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Crossing The Veil

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602 views14 pages

Crossing The Veil

Uploaded by

Lupobianco
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Credits

Author: Travis Legge


Editor: Travis Legge
Artist: p.11 Illustration by Andrea Payne
All other art courtesy White-Wolf Art Packs

Special Thanks
Matt McElroy, Monica Valentinelli, Bill Bodden,
Crystal Mazur, and all the amazing players who joined
us for Scarred Lands and Pugmire games at Gamehole
Con 2018!

Pick up the other work of author Travis Legge at


DriveThruRPG: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/338/Aegis-Studios?affiliate_id=387228
DMs Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?x=0&y=0&author=Travis%20Legge
Storytellers Vault: https://www.storytellersvault.com/browse.php?keywords=Travis+Legge&x=0&y=0&author=&ar-
tist=&pfrom=&pto=

© 2016 White Wolf Publishing AB. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or other-
wise, without the prior written permission of White Wolf Publishing AB. Reproduction prohibitions do not apply to
the character sheets contained in this book when reproduced for personal use. White Wolf, Vampire and Chronicles of
Darkness are registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing AB. All rights reserved. Night Horrors: Unbidden, Vampire
the Requiem, Werewolf the Forsaken, Mage the Awakening, Storytelling System, and Ancient Bloodlines are trademarks
of White Wolf Publishing AB.. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White
Wolf Publishing AB.
The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned.
This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertain-
ment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised.
Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com

2
by Travis legge
by Travis legge
Crossing
Crossingthe
theVeil
Veil
Humankind has been fascinated with death since the beginning. Where
do we go? What becomes of us? For some, the answers to these questions
can be found through the touch of the supernatural. This book presents a
number of options for allowing mortals to interact with the spirits of the
dead. Some of these options have been collected from earlier books and
updated or clarified, while others are new and appear here for the first time.
The veil between the living and the dead has never been so thin. Step
across.

Merits
The following merits represent various methods by which a character
can interact with ghosts and the supernatural.
“You can’t just blurt it out like
that! And quit moving around, Mental Merits
because you’re starting to make
me dizzy. I’ll just tell her in my Indomitable (••)
Prerequisite: Resolve •••
own way... Your character possesses an iron will. The powers of the supernatural have
little bearing on her behavior. She can stand up to a vampire’s mind control,
Molly, you in danger, girl!” a witch’s charms, or a ghost’s gifts of fright. Any time a supernatural creature
uses a power to influence your character’s thoughts or emotions, add two
- Oda Mae Brown, dice to the dice pool to contest it. If the roll is resisted, instead subtract
two dice from the monster’s dice pool. Note that this only affects mental
“Ghost” influence and manipulation from a supernatural origin. A vampire with
a remarkable Manipulation + Persuasion score is just as likely to convince
your character to do something using mundane tricks.

Iron Will (••)


Prerequisite: Resolve ••••
Effect: Your character’s resolve is unwavering. When spending Willpower
to contest or resist in a Social interaction, you may substitute your
character’s Resolve for the usual Willpower bonus. If the roll is contested,
roll with 8-Again.

Meditative Mind (•, ••, or ••••)


Effect: Your character’s meditation is far more fulfilling than for other
characters. With the one-dot version of this Merit, the character does not
suffer environment penalties to meditation (see the Chronicles of Darkness,
First Edition Rulebook, p. 51), even from wound penalties.
With the two-dot version, when the character has successfully meditated,

5
CROSSING THE VEIL
she gains a +3 bonus on any Resolve + Composure rolls Historical Reenactment Group (Academics)
during the same day as she’s steeled herself against the Online Dev Meetup (Computer)
things of the world that would shake her foundation. Crafters Circle (Crafts)
Furthermore, the character is able to achieve a Paranormal Investigation Group (Occult)
meditative state much more easily and claim the benefit Activist Organization (Politics)
of that state much more rapidly. She need only meditate Prepper Community (Survival)
for 15 minutes in order to make a Meditation roll, Slam Team (Expression)
and additional rolls only require 15 minutes each, as This list is by no means exhaustive. Players and
opposed to the normal 30 minute interval. Storytellers are encouraged to work together to come up
At the four-dot level, she only needs a single success with the specifics of a Hobbyist Clique, including details
to gain the benefits of meditation for the day, instead such as names and personality traits of the membership.
of the normal four. Furthermore, she may benefit fully Drawback: This Merit requires upkeep. You must
from meditation and make the associated roll after only attend at least monthly, informal meetings to maintain
five minutes of contemplation. the benefits of Hobbyist Clique. Furthermore, as you

Social Merits
may call on the assistance of your Hobbyist Clique,
the members will undoubtedly call on you from time
to time. This can make for interesting adventure seeds,
Believers (• to •••••) side plots, or complications to the main story.

