Shadows on the Horizon

Faith Rules

• Inherent Faith Abilities
• Faith Rating
• Crisis of Faith
• Gaining Faith
• Miracles
• Holy Ground
• Relics
• Holy Days

Inherent Faith Abilities

Faith versus the Supernatural

Faith is almost always a supplement to anything involving willpower.

Vampires

Kindred in the presence of a Knight in prayer or focusing on his Faith have to make Willpower Tests v. Faith. Each success allows him to take a step forward that turn and each failure forces a step back. Three failures in a row cause a Rotschreck test. The Knight may spend Faith to retest as the Vampire may spend Willpower.

Magic

The strength of character associated with Faith helps anchor the believer's sense of reality -- thus acting as a potent form of Counter Magick. By spending a Faith you can test your Faith against a use of True or Sorcerous Magic to counter it.

Shape changers

Test your Faith against a shifter’s Rage. Success adds to the were-creature's Difficulty to Frenzy. A Willpower and a successful Faith test against their Rage plus the Moon they are in can also calm a frenzied werewolf.

Wraiths

A wraith must attempt to overcome a mortal's Willpower when attempting a possession. Faith must be added to the Willpower rating when this is attempted, increasing the wraith's difficulty. Exorcism involves a Faith (Retest Occult) test versus the wraith's willpower. This will dissolve any Consort link generated by the wraith, who must start the process over again if she wishes to interact with the physical world.

Demons

These can be repelled in the same manner as vampires, and exorcised the same way as wraiths by a Knight. (Rules dealing with Fallen are separate)

The Fallen

TBD

The Beatified

Many consider those with high faith (Faith 6+) to be particularly close to God. Some give them the title of Saint, though the recipients of this title are the first to deny it. They are undeniably living rays of hope in a dark world -- living vessels of Numina. The Beatific (as they are otherwise known) automatically gain the merit Holy Aura. Their Aura burns brightly -- even those who cannot see auras know there is something special about these people. The very presence of the Beatific disrupts supernatural ability:

• On a Faith test (diff 7); the Beatific can automatically sense the presence of the supernatural. By spending a Willpower Point, he can determine the source, though not exact nature.
• The Beatific can see through all Levels of Kindred Obfuscate, Chimerstry and other related Disciplines or Gifts with a Mental test (Retest Alertness) (difficulty being the opposing powers Level +3).
• Supernatural beings cannot approach any closer than one foot per level of Faith the Beatific possesses, without making a Willpower test and expending a willpower point. If a Beatific approaches, then the supernatural must step back. This effect can be cancelled out by invitation.

