Base Abilities

After surviving the First Death, a Dead Man gains the following benefits, automatically:

Awareness

You can sense the emotional states of all living creatures within 10 feet of you. A Dead Man with more Levels in Afterlife Skills than you can choose to conceal his or her emotional states from you. Likewise, you may conceal your emotional states from those that use this ability to sense your emotional states if you have more Levels in Afterlife Skills than him or her.

Knowledge

You may advance up to two Physique, Intellect, or Charisma Skills up to Level 7.

After the second such Skill is advanced to Level 7, this ability no longer applies to additional Skills.

Immunity

You cannot contract or do not suffer from any disease or illness and you cease aging. If you have any disease or illness, it is cured. Additionally, any time you must make a Skill roll to reduce drugs, alcohol, or another intoxicant, add +1 success to your roll result.

Derangement

Surviving the First Death

After surviving the First Death, a Dead Man is afflicted with a Derangement.

Roll 1D and compare the numerical result to the following table to determine which Derangement you receive:

Roll Result	Derangement
1	Addiction
2	Hysteria
3	Melancholy
4	Nightmares
5	Phobia
6	Wrath

Addiction

You have a single addictive obsession (drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, etc.).

You must engage in this activity or substance once per day. If you do not, you suffer from a -1D penalty to all Skill rolls.

Second Degree: You must engage in the activity or substance at least three times per day or suffer a -1D penalty to all Skill rolls, instead.

Third Degree: Additionally, you cannot use Action Points to enhance Skill rolls or reduce damage in any scene in which you did not partake of the activity or substance in the same scene or the scene directly preceding the current one.

Hysteria

At the start of each game session, roll 1D.

If the result is 1, you suffer from a hysterical episode that begins sometime during the game session, at the gamemaster’s discretion. Hysterical episodes are typically brought about after facing some kind of setback, failure, or hardship.

While suffering from the hysterical episode, which lasts from the onset until the end of the game session, you cannot spend Action Points to enhance Skill roll results.

Second Degree: Additionally, you cannot take any Full Actions, only Free Actions or Partial Actions. In effect, your hysteria does not allow you to concentrate. You cannot read, write, craft, mend, or do any other activity that requires concentration or poise.

Third Degree: Your Intellect and Charisma Skill rolls suffer a -1D penalty.

Melancholy

You cannot spend more than 1 Action Point to enhance the roll result of any Skill and you cannot spend more than 2 Action Points to reduce damage you sustain from any one instance of damage.

Second Degree: Additionally, each time you would spend 1 Action Point to enhance the result of a Skill roll, do not add 1 success automatically, but instead, add 1D to that Skill roll.

Third Degree: Additionally, all Advancements at the end of this game session (increase Skill Levels, acquire new Talents, purchase Action Points, etc.) cost you 2 additional Action Points each.

Nightmares

At the start of each game session, roll 1D.

If the result is 1 or 2, you suffer from haunting nightmares related to your First Death during the remainder of the game session.

After you sleep for the first time during the game session, you gain 1 Fatigue and 1 Fear point, which do not recover the rest of the session.

Second Degree: Additionally,

Third Degree: Additionally,

Phobia

You suffer from 1 point of Fear damage which never heals.

Second Degree: Mark the Command, Pilot, Ride/Team, Survival, Warfare, and Willpower Skills on your character sheet with a dagger (†). You suffer a -1D penalty to all Skill rolls made with these Skills.

Third Degree: At the start of any Combat Encounter, you must spend 2 Action Points or flee immediately; if you flee, you continue to run or hide from the conflict until it is over. During this flight, you cannot take any action other than to run or hide.

Wrath

At the start of each game session, roll 1D.

If the result is 1, you suffer from a wrathful episode that begins sometime during the game session, at the gamemaster’s discretion. Wrathful episodes are typically brought about after facing some kind of setback, failure, hardship, or challenge to your authority, power, or safety.

While suffering from the wrathful episode, which lasts from the onset until the end of the game session, you gain a +1D bonus to all Melee Skill rolls you make, but in any scene where you do not make a Melee Skill roll and cause harm to a living creature (including yourself), you lose 1 Action Point.

Second Degree: Additionally, your Intellect and Charisma Skill rolls suffer a -1D penalty.

Third Degree: The penalties you suffer from Fatigue and Fear damage are reduced by 1D (to a minimum of 0D), but the penalties you suffer from Wound damage are increased by 1D.

