The Game

Player Goal

Players aim to advance their PCs through their cult’s ranks. Treasure is not a goal in itself, but only a tool. Having favours to collect, allies and knowing secrets is worth more than money.

Game Flow

Players elect one of their PCs (if they have more than one). Inactive PCs are in day-to-day Cult duties.

Play moves freely between planning, action, and consequences, all woven naturally. Characters move through the world following their agendas, duties, and impulses. Some actions happen quickly - Montages of daily life, intrigue, and preparation - while others are Focused Scenes.

Montages

Players state what their characters pursue, openly or privately, and the GM resolves outcomes through narration, negotiation and dice when needed.

Focused Scenes

Whenever an action becomes tense, risky, or emotionally charged, the table shifts into specific actions - blow by blow if needed.

Progression

After each session, the group checks whether the consequences are significant enough to shift a character’s Skills.

Climbing ranks within a Cult depends on reaching specific Skills, but those thresholds are met only through the flow of play: through what characters attempt, what they survive, and what they sacrifice.

Rules

Play

Players describe what they do. The GM advises when their action is impossible, demands a cost or extra steps, or presents a risk. Players can revise their plans before committing to a change in goals or stakes. Only roll to avoid risk.

Rolling

Roll a skill die — d6 by default, higher with a relevant skill, or d4 if hindered by injury or circumstances. If helped by circumstances, roll an extra d6; if aided by an ally, they roll their skill die and share the risk. Take the highest die.


1-2	Disaster. Suffer the full risk. GM decides if you succeed at all. If you risk death, you die.
3-4	Setback. A lesser consequence or partial success. If you risk death, you’re injured.
5+	Success. The higher the roll, the better.

If success can’t get you what you want (you make the shot, but it’s bulletproof!), You’ll at least get useful info or set up an advantage.

Defence & harm

Say how your armour or weapon breaks to turn a hit into a brief hindrance. A broken gear is useless until it is repaired. Injuries take time and/or medical attention to heal.

If killed, make a new character to be introduced ASAP. Favour inclusion over realism.

Gear

You can carry all the narratively appropriate gear. Some items are Bulky. You can only comfortably carry one Bulky item. A second item Hinders you. Three or more is impossible in most circumstances.

Change

Throughout the game, you will change. You may acquire skills and potentials. You may become long-term injured or infected. Most changes are treated narratively first, then dice may be rolled.

Skill Increase

When the fiction dictates (and the GM agree), players may roll their Skill die to check for a Skill increase. If they roll the max, the skill increases.

Uncertainty

If something is uncertain and the rules do not support its resolution, consider the odds and roll a die.

Character Creation

Chroniclers maintain a record of all known subjects. Records can be extracted and printed on their handheld devices.

Use their output to play a young PC.

OPEN PERSONNEL ID

Life-path

Subject records might be out of date when chroniclers retrieve them. Once the subject data update retrieval is complete, they are ready to participate in memetic simulations.

Use the protocol below and roll skills and potentials on the CONCEPT, CULTURE, and CULT tables.

