Crow
The Regret
A storytelling supplement Written by Steve Bool with help from Paula Tacon and Richard Gething. Edited by Mitch Kelly. Address all comments etc. to Mitch Kelly at (mitch.kelly@tesco.net)
Ungh!
No! don't be afraid! It's a side effect of my returning to you. Let me start to explain, although I'm not sure of why myself. . .
The last memory I have of my life with you is of about three weeks before whatever happened to me came about. I had two distinct images; now I have three. How did I gain the third? Touching you, I think. It's happened many times since I returned.
The two images I did have are of the three of us, myself, my brother, and, of course, you, Elly. You are in nearly all of them. We're all sitting in the bar in Manchester, where Michael liked to meet his girl friend? Remember it? Yes that's the one. Six people have just entered. Good, you do remember them too. No, I don't, sorry, didn't, like the look of them either, you'll have to excuse me, it feels so real to m. . Wait! One of them is arguing with Michael! He's pulling a knife, I've got to stop him! He's backed down now he's seen me . . . All that I can visualise now is Mike: he looks worried. Why, they just left?
Ungh . . .
These memories are painful, yes, but I feel I must tell you to help you understand why I have returned. I'll answer that question in a minute. Yes, I do know who did it! Sorry my love, I didn't mean to snap at you, just let me tell you about how.
The second memory I have, is after you left to go to your night school lesson. There are two cars parked outside, one of them has blacked out windows. It's like a limousine. What's a limo doing . . ? The doors are opening: wait, he's got Michael! Come back! I'm chasing it, the car's turned around, the lights are shining at me. It's heading towards me!
Arrggh!. . . The memory. . . Take it away, Please!. . .
I must apologise my love; the memories are so vivid. What, the new one? Oh yes, this one's far better, I can share this one with you if you wish. Good, come here and hold my hand. Can you feel it? Yes it's that day last year. Feel the sunshine on your face and the wind in you hair? It's so vivid, so. . . so. . . real? Yes, that's the word, real.
Eh? What happened to me after the car hit me? You tell me! . . What three of them? Yeah I know that bit but it still doesn't make sense. You're right, it never does. Now I must leave you. Do not fear, I promise to return in a few days. Have strength my darling, I will be with you soon.
Ha! Did I surprise you? Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I seem to have startled a lot of people these past few days. . . Pardon? Oh just talking to myself. . . It seems that I can do a fair amount of new things. Here, watch this. Turn around and count to three, turn back, and see if you can see me. . . No I didn't think you would. Ha! I can hide almost literally anywhere I want now. It's all in your mind apparently. No, I don't normally hide behind the vacuum cleaner, but it was a good example wasn't it? Who told me? Why she did. Yes, the bird; she told me an awful lot about what I can do. We seem to be able to communicate quite easily now. I can visualise and perceive anything she can, I don't even need to try anymore. You'd be surprised. . . How many people can listen in on a conversation from half a mile away? No-one is going to worry about a blackbird, OK, crow, listening in, are they? What else can I do? Mostly physical things: you know that reaction test? The one where you drop the slip of paper and see how quickly you can catch it; you want to try that? Most normal people can catch it at about the inch mark, maybe two inches. The last time I needed to use my reactions was catching a knife thrown at my head. I'd call that about three millimetres! Something else? Well, Let's see. . . Ah, yes, you see those rubbish bins over there? What would you like me to bring you from them? A banana skin? OK, how long would it take you? About five seconds? Watch this. Yes I have gone! I did! Look, one banana skin! Yes, wow, is almost what I said. Almost! Another thing I can do is make myself physically stronger, faster, and tougher. I don't know how I do it, 'Click' and I can now flip over a small car, easily! I just concentrate. The first time is a hell of a rush but after that it becomes second nature. . .
Possibly the most helpful of my 'new abilities' is some kind of healing power. You see this bullet hole in my jacket, goes in through my chest and out the back! That was a .44 Magnum from a range of about four yards. Yes, it damn well hurt! But almost as suddenly as I was shot, the bullet hole just closed straight up. Honest, it's the most frightening moment of my lives, both of them! Imagine it: someone holds a gun to your chest and bang! You think it's all over, but instead, you find the pain is short lived, and a hole in my chest you could fit your head through, just closes up!
Apparently it all comes from someone called. . . Gaia, the Earth Mother. She's the reason Werewolves actually exist and are so damned tough to fight, even the bad ones. Yes, honestly, they do exist! Well, you know Paul M'lalt, from the computer shop? Yeah, weird guy, talks to himself a lot. Just don't piss him off, OK? He calls himself a 'Glass Walker.' Apparently they are just one 'tribe' of one type of Shapeshifters. Yes, others too. Would you believe that my friend above me here knows of some shape shifting crows? No I didn't either, but I've met some. There are a fair amount that live in Scotland apparently. Gaia? Well she's kind of a Goddess; she is the Earth as a spiritual and magickal place. Does real magick exist? Why, of course it does, and boy, is it powerful!
