Second Sight Third Eye - Chronicles of Darkness

A Sourcebook for
the Chronicles of Darkness

By Chris Falco
Table of Contents 1
Credits
Author: Chris Falco
Developer: Chris Falco
Editor: Chris Falco
Artist: White Wolf Art Packs
Cover from Max Pixel, under CC0
https://www.maxpixel.net
Special Thanks
Alan Alexander, Will Hindmarch, Conrad Hubbard,
Brand Robins, John Snead, Ken Cliffe, Pauline Benney,
Pauline Benney, Sam Araya, James Cole, Jim Pavelec,
Avery Butterworth, Alexander Dunnigen, Nick Stakal,
Mark Poole, Katie McCaskill, and anyone else that
assisted with the development of the original Second
Sight sourcebook.
© 2019 White Wolf Entertainment AB. All rights reserved. Vampire: The
Masquerade®, World of Darkness®, Storytelling System™, and Storytellers
Vault™ are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of White Wolf
Entertainment AB. All rights reserved. For additional information on White
Wolf and the World of Darkness, please, visit: www.white-wolf.com,
www.worldofdarkness.com and www.storytellersvault.com.
2 Second Sight: Third Eye

Table
TableofContents
of Contents
Introduction 5
Chapter One: Mortal Magic 7
Chapter Two: Abnormal Development 20
Chapter Three: What Should Not Be 34
Table of Contents 3
Introduction
Introduction
Meet the public defender. Overworked to the point of barely even getting to
talk to each of her clients, and yet she always seems to know exactly what
happened, ready with legal precedents and surprise evidence to help keep the
trodden upon masses from ending up behind bars simply because they couldn’t
afford a proper defense.
Meet the con man. He always seems to be happy to bilk the most gullible,
worst off people out of the last few bills they have in their pocket, leaving them
feeling hopeless. And yet, his victims always seem to hit a stroke of luck soon
after, whether a few hundred bucks from a scratch-off ticket, a forgotten debt
repaid to them, or money they’d thought they’d lost turning up in a hidden
container in their closet.
Meet the blind man. Left alone by the few he used to count on, he comes
across a strange book, seemingly ancient and yet written in braille, speaking of
“People are a way to regain his sight. The strange rite is prepared and performed by him,
supposed to fear and he finds himself miraculously recovering from his ocular defects. But… why
are there suddenly so many local news stories of children disappearing, always
the unknown, but on Fridays, about the same time he first found that book?
ignorance is bliss Second Sight: Third Eye is a self-contained update of the 1st edition
when knowledge Chronicles of Darkness supplement, Second Sight. It newly explores that
supplement’s concept of psychic phenomena, low magic, and dark cults of alien
is so damn creatures using the 2nd edition systems and mechanics. A bevy of new
frightening.” supernatural abilities are provided for mortal characters, alongside new
templates and other options for playing minor talents like Psychics and
- Laurell K. Thaumaturges.
While the 1st edition Second Sight book does contain some additional
Hamilton roleplaying advice, and a potential story option for introducing mortal
characters into the world of the supernatural, this book can be used on its
own, alongside the core Chronicles of Darkness 2nd edition rule book,
without requiring access to the original book. Psychics and Thaumaturges fit
well into the God Machine Chronicle, too.
Chapter One: Mortal Magic contains a large number of Supernatural
Merits, both new and converted from the Psychic and Thaumaturge merits
from the original Second Sight book, as well as new options and rules for
mortals making use of such powers.
Chapter Two: Abnormal Development provides Supernatural Merit
Templates (as introduced in Hurt Locker) for Psychics and Thaumaturges,
providing an alternative system for playing characters that delve more
specifically into parapsychology or low magic.
Chapter Three: What Should Not Be provides advice for Mystery Cults
following unspeakable beings from realms outside our view of reality, and for
Blasphemous heralds that serve them more directly.
Introduction 5
Chapter One:
Chapter One:
Mortal Magic
Mortal Magic Vampires warping the minds of others, werewolves channeling the power of
spirits, and mages imprinting the laws of strange upper realms on their
surroundings are far from the only beings capable of wielding supernatural
abilities. As long as there have been mortals, there’s been mortals capable of
wielding supernatural power, whether a psychic awakening of their mind, low
rituals calling upon the world around them, or strange mutations of their
bodies.
“Indubitably, magic Supernatural Merits

is one of the subtlest Whatever the ultimate source and methodology behind a mortal’s power, the
and most difficult of majority of them are mechanically handled by Supernatural Merits. Unlike in
the sciences and arts. previous editions, where Psychic Phenomena, Thaumaturgy, and other minor
talents were all handled by their own class of merit or even other powers entirely,
There is more they’re now all covered by the same general category. These special merits
opportunity for represent mortal-only talents of any kind, whether rituals, psychic phenomena,
or even strange semi-physical augmentations.
errors of
comprehension, Clash of Wills
judgment and Sometimes, two supernatural powers clearly oppose one another. If the normal
practice than in any systems for the powers fail to resolve this – such as when a Telepath attempts to
scour the memories of someone whose mind was altered by a vampire’s abilities
other branch of – all involved supernatural effects enter a contested action, with Supernatural
physics.” Merits using a pool of the wielder’s Supernatural Potency trait (mortals usually
lack one) plus the rating of the Merit’s governing Attribute (the one it’s activated
- Aleister Crowley with, if applicable, or else whatever one the Storyteller deems the best fit). Ties
reroll until one player has accrued more successes than all others. That player’s
character’s effect wins out and resolves as usual, while all others fail. The victory
of one power in a clash does not mean the immediate cancellation of the others,
save in cases where only one power can possibly endure (such as competing
domination). Characters may spend Willpower to bolster the contested roll, but
only if they are physically present and aware (or consciously suspect) that powers
are clashing. Certain powers, those with exceptionally long durations, are more
enduring in a clash. Day-long effects add one die to the clash roll, week-long
effects add two, month-long three, and effects that would last a year or longer
add four (this includes indefinite effects and those that are always active).
Clash of Wills rules apply to supernatural creatures, as well. The traits involved
depend on the creature and are covered in their own sourcebooks. Dread
Horrors use Potency + Attribute, similar to mortals.

• Diminished Power: The power has limits in
Activation Options the way it can be used, or doesn’t provide all
of the options it normally does to the
Sometimes, the way one person gains access to the
character. A Clairvoyant might only
supernatural differs from most. Perhaps it only comes
experience one sense, or an alchemist might
to them in situations of emotional intensity, perhaps
only be able to change their blood specifically
it relies on a special focus that lets them channel their
into other substances. Bonus: +1, +2 if
special sort of magic, or perhaps they simply only have
particularly limiting.
gained access to a fraction of what most practitioners
• Diminished Range: For whatever reason, the
of that sort of ability are capable of due to their own
character cannot reach out as far with their
lack of experience. Whatever the case is, this can
power as most with the same ability can
provide them with a bit of a benefit; Supernatural
manage. A power that can be cast at any range
Merits are ultimately reliant on an act of will, and so
must be cast in the presence of their target, or
a particularly narrow focus can help channel that will
a power that relies on sensory range might
more easily.
require touch. Bonus: +1, +2 for multiple
Mechanically, Options provide a +1 or higher
“steps.”
bonus to the activation of the Supernatural Merit
• Emotional Flare: The character’s powers are
they’re attached to, depending on how narrow or
tied to a certain emotional state, and when
unreliable they make that merit. Most of the examples
that state comes along on its own, the power
that follow can be applied to a variety of different
might activate without the character intending
merits, but they’re not the only options possible, and
it to. Perhaps they’ll fire Mental Blasts at those
players should feel free to come up with more.
that anger them, or call on their Numbing
Ultimately, the Storyteller is the arbiter as to what’s a
Touch when afraid. Bonus: +1, +2 for
narrow enough restriction to a Merit to grant how
dangerous or visible powers.
much of a bonus, if any.
• Specialized Focus: The character may only
More than one Option can be taken for any given
make use of the merit with a particular object,
Merit, and the dice bonuses do stack, but only so long
circumstance, or ritual action. For instance, a
as all of the Options make sense and mesh together
Telekinetic may need quartz crystals to
well; Storytellers should discourage random choices
channel their mental force, or an Astral
made just to gain the most dice possible.
Projector may only be able to project within
Obviously, players may not take Options that are
an hour of midnight. Bonus: +1, +2 if difficult
already covered by the Drawback (if any) of that
or dangerous to use.
Merit; a Clairvoyant can’t choose Specialized Focus,
for instance, as they already must choose a specific • Uncontrolled: The character cannot
methodology to their scrying, and a Telekinetic consciously activate their power, it comes on a
shouldn’t take Emotional Flare for a similar reason. whim, whether because it’s a gift from God or
A character who learns to overcome their because they simply don’t know how to
“weakness” may remove an option after in-character properly call upon it. The player may not
work, with Storyteller permission, but loses their choose to activate the Merit, only the
bonus thereafter. Generally, Options can’t be taken Storyteller may decide when it becomes active,
after the merit’s already been purchased, it needs to but this should generally be in beneficial
be selected when the merit is, but a good story reason situations, at least once a chapter. Bonus: +2,
might allow for it to happen at Storyteller discretion. or +3 if it can also activate detrimentally.
Examples: • Unique Focus: A narrower version of
• Burnout: The character’s powers have an Specialized Focus, the character must have a
adverse effect on them, whether boiling their specific item. They need the first quartz crystal
blood or causing intense headaches as their they held when activating their Telekinesis,
mental energy is diminished. Activating the not any crystal, for instance. Bonus: +1, but
merit also causes a point of bashing damage to stacks with Specialized Focus.
the character, in addition to any other costs.
Bonus: +1, +3 if the damage is lethal instead.

Merits
The following is a list of new Supernatural Merits,
updated from Second Sight and combined, altered,
or simplified to fit within the paradigm of 2nd Edition
Chronicles. Unless otherwise mentioned, all of the
following merits count as Supernatural, and thus are
usable only by mortals, without some special ability
(such as the Coil of Zirnitra) or membership in an
appropriate Mystery Cult.
Alchemy (••• or •••••)

Prerequisites: Occult •• or Science ••
Effect: Your character, through a mystical or neo-
scientific process, is able to perform the ancient
miracle of changing one type of substance into
another. With the three-dot version of the merit, both
substances must be common, simple, and non-
precious (Availability •• or less), but with the five-
dot, both can be any non-radioactive material (The
Storyteller reserves the right to prevent other
troublesome materials as well). Doing so requires an
hour of work, a lab or other specialized equipment of
at least Availability •••, a point of Willpower, and a
roll of Intelligence + Occult or Science, penalized by
the size of the substance and the higher Availability
of the starting or target substance. With an
exceptional success on the roll, the material will grant
a +3 bonus to any crafting roll performed on it.
Suggested Modifiers: Performed in a well-stocked
Laboratory (add the equipment bonus), performed
under stress (-1 to -3).
Animal Speech (• or ••)

Effect: Through some strange circumstance, your
character can communicate fully with a specific type
of animal. Whether a blessing of the fae, a witch’s
spell, or the result of eating a totem animal’s heart,
she’s become entirely aware of what animals are trying
to communicate with their sounds, scents, and body
language. She gains a +3 bonus to Animal Ken rolls
to understand that type of animal. With the two-dot
version, she can speak to them in whatever tongue she
likes, and be understood as clearly as an animal could.
The dice bonus applies to any social rolls attempted
on the beast, in this case.
This Merit does not impart on the animals any
intelligence or personality beyond the norm, and so
complex ideas and human concepts may still confuse
them.

Animal Speech, Advanced (•) provide themselves with varied advantages. By
spending a point of unavoidable lethal damage when
Prerequisites: Animal Speech activating Biokinesis, you may gain one dot of one of
Effect: Your connection to the Animal Kingdom the merits below per dot you have in Advanced
is more universal; the effects of Animal Speech apply Biokinesis instead of shifting attributes, which lasts
to all animals, instead of a specific type. for the scene. You must meet the prerequisites, but
any based on attributes can be met through a normal
Astral Projection (•••••) use of Biokinesis beforehand.
The merits that can be chosen from are
Effect: Your character has learned to project their Ambidextrous, Demolisher, Double Jointed, Fleet of
mind outward, allowing one to free their Foot, Hardy, Iron Stamina, or Relentless. With
consciousness from their physical form and travel Storyteller permission, other merits that are entirely
through the world spiritually, leaving their body physical and “internal” in nature might be available
behind. This requires a point of Willpower, a as well.
successful meditation, and a Resolve + Occult roll to
enact.
If successful, the character becomes separated from Channeling (• to •••••)
their body, taking on a psychic form in Twilight (in Effect: Whether through a connection to the astral
phase with goetia and similar mental entities that find realms, ancestral spirits, a past life, or a stranger
their way there). They remain intangible and physical source altogether, your character has the ability to
to mundane reality, utterly unable to interact channel abilities and knowledge they do not possess
physically with reality, and are cut off from his other for themselves.
psychic abilities for the duration of the ability. When purchasing this merit, choose either mental,
However, their speed is multiplied by five for the physical, or social skills. By spending a point of
duration, allowing incredibly fast travel through the Willpower and meditating successfully at a location
world, and they’re unbound by gravity or physical representative of your character’s abilities (a Locus for
obstacles. one who channels spirits, or a graveyard for someone
Their body remains in a coma-like state for the who calls upon their ancestors’ knowledge), you may
duration, slowly degrading if not fed or given liquid. make a roll to temporarily improve a skill in the
They’re unaware of its state unless they take damage, chosen category. For mental skills, it’s Intelligence +
in which case they feel the pain reflected in their Occult, social are Composure + Occult, and physical
astral form. They must travel manually back to their are Stamina + Occult. On a success, the character is
body, however, in either case. Whether their body is able to replace a skill rating of theirs in the
kept alive somehow or not, if they’re away from it for appropriate category with their rating in Channeling
more days than they have Stamina, it begins to break for the next 24 hours, for all purposes. On an
down, causing them to take 1 lethal damage per hour exceptional success, they may set two different skills
until they return or die. Finally, if their physical to that level.
health track is filled with lethal or aggravated damage, Drawback: Channeling is a drain on a character’s
they instantly return to their body, though will be mind and spirit, and so may not be used more than
comatose or dead, as appropriate. once in a given day. In addition, using it causes the
Suggested Modifiers: The character rolls an Resonant, Anchor, or Infrastructure condition on
exceptional success to Meditate (+2), the character’s them with relation to all of a given type of Ephemera,
under stress or is distracted (-1 to -3), the character’s dependent on the ultimate source of their
already able to perceive some aspect of Twilight (+1). channeling, for so long as it lasts. With Storyteller
Permission, odd forms of channeling might cause
Biokinesis, Advanced (• to •••••) another condition or tilt instead.
Special: This merit may be purchased multiple
Prerequisites: Biokinesis at an equal or greater times. Each time it’s bought, it applies to a different
level. skill category. Different versions of the merit may be
Effect: With this merit, your character has learned used in the same day, but suffer a -2 penalty to the roll
to not just manipulate the raw makeup of their body, for each other type already active.
but to alter it in more granular, specific ways to

Communion (•• or ••••)
Effect: The character is capable of reaching out
with his mind to that of a faraway entity, often one of
godlike power or capability. Work with the Storyteller
to determine the nature of the entity, at least to the
extent that the character is aware of it, as it’s a
character in its own right, even if one not represented
with typical dots on a sheet.
To do so, the character must successfully meditate
or perform a similar sort of ritual (with the same roll),
focusing on a symbol or other representation of the
entity, and then make a Composure + Occult roll. If
successful, contact with the entity is initiated. With
an exceptional success, the entity is well disposed or
clearer than normal in its communication.
With the two-dot version of the merit, the character
is simply able to open themselves to the entity and
allow it to communicate with them, but the
communication is only one way, allowing the
character to do nothing more than sit and listen.
However, the entity tends to inherently know why it
was sought out and may provide information relating
to that. In addition to whatever information the
Storyteller cares to provide from the entity, the
character gains the Informed condition about
whatever topic he sought wisdom about (if the call
was more general, the topic is whatever the entity feels
is most relevant).
With the four-dot version of the merit, the
character opens up bilateral communication, able to
“speak” with the entity in addition to learning from
it. This allows more nuanced guidance of the
conversation, allowing for more specific information
to be learned most times. In addition to the above
benefit, the character may utilize the provided
wisdom to gain access to the rote action benefit on a
single mundane action (not roll; extended actions
receive it for each roll) that’s begun before the end of
the day.
Drawback: The entity has goals and desires as well,
and should the character work against them, or even
just fail to assist, they may receive fallout. This often
takes the form of an automatic failure on the next use
of the ritual, along with a negative condition or tilt,
but the Storyteller may come up with other options
as well.
As well, if pestering the entity more than once per
chapter without a very good reason, directly related to
the entity’s goals/desires, they may be ignored
(causing an automatic failure of the ability) or worse.

Countermagic Ward (•• or •••••) the Doom, you add two dice instead of three (or +1
to a static value). However, if a roll enhanced with
Prerequisites: Wits •• Willpower like this fails, the point is regained. The
Effect: The character becomes able to shield Storyteller has the final say as to when your Doom
themselves from sympathetic magic and powers of applies.
various sorts, allowing them to gain a warning about If using the Fate optional rules, your Doom should
impending abilities and prepare accordingly, or even in some way line up with your Fate.
build up a form of protection against it. Note: This is equivalent to the Mage merit of the
The two-dot version allows a character to spend a same name, but altered for Mortal characters. Any
point of Willpower and roll Resolve + Occult to gain mechanics applying to one affects either, however.
a sense of impending magic; for the rest of the day
they become immediately aware of any supernatural Dowsing (•• or ••••)
ability working through a range greater than
mundane perception that targets them, their Prerequisites: Wits ••
possessions, or their immediate surroundings (such as Effect: Dowsing is a limited form of divination,
a Mage’s sympathetic spells, some Thaumaturges’ allowing your character to detect hidden objects using
rituals, or Blasphemous Rites), as soon as the ability a specialized rod, crystal pendulum, or other focus. By
starts being used or prepared, rather than at the end. concentrating on either a known object or a type of
They also get a sense for when it’s about to unleash substance (such as water or oil) while utilizing the
on them, allowing them to spend Willpower or use aforementioned focus, spending a point of
other abilities to improve their resistance to it. With Willpower, and making an extended Wits + Occult
an exceptional success on the initial roll, they also get roll (15 minutes per roll), they become drawn towards
a brief vision of the offender upon the spell’s use. the location. The target number of successes is based
The five dot version works similarly but applies its on the rarity of the substance or Availability of the
own form of protection in addition. If unable to resist object and the distance from the character.
the power naturally, they may, a number of times per As a general rule, three successes is the base target,
day equal to the successes rolled, gain a Clash of Wills +1 success per point of Availability of the object or
to stop the magic from affecting them, their substance, +1 per mile of distance to the nearest
possessions, or their immediate surroundings. source, to an absolute maximum of 10 needed
successes (after which it becomes simply impossible to
Destiny (• to •••••) find it).
With Dowsing at four dots, the time per roll
Effect: Your character’s thread stands out in the becomes five minutes, and objects/substances can be
skein of Fate, both destined for great triumphs and found with up to 20 required successes.
haunted by a Doom that threatens her end. Suggested Modifiers: An energy meter is used as
Each chapter, you have a pool of Destiny equal to the focus (add the equipment bonus), the character
your dots in this Merit. Each time you use a point of meditates beforehand (+2), the object belongs to the
Destiny you may either gain the advanced action character (+1), the object is important to the character
quality on a single mundane roll chosen before you (+2), the character has minimal tie to the object, or
roll the dice (thus allowing you to roll twice and take knows little about it (-3),the substance is incredibly
the better result), or reroll a single mundane action rare in the area, such as water in a desert (-1 to -3).
after you see the result of the roll (although you must
take the second result). You may spend a point of Dream Travel (•• or ••••)
Willpower when invoking your Destiny to affect a
Supernatural Merit’s activation roll. Prerequisites: Lucid Dreamer.
Drawback: Your character has a Doom. This is the Effect: Your character becomes able to enter the
means by which destiny brings her life as she knows dreams of another, and shape them the same way
it to a tragic end — such as addicted, betrayed, they’re able to control their own dreams. To do so,
crippled, devoured, enslaved, imprisoned, they must be capable of seeing the target, whether
maddened, murdered, ostracized, possessed, ruined, through mundane perception, Clairvoyance, Astral
or turned. This either kills her or leaves her alive and Projection, or a similar supernatural ability (this
suffering. Whenever you spend Willpower to avoid bypasses most restrictions on using other merits with

sensory Supernatural Merits). At that point, one
Willpower is spent and Manipulation + Occult is
rolled, contested by the target’s Composure +
Supernatural Tolerance if unwilling or unaware. If Soul Shocked (Condition)
the target’s not asleep at the time, the ability
automatically fails.
If successful, your character is able to enter the
target’s dreams, taking on a Dream Form (see
sidebar). They’re capable of using any of their other
Supernatural Merits in the context of the dream;
Telekinesis will move “dream objects” around the
same as normal ones, for instance, although exact
physics may be slightly modified by the Dream.
However, powers relying on other realms or the
entities from them, such as spirits and ghosts, do not
work even on dreamed approximations of them.
With the four-dot version of the merit, they can roll
Manipulation + Occult – Resolve as an instant action
when already within the Dream to make changes to it
Lucid Dreamer (••)
without other powers, generally one minor change
per success, or a major shift to the surroundings on •••
an exceptional success.
With either version, the character may leave the
target dream at any time with a successful Resolve +
Composure roll, unless kept within the dream by a
supernatural ability of some sort, in which case a
Clash of Wills is required to leave (in fact, there are
tales of some Dreamers subconsciously trapping
Oneiromancers due to a desire to have them remain).
Ephemeral Sight (•• or ••••)

Prerequisite: Medium
Your character is capable of seeing ephemeral
entities. With the two-dot version of this merit,
choose a specific phase of Twilight (that is, ghost-
attuned/death-attuned, spirit-attuned, etc.). You may
perceive that phase of Twilight, including any entities

within or other ephemeral constructs residing there.
With the four-dot version of the merit, you’re capable
of seeing all phases of Twilight.
Drawback: Seeing into Twilight constantly is as
much a curse as a blessing. The character suffers a -2
penalty to any perception rolls due to the mixed
perceptions unless they spend a point of Willpower
to shut it out for a scene (effectively turning off the
merit). In addition, entities the character can see find
it easier to affect them, granting them a +2 dice bonus
to Numina, Influences, or other powers targeting
them from Twilight.
Ephemeral Transmutation (•••••)

Prerequisites: Astral Projection, Medium, or
Unseen Sense (any Ephemeral entity)
Effect: Often achieved by those seeking out a form
of enlightenment or ascension, this “ritual” of sorts
allows your character to attune themselves to
Twilight, not projecting within but instead physically
transforming into a Twilight state. The character
makes a meditation roll, though this may also
represent a ritual or other procedure rather than
typical meditation, and then rolls Resolve + Occult.
If successful, they end up shifting themselves into
Twilight for a scene, attuned to a type of ephemera
chosen when the merit is purchased (In the case of
Unseen Sense used as the prerequisite, the type must
match).
Evocation/Invocation (••+)
Prerequisites: Occult •••, Channeling, or
Medium
Effect: Your character has knowledge of “generic”
summoning rituals that are capable of calling a given
type of Ephemeral entity, chosen upon purchase of
the merit, without requiring the normal research time
or need for specialized applications of Conditions. By
purchasing an additional dot per type of entity,
further types can be called.
This works with a single Intelligence + Occult roll
to mystically attune the area to the entity, which takes
approximately 15 minutes; this can be either a
specific, named entity or just a call to the nearest of a
given type of ephemeral being.
If successful, the area becomes Open to the chosen
type of entity, and a call is sent out to them. They
must answer the call unless they succeed on a Rank +
Resistance roll and garner more successes than the
character did on their own roll. If the entity fails, it

must remain there for the scene, although this does This effect lasts for a Story (or about a month) but
nothing to protect the caster otherwise. can be renewed before it expires by using this Merit
By adding two dots to the cost of the merit, the again and accruing only five successes, no matter the
character may, upon the entity’s arrival, roll Presence size of the location.
+ Persuasion + Evocation vs the entity’s Rank + Suggested Modifiers: Location is a Nexus (double
Resistance to force it to obey a single command that the usual modifier), affecting an Attribute instead of
can be delivered with a short sentence and isn’t self- Skill (-3), area not conducive to desired resonance (-1
destructive or against the entity’s ban, and if to -3), no tools or materials (-3).
successful it must attempt to follow that command to
the best of its ability for the rest of the scene. It also Luck Magic (• to •••••; Style)
may not harm the summoner for that same amount
of time. As a note, when targeting angels, this merit Prerequisites: Manipulation ••, and Occult •••,
does not allow the caster to cause an Angel to work Damn Lucky (Hurt Locker pg. 79), Cursed, Thief of
against its mission from the God-Machine, nor to do Fate, or Destiny
anything to make it fall. Effect: Through a strange connection to the weave
Alternatively, two dots can be added to instead of Fate and Destiny (or stranger forces), your
grant a responding entity the Possession character has learned several techniques, whether
Manifestation if they don’t normally possess it, with a through psychic will or magical ritual, that allows
roll of Presence + Occult + Evocation, and act as if them to alter luck and chance. The exact effects
they themselves are Open, offering themselves to the they’re capable of are tied with the level of the merit
entity for whatever purposes. Often, it acts as their they know, but all levels require that the individual
side of a bargain, as many entities will offer up basic first meditate (or perform a similar ritual) successfully,
services in exchange for the use of a physical body. spend a point of Willpower, and make a successful
Drawback: Ephemeral beings don’t like being Manipulation + Occult roll, contested by Composure
commanded any more than most people, and will + Supernatural Tolerance if negatively affecting the
likely attempt to cause trouble for the character after target. The character may only use this merit on a
the fact if not supplicated somehow. given individual once per day, including themselves,
Note: This merit may be taken above five dots. no matter what level is used.
Favorable Fortune (•): Your character can gift
someone with a very minor twist of fate. This might
Geomancy (••• or •••••) mean they win no more than 25 dollars on a lottery
Prerequisites: Intelligence ••, and Crafts or ticket, get to work without hitting any red lights, or
Occult •• similar blessings. Your character defines the general
Effect: Your character is capable of altering the flow blessing, but the exact nature of how it happens is left
of energy through an area, whether through an effect to Fate itself. This takes place within a day and then
akin to Feng Shui, a ritual harnessing Ley energy, or the effect ends.
an imprint of Psychic will on the area, among other Ill Fortune (••): A flip of favorable fortune, your
possibilities. They can cause a building to resonate character instead puts a minor curse on their target.
with a particular sort of mindset or action, making They might receive an unexpected bill or expenditure
any related task that fits it that much easier when of no more than 50 bucks, end up late to work due to
inside. traffic, or have similar ill effects of fate plague them.
To do this, a point of Willpower is spent and an This takes place within a day, and the effect ends once
extended Intelligence + Crafts roll is made, taking an the curse has run its course.
hour per roll and requiring increasing successes Minor Weal/Woe (•••): Your character becomes
depending on the approximate size of the location; 5 able to bless or curse actions in a minor way. A certain
for a small room, 10 for a small home, 15 for an office type of action or roll that the effect applies to is
building, 20 for a mansion or multi-story building, defined when it’s used, and a number of those actions
and 25+ for warehouses, mansions, and larger. If equal to successes rolled suffer from the loss of 10-
successful, actions aligned with a chosen Skill (at again or gain 9-again. The definition can be as general
three dots) or Attribute (at five dots) gain the 9-again or specific as desired, but any roll that applies will
benefit once per character per chapter when inside “use up” one of the successes; the character has no
the building (the player chooses when it applies).

control beyond that initial declaration. If the rolls Templates) may roll Wits + Occult when attacked to
aren’t used within the next chapter, the effect fades. realize where said attack is originating from.
Major Weal/Woe (••••): This level works as
Minor Weal/Woe, but upgrades the effect to either Mind Breaker (••••)
provide 8-again or cause 1’s to subtract from successes
in addition to the loss of 10-again. Prerequisites: Evil Eye (Hurt Locker, pg. 73), Mind
Forge Fate (•••••): At this level, your character Control, or Telepathy •••••
is able to enact more significant changes in someone’s Effect: Your character is able to fracture someone’s
life. This works as Favorable or Ill Fortune, but the mind through sheer force of will or mystic might,
effects are more pronounced. The target may benefit degrading their rational thought into a maddened
from an effect equivalent to 3 dots of a merit like blur. By spending a point of Willpower and
Allies, Contacts, or Resources, or suffer from a curse successfully rolling Presence + Empathy or
akin to one of those being used against them (or Intelligence + Science vs a character’s Resolve +
blocking one of their own merits). Supernatural Tolerance, you may inflict the Madness
Suggested Modifiers: Target isn’t present (-4, must Condition on a target for the rest of the scene. In
have their real name or an important possession), combat, they also suffer from the Insane Tilt.
target is already affected by fate-altering magic (-1 or
more), target has the Destiny merit (+rating for effects Plant Empathy (•)
that align with Destiny/Doom, -rating if they go
Prerequisites: Biokinesis •+
against it), effect doesn’t align with target’s Fate (-2).
Effect: Your character’s attunement to living things
provides them a “green thumb” of sorts, allowing
Mental Blast (•••••) them to cultivate plants and other flora more easily.
Prerequisites: Telepathy ••••• or Mind Control Any roll relating to the cultivation of plant life gains
(Hurt Locker, pg. 74) bonus dice equal to the character’s Biokinesis rating,
Effect: This incredibly rare and dangerous power as does any roll to put such plants to use (such as
allows a character to reach out with their mind to mixing herbal substances or cooking a meal with
damage another’s with a form of mental feedback that freshly gathered plants). In addition, plants under
overwhelms and slowly destroys the target’s brain. their care grow (1 + their Biokinesis rating) times
The character spends a point of Willpower and rolls more quickly than normal.
Presence + Intimidation - the Stamina of their target
(who they must be able to see with natural sight), and Postcognition (•••)
deals one bashing damage to them per success. This
Effect: Your character, whether through a mystical
often starts out as a migraine but as damage rolls over
trance or a psychic attunement, is able to see into the
into lethal or even aggravated, it takes the form of
past. By meditating, spending a point of Willpower,
hemorrhages, strokes, and similar maladies. An
and making a Wits + Occult roll, they become able to
exceptional success on the attack may inflict the
get a sense of what has happened in the area they’re
Stunned Tilt as the brain misfires and makes it
in at a specific, named time, allowing them to see a
difficult to focus.
brief flash of the scene, and to ask a number of
By concentrating for additional turns and
questions equal to successes rolled about it. These
maintaining a view of their target, the Merit may be
questions must be something that could be found out
used in successive turns without additional
by investigating the scene if present at the time; it
Willpower needing to be spent, but on any turn the
won’t allow mind-reading or insight into outside
power is used the character loses their defense, and
factors without another ability.
may not take any other actions beyond moving their
Drawback: The roll is penalized by both the
Speed in a turn. If they lose sight of the target, fail an
distance back in time and the sympathetic connection
activation roll, or cease using it each turn, they must
the character has to the event. For an event further
re-enact the power at the full cost.
than a week back, a -1 penalty is taken, -2 for a month,
Drawback: This power is innately “visible” to
-3 for a year, -4 for 5 years, -5 for 10, and then an
supernatural characters. Characters with a
additional -1 for each additional 10 years. They must
supernatural template (of any kind, including Merit
then possess either an object or be in the presence of
a person that was involved in or present at that scene;

an object causes a -4 penalty, and a person a -2. first, an occult crafting roll at a -5 penalty, to create
Having neither makes the roll impossible. the jar itself, and second, a Presence + Intimidation
roll versus a dying victim’s Resolve + Supernatural
Psychic Empathy (•••• or •••••) Tolerance (A dying victim is anyone with aggravated
damage greater than their stamina or who is bleeding
Prerequisites: Manipulation ••, and Empathy out). The character must touch the dying victim.
••• or Subterfuge ••• If successful, when the victim is about to die (their
Effect: Known as “Enchantment” among some, second to last health box is filled with aggravated
this merit lets your character manipulate the damage), their soul is drawn out and into the Jar,
emotional state of another, affecting their mood or giving them the soulless condition. If they manage to
even completely overriding their emotional state of survive somehow, they suffer the full progression of
being. The four-dot version of this ability lasts for up Soul Loss as they normally would.
to a scene, and the five-dot lasts for an entire day. There are a few things that the character can do
The character spends a Willpower and rolls with these collected souls. By opening the container
Manipulation + Empathy vs Composure + while touching a Soulless character (including
Supernatural Tolerance, with a penalty to their roll themselves), they can resolve any soul loss related
depending on the intensity of the subject’s current conditions and grant them the soul normally.
emotion and the intensity of the subject’s target Alternatively, a soul can be bartered to ephemeral
emotion. A calm, neutral demeanor imposes no entities or other supernatural creatures (certain mages
penalty; mild, imperceptible emotions cause a -1 seem to make good use of them). Finally, the soul can
penalty, obvious emotions a -2; and extreme emotions be “consumed” during a use of another Supernatural
cause -3. The penalty for current and target emotional Merit, requiring an additional instant action, but
state stack, unless changing the intensity of the same granting the rote action quality to the roll as a result.
emotion, in which case only the difference applies. If Note that this only works on those with ‘mortal’
successful, this may inflict or remove a related non- souls, which includes any mortal, micro/minor
persistent condition, such as Swooning or Shaken. template, half template, or Mage, although
This ability is not capable of affecting a vampire in attempting it on a Mage causes an additional -5
Frenzy, a werewolf in Death Rage, or any similar penalty due to the way their soul is “held” within
supernatural emotional state. them, and they may have other protections.
Drawback: Such a heinous act is always an Integrity
Sapiokinesis (• to •••••) breaking point at -5, as is actually “consuming” the
soul with another Merit use.
Effect: Your character has the ability to psychically
alter their mental makeup. By spending a Willpower
point and concentrating for a minute, they can shift Telepathic Rapport (••)
their Mental or Social Attributes, moving dots from Prerequisites: Telepathy and either a Retainer,
one to another. They can shift one dot in an Attribute True Friend, Mentor, or willing player character to
per dot in this Merit. This lasts for one hour and can act as the target.
shift an Attribute no higher than the character’s Effect: The telepath is able to form a permanent
normal maximum (usually five) or below one. connection to another character, able to use
Also, the character’s mind recovers more quickly. Telepathy or related merits on them at any time,
Once per chapter, they can remove a mundane, non- without any Willpower cost, although the normal roll
persistent mental condition from themself after at must still be made. There’s no distance limitation to
least a scene. the ability, as the merit represents a powerful
sympathetic bond that the character becomes able to
Soul Jar (••••) draw on to “target” their ability.
In addition, if the target of the Rapport is ever
Prerequisites: Occult ••••
Effect: Using a form of dark energy, nefarious subject to intense emotions or danger, the character
ritual, or similar infernal process, your character is may roll Wits + Empathy to sense that emotion and
able to create special containers called soul jars, which impending danger, although this provides no
become attuned to a dying individual’s soul, able to inherent ability to track them down without further
capture and hold it within. This involves two rolls; scouring of their mind.

