nhabit

Basic Abilities

Sense Gremlin: "Gremlin" is a slang term for wraiths who possess machines. A wraith may carefully examine an object with this ability, determining if any wraiths are currently in residence.

System: The player need obtain only one success on a Perception + Inhabit roll (difficulty 6) to determine whether or not a machine is Inhabited. More successes are useful for determining the Shellriding entity's nature (or numbers). With three or more successes, the wraith can even tell if a machine has been recently Inhabited.

Shellride: The wraith may slide his Corpus without harm into a machine or object, hiding there from other wraiths. He has no control over the object only remaining within until he chooses to leave.

System: The wraith rolls Dexterity + Inhabit to slip safely into an object. While there, he can be only detected by Sense Gremlin. However, if the host object is destroyed, the wraith immediately takes a Corpus Level of damage and is forced out. The number of successes on the initial roll determines how many successes are needed for a rival Shellrider also seeking shelter in the same object to force the first wraith out. Multiple wraiths can Shellride the same device, assuming it is large enough.

Surge

By passing his hand through an electronic device, the wraith may cause a temporary short, briefly cutting its power. This disruption of the electron flow can actually damages computers and other delicate instruments, especially those without surge protectors.

System: The player rolls Wits + Inhabit. The number of successes indicates the number of devices that can be shorted simultaneously.

Ride the Electron Highway

This art allows a wraith to slide into wires and transmit themselves across communication networks and computer satellites. This mode of travel, called the Electron Highway, is like riding a bullet train through tunnels, barriers and gateways of light. If the wraith can get past the tollbooths and barricades the represent computer security systems, the world opens up before her.

System: The player rolls Intelligence + Inhabit (difficulty 8). The more successes obtained, the further and faster the wraith can travel. This art costs a Pathos point, while failure gives the wraith a temporary Angst and may well strand her someplace unpleasant.

Grimlinize

The wraith may possess and control machines. True control comes only with attunement. Spur-of-the-moment Gremlinization allows only minor, clumsy effects, such as turning a machine on or off.

The wraith must spend 2 Pathos to Inhabit a machine, plus 1 Pathos per effect evoked.

System: No roll needed apparently.

Claim

The wraith may Shellride an object and possess it as her own body for a scene. Her sense are unaffected, save that they are spread out over the entire object she is Claiming. For example, a wraith Claiming a car can see, hear, and feel everything happening to it, within it and around it. She may exert some control over the host object while Claiming it.

System: The player rolls Strength + Inhabit. The number of successes determines the maximum size of the object that may be Claimed. She needs only one success to possess a book; five to Claim a house. A wraith may exert some control while inside (turning pages, locking windows, etc.); the exact extent of her control depends on whether or not she is attuned to the object and how many successes she scored on the roll above and beyond those needed to take control of the object.

If the object is destroyed while Claimed, the wraith may spend Willpower and Corpus to form it into a relic. One Willpower and one Corpus must be spent per success required to Claim it in the first place.

Claim costs 3 Pathos.

Empower

Wraiths with this art can create a form of inexpensive Artifact by places one of their Arcanos arts into a relic. Other wraiths thereby are able to use the art by activating the relic. The relic usually must be appropriate to the Arcanos involved; a calculator makes a far superior vessel for Usury than an umbrella, for instance.

System: First, the player rolls Wits + Inhabit. Like other Inhabit arts, the difficulty equals the local Shroud rating; most Artificers Empower relics in the safety of their Haunts. The number of successes indicates the highest level of Arcanos the wraith may invest.

Next, the wraith activates the appropriate Arcanos art while focusing on the relic. The wraith makes the roll and pays the appropriate cost, although no obvious effect results. If successful in this roll, the wraith imbues the relic with the Arcanos. Next, he fuels the relic with Pathos (up to as many as the number of successes on the Empower roll). He then chooses whatever command activates the relic (a phrase, gesture, whistled note, etc.), and seals it with three Pathos.

The result is a minor Artifact. Anyone who uses the activation command and spends the appropriate cost for the art (Pathos, Willpower or Angst gain) may use the Arcanos sealed within, expending one of the stored Pathos points, When the invested Pathos (excluding the three used to seal the relic) are expended, the relic becomes "normal" once again.

Example: Journeyman Christine Andreas wants to place the art of Imitate (she knows Moliate 2) into her relic of a hand mirror, allowing the owner to mimic a local Centurion's face. She travels to her Haunt and begins the Empower effort. Her player rolls Wits + Inhabit (eight dice for Christine) against a difficulty of 6 (the Shroud rating in her Haunt). She scores four successes, more than enough. She focuses her will, rolling Dexterity + Moliate (getting one success against difficulty 8) and spending one Pathos to activate Imitate. Next, she invests four Pathos to give the mirror four "charges." (She would have liked more, but only got four successes on her Empower roll.) She decides that the owner must whisper, "Mirror, mirror," to activate the relic, and seals it with three more Pathos points.

She passes the mirror to Dmitri. By whispering the command, Dmitri can roll his Dexterity + the mirror's Moliate 2, spend a Pathos point and assume the Centurion's appearance. He can do this only four times before the mirror's Pathos is expended and it becomes a normal relic once more.

Empowered items cannot be "recharged," only Empowered a second time. There is no known way to create a permanent Artifact with this art.

This art costs no additional Pathos, but 2 Willpower.