You've taken up smoking again, haven't you? Has my death been so bad for you that you need to rely on other stimuli to keep you sane? How can I tell? Again, I just know, same as I know for certain you haven't turned to any stronger drugs. I have an inbuilt sense of anything 'foreign' in your blood stream. So, are you trying to quit? I'm glad to hear it! Here, allow me to help. Yes it hurts. I must squeeze to help the toxins leave. . . It will remove all cravings for the evil weed, and, as long as you don't light up again you'll be OK. Should you light another fag, you would find yourself coughing and spluttering like your first ever puff. What use is it? Well, it's not just nicotine I can cure the body of! Yes, all types. There are a lot of people who would benefit from a talent like this, and I have helped many. I just wish I could have helped Michael like so many others. . .
Sorry, Gaia. Why me? Well, you know that Michael's body was fished out of the canal? Apparently it was put there along with mine because Michael used to be a drug dealer, and wanted out of a business where there are no exits. Well, he found one, but the exit found him. I'm surprised they found enough of him to autopsy. Poor man; those scum killed him with no mercy and no remorse, as they did me. That is the reason I have returned, to remove these people off the face of Gaia's Earth. Apparently these Werewolf creatures gain their power directly from Gaia, but it's different for me. The 'Crow Spirit' channels Gaia's power and gives it to me in a different form, but there are conditions that have to be followed.
The biggest worry is what I use the powers for. There are quite strict guidelines about what I can and can't do, but they're easy to get around after a while. What are they? Well, basically, I can only use them for exacting revenge, and the cause of Gaia, killing evil Werewolves and so on.
What did I do these last few days? I did what I was here to do, to avenge Michael's and my deaths. The police will probably be able to identify the bodies after they find all of the pieces.
I must now fulfil my part of the bargain. . . This hurts me greatly but it is time for me to rest now. I want you to remember one thing. I will always be with you, my love, there will always be a part of me with you in your heart. I'm sorry. . . There's no way I can stay at all. I have left you a package with Paul in the shop, he will help you deal with this.
Also remember that I love you and that will never change.
I hope I don't see you too soon. . .
Upon getting my first chance to get my eyes on the Internet, one of the first places I looked was one of the many World of Darkness pages that are available to read. I was fascinated by the work that some people were putting into expanding the system so that they could play characters that they had seen from other places. I have seen Scanners: The Madness by Mark J. Janecka, Angel/Demon: The Rapture by Chris Blankley, Damien Hunt and Justin Killam, and the Highlander: The Gathering second edition rules by Hank Driskill and John Gavigan. Then another one caught my eye: The Crow, by James Gleason.
I wasn't a huge fan of The Crow but my fiancee, Paula, was, so I printed it out for her to use in an upcoming crossover mixture of Scanners (who would later embrace himself!), Vampires, Immortals, Werewolves, Mages and a psychotic mortal (who would later find out that he was a latent immortal). Paula wanted to be something different. So, using James' guidelines we tried to develop Paula a character. It was originally a mixture of Wraith and Werewolf, and at times an absolute nightmare to play. So we, that is, Paula, one of our mates, Richard, and myself, decided to see if we could expand and maybe improve the cracking ideas dreamed up by James a bit, and hopefully bring The Crow properly into the World of Darkness.
Changes to James Gleason's 'The Crow'
Those of you who have read James' version will know he made three assumptions:
1) That the crow was actually a Totem spirit and that the bird we see is a materialised avatar.
Our View: The crow is a spirit but not a Totem spirit, and the bird we see is a normal bird possibly Kinfolk to the Corax; that's as special as she will get.
2) The Crow is of Gaia and thus in line with her will.
Our View: The 'Spirit of Crow' bargained for the use of the powers, so the powers are from Gaia, but channelled through the 'Spirit of the Crow' with conditions.
3) That the crow and a raven were the same thing more or less.
Our View: Agreed!
He then went on to say that the 'Spirit of the Crow' is sent by Gaia to resurrect each one individually.
Our View: Due to the 'Crow Spirit' bargaining these powers she is directly responsible for the return of people. Gaia's involvement is then ended.
This means that his theory of the mortal Crow still having a Wraith's Passions, Fetters, Arcanoi, Pathos, and Angst all need to be changed. We tried them all. Replacing them with their Garou equivalents didn't work either; it never felt like a 'Crow.' So we came to the conclusion that something new had to be made almost from scratch. A few things stayed, Regret being one of them, along with the healing that 'even Garou would envy.' Maybe one or two others, but I hope James isn't too offended by our attempt to make the Crow more accessible in the World of Darkness.
Another thing I wanted to do was make all the crows seemingly have the same set of powers so they could have a predetermined way of increasing them. (Our original effort had Garou gifts, but how do you advance in rank with no proper Auspice and no other Garou to teach you?)
So here goes. . . .
There are three beings behind the Crow: The Spirit, The Familiar and The Mortal. The origin of all three are written by the people relevant to the individual form, written here are the legends told, behind all three incarnations.
