The Darkness

By Khayman II (khayman_ii@hotmail.com)

Foreword

This work is based on the comic, The Darkness by Top Cow and the White Wolf role-playing games Vampire: the Masquerade, Werewolf: the Apocalypse, Mage: the Ascension, Wraith: the Oblivion, and Changeling: the Dreaming. These rules are not authorised by Top Cow or by White Wolf, and no connection should be inferred. So please don't sue me (as if I have any money anyway).

This is not a literal translation. If you're a die hard Darkness fan and don't like what I've done with it, back off! This took time and effort. I mainly took the idea and some of the characters and beat it into the shape of a WoD alternative character type.

The rules may seem fuzzy in some areas as I haven't fully playtested it yet. Feel free to fudge the rules. I'm still a bit unsure of the Darkness Pool costs; I think they're OK.

Prelude

Nathan stumbled into a wall and threw up again. He was smashed, way too much bourbon. But hey, it was his birthday so who cares? Now all he wanted to do was make it home from the bar he had been kicked out of. But navigating the dimly lit streets on the night of his 19th birthday had sounded better in theory.

It wasn't until he heard laughing that he realised he was hopelessly lost. He looked around for the source of laughter but to no avail. To make it worse, a pain had started in his gut and was spreading through the rest of his body.

Run. He didn't know where to but he knew he was in danger if he stayed. He could usually hold his own in a fight but not in the state he was in. Footsteps. He couldn't work out where they were coming from or how many there were. Trees, grass. He had made it to some sort of park. The pain, now in his limbs and head, was intense as he silently vowed never to drink again.

Someone hit him and sent him sprawling to the ground. He looked up to see two smiling, fanged mouths. He tried to focus. What was going on?

"It's almost too easy."

"Hurry up someone might be coming."

"What the...?"

The odd pain was suddenly gone and Nathan suddenly felt powerful. Wondering why he was on the ground cowering from these two guys he swiftly kicked a leg and rolled backwards onto his feet. The one that wasn't clutching his knee was just standing there staring at him. Nathan didn't think twice. He went to punch him in the face and connected but the guy didn't fall back. He seemed stuck to Nathan's hand. Nathan kicked him away and looked at his hand. It seemed gloved all the way up his arm in a dark, leathery substance and it had a black 6 inch blade grafted to the back of his hand which was covered in blood.

His contemplation was interrupted by a sudden pain in his back. He swung around and slashed the creature across the throat and to his surprise, the head toppled off. He looked at the blade again and saw that it was now over a foot in length, just what he had needed to kill the creature. Creature. What the hell were those things?

Through the haze of alcohol, the stabbing pain in his back returned. He felt around and screamed as he pulled the knife from his back. His head was a bit clearer now but he was so confused.

He was now aware of something covering his mouth and eyes although he could still see and breathe normally, in fact he could see in the dark just fine. Catching his reflection in a puddle he saw himself covered in the same substance as was on his hand. The dark grey substance with splashes of gold covered his body like a one-piece suit of armour that clung like spandex on the inside. It had a surprising roughness on the outside considering its flexibility. There was what looked like the remains of bat wings on his back, except there was nothing in between the bone parts. His face was covered up to the bridge of his nose and around the back of his head. Each eye was covered in a gold piece of the suit as well. The only part of his body that was visible was his forehead, ears, and above.

He sunk to his knees, lifted his head and screamed in frustration. In front of him, a pool a blackness was stirring. He looked down and saw something forming out of apparently living darkness. Then suddenly there was this little two-foot, grey-skinned, sharp-toothed, goblin-like . . . creature.

That was enough. Nathan ran.

He woke. He was in his apartment. It was morning. It had been a dream.

"Howdy."

It was the creature.

"Wha...?"

