In slayer each player is a monster, as they use their powers they will degenerate and become less and less human. In time they will pick up effects which will change how they will interact with the world and eventually they will be so far gone that no trace of who they were will still be there. They are however not exactly the same as the other monsters out there. They have access to slightly different powers than some non player monsters have, however they style of their powers is the same as any other monster which they will come across.
Beast Kin
Design ethos
Beast kin are a class designed to be a non combative class. This does not mean that they cannot fight, but that their powers are designed with non combat in mind. These creatures are the master of the world around them. They are can be better at any skill than a human can be, they can be charming and knowledgeable beyond mortal ken. Also more than that they can talk to the world around them in ways that humans can only dream off. Walking into a room a Beast kin can work out what happened in the room and track the culprit to their current location.
We see the Beast kin helping the group to track monsters and find out about their habits immediately. Also they will be vital in dealing with monsters that can hide their tracks, teleport or any other thing which would make conventional tracking impossible.
Description and examples from culture
What you will become
Beast kin loose a sense of societal norms. They do not comprehend why they need to be polite, why eating people is bad or even why murder is a problem. As you degenerate you will start to gain RP affects which will change the way that you can interact with other people, these will start off trivial, but they will get worse as you degenerate. As with all degenerating RP effects you can resist them for a scene by spending one power.
Powers and abilities
Deduction and domination
Effect
You can see patterns in things that others are too blind or too stupid to see. Your senses are dramatically enhanced and you can see the smallest of things. You also gain the ability to speak directly to objects (However not to dead or living bodies). You can also talk to animals and they will respond to you. Using all of this you can work out what actually happened in an area and
Scaling
This power can be used to ask a number of yes/no questions about the enviroment equal to your level in this power +2. Physical events can be asked, but intentions cannot. “Was the door knocked down using claws?” could be answered. “Did the creature have claws” could not be answered. “Was she killed with claws?” could not be answered.
Drop down power:
You may ask more detailed questions like the following. The same restrictions apply in terms of scope.
- When did it happen.
- How long did it take.
- How many things were in here when it happened.
- What caused those scratch marks.
- Where were things before they came here.
Sublime the spirit
Effect
You can enter a trance where you can commune with the spirits of the surrounding area gaining an overview of what is happening. The main use of this power is to track disruptions to the local area. These will pick up disruption from all sources and as you level up you will start being able to focus your power to be able to remove unwanted information. With this power you can hear others questions and answers when they use this power.
Scaling
You get one use of this power per day. This power normally only gives information about the current moment.
- Level 1: What is the most disruptive thing in the area. This will often will send you to a place where you can find signs of monster activity (or at least the most important point of change in the area.. If you are close it can also find monster nests.
- Level 2: You may now focus your question so that it only gives locations related to animals/humans/magical effects (which includes monsters).
- Level 3: You may now specify that it has to be something which is involving something you have or have not encountered.
- Level 4: You can now focus your question to only return answers which relate to a specific situation/person/event. You also +1 question per day.
Drop Down:
This expands the scope of questions to included the recent past and a wider geographical area. Crucially this also allows this power to be used to track what has changed over time. You also get all your questions back.
Best of the best
Effect
Once per day you can do anything which a human could do, just a bit better. This power is designed to allow you to effect the way people interact and see your group. Use of the power at a basic level lets you done one thing that a skilled person could do and which has no large long term effects. Examples include
- Mend something
- Pick a lock.
- Conceal something from non magical detection (Including tracks or a body)
- Give an inspirational speech
- Level 1:- Slightly effect a village
- Level 2:- Significantly effect an individual or slightly effect a village.
- Level 3:- Significantly effect a village or slightly effect a region/kingdom.
- Level 4:- Significantly effect a region/kingdom or slightly effect the 5 kingdoms.
Stitched
Design ethos
The Stitched are a class designed to be in the front line of any combat. Their powers give them the ability to take punishment far greater than any other type of monster. Also with their abilities over bodies they can find out information or hide the truth of deaths. Both of these will be useful constantly for the players.With the ability to take damage and to rend the flesh of their enemies they can soak up the damage that most things dish out and stop the enemies from regenerating.
While they are a powerful and sturdy combatant their ability over the flesh goes far beyond this. While some creatures just will not die (think trolls and the like) most shapchanging creatures would also be stitched.
Description and examples from culture
What you will become
Stitched become emotionally cold. When they first change its a coldness towards those who you do not know, then only the people you care about most matter and eventually even them you would kill if it would help you. You will become a cold calculating monster willing to sacrifice your friends to enhance your own goals.
Powers and abilities
Regeneration
Effect
Your body re forms on its own as long as you get a moment to yourself to rest. You may only regenerate when you are not in direct combat. You must not be attacking, blocking or running for the regenerate countdown to start and if you start doing any of these things then the count starts again. If you are hit by any call which does damage then this count will restart. This will not work when you are unconscious As you rank this power up you will regenerate quicker.
