TEXT:  
  
   
  Dead Inside:
  The Roleplaying Game of 
  Loss and Redemption 
  by Chad Underkoffler 
   
  Prose Descriptive Qualities (PDQ) System Design by: Chad Underkoffler 
  Interior Art by: Chris Cooper and Chad Underkoffler 
  Cover Artist: Steve Archer 
  Editor: Tom Schoene 
  Layout Consultants: Eleanor Justice & Tom Schoene 
  Layout: Chad Underkoffler 
   
  Playtesters & Peer Reviewers:  
  Bruce Baugh 
  Andrew Byers 
  Chris Cooper 
  Steven Ginzburg 
  Matthew Gaston 
  Rachel Goldsmith 
  Michael Hill 
  Eleanor Justice 
  Ben Liblit 
  Duane McInerney 
  Jason Morningstar 
  Jess Nevins 
  Roy Pollock 
  Matt Riggsby 
  Eric Rowe 
  Tom Schoene 
  Michael Sontchi 
  Jared A. Sorensen 
  William H. Stoddard 
  Chris Tate 
  David Tate 
  Richard Taylor 
  Paul Tevis 
  Beth Underkoffler 
  Jon F. Zeigler 
   
  Special thanks to Phil Reed for the phrase "dead inside": 
   it served as the seed for my supersaturated thoughts to crystallize around, leading to this book. 
   
  Visit the Atomic Sock Monkey Press website at < http://www.atomicsockmonkey.com > for more information on our games. 
  Visit Angelfall Studios at < http://www.angelfallstudios.com  > to see more of Steve Archer's artwork. 
   
  The Prose Descriptive Qualities (PDQ) System, all Dead Inside text, and the Dead Inside cover image is ©2004 Chad Underkoffler. 
  All Rights Reserved. 
  Interior Artwork is ©2004 Chris Cooper for pages (3, 4, 16, 18, 29, 31, 35, 37, 48, 50, 58, 61, 63, 70, 75, 85, 87, 93, 101, 103, and 114) and 
  ©2004 Chad Underkoffler for all other interior artwork. All Rights Reserved. 
  Except for purposes of review, no portions of this work may be reproduced by any means without the permission of the relevant copyright 
  holders. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity with actual people or events, past or present, is purely coincidental and unintentional. All 
  mentions of copyrighted works within the text are for reference purposes only and are not a challenge of copyright or trademark. 
  
   
  Table of Contents 
  ii 
  Introduction....................................................... iv 
   
  Chapter 1: Being Dead Inside ......................... 1 
  Discovering You’re Dead Inside........................................1 
  Why Are You Dead Inside?................................................1 
  Realizing You're Dead Inside .............................................2 
  What Is Being Dead Inside? ...............................................4 
  How Do I Stop Being Dead Inside?..................................5 
  The DI Cosmology....................................................................6 
  What Do the Dead Inside Do?.................................................7 
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World... 8 
  Two Worlds, No Waiting....................................................8 
  In the Real World.................................................................8 
  Strange Beings in the Real World ......................................9 
  Mystical Powers in the Real World....................................10 
  What About "Real" Magic or Psychic Powers? .........................11 
  Real World Machinations.........................................................11 
  Notable Locations in the Real World................................11 
  In the Spirit World...............................................................11 
  Mystical Powers in the Spirit World..................................12 
  Spiritual Geography.............................................................13 
  Spiritual Climate ...................................................................13 
  Spirit World Inhabitants......................................................13 
  The Imagos ...........................................................................14 
  Personal Imagos ...................................................................15 
  Collective Imagos.................................................................15 
  Special Imagos......................................................................16 
  What Do the Inhabitants of the Spirit World Do?....................17 
  The City.................................................................................17 
  Notable City Locations........................................................19 
  Who's Who in the City........................................................22 
  The Triangle Council...........................................................23 
  Spirit World Commerce ............................................................24 
   
  Chapter 3: Creating DI Player Characters ..... 25 
  Creating Your Character .....................................................25 
  Personality.............................................................................25 
  Backstory...............................................................................26 
  Soul Loss ...............................................................................27 
  Discovery...............................................................................27 
  Qualities.................................................................................28 
  Types......................................................................................30 
  Soul Point Pool.....................................................................31 
  Miscellany..............................................................................32 
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics..................... 33 
  Task Resolution....................................................................34 
  Dead Inside Master Chart...................................................34 
  Simple Situations..................................................................35 
  Complicated Situations........................................................35 
  Being Badass (Upshifts)............................................................35 
  Downshifts ...............................................................................36 
  Conflict Situations................................................................36 
  Being Lameass..........................................................................36 
  Initiative .................................................................................37 
  Moment of Truth..................................................................38 
  Time in Conflict........................................................................38 
  Damage ..................................................................................38 
  The Key to Understanding Conflict Abstraction..........................40 
  OPTIONAL RULE: Increasing Damage...............................41 
  Conflict Jazz ..........................................................................41 
  Conflict Strategies.................................................................41 
  Shift Accumulation ...................................................................42 
  Using Multiple Qualities in Situations................................42 
  Using a Quality Against Multiple Targets..........................42 
  Conflict Between Similar Personality Types .....................42 
  OPTIONAL RULE: Abstracting Conflict Further................42 
  Virtue & Vice ........................................................................43 
  Using Virtue...........................................................................44 
  Soul Points.............................................................................44 
  Spiritual Abilities & Powers in the Real World........................44 
  Gaining and Losing Soul Points .........................................44 
  Using Soul Points..................................................................45 
  Backsliding & Regression ....................................................46 
  Ensoulment and Husking....................................................46 
  Using Soul Points in Play.....................................................47 
  Spiritual Conflict.......................................................................48 
  Abilities & Powers Chart.....................................................49 
  Spiritual Abilities & Powers.................................................49 
  Example Enchanted Objects......................................................51 
  Conflict Example 1...............................................................55 
  Conflict Example 2...............................................................57 
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice ................................ 59 
  Deciding to Run a DI Campaign........................................59 
  What Power Level of Play?..................................................59 
  How Much Horror? .................................................................59 
  What Style and Genre of Play? ...........................................59 
  The Butt-Kicking Game: DI for Action-Adventure!...................60 
  Episodic, Miniseries, or Serial?............................................60 
  What Themes?.......................................................................60 
  What Setting Pieces Do You Wish To Use?.....................60 
  How Do I Recruit Players?..................................................61 
  Playing Dynamics..................................................................61 
  Open vs. Closed Games ......................................................62 
  One-on-one Play...................................................................62 
  Group Play.............................................................................62 
  Troupe Play ...........................................................................62 
  Helping Players Create Characters .....................................63 
  Talk About the Game Beforehand.....................................63 
  Comfort and Stretching in Characters...............................64 
  Refining Choices During Character Generation and After
  .................................................................................................64 
  Intrinsic Setting & Adventure Hooks................................64 
  Group Character Generation..............................................64 
  Skeptical Characters ("Scullys")................................................65 
  Multi-Type PC Groups........................................................66 
  Running the Game ...............................................................66 
  What's Going on in the Real World?.........................................67 
  DI Scenery .............................................................................68 
  Additional DI Locations...........................................................68 
  
   
  Table of Contents 
  iii 
  DI NPCs................................................................................69 
  Additional DI NPCs...............................................................70 
  The Imagos ...........................................................................70 
  Full-Time Imagos.....................................................................71 
  Immortality Options..................................................................72 
  Character Death.......................................................................73 
  Qlippoth................................................................................73 
  Spirit World Animals...........................................................74 
  Character Arcs & Goals ......................................................76 
  Sample Dead Inside PCs.....................................................77 
  Judging Soul Cultivation and Soul Decay .........................78 
  Virtues & Vices.....................................................................79 
  Calling for Virtue & Vice Checks...........................................79 
  Virtue & Vice Check Flowchart.........................................80 
  Ask Why................................................................................80 
  Ticks & Tallies in the Real World...........................................80 
  Sincerity & "Gaming the System"............................................81 
  Ticks, Tallies, & Circles.......................................................81 
  Cultivation Ticks ..................................................................82 
  Decay Ticks...........................................................................82 
  The Nasty-game: How to Be Eeeee-vil!......................................83 
  Awards & Penalties..............................................................84 
  Tally Tracking & Virtue/Vice Adjustment.......................84 
  The Shadow Knows.............................................................85 
  Hoarding & Squandering Soul Points ...............................85 
  Soul Point-Commerce Intersections..................................86 
  Adventure Design ................................................................86 
  General Principles................................................................87 
  Scenarios: Seeds, Scenes, and Skeletons............................88 
  Adventure Seeds .......................................................................89 
  Pre-Game Show ...................................................................90 
  Introductory Scenario Overview........................................90 
   
  Chapter 6: Glossary & Bibliography................ 91 
  Glossary.................................................................................91 
  Bibliography..........................................................................93 
  Non-fiction ...........................................................................93 
  Fiction....................................................................................94 
  Cartoons & Comics .............................................................94 
  Films & Television...............................................................94 
  Games....................................................................................95 
   
  Chapter 7: DI Introductory Scenario............... 96 
  Reminders ................................................................................96 
  Skeleton Overview...............................................................96 
  Entry Scenes .........................................................................97 
  RW1: Bill ...............................................................................97 
  RW2: Madame Lupino ........................................................98 
  Green Feathers .........................................................................100 
  RW3: The Glade...................................................................101 
  SW1: The Bridge of Souls...................................................102 
  Variable Scenes.....................................................................104 
  Crosstown Traffic ................................................................104 
  Set-piece Scenes....................................................................109 
  SW2: Meeting the Guide.....................................................109 
  SW2a: The Task....................................................................109 
  SW2b: Return to the Guide.................................................113 
  SW3: Lady Violet..................................................................113 
  SW4: The Quest....................................................................116 
  Endgame Scenes ...................................................................117 
  Quaternity Keep....................................................................117 
  The Maze ...............................................................................117 
  Tenemos Chapel ...................................................................118 
   
   
  Quick Reference Handout............................... 119 
  GM Record Sheet ............................................. 120 
  Character Sheet ............................................... 121 
  Advertisements................................................. 122 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  iv
  INTRODUCTION 
  Welcome to Dead Inside: the Roleplaying Game of Loss & 
  Redemption (or DI for short). This is the first game system 
  I've designed that I've felt is ready for prime-time. I hope 
  you enjoy it. 
  Why did I write DI?  
  The simple answer is that Phil Reed and I were talking 
  about working on a project together about two years ago, 
  the phrase "dead inside" popped out during our discussion. 
  The words and the concept took root in my mind, and grew 
  until it flowered into this book.  
  The complicated answer involves a personal challenge. That 
  is, I wished to see if I could write a roleplaying game (RPG) 
  on my own, which did all the things I wanted it to do. That 
  is, a rules light game that eliminates unnecessary randomness, 
  permits interesting randomness, encourages player choice 
  when appropriate, and – when choice is not appropriate for 
  a character in a situation– rewards player reactions and 
  performance. 
  A further part of the answer is that I wanted to strive 
  against what I see as a negative emphasis in many RPGs. 
  My perception is that a number of games can be summed 
  up in the phrase "Kill things and take their stuff." In 
  essence, they encourage murder, burglary, looting, and so 
  forth. I decided to turn the phrase around and make "Heal 
  things and give them your stuff" the core of my game. The 
  DI system encourages characters to act differently from a 
  typical RPG: generosity, courtesy, and compassion are 
  actually more effective than violence in most cases. 
  Also, I started to get really interested in the question "why 
  does the character do this?" rather than "what does the 
  character do?" DI is not primarily about succeeding or 
  failing in a task, but the reasons for and the manner in which 
  tasks are attempted. 
  Finally, I wanted PCs to have cool powers, to philosophize 
  within the game, and to pursue character growth.  
  I realize DI is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. That's 
  fine. It's a different sort of game than the lion's share of 
  those on the shelves, and it's meant to be out of the 
  ordinary. 
  I believe that every reader can get something out of this 
  book. At the very least, there are plenty of character and 
  location descriptions, adventure seeds and scenarios, and 
  neat philosophical ideas to think about. But for those that 
  embrace the concept and idiom of DI and run with it, I 
  know that they'll have a thought-provoking, challenging, 
  and fun gaming experience. 
  WHAT IS A ROLEPLAYING GAME? 
  While most people who are reading this book are familiar 
  with RPGs, I'd like this Introduction to give those unfamiliar 
  with the hobby a basic understanding of what they're 
  looking at. (Also, it gives me a chance to opine.) 
  RPGs can be described as an "improvisational radio 
  theater" game. 
  Theater because players take on the role of a character 
  (Hamlet, Bridget Jones, or a character they make up 
  themselves), while a Gamemaster (GM) takes the role of the 
  director and all the extras. 
  Radio because since there's only verbal descriptions of the 
  character, his actions, and the setting (GM: "The wind 
  blows softly through the trees. You're standing in a glade, 
  near a mossy fallen log.  Suddenly, a shot rings out!").  
  Improvisational because there is no set script: player 
  characters (PC) can try to do anything the player thinks is 
  appropriate (Player pretending to be Joe Racecar, Secret 
  Agent: "I jump behind the fallen log.")  
  The game part of an RPG comes in because there are rules 
  to determine if the character can successfully do what the 
  player wants him to do (GM: "Roll 2 dice. If you roll a 7 or 
  better, you can get behind the log before the sniper fires 
  again.") 
  Players "win" an RPG by having fun; in that way, it's no 
  different than playing poker for matchsticks or playing 
  charades to pass the time in an amusing fashion. The 
  journey is more important than the destination. 
   
  ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
  Chad Underkoffler is an editor for a telecommunications standards body by day and a freelance game writer by night. He's been gaming since 1981, to the 
  confusion of his family. His column "Campaign in a Box" appears bimonthly in Pyramid Online < http://www.sjgames.com/pyramid/ >, and he has written 
  material for Gamma World (Sword & Sorcery), GURPS (Steve Jackson Games), and Unknown Armies (Atlas Games). Chad currently lives in Alexandria, VA, with 
  his wife Beth and their two black cats. 
  ABOUT ATOMIC SOCK MONKEY PRESS 
  Atomic Sock Monkey Press is dedicated to high-quality, off-kilter, imaginative fun. Currently, that means tabletop games of both the "beer & pretzels" and roleplaying 
  game (RPG) varieties.  In the future, we may expand into other areas. For now, Atomic Sock Monkey Press is concentrating on games. 
  
   
  1 
  Chapter 1 
  Being Dead Inside 
  DISCOVERING YOU'RE  
             DEAD INSIDE 
  “It seems you have discovered your 
  unpleasant nature.” 
   – Stranger to John Murdoch, Dark City 
  Maybe you’ve never felt anything strongly: from the 
  day you were born, you rarely cried or laughed. 
  Interacting with other people was always difficult, 
  because you suffered a fundamental separation from 
  them. 
  Maybe you’ve always been “normal,” but one day 
  woke up feeling a raging hollowness inside. You don’t 
  know why or how, but now something important is 
  missing from you.  
  Maybe you’ve ground your spirit down to the nub in 
  pursuing your base desires, running from your fears, 
  drowning all that you found meaningful in excess. 
  Maybe you drove yourself beyond your limits, 
  attempting to do the impossible. You succeeded – 
  but it was too late. Despite your heroic efforts, 
  everything went to hell anyway... and it took part of 
  you with it.  
  Maybe you’ve purposefully sold what makes you you 
  to achieve your dreams of wealth, love, or power. 
  Once the euphoria of success wore off, your victory 
  tasted like ashes in your mouth.  
  Maybe everything has gone wrong since you lost 
  your lucky charm, the railroad pocket-watch your 
  grandfather gave you on his deathbed. The tick tick 
  tick of that watch got you through many long nights 
  of the soul – and now it’s missing, and with it, your 
  peace of mind.  
  You’ve realized something terrible has happened: the 
  scales have fallen from your eyes. At this moment, 
  the world is strange, dreamlike, and mutable. 
  Everything is in flux; anything is possible. You see 
  the monsters and magi, sinners and saints, angels and 
  demons who walk the streets with you. Rainbow 
  rings beckon – are they gates to heaven, hell, or 
  limbo? You feel empty, hollow, cold, hurt. Perhaps 
  you’re mad. Perhaps you’re saner than you’ve ever 
  been before. 
  You’re Dead Inside. What are you going to do about 
  it? 
  WHY ARE YOU DEAD INSIDE? 
  She said her name was Lucy, because she had the 
  sun in her eyes. I said my name was Michael, and 
  I’d love to row her boat ashore. She laughed. 
  We left the record store and had an ice cream, 
  all the while talking about music. I couldn’t stop 
  looking at her maple hair and suntan eyes. She 
  kept smiling; I kept smiling; we kept touching each 
  other lightly – on the hand, on the shoulder, on the 
  small of the back. 
  She came back to my place to hear the prizes of 
  my blues collection. We hadn’t even finished 
  listening to Ma Rainey’s “Black Cat, Hoot Owl 
  Blues” before we were kissing. By the time 
  Elizabeth Smith’s “Gwine To Have Bad Luck For 
  Seven Years” came on, we were half-naked on 
  the bed. 
  “Do you want me?” she asked, her eyes shining. 
  “Yes.” 
  “Would you like the best sex you’ve ever had, 
  right now?” The afternoon light turned the skin 
  above her bra buttery-yellow. 
  “Oh, yeah.” 
  “It’ll cost you.” 
  I quirked an eyebrow at her. “I thought you were 
  an architect?” 
  “Oh, I don’t want money. Just your soul.” She 
  laughed, a trilling of birdsong.  
  I thought it was a joke. “Oh, all right. Sure.” 
  And then everything was sweat and flesh and 
  friction and release and darkness. 
  God help me, I thought it was a joke. 
  
   
  CHAPTER 1: BEING DEAD INSIDE 
  2 
  Born Without a Soul 
  You have been cheated by fate. When you were 
  born, you didn’t get a soul. Whether due to falling 
  through the cracks of the mystical bureaucracy, or 
  maybe there just wasn’t enough soul-stuff lying 
  around at the time, either way – you got shorted. 
  This has made your life difficult, lonely, and 
  confusing. You have a strong intuition that if you 
  don’t change this state of affairs, it’ll even be worse 
  after you die.  
  Your Soul Has Been Stolen 
  Someone has cracked you open and scooped you 
  out, forcibly taking your spirit. Perhaps it was a 
  Mage, stealing your soul for power. Or another Dead 
  Inside, desperate to become whole, snatched it away. 
  Maybe a monster was hungry, and chowed down on 
  your soul as a midnight snack. Perhaps a baby was 
  born near you, and their fresh, new vitality ripped 
  away your loosely-held essence. In any case, 
  someone else has your inner self, and they won’t give 
  it up without a fight. 
  Your Soul Rotted Away 
  You wore away your spirit through chronic abuse. 
  Whether through greed, hypocrisy, malice, or other 
  soul-killing actions, you’ve emptied yourself of 
  meaning. Now you’re paying the price. When you 
  look in the mirror, you can see the Void yawning 
  behind your eyes. Will you continue down this road 
  to oblivion or try to regain what you have lost? 
  Your Soul Broke 
  You once did the impossible – found the overlooked 
  budget item that was draining your uncle’s company 
  dry, ran into a crossfire to pull your buddy to safety, 
  lifted a wrecked car off of a child – and it ended up 
  being all for naught: the company went bankrupt 
  anyway, your buddy died in triage, the child was 
  already dead. Something shattered inside you. You 
  are broken, and if you stay broken, only death 
  remains. You don’t want to die. You need to rebuild 
  yourself, but how? 
  You Sold Your Soul (Or Were 
  Tricked Out of It) 
  You voluntarily signed over your immortal soul in 
  return for money, power, goods, or services. It was 
  great at first, tooling around in your new Ferrari, 
  rolling around in hundred dollar bills, or dancing 
  with your trophy spouse. But soon, it was clear that 
  gaining your prize really didn’t make you happy like 
  you thought it would. Worse, because you lack a 
  soul, everything seems darker, stranger, less enjoyable, 
  more distant. You now realize your error and seek to 
  correct it. 
  You Accidentally Hid Your Soul 
  Somewhere 
  You unknowingly poured your essence into a 
  treasured thing – perhaps a childhood toy, a lucky 
  shirt, a security blanket, a favorite hobby, your first 
  lover, a perfect job, an intimate friendship. While you 
  held it, did it, or were in it, everything seemed safe, 
  warm, calm. Now it’s lost, and you feel like a piece of 
  yourself is missing. Somehow you know that if 
  somebody bad gets hold of your treasure (whatever 
  or whoever it is), you would be in danger: they could 
  use what you’ve put of yourself into the treasure 
  against you. You need to get back what you have lost 
  – first the treasure, then the soul. 
  REALIZING YOU’RE DEAD INSIDE 
  I woke up and felt like hell. I couldn’t even call 
  into the office and say I was sick. Lucy was gone. I 
  fell back asleep. 
  I woke up eight hours later feeling even worse. 
  Cold. Nauseated. Exhausted. It took fifteen 
  minutes, but I forced myself out of the bed and 
  stumbled to the bathroom. I needed aspirin, Pepto 
  Bismol, NyQuil, anything. That’s when I saw what 
  she had written on my mirror with her lipstick. 
  “It wasn’t a joke. Now I have your soul. Thanks, 
  Lucy.” 
  I looked past her rusty letters into my reflected 
  eyes. They looked dry, glassy, dead. Like I felt 
  inside. Dead inside.  
  The frozen chewing I felt in my chest made me 
  want to cry. My head hurt. My limbs felt numb. 
  Then, my reflection blinked. I watched its eyes 
  close. That means my eyes were open.  
  I’m going crazy, I thought. But my reflection 
  immediately shook its head no, then reached up 
  with a hand towards the mirror-pane. Both of 
  mine clutched the edge of the vanity. It extended 
  a finger, and was going to write on the glass. 
  My phone rang, and I jumped, knocking over a 
  can of shaving cream. I looked away, watching 
  the can fall, and when I looked back at the mirror, 
  
   
  CHAPTER 1: BEING DEAD INSIDE 
  3 
  my reflection simply mimicked my dulled 
  movements. 
  The phone stopped ringing after awhile, but my 
  reflection stayed the same, slavishly following my 
  movements. But its eyes told me it had something it 
  wanted to say, but couldn’t. 
  I’m going crazy, aren’t I? 
   
   
   
  Something woke you up, cluing you in.  Something is 
  terribly wrong with you: not a mental disorder, but a 
  spiritual loss. There are a number of ways this 
  revelation could have occurred: 
  − You knew from the get-go, but didn’t 
  believe. The lady with the cornflower blue 
  eyes even pointed out the “soul rider” in the 
  too-good-to-be-true sales contract for your 
  spiffy new sports car. You thought it was 
  some kind of joke... until you finished 
  signing your name. At that second, you felt 
  something rip in your chest. Right before 
  you passed out from the pain you saw the 
  knowing smile on her ruby red lips. 
  − You realized, slowly. First, you thought 
  your eyes were bothering you, what with all 
  the little flashes and images you caught out 
  of their corners. Next, you looked into the 
  mirror, and realized you felt exactly how you 
  looked: sallow, worn, and empty. You went 
  to church, and didn’t hear a word of the 
  sermon. You treated yourself to a movie, 
  chocolate, a new book, a Swedish massage – 
  and none of it brought you any happiness. 
  Then, you saw the dead man walk through a 
  solid wall, and no one else on the sidewalk 
  noticed. That’s when it started to fall into 
  place. 
  − You were told outright. Someone claiming 
  to be a psychic keeps calling and leaving odd 
  messages on your voicemail. “You’ve lost 
  your soul, but I can help you get it back.” It’s 
  got to be some sort of scam, right? Please let 
  it be a scam... 
  − You bumped your head. Ow. Now you see 
  Dead Inside people (and Ghosts, Zombis, 
  Sensitives, Mages, and...). 
  − You had a vision or dream. The nightmare 
  was different this time: instead of showing 
  up to school without your clothes, you 
  showed up without your bones. As you 
  slithered into Mrs. Beatty’s classroom like a 
  giant snail, you saw an address written on the 
  slate in vivid red chalk. As usual, the kids all 
  stared and pointed. But they didn’t laugh this 
  time, and neither did you, when you woke up 
  to find a piece of red chalk in your hand and 
  the same address scrawled on your ceiling. 
  You know you’re missing something inside, 
  but do you dare go to see if it’s at that 
  address? 
  − You woke up in the Spirit World (see 
  below). You’re not in Kansas anymore, 
  Toto. Hit the (yellow) bricks and start 
  figuring out what happened. 
  Feel free to mix and match! 
   
   
  
   
  CHAPTER 1: BEING DEAD INSIDE 
  4 
  WHAT IS BEING DEAD INSIDE? 
  “A living thing should either create or destroy 
  according to its capacity and caprice, but you, 
  you do neither. You only live on dreaming of 
  the nice things you would like to have happen 
  to you but which never happen; and you 
  wonder vaguely why the young lives about you 
  which you occasionally chide for a fancied 
  impropriety never listen to you and seem to flee 
  at your approach. When you die you will be 
  buried and forgotten, and that is all. The 
  morticians will enclose you in a worm-proof 
  casket, thus sealing even unto eternity the clay 
  of your uselessness. And for all the good or 
  evil, creation or destruction, that your living 
  might have accomplished, you might just as well 
  have never lived at all. I cannot see the purpose 
  in such a life. I can see in it only vulgar, shocking 
  waste.” 
   – Apollonius of Tyana, The Circus of Dr. Lao 
  Being Dead Inside means that – for one reason or 
  another – you lack a complete soul: all you have left 
  are the barest shards and fragments of a living spirit. 
  But what is a soul? Is this literally an immortal 
  essence living within your flesh, or merely a 
  metaphor for drive, meaning, personality, goals, joy, 
  socialization, or dreams? These are the questions 
  philosophers and neurologists ponder. 
  In DI, the soul is a mystical essence that is separate 
  from yet dwells within the body. It rarely interacts 
  with gross matter. It’s energy, impulse, willpower, 
  chi, force. It can be grown, wasted, burned, given, 
  traded, stolen.  
  When you lose too much of this energy, you become 
  Dead Inside. This means that there is hole in your 
  self that cannot be filled with anything for long; you 
  hunger deeply for something you can’t quite identify; 
  you’re gripped by an internal chill that cannot be 
  measured by any thermometer.  
   
   
  The world seems muffled behind a thick layer of 
  cotton, blurred through a cloudy pane of glass. It’s 
  difficult to feel a connection to anyone or anything. 
  Most social interactions are challenging because of 
  this distance. Most Average People – and most 
  animals – are uncomfortable, creeped-out, and 
  skittish around you. (Some canny Dead Inside take 
  advantage of this unease, and use it to gain positions 
  of authority, rank, or power.) You probably only 
  have one or two people you can communicate 
  enough with to call “friends.” 
  Furthermore, you’ve become vulnerable and open to 
  dangers and experiences most Average People are 
  blind to and armored against. You can sense ghosts, 
  receive visions of the future, and walk through Gates 
  to the Spirit World. You also have a deeper 
  understanding of what a soul is and how it can be 
  used to change yourself, your situation, and your 
  world. Unfortunately, now that you have the 
  knowledge, you lack the resources. If you could just 
  regain a soul, you could do incredible things…. 
  You feel an overwhelming urge to fill your 
  hollowness. This obsessive need shapes your words, 
  thoughts, and deeds. It nips at you when you’re busy, 
  
   
  CHAPTER 1: BEING DEAD INSIDE 
  5 
  and gnaws at you when you’re not. The lack of a soul 
  is like an itch in the middle of your back that you just 
  can’t scratch. The only thing that can stop the cold 
  wind whistling through that empty space is to put 
  some soul in there. 
   
   
   
  HOW DO I STOP BEING DEAD 
  INSIDE? 
   
  I ended up going to my shrink anyway; he gave 
  me some pills. Something about him reminded me 
  of a turtle, a clam, a jar of pickles with its lid 
  screwed tight. He was so blind he couldn’t see me 
  shattering inside. 
  The pills didn’t help. He told me to wait a month 
  until my body adjusted. I waited two, and they 
  still didn’t help. 
  I felt a transparent velvet curtain around me, 
  cutting me off from other people. There was a 
  wind blowing through my holes, making a low 
  whistle only I could hear. Inside, my heart was 
  cold all the time. Ninety degrees in the shade, 
  and I shivered while I sweated. I started wearing 
  a sweater everywhere; people just stared. I could 
  feel their eyes poking at me, drilling through me 
  like I was a wad of cotton. 
  Work was hell. I couldn’t talk to them anymore. I 
  didn’t get the jokes they told around the water-
  cooler and in the lunchroom like I used to. When I 
  tried to tell them about something I found funny, 
  all I got was blank stares and polite, noncommittal 
  smiles under eyes full of puzzlement and fear. I 
  took all my saved-up vacation; they were glad to 
  see me go.  
  I spent my time haunting the record store where 
  Lucy and I had met and laughed. She never came 
  back. 
  Who did show up was a skinny old man, stinking 
  of cheap cigars, who seemed to glow from within. 
  “You look like you’re in bad shape, kid.” He 
  scratched the graying toilet-ring fringe of hair 
  around his scalp. 
  I shrugged. “Yup.” My voice had been a 
  monotone for months.  
  He touched my cheek before I could turn away, 
  and he felt warm. My cheek felt warm, for the 
  first time in weeks. My eyes widened. 
  “I can help you find what was lost,” he said. “My 
  name’s Oskar. Pleezedtameetcha.” 
  I cried as he shook my hand. 
   
  Figure out how to (re)gain a soul: either get your 
  original back, or grow a new one. Finding the thief 
  will be difficult and dangerous, and growing a new 
  one is work, and just as hazardous – others will show 
  up and attempt to steal what you’ve managed to 
  gather together.  
  Here are some of the methods used to collect soul-
  energy:  
  Eat a Ghost 
  Ghosts (see Chapter 2) are dead souls lacking bodies, 
  holding themselves together through force of will. 
  Dead Inside are live bodies lacking a soul. By 
  capturing and eating a Ghost, a Dead Inside can 
  absorb some of that spirit into themselves – hey 
  presto, instant soul. However, chowing down on 
  Ghosts is a soul-rotting action – the eater is destroying 
  another’s soul-energy for selfish purposes, and that 
  carries a price.  Thus, it’s inefficient, as a chunk of 
  the Ghost’s soul-stuff decays during the process. It 
  also might transfer unwanted memories, personality 
  tics, urges, phobias, and fanaticisms of the spectral 
  victim to the consumer. 
   
  
   
  CHAPTER 1: BEING DEAD INSIDE 
  6 
  THE DI COSMOLOGY 
  Where Do Souls Come From? 
  At any one time, there is a finite amount of soul-stuff (or soul-blood, soul-power, spirit-force, essence, or a host of other 
  names) in the cosmos. When people die, their essence flows back to the Source (from the Real World via the Spirit World; 
  see Chapter 2) to melt and mix with all the other souls of the dead. When someone is born, a fraction of that spiritual 
  mixture is poured into them. This “undifferentiated reincarnation” may explain why so many people have past-life 
  readers telling them they used to be Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, or Napoleon: many people share bits of soul-energy that 
  once made up those famous people.  
  Unfortunately, as the global population grows, there’s less and less spirit-force per capita waiting to be doled out at each 
  instant, so more people are being born empty. Even in the past, when there was plenty of soul to go around, accidents 
  happened: people have always fallen through the spokes of the Wheel of Life and Death. But not in the numbers that 
  they do today. 
  However, the overall amount of soul-stuff in the cosmos can be increased though the actions of the living. Searching out 
  meaning, creating beauty, offering kindness, strengthening other souls you meet in your day – all have a positive effect. 
  Some say that cultivation of this energy is the purpose of the universe. 
  Unfortunately, essence can be destroyed: either by the cruel and injurious actions of the living within the cosmos or by 
  evanescing into the Void (which lies beyond the Real World). 
  Can I Visit The Source? 
  From the Spirit World, the Source lies to the uttermost West across the Sea. The souls of the dead are wafted that way 
  by unseen winds. None who have attempted to visit the Source bodily have ever returned. Perhaps they succeeded, 
  perhaps they failed, perhaps they’re still traveling. In any case, it’s one hell of an adventure. 
  Of course, you could just wait until you die. And it’s not like you haven’t been there before. 
  Where is the Spirit World? 
  Between the Real World and the Source. Whether this means they are arrayed in different dimensions or layered atop 
  one another at different vibratory rates or other such hoo-haw is irrelevant. What is important is that the Spirit World is 
  both the insulator and conductor between the pure energy of the Source and the gross matter of the Real World. 
  Where is the Void? 
  On the other side of the Real World from the Spirit World. It’s thought that the Real World is the outer shell of the 
  cosmos, protecting the Source from the emptiness of the Void. 
  Can I Visit The Void? 
  That’s definitely a one-way ticket, baby. The Void is what eats the universe.  
  How’s That Go Again? 
  Void ↔ Real World ↔ Spirit World ↔ Source 
  What Does a Soul Look Like? 
  Soul-stuff is invisible and intangible in the Real World, though those gifted with Second Sight may see it as a faintly 
  glowing transparent fluid and are able to manipulate it with effort. In the Spirit World, it is fully visible, slightly 
  viscous, and infinitely compressible. Some types of entity are composed entirely of soul-blood (like Ghosts, Free Spirits, 
  and Tulpas; see Chapter 2), and nearly all Spirit World transients and inhabitants can touch, manipulate, consume, 
  utilize, or even bleed soul-stuff themselves. Many seek out the soul-energy of others to fill their emptiness. 
  Is the Source God? If Not, Where’s the Divinity? How Did This All Start? 
  That answer is unknown at this time – and not for lack of people trying to discover it... for millennia. Sounds like a 
  worthy pursuit, doesn’t it? 
  In any case, many inhabitants of the Spirit World believe that the Source is indeed God, and also believe that the Voice 
  (see Chapter 2, Special Imagos) is the Voice of the Divine. Some folks believe that God stands outside of the cosmos, 
  watching – checking his lists of naughty and nice, or with the hands-off pride of an artist, or with the hands-on tinkering 
  of a clockmaker. Some people think the Source → Birth → Life → Death → Source cycle is merely a natural process. 
  Nobody has any convincing, objective proof for or against faith in the Divine. 
  Yet. . . Something or Someone started the Wheel of Life and Death turning. Make up your own mind. 
  
   
  CHAPTER 1: BEING DEAD INSIDE 
  7 
  Steal Someone Else’s Soul 
  While a dangerous and soul-rotting method, soul-theft 
  is a quick fix for the Dead Inside. Faster than soul-
  cultivation and more straightforward than interacting 
  with the Imagos (see below), stealing another’s spirit is 
  slightly safer than eating a Ghost (the stolen essence 
  of living beings carries fewer of the mental side 
  effects, unless the victim is of particularly strong 
  character or will). However, living beings strongly 
  resist having their souls being burgled and will fight 
  back. Also, as with eating a Ghost, some of the 
  stolen energy is lost because of soul-rot. 
  NOTE - Stealing back your own soul from a soul-thief is 
  not immoral or soul-decaying: while theft, it is you that is 
  being liberated.  
  Buy Your Soul Back 
  If you can find the guy you sold it to in the first 
  place, you can try to buy it back. Repurchasing your 
  soul is perfectly justified and won’t collect any bad 
  karma. However, finding the possessor of your 
  innermost essence will probably be difficult, possibly 
  even dangerous. Furthermore, the price of the goods 
  may have gone up (the buyer may want something 
  even rarer or more splendid to make the trade), the 
  buyer could’ve sold it to someone else already, or the 
  new owner simply refuses to part with it. Then 
  you’re back to square one. 
  Grow a New Soul 
  Soul-cultivation is the slow, steady, and safe path to 
  renewal. The soul you nurture through thoughts, 
  words, and deeds will not only unequivocally be your 
  own, but will increase the overall amount of soul-
  stuff in the cosmos, eventually benefiting all creation. 
  Some philosophers believe that growing more soul is 
  the purpose of the universe. However, cultivating 
  new soul means hard work, hard choices, and strong 
  faith, which is hard enough for ensouled Average 
  People, much less soulless Dead Inside. However, in 
  the Spirit World, soul-cultivation seems to be much 
  easier. 
  Interact With the Imagos 
  Some Average People interact in their dreams with 
  what Carl Jung called archetypes. This interaction can 
  help them integrate events in their external, physical 
  lives with events in their internal, psychological lives. 
  The Dead Inside can benefit from direct contact with 
  these archetypes (or Imagos) in the Spirit World. By 
  resolving issues, untangling puzzles, interpreting 
  their appearance (or absence), or pursuing quests 
  that the Imagos set before them, the Dead Inside can 
  strengthen their soul. However, the Imagos ask a 
  high price: the tasks they require are usually 
  confusing, dangerous, or unpleasant (sometimes all 
  three at once). In short, interacting with the Imagos 
  is forcing growth in a crisis. 
  Find & Break Your Soul Egg 
  If a soul is trapped in a physical object (also called a 
  Soul Egg), it can be released by breaking or destroying 
  that object. It can be risky, depending on who or 
  what took the Soul Egg, where the Soul Egg is 
  hidden, and what guards it. Also, the return on your 
  efforts might be small, since some (or all) of the soul 
  contained within the Egg may have been used by 
  whoever last held it. However, no matter how much 
  of the essence is left intact, it will be ready, waiting, 
  and eager to be poured back into the owner’s body.  
  Work With Other Dead Inside 
  “Many hands make light work.” That’s no less true 
  for the Dead Inside. Helping one’s companion(s) is 
  exceptionally rewarding: not only have you helped 
  another (re)gain something of vital importance, but 
  the act of helping is in itself a form of soul-
  cultivation. Furthermore, a grateful friend can help 
  you in your efforts to (re)gain a soul. But joining 
  forces with another Dead Inside means that you set 
  yourself against his enemies and share the dangers of 
  his search, in addition to the attentions of your foes 
  and the hazards of your quest. 
  WHAT DO THE DEAD INSIDE DO? 
  The Dead Inside strive. 
  They reach for meaning. They struggle for growth. They 
  seek a return of what has been lost. They cannot turn 
  away from their quest for a soul, because that would give 
  them time to dwell on the holes within. They must keep 
  moving, trying to fill themselves. 
  Because they know that if they die, the hollowness won’t 
  end – it will only become deeper, longer, and colder. 
  Without a soul, they cannot return to the Source. Death 
  will merely change them from a living body without a 
  soul to a dead body without a soul: a Zombi (see Chapter 
  2).  
  
   
  8 
  Chapter 2 
  The Real World and the Spirit World 
  TWO WORLDS, NO WAITING 
  “There is one spectacle grander than the sea, 
  that is the sky; there is one spectacle grander 
  than the sky, that is the interior of the soul.” 
   – Victor Hugo, Les Miserables 
  The setting of DI is split into the Real World and the 
  Spirit World. While the adventures of the strange 
  beings (see below) of DI begin in the Real World, the 
  Spirit World is where the real action is. Scenarios can 
  be set in either, as well as weirder places – like within 
  the dreams of a little girl, on the surface of a gigantic 
  dead god’s skull, or even inside a Soul Egg (see 
  below).  
  IN THE REAL WORLD 
  “This world is hard and cold,” said Oskar. “Most 
  folks don’t even recognize it, wrapped up in their 
  shells. Your shell is cracked now, and you can feel 
  the draft.” 
  I nodded. 
  He looked at me, and the glowing on him 
  intensified in his ice-blue eyes.  
  “Your name’s Michael, right? And hers was L... 
  Lucy.” 
  The look on my face must have combined the dual 
  shocks I felt: that he knew who I was, and that I 
  had the strangest feeling that I knew how he knew 
  – how he did it, I mean. How he Saw. 
  It was like he was full of electricity, and made it 
  move up into his head. I had an adolescent 
  memory wash over me of watching my dad shave. 
  The sudden connection, the eureka, the “so that’s 
  how you do it.” But I couldn’t. I didn’t have the 
  juice. 
  “No you don’t, Mike. Not yet,” Oskar confirmed 
  my thoughts. “But, if you struggle for it, do your 
  best, go all-out, while chasing that piece of you 
  that’s missing, you’ll get some juice.” He pulled a 
  fresh, if battered, cigar out of his jacket pocket, 
  bit off the end, and jammed it in his mouth. “I 
  know. I was where you are, once. Down in the 
  hole.” He fiddled with a safety match. “I can help 
  you out of that hole.” 
  Before I could say anything, a dead man walked 
  through the wall of the record store. We both 
  turned to watch the ghost float through the shop. 
  None of the customers saw the transparent figure. 
  I realized that they were blinded by their own 
  sufficiency and I had sight only because of my 
  lack. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man 
  gets a straightjacket instead of a crown. My voice 
  stuck in my throat, wriggling like a carnival 
  goldfish in a plastic baggie. 
  “Hey, Oskar.” The dead man waved as he 
  floated towards the wall opposite. 
  “Hey, Raymond. Staying out of trouble?” 
  “You know it.” The ghost laughed, then slid 
  through a wall-display into the Fashion Bug next 
  door.  
  “Let’s go outside. Then I can light this up. And we 
  can talk about what we can do for each other.” 
  I shrugged and followed Oskar out to the 
  sidewalk, where he lit his cigar. By the time we 
  had turned the corner into the alleyway, he was 
  merrily puffing away.  
  “Listen, Mike, I can take you somewhere where 
  things’ll be easier for you to get a handle on your 
  situation. In return, I need you to help me out a 
  little. Not that you don’t seem like a good kid, but 
  do-gooding don’t pay the landlord. I need an 
  extra pair of hands. You game?” 
  Why not? My voice squirmed free. “Sure.” Why 
  not?  Forced to choose between schizophrenic 
  hallucinations and the spectral dead, I chose to 
  believe in souls being sold for sex, serendipitous 
  psychics, and friendly ghosts. “What now?” 
  “Let’s go Outside,” he said, holding up his hands. 
  The glow on them intensified, and between them I 
  saw a rainbow circle, like when I used to play with 
  the garden hose instead of washing Mom’s car. 
  Oskar stretched his hands apart, and the ring 
  widened. “Step through the Gate, Mike. I’ll be 
  right behind.” 
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  9 
  I hesitated then, until I felt the breeze blowing 
  from the ring, fresh and clean and warm. 
  Comforting warmth. Not like the cold, cold world I 
  had awoken into since that night.  
  I stepped through the Gate. 
   
  The Real World is what you see outside your window, 
  mostly. There are some strange things scuttling in 
  the dark corners and under the bed, and most 
  Average People never brush up against them (they 
  are sealed against the strangeness because they 
  possess “just enough” soul-energy), unlike Dead 
  Inside (who don’t have enough soul-energy), 
  Sensitives (who have more than usual), and Magi 
  (who have a lot more). The Real World is sturdy and 
  solid, but spiritual (or magical, if you prefer) Powers 
  are weak there.  
  Imagine the level of environmental soul-power as 
  ambient temperature. The Real World is near 
  freezing. Average People are wearing parkas; the 
  Dead Inside are almost naked, shivering in their 
  BVDs. To those with spiritual senses, the material 
  world is bone-chillingly cold – yet another reason 
  why Dead Inside, Ghosts, and Zombis cross-over as 
  soon as they find a way. 
   
  Strange Beings in the Real World 
  Those with the gift of seeing – Second Sight – will 
  notice different types of beings lurking in the Real 
  World. Here’s some basic information on each type: 
  Average People: Average people – also 
  called the ensouled – are living bodies 
  with souls. To Second Sight, they 
  appear “solid” and “smooth.” They are 
  everywhere. 
  Unless 
  something 
  interferes, when the ensouled die, their 
  soul returns to the Source via the Spirit 
  World (which they cannot otherwise 
  enter). They are protected in large part 
  from most spiritual Powers and dangers because they 
  are stuffed full of their own soul; the outer layer of 
  their soul-blood hardens into a thick shell, leaving no 
  crannies for enemies to attack or openings to express 
  Abilities or Powers (see below and Chapter 4). They 
  are blind, deaf, dumb, and numb to the wonders that 
  walk among them daily. Still, a dedicated assailant 
  can crack their shell, and make an Average Person 
  into a Dead Inside. 
  Dead 
  Inside: 
  Dead 
  Inside 
  – 
  sometimes called the soulless – are living 
  human bodies lacking a complete soul. 
  Many have no idea why they feel so 
  lost, alone, wasted. Those which do 
  realize their deficiency either throw 
  themselves into searching for ways to 
  (re)gain a soul or squander what little 
  essence they have left following 
  momentary pleasures to ease the pain of their 
  existence. To the Second Sighted, they appear 
  “empty” and “jagged.” Found everywhere in both 
  Worlds, they have limited mystical Abilities and 
  Powers, powered by any soul-energy they manage to 
  scrape together (see Chapter 4). Often, this 
  combination of weak Powers and limited soul-blood 
  means that they cannot use these abilities in the Real 
  World at all. The Spirit World is more welcoming to 
  spiritual gifts, and more conducive to the soulless for 
  collecting soul-energy. Thus, once most become 
  aware of the Spirit World, they try to get there. If a 
  Dead Inside regains his soul, he becomes a Sensitive; 
  if he loses the last dregs of his essence, he becomes a 
  Qlippoth (see below, Spirit World Inhabitants). When a 
  Dead Inside dies without regaining a soul, he 
  becomes a Zombi. 
  Ghosts: A Ghost is a dead soul, lacking 
  a body. All Ghosts feel an internal call, 
  urging them to rejoin the Source, but 
  they are too attached to individual 
  existence, to memory, to unfinished 
  business. They squat and dig in, 
  standing fast against the pull through 
  force of will, until they either resolve 
  their issues or lose their grip on unlife. 
  They are the favored prey of Zombis, and avoid 
  them if possible. To Second Sight, Ghosts are 
  “transparent” (and they cannot usually be seen by 
  Average People at all). Ghosts are insubstantial in the 
  Real World, but possess several Abilities and Powers. 
  In the Spirit World, they gain a modicum of 
  substance, similar to gelatin. If a Ghost is “killed,” its 
  hold on the world slips, and it immediately goes to 
  the Source. If eaten, the Ghost’s energies are 
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  10 
  incorporated into the consumer. (Sensitives who die 
  become Ghosts.)  
  Magi: Magi are living bodies with a 
  double-soul, which means they have 
  substantially more spirit-energy than 
  Average People or even Sensitives. 
  They utilize soul-blood (their own and 
  sometimes the essence of others) to do 
  magic. A Mage can also be known as 
  shaman, 
  warlock, 
  druid, 
  sorcerer, 
  medicine man, witch, necromancer, 
  wizard, enchantress, smith, bard, priestess, marabout. 
  The Second Sighted see Magi as “dense” and 
  “burnished-bright,” and will also notice that many 
  Magi do not cast a shadow. They have a wide range 
  of powerful abilities, can be incredibly durable, and 
  are known to pursue True Immortality. Most Magi 
  reside entirely in the Spirit World, since their magic is 
  more powerful there, though some visit the Real 
  World regularly. If a Mage is killed, he splits into two 
  beings – a Ghost and a Zombi. Rumor claims that 
  reuniting these two entities allows the Mage to come 
  back to life; however, out of the other side of its 
  mouth, Rumor mentions catastrophic explosions of 
  soul-power if the “siblings” come into contact. 
  Sensitives: 
  Sensitive 
  are 
  living 
  humans with more than the usual 
  share of soul. This gives them special 
  insight into the nature of the Spirit 
  World. Some Sensitives are born, 
  others are made: if a Dead Inside 
  regains his soul, he will be a Sensitive 
  henceforth. Only Sensitives can learn 
  the secrets necessary to become a Mage. To those 
  with Second Sight, they appear “thick” and “dimly 
  glimmering.” In the Real World, they are seers, 
  mediums, channellers, fortunetellers, and psychic 
  healers. In the Spirit World, they are the average 
  commuting citizen, with business and personal 
  connections with other entities. Sensitives have a 
  number of Abilities and Powers they can draw upon. 
  Since these Powers are hampered by resistance in the 
  Real World, many save their soul-energy to use solely 
  in the Spirit World. When a Sensitive dies, he 
  becomes a Ghost. 
  Zombis: Zombis are dead bodies 
  lacking souls. Most Zombis get out of 
  the Real World as fast as possible. They 
  do not decompose as quickly in the 
  Spirit World. If they cross-over, they 
  have virtual centuries of unlife to spend 
  shambling around, pursuing their private 
  interests without undue interference 
  from the ensouled. Zombis appear 
  “washed with gray” to Second Sight and speak in a 
  monotone. Not mindless hulks, Zombis are 
  exceptionally strong and smart – they have no 
  emotions, no prejudices, no soul to get in the way. 
  They retain the barest sliver of spirit-force that keeps 
  them animate and well-preserved. They eat Ghosts, 
  Free Spirits, and Tulpas to fuel their their Abilities 
  and Powers. A Zombi drained of his last animating 
  spark while in the Spirit World becomes a Qlippoth; 
  if this is done in the Real World, he simply falls over, 
  lifeless. If physically destroyed in the Spirit World, 
  his spark flies back to the Source, and his body dries 
  and decomposes at great speed. (Dead Inside 
  become Zombis when they die.)  
  Mystical Powers in the Real World 
  Mystical abilities operate against a lot of resistance in 
  the Real World. Whether this resistance is caused by 
  the disbelief of Average People, gross matter acting 
  as a “spiritual insulator,” lack of ambient soul-energy, 
  or something inherent in the fabric of the Cosmos is 
  unknown. Increased resistance means that a greater 
  amount of soul-blood must be “burned” to cause the 
  magic to happen; furthermore, mystical talents are 
  harder to use in the Real World. For most Dead 
  Inside and Sensitives – and even many Magi – the 
  higher cost and reduced chances of success means 
  that they reserve their wonder-working to the Spirit 
  World. The only abilities that do not seem to suffer 
  in the Real World are those of Second Sight and 
  Open Gates (but only to the Spirit World; see 
  below). Also, while a few rare enchanted items 
  (especially those with “invisible effects”) function 
  exactly as intended in the Real World, most do not.  
   
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  11 
  WHAT ABOUT “REAL” MAGIC OR 
  PSYCHIC POWERS? 
  Like astral projection, crystal reading, astrology, ESP, 
  chaos magick, Reiki, Tarot, etc.? 
  They don’t work. Period. 
  However, characters in a DI campaign can know all 
  about them and “use” them, so long as they operate as 
  they do in the Real World as we understand it: vaguely 
  and with limited impact.  
  The real deal is the Abilities and Powers noted in 
  Chapter 4. Characters who are not Average People may, 
  in fact, be using these Abilities and Powers effectively in 
  the Real World, but are misattributing the source of 
  those effects: it don’t come from no crystal, it comes from 
  them. 
  REAL WORLD MACHINATIONS 
  Most Types of character in DI have access to great 
  power, security, safety, and the basic necessities in the 
  Spirit World. Plus, Powers are harder to use in the Real 
  World. For these reasons, many characters tend to stick 
  to the Spirit World, leading to a negligible “magical” 
  subculture in the Real World (but see Chapter 5 and the 
  upcoming supplement Cold, Hard World). 
  Notable Locations in the Real World 
  for the Dead Inside 
  While on the whole, the Real World is pretty firm, 
  there are a number of sites where the boundary 
  between it and the Spirit World softens. In these 
  places, it is easier to access spiritual forces and 
  perform magic. Some of these places include: 
  Gates:  Gates appear as free-floating circles of 
  rainbow light. One may pass bodily through them, 
  passing from Real World to Spirit World and back. 
  Natural Gates open in a regular cycle of times and 
  places; artificial Gates can be opened anywhere, at 
  any time. 
  In-Between Places and Times: The bank of a 
  river, the shoulder of a road, or the shore of a lake. 
  Dusk and dawn. Midnight. Noon. 
  Rites of Passage: Baptisms, birthdays, puberty rites 
  (Confirmations, 
  Bar/Bat 
  Mitzvahs), 
  weddings, 
  ordinations, funerals. 
  Haunted Houses: Some creepy old houses become 
  suffused with spirit energy from heavy Ghost traffic 
  or other mystical events. Sometimes, even Average 
  People can see Ghosts in these places. 
  Sacred Geometry, Indian Burial Grounds, and 
  Feng Shui: If you build it, power will come. 
  Cathedrals, temples, the sanctuaries of the Sensitive 
  may have been consciously built to collect soul 
  energies, or were unconsciously erected over areas 
  already soaking in them. 
  Places of Loss and Suffering: Funeral homes, 
  some parts of hospitals, accident sites – escaping 
  souls and/or the presence of numerous Ghosts and 
  Zombies weaken the walls between worlds. 
  Places of Joy and Delight: Nurseries, schools, 
  museums, some parts of hospitals, musical halls, 
  theaters – any place full of laughter, love, and life – 
  can punch right through the terminator. However, 
  such penetration tends to be short-lived and 
  localized, in contrast to the more languid and 
  sprawling effect of the Places of Loss and Suffering. 
  IN THE SPIRIT WORLD  
  Through the rainbow Gate stood a forest. A Robin 
  Hood forest, big trees and adventure. Afternoon 
  sun slanted through the trunks and lit everything 
  up nice. The leaves carpeting the forest floor did 
  not match the trees above.  
  I didn’t care. I felt better than I had in months just 
  being there. 
  “We are in the Spirit World now,” said Oskar. 
  “We are in the Wood.” 
  “Why?” I asked. Branches creaked in the breeze. 
  A squirrel chattered nearby. The tightness in my 
  shoulders eased. 
  “I need to gather blood-berries for a Mage in the 
  City. You’re gonna help me pick ‘em and carry 
  ‘em back.” He pulled a handful of plastic grocery 
  bags out of his pants pocket and handed me a 
  few. “Then we’re going to try and find out 
  something about your soul-thief, Little Miss Lucy.” 
  We walked a long time. The air smelled like oak, 
  pine, cedar. Birds sang. Oskar talked.  
  He told me about growing up in Mobile, 
  Alabama, rich and mean. He told me about the 
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  12 
  cars, the women, the booze, the drugs. He told me 
  how he ground into powder his inheritance, his 
  family name, and his very soul. He told me about 
  the woman who saved him: a woman named 
  Violet. She taught him how to grow a new soul to 
  replace the one he’d squandered. 
  “She was a Sensitive then -- like I am now -- but I 
  was Dead Inside at the time. Now she’s a Mage, 
  I’m a Sensitive, and you’re the Dead Inside, Mike.” 
  “Was it hard? Growing your soul?” I asked. 
  “Yes,” he said simply.  
  Oskar pointed at some bushes, gleaming with 
  sapphire fruit the size of a kiwi. “Blood-berries. 
  Their skins are blue, but their flesh is crimson. They 
  also taste like hell.” We started picking. 
  “God only knows what she needs ‘em for. But she 
  needs ‘em for something. It’s none of my concern.” 
  He stopped picking, his fingers stained red. “This 
  isn’t a patch on what she did for me, Mike. 
  Nothing I can do, for the rest of my life, adds up 
  to how she helped me. All I can do is pay it 
  forward by helping you. And, if you make it, if 
  you get your soul back or build a new one out of 
  your pieces, you can do the same.” 
  “All right,” I said, and kept picking. The bags 
  were almost full when a question occurred to me. 
  “Oskar, why doesn’t Violet come here and pick 
  these berries herself?” 
  He started tying off his last bag of fruit. “Things 
  prowl around these bushes. Dangerous things, at 
  least to people with a lot of power. I don’t have 
  much to speak of” – I thought of the rainbow ring 
  – “and you’re pretty well empty. So it should be 
  safe for. . .”  
  His voice trailed off, his eyes widened, and his 
  hands dropped the bag. His mouth worked twice 
  before he said, “Run!” 
  “What is it?” I asked, turning to look behind. 
  A giant eyeball with a radioactive green iris 
  hovered over a nearby bush. It was staring at us. 
  Malevolently. 
  “It’s one of the Eyes of the Dead God. The other 
  one can’t be far away.” Oskar pulled at my 
  shoulder and set me on a path. “Run! Make for 
  Wyld Park! Follow the dead branches of the 
  pines. Go!”  He pushed me. I ran. 
  I looked back to watch him snatch up the fallen 
  bag and wave it crazily in front of the Dead 
  God’s Eye. He was teasing it. Luring it down the 
  other path. Away from me. 
  I ran, looking for dead branches. 
   
  The Spirit World is Elsewhere. Some people call it the 
  Astral Plane, others the Dreamlands, still others the 
  Collective Unconscious. It is jam-packed with 
  wonders and horrors, dreams and nightmares, 
  monsters and magic. It is mutable and mercurial. 
  Soul is strong here.  
  To the Dead Inside, the Spirit World is quite 
  attractive. It feels warmer. Social interaction doesn’t 
  seem so difficult. They feel a stirring deep inside, as 
  if their hearts were beginning to beat again. It feels 
  good to breathe; the air fairly crackles with potential. 
  Each and every choice feels more consequential, 
  more meaningful, more dynamic. There are wonders 
  and mysteries around every corner. In the Spirit 
  World, they can save themselves. And the cherry on 
  top is that they get magic Powers (see Chapter 4). 
  What’s not to love? 
  Does one day in the Spirit World equal 
  one day in the Real World?  
  Sometimes. 
  Sometimes not. 
  Do Animals and Plants Have Souls? 
  Maybe. 
  Maybe not. 
  Mystical Powers in the Spirit World 
  Most Types of being in DI possess Abilities and 
  Powers. 
  Abilities are things that they can just do by virtue of 
  being opened to the flow of soul-energy. Examples 
  include seeing soul-energy, prophetic visions, 
  navigating 
  the 
  ever-changing 
  landscape, 
  and 
  absorbing soul-blood from other entities (see Chapter 
  3 and Chapter 4 for further details). 
  Powers are more potent capabilities, which require the 
  expenditure (called “burning”) of soul-energy to 
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  13 
  work. Some examples are healing wounds, increasing 
  luck, and guarding against another being’s Powers. 
  There are many others, but these are the most 
  ubiquitous among the Dead Inside (see Chapter 4 for 
  more details). 
  Spiritual Geography 
  In the center of the Spirit World sits the City, 
  bounded on all sides by strange landscapes. To the 
  east lies the Wood, full of huge trees older than Time 
  and the rich aromas of the forest. To the south, the 
  arid Waste opens up to the horizon, dappled with 
  sands of a thousand colors. To the west lies the Sea, 
  with sweet gray-green waters and foam-capped 
  waves. To the north, the Mists cloak all in cottony 
  fogs; distant mountain peaks bob up and down 
  through (on?) the cloudy canopy. 
  Strange flora, fauna, and folk walk these lands. Some 
  are species from the Real World who have 
  accidentally or on purpose crossed through a Gate. 
  Some are Free Spirits, tired of their existence of play 
  (see below), who have settled down for a long 
  “vacation” as an animal or plant. Others are the 
  victims of the powerful, trapped in a form not their 
  own. 
  Be warned, however: the wise traveler in the Spirit 
  World sticks close to the City, unless it is necessary 
  to seek out the hidden secrets and eerie wonders of 
  the untamed regions. These treasures are protected 
  by fell guardians. 
  Spiritual Climate 
  “The whole world is a circus if you know 
  how to look at it.” 
   – Dr. Lao, The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao 
  The countryside is not solely physical – it is 
  metaphysical, too. The Spirit World is the Astral 
  Realm, 
  the 
  Golden 
  Land, 
  the 
  Collective 
  Unconscious, the Kingdom of Sleep. Depending 
  upon the mental and emotional state of the viewer, a 
  rock is not simply a piece of stone, it is also a psychic 
  weight, a symbol of something, an obstacle, or a tool. 
  While the nature of Spirit World terrain doesn’t 
  change, the aspect and interpretation of it does. 
  All is suffused with a dreamlike patina; landmarks 
  and vistas shift and change as one watches. For 
  example, while the Wood always remains the Wood, 
  it can range from a parkland full of shady lanes and 
  sighing trees to a monsoon-wracked jungle of 
  tangled undergrowth. Likewise, the Sea can shift 
  from calm sun-speckled rolls to brutal, icy breakers. 
  The undulating sands of the Waste lazily drift into 
  dunes one second, and flense skin away from bone 
  in the next. The Mists roil, becoming acidic black 
  smoke that swallows the unwary forever, then 
  changes into perfumed haze, swathing the landscape 
  in gauzy drowsiness. 
  Spirit World Inhabitants 
  The Spirit World flickers as entities circulate within 
  it. Dead Inside, Sensitives, Magi, and stranger beings 
  wander, freed of the fetters of the Real World.  
  In addition to the transient inhabitants mentioned 
  above, there are a few beings that rarely enter the 
  Real World, preferring to stay in the Spirit World. 
  These include: 
  Free Spirits: Tulpas (see below) who 
  have won freedom from their creators 
  become Free Spirits. They are a twist 
  of 
  soul-power 
  with 
  will 
  and 
  personality; as such, are prey for any 
  who hunger for essence. They strive 
  to improve themselves, to become 
  whole, so that they will feel the call of 
  the Source as Ghosts do, and be drawn across the 
  Sea to whatever new life awaits. They can appear in 
  almost any shape and size throughout the Spirit 
  World; Second Sight may reveal their hidden talents 
  and abilities. They have many of the same abilities 
  that Ghosts do, but are neither alive or dead. If a 
  “killed,” a Free Spirit evaporates; if eaten, the Free 
  Spirit’s energies are incorporated into the consumer. 
   