Advancing Through the Afterlife

Each time you advance an Afterlife Skill, roll 3D.

If the numerical result of this roll is less than the total Skill Levels in After Life Skills you possess, you advance your Derangement by one degree.

If your Derangement is at its maximum degree, you roll again on the Derangement Table, above, and gain a new Derangement and continue to advance that Derangement each time you must do so, etc.

The Afterlife Skills

Dead Men can hone three Afterlife Skills:

Expression

This Skill represents the Dead Man’s changing expressive capabilities. Dead Men are able to exude incredible charm and incredible horror that rises from the depths of their dead soul. The paths that Dead Men take along the Powers of Expression are believed to correlate to their faction (apocalyptist or absolutionist).

Might

This Skill represents the Dead Man’s increasingly powerful body. Freed from the chains of the First Life, a Dead Man can unleash amazing feats of strength and bodily power. Dead Men are deadly foes in battle, and this fact, despite first impressions, keeps their communal society more peaceful. Dead Men are wary of one another’s strength, and turn to diplomacy to resolve disputes, for fear of unleashes one another’s ferocity.

Will

This Skill represents the Dead Man’s iron willpower and mental strength. After suffering the horrors of the First Death, Dead Men begin to live a life of greater poise and mental clarity (though, of course, still plagued at times by their Derangements). Dead Men are often more patient, savvy, and disciplined than those of the First Life.

 

Upon character creation, Skill Levels can be allocated to these Skills just like any other (like Physique, Intellect, and Charisma Skills). The maximum starting Level for any Skill, including Afterlife Skills, is 4).

Afterlife Skills may be advanced with Experience Points, just like any other Skill.

Afterlife Powers

Dead Men attain new Powers based on the Level of their Afterlife Skills.

When a Dead Man reaches the required Level, he or she simply gains access to these Powers.

Example: Arna advances his Might Level to 1. He immediately gains access to the Strength Power (which requires Might 1). Later, Arna advances his Might Level to 2, and then 3. Upon reaching Might 3, he immediately gains access to the Ferocity Power (which requires Might 3).

Some Powers require more than one Afterlife Skill. For these Powers, both Skills must be at the requisite Level to gain access to them.

Example: Arna has Might 2 and Will 2. He gains access to the Resistance Power (which requires both Might and Will 2). Later, through advancement, his Might and Will Skills both reach Level 4. He then gains access to the Quickness Power (which requires both Might and Will 4).

Expression Powers

Level 1: Beauty/Dread

Choose either “Beauty” or “Dread”.

If you chose Beauty, your character has an uncannily attractive appearance. You may add your Expression Skill to your Persuasion Skill when dealing with the those in the First Life.

If you chose Dread, your character has an uncannily stern or frightening appearance. You may add your Expression Skill to your Command Skill when dealing with those in the First Life.

At Expression Level 4: The first Action Point you use to enhance one of your Charisma Group Skills each turn is free (you do not pay the Action Point).

Level 3: Inspire/Terror

Choose either “Inspire” or “Terror”.

Inspire allows you to use five minutes to make a rousing speech or performance for all onlookers. At the end of this five-minute performance, each onlooker receives 3 Inspiration Points. An onlooker may use 1 Inspiration Point to enhance the result of a Skill roll or reduce damage, just like an Action Point. These points cannot be used to pay for Afterlife Powers. Any unused Inspiration Points disappear at the end of the game session.

Terror allows you to use a Full Action during which you unleash a deafening, horrendous shout or cry and to onlookers, you appear terrifying. All those that hear or see you that have a lower Will Skill Level than your Expression Skill Level sustain 2 Fear damage.

You may use Inspire or Terror once per game session.

At Expression Level 6: If you have Inspire, increase the number of Inspiration Points each subject gains to 5, instead. If you have Terror, affected onlookers sustain 3 Fear damage and 1 Fatigue damage, instead.

Level 5: Grace/Depravity

Choose either “Grace” or “Depravity”.

Grace allows you to treat all your Derangements as if they were at their first degree (if any are at higher degrees) and to roll 2D for the Hysteria, Nightmares, and Wrath Derangements and choose one of the two dice rolled to determine if that Derangement affects you that game session. You can no longer gain new Derangements.