It is written amongst Garou of the Wendigo tribe in North America that many years ago, the Crow Spirit saw how much injustice there was in the mortal world and asked to make a bargain with the Earth Mother, Gaia, to help her keep the natural balance. This deal meant that those few mortals who have been on the wrong end of the balance of life, should be allowed a chance to set things as they ought to be. She asked also, for Gaia's permission to help by bestowing powers normally reserved exclusively for Gaia's children on these mortals who are trying to make the difference. The deal was granted, and Gaia also granted upon the Crow Spirit the power to help. So Gaia said:
'I will grant them the gift of a new life, with the power of Mother Earth to help them fulfil their goal, and after their time is spent they must return to the death to which they should have gone to be content.'
And so over the centuries these people became known as crows for their heroic deeds against and over injustice. As it became more obvious that Gaia was losing the battle for her life, the Crow Spirit spoke to her again, this time for the ability to develop more powers to add to that of the return of life. Gaia smiled, for here is a creature that is the Totem of Death, begging for more power to return life to mortals festering in the Shadowlands, and Gaia bestowed not only that power requested, but she also bestowed the total control over the return, and gave the Spirit of Crow a warning.
'The mortal lives you recover must only be used for avenging injustices, and for no other reason. Other reasons for return will not be tolerated and those who violate my will shall find themselves put, not just back from whence they came, but to places far more horrific than they could ever imagine. Such is the penalty for betraying Gaia's trust.'
And the Spirit of Crow agreed to those terms, took control and with it a great responsibility.
There is another legend amongst the Corax of the Isle of Man,
'At times, one of our Kinfolk will be chosen to fulfill the Spirit of Crow's will. This is a time for celebration, for her will is to lead a mortal in the form of man on a great journey, to bring retribution to those who are a cause of evil. This journey will be perilous but the rewards will be great gifts bestowed by the Crow Spirit Herself for use on the journey and for all time afterwards. Your gifts will be the ability to communicate all senses to a chosen mortal to help him on a quest against all opponents of the balance.'
The most famous example written there is the one beckoned to Detroit a few years ago. The subject had been taken through the Spiritworld to help resurrect a man known to the Corax as 'Musician.'
'This man had a great many injustices to correct and both nearly lost their lives. . . '
The details get rather sketchy from here,
.' . .'Musician' achieved his goal, fulfilled his part of the bargain and returned to the 'other side' joyously to be with his beloved.'
The Corvid Familiar of the mortal returned with many stories, and many objects that gave her great renown amongst the natural born Kinfolk of the Corax. She is still alive, although age has now made her lame.
The third legend has been lost since it was first written. Numerous attempts have been made to find any such document, but as of yet, to no avail.
You need to define these facts in three short summaries: Life, Death and Regret. Your Life, Death and Regret are explained in Wraith: the Oblivion, page 102-3.
The second is Aide Memorium. This is to all intents and purposes the same as a Wraith's Fetters. Fetters are defined in 'Wraith: The Oblivion,' on page 32, as 'The ties that bind a Wraith to her old life and the living world.' The version we will be using though, has moved on from that to be 'the ties that bind her to the living world and also reminders of your past life.' The more 'Aide Memorium you get, the more Flashbacks you can have and the better you can direct your Vengeance. You start with four points of 'Aide Memorium,' which can be boosted with freebie points, using the table given, (see below).
The four you choose can be of any level, but you must choose four of them.
'Aide Memorium' works on four different levels.
Level 1: A simple item, with no mechanical moving parts e.g. a ring, a bed sheet, or an item of clothing. This item must still be available, so you can't pick up an old marionette that was broken and thrown away, etc. These will give you a maximum of one Flashback per story session. Level 1 'Aide Memorium' costs 1 freebie point or Aide Memorium to buy.
Level 2: A life that is not that well known to you e.g. the steward in your local bar, a local alley-cat that recognises you occasionally, or a policeman that was at the crime scene at which you died. These again gives you only one Flashback per story session. Level 2 'Aide Memorium' costs 1 freebie point or Aide Memorium to buy.
Level 3: As level 1 but anything can now be chosen, from an expensive wristwatch to a Ferrari, there is no limit, bar the fact that you must have owned it at some point in your past life. Level 3 'Aide Memorium give three Flashbacks per story session. Level 3 'Aide Memorium' costs 3 freebie points or Aide Memorium to buy.
Level 4: As level 2 but now any life is available. This includes any relatives or pets excluded in previous levels. Level 4 'Aide Memorium give five Flashbacks per story session. These cost 5 freebie points or Aide Memorium to buy.
Please Note: Something disposable can be chosen, like a pack of cigarettes (a level one Aide), but this means that you have a compulsion to have a pack on you at all times, so it can become difficult to play (interesting though). Also for those strange enough to choose a Vampire as an Aide, you will find that they come under object, and not lives (see Mage: The Ascension for the explanation).
