Nine More Paler Potentials
More tools for the Unfortunate Ones
Dia duit everyone. Perfectly in theme with the post, I am back into into the pale irish sunlight with more ideas. Honestly, without much focus and research in the manuals, it is rather easy to come up with inspirations for this game. It is phenomenal to see how much after more than 10 years Degenesis has in stores. So much to offer, so much potential to discover. Oh I hope you see what I did there.
Palers are my favourite cult of all.
They are also one of the more complicated ones to have in a group. Palers are true outsiders and they come into play with a quite hefty package of metaplot attached to them, something that not every campaign is prepared to invest itself into. What I have always argued is that this simply comes from the unfortunate destiny the cult had. Paler didn’t have much time to shine, and it has always rather been the super heavy metaplot around them the cardinal point.
People don’t quite have a chance to see what an ordinary bunker dweller is. Not much of their grounded reality is portrayed, only described - and the same can be said of their everyday environments. More than any other cult Paler have been discussed and not made themself understood. Degenesis is a game about humans, and Paler make for some exceptional and extremly interesting character opportunity. The contrast of black & white, the unfortunate destiny, the secluded upbringing, the slavery, the hatred, the necessity to believe in something greater - so much to do with a Paler. In fact, everytime I sit in the player chair in Degenesis I do as a bunker dweller cultist.
Here is my selection of novel potentials to expand and develop the people of the dark
PITCH BLACK
PREREQUISITE: Palers, INS 3
RULES: They reduce the experience modifier of Perception by 1 per Potential level (cannot be lower than 1). They add 1 T per potential level to PSY+Cunning, INS+Empathy and INS+Perception to detect hidden details, intentions hidden behind words, traps, hidden passages. Moreover, for each level in the Midnight Sun Potential they also reduce the penalty for aimed attack by 1
Comment: Palers adaptation to the world they grow in is not just mere culture. Every paler is capable of refined hearing and attention to details that the overly coloreful outside world is completely devoid of. A generic potential for every paler that wants to deep into it and that connects with Midnight Sun to make that one a bit better.
VOICE
PREREQUISITE: Palers, CAR+Arts 6, INT+Focus 6 or INS+Primal 6
RULES: Sound and the right pitch is the secret to success in paler society. Only the most exceptional will make it to become Demagogue. Any time the Paler wants to use the power of his voice, he can spend up to one Ego point per Potential level to gain as many bonus dice. If they ever reach the Demagogue rank, they can use this Potential in conjunction with Suggestor or any other Demagogy Potentials
Comment: Another connective potential - I really like this idea. Voice brings the already present theme of vocal control that Palers are so distinct for. Voice is for a manipulative controller, for an evil Grima Wormtongue or a Beauty behind the beast type of character. It is unpractical to obtain and brings charisma for a social monkey Paler.
PATH OF THE GODS
PREREQUISITE: Palers, Solar or Reviver, Faith
RULES: Signs left by the Sleeping Gods of the past are evident to the eyes of their faithfuls. Revivers secretly work amidst the above grounders to reunite lost brothers and sisters and complete the last divine test: discover the last remaining Dispensers. Solars tend to the machines and the community, in an intricate mixture of divine-like rituals. The Paler adds +1D per Potential Level to INT+Legend to recognize and discover tracks left by the Sleeper gods, and to combine PSY+Faith with INT+Artifact Lore when operating Artifacts, RG technology and forgotten bunker tech.
Comment: Im shocked Palers have no Faith potentials in the official material. For such a religion focussed cult this odd. Path fo the Gods takes the rituals and “techno-priest” idea. Indoctrination and religion being the front for scientific and practical type of knowledge. A similar thing could be done very much for the Anubians with the INT+Science skill
LEECH
PREREQUISITE: Palers, Reviver, PSY+Deception 8, INS+Survival 6
RULES: A Reviver survives in the hostile society above. Blending between faces and habits foreign to them, they hide in plain sight taking advantage of open wounds in the fabric of the community. They may use their Network score as if they were Resources for any cult amongst their contacts. The value of this “conversion” cannot exceed 1+1 Potential level. This means that at level 1 of this potential even with a 3 in Network, they may use it at max as if they had 2. Leech can cause Network points to be lost. If there is possibility the Paler is discovered by the cult, use the Chronicler Zero rules.