"Now don't get excited, Nathaniel, I'm as surprised to be here as you are. There I was screwin' with someone's seance and suddenly I'm bein' dragged and plonked right in front of you. Not that I'm complainin' mind you. It's rare I get out on this plane. Glad to see you guys still got this beer stuff, cheers." (After taking a gulp of beer) "OK, here's the drill. You're the lucky winner of the Darkness. No not that black stuff in your closet; it's more a spiritual representation of that stuff. Anyway, you've got it mixed with your DNA. Come from? Your father. Yeah I know he's dead, he died during your conception. Same'll happen to you if you pass on the Darkness to a child. Looks like a life of celibacy for you my friend."

History

The Darkness in the world has been there since its creation. The ability for mortals to control it, however, has not. No-one really knows who was the first, but someone, somewhere learned how to manipulate Darkness and that ability was passed on to the generations after them. Information is hard to collect on the wielders of the Darkness as they are very secretive because of their many enemies.

The Darkness

The Darkness is a semi-sentient substance that is bonded to its wielder. It attempts to protect the wielder and lets him create things out of ambient Darkness.

The Darkness is not good or evil; it is just the Darkness. Having the Darkness gives the capacity for evil and many who have had it have been in league with the Brotherhood of Darkness and have used it for terrible purposes. The darkness does not have much of a personality, it just knows that it will disperse if the wielder is killed and so tries to survive.

The Darkness stays inside the wielder's body and boosts her physical qualities and aids in healing. This is all it can do while the host is in the light. When there is enough ambient Darkness the wielder can create anything, the effectiveness of his creation depending of his knowledge of it. When a full, direct light hits anything created from the Darkness, it will turn to dust.

The Darkness is passed from generation to generation. If the possessor of the Darkness has sex and gets someone pregnant or gets pregnant, the Darkness is passed on to the unborn child and the former wielder dies instantly.

There are three distinct types of Darkness referred to: the semi-intelligent Darkness inside the wielder, the ambient spiritual Darkness hanging around, and normal mundane darkness (absence of light).

Character Creation

The Darkness manifests itself when the person is about 20 years old, give or take. This can be a very confusing time as the Darkness tries to protect the wielder when he's in danger. The wielder will also experience flashbacks for a while of the past users of the Darkness. The Darkness sometimes spontaneously creates things (and sometimes even darklings) at random before the user learns to control it.

Since the Darkness is passed on from parent to offspring, wielders are organised into lineages. No-one knows how many lineages there are for the wielders are very secretive. The Estacado lineage is an example.

The attitudes of the wielders are very much mortal because they grow up mortal. The wielders grow up subconsciously knowing that they will have need to defend themselves when they get older. This is actually the Darkness trying to prepare the host for a full bond.

The wielder usually receives tuition from a darkling or the Brotherhood, whichever finds him first.

Attributes: 7/5/3
Abilities: 13/9/5
Willpower: 4
Darkness: 3 (1-10)
Darkness Pool: See below
Freebies: 15

The subconscious "nudges" from the dormant Darkness usually mean that Physical attributes will hardly ever be tertiary and the wielder-to-be will lean towards learning combat and survival skills. However, don't feel pressured; if the Darkness is anything, it is versatile.

The Darkness rating represents how skilled he is in using the Darkness, not how much of it he's got. This Darkness can be increased with experience, though not above 10.

The Darkness Pool is used to sustain creations. If you don't have enough points in your Darkness Pool to spend, you can't create it. You get these points back when you stop sustaining your creations. It starts equal to your Darkness rating and can never go higher than it. This is increased when Darkness increases (think of Rage or Blood Pool).

Different powers can only be attained by reaching certain levels of Darkness. As soon as you hit the Darkness level required, you get the power:

*	Minor Forging
***	Summon Darkling
****	Forging
******	Life Forging

Freebie Costs: Same as Vampire except for Darkness, which costs 8 freebies per point.

Experience Costs: Same as Vampire except for Darkness, which costs 7 times the current level.

