speak, or breathe.

SYSTEM:

SPEND 2 PATHOS.

ROLL: CHARISMA + EMBODY RANK. 

DIFFICULTY: 7 + Shroud Rating.

SUCCESS:  Each success allows the character to remain solid for one scene or to be touched once (whichever comes first). 

OPTIONAL:

While manifested the wraith may try to induce fear or dread in an individual  observer (Mortal or Otherwise)

SPEND 1 PATHOS:

ROLL: CHARISMA + EMBODY RANK versus COMPOSURE + RESOLVE

SUCCESS:  invokes fear or dread in that observer. The observer has three options. Freeze, Flee or Hide.

NOTE:       Statue is a physical manifestation, allowing injury as if the wraith were mortal. However, he may add + 1 to his health equal to his embody rank. When the effect ends, no trace remains in the Skinlands that the wraith was ever there.

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◉◉◉◉ LIFE -IN - DEATH  (COMMON)

This art enables the wraith to manifest in a solid approximation of his mortal body. This manifestation’s appearance is subject to the vagaries of memory and self-idealization, so minor imperfections are washed away. This form has darker hair and paler skin than the living original, tends to be more attractive, and has cold skin with no pulse or breath. Otherwise, the wraith is clearly recognizable, though close friends will notice the differences.

SYSTEM:

SPEND 2 PATHOS

ROLL: MANIPULATION + EMBODY RANK

DIFFICULTY: 7 + Shroud Rating.
SUCCESS: Each success allows the wraith to maintain the form for 1 scene.

NOTE:      This power requires focus to maintain. The wraith should subtract 1 from all Mental and Social attributes while the power is active.

                Life-in-Death is a physical manifestation, allowing injury as if the wraith were mortal.

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◉◉◉◉◉ MATERIALIZE (COMMON)

The wraith can reconstruct his mortal body in almost perfect detail, briefly assuming a semblance of his former life. While Materialized, any medical test reveals him to be a living human — though his true nature remains obvious to occult senses. He can breathe, eat, sweat, cry, bleed, and die as any other human. This art exacts a heavy toll on the wraith, but few are unwilling to pay the price once they realize the benefits: A Materialized wraith has the full freedom of action that his former mortal form once possessed. 

SYSTEM:

SPEND: 3 PATHOS and 3 HEALTH

ROLL:    MANIPULATION + EMBODY RANK

DIFFICULTY: 7 + Shroud Rating.

SUCCESS: This effect lasts for 1 scene per success. (If all mortal witnesses are attuned consorts this is 1 hour per success) 

The character must be in a human like form to use Materialize. Obviously, Materialize is a physical manifestation, allowing injury — and pain — as if the Proctor were mortal.

ANGST: Each point of health lost due to damage while Materialized gives the Shadow 1 Angst.

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EMBODY INITIATE

RESTRICTED TO

◉  PROCTOR  ◉ ALCHEMIST   ◉  CHANTEUR ◉ 

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◉ MAINTAIN THE MATERIAL FORM. (INITIATE) 

The Proctor can draw on his inner reserves to extend the duration of other Embody arts. This is physically and mentally taxing but most wraiths willingly pay the price to prolong their time among the Quick.

SYSTEM:

FREE ACTION.

SPEND: 1 PATHOS and 1 HEALTH

ROLL: MANIPULATION + EMBODY RANK

DIFFICULTY: 7 + Shroud Rating + 1 per time the wraith uses this power in the current scene.

SUCCESS: Successes on this roll add to the successes previously rolled to activate one Embody art that the wraith is currently maintaining.

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◉◉ CASHE (INITIATE) 

This art allows the character to materialize ghostly objects such as relics into the material world. 

SYSTEM:

NORMAL ACTION :

SPEND 2 PATHOS

ROLL: CHARISMA + EMBODY RANK

DIFFICULTY: 7 + Shroud Rating

SUCCESS: The relic passes into the Skinlands for 20 turns per success rolled.

OPTIONAL:

• By spending 1 health in addition to the 2 pathos the duration is 1 scene per success rolled.

• By spending 3 health in addition to the 2 pathos the duration is 1 day per success rolled.

• The character may prematurely end  Cache, thereby returning the relic to the shadowlands.

NOTES:

• If the object is destroyed in the skinlands it immediately falls into oblivion and the wraiths shadow gains 2 Angst.

• While a relic is in the Skinlands, it’s considered the same as any other material object for purposes of wraithly interaction.

• Relic firearms can no longer shoot pathos and must instead fire real ammunition, there are no relic bullets to use this power on so ammunition of the type must be found! (There are gun stores in Nocturne, but you won't find bullets just laying around on the street!)

• Cache can’t be used on Artifacts or Moliated wraiths.

• Soulforged materials, however, can be affected.

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◉◉◉ SKINGRASP  (INITIATE) 

The ability to physically manipulate objects in the Skinlands is one of the arts that enables the Proctors’ cross-Shroud tradecraft. When a wraith invokes this power, his hands simultaneously exist on both sides of the Shroud, appearing solid, but pale and translucent.

SYSTEM:

NORMAL ACTION

SPEND 1 PATHOS and 1 HEALTH PER HAND (or appendage for moliated wraith)

ROLL:  CHARISMA + EMBODY RANK

DIFFICULTY: 7 + Shroud rating

SUCCESS:

• One success Manifests the character's hands for the scene.

• The characters physical attributes are capped to a limit equal to the successes rolled. (I.E if you have strength 5 and rolled 1 success, you may only use strength 1, nor can your successes add more dots to you physical attributes)

• Skingrasp is a physical manifestation, allowing injury as if the wraith were mortal.

• The wraith adds + 2 to his defence versus attacks, but attacks targeting the wraith add 1 success if they are successful.

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◉◉◉◉ SHROUDGUIDE  (INITIATE) 

The wraith can share the effects of his other Embody arts.

SYSTEM

The wraith must be in physical contact with all subjects he wishes to effect with this power. Though once they are Embodied, they can let go.

NORMAL ACTION

SPEND 2 PATHOS AND 1 HEALTH

NO ROLL REQUIRED

The wraith may activate shroudguide in conjunction with any other Embody Art that allows physical manifestation in the skinlands.

The maximum number of wraith who can benefit from this is equal to his STAMINA rank.

Each wraith who is sharing the art loses 2 points of health and gains 2 Angst.

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◉◉◉◉◉ HARROW THE MORTAL FLESH  (INITIATE) 

Most Embody arts focus on bringing the wraith to the land of the living, Harrow the mortal flesh focuses on bringing the living to the lands of the dead.

SYSTEM:

NORMAL ACTION: The wraith must touch his target (With manifested appendages)

SPEND 3 PATHOS  and 3 HEALTH FOR MORTALS  OR 6 PATHOS  and 3 HEALTH  FOR SUPERNATURALS

ROLL: MANIPULATION + EMBODY RANK VERSUS COMPOSURE + RESOLVE 

SUCCESS:

The target enters the shadowlands for 20 turns per success (1 scene per success if target was an attuned consort)

ANGST

• The wraith gains 1 Angst using this Art.

• If the target dies or is soulforged in the shadowlands the wraith gains 10 angst.

• If the target dies in the shadowlands it automatically becomes Spectre.

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