Wraith: The Oblivion FAQ

Wraith FAQ
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Wraith: The Oblivion FAQ

This FAQ is based on the Wraith-L FAQ compiled by Winter([email protected]) Additional help by J.W. Woodward ([email protected]) What is Wraith? Wraith is the fourth in a series of five games in the modern Storyteller Series, by White Wolf Publishing. It involves ghost stories and tales of passion, beauty, horror and other fun stuff. You play a member of the Restless Dead, still tied to Earth because of your Passions and unfinished business. You and your friends get to weave stories of intrigue, horror and emotion.
What should I get if I want to play Wraith? First off, you need the main rulebook: big, gray and mean-looking. You will also probably want the Storytellers Screen. It comes with a nifty book called Buried Secrets, which includes extra nasty stuff. Guildbooks cover the secret societies of wraiths who have special knowledge of the Arcanoi - the secret abilities that wraiths possess. The Dark Kingdoms books detail the afterlife in parts of the world beyond North America and Europe. The Hierarchy covers the governing body of Stygia - the Western Empire of the Dead. The Sea of Shadows discusses the makeup and geography of the Tempest, the eternal storm that rages in the Underworld. The Risen talks about wraiths who climb back into their bodies and pursue business in the land of the living. Dark Reflections: Spectres is about those wraiths who have given in to their dark sides and have become Spectres. This book is for readers age 18+ only. Haunts, Midnight Express and Love Beyond Death offer some help with campaign settings, chronicles and themes. The Quick and the Dead is about humans who hunt
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wraiths. Important safety tip: Don't cross the streams.
What's with the missing paragraph from the Beast? (or WAIT?!?!! How do I regain Pathos?!?!!?!?) For some mysterious reason, the paragraph describing how wraiths regain Pathos by following their Passions got left out of Wraith Second Edition. This information has been printed in the back of Buried Secrets, posted on Alt.Games.Whitewolf, and is on this homepage. Anyone who writes to White Wolf requesting this information will be sent an errata sheet. Additional material has been added to the paragraph that was dropped.
Where is everything? Courtesy of Rick Jones (<[email protected]>): The Skinlands are what we living folks ("The Quick," in Wraith lingo) live in. It's the "real" world. A half-step away is the Shadowlands - the entropic reflection of the Skinlands. The Shadowlands mimic the Skinlands, except for two main differences: (1) everything looks run-down and decayed, due to Oblivion's influence on the Skinlands, and (2) there are wraiths and wraithly objects (or Relics: Skinlands objects that were destroyed, leaving their Shadowlands echoes behind) there. The "dimensional barrier" between the Skinlands and Shadowlands is known as the Shroud. The Tempest is another dimension that's accessible from the Shadowlands. It's part hyperspace, part limbo, and part hell. Deep in the Tempest are little pockets of more-stable reality. One of them is known as Stygia, the Dark Kingdom of Iron. It is the center of government and commerce for European and American wraiths. Other Dark Kingdoms in the Tempest are the Asian Dark Kingdom of Jade and the African Dark Kingdom of Ivory. Even "farther" away from the Dark Kingdoms are the Far Shores, pockets of reality that are believed by some to be the afterlives described in various religions.
How do the Shadowlands and the Tempest relate to the Umbra and the other planes? The Shadowlands is part of the Dark Umbra, a part of the Umbra more-or-less sealed off from Garou, mages and anyone who isn't dead. The Tempest is also part of the Dark Umbra. The Deep Umbra and the Horizon Realms have essentially nothing to do with the cosmology of Wraith.
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What's the deal with that whole insubstantial/Rule of Ouch thing? Wraiths are normally in a corporeal, that is "solid," state. When in this state, wraiths can suffer damage from the Skinlands. Any object - a bullet, a speeding car, a forcibly thrown Bon Jovi CD, that hits the wraith AND WHICH WOULD NORMALLY HURT A HUMAN inflicts one level of Corpus damage and turns the wraith incorporeal for a number of turns equal to his Stamina rating. When a wraith is incorporeal, he cannot be harmed by anything physical in the Skinlands. In other words, if Dave the wraith gets run over by a truck, he takes one level of Corpus damage, but doesn't take any damage from the next three cars that plow through him while he's incorporeal. Note that an incorporeal wraith is still solid with respect to the Shadowlands. Dave the wraith can get run over by a steamroller in the Skinlands and become insubstantial, but can still be beaten up by a Legionnaire in the Shadowlands.
