In Nomine Resonances And Attunements
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Choir and Band Resonances
Anything not discussed here is unchanged. Most of this is just an adaptation of the rules for "free will" from the Game Master's Guide, plus some errata from the Angelic Player's Guide.
Kyriotates
A kyriotate can only inhabit the body or vessel of someone willing, though see below for what that means. As such, there is no Will roll required to possess someone; either they're okay with it or they're not. Instead, the kyriotate may make a resonance (Perception) roll to determine who (among anyone he can see) would be a willing host or, if none of them would be, the direction and approximate distance to the nearest available host.
Kyriotates, upon first possessing a host, may make a resonance (Perception) roll to grasp at the most recent, strong memories. The GM may give a bonus for a particularly intense goal, such as "Drive my pregnant wife to the hospital in time." The check digit gives the relative detail: A check digit of 1 might yield a feeling that there was something family-related that the host intended to do, while a check digit of 6 could uncover that the host must pick up her child at the bus stop, because the child does not have a house key.
The GM will also make a secret resonance roll if the kyriotate is confronted with something that the host would have a strong emotional reaction to: family, enemies, a phobia, a drug the host is addicted to, etc. Perceptive kyriotates are very good at reading the cues of their hosts; the brief flashes of emotion that they get also give them something else to talk about with elohim.
So who counts as a willing host?
- PCs are willing only if their players say they are. The guidelines below apply exclusively to NPCs.
- Animals are always "willing," as they lack a higher sense of self.
- Humans who are unaware of the Symphony must be at least subconsciously willing to subvert their needs to Heaven's. This includes most genuinely religious people, anyone who regularly puts others before themselves, and most "good people." The GM shouldn't make the kyriotate's life difficult; even in a seedy strip club, a few people will have hearts of, if not gold, then at least silver.
- Soldiers, saints, sorcerers, undead and similarly aware humans or former humans have the ability to make a conscious decision. In most cases, the GM will know the answer; when in doubt, make a reaction roll toward the kyriotate.
- Demons are never willing unless the kyriotate has worked out some sort of deal with them. (This is why many kyriotates still learn the Song of Possession -- for stealing demonic vessels.)
- Angels are an interesting case. As for aware humans, this will always be a conscious decision. Obtaining their permission may require roleplaying and social skills.
Multiple Actions: If a kyriotate takes multiple actions on its turn, it is at a flat -1 to all rolls for each action past the first. For example, if a kyriotate inhabiting three wolves had all three attack a foe, the angel's attacks and defenses would be at -2.
Vessels: Some Archangels grant their kyriotates vessels. Being bound to a vessel requires the indefinite commitment of 5 Forces, regardless of whether the vessel is currently manifested.
Balseraphs
The lies of a balseraph cannot directly contradict clear evidence. This includes not only physical evidence ("That chair isn't actually here!") but also a person's awareness of their own beliefs, knowledge, and feelings. As such, a lie like, "You don't love your wife!" will fail dissonantly, as it clashes with the fact that the victim does indeed love his wife. Instead, the balseraph must target external, fuzzier topics; "Your wife has been cheating on you for years, and laughing behind your back about what a fool you are!" is perfectly valid as the victim has no immediately way to disprove it.
Habbalah
The habbalite has complete control over what emotions bubble up from within the victim, but no say over how those are expressed. A true pacifist may react to inner rage by trying to meditate it away, though such an unusual reaction should be very rare.
Lilim
Smart lilim secure an agreement before fulfilling their subject's needs. If the subject agrees (freely, without normal or celestial coersion) to owe an unspecified favor to the lilim in exchange for her help, he cannot resist the Geas when it comes due. She doesn't have to be explicit, as long as (A) the victim understands what problem she'll be taking care of and (B) the victim agrees that he'd be in her debt, nonspecifically. If he promises her something specific ("You get me my wife back, and I'll pay you $10,000"), he still has the right to resist unless the Geas she collects is "Give me $10,000."
If the victim does attempt to resist, because he never agreed to the Geas in the first place, it is not an opposed roll! The victim need only succeed at an unmodified Will roll, and even an unaware person will instinctively spend all of his Essence on the roll (usually for +1 to +3). However, if the Lilim is calling in a lesser Geas than the original Need she fulfilled, the victim takes a penalty equal to twice the difference.
Wherever an ability gives a bonus for the Lilim to "geas someone into (a particular act)," that actually applies a penalty to the victim's Will roll.
Shedim
A shedite must win a contest of Will to inhabit a new host. The check digit here only matters for this initial roll; it doesn't have any later effect. Once in, the shedite decides who's "in control" at any given moment, the demon or the host.
While the demon is in control, it can have the host do anything without needing a contest of Will. The host is aware of everything that's happening, but confused and unsure of why he's doing these things. After the shedite leaves, he'll feel like he wasn't himself during these times, though he's likely to suspect mental illness or being drugged instead of possession.
While the host is in control, the shedite pulls back to a subtle whisper and continues to control the host, but indirectly, winning a Contest of Will for every action it wants the host to commit. If the actions are a huge jump from those previously taken under the host's control, he gets a bonus (from +1 to +4 to both Will and the check digit), so it's to the demon's benefit to make these actions a gradual progression of evil. This is the time that feels "real" for the host, and it is the atrocities committed in this state that count toward the shedite's dissonance condition.
