uppetry

Basic Abilities

Detect Possession: The wraith may tell if another wraith is currently Skinriding the target, or even if the target has been attuned for Puppetry.

System: The player rolls Perception + Puppetry. The difficulty is 7 to detect a current possession, 9 to perceive the intricate pattern of the Consort.

Skinride

Skinriding is the most basic art of possession. it is the capability to slip into a mortal's body, thereby joining with him for a brief ride. The wraith can exert no control with this art, and the host acts of his own free will. However, any more sophisticated Puppetry art requires the wraith first to Skinride the host.

System: In order to slip into a host's body, a wraith must roll Dexterity + Puppetry (difficulty of the subject's Willpower). The number of successes rolled determines how many successes another wraith must produce in order to supplant the first in that body.

Sudden Movement

A wraith using this this art may take fleeting control of her host body's arm or leg. Subtle use of this art can make a host manipulate an object in some way without realizing it.

System: The wraith must first Skinride the host, then roll Strength + Puppetry (difficulty of her host's Willpower). The victim may resist by rolling her Willpower. The more successes the wraith gets, the greater her control.

This art costs 1 Pathos per use. If the victim resists, the wraith also acquires 1 Angst.

Master's Voice

The wraith can briefly override his host's speech center, causing him to speak. The resulting voice is a strange blend of the wraith's and host's voices.

System: The player rolls Intelligence + Puppetry (difficulty of the target's Willpower). The wraith may speak for one breath per success.

Master's Voice costs 1 Pathos and gives the wraith 1 Angst.

Rein in the Mind

This art allows a wraith to possess someone without the host's knowledge. in most cases, this can only be done to a Consort. The hosts remains semiconscious, though passive, throughout the art's effect, and will regain control when the Puppeteer releases her. She will immediately try to rationalize her actions; failing, she may seek out therapy or mental health testing. Any pain the host feels feeds back to the Puppeteer as Corpus damage, however. Electroshock therapy is useful for driving out wraiths, but cannot keep them out forever.

System: The player rolls Manipulation + Puppetry (difficulty of the subject's Willpower or the local Shroud, whichever is higher). The art lasts for a number of scenes equal to the Puppeteer's successes. The host may spend a Willpower point to try to resist the possession. In this case, the host rolls Willpower versus the Puppeteer's Manipulation + Puppetry. Each success indicates one fewer scene that the wraith may remain in control.

This art costs 4 Pathos and bestows a point of temporary Angst.

Obliterate the Soul

After conditioning a Consort through extended use of Rein in the Mind, the Puppeteer may begin to live full-time within the mortal's body. The host's personality is devoured by the Puppeteer's Shadow. Whenever the wraith leaves a body thus possessed, it becomes catatonic, responding to nothing and taking no action of its own.

System: Once the wraith has conditioned a Consort (by using Rein in the Mind at least 10 times), the player may make an extended roll of Strength + Puppetry (difficulty of the target's Willpower or the local Shroud, whichever is greater). When the wraith totals enough successes to equal the host's Willpower, she succeeds. Botching at any point should have the gravest of effects on the Puppeteer; she may fall immediately into a Harrowing or gain enough Angst to allow her Shadow a Catharsis roll.

Two weeks after its original soul's removal, the host body will begin a slow process of decay. Before too long, it is useless. Therefore, most wraiths with this art use it only in the direst circumstances. This art is ineffective against supernatural beings, and can only be used once a month, on the new moon. If the first attempt to Obliterate the Soul gains no successes, the wraith must wait another month to try again. On the other hand, even one success on the initial roll will allow for followup attempts whenever the Puppeteer feels up to it.

This art costs 5 Pathos and 2 Willpower, and the wraith gains a number of Angst points equal to the host's original Willpower.