* = 1 ally (small time).
***** = 5 minor allies or 1 very major one.
* = easy to overlook.
***** = Claude Raines.
* = 1 big time contact.
***** = 5 big time contacts.
* = Select 'cult' viewing.
***** = Elvis Presley or James Dean.
* = 1 place.
***** = 5 places.
* = Local politics (MP).
***** = Nation politics (PM).
* = 1 detail.
** = A couple of recollections.
*** = 3 important facts.
**** = Major amounts of memory (4 facts).
*****+? = Virtually all of it (5 facts)
* = Pocket change of notes.
***** = Multi millions.
| Trait | Freebie cost |
| Vengeance Powers | 5 points per dot |
| Attributes | 5 points per dot |
| Vengeance Rating | 3 points per dott |
| Abilities | 2 points per dot |
| Willpower | 1 point per dot |
| Backgrounds | 1 point per dot |
| Aide Memorium | 1 point per dot |
To work out the strength of your targets you use a system similar to the 'Enemy' Flaw in Vampire. Using that Enemy system, you choose the strengths of your targets, up to a total of your Vengeance rating. Divide your Vengeance rating by two (rounded up) and that is the minimum strength of one of your targets. The rest can be of any strength you have the dots for... For example: Paula has created a Crow with a Vengeance of nine. This means that she must take a 5 point enemy (An Arch Mage, or an Elder Vampire, or something of similar power) This means that she has four points left to spend. When creating your enemies, think about their motives for killing you. Did you annoy them somehow? Did you cause them to lose something they hold dear above all else, like stealing their partner, or losing her vast amounts of money? Or were you killed for no (known) reason? Choosing multiple targets is always a good bet and always makes a good chronicle, although it gives the Storyteller a fair bit of work to do. But, if it makes the story more exciting, it is always better for the people playing in it. Basically give your targets everything: a motive, a reason, an essence, the more the better, but leave it up to the Storyteller to design the specifics, i.e. the target's attributes and abilities.
One thing to remember is that until you 'died' you were completely human. Now, even you do not know what you are, and that would lead even me to madness!
Two Familiars: 5pt Supernatural Merit. This quite simply means that instead of one Familiar overhead, you have two. This can make things very complicated during play, but the problem is how to work out the damage that the Mortal form takes when the Familiar gets shot. My theory is that damage done to the mortal should be halved if only one bird gets shot, and should be at normal strength if both are shot together. However the risk is great. You are more likely to be seen for what you are with two Familiars: it means the number of successes needed to discover your secret is halved, too. How would it effect how some people view you? Get of Fenris might look favourably on those with two Raven Familiars (after all, Odin had two Ravens. . .) All down to the Storyteller to decide.
Alternate Familiar: 6pt Supernatural Merit. Selecting this means that you can choose a different animal to be your Familiar. There must be a bloody good reason why, and Storyteller approval must be gained before you can play with another animal. The animal must be an air breathing non-supernatural creature. Maximum size is about the size of a big cat although a horse or gorilla shaped creature may be acceptable. The main nine attributes are up to the Storyteller but the rest is down to the player to create. The locate ability changes at Storytellers discretion only.
Unknown Enemy: 3pt Supernatural Flaw. For some reason, in any Flashbacks you receive there is no focused image of your major enemy, no matter how many successes are gained on a Past Background roll you will never remember his name or his image. Other things, i.e. address, car, and other clues can be gained though.
Obsessed: 2pt Aptitudes Flaw You cannot think of anything other than revenge, all actions as part of your mission is -1 difficulty, but anything even remotely off the track (Storytellers call) is +2 diff.
That is your Familiar. Your Familiar is created using the rules listed here and after doing this you will have realised that she is a bit more than a normal Crow. This is a Crow blessed by Gaia (again not directly from Gaia, but through Sprit of Crow) and using Gaia`s power it helps the mortal part of Crow at every possible opportunity.
Generally, the Familiar will be just your ears and eyes, but sometimes a bit more. (Storytellers discretion)
Your Familiar's creation is done in a different way to your normal character. Most of your Familiar is done for you.
| STR | 2 | CHA | 0 | PER | 4 |
| DEX | 3 | MAN | 2 | INT | 2 |
| STA | 3 | APP | 1 | WIT | 3 |
The next step is to share 20 'points' out between any other Abilities from this list (maximum in any talent is 4).
Athletics, Alertness Awareness, Animal Ken Brawl, Dodge Empathy, Flight Stealth, Survival
Note: Obviously, Crows can fly anyway, but the flight stat is just used for any aerial manoeuvres that are not natural, i.e. a loop-the-loop and other aerial stunts
Extra Flaw
Lame: 3pt Physical Flaw. Due to either injury or age you are almost unable to fly. You have -2 die to all flight rolls, but difficulty for on-ground manoeuvres are at -2 due to you spending most of your time there.
This is one of the crows own supernatural powers (like Vampire Disciplines, Garou Gifts, Mage Spheres etc.) and is an innate ability that is slowly learned through personal experience.
