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   Performance - Specialized as music etc.   
   Stealth - Hiding From Sight   
   Survival - Living In Difficult Environments   
   Technology - Repairing And Working With Machines   
      
   Knowledges:   
      
   Academics - Higher Education In A Field   
   Computer - From Typing To Hacking   
   Cosmology - Knowledge Of The Spirit World   
   Enigmas - Solving Puzzles Or Riddles   
   Investigation - Forensics Detective Work   
   Law - Professional Practice In Law   
   Linguistics - Specializing In Other Languages   
   Medicine - First Aid, & Surgery Etc.   
   Occult - Knowledge Of Magic Practices   
   Science - Engineering, Chemistry, & Physics   
      
   There are also some other very important traits:   
      
   Avatar - Represents your ability to store quintessence   
   Arete - Your mastery of magick   
   Willpower - Can be used to force success   
   Quintessence - The raw power of magic   
   Paradox - The backlash from magic into insanity   
   Health - The amount of damage you can take   
      
   Getting Started   
      
   Now that you know the basics of the Storytelling System,   
   you can proceed to create your own characters. You’ll be   
   able to judge what sort of traits you’ll need based on   
   their titles (they’re mostly self-explanatory), and know   
   that the more dots you have in a trait the better your   
   character will be when accomplishing tasks with it.   
      
   Here is a quick overview of how to begin the character   
   creation process:   
      
   The 3 categories of attributes are divided into 3 levels of   
   points: 7/5/3   
      
   The 3 categories of abilities are also divided into 3   
   levels of points: 13/9/5   
      
   You get 7 points to go into Backgrounds.   
      
   You also get 6 dots that can go into your Mage's magical   
   knowledge called Spheres. The catch is that none of them   
   can be higher than your level of Arete.   
      
   Arete starts at 1 and can’t begin higher than 3.   
      
   Willpower starts at 5 and can’t begin higher than 7.   
      
   You also get 15 Freebie Points:   
      
   To increase an Attribute requires 5 freebie points.   
      
   To increase an Ability requires 2 freebie points.   
      
   To increase a Background requires 1 freebie point.   
      
   To increase Willpower requires 1 freebie point.   
      
   To increase Arete requires 4 freebie points.   
      
   To increase a Sphere requires 7 freebie points.   
      
   Prioritize the categories with 3 levels of points.   
      
   Select Attributes (7/5/3)   
      
   Physical: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina   
      
   Social: Charisma, Manipulation, Appearance   
      
   Mental: Perception, Intelligence, Wits   
      
   Select Abilities (13/9/5)   
      
   Talents: Alertness, Athletics, Awareness   
   Brawl, Dodge, Expression, Intimidation   
   Leadership, Streetwise, Subterfuge   
      
   Skills: Crafts, Drive, Etiquette, Firearms   
   Meditation, Melee, Performance, Stealth   
   Survival, Technology   
      
   Knowledges: Academics, Computer, Cosmology   
   Enigmas, Investigation, Law, Linguistics   
   Medicine, Occult, Science   
      
   Additionally, characters also have a number of advantages   
   called Backgrounds.   
      
   Backgrounds:   
      
   Allies - Friends who help you   
   Arcane - You are unnoticed as a Mage   
   Avatar - The Strength of the soul   
   Contacts - Information sources   
   Destiny - A greater purpose   
   Dream - Visions from the unknown   
   Influence - Pull over the mortal world   
   Library - Access to metaphysical knowledge   
   Node - A place of magical power   
   Resources - Extra Money   
   Wonder - A Magical talisman or device   
      
   We will now go over the combat system. It is very simple.   
      
   Combat is broken down into three steps, Initiative, Attack,   
   and Resolution.   
      
   During initiative, both players roll Dexterity + Wits.   
   Whoever has more successes gets to go first.   
      
   Each player declares either to attack or defend.   
      
   It is also possible to ambush someone with:   
   Dexterity + Stealth vs Perception + Alertness   
      
   Stage two - Attack   
      
   The attacker rolls one of these:   
      
   Unarmed Combat: Strength + Brawl   
      
   Armed Combat: Strength + Weaponry   
      
   Firearms: Dexterity + Firearms   
      
   Throwing Objects: Dexterity + Athletics   
      
   Then the defender either takes the hit,   
   or if they chose to defend they roll:   
      
   Block: Dexterity + Brawl   
      
   Dodge: Dexterity + Dodge   
      
   Parry: Dexterity + Melee   
      
   The successes of the attack roll minus the defense roll   
   equal damage, which is either Bashing or Lethal.   
      
