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Holy Blood
A game about vampires
Part 1: World
Terrorist Attack Kills 42
A squad of suicide bombers accomplished a coordinated attack on Churches yesterday morning, killing 42. The organization calling itself “The Gnostic Truth” claimed responsibility. His Holiness was not available for comment.
In what has been the seventh of such attacks this year, terrorists have claimed the lives of as many as three-hundred faithful. The attacks came suddenly, at or around 8:15 PM in three cities: New Jerusalem, San Francisco , and Los Angeles . Each attack targeted a cathedral at the time of holy mass.
The leader of the organization, terrorist “Lazarus Jones,” released a video to news networks, claiming his organization was responsible for the coordinated attacks. “Peace and negotiations are not options,” the leader said. “Their souls were damned and owned by Satan.”
Benediction
The Son of Man walked the Earth. God made flesh. And this flesh was given unto us as sacrifice for our sins, that we may know eternal life.
He was betrayed, crucified, and buried. But He gave to us that which He promised: eternal life.
And now, my brothers and sisters, there are those who would take from us what was rightfully given to us. Our Lord's sacrifice was for the righteous, not the heathens who worship false gods. They hope to destroy us with their graven images and whispered prayers. Their sorcery is mighty, but the Blood of the Lamb is stronger.
It is the Blood that flows through our veins. The Blood that gives us might. We are the Chosen . How can the generation of vipers escape the damnations of Hell? Where fire waits. Where Lucifer the betrayer waits? The Morning Star who tries to blind and burn us?
Those who worship the Morning Star will find their rituals wanting and their prayers empty. The Inquisition will go forth and bring those with false hearts to the fire, and we will send them to their infernal master. And we will pray that their souls find no rest in the bosom of their Bright Lord.
For was it not Jesus who promised us everlasting life?
Amen.
Was it not Jesus who was sacrificed to give us that everlasting life?
Amen.
And was it not Lucifer who tried to tempt our Lord away from his true path?
Amen.
And was it not Jesus who cast the Devil behind him and brought us what He promised?
Thanks be to God.
Let us pray, my brothers and sisters…
Propaganda
The Church first rose to prominence after the death of Jesus. The Romans and the Jews murdered Jesus in such a ritualistic manner, you wonder if they knew something the rest of us didn't.
He gave unto his followers a secret ritual, one that allowed them to live forever, but forbade them certain freedoms. While the followers of Jesus did not understand why they could no longer walk in the sun, a few did know. For they understood a different truth, a deeper truth than the Savior's followers knew… although Jesus Himself must have known.
The secret history of the world, the one the Bible doesn't want us to know, is that there are actually two Gods: one invisible, the other visible. The visible God, the one the Bible calls JHVH, is what our faith calls “the demiurge.” This God, the one who made the world and all things in it. The Demiurge did not create the soul, did not create the mind, did not create the will. The Demiurge created temptation. The Demiurge created sin. Think of the seven deadly sins: lust, anger, greed, sloth, envy… these things are desires for the material world. These are the things that distract us from our true selves: our minds and our spirits.
We must not be tempted by the Church's promise of eternal life. We must not allow ourselves to be drawn into the Church's promise of blood and sacrifice. We must destroy those who serve the Master of Flesh.
Beatitudes Blessed are the poor in spirit , for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek , for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in Heaven.
The Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing…
… and gnashing of teeth .
Anonymous Gnostic Screed
Blessed are the poor in spirit. Those who sell their spirit. Who sell it like whores. Spill it on the church floor for the clergy to suck and sup.
Blessed are the meek. For they are the cattle that will hold up the church without question or thought.
Blessed are the persecuted. Only a soul so blinded by their own damned dogma would look at me and consider themselves persecuted.
Blessed are they when men revile you for the creature you've become: a blood slave to the Holy Mother Church . You who suck on Christ's wounds, you who use the image of His death. You who twist His words to mean what you want.
Yes, rejoice and be glad. Your reward is coming.
The Gnostic Truth Revealed
It's six o'clock on CBN 1 and that means its time for GOD'S OWN TRUTH with John Veritas…
(text taken from transcript)
JOHN VERITAS
Gnosticism. What is it? We've heard a lot from the media today, but what exactly is it? Well, joining me here today on God's Own Truth is Reverend Timothy Burke to help us understand exactly what gnosticism is and why they hate the Mother Church .