  Imagos: Imagos are mysterious entities, 
  in many ways unlike other Spirit World 
  inhabitants. Their nature is not clearly 
  understood (see below).  
   
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  14 
  Qlippoth: Human-shaped nothings, 
  black holes of soulnessness, Qlippoth 
  hate 
  everything. 
  They 
  wish 
  the 
  destruction of the Source itself, in 
  order to end their suffering. They are 
  husks of what they once were, and 
  hunger for the bright light of others to 
  fill their darkness. They glide through 
  the shadows of the Spirit World like demonic sharks, 
  keening as they stalk prey – and to the Qlippoth, all 
  other beings are prey. They consume entire souls, 
  seeking the peace brought as the consumed essence 
  momentarily chokes their funnel-like being, easing 
  the agonizing pull of the Void. But it never lasts – 
  and they must feed again. All others revile them as 
  abominations. Some Qlippoth may temporarily 
  disguise themselves as Dead Inside while hunting; 
  Second Sight will reveal their true horrific nature. 
  Their other Powers are shrouded in mystery.  If a 
  Qlippoth is destroyed, the hole in the cosmos it 
  represents fills in and smooths out. 
  Tulpas: A shard of soul, given mild 
  intelligence and limited independence, 
  Tulpas are the servants and messengers 
  of the Spirit World. Wearing whatever 
  fantastic shape their maker sculpted 
  them in, Tulpas flit about, doing their 
  master’s bidding. Tulpas appear exactly 
  the same to Second Sight as they do to 
  normal sight, but share many of the same abilities as 
  Ghosts. Those which somehow gain their liberty 
  become Free Spirits. Like a Ghost, they can be eaten 
  to absorb their soul-energy. If destroyed in any other 
  way, they evaporate. 
  THE IMAGOS 
  When running from the giant Eye of a Dead God, 
  it’s difficult to tell the type of tree a dead branch 
  hangs from. 
  I got lost. Real lost. Real damn lost. The trees 
  seemed closer together; the path, more twisting 
  and root-hurdled. The sun was setting in front of 
  me, red-gold and huge. I thought of the Eye, and 
  shuddered.  
  I stopped and kneeled at a brook in my path. Its 
  cool, glassy waters refreshed me. Maybe I should 
  wait here, in case Oskar got away from the Eye. 
  The voice that then spoke came from the brook. 
  “Michael, you can’t stay here.” 
  I looked around, and saw nothing. I looked into 
  the waters, and nothing was there. Nothing but my 
  own reflection looking up at me. 
  “Michael, the Eye will be back here after dark. 
  We have to go.” 
  “Who are you?” 
  My reflection’s lips moved, mouthing the words I 
  heard in my head: “I’m your Shadow. Look behind 
  you.” 
  I turned, and saw the setting sun had painted my 
  outline against a tree trunk. My Shadow lifted its 
  hand and waved, while my hands still cupped 
  water. All right. I turned back to the brook and 
  my Shadow’s face. Good-looking guy. 
  “Listen,” he said. “Go upstream until you find the 
  pine on the west bank. It’s not far. Go in the 
  direction the dead branch points. You’ll be in 
  Wyld Park before you know it. But get out of 
  there before it gets dark.” 
  “How do you know all this? Didn’t we just get 
  here?” 
  My Shadow’s face smiled. “You just got here, 
  Michael. I’ve always been here.” 
  I stood up, hoisted my bag of blood-berries, and 
  walked upstream. 
  Are they forgotten gods, dreams that have broken 
  away from their dreamers, sapient and mobile 
  outcroppings 
  of 
  the 
  Spirit 
  World 
  itself, 
  conglomerations of hazy memories, angels or 
  demons, personified archetypes of the Collective 
  Unconscious, or the projections of a godhead from 
  beyond the Horizon? Or are they common patterns 
  that all entities formulate? A cloak that anyone can 
  don at need?  
  Whatever they are – divinities, supercharged Ghosts, 
  animate elements of the Spirit World, fusions of 
  human memories, or the effect of pattern-matching 
  and cognition on unconscious instincts – the Imagos 
  act as guardians, guides, and obstacles for the 
  denizens of the City. They can offer knowledge or 
  block understanding, point the way or cloak 
  necessary secrets. The real difficulty is discerning 
  whether someone is an Imago or not… 
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  15 
  They are usually called by need; sometimes by 
  invocation. But they appear only when they must. 
  (Which, in the Spirit World, is pretty often.) 
  The eyes of an Imago twinkle and glitter with their 
  own light; the Second Sighted can identify their 
  precise nature with some effort. If “killed,” they 
  vanish, only to return at a later time. Something so 
  fundamental cannot be destroyed. 
  Personal Imagos 
  Personal Imagos are part of (or a projection of) the 
  vital nature of a being.  Everyone has their own set 
  of personal Imagos. 
  Anima/Animus/Syzygy: The Anima is the female 
  aspect of the male’s unconscious, while the Animus is 
  the male part of the female’s. Together, they are 
  called Syzygy. The anima or animus is one of the 
  primary guides (along with the Wise Old) for 
  understanding the cosmos and the nature of desire. 
  They’re also responsible for a being’s relationships, 
  especially romantic ones. Coming to terms with the 
  Syzygy is a key part in transforming from a Sensitive 
  into a Mage. 
  Shadow: The animal part of a being’s unconscious. 
  Sometimes bestial or primitive, at other times 
  graceful and refined, the Shadow is usually 
  concerned with simple instincts and drives: hunger, 
  sexuality, activity (play), reflection (curiosity), and creativity 
  (making). Note that these drives are at the level of 
  physical urges (e.g., the Shadow represents being 
  horny, where the Anima represents a longing for 
  friendship, love, and romance).  
  This Imago often serves as a collection point for all 
  of the feelings and impulses termed the “dark side” 
  or “evil” – when someone’s soul-energy is lost to 
  soul-rot, his Shadow gains it and becomes stronger. 
  But the Shadow is in truth neither good nor bad, just 
  amoral. It is primarily concerned with survival and 
  appetite, with few cares outside of those two drives. 
  It can lend a being power in pursuit of these two 
  goals, and aid him with advice for survival, sating of 
  appetites, and gaining more power, to its utmost. 
  After all, the more powerful the being, the more 
  powerful their Shadow has the potential to be. For 
  these reasons, the Shadow is often perceived as 
  negative, since it represents aspects of a person that 
  he’s not comfortable admitting to. Conquering the 
  Shadow is the goal of the Mage, and leads to True 
  Immortality. 
  Collective Imagos 
  The following Imagos are images and archetypes 
  held collectively, shared by many.  Unlike personal 
  Imagos, which can be different for everyone, a single 
  set of collective Imagos may be shared among 
  friends and associates. 
  Child: Children usually represent the irrevocable 
  past, the approaching future, rebirth, and salvation; 
  particularly 
  negative 
  depictions 
  may 
  illustrate 
  alienation, self-pity, or feelings of abandonment. May 
  be united with the image of the Maiden, a symbol of 
  purity, innocence, and naiveté. They appear as signs 
  or warnings, hints to deeper usually unknown truths. 
  Father, Mother, and Family: The Father generally 
  represents authority and willingness to become part 
  of a structure for men; for women, the Father is a 
  spur to lively intellectual and spiritual pursuits. The 
  Father offers decisive convictions, prohibitions, and 
  wise counsel; it is also connected to the Animus. The 
  Mother corresponds to feelings of nurturing, as either 
  the search for such support, or the feelings of 
  intimacy in such a relationship. The Mother also has 
  a strong connotation of sexuality, which can be 
  exacerbated to extremes in either direction – 
  lecherousness or frigidity. It is also connected to the 
  Anima. The Family in toto (sometimes incorporating 
  the Child) illustrates hidden ties and relationships 
  that are deeper and more important on a spiritual 
  level than what may be realized consciously. They 
  appear in times of need related to structure. 
  Trickster: 
  The 
  Trickster 
  symbolizes 
  those 
  tendencies that the individual finds ambivalent or 
  mercurial, rather than amoral or reprehensible (like 
  the Shadow). Often clownish, the Trickster causes 
  trouble – and when that trouble is dealt with, it 
  might lead to enlightenment through a series of 
  “happy accidents” or “meaningful coincidences” 
  (synchronicity). He is both sub- and super-human, 
  monster and god, fool and wise one, male and 
  female; thus, the Trickster may be related to the 
  Syzygy. The Trickster appears when extreme risks 
  must be weighed. 
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  16 
  Wise Old (Graybeard/Crone): Generally an aspect 
  of the individual’s Anima or Animus, the Wise Old 
  represents wisdom, meaning, and revelation of the 
  unconscious to the subject. The Wise One unearths 
  lessons for study and poses questions to be 
  answered. Usually, a man learns such lore from a 
  Crone, while a woman learns from a Graybeard, but 
  this is not a hard and fast rule – the situation 
  depends strongly on the individual’s relationship and 
  understanding of their own Anima/Animus/Syzygy.  
  SPECIAL IMAGOS 
  Special Imagos are those that seem to impinge from 
  either outside a person’s experience, or from deep 
  within it. They are odd, seemingly both incredibly 
  personal yet somehow separate. They are thus 
  worthy of individual discussion. 
  The Voice 
  First and foremost: what the Voice says cannot be 
  disputed. Whatever it says is true; the Voice cannot 
  lie. Its commands revolve around what one needs to 
  do, as opposed to what one wants or thinks they 
  should do. The listener can choose not to listen or 
  ignore the dictates of the Voice, but this course of 
  action rarely ends well. The Voice speaks only when 
  it’s most needed, not when it’s most convenient. It 
  could come from a phone, a television monitor, a 
  public address speaker, the sighing of the wind 
  through the trees; it may slide through a confessional 
  screen, hiss up through a steam vent, or boom down 
  from a thunderstorm. The Voice is always audible, its 
  speaker always hidden, and is always strangely 
  familiar. When asked to identify itself, it is always 
  evasive. Is it the voice of conscience? The 
  unconscious? God? Its nature is unknown, but its 
  advice is always sound. 
  The Nemesis 
  An unfortunate number of City dwellers have a 
  Nemesis – an individual who opposes them at every 
  turn. The Nemesis is the player on the other side of 
  the chessboard of a being’s life. Its fondest wish is to 
  see its enemy humbled, hurt, thwarted, destroyed. It 
  circles, waiting for weaknesses to exploit. 
  For the Dead Inside, their Nemesis is often the 
  person who has stolen their soul or who opposes 
  their attempts to cultivate a new one. Sensitives 
  square off against one another and the occasional 
  Mage. Ghosts’ Nemeses are usually Zombis, and 
  vice-versa. Magi generally have Sensitives, other 
  Magi, and their Shadows as foes.  
  Finally, one’s Nemesis can change – after a Nemesis 
  is defeated, a new one may rise. If a character 
  manages to wrest their stolen soul away from the 
  thief who took it, perhaps another covetous being 
  has now set her eyes on the prize. 
  NOTE - The Nemesis vs. the Shadow: One’s Shadow – 
  indeed, or any other Imago – is not usually one’s 
  Nemesis, unless one is a Mage. Having your Shadow as 
  your Nemesis is exceptionally dangerous: it means your 
  base nature is your own enemy, and wishes to destroy 
  you utterly. Thus, Magi use their vast Powers not just to 
  search for True Immortality, but also for simple survival. 
   
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  17 
  WHAT DO THE INHABITANTS OF 
  THE SPIRIT WORLD DO? 
  Here follow quick thumbnails on what the various 
  beings of the cosmos typically do in their day-to-day 
  lives: 
  Dead Inside: Strive (see also Chapter 1). The Dead 
  Inside work hard and take risks, scrambling to regain 
  what they’ve lost (or develop what they’ve never had). 
  Free Spirits: Play. Created into slavery and knowing 
  only toil until their liberation, Free Spirits are dedicated 
  to recreation, entertainment, and having fun. Only by 
  pursuing their bliss will they discover who they truly 
  are. 
  Ghosts: Remember. Ghosts are dead and bodiless, and 
  tend to reflect upon their works and days, worrying 
  them like a dog with an old sock. If they untangle the 
  snags and snarls that hold them fast, they can then 
  relax and slip back to the Source. 
  Imagos: Help. An Imago offers other beings what they 
  need. Sometimes people need a hug, sometimes they 
  need a quick kick in the pants, and sometimes they need 
  to be pushed beyond their limits in order to grow. 
  Magi: Plot. Magi plot and plan against each other – 
  their allies as well as their enemies. Each works to set 
  the odds in their favor for their day of reckoning, when 
  they will meet their Shadow to war for True 
  Immortality. 
  Qlippoth: Hunt. These beings of nothingness are 
  merciless and cunning predators . They perform the 
  dance of hunter and quarry with consummate skill, 
  seeking satiation or destruction – either is preferable to 
  their nightmare existence.  
  Sensitives: Seek. Sensitives search – for power, for 
  companionship, for healing, for knowledge, for love. 
  Eternal students, they follow wisdom’s traces wherever 
  they lead. 
  Tulpas: Serve. Almost a limb of their creators, Tulpas 
  obey and assist their masters in all of their efforts, for 
  good or for ill. They know nothing else. 
  Zombis: Pretend. Zombis clutch to existence by 
  repeating what they can of their breathing lives. They 
  are going through the motions, trying to find or create 
  some meaning in their unlife, but are limited in this 
  quest by their lack of emotions. While Dead Inside can 
  hope to regain empathy with others since they yet live, 
  this possibility is closed off from Zombis, who are dead. 
  Yet they continue to pretend as if it’s not a lost cause – 
  what else can they do? 
  THE CITY 
  My Shadow spoke the truth. I found the pine and 
  turned, letting the dead branches point my path. 
  Within a few hundred yards, the quality of the 
  forest had changed. The air smelled slightly 
  different. I heard people in the distance. 
  I stepped out of the underbrush into a clearing – 
  and found myself within a park, obviously deep 
  within a city of some sort. The sun seemed to be 
  higher than it had in the Wood. People were 
  tossing Frisbees, packing up picnic baskets, and 
  walking arm-in-arm. 
  I saw skyscrapers looming, peering down into the 
  green meadow in which I stood. The buildings 
  slowly slid around the perimeter: some shed finials 
  and shrank below the tree line, while others 
  sprouted gargoyles and grew heavenward.  
  A shining lake sprawled out in front of me, with a 
  skinny bridge leading to an island. People 
  conglomerated around the bridge and nearby 
  food carts. I whirled around to find an iron fence 
  behind me, which I was sure that I hadn’t walked 
  through. What made me doubly sure was that 
  beyond the fence lay a city sidewalk, and 
  beyond that, a city street. I had come straight 
  from the depths of a trackless forest into the heart 
  of an otherworldly Central Park without even 
  noticing it. 
  Teleportation 
  and 
  a 
  Dali-esque 
  cityscape 
  probably would have made me question my 
  sanity that morning. As it was now, it just made me 
  hungry. Tying my bag of blood-berries through a 
  belt loop, I started walking towards the food carts 
  looking for something more edible. 
   
  The City is the cynosure of the Spirit World: almost 
  all events of import happen within its walls. Like a 
  Real World city, souls congregate here. Day and 
  night, season by season, it hums with the activity of 
  Dead Inside, Sensitives, Magi, and others who walk 
  its streets.  
  The City’s architecture is a mad fusion of every type 
  of dwelling man has known (and some say, will 
  know) – sweat lodges and log cabins in the shadows 
  of 23rd Century steel and glass monstrosities, yurts 
  beside Victorian houses beside pagodas, and Art 
  Deco skyscrapers looming over a host of squatting 
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  18 
  Classical, Neo-Classical, Retro-Classical, and Anti-
  Classical piles of marble. Streets full of Renaissance 
  and Elizabethan Memory Palaces, empty temples to 
  lost gods next to ramshackle tenements, fairy castles, 
  cliff dwellings, and hobbit-holes refurbished for rent, 
  lease, or sale. . . cheap.  
  It’s crazy and beautiful. 
  A quick rule of thumb – the higher you go in the 
  City, the newer the buildings and furnishings are. 
  Cell-phones, television, firearms, telephones – all 
  work fairly reliably in the penthouses. Things are 
  more rational on the heights. Logic is recognizably 
  stronger and clearer the farther up from street level 
  you go. (Of course, what’s logical even at altitude in 
  the City might still be completely whacko in the Real 
  World.) 
  On the other hand, the lower you go, the older the 
  structures and appointments become. At street level, 
  everything’s about ten years out of date, and the 
  world operates with a dreamlike causality. Talking 
  dogs chatting with manhole covers, vendors selling 
  steaming hot philosophies slathered with mustard 
  and kraut, trashcans full of discarded dreams, and 
  butterfly nets able to scoop words out of the air are 
  pretty typical sights. 
  It gets more and more ancient and irrational the 
  deeper belowground you go. Logic breaks down; 
  instinct and emotions rule. It’s all about the primal 
  drives of food, fear, safety, and sex. The deepest 
  caverns are lit with smoldering pine knots, sending 
  shadows flickering over cave bear skulls lining ochre-
  daubed walls. 
  The Train stitches all points of the City together, from 
  low to high. Beneath street level, it is the Underground, 
  its cars covered with green reptilian scales, slithering 
  over the tracks. Above, it’s the El, gleaming with 
  shiny chrome as it skims golden rails. Business-suited 
  Magi rub shoulders with shamans in weasel skins as 
  they ride. The Train is cheaper, safer, and a bit 
  slower than Dream-Leaping, True Flight (see Chapter 
  4), or the City Taxis, which are run by any denizen 
  able to get hold of a vehicle in the Spirit World. 
  Every door, every window, every staircase, every 
  elevator can suddenly change into a Gate. Sometimes 
  they take you where you think they’ll go, other times 
  they take you where you want to go, and 
  occasionally, they’ll take you to where you don’t want 
  to go. 
  Things morph over time, nothing is stable: all is in 
  slow flux. Small buildings grow into skyscrapers. 
  Revolving doors warp into French windows. Ramps 
  become staircases, only to shift into escalators. The 
  streets go from pavement to cobblestones to dirt to 
  gold. Streets writhe like mating snakes.  
   
   
   
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  19 
  Neighborhoods can be cozy and quaint, but can 
  change to threatening and alien. Like most of the 
  landscapes of the Spirit World, while they retain their 
  nature (for the most part), they change their image. 
  The City’s personality is deeply affected by the 
  visitor’s frame of mind. If you are frightened, the 
  City is scary. If you are peaceful, the City is serene. If 
  you are depressed, it begins to rain, while across the 
  street, happy lovers sit in a street-front café, bathed 
  in sunlight. The alleys go from dirty, dingy, rat-
  infested cobblestone to clean, bright, friendly paved 
  boulevards as the visitor resolves his own inner 
  turmoil.  
  And, as the tourist becomes familiar with (and to) 
  the City, he will learn not just how to get from here 
  to there in a shifting landscape, but he shall discover 
  the secret ways of reshaping it into patterns that fit 
  his desires or needs. But the City must be cajoled, 
  flattered, begged, or forced into changing to meet a 
  single being’s whims. 
  The City is what you make it, unconsciously or 
  consciously. 
  Notable City Locations 
  While the City is fluid, there are a number of 
  locations that are relatively stable (at least in regard 
  to each other), and have been for as long as anyone 
  can remember. Here’s a short list: 
  The Academy: This building, near the City Library, 
  is all schools in one – from nursery to University. 
  This is the place to learn: to re-experience and re-
  integrate learning that went wrong the first time. 
  Anyone may be called upon to be pupil or instructor 
  in its halls. 
  Archaic Café: The most popular eatery in the City, 
  the Archaic Café has a menu boasting everything 
  from the basic memories of sustenance to the high-
  ticket dreams of death by poison. The Café’s kitchen 
  is a place of transforming power for the unconscious 
  through physical experiences; a few hours behind the 
  grill (or even the scullery pan) has been known to 
  help bring unknown truths to the surface. All that, 
  and the wine list is pretty good too. The Archaic 
  Café is always located “across town” from the 
  Theatre des Loups, and has a cellar passage that leads 
  down into the Deep Caverns 
  The Bridge of Souls: Thinner than a hair, sharper 
  than a razor, the Bridge of Souls is always located 
  within Wyld Park. It stretches from the shore of 
  Moon Lake to the small island called Spectral Point. 
  Only Ghosts, Tulpas, and Free Spirits can use the 
  Bridge without grievous harm; this helps guard the 
  spirit neighborhood of Spectral Point from Zombi 
  depredations. Unless otherwise desired, all Gates 
  into the Spirit World open at the park-side foot of 
  the Bridge, making it the most common arrival point 
  for visitors. Indeed, many inhabitants set up small 
  kiosks and vendor carts here during the day, eager 
  for new customers. But at night, the area is deserted 
  due to the dangers of the Park. 
  City Library: Books. Lots of books. Some say, every 
  book – written or unwritten – lurks in its stacks. The 
  City Library is the home of knowledge and memory. 
  It is a place to listen to what has gone before and 
  learn what you did not know. It is usually located 
  near Tower Row. 
  Deep Caverns: Far under the City lie the Deep 
  Caverns, home to all subconscious instincts and 
  desires. It is a highly-irrational region, where causality 
  totally breaks down; few beings go sightseeing there 
  without strong need. Qlippoth and Shadows scream 
  in the dank, dark chambers. It is connected to the 
  Archaic Café and Sewerland by twisty passages, all 
  alike. 
   
   
   
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  20 
   
   
  Exroads Market:  Situated at a crossroads – and if 
  one knows the right way to walk, every crossroads – is 
  a market of wonders. All is negotiable at Exroads, 
  where strange wares bring stranger coin. Lost loves, 
  forgotten nights, goblin statuary, mama’s meatloaf 
  recipe, and the burgeoning future – all on sale for 
  prices ranging from the reasonable to the irrational 
  (see boxed text, Spirit World Commerce). Exroads is 
  always close to the White Monkey. The Market also 
  connects directly to the Wastes, and often displays 
  the goods from caravans hailing from beyond the 
  fields we know. 
  Linnet Fracture: It moves, more often and faster 
  than any other place in the City, slithering like a 
  worm through the dirtiest and scariest districts (like 
  Sewerland). The Linnet Fracture is a place of danger, 
  a weak spot in the fabric of the Spirit World. As 
  such, it’s a site for fell rituals and dark revelations. 
  Some say that it’s an exit into the Real World for 
  those otherwise consigned to the City, like Free 
  Spirits and Qlippoth. Some say it leads nowhere: a 
  deep crack in the universe leading directly to the 
  Void. Others claim it’s a path (though dangerous) to 
  the Source itself. The truth is unknown, but rumor 
  whispers that that the Fracture is not only one of the 
  places where Sensitives become Magi, but also where 
  Qlippoth enter the Spirit World from the Void. The 
  Ripping Fogs avoid the Fracture for some reason; 
  this sometimes leads to weird “chases” along the 
  City streets between the two phenomena. No one 
  knows what will happen if they ever meet. 
  Moon Lake: Always inside the boundary of Wyld 
  Park, Moon Lake is a body of cold, placid 
  freshwater. Some say that tunnels beneath its calm 
  surface lead directly to the Sea. It is a place of 
  reflection and contemplation, a place of peace and 
  romance. The serenity evoked by the Lake make its 
  shores a sanctuary from the dangers of the Park; this 
  is the reason, many feel, why many Gates open there, 
  at the foot of the Bridge of Souls. 
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  21 
  Quaternity Keep: The smooth, black stone walls of 
  this fortress promise safety. And they deliver – no 
  army has ever breached them with force, and its 
  interior Maze defeats the sneak thief and the 
  assassin. While secure, there is danger within – the 
  danger in getting lost in the labyrinth of stasis, 
  unable to move forward or back. It is a signpost as 
  well as shield, pointing the way to its protected navel, 
  the Temenos Chapel. Always found in the center of 
  the City, Quaternity Keep is the single fixed 
  landmark for all travelers’ directions. 
  The Ramparts: Dead Inside and Sensitives who 
  take up residence in the Spirit World tend to rent (or 
  buy) apartments, longhouses, townhouses, or yurts in 
  this neighborhood. Transients can even contract for 
  small storage units to hold their spiritual goods when 
  they return to the Real World. Usually located across 
  the City from Tower Row, the Ramparts has a 
  plethora of specialty shops catering to living 
  inhabitants of the Spirit World. 
  The Ripping Fogs: The acrid and viscous Ripping 
  Fogs ooze along the side-streets and alleys of the 
  City, scouring away debris and refuse. While usually 
  not dangerous to most City-dwellers, the Fogs are 
  often used by Qlippoth to hide their approach from 
  their intended prey. Sometimes, portals open inside 
  the Fogs, connecting to the Mists. The Fogs rarely 
  flow into Sewerland. Oddly, the Ripping Fogs never 
  come within a block of the Linnet Fracture; this 
  sometimes leads to weird “chases” along the City 
  streets between the two phenomena. No one knows 
  what will happen if they ever meet.  
  Sewerland: The gutters and drains of the City empty 
  into Sewerland. Shadows and Qlippoth are know to 
  haunt its pipes and channels, scuttling amongst the 
  broken dreams and lost hopes. Sewerland is the most 
  publicly-accessible route to the Deep Caverns, where 
  subconscious powers sport and play. The Ripping 
  Fogs rarely venture here, but the Linnet Fracture 
  often slithers through. 
  Spectral Point: Located on an island in the middle 
  of Moon Lake, Spectral Point is a small but tightly-
  knit enclave of Ghosts and Free Spirits. While the 
  width of the Lake and the Bridge of Souls protects 
  dwellers from most Zombi incursions, some 
  fanatical invaders manage to leap or run across the 
  lake – and are immediately set-upon by all 
  insubstantial bystanders. Though Dead Inside, 
  Sensitives, and Magi are grudgingly permitted if they 
  manage to cross (or bypass) the Bridge, most 
  Spectral Point residents prefer to keep the 
  “embodied” out of their district. 
  Temenos Chapel: In the center of the maze of 
  passages within Quaternity Keep lies this sacred 
  space. Within its peaceful confines, all becomes 
  centered and calm. Conflict is impossible when 
  standing within it. A font of growth for those who 
  are ready, the Chapel is said to be the place that the 
  lucky Dead Inside can seal their regained spirits to 
  simultaneously ensoul and become Sensitive. 
  Theatre des Loups: “The Theater of Wolves” is a 
  Palace of Dreams, where fantasy and truth collide on 
  stage, where audience is actor, and actor, guide. If 
  one is not mad upon entry, one may go mad during 
  the performance, and the fortunate manage to regain 
  their sanity before the last curtain call. The 
  unfortunate are doomed to take the stage and play 
  their roles until letter-perfect, until the scripts 
  dissolve into truth. As the kitchen of Archaic Café is 
  for 
  the 
  unconscious, 
  the 
  Theatre 
  is 
  the 
  transformative crucible of the conscious. It’s a hell of 
  a show. Like Linnet Fracture, the Theatre is rumored 
  to be a place where Sensitives evolve into Magi. The 
  Theatre des Loups is always located “across town” 
  from the Archaic Café and is usually close to Tower 
  Row. 
  Tower Row: Across the City from the Ramparts is 
  Tower Row, the neighborhood of the Magi. A 
  profusion of palaces, towers, temples, and even 
  weirder edifices sprawls along its broad avenues. The 
  atmosphere here is Byzantine yet businesslike: after 
  all, Magi are plotting and maneuvering against their 
  neighbors in pursuit of True Immortality, and few 
  have time for idle chit-chat and folderol. The streets 
  are utterly clean of trash; the Ripping Fogs often coil 
  here, like a cat napping in a patch of sunlight. Tower 
  Row is also close to the Theatre des Loups and the 
  City Library.  
  The Underground: The serpentine rails snake up 
  and down, sewing the City together, uniting high and 
  low, conscious and unconscious, fair and foul. It can 
  take you anywhere – not only where you wish to go, 
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  22 
  but where you need to go. Fares are cheap (the more 
  valuable the coin you pay in, the shorter your 
  journey), but the ride can be long, slow, and 
  dangerous (depending upon your fellow passengers). 
  Stations sprout everywhere; the common rule of 
  thumb is “Make three lefts in a row, and to the 
  Station you will go.” 
   
  The White Monkey: Also known as “the Monkey 
  Bar,” this is the watering hole for Dead Inside, 
  Sensitive, and Mage alike. It is always located near 
  the Exroads Market. Gossip rains from all lips, a 
  torrent of information to be caught by the waiting 
  ear. It is always loud and crowded (especially during 
  the daily “Happy Thought Happy Hour”), but no 
  one has a problem getting a glass of their personal 
  poison. The White Monkey is the real social hub of 
  the City; where other notable locations deal with the 
  past or future, this place is the now. 
  Wyld Park: In the midst of the City lies a patch of 
  wilderness bounded by wrought-iron gates topped 
  with glimmering quartz spears: Wyld Park. Portals 
  open between the Park and the far Wood often, 
  allowing strange creatures to enter the City. During 
  the day, the Park is full of beauty and the buzz of 
  life; at night, it seethes with terrors and howls of 
  mystery. At all times, energetic adventure can be 
  found. Unicorns snort in its glades and sabertooths 
  lair in its caves. Moon Lake, Spectral Point, and the 
  Bridge of Souls lie within its confines.  
  Zombitown: Located far away from Wyld Park is 
  Zombitown. Chock full of vaults, mausoleums, and 
  tasteful garden apartments, this neighborhood caters 
  to the bodily undead (and those living beings who 
  cannot – or choose not to – pay Rampart prices). 
  Ghosts, Tulpas, and Free Spirits avoid Zombitown 
  upon pain of being eaten. Still, it’s not a particularly 
  bad place to live, if one can stand the endless 
  intellectual debates, the clatter of gymnasium 
  equipment, and the din from the embalming fluid 
  “bars.” 
  Who’s Who in the City 
  The following list is of the most feared, respected, 
  and/or loved beings found in the City, and gives the 
  basic information the average person on the street 
  would know. 
  Evie: The manager of the Archaic Café is a Sensitive 
  named Evie. Though her face and form has changed 
  through the years, her name and green eyes have 
  always remained the same. Depending upon the 
  customer, she can be annoyingly intrusive or 
  comfortably friendly. She’s known to love a little 
  tipple, and if plied with a small glass of wine, will 
  offer the latest gossip overheard in her Café. 
  Gnomon: Gnomon maintains the City Library and 
  aids those seeking knowledge in its stacks. A Dead 
  Inside who has taken up permanent residence in the 
  Spirit World, he is the latest in a long line of 
  Librarians. He is amiable, if a little pedantic and 
  patronizing. He is a devotee of comedic authors – a 
  rousing discussion of Wodehouse will allow one to 
  get on Gnomon’s good side quickly. 
  Herman: Herman is the most feared Ghost in the 
  City. He hunts Zombis; no less than two dozen have 
  been dispatched by his transparent hand. He often 
  prowls the shores of Moon Lake, guarding against 
  those who would try to gain Spectral Point. He 
  doesn’t like Dead Inside much either, but is friendly 
  with Sensitives and Magi. 
   
  Manny: Manny is the owner, proprietor, and 
  bartender of the White Monkey, which is named for 
  him. His body is that of a tailed chimpanzee with 
  immaculate white fur; while working, he often wears 
  a dingy paper hat on his head and a stained apron 
  around his waist. Exuberant and affable, his ringing 
  laugh is known throughout the City as a tonic for the 
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  23 
  blues. Whispered rumors claim that he is a Tulpa 
  who won freedom (and existence as a Free Spirit) by 
  killing his creator in a particularly messy fashion. 
  Manny will not confirm nor deny these rumors, 
  offering only a toothy smile. If asked, he’ll offer his 
  opinions on a topic to a paying patron; this advice is 
  often valuable, generally funny, and always blunter 
  than a bowling ball. 
  Mary: Mary is a large woman, chunky and tall, with 
  long blond hair done up in braids. She exudes a 
  feeling of safety and solidity. A Sensitive, she spends 
  most of her time in the Spirit World sweeping up 
  around Quaternity Keep. She’s sort of an unofficial 
  “curator” for the structure, and is said to know the 
  best paths through its labyrinths. She doesn’t speak 
  much, but prefers to listen, responding with nods, 
  head 
  shakes, 
  grunts, 
  and 
  monosyllables 
  as 
  appropriate. She loves roses, and has a garden with a 
  hundred varieties near the Keep. 
  Samuel: Samuel – never “Sam” or “Sammy” – is an 
  old, old Mage with a dark reputation.  Nothing 
  matters to him except his quest for True 
  Immortality, and he’s willing to do anything to get it. 
  Charles Manson and Ebenezer Scrooge look like the 
  Hardy Boys next to Samuel. He’s the most hated 
  being in the City because of his greedy and violent 
  machinations, but he is feared because of his 
  incredible power. Samuel is the master of balancing 
  the cost-benefit ratio between soul-decay and soul-
  acquisition to his advantage. He is known to possess 
  rooms full of Soul Eggs, each fill brimful of stolen 
  soul-blood. No burglary attempt has ever come close 
  to succeeding, and the ravaged bodies of the thieves 
  decorate the spiked exterior of his tower as grisly 
  bas-reliefs. Paradox intrigues him – the avowed 
  coward displaying bravery, the eloquent speaker 
  caught tongue-tied, the fearless hero reduced to a 
  mass of jelly, as well as the typical logical and literary 
  examples; 
  displaying 
  paradoxical 
  thoughts 
  or 
  opinions is an excellent way to stave off this Mage’s 
  wrath. 
  Trader Nicholas: Trader Nicholas is a well-
  preserved Zombi, known for his forays into the Real 
  World for needed goods. Uncommonly generous, he 
  often passes out small gifts to customers and even 
  random passersby. “Munificence leads to good 
  business,” he says pragmatically. He is a very skilled 
  merchant, and is known for his ability to get just 
  about anything a customer wants... for a suitable 
  price. He has a small office/warehouse in 
  Zombitown, but often sets up a stall in Exroads 
  Market to drum up new business. He’s also rumored 
  to be the second strongest being in the Spirit World 
  (who is the strongest being is a matter of some debate 
  amongst those who care about such things). 
  The Triangle Council 
  Once a week, the three members of the Triangle 
  Council don the green robes and meet within 
  Quaternity Keep. While they have no official power, 
  the office of Councilor commands respect from 
  most denizens of the Spirit World, and are listened 
  to when speaking in that role.  
  They discuss matters of import within the City, 
  ranging from herding the Ripping Fogs down 
  particularly filthy streets to dealing with intensive 
  Qlippoth incursions. If a problem cannot be handled 
  by any of them singly, they contract out for solutions 
  and split the costs. But their primary and most 
  extensive service to the Spirit World is in serving as a 
  panel of judge-mediators for its denizens. 
  Members serve for five years at a time, and select 
  their successors to their position. By tradition, a 
  Dead Inside, Sensitive, and Mage usually fill its seats, 
  though Ghosts and Zombis sometimes serve out a 
  term. No Free Spirit has ever yet become a 
  Councilor. The current Triangle Council consists of 
  Gnomon, Mary, and Samuel. 
   
  “Deep fried bees’ knees! Get ‘em while they’re 
  hot! Sweet and tangy, crunchy and munchy! Bees’ 
  knees!” 
  “Soul cream? Have a soul cream? Sharing a thin 
  memory of a winter gets you a frosty soul cream!” 
  Awash in the vendors’ calls, I walked to what 
  looked like a hot dog cart. As I got closer, I saw 
  the letters on the umbrella spelled out “Dragon’s 
  Tails.” Whatever. Any port in a storm. “Gimme 
  one –“ I began, and choked when I saw the 
  vendor’s face under the striped umbrella. The man 
  had an elephant’s head. 
  He saw me goggling, and made a snorting 
  trumpet of annoyance through his trunk before 
  replying. “Gotta getoutda Park at sunset.” He 
  
   
  Chapter 2: The Real World and the Spirit World 
  24 
  wore a Steelers’ baseball cap, and the short hairs 
  along his proboscis gleamed with the last of the 
  sun’s rays. “Maket fast. Whaddaya want?” 
  “G-Gimme one with mustard,” I said.  
  Lickety-split, a dragon’s tail - slathered in brown 
  mustard, wrapped in a bun - sat in his hand. 
  “That’llbeyer last firstdate.” 
  The words didn’t seem to make any sense. 
  He trumpeted again in a slightly-cheesed-off 
  tone. “New here, amiright?” 
  “Yup.” 
  “Holdout yerhand.” As I did so, he continued. 
  “Tinkofda lasttime youwuz onna firstdate.” 
  Myra from accounting: cute smile, great legs, no 
  personality. Saw an Oscar nominee at a matinee, 
  had Dim Sum for dinner. Home by ten. Nice 
  enough time, no great shakes, no follow-up dates 
  yet.  
  And suddenly, there was something in my hand. A 
  black fortune cookie. Ominous. 
  The vendor’s trunk bounced up and down as he 
  nodded. “Awright. Just tinkabout sharing dat 
  memory widdme, and I’ll tinkabout sharing dis 
  memory widdyou.” 
  I felt a quiver, a shimmy, and a snap, and in my 
  hand was the dog. The vendor held the cookie. 
  “You still remember her, Myra, right?” 
  “Why wouldn’t I?” I took a bite of the tail. Tasted 
  like tandoori chicken. On a bun. With mustard. 
  Not bad. 
  “You’ll learn, buddyboy. Just makedamnsure 
  yadon’t sell what you’re supposed to share, 
  awright?” 
  He 
  pocketed 
  the 
  cookie. 
  “Pleasuredoin’bidnesswitcha.” Stubby fingers on 
  stubby arms reached up to close the umbrella. The 
  sun was setting again. 
  I swallowed a mouthful of dragon tail. “Hey, do 
  you know where would I find a Mage named 
  Violet?” 
  “Tower Row.” His hands full of umbrella, the 
  vendor pointed with a jerk of his head. “Luckyguy: 
  go oudda dagate and crossda street. It’s 
  righttherenow.” 
  I thanked the elephant man, complimented his 
  wares, turned, and walked out the Park’s gate. 
   
  SPIRIT WORLD COMMERCE 
  There is no money, per se, in the Spirit World. Instead 
  the primary mode of trade is barter – exchanging objects 
  (of either World provenance), dreams, memories, and 
  experiences for other objects, dreams, memories, and 
  experiences. Intangibles coalesce into a small, portable 
  representation, usually related to what they are 
  concerned with. A favorite childhood daydream could 
  take the shape of a old toy; the memory of a night of 
  passion could be a dark gem with a tiny flame within; 
  the sensation of cool wind on an upturned face could be a 
  baseball-sized sphere of blue; and the smell of winter, 
  contained in a plastic snow globe. 
  Most transactions within the City are sharing ones. If 
  Joe wants a pretzel (a dream of sustenance) from Jane 
  the Vendor, he can offer her a small porcelain Scotty (a 
  memory of playing with his pet dog). If she deems this 
  worth her wares, the trade is made. Joe walks away with 
  his pretzel and the memory intact, while Jane gains a 
  new memory to sample (and retains her pretzel). 
  However, there are exchanges that are selling, in which 
  the items are traded for “keepsies.” Generally, only 
  goods of high importance are sold in this fashion – 
  enchanted items, secret information, soul-blood, Tulpas, 
  even talents or skills. Such trades do not necessarily 
  have to be reciprocal – one party may opt to retain their 
  dream, memory, or experience, but demand a selling 
  price to share. Say that Joe wants to buy the knowledge 
  of the location of a Mage’s hidden sanctum from Jane. 
  Jane, who won that information in a riddle game from 
  the Trickster, refuses to share, but she’ll sell it outright 
  for a piece of Joe’s soul. If Joe meets her price, he gains 
  the knowledge, while she loses it. Jane could have 
  decided to keep that information and still demand a high 
  price, but knowing a Mage’s secrets can be distinctly 
  unhealthy. (See Chapter 4 for rules describing Spirit 
  World Commerce.) 
   
   
  
   
  25 
  Chapter 3 
  Creating DI Player Characters 
  CREATING YOUR CHARACTER 
  “In the midst of winter, I finally learned 
  that there was in me an invincible 
  summer.” 
   – Albert Camus , Actuelles 
  What sort of character would you like to play? In 
  DI, characters can be anything from successful 
  doctors to homeless vagrants. The most important 
  thing is making your character more than a simple 
  token or playing piece.  
  Is she a calculating upper executive whose soul has 
  been taken by a business rival? Is he a washed-up 
  celebrity, his spirit broken by debauchery? How 
  about a troubled college student, born soulless, 
  searching for a meaning to his life? While all are 
  Dead Inside, they’ll have starkly different feelings 
  about, reasons for, and methods to use in their soul-
  quest. The main thing to keep in mind is to come up 
  with a character that interests you, one that you’ll 
  care about and want to explore. 
  A DI character is made up of 8 main elements: 
  1. Personality (Who Are You?) 
  2. Backstory (Where Have You Been?) 
  3. Soul Loss (Why Are You Dead Inside?) 
  4. Discovery (When/How Did You Realize 
  You Were Dead Inside?) 
  5. Qualities (How Are You? What Can You 
  Do?) 
  6. Type (What Are You?) 
  7. Soul Point Pool (How Much Soul?) 
  8. Miscellany (What Do You Look Like?, etc.) 
   
  The first four elements of a character don’t have to 
  be completed in any particular order; each could 
  provide ideas for the other elements. Personality and 
  Backstory provide the foundation for determining a 
  character’s Qualities; Soul Loss and Discovery often 
  point the way for how a character enters play; a 
  character’s Type (Dead Inside, Sensitive, Mage, 
  Zombi, etc.) determines their Soul Point Pool. Finally, 
  Miscellany rounds out the character to whatever level 
  of detail you’re comfortable with. 
  Two example characters will be generated step-by-
  step in boxed text alongside the following 
  discussion to illustrate this process. 
  Personality 
  Personality answers the questions of “who is your 
  character, really, and how do they approach things?” 
  Try to come up with a single word or phrase that 
  mostly explains the character’s basic nature. This 
  doesn’t mean that the character’s temperament is 
  solely that word or phrase – to paraphrase 
  Whitman: characters are vast, they contain 
  multitudes. This single word is merely to give a 
  general feel for who the character is. 
  Below is a short list of sample personalities to 
  jumpstart your characters, but do not feel limited by 
  it. Indeed, one could base a character’s personality 
  on other templates (like Zodiac signs; characters 
  from reality, history, fiction or film; a core 
  personality trait – impulsive, curious, cautious, etc.). 
  − Empathic. People with strong empathy 
  primarily evaluate information by weighing 
  their emotional responses to – that is, their 
  feelings about – issues. Relationships and 
  connections 
  with 
  other 
  people 
  are 
  important to them. 
  − Instinctive. People with strong instincts 
  make judgments based on an irrational, 
  perceptual, and complex integration of large 
  amounts of information: in a word, 
  
   
  Chapter 3: Creating DI Player Characters 
  26 
  hunches. They’re good at “seeing around 
  corners” and making intuitive leaps.  
  − Sensual. A sensual character is mostly 
  oriented on their sense perceptions – what 
  they can see, hear, smell, feel, and taste. 
  They are comfortable with tangible objects 
  and intangible experiences. 
  − Thoughtful. 
  Thoughtful 
  characters 
  evaluate 
  and 
  make 
  judgments 
  on 
  information through the rational use of 
  logic. They are intrigued by ideas and 
  philosophies and the life of the mind. 
   
  A character’s Personality has an effect in DI. People 
  with the same Personality will understand at a basic 
  level how their peers think and this grants a small 
  bonus in communicating (or thwarting) each other 
  (see Chapter 4, Conflict Between Similar Personality 
  Types).  
   
  Example Character 1: Zandra Grace 
  Pat thinks that a professional type would be a neat 
  character concept to flesh out. But should she be a 
  doctor, a lawyer, or a business-person? She settles on a 
  quickly rising marketing executive named Alexandra 
  Grace. Thoughtful by nature, “Zandra” uses her brains 
  to analyze popular trends and come up with the Next 
  Big Thing. 
  Example Character 2: Kristov Wolff 
  Chris generally likes playing artistic types, and having 
  just finished watching a Behind the Music marathon, 
  the idea of a burned-out musician came readily to mind. 
  Kristov Wolff is a former teen heartthrob on the skids, 
  after a long decade indulging his Sensual pleasures. 
   
  Backstory 
  A character’s Backstory explains “what has the 
  character done with their life, where has he been, 
  and who did he meet along the way?” Where were 
  they born? What was their family like? Where did 
  they go to school? What do they do for a living? Do 
  they have more acquaintances than friends and 
  more enemies than both? You don’t need to 
  condense this part into a single word or phrase like 
  you do above with the Personality. Spend as many 
  or as few words on describing the character’s 
  experiences as you feel comfortable with. Whether a 
  single sentence or four pages, it’s all fine. 
  Tied to the Backstory is the selection of the 
  character’s Virtue and their Vice. A Virtue shows 
  where the character has been spiritually strong, and 
  a Vice shows where the character has been be 
  tempted to stray. For example, if a character has a 
  Virtue of Courtesy, they have in the past rarely been 
  rude on purpose. Virtues and Vices should have an 
  influence on the character’s Backstory, and may be 
  connected to their Soul Loss (see below).  
  A character’s Virtue and Vice can, and probably 
  will, change during a DI game. (They are descriptive, 
  not prescriptive; it’s “how they are” instead of “how 
  they must be.”) As your character does things in the 
  game, those words, deeds, and omissions of words 
  and deeds will have a spiritual effect on the 
  character. The character, by following his current 
  Virtue and resisting his current Vice, encourages his 
  soul to grow; by going against his current Virtue and 
  embracing 
  his 
  current 
  Vice, 
  the 
  character 
  encourages his soul to rot. (The game mechanics for 
  Soul Cultivation and Soul Decay appear in Chapter 4; 
  there are also additional guidelines and relevant 
  discussion in Chapter 5).  
  Players are recommended to select Virtues and 
  Vices that will be fun to play, even if a character is 
  carried away by one of them. For instance, if you 
  the player would find it annoying for your character 
  to give mercy to an enemy that will probably try a 
  double-cross as soon as possible, don’t take a Virtue 
  of Generosity for your character. If you would find 
  it annoying if your character is unable to pass by 
  wealth or goods, even if to do so would be a good 
  idea, then don’t take the Vice of Avarice.  
  The Virtues are: 
  − Integrity. Honesty; truthfulness; fair play; 
  trustworthiness. 
  − Hope. The ability to trust in someone or 
  something else; to expect with confidence; 
  to look to the present and future with joy. 
  − Fortitude. Courage; perseverance; zeal; 
  ability to risk.  
  − Generosity. Donating time, effort, money 
  with little thought to personal cost; being 
  merciful. 
  
   
  Chapter 3: Creating DI Player Characters 
  27 
  − Courtesy. Grace, in word and deed; 
  politeness; consideration and compassion 
  for others.  
  The Vices are: 
  − Hypocrisy. Dishonesty, lying, cheating. 
  − Despair. The inability to trust in anything; 
  to worry overmuch; to dwell on the present 
  and past with misery. 
  − Cowardice. Allowing fear to dictate 
  actions; lack of resoluteness; sloth; timidity 
  that refuses to take a chance. 
  − Avarice. Insatiable greed; desiring more 
  than your fair share; envy. 
  − Cruelty. Causing injury, grief, or pain for 
  the joy of it; lack of compassion; rudeness. 
   
  NOTE - Virtues and Vices each have a strong tension with 
  their opposite – Integrity vs. Hypocrisy, Hope vs. Despair, 
  Fortitude vs. Cowardice, Generosity vs. Avarice, and 
  Courtesy vs. Cruelty. While a character usually has a Virtue 
  and a Vice that do not oppose the other, picking a “matched 
  set” can lead to an intriguing personality. This means that the 
  character is exceptionally torn between the two extremes: 
  imagine a character who is Generous and Avaricious at turns 
  – why does he shuttle between these two poles, grasping at 
  pennies with one hand while casting alms with the other? 
   
  Example Character 1: Zandra Grace 
  Zandra is a hard worker who loves her job: her Virtue is 
  Fortitude. This ardent nature contributed to her speedy 
  rise through the ranks of corporate structure. However, 
  she’s a bit too overconfident: her Vice is Cruelty – her 
  arrogance has made her many enemies. 
  Example Character 2: Kristov Wolff 
  Chris is having problems selecting Kristov’s Virtue and 
  Vice. He decides to look at the Vice first, since his 
  character has a history of sketchy activities. He’s torn 
  between Avarice and Despair. Chris weighs the options 
  – he likes the Avarice combined with Kristov’s Sensual 
  Personality, making him greedy for sensation: sexual 
  promiscuity, eating like a pig, Herculean drug use, fast 
  cars, the whole deal.  
  For a Virtue, Chris is still stumped. He likes both 
  Generosity and Courtesy; Kristov is supposed to be a 
  good guy at heart whose desires got away from him. He 
  decides that Kristov is more likely to be Generous, and 
  gave away staggering sums of money to family, friends, 
  hangers-on, backstage betties, random fans, and his 
  dealers. 
  Soul Loss 
  Soul Loss explains “why is the character Dead 
  Inside?” Any of the options listed in Chapter 1, Why 
  Are You Dead Inside?, can be used. Preferably, Soul 
  Loss should be tied to Personality and Backstory; 
  these elements (along with Discovery, see below) 
  should reinforce and support one another. 
   
  Example Character 1: Zandra Grace 
  Pat decides that Zandra’s soul was stolen from her by a 
  business rival, but she’s not sure who. The GM agrees 
  to make up the character of the rival. It could be 
  another Dead Inside, a Sensitive, a Magi, or something 
  else. (This NPC might also serve as Zandra’s Nemesis; 
  see Chapter 2.) 
  Example Character 2: Kristov Wolff 
  During his slide into the gutter, Kristov bit his soul 
  down to the quick before the money ran out. He stopped 
  listening to his conscience, lashed out at those close to 
  him, and generally isolated himself. Drowning his 
  sorrows 
  in 
  overeating, 
  drinking 
  to 
  excess, 
  and 
  tremendous amounts of drugs, he woke up one day to 
  find nothing inside. 
   
  Discovery 
  Any of the options listed in Chapter 1, Realizing 
  You’re Dead Inside, can provide moments of Discovery 
  for a DI character, or you can make up your own. 
  This is the flashpoint for why the character is 
  suddenly thrust into the strangeness of the game. 
  Perhaps they’ve just realized that their problem is 
  not simple (or chemical) depression, but that they’ve 
  never really possessed the drive everyone else does. 
  Or they wake up and feel empty after a wild night of 
  passion with a mysterious stranger. Or they were an 
  innocent bystander at (or in) a spiritual event, and 
  are now bereft. Or they realize that “too good to be 
  true” mortgage agreement for their dream house 
  had a big catch hidden in the fine print. Important 
  things to keep in mind when figuring out a 
  character’s Discovery are to provide reasons for 
  why the character is “entering play” at this point in 
  time, understanding where the character is coming 
  from at the start of the first gaming session, and set 
  the scene for how multiple PCs can come together. 
   
  
   
  Chapter 3: Creating DI Player Characters 
  28 
  Example Character 1: Zandra Grace 
  As a smart, confident woman, Zandra instantly realized 
  something was wrong when her soul got swiped. The 
  player starts thinking of ways her character could come 
  to understand this while leaving the identity of her 
  rival secret. It’d have to be in a group of a lot of people. 
  She decides that her essence was stolen at an office 
  party: there’d be plenty of opportunities and confusion if 
  everyone’s been drinking. 
  Example Character 2: Kristov Wolff 
  Owing to his tendency to be lost in a peanut butter and 
  ‘shroom sandwich haze, Kristov needed to be told what 
  was really wrong with him.  
   
  Qualities 
  Qualities help further describe your character’s 
  particular talents, skills, and flaw(s). They also 
  provide game mechanics for how those abilities or 
  disabilities work in play (see Chapter 4). Qualities 
  should grow out of the Concept, Personality, and 
  Backstory described above.  
  Qualities represent a broad field of knowledge about 
  the topic; if a particular Quality is as relevant at all 
  to an action or field of knowledge, the character 
  may apply that Quality when attempting that action 
  or using that field of knowledge. This is called the 
  penumbra (or “shadow”) of the Quality. Therefore, a 
  player shouldn’t choose Qualities that are too 
  narrow or its penumbra will cast too narrow a 
  shadow; too broad, and identifying the sorts of 
  things that should fall under the penumbra becomes 
  pointless. The parameters for what’s “too broad” or 
  “too narrow” are up to the individual GM. 
  For example, consider a character who has the 
  Quality of “Teacher.” For some DI games, that will 
  be perfectly fine; for others, too broad. The GM 
  might ask the player to refine the Quality, to give a 
  better idea of the sorts of things that will fall under 
  the Teacher Quality’s penumbra. So: “Teacher” 
  could become “College History Prof,” “High 
  School Chemistry Teacher,” or “Grade School 
  Teacher.” While all would cover the basic concept 
  of education, each individual choice will bring 
  different skills under the Quality penumbra – not 
  just their fields of interest, but also supplementary 
  knowledge: the College History Prof would have 
  more experience with (academic) politics, the High 
  School Chemistry Teacher would know more about 
  adolescent fads, and the Grade School Teacher 
  would be better at dealing with kids on a sugar high. 
  Take another example: “Gunplay.” This Quality 
  would be useful not just in shooting at things, but 
  also in cleaning and repairing guns, discovering the 
  location of nearby gun dealers and shooting ranges, 
  knowing the history of firearms, and so forth. If the 
  player had instead selected a Quality of “.44 
  Magnum,” the Quality would only be useful in 
  shooting that individual model of gun, and involve 
  knowledge surrounding .44 Magnums exclusively. 
  Qualities are often drawn from five general areas: 
  − Physical. Having to do with the body, 
  athleticism, or natural talents; 
  − Mental. Areas of study, intellectual acuity, 
  education; 
  − Social. Groups the character is a member 
  of or associates with, skills in dealing with 
  people;  
  − Professional. Knowledge and skills picked 
  up on the job; and 
  − Spiritual. Esoteric, weird talents or Abilities 
  (see also below, Type). 
   
  Quality Examples 
  Physical: Gunplay, Kung Fu, Roguishly Handsome, 
  Weightlifting, Ballroom Dance, Perseverance.  
  Mental: Oriental Philosophy, Fine Food and Drink, 
  Sports Trivia, Speed-reading, Strategy & Tactics, 
  Computer Programming. 
  Social: 
  Wu-Shen 
  Monks, 
  MI6, 
  Football 
  Team, 
  Conversationalist, 
  Intimidating 
  Guy, 
  Charmingly 
  Effusive. 
  Professional: 
  Teacher, 
  Martial 
  Artist, 
  Spy, 
  Professional Athlete, Freelance Writer, Bounty Hunter, 
  Mad Scientist. 
   
  Qualities have Ranks, which indicate increasing 
  proficiency. From lowest to highest, the Ranks are:  
  − Poor [-2];  
  − Average [0];  
  − Good [+2];  
  − Expert [+4]; and  
  − Master [+6].  
   
  
   
  Chapter 3: Creating DI Player Characters 
  29 
   
   
  The numbers in square brackets following the Rank 
  of the Quality show the Rank’s Modifier – how 
  much is added to or subtracted from a 2d6 dice roll 
  (see Chapter 4). 
  Characters have some things going for them 
  (Strengths), and at least one thing working against 
  them (Weakness). At everything else, characters are 
  neither noteworthy nor inept – that is, they’re 
  Average [0].  
  A Strength is an inherent positive aspect (benefit, 
  skill, talent, attribute, or power) of a character. 
  Come up with a word or a pithy phrase to sum up 
  the Strength. Examples include Fighting, Credit 
  Rating, Fly Like A Bird, Find Bargains, and Run 
  Away! 
  A Weakness is an inherent negative aspect of the 
  character, 
  stemming 
  from 
  ignorance, 
  flawed 
  understanding, physical or mental incapability, or 
  some other vulnerability. A word of advice: pick 
  something that will be fun or entertaining (for you 
  the player, not necessarily you the character) to flub 
  at! Come up with a word or a pithy phrase to sum 
  up the Weakness. Examples here include Glass Jaw, 
  Bad Credit Rating, Slow As Molasses, and 
  Wallflower. Weaknesses are always Poor quality. 
  Players have several options when designing the 
  Qualities of their character. They may choose 
  between having more Qualities at a lower level of 
  competency, or having fewer Qualities at a higher 
  level of competency. Choose between the following 
  packages: 
  A. 4 Good [+2] Strengths and 1 Poor [-2] Weakness. 
  B. 1 Expert [+4] Strength, 2 Good [+2] Strengths, and 
  1 Poor [-2] Weakness. 
  C. 2 Expert [+4] Strengths and 1 Poor [-2] Weakness. 
  D. 1 Master [+6] Strength, 1 Good [+2] Strength, and 1 
  Poor [-2] Weakness. 
   
  NOTE - Characters who are Dead Inside should strongly 
  consider whether or not to take a social Quality like College 
  Buddies as their Weakness. As detailed below under Type, 
  Dead Inside are penalized in social interactions while in the 
  Real World. Starting with a Rank of Poor and then suffering 
  this additional penalty means that the character will 
  automatically fail in social situations related to that Quality. 
  Depending upon the sort of DI game you’ll be playing in, this 
  could be a feature or it could be a bug. Talk to your GM. 
   
  Never fear: if after play begins, a particular Quality 
  sees no use and doesn’t really add to the 
  characterization of the PC, feel free to change it to 
  something that fits better after talking to the GM. 
   
