Rough Magic 3e EN:Supernaturals
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. In the world of Rough Magic, ghosts, goblins, vampires, and werewolves don't travel in herds. There are exceptions, of course... but not for you.
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, a crowd of unhappy peasants with torches will be knocking on your door.
According to the Société Impériale de Thaumaturgie, there are six categories of supernatural creatures: abominations, corrupt beasts, elementals, fairies, 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 fairies 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.
Would you like to create a random supernatural creature? You can!
| Roll 1d6 | Type | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abomination | Doppelgänger, enenra, parasitic oil |
| 2 | Corrupt Beast | Mermaid, werewolf, yeti |
| 3 | Elemental | Salamander, sylph, undine |
| 4 | Fairy | 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 traits:
- Camouflage
- Shapeshifter
Supernatural Traits
This is a list of typical supernatural traits found in a Rough Magic game. Each supernatural trait costs one character point. This list is not exhaustive. A character may well have a trait not listed here, subject to GM approval. However, any new traits should be approximately as useful as these traits, in order to maintain a sense of fairness with other characters. We suggest spending no more than 5 character points total on gifts and supernatural traits.
Would you like to randomly generate a character's supernatural traits? You can! If the character is a humanoid supernatural, randomly roll one supernatural trait. Otherwise, consult the "Number of supernatural traits" table.
| Roll 1d6 | Traits |
|---|---|
| 1 | Roll once on Typical supernatural traits |
| 2-5 | Roll twice on Typical supernatural traits |
| 6 | Roll three times on Typical supernatural traits |
Count the number of supernatural traits, and subtract that number from your pool of character points.
| Roll 1d6 | Roll 1d6 | Trait | Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | 1 | Aerial | Winged or floating, the character can fly at twice their ground speed |
| 2 | Animal Friendship | Befriend and mentally communicate with animals | |
| 3 | Brutish | Stronger and more massive than typical people | |
| 4 | Camouflage | Blend into surroundings and become difficult to perceive | |
| 5 | Clinging | Can move at normal ground speed along walls, ceilings, and other surfaces | |
| 6 | Domination | Force a target to obey the character's command | |
| 3-4 | 1 | Immortality | Never grow old nor die from "natural causes" |
| 2 | Inhuman Reflexes | Take additional actions during a round | |
| 3 | Life Drain | An attack which ignores all normal forms of protection | |
| 4 | Mind Link | Characters who both have Mind Link can communicate telepathically | |
| 5 | Mist Form | An undifferentiated vapourous mass, able to squeeze through keyholes | |
| 6 | Natural Armor | Chitin, scales, fur, or tough skin protects the character from attacks | |
| 5-6 | 1 | Natural Weaponry | Claws, fangs, spines, or some other natural weapon |
| 2 | Night Vision | Can see in the dark | |
| 3 | Regeneration | Heals much faster than a typical person | |
| 4 | Shapeshifter | Can change shape and appearance | |
| 5 | Tiny | Smaller and harder to hit than a typical person | |
| 6 | Uncanny Speed | Presence adds to Agility for the purpose of walking and swimming speed | |
Aerial
Aerial allows a character to fly at their ground speed. They might have wings, or they might be naturally lighter than air. Alternately, the character may be aquatic, able to breathe underwater, swim at their ground speed, and comfortable in the ocean depths.
Animal Friendship
Animal Friendship is a short range (10 m) power which allows a character to communicate with and befriend a non-sentient animal. The attack value (AV) of the Animal Friendship is equal to the attacker's Presence + Power. To successfully communicate with and command a non-sentient animal, the character must succeed at a Diplomacy (Presence + Power) roll. The defense value (DV) of the target is equal to their Presence: as a rule of thumb, the Presence of a domesticated animal is usually 2, and the Presence of a wild animal is usually 6.
Befriended animals have the same actions as a normal character (free actions, movement action, task action, reaction), and operate independently of the character commanding them. Giving a new command to the befriended animal requires a free action.
The attributes of the befriended animal are equal to the normal attributes that kind of animal would have. However, controlled animals are resistant to further mental manipulation, having Presence equal to the character commanding them. Befriended animals have the normal movement and attack types that those kinds of animals would have.
Brutish
A character with the Brutish trait is stronger and more massive than a typical person: +1 Brawn and a mass up to 200 kilograms. Optionally, the character can also be larger than a typical person: 2.5 meters to 4 meters tall. If the character also has the Shapeshifter trait, they may choose to only apply the Brutish trait while in a particularly brutish form.
Camouflage
Camouflage allows the character to become difficult to perceive, by both living beings and machines. For example, the character might become transparent, they might bend light around them, or they may blend into their surroundings by modulating chromatophores in their skin. However the camouflage is achieved, the character is hidden from normal sight unless someone is actively looking for them or there is some environmental circumstance that might reveal the character's location. The action value (AV) of the Camouflage is equal to the character's Agility + Power.
If someone is actively looking for the character, perhaps by isolating their heat signature or tracking them by scent, the person trying to locate the camouflaged character must make a successful Perception (Reason) roll against the action value of the camouflaged character. A character with Hyperacuity may add their Presence to their Reason when attempting to notice a camouflaged character. If an environmental circumstance might reveal the character's location, the person trying to locate the camouflaged character gains a bonus die on their Perception (Reason) roll. For example, fog might reveal the camouflaged character's outline, or fresh snow might reveal their footprints.
Clinging
A character with the Clinging trait can move at their normal ground speed along walls, ceilings, and other surfaces as if they were level. The strength holding the character to the surface is equal to their Brawn. If the surface is slippery or unstable, the GM might require the character to attempt a moderately difficult (DV 3) Athletics (Agility) roll to keep from sliding or falling.