LIFE-PATH UPDATES

Concept


ADVENTURER Athletics Brawl Force Melee Stamina Toughness Mobility Orienteering	CREATOR Cunning Deception Domination Faith Reaction Willpower Arts Engineering	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
MENTOR Art. Lore Engineering Focus Legends Medicine Science Leadership Legends	MARTYR Cunning Deception Domination Faith Reaction Willpower Faith Toughness	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
RULER Arts Conduct Expression Leadership Negociation Seduction Cunning Leadership	SEEKER Artf. Lore Engineering Focus Legends Medicine Science Artf. Lore Science	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
HEALER Crafting Dexterity Navigation Mobility Projectiles Stealth Medicine Crafting	TRADITIONALIST Empathy Orienteering Perception Primal Survival Taming Legends Conduct	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
MEDIATOR Cunning Deception Domination Faith Reaction Willpower Perception Negociation	HERMIT Empathy Orienteering Perception Primal Survival Taming Survival Stealth	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
HERETIC Cunning Deception Domination Faith Reaction Willpower Cunning Expression	CONQUEROR Athletics Brawl Force Melee Stamina Toughness Toughness Force	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
ABOMINATION Cunning Deception Domination Faith Reaction Willpower Domination Toughness	DESTROYER Empathy Orienteering Perception Primal Survival Taming Stamina Force	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
CHOSEN Arts Conduct Expression Leadership Negociation Seduction Expression Leadership	DEFILER Cunning Deception Domination Faith Reaction Willpower Deception Domination	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
PROTECTOR Cunning Deception Domination Faith Reaction Willpower Stamina Toughness	VISIONARY Arts Conduct Expression Leadership Negociation Seduction Seduction Cunning	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
ZEALOT Empathy Orienteering Perception Primal Survival Taming Reaction Willpower	DISCIPLE Arts Conduct Expression Leadership Negociation Seduction Empathy Perception	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
RIGHTEOUS Art. Lore Engineering Focus Legends Medicine Science Cunning Negociation	TRAVELER Empathy Orienteering Perception Primal Survival Taming Legends Orienteering	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Culture


POLLEN	BODY Athletics Brawl Force Melee Stamina Toughness	INSTINCT Empathy Orienteering Perception Primal Survival Taming	OTHERS Melee Stamina Legends Survival Empathy Any above	1 2 3 4 5 6
PURGARE	CHARISMA Arts Conduct Expression Leadership Negociation Seduction	PSYCHE Cunning Deception Domination Faith Reaction Willpower	OTHERS Conduct Legends Faith Willpower Domination Taming	1 2 3 4 5 6
HYBRISPANIA	INTELLECT Artf. Lore Engineering Focus Legends Medicine Science	AGILITY Crafting Dexterity Navigation Mobility Projectiles Stealth	OTHERS Melee Mobility Stealth Medicine Orienteering Any above	1 2 3 4 5 6
BORCA	AGILITY Crafting Dexterity Navigation Mobility Projectiles Stealth	INSTINCT Empathy Orienteering Perception Primal Survival Taming	OTHERS Toughness Artf. Lore Engineering Crafting Survival Any above	1 2 3 4 5 6

Cult


SPITALIANS SKILLS Toughness Medicine Science Faith Willpower Perception	POTENTIALS Splaying Phalanx Preservalis Last Bastion Kranzl. Teach Last Farewell	1 2 3 4 5 6
ANABAPTISTS SKILLS Melee Force Mobility Legends Faith Willpower	POTENTIALS Fisherman’s B Killing Joke Pneuma R. Emanations Torchbearer Zealot	1 2 3 4 5 6
APOCALYPTICS SKILLS Athletics Dexterity Arts Seduction Cunning Any Above	POTENTIALS All-in Card Destiny Crow’s Nest Mirror Black Omen 1000 Ways	1 2 3 4 5 6
HELLVETICS SKILLS Force Stamina Projectiles Leadership Reaction Any above	POTENTIALS Assault Shield Wall Infiltration Forced March Discipline Morale	1 2 3 4 5 6
SCRAPPERS SKILLS Athletics Toughness Crafting Artf. Lore Survival Any above	POTENTIALS The Mob Rat Tough Dog Nitro Truffle Pig Darwin	1 2 3 4 5 6
CLANNERS SKILLS Stamina Melee Survival Legends Taming Any above Culture table 1 Culture table 2 Culture table 3 Concept table Any table Roll a Potential	POTENTIALS Asceticism Ether Call Move Mountain Elephant Skin Brainwave Danger Sense Sleek Could B Worse Marathon Unyielding No. Cruncher Any above	1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
CHRONICLERS SKILLS Crafting Negotiation Engineering Artf. Lore Deception Any above	POTENTIALS Tesla Nova Dead End Fract Memory Download Upload	1 2 3 4 5 6
SCRAPPERS SKILLS Melee Navigation Conduct Projectiles Domination Any above	POTENTIALS Fiat Lux Stampede Hammer Blow Janus Face Lynch Law Steel Thunder	1 2 3 4 5 6