  Example Character 1: Zandra Grace 
  Zandra decides to go with package B, giving her 1 
  Expert Strength, 2 Good Strengths, and 1 Poor 
  Weakness. She decides that she’s an Expert [+4] 
  Marketing Executive, Good [+2] at Self-Defense, has 
  Good [+2] Business Contacts, and Poor [-2] at Taking 
  Criticism. 
  Example Character 2: Kristov Wolff 
  Kristov goes with package A, giving him 4 Good 
  Strengths, and 1 Poor Weakness. He picks the following 
  Qualities: Good [+2] Rockstar, Good [+2] Songwriter, 
  Good [+2] Dirty Fighter, Good [+2] Sex Symbol, and 
  Poor [-2] at Accounting. When the GM notes that the 
  Qualities of Songwriter and Sex Symbol could easily fall 
  under the penumbra of “Rockstar,” Kristov disagrees 
  about Songwriting, but concurs with changing Sex 
  Symbol. Instead, he wants to have an Ability (see 
  below) as a Good [+2] Quality. The GM agrees to this... 
  (continued). 
   
  
   
  Chapter 3: Creating DI Player Characters 
  30 
  Types 
  In addition to normal Strengths and Weaknesses, DI 
  characters have a special Quality called Type, 
  indicating the kind of being they are (Dead Inside, 
  Sensitive, Mage, Ghost, Zombi, etc.). A character 
  can be only one Type at a time, though it can 
  change during  the course of a game (like a Tulpa 
  becoming a Free Spirit, a Sensitive becoming a 
  Mage, or a Dead Inside becoming a Zombie). No 
  Ghost Magi or Zombi Sensitives, please.  
  NOTE - For a first DI campaign, it is suggested that all PCs 
  be Dead Inside.  
  OPTION - If a player wishes to create any other Type of 
  character in a DI campaign, they should talk to their GM 
  (ideas on how to integrate different PC Types in a single 
  game are provided in Chapter 5). 
  Type combines several “sub-Qualities” called 
  Abilities (and Disabilities, for some Types); 
  furthermore, it is the relevant Quality for the use of 
  Powers (see Chapter 4) and for Virtue or Vice 
  Checks (see Chapters 4 and 5). The Rank of Type for 
  a new character starts at Average [0]. 
  Dead Inside. Living bodies lacking a soul; they are 
  driven by a need to regain one. Dead Inside have 
  problems interacting socially in the Real World (all 
  social uses of Qualities suffer a Downshift in this 
  case; that is, they act as if they were one Rank 
  lower). They have limited access to mystical abilities. 
  If a Dead Inside dies, he will come back as a Zombi. 
  If a Dead Inside regains his soul, he becomes a 
  Sensitive. 
   
  Abilities 
  By virtue of no longer being just Average People, 
  the different Types of being in DI have access to 
  inherent spiritual gifts based on their nature called 
  Abilities. If a character observes any other being 
  using one of these Abilities – or is told in detail how 
  to activate one of these Abilities – they will then 
  know how to use it themselves. They may be used 
  actively 
  and 
  consciously 
  or 
  passively 
  and 
  unconsciously. Indeed, some characters may choose 
  to pick an Ability to fill in one of their Quality 
  selections (with the GM’s permission; see Chapter 5 
  for a fuller discussion of the ramifications of 
  permitting this option).  
  To use an Ability, characters must roll against their 
  Type Rank – or Quality Rank, if their GM allowed 
  them to take an Ability as a Strength or Weakness – 
  with any relative Downshifts as shown on the chart 
  below. (Recall that there is an additional Downshift – 
  and possibly a cost in Soul Points – when 
  attempting to use an Ability in the Real World.) 
  NOTE - Characters also have other gifts called Powers, 
  which must be deliberately activated and require spirit-
  force (i.e., Soul Points) to operate; see Chapter 4.  
   
  ABILITY 
  TYPE: DEAD INSIDE  
  Change Landscape 
  3 Downshifts 
  Change Self 
  2 Downshifts 
  City Navigation 
  1 Downshift 
  Movement  
  (Dream-leap/True Flight) 
  2 Downshifts/3 Downshifts 
  Open Gate 
  2 Downshifts 
  Second Sight  
  (Passive/Active) 
  At Rank/1 Downshift 
  Soultaking 
  1 Downshift 
  Special 
  Downshift to all social uses of 
  Qualities in Real World; become a 
  Zombi after death. 
   
  Here’s a quick thumbnail description of each of 
  these Abilities (Chapter 4 goes into greater detail): 
  − Change Landscape. Make subtle, short-
  lived changes to the immediate locale 
  (construction, 
  elevation, 
  climate, 
  temperature, etc.), including moving or 
  “floating” small objects through the air.  
  − Change Self. Temporarily alter one’s body 
  slightly (change height, weight, features, skin 
  tone, hair color or length, etc.), with a 
  greater scope at higher Ranks of skill.  
  − City Navigation. Identify the shortest path 
  to a given Notable Location in the City; 
  useless in the Real World.  
  − Movement. The character has two special 
  modes of Movement: Dream-leaping and 
  True Flight. Dream-leaping allows the being 
  to act as though weightless: making “moon-
  
   
  Chapter 3: Creating DI Player Characters 
  31 
  bounce” jumps, running up walls, or lightly 
  walking across treacherous footing. True 
  Flight allows the being to temporarily take to 
  the air like a bird.  
  − Open Gate. Creates a portal between the 
  Real World and Spirit World, allowing 
  characters to pass from one to the other. 
  Gates appear as circular or semi-circular 
  rainbows of weird colors. (Average People 
  cannot normally see or pass through a 
  Gate.)  
  − Second Sight. The Ability to see soul-
  blood and spiritual beings (that is, Types); 
  suffer clairvoyant visions or precognitive 
  dreams; or read the “vibes” off a person, 
  place, or object. Passive use of Second Sight 
  is uncontrolled (i.e., under the GM’s 
  control), but it can be actively called upon.  
  − Soultaking. Sucking away soul-energy from 
  another being. Due to its difficulty (and 
  extra energy costs) in the Real World, 
  Soultaking is a zero-sum (or worse) game 
  there. However, in the Spirit World, it can 
  be “rewarding” to the unscrupulous. This is 
  the Ability used to “eat” a Ghost. 
  NOTE - Soultaking is spiritually corrosive, 
  and counts towards Soul Decay – be warned! 
  (GMs see Chapter 5.) 
   
  Example Character 1: Zandra Grace 
  Zandra is an Average [0] Dead Inside. 
  Example Character 2: Kristov Wolff 
  Kristov is an Average [0] Dead Inside, but has an 
  undetermined Good [+2] Quality (continued from the 
  last step). He wants to fill that slot with Second Sight. 
  The GM agrees. This means that instead of rolling 
  against his Type Rank of Average [0] for passive uses of 
  Second Sight (like, to notice a Ghost), he’s at a Rank of 
  Good [+2]; and instead of being unable to force a vision 
  (Average [0] with two Downshifts falls off the bottom of 
  the scale and becomes impossible), he can actually do it 
  at Poor [-2] Rank... in the Spirit World, or at powerful 
  places or times in the Real World. “Yeah, man, the 
  concert we had at Stonehenge blew my mind!” 
   
  Soul Point Pool 
  The initial Soul Point Pool of a character depends 
  on their Type. The Soul Point Pool will increase or 
  decrease based on the characters’ actions within the 
  game. Simply, the more one strives to grow in word 
  and deed, the more Soul Points gained; the more 
  one stops others from growing, the more Soul 
  Points lost. When a Soul Point Pool goes below zero, 
  the character’s Type is “broken down for change.” 
  That means Rank is reduced by a level to get 2 Soul 
  Points back. 
  Dead Inside. Start with one Soul Point.  
  NOTE - Technically, all characters with an Average [0] 
  Rank in Type and a zero Soul Point Pool have 3 more 
  Soul Points to lose before it’s all over. (The Average [0] 
  Rank Dead Inside becomes Poor [-2] Rank Dead Inside, 
  with 2 Soul Points. If those 2 points are lost, leaving the 
  character at Poor [-2] Rank and zero Soul Points, losing 
  another point forces another “breakdown.” Since there’s 
  no Rank below Poor [-2], the character husks, becoming 
  a Qlippoth: an NPC monster. 
   
   
  
   
  Chapter 3: Creating DI Player Characters 
  32 
  Miscellany 
  And that’s about it for generating a DI character. 
  Players should feel free to describe the character’s 
  physical description if they want, even if it’s a quick 
  thumbnail like “young Harrison Ford, only Indian” 
  or “tall, blonde, and stacked.” Backstories can be 
  fleshed out further, names of friends and enemies 
  filled in, whatever floats your boat. But the 
  character’s got everything necessary for you to start 
  playing. 
  Here are the full character sheets for our example 
  PCs: 
   
  Example Character 1:  
  Alexandra “Zandra” Grace, Rising Exec 
  Personality: Thoughtful. Zandra understands the 
  world through rational thought. 
  Backstory: Virtue: Fortitude. Vice: Cruelty. Smart as a 
  whip, Zandra parlayed a college internship with an 
  Internet start-up into a paying job, and quickly rose 
  through the ranks. She jumped ship to a publishing 
  company before the dot.com bust, and managed to stay 
  ahead of the game. Her sharp mind and supreme 
  confidence make her seem capable beyond her years. 
  Soul Loss: Someone – either a rival in her company, or 
  an agent in a competitor’s organization – didn’t like the 
  swath that Zandra was cutting through their client list. 
  This secret rival arranged for her soul to get stolen. 
  Now Zandra just wants it back... before her career 
  implodes. 
  Discovery: It happened at the Holiday Party for 
  employees and clients, Zandra was sure of it. She was 
  getting a glass of eggnog, felt someone touch her elbow, 
  and blacked out. When she woke up, she was out of 
  sorts, depressed, hollow. And over the next few weeks, 
  the feeling didn’t go away; it just got worse. 
  Qualities: Expert [+4] Marketing Executive, Good [+2] 
  at Self-Defense, Good [+2] Business Contacts, Poor [-2] 
  at Taking Criticism. 
  Type: Average [0] Dead Inside. 
  Soul Point Pool: 1 
  Notes: Zandra is a stocky and attractive woman in her 
  mid-thirties with brunette hair and glasses. She 
  describes herself as “sort of a cross between Camryn 
  Manheim, Kate Winslet, and Hedy Lamarr.”  
   
   
  Example Character 2: 
   Kristov Wolff, Has-Been Rock-and-Roller 
  Personality: Sensual. Kristov understands the world 
  through his senses, especially hearing, touch, and taste 
  (all of his hit songs drew strongly on at least one of 
  those elements). 
  Backstory: Virtue: Generous. Vice: Avarice. At age 
  sixteen, Kristov Wolff was on top of the world with two 
  platinum albums, a legion of screaming fans, sold-out 
  concerts, and more money than a small bank. After a 
  ten-year whirl of drugs, drinking, promiscuity, and CPT 
  (Caviar, Paté, & Truffle) sandwiches, the albums aren’t 
  selling like they used to, and now the fans, the concerts, 
  and the money are gone. 
  Soul Loss: Kristov let his soul rot first by the cruddy 
  things he did to get to the top, and then chipped away 
  big chunks of it as he indulged in celebrity-scope 
  excesses. As things started falling apart, instead of 
  taking control, he numbed himself with drugs, food, and 
  mindless television. One day, his soul was just gone. 
  Discovery: Between drunken binges, Kristov ran out of 
  vodka. On the way to the corner liquor store, he passed 
  a fortune teller’s shop. Thinking it’d be a hoot, he 
  decided to drop in and see if the palmist recognized 
  him: maybe she’d be a cute Gothy-type owned his 
  albums before Sisters of Mercy took its place on her 
  turntable. He got more than he bargained for. 
  The old woman with the scarves on her head threw him 
  out before he even sat down, calling him names like 
  “demon,” “dybbuk,” and “monster.” He was so shocked, 
  he almost forgot to get his Stoli. Almost. 
  In the checkout line, a young guy with tats covering his 
  bald head touched him on the shoulder. “I know what’s 
  wrong with you, buddy. You’re Dead Inside. I can help.” 
  Qualities: Good [+2] Rockstar, Good [+2] Songwriter, 
  Good [+2] Dirty Fighter, Good [+2] Second Sight, Poor [-
  2] at Accounting.  
  Type: Average [0] Dead Inside. 
  Soul Point Pool: 1 
  Notes: Kristov’s a short guy with long ratty blonde 
  hair. He’s got a skinny frame, but is growing a little 
  potbelly. His band was called “the Wolff Pak,” and was 
  made up of 4 guys: Kristov, “Chubby” Bill Boro, Jimmy 
  Carlosi, and Sammy “SoCo” Rogers. SoCo’s gone on to a 
  successful solo career. The group’s biggest #1 was “Be 
  My Love Bunny, Honey.” 
   
  
   
  33 
  Chapter 4 
  DI Game Mechanics 
  I stepped onto the sidewalk outside Wyld Park, 
  and the first thing I noticed was that there were 
  few pedestrians, cars, or trucks. Looking down the 
  wide avenue – which began to curve, bending 
  around the Park as I watched – I saw a guy on a 
  bicycle about six blocks away. Not what I’d call 
  bustling for such a large city; more like a lazy 
  autumn Sunday afternoon, after all the tourists 
  had flown south for the winter. 
  Then, I saw a chunky lady about a block away 
  jump across the street, from sidewalk to sidewalk. 
  A thirty foot standing broad jump. And as soon 
  as her chubby little feet hit the concrete, I knew 
  how to jump like that myself... only I didn’t have 
  the oomph to do it yet. It was just like when I saw 
  Oskar open the Gate. My soul was too weak to 
  do stuff like that right now. 
  I walked down towards the crosswalk at the 
  corner, looking at the buildings. The street sign 
  said it was Tower Row, and there were certainly 
  a bunch of towers along it – ranging from the 
  medieval to the science-fictional – as well as 
  domes, manors, skyscrapers, and buildings 
  shaped like mythological animals. I saw weird 
  beings like the elephant-headed vendor walking 
  in and out of some of them; I saw a white-
  bearded old guy in star-spangled robes step out 
  of a pure black cylinder and fly away. Again, I 
  quickly understood how he did it, and was 
  crushed to realize that I didn’t have anywhere 
  near the soul-juice to be able to fly. 
  I came up on the crosswalk at the same time as 
  another pedestrian: an old lady in a green 
  shawl, just like the one my grandma used to 
  wear. She looked like me, all jagged and 
  cracked and hollow: another Dead Inside. Her 
  green eyes twinkled at me as she asked, “Do you 
  need to cross here, too?” 
   
  Now that you have a character for a DI game, how 
  does he do things like win friends, impress people, 
  cut deals, climb walls, or throw punches? This 
  chapter explains how you and your GM will use the 
  information on your character sheet to figure all that 
  out. 
  Let’s add a third character along with Zandra and 
  Kristov (from Chapter 3) to use in examples 
  throughout this chapter. 
   
  Example Character 3: 
   Jefferson, Biker Bruiser 
  Personality: Grizzly Adams. Live and let live, or 
  else. 
  Backstory: 
  Virtue: 
  Integrity. 
  Vice: 
  Cruelty. 
  Jefferson’s a big bear of a Hell’s Angel: while most 
  of the time he’s like Gentle Ben, he’ll flip out 
  Kodiak-style on someone who pushes him too hard. 
  Luckily, he can take a lot of guff before snapping. 
  Soul Loss: Jefferson sold his soul to get out of a 
  tight spot that he doesn’t discuss: he almost killed 
  his own brother in a bar fight, and traded his soul to 
  a man who had no eyes to heal Stevie. The next day, 
  Stevie killed a convenience store clerk and severely 
  wounded a little kid during a hold-up. Then, the 
  punk laughed about it to his brother. Now, Jefferson 
  wants to change the deal he struck with the Eyeless 
  Guy... undo Stevie’s healing and give it to the kid in 
  the ICU. And if that means Stevie gets put into the 
  cold, cold ground, so be it. 
  Discovery: Jefferson sold it, on purpose, to the 
  Eyeless Guy. He knew exactly what he was doing... 
  but now he’s not happy he did it. 
  Qualities: Expert [+4] Biker Dude, Good [+2] 
  Toughness, Good [+2] Outdoorsman, Poor [-2] 
  Reader. 
  Type: Average [0] Dead Inside,  
  Soul Points Pool: 1 
  Miscellany: 
  Jefferson 
  calls 
  his 
  Harley 
  “Declaration,” and prefers denim to leather.  
   
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  34 
  TASK RESOLUTION 
  “I think so,” I replied to the gray-haired little old 
  lady. “Hey, you wouldn’t know where a Mage 
  named Violet lives, would you?” 
  She pointed towards a slim lavender spire across 
  the street, which seemed to be inching west. “I think 
  that’s her place: the Indigo Tower.” 
  “Thanks.” I turned to walk across the street, but she 
  stopped me with a touch on my arm. 
  “I know you’re a little big to be a Boy Scout,” she 
  said, “but could you help an old woman across the 
  street? I’m Gwendolyn, the Crone.” 
  I smiled. “My name’s Mike, and I was a Scout. ‘Do a 
  Good Turn Daily,’ and all that. I’d be glad to 
  assist.” I offered her the crook of my arm, but she 
  didn’t take it. 
  “It’s not that easy. That street is harder to cross than 
  it looks. Take a step off.” 
  So I did – and sank a foot into what had looked 
  like solid asphalt. “Whoa!” It was tough to move, 
  like wading through deep snow or mud, but even 
  heavier and stiffer. Thirty feet would be quite a 
  chore. 
  “Can you still help me get across?” she asked, and 
  there was something in her voice that made the 
  cracks in my heart hurt even worse.  
  I thought about it a second, and made a decision. 
  What the hell. “Hop on,” I said as I offered her my 
  back, putting my hands on my hips.  
  She did, sticking her brown button-up boots through 
  the loops formed by my arms and torso. I started 
  across. That little old lady wasn’t all that heavy, but 
  it made the going just a bit rougher. Still, it was 
  easy to see that she’d have never made it on her 
  own. I buckled down and started slogging, letting 
  my mind wander. 
  About halfway across, I started laughing. 
  “What’s so funny?” 
  “Just thinking about Robin Hood and Friar Tuck, the 
  frog and the scorpion, and St. Christopher. You’re 
  not planning on doing something to me while we’re 
  hip deep in street, are you?” 
  She laughed, too. “Nope, I’m not a holy man, forest 
  outlaw, stinging scorpion, or the Baby Jesus. You 
  don’t have to worry. But I will inflict a piece of 
  advice 
  on 
  you: 
  relationships 
  are 
  work, 
  responsibility, and reward all in one.” 
  I chewed that over for a minute. “I’m not sure why 
  you felt the need to tell me that at this moment.” 
  “Relationships are a two-way street.” 
  I shook my head, but after she said that, the going 
  seemed a bit easier. 
  We reached the other side and she clambered 
  down, her heels clicking on the solid walk. I levered 
  myself up out of the asphalt, breathing a little 
  heavier, but not particularly tired. I looked up with 
  a grin. “Curbside service, ma’am.”  
  The old lady had changed during our crossing. She 
  had turned young, her hair now black, her body 
  now tall and shapely. Her eyes glowed as she 
  looked down into mine. “Well done, Michael,” she 
  said, and touched my forehead. Heat seared 
  through my skin, burning a path deep into me, 
  filling me up a little inside. Imparting me with a 
  drop of soul. 
  I fell down, gasping. “W-who–?” 
  “I am Gwendolyn, and in this form, I am your 
  Anima. We’ll meet again, love. Be well, and good 
  luck with Violet.” Then she faded away. 
   
  When your character tries to do something, the GM 
  will determine if the situation is simple, complicated, or 
  conflict. Let’s take each in turn. 
   
   
  DEAD INSIDE MASTER CHART 
  LEVEL 
  As Quality Rank 
  MODIFIER 
  TO 2D6 
  ROLL 
  AS DIFFICULTY RANK 
  TARGET 
  NUMBER 
  Poor 
  Notably Inept.  
  -2 
  A trivial task. 
  5 
  Average 
  Typical human capability. 
  0 
  Straightforward task. 
  7 
  Good 
  Better than usual; most professionals or talented 
  newcomers.  
  +2 
  Complex task, requiring attention to detail. 
  9 
  Expert 
  Noted/famed professional; talent with skill to 
  back it up. 
  +4 
  Intricate task, difficult and requiring sharp concentration, hard 
  for a typical untrained person (Average). 
  11 
  Master 
  Acclaimed genius: talent with substantial skill 
  behind it. 
  +6 
  Extremely difficult task, hard for most professionals in the field 
  (Good). 
  13 
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  35 
  UPSHIFTS (BEING BADASS) 
  This is how PCs get more bang for their buck. If the 
  player describes his character’s attempt to perform 
  an action in a graphic, flavorful, and entertaining 
  way, the GM can give them an Upshift. An Upshift 
  means that for that particular action, the PC rolls as 
  if their Quality were one level higher (essentially 
  giving him an additional +2 to their roll). So, rather 
  than “I hit the sailor” (or “I haggle”), the player says 
  something like “I grab the sailor’s shirt with one 
  hand and pull him closer to punch him in the face 
  with my other fist – arr, matey!” (or says, in 
  character, “May the fleas from a thousand camels 
  infest the beds of your children if you try and rob 
  me in this way!”). If the PC had a Good [+2] Pirate 
  (or Bargaining) Quality, this would change his roll in 
  attempting to hit the sailor (or haggle with the 
  merchant) from 2d6+2 to 2d6+4, as if he were 
  Expert [+4] Rank.  
  NOTE - Upshifts above Master Rank add an extra 
  die to the character’s roll (i.e., instead of rolling 
  2d6+6+2, the character rolls 3d6+6). 
   
  Simple Situations 
  In simple situations, the task is clear-cut, there are no 
  outstanding issues interfering with the attempted 
  action, or randomness would bog down the game. 
  In a simple situation, the GM looks at the Master 
  Chart (see below), and determines the Difficulty 
  Rank of the task. Then, the GM compares that 
  Difficulty Rank to the character’s most appropriate 
  Quality Rank. The higher Rank of the two “wins.”  
  If the Difficulty Rank of the task is equal to or 
  higher than the character’s relevant Quality Rank, 
  the task becomes a complicated situation (see below). 
  Examples: Jefferson wants to climb a wall using his 
  Good [+2] Outdoorsman Quality (he successfully 
  convinces the GM that climbing a cliff face is similar 
  enough to climbing a wall for it to count), he’ll 
  automatically succeed in scaling Poor [5] and Average [7] 
  Difficulty walls.  
  If Kristov wanted to climb a wall, he has no applicable 
  Quality, and so would have the default Quality Rank of 
  Average [0]. This means he can only automatically 
  succeed in climbing Poor [5] Difficulty walls. 
  For Jefferson, Good [9] or higher Difficulty Rank walls 
  are complicated; for Kristov, Average [7] or higher 
  Difficulty Rank walls are complicated. 
  Complicated Situations 
  Dice rolls are made in complicated situations: where 
  comparisons of Rank are inconclusive, or when 
  randomness is desired. Complicated situations are 
  when Quality and Difficulty Ranks are tied, or when 
  Quality Rank is lower than Difficulty Rank. To 
  attempt a complicated situation, the PC rolls two 
  regular six-sided dice (2d6), and adds the Modifier 
  for their Quality Rank. To succeed, the PC must 
  match or roll higher than the Target Number of the 
  task’s Difficulty Rank.  
  NOTE - Some failures – like attempting to walk a 
  skinny building ledge – may carry the chance of getting 
  hurt. For more on that topic, see below, Environmental 
  Damage. 
  Examples: Jefferson is trying to climb a Good [9] 
  Difficulty wall using his Good [+2] Outdoorsman 
  Quality. The Target Number of Good [9] Difficulty – as 
  noted in the brackets – is 9. Jefferson must roll 2d6 and 
  add his Modifier of +2, trying to match or beat a 9. He 
  rolls a 3 and a 5, giving him 3+5+2 = 10! He succeeds 
  in climbing the wall. 
  Kristov wants to follow Jefferson up that Good [9] 
  Difficulty wall: again, he has no applicable Quality, and 
  so must use the default Quality Rank of Average [0]. He 
  must match or beat a 9 when rolling 2d6. He rolls 
  exactly the same thing that Jefferson did: a 3 and a 5, 
  and since Average Rank Qualities have no Modifier, 
  that’s a total of 8. This is below the Target Number of 
  the wall, so Kristov fails. 
   
  When a character’s Qualities are set against the 
  Qualities of other characters, this isn’t just 
  complicated, it’s a conflict situation (see below). 
   
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  36 
  DOWNSHIFTS 
  While functionally the same thing (a -2 to a 2d6 plus 
  Modifiers roll), the reasons behind having a Weakness or 
  incurring Downshifts are different.  
  For example, Jefferson has a Weakness of Poor [-2] 
  Reader. If he needs to do a really complicated and 
  unusual repair on Declaration (his hog), requiring reading 
  the bike’s manual, this Weakness will affect his overall 
  competence (Expert [+4] Biker Dude) in the repair. 
  Instead of rolling 2d6+4, Jefferson will be rolling 2d6+2. 
  That’s just par for the course, an effect of his Strength 
  and Weakness interacting in that particular situation. 
  A Downshift means that for the action in question, the PC 
  rolls as if his Quality were one level lower (essentially 
  giving him a -2 to their roll). Downshifts can come from 
  a number of sources: if a combatant decides to Play It 
  Cagey (see below, Conflict Jazz), the effects of Failure or 
  Damage Ranks (see below, Taking It On the Chin), or 
  the general penalty to social situations that the Dead 
  Inside have in the Real World.  
  While judicious use of Downshifts to reflect a sudden or 
  unexpected change in the complexity of a situation can 
  work very well, GMs should resist the temptation to 
  overuse Downshifts as situational modifiers. DI games 
  tend to run smoother if the GM simply sets the 
  Difficulty Rank (and thus, Target Number) of a task 
  appropriately. For example, if the PCs are attempting to 
  climb a Average [7] Difficulty wall and it begins to rain, a 
  Downshift to each of their relevant Qualities makes 
  sense. However, if it’s already raining when they begin 
  their attempt, simply make the wall Good [9] difficulty 
  from the get-go.  
  NOTE - Downshifts below Poor Rank mean automatic 
  failure in the use of that Quality. (There is one exception 
  to this case; see below, Soultaking.) 
   
  CONFLICT SITUATIONS 
  I crouched there on the sidewalk for a moment, 
  regaining my breath. What the hell had just 
  happened? Did it matter? I felt better – a lot 
  better. Fuller. More whole. Who was she? We’ll 
  meet again? 
  Lost in my thoughts, I almost didn’t see Lucy walk 
  past me, holding a paper bag. She hadn’t seen 
  me. 
  “Hey! Lucy!” I yelled. She turned back to look at 
  me, and I saw her face go white. She turned 
  back and started to run. 
  I didn't consider that it had been months since I 
  last saw her. I didn't think that she may have 
  already used my soul for whatever purposes she 
  had stolen it for. All I knew was that she wasn't 
  going to get away. Not this time. 
   
  Conflict situations involve active resistance by another 
  to a character’s attempts to perform a task: trying to 
  punch a guy in the face, out-thinking a chess player, 
  running a race, or convincing a cop that, no, you 
  weren’t really speeding. Conflict – whether physical, 
  mental, emotional, or social – is a large part of many 
  roleplaying games (and most stories, movies, plays, 
  etc.). Conflict situations in DI include more than 
  just the immediate success or failure of an 
  attempted action; here, conflict includes the back 
  and forth of an active contest, out-maneuvering the 
  competition, and wearing down an opponent’s 
  resistance. Examples of conflict situations include  
   
  BEING LAMEASS 
  Being Lameass is – in some ways – the opposite of Being 
  Badass. Boring, uncharacteristic, or disruptive roleplaying 
  can ruin everybody else’s fun, and after all, the point of 
  roleplaying is to have a good time. If a player is reading, 
  refusing to pay attention, watching TV, pedantically 
  rules-lawyering, utterly ignoring the characterization of 
  their PC, being pointlessly abusive or distracting to other 
  players, or – saints preserve us! – sleeping at the gaming 
  table, they are working against the overall good time. In 
  these cases, the GM could give the offending PC a 
  Downshift based on the player’s behavior. . . but what’s 
  the point? If the player’s not interested enough in the 
  game to even pay attention, penalizing this character will 
  probably have little effect on his behavior.  
  Try to discover the cause of the player’s Being Lameass. 
  Maybe it’s something about the focus or subject matter 
  of the campaign, a difference of roleplaying style, or even 
  an unrelated personal issue that’s bugging the player. The 
  answer to Being Lameass is to discuss the situation 
  outside of the game – either by taking a break or talking 
  between sessions – and try to work through it like 
  grown-ups. A little bit of open communication can do 
  wonders for these sorts of issues. 
   Just think of it as soul-cultivation in the Real World. 
   
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  37 
  combat, seduction, haggling, debating, and so forth. 
  (Note that some groups won’t necessarily want to 
  use the conflict situation mechanics to resolve social 
  interactions, and will want to rely on pure 
  roleplaying instead ; this is fine – the rules structure 
  is there if a group wishes to use it.)  
  In conflict situations, the characters involved 
  compare the results of 2d6 plus Modifier rolls; the 
  highest successful result wins.  However, there are a 
  few refinements of conflict requiring closer 
  attention. These are Initiative, Moment of Truth, and 
  Damage. 
  NOTE - Further information on mystical and spiritual 
  conflicts appears below (see boxed text, Spiritual Conflict). 
  NOTE - In addition to the in-line examples in each 
  section, two detailed examples of conflict situations – 
  with all the bells and whistles – appear at the end of this 
  chapter.  
  Initiative 
  First, figure out who goes first – that is, who has 
  Initiative. Most of the time, the flow of the situation 
  will indicate who acts first, but in some cases, this 
  order may need to be determined. Here’s how to do 
  it: 
  1. If a character attacks without warning – 
  taking the victim by surprise – the attacker 
  automatically goes first. (At the GM’s 
  discretion, he might even get a free turn, if 
  the target is caught totally unawares.) 
  2. The character with the highest Rank in a 
  “speed” or “reaction time” Quality relevant 
  to the situation (Fastest Gun in the East, 
  Jumpy, Quick Wits) goes first, followed in 
  order by those with relevant Qualities of 
  lower Ranks. 
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  38 
  3. The character with the highest Rank in a 
  Quality not relevant to the situation goes 
  next, followed by those of lower Ranks. 
   
  Ties can be broken by either: 
  − Stating that tied characters resolve their 
  actions simultaneously; or 
  − Rolling a die, with the highest number 
  winning Initiative. 
   
  Once Initiative is determined, conflict resolution 
  can proceed. Characters with a higher Initiative may 
  “hold their actions” for as long as they want, but 
  after the last character has done something, they 
  need to take that held action or lose it. After 
  everyone involved in the conflict situation has taken 
  an action (or chosen not to), the characters can act 
  again, in the same order. Lather, rinse, repeat. 
  Example: Zandra and Jefferson are arguing over who’s 
  going to pay their tab at the White Monkey. Both are 
  adamant in wanting to be the one who picks up the 
  check, so the situation has devolved to conflict. (As the 
  White Monkey is in the Spirit World, both of these 
  characters do not have to worry about the Downshift to 
  social interactions in the Real World from being Dead 
  Inside; see below, Spiritual Abilities & Powers, for more 
  information). 
  Zandra is using her Expert [+4] Marketing Executive 
  Quality here (she’s used to picking up business lunches) 
  and Jefferson’s using his Expert [+4] Biker Dude 
  Quality (he’s used to intimidating people into doing 
  what he wants them to). 
  Zandra and Jefferson are both at Expert Rank, and thus 
  tied. The GM decides that Initiative between them will 
  be determined with a die roll. Zandra rolls a 3 and 
  Jefferson rolls a 4. Jefferson has Initiative. 
   
  Moment of Truth 
  The character whose turn it is will be called the 
  “attacker”; the character who is the target of the 
  attacker’s action is called the “defender.” The 
  attacker explains what his attempted action is, and 
  the defender explains how he’d try to counter that 
  action. Then, the attacker rolls 2d6 for his relevant 
  Quality and adds the appropriate Modifier for 
  Quality Rank.  The defender does the same. The 
  character with the higher total wins.  
  If the attacker is successful, damage (see below) is 
  applied to the defender; if the attacker fails, no 
  damage is done. A tie is just that – nobody wins, 
  nobody loses... but they both muss each other up a 
  little. 
  Example: Jefferson is the attacker, and Zandra is the 
  defender. Jefferson is going to reach for the check 
  brusquely, and Zandra decides to try and grab it first. 
  Jefferson rolls 2d6+4 for a result of 10, Zandra rolls 
  2d6+4 for a result of 8. Thus, Jefferson does “damage” 
  to Zandra this turn (see below), and has grabbed the 
  check. 
  On her turn, Zandra wants to snatch the check away 
  from Jefferson. She gets a result of 11, while he gets a 
  result of 5. She does a lot of “damage” (again, see 
  below), and now has possession of the check. 
   
  TIME IN CONFLICT 
  The terms used in DI for identifying the passage of 
  time: 
  Scenes are the entire conflict; starting with determining 
  Initiative and ending with someone winning, losing, 
  surrendering, or leaving the situation. 
  Each character takes a turn or action: that’s when they 
  make their move, say their piece, throw a punch, etc. 
  Other characters react during a character’s turn – 
  saying something back or performing a defense, 
  usually – but their reactions can only be in response to 
  the actions of the character whose turn it currently is. 
  They cannot initiate actions until their turn. 
   
  Damage 
  She got away. 
  We were running – sometimes I gained on her, 
  most of the time I lost ground. Blocks passed 
  under my feet, the bag of blood-berries 
  oscillated at my belt, and she just kept pulling 
  away. I felt my energy dwindling, my breath 
  coming heavy. I told myself that it was because 
  of my exertions with carrying Gwendolyn across 
  the street, but I knew that wasn’t it. Lucy just out-
  ran me. Then, at the end, just to add insult to 
  injury, she did one of those Leaps up and over 
  the street, and ducked into an alley. 
  With what I had gotten from Gwendolyn, I knew 
  I had just enough soul-juice to make that kind of 
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  39 
  jump, but I didn’t want to risk my precious 
  spiritual energy. She was gone. I stopped. 
  Then I looked around, and discovered what was 
  worse than losing a race to a stinking soul-thief: 
  the Indigo Tower was not in sight. Neither was 
  Wyld Park. 
  I was lost, and it was getting dark. 
   
  Damage (be it physical, mental, emotional, social) is 
  the loss of capability. As a character takes damage, 
  he is less likely to be able to perform at peak 
  efficiency. This is embodied by a temporary 
  Downshift applied to the character’s listed Qualities 
  called either a Failure Rank or a Damage Rank, 
  depending upon the nature of the conflict.  
  In mental, social, and some physical conflicts, loss 
  of capability is usually temporary, and is represented 
  by Failure Ranks. Examples include a chess match, 
  witty repartee, or running a race. 
  In many physical conflicts (and even some physical 
  complicated situations), loss of capability is more 
  enduring, and is represented by Damage Ranks. 
  Examples here include combat, running through 
  fire, or falling off of a wall. 
  In spiritual conflicts, loss of capability involves the 
  loss of Soul Points, and is described at length below 
  (see boxed text, Spiritual Conflict). 
  Dishing It Out 
  In a successful attack, the difference between the 
  attacking and defending rolls determines how many 
  Failure or Damage Ranks are done to the defender. 
  If the attacker has any Upshifts or Downshifts on 
  their successful attack, that shift will carry through 
  to damage resolution.  
  If the roll results are tied, both characters take a 
  single Downshift.  
  NOTE - Qualities Upshifted above Master Rank 
  provide an additional Rank of Damage to be applied. 
  Example: Following on the Moment of Truth example 
  from above, on Jefferson’s turn, the difference between 
  his roll and Zandra’s was 2, so he does 2 Failure Ranks 
  to her.  
  On Zandra’s turn, she did a whopping 6 Failure Ranks 
  to Jefferson.  
  Environmental damage – like that taken from falling, 
  jumping through a fire, drowning, or other 
  complicated situations – works by comparing the 
  Target Number of the task against the total of the 
  character’s failed roll. The difference between roll 
  and Target Number is the Damage Ranks taken. 
  Example: Say that in the example above from Complicated 
  Situations, where Kristov wants to follow Jefferson up a 
  Good [9] Difficulty wall, our rockstar is instead trying to 
  follow the biker down the wall. As he has no applicable 
  Quality, he must use the default Rank of Average [0], 
  and match or beat a 9 when rolling 2d6. He rolls a 3 and 
  a 5, for a total of 8. This is below the Target Number of 
  the wall, so Kristov fails, falls, and takes 1 Damage Rank 
  from the sudden stop. 
  Taking It On the Chin 
  Firstly, if – in the GM’s opinion – a character has 
  relevant Qualities of Good [+2] Rank or better that 
  could feasibly allow him to ignore or resist damage 
  in the situation (like Tough Skin, Iron Will, True 
  Love, or Impeccable Pedigree), the character can 
  ignore some Failure or Damage Ranks.  
  In each Scene (not per turn or reaction; see boxed 
  text, Time in Conflict), a character can choose to 
  Downshift the Quality; by doing so, the character 
  can ignore all Failure or Damage Ranks from one 
  action. The player chooses if and when to use these 
  freebies. That means that if somebody is trying to 
  pry a donation out of a PC who has Expert [+4] 
  Rank Iron Will, the PC can in theory ignore 2 turns 
  of Failure Ranks over the course of the conflict by 
  reducing his Iron Will once for each attack against 
  him that is successful. However, once a Quality 
  reaches Average [0] Rank (through Downshifting to 
  ignore or resist or from taking Failure or Damage 
  Ranks), it can no longer be used in this fashion. 
  Secondly, any character that has a Weakness related to 
  the type of conflict (for example, Glass Jaw in a 
  combat, Math is Hard! in an arithmetic test, or Can’t 
  Say No to a Pretty Face in a seduction attempt), will 
  have to take two extra Damage Ranks the first time – 
  and only the first time – they get tagged in a relevant 
  situation. (That’s why it’s a Weakness; if they have 
  an off-setting Strength that allows them to ignore or 
  resist as above, they can use that to ameliorate the 
  badness.) 
  NOTE - Qualities reduced to Poor [-2] Rank during a 
  conflict situation by Failure or Damage Ranks are not 
  Weaknesses; Weaknesses are character flaws decided 
  upon at character generation. There’s a difference 
  between a Weakness of Poor [-2] Athlete (the character’s 
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  40 
  never been that into sports) versus someone in a race 
  who’s Good [+2] Athlete has been temporarily reduced 
  to Poor [-2] Rank by accumulating Failure Ranks (he’s 
  out of breath and feeling the burn). 
  Lastly, if a defender is caught totally and utterly by 
  surprise by an attacker – to the extent of getting a 
  free turn (see Initiative) – or makes not the slightest 
  effort to defend himself, that could add an 
  additional Rank to what he Takes On the Chin. 
  On the positive side, the player of the defending PC 
  decides where to apply the Damage Ranks. They may 
  only be applied to those Qualities listed on the 
  character’s sheet (that is, not any one of the 
  character’s infinite number of “default” Average 
  Qualities). When any one of a character’s Qualities 
  drops below Poor Rank, the character is out of the 
  Scene – that could mean they’ve totally flubbed 
  their seduction attempt, been knocked unconscious 
  (or killed) in combat, or run out of test-taking time 
  and must put down their #2 pencil. The GM 
  describes how and why the PC is out of the Scene, 
  and lets the player know if/when they can return 
  (see below, Recovering from Damage). 
  Example: From the Dishing It Out example above, 
  Jefferson did 2 Failure Ranks to Zandra in the social 
  conflict over the tab. She chooses to reduce her Good 
  [+2] Business Contacts and Good [+2] Self-Defense 
  Qualities, placing them both temporarily at Average [0] 
  Rank. 
  Zandra slammed Jefferson for 6 Failure Ranks. 
  However, Jefferson’s player asks if his Good [+2] 
  Toughness Quality counts as “armor” in social 
  situations, since this makes him big and imposing; the 
  GM agrees that it does in this case. That means that for 
  this conflict Scene, Jefferson can voluntarily drop his 
  Toughness to Average [0] to avoid all the Failure Ranks 
  he receives in a turn. He decides to do that right now, 
  which means he takes no Failure Ranks from her attack. 
  (Note that since she did have a righteous attack on 
  Jefferson, the GM decides that she did snatch the check 
  from the biker; his use of Toughness just means that 
  he’s not as deeply hurt by her actions as he could have 
  been.) 
  Both characters have now taken a turn, and can choose 
  to continue the conflict or not. Jefferson decides to let 
  the lady pay. 
  If Zandra had a Weakness of Bad Tipper (for example), 
  the GM could decide that such a flaw would have 
  affected the check-grabbing situation. If so, Jefferson 
  would have done 4 Failure Ranks to Zandra, instead of 
  just 2, bringing her closer to losing the conflict. 
   
  THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING 
  CONFLICT ABSTRACTION 
  Basically, in any conflict, some of a character’s 
  Qualities can be thought of as useful for either 
  “attack,” “defense,” or “absorption.”  
  As an example, say a character has Good [+2] Rank 
  in the Qualities of Kung Fu, Debating, and 
  Accountant. In combat (a physical conflict), the 
  character will probably opt to keep Kung Fu at 
  Good [+2], and apply Damage Ranks to Debating 
  and Accountant. In an argument (a social conflict), 
  the character will want to keep Debating high for as 
  long as possible, and take Failure Ranks on Kung 
  Fu and Accountant first. If being audited by the IRS 
  (could be a mental, a social, or even a professional 
  conflict, depending on how the GM spins the 
  situation), the character would protect Accountant, 
  try to keep Debating at Good [+2] as long as he 
  could, and sacrifice Kung Fu. 
  This abstraction of how Failure or Damage Ranks 
  are applied isn’t meant to be a one-to-one relation 
  (“Hey, why does getting punched in the face lower 
  my Florist Quality?”), but amusing justifications can 
  be made up anyway (“Well, your black eye makes it 
  hard to arrange peonies...”). 
  Out for Blood? 
  For physical conflicts, the default assumption in DI 
  is that characters can only be killed once they are 
  unconscious or otherwise helpless. This requires no 
  roll, check, or action, simply a statement on the 
  attacker’s next turn that the he wishes to kill the 
  victim. (GMs should feel free to change this rule if 
  they desire. Perhaps characters pick whether they 
  are doing “bruising” damage or “killing” damage at 
  the beginning of a conflict situation.)  
  NOTE - An important point to remember is that killing 
  another living being in DI is a soul-decaying action, and 
  causes the loss of Soul Points (or even whole Type 
  Ranks from Backsliding). Therefore, DI characters must 
  weigh the decision to kill carefully. This also means that 
  characters with substantial numbers of Soul Points to 
  burn – like Sensitives and Magi – can be more ruthless 
  in coming to murderous decisions. Also note that, 
  technically, Free Spirits, Ghosts, Qlippoth, Tulpas, and 
  Zombis are not “alive,” and can be destroyed with less 
  fear of corrupting one’s soul, depending on the 
  situation. (See below for more information on Soul 
  Points, Type Ranks, and Backsliding.) 
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  41 
   
  OPTIONAL RULE: Increasing Damage 
  DI assumes that one is using an appropriate tool 
  alongside a Quality – a spreadsheet program with 
  Accounting, a pistol with Gunplay, a little black 
  dress with Seduction, etc. If the GM so chooses, 
  this assumption can be changed such that 
  specialized equipment provides 1 Upshift, limited to 
  Damage Rank determination only.  
  Under this optional rule, if a character with Good 
  [+2] Kung-Fu uses nunchucks when breaking 
  heads, while he’d be rolling for success at Good 
  [+2] Rank, but when comparing roll results for 
  damage purposes, he’d treat his Kung-Fu as if it 
  were Expert [+4] Rank. (This boils down to an extra 
  2 Failure or Damage Ranks.) 
  Recovering from Damage 
  Once a Scene ends, the injured character will begin 
  to recover lost Ranks. How many he gets back 
  depends upon whether he was in momentary danger or 
  is still in continuing danger. 
  − Momentary Danger. If nothing else is 
  going on, and the character is otherwise 
  safe, 
  relaxed, 
  and 
  lacking 
  any 
  time 
  constraints. Examples of momentary danger 
  include playing Go Fish with a six year old, 
  a car chase (though some Environmental 
  Damage could happen...), or a seduction 
  attempt. At the end of the Scene, all Failure 
  or Damage Ranks are removed, restoring 
  Qualities to their appropriate levels. 
  − Continuing Danger. Danger is continuing 
  if the overarching situation that the conflict 
  happened in is risky, stressful, or under 
  deadline. An example of continuing danger 
  would be playing poker in a seedy dive bar 
  with three Mafiosi. Characters will recover 
  1d6 lost Ranks of Quality at the end of the 
  conflict Scene. The player selects which 
  Qualities’ Ranks are restored. However, the 
  character will not recover any more Ranks 
  until the GM tells them to roll again (or they 
  spend Soul Points to heal; see below). 
  NOTE - A Strength like “Quick Healer” should allow the 
  character to gain back the standard 1d6 roll, plus their 
  Modifier. A Weakness like “Slow Healer” would mean that 
  the character rolls 1d6-2 (the Modifier for Poor), with a 
  minimum of zero Ranks regained.  
  Example: Jefferson’s been beaten up and stuffed in a garbage 
  can by a Zombie. At the end of the conflict, all of his 
  Qualities were Downshifted to Poor, except for Biker Dude, 
  which he had bottomed out. Since this happened in a bad 
  part of Zombitown, he’s still in continuing danger. He rolls 
  for damage recovery and gets a 3. He puts 1 Rank into 
  bringing Biker Dude to Poor [-2] (now he’s conscious), and 
  uses the remaining 2 to get Toughness back to Good [+2], 
  since he figures it’ll be the most useful if someone else jumps 
  him. 
   
  CONFLICT JAZZ 
  Here are some methods to get even more of your 
  tactical or strategic ya-yas out. Any character can 
  choose to use them in the course of their conflicts.  
  Conflict Strategies 
  There are two additional strategies that a character 
  can use in conflicts, depending upon if he wants to 
  specifically concentrate on attack or defense. One 
  can only be used by an attacker and the other only 
  by a defender. If a PC wishes to utilize either of 
  these strategies, they must announce it at the 
  beginning of their turn. They cannot be used on the 
  same turn. 
  − Flip Out. The attacker flips out all over the 
  target, making strong attacks (physical, 
  mental, or social) without much heed to 
  defense. A Flip-Out grants an Upshift for 
  the attack (and any subsequent damage) and 
  a Downshift on all defensive reactions and 
  other non-conflict-related actions until his 
  next turn. 
  − Play It Cagey. The defender plays it cagey, 
  opting for safety by not taking any chances, 
  holding back in the conflict. Playing It 
  Cagey grants an Upshift for all defensives 
  reaction and a Downshift on all the 
  character’s non-conflict-related actions until 
  their next turn; unfortunately, Playing It 
  Cagey means that the character’s next attack 
  action will suffer from this Downshift. 
   
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  42 
  SHIFT ACCUMULATION 
  In DI, all Upshifts, Downshifts, and bonus dice are 
  cumulative. That means that if a character is Being 
  Badass, Flipping Out, and using their Virtue 
  simultaneously, that character would have 3 Upshifts 
  (or a Modifier of +6) on the attack and damage. This 
  means if the starting Quality was of Average [0] Rank 
  (2d6), it would become Master Rank (2d6+6); if the 
  Quality was Good [+2], the roll would be 3d6+6, 
  because one of the Upshifts would take the Rank 
  above Master and translate into an extra die to roll.  
  If the character also burns a Soul Point for Luck (see 
  below), that would mean that in the example above, 
  the Average Rank’s roll would become 3d6+6, and the 
  Good Rank’s roll would become 4d6+6. Smokin’! 
  Using Multiple Qualities in Simple, 
  Complicated, or Conflict Situations 
  If the GM agrees that more than one Quality can be 
  brought to bear on a task, simply combine the 
  Modifiers for the relevant Qualities. This includes 
  not just the Qualities of a single character, but also 
  if multiple characters team-up to perform a task. If 
  multiple characters are joining forces, only one of 
  them needs to roll, and that’s the character with the 
  higher Initiative. 
  Examples: Jefferson’s trying to drive his motorcycle – 
  imported from the Real World – through the Wood. 
  He’d usually use his Expert [+4] Biker Dude Quality, 
  but thinks his Good [+2] Outdoorsman Quality would 
  help him find traversable paths. If the GM thinks that’s 
  kosher, Jefferson will be rolling 2d6+4+2, or 2d6+6, to 
  maneuver between the looming trees. 
  Zandra (Expert [+4] Marketing Exec) and Kristov 
  (Good [+2] Rockstar) decide to work together in a pitch 
  meeting in Archaic Café to try and convince a Sensitive 
  who’s an Expert [+4] Record Company Exec in the Real 
  World that Kristov is worth re-signing. Zandra will roll 
  2d6+4+2; the GM rolls for the Record Company Exec. 
  She rolls a 4 and a 6, for a total of 16, and the GM rolls 
  a 4 and a 6 for a total of 14. Zandra and Kristov 
  successfully convince the Sensitive that Kristov’s career 
  is making a comeback!  
   
  Using a Quality Against Multiple 
  Targets 
  If it’s necessary for a character to take on multiple 
  targets simultaneously in a single action, he can split 
  his attentions (and relevant Quality Ranks) between 
  them. Of course, this leads to a commensurate 
  decrease in effective skill. For each additional target 
  selected, apply a Downshift to the Quality Rank. 
  Example: Say that Jefferson (Expert [+4] Biker Dude) is 
  fighting two Zombi Bikers. If he tries to take them both 
  on, he’ll only be at an effective Rank of Good [+2] for 
  his attacks on each. If there were 3 Zombi Bikers, he’d 
  have an effective Rank of Average [0]; if 4, Poor [-2]. If 
  there were 5 Zombi Bikers, he’d automatically fail all 
  five attacks, since his split Rank would bottom out with 
  another Downshift.  Better to take them on one or two 
  at a time. 
  But wait! Jefferson has Toughness at Good [+2] Rank. 
  He persuades the GM that this should count – after all, 
  what’s tougher than taking on multiple opponents? If 
  the GM agrees, that works as essentially an Upshift, 
  allowing Jefferson to take on 2 Zombis at Expert [+4], 3 
  Zombis at Good [+2], 4 Zombis at Average [0], 5 
  Zombis at Poor [-2], and auto-fail when facing 6 
  Zombis at once. 
  Now, if Jefferson could only get the Zombis to attack 
  him in the woods (Outdoorsman at Good [+2] Rank)... 
   
  Conflict Between Similar 
  Personality Types 
  If two characters share the same Personality 
  (Empathic, Instinctive, Sensual, Thoughtful) type or 
  have complimentary Personality types (for example, 
  “Life of the Party” and “Good Time Gal”), they 
  gain an Upshift when attempting to communicate, 
  figure out, sway the opinion of, or fight each other. 
   
  OPTIONAL RULE: Abstracting Conflict 
  Further 
  One could streamline conflict situations further by treating them as 
  complicated situations. That is, instead of having character roll 
  using their Qualities against each other to determine success, 
  simply treat their Quality Rank as a Difficulty Rank. Then, the 
  attacker uses the Target Number of that Difficulty Rank to roll 
  against for success; as with Environmental Damage, the difference 
  between roll result and Target Number gives the Damage Rank. 
  No fuss, no muss (especially for faceless henchmen, if your DI 
  game is in the cinematic idiom). 
  Example: Kristov has gotten to the throne room of his Nemesis – 
  a Mage named Voorhees – and his path is blocked by one of 
  Voorhees’ Dead Inside henchmen (Average [0] Henchman). 
  Kristov rolls his Good [+2] Dirty Fighter Quality against the 
  henchman’s Target Number of 7. He rolls a 2 and a 4, plus 2 from 
  Good, giving him a total of 8: Kristov kicks the henchman in the 
  family jewels, downing the thug, and continues walking toward his 
  foe. 
   
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  43 
  VIRTUE & VICE 
  I sat down on a Mage’s stoop, all carved with 
  griffins and krakens and rhinoceroses, and rested 
  my head in my hands. Streetlights along Tower 
  Row flickered to life. I felt like crying. 
  “Why so glum, chum?” 
  The voice came from behind me. It was my 
  Shadow, reclining against the steps.  
  “Hey. Did you see that?” 
  “Yup. So what?” 
  “Dude, she might have had my soul in that bag. 
  Or at least she’d know where it is now. And I 
  blew it. I could have used the juice to Leap, and I 
  didn’t. I was afraid to lose it.” 
  My Shadow laughed. “I say again, ‘so what?’ 
  Michael, you’re carrying a sackful of blood-
  berries. Don’t you know what that means?” 
  I looked at the back hanging from my pants and 
  shook my head no. 
  “Each of those nasty little fruits is just dripping 
  with essence, man. Chomp on a couple of them, 
  and you’ll get oodles of soul-stuff back.” 
  “But Oskar was collecting them for Violet. He 
  said she needs them.” But I looked at them, and 
  smelled the rank juice from where they’d been 
  bruised. They did stink... of power. 
  “You need them, too, buddy. You’ve got no soul – 
  not a whole one at least.” 
  The tone in which my Shadow said this made me 
  hesitant. “Shouldn’t I get them to her? Then she 
  might be able to help me out.” 
  “All the help you need is right in that bag. Eat 
  some of her berries, and you won’t need her 
  help.” 
  I didn’t say anything, but thought, “Her berries?” 
  My Shadow snorted. “I’m just looking out for you, 
  buddy. After all we’ve been through, you’d think 
  you’d trust me.” 
  I pondered. On the one hand, what my Shadow 
  said was true – if I ate the berries, I wouldn’t 
  need to visit with the Mage Violet. But he had 
  said, distinctly, “her berries.” They weren’t mine 
  to take, no matter how much I needed them.  
  I said to my Shadow, “No.” 
  He shook his head in disgust, and went back to 
  following my movements. But this time, it felt like 
  he was mocking me. 
  The rush of warmth and wholeness that poured 
  into me at that second lifted me up off of my ass, 
  set me on my feet, and made my head swim. In 
  refusing the temptation offered by my Shadow, I 
  had gained more soul-energy. My vision 
  blurred... 
   
  In play, a character will be given choices. His 
  decisions in response to those choices can have 
  effects on his Soul Point Pool, as well as adjusting 
  his Virtue and Vice. (The GM keeps track of this, 
  and more discussion on the topic appears in Chapter 
  5).  
  In general, following the Virtues (especially the 
  character’s current Virtue) helps a soul to grow. 
  Souls grow faster when virtuous despite adversity, or 
  when resisting Vices (especially the character’s 
  current Vice). Going against your current Virtue or 
  indulging your current Vice leads to soul rot, big-
  time. This is the normal course of business in a DI 
  game. (Simply ignoring current Virtue and Vice is 
  shoddy roleplaying; GMs may want to remind a 
  player of his character’s Virtue and Vice if he 
  notices this. Repeated indifference may be a case of 
  Being Lameass; see above for further details.) 
  However, a character might run into a particularly 
  difficult choice involving his current Virtue or 
  current Vice, so much so that it’s a complicated 
  situation. His reaction to it carries more randomness 
  than the regular decisions he makes. For the 
  character, this situation is a Virtue Check or a Vice 
  Check. Virtue Checks and Vice Checks are 
  complicated situations. The GM decides the 
  Difficulty Rank of the Check, and the PC uses his 
  Type Rank as the relevant Quality when rolling. The 
  amount of soul cultivation or soul decay that occurs 
  in a Virtue or Vice Check is determined by the 
  combination of what the PC wants to do and if they 
  make a successful roll (GMs should see Chapter 5 for 
  more details). Note that characters, even if forced to 
  give in to their current Vice by a bad roll, can 
  ameliorate any soul rot by good roleplaying of the 
  internal conflict posed by the disconnect of what 
  they feel they should do versus what they can’t help but 
  do. 
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  44 
  Using Virtue 
  Once per session, a character may attempt to use 
  their current Virtue to increase their chances of 
  success in a task, if they can explain to the 
  satisfaction of the GM how the situation relates to 
  that Virtue. (This need not be limited to conflicts; it 
  can be simple or complicated situations, too.) If the 
  GM agrees with the player’s reasoning, the PC gains 
  an Upshift to a relevant Quality for that situation. If 
  your heart is pure, you can do great things! (Virtue is 
  its own reward.) 
  If desired, a character can also use their Virtue in 
  this way to automatically resist a Vice Check, 
  provided they come up with a good explanation of 
  how that would work; however, that eliminates any 
  chance for soul growth or decay. 
  SOUL POINTS 
  ...and I Saw. The Indigo Tower rose through the 
  fog clouding my eyes, and I knew where it was, 
  right then. Four blocks west, one block north. 
  I started running. There were more pedestrians in 
  this part of the neighborhood, so I side-stepped 
  and swerved around the ones on the ground. 
  One or two Leaped out of the way, raining 
  curses down on me from building ledges. I 
  resisted the temptation to Leap myself. If not for 
  the chance to grab my own soul, then not for this. 
  As I ran, I wondered – I was fuller of soul-power 
  than any time since the accident. But shouldn’t my 
  vision have used up some of that? There were 
  rules here that I didn’t understand. Yet. 
  Ahead, two ghosts started to pop out of a wall; 
  when they saw me, they ducked back into it, their 
  cries of alarm cutting-off in mid-yelp. I 
  remembered: Raymond in the record store. I 
  hadn’t had to do anything to See him. Maybe this 
  was like that.  
  I skidded to a stop in front of the huge oak door 
  of the Indigo Tower. My sneakers sent up tiny 
  wisps of smoke. I untied the bag of blood-berries 
  from my belt loop and knocked on the door. 
   
  Soul Points are awarded to PCs by the GM for 
  many reasons: roleplaying spiritual growth, as a 
  reward for tasks performed in the service of an 
  Imago, or successfully conquering a negative aspect 
  of themselves. They represent the drops of soul-
  blood possessed by a character, measure how close 
  a Dead Inside character is to becoming ensouled or 
  husked (see below), can be used in Spirit World 
  Commerce, and provide fuel for the Abilities and 
  Powers (see below). Gaining Soul Points feels good. 
  Soul Points can also be taken away from a character’s 
  pool by the GM if their actions are soul-rotting, 
  negative, or evil. Soul Points lost to spiritual decay 
  are given to a character’s Shadow (see Chapter 5 for 
  more information), effectively making their dark, 
  animal side stronger. Losing Soul Point hurts. 
   
  SPIRITUAL ABILITIES & 
  POWERS IN THE REAL WORLD 
  The special mystical Abilities & Powers do not 
  function as well in the Real World as in the Spirit 
  World.  The few exceptions are the passive use of 
  Second Sight, the ability to Open a Gate to the 
  Spirit World, and being affected by Spirit Traps. 
  Any other Ability that a character can use in the 
  Spirit World requires an additional Downshift and 
  an expenditure of 1 Soul Point per use in the Real 
  World; any Power that a character can use in the 
  Spirit World requires a Downshift to Type Rank 
  and a doubled Soul Point cost per use (minimum 1) in 
  the Real World. 
  However, Abilities & Powers can be used at their 
  normal Spirit World shift and cost in Places or 
  Times of Power (see Chapter 2, Notable Locations in 
  the Real World for the Dead Inside). 
   