With Storyteller permission, this merit may be if they want). This has the usual limitations and
taken without meeting the Telepathy prerequisite, duration limits of Astral Projection, and also leaves
regarding someone they have an intense spiritual and their body Open to spirits.
emotional connection to in one form or another,
allowing them to benefit from three dots of Telepathy Warding (••)
and the mechanics of this merit on that character
only. Often, this will be two way, allowing each Prerequisites: Resolve •• and Occult •
character to sense the other. Effect: Your character is able to create general
ephemeral wards that function against more than just
a single specific entity. This involves first crafting a
Telekinesis, Advanced (• to •••••) special, chalky substance attuned to a given type of
Prerequisites: Telekinesis •••••, Wits ••• ephemera with a Wits + Occult roll, -3 if targeting
Effect: Your telekinetic abilities have been fine- something other than spirits or ghosts. This acts as
tuned to the point of allowing careful, precise actions the “generic” bane for that type, and is used to mark
to be performed with the telekinetic force you’re able an area, allowing the character to perform a Warding
to project. Dots in this merit provide effective ritual normally, though with a -5 penalty, lacking a
Dexterity to your mental force when activating specific entity’s Rank to use. This will then be
Telekinesis, allowing you to perform tasks requiring effective on any entity of the given type (of rank five
minute movements, such as picking a lock or swiping or less) for the usual duration.
something from a buttoned-up pocket unseen. This
can be used for ranged “attacks”, but such attacks still Weather Control (•••••)
require Willpower to be spent for each one.
Prerequisites: Occult or Science ••••, or
Psychokinesis •••••
Visionary Trance (•• or ••••) Effect: Your character’s connection to the natural
Prerequisite: Unseen Sense (Spirits) or Medium. forces of the world is palpable, and by taking time to
Effect: With the two-dot version of this merit, your bring themself in tune with the area, they can alter
character has learned to go into a specialized trance and manipulate the weather in minor ways. This will
that allows them to peer briefly into the Shadow (the never cause weather of an Extreme Environment of
spirit world), and communicate with any entities more than level 2, and won’t cause changes that are
nearby. To do so, they must go into a trance (using a entirely unreasonable for the location and season
Meditation roll), spend a point of Willpower, and roll (such as snow in Death Valley). As well, any changes
Resolve + Occult, with a modifier depending on the are centered on a small area (such as a small town or
Gauntlet Strength (see Chronicles of Darkness, pg. portion of a city) and take a few minutes to hours to
126). If successful, they can perceive the Shadow, and come into effect, appropriate to the type of weather
become visible to any entities there. They can being sought out.
communicate if the spirits understand their language, The character must successfully Meditate, and then
but cannot use other abilities on the Shadow or its make a Wits + Occult roll, with a penalty equal to the
denizens, nor be targeted by spiritual powers if the extent of the changes being made, as listed below. On
spirit lacks the Reaching Manifestation. This lasts for a success, the changes will come into effect and will
so long as they maintain the trance. last about as long as is typical for that sort of weather
With the four-dot version of this merit, after in the area. An exceptional success may make the
successfully entering such a trance, the character may effect last longer or bump up its severity without a
use an ability similar to Astral Projection to project further penalty.
more fully into the spirit realm. Since there’s no Suggested Modifiers: Minor changes in line with
Twilight in the Shadow, they become effectively current weather, such as rain on a dark and cloudy
physical, using Dream Form rules (pg. 13) to day (-0), producing weather different from the current
determine their capabilities and health (taking Soul conditions but not entirely opposed, such as a sunny
Shocked if they “die”). If the character somehow day turning into mild rain or snow (-2), producing or
possesses spiritual objects like a Fetish or certain removing dramatic weather, such as storms causing
Bygones, they project with the character, but no other an Extreme Environment (of up to level 2) or
equipment does (but their form still appears clothed appropriate Tilt, like Heavy Rain (-4).

Chapter Two:
Chapter Two:
Abnormal
Abnormal
Development
DevelopmentSome mortals channel their power through sheer strength of will, their mind
opened to possibilities that most could never comprehend, allowing them to
trap into portions of it closed off to the mundane populace. Others learn of
obscure rituals and spells, carefully aligning the area in a way that will be
appreciated by spirits, ghosts, or just the flow of energy within the world itself.
This chapter contains new Supernatural Merit Templates, a concept originally
introduced in Hurt Locker (pg. 77). In short, a Supernatural Merit Template,
or “micro template”, is a template wherein the base type is defined by a unique
Supernatural Merit that only mortals of that Template can take, which often
acts as a prerequisite for further unique merits. Unlike most supernatural
templates, micro templates do not remove the ability to learn other
“It's still magic even Supernatural Merits.
if you know how it's Thaumaturges are users of “low” or ritual magic, relying on an extended
period of time to enact their supernatural abilities with an extreme degree of
done.” precision. Many effects that Psychics and similar dabblers take for granted as
happening quickly can be drawn out in a ritual, extending their power and effect
- Terry Pratchett through unique processes taught by the Magical Traditions they become a part
of.
Psychics are those mortals that have unlocked a portion of their mind,
allowing them to develop their abilities and utilize them with an unchecked level
of (sometimes dangerous) potency. While many that dabble with Supernatural
Merits might call themselves “psychic”, none of them can compare to the focus
shown by those that actually delve into the nature of their strange abilities as
true Psychics do.
Character Creation: In most cases, Merit Templates give their own
explanation of what additional traits are gained for free, and these characters
otherwise simply follow the standard character creation rules (see Chronicles of
Darkness, Chapter One). However, Storytellers should consider allowing those
in a Merit Template focused game, or a game with both “micro template”
mortals and fully supernatural characters, to get the same ten dots of merits that
supernatural characters receive at creation. While still not likely to be as
powerful as such creatures, it will provide them with a bit more utility and sense
of being already established.

PSYCHICS
Psychic Creation
While they’ve likely existed for as long as any other
supernaturally enhanced sort of individual, psychic
phenomena have only really been studied and
categorized by parapsychologists in the past couple It should be noted that not all “psychics” actually
centuries, although hypnosis and related subjects have this template. Many dabblers in psychic
have existed for a bit longer than that. Before then, phenomena simply take the appropriate Supernatural
those who had access to such supernatural powers Merits. The Psychic merit below, however, represents
through sheer force of will were treated similarly to a dedicated Psychic, someone aware of their powers
sorcerers and witches of various stripes, as conduits and that has purposely worked to unlock and focus
for holy authorities, or as individuals cursed by dark them further (of course, “focus” doesn’t always mean
forces, depending on their exact manifestations and “control”. See Activation Options, page 8; Psychics may
the culture surrounding them. use these normally). All of their Supernatural Merits
“Modern” application of scientific research into should be considered to come from Psychic potential,
psychic phenomena as recognized today arguably even those that normally imply some level of mystical
began in the 1920s, where statistical analysis was used ritual; perhaps this instead involves a trance of sorts,
to compare the accuracy of various revelatory psychic channeling their psychic energy.
abilities as compared to the accuracy of mundane Dedicated Psychics like this gain their Psychic merit
individuals guessing randomly. In the 1940’s, the (see below) for free, and gain 2 free dots of
“sheep-goat” effect discerned that it may be possible Supernatural Merits that don’t require it as a
that those that perform particularly badly on such prerequisite.
tests might be simply purposely ignoring their own
insights due to disbelief in the phenomena, implying Psychic (•)
a latent psychic capability being present in nearly any
individual (see page 9 for optional rules regarding Prerequisite: Mortal
Belief and Psychics). Effect: Your character is a dedicated Psychic,
Most parapsychologists divide psychic phenomena someone aware of the source of their powers and that
into various categories, such as ESP, psychokinesis, channels them through sheer strength of mental will.
mediumship, and telepathy, but in truth, most This allows them to spend Willpower to increase the
psychic powers stem from the same place in the mind, dice pool of Supernatural Merits, even if they require
and some would say that even most mortal magicians Willpower to activate to begin with (breaking the
are simply channeling psychic abilities in a strange usual per-action limit), but they still can spend no
way. Whatever the actual case, Psychics are never more than one point for this purpose.
actually confined to a single category, even though it’s
most common for such individuals to focus on a Believers (•)
related range of abilities. Prerequisite: Psychic, Retainer
The ultimate nature of Psychic power and where it Effect: Your Retainer (or Retainers) is initiated into
actually comes from is unknown, but overall, it’s the world of the supernatural, at least to the extent of
generally agreed that it can be boiled down to, in a believing in psychic phenomena, and in particular are
vague sense, an application of the human spirit strong believers in your own abilities. Their presence
through mental will. Whether this is something provides you with a +1 bonus (per individual) to
inherently unique to mortals, or whether it’s simply activating your Supernatural Merits.
the distinct manifestation of the same process that If using the Belief optional rule (page 9), they also
any supernatural creature might be capable of is each cancel out a -1 penalty from the presence of non-
impossible to say, and it’s unlikely that anyone with believers.
experience in all of them will come forward with the
answer anytime soon.

Burnout (••)
Prerequisites: Psychic
Effect: The Psychic has learned to channel
immense amounts of psychic energy through
themselves, to the point of injuring themselves in
order to improve the effectiveness of their abilities.
They may spend more than one point of Willpower
at a time on improving the dice pool of Supernatural
Merits, but for each point after the first, they take 1
lethal damage that cannot be avoided and must be
healed naturally (this counts as resistant damage, if
using Mage: the Awakening).
Indomitable, Advanced (•••)

Prerequisites: Psychic, Indomitable
Effect: The Psychic mind can be particularly
resilient when well-practiced, and so it becomes
difficult for other mental influences to break through.
Once per chapter, when failing to resist, contest,
withstand, or otherwise fend off a mind-affecting or
mind-reading power, the Psychic may spend a point
of Willpower to enact a Clash of Wills against the
ability (roll Integrity + Resolve instead of the normal
pool). If the Psychic wins, the effect fizzles, although
it doesn’t remove it from any other targets in the case
of a widespread effect. They’re also immune to the
same power from the same source for the next 24
hours.
Psychic Potential (• to •••••)

Prerequisite: Psychic
Effect: The Psychic who takes this merit has a well
of psychic potential they can call upon to activate
their abilities. Every chapter, they may use this merit
a number of times equal to its rating to negate the
cost of a point of Willpower for activating a
Supernatural Merit (but not for improving its dice
pool).
Psychic Presence (• to •••)

Effect: The Psychic’s powers have more raw force
behind them, and others find it difficult to resist or
work against them with their own. For any Clash of
Wills that the Psychic’s merits are involved in, they
may treat this merit as effective Supernatural Potency
for the dice pool.

Psychic Specialty (• or ••) Breaker without its prerequisites, but Plant Empathy
wouldn’t work, since it relies on Biokinesis’ rating).
Prerequisite: Psychic, one related Supernatural You may purchase this merit more than once,
Merit buying a new Merit with it each time.
Effect: While many Psychics are dabblers, those This merit may not be used to buy the merits of
that develop this merit have a narrower focus. Choose other Supernatural Templates (including other Merit
a general category of Psychic Phenomena, such as Templates).
Psychokinetics, ESP, Mediumship, or Telepathic
abilities; when using a Supernatural Merit that falls Wild Talent (•)
under that category, the Psychic gains this Merit’s
rating as a dice bonus. This does stack with “normal” Prerequisite: Psychic
skill specialties. The Storyteller is the ultimate arbiter Effect: While some Psychics work as hard as they
on what Supernatural Merits fall under what Psychic can on controlling their abilities, some are content to
Specialties. simply improve their capabilities wildly with no
concern for who might be caught in their wake. Any
Rapid Trance (•••) Supernatural Merit the Psychic has that requires an
activation roll must have an Option assigned to it that
Prerequisites: Psychic, Meditative Mind in some way makes it harder to control, prone to
Effect: Many psychic powers rely on meditation, or flaring up on its own, or has side effects that
more accurately, a trance state, to get into the proper otherwise negatively affect others or the Psychic
mindset to channel their will in more complex ways. themself. However, they gain +2 dice on top of what
A practiced Psychic can speed up this process; make they’d normally receive for the Option.
the normal roll to meditate when required by a Special: A Psychic may not have both Strength of
Supernatural Merit or other power, but the time per Will and Wild Talent.
roll is only a minute. However, this provides no other
benefits of meditation, it simply allows the power to
be activated.
Strength of Will (•)

Prerequisites: Psychic, a Supernatural Merit with a
drawback involving inadvertent activation
Effect: The Psychic has learned to better control
their powers. When choosing this merit, select a
Supernatural Merit that has a drawback involving
circumstances where the power might activate on its
own due to trauma, emotion, or otherwise (such as
Telekinesis). Once per chapter, that drawback can be
negated, preventing an unintended “flareup”.
Special: A Psychic may not have both Strength of
Will and Wild Talent.
Unique Mutation (•)

Effect: Whether through some quirk of your
unique mental makeup or sheer perseverance and
strength of will, you’ve managed to gain access to a
Supernatural Merit you shouldn’t be able to. After
purchasing this Merit, you may buy one Supernatural
Merit that you do not meet the prerequisites for, so
long as the prerequisites aren’t required directly to
make it work (for instance, you could purchase Mind

THAUMATURGES
Thaumaturges are those that learn to tap into the A few examples of Magical Traditions follow; the
supernatural not through some quirk or their mind Storyteller and players should feel free to use this as a
or mutation of their body (or spirit), but rather basis to create further Traditions, however, rather
through dedicated focus and ritualistic invocation. than feeling limited to those listed. As well, these
This often involves months, if not years of practice, overarching Traditions might be broken down into
until finally, something inside them changes a little, smaller, more specific groups that simply fall under
and they find themselves able to channel the the umbrella of the overarching Tradition’s
supernatural energy that flows through the world. tendencies. More information about the following
This is rarely a solitary road. Most thaumaturges Traditions can be found in the 1st edition Second
learn to become what they are through mentorship in Sight supplement, although it may be worthwhile to
their art, passed down through generations, or simply research their real-world equivalents.
through joining up with others of similar interests, The entries are broken down into a basic
forming “covens” or perhaps larger still magical explanation, the strength and weakness of their
traditions that share similar methods and views of the magical methodologies, a free merit they receive
world. While solitary ritualists do exist, they find their (generally two dots), and the most common
progression in their magic much slower and more Supernatural Merits learned by them beyond that
prone to error than it is for those that have (those not found in the Chronicles of Darkness rule
established rituals and teachings they can pass along; book or this supplement will have their sourcebook
after all, it can be very difficult to tell a proper ritual listed).
in a grimoire from the insane writings of a powerless
hack, when you first start. Apostles of the Dark One
Magical Traditions The human mind ascribes darkness to evil,
ignorance, or other negative traits, relying as it does
Small groups of thaumaturges often form to assist on the presence of light to survive and study their
each other, learn from each other, and perform larger surroundings and make a life for themselves in the
magical workings than they might be capable of on world. It’s instinct, of course, as so many dangers veil
their own. With times, these covens can grow into themselves in that darkness, and so many strange
full-blown traditions; many of these formed ages ago things lurk in it, unseen, so it helps most humans
and were passed along with the teachings of ancient simply survive.
cultures or religions, but some have been formed in What, then, of those that learn to use that absence
the past few decades, years, or even in recent months, of light to see? Those that learn to peer through the
hidden societies and mystery cults or new-age groups Void and call upon the secrets it has bound up within
that have found just a bit of truth as to what’s really it, stolen from the mundane world every time a bit of
out there. lore has the light cast upon it for the last time and is
Thaumaturges may choose a Magical Tradition at lost to the ages? Are they evil too, because they’ve
character creation, which provides a minor bonus learned to see what others cannot? Are they immoral
and flaw, representing the style of their magic, a free because they’re willing to peer into places nobody else
merit that the Tradition specializes in, and acts as a can see? In the end, it’s impossible to tell, but many
group that Status can be gained in, providing on either side would claim they have the answer
potential resources and equipment to make the nonetheless.
magician’s life easier. This isn’t always Status in the The Apostles of the Dark One are those that
traditional sense, representing a single group with garnered their magic and knowledge not from passed
solid, defined roles, so much as it represents down oral traditions or tomes of knowledge, but
connections and respect among those that follow through Communion with one of the entities that
similar methodologies with their own magics. As exist in the expansive Void beyond the mundane
another option, smaller, more tight-knit groups might realm. Many gather together at the behest of whatever
use the Mystery Cult rules instead. entities commune with them, to better make use of

these secrets, and to find ways to strengthen their Common Merits: Automatic Writing,
connection to that strange realm. Clairvoyance, Countermagic Ward, Dark Passenger
While not inherently evil, such communication does (Hurt Locker), Evil Eye (Hurt Locker), Luck Magic,
strain the human mind, revealing things to it that it’s Mind Control (Hurt Locker), Mind Breaker, Omen
not meant to comprehend, secrets that it was never Sensitivity, Postcognition, Psychic Empathy,
meant to process. If nothing else, those members of Sacrificial Offering (Hurt Locker).
this Tradition are certainly… different, than any of
their peers, and most find themselves detached, one Ceremonial Magicians
way or another, from the mundane moral teachings
Although the exact details vary between culture and
of those around them.
era, for as long as there’s been civilized society, there’s
Strength: Apostles of the Dark One find that the
been Ceremonial Magicians, magic users that rely on
magic channeled from the Void strengthens the
highly practiced occult tradition and well-preserved
development of the self, an awareness of one’s own
rituals to guide celestial forces through them and into
needs, and they become keener at using it in that way.
the world around them. Most such Magicians are
When using a Supernatural Merit in a way meant to
highly educated scholars and wealthy elites, either
help fulfill a Vice or a personally oriented Aspiration,
born of a career formed around such studies or
the Apostle gains a +1 dice bonus on the roll.
having the time and resources already to allow them
Weakness: Communion with the Void and the
to delve into such practices.
entity (entities?) that resides there strains the human
Western practices of Ceremonial Magic often
mind, and this makes it harder for them to retain
harken back towards Hermetic traditions and
their sanity and stability when channeling its secrets.
Celestial rituals first performed back in the medieval
Apostles suffer a -2 penalty on any Breaking Point
era, when nobles and the religious elite would make
caused through use of a Supernatural Merit (whether
use of it to bolster their already considerable wealth
by or on them).
and power. Few had the actual patience and smarts to
Free Merit: Communion (••)
actually master these rituals, of course, but those that

did forged a long-lasting Tradition that would be have learned their practice through a sort of informal
passed down and practiced for ages to come. mentorship or a connection to a minor coven, and
Ceremonial Magic, by its nature, tends to be more still have only joined up with the typical
incredibly complex and orderly, although that does tradition after discovering or jury-rigging the
tend to make it reliably reproduced once the details trappings of Hedge Rituals for themselves.
have all been mastered. Few Traditions could truly Spontaneity and adaptability tend to be key facets
pass down their knowledge in extensive tomes, but of Hedge Magic. Certain herbs will evoke certain
many Ceremonial Magicians learned not from each effects, certain charms and designs focus the magic in
other, but through simple study of such grimoires. certain ways, but ultimately, the exact rituals tend to
If there’s one common thread to Ceremonial be simple and malleable, able to be adapted and
Magicians of all stripes, however, it tends to be a sort changed without too much difficulty, as it’s the
of hubris, a feeling of invincibility and a mindset that components and intention that matter most to them.
the world is theirs to command as they will. Their Of course, that means that the environment and
reach often exceeds their grasp if they delve a little too their surroundings can have an effect on them; Hedge
far, or attempt something they’re not ready for. Witches find it difficult to perform a ritual calling
Strength: The rigid practices of Ceremonial Magic upon nature deep within the city and find it hard, if
make it easy to reproduce, and makes scholarly not impossible, to harm someone from within a
materials that much more useful. Their Supernatural peaceful environment.
Merits can benefit from the Library merit if taken Strength: Hedge Witches excel at improvised
with the appropriate skill, even if their use is effects; remove two dice of penalties from any
technically a single roll, so long as the activation Supernatural Merit activation that’s done with an
requires more than a spontaneous instant action. instant action and no more than a turn of
This works with appropriate repositories, as well. preparation, no matter what the source of those
Weakness: Ceremonial Magicians believe that penalties. This does not provide a bonus if the roll
magic comes through proper preparation and ritual. isn’t penalized.
They suffer a -1 penalty on the activation roll of any Weakness: Warlocks are affected heavily by their
Supernatural Merit that requires only an instant environment; any location not conducive to the
action and no more than a turn of preparation. desired effect causes a -1 penalty to any Supernatural
Free Merit: Luck Magic (••) Merit activations for them (this penalty can not be
Common Merits: Alchemy, Biokinesis, canceled by their Strength). For instance, using
Channeling, Communion, Consecrate Weapon Psychic Empathy to try and seduce someone at a
(Hurt Locker), Clairvoyance, Ephemeral Trans- funeral will suffer this penalty.
mutation, Evocation/Invocation, Invoke Spirit (Hurt Free Merit: Familiar (••)
Locker), Laying on Hands, Medium, Psychic Common Merits: Aura Reading, Animal Speech,
Empathy. Clairvoyance, Evil Eye (Hurt Locker),
Evocation/Invocation, Incite Ecosystem (Hurt
Hedge Witches Locker), Laying on Hands, Luck Magic, Medium,
Psychic Empathy, Visionary Trance, Weather
It’s nearly impossible to describe a “typical” Hedge
Control.
Witch’s ritual, and even harder still to describe a
typical Hedge Witch themself, because Hedge
Witches tend to be one of the most diverse Traditions
Shamans
of Thaumaturges you can find, only held together as A perhaps overused and generalized term, Shamans
a Tradition by a few common threads. Hedge Magic are simply those that act as intermediaries between
tends to rely on affecting other people more than it the world of flesh and the world of spirits, having an
does affecting oneself, and it’s usually the most unnatural level of awareness of the Shadow Realm
visceral of the different Traditions, the most likely to that allows them to fulfill that role. The first Shamans
provide physical results and rely on physical likely originated ages ago, acting as assistants to the
trappings. Wise in tribal villages, before the Spirit Wilds were
It should be noted, of course, that not all Wiccans cut off from humanity by the Gauntlet. Few, if any,
act as true Hedge Witches, and for that matter, not know anything about their origin today, but the
all “Witches” truly follow Wiccan traditions. Many Tradition itself remains.

Unlike many Thaumaturges, Shamans tend to
believe their magic comes from pacts made with
Taoist Alchemists
spirits, agreements that are fueled by the Shadow’s Taoism is a combination of psychology and
inhabitants to allow the ritualist to affect the world philosophy that eventually was formed into a major
around them. Others might say it’s a blessing of those religion. The base element of it involves finding a way
spirits, but doesn’t rely on them after that gift is to sync oneself up to the flow of the multiverse, acting
conferred. Either way, the first step in becoming a in perfect accordance with the way they’re meant to
Shaman tends to be to learn to peer into their world exist within the world in order to return to the state
and speak with the Shadow’s inhabitants. their spirit held when still a part of the Tao. Beyond
While traditionally seen as a tribal practice, as that, it has expanded to a complex study of the
native practitioners of Shamanic faiths dwindle, human condition, consciousness, perception, and
many that take on the mantle are those born to more state of being.
modern societies with some inherent blessing or While Taoism has dwindled in the centuries since
ability to commune with those entities to begin with. its inception, and the use of the magic empowered by
Many such individuals lack a proper support base, its philosophies further still, practitioners can still be
though, and find themselves having difficulty existing found around the world. Even then, many Taoist
in a society that doesn’t believe what she’s seeing and spiritualists find themselves performing something
hearing actually exist. The lucky ones are discovered more akin to Shamanism than the forms of Alchemy
by other Shamans before they end up in a psychiatric boasted by practitioners of Wai-Dan and Nei-Dan.
ward. Even those that learn about what they really are Most forms of magic practiced by Taoist Alchemists
and what they’re dealing with find it difficult living come down to the perfection of the mind, body, and
among modern society as an intermediary, often spirit, bringing it to a state close to the Tao or
finding themselves living dual lives. bringing aspects of the outside world to it instead.
Whatever their origin, Shamans find most of their Some manage to perfect this to the point of taking on
magic involves ending up in a trance or similar spiritual forms and returning to the Tao, and others
dissociative state, aided through anything from instead seek out immortality, detaching from the
rhythmic music to hallucinogens. The depth of this typical expectation of their mortal spirit.
state can vary, of course; quick, minor rituals may While they don’t rely on complex rituals in the
involve little more than a momentary clearing of same way that Ceremonial Magicians do, Taoist
one’s thoughts, for instance. Alchemists nonetheless do find themselves heavily
Strength: Shamans are adept at dealing with spirits; dependent on time, focusing their minds over long
any social rolls or Supernatural Merit activation rolls periods and working their body in ways that simply
that involve dealing with spirits in some way gain a +1 don’t work instantaneously without an extraordinary
bonus. degree of effort.
Weakness: Shamans are forced to live dual lives, Strength: Centering the mind is an important step
seen by spirits as easily as they are by the mundane for Taoist Alchemists; on any day that they’ve
people surrounding them. They’re permanently Meditated, even as a prerequisite to a Supernatural
Resonant to any spirit, making them inherently Merit, they gain a +1 bonus on all Supernatural Merit
noticeable to them. Thankfully, this is usually more activations. As well, due to the way Nei-Dan works,
of an interest than the mild hostility most spirits have Biokinesis ••• acts as an optional, replacement
for those born of flesh, but they care little about if prerequisite for the Ephemeral Transmutation merit
their attention has an effect on the Thaumaturge’s (pg. 14).
day to day life. Weakness: Taoist Alchemy is rarely done quickly,
Free Merit: Visionary Trance (••) and when it must be, it relies on sheer force of will to
Common Merits: Astral Projection, Biokinesis, get their body and mind in the proper state for it.
Biomimicry (Hurt Locker), Dream Travel, When using a Supernatural Merit with an instant
Ephemeral Sight, Evocation/Invocation, Familiar, activation and no more than a turn of preparation, it
Hardened Exorcist (Hurt Locker), Laying on Hands, costs the Thaumaturge a point of Willpower even if
Medium, Warding, Weather Control. it wouldn’t normally. This does not affect those
powers that already cost Willpower.
Free Merit: Biokinesis (••)

Common Merits: Alchemy, Aura Reading, willing to seek out whatever magic will provide them
Channeling, Countermagic Ward, Ephemeral the most benefit, or draw in those willing to make an
Transmutation, Geomancy, Laying on Hands, offering of their own. This might, in some cases,
Longevity, Luck Magic, Medium, Omen Sensitivity, mean performing the Hollywood trope of raising the
Warding. dead (usually through an inhabiting ghost) or binding
a spirit into an object and offering it as a charm to
Vodoun those who would seek out such a service. Many Loa,
of course, care little for the morality of the one
Vodoun, more than any other of the Traditions making a proper offering to them.
described here, is often misunderstood. Hollywood, Either way, their magic relies on a connection to
western faiths, and even certain denizens of the the Loa and those with a sympathetic tie to them.
supernatural world perpetuate strange, dark This level of openness doesn’t extend only to those
stereotypes of them, most of which have little basis in the Vodoun practitioner seeks out, though, they risk
reality, or that, if they do, warp and skew it to make the influence of any sort of ephemeral beings they
the practice as a whole, rather than individual find themself running into.
practitioners, look inherently immoral. The practice Strength: Due to their connection to and practice
itself has been suppressed and vilified over the years, in dealing with the Loa, practitioners of Vodoun gain
and because of this, modern, actually capable
a +1 bonus on social rolls or rolls to utilize
Thaumaturges practicing it are few and far between. Supernatural Merits on ghosts.
Despite the popular culture, the primary purpose of Weakness: Practitioners, due to their interaction
most voodoo is to provide healing (whether spiritual
with (and being inhabited by) the Loa, are more easily
or physical), and either gain or offer wisdom.
maneuvered into a state of Possession. They’re treated
Practitioners make offerings to the Loa, whether in
as an Anchor for any ghost, solely for the purpose of
the form of sacrifices, clothing, and rituals that honor
having Manifestation Conditions applied to them.
them, or special implements favored by those strange
Free Merit: Unseen Sense (Ghosts)
entities. In return, the Loa will temporarily find their
Common Merits: Channeling, Countermagic
way into the practitioner’s mind (or body), offering
Ward, Curse Effigy (Hurt Locker), Ephemeral Sight,
insight or altering the world around them in a way
Evocation/Invocation, Laying on Hands, Luck
according to the ritualist’s desire.
Magic, Medium, Omen Sensitivity, Soul Jar,
Of course, stereotype or not, not all practitioners
Warding, Weather Control.
work to offer healing and insight. Bokor are often

