Cambions

Curs

A cur is a mongrel, a cambion without a family. The majority of curs are weak blooded bastards, children produced through the union of a “normal” cambion and a mortal, usually a mortal woman. Some families kill such offspring as a matter of course, thus preserving their relative monopoly on supernatural power. The families wouldn’t want who knows how many weak blooded independents running around with demonic powers. More often than many families would like, a libidinous cambion with have sex with a mortal woman and impregnate her and allow her and/or the child to escape. Because of this, there are often a number of curs around and about the world, often not knowing what supernatural potential they have, merely believing themselves to be unusually strong and resilient.

The other source of curs, curs who are not weak blooded, is when a child is born between the union of two cambions from different families. These cambions can, in some cases, have quite potent blood and often have some of the supernatural abilities of both of their parents. The existence of these curs is highly frowned upon by all of the families save for the Amidas. This disapproval in some part hypocrisy, because most families would enjoy having a member with powers from a rival family, but the rival family would consider this such a threat that it would likely provoke a family war. For this reason, sex between cambions of different families is strictly prohibited and mixed blood curs are ruthlessly hunted. Of course, some families may adopt a cur is it can be done secretly.

The Amidas family is willing to adopt curs that it finds, including mixed blooded curs. Because of doing this over the centuries, the Amidas family has gained a bit of the blood, as well as abilities, of many other families. Members of the Ascania family will sometimes bear weak blooded children and allow them to serve as inferior family members, which has been a major source of contention within the family for the last century.

Legacy

All cambions, regardless of Legacy, receive +1 to Dexterity, Strength, and Stamina. Every odd point of Legacy adds +1 to Strength and each even point of Legacy adds +1 to Stamina rolls. 

At 0 Legacy, a cambion is weak blooded, a mix between human and cambion. This cambion takes lethal damage from true faith. At higher levels of Legacy, a cambion takes a number of extra dice of damage from true faith equal to Legacy. This damage is aggravated and cannot be soaked. 

Cambions with a Legacy of 0 can soak lethal and bashing damage with Stamina, but not aggravated damage. Cambions with 1 or more Legacy can soak aggravated damage with Stamina, save for damage caused by True Faith. 

Each point of Legacy gives the cambion another point of Dark Desires.

A Cambion with a zero Legacy may only gain levels of Maleficia up to level 3. 

The cost of Maleficia is lower for cambions with higher Legacy. The experience or freebie cost of buying a Maleficium is the level times (9-Legacy). This means that a Legacy 4 cambion could buy a level 3 Maleficium for 15 experience while a Legacy 0 cambion would require 27 experience.   

For traits with a maximum of 5, every level of Legacy increases the trait maximum by one. So, for example, a cambion with a legacy of 3 could raise its Intelligence to 8.

Regeneration: Regeneration is based on Legacy, though certain Families regenerate differently.

0: Regenerates 1 lethal level damage per day, one bashing level per hours, and heals aggravated damage at the human rate. 

1: Regenerates 1 lethal level of damage per hour, one bashing level per 10 minutes, and heals aggravated damage at the human rate.

2: Regenerates 1 lethal level of damage per 10 minutes, one bashing level per minute, and heals aggravated damage in half the human time.

3: Regenerates 1 lethal level of damage per minute, one bashing level per turn, and heals aggravated damage in half the human time.

4: Regenerates 1 lethal or bashing level of damage per turn, and heals one aggravated level of damage per day.

5: Regenerates 1 lethal or bashing level of damage per turn, and heals one aggravated level of damage per 12 hours.

6: Regenerates 2 lethal or bashing levels of damage each turn, and heals 1 aggravated level of damage per 6 hours. 

Legacy causes strange mutations in cambions that can affect their minds or bodies. This could included a deformed bone structure, an unnatural repulsive appearance, inhuman behavior, or even strange ways of thinking. For each level of Legacy that a Cambion has, it receives a +1 difficulty penalty to a single attribute of the player's choice. This can be applied to a single attribute up to three times, though if it is applied to an attribute the third time, this attribute becomes zero and all rolls requiring the use of that attribute automatically fail. So, for example, a cambion with a Legacy of 5 could receive a +3 penalty to Appearance and it's Appearance becomes zero, representing the fact that it is a hideous monster. It could then take a +1 difficulty to Wits rolls because it occasionally hears whispers in its head that distract it and a +1 difficulty to Dexterity rolls represented a twisted spine that hinders a full range of movement. 

