Page 127 - Chronicles of Darkness

is. Rank technically ranges from 1 to 10 dots, but entities
with more than Rank ••••• are so alien they can’t support
themselves in the Conditions lesser beings use, and can only Gauntlet Strength
be brought into the world by story- and chronicle-defining The strength of the wall between the world and its
maneuvers, conjunctions, and events. The Lords of the Dead, Shadow depends mostly on how many people are
Gods of Shadow, and the mighty archangels are out of the present in the area. The paradox of why human
scope of the Storytelling system. If they appear at all, they activity pushes the Shadow away when it also
do so as plot devices. creates vast quantities of emotionally-resonant
Rank is used to determine the maximum ratings in other Essence is a mystery. If the spirits know, they aren’t
game traits an ephemeral being can have, as described in a telling, but the Gauntlet breaks more easily away
table below, along with how many dots of Attributes the entity from civilization.
can have. All ephemeral beings have the ability to sense the Whenever a spirit attempts to cross between the
relative Rank of other entities, and may attempt to conceal material world and the Shadow, uses Influence
their own Rank by succeeding in a contested Finesse roll. or Manifestation to reach across, feeds from the
Success means that the entity appears to be of the same Rank material world’s Essence while still being in the
as the being sensing the relative Rank. Shadow, or uses a Reaching Manifestation (see
Ghosts can’t increase Rank outside of the Underworld, p. 130), the dice pool is penalized by a number of
and come into existence as either Rank 1 or 2 depending on dice according to the following chart.
how much self-awareness they have. Nonsapient “recording”-
type ghosts are Rank 1, while those that retain most of their Strength
living memories are Rank 2. Ghosts summoned back from Location Modifier
the Underworld, however, may be of any Rank. Dense urban areas -3
Spirits and Angels run the full range of Ranks, depending
on how old and successful a spirit is or how much importance City suburbs, towns -2
the God-Machine places upon an angel. Small towns, villages -1
Essence Wilderness, countryside 0
+2
Locus
A combination of food, oxygen, and wealth, Essence
fuels ephemeral entities’ powers, sustains their insubstantial A Locus is a location in which the Shadow world
bodies, and allows them to continue existing. As a game is especially close. Spirits don’t need the Reaching
trait, Essence resembles Willpower in that each entity has a Manifestation Effect to use their powers across the
permanent maximum Essence rating and an equal number Gauntlet at a locus, attempts to cross over are at +2
of Essence points it can spend to achieve effects. Maximum dice, and spirits whose nature matches the Locus’
Essence is determined by Rank. Resonant Condition heal at twice the normal rate.
Entities can use Essence in the following ways:
• Ephemeral beings must spend a point of Essence per
day to remain active. If they have run out of Essence, they fall
into hibernation until something happens to regain at least boosting takes a turn and they can only boost a single
1 point, which can then be spent on returning to activity. Attribute in a turn.
Such dormancy is dangerous — the entity remains in Twilight Entities can sense sources of Essence appropriate for their
and can be destroyed if it loses all Corpus and Essence at the needs up to a mile away. Spirits can use this sense through
same time. When spirits enter hibernation, they are pushed the Gauntlet. The Seek Numen (p. 138) increases this range.
back across the Gauntlet into the Shadow. Ghosts that don’t
have any anchors remaining are similarly forced into the • Ephemeral beings regain 1 point of Essence per day that
Underworld. Angels remain dormant wherever they were. they are in proximity to any Condition relating to them —
ghosts are sustained by staying near their anchors, spirits
• Ephemeral beings outside of a suitable Condition in the Shadow eke out an existence by feeding across the
bleed one point of Essence per hour. The Influence Gauntlet, and angels are fed by Infrastructure.
and Manifestation Conditions starting on p. 132 state
whether they protect from Essence bleed for different • Ephemeral beings can attempt to steal Essence from
types of ephemeral being. Entities that run out of beings of the same type — ghosts from ghosts, spirits
Essence due to bleed suffer a single point of lethal from spirits and so on. The attacking entity rolls Power
damage and enter hibernation. + Finesse, contested by the victim’s Power + Resistance.
If the attacker succeeds, it steals up to the number of
• Ephemeral beings can spend Essence to boost their successes in Essence, as long as the victimized entity
traits for a single scene on a point-per-dot basis. They has Essence remaining to lose.
can’t boost a single trait by more than Rank + 2 dots;

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Horrors and wonders-antagonists