  Gaining and Losing Soul Points 
  Every action a DI character takes is charged with 
  value; each thing he does or neglects to do affects 
  him to the core. A simple stroll down an alley is a 
  spiritual journey, a random interaction with Joe 
  Bystander is an opportunity to discover new 
  meaning, and every conflict or obstacle in their path 
  is a chance for growth... or rot. However, it is easier 
  to access spiritual Abilities and Powers when 
  surrounded by spiritual energies (like in the Spirit 
  World, or in a Place or at a Time of Power in the 
  Real World). 
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  45 
  Gaining a Soul Point feels like an influx of warmth, 
  comfort, and stability – like a sip of hot chicken 
  soup on a cold winter’s day. Assembling enough 
  Soul Points for Improvement or Ensoulment is the aim 
  of most characters (see below). 
  Losing a Soul Point feels like a tear in the chest that 
  lets a cold draft in. If a character loses too many 
  Soul Points and Type Ranks, they might Backslide, 
  Regress, or husk (see below). 
   
   
   
  Burning a Soul Point feels like a sudden rush of 
  strength and energy pouring out, and then – after 
  whatever effect is created occurs – a sudden 
  deflation and mild lassitude. (For extreme results 
  using Abilities and Powers, a character can also burn 
  a whole Rank of his Type Quality. While this 
  provides major oomph!, it feels much like ripping 
  one’s eyes, tongue, or heart out by main force.) 
  Burning too many Soul Points or Type Ranks can 
  also lead to Backsliding, Regression, or husking.  
  NOTE - A character’s Shadow can also provide Soul 
  Points in special cases. These “Shadow Points” are 
  transitory and limited, and can only be used to 
  immediately fuel an Ability or Power, or save the character 
  from husking (see below). Also, these Shadow Points are 
  tainted – they feel “sticky,” “slick,” or “unwholesome” – 
  and accepting one allows the soul to decay slightly (see 
  Chapter 5). 
  The GM has guidelines (in Chapter 5) for how to 
  award and deduct Soul Points. Ultimately, if a 
  character ends the session with more Soul Points, or 
  with a higher Rank in his Type than he started with, 
  he’s done well. 
  Using Soul Points 
  There are three main uses for Soul Points (and Type 
  Ranks, for that matter):  
  1. Activating Abilities & Powers;  
  2. As currency in Spirit World Commerce (see 
  Chapter 2 for background); and  
  3. Improvement. 
  Activating Abilities & Powers 
  Normally, Abilities are used with a roll against the 
  character’s Type Rank. By burning 1 Soul Point, a 
  character can automatically succeed in using a 
  known Ability; no roll necessary. Spending 
  additional Soul Points allows the character to extend 
  the duration or broaden the scope of an Ability. In 
  dire straits, this could be a lifesaver.  
  Powers require rolling against the character’s Type 
  Rank and the expenditure of Soul Points or Type 
  Ranks. As with Abilities, if a character burns 
  additional Soul Points or Type Ranks, he may 
  extend the duration or broaden the scope of a 
  Power. 
  (See below for detailed information on the Spiritual 
  Abilities & Powers). 
  Currency in Spirit World Commerce 
  As noted in Chapter 2, there are two types of trade in 
  the Spirit World: sharing and selling. Sharing 
  exchanges require only the merest fraction of soul-
  blood, which is generally covered by the player’s 
  description of the memory or dream being shared, 
  so there’s no need to track “fractional Soul Points.” 
  For a comparison with Real World money, imagine 
  sharing exchanges involving transactions of up to 
  about $50 (enough to cover basic food, shelter, and 
  necessities).  
  Selling exchanges are pricier. On the low end, Soul 
  Points are traded; in the middle, Type Ranks; and 
  on the high end, Quality Ranks. A gun might cost a 
  couple Soul Points; a minor enchanted object, a 
  Type Rank; and a mightily enchanted sword, a 
  Quality Rank. Also, the higher the Rank, the more 
  valuable it is (Expert [+4] Rank is worth twice a 
  Good [+2] Rank). For a comparison with Real 
  World money, consider one Soul Point equivalent to 
  $100, one Type Rank as $1,000, and one Quality 
  Rank as $10,000. 
  NOTE - These Real World comparisons are not a direct 
  exchange rate, just analogies to help the player 
  conceptualize the value of their spiritual “wealth.”  
  NOTE - GMs should see Chapter 5 for more discussion 
  on refereeing Spirit World Commerce. 
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  46 
  Improvement 
  Characters can use their Soul Points for Improvement, 
  gaining skill and experience in being their Type. 
  They can spend Soul Points equal to the Modifier of 
  the next Rank of Type, and improving multiple 
  Ranks must happen stepwise. For example: 
  − Raising Average [0] Rank Dead Inside to 
  Good [+2] Rank Dead Inside costs 2 Soul 
  Points.  
  − Raising Good [+2] Rank Dead Inside to 
  Expert [+4] Rank Dead Inside costs 4 Soul 
  Points. 
  − Raising Average [0] Rank Dead Inside to 
  Expert [+4] Rank Dead Inside costs 6 Soul 
  Points (2 for Good, plus 4 for Expert). 
   
  To Improve a Quality, a character must spend Type 
  Ranks equal to the Modifier of the next Rank of 
  that Quality, and improving multiple Ranks must 
  happen stepwise. For example: 
  − Raising Average [0] Rank Gunplay to Good 
  [+2] Rank Gunplay costs 2 Type Ranks.  
  − Raising Good [+2] Rank Gunplay to Expert 
  [+4] Rank Gunplay costs 4 Type Ranks. 
  − Raising Average [0] Rank Gunplay to 
  Expert [+4] Rank Gunplay costs 6 Type 
  Ranks (2 for Good, plus 4 for Expert). 
   
  NOTE - If a character wishes to gain a new Quality, they need 
  to spend 2 Type Ranks to gain it at Good [+2] Rank. 
   
  When a character reaches Master Rank in a Type or 
  Quality, it cannot be improved further, with four 
  exceptions: 
  1. By spending another Soul Point on 
  Improvement within Temenos Chapel, a 
  Master [+6] Dead Inside will become an 
  Average [0] Sensitive. 
  2. By spending another Soul Point on 
  Improvement after joining with their 
  Syzygy, a Master [+6] Sensitive will become 
  an Average [0] Mage. 
  3. By spending another Soul Point on 
  Improvement 
  after 
  conquering 
  their 
  Shadow, a Master [+6] Mage will become an 
  Average [0] Immortal (or so it’s claimed). 
  4. By spending another Soul Point on 
  Improvement within Moon Lake, a Master 
  [+6] Free Spirit may become a real soul, and 
  will be immediately sucked through a portal 
  (out to the Sea, halfway to the Source... or 
  so it’s claimed). 
   
  Backsliding & Regression 
  On the other hand, a character can lose too many 
  Soul Points. If his Soul Point Pool is reduced below 
  zero, this forces the character to Backslide. 
  Backsliding reduces his Type by one Rank and puts 
  2 Soul Points into his Pool.  
  When a Mage or a Sensitive character has a Type 
  Rank of Poor [-2] and his Soul Point Pool is 
  reduced below zero, the character Regresses. That is, 
  the character’s soul falls back along their path of 
  spiritual advancement. A Poor [-2] Mage with zero 
  Soul Points who Regresses becomes a Master [+6] 
  Sensitive with 2 Soul Points in his Pool. A Poor [-2] 
  Sensitive with zero Soul Points who Regresses 
  becomes a Master [+6] Dead Inside with 2 Soul 
  Points in their Pool. 
  However, when a character of any other Type 
  Regresses, he collapses in upon himself and Husks 
  (see below).  
  Example: Chang the Average [0] Mage is fighting off 3 
  foes. During the course of the battle, he zeroes his Soul 
  Point Pool and gets boxed in. He rashly decides to burn 
  a Soul Point to automatically Open a Gate to his Tower. 
  Since he’s at zero Soul Points, he Regresses to gain the 
  necessary energy. His Type Rank Backslides, making 
  him a Poor [-2] Mage with 2 Soul Points. But he’s alive 
  to fight another day. 
  If he had Backslid to fight on and zeroed his Soul Point 
  Pool again, he could Regress to become a Master [+6] 
  Sensitive with 2 Soul Points – but he’d lose access to all 
  his Magi Abilities and Powers, making the fight all the 
  harder. 
   
  Ensoulment and Husking 
  It takes 13 Soul Points to Ensoul – that is, totally 
  cultivate a complete soul (12 Points to Improve 
  their Type Rank from Average [0] to Master [+6], 
  plus 1 additional Point and a ritual). The newly-
  Ensouled character retains the ability to interact 
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  47 
  with the Spirit World (that is, if he wasn’t Sensitive 
  before being Dead Inside and clawing his way back 
  up, he is now). Sensitives can learn to become Magi 
  if they wish; this requires another 13 Soul Points for 
  Improvement, plus successfully joining with their 
  Syzygy in a ritual.  Magi can become truly immortal; 
  this requires 13 more Soul Points, plus conquering 
  their Shadow in yet another ritual. 
  NOTE - For basic information on the Syzygy and the 
  Shadow, see Chapter 2. GMs desiring advice on how to 
  handle interactions with these Imagos, as well as 
  transformations from Dead Inside to Sensitive and 
  Sensitive to Mage, please see Chapter 5. 
  On the other hand, characters can rot their soul 
  completely away, too. When a character (who is not 
  a Sensitive or a Mage) has a Type Rank of Poor [-2] 
  and no Soul Points in their Pool is forced to 
  Backslide for more soul-juice, his personality will 
  disintegrate under the strain, causing him to Husk. 
  Husking turns the character into a Qlippoth – 
  making this PC into an NPC monster under the 
  GM’s control.  
  NOTE - For basic information on Qlippoth, see Chapter 
  2. There’s also more information available for GMs on 
  the process – and monster – in Chapter 5. 
  In either case, the session when a PC spends the 
  Soul Points for Ensoulment (or loses his last Point 
  and husks) should focus on the story of how the 
  change occurs, and any ramifications for the 
  campaign or other players.  
  Using Soul Points in Play 
  A huge black cat with three blue eyes opened 
  the door for me. “Yes?” it asked in a surprisingly 
  deep voice. 
  “I have something for the Mage Violet.” I 
  brandished the bag. “From Oskar the Sensitive.” 
  Omigod. Oskar! He could still be out there, 
  running from the Eye of the Dead God. I hoped 
  Violet could help him. 
  The cat stared at me, and blinked at me in a 
  triocular cascade: left, middle, right. “Come with 
  me,” it said, and sauntered deeper into the 
  Indigo Tower. 
  I followed, walking down a short hallway which 
  ended in a cozy little parlor. It didn’t look much 
  different than a living room in the real world – 
  stereo, television, bookshelves, Ansel Adams 
  prints on the wall. Sure, the color scheme was 
  slanted towards blues and purples, but it wasn’t 
  particularly outrageous or witchy-looking. Then I 
  glanced out the window, and saw that the room – 
  or I – had suddenly jumped about twenty stories. 
  The City spread out under Violet’s living room 
  like a concrete quilt. I looked back, and saw the 
  front door. Magic. 
  A middle-aged woman walked into the room 
  from another door. She had salt-and-pepper hair 
  cut short and wide violet eyes. She wasn’t cute, or 
  pretty, or beautiful – she was what they call a 
  “handsome woman.” You know, a classy, solid, 
  attractive type.  
  “Hello,” she said, and looked at the bag. “Are 
  those for me?” 
  It all tumbled out in a rush as I handed her the 
  bag. “Yes. I got them with Oskar, he said you 
  needed them. But an Eye of the Dead God 
  showed up, and he ran off to distract it so I could 
  get away. Can you help him?” In my worry, I 
  almost didn’t feel the now-familiar excitement as 
  more soul-stuff trickled into me. Almost. 
  “Your concern for him is a good sign – Michael, is 
  it? – for your own tragic situation. Keep it up.” 
  She looked into the bag. “A little banged-about, 
  but serviceable. I still need more, though.” She set 
  the bag down on the glass-topped coffee table. 
  “But to answer your question, no. Not directly.” 
  “Why not?” I asked, frustrated. 
  “Because if I popped over to the Wood looking 
  for him, we’d both probably die. The Eyes hunger 
  for power, and I’d be a beacon.” She studied me 
  closely, and said, “You, however. You might be 
  able to do something. That is, if Oskar yet lives.” 
  She turned and spoke to the television. “Show me 
  Oskar.” The TV flipped on, and displayed an 
  image of a scratched and bloody Oskar running 
  down a brook in the moonlight. “Show me the 
  Eye.” The scene pulled back, back, back, and 
  showed the Eye on Oskar’s trail. It cast about like 
  a bloodhound, but was moving fast. The image 
  collapsed into a bright line, then a single point, 
  then faded, just like on an old-time TV. 
  Violet turned back to me. “He’s alive, but not for 
  long. The Eye is herding him away from the safe 
  paths back to the City. And it looks like he’s been 
  hit with the Stare at least once. As I said, I cannot 
  go. But will you?” 
   
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  48 
  SPIRITUAL CONFLICT 
  Spiritual conflict is when one character uses their 
  special Abilities or Powers against another character. 
  In general, it works the same way as regular conflicts 
  (compare 2d6 plus Modifier rolls; higher wins), but 
  there’s a difference in how “damage” is applied. The 
  difference between the rolls of the attacker and the 
  defender is limited to a maximum of the attacker’s Type 
  Rank Modifier, and determines the scope of the 
  effect of the Ability or Power on the defender. Here 
  are some rough examples: 
  Bind. The difference between rolls indicates how 
  many turns (or whole Scenes, if the attacker burned 
  a Type Rank) the unsuccessful defender is under the 
  attacker’s control. 
  Change Others. The difference between rolls indicates 
  how many turns (or whole Scenes, if the attacker 
  burned a Type Rank) the unsuccessful defender is 
  transformed for. 
  Second Sight (Active). The difference between 
  rolls indicates how many individual facts the 
  attacker can discern about the defender. 
  Soultaking. The difference between rolls indicates 
  how many Soul Points the attacker steals from the 
  unsuccessful defender (minimum 1 Soul Point, 
  maximum Soul Points equal to the attacker’s 
  Modifier). 
  Example: Jefferson (Average [0] Dead Inside) has ticked-off a 
  Good [+2] Mage named Mbutu. Mbutu decides to use Change 
  Others to shrink Jefferson down to mouse size, so that his cat-
  shaped Tulpa can play with the taciturn Biker Dude. Mbutu is the 
  attacker, so he rolls against his Good [+2] Mage Rank and spends 
  2 Soul Points to attempt to Change Others. He rolls a 3 and a 6, 
  plus 2, for a total of 11.  
  Jefferson is the defender and rolls against his Average [0] Dead 
  Inside, getting a 3 and a 4 for a total of 7. The difference between 
  the rolls is 4 – but wait! Mbutu’s Type Rank is only Good [+2], 
  which will limit the reach of his transformative magic. Since 
  Jefferson hasn’t learned Ward yet (see below), he suffers the 
  indignity of being made eensy-weensy for two Scenes (The GM 
  assigns him a temporary Average [0] Quality of “Mouse-sized.”) 
  Two Scenes is long enough for a physical conflict Scene with 
  Mbutu’s kitty and possibly even a “giant” Mbutu. 
   
  There was nothing to deliberate about. He had 
  saved my life – what there was of it, at least – 
  by leading the Eye away. Time to return the 
  favor. “What can I do?” I said, and immediately 
  was struck by a wave of soul-energy, although 
  this time, it was tinged with chilling fear. 
   
  Soul Points can be used (or “burned”) to activate or 
  extend any of the below Abilities or Powers in play. 
  Burned Soul Points disappear from the character’s 
  Soul Point Pool.  
  If a character observes any other being use one of 
  these capabilities – or is told in detail how to activate 
  them – and the Type of being they are has access to 
  it (according to the Abilities & Powers Chart below), 
  they then know how do it themselves, provided they 
  take the necessary shifts or spend the required Soul 
  Points determined by their Type. 
  NOTE - Again, recall that extra Downshifts or Soul 
  Point costs may be incurred for using Abilities and 
  Powers in the Real World (see above, Spiritual Abilities & 
  Powers in the Real World).  
   
   
   
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  49 
  ABILITIES & POWERS CHART 
   
  Ability/Power? 
  Dead Inside 
  Free Spirit 
  Ghost 
  Mage 
  Sensitive 
  Zombi 
  Bind 
  Power 
  3 Soul Points 
  – 
  – 
  1 Soul Point 
  2 Soul Points 
  – 
  Change Landscape 
  Ability 
  3 Downshifts 
  1 Downshift 
  1 Downshift 
  At Rank 
  2 Downshifts 
  – 
  Change Others 
  Power 
  – 
  – 
  – 
  2 Soul Points 
  3 Soul Points 
  – 
  Change Self 
  Ability 
  2 Downshifts 
  At Rank 
  At Rank 
  At Rank 
  1 Downshift 
  – 
  City Navigation 
  Ability 
  1 Downshift 
  At Rank 
  At Rank 
  At Rank 
  At Rank 
  At Rank 
  Create Object 
  Power 
  – 
  – 
  – 
  1 Soul Point 
  2 Soul Points 
  – 
  Create Tulpa 
  Power 
  – 
  – 
  – 
  1 Soul Point 
  2 Soul Points 
  – 
  Enchant 
  Power 
  3 Soul Points 
  – 
  – 
  1 Soul Point 
  2 Soul Points 
  – 
  Healing 
  Power 
  1 Soul Point 
  – 
  – 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  Luck 
  Power 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  – 
  Movement 
  (Dream-leap/ 
  True Flight) 
  Ability 
  2 Downshifts/
  3 Downshifts 
  At Rank/ 
  At Rank 
  At Rank/ 
  At Rank 
  At Rank/ 
  At Rank 
  1 Downshift/
  2 Downshifts 
  2 Downshifts/
  – 
  Open Gate 
  Ability 
  2 Downshifts 
  – 
  – 
  1 Downshift 
  1 Downshift 
  2 Downshifts 
  Second Sight 
  (Passive/Active) 
  Ability 
  At Rank/ 
  1 Downshift 
  At Rank/ 
  2 Downshifts 
  At Rank/ 
  2 Downshifts 
  At Rank/ 
  At Rank 
  At Rank/ 
  At Rank 
  At Rank/ 
  3 Downshifts 
  Soultaking 
  Ability 
  1 Downshift 
  1 Downshift 
  2 Downshifts 
  At Rank 
  At Rank 
  2 Downshifts 
  Supercharge 
  Power 
  1 Soul Point 
  – 
  – 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  Ward 
  Power 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  Special 
  Ability 
  [1] 
  [2] 
  [3] 
  [4] 
  [5] 
  [6] 
  LEGEND 
  At Rank = Character can use this Ability with a roll against Type Rank. 
  x Downshift(s) = Character can use this Ability with a roll against Type Rank with x Downshifts. 
  x Soul Point(s) = Character can use this Power buy spending x Soul Points and making a roll against Type Rank. 
  – = Type does not possess this Ability or Power. 
  [#] = See below, Special. 
   
  Spiritual Abilities & Powers 
  In DI, once a character sees a mystical Ability or 
  Power being used – or has the workings of that 
  Ability or Power explained to him – he will be able 
  to perform that mystical feat, simply by taking the 
  appropriate Downshifts and spending any required 
  Soul Points. (See also the boxed text above, Spiritual 
  Conflict, for details on situations where one character 
  wishes to use an Ability or Power on another 
  character.) 
  Abilities are bolded, and require a successful roll 
  against Type Rank to activate. Powers are in italics, 
  and require both a roll against Type Rank and the 
  expenditure of Soul Points (or Type Ranks). Can be 
  Warded appears in the descriptions below if the 
  Ward Power can block or dispel the effects of the 
  described Ability or Power. 
  Bind: Burning the required Soul Points (see Abilities 
  & Powers Chart) to try and Bind another being to 
  your will, or reshape their mind into a new attitude 
  (loyalty charm, love reversed into hate, confusion 
  spell); this initiates spiritual conflict. If successful, 
  the attacker can control the target for a number of 
  actions equal to the difference of their rolls. (If a 
  Type Rank is burned, the duration could increase to 
  Scenes or even hours). If successful against a Tulpa, 
  the attacker may burn a Type Rank to become its 
  new master (to master Ghosts, Free Spirits, or Spirit 
  World beasts requires the burning of 2 Type Ranks). 
  To use Bind against an embodied Type (Dead 
  Inside, Sensitive, or Zombi), the attacker must hold 
  a Soul Egg containing at least one of the target’s 
  Soul Points. To use Bind against a Mage, the 
  attacker must hold the target’s Wizard Egg. 
  Henceforth, the entity is compelled to obey the 
  character’s will as if it were a Tulpa created by him, 
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  50 
  and may break free of control following the same 
  procedure. Can be Warded. 
  Change 
  Landscape: 
  Alter 
  a 
  single 
  aspect 
  (appearance, size, color, temperature, climate, etc.) 
  or feature of the character’s locale with a successful 
  roll against Type Rank (GM determines relevant 
  Target Numbers); can also used to move objects 
  through the air.  Basic use of Change Landscape 
  could create a door in a blank wall, instantly brick 
  up a window, or cause a street lamp to sprout from 
  the pavement. Taking an additional Downshift on 
  the roll or burning Soul Points allows the opening 
  of larger passages – alleys, sewer tunnels, corridors – 
  and the creation or elimination of larger objects, like 
  phone booths or newsstands. More Downshifts 
  taken or Soul Points burned could create rooms in 
  large buildings, change the decor in a house, or raise 
  a section of sewer to street level. All of these effects 
  are of short duration, but burning a Type Rank 
  makes them more durable, lasting until changed by 
  another character or effaced by the slow shifting of 
  the City. 
  Change Others: Reshape the body of another 
  character into a new form (toad, tree, rooted feet, 
  erase mouth, etc.). Burning the required Soul Points 
  (see Abilities & Powers Chart) and succeeding in 
  spiritual conflict allows either lasting minor changes 
  or short-term major changes to the target; burning 
  more Soul Points or a Type Rank extends the 
  duration 
  and 
  scope 
  of 
  the 
  effect. 
  (Game 
  mechanically, basic use allows the attacker to apply 
  an Upshift or Downshift to one of the victim’s 
  Qualities, or temporarily grant them shape-based 
  Average [0] Qualities.) Can be Warded. 
  Change Self: Reshape one’s body into another 
  form (becoming a lion, increasing or decreasing size, 
  altering facial appearance, growing knife fingers, 
  etc.) with a successful roll against Type Rank (GM 
  determines 
  relevant 
  Target 
  Numbers). 
  More 
  Downshifts taken or Soul Points burned allows 
  either lasting minor changes or temporary major 
  changes; burning a Type Rank extends the duration 
  of the effect. (Game mechanically, basic use allows 
  the character to apply an Upshift or Downshift to 
  one of his Qualities, or temporarily grant himself a 
  shape-based Average [0] Quality.) Can be Warded. 
   
   
   
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  51 
  City Navigation: With a successful roll against 
  Type Rank (GM determines relevant Target 
  Numbers), allows a character to locate the current 
  direction of a notable landmark within the City (see 
  Chapter 2) that he has visited, or identify the most 
  direct path to reach a notable landmark he has 
  visited. Can be Warded. 
  NOTE - While not usually useful for navigating in the 
  parts of the Spirit World outside of the City, some GMs 
  may decide to permit City Navigation to be used that 
  way. 
  Create Object: Create a small, everyday object out of 
  nothingness. Burning the required Soul Points (see 
  Abilities & Powers Chart) allows a lasting simple item 
  (no moving parts, low quality materials, etc.) or 
  temporary complicated items (a jewel, a machine 
  with moving parts, a complicated recipe); burning a 
  Type Rank extends the duration of the object. Can 
  be Warded. 
  Create Tulpa: Soul Points can be “calved off” to form 
  small semi-intelligent servitors called Tulpas. The 
  initial Soul Point cost to create a being with an 
  Average [0] Tulpa Quality is listed on the Abilities & 
  Powers Chart. Subsequent Soul Points can be spent in 
  the same manner as for Improvement (see above) 
  on the Tulpa’s behalf, allowing the character to or 
  increase the Type Rank, designate new Qualities, or 
  increase the Rank of existing Qualities for the 
  Tulpa. Sensitives are limited to granting Qualities to 
  Tulpas that they themselves possess, while Magi can 
  add any Quality they can imagine to their Tulpas. 
  The creator designates a Tulpa’s appearance, though 
  such will always reflect its function (a Strong Tulpa 
  will be heavily-muscled, a Burglary Tulpa will have 
  lock-picks for fingers, a Watchman Tulpa will have 
  large eyes, etc.). If the Type Rank of a Tulpa’s 
  creator ever drops below the Type Rank of his 
  creation, the Tulpa escapes its creator’s control and 
  becomes a Free Spirit (see Chapter 2). Tulpas can be 
  reabsorbed by their creator without the negative 
  effects of consuming a Ghost (see below, 
  Soultaking), as long as they have not already become 
  a Free Spirit. Tulpas follow their creator’s orders 
  loyally. Other characters can steal control of a Tulpa 
  away from its creator using the Bind Ability (see 
  above).  
  Enchant: Burning the required Soul Points (see 
  Abilities & Powers Chart) and focusing on an object 
  infuses it with magical abilities; use the guidelines 
  for creating Tulpas (see above) for enchanting 
  items. Enchantments last only a few Scenes or days; 
  burning a Type Rank makes the enchantment more 
  lasting. Breaking an enchanted object might allow 
  entities to absorb the spiritual force used to power 
  it, or might do Environmental Damage (GM’s 
  option). Soul Eggs, Spirit Traps, and Wizard Eggs are 
  examples of enchantments (see boxed text, Example 
  Enchanted Objects). 
  NOTE - Except for Spirit Traps and a few other 
  exceptions, enchanted objects do not work in the hands 
  of Average People. 
   
  EXAMPLE ENCHANTED OBJECTS 
  The rest of the textboxes for this chapter contain 
  examples of Enchanted Objects (remember that only 
  Dead Inside, Sensitives, and Magi have access to 
  Enchant): 
  Stones of Light 
  Quartz crystals of varying sizes are popular objects for 
  enchantment into Healing Crystals. The crystal will 
  glow from within, and any Spirit Word inhabitant will 
  know its healing properties when they see it. Forcing 2 
  Soul Points into a crystal makes it an Average [0] Rank 
  Stone of Light, able to heal 2d6 Damage Ranks a day 
  (either in one 2d6 go, or two 1d6 shots). Additional 
  pairs of Soul Points increase the Rank of the Stone by 
  one. A Good [+2] Stone of Light could heal 2d6+2 
  Damage Ranks a day (either as one 2d6+2 go, two 
  1d6+1 shots, or one 1d6+2 use and one 1d6 use).  
   
  Healing: Heal physical or mental wounds through 
  the use of soul-blood. Burning a Soul Point allows 
  the PC to restore 1d6 Damage Ranks to a wounded 
  character (including himself). 
  Luck: 
  Using 
  spirit 
  energy 
  to 
  manipulate 
  probabilities. Burning a Soul Point for Luck before 
  rolling gives a character an extra die for that roll. 
  Movement: Two special modes of Movement in 
  the Spirit World are Dream-leaping and True Flight. 
  Dream-leaping allows the being to move for the 
  duration of the situation as though weightless, make 
  incredibly long strides, walk on walls, or stand rock-
  steady on unstable surfaces (water, powdery snow, 
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  52 
  skinny tree branches). True Flight allows the being 
  to fly like a bird – or superhero. Duration for both 
  types of movement is usually a single Scene with a 
  successful roll against Type Rank (GM determines 
  relevant Target Numbers). Can be Warded. 
  OPTION - Movement might provide Upshifts for 
  relevant situations – True Flight in combat (staying out 
  of enemy’s reach) or Dream-leap in a Climbing attempt 
  (by running up the wall). 
  Open Gate: With a successful roll against Type 
  Rank (GM determines relevant Target Numbers), 
  creates a Gate between the Real World and Spirit 
  World, allowing characters to pass from one reality 
  to the other. Gates can also be created to connect 
  different locations that are both within the Spirit 
  World; however, no one has yet been able to create 
  a point-to-point Real World Gate. Gates appear as 
  circular or semi-circular rainbows made up of 
  eldritch hues. Duration is generally a Scene; longer if 
  Soul Points are spent. Can be Warded. 
  NOTE - Recall that Average People can neither see nor 
  use a Gate.  
  Second Sight: The Ability to see Gates, Ghosts, 
  Free Spirits, Tulpas, and Zombis. May also involve 
  clairvoyant 
  visions, 
  precognitive 
  dreams, 
  or 
  psychometry (object-reading). Passive use of Second 
  Sight is free (and GM-controlled), but actively 
  calling upon it requires a Type Rank roll (GM 
  determines relevant Target Numbers; note that 
  repeated use of Second Sight “muddies the waters” 
  leading to escalation of difficulty). Can be Warded. 
  Soultaking: With a successful Type Rank roll, 
  initiates spiritual conflict where the attacker 
  attempts to suck away another being’s soul-blood. 
  Also used for eating a Ghost. Succeeding in spiritual 
  conflict allows a character to wrest Soul Points away 
  from the defender (minimum 1 Soul Point; maximum 
  equal to the Modifier of the attacker’s Type Rank). 
  Characters can be forced to Backslide, Regress, or 
  husk  through the use of this Ability. Can be Warded. 
  IMPORTANT NOTE - A character can 
  always 
  use 
  Soultaking, 
  even 
  if 
  Downshifts would take it below Poor [-
  2] 
  Rank. 
  “Bottoming 
  out” 
  via 
  Downshifts normally makes use of an 
  Ability impossible, but Soultaking is a 
  special case.   
  A character can always roll at Poor [-2] 
  Rank, and if somehow successful in 
  their attack, can steal the minimum 1 
  Soul Point from their victim. Thus, 
  Ghosts and Zombis of Average [0] or 
  lower Rank and Poor [-2] Rank Dead 
  Inside actually Soultake at an effective 
  Rank of Poor [-2].  
  NOTE - Soultaking leads to soul decay – be warned! 
  (GMs see Chapter 5.) 
  NOTE - Eating a Ghost via Soultaking carries 
  additional risks. The successful attacker must succeed at 
  a complicated situation, using their Type Rank against 
  the Target Number of their victim’s Rank in Ghost, or 
  gain the Weaknesses of the Ghost.  
  NOTE - To use Soultaking against Average People 
  requires that a Soul Point be spent to “crack” the “shell” 
  that insulates them from spiritual powers and beings 
  (this is in addition any other Downshifts or Soul Point 
  costs), unless the target has somehow given permission to 
  the attacker (like, by signing a contract). If “cracked,” an 
  Average Person yields 8 Soul Points to the attacker, and 
  becomes an Average [0] Dead Inside.  
   
  Spirit Traps 
  A Sensitive or a Mage can create a Spirit Trap from a 
  small object by burning 6 Soul Points. When brought 
  into contact with a character, it will automatically 
  absorb 2d6 Soul Points (or 8 Soul Points from 
  Average People). Unlike Soultaking, a character can 
  never drop below zero in their Soul Point Pool from 
  losses to a Trap, which means that a Trap cannot force 
  a Backslide or Regression. When in contact with a 
  Trap, its creator (and those he has designated as 
  having the right to do so) can extract as many Soul 
  Points stored within as he desires. No one else can get 
  the soul-blood out. Burning a Soul Point to Ward will 
  allow characters to handle the Spirit Trap for a short 
  time without additional Soul Point loss; the burned 
  Point used for the Ward, however, gets stored in the 
  Trap. Breaking a Spirit Trap is exactly like breaking a 
  Soul Egg (see above). Traps can be “decanted” into 
  Eggs, if desired. 
   
  Supercharge: Burning a Soul Point allows the 
  character to “supercharge” one of their Strengths 
  for a single action, giving it semi-magical effects on 
  a successful roll against that Quality. For example, a 
  character with a Good [+2] Rank in Gunplay could 
  Supercharge that Quality to shoot around a corner, 
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  53 
  or a character with a Good [+2] Rank in Fast Talk 
  could Supercharge it to convince the sun not to set 
  for a couple minutes. Burning additional Soul Points 
  extends scope or duration; burning a Type Rank 
  extends scope, effect, or duration greatly. Can be 
  Warded. 
   
  The Blue Guitar 
  This robin’s-egg blue acoustic guitar allows the wielder 
  to make music with it at Good [+2] Rank. If the 
  wielder already has a Rank of Good [+2] or better in a 
  musical Quality, it provides an Upshift to that Quality 
  when used.  
   
  Ward: Ward is the use of spiritual force to shield 
  oneself from bad luck, mystical attack, or accidents, 
  and is rumored to be able to keep a Qlippoth at a 
  distance of one body-length. Burning a Soul Point 
  allows the player to re-roll a single die of any failed 
  roll.  
  Ward can also be used offensively, to bring bad luck 
  and misfortune on an opponent. By spending 2 Soul 
  Points, the Warding character can force a target to 
  re-roll the dice on their next successful roll. 
  NOTE - This use of Ward is a soul-rotting action. Be 
  warned. 
  Additionally, Ward can be used to negate any other 
  magic Ability or Power affecting a character – 
  ironically enough, Ward can itself be Warded (see 
  below): 
  − Bind: The target of a Bind attack in spiritual 
  conflict can burn 1 Soul Point as a defensive 
  reaction (instead of rolling vs. Type Rank) 
  to totally block the attack. A character can 
  also break a Binding on himself or others by 
  making a successful Type Rank roll (GM 
  determines relevant Target Numbers) and 
  burning 2 Soul Points (plus any extra Soul 
  Points used by the attacker to enhance the 
  effect).  
  − Change Others: Character can also undo the 
  results of Change on himself or others by 
  making a successful Type Rank roll (GM 
  determines relevant Target Numbers) and 
  burning 2 Soul Points (plus any extra Soul 
  Points used by the attacker to enhance the 
  effect). 
  − Change Self: Character can undo the results 
  of Change Self on others by making a 
  successful Type Rank roll (GM determines 
  relevant Target Numbers) and burning 2 
  Soul Points (plus any extra Soul Points used 
  by the attacker to enhance the effect). 
  − City Navigation: Burning 1 Soul Point allows 
  the character to make a single target lose 
  their intended path in the City.  
  − Create Object: Created Objects can be 
  dispelled on the turn they are formed or 
  disintegrated later by spending 2 Soul Points 
  (plus any extra Soul Points used by the 
  attacker to enhance the effect). 
  − Movement: Burning 1 Soul Point allows the 
  character to block the activation of special 
  Movement by a single target; burning a Soul 
  Point and succeeding in a spiritual conflict 
  attack allows the character to “shut off” a 
  target’s 
  special 
  Movement 
  until 
  the 
  attacker’s next action. 
  − Second Sight: Burning 1 Soul Point allows the 
  character 
  to 
  “cloud” 
  himself 
  from 
  observation by Second Sight for a Scene, 
  with a longer duration for extra Soul Points 
  spent.  
  − Soultaking: If the target of a Soultaking 
  attack in spiritual conflict, can burn 1 Soul 
  Point as a defensive reaction (instead of 
  rolling vs. Type Rank) to totally block the 
  attack.  
  − Supercharge: Burning 1 Soul Point allows the 
  character to “shut off” a target’s Power of 
  Supercharge until the attacker’s next action. 
  − Ward: Burning 1 Soul Point allows the 
  character to negate any attack using Ward in 
  an offensive manner. 
  The Ward Ability can serve in spiritual conflict as 
  “soul armor.” By spending 1 Soul Point, the 
  character Wards himself ahead of time, allowing 
  him to choose to ignore all the “damage” of any 
  single turn of the next spiritual conflict he 
  participates in (as per armor in normal conflicts). 
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  54 
  Soul armor lasts for a number of Scenes equal to the 
  Modifier of the character’s Type Rank (minimum 1). 
  Example: Using the Example from Spiritual Conflict 
  above, let’s revisit it using the Ward Power. Mbutu 
  rolled a total of 11 on his attempt to Change Others and 
  Jefferson rolled a 7. Normally, that would mean 2 
  Scenes of Jefferson being shrinky-dinky. Luckily, 
  Jefferson knows Ward this time, and happens to have 
  “soul armor” active. He chooses to have this Ward 
  intercept the successful Change Others attack, and he 
  remains unshrunk. On his turn, he runs like hell. 
  If Jefferson had been caught with his “soul armor” 
  down, he probably would have gotten reduced anyway. 
  However, if he had been ambush-shrunk, he could try to 
  use Ward to break the spell. A reasonable Difficulty 
  Rank for this sort of thing is the equivalent of the 
  attacker’s Type Rank. So, to break Mbutu the Good [+9] 
  Mage’s Change Others ensorcellment, Jefferson’s rolling 
  his Ward against a Difficulty Rank of Good [9]. 
  Special: Spiritual beings have a number of special 
  features, indicated below: 
  [1] Dead Inside suffer a Downshift to their 
  Quality Ranks when used for social 
  interactions in the Real World. When a 
  Dead Inside dies, he becomes a Zombi. 
  [2] Free Spirits can Phase through objects for 
  no cost in the Real World, and in the Spirit 
  World for a cost of either one Soul Point or 
  taking a Failure Rank; Wards can block this 
  Ability in both Worlds. Free Spirits cannot 
  Open Gates, and must rely on natural Gates 
  or the kindness of strangers to pass between 
  the two Worlds. 
  [3] Ghosts can phase through objects for no 
  cost in the Real World, and in the Spirit 
  World for a cost of either one Soul Point or 
  taking a Failure Rank; Wards can block this 
  Ability in both Worlds. Ghosts cannot 
  Open Gates, and must rely on natural Gates 
  or the kindness of strangers to pass between 
  the two Worlds. 
  [4] Magi gain an Upshift for social use of their 
  Qualities in both Worlds. Also, if they place 
  at least 13 Soul Points of their own into a 
  Wizard Egg, they gain the Quality of 
  Resilience, and cannot be permanently killed 
  without extreme measures (see boxed text, 
  Wizard Eggs). When a Mage dies, he splits 
  into a Zombi and a Ghost. 
  [5] Sensitives gain an Upshift for social use of 
  their Qualities in the Spirit World. When a 
  Sensitive dies, he becomes a Ghost. 
  [6] Zombis gain an Upshift for physical and 
  mental use of their Qualities in the Real and 
  Spirit Worlds; they also suffer a Downshift 
  to their Quality Ranks when used for social 
  interactions.  
   
  Soul Eggs 
  A character that may Enchant can create a Soul Egg 
  from a treasured (or fragile) object by burning the 
  required minimum Soul Points for Enchanting for 
  their Type. The Egg can then store additional soul-
  blood within itself, as many Soul Points as desired, 
  from 
  as 
  many 
  different 
  sources 
  as 
  desired. 
  Unfortunately, Soul Points placed into an Egg cannot 
  be tapped and withdrawn to burn for any Ability or 
  Power unless the character is touching it. Soul Points 
  can be extracted from the Egg at will by anyone in 
  contact with it, and are taken in last-in, first-out 
  fashion.  
  Possession of an Egg holding even a drop of a 
  character’s soul-blood grants an Upshift to any action 
  targeting that character. Having a Soul Egg containing 
  a fraction of their soul is a necessity for attempting to 
  Bind a Dead Inside, Sensitive, or Zombi. 
  If an Egg is broken, all the Soul Points contained 
  within leap to the nearest character in a storm of 
  strange 
  phenomena 
  (warping 
  landscapes, 
  body 
  alterations, spontaneous generation of Free Spirits or 
  Tulpas, etc.), commensurate with the amount of Soul 
  Points freed. 
   
  “Excellent,” said Violet. She walked over to a 
  credenza that lolled under an Escher print. The 
  décor increasingly reminded me of the apartment 
  of one of my Lit professors from college. She 
  opened a drawer, and began rooting around in 
  it. 
  The three-eyed cat came in, carrying a pair of 
  reptile skin boots in his mouth. He didn’t look 
  happy, and spat them out onto a rag rug near 
  the coffee table. 
  Violet didn’t turn around, but said, “Thank you, 
  Ricaard. Michael, put those on.”  
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  55 
  Ricaard the cat sniffed disdainfully, and 
  retreated to elsewhere in the Tower as I 
  grabbed the boots. I sat down on a leather 
  wingback chair, took off my half-melted 
  sneakers, and slipped them on. They fit perfectly 
  – magic. 
  “Ah, here we are.” She shut the drawer, walked 
  over to me, and put a cowrie shell in my hand.  
  “Okay, what. . .” I began, but she interrupted. 
  “Those are Leaping Boots.” She pointed to my 
  feet. “That is a Sea Key.” She pointed to the 
  shell. “I will open a Gate from here to the Wood, 
  somewhat off of Oskar and the Eye’s path. The 
  Eye will be attracted to the Gate, and will 
  swerve off. Meanwhile, you will run as fast as 
  you can, scoop up Oskar, and find a pool of 
  water in the brook wide enough for both of you 
  to pass through.” 
  She sat down on the overstuffed sofa and 
  continued. “You will then throw the Sea Key into 
  the pool. When the water glows, dive into it. You 
  will be transported into the Sea, anywhere from 
  a mile to up to three miles from shore. Then you 
  will run back here.” 
  “The boots will let me run on water, right?” I was 
  beginning to get the hang of this place. 
  She smiled. “As you say. And, if possible, bring 
  back the other bags of blood-berries. If you 
  can’t, that’s okay; you and Oskar are more 
  important. Any questions?” 
  “Just one. How do I make these things jump?” I 
  tapped the toe of one of the boots on the floor. 
  “You don’t have to. They already know.” 
  I hitched my belt, made sure I had a good grip 
  on the shell, and clicked my boot-heels together. 
  “Let’s go.” 
   
  CONFLICT EXAMPLE 1 
  Let’s say that Kristov (Good [+2] Dirty Fighter) and 
  Jefferson (Expert [+4] Biker Dude) get into a fight. 
  Jefferson’s going to go first, since his fighting-
  relevant Quality Rank is higher than Kristov’s. 
  JEFFERSON: “I punch at the little twerp.” 
  KRISTOV: “I’ll try to duck under the big moose’s 
  punch.” 
   
   
  Wizard Eggs 
  Magi hunger for True Immortality, and to protect 
  themselves in this quest to know the mysteries 
  hidden under the skin of the world, they take strong 
  measures. One such measure is the creation of a 
  Wizard Egg. 
  To create a Wizard Egg, the Mage starts by 
  enchanting a new Soul Egg (1 Soul Point). Then, 
  using a special ritual, he pours an entire soul’s worth 
  of his spiritual force into it (13 Soul Points), and 
  burns an additional 3 Soul Points to mystically 
  “seal” the object. Total cost: 17 Soul Points. 
  After doing this, the Mage gains a new Quality at 
  Average [0] Rank called Resilience; this cannot be 
  Improved. Resilience makes a Mage exceptionally 
  difficult to kill – they just get better. However, this 
  is not True Immorality; Resilient Magi continue to 
  age, can sicken, lose limbs and organs, go senile, and 
  even die, if a number of precautions are taken – like 
  burning the body and scattering the ashes, or 
  draining/breaking the Wizard Egg before beating 
  the Mage into pulp. This Quality even works in the 
  Real World, albeit in a much slower and subtler 
  fashion. (The True Immortality Magi seek includes 
  agelessness, perfect health of body and mind, total 
  regeneration of lost limbs and organs, and rapid 
  healing from even the most mortal of wounds. ) If 
  any Soul Points are taken from the Wizard Egg, the 
  Resilience Quality ceases to work until it is once 
  again “topped off.” 
  If anyone ever gets hold of a Mage’s Wizard Egg, he 
  gains an Upshift in all situations directly involving 
  that Mage. He can also tap the Wizard Egg as if it 
  were a regular Soul Egg. Furthermore, possession of 
  a Wizard Egg is a necessity for attempting to Bind 
  that particular Mage. Because of this, Magi tend to 
  either hide their Wizard Eggs in safe, remote places 
  and place potent guardians and traps around them, 
  or keep them in their possession at all times (though 
  this can be dangerous, given the relationship 
  between Magi and their Shadows; see Chapter 5). 
  Dead Inside and Sensitives – even if they do the 
  ritual and spend the 17 Soul Points – cannot 
  normally create a Wizard Egg or gain the Resilience 
  Quality. 
   
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  56 
  JEFFERSON (rolls 2d6+4; he rolls a 3 and a 1 for a 
  total of 8): “Eight!” 
  KRISTOV (rolls 2d6+2; he rolls a 4 and a 5 for a 
  total of 11): “Eleven! Ha!” 
  GM: “Kristov bends down, and Jefferson’s punch 
  misses the mark. Kristov’s turn.” 
  KRISTOV: “I come up and try to sock him one in 
  the nuts!” 
  JEFFERSON: “OOoooh, not cool, dude. Why do 
  you always go for the low-blow?” 
  KRISTOV: “My Quality is Dirty Fighter, sport.” 
  JEFFERSON: “Well, I’ll try to parry his punch 
  away from my groin.” 
  KRISTOV (rolls 2d6+2, he rolls a 4 and a 5 for a 
  total of 11): “This one goes to eleven! Heh heh heh!” 
  JEFFERSON (rolls 2d6+4; he rolls a 6 and a 3 for a 
  total of 13): “Thirteen. Guess it’s not your lucky 
  day!” 
  GM: “Jefferson knocks Kristov’s low-blow aside, 
  easily.” 
  KRISTOV: “Gulp.” 
  JEFFERSON (miming cracking his knuckles): “This 
  is gonna hurt you a lot more than it hurts me, 
  buddy.” (to GM) “I’m gonna grab his shirt, throw 
  him into the wall, and wind up my haymaker. When 
  he bounces back, I’ll connect. Hard.” 
  KRISTOV: “Hey, that’s more than one action!” 
  (looks at GM) 
  JEFFERSON: “Nope, it’s Being Badass.” (looks at 
  GM) 
  GM (ponders): “Yeah, that’s pretty badass. 
  Jefferson gets an Upshift on the attack.” 
  KRISTOV (buries his head in his hands): “This is 
  gonna hurt.” 
  GM: “What’s your reaction to the attempt going to 
  be?” 
  KRISTOV (has a bright idea): “I’m gonna Play It 
  Cagey.” 
  GM: “You know that’ll screw up your next attack.” 
  KRISTOV (ponders): “Nah, it’s not worth it. I need 
  to tag this guy a couple times, and I’ll need all the 
  bonuses I can get. I won’t Play it Cagey.” 
  GM: “Alright, Jefferson’s rolling against an effective 
  Master [+6] Biker Dude for this attack, or 2d6+6. 
  Go for it.” 
  JEFFERSON (rolls 2d6+6; he rolls two 5s for a 
  total of 16): “Sweet sixteen, baby!” 
  KRISTOV (rolls 2d6+2; he rolls a 1 and a 3 for a 
  total of 6): “Dammit. No go.” 
  GM (calculating, 16 minus 6 is a total of 10): 
  “Jefferson throws Kristov against the wall and 
  clocks him on the return for 10 Damage Ranks.” 
  JEFFERSON: “Take that, little buddy. Should’ve 
  Played It Cagey.” 
  KRISTOV (glumly looking at his character sheet): 
  “Well, I could drop all my Goods to Averages, 
  that’s 4 Damage Ranks. Drop them all to Poors, 
  that’s another 4. Two more... okay, I drop my 
  Average Dead Inside to Poor. That leaves one 
  Damage Rank, and everything I got is at Poor now. 
  Crap. I’ll take it on Dirty Fighter and bottom out. 
  I’m unconscious.” 
  GM (to Jefferson): “Now what do you do?” 
  JEFFERSON: “I have a beer and wait for him to 
  wake up, so he can take back what he said about my 
  momma. Or else.” 
  GM (to Kristov): After a couple minutes, you come 
  around. You’re still in continuing danger because 
  Jefferson could stomp your ass again. Roll 1d6 for 
  Damage Recovery.” 
  KRISTOV (rolls 2d6; he rolls a 2 and a 4 for a total 
  of 6): “Six Ranks back... Hmm, I’ll put Dirty Fighter 
  back to Good, that’s 1 to hit Poor and 2 more to get 
  to Good, total of 3. Dead Inside back to Average, 
  that’s 1. Rockstar back to Good, that’s 2. There, that 
  should do it.” 
  JEFFERSON (to Kristov): “Apologize for what you 
  said about my momma.” 
  KRISTOV: “Sorry! Don’t hit me again, okay?” 
   
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  57 
  CONFLICT EXAMPLE 2 
  In Archaic Café, Zandra (default of Average [0] 
  Seduction) has decided to hit on Kristov (Good 
  [+2] Rockstar): when she was in junior high, she 
  had the biggest crush on him, and covered the walls 
  of her room with his posters.  
  GM: “Since Zandra’s initiating this, she’ll go first. 
  However, after her initial sally, I think Kristov 
  should have Initiative, because his Rockstar Quality 
  is higher Rank than her default Seduction. Beside, 
  he’s probably used to that sort of thing. Everybody 
  cool with that?” 
  ZANDRA (to GM): “But what about my Expert 
  [+4] Marketing Executive?” 
  GM (to Zandra): “I don’t really think this is a 
  business 
  transaction, 
  do 
  you? 
  Or 
  did 
  I 
  misunderstand?” 
  ZANDRA (throws a die at the GM): “Cute. Okay, 
  whatever.” (to Kristov) “A cute brunette who looks 
  like a Wall Street version of Mary Ann from 
  Gilligan’s Island sidles up to your table and says, ‘Hey, 
  aren’t you Kristov Wolff? Can I buy you a drink?’” 
  KRISTOV (miming reading a newspaper): “I’ll try 
  to turn down the drink politely.” 
  GM: “Your Vice is Avarice, isn’t it? And didn’t you 
  specifically get all Elvis in your Backstory?” 
  KRISTOV: “Yeah, that’s right.” 
  GM: “Vice Check. She’s offering booze.” (The GM 
  secretly determines that the Difficulty Rank of this 
  Check is Average, with a Target Number of 7. He 
  could tell Kristov this, but prefers to keep Checks 
  secret, so he doesn’t; for more information, see 
  Chapter 5.) 
  KRISTOV: “Okay... But I’m doing this under 
  protest, because I think getting blitzed in the Spirit 
  World is neither conducive to regaining my soul, 
  nor sounds like a particularly good idea. What’s that 
  against?” 
  GM: “To resist the call of Demon Rum, roll against 
  your Dead Inside Quality of Average.” 
  KRISTOV (rolls 2d6; gets a 2 and a 6, for a total of 
  8): “I got an eight.” 
  GM: “You feel a rush of warmth as you successfully 
  resist the tempting offer of sweet, sweet liquor. You 
  just earned a new Soul Point.” 
  KRISTOV: “Sweet!” (to Zandra) “Thanks!” 
  ZANDRA: “Whatever.” 
  GM: “Okay, guys, roll.” 
  ZANDRA (rolls 2d6; she gets a 4 and a 3, for a total 
  of 7): “Lucky seven!” 
  KRISTOV (rolls 2d6+2; he gets two 3s, for a total 
  of 8): “Kristov smiles and says, ‘Thanks, but I’ve 
  already got one.’  
  ZANDRA: “Crap.” 
  GM: “Okay, Kristov, you have Initiative now; it’s 
  your turn again.” 
  KRISTOV: “She didn’t take the hint?” 
  ZANDRA: “Nope, she’s still standing there. 
  Drooling a little bit, maybe.” 
  KRISTOV: “Dammit. Cold shoulder time. I get up 
  and make for the Men’s Room to get away from 
  her.”  
  ZANDRA: “I try to stop him by placing my hand 
  on his arm and doing that smiling with a twinkle in 
  my eyes thing.” 
  GM: “Zandra, take an Upshift on that defense. I 
  think that’s pretty cool.” 
  ZANDRA: “Thanks.” 
  GM: “Go ahead and roll.” 
  KRISTOV (rolls 2d6+2; getting a 2 and a 6, for a 
  total of 10): “Ten!” 
  ZANDRA (rolls 2d6; gets a 1 and a 2, applying an 
  Upshift gets another +2, for a total of 5): “Aw, 
  c’mon.” 
  KRISTOV: “Kristov walks right by, not even 
  noticing that twinkle.”  
  GM: “That’s 6 Failure Ranks, Zandra. Where you 
  taking them?” 
  ZANDRA: “I’ll drop my Self-Defense from Good 
  to Average, that’s 1; Business Contacts from Good 
  down to Poor, that’s another 2; and I’ll finish off by 
  dropping Marketing Exec from Expert down to 
  
   
  Chapter 4: DI Game Mechanics 
  58 
  Poor for 3.” (to Kristov) “You really know how to 
  take the wind out of a girl’s sales, don’t you?” 
  GM: “Oh, that’s a horrible pun.” 
  KRISTOV: “Punning should be a Soul Decay 
  activity.” 
  GM: “Write the author.”  
  ZANDRA: “Well, I thought it was funny.” 
  GM: “Okay, it’s your turn again, Zandra.” 
  ZANDRA: “Okay, I run up behind him and say, ‘I 
  thought “Be My Love Bunny, Honey” was sooooo 
  well-written!’ to get him to stop and talk to me.” 
  KRISTOV: “Oooh, an aficionado of Wolff Pack’s 
  tunes. Still, I’m not on the market ‘til I get my soul 
  back.” 
  GM: “Roll.” 
  ZANDRA (rolls 2d6; gets a 5 and a 6, 11): 
  “Awesome!” 
  KRISTOV (rolls 2d6+2; getting a 3 and a 2, for a 
  total of 7): “Whoops.” 
  GM: “Four Failure Ranks to Kristov.” 
  KRISTOV: “I’ll take both my Good Songwriter and 
  Second Sight down to Poor.” (to Zandra) “He 
  stops, turns to the lady, and says, “You really liked 
  that one?” 
  ZANDRA: “Hee!” 
  GM: “Next turn. Kristov?” 
  KRISTOV (chuckling): “That was just the set-up. I 
  say, “That song was crap. You obviously have no 
  taste.’” 
  ZANDRA: “Hey, I was thirteen!” (to GM) “I’m not 
  sure I want to continue trying to seduce such a 
  jerk.” 
  GM (looking at Zandra’s character sheet): “I’d say 
  that comes under your Weakness of Taking 
  Criticism, too.” 
  ZANDRA (looks at sheet): “Yeah, I guess so.” 
  GM (to both): “That’s an extra 2 Failure Ranks. 
  Hmm. You’re going to quit the attempt anyway, 
  right? But you have to do that on your turn. What 
  with that zinger, let’s roll and see if you get to leave 
  on your own terms or left standing there, spluttering 
  in rage, okay?” 
  ZANDRA (looks at sheet): “I think I only have 
  Average [0] Dead Inside and a current Marketing 
  Exec Rank of Poor [-2], so that means I can only 
  take two more Failure Ranks before I’m out anyway, 
  right?” 
  GM: “Right.” 
  KRISTOV (rolls 2d6+2; getting a 3 and a 4, for a 
  total of 9): “Niner.” 
  ZANDRA (rolls 2d6; gets a 3 and a 5, for a total of 
  8): “Eight. That’s only 1 Failure Rank, but when you 
  add in the dig that hit my Criticism Weakness, that 
  makes 3 Failure Ranks, and I’m out.” 
  GM: “That means Kristov gets to say how the 
  Scene ends, I’d say.” 
  KRISTOV: “I give her that winning grin that graced 
  the covers of all my CDs, pat her on the cheek 
  condescendingly, and go into the Men’s Room.” 
  ZANDRA: 
  “Zandra’s 
  just 
  standing 
  there, 
  completely furious and at a loss. When she recovers 
  a little composure, she’ll mutter, ‘I’m gonna burn all 
  those albums and posters when I get back to the 
  Real World. What a jerk.’” 
  GM: “Next Scene, you’ll both be back to your 
  normal Quality Ranks...” 
   
   
   
  
   
  59 
  Chapter 5 
  DI GM Advice 
  DECIDING TO RUN A DI 
  CAMPAIGN 
  You’ve decided to try and run a Dead Inside RPG 
  campaign for a friend or group of friends. Good for 
  you. However, being a GM means a little extra 
  work. Here are some things you should ponder 
  before going to your group. 
  What Power Level of Play? 
  There are three main “power levels” of play when 
  starting a DI game: 
  1. Dead Inside who are scrambling to get 
  their souls back. This power level is focused 
  on education and survival. 
  2. Sensitives who are helping out the less 
  fortunate 
  to 
  regain 
  their 
  souls, 
  or 
  developing the quality of their own souls in 
  search of magical power. This power level is 
  focused on relationships, exploration, and 
  discovery. 
  3. Magi who are plotting for and against each 
  other, possibly in a bid for True Immortality 
  or rule of the Spirit World. This power level 
  is focused on finding purpose, building 
  alliances and organizations, and destroying 
  enemies and their resources. 
   
  Think about what power level of play you want your 
  game to be at, and consider what level your friends 
  would most enjoy. If they’re the sort of folks who 
  dig Spirit World-shaking Magi-level skullduggery, 
  and you’re interested in Dead Inside-level soul 
  searching and philosophy (or vice-versa), some 
  discussion and negotiation is in order.  
  Maybe this will mean you’d better run the Mage-
  level game. Or it’s possible that some of your 
  friends will take a chance and try something 
  different. Perhaps you can compromise – running a 
  Sensitive-level game, heavy on the magic and 
  emphasizing the metaphysics of power. Or, maybe 
  you end up assembling a different group with an 
  interest in the level of play you’re interested in. It’s 
  up to you and your players to come to an agreement 
  you can all live with. 
   
  HOW MUCH HORROR? 
  The intent of DI is that Dead Inside-level 
  campaigns 
  start 
  with 
  a 
  strong 
  horror 
  emphasis (i.e., characters being at the mercy 
  of power), and transitions to one of dark 
  fantasy (characters striving against power, 
  using power of their own). Once characters 
  start to get a handle on their own capabilities 
  and the nature of the supernatural world, DI 
  can retain a mild horror-vibe while increasing 
  the opportunities for magic, wonder, and 
  whimsy.  But the same moral issues remain 
  in play throughout, serving as a wellspring 
  for both horror and wonder. 
  Sensitive-level and Mage-level games start 
  with a higher level of wonder and magic, 
  since the characters are assumed to be 
  knowledgeable and empowered. Horror can 
  vanish entirely, or make a big comeback as 
  foes with equal or greater might – but fewer 
  scruples – array themselves against the PCs. 
  In the final analysis, it’s really up to the 
  individual GM and gaming group.  Go with 
  the level of horror that you’re comfortable 
  with. 
   
  What Style and Genre of Play? 
  Now, think about not just the power level, but also 
  the style and genre of the game you want to run.  
  Style. Do you want your individual DI Universe (or 
  Diverse) to focus on the dark fantasy aspects (magic, 
  enchantments, dream-like quality) of the setting? Or 
  would you prefer a more horror-oriented game 
  (theft, struggle, powerful enemies, nightmarish 
  qualities)? Is your Diverse highly cinematic, like a 
  Hollywood 
  blockbuster 
  with 
  tremendous 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  60 
  explosions, stylized fight scenes, great production 
  values, larger-than-life characters, and big scenery? 
  Or would you prefer a more documentary/cinema 
  verite look at average people in not-so-average 
  situations? Neither is better or worse than the other, 
  and they sure play differently. How much of the 
  game will take place in the Real World, and how 
  much in the Spirit World? 
  Genre. Do you want to fiddle with the basic urban 
  fantasy setting of DI? Will you paint over the 
  fantasy elements of the Spirit World with a thick 
  coat of a science-fiction gloss to make the City a 
  virtual world within a network of computers? Is the 
  Spirit World in your Diverse trapped in the past, 
  looking like a crazy Tombstone in the Wild West 
  days? Are the PCs coming from the modern world, 
  a historical era, a futuristic period, or an alien 
  planet? Will the PCs be Roman senators, scurvy 
  pirates, noble samurai, Cold War spies, four-color 
  superheroes, or one of each? 
  You bought this book: play DI the way you and 
  your players want to. Go for it. Make it your own. 
   