Thaumaturge Merits
Thaumaturges gain 1 dot of their defining merit
(Thaumaturgy) for free in addition to any merits
gained from their Magical Tradition, and are
otherwise created the same way as any other Mortal
character.
Thaumaturgy (• to •••••)
Prerequisite: At least one Supernatural Merit that
requires activation.
Effect: Thaumaturgy is the practice of ritual magic,
whether through the lens of one of the Traditions or
through the improvised magic of a self-taught
practitioner. It has several scaling effects:
• Thaumaturges can utilize instantaneous
powers as rituals, extending the time taken in
order to lower the impact it has on their minds.
When activating a Supernatural Merit of a level Coven (• or •••••)
equal to or lower than their Thaumaturgy
Prerequisite: Thaumaturgy
rating that usually requires only an instant
Effect: With this merit, the Thaumaturge is capable
action and no more than a turn of preparation,
of performing rituals (per the description in the
the Thaumaturge may meditate (or perform a
Thaumaturgy merit) using the teamwork rules,
similar sort of ritual) beforehand in order to
allowing covens of ritualists to assist each other in
remove any Willpower point cost from the
casting magical effects they all know. This process
activation (if it would normally cost more than
doubles the time required of the ritual (either per roll
one point, multiply the time per roll
or of any flat period required) but affects each
accordingly; two points mean the meditation
member of the coven participating in the case of
takes twice as long, for instance). This can be
powers that normally only affect oneself.
used even if there’s no Willpower cost, in order
With the one-dot version of this Merit, every coven
to allow these merits to benefit from other
member must be a Thaumaturge that has both this
abilities that affect rituals.
merit and the one being cast. With the five dot
• When performing rituals (defined as either any
version, only the leading Thaumaturge needs to have
activation using the above system, or any
this merit, other Thaumaturges don’t need to have
Supernatural Merit that naturally requires
the Supernatural Merit, and non-Thaumaturges can
more than an instant action or turn of
be included if they have the Supernatural Merit being
preparation beforehand), if they double the
used.
time required (whether per roll or of a flat
Drawback: Differing methods of magic can
period required), they may ignore penalties
interfere with each other. For each member of the
equal to their Thaumaturgy rating on the
coven assisting in the ritual that relies on a different
activation. This can even remove penalties
tradition from the leader (those lacking one may
from Resistance.
count), the leader suffers a -1 penalty to their roll.
• This merit acts as a prerequisite for any other
Skilled Thaumaturges still often are better off with
Thaumaturgy merits. Other Thaumaturgy
“clashing” help, but there’s always the chance of a
merits require a rating in Thaumaturgy equal
participant doing more harm than good.
to or greater than their own rating, unless the
prerequisite lists a specific rating otherwise.
Dream (• to •••••)
Prerequisites: Thaumaturgy, Composure •••,
Wits •••

Effect: Once per chapter, your character can dig Longevity (•••••)
within her dreams for prophetic answers to
primordial truths. She may enter her own dreams Prerequisites: Thaumaturgy, Medicine •••+, and
without a meditation roll when she sleeps, and if she Biokinesis ••••+ or Alchemy ••••+
has a basic understanding of something she wishes to Effect: An effect beyond the reach of most
divine from her dreams, you may use this Merit. Your practitioners of magic, your character has learned to
character must sleep or meditate for at least four create a substance that relies on strange alchemical or
hours. Then, ask the Storyteller a yes or no question biological principles that allow the imbiber to live a
about the topic at hand. He must answer accurately, far longer life than is normally possible for a mortal.
but can use “maybe” if the answer is truly neither yes Creating the elixir requires materials of Availability
nor no. Depending on the answer, you may ask ••• or more, a point of Willpower, and an extended
additional questions, until you have asked questions Intelligence + Medicine roll, with a target of 10
equal to your Dream Merit dots. successes, or 20 if the target has already lived beyond
their natural lifespan (Storyteller discretion, but you
Familiar (•• or ••••) can usually assume 80 years or so). Add five to the
target if the intended recipient (who always must be
Prerequisites: Thaumaturgy •+, and Medium or predetermined) is someone other than the
Unseen Sense (per type of entity) Thaumaturge himself, and add ten more (15 total) if
Effect: Unlike typical mortals, who at best might the intended recipient has no supernatural abilities;
manage to Invoke a Spirit to act as a somewhat the intended recipient of a given dose of elixir must
suspect protector, Thaumaturges can forge a bond be decided upon creation, and it will only work for
with an ephemeral entity, which can be any sort of that individual. Upon consumption by the intended
ephemeral being the Storyteller deems is willing to target, they’ll cease aging for a period of time (see
create such a bond, with a Rank no higher than half Suggested Modifiers, below).
the merit rating. The Familiar inherently gains the This elixir does work on supernatural beings that
Familiar Manifestation Condition upon purchasing can die of old age, but has no effect on the undead or
this merit, and will generally act as a willing partner otherwise already immortal.
(not servant) to the Thaumaturge. Suggested Modifiers: Substance halts aging for a
day (-0), substance halts aging for a week (-1),
substance halts aging for a month (-3), substance halts
Familiar aging for a year (-6), mercury and gold are used as
ingredients (+1), vampiric vitae is used in the elixir
Manifestation Condition (+3, but bonds/addicts normally), target is not
The entity has been bonded to a thaumaturge. human (-2).
It may use any other Manifestations freely, but is
protected from Essence bleed. The entity and its
bonded thaumaturge may use one another’s
Magical Nexus (• to •••••)
senses with a reflexive action, and can use their Prerequisites: Thaumaturgy •+, Safe Place
powers through each other’s senses by spending a Effect: A Magical Nexus is a place of mystical
point of Willpower. power, where supernatural energy either flows
If an entity under the effects of Familiar is through in large amounts, is produced at a central
discorporated, it will reform in a location the point, or comes through from another realm
Thaumaturge has previously performed a ritual altogether. This can include Loci, Hallows, Cenotes,
within, generally the spot most important to and any similar places of power, but for the most part
them. their benefit to a Thaumaturge is the same (although
Causing the Condition: This Condition is you may want to define what it specifically is with
created with a purchase of the Familiar merit. your Storyteller, for the sake of story considerations);
Ending the Condition: This Condition only the location’s rating is added to the dice pool of any
ends upon a mutual termination by the entity and rituals (defined as in the Thaumaturgy merit)
the Thaumaturge. performed there.
Generally speaking, the higher the rating of the
Nexus, the wider its area of influence; one dot

Nexuses might be as small as a room, whereas a five additional protection against magic, for instance, or
dot Nexus could cover an entire warehouse. Repositories that react to the thoughts of those
Drawback: Other Thaumaturges, and indeed, far looking through them, providing a further bonus to
more dangerous denizens of the Night, may envy your research, or even Housing of a particularly eldritch
claim and seek to take it for themself. The higher the “feel” are all fine. This bonus can go above the normal
rating, the more noticeable the location generally is +5 limit for equipment.
to others, and the more they may be willing to risk to
gain control of it. Prolonged Magic (•••••)
Mastery of Minor Magic (•) Effect: You’ve learned to channel additional power
Prerequisites: Thaumaturgy into your rituals, allowing them to remain in effect
Effect: Any mortal is capable of some level of minor for much longer than normal. By taking a -2 penalty
magic or ritual, if they truly believe themselves and spending an additional point of Willpower
capable; abjurism, summoning, warding, charm (ignoring per-action limits, if it already costs one)
making, and amulet crafting all carry some level of when casting a ritual (as defined in the Thaumaturgy
mysticism to them, raw human will being filtered merit), you may extend the duration of the power as
through the spirit to effect change on the world, or at follows: scene-long effects last a day, day-long effects
least to affect particular types of supernatural beings. last a week, week-long effects last a month, month-
In addition to your more specialized rituals, you’ve long effects last a season, and season-long effects last
mastered these more “universal” spells, and gain the a year. If the power wouldn’t last any of those
9-again benefit on making use of any of them. The amounts of time, exactly, round down to the nearest
Storyteller is the ultimate arbiter of what qualifies. “step” before upgrading it (e.g. three days becomes a
week). This has no effect on rituals that would last less
Minor Enchantment (••• or •••••) time than a scene.
Effect: When using Equipment Crafting rules to
Scaled Ritual (•••)
create Mystical/Supernatural Equipment (Chronicles Prerequisites: Thaumaturgy, Wits •••
of Darkness pg. 100, God Machine Chronicle pg. Effect: The Thaumaturge has learned to expand the
241), you may craft equipment that provides a dice scale of their rituals, using more elaborate and
bonus of +1 higher than normal, but must use practiced magics to affect more than the usual single
extended rules for crafting, adding 5 successes to the target. When casting a ritual (per the definition in the
usual total. At 5 dots, it can be +2 higher, but requires Thaumaturgy merit) that has a single target, they may
10 extra successes. This can go above the usual +5 take a -2 penalty to both any preparations and the
limit for an equipment bonus. The character need activation itself, representing a more complex spell, to
not pay Experiences for those created for themself become able to target a second individual (or another
(though the Storyteller may limit how many they can type of target, as appropriate).
safely keep on hand), but others receiving these Use the highest of any Resistances, add any other
objects should take the Minor Relic merit below penalties that apply to either together, and compare
(ignoring the usual Prerequisite, but only applying to the successes separately against each target if the
this specialized Mystical Equipment). power’s contested (but only roll once). The power
otherwise affects both targets the same way (barring
Minor Relic (• to •••) different success/failure on a contested roll). In the
case of rituals that normally only target the
Prerequisites: Thaumaturgy •+ Thaumaturge themself, the second target must be
Effect: Your character has access to a minor magical touched at the end of the ritual and be present the
item, something that’s soaked up intense resonance whole time.
or perhaps absorbed some amount of supernatural
energy at a Nexus. Whatever the case, it provides its
rating in equipment bonus above and beyond what it
Sympathetic Magic (••••)
would normally provide. Creative applications of this Prerequisites: Thaumaturgy, Occult ••••
merit are fine; Occult equipment that provides

Effect: Your character is able to perform rituals at a their magic or powers, a friend, lover, or close
sympathetic distance, that is, on those not present for colleague, objects of emotional significance or
the ritual, but who can be targeted with the aid of a close connection, or something that similarly
focus of some kind, representing the target or perhaps has a fairly obvious tie. Take a -6 penalty on the
even being made of a piece of them. For any ritual (as roll.
defined by the Thaumaturgy merit) that targets • Weak: The Thaumaturge has access to
another individual, object, or singular point of a something barely connected to the target, but
location, but that normally must rely on sensory that still has some level of tie, like something
range, the Thaumaturge may take a penalty according previously affected by their powers, casual
to the closest sort of connection they have to the acquaintances, belongings that have been used
target to use the ritual at a distance. If you don’t know at least once or that touched or were placed by
the name of a targeted individual (if appropriate), the object/area for a significant period of time,
increase the penalty by an additional -2. or something that closely represents them, like
• Sensory/Connected: The Thaumaturge is able a picture taken. Take a -8 penalty on the roll.
to see the target for the entire ritual, but not The Thaumaturgy merit can reduce these penalties
through their own natural senses, or has as normal. Any connection less than Weak makes the
something that is sympathetically the same as ritual impossible. Note that this merit is not needed
the target (like a Familiar or their original soul). for rituals that already can target distant individuals,
Take a -2 penalty on the roll. like Clairvoyance and Luck Magic.
• Strong: The Thaumaturge has something Drawback: Supernatural beings often have a sense
closely metaphysically linked to the target, such for sympathetic magics targeting them, and so
as their spouse or lifelong friend, a (permanent) attempting to harm them from afar can still be
magic item created by them, bodily samples dangerous. Vampires sense Sympathetic Magic like
(hair, blood, etc.), a piece of an object or they do Blood Sorcery, Werewolves treat it like a weak
location, or something of a similar (-3) trail they can follow, Mages find their Peripheral
relationship. Take a -4 penalty to the roll. Senses triggered at the start of the ritual, and other
• Medium: The Thaumaturge has something Supernatural beings will sense it in a way appropriate
linked to the target, such as items imbued by to their own unique senses, at Storyteller discretion.

Chapter Three:
Chapter Three:
WhatShould
What Should Not
Not
Be
Be
There are entities out there stranger than the most detached spirit, warped
ghost, or inscrutable angel. Beings whose very existence strains reality around
them, and whose appearance can warp the minds of those who see them. They
want little more than to control, warp, or destroy our universe as we know it, or
to take hold of it and make it into something reflecting their own inner chaos.
These primordial forces, these creatures from the darkest, deepest depths of the
universe, whether through malice or alien nature, cause untold suffering to
humanity whenever and wherever they appear.
Yet some people, those with twisted minds and nihilistic morals, welcome
“Nothing is more these creatures. They call them forth, inviting them into the world, and perhaps
frightening than a even worship them like mad gods. Most who stand against these strange
intruders into reality face off not against the beings themselves, but the mortals
fear you cannot they’ve drawn before them and warped to their purpose. The strange ritualists
name.” hidden in hovels, calling a strange taint on the area around them. The groups
of “criminals” in the night, swiping objects that have seemingly no value from
- Cornelia Funke, highly protected places. The shadowy figures meeting in abandoned buildings
most won’t go anywhere near.
Inkheart
While ultimately, the eldritch beings that are being sought out are an untold
danger that will need to be brought down and defeated, no chance of that
presents itself until the servitors they’ve built up have been dealt with first.
Things That Should Not Be

Before the Cult or any Reality Blasphemy can be created, the entity that they
serve, admire, or simply attempt to mirror the discerned goals of needs to be
created. There are countless variations on the types of entities that come from
the spaces between, outer dimensions, and the void itself, but a loose “catalog”
of the more common types exists. The following should not be considered the
only types of Things That Should Not Be, but they form a wide basis of
possibilities, and the most common types (if any could be called “common”) for
the PCs to run into.
As usual, the Storyteller should feel free to come up with new types altogether,
or even to blur the lines between what’s found in these pages; perhaps what first
was thought to be an Outer Demon was really just reflecting some flaw in the
universe, for instance.

the world, steadily increasing their influence and
Alien Gods destabilizing the world as they enact their vision on it.
Effectively ephemeral deities that fall under no These beings favor Reality Blasphemies more than
known classification for such beings, these minor complex Cults, and often only offer a few Rites to
gods exist out of phase with time and space, intruding their followers, but a large potential number of
into our reality for reasons unknown, often requiring Powers for those that allow their masters to warp
very specific culminations of temporal and physical them in their image. These powers and abilities,
circumstances to even begin to reach out to those in though, are usually very physical, more apt to provide
this world. They’re one of the most likely to be able an enhancement of their bodies than more
to speak in languages understandable by humans, and ephemeral capabilities.
as such are the ones that attract the largest number of
Cult leaders to their cause, although lone Reality
Demons of the Outer Realms
Blasphemers are fewer and farther between. Not to be confused with the corrupting influences
When lacking a manifestation in this world, they of the Inferno, or the mind-born goetic tempters
exist stretched across multiple dimensions and layers found in the astral, these inimical creatures have a
of reality, our own realm acting almost hostile to their hatred for the concept of life itself, their nature
presence. They work indirectly, relying on the Cultists grating against it like sandpaper whenever they come
that follow them more than any direct intervention, too close to it. Many, as such, seek to snuff it out, but
and in the rare times they do manifest, it’s briefly, are patient, willing to make use of such living beings
taking the forms of strange amalgamations of plant, to assist with a grander level of destruction.
animal, and matter that never feel quite right to those Of particular note, though, is the fact that these
that observe them. distinct entities are often more fathomable, and
Mechanically, Alien Gods can typically offer a large indeed, more easily controlled and destroyed, to the
number of Rites of any level to their followers, point of causing no small number of arrogant
although Reality Blasphemers are fewer and farther “demonologists” to attempt to summon and bind
between, due to the indirect way they act upon the them to their will. More often than not, however,
world. Often, Alien Gods are higher Rank when they they rely on human mythology to guide their rituals,
take ephemeral form (see below), often 5 or even 6. which these creatures lie entirely outside of, allowing
them to resist the flawed magic and subjugate the
Chaos and Creation Beings summoners themselves, giving them their first
Despite often representing little more than raw foothold into the world. As such, they’re the entities
chaos and potential, Chaos Beings are often the more most likely to be “physically” involved with their
fathomable, understandable entities that individuals Cults, in one form or another.
might cross the path of, as the nature of Chaos and As such, while high-level Rites and a multitude of
primordial Creation is native to our universe, and Dread Powers for the Cults and Blasphemers that
thus can be conceived more easily by its inhabitants. follow them are often off the table, Demons are often
However, they’re still inimical to the universe as it able to intervene directly with more ease, taking on
currently exists, as raw Creation and manifestations physical forms and using their powers directly to assist
of Chaos, when unchecked, can have a devastating their followers in enacting their will.
effect on its inhabitants and the laws that govern it.
Their followers are attracted to them through the
Flaws in Reality
promise of never-ending orgiastic bliss, boiling down Less distinct entities and more minor flaws in the
their existence to little more than an endless flow of makeup of the universe itself cascading upon
pleasure and creation. themselves, these quantifiable phenomena are often
Such beings never take on a physical form, as they anthropomorphized by their insane followers, called
can’t properly conceive them in the same way that “blind” or “idiot” gods, treated like beings that do
certain other types of entities can. While they don’t little more than tear down the fabric of reality. But
fracture themselves over all of creation like alien gods, this is not because of any great revelation provided
they nonetheless remain detached, slowly seeping in them, but simply the tendency of the human mind to
through as many points of ingress as they can forge in assign an intelligence to such a force, the same sort of
people that form cults and religions describing the

creation of the universe ascribing a personality to its
destruction.
Ephemeral Systems
The strange culminations of these flaws, despite While the strange entities that act as the patron to
lacking an actual will of their own, still sometimes do strange Cults and lone Reality Blasphemers can vary,
spawn lesser entities or “children” in the wake of their from alien entities to beings of pure chaos, they all
“failures”. These entities are almost paradoxes in a follow the same basic rules. Most Things That Should
way, the last lingering vestige of a species or Not Be (referred to as “Others” in shorthand) use the
phenomena that has fallen away from the universe, or game systems for Ephemeral Beings (Chronicles of
a law of physics that no longer exists given some Darkness, pg. 124), with a few changes relating to
strange form. They lack a directed purpose, seeking their unique nature, as follows.
only to further destroy or tear things down, but they
can often be bound more easily by those that follow Twilight
the Flaws they were given birth from. Others have their own phase of Twilight, separate
Lacking any true consciousness as they do, Flaws from ghosts, spirits, angels, goetia, and anything else
cannot provide Rites to their Cults, and any Dread beyond their own kind. Powers and abilities that work
Powers their Blasphemous followers gain are more on Twilight in general will affect them or allow
incidental than a blessing. However, the widespread perception of them, but those targeting a specific
nature of what they are allows many of their Cults to phase need to be designed anew to work on them.
learn to steal or adapt Rites from other sorts of
blasphemous beings, putting them to use and Rank
claiming them as their own mad god’s gift to them.
Generally speaking, Others that act as a patron to
Forces of Entropy Cults and Reality Blasphemers are at least Rank 3,
although minor creatures created by or otherwise
The inverted mirror of Chaos and Creation Beings, serving more powerful beings might be of lower rank.
rather than imposing unchecked creation and raw Truly reality-shattering entities can end up as high as
chaos into the universe, these strange, unknowable (if Rank 6 or 7. The mechanics otherwise remain the
still technically “conscious”) entities break down same.
what’s been created and given order, forcing it to
decay into nothingness or be more blatantly sucked Essence
into the void that is its own existence. Whether this
is because of some hunger for reality or hatred of it is Others regain Essence similarly to angels, through
hard to say, and in the end, it matters little to those appropriate offerings and sacrifices. They avoid
faced with the actions of such creatures. Essence bleed through a condition called
Despite their foreign nature, these Forces can take “Corruption”, which works similarly to
on apparent personalities that may be relatable to Infrastructure, but represents the influence of these
some nihilistic individuals, having a sort of subtlety strange outer entities, not the God-Machine, and is
and patience to them that allows them to slowly infect usually specific to an entity (Tagged as “Corruption
the populace, preparing it for the inevitable collapse (Zhuidhro),” for instance). It never occurs naturally,
of the surrounding world. Their worshippers often but cultists can build it up normally (as can an
have an inherent hatred for reality (or at least a appropriate Influence at 4+), after which it can be
specific part of it), fully aware that they’re dooming progressed through the Manifestation conditions
humanity to being cast into the void of nothingness through normal means.
that they’re empowering. Advantages
Entropic beings like these, despite their nature as
something that erodes and destroys, may still gift Like Spirits, Others lack Virtues, Vices, or Integrity,
Rites and Dread Powers to their followers. They can’t and regain 1 Willpower per 3 Essence regained.
offer as many Rites as Outer Gods, nor as many
Dread Powers as Chaotic Beings, but both Cultists Language
and Blasphemers find a variety of dark magics to call Some types of Others may speak human languages,
upon when they serve these creatures of destruction. but many rely on indirect forms of communications:
visions, strange signs, and emotional impulses

implanted into their followers. The Elder Tongue Rite However, the nature of these Others does provide
(pg. 42) can allow a ritualist to comprehend such one inherent way to understand them; in the same
beings no matter how they communicate. way their Cultists come to learn from them, so too
can those opposing them, by letting such a creature
Bans and Banes touch their mind. When such an entity causes a
Others often have strange Bans and Banes, perhaps Breaking Point for a character, if the Breaking Point
only tacitly relating to their forms or goals, and often roll is successful, an extended “research” roll can be
rely on a lot of research and specific circumstances to made to put together the fractured hints, symbols,
fully be taken advantage of. Decide their Ban/Bane as and visions that flooded their mind, requiring the
if they were a Rank higher, without feeling any need normal number of successes.
to match it to their nature, and similarly set any
threshold for research into them using the higher
Abjuration, Exorcism, Binding, and
effective Rank. Warding
Influences These systems all work normally, although the
nature of these beings does mean learning to make a
The Influences attained by Others are often very proper ward can be difficult — if the substance is even
general and thus powerful in their utility. Chaos something that can be found to begin with.
beings might have an Influence over Fate itself,
whereas a Reality Flaw’s child might have an Summoning
Influence over Matter as a whole. They otherwise Summoning is not possible with all Others, as most
work normally. Alien Gods and Reality Flaws are too far removed to
Manifestations truly manifest physically, but for those that can be
called (which must always be Rank 5 and below, and
Reality Blasphemies always gain Reaching as their have the Twilight Form manifestation), the system
free Manifestation instead of Twilight Form and may works similarly, relying on Corruption instead of
apply it to anything or any location with the other Manifestation conditions. However, those that
Corruption condition attuned to them, instead of would rely on a Gateway of some sort to cross into
themselves, as their own “realm” lacks a direct analog, our world must be summoned with the appropriate
unlike the Shadow of Spirits. They typically lack any Rite (Compel the God, pg. 45).
sort of Gateway Manifestation, relying on Cultists
performing strange Rites to bring them across.
Numina
Others gain Dread Powers instead of Numina
(though may still choose the “Numen” power),
receiving the same number of them as other
Ephemera would receive Numina at the same Rank,
and they have a few unique Dread Powers they can
choose from (see below). The dice pool they use is
always Power + Finesse, and they may spend Essence
in place of Willpower. They may still trade these
Dread Powers for dots of Influences and
Manifestations.
Research
As mentioned, research rolls treat Others as if their
rank was one higher (needing 25 successes if their
effective Rank becomes 6), due to the obscurity of
most of their weaknesses. As well, “new” creatures are
all too common, making research an impossibility.

Manifest Horrors
Certain Things That Should Not be might take on
more solid forms on a permanent basis; Demons of
the Outer Darkness (see above) are especially likely to
take such a form when drawn fully into our reality.
In these cases, use the rules for creating Dread
Horrors (Chronicles of Darkness, pg. 140) for such
beings, who will almost always have a Potency of at
least 5, if not more.
As with Ephemeral versions, they have access to
some unique Dread Powers, which they can offer to
Reality Blasphemers that follow them. These
creatures will always still have a Bane and Ban,
however, and thus can be subjected to Warding and
Binding, and still lack a Virtue and Vice. It’s generally
not recommended to use the “Brief Nightmares”
system (Chronicles of Darkness, pg. 143) to represent
Others, but their servants and spawn can safely be
represented with those systems.
Stranger Things
Sometimes, Others aren’t anything truly
quantifiable, and existing game systems might not
seem appropriate for them. Flaws in Reality,
especially, may simply work akin to a system of Tilts
imposed on reality and a “Ban” that will cause it to
cease to exist. The Storyteller shouldn’t feel confined
to using Ephemeral or Horror systems, nor to relying
wholly on the Core or this supplement for where they
gain their Dread Powers and other abilities. Things
That Should Not Be are rarely confronted directly,
and if they are, they should shock and confuse the
characters and players alike, rather than following
predictable patterns.

Dread Powers protection that isn’t somehow mental in nature, as
their bodies and minds twist and contort, blood
The following Dread Powers are unique to Things flowing from their ears and bruises forming along
That Should Not Be, and the Reality Blasphemers their veins. A character that is entirely deaf or
that follow them. Remember that dice pools can vary otherwise unable to hear any amount of the sound, or
per entity and character that uses them. Dread Powers that has a dot of Reality Blasphemer or Mystery Cult
from the Chronicles of Darkness core book and Initiation for a Thing’s cult, is not affected.
Cults and Followers

other sources can be taken for Others and their
Blasphemers as the Storyteller deems suitable.
Things That Should Not Be rarely have any ability

Crushing Will to influence the world in major ways without some
The creature is capable of imposing its raw will over level of assistance. There may be a few small places
the minds of others for short periods of time. Spend their influence can break through, however, people
1 point of Willpower and roll its dice pool against the whose minds are attuned to the otherworldly, or
target’s Resolve + Supernatural Tolerance. For one whose dreams touch upon strange realms. With a few
turn per success rolled over the target’s, the creature promises of power (or a few well-placed lies)
is able to control them like a puppet with a reflexive directions can be passed along to slowly grow their
action. This only allows physical actions to be forced, impact on the world.
and so cannot be used to activate their supernatural Note: The following options are, by default,
abilities or perform mental or social actions. available only to Storyteller characters; not only are
they dark, antagonistic options, but Rites and Powers
Sign of Madness are a bit more powerful than most other Supernatural
options available to mortals, and are designed around
This Power allows the creature to create a symbol the idea of antagonist NPCs, not PCs, using them.
representing it, akin to the Sign Numina, but it costs With Storyteller permission, however, PCs may be
1 Willpower and can be used at any distance (if allowed to take the Independent Dabbler merit (see
ephemeral, it may be used with the Reaching below).
Manifestation, but relies on the Corruption
condition). It can’t be altered much from a single
chosen symbol (beyond applying to different
Mystery Cults
mediums) but provides a +5 equipment bonus for the The Cults of the Others are effectively very
creature or those aligned with it to Intimidate others, deranged, blasphemous Mystery Cults, and for the
or to Force Doors in social maneuvering. most part, they’re designed the same way. The
Purpose and Doctrine are generally going to be
Tentacles (• to •••) defined by their patron, whatever task and
philosophies the Other has set up for them, or
A variation on Natural Weaponry, the character whatever Purpose and Doctrine they’ve surmised
has tentacles, which act as 0 Lethal weapons that gain from mad revelations they’ve claimed regarding its
a bonus equal to the Power’s rating to establish a nature, in some cases. Cults of The Things That
grapple and to any grappling maneuvers. Should Not Be don’t require a Relic, though many
will nonetheless gravitate towards one, whether an
Word of Power actual piece of their god or something merely
representative.
The creature is capable of uttering a word in a
The primary benefit beyond the usual mechanics of
strange, blasphemous tongue that scars the mind and
a Mystery Cult, however, is the availability of Rites.
soul of those that hear it, mortal minds unable to
Depending on the Thing involved (as described in the
process it properly. The creature spends a point of
Blasphemous Beings section), create a list of Rites (see
Willpower and rolls its dice pool, resisted by the
below) that the Cult has access to. Purchasing a Rite
highest Composure of any who can hear its natural
requires 1 Experience per dot of its rating, and
voice (powers and technology will not improve its
requires that they have a Mystery Cult Initiation
range). For each success rolled, those affected take 1
equal to or greater than that rating. In some cases,
bashing damage, which bypasses any armor or

Cults of the Others may provide Rites automatically Reality Blasphemy (• to •••••;
as benefits, granting them similarly to dots of merits
(so a 1-dot Rite could be granted at levels one or two Supernatural)
in Mystery Cult Initiation, for instance). Rites all Prerequisites: Mortal
inherently count as rituals for the purposes of the Effect: Reality Blasphemy provides two benefits. To
Thaumaturge Merit Template (pg. 29); indeed, many start with, they may learn the Rites of a single Thing
Cultists that focus heavily on their magics will That Should Not Be, for the same cost as a Cultist.
become Thaumaturges, and those that do treat their However, their primary benefit comes from the
Cult as their Magical Tradition, gaining two dots of blessings they receive directly from their patrons, who
Rites for free (feel free to come up with unique alter them in ways according to the purpose they have
Strengths and Weaknesses for a Cult’s in mind for their “chosen” servants. For each dot in
Thaumaturges, depending on the entity they follow). the merit, they receive one Dread Power known by
Similarly, while Cultists don’t inherently gain the Thing That Should Not Be that they’ve chosen.
access to the Dread Powers of those that command This merit may not be taken more than once; none
them (see Reality Blasphemy for that, below), some of the Others will allow for such split loyalty.
Cults might provide them as benefits. One Power can Drawback: Reality Blasphemers always have the
be provided at level 3 of Initiation, and two can be Corruption condition for all Things That Should Not
provided at four or five. This is very common for Be, and are Open to their own Patron and the entities
Chaos or Creation beings, especially. that serve it. For those patrons that are built as Dread
To note, Supernatural creatures can and often do Horrors, they instead are always aware of the exact
join up with such Blasphemous Cults. While location of Reality Blasphemies attuned to them. As
characters with a full Supernatural Template are well, for each dot in the merit, the character suffers a
incapable of buying Rites, they may still benefit from -1 penalty on any Breaking Point roll made that has
Rites and Powers granted directly by the Mystery Cult anything to do with their service to their
Initiation merit itself. Of course, most Supernatural Blasphemous patron.
Creatures are likely to use the Mystery Cult Influence
merit instead (Mage: the Awakening, pg. 103; the Independent Dabbler (••, ••••, or •••••;
Storyteller might allow characters other than Mages
to take this merit), representing a willingness to Supernatural)
benefit from these dark magics but perhaps not Prerequisites: Not a Reality Blasphemy or in a Cult
directly serve such creatures. of a Thing That Should Not Be
Drawback: Being a part of a Blasphemous cult is Effect: Through careful study of what makes
never easy on the mind. Cultists of Things That Blasphemous Beings tick, you’ve managed to learn
Should Not Be suffer a breaking point for each dot just a bit of the magic that they normally reserve for
they purchase (this applies to alternative Integrity their followers and servants. You gain one
equivalents at Storyteller discretion). Blasphemous Rite (see below) of level 1 at two dots,
Reality Blasphemies level 2 at four dots, or level 3 at five dots.