Prerequisites: Any Medium Merit Mystery Cult Initiation (• to •••••)


Effect: Believers are typically Storyteller characters
who serve as assistants to a medium character and Cults are far more common than most people would
who unconditionally believe in the medium’s powers. like to admit. Mystery cult is the catch-all term for a
Believers are essentially the same as Retainers (see the phenomenon ranging from secret societies couched
Chronicles of Darkness, First Edition Rulebook, p. in fraternity houses and scholarly cabals studying the
116), except that the Believers’ strong belief in ghostly magic of classical symbolism to mystical suicide cults
phenomena allows them to aid the character in using and followers of apocalyptic prophets who claim some
her powers. special ability to foresee, and possibly survive, the end
When a medium is assisted by Believers, she gains a times.
+1 bonus to a power’s roll for each dot in this Merit, Mystery Cult Initiation reflects membership in one of
assuming that at least the same number of such people these esoteric groups. The dot rating dictates standing.
are present. Normally, this bonus is limited to a +3. One dot is an initiate, two a respected member, three a
Some Merit options can allow the bonus gained from priest or organizer, four a decision-making leader, five
Believers to go as high as +5. So, if Believers ••• is is a high priest or founder. If you wish your character
possessed and only two such people are actually present, to begin play in a cult, work with your Storyteller to
a +2 bonus is gained. If seven Believers are present and develop the details.
only three dots are possessed when using another Merit, Designing a Mystery Cult requires three things, at
only +3 is gained. If a medium suffers a dramatic failure bare minimum. First is a Purpose. This is the defining
while using a power, the results never cause a Believer reason the cult exists. Usually, it’s tied in with the cult’s
to withdraw or develop an aversion to the medium, as history and recent background. Second is a Relic. This
their belief supersedes their good sense. is an item that grounds members’ faith. For example,
a mysterious idol of a mad, dead god, an ancient text
Hobbyist Clique (••) bound in human flesh, or the mummified flesh of a
saint. The last is a Doctrine. Every cult is defined by its
Prerequisite: Membership in a clique. All members rules and traditions.
must possess this Merit and the chosen Skill at ••+ In addition to standing, a Mystery Cult Initiation
Effect: Your character is part of a group of hobbyists Merit offers benefits at each level of influence. Develop
that specialize in one area, as represented by a Skill. It these as well. The following are guidelines; use them to
may be a book club, a coven, a political party, or any craft your own cults:
other interest. When the group’s support is available, • A Skill Specialty or one-dot Merit pertaining to the
you benefit from the 9-again quality on rolls involving lessons taught to initiates.
the group’s chosen Skill. As well, the clique offers two •• A one-dot Merit.
additional dice on any extended actions involving that ••• A Skill dot or a two-dot Merit (often a
Skill. supernatural Merit).
Some sample cliques and their associated skills are: •••• A three-dot Merit, often supernatural in
origin.