Every time the shedite puts the host in control, the host makes a Perception roll, at +1 for every day he's been possessed so far, and at a further bonus based on how outrageous the shedite's actions have been while the demon was in control: for the average person, getting into a fist fight might be +1 while blowing up a hospital might be +8! If this roll succeeds, the check digit is a bonus to the host's Will to resist the demon's urging. Taking the host out of control for hours equal to that check digit resets this, though the host gets to roll again once he's placed back in control.
The demon need only corrupt one person per day, regardless of how many hosts it possesses.
The Infernal Handshake: A shedite may pass from one host to another without causing a disturbance, but this requires solid physical contact for (total Forces) seconds, after which the shedite makes its resonance roll.
Impudites
An impudite cannot charm anyone who's actively hostile, only people who'd be otherwise susceptible to the use of social skills. In general, this doesn't rule out most victims; it just means that the impudite's resonance can't end a fight if the foes are targeting the demon for a good reason.
Specific Superior Attunements and Dissonance
Eli (Creation)
Servitors of Eli who are not on loan to another Archangel do have a weak dissonance condition: "Always encourage a human's creative expression, as long as isn't hurting others."
Gabriel (Fire)
A few choir attunements gain additional abilities:
Seraphim of Fire also know the temperature of anything in sight, even in the dark. This effectively gives them infravision.
The skin of betrayers burns at the touch of Cherubim of Fire. With a touch and a Will roll, such a person takes damage equal to the check digit every turn. This may be held for a number of turns equal to the cherub's Corporeal Forces. If the Will roll fails, the cherub takes the damage but can try again. This may only be done (successfully) once per person.
Elohim of Fire can extract someone's emotional pain, once per person per day, healing their pain (and mind hits equal to the angel's Celestial Forces). With a touch, they can return this pain to whomever caused it (no roll to resist).
Kyriotates of Fire can manifest as flame. This ties up 3 Forces. Their senses and speech works normally. They cannot actually burn anyone or anything, but they feel as hot as real fire and those engulfed may believe that they're being burned. (This ability is restricted.)
Mercurians of Fire can ignite the spark within a human. Their vessels have an extra +1 Appearance, and they add +1 to any skill roll to inspire or affect emotions in a human.
Note that the Smite attunement hits automatically, but can be dodged, and does damage equal to the angel's Celestial Forces times the Essence spent to power it.
Replace the Vassal of Fire description with: A Vassal of Fire may strengthen or reduce any normal fire anywhere in sight by the strength of thought alone. He can contain a fire within the area of effect, letting it burn out without spreading, or he can cause it to burn faster and leap higher. The fire may be made to spread or shrink at a rate of a yard per round, or leap upward to a height equal to its current radius. More detailed control isn't possible. This power persists as long as the angel concentrates on it, and can cover an area up to ten yards wide.
Janus (The Wind)
All but the smallest towns have multiple "locations," such as boroughs, suburbs, etc. His dissonance condition can be averted by enacting significant change to the local area; a neighborhood that tears down a factory to build a new park counts as a "new location" for this purpose.
Jordi (Animals)
In Jordi's write-up, only the second paragraph delineates his actual dissonance conditions. His servitors don't accrue dissonance if they (e.g.) stop for red lights while driving!
Andrealphus (Lust)
Andre's Lilim of Lust are his favorite Servitors. He asked for a full page in which to express their virtues, but it all boils down to, "If you ever get a chance with one, take it." Replace their listed band attunement with this: They add their Corporeal Forces to any seduction attempt, and having consensual sex with one automatically counts as that Lilim fulfilling a Need/2! (partially restricted)
Beleth (Nightmares)
Change her rites to: "Bring a person's nightmare to life"; "Spend two hours tormenting dreamers in Beleth's Marches"; and "Drive a person to suicide (2 Essence)."
Kobal (Dark Humor)
Kobal has two new servitor attunements.
Curse of Sarcasm: The demon spends one Essence and engages in a contest of Will with a target. If he wins, for a number of hours equal to the greater of the two check digits, everything the victim says sounds completely sarcastic. This is at least as amusing to use on balseraphs as on seraphim. There's not much point in using this on other servitors of Dark Humor, as they're probably being sarcastic anyway.
Rampant Hysteria: The demon makes fun of the target with a joke and spends one Essence. The target must succeed at a Will roll (celestials add their Celestial Forces) or collapse in floods of hysterical laughter for 1-6 minutes, depending on how funny and appropriate the GM and players found the joke. While afflicted, the victim must make a Will roll to attempt any action other than laughing; this can be hilarious when applied to, say, bus drivers. If the victim's Will roll failed with a check digit of 6, the laughter is contagious and may be re-applied to one extra listener who is within hearing range; if he fails with a check digit of 6, it may spread to another listener, and so on.
Saminga (Death)
To clarify, the Habbalah of Death can remote-control a corpse with a Will roll, up to 50 yards away. This is like a temporary zombi, which lasts as long as they concentrate on it. If and while they do anything other than concentrate on their puppet, the corpse's actions are at -4 to skill.
Valefor (Theft)
Same note as for Janus (above).
Vapula (Technology)
Only Impudites of Technology can be "Essence batteries," though the glasses are not restricted. The impudite can store additional essence equal to 1/3 his total Forces, rounded down. For example, a 7-Force Impudite could store 9 Essence, while a 9-Force one could store 12.
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