This merit may be taken more than once, choosing
Congregations of religious servitors aren’t the only a new Rite each time.
ones that find themselves following or being Drawback: Borrowing the power of these beings is
influenced by these strange entities. Those that are not without risk. For one scene after you’ve utilized
directly altered by Blasphemous beings are a bit this Rite, you take the Corruption condition tied to
different; touched so intimately by the dark gods they the entity you stole it from, or a materialized Other
serve, they become Reality Blasphemies, dark gains a +3 bonus to tracking you for the same time
conduits of the power of these creatures, barely period.
contained within a mortal body.
It’s also possible for someone to end up dabbling Blasphemous Rites
into dark rites and the strange abilities; this isn’t quite What follows is a small sample of Rites that Things
as dangerous as delving fully into a Cult or giving That Should Not Be can offer their followers, but the
oneself over fully to the Others, but it’s still far from Storyteller should feel free to come up with more,
safe and reliable. perhaps pulling them from the magics of other

Supernatural creatures. A Rite costs 1 Experience per Apprehend the Ephemeral (•)
dot in its rating, and each one is effectively a
Supernatural Merit, for all purposes. This does mean This rite allows the performer to see and
that Supernatural creatures cannot, by default, make communicate with beings of any sort that exist in
use of them. However, those that are part of a Twilight (of any phase) in the immediate vicinity
Blasphemous Cult may use those Rites directly (including Others in Twilight Form). If such an entity
granted by that Cult’s Initiation benefits. seeks to hide from the performer, a Perception roll is
All Rites use the same basic system, although the required on the ritualist’s part if hidden mundanely,
exact activities, implements, and ritual ingredients or a Clash of Wills if they’re hidden supernaturally
will vary between them (listed as the “Offerings” of (the ritualist rolls Supernatural Potency + Wits).
each ritual). Mechanically, 1 point of Willpower is Many natural spirits find the use of this rite angering
spent, and an extended Intelligence + Occult roll is or terrifying, as they know the source of the power to
made, with 2 successes needed per level of the Ritual. be a crime against nature. As a result, most spirits
Each roll represents a half-hour of time spent (unless contacted with this rite are hostile. As well, this
the ritual says otherwise), and this is not modified by inherently applies the Corruption condition to the
merits that alter the time taken for mundane ritualist.
extended actions, like Good Time Management. Offerings: The cultist must blindfold himself with
Unless a Rite mentions otherwise, the target of a a strap made from the caul of a fetal mammal that was
Rite does not need to be present for this ritual, but if aborted from its mother’s womb. Once the rite is
they aren’t, An arcane connection is needed; this can complete, the blindfold may be removed and put
be either a part of the target’s body (such as hair, back on freely for the scene in which the rite is active,
fingernails or an eyeball), or an important and but while the blindfold is off the performer may not
symbolic possession of the target (such as the glove see or communicate with ephemeral beings.
with which he used to play baseball with his now-dead
father, or a wedding ring). If a victim succeeds at their Dread Voyage of the God (•)
resistance roll against the ritual, they can’t be targeted
A cultist takes advantage of the sanity-violating
by the same one by the same ritualist for 24 hours.
nature of his master, opening bizarre and twisting
Note: For the names listed below, any mention of
paths that move in and out of the cracks of reality to
“the God” in the name should be replaced with the
reduce the amount of time it takes to travel to a
name of the specific Other that empowers it. So,
destination. The cultist must specify the place to
“Unblinking Eye of the God” becomes “Unblinking
which he wishes to travel. He may bring others along
Eye of Elar’hdi” when learned from that entity.
for the journey. All must be present and touching
when the rite is performed, and all must walk or run
Roll Results
the whole distance with the cultist. Each additional
Dramatic Failure: The ritual immediately fails,
traveler imposes a –1 penalty to the activation rolls.
with all progress lost. The ritualist suffers a breaking
At the end of the rite’s performance, a harrowing
point at a -1 penalty, as the clumsy attempt at such
channel opens in thin air, taking performers half in
dangerous magics cracks open their mind. Rites taken
and half out of reality as they walk through bizarre
from Others that pay attention to their cultists might
and warped versions of the world to arrive at their
also cause the Corruption condition and a bit of
destination. The normal time required to get to a
unhappy focus from the ritualist’s patron.
destination is reduced by 25% (40% on an
Failure/Success: As normal for extended rolls. If
exceptional success).
the extended action is successful, the Rite is enacted
Note that the twisting path does not allow the
as described.
cultist to bypass any blocks or wards between him and
Exceptional Success: The caster may either reduce
his destination. Observers who do not partake of the
the time taken for any remaining rolls by one half
rite cannot enter the portal. Travelers are immune to
(minimum of 1 turn, for shorter Rites), gain the
attacks from the physical or spirit world, although
Connected condition for those connected to the
direct magical efforts could still affect them, at
Other that provides the Rite, or gain the Exceptional
Storyteller discretion.
Success result described in certain specific rituals.
There is no room for dawdling once on a Dread
Voyage, as the strange energies of the in-between

realm start to siphon the living energy around them. provides one Aspiration, short term goal, or relevant
Each additional hour spent on the path beyond mental Condition (like Obsession); this knowledge
what’s necessary to make the journey imposes one will also improve the ritualist’s Impression by one
point of lethal damage on each traveler. step in Social Maneuvering attempts against the target
Unlike most Rites, this ritual only requires a single within the next 24 hours, as they learn exactly what
turn per roll. buttons to push. Gem in the Garden can be cast
Offerings: A Möbius strip made of human flesh, against a victim only once per month, and imparts
with the name of the destination written on it with new information only if a new temptation comes into
the black bile of a fish sacrificed to the performer’s a subject’s life.
deity. Offerings: Opiate incense must be inhaled during
the course of this rite.
Elder Tongue (•)
Use of this rite allows a cultist to read, speak and
Infusion of the God (•)
comprehend the alien and gibbering tongue of his This rite allows a cultist to profane an area, allowing
master. This capability lasts 24 hours. No sane, mortal it to be used more easily by their patron deity or to
being may understand the language without the use allow its servants safe haven there. The rite targets a
of this rite, making it a useful tool for single building or similar area no larger than a small
communications that cannot be deciphered by house (although a three-dot version of this Rite exists
outsiders. The language is obviously wrong and that will affect anything up to the size of a large
disturbing to the uninitiated. Any hearing or seeing it warehouse), inflicting the Corruption condition on
know that something about it is terrifying and it, attuned to the ritualist’s deity. This lasts for the rest
horrific, though those with no knowledge of the of the Story, or until the condition is dissolved with a
hidden world simply put it out of mind. This rite purification involving the Other’s bane.
makes it possible to read ancient texts dedicated to Offerings: The cultist requires the blood of a
the Others, and lends a +2 bonus to any roll that scavenging animal, a predator, themself, and an
occurs in the next 24 hours to learn a rite from such unwilling human to mark the area with.
a tome or to research any entities referred to by them.
Note that this rite affects only the cultist who casts Mark of the God (•)
it, and cannot be used to give knowledge of a language
to others. (Although a third-level rite called Gift of This rite allows a cultist to inscribe the symbol of
the Tongue can do so, granting knowledge of the her lord upon a location or item, making it a ward
language to all present and active in the rite at the against any other servant or child of the deity that
time of casting. Otherwise, that rite is identical to this would do her harm. This rite does not protect against
one.) the servants of other entities, much less against alien
Offerings: The cultist must ritually mark the beings themselves, only against other spawn or
bottom of her own tongue with a concoction of followers of the Thing that the cultist worships. Even
hemlock ashes and urine that leaves a stain for the 24 cultists recognize that their brethren within the ranks
hours that the effect applies. bear a threat to one another.
Successfully performing this rite means that any
such spawn or agent that comes within 10 yards of the
Gem in the Garden (•) marked place or item suffers a –2 penalty to all attacks
This rite allows a cultist to peer into the mind and and actions intended to harm the performer. Once
heart of a person to see what she desires most. Not inscribed, the mark lasts for one lunar month. Only
what she most loves, or what she wants most purely, one mark may exist in a given space at a time. If a new
but that which she hopes to control, dominate or turn one is drawn by the ritualist, any old one is made
to her will. Casting this rite requires an extended and invalid; if drawn by another individual, a Clash of
contested roll against the victim’s Composure + Wills is made to see who’s retains power (both roll
Supernatural Tolerance, which is a reflexive and Supernatural Potency + Presence). Living people and
subconscious effort on the part of the target. animals can be drawn upon too, even the performer
Success grants the cultist knowledge of the target’s herself. No one but the performer of the rite benefits
Vice, and each additional success above the target

from its protection, even if the mark is drawn upon a crazed and distorted — but often eerily accurate —
someone else. vision of things soon to come. Such insight offers
Note that a mark can give clues as to the nature of many clues as to what the future may hold, but they’re
the Thing venerated, giving inspectors a +2 bonus to obscure and symbolic, often not showing their true
Investigation and Occult rolls (or an extra element to meaning until an appropriate time comes; this is
a Clue, if the Investigation system is being used). represented by gaining the Steadfast condition, and
Offerings: The cultist must use 13 drops of her own an Informed condition of the Storyteller’s choice. A
blood, drawn with a ritual knife, as ink to scribe the performer may benefit from only one enactment of
mark. this rite at a time. The future revealed is never more
than a few days ahead.
Babble of Horrid Voices (••) Offerings: The entrails of a mammal that dies while
the rite is conducted.
This rite forces the language and voice of a Thing
into a victim’s mind, subjecting him to babbling,
alien thoughts. The victim is left speaking in tongues,
Perverted Desire (••)
unable to communicate. Even his written word is This rite allows the performer to tap into the most
rendered nonsensical; handwritten and typed perverse and destructive desires of the dark and
messages come out as gibberish. haunted corners of the human mind, bringing them
This effect lasts until the next sunrise. During that to the forefront of a subject’s consciousness while
time the victim suffers the Mute condition (but instilling a compelling urge to act on them. Activation
representing gibberish, not an absence of their voice) involves an extended and contested roll against the
and is at a -3 penalty to all Social rolls to otherwise subject’s Composure + Supernatural Tolerance;
communicate. Activation of this rite is an extended resistance is reflexive.
and contested roll against the victim’s Composure + If the cultist succeeds, the victim is subject to a
Supernatural Tolerance; resistance is reflexive. horrible, grotesque urge from her own subconscious,
Offerings: An animal or person’s tongue. causing the Obsession condition. This urge can be
anything from eating bloody, raw meat to rolling in
Eye of the God (••) feces to copulating with a dead body. This doesn’t
mean the victim falls reveling into a full-bore
This rite causes the miasmic forces of an entity to perversion, but she will often take an action she
be turned against the luck, fate or karma of a subject. would normally consider unacceptable — sniffing at
A victim is plagued by minor bad luck for the next 24 the meat or groping the corpse. This may trigger a
hours, much of it with a malicious bent. Drivers Breaking Point, if appropriate to the character.
deliberately steer into puddles to splash the subject. Once the rite is completed, it afflicts the victim in
Vindictive bureaucrats destroy his applications. the next 24 hours. No more than one application of
Muggers choose him rather than a rich-looking mark this effect can bear on a victim at one time.
further down the block. The bad luck is not usually Offerings: The cultist must ritually indulge in a
anything life-altering, but it is enough to ruin perverted act similar to the one on which the victim
someone’s day and fill him with a paranoia that the will dwell.
world conspires against him. As a result, the subject
suffers a –1 penalty to all Social rolls while under the
effects of the rite and treats the Impression of others
Primal Shudder (••)
as one lower for Social Maneuvering (even if they This rite injects the fearful taint of one of the
don’t actually feel any worse about the character). Others into the ritualist, imbuing him with a creeping
Offerings: A large crystal carved into the symbolic air of primal evil. When the rite is enacted, the cultist
form of the eye of a deity, sprinkled with tears. chooses one of two effects: fear or lust. Those who
choose fear gain a +2 bonus on all Social rolls to
Harbinger (••) intimidate, distract, confuse or disrupt people they
confront, including forcing doors in Social
This rite gives the cultist a view of the future as it’s Maneuvering. Those who choose lust gain a +2 bonus
perceived by the inhuman intelligence of her to all Social rolls to persuade, seduce, distract or
otherworldly master. Essentially, Harbinger gives her deceive others, and are treated as having an

impression one higher than normal when calling occluded thoughts take on the shape of nightmares
upon such methods in Social Maneuvering. Either tainted by the touch of Things. But so long as the
effect lasts for one day. Only one instance of this Rite rite’s power is unbroken, the subject is unable to
may apply to a subject at a time. willingly remember anything about the event in
Offerings: The spine of a monkey, rabbit or human question.
being. Activation of this rite is an extended and contested
roll against the victim’s Resolve + Supernatural
All Eyes Serve the God (•••) Tolerance; resistance is reflexive. Success alters up to
one night’s worth of memories, persistently inflicting
This rite allows a cultist to see through the eyes of a the Amnesia condition regarding those events. This
victim for the duration. The performer may see rite requires a victim to be physically present when
through the victim’s eyes at any time for the next day; performed; arcane connections are not acceptable.
no other sense can be substituted, only sight is Mundane and supernatural attempts to resolve the
available. condition (and thus restore the memory) work
While seeing through another’s eyes, the cultist is normally; for any Clash of Wills against a restorative
only dimly aware of his own body, which falls into a effect, the ritualist rolls Supernatural Potency +
trancelike state. Minor environmental stimuli have Manipulation.
no effect on his own body (such as an insect crawling Offerings: The victim must be forced to look at
across his skin or drops of water falling on his head), himself in a shattered mirror while words of horror
but aggressive actions perpetrated against him draw in ancient languages are spoken in his ear.
his consciousness back. The cultist can indulge in a
subject’s senses and return to his own body as often
as he likes throughout the rite’s duration; doing
Dreams of Lust and Terror (•••)
either is a reflexive action. Activation involves an The cultist is able to construct a dream in which to
extended and contested roll against the victim’s plunge a sleeping victim. This dream can portray
Resolve + Supernatural Tolerance; resistance is anything the cultist wishes, but he doesn’t control the
reflexive. event once it is projected. Essentially, the cultist sets
Offerings: An eye taken from an innocent child. the stage, puts the dream into the mind of the
sleeping victim and then lets the event run its course
Baleful Tribulation of the God (•••) through the victim’s subconscious. Common uses of
this rite involve dreams of terror and/or perversion
This rite brings the foul attention of an Other upon sent to either intimidate or inspire degeneracy in a
the fate and hope of an unfortunate victim, inflicting victim.
lamentation and sorrow. The subject suffers the In the case of intimidation, a +4 bonus is given to
Shaken condition, which is automatically resolved for the ritualist and any others aware of the dream for any
the next important action taken by them. An roll to intimidate or to Force the character’s Doors in
exceptional success during casting also provides a -3 Social Maneuvering within the next chapter after the
penalty to the next two actions after the one the dream’s sent. Such manipulators can drop phrases to
condition applies to. A victim may be subjected to the subject to set her off, or prepare haunting scenes
only one application of this rite at a time. for her reminiscent of her nightmare.
Offerings: The sacrifice of something the cultist In the case of dreams of lust, the danger is in the
loves (or at least lusts after), along with a wailing dream itself. The victim is forced through a terrible,
prayer to his master. far-too-real dream wherein they enact their darkest,
deepest desires; this causes a Breaking Point for the
Betrayal of Memory (•••) character. Such is the trap of dreams of lust and
power sent by Things; their temptations scar the soul
This rite allows a cultist to occlude a victim’s
as deeply as real actions do. This rite is contested by
memory of a specific event, blocking it from her
the victim’s Composure + Supernatural Tolerance
conscious mind. The performance doesn’t actually
and can be imposed upon a single victim only once a
erase or change the memory, it simply surrounds it
month.
with such shame and horror that the victim’s mind
A Lucid Dreamer may attempt to wake up before
refuses to consciously remember it. Many victims of
the dream’s effects come to pass, and an outside
this rite still revisit the event in their minds, as

Dream Traveler or other Oneiromancer may be able
to undo the effects of the dream with their own
abilities; if they have a way to alter the dream, the
ritualist rolls a Clash of Wills against them to avoid
the dream being undone (the ritualist uses
Supernatural Potency + Manipulation).
Offerings: Perverted sexual acts mingled with
torture and combined with opiates partaken by
everyone involved in the performance.
Minor Form of the God (•••)

The cultist transforms a portion of his body into a
wicked instrument of destruction. At any point
within 24 hours after successful completion of this
ritual, the performer can use an instant action to
create a pair of lashing tentacles. An attack with these
appendages has a dice pool equal to the character’s
Strength + Brawl +2, with 9-again if used to initiate a
grapple or perform a maneuver. If the character has
the means to do lethal damage unarmed, the tentacles
deal lethal damage as well. These appendages last for
three turns (five on an exceptional success). At the
end of that time, they rot, disintegrate or pull back
into the cultist’s body.
Offerings: A cup full of human blood mixed with
the blood of a tentacled beast such as an octopus or
squid.
Compel the God (••••)

This rite allows a cultist to compel outer things, and
the servants and spawn of greater Things to obey
commands for the period of one lunar month. There
are actually many versions of this rite, as each version
only works on a specific creature or type of creature
(such as the Spawn of As’thlot or the Outer Demon
Mezmenaron). Each such rite must be learned
separately, although each after the first costs only half
the number of Experiences as normal.
This performance is divided into two rolls, both
adhering to the normal extended-action rules. The
first roll is to summon the Thing or spawn. If the roll
fails, the Thing does not come and cannot be bound.
Dramatic failure results in the entity arriving and
attacking. It cannot be bound and is set free in this
reality. Success results in the Thing arriving in
anticipation of being bound, pulling them through a
gateway or across the realm if need be. Exceptional
success grants a +2 bonus to the subsequent binding
effort.

Once a Thing has been summoned, it must be weakness of the Other invoked). Until then, the
bound when the entity is disoriented from its trip to results of an original failure stand. The rite is
this plane. Binding calls for an immediate second performed on an object, which is the center of the
extended roll, which is contested by the Thing’s affected area, and the item must be prominently
Resistance + Rank (or Resolve + Potency); resistance placed. When the sign is that of an ephemeral Other,
is reflexive. If the creature wins, it goes free and may the area gains the Corruption condition.
do as it wishes. If the cultist wins, the being must serve As with Mark of the God, the tools of this rite offer
him for the next lunar month, after which time the clues as to the identity of the Thing at work, giving
entity is banished back to its original resting place. inspectors a +2 bonus to Investigation and Occult
The binding roll takes only a minute per roll (during rolls (or an extra element to a Clue).
which time the entity can not act against the caster), Offerings: The heart-blood of a human being taken
but if not started immediately after the summoning within 24 hours of the rite’s performance.
it’s treated as a failure.
Offerings: This rite requires a different sacrifice for Touch of Doom (••••)
each Thing or spawn summoned. Self-mutilation,
blood sacrifice, soul pacts and large amounts of rare This rite empowers the performer’s body with the
and precious gems, incense and wood are common. horrid and unnatural corruption of her master,
making their mere touch deadly. For the next hour,
the cultist’s body (including any strange appendages)
Inexorable Pull of Entropy (••••) is treated as a +2L weapon with the 9-again tag. This
A more powerful version of Baleful Tribulation of damage manifests in different ways, depending on the
the God, this rite brings forth the power of a being to Other from which the rite takes power. Rotting flesh,
actively warp the patterns of luck and fate around a bursting blood vessels and sudden sores that eat soft
victim, turning the very nature of the world against tissue are all possible.
her. The performer must name a specific action when Offerings: A gold and lapis knife inscribed with the
the rite is enacted. The next three times the subject symbol of the Other, with which the cultist must cut
engages in that action, a chance die is rolled instead her hand.
of her normal pool. The curse can be as general (“The
next three times she next attacks me!”) or as specific As One With Those Who Walk In-
(“When she next faces the Winged One under the
light of the blood moon”) as the cultist chooses. The
Between (•••••)
curse remains until its conditions are met. This rite gives the performer the ability to become
Performing the rite is an extended and contested incorporeal until the next sunup or sundown,
action, with Resolve + Supernatural Tolerance rolled whichever comes first. While incorporeal, the cultist
reflexively for the intended target. Only one such no longer has a physical body and is treated as a Rank
curse can apply to a subject at a time. 1 ephemeral Other with a Power equal to his
Offerings: Two ounces of the cultist’s own flesh. Presence, a Finesse equal to his Wits and a Resistance
Which two ounces are at the whim of his master. equal to the higher of his Resolve or Composure. The
cultist also gains any two Dread Powers that he
Sacral Invocation of the Demarcated desires, as well as one dot of an appropriate Influence
to his deity, and one other Manifestation beyond
Line (••••) Twilight Form, but never Gateway or others that
This rite brings the horrid power of an Other to allow travel through different Realms.
focus on an area (approximately a 25-yard radius), He is limited to his normal Speed and cannot fly or
sealing it against intrusion by those who do not serve otherwise travel in unusual ways without other
the being. A reflexive Resolve + Composure - 5 roll powers, and may not utilize his Supernatural Merits
must be made for all intruders wishing to enter the or other template-specific powers while transformed.
warded area. Failure means those seeking entrance Finally, no gear or Artifacts (not even blasphemous
are so overcome with horror that they cannot intrude tomes and the like) turn incorporeal, meaning they
upon the warded place. Those unable to cross the line can be used only if the cultist has an ability that
once are unable to try again until a bonus to their dice specifically allows him to manipulate physical tools.
pool is gained somehow (such as learning the Like an Other or their servants, he relies on the

Corruption condition to avoid Essence bleed and to born of whirling nothingness surrounding a sucking
build up Manifestations. center that seems akin almost to a black hole.
The cultist can end the effect early with an Storytelling Hints: Zhuidro is a comparatively
extended action using the same pool used to enact the calm, ancient being. It wants little more than to see
rite, and requiring the same number of successes, the world fall into the void, drained of all of its life
though not requiring a point of Willpower, and with and energy, but it doesn’t particularly care about how
each roll taking only a turn. Once he becomes quickly that happens. Still, it’s just impatient enough
corporeal again, the rite ends and must be performed to want to urge the process along, if only by a small
yet again to return to an incorporeal state. amount, and that’s where its cultists come in. Little
Offerings: The funerary wrap of a person whom the by little, they’re given revelations as to small ways they
cultist killed or to whose death he contributed. can destabilize the world, to draw it a little closer to
its inevitable end. It rarely acts very directly, but it’s
Devouring Jaws Of The God (•••••) plenty willing to point its followers and blasphemies
towards whatever it feels might impose just a bit more
When the cultist calls upon the power of her lord, entropy on the universe.
her mouth transforms into a maw of wicked, Rank: 5
gnashing teeth or into a puncturing needle-like Attributes: Power 15, Finesse 10, Resistance 15
feeding tube. She does not need to grapple in order Willpower: 10
to bite a victim and her mouth does aggravated Essence: 50
damage in Brawl attacks. The maw from this rite Initiative: 25
persists for an hour after being formed, and cannot Defense: 15
be ended early. Speed: 30
Offerings: The cultist must bite off a chunk of her Size: 25
own flesh, doing at least one point of bashing damage Corpus: 40
to herself. Inﬂuences: Destruction 5
Sample Things That Manifestations: Discorporate, Image, Invade

Dream, Possess, Reaching, Twilight Form
Should Not Be Dread Powers: Eye Spy (through followers),

Immortal, Madness and Terror, Numen (Drain),
Numen (Essence Thief), Numen (Implant Mission),
The following are two sample Others, including
Numen (Stalwart), Reality Stutter, Soul Thief,
their statistics, goals, cults, and what Rites and Powers
Unbreakable, Word of Power.
they grant their followers.
Ban: The Endless Maw must immediately
Zhuidhro, the Endless Maw discorporate and slumber for a year if brought into
the presence of the earliest intact visual
Type: Force of Entropy representation of its form; currently, there are early
Background: The earliest records of the Endless stone tablets scrawled with crude renditions of it that
Maw appear comparatively recently, strange would need to be found to enact its Ban.
scrawlings and writings in only centuries-old tomes Bane: The blood of a newborn child that was
speaking of a great force seeking to urge the Earth expected to die in the womb.
towards its inevitable end, but the creature is far older Rites Offered: Apprehend the Ephemeral,
than that. Some that speak of it claim it fell into Infusion of Zhuidro, Babble of Horrid Voices,
slumber for a long period, discorporated and thought Harbinger, Baleful Tribulation of Zhuidro, Betrayal
defeated by ancient sorcerers long before written of Memory, Inexorable Pull of Entropy, Touch of
records became commonplace. If that’s true, then, it Doom, Devouring Jaws of Zhuidro
means that something has woken it up, and while it’s Powers Granted: Eye Spy, Madness and Terror,
been very slow to fully come to the fore, its influence Reality Stutter, Soul Thief, Word of Power.
is becoming more and more obvious to those that
know what they’re looking at.
Description: Rarely seen directly, those that sketch
out the visions of it they claim to see in their dreams
do have a common sort of motif to them, a creature

no ceremony to it, and there’s no discrepancy from it,
Invade Dream (Manifestation) lest eliminating you becomes the next order passed on
down. Everyone, once enacted into the cult, knows
(Requires Open Condition)
their place and does what they need to do.
By spending 1 essence, the entity can invade the
Joining The Empty Hand tends to happen when
dreams of the target. Roll Power + Finesse, contested
someone catches the same hints that are provided to
by the Resolve + Composure + Supernatural
the cultists themselves, and look into it. Delving too
Tolerance of the character. If successful, the
far too fast, or without proper care, starts to take a toll
dreamscape is warped into a shape suitable to the
on the mind. When the weight of what they’re
Other, and the dreamer gains no Willpower from
discovering starts to catch up with them… that’s when
restful sleep, instead granting it to the entity itself.
the Interpreters seek them out.
Oneiromancers of whatever sort may contest this
Manifestation with a Clash of Wills.
Zhuidhro’s Cult
Calling themselves “The Empty Hand,” the cult of
Zhuidro are numerous, but scattered. They may go
about their normal lives for years at a time before
their patron provides guidance to them. Once that
guidance is given, though, they’ll do whatever is
needed to bring the world a bit closer to its ultimate
demise.
It’s because of this that it’s so difficult to
undermine them and take them head-on. No single
gathering of them provides access to the whole, and
the ones that pass on the entity’s will are rarely found
with those enacting it. If they’re not actively working
towards its goals at the time, it’s almost impossible to
find them out, given how normal they otherwise tend
to appear. Those seeking to undermine The Empty
Hand need to be prepared to play the long game too.
Purpose: The Empty Hand’s sole purpose is to
enact their patron’s will, and because of this, they
rarely meet and have no need to remain together.
Little “pockets” of the cult are scattered throughout
the country (perhaps the world), and come together
only when Zhuidhro’s will is made known to those at
the highest levels of the cult. Those members pass this
information down to whomever needs to know it, any
mission is enacted, and then they can go back to their
lives once again (if the mission’s result doesn’t
prevent that).
Ultimately, it’s said that these acts will build on
each other, until after years, decades, or even Asmodayan
centuries, they’ll reach the point of bringing about
the end of all things. Type: Demon of the Outer Realm
Doctrine: At the highest levels of the Cult (dots Background: Asmodayan only very recently found
four and five) are the Interpreters. They receive the its way into this world, and thus far, nobody’s entirely
will of Zhuidhro in whatever form it comes, and those sure of exactly where in the outer void it came from,
beneath, the Empty Hands themselves, enact that or for that matter, how it got here. No record can be
will. There is no questioning of these orders, there’s found of any summoning, no rites invoking him, and

it has no cult as of yet built up in its name (although Social Skills: Empathy 3, Intimidation 5,
individual Blasphemers are seemingly plentiful). Subterfuge 4
Description: Appearing as a chitinous, eerily Merits: Double Jointed, Fast Reflexes ••, Fighting
smiling semi-humanoid creature with an odd bevy of Finesse (Natural Weapons), Fleet of Foot •••,
clawed appendages curling off of tentacle-like arms on Greyhound, Trained Observer •••
its back, oddly lithe and moving quickly enough that Potency: 6
the eye has trouble following it, this Demon can easily Willpower: 8
strike fear into the minds of those that do manage to Aspirations: Kill the designated targets, create a
witness it. Especially those that end up in its sights. new Reality Blasphemy, create a false lead
Storytelling Hints: Asmodayan, through some Initiative: 12
strange outer logic, has come up with a group of 13 Defense: 13
important individuals, all of whom are supernatural Size: 7
creatures in positions of temporal mortal power, that Speed: 18
must be killed. While some mortals (Hunters Health: 10
especially) might normally be more than happy to let Weapons/Attacks:
it do its work, it has no qualms about killing everyone Type Damage Range Dice
and destroying anything between where it is and Claws/Teeth 3L, AP3 Melee 12
where it expects its next target to be. Its Blasphemies Tentacles 0L Melee 12*
never are given the information about its overall goal, *15 in a Grapple
but may be brought to bear against individual targets. Ban: Asmodayan cannot cross into Holy ground of
Mental Attributes: Intelligence 4, Wits 8, Resolve any sort, and if forced to (physically or otherwise), he
6 starts taking one aggravated damage per turn.
Physical Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 8, Bane: Pure silver that’s been left in the moonlight
Stamina 3 for a full, uninterrupted month.
Social Attributes: Presence 3, Manipulation 5, Dread Powers: Hunter’s Senses (targets), Jump
Composure 2 Scare, Natural Weapons 3 (Claws, Teeth), Tentacles
Mental Skills: Investigation 4, Occult 4 3
Physical Skills: Athletics 5, Brawl 4, Stealth 5, Rites Granted: None yet.
Survival 4 Powers Granted: Hunter’s Senses, Natural
Weapons, Tentacles.