6
by Travis legge
••••• A three-dot Merit and a major advantage not insight into current events and at high levels even grant
directly reflected in game traits, such as an immunity prophetic visions.
to a certain effect or substance, random prophetic Ghost Cult: This cult has formed around the worship
visions from the subject of the cult’s worship, or the and service of a ghost. The ghost provides supernatural
ability to ignore degeneration rolls (see the Chronicles might and knowledge to the cult’s members in exchange
of Darkness, First Edition Rulebook, p. 51) when for the cult’s aid in maintaining the ghost’s anchors and
fulfilling one of the cult’s core goals. helping the ghost settle its unfinished business. The
Some sample Mystery Cults and brief suggestions for ghost’s anchor also serves as the cult’s Relic, granting the
their areas of interest and power are: cult access to any aid the ghost can personally provide.
Children of a Dead God: This cult worships eldritch At high levels, some members may even gain limited
horrors that exist beyond the confines of space and time. access to the ghost’s Numina.
These dead gods, or Old Ones as they are sometimes Murder Cult: This cult believes that power can be
known, grant incredible power in exchange for worship. achieved through killing. Some murder cults engage in
The Relic of such a cult is typically an idol or statue cannibalism, while others collect trophies from their
depicting a tentacled horror from beyond the stars. victims. Whatever the case, the murder cult typically
Members of these cults tend to gain deep arcane secrets, employs some sort of ritual weaponry which serves
modifications to their physical forms, and other gifts as the cult’s Relic and demands a blood sacrifice to
that mark them as inhuman. function. Such weapons grant abilities that make the
Doomsday Cult: This cult believes that the end times cultists more efficient killers.
are nigh There may be a prophecised date for the end This list is by no means exhaustive. Players and
of the world, or the end may be a seen as a nebulous Storytellers are encouraged to work together to come up
and shifting future time frame. Some doomsday cults with the specifics of a Hobbyist Clique, including details
believe that the apocalypse is already happening and the such as names and personality traits of the membership.
world is in its final death throes. Such cults often draw Drawback: To say that this Merit requires upkeep
power from the writings or remains of a past prophet, would be a gross understatement. You must attend
which act as the cult’s Relic and can grant supernatural at least weekly, formal cult meetings to maintain the

7
CROSSING THE VEIL
benefits of Mystery Cult. Unless you are in the Mystery • Is your character supernatural or otherwise not
Cult’s leadership, you are expected to obey the orders human?
and directives of those who hold a higher station within Determine how your character perceives auras. Maybe
the cult. This can hold true even with regard to aspects she sees different hues as different emotions. Perhaps
of your life that have nothing to do with the cult’s area she hears whispers in the back of her mind, reflecting
of focus and expertise. Many cults dictate even minute subtle truths in her subject.
details of their members’ lives, such as what jobs they Drawback: Because of your character’s sensitivity to
are allowed to work, who they are allowed to date and the supernatural, she sometimes appears to know “a
marry, and what entertainment they are allowed to little too much.” No more than once per chapter, when
consume. Though a Mystery Cult is a quick route to first meeting a supernatural creature the Storyteller can
impressive power, it requires the cultist to give herself roll Wits + Occult for the creature, penalized by your
over completely to the cult’s will. Mystery Cults often character’s Composure. If successful, they get a strange
assign dangerous errands to members of lower standing, feeling that your character is aware of their nature.
which can result in a character being arrested, killed, or They’re not forced to behave in any particular way, but
becoming a meal for some supernatural creature of the it could cause complications.
night. Whatever the demands made by cult leadership
are, they complicate the cultist’s life and frequently Deathwalker (• to •••••)
subsume the cultist’s individuality and priorities. Cults
are ultimately in control of the cultists who serve them, Prerequisites: A character’s dots in this Merit cannot
and refusal to perform an assigned task can result in be higher than the lesser of her Composure or Resolve.
the expulsion, imprisonment, or death of the wayward Effect: The veil between the living and the dead is
cultist. Most Mystery Cults are unwilling to let their thinner for your character than for most. Perhaps you are
members leave without some kind of fight, particularly descended from a long line of mediums and inherited
if those members were initiated into the cult’s practices this ability. Maybe you had a traumatic near-death
deeply enough to have acquired supernatural power experience and when you returned to life, you brought
and knowledge. some sliver of death back with you. You could be blessed
or cursed through exposure to the supernatural, or you
Supernatural Merits may have developed this set of abilities through years
of occult research and experimentation. Whatever the
cause, your familiarity with death allows you to interact
Aura Reading (•••) with ghosts in amazing and terrifying ways.
First, the Deathwalker Merit creates an intense
Effect: Your character has the supernatural ability
connection between mind, body, and soul. This
to perceive auras; the ephemeral halos of energy
connection allows the Deathwalker to add each dot in
that surround all living things. This allows her to
this Merit as a bonus die to all attempts to meditate or
perceive a subject’s emotional state, and potentially
enter a trance state.
any supernatural nature. The colors of an aura show a
person’s general disposition, and the ebbs, flows, tone, Second, The Deathwalker Merit aids in the
and other oddities reveal other influences. Note that performance of Abjurations and Exorcisms. The
your character may not know what she’s looking at when Deathwalker may add each dot in this Merit as a bonus
seeing something odd in an aura. For example, she may die to all attempts to perform an Abjuration or an
not know that a pale aura means she’s seeing a vampire, Exorcism.
unless she’s confirmed other vampiric auras in the past. Finally, the Deathwalker Merit grants the ability to
To activate Aura Reading, spend a point of Willpower temporarily activate a suite of powers. Some of these
and roll Wits + Empathy – the subject’s Composure. powers are unique to the Deathwalker while others are
Perceiving an aura takes an uninterrupted moment represented through temporary access to a Merit. Each
of staring, which could look suspicious even to the power or Merit gained in this way has a “success cost”
unaware. For every success, ask the subject’s player one equivalent to the power’s listed rating or the Merit’s
of the following questions. Alternatively, take +1 on normal rating. The player must make an extended
Social rolls against the character during the same scene, Resolve + Composure roll with each roll representing
due to the understanding of their emotional state. a number of minutes equal to the success cost of the
desired Trait. A Merit or power gained through the
• What’s your character’s most prominent emotion?
Deathwalker Merit lasts for the duration of a scene
• Is your character telling the truth? unless stated otherwise. Normally, the Deathwalker
• What is your character’s attention most focused can gain only a single Merit or power with a roll, but a
on right now? Deathwalker’s successes can be spent on multiple Merits
• Is your character going to attack? or powers with an exceptional success. In order to be
• What emotion is your character trying most to hide? able to use a Merit or power, the Deathwalker must meet