The above difficulty modifiers have one exception when it comes to social rolls. The penalties to social rolls become bonuses if that is a social roll to intimidate.  

Lifespan

The higher a cambion’s Legacy, the more slowly it ages and the longer it can be expected to live. 

0: 150 years

1: 200 years

2: 300 years

3: 500 years

4: 700 years

5: 1000 years

Mixed Blood Curs

These curs are mixed between two families. They get the special Legacy rules of neither family, though they do get access to the Maleficia of both families.

Mixed Blood curs may have a Legacy of 0-3. 

Curs lose one point of Urge each day as long as that day is relatively peaceful, relaxing, and uneventful.

Sklavi

Each point of Legacy gives the Sklavi 1 regeneration die. Each turn roll this number of dice and that is the number of lethal or bashing levels of damage that the Sklavi regenerates. Once an hour, these dice can be rolled to regenerate aggravated damage. This replaces standard Regeneration rates. Sklavi regenerate fire and faith damage at the rate of one health level per day. 

Sklavi all treat their Legacy as 1 point higher for attribute based difficulty penalties and one point of penalty must be assigned to each social attribute at least once.

All Sklavi automatically start with Cannibalism Dark Desire of 1. 

Sklavi must have a Legacy of at least 3 and it can go up to 5.

Sklavi weak blooded curs will have a Legacy of 1, the strongest Legacy of any weak blooded cur. This cur will have have all of the normal traits of a full blooded cambion, including the special powers of Sklavi - such as one regeneration die. They also must have 2 attribute difficulty penalties, but they don’t have to be used on social attributes. Sklavi curs are hunted by the entire family and the Sklavi who spawned one is slain as well. 

Sklavi eliminate Urge by consuming human flesh. Each adult human has enough flesh to reduce the Sklavi Urge by 5, though (assuming the human is alive and survives) each Urge lost must inflict at least 2 health levels of aggravated damage. Another way to eliminate Urge is to have sex with the Sklavi’s patriarch, which eliminates all of the Sklavi’s Urge. 

Amidas

An Amidas may only have a Legacy of 0, 1, or 2. Starting with a Legacy of 1 costs an Amidas 3 Freebie Points and a Legacy of 2 costs 7. 

Amidas reduce the difficulty of all Dark Desire rolls by 2. There is no distinction between Amidas curs and an Amidas with a Legacy of 0.

Amidas eliminate Urge per spending Willpower. Each point of Willpower spent eliminates 1 point of Urge.

The Amidas can soak damage from True Faith with Stamina at a difficulty of 9. 

Vesian

All Vesian regenerate as though their Legacy was one point higher than it actually is.

Vesian suffer half the normal penalty for being wounded, round down. So a wounded Vesian would suffer -1, while a crippled Vesian would suffer -2.  

The difficulty to resist all Dark Desires is increased by 1 for Vesian.

One way a Vesian can eliminate Urge through either wild sexual activity or torture. A full 24 hours of either activity will cause it to lose a point of Urge.

Ephrati

Ephrati receive a Legacy bonus to Dexterity instead of Strength.

Ephrati treat their Legacy as 1 point lower for the purposes of True Faith.

Ephrati eliminate their Urge through prayer and devotion. They must seclude themselves for one day, during which time they fast and pray. Any major activity breaks the tranquility and forces them to start over. At the end of the 24 hour period, they lose a point of Urge. 

Mordua

In the sunlight, the Mordua suffer a level of aggravated damage every turn for each point of Legacy, this damage can only be soaked with clothing: 1 die for minimal coverage like underwear, 2 dice for sparse covering like shorts and a t-shirt, 3 dice for normal attire, 4 dice for heavy clothing and coat, 5 dice for almost complete coverage with hat and sunglasses, and 6 dice for full body coverage including a mask. They also have +2 to all difficulties in sunlight.

Mordua cannot soak fire damage with Stamina.

Mordua are immune to cold and can see in absolute darkness.

Mordua curs suffer 1 level of lethal damage each turn in sunlight and they have +1 to all difficulties in sunlight. They can see in nearly absolute darkness and are immune to environmental cold and take half damage (which is never worse than bashing) from extreme cold attacks. 