Comment: This is my favourite potential of the bunch. It just creates a deeper game mechanic that perfectly metches the concept behind the revivers and the struggle they have to go through for unvailing centuries of secrets and cover up, all to find their Gods. It could perhaps be written better, so I would be curious what you guys think of this one.
UNESCAPABLE EYE
PREREQUISITE: Palers, Cyclops, Primal, PSY+Reaction 8, INS+Perception 8
RULES: The Paler inner acumen gives him the ability to sense movements, prepare respond, react, adapt, defeat, survive. During combat a Paler may know how an enemy with a lower initiative to them will spend an action (two at Potential level two, and three at level three). When the Paler asks the GM declares it on the spot and the intent cannot be changed. The Paler gets 1 T per Potential level in any Conflict against one of these actions.
Comment: I am playing again with the concept of acute senses here and the menace that the Cyclops are described to be. Pure concentrated war machines.
MODULAR
PREREQUISITE: Palers, Solar
RULES: The technology the RG prepared for the bunkers was made to withstand centuries and integrate replacements as a basic part of their engineering. The indoctrinated training that the technicians Solars get focuses on this very same principles. The Solar need 1 less kg of scrap per potential level (usually it’s 5 kg) to make 1 kg of scraps of the next higher level. The Solar may also use exp to add modification slots on items, as well as moving built mods from one item to another of the same category, without spending additional resources.
Comment: There are many mechanics that are a unique feature of the Scrapper cult. Solars are technicians and mechanics. Before they encounter the truth of the Dispenser, they work and apply the stored knowledge and tend to their eternal home. A unique alternative for a scavenger type character needs a good potential to back it up.
SHADOW STEP
PREREQUISITE: Palers, Phantom, AGI+Stealth 8
RULES: A man’s coming to check inside his barn; he feels there’s someone inside. Once there, in the dark, he stares in the damp darkness. He looks left and he looks right, searches around but sees nothing. None is there. Just another meaningless paranoia, he tells himself. He can return to bed and reassure his wife. The sound was merely nothing but another fox. The barn door closes. Silence. A figure slowly falls from the beams of the ceiling. Phantoms always finds way to disappear. They can keep their breath for 3 + BOD+Stamina minutes without any problems, and depending on the situation can roll AGI+Mobility or PSY+Cunning (3) to find in any situation a way to dissappear. If succesful, AGI+Stealth can be combined immediately after adding 1 T per Potential level.
Comment: Always capable of dissappearing is how I imagine my hyperspecialized Phantom. Not that Phantoms are solely rogueish type character but the ability to hide in shadows and cinematically dissappear goes well with their raiding fighters identity
DISORDER
PREREQUISITE: Palers, Secrets 2, CHA+Art 6, CHA+Expression 8 or PSY+Domination 8
RULES: The Paler’s movements in fight are erratic, chaotic - an irrational dance designed to trick the brain. They don’t seem to follow ordinary logic. Like a snake they twist and turn in motions. At first there is one, then another and another more. Disorder is a mental attack. The Paler may influence up to Potential Level subjects, using CHA+Expression or PSY+Domination combined with CHA+Arts against their Mental Defense. Those that fail fall pray of the memetic dance and perceive the paler as a glitch. Every action they do against him gains a -1 per Potential level Penalty and they add a 1 per Potential level to their final roll result
Comment: A combat, small memetic-like potential. Palers are freaks and are amongst the better cult to dip into the memetic techniques use. Hard requirements, that could actually be better fulfilled by a Social character rather than a combatant
DEMAGOGY OF COMMUNITY
PREREQUISITE: Palers, Demagogue, INS+Empathy 10, CHA+Expression 10
RULES: The family and faith has united the Guardians in thier holy task. They have endured the moments of darkness and now bask into the light of the old world. Now more than ever they must stranghten the bonds that have kept them togheter for centuries. The songs and chants of the demagogue are a bond the unites them. The demagogue has a profound connection for everything going on in his community. His palers have a special spot for him and he can’t make them diverge or lose faith. He notices any sign of fear, unease, discomfort reading between the lines of any words they say and understanding what’s making them anxious. He can combine CHA+Expression (2) and INS+Empathy (3) to produce a tune that removes any stress, discomfort, encoumbrance and trauma penality while also boosting their Mental Defence by +2D. For every hour they are under the spell of the Demagogue they are appease and drained of 2 Ego points, untill their own body starts suffering receiving 1 Flash Wounds instead.