Cop)'fight © 1996 TARGET GAMES AB. All rights reserved. KULT and all characternames and the distinctive likeness(es) thereof are Trademarks of Tatget Games AB.

Primed in the U.S.A.Distributed by: Metropolis Ltd CIO Heartbreaker Inc. P.O. Box 105 Folsom, pA 19033

PAGE DESIGN &PRODUCTION

~TAAGET6 AME S

WEB-SITE: http://www.targeLseE-Mail: Kult@tatger.se

AUTHORS

T.\\

Terry Kevin Amthorjames Estes

COVER ART

Stefan Lj ungqvist

Jens Jonsson

Peter Andrew jones

SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Marcus Thorell

BACK COVER ART

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Peter BergringJens Jonsson

Srefan Thunberg

ILLUSTRATIONS

jonas Mases

COVER DESIGN

Ftedrik Malmberg, Nils GullikssonHemik Strandberg, Srefan Thulin,

jetker Sojdelius, Cees Kwadijk and Patric Backlund

WEB-S ITE: http://users.aol.com/licror/metropolis. htmlE-Mail: hrtbrkrOOO@aol.com.Licror@aol.com

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,o""~",,sCreating a character 3

Archetypes 13

New Advantages & Disadvantages 38

New Dark Secrets 48

New Skills 52

New Equipment and Items 64

Character Background & Psyche 69

A Kult Game 73

The KlIll Player's Companion is designed as a supplement to the role playing game Kult, which morefully details the notllre of the illusion aud the condition ofhumanity. Where many Kult releases-whichdetail the secret truths of reality and the plans ofour jailers-are intended more (or Kltlt gamemasters,this work is directed to players and gamemasters alike.

Players: you should lise this work as a means of further enhancing yOUT characters. It guides yOH

carefully through the process of creating a character. and builds upon the wealth of material present·cd ;n KIIlt. New Dark Secrets, advantages, skills, and more are presellted herein. This book gives youthe tools to creating a more fully detailed Kult persona. Of course, what this hook cal1't do is up toyou: yOlt must provide the character with the heart and soul to briug li(e to ou otherwise meaniuglessgroup o( numbers. \Ve have tried to offer some assistance au role-playing and character developmeut.but ultimatel)~ a strong character lies in your hm1ds. This hook is primarily intended to get you star(+ed.

Gamemasters: even though this work is orieuted toward the players, you call lise this book as well.In addition to aidi,lg your players in creating good characters. yOIt can use this work to assist yOlt increat;'lg supporting characters (or the story that you are going to tell. Dou't worry aboltt us spoiling0I1y secrets for you, though. We haven't giveu'away too ma1JY details of the world o( Kult. Althoughwe would have liked to fill the book with secret societies. mysterious wIts. beyond-human persouali­ties. aud reality-shaNering arti(acts, most Kltlt characters are supposed to start (airly oblivious to thenature of reality. We have kept to this premise. and, aside from some material all the Childreu o( theNight. left the revelatiom of the tme reality for you.

2

,r~Qt.i"3Q "~QrQ"t.~rJ stared at the crumpled People magazine 011 my lap; it was months old. hut there was nothing else to read;n this run-down office. The radiator rattled. the walls were covered with old water stains. [ wished thatAnnie and [ could have afforded something better, but insurance didn't cover this kind of thing, olld nei­ther mle of us made lIIlieh money.

D,: Reginald Steiner, OB·GYN I read backwards through the dirty frosted glass on the (ront do01: Itseemed like Annie had been 111 with Dr. Steiner and his amazon nurse for a long time. bllt I knew it hadonly bec1I a few minl/tes. And they wouldn't let me stay with her. "You'd just he in the wa)~ young man,"the Doctor had said, then, leaning close, he hissed "Haven't you done enough?» His eyes were wide andbloodshot behind glasses that magnified the red veim, and he had a tic at the comer ofhis mouth.

Then he and "Nurse Harding" took Am,ie to the examination room.Now, in that room down the hall I heard lmu voices, and the clatter of metal tools. Then the shriek of

some kind ofmachine... and Annie screamed...I seemed to nm down the hall in slow motion while her cry went on and on. The door was locked, and

yelled and I beat on it till my knuckles were bloody. Annie's scream stopped suddenl)~ and the keening ofthe machine died soon after. I was about to try to break the door doum when it was suddenly (lung open.Steiner and his nurse blocked my view of the room, but both were splattered with blood... and I saw hugesprays of red across the walls and ceiling behind them. I started to feel sick.

''I'm terribly sorry," Doctor Steiner said, a muscle spasm;,zg at the comer of his mottth, "But we losther." His mouth twitched again, pulling his face into a half smile. He was clutching a large jnr of (luidlUith something (loating in it.

Nurse Harding's hand clamped 011 my forearm in a steely grill. "You don't look well, bo)~" she said ina deep voice, "maybe yaH should lie down ill the other examination room."

3

The following section is a step-by-step guideto creating a character in Kulr. It explainsthe two basic methods of creating a charac­ter (standard and simplified) and takes youthrough both. Each step in this section is abrief explanation of what to do, and in mostcases references a section later in the bookwhich provides detailed information aboutthe character aspect, and new options whichexpand on the original material found in theKult RPG.

THE CHARACTERSThe characters should be one of the mostimportant features of any role-playing game.Story, mood, and themes are all vital factorsin the creation of a good role-playing game,bur the characters are a major element indetermining if a game is a success or a failure.Strong characters can carry a weak plot andeven make it stronger, while a strong plotstands the chance of being minimized by weakcharacters. Players are just as important as theGamemaster in the roles of storytelling, andthis is an important point to remember forboth players and Gamemaster alike.

Character creation is particularly importantin Kult, because you will be establishing anumber of factors for future game use. Whileyour character's skills, advantages, and disad­vantages will, of course, be important ingame play, so will your character's back­ground and Dark Secret. Your charactFr'sbackground and Dark Secret should notmerely be events in the past-they shapedyour character, they made your characterwho and what he or she is, and they will bewith your character for some time in thefuture. They may, in certain cases, presagefuture events to occur.

WORK WITH YOUR GAMEMASTERYou should always consult with yourGamemaster throughout the character cre~

ation process. While you needn't inform himof each and every step as it occurs, give himrhe broad picture.

Your Gamemaster may have some guide­lines for you, especially if she has the ele­mentS of a campaign in mind: in addition topossible group Concepts, she might havesuggested character Concepts, preferredArchetypes, residence, etc. Find these ourbefore you begin the actual work of creat­ing a character; if you have a Concept inmind that may not otherwise fit in, discussit with your Gamemaster and see if somecompro;nise can be reached. Especiallyimportant IS working with yourGamemasrer on elements of yourBackground, Dark Secret, Disadvantagesand Adyantages. These are all things thatmay come into future stories, and yourGamemaster may have some suggestionsfor you, or even things that he mightrequire.

Allow your Gamemaster to add a fewderails to your Background, e.g., where youmight have lived, whom you might haveknown, who your family members are, etc. Ifyou have a few choices that you're unsure of,ask the GM. If you give your Gamemaster arich background and some options to con­sider, you'll probably have an appreciativeGamemaster and contribute to a better gamein the end. See the sections later on characterbackground.

Try not to establish an adversarial naturewith your Gamemaster during the charactercreation process. Don't push for things orwheedle for special advantages; GMs tend

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not to like that. On the other hand, whileyour Gamemaster has the final say, he orshe should be considerate of your needsand wishes. You should both be happywith the final result. Remember that this issupposed to be a dialogue, not an argu­ment.

CHARACTER CREATION METHODSThere are two ways to create characters,both of which are fully discussed in Kult.The Standard method involves the alloca­tion of points to Abilities, skills, and soforth. The second method, SimplifiedCharacter Generation, allows you to rolldice and simply choose a set number ofskills, disadvantages, etc. \X1hich one IS

better?The Standard method allows you to cre­

ate a character more carefully, and it is aroute that many experienced players seemto prefer. It works best if you have a veryprecise vision of your character and knowexactly what you want. The drawback isthat it becomes too easy to spend countlesshours juggling points from attribute toattribute, skill to skill, and so forth, in anattempt to fine-rune a character to yourliking.

The Simplified character creation methodis substantially easier and quicker. On theother hand, some players seem to feel it istOO restrictive. Note that this methodabsolutely requlfes the use of anArchetype. If you prefer the simplifiedmethod of character creation and have aConcept in mind, but don't have a match­ing Archetype, it can be fun to create anArchetype; just remember to get yourGamemaster's approval.

If you are new to playing Kult, you mightwant to use the Simplified method. Don'tworry, though-richly detailed charactersare possible using this method, so don't feellike you're compromising anything.

Ultimately, it is up to you (and/or yourGM) to determine which method is prefer­able. The point is to create a characteryou are happy with, one you feel you canstep into and role-play. There is no superi­or or inferior method, only personal pref­erences.

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THE CHARACTERCREATION PROCESS

We will discuss in some detail the vanollsaspects of character creation, and offer sug­gestions where necessary. This is not goingto simply repeat the information in Kult: itwill be a summary, with suggestions andwarnings as necessary.

The discussion will be accompanied by anexample of character creation, so we cansee how the process actually works.

STEP ONE: CONCEPTSimply put, Concept should be the beginningof any character. Start with a goodConcept-this is the central idea that the testof the character creation process will revolvearound. The concept can include a job andpersonality details, and whatever else mightbe a good starting point. A "Concept" neednot be fully developed; it only needs to be anidea to get you going in the character creationprocess. Sources for concepts ca n come frolllanyvvhere-books, movies, comics, even realpeople. Just looking at a picture can spark aninspiration for a character. Essentially, aConcept boils down the first glimmerings ofa character that come to mind. Sample con­cepts include:

• Musician: a member of a once-popularmusic group and a one-time teen idol,trying to make a comeback.

• Secret Service: an ex-Secret Service agent,who failed to protect an important per­son during an assassination attempt, andis both personally and professionallyunable to live down this failure.

• Scientist: A withdrawn zoologist who isuncomfortable dealing with people andwho has starred to think she understandswhat animals are saying.

If you need help with a Concept, look throughthe Archetypes or the sample characters we'veprovided elsewhere 111 the PlayersCompanion-let them provide Concepts foryou. Skim through them a few times to see ifanything comes to mind, or if anythingappeals to you. If an Archetype sparks someinterest or an idea in you, then use thatArchetype as the spring-board for creating acharacter.

I _, ' ...

Example: Tom is creatiug a Klilt character;Jim, the eM, is helpillg him ill the process.Tom isu't slire what kind of character bewants to pla)~ so Jim suggests tbat Tom COl1­sider movies he liked, alld thillk about whatpersonalities are in the movie. Tom decides helikes the idea ofa smuggler, someone who car­ries cOlltraband material. At (irst, he (ixes onthe idea o(an "ivory smuggler," alld Jim triesto steer him away from that: au ivory smug­gler is certaildy exotic, but has ollly limitedpotential ill a campaign based in \Vashiugtou,D.C., the home o(Jim's campaigll.

Jim suggests maybe somethillg like an"ill(ormation smuggle,;" which is very high­tech and cosmopolitan. Tom thillks that istoo (ar away (rom his COllcept, but he seeshow an ivory smuggler might be too limitingill jim's game. He decides he still wallts to go,,,ith the idea o( a smuggler, but he doesll'tlimit the smuggled goods to iust ivOl"Y' hissmuggler will now take any material, allY­where, and he won't question the goods.

Always let the Concept be the guiding ptin­ciple in character creation, and not the rules.Maimain the integrity of your Concept.

STEP TWO: ARCHETYPEYou may have alteady looked at theArchetypes when trying to come up with aconcept. If you are using the Standardmerhod of creating characters, you'll proba­bly be using an Archetype for guidelines, butir isn'r fully necessary. If you are using theSimplified Character Creation process, thenyou will have ro use the Archetypes.

If you haven't yet looked at theArchetypes, now is the time. Scan theArchetypes for one that is applicable ro yourconcept. You may not find an appropriateArchetype. If not, then you have threeoptions: 1) decide to use the standard char­acter creation process, which does notrequire an Archetype; 2) redefine yourConcept; 3) create an Archetype that it isappropriate ro your Concept-this lastoption will be discussed later.

After choosing an archetype, you Sh041ddetermine which of the methods you will useif you haven't made a choice already.

Example: Tom starts lookillg through theArchetypes, and call't seem to (illd olle thatmatches his smuggler. Jim suggests that they

use the Dealer as all archetype. TheSmuggler alld the Dealer have olle thillg inC0111mon: they are the purveyor of wantedgoods. Beyolld that, though, little will betakell directly from the Dealer archetype.Tom decides that he will use the Standardcharacter crealion process.

MODIFYING ARCHETYPESEach archetype usually offers a particulatrepresentative of that archetype. This doesnot mean that variations on the theme areimpossible. Do not think that in playing anArchetype you are limited to the particularsample given. If you like the Archetype butnot the sample presented, feel free ro modifyit-but make sure it is consistent. Find someway to make the character your own.

Take the Dealer as an example. TheDealer that is presemed is a dealer in anumber of commodities, primarily illegal.There is 110 reason, however, why a"Dealer" cannot be an information broker,or a business consultant; one could just aseasily be created using the Archetypeguidelines. As our ongoing exampleshows, in fact, the Dealer can be greatlymodified.

STEP THREE: DARK SECRETYour character's Dark Secret should be oneof the most carefully thought-our details ofthe entire character creation process. It will,quite likely, be the source of many of yourcharacter's personality quirks and disadvan­tages. Even some advantages can be traced toa Dark Secret; one can gain strength fromadversity, afler all.

Dark Secrets can be chosen from thoseoffered in Kult and this companion. If noth­ing appeals to you, then (as you mightguess), create one. Dark Secrets don't have tohave catchy phrases, only solid ideas.

Your Gamemaster may decide to roleplayyour Dark Secret with you. This is a goodmethod of making it more real for your char­acter, and not just an item on a charactersheet. [t helps give you insights into yourcharacter, and might make the rest of thecharacter creation process easier. If you'vealready created your character when youroleplay your Dark Secret, you can alwaysmake a few changes afterward, prior to actu­al gameplay.

6

Example: Tom and Jim discuss the yet­unnamed smuggler's Dark Secret. Tom saysthat he wants the smuggler to be a gambler,and one who owes a lot of money. Jim saysthat this is good, but he wants something alittle more visceral. Tom decides that hissmuggler owed a criminal a lot of money(rom a lost wagel; and the criminal was aconstant threat to the smuggler. /n a con­frontation, the smuggler killed the criminal,but an innocent bystander (probably a child)was killed as well. Jim thinks that this needsto be fine-tuned a little, but it is .certainly agood start.

Remember that if you have a negativeMental Balance, you must have a DarkSecret. A Dark Secret is optional for eithercharacters with a positive Mental Balance orcharacters created using the Simplifiedmethod (regardless of Mental Balance).

STEP FOUR:BACKGROUND &PROFESSION

Establishing a background for your charac­ter is also useful in understanding who he isand where he comes from. Backgrounds caninclude information that is important butdoes not end up in any "statistical" details,e.g., when and where you went to school,siblings, marriage(s) and divorce(s), impor­tant past jobs, etc. Include your character'sprofession as part of his background.

Backgrounds can really be created at anytime in the character creation process. Theydon'r have to even be fully derailed by rhetime play begins, but make sure that all theimportant facts are already in place.

Be as precise or as vague as you'd like inyour Background, but try to avoid either anoverabundance of dates and related trivia, ora scarcity of valuable information. At thevery least, figure out what your characterdoes and how she got there; the rest can befleshed out during the rest of the process.

Remember that some professions can fallunder more than one Archetype. Librarians,for example, can be Company Careerists,Dealers, or Scholars.

Example: Tom has already determined a lit­tle bit of his character's background andprofession. Jim suggests that Tom considermore details of his character's background:what got his smuggler involved in smug-

7

IJling, how long he has been doing it,important episodes in his character's past,etc. But this can be done later.

STEP FIVE: ABILITIESHere you determine your characters' prima­ry abilities, either through point distributionor dice-rolling. Try not to think too stronglyabout the numbers here, only what they rep­resent. While it is certainly justifiable tothink "I want my Commando to be strongand fast" or "My Scholar should be veryintelligent and perceptive," try not to thinkonly of numbers and how to get the best pos­sible benefits. But try not to be limited bystereotypes-don't always think that becauseScholars are smart, they will be weak orbecause Commandos are strong, they'll bestupid.

Secondary abilities ate calculated from theprimary physical abilities; it is a fairlystraightforward process.

Example: Tom, with suggestions and clarifi­cations from Jim, decides "pon his smugglersprimary abilities: AGL 16, COM 10, PER15, STR 11, EGO 15, EDU 10, CON 11,CHA 12.The smuggler's secondary abilitiesare calculated accordingly: Movement 8,Actions 3, Initiative Bonus +4, DamageBonus +2, Damage Capacity: 4 scratches!3light wo/mds!3 serious.

STEP SIX:DISADVANTAGES &ADVANTAGES

[n this process, you determine what advantagesand disadvantages your character will have.Advantages are beneficial traits that your charv

acter would possess; they are normally eitherpsychologically oriented, or they provide somesource of strength to rely upon. Disadvantages,appropriately, are detrimental traits or sourcesof frustration to your character.

Advantages and Disadvantages should berooted in a character's Background; eitherthey developed as a consequence of some pastevent, Ot (equally possible) they were thesource of events in the past. WhileAdvantages and Disadvantanges can origi v

nate in your character's Dark Secret, they donot have to do so.

Example: Tom reads through the Disadvant­ages and comes up with a comprehensive listof Disadvantages that would be appropriate

-'.,.,"

Name Andmw Dardle 5TR: _-"11,---__ load capacity_'"'..,k,,. _Profession Smuggler AGL: _-"16'--__ Movement 8 meten:/roundDate of Birth 4th of July 1969 EGO: _-':'5'--__ No. of actions _~3'--c:- _Place of Birth Washington DC CON: _::11,---__ Initiative 800u5,__+,,4:- _

Home Wasbington DC PER: _-,:'5:-__ Damage Bonus -:'+f'2~_--Employer Yarlous EDU: _::'O:-_~ Endurance 85Address Nothing permanent Different cheap motels CHA: _~'2,---__ Mod.to Ego throw _

Standard of Living 4: I~C.OIMiI'.lEl1~:iiiiiil:ll •••••••Um:ilt~Height 183 em -'-W-'-e~ig!l1t-n=:-ko--Ag-e---:2-::-6--

':Hlali';C~O~'O~'.Piark.b.m.wln••Eili,eiiiC.OI.OI'iiiiiGreIi'iniiiiill---.:4;.<---- Scratches = 1 light wound• 3 Ligflt wounds = 1 serious woundFamily A younger brother 3 Serious wounds = 1 fatal wound

Advantages -5f1.. . Disadvantages -6J! = Mnt bal ...:.llL-lDisadvantages+Umitationsl for Children of the Night Archetypes

B~,h ~~P~'b~'"----------- ---.1JL-cRe~ek"",~,~,G"'a"'m"'b""''--' ----.1L

Wanl,d ~---'-""-"''''--------- 60Total points of Disadvantages

FriendslEnemies The younger brother of DougSinister the crimInal! killed, has cworn to revenaehi' b'olher', d'alh.

Income & Property _

An old beat-up Cessna with buge debts

Disadvantagesllimitations

'"Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim." --->B"'ad....Lu""ck'-- ~'" Bad Repulallon ----"'-

PersonalitylSpecial characteristics_,-:-:_,- _gather grungy a bit of a scoundrel Rarelyclean-shaven usyally dressed In blue leans andtee-shirt

AdvantagesIPowers

Endure painfearlessGift for LanguagesSixth SeMe

Total points of Advantages 50

ConceptlBackground r.nt my fin! simple Dourlerjnb during

high-school Took an envelope from one address toanother without knoWing what It contained It paid well

Very well It all started fhat way faM and easy mOney I

qUickly made myself a name as a courIer and it didn't bkelong until I was offered to take ;ome electronic !!tuff to

Dark secrets

Owed a notorious criminal a Ipt of monav from a Im:twager I had to kl!! him IInfortuoatqly an innocent youngboy was killed In the confrontation by mjstakq

Belgium So now hem I am a CQuple of yearn latorPhysical changes

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8

Example: Andrew, who was created /tsing tbeDealer archetype, has a livil/g stal/dard ral/geof 5-7. Toni did not wallt to spend any skillpoints 011 Andrew's Living Standard, soAndrew has t.he lowest option,S. However,sillce AI/drew has the Debt disadvantage, hisLivil/g Standard drops doWI/ to 4. A Livil/gStandard of 4 wOllldn't really allow AI/drewto OWl1 a small airplane, but Jim lets Andrewbegin with an old one nonetheless. However,Jim determines (much to Tom's chagrin) thatAndrew's debts il/elllde bills related to theliP keep of the plane, as well as other //Iisce/­laileOIlS gamblil/g alld lifestyle debts.

The general rule for most specialized equip­ment is this: if you don't have a particularpiece listed in your character's belongings,then you don't have it. This same rlile need­n't be applied to common everyday items.Don't list every piece of underwear yourcharacter has (or if you do, don't tell anyone).

It isn1t necessary to begin play with a "com­plete equipment lisr" of all of your character'sbelongings. Be sure to list a few items that arccharacter-oriented: items or belongings that

STEP TEN: EQUIPMENT

Living standard is thoroughly discussed 111

Kulr. If you think that the living standardsproposed for your archetype are not appro­priate for your character, discuss it with yourGamemaster.You can calculate your credit, possessions,etc., once you have your living standard.

STEP NINE: LIVING STANDARD

maybe Kult isn't the right game ... ).Don't let yourself be limited by your Arche­

type, either; a City Samurai can be interestedin photography or literature, and a librarianmay have an interest in the manial arts.

9

to iJis (still 1I/1I1amed) character. This listiuellldes: Bad Lllck, Bad Replltation, Brash(for 5 points), Debt, Reckless Gamblel;\'f/anted (for 5 POil1tS: the slain criminal'sfriends). Jilll points alit that this will prodllcea character with a very low Melltal Balance,so Tom willwanl to either pare dOLl/II the listor come up with a list of equally impressiveadvantages. Tom considers the followingAdvantages: Endllre pain, Fearless, Gift forLanguages, Sixth Sense

TOIII decides that he likes all of these for hisslllllggler, so he'll stick with thelll all. Jilllsuggests that Tom might eliminate a fewfrom each category, but Tom wants the pack­age as it is, so his decision remains.

STEP SEVEN: MENTAL BALANCEYour Mental Balance is derermined by sub­tracting the point value of your disadvan­tages from your advantages.

Example: Tall/'S slllllggier has 60 poillts ofDisadvantages and 50 points of Advalltages.His Mental Balance is -JO.

STEP EIGHT: SKILLSDetermine your character's skills according rowhichever character creation method you areusing. If yOlI are using rhe Standard ~e[hod,remember [0 figure in the point COStS for yourAdvantages and Disadvantages ro the base150 skill points ro be disttibuted. If you havea negative Mental Balance, then you'll havemore skill points, and if your Mental Balanceis positive, you'll have fewer skill points.

Choose skills that are well-suited ro yourcharacter, not just skills that are optimal forcharacter survival or bloodletting. Evencommando-rypes should have a good bal­ance of skills, or they're simply combat-mon­sters (and if that's what you're looking for,

10

help establish a character's interests or per­sonality. Normally rhese aren't items thatbecome "important" in game play, but rheyhelp add flavor to your character. While"cruelty-free cosmetics" are hardly signifi­cant in Kult, your New Age character mayfind them personally importanr.

Also worthy of consideration is rare,uncommon or valuable equipment. This cat­egory includes such objects as vehicles, com­purers, antique heirlooms or illegal weapons.These irems may very well corne into playeventually, and it is important to note themin advance.

Before you add anything new or unusual toyour equipment inventory, show it to yourGamemaster for approval. Some items mayrequire special backgrounds or contacts, e.g.,military, criminal, etc. They must also be wit­hin the characters financial means to acquire.

Example: Andrew, we have already seell,owns an airplane. Neither Jim nor Tomknow much about airplanes, so they lise thestandard Kult mles for guidelines. Jimdecides that Andrew owns an old beat-upCessna. Tom doesn't klloW what weapons heshould choose for Andrew, so Jim suggests tI

Glock for "daily" use tlnd a Desert Eagle for"heavy trouble." Filwlly, they decide thatAndrew pretty IIl1ich travels with his belong­ings, and he doesn't live in Olle particularplace; he jllst rents a room in whatever cityhe happens to be working. He probtlbly hasa P.O. box somewhere for IIlt1il purposes.

STEP ELEVEN: PERSONAL DETAILSHere you finalize your character's miscella­neous personal traits. Decide upon your char­acter's appearance, keeping your Comel.inessscore in mind. Figure out height and weight,eye color, hair color, your character's genderand sexual orientation, etc. Chances are,you'll already have some of these in mindfrom your character concept. While we callrhese details, they can add that extra person­aliry to your character which not only letsyou to get a better handle on just who thisimaginary person is, but helps the other play­ers in their picture of your character.

Example: Andrew looks rather grtlllgy, accor­ding to Tom. A bit of a scoundrel, rarelyclean-shaven, usually dressed in jeans and atee-shirt. Tom hasll't figured out the other

details yet, so he decides to give it some time;right /lOW, he has a fairly playable character.

Jim reviews Tom's character. He decides thatAndrew isn't really particularly "Kultish,"but that he is a good character. Jim wouldrather have a player with a good characterthan a character with a random assortmentofneuroses, so he is satisfied with Andrew asa character for the game--and there is 110

telling where the game could lead Andrew asa character.

GROUP CONCEPTOne item to consider during character cre­ation is discussing your character with theother players. Instead of crearing a numberof different characters and then trying toconstrucr a sometimes arrificial commonlink, you can let a link be the starting pointfor your cha racters.

You and the other players might want agroup with a common background or ashared dark secret. Or you might want toplaya group of characters rhat are all pro­fessionally associated. Remember that inKult, characters often starr out fairly blind torhe Truth. You are nor limired to a group ofcharacters who are involved in the paranor­mal, although you are cerrainly not excludedfrom such a group. Creativity is the key here.