Scaling
You may regen to 4 hp at the times specified. You may use each level of the power up to the level you have once. Eg if you are rank two you can regen once at 30s and once at 15s (In any order).
- Rank 1: 30s
- Rank 2: 15s
- Rank 3: 5s, Also +1 hp and regen to 5 with all uses of regenerate.
- Rank 4: instant, Also +1 hp (stacks with Rank 3) and regen to 6 with all uses of regenerate.
Drop down:
Re gain all of your used regenerates and you may now use this power when unconscious, but only if you activate it as you fall unconscious. Note that the drop down must also be used as you fall unconscious if you wish to use the regenerate.
Special rules
While this power is not locked (Or you have triggered your drop down) you are effected by the rend call.
Manipulate flesh
Effect
You get uses of this power equal to your level. You can use this to make the following changes to the body (This can include your own body).
- Change the age or gender or physical features (Aka Skin and hair colour)
- Add or remove any birthmarks, scars, ect
- Change the cause of death
- Add or remove organs (rough body mass must stay the same)
- Acquire an additional power card when harvesting a monster.
Dropdown
You rip bodies to shreds and stop others from being able to regenerate, or at least make it harder for them to do so. As you level up you will be able to use this ability more often. The call must be made on a target within arms reach. You get uses of the call “Rend” equal to your level when you use this drop down power.
Special rules
Rend has no effect on any creature that cannot regenerate. see the calls section for further details.
Flesh Whispering
Effect
Anyone with this power may listen to the answers of any other stitched using this power without the expenditure of this power..
You gain the ability to interact with the physical bodies of the dead. This power allows you to both find out information about the body and if you wish to change aspects of the body. Note that if you “ask the body a question” its the physical body, not the person who the body was once in. Thus there will be things which the body will not know, but the person would know and vice versa. The body will know anything about its own physical condition, when it died ect, but nothing about the memories of the person who the body belonged to.
Scaling
This power can be used to ask a number of yes/no questions about a body (or group of bodies) equal to your level in this power +2. These bodies can be any age. “Was this door knocked down with claws?” could not be answered. “Did the creature have claws” could not be answered. “Was she killed with claws?” could be answered.
Drop Down power
You may ask more detailed questions like the following.
- What was the cause of death.
- How long ago did you die.
- What poisons or chemicals do you have in your body.
- How were you feeling before just before you died.
Elementals
Design ethos
Elementals are a fragile combat monster which relies on keeping their enemies at range and separated so that they can be dealt with.
With their ability to resist calls they can get near monsters which use similar powers and deal with even the worst of the effects that could hamper their movement.
Description and examples from culture
What you will become
Addicted to various substances
Powers and abilities
The Lash of agony.
Effect:
This power allows you to make or resist the call distract. If you are making this call the target must be within 5 m. You may make one use of either the call or resist every x seconds defined by the level.
Drop down
Add root to the list of calls which you can make/resist using this power.
Scaling:
You can use your powers in the following time frames depending on the level of power you have.
- Level 1: 60s
- Level 2: 30s
- Level 3: 15s
- Level 4: 5s
The bond of blood
Effect:
You place a limited portion of your power over a human (not a monster) target. This carries no chance on making the target into a monster. At different ranks this bond has different effects and strengths. You do not need the targets permission, however they are aware of the effect and must consume part of your body. You may only have one human bound like this at a time. People under this effect are more positively inclined towards you.
Drop Down:
You spread your power over an area the size of a small village and make is so that any monster coming close can tell that you have claimed this area. Other monsters will tend to stay out of your area, but their exact interaction will depend on their relative power levels. You can (At any time when you are in the location) make it so that specific monsters (or even specific types of monsters) will be able to be in the location without penalty.
Scaling:
- Rank 1: Monsters that will not take aggressive action towards another Monsters will leave them alone unless provoked.
- Rank 2: You know about any significant events which happen to them and can find them or their body.
- Rank 3:By meditating you can engage in limited long range telepathic communication with them. You can send vague plans, you may receive more detailed responses back.
- Rank 4:At this level of power you can shelter their essence within you as long the power would last and with a newly dead body, or their own body you can bring them back to life. You can see through their eyes and see anything that has happened to them while they have been under your influence.
Broken by bile.
Effect:
This power allows you to make or resist the call Stagger. When making this call you must strike your opponent with a weapon. This works even if the blow is blocked.
Drop down
Add Stun to the list of calls which you can make/resist using this power. The use of the drop down also refreshes all of your uses of this power.
Scaling:
You can use your powers in the following time frames depending on the level of power you have.
- Level 1: 2
- Level 2: 4
- Level 3: 8
- Level 4: 10 and one use of 30s of making the call statically on weapon blow.