Powers

"They seem to scream when darkness fills my eyes."
-- Marilyn Manson, "Dope Hat"

"Anyway, this Darkness you've got sort of has a will of its own. 'Sort of' meanin' it wants to survive and if that means protectin' you until you pass it on then that's what it'll do. Remember last night? Bingo. You can also use this Darkness that's part of you to shape ambient Darkness into things you need in a hurry. No, no, you don't get it. You can't control shadows and the dark, that belongs to others. You can manipulate 'Darkness', yeah with a capital D, that spiritual stuff we were talkin' about. You can't see it normally. You can also lend some of it to brothers of mine to make them appear on this plane."

"Now lets get you started on your trainin'..."

Healing

The Darkness can aid healing by 'stitching' up holes and repairing flesh, etc. The rate is one non-aggravated wound level per round with concentration. Aggravated damage is regenerated at a rate of 3 days per level (except for bruised which is 1 day).

Lost limbs will not regenerate but a temporary transplant could always be made out of the Darkness...

Increased Physical Stats

In simple game terms, you get 3 points to play with your Physical attributes. You can move them all into Strength to try to get that troublesome jam lid off, put one in each to help everything in close combat, or have none for day to day living, whatever you want. It takes a turn to shift all the dots. This can take you over your limit but if it does then you have to spend a Willpower point. This point covers the whole scene: so if you spend 1 point, you can make as many changes as you want and go over your limit as many times as you like for one scene.

In order to create something, the wielder must have knowledge of what he is creating. It may seem simple to create yourself just by looking the mirror, but it's not that simple. Medical knowledge of how it works or a deep understanding of the type of creature is required.

Once made, the creation must be sustained. This is represented by expending temporary Darkness. You get this back when you stop sustaining the creation. A created item may be uncreated at any time by the wielder. Even if he can't see it, he simply stops sustaining it.

It is important to note extended rolls may be used when creating in order to accumulate successes.

Minor Forging

This covers simple things that have no moving parts such as blades or wings. Anything created must be in direct skin contact with the creator or else it will turn to dust. This is actually the Darkness from within being used.

Examples:

• The wielder can create body armor making him resistant to damage of most sorts. This armor usually looks the same every time. The armor that covers the eyes provides a filter that lets the user see in the dark better.

  System: The armor provides 4 extra dice on a soak roll against physical attacks, with no penalties (because it is made of the personalised Darkness. It may also provide protection from other types of attacks at the ST's discretion. It takes 1 turn to create/uncreate the armor. Note that the Darkness will create the armor if it thinks the wielder is in danger unless the wielder consciously tell it not to. Halve all sight penalties (round up) due to darkness. No roll need be made. Darkness Pool cost is 1.

• Crude blades extending from the armor, usually from the forearm or foreleg.

  System: Roll darkness, difficulty 7. Every success over one means that a weapon will have an additional damage die. One success equals a Strength weapon that does aggravated damage. The maximum successes you can get is 3. Darkness Pool cost is 1 per success.

• Wings (bat or feather) can be created and lets the creator glide, not fly. Any sort of maneuver will take a Dexterity + Gliding roll.

  System: Roll darkness, difficulty 7. Needs at least two success for them to work. Darkness Pool cost is 2.

Forging

The wielder may create more complex objects from ambient Darkness. The creator must have knowledge of the object and how it works to create it. Forging covers objects with moving parts or ones that are made of composite materials. Objects don't have to be in skin contact or even in line of sight to continue to exist. Inanimate objects only.

Darkness Pool cost is 1 per success for everything.

With any sort of forging, successes reflect the quality of the work:

Successes	Effect
*	The object is flawed and will break under stress (be really careful if it's a gun).
**	It may have some flaws and will probably break under prolonged use.
***	There are no flaws but it may not look like the real thing (maybe a gun is made without a safety switch).
****	The object would definitely need a Perception + something (difficulty 8) to detect a difference (a CD player may not have the brand name on it).
*****	The object is perfect.

