Ashen Grey : Victorian Age World of Darkness
Places of Faith
Although England is an increasingly secular society, many of its religious institutions retain a powerful aura of Faith, making it difficult for supernatural entities to approach or enter them. To do so, the supernatural’s player must make a contested Resolve + Composure roll versus the site’s Faith rating. In the case of “radiating sites,” (indicated by an R) the Faith rating decreases with distance from the site, roughly 1 dot per 10 yards, though this is ultimately subject to Storyteller discretion.
Dramatic Failure: Your character immediately bursts into flame, suffering three points of fire damage per turn. For Kindred, this damage is aggravated (see p.172, Vampire: The Requiem), while for Uratha it is lethal. These flames may be extinguished by conventional methods, but each turn a Kindred character is aflame you should make an extended Resolve + Composure roll, less 3 dice, to accumulate 4 successes, as per the Rötschreck rules (see p.178, Vampire: The Requiem). Uratha must test for Death Rage if, in any given turn, a wound is marked in one of the character’s last three remaining Health boxes (see p.173, Werewolf: The Forsaken).
Failure: Your character experiences considerable physical pain if trying to enter the site. Each turn your character remains at the site, he suffers one point of lethal damage and must spend a Willpower point to remain in the area. If a Kindred character loses all Willpower points while still in the area, you should make an extended Resolve + Composure roll to accumulate 4 successes as per the rules for fear frenzy (see p.178, Vampire: The Requiem).
Success: Your character can enter the site though he still feels uncomfortable and unwell, and suffers one point of bashing damage per scene while present at the site. Mortals can notice this discomfort on a contested Wits + Composure roll versus your character’s Resolve + Composure, and may act accordingly. Even though Uratha automatically regenerate this damage, mortals can still make this roll to notice the constant healing and discomfort the Forsaken experiences.
Exceptional Success: Your character can enter the site and suffers no ill effects.
Even when supernatural entities feel comfortable in a holy place, the site’s Faith impacts on their activities. All Vitae and Essence expenditures are doubled, and uses of Auspex or other perception-enhancing Disciplines or Gifts receive a -2 penalty. Furthermore, any characters that are able to perform abjurations on Kindred or Uratha may substitute the site’s Faith rating instead of their normal Resolve + Composure.
London’s Holy Places
- Well-used church with devout practitioners: 4
- Rarely-used church with devout practitioners: 3
- The Hawksmoor Churches: 6 (R)
- Lambeth Palace: 7 (R)
- St. Paul’s Cathedral: 7 (R)
- Temple Church: 5
- Westminster Abbey: 8 (R)
Abjuration and Blessed Items
Characters in possession of blessed items (see p.214, World of Darkness) can perform abjurations on Kindred and Uratha (see p.213, World of Darkness). To perform an abjuration, the character should make a contested Resolve + Composure roll versus the foe’s Resolve + Blood Potency or Primal Urge. All the usual perquisites and modifiers apply for this roll. Note that mortals and the wolf-blooded are still affected by Lunacy (see p.175, Werewolf: The Forsaken), which must be taken into account before any attempt is made.
Dramatic Failure: Your character is utterly overwhelmed by the sheer force of the supernatural’s power and determination. He loses one point of Willpower and can perform no further abjurations for the rest of the day.
Failure: Your character’s faith or capability is found wanting, and the supernatural is unmoved by the prayer. Your character can attempt the abjuration again if he wishes.
Success: Your character’s faith or capability drives the supernatural from his vicinity. The supernatural is forced to remove themselves from the sight of the character, and cannot again stand within the character’s line of sight for the remainder of the scene.
Exceptional Success: The supernatural is completely overawed by your character’s faith or capability. The supernatural is forced to remove themselves from the sight of the character, and cannot again stand within the character’s line of sight until the following day.
Blessed items can also be used to damage or destroy Kindred, just as they can disrupt, damage or destroy ghosts (see p.214, World of Darkness). If the blessed item is made of pure silver, it will affect Uratha in the same way and threatens a bout of Death Rage (see p.173, Werewolf: The Forsaken).