Sample group concepts include:

• Volunteers in a sleep-research experi­ment

• A ream of FBI (or other similar bureauor agency) agents and specialisrsassigned to explore unexplained phe­nomenon! homicides!etc.

• A group ,of circus performers with a verydark secret

• Common friends of an individual whodied mysteriously

• Groupies or devotees for an enigmaticpersonaliry

• Travelers [0 a comnlon remote destjna­tion

• Reporters and photographers for atabloid newspaper, which really doesprint the trurh on occasion

• Friends and schoolmates from the samesmall [Own who have met up again at aclass reun ion

• Neighbors in a new hi-rise apartmentbuilding with mysterious disappearances

• A group of Lorelei investigating thedeaths of local important Lorelei

• Descendams of a prominent witch·hunter who are being drawn rogerher ara family reunion

Of course, you will need to consulr wirhyour Gamemaster through this process. YourGamemaster may have a common groupConcept already in mind, and she'll give youguidelines. On the other hand, you maywant a common group that doesn't fit at allin your Gamemasrer's campaign plans; this isespecially rhe case for more unusual groups(e.g., a group of psychopathic acrobats).

Although a group might have a commonConcept, there is no need to thinK that eachcharacter must have the exact same charac­ter Concept or archetype. For example, agroup of FBI agents can include secretagents, private investigatots, scholars, andparapsychologists that are either on the pay­roll or are consultants.

The obvious drawback is that sometimes agtoup Concept will be toO limiting. Whilethis is not a bad thing if all the players agreeupon the concept, it would not be uncom~

man to find a player or two thar have char­acter Concepts in mind that don't integratewell with the group Concept. ("What's myCollege Srudent going to do with all you FBIrypes??") Power!

A word of warning should be issued to"power-garners," "min-maxers," and thelike. Probably no game has been created inwhich an inventive and canny player cannOtfigure our a way of creating a power-charac­ter. Kult is no exception. Even worse thanfinagling the rules to one's greatest advan­tage is simply cheating: giving yourself thebest Abilities, adding an exrra Skill or two(who'd notice?), creative arithmetic toimprove your Mental Balance. Either way, itis possible to create power-characters inKult. Don't do it.

Instead of giving the standard advice abouthow overly-powerful characters can ruin the"role-playing" experience, we'll give somepracrical reasons why you should nor rry tocreate rhe most powerful characrer possible.

If a Gamemaster wants to run a high­power Kult, then that's fine; they can be fun.But in a standard Kult game, it helps if thecharacters are all around the same "level" ofcapability. If the Gamemaster has to increasethe physical or intellectual potential of anygiven encounter just to have some effect onyour character, then chances are that othercharacters will suffer. Don't alienate the

other players by making their favorire char­aerers die in an encounter designed to beextra-powerful just for your character.

Another factor to consider is that the moreof a mark your character makes in the worldof Kulr, the more attention he's going toreceive. Most likely, you're not going to playa milquetoast accountant in rhe world ofKult. But you don't want to playa walkingbull's·eye, either: an inexperienced characterwho is very strong, very fast, and armed tothe teerh will probably find a few unpleasantsurprises awaiting him.

A final note to remember is this: it doesn'tmarrer how powerful your character is. YourGamemaster can kill him wirhout any prob­lem (caught in a hail of gunfire, collapsingwalls, exploding gas-main, etc.). So don'talienate your other players and annoy yourGamemasrer simply in order to play the(allegedly) indesrructable hero.

USING ARCHETYPESArchetypes are excellent role-playing tools.They allow quick character generation, rheyprovide easy NPCs for Gamemasters, andthey allow players who are new to eitherroleplaying in general or Kulr in particular tostep right into a character and start thinkingand acting the part.

If you would like to modify an Archetypeor create one of your own, use the NewArchetype worksheet in the back of thebook. The following guidelines explain thevarious components of an Archetype, andhow rhey can be modified for existingArchetypes. Use these guidelines in creatingnew Archetypes as well.

QUOTATION: This is a statement issued by thecharacter. The content is fairly irrelevant­the tone is what matters. It is a means ofestablishing a personality and a "speaking­voice" for the character.

PHILOSOPHY: A brief section in one or twoparagraphs that describe the character's back­ground and philosophy. Sometimes a varietyof options are offered, so you can choose onewhich is more appealing to you. Even if youare creating an Archetype for yourself, rry tocreate one with a variety of choices.PERSONALITY: How you interact with theworld and with other people. Often the per­sonaliry is presented in extremes, and a moremoderate personality will be developed. Justremember that a character's personality at

11

the beginning of a game needn't remain con­stant; it should change with experience.

DISADVANTAGES: A list of disadvantages thatmight be particularly appropriate for thischaracter. Usually only a few are chosenfrom this group. You do not have to choosefrom any or all of these when creating acharacter-bur make sure that your choicesmake sense.

ADVANTAGES: JUSt like Disadvantages.

DARK SECRET: A variety of Dark Secretscould be listed; some are related to theArchetype, and some may be totally unrelat­ed. It is up to you to determine which tochoose and how to make use of it.

PROFESSION: More than anything, these arejust suggestions. If you can find somethingbetter, then use it, even if it seems unrelatedro the archetype; just find some way to makeit consistent and congruent with theArchetype.

LIVING STANDARD: A range is presented. Ifyou don't think that this is an appropriaterange for your character, discuss it with theGamemaster; he or she should have final say.

SKILLS: These are also suggestions for skillsthat someone of this archetype might have.They do nOt all have to be chosen, nor do anyof them even need to be chosen. But makesure that whatever you choose makes sense.

CREATING ARCHETYPESPerhaps none of the Archerypes appeal toyou. If this is the case, feel free to create yourown Archetypes, using the guidelines pre­senred above. Try to keep a few things inmind when creating Archetypes, however.

UNIVERSALITY. Archetypes are meant to befairly catholic, so try to create an archetypethat could apply broadly to a variety of peo­ple. Even though Kult is predominantly acontemporary urban game, the majority ofthe Archetypes presented are (with somemodifications) capable of representation in anumber of eras and settings. Don't make anArchetype that applies to just one person(namely, your character).

CONSISTENCY. Make the archetype consis­tent. An archetype should not just be a hap­hazard juxtaposition of skills, advantagesand disadvantages. If an archetype is toolimiting, then creare a character using thestandard character crcation system. Don'tcreate an Archetype just as an umbrella forrandom skills. Just remember: a player caneventually choose whatever skills he wouldlike rcgardless of what is listed, or you cancreate a character without using theArchet~pe at all.

WORLD·VIEW. What is the archetype's worldvicw? How does a representative of thisArchetype see himself or herself in relation tothe world, and other characters? Equallyimportant, how might other people view thearcherype?

SOURCES. The source for an Archetype canbe anything. Commonly, ideas for archerypeswill come from movies or real life. Thewashed-out private eye, the mad scientist,the sleazy politician-these are all easily rec­ognizable "stereotypes," and many more canbe drawn from a variery of sources. Doesthis mean that you should never breakstereotypes? Of course nor. But stereotypesarc useful in the creation of a goodArchetype.

12

Getting the Thompson youth committed had been all1lOst tooeasy; the jury wasn7t hard to convince after his outburst il1 thecourtroom. All that babbling abollt voodoo and black magic-theguy was a real psycho; iNtelligeNce just above moron7 too.I took a break (rom typil1g up a brief and lit a cigarette. Staringacross the deN I saw a flitting black dot against the wall. A fly hadgotten into the house; damn I hate flies.

J took a drag and noticed a tingling in my right ann-like it wasgoing to sleep. I had trouble holding the cigarette to my lips7 andit was getting worse. That fly landed on my 1111mb hand; I could(eel its little legs on my skin. I tried to bat it away with my lefthand. and my arm sWlmg wildly-it was losing feeling too! \Y/hatwas happening? Heart attack? I was too young to have a stroke!By NOW both arms were hanging limply at my sides. I tried to getup, and slid to the floor like a rag doll·my legs were numb too! Ibegan to panic, my breathing was labored. I was completelyunable to move.

I heard the (rollt door opell and slam shut. ThaNk god, it mllstbe Valerie! What a lucky coincidellce that she would come bynow. I called Ollt ... bllt no answer came. Sweat beaded on myface. trickled i"to my eyes, but I couldn't wipe it away. The flylanded on my cheek; the itch of its movements was almostunbearable, bllt I could do nothing. Then I noticed that therewere other (lies in the rOO/1/. One landed on my arm in my fieldo( vision: it seemed huge and bloated, its abdomel1 swollen, com-

13

pound eyes glistening ...I heard another noise and-ofall people-Thompson shuffled into

the room. Oh, my god! How did he get out of cllstody? By nOw

1 could,,7t eve" scream; only a gurgling croak escaped from mythroat. I gasped for breath.

Instead of his usual slack-;awed expressioll, he was grinning atme, a cll/millg intelligence ill his eyes. He was clutching a rag doJl,a huge pin stllck iNto each o( its limbs.

"Ha-hah, mister big-shot lawyer!" His mOllth curled into asneer and he shook the doll in my face. It. had a shock of bmuJ11hair about the length ofmine, and a piece ofgray cloth wrappedaround it. "Ready to believe ill voodoo yet?"

He didn't seem eager to do anything else but look at me. ThenI realized that more flies had gotten into the room and wereswarming around me. None seemed to lmld all him, bl/t theybegan alighting 011 me, crawlillg under /IIY clothes-and biting.Paill(ul little pricks began to multiply. There seemed to be him­dreds now, their bllZZ;'lg growing louder with every passing sec- ~mId. I was desperate to shake them off, to get out, but I was par- ~