   If a weapon is being used the storyteller can increase the   
   modifier for an attack by up to +3. Some guns allow you to   
   shoot multiple times in a turn.   
      
   Stage three - Resolution   
      
   Roll as many times as your Stamina points to eliminate a   
   point of bashing damage for each success.   
      
   If the fighting continues you roll again for initiative.   
      
   Keep track of the damage to your health with this chart:   
      
   Health   
      
   1) Bruised -0   
   2) Hurt -1   
   3) Injured -2   
   4) Wounded -3   
   5) Mauled -4   
   6) Crippled -5   
   7) Unconscious   
      
   Each point of damage is marked with a / for bashing damage   
   and an X for lethal damage. If you acquire 7 bashing damage   
   you are unconscious, further bashing damage can become   
   lethal damage. Either way, you apply a penalty to   
   everything you roll as the damage goes up. If you acquire   
   more than 7 in lethal damage, you can die.   
      
   Finally, your character needs to learn magic!   
      
   Overview   
      
   There are 12 Spheres in this system that are divided into   
   coincidental & vulgar magic. The first three levels of each   
   sphere are limited to coincidental effects, and the highest   
   levels of the sphere are divided into two levels of more   
   advanced magic.   
      
   The Twelve Spheres in alphabetical order are:   
      
   Control, Destruction, Feeling, Influence,   
   Penetration, Production, Revelation, Restoration,   
   Transformation, Travel, Understanding, and Vanishing   
      
   These are the degrees of power for the Spheres:   
      
   1) Awareness   
      
   2) Sympathetic   
      
   3) Coincidental   
      
   4) Manipulative   
      
   5) Miraculous   
      
   1) Awareness   
      
   Allows the Mage to sense things with their magic.   
      
   2) Sympathetic   
      
   The Mage can effect things they’re personally connected to.   
      
   3) Coincidental   
      
   The Mage can work magic as long as it doesn’t defy physics.   
      
   4) Manipulative   
      
   The Mage can manipulate and bend the laws of physics.   
      
   5) Miraculous   
      
   The Mage can now create impossible miracles.   
      
   Mechanics   
      
   Casting Magic   
      
   Arete is added to the Sphere you are using to get the   
   number of dice to roll when casting a spell. No Sphere   
   can be higher than your level of Arete. You can also only   
   spend up to your level of Arete in quintessence on a single   
   spell. A mage can optionally roll fewer dice to avoid a   
   potential botch.   
      
   Avatar   
      
   A Mage’s Avatar is the maximum Quintessence they can store.   
      
   Occult   
      
   This system of magic can connect to occult themes,   
   for interesting role playing.   
      
   There are 12 Spheres in this system. Each Sphere   
   connects to one of the 12 signs of the Zodiac. And   
   each Zodiac sign connects to one of 10 planets in   
   Astrology. The 10 planets and 12 signs connect with   
   the 22 Major Arcana of the Tarot.   
      
   Control:   
      
   Energy / Telekinesis   
      
   (Aries / Emperor) + (Mars / Tower)   
      
   Transformation:   
      
   Developing / Shapeshifting   
      
   (Taurus / Hierophant) + (Venus / Empress)   
      
   Understanding:   
      
   Wisdom / ESP   
      
   (Libra / Justice) + (Venus / Empress)   
      
   Revelation:   
      
   Visions / Rapture   
      
   (Pisces / High Priestess) + (Neptune / Hanged Man)   
      
   Feeling:   
      
   Empathy / Telepathy   
      
   (Virgo / Hermit) + (Mercury / Magician)   
      
   Influence:   
      
   Charisma / Hypnotism   
      
   (Leo / Strength) + (Sun / Sun)   
      
   Penetration:   
      
   Escape / Intangibility   
      
   (Gemini / Lovers) + (Mercury / Magician)   
      
   Travel:   
      
   Direction / Teleportation   
      
   (Sagittarius / Temperance) + (Jupiter / Wheel of Fortune)   
      
   Production:   
      
   Attraction / Creation   
      
   (Capricorn / Devil) + (Saturn / World)   
      
   Restoration:   
      
   Renewal / Healing   
      
   (Aquarius / Star) + (Uranus / Fool)   
      
   Vanishing:   
      
   Stealth / Invisibility   
      
   (Cancer / Chariot) + (Moon / Moon)   
      
   Destruction:   
      
   Curses / Annihilation   
      
   (Scorpio / Death) + (Pluto / Judgement)   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)