"I have always believed that such strange, inaccessible worlds exist at our very elbows,
and now I believe I have found a way to break down the barriers." - H.P. Lovecraft
Third Eye contains a look at the inscrutable, the flow of magic and thrum of psychic
energy. The power held by mortal minds and channeled by those that can't truly
contain it, but make use of it nonetheless.
It features:
•2nd edition rules for many of the psychic powers and thaumaturgical rituals found
in the original Second Sight, including more than 25 revised Supernatural Merits.
•New Merit Templates for playing Psychics and Thaumaturges.
•An updated look at Things That Should Not Be and the foul abilities they grant to
their followers.
•Optional Rules and updated systems for characters wielding low magic of any kind.
A Sourcebook for
the Chronicles of Darkness
By Chris Falco
Table of 1
Contents
Credits
Author: Chris Falco
Developer: Chris Falco
Editor: Chris Falco
Artist: White Wolf Art Packs
Cover from Max Pixel, under CC0
https://www.maxpixel.net
Special Thanks
Alan Alexander, Will Hindmarch, Conrad Hubbard,
Brand Robins, John Snead, Ken Cliffe, Pauline Benney,
Pauline Benney, Sam Araya, James Cole, Jim Pavelec,
Avery Butterworth, Alexander Dunnigen, Nick Stakal,
Mark Poole, Katie McCaskill, and anyone else that
assisted with the development of the original Second
Sight sourcebook.
© 2018 White Wolf Entertainment AB. All rights reserved. Vampire: The
Masquerade®, World of Darkness®, Storytelling System™, and Storytellers
Vault™ are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of White Wolf
Entertainment AB. All rights reserved. For additional information on White
Wolf and the World of Darkness, please, visit: www.white-wolf.com,
www.worldofdarkness.com and www.storytellersvault.com.

Table of
Table of
Contents
Contents
Introduction 5
Table of
Contents
3
Introduction
Introduction
Meet the public defender. Overworked to the point of barely even getting to
talk to each of her clients, and yet she always seems to know exactly what
happened, ready with legal precedents and surprise evidence to help keep the
trodden upon masses from ending up behind bars simply because they couldn’t
afford a proper defense.
Meet the con man. He always seems to be happy to bilk the most gullible,
worst off people out of the last few bills they have in their pocket, leaving them
feeling hopeless. And yet, his victims always seem to hit a stroke of luck soon
after, whether a few hundred bucks from a scratch off ticket, a forgotten debt
repaid to them, or money they’d thought they’d lost turning up in a hidden
container in their closet.
Meet the blind man. Left alone by the few he used to count on, he comes
across a strange book, seemingly ancient and yet written in braille, speaking of
“People are a way to regain his sight. The strange rite is prepared and performed by him,
supposed to fear and he finds himself miraculously recovering from his ocular defects. But… why
are there suddenly so many local news stories of children disappearing, always
the unknown, but on Fridays, about the same time he first found that book?
ignorance is bliss Second Sight: Third Eye is a self-contained update of the 1st edition
when knowledge Chronicles of Darkness supplement, Second Sight. It newly explores that
supplement’s concept of psychic phenomena, low magic, and dark cults of alien
is so damn creatures using the 2nd edition systems and mechanics. A bevvy of new
frightening.” supernatural abilities are provided for mortal characters, alongside new
templates and other options for playing minor talents like Psychics and
- Laurell K. Thaumaturges.
While the 1st edition Second Sight book does contain some additional
Hamilton roleplaying advice, and a potential story option for introducing mortal
characters into the world of the supernatural, this book can be used on its
own, alongside the core Chronicles of Darkness 2nd edition rule book,
without requiring access to the original book. Psychics and Thaumaturges fit
well into the God Machine Chronicle, too.
Chapter One: Mortal Magic contains a large number of Supernatural
Merits, both new and converted from the Psychic and Thaumaturge merits
from the original Second Sight book, as well as new options and rules for
mortals making use of such powers.
Chapter Two: Abnormal Development provides Supernatural Merit
Templates (as introduced in Hurt Locker) for Psychics and Thaumaturges,
providing an alternative system for playing characters that delve more
specifically into parapsychology or low magic.
Chapter Three: What Should Not Be provides advice for Mystery Cults
following unspeakable beings from realms outside our view of reality, and for
Blasphemous heralds that serve them more directly.
Introduction
5
Chapter One:
Chapter One:
Mortal Magic
Mortal Magic Vampires warping the minds of others, Werewolves channeling the power of
spirits, and Mages imprinting the laws of strange upper realms on their
surroundings are far from the only beings capable of wielding supernatural
abilities. As long as there have been mortals, there’s been mortals capable of
wielding supernatural power, whether a psychic awakening of their mind, low
rituals calling upon the world around them, or strange mutations of their
bodies.
“Indubitably, magic
is one of the subtlest Supernatural Merits
and most difficult of Whatever the ultimate source and methodology behind a mortal’s power, the
the sciences and arts. majority of them are mechanically handled by Supernatural Merits. Unlike in
previous editions, where Psychic Phenomena, Thaumaturgy, and other minor
There is more talents were all handled by their own class of merit or even other powers entirely,
opportunity for they’re now all covered by the same general category. These special merits
represent mortal-only talents of any kind, whether rituals, psychic phenomena,
errors of
or even strange semi-physical augmentations.
comprehension,
judgment and Clash of Wills
practice than in any Sometimes, two supernatural powers clearly oppose one another. If the normal
systems for the powers fail to resolve this, such as when a Telepath attempts to
other branch of scour the memories of someone whose mind was altered by a Vampire’s abilities.
physics.” All involved supernatural effects enter a contested action, with Supernatural
Merits using a pool of the wielder’s Supernatural Potency trait (Mortals usually
- Aleister Crowley lack one) plus the rating of the Merit’s governing Attribute (the one it’s activated
with, if applicable, or else whatever one the Storyteller deems the best fit). Ties
reroll until one player has accrued more successes than all others. That player’s
character’s effect wins out and resolves as usual, all others fail. Victory of one
power in a clash does not mean the immediate cancellation of the others, save
in cases where only one power can possibly endure (such as competing
domination). Characters may spend Willpower to bolster the contested roll, but
only if they are physically present and aware (or consciously suspect) that powers
are clashing. Certain powers, those with exceptionally long durations, are more
enduring in a clash. Day-long effects add one die to the clash roll, week-long
effects add two, month-long three, and effects that would last a year or longer
add four (this includes indefinite effects and those that are bought and then are
always active).
Clash of Wills applies to supernatural creatures, as well. The traits involved
depend on the creature and are covered in their own source books.

• Diminished Power: The Power has limits in
Activation Options the way it can be used, or doesn’t provide all
of the options it normally does to the
Sometimes, the way one person gains access to the
character. A Clairvoyant might only
Supernatural differs from most. Perhaps it only
experience one sense, or an alchemist might
comes to them in situations of emotional intensity,
only be able to change their blood specifically
perhaps it relies on a special focus that lets them
into other substances. Bonus: +1, +2 if
channel their special sort of magic, or perhaps they
particularly limiting.
simply only have gained access to a fraction of what
• Diminished Range: For whatever reason, the
most practitioners of that sort of ability are capable of
character cannot reach out as far with their
due to their own lack of experience. Whatever the
power as most with the same ability can
case is, this can provide them with a bit of a benefit;
manage. A power that can be cast at any range
Supernatural Merits are ultimately reliant on an act
must be cast in the presence of their target, or
of will, and so a particularly narrow focus can help
a power that relies on sensory range might
channel that will more easily.
require touch. Bonus: +1, +2 for multiple
Mechanically, Options provide a +1 or higher
“steps.”
bonus to the activation of the Supernatural Merit
• Emotional Flare: The character’s powers are
they’re attached to, depending on how narrow or
tied to a certain emotional state, and when
unreliable they make that merit. Most of the examples
that state comes along on its own, the power
that follow can be applied to a variety of different
might activate without the character intending
merits, but they’re not the only options possible, and
it to. Perhaps they’ll fire Mental Blasts at those
players should feel free to come up with more.
that anger them, or call on their Numbing
Ultimately, the Storyteller is the arbiter as to what’s a
Touch when afraid. Bonus: +1, +2 for
narrow enough restriction to a Merit to grant how
dangerous or visible powers.
much of a bonus, if any.
• Specialized Focus: The character may only
More than one Option can be taken for any given
make use of the merit with a particular object,
Merit, and the dice bonuses do stack, but only so long
circumstance, or ritual action. For instance, a
as all of the Options make sense and mesh together
Telekinetic may need quartz crystals to
well; Storytellers should discourage random choices
channel their mental force, or as Astral
made just to gain the most dice possible.
Projector may only be able to project within
Obviously, players may not take Options that are
an hour of midnight. Bonus: +1, +2 if difficult
already covered by the Drawback (if any) of that
or dangerous to use.
Merit; a Clairvoyant can’t choose Specialized Focus,
for instance, as they already must choose a specific • Uncontrolled: The character cannot
methodology to their scrying, and a Telekinetic consciously activate their power, it comes on a
shouldn’t take Emotional Flare for a similar reason. whim, whether because it’s a gift from God or
A character who learns to overcome their because they simply don’t know how to
“weakness” may remove an option after in-character properly call upon it. The player may not
work, with Storyteller permission, but loses their choose to activate the Merit, only the
bonus thereafter. Generally, Options can’t be taken Storyteller may decide when it becomes active,
after the merit’s already been purchased, it needs to but this should generally be in beneficial
be selected when the merit is, but a good story reason situations, at least once a chapter. Bonus: +2,
might allow for it to happen, at Storyteller discretion. or +3 if it can also activate detrimentally.
Examples: • Unique Focus: A narrower version of
• Burnout: The character’s powers have an Specialized Focus, the character must have a
adverse effect on them, whether boiling their specific item. They need the first quartz crystal
blood or causing intense headaches as their they held when activating their Telekinesis,
mental energy is diminished. Activating the not any crystal, for instance. Bonus: +1, but
merit also causes a point of bashing damage to stacks with Specialized Focus.
the character, in addition to any other costs.
Bonus: +1, +3 if the damage is lethal instead.

Merits
The following is a list of new Supernatural Merits,
updated from Second Sight and combined, altered,
or simplified to fit within the paradigm of 2nd Edition
Chronicles. Unless otherwise mentioned, all of the
following merits count as Supernatural, and thus are
usable only by mortals, without some special ability
(such as the Coil of Zirnitra).
Alchemy (••• or •••••)

Prerequisites: Occult •• or Science ••
Effect: Your character, through a mystical or
neoscientific process, is able to perform the ancient
miracle of changing one type of substance into
another. With the three-dot version of the merit, both
substances must be common, simple, and non-
precious (Availability •• or less), but with the five-
dot, both can be any non-radioactive material (The
Storyteller reserves the right to prevent other
troublesome materials as well). Doing so requires an
hour of work, a lab or other specialized equipment of
at least Availability •••, a point of Willpower, and a
roll of either Intelligence + Occult or Science,
penalized by the size of the substance, and the higher
Availability of the starting or target substance. With
an exceptional success on the roll, the material will
grant a +3 bonus to any crafting roll performed on it.
Suggested Modifiers: Performed in a well-stocked
Laboratory (add the equipment bonus), performed
under stress (-1 to -3).
Animal Speech (• or ••)

Effect: Through some mysterious agency, your
character has the ability to understand and be
understood by a specific type of animal. Perhaps one
of the fey blessed her, a possessing spirit left her with
some unexplainable knowledge, or she ate the heart
of the mother maguey plant. However it came to pass,
she is one hundred percent clear on what those
animals are trying to communicate with their sounds,
scents, and body language. She gains a +3 to any
Animal Ken rolls to understand that type of animal.
With the two-dot version, she can speak to them in
whatever tongue she likes, and her intent
communicates clearly. The bonus also applies to
trying to influence the beast.
This Merit does not impart on the animals any
intelligence or personality other than what they
already possess.

Animal Speech, Advanced (•) provide themselves with specific advantages. By
spending a point of unavoidable lethal damage when
Prerequisite: Animal Speech activating Biokinesis, you may gain one dot of one of
Effect: Your connection to the Animal Kingdom the following merits per dot you have in this merit,
is more universal; the effects of Animal Speech apply instead of shifting attributes, which lasts for the
to ALL animals, instead of a specific type. scene. You must meet the prerequisites, but any based
on attributes can be met with a normal use of
Astral Projection (•••••) Biokinesis beforehand.
The merits that can be chosen from are:
Effect: Your character has learned to project their
Ambidextrous, Demolisher, Double Jointed, Fleet of
mind outward, allowing one to free their
Foot, Hardy, Iron Stamina, or Relentless. With
consciousness from their physical form and travel
Storyteller permission, other merits that are entirely
through the world spiritually, leaving their body
physical and “internal” in nature might be available
behind. This requires a point of Willpower, a
as well.
successful meditation, and a Resolve + Occult roll to
enact.
If successful, the character becomes separated from Channeling (• to •••••)
their body, taking on a psychic form in Twilight (in Effect: Whether through a connection to the astral
phase with Goetia and similar mental entities that realms, ancestral spirits, a past life, or a stranger
find their way there). They remain intangible and source altogether, your character has the ability to
physical to mundane reality, utterly unable to interact channel abilities and knowledge they do not possess
physically with reality, and are cut off from his other for themself.
psychic abilities for the duration of the ability. When purchasing this merit, choose either mental,
However, their speed is multiplied by five for the physical, or social skills. By spending a point of
duration, allowing incredibly fast travel through the Willpower and meditating successfully at a location
world, and they’re unbound by gravity or physical representative of your character’s abilities (a Locus for
obstacles. one who channels spirits, or a graveyard for someone
Their body remains in a coma-like state for the who calls upon their ancestors’ knowledge), you may
duration, slowly degrading if not fed or given liquid. make a roll to temporarily improve a skill in the
They’re unaware of its state unless they take damage, chosen category. For mental skills, it’s Intelligence +
in which case they feel the pain reflected on their Occult, social are Composure + Occult, and physical
astral form. They must travel manually back to their are Stamina + Occult. On a success, the character is
body, however, in either case. Whether their body is able to replace a skill rating of theirs in the
kept alive somehow or not, if they’re away from it for appropriate category with their rating in Channeling
more days than they have Stamina, it begins to break for the next 24 hours, for all purposes. On an
down, causing them to take 1 lethal damage per hour exceptional success, they may set two different skills
until they return or die. Finally, if their physical to that level.
health track is filled with lethal or aggravated damage, Drawback: Channeling is a drain on a character’s
they instantly return to their body, though will be mind and spirit, and so may not be used more than
comatose or dead, as appropriate. once in a given day. In addition, using it causes the
Suggested Modifiers: The character rolls an Resonant, Anchor, or Infrastructure condition on
exceptional success to Meditate (+2), the character’s them with relation to all of a given type of Ephemera,
under stress or is distracted (-1 to -3), the character’s dependent on the ultimate source of their
already able to perceive some aspect of Twilight (+1). channeling, for so long as it lasts. With Storyteller
Permission, odd forms of channeling might cause
Biokinesis, Advanced (• to •••••) another condition or tilt instead.
Special: This merit may be purchased multiple
Prerequisite: Biokinesis at an equal or greater
times. Each time it’s bought, it applies to a different
level.
skill category. Different versions of the merit may be
Effect: With this merit, your character has learned
used in the same day, but suffer a -2 penalty to the roll
to not just manipulate the raw makeup of their body,
for each other type already active.
but to alter it in more granular, specific ways to

Communion (•• or ••••)
Effect: The character is capable of reaching out
with his mind to that of a faraway entity, often one of
godlike power or capability. Work with the Storyteller
to determine the nature of the entity, at least to the
extent that the character is aware of it, as it’s a
character in its own right, even if one not represented
with typical dots on a sheet.
To do so, the character must successfully Meditate
or perform a similar sort of ritual (with the same roll),
focusing on a symbol or other representation of the
entity, and then make a Composure + Occult roll. If
successful, contact with the entity is initiated. With
an exceptional success, the entity is well disposed or
clearer than normal in its communication.
With the two dot version of the merit, the character
is simply able to open themselves to the entity and
allow it to communicate with them, but the
communication is only one way, allowing the
character to do nothing more than sit and listen.
However, the entity tends to inherently know why it
was sought out, and may provide information relating
to that. In addition to whatever information the
Storyteller cares to provide from the entity, the
character gains the Informed condition about
whatever topic he sought wisdom about (if the call
was more general, the topic is whatever the entity feels
is most relevant).
With the four dot version of the merit, the
character opens up bilateral communication, able to
“speak” with the entity in addition to learning from
it. This allows more nuanced guidance of the
conversation, allowing for more specific information
to be learned most times. In addition to the above
benefit, the character may utilize the provided
wisdom to gain access to the rote action benefit on a
single mundane action (not roll; extended actions
receive it for each roll) that’s begun before the end of
the day.
Drawback: The entity has goals and desires as well,
and should the character work against them, or even
just fail to assist, they may receive fallout. This often
takes the form of an automatic failure on the next use
of the ritual, along with a negative condition or tilt,
but the Storyteller may come up with other options
as well.
As well, if pestering the entity more than once per
Chapter without a VERY good reason, directly
related to the entity’s goals/desires, they may be
ignored (causing an automatic failure of the ability) or
worse.

Countermagic Ward (•• or •••••) or turned. This either kills her, or leaves her alive and
suffering. Whenever you spend Willpower to avoid
Prerequisite: Wits •• the Doom, you add two dice instead of three (or +1
Effect: The character becomes able to shield to a static value). However, whenever you spend
themselves from sympathetic magic and powers of Willpower on an action that will further the Doom,
various sorts, allowing them to gain a warning about but the roll fails, you immediately regain the spent
impending abilities and prepare accordingly, or even Willpower. The Storyteller is the arbiter of which
build up a form of protection against it. actions delay or hasten your character’s Doom.
The two dot version allows a character to spend a If using the Fate optional rules, your Doom should
point of Willpower and roll Resolve + Occult to gain in some way line up with your Fate.
a sense of impending magic; for the rest of the day Note: This is equivalent to the Mage merit of the
they become immediately aware of any supernatural same name, but altered for Mortal characters. Any
ability working through a range greater than mechanics applying to one affects either, however.
mundane perception that targets them, their
possessions, or their immediate surroundings (such as Dowsing (•• or ••••)
a Mage’s Sympathetic spells, some Thaumaturges’
rituals, or Blasphemous Rites), as soon as the ability Prerequisite: Wits ••
starts being used or prepared, rather than at the end. Effect: Dowsing is a limited form of divination,
They also get a sense for when it’s about to unleash allowing your character to detect hidden objects using
on them, allowing them to spend Willpower or use a specialized ‘rod’, crystal pendulum, or other focus.
other abilities to improve their resistance to it. With By concentrating on either a known object or a type
an exceptional success on the initial roll, they also get of substance (such as water or oil) while utilizing the
a brief vision of the offender upon the spell’s use. aforementioned focus, spending a point of willpower,
The five dot version works similarly, but applies its and making an extended Wits + Occult roll (15
own form of protection in addition. If unable to resist minutes per roll), they become drawn towards the
the power naturally, they may, a number of times per location. The target number of successes is based on
day equal to the successes rolled, gain a Clash of Wills the rarity of the substance or Availability of the object,
to stop the magic from affecting them, their and the distance from the character.
possessions, or their immediate surroundings. As a general rule, three successes is the base target,
+1 success per point of availability of the object or
Destiny (• to •••••) substance, +1 per mile of distance to the nearest
source, to an absolute maximum of 10 needed
Effect: Your character’s thread stands out in the successes (after which it becomes simply impossible to
skein of Fate. Like the hero of an epic she is destined find it).
for great triumphs, but she also has a Doom that With Dowsing at four dots, the time per roll
hangs over her head and threatens to turn her tale becomes five minutes, and objects/substances can be
into a tragedy. found with up to 20 required successes.
Each chapter, you have a pool of Destiny equal to Suggested Modifiers: An energy meter is used as
your dots in this Merit. Each time you use a point of the focus (add the equipment bonus), the character
Destiny you may either gain the advanced action meditates beforehand (+2), the object belongs to the
quality on a single mundane roll chosen before you character (+1), the object is important to the character
roll the dice (thus allowing you to roll twice and take (+2), the character has minimal tie to the object, or
the better result), or reroll a single mundane action knows little about it (-3),the substance is incredibly
after you see the result of the roll (although you must rare in the area, such as water in a desert (-1 to -3).
take the second result). You may spend a point of
Willpower when invoking your Destiny to affect a Dream Travel (•• or ••••)
Supernatural Merit’s activation roll.
Drawback: Your character has a Doom. This is the Prerequisite: Lucid Dreamer.
means by which destiny brings her life as she knows Effect: Your character becomes able to enter the
it to a tragic end — such as addicted, betrayed, dreams of another, and shape them the same way
crippled, devoured, enslaved, imprisoned, they’re able to control their own dreams. To do so,
maddened, murdered, ostracized, possessed, ruined, they must be capable of seeing the target, whether

through mundane perception, Clairvoyance, Astral
Projection, or a similar supernatural ability (this t
bypasses most restrictions on using other merits with
sensory Supernatural Merits). At that point, one
Willpower is spent and Manipulation + Occult is
rolled, contested by the target’s Composure +
Supernatural Tolerance if unwilling or unaware. If
the target’s not asleep at the time, the ability
automatically fails. Soul Shocked (Condition)
If successful, your character is able to enter the
target’s dreams, taking on a Dream Form (see
sidebar). They’re capable of using any of their other
Supernatural Merits in the context of the dream;
Telekinesis will move “dream objects” around the
same as normal ones, for instance, although exact
physics may be slightly modified by the Dream.
However, powers relying on other realms or the
entities from them, such as spirits and ghosts, do not
work even on dreamed approximations of them.
With the four dot version of the merit, they can roll
Manipulation + Occult – Resolve as an instant action
when already within the Dream to make changes to it
without other powers, generally one minor change
per success, or a major shift to the surroundings on
an exceptional success. Lucid Dreamer (••)
With either version, the character may leave the •••
target dream at any time with a successful Resolve +
Composure roll, unless kept within the dream by a
supernatural ability of some sort, in which case a
Clash of Wills is required to leave (in fact, there’s tales
of some Dreamers subconsciously trapping
Oneiromancers due to a desire to have them remain).
Dream Forms
Ephemeral Sight (•• or ••••)

Prerequisite: Medium
Your character is capable of seeing ephemeral
entities. With the two-dot version of this merit,
choose a specific phase of Twilight (that is, ghost-
attuned/death-attuned, spirit-attuned, etc.). You may
perceive that phase of Twilight, including any entities
within or other ephemeral constructs residing there.
With the four-dot version of the merit, you’re capable
of seeing ALL phases of Twilight.

Drawback: Seeing into Twilight constantly is as
much a curse as a blessing. The character suffers a -2
penalty to any perception rolls due to the mixed
perceptions unless they spend a point of Willpower
to shut it out for a scene (effectively turning off the
merit). In addition, entities the character can see find
it easier to affect them, granting them a +2 bonus to
Numina, Influences, or other powers targeting them
from Twilight.
Ephemeral Transmutation (•••••)

Prerequisites: Astral Projection, Medium, or
Unseen Sense (any Ephemeral entity)
Effect: Often achieved by those seeking out a form
of enlightenment or ascension, this “ritual” of sorts
allows your character to attune themselves to
Twilight, not projecting within but instead physically
transforming into a Twilight state. The character
makes a meditation roll, though this may also
represent a ritual or other procedure rather than
typical meditation, and then rolls Resolve + Occult.
If successful, they end up shifting themselves into
Twilight for a scene, attuned to a type of ephemera
chosen when the merit is purchased (In the case of
Unseen Sense used as the prerequisite, the type must
match).
Evocation/Invocation (••+)
Prerequisites: Occult •••, Channeling, or
Medium
Effect: Your character has knowledge of “generic”
summoning rituals that are capable of calling a given
type of Ephemeral entity, chosen upon purchase of
the merit, without requiring the normal research time
or need for specialized applications of Conditions. By
purchasing an additional dot per type of entity,
further types can be called.
This works with the normal rules for Summoning
ephemeral entities (Chronicles of Darkness, pg. 139),
but requiring just a single Intelligence + Occult roll to
mystically attune the area to the entity, which takes
approximately 15 minutes; this can be either a
specific, named entity, or just a call to the nearest of
a given type of spirit.
If successful, the area becomes Open to the chosen
type of entity, and call is sent out to them. They must
answer the call unless they succeed on a Rank +
Resistance roll and garner more successes than the
character did on their own roll, and must remain

there for the scene, although this does nothing to This effect lasts for a Story (or about a Month), but
protect the caster otherwise. can be renewed before it expires by using this Merit
By adding two dots to the cost of the merit, the again and accruing only five successes, no matter the
character may, upon the entity’s arrival, roll Presence size of the location.
+ Persuasion + Evocation vs the entity’s Rank + Suggested Modifiers: Location is a Nexus (double
Resistance to force it to obey a single command that the usual modifier), affecting an Attribute instead of
can be delivered with a short sentence and isn’t self- Skill (-3), area not conducive to desired resonance (-1
destructive or against the entity’s ban, and if to -3), no tools or materials (-3).
successful it must attempt to follow that command to
the best of its ability for the rest of the scene. It also Luck Magic (• to •••••; Style)
may not harm the summoner for that same amount
of time. As a note, when targeting angels, this merit Prerequisites: Manipulation ••, and Occult •••,
does not allow the caster to cause an Angel to work Damn Lucky (Hurt Locker pg. 79), Cursed, Thief of
against its Mission from the God-Machine, nor to do Fate, or Destiny
anything to make it fall. Effect: Through a strange connection to the weave
Alternatively, two dots can be added to instead of Fate and Destiny (or stranger forces), your
grant a responding entity the Possession character has learned several techniques, whether
Manifestation if they don’t normally possess it, with a through psychic will or magical ritual, that allows
roll of Presence + Occult + Evocation, and act as if them to alter luck and chance. The exact effects
they themselves are Open, offering themselves to the they’re capable of are tied with the level of the merit
entity for whatever purposes. Often, it acts as their they know, but all levels require that the individual
side of a bargain, as many entities will offer up basic first meditate (or perform a similar ritual) successfully,
services in exchange for the use of a physical body. spend a point of Willpower, and make a successful
Drawback: Ephemeral beings don’t like being Manipulation + Occult roll, contested by Composure
commanded any more than most people, and will + Supernatural Tolerance if negatively affecting the
likely attempt to cause trouble for the character after target. The character may only use this merit on a
the fact if not supplicated somehow. given individual once per day, including themself, no
matter what level was used.
Favorable Fortune (•): Your character can gift
Geomancy (••• or •••••) someone with a very minor twist of fate. This might
Prerequisites: Intelligence ••, and Crafts or mean they win no more than 25 dollars on a lottery
Occult •• ticket, get to work without hitting any red lights, or
Effect: Your character is capable of altering the flow similar blessings. Your character defines the general
of energy through an area, whether through an effect blessing, but the exact nature of how it happens is left
akin to Feng Shui, ritual harnessing of Ley energy, or to Fate itself. This takes place within a day and then
an imprint of Psychic will on the area, among other the effect ends.
possibilities. They can cause a building to resonate Ill Fortune (••): A flip of favorable fortune, your
with a particular sort of mindset or action, making character instead puts a minor curse on their target.
any related task that fits it that much easier when They might receive an unexpected bill or expenditure
inside. of no more than 50 bucks, end up late to work due to
To do this, a point of Willpower is spent and an traffic, or have similar ill effects of fate plague them.
extended Intelligence + Crafts roll is made, taking an This takes place within a day, and the effect ends once
hour per roll and requiring increasing successes the curse has run its course.
depending on the approximate size of the location; 5 Minor Weal/Woe (•••): Your character becomes
for a small room, 10 for a small home, 15 for an office able to bless or curse actions in a minor way. A certain
building, 20 for a mansion or multi story building, type of action or roll that the effect applies to is
and 25+ for warehouses, mansions, and larger. If defined when it’s used, and a number of those actions
successful, actions aligned with a chosen Skill (at equal to successes rolled suffer from the loss of 10-
three dots) or Attribute (at five dots) gain the 9-again again, or gain 9-again. The definition can be as
benefit once per character per chapter when inside general or specific as desired, but any roll that applies
the building (the player chooses when it applies). will “use up” one of the successes, the character has

