(slight) preview of possible new traits

[Angelman]

Hi guys,

We want to run this by the fans to see what you think. We're toying with the idea of expanding the scope of occultism by creating "fighting styles" types of things for occultism. The plan is to not only give players some new shiny bits to play around with, but also to explain some of the things mentioned in FS fluff that has never really been covered in the rules. So, take a look at these two bits of the upcoming "Darkness Project" (working title) and tell us what you think. One is a Psychic Style that can be bought by any psychic, while the other is a Spiritual Pact available only to Li Halan players. (Warning = note that these are very early sketches and even if these things ends up in a future book, they might look quite different from these examples - but then again, they might not).

Well, enough jabbering on my part. It is my pleasure to present the current idea for Psychic Warrior (i.e. Dervish style for any PSI user regardless of path) and The Compact of Lucifer (i.e. the old school Li Halan household faith).


Although dervishes and other mystic fighters often practice psychic paths like Soma, FarHand, or Bedlam, this Psychic Style represents a more general way of being a psychic warrior. Range is self for all Psychic Warrior actions.
• Energizing: By spending 1W to charge her body with mystic energy, the Psychic Warrior adds PSI to any one Fight or Melee goal roll.
Advanced PSI Actions:
• Iron Shirt (Requires PSI 2): Spend 1W to give your skin PSI number of soft armor points for the remainder of the turn.
• Vibrating Palm (Requires PSI 4): Spend 1W to give your unarmed attacks the vibro quality for the remainder of the turn.
• Bullet Dodge (Requires PSI 6): Spend 1W to add PSI to your Defense score for the remainder of the turn.


In 2629, the young Prince Yasao Nan-chen Li Halan (2600-2740; Prince 2611-2740) received a series of visions from an entity beyond the Manifest Reality calling itself Pangeren. It claimed to be one of the most powerful “Demon Sultans to dwell between the Stars”, and it offered to elevate the fledgling noble house into interstellar prominence and power in return for religious veneration as the household god of the Li Halan. Prince Yasao accepted the offer and signed the Li Halan bloodline to a compact with Pangeren, declaring his new name to be Lucifer the Sathraist. In addition to demonic aid in life, members of House Li Halan were promised privileged in Gehenne, occupying positions and power in hell similar to what the deceased had enjoyed in life. The Compact’s hold on House Li Halan was sundered by Prince Cardano’s vision of salvation in 4416, although this did not prevent individual Li Halan from reaffirming their allegiance to Pangeren in private. (Urth Orthodox theologians still debate whether pre-conversion households received automatic salvation by Prince Cardano’s miraculous conversion, with the liberal Mahayana branch favoring this view and the conservative Hinayana opposing the idea). Desperate and ambitious Li Halan still pledge their loyalty to the old household religion, swearing away salvation by the Empyrean Grace in return for spiritual assistance in life and a privileged slavery in the afterlife.
Obligation: Sacrifice 6 points of Wyrd as a holocaust (“burnt offering”) to Pangeren on your birthday. (These may be your own Wyrd, or Wyrd from a sacrificed sentient). Also, the character must descend from the Li Halan bloodline, which is a 1pt Benefice for non-Li Halan character, to purchase this Spiritual Style.
• Inspirited Loyalty: The Li Halan bloodline is inspirited with obedience and obligation to the house. Every family member knows their place and serves with honor and self-sacrifice in their post without complaint. Those Li Halan beholden to the Compact of Lucifer gains a +2 bonus to Empathy, Influence, and Leadership towards household members of lower rank.
Advanced Pact Actions:
• Devil’s Own (Requires Faction Lore (Li Halan) 4 & Self Control 3): When spending 1W to re-roll a goal in service to House Li Halan, the character rolls twice and choose the most advantageous result.
• Champion of the Dark (Requires Faction Lore (Li Halan) 6 & Vigor 5): Spend 1W to add Faith or Thralldom to any one martial goal performed in the service of House Li Halan.
• Abominable Muse (Requires Faction Lore (Li Halan) 7 & Antinomy 3): Spend 1W to add Faith or Thralldom to all goals based on Antinomy, or concerning Sathraism and pagan religions, for the remainder of the span. Immediately resolve a Thralldom episode, which comes in addition to any other Thralldom episodes that might occur during the duration.



So, what do you guys think of this? Would something like this be good to have? (We have currently sketched three PSI Styles and three Spiritual Pacts, for which those presented here are but randomly chosen examples).

[Angelman]

(I should add that "Thralldom" is a new adverse Occult Characteristic for Antinomy, which replaces the old Fealty trait).

[Bertjammin]

I like the format and the flavour of those two.

How many points would they cost? Five (like a Fighting style) or more? Can a character who qualifies for multiple "styles" take them (like Fighting styles)?

[Angelman]

Like Fighting Styles they would cost 5 Extra Points/10 XP. And yes, you can have as many as you like as long as you qualify for them and pay the cost.

[Holz]

Looks interesting. I like the idea that you can combo or use to a greater effect the PSI abilities, instead of just being a Dervishe.

I think it would be cooler for The Compact of Lucifer had a more oriental-ish name. Just my 2 cents.

[Angelman]

[Bertjammin]

I've had a chat with the player of our Ur-Obun psychic martial artist and we're going to do a retcon/swap-out of his Koto style for Psychic Warrior and see how it plays. We'll let you know how it goes.

[Angelman]

Thank you, Bertjammin. I'm greatly looking forward to the feedback. On one hand, the Psychic Warrior thing is probably a lot more powerful, but on the other hand it requires the expenditure of Wyrd, which helps regulate its use (especially for psychics who needs their Wyrd for other things). Best of luck to you guys

[Bertjammin]

One question - does "Energizing" count as a Fighting stance or an Action?

e.g. Using Serpentis, can I energize while in "Weaving Fangs" but take a multiple action penalty if I also attack in the same turn? Or would Energize exclude the use of Weaving Fangs but not add -2 to my Melee Goal number?

[Angelman]

Hm... good question. I would say yes. You can Energize (add PSI to the Fight/Melee goal roll), strike with two hands (-6 penalty unless you're ambidextrous or something, in which case it is only -2), and also use Weaving Fangs to off-sett the movement penalty and gain a +3 initiative bonus.

Energizing is not a "stance" as such, and neither is it an action, but an upgrade to what you can spend Wyrd on. Just like spending Wyrd to buy a re-roll isn't an action nor a stance, neither is Energizing.