[continued from previous message]   
      
   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 (7):   
      
      
   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.   
      
      
   Stage one - Initiative   
      
      
   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 equals 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 +4. 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   
      
      
   You can only cast magic up to the level   
   of your sphere. Arete is 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.   
      
      
   Quintessence   
      
      
   Quintessence is the power source for   
   Magic. Spending Quintessence reduces   
   the difficulty of a spell, up to a   
   modifier of -3. Meditation is required   
   to regain Quintessence for at least an   
   hour at a place of power. Quintessence   
   can also be stored in things that are   
   carried by a Mage.   
      
      
   Willpower   
      
      
   One point of willpower generates 1   
   success   
      
   Willpower can resist mind magic   
      
   Willpower can fight Quiet   
      
   Willpower can ignore penalties from   
   fear & damage   
      
   Willpower can be regained after role   
   play   
      
      
   Difficulty   
      
      
   The difficulty is the level of the   
   sphere you are using. Add +1 for Vulgar   
   magic, if there are no witnesses. Add   
   another +1 if a Sleeper witnesses it.   
      
      
   Successes   
      
      
   Simple magic requires only one success,   
   two successes are required for more   
   powerful magic, and larger effects can   
   take even more. A mage can use a ritual   
   to cast magic over time.   
      
      
   Botches   
      
      
   If a Mage rolls a failure when casting   
   a spell & they also roll snake eyes on   
   any of their dice then they botch. This   
   is a dangerous situation.   
      
      
   Spheres   
      
      
   Understanding   
      
   Power: Wisdom / ESP   
      
   Knowledge: Realization - Unveiling the   
   inner knowledge within.   
      
   Description: The Power of Understanding   
   manifests as inspiration and insight,   
   granting effortless access to answers   
   and discoveries beyond conventional   
   understanding. It endows the   
   practitioner with the gift of   
   foreknowledge. The key to unlocking   
   this power lies in the realization that   
   all knowledge already resides within   
   oneself.   
      
      
   1) Elevated Mental Attributes   
      
   2) Predicting Outcomes   
      
   3) Seeing the Past   
      
   4) Seeing the Future   
      
   5) Stopping Time   
      
      
   Feeling   
      
   Power: Empathy / Telepathy   
      
   Knowledge: Association - Recognizing   
   the interconnectedness of all things.   
      
   Description: The Power of Feeling   
   enables one to empathize and understand   
   others deeply, perceiving their   
   thoughts and emotions without the need   
   for words. It stems from the profound   
   insight into Association, the intrinsic   
   link that binds all living beings   
   together.   
      
      
   1) Reading Mindstates   
      
   2) Bonus to Social Attributes   
      
   3) Mental Shield   
      
   4) Reading Thoughts   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-DOS v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)