The Alter Self
From Summoner
Contents |
Traits
These rules are a modification on the rules for spirits used in Werewolf: the Forsaken, Mage: the Awakening, and World of Darknes: Book of Spirits. Some basic information is recorded here to assist in character creation, but I hold no claim to any published White Wolf material. I highly recommend looking through those books for specific rules and inspirations for your game.
Power
An Alter Self's raw potence of being. This can be represented as an otherworldly might, a seeming prescience, or an awe-inspiring mien. Used for rolls that would involve Intelligence, Strength, or Presence
Finesse
An Alter Self's ability to manipulate its Reality, either directly or through more subtle means. Used in rolls of Wits, Dexterity, or Manipulation.
Resistance
The resilience with which an Alter Self maintains its self-definition. Used in rolls of Resolve, Stamina, and Composure.
Corpus
The amount of damage the Self's Identity can take before losing itself into slumber. An Alter Self's equivalent to Health. Equal to Resistance + Size(normally 5).
Other Traits
An Alter Self stems from a Summoner's Ego, and as such, shares Id with its source. However, Alter Selves tend to grow irritable as a Summoner's Id grows low, possibly even exerting their will without a call.
Alter Selves have their own Willpower trait for purposes of effects used against them specifically, but otherwise will not spend points of Willpower outside of the Unconscious.
Alter Selves possess their own Initiative, Speed, and Size as well.
Initiative = Finesse + Resistance
Defense = the higher of Power or Finesse.
Speed = Power + Finesse + "species factor" (usually 5, with variation for 'base animal', 'inanimate', or 'abstract' types)
Influences
Each Alter Self has a certain affinity with its own Arcana. It also can have Influences that are as ranged and varied as words to describe them. The concept must be distinct and easily definible. 'Things' is too general to apply, while 'my things' is too fluid to be a proper definition.
Rules on Influence can be found in World of Darkness: Book of Spirits or Werewolf: the Forsaken. (Might be slightly illegal to copypasta whole sections...)
Id
An Alter Self suborns its own Ego to become part of the Ego of its Summoner. Until freed, it has no Id of its own.
Virtue and Vice
An Alter Self possesses a Virtue and a Vice, just as mortals do. By satisfying these urges, they can regain Id or Willpower interchangeably.
Combat
Appropriate Numina
World of Darkness: Book of Spirits
Any Numina that do not rely on discorporation or possession.
Werewolf: the Forsaken
- Blast
- Chorus
- Harrow
- Wilds Sense (Needs modification)
Gifts as Numina
- Elemental Gifts
- Weather Gifts
- Iron Rending
- Technology Gifts
- Omen Gazing
- Unspoken Communication
- Fog of War
New Numina
Open Eyes: As with Material Vision, except that it allows an Alter Self or Summoner to peer into Twilight freely for one minute per successes on a Power + Finesse roll.
Alter Self Limits
Most truly powerful demons would overwhelm the Ego of even a truly powerful Summoner, and to get a feel for the relative power level of an Alter Self, see the chart in the Character Creation section.
See Demons for more specific traits for unbound demons and their limits.
Granted Gifts
Traits
- Attributes(given): 10 points per dot.
Example: Pucelle grants her master a single dot of Strength. This costs 10 bonus points, but is a permanent addition to his traits, even beyond his normal limits, as long as she is his primary Alter Self.
- Attributes(Boost): 7 points per dot. The Alter Self can bestow this bonus at the cost of one Id per dot to the Summoner and his nearby allies. These dots are active for one scene. These dots do not stack.
Example: Erinye is granted Id by her master, and betwows unnatural beauty on him and his friends. For the scene, they gain a dot of Presence.
- Attributes(category Boost): 15 points per dot. The Alter Self can bestow a bonus to either Power, Finesse, or Resistance Attributes at the cost of one Id per trio of dots per scene. It can only boost one category per purchase of this bonus. This does not stack with Boost, and may not exceed the purchased number of dots with repeated uses within a scene.
Example: Minotaur grants not just raw strength, but also a strong mind and an imposing bearing. Category Boost purchased twice, he may grant 2 dots of Strength, Presence, and Intelligence to his Summoner and his allies for the scene, but no more.
- Id: 1 point per point of Id. Id held in this manner 'belongs' to the Alter Self, and can be freely gifted to allies or to the Summoner. This pool refreshes between stories, barring some other restriction.
Example: Pasiphae, wild with desire, gives freely of herself to those she wants. The Summoner or his allies may draw from her pool of Id, which refreshes each story.
- Willpower(story): 2 points per point of Willpower. As with Id.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Alter Selves grant great power to a Summoner, but by their nature are fractured, incomplete. This lack of total existence grants them a certain resilience. (How do you shoot something without a concept of being 'shot'?) These strangenesses are represented by Strengths and Weaknesses that manifest on the Alter Self. Every Alter Self begins with one free Strength and one automatic Weakness. This weakness can be removed, but it costs a total of 15 bonus points during Alter Self creation, making it unusual in the highest for a starting character to possess a 'flawless' Self.
Strengths come in four types: Bolstered, Adamant, Defiant, Exultant.
Bolstered: Treat your resistance as if you had already spent a 'free' point of willpower. Cost: 7 points
Adamant: In addition to the effects of bolstered, add the Alter Self's Resistance to Defense for attacks of that type. Subtract Reisistance from environment effects as well, potentially negating damage from things like fire or cold down to nothing. Add the Shadow's Resistance in dice to any opposed rolls as well. Cost: 10 points total, +3 from Bolstered
Defiant: As Adamant, but the attack roll is applied to the source of the harm as well. Blasts are reflected upon themselves, traps may explode, etc. Cost: 15 points total, +8 from Bolstered
Exultant: Instead of other effects, all successes on such attacks heal instead of harm. This cannot expand Health past its usual limits. Cost: 20 points, +13 from Bolstered
Additional Weaknesses: Worth 5 points.
Flagging: This Weakness not only hurts more, but may disorient the subject. When struck by their bane, the subject must roll Resolve + Stamina, penalized by the damage done on the attack. If they fail, they are stunned and knocked prone for one round. They must spend an action to get up, but cannot be stunned again until they freely act at least once. Worth an additional 5 points.
Applicable Types
There are three types of applicable Strengths/Weaknesses: Common, Mighty, and Puissant. When applied to a weakness, bonus points become available. When applied to a Strength, the costs increase.
Common: Basic environmental sources of damage. Fire, cold, electricity, poisons. Very specific things at Storyteller discretion.
Mighty: General sources of damage: blunt trauma, slashes, firearms, a specific Arcanum of demons/Summoners. Additional Cost: 5 points
Puissant: Broad categories of damage: physical attacks, Numina, Mental or Social controls. Additional Cost: 15 points
Back to Character Creation, Rules and Systems