Depravity allows you to gain Depravity Points for your Derangements. At the start of each game session in which you will be affected by the Hysteria, Nightmares, or Wrath Derangements, you gain 2 Depravity points for each one you are affected by. At the start of each game session in which you have a second- or third-degree Derangement, you gain 1 Depravity Point for each one (whether or not it afflicts you at that time). During the game session, you may spend Depravity Points to enhance the result of Skill rolls or to reduce damage, just like you would Action Points. You cannot use these points to pay for Afterlife Powers. Any unused Depravity Points disappear at the end of the game session.

Might Powers

Level 1: Strength

Your incredible strength allows you to life, push, pull, and throw heavy objects based on your Athletics Skill rolls:

Roll Result	Lift	Push/Pull	Throw
1	100lb	200lb	50lb
2	200lb	400lb	100lb
3	300lb	600lb	150lb
4	400lb	800lb	200lb
5	500lb	1,000lb	250lb
6	600lb	1,200lb	300lb
etc.	etc.	etc.	etc.

Thrown objects can be thrown up three yards per your Athletics Skill Level.

Additionally, you can jump incredible distances based on your Athletics Skill rolls:

Roll Result	Horizontal Jump	Vertical Jump
1	2yd	1yd
2	4yd	2yd
3	6yd	3yd
4	8yd	4yd
5	10yd	5yd
etc.	etc.	etc.

If you make a jump with a running start (at least 3 yards), increase these distances by 25%.

At Might Level 4: Add your Might Skill to your Athletics Skill when making Athletics Skill rolls. When you throw objects, add your Might Skill and Athletics Skill Levels together to determine the distance the object can be thrown.

Level 3: Ferocity

You may enter a “fierce” state by using a Free Action by using 1 Action Point.

While in a “fierce” state, you gain the following benefits:

• +1D bonus to Melee Skill rolls;
• +1 Parry; and
• Reduce Fatigue, Wound, and Fear penalties by 1D.

While in a “fierce” state, you cannot make any Intellect or Charisma Group Skill rolls.

The “fierce” state lasts until the end of the scene during which it is entered.

At Might Level 6: Increase the bonus to your Melee Skill rolls to +2D, your Parry to +2, and reduce your penalties from Fatigue, Wounds, and Fear by 2D instead.

Level 5: Celerity

Once per round, you may make take a Celerity Action.

A Celerity Action counts as a Partial Action, but any Skill roll made using that Action suffers a -1D penalty and any movement with that Action allows you to move only 50% as far as normal.

Will Powers

Level 2: Focus

You may use a Full Action to “focus” one of your five senses.

While “focused”, you can pick up subtleties that other creatures find impossible: the sound of moving insects, the individual fibers in a silk garment, the mineral touch of iron in a rock, etc. Additionally, in this state, you may add your Will Skill to your Perception Skill when making Perception Skill rolls.

While “focused”, you are numb to all other senses and cannot take any other actions. You may stay “focused” as long as you wish, ending the “focus” as a Free Action at the end of any of your turns. While “focused” you may change which sense is focused as a Free Action at the end of any of your turns, staying “focused” but enhancing a different sense and numbing all others.

At Will Level 4: You may “focus” any (or all) your senses simultaneously. While doing so, you are no longer numb to other senses, unless you choose to be.

Level 3: Insight

You can glean the thoughts of those nearby you.

This Power works against any living being within 3 yards of you. If your Will Skill Level is greater than a living creature’s Will Skill Level within range, you know that creature’s Will Skill Level, you can read that creature’s thoughts.

Reading the thoughts of other creatures requires a Full Action, and during that Full Action, you receive approximately 3 to 6 seconds of one creature’s inner thoughts, including sounds, images, and its inner dialogue, in addition to its emotional states.

At Will Level 6: With a Full Round’s concentration, you can sense the emotions and thoughts of any creature you know personally (you must have met the creature at least once, and shaken hands, hugged, or kissed, etc.). You can continue to sense this creature’s thoughts and emotions by maintaining concentration, during which you are numb to all other senses. A target of this Power may choose to conceal its thoughts and emotions if it has a higher Will Level than you.

Level 5: Prescience

You can see the present, know the past, and glean the future.

You may use 1 Action Point and spend one hour in a mediative trance. During this trance, you must query a single subject (a currently living or deceased creature) and concentrate on a single time, place, or event that has transpired or may transpire.

