Page 213 - Chronicles of Darkness

finding their way out, but the distortions of space and distance Direction Sense (p. 44): Individuals with a good sense of
still make this a challenging proposition. By far the safest direction add +2 to their rolls to navigate the reality on the
method of navigating this space is for a character to go in tied other side of the gateways.
to a long rope, so that she can automatically find her way out. Clairvoyance (p. 57): People who occasionally see visions
Methods of distant events can automatically see the gateways and easily
locate people who have fallen through them.

Investigation: Plotting all of the missing persons cases in Escalation
the region requires an extended Intelligence + Investigation
roll. Each roll requires a half hour of work, and eight successes The easiest method of escalation is if the characters de-
are required to plot all of the known disappearances on a map. stroy the machine rather than adjusting it. While damaging it
Science: Gaining a basic understanding of the controls prompts swift retribution from its clockwork servants, a large
of the device that operates the gates requires an Intelligence fertilizer bomb placed inside the first floor could easily destroy
+ Science - 4 roll, as well as several hours of experimentation the machine in the building. A moment after this explosion, a
and examination. pillar of blinding light arcs up into the sky and all of the oval
Athletics: Distance from the ground isn’t quite uniform gateways vanish. The characters can conclude this scenario with
between the two sides of the portal. Climbing through a little backlash (making it a good choice for a single-story God-
portal requires a Dexterity + Athletics roll. Failure on the Machine chronicle), although if you want to have the story take
roll indicates that the character falls and suffers one point a tragic turn, maybe that explosion forces the God-Machine
of bashing damage. to take a more direct and unpleasant hand in the fate of the
Larceny: Characters who wish to break into the build- world (The Scarlet Plague, p. 225 or Proposition 279, p. 223).
ing must make a Dexterity + Larceny roll at a -2 penalty to If the characters do not manage to shut down the factory,
get through the lock on the front door. Another Dexterity though, over the course of the next three weeks, physical
+ Larceny at a -3 penalty roll is necessary to override the key laws begin to break down in subtle ways. Gravity varies by
card lock on the elevator or the lock on the stairway. as much as 20% in different places and at different times.
Persuasion or Subterfuge: A successful Manipulation Also, distances seem to contract and expand. Traffic accidents
+ Persuasion or Manipulation + Subterfuge roll permits a and similar problems dramatically increase. Most people are
character to convince a local reporter to give her access to his slightly confused, but do not panic, because they are unable
database of stories about local missing persons. to fully understand what has happened. Only people who
Empathy: A successful Presence + Empathy roll helps can see the gateways are actually aware of the magnitude of
calm panicked people who have fallen through a gateway so the problems (these events might be used as a lead-in to a
the character can lead them back to earth. cosmic-tier Tale such as Urban Wandering, p. 235).

THE MOON WINDOW

The characters discover that entropy is increasing in a humanity might have pierced one of the greatest concealment
growing region. In this area, machines break down faster than Infrastructures in history.
they should and people become sick more often. As the area
expands, entropy increases within it, causing more and more Interchangeable Parts
serious problems. The characters must find the cause before
large numbers of people die. One or (preferably) more of the characters should be
people who are in a position to notice some of the anoma-
Infrastructure lies. Someone who works for the power company or for an

IT firm that serves many clients in the affected area would
This tale takes place within a large city. The location be ideal, as would a doctor or nurse working in a nearby
doesn’t matter, but it needs to be a relatively prosperous city hospital, especially in the emergency room. At least one of
of at least a million people. This city should also be located the characters should have either technical skills that can be
relatively near several other large cities. used for breaking and entering or sufficient social skills to
The Truth: As discussed in the Introduction, Marco talk his way past low-level security personnel.
Singe’s cult and understanding of the God-Machine isn’t
entirely (or even mostly) accurate. Yes, the lunar landing Blueprints
retrieved artifacts associated with the God-Machine, but the
God-Machine didn’t put them on the moon for people to The true purpose of the Apollo lunar missions was to
find. In bringing back objects from the Crypt of the Butterfly, retrieve various items from the Moon, most importantly the

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Tales of the God machine