What is the Shadow, and what motivates it? The Shadow is the part of a wraith that wants to die, to embrace Oblivion. It is the "anti-self" whereas the Psyche is the "self." This is the only motivation that all Shadows share. However, those parts of a wraith's personality that he wishes to submerge or hide often get bound into his Shadow. This is what differentiates self and Shadow, and which gives Shadows their Dark Passions. Anything that encourages Oblivion, on a personal or a global scale, can be part of a Shadow's motivation.
What is a Shadow's potential motivation for helping the Psyche out? There are many possibilities. Many Shadows have perverse pride in their Psyches (especially those Shadows of the Parent Archetype). Others enjoy the anticipation and the hunt, and drag out the pleasure of their Psyches' damnation. Some prefer to use their Psyches to ruin the Psyches' friends or Fetters, giving the dominant personalities enough rope to hang themselves (and there's always the possibility of hooking a Psyche on Shadow dice and then withdrawing them at particularly dangerous times). The word "sadistic" can be applied to almost all Shadow Archetypes; taking someone directly to Oblivion by the quickest means possible is no fun at all.
Can you smelt Spectres? Yup. As a matter of fact, only criminals and Spectres can
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be smelted legally. For more details, check out Guildbook: Artificers.
Are Shades sentient? Shades, the biggest, nastiest Spectres that characters are likely to meet, are only vaguely sentient. For the most part, this translates to a Willpower of 0, because if you don't have a mind you can't really set your mind to something. However, for resisting Willpower-based attacks, treat a Shade's Angst as its Willpower. Even if an animal doesn't know what's hurting it, it will resist as much as it can.
Who runs a Harrowing, the Shadow or Spectres? Harrowings (psychodramas that wraiths fall into when they run out of Corpus or Willpower, or when their Passions or Fetters are destroyed) are run by Spectres, with help from the victim's Shadow. As explained in Dark Reflections: Spectres, certain Spectres have the ability to communicate with a wraith's Shadow. These Spectres dredge up the Harrowing's source material through conversations with the Shadow. Spectres also plot and "perform" the Harrowing within the Labyrinth, drawing forth from the Tempest any of the props, tools or other items needed to make the experience as unpleasant as possible for the trapped wraith. The Shadow, while fully conscious of what's going on (and giving advice and encouragement to the Spectres), is not in charge. It just sits back and waits for a chance to take over for good.
Why do the low-level Inhabit Arcanos abilities all involve computers? Space in Wraith was limited, and those abilities are among the most relevant for modern-day wraiths and chronicles. Obviously, other uses of Inhabit exist, and they will be detailed whenever possible and appropriate. Guildbook: Artificers contains several examples. As always, we encourage players and Storytellers to use their own imaginations.
Is Charon Abel? The short answer: NO!!!! The long answer: Abel, if he ever existed, died a loooooong time before Charon was born. Charon came out of the Mycenaean civilization, while Abel (supposedly) died sometime around 4000 B.C..
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Who is Charon, then? No one really knows, except perhaps the Lady of Fate.
What happened to Charon, his mask and Siklos? Charon went down in a whirlpool fighting the great Malfean Gorool in the aftermath of the Fifth Great Maelstrom in 1945. His blade Siklos vanished with him, and neither has been seen since. Charon's mask was left behind in the Citadel but mysteriously vanished after Charon's putative demise. It has not been seen in decades.
How can I use Wraith with the other WoD games? Wraith can be used to keep a favorite character who has died in the game. Certain inhabitants of the World of Darkness (sluagh, Giovanni, Samedi, Tremere, the very few Nagaraja out there, Silent Striders, and Euthanatos and Dreamspeaker mages) have a lot of contact with wraiths, making for good crossover potential. Then there's the Risen, wraiths who traipse around the Skinlands in their decomposing bodies.
Do wraiths have minds that can be affected by Magick/Gifts/etc.? Yes and no. A wraith in the Shadowlands can only be reached by, for example, a mage using Mind, but only if Spirit is used too. A wraith who is Skinriding can be affected "normally." When a mage makes contact with a wraith, the mind contacted will be whichever is dominant: Psyche or Shadow.
Can wraiths talk to any supernatural beings without using Arcanoi or spending Pathos? Wraiths cannot just "talk" to other supernatural beings, or indeed anyone in the Skinlands, for free. At least basic knowledge of Embody is necessary before a wraith's voice can be heard (albeit faintly) in the Skinlands, without cost.