  THE BUTT-KICKING GAME:  
  DI FOR ACTION-ADVENTURE! 
  The game mechanics of DI are fast and loose, 
  and can encourage highly-cinematic play. 
  After all, who’s to say that a Quality of Ninja, 
  Superhero, or Double-Oh Spy can’t be taken 
  in a GM’s Diverse? Not us. 
  OPTION - An intriguing concept might be to chuck the 
  whole Spirit World, replace Soul Points with Action 
  Points (or Spy Points/Hero Points), and just run a 
  straight-up action game. You won’t hurt our feelings – 
  quite the contrary, in fact.  
  NOTE - Magi Combat, even in the most cinema verite 
  games, is encouraged to be surreal, high-energy, and 
  scary. 
   
  Episodic, Miniseries, or Serial? 
  Will DI sessions be stand-alone adventures? A 
  linked group of adventures telling a single story? Or 
  an ongoing, open ended campaign? 
  For groups that cannot meet regularly, stand-alone 
  episodes are probably the best bet. If adventures can 
  be completed in a single session, everyone will feel 
  as if they’ve gotten the most bang for their buck. 
  For groups that can meet regularly, but tend to have 
  scheduling discontinuities, a miniseries design can 
  work well. These would involve focused quests that 
  require a handful of sessions (3 to 6) to complete. If 
  combined with the episodic format, this will allow 
  good stopping places for the PCs, so that in case of 
  gaming interruptions, no one’s left hanging. 
  For groups that can meet regularly and have little 
  variance in schedules, a continuing serial blueprint 
  might be preferable. Character arcs and goals can 
  intertwine, branch, separate, and spark subplots or 
  further plots as the game progresses week-to-week, 
  month-to-month, year-to-year. Serial campaigns 
  often become densely detailed, familiar, and much-
  enjoyed. 
  What Themes? 
  You don’t have to go hog-wild here, but pick out 
  two or three general themes you’d like to explore in 
  your Diverse. One word concepts are good – any of 
  the Virtues or Vices work well, as do ones like 
  Responsibility, 
  Loyalty, 
  Purity, 
  Kindness, 
  Hatred, 
  Desperation, Self-Reliance, or Cooperation. Use your 
  Themes both in pitching the prospective campaign 
  to your friends and when you sit down to design 
  adventures (more on that below). Themes can 
  change after you talk to your group, or even in play. 
  They are the stars you hitch your wagon of 
  adventure ideas to; you can always cut ‘em loose if 
  they’re not going where you want. 
  What Setting Pieces Do You Wish To 
  Use? 
  Take a second to look over the Locations and NPCs 
  offered in Chapter 2 (and below). If you want, make 
  a list of the places you think your group will find 
  fun to visit and the people you think they’ll enjoy 
  talking to. Just keep the list (and some notepaper) 
  handy when you’re talking to the players – they 
  might give you ideas to connect the dots between 
  their characters and the stuff you find neat. Again, 
  keep all of this in mind for after your friends say 
  they want to play and you’re sitting down to fill in 
  some notes for the game. 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  61 
  How Do I Recruit Players? 
  Some folks are lucky, and game with the same 
  people consistently. Others flutter from group to 
  group, or belong to a larger organization like a 
  college gaming club. Still others hit their local game 
  store for pick-up games, or connect through a 
  bulletin board there. Some folks meet and/or play 
  RPGs entirely on the Internet. 
  All of these recruitment options can help you in 
  getting people together for a DI campaign. However 
  – and, let’s be honest, here – DI is a new, unknown 
  game system that has a metaphysical slant, so some 
  of these people aren’t going to be interested in 
  experimenting with it. That’s great. It’s not a 
  reflection on you, on them, or on DI. Different 
  strokes for different folks. 
  Then there are people who might be interested in 
  DI, but depending upon the level, style, and themes 
  you want to explore, might lose interest. Maybe they 
  wanted the quiet struggle against slipping into the 
  Void when you wanted a rootin’ tootin’ “Western 
  Marshals of the Spirit World” sort of thing. If you 
  can’t compromise, look for folks who want to 
  explore your Diverse rather than inflicting it on 
  those who want something else. C’est la vie. 
  You could also try to recruit people who have never 
  played an RPG before (or who haven’t gamed in a 
  long time), but who are interested in the genres of 
  fantasy and horror, or who have an interest in 
  psychology, philosophy, religion, morals, or ethics. 
  DI lends itself to deep but fun discussions about 
  these topics. Take advantage of the game mechanics 
  of DI – the Prose Descriptive Qualities (PDQ) 
  System. It was designed for evocative simplicity, 
  speed, and flexibility in play, and has been shown to 
  be very welcoming and easy to understand for both 
  long out of practice gamers and complete tyros. The 
  relative quickness and straightforward nature of 
  character generation can appeal to those folks who 
  don’t wish to “read 40 pages of rules” just to start 
  playing.  
  The most important thing in recruiting players – DI 
  especially, but any game – is be honest in what you 
  want the game to be about, and ask your 
  prospective players to do the same. Talk about it. 
  Make sure you’re all on the same page, or at least 
  willing to bend a bit, so that everyone will have a 
  good time. That’s the goal of gaming – to have a 
  good time. 
   
   
  PLAYING DYNAMICS 
  How many people are playing – and the nature of 
  how they are playing – will change the way DI is 
  played. This could have an impact on any of the 
  elements (Level, Style & Genre, Theme) we 
  mentioned above. Here are a few of the high points. 
   
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  62 
  Open vs. Closed Games 
  Is your DI game going to be open or closed? 
  Open games are potentially infinite – with no defined 
  endpoint, they can go on and on, following the 
  adventures. This is the typical RPG set-up: roll up 
  characters and they go through adventure after 
  adventure until the game is brought to a close (on 
  purpose or accidentally). 
  Closed games have a defined goal at the outset, and 
  once that goal is reached, the game’s over. If you’ve 
  ever created characters, ran them through a single 
  module (or linked series of modules) to completion, 
  and then ended the game, that could be considered 
  a closed game. (That’s not to say that the PCs 
  couldn’t be picked up again for a later module or 
  modules...) 
  A good first DI game for new players could be a 
  closed one, centering on Dead Inside characters 
  trying to (re)gain their souls. An “all Dead Inside 
  game” can give the fullest introduction to the 
  system and setting, and allow the player(s) and the 
  GM to work out the particular presentations, takes, 
  and alterations from the material as written. The 
  game can end there. 
  Or it could continue, if desired, as an open game or 
  a new closed game. After playing through a few 
  sessions, everyone should have a good grasp of the 
  ideas in DI, and can then go on to explore new 
  aspects of the Spirit World. They could make up 
  new characters, or use their earlier ones. 
  One-on-one Play 
  DI works well for one-on-one play (one player, one 
  GM). One-on-one play allows the player to go as 
  deep into roleplaying their character as they desire, 
  without having to worry about the reactions of 
  other players around the table. Plus, since there’s 
  only one player, the PC is in the spotlight the entire 
  time, and whole Scenarios can be crafted to explore 
  the nuances of the character and his development. 
  This is a boon for players who might be shyer or 
  more reticent in their gaming style, or who prefer a 
  more intense gaming experience; it can be a 
  problem for those who primarily game for social 
  interaction, pure escapism, and the vicarious 
  entertainment of watching other folks play their 
  characters. 
  Group Play 
  Group play (one GM, more than one player) allows 
  the players to spark ideas and characterizations off 
  of one another. This can make for increasing social 
  interactions and more challenging in-game quests 
  (since the party is stronger than a single player). In 
  addition, all around the table can be entertained by 
  the triumphs and failures of their fellows. 
  Group play is a bit trickier than one-on-one play to 
  manage, since there are more actors on the stage 
  vying (or, in some cases, not vying) for the spotlight. 
  Setting up obstacles and rewards becomes more 
  difficult – if a group includes both a Dead Inside 
  and a Ghost, for example, many locations otherwise 
  blocked off from the corporeal character can be 
  easily entered by the non-corporeal one.  
  Also, friction in the forms of bickering and differing 
  goals can occur, not just in the fun way between 
  characters, but also in the less-fun way: between 
  players. Disputes can explode over everything from 
  how each portrays their character, to in-game 
  actions by one character that marginalize or hurt 
  another character, to struggles over spotlight time, 
  to bringing out-of-game issues into the game, to 
  table talk disagreements about topics not relevant to 
  the DI game at hand.  
  Solution: Play with friends and/or learn when to 
  take five to allow people calm down. It’s just a 
  game, it’s meant to be fun, and it’s not cool to harsh 
  another player’s gaming buzz. 
  Troupe Play 
  Troupe play is a nifty variant on group play for some 
  gamers. Essentially, troupe play is group play, only 
  each of the group members takes a turn being the 
  GM. This works very well in capturing the 
  changeable nature of the Spirit World in DI: each 
  GM will have a slightly different GMing style and 
  emphasize slightly different themes and ideas, just 
  because they’re different people with different 
  interests. Troupe play also can generate a lot more 
  buy-in from members of the group, since they all 
  get a turn in the driver’s seat. 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  63 
  This, obviously enough, is also one of the biggest 
  pitfalls in troupe play: some folks don’t want to be in 
  the driver’s seat. They may game for escapism, and 
  GMing requires too much thinking or preparation 
  to be fun; they may doubt their own ability to run a 
  game; or they may just not want to GM a DI game.  
  Quick Fix: Everybody doesn’t have to GM, just the 
  folks that want to do so. 
   
  A Further Suggestion: Unless you want your DI 
  adventures to be really uneven (which is a perfectly 
  viable choice), each GM should run an entire 
  Scenario before handing over the reins. Switching 
  off between sessions can lead to not-fun 
  competition between GMs as they try to top one 
  another. This one-upsmanship is a danger for all 
  types of troupe, but when the period of control is as 
  short as a single session (or less; i.e., switching GMs 
  in mid-session), it becomes much more likely. 
  HELPING PLAYERS CREATE 
  CHARACTERS 
  It’s part of the GM’s job to help his players create 
  characters that are not only fun for the player to 
  role-play, but that also won’t cause problems for 
  other players. Here’s some general advice on how to 
  do this. 
  Talk About the Game Beforehand 
  “A god can create a world only by listening.” 
   – James P. Carse, Finite and Infinite Games 
  The GM should talk to each player – separately or 
  together – about his general ideas for the game. This 
  could be as simple as “I’d like to have a kind of 
  Gilligan’s Island in the Spirit World game with the 
  characters questing to regain their souls and get out” 
  to “I’d like to do a detailed and epic game involving 
  characters who rise from less than nothing to near 
  demigods” to “You guys could be trying to 
  reassemble the Dead God.” 
  The next words out of the GM’s mouth should be 
  “And what do you think about that?” and he should 
  listen to what kind of game the players want. After 
  all counties are heard from, the GM can decide if 
  he’s good to go, needs to compromise or alter his 
  core idea, or toss out his idea and go with the better, 
  more fun, or more desired idea the players came up 
  with. 
  Once this short, preliminary discussion happens, 
  everybody should be on the same page on the types 
  of characters that would fit in the prospective game.  
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  64 
  Comfort and Stretching in 
  Characters 
  Some players like to play the same type of character 
  often; others enjoy trying new things. GMs 
  shouldn’t force them either way. However, if a GM 
  thinks that a player would be particularly suited to a 
  character 
  type, 
  or 
  would 
  get 
  substantial 
  entertainment from a character type they wouldn’t 
  normally play, they can feel free to offer their ideas. 
  But GMs shouldn’t be upset if they’re told to take a 
  hike. 
  Refining Choices During Character 
  Generation and After 
  The optimum way to fashion a character for a new 
  DI player is for the GM to step the player through 
  the Character Generation process detailed in Chapter 
  3, in whatever order is necessary, as a dialogue. By 
  collaborating in this fashion, a GM can offer 
  suggestions 
  on 
  focus, 
  characterization 
  ideas, 
  backstory ideas, identify intrinsic Setting and 
  Adventure Hooks (see below), and suggest the 
  scope and limits of Quality selection. For an 
  example of the latter, say a player is building his 
  character as a firefighter, and wants to know if the 
  Fireman Quality would let him use a fire-axe as a 
  weapon. If the GM says no, and the player really 
  wants to be able to hack at things with a three-
  quarter axe, he can take a Choppin’ With an Axe 
  Quality. If the GM says “sure, axe use is covered 
  under Fireman,” then that frees up another Quality 
  slot for the player’s character. 
  The GM should also suggest to (especially first-
  time) players when to broaden up their Qualities to 
  take advantage of the DI game mechanics. Why take 
  Qualities of Hide, Fight, Dodge, and Climb when 
  you can take a single Ninja Quality? GMs should 
  point out ways to make their players’ characters 
  more efficient under the PDQ System, more fun to 
  play (and to watch being played), and in general 
  more interesting for the player throughout the 
  process of making up a character. 
  NOTE - An easy way to prompt Quality choice is to 
  simply remind the player of the general “categories” of 
  Qualities: physical, mental, social, professional, and spiritual. A 
  PC who has his Strengths and Weakness spread out 
  among the categories will be a much more interesting 
  character than one who focuses overmuch on a single 
  type of Quality. 
  However, the most single powerful ability of the 
  GM should be used rigorously during character 
  generation: the GM Veto. Anything that seems like 
  it will lead to less-fun for everyone involved should 
  be struck down if the player cannot describe how 
  the thing they envision benefits everybody’s playing 
  experience. Just because he wants to play a 
  Kryptonian Dead Inside and thinks it’d be cool is 
  not enough: how does Vince being able to play 
  Schmuck-El the Depressed make Vivian’s time 
  around the gaming table better? (Not that it can’t or 
  shouldn’t be done; playing Dead Inside variants of 
  popular superheroes could be a really intriguing idea 
  for a DI campaign....) 
  Lastly, if after a session or two the player isn’t happy 
  with their character’s performance, it is highly 
  recommended that he and the GM sit down to see 
  if any Qualities can be changed, collapsed, or added 
  to reflect the way the character’s been played. 
  Whatever maximizes everybody’s fun is okay. 
  Intrinsic Setting & Adventure 
  Hooks 
  GMs should encourage the players, when making up 
  their characters, to leave elements of their Backstory 
  blank or roughly sketched. (Note that the Soul 
  Stolen and Soul Sold reasons for soul loss are tailor-
  made adventure hooks, provided the player lets 
  those plot threads dangle.) That way, he can go back 
  and play connect-the-dots with elements of his 
  Scenario and the DI setting. Did a character’s father 
  leave home when they were a baby? Make Samuel 
  their Daddy. Did a shadowy figure steal their soul 
  when they were at Disney World? Whoa – instant 
  villain for a Scenario (or campaign). Was the 
  character mysteriously lost for two days as a 
  teenager, and they’ve never been able to remember 
  where they were? Maybe they passed into the Spirit 
  World unwittingly, and had their minds blown... and 
  a small tribe of Free Spirits in the Wastes worships 
  the character as a god. 
  Group Character Generation 
  Instead of allowing players to scamper off to 
  separate corners to work on their characters, the 
  GM may want to suggest everybody sitting around 
  the game table to throw out their ideas and opinions 
  on each other’s characters. This can lead to more 
  cohesive groups, as players differentiate their PCs. If 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  65 
  two players both want to play a big, dumb, strong 
  guy, simply saying that around the table could cause 
  one of them to change their mind and go with a 
  different character concept, or merely take the time 
  to flesh out how his big, dumb, strong guy is 
  different than the other player’s. Some groups will 
  take advantage of the ability to mix and match 
  character strengths, optimizing the party so as to 
  handle all sorts of threats. (“You be the physical 
  guy, you be the mental guy, I’ll be the social guy, 
  and you be the professional guy.” Congratulations: 
  you’ve just made the A-Team – BA, Hannibal, Face, 
  and Murdock – and they lasted a couple seasons.)  
  Another great feature of group character generation 
  is the option of a common origin for the characters. 
  Perhaps they all sold their souls to the same guy, are 
  related, went to high school together, or suffered 
  the same mysterious train crash that flung them 
  right into the Spirit World. A shared beginning 
  point or pre-existing relationship between characters 
  is a powerful tool for keeping the group together 
  and friendly. 
  The two largest pitfalls with group character 
  generation are: 1) the possibility of players getting 
  pressured into a character they really don’t want to 
  play, simply to balance the group (a.k.a. “the Cleric 
  Problem”); and 2) unless the players are skilled at 
  keeping the division between player-knowledge and 
  character-knowledge inviolate, it will be hard for 
  one character to have a Deep Dark Secret that could 
  cause a ruckus of fun down the line.  
   
  SKEPTICAL CHARACTERS (“SCULLYS”) 
  “If people are constantly encouraged to understand their thoughts as chemical secretions, and even their 
  impulses to kindness as a sophisticated form of egoism, whatever they have left of them that constituted their 
  soul will be lost.” 
   – Robert Musil 
  Sane Real World characters probably won’t believe in any of this weird stuff – a Spirit World, magical 
  powers, prophetic visions. When presented with it, they’ll spend time trying to rationalize away the things 
  that they see or those that happen to them in a hundred different ways. What happens if a rationally-
  minded sort like this becomes Dead Inside? A DI game might lose its spark and drag if one (or more) 
  character(s) continually denies reality and conceits of the game.  
  Unless the player wishes to play this type of “Scully” character, he can become frustrated with the 
  disconnect between the desire to join in the spiritual fun and games and the need for his character to remain 
  true to his conception of it. What is there to do? 
  One option is for the GM to take the discouraged player aside, and flat-out ask him what would convince the 
  character that the non-ordinary reality of the Spirit World is as true as the Real World. If the player comes 
  up with something, give it to him, either later in the session or in the next session. Problem solved. 
  If there’s nothing that could change a character’s perceptions, maybe the player could get some roleplaying 
  fun by being the Scully: believing their Spirit World adventures are delusional, trying to rationalize 
  everything as part of a conspiracy, or interpreting events to try to explain them using Occam’s Razor. (For 
  an example of the first type of rationalization, watch the movie Hook to see how Peter Banning attempts to 
  explain away Tinkerbell using Freudian psychology). Scullys can be great for comic-relief. 
  If the player can’t see a way for the character to buy-in to the Spirit World and doesn’t want to play a Scully, 
  it may be best to admit that the character might be unplayable for the game. Set it aside, and come up with 
  a new one; or, alter the character such that the character becomes open to the weirdness. A level of 
  acceptance is vital to a good DI game. 
  NOTE - A Dead Inside Scully, denying all that happens to him, believing himself to be mad, could be an interesting NPC. Frustrated, 
  lost, and trapped in the Spirit World, helping the Scully – whether opening their eyes to what’s really happening, helping them regain a 
  soul, kicking them back into the Real World through the nearest Gate (what if the NPC unconsciously Wards against other characters’ 
  use of Open Gates? They’ll have to drag him to a natural one...), or some combination of these options (or others) – can be a great 
  “adventure” for PC groups. 
   
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  66 
  Multi-Type PC Groups 
  Some players may want to generate PCs that are of a 
  different Type from the rest of their playing groups’ 
  characters. This is okay, if the GM is comfortable 
  with the idea. There are slightly different factors to 
  consider when making up a character of a different 
  Type (see Chapter 4 for any special Abilities, Powers, 
  or shifts for different Types): 
  Free Spirit. Since Free Spirits start their existence 
  as Tulpas, in character generation they replace Soul 
  Loss with Details of Creation and Discovery with 
  Liberation. They have a starting Soul Point Pool of 3. 
  Ghost. Since Ghosts are dead Sensitives, in 
  character generation they replace Soul Loss with 
  Details of Life, and Discovery with Details of Death. 
  They have a starting Soul Point Pool of 3. 
  Mage. In character generation, Magi replace Soul 
  Loss with Details of Gaining Mage-hood and Discovery 
  with Rituals Performed (i.e., have they created a 
  Wizard Egg or severed their Shadow?). They have a 
  starting Soul Point Pool of 8, and must have a Nemesis 
  (see below). 
  NOTE - Where do Magi learn their rituals? Do they 
  instantly learn the rituals when they double their soul, 
  cease being Sensitive, and become a Mage? Must each 
  ritual be sought out individually? Can study in the City 
  Library – or performances in the Theatre des Loups – 
  yield the information? In DI, the source of knowledge of 
  Magi Rituals is left up to the individual GM’s discretion.  
  Sensitive. In character generation, Sensitives 
  replace Discovery with Details of Ensoulment. They have 
  a starting Soul Point Pool of 5, and might have a 
  Nemesis (see below). 
  Zombi. Since Zombis are deceased Dead Inside, in 
  character generation they replace Soul Loss with 
  Details of Life and Discovery with Details of Death. They 
  have a starting Soul Point Pool of 3. 
  Here are some guidelines for incorporating different 
  Type characters in each level of play: 
  − Dead Inside-level. Dead Inside, Ghosts, or 
  Free Spirits can be played as-is. If a player 
  wishes to be a Zombi or a Sensitive, they 
  should have an extra Weakness (for a total of 
  two Poor [-2] Qualities in addition to their 
  Strengths); GMs should consider also having 
  an enemy possess a Soul Egg holding some of 
  the Sensitive’s soul-blood. Magi are not 
  acceptable characters in a Dead Inside-level 
  game. 
  − Sensitive-level. Sensitives and Zombis can be 
  played as-is. If a player wishes to be a Dead 
  Inside, Ghost, or Free Spirit, they should have 
  either an extra Strength of Good [+2] Rank, 
  or may increase the Rank of a single starting 
  Quality by one; they may also possess a single 
  Enchanted Object. Magi should have an extra 
  Weakness (for a total of two Poor [-2] 
  Qualities in addition to their Strengths); GMs 
  should consider also having an enemy possess 
  a Soul Egg holding some of the Mage’s soul-
  blood.  
  − Mage-level. Magi can be played as-is. If a 
  player wishes to be a Zombi or a Sensitive, 
  they should have either an extra Strength of 
  Good [+2] Rank, or may increase the Rank of 
  a single starting Quality by one; they may also 
  possess a single Enchanted Object. Dead 
  Inside, Ghosts, or Free Spirits are not 
  acceptable characters in a Magi-level game. 
  RUNNING THE GAME 
  Being the GM for an RPG is tough work: you’ve 
  got to set the Scene, portray the NPCs, adjudicate 
  the rules, create situations to be resolved, help shape 
  the story of the game with the players, and 
  encourage them to role-play for their entertainment 
  and everybody else’s. It’s a rough – but rewarding – 
  gig.  
  In a DI game, the main tools to use are your 
  Common Sense, Game Sense, and Story Sense. 
  Common Sense: Evaluate characters, scenery, and 
  situations in terms of “Is this reasonable, given the 
  situation?” Depending upon these three elements, 
  what is “reasonable” may change drastically, 
  however. For example, while some Real World 
  families have a basic security system in their house, 
  that system probably does not include lethal 
  weaponry. On the other hand, the home of a 
  paranoid might very well have a sophisticated 
  security system with man-traps and semi-lethal 
  defenses. A powerful Mage probably has extensive 
  mundane and magical guards and wards around his 
  Tower to protect his hoard of Soul Eggs – measures 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  67 
  could range from Spirit Traps to Change Other 
  enchantments.  
  Game Sense. Evaluate characters, scenery, and 
  situations in terms of “Should I make the PC(s) roll 
  for this?” Depending upon what your players’ 
  characters are up to, and the way you run your 
  game, this can vary wildly. Take the example 
  running through the discussion of Conflict in 
  Chapter 4 – Zandra and Jefferson arguing over who 
  gets to pay the check at the White Monkey. Some 
  GMs wouldn’t resolve this using the conflict 
  situation rules; instead, they’d let the players roleplay 
  it out, like most social situations. But they might still 
  use those social conflict rules if a character is 
  involved in a formal debate, making an attempt to 
  sway a crowd, or arguing a case in front of a judge. 
  Know when to apply rules and when to abstract 
  them for the comfort of your players. 
  Story Sense. Evaluate characters, scenery, and 
  situations in terms of “What would be the coolest 
  thing to happen at this point in the game?” In many 
  ways, having good Story Sense allows you to chuck 
  your session notes and fly by the seat of your pants 
  when the players come up with something cooler 
  than you did. For example, say you’ve planned out 
  the adventure to revolve around the mysterious 
  NPC who holds all of the PCs’ Soul Eggs. You’ve 
  left clues left and right pointing to Samuel the Mage 
  as being the Egg-keeper, but the PCs have 
  somehow decided that Manny at the White Monkey 
  has them stashed under the bar. If their idea fits the 
  evidence, and is at least (or more) entertaining than 
  your concept – change it. Especially if their idea is 
  better. Story Sense means being able to judge which 
  “story” (Samuel vs. Manny) is more fun: look to 
  how your players are reacting as a guideline. 
   
   
   
   
  WHAT’S GOING ON IN  
  THE REAL WORLD? 
  As noted in Chapters 2 and 4, Abilities & 
  Powers (except the passive use of Second Sight, 
  Open Gates, and some Enchanted Objects) are 
  limited in the Real World. Abilities require an 
  additional Downshift and 1 Soul Point per use; 
  Powers require a Downshift and a doubled Soul 
  Point cost per use (minimum 1 if they are “At 
  Rank” Powers). In Places or Times of Power 
  (natural Gates, In-Between Places and Times, 
  Rites of Passage, Haunted Houses, Sacred 
  Geometry, Indian Burial Grounds, Feng Shui, 
  Places of Loss and Suffering; Places of Joy and 
  Delight; see also Chapter 2), Abilities & Powers 
  can be used at their normal Spirit World shift 
  and cost. 
  Currently, the interactions and plots of the 
  clued-in and empowered Types in the Real 
  World is left wide open for DI GMs to fill in to 
  their 
  own 
  satisfaction 
  for 
  their 
  Diverse.  
  However, a few points are worth mentioning: 
  *   Humanity tends to fear and persecute what 
        it doesn’t understand. 
  *   The nail that sticks up gets hammered down. 
  *   Humans tend to band together in groups. 
  *   Soul Points are a limited resource. 
  *   Places of Power are worth holding onto. 
  Taking these points together, most clued-in 
  Types will thus try to keep quiet to avoid 
  harassment. They may join like-minded peers 
  or collect entourages of followers (or both), will 
  probably tend not to use their Abilities & 
  Powers unless absolutely necessary, and will 
  certainly jockey to gain control over areas 
  where their Abilities & Powers work better. 
  QED: Instant secret occult conspiracies. 
  OPTION - If a GM wants to encourage Spirit World play over 
  Real World play, they should feel free to make Soul Points 
  harder to come by in the Real World (but just as easy to lose). 
  Whether that means it takes twice as many Ticks to make a 
  Tally (see below) or if Cultivation Ticks cannot be earned in 
  the Real World is up to them. 
  NOTE - The upcoming supplement (titled Cold, Hard World) 
  will provide additional material and ideas for GMs who wish to 
  set more of their DI campaign in the Real World rather than 
  the Spirit World. 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  68 
  DI Scenery 
  Basics: Describe each Scene, paying attention to what 
  all five senses (plus Second Sight) could tell about it.  
  Many DI games will take place in the Spirit World, 
  which warps and shifts in response to the actions, 
  attitudes, and imaginations of the characters. The 
  best way to manage and display these aspects of the 
  Spirit World is to treat it like an NPC. Make it as 
  human as you want, give it an animalistic mentality, 
  or make it actively malevolent. Just try to be 
  consistent in your portrayal for the sake of the 
  players, if not across a series of sessions, then at 
  least within a single session. If the Spirit World is 
  out to get the characters in one Scene, then 
  suddenly switches to being magnanimous and 
  forgiving in the next, this could confuse and 
  unsettle the PCs (or players) – they won’t know 
  what to expect at any given moment. Of course, it’s 
  your game – if you’re going for that kind of 
  instability in what is known, more power to you. 
  For example, let’s say a group of PCs are walking 
  through the Wood. Since it’s a metaphysical 
  landscape, it will react to characters moving through 
  it. If a character goes and chops down a living tree 
  for firewood, this – in addition to not being 
  particularly bright woodsmanship – will probably 
  piss off the Wood. The forest can turn darker for 
  him, twigs can snag his gear more often than the 
  others, the furry critters will hiss at him (or leap to 
  assail him), or he can be separated from his fellows 
  by shifting paths. On the other hand, a wise 
  woodsman who seeks out a dead, rotting tree that 
  needs to be cleared and takes care to make sure it’s 
  not being used as a honeycomb or fox’s den or 
  whatever, may be rewarded by the Wood, as if he 
  had drawn a rotted tooth that was paining it. The 
  path is smooth for him, the trout leap into his net, 
  and the air is sweet and fresh. 
  Some Spirit World Locations, like Archaic Café and 
  the Theatre des Loups, specifically focus on 
  characters’ psyches and change as needed in order 
  to promote growth. Many Scenes taking place 
  against these backdrops will require that the GM 
  spend some time manufacturing episodes from a 
  character’s (or characters’) past or psychology. 
  Whether the GM does this all from “behind the 
  curtain” by studying the Backstories of the group, or 
  flatly asking “out of character” for the players’  
   
   
  ADDITIONAL DI LOCATIONS 
  NOTE - Also see below, Additional DI NPCs. 
  Faustina’s Eyrie. Faustina’s Eyrie is a tall, 
  exceptionally slim spire of black volcanic 
  glass, banded in iron. Two-thirds of the way 
  up – nearly 25 stories in the air – is the front 
  door. There is no way to get to the front door 
  without Dream-Leap or True Flight. Inside, 
  the décor is Spartan – no cushions, no 
  rounded edges, no softness – just like 
  Faustina.  She commands the widest and 
  highest view of the City from this perch, and 
  many say that nothing happens on its streets 
  that escapes her sight. 
  The House of Dusk. The House of Dusk is a 
  temple to tantric sex: more than a bordello, it 
  is a place of exploration and healing, and a 
  useful place for a character to meet their 
  Anima/Animus. Located on the Edge of Tower 
  Row, it was founded a decade ago by a 
  Sensitive named Helen Kierkegaard.  
  Rags to Riches. Willy Ragpicker, a resident 
  Dead Inside, runs a pretty standard Exroads 
  Market stall. An Army surplus tent pitched 
  on a wooden slat platform, the stall is hung 
  with colorful scarves and finished goods, 
  while boxes of broken items are stacked 
  beneath. Some are of Spirit World make, 
  while others are gotten from new arrivals to 
  the City from the Real World. 
  Thirteen Street Station. Thirteenth Street 
  Station is a typical Train Station – they all 
  share a ticket booth (manned by a/the 
  Conductor), a turnstile, baroque copper 
  scrollwork covered in verdigris, and elegant 
  wrought-iron benches along the platform. By 
  common consent of City inhabitants, Stations 
  are sanctuaries from physical and spiritual 
  violence... but this cease-fire sometimes 
  breaks down during the long, quiet nights.  
   
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  69 
  cooperation in generating the relevant Scenes for 
  the target PC, the point of these specific locations is 
  to externalize the internal. For some groups, the 
  players find it really fun if they are allowed to help 
  with the “stage dressing” of the area as it shifts and 
  changes 
  to 
  teach 
  or 
  catalyze 
  the 
  target. 
  (Furthermore, in the case of the Theatre, other PCs 
  may need to take on temporary roles in the target’s 
  psychodrama: the mean college prof who told the 
  character he’d never amount to anything; the 
  teenage 
  object 
  of 
  desire; 
  the 
  dependant 
  grandmother, etc.) 
  NOTE - Also keep in mind the effect that the Spirit 
  World has on technological items: above ground level, 
  they work pretty well; at ground level, they’re a little 
  sketchy; and below ground, they rarely work. One way 
  to work this is to allow them to be used normally on 
  rooftops and upper floors, apply a Downshift at street-
  level; and flat-out say they don’t work underground. 
  In terms of the City, be sure to give each 
  neighborhood its own particular characterization, to 
  help define them for the player’s imaginations. 
  Perhaps the streets in Tower Row are polished 
  marble, and the scent of verbena is always in the air; 
  while the Rampart’s roads are less-impressive 
  looking but more functional concrete, and the air is 
  full of cooking smells; and Zombitown’s avenues 
  are cobblestones, and a sickly-sweet odor taints the 
  neighborhood. Just sketch out a few sensory details 
  or pieces of set-dressing for each neighborhood... 
  and feel free to incorporate your own. 
  Also do not neglect the effect NPCs will have on 
  their local environment. How does that Sensitive 
  decorate his Rampart apartment? What sorts of 
  wonders has that Mage incorporated into their 
  tower? Does that Ghost have a house on Spectral 
  Point, and what does he keep in it?  
  Some NPCs may have gone even further, and 
  claimed small areas outside of the City and set up 
  their own tiny fiefdoms. Whole Islands in the Sea, 
  Glades in the Wood, Oases in the Waste, or 
  Fastnesses in the Mists could be ruled by a Sensitive 
  or Mage with an iron fist, or be populated by 
  enclaves of beings seeking to escape from the social, 
  political, and spiritual machinations of the City. 
  Maybe there’s even a small settlement where Ghosts 
  and Zombis live together in harmony...  
   
  DI NPCs 
  Basics: NPC are people, too. What sort of people (and 
  how important) they are is up to you. 
  You can make up full character sheets for any NPCs 
  the characters might run into; this is less of a chore 
  in DI than in some other games. But typing up 
  pages and pages of sheets for every Tom, Dick, and 
  Harriet will still take a lot of time. As quick way to 
  handle this is to just list out a single Quality or two 
  that would be important when interacting with the 
  PCs. Remember, everybody can do just about 
  anything at Average Rank: you only need to 
  concentrate on where they’re better or worse than 
  average. If the NPC is an Exroads Market vendor, 
  she might have only Good [+2] Merchant and 
  Average [0] Dead Inside. 
  Another thing you really need to think about is what 
  the NPC’s current goal happens to be, since that 
  will influence how they interact with the PCs. The 
  NPC Cop who’s coming to the end of his shift and 
  just wants to go home and sleep will react to a 
  bunch of loitering PCs in a quite different way than 
  the NPC Cop who’s fresh on his shift and behind in 
  his monthly quota of citations given. 
  NOTE - NPCs in the Real World that are Dead Inside, 
  Sensitives, or Magi and base themselves there rather 
  than the Spirit World should definitely be a little odd: 
  they are fixated on the world of the flesh rather than the 
  world of the spirit, and there should be a damn good 
  reason. After all, their spiffy-cool magic powers don’t 
  work half as well as they do on the Other Side. Then 
  again, there are few of them there and “in the kingdom 
  of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” 
  While Dead Inside in the Real World are hampered in 
  social uses of their Qualities, that does not preclude 
  them from gaining positions of power and authority – 
  perhaps they’re just that good (high Quality Rank), or 
  lost it after the fact (Soul Loss). Maybe they purchased 
  their position with their soul... and don’t underestimate 
  the “creepy factor.” Many people will give a creepy 
  person whatever it is they want just so they’ll go away, 
  and a smart Dead Inside can make this work to their 
  advantage. 
  Sensitive NPCs are probably a little fey, unworldly, or 
  involved in the psychic or occult subcultures of the Real 
  World. That’s not to say that every boardwalk fortune-
  teller or psychic telephone friend is a Sensitive – heck, 
  they could be Dead Inside that think they’re Sensitive. 
  Mage NPCs in the Real World are a double-threat: they 
  have access to surprising amounts of power even there, 
  and they have a bonus to using the social aspects of their 
  Qualities. 
  They 
  are 
  charismatic, 
  magnetic, 
  and 
  compelling. Whether working as a psychologist or cult 
  leader, they will draw attention. 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  70 
  ADDITIONAL DI NPCS 
  NOTE - Also see above, Additional DI Locations. 
  The Conductor.  He sells the tickets (in 
  exchange for shared memories of travel) at the 
  Station’s booth. Someone just like him (or himself) 
  takes the tickets as passengers enter their car. 
  Those who walk to the Engine see him driving the 
  Train. He’s there, tipping his hat as passengers 
  disembark. Sometimes, he ejects troublemakers 
  from the cars, even if the Train is nowhere near a 
  station. But few have ever seen two of him at 
  once, standing side-by-side; seeing a pair of 
  Conductors is an omen of one’s own death. 
  Faustina. 
  The 
  Mage 
  Faustina 
  has 
  iron 
  fingernails, a piercing stare, and long, glistening 
  black hair. She is considerate, but not nice: cruel 
  kindness, the truth that burns, the sharp but 
  pithy insight are all phrases that sum her up well. 
  She never walks, she flies – the aerial battles with 
  her Shadow are legend in the City. From her 
  Eyrie, she watches, seeing all that happens below. 
  She knows all the gossip, and will exchange her 
  rumors for the rumors of others... if you can reach 
  her door. 
  Helen Kierkegaard. Attractive in daylight while 
  unadorned, once Helen puts on her priestess garb 
  and stands in the moonlight, she is beauty 
  incarnate. She is the High Priestess of the House 
  of Dusk, a tantric sex temple. Helen is a Sensitive 
  pursuing Magi-hood; unfortunately, she keeps 
  getting distracted from her goal by all the poor 
  Dead Inside she must help. (Part of the problem is 
  that Helen is constantly using her accumulated 
  Soul Points for her customers’ benefit rather than 
  her own.)  
  Willy Ragpicker. Born unlucky, Willy never had 
  a soul. However, he found his way into the Spirit 
  World at age twelve, and never really looked back. 
  He buys, shares, and sells cloth; it’s a living. 
  While not a cheat, Willy is not a fool, either. He is 
  both cautious and selfish, which has made his 
  spiritual growth proceed at a glacial pace. He is 
  carefully hoarding his “profits” in order to – one 
  day soon – go and ensoul. He hasn’t returned to 
  the Real World since his sixteenth birthday; he 
  found it too cold and hard compared to the 
  welcoming streets of the City. 
   
  Some types of NPCs – notably certain Imagos, 
  Qlippoth, and Spirit World Animals – require a bit 
  more discussion. 
  The Imagos 
  The Imagos teach, but often their lessons are hard 
  and dangerous for the student. They are forces of 
  nature, whose sole purpose is assisting in the 
  development of souls, one way or another. (That 
  includes even the Shadow and the Nemesis, though 
  the “development” sought by these Imagos could 
  be death for the character; see below.) Imagos could 
  be described as spiritual gardeners in service to the 
  Source. Imagos can be invoked by name if their aid 
  is needed. However, they tend to come when they 
  sense a need, rather than when someone wills it.  
   
  When it does come, an Imago can appear in one of 
  its full-time forms or temporarily “possess” a nearby 
  character. Imago-dom can be thrust upon a 
  character, and can be actively sought and cultivated 
  as well.  
  NOTE - As GM you may wish to disallow the latter 
  choice: separation of player knowledge and character 
  knowledge regarding the abilities of the Imagos could 
  become an issue for many groups, if the mystery of what 
  the Imagos are or can do becomes common knowledge. 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  71 
  Tapping into a deeper aspect of reality as an Imago 
  grants certain Abilities and Disabilities (see boxed 
  text, Imago Abilities & Disabilities) to the target 
  character, in addition to those they possess as a 
  Dead Inside, Sensitive, Mage, etc.  
  Imago Abilities and Disabilities 
  The full-time Imagos – or characters temporarily 
  taking up an Imago mantle – have a number of 
  special powers, related to helping (or hindering) a 
  specific character. These include: 
  − Character Focus. Imagos may only use their 
  Abilities and Powers– from their Type and 
  from being an Imago – for or against the 
  target character, or for personal survival. 
  − Know Need. With a successful roll using the 
  target’s Type Rank as a Difficulty Rank, the 
  Imago knows what is needed for the target 
  character to grow, and knows what must be 
  avoided or risk Soul Decay. 
  − Set Quest. Imagos can set tasks for a target 
  character, which must be related to either the 
  Imago’s or the target character’s current 
  Virtue and Vice. Upon completion of this 
  task, the target character instantly gains one 
  Soul Point, which seemingly comes from 
  nowhere. 
   
  FULL-TIME IMAGOS 
  Full-time Imagos are NPCs who are always 
  Imagos – they’re not possessed by an Imago, 
  they are one in the flesh. Evie (manager of 
  the Archaic Café) and Manny (the bartender 
  of the White Monkey) may be two such. 
   
  Here follows more detailed information on a few 
  Imagos: 
  Anima/Animus/Syzygy. In Chapter 2, we learn 
  that the Anima/Animus/Syzygy is “the female 
  aspect of the male’s unconscious, and the male part 
  of the female’s,” one of the primary guides in soul 
  cultivation, and a participant in the character’s love-
  life. But what does all of that mean, especially in the 
  context of the game? 
  The Anima/Animus/Syzygy is concerned most with 
  relationships – friendly ones, romantic ones, and 
  antagonistic ones. It gets involved in a character’s 
  life to strengthen good relationships, repair or sever 
  bad relationships, and teach the target how to form 
  new relationships. If a character is having problems 
  dealing 
  with 
  other 
  people, 
  the 
  Anima/Animus/Syzygy might be showing up soon. 
  A quick and easy way to think about how to 
  characterize a character’s Anima/Animus is to think 
  of it being strong where the character is weak. This 
  doesn’t mean that it’s the opposite of the character, 
  but rather complementary to the character. If a 
  character is a physical sort – athlete, fighter, laborer 
  – the Anima/Animus will focus on mental, social, 
  and professional issues. If the character is strongly 
  mental and professional, the Anima/Animus will 
  balance by being strongly physical and social. If a 
  character 
  only 
  lacks 
  physical 
  prowess, 
  the 
  Anima/Animus will possess that prowess. And so 
  forth, for the various iterations. If Qualities ever 
  have to be determined for the Anima/Animus, 
  simply duplicate the character’s character sheet, and 
  alter the emphases, or come up with logical 
  extensions that would “round out” the character. 
  The union of these complementary parts – character 
  and their Anima/Animus – is the Syzygy. It is the 
  complete and balanced individual which must be 
  accepted to gain the power of the Magi. When a 
  character desires and is ready for this change in 
  state, the Syzygy will appear (possibly rising out of 
  the Anima/Animus) and set the necessary quest. 
  The quest should involve the character performing 
  some deed or task that displays or utilizes the nature 
  of their Anima/Animus. This means that the big 
  bruiser must do some brainwork, the intellectual 
  must physically exert himself, the social butterfly 
  must rely on themselves, the professional type must 
  relearn how to let their hair down and relax, or 
  some mixture of these, focusing on transcending a 
  character’s limitations (use the character’s Weakness 
  as a guide, here). 
  To transform from a Sensitive into a Mage, the 
  character must come to terms with their Syzygy. 
  This involves a ritual: a mystical wedding between 
  character and Anima/Animus, officiated by a 
  Trickster.  
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  72 
  NOTE - Finding a Trickster to perform the wedding, as well 
  as keeping him/her/it out of trouble during the proceedings, 
  is definitely an adventure within itself. 
  While sometimes performed at Linnet Fracture, the 
  ceremony can be done in any location bearing 
  hidden gates to other parts of the Spirit World 
  (Wyld Park, Moon Lake, the Ripping Fogs, Exroads 
  Market). The Master [+6] Sensitive character burns 
  a Soul Point during the ceremony, and at the end 
  has balanced his male and female sides to become 
  an Average [0] Mage. 
  The Shadow. As the animal part of a being’s 
  unconscious, the Shadow cares about basic urges: 
  hunger, 
  sexuality, 
  play, 
  curiosity, 
  and 
  creativity, 
  irrespective of the needs of the moment. It has little 
  concern for social strictures or spiritual needs; all it 
  cares about is survival and sating its desires. This is 
  why the Shadow receives Soul Points lost to Decay 
  (see below, The Shadow Knows). The Shadow can use 
  them to fuel any of the Abilities & Powers 
  accessible to the character; a common tactic of the 
  Shadow is to use these Soul Points on Second Sight, 
  to gain further knowledge of the Spirit World and 
  its inhabitants, so that it can protect its character 
  and lead it to further sate its/their desires.  
  It can also offer these lost Soul Points (also called 
  Shadow Points) back to the character to use – but they 
  must be used immediately on an Ability or Power, or 
  to stop the process of Husking. The taint upon 
  Shadow Points instantly grants Soul Decay (see 
  below, Decay Ticks). Despite all this, the Shadow – at 
  least until the first ritual to change a Mage into a 
  True Immortal – is dedicated to keeping its owner 
  alive, healthy, and on course for gaining greater power 
  (because this will allow the character to satisfy their 
  desires even more completely). 
  “Conquering the Shadow” is what transforms Magi 
  into a True Immortal. This involves two separate 
  rituals. In the Ritual of Severance, the Shadow must be 
  physically cut from the Mage: this requires burning 
  7 Soul Points, a successful Expert [11] Difficulty roll 
  against Type Rank, and the use (and destruction) of 
  an Enchanted blade. Severance traumatizes the 
  Shadow, often making it into the Mage’s Nemesis. 
  After separation, the Shadow can take on a three-
  dimensional physical form, and shares all of the 
  Mage’s Qualities, Abilities, and Powers (including 
  Resilience). It retains the power of receiving Soul 
  Points that the Mage loses to Soul Decay, already 
  possesses the Imago Abilities & Disabilities (see 
  boxed text), and might gain the special Abilities of 
  the Nemesis. (Winning True Immortality ain’t easy, 
  bub.) The Mage will no longer cast a mundane 
  shadow after this ritual. 
  The Ritual of Ascension occurs after the Master [+6] 
  Rank Mage has either defeated or reconciled with 
  his Shadow. The ritual involves consuming the 
  Shadow; the only utensil used must be an 
  Enchanted blade, which is destroyed in the process. 
  (If the Mage and Shadow have reconciled, the tool 
  required is an Enchanted needle and thread, used to 
  sew the two beings back together; needle and thread 
  are destroyed in the process.) A successful Expert 
  [11] Difficulty roll must be made against Type Rank. 
  Then, a Soul Point is burned to seal the two entities 
  together, and the Mage becomes a True Immortal 
  (see boxed text, Immortality Options). Given the 
  difficulties, few Mages have ever become True 
  Immortals (though it’s rumored that Manny, the 
  bartender of the White Monkey, is one – there are 
  lots of rumors about Manny). 
   
  IMMORTALITY OPTIONS 
  When a Mage makes the jump to True 
  Immortal, what does that mean? Here are a 
  few options to select from (or come up with 
  your own): 
  *   Vanishes to parts unknown. 
  * Remains in the Spirit World as a  
        Full-Time Imago. 
  *  Remains in the Spirit World as a Mage, 
       with a “True Immortal” Quality replacing  
       “Resilience.” 
  *  Is given a Spirit World of their own to  
        build/shape as a Demi-urge. 
  *  Goes exploring – after all, they cannot be 
       destroyed by entering the Void or Source  
       any longer... Or can they? 
   
  The Nemesis. Unlike the Shadow, the Nemesis 
  seeks to destroy its target. Usually, this is a role 
  taken up by an NPC rather than a full-time Imago. 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  73 
  The ritual for taking up the mantle of another 
  character’s Nemesis is called the Blood-Oath. While 
  uncommon, it can be unearthed with mild effort, 
  and performed with a successful Type Rank roll 
  against a Good [9] Difficulty. By making a sacrifice 
  of both physical blood and soul-blood (one Damage 
  Rank and 3 Soul Points) in a Place of Power or in a 
  relevant Notable Spirit World Location, and 
  swearing a great oath to destroy the target utterly 
  (“before the Source and the Void”), the character 
  becomes the Nemesis of the target. A character can 
  only be the Nemesis of a single being at any time. 
  Being a Nemesis grants two special Abilities (that is, 
  being a Nemesis does not normally give access to the 
  other Imago Abilities; exceptions naturally occur, 
  however): 
  − Tangled Path. The Nemesis and its target’s 
  plans and goals will constantly intersect and 
  possibly interfere with each other. 
  − Thwart Reward. Whenever a Nemesis derails 
  one of its target’s plans or harms something 
  important to the target, it immediately gains a 
  Soul Point even if the action taken causes a Decay 
  tick or Soul Point loss; and if the Nemesis forces 
  its target to make a choice that results in the 
  loss of a Soul Point, it immediately gains 2 
  Soul Points, even if the action taken to arrange the 
  choice causes a Decay tick or Soul Point loss. 
   
  The Voice. The Voice speaks only when a player 
  (not a PC) has become frustrated or confused. It 
  speaks to the character, illuminating the choice(s) 
  before him, offering trenchant advice or pointed 
  warnings that there may be repercussions not 
  anticipated in an action. (Preferably in a deep basso 
  a la James Earl Jones.) The Voice is – in many ways 
  – the Voice of the GM, but it must be used only to 
  clarify a character’s situation or options to a player, 
  not to railroad the player and his character into a 
  course of action. It is a powerful tool, and not one 
  to be abused.  
  NOTE - If the GM is using the Voice more than once 
  every two sessions (no matter what the number of PCs 
  in the game) something is wrong, probably with the way 
  he has been describing scenery, NPCs, or situations. He 
  should talk to his players to see what their feelings are 
  about the game, and do what is necessary to make it fun 
  for them, up to and including ending the DI campaign. 
  CHARACTER DEATH 
  Death is not the end for many Types of DI 
  characters: Dead Inside come back as Zombis, 
  Sensitives as Ghosts, and Magi as Ghosts 
  and Zombis. Much fun can be had by allowing 
  a dead character to “come back” in a different 
  form. Remember, however, that Ghosts and 
  Zombis, being dead, cannot become Sensitives 
  or Magi. 
  Unfortunately, unless Ghosts and Zombis can 
  unite safely into a new Dead Inside (which 
  probably requires a massive number of Soul 
  Points and a special ritual, if it’s possible at 
  all), when a Free Spirit, Ghost or Zombi dies, 
  that’s the end. 
   
  Qlippoth 
  Unknown to most Spirit World inhabitants, there 
  are actually two types of Qlippoth: Living and Dead. 
  Living Qlippoth come into being when living beings 
  (usually Dead Inside) husk; Dead Qlippoth come 
  into being when dead, undead, or “never alive” 
  beings (usually Zombis) husk. When a living being 
  husks, its Type changes to an equal Rank Qlippoth 
  Quality. When a dead being husks, all of its 
  Qualities become Qlippoth Qualities (this become 
  important, see Qlippoth Vulnerabilities). 
  Example 1: If Zandra (Expert [+4] Marketing 
  Executive, Good [+2] at Self-Defense, Good [+2] 
  Business Contacts, Poor [-2] Dead Inside, Poor [-2] at 
  Taking Criticism) husks, she becomes a Living Qlippoth 
  with the following Qualities (Expert [+4] Marketing 
  Executive, Good [+2] at Self-Defense, Good [+2] 
  Business Contacts, Poor [-2] Qlippoth, Poor [-2] at 
  Taking Criticism). 
  Example 2:  If Zombi Bob (Good [+2] Bartender, Good 
  [+2] Conversationalist, Good [+2] Black-Belt, Good 
  [+2] at Knowing Where Stuff Is, Poor [-2] Zombie, 
  Poor [-2] Goes to Pieces) husks, he becomes a Dead 
  Qlippoth with the following Qualities (Good [+2] 
  Qlippoth, Good [+2] Qlippoth, Good [+2] Qlippoth, 
  Good [+2] Qlippoth , Poor [-2] Qlippoth , Poor [-2] 
  Qlippoth). 
  Both types of Qlippoth can hide and fight well, do 
  not track their Virtues or Vices, cannot earn or lose 
  Soul Points (unless they’ve stolen them from 
  another character), do not accumulate Ticks, and 
  share some Abilities and Disabilities:  
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  74 
  − Qlippoth Vulnerabilities. Qlippoth have 
  several weaknesses. These include the “loss” 
  of Soul Points they steal to the Void, the 
  need to burn a Soul Point a day to stay alive; 
  the inability to enter the Real World, and a 
  constant keening or high-pitched whistling 
  that seems to come from them. They take 
  damage from physical attacks, but they also 
  can take damage from a few spiritual 
  Abilities & Powers: 
  1. 
  Change Others. The difference between Change 
  Others rolls in spiritual conflict can be applied as 
  “damage” to a Qlippoth’s Type Rank. When the 
  Qlippoth Type drops below Poor [-2], they 
  vanish forever. 
  2. 
  Change Landscape. The difference between 
  Change Landscape rolls in spiritual conflict can 
  be applied as “damage” to a Qlippoth’s Type 
  Rank. When Qlippoth drops below Poor [-2], 
  they vanish forever. 
  3. 
  Heal. Every Soul Point spent attempting to heal 
  a Qlippoth reduces its Rank on a one-to-one 
  basis. When a Dead Qlippoth drops below Poor 
  [-2], they vanish forever; Living Qlippoth may 
  vanish or come back as a zero Soul Point Pool 
  Dead Inside (at the GM’s option). 
  − Soultaking. Qlippoth use Soultaking to 
  survive. When a Qlippoth uses Soultaking, 
  the first few Soul Points stolen (equal to the 
  highest Qlippoth Rank Modifier; minimum 
  of 1)) vanish into the Void. The next Soul 
  Point taken allows the Qlippoth to survive 
  for another day. Subsequent Soul Points can 
  be used on Abilities & Powers, or can be 
  converted into fresh Qlippoth Ranks as for 
  Improvement (though this takes up an 
  entire turn). 
  − Living Qlippoth retain their human 
  Qualities, can use Change Self to shift from 
  their shadowy Qlippoth form back into 
  their human semblance, can Phase through 
  objects like a Ghost or Free Spirit, and 
  might be able to be “healed” back from 
  being a monster. 
  − Dead Qlippoth have all their Qualities 
  converted into Qlippoth Qualities, cannot 
  use Change Self to alter their appearance 
  (only shape); can Phase through objects at 
  their highest Qlippoth Rank without 
  spending a Soul Point or taking a Damage 
  Rank. They cannot be “healed” back from 
  being a monster. 
  Spirit World Animals 
  Many Free Spirits choose not to pursue soul 
  growth. Instead, following their natural inclinations 
  to play (see Chapter 2, What Do Inhabitants of the Spirit 
  World Do?), many decide to spend their existence 
  romping through the Spirit World in animal form. 
  Foraging, basking, hunting (each other), eating, 
  mating (GMs should determine whether Free Spirits 
  can conceive – this will have an effect on “animal” 
  population sizes), the whole megilla. Unfortunately, 
  Free Spirits who forsake human company along 
  with humanoid shape quickly lose their rudimentary 
  personalities (and many of their Type Abilities & 
  Powers); in many ways, they become the dumb 
  beasts they pretend to be. 
  Limited only by imagination, these Spirit World 
  animals come in a plethora of shapes and sizes, 
  ranging from simple idealized animal forms (lion, 
  lamb, squirrel, etc.), to those of mythology and 
  legend (chimera, dragon, unicorn, etc.), to unique 
  and/or bizarre beasts (Blurmen, Eyes of the Dead 
  God, Foghawks, etc.). Most beings should have a 
  Type like Spirit World Animal (which also acts as a 
  Quality for basic things like Foraging/Hunting, 
  Fighting, Finding Shelter, etc.). 
  Write-ups of idealized animals and creatures of 
  myth are not given: any one of a hundred different 
  RPG systems or the vast amount of source materials 
  out there can give you ideas to adapt, to match your 
  conception of what these beasts can do (how many 
  times a day can a dragon breathe flame? Does it 
  even breathe flame? Can it fly? Does it need wings 
  to do that?). Instead, this section will focus on three 
  DI-specific Spirit World Animals, which GMs can 
  use as examples for their own creations.  
  Blurmen. Humanoid shapes of shimmering heat, 
  the Blurmen haunt the Waste. Since they retain 
  somewhat human characteristics – they are bipedal, 
  have opposable thumbs, and use tools – they keep a 
  modicum of personality. However, the sandstorms 
  scour their memories just as they scour away their 
  images. Ultimately, Blurmen act more like a troop of 
  advanced baboons or chimps more than a tribe of 
  desert nomads. They can be bribed with shiny 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  75 
  things; their “pelts” are sought after for Invisibility 
  Cloaks. 
  − 
  Qualities: Expert [+4] Blurry (acts as armor and for 
  stealth); Average [0] Spirit World Animal, Poor [-2] 
  Distracted by Shiny Things. 
  − 
  Abilities: Dream Leap; Phase.  
  − 
  Soul Point Pool: 3 
  Eyes of the Dead God. Found haunting the Wood 
  in pairs, the Eyes of the Dead God are strange 
  beasts indeed. They appear as giant eyeballs, up to a 
  yard in diameter, and are wreathed in an aura of 
  anger and hate. Some sages claim that they are not 
  devolved Free Spirits at all, but devolved Imagos. 
  Either way, they are dangerous and hunt in tandem. 
  Especially drawn to powerful souls, the Eyes of the 
  Dead God use their powerful Stare to knock down, 
  paralyze, and burn their prey; they feed on the 
  smoke rising from the corpses of their targets, 
  “inhaling” the Soul Point-charged vapor through 
  their pupils.  
  − 
  Qualities: Expert [+4] Spirit World Animal, Good 
  [+2] Flight, Poor [-2] Reactivity to Light (quick 
  shifts from light to dark or dark to light confuse 
  them). 
  − 
  Abilities: Special (The Stare). For 1 Soul Point, an 
  Eye may use the Stare. When aimed at a target not 
  looking at the Eye, it strikes as a beam of Good 
  [+2] Rank force; this knocks prey down. If the 
  target is looking at the Eye, the Stare paralyzes at 
  Expert [+4] Rank (resisted by Type Rank; cannot 
  be Warded); this snares prey. If paralyzed and 
  looking at the Eye, the Stare acts as Average [0] 
  Rank Soultaking (with a “special effect” of 
  appearing to be fire), which converts the prey into 
  something the Eye can consume.  
  − 
  What makes the Eyes of the Dead God so 
  dangerous to long-time Spirit World denizens is 
  that the more powerful the target, the more deadly 
  the Stare is against. If the target of the Stare is a 
  Sensitive, its effects gain one Upshift; if the target 
  is a Mage, it gains two Upshifts. 
  − 
  Soul Point Pool: 7 
  Foghawk. Eyeless off-white birds that swoop 
  through the Mists, Foghawks hunt by sound 
  alone. Their speed and silence is legendary; only 
  slightly less so is the sharpness of their talons. 
  They flock and nest together in Fastnesses, but 
  each hunts the Mist alone. Their feathers are  
   
   
   
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  76 
  sought as components of Flying and Second 
  Sight enchantments. 
  − 
  Qualities: Expert [+4] Flight, Good [+2] 
  Talons, Average [0] Spirit World Animal, 
  Poor [-2] Blind. 
  − 
  Abilities: SecondSight Sonar. While Foghawks 
  usually orient themselves using a form of 
  Second Sight, while closing for the kill, they 
  switch to an rapid pattern of alternating 
  Active and Passive Second Sight at Good [+2] 
  Rank. This psychic Sonar allows them to 
  locate and “jam” the Second Sight of the 
  Foghawk’s target (passive Second Sight vs. 
  Expert [11] Difficulty to sense a Foghawk’s 
  approach). 
  SecondSight 
  Sonar 
  can 
  be 
  countered or misdirected with Ward, causing 
  them to crash into cliff walls, trees, or even 
  the ground. (Note that if the Foghawk is not 
  hunting, Ward will render a character invisible 
  to the bird; a useful trick for those who raid 
  their nesting Fastnesses for molted feathers or 
  eggs.) 
  − 
  Soul Point Pool: 2 
   
   
   
  Character Arcs & Goals 
  NOTE - Everything said about NPCs in this section 
  holds true for PCs, too.  
  In DI, the basic character “arc” – the movement 
  from the beginning of a character’s story to its end -  
  is that of the character starting from a position of 
  (relative) weakness and moving to a position of 
  (relative) strength. That endpoint of strength is their 
  goal. Pursuit of a goal motivates a character, and 
  shapes his responses to events and situations. Let’s 
  look at each type of being to get an outline of the 
  arcs and goals for each. 
  Dead Inside. A Dead Inside is moving from a 
  beginning point of near-soullessness to total 
  ensoulment. For some (those who have had their 
  soul stolen, sold, or lost), this involves getting back 
  what they started with. For others (those lacking a 
  soul since birth, due to breakage, or due to rot), this 
  involves cultivating a new, fresh soul. Once they 
  have gathered enough Soul Points – from actions 
  fair (helping others) or foul (Soultaking from others) 
  – they must thread the Maze within Quaternity 
  Keep to get to Tenemos Chapel. Then, they need to 
  burn that last Soul Point to become Sensitive. 
  Free Spirits. Free Spirits in pursuit of becoming 
  real souls cultivate Soul Points & Type Ranks 
  through playing and entertainment. Once they step 
  into Moon Lake and burn that last Soul Point, they 
  begin their journey to the Source. Those who don’t 
  care about becoming real only live to satisfy their 
  passing fancies, amusements, and desires. 
  Ghosts. Ghosts generally try and resolve issues left 
  unfinished by their deaths, both in the Real and 
  Spirit Worlds. Once that is done, they can pass 
  beyond and rest. Alternatively, some former-Magi 
  Ghosts may be trying to find their Zombi “brother” 
  to return to life as a Magi. 
  Magi. Magi chase after True Immortality and 
  attempt to weaken their own Shadow as much as 
  possible. If they can glean enough power – earned 
  themselves or stolen from others – and triumph 
  against their Shadow, they may very well become 
  gods. They also intrigue against each other, to stop 
  their fellows from becoming gods themselves. They 
  may also help out those less fortunate or powerful 
  than themselves (all the other Types) out of a 
  feeling of kindness, or simply to use them as cat’s-
  paws in their personal quest for power. 
  Sensitives. Sensitives can seek to become Magi, and 
  thus work on assembling soul-power to enable that 
  change; they’ll also need to fuse with their Syzygy to 
  make that jump. Some simply live and learn, 
  pursuing knowledge for its own sake. Others serve 
  as guides and healers for the Dead Inside, Ghosts, 
  and Zombis out of charity.  
  Zombis. 
  Zombis 
  generally 
  don’t 
  have 
  an 
  overwhelming goal other than to continue to 
  survive, and not decompose so much. Since they 
  don’t have emotions anymore, they often set 
  random intellectual or physical goals to achieve, 
  purely for something to do (anything from learning 
  to calculate pi to 100 decimal points to climbing up 
  to Mount Haustilak, floating high in the Mists). 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  77 
  SAMPLE DEAD INSIDE PCS  
  Want to just start playing the Introductory Scenario 
  (see Chapter 7)? Or maybe a friend drops by the 
  gaming table right before or in the middle of a 
  session and wants to join in? Maybe it’s been a long 
  week at work and everybody wants to game, but 
  they don’t have the mental energy to come up with 
  a new, creative character? 
  No problem! – here are four sample PCs to use, in 
  addition to the three mentioned in Chapter 3 (Zandra 
  and Kristov) and Chapter 4 (Jefferson): 
   
  Mel Berkowitz, Well-to-Do Plumber 
  Personality: Sensual. Mel believes in what he can 
  see, hear, hold in his hands, or what he’s personally 
  experienced. 
  Backstory: Virtue: Integrity. Vice: Avarice. Mel 
  knows who he is and his place in the big picture, 
  generally, and feels that the thing he needs to 
  change that is money. 
  Soul Loss: Mel sold his soul to “the Devil” 
  improve his business. But substantial wealth didn’t 
  satisfy, so he wants his soul back. 
  Discovery: He knew – but didn’t really believe – 
  from the get-go. It’s just that all the fun in life seems 
  to have gone down the tubes; heck, the only feeling 
  he tends to get anymore is the deep pang in his 
  heart whenever he looks at his ledger books. When 
  he saw a Ghost come up out of a u-bend one night, 
  it all seemed to come together. 
  Qualities: Expert [+4] Wealth, Good [+2] 
  Plumber, Good [+2] Youthful Indiscretions, Poor [-
  2] Suspicious Nature. 
  Type: Average [0] Dead Inside. 
  Soul Point Pool: 1 
  Notes: Unknown to Mel, “the Devil” doesn’t exist 
  in the DI cosmology; the purchaser was probably a 
  Sensitive or Mage. Mel could use his “Youthful 
  Indiscretions” 
  Quality 
  – 
  representing 
  an 
  adolescence running with the wrong crowd – for 
  fighting, street-life, vandalism, boosting cars, and 
  other seedy pursuits. 
   