8
by Travis legge
any prerequisites for that trait, and the Deathwalker Ghost-Calling (•••)
must have Deathwalker dots equal to [the success cost
of the Merit or power]. The Merits and powers that can Effect: Your medium is capable of more than merely
be acquired through the Deathwalker Merit include perceiving the dead; he can summon them to his
the following: presence and even assist them in crossing over to the
Automatic Writing: Requires two successes to access. physical world. A sufficiently talented medium can call
Once accessed, the Deathwalker must enter a trance out to an existing ghost and draw it to his location. By
state and make a Composure + Craft check to activate doing so, he can also help the entity to “cross over,”
the effect of this Merit. Successes on the roll to access aiding it in manifesting in the physical world or in
this Merit beyond the initial two successes required are using other ghostly powers that affect the material
applied as bonus dice to the Composure + Craft check realm. Ghost-Calling can only summon ghosts; other
to activate the effect. supernatural beings existing in Twilight are not affected.
Death Sight: Requires four successes to access. Once Roll Wits + Occult for your character to make spiritual
accessed, the Merit is active for the remainder of the contact with an existing ghost. Not all deceased persons
scene. continue to exist as ghosts, and few ghosts persist more
than a few decades after their demise. If a ghost is
Ghost-Calling: Requires three successes to access.
still in existence, the medium can potentially contact
Once accessed, the Deathwalker must make a Wits +
the ghost wherever it roams, including ghosts in the
Occult versus an unwilling ghost’s Resistance to become
Autochthonous Depths of the Underworld (see Book
a temporary anchor to a ghost (resistance is reflexive).
of the Dead p. 10). Once the connection is formed,
The Deathwalker may also use Presence + Occult versus
the medium is considered to be a temporary anchor for
an unwilling ghost’s Resistance to forcefully summon
the ghost, and it can instantly come to his vicinity from
the ghost to the Deathwalker’s vicinity. Successes on
wherever it may be. If the ghost is unwilling to come to
the roll to access this Merit beyond the initial three
the medium, he can attempt to compel its attendance
successes required are applied as bonus dice to the
with a successful Presence + Occult roll versus the
Deathwalker’s Occult score for the purposes of checks
ghost’s Resistance in a contested action. Whether the
made to activate the effect.
ghost comes willingly or not, a Willpower point need
Twilight Projection: Requires four successes to not be spent for the ghost to travel to its new anchor.
access. Once accessed, the Deathwalker must enter a A medium cannot control a ghost in any meaningful
trance state and make a reflexive Stamina + Composure way. A character with this Merit cannot automatically
roll to determine how long the Deathwalker can remain detect ghosts unless he also has the Death Sight Merit.
away from her body, gaining 10 minutes of projection If he does have that Merit, he receives a +2 bonus on
per success. all Ghost-Calling rolls.
Unseen Sense (Ghosts): Requires two successes When a medium forms a spiritual connection with
to access. Once accessed, the Merit is active for the a ghost, the medium continues to serve as the ghost’s
remainder of the scene. anchor for the duration of the scene. If the medium
Cost: 1 Willpower attempts to sever the connection early, a successful
Dice Pool: Resolve + Composure Wits + Occult roll must be made versus the ghost’s
Action: Extended Power in a contested action, unless the ghost consents
Roll Results to the severing. When a medium no longer serves as an
Dramatic Failure: The Deathwalker suffers one point anchor, a ghost returns instantly to wherever it was prior
of bashing damage due to painful spiritual feedback. to the summoning. Severing the spiritual connection
She cannot attempt to activate any Deathwalker powers does not harm the ghost in any way. While a connection
for the remainder of the scene. is in force, a medium is considered an anchor for all
Failure: The Deathwalker fails to accumulate any purposes. Thus, the ghost can manifest in the medium’s
successes for now, but may keep trying, or utterly fails vicinity without need for a roll. A medium may place
to manifest any Deathwalker benefits. himself in grave danger if he does not know with what
Success: Accumulated successes can be used to sort of ghost he deals.
temporarily acquire a single desired Effect, provided Cost: 1 Willpower
the Deathwalker meets any prerequisites and her Dice Pool: Wits + Occult versus an unwilling ghost’s
Deathwalker dots equal or exceed the desired Effect’s Resistance to become a temporary anchor to a ghost
success cost. (resistance is reflexive). Presence + Occult versus an
Exceptional Success: Accumulated successes can unwilling ghost’s Resistance to forcefully summon one
be used to acquire multiple Effects temporarily, with to the medium’s vicinity. This is unnecessary if the
successes allocated for dots as the player chooses. target is in the Underworld at the time Ghost-Calling
is used.
Action: Contested