The Mordua eliminate Urge by allowing themselves to sink into nothingness, which allows for the cleansing of their soul. To do this the Mordua goes to some dark secluded location and meditates until it disappears. The Mordua remains gone until it’s urge is reduced to zero, which takes one full day per point of Urge that it had. An alternative method is to slay a human or other sentient being, doing this causes the Mordua to lose a single point of Urge. 

Krann

Krann do not receive a Legacy bonus to Strength or Stamina beyond the base +1 to all physical attributes.

The Krann receive a +1 bonus to all intimidation rolls per point of Legacy. 

All Krann are completely immune to fear.

Krann curs have -2 difficulty to all rolls to resist fear. 

In order to cleans themselves of Urge, Krann must dream. They enter a state of deep sleep, during which time their minds dream and their souls float about experiences the worst nightmares of humanity. Each full day of such sleep causes the Krann to lose on point of Urge.

Ascania

Ascania are immune to flame and heat. They can also breath smoke without harm.

The difficulty of all True Faith rolls against Ascania is reduced by 2. 

Ascania gain reptilian scales from learning Goetia and gain one additional die of soak for each point of Goetia. At level 3 of Goetia or greater, they will not be able to pass for human. 

Ascania with a Legacy of 0 aren’t immune to heat and fire, but instead suffer only half (round down)  bashing damage from it. These Ascania to not develop scales from Goetia. Otherwise, Ascania curs are not mechanically distinguishable from Legacy 0 Ascania. 

Ascania eliminate Urge by satiating their Dark Desires. Each time an Ascania acts on a Dark Desire, it loses a point of Urge. Furthermore, engaging in a profane ritual, that lasts at least most of a day) that involves some terrible blasphemy or evil act (human sacrifice, raping a virgin, defiling a church, corrupting a child, etc.) eliminates one point of Urge as well. 

Ivorix

Ivorix do not suffer from their attribute difficulty penalties to social rolls with animals. 

All Ivorix receive -1 difficulty to all Perception rolls per point of Legacy. This benefit only applies within the country or wilderness areas. In an urban environment, this becomes an increase to Perception difficulties instead. 

Ivorix can eliminate Urge through engaging in rituals. Each night long ritual eliminates one point of Urge. Also, hunting a challenging animal or human prey, killing, and then devouring part of that prey also eliminates 1 Urge. 

Goetia

Goetia is the word the cambions use for their sorcery and witchcraft. These are dark rituals and spells which have been passed down through the generations, perhaps many originating from the demonic ancestors themselves. 

All cambions start with a Goetia of 0, though this can be increased through Freebie or Experience Points.

A Cambion’s level of Goetia determines the maximum level of Ritual or Path it may learn, neither of which can be above the Cambion’s Goetia score.  

For Goetia Paths and Rituals, use Thaumaturgy, Necromancy, Dark Thaumaturgy, or Sorcerer rules with Perdition replacing Blood Points. 

Urge

The use of certain dark powers gives a cambion Urge. Urge is a supernaturally strong desire to commit terrible acts. As Urge increases, the compulsion to do horrible things becomes so strong that eventually a cambion can no longer resist. Urge can only be eliminated in a few specific ways, all of which are based on a cambion’s family. The effects of accumulating Urge is described below under Dark Desires.  

When a cambion’s Maleficium or Goetia emulates (is modeled after) a vampire’s power such as a Discipline or Thaumaturgy Path, instead of expending Blood Points, the cambion instead gains that equivalent amount of Urge. 

Urge Reduction 

The way that a cabin can reduce it’s Urge (aside from going into Perdition, below) depends on the family of the cambion. 

Dark Desires

All cambions start with 3 points of Dark Desires. They can be spread across any of the following Dark Desires. When ever a temptation arises to indulge in one of these terrible acts, the cambion’s player must roll a number of dice equal to the soccer in that Dark Desire. A success means that the cambion succumbs to temptation. The more successes, the more completely the cambions falls to darkness. A cambion only needs to roll to resist Dark Desires that it has put points into.

If a cambion’s Urge score should ever rise above 10, the cambion is driven temporarily mad with the compulsion to act out on its higher Dark Desire and will begin an orgy of destruction that will last one hour per point of Urge over 10. Each hour of such madness reduces the cambion’s Urge by 1. This temporary madness is called Perdition. 

The difficulty of a Dark Desire roll is the cambion’s current number of Urge points, though particularly enticing temptations may decrease the difficulty. A single success will be enough to give into temptation if it is convenient to do so (a quicky with a sexual partner that has a room available) where is 5 successes makes the cambion ignore all other concerns (tearing off the clothes of your object of desire in front of a crowded party. 

