Numinous cycles

A concept in the French version, introduced in the second edition, that was never adapted to the US version was the rules for cycles basaltiques (“basaltic cycles”). Basaltic cycles were periods where a nephilim—then a KaIm—was embodied within an existing natural phenomenon or feature, as opposed to creating their own physicality. Pyrim inhabited within lava, lightning or fire; Eolim within clouds, fog or tornado; Hydrim within waves, foam or coral; Faerim within flora and fauna, sand or stone; Onirim within nightmares manifest, disease or reflection. They developed a greater understanding of the magic fields and became more sensitive to the element of their habitat, as well as to its opponents and to their base natures.

To summarize the 2e rules: at character creation the player picks if the character was a basaltic and then applies up to 5 basaltic cycles, choosing the element of each cycle. Each cycle applies a +5% bonus to the First Circle Sorcery skill base chance and a +1 bonus to resisting harm from manifestations of the element concerned, in exchange for a -1 penalty to resisting harm from manifestations of the two opposing elements and a persistent +1 bonus to Khaiba gains. All modifiers are cumulative. (I have no clue how the rules changed for 3e and beyond.)

For random generation: nephilim have a 30% chance to be basaltic. Basaltic nephilim have a 20% chance of 1d2 cycles and an 80% chance of 1d3+2 cycles. Roll 1d5 on the “Dominant Field Table” (Nephilim rulebook p132) to determine that cycle’s dominant element, once for each cycle acquired.

If I wanted to adapt this, then I’d probably ditch the vague physical sensitivities and apply the modifiers to Ka rolls or something along those lines. Altho I leave it up to GMs. 

I’d also change the name, too. I don’t know why the name “basaltic cycle” was used, since basalt (the substance) is just one of the many possible habitats in a given cycle. In real life, a basaltic cycle refers to the cycle of basaltic rock changes over geological time. The French writers probably wanted to give those connotations, if the etymology isn’t more esoteric. To match the US version I’d adapt this to “azoic cycles”, “chthonic cycles,” “numinous cycles,” “primordial cycles,” “rustic cycles,” “spiritual cycles” (apparently a synonymous phrase in the French), or something to that effect. Maybe all of these? I particularly like “chthonic cycle” because it has connotations of ancient earthiness (like basalt!), Ancient Greek underworld deities and the closely related agricultural deities who were often deities of mystery cults too.

I’d offer two options for when and how a nephilim underwent a numinous cycle:
  1. The nephilim’s zeroth past life was a KaIm, prior to their first human incarnation. As a KaIm, the character underwent one or more numinous cycles. KaIm could cycle freely while bodiless spirits, but were trapped in physical form after the Fall and thus could no longer cycle. This option is only available with GM permission, as some might prefer to keep KaIm as NPCs, extinct, or never existing!
  2. For those nephilim spirits born after the Fall, they are too unstable to survive outside their birthing nexus and binding to a stasis prevents cycling. Instead, their numinous cycle was inherited from a deceased KaIm whose Ka-elements returned to the magic fields for rebirth… or from one or more elemental creatures (see Nephilim rulebook p15, 220, Gamemaster’s Companion p44).

Hope you enjoy!

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