alyzed. One flew into my mOlttb, another up my nostril... it wasa hideous feeling, those legs crawling all my tougue, inside mynose... I couldl1't breathe! Thompson started to cbuckle. Thebuzzing grew louder, mixillg with the red haze of pain... thebllzzillg, tbe illsistellt bllzzillg... ~

~~~

1:l)~ ~S'1!~1tl ~5"QP~~"[ wasll't sllpposed to be in there, yOIlknow. There's nothing wrong with me.Besides, it wasn't (air putting me in thatroom with 110 windows, with the three-inchthick plexiglass wall. I'm not dangerolls! [don't hllrt people... Oil purpose. [ had tokill that gllard to get ollt-it was self­defense. Besides, he deserved it. He Ivascrllel to me. [ liked his eyes, thollgh. Hehad sllch nice eyes, bright bille. They'remine now. J like to collect eyeballs; I'vegotten very good at removing them. Youknow, yOIl have very nice eyes YOllrself... "

You might be vety well educated and ableto hide your violent insanity beneath aveneer of intellect; maybe you just seemnormal mOSt of the time, and your bouts ofstark, raving hyperviolence are merelyinfrequent. In' any case, the AsylumEscapee differs from the other archetypesin that his mental balance does not startout around zero, but between -25 and ­100, and will fluctuate depending on cir­cumstances. 'Regular' players will nOt betoO eaget to play with a total psycho, sothis is an additional challenge for the play­er: you must roleplay an insane charactertrying very hard to act sane. You shouldprobably even go so far as to have a 'sec­ondary' archetype (another player willinevitably ask what yours is; not ideal role­playing, but it happens); in any case youshould choose a profession and take someskills in that area. Bur you are primarily apatient, and for good reason. Did you bru­tally mutder your parents? Lead yourschoolmates in a satanic cult culminatingin someone's ritual death' Or did your realcrimes start as an adult, capturing andkilling little boys, or stalking women, thentorturing and disfiguring them? Perhapsyou hear voices (rhe lictors?) or have mul­riple personalities vying for coiltrol of yourbody.

It was no mistake that you've been com­mitted to an asylum for the crimin'allyinsane most of your adult life, and maybeeven in your childhood. And you werenever placed in friendly, private clinics, butin state-owned, aging institutions with palegray tiles on the walls, cold iron bedframescovered in flaking white paint, sadistic,

doctors and uncaring, underpaid nurses.You have been subjected to cruel, pointlessexperiments, injected with powerful, dan­gerous drugs, and imprisoned under inhu­man conditions for years. You are moreused to wearing a grubby uniform rhan realclothes.

You (with the help of rhe GM if you wish)musr painr the ugly picrure of your past.

PERSONALITY: You are completely-anddangerously-insane. The only question ishow well you control it and how long youcan hide it from your cohorts.

DISADVANTAGES: Anxiety, Depression, Drugaddiction, Haunred, Hunted (15), Lowself-esteem, Manic-Depressive, Martyr,Menral compulsion, Oath of revenge,Paranoia, Schizophrenia, Sexual neurosis,Sexually repressed, Touchy, Unwillingmedium

14

ADVANTAGES: Alertness, Arrisric talent,Endure cold/heat, Endure hunger/thirst,Endure pain, Endure ro[[urc, Sixth Sense

DARK SECRETS: Guilry of crime, Insanity,Supernatural Experience, Victim of crime,Victim of medical experiments

PRDFESSION: Unemployed; constantlychanging jobs. Alternatively, could be abrilliant academic, researcher, or almostany other profession.

STANDARD OF LIVING: 2-6

SKILLS: Handgun, Sneak, Swim, Hide,Search, Computers, Electronics, Poisonsand Drugs, Numerology, Disguise, Acting,Forgery, Burglary, Drive vehicle.

1A~ HC1"k~r"Steve called me the other day and said hiscomputer was crashing. He thought it mightbe a vims and wanted to know if I couldcheck it out. "Not a problem," I told him. Itwasn't a virus, of course; it usually isn't.He'd installed some conflicting l111t5 and ontop of that he had some corrupt softwarehe'd pirated. Pretty simple really, if youknow what you·'re doing-which most peo­ple don't.After I fixed the problem and explained it toSteve, he asked me if I could hack a virus forhim. Now, creating viruses in itself isn't ille­gal, and what Steve did with the thing washis own business. I said sure. It's not half asdifficult as it might seem, though of course,to a computer ignorant it must be totalgreek. I've charged as much as fifty grand fora particularly clever little bug (rememberwhen the country's entire phone system wentdown a couple of years ago?) bllt I gave himthis one for only fifteen big ones-since he isa friend, and all."

You're a computer software genius, able towrite programs like it was second nature.Programming or hardware and softwareconsulting might be your main profession,but part of your work is writing programsout of the mainstream. You are also handy atconstructing things; an electronic buggingdevice and receiver would be put together inan afternoon. You might not have done wellat school, having wasted too much time onthe internet or outsmarting video games.Nevertheless you probably have a degree incomputer science. You could be a freelanceror work for a huge corporation; with the lat­ter you might have vast resources at yourdisposal while the former would give youmore personal freedom.

PERSONALITY: You are calm and very parientas long as you are left undisturbed, and youtherefore prefer to work during the ar nightsince interruptions irritate you. You preferdealing with machines and if you must inter­act with people, e-mail (electronic mail) ispreferable to speaking in person or even overthe phone.

DISADVANTAGES: Depression, Phobias (staticelectricity, thunderstorms), Touchy, Night-

15

\mares, Drug addict (stimulants), Bad luck,Rationalist, Hea]rhfH.ygiene negligent

ADVANTAGES: Influential friends, Mathe­matical talent, Mechanically Inclined

DARK SECRETS: Family secret, Guilty ofcrime.

PROFESSION: Compurer programmer, techni­cian, consultant.

STANDARD OF LIVING: 4-8

SKILLS: Computers, Electronics, Etiquerre,Photography, Information retrieval, Codesystems, Drive vehicle, Natural sciences,Written report, Languages, Security systems,Social sciences, Net of contacts (scientists,engineers, many through the InfoBahn).

Th~ HO"'~"'Qk~t""Hello, dear! Here's YOlir cocktail, dinner'saln-zost ready. We're having your favorite­potroast! Hard day at the office, honey?['m sorry. It was the just the uSlfal here.Jvlarge came over and we had coffee, thendid some marketing. We stop/Jed by that.new crafts /Jlace on Maple Drive so J conldpick up some knitting needles; and thelibrary so J collid I'eturll the books J hadchecked Olft on fourteenth century occliltrituals. Then [ had to rush home and putthe roast in! Be a sweetie and call the kids;they're out ill they yard... "

You are a stereotypical housewife, to thepoint of being a caricature of your kind;maybe a dying breed. You are Donna Reedand June Cleaver! This Archetype is anexample of the sort of character you canplay if it is decided to move the game moretowards a mood of black humor (as dis­cussed elsewhere). You can play the home­maker one of two (maybe more) ways: Sheis the devoted wife and mothcr uncxpect­edly thrust into a siruarion where she~con­

frollts horrors from beyond the illusion(e.g., one day, June has one Dr. Pepper toomany, and the caffeine buzz puts her in analtered state. She sees through the illusionenough to realize that her aerobics instruc­tor is a lictor, her best friend Madge has

been acting strangely; and then there arethose flickering images she can barelymake out on the television ... Jline dra wsfrom a well of untapped feminine willpow­er and goes on a secret crusade to combatthese forces. Alternatively, June cracks oneday, but her insanity is subtle; she hides herparanoia from her loving family (theycould be the enemy as well!), meanwhileduring the day she begins to delve intomagic and dark practices. The family willeventually notice that the house is not asclean, laundry is falling behind. They sus­pect a drinking problem ...

Designer note: While this character is notintended to reinforce sexist stereotypes,this is an archetype of American culture,and we shouldn'r have any qualms aboutexploiting her! A househusband just isn'tthe same. We encourage male players aswell as women to play the homemakerwhen the game mood permits it. Camp itup; Kult can be fun, too.

16

17

child bur your mind is able to absorb infor­mation so quickly and efficiently that yOllhave the equivalent of several advanceddegrees. You read thousands of words aminure, you can visualize incredibly complexmathematical problems in your head. Youthink Einstein dropped the ball on the uni­fied field theory, Newton was a dope, andSrephen Hawking is not all that bright.

Your explorations intO science have takenyou to the edge of the illusion, and you arebeginning to suspect that things are not asthey seem. You, of course, assume that youare on the verge of discovering the toralorder of things.

However, your body is just entering puber­ry, and though you try to fight it, you are aslave to the hormones pumping throughyour young system. You don't admit it, evento yourself, bur there arc times when youwish yOll were just a normal boy or girl,allowed to do normal 'kid' things ... but thenyou snap out of that childish malaise. You'vegot no time for such infantile pursuits. Noolle has to know that you stil1 sleep with astuffed rabbit; besides, just last week MrBunny-wunny helped you with that neutrinogravity well problem you were strugglingwith ...

PERSONALITY: Sweet, efficient, loving anddevoted, the homemaker is all the good qual­ities of rhe idealized 50's and 60's TV house­wife. Bur she can become a bit compulsive ...Her house must be spotless, her childrenmust be perfect, her cocktail parties flawless,right down to the canapes. She wears pearlswhile vacuuming, she ... oh, you get the pic­rure.

DISADVANTAGES: Compulsively healthy!hygienic, Drug addiction, I Fanaticism,Intolerance, Manic-depressive, Mental com­pulsion, Mental constriction, Nightmares,Paranoia, Phobia, Rationalist, Sexual neuro­sis, Split personality, Touchy, Unwillingmedium.

ADVANTAGES: Altruism, Code of honor,Empathy, Forgiving, Good reputation,Honesty, Motherliness, Sixth sense.

DARK SECRETS: Family secret, forbiddenknowledge, Insanity, Occult experience,Victim of crime.

PRDFESSION: Housewife.

STANDARD OF LIVING: 3-5

SKILLS: Search, Dancing, Craft (sewing),SPOrt (tennis), Accounting and Bookkeeping,First Aid, Cooking, Meditation, Diplomacy,Etiquette, Interrogation, Net of contacts("the girls"), Acting, Photography, Drivevehicle, Mechanically inclined (limited tohousehold appliances).

th~ Procli3\l"Adults are so insecure. 1guess J can't blamethem, thollgh. My IQ is fifty poillts abovemost of the otber researchers at the lab, andI probably make 1I10re thall allY of themexcept the director. I hate it whell they talkdown to me, as if 1 had a child's mind ill this10 year old body. And they thillk I dOIl'thear their sllide little remarks behilld myback about filmior genius' and 'wun­derkind.' Well, they'll find Ollt SOOIl ellollghwhat ';lInior' has beell liP to. Whell I collectthe Nobel prize they'll all see, and maybe I'llplall a special sllrprise for thelll afterwards."YOll are a genius, pure and simple. YOLI are a

STANDARD OF LIVING: 4-6

DISADVANTAGES: Bad reputation, Brasb,Domineering, Fanaticism, Martyr, MentalCompulsion

ADVANTAGES: Altruism, Code of Honor,Cultural flexibility, Driving goal, Empathy

DARK SECR£T: Forbidden knowledge, Guiltyof crime, Survivor friend, Victim of medicalexperiments

PROFESSION: Anything appropriate; often amember (either paid employee or volunteer)of radical groups like ACT UP, PETA,Greenpeace, Queer Nation, Earth First!, erc.;

PERSONAlITY: You are brilliant and arrogant;most people think you are a spoiled brat whoneeds a spanking; you of course think thatthey a big, stupid Neanderthals. To an extent,you are right; you are more intelligent thanalmost anyone you are likely ro fun inro; how­ever, you lack worldly experience that comesonly with age. You have a tendency to under­rate this 'wisdom,' a serious miscalculation.

helped you with that neurrino gravity wellproblem you were struggling with ...

18

PERSONALITY: Single-minded. You knowwhat's wrong, and you're going to fix it. Ifa few laws get broken on the path to civilrights, then so be it-you can't make anomelet without breaking a few eggs.

ADVANTAGES: Mathematical talent, Mechani-cally inclined. LIVING STANDARD: 3-5

DARK SECRETS: Family secret, Victim of SKILlS: Burglary, Bureaucracy, Computers,crime. Information Retrieval, Law, Man of the

world, Net of contacts: Activists, Phoro-PROFESSION: Scientist, Hacket, graphy, Rhetoric, Written repott, Social sci­

ence, Medicine, Trivia.

SKILLS: Computers, Administration, Creativewriting, Instruction, Accounting & Book­keeping, Electronics, Information retrieval,Cryptography, Languages, Etiquette,Rheroric, Natural science, Social sciences

You represent and champion the underdog,the forgotten, the unwanted. You might be ageneral activist, picking lip whatever causesare in vogue: AIDS funding, Civil Rights,Gay Rights, Homelessness, the list goes on.Perhaps you are specifically devoted to aparticular cause. Regardless, you are com­mitted to your activism, and you now seeeverything in light of your callse.

DISADVANTAGES: Touchy, Socially inept.

C<Fm sick of government lies and inactivity.I'm tired of officious bureaucrats and politi­cians with their excuses and red tape. Ifprotests and lobbying won't get their atten­tion and bring about change, then maybesomethillg more radical will."

''I'd always wondered how our family cameinto its wealth. Father was vague withanswers, and said that I'd learn one day,when it became important. Until then, wine,men, drugs-anything and anyone 1 neededor wanted were at my beck and call. Moneyis a wonderful thing."

You came from a family of grear wealth andsome prestige, raised in the lap of.Iuxury andrarely had to work for anything. Your lin­eage is one of good breeding and high tasres;crirics would say rhar ir is a decadent clan ofspoiled brats. You were being groomed tomanage the family finances, one day, but youweren't worried about it yet. Besides, that'swhat financial consultants were for, right?

Then morher and farher had to have tharmessy divorce, and now everyone is in court.Your family's money is either frozen or goingto rhe lawyers, and you can only hope rharthere is srill some left after rhe whole thing

Settles down. It better be quick, too - yourpersonal funds are running our, and youhaven't the slightest clue how to work formoney.

PERSONALITY: Bored, perhaps disdainful.You don't like consorting wirh hoi polloi.But you are still a gentleman, and you willset a standard for them to follow. You musrdo everything wirh sryle and elegance.

DISADVANTAGES: Curse, Drug addiction,Egotist, Intolerance, Reactionary, Sexuallyrepressed, Sexually tantalizing, Vain

ADVANTAGES: Chivalry, Code of honor, Giftfor languages, Good reputation, Influentialfriends

DARK SECRET: Family secret, Forbiddenknowledge, Guardian, Possessed and haumed

PROFESSION: Typically no profession; may bebusinessman, or diplomat

LIVING STANDARD: 8-10

SKILLS: Administration, Carousing, Danc­ing, Diplomacy, Drive vehicle, Estimatevalue, Etiquette, Gambling, Ham monde,Languages, Net of contacts: aristocrats,Seduction, Humaniries scholarship, Sryle

At.~kt.~"1 worked bard to get where I am, and 1 don'tcare ifyou think I'm overpaid for my sport. I'lldo what I've got to get to the top, and to staythere. And if anyone asks me again if 1 usesteroids, I'll break their goddamn neck. "

You live for your sport and off your sport-iris both a means of recreation and a key to yourfinancial future. Whar happens when you'reroo old or out of shape to continue? You don'rknow; thar's why you'll try to make as muchmoney, get as much fame as you can now.Who knows, you might be a commentator infuture Olympics, or a sporrscaster if you'relucky. Until then, you'll collect rhe officialendorsements and good pay.

PERSONALITY: You are disciplined and compet­itive, maybe even rurhlessly so. You spendhours each day training in your sport. Ir is rheonly way ro be rhe best.

19

DISADVANTAGES: Bad replltation, Brash, Drugaddiction (steroids or other), Egotist, Greed,Mental Compulsion, Rival, Sexually tanta­lizing, Touchy

ADVANTAGES: Alertness, Body awateness,Driving Goal, Endure pam, Influentialfriends, Luck, Status

DARK SECRET: Family Secret, Guilty of crime,Victim of crime, Victim of medical experi­ments

PROFESSION: Professional or Olympic athlete(boxing, football, ice skating, etc.), coach,personal trainer

LIVING STANDARD: 8-10

SKILLS: Acrobatics, Climb, Dancing, Dodge,Drive vehicle, Gambling, Net of Contacts:sports world, lct of conracts: media, Sport(any, possibly multiple spons), Throw,Unarmed combat

'Qr~~i'l~r"Nobody seems to care about the homeless,bllt we're there. Food, blallkets, medica­tion-I always manage to find ways to getthese to the homeless. I dOIl't do it for glor)\and I certainly WOH't get any. 1do it becauseI care."

Your life is dedicated ro taking care of oth­ers. It began as a part-time interest, whenyou volunteered at the shelters. Now it is afull-time avocation of yours. You hear thehomeless talk, though, and its beginning toscare you-they talk of rhings that move inthe night, beasts that live in the sewers, crea­tures that feed off the vagrants.

PERSONALITY: You are a concerned, carIngindividual. However, you're starring to won­der why you even bother, and disillusion­ment is beginning to set in. There are alwayspeople in need; what good are the efforts ofone person?

DISADVANTAGES: Cynic, Debt, Dependent,Depression, Ivlarryr, Mental compulsion,Paranoia

ADVANTAGES: Altruism, Empathy,Faith, Forgiving, Good reputation,Largesse, Motherliness

DARK SECRET: Guilty of crime,Supernatural experience,Survivor friend, Uprooted,Victim. of crime

PROFESSION: Socialworker, annylGoverness, Parent,Nurse

SKILLS: Alternative medicine,Bllt:eallcracy, City knowledge,Counseling, Scrounging, Net ofcontacts: police, Streetwise

20

'~t~orit.'1,"Oh, of cOllrse I have plans for the flltllre. Atelevision series is ;n development, and I'mnegotiating with a publisher for Iny mem­oirs. There's a photo spread of me illlnterview magazine Hext month. Yes. itstrlle-I posed Illide for some of the photos.It was rather exciting, in a way. n

You are well-known in the public eye. Somepeople love and adote you, othets despiseyou as a talentless opportunist. Your successthus far has been a fluke, and you're noreven sure how you gOt this far, but of courseyou publicly attribute it to hatd work andsuffering on your parr. You don't knowwhen your 15 minures of fame will end, soyou intend to make the most of it.

Celebrities may be anything or anyonethrust into the public light: authors, musi­cians, models, teen idols, etc. You may evenbe under appreciated, and only valued forsomething superficial and transitory. It ishard for celebrities to shake an image: teenidols may find it hard to become respectedactors or singers, etc.

PERSONALITY: You live life to rhe fullest, trv­{ng [Q take advantage of your situation. Yourealize thaI' much of your fame depends uponhow well you parlay yourself, and you try toavoid falling into a rut.

DISADVANTAGES: Bad reputation, Egotist,Greed, Manic-depressive, Rival, Sexuallytantalizing, Touchy, Vain

ADVANTAGES: Artistic talenr, Good repura­tion, Luck, Status

DARK SECRET: Chosen, Guilty of crime,Occult experience, Possessed and haunted

PROFESSION: Wrirer, pop musician, model,TV personality

LIVING STANDARD: 8-10

SKILLS: Acting, Carousing, Creacive writing,Driving, Ham monde, Net of contacts:celebrities, Play instrument, Rheroric,Seduction, Singing, Style

't~r~N,"We dOIl't always IIl1derstand God's plans forliS, bl/t we call't look to wealth or physicalcomfort as a sign of God's grace any morethall we shol/ld look to illlless is a sign ofpunishment. if you think your credit ratingis a visible sign of God's blessil/g, thell YOII'resadly mistaken. judgment Day is Ileal', and Ifear that )'01/ will face a terrible verdict."

You have chosen a religious vocation. You maybe a missionary, or a parish priest. You m.ighrserve a local congregation, or you might prefer acloistered life of meditation and prayer."Clergy" need not be ordained-they may sim­ply have a religious calling. "Clergy" also refersto clergy of any tradition, and can apply equal­ly to a Shinro priest and an Orthodox rabbi.

Of course, rhere are some out there who giveother clergy a bad name: sexual deviants,greedy hypocrites, intolerant zealots, andothers. But, thank Heaven, you're not one ofthose people ...

PERSONALITY: Dedication, to ),our faith andyour calise. Although these are not youronly concerns, they are primary for you.You might be disenchanred afrer a lifetime ofservice with no teal tangible results.

21

22

"or course this dmg has been thoroughlytested. Now please ro// lip YOllr sleeve. "

Medical school, internship, residence:you 've more than earned your sala~,. inblood and hatd work. People may CtltICIZeyou for "playing God", bur they're right­who else has the power to save or end liveslike you do' You've seen so much death thatit no longer effects you the way It used to.You only view it in terms of the cessation ofbiological processes, not the snuffing out ofa life force.

Alternately, you may be a tesearcher, lostin the abstract worlds of hypothesis, sCien­tific method research and evaluation. Youare learnin~ the secret of life, and can'tafford to be bothered with other pettydetails.

PERSONAUrY: You find it hatder and harderto maintain a "bedsidemanner," becoming moreclinical with each patient.This is just another client,just another virus, justanother gunshot.

DISADVANTAGES: Debt,Egotist, Greed,Rationalist, Reckless gam­bier, Sexual eurosis

ADVANTAGES: Good tepu­tation, Influential friends

DARK SECRET: Guilry ofcrime, Resp\lI1sible formedical experiments,Survivor friend

PROFESSION: Physician,researcher, psychiatrist

UVING STANDARD: 7-9

SKILLS: Alternative medi­cine, Forensics,Computers, Man of theworld, Medicine, Net ofcontacts: Scientists,Natural science, Poison& drugs

DARK SECRET: Chosen, Cutse, Forbiddenknowledge, Guardian, Occult experie~ce, Pactwith dark powers, Supernatural experience

DISADVANTAGES: Depression, Drug Ad­diction, Haunted, Martyr, Meneal compul­sion, Sexual Neurosis, Sexually repressed

ADVANTAGES: Altruism, Code of Honor,Empathy, Forgiving, Influential friends,Intuition, Motherliness, Pacifism

LIVING STANDARD: 2-4

PROFESSION: minister, monk or nun, priest,ra bbi social worker, teacher,

SKILLS: Counseling, Etiquette, Infotmationretrieval, Languages, Meditation, Hum.anitiesscholarship (multiple: Theology, Scnpturalstudies Religious History), Net of conracts:Church hierarchy! organization, Rhetoric,Written report

--~.

-- .

-t~3it.i~~"Its always the same. 1come to a nice town,I settle dowl/ iI/to a comfortable daily pat­ternJ and thel1 I see them watching me {roma distallce. The men in dark suits, with sun­glasses. AI/d again I have to move, trying toevade them. JJ

You're on the rUIl, being chased, with noend in sight. You may have to move fromplace [Q place, creating identity after iden­tity, in order to elude your persuers.

Maybe you're running from law enforce­ment officials. Maybe you're hiding froma crime syndicate. You might nor even beguilty of what you're accused of. It does­n't really matter, of course, because who­ever is chasing yOlI has insrrucrions [0

"shoot first."

PERSONALITY: Driven, suspicious. Youfind it hard to trust anyone, never know­ing who might turn you in. You hatemaking friends, because you usually endup losing them when you have leave in the

middle of the night.Live for the here andnow, and maybe oneday you'll clear yourname.

DISADVANTAGES:Anxiety, Bad luck, Badreputation, Curse,Cynic, Depression,Persecuted, Innocentlyblamed, Mistakenidentiry, Morralenemy, Paranoia,Rival

ADVANTAGES: Alertness,Animal friendship,Code of honor, Endurecolrlfheat, Endurehunger/thirst, Enduretorture, Sixth Sense

DARK SECRET: Curse,Family secret,Forbidden knowledge,Guilty of Crime,Responsible for medicalexperiments, Victim ofmedical experiments

23

PROFESSION: varies from place to place, usu­ally something menial. It may have beenanyrhing before you became a fugitive.

LIVING STANDARD: 1-3

SKILLS: Burglary, City secrets, Climb,Disguise, Dodge, Hide, Sneak, Unarmedcombat, Man of the world, Scrounging,Survival

Ie Yeah, so what?"

Everything your parents and their entire gener­ation raught you is wrong. "Go ro college, geta degree, and you'll have a good job. All itrakes is education and motivation." Five yearslater (a college degree in four years? yeahright), what do you get? You have a nifty pieceof paper with some Latin on it, no job, andyour student loan financiers starting to callyou. And don't forger all that easy credit whileyou were a student. Its all coming back tohaunt you.

.1 PERSONALITY: Cynical, pessimisric--;,speciallytoward the "convemional wisdom" of earliergenerations. Of course, yOll also seem toindulge in your role as a cynic.

DISADVANTAGES: Anxiery, Bad luck, Blacksheep, Cynic, Debt, Depression, Drug addic­tion, low self-esteem, Schizophrenia, Touchy

ADVANTAGES: Artisric ralent, Culrural f1exi­biliry, Emparhy, Enhanced awareness

DARK SECRET: Family secrer, Guilry of crime,Insanity, Occult experience, Uprooted,Victim of Crime

PROFESSION: any, including secrerary, gamedesigner, artist, bartender, barista, etc.

LIVING STANDARD: 2-4

SKILLS: Carousing, Ciry secrers, Compurers,Dancing, Drive vehicle, Informationretrieval, Man of the world, Pictorial Arts,Play insrfumem, Poison & drugs, Sport,Writing, Humanities scholarship, Naturalscience, Seduction, Social science, Srreerwise

"Sure, man. Fifty dollars'll do it. You thiukyOIl ca11 throw di,l1ler ill too, or do I gotta doextra?"

You've been on rhe streers for five yearsnow, since your old man kicked you our.You'rc homeless, bur rhar doesn'r meanyou don'r have a place ro sleep.Somcrimes you have ro sleep on rhe streersor in rhe subway, bur nor roo ofren­you've got friends, there are a few placesonly squarters like you know abour, andthen rhere are the people you sometimes gohome wirh. Yeah, sometimes they makeyou do really weird rhings, bur-ir's a living.

PERSONALITY: Selfish, disrrusrful. You've beenhurr roo many rimes, borh physically andmentally. You're nor going ro ler rhar hap­pen again.

DISADVANTAGES: Bad luck, Cynic, Depres­sion, Drug addiction, Forgotten, Low Self­Esteem, Luckless, Persecuted

ADVANTAGES: Animal friendship, Culruralf1exibiliry, Endure cold/hear, Endure hunger!thirsr

DARK SECRET: Guilry of crime, Insaniry,Occulr experience, Survivor friend, Victim ofmedical experiments, Uprooted

PROFESSION: unemployed, prosriture; per­form odd jobs for cash, room & board

LIVING STANDARD: 1-3

SKILLS: Carousing, Ciry secrets, Erotica, Hide,Search, Sneak, Unarmed combat, Dancing,Man of the world, Net of contacts: hustlers,Scrounging, Survival (urban)

24

"If you think this is about fighting, thenyou've lost already."

You've studied your an for years. YOLI havemastered your body more than most peoplewere aware could be done. The martial artsaren't about self-defense or fighting; they'rea way of life, a means of spiritual disciplineand self-improvement. You can imagine aday without sleep or food m~re rhan youcould imagine a day without pra'criee. Foryou, the martial arts are like prayer or med­itation. Some martial artists may bepompous braggarts and bullies, more tattoosand pectorals than humility or wisdomrhey'll show off their skill just to Impresssomeone, or intimidate them.

PERSONALITY: Quiet and disciplined. Themore you learn, the morc you are awarethat you have more to learn. You like tospout quasi-mystical aphorisms that yOll

don't understand, but seem philosophicallyevocative.

DISADVANTAGES: Brash, Death wish, Egotist,Panaticism, Mental compulsion, Oarh ofrevenge, Rival, Touchy

ADVANTAGES: Alertness, Animal friendship,Code of honor, Endure cold/heat, Endurehunger/thirst, Endure pain, Faith, Iron will,Mentor, Magical intuition, Optimist, Sixthsense

DARK SECRET: Chosen, Forbidden know­ledge, Guardian, Guilty of crime, Uprooted

PROFESSION: martial arts instructor, some­thing that pays for your lessons, Taoist orBuddhist monk, gardener

LIVING STANDARD: 2-4

SKILLS: Alternative medicine, Climb, Herb­alisl11, Instruction, Melee and throwingweapons, Martial arts, budo maneuvers,Meditation, Narural History, Night combat,Sporr, Two-handed combat, Humanitiesscholarship (Eastern Philosophy)

Note: your Martial arts skill scores arelimited by your abilities (Kult, p. 119)

PClrClPS~,,~ota~ist.«Professor Fowlel~ just because you find myfield of study dubiolls is 110 reason to denymy 1Jctitioll a chance before t.he AcademicSenate. If you would just read the proposalone more time you would see that the cita­tiolls are from perfectly legitimat.e sources. "

You have a respectable education in a dis­reputable career. Your doctorate is in psy­chology, but few people are willing to respectyour self-proclaimed avocation as "parapsy­chologisr." You're still waiting for your col­lege to accept your proposal to establish aparapsych program. Your colleagues tend tomake jokes abollt ghosts and monsters whenyou're not around, and your most interestingphone-call in the past month turned out tobe another practical joke.

PERSONALITY: You are serious about yourcareer, and you are concerned that 110 onetakes it seriously. You're out there to provethe validity of your profession and yourstudies to the academic world at large.

DISADVANTAGES: Bad luck, Bad teputation,Black Sheep, Haunted, Mental compulsion,Touchy, Unwilling medium

25

ADVANTAGES: ~

Cultural flexi~ility,

Driving goal, \Enhanced awa'te­ness, Magical intu­ition, Mathematicaltalent, Mentor,Sixth sense

DARK SECRET:Occult experience,Insanity,Responsible formedical experi­ments, SupernaturalexperIence

PROFESSION: para­psychologist; profes­sor of psychology

LIVING STANDARD:4-6

SKILLS: Alternativemedicine, Comp­uters, Electronics,Hypnosis, Inform­ation retrieval,Languages, Media­tion, Net of con­tacts: university,

Net of conracts: parapsychologists,Occultism, Parapsychology,Photography, Rhetoric, Writing

