Lore of Light
Description: The Lore of Light allows an Angel to control the properties of light by creating blinding beams or elaborate illusions. This Lore is similar to the Discipline of Chimerstry.
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- ● LIGHT
This simple evocation allows a demon to fill an area with pale silvery light, akin to moonlight. The light seems to emanate from the area's surroundings, allowing individuals to move and act in the illuminated area without penalty. This evocation also has a more tactical application, permitting the demon to stun or disorient opponents with intense, blinding flashes.
System: Roll Stamina + Science, The evocation illuminates one cubic yard per success rolled, centered on the character. The light persists for a number of turns equal to the demon's Faith score. When used tactically, the intense flashes of light can be focused in a single direction. Any individuals, friend or foe, who look in that direction at the time of the flash suffer a number of levels of bashing damage equal to the successes rolled. Flashes of light appear for only a turn.
Torment: Monstrous demons fill their surroundings with inky, suffocating darkness, affecting an area as above. They can move unhindered though this darkness. Other individuals within the area of effect are effectively blind.
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- ●● BEND LIGHT
By exerting her will and manipulating the properties of light, the Fiend can bend waves around her body instead of reflecting them, giving her a powerful form of camouflage.
System: Roll Stamina + Science. The number of successes gained increases the difficulties of any Perception rolls or ranged attacks directed at the character for the rest of the scene. Melee attacks are resolved as normal. Other demons and thralls with the capability are able to resist the effects of these illusions thanks to their inherent powers.
Torment: Monstrous demons do not bend light so much as they distort it into crazed, eye-straining patterns. The number of successes rolled increases the difficulties of all attacks directed against the demon, ranged or otherwise, but do not affect others' Perception rolls.
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- ●●● PHANTASM
This evocation allows a Fiend to create ghostly images that perform a rote set of actions as directed by the creator.
System: Roll Intelligence + Performance — the difficulty is determined by the complexity of the illusory form created. A single, ghostly individual is difficulty 6, while a whole scene with various individuals is 8 or more. The number of successes generated determines how many actions the demon can program the image to perform. Once the image and actions are set, a loop is created that runs when the demon wishes, and that persists for a number of days equal to the character's Faith score. Other demons and thralls with the capability are able to resist the effects of these illusions thanks to their inherent powers.
Torment: A monstrous demon's phantasms, no matter how simple or apparently benign they are, remain subtly disturbing, even on a subconscious level. A Willpower roll ( difficulty 8 ) is made for individuals viewing one of these illusions. If a roll fails, the individual flees the area. If the roll botches, the individual flees and gains a temporary derangement.
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- ●●●● ILLUSION
This evocation is a refinement of Phantasm, allowing the demon to create images that seem completely real until touched. What's more, the demon is capable of directing her illusions and altering their appearance on the fly.
System: Spend one Faith point and roll Intelligence + Expression. The difficulty of the roll is determined by the complexity of the illusion the demon wishes to create. Creating the illusion of a static object such as a table is 6. A simple but more mobile object such as a thrown rock is difficulty 7. Living beings have a difficulty of 8 or higher depending on the level of detail. The successes rolled form a dice pool that is rolled thereafter to direct the actions of the illusion (e.g., to stage an "attack" on someone, to leap from one building to another) or alter its appearance. If a roll to direct or alter an illusion botches, the image disappears. Illusions created in this way cannot speak, and the Fiend must maintain a line of sight with a creation at all times or the illusion disappears. A Fiend can maintain multiple illusions at the same time equal to her Faith score, but the dice pool to control each illusion is reduced by one for each extra image created after the first, to a minimum of one die per illusion. The effects of this evocation last for the duration of the scene. Other demons and thralls with the capability are able to resist the effects of these illusions thanks to their inherent powers.
