The Bound are not merely people possessed by the dead. A
Sin-Eater’s geist is a conduit through which she can draw on the power of the
Underworld itself. She unleashes tendrils of Plasm that take physical form as bleeding
walls, flying knives, and skeletal apparitions. She lays deadly curses, draws
her geist into her flesh to transform her body, or infuses her voice with the
keening wails of the dead.
All Haunts draw their power from the Underworld, the Sin-Eater (or her geist) weaving Plasm into a form that befits the Haunt, whether that’s invisible strings that fling objects around a room, or black-iron talons wrapped around her fingers. How visible the effects are depend on the Sin-Eater. Once she releases the power of the Haunt, the Plasm dissipates. Other Sin-Eaters cannot consume it.
Haunts
- Dot Rating: Each Haunt is rated from
1 to 5 dots.
- Dice Pool: A Haunt’s dice pool is always Synergy + Haunt. Unlocking the Haunt with a Key adds that Key’s Unlock Attribute to the dice pool (p. 121).
- Plasm Cost: Using a Haunt costs Plasm, the amount dependent on the effect the Sin-Eater desires. The Sin-Eater cannot add Plasm to the basic effect of an already-active Haunt.
- Enhancements: Higher dot levels of Haunts offer Enhancements to the base effect for additional Plasm. Unless otherwise specified, Enhancements may be added to an already-active Haunt. Unless otherwise specified, applying an Enhancement is a Reflexive action.
- Duration: The Haunt’s effects, including all Enhancements, end when the Condition created by the Haunt does.
- Pick and Choose: A Sin-Eater does not have to spend Plasm on every level of a Haunt. If she only wants the effect of Rage ••••, she does not have to use any of the effects of Rage •• or •••.
- Per Turn Limit: Haunts that cost more
Plasm than the Sin-Eater can spend in a turn require her to spend the Plasm
over a number of consecutive turns. Only roll to activate the Haunt after
spending all the Plasm.
Learning Haunts
A Sin-Eater gains her first Haunts when she accepts the Bargain.
The fusion of human and geist presents a certain affinity for some means of
manipulating the power of the Underworld, and the knowledge of how to draw on
that power is almost instinctive. Once he knows a Haunt, the Bound can develop
his talents naturally, coming up with new ways to manipulate Plasm.
Unlocking new Haunts isn’t as easy, however. That knowledge comes
from the Underworld itself, and the Sin-Eater has to explore the lands of the
dead in order to find it. Sometimes the means of unlocking a new Haunt is on a
scroll lost in a Dominion, other times it requires the Sin-Eater snatching a
key out of one of the rivers of the dead. The means of developing those Haunts
that resonate with her Burden are often easier for her to find than others; one
of the Bereaved can find a means to unlock the Curse far easier than one of the
Abiding. The means of discovering a new Haunt is specific to the Bound themselves;
what works for one will not work for another.
The good news, as far as the Bound are concerned, is that a
Sin-Eater only has to do that once per Haunt. Once she knows the basics, she
can develop new techniques on her own through a mixture of practice and
instinct.
Supernatural Conflict
Sin-Eaters mostly interact with ghosts, but they’re not the only
creatures in the world that deal with the dead — and some of those creatures
have their own agenda for the Unbound, too. Some Haunts use a character’s
Synergy as part of a contested roll; when they are unleashed against other
supernatural creatures instead use the closest equivalent — a werewolf’s Primal
Urge, or a Promethean’s Azoth. This only applies to contested rolls, not when Synergy
is subtracted from the Haunt’s dice pool.
The same protection applies to Sin-Eaters when they would be the
victim of a supernatural power. Add Synergy to all contested dice pools that
use a supernatural
power Trait.
Clash of Wills
When two Sin-Eaters bring their geists’ powers to bear against one
another, it’s not always clear which ability trumps another. Likewise, a Haunt’s
power may have effects that oppose the effects of a vampire’s Discipline or a
mage’s spells. When the effects of two supernatural abilities clash in this
way, it’s a Clash of Wills.
Each player involved rolls their character’s Haunt + Synergy, or Ceremony dice pool. Whoever scores the most successes wins; their power takes effect as normal while the conflicting abilities fail. Characters can only spend Willpower on the clash roll if they’re both physically present and aware that two abilities are in conflict. Other supernatural creatures have their own dice pools for clashes, detailed in their respective books.
Long-lasting effects have a level of supernatural endurance, per
the following table.
Duration Modifiers
|
+1 |
Effect would last a night |
|
+2 |
Effect would last a week |
|
+3 |
Effect would last a month |
|
+4 |
Effect would last a year |