9
CROSSING THE VEIL
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: A spiritual connection is forged
with some entity other than the one the medium sought. Situation Modifiers: Ghost-Calling
The medium may be unable to sever the connection or Dice Modifiers Situation
may even become a permanent anchor to a hostile ghost.
+1 per extra per- The medium attempts to sum-
Failure: You fail to get more successes than the ghost. son (max +3) mon a ghost during a séance in
The attempt to contact or summon is unsuccessful. which he is assisted by be-
Success: On a contact roll, more successes are rolled lievers (see “Believers,” on p.
for the medium than for the ghost. The medium is 6).During a séance, a ghost’s
considered an anchor for the remainder of the scene loved ones are considered to be
unless the effect is ended early. On a summoning roll, believers unless they categori-
the ghost is compelled to come to the medium’s vicinity. cally reject the possibility of life
Exceptional Success: On a contact roll, the player after death.
gets five or more successes, more than rolled for the +1 The medium has summoned this
ghost. The medium gains a +2 bonus on all rolls made particular ghost before.
in dealing with the ghost during the scene. +1 The medium has some object or
person (other than an anchor)
Ghost-Calling and the important to the ghost during its
life.
Underworld +3 The medium possesses anoth-
er anchor of the ghost to be
Ghosts who no longer possess anchors travel to summoned.
the Underworld, a subterranean land of the dead –1 Per 50 years that the ghost has
which can usually only be accessed by the long dead been dead.
or by supernatural beings with incredible power. –2 The ghost is presently in the
When a ghost loses its final anchor, it falls into the Underworld.
Underworld and is unable to return to the physical
realm.
If a medium makes themselves into a temporary
anchor for a ghost that is in the Underworld, that
ghost is immediately transported to its new anchor. Medium (•••or ••••)
The Underworld ejects the ghost and it succumbs
to the pull of the anchor whether it wants to or not. Prerequisite: Mortal (non-supernatural); Resolve ••
This can lead to a very confused and angry ghost Effects: A medium is a character who can see and
responding to the summons. hear ghosts. As opposed to characters who possess a
Time spent in the Underworld can slowly erode sixth sense in the presence of the unquiet dead, she can
the minds of the dead, causing them to be driven see the dead clearly — and may have a hard time telling
even further by base emotion as they attempt to cope them apart from the living. If she keeps her wits about
with their new existence. Some ghosts may be so far her, she can turn her sight into a blessing. More often,
gone that they do not remember any unfinished mediums treat their ability as a curse.
business they may have, which makes them even A character with the three-dot version of this Merit is
more difficult and dangerous to deal with. an unwilling medium. When she’s under stress, she can
Ghosts who are in the Lower Mysteries and Dead see ghosts in Twilight. Precisely what counts as stress is
Dominions cannot be summoned with Ghost- up to the Storyteller, but taking an action that’s reduced
Calling. Such potent and inhuman spirits are, to a chance die, or having to spend a point of Willpower
thankfully, beyond the reach of mediums. to resist mental or social pressures (see Chronicles of
Darkness, First Edition Rulebook, p. 95) both certainly
count. She can see ghosts in Twilight for the remainder
of the scene. She doesn’t count as a mortal for the pur-
poses of penalizing a ghost’s attempt to manifest (see
Manifestations, Chronicles of Darkness, First Edition
Rulebook, p. 210 for more information). Your character
might not even realize that someone else is a ghost, until
he does something supernatural.
The five-dot version of this Merit offers more con-
trol over your character’s ability. She’s also closer to