Shattered souls
Design ethos
Shattered souls can interact with a second reality much like our own, they can move between the realms and control when others can do the same. These are the most combat focused of all of the monster types.
They can be thought of as a rouge class in how they work. They are great at getting out of trouble and getting into places that others would find hard to do, however they are still easy to destroy once you actually pin them down. Also with their ability to get into and interact in the Ethereal realm they can deal with and interact with thing that no-one else can even perceive.
Description and examples from culture
The twins from the matrix reloaded.
The Arereon character from chronicles of Riddick played by Judi Dench.
Ghost, wraiths and spectres from popular culture.
Also some assassins and shadow walkers in various stories.
What you will become
Shattered souls become vicious and plain nasty. They live to torment others causing as much upset and pain as they can. You will start to pick on people and try to find the things that annoy them. Eventually you will start to actively try and upset and hurt people.
Powers and abilities
Step sideways
Effect
This power allows your to slip into the shadow realm. The sign for this is holding one hand on your head. (Note that this does mean that you are one arm down for combat). You can still attack and be attacked in the shadow realm, however you can only harm things which are in the same realm as you are. If you are knocked unconscious you will automatically return to the normal realm.
Scaling
As you get more powerful this power means you can move between realms faster. This means that at level one when you use this power you can change realms and then you cannot come back for one minute. At the start of each encounter choose your “home plane”. You can move to this realm instantly (timings permitting), it takes 5 seconds of fading to leave this realm (You cannot attack or block while fading, however you can run), while fading you can be struck by people in both realms.
You may activate this power to see in both realms for the encounter.
- Level 1: One minute
- Level 2: 30 seconds
- Level 3: 15 seconds
- Level 4: 5 seconds ( You now no longer need to spend 5 second fading).
Drop down
You gain a number of uses of either Bind or Banish equal to your level in this power.
Special rules
As long as you have this power active (not locked) you are effected by the calls Bind and Banish.
Shadow magic
Effect
This allows you to project force at range and rip bits of people apart at range. The use of this power causes you to be effected by an irresistible root and bind which has a duration dependent on your level and which will effect your for that time after your last call . This can effect anyone individual within range to hear it. The effects which you can make are defined by level.
Drop down
You get all your shots back and you now can make these as in targetable mass calls or single target long ranged calls again.
Scaling
- Level 1: 3 singles, 30s root/bind
- Level 2; 3 doubles, 15s root/bind
- Level 3: 3 quads, 5s root/bind
- Level 4: 5 quads, must be stationary while making the calls
Flurry of blows
Effect
As long as you do not change your target or block you may make increased damage calls on your target. You need to either be at the targets back or have another person attacking them. After hitting with a sword blow you may then call x doubles where x is the level of this power.
Scaling
As you increase in power the amount of time between uses of this power decreases.
- Level 1: 60 seconds
- Level 2: 60 seconds
- Level 3: 30 seconds
- Level 4: 15 seconds.
Drop Down
You no longer need another person or to be behind the target. You call triples rather than doubles and you do not need to start the chain with a single. As you drop you down this power imidatly becomes available if it was on cool down.
Witch
Design ethos
When we were designing witches we wanted to make a monster that could walk into a situation to talk and not fear that they would just be killed. We hope that what we have made is a negotiator and investigator which will create rule for others to follow.
We wanted them to have a lot of security when dealing with other people, but not be overly powerful when in a combat situation. We have balanced this with the concept of aggression and we hope that it will lead to a character who can dance around the rules and get away should anyone try to attack them.
We also wanted a real social combat monster and we feel that with the ability to learn secrets and also their ability to get out of trouble that we have made a creature that you should watch your words around.
Description and examples from culture
Witches fit fairly well with their namesake, also with demons (In the pact forming manipulating way.).
What you will become
Witches get more and more ticks as they degenerate. Rules that must be obeyed, these rules apply to them and they can project the rules onto the world around them with the use of power. The witch is a slave to these rules and cannot break them. In time the witch will not be able to live with anyone who breaks these rules and will be driven to live away from people.
Powers and abilities
Bans
These are not a specific power, however they are part of what makes a witch a witch. All witches get a number of bans which determine how they can and cannot act. The player will choose their bans (A few are static that all witches will get). As the character degenerates they will gain more bans. If you ever breach a ban you automatically spend one power with no other effect (You can choose to do this intentionally). Doing so allows you to ignore that ban for the remainder of the encounter. Doing this is not pleasant for the witch. If you are forced to spend power when you have none left you immediately degenerate one level. Keeping an eye on your bans is vital for a witch, and is the key to killing them in a practical way.