JOHN VERITAS
Reverend, welcome to God's Own Truth.
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
God be with you.
JOHN VERITAS
And also with you. Gnosticism isn't a new thing, is it, Reverend?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
No, it's not. Gnosticism is a heresy that's been with us for quite a long time.
JOHN VERITAS
Can you explain further?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Certainly. Gnosticism arose a few centuries or so after Christ's death...
JOHN VERITAS
So, it isn't as old as the Holy Mother Church ?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Oh, heavens no.
JOHN VERITAS
So, its beliefs are based on writings written long after Jesus' death.
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Well, the so-called "gnostic gospels" are far from what I'd call reliable sources. They were written by desperate men who want to give Satan new clothes.
JOHN VERITAS
Satan worshipers?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Indeed.
JOHN VERITAS
Why do they worship Satan?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
They're deceived. They believe in two Gods --
JOHN VERITAS
(interrupting)
Excuse me... Two Gods?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Yes. An invisible God and a visible God.
JOHN VERITAS
I see.
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
They believe the soul was created by the invisible god -- a god who cannot be named -- and the world was created by the visible God, the one named in the Bible.
They also believe everything has a soul. Us, animals, trees. Even rocks!
JOHN VERITAS
Amazing! Gnostics really believe rocks have souls?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Yes, they do. And they believe that the visible God is really Satan.
JOHN VERITAS
(incredulously)
Now wait a minute. You mean to tell me that the Gnostic Movement believes that God Almighty is Satan?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Yes. They believe it enough to die for it.
JOHN VERITAS
We've seen a lot of Gnostic suicide attacks in the past, Reverend. Doesn't the Bible say suicide is a sin?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Yes. A mortal sin for which one spends an eternity in Hell.
Confession
Watch them.
Watch them pile into their churches.
Watch them slit their wrists.
Watch them drink from the cup.
The blood of Christ.
It's a lie. All a lie.
Christ didn't come to give us eternal life. Not like this. Not like this.
They fear the sun. It burns them. The cold reason of the sun. Lucifer's star. The Light Bringer. He Who Disobeyed.
The Demiurge has its disciples and its tools. And it's false angels. Gabriel. Rafael. Sammael. The only angels we can trust are those who were punished for trying to fight. Cast out from JHVH's “paradise,” they fight with us now. Lucifer and his followers, those who disobeyed and were punished.
What kind of God would punish a worshipful follower for questioning His judgment? What kind of God demands obedience? What kind of God demands fear?
They burn at the Lightbringer's touch because he brings the Truth.
All the world is false. A decaying, decadent place where sin reigns. There are two Gods: one visible, the other invisible. The God who's name cannot be uttered, he made our souls. He made our minds. He made our spirits. The JHVH made our flesh. Made us weak. Made us weak so his flock could be strong.
They drink from the cup. The priest bleeds and they drink. Blood from He who was murdered and stolen from us. They killed him. Murdered him. Hung him like a dog. It was a ritual murder to steal his soul. And they captured his blood in a cup and they drank from the cup and now they have His Divine Essence. All that made him beautiful and perfect, they stole. And perverted. And corrupted.
And now, it is theirs.
Their Holy Father holds the cup and he drinks from it.
The Cardinals, they drink from him.
The Bishops, they drink from the Cardinals.
The Priests, they drink from the Bishops.
And the flock… they give their blood to the Holy Mother Church .
Their symbol is the cross. Their symbol of power. The symbol of what they stole from us. It blinds us. Burns us. We cannot face the awful truth of what they did – how they tortured, raped, and murdered the one who came to save us from JHVH. I have looked upon their holy symbol and fell to my knees for despair.
Oh Christ! We failed you…
We failed you…
Part 2: Terrorists
1: Devotion
You are a rebel, a criminal, scum, sinning filth. A terrorist. You blow up buildings and murder the clergy because they've sold their souls to the Demiurge. You have no supernatural powers; only your secret knowledge to guide you. There are other groups working against the Church: Quabbalists, Hermetics, Wiccans… but they, too, can be enemies. The enemy of my enemy is not always my friend.
Your Devotion is based on your Virtues, below. Your Devotion is equal to your lowest Virtue.
2: Backgrounds
Every heretical terrorist has a past. This is where you detail yours, traitor.
