Infernum

[Jabberwocky]

Hi to everyone. I plan on starting an Infernum campaign but I have a couple of questions.
The biggest trouble of mine seem to be the random demonic mutations. What about them and let's say decievers or malcubi? Decievers should look perfectly human (aside from a small individual imperfection), it's their main trait, but how could they remain that way when there's a good chance of getting a second head, third arm, buzzing voice of flies or something like that in the course of the first random mutation? Ok, there's the chain of man but everybody can get it so where's the point in playing a deceiver?
Thx in advance for any useful info on this topic.

 

[DarrenK]

The random mutations are intended to give variation and uncertainty. The fact that demons can end up with mutations that seem out of concept for their breed is the whole point of having them.

You could always simply say that they are all chosen, but then half the fun would be lost.

One way might be to give a demon limited control over the process- for instance, when the D100 roll is made, let them decide which is tens and which is units AFTER the dice are rolled, giving two random mutations which the playwer can choose between.

Another thing to look at is the Reformation feat. This allows a demon to swap two existing mutations for any two other chosen mutations, and seems to be there for those occasions when a player gets a mutation that seems to negate his character concept.

As for deceivers- they aren't meant to spy on humans. They look human initially, but they will all mutate. The point of playing a deciever is to get the possession mutations, and be a scheming manipulator. Remember, the fact they look human to start with is just description, not the whole purpose of the breed.

And for Malcubi- they will always appear sexually attractive, regardless of their other mutations. It could be that if they get a cloud of flies, they will have irridescent, jewel-like wings and make fascinating patterns in the air. Also, demons might find things that mortals (i.e. us) consider repulsive a turn on...

As long as the numbers and game mechanics stay the same, a player should be able to describe the mutaions on a demon as whatever they desire. For instance, a Hulk with several links in the chain of Devouring rolls up the Torment chain as a random mutation. Instead of attaching the damned soul to its body, the player could declare that the Hulk swallows the soul, and the torture is inflicted as it works its way through the Hulk's innards. The rules do not change, just the description.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Well, yes, that sounds very reasonable. Thanks a lot. I am quite new to this setting so I don't know all the useful combinations I thought there would be a way but I didn't know it. If I run into any more confusion during the preparation of the campaign I'll post again.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Ok, that's me again. Today I have a question about sorcery and mortals. Demons are quite clear - they have their iliaster reserve which they can "burn" into rituals. But what about mortals? Can they draw upon their will to generate iliaster in order to spend it into a ritual? And does the limit for spending iliaster in one round still apply? Or do the mortals just have to use other sources of iliaster, i.e. bottled plasmic iliaster?

And another question, regarding fiends this time. Level III in the Chain of Fiend states that the fiend grows one category bigger and that "the demon counts as being one category bigger for the purposes of determining its armour class." How shall I understand that?
1) The same thing is said twice - the fiend just grows from medium to large.
2) The fiend grows from medium to large but due to its wingspan it counts even bigger when determining its AC (i.e. "huge" when counting the AC).
Which one is correct?

Thanx.

 

[Mongoose Gar]

Mortals can power rituals using their own will, but normally drink plasmic iliaster or use spells like Iliaster Drain or Energy Tap to boost their supply. The Mortal limit on spending iliaster doesn't apply to sorcery, just to the mortal abilities (altering fate, mainly).

As for Fiends, the second one is correct. A Large Field has a -2 (Huge size) penalty to AC, not -1 .

 

[Jabberwocky]

Thanks a lot. I didn't know (probably failed to notice when reading the rules) that mortals could drink plasmic iliaster and gain any benefits from it. Can they use such kind of iliaster for the purposes of altering fate?

And again on generating iliaster - mortals cannot retain the generated iliaster for long and lose it at a rate of 1 point per round. Does that mean, for example, that a 1st level mortal generates d6 points of iliaster but can use only a portion of it?
Example: Johnny the Mortal draws upon his will and manages to generate 6 points of iliaster. Being 1st level mortal Johnny uses 1 point of this pool next round but loses another one due to his inability to retain iliaster in the same round. The whole process is repeated twice more and Johnny can actually use only three points from his lucky roll.
True, or false?

 

[Mongoose Gar]

Mortals can use any sort of iliaster to alter fate, but are limited by their level as to how much they can spend in any one round. Drinking plasmic iliaster is possible for mortals, but it's really unpleasant and often leads to Corruption.

And yes, Johnny the 1st level mortal can't get the full benefit of the iliaster he produces.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Another one on mortals and iliaster - hellfire. "Mortals may immediately make a Will save as a free action to produce iliaster to refill their reserves; if the victim cannot produce enough iliaster to defend against hellfire, he suffers one point of Charisma or Constitution damage for every iliaster point he is short." - Book of the Damned, Page 190
What kind of iliaster generation is it? The same as with drawing upon one's will, i.e. d6 iliaster produced when successful? Or is it a normal Will save and for every point by which the DC is beaten there is a point of iliaster generated? Or is it counted the other way - every point by which the Will save is short (when unsuccessful) means one point of iliaster missing and therefore one point of ability damage?

 

[Mongoose Gar]

It's the 'generate 1d6 iliaster as normal for drawing on will' one. Hellfire is nasty against mortals.

 

[DarrenK]

I'm not sure that Mortals can actually consume any form of Plasmic Iliaster. I think that Mortals are limited to whatever Iliaster they can generate personally, and that only Demons can consume the stuff and absorb it.

However, look at the Sorceror's Brazier on page 180 of the Book of the Damned. This bowl allows a Sorceror to cast rituals using any Plasmic Iliaster placed into the brazier as if it was his own.

My reading of the rules would be that Mortals cannot consume Iliaster, and so Faustians will rely of a Sorceror's Brazier and bottled Iliaster for any ritual that they cannot power with their own Iliaster generation.

 

[Jabberwocky]

That's me again. Another bunch of questions from Central Europe

I do not understand the text on p. 191, Book I: "The cost of a shapeshift is increased by +1 per Physical mutation involved." What does that actually mean? Mutations that should be hidden by the shapeshift? Does this apply for any shapeshifting Mutations?

Free Cities: Is it possible to swear new Covenants within the walls of Free Cities? If not, why should Free City demons owe a rating 7 Covenant at the character creation (p. 59, Book I)?

Book III, p. 31: I can't help but notice that the text on Mortal Domains is incomplete (at least in my copy of the rules). Does anybody know how it should continue?

Thx for any useful info.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Hello. I would really appreciate if anybody answered me my previous questions. And I have another one. I can't understand the text on Half-Demons and Mutations right (Book II, p. 220). How and when can a half-demon get Mutations? Do they get only house/breed ones (i.e. at 1st, 4th, 7th etc. levels)? Or can they pick chosen ones at these levels which means that they get a random one after that? I can't puzzle the text out, expecially compared to the examples on the following pages. How can a 10th level half-demon have six mutations? If it followed the aforementioned scheme it would have only four. If it got house/breed mutations instead of chosen ones in addition to it, it should have seven. I just don't get the system :-(