Note: if you're ever looking for a stat for the object (such as number of Health Levels until destroyed) then use the number of successes.

Examples:

• Melee weapons that look just like ordinary weapons and can be given to other characters. Non-aggravated damage only.

  System: roll Darkness + Melee, difficulty: weapon's damage bonus + 4 (the difficulty to create a strength + 1 dagger would be 5).

• Firearms that look just like normal firearms or they can be grafted to the armor over the hands. Non-aggravated damage.

  System: Roll Darkness + Firearms, difficulty: weapon's damage + 3.

• Other objects: Roll darkness + any applicable abilities (Metalworking, Science, etc.), base difficulty of 6. This will go up or down (usually up) depending on size and complexity.

Summon Darkling

The wielder calls forth a darkling spirit and lends it some Darkness to give it material form. The summoner has no control over which specific darkling is summoned unless she knows its name.

System: Roll Darkness + Occult, difficulty 6 (by name is difficulty 8). Three successes are needed to make a decent one with normal stats. Any less and the darkling's body is flawed and will lack some stats. Darkness Pool cost is 1.

Life Forging

The wielder now has enough experience to create simulacra of living creatures. The living beings lack free will, emotions or creativity. They cannot carry on a conversation or use public transport, but can be instructed to fight or act as a decoy. Note that they will die for you. When forging life, no supernatural powers may be duplicated. (By the way, don't even think about trying to create vampires with normal Forging because, "they're not living".)

Charisma, Manipulation, and Intelligence stats are all 1. Perception and Wits have a maximum of 3. All other stats are defined by the creator, but a particular stat may not exceed the number of successes rolled. Therefore, you can't have a Strength 5 thug with only 3 successes.

The created life has very little in the way of abilities. Basically, it has 1 or 2 in Brawl, Dodge, Alertness, and maybe Melee.

The successes represent the quality:

Successes	Effect
*	The life form is flawed (brain damage/deformities/lost physical stats)
**	Life form is not as obviously flawed but may not have full stats.
***	Life form has the desired stats (max 5) but won't pass as the subject.
****	Would win first prize in a look-alike contest.
*****	Perfect duplicate.

System: Roll Darkness + Medicine (Biology/Empathy/Animal Ken), difficulty is 8 for self or animal, 9 for another person. Darkness Pool cost is 1 for every success + 1 (i.e., a perfect copy would cost 6).

Weaknesses

"Now, what you gotta watch out for. Light is bad. Doesn't matter if it's daylight or not, a bright light that shines on somethin' made of the Darkness will make it turn to dust in seconds. Your personal Darkness will withdraw into your body to escape light, but can still help you heal and increase your power."

As soon as a bright light touches anything created from the Darkness, it will crumble to dust. The Darkness is still present within the wielder's body so he keeps his physical powers.

If you want to get technical then: When exposed to light, roll the creation's successes against the following difficulties.

Difficulty	Kind of Light Source
Auto Succ.	Indirect rays, heavy cloud cover, or twilight
5	Fully covered in heavy cloth
8	Only small part struck by direct light
Auto Fail	Direct rays from unobscured source

The creation's successes are reduced by (5 - successes rolled). When the creation's successes get to 0, the creation is destroyed.

Darklings

Creating darklings is special. Darklings are minor darkness spirits that use the Darkness to materialise, so you've still spent the darkness to 'create' one but you're actually summoning it.

Darklings have minds and needs of their own. Their creator has no say over which particular darkling is called unless aided by someone in touch with the spirit world or if he knows its name. To get an idea of their personalities, think of the cockroaches from Joe's Apartment.

Darklings have stats something like Str 2, Dex 3, Sta 1, Cha 3, Man 3, App 0, Per 3, Int 2, Wit 3. Abilities range with different darklings, most have Brawl 2, Dodge 4, Subterfuge 2, Stealth 2, and Occult 3 (Darkness). Some have Drive, Firearms, Melee, Repair, Music, Computer, Chemistry, etc.