You have 15 points to allocate to Backgrounds. Backgrounds include Careers, Allies, or Wealth. Look at these below and trace your own personal path to damnation.
Note: you can also spend BG Points on Quirks, so be thrifty.
Career (1-4 Points)
At some point in your worthless life, you held a career. Maybe two. Perhaps you were a baker, or a butcher, or a candlestick maker. Maybe you were a spy for the Church before you turned traitor, murdering innocent women and children who have done nothing more than turn their lives to Christ.
Pick a Career. You can put up to 4 of your points into your Career. If you want a second Career, you can have one. Obviously, heathens like yourselves can't commit to one thing, but wander like soulless gypsies from job to job with no love of Christ in their hearts.
Allies (1-4 Points)
Murderous filth like yourself have to protect each other. You have a small circle of allies that have bound together with the intention of protecting each other. Your little coven of Satan worshippers does each other favors, but you have to keep yourselves safe above all else, don't you? After all, your souls are going to Hell when you die. So, don't count on your coven too much.
You may spend Allies in two ways: making yourself fellow traitorous friends with little influence or making co-conspirators who have more influence. A one-point Ally can't do much for you, but he can give you a safe house to rest at while you heal your wounds from your unholy war. A four-point ally, on the other hand, has significant influence and power. Remember, the more you own, the more you have to protect…
Wealth (1-4 Points)
Just because you have a job doesn't mean you have access to ready cash. Having a career assumes you have enough money to get buy day by day and even a little put away in savings. Wealth indicates resources above and beyond what you earn from your day job.
• Wealth 1: Half again your Career's income.
• Wealth 2: Double your Career's income.
• Wealth 3: Triple your Career's income.
• Wealth 4: Six times your Career's income.
3: Quirks
The world is a strange place, full of mystery and enigmas. There's a reason you've turned your back on the Savior: you were blessed by Satan with some peculiar “gift” to trick you into believing you are special somehow. In fact, you are nothing special. We are all dirt, blessed by God. All blessings come from the Lord. When you face the scourges of the Inquisition, you'll learn your life isn't special.
All Quirks cost 1 Background Point.
Awareness
For some reason, you have a supernatural sense of your surroundings. You gain 2 Advantage Dice whenever you roll for perception-based tests. Also, when you are being surprised (by someone with the “Assassin,” “Thief,” or other stealth-based Career), you gain those additional dice.
Concentration
You are not easily distracted from important tasks. You do not lose dice when being distracted from a task.
Confidence
The key to being a good liar (you heathen) is exuding a sense of confidence. You've got that in spades. When trying to convince others of your sincerity, add 2 Advantage Dice.
Dead to the World
As far as the world is concerned, you are dead and in the grave. Your death records are open and easily found. You do not pay tithes to the Church and the Inquisition is skeptical when your description is given by eye-witnesses.
Fake ID
You've set up a false identity. You can masquerade as either yourself or your pseudonym.
Fame
You have a small degree of fame. People may recognize you from time to time and may even want your autograph.
Jack-of-all-Trades
You have a little bit of knowledge in every field… but only a little. In order to take this Quirk, you cannot have more than 2 dice in any Career Background. You add 2 Advantage Dice to any action you take.
Love
The highly heretical ideas of “romance” run deep in your blood. Instead devoting your heart to the Lord, you've given your heart to another. Any actions involving your “lover” give you 2 Advantage Dice.
Pretty Face
Vanity is your sin. You doll yourself up with paints and pretty clothes. You gain 3 Advantage Dice to any test involving other people who would be attracted to you.
Tough
Lucifer has blessed you with supernatural resilience. Until you are killed or knocked unconscious, you always have 1 die for Risks, regardless of Wounds.
Warrior Cunning
You may have gotten it from training in the ranks of the Church's knights or you may have just been born with a natural talent for murder. Whatever the reason, you gain 2 Advantage Dice on any Risks of martial prowess.
4: Virtues and Sins
The Seven Cardinal Virtues and Seven Deadly Sins make up the bulk of your abilities and personality. Assign fifteen points to your Virtues and fifteen points to your Sins. Each must have at least one point. Remember, your Devotion is based on your Virtues: your Devotion equals your lowest Virtue.
The Virtues (1)
Prudence
Prudence represents your wisdom, vigilance, thoughtfulness and discretion. Whenever your perceptions or judgment are tested, roll your Prudence.