Vengeance is what the innate power of the Crow is called. The name comes from the very fact that the only reason you have returned is because, when you died, something was very wrong. You have returned to avenge, for whatever reason. You are here to set things right, whether it is to destroy a whole coterie of Vampires, or to redirect some misguided mortals, it is still classed as a Vengeance.
System: At character creation you have 1 point of Vengeance automatically. This is the equivalent of a mild chip on your shoulder, whereas a level 10 Vengeance score would mean that you are likely to kill anyone connected with your 'return' on sight, in one of a hundred nasty and very painful ways.
You can then advance your Vengeance with freebie points. (See Chart Above)
To simplify matters I have created a table to help you work your amounts out.
The one exception to this is that Burning is given automatically as a free power, you do not need to buy it, Burning is a gift from the Spirit of Crow. Using the table below convert your Vengeance score to an 'Advantages score' and then use that 'score' to develop your Vengeance powers.
| Vengeance | Advantages | Vengeance | Advantages |
| 1 | 2 | 6 | 12 |
| 2 | 4 | 7 | 14 |
| 3 | 6 | 8 | 16 |
| 4 | 8 | 9 | 18 |
| 5 | 10 | 10 | 20 |
For Example: If Richard was to create a Crow with a score of six in Vengeance, using the table he would see that he was given 12 points in advantages to spend. Using the list below, he would then decide which powers to spend the points on. With his 12 points he chooses:
| Power Bought | Level | Advantages |
| Burning | ------- | No points spent, It is a free power. |
| Pain | Level 5 | 5 points spent, levels 1-4 automatically gained also |
| Velocity | Level 3 | 3 points spent, levels 2+1 automatically gained also |
| Familiar Communication | Level 2 | 2 points spent, level 1 gained also |
| Aide Memorium | Level 2 | 2 points spent, level 1 automatically gained also |
| Return Memorium | Level 2 | 2 points spent, level 1 automatically gained also |
| Cleanse | Level 2 | 2 points spent, level 1 automatically gained also |
| Shadow Play | Level 1 | 1 point spent, only level 1 gained |
| Sense Toxin | Level 1 | 1 point spent, only level 1 gained |
Richard chose to buy his character Pain at level 5, thus meaning that he gains levels 1-4 with the purchase of level 5. Five points spent, five levels gained. Same goes for Velocity, Familiar Communication, Aide Memorium, Return Memorium and Cleanse.
After Character creation, experience must be used to buy any new advantages and to increase current ones.
| Rating | Emotion | |
| * | Upset | |
| ** | Dislike | |
| *** | Anger | |
| **** | Disgust | |
| ***** | Outrage | |
| ****** | Fury | |
| ******* | Hatred | |
| ******** | Loathing | |
| ********* | Detestation | |
| ********** | Obsession |
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | Acts as Celerity 1. A Vengeance roll is required and a turn must be spent to start. The effect lasts for a number of turns equal to double the number of successes, max. (Vengeance score) times a day. Automatic at level 3. |
| 2 | The difficulties to all athletics rolls are at -2. You can leap almost double the distance that your normal athletics will allow. This is as the Garou gift 'Leap of the Kangaroo.' |
| 3 | You gain the ability to spend Willpower as a Garou would spend Rage, for extra actions and attacks in combat only (See 'Rage' in Werewolf: The Apocalypse). |
| 4 | You also are now totally immune to any kind of fall from a height of less than 100ft, landing feet first perfectly with no loss of footing. Your sense of balance is now so finely honed that you cannot, and will not, fall on any kind of slippery surfaces e.g. ice, waxed floors etc. This is the equivalent of the Garou gift 'Cat Feet.' |
| 5 | Confers the powers of Celerity 3. Roll Vengeance and a turn must be spent to start. Lasts for a number of turns equal to double the number of successes. Automatic at a Vengeance of 6+. |
Note: Storytellers are at their leisure to alter or increase the amounts of effective 'Celerity' available to players depending on chronicle.
(All Bonuses are at Storytellers discretion)
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | Gain +1 die initiative in combat. |
| 2 | Gain a -1 difficulty to all Wits rolls in combat. |
| 3 | Get +2 Dice to initiative in combat, and Perception rolls for indoor encounters. |
| 4 | Gain a -2 difficulty to all Wits rolls in combat, and +2 dice to Perception rolls for outdoor encounters. This power lasts one scene and costs 1 point of willpower. |
| 5 | +3 Dice to all reactive dice pools during play. Lasts for one turn and costs 1 Willpower. |
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | You heal 1 normal health level per turn. |
| 2 | Your health levels are changed to OK, OK, OK, -1, -2, -3, Incapacitated. |
| 3 | You heal 3 normal health levels per turn, 2 Aggravated. |
| 4 | You can ignore any and all wound penalties, and now Aggravated damage is just as normal damage. |
| 5 | You heal 7 health levels per turn. |
System: These abilities are all automatic as you are so damned tough to kill. There is one penalty though, as soon as you have taken more than 7 health levels of damage you are KO'd for as long as your damage keeps you below mauled, taking your healing into account. If then you are below mauled for more than three turns, (turns not actions!), then you end up with a temporary derangement that will last a number of hours equal to 11 - current Willpower, Storytellers choice. Aggravated damage is, for all intents and purposes, caused by fire, Supernatural Claws and Vulgar Magick. Other things are at the Storytellers discretion, such as Wraith Arcanoi and Faerie Glamours.