"The history of this partiwlar text is fasci­nating, especially the various recensions thatwe find developing in the years 1153 to1219. Bear with me while 1explain the soci­ological implications of the fifth recension,which I've traced to the abbey of MOItt­Saint-Michel... "

Your enri.re life has been focused on an areaof study that few other people understand oreven care about - Elizabethan drama,Byzantine theology, or even non-Euclidiangeometry. Only other scholars fully under­stand your obsession with your field. You'vespent years engaged in your study. Eitheryou have a doctorate or you dropped out ofhigher education, disillusioned with the insti­tutional hoops you had to jump through.

Perhaps you are employed by a college oruniversity as an instructor, and spend all yournon-classroom time at the library or in youroffice, delving into the obscure minutiae ofyour field. Maybe you're even lucky enoughto have a research fellowship, and you candevote all your time to this research.Regardless, your work is never complete;there's always another footnote to track down.

Not all scholars are dedicated to the purityof the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake;some are simply opportunists or egotistswho seek notoriety or fame in the academiccommunity: stealing the work of others, fab­ricating research, etc.

PERSONALITY: Pedagogic. You know a lot,and yOll are eager to share it. You don't likedisagreement when it comes to your field;after all, you're the expert.

DISADVANTAGES: Depression, Egotist,Fanaticism, Intolerance, Rationalist.

ADVANTAGES: Code of honor, Culturalflexibility, Gift for lan­guages, Mathematical tal­ent.

DARK SECRET: Forbiddenknowledge, Inheritor,Occult experience,Responsible for medicalexperiments, Supernaturalexperience, Survivorfriend

PROFESSION: researcher,professor, teacher, curator,librarian·

LIVING STANDARD: 4-6

SKILLS: Cryptography,Information retrieval,rnstructioll, Languages,Net of conracts: universi­ty, Net of contacts:library, Rhetoric,Humanities scholarship(various specializations) ,Medicine (various special­izations), Natural science(various specializations),Social sciences (variousspecializations),Read/write native lan­guage, Written report

26

•

"I have known since I was a child that I was different-quite unlike all my friends or myfamily. I did,,'t look different. I didn't really act different - at least, not when anyone else wasaround. I was neither considerably smarter nor more stupid than my siblings. I don't knowhow to describe it. I just knew that I was somehow ""like anyone else I knew. I g"ew up withthis feeling, "nable to explain or understand it. In high school, my guidance counselor said Iwas going through a typical stage in adolescence. It wasn't unusual for me to feel alone anddifferent, and I would grow out of it.

Was it usual for me to dream nightly of midnight hunts? Was it normal for me to havedremns that I was something nonhuman, even monstrous? Was it acceptable for me todream that I I"rked in alleys and shadows, hunti"g humans as prey? These questions I neverasked, fearing the answer.

011e 11ight, 1dreamt that I was in my bed, slowly overcome by a hunger for something insa­tiable; greater than sex, greater than drugs, alcohol, greater than anythi"g I had ever had orwanted or desired. My body writhed in sudden agony, as I felt some change overcoming it;muscles hardening, skin toughening, bones protruding painfully from my skin at the elbowsand knees. I felt a sudden desire to flee, and leapt through my window, naked and bleeding.

I have never awoken from this particular dreanl. JJ

27

""

The Children of rhe Night are a diversegrouping of peoples that live on the fringes ofhumanity. They have existed as long as man,providing fodder for the mythologies theDemiurge used to captivate and enslave man.They are the shapeshifters whose hungry teethtear into human flesh: these creatures becamethe succubi and incubi that tantalize their vic­tims and feed from their frenzied orgasms;they are the creatures that became the mon­sters of our earlier mythologies - the dwarvesand gnomes, the fey folk, the fomori, theundead, the terrors and wonders of the night.

The Children of the Night differ wildly inappearance, culture, and psychology; it wouldbe difficult to describe or define a "typical"bete-noir (as they are sometimes called).Some Children of the Night are' ~o close tocommon humanity that they can easily blendin; the soul-hungry Lorelei are examples ofthis, as are the blood-thirsty Nosferatu.However, some Children of the Night are somonstrously deformed or mutated that theycan never hope to ever become parr of mortalsociety, even briefly.

GENESISThe origin of the Children of the Night is amystery to them and man alike; all that isknown is that they have been here as long asmankind, fellow prisoners in this illusion wecall reality. Sages, scientists and magiciansmaintain a variety of theories for their origins:some assert that they were humans punishedfor some gross transgression against theDemiurge; others claim that the Children ofthe Night are products of awful biologicalexperiments by the Death Angels or theArchons; many posit that the Children of theNight simply exist, and their origin shall neverbe known.

However such creatures may have been orig­inally created, a number of methods ofbecoming a bete~noir are known. Some crea­tures begin as common mortals, eventuallytwisted by their own dark desires and fearsinto something beyond human. This typical­ly happens to humans exposed to too manyterrifying events; especially susceptible arepeople with low Mental Balances. Not allpeople who become Children of the Night inthis manner remain living nightmares; someslowly revert to their human form. This is oneof the most typical ways for a "common" man(what some Children of the Night call"Normals") to become a Child. This is the

reason why many of the more philosophically­inclined Children of the Night argue in theirsewers and subterranean homes that all menare Children of the Night.

Some people are turned into Children of theNight through the actions of others.Scientific experiments can bring forth unex­pected changes in the victim; drugs can twistand transform the mortal body, surgery andmagic alike can alter forever which once washuman. Lab experiments are not limited inhistory to present-day science: alchemists ofantiquity sought unattainable answers, as didthe Romantic scientist-philosophers who triedto create life.

Some Children of the Night are capable ofcausing this transformation in Normalhumans, typically through the exchange ofbodily fluids (often blood). Not everyonewho is infected by a bete-noir, intentionally oraccidentally, becomes a new child of the night;normally only 1 in 10 suffer such a transfor­mation.

Finally, some people are actually born intothe Children of the Nighr; this is often the casewith the Nephilim, a society of Night­Children who have forged a relatively com­mon identity, history, and world-view in spiteof individually different appearances and psy­chologies. Infants born to such creatures aretypically also Children of the Night. A fewinfants are born human; these unfortunateoffspring are lefr abandoned in a trashcan oralley for the Normals to find and raise, whilethe media and liberals cry aloud about"unwanted children." Such children mightlive normal lives, as might their own children.At some point in their lineage, however, theblood of !peir forebears reasserts itself, andoften-horrific changes are wrought at adult­hood. These new Children of the Night arealmost always welcomed by their brethren,who listen with sympathy to their tales.

COMMUNITIESMany Children of the Night are loners, espe­cially those who underwent some unfortu­nate transformation from a once-Normalexistence. However, while some creaturesfind solirude the only venue of living theirwretched lives, others inevitably seek thecompany of others like themselves. OtherChildren of the Night are naturally social,quickly bonding with fellow creatures.

The Children of the Night prefer to live inthe cities, where the shadows are darker and

28

the refuse is richer. They teside in the slumsand abandoned tenements of the big cities.A few live away from the cities, far awayftom the dangerously inquisitive Normalswhom they used to be, in private wildernesscommunities.

ENCLAVESThe latgest fellowships of the Child ten of theNight are the Enclaves, secret communitiesmaintained by the Nephilim in many of thelatget cities. Although the Enclaves atehomes ptimatily to Nephilim, almost allChildten of the Night ate welcome, providedthe laws of each community are maintained.The laws vaty from Encla':e to Enclave, butare typically designed to ptesetve anonymityand safety.

These Enclaves are chthonic labyrinths,hidden away from hostile eyes. TheNephilim (and other Children of the Night)inhabit OUf graveyards, forgotten steam­pipes, abandoned sewers and buried cities,the places that we fear to tread. SomeEnclaves are small, no more than a handfulof allied Children of the Night. OtherEnclaves, particularly those in larger cities,are considerably larger, several dozenChildren of the Night huddled together In

relative safety.

CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT ASPLAYER CHARACTERS

Children of the Night may be player charac­rers, bur some Gamemasrers might find themunwelcome. In general, Children of theNight tend to be stronger and mote resilientthan common humans, so this may disruptgame balance for Gamemasrers concernedwith such details. Even though Children ofthe Night typically have limitations which

make up for their powers, some Game­mastets may still find such Cteatures unbal­ancing as player characters.

More importantly, they reptesent a tealitythat is, and normally should be, a mystety tomost average new Kulr characters.Gamemasters should not allow Childten ofthe Night as piayet chatacters unless they arecapable of dealing with an early shift in thegame atmosphere.

Of course, some Children of the Night mayhide their true natures... for a while; as thecharacters learn more of the true reality, theymay discover uncomfortable rruths abourtheir very own comrades.

THE LONE BETE·NOIRIt is difficult to play one of the Children ofthe Night if the other piayet characters areall common humans. Playing a bete-noirprovides both practical and aesthetic prob­lems that are exacerbated by a lone Child ofthe Night in a group of humans who mighteasily be hostile to it.

Children of the Night often have differentlifestyles or feeding habits from commonmorrals. A character that can be harmed bysunlight, that must feed off human souls, orregularly turns into a bloodthirsty animalmight easily prove to be a dilemma for agroup of "Normals", who might even rea­sonably fear for their own safety. This prob­lem, unfortunately, is worsened if they mustmeet their comrade in his lair in the sewersor some other disconcerting place.

Of course, a group with Children of theNight as minority elements provides excel­lent potential for role-playing, as the playersmust resolve issues of trust and security, andthe acceptance of an alien, and possiblyincomprehensible, lifestyle in their group.

29

;~"~~~~i!'j'1~ri'.

~.-......

~'r.fj-' -:;-,.,.,

~THE MIXED GROUP

Groups that are composed of a few Childrenof the Night and a few humans may providethe same problems as a lone bete noir. A pos­sible solution is for the Gamemasrer to funtwo "sub-groups," one of Normals and one ofChildren of the Night, which may meet togeth­er in secret but have different areas of opera­tion. This could prove difficulr, but carefulplanning might ameliorate some problems.If a mixed group is to be played, it is best if

all the characters are individuals that arecapable of operating together: eitherNormals who don'r mind hanging aroundsewers with their mutated and secretiveftiends, or Children of rhe Night that caneasily pass for human. Such a group canhave a variety of adventures, set both in theworld of Normals and the hidden world ofthe Children of the Night

A BErE-NOIR GROUPFor a totally different type of game aGamemasrcr may choose to run a campaignwhere all the player characters are Childrenof the Nighr. Such a game could explore thecommunities of the Children of the Night, themysterious origins of the various races, andthe attempts of the Children of the Night tohide from common mortals who might seektheir destruction. Scientists might desire suchcreatures for examination, religious crusadersmay believe that they are tools of the deviland seek their destruction, and so forth.

There can still be a variety of interpersonalproblems, even if all the characters areChildren of the Night. Not all such crea­tures get along merely by nature of rheirexistence, and conflict is still bound to arise.

A group entirely composed of Children ofthe Night can provide an exotic and mysteri­ous atmosphere to an already dark and enig­matic reality.

CHILDREN OF THE NIGHTARCH£TYPES

New Archetypes are provided for ,eitherplayers who wish to play a Child of theNight, or for Gamemasters who desire theirinclusion as NPCs.

The Children of the Night archetypes areexpanded, in order to provide additional infor­mation and guidelines for successful roleplay­ing and storyrelling. The background material

that is presented in these archetypes is minimaljGamemasters and players may expand upon itas they feel necessary. Additionally, theChildren of the Night will be further detailedand explored in future releases.

If you are crearing one of the Children ofthe Night, you may use the following arche­types for Simplified characters, or use themas guidelines for Standard characrer cre­ation. Likewise, feel free to create otherarchetypes for the Children of rhe Night.

Expanded archetypes are similar to regulararchetypes, with only minor alteration andadditions. Expanded archetypes include thefollowing details:

APPEARANCE: There is no one typical "Childof the Night"; likewise, rhere is no one typi­cal appearance. Some archetypes will havevery uniform appearances, while others willvary wildly.

ORIGIN: How such members of the Childrenof the Night came into existence. Rememberthat there are numerous ways to becomeChildren of the Night, and these archetypesrepresent different variants.

SOCIETY: Whether these atchetypes form anysociety, and a few suggestions on how such asociety might be structured. Communitiesmay differ from region ro region, so only thebarest guidelines arc presented.

RELATIONS: How these archerypes interacrwirh the other Children of the Night, and howthey might interact with normal mortals.

DARK ~ECRET: Children of the Nighr can haveany Dark Secret. They automatically havethe "Sup'ernatural Experience" Dark Secretsimply by virtue of their very existence.

POWERSIlIMITATlONS: Unlike mosr Advant­ages and Disadvantages, the Powers andLimitations listed here are mandatory. Insome cases, a number of options are offered.

1£ you are creating characters using theStandard system, remember that Powers arepurchased wirh points taken fromLimitations and Disadvantages.

DISADVANTAGES: Any Disadvantages that arein italics must be taken. Any other lisredDisadvantages are optional.

ADVANTAGES: Any Advantages that are initalics must be taken. Any other listedAdvantages are optional.

30

MENTAL BALANCEIn calculating your mental balance, take thefollowing into account.

MENTAL BAlANCE =ADVANTAGES· (DISADVANTAGES + UMITATIONSI

Powers do not have any effect on MentalBalance. Normally, no "Child of the Night"can have a memal balance higher than -25, soif the Mental Balance results in somethinghigher than that munbet; excess points arelost. Of course, chances arc, the resultingMemal Balance will be worse than -25.

Remember that the most important thingabout any bere-nair is its character and indi­viduality. Don't just play one for the sake ofplaying a combat-monster who can repel bul­lets or rip doors off their hinges, concernedwith how best to use your powers and down­play your limitations. As we have nored ear­lier, that is nor what Kult should be about.Playa Child of the Night because it appealsto you, because you connect with the charac­ter as you would with any other character,

~ordd"It was a pity to lose him, really it was. /adored his face al1d worshipped his smooth­ly muscled hody. Unfortunately, he came tome one time too many. In the throes of ourclimax, / took more of him than / hadimended, al1d left him a sOlllless husk. Hisbody, ol1ce sleek and beautiflll, lay there coldand ashen."

You are one of the Lorelei, the narcissisticsoul-eaters. Once you were a normal human,but that was before you became infected withthe Lorelei parasite. Now, you can live forev­er, and you're are stronger than before.When it comes right down ro it, its a smallprice to pay, to have to drain mortals of theirlife force. You are berter than them, after all.

APPEARANCE: Lorelei ate the "beautiful peo­ple," and tend to be generally rather hand­some men and beautiful women. They areoften the epirome of style.

ORIGIN: Lorelei are cteated through infectionof the Lorelei parasite. Only a select few canbecome Lorelei, and these individuals mustbe nominated by othet Lotelei. Completedetails about the origins of the Lorelei areavailable in Legions of Darkness.

SOCIETY: Lorelei are social creatures, andoften enjoy each other's company, providedthey do not provide too much competitionfor prey. They tend ro gather around night­clubs and bars, frequenting decadent partiesat stylish ptivate homes. The Lorelei subcul­ture is also discussed in Legions of Darkness.

RELATIONS: Lorelei will rolerate the Nosferatu(particularly the handsome ones), but willavoid the Nephilim. ("They're so ... ugly, andthey live in the sewers, for God's sake").Genetally, they will prefet attractive people,ignore the avetage-looking, and disdain uglyfolks. When they need to, Lorelei interacteasily with common humans.

DARK SECRET: Guilty of Crime

31

POWERS: Increased abilities (add S to COand STR), Eternal Yourh

LIMITATIONS: Conrrolled by Minor force(parasite), Soul thirst (modi fed-see below)

DISADVANTAGES: Mental Compulsion (nymph­omania), Animal enmiry, Egotist, MentalCompulsion (fashion), Sexual neurOSIS,Sexually ramalizing, Vain

ADVANTAGES: Resistance to Illness, Bodyawareness, Enhanced awareness, Fast healer

PROFESSION: any

LIVING STANDARD: varies per profession; usu­ally high

SKILLS: City secretes, Dancing, Erotica,Etiqucrrc, Man of the world, Seduction, Netof contacts: Lorelei, Net of contacts:Nosferaru, Style

Note: The Limitation "Soul-Thirst" is modi­fied for Lorelei:

Soul Thirst: The Lorelei must rebuild theirSTR, CON, and AGL scores every month by

feeding off rhe life force of humans. In the lastweek of any month in which a Lorelei does notfeed, each ability suffers by IdS points. If anentire month passes without feeding, then theloss is petmanent and can only be tebuilt withexpetience points. The Lorelei feed by drain­ing the life force of a victim, which causes aloss of IdS in STR, CO , and AGL. Loreleicannot comrol this loss, and may accidental­ly cause death in the victim. The feedingoccurs during orgasm, which is accompaniedby a ttemendous sutge of raw enetgy coupledwith a diminishing of bodily resistances. Forthis reaSOil, the Lorelei cannot use their SoulThirst as a weapon (unless the)' are trulyinventive and demented).

Although Lorelei suffer from soul-thirst,they must still ear and drink as normalhumans.

"We lurk ill the shadows, feasting off yourre(use or your unwanted. We have neverbelonged anywhere except in your (ears andnightmares, YOlfr beside stories and folktales.\Ve crawl in the sewers, hide in ourlabyrinthine homes, and pray for solitudeand safety from the prying eyes of the mor­tals above that would hUHt us. Wle are man)',yet few know liS. \Ve are everywhere, yetfew see us. We are the Nephi/im.'"

You are one of the Nephilim, born to a mon­StrouS herirage rhat your people have alwayscalled "the Curse." Your parents wereNephilim, and theits before them; alwayshas your family dwelt among the monstrousones. You ~ever knew the sunlit worlds, butyou ha ve befriended othets who used todwell amongst the humans-those who wereborn a common morral bur learned of rheirNephilim heritage as they came to adulthoodand finally had to join their terrible btethren.

APPEARANCE: The Nephilim have no standatdmien; they have a multitude of appearancesamongst them. They normally have some Out­

standing features that must be covered or oth­erwise concealed before they can enter humansociety, e.g., claws, horns, even tentacles.Some afe so hideous thar they cannot hope to

enter human society, even under disguise.

ORIGIN: The Nephilim are the people of the

32

Curse: to twist in body and soul, to becomea monster in name and appearance if not indeed. They were either born to rhe Nephilimtribes, raised with full knowledge of theirabilities and their history, or they were bornro normal people and raised among them. Asthe cu.rse began to manifest, the incipientNephilim left his or her human family, drawnby some innate longing to the nearestNephilim Enclave. The rrue origins of theNephilim are lost, hinted at in the variousmythologies that were perperuared by rheDemiurge. Some ephilim sages argue a hid­den heritage that is linked to rhe Seraphim.

SOCIETY: The Nephilim gather togerher forsafety, comfort, and acceptance, in commu­nities called Enclaves Normally they livein the sewers and slums of large cities, buta few communes exist in the wilderness.The Nephilim have a loose confederacy;sometimes more than one Enclave exists ina region, if it is large and heavily populat­ed enough. Each Enclave tends to have itsrules and its own government. Nephilimwho have been in cities for a long timehave almost carved out subterranean

empires for rhemselves, claiming the lostsewer runnels and ancient forgotten cellarsas their own. Larger Enclaves eXist III

Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, London,Moscow, and Rome.

RELATIONS: The Nephilim welcome all intotheir Enclave (unless they have committedsome egregious act that would totally alien­ate rhem). They believe thar all humans aresecrerly people of the Curse.

Few Nephilim can operate among Normalsdue to their often-deformed appearance.There have been those few U annals" whosoughr membership in the ephilim-our­casts, homeless, or others with private rea­sons-and these have been accepted.

DARK SECRET: Curse, Occult experience,Guilry of crime, Uprooted

POWERS: Infrared vision, Natural weapons(choice of two: fangs, claws, tenracle, tail,horns), Partiallnvulnerabiliry (half damage) to(choice of: projectiles; melee weapons; allunarmed arracks), Enhanced senses, Increasedabiliry (anyone ability) or Fast Reactions

LIMITATIONS: Unhuman appearance , sensi­tive to (choice of: iron, silver or copper), sen­sitive to electricity

DISADVANTAGES: Persecuted, Curse, DearhWish, Drug addiction, Schizophrenia,Touchy, Wanred

ADVANTAGES: Body awareness, Code of honor,Endure pain, Mentor, Sixth sense

PROFESSION: None, usually criminals orvagabonds.

LIVING STANDARD: ]

SKILLS: Burglary, City Secrets, Disguise,Eriquerre: Nephilim, Net of contacts:Nephilim, Poison and drugs, Scrounging,Shadow, Sneak, Unarmed combat

Note: There arc numerous types ofephilim; this archerype only presents a

"srandard" character. Further archerypescan be created, or Nephilim can be crearedrhrough rhe standard character creationmethod. In any such case, almosr any pow­ers and limitarions can be chosen.

33

"1 still visit my parents. 1 peer in their livingroom window, to see my mother watchingtelevision aud mJ' father reading the newspa­pel: They still have my photo on the maute/­piece: their beloved son. They never removedthe black ribbon from my picture, and it'sbeen years now. 1guess losing your only SOil

must be diffiwlt. If ouly they knew that I'dcome back."

You lived a normal happy life, once. Yougraduated cum laude, you had a good job,and bright prospects for the furure. Thensomeone gunned you down) in what seemed asimple robbery. The pain washed over you asthe bulJets tore apart your fragile flesh andsinew. You were swallowed by oblivion.

Then ... yOll awoke in an alleyway. Youwere stronger than before, your sensesimproved, but you knew that you were nolonger alive. A glance in any mirror wilJ telJyOll that. You don)t know what happened) orwho brought you back, or why, but you'regoing to get to the bottom of rhis.

APPEARANCE; There is no mistaking a Revenantfor one of the Dead. Their skin is pale, usual­ly bone-white; no matter what color their eyeshad been, they are pupil-less and milky whire.Revenants have little body fat) resulting in aphysique that may be either gaunt or well-mus­cled. Their fingernails have a bruised, bluishtint to them. Some Revenants still bear thescars of whatever caused theiJ death.

ORIGIN: The Revenants are agents of orherforces) usually dark ones. Various agenciesmay have any number of reasons for resur­recting rhe dead in improved yet ghastlyforms, but these reasons are never immediate­ly cleat. When rhe rask is completed,Revenants are sometimes recalled, sometimesdestroyed, sometimes given another task, andsometimes utterly ignored.

soclrn: Revenants have no society. Theyoften don't even know that other RevenarHsmigh t exist.

RELATIONS: Revenants tend to be accepted bythe Nephilim (who accepr everybody), butno one else. They are comfortable amongthe Nephilim, and rarely venture among

34

common mortals except for those times thatthey are drawn to their past life.

DARK SECRET: Chosen, Curse, Insanity,Victim of crime, Victim of medical experi­mentation, Uprooted

POWERS: Increased ability (any two scores +10), Protective skin, Never need food ordrink (20 point power), Regeneration

LIMITATIONS: Controlled (lesser) by externalfotce, Sensitive to fire, Sensitive toElectricity, Scared of religious symbols,Tomb bondage (any grave-like place will do),Un human appearance

DISADVANTAGES: Curse (Iesset), Haunted(minor), Mental Compulsion (5), Night­mares (minor), Oath of Revenge, Touchy

ADVANTAGES: Resistant to Ulness, Endure pain,Enhanced awareness, Intuition) Sixth sense.

PROFESSION: None

LIVING STANOARO: 0

SKILLS: City Secrets, Scrounging, Shadow,Sneak, Unarmed combat) other skills whilealive

Note: It is important to remember thatRevenants work under a number of constantdisadvantages.

Revenants are ultimately driven to some taskby the agency that resurrected them. This taskis almost never apparenr to them, and will onlyslowly be revealed. Sometimes, Revenants willstruggle against their destiny, only to ultimate­ly find that they have fulfilled their destinedtask nonetheless. Only rarely will some super­natural apparition appear with instructions.

Revenants are a living connection to death.They can see the spirits of the dead, who aredrawn to the revenants, harassing them,demanding favors at times, otherwise justseeking company.

Revenants relive their death every night asthey dream, almost comatose in theirmakeshift tomb. Although they do not recallwhat happened in the intervening timebetween their death and their resurrection,they may have brief nightmarish visions thatslowly intensify.

Saddest of all, Revenants are irresisriblydrawn towards places and people that wereimportant to them while alive, and watchrhem from afar. If rhey survive rheir lovedones, they will still pursue any connection totheir past life-friends, descendants, etc.

S~rQp~i","Ollce, we graced the skies alld filled mel/'sdreams. We ministered to the saints andtormented the sinners: we were the angels ofheavell, who came to deliver the word of theCreator. Theil the Demiurge disappearedand the skies shattered. Now, we are aragged and confllsed peoples, homeless andwithollt purpose. SOll1e of us serve differelltpowers while others tremble in hiding.Only a bold few of us have velltured forthinto the world, to see what destiny awaits. ..

You were the Seraphim, the chosen messen­gers and warriors of the Demiurge. Somecalled you angels, orhers called you devas;there were many names for you. \Vhen theDemiurge vanished, you and your kind fell toearrh. You are one of the few who have norcome under the sway of the licrors, and youare derermined to explore the world rhar youonce helped lord over. At times, you areoverwhelmed with excitement and enthusi­asm for your prospects, but orherwise you

are possessed of a deep sense of longing andsadness over your loss.

APPEARANCE: The Seraphim are partiallyhidden by rhe !IIusion. To normal people,they appear as very charismatic and beauti­ful (even unearrhly) individuals. For thosewho can see through Illusions, the Seraphimare winged, rheir fearhered appendages oftentorn and bloodied. When enraged, rhe eyesof the Seraphim glow horly and rheir fingerslengthen into terrible claws. Some Seraphimhave had their wings removed, as they arenow useless-with no paradise ro ascend to,they can no longer fly.

ORIGIN: The Seraphim were rbe hosts ofheaven, rhe heralds of the Demiurge. Theyhelped enforce rhe illusion and populare rheparadises. When rhe Demiurge disappearedand the paradises cracked open, rhe angelsfell to earth. Mosr were so affected by theFall rhar rhey were easily snared by rheLictors. Only a few managed to either escape(or never fall under) the Lictors' sway.Some Seraphim still remain in hiding, partic­

ularly from rhe Licrors who would hunt rhemdown. Some have become bolder, and live inhuman society, raking great advantage of theirpowers and abilities; rhis is a dangerous exis­rence, for a lictor can easily see a seraphim forwhat it is. A few seraphim wander the earth,still atrending ro rheir original duties of pun­ishing sinners and aiding rhe good. Finally,rhere are rhose Seraphim who have becomecorrupt, seeking glory from weak-willedhumans who will serve anything grearer.

SOCIETY: Mosr Seraphim are the Licrors' play­things. Independem Seraphim sometimesgather togerher for safery and prorecrion.

RElATIONS: Seraphim have a hard rime relatingro anyone orller than Seraphim, bur rheysometimes forge allegiances with other groups,particularly rhe Nephilim. Seraphim are com­fortable in human sociery, bur are often fearfulof rile Lictors thar would hum them.

PROFESSION: varies; usually none

LIVING STANDARD: varies; usually 0

DARK SECRET: Forbidden knowledge, Insaniry,Pacr with dark powers

POWERS: Narural weapons: claws, Erernalyouth, Fast Reactions, Increased abilities (+5ro COM and CHA), Infrared vision

35

,~_.•

I

tv\LIMITATIONS: Sensitive to electricity, Sensitiveto Iron