no control beyond that initial declaration. If the rolls Drawback: This power is innately “visible” to
aren’t used within the next chapter, the effect fades. supernatural characters. Characters with a
Major Weal/Woe (••••): This level works as supernatural template (of any kind, including Merit
Minor Weal/Woe, but upgrades the effect to either Templates) may roll Wits + Occult when attacked to
provide 8-again or will also cause 1’s to subtract from realize where said attack is originating from.
successes in addition to loss of 10-again.
Forge Fate (•••••): At this level, your character Mind Breaker (••••)
is able to enact more significant changes on
someone’s life. This works as Favorable or Ill Fortune, Prerequisites: Evil Eye (Hurt Locker, pg. 73), Mind
but the effects are more pronounced. The target may Control, or Telepathy •••••
benefit from an effect equivalent to 3 dots of a merit Effect: Your character is able to fracture someone’s
like Allies, Contacts, or Resources, or suffer from a mind with sheer force of will or mystic might,
curse akin to one of those being used against them (or degrading their rational thought into a maddened
blocking one of their own merits). blur. By spending a point of Willpower and
Suggested Modifiers: Target isn’t present (-4, must successfully rolling Presence + Empathy or
have their real name or an important possession of Intelligence + Science vs a character’s Resolve +
theirs), target is already affected by fate-altering magic Supernatural Tolerance, you may inflict the Madness
(-1 or more), target has the Destiny merit (+rating for Condition on a target for the rest of the scene. In
effects that align with Destiny/Doom, -rating if they combat, they also suffer from the Insane Tilt.
go against it), effect doesn’t align with target’s Fate (-
2). Plant Empathy (•)
Prerequisite: Biokinesis •+
Mental Blast (•••••) Effect: Your character’s attunement to living things
Prerequisites: Telepathy ••••• or Mind Control provides them a ‘green thumb’ of sorts, allowing them
(Hurt Locker, pg. 74) to cultivate plants and other flora more easily. Any
Effect: This incredibly rare and dangerous power dice pool relating to the cultivation of plant life gains
allows a character to reach out with their mind to a number of bonus dice equal to the character’s
damage another’s with a form of mental feedback that Biokinesis rating, as does any roll to put such plants
overwhelms and slowly destroys the target’s brain. to use (such as mixing herbal substances or cooking a
The character spends a point of Willpower and rolls meal with freshly gathered plants). In addition, plants
Presence + Intimidation - the Stamina of their target under their care grow (1 + their Biokinesis rating)
(who they must be able to see without any magical or times more quickly than normal.
mundane aid), and deals a bashing damage to them
per success. This often starts out as a migraine but as Postcognition (•••)
damage rolls over into lethal or even aggravated, it
Effect: Your character, whether through a mystical
takes the form of hemorrhages, strokes, and similar
trance or a psychic attunement, is able to see into the
maladies. An exceptional success on the attack may
past. By meditating, spending a point of Willpower,
inflict the Stunned tilt as the brain misfires and
and making a Wits + Occult roll, they become able to
makes it difficult to focus.
get a sense of what has happened in the area they’re
By concentrating for additional turns and
in at a specific, named time, allowing them to see a
maintaining a view of their target, the Merit may be
brief flash of the scene, and to ask a number of
used in successive turns without additional
questions equal to successes rolled about it. These
Willpower needing to be spent, but any turn in which
questions must be something that could be found out
the power is used, the character loses their defense
by investigating the scene if present at the time; it
and may not take any other actions beyond moving
won’t allow mind-reading or insight into outside
their Speed in a turn, and if they lose sight of the
factors without another ability.
target at any time, or cease using it each turn, they
Drawback: The roll is penalized by both the
must re-enact the power at the full cost. Any failure
distance back in time and the sympathetic connection
also breaks the connection, requiring a point of
the character has to the event. For an event further
Willpower to start anew.
than a week back, a -1 penalty is taken, -2 for a month,
-3 for a year, -4 for 5 years, -5 for 10, and then an
additional -1 for each additional 10 years. They must damage), their soul is drawn out and into the Jar,
then possess either an object or be in the presence of giving them the soulless condition. If they manage to
a person that was involved in or present at that scene; survive somehow, they suffer the full progression of
an object causes a -4 penalty, and a person a -2. Soul Loss as they normally would.
Having neither makes the roll impossible. There are a few things that the character can do
with these collected souls. By opening the container
Psychic Empathy (•••• or •••••) while touching a Soulless character (including
themself), they can resolve any soul loss related
Prerequisites: Manipulation ••, and Empathy conditions and grant them the soul normally.
••• or Subterfuge ••• Alternatively, a soul can be bartered to ephemeral
Effect: Known as “Enchantment” among some, entities or other supernatural creatures (certain
this merit lets your character manipulate the Mages seem to make good use of them). Finally, the
emotional state of another, affecting their mood or soul can be “consumed” during a use of another
even completely overriding their emotional state of Supernatural Merit, requiring an additional instant
being. The four dot version of this ability lasts for up action, but granting the rote action quality to the roll
to a scene, and the five dot lasts for an entire day. as a result.
The character spends a Willpower and rolls Note that this only works on those with ‘mortal’
Manipulation + Empathy vs Composure + souls, which includes any mortal, micro/minor
Supernatural Tolerance, with a penalty to their roll template, half template, or Mage, although
depending on the intensity of the subject’s current attempting it on a Mage causes an additional -5
emotion and the intensity of the subject’s target penalty due to the way their soul is “held” within
emotion. A calm, neutral demeanor imposes no them, and they may have other protections.
penalty, mild, imperceptible emotions cause a -1 Drawback: Such a heinous act is ALWAYS an
penalty, obvious emotions a -2, and extreme emotions Integrity breaking point at -5, and actually
a -3. The penalty for current and target emotional “consuming” the soul with another merit use causes
state stack, unless simply lowering or raising the another breaking point at the same penalty.
intensity of the same emotion, in which case only the
difference applies. If successful, this may inflict an
appropriate condition, such as Swooning or Shaken,
Telepathic Rapport (••)
or remove one instead (this does not count as Prerequisites: Telepathy and either a Retainer,
Resolving it). True Friend, Mentor, or willing player character to
This ability is not capable of affecting a Kindred in act as the target.
Frenzy, a Werewolf in Death Rage, or any similar Effect: The telepath is able to form a permanent
supernatural emotional state. connection to another character, able to use whatever
level of Telepathy or related merits they have on them
Soul Jar (••••) at any time, without any Willpower cost, although the
normal roll must still be made. There’s no distance
Prerequisite: Occult •••• limitation to the ability, as the merit represents a
Effect: Using a form of dark energy, nefarious powerful sympathetic bond that the character
ritual, or similar infernal process, your character is becomes able to draw on to “target” their ability.
able to create special containers called soul jars, which In addition, if the target of the Rapport is ever
become attuned to a dying individual’s soul, able to subject to intense emotions or danger, the character
capture and hold it within. This involves two rolls; may roll Wits + Empathy to sense that emotion and
first, an occult crafting roll at a -5 penalty, to create impending danger, although this provides no
the jar itself, and second, a Presence + Intimidation inherent ability to track them down without further
roll versus a dying victim’s Resolve + Supernatural scouring of their mind.
Tolerance (A dying victim is anyone with aggravated With Storyteller permission, this merit may be
damage greater than their stamina, or who is actively taken without meeting the Telepathy prerequisite,
bleeding out). The character must touch the dying regarding someone they have an intense spiritual and
victim to do so. emotional connection to in one form or another,
If successful, when the victim is about to die (their allowing them to benefit from three dots of Telepathy
second to last health box is filled with aggravated and the mechanics of this merit on that character

only. Often, this will be two way, allowing each Warding (••)
character to sense the other.
Prerequisites: Resolve •• and Occult •
Telekinesis, Advanced (• - •••••) Effect: Your character is able to create ‘generic’
ephemeral wards that function against more than just
Prerequisites: Telekinesis •••••, Wits ••• a single specific entity. This involves first crafting a
Effect: Your telekinetic abilities have been fine- special, chalky substance attuned to a given type of
tuned to the point of allowing careful, precise actions ephemera with a Wits + Occult roll, -3 if targeting
to be performed with the telekinetic force you’re able something other than spirits or ghosts. This acts as
to project. Dots in this merit provide effective the “generic” bane for that type, and is used to mark
Dexterity to your mental force when activating an area, allowing the character to perform a Warding
Telekinesis, allowing you to perform tasks requiring ritual normally, though with a -5 penalty, lacking a
minute movements, such as picking a lock or swiping specific entity’s Rank to use. This will then be
something from a buttoned up pocket unseen. This effective on any entity of the given type (of rank five
can be used for ranged “attacks”, but such attacks still or less) for the usual duration.
require Willpower to be spent for each one.
Weather Control (•••••)
Visionary Trance (•• or ••••)
Prerequisites: Occult or Science ••••, or
Prerequisites: Unseen Sense (Spirits) or Medium. Psychokinesis •••••
Effect: With the two-dot version of this merit, your Effect: Your character’s connection to the natural
character has learned to go into a specialized trance forces of the world is palpable, and by taking time to
that allows them to peer briefly into the Shadow (the bring themself in tune with the area, they can alter
Spirit world), and communicate with any entities and manipulate the weather in minor ways. This will
nearby. To do so, they must go into a trance (using a never cause weather of an Extreme Environment of
Meditation roll), spend a point of Willpower, and roll more than level 2, and won’t cause changes that are
Resolve + Occult, with a modifier depending on the entirely unreasonable for the location and season
Gauntlet Strength (see Chronicles of Darkness, pg. (such as snow in Death Valley). As well, any changes
126). If successful, they can see and hear the local are centered on a small area (such as a small town or
reflection of the Shadow, and become mildly visible portion of a city), and take a few minutes to hours to
to any Spirits or similar entities there. They can come into effect, appropriate to the type of weather
communicate if the spirits understand the same being sought out.
languages as them, but cannot use other abilities on The character must successfully Meditate, and then
the Shadow or its denizens, nor be targeted by make a Wits + Occult roll, with a penalty equal to the
spiritual powers if the spirit lacks the Reaching extent of the changes being made, as listed below. On
Manifestation. This lasts for so long as they maintain a success, the changes will come into effect, and will
the trance. last about as long as is typical for that sort of weather
With the four-dot version of this merit, after in the area. An exceptional success may make the
successfully entering such a trance, the character may effect last longer or bump up its severity without a
use an ability similar to Astral Projection to project further penalty.
more fully into the spirit realm, rather than Twilight. Suggested Modifiers: Minor changes in line with
Since there’s no Twilight in the Shadow, they become current weather, such as rain on a dark and cloudy
effectively physical, using the Dream Form rules to day (-0), producing weather different from the current
determine their capabilities and health, and they take conditions but not entirely opposed, such as a sunny
Soul Shocked if “killed” while there. If the character day turning into mild rain or snow (-2), producing or
somehow possesses spiritual objects like a Fetish or removing dramatic weather, such as storms causing
certain Bygones, such items “project” with the an Extreme Environment (of up to level 2) or
character, but no other equipment does (however, appropriate Tilt, like Heavy Rain (-4).
their form still appears clothed if they want it to). This
has the usual limitations and duration limits of Astral
Projection itself, and also leaves the character’s body
Open to spiritual entities.

Chapter Two:
Chapter Two:
Abnormal
Abnormal
Development
DevelopmentSome mortals channel their power through sheer strength of will, their mind
opened to possibilities that most could never comprehend, allowing them to
trap into portions of it closed off to the mundane populace. Others learn of
obscure rituals and spells, carefully aligning the area in a way that will be
appreciated by spirits, ghosts, or just the flow of energy within the world itself.
This chapter contains new Supernatural Merit Templates, a concept originally
introduced in Hurt Locker, pg. 77. In short, a Supernatural Merit Template, or
“micro template”, is a template wherein the base type is defined by a unique
Supernatural Merit that only mortals of that Template can take, which often
acts as a prerequisite for further unique merits. Unlike most supernatural
templates, micro templates do not remove the ability to learn other
“It's still magic even Supernatural Merits.
if you know how it's Thaumaturges are users of “low” or ritual magic, relying on an extended
period of time to enact their supernatural abilities with an extreme degree of
done.” precision. Many effects that Psychics and similar dabblers take for granted as
happening quickly can be drawn out in a ritual, extending their power and effect
- Terry Pratchett through unique processes taught by the Magical Traditions they become a part
of.
Psychics are those mortals that have unlocked a portion of their mind,
allowing them to develop their abilities and utilize them with an unchecked level
of (sometimes dangerous) potency. While many that dabble with Supernatural
Merits might call themselves “psychic”, none of them can compare to the focus
shown by those that actually delve into the nature of their strange abilities like
true Psychics do.

PSYCHICS
Psychic Creation
While they’ve likely existed for as long as any other
supernaturally enhanced sort of individual, psychic
phenomena have only really been studied and
categorized by parapsychologists in the past couple It should be noted that not all “psychics” actually
centuries, although hypnosis and related studies have have this template. Many dabblers in psychic
existed for a bit longer than that. Before then, those phenomena simply take the appropriate Supernatural
who had access to such supernatural powers through Merits. The Psychic merit below, however, represents
sheer force of will were treated similarly to sorcerers a dedicated Psychic, someone aware of their powers
and witches of various stripes, as conduits for holy and that has purposely worked to unlock and focus
authorities, or as individuals cursed by dark forces, them further (of course, “focus” doesn’t always mean
depending on their exact manifestations and the “control”. See Activation Options, page 8; Psychics may
culture surrounding them. use these normally). All of their Supernatural Merits
“Modern” application of scientific research into should be considered to come from Psychic potential,
psychic phenomena as recognized today arguably even those that normally imply some level of mystical
began in the 1920’s, where statistical analysis was ritual; perhaps this instead involves a trance of sorts,
used to compare the accuracy of various revelatory channeling their psychic energy.
psychic abilities as compared to the accuracy of Dedicated Psychics like this gain their Psychic merit
mundane individuals guessing randomly. In the (see below) for free, and gain 2 free dots of
1940’s, the “sheep-goat” effect discerned that it may Supernatural Merits that don’t require it as a
be possible that those that perform particularly badly prerequisite.
on such tests might be simply purposely ignoring their
own insights due to disbelief in the phenomena, Psychic (•)
implying a latent psychic capability being present in
nearly any individual (see page 9 for optional rules Prerequisite: Mortal
regarding Belief and Psychics). Effect: Your character is a dedicated Psychic,
Most parapsychologists divide psychic phenomena someone aware of the source of their powers and that
into various categories, such as ESP, psychokinesis, channels them through sheer strength of mental will.
mediumship, and telepathy, but in truth, most This allows them to spend Willpower to increase the
psychic powers stem from the same place in the mind, dice pool of Supernatural Merits, even if they require
and some would say that even most mortal magicians Willpower to activate to begin with (breaking the
are simply channeling psychic abilities in a strange usual per-action limit), but they still can spend no
way. Whatever the actual case, Psychics are never more than one point for this purpose.
actually confined to a single category, even though it’s
most common for such individuals to focus on a Believers (•)
related range of abilities. Prerequisites: Psychic, Retainer
The ultimate nature of Psychic power and where it Effect: Your Retainer (or Retainers) is initiated into
actually comes from is unknown, but overall, it’s the world of the supernatural, at least to the extent of
generally agreed that it can be boiled down to, in a believing in psychic phenomena, and in particular are
vague sense, an application of the human spirit strong believers in your own abilities. Their presence
through mental will. Whether this is something provides you with a +1 bonus (per individual) to
inherently unique to mortals, or whether it’s simply activating your Supernatural Merits (maximum +5).
the distinct manifestation of the same process that If using the Belief optional rule, they also each
any Supernatural Creature might be capable of is cancel out a -1 penalty from the presence of non-
impossible to say, and it’s unlikely that anyone with believers.
experience in all of them will come forward with the
answer anytime soon.
Burnout (••)

Effect: The Psychic has learned to channel
immense amounts of psychic energy through
themselves, to the point of injuring themselves in
order to improve the effectiveness of their abilities.
They may spend more than one point of Willpower
at a time on improving the dice pool of Supernatural
Merits, but for each point after the first, they take 1
lethal damage that cannot be avoided, and must be
healed naturally (this counts as resistant damage, if
using Mage: the Awakening).
Indomitable, Advanced (•••)

Prerequisites: Psychic, Indomitable
Effect: The Psychic mind can be particularly
resilient when well-practiced, and so it becomes
difficult for another mental influences to break
through. Once per chapter, when failing to resist,
contest, withstand, or otherwise fend off a mind-
affecting or mind-reading power, the Psychic may
spend a point of Willpower to enact a Clash of Wills
against the ability (roll Integrity + Resolve instead of
the normal pool). If the Psychic wins, the effect fizzles,
although it doesn’t remove it from any other targets
in the case of a widespread effect. They’re also
immune to the same power from the same source for
the next 24 hours.
Psychic Potential (• to •••••)

Effect: The Psychic who takes this merit has a well
of psychic potential they can call upon to activate
their abilities. Every chapter, they may use this merit
a number of times equal to its rating to negate the
cost of a point of Willpower for activating a
Supernatural Merit (but NOT for improving its dice
pool).
Psychic Presence (• to •••)

Effect: The Psychic’s powers have more raw force
behind them, and others find it difficult to resist or
work against them with their own. For any Clash of
Wills the Psychic’s merits are involved in, they may
add their rating in this merit to the dice pool.
Psychic Specialty (• or ••)

Prerequisites: Psychic, one related Supernatural
Merit

Effect: While many Psychics are dabblers, those You may purchase this merit more than once,
that develop this merit have a narrower focus. Choose buying a new Merit with it each time.
a general category of Psychic Phenomena, such as This merit may not be used to buy the merits of
Psychokinetics, ESP, Mediumship, or Telepathic other Supernatural Templates (including other Merit
abilities; when using a Supernatural Merit that falls Templates).
under that category, the Psychic gains this Merit’s
rating as a dice bonus. This does stack with “normal” Wild Talent (•)
skill specialties. The Storyteller is the ultimate arbiter
on what Supernatural Merits fall under what Psychic Prerequisite: Psychic
Specialties. Effect: While some Psychics work as hard as they
can on controlling their abilities, some are content to
simply improve their capabilities wildly with no
Rapid Trance (•••) concern for who might be caught in their wake. Any
Prerequisites: Psychic, Meditative Mind Supernatural Merit the Psychic has that requires an
Effect: Many psychic powers rely on meditation, or activation roll MUST have an Option assigned to it
more accurately, a trance state, to get into the proper that in some way makes it harder to control, prone to
mindset to channel their will in more complex ways. flaring up on its own, or has side effects that
A practiced Psychic can speed up this process; make otherwise negatively affect others or the Psychic
the normal roll to Meditate when required by a themself. However, they gain +2 dice on top of what
Supernatural Merit or other power, but the time per they’d normally receive for the Option.
roll is only one turn. However, this provides no other Special: A Psychic may not have both Strength of
benefits of Meditation, it simply allows the power to Will and Wild Talent.
be activated.
Strength of Will (•)

Prerequisites: Psychic, a Supernatural Merit with a Is there a difference?
drawback involving inadvertent activation
Effect: The Psychic has learned to better control
their powers. When choosing this merit, select a
Supernatural Merit that has a drawback involving
circumstances where the power might activate on its
own due to trauma, emotion, or otherwise (such as
Telekinesis). Once per chapter, that drawback can be
negated, preventing an unintended “flareup”.
Special: A Psychic may not have both Strength of
Will and Wild Talent.
Unique Mutation (•)

Effect: Whether through some quirk of your
unique mental makeup, or through sheer
perseverance and strength of will, you’ve managed to
gain access to a Supernatural Merit you shouldn’t be
able to. After purchasing this Merit, you may buy one
Supernatural Merit that you do not meet the
prerequisites for, so long as the prerequisites aren’t
required directly to make it work (for instance, you
could purchase Mind Breaker without its
prerequisites, but Plant Empathy wouldn’t work,
since it relies on Biokinesis’ rating).

THAUMATURGES
Thaumaturges are those that learn to tap into the A few examples of Magical Traditions follow; the
supernatural not through some quirk or their mind Storyteller and Players should feel free to use this as a
or mutation of their body (or spirit), but rather basis to create further Traditions, however, rather
through dedicated focus and ritualistic invocation. than feeling limited to those listed. As well, these
This often involves months, if not years of practice, overarching Traditions might be broken down into
until finally, something inside them changes a little, smaller, more specific groups that simply fall under
and they find themselves able to channel the the umbrella of the overarching Tradition’s
supernatural energy that flows through the world. tendencies. More information about the following
This is rarely a solitary road. Most thaumaturges Traditions can be found in the 1st edition Second
learn to become what they are through mentorship in Sight supplement, although it may be worthwhile to
their art, passed down through generations, or simply research their real world equivalents.
through joining up with others of similar interests, The entries are broken down into a basic
forming “covens” or perhaps larger still magical explanation, the strength and weakness of their
traditions that share similar methods and views of the magical methodologies, a free merit they receive
world. While solitary ritualists do exist, they find their (generally two dots), and the most common
progression in their magic much slower and more Supernatural Merits learned by them beyond that
prone to error than it is for those that have (those not found in the Chronicles of Darkness rule
established rituals and teachings they can pass along; book or this supplement will have their sourcebook
after all, it can be very difficult to tell a proper ritual listed).
in a grimoire from the insane writings of a powerless
hack, when you first start. Apostles of the Dark One
Magical Traditions The human mind ascribes darkness to evil,
ignorance, or other negative traits, relying as it does
Small groups of thaumaturges often form to assist on the presence of light to survive and study their
each other, learn from each other, and perform larger surroundings and make a life for themselves in the
magical workings than they might be capable of on world. It’s instinct, of course, as so many dangers veil
their own. With times, these covens can grow into full themselves in that darkness, and so many strange
blown traditions; many of these formed ages ago and things lurk in it, unseen, so it helps most humans
were passed along with the teachings of ancient simply survive.
cultures or religions, but some have been formed in What, then, of those that learn to use that absence
the past few decades, years, or even in recent months, of light to see? Those that learn to peer through the
hidden societies and mystery cults or new age groups Void and call upon the secrets it has bound up within
that have found just a bit of truth as to what’s really it, stolen from the mundane world every time a bit of
out there. lore has the light cast upon it for the last time and is
Thaumaturges may choose a Magical Tradition at lost to the ages? Are they evil too, because they’ve
character creation, which provides a minor bonus learned to see what others cannot? Are they immoral
and flaw, representing the style of their magic, a free because they’re willing to peer into places nobody else
Merit that the Tradition specializes in, and acts as a can see? In the end, it’s impossible to tell, but many
group that Status can be gained in, providing on either side would claim they have the answer,
potential resources and equipment to make the nonetheless.
magician’s life easier. This isn’t always Status in the The Apostles of the Dark One are those that
traditional sense, representing a single group with garnered their magic and knowledge not from passed
solid, defined roles, so much as it represents down oral traditions or tomes of knowledge, but
connections and respect among those that follow through Communion with one of the entities that
similar methodologies with their own magics. As exists in the expansive Void beyond the mundane
another option, smaller, more tight knit groups might realm. Many gather together at the behest of whatever
use the Mystery Cult rules instead. entities commune with them, to better make use of

these secrets, and to find ways to strengthen their Common Merits: Automatic Writing,
connection to that strange realm. Clairvoyance, Countermagic Ward, Dark Passenger
While not inherently evil, such communication does (Hurt Locker), Evil Eye (Hurt Locker), Luck
strain the human mind, revealing things to it that it’s Magic, Mind Control (Hurt Locker), Mind Breaker,
not meant to comprehend, secrets that it was never Omen Sensitivity, Postcognition, Psychic Empathy,
meant to process. If nothing else, those members of Sacrificial Offering (Hurt Locker).
this Tradition are certainly… different, than any of
their peers, and most find themselves detached, one Ceremonial Magicians
way or another, from the mundane moral teachings
Although the exact details vary between culture and
of those around them.
era, for as long as there’s been civilized society, there’s
Strength: Apostles of the Dark One find that the
been Ceremonial Magicians, magic users that rely on
magic channeled from the Void strengthens the
highly practiced occult tradition and well preserved
development of the self, an awareness of one’s own
rituals to guide celestial forces through them and into
needs, and they become keener at using it in that way.
the world around them. Most such Magicians are
When using a Supernatural Merit in a way meant to
highly educated scholars and wealthy elites, either
help fulfill a Vice or a personally oriented Aspiration,
born of a career formed around such studies or
the Apostle gains a +1 dice bonus on the roll.
having the time and resources already to allow them
Weakness: Communion with the Void and the
to delve into such practices.
entity (entities?) that resides there strains the human
Western practices of Ceremonial Magic often
mind, and this makes it harder for them to retain
harken back towards Hermetic traditions and
their sanity and stability when channeling its secrets.
Celestial rituals first performed back in the medieval
Apostles suffer a -2 penalty on any Breaking Point
era, when nobles and the religious elite would make
caused through use of a Supernatural Merit (whether
use of it to bolster their already considerable wealth
by or on them).
and power. Few had the actual patience and smarts to
Free Merit: Communion (••)
actually master these rituals, of course, but those that

did forged a long lasting Tradition that would be have learned their practice through a sort of informal
passed down and practiced for ages to come. mentorship or a connection to a minor coven, and
Ceremonial Magic, by its nature, tends to be more still have only joined up with the typical
incredibly complex and orderly, although that does tradition after discovering or jury rigging the
tend to make it reliably reproduced once the details trappings of Hedge Rituals for themselves.
have all been mastered. Few Traditions could truly Spontaneity and adaptability tend to be key facets
pass down their knowledge in extensive tomes, but of Hedge Magic. Certain herbs will evoke certain
many Ceremonial Magicians learned not from each effects, certain charms and designs focus the magic in
other, but through simple study of such grimoires. certain ways, but ultimately, the exact rituals tend to
If there’s one common thread to Ceremonial be simple and malleable, able to be adapted and
Magicians of all stripes, however, it tends to be a sort changed without too much difficulty, as it’s the
of hubris, a feeling of invincibility and a mindset that components and intention that matter most to them.
the world is theirs to command as they will. Their Of course, that means that the environment and
reach often exceeds their grasp if they delve a little too their surroundings can have an effect on them; Hedge
far, or attempt something they’re not ready for. Witches find it difficult to perform a ritual calling
Strength: The rigid practices of Ceremonial Magic upon nature deep within the city, and find it hard, if
make it easy to reproduce, and makes scholarly not impossible to harm someone from within a
materials that much more useful. Their Supernatural peaceful environment.
Merits can benefit from the Library merit if taken Strength: Hedge Witches excel at improvised
with the appropriate skill, even if their use is effects; remove two dice of penalties from any
technically a single roll, so long as the activation Supernatural Merit activation that’s done with an
requires more than a spontaneous instant action. instant action and no more than a turn of
This works with appropriate repositories, as well. preparation, no matter what the source of those
Weakness: Ceremonial Magicians believe that penalties. This does not provide a bonus if the roll
magic comes through proper preparation and ritual. isn’t penalized.
They suffer a -1 penalty on the activation roll of any Weakness: Warlocks are affected heavily by their
Supernatural Merit that requires only an instant environment; any location not conducive to the
action and no more than a turn of preparation. desired effect causes a -1 penalty to any Supernatural
Free Merit: Luck Magic (••) Merit activations for them (this penalty can NOT be
Common Merits: Alchemy, Biokinesis, cancelled by their Strength). For instance, using
Channeling, Communion, Consecrate Weapon Psychic Empathy to try and seduce someone at a
(Hurt Locker), Clairvoyance, Ephemeral funeral will be penalized.
Transmutation, Evocation/Invocation, Invoke Spirit Free Merit: Familiar (••)
(Hurt Locker), Laying on Hands, Medium, Common Merits: Aura Reading, Animal Speech,
Psychic Empathy. Clairvoyance, Evil Eye (Hurt Locker),
Evocation/Invocation, Incite Ecosystem (Hurt
Hedge Witches Locker), Laying on Hands, Luck Magic, Medium,
Psychic Empathy, Visionary Trance, Weather
It’s nearly impossible to describe a “typical” Hedge
Control.
Witch’s ritual, and even harder still to describe a
typical Hedge Witch themself, because Hedge
Witches tend to be one of the most diverse Traditions
Shamans
of Thaumaturges you can find, only held together as A perhaps overused and generalized term, Shamans
a tradition by a few common threads. Hedge Magic are simply those that act as intermediaries between
tends to rely on affecting other people more than it the world of flesh and the world of spirits, having an
does affecting oneself, and it’s usually the most unnatural level of awareness of the Shadow Realm
visceral of the different Traditions, the most likely to that allows them to fulfill that role. The first Shamans
provide physical results and rely on physical likely originated ages ago, acting as assistants to the
trappings. Wise in tribal villages, before the Spirit Wilds were
It should be noted, of course, that not all Wiccans cut off from humanity by the Gauntlet. Few, if any,
act as true Hedge Witches, and for that matter, not know anything about their origin today, but the
all “Witches” truly follow Wiccan traditions. Many Tradition itself remains.

Unlike many Thaumaturges, Shamans tend to
believe their magic comes from pacts made with
Taoist Alchemists
spirits, agreements that are fueled by the Shadow’s Taoism is a combination of psychology and
inhabitants to allow the ritualist to affect the world philosophy that eventually was formed into a major
around them. Others might say it’s a blessing of those religion. The base element of it involves finding a way
spirits, but doesn’t rely them after that gift is to sync oneself up to the flow of the multiverse, acting
conferred. Either way, the first step in becoming a in perfect accordance with the way they’re meant to
Shaman tends to be to learn to peer into their world exist within the world in order to return to the state
and speak with the Shadow’s inhabitants. their spirit held when still a part of the Tao. Beyond
While traditionally seen as a tribal practice, as that, it has expanded to a complex study of the
native practitioners of Shamanic faiths dwindle, human condition, consciousness, perception, and
many that take on the mantle are those born to more state of being.
modern societies with some inherent blessing or While Taoism has dwindled in the centuries since
ability to commune with those entities to begin with. its inception, and the use of the magic empowered by
Many such individuals lack a proper support base, its philosophies further still, practitioners can still be
though, and find themselves having difficulty existing found around the world. Even then, many Taoist
in a society that doesn’t believe what she’s seeing and spiritualists find themselves performing something
hearing actually exist. The lucky ones are discovered more akin to Shamanism than the forms of Alchemy
by other Shamans before they end up held in a boasted by practitioners of Wai-Dan and Nei-Dan.
psychiatric ward. Even those that learn about what Most forms of magic practiced by Taoist Alchemists
they really are and what they’re dealing with find it come down to a perfection of the mind, body, and
difficult living among modern society as an spirit, bringing it to a state close to the Tao or
intermediary, often finding themselves living dual bringing aspects of the outside world to it instead.
lives. Some manage to perfect this to the point of taking on
Whatever their origin, Shamans find most of their spiritual forms and returning to the Tao, and others
magic involves ending up in a trance or similar instead seek out immortality, detaching from the
dissociative state, aided through anything from typical expectation of their mortal spirit.
rhythmic music to hallucinogens. The depth of this While they don’t rely on complex rituals in the
state can vary, of course; quick, minor rituals may same way that Ceremonial Magicians do, Taoist
involve little more than a momentary clearing of Alchemists nonetheless do find themselves heavily
one’s thoughts, for instance. dependent on time, focusing their minds over long
Strength: Shamans are adept at dealing with spirits; periods and working their body in ways that simply
any social rolls or Supernatural Merit activation rolls don’t work instantaneously without an extraordinary
that involve dealing with spirits in some way gain a +1 degree of effort.
bonus. Strength: Centering the mind is an important step
Weakness: Shamans are forced to live dual lives, for Taoist Alchemists; on any day that they’ve
seen by spirits as easily as they are by the mundane Meditated, even as a prerequisite to a Supernatural
people surrounding them. They’re permanently Merit, they gain a +1 bonus on all Supernatural Merit
Resonant to any spirit, making them inherently activations. As well, due to the way Nei-Dan works,
noticeable to them. Thankfully, this is usually more Biokinesis ••• acts as an optional, replacement
of an interest than the mild hostility most spirits have prerequisite for the Ephemeral Transmutation merit
for those born of flesh, but they care little about if (pg. 14).
their attention has an effect on the Thaumaturge’s Weakness: Taoist Alchemy is rarely done quickly,
day to day life. and when it must be, it relies on sheer force of will to
Free Merit: Visionary Trance (••) get their body and mind in the proper state for it.
Common Merits: Astral Projection, Biokinesis, When using a Supernatural Merit with an instant
Biomimicry (Hurt Locker), Dream Travel, activation and no more than a turn of preparation, it
Ephemeral Sight, Evocation/Invocation, Familiar, costs the Thaumaturge a point of Willpower even if
Hardened Exorcist (Hurt Locker), Laying on Hands, it wouldn’t normally. This does not affect powers that
Medium, Warding, Weather Control. already cost Willpower.
Free Merit: Biokinesis (••)

Common Merits: Alchemy, Aura Reading, willing to seek out whatever magic will provide them
Channeling, Countermagic Ward, Ephemeral the most benefit, or draw in those willing to make an
Transmutation, Geomancy, Laying on Hands, offering of their own. This might, in some cases,
Longevity, Luck Magic, Medium, Omen Sensitivity, mean performing the Hollywood trope of raising the
Warding. dead (usually through an inhabiting ghost), or
binding a spirit into an object and offering it as a
Vodoun charm to those who would seek out such a service.
Many Loa, of course, care little for the morality of the
Vodoun, more than any other of the Traditions
one making a proper offering to them.
described here, is often misunderstood. Hollywood, Either way, their magic relies on a connection to
western faiths, and even certain denizens of the the Loa and those with a sympathetic tie to them.
supernatural world perpetuate strange, dark
This level of openness doesn’t extend only to those
stereotypes of them, most of which have little basis in
the Vodoun practitioner seeks out, though, they risk
reality, or that, if they do, warp and skew it to make
the influence of any sort of ephemeral beings they
the practice as a whole, rather than individual find themself running into.
practitioners, look inherently immoral. The practice
Strength: Due to their connection to and practice
itself has been suppressed and vilified over the years,
in dealing with the Loa, practitioners of Vodoun gain
and because of this, modern, actually capable a +1 bonus on social rolls or rolls to utilize
thaumaturges of it are few and far between. Supernatural Merits on Ghosts.
Despite the popular culture, the primary purpose of
Weakness: Practitioners, due to their interaction
most voodoo is to offer healing (whether spiritual or
with (and being inhabited by) the Loa, are more easily
physical), and either gain or offer wisdom.
maneuvered into a state of Possession. They’re treated
Practitioners make offerings to the Loa, whether in
as an Anchor for any ghost, solely for the purpose of
the form of sacrifices, clothing and rituals that honor
having Manifestation Conditions applied to them.
them, or special implements favored by those strange
Free Merit: Unseen Sense (Ghosts)
entities. In return, the Loa will temporarily find their
Common Merits: Channeling, Countermagic
way into the practitioner’s mind (or body), offering
Ward, Curse Effigy (Hurt Locker), Ephemeral Sight,
wisdom or altering the world around them in a way
Evocation/Invocation, Laying on Hands, Luck
according to the ritualist’s desire.
Magic, Medium, Omen Sensitivity, Soul Jar,
Of course, stereotype or not, not all practitioners
Warding, Weather Control.
work to offer healing and insight. Bokor are often