Your ability to hide is demonstrated here. Detection is automatic by Video Camera and any surveillance equipment that uses mirrors or electronics up until level 3; at that point Shadow Play defeats electronic surveillance.
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | Your ability to hide and move in shadows hasn't fully developed; all you have really gained is a better understanding of the darkness that has become your home. All stealth rolls are at -1 difficulty during the day and -2 difficulty by night, -1 in the open and -2 in the back streets, (i.e. -4 difficulty in a back street at midnight, because you are perfectly at home in the darkness, but only -2 in the daytime in a large field, because there will be so many fewer shadows to use). |
| 2 | You have the equivalent to Vampire Obfuscate 1 : Cloak of Shadows, as long as you can get something, no matter how small or thin, between you and the person you are hiding from and stay still, you will not be seen. |
| 3 | You have the equivalent of Vampiric Obfuscate 2 : Unseen Presence, which now means that you can move around and be almost completely ignored. If you want to be able to speak, a Wits + Stealth roll difficulty 5 - 8 with 3 successes needed to be able to be 'ignored' properly. |
| 4 | You can move as the Garou Gift 'Blur of the Milky Eye,' which means that your body becomes just a shimmering blur and you can pass through a large group unnoticed. Roll Manipulation + Stealth, difficulty 8, every success increases the difficulty for any Perception roll to find you by 1. |
| 5 | You are so accustomed to shadows that now you can almost 'vanish from the minds eye,' equivalent to Vampiric Obfuscate 4 of the same name. Make a Charisma + Stealth roll versus the difficulty of targets Wits + Alertness to just disappear, even when they are looking almost straight at you. |
This is how well you can communicate with your 'Familiar.' It is an important skill when used wisely.
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | Communication can only be of one or two syllable words i.e. 'Kill,' 'Fly,' 'Follow,' etc. The animal can send no verbal messages of any sort to you. Any sight gained from the beast will just be strange black and white images. Roll Perception + Animal Ken roll difficulty 8 to interpret. |
| 2 | More instructions can be sent to the bird, not more than a few words, but it means that more can be told to the animal. i.e. 'Stay hidden safely,' 'Help me please,' 'Go find the police' etc. The images received are clearer and you are able to receive anything that it overhears as well as its actual attempts to speak to you. Roll Perception + Animal Ken roll difficulty 6 to interpret images, and difficulty 8 for any sound received. |
| 3 | You can communicate on all levels of sight and sound, verbal communication is perfect in both directions. Roll Perception + Animal Ken difficulty 4 for all levels of communication. |
| 4 | Through trust and companionship, total empathic communication is now possible. Roll Perception + Empathy with the difficulty depending on the complexity of the message (not usually more than 7, unless the bird is reciting a Shakespearean sonnet!). |
| 5 | As above, but no roll required for communication. |
(See Changeling : The Dreaming. Realms - Actor + Props for ideas) Note: At all times memories and 'Flashbacks' gained (see chapter 4 : Systems) will be full of pain and bad feelings, so for every one received, a (Willpower-Vengeance) roll must be made to avoid acting out the actual memory received (difficulty is 'Aide Memorium' level + 3). For example, when Eric Draven is receiving memories in his old apartment in the film, he puts his arms out and collapses as he vividly remembers the pain of being shot in the stomach by T-Bird. Also note that not all Flashbacks are of nasty experiences, but if you remember something happy in your past life you are likely to feel mostly sorrow and anger for the happiness that was taken away at your death. Physical contact must be made for it to work (a Dex+Brawl roll is required if the object is actively trying not to be touched).
