Demon The Fallen Nwod

Faith

Faith represents an Elohim's strength of being and authority over Creation. All the Fallen are painfully aware of how weak they are compared to their time in the First Age, for while many aspire to regain enough strength to wage war against the angels of Heaven again, not even the most powerful demons today come close to the world-shaking glory once wielded by the seraphim. Still, the Fallen have many plans and face many dangers, and even the most reclusive or benevolent aim to rebuild their levels of Faith lest their freedom be taken from them again.

All Fallen begin with Faith 1 for free. During character creation, 5 of a character's 10 Merit dots can be exchanged for Faith 2, or 10 of their 10 Merit dots can be exchanged for Faith 3. During play, dots of Faith can be purchased for 5 Experience.

As a character's Faith rises, they have more power at their disposal and are able to perform more supernatural feats at the same time or in quick succession. The total number of Numen points that they can have at any given time increases, and the number of Numen points they can spend in a turn rises. Once their Faith dots reach 6 or higher, the higher their Attribute and Skill dots can go as well.

In order to hold on to such power the demon must have a larger and larger cult dedicated to their name. Their effective number of dots in the Cult Merit drops by one dot at Faith 6, two dots at Faith 8, and three dots at Faith 10. If this would reduce their Cult rating to zero or less, their Faith rating drops to the highest level supported, along with their Attribute and Skill rating.

Faith Attribute/Skill Max Max Numen/Per Turn Cult Reduction
1 5 10/1
2 5 11/2
3 5 12/3
4 5 13/4
5 5 15/5
6 6 20/6 1
7 7 25/7 1
8 8 30/8 2
9 9 50/10 2
10 10 75/15 3

Numen

As the architects of Creation, demons possess a special authority over reality. They measure the energy it takes to shape the world as Numen, the embodiment of their divine supremacy. Before the War, the Elohim received near endless amounts of Numen from the Creator, albeit directed through the First House and filtered down the celestial hierarchy. Now each Fallen must find their own sources from which to draw strength or be left even more vulnerable and powerless than they were in the Abyss.

The Numen Advantage is rated in points rather than dots. Numen points measure the reserves of power the demon has available within themselves. Character spend Numen to perform various miracles, but they can only hold and spend a certain number of points per turn as determined by their Faith.

Uses for Numen

  • Apocalyptic Form: Demons may adopt their Apocalyptic Form as an instant action instead of it taking a full minute by spending a point of Numen. An exceptional success on the transformation roll makes it a reflexive action.
  • Defy Gravity: Demons may reflexively spend a point of Numen to alter gravity's effect on their body for one round per dot of Faith. This eliminates situational modifiers to Climbing rolls, allowing them to climb surfaces with ease and even hang from ceilings. Jumping distances are also multiplied by 5. Finally, they can move across thin or weak surfaces—even run on water—as if it were flat ground.
  • Divine Impetus: With a simple touch demons may stop a moving object dead or grant it incredible force. By reflexively spending a point of Numen, the demon treats any objects caught, lifted, or thrown in a round as if its Size is reduced by 3 × the demon's Faith. This does not apply to objects wielded by others, but works on driven vehicles or collapsing structures.
  • Healing: Demons can reflexively spend one point of Numen to heal their body of two bashing damage or one lethal damage. Aggravated damage can be healed by spending five points, which may be spread out over multiple rounds so long as the demon takes no other action. They may even recover after their host has "died" so long as it remains reasonable intact and at least one health level is recovered within a number of minutes equal to 10 × the demon's Faith.
  • Miracles: Demons must spend a point of Numen to perform most Miracles, and three points of Numen for Greater Miracles.

Duty and Urge

This system replaces the Virtue and Vice of the Fallen.

Angelic Duty: The Elohim were each created to fill a particular role. Though possessed of free will and some degree of individual creativity, they ultimately had a calling that justified their existence and connected them to the Creation that they loved. Choose a particular duty that the Fallen held when they were at their best. It should be something broad, such as protect mortals, ensure justice, or maintain Creation. Then interpret it through one's House and Primary Lores: defend one's pack and their territory, set the threads of fate based on virtue or vice, or seal gates to the Abyss. The duty must reflect a long-term goal and speak of the Fallen's better nature. Whenever they devote at least a scene of time during a session to their Angelic Duty and achieve something meaningful, the Fallen regains a number of Willpower points equal to their Grace, as well as one point of Numen.

Demonic Urge: The Fallen are pained individuals, constantly fighting off memories of the Abyss and the desire to take out their misery on everything around them. Though they risk losing Grace and falling into madness, by acting on their worst instincts they gain a reprieve from their own suffering. Choose some bizarre, cruel, or destructive act that the Fallen truly enjoys whether they like it or not, such as hurting mortals, gorging themselves on food or drugs, seducing and rejecting others, or destroying faith. Every scene in which they successfully act out their Demonic Urge, the Fallen regains a number of Willpower points equal to their Torment, as well as one point of Numen.