Temperance
Temperance is your ability to say “no.” It reflects your moderation, restraint, self-control and sobriety. Whenever you are tempted, roll your Temperance.
Justice
Justice is your understanding of abstract notions such as fairness and equality. When you need to judge a matter fairly, roll your Justice.
Fortitude
Fortitude represents your strength, endurance, and resoluteness. It is not just a reflection of physical ability, but your own determination – which is sometimes more important than mere muscles.
Charity
Charity represents your generosity, benevolence, helpfulness, and mercy. When you are called to help others, your choice will influence and be influenced by your Charity.
Hope
They say a man without hope is a man without fear. The opposite is also true. A man who is driven by his hopes sees obstacles as opportunities. When you are driven to despair, it is your hope that keeps you going.
Faith
Finally, faith represents trust, fidelity, loyalty, and conviction. A man who does not believe in the charity of others will not live with an open heart. Whenever your loyalty and conviction are tested, roll your Faith.
The Sins (2)
Pride
Pride is the sin of self-confidence, relying on your own hubris rather than God's grace. Those with the sin of pride in their hearts will be broken on the wheel when their souls are cast down into Hell.
Envy
Envy is the desire to be or have something that belongs to another. When you commit the sin of envy, you take for granted the gifts God has given you. Those with the sin of envy in their hearts will be forever drowned in freezing water when their souls are cast down into Hell.
Gluttony
Gluttony is the sin of eating more than what you need. Others go without in the world; eating more than your own share shows you care nothing for the starving and suffering. Those with the sin of gluttony in their hearts will be fed serpents, rotten flesh and rats for all eternity when their souls are cast down into Hell.
Lust
Lust is the carnal cravings of the loins for each other. Those with lust in their hearts ignore the beauty of God's most precious gift: the soul. They are shallow and see only the flesh. Those with the sin of lust in their hearts will be buried in burning coals forever when their souls are cast down into Hell.
Anger
Anger (or Wrath) is the sin of failing to see that all men have fault; it is the lack of a forgiving heart. Those with the sin of anger will be dismembered forever when their souls are cast down into Hell.
Greed
Those who commit the sin of greed think the world is run by money. They think material things supersede the soul. They will learn. Those with the sin of greed in their hearts will be boiled in oil for all eternity when their souls are cast down into Hell.
Sloth
Those who commit the sin of sloth avoid their work, leaving others to toil in their absence. God assigns each of us our lot in life, and to deny our work is to deny God's will. Those with the sin of sloth in their hearts will be cast into a pit of vipers, suffering their venom for all eternity when their souls are cast down into Hell.
Part Three: System
This game uses the Advantage System – a little thing we keep over at the Brewery in case an editor calls us up and asks “Have you got something for a Halloween issue?” We keep it around just so we can say, “Why, yes we do!”
If you've taken a look at Enemy Gods , you know how the Advantage System works. You roll a bunch of dice, keep the ones that roll even, and get rid of the rest. The even numbered dice create successes. If you roll a number of successes equal to the Target Number set by the GM, then your Terrorist succeeds. If you don't, then your Terrorist fails.
Typically, when you roll dice for success, you roll a number of dice equal to your terrorist's appropriate Devotion, plus any appropriate Background. Rolling Devotion represents your Terrorist's drive to do what must be done. Adding his Background in dice represents the fact that he has a better chance of succeeding in tasks that he has some experience in.
Finally, your happy little Gnostic terrorist can also earn dice by looking for advantages . One of the most important elements of the Advantage System is Advantage Dice. These are dice the GM hands out to players for showing initiative and for good roleplaying. Each Advantage Die is another die the player can roll for a chance of rolling another success.
Advantage Dice represent advantages your Terrorist has in any given Risk. GMs should not be shy about giving Advantage Dice; they are here to reward good roleplaying, planning, and innovative thinking. Here are some examples of when the GM should award Advantage Dice.
A player says, “I have three advantages over my opponent. My Terrorist has a sword. Also, I'm on higher ground. Finally, my Terrorist has the sun behind him, shining in my opponent's eyes.”
The GM agrees and says, “Okay. You have three advantages. You can roll three additional dice on your attack.”