Thaumaturge Merits
Thaumaturges gain 1 dot of their defining merit Ritual Meditation
(Thaumaturgy) for free, in addition to any merits
gained from their Magical Tradition, and are
otherwise created the same way as any other Mortal
character.
Thaumaturgy (• to •••••)
Prerequisite: At least one Supernatural Merit that
requires activation.
Effect: Thaumaturgy is the practice of ritual magic,
whether through the lens of one of the Traditions or
through the improvised magics of a self-taught
practitioner. It has several scaling effects:
• Thaumaturges can utilize instantaneous
powers as rituals, extending the time taken in
order to lower the impact it has on their minds.
When activating a Supernatural Merit of a level Coven (• or •••••)
equal to or lower than their Thaumaturgy
rating that usually requires only an instant
Effect: With this merit, the Thaumaturge is capable
action and no more than a turn of preparation,
of performing rituals (per the description in the
the Thaumaturge may Meditate (or perform a
Thaumaturgy merit) using the Teamwork rules,
similar sort of ritual) beforehand in order to
allowing covens of ritualists to assist each other in
remove any Willpower point cost from the
casting magical effects they all know. This process
activation (if it would normally cost more than
doubles the time required of the ritual (either per roll
one point, multiply the time per roll
or of any flat period of time required), but affects each
accordingly; two points mean the Meditation
member of the coven participating in the case
takes twice as long, for instance). This can be
of powers that normally only affect oneself.
used even if there’s no Willpower cost, in order
With the one dot version of this Merit, every coven
to allow these merits to benefit from other
member must be a Thaumaturge that has both this
abilities that affect rituals.
merit and the one being cast. With the five dot
• When performing rituals (defined as either any
version, only the leading Thaumaturge needs to have
activation using the above system, or any
this merit, other Thaumaturges don’t need to have
Supernatural Merit that naturally requires
the Supernatural Merit, and non-Thaumaturges can
more than an instant action or turn of
be included if they have the Supernatural Merit being
preparation beforehand), if they double the
used.
time required (whether per roll or of a flat
Drawback: Differing methods of magic can
period required), they may ignore penalties
interfere with each other. For each member of the
equal to their Thaumaturgy rating on the
coven assisting in the ritual that relies on a different
activation. This can even remove penalties
tradition from the leader (those lacking one may
from Resistances.
count), the leader suffers a -1 penalty to their roll.
• This merit acts as a prerequisite for any other
Skilled Thaumaturges still often are better off with
Thaumaturgy merits. Other Thaumaturgy
“clashing” help, but there’s always the chance of a
merits require a rating in Thaumaturgy equal
participant doing more harm than good.
to or greater than their own rating, unless the
prerequisite lists a specific rating otherwise.
Dream (• to •••••)
Prerequisites: Thaumaturgy, Composure •••,
Wits •••

Effect: Once per chapter, your character can dig Longevity (•••••)
within her dreams for prophetic answers to
primordial truths. She may enter her own dreams Prerequisites: Thaumaturgy, Medicine •••+, and
without a meditation roll when she sleeps, and if she Biokinesis ••••+ or Alchemy ••••+
has a basic understanding of something she wishes to Effect: An effect beyond the reach of most
divine from her dreams, you may use this Merit. Your practitioners of magic, your character has learned to
character must sleep or meditate for at least four create a substance that relies on strange alchemical or
hours. Then, ask the Storyteller a yes or no question biological principles that allow the imbiber to live a
about the topic at hand. He must answer accurately, far longer life than is normally possible for a mortal.
but can use “maybe” if the answer is truly neither yes Creating the elixir requires materials of Availability
nor no. Depending on the answer, you may ask ••• or more, a point of Willpower, and an extended
additional questions, until you have asked questions Intelligence + Medicine roll, with a target of 10
equal to your Dream Merit dots. successes, or 20 if the target has already lived beyond
their natural lifespan (Storyteller discretion, but you
Familiar (•• or ••••) can usually assume 80 years or so). Add five to the
target if the intended recipient (who always MUST be
Prerequisites: Thaumaturgy 1+, and Medium or predetermined) is someone other than the
Unseen Sense (per type of entity) Thaumaturge himself, and add ten more (15 total) if
Effect: Unlike typical mortals, who at best might the intended recipient has no supernatural abilities;
manage to Invoke a Spirit to act as a somewhat the intended recipient of a given dose of elixir must
suspect protector, Thaumaturges can forge a bond be decided upon creation, and it will only work for
with an ephemeral entity, which can be any sort of that individual. Upon consumption by the intended
ephemeral being the Storyteller deems is willing to target, they’ll cease aging for a period of time (see
create such a bond, with a Rank no higher than half Suggested Modifiers, below).
the merit rating. The Familiar inherently gains the This elixir DOES work on supernatural beings that
Familiar Manifestation Condition upon purchasing can die of old age, but has no effect on the Undead
this merit, and will generally act as a willing partner or otherwise already immortal.
(not servant) to the Thaumaturge. Suggested Modifiers: Substance halts aging for a
day (-0), substance halts aging for a week (-1),
substance halts aging for a month (-3), substance halts
Familiar aging for a year (-6), mercury and gold are used as
ingredients (+1), vampiric vitae is used in the elixir
Manifestation Condition (+3, but bonds/addicts normally), target is not
The entity has been bonded to a thaumaturge. human (-2).
It may use any other Manifestations freely, but is
protected from Essence bleed. The entity and its
bonded thaumaturge may use one another’s
Magical Nexus (• to •••••)
senses with a reflexive action, and can use their Prerequisites: Thaumaturgy 1+, Safe Place
powers through each other’s senses by spending a Effect: A Magical Nexus is a place of mystical
point of Willpower. power, where supernatural energy either flows
If an entity under the effects of Familiar is through in large amounts, is produced at a central
discorporated, it will reform in a location the point, or comes through from another realm
Thaumaturge has previously performed a ritual altogether. This can include Loci, Hallows, Cenotes,
within, generally the spot most important to and any similar places of power, but for the most part
them. their benefit to a Thaumaturge is the same (although
Causing the Condition: This Condition is you may want to define what it specifically is with
created with a purchase of the Familiar merit. your Storyteller, for the sake of story considerations);
Ending the Condition: This Condition only the location’s rating is added to the dice pool of any
ends upon a mutual termination by the entity and rituals (defined as in the Thaumaturgy merit)
the Thaumaturge. performed there.
Generally speaking, the higher the rating of the
Nexus, the wider its area of influence; one dot

Nexuses might be as small as a room, whereas a five additional protection against magic, for instance, or
dot Nexus could cover an entire warehouse. Repositories that react to the thoughts of those
Drawback: Other Thaumaturges, and indeed, far looking through them, providing a further bonus to
more dangerous denizens of the Night, may envy your research, or even Housing of a particularly eldritch
claim and seek to take it for themself. The higher the “feel” are all fine. This bonus can go above the normal
rating, the more noticeable the location generally is +5 limit for equipment.
to others, and the more they may be willing to risk to
gain control of it. Prolonged Magic (•••••)
Mastery of Minor Magic (•) Effect: You’ve learned to channel additional power
Prerequisite: Thaumaturgy into your rituals, allowing them to remain in effect
Effect: Any mortal is capable of some level of minor for much longer than normal. By taking a -2 penalty
magic or ritual, if they truly believe themselves and spending an additional point of Willpower
capable; abjurism, summoning, warding, charm (ignoring per-action limits, if it already costs one)
making, and amulet crafting all carry some level of when casting a ritual (as defined in the Thaumaturgy
magic to them, raw human will being filtered through merit), you may extend the duration of the power as
the spirit to effect change on the world, or at least to follows: Scene-long effects last a day, day-long effects
affect particular types of supernatural beings. In last a week, week-long effects last a month, month-
addition to your more specialized rituals, you’ve long effects last a season, and season-long effects last
mastered these more “universal” spells, and gain the a year. If the power wouldn’t last any of those
9-again benefit on making use of any of them. The amounts of time, exactly, round down to the nearest
Storyteller is the ultimate arbiter of what qualifies. “step” before upgrading it (e.g. three days extends to
a week). This has no effect on rituals that would last
Minor Enchantment (••• or •••••) less time than a scene.
Effect: When using Equipment Crafting rules to
Scaled Ritual (•••)
create Mystical/Supernatural Equipment (Chronicles Prerequisites: Thaumaturgy, Wits •••
of Darkness pg. 100, God Machine Chronicle pg. Effect: The Thaumaturge has learned to expand the
241), you may craft equipment that provides a dice scale of their rituals, using more elaborate and
bonus of +1 higher than normal, but must use practiced magics to affect more than the usual single
extended rules for crafting, adding 5 successes to the target. When casting a ritual (per the definition in the
usual needed total. At 5 dots, it can be +2 higher, but Thaumaturgy merit) that has a single target, they may
requires 10 extra successes. This can go above the take a -2 penalty to both any preparations and the
usual +5 limit for an equipment bonus. The character activation itself, representing a more complex spell, to
need not pay Experiences for those created for become able to target a second individual (or other
themself (though the Storyteller may limit how many second target, as appropriate).
they can safely keep on hand), but others receiving Use the highest of any Resistances, add any other
these objects should take the Minor Relic merit below penalties that apply to either together, and compare
(ignoring the usual Prerequisite, but only applying to the successes separately against each target if the
this specialized Mystical Equipment). power’s contested (but only roll once). The power
otherwise affects both targets the same way (barring
Minor Relic (• to •••) different success/failure on a contested roll). In the
case of rituals that normally only target the
Prerequisite: Thaumaturgy 1+ Thaumaturge themself, the second target must be
Effect: Your character has access to a minor magical touched at the end of the ritual, and be present the
item, something that’s soaked up intense resonance whole time.
or perhaps absorbed some amount of supernatural
energy at a Nexus. Whatever the case, it provides its
rating in equipment bonus above and beyond what it
Sympathetic Magic (••••)
would normally provide. Creative applications of this Prerequisites: Thaumaturgy, Occult ••••
merit are fine; Occult equipment that provides

Effect: Your character is able to perform rituals at a their magic or powers, a friend, lover, or close
sympathetic distance, that is, on those not present for colleague, objects of emotional significance or
the ritual, but who can be targeted with the aid of a close connection, or something that similarly
focus of some kind, representing the target or perhaps has a fairly obvious tie. Take a -6 penalty on the
even being made of a piece of them. For any ritual (as roll.
defined by the Thaumaturgy merit) that targets • Weak: The Thaumaturge has access to
another individual, object, or singular point of a something barely connected to the target, but
location, but that normally must rely on sensory that still has some level of tie, like something
range, the Thaumaturge may take a penalty according previously affected by their powers, casual
to the closest sort of connection they have to the acquaintances, belongings that have been used
target to use the ritual at a distance. If you don’t know at least once or that touched or were placed by
the name of a targeted individual (if appropriate), the object/area for a significant period of time,
increase the penalty by an additional -2. or something that closely represents them, like
• Sensory/Connected: The Thaumaturge is able a picture taken. Take a -8 penalty on the roll.
to see the target for the entire ritual, but not The Thaumaturgy merit can reduce these penalties
through their own natural senses, or has as normal. Any connection less than a Weak one
something that is sympathetically the same as makes the ritual impossible. Note that this merit is
the target (like a Familiar or their original soul). not needed for rituals that already can target distant
Take a -2 penalty on the roll. individuals, like Clairvoyance and Luck Magic.
• Strong: The Thaumaturge has something Drawback: Supernatural beings often have a sense
closely metaphysically linked to the target, such for sympathetic magics targeting them, and so
as their spouse or lifelong friend, a (permanent) attempting to harm them from afar can still be
magic item created by them, bodily samples dangerous. Vampires sense Sympathetic Magic like
(hair, blood, etc.), a piece of an object or they do Blood Sorcery, Werewolves treat it like a weak
location, or something of similar relationship. (-3) trail they can follow, Mages find their Peripheral
Take a -4 penalty to the roll. Senses triggered at the start of the ritual, and other
• Medium: The Thaumaturge has something Supernatural beings will sense it in a way appropriate
linked to the target, such as items imbued by to their own unique senses, at Storyteller discretion.
Chapter Three:
Chapter Three:
WhatShould
What Should Not
Not
Be
Be
There are entities out there stranger than the most detached spirit, warped
ghost, or inscrutable angel. Beings whose very existence strains reality around
them, and whose appearance can warp the minds of those who see them. They
want little more than to control, warp, or destroy our universe as we know it, or
to take hold of it and make it into something reflecting their own inner chaos.
These primordial forces, these creatures from the darkest, deepest depths of the
universe, whether through malice or alien nature, cause untold suffering to
humanity whenever and wherever they appear.
Yet some people, those with twisted minds and nihilistic morals, welcome
“Nothing is more these creatures. They call them forth, inviting them into the world, and perhaps
frightening than a even worship them like mad gods. Most who stand against these strange
intruders into reality face off not against the beings themselves, but the mortals
fear you cannot they’ve drawn before them and warped to their purpose. The strange ritualists
name.” hidden in hovels, calling a strange taint on the area around them. The groups
of “criminals” in the night, swiping objects that have seemingly no value from
- Cornelia Funke, highly protected places. The shadowy figures meeting in abandoned buildings
most won’t go anywhere near.
Inkheart
While ultimately, the eldritch beings that are being sought out are an untold
danger that will need to be brought down and defeated, no chance of that
presents itself until the servitors they’ve built up have been dealt with first.
Things That Should Not Be

Before the Cult or any Reality Blasphemy can be created, the entity that they
serve, admire, or simply attempt to mirror the discerned goals of needs to be
created. There are countless variations on the types of entities that come from
the spaces between, outer dimensions, and the void itself, but a loose
“catalogue” of the more common types exists. The following should not be
considered the only types of Things That Should Not Be, but they form a wide
basis of possibilities, and the most common types (if any could be called
“common”) for the PCs to run into.
As usual, the Storyteller should feel free to come up with new types altogether,
or even to blur the lines between what’s found in these pages; perhaps what first
was thought to be an Outer Demon was really just reflecting some flaw in the
universe, for instance.

the world, steadily increasing their influence and
Alien Gods destabilizing the world as they enact their vision on it.
Effectively ephemeral deities that fall under no These beings favor Reality Blasphemies more than
known classification for such beings, these minor complex Cults, and often only offer a few Rites to
gods exist out of phase with time and space, intruding their followers, but a large potential number of
into our reality for reasons unknown, often requiring Powers for those that allow their masters to warp
very specific culminations of temporal and physical them in their image. These powers and abilities,
circumstances to even begin to reach out to those in though, are usually very physical, more apt to provide
this world. They’re one of the most likely to be able an enhancement of their bodies than more
to speak in languages understandable by humans, and ephemeral capabilities.
as such are the ones that attract the largest number of
Cult leaders to their cause, although lone Reality
Demons of the Outer Realms
Blasphemers are fewer and farther between. Not to be confused with the corrupting influences
When lacking a manifestation in this world, they of the Inferno, or the mind-born goetic tempters
exist stretched across multiple dimensions and layers found in the astral, these inimical creatures have a
of reality, our own realm acting almost hostile to their hatred for the concept of life itself, their nature
presence. They work indirectly, relying on the Cultists grating against it like sandpaper whenever they come
that follow them more than any direct intervention, too close to it. Many, as such, seek to snuff it out, but
and in the rare times they do manifest, it’s briefly, are patient, willing to make use of such living beings
taking the forms of strange amalgamations of plant, to assist with a grander level of destruction.
animal, and matter that never feel quite right to those Of particular note, though, is the fact that these
that observe them. distinct entities are often more fathomable, and
Mechanically, Alien Gods can typically offer a large indeed, more easily controlled and destroyed, to the
number of Rites of any level to their followers, point of causing no small number of arrogant
although Reality Blasphemers are fewer and farther “demonologists” to attempt to summon and bind
between, due to the indirect way that act upon the them to their will. More often than not, however,
world. Often, Alien Gods are higher Rank when they they rely on human mythology to guide their rituals,
take Ephemeral form (see below), often 5 or even 6. which these creature lie entirely outside of, allowing
them to resist the flawed magics and subjugate the
Chaos and Creation Beings summoners themselves, giving them their first
Despite often representing little more than raw foothold into the world. As such, they’re the entities
chaos and potential, Chaos Beings are often the more most likely to be “physically” involved with their
fathomable, understandable entities that individuals Cults, in one form or another.
might cross the path of, as the nature of Chaos and As such, while high level Rites and a multitude of
primordial Creation is native to our universe, and Dread Powers for the Cults and Blasphemers that
thus can be conceived more easily by its inhabitants. follow them are often off the table, Demons are often
However, they’re still inimical to the universe as it able to intervene directly with more ease, taking on
currently exists, as raw Creation and manifestations physical forms and using their powers directly to assist
of Chaos, when unchecked, can have a devastating their followers in enacting their will.
effect on its inhabitants and the laws that govern it.
Their followers are attracted to them through the
Flaws in Reality
promise of never ending orgiastic bliss, boiling down Less distinct entities and more minor flaws in the
their existence to little more than an endless flow of makeup of the universe itself cascading upon
pleasure and creation. themselves, these quantifiable phenomena are often
Such beings never take on a physical form, as they anthropomorphized by their insane followers, called
can’t properly conceive them in the same way that “blind” or “idiot” gods, treated like beings that do
certain other types of entities can. While they don’t little more than tear down the fabric of reality. But
fracture themselves over all of creation like alien gods, this is not because of any great revelation provided
they nonetheless remain detached, slowly seeping in them, but simply the tendency of the human mind to
through as many points of ingress as they can forge in assign an intelligence to such a force, the same sort of
people that form cults and religions describing the

creation of the universe ascribing a personality to its
destruction.
Ephemeral Systems
The strange culminations of these flaws, despite While the strange entities that act as the patron to
lacking an actual will of their own, still sometimes do strange Cults and lone Reality Blasphemers can vary,
spawn lesser entities or “children” in the wake of their from alien entities to beings of pure chaos, they all
“failures”. These entities are almost paradoxes in a follow the same basic rules. Most Things That Should
way, the last lingering vestige of a species or Not Be (referred to as “Others” in shorthand) use the
phenomena that’s fallen away from the universe, or a game systems for Ephemeral Beings (Chronicles of
law of physics that no longer exists given some strange Darkness, pg. 124), with a few changes relating to
form. They lack a directed purpose, seeking only to their unique nature, as follows.
further destroy or tear things down, but they can
often be bound more easily by those that follow the Twilight
Flaws they were given birth from. Others have their own phase of Twilight, separate
Lacking any true consciousness as they do, Flaws from ghosts, spirits, angels, goetia, and anything else
cannot provide Rites to their Cults, and any Dread beyond their own kind. Powers and abilities that work
Powers their Blasphemous followers gain are more on Twilight in general will affect them or allow
incidental than a blessing. However, the widespread perception of them, but those targeting a specific
nature of what they are allows many of their Cults to phase need to be designed anew to work on them.
learn to steal or adapt Rites from other sorts of
blasphemous beings, putting them to use and Rank
claiming them as their own mad god’s gift to them.
Generally speaking, Others that act as a patron to
Forces of Entropy Cults and Reality Blasphemers are at least Rank 3,
although minor creatures created by or otherwise
The inverted mirror of Chaos and Creation Beings, serving more powerful beings might be of lower rank.
rather than imposing unchecked creation and raw Truly reality-shattering entities can end up as high as
chaos into the universe, these strange, unknowable (if Rank 6 or 7. The mechanics otherwise remain the
still technically “conscious”) entities break down same.
what’s been created and given order, forcing it to
decay into nothingness or be more blatantly sucked Essence
into the void that is its own existence. Whether this
is because of some hunger for reality or a hatred of it Others regain Essence similarly to Angels, through
is hard to say, and in the end, it matters little to those appropriate offerings and sacrifices. They avoid
faced with the actions of such creatures. Essence bleed through a condition called
Despite their foreign nature, these Forces can take “Corruption”, which works similarly to
on apparent personalities that may be relatable to Infrastructure, but represents the influence of these
some nihilistic individuals, having a sort of subtlety strange outer entities, not the God-Machine, and is
and patience to them that allows them to slowly infect usually specific to an entity (Tagged as “Corruption
the populace, preparing it for the inevitable collapse (Zhuidro),” for instance). It never occurs naturally,
of the surrounding world. Their worshippers often but cultists can build it up normally (as can an
have an inherent hatred for reality (or at least a appropriate Influence at 4+), after which it can be
specific part of it), fully aware that they’re dooming progressed through the Manifestation conditions
humanity to being cast into the void of nothingness through normal means.
that they’re empowering. Advantages
Entropic beings like these, despite their nature as
something that erodes and destroys, may still gift Like Spirits, Others lack Virtues, Vices, or Integrity,
Rites and Dread Powers to their followers. They can’t and regain 1 Willpower per 3 Essence regained.
offer as many Rites as Outer Gods, nor as many
Dread Powers as Chaotic Beings, but both Cultists Language
and Blasphemers find a variety of dark magics to call Some types of Others may speak human languages,
upon when they serve these creatures of destruction. but many rely on indirect forms of communications:
visions, strange signs, and emotional impulses

implanted into their followers. The Elder Tongue Rite all too common, making research an impossibility.
(pg. 42) can allow a ritualist to comprehend such However, the nature of these Others does provide
beings no matter how they communicate. one inherent way to understand them; in the same
way their Cultists come to learn from them, so too
Bans and Banes can those opposing them, by letting such a creature
Others often have strange Bans and Banes, perhaps touch their mind. When such an entity causes a
only tacitly relating to their forms or goals, and often Breaking Point for a character, if the Breaking Point
rely on a lot of research and specific circumstances to roll is successful, an extended “research” roll can be
fully be taken advantage of. Decide their Ban/Bane as made to put together the fractured hints, symbols,
if they were a Rank higher, without feeling any need and visions that flooded their mind, requiring the
to match it to their nature, and similarly set any normal number of successes.
threshold for research into them using the higher
effective Rank.
Abjuration, Exorcism, Binding, and
Warding
Influences These systems all work normally, although the
The Influences attained by Others are often very nature of these beings does mean learning to make a
general and thus powerful in their utility. Chaos proper ward can be difficult, if the substance is even
beings might have an Influence over Fate itself, something that can be found for it to begin with.
whereas a Reality Flaw’s child might have an
Influence over Matter as a whole. They otherwise Summoning
work normally. Summoning is not possible with all Others, as most
Manifestations Alien Gods and Reality Flaws are too far removed to
truly manifest physically, but for those that CAN be
Reality Blasphemies always gain Reaching as their called (which must always be Rank 5 and below, and
free Manifestation instead of Twilight Form, and may have the Twilight Form manifestation), the system
apply it to anything or any location with the works similarly, relying on Corruption instead of
Corruption condition attuned to them, instead of other Manifestation conditions. However, those that
themselves, as their own “realm” lacks a direct would rely on a Gateway of some sort to cross into
analogue, unlike the Shadow of Spirits. They typically our world MUST be summoned with the appropriate
lack any sort of Gateway Manifestation, relying on Rite (Compel the God, pg. 45).
Cultists performing strange Rites to bring them
across.
Numina The Wider World

Others gain Dread Powers instead of Numina
(though may still choose the “Numen” power),
receiving the same number of them as other
Ephemera would receive Numina at the same Rank,
and they have a few unique Dread Powers they can
choose from (see below). The dice pool they use is
always Power + Finesse, and they may spend Essence
in place of Willpower. They may still trade these
Dread Powers for dots of Influences and
Manifestations.
Research
As mentioned, research rolls treat Others as if their
rank was one higher (needing 25 successes if their
effective Rank becomes 6), due to the obscurity of
most of their weaknesses. As well, “new” creatures are

Manifest Horrors
Certain Things That Should Not be might take on
more solid forms on a permanent basis; Demons of
the Outer Darkness (see above) are especially likely to
take such a form when drawn fully into our reality.
In these cases, use the rules for creating Dread
Horrors (Chronicles of Darkness, pg. 140) for such
beings, who will almost always have a Potency of at
least 5, if not more.
As with Ephemeral versions, they have access to
some unique Dread Powers, which they can offer to
Reality Blasphemers that follow them. These
creatures will always still have a Bane and Ban,
however, and thus can be subjected to Warding and
Binding, and still lack a Virtue and Vice. It’s generally
not recommended to use the “Brief Nightmares”
system (Chronicles of Darkness, pg. 143) for Others,
but their servants and spawn can safely be repre
-sented with those systems.
Stranger Things
Sometimes, Others aren’t anything truly
quantifiable, and existing game systems might not
seem appropriate for them. Flaws in Reality,
especially, may simply work akin to a system of Tilts
imposed on reality and a “Ban” that will cause it to
cease to exist. The Storyteller shouldn’t feel confined
to using Ephemeral or Horror systems, nor to relying
wholly on the Core or this supplement for where they
gain their Dread Powers and other abilities. Things
That Should Not Be are rarely confronted directly,
and if they are, they should shock and confuse the
characters and players alike, rather than following
predictable patterns.

Dread Powers protection that isn’t somehow mental in nature, as
their bodies and minds twist and contort, blood
The following Dread Powers are unique to Things flowing from their ears and bruises forming along
That Should Not Be, and the Reality Blasphemers their veins. A character that is entirely deaf or
that follow them. Remember that dice pools can vary otherwise unable to hear ANY amount of the sound,
per entity and character that uses them. Dread Powers or that has a dot of Reality Blasphemy or Mystery
from the Chronicles of Darkness core book and Cult Initiation for a Thing’s cult, is not affected.
Cults and Followers

other sources can be taken for Others and their
Blasphemers as the Storyteller deems suitable.
Things That Should Not Be rarely have any ability

Crushing Will to influence the world in major ways without some
The creature is capable of imposing its raw will over level of assistance. There may be a few small places
the minds of others for short periods of time. Spend their influence can break through, however, people
1 point of Willpower and roll its dice pool against the whose minds are attuned to the otherworldly, or
target’s Resolve + Supernatural Tolerance. For one whose dreams touch upon strange realms. With a few
turn per success rolled over the target’s, the creature promises of power, or a few well placed lies, directions
is able to control them like a puppet with a reflexive can be passed along to slowly grow their impact on
action. This only allows physical actions to be forced, the world.
and so cannot be used to activate their supernatural Note: The following options are, by default,
abilities or perform mental or social actions. available only to Storyteller characters; not only are
they dark, antagonistic options, but Rites and Powers
Sign of Madness are a bit more powerful than most other Supernatural
options available to mortals, and are designed around
This Power allows the creature to create a symbol the idea of antagonist NPCs, not PCs, using them.
representing it, akin to the Sign Numina, but it costs With Storyteller permission, however, PCs may be
1 Willpower and can be used at any distance (if allowed to take the Independent Dabbler merit (see
ephemeral, it may be used with the Reaching below).
Manifestation, but relies on the Corruption
condition). It can’t be altered much from a single
chosen symbol (beyond applying to different
Mystery Cults
mediums), but provides a +5 equipment bonus for The Cults of the Others are effectively very
the creature or those aligned with it to Intimidate deranged, blasphemous Mystery Cults, and for the
others, or to Force Doors in social maneuvering. most part, they’re designed the same way. The
Purpose and Doctrine are generally going to be
Tentacles (• to •••) defined by their patron, whatever task and
philosophies the Other has set up for them, or
A variation on Natural Weaponry, the character whatever Purpose and Doctrine they’ve surmised
has tentacles, which act as 0 Lethal weapons that gain from mad revelations they’ve claimed regarding its
a bonus equal to the Power’s rating to establish a nature, in some cases. Cults of The Things That
grapple and to any grappling maneuvers. Should Not Be don’t require a Relic, though many
will nonetheless gravitate towards one, whether an
Word of Power actual piece of their god or something merely
representative.
The creature is capable of uttering a word in a
The primary benefit beyond the usual mechanics of
strange, blasphemous tongue that scars the mind and
a Mystery Cult, however, is the availability of Rites.
soul of those that hear it, mortal minds unable to
Depending on the Thing involved (as described in the
process it properly. The creature spends a point of
Blasphemous Beings section), create a list of Rites (see
Willpower and rolls its dice pool, resisted by the
below) that the Cult has access to. Purchasing a Rite
highest Composure of any who can hear its natural
requires 1 Experience per dot of its rating, and
voice (powers and technology will not improve its
requires that they have a Mystery Cult Initiation
range). For each success rolled, those affected take 1
equal to or greater than that rating. In some cases,
bashing damage, which bypasses any armor or

Cults of the Others may provide Rites automatically Reality Blasphemy (• to •••••;
as benefits, granting them similarly to dots of merits
(so a 1-dot Rite could be granted at levels one or two Supernatural)
in Mystery Cult Initiation, for instance). Rites all Prerequisites: Mortal
inherently count as rituals for the purposes of the Effect: Reality Blasphemy provides two benefits. To
Thaumaturge Merit Template (pg. 29); indeed, many start with, they may learn the Rites of a single Thing
Cultists that focus heavily on their magics will That Should Not Be, for the same cost as a Cultist.
become Thaumaturges, and those that do treat their However, their primary benefit comes from the
Cult as their Magical Tradition, gaining two dots of blessings they receive directly from their patrons, who
Rites for free (feel free to come up with unique alter them in ways according to the purpose they have
Strengths and Weaknesses for a Cult’s in mind for their “chosen” servants. For each dot in
Thaumaturges, depending on the entity they follow). the merit, they receive one Dread Power known by
Similarly, while Cultists don’t inherently gain the Thing That Should Not Be that they’ve chosen.
access to the Dread Powers of those that command This merit may not be taken more than once; none
them (see Reality Blasphemy for that, below), some of the Others will allow for such split loyalty.
Cults might provide them as benefits. One Power can Drawback: Reality Blasphemers always have the
be provided at level 3 of Initiation, and two can be Corruption condition for all Things That Should Not
provided at four or five. This is very common for Be, and are Open to their own Patron and the entities
Chaos or Creation beings, especially. that serve it. For those patrons that are built as Dread
To note, Supernatural creatures can and often do Horrors, they instead are always aware of the exact
join up with such Blasphemous Cults. While location of Reality Blasphemies attuned to them. As
characters with a full Supernatural Template are well, for each dot in the merit, the character suffers a
incapable of buying Rites, they may still benefit from -1 penalty on any Breaking Point roll made that has
Rites and Powers granted directly by the Mystery Cult anything to do with their service to their
Initiation merit itself. Of course, most Supernatural Blasphemous patron.
Creatures are likely to use the Mystery Cult Influence
merit instead (Mage: the Awakening, pg. 103; with Independent Dabbler (••, ••••, or •••••;
Storyteller permission, Supernatural characters other
than Mages may take this merit), representing a Supernatural)
willingness to benefit from these dark magics but Prerequisites: Not a Reality Blasphemy or in a Cult
perhaps not directly serve such creatures. of a Thing That Should Not Be
Drawback: Being a part of a Blasphemous cult is Effect: Through careful study of what makes
never easy on the mind. Cultists of Things That Blasphemous Beings tick, you’ve managed to learn
Should Not Be suffer a breaking point for each dot just a bit of the magic that they normally reserve for
they purchase (this applies to alternative Integrity their followers and servants. You gain one
equivalents, at Storyteller discretion). Blasphemous Rite (see below) of level 1 at two dots,
Reality Blasphemies level 2 at four dots, or level 3 at five dots.