Examples include:

• “I wish to see the time when Kero found the dead Narmian near the northern steppes.” (A past query)
• “I wish to see Kero, now.” (A present query)
• “I wish to see the outcome of Kero’s sojourn to the city of Braska.” (A future query)

To query a subject, you must either know that subject intimately (have shaken hands, kissed, or some other gesture that joins your bodies), or else have a personal object of that subject in hand while you use this Power (a hair comb, a piece of clothing, a weapon, etc.).

At the end of the hour’s meditation, the gamemaster describes the vision you receive about the queried event or subject. If querying the future, the vision describes the outcome of the subject or event, given the way that events are currently unfolding. If querying the past, the vision describes what transpired. The vision is always given from the point of view of the chosen subject, including its senses, thoughts, and emotions. Visions typically last for 1 to 5 minutes, during which time you are numb to all other senses and cannot take other actions.

You may query up to 5 years into the future per Will Skill Level or up to 10 years in the past per Will Skill Level.

Expression & Might Powers

Level 2: Trace

By touching any inanimate object and concentrating for one minute, you receive glimpses of that object’s history: its creation and creator, its whereabouts, its uses, etc. up to the present time. You also know who made it and where that person is (or is buried) and you where any person is (or is buried) that even touched or used the object in its history. During this period of concentration, you are numb to all other senses.

If a subject of this Power has a higher Will Level than your Expression Level, it may choose to conceal itself from you, in which case you only detect that subject as a shadow in your visions and do not know where it is or if it is alive or dead.

Level 4: Destruction

By using a Full Action and spending 2 Action Points, you may make an “destructive” Melee or Ranged Skill roll.

To make an “destructive” Melee or Ranged Skill roll, roll add your Expression Skill Level to the Melee or Ranged Skill Level.

Level 6: Dominate

You may use one minute and 2 Action Points to temporarily put other beings under thrall.

You must spend one minute speaking directly to others, convincing or threatening them to obey your orders. At the end of this one minute, make a combined roll using both your Command and Expression Skills together. Each subject makes an opposed combined Willpower and Will Skill roll.

If your roll scores 2 or more success above any subject’s roll, that subject is “dominated”.

A dominated subject follows your every command, so long as the command does not cause harm to itself, until the end of the game session, after which point an affected subject returns to normal.

You may attempt this Power only once per game session.

Might & Will Powers

Level 2: Resistance

When you spend an Action Point to reduce damage you sustain, reduce 2 points of damage (instead of 1) for each Action Point spent.

Level 4: Quickness

Once per round, you may take a Quickness Action.

A Quickness Action counts as a Partial Action, but any Skill roll made using that Action suffers a -1D penalty and any movement with that Action allows you to move only 50% as far as normal.

Level 6: Regenerate

You may heal impossible wounds or regrow lost limbs.

You may spend one day in a trance and spend 2 Action Points to recover all Fatigue, Wounds, and Fear.

You may also spend one day in a trance and 1 Action Point to regrow a finger or toe, three days and 2 Action Points to regrow a hand or foot, six days and 4 Action Points to regrow an arm, or nine days and 6 Action Points to regrow a leg.

During the trance you are numb to all senses and cannot take any actions.

You may use this ability once per game session.

Will & Expression Powers

Level 2: Obscurity

You may add your Will Skill Level to your Stealth Skill rolls.

Additionally, you may use 1 Action Point to make a Stealth Skill roll even if you are being directly witnessed by others (if you succeed, you seem to “disappear” from others’ point of view).

Level 4: Succor

You may heal another’s Fatigue, Wounds, or Fear.

Healing Fatigue or Fear requires you to touch another living subject for one minute and spend 1 Action Point. At the end of that one minute, the subject recovers all Fatigue or all Fear (your choice).

Healing Wounds requires you to touch another living subject for one hour and spend 2 Action Points. At the end of that one hour, the subject recovers all Wounds.

During the time you concentrate on this Power you are numb to all senses.

You may use this Power twice per game session.

Level 6: Third Life

Whenever you die, you live instead, remaining at the lowest Wound Level before death.

Whatever the cause of death would have been (an arrow, a broken limb, a bleeding cut, a poison) no longer afflicts you, but you can be killed thereafter normally.

Each time this Power is used, roll 1D: on the result of a 1, mark the title of this Power with an “X” on your character sheet. If this Power is marked with an “X” on your character sheet, it cannot be used ever again.

This Power cannot allow you to roll and, thus survive, a death caused by an event that wouldn’t allow you to continue living. For example, this Power could not allow you to survive beheading.