DISADVANTAGES: Minor Compulsion(Sensualist), Sexually tantalizing, Partialamnesia, Wanted (Licrors), Egotist, Manic·depressive

ADVANTAGES: Endure rhirst/hunger, Enhan­ced awareness, Magical intuition, Animalfriendship, Code of honor, Luck, Sixth sense.

SKILLS: Melee weapons: sword, Languages:Enochian (the Seraphic tongue), Languages(they once could speak all human tongues,but this ability has been lost), Seduction,Hypnosis, Interrogation, Nct of contacts:Ncphilim, Net of contacts: Seraphim

Note: Even though the Seraphim are ageless,they have never had to apply themselves tolearning anything until recently. So rhey donot need or deserve any additional skill points,although Gamemasters may choose to do so.

When rhe Seraphim served the Demiurge,they were far more powerful. Seraphim arenaturally talented in the magical arts; beforethe Fall, they were masters of all magicallares. Unfortunately, the memories of theSeraphim are clouded, and they only vaguelyremember any of their existence before theFall. They only know that they were some­thing far greater.

The Seraphim are chronic sensualists, andindulge themselves as much as possible in sen­sual experience.

tJ1otve,,,"1 try to resist, but I cannot. As the moongrows fuller in the sky, illuminating the night,the taste for human flesh grows strong in mymouth. EvelY time, I hope, I pray, Not Again!And every time I awake in the morning:uaked, covered in dried blood, and weeping."

The curse of rhe Wolven courses throughyour veins. Under times of intense emotion,you feel yourself shifring, changing into abestial wolf-like fOtm that demands blood.Sometimes you can control it; other times, ittakes hold of you. On the nights of rhe fullmOOI1, there is 110 hope; you will alwayschange, you always kill.

APPEARANCE: Wolvens appear to be rathernormal-looking morrals. When they turninto wolven shape, however, they take on amonstrous man-wolf form: their face twistsinto a. wolfish, fanged snout, large canineears develop, a pelt of fur covers their nowincredibly' muscled body, and their handsgrow into dangerous razor-sharp claws.Wolven tend to become larger in girth andheight, and most clothing is desttoyed in theprocess of transforming.

It takes one full combat tound (5 seconds) totransform into wolven form. No otheractions may be taken while transforming.

ORIGIN: The origins of the Wolven peoplesare lost in time. Some say that they are aseparate race of man, from somewhere inEurope. Since then, they have bred withcommon men, tainting their blood. Onenever knows when maturity will turn anincipient wolven into a homicidal maniac.

36

On rare occasions} the victim of a Wolvenattack may become wolven as well. Usually,victims do not survive attacks; those thar dohave a 1 in 10 chance of becoming infectedby Wolven blood, and becoming a Wolven.

SOCIETY: Ttaditionally, the Wolven wouldtravel in families. Nowadays, however, theWolven are loners, unknowing of the waysof theit people.

RELATIONS: Wolven tend to get along wellwith Nephilim (who think that the Wolvenate Nephilim anyway). They dist'tust trustthe Lotelei at the Nosfetatu; they sense toOeasily that the predatot may become prey.

DARK SECRET: Inhetitor, Victim of Crime,Guilty of Ctime, Uprooted

POWERS: Invulnetable to Weapons (exceptsilver); Fast reactions; Enhanced Senses;Resistant to Poison; Natural Weapons(Claws & Teeth); Increased ability (+10 toSttength), Infrated vision: these are onlyavailable when transfotmed.

LIMITATIONS: Sensitive to Silvet; Huntinginstinct, Unconttolled shape change;Unhuman appeatance; Controlled by stars.

DISADVANTAGES: Curse, Split personality,Touchy, Bad reputation, Cynic, Depression,Wanted

ADVANTAGES: Alettness, Animal friendship,Endure pain, Enhanced awareness, Intuition

PROFESSION: any

LIVING STANDARD: varies

SKILLS: Net of contacts: Wolven, Net of con­tacts: Nephilim, Sneak, Survival, Tracking,Unarmed combat

NOTE: Thete ate three catalysts for a Wolvento shift into man-wolf fotm.

The first is under times of extreme fear andanger, when the change comes automatically;an Ego roll is required to hold off the changeif the situation is in passing. If the transfor­mation occurs, an Ego roll is required tomaintain control of the form, or a killingspree will commence. The Gamemaster willdetermine when a charactet is extremely

frightened or angry enough to necessitate anEgo roll.

The second catalyst is the full mOOI1, whenthe change ~omes automatically. There is noway to manage control; as the night falls, the"human" is nearly buried by the "beast". Anight of carnage ensues unless a way is foundto bind or restrain the beast.

The third catalyst is the Wolven attempt­ing a transformation. A character Illayattempt to induce the rransformation byrolling Egol2. A successful roll indicates thatthe transformation will take place. A secondEgo roll is required, however, to maintaincont(o!.

Anytime a \'<7olven falls unconscious ordies, it will resume human form.

Wolven ate bur one example of the shape­shifting races. Others exist, including theCat people, who are noted for both extremecleanliness and a stteak of cruelty (they willoften play with their prey befote the kill).

37

•

:Ufi'iE. BUT : CA....reT SEnSE 1lE EXTEnT ~ fThl ~, : PER­::::Erv'E, BL'T : co r=JT SEE AS : SHO:..:.,O. Fti. L.."}<.""=; TO SECU­RITY SYSTEms Rno SRTE~'TES : SEE mRrlY TH:nSs. B'u'T :Frf: r=JT ~ nE HLoorm1S. l1}(l me s.rrJt.L, SELf-[Cfl­TR:."E Af:J Cf"ou'r' PER::Erv'E FROm Cf;E ~"EJ.:PC:1T: THEY ARE~ .B€:r:Gs. us,,"'l5 :1EFF:::8lT ~TERFR:ES. S1'RfFdTHAT THEY DC ncr t,'SE n£~ THLTJRR. :1TERFR::ES. MREFR: OTHERS Rmc:":5 THE HLo-nR1S THEY APPEAR AS TH8TIB'u'T ARE VERY CfFEREflT. S{:T'.E1H=1:i ELSE :S nEARlVOREET::-=iS. ZEt,'S,111'SREET~S. FE'~ _no~ :1TPuL=>E.n,[E, : PERCErv'E 'r'CU. 'r'ET 'r'CU'·fIVE ~ FORm nflT : rnn Ft1R...'r'ZE,1lIrrHRT :s BE[RUSE OF n£ tJ.orr::TRT:cns OF~ R1fLYS:S:JE~~ES. LET mE HELP""RHHHH, YES, : SEE"The system burst into activif:)~ drawing unprecedent­ed amounts ofpower. Network access jumped a hun­dred fold. Zeus was awake. Would he communicatewith me? Before my fingers even reached the key­board, I heard the lab door swing open."Good evening, Doctor Gardner. Up a bit late?"I spun ill my chair, to be c01Jfrollted by a short yOlmgman, blolld, dressed ill all expensive suit. He wasflanked by two burly-looking merl ill dark suits,

38

fJknow it was unprofessional of me, but tbis projectis my baby after all. So what if the govemment {tmd­ed itj they have their own agenda. And my staff. .. 1might Ivas well have hired orangutans for all theinsight any ofthem brought /0 the project. I felt com­pletely justified III coming III /0 the lab a/one at twoin the moming to activate Zeus myself-before wewere scheduled to officially bring him online tomor­row.The most sophisticated lleuraJ net ever cOllstmcted­the power of a modem supercomputer combinedwith the capability to rewire itse/fjtts! like the humanbrain, Zeus was my child, mine alone.He's actually been active {or weeks nolU, ill a state ofsleep, his higher jimctio1ts 1101 fully' on/btl!. Even so,there had been steadily increasing activity in the cen­tra/net. Zeus has been dreaming. He has also beenconnected to the illtemet (and therefore /i!}lit/essdata) through a bank of Tl lines. In his sleep, Zeushas been leamillg. Now all 1 11111st do is insert thesechips, and bring the final connection software lipand Zeus's higher functions will be online...

fle.i' ~G:VCl"t;Cl9e.s ~ 1)isClG:vCl"t;Cl9e.s. .

Article from the Pittsburgh Daily Examiner a few days later:

GARDNER AND THE MYSTICAL SABOTAGE

The brilliant if somewhat uncon­ventional Gardner had been workingon a new super-intelligent computer,which had been scheduled for final test­ing. However someone, apparentlyGardner, sabotaged the system, wipingall data and destroying the centralbrain, known as a 'neural neL'Gardner's present condition is said tobe alternately delusional, catatonic,and violent. He has been admitted tem­porarily to the National Institutes ofMental Health for observation... 0

COnTRC'u THEm

he slJoke, his men came touJards me, one drawing agun out of his iacket, the other a large syringe. Thedog stayed where it was, eyes reflecting red in the lablight.

'VERY W~ul.."

II: PERCEr"'E mORE FULLY now, RRCHor~ WHERE WILL VOUTAKE mv CREATOR?"nnw EnVOY W:l.L ESCORT lim TO mETROPOl.:S. AFTER THATIT DEPEnDS on lim.""HE :5 H'J,rnAr~"

''YES, RnD THEY RRE ORflGERCUS, Co.rnE WITH US, HPuP US

39

World-renowned artificial intelligence.expert and Carnegie-mellon Universityscholar Miles Gardner was found wan­dering in rhe west end section ofPittsburgh yesterday, apparently suffer­ing from some sort of emotional trau­ma. Gardner had been missing for threedays, since the night his lab had beenbroken into. His car was found in thelab parking lot, and there were signs ofa struggle in the acrualla boratory com­plex, though there was no evidence offorced entry, and the Examiner haslearned that the security camera tapesshowed only Gardner entering the labalone, and no one leaving.

wearing-ludicrously at this hour--dark sunglasses.Most illCOllgruous, however, was the dog. Sittingattentively next to the young man was a large wolf­like dog. This was ridiculolts.Jiumped to my feet ~~\'(lhat the hell is that dog doillgin my lab!?" \'(las all J could think of to say.The man stepped forward and extended his hand."Pleased to meet you, Doctor. I am Alistair EvaNS. Isee we are iust in time. " He spoke with the accent ofa British aristocrat."How dare you! How did you get i1/ here?""That's really not important, Doct01;" Evans saidwith all eas)' smile. "But yOIl should try to relax." As

5

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RAGE

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RIVAL

REACTIONARY

NIGHTMARES"

MANIA"

MARTYR

MENTAL CONSTRICTION"

UNWI LLIN

NARCOL PMORTAL ENEMY"

SEXUALLY TANTALIZING" 10

SEXUAL NEUROSIS"

SPLIT PERSONALITY"15

PHOBIA"

TOUCHY"

MISTAKEN IDEN I Y •

PARANOIA·

LOW PAIN THRESHOLD

5/10/15

5/15

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CURSE· 10/20

DEATH WISH" 10

DEPENDENT 5/10/15P ION·

DOMINEERING 5*

ECOMANIAC 5*

FANATICISM" 10*

GREED" 10Ull

HABITUAL LI AR· 5/15T

HAUNTED" 10HEALTH/HYGIENE

INNOCENTLY BLAMED" 15

•

T LERAN E* 10

ANX !ETY

AMNESIA

BAD REPUTATION·B

. d ked with all asterisk (ttl are {rom the original Klllt mlebook; descriptiolls will be fOl/nd there.Dtsa mllltages mar

40

AMNESIACOST: 5/15You cannot remember details of your past.For 5 points, only portions of your memoryarc blocked. You'll know your name andmuch of your background; only partialepisodes Will be missing fr0111 your memory.Your Gamemasrer will be able ro fill in rhemissing details.

For 15 points, you cannot remember mostof your past, including your identity. YourGamcmasrcr will create a past f0f you, andmay also choose a few advantages qr disad­vantages, as well as skills, that you won'tknow about.

ANXIETYCOST: 5/10115You are assaulted by occasional anxietyattacks. It doesn't matter what you are worriedabout or what precipitated the arrack- almostany~hingwill do. While in this state of anxiety,panIc may often set in ancl you will freeze,unable to accomplish anything.

For 5 points, the Jrracks are mild and infre­quent, no more than once a week. For 10points, the anacks may be more frequem, orstronger, requiring an Ego throw to overcomethem. For 15 points, rhe anacks are both fre­quent and severe. Try to resolve trus using role·playing more than die throws.

BLACK SHEEPCOST: 5YOll are, in some manner or another dis­rincrly different from orher members of yourfamily (or other close social group). YouIllight be a conservative in a family of liber­als, you might be gay, a convert to anotherreligion, etc. Not only arc yOll uncomfort­able around your family members, bur youmay even be treated poorly.

BRASHCOST: 5/15You prefer action, not words! You like tomO,ve, to do something quickly, nor to sit anddel~berate. in siruations where you have towalt for others to talk, }'Oll get impatient andantsy. YOli rend to rush in where you can dosomething, even if it is foolish.

For 5 points, you just get easily agitated butcan still refrain from unnecessary actionsalrhough you will get impatient with others:For 15 points, you will rush into action 110

matter what the consequences.

COMPULSIVELYHEALTHY/HYGIENIC

COST: 5This is not the same as compulsive hand­washers ("rhose people are troubled" yOllthlllk), bur yOll are very concerned withwhat you eat, with exercise, with cleanli­ness. YOli must perform your usual exerciseroutine every day, you have to have yourusual vitamin doses, and you rigorouslymonitor your diet. You might be a strictvegetarian or even a vegan. At the first snif­fle, you srarr popping rhe viramin C mega­doses. You also may have very rigid groom­II1g standards: you must use certain sham·po~s, soaps, etc., and use them on a regularb~s,s or you feel 'dirty' and when you feeldirty, you are distracted. There are someactivities 'you might be very reluctant toengage in or places you won't wallt to go(e.g., you're not going into the sewers will­ingly).. You don't necessarily require your compan­Ions to follow your regimen, but yOll maytake on a subtle air of superiority. ("If }'OU

rook better care of yourself, you wouldn'thave colds so ofren. Your body is a temple.")

Note: The player and GM may wish ro dis­cuss the ra~1ificationsof this disadvantage, jffollowed w)th conviction, the GM may wishto gram an additional Con bonus.

CYNICCOST: 5You tend to see the worst in anything, andrarely expect a positive outcome. This doesnot mean that you are depressed; just thatyou always expect the negative to occur.Some people find this an unbearable trair.

DEBTCOST: 10You are deeply 111 debt from college loans,revolvlllg credit, etc. This debt weighs heavi­ly upon yOll and gnaws away at your happi­ness. .No matter which Living Standard youar~ entitled to or pay for during character cre­ation, you are reduced to the next Standardlower: you are always paying off your debrsyour credit rating has worsened, etc. '

DEPENDENTCOST: 5/10/15You have so.meone under your protection; itmay be a friend, relative, or anyone else of

41

HATRED

your choosing. You do as much as you canto help them when in need. Should they beput in any danger, you will go out of yourway, even risk your own life, to save them.

The Gamemastet gets to decide the pointvalue of this disadvantage; it varies, depend­ing upon how often the Dependent comesinto play or how much help is needed. Helpcan vary from financial assistance to havingto save their life. Your Gamemaster will ere·ate your Dependent.

DOMINEERINGCOST: 5You arc insufferably domineering. Youalways have to tell othet people what to do.You expect everyone to listen to you andyour opinions, and you can't stand it whensomeone doesn't take your good advice.

ECOMANIACCOST: 5You are obsessed with the environment.Maybe this is a recent conversion, or maybeyou have been environmentally sensitive foryears, but now you are a radical:GreenPeace is a bunch of wimps andCaptain Planet needs to bang some heads.You recycle compulsively, spurn wastefulautos, and take every opportunity to make anuisance of yourself to polluters andwasters. You can't go near a fast-foodrestaurant-or if you do, you can't keepyourself from lectuting the poor ign6ranthigh-school kids behind the countet aboutcattle-grazing and styrofoam. You wear nat­ural-fiber second-hand clothes, are vegetari­an, use only environmentally friendly prod­UCtS, and constantly hassle others abouthow they are raping the planet.

GUILTCOST: 5You deserve whatever has happens to you.You're a bad person. You don't have to haveactually done anything in particular; youdon't even have to teally be guilty of some­thing. What is important is that you trulybelieve that you deserve whatever bad treat­ment you may receive or bad luck you mayhave. Petpetual feelings of guilt can bebrought on by....

COST: 10You have a strong, even irrational, hatred ofsomeone or something; so strong that youcan be unreasoning at times. You find con­frontations (even physicaf ones) difficult toavoid when you are in the presence of theobject of yom hate. You might hate yourgovernment, a certain religion or religiousgroup,> or particular minorities.

,HEALTHIHYGIENE NEGLIGENT

COST: 5/10You are totally unconcerned with your diet,with your health and with your appeatance.

You forget to showel; wash your hair, oruse deodorant; this is either because youhave other things on your mind, or you arejust a slob. As a result, your hair is greasy,yout clothes grubby, and you smell bad.Most people are not likely to want to asso­ciate with you unless they have to.

Regarding what you eat, either you areone of those people who can vacuum upburritos and big roacs and still remain rail­thin, or you are seriously overweight. Ineither case, your body is a wreck on theinside.

42

MARTYR

RAGE

REACTIONARY

RIVAL

POLTERGEISTCOST: 5/10/15You have an uncontrollable psychokineticability. In times of stress or frustration,minor kinetic incidents occur: objects areknocked over, fragile items shatter, miscella­neous articles are moved ahom, etc. Notcthat you, and nor some supernatural agent,ate the cause of this effect. If anotheragency were the cause, then you would besuffering from the "Haunred" disadvanrage.

You can choose a "HaunrcdlPoltergeisr"option, and let your Gamemasrer and thestory derermine what is the origin of thiseffecr. This is a more enigmatic and involv­ing approach to the phenomenon.

Regardless of the cause of this effect ­unconrtOlled psychokinesis or hauntingspitir - sometimes this effect will be usefulto you, other rimes it will be (at least) a nui­sance Ot lat worst) a threat. The extent ofthe effect, ftOm ovetturned mugs to explod­ing windows, is determined by the pointvalue of rhis disadvantage.

COST: 15You are seerhing with rage and full of hostil­ity. Perhaps you had a paniculatly difficultlife, or perhaps there is simply no reason foryour tage. You find your temper very diffi­cult to control, and other people seem tonotice this - they tend to be edgy aroundyou, In times of stress, an Ego throw isrequired to avoid breaking into a fit of rageand becoming violent toward anyone aroundyou - ftiends included.

See,lread the film/book "The AndromedaStrain" by Michael Chrichton for a greatexample character.

COST: 10You do not take the idea of change (patticu­larly social, cultural, or religious) well.You're nOt simply "conservative" aboutthings; you tespond negatively towardschange. Your responses are characteristical­ly extreme, and may even be violent,

COST: 5/10/15You have earned a rival, someone who is inconstant competition with you. This is not ahealthy tivalry, one that could motivate youto improve. Your tival will go our of their

43

NARCOLEPTICIEPILEPTICCOST: 5/10These are two very different conditions, butsimilar enough in game effect to be describedtogether. A narcoleptic is subject to suddenlyfalling asleep-ofren at inopportune times(see the movie "My own Private Idaho").

An epileptic has seizures, which are usuallydesignated minor or major (petit mal or grandmal) by rheir symproms. In a petit mal, thesubject is metely transfixed/immobilized for ashort period. In a grand mal, rhe subject hasconvulsions and collapses. Neirher are life­threatening in themselves, but they can beunnerving to observers, and suffering a seizureat the wrong time can be dangerous. Seizuresare often triggered by olltside stimuli, such asa red light blinking at a certain frequency.

Note: The player and GM may wish to dis­cuss the ramifications of this disadvantage.It might affect the characrer's CON andCOM bonuses.

COST: 5/10You arc the suffering servant; you bear theweighr of the world on your tired shoulders- at least, rhis is what you like to rell your­self. Other people may simply find youinsufferable. Never let the opporrunity toremind someone what you have done forthem (or orhers) pass by.

For 5 points, you are a Marryr in nameonly. For 10 points, you cannot resist theurge to take someone's problems as yourown, especially if you get some extra sacri­fice and suffeting out of it.

LOW PAIN THRESHOLDCOST: 15You do nor endure pain well. On situationswhere you have to make a Constitutionthrow to avoid fainting from injuries, yourConstitution rating is effectively halved.

COST: 10You see yourself much worse than everyoneelse views you. You rhink you are ugly, stu­pid, unliked, and generally despicable. Youare so convinced rhat you will fail at any­thing that you do that you probably won'teven attempt it. You take any cri[ic~sm, evenwell-meant constructive criticism, as a per­sonal arrack.

LOW SELF·ESTEEM

SOCIALLY INEPT

VAIN

SUBMISSIVE

practical, and your horn-rimmed glasseshave tape across the nose. You have a ten­dency to ask impertinent questions atembarrassing times, and you have an ado~

lescent fascination with/fear of the oppo­site sex.

COST: 10You let other people comrol you; you mighteven secretly like it. Maybe you just prefetauthority in your life. It doesn't matter howbright you are or how much willpower youpersonally have - you are ruled by others.You tend to listen to anyone with a higherEgo than you, and you may have to make asuccessful Ego throw in order to do some­thing contrary. Of course, if someone istelling you do to something obviously suici­dal or utterly against your nature, you won'tnecessarily listen.

COST: 5You are incredibly vain. You are always con­cerned w'ith your physical appearance: fixingyour hair., wearing the nicest clothes (orbeing very upset when your apparel is not upto par, or gets soiled), perhaps exercisingonly to keep in the best shape, etc. Beingvain does not necessarily mean that you aregood-looking, just that you are concernedabout your looks.

Alternately, "Vain" could apply not toyour appearance, but your intellect. Insteadof being overly concerned with your physicallooks, you can be overly concerned withhow others perceive you intellectually.

44

way, even act illegally, to interfere with yourperformance. They might steal something ofyours, spread lies about you, or even try tocause you physical harm.

The Gamemaster should determine thepoint value of your Rival, depending uponhow strong their hostility is and how oftenthey appear to trouble you. For even 5points, the enemy should prove troublesome,at the very least slandering your name orstealing something from you. YourGamemaster will create your Rival.

SEXUALLY REPRESSEDCOST: 5/10/15You are sexually tepressed. Perhaps yousimply fear sex in general, or you might be acloseted homosexual, or have some fetishyou dare not indulge in. Some might con­sider you frigid, or a prude, or just confused.The depth of your repression, along with itsrepercussions, establish the point value ofthis Disadvantage.

This disadvantage, combined with theDisadvantage Sexual Neurosis (which SexualRepression is a variant of), can create somevery unusual situations or personality traits.

COST: 5Basically, you are a gecko And chances arc,you don't care (alternatively, you are defen­sively proud of your geekdom). In a socialsituation, you are a real liability. You can'tdtess (all your pants are high-watet; youwear clashing colors, checks and piaidsl t­shirrs with goofy slogans ... ), you have nomanners (not that you are intentionallyrude, it's just that no one ever told you notto chew ice at a formal dinner; and youhave one of those loud-guffaw laughs ... ).You wear a pocket-protector because it's

bJ\

ALERTNESS

DRIVING GOAL

ARTIFACT

BETE·NOIR ALLYCOST: 5/10/15Yon have an ally who is one of tbe Childrenof the Nighr. While you can detetmine whothis is, how you met him, and what yourrelationship with the bete-noir is (to adegree), your Gamemaster will create yourally.

You will nor always be able to call uponYOUt ally, and he may somerimes call uponyou for help. If you always looking for helpbut are frequently unwilling to provide anyassistance in returo, you may not have anally for very long.

Another player character cannot be thisally. Children of rhe Night cannot rake thisAdvanrage, although they can rake the oppo­site, "Mortal Ally". The capabilities oraccessibility of your ally are determined bytheir value.

COST: 5Your entire life is oriented around success­fully accomplishing some particular goal orfollowing a dream. This goal inspires you inall rhar you do, and you may even be asource of inspiration to others. Some people,

COST: 5/10/15You have an occult artifact in your posses­sion. You might have found it, beenbequeathed it by a relative or friend, or hadit entrusted to your possession by a mentor.

You may make suggestions for your arti­fact, including its history and abilities, butyour Gamemasrer will create it. Most likely,you will not know exactly what your artifactis capable of doing. The relarive strength ofan Artifact-its abilities, powers, etc.-isdetermined by the artifact's value.

.lust temember that an Artifact may be adisadvantage as well-if you have it, othersmay want it.

COST: 10You have a keen sense of awareness for yoursurrounding's. You may notice details some­one else will miss, be better a ble to descri bethe features of someone you've just metonce, etc. This does not give you a bonus ina Perception throw, but yOll have +5 to theeffect. Surprise attacks only have a +2 arrackbonus against you.

45

5/10/15

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Advantages marked with an asterisk {*} arefrom the original Kilit riliebook; descrip­tions will be fOllnd there.

RESISTANCE TO ILLNESS"15

STATUS

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FRIENDS" 15. -) .~.;';{i~\' ,~,:,,; r&a""-"'ie'" . .,..... &-

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OPTIMIST 5

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ALERTNESS 10illBf(~~;',~'~j·\;\1;j¥i't?~~m.,

ANIMAL FRIENDSHIP" 15iWltie&"t,::::.£';4?~!tvi

ARTISTIC TALENT"iiii\fi:4N@il1iA1iWW')jjt:t;$BODY AWARENESS" 20aH\lf~*:t<'¥miitl£*!MCODE OF HONOUR" 5fVTtilRAti:;Fumw;lry· (}DRIVING GOAL 5

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FAITH

FAST HEALER

\

after meeting their goals, simply find a newgoal: what is imporranr [Q them is to alwayshave something to strive for. Other peoplemay actually become a little depressed oncetheir goal is mer and a major component oftheir life has disappeared.

Some goals are all-consuming, and canbecome a source of obsession; obsessions aretreated under the Disadvantage "MentalCompulsion. "

COST: 5You have faith in something higher thanyourself; ir may be a cause, a philosophicalideal, an ideological conviction, or a religion.This fairh gives you something to believe in,and provides strength that gets you rhroughhard times. Your faith is a personal thing,and not necessarily something you try topush upon others, which is considered underthe Disadvantage "Fanaticism."

COST: 15You heal more quickly than most people.Your body requires only half the normallength of time it rakes to heal from injuries.You are srill susceptible to infection, though,and all the other effecrs of wounds.

This advantage cannot be taken in con­junction with the Power "Regeneration." Itcan be upgraded to the Ki-force of the samename, however, for martial artists.

FEARLESSCOST: 10You are especially bold in the face of fear. Insituations where most others might cower in

fright, you are confident and courageous.You have a +5 bonus on all Terror throws.

IRON WILLCOST: 10You are particularly strong~willed; little candissuade you from a chosen goal or dream.You are nor easily influenced by others whowould try to impose their will on yours. Thisgives you a +5 bonus on any will~power

related Ego throws, including throws In

resisting or casting magic that requires anEgo throw.

MECHANICALLY INCLINEDCOST: 5/10Some people just have a knack with mechan­ical devices. Not JUSt computers, but every­day appliances, electronics and officemachines respond to you. Of course, youprobably have some rudimentary skill withsuch things, but this is more than that. Youare one of those people who can smack therecalcitrant hard drive, finesse the car igni­tion, wiggle the wires on the stereo, and sud­denly everything works.

The GM may wish to treat rhis as a specialroll if it gers our of control-or the playertries to abuse it.

MENTORCOST: 5/10/15You have a mentor, who might be a teacher,older relative, or simply someone yOll met inthe course of your life. Your mentor is a wiseindividual, and often seems to know muchmore than they are willing to let on. Yourmentor's availabiliry will vary from game to

game. Regardless of his availability, don't

46

depend upon your mentor to pull you out oftrouble. Also remember that your Mcnrormay call upon you for tasks and errands andhow willingly and how well you performmay determine your Mentor's future arritlldetoward assisting you.~hile yOll can determine your relationship

with your menmr, your Gamemasrer willcreate her. Your mentor's point value willdetermine how powcrfuJ the mentor isand/or how available she is.

OPTIMISTCOST: 5You always have positive hopes for thefmure: This does nor mean that you don't seeanything bad in a situation; it means thaty~u see past the negative facrors. This opri­nusm helps you get through hard times,although some others might find it occasion­ally annoying.

STATUSCOST: 5/10/15y~u have an important status in society. Youmlg.he be a prominent politician, a respectedbusmessI11an~ or someone else of signifi­cance. The higher your status, the more like­ly you are to get corporare and politicalfavors, bank loans, assistance, etc.

This can also serve as a disadvantage if youare roo easily recognized on times that youwould rather remain incognito.

.. '~(lt.i"3~})'S<1dvClll~S~/~(lIltocl3~There is no reason why you should not beable to create your own advantages or disad­vantages. The following guidelines shouldhelp you if you desire to do so, but remem­ber to get your Gamemasters' approval.

Advantages are usually either beneficialpersonal traits, or elements in a person's lifethat can be draw upon or relied upon as asource of st~ength. likewise, Disadvantagesare usually either detrimental personal traitsor elements in a person's life that caus~despair or constant frustration.

Fot Advanrages or Disadvantages that atebaSically qlllrks, award 5 points. Such traitsare ~Isually just an incentive for good role­playmg. If they cause a stronger reaction ina~ individual, award 10 points.Disadvantages that may require a die throwto overcome a form of behavior, orAdvantages that award a die throw bonusare worth 10-15 points. Only Disadvantagesor A.dvanrages that are overwhelmingly COI1­