10
by Travis legge
the Underworld; if she purchases the Unseen Sense
Merit with regards to ghosts (see p. XX) it counts as a
one-dot Merit.
Action: Instant
Dice Pool: Resolve + Occult
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Your character can see ghosts all
right, and can until the end of the scene. She can’t stop
seeing them, and any ghost she can see is aware that she
can see him. They gain a +1 modifier to any Numina
that they use against her.
Failure: Despite focusing, she can’t contact the dead.
Success: Your character can see and hear the dead
until the end of the scene, or until she chooses to end
her vision. She doesn’t count as a mortal for the pur-
poses of penalizing a ghost’s attempt to manifest, and
can negate the manifestation penalties of a number
of people up to her Resolve by reflexively spending a
point of Willpower.
Exceptional Success: Your character can pick out a
specific ghost from all those around, and “tune out”
all others, only dealing with the ghost of her choice.
Only mortal, mundane characters can possess this
Merit. The pivotal moment of becoming — or being
changed into — a being with supernatural powers
eliminates it.
Drawback: Speaking with ghosts can be a blessing,
but your character cannot turn the sense off, any more
than she can turn off her hearing. The character hears
the words of the dead any time they’re present. Once
per game session, usually in a time of extreme stress,
the Storyteller may deliver a disturbing message to your
character from the other side.
You must succeed in a Resolve + Composure roll or
lose the ability to spend Willpower for the remainder
of the scene due to fear.

Twilight Projection (••••)


Effect: Twilight Projection allows a medium to
completely free her consciousness from her physical
form, projecting her mind into Twilight while leaving
her body behind.
The projector must first enter a trance state (see
“Entering a Trance,” p. 12). Then, the player makes a
reflexive Stamina + Composure roll to determine how
long the character can remain away from her body. Once
separated, the projector enters Twilight and effectively
becomes a ghost.
While in Twilight, a projector can move around
freely but is generally intangible and invisible. She
can, however, be perceived through any appropriate
supernatural means (such as Aura Reading). Other
astral projectors or other beings existing in Twilight — an
ephemeral state in the material world, such as a ghost’s