Torment: A monstrous demon's illusions are overtly unsettling, reflecting the demon's inner corruption in subtle but frightening ways. A Willpower roll (difficulty 9) must be made for individuals who witness these illusions. If a roll fails, a victim flees from the sight of the illusion, if the roll botches, he gains a temporary derangement.
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- ●●●●● COHERENT LIGHT
The pinnacle of this lore path allows a Fiend to compress light to the degree that it assumes a degree of physical solidity, allowing her constructs to interact almost seamlessly with the physical world. Like Illusion, the images created by this evocation can be controlled directly by the demon, and its appearance can be altered from moment to moment.
System: Spend one Faith point and roll Intelligence + Expression. The difficulty of the roll is determined by the complexity of the illusion that your character wishes to create. A table is difficulty 6, a dog is 7, and a human is 8 or more. The successes rolled form a dice pool that is rolled thereafter to direct the actions of a construct or alter its appearance. Illusions created in this way cannot speak, and the Fiend must maintain a line of sight with the image at all times or the illusion disappears. If a construct is attacked or would otherwise suffer one health level of damage (hashing or lethal), the creation vanishes. A Fiend can maintain a number of illusions equal to her Faith score at the same time, but the dice pool to control each illusion is reduced by one for each extra image created after the first, to a minimum of one die per illusion. The effects of this evocation last for a number of turns equal to the character's Faith score. Other demons and thralls with the capability are able to resist the effects of these illusions thanks to their inherent powers.
Torment: The constructs fashioned by a monstrous demon are shaped in part by her hatred and despair, and unless they are controlled carefully, the illusions act on their own, lashing out destructively at their surroundings. A Willpower roll must be made each turn for each construct, with the difficulty equal to the Fiend's Torment score. If a roll fails, an illusion attacks the nearest living being (save the Fiend herself) using its full dice pool. Note that the Fiend doesn't have to exert control over her constructs — she can simply create them and turn them loose on her enemies if she wishes, leaving her mind free for other tasks.
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SHAMASH, THE VISAGE OF LIGHT
The apocalyptic form of the masters of this lore paints a demon in shifting patterns of shadow and pale, silvery starlight. These hypnotic images draw the eye and beguile the senses, at times hinting at subtle flashes that reflect the demon's inner thoughts. The Shamash are alluring, chimerical, deceptive, terrifying or achingly beautiful, often from moment to moment.
The Visage of Light confers the following special capabilities:
• Enhanced Mental Acuity: The character receives the following bonus traits: +2 Intelligence, +1 Wits, +1 Perception.
• Night Sight: The character can see clearly in utter darkness.
• Chimerical Aura: The difficulties of all Dodge rolls decrease by two. Other demons and thralls with the capability are able to resist the effects of this benefit thanks to their inherent powers.
• Unearthly Glamour: The difficulties of all Manipulation rolls decrease by two. Other demons and thralls with the capability are able to resist the effects of this effect as well.
Torment: Shamash who lose themselves to their Torment are surrounded by chimerical forms that reflect the demons' hatred and despair, creating a horror show of monstrous apparitions that whirl and snap at one another in increasing ferocity depending on a being's mood.
The Visage of Light confers the following high-Torment special capabilities:
• Hypnotic Visions: The aura of light and shadow surrounding the demon distracts and disquiets the mind of her foe. Attackers must make a Wits roll against a difficulty of the demon's Torment score. If the roll fails, the attackers may not act until the end of the turn. Other demons and thralls with the capability are able to resist the effects of these illusions thanks to their inherent powers.
• Dread Mien: The difficulties of all Leadership and Intimidation rolls decrease by two,
• Chimerical Attack: The swirling illusions surrounding the demon attack others already engaged in close combat with the fallen. The chimerical figures have the same initiative as the demon, and they attack a single opponent in close-combat range. Use the demon's Torment score as the dice pool for the attack, inflicting a base damage of four aggravated damage dice.
• Casts No Reflection: The demon's image does not appear in a mirror, nor can it be captured in a photograph or by a video camera.
