Rough Magic 4e EN:Powers

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The world of Rough Magic is home to a variety of supernatural entities, and you can be one of them if you can make it interesting. Keep in mind that if you are a supernatural creature, you will probably be the only one of your kind that you know. Also keep in mind that the vast majority of the world is populated by normal human beings. If they find out that you aren't one of them, you may receive a visit from a crowd of peasants carrying torches.

Supernatural Creatures

According to the Société Impériale de Thaumaturgie, there are six categories of supernatural creatures: abominations, corrupt beasts, elementals, fae, golems, and the undead. According to the SIT, abominations, corrupt beasts, golems, and the undead are the creations (intentionally or not) of unlicensed or incompetent magicians, while elementals and fae are invaders from supernatural realms which border our own. According to the Gallican Church, supernatural creatures do not have souls, and destroying them is an act of God's mercy.

It is not technically illegal to be a supernatural creature in the Empire, but supernatural creatures are often the target of human prejudice, harassment, and worse.

Would you like to create a random supernatural creature? You can!

Table: Random supernatural

Roll 1d6	Type	Examples
1	Abomination	Doppelgänger, enenra, parasitic oil
2	Corrupt Beast	Mermaid, werewolf, yeti
3	Elemental	Salamander, sylph, undine
4	Fae	Dryad, kitsune, troll
5	Golem	Clay, flesh, mechanical
6	Undead	Ghoul, vampire, wight

Passing For Human

Most supernatural creatures are easily identified as being nonhuman, but any character you make should be able to pass for human at least some of the time. Supernatural characters who are in any way obviously nonhuman should purchase at least one of the following supernatural powers:

• Alternate Form
• Invisibility
• Shapeshifting

The Fae

Faerie domains overlap with our world, and are usually reachable through a stationary portal. Sometimes the portal is obvious, but most portals to a faerie domain can only be seen with Mage Sight (most of the fae have Mage Sight, but even those without it can see the entrance to a faerie domain). The fae are not bound to their domains, but they are significantly more powerful in their world than they are in ours. In a faerie domain, the fae receive a +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS bonus on their defense and on all skill rolls.

The fae usually appear human, or nearly so, but they are always extraordinary in appearance: either beautiful, or bizarre, or terrifying (sometimes all three). The fae mimic human attire and culture, but they are usually a century or two behind current human fashions. The fae appear to have a form of caste or feudal system, where more powerful fae rule as nobility over other fae. The fae vary in temperament, from those who perform small services in human households in exchange for gifts of cream and bread, to those who hunt humans in splendid pageants on certain nights of the year. The fae are notoriously quick to take offense at any imagined insult, and they are equally famous for being painfully literal when it comes to bargains and promises.

Most of the fae are the subject of a fae ruler (kings, queens, princes, duchesses, and so on), and any disobedience will have consequences if it becomes known. That being said, fae rulers are usually pretty laissez-faire about their vassals, except when they aren't.

Audacity, curiosity, freedom, and pride are common motivations among the fae.

All of the fae have the following complications:

• Oathbound. The fae are unable to overtly lie, and they must keep their word. However, they can distort the truth through careful phrasing, or abide by the "letter" rather than the "spirit" of an agreement.
• Weakness. The touch of iron is painful to the fae, and they suffer a -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS skill roll penalty and defense penalty when they are attacked or confronted with iron (steel, "cast iron", and other iron alloys do not have the same effect).

The fae often have one or more of the following gifts:

• Arcane Caster
• Fascinating
• Linguist
• Luck
• Unsettling

All of the fae have the following powers:

• Immortality
• Mage Sight

The fae often have one or more of the following powers:

• Invisibility
• Shapeshifting
• Shrinking
• [Transformation] Ray (usually Shapeshifting or Shrinking)

Ghosts

People who die under traumatic or magical circumstances often leave echoes behind in our world, although most fade away within a week. Such ghosts are invisible and intangible, and only someone with Mage Sight can see them. Rarely, a ghost will persist in our world, and some gradually learn to interact with the world of the living. Such ghosts are usually bound to a place which was important to them during their life, or to a ghostland if that location no longer exists in our world.

Ghosts, when visible, usually appear as they did in life. Some ghosts are ghastly to behold, reflecting the manner of their death, but some appear entirely lifelike and normal. Some ghosts can change how they appear, depending on their mood. Ghosts are not typically social creatures, but sometimes a powerful spirit will impose its will on weaker ghosts in the area, forcing them to obey it.

Fear, idealism, passion, and vengeance are common motivations among ghosts.

Ghosts sometimes have the Gruesome complication. Even if they do not, ghosts can't pass for human in any but the dimmest light.