11
CROSSING THE VEIL
— can perceive her normally. She can also perceive and
interact with other entities in Twilight.
Returning to her body early requires an instant action
Trance States
Some Supernatural Merits require the user to enter
and a successful Wits + Composure roll, or the projector a trance state before they can be used. Such effects
can return to her body reflexively with an exceptional note if a trance is required in their descriptions. While
success. a character is in a trance, he is at a –5 penalty to all
If the projector’s physical body is tampered with Perception rolls, he loses his Defense and he can take
while she is “gone,” then she may sense the intrusion no action other than to use his Supernatural Merits
with a successful Intelligence + Composure roll. The unless he ends the trance. If the user fails in a Perception
projector always feels actual pain inflicted on her roll to detect someone approaching, he may even be
physical body and may react accordingly. However, a susceptible to a killing blow (see the Chronicles of
projector’s physical body may be subjected to a killing Darkness, First Edition Rulebook, p. 168). Unless a
blow if the body is left unprotected (see the Chronicles character ends a trance prematurely, the effect persists
of Darkness, First Edition Rulebook, p. 168). for a scene, or for the lesser of the user’s Stamina or
While in Twilight, a projector is free to use any other Resolve in hours with an exceptional success.
Mental or Supernatural Merit she possesses, these can Entering a Trance
impact other entities in Twilight. The projector can also Dice Pool: Composure + Wits + equipment
manifest while in Twilight by spending 1 Willpower
Action: Extended (10 successes; one roll per turn as
point and making a successful Resolve + Composure
a full-turn action)
check, using the same rules and modifiers detailed
Suggested Equipment: Yoga mat (+1), prayer
under Manifestations (see Chronicles of Darkness,
beads (+1), meditative music or relaxation tapes (+2),
First Edition Rulebook, p. 210). While manifested,
meditation room (+3)
the projector can use any other Mental or Supernatural
Merit she possesses to target the living. Possible Penalties: Loud noises (–1), nearby children
(–1), uncomfortable environment (–1), lack of food (–1
Cost: 1 Willpower
to –3), being in danger or in combat (–3 to –5)
Dice Pool: Stamina + Composure (to determine the
Roll Results
duration of the projection).
Dramatic Failure: The character fails to enter a trance
Action: Extended to enter the trance state. Instant
and is unable to try again until the next scene.
to release the astral form.
Failure: No successes are accumulated in the latest
Roll Results
effort, but another roll may be allowed in the next
Dramatic Failure: The projector is rendered unable
turn. The effort may be prohibited altogether if time
to use her Twilight Projection power until she has rested
or conditions don’t permit.
for at least eight hours.
Success: Successes are accumulated toward the effort,
Failure: The projector fails to project but can try
and if the required number is met, the character enters
again.
a trance state.
Success: The projector can maintain her Twilight
Exceptional Success: You gather five successes in
form for up to 10 minutes per success.
excess of the 10 needed. The character slips into a
Exceptional Success: The projector maintains her trance state so easily that you gain a +1 bonus on all
Twilight form for the duration of her trance. This also rolls made in conjunction with Supernatural Merits
grants the projector a +2 bonus on all Perception rolls used during the session.
while projecting, as well as a +1 bonus on any other
Mental or Supernatural Merits used while projecting.

Unseen Sense (••)


Effect: Your character has a “sixth sense” for a type
of supernatural creature, chosen when you buy the
Merit. For example, you may choose Unseen Sense:
Vampires, or Unseen Sense: Ghosts. The sense
manifests differently for everyone. A character’s hair
stands on end, she becomes physically ill, or perhaps she
has a cold chill. Regardless, she knows that something
isn’t right when she is in the immediate proximity of
the appropriate supernatural being.

12
by Travis legge
Table of
Contents
Table of
Contents
Using This Book
Credits 2
The rules introduced in this book draw inspi-
Crossing the Veil 5 ration from a number of sources published for
Chronicles of Darkness, including sources from
Mental Merits 5 first and second edition supplements. These rules
Indomitable have been reworked, adapted and revised to be fully
Iron Will compatible with the Chronicles of Darkness, First
Edition Rulebook and to be internally consistent. It
Meditative Mind
is highly recommended that if you are using any rules
Social Merits 6 from this book in tandem with other Chronicles
Believers of Darkness supplements that you incorporate all
Hobbyist Clique rules in this book, using the Merit costs and effects
Mystery Cult Initiation provided herein to ensure maximum game balance
and to minimize confusion
Supernatural Merits 8
Have fun and go hunt some ghosts!
Aura Reading
Deathwalker
Ghost-Calling 9
Medium 10
Twilight Projection 11
Unseen Sense 12
Trance States 12

13
CROSSING THE VEIL

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