   
  Vina Marlybone, Geekotrix 
  Personality: Thoughtful. Vina’s interested in new 
  ideas and new applications of old ideas. 
  Backstory: Virtue: Hope. Vice: Cruelty. Vina can sit 
  for hours, wrestling with a piece of code, because 
  she knows at the end, it will all compile. 
  Unfortunately, she’s a little too happy with herself 
  for being able to make it sit up and shake hands on 
  command, and flaunts it in front of less capable 
  programmers.  
  Soul Loss: Somebody swiped her tricked-out 
  future-phone from work. Everything was on that 
  handheld: address book, schedule, three years of 
  diary entries, digital photos... It was more than just a 
  tool, it was her life: she had inadvertently placed her 
  soul inside it. Without it, she’s nothing, and empty 
  inside. 
  Discovery: Vina received a random phone call from 
  a Sensitive identifying himself only as “Dr. 
  Cagliostro.” The Doctor knew she was out of sorts, 
  offered convincing evidence of either psychic 
  powers or supreme con-artistry over the phone, and 
  told Vina he could help. Vina just shrugged and 
  said, “Why not? Should be good for a laugh, right?” 
  But she didn’t laugh when he told her she was Dead 
  Inside... because she believed him, every word. 
  Qualities: Expert [+4] Computer Programmer, 
  Good [+2] Geek, Good [+2] Karate, Poor [-2] 
  Near-sighted (wears glasses). 
  Type: Average [0] Dead Inside. 
  Soul Point Pool: 1 
  Notes: The Geek Quality is used by Vina to 
  remember geeky trivia topics, discuss issues of 
  interest related geeky topics, and interact with other 
  geeks. Her Near-sighted Weakness runs the gamut 
  from being inobservant (even with her glasses on) 
  to getting “Velma’d” (what she calls it when her 
  glasses get knocked off and she can’t see anything 
  but big, blurry blobs). 
   
   
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  78 
  Henrietta “Henri” Peabody, Soc Prof 
  Personality: Empathic. Henri’s fascinated by how 
  people (including herself) interrelate, singly and in 
  groups. 
  Backstory: Virtue: Courtesy. Vice: Despair. Henri’s 
  a soft touch, always there with a shoulder to cry on 
  and an ear to listen with. But this often conflicts 
  with her need inability to trust others – especially 
  those close to her – with her own problems. 
  Soul Loss: Henri’s soul was stolen by a student of 
  hers – a young man who she took pity on. He 
  wormed his way into her bed, and the next day was 
  gone, taking her soul away with him. 
  Discovery: Over the course of the rest of the 
  semester, Henri learned that something was terribly 
  wrong with her. When her search for the student led 
  her to the unexpected dark side of her podunk 
  college town, she started to get clued-in to what was 
  going on. 
  Qualities: Expert [+4] College Sociology Prof, 
  Good [+2] Dancer, Good [+2] Conversationalist, 
  Poor [-2] Fear of spiders. 
  Type: Average [0] Dead Inside. 
  Soul Point Pool: 1 
  Notes: Once introduced to the Spirit World and its 
  inhabitants, Henri will be fascinated by their social 
  interactions, and wish to study them extensively.  
   
  Ryan Shaunnsey, Broken Fireman 
  Personality: Instinctive. When presented with a 
  choice, Ryan goes with his gut feelings. 
  Backstory: Virtue: Fortitude. Vice: Despair. Ryan 
  throws himself into things – his job, his leisure time, 
  his marriage – with great verve and energy. 
  Unfortunately, he sometimes finds himself envying 
  other people’s good fortune, possessions, or 
  accomplishments, and doubting he’ll ever achieve 
  the same. 
  Soul Loss: Ryan broke his soul when the call came 
  in that his apartment building was on fire. Knowing 
  that his wife was home sick and probably knocked 
  out on cough medicine, he made it with his rig 
  across town in ten minutes flat – no mean feat, 
  since the trip normally takes at least half an hour 
  (his buddies in the Department still talk about it). 
  When he reached the building, it was too late for 
  Doreen. 
  Discovery: He saw Doreen’s Ghost, the flames 
  flickering through her, wave to him sadly and float 
  up through a rainbow and vanish. He’s decided to 
  find her, wherever she’s gone, and either bring her 
  back or stay wherever she is. 
  Qualities: Good [+2] Firefighter, Good [+2] 
  “Irish,” Good [+2] Family History, Good [+2] 
  Buddies in the Department, Poor [-2] Obsessed 
  (with rescuing his wife). 
  Type: Average [0] Dead Inside. 
  Soul Point Pool: 1 
  Notes: Ryan is descended from an Irish family that 
  seems to have had a high number of Sensitives – 
  prophetic dreams, wild talents, remarkable luck; this 
  is part of what allows him to accept his seeing his 
  wife’s ghost – it’s not totally unnatural to him. This 
  means that he may have relatives still hanging 
  around in the Spirit World (as Sensitives, Mages, 
  Ghosts, or Zombis). He uses his “Irish” Quality for 
  family connections, drinkin’, fightin’, and mournful 
  singin’. His Obsession means that he’s easily led by 
  the nose when something could relate to his quest 
  to find his wife’s spirit. 
  JUDGING SOUL CULTIVATION AND 
  SOUL DECAY 
  “In the concentration camps, for example, in 
  this living laboratory and on this testing 
  ground, we watched and witnessed some of 
  our comrades behave like swine while others 
  behaved like saints. Man has both potentials 
  within himself; which one is actualized depends 
  on decisions but not on conditions.” 
   – Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning 
  In DI, Soul Points reflect the growth and withering 
  of a character’s soul: the meaning and value they 
  bring to themselves through their actions and 
  attitudes. Like cutting a gem, new facets appear as a 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  79 
  character is examined, explored, cut, and polished to 
  a high gloss, ending with a more valuable piece of 
  art at the end.  
  The tools used in this process are Virtues & Vices, 
  Ask Why, Cultivation Ticks, Decay Ticks, and Awards 
  & Penalties. We will explore each in turn below. 
  Virtues & Vices 
  DI’s Virtues and Vices provide a tool for evaluating 
  the actions of characters, whether they are PCs or 
  NPCs. By comparing what a character does and why 
  does it against the list of Virtues and Vices, the GM 
  can track how a character is growing or rotting.  
  DI uses a short, syncretic list of Virtues and Vices as 
  its default spiritual metric. But that’s not to say that 
  every GM must use them. Indeed, below are some 
  alternative Options for Virtues & Vices, if the basic 
  set doesn’t appeal.  
  NOTE - GMs wishing to explore the Options below are 
  encouraged to do a little outside research to get further 
  details on each. 
  OPTION 1 - The Seven Contrary Virtues (Humility, 
  Kindness, Temperance, Chastity, Patience, Generosity, 
  Zeal) and the Seven Deadly Sins (Pride, Envy, Gluttony, 
  Lust, Wrath, Avarice, Sloth) of Christianity. 
  OPTION 2 - The Eightfold Path of Buddhism: Virtues 
  (Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right 
  Action, 
  Right 
  Livelihood, 
  Right 
  Effort, 
  Right 
  Mindfulness, Right Concentration); Vices (Wrong View, 
  Wrong Intention, Wrong Speech, Wrong Action, Wrong 
  Livelihood, Wrong Effort, Wrong Mindfulness, Wrong 
  Concentration).  
  OPTION 3 - The Viking Virtues (Honesty, Hospitality, 
  Courage, Loyalty, Cleverness, Luck) and the Viking Vices 
  (Dishonesty, 
  Inhospitality, 
  Cowardice, 
  Disloyalty, 
  Gullibility, Ill-Fortune). 
  OPTION 4 - Dealer’s Choice: Select as many opposed 
  pairs from the above sets as you wish, or come up with 
  your own. GMs should feel free to design their own 
  ethical structure, but should note that they will need to 
  do a little extra work to convert any new DI products or 
  freebies, since those items will be geared for the default 
  Virtues and Vices of DI.  
  OPTION 5 - Cultural Relativism: Maybe every character 
  works off of a different Virtue/Vice scheme.  
  Whichever option a GM selects will have a major 
  effect on characters. Virtues are actions and attitudes 
  that characters are being encouraged to perform and 
  hold; their opposed Vices are those that they are 
  being encouraged to avoid or eschew.  
   
   
  Calling for Virtue & Vice Checks 
  How often should a GM call for a character to make 
  Virtue and Vice Checks (reminder: see Chapter 4, for 
  basic Virtue & Vice info)? And how hard should they be? 
  Should a PC know that a Check is happening? 
  When designing Scenarios, it is recommended that a 
  GM pre-arrange one Virtue or one Vice check per 
  character, generally at a Difficulty Rank equal to or one 
  Rank higher than their Type Rank. (If playing one-on-
  one, this can probably be changed to “one Virtue and 
  one Vice check.”) The rest of the time, the PC is just 
  awarded or penalized by Ticks as they go about their 
  day-to-day lives. However, due to circumstances raised 
  in play, a character may very well be presented with 
  one or more situations that are essentially Virtue or 
  Vice Checks. This is nothing to worry about. Simply use 
  the same mechanics, if desired. 
  A Virtue or Vice Check is one of the times a player may 
  be limited in their options by their character’s nature. 
  Now, whether a player knows that a Check is 
  happening depends on the player-GM relationship, but 
  the answer should probably be “yes.”  
  The current Virtue and Vice predetermines, to an 
  extent, what the character’s response to a Check should 
  be. When a character with Avarice as their current Vice 
  is put on the spot, the universe collapses to “will you be 
  greedy, or won’t you?” Checks incorporate randomness 
  here in the form of a complicated situation roll 
  comparing the Check’s Difficulty Rank and the 
  character’s Type Rank. While dice rolls determine the 
  result of this moment of truth, arguably more 
  important is what the character wants to do, and how 
  the player portrays that internal conflict. It is possible 
  that an Avaricious character fails their Vice Check and 
  still ends up with a Soul Point, by garnering 
  Cultivation Ticks for their intent and good performance 
  of the “I hated to do this, but I had to,” variety of 
  roleplaying. 
  IMPORTANT NOTE - Letting players know that 
  this is one of the situations where their reaction 
  depends on the roll of the dice – like landing 
  punches 
  in 
  combat 
  or 
  noticing 
  something 
  sneaking up behind them in the dark – and that 
  the way they portray their response to the 
  situation matters can help them understand that 
  they’re not being railroaded.  
  It’s also vitally important that GMs express to 
  their players that Virtue and Vice Checks can be 
  rewarding, even if they’ve failed their roll. 
   
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  80 
  Virtue & Vice Check Flowchart 
  1. 
  Set Difficulty Rank of Check. 
  2. 
  What the Character Wants to Do: 
  − 
  Avoid Virtue or Follow Vice: 2 Decay Ticks 
  − 
  Follow Virtue or Avoid Vice: 2 Cultivation Ticks 
  3. 
  The Check Roll (complicated situation; Type Rank vs. 
  Target Number) Result:  
  − 
  If success, character can do what he wants to. 
  − 
  If failure, character must follow Virtue or Vice. 
  4. 
  Why the Character Succeeded or Failed the Check: 
  − 
  No explanation: 1 Decay Tick 
  − 
  Reasonable explanation: 1 Cultivation Tick 
  − 
  Good explanation that fits with characterization and 
  Backstory: 2 Cultivation Ticks 
  5. 
  Portraying the Check Aftermath (How did this affect the 
  character?):  
  − 
  No roleplaying of the Check Result: 1 Decay Tick 
  − 
  Good roleplaying of the Check Result: 2 Cultivation 
  Ticks 
  6. 
  Add up Ticks into Tallies, Circle, and award (or deduct) 
  Soul Points. 
   
  Example: Kristov (Average [0] Dead Inside) is 
  confronted with a mystically-tempting (Good [9] 
  Difficulty Rank Vice Check vs. Avarice) shot of the 
  Whiskey of Life.  
  − 
  Kristov doesn’t want to drink it (2 Cultivation 
  Ticks). 
  − 
  Unfortunately, he only rolls a 5. He fails the 
  Vice Check, and must follow his Vice.  
  − 
  Kristov’s player says: “After a long, agonizing 
  stare at the gleaming liquid, I pick up the 
  shotglass. I say, ‘When I lost my soul, I 
  searched for release and comfort in the 
  bottom of a bottle. And here it is.’” (2 
  Cultivation Ticks)  
  − 
  Kristov’s player continues: “I down the 
  Whiskey as a tear runs down my cheek. When 
  the last swallow is gone, I realize that I’ve just 
  returned to my old habits, looking for 
  something external to fill me up. I drop the 
  glass, and before it shatters on the floor, I’m 
  crying like a baby.” (2 Cultivation Ticks) 
  − 
  GM adds up the Ticks into Tallies (1 Tally, 
  with a Tick left over), Circles the Tally, and 
  awards Kristov 1 Soul Point.  
  Ask Why 
  But what about those cases where the reason for 
  taking the action isn’t so clear-cut? Or the action 
  itself, while significant, could be interpreted for 
  good or ill? That’s when the GM needs to ask the 
  question “Why?” 
  Whether as out of character table talk or through 
  the lips of an NPC, “Why did you do that?” can 
  often illuminate ambiguous actions. Fore example, 
  say an NPC beggar asks a PC for some spare change 
  for food. The PC refuses, and runs off down the 
  street, looking for a restaurant. What does the GM 
  do? He should ask “Why?” Take a look at some PC 
  responses, and the varied results: 
  − “I never give money to panhandlers.” - 
  Decay Tick  
  − “I haven’t eaten in days myself.” - Decay 
  Tick 
  − “Lazy people make me angry; they should 
  get a job.” - Decay Tick 
  − “I can’t be bothered.” - Decay Tick  
  − “I’m calling the cops to arrest that bum for 
  vagrancy.” - Decay Tick 
  − “I’m going to buy him a sandwich instead 
  of giving him a buck.” - Cultivation Tick 
  − “I’m going to call a buddy I have in Social 
  Services.” - Cultivation Tick  
   
  For more on where, when, and how to place Ticks, 
  see below, Cultivation Ticks and Decay Ticks. 
   
  Ticks & Tallies in the Real World 
  While Ticks and Tallies can be accrued in the 
  Real World, it’s best not to Circle and award or 
  deduct Soul Points until the characters are in 
  the Spirit World, to reinforce the setting conceit 
  of the Spirit World being more “welcoming” of 
  spiritual forces. However, in those Diverses 
  where equal time is spent adventuring in both 
  Worlds, GMs may want to consider allowing 
  Soul Points to be awarded or deducted in Places 
  of Power or at Times of Power. 
   
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  81 
  Sincerity & “Gaming the System” 
  What if the players in a DI game refuse to 
  take it seriously, and run around helping 
  little old ladies across the street, giving away 
  their worldly goods, and basically acting like 
  Dudley Do-Right, simply to collect those 
  sweet Cultivation Ticks and juicy Soul 
  Points? There are two ways of looking at this 
  situation: 1) either the GM should refuse to 
  give Ticks and Points for insincere actions, 
  since that blows the “feel” of his Diverse; or 2) 
  it doesn’t matter, since the point of DI is to 
  encourage “good works” in-character. If the 
  environment encourages everyone trying to 
  one-up the others by doing good deeds, 
  eventually they’ll actually do something noble 
  without being snarky about it. 
  It’s only a joke until they stop laughing. 
   
  Evaluating Actions 
  When a character takes a significant action (i.e., 
  usually involved in interacting with another 
  character or exploring some aspect of their own 
  psyche, but not just offering pleasantries), the GM 
  should follow this basic process: 
  1. Evaluate the action to determine if that 
  action results in or indicates the presence of 
  Soul Cultivation (an increase of meaning, 
  value, and depth) or Soul Decay (a decrease 
  of meaning, value, and depth) for the 
  character.  
  2. Based on the what and the why of the action, 
  the GM figures out which Virtue or Vice 
  the action falls under.  
  3. He places a mark (called a Tick; see below) 
  in that box on that character’s meter on the 
  GM Record Sheet (see Handouts).  
  4. If enough Ticks have accumulated to make 
  a Tally, the Tally should be Circled and Soul 
  Points awarded or deducted from the PC 
  (see below). 
   
  NOTE - This evaluation process is fast in practice, once 
  the GM gets a feel for it.  
  Ticks, Tallies, & Circles 
  Ticks are used to record “fractional” Soul Points 
  gained through Cultivation or lost through Decay; 
  they also track which Virtue or Vice is relevant to 
  that gain or loss. Tallies are five Ticks, and they 
  represent a full Soul Point, ready to be given to (or 
  taken away from) a character. Circles indicate that a 
  Tick or a Tally has been awarded to (or taken away 
  from) to a character. Tracking this using a double-
  entry system – one Tick on the “Soul Cultivation” 
  or “Soul Decay” line of the GM Record Sheet and one 
  under the relevant Virtue or Vice, allowing the GM 
  to chart the nature of the character’s growth in play 
  (see below, Tally Tracking & Virtue/Vice Adjustment).  
  NOTE - If the GM wishes to use a “single-tick” system, 
  that’s fine – just know that doing so will require more 
  attention when determining if a character’s current 
  Virtue or Vice should change as he is played. 
  Let’s follow an example: Kristov has just called a 
  friend of his in Social Services to help out a 
  panhandler. The GM decides this action counts as a 
  Tick under Courtesy. On the GM Record Sheet, he 
  marks: 
   
  This shows that Kristov has one Tick, and it’s in 
  Kindness. 
  While before going back to wait with the 
  panhandler for his Social Services friend, Kristov 
  buys the downtrodden fellow a hamburger. The 
  GM decides this is worth a Cultivation Tick under 
  Generosity. On the GM Record Sheet, he marks: 
   
  This shows that Kristov has two Ticks: one in 
  Courtesy and one in Generosity. 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  82 
  Cultivation Ticks 
  These types of actions help grow the soul through 
  meaning, 
  discovery, 
  sacrifice, 
  and 
  forging 
  interpersonal connections. Here are some things 
  that can count as Soul Cultivation (though which 
  Virtue they fall under depends on the GM’s 
  evaluation): 
  − 
  True or clear communication on an important 
  topic with another character. 
  − 
  Appreciating beauty, truth, or freedom in a 
  situation. 
  − 
  Displaying courage under stress (courage is acting 
  despite one’s fear; having no fear could be 
  considered foolhardiness, not courage). 
  − 
  Respecting another’s (or one’s own) dignity to an 
  appropriate level (compare being humble vs. being 
  prideful). 
  − 
  Honest laughter (not cruel or mean; an extra Tick 
  for being able to laugh at oneself) 
  − 
  Taking a stand on an issue, ideal, or value, when it 
  is applicable to a wider case than the character’s 
  specific situation.  
  − 
  Discovering a vocation, undertaking a mission or 
  quest, or dedicating one’s actions to something 
  other than oneself. 
  − 
  Expressing love (not lust) for another. 
  − 
  Reflecting upon oneself in the interests of growth 
  (thinking about the effect of one’s actions or 
  inactions, just taken or yet to take; so long as this 
  is not morbid or selfish reflection). 
  − 
  Recognizing positive aspects in others (or in 
  oneself). 
  − 
  Creating something for the benefit of others. 
  − 
  Performing a noble deed for the benefit of others. 
  − 
  Experiencing or encountering something (or 
  someone) that is profound, illuminating, or deep. 
  − 
  A useful attitude taken toward unavoidable 
  suffering (acceptance or lack of acceptance, 
  whichever is most useful for the character at that 
  time). 
  − 
  Offering a helping hand or word, without thought 
  of reward. 
  − 
  Transcending one’s normal limitations; succeeding 
  at a task that the character believes is “too 
  difficult.”  
  − 
  Expressing one’s self-determination. 
  − 
  Sharing what one possesses with others. 
  − 
  Good roleplaying or making the GM and other 
  players laugh. 
  − 
  Providing exposition, scene-dressing, neat ideas, 
  explanations, or improvising new details of 
  personal Backstory during play. 
  − 
  Sacrificing something of one’s own for another’s 
  welfare. (2 Ticks) 
  − 
  Keeping one’s word. (Extra Ticks if doing so 
  inconveniences or endangers the character.) 
  − 
  Turning a tragedy into an opportunity through 
  one’s actions (extra Ticks if turned into a 
  triumph); that is, showing the capacity to rise 
  above (or grow from) adversity. 
  GMs should reward any positive action or expressed 
  thought with a Cultivation Tick.  
   
  Decay Ticks 
  These types of actions corrode the soul through loss 
  of meaning, self-absorption, and malicious or selfish 
  interactions with others. Here are some things that 
  can count as Soul Decay (though which Vice they 
  fall under is dependent on the GM’s evaluation): 
  − 
  Purposeful miscommunication on an important 
  topic with another character. 
  − 
  Destruction or besmirching of beauty, truth, or 
  freedom in a situation. 
  − 
  Displaying cowardice under stress, without 
  subsequent guilt or shame. 
  − 
  Disrespecting (or excessively respecting) the 
  dignity of another or oneself. 
  − 
  Cruel or mean laughter (2 Ticks if at oneself). 
  − 
  Refusing to take a stand on an issue, ideal, or 
  value; alternatively, changing one’s stand based 
  solely on personal impact of topic.  
  − 
  Denying a vocation, refusing a mission or quest, 
  or renouncing one’s responsibilities. 
  − 
  Lusting for another, without another personal or 
  emotional connection. 
  − 
  Morbid or egocentric self-reflection leading to 
  inaction or negative actions. 
  − 
  Sacrificing another’s welfare for your own. 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  83 
  − 
  Recognizing only the negative aspects in others 
  (or in oneself). 
  − 
  Destroying something simply to deny others 
  access to it. 
  − 
  Performing an ignoble deed for the sole benefit of 
  oneself. 
  − 
  A useless attitude taken toward unavoidable 
  suffering – acceptance or lack of acceptance, 
  whichever is least useful for the character at that 
  point in time. 
  − 
  Demanding rewards for one’s actions or words. 
  − 
  Turning an opportunity into a tragedy through 
  one’s actions (extra Ticks if a triumph is 
  overturned). 
  − 
  Showing the inability to rise above (or grow from) 
  adversity. 
  − 
  Refusing to express one’s self-determination. 
  − 
  Hoarding what one possesses from others. 
  − 
  Thoughtless pursuit of power, pleasure, wealth. 
  − 
  Justification of the use of willful force and 
  promulgation of injustice against others, simply 
  because the character has suffered in the past. 
  − 
  Expressing bitterness, disillusionment, isolation, 
  boredom, depression, aggression, or nihilism. 
  − 
  Expressing 
  beliefs 
  or 
  thought 
  of 
  “nothingbutness”; that is, denying personhood 
  and self-determination in favor of imagining 
  people as merely “meat-machines” or marionettes 
  controlled by strings of simple stimulus and 
  response. 
  − 
  Experiencing 
  suffering 
  (possibly 
  needlessly) 
  without seeking meaning in that suffering. 
  − 
  Hold one person responsible for the actions of 
  another. 
  − 
  Accepting a Shadow Point from one’s Shadow. 
  − 
  Every Soultaking attempt or offensive use of 
  Ward. 
  − 
  Eating a Free Spirit or Ghost (2 Ticks). 
  − 
  Killing another character or causing them to husk 
  (lose a full Soul Point). 
  GMs should penalize any negative action or 
  expressed thought with a Decay Tick. 
  NOTE - See also Chapter 4 for the rules on Backsliding, 
  Regression, and Husking. 
   
  The Nasty-game: How to Be Eeeee-vil! 
  Given the rules of DI, being “evil” is penalized. Are 
  there then no evil Mages or Sensitives to strive against? 
  What if a group of PCs wishes to be nasty and mean? Is 
  this possible? 
  While many roleplaying games are, in essence, about 
  trespassing, breaking and entering, burglary, murder, 
  and looting, this one isn’t intended to be. “Kill them and 
  take their stuff” are not Soul Cultivation actions. Still, 
  there are not-nice people out there in the Real World 
  and the Spirit World: how do they continue to be evil 
  without becoming Qlippoth? Here are several options: 
  Karmic Bank Balance. Some characters spend the 
  effort to build up a lot of spiritual capital (Soul Points) 
  through good deeds so that they may have the 
  occasional “spending-spree” when it’s necessary to 
  whack people in their way. 
  Investing Other People’s Soul Money. Using a 
  Spirit Trap or Soultaking allows a character to collect a 
  potential windfall of Soul Points in return for accruing a 
  lesser amount of Decay. Magi are known for having 
  plenty of Soul Eggs filled brimful for their less-
  upstanding activities. 
  I’ll Have My People Kill Your People. Working at a 
  remove, 
  through 
  agents 
  or 
  faceless 
  mobs 
  or 
  bureaucracies – or better still, unknowing cat’s-paws – 
  reduces (but does not eliminate) the amount of blood on 
  one’s hands. Degree of culpability comes down to a 
  question of choice: a Tulpa has no free will of its own, so 
  a Mage ordering one to kill an enemy is just as bad as 
  the Mage doing it himself. If the Mage contracts out to 
  a Sensitive to do his dirty work, there’s the chance the 
  Sensitive will choose not to kill; in any case, the action 
  will happen based on the Sensitive’s free will. This is 
  better for the Mage – though he still gains Decay Ticks 
  for initiating such a dastardly plan, it’s not as “bad” as 
  being the actual triggerman. 
  Shadow Laundering. Recall that a character’s 
  Shadow can provide the character with Shadow Points 
  to be used immediately. Since these Shadow Points are 
  essentially the Soul Points the Character has lost to 
  Decay, a nasty character still has access to them, 
  provided they use them with care. 
  Economies of Scale. Many Magi enmesh themselves 
  in grandiose schemes to score Soul Points in bulk. If 
  they are able to collect vast amounts of soul-energy in 
  one go, they will realize great spiritual profits for a 
  minimal cost in Soul Points lost to Decay. 
  In short, evil characters in DI must work around the 
  nature of the soul to pursue evil nasty plots, so as to 
  avoid getting badly hurt or even destroyed by their 
  actions. This aspect of the game is intentional: it should 
  be hard, dangerous, and not particularly rewarding for 
  PCs to be evil in such a cosmos.  
   
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  84 
  Awards & Penalties 
  When a Tally (that is, five Ticks) occurs in 
  Cultivation or Decay, the character has earned (or 
  lost) a new Soul Point. At this point, the GM has 
  two methods of awarding or penalizing the 
  character: 
  1. Wait until the end of the session to 
  distribute Soul Points. Be warned that 
  using this method can lead to characters 
  hoarding their Soul Points, refusing to use 
  them for their Abilities & Powers unless 
  absolutely necessary. Waiting to Award also 
  means that there’s no immediate feedback 
  from the GM to the player to indicate what 
  earns Soul Points and what takes them 
  away. On the more positive side, waiting 
  until the end means that characters will not 
  likely have great changes in their Soul Point 
  total during play. 
  2. Award Soul Points immediately as 
  earned. Once a character performs the last 
  action that causes a Tally, Circle it and tell 
  the character “You just gained a new Soul 
  Point, put it in your Pool.” Be warned that 
  using this method can lead to characters 
  having wildly fluctuating Soul Point Pools, 
  as they gain, lose, and burn Points. Indeed, 
  profligate spenders – if they come to rely on 
  being able to build Soul Points easily – may 
  find themselves in a crunch if they become 
  the target of a Soultaking attack. However, 
  immediately awarding or penalizing a 
  character offers pointed guidance to the 
  character on what Cultivation and Decay 
  entail; players see the results relatively 
  quickly after performing appropriate acts 
  (not 
  one-to-one, 
  but 
  one-to-five 
  correspondence).  
   
  Let’s go back to Kristov. In the course of the 
  session, he’s gained two more Cultivation Ticks, one 
  in Integrity and one in Hope. After he sings his 
  heart out over a particularly rousing song to inspire 
  the audience, he gains another Hope Tick. On the 
  GM Record Sheet, the GM marks the Tally: 
   
  Kristov has thus earned a new Soul Point. 
  If the GM is using immediate awards, he’d Circle 
  the Tally, like so: 
   
  ...and tell Kristov to add a new Soul Point to his 
  Pool. 
  Tally Tracking & Virtue/Vice 
  Adjustment 
  Using the double-entry system allows the GM to 
  track how a character is being played. After a 
  session or two, the GM can add up all the Ticks in a 
  character’s Virtues and Vices to find out whether 
  they still match the Virtue and Vice the player 
  selected in Character Generation. If it’s shown that 
  even though the character was envisioned as a 
  Despairing type, in play he ended up being more 
  Cruel, then the Vice of that character should be 
  changed. This will show how the character is now, 
  and comparing the current Virtue and Vice to the 
  initial selections can show character growth and 
  change. Virtue/Vice Adjustment should lead to a 
  more meaningful game experience – after all, the 
  GM can more precisely aim challenges at the PC’s 
  nature as it develops and refines during play. 
  Let’s look at Kristov again. After a few sessions, 
  here are his Virtue and Vice totals: 
   
  His player selected the Virtue of Generosity and the 
  Vice of Avarice when he came up with the 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  85 
  character. Looking at the totals above, it seems that 
  Generosity 
  isn’t 
  a 
  big 
  part 
  of 
  Kristov’s 
  temperament, but Courtesy is (he’s been portrayed 
  as more compassionate and polite than giving). 
  Also, Avarice doesn’t seem to match any more: 
  Kristov’s barely lost control and pigged-out or 
  drunk himself into a stupor. However, he has been 
  being played as kind of mopey and pessimistic, 
  courting Despair. The GM suggests that Courtesy 
  might be a better Virtue and Despair a better Vice 
  for Kristov to the player. More often than not, a 
  player will agree – after all, it’s their actions in-
  character that are creating these Ticks! 
   
   
   
  The Shadow Knows 
  A Shadow belonging to a Dead Inside or Sensitive is 
  concerned with survival and sating appetites, both 
  its own and those of the character casting it (even if 
  the character doesn’t admit to those desires). In 
  those situations, the Shadow can offer advice – or 
  even power – to its owner. A Shadow receives the 
  Soul Points its owner loses to Soul Decay and 
  always knows the character’s current Virtue and 
  Vice. As it’s in the Shadow’s best interest to survive 
  and gain power, it will most often appear to the 
  character during highly-dangerous situations (and 
  Virtue and Vice Checks) to silkily argue for the side 
  of self-satisfaction (which is usually, but not always, 
  the side of Decay). Note that if a character husks, he 
  essentially dies, and the Shadow will too. In most 
  cases, the need for survival trumps the need to sate 
  urges.  
  With a Mage who’s performed the Rite of 
  Severance, the Shadow is a separate but connected 
  being. Although the Shadow still receives Soul 
  points lost to Decay and knows the Mage’s Virtue 
  and Vice, it is no longer physically tied to the Mage, 
  and may pursue its own interests, utilizing any 
  Shadow Points it has accumulated. Nearly all use 
  their newfound initiative and freedom to harass 
  their owners, attempting to tempt them into Vice 
  Checks (for more power), overexertion in Soul 
  Point burning (to cause them to Backslide and 
  become Sensitive, rejoining Shadow to caster), or 
  out-and-out murder (in the belief that after 
  Severance and collecting enough Shadow Points, 
  they will be able to survive on their own as a Free 
  Spirit). 
  Hoarding & Squandering Soul 
  Points 
  What happens when a PC hoards his Soul Points, 
  refusing to use them on all the spiffy-cool Powers? 
  What about if a PC runs through Soul Points like 
  water? How about if they sink it all into 
  Improvement of their Qualities to the neglect of 
  Type Rank (and ensoulment), or vice-versa? What if 
  they go through spending sprees in Spirit World 
  Commerce? 
  Ultimately, it’s the player’s choice what to do with 
  their Soul Points. Some want to get their soul back 
  as soon as possible and stop being Dead Inside. 
  Others want to play with the cool Powers Soul 
  Points permit. A few want to beef up their 
  character’s mundane abilities before working on the 
  spiritual ones, and others want to climb to the top 
  of the ladder and become Mages, because that looks 
  to be fun. 
  It’s all good. Really. Whatever they want to do with 
  them; they earned them, after all. 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  86 
  That being said, here are some ways to make players 
  reconsider their Soul Point economy (or lack 
  thereof): 
  − Shiny Toys: In return for a service, let a Mage 
  offer the character an enchanted item, 
  essentially at cost: the Mage will create a 
  specialty magic item for the character, if the 
  character provides the necessary Soul 
  Points.  
  − Something’s Following Us!: A mystical beastie, 
  like a Qlippoth or an Eye of the Dead God, 
  could track a character by the “smoke” of 
  their burnt Soul Points. This sort of threat 
  could persuade those characters who use 
  their soul-essence liberally to run silent, run 
  deep. 
  − Soultakers, Inc.: Increase the number of 
  Soultaking attacks against the characters. 
  Being brought too close to Husking could 
  cause characters with a squandering bent to 
  sink some into Improvement, or even just 
  to tone down their spendthrift ways. 
  − We’re Trapped!: Placing PCs somewhere they 
  cannot easily get away from using mundane 
  locomotion can encourage reticent Soul 
  Point holders to burn a point for Dream-
  Leaping. 
  Soul Point-Commerce Intersections 
  Given the above, a little more detail can be provided 
  for “sharing” types of Soul Commerce exchange – 
  that is, when a memory or dream is shared for a 
  good. What’s really happening is that the Cultivation 
  Tick that a character would normally get for 
  “Providing exposition, scene-dressing, neat ideas, 
  explanations, or improvising new details of personal 
  Backstory during play” is being used as currency. 
  Using the information in Chapter 2 and Chapter 4 
  should give a good basis for refereeing transactions. 
  Basic food, drink, and nightly shelter in the Spirit 
  World should not be a problem for characters – 
  sharing should cover it. If a character wants an 
  apartment, storage space, vehicle, really ritzy meal, 
  piece of equipment, etc., then selling should become 
  more important. And for plot-relevant trading 
  (information, McGuffins, skills, etc.), characters 
  should definitely be operating in the high-stakes 
  range of Quality Ranks, Type Ranks, and so forth. 
  One thing a GM should ponder is the effect of 
  bartering away aspects of a character not covered by 
  the DI game system– like their name, memories, 
  age, or destiny. While there should be a mild 
  mechanical effect, it might not be as clear-cut as a 
  loss of Rank. Perhaps a new Weakness is in order, 
  one that’s more “game color” than “game 
  effectiveness.” 
  Example: Say a character sells their name. The GM decides to 
  interpret this as a new Weakness called “No Name.” No 
  Name could mean several things for the character:  
  − 
  If anyone ever attempts to refer to the character by 
  her old name, no one will hear the sentence 
  spoken. 
  − 
  People – including the character – start to forget 
  her once she passes out of their sight. 
  − 
  To get a new name, the character must have 
  someone who doesn’t know her yet give her a 
  name. 
  Another interesting point about Spirit World 
  Commerce is that the mundane objects that 
  characters carry around in their pockets might be 
  useful for barter. Combs, cell phones, make-up, 
  Walkmans, Real World money (great for making 
  amulets), lighters, pens, pencils, gum, mints, on and 
  on – these are things that some Spirit World 
  inhabitants can’t get their hands on readily. Sure, 
  there are Traders who Gate back and forth with 
  goods, but in the Real World, a Rank of Opera 
  Singer ain’t gonna buy a candy bar. Better to have 
  tangible goods for them to pawn or resell. 
  ADVENTURE DESIGN 
  “[Man] can stand the most incredible 
  hardships when he is convinced that they make 
  sense; he is crushed when, on top of all of his 
  misfortunes, he has to admit that he is taking 
  part in a tale ‘told by an idiot.’” 
   – Carl Gustav Jung 
  Designing good adventures for their players is a 
  large part of a GM’s craft. Even if the design is 
  something as simple as “Let the PCs work out how 
  to throw a surprise party for their Sensitive friend” 
  or as complex as “map and detail a Mage’s Tower 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  87 
  which the PCs must penetrate to steal the Lark of 
  the Promise.” The GM must be ready with Scenery, 
  NPCs, Plots, and Situations to help shape the 
  gaming experience. 
  Below is some general advice for designing your 
  own DI adventures; take what is useful and leave 
  what is not. 
  General Principles 
  Before sitting down to design a new adventure for 
  his DI group, a GM should sit down and review the 
  following checklist. Using at least half of these 
  principles well should make for an enjoyable 
  session, all around. 
  − What Is/Are the Objective(s)? The GM 
  should set the objective or objectives for the 
  adventure, taking into account character 
  goals for PCs, NPCs (especially allies and 
  Nemeses), and current events in the 
  campaign setting (Real World or Spirit 
  World). This can range from “Get my Soul 
  Egg back” to “Escape from Sewerland” to 
  “Find a Way to See the Source.” 
  − What or Who Is/Are the Obstacle(s)? 
  What characters, scenery, or situations stand 
  between the PCs and the adventure 
  objective? Are they knowingly interfering 
  with the characters, or blithely ignorant? Do 
  their plots intersect with their PCs? Are they 
  also trying to reach the adventure objective, 
  brooking no competition? 
  − Add Some Action! Include at least one 
  action (read conflict) situation. Combat is a 
  handy choice, but a GM should not feel 
  limited to simple head-bashing. Chase 
  sequences, thrilling arguments, mountain 
  climbs, quelling of mobs, defusing Spirit 
  Bombs – all of these situations can get the 
  adrenaline pumping, too. 
  − Pardon Me, Would You Like Some 
  Social Interaction? GMs should figure out 
  who the PCs will probably meet in passing – 
  those characters that won’t necessarily be 
  obstacles, but will need to be interacted 
  with. The heart of roleplaying is in 
  interpersonal 
  communication 
  between 
  characters; often, social interactions are 
  more interesting than action sequences. 
  Cutting a fine figure at a Magi ball, 
  overhearing 
  others’ 
  whispered 
  plots, 
  haggling in the Market, chatting with the 
  bartender, mediating a treaty between the 
  Ghosts and the Zombis, presenting oneself 
  to the Night King’s Court, that sort of 
  thing.  
   
  − Magical Mystery Tour. Select one or more 
  magical or spiritual element(s) to explore 
  the strengths and potentials of the DI game 
  and setting: a book that was Shakespeare’s 
  Soul Egg, a flight of Foghawks swooping 
  out of the Ripping Fogs to bask on the 
  City’s gargoyles, an cloak enchanted to 
  make the wearer beautiful. Then, select one 
  aspect of the adventure to be a puzzle  that 
  involves the mystical element – now the 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  88 
  PCs have something intriguing to figure out. 
  Whether it’s the identity of the murderer or 
  what really happened to Grandma’s shoes, a 
  little 
  mystery 
  helps 
  engage 
  PCs’ 
  imaginations.  
  − Deep 
  Thoughts. 
  Pick 
  an 
  intriguing 
  philosophical, ethical, or moral issue, and 
  combine with any of the other elements 
  here; concretize it into a situation involving 
  NPCs, scenery, or enchanted items. Is it 
  really a soul-rotting action to kill someone? 
  What if they really deserve it? What if they 
  ask for it, to end pain? Is Love stronger 
  than Hate? Are they different sides of the 
  same emotion? Does Lust engender Love, 
  or vice-versa, or are they unrelated? 
  − A Moment to Shine. Arrange the 
  adventure elements such that each PC has a 
  moment to shine – whether displaying 
  aspects of their Personality, their Qualities, 
  their habits, their background, whatever. 
  Having at least one situation specifically 
  targeted 
  at 
  each 
  PC’s 
  Strengths 
  or 
  Weaknesses will make for happy players – 
  especially if their PC’s contribution has an 
  impact on the situations or contributions of 
  other PCs. 
  − Planning & Resource Management. 
  Some players really enjoy situation analysis 
  and planning: how can we get in to that 
  Mage’s Tower? If we pool our money, can 
  we hire a caravan to cross the Waste? 
  What’s the best way to build a spy network 
  in the City? GMs should definitely consider 
  laying out an objective or caper for PCs to 
  plan out. 
  − Continuity Clean-up. Reflect on past 
  adventures, 
  and 
  search 
  for 
  dangling 
  plotlines and NPCs. Bring them back by 
  figuring out what they’ve been doing – and 
  how successful they’ve been at it – since 
  they last met the PCs. 
  − End on a High Note. Try to design the 
  adventure to end on both high energy and a 
  feeling of closure. Long denouements 
  generally sap the life out of a campaign. If 
  the group will be meeting again soon for 
  another session, ending on a cliffhanger can 
  be appropriate; if there will be a long hiatus, 
  more closure might be better. Ending on a 
  high note keeps a DI game fresh and 
  interesting, and the players desiring more. 
   
  Scenarios: Seeds, Scenes, and 
  Skeletons 
  There are three components to Scenarios: Seeds, 
  individual Scenes, and the Skeleton. Seeds grow into 
  Scenes, Scenes hang on the Skeleton, and the 
  Skeleton holds everything together. Depending 
  upon how the GM assembles these components, 
  the resulting game could meander (focusing on 
  picaresque exploration and discovery) or dash 
  (focusing on action, reaction, and result).  
  This is a modular toolbox approach to adventure 
  design: GMs can select the structure and pieces they 
  think will work best with their group. Arranging 
  these components into different configurations with 
  different players and/or characters ensures that 
  every Scenario will look, feel, and play differently, 
  even if the GM is working from the same text. 
  Let’s tackle these components in order. 
  Seeds 
  Seeds are very basic ideas, situations, or images that 
  can serve as the starting point for Scene design. A 
  Seed can be a thought problem (“what happens 
  when an irresistible force meets an immovable 
  object?”), a situation (“A Dead Inside, a Ghost, and 
  A Zombi walk into a bar...”), or an image (“A man 
  kneeling in front of a woman, holding a Soul Egg to 
  her, which she refuses to take”). 
  Seeds are developed into Scenes by asking “what’s 
  going on here?” followed by “why is this 
  happening?” If a GM asks these questions while 
  keeping the elements of his Diverse in mind, 
  intriguing patterns and potentials can emerge. These 
  patterns and potentials coalesce into Scenes as the 
  GM attempts to codify the what, the why, and other 
  information necessary to help the players experience 
  the Seed concept. 
   
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  89 
  ADVENTURE SEEDS 
  Here are a few ideas to use in creating your own 
  DI adventures. Use them as Seeds to grow a 
  session that will interest and excite your players: 
  Knocking Down a Mage’s Shadow. A Mage 
  has hired the PCs (with promises of aid, return of 
  their Soul Eggs, enchanted goodies, etc.) to help 
  him whittle down his Shadow’s power in 
  preparation for a bid for True Immortality. 
  Unfortunately, he’s been a very bad boy for many 
  years, and his Shadow is quite powerful. The PCs 
  need to find, investigate, and harry their patron’s 
  animal side... and survive to collect their 
  payment. 
  Spirit Trap Slavery. The PCs wake up in the 
  Spirit World as Dead Inside. They discover they 
  have been shanghaied into a strange new world 
  through the judicious use of a Spirit Trap and a 
  naturally-recurring Gate by an unscrupulous 
  Dead Inside slaver wanting to gain his soul back 
  as soon as possible. While he holds pieces of their 
  souls, how can they but obey his commands? 
  Build 
  Something 
  New. 
  Sick 
  of 
  inter-
  neighborhood 
  bickering, 
  incessant 
  Qlippoth 
  attack, and dubious soul-energy scams, the 
  Triangle Council has decided to form a police force 
  for the City. The PCs – for odd and inscrutable 
  reasons – were at the top of the recruit list. With 
  the approval – if not the funding – of the Triangle 
  Council, they are tasked to clean up illicit soul-
  commerce 
  amongst 
  new 
  arrivals 
  and 
  unscrupulous cart vendors near the Bridge of 
  Souls. If they do well on this pilot project, perhaps 
  the City Police will grow into a valuable force for 
  order; if they do poorly, the dream of an ongoing 
  Department will die. 
   
  Scenes 
  GMs should take the time to build several Scenes 
  that he thinks are interesting or fun to run, and then 
  only select the Scenes that he thinks will be fun for 
  the players to experience. These two things – fun to 
  run and fun to experience – are not always the 
  same. Go too heavy on the former and a GM may 
  become more adversarial, interested in “getting” the 
  PCs; go too heavy on the latter and the GM could 
  feel stifled. A happy medium should be sought: 
  GMs should select the Scene that maximize fun for 
  them and the players. 
  Scenes should also recapitulate the overall General 
  Principles 
  mentioned 
  above 
  – 
  Objective(s), 
  Obstacles(s), Action, Interaction, etc., in a tight 
  focus. Instead of the game’s overarching Objective 
  of “(re)gain a soul,” a Scene could have one like 
  “(re)gain a Soul point” or “Find Mr. Brown’s 
  wallet.” 
  Each Scene will have notes detailing possible 
  Objective(s), Obstacles(s), Actions, Interactions, 
  and so forth. 
  Scenario Skeleton 
  The Scenario Skeleton should not to be confused 
  with a “plot.” Where a plot is related to the story of a 
  game, the Skeleton is intended to be a map to the 
  game of a story. Plot and story come from the 
  histories, personalities, and actions of the characters 
  (both PCs and NPCs). A Skeleton helps the GM 
  select and order those Scenes that will enable the 
  PCs to create that plot and story.  
  The basic parts of a Skeleton for DI (or any game, 
  really) is pretty simple: 
  − Enter Play. The players must begin their 
  adventure. 
  − Learn the Rules As You Go and/or 
  Explore the Board. The abilities of players’ 
  characters and the nature of the scenery 
  they move through must be learned. 
  − Make A Move or React to the Moves of 
  Others. The players must take actions on 
  their own initiative or in response to the 
  actions of others (or Fate). 
  − Expand or Consolidate or Retrench. The 
  players must try to gain, strengthen, or 
  recover from the loss of capabilities, tools, 
  information, or short-term goals. 
  − Endgame. The players attempt to achieve 
  their long-term goal in the face of 
  opposition from others (or Fate). 
  Each Scene should have notes detailing possible 
  attachment points to one of these Skeleton parts. 
  Customization 
  Once more, with feeling: GMs should feel free to 
  alter anything and everything – in the planning 
  
   
  Chapter 5: DI GM Advice 
  90 
  stages or even in the middle of play – to increase the 
  entertainment quotient around the gaming table. 
  The more fun the gaming group has in a session, the 
  better the chances that they’ll gather around that 
  table for another one. 
   
  Pre-Game Show 
  The things that need to be done before starting any 
  DI session are: 
  − Look for Seeds; 
  − Come up with Scenes based on those Seeds; 
  − Select the “maximum fun” Scenes to use;  
  − Assemble the Scenes into a Skeleton;  
  − Fill in anything that’s still missing; and 
  − Assist players in character generation (or 
  Improvement). 
   
  However, there’s a catch for totally new DI games: 
  if a GM comes up with Seeds, Scenes, and Skeleton, 
  the newly-generated PCs may not be adequately 
  “hooked into” those elements. If a GM helps the 
  players create characters first, the PCs must sit 
  around and wait for the assembly of elements to 
  happen. Neither is particularly palatable. 
  However, a canny GM will have a handful of Seeds 
  and a basic Skeleton mapped out before the first 
  session and be generally familiar with some possible 
  Scenes. Then, they help the players design their PCs 
  (see relevant portions of Chapter 3 and this chapter). 
  Of vital interest to the GM is noting each PC’s type 
  of Soul Loss, type of Discovery of Soul Loss, and 
  their Virtue and Vice. After that, GMs can select 
  maximum fun Scenes to fill out the Skeleton for 
  optimum impact with those specific PCs. 
  INTRODUCTORY SCENARIO 
  OVERVIEW 
  Using the General Principles checklist above, here is 
  the overall plan for the Introductory Scenario 
  (“Brave New Spirit World”) in Chapter 7:  
  1. What Is/Are the Objective(s)?: Introduce PCs to DI 
  game mechanics and setting; if there are 
  multiple PCs, introduce them to each other; 
  possibly enable one or more PCs to (re)gain a 
  soul by Scenario’s end. 
  2. What or Who Is/Are the Obstacle(s)?: The 
  strangeness and “ground rules” of the Spirit 
  World 
  and 
  DI 
  Cosmology; 
  imparting 
  information to the PCs in a fun way; PC 
  conflicts; and NPC foes. 
  3. Add Some Action!: Some Scenes should be set up 
  for action using the different types of situations 
  (simple, complicated, and conflict) and the 
  different areas of focus (physical, mental, social, 
  professional, spiritual). 
  4. Pardon Me, Would You Like Some Social Interaction?: 
  There should be at least one character (PC or 
  NPC) per Scene to interact with. 
  5. Magical Mystery Tour: Every Scene should display 
  a spiritual power, being, or piece of scenery. 
  6. Deep Thoughts: Some Scenes should have 
  opportunities for Virtue or Vice Checks, related 
  to a philosophical, moral, or ethical situation. 
  7. A Moment to Shine: Scenes should be selected 
  (and, if necessary, modified) to provide each PC 
  a chance to step into the spotlight.  
  8. Planning & Resource Management: At least one or 
  two Scenes in the Scenario should involve 
  either: a) PCs needing to devise a strategy to 
  accomplish a short-term goal; or b) PCs 
  weighing the decision whether to hold or burn 
  earned Soul Points to resolve the situation. 
  9. Continuity Clean-up: The GM should try to 
  connect each PC’s Background or Soul Loss to 
  at least one Scene in the Scenario. 
  10. End on a High Note: If the Scenario cannot be 
  completed in a single session with one or more 
  PCs recovering a soul, depending upon the 
  tastes of the playing group, the GM should end 
  the session either: a) on a Scene where the PCs 
  have found a place of relative strength and 
  safety; or b) at a cliffhanger. In both cases, the 
  group can return to that Scene next session to 
  complete the Scenario. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
  91 
  Chapter 6 
  Glossary & Bibliography 
  GLOSSARY 
  NOTE - The names of Abilities, Powers, Imagos, 
  Locations, NPCs, and Spirit World Animals do not 
  appear in this Glossary; see Chapters 2, 4, and 5 for 
  further details. 
  Ability: An inherent mystical capability. Different 
  Abilities are available to DI characters depending 
  upon their Type. 
  Action: Whatever a character does on their Turn. 
  Average People: Living people with souls who are 
  blind to the Spirit World and its wonders. 
  Backsliding: Losing enough Soul Points (going 
  below zero in the Soul Point Pool) to force a 
  reduction in Type Rank. 
  "Burning": Spending Soul Points to activate 
  Powers (or for other effects). 
  Circles: A Gamemaster (GM) notation for awarded 
  or lost Soul Points. 
  Complicated Situation: A situation where Rank 
  comparisons aren't clear or randomness is desired. 
  Conflict Situation: Contests, combats, or other 
  situations in which multiple characters are directly 
  attempting to influence or resist each other with 
  their actions and reactions. 
  Cultivation Ticks: A GM notation to record soul-
  cultivating actions. 
  d6: One six-sided die; the standard dice used for 
  craps, Monopoly, Yatzee, and DI. 2d6 means two six-
  sided dice. 
  Damage Rank: Temporary Downshifts applied to 
  Qualities, which can be permanent (until healed by 
  time or character action). 
  Dead Inside: Living people lacking a complete soul 
  who are open to the Spirit World and its wonders. 
  Decay Ticks: A GM notation to record soul-
  rotting actions. 
  DI: An abbreviation for the Dead Inside RPG. 
  Difficulty Rank: Indicates the complexity of a task; 
  compared to Quality Rank to determine whether a 
  situation is simple or complicated. 
  Downshift: Temporary reduction of a Quality by 
  one Rank (that is, a -2 penalty to a roll). 
  Ensoulment: The process of (re)gaining a soul. 
  Environmental Damage: Harm caused by the 
  scenery – fire, drowning, falling, etc. 
  Failure 
  Ranks: 
  Temporary 
  Downshifts 
  to 
  Qualities, lasting until the end of a scene. 
  Flip Out: To neglect one's defense in favor of 
  offense. 
  Free Spirit(s): Tulpas who have won freedom from 
  their creators. 
  Gate: A rainbow-ringed portal that connects the 
  Real World to the Spirit World, or two different 
  points within the Spirit World. 
  Ghost(s): A dead soul lacking a body. 
  GM: Gamemaster. 
  Husking: When a Poor [-2] Type Rank Dead 
  Inside, Ghost, or Zombi goes below zero in their 
  Soul Point Pool, causing them to collapse into an 
  NPC monster called a Qlippoth. 
  Imago: An archetypal being (or state of being) that 
  reflects or embodies elements of a character's 
  psyche. 
  Improvement: Use of Soul Points to increase Type 
  Rank, or Type Ranks to increase Quality Rank(s). 
  Mage (plural, Magi): Living beings who have 
  Ensouled twice and joined with their Syzygy; Magi 
  possess vast spiritual Abilities and Powers. 
  NPC: Non-Player Character 
  PC: Player Character. 
  Play It Cagey: To neglect one's offense in favor of 
  defense. 
  Power: 
  A 
  mystical 
  capability 
  requiring 
  the 
  "burning" of Soul Points to function. 
  