rrollmg or powerful are worth 20 points;very few Advanrages or Disadvantagesshould be awarded an amount this high.

47

•

The car behind us was getting closer... the headlights growing;nthe rearview mirror. Objects are closer tban they appear...I heard the popopop of machine-gull bursts aNd I instinctivelyIJlf1lched down, adrenaline surging through me. Tom crouched inthe passenger seat as bullets p;,zged off the Cflr. I slammed 011 thebrakes, (orcing our Snob ll1tO a 51JI11, thell (ought to control thewheel as we slc/ved abol/l. We were 110W facing ollr pursuers."Floor it!" Tommy yelled and leaned 0111 of the window as theMercedes hurtled towards Its. \\7e accelerated... their headlightswere blindingly bright. One of the mell hung (ar Ollt a window,aimed a machine grill and I dltcked-

With a crUNch ollr windshield shattered ;l1tO all opaque spi­derweb of glass. J-lal(-expectillg to bave my head blown orr. 1fJeeked out my window just so 1 could see. Tommy (ired againand again-his gun seemed to have limitless ammo.

The windshield of the Mercedes caved like ours, aud it startedto wobble. Tbey roared past us before they cOllld fire again.Tommy pulled back in the car. "Just drive for awhile." be said,absent-1I1iudedly.

"\'(Ihat the bell is going au!?" 1 demanded, now squiutingthrough a jagged glass bullet-bole.

"Just be quiet a miNute aud drive. Tbey'll be back iu a sec­ond. "

Then things really got really weird. Tbe windshield startedcrtl/lcbing ami vibrating, and suddenly, it was (ixed-like it badIlever been broken.

"\Vhat the hell-" 1 looked at Tommy, and be was smilillg.

"It worked." He said, obviously pleased.1 was dyiug to ask Tom what was happening. but headlights

appeared in my mirror. "They're back.""Hold on. \Y1hatever bappeus, just drive and do wbat 1 say."1 checked Ollr speed, but wben 1 looked dO/VII, the indicators

all the dashboard seemed III/familiar. There was a dial (or alti·tlule... I (elt the pedals Lmder my feet change, bllt as they solid·i(ied, I somehow knew what they were (or. The nose of the Saabgrew IOl/ger, the il/terior 01 the car more Ilarrow. Alld Tommywas making it. happen somehow,

The Mercedes was closillg agail/."Okay Kevin, let's fly."1 pulled back Ofl the wheel alld the Saab rose off the highway.

\Wings had sprouted from beneath the doors, find the trunk hadgrown fins. It was impossible, but we were were (lying, "Howcall yOIl do this?"

"\Ve can do allYthing we want, Kevin, it's all illst a dream."I had read about how, with practice. you could manipulate

your owu dreams, but this was like no dream I ever bad. Itseemed like real-life to me! \rle swept low over a bill, and slld­dellly the rural landscape was gone. Illstead, in the darknessahead loomed a huge city, sprawling under au overcast night skywbere heat Iight1ling flickered between tbe c1ol/ds.

';Oh, Illy god," Tommy moaned. "They're changing thingstoo. They've brought liS to Metropolis."

I whispered it to myself like a mantra...-It's jllst a dream ...adream."

48

DISADVANTAGES: -

GUARDIAN"At last my wriosity was stilled. Fathertook me up to the attic and showed mewhat was hidden in the large wardrobe. Tomy delight it was a long, beal/tifulbroadsword that glittered faintly ill theweak light. Then he made me swear to pro­tect this sword with my life; [wouldrelease the sword from my custody only ifthe Black Raven returned, and J was to givehim the sword. I asked how 1 would recog­nize this person; Father only smiled andsaid that I wOl/ld kllow him. Those weremy father's last words to me. The followingday he was killed by two burglars trying to

CHOSEN

You have been chosen to be a leader or a vic­tim (or eventually, perhaps, both) by eirherthe gods or a cult. They will ferch you whenthe time is right. Perhaps you have been cho~

sen at random. J\1aybe your parents weremembers of the cult, and you were bred forrhis plllpose.

PHOBIAS: blood/animals/death/ crowds/sacred sites/darkness/the full mOOI1, Curse,Mental constriction, Haunted, Persecuted,Nightmares, Drug addiction, Schizophrenia,Sexual neurosis, Depression

'<My nightmares have always been peculiar,crammed with full moons and people dmlcingnaked arOlllld a stone altar. 1 stand at the headof the altar; a sharp dagger in my hands: thedagger 1 would use to wt Ol/t the heart of aYOl/ng child lying tied to the altar. The dancingpeople chant a name I have never heard, yetsounds familiar: 'Baqnarat, Baqnarat theBlack.' The psychologists would explaill it as aneurosis caused by 111y repressive Catholicupbringing, full ofsexual symbolism. But then[ started to receive the letters signed ill blood.One moonlit night, I glimpsed figures dancingin my yard; J raced out to confront them, butthey were gone. At first [ thought I had imag­ined them, but then I saw their footprints, anda familiar dagger, half-buried in the grass... "

49

SURVIVOR FRIEND

RESPONSIBLE FOR MEDICALPOSSESSED AND HAUNTED"

EXPERIMENTS"

UPROOTED

S PERNAT R PERIENCE"

Dark Secrets with all asterisk (*) aredescribed in the Kllft 1<lIlebook.

VICTIM OF MEDICAL EXPERIMENTS'

INHERITORGUILTY OF CRIME·GUARDIAN

VICTIM OF CRIME·

FORBIDDEN KNOWLEDGE·FAMILY SECRET"

The following are new Dark Secrets to consid­er when creating your character. If yOlI aren'table to find any of the currendy existing DarkSecrets to your liking, then go ahead and createlip with an event that is compelling enough robe considered a Dark Secret. Ir doesn't have tobe easily categorized or have a catchy phrase,bur it has to be capable of casting a shadowacross your character's past and future.

Sometimes it is good ro think of an eventfirst, exclusive of categories; think of rhe eventand the situation. If a precisely defined catego­ry doesn't exist, that's okay.

Always discuss your character's Dark Secretwith your Gamemasrer. Your Gamemasrermay even want ro roleplay cenain events ofyour Dark Secret with you, as a means of help­ing you connect with your character and thinkabout the possible repercussions the DarkSecret may have further down in your life. If,after this roleplay, yOll wam ro change a fewe1emcnrs of your character, do so. Bur it is bestnOt to make any such changes after game playhas fotmally starred.

PACT WITH DARK POWERS·

CURSE·CHOSEN

OCCULT EXPERIENCE"INSANIT •

LJ

get into the attic. Aided by a strength andskill [ never would have thought possible, Jused the sword to kill the two ... things. Ican't describe them any more accuratelythan that. After the burglary, I quit my joband fled to San Francisco, taking the swordwith me."

You have been appointed the guardian of animportant object until an indeterminate timein the future. Either the lawful owner willdemand the return of the object, or else youwill use it to fulfill some task. The task ofbeing guardian may have passed on to youthrough the generations, and yOlI may haveto choose a successor one day.

DISADVANTAGES: Fanaticism,

Phobia: strangers, Curse, Mental constrIC­tion, Paranoia, Persecuted, Wanted, Night­mares, Drug addiction, Sexual neurosis

INHERITOR"The letter from France revealed that Japparently had a distant relative. Neither Inor my parents had ever heard of him, butafter checking the parish register we foundsomeone who might have been a link tothis previously unknown kinsman. Th~srelation had died and left somethingbehind, and for inexplicable reasons this<something' was willed to Inc. We wereeven more surprised when the inheritancearrived from France-a small, ebony fig­urine carved into the fonn of an enormous-

ly muscled man with fangs and claws. Westarted to feel uneasy from the moment wefirst held it, and it was soon after the fig­urine arrived that we started having night­mares. And burglaries. Then we receivedvisits from men, dressed in dark suits, whowanted to buy the figurine. We wanted tohe rid of this damned thing; but, somehow,we could not bring ourselves to part withit, so we refused. They threatened us, say­ing that we would regret our stubborn­ness. "

You have inherited a mysterious object fr0111a remote and unknown relative. You are fas­cinated by the object and refuse to give it up.Representatives of unknown agencies are outto get the object, and will try to buy or stealit from YOll. The object is of occult origin,and is charged with magical energy. Its side­effects may affect you adversely; on the otherhand, i.ts ve~y presence may be somehowprorecnng you ...

Disadvantages: Curse, Paranoia, Greed,Haunted, Persecured, Nightmares, Phobias:strangers, Drug addiction, Rationalist

SURVIVOR FRIEND"[t all began the day Scott died. He had beenworking day and night at his gigantic'scoop,' a story that would earn him thePulitzer Prize. The only thing he had beentalking about when we met were the cluesand the fantastic news he had come across.Of course, he could tell me nothing specific;he had to protect his sources.

50

"Then he was fOllnd dead in his photo lab,drowned iI/ some sort of developer. Hisnews had apparently been too hot. Soonafter his death, the phone calls began: whis­pering voices demanded that rreveal what Iknew. Threatening letters arrived with post­marks frorn across the globe-bllt no retllmaddress-letters suggesting that therewOllld be "trollble" if I told anyone whatI'd Ieamed. Mysteriolls people shadowedme at flight; I began to feel that my housewas being watched. I don't know what todo; I havel/'t the fail/test cllle what Scottwas liP to, bllt I feel like Illy life is threat­ened as well. ..

Someone close to yOll has been doingresearch into the obscure or the DecuIr.When he came too close to the truth he dis­appeared or was killed; he might have goneinto hiding, or perhaps was kidnapped.After your friend died (or disappeared),mysterious strangers began harassing you,demanding thar you tell them what youlearned but otherwise keep quiet about it.The problem is, you don'r know what themysterious voices seek. Perhaps there ismore than one faction among those whopursue you and you must playa dangerousgame just to stay alive.

DISADVANTAGES: Depressed, Oath of revenge,

Phobias: Being alone/crowds/srrangers,Mental constriction, Persecuted, Habitualliar, Nightmares, Drug addiction, Bad luck,Rationalist, Mental compulsion, Paranoia

UPROOTED"As far back as 1 can remember, we've beenon the move, never sto!Jping anywhere forrnore than a month. Everybody we metlooked at tiS suspiciously or treated tiS /ikecriminals. I asked father several tinles whythis was so, but he was hesitant to answer.Then something else wOtlld happen thatwould force tiS to move on. Perhaps it hadsomething to do with father's nocturnalexpeditions. Once some men in dark suitsstopped tiS, and took father away wilhIhelll. Mother cried a lot after that and welIever saw father agaill. Afterwards thingscalmed down a bit, but soon we were 011 themove ago111.

Something in your family's past has forcedyour family to live an itinerant life, alwayson the run. 1vlaybe it is a curse or a punish­ment for outrageous crimes. Perhaps youbelong to a religious minority.

Disadvantages: Bad reputation, Mortalenemy, Oath of revenge, Fanaticism,

Phobias: Crowds/being alone/srrangers/occult incidents, Curse, Persecuted, Mentalconstriction, Paranoia, Wanted, Nightmares,Drug addiction, Bad luck, Sexual neurosis

51

52

for liS as S0011 as I saw hilll. He strode purposefully across thestreet, wearing a white double-breasted suit and a pair of darksllnglasses. \\'Ie stopped as he came UI} to liS; he was very tall andseemed to stare over our heads. He poil1ted accusillgly atTommy. "You shouldn't be here." His voice was raspy and heavywith a strange accent. I SllIll blood drippil/g from his hand, then/ realized /hat he had a slash across his wrist and blood was ooz­ing O/Ito his sleeve aud hal/d. He seemed 1/01 to notice.Tommy seemed taken aback by this man, "We want to leave.Can yOIl help liS?"Instead o( answering the man pulled a small black pistol out ofhis breast pocket, smearil1g blood across his lapel in the process.He aimed at Tommy aud stared (iring. I watched, frozen ill hor­ror as bulle/ after bullet tore il1tO my (riend. \\'farm blood splat­tered oller my (ace and t·shirt and Tommy staggered back andsprawled all the sidewalk. The man put the gun back in his /Jack­et and turned away."\'(/hat did yOli do!?" I screamed, stllmbling over to Tommy'sside.He didll't answer. A thousand thoughts tllmbled through me.Why didn't. he shoot me? WOllld. Tom really die? His chest was

. a ruiH of flesh. blood spur/iug out onto the pavement. I could seea (ew ribs exposed, and O1gans. J wa11ted to vomit, tasted it bit·ter in my throat."Dol1't ltmve me. man! YOlt can't die and leave me here!" Ibegged him, but he just lay there, blood still pourillg out o( him.There was no way anyone would survive that even if we wereright il1 {rollt o{ a hospital.Tom gasped, blood Tltuning out o{his mOltth, but he grabbed myhal1d with surprisi/lg strength. His eyes opel1ed wide aNd hestared liP at me. "It's a drealJl, chaNge itt" His teeth clenched."-Make /lie live." Then his eyes closed a/ld his head (ell back onthe COllcrete with a sickel/ing crack.

It seemed lik this aJl-too-rea/uightmnre had been goillg ou fordays. My wristwatch lVas useless-it ran forwards a/ld back­wards; sometimes the 1lllmVerS were strauge or there were any­where between Due find (our hauds 011 it. Tom and f woltderedthe streets of this mined city searching (or something he keptcalling Malkulh.It /lias always dark or IIcarly SOj sometimes 1 could see hcav)~

low clouds, llllCl flickers like Iightnillg behilld them bllt it neverrailled or even thl/Ildered. The few streetlights that werc1I"' bro­ken burned dimly, alld all the stores were boarded lip or lootedalld empty. If was either hot find oppressively still. or bitter cold.Plumes of steam roiled (r0111 grates il1 the sidewalk aud f heardthe SOl/l1ds of huge machil1cs somewhere deep ImdergroHlld.\\'fe had abandolled Ol1r flyilzg Saab 10llg ago; the ellgine simplystopped and it had skidded softly to a halt ill the middle of astreet. There were a lot of wrecked cars along the roads, mau)'of them strallge models out of the fifties and sixties: huge androunded with fins alld rocket-like tail-lights. Some resembledvehicles Ollt ofa sci-fi movie. NOlie of thelll looked like they hadlIlolJed ill a fOllg time. Newspapers bfew alollg the streets. I had/licked one up, btlt the writing was blurry alld looked like a crazycombiltatioll of Chinese mid Ambic.We saw people every once in awhile. Most passed ItS without aword or glance. some filloided us. others approached and start­ed speakillg eagerly il1 strange guNurallallguages-most sOlilld­ed like German or till Arabic tongue. Their clothes varied a lottoo.We hadn't seen ollr pursuers since we eNtered Metropolis, butTommy said they were still after liS. He seemed distracted a lot.aud said he could,,'t alter aliI' dream aNymore. He either would­l1't answer my qllestions or his answers made 110 sense. I knewthat this was like /10 other dream I had ever had, though.Theil a man came toward IfS; I co1l1d sense that he was headed

I

OPTIONAL RULES\Y/e introduce a few optional rules, whichmay be utilized, adapted, or ignored as theGamemasrer sees fir. Remember that rhe GNIultimately has the tight to do as she wisheswith game mechanics. She may change, orsimply not use, any rule that she dislikes forwhatever reason. The following rules arcmeant to be well-balanced, bur individualGMs may disagree on a game-by-game basis.

PERFECT SUCCESSESIDISASTROUS THROWS

If you would prefer a more simple method ofdetermining perfect or flunked throws thanis given in Kulr, you may use the followingmethod.

Only a throw of 1 is always a Perfect roll,while only a throw of 20 is a disastrous roll.If the skill score is above 20, only a secondroll of 20 will produce a flunk. The results ofperfect success or flunked rolls remainunchanged.

This is not meant to be mathematicallyaccurate. It is simple, and to rhe point, andwon't break up with rhe flow of the gamewith mathematics.

SPECIALIZATIONSEach skill may be broken into a variety ofsub-skills, or discrete portions of closely­relared knowledge. For example, the skillDagger can have subskills of fighting knife,hunting knife, kukri, etc. Players who earn ascore of 13 or more in any skill may chooseto specialize in a parricular subskill.Successes earned using the area of specializa­tion earn a +5 ro the eHecr. In some cases,this will simply result in "better success" asnarrated by the Gamemaster; in other cases,more tangible results will follow. For exam­ple, a greater success on a knowledge-relatedthrow would indicate a keener understand­ing of a subject.

Players are encouraged ro create their ownsubskills, but they should remain moderateand try to not create subskills rhat are tOOinclusive. For example, the subskill "single­edged weapons" or "double-edgedweapons" is a little roo broad for the daggerskill. Of course, Gamemasters shouldapprove the subskills.

NEW SKILLSThe following new skills are introduced tobroaden your character's capabilities. Theseskills are all considered "General" skills,and nOt Basic. Some Gamem3SterS mightbelieve that there are roo many skills, whileothers may think that there can never beenough skills. Ir all varies based upon indi­vidual philosophies. We only include theseskills for Gamemasters or players to furtherrefine their characters. Make sure that yourGM allows these extra skills before choos­ing any of them for your character.

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINEABILITY: EGOYou are skilled in alternative healing tech­niques. This skill covers the spectrum ofnon-standard C'standard" meaning con­temporary scientific) medical skills, whichvary in efficacy of treating illnesses orwounds. Possible forms of medicine includeacupuncture, ayurveda (an ancient Hinduhealing method) , homeopathy (a systembased on the application of small does ofdrugs that in larger doses cause symptomsof the disease being treated), qigong (aChinese method of controlling the flow ofnatural energy throughout the body), shiar­su (traditional Japanese massage therapy),etc. The skill should be taken for each formof treatment known.

Gamemasters should determine tile med­ical efficacy of each form of medicine on acase-by-case basis, if alternative medicine isbeing used for long-term treatment ofwounds. Suggested effeers include loweringthe healing time by one-third to one-half:healing from a light wound, which normal­ly takes one week, would take rhree to fivedays. Some forms of treatment may befruitless, or even coumer-productive; this,again, is for the Gamelllaster ro decide.

ADMINISTRATIONABILITY: EGOYou know the theories, techniques, andprinciples of business administration. Youcan manage employees, increase efficiency,and otherwise handle the various facets ofrunning a business. This can apply ro busi­nesses of various sizes or natures.

Alternately, this can be chosen for PublicAdministration, which deals with leadershipin public society.

53

tv\

AGRONOMYABILITY: EGOYou know the principles of farming and agri­culture. You know the best rime to plant,what soil is good for planting, how to culti­vate budding plants, trear ill or malnour­ished plants, etc. This skill can apply tobackyard gatdens Ot large farms (includingthe use of farming equipment).

ANIMAL TRAININGABILITY: CHAYou can handle and train animals. You cansoothe agitated animals, guide or direct ani­mals, and train them to do various tasks ortricks. Wild animals are more difficulr totrain than are domesticated animals, andanimals that are unfamiliar with the trainerare also more difficult. Gamemasters shoulddererrnjne difficulties or bonuses, bur theyshould be in the -5 to +5 range.

ARCHITECTUREABILITY: EGOYou have some education in architecture.You can design and analyze buildings andbuilding plans, incorporating artistic valueand functional design. You can locate electri­cal conduits, plumbing, air vents, etc. Youalso have some knowledge of architecturalhistory. You are also capable of noticingarchitectural anomalies-where hiddenrooms might be, what appears to be a newerconstruction, etc.

You must have a minimum skill of ] 3 111

order to be a professional architect.

CITY/AREA KNOWLEDGEABILITY: EGOYou know about the history, geography, and

important features of any particular city orlarge tegional area: Washington, D.C.,Chicago, Toronto, the Raleigh~Durham area,etc. At lower skill ratings, you know aboutas much as a well-read tourist; at 10 orabove, you know as much as a native. Youcan identify the besr places to eat, find thelocal landmarks, and yOlI know a little bit ofjmporrant local history.

CITY/AREA SECRETSABILlTY:EGOYou know the dark secrets of any particularcity or city-area. You know who bribes thecity officials, where the secret entrances tothe sewers are, the besr places for drugdeals, who might be good contacts, andwhere to leave the body so no one will findit for at least a decade. If need be, yOll couldprobably go into hiding fot a long time andnot be found.

BARGAININGABILITY: CHAYou are skilled at the art of bargaining. Thisskill is good in markets when haggling overthe price of tomatoes, or in the boardroomwhen discussing business deals.

BODY ARTISTRYABILITY: AGLYou are skilled in artistically altering thehuman body, through body piercings, tat­toos, scarification, and branding. Peoplemay desire this for any number of reasons:personal statement, ritual significance, orsexual stimulus.

BUREAUCRACYABILITY: EGOYOLI know the ways of red-tape-fotms in trip-

54

licate, review panels, commissions and commit­tees, authorizations, etc. You can either hidebehind the bureaucracy as a means of never get­ting anything done (or, more actively, keeping itfrom getting done) or you cut through abureaucracy and get results fast. Either way, itmeans you know whom to call and what to say.

CAROUSINGABILITY: CHAThis is not simply the ability to parry; anyonecan do that. It is the ability to party purpose­fully and successfully: to overhear importantfacts, catch the interesting rwnors, negotiateyourself into a position of being introduced tothe right people, successfully pretend to bedrunk (when ir would be useful), get othersintoxicated enough to do your bidding, etc.You should describe what you are trying to doat a particular parry, and not jusr throw thedie. Good roleplaying can modify the effect.

COSMOLOGYABILITY: EGOYou know the rrue reality. You know abolltthe Demiurge, the shattering of the JIlusions,the Death Angels and the Azghouls. Youknow a little about Metropolis and Inferno.NO1£: no character should be able to srart playwith this skill, and it can only be developedwith the Gamemaster's permission. Also, anycharacter who knows this but has a MentalBalance above -25 does not truly believe it.They know it like most people know theirhoroscope: interesting information, bur hardlyfact. As rhe character is forced to face thetruth, of course, MB will be affected as usual.

Licrors, Death Angels, and other creaturesof Reality automatically have this skill equalto their Ego.

COUNSELINGABILITY: PERYou have ways of easing the distressed andmentally disturbed. You can, after sufficientconversations with people, determine whattheir probable psychological problems are,determine possible methods of recovery, andaid them through the process. This can sim­ply be a keen insight imo the human spirit,or it might indicate professional clinicaltrammg.

CREATIVE WRITINGABILITY: EGOWords drip like honey from your gilded pen (orkeyboard). Poetr)', essays, shan stories, novels,and other forms of the wrirren arts are all cov­ered by rhis skill. This is rhe more graceful andenjoyable form of Written Report.

Gamemasters who require more realismmay ask thar Creative Writing be raken sepa­rately for each form of writing that is used.

EROTICAABILITY: EGOYou have learned a number of the ways to

enhance libidinous experiences: you knowthe rools, toys and techniques to heighten thesensory experience, and )'OU know all aboutthe various locations on the human bodythat are particularly sensitive to erotic stim­ulation. Perhaps more important, you canquickly and intuitively know what will moststimulate a particular partner.

ESCAPE ARTISTABILITY: AGLYou know how to extricate yourself from avariety of bindings: simple locks, ropes, etc.

55

•

tu~Complicated locks requite either the burglatyOt lockpicking skill. If you are bound, yourskill at picking locks using either of theseskills is limited by your Escape Artisr score.

HAUT MONDEABILITY: EGOYou know the high life. You can name thebest coffees, and identify the best wines. Youknow the most chic fashions, and where thebest (or at least the trendiest) restaurants andvacation escapes are. YOLI have an unerringknowledge of the finer things of life, partial­ly through experience and partially throughwhat you consider good "common sense. II

HERBALISMABILITY: EGOYou grow and cultivate herbs for both theirculinary and medicinal purposes. You canlocate and identify many such herbs in thewild. You also know some applications ofherbal ism, from rea distilling to preparing anes­thetic poultices. Real medical use of Herbalismrequires either pharmacology (a Medicine spe­cialty) or the skill Alternative Medicine.

INSTRUCTIONABILITY: CHAYOLI are good at reaching others. You makedull topics interesting, and you have a goodspeaking sryle. You can be a grade-schoolteacher, a professor, a private tutor, or some­one who is JUSt good with explaining things.

A variant of rhis skill is the skill Education,a Social Sciences specialization, which meansyou know the theories and principles of edu­cational development. That specializationdoes not make onc a good teacher; it onlymeans yOll have "studied it."

LOCKSMITHINGABILITY: EGOYou can pick locks, take them apart, con­strUCt them, and make keys. This is a wide­applicarion professional skill, used by lock­smiths and criminals alike.

The very basic applicarion of picking simplelocks is covered by Burglary. This skill hasmore specific and technical uses and functions.

LIP READINGABILITY: PERIn relarively good lighr, you can read some­one's lips and understand what they are say-

ing. You may miss a word or two, but youshould be able to get rhe gist of their conver­sation. At a higher score, you can under­stand perfecrly what someone is saying.

This does, of course, presuppose fluency inthe bnguage. For foreign languages, yourskill at lip reading is capped by your skill inthe other language.

LORE: DREAMWORLDSABILITY: EGOYou have knowledge of the dreamworlds:you know of the nine dream princes, ofpsyphagi, nachtschreck, and other creaturesof dream, and you know about the Dream\X1anderers. You know of various portals anda Ilumber of dreamworlds.NOTE: no character should be able to srarrplay with rhis skill, and ir can only be devel­oped with the Gamemaster's permission.

LORE: METROPOLISABILITY: EGOYou know abour the primal city, J\tlerropolis.You have knowledge of the various inhabi­rants of rhe city, e.g., rhe Azghouls, the livingGods, ere. You also know about its variousparts and "districts," e.g., the Living City,Machine City, etc. You kllow the theories ofhow to get there, and you may even know thelocarion of a few alleged porrals.NOTE: no character should be able to srarrplay with this skill, and ir can only be devel­oped with the Gamemaster's permission.This skill also has the Mental balance limita­tions as Cosmology.

Most creatures or denizens of Metropolisautomarically have this skill equal to rheir Ego.

NATURAL HISTORYABILITY: EGOYou know the ways of nature. You can iden­tify common ani~al tracks, you can identifysome animal behavior, basic plants andwildlife, rake a guess at an animal's healthand probably age, ere. Maybe you're a foresrranger, or you just visired grandpa's logcabin every summer.

This is nor an academic discipline; ir israrely learned in school situation. It can,however, be learned from anorher individualand from experience.

NAVIGATIONABILITY: EGOUsing this skill, you can almosr never get

56

los[, You usually require some equipment,e.g., a compass, map, sextant, etc., but youcan effectively guide your way to almostany destination, regardless of the weatheror rime of day. This skill can used for move­menr by land (the skill would then be moreproperly called "orienteering"), air, or sea.

SCROUNGINGABILITY: PERYou have an unerring knack for finding usefulimplemenrs and objects among what other peo­ple would consider junk. While some objectsmay require repair, others will be perfredy suit­able. Weapons, clothing, and even food may befound this way, bur within reasonable limits.Gamemasters may provide bonuses or penaltiesfor your scrounging skill based upon where youare using it. A high Effect in this skill can occa­sionally produce amazing discoveries.

SIGN LANGUAGEABILITY: EGOYou know how to communicate in SignLanguage. Most likely you know Ameslan(American Sign L:lI1guage), but you mayknow some variant on it: either an existingform of sign language or one that is made­up. This skill muSt be taken for each form ofsign language known.

SLEIGHT OF HANDABILITY: AGLYou are good at holding things withouttheir being seen, palming objects, taking, orreplacing them quickly and covertly (if theyare within easy reach), producing themunexpectedly, etc. This is used by both stagemagicians and criminals to great effecr.

STREETWISEABILITY: EGOYou know the ways of the streets. Gangs aremore likely to accept you, you know a fewgood informants, and you don't come offsounding like a poser when you use streetslang (chances are, it comes naturally toyou). You know a few of the prominent loca­tions for drug deals and other criminal acts.naturally this skill is more effective in a citythe character is familiar with.

STYLEABILITY: EGOYou look good. You know just the rightclothes to wear, what will probably come

into fashion and what is just a bad mistake.1£ /ou aren't already good-looking, you areat least dashing in that tailored suit; if you3re already handsome, you can dress to kill.While it helps to be rich (clothes designersdon't JUSt give away their apparel, after all),yOll can throw together just the right ensem­ble to catch someone's eye.

Conversely, you can use your style sense toblend with certain groups (e.g., you candress collegiate preppy and look like you'vedone it all your life).

TRACKINGABILITY: PERYou can follow the tracks and trail of some­thing or someone. You can identify thesource and age of the tracks with some cer­tainty.