Grace

Grace is an Advantage ranked 0-5 which replaces Integrity. It measures an Elohim's connection to Creation, the sanctity of their spirit, and their faith that there is meaning in the world. As their Grace falls, an individual becomes less a divine being and more an infernal spirit, gaining the properties and weaknesses of such. When a character experiences a breaking point of their Grace level or lower, as listed below, they make a degeneration roll with the number of dice equal to the breaking point. Willpower cannot be spent on this roll. Regardless of the result, take a Beat.

Dramatic Failure: The character rages against what the world has done to them. They lose a dot of Grace, gain three temporary Torment, and gain the Damned Condition.
Failure: The character becomes bitter and frustrated with what they have been reduced to. They lose a dot of a Grace and gain three temporary Torment.
Success: The character is anguished by their actions, but remains resolute. They gain three temporary Torment.
Exceptional Success: The Fallen weighs the wickedness of the act against their inherent nobility, and comes out more determined than ever. They gain the Righteous Condition.

Effects of Grace

Rapture: Low-Grace demons inspire fear, revulsion, and insanity while those with high Grace ratings evoke calm reverence. When a Rapture roll is made, mortals add or subtract automatic successes based on the Fallen's Grace as listed below.

Spirit Weaknesses: As a Fallen loses Grace, they find it increasingly difficult to assert their divine nature and become more like base spirits. Details for specific Spirit Weaknesses are found under Special Rules.

Grace Rapture Spirit Weaknesses Breaking Point
5 +2 Putting one's interests above the greater good. Disobeying the will of Heaven. Forming a pact with a mortal.
4 +1 Holy Bane Undermining love, beauty, or human potential. Treating another unjustly or betraying their trust. Enslaving someone's will.
3 0 Neglecting duties or responsibilities to one's community, faction, or house. Breaking your sworn oath. Significantly harming an innocent.
2 0 House Bane Acting counter to one's Angelic Duty. Displaying great cowardice to the detriment of others. Treating mortals as toys, tools, or worse.
1 -1 Destroying something of great cultural value. Living without a cause beyond oneself. Intentionally harming members of one's community.
0 -2 Consumption None. Damned through and through.

Torment

Torment represents the insane pain, anger, and isolation brought on by the war with Heaven and imprisonment in the Abyss. It haunts all the Fallen to this day, at the very least as a reminder that they shadows of their former glory, at worst as an irrepressible urge to inflict their misery on everything around them. Torment has a permanent rating ranked from 0-5 as well as temporary points which are accrued. Characters begin each chapter with zero points of temporary Torment. Each time they perform a sin of their permanent Torment rating or lower, they gain between one and three points of temporary Torment. The Storyteller assesses how much temporary Torment based on the severity and circumstances of the transgression.

At the end of a chapter, each character makes a Torment check by rolling a number of dice equal to their accrued temporary Torment. This roll is made without the 10-again rule. If the number of successes scored is greater than the character's permanent Torment, they gain the Damned Condition. If they already had the Damned Condition, their permanent Torment rating increases by one and the Damned Condition is resolved.

Effects of Torment

Demonic Traits: As Torment increases, the descent is marked in the demon's Apocalyptic Form. They gradually lose the beauty and majesty of the Elohim, and instead become a monstrous aberration of terror and wrath. At each level above Torment 1, one of their Celestial traits is replaced by a Demonic trait of the Storyteller's choice.

Miracles: Torment impacts the manifestation of a demon's Miracles, making them more difficult to counter but also increasing the likelihood that the effect will twisted into something dark and blasphemous. Details are found in the Powers section.

Torment Demonic Traits Sins
0 0 Harming or worsening Creation by any means. Pretending to be a mortal. Not preventing an act which undermines one's Angelic Duty.
1 0 Accidental harm of another. Having members of one's Community or Cult express lack of faith in them. Fulfilling one's Demonic Urge.
2 1 Intentional harm of another, accidental harm of an ally, impassioned murder. Suffering an embarrassment or failing an objective. Ravaging a thrall.
3 2 Premeditated murder, systematic destruction of another, long-sought revenge. Losing a thrall, ally, or loved one. Performing a Blasphemy.
4 3 Mass murder, rape, thoughtless cruelty and torture. Being subjected to an exorcism or losing a host. Adopting additional Demonic traits.
5 4 Destruction on a massive scale. Acting in a scene without physical form. Using a Dread Lore or otherwise perverting an aspect of Creation.
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