White Wolf Online

Geist Manifests on Thursday!

Posted: 2009-08-12

Manifestations

The most powerful implements in any Sin-Eater’s arsenal are her Manifestations, those strange and unearthly powers which are born of the fusion of living and dead. As a living vessel for a geist, the Bound also serves as a channel for its power — a power the two now share. All Sin-Eaters have access to Manifestations, but relatively few dedicate themselves to studying all or even most of them. Fewer still completely master more than a single Manifestation. Each Manifestation represents a fairly general power usually associated with ghosts (a genus of which the Sin-Eater’s geist is merely an unusual specimen). When a Sin-Eater makes use of a Manifestation, she is often said to “unlock” the Manifestation. This is because Manifestations are closely connected with several metaphysical concepts which the Sin-Eaters refer to as Keys. Different Keys may cause a Manifestation to function very differently depending on how it is unlocked.

From a mechanical perspective, unlocking a particular Manifestation effect requires the Sin-Eater to have both an appropriate rating in the Manifestation and an equivalent rating in a particular Key. Both Manifestations and Keys are rated from 1 to 5. For example, a Sin-Eater who wishes to augment her Strength in order to lift something heavy might do so through the second level of the Primeval Shroud Manifestation. In order to use that power, the Sin-Eater must have two ranks in the Primeval Key and two ranks in the Shroud Manifestation. When a Sin-Eater learns a new Key or improves her rating in a Key, she may apply the benefits of that Key to any Manifestation she has at the same rank. When a Sin-Eater learns a new Manifestation or improves her rating in a Manifestation, she can apply any Keys she knows at the proper level to it. Though particular effects of a Manifestation are associated with certain dot levels, they aren’t purchased separately: any effect is available to any Bound who possesses the requisite dots in Manifestation and an appropriate Key.

Each Manifestation is associated with a particular Attribute. Each Key is associated with a particular Skill, although this Skill may change depending on the Manifestation it unlocks. In order to unlock a Manifestation with a particular Key, the Sin-Eater’s player must roll the Manifestation Attribute + the Key Skill + the character’s rating in that Manifestation. The Key rating rarely plays any direct part in any dice roll. The successes rolled on this activation roll are referred to, naturally enough, as activation successes. The activation successes determine the initial properties of the Manifestation once it is unlocked. Unless expressly stated otherwise, a Manifestation, once unlocked, lasts for a scene.

While a Manifestation remains unlocked, it will typically provide the Sin-Eater with several additional powers which branch off of the Manifestation’s basic functions. For example, once the Stillness Oracle has been unlocked, the Sin-Eater has several additional powers that he can use (assuming his Manifestation and Key ratings allow him to do so) while the Stillness Oracle Manifestation remains in operation. Many of these subsidiary powers also have their own dice rolls which may or may not use the Manifestation Attribute and Key Skill used in the activation roll. Regardless, the dice pool for such subsidiary power is almost always (Attribute) + (Skill) + (Manifestation rating) + (activation successes). That is, the successes rolled for the Manifestations initial activation usually add to dice rolls for subsidiary powers, although there are some exceptions to this general rule.

There are seven Manifestations:
The Boneyard allows the Sin-Eater to assert control over her immediate environment, usually by triggering “haunting” effects.

The Caul permits the Sin-Eater to reshape his own body as needed, often in esoteric and frightening ways.

The Curse enables the Sin-Eater to afflict her enemies with strange curses and ailments and to subtly influence their minds.

The Marionette allows the Sin-Eater to control physical objects, animals and even other people, manipulating their bodies like a twisted puppeteer.

The Oracle grants the Sin-Eater heightened sensory powers, clairvoyance and even precognitive abilities.

The Rage represents the Sin-Eater’s power to strike at others with pure, unadulterated power.

The Shroud governs effects which alter or improve the Sin-Eater’s own body in some way, most often as a form of protection.