Ghosts usually have the Unsettling gift (it's the rare ghost that does not).

All ghosts have the following powers:

• Environmental Immunity
• Immortality
• Intangibility. Some ghosts have the "Poltergeist" modifier which allows them to affect the tangible world.
• Invisibility. However, note that ghosts are visible and tangible to anyone using the Astral Travel power, and vice versa.

Ghosts sometimes have one or more of the following powers:

• Brawn Drain or Presence Drain
• Darkness
• Emotion Control, with the "Specific Emotion: Fear" modifier
• Flight
• Mage Sight
• Mind Blast
• Possession, with the "Inhabit" modifier

Vampires

Vampirism is a magical bloodborne disease, the origin of which is a subject of some controversy. Fortunately, the disease is not particularly infectious, so that most survivors of vampire attacks do not themselves become vampires. However, vampires sometimes force the victim to drink infected blood, thus ensuring that they become infected: this is how vampire nests grow. Vampires are often in thrall to the vampire who created them. The amount of free will this allows varies greatly.

Vampires retain their human memories and personality, but they lose any shred of compassion or morality they once had. Vampire nests are usually controlled by the oldest vampire or by the vampire who has recruited the most new vampires. Some vampires can pass for human, despite their deathly pale complexion, but there is no mistaking a vampire when one sees a mouth full of sharply pointed teeth.

Individualism, materialism, ruthlessness, and security are common motivations among vampires.

Vampires sometimes have the Gruesome complication. Even if they do not, vampires can't pass for human in any but the dimmest light.

All vampires have the following complications:

• Weakness. The touch of hawthorn wood is painful to vampires, and they suffer a -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS skill roll penalty and defense penalty when they are attacked or confronted with it.
• Weakness. The touch of sunlight is painful to vampires, and they suffer a -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS skill roll penalty and defense penalty when they or their opponent is in sunlight.

Vampires often have one or more of the following gifts:

• Animal Empathy (primarily bats, vermin, and wolves)
• Blood Rage
• Elusive
• Fascinating
• Headquarters. A vampire headquarters is typically an abandoned building or a filthy nest in a cave.
• Unsettling

All vampires have the following powers:

• Environmental Immunity
• Immortality
• Night Vision
• Regeneration (but not against hawthorn wood)

Vampires often have one or more of the following powers:

• Clinging
• Command Animals (primarily bats, vermin, and wolves)
• Damage Resistance (but not against hawthorn wood)
• Hyperacuity
• Mind Control
• Strike
• Supernatural Jumping
• Supernatural Lifting
• Supernatural Running

Werewolves

The supernatural transformation of a person into a wolf is the result of a magical ritual in which the aspiring werewolf makes a pact with primal forces. Werewolves are the most common type of such shapechangers, but less common types such as weregeese, wererats, and wereboars also exist. Werewolves operate in gangs or packs, and they recruit new members who join the gang and undergo an initiation into lycanthropy voluntarily. Werewolves usually place their loyalty to their gang above all other concerns. That being said, werewolves typically embrace the mutually-supportive social structure common among canines rather than the dominance-based social structure (i.e., "alpha male", etc.) common among primates.

Werewolf gangs vary in their behaviour, but most prefer rural settings, and they are often itinerant. Werewolf gangs are usually led by the strongest or smartest gang member. Werewolves are not intrinsically evil, but they can be quite violent when provoked or aroused, even in human form. In wolf form, a werewolf appears as a huge wolf: larger than a normal wolf, but not otherwise obviously unnatural. A werewolf in wolf form retains their human intellect, but they are unable to speak or use tools that would require the use of hands.

Adventure, community, passion, and wrath are common motivations among werewolves.

All werewolves have the Weakness complication. The touch of silver is painful to werewolves in both their human and wolf forms, and they suffer a -Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS skill roll penalty and defense penalty when they are attacked or confronted with silver.

Werewolves often have one or more of the following gifts:

• Animal Empathy (canines only, +Template:KM4 SKILL BONUS skill roll bonus)
• Blood Rage
• Hard Target
• Headquarters. A werewolf headquarters is typically a clubhouse.
• Indefatigable
• Team Player
• Unsettling. Even in human form, werewolves often make people nervous.

All werewolves have the following powers:

• Bulletproof (but not against silver)
• Night Vision
• Regeneration (but not against silver)
• Shapeshifting or Alternate Form

Werewolves often have one or more of the following powers:

• Alteration Resistance
• Damage Resistance (but not against silver)
• Hyperacuity
• Night Vision
• Strike
• Supernatural Jumping
• Supernatural Lifting