This merit may be taken more than once, choosing
Congregations of religious servitors aren’t the only a new Rite each time.
ones that find themselves following or being Drawback: Borrowing the power of these beings is
influenced by these strange entities. Those that are not without risk. For one scene after you’ve utilized
directly altered by Blasphemous beings are a bit this Rite, you take the Corruption condition tied to
different; touched so intimately by the dark gods they the entity you stole it from, or a materialized Other
serve, they become Reality Blasphemies, dark gains a +3 bonus to tracking you for the same time
conduits of the power of these creatures, barely period.
contained within a mortal body.
It’s also possible for someone to end up dabbling Blasphemous Rites
into dark rites and the strange abilities; this isn’t quite What follows is a small sample of Rites that Things
as dangerous as delving fully into a Cult or giving That Should Not Be can offer their followers, but the
oneself over fully to the Others, but it’s still far from Storyteller should feel free to come up with more,
safe and reliable. perhaps pulling them from the magics of other

Supernatural creatures. A Rite costs 1 Experience per Apprehend the Ephemeral (•)
dot in its rating, and each one is effectively a
Supernatural Merit, for all purposes. This does mean This rite allows the performer to see and
that Supernatural creatures cannot, by default, make communicate with beings of any sort that exist in
use of them. However, those that are part of a Twilight (of any phase) in the immediate vicinity
Blasphemous Cult MAY use those Rites directly (including Others in Twilight Form). If such an entity
granted by that Cult’s Initiation benefits. seeks to hide from the performer, a Perception roll is
All Rites use the same basic system, although the required on the ritualist’s part if hidden mundanely,
exact activities, implements, and ritual ingredients or a Clash of Wills if they’re hidden supernaturally
will vary between them (listed as the “Offerings” of (the ritualist rolls Supernatural Potency + Wits).
each ritual). Mechanically, 1 point of Willpower is Many natural spirits find the use of this rite angering
spent, and an extended Intelligence + Occult roll is or terrifying, as they know the source of the power to
made, with 2 successes needed per level of the Ritual. be a crime against nature. As a result, most spirits
Each roll represents a half hour of time spent (unless contacted with this rite are hostile. As well, this
the ritual says otherwise), and this is not modified by inherently applies the Corruption condition to the
merits that alter the time taken for mundane ritualist.
extended actions, like Good Time Management. Offerings: The cultist must blindfold himself with
Unless a Rite mentions otherwise, the target of a a strap made from the caul of a fetal mammal that was
Rite does not need to be present for this ritual, but if aborted from its mother’s womb. Once the rite is
they aren’t, An arcane connection is needed; this can complete, the blindfold may be removed and put
be either a part of the target’s body (such as hair, back on freely for the scene in which the rite is active,
fingernails or an eyeball), or an important and but while the blindfold is off the performer may not
symbolic possession of the target (such as the glove see or communicate with ephemeral beings.
with which he used to play baseball with his now-dead
father, or a wedding ring). If a victim succeeds at their Dread Voyage of the God (•)
resistance roll against the ritual, they can’t be targeted
A cultist takes advantage of the sanity-violating
by the same one by the same ritualist for 24 hours.
nature of his master, opening bizarre and twisting
Note: For the names listed below, any mention of
paths that move in and out of the cracks of reality to
‘the God’ in the name should be replaced with the
reduce the amount of time it takes to travel to a
name of the specific Other that empowers it. So,
destination. The cultist must specify the place to
“Unblinking Eye of the God” becomes “Unblinking
which he wishes to travel. He may bring others along
Eye of Elar’hdi” when learned from that entity.
for the journey. All must be present and touching
when the rite is performed, and all must walk or run
Roll Results
the whole distance with the cultist. Each additional
Dramatic Failure: The ritual immediately fails,
traveler imposes a –1 penalty to the activation rolls.
with all progress lost. The ritualist suffers a breaking
At the end of the rite’s performance, a harrowing
point at a -1 penalty, as the clumsy attempt at such
channel opens in thin air, taking performers half in
dangerous magics cracks open their mind. Rites taken
and half out of reality as they walk through bizarre
from Others that pay attention to their cultists might
and warped versions of the world to arrive at their
also cause the Corruption condition and a bit of
destination. Normal time required to get to a
unhappy focus from the ritualist’s patron.
destination is reduced by 25% (40% on an
Failure/Success: As normal for extended rolls. If
exceptional success).
the extended action is successful, the Rite is enacted
Note that the twisting path does not allow the
as described.
cultist to bypass any blocks or wards between him and
Exceptional Success: The caster may either reduce
his destination. Observers who do not partake of the
the time taken for any remaining rolls by one half
rite cannot enter the portal. Travelers are immune to
(minimum of 1 turn, for shorter Rites), gain the
attacks from the physical or spirit world, although
Connected condition for those connected to the
direct magical efforts could still affect them, at
Other that provides the Rite, or gain the Exceptional
Storyteller discretion.
Success result described in certain specific rituals.
There is no room for dawdling once on a Dread
Voyage, as the strange energies of the in-between

realm start to siphon the living energy around them. provides one Aspiration, short term goal, or relevant
Each additional hour spent on the path beyond mental Condition (like Obsession); this knowledge
what’s necessary to make the journey imposes one will also improve the ritualist’s Impression by one
point of lethal damage on each traveler. step in Social Maneuvering attempts against the target
Unlike most Rites, this ritual only requires a single within the next 24 hours, as they learn exactly what
turn per roll. buttons to push. Gem in the Garden can be cast
Offerings: A Möbius strip made of human flesh, against a victim only once per month, and imparts
with the name of the destination written on it with new information only if a new temptation comes into
the black bile of a fish sacrificed to the performer’s a subject’s life.
deity. Offerings: Opiate incense must be inhaled during
the course of this rite.
Elder Tongue (•)
Use of this rite allows a cultist to read, speak and
Infusion of the God (•)
comprehend the alien and gibbering tongue of his This rite allows a cultist to profane an area, allowing
master. This capability lasts 24 hours. No sane, mortal it to be used more easily by their patron deity or to
being may understand the language without use of allow its servants safe haven there. The rite targets a
this rite, making it a useful tool for communications single building or similar area no larger than a small
that cannot be deciphered by outsiders. The language house (although a three dot version of this Rite exists
is obviously wrong and disturbing to the uninitiated. that will affect anything up to the size of a large
Any hearing or seeing it know that something about warehouse), inflicting the Corruption condition on
it is terrifying and horrific, though those with no it, attuned to the ritualist’s deity. This lasts for the rest
knowledge of the hidden world simply put it out of of the Story, or until the condition is dissolved with a
mind. This rite makes it possible to read ancient texts purification involving the Other’s bane.
dedicated to the Others, and lends a +2 bonus to any Offerings: The cultist requires blood of a
roll that occurs in the next 24 hours to learn a rite scavenging animal, a predator, themself, and an
from such a tome or to research any entities referred unwilling human to mark the area with.
to by them.
Note that this rite affects only the cultist who casts Mark of the God (•)
it, and cannot be used to give knowledge of a language
to others. (Although a third-level rite called Gift of This rite allows a cultist to inscribe the symbol of
the Tongue can do so, granting knowledge of the her lord upon a location or item, making it a ward
language to all present and active in the rite at the against any other servant or child of the deity that
time of casting. Otherwise, that rite is identical to this would do her harm. This rite does not protect against
one.) the servants of other entities, much less against alien
Offerings: The cultist must ritually mark the beings themselves, only against other spawn or
bottom of her own tongue with a concoction of followers of the Thing that the cultist worships. Even
hemlock ashes and urine that leaves a stain for the 24 cultists recognize that their brethren within the ranks
hours that the effect applies. bear a threat to one another.
Successfully performing this rite means that any
such spawn or agent that comes within 10 yards of the
Gem in the Garden (•) marked place or item suffers a –2 penalty to all attacks
This rite allows a cultist to peer into the mind and and actions intended to harm the performer. Once
heart of a person to see what she desires most. Not inscribed, the mark lasts for one lunar month. Only
what she most loves, or what she wants most purely, one mark may exist in a space at a time. If a new one
but that which she hopes to control, dominate or turn is drawn by the ritualist, any old one is made invalid;
to her will. Casting this rite requires an extended and if drawn by another individual, a Clash of Wills is
contested roll against the victim’s Composure + made to see who’s retains power (both roll
Supernatural Tolerance, which is a reflexive and Supernatural Potency + Presence). Living people and
subconscious effort on the part of the target. animals can be drawn upon too, even the performer
Success grants the cultist knowledge of the target’s herself. No one but the performer of the rite benefits
Vice, and each additional success above the target

from its protection, even if the mark is drawn upon a crazed and distorted — but often eerily accurate —
someone else. vision of things soon to come. Such insight offers
Note that a mark can give clues as to the nature of many clues as to what the future may hold, but they’re
the Thing venerated, giving inspectors a +2 bonus to obscure and symbolic, often not showing their true
Investigation and Occult rolls (or an extra element to meaning until an appropriate time comes; this is
a Clue, if the Investigation system is being used). represented by gaining the Steadfast condition, and
Offerings: The cultist must use 13 drops of her own an Informed condition of the Storyteller’s choice. A
blood, drawn with a ritual knife, as ink to scribe the performer may benefit from only one enactment of
mark. this rite at a time. The future revealed is never more
than a few days ahead.
Babble of Horrid Voices (••) Offerings: The entrails of a mammal that dies while
the rite is conducted.
This rite forces the language and voice of a Thing
into a victim’s mind, subjecting him to babbling,
alien thoughts. The victim is left speaking in tongues,
Perverted Desire (••)
unable to communicate. Even his written word is This rite allows the performer to tap into the most
rendered nonsensical; handwritten and typed perverse and destructive desires of the dark and
messages come out as gibberish. haunted corners of the human mind, bringing them
This effect lasts until the next sunrise. During that to the forefront of a subject’s consciousness while
time the victim suffers the Mute condition (but instilling a compelling urge to act on them. Activation
representing gibberish, not an absence of their voice) involves an extended and contested roll against the
and is at a -3 penalty to all Social rolls to otherwise subject’s Composure + Supernatural Tolerance;
communicate. Activation of this rite is an extended resistance is reflexive.
and contested roll against the victim’s Composure + If the cultist succeeds, the victim is subject to a
Supernatural Tolerance; resistance is reflexive. horrible, grotesque urge from her own subconscious,
Offerings: An animal or person’s tongue. causing the Obsession condition. This urge can be
anything from eating bloody, raw meat to rolling in
Eye of the God (••) feces to copulating with a dead body. This doesn’t
mean the victim falls reveling into a full-bore
This rite causes the miasmic forces of an entity to perversion, but she will often take an action she
be turned against the luck, fate or karma of a subject. would normally consider unacceptable — sniffing at
A victim is plagued by minor bad luck for the next 24 the meat or groping the corpse. This may trigger a
hours, much of it with a malicious bent. Drivers Breaking Point, if appropriate to the character.
deliberately steer into puddles to splash the subject. Once the rite is completed, it afflicts the victim in
Vindictive bureaucrats destroy his applications. the next 24 hours. No more than one application of
Muggers choose him rather than a rich-looking mark this effect can bear on a victim at one time.
further down the block. The bad luck is not usually Offerings: The cultist must ritually indulge in a
anything life altering, but it is enough to ruin perverted act similar to the one on which the victim
someone’s day and fill him with paranoia that the will dwell.
world conspires against him. As a result, the subject
suffers a –1 penalty to all Social rolls while under the
effects of the rite, and treats the Impression of others
Primal Shudder (••)
as one lower for Social Maneuvering (even if they This rite injects the fearful taint of one of the
don’t actually feel any worse about the character). Others into the ritualist, imbuing him with a creeping
Offerings: A large crystal carved into the symbolic air of primal evil. When the rite is enacted, the cultist
form of the eye of a deity, sprinkled with tears. chooses one of two effects: fear or lust. Those who
choose fear gain a +2 bonus on all Social rolls to
Harbinger (••) intimidate, distract, confuse or disrupt people they
confront, including forcing doors in Social
This rite gives the cultist a view of the future as it’s Maneuvering. Those who choose lust gain a +2 bonus
perceived by the inhuman intelligence of her to all Social rolls to persuade, seduce, distract or
otherworldly master. Essentially, Harbinger gives her deceive others, and are treated as having an

impression one higher than normal when calling occluded thoughts take on the shape of nightmares
upon such methods in Social Maneuvering. Either tainted by the touch of Things. But so long as the
effect lasts for one day. Only one instance of this Rite rite’s power is unbroken, the subject is unable to
may apply to a subject at a time. willingly remember anything about the event in
Offerings: The spine of a monkey, rabbit or human question.
being. Activation of this rite is an extended and contested
roll against the victim’s Resolve + Supernatural
All Eyes Serve the God (•••) Tolerance; resistance is reflexive. Success alters up to
one night’s worth of memories, persistently inflicting
This rite allows a cultist to see through the eyes of a the Amnesia condition regarding those events. This
victim for the duration. The performer may see rite requires a victim to be physically present when
through the victim’s eyes at any time for the next day; performed; arcane connections are not acceptable.
no other sense can be substituted, only sight is Mundane and Supernatural attempts to resolve the
available. condition (and thus restore the memory) work
While seeing through another’s eyes, the cultist is normally; for any Clash of Wills against a restorative
only dimly aware of his own body, which falls into on effect, the ritualist rolls Supernatural Potency +
a trancelike state. Minor environmental stimuli have Manipulation.
no effect on his own body (such as an insect crawling Offerings: The victim must be forced to look at
across his skin or drops of water falling on his head), himself in a shattered mirror while words of horror
but aggressive actions perpetrated against him draw in ancient languages are spoken in his ear.
his consciousness back. The cultist can indulge in a
subject’s senses and return to his own body as often
as he likes throughout the rite’s duration; doing
Dreams of Lust and Terror (•••)
either is a reflexive action. Activation involves an The cultist is able to construct a dream in which to
extended and contested roll against the victim’s plunge a sleeping victim. This dream can portray
Resolve + Supernatural Tolerance; resistance is anything the cultist wishes, but he doesn’t control the
reflexive. event once it is projected. Essentially, the cultist sets
Offerings: An eye taken from an innocent child. the stage, puts the dream into the mind of the
sleeping victim and then lets the event run its course
Baleful Tribulation of the God (•••) through the victim’s subconscious. Common uses of
this rite involve dreams of sex, terror and/or
This rite brings the foul attention of an Other upon perversion sent to either intimidate or inspire
the fate and hope of an unfortunate victim, inflicting degeneracy in a victim.
lamentation and sorrow. The subject suffers the In the case of intimidation, a +4 bonus is given to
Shaken condition, which is automatically resolved for the ritualist and any others aware of the dream for any
the next important action taken by them. An roll to intimidate or to Force the character’s Doors in
exceptional success during casting also provides a -3 Social Maneuvering within the next chapter after the
penalty to the next two actions after the one the dream’s sent. Such manipulators can drop phrases to
condition applies to. A victim may be subjected to the subject to set her off, or prepare haunting scenes
only one application of this rite at a time. for her reminiscent of her nightmare.
Offerings: The sacrifice of something the cultist loves In the case of dreams of lust, the danger is in the
(or at least lusts after), along with a wailing prayer to dream itself. The victim is forced through a terrible,
his master. far-too-real dream wherein they enact their darkest,
deepest desires; this causes a Breaking Point for the
Betrayal of Memory (•••) character. Such is the trap of dreams of lust and
power sent by Things; their temptations scar the soul
This rite allows a cultist to occlude a victim’s
as deeply as real actions do. This rite is contested by
memory of a specific event, blocking it from her
the victim’s Composure + Supernatural Tolerance,
conscious mind. The performance doesn’t actually
and can be imposed upon a single victim only once a
erase or change the memory, it simply surrounds it
month.
with such shame and horror that the victim’s mind
A Lucid Dreamer may attempt to wake up before
refuses to consciously remember it. Many victims of
the dream’s effects come to pass, and an outside
this rite still revisit the event in their minds, as
Dream Traveler or other Oneiromancer may be able
to undo the effects of the dream with their own
abilities; if they have a way to alter the dream, the
ritualist rolls a Clash of Wills against them to avoid
the dream being undone (the ritualist uses
Supernatural Potency + Manipulation).
Offerings: Perverted sexual acts mingled with
torture and combined with opiates partaken by
everyone involved in the performance.
Minor Form of the God (•••)

The cultist transforms a portion of his body into a
wicked instrument of destruction. At any point
within 24 hours after successful completion of this
ritual, the performer can use an instant action to
create a pair of lashing tentacles. An attack with these
appendages has a dice pool equal to the character’s
Strength + Brawl +2, with 9-again if used to initiate a
grapple or perform a maneuver. If the character has a
means to do lethal damage unarmed, the tentacles
deal lethal damage as well. These appendages last for
three turns (five on an exceptional success). At the
end of that time, they rot, disintegrate or pull back
into the cultist’s body.
Offerings: A cup full of human blood mixed with
the blood of a tentacled beast such as an octopus or
squid.
Compel the God (••••)

This rite allows a cultist to compel outer things, and
the servants and spawn of greater Things to obey
commands for the period of one lunar month. There
are actually many versions of this rite, as each version
only works on a specific creature or type of creature
(such as the Spawn of As’thlot or the Outer Demon
Mezmenaron). Each such rite must be learned
separately, although each after the first costs only half
the number of Experiences as normal.
This performance is divided into two rolls, both
adhering to the normal extended-action rules. The
first roll is to summon the Thing or spawn. If the roll
fails, the Thing does not come and cannot be bound.
Dramatic failure results in the entity arriving and
attacking. It cannot be bound and is set free in this
reality. Success results in the Thing arriving in
anticipation of being bound, pulling them through a
gateway or across the realm if need be. Exceptional
success grants a +2 bonus to the subsequent binding
effort.

Once a Thing has been summoned, it must be results of an original failure stand. The rite is
bound when the entity is disoriented from its trip to performed on an object, which is the center of the
this plane. Binding calls for an immediate second affected area, and the item must be prominently
extended roll, which is contested by the Thing’s placed. When the sign is that of an ephemeral Other,
Resistance + Rank (or Resolve + Potency); resistance the area gains the Corruption condition.
is reflexive. If the creature wins, it goes free and may As with Mark of the God, the tools of this rite offer
do as it wishes. If the cultist wins, the being must serve clues as to the identity of the Thing at work, giving
him for the next lunar month, after which time the inspectors a +2 bonus to Investigation and Occult
entity is banished back to its original resting place. rolls (or an extra element to a Clue).
The binding roll takes only a minute per roll, but if Offerings: The heart-blood of a human being taken
not started immediately after the summoning, it’s within 24 hours of the rite’s performance.
treated as if it was a failure.
Offerings: This rite requires a different sacrifice for Touch of Doom (••••)
each Thing or spawn summoned. Self-mutilation,
blood sacrifice, soul pacts and large amounts of rare This rite empowers the performer’s body with the
and precious gems, incense and wood are common. horrid and unnatural corruption of her master,
making their mere touch deadly. For the next hour,
the cultist’s body (including any strange appendages)
Inexorable Pull of Entropy (••••) is treated as a +2L weapon with the 9-again tag. This
A more powerful version of Baleful Tribulation of damage manifests in different ways, depending on the
the God, this rite brings forth the power of a being to Other from which the rite takes power. Rotting flesh,
actively warp the patterns of luck and fate around a bursting blood vessels and sudden sores that eat soft
victim, turning the very nature of the world against tissue are all possible.
her. The performer must name a specific action when Offerings: A gold and lapis knife inscribed with the
the rite is enacted. The next three times the subject symbol of the Other, with which the cultist must cut
engages in that action, a chance die is rolled instead her hand.
of her normal pool. The curse can be as general (“The
next three times she next attacks me!”) or as specific As One With Those Who Walk In-
(“When she next faces the Winged One under the
light of the blood moon”) as the cultist chooses. The
Between (•••••)
curse remains until its conditions are met. This rite gives the performer the ability to become
Performing the rite is an extended and contested incorporeal until the next sunup or sundown,
action, with Resolve + Supernatural Tolerance rolled whichever comes first. While incorporeal, the cultist
reflexively for the intended target. no longer has a physical body and is treated as a Rank
Only one such curse can apply to a subject at a time. 1 ephemeral Other with a Power equal to his
Offerings: Two ounces of the cultist’s own flesh. Presence, a Finesse equal to his Wits and a Resistance
Which two ounces are at the whim of his master. equal to the higher of his Resolve or Composure. The
cultist also gains any two Dread Powers that he
Sacral Invocation of the Demarcated desires, as well as one dot of an appropriate Influence
to his deity, and one other Manifestation beyond
Line (••••) Twilight Form, but never Gateway or others that
This rite brings the horrid power of an Other to allow travel through different Realms.
focus on an area (approximately a 25 yard radius), He is limited to his normal Speed and cannot fly or
sealing it against intrusion by those who do not serve otherwise travel in unusual ways without other
the being. A reflexive Resolve + Composure - 5 roll powers, and may not utilize his Supernatural Merits
must be made for all intruders wishing to enter the or other template-specific powers while transformed.
warded area. Failure means those seeking entrance Finally, no gear or Artifacts (not even blasphemous
are so overcome by horror that they cannot intrude tomes and the like) turn incorporeal, meaning they
upon the warded place. Those unable to cross the line can be used only if the cultist has an ability that
once are unable to try again until a bonus to their dice specifically allows him to manipulate physical tools.
pool is gained somehow (such as learning the Like an Other or their servants, he relies on the
weakness of the Other invoked). Until then, the

Corruption condition to avoid Essence bleed and to born of whirling nothingness surrounding a sucking
build up Manifestations. center that seems akin almost to a black hole.
The cultist can end the effect early with an Storytelling Hints: Zhuidro is a comparatively
extended action using the same pool used to enact the calm, ancient being. It wants little more than to see
rite, and requiring the same number of successes, the world fall into the void, drained of all of its life
though not requiring a point of Willpower, and with and energy, but it doesn’t particularly care about how
each roll taking only a turn. Once he becomes quickly that happens. Still, it’s just impatient enough
corporeal again, the rite ends and must be performed to want to urge the process along, if only by a small
yet again to return to an incorporeal state. amount, and that’s where its cultists come in. Little
Offerings: The funerary wrap of a person whom the by little, they’re given revelations as to small ways they
cultist killed or to whose death he contributed. can destabilize the world, to draw it a little closer to
its inevitable end. It rarely acts very directly, but it’s
Devouring Jaws Of The God (•••••) plenty willing to point its followers and blasphemies
towards whatever it feels might impose just a bit more
When the cultist calls upon the power of her lord, entropy on the universe.
her mouth transforms into a maw of wicked, Rank: 5
gnashing teeth or into a puncturing needle-like Attributes: Power 15, Finesse 10, Resistance 15
feeding tube. She does not need to grapple in order Willpower: 10
to bite a victim and her mouth does aggravated Essence: 50
damage in Brawl attacks. The maw from this rite Initiative: 25
persists for an hour after being formed, and cannot Defense: 15
be ended early. Speed: 30
Offerings: The cultist must bite off a chunk of her Size: 25
own flesh, doing at least one point of bashing damage Corpus: 40
to herself. Inﬂuences: Destruction 5
Sample Things That Manifestations: Discorporate, Image, Invade

Dream, Possess, Reaching, Twilight Form
Should Not Be Dread Powers: Eye Spy (through followers),

Immortal, Madness and Terror, Numen (Drain),
Numen (Essence Thief), Numen (Implant Mission),
The following are two sample Others, including
Numen (Stalwart), Reality Stutter, Soul Thief,
their statistics, goals, cults, and what Rites and Powers
Unbreakable, Word of Power.
they grant their followers.
Ban: The Endless Maw must immediately
Zhuidhro, the Endless Maw discorporate and slumber for a year if brought into
the presence of the earliest intact visual
Type: Force of Entropy representation of its form; currently, there are early
Background: The earliest records of the Endless stone tablets scrawled with crude renditions of it that
Maw appear comparatively recently, strange would need to be found to enact its Ban.
scrawlings and writings in only centuries-old tomes Bane: The blood of a newborn child that was
speaking of a great force seeking to urge the Earth expected to die in the womb.
towards its inevitable end, but the creature is far older Rites Offered: Apprehend the Ephemeral,
than that. Some that speak of it claim it fell into Infusion of Zhuidro, Babble of Horrid Voices,
slumber for a long period, discorporated and thought Harbinger, Baleful Tribulation of Zhuidro, Betrayal
defeated by ancient sorcerers long before written of Memory, Inexorable Pull of Entropy, Touch of
records became common place. If that’s true, then, it Doom, Devouring Jaws of Zhuidro
means that something has woken it up, and while it’s Powers Granted: Eye Spy, Madness and Terror,
been very slow to fully come to the fore, its influence Reality Stutter, Soul Thief, Word of Power.
is becoming more and more obvious to those that
know what they’re looking at.
Description: Rarely seen directly, those that sketch
out the visions of it they claim to see in their dreams
do have a common sort of motif to them, a creature

Physical Skills: Athletics 5, Brawl 4, Stealth 5,
Invade Dream Survival 4
Social Skills: Empathy 3, Intimidation 5,
Manifestation Subterfuge 4
(Requires Open Condition) By spending 1 Merits: Double Jointed, Fast Reflexes ••, Fighting
essence, the entity can invade the dreams of the Finesse (Natural Weapons), Fleet of Foot •••,
target. Roll Power + Finesse, contested by the Greyhound, Trained Observer •••
Resolve + Composure + Supernatural Tolerance Potency: 6
of the character. If successful, the dreamscape is Willpower: 8
warped into a shape suitable to the Other, and Aspirations: Kill the designated targets, create a
the dreamer gains no Willpower from restful new Reality Blasphemy, create a false lead
sleep, instead granting it to the entity itself. Initiative: 12
Oneiromancers of whatever sort may contest this Defense: 13
Manifestation with a Clash of Wills. Size: 7
Speed: 18
Asmodayan Health: 10
Weapons/Attacks:
Type: Demon of the Outer Realm Type Damage Range Dice
Background: Asmodayan only very recently found Claws/Teeth 3L, AP3 Melee 12
its way into this world, and thus far, nobody’s entirely Tentacles 0L Melee 12*
sure of exactly where in the outer void it came from, *15 in a Grapple
or for that matter, how it got here. No record can be Ban: Asmodayan cannot cross into Holy ground of
found of any summoning, no rites invoking him, and any sort, and if forced to (physically or otherwise), he
it has no cult as of yet built up in its name (although starts taking one aggravated damage per turn.
individual Blasphemers are seemingly plentiful). Bane: Pure silver that’s been left in the moonlight
Description: Appearing as a chitinous, eerily for a full, uninterrupted month.
smiling semi-humanoid creature with an odd bevvy of Dread Powers: Hunter’s Senses (targets), Jump
clawed appendages curling off of tentacle-like arms on Scare, Natural Weapons 3 (Claws, Teeth), Tentacles
its back, oddly lithe and moving quickly enough that 3
the eye has trouble following it, this Demon can easily Rites Granted: None yet.
strike fear into the minds of those that do manage to Powers Granted: Hunter’s Senses, Natural
witness it. Especially those that end up in its sights. Weapons, Tentacles.
Storytelling Hints: Asmodayan, through some
strange outer logic, has come up with a group of 13
important individuals, all of whom are supernatural
creatures in positions of temporal mortal power, that
must be killed. While some mortals (Hunters
especially) might normally be more than happy to let
it do its work, it has no qualms about killing everyone
and destroying anything between where it is and
where it expects its next target to be. Its Blasphemies
never are given the information about its overall goal,
but may be brought to bear against individual targets.
Mental Attributes: Intelligence 4, Wits 8, Resolve
6
Physical Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 8,
Stamina 3
Social Attributes: Presence 3, Manipulation 5,
Composure 2
Mental Skills: Investigation 4, Occult 4

"I have always believed that such strange, inaccessible worlds exist at our very elbows,
and now I believe I have found a way to break down the barriers." - H.P. Lovecraft
Third Eye contains a look at the inscrutable, the flow of magic and thrum of psychic
energy. The power held by mortal minds and channeled by those that can't truly
contain it, but make use of it nonetheless.
It features:
•2nd edition rules for many of the psychic powers and thaumaturgical rituals found
in the original Second Sight, including more than 25 revised Supernatural Merits.
•New Merit Templates for playing Psychics and Thaumaturges.
•An updated look at Things That Should Not Be and the foul abilities they grant to
their followers.
•Optional Rules and updated systems for characters wielding low magic of any kind.

Second Sight Third Eye - Chronicles of Darkness

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Second Sight Third Eye - Chronicles of Darkness

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Second Sight Third Eye - Chronicles of Darkness

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What does the introduction discuss?

What does the introduction discuss?

What rules does the document provide?

What rules does the document provide?

A Sourcebook for

the Chronicles of Darkness

2 Second Sight: Third Eye

Chapter One: Mortal Magic 7

Chapter Two: Abnormal Development 20

Chapter Three: What Should Not Be 34

“Indubitably, magic Supernatural Merits

Chapter One: Mortal Magic 7

8 Second Sight: Third Eye

Alchemy (••• or •••••)

Animal Speech (• or ••)

Chapter One: Mortal Magic 9

10 Second Sight: Third Eye

Chapter One: Mortal Magic 11

12 Second Sight: Third Eye

Ephemeral Sight (•• or ••••)

Chapter One: Mortal Magic 13

Ephemeral Transmutation (•••••)

14 Second Sight: Third Eye

Chapter One: Mortal Magic 15

16 Second Sight: Third Eye

Chapter One: Mortal Magic 17

18 Second Sight: Third Eye

20 Second Sight: Third Eye

Chapter Two: Abnormal Development 21

Indomitable, Advanced (•••)

Psychic Potential (• to •••••)

Psychic Presence (• to •••)

22 Second Sight: Third Eye

Strength of Will (•)

Unique Mutation (•)

Chapter Two: Abnormal Development 23

24 Second Sight: Third Eye

Chapter Two: Abnormal Development 25

26 Second Sight: Third Eye

Chapter Two: Abnormal Development 27

28 Second Sight: Third Eye

Chapter Two: Abnormal Development 29

30 Second Sight: Third Eye

Chapter Two: Abnormal Development 31

32 Second Sight: Third Eye

Things That Should Not Be

34 Second Sight: Third Eye

Chapter Three: What Should Not Be 35

36 Second Sight: Third Eye

Chapter Three: What Should Not Be 37

38 Second Sight: Third Eye

Cults and Followers

Things That Should Not Be rarely have any ability

Chapter Three: What Should Not Be 39

Reality Blasphemies level 2 at four dots, or level 3 at five dots.

40 Second Sight: Third Eye

Chapter Three: What Should Not Be 41

42 Second Sight: Third Eye

Chapter Three: What Should Not Be 43