My revised rules for Assuaging

These are my house rules for Selenim Assuaging, inspired by the French 1e–3e and incorporating the Selenim’s Metamorphosis Traits. The format is derived from Ian’s character creation rules. I consider Assuaging to be a form of Raw Magic (see my post on Raw Magic for details), but a couple of spells are presented that play into it.

Assuaging

These are the basic rules for draining Solar-Ka from mortals.

STEP 1: The Selenim must find a mortal to Assuage, the more emotional the better and preferably exhibiting an emotion she shares in her Metamorphosis. The GM should assign the mortal’s current emotional state an Intensity POT ranging from 0–7 (to determine randomly roll 1d8−1). 

Examples of Intensity POT:

• 0: Comatose.
• 1–2: Watching a b-movie. Deep sleep.
• 3: Amorous. Dreaming sleep.
• 4–5: Won the lottery.
• 5–7: Fundamentalist witnessing a miracle.
• See the table “The Analogical Charge” from my post on recharging ch’awe Ar-Kaïm-style for further examples.

STEP 1A: The Selenim may attempt to influence the victim’s emotional state toward a preferred emotion or higher intensity with a Persuasion roll (remember that Selenim have Meta-Charisma based on their Core’s adjustment) or other effort, applying a bonus equal to the corresponding Emotional Trait×1%.

STEP 2: The Selenim must be able to see her victim and be within range of her Ka-vision, as with Casual Magic (maximum range is Core×5 in meters). Beyond a distance of 5 meters between her and the victim, she suffers a penalty to her Assuaging roll equal to the distance in meters×1%.

STEP 3: The Selenim contests her Dominant Ka (=Black Moon Core) against the victim’s Solar-Ka on the Resistance Table. She receives a bonus equal to her rating in the corresponding Emotional Trait×1%. If the victim is a complete stranger, then she suffers a −20% penalty. 

STEP 3A: If the victim is aware and willing, such as an Initiate of the Cultes des Goules partaking in a black mass, then the Selenim rolls without adjusting for resistance or automatically succeeds at the GM’s discretion.

Effects: The following are the results for different degrees of success on the Assuaging roll.

SUCCESS: The Selenim drains Solar-Ka equal to the Intensity POT.

CRITICAL SUCCESS: The Selenim drains Solar-Ka equal to the Intensity POT+1d6.

FAILURE: Nothing happens.

FUMBLE: The Selenim transfers black moon points, equal to the Intensity POT, to the victim.

OPTIONAL STEPS 1–3: A Selenim may attempt to Assuage multiple victims at once, under the same parameters outlined above, so as long as the group shares the same emotion simultaneously. The Selenim only contests the highest Solar-Ka among the group. The Solar-Ka drain (or black moon point transfer) is increased by +1d6 and spread across the group as evenly as possible.

Assuaging cannot reduce a victim’s Solar-Ka below 1. The Solar-Ka drained is converted into black moon points on a 1:1 basis and added to the Selenim’s Pool. The Selenim’s Pool cannot exceed her Core×2: any excess points are transferred to the victim. See below for details.

Complications & limitations 

BLACK MOON POOL: Selenim characters replace their Ch’awe with Black Moon Pool. Maximum Pool is equal to Core×2.

DOWSING EMOTIONS: A benefit of the Selenim’s Black Moon Ka-vision is that it allows her to distinguish emotions within Solar-Ka. She may cast a Black Moon version of the Perceive Aura spell (see Liber Ka p44) using Casual Magic, but only to read emotions in Solar-Ka. The Selenim may cast this spell while using Tenebrae (aka Ka-audition) instead to perceive emotions as music rather than colors. The Selenim sees/hears her preferred emotions with greater clarity.

DREAMERS & DRUGGIES: Dreamers and drug-users provide a ready source of Solar-Ka for Selenim. Selenim may cast a Black Moon version of the Dream Sending spell (see Liber Ka p72) using Casual Magic, but only to influence the dreams or hallucinations of a sleeping or drugged target within range of her Assuaging. Selenim typically use this spell to induce one of their preferred emotions before Assuaging, applying a bonus equal to the corresponding Emotional Trait×1% on the Casual Magic roll for this purpose.

REPEATED ASSUAGING: Regardless of the result of the Assuaging roll, the Selenim may not attempt to Assuage the same victim more than once per astrological day. If the victim is already suffering Solar-Ka loss, then the Selenim may not attempt to Assuage him until his Solar-Ka is fully recovered.

SOLAR-KA RECOVERY: Assuaging cannot drain more Solar-Ka than that possessed by the victim and cannot reduce the victim’s Solar-Ka below 1. Lost Solar-Ka naturally regenerates by +1 at the start of every astrological Sunday (i.e. sunrise on Sunday). At the GM’s discretion this recovery rate applies to any drain: such as that inflicted by Temperance spells (see Major Arcana p107), offensive black summonings like Ebon Eels (see Serpent Moon p14), or being unwillingly sacrificed to awaken Orichalc (see Secret Societies p39).

SOLAR-KA SACRIFICE: If Solar-Ka is freely offered to a Selenim through through a blood sacrifice, similarly to awakening Orichalc, then the Selenim automatically absorbs the offering without making an Assuaging roll and recovers an equal amount of black moon points. If the worshiper offering the sacrifice is bleeding an unwilling victim, then the worshiper must win a SK vs SK contest against the victim first. This is the reason why human sacrifice was so common among the Cults of the Selenim, when faith alone would suffice for Assuaging. A Selenim in hibernation may be wakened prematurely by this sacrifice (see Serpent Moon p100).