Domination
Domination is a short range (10 m) power which allows a character to influence a living creature's behaviour, forcing the target to obey the character's command. The attack value (AV) of the Domination is equal to the attacker's Presence + Power. The defense value (DV) of the target is equal to their Presence. Domination is a short range (10 m) power, but once the Suggestion is successful, it will remain so even if the target leaves this range.
Characters under the influence of Domination are not as effective as those whose wills are their own. Any roll attempted by a character under the influence of Domination (other than trying to break out of it) incurs a penalty die, and a character under the influence of Domination is not able to spend plot points on anything other than trying to break out of it.
To break free of the Domination, the target must make a successful defense value roll against the attack value of the attacker. If the character succeeds at this roll, they may use their remaining movement action.
If a character under the influence of Domination completes the task that they were commanded to perform, the Domination ends, and the character affected by the Domination will go on their way none the wiser. Similarly, if the character has not broken free of the Domination by the end of the scene, then they break free of it shortly thereafter.
Immortality
The Immortality trait renders a character immune to the ravages of time. The character will never grow old or die from "natural causes".
Optionally, the character is never truly "dead" -- they can be re-assembled and revived if all of their component parts can be collected or replaced.
Inhuman Reflexes
A character with the Inhuman Reflexes trait may take additional actions at the end of a round. The character may use these additional actions to make additional task actions, including combat rolls. All of the character's additional actions are resolved after all other rolls are resolved that round.
During each game session, the number of additional actions the character may use is equal to their Agility. The character may only use half of their total additional actions in any one round, and once an additional action has been used, it may not be used again in that game session. The player may wait until the end of the round before deciding whether their character will use any of their additional actions.
Life Drain
Life Drain is an unarmed Close Combat (Power) attack which inflicts Endurance damage. The action value (AV) of Life Drain is equal to the attacker's Presence, and the target's defense value (DV) is equal to their Presence. Life Drain ignores all normal forms of protection such as armor. However, Life Drain is completely ineffective against non-living objects, even if they are conscious.
Mind Link
Two characters who both have the Mind Link trait can communicate telepathically over any distance. Optionally, if the character has the Minions gift, they may communicate telepathically with their minions.
Mist Form
A character with the Mist Form trait can transform themselves into an undifferentiated vapourous mass, able to squeeze under doors and through keyholes. The character is unable to take any actions other movement actions while in mist form. They are immune to conventional attacks while in mist form, but they are still susceptible to magical attacks.
Natural Armor
A character with the Natural Armor trait has chitin, scales, thick fur, or just exceptionally tough skin which provides protection against most forms of direct damage: anything which inflicts Endurance damage. The defense value (DV) of a character with Natural Armor is equal to their relevant defense attribute (Brawn for close combat, Agility for ranged combat) plus their Presence. As always, this does not stack with conventional armor or other forms of defense -- only the highest defense value applies.
Natural Weaponry
A character with the Natural Weaponry trait is equipped with claws, fangs, spines, or some other natural close combat weapon. These natural weapons are difficult to take away, and will usually re-grow if removed. Natural Weaponry has an attack value (AV) equal to the character's Brawn + Power.
Night Vision
Night Vision allows a character to see in the dark. This capacity could be the result of infrared vision, ultraviolet vision, or simply exceptional low-light vision. Alternately, the character has sonar, a sense of touch so acute that they can detect and locate vibrations, or some other unusual sense.
Regeneration
Regeneration accelerates the healing process and allows the character to recover from injury more quickly. Normally, an injured character may recover half of their lost Endurance (rounded down) by resting for about half an hour. After that, a character may only recover additional Endurance by getting a good night's sleep (or its equivalent, for characters who don't sleep). Barring some gruesome disfigurement, a character's Endurance will be completely replenished after a solid night's rest.
Regeneration drastically reduces this recovery time: the character recovers half of the Endurance they have lost (rounded down) after they have had a chance to rest and recuperate for one full minute. After that, the character will regain the rest of their lost Endurance by resting for about half an hour. Most characters with Regeneration can even regrow lost limbs or damaged organs.
Shapeshifter
A character with the Shapeshifter trait can change their shape and appearance, but may not increase their mass or size. The character may re-assign their physical traits (Brawn and Agility) to suit their new shape, as long as the total of Brawn + Agility remains the same or lower. The action value (AV) of the Shapeshifter is equal to the character's Presence.
Assuming the shape of a specific person, creature, or object is more difficult than changing into a generic example of a particular shape. If someone is actively looking at the character, or has any reason to suspect that the character is not the genuine article, the person observing the shapeshifted character may attempt a Perception (Reason) roll against the shapeshifted character's action value. If the Perception (Reason) roll is successful, the observer can tell that the shapeshifted character is not who or what they appear to be.
Tiny
A character with the Tiny trait is smaller and more difficult to hit than a typical person: from 50 centimeters to 100 centimeters tall. Tiny characters are more nimble than larger people (+1 Agility). If the character also has the Shapeshifter trait, they may choose to only apply the Tiny trait while in an appropriate form. Alternately, they may be Tiny normally, but may use Shapeshifter to become human-size (or even larger, if they also have the Huge trait).
Uncanny Speed
A character with the Uncanny Speed trait can run and swim impossibly fast. The character's Presence is added to their Agility for the purpose of determining their walking and swimming speed. If the character's Agility + Power is greater than 10, the character's walk, run, and sprint movement speed can be found in the GM Resources chapter.