Faith Ratings

1. • Regaining Willpower, for every hour spent in meditation in game either one lost Willpower can be restored or one bonus Willpower can be gained for the duration of the game or 12 hrs. Only one hour can be spent this way per rank of True Faith in a 24 hr period.
   • Repel Vampires- By brandishing a holy symbol and speaking holy words like “In the Name of God” you can engage a Vampire in a Social Challenge retested with Intimidation. If you win the Vampire must flee the scene. If they spend a Willpower they can remain but must back away from you by a few steps and may not engage you in any offensive test (though they may defend against you). The Vampire may call a retest if they have more than twice your Faith in Willpower, but should they fail this retest they must flee and cannot spend Willpower to remain, losing a Willpower in the process. You may engage in as many of these Social Challenges in a scene as you have True Faith. Infernalists and servants of Demons must flee regardless of the challenge but this cannot be specifically distinguished from the normal results of the challenge.
   • Substitute for Willpower- A Faith Trait can be spend instead of a Willpower if you have no Willpower remaining.
2. • You can attempt to turn any sort of undead or walking dead. The creature (or its controller) must make a Willpower test against your Faith or be held at bay as long as you concentrate. If you spend a Faith at this time you can turn them to run from your presence for as many minutes as you have Faith. This can be used against as many creatures as you have Faith.
   • Faith Resistance, by spending a Faith as any power attempts to control your mind (not emotional controls), you are protected from that power for the scene.
   • Faith healing, by spending a point of Faith and making a simple test (win or tie) you can automatically lay hands and heal the worst single level of damage to a person you deem worthy. Failure on the test still loses you the point of Faith
3. Pacify- By spending a Trait of Faith and entering into a Social Challlenge retested with Empathy you may quell the beast within a supernatural creature. This will bring a Vampire or Werewolf out of Frenzy or calm an agitated creature. If used on a Werewolf not in Frenzy that Werewolf cannot spend Rage for the remainder of the scene.
4. Faith healing, by spending a point of Faith and making a simple test (win or tie) you can automatically lay hands and heal all Bashing damage or a level of worse damage (plus one per additional point spent after the test) to a person you deem worthy. Failure on the test still loses you the point of Faith.
5. A Faith rating of greater than five indicates a true intimate connection with the supernatural. This level of Faith is the minimum acceptable for Knights. It allows Invested Knights to learn and use the Prayers and the Rituals, and also allows sensing of True Faith in other people with Faith (Retest Awareness), Difficulty 8. You also gain Holy Invulnerability, which expands your Faith Resistance to making you immune to all such powers (including emotional control) for the scene.
6. Abilities associated with Beatification come into effect (see earlier). Cleanse the taint of evil from an area (nullify Flaw Taint of Corruption). Get a sign from God which inspires you (an extra point of Willpower for the remainder of the scene on a successful test of Faith v Difficulty 8). You can now also bless objects or people with your Faith by testing it against 7 traits. An object can be given the trait of Burning, Searing, Blinding, Branding, Purging, Cleansing and Purifying. The wielder then just bids the trait and touches the creature. Success does a level of Aggravated damage. Blessing a Holy Item can add a permanent Intimidating trait to the wielder in Social tests against any creatures and those that resist must bid 2 traits. A person blessed gets one free retest on any single challenge. Only one blessing can be done per session and is very ceremonial, not to be taken lightly. This blessing lasts a ??
7. Cause a vampire or psycho killer to feel guilt (A test of Faith v Difficulty 8 will raise all their difficulties by your Faith rating). Add three traits to any reaction tests made toward you, even with animals. Know the correct answer to all moral, ethical questions. Get a sign from heaven which inspires the entire unit you command, resulting in an extra point of Willpower for you and your companions for the rest of the scene (achieved with a Faith v Difficulty 8 test). You can now perform Miracles. This costs a permanent True Faith and a test against a difficulty of the STs choosing. There is not much that can’t be done, but it is a extremely serious matter and the cost is steep.
8. Change the nature of a person for a temporary or permanent period. Test Social retested with Empathy against Mental retested with Meditation. However, Church Knights have a problem with this: as it breaches the freedom of the individual protected by the tenets of the Rule. A permanent Faith must be burned to make it a permanent change. Reduce the level of a vampiric discipline by making a Faith Test against 8, spending Faith to reduce more points. Determine discipline randomly per point.
9. Exorcise demons and evil spirits (Faith versus the demon's willpower). Can also lay a ghost to rest (resisted Faith against the Wraith's Fetter + 4). Those with this Faith rating can leave an aura of tranquility in an area, such as a violent slum. The residents of the area will be more moral and cooperative, old feuds will fall by the wayside, crime will drop etc. Those with this level of Faith can permanently touch the world with their Faith. Complete protection against supernatural evil is another ability, as long as you do nothing but concentrate and stand still or slowly leave with no aggressive action. Can protect others in immediate vicinity also (5 meter radius). A powerful ability is that of causing an evil being, if truly deserving of death, to realize this; with Faith against the targets Willpower, upon success you must burn a permanent Faith. The target must have a Humanity of 2 or below, and must have committed truly horrible atrocities. If successful, the creature will submit to the stake (or silver) etc.
10. Ignore a source of damage (up to 5 levels per round) if at least five rounds are spent in preparation for the feat and a difficulty test is made against a 9; 1 level of damage is ignored. Can also cleanse someone of the Embrace (difficulty 10, only in dramatic circumstances and the target must want to be saved). Call the minions of the Divine (usually in mortal form) to aid you in a dark hour.

Crisis of Faith

Sometimes a person can lose his Faith. Doubts arise about the truth of his calling, and he begins to wonder whether religion is just a sham. Every time a hunter tries to use his Faith and comes up with two or more botches, he loses a point of Faith. This can be regained only through the strong support of his fellows, or through further successful actions.

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Gaining Faith

It costs 7 freebie points to buy the first level of Faith and fourteen Experience thereafter.

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Miracles

Praying for a miracle takes one round. Roll a percentile dice. The chance of success is 1 percent per Faith level, plus any modifiers the Storyteller decides are warranted. Success means the miracle has been granted and the event takes place. Failure means the request has not been granted. At the Storyteller's discretion, positive or negative modifiers may be added. For example, if the miracle is desperately needed and of great importance to the Church, a +5 percent or +10 percent modifier may be appropriate. On the other hand, if the request is simply for convenience or frivolous reasons, a -5 percent or -10 percent modifier may apply. If a particularly spectacular or rare miracle is granted -- the faithful may be on the path to Sainthood (indicated by a Storyteller defined increase in Faith Points). An increase in Faith must be granted for every three successive successful miracles achieved -- once again upon the Storyteller's discretion.

This also applies to the reverse: three successive failures to achieve a miracle cause a loss of Faith. Praying for a miracle with a relic or on Holy Ground may help the situation.

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