Page 213 - World of Darkness

roll is required. If the ghost manifests successfully it disrupts Spend one Essence point and roll Power + Finesse. The
electronics within a number of yards equal to its Power trait. number of successes rolled determines the ghost’s relative
Radios, TVs and telephones emit static. Appliances stop Strength when attempting to lift and/or move an object (see
working. Lights go out. Videotapes and camera film is erased/ Chapter 2: Attributes, p. 47, for more details on lifting/mov-
exposed, ruining any captured images. ing objects). If the successes rolled are equal to the Strength
needed to lift an object, the ghost can move it up to one
Phantasm yard. Each extra success allows the ghost to move the object
The ghost has the power to create illusory images. Spend an additional yard. If the ghost wishes to hurl an object at
one Essence point and roll Power + Finesse. A negative someone and enough successes are rolled to lift the object
modifier may be applied to the roll depending on the size (and reach the target), the total number of telekinesis suc-
and complexity of the illusion. Mimicking a person’s voice cesses is rolled as a dice pool in an attack against the target.
alone or creating a distinctive smell (like perfume) doesn’t Alternately, the ghost can make a direct attack on a victim,
incur any negative modifiers, but creating the illusion of a using its raw power to inflict cuts, bruises and bites on the
person might be subject to a -1 penalty. Creating the illu- victim’s body. Treat this as a normal attack with a -3 modi-
sion of a specific person (down to patterns of speech and fier. The attack ignores the target’s Defense trait, any avail-
mannerisms) that a witness knows might call for a -2 pen- able cover and any armor worn (unless the armor is super-
alty. Creating a complex illusion that seems to have physi- natural in nature).
cal substance (the witness is convinced that he can “touch”
the illusion and it feels solid) incurs a -3 or more severe Terrify
penalty. Small, subtle illusions are generally much more ef- The ghost has the power to strike terror in the hearts of
fective than large, overt ones. This power can work on only mortals who witness its manifestation. Roll Power + Finesse
one victim at a time. Other mortals in the subject’s vicinity in a contested roll against the Resolve + Composure of each
do not see what he does. When a subject witnesses an illu- mortal who witnesses the ghost’s manifestation firsthand.
sion, roll Wits + Composure (or the Storyteller may allow (If a crowd witnesses it, roll the highest Resolve + Compo-
Composure to be replaced by Occult if your character is aware sure in the crowd for the whole group.) If the ghost loses or
of ghostly activity). If the roll generates as many or more ties, mortals in the area are unaffected and are immune to
successes than were achieved in the phantasm roll, the vic- uses of this power for the remainder of the scene. Perhaps
tim recognizes that the image can’t be real. If the phantasm their subconscious minds won’t allow them to recognize the
roll wins, the subject believes the illusion is genuine, but spirit, or they mistake the intended frightening image for
another Wits + Composure (or Occult) roll is made for him something else such as a hallucination or trick of the light.
in each successive turn to attempt to see through the power. Mortals who lose flee from the spirit and will not return to
A ghost can maintain only one illusion at a time, and each the haunted area for at least one day.
illusion remains for the duration of the scene unless dispelled.
Dealing with Ghosts
Possession
As antagonists, ghosts are difficult beings to confront
The ghost may attempt to possess a living human
being and control his or her body for a short time. Spend or thwart. They are immune to virtually all forms of physi-
one Essence point and roll Power + Finesse in a contested cal damage, can travel through solid objects and if pressed
roll versus the victim’s Resolve + Composure. If the ghost can literally de-materialize beyond mortal reach.
wins, it gains control of the victim’s body for the duration Generally speaking, the only way for mortals to deal
of a single scene. Use the victim’s available traits (except with ghosts is through the people, places and things that
Willpower points, which are equal to the ghost’s current anchor them to the physical world. By addressing the ties
Willpower points) and dice pools for any action the ghost that bind ghosts to the Earth, it’s possible to lay them to
wishes to take. If the mortal wins or ties the roll, the spirit rest — or send them to the judgment they richly deserve.
fails its possession attempt. As long as the ghost has Es-
sence points remaining it can continue to make posses- Severing Anchors
sion attempts against a target. If a possessed body is killed The simplest (but not necessarily easiest) method of
or knocked unconscious, the ghost is forced out and must dealing with a ghost is to locate its anchor(s) and destroy
possess another victim if it still wishes to act. them. The trouble is, anchors are not immediately obvious.
Attacks using a blessed object against a ghost in possession Oftentimes, a ghost itself isn’t aware of what ties it to the
of a living body damage the ghost’s Corpus instead of its physical physical realm. Discerning what object or objects anchor a
host. (For more information see “Blessed Items,” below.) spirit requires observation, research and careful investiga-
tion. Determining the identity of the ghost is the first step.
Telekinesis Then comes investigating the circumstances of its death. If
the ghost’s death does not provide sufficient clues to suggest
The ghost can manipulate physical objects as though it
had a pair of physical hands. It can pick up objects, throw its anchor, more research is required to identify any personal
them, open and close doors and windows, write messages — effects that could possibly act as a tie.
basically anything a mortal can do with his hands.

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Chapter 8- STORYTELLING