When a cambion enters Perdition, it becomes abnormally powerful and experiences half wound penalties (rounded down) and -1 difficulty to all physically rolls. 

Lust

This is the desire for sex and sexual pleasure. While sexual preferences and fetishes vary, the basic drive is quite simple. Temptations include willing and attractive potential sexual partners. When a cambion enters Lust Perdition, it seeks out sexual congress with almost any target - human, adult, child, and even animal. It will seek out beautiful and willing partners, but neither condition is required. If a parent cannot be found, the cambion will masturbate for the duration of the perdition, causing it to take 1 level of bashing damage per hour. 

Cannibalism

This is the powerful desire to consume human flesh. Temptations include dead foes combined with a lack of witnesses. Cannibalism Perdition causes the cambion to attack any human in sight in order to kill it and devour his or her flesh. If the cambion cannot find suitable victims, it must devour it’s own flesh - suffering one level of aggravated damage per hour. 

Covetousness 

This is a strong desire for material possessions along with money. All cambions with with Dark Desire crave money, but they also long for other material possessions as well - some may like fancy cars, others jewelry, some are gun aficionados. The player and Storyteller should discuss some possessions which the cambion craves. There should be at least one additional category of items desired per point of Covetousness. Temptations would include bribes or offers of money, seeing money or valuable items that can be easily stolen. Covetousness Perdition causes the cambion to run amok stealing any item which it perceives to be valuable or that might strike its fancy. If unprotected valuables aren’t available, it will attack people in order to rob them. If no valuable property is available, the cambion will stuff its pockets with dirt, trash, or rocks.

Sadism

This the is desire to inflict pain and suffering on others. This doesn’t just have to be torture (though it often is) but it can also include bullying, ridicule, humiliation, or even causing damage which the cambion knows will cause emotional harm. Temptations include vulnerable victims which the cambion can inflict suffering upon. A vulnerable victim would include a captive which could be physically tortured, an ugly person who is very sensitive about their appearance and who could be insulted or ridiculed, a cat with a kitten (which the cambion could torture or kill), the list is nearly endless. For a cambion in a Sadism Perdition, psychological torture is seldom enough. The cambion will fall upon any vulnerable human or animal to capture it and them torture it in the most horrific way possible. If the cambion cannot find a suitable victim, it must inflict pain upon itself, taking one level of aggravated damage per hour. 

Narcissism

This Dark Desire causes the cambion to seek self aggrandizement when it it can. The cambion will tell stories of its own greatness, which usually includes lies and half truths to gain attention and accolades. That is only the half of it, the cambion will also seek to belittle and disparage anyone that it sees as a rival in in way, anyone who might have some advantage over the cambion will be an object of hatred. The temptation for this is ever present, all social situations are opportunities for the cambion to sing its own praises or disparage others. A Narcissism Perdition goes beyond merely bragging. The cambion will try to kill anyone it perceives as being superior to it or having some advantage that it does not.

Sloth

The cambion is lazy and hates to exert itself at all. All the world is a temptation to this cambion, for each strenuous task which the cambion may endeavor to undertake requires a Dark Desire roll and a success means that the cambion decides not to do that. Of course, if there is some pressing need the cambion might act anyway, unless it scores 5 or more successes, in which case it wont even run fight to defend itself. A Sloth Perdition causes the cambion to become catatonic for the full duration. 

Wrath

The cambion is burning with rage and when angered it will become violent with the source of it’s anger. Temptations include insults, slights, and any time it is wronged. Extreme frustration might also require a roll - such as the cambion’s computer crashing while it is writing an unsaved document. A successful Wrath roll causes the cambion to attack the source of its anger and fight until one of the two is destroyed. A Wrath Perdition is very straightforward, the cambions attacks anything in sight with the intent to kill it. If it cannot find a victim, it will attack itself, inflicting 1 lethal wound per hour. 

Cowardice

The cambion is fearful, especially of things which could cause it serious bodily harm or even kill it. Temptations include anything that the cambion perceives to be dangerous and falling to temptation would indicate that the cambions flees from the source of its fear or at least refuses to take actions that will put it into danger. A Cowardice Perdition means that the cambions runs screaming from anything - insects, children, passing traffic. Alternatively, the cambion may collapse into a catatonic state weeping or moaning in a fetal position until the Perdition subsides.