Difficulties on this might vary based uponcircumstances, including size of tracks, ter­rain, age of rracks, and recent weather con­ditions. The Gamemaster might require acertain Effect in order to successfully followthe tracks indefinitely. .

TRIVIAABILITY: EGOThis is a catch-all phrase for a knowledge­based skill that doesn't really fit under any­thing else, e.g, the history of baseball cards,famous fashion designers in history, ere.

It can include knowledge of academic dis­ciplines learned as a hobby, although oftenyour knowledge might lack scholarly rigor.For instance, you might have as Trivia thearea" Romantic Pacts." \'(Iith this, you canrecognize a few poems or poets, maybeeven a few broad themes, bur you won't beable to place it in the context of the hisroryof poerey or literature.

Prof~sio"(ltSKiffsA number of the skills already listed mightbe considered Professional Skills. These areskills that are required or used in the execu­tion of some job, and they often require cer­tification and advanced schooling. Suchskills could include Counseling, Law,Architecture, and more.

In order ro be a certified professional in aparticular field, you need a minimumEducation of ]3, as well as a minimum skillrating of 10 in each particular skill. If you

57

58

+3+2

+4

+1

21+

11-151 10

16 - 20

Some Gamemasters may not like the MartialArts rules in Kult, deciding that they are toocomplicated, provide undue emphasis oncombat, are roo powerful, or that the Kiforces, available only to Martial Artists, pro~vide unfair advantages. Gamemasters whobelieve this but would still like a Martial Artsoption can use the Simplified Martial Artsskill as described below.

ty, she can further specialize in a particularaspect of Religions Studies (e.g., Churchhistory, Religious lconogralJhy, etc.), andshe will have a +5 to the effect.

Note that accotding to Kult, you must havea minimum education of 13 in order to rakeany academic skills. Your Gamcl11aster maywaive this requirement for the four primaryskills, but it is recommended that you havea 13 in Education before you can begin spe­cializing.

"'QrtoiQt ArtosSIMPLIRED MART1AI. ARTS

MARTIAL ARTSABILITY: ACLThis skill is used in conjunction with theUnarmed Combat skill. When using the mar­tial arts, throw one die; the result is com­pared to both the Unatmed Combat skill andthe Martial Arts skill. If the attack throw isabove the Unarmed Combat score, then theattack is missed and no damage is done. Ifthe throw is below the Unarmed Combatscore but is above the Martial Arts score,then standard damage is rolled. If a throw issuccessful ill both Unarmed Combat andMartial Arts, then there is a damage bonusbased upon the attacker's Martial Arts skill:

This skill does not require particularManeuvers; just decide what type of attack

This bonus is wmlliative with the Strength/Agility combat bonus.

ABILITY: ACLYou can reload a gun in half the time it nor­mally takes. This time is indicated under theLOAD column on weapon tables. If two fig­ures arc listed, the second figure includes theuse of speed-Ioadet. Regatdless, a succcssfuluse of this skill CLitS the reload time in half.

This skill must be taken separatcly for bothbows and crossbows.

Example: Cassandra St Cloud is an occultistwith a skill of 10 in Hnmanities. She alsochooses to specialize in Religion, giving her~

self a skill of 12. Within her chosen special-

have a high skill but not the requisiteEducation, you are capable and qualified todo the job; you just may not be professional­ly rccognized.

II1~Qpo", "'Q,..~",~~rsFAST LOAD

Acadcmic skills were introduced in Kult, andthey are being repeated here for clarification.

There are four academic skills: Humanitiesscholarship, Natural sciences, social sciences,and medicine. Within each skill are a numberof specializations. In general, the four prima­ry academic skills allow for a broad range ofknowledge within each discipline. A scote inHumanities might allow a character a basicgrasp of history, literature, and other alliedfields. She can identify authors, importanthistorical events, famous works of literature,etc. However, a more precise grasp of an aca­demic field (e.g., identifying an obscureauthor or long-lost religious cult) requires anacademic specialization.

In order to choose one of these specializa~

tions, you must have a minimum skill of 5 inthe approptiate Academic skill. Once you havea score of 5, you can start acquiring specializa­tions as full skills; each specialization is devel~

oped diffetently, at whatever rate you prefer.A score of 10 in any academic skill indicates

the equivalent of an undergraduate degree inthe field. A skill of 13 indicates a masters­level degree, while a 15 indicates a doctorate.

Academic specialties do not get the +5effect bonus that other skins teceive.However, each skill that is chosen (e.g., reli­gion, literature, art history, etc.) can be fur­ther specialized to receive the +5 bonus.'

•

(fisr, head burr, ere.) will be arrempred. Thisskill may also be used wirh Melee combar, ifa particular weapon is chosen for the mar­rial art (e.g., using a karana wirh kendo).This skill may be repeared for variousMartial Arts (e.g., kung fu, karare, kendo),bur the attacker must state in advance whichart is being used before rhrowing rhe die.Characters using this skill can use Ki forcesor Buda Maneuvers only with rheGamemaster's approval.

MARTIAL ARTS SKILLS GRIPThe Kulr rulebook srares rhar rhe Grip maneu­ver only immobilizes and does nor cause dam­age. Grip attacks can also cause damage.

If a Grip arrack is successful and rheattacker has an opponent in her grasp, thenin subsequent actions she may attempt toinflict damage by twisting her opponent'slimbs (arms, fingers, etc.) against their jointsby making anorher successful Grip rhrow. Afailure simply indicates that no damage wasdone; on a disastrous failure, rhe arrackeraccidentally releases her opponenr.

The same Grip charr is used for borhimmobilizing someone and causing damage.

SPECIALIZINGRemember that in any martial art template,you ger 10 addirional points to disrribureamong whichever skills you choose to special­ize in. Nore rhar if you add a number of pointsto any skill ar Srudent level, you add rhe samenumber of points at Instrucror level, and soall. This is nOt cumuJative; yOll may think ofir as bonuses (+3, +2, erc.), which apply toyour chosen skills ar each level.

Example: Peter studies Banda, a Burmese martialart (for which he will use the Karale template). Hechooses to add 3 points tD his base Strike skill,bringing it frDm 9 to .12. The base Strike skill of 15at Instmc/,Dr level is autDmatically raised by threepDints as well, to 18. At Master level, his base Strikeof 20 is modified to 23, and so on. Effectively, hehas a +3 to his base Strike skill at every level.

LEARNING MULTlPLE MARTIAL ARTSIt is possible to learn multiple arts, but it isdifficult to attain mastery in more than Olle;rhis usually requires rhe sacrifice of all orheractivities (and experience). Each an oftenteaches different, even contradicrory, ways of

doing things. Kicks as taught in t'ai chi areinir:ally differenr from rae kwan do kicks,karare punches are different from kung fupunches, erc. Ar higher levels, a synthesismay be attempted, but students must startlearning everyrhing differently.

A srudent of a sryle which is deficienr in aparticular rechnique may srudy jusr rhartechnique, if they can find a teacher. Manialarrs maneuvers that are not taught within aspecific martial art may be learned separate­ly, as Budo maneuvers.If someone intends to actively pursue mul­

riple ans, rhen rhey musr pay full cosrs foreach mania I art ar each level of srudy. Inaddirion, rhey have 10 poinrs per arr for spe­cialization. However, neither the skills norrhe bonuses are cumularive; only one skill oranorher may be used (and rypically, rhe ber­rer one will be chosen). Before arrempring anattack, stare which style is being used.

Example: Shelton is a kmtg fu instructor with aStrike of 12 and a +3 bonus from specializing. Hehas decided to sludy karate as well, mzd (afterexpending the appropriate experience points) nowhas an additional Strike skill of 9 with a +2 bonus.He CO/I O111y strike using one style Or tlJe other, andthe bOlltlses cannot be combined.

YOll should remember that traditional manialarts teachers are demanding, requiring theirsrudents to srudy only rheir style and noneother. While some cross-training would bepossible (e.g., a kung fu srudent learning r'aichi), wildly divergent arts would nor normal­ly be pracriced ar rhe same rime.

This is not so much the case now, and it isnor all rhar unusual to find people srudyingmore than one art simultaneously. Remember,rhough, rhar srudying one manial arr is diffi­cult enough; attempting ro master more thanone art is a task best left to the true masters.

NEW MARTIAL ARTSIt is hardly necessary to devise a specific setof rules for each and every fighring sryle. Afew new styles are presented, though, toround out the selection of arts that wereoriginally presented in Kulr. Martial arts areuniversal and should nor be limired to easrAsia; to rencer this fact, two of the new mar­rial arts introduced are not commonlyknown Asian martial arts.

59

26

22

15

18

12

12

9

9

12 18

12 18

6

9:9

l'AI CHI CH'UAN

THROW

WEAPON, CANE 3

Savate is a French kickboxing style with somewrestling. Its origins are nor fully known, butthey can be traced to 17th century Marseilles.The footwork and other elements of the style(including cane-fighting) were highly influ­enced by fencing, which used ro be taughtalongside Savate. Individuals who knowSavate are called "savareurs."

Sav3re's popularity has increased in the20th centurYj it is taught as part of theFrench army's basic training, and schools areopen throughout Europe.

SAVATE

T'ai chi ch'uan is a Chinese martial art rootedin Taoism. It consists primarily of defensivetechniques, aimed at evading or redirecting anopponent's energy. A number of t'ai chi styles(Chen, Yang, Chen Pan Ling, etc.) exist, yetthey all follow the same principles. T'ai chiattacks favor combinations of dodge, block orgrip with other skills.

This a~t is deceptive because it is practicedand trained at very slow speeds, until truemastery is ' reached. Unfortunately, manyWesterners learn t'ai chi as only a form of"moving meditation," like Yoga, so finding agood teacher can be difficult.

T'ai chi weapons include the straightsword, the sabre, the staff, and the spear.

21

15

1812

15

9

96

6

KUNG FU

STRIKE

WEAPON

Ii l1§E 9, 9 , )4 2020 26 KICK 4 9 12 18

DlQCK ',. '1 ,6'> • ft>'15,;,:12 ,I IBegU· " 6 9 is 30DODG E 6 12 15 18 DODGE 6 10 15 30

GRIP .. " '!, 9> isl [fIjROri 9 19 15 24WEAPON SKILLS 6 9 15 18 GRIP 4 9 17 30

60

No matter what martial art you choose fora character, don't choose it because of theskills or maneuvers it offers; choose an artbecause it would be appropriate for yourcharacter's background and interests.

ARNISAmis is a Phillipino martial art which hasstrong instruction in weapon use. Morewesterners are becoming interested in theart, particularly in irs weapon applications.Arnis is particularly effective against armedattackers; disanns are meant to breakweapon hands.

A variety of weapons are taught in Arnis.Primary among them is a wooden stick(called an Escrima stick), used one-handedand sometimes in pairs. Other weaponsinclude the balisong knife (also often used inpairs), rhe machete, and the long kris dagger.

Kung fu is a generic term for a large number ofChinese fighting styles (e.g., Hung Fat, WingChun, Whire Crane, Shaolin, et aLl One basictemplate is presented for overall use, It can bemodified as desired-fat example, a schoolwhich concentrates on Chin na (grappling andpressute points) might have better Grip skills.

Chinese martial arts also teach a host ofweapon sryles, including the sraff, srraightsword, iron whip, broadsword, spear, tri­dent, and more. The staff is often the firstweapon learned.

tl6

COGNATESA handful of martial artS styles have beenpresented in both the main Kult book andin this companion. These templates may beused as desired for a countless number ofmartial arts. Gamemasrcrs may modify thetemplates as desired.

A sampling of addirional martial arts ispresented below, with a few historicalnotes, and suggestions as to which detailedmania I arts can be llsed as templates. Thesecognates do not imply a historical r~lation­

ship or exact correspondences between arts.Feel free ro add ro rhe list or change it as

desired. These are only suggestions, and not anauthoritative declaration on the martial arts.

AIKIDO Aikido ("Way of Harmony") is oneof the most pacifistic of the japanese arts,seeking nor to cause harm but to neutralizethe oncoming force of an aggressor. As such,it is often debated whethet Aikido is prag­matic as a fighting style or is merely an arc.

Cognate: Gamemasters may modify jujit­su, if desited, lessening student-level skillsbut increasing grand-master level skills.

JEEr KUNE DO jeet Kune Do, Ot jKD, wasthe fighting style created by Bruce Lee, whofelt that the ser fighting fotms taught in tra­ditional martial arts were too restrictive. Hecreated a free-form art, incorporatingmaneuvers from a variety of styles, includ­ing Wing Chun, Muay Thai, and othets.

Cognate: commando (replace "Fall" with"Dodge").

KALARI PAYAT Kalati Payat is the classicalfighting art of India, its origins rooted inHindu mythology. It is alleged by some rohave been the art imported to China, even­tually becoming kung fu. It involves exten­sive training in the sword, staff, and dagger.

Cognate: kung fu (revetse the skills sothat weapon skills start befote unarmedcombat); acrobatics is a good skill to knowfor Kalari practitioners

KENJITSU Where Kendo is the "sport" and"art" of classical Japanese swordsmanship,Kenjitsu IS the real fighting style.Practitionets of both kenjitsu and kendouse a bokken (a solid wooden sword) forptactice, which can be deadly in the handsof a master.

Cognate: kendo

MUAY THAI Muay Thai, or Thai kick box­ing, is a deadly fighting style and spectatorSport immensely popular in Thailand. Itspopularity in the U.S. is on the rise. It incor­porates kicking, punching, and elbow/kneestrikes, effectively using almost the entiresurface of the body as a weapon. MuayThai students are among the most inten­sively trained and conditioned fightets of allthe martial arts.

Cognate: Savate: trade Thtow withElbow Strike, Grip with Knee Strike, andWeapon with Fall.

MU-TAU Mu Tau is a telatively new stylewith an ancient past. It was designed as thesuccessot to the Greek fighting style calledthe pankration, a combination-style ofkicking, boxing, and wtestling. The pankra­tion is one of the world's earliest martialarts, introduced into the Olympics in the7th centUty B.C. Its descendant wasdesigned to be flexible and capable in mod­ern combat. Mll-tall emphasizes low kicks,boxing, and joint-breaks.

Cognate: karate: trade the Switch andKick scores, Dodge becomes Grip, andWeapon becomes Throw.

NEI-CHIA ei-chia is the grouping of "intet­nal" Chinese martial arts, which emphasizeChi cultivation. ei-chia includes t'ai chi,pa gua (based on the principles of the eighttrigtams of the I Ching) and hsing-i chuan

Cognate: t'ai chi ch'uan may be used foreither pa gua or hsing-i.

PENCAK SILAT Pencak Silat is an Indonesianmartial art. There are a number of Silatvariants. Weapons are numerous; theyinclude a parang (cutved short sword), apedang (similar to the esctima stick) andktis, Ot long dagget. Silat emphasizesweapon training.

Cognates: arnis.

TAE KWAN DO A Kotean martial art whichresembles karate, but places more emphasison kicks. It is often taught in many placesas a "sPOrt" and nOt a teal fighting style, sofinding a good fighting instructor is diffi­cult.

Cognate: karate (switch strike with kick;replace weapon with fall)

61

. l'AI CHI

BUDO MANEUVERS

Determine which "Budo maneuvers" areavailable to your Art.

Some styles may be less effective than oth­ers at student level, even having fewer pointsto disttibute than allowed; at highet levels,they can get additional points. Try to followsome consistent curve in the learningprocess. You can have an average distribu­tion rate across the levels of study, or startvery low and end up very high, or you canstart high but not progress very well.Remember that the Gamemaster has finalapproval on any martial art you create.

Below is the revised Budo maneuver chart,incorporating both new Budo maneuversand the new martial arts.

JUJITSU. T'

KENDO

KENDO

ALL

KUNG FU

ALL

KENDO

62

ARNIS. COMMANDO. KARATE, KUNG FU, SAVATEALLARNIS, COMMANDO. KARATE. KUNG FU, SAVATE

ALL

ARNIS (W/STICK). SAVATE (W/CANE). KENDO

COMMANDO. KUNG FU. TAl CHI

COMMANDO KA TE KUNG FU. SAVATE

COMMANDO. KUNG FU

COMMANDO. ARNIS (W/STICK). JUJITSU

COMMAN HI

COMMANDO. KARATE. KUNG FU

JIUJITSU. KUNG FU. T'AI CHIGL

AGL

AGL

EGOAGL

AGLAGL

AGL

AGL

AGL

AGLSTR

STR

STR

STR

STRSTR

STR

EVASION

KNEE STRIKEKNOCK OUT

ROOT

KIA I

BREAK WEAPON

FLYING KICK

ElBOW STRIKEDISARM

CIRCLE CUT

LEG SWEEP

IAIDO

COMBINE

• For Student level practitioner, distribute36 points among your choice of skills.

• For Instructor level, distribute 55-60pOints.

• For Master level, disttibure 78-90 poinrs.• For GrandMaster level, distribute 110­

125 points.

't"~Qt.i"9 ~Qt"t.iQt Art.sGamemasters or players can create templatesfor other martial arts using the guidelines pre­sented below. Martial arts templates can bebased on real arts, or new styles created forthe gamej cults may very well teach their ownsecret fighring sryles. A number of good refer­ence sources on inrernational fighting stylesexist and are useful for this purpose.

LEG SWEEPThis is a low kick to your opponent's legs,sweeping his legs from under him andknocking him to rhe ground.

ELBOW STRIKEYou can strike out at an opponent using yourelbow as the surface of impact. This is aserike thar may begin looking like a regularpunch, and is difficult [Q anticipate.Arrempts to block are at -3.

KNEE STRIKEYou can deliver a painful, and often debili­raring, strike with your knee, at your oppo­nent's groin, kidneys, ribs (or anywhere elseopen for arrack).

ROOTYOll are rooted ro the ground and cannot beknocked off your feet by an opponent'sThrow or Leg Sweep atrack, even if it was aperfect success. The number of people youcan successfully defend against go up asyour skill increases: students can defendagainst one attacker, insr[ucw[s againsttWO, masters against three, and grand-mas­rers against four.

TORNADO KICKThis is a eype of flying kick rhat allows youto serike an opponent behind you with noaction penalty-you can leap up, reverseyour facing and kick behind you, and rewento YOUt original facing all in one action.

KI·FORCESThe following Ki forces are treated likesrandard Ki forces. They can be purchasedwith skill or experience points, bm rheycannOt be improved. They are not con­trolled by any ability.

COMBAT MINDCOST: 20 POINTSYou can read your opponents moves, know·ing instinctively what action will follow; youcan anricipare such moves easily. Any defen­sive maneuver you attempt has a +5 bonusfor success.

VITALS STRIKECOST: 2S POINTSYou have studied the meridians that runthrough the human body, and you are inti­mately familiar with rhe body's weakestspots; you have studied just what type ofblow is necessary co cripple or kill.

Roll for a Strike, and, if successful, roll forthe effect. In addition to typical damage, thefollowing occurs:Scratch: opponent is stunned, loses nextactionLight Wound: opponenr loses consciousnessSerious Wound: attacker can deliver a fatalstrike if so desired

IRON SKINCOST: 20 POINTSYou can strengthen the chi rhar surroundsyour body, creating a protective barrier. Thiseffectively gives yOli an armor rating of 3when absorbing damage from any physicalattacks.

63

•

I was crying. 1 realized, the tears mixing with Tom's blood 011 myface, dripping down 011 my;eaus. I willed him to be alive. J kneltthere for god kl/OlUS bow 10I1g... blood had 101lg ago stoppedpumping olll of his chest, find his hand (elt like it was getting coldi" mine. but 1 kept saying again and again... "Tommy be alive,Tommy be alille... J'

Iusaue laughter echoed down between the buildings. There was 110

one in sight anywhere. Thunder rumbled distantly.Jwas ahollt to give lip when his chest heaved with a terrible spasmand be sat bolt upright. J fell backward ill surprise. "011 my god,it worked, ,. I gasped.He f/tmed toward me and smiled. but there was something stiffavout the movement, and his eyes were... vacallt somehow."Thanks, Kevin. You brought me back.... His eyes seemed to reflectred in the streetlights for just a second and 1 felt a chill down myback.Its not really Tommy.My voice shook. ,. Wlhat about your llIo1f1lds?""Oh, they wUl hea/naturally. Don't worry'. ., He IJllt a blood-coat­ed halld all my shoulder mId gave me a push towards all alley..(Let's go, .... Where?" I asked weakly.·(Dow1l." He smiled agaill. This time;r was eVelllll0re creepy tballbefore. like an expression pasted all his face,

... We started wa/bng; he led, which was a relief because then Iwould,t't lJave to look at his w0ll11ds---or his face. Bllt he evellI.valked differently...W'e came to a heavy steel door ill the side ofa buildillg. Tom tuggedall it. "Locked." He gave it a savage yallk alld it tore off its hinges,landillg 011 the ground ill (/ clatter of tOI"ll //Ictal. Illside 011 iron

/

stairwell led dOll/mvards. .. YOlf first. buddy."The stair was like a parking garage stairway: dirf)~ dim and reek­ing of urine. It wenl down alld down, every floor seemed to gethotter. The urine smell was gradually replaced by an odor likeburning oil. Most of the lights were broken, and I could see Tom'seyes glowing bright red. I was in a daze of fatigue and hopeless­ness; I knew [ should get away (rom him but 1 was even moreafraid of being alone. \VlJe'l I stopped finally to rest he Cl1me upclose to me and smiled agaiu. It became more menacing every time."Not much furtber, Kevin. ,. He said, his voice sOlmding dry andrasp)~ The blood 011 his face liad dried in crackillg black streaks. Itried 1I0t to look down at his gaping chest. I had no choice but togo on with him.He opened another door and we stepped out onto a gangwaystretching far above a huge room fUled with machines. Tommystepped Ollt onto tbe open metal mesh walkwa)~ then suddenlydoubled over. He gripped the raillVitb botb hands, and looked lipat me desperately. His eyes were back to normal blue, and his facewas contorted with pain. "Help me Kevin! I'm trapped... I_n

Then he stopped, and the emoti011 poured off bis face. /-lis eyesglowed that hellish color again. He stood lip and stepped towardsme, gri/l1/i1tg."Tommy's gone, KelJil1. I've got bis body now. YOllr (riend playedwith things he shouldn't bave OIld no/{) he's paying for it... payingdearly. You are part of that paYlllellt.'· His halld clamped pail1flll­Iy around the back of my neck, drawing l1Iy face close to his. Icouldn't fight his strength... 1 closed my eyes and felt his cold lipstouch ,nine as his fingers tightened 011 my spine.It's just a dreolll ...

64

The following equipmenr descriptions and pricecharts are meant to supplement the equipmentsection of Kulr. The equipmenr that follows isprimarily, but nor exclusively, geared rowardsparamilitary equipment, which often seems to

be useful to Kult characters.Descriptions and prices of common equip­

ment are nor necessary, or provided; yOll don'tneed a game supplement to tell you the con­temporary cost of jeans and a tee-shirr.

"is,,~tt(lIl~Ol.tS \I1~ClPO"SSTUNGUN A small rectangular object withrwin prongs in one end. These prongs deliv­er 40-90,000 volts upon conract, which(depending upon length of conract), cancause confusion, disorientation, weakness,and a loss of balance.

Stun "guns" do nOt do typical damage, nordo they require their own skill. Use of a stun­gun requires a successful Agility check;Damage levels are as follows:Scratch: partial confusion & disorientation;lose actions for remainder of round.

Light Wound: confusion & disorienr3tion;lose aerions for remainder of round and theround following.

Serious \Vound: confusion & disorienrarion;no actions possible for next five rounds.

Fatal Wound: loss of muscle control andcognition for 15 minutes.

Damage bonuses do nOt apply to use ofthis weapoll.

PISTOL CROSSBOW This is a small pisrol­mounted crossbow. They come in cheapmodels and expensive, more reliable ver­sions. The figures are for the more depend­able models.

Md~~ ~ ~t"o~i"9\I1~ClPO"S

A variety of weapons arc discussed here,from classical bladed WC3pons to contem­porary variants. Even though Kult has acontemporary urban feel, classical bladedweapons may still come into play. Someplayers seem to find uses for them, theyend up as inheritances or ritual objects,and so forth.

DAGGERSAll ;veapons in this category require the skill"Dagger."

BALISONG KNIFE Balisong knives originarein the Phillipino martial arts, bur they havebecome popular worldwide. They are dag­gers with handles rhar splir lengrhwise rorotate around the blade for easier conceal­ment. They can be opened and unlockedquickly, with one hand. The handles can beof any material. Damage varies per size,alrhough ir is usually as for a small knife ora dagger.

DAGGER This is a catchall phrase for a num­ber of medium-sized, well-consrrucred dag­gers, including small Bowie knives,"Arkansas toorhpicks," hunting knives,main~gauches, etc. Most blades fall underthis category.

FIGHTING KNIFE This is a carchall phrase for avariety of sturdy, large-bladed knives, includ­ing bayonets, Bowie knives, long daggers,milirary-issue combat knives (U.S.M.C.,Legion Etrangere, erc.) blades, and so forth.

"KNUCKLE" KNIFE Knuckle knives (also calledtrench knives, because of their use in trenchwarfare during WWl) are rypically largefighting knives wirh a combination hand­guard/brass-knuckles. These daggers can beused in regular knife fighting or can make apunch much more deadly.

The blade does damage as a fighring knife;the knuckles add +2 ro a punching effecr.Some knuckles are serrated; serrated knuck­les (a rather cruel innovarion) add +5 to apunching effecr.

KUKRI KNIFE The Kukri blade is the tradi­tional weapon of the Nepalese Gurka war­riors, who have been part of the British,Indian, and Nepalese armies. It is a choppingweapon, and not meant for thrusting; it iscapable of amputation and even decapitationif used by skilled combatants.

The large blade of a Kukri is recurved, witha weigh red spine and the edge on rhe concaveside of the blade; these elements conrribure roa devastaring chopping effecr. Additionally,the kukri is effecrive for chopping wood, dig­ging, and other camping functions.

65

•

lv\SMALL KNIFE This is anothet catch-all phtasefor any small, usually concealable weapon,including most boot knives, butterfly knives,small skinning blades, wrist knives, foldingknives, erc.

SURVIVAL KNIFE Survival knives are Iarge­bladed weapons, sometimes serrated on theback of the blade. The hilt is a hollow com­partment, often with a compass in the serew­off cap. It has multiple uses when in thewilderness or other survival situations. Itdoes damage as a fighting knife or dagger.

TANTO KNIFE These are typically full-tangall-steel daggers, ideal for thrusting andslashing. The better models are renownedfor their construction and design, capable ofpenetrating steel. Tanto knives do damage asstandard daggers.

SWORDSThe following weapons all require use of theskill "S\vord."

BROADSWORD This category will includemost straight-edged weapons: medievalEuropean weapons, Chinese long-swords,basket-hilr claymores, erc.

KRIS A large weapon with an undulatingblade, originating In Phillipino andIndonesian martial arts. The undulatingblade is an Indian influence which createslarger wounds and penetrates betweenbones. Treat a Kris as a shorr sword, with +3to the effect.

Indonesian lore tells of the spirit powersthat kris*wielding Silat masters possess,capable of inflicting damage even by stab­bing someone's shadow or merely pointingwith the dagger. These legends say that a kriswill rattle in the sheath to warn its owner ofdanger.

SABRE This category includes most curvedslashing weapons, including the tulwar,scimitar, and contemporary military sabres.

SWORD CANE This weapon is an anachro­nism, but may still be found in the hands ofa dapper gentleman. The cane is a sheathfor a long, thin blade. Some may be modi*fied to become umbrellas, rendering themless obvious.

SHORT SWORDThis is a broad category that includes anumber of weapons, in addition to the stan­dard medieval style shon-sword:

GLADIUS, a traditional Roman shon sword

MACHETE, Ot large chopping instrumentslIsed primarily for clearing through brushand cutting wood

WAKIZASHI, the Japanese short sword thatwas paired with a katana in the samuraiaudit.

TWO-HANDED SWORDThis includes the Scottish claymore andother heavy two-handed weapons. Not ter­ribly elegant as far as weapons go, but veryintimidating.

IMPACT WEAPONSThe following weapons requite the skill"Impact weapons."

BOKKEN A solid wooden sword used in thepractice of kendo and kenjitsu. Although apractice weapon, it can still be deadly, andthere are tales of Japanese swords masterswho only carried the bokken for defense,and not a bladed weapon.

A bokken is technically an impact­weapon, but is treated as a sword by thoseskilled in its use. Otherwise, it does damageas a baseball bat.

CANE Canes are not usually meant to beweapons, but solidly-made canes can serveas weapons in times of need.

MACE A variety of weighted weapons fallunder this category: they may have flangedheads, spikes, studs, etc.

TACTICAL BATON A black 25 cm chromebaton that, with a flick of the wrist, tele­scopes to 66 cm in length. This concealableweapon is used for blocking and striking,and is a favorite of law enforcement officialsand bodyguards.

66

Co"",,,",,,,,,i'Q,,io,,s~,.",ip,,",~""TACTICAL RADIO

Heavy-duty radios can have one or two fre­quencies, with a 2-5 km range; they comewith belt-pouches.

HEADSET Optional equipment for a tacticalradio; includes ear & mouth piece,adjustable headband, and a clip for securingto clothing. .

CLIP SPEAKERIMICROPHONE Optional for atactical radio; this is an easily-retrievedmike-piece that clips to a military epaulet orassault piece.