In many ways, a Terrorist's Backgrounds are like permanent Advantage Dice. Because a Terrorist has a past, he can use the skills he learned from that past as Advantage Dice.
Using Devotion
As mentioned above, whenever a Terrorist takes a risk, he uses a number of dice equal to his Devotion, plus any appropriate Backgrounds or Advantages he can find. But a Terrorist also has a number of Devotion Points equal to his Devotion.
A Gnostic Terrorist may use a Devotion Point to succeed at any one Risk. This also lowers his Devotion by one point until the end of the current game session.
Virtues
Whenever a Terrorist takes an action worthy of a Virtue, he gains a point in that Virtue. If his lowest Virtue increases by one point, his base Devotion increases as well. If his lowest Virtue drops, he also loses a point of Devotion.
Virtues can also be used to resist certain temptations. More on that later.
Sins
Sins are used against Terrorists. After all, they are servants of Satan and easily tempted by the promises of the flesh. If a Terrorist is tempted, he must roll a number of dice equal to his Sin. If he gets a number of successes less than half his Sin, he is sorely tempted and must indulge in that Sin.
Committing Terror
When fighting vampires, take turns in rounds. Every round, a Terrorist can take one non-combat action and one combat action. That is, you can move and attack; pick up a sword and attack; draw a pistol and attack; open a door and attack; etc.
When you attack an opponent, you both roll dice. Add together any pertinent Backgrounds or other Advantages. If you roll the most successes, you score a Wound. If your opponent rolls more successes, your attack fails. You may describe the Wound any way you see fit.
At the end of the round, all Wounds take effect. A character cannot perform an action if he has more Wounds than dice. For example, if a Terrorist has five Wounds and can get only three dice to attack an opponent, he cannot perform that action. If a character cannot muster enough dice to defend himself (because he has too many Wounds), he is helpless and can be killed by any character with a single action.
GMs may wish to invoke a “multiple Wound” rule that would make combat even more deadly. That is, the more successes you gain, the more Wounds you inflict on an opponent. Also, weapons can provide additional Wounds. The circumstances should be agreed upon by the player and GM.
Vampires
Yes, vampires run the western world. Get used to it.
What do you sinners know about vampires? Not much.
You think they burn up when sunlight touches their skin.
You think they need blood to survive… but they might just enjoy doing it.
You think certain herbs keep them at bay.
You think a whole lot of things… but the fact of the matter is, you don't know squat.
GM Section
Okay, we all know the rules: no players here. Reading any further spoils surprises and fun. So, keep your noses out of it.
Or… how about we try this on for size. Let's pretend the players are responsible. Let's pretend the players will use this knowledge to make game play even more fun. Let's pretend that players will take the knowledge presented here and use it in such a way that they'll actually put their little Terrorist characters in jeopardy. Gee… that would like encourage roleplaying rewards from the GM… for intentionally putting your Terrorist at risk because of something the player knows but the character doesn't. Hm… let's try that out for a while and see if it works.
World
Vampires run the Church. The Church runs the western world. Governments bend at the knee before the power of the Pope. (Current Pope is Innocent VII, by the way.)
The protestant revolt lasted twelve minutes.
There is no United States of America . The colonies rebelled in the eighteenth century and were quickly put down by Church officials. The North American continent is maintained by British governors. No Declaration of Independence . No Constitution. No Bill of Rights.
Israel never existed. In most of the world, claiming Jewish heritage is, at the very least, a crime.
The enemies of the Church are states desperately fighting against its overwhelming power. China has yet to yield to the Church's power and it bolsters the Middle Eastern countries who cannot defend themselves. Japan , a powerful force against the Church, is devoutly Buddhist and refuses to buckle under the Pope's power. Ruled by the Emperor and his mighty Shogun , Japan 's samurai fight valiantly against the Inquisition's most dangerous agents.
China is the primary industrial engine of the world, followed by Japan . The Middle East remains unconquered, but at an incredible cost. Middle Eastern rulers have declared holy jihad against the Church, sending its youth in suicide missions against the Vatican .
Medicine is primitive compared to our own standards. No aspirin, no penicillin, no “quick fix” medications. No inoculations, no vaccinations. However, communication technology is surprisingly advanced. Television sets are present but are still black and white and very large. Radio is the primary source of information in a household.