| Level | Effect |
| 1 | You can connect with the essence of an object and read its 'memories,' the connection can only last a couple of seconds and can only be done on level 1 'Aide Memorium' equivalents that are not 'Aide Memorium' of the character. The memories received will always be connected with the Crow player character. The process is always very painful. This power requires the expenditure of 1 Willpower point. |
| 2 | Only level 2 people that are not 'Aide Memorium' become available to 'read,' at this point you can still only gain 'Flashbacks' from these subjects, and not recall any actual coherent memories. This power requires the expenditure of 1 Willpower point |
| 3 | As above, for almost half a minute. This time it can be performed on anyone who you have met and level 3 equivalent items. You can now start to pick up actual memories, although they must still connect to your past life in some way. This power requires the expenditure of 1 Willpower point. |
| 4 | As above, for almost a full minute. This time it can be performed on anyone who you have met who you can call a friend or any item you have owned in the past at any time. Almost full memories are available at this point. |
| 5 | As above for anytime up to 2 minutes and beyond. Can be performed on anyone you have ever met no matter how well you know them or any object you have seen no matter when that was. |
At all levels 'Aide Memorium' can be redirected back to the subject as a method of mental attack, (physical contact and a Manipulation + Empathy roll with a difficulty of the opponent's Willpower score are required). The Flashback is one you must have received during the current story and at the strength equal to your current level. Damage done, (if desired, players choice,) is one level per success, for every level above three your opponent collapses for an equivalent number of turns (a Willpower roll diff 8 can be made to resist this effect). If the Flashback given is a strong one (level 3+) a Willpower roll must also be made to avoid acting out the Flashback as above. If five successes or more are gained the subject gains a derangement for (11 - Willpower) minutes (Crows' or Storytellers choice).
This is quite a simple power that is very rarely used by Crows. It is the power to remove lethal substances from someone's system, anything, from poisons to drugs (even caffeine and nicotine) can be removed, the reason crows have this power is so that they can help others restart their lives. The sense power is quite simply the ability to tell what 'foreign' substances are in someone's system.
System: Crow gets his Cleanse rating in automatic successes in an Intelligence + Medical roll against the difficulty of 6 with a certain number of successes required, both to tell and to heal.
| Toxin | Successes Required |
| Caffeine | 2 |
| Nicotine | 2 |
| Marijuana | 2 |
| Alcohol | 3 |
| Depressants | 3 |
| Smart Drugs | 3 |
| Amphetamines (Speed, PCP's) | 4 |
| Hallucinogens (LSD) | 4 |
| Cyanide | 4 |
| Opiates (Heroin, Morphine) | 5 |
| Cocaine and Crack | 5 |
| Home Brewed Poisons | 2 |
| Wyrm Taint | * |
*Storyteller's discretion (4+ recommended)
To be this powerful, there has got to be a catch. There are in fact two, Gaia's Price and the Familiar's Price.
The more powerful you become, the more you will attract attention and therefore people are more likely to be able to learn your weaknesses.
People can also find the link between the Crow and the Familiar, and utilise this knowledge. The difficulty on a Wit+Occult roll to discover the link is 12 minus the Crow's Vengeance score. A total of 8 successes are required to work out the link (or Storyteller's discretion), but both the Crow and the Familiar must be present at the time of any such roll. Minimum of an hour between each roll. Do not forget that the Crow doesn't know the secret either until it's almost too late, but only 5 successes are required by the Crow herself. Taking too many overly cautious measures to hide the link should be penalised harshly by Storytellers! Also bear in mind the fact that these Crows are soooo rare that almost no-one will have seen one twice, so that's a crap excuse, and no, your character hasn't seen the film!
'The mortal lives you recover must only be used for avenging injustices, and for no other reason. Other reasons for return will not be tolerated, and those who violate my will shall find themselves put, not just back from whence they came but to places far more hideous than they could ever imagine. Such is the penalty for betraying Gaia's trust.'
This is written for the benefit of Crows. This means that anything goes, as long as you are pursuing your goal. As soon as the Storyteller thinks you have strayed far enough from your path of Vengeance then he can ask you to make a Vengeance roll, with a difficulty of your current trait score. A failure means that you loose a point of Vengeance, a botch means you lose 50% (!) of your current Vengeance score as a penalty for straying away from the Spirit of Crows' will, and to prove that any dissent will not be tolerated. Nothing is gained for a success.
A Crow finds it difficult to rest, to do anything except to pursue her Vengeance. Indeed, the only places a Crow can find temporary respite from her Vengeance are in those places she knows from her Comfort Background. Here, a Crow can rest and contemplate for a time before returning to her mission.
| Trait | Cost |
| New Ability | 3 |
| New Vengeance Power | 10 |
| Willpower | Current Rating |
| Abilities | Current Rating x 2 |
| Aide Memorium | Current Rating x 3 |
| Attributes | Current Rating x 4 |
| Vengeance | Current Rating x 5 |
For an unawakened mortal, to see a bullet hole in an opponent's chest just close-up, almost as soon as it is put there, can be quite a harrowing experience, and different people react in different ways. That is where The Shadow Chart comes in, to simulate a feeling anywhere between complete disbelief and abject terror. This table is in no way an absolute reaction table and any penalties are at your discretion. The table works in a similar way to the 'Delirium' chart in Werewolf: The Apocalypse, using Willpower as a benchmark. Also included are examples of different people's reactions from the first film.
| Willpower | Reaction | Example |
| 1 | Catatonic Fear | 'This dude's gonna kill my ass next!' -- Skank |
| 2 | Panic | 'What the fuck do you want from me? I ain't done nothing!' -- Tin Tin |
| 3 -- 4 | Disbelief | 'This is the real world; there ain't no coming back!' -- T--Bird |
| 5 -- 6 | Terror | 'Don't you ever fucking die?!' -- Fun Boy |
| 7 -- 8 | Curiosity | 'Gabriel, I though you were dead . . . you're not dead, are you?' -- Sarah |
| 9 | Annoyance/Indifference | 'Are you some kind of a Ghost?' -- Albrecht |
| 10 | No Reaction/BlasČ | 'He's already boring the shit our of me, kill him!' -- Top Dollar |
Flashbacks are grouped into the four categories (levels) of 'Aide Memorium' and the Storyteller will tell the character exactly how much information he learns as it is gained. These Flashbacks are painful and hard for a character to deal with and this needs to be carefully role-played, but this is one of the most rewarding aspects of Crow: the Regret: learning about you death and how to make things right again.