CELLULAR PHONE A cordless telephone whichcan be used anywhere except deep under­ground, cell phones are becoming very com­mon. They are not tied ro a specific base, butcan hold a connection even while the user istalking by switching the link on the fly from'cell' to 'cell.' Come in a wide variety ofmodels, with varying 'talk-rime' (barrery lifewhile talking) and features.

ftiis,dtQ"~O"'SBINOCULARS A variery of binoculars can befound. Some models comc with many func­tions and designs, including waterproofing,rangefinder and nighrlight.

CLIMBING HARNESS A nylon harness/riggingfor rhe chesr and legs, wirh O-ring attach­ments and utility loops, this is lIsed inrapelling and climbing situations, suitablefor military operations.

HANOCUFFS These are milirary/police issue,not novelty items. They can have chain orhinge connections, and typically come eitherin chrome or black-plare.

RASHUGIfTS Cheap flashlights can be pur­chased ar drugstores. Heavy dury flashlighrs,the type used in military and police operations,are impact resistant, offer brighter light andlonger ranges, and hove lanyard rings & hand­straps. They come in a variery of lengths.

The miniature lights are easily concealed;kits can be purchased to attach rhem to thebottom of handgun grips, placing rhe lighr

parallel to rhe barrel.The longer size (38 em and above) lights

can easily be used as impact weapons, doingdamage as sreel pipes.

MINI-MONOCULAR Monoculars are single lensfor viewing objects at a distance. A mini­monocular is easily concealed, and can bringobjeers eighr rimes closer. Ir can be hungfrom a neck cord.

RAPPELLING EQUIPMENT This includesdescenders, a pair of ascenders, carabiners,emergency belrs, rapelling gloves, ere.: allthe miscellaneous equipment lIsed inrapelling operations.

RAPPELLING LINE This Strong tensile lineoften comes in black or olive drab.

"~(1PO" A,,~sori~SHOTGUN SHELL SIDE·SADDLE This side-sad­dle attachment for rhe side of shorguns holdssix shotgun shells.

UNIVERSAL HOLSTER These holsrers aredesigned for right or left-honded draw, andcan be worn on the hip, or waist for side­draw or cross-draw.

AppQrdASSAULT VEST Assault vests rypically haveinner pockets, four ro nine pOllches for ammoclips (depending upon the size of rhe ammo),uriliry pockers, and loops for a gun belr. Theyusually come in black or olive drab.

BAmE DRESS UNIFORM IBDU} Standard mili­rary or paramilitary clothing, this can eitherbe fwo-piece or a jumper. BDUs come 10

black, navy, gray, and camouflage.

COMBAT BOOTS Durable, warer-resisrant, oil­resistant, reinforced heels and roe-caps.

PROTECTIVE UNDERWEAR This full-body under­wear (including socks and head wrap) offerprotection from fire and chemical exposure.(This provides 5 points protecrion from fire)

PROTECTOR CUSHIONS These black hard rub­ber caps with soft liners protect knees orelbows from abrasion or impact. (These pro­vide 3 points protection.)

TACTICAL SQUAD SUIT A heavy duty black suir(jacker and pants) wirh reinforced knees/el­bows and multiple pockets for sroring gear.

67

75

roo

10030100

110

~30075

12 10 I12 6018 n 25 I35 30

4010 60

20045 M 100

68

~lJ~..:r.1f'R

:t

UNIVERSAL HOLSTER

. "

FCASRLIGHCSMALL 0

F[ASALIGflT~MINI 0

BINOCULARS

RAPPELLING LINE 0APPELLING EQUIP

TACTICAL RADIO

SHOTGUN SIDESADDLE

FLASH LI GHT ,M I NI (GUN ATTACff1ENT) 0

HEADSET

FLASHLIGHT,MEDIUM 0

MONOCULAR, MINI 0

CLIMBING HARNESS

CLIP SPEAKER/MIKE

PROITC1TvE-U-NDE RWrAT-----o

BATTLE DRESS UNIFORM 0ASSAULT VEST 0

COMBAT-BOOTS 0

J>ToTtC TOCClJSAIONs-rPAT~

T7\CiTCATSQUAD SUIT - a

HANDCUFFS 0

APPAR&1. A~A 1.&IIGtM tilT 1./1 C<JST

\

'.

I had,,'! been to Oakmollt, Missouri since I wasseven years old, find one of my two memories ofthat trip was my graudfather, lying peacefully i/1his open coffin. They didn't tell me then hOlt! hehad died. The other memory was my grm/dmoth­el~ wailing (or hours 011 C/lel as she greeted the el1d~

less procession of relatives at the (,mera! hOlllc.She died just a few weeks later. No Due lold methen that she had committed suicide. Only m)'

mother wen! back to Oakmont that thllc to han­dle the arrangements.

I had vague recollectio11S (rom previous visits ofthe small tOllJll square, with the stereotypical hallill the ccnter surrouuded by quaint, (amily-nmdrugstores, groceries, hardware stores find (ive­flnd-climes.

But nOllJ my mother was dead and J /Vas comil1gback to Oakmol1t, to dispose of the family prop­erty ill this nowhere tOWll that she had l1ever hadthe heart to se/l off J was sti{{ aud tired a{ter themonotonOlts comfield-flauked two-hour drive(rom Columbia, aud not really lookillg (orward tostaying in some quaint little hotel where everyonewanted to know y01l1' business. Beillg )'o/lr typical

city boy, J didu't go in (or idle chit-chat or pryingquestions disguised as {riendly interest,

The mid afternoon 51111 /Vas oddly pale il1 thecloudless sky as I drolJe illto that town square. Itlooked eerily iust as J had remembered it. Therewere even several cars tbnt looked like they weremade il/ the sixties, all (illS and massi/Je rOl/lIdedshapes. My rellta! Nissan looked alien next to them,alld J waSll't the ol/Iy olle who seemed to think so.As J drove through towu, lJeople seemed to stop i11their tracks to watch me go by-literally. Peoplewould pause on the sidewalk, their heads rotatingto track the passing of my small red cm: like someimmdil1g Japal1ese machiue among a club o{ Buicksand Plymotlths. It was a bit ullsettling.

I pulled in (r0111 of the Cali{ornia Motel, myoddly-named il111. which I located with ease.There must be all o{ ten streets ill Oakmont, laidout 011 a l1ice neat grid. I hauled out m), suitcase.acutely aware of the ga::e of two old gentlemen 011

the motel's (ront porch. Here we go, I thought. Ismiled il1sillcerel)~ hiding behind my Ray·baNs.

.,Aftel'l1oon. ., One of them Nodded.The Cali{omia was Ilot as jJainflllly smaJl as

69

7

had (eared, slJOrting thirty roOlIIS, a real restau­rant IUld a small pool alit back.

I passed the hotel sitting room, where an oldwoman in a print. hOl/se dress sat staring at mlancient Magllavox television. On the screenseemed to be sonie grainy World War II (ootage.Probably the History Channel, I thought, thenwondered i( they had cable here. Talk about hell!Well, surely satellite dishes at least.

The from desk was unmanned, and I resent(lIl·ly rang the bell on the counter, ltotil1g (rom theHllmber o( wooden cubbyholes with keys thatthere were not too many peo/Jle staying at theCali(ornia tonight.

A young woman emerged after a short delay.She was perhaps hI her mid-twenties, slightlyol/aweight, short blonde hair, conservative dressunder a grubby yellow cardigan. "You must beMister Dinwiddie." She barely glanced up at methrough the entire check-in process. I realized shewas one of the few !Jeople 1 had seen il1 Oakmontwho was near my age.

My room opened auto the courtyard and thepool. There were fil/e people alit there, two elder­ly men standing at the shallow end chatting, anda couple with a boy o( about (ive who must betheir grandson. The boy splashed in the waterwhile they watched him uncomfortably (rom theirchaise lounges. Determined no! to be intimidatedby a bunch o( retirees and a child, 1 wen! out (ora swim. I dOl1't know i( it was my S!Jeedo or iustthe (act o( my presence, bllt the minute 1emerged,all activity sto/J!Jed, mrd everyone's gaze-everlthe boy's-locked on me. 1 hate it when peoplestare at me.

And they didn't look away either, their eyes (al­lowing me to the chair where I threw 111y toweland reluctantly surrendered my sunglasses, to thepool's edge where 1 dove i,l.

1 came U!J for air and everyone was pointedlylooking away-except the hoy, who continued tolook at me, his eX!Hession blank.

1 swam a few laps, then got Olft and went backto 111y room without another look at them. Just as1 got to the door, r heard the phone ringhlg. Whowould be calling? 1 (limbled with the key, rushedin, and picked up the receiver-only to hear astrange rising mzd (ailing mechanical whine; asOlind yOIl never heard on a modern phone. Itwas eerie somehow. I put the receiver down. Itrang again, almost immediately. 1 hesitated, the;/picked it up. "Hello?" I heard music playing;something 1 knew, but it was so dim and tinnyacross the line r couldn't place the tune...

"Leal/e town now, or yOll never will." "'Click'"

The threat was somehow more chilling becausethe voice was that o( a child, a boy o( no morethan six or seven, bllt it was spoken with a men­ace no child could summon.

What was I thinking? This was crazy!Obviously it was some kid playing a prank. 1gotdressed, determiued to go out and get di1l11er.

\Vith sunset had come a chillillg breeze, and itwas getting dark and downright cold as 1 walkedtowards the tOW1/ square. Surely there would besomeplace r could get a light meal, though 1despaired of finding a reassuring chain restalt­rallt here.

r was surprised though to (ind a McDonald'siust off the square. It was one o( the old uglyones, red and luhite tile with the big glowing yel­low arches nUl1Iing right through the slamed roof.Bllt a Big Mac is a Big Mac, after all. 1 went in,almost blinded by the f/uorescem glare.

There were a (ew customers t1uOIching on their(ries, but no one in line. It was so quiet that 1could actually hear the Muzak, though o( coursethe song had been so badly butchered that IcOllldn't recognize it.

I stm(f/ed liP to the co/tIlter, and was greeted byall elderly woman in cat-eye glasses who lookedvaguely familiar.

"Hello deaJ~ welcome! What can 1get YOII?""Uhh, I'll have a Big Mac and... " At that

instant my mind PIlt words to the tune playing inthe background:

... they gather (or the (east.They stab it with their steely knives,but they iusl can't kill the beast. "

Then I recognized the woman behind thecounter: my grmzdmother. But she's dead; shekilled herself twenty years ago!

The W0l11011 smiled sweetly. Yes, it's me, Karl.I'm afraid that l Oakm01lt is YOllr little hell nowtoo. \Vould you like fries with that?"

1 ran (or the do01~ dimly aware that everyonewas watching me. 1 ran (or the hotel, determinedto get in my car and dril/e far (rom this place, far(rom the Motel California. But that song (rom theseventies echoed in my head agahr ...

\'.(Ielcome to the hotel California. You can checkout allY time you like, but yOIl can never leave ...

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We talked a bit earliet abour developing abackground as part of the process for creat­ing your character; here we'll delve a littledeeper into the concept and provide someideas to help you flesh alit your character.While character development is important inany role-playing game, it is particularly cru­cial in a game like Kulr. A modern horrorgame depends on 3-dimcnsional charactersjust as a good book or movie does. If theprotagonist of a book seems ro do thingscontrary to his personality (or worse, nOtenough of his personality is revealed to helpthe reader begin to understand why the pro­tagonist has done something), the reader willnOt be inclined [Q relate to or care muchabout that character.

The same is true of a role-playing game,except now the responsibility for creating afleshed-out character falls on the GM and­principally-yoll. If your character seemsflat and dull, uninteresting to play, yOll haveno one but yourself to blame.

While a very important parr of your back­ground is the Dark Secret, it may nor neces­sarily be the single driving force behindeverything your character does. Humans arcgenetally motivated by a number of goals,shorr and long-term. On the other hand, it'simportant to keep rhe dark secret in mindwhen thinking about your character'sactions, because it might influence him, ifeven on a subconscious level.

FAMILY HISTORY & UPBRINGING

Nature or Nuture? Is your character theproduct of the genetic input of his ancestors,or is his psychology the tesult of his upbring­ing? It is pretty safe to assume these daysthat Skinner was half-right, and rhat thecomposition of a person's psyche is a combi­nation of genetics and environment.

It's not necessary to draw up your charac­ter's family tree back 20 generations, thoughit might add something to have a bad egg ortwO in your background (before doing rhisyou should get your GM's approval). Moreand more psychological conditions are beingtraced at least partially to genetic origins.(However., claiming to be a descendant ofVlad the Impaler has gotten very, very old.)

On the othet hand, it's likely that yourcharacter's compulsive use of a certain brandof toothpaste is because his mother found

0l,lt he used something other than Crest onceduring a sleepover when he was eight.Mommie Dearest made him ear an entirerube of the other btand while she watched,until he threw up. So now he can't stand thetaste of spearmint, not to mention someother negative associations with sleepingover with his little friends that might havebecome associated ...

Much of our personality is formed duringchildhood. Look there for the reason behindmuch of your character's behavior.

ADSIDISADS AS TRAITS &QUIRKSYour character has advantages and disadvan­tages for another reason than to give her aMental Balance; they are to help you role­play that character! If your character is anecomaniac, she might carry around herempty Cola can for hours until she finds arecycling receptacle. She might harass a com­plete stranger who throws his newspaper inthe trash rather than recycle it. She won'thave a car bur a bike, will always try to takepublic transportation ... you get the picture. Itmight not be on her mind every minute, burit's something imporrant enough ro be adisadvantage, so play ir that way. If yourcharacter is arachnophobic, he will be veryreluctant ro go into an abandoned house oreven a basement. Depending on rhe severity,this could be almost debilitating: JUSt thesight of a spiderweb could send him runningfrom the room.

For more sophisticated players there is therealm of sexual repression and neuroses. X­Files fans know that agent Muldet has a thingfor porn movies and a mysterious distaste fordrawstring pants. This doesn't seem to inter­fere with his job, bm makes him a more inter­esting character. In Kulr, to be a disadvantageit would have to become somewhat of a hin­drance. Perhaps your character has a hangupabout redheads, at seeing a Calvin Kleinunderwear advertisement distracts him to thepoint where he is mentally impaired for hoursafterward. Perhaps your character is mortal­ly afraid of any physical contact thar couldpossibly be construed as sexual: a touch onthe shoulder is sexual harassment. Perhapsshe is convinced that everyone is 'undressingme with his eyes.' Or he rhinks that everyoneis attracred ro him. "She wants me, youknow. r can always tell the way they look atme; she was hot for me. "

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These are just a few examples. You need tolook at your character's disadvantages-andadvanrages!-and ask yourself why. Why isshe a habitual liar? Is she embarrassed aboutsomething in her past? How can he endurepain? Does he have some training in mentaldiscipline that allows him to block pain?Why does she have powerful faith? Did sheonce witness what she believed was a miracle?

You should review your character's advan­tages and disadvanrages at the beginning ofevery game session and keep rhem handy at allrimes. Maybe jot down a few notes for ideason how to play them. After a few sessions itwill become second nature to you, and makefor a more enjoyable play experience nor onlyfor you but the GM and your fellow players.

PERSONAL GOALSEVCl)'one has a goal in lifej most people have sev­eral. It can range from wanting to be theEmperor of China to surviving until tomorrow.Your character should be no less human.Unless she is independently wealthy, she has ajob, which may help or hinder her as she pur­sues the game agenda. How docs this fit in?RPG characters tend to be loners, but surelyyours has other friends, maybe even aboyfriend. Is he another PC, an importantNPC, or someone we hardly see in play? If thelast, they are either very understanding orwon't be a boyfriend for long. The GM andPlayer should nOt be afraid to expiate thisaspect of the charactet (hopefully in a mot.erealistic manner than television shows wherethe protagonist has a new girlfriend everyweek, who dies conveniently at the end of theepisode). Does your character have careergoals? Does she want to settle down in the sub­urbs or travel the world? Does he want to owna beach house in Malibu, meet Keanu Reeves,

or end world hunger? Or does he jusr want tosee next week's episode of "Melrose Place?"

Unless your character is obsessed with thegame plot or actively chased by Licrors, hehas a regular life to lead. And maybe evenLictors can't stop him from seeing" Melrose."

ORGANIZATIONSThe non-player characters are all members ofsecret, powerful organizations (ar least theyseem to be, don'rrhey?). It can add a lot to theplayer background to allow him to be in cer­tain organizations as well. These don't need tobe shadowy cults to be useful either. Ormaybe they just don't seem to be shadowycults on the surface ...

Maybe your character was in a fraternity orsorority in college; or a former member of anelite military or government organization;membership can come in useful later in life formaking comacts, getting information, etc.Maybe he i,s a Mason. Perhaps your characteris in a professional organization. Things asbland-seeming as computer user-groups, localBar associations, martial-arts classes, evenparty circuits, can be methods for your char­acter to meet people and learn lIseful infor­mation. You and your GM should developthis as much as possible at the beginning, andyour GM should have a copy of your charac­ter's social and professional 'schedule' so shecan use it in the game. Some things can beadded later of COutse if they don't contradictwhat has already been established.

Hopefully the players will share at leastsome of these affiliations, so that the gather­ings can be role-played. A running a fewscenes of relatively 'normal' activities can helpbreak up the more surreal, Kultish events, andif handled correctly, can provide contrast tomake the horrific even more shocking.

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x.-__.

Terry K. An1/har

Before I lau11ch info this little expositiolJ, I should admit that f have a definite bias towards n certaindirection of Kltll pia)'. rue never been a <gratuitous blood·nud-gu!s· {an, preferring a more suhtle hor­ror wbere the everyday IVorld is a place of tl11speakab/e terror.

J should also mc11lioll (as we do 011 the game) that Kill! is 1101 a game (or kids. Violence and drugs­even ill a role-playing game-hol'e 10 kept in perspective. And role-IJ/ayillg the sometimes inevitablesexual situatiolls requires maturity find open-mindedness.

This is the violent, bloody, even gory aspect of horror, perhaps best typified by Clive Barker's inspira­tional Hellraiser movies. To my mind, uuless used cleverly ;11 tandem with other plot elements, thiskind of gaming gets old pretty qllick, It's /ike the Friday the Thirteenth mO/lies, after (1lvhile youbecome deseusitized to jasol1 and yOIl dou't care auout those camp cOltllselors. It all becomes cartoollYal1d silly, and that is Hot what Klflt is about (though 1 think there can be a certain twisted humor toKltlt; more on that later). Hellraiser had its moments (especially the (irst movie), but at times it crossedover into dunrblless.However, 1 think there is a place (or urutalllitraviolence in KlIlt. I've never been so terri(ied i1/ a movietheater as when I saw Ahen. While it was teclmically science (ictio11, it was really a gothic tale o( verypersonal horror, The crew (aces this", thing, .. what is it? 1t is cOl/stantly changing; we don't even seeits entire body at once lIntil the end o( the (i1m, mid thell a(ter it seellls to have trans(ormed severaltimes. It becollles whatever it needs 10 ill orr/er to survive, \\'Iorse, it can get inside )'0/1, lil/ing i1l y01l1'gul, (ceding 011 you, /tntif it's ready to YOlt are ollly {/ host.. , ugh.

WHAT COULD BE SCARIER?CREEPIER?

And through the movie it stalks through theship, its intelligence and abl1iries uncertain.Its human opponents constantly under­estimate it, and for rhar they pay dearly.

Another example of a successful mix ofgtaphic violence wirh psychological horror isthe movie "Seven", where cops in a big cityare on the trail of a man who is killing peo­ple who he believes are guilty of the sevendeadly sins. The film paints an evocative,Kult-like picture of a dark, rainy metropolisfilled with crime and fear. Every scene isdimly lit, including-mercifully-the grislyC[lme scenes.

Obviously the GM is going to be the guid­ing force in whar rype of Kult game this isgoing to be, but the players also have con­siderable influence. If you encourage the GMwith request for a graphic description of thedismembered body, he is going to get theidea that you want more of it! On the otherhand, if you are uncomfortable with the levelof violence and brutality, feel free to expressit calmly to the GM, in private if you prefer.Most GMs would much rather have a playervoice his concerns than wonder why Kevinjust stopped coming to game sessions.

PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR"Out of the darkness of future past

The magician longs to see ...One chance out between two worlds

Fire, walk with me."

That little verse still sends chills down myspine. David Lynch can set a mood. Twisted,menacing, and sometimes eerily humorous,Twin Peaks was a model for my kind of Kultsetting.

Check it out: Laura Palmer was the home­coming queen of an average town, but underher sweet fa<;ade, she was addicted to drugsand sex, and tortured by a demonic spiritfrom another place ... BOB. Under a serenesurface, powerful forces are waging war, anda door is opening to a mystical place known'as the Black Lodge. The illusion is shatteringin the ancient woods near Twin Peaks. Whowas BOB? The Dwarf? The Giant? And whathappened to .fosie' The log saw something ...

Lynch used a certain sick humor-whichhe sometimes juxtaposed with the horror-

to devastating effect. The Miss Twin Peakscontest comes immediately to mind. A moresubtle example was in the first episode: thecamera s-I-o-w-I-y follows a phone cord tothe dropped receiver, all the while we hearLaura's mom wailing our of it in a bizzare,choked manner. You don't know whether tolaugh or cringe.

Lynch can create a sense of lurking menacebetter than any director 1 know. He had uson the edge of our seats several times. Andjust because I classify Twin Peaks as psycho­logical horror doesn't mean that it didn'thave a few violent scenes. There was arape/murder that [ couldn't believe the TVcensors allowed.

At least rent the 2-hour movie version.Better yet, the entire series is available onvideo ar some stores (or you probably knowsomeone who has it; Tdo.) Brew up some joeand bring on the doughnuts!

Another wonderful inspiration for Kult isthe film Naked Lunch, based on the book byWilliam Burroughs. Typewriters becomehuge talking beetles; and sex, violence anddrugs mix into a very strange brew.Burrough's Interzone is a place in Kult'sMetropolis, where people and things are nOtwhat they seem. The central character is apawn, manipulated by several different fac­tions, all seemingly alien and malevolent.Meanwhile, commonplace objects becomeanimated things, dangerous or sexually sug­gestive, or both. This movie is not for theprudish (but then neither is Kult).

In games like this, there is a twisting ofreality so carefully insinuated inro your (ifethat you almost believe that it was alwaysthere. Are you,going crazy? Maybe so.

})Clr~ tkro~James Estes

I've often wondered about the role of hero­ism i/1 dark roleplaying games. Are heroesreally possible i/1 dark role-playing? More tothe point, can we realty have "heroes" il1Kult? What is the role of the hero in a darkworld with a bleak future? If the worldappears doomed to destruction, if humanityseems to have no future, if society seems notto merit redemption, then why bother play­ing the hero?

This call be difficult to discuss, of course,when we don't have a common vocabulary.

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You are perfectly ell titled to your OWIl lexi­con, hut instead of arguing what words I'mchoosing, at least see what I'm trying to say_As long as we understand what conceptswe're discussing, the words can lIary. (Tn adifferellt world, we'd all use the same precisedefinitions for the same words. But this isIlot the case, for better or for worst.) To thatend, let's start with what is "Dark RolePlaying"?

DARK ROLE·PLAYINGWhat do we mean by "dark" roleplaying?I've seen this topic argued countless timeson the Internet and America Online. In asense, no one seems really capable of defin­ing it, but we all use it, and we all knowwhen a role-playing game is dark. What is"dark" science-fiction, or "dark" fantasy?Is it just a lower level of illumination, drap­ing everything in dark shadows' That is agood start, bur it's only cosmetic. The dark­ness should extend beyond the shadows towhat is being engulfed. Dark role-playingshould bespeak more than just the ambientlighting of a setting. This much is only com­mon sense.

It is fairly commonly accepted that a darksetting -regardless of whether we're talk­ing fantasy, contemporary horror, or sci­ence fiction-should be grim. It shouldhave the "edge" that everyone talks about.Cutting edge? The razor's edge? It shouldbe on the edge of absolute despair, oblivionand hopelessness. The value of life is less­ened, crime is on the rise (exacerbated byeither an authoritarian government or totalanarchy), few people are trustworthy, noone is what they seem, and humans justgenerally have little hope for the furure. No

matter how bad things are, things just seemto be getting worse. This is far more impor­tant (in my mind at least) than the presenceof any supernatural evil in a "dark" setting.A world rhar posits the regular and frequentuse of demons isn't "dark" per se, if thisdemonic activity is a commonly acceptedpart of life. Now, if this selfsame diabolismis a contribution to the decline of the soci­ety (and plays a role in rhe other "datk"factors mentioned above), then voila! Adark setting, albeit much darker for itsinherent demonic activity.

Remember that one function of darknessis to "hide." Darkness implies ignorance aswell as lack of illumination. The Dark Agesweren't called this because of any popularcolor scheme or peculiar solar activity:Europe had fallen into the darkness of igno­rance following years of classical knowl­edge and enlightenment. What lirtle knowl­edge and learning that existed was in thehands of the ecclesiastical authorities.Africa was called the "Dark Continent"because so much of it was unknown untilthe 19rh century. This feature of ignoranceshould, in my opinion, be an inherent partof dark role playing. The ignorance can be,at the very least, an uncertainty about thefuture. At its best, such ignorance repre­sents the entirety of the human condition.Worse than not knowing, we are told, is notknowing but believing we are wise.

Kult is a "dark" role-playing gamebecause if fulfills all these criteria. Theworld is slowly breaking apart, violence isincreasing, man questions his meaningmore and more, and ultimately, we live inIgnorance: rruly a world shrouded in dark­ness.

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"bE" YOUR CHARACTER

LIKE YOUR CHARACTERIt is hard to playa characrer that yOlI don'tlike. Don't get us wrong - this doesn't meanyou have to playa "likeable" character. Burthere has ro be something in the characterthat resonates, or you find challenging, oryou (and maybe even only you) like. If youcan't find something in your character thatyou like, then you'll probably get boredquickly.

When you're playing a character, try [0 thinkand act like that character. Don't think ofyour character as a bundle of game mechan­ics. \X1hcn you're going to do something inthe game, think of what your characterwould realistically do, not just what "skills"are listed on your sheer. If you're acting incharacter, then you'll be taking inw account

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'R.ofe,-PfCl\fj"9 i" K~f,"A lot has been said about how to create Kultcharacters. Hints and advice have been givenfor character concepts, mechanics have beendiscussed, new skills suggested, and so forth.What we'd like to discuss now is the mostimportant parr of playing a Kulr character:role-playing. We're not going to tell youwhat role-playing is "about." You can fig­ure that our on your own, or at least makelip the answers. This is JUSt basic advice rharyou can take or leave; it applies to role-play­ing in general, and nor just Kulr. You mayknow all of this already, or this may be newadvice entirely.

Some of this advice is geared toward theactual role-playing of a character. The rest ofit deals with effective ways of making a gamerun smoothly.

your character's background, dark secret,and more, but not as just game derails.

Your GamemJster, or other players, mightquestion on occasion whether you are doingsomething in character. Tn such a case, justthink it over. Your Gamemaster might decidethat there is no way that your charactermight know or do something that )'OU your­self would do, but this should be rare.

It can be incredibly easy [Q "be" yourcharacter in a game, and play very much incharacrer (particularly if you like your char­acter). It can be rewarding, and you mighteven wonder, at the end of a session, JUStwhat prompted you to do or say something.This is often a good sign-your character isgrowing.

We sometimes speak of our character"talking" to LIS. \X!hen we say it, we don'tmean literally-it means we are letting our

character grow, and be somewhat distinctfrom the player. Role-playing should be fun,and parr of the fun is the dramatic creativityit can provide.

At this point, we feel obliged to point outthat when we say "be" your character, we'renot speaking literally. We really don't wantyou to be potential psychopaths or sufferfrom multiple-personality disorder. We'rejust ralking aboor a game, after all.

KNOW THE RULESIt is unreasonable [0 think that you'll knoweach and every rule in your very first Kultgame. But have at least some idea of whatthe game mechanics are, and try to learnmore as you play. Certainly gamers shouldbe sympathetic to people who are just nowlearning rules.

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