Fatalism
Name: Fatalism
Guild: Oracles
Status: Allowed
Marking(s): (1e/2e) Symbols of fate on foreheads and arms / (20th) Markings representing preferred divination method on body
Contents
Introduction
Fatalism is one of the primary thirteen Arcanoi from Wraith: The Oblivion. Those with the gift of Fatalism are able to see into another’s past or future, and read a wraith's ultimate Fate.
Fatalism is one of the stranger Arcanos in existence. While it is tolerated, probably due in strong part to the Lady of Fate, it is also looked upon with some suspicion. Those who do not possess the power of the Oracles believe them to be master manipulators, while those who do believe are sometimes just as suspicious of their motives.
Much like those who use Castigate, applying Fatalism requires some degree of ceremony around it. Tarot cards, runes, astrology, or other props or methods are used to help focus Fatalism’s abilities and make it easier for the Oracle to see what they need to see. Fatalism will work without these things, but unless the Oracle is unusually powerful, the visions will be unfocused and almost impossible to interpret.
The Oracles are far more used to dealing with the future than the past. Although they use the weavings of Fate to see it, rather than tapping directly into a Wraith’s mind as in Mnemosynis, few would rather mess in the pasts of questionable wraiths. More frequently, Oracles are called by the powerful to divine turns of events and the fortunes of those involved. Oracles will dispense as much information as they feel comfortable with; no one knows more than them that pulling too much on the strands of Fate may cause things to unravel that were not meant to. Indeed, many Oracles come to believe strongly in their abilities, and anything that shows them otherwise may meet with strong opposition from them.
While bad uses of Fatalism tend to show incorrect visions or none at all, others show things so horrible that an Oracle will be shaken and refuse to divine again for a time.
Basic Abilities
○○○○○ Kismet: An Oracle can perceive the importance of a person, event, or thing in Fate’s plans.
Standard Powers
{First / Second Edition}
●○○○○ Fatal Vision: An Oracle can read the deathmarks on wraiths and mortals.
●●○○○ Foreshadow: An Oracle can detect impending danger.
●●●○○ Interpretation: An Oracle can read into a person’s past or future.
●●●●○ Guesswork: An Oracle can foretell the consequences of someone’s immediate actions.
●●●●● Luck: An Oracle can make a minor adjustment to Fate’s plan.
{20th Anniversary Edition}
Basic abilities were dropped in the 20th anniversary edition.
The standard powers of Fatalism are the same as previous editions, with the following exceptions, which replace the skills of the same level or where noted.
●○○○○ Kismet: An Oracle can read the deathmarks on a wraith or mortal, and can also see that person's importance in Fate's plans.
●●●○○ Reading the Bones: An Oracle can see a person or object's future, save for their own.
●●●●○ Sidestep: Kin to Guesswork and Presage, the Oracle can foretell forthcoming attacks, allowing them to prepare a defense, or place themselves in the way of an attack meant for someone else.
●●●●● Breathing the Mists: An Oracle's foresight allows them to prepare for future events.
Alternate Powers
{Guildbook: Spooks and Oracles}
●○○○○ Distant Visions: An Oracle may clearly see what relevant events are happening elsewhere.
●●○○○ A Quick Read: An Oracle can read using a relic attuned to a living person.
●●○○○ Malocchio: An Oracle may mark another with an "evil eye" that curses them with bad luck, which only other Oracles can see.
●●●○○ Pulling Strings: An Oracle may make small changes in the Web of Fate, learning something of what is to come and preparing accordingly.
●●●●○ Tangles: An Oracle may twist, tangle, or knot another wraith's Thread of Fate, causing bad luck when they attempt to pursue a particular Passion.
●●●●● Ensnare: An Oracle can tangle a wraith's threads to the point they no longer control their own destiny, instead serving another's ends.
{Wraith: The Great War}
Fatalism abilities during the Great War are the same as the basic abilities and standard powers with the following exceptions, which replace the skills of the same level or where noted.
○○○○○ Augur: Other than the name change, this is essentially the same as Kismet.
●○○○○ Sensing the Strands: An Oracle can read an object and determine who used it and how it was used.
●●●●○ Presage: Other than being applied more to combat actions, this is essentially the same as Guesswork.
{20th Anniversary Edition}
The 20th anniversary edition introduces the initiate arts, a set of Fatalism abilities available to members of the Oracles' Guild with sufficient standing.
●○○○○ Friendly Card: An Oracle can select the best option when faced with a random choice.
●●○○○ Retrace: An Oracle can see how a person's fate has been changed in the past.
●●●○○ Malocchio: Aside from the rating, this is essentially the same as the original Malocchio.
●●●●○ Entangle: An Oracle can bind the existences of multiple wraiths together.
●●●●● Ensnare: An Oracle can redefine someone's fate.
Other Books
{WTO: The Book of Legions}
●●●○○ Fate's Hand Apparent: An Oracle can detect the death of a mortal that Fate has chosen.
●●●●● Eldritch Awareness: An Oracle may become aware of Fate as it relates to the Ladies of Fate.
References
- WTO: Wraith: The Oblivion Second Edition, p. 142-143
- WTO: Wraith: The Great War Rulebook, p. 119
- WTO: Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition, p. 162-166
- WTO: Guildbook: Spooks and Oracles, p. 124-127
- WTO: The Book of Legions, p. 92