Safety first
You gain a floating resist pool which can be used on any damage or CC call. This power can only be used if you have not broken any bans or taken an aggressive action. You may use this call whenever some-one makes a call on you, or when they break a Ban which you have. Note that things like, diving in front of a sword or using the heal power on a person in the middle of a fight is an aggressive action. As is refusing to leave a house or invading a lair. Use of this power is never an aggressive action.
Drop Down:
You may drop OOC when attacked or targeted as long as you have not taken any aggressive actions or broken any bans. use of this also resets your resists count.
Level 1: 2 shots of “Curse”
Level 2: 4 shots of “Curse”
Level 3: 8 shots of “Curse”
Level 4: 8 shots of “Curse” and 1 shot of call “Curse” to all calls for 1 minute.
Binding Oath
Description
You create an magical binding that forces a person (with stronger effects on humans) to act in a specific way permanently. The target must agree freely and not under duress, but what constitutes agreement varies with the level of the power. This power can also be used to remove this type of binding if it is at the same level or higher than the original one. If you use this power in a non written agreement then a ref must be present and aware of what you are doing. Your level in this power will also determine how much control you have over the interpretation of the strictures.
You can use this power once per day. (Any player who breaches one of these will gain a permanent monster level).
Drop down
This power also affects anyone who treats that person as an authority and they are also bound. You also can now use your power again if you have already used it.
Level 1: A formal written agreement, signed.
Level 2: A formal sworn oath.
Level 3: Explicit agreement.
Level 4: Any indication that they agree to the binding.
Parley
Effect
Witches are social monsters more than any other type are. With this power they are able to determine truth from those who they speak with. This cannot be used in combat, and if combat kicks off then the power will wear off. If the target feels that they are about to be attacked or that there are others preparing to attack them then this power will fail.
This power can be used to ask a number of yes/no questions to a person (or group of people) which must start with the call divulge equal to your level in this power +2. The person is compelled to answer truthfully to the best of their knowledge, but if they do not know, remember or understand the question then it does not provide them with the ability to answer. After you have used this power on humans (and some monsters) they will not attack you without first expressing their wish to.
Drop Down power
You may ask more detailed questions like the following.
- Was that a lie
- How do you feel about “this person”
- What is one of the things you care most about.
- What do you least want me to know
General powers
Health
You gain 2HP per level of this power for the rest of the day when you activate this power.
Drop down: Change power to 3HP per level instead. For the encounter. Can be used in the fight. Can’t be used when unconscious and takes 5s concentration which you cannot be fighting.
Healing
Heal a person who is not you who you are touching.
Level 1: You get one use of the ability to heal a target to full health.
Level 2: You get two uses of the ability to heal a target to full health.
Level 3: You get four uses of the ability to heal a target to full health.
Level 4: You get eight uses of the ability to heal a target to full health. You can now make the call on people within 5m of you.
Drop down:
You use your power to send the target back to its home/lair and keeps it there for a duration dependant on the level used on it. It will be healed and be able to use all its power again. It will take about 5 minutes before it is forced to return to its lair.
- Level 2: 1 day
- Level 3: 1 month
- Level 4: 4 month
Trophy maker
Use monster trophies gathered by an expert to create one shot potions or short term magical items to mimic the monsters powers.
Use generic monster bits to create the following:
Potion of increased monstrosity
Effect: Over the next dt when you increase you monster level it will have no negative side effects on those around you.
Cost: 4 cards, 3 which must be of the correct suit for your monster type.
Potion of powers grace:
Effect: Choose a non general power which you have. You can use that power as if you have not used it (Does not stop you dropping down if you have used drop down)
Cost: 3 in a row of the correct suite.
Potion of second chances
Effect: Lesser do not gain extra permanent monstrocity from ambient effects. Greater, Monsters (but not humans and monsters specifically able to act as humans) will choose not slay you on the floor, when they normally would.
Cost: Lesser “2 of a kind”, Greater “3 of a kind”
Drop down:
You may use specific monster parts to create specialised items. When you drop down you reset your number of items used The ability to get this will be revealed through research into the monster and will have what you can do writing on them.
Level 1: You may make one item and it lasts one game after the one it is made
Level 2: You may make two items and it lasts two games after the one it is made
Level 3: You may make three items and it lasts three games after the one it is made
Level 4: You may make four items and it lasts four games after the one it is made
Understand power
Effect:
This power can be used to ask a number of yes/no questions about a creature or magical object (that you have part of or was in the area) equal to your level in this power +2. “Did the create which knocked to door down use claws?” could not be answered. “Did the creature have claws” could be answered. “Was she killed with claws?” could not be answered.
You can also use this power to ask if an npc is magical/is a monster.
Drop down
You can ask questions like the following.
- “What powers do your species have”.
- “What powers do you have beyond the normal for your species”
- “What is the name of your species.”
- “What is your natural habitat”
- “What magical trophies could you produce”
Note that asking for specific weaknesses will fail as these require a call, if you want that then use your research action in dt to do that research.