You can make requests of the darkling but will usually have to do something for it return (junk food and cable television are most common). The creature does not want harm to come to you (because you are maintaining its existence on this plane) but cannot be ordered about.

Some darklings are evil and will try to get their creators to perform evil acts via trickery and deceit.

Remember that darklings must obey the rules relating to light.

"Black heart scarring darker still
But she'll be there when I'm gone,
dead sure she'll be there"

-- Metallica, "Unforgiven II"

Merits and Flaws

Because the wielders of the Darkness start as those near extinct beings known as normal mortals, they can have any merit or flaw available to them.

Backgrounds

Same goes for backgrounds.

You have some darklings that you befriended during your dark education and can sometimes act as a mentor. You don't have to spend darkness to maintain them either.

*	One darkling
**	Two darklings
***	Three darklings
****	Four Darklings
*****	Five darklings

Antagonists

The Angelus Queen is a thousand-year-old creation of a former Darkness wielder. She has gained a measure of Darkness and has grown powerful in the use of the Darkness she wields. She also has command of the forces of the Angels.

The Angelus Queen is able to utilise the creative powers of the Darkness, and is proficient at creating mortal companions. Unlike mortal users, the Angelus Queen's powers are not limited to darkness only, being just as effective during the light.

She has grown hungry for more power, and seeks to destroy each new wielder of the Darkness in order to gain the supernatural force in its entirety for herself.

The Angelus' Warriors are unearthly agents of tyrannical law and order who manifest as angelic-like beings of energy, wielding swords and attitude. She sends them out to do her dirty deeds (which include getting rid of the wielders of Darkness). When in mortal form, they seem to have emotion, but consistently obey the Angelus even if it means their death. The Angelus can also take Angel form.

Lord Sonatine is the ruthless leader of the Brotherhood of Darkness. He possesses mystical powers ranging from clairvoyance via a scrying pool, to the ability to make anyone believe anything he says.

Like a twisted Obi-Wan Kenobi, Sonatine seeks to train Darkness heirs in the usage of their powers. However, his motives are far from altruistic -- Sonatine's training comes with the price of servitude; to help the Brotherhood remake the world in its image. Some wielders do not share this vision, much to Sonatine's frustration.

The Brotherhood of Darkness was formed five centuries ago when Miguel Estacado reached the shores of the Americas. Miguel founded the Brotherhood hoping to get worshippers. Led by the sinister Lord Sonatine, their purpose is to help protect the current wielders of the Darkness power, as long as that wielder shares their vision of changing the world.

If refused, they're not scared of using terrorist tactics against the wielder. The Brotherhood will continue to be a thorn in the wielder's side unless she is willing to go along with their plans . . . or die.

The Brotherhood maintains a vast spy network, always on the lookout for wielders of the Darkness. If they know how many lineages are out there, they aren't telling anybody.

Vampires, hey don't laugh, keep right away from these guys. Of course they exist, such a powerful legend must've started somewhere. The conniving blighters will try to take the Darkness from your blood.

Now these guys are dangerous. Werewolves, baby. We get along well with some of 'em, but they especially don't like you, something about "stinkin' of the Wyrm". Best not to get in too close to 'em 'cause the Darkness can't help you when you've been ripped to pieces.

Watch yourself 'round these guys. They screw with reality the way you screw with the Darkness. They have a rep for trying to control the Darkness and don't mind experimentin' on you to find out how it works.

Changelings. Faeries. Whatever. They're annoyingly hard to get info' on and they're hard to spot.

Ghosties. They won't bother you much.



"Now, look out at that window. See that guy in the trenchcoat? He's a brother. And you see that blond chick gettin' out of the cab? An angel. There's too much light around for you to be any good. You got a fire escape? Good. Just lemme get a sixpack and we'll get goin'..."