ACCIDENTAL CONTAMINATION: If the Selenim fumbles or exceeds her pool during Assuaging, then black moon points are transferred to the victim. The victim’s black moon pool cannot exceed his Solar-Ka: any excess points vanish into nothing. The black moon points displace the victim’s Ch’awe on a 1:1 basis. These points cannot be spent by the victim but naturally vanish at a rate of 1d4/year. This contamination has various mostly unpleasant side effects, which will be explored in a later post. 

DELIBERATE CONTAMINATION: Selenim cannot deliberately transfer black moon points without a spell designed for this purpose. This is a Necromancy spell titled Create Living Dead (or Malediction of Lilith).

DELIBERATELY FATAL DRAIN: As explained above, Selenim cannot normally Assuage a victim already suffering Solar-Ka loss nor Assuage a victim to the point of death. A Necromancy spell exists to overcome this limitation titled Rapacious Assuaging. However, this spell has its own limitations and dangers. The victim’s Solar-Ka “flares” as a defense mechanism to resist further Assuaging, causing a mental illness resembling schizophrenia. Every subsequent Assuaging of a recovering victim only ever drains 1 Solar-Ka, no matter the degree of success. Furthermore, the Selenim will unintentionally steal skills from the victim (use the rules for Nephilim stealing skills from past life simulacra) and be haunted by flashes of the victim’s desires and memories. Left unchecked, the Selenim’s identity will deteriorate into extreme dementia due to the confusion caused by so many stolen memories.

ENTROPY: Unless they’re in a sufficiently powerful Black Lunar Plexus, Agarthan Nexus, hibernating, etc., then Selenim automatically lose 1d3 points from their Black Moon Pool once every lunar month—specifically at midnight on the night of the full moon. [If this is too much or too trivial bookkeeping, then the GM is free to ignore it.]

KHAIBA: A Selenim accumulates Khaiba Totals upon magical fumbles similarly to Nephilim. Additionally, a Selenim gains +1 Khaiba point and makes one Khaiba roll per hour that their Black Moon Pool is 0. A Selenim that enters Khaiba becomes a nightmarish elemental beast that thinks of nothing more than Assuaging mortals. The form is always etherealism. It is automatically able to read emotional auras and manipulate dreams in pursuit of Assuaging (see above). [This isn’t how it worked in the French, but this is a quick & dirty solution until I write proper Entropy rules.]

ASSUAGING IMMORTALS: Selenim cannot Assuage other Immortals (Nephilim, Selenim and Ar-Kaïm) because of the interference caused by their other Ka-elements, similar to how it’s infeasible to Assuage multiple people experiencing different emotions. Attempts to do so simply end in failure or, worse, contaminate Nephilim targets with a Black Moon POT (thus contributing to the erroneous belief that simply fraternizing with Selenim will turn you into one, resulting in them being treated like lepers). Attempting to Assuage an Immortal suffering a fit of Shouit may jolt them out of it, but the exact rules are left up to the GM. The Selenim may cast spells to transfer black moon points among each other, however.

ASSUAGING GHOSTS: Selenim cannot Assuage the spirits of the dead. While still drawn together by the “Libido–Destrudo Complex”, the Solar-Ka Residue simply doesn’t react with Black Moon-Ka the same way. Ghosts may be manipulated extensively with Necromancy and their natural evaporation forms part of the Tenebrae, but their Residue cannot be absorbed and refracted into useful Black Moon-Ka. Necromancers and conjurers are researching spells to overcome this limitation, but all attempts thus far have only resulted in the Solar-Ka dispersing uselessly into the Tenebrae. (Dead souls can, like elemental beasts, attempt to siphon Solar-Ka from other dead souls! Such “predatory” spirits are considered extremely dangerous by necromancers and normally destroyed whenever discovered.)

ASSUAGING BLACK SUMMONINGS: Selenim cannot Assuage black summonings because there simply isn’t any “Libido–Destrudo Complex” to exploit, but like other elemental beasts any sufficiently powerful black summonings may attempt to siphon Black Moon-Ka from Selenim (see my upcoming post on elemental predators for details). Hypothetically there may be spells for Selenim to drain Ka from black elementals, but in practice conjurers will summon spirits that harvest Solar-Ka or concentrate Black Moon-Ka on their behalf.

Alternative & Optional Rules

CH’AWE POOL: Selenim have a normal Ch’awe Pool equal to CON+their Core’s meta-modifier, but don’t regenerate it passively like other characters. Since they drain points from others, then they may store twice this amount as per BRP norms.

CH’AWE DRAIN: Instead of draining the Solar-Ka Characteristic, Selenim drain Ch’awe points instead. They may reduce Ch’awe to 0, causing the victim to become fatigued or fall unconscious. Advanced spells allow for direct SK drain and death. Selenim automatically lose 1 point from their own Pool every midnight, doubled on the night of the full moon or new moon. [This is adapted from the French 3e, where the rate of SK regeneration was 1 point/hour and the rate of BMK loss was 1 point/day.]

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Hope you enjoy!