In order to gain more than simple memories from a Flashback, the character must be able to focus on, and understand the Flashback. When the character undergoes a Flashback, she may roll her Past Background dice, at a difficulty of 6. Every success grants the character one material fact connected with the target of her Vengeance.
| Target | Modifier |
| Friend | No Change |
| Acquaintance | +1 Diff |
| 'Heard of' | +2 Diff |
| 'Never met' | +4 Diff |
Using the table below the Storyteller will tell you how close the target is:
| Successes | Result |
| 2 | City |
| 3 | Neighbourhood |
| 4 | Street Name |
| 5 | House Number |
| 6 | Exact Room |
Special Combat Manoeuvre: Eye Pluck
This is used as a last ditch attempt to stop the 'Familiar of Crow' being attacked and killed. The attack is to actually pluck out your opponents eye! The difficulty is 9 on a Dex+Brawl roll, and the manoeuvre does STR+2 aggravated damage. With minimum of 4 successes, at least 2 getting past the soak (not usually any armour on your face, remember!), then the victim's eye is plucked out, and she is blinded in that eye until such time as it can be healed/pumped/regrown etc. (depending on victim)
| Healing | Penalty |
| Bruised | -O |
| Hurt | -1 |
| Injured | -1 |
| Wounded | -2 |
| Mauled | -2 |
| Crippled | -5 |
| Incapacitated | No Action |
| Unconscious | Possible |
The Sabbat: Unless the Crow is very (un)lucky she shouldn't have encountered these Vampires before. She will then probably come to the same conclusion that everyone else has, and be hunting these 'leeches' by morning. Sabbat are very likely to be targets because, while the Camarilla clans do not approve of killing, the Sabbat revels in death, so this means more possibilities of enemies coming after you.
The Camarilla: These Kindred could also have a lot to fear from the wrath of a Crow. If a Vampire has a Humanity of 5+ he is not likely to be a target of her wrath at this time.
The Inconnu and True Black Hand: These ancient, subtle Kindred do not generally directly attack mortals. However, their long-laid plans are very important to them, and they will not hesitate to extinguish a "nuisance." In this case, the Crow could find herself involved in some truly horrible events.
The Corax: Being naturally curious, the Corax would usually try and follow this near-Kinfolk stranger as much as possible and so try to determine what her motives are before making judgement. As soon as the connection between the Crow and her Familiar has been ascertained the Corax will be as cordial and helpful as possible, and would probably make good contacts and allies.
Other Shapeshifters and Creatures of Gaia: These would generally treat a Crow with curiosity because they can see that they were once from Gaia. Most would just let the Crow get on with her mission with little or no interference.
Black Spiral Dancers are one of the main people that have to worry about Crows, and boy, do they ever have to worry! She'll come after any Black Spirals she sees.
Fomori are in just as much trouble!
Tradition Mages: In general, Tradition Mages would just hope that they are not the target, and if they aren't then most of them wouldn't care until they found out their Magick can't kill Crows. The exceptions might be Dreamspeakers and Verbena, both of whom have connections to Gaia and would be willing to help a Crow, and Euthanatos, who might see in a servant of the Totem of Death a "kindred spirit."
Mummies: A Mummy again is not likely to run into a Crow, but, a Mummy, especially a Bane, hunted by a Crow would be the classic irresistible force and immovable object, because neither can ever truly die!
Misc.: If they are the target, then they are dead, if not then they will be treated with indifference until they either become friend or foe and then will be treated as such.
The question has also been suggested to me that other animals could do the same as the crow, with the theory that the Spirit of Crow can bring someone back with a crow Familiar, why not a dog or a cat etc. I have introduced a merit so you can do that for the short term, but I am researching that possibility as you read.
Special Thanx to Paula Tacon, for putting up with the late nights and endless viewings of the film and typing the damn thing out originally on the Amiga, Richard Gething for his 'unique' insight into the role-playing side of the game, Phil Woods for converting most of the type from an Amiga to the PC format you see now and all the 'odd' names, and to Mitch Kelly for editing this piece and telling me about all the cock-ups that everyone else missed. And finally, 'The Norwich Warriors' who showed me exactly how much fun the Storytelling System can be. Cheers Lads! Adios Steve Bool.