Automobiles are present, but considered luxury items for the idle rich – of which there are very few in the Western world. No computers. No microchips. No great industrial move toward miniaturization. Everything is powered by steam, oil, and muscle. An honest day's work for the penitent soul.
It is a world defined by faith rather than politics. What you believe can get you killed. There is no democracy, only monarchs, and each rules by divine right, blessed by the Holy Mother Church .
There are no scientists. There is no science. “Natural philosophy,” is the term you're looking for. The body is governed by humors and their respective biles (3).
Vampires
Some are very old. Some are very young. A vampire's age is her most important trait. Every one hundred years a vampire has existed gives her one point of Age. Thus, a 33 year old vampire has an Age Trait of 0. Once a vampire turns 100, she has an Age Trait of 1. A seven hundred year old vampire has an Age Trait of 7.
A Vampire's Age has significant benefits:
• Each point of Age is an Advantage Die the vampire can use in a round.
• A vampire can take a number of additional actions per round equal to its Age. These actions may be attack actions.
• A vampire's powers are fueled by its Age (see below).
Vampire Powers
With all their Advantage Dice, vampires don't need a lot of “powers.” Using AD, they can augment their physical attributes. With additional actions, they can move faster than any mortal could eve imagine. Vampires can also use AD for mental and social Risks. However, they do have some supernatural abilities worth noting.
Invulnerability
The biggest advantage vampires have is their nigh invulnerability. It is incredibly difficult to damage a vampire with anything other than silver or gold weapons (4). An overwhelming amount of injury may be caused by catastrophic events, but a vampire eventually heals all damage not caused by mundane weapons. Also, fire – that purifying element – can harm vampires normally.
Finally, vampires cannot stand the presence of the sun or the full moon. When in the presence of the sun or full moon, they lose any Advantage Dice due to Age.
When a vampire is destroyed, it crumbles into dust.
Shape Shifting
As creatures of the Demiurge, master of forms, vampires can change into any form they desire; even the form of other humans. A vampire may have as many additional forms as he has Age. Yes, “mist” is a form.
The Cross
Unfortunately for the unfaithful, the image of the crucified savior is a powerful symbol of pain and failure. When the symbol is presented forcefully to any Gnostic, he must roll his Gnosis against the presenter's Age. If he rolls less evens than the vampire, the Gnostic falls to the ground in complete despair. He loses a number of actions (cannot act for a number of rounds) equal to the vampire's Age. Multiple Terrorists can be effected in this way.
Terrorists of other faiths may not be effected in the same way.
Spiritual Terrorism
Vampires are creatures of the Demiurge, and as such, are driven by the seven deadly Sins. They are lustful, greedy, and full of rage. They are obsessed with the material world, blinded by its trappings. Most Gnostics do not believe vampires are soulless, but the analogy is true: their souls are asleep or perhaps even dead. They are complete creatures of the base and vulgar without any trace of the divine or sublime.
While most Gnostics strive to adhere to the Virtues (which cast away material desires for more intangible and invisible motives), vampires thrive on the Sins. A vampire cannot have any Sin lower than a Virtue. Or, at least, she should not. A vampire can be turned away from the Demiurge… at least, that's what some Gnostics believe. But how can you turn a vampire away from the primal material force of the Demiurge? What power does Hope have over Lust? What power does Charity have over Greed? Perhaps none at all. But, if a Gnostic can lose Virtue to his sins, perhaps a vampire can lose Sin to her Virtues…
Gnosis
Every Terrorist has a Gnosis Trait, giving him a number of Gnosis Points to use during the game. Gnosis translates directly to Advantage Dice, reflecting the Terrorist's deep understanding of the world.
When a Terrorist uses a Gnosis Point, he doubles whatever number of dice he happens to be rolling. This represents a moment of pure insight, a moment of pure intuition. A moment of touching the sacred truth of the world.
At the end of the game session, if you've spent a Gnosis Point, roll one die. If you roll evens, you gain another one. You can gain Gnosis other ways, too, but for right now, that'll do.
Apocrypha
This is an introduction to a very dark world. Not a world of embracing darkness to understand it, but a world of spiritual desolation. You have everything you need to play a few games of Holy Blood . If you'd like to see more (including rules for the Buddhist and Voodoun Terrorists fighting against the Church), be sure to check out Man… Fucking Vampires from The Wicked Dead Brewing Company .
We started a tab for you.
Endnotes
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