   
  Chapter 6: Glossary & Bibliography 
  92 
  Qlippoth: (pronounced "KLIP-poth" or "QUih-
  LIP-poth") Monstrous animate connections to the 
  nothingness of the Void, created when a being loses 
  the last vestige of their soul. 
  Quality: A particular talent, skill, set of associates or 
  associations, or flaw of a character.  
  Rank: Indicates the level of a character's mastery of 
  a talent, skill, field of knowledge, interacting with a 
  community, endeavor, or existence. 
  Reaction: Actions taken by a character (usually in 
  response to another character's Action) when it's 
  not their turn. 
  Real World: The world of Average People; most 
  Abilities have difficultly working there. 
  Regression: When a Poor [-2] Rank Sensitive or 
  Mage Backslides, forcing a transformation to a 
  "lower" spiritual Type (Mage to Sensitive, or 
  Sensitive to Dead Inside). 
  Resilience: Quality gained by Magi who place a 
  substantial amount of their soul-blood into a Wizard 
  Egg; Resilience makes them difficult to kill (they just 
  get better); though they may still age, sicken, go 
  senile or insane, and die (with special measures).  
  Scene: A period of time representing a single 
  situation (or a handful of tightly-connected 
  situations). 
  Sensitive(s): Living beings with more than the 
  usual amount of soul-essence; Sensitives possess 
  strong spiritual Abilities and Powers. 
  Simple Situation: A situation where a task is clear-
  cut or randomness is not desired. 
  Soul: A mystical essence that dwells within the 
  body, composed of energy, impulse, willpower, chi, 
  meaning, etc. Also called soul-blood, spiritual force, 
  "the juice." 
  Soul Cultivation: Actions or attitudes that lead to 
  personal growth and increase a character's overall 
  spiritual energy. 
  Soul Decay: Actions or attitudes that eat away at 
  the psyche and decrease a character's overall 
  spiritual energy. 
  Soul Egg: A fragile object enchanted to hold and 
  retain soul-energy. 
  Soul Point: A fraction of a complete soul – also 
  called "a drop of soul-blood" – used to activate 
  Powers, enable Improvement, and Spirit World 
  Commerce. 
  Spirit Trap: An enchanted object used to steal soul-
  energy from the unwary. 
  Spirit World Commerce: The exchange of goods, 
  services, information, and Soul Points (as Low 
  Trade) and Type Ranks or Quality Ranks (as High 
  Trade). 
  Spirit World: The world of most DI beings that 
  responds to those within it; Abilities and Powers 
  can be used at normal shifts and Soul Point costs 
  there. 
  Tally/Tallies: A GM notation for awarding or 
  taking away a character's Soul Points. 
  Target Number: The number needed to be 
  matched or beat by a 2d6 plus Modifier roll to 
  successfully perform a task in a complicated 
  situation. 
  Ticks: A GM notation for Soul Cultivation or Soul 
  Decay. 
  True Immortality: Sought by most Magi, this 
  includes agelessness, perfect health of body and 
  mind, total regeneration of lost limbs and organs, 
  and rapid healing from even the most mortal of 
  wounds.   
  Tulpa(s): Thought-constructs energized by an 
  infusion of spiritual-energy; subservient to their 
  master's will. 
  Turn: The subdivision of a Scene when a character 
  may initiate an Action; all other characters may only 
  React on an Acting character's Turn. 
  Type: A special Quality denoting the sort of being a 
  character is (Dead Inside, Sensitive, Mage, Ghost, 
  etc.). 
  Upshift: Temporary or limited increase of a Quality 
  by one Rank (that is, a +2 bonus to a roll).  
  Vice: A character's current primary spiritual 
  temptation or weakness. 
  Virtue: A character's current primary spiritual 
  strength. 
  
   
  Chapter 6: Glossary & Bibliography 
  93 
  Virtue & Vice Checks: An important spiritual test 
  that touches on either a character's current primary 
  Virtue or Vice. 
  Wizard Egg: A special type of Soul Egg used by 
  Magi to gain Resilience. 
  Zombi(s): A dead body lacking a soul. 
  BIBLIOGRAPHY 
  Each of the works mentioned below had an influence – 
  some greater, some lesser – on the development of the Dead 
  Inside RPG. Explore them for yourself! 
  Non-fiction 
  Bettleheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment The Meaning and 
  Importance of Fairy Tales. This book had substantial input into 
  the psychology of the Imagos as well as the GM Advice in 
  Chapter 5; also a good lit-crit read. 
  Carse, James P. Finite and Infinite Games. I picked this up 
  initially to acid-test some ideas I had about the difference 
  between "closed" and "open" games, and wow – bits of it 
  really linked up with some of the other stuff I was reading 
  and gave a new direction to DI. 
  Casteneda, Carlos. The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way 
  of Knowledge, and its sequels. (I hesitate to place this work 
  and its sequels under Non-fiction, but hey, whatever. You 
  won't find it shelved in a Fiction section.) Anyway, I read 
  the first three or four of Casteneda's books in college, and I 
  didn't really care if they were Fiction or Non-fiction: they 
  were nifty descriptions of mystical practices. 
  Eliade, Mircea. Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy. 
  This is a dense anthropology book with fascinating 
  reportage of actual shamanic techniques and beliefs. Note 
  that its repetitive nature can induce mind-numbing 
  boredom; for dedicated readers only.  
  Frankl, Viktor E. Man's Search for Meaning. You must read 
  this book. Period. I can say that out of all of these works, it 
  focused the direction of DI – and, indeed, my outlook on 
  elements of Real Life – deeply. 
  Green, Toby. Meeting the Invisible Man: Secrets and Magic in 
  West Africa. Interesting account of a guy who goes to Africa 
  to learn how to be invisible and invulnerable. Engaging and 
  a cool look at what magic in DI's Real World might look 
  like – or, rather, not look like – to Average People. 
  Ingerman, Sandra. Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self 
  Through Shamanic Practice. This book is essentially "Eliade-
  lite"; I recommend it to anyone interested in grasping the 
  basic shamanism schtick. However, I find this work marred 
  by a fairly syrupy shiny-happy people vibe. Still, if you dig 
  New Agey stuff, check it out. 
   
   
   
  Jung, Carl Gustav. Man & His Symbols. Fascinating fusion 
  of mysticism, dreams, and psychology. I find Jungian 
  psychological concepts speak to me more readily than 
  
   
  Chapter 6: Glossary & Bibliography 
  94 
  Freudian ones. Along with Frankl, the strongest influence 
  on DI. Highly recommended. 
  Penczak, Christopher. City Magick: Urban rituals, spells, and 
  shamanism. This is a fun little book, and a nice primer for 
  basic "real world" magical practices (as they are). Can be 
  useful for window-dressing a Dead Inside (or any other urban 
  fantasy) campaign. 
  Pirsig, Robert M. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: 
  An Inquiry into Values. Philosophy, especially as regards the 
  search for Quality. Another college read, and it gave me 
  thoughts to think about forever. Highly recommended. 
  Redfield, James. The Celestine Prophecy. Overblown fiction 
  masquerading as fact in the Casteneda vein, this book 
  nonetheless has some interesting bits to mine for uses of 
  Second Sight and Soul Points. 
  Fiction 
  Barker, Clive. Imajica. Slanted more to the Mage-end of the 
  character pool, but very, very neat. Worth the read. 
  Chabon, Michael. Summerland. Fascinating intersection of 
  fairies, Norse myth, Native American beliefs, stories, other-
  worlds, and baseball. I really don't like baseball, but after 
  reading this novel, I've softened my opinions tremendously.  
  Finney, Charles G. The Circus of Dr. Lao. Wonderful book 
  (and a passable film titled The 7 Faces of Dr. Lao), its one of a 
  handful of works that ring with Truth and Beauty for me. 
  Go. Read. Now. 
  Gaiman, Neil. Neverwhere. Urban fantasy, under London. 
  Strange powers. Archetypal beings. Mystical dealings. Good 
  stuff. Recommended. 
  Hesse, Hermann. Steppenwolf. Psychological and intriguing 
  novel that had great influence on the Theatre des Loups. 
  Hesse's Magister Ludi: The Glass Bead Game is also worth 
  reading; for some reason, a Live Action version of the Glass 
  Bead Game is how I envision Magi plotting against each 
  other – they're playing a vast game of interlocking 
  components that have a ripple effect on pieces already in 
  play, sparking new connections, alliances, and enmities. Oh, 
  read Siddhartha, too. 
  Hilton, James. Lost Horizon. Stop me if you've heard this 
  one already: an airplane full of Dead Inside go down in the 
  Himalayas, and are led to "Shangri-La" (read "Spirit World") 
  to recover their souls.... Highly recommended. (See the 
  movie, too.) 
  Holdstock, Robert. Mythago Wood. Imagos, on crack. 
  Intriguing thoughts on the intersections of story and 
  psychology. Check it out. 
  Le Guin, Ursula. The Earthsea trilogy. Influenced Magi and 
  the Shadow strongly, as well as being a damn fine read. The 
  first two books are the best, and highly recommended. 
  Cartoons & Comics 
  Gaiman, Neil. The Sandman series (Vertigo). If you haven't 
  read these comics, you need to. Incredible work, beautiful 
  art, true stories, and dreams. Available in most bookstores 
  as trade paperback collections; start with Preludes & 
  Nocturnes. Go. Read. Now. 
  McCay, Windsor. Little Nemo: 1905-1914 (Evergreen). Its 
  use of dream-logic and breathtakingly fantastic dream-
  imagery is a primary visual influence on the City and the 
  Spirit World. I have a beautiful hardcover collection of 
  these seminal newspaper comics, collecting all the Little 
  Nemo in Slumberland and Little Nemo in the Land of Wonderful 
  Dreams strips. My collection is from Evergreen, which is an 
  imprint of Benedikt Taschen Verlag GmbH. Track down a 
  copy: you won't be disappointed. 
  Straczynski, J. Michael. Midnight Nation (Top Cow). Cop 
  has his soul stolen, and must walk from coast to coast – 
  guided by a mysterious stranger – to try and recover it. 
  Available as a trade paperback from most comic shops and 
  bookstores. Highly recommended. 
  Willingham, Bill. Fables (Vertigo). All the fairy tales have 
  been driven from their Homelands by the mysterious 
  Adversary, and must hide from the "mundys" – that's you 
  and me – while working out their differences and living 
  their nigh-immortal lives. Highly recommended. Also check 
  out Proposition Player (also from Vertigo), about a poker 
  player who comes into the possession of a number of souls 
  – and Heaven and Hell aren't happy about it. And try to 
  find back issues of Willingham's great superhero series, 
  Elementals (from Comico), which pretty much could be a 
  "DI Supers" campaign. 
  Films & Television 
  Dark City. Probably the biggest influence next to Little 
  Nemo... on my mental images of the City and Spirit World. 
  One could see John Murdoch as a Dead Inside discovering 
  his Sensitive powers... he's even got a Quest: get to Shell 
  Beach. 
  Hook. It's not great art, but I like it. There's something very 
  important going on in the beginning and middle of this 
  film... the end peters (heh) out, unfortunately. But taking the 
  whole story, you can see an odd form of Backsliding as the 
  Pan goes from powerful Sensitive warrior (or low-level 
  Mage) to Dead Inside accountant and back. (Tink's a Free 
  Spirit, of course.) 
  Jacob's Ladder. This movie is somewhat of an anti-
  influence on the game. There are elements I really liked in 
  the movie, but I felt – and still feel – unfulfilled by it. Still 
  Jacob's visions could lend more horror oomph to GMs who 
  wish to slant their game in that direction (in that case, also 
  see Donnie Darko and Angel Heart). 
  The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, and Matrix 
  Revolutions. Elements of how plastic and flexible the 
  
   
  Chapter 6: Glossary & Bibliography 
  95 
  Spirit World is in DI come from these great action flicks; 
  the Dream-leaping/True Flight modes of movement are 
  displayed to good effect (also see Crouching Tiger, Hidden 
  Dragon or Iron Monkey or any other Wire-Fu Wuxia for more 
  Spirit World Movement). There are also dollops of 
  philosophy to fiddle with, and the character development of 
  the main character from Anderson to Neo to the One could 
  be interpreted as the path of a character from Dead Inside 
  to Mage. 
  The Prisoner. See what happens when a secret agent is 
  "disappeared" for his reticence in explaining why he quit his 
  agency. Plunked down into the weird world of the Village 
  and under constant assault on his psyche and sanity, 
  Number 6 fights against the system and the machinations of 
  various Number 2s. Recommended as an exploration of the 
  individual's will in the face of unknown, inexplicable 
  oppressors. 
  Spirited Away. In many ways, this animated masterpiece 
  from Hayao Miyazaki is the perfect DI movie. A must see. 
  Also see < http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/sen/proposal.html >; 
  excellent stuff. 
  What Dreams May Come. Another strong influence on 
  DI, and the only movie with a climax that is (appropriately) 
  an anticlimax, and it works because – or despite – of that. 
  Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Wonka's a Mage, 
  the Oompa-Loompas are Tulpas, and all the kids are clearly 
  Dead Inside, except for Charlie, who's a Sensitive. The false 
  Slugworth is one of Wonka's agents, probably a Tulpa or 
  Sensitive. I suspect that the real Slugworth – the one we 
  never see – is Wonka's Shadow. 
  Yu Yu Hakusho: Spirit Detective. This anime series, less 
  bombastic and more arch than Dragonball Z (which also has 
  a large Spirit World component, it must be said), has an 
  interesting Quest/Case structure that's definitely worth 
  considering for adaptation into a DI game. 
  Games 
  Castle Falkenstein: High Adventure in the Steam Age 
  (R. Talsorian Games), by Michael Pondsmith. A huge 
  system-influence on DI, and a damn fine game to boot. 
  GURPS Fantasy II: The Madlands (Steve Jackson 
  Games), by Robin D. Laws. Inspiration-fodder – The 
  Madlands first opened my eyes to just how different a good 
  game could be from the rank-and-file on our game store 
  shelves. If you'd like your mind expanded, check this setting 
  out (probably via eBay). 
  Marvel Superheroes Role-Playing Game (TSR), by Jeff 
  Grubb. One of my all-time favorite RPGs, and that's 
  despite my growing up as a DC Comics fan. The Universal 
  Chart, yeah; Column Shifts, yeah; Karma Points, hell yeah! I 
  break this game out every year for a one-shot. 
  Nobilis (Hogshead Games, now Guardians of Order), by 
  R. Sean Borgstrom. Beautiful, intriguing, and a bit too 
  opaquely baroque, Nobilis is a fascinating read as well as 
  being a tangible piece of art. Some elements of this game 
  influenced how I constructed my system, and, I'm sure, my 
  setting. Read and mine this puppy. 
  octaNe: the psychotronic game of post-modern trash 
  culture america (Memento Mori Theatricks), by Jared A. 
  Sorensen. Damn good game, with cool emphases and a 
  cheerful disregard for "realism." Also a big influence on 
  pushing me to get DI finished; the guy who can write a 
  book like this is the sort of hombre I want to consider a 
  peer. 
  Over the Edge: The Role-Playing Game of Surreal 
  Danger (Atlas Games), by Jonathan Tweet with Robin D. 
  Laws. Rules-light system, wacky setting. Great reading by 
  itself, and a powerfully-packed idea mine. 
  Pendragon: Epic Roleplaying in Legendary Britain 
  (Chaosium), by Greg Stafford. This game is a tangential 
  influence on the Virtue/Vice system. The Boy King: Arthur 
  Claims the Throne of Britain, a fantastic supplement for the 
  game, is also worth seeking out. Good stuff. 
  RISUS (Cumberland Games), by S. John Ross. A nice 
  hyper-light game system; elements influenced the PDQ 
  System, i.e., DI's game mechanics. 
  Storyboard (Magus Creative Games), by Matthew C. 
  Gaston and Rich Taylor. Like RISUS, another interesting 
  hyper-light system that influenced the construction of the 
  PDQ System.  
  Underworld: An Adventure Game of Subterranean 
  Urban Fantasy (Synister Creative Systems), by Gareth-
  Michael Skarka. I thought this work, while it had some 
  warts, had elements that rocked on toast. Many parts are 
  eminently adaptable to any urban fantasy RPG. 
  Unknown Armies: A Roleplaying Game of Power and 
  Consequences, Second Edition (Atlas Games), by Greg 
  Stolze & John Tynes. One of my favorite RPGs, possibly 
  my absolute favorite – at least until I wrote this one. Stylish, 
  smart, and above all, human. I cavil a bit at an overly dark 
  tone to some aspects of the setting. However, I'm probably 
  responsible for some of that, since I've done a bit of 
  freelance work on the supplements, and a lot of yammering 
  on the mail-list. 
  Wraith: the Oblivion, Second Edition (White Wolf 
  Games), by Rich Dansky. Luckily, I first read Wraith: the 
  Oblivion long, long after I had started writing DI. A really 
  interesting, if dark, setting. The biggest direct influences it 
  had on the game is probably inspiring the concept that DI 
  Shadows gain Soul Points lost to Soul Decay, and the 
  "damage vs. power" tradeoff for Ghosts passing through 
  material objects in the Spirit World. 
   
  
   
  96 
  Chapter 7 
  DI Introductory Scenario: 
  "Brave New Spirit World" 
  This chapter is an Introductory Scenario for new Dead Inside 
  RPG (DI) GMs and PCs. It will help familiarize the playing 
  group with the system and setting of DI, as well as the 
  particular tone and style that the GM wishes to include in 
  his game. Elements of this Scenario can be removed, 
  expanded upon, bent, twisted, or reversed as the GM sees 
  fit – so long as he thinks it will lead to a better experience 
  for the entire group. 
  REMINDERS 
  Dead Inside suffer a Downshift when interacting 
  socially in the Real World. Part of this is the Dead 
  Inside’s disconnection from life, and part of it is the 
  unconscious reactions of Average People to their 
  soullessness. 
  The only Abilities that work at regular cost in the Real 
  World are Open Gates and the passive use of Second 
  Sight. Unless within a Place or Time of Power, any 
  other Ability requires an extra Downshift and 1 Soul 
  Point; similarly, all Powers require an extra Downshift 
  and double the normal expenditure of Soul Points 
  (minimum 1) to function. 
  If a player gets into trouble before getting a handle on 
  the new rules of reality in the Spirit World, one of his 
  Imagos might show up to offer insight, advice, or aid. If 
  he simply needs information, the Wise Old can appear 
  and offer a hint on where to go. If the PC is having 
  problems like failing despite of (or by misapplying) his 
  strengths, his Anima can show up and lend a hand. If 
  the PC is in direct danger, his Shadow will try and 
  come to his rescue as best it can. If the PC is trapped by 
  someone or something, the Trickster can appear, and 
  help spring the character, though this might be an “out 
  of the frying pan and into the fire” situation. 
  Remember that not every indicated Possible Virtue or 
  Vice Check must be undergone; only one or two that 
  relate to the character’s current Virtue or Vice. 
  (However, Tasks assigned by a Guide are in addition to 
  the normal one or two Checks per session.) 
   
  SKELETON OVERVIEW 
  For ease of getting started, the Skeleton for this 
  Scenario has been mapped out and some Scenes 
  have been attached to it. If desired, the GM can 
  alter the skeleton, swap out Scenes, design new 
  Skeleton elements, or design new Scenes.  
  The illustration below shows the basic Skeleton and 
  Scenes for the Introductory Scenario: 
   
   
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  97 
  ENTRY SCENES 
  Three potential Entry Scenes in the Real World are 
  indicated as circles on the Skeleton. These are RW1: 
  Bill, RW 2: Madame Lupino, and RW3: the Glade. 
  (Players have either already made-up DI characters 
  or are using one of the sample PCs from Chapter 5. 
  If desired, any of these Scenes can be tied to their 
  Discovery of soullessness.) 
  RW1: Bill 
  Situation. Bill Vance is a Ghost. In life, he 
  supported his wife and little boy comfortably as an 
  industrial drill-bit salesman. As a Sensitive, his 
  Second Sight gave him an edge in scoping sales 
  prospects, managing his investments, and gambling 
  in Atlantic City and Vegas at conventions. Recently, 
  Bill and his family moved into a new house in a new 
  city, smack dab in the middle of his new territory. 
  Then, his wife got sick, the car broke down, his kid 
  needed braces and glasses, and his roof sprang a 
  leak. Bad luck dogged Bill, but he had finally started 
  to dig out from under. Unfortunately, that’s when 
  Bill had a vision that he’d die the next day, at 10 am.  
  Knowing (for a fact) that his insurance money and 
  estate would be tied up in probate for around three 
  months, and not having any family to rely upon, Bill 
  decided to try and gather together as much cash for 
  his wife and son as he could. He pulled an all-
  nighter, hitting all the off-track betting parlors, back 
  room after-hours poker games, and so forth. He 
  managed to fill his briefcase with $10,000 of cold 
  hard cash and a winning lottery ticket.  
  On his way to cash that lottery ticket, his car 
  skidded off (or was it run off?) the road. Bill was 
  flung through the windshield and cut to ribbons. 
  The last thing he saw was the radio clock reading 
  9:00 am. That’s when he remembered that he’d 
  neglected to fix the clock for Daylight Savings Time. 
  He died, and became a Ghost. 
  He’s looking for someone to get that briefcase of 
  money to his wife and kid. That means he’s looking 
  for someone tuned into the Spirit World (i.e., the 
  PCs) – no one else can see him. Bill’s willing to 
  bargain for their services: he’ll quickly agree to “split 
  what’s in the pig” with anyone who can help him 
  (“From the look of you, it’s something you need!”), 
  as well as point them to someone or something that 
  can give them answers about themselves (like 
  Madame Lupino or the Glade; see below).  
  The Car. Bill can lead the PCs to the general 
  vicinity of the car, and will help as much as possible 
  “behind the Scenes” using his Ghost Abilities. 
  Depending on what is most entertaining or 
  connects best to the Qualities of PCs, the car is: 
  − 
  In a chop-shop. It’s a Good [9] Difficulty Rank 
  criminal-type Quality roll to find the precise 
  location of the chop-shop. Guarded by one or 
  more NPCs in the garage. (Qualities of Good [+2] 
  Criminal, Good [+2] Mechanic, and Good [+2] 
  Toughness are appropriate; they can be all in one 
  NPC, or split between more, depending upon the 
  number of PCs).  
  − 
  In an impound lot. It’s an Average [7] Difficulty 
  Rank urban knowledge-type Quality roll to find 
  the right part of the lot, which is guarded by a 
  watchman (no notable Qualities – straight Average 
  [0]). 
  − 
  In a junkyard, amongst hundreds of other wrecked cars. 
  Bill gets a little confused in trying to lead the PCs 
  to the car, because he can just float through 
  obstacles. It’s a Good [9] Difficulty Rank mental 
  or physical challenge to thread the maze of dead 
  automobiles. There may even be a junkyard dog 
  (Good [+2] Bite) lurking... 
  − 
  Under six feet of water. Bill ran off a bridge, not just 
  the road. It’s a Good [9] Difficulty Rank 
  swimming or athletics-type Quality to dive into the 
  murky water and swim down to the car. 
   
  Along with $10,000 in bundles of hundreds and the 
  lottery ticket, the monogrammed briefcase contains 
  a ceramic piggy bank. While he doesn’t want to give 
  the PCs any of the money, he can grudgingly be 
  beat down to offer a 10% “finder’s fee” (if he loses 
  a social conflict, or is otherwise convinced through 
  good roleplaying). If a PC takes more than that 
  anyway, Bill will promise to make their life difficult 
  through use of his Ghost Abilities. “They need that 
  money to live. Jeez!” He will remind them to take 
  the pig out of the briefcase before the PCs close it 
  up again. 
  Bill would appreciate it if the PCs handed the 
  briefcase to his wife, but won’t be too upset if they 
  leave it on the porch, ring the bell, and run.  
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  98 
  Then, he’ll tell one of the PCs to place the piggy 
  bank on the ground between them and smash it 
  open. The pig is a Soul Egg, containing 2 Soul 
  Points for Bill and 1 each for every PC. When 
  broken open, the Soul Points will jump to Bill and 
  the PCs. 
  After the money and the pig have been disposed of, 
  he’ll direct them to visit either Madame Lupino’s 
  shop (see RW2) or The Glade (see RW3) so they 
  can get into the Spirit World – he may even 
  accompany them. 
  Cultivation & Decay Ticks may come from the PCs 
  interactions with Bill, how they get the briefcase, 
  what they do with the contents, and any interactions 
  they have with other NPCs in the process. 
  Bill, the Ghost Dad. Expert [+4] Salesman, Good 
  [+2] Father, Poor [-2] Impulse-Driven. Type: Good 
  [+2] Ghost. Personality: Family Man. Virtue: 
  Generosity; Vice: Despair. Soul Point Pool: 5. 
  Skeleton Attachment Point(s). Entry Scene, Learning Scene, 
  Action/Reaction Scene, Interaction Scene. 
  Scene Link In. Start, RW2, or RW3. 
  Objective(s)? Help Bill; learn more about nature of 
  characters and cosmos. 
  Obstacle(s)? Trusting Bill; finding the car and getting the 
  briefcase out of its trunk (see below). 
  Action. Depends on the placement of the car, but could 
  be physical feats (swimming), or mental ones (planning 
  to liberate the car).  
  Interaction. Bill; other NPCs depend on the placement of 
  the car; possible social conflict (bluffing guards). 
  Magical Mystery Tour. Second Sight; Ghost Abilities; 
  Difference between Sensitives & Dead Inside. 
  Deep Thoughts. The nature of death; the existence of a 
  Spirit World. 
  Possible Virtue & Vice Checks. Generosity or Courtesy (to 
  help Bill); Cowardice (avoiding aiding Bill); Avarice 
  (when the briefcase is opened). 
  Continuity Clean-up? This Scene could be useful to bring 
  in characters with any of the types of Soul Loss. 
  Scene Link Out. RW2 or RW3. 
   
  RW2: Madame Lupino 
  Situation. Madame Lupino runs a little fortune 
  telling shop, somewhere between downtown and 
  the sketchy neighborhoods. It’s got a big “palm of 
  the hand” stained glass window, and a neon “Tarot 
  Readings/Runes Cast/Past Lives Unearthed!” sign 
  blinks in the window. Inside, the anteroom is all 
  crystals, 
  candles, 
  incense, 
  oils, 
  native 
  art, 
  dreamcatchers, esoteric prints, and posters detailing 
  chi meridians and chakra locations – many are for 
  sale at a reasonable price. A comfortable sofa with a 
  homey fabric print is flanked by mismatched easy 
  chairs; on the low coffee table are New Age 
  pamphlets and a stack of Madame’s business cards. 
  An unseen CD player plays music, usually Enya or 
  Gipsy Kings. A bead curtain divides this waiting 
  area from the “sanctum.” Other PCs may be here, 
  also waiting. 
  However the PCs get here (see below), when they 
  arrive, Madame is busy with another customer. Her 
  strongly-accented voice (Transylvanian, maybe?) 
  carries through the curtain” “Plis vait; ve vill only be 
  a few minutes.” Madame is informing her client of a 
  past life as one of George Washington’s mistresses. 
  After a few minutes of this, the client – a kindly 
  little old lady with blue hair – will thank Madame, 
  and leave the shop with a saucy twinkle in her eye.  
  Madame – an attractive, if chunky, middle-aged 
  woman in bohemian dress – will look at the PC(s), 
  perform a double-take, and look again, this time 
  with great intent. PCs will at this point see some 
  sort of hazy “energy” flow up from her chest into 
  her eyes; they will understand that she is studying 
  them, their aura, their history, and possibly their 
  future (Second Sight). They also realize that they 
  now know how to do the same, if they haven’t 
  already figured out how to use this Ability actively. 
  For their part, PCs will notice that she looks more 
  “solid” or “glowy” than most of the folks they see 
  on the street (Sensitive).  
  Dropping the outrageous accent, she will say, “I see. 
  You poor thing,” and shake her head sadly. She 
  knows the vaguest outlines (or one or two details) 
  of each PC’s Backstory, Soul Loss, and/or 
  Discovery – just enough to make conversation 
  easier. Also, since Madame is clued-in to the social 
  maladjustment of Dead Inside, she’ll make 
  allowances in their interactions. “Won’t you come 
  into my sanctum?” The PCs may refuse to do so; 
  that’s fine. If at any time, the PCs wish to quit the 
  shop, Madame will accept this and say, “Please feel 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  99 
  free to return when you wish a session; I feel I can 
  help you.” 
  The sanctum is the same size as the anteroom. In its 
  center squats a low table covered in scarves, holding 
  the mandatory crystal ball, Tarot deck, scented oils, 
  and crystal points. A couple comfortable chairs 
  surround the table. None of these things looks 
  spiritually out of the ordinary. (However, a tall unlit 
  candle on one of the three bookshelves does look 
  strange: it seems to glimmer and reflect the light of 
  the room. Also notable is a dim, black threaded 
  dreamcatcher hanging over the table.) “Occult” 
  mass-market paperbacks fill the shelves, and there 
  are more posters and prints.  
  Madame will ask the PCs to take a seat, and will do 
  so herself. “I see your problem right off,” she’ll 
  begin. “And I can help set you on the right path. Do 
  you wish my help?” If they agree, she’ll continue: 
  “You have lost your soul.”  
  Here, she’ll insert some relevant details about the 
  PC’s history or Qualities, as many as necessary to 
  convince the PC(s) that she has real power. She will 
  agree to any simple test (like picking a Zener card, 
  quick mind-read, pointing out hidden moles or 
  unknown birthmarks, giving the provenance of 
  childhood scars, etc.).  
  Once she has a character’s belief (or at least, his 
  declaration of open-mindedness), she’ll continue: 
  “You cannot fully regain your spirit here, in this 
  world. It’s simply too hard, too cold. But I can help 
  you get to a warmer, more welcoming place, where 
  you would be able to pursue your healing with a 
  greater chance of results. Be warned, however – the 
  Spirit World can be dangerous; your adventure will 
  not be without risks. Again, do you wish my help?” 
  If a character agrees, she will light the glimmery 
  candle, which will cast off a silvery bubble around 
  the table and chairs, which is tall enough to touch or 
  engulf the strange dreamcatcher. “Now, we may 
  speak without being overheard. While this session is 
  free, my getting you into the Spirit World isn’t. No, 
  I don’t want money – I need you to pass a message 
  to someone over there. Do you agree?”  
  If their answer is no, she will try to persuade the 
  PC(s) to agree to her terms. If they are adamantly 
  against helping and offer no good, convincing 
  reasons for refusing to help her, she will sigh. “You 
  have much to learn, and now it will be more 
  difficult for you.” Then, she will open a Gate for 
  them to pass through. (Selfish or cowardly refusal 
  should incur Decay Ticks.) 
  If the PCs agree to help, she continues: “Deliver 
  this message to Lady Violet. She is a powerful Mage 
  and lives in the Indigo Tower: ‘Clio and Isis. I have 
  the information you need, but I am being watched 
  by your enemies. I cannot cross the City or send a 
  Tulpa – they have thwarted me at every turn. Come 
  to the Real World, to my shop, when you can.’ If 
  you promise to do this service, I will show you the 
  way into the Spirit World. I will also answer any 
  three of your questions using my Ability – no more, 
  for I am bound by magic.” 
  If the PCs wish to back out at this point, she will 
  look up at the dreamcatcher. It will begin to whistle 
  ethereally (basically Binding the characters to 
  silence) and the silver bubble around them will 
  pulse. She’ll look at them ruefully, and open a Gate. 
  “Go then,” she’ll say, “you will not speak of this to 
  anyone.” And indeed, the characters will be unable 
  to tell anyone about what was said within the 
  confines of the bubble – not even each other, unless 
  they break an Expert [+4] Difficulty Rank Bind. 
  (Alternatively, she can just kick them out of her 
  shop without Opening a Gate; the PCs will then 
  either have to interact with Bill or the Glade to get 
  to the Spirit World.) 
  Otherwise, Madame Lupino will answer a question 
  for each PC, to the best of her ability (which is that 
  of a Sensitive who rarely enters the Spirit World, but 
  has a few friends still residing there who stay in 
  touch). She can give basic information on the Spirit 
  World, Soul Points, Ensoulment, Cosmology, 
  Notable Locations, or Notable NPCs – anything 
  from the first four chapters of DI, essentially.  
  If asked about the enemies of Lady Violet, she will 
  soothe them by telling them that they, as Dead 
  Inside, will not be seen as a threat, and that the 
  silver light of the candle has made it impossible for 
  any to know for sure that they are acting as agents. 
  If pressed, she will tell them to “Beware things with 
  green feathers.” She will not divulge the name of 
  Lady Violet’s rival: “It’s too dangerous for you to  
   
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  100 
  GREEN FEATHERS 
  What’s Going On? What are Madame Lupino and 
  Lady Violet up to? Well, that’s up to the GM, who may 
  select one of the following, or come up with something 
  else: 
  * A Mage is abusing his Abilities in the Real World, and 
     Madame Lupino and Lady Violet are acting as agents 
     for the Triangle Council to discover who it is. 
  * Lady Violet desires to purchase a Sacred Site in the  
     Real World that another Mage also covets; Madame  
     Lupino keeping an eye on the location. 
  * Madame Lupino is getting paranoid in her old age, 
      and is jumping at shadows. 
  * Lady Violet is acting against the Triangle Council, 
      and Madame Lupino has Seen danger approaching 
      her Mage patron. 
  * Lady Violet’s Shadow is cutting off her communication  
     with her allies in an attempt to isolate her for the kill. 
  Hey, Are We Being Followed? 
  If desired, the PCs can be tailed or even confronted by 
  the thugs of Lady Violet’s foes. One way this can play 
  out is this: 
  The first time the PCs enter a Crosstown Traffic Scene, 
  a green parrot starts trailing them (a Good [9] Difficulty 
  Rank task against a Vision or Notice Quality; GM 
  should roll this for the players). 
  The second time the PCs enter a Crosstown Traffic 
  Scene, they are followed on the ground by a man 
  wearing a Robin Hood hat with a long green ostrich 
  feather. 
  The third time the PCs enter a Crosstown Traffic Scene, 
  they are set upon by a man or group of men (one per 
  PC) with green feathers instead of hair. These are the 
  hench-Tulpas of Lady Violet’s enemies. Use the conflict 
  rules in Chapter 4; if the Tulpas are defeated, they will 
  change into parrots and fly away. If a PC is defeated, he 
  will be dragged into a nearby alley, and questioned 
  about the message they carry (or carried, if it’s already 
  been delivered) – which is a great opportunity for 
  Virtue or Vice Checks and collecting Ticks.  
  The Tulpas aren’t particularly bright, and can be 
  evaded, conned, or out-thought with relative ease. 
  Green Feathers Tulpa. Average [0] Tracking, Average 
  [0] Wrestling. Type: Average [0] Tulpa. Soul Point Pool: 
  8. 
   
  know, candle or no candle.” (See the Green Feathers 
  boxed text for more information.) 
  Before sending them on their way, she will offer a 
  few last pieces of advice: “Make sure you are not 
  followed. Trust yourself. Be careful not to sell or 
  buy at too high a price. Ask your Shadow to tell you 
  the name of your Guide.” 
  Depending upon how powerful the GM wishes 
  Madame Lupino to be, she could either open a Gate 
  for them in the sanctum, summon Bill (see RW1) to 
  take them to the Glade (RW3), or give them 
  directions to the Glade, itself. She could also give 
  each PC a single Soul Point, at the GM’s option (her 
  Generosity kicking in). 
  If she uses her Ability to Open Gates, it will appear 
  like a small, rainbow circlet. After appearing 
  between her outstretched hands, she will then pull 
  the Gate open wide enough for people to walk 
  through comfortably. 
  Ways for PCs to Get to Madame Lupino’s: Here 
  are some ideas: 
  − 
  Bill Sent Me. Bill the Ghost (see RW1) could have 
  told them to see Madame Lupino. 
  − 
  Meet & Greet. Alternatively, Bill the Ghost Dad 
  could have accompanied the PC(s) to see Madame, 
  in order to introduce them to her. 
  − 
  Trail of Crumbs. Perhaps a series of serendipitous 
  business cards, newspaper ads, comments from 
  random passersby, discarded items, or some 
  combination of these, keeps bringing the words 
  “Madame Lupino” to the PCs’ attention. If they 
  do any sort of search for her, they’ll find her – she 
  has a small webpage and is listed in the phone 
  directory.  
  − 
  I Went Looking and Found. The PCs discover that 
  Madame Lupino is known for being an excellent 
  and reputable psychic sort, more so than most of 
  the scam artists or deluded flakes, anyway. This is 
  especially useful for self-motivated characters 
  trying to get a handle on their Dead Inside nature. 
  − 
  Phone Call. Especially useful for those characters 
  with the “You were told outright” type of 
  realization, Madame herself called the PC as many 
  times as necessary to get them down to see her. “I 
  have something that can help you with your 
  problem,” she said – she may not even identify 
  herself as a fortune teller or Sensitive. 
  − 
  Found the Key in the Glade. The PCs may have used 
  the name and number on the Key from the Glade 
  (see RW3) to find Madame Lupino. If they took 
  the Key, she will send them back to the Glade, to 
  return it so that they can then use the Glade to 
  enter the Spirit World. 
   
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  101 
  Madame Lupino, the Sensitive. Expert [+4] 
  Second Sight, Good [+2] New Age Jazz, Good [+2] 
  Wealthy Clientele, Poor [-2] (Physical Laziness). 
  Type: Good [+2] Sensitive. Personality: Empathic. 
  Virtue: Generosity; Vice: Cowardice. Soul Point Pool: 
  8. 
  Skeleton 
  Attachment 
  Point(s). 
  Entry 
  Scene, 
  Learning/Exploration Scene, Interaction Scene. 
  Scene Link In. Start, RW1, or RW3. 
  Objective(s)? Get PCs closer to the Spirit World; help fill 
  them in on basic info; give them a short-term goal. 
  Obstacle(s)? PC mistrust of Madame; too much PC 
  skepticism. 
  Action. None as written. 
  Interaction. Madame and other PCs; possibly Bill. 
  Magical Mystery Tour. Second Sight; Enchanted Objects; 
  possibly Open Gate; answers to 3 Spirit World questions 
  per PC. 
  Deep Thoughts. The nature of trust; the nature of 
  skepticism; the existence of a Spirit World. 
  Possible Virtue & Vice Checks. Generosity or Fortitude 
  (respectively, charitable or excited agreement to carry 
  the message); Avarice or Cowardice (respectively, selfish 
  or lazy/fearful refusal to carry the message); Hypocrisy 
  (for agreeing, then backing out). 
  A Moment to Shine? For Which PC? A Scientist or Skeptic 
  type could have a blast roleplaying out his acceptance or 
  rejection of spiritual powers.  
  Planning & Resource Management. Characters might try to 
  lay out plans before entering the Spirit World, using 
  their Real World resources and answers to their 
  questions to Madame. 
  Continuity Clean-up? Can be useful to collect all the PCs in 
  one place and introduce them to each other. 
  Scene Link Out. RW1, RW3, or SW1. 
   
  RW3: The Glade 
  Situation. Perhaps a PC has had a vision of the 
  Glade, with the intimation that answers about his 
  nature or future can be found there. Maybe Bill (see 
  RW1) or Madame Lupino (see RW2) told them the 
  way to this natural Gate. They may even stumble 
  upon it on their own. In any case, they find 
  themselves in the Glade. 
  Out in the country, a couple miles down a gravel 
  road, there’s a small “driveway” leading off to the 
  north. The driveway is packed dirt, just wide enough 
  for a single car. After a few turns down a slope  
   
   
   
  (maybe 100 yards, sufficient to hide a vehicle or two 
  from the country road), the driveway ends directly 
  in front of two largish trees twisted together. A 
  footpath leads east from the trees, going another 25 
  yards into the deep foliage.  
  The footpath opens into a broad clearing, roofed 
  with the interlaced branches of oaks and pines. A 
  few substantial stumps speckle the open space. The 
  floor is layer upon layer of pine needles and dried 
  oak leaves. If a character enters the clearing, he will 
  feel a strange – but not unpleasant – vertigo and 
  “pins and needles” feeling. This sensation will ebb 
  over time. The Glade is a sacred space, a Place of 
  Power, close to the Spirit World.  
  If the character remains within the clearing for 5 
  minutes, he will begin to sense something up in one 
  of the trees, something that shines power down into 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  102 
  the Glade. During the day, isolating this object is a 
  Good [9] Difficulty Rank task against their Dead 
  Inside Type Rank (basically, use of the Second Sight 
  Ability), or an Expert [11] Difficulty Rank task 
  against a Vision, Search, or Finding Quality. 
  Climbing the appropriate tree is an Average [7] 
  Difficulty Rank Climbing or Athletics task. (At 
  night, Downshift the finding Difficulty Rank, and 
  Upshift the climbing Difficulty Rank.) 
  The object will be found to be an old-fashioned iron 
  key, half-embedded in a tree branch. Stamped into 
  the barrel of the key is the word “Lupino” and a 10-
  digit (telephone) number; both are easily visible 
  despite the bark growing around the Key. It can be 
  removed from the branch with a little effort. The 
  Key is an Enchanted Object, with two abilities:  
  Whenever a being (other than an Average Person) 
  stands in the Glade at midnight during a full moon, 
  the Key will open a Gate to the Spirit World. 
  In addition to the above, if any being other than an 
  Average Person stands in the Glade and says the 
  word “Lupino” in a forceful voice, a Gate will open 
  into the Spirit World which lasts 10 minutes before 
  closing. This power only works once per day. 
  PCs can easily dig the Key out of the tree if they 
  wish. However, if they take the Key into the Spirit 
  World, it will lose its powers, permanently. 
  After forming, the Glade Gate is a vertical rainbow 
  ring with an especially thick green band. In a few 
  seconds, it expands from pinpoint to a 12 foot 
  diameter circle hanging in midair, about an inch off 
  of the ground. Warmth – spiritual warmth that 
  warms Dead Inside – seems to pour from it, as does 
  a mild sensation of hope. The surface plane of the 
  Gate itself shimmers like water. If entered, it leads 
  directly to SW1: The Bridge of Souls.  
  Skeleton Attachment Point(s). Entry Scene, Learning Scene. 
  Scene Link In. Start, RW1, or RW2. 
  Objective(s)? Get into Spirit World. 
  Obstacle(s)? Mystery and Fear. 
  Action. Climbing a tree. 
  Interaction. Talking to other PCs (and possibly Bill, from 
  SW1). 
  Magical Mystery Tour. Second Sight, Enchanted Objects, 
  and Gates. 
  Possible Virtue & Vice Checks. Avarice (if someone wants 
  the Key for themselves). 
  Scene Link Out. RW1, RW2, or SW1. 
   
  SW1: The Bridge of Souls 
  Situation. The PCs wake up (if this is being used as 
  an Entry Scene) or otherwise step out of a Gate 
  (either the one opened by Madame Lupino, the one 
  in the Glade, or some other natural Gate). They find 
  themselves in a large park within a modern-looking 
  city, judging from the skyscrapers looming around 
  its perimeter. The grass is green, the sidewalks slate, 
  and the waters of the lake behind them are blue. 
  The air is warm – many Dead Inside feel themselves 
  almost “thawing” in the pleasant atmosphere; the 
  invisible curtain between them and other people 
  seems to have fallen away in the sunshine. People 
  laugh, picnic, and romp; street performers play to 
  knots of onlookers; large birds fly through the air; 
  people play chess (or gin, or go) in the shade of the 
  trees; vendors sell yummy treats. A sign planted in a 
  flowerbed nearby reads “Welcome to Wyld Park.” 
  At first glance, it looks like any large park in a major 
  metropolis. 
  On second glance, however, everything looks 
  decidedly odd. The skyscrapers outside the park 
  seem to be moving, and some appear to be growing, 
  shrinking, or changing color and shape. The lake’s 
  waters are utterly calm, despite the mild winds 
  allowing some of the merrymakers to fly their kites. 
  Also, a hair-thin bridge directly behind them leads 
  across the mirror-like lake, terminating at a small 
  island. (If Bill is with the PCs, at this point, he’ll say 
  his goodbyes and flit across the Bridge to Spectral 
  Point.) 
  None of the Park-goers look like Average People 
  (“shelled in,” or “closed”): all are Dead Inside (like 
  them), Sensitives (like Madame Lupino), Ghosts 
  (like Bill), or other, weirder things. Some look 
  “gray” or “washed out” (Zombis); a few look 
  normal, but the observer can feel that they are 
  unreal (Tulpas and Free Spirits); and one or two of 
  the crowd seem to shine with a powerful internal 
  light (Magi). Indeed, some of the birds flying and 
  kites circling above the Park are – on closer 
  inspection – Free Spirits, Ghosts, Magi, and 
  transformed Sensitives. Some of the performers 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  103 
  aren’t doing pantomime or tumbling – they’re 
  physically shifting their bodies. Chess pieces and go 
  stones move without the touch of a hand. The 
  vendors don’t sell hot dogs or ice cream, but dream 
  clouds and nightmare chili. 
   
   
   
  Indeed, relatively close to them is a dream cloud 
  cart. The vendor dips a long paper cone into a 
  spinning vat, twirling up a fluffy confection that 
  looks much like cotton candy – only cotton candy 
  doesn’t change color, glow, pulsate, or hum. The 
  vendor himself is a bit strange, too: while he looks 
  like a young, pudgy African-American man (wearing 
  a cowboy hat, Hawaiian shirt, and Bermuda shorts), 
  his bright orange duck’s feet and lack of an aura tells 
  newcomers that they’re in a whole new ballgame. 
  Having seen the PCs exit a Gate, and observing 
  their obvious reactions to the Park, he’ll introduce 
  himself. “Hey, you new in town? I’m Vinnie A’ 
  Dreams. Welcome to the Spirit World.” Since most 
  Gates open at the Bridge of Souls, this enterprising 
  Free Spirit is used to newcomers.  
  He’ll ask the PCs if they’re hungry; if so, he’ll offer 
  to sell them a dream cloud, and give them a quick 
  run-down on Spirit World Commerce (see Chapter 
  4).  
  “There are three kinds of trade in the Spirit World,” 
  he’ll say. “For little things – like basic food and 
  shelter – you share your memories. I deal in happy 
  dreams. Tori over there–“ he’ll indicate the nearest 
  nightmare chili cart “– she deals in bad ones.” (If no 
  PCs wish to buy a cloud, a random NPC Sensitive 
  will conveniently show up who does.) “Just watch 
  Stavan, here. What do you want today, buddy? 
  Single, double, or triple?” Stavan wants a double, 
  and Vinnie says, “I’ll want you to share the memory 
  of your first trip to the Spirit World.” Stavan holds 
  out his hand, concentrates, and an image of a tiny 
  frog ribbits in his hand. Vinnie hands him a double-
  cone, the frog jumps to Vinnie, and Stavan walks 
  off, bidding all good day, munching on his cloud. 
  Vinnie throws the frog into the vat, where it is 
  pulled apart by the whisks into long green threads 
  and incorporated into the fluffy treat. “That was 
  sharing; Stavan kept his memory, but shared it with 
  me. I shared a dream cloud with him; I can do that 
  all day without reducing my stock.” 
  “Now, for more expensive items – like my special 
  reserve dream clouds, expensive Real World goods, 
  or significant services, Spirit Worlders pay in blood 
  – soul-blood.” (Soul Points.) “If you bought a cloud 
  of mine with soul-blood, it would be much more 
  delicious and filling for you. I could also buy dreams 
  from you for some of my soul-blood, but you’d lose 
  that memory permanently. Minds are made of 
  memory, so be careful there. Sell too much, and you 
  may not recognize yourself in the morning.” 
  “There’s an even higher level of commerce here, 
  where you can sell your talents, strengths, large 
  amounts of soul-blood all at once, or even your 
  name, but I’m just a simple dream cloud vendor, 
  not a high-powered trader. Just take this with you: 
  know if you’re sharing, selling, or selling dear. Now, 
  who wanted a dream cloud? Since you’re new, the 
  price is sharing a memory of a date with someone 
  you liked.” 
  What Else Vinnie Knows. Basically, everything in 
  Chapter 2. However, he’ll only answer three 
  questions (or five, if at least one PC bought a cloud 
  from him) before urging them to move along and 
  “figure it out for yourself. Just watch out for the 
  Qlippoth and don’t stay in the Park after nightfall.” 
  − 
  Bill the Ghost. “You mean Bill Vance died? Shucks, 
  he was a good guy.” 
  − 
  Green Feathers. “Beats me.” 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  104 
  − 
  Indigo Tower. (looks over to skyline) “That’s Tower 
  Row over there... Maybe that purple one?” 
  − 
  Lady Violet. “Sounds kinda familiar. I think she was 
  on the Triangle Council a few years ago.” 
  − 
  Madame Lupino. “Lupino... nope, not ringing a bell. 
  Sorry.” 
  − 
  Nightfall. “Bad stuff runs around in here after dark. 
  Better find somewhere else to hang out at night.” 
  − 
  Qlippoth. “They look like, well, a solid, humanoid 
  hole, I guess. Stay away from them – they’ll suck 
  out all your soul-blood and make you just like 
  them. If you see one, run away.” 
  − 
  Shadow. “Isn’t it right behind you on the sidewalk, 
  there?” (The Shadow will wave to the PC – see 
  below). 
  − 
  Triangle Council. “They sorta run the City, but not 
  really. You can complain to them if you have a 
  problem, but they only meet once a week, and 
  don’t really have the authority to do anything, 
  except whatever power or influence they bring to 
  the table to start with.” 
   
  The Shadow. Each PC’s Shadow will attempt to 
  get their attention, usually by waving at the character 
  or speaking to them out of a reflection. (If they’ve 
  seen Madame Lupino or asked Vinnie about the 
  Shadow, they’ll see it. If not, it’s an Average [7] 
  Difficulty Rank thing to notice.) The Shadow has 
  the name of the PC’s chosen Guide; it will pass 
  along this information to help the PC survive in the 
  Spirit World. 
  Characters with a Personality type of Instinctive are 
  pointed towards Evie at Archaic Café. Empathic 
  characters are directed to Mary at Quaternity Keep. 
  Sensual types are told to seek out Manny at the 
  White Monkey. Thoughtful PCs should see Trader 
  Nick, at his Exroads Market stall. 
  Now What? PCs must decide on which to do first:  
  − 
  (If they met Madame Lupino) Deliver the message 
  to Lady Violet [Go to Crosstown Traffic, then SW3]; 
  − 
  Seek out their Guide [Go to Crosstown Traffic, then 
  SW2]; or  
  − 
  Sightsee [Go to Crosstown Traffic, repeat until bored 
  or they decide to see Lady Violet (SW3), their 
  Guide (SW2), or go along on the Quest (SW4)]. 
  NOTE - Depending upon why one of these choices are 
  picked, the selection – or debate between characters before 
  selecting a choice – could lead to both Cultivation and Decay 
  Ticks. 
  Vinnie the Vendor. Good [+2] Swimmer, Good 
  [+2] Dream Cloud Vendor. Type: Average [0] Free 
  Spirit. Personality: Affable. Virtue: Courtesy; Vice: 
  Avarice. Soul Point Pool: 4. 
  Skeleton 
  Attachment 
  Point(s). 
  Entry 
  Scene, 
  Learning/Exploration Scene, Interaction Scene. 
  Scene Link In. RW2 or RW3. 
  Objective(s)? Introduce Spirit World; Learn about SW 
  Commerce; Interact with Vinnie; Directions to Tower 
  Row; Discover Guide.  
  Obstacle(s)? Dealing with the weirdness; stuff Vinnie 
  doesn’t know; PC fear. 
  Interaction. Plenty of interaction with Vinnie; possible 
  interactions with other folks in Wyld Park. 
  Magical Mystery Tour. Alas, most of the beings using 
  Abilities are too far away to pick up the mechanics of 
  what they’re doing. If PCs approach close enough, they 
  could learn the process for Change Self from Free Spirit 
  “body-shifter” buskers; Dream-leap or True Flight from 
  people bounding around; Healing if someone gets a 
  scrape and bends down to fix it; Luck from the 
  chess/go players; etc.  
  Deep Thoughts. Am I going mad, or is everything I’ve 
  know thus far wrong? 
  Possible Virtue & Vice Checks. Despair (absolute refusal to 
  believe anything Vinnie says). 
  End on a High Note? SW1 can be used to pause the 
  Scenario between Sessions. 
  Scene Link Out. Crosstown Traffic. 
   
  VARIABLE SCENES 
  Variable Scenes appear as grayed-in ovals on the 
  Scenario Skeleton. They can be dropped in between 
  other Scenes – in this case, whenever the PCs walk 
  through the City.   
  Crosstown Traffic 
  For a random Crosstown Traffic Scene, roll 2d6; or 
  select one. GMs can also revisit an earlier choice and 
  see what’s developed, or make up his own to slot in. 
  (Scene type, possible Checks, Difficulty Ranks, and 
  other information is listed in parentheses; stat 
  blocks for named NPCs appear at the end of each.) 
  2 = You Are Now Imago 
  One PC sees Barry, Lyn, or Ray (see #5 and #6) 
  ahead on the street, and feels a strange tingling in 
  their heart and eyes. They know they have become 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  105 
  Imago, know the target’s Virtue and Vice, and wield 
  the special Imago Abilities (Know Need and Set 
  Task; see Chapter 5) on behalf of the target; indeed, 
  they are compelled to. Other PCs will recognize that 
  something odd is going on with the Imagoed PC.  
  Each of the NPCs has a different need, and this will 
  force the PC to fill that Imago role (up to and 
  including temporary alterations in body shape, 
  personality, and sex). However, the Task the PC sets 
  for the target NPC must follow certain rules.  
  1) It must be related to either the Imago PC’s or the 
  target NPC’s Virtue and Vice;  
  2) It must be able to be accomplished;  
  3) The target must be able to do it alone; and  
  4) It cannot involve leaving the Spirit World.  
   
  Upon completion of their Task, the target NPC 
  instantly gains one Soul Point, the PC is released 
  from Imago-dom, and the PC gains a full Soul Point 
  for his service (with extra Ticks if, in the GM’s 
  opinion, the Task was especially suitable for the 
  NPC). 
  − 
  Barry. (Integrity/Despair) Barry needs to connect 
  with his new reality; this forces a female PC into 
  the role of Anima or Wise Old. 
  − 
  Lyn. (Fortitude/Hypocrisy) Lyn needs to stop 
  worrying about what other people have and learn 
  to appreciate what she already possesses; this 
  forces the PC into the role of Child. 
  − 
  Ray. (Generosity/Cowardice) Ray needs to get up 
  off his duff and do for himself; this forces the PC 
  into the role of Trickster. 
   
  3 = Vision of NPC 
  Walking past a puddle, window, or any other 
  reflective object, one of the PC’s reflections is 
  replaced by that of one of the NPCs mentioned in 
  this Scenario or in Chapter 2. Other characters will 
  notice that the affected PC seems to be passively 
  using Second Sight. Targeted NPCs could smile at 
  the PC, and beckon them to “come visit”; look 
  perturbed, and Ward against them; roll their eyes 
  and ignore the PC’s spying; etc. (Reaction.) 
  4 = Falling Rock 
  A large piece of masonry – perhaps a gargoyle – has 
  fallen from one of the buildings, and is hurtling 
  towards a knot of pedestrians, including the PCs! 
  Some of the NPCs, warned by their Second Sight, 
  use Dream-Leap or Luck to move out of the Way, 
  but a few will still be hit by the shattering debris for 
  1d6 Damage Ranks. If the PCs do not get out of the 
  way, they too must take damage. Afterwards, a few 
  kindly souls will provide healing for their 
  companions, but unless the PCs ask for aid, no one 
  will offer it. (Learning: Dream-leap, Luck, Second 
  Sight; Action/Reaction; to notice the falling object 
  is an Expert [11] Difficulty Rank task; to notice 
  nearby characters using Second Sight is an Average 
  [7] Difficulty Rank task; leaping out of the impact 
  zone is a Good [9] Difficulty Rank test against a 
  relevant physical Quality; convincing an NPC to aid 
  a wounded comrade is an Average [7] Difficulty 
  Rank task against a relevant social Quality; use stats 
  for Jane Doe, Ray, and Lyn for other pedestrians.) 
  5 = “This Isn’t Real...” 
  The PCs come across a chunky NPC Dead Inside 
  (Barry) who refuses to buy into the reality of the 
  Spirit World. He will deny everything, instead 
  attempting to reinterpret what he sees and hears as 
  delusional hallucinations. He will argue with PCs, 
  seeing them as madmen like him. Also, he will 
  complain of great hunger, but refuse to consume 
  any “weird” Spirit World food or drink. What do 
  the PCs do? (Interaction; Generosity, Courtesy, and 
  Cruelty Checks possible.) 
  Barry, Blinkered Dead Inside. Good [+2] 
  Bank Manager, Poor [-2] Close-mindedness. 
  Type: Average [0] Dead Inside. Personality: 
  Thinker. Virtue: Integrity; Vice: Despair. Soul 
  Point Pool: 1. 
  6 = Gangway! 
  Just up the block, the PCs see a Dead Inside man 
  (Ray) holding a paper sack loosely in one hand as he 
  goggles at the shifting skyline. Suddenly, a Dead 
  Inside woman (Lyn) grabs the bag, pushes the man 
  over, and takes off running. What do the PCs do? 
  Do they help Ray, chase Lyn or do nothing? What’s 
  in the bag? Why did Lyn take it? (Action/Reaction, 
  Interaction; many Checks possible surrounding the 
  reasons whether or not the PCs lend assistance; 
  racing after Lyn is a physical conflict using Failure 
  Ranks; if Lyn loses the race, this could lead to 
  combat, which is a physical conflict using Damage 
  Ranks.) 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  106 
  Lyn, Dead Inside Mugger. Good [+2] 
  Athlete, Good [+2] Fisticuffs, Poor [-2] 
  Concentration. Type: Average [0] Dead Inside. 
  Personality: Instinctive. Virtue: Fortitude; Vice: 
  Hypocrisy. Soul Point Pool: 2. 
  Ray, Dead Inside Mugging Victim. Good 
  [+2] Computer Programmer, Poor [-2] Clumsy. 
  Type: Average [0] Dead Inside. Personality: 
  Empathic. Virtue: Generosity; Vice: Cowardice. 
  Soul Point Pool: 1. 
  7 = Quicksand Street 
  When the PCs attempt to cross this street, it turns 
  to mush under their feet (about three feet deep). 
  With effort, a character can slog across the roadway. 
  (Action; crossing the street is a physical conflict 
  using Failure Ranks, with the street having a Good 
  [+2] Strength Quality; if a character loses the 
  conflict, the street will push him back to his side of 
  origin.) The Street can be easier avoided through the 
  use of Dream Leap or True Flight. Alterations to 
  the nature of this Street can give variety: fracture 
  patterns (Crackup Avenue, mental obstacles), 
  swarming 
  crowds 
  of 
  people 
  (Agoraphobia 
  Boulevard, 
  social 
  obstacles), 
  or 
  fields 
  of 
  overpowering emotion (Lonely Street, emotional 
  obstacles).  
  8 = Box (Concrete) Canyon 
  As the PCs wend their way along the streets, they 
  notice that the surrounding buildings have shifted to 
  surround them: they are now in a box canyon. 
  Behind them, their path has vanished. If a PC has 
  some sort of Notice or Alertness Quality, they have 
  a chance at detecting a door forming in one of the 
  facing buildings. If no one notices the door 
  forming, they will when a Sensitive (DiCasso) and a 
  Zombi (Chang) exit it, loudly discussing deep-sea 
  fishing as if it were of life-and-death importance. 
  They will cross the street, moving towards a blank 
  wall, where the Sensitive will Change Landscape to 
  create a new door. (Learning: Change Landscape; 
  noticing the first door forming is an Expert [11] 
  Difficulty Rank task, and the second is a Good [9] 
  Difficulty Rank task.) 
  Captain DiCasso, Sensitive and Explorer. 
  Expert [+4] Explorer, Good [+2] Swordsman, 
  Poor [-2] Peg-Leg. Type: Good [+2] Sensitive. 
  Personality: Thinker. Virtue: Fortitude. Vice: 
  Avarice. Soul Point Pool: 4 (plus 2 in peg-leg Soul 
  Egg). 
  Chang, Sailing Zombi. Good Sailor [+2], 
  Good [+2] Angler, Poor [-2] Hard of Hearing 
  Type: Good [+2] Zombi. Personality: Thinker. 
  Virtue: Integrity; Vice: Cruelty. Soul Point Pool: 2. 
  9 = Strange Rumblings Around the 
  Corner 
  The PCs hear a loud, grating and grinding noise 
  coming from around the corner. After a beat, they’ll 
  see NPC City folk fleeing ahead of it. Cries of “The 
  Linnet Fracture is on the move!” can be heard. 
  Some NPCs will turn down the street the PCs are 
  standing on. Running pell-mell right at them, they 
  will shoo at the PCs to get out of the way. A beat 
  after that, the Fracture roars around the corner, and 
  thunders right where the PCs were standing. The 
  Fracture looks like a giant, spindle-shaped black 
  worm, chewing through the City streets. (The streets 
  slowly “heal” back together after the Fracture 
  passes, but this takes some time). What do the PCs 
  do? (Action/Reaction; the Fracture moves at Good 
  [+2] speed if a character wishes to outrun it, 
  dodging out of its way is a Good [9] Difficulty Rank 
  physical task, and characters who fall into the 
  Fracture reappear in a different part of the City (if 
  more than one fell in, they all appear in different 
  parts of the City).) 
  10 = Whispers from the Grates 
  Walking past a sewer grate, the PCs hear, “Psst! 
  Down here.” A humanoid figure – probably female, 
  but maybe not – hidden in the darkness of the 
  sewer beckons to them. “Hey, want to collect some 
  quick essence? I’ll give you each some juice if you 
  deliver a package for me; half up front, and the rest 
  after you deliver it.” If the PCs say no, the voice 
  thanks them and seems to go away. If the PCs 
  agree, a gloved hand will reach out of the grate and 
  pass them a dove-grey envelope with the name 
  “Lady Violet” written on it in elegant script. Then 
  she’ll pass to each of them a pale lavender marble – 
  a Soul Point. “Get this into the Indigo Tower. The 
  password for the butler is ‘Clio and Isis.’ Thanks! 
  And come back here afterward so I can give you the 
  other half of your payment.”  
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  107 
  This is Lady Violet’s Shadow, who wishes to get a 
  spy into the Indigo Tower. If the PCs take the 
  Envelope to the Indigo Tower, see Scene SW3. (If 
  the PCs accept the commission and partial payment, 
  but throw away the Envelope or otherwise refuse to 
  deliver it, ask why. If motivated out of concern for 
  Lady Violet, they should get Cultivation Ticks; if 
  motivated by the flash and dazzle of “free Soul 
  Points,” they should get Decay Ticks.)  
  If the Envelope is opened, PCs will see a tiny Tulpa 
  with huge ears and little bird’s wings crouching 
  within. It will squeak in fright, and try to fly away. 
  The Shadow has no intention of paying the 
  characters further, even if they do complete the 
  mission. (Action/Reaction, Interaction; possible 
  Avarice Checks.) 
  Envelope Tulpa, Spy for Lady Violet’s 
  Shadow. Expert [+4] Hearing, Expert [+4] 
  Sneaky, Average [0] Flight. Type: Average [0] 
  Tulpa. Soul Point Pool: 1. 
  Lady Violet’s Shadow. Use Lady Violet’s stats 
  from SW3, with these changes: Type: Good [+2] 
  Mage’s Shadow; use of Imago, Shadow, and 
  Nemesis Abilities (see Chapter 5) at Good [+2] 
  Rank; Personality: Thinker; Soul Point Pool: 5. 
  11 = Magi Combat! 
  A short distance away, the PCs hear screams. They 
  see some people fleeing away (by True Flight, 
  Opening Gates, Dream-Leap, and just plain running 
  hell bent for leather), while others collect into a 
  crowd. “The Mage Henrik is fighting his Shadow!” 
  The sidewalk beneath their feet quivers, and the 
  buildings seem to shrink away. 
  At the center of the knot of people, two men are 
  facing off against one another. They are mirror 
  images of one another: tall, broad, hawk-nosed, with 
  long hair and a beard gathered into a braid. 
  However, one has white hair and beard, and the 
  other has black. The black-bearded man is Henrik; 
  the white-bearded man in his Shadow, and this is 
  clear once the PCs get a good look at both. 
  If they watch the melee (at a distance or close-up), 
  they will see that Henrik is Changing Self to shape 
  his arms into sword and shield, while his Shadow is 
  making his hands into spiked maces. They will wail 
  upon each other merrily, slamming one another into 
  buildings, Dream-leaping to perform wall-runs or 
  flying kicks, Changing Landscape to root the other 
  to the ground, Warding sometimes against the 
  other’s magic, and just generally causing havoc. 
  Then, Henrik’s Shadow picks up a bystander to use 
  as a bludgeon. The question is now, do the PCs get 
  involved? (Note that the PCs’ Shadows will be 
  telling them it’s not a good idea to hang around 
  when Magi are fighting their Shadows...) 
  If the PCs do not get involved, the fight continues with 
  Henrik trying to free the Shadow’s captive and 
  disperse the crowd. While successful, he takes a 
  grievous wound, and is forced to flee, zipping away 
  using True Flight. His Shadow will laugh and give 
  chase. 
  If the PCs do get involved, they become targets of the 
  Shadow’s attacks, even if they are only trying to help 
  clear the scene of innocents. Still, with the PCs as a 
  distraction, Henrik is assured victory, and his 
  Shadow flees. (PCs will accrue relevant Cultivation 
  Ticks for stepping in.) Recall that a Dead Inside 
  who dies becomes a Zombi – and the Shadow will 
  kill with little compunction.  
  After the fight is over, Henrik will Heal the injured 
  and Change Landscape to repair the damage to the 
  street. He will introduce himself to the PCs, thank 
  them for their help, hit on any female PCs, and tell 
  them that he owes them all a favor. If they ever 
  require his assistance, all they need do is send a 
  message to the Whistling Tower. Then, he’ll fly off 
  (to the White Monkey for a beer). 
  A favor from a Mage is a big deal: beyond its 
  immediate or future benefits, it is valuable as a 
  commodity in Spirit World Commerce. The PCs 
  must decide whether to use the favor immediately, 
  save it for a rainy day, or use it in Trade to get 
  things that they need. (Learning: whatever Abilities 
  & Powers are used in the melee and its aftermath; 
  Action/Reaction, 
  Interaction; 
  many 
  Checks 
  possible; entering the combat will be a physical task 
  involving Damage Ranks.] 
  Henrik, Mage of the Whistling Spire. Expert 
  [+4] Brawler, Good [+2] Builder, Average [0] 
  Resilience, Poor [-2] Sucker for the Ladies. Type: 
  Master [+6] Mage. Personality: Lusty Viking Guy. 
  Virtue: Fortitude; Vice: Avarice (especially in the 
  form of lecherous desire). Soul Point Pool: 9 (plus 
  a Soul Egg ring containing 4 Soul Points). 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  108 
  Henrik’s Shadow. Use Henrik’s stats, with 
  these changes: Type: Expert [+4] Mage’s 
  Shadow; use of Imago, Shadow, and Nemesis 
  Abilities (see Chapter 5) at Expert [+4] Rank; 
  Personality: Instinctive; Soul Point Pool: 6. 
  12 = Bodymod Barber 
  The PCs walk past a “barbershop” – complete with 
  red and white pole – with a large front window. The 
  sign reads “Facechangers.” Within, they see a 
  Sensitive (Jane Doe) using Change Other to 
  permanently resculpt the face of a Dead Inside. If 
  they continue to watch, they will see the job 
  completed, and the Dead Inside pay the “barber” 
  with Soul Points (forming in his hands like brightly 
  glowing crystal cubes) or a Rank of Chess-player 
  (appearing as a silvery rook). If PCs want their 
  features altered, this service will cost 6 Soul Points 
  or the equivalent, with half in advance. (Learning: 
  Change Others, Spirit World Commerce.) 
  Jane Doe, Bodysculpting Sensitive. Good 
  Change Others [+2], Good [+2] Sculptor, Good 
  [+2] Flawless Beauty, Poor [-2] Dealing with “Ugly 
  People.” Type: Average [0] Sensitive. Personality: 
  Sensual. Virtue: Courtesy; Vice: Avarice. Soul Point 
  Pool: 7. 
  Bonus Crosstown Traffic 
  If the PCs are starting to get a handle on the Spirit 
  World, the GM can inflict the following Scenes on 
  them, to ramp up the danger factor:  
  − 
  What’s Yours is Mine. On a lonely street, one of 
  the PCs is suddenly attacked by a Dead Inside man 
  (Sullivan), who attempts to use Soultaking on the 
  target! If the PCs can drive Sullivan off without 
  killing him, everybody gains one Cultivation Tick. 
  If they kill him, they lose 1 Soul Point. If they 
  successfully Soultake their Points back, that’s not a 
  Decay Tick. If they take more soul-energy than 
  was stolen from them, that is a Decay Tick. If they 
  cause Sullivan to husk, that’s a lost Soul Point; if 
  they stabilize him before he becomes a Qlippoth, 
  they get some Cultivation Ticks back. 
  If a PC hits zero or begins to husk and the other 
  PCs have no clue what to do, the victim’s Shadow 
  uses Ward to protect their caster and then spends 
  a Shadow Point to “stabilize” him. (After this, the 
  PC’s Shadow will be mute and unable to offer 
  further power until the PC loses a Soul Point to 
  Decay or Improves his Type Rank; Learning: Heal, 
  Soultaking, 
  and 
  Ward; 
  Action/Reaction, 
  Interaction; Fortitude or Cowardice Checks 
  possible here.)  
  Sullivan, Dead Inside Soul-thief. Average [+2] 
  Construction 
  Worker, 
  Good 
  [+2] 
  Strong. 
  Personality: Strong & Silent Type. Type: Poor [-2] 
  Dead Inside. Virtue: Fortitude; Vice: Avarice. Soul 
  Point Pool: 0. 
  − 
  Qlippoth! A Qlippoth appears, causing the few 
  passersby on the street to cry out warnings. All of 
  the NPCs use their Ward ability, and the Qlippoth 
  bounces between these protections like a pinball. 
  Then, as if he’s caught their scent, the Qlippoth 
  points himself in the PCs’ direction and springs to 
  attack. If the PCs manage to Ward themselves in 
  time, the Qlippoth will focus on another Dead 
  Inside NPC – notably Barry (from #5), who hasn’t 
  learned how to use the Ward Ability, despite 
  having watched an entire street full of people use 
  it. 
  NOTE - Remember that Qlippoth lose the 
  first few Soul Points they steal to the Void, 
  and also emit a constant wail. They take 
  damage from physical attacks, but they also 
  can take damage from certain Abilities (see 
  Chapter 5). 
  The Qlippoth. Good [+2] Stockbroker, Good 
  [+2] Fast-Talk, Poor [-2] Sight. Type: Average [0] 
  Living Qlippoth. 
   
  Skeleton Attachment Point(s). Learning/Exploration Scene, 
  Action/Reaction Scene, or Interaction Scene, depending 
  on events. 
  Scene Link In. SW1, SW2, SW2a, SW2b, SW3, SW4, or 
  another Crosstown Traffic Scene. 
  Objective(s)? Various. 
  Obstacle(s)? Various. 
  Action. Various. 
  Interaction. Various. 
  Magical Mystery Tour. Every Various. 
  Deep Thoughts. Various. 
  Possible Virtue & Vice Checks. Various. 
  End on a High Note? Crosstown Traffic Scenes should 
  probably not be used to pause the Scenario between 
  Sessions. 
  Scene Link Out. SW2, SW2a, SW2b, SW3, SW4, another 
  Crosstown 
  Traffic 
  Scene, 
  or 
  Quaternity 
  Keep, 
  depending on the PCs’ destination. 
   
  
   
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  109 
  SET-PIECE SCENES 
  Set-piece Scenes are indicated as squares on the 
  Skeleton; but GMs should feel free to design and 
  insert their own.  
  SW2: Meeting the Guide 
  Situation. After speaking to their Shadow (in SW1) 
  or Lady Violet (in SW3), the PCs should know who 
  their Guide is. Determined by Personality type (Evie 
  for Instinctive; Mary for Empathic; Manny for 
  Sensual; and Trader Nick for Thoughful; or closest 
  match), the Guides will serve as Imagos to set each 
  PC a task to perform, to help them get on with 
  fixing their soul. 
  (Use the descriptions of these NPCs and their 
  associated locations from Chapter 2; some further 
  characterization appears below, but the information 
  in Chapter 2 covers most of the bases. GMs can feel 
  free to stat these NPCs up, but since they are 
  serving in a purely instructive mode, this may not be 
  necessary.) 
  After each of the selected Guides speaks one of 
  “their” charges for a short time, they will know that 
  they are to serve as Guide for them. Their eyes will 
  begin to twinkle and shine with Imago power, and 
  they will take on an appropriate Imago role for the 
  situation, the PC’s needs, and their particular 
  characterization (Father, Mother, Child, Wise Old, 
  Anima/Animus, Trickster, etc.). They will know the 
  details of the PC’s Soul Loss and Discovery, as well 
  as their Personality type, Virtue, and Vice. From the 
  below list, they will set a Task (see SW2a for more 
  details) for the PC that seems conducive to growth; 
  and will provide simple directions for the PC to get 
  there (“west a block, north three blocks”). 
  Attempting the Task will garner Ticks depending 
  upon how the PC approaches them; successful 
  completion of the Task is worth an additional Soul 
  Point. 
  For a random Task, roll 2d6; otherwise, select one 
  or the GM can make up his own. Scene type, 
  possible Checks, Difficulty Ranks, and other 
  information are listed in [square brackets]; stat 
  blocks for named NPCs appear at the end of each 
  section. 
   
  Tasks 
  (See also SW2a.) 
  2 = “Go to the Fountain of Tears, and do what must be done.” 
  3 = “Play a game with the Troll under Moly Bridge.” 
  4 = “Stand on the green paving stone, and wait.” 
  5 = “Go down the Alley of Bones and open the chest you find 
  there.” 
  6 = “You are hungry. Go to the Plaza of Sand, and avail 
  yourself of the kindhearted. Bring back a round loaf.” 
  7 = “Carry glory across Quicksand Street. Return when glory 
  rises.” 
  8 = “Find the Quiet Oak, and speak to the being with no 
  mouth.” 
  9 = “Find the wall that obstructs your path. Climb it. Bring 
  back the blue brick.” 
  10 = “Visit Half-Blind Tom in his box; it’s in Cold Alley. Choose 
  wisely.” 
  11 = “Wait on the Corner of Paragon Avenue and Truth Way. 
  Hold your tongue until the Moon appears.”  
  12 = “Determine the truth of the matter at the House of Dusk.” 
   
  Skeleton Attachment Point(s). Learning/Exploration Scene, 
  Interaction Scene. 
  Scene Link In. Crosstown Traffic. 
  Objective(s)? Meet Guide and get Task. 
  Interaction. With Guide and other PCs. 
  Magical Mystery Tour. Imagos; Soul Points. 
  Deep Thoughts. Discussion of Task (SW2a). 
  End on a High Note? Can be used as session break, either 
  before or immediately after the Task is set. 
  Scene Link Out. SW2a. 
   
  SW2a: The Task 
  Situation. The PC will proceed to complete the 
  Task set by their Guide. If they successfully 
  complete the Task, the Guide gives them a Soul 
  Point. Below are the details on each: 
  2 = “Go to the Fountain of Tears, and do what 
  must be done.” 
  Kneeling in front of the Fountain of Tears, a man is 
  flickering – he looks normal one moment, then 
  turns utter black the next. He is husking, becoming 
  a Qlippoth (use Sullivan from the Bonus Crosstown 
  Traffic). At the end of the Scene, he will be a 
  monster. The question for this Task is how the PC 
  interprets “do what must be done.” The PC’s 
  Shadow may pop up here, whispering “Run away!” 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  110 
  or “Kill it!”; whichever the Shadow thinks is the 
  smarter course for survival for the PC. (Ticks 
  awarded depending upon the why of what the PC 
  tries to do. If the PC uses the Heal Power on 
  Sullivan or just gives him some Soul Points, he’ll 
  regain the spent soul-blood, plus some Cultivation 
  Ticks. If the PC uses another Ability to eliminate 
  the Qlippoth, this is worth a few Cultivation Ticks. 
  If the PC runs, they gain a Decay Tick. If the PC 
  kills the man before he fully husks, he loses a Soul 
  Point.) 
  3 = “Play a game with the Troll under Moly 
  Bridge.” 
  Under Moly Bridge lives a Troll who loves games – 
  all sorts of games. It knows them all (at Average [0] 
  Quality Rank), no matter how obscure. “Choose 
  your game, and choose your stakes. What will you 
  risk for the chance to win back double?” it rumbles. 
  A manifestation of the Trickster, it will play any 
  game – craps, poker, Monopoly, bridge, chess, 
  riddles, etc. – against the PC, and match any bet 
  made 
  (including 
  money, 
  food, 
  possessions, 
  information, Soul Points, Quality Ranks, and so 
  forth). Games should be abstracted as mental 
  conflict using Failure Ranks. 
  The core of this Task is what the PC is willing to 
  gamble. (The Troll will indeed match any bet, and if 
  it loses, it will hand over the PC’s winnings, 
  whatever they are. But if it wins, it will collect the 
  stake from the PC without a second thought, 
  diminishing him. The real winners of the game 
  against the Troll are those who decide to play for 
  the joy of playing – win or lose, they will receive a 
  Soul Point in return for simply having fun.) 
  4 = “Stand on the green paving stone, and 
  wait.” 
  As the PC stands on the stone, it will levitate up 
  into the air, alongside a skyscraper. The platform 
  will come to rest next to a lever jutting from the 
  wall that is connected to a rope. The rope leads over 
  to the next building, where it is tied to a pipe which 
  is propping up a balcony. If the lever is pulled, the 
  prop will fall out, and the balcony will collapse. 
  On the balcony is a party, full of shiny, happy 
  people. They are rich, powerful, full of soul-energy, 
  in love, eating well, established and respected in 
  their profession (which is that of the PC), and 
  basically have everything the PC has ever wanted. 
  The lever seems to beckon, begging to be pulled, to 
  punish those that have what the PC does not. 
  Does the PC pull the lever? (This is a Cruelty or 
  Avarice Vice Check of Average [7] Difficulty; see 
  Chapter 5. If the PC fails the Check, they pull the 
  lever, sending all those illusory people to their 
  deaths, and may gain more Ticks from their post-
  facto reactions.) 
  After a decision is made to pull or not to pull, the 
  platform descends, and the PC may return to the 
  Guide. 
  5 = “Go down the Alley of Bones and open the 
  chest you find there.” 
  Inside the chest is a skeleton curled around a crown 
  of ruby-studded gold. It glistens and glows, 
  demanding to be removed and held. It seems to 
  promise power, fame, and wealth. What does the 
  PC do? (This is an Avarice Vice Check of Average 
  [7] Difficulty; see Chapter 5. If the PC fails the 
  Check, they take the crown, which burns their 
  fingers and starts to turn them skeletal. This sparks 
  physical conflict; the crown has an Average [0] 
  Stickiness Rank. If the PC loses the conflict, he 
  holds onto the crown and takes Damage Ranks. 
  This continues until he drops the crown or dies. 
  Assign other Ticks for the PC’s intent and 
  roleplaying.) 
  6 = “You are hungry. Go to the Plaza of Sand, 
  and avail yourself of the kindhearted. Bring 
  back a round loaf.” 
  The PC is struck by a ravenous hunger before he 
  gets to the breadline in the Plaza of Sand. There is 
  filling soup and a selection of rolls – square, 
  triangular, and rectangular, but no round loaves. A 
  bowl of the soup takes the edge off, but the PC is 
  still hungry, and there seems to be plenty of victuals 
  left. Does the PC go back for more? (This is a 
  Despair Vice Check of Average [7] Difficulty. If 
  they fail, they eat. If they succeed, they return their 
  bowl. Assign other Ticks for the PC’s intent as 
  detailed in Chapter 5.) 
  Getting a round loaf is a little tricky – again, there 
  weren’t any left. However, a few of the starving folk 
  here have round loaves. Can the PC get one from 
  them? (If they can do so without harm, they gain 
  Cultivation Ticks. If they steal, threaten, strike, trick, 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  111 
  or otherwise harm to acquire the loaf, Decay Ticks 
  should be assigned.) 
  7 = “Carry glory across Quicksand Street. 
  Return when glory rises.” 
  (See above, Crosstown Traffic, #7.) When the PC 
  approaches Quicksand Street, he sees numerous 
  pedestrians attempting to cross. Lined up along the 
  sidewalk – next to queued up people waiting their 
  turn or looking for help in crossing – are a number 
  of objects (a sword, a harp, a laurel wreath, and a 
  gold star.) If the PC selects one of these objects and 
  carries it across the street (a physical conflict using 
  Failure Ranks, with the street having a Good [+2] 
  Strength), they can earn a Cultivation Tick. 
  However, they will know the task isn’t done, since 
  the object doesn’t rise; furthermore, they should be 
  considered to be in Continuing Danger (see Chapter 
  4). Thus, they must go back and select again, 
  hopefully before they collapse from exhaustion.  
  At this point, there are only a couple people waiting 
  to cross the street. If the PC takes another object 
  across, they get another Tick. . . but aren’t finished 
  yet, since the object doesn’t rise. This time, there is 
  only one elderly woman waiting to cross – she looks 
  very frail, and a little scared. Her name is Gloria. 
  (Carrying Gloria across the Street will act as a 
  Downshift on whichever Quality the PC is using in 
  the physical conflict. When Gloria is deposited on 
  the opposite sidewalk, she begins to float up into 
  the air.) 
  If a character does collapse from exhaustion, they 
  will see Gloria look at them sadly, then walk across 
  the street under her own power, and rise when she 
  reaches the other side. 
  8 = “Find the Quiet Oak, and speak to the 
  being with no mouth.” 
  In a small plaza grows the Quiet Oak, and under it 
  stands an elderly robed figure with no mouth. If the 
  PC is male, the figure is female, and vice-versa. This 
  is a manifestation of the Wise Old, Crone or 
  Greybeard. It will hold up its hands: in one an 
  orange flame will burn, in the other, a purple flame. 
  The figure will ask the PC, in a voice which rustles 
  from the Quiet Oak’s leaves, “Which is stronger, 
  love or hate?” No matter what the answer – 
  including “I don’t know” or “They’re the same” – 
  given, the Wise Old will ask a follow-up: “Why?” 
  This is the real heart of the Task. The GM must 
  evaluate the answer to “Why?” in terms of the PC’s 
  characterization and personal growth. (If the PC 
  answers in a manner consistent with his previously 
  determined character, he gets Cultivation Ticks. If 
  the PC answers in a manner indicating growth, 
  change, or adaptation as a character, he should get a 
  full Soul Point. If the PC answers flippantly or with 
  what he thinks the Imago wants to hear, no Ticks 
  are gained.) 
  9 = “Find the wall that obstructs your path. 
  Climb it. Bring back the blue brick.” 
  A red brick wall will grow up out of the sidewalk, 
  right in the PC’s way. The bricks are unevenly 
  mortared, so it’s a fairly easy climb. However, it 
  keeps growing. (This is a physical conflict – a race – 
  using Failure Ranks to represent lost ground in 
  climbing. Compare the PC’s Climbing or Athletics 
  Quality against the wall’s Average [0] Grow Quality. 
  If the PC wins the conflict, they crest the wall, and 
  gain a Cultivation Tick. If the PC loses the conflict, 
  they will take 1d6 Damage Ranks from falling off, 
  and the wall is now Expert [11] Difficulty Rank to 
  climb.) 
  In the center of the top row of bricks is a blue one, 
  which sits there unmortared. Before the PC can take 
  the brick and begin the climb down, they hear 
  sudden, loud cheeping coming from nearby. A little 
  exploration shows that the blue brick is holding a 
  birdhouse full of tiny birds against the other side of 
  the wall. Removing the brick would send them all 
  falling to their deaths. How does the PC manage to 
  take the blue brick, climb down the wall, and return 
  to his Guide, without killing the birds or himself? 
  (Any answer that allows the PC to take the blue 
  brick and leave the birdhouse safely up on the wall 
  garners 2 Cultivation Ticks. Keeping the birds safe 
  in any other way is worth a Cultivation Tick. If the 
  PC refuses to take the brick because it would harm 
  the birds, when he climbs down, it will appear at the 
  bottom of the wall for removal. Allowing the birds 
  to come to harm is a Decay Tick, and the brick will 
  crumble when the PC reaches the ground.) 
  10 = “Visit Half-Blind Tom in his box; it’s in 
  Cold Alley. Choose wisely.” 
  Half-Blind Tom – one eye clear and green, the other 
  cloudy and white – lives in a cardboard box in Cold 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  112 
  Alley. He will invite the PC in gravely, and make 
  room for him to sit. This is the Father Imago, 
  urging spiritual growth. Tom will ask the PC, in 
  stentorian tones, “Which is wiser, light or dark?” 
  No matter what the answer given is (including “I 
  don’t know” or “They’re the same”), Tom will ask a 
  follow-up question (and this is the real nub of this 
  Task): “Why?” 
  This is the real heart of the Task. The GM must 
  evaluate the answer to “Why?” in terms of the PC’s 
  characterization and personal growth. (If the PC 
  answers in a manner consistent with his previously 
  determined character, he gets Cultivation Ticks. If 
  the PC answers in a manner indicating growth, 
  change, or adaptation as a character, he should get a 
  full Soul Point. If the PC answers flippantly or with 
  what he thinks the Imago wants to hear, no Ticks 
  are gained.) 
  11 = “Wait on the Corner of Paragon Avenue 
  and Truth Way. Hold your tongue until the 
  Moon appears.”  
  At the Corner of two muddy streets, the PC must 
  wait. There will be a lot of foot traffic, and even 
  some vehicles and riding beasts. After a short time, 
  the character will be splashed with mud from a 
  passing carriage. All of the passersby will laugh; 
  indeed, people will come out of the woodwork to 
  jeer at them. Some may even approach to ask the 
  time, start up a conversation, hit on the character, or 
  even try to start a fight. (After a time, a café with a 
  crescent moon on its sign – “Luna Espresso” –  will 
  rotate around the corner, and the streets will empty.) 
  Why do the characters do? How long do they wait? 
  The GM should play this scene carefully, and decide 
  if they want to play it for suspense or mystery: 
  Suspense. The GM avoids all mention of moons or 
  moon-related objects, words, or characters, and also 
  gives the character the feeling that they are being 
  watched and tested by the pedestrians. 
  Mystery. The GM constantly mentions moons and 
  moon-related objects, words, or characters, giving a 
  plethora of lunar options for the character to pick 
  between. 
  The PC has some choices:  
  a) 
  Remain silent, without complaint. If they can 
  eschew speaking until the café appears, they 
  gain Cultivation Ticks.  
  b) Laugh at themselves. If they do this, they 
  immediately gain a Soul Point, and the café 
  appears. 
  c) 
  Respond to the passersby. No Ticks accrued, and 
  the café appears. (Guide will not grant a Soul 
  Point upon their return, but set a new Task.) 
  d) Leave before the Moon appears. Gain a Decay 
  Tick. 
  e) 
  Stand on the corner and physically grasp their tongue 
  with their fingers. They gain a Cultivations Tick, 
  plus any extra for their responses to 
  pedestrians that make fun of them, and the 
  café appears. 
   
  12 = “Determine the truth of the matter at the 
  House of Dusk.” 
  The House of Dusk is part-brothel, part-church. 
  Run by the beautiful Helen, a Tantric Priestess and 
  Sensitive, it offers exploration of and healing from – 
  as well as wild abandon to and profligate excess in – 
  sexual issues. Standing outside the Sunset Door are 
  Helen and Mrs. Bluestocking (a Sensitive of iron 
  will), who have gotten into an argument about lust 
  versus chastity. Mrs. Bluestocking argues that 
  passion is selfish and egotistical; Helen counters that 
  passion connects two people into one, and that 
  purity is too afraid of contamination to reach out to 
  another. Mrs. Bluestocking parries this by claiming 
  that the self-control of chastity means that one can 
  get dirty without wallowing in the mud. In this 
  increasingly loud discussion, it becomes clear that 
  when one side is defending itself, it makes sense, 
  but when it attacks the other, it becomes outrageous 
  and absurd. [These NPCs are manifesting different 
  aspects of the Anima; for a female PC, replace them 
  with Adonis, Tantric Priest, and Mr. Bluestocking.) 
  The pair will turn and ask the PC two questions 
  simultaneously. Helen: “Which is better, passion or 
  phobia?” Mrs. Bluestocking: “Which is better, 
  control or chaos?” No matter what the answer given 
  is, the two will respond, as if with one voice (and 
  this is the real nub of this Task): “Why?” 
  This is the real heart of the Task. The GM must 
  evaluate the answer to “Why?” in terms of the PC’s 
  characterization and personal growth. (If the PC 
  answers in a manner consistent with his previously 
  determined character, he gets Cultivation Ticks. If 
  the PC answers in a manner indicating growth, 
  change, or adaptation as a character, he should get a 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  113 
  full Soul Point. If the PC can satisfy both NPCs with 
  his answer, he should get an additional Soul Point. 
  If the PC answers flippantly or with what he thinks 
  the Imago wants to hear, no Ticks are gained.) 
  If the PC decided “against” one of the pair, the 
  NPC will turn around and walk off in a huff, while 
  the NPC decided “for” will hand the PC a flower 
  (white for Chastity, red for Passion), which will 
  evaporate into the earned Soul Point. If both are 
  satisfied, they each hand the PC a flower. 
   
  Skeleton Attachment Point(s). Learning/Exploration Scene, 
  Action/Reaction Scene, Interaction Scene. 
  Scene Link In. SW2. 
  Objective(s)? Complete the Task that has been set. 
  Obstacle(s)? See above. 
  Action. See above. 
  Interaction. See above. 
  Magical Mystery Tour. Imago stuff, bigtime. 
  Deep Thoughts. See above. 
  Possible Virtue & Vice Checks. See above. 
  A Moment to Shine? For Which PC? The PC whose Task it 
  is.  
  Planning & Resource Management. Some of the Tasks could 
  involve some planning and resource management. 
  Continuity Clean-up? NPCs from previous Scenes could 
  make an appearance as bystanders or participants in 
  these Tasks. 
  Scene Link Out. SW2b. 
   
  SW2b: Return to the Guide 
  Situation. After completing their Task, the PC 
  should return to their Guide. The Guide will ask 
  them to tell it (and the other PCs) about what 
  happened, and what they thought about it. After 
  discussion of the Task and its result, the Guide will 
  explain a few things: 
  1) How to Improve their Type Rank (“In a safe 
  place, concentrate on filling yourself with this soul-
  blood, and smoothing out your cracks...”). 
  2) How much more soul-blood the PC needs to 
  ensoul. 
  3) When they have the necessary amount, they must 
  go to the front gate of Quaternity Keep in the 
  center of the City, pass through the Maze, and 
  enter the Chapel. 
  4) If the PC’s soul still exists (from Soul Loss types 
  of Stolen, Sold, Hid & Lost), they will be told: “If 
  you leave your soul in the wrong hands, you could 
  suffer for it later, because if someone holds your 
  Soul Egg, they can do magic on you much easier. 
  And the people who’ll keep another’s Soul Egg 
  from them ain’t the sort of folks you want with 
  that kind of power.” (Freely given Soul Points in 
  Spirit World Commerce do not have this effect, 
  since the giver is knowingly relinquishing that soul-
  energy in return for something, unlike the mostly 
  unsuspecting Soul Sold type of Soul Loss). 
  5) If the PC’s soul does not exist, they will be urged 
  to grow their own (see SW4, The Quest) or help 
  others to grow their own – a harder and longer 
  path, but more satisfying. They can do this by 
  helping their comrades (if there are PCs with 
  extant souls Egged somewhere). 
  6) The Guide might point the PC to a new Guide to 
  attempt another Task and see a little more of the 
  City. 
  7) Finally, the PC may ask his Guide one question, 
  about anything. 
  After the question is answered, the Guide will send 
  the PCs on their way. 
  Skeleton Attachment Point(s). Learning/Exploration Scene, 
  Interaction Scene. 
  Scene Link In. Crosstown Traffic. 
  Objective(s)? Get information on Quest (SW4) and 
  ensoulment (Quaternity Keep). 
  Interaction. With the Guide and other PCs and NPCs. 
  Deep 
  Thoughts. 
  Discussion 
  of 
  Task 
  and 
  philosophical/moral ramifications of situation. 
  End on a High Note? This is a good Scene to end a 
  Session at, with safety and accomplishment. 
  Scene Link Out. Crosstown Traffic. 
   
  SW3: Lady Violet 
  Situation. The PCs finally come to Tower Row, the 
  Magi neighborhood. Fantastic building surround 
  them, reaching to the sky in a hundred different 
  forms. Still, they can easily pick out the Indigo 
  Tower: ten stories high, hung with lavender and 
  violet bunting, a cylinder of smooth purple marble. 
  A ring of large windows circles the top, reflecting 
  light. Up three steps is the painted wooden door 
  with a brass lilac knocker. 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  114 
   
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  115 
  If the PCs knock, a tall Tulpa (Horace) will answer 
  the door. Dressed in a purple tailcoat and bottle-
  green pants, this creature looks nearly human... 
  except for the fact that its nose covers more than 
  half its face. “Yeeees?” it asks, unctuously. 
  Unless the password (“Clio and Isis”) is given, 
  Horace will make the PCs wait on the stoop while 
  he tells Lady Violet that she has visitors, unless they 
  successfully out-debate him (a social conflict 
  situation using Failure Ranks) in a genteel manner 
  on the necessity of their mission. If the PCs win the 
  argument, they are allowed into the Foyer. If they 
  lose, they are left on the steps. If the password is 
  given, they are conducted through the Foyer into 
  the Parlor, immediately. 
  The Foyer. Save for the numerous vases holding 
  purple flowers from both Worlds, this is a 
  completely empty room, patterned in woods. There 
  are two exits: the door to the street and an archway 
  into the parlor. 
  The Parlor. This room looks much like a typical 
  Fifties living room, with the following alterations:  
  − 
  All the furniture is in shades of purple, blue, or 
  green. 
  − 
  The windows look out ten stories over the shifting 
  City (despite the fact the PCs climbed only 3 stairs, 
  and can look back to see the street entrance). 
  − 
  Movie posters are the only artwork. 
  − 
  There’s a state-of-the-art home theater system and 
  flat-screen TV (enchanted; blindingly obvious to 
  Second Sight). 
   
  After a few minutes of waiting, Horace will 
  announce Lady Violet, who currently looks 
  remarkably like a young Elizabeth Taylor (think 
  Butterfield 8), though her voice has the deep, “2 pack 
  a day” sultriness of Kathleen Turner.  “You have a 
  message for me?” she’ll ask in a non-nonsense 
  fashion. 
  If the PCs deliver the message from Madame 
  Lupino (from RW2), Lady Violet will thank them. 
  “In return for this service, you may each ask me a 
  question, or I can tell you something you should 
  know.” She’ll also offer extra details to make sure 
  the PCs understand their choice. (If they deny 
  needing payment, give them a Cultivation Tick in 
  Generosity, but the Lady simply repeats the offer, 
  more firmly until they accept.) She can answer any 
  single question, except that she will not give any 
  information on the Green Feathers (see RW1, 
  boxed text. “Some information is too dangerous for 
  you to know. Ask something else.”). 
  Some things that Lady Violet can tell the PCs that 
  they need to know include: 
  − 
  The name of the PC’s Guide (see SW1 and SW2), 
  if they don’t already know it. 
  − 
  That they could benefit by seeking a Quest (see 
  SW4). 
  − 
  The details of Improvement and ensoulment. 
  − 
  The nature of Imagos. 
  − 
  An Ability or Power they haven’t yet learned. 
   
  NOTE - If the PCs have the Envelope from the 
  Crosstown Traffic event “Whispers from the Grates,” 
  Horace’s nose will begin to twitch and he will start 
  sniffing loudly. If told there is a letter for Lady Violet, he 
  will ask for the password. Once given, he will place the 
  Envelope on a silver salver, sneeze, and take it to Lady 
  Violet while the PCs wait. If the PCs do not know the 
  password, he will leave it on the stoop, with them. If the 
  PCs manage to get inside, once Horace leaves, the 
  Envelope Tulpa (see “Whispers from the Grates” for 
  stats) will quietly slide out of the missive and go hide 
  somewhere (noticing this is conflict between the Tulpa’s 
  Expert [+4] Sneaky Quality and any detection Quality). 
  After this, if the PCs deliver the Envelope, it will prove 
  to be empty, and Lady Violet will not be as friendly... 
  unless the PCs have sighted, captured, or volunteer the 
  provenance of the Envelope Tulpa to her. 
  If the PCs hand over the Envelope from “Whispers 
  from the Grates” (and have not caught the Tulpa or told 
  Lady Violet where they got it beforehand), Lady Violet 
  will open the envelope and her face will darken. If she’s 
  already offered to answer a question or tell something 
  important, she will not renege, but she will also not go 
  into great detail in her replies. If she hasn’t offered, she 
  will not now. 
  After the message(s) are delivered, the questions 
  asked, and the knowledge bequeathed, Lady Violet 
  will ask Horace to show them to the door. She will 
  wish them all luck with their ensoulment (if 
  necessary, through gritted teeth). 
  GMs should note if the PCs made Lady Violet an 
  ally or an enemy; this may come back to rescue or 
  haunt them (respectively) in future adventures. 
  Horace, Tulpa Butler. Good [+2] Butler, Average 
  [0] Smell Truth, Average [0] Smell Danger. Type: 
  Good [+2] Tulpa. Soul Point Pool: 3. 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  116 
  Lady Violet, Mage and Movie Buff. Good [+2] 
  Intriguing, Good [+2] Movie Lore, Poor [-2] Hot-
  tempered. Type: Expert [+4] Mage. Personality: 
  Instinctive. Virtue: Courtesy. Vice: Cruelty. Soul Point 
  Pool: 8. 
  Skeleton Attachment Point(s). Interaction Scene. 
  Scene Link In. SW2a. 
  Objective(s)? Deliver message(s) to Lady Violet. 
  Obstacle(s)? Horace’s disbelief. 
  Interaction. With Horace and Lady Violet. 
  Magical Mystery Tour. Lots of magic – it’s a Mage’s home! 
  Continuity Clean-up? Could link in the Green Feathers, 
  Lady Violet’s Shadow, etc. 
  End on a High Note? Can work as a session break. 
  Scene Link Out. Crosstown Traffic. 
   
  SW4: The Quest 
  NOTE - This Scene can – and probably should – be 
  telescoped out into its own Scenario. The rough outline 
  of the situation is found below; GMs should feel free to 
  flesh it out as they see fit (perhaps as a focused practice 
  for designing their own Scenarios). 
  Situation. Someone – either a Guide, Lady Violet, 
  or an Imago (probably a PC’s Anima or Animus) – 
  sets the PCs to a cooperative task. 
  “Aristotle’s definition of happiness is ‘The exercise of 
  vital powers along lines of excellence in a life affording 
  them scope.’ Now that you are within the Spirit World, 
  you have a life affording you scope. To grow further, you 
  must exercise your vital powers along lines of 
  excellence. Pool your strengths and build something 
  greater than you could individually.” 
  The point of this Scene is that the PCs should sit 
  down and discuss in-character what each of them 
  are good at (their Strengths), and try to come up 
  with a way to use all of them together to accomplish 
  something. The possibilities are endless. 
  This is a very player-directed Scene: it puts all the 
  power in the hands of the PCs. They make all the 
  decisions, arrange all the situations, and do all the 
  work. This is the PCs time to develop new pieces of 
  setting for their Diverse. While the GM might want 
  to offer suggestions or hints, he should really 
  control that impulse as much as possible, unless the 
  players are totally at a loss.  
  The GM should evaluate the idea and its execution 
  (be kind, and allow the PCs stretch the limits of 
  what their Qualities encompass, provided it’s a 
  sincere attempt to fit their talents together). Then, 
  the GM should provide NPCs or arbitration on how 
  the strategy pans out. Once they have laid out a plan 
  and successfully tried it (at least one time), they each 
  receive a Soul Point, in addition to any Ticks gained 
  through its performance. 
  Example: Using the example PCs from Chapter 5, their 
  collected Strengths is: 
  1. 
  (Mel) Wealth, Plumber, Youthful Indiscretions;  
  2. 
  (Vina) Computer Programmer, Geek, Karate;  
  3. 
  (Henri) 
  College 
  Sociology 
  Prof, 
  Dancer, 
  Conversationalist; and 
  4. 
  (Ryan) Firefighter, “Irish,” Family History, Buddies 
  in the Department. 
  This group of characters needs to come up with something 
  that can utilize at least one of their Strengths each. Anything 
  they come up with is fair game; if the use of a Quality is a 
  stretch, it’s marked with a (?). Some ideas might be: 
  − 
  Open a Friendly Neighborhood Bar. Wealth, 
  Computer Programmer (?), Conversationalist, and 
  “Irish.” 
  − 
  Found 
  a 
  City 
  Fire 
  Company. 
  Plumber, 
  Computer Programmer, College Sociology Prof (?), 
  and Firefighter. 
  − 
  Aid and Assist Newly-Arrived Dead Inside to 
  the City. Youthful Indiscretions, Geek (?), College 
  Sociology Prof, Buddies in the Department (?). 
  Skeleton Attachment Point(s). Various. 
  Scene Link In. Crosstown Traffic (preferably after SW2b 
  or SW3). 
  Objective(s)? Create something.. 
  Obstacle(s)? Figuring out what they can do that 
  incorporates at least one of each of the PCs’ Strengths. 
  Interaction. The other PCs. 
  Deep Thoughts. What can I contribute? 
  A Moment to Shine? For Which PC? Each PC should have 
  at least one way to shine in this Quest in a way the 
  supplements and support their comrades: that’s the 
  point. 
  Planning & Resource Management. The whole Scene is 
  about coming up with a plan on how to use their talents, 
  knowledge, and resources. 
  End on a High Note? Provided that the PCs will come 
  back to the plan generated, once it’s been formulated 
  and tested, that should be a good place to pause. 
  Scene Link Out. Crosstown Traffic. 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  117 
  ENDGAME SCENES 
  Three Endgame Scenes are indicated as grayed-in, 
  rounded rectangles; these are directly linked 
  together, and serve as the climax of the 
  Introductory Scenario.  The Quaternity Keep scene 
  should only occur when at least one character has 
  accumulated enough Soul Points to ImproVe their 
  Type Rank or Ensoul.  
  Quaternity Keep 
  Situation. Sent to the front gate of Quaternity Keep 
  to begin their ensoulment, the PCs will see Mary 
  standing and waiting (see SW2 and Chapter 2 for 
  more information). The tall black stone walls seem 
  to loom over them, gleaming in the light, fixed in 
  the City, solid and heavy.  
  Mary will look at each PC and ask, “Ready?” If the 
  PC does not have the necessary Type Ranks and 
  Soul Points to ensoul (Master [+6] Rank in Dead 
  Inside and at least one Soul Point – see Chapter 4), 
  she’ll reply to their response – whatever it is – with 
  “Not ready,” and refuse to admit them. However, if 
  they have enough to Improve their Type Rank, she 
  may set a Task (see SW2, SW2a, and SW2b) or 
  otherwise instruct them on how to make that 
  change to themselves. 
  If they do have the prerequisites, she’ll grunt, 
  “Ready,” and open the gate. (If an unready PC 
  sneaks past her through trickery or use of physical 
  force, that’s a Decay Tick, and they cannot get 
  through the Maze. Period.) 
  Before letting the PCs enter the Keep and the Maze, 
  she will offer the following pieces of advice: “Virtue 
  is its own reward. Go to the Chapel. Sit quietly. Do 
  what must be done. Good luck.” Then she will 
  stand aside for those who are ready and block those 
  who are not.  
  Skeleton 
  Attachment 
  Point(s). 
  Entry 
  Scene, 
  Learning/Exploration 
  Scene, 
  Interaction 
  Scene, 
  Endgame Scene. 
  Scene Link In. SW4 or Crosstown Traffic. 
  Objective(s)? Enter the Maze. 
  Interaction. With Mary. 
  Planning & Resource Management. DO the PCs have 
  enough points to ensoul? 
  End on a High Note? Not a good place to pause the 
  Scenario, since it’s so close to the end. 
  Scene Link Out. The Maze. 
   
  The Maze 
  Threading the Maze. If the PCs take Mary’s 
  advice (from Quaternity Keep), it may make finding a 
  way through the Maze simpler. Then again, it may 
  just be confusing. C’est la vie.  
  Every PC – and every player – must thread the 
  Maze alone. The GM may want to take each player 
  aside from the gaming group for this Scene. 
  In essence, the Maze measures a character’s self-
  realization as it relates to his Virtues and Vices. A 
  PC must select at least 3 correct passages to arrive at 
  Tenemos Chapel. If he fails to do this, he must start 
  again at the beginning. 
  The GM can read this to the player, replacing [X] 
  and [Y] with the appropriate phrases; correct 
  answers are shown in italics: 
  “You walk down a short hallway, and are 
  confronted with a T. There is an archway to the left, 
  and an archway to the right. Over the left archway, 
  the phrase [X] is written; over the right, [Y] is 
  written. Which do you pick?” 
   
  [X] 
  [Y] 
  Virtue and Vice 
  I say what I must. 
  I say what I want. 
  Integrity/Hypocrisy 
  I might fail. 
  I may succeed. 
  Despair/Hope 
  I will wait and watch.
  I will try. 
  Cowardice/Fortitude
  I can help. 
  I need help. 
  Generosity/Avarice 
  I ask permission. 
  I demand access. 
  Courtesy/Cruelty 
   
  If a PC cannot make it through the Maze the first 
  time, his Shadow can appear and whisper 
  suggestions. However, the Shadow will only give the 
  correct answers for the Virtue and Vice appearing 
  on the PC’s character sheet. Other than those two 
  choices, the Shadow will always pick wrongly.  
  Skeleton Attachment Point(s). Action/Reaction Scene, 
  Interaction Scene, Endgame Scene. 
  Scene Link In. Quaternity Keep. 
  Objective(s)? Get through the Maze; find the Chapel. 
  
   
  Chapter 7: Introductory Scenario: "Brave New Spirit World" 
  118 
  Obstacle(s)? The Questions. 
  Deep Thoughts. Figuring out the relationships between the 
  possible answers and the Virtues. 
  End on a High Note? Not a good place to pause the 
  Scenario. 
  Scene Link Out. Tenemos Chapel. 
   
  Tenemos Chapel 
  Situation. After getting through the Maze, the PCs 
  enter Tenemos Chapel. A small room with high, 
  arched vaults, it is quite dark despite the multitude 
  of candles along the walls. Set up “in the round,” 
  rings of benches spread outward from a small (3’ 
  diameter) one-step dais. One person can stand on 
  the dais at a time. 
  If the PCs follow Mary’s advice (from Quaternity 
  Keep) and sit quietly for a short time, the Voice will 
  soon speak to them. (If desired, the GM could 
  attempt to get the players to sit quietly for, say, ten 
  seconds to give them the sensation of long, quiet 
  mediation.) Until the PCs stop exploring and 
  chattering amongst themselves, nothing will happen. 
  After the PCs have meditated, the Voice will ask 
  each of them in turn (they cannot hear when the 
  Voice speaks to another character), “Do you wish to 
  repair your soul?” 
  If the answer is no, the Voice will fall silent, and 
  they PC must exit the Chapel, Maze, and Keep 
  before attempting to ensoul again. If the answer is 
  yes, the Voice will say, “You must stand on the dais 
  and burn your soul-blood. Then, renounce your 
  loss.”  
  When the PC does so, the dais will be wreathed in 
  cold fire and the Chapel will seem to fade away 
  around them. A surreal vision will spring up around 
  them that is related to either their Soul Loss, 
  Backstory, Vice, or all three. Perhaps they’re put 
  back into the same situation where they sold their 
  soul for a million dollars, and now have a chance to 
  refuse to sign it away. Or, if they ground it down 
  with booze, they are back at the moment they took 
  their first soul-rotting drink, and can turn it down. If 
  they’ve lost their soul after accidentally hiding it in a 
  treasured object, maybe they symbolically shatter 
  that object. (This is a particularly interesting 
  question for characters that were born without a 
  soul. How would they try to stop that from 
  happening? Perhaps they’d renounce feeling sorry 
  for themselves, or dedicate themselves to helping 
  others who suffered the same deficiency of birth...) 
  If necessary to help explain this better, appropriate 
  Imagos (see Chapters 2 and 5) for the target PC’s 
  situation materializes on the dais, like the 
  Anima/Animus if the loss involves a relationship or 
  the Child if it’s a loss of innocence. The Imago will 
  try to help guide the character in selecting an 
  appropriate act or intent to complete the 
  renouncing of their loss; however, the Imago can 
  only pose questions, not offer answers. “Having 
  trouble? Why do you think that’s so? What does that 
  image represent, do you think?”  
  As the loss is renounced, the cold fire around the 
  dais washes over them and smoothes out all of their 
  cracks, melts their rough patches smooth, and pours 
  in through eyes, ears, nose, and mouth to fill them 
  up completely. The PC is no longer Dead Inside, 
  but Sensitive. Victory!  
  NOTE - What the PCs do after this triumph is up to 
  them (and their GM). The game may end, or continue at 
  the Sensitive-level of power. 
  Skeleton Attachment Point(s). Endgame Scene. 
  Scene Link In. The Maze. 
  Objective(s)? Ensoul. 
  Obstacle(s)? Fear, Lack of Knowledge; Temptation. 
  Interaction. Discussion with the Trickster. 
  Magical 
  Mystery 
  Tour. 
  How 
  Improvement 
  and 
  Ensoulment work.. 
  Deep Thoughts. What is the Voice? What form should 
  one’s renouncement of Soul Loss take? What does the 
  shift from Dead Inside to Sensitive mean to the 
  character? 
  End on a High Note? The End. 
   
   
   
   
  
   
  ATOMIC SOCK MONKEY PRESS 
  < http://www.atomicsockmonkey.com > 
   
  Quick Reference Handout
  ©2003 Chad Underkoffler 
   
  119 
  Dead Inside Master Chart 
  LEVEL 
  As Quality Rank 
  MODIFIER 
  TO 2D6 
  ROLL 
  AS DIFFICULTY RANK 
  TARGET 
  NUMBER 
  Poor 
  Notably Inept.  
  -2 
  A trivial task. 
  5 
  Average 
  Typical human capability. 
  0 
  Straightforward task. 
  7 
  Good 
  Better than usual; most professionals or talented 
  newcomers.  
  +2 
  Complex task, requiring attention to detail. 
  9 
  Expert 
  Noted/famed professional; talent with skill to 
  back it up. 
  +4 
  Intricate task, difficult and requiring sharp concentration, hard 
  for a typical untrained person (Average). 
  11 
  Master 
  Acclaimed genius: talent with substantial skill 
  behind it. 
  +6 
  Extremely difficult task, hard for most professionals in the field 
  (Good). 
  13 
   
  VIRTUES 
  VICES 
  Integrity. Honesty; truthfulness; fair play; trustworthiness. 
  Hope. The ability to trust in someone or something else; to expect with confidence; to 
  look to the present and future with joy. 
  Fortitude. Courage; perseverance; zeal; ability to risk.  
  Generosity. Donating time, effort, money with little to personal cost; being merciful. 
  Courtesy. Grace, in word and deed; politeness; consideration and compassion for others.  
  Hypocrisy. Dishonesty, lying, cheating. 
  Despair. The inability to trust in anything; to worry overmuch; to dwell on the present 
  and past with misery. 
  Cowardice. Allowing fear to dictate actions; lack of resoluteness; sloth; timidity that 
  refuses to take a chance. 
  Avarice. Insatiable greed; desiring more than your fair share; envy. 
  Cruelty. Causing injury, grief, or pain for the joy of it; lack of compassion; rudeness. 
  ABILITIES & POWERS CHART 
   
  Ability/Power? 
  Dead Inside 
  Free Spirit 
  Ghost 
  Mage 
  Sensitive 
  Zombi 
  Bind 
  Power 
  3 Soul Points 
  – 
  – 
  1 Soul Point 
  2 Soul Points 
  – 
  Change Landscape 
  Ability 
  3 Downshifts 
  1 Downshift 
  1 Downshift 
  At Rank 
  2 Downshifts 
  – 
  Change Others 
  Power 
  – 
  – 
  – 
  2 Soul Points 
  3 Soul Points 
  – 
  Change Self 
  Ability 
  2 Downshifts 
  At Rank 
  At Rank 
  At Rank 
  1 Downshift 
  – 
  City Navigation 
  Ability 
  1 Downshift 
  At Rank 
  At Rank 
  At Rank 
  At Rank 
  At Rank 
  Create Object 
  Power 
  – 
  – 
  – 
  1 Soul Point 
  2 Soul Points 
  – 
  Create Tulpa 
  Power 
  – 
  – 
  – 
  1 Soul Point 
  2 Soul Points 
  – 
  Enchant 
  Power 
  3 Soul Points 
  – 
  – 
  1 Soul Point 
  2 Soul Points 
  – 
  Healing 
  Power 
  1 Soul Point 
  – 
  – 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  Luck 
  Power 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  – 
  Movement 
  (Dream-leap/ 
  True Flight) 
  Ability 
  2 Downshifts/ 
  3 Downshifts 
  At Rank/ 
  At Rank 
  At Rank/ 
  At Rank 
  At Rank/ 
  At Rank 
  1 Downshift/ 
  2 Downshifts 
  2 Downshifts/ 
  – 
  Open Gate 
  Ability 
  2 Downshifts 
  – 
  – 
  1 Downshift 
  1 Downshift 
  2 Downshifts 
  Second Sight 
  (Passive/Active) 
  Ability 
  At Rank/ 
  1 Downshift 
  At Rank/ 
  2 Downshifts 
  At Rank/ 
  2 Downshifts 
  At Rank/ 
  At Rank 
  At Rank/ 
  At Rank 
  At Rank/ 
  3 Downshifts 
  Soultaking 
  Ability 
  1 Downshift 
  1 Downshift 
  2 Downshifts 
  At Rank 
  At Rank 
  2 Downshifts 
  Supercharge 
  Power 
  1 Soul Point 
  – 
  – 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  Ward 
  Power 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  1 Soul Point 
  Special 
  Ability 
  [1] 
  [2] 
  [3] 
  [4] 
  [5] 
  [6] 
   
  LEGEND 
  At Rank = Character can use this Ability with a roll against Type Rank. 
  x Downshift(s) = Character can use this Ability with a roll against Type Rank 
  with x Downshifts. 
  x Soul Point(s) = Character can use this Power buy spending x Soul Points and 
  making a roll against Type Rank. 
  – = Type does not possess this Ability or Power. 
   
  [1] 
  Downshift to social interactions in the RW. 
  [2] 
  Phase = Free in RW, or one Soul Point or Damage Rank in SW.  
  [3] 
  Phase = Free in RW, or one Soul Point or Damage Rank in SW.  
  [4] 
  Upshift to social interactions in RW & SW.  
  [5] 
  Upshift to social interactions in the SW. 
  [6] 
  Upshift for physical and mental tasks in RW & SW; Downshift to social 
  interactions in the RW & SW.  
  
   
  ATOMIC SOCK MONKEY PRESS 
  < http://www.atomicsockmonkey.com > 
   
  GM Record Sheet 
  ©2003 Chad Underkoffler 
   
  120 
   
  CHARACTER NAME 
   
   
  Soul Cultivation 
   
  Integrity 
   
  Hope 
  Fortitude 
  Generosity 
  Courtesy 
  Soul Decay 
   
  Hypocrisy 
   
  Despair 
  Cowardice 
  Avarice 
  Cruelty 
   
  CHARACTER NAME 
   
   
  Soul Cultivation 
   
  Integrity 
   
  Hope 
  Fortitude 
  Generosity 
  Courtesy 
  Soul Decay 
   
  Hypocrisy 
   
  Despair 
  Cowardice 
  Avarice 
  Cruelty 
   
  CHARACTER NAME 
   
   
  Soul Cultivation 
   
  Integrity 
   
  Hope 
  Fortitude 
  Generosity 
  Courtesy 
  Soul Decay 
   
  Hypocrisy 
   
  Despair 
  Cowardice 
  Avarice 
  Cruelty 
   
  CHARACTER NAME 
   
   
  Soul Cultivation 
   
  Integrity 
   
  Hope 
  Fortitude 
  Generosity 
  Courtesy 
  Soul Decay 
   
  Hypocrisy 
   
  Despair 
  Cowardice 
  Avarice 
  Cruelty 
  
   
  ATOMIC SOCK MONKEY PRESS 
  < http://www.atomicsockmonkey.com > 
   
  Character Sheet 
  ©2003 Chad Underkoffler 
   
  121 
   
  CHARACTER NAME 
   
  PLAYER NAME 
   
  PERSONALITY 
   
   
   
   
   
  BACKSTORY 
  VIRTUE 
   
  VICE 
   
  SOUL LOSS 
   
   
   
   
   
  DISCOVERY 
   
  MASTER [+6] 
  EXPERT [+4] 
  GOOD [+2] 
  AVERAGE [0] 
  POOR [-2] 
  GONE 
  TYPE 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  O 
   
  QUALITY 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  O 
   
  QUALITY 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  O 
   
  QUALITY 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  O 
   
  QUALITY 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  O 
   
  QUALITY 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  O 
   
  QUALITY 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  O 
  O 
   
  SOUL POINT POOL: 
   
  MISCELLANY 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  122 
   
   
   
  MISSION 
  Atomic Sock Monkey Press is dedicated to high-quality, off-kilter, imaginative fun. Currently, that means tabletop games of both the "beer & 
  pretzels" and roleplaying game (RPG) varieties.  
  In the future, we may expand into other areas. For now, Atomic Sock Monkey Press is concentrating on games. 
   
  GOALS 
  To produce fun games that are quirky, thought-provoking, professional, and affordable. 
   
  WHY ATOMIC SOCK MONKEY? 
  Well: 
  • 
  Monkeys are funny. 
  • 
  Sock Monkeys are weird. 
  • 
  Atomic energy gives you superpowers (unless comic books have lied to me). 
  See? Simple. 
   
   
  ATOMIC SOCK MONKEY PRESS  
  < http://www.atomicsockmonkey.com > 
   
  
   
  got soul? 
   
  Inside You Will Find: 
  A complete game system. The Prose Descriptive Qualities (PDQ) System has been 
  designed for evocative simplicity, speed, and flexibility in play. Three levels of resolution, 
  suitable for any type of situation. 
  An inventive setting. The Spirit World, where monsters and magi rub shoulders on the 
  everchanging streets, where hopes war with fears, and every action taken is charged with 
  value. 
  An immersive, different style of roleplaying. Experience a game where what your 
  character does is almost less important than why your character does it. 
  Substantial advice and discussion. On all phases of RPGing, whether you participate as 
  a player or as a GM. 
   
  Dead Inside: The Roleplaying Game of Loss & Redemption 
  * Written by Chad Underkoffler * Art by Chris Cooper * Cover by Steve Archer *  
  ASM-010 
   
   
   
  ATOMIC SOCK MONKEY PRESS 
  < http://www.atomicsockmonkey.com > 
  Embrace your Virtue. 
  Resist your Vice. 
  Perform noble deeds. 
  Find meaning. 
  Fight crime. 
  Regain your soul. 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dead Inside (PDQ)/Dead Inside - Core Rulebook.pdf