Can <blank> become a wraith? Vampires can become wraiths if they are not diablerized or do not achieve Golconda. However, vampires tend to have lots of enemies waiting for them on the other side, and ex-Kindred wraiths are prize catches for Giovanni. Werewolves can become wraiths if and only if they are
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cursed or Wyrm-tainted. Most Garou souls are "recycled" or join their ancestors. However, those Garou whose spirits get Wyrm-tainted or otherwise corrupted can be trapped in the Dark Umbra. Mages can and frequently do become wraiths (Passion: get those Technocracy SoBs for wiping out my senior prom with a HIT-mark, or something like that). Changelings possess faerie souls which are usually reincarnated into other bodies at the time of death. Because of this, a changeling only rarely becomes a wraith. Any changeling killed by cold iron does not reincarnate; that changeling's soul is forever banished from the mortal realm and so may become a wraith. Mummies spend a good deal of time between bodies, in the Shadowlands. If a fomor doesn't fall directly into Oblivion, it could conceivably become a wraith. Psychics, people with True Faith, and hedge magicians can become wraiths, but lose their Numina (with the possible exception of True Faith). Remember that when a supernatural being becomes a wraith, it loses all of its old powers. No more Disciplines, Spheres, Gifts or Rage.
How do I decide if my character becomes a wraith upon death? Basically, if you can think up reasonable Passions and Fetters, your Storyteller agrees on it, and it makes the story better, your character becomes a wraith. There is no chart ("12% of all people killed in drive-by shootings become wraiths") nor rolling of dice. Just see if it makes sense for your character. Incidentally, turning a deceased vampire/mage/whatnot into a wraith can be a great way to continue a favorite character (not to mention pester those who think they've finally seen the last of you-know-who).
Did Samuel Haight become a wraith? Samuel Haight is dead and did become a wraith. He was Reaped by the Hierarchy and put to use serving that august body to his best capacity; to wit, he is now a small and delicately worked ashtray on a Hierarchy functionary's desk.
Are Soulforged or Moliated objects conscious? Do they
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have Shadows? No, Soulforged objects are not conscious, nor do they have Shadows, or at least not that anyone has noticed (though there are unpleasant rumors). Accepted wisdom is that Soulforging destroys the personality of the soul being hammered. Moliating does not.
Is there anything at all about Wraith on the net? Yes. Tons. Well maybe not tons, but several pounds. One of the best sources is the Wraith mailing list. To join the list (also known as Wraith-l), send a message to [email protected]. Leave the subject line blank. In the body of your message write "subscribe Wraith-l (your name)." Do not use a .sig. You should get a reply saying you have successfully joined Wraith-l. Prepare to be inundated with spam. There are also several other good pages including: Wraith Links on the Internet (http://pubweb.acns.nwu.edu /~khu286/necro/wraith.html) BJ Zanzibar's Wraith Page (http://ezinfo.ucs.indiana.edu /~adashial/wod/wraith/wraith.html Plasm (http://www.id,iit.edu/~petemaw1/www/Wraith.html
When my wraith talks to his Shadow, can other wraiths hear it? No, that conversation is strictly internal.
How about when Spectres talk to Shadows? Can that be heard by others? Nope. Again, such a conversation is entirely telepathic. For more information, see the Dark Arcanos Contaminate in Dark Reflections: Spectres.
How can I tell if my Shadowguide is playing my Shadow or her own character? Suggested ways of differentiating between Shadow and character include having the Shadowguide put on a black domino mask when playing the Shadow, using a different voice for the Shadow, or whispering to portray the Shadow's voice. The best method is simply to arrange an agreed-upon method of Shadow identification before each session starts.
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Shadows now get experience. Who spends it? The Psyche's player does, though input from Shadowguide and Storyteller is recommended.
I have enough Shadow experience to buy my Permanent Angst up to 10? What happens now? In a perfect world, you spend your Shadow experience on something else. Permanent Angst should not be purchased above Permanent Willpower with Shadow experience. Why would you want to turn your character into a Spectre, anyway?
My wraith has just been turned into a Spectre. Can I keep playing her? Sure, though Dopplegangers are a lot easier to roleplay than Shades or Nephwracks are. If your Circle will accept your explanation for having vanished into the Tempest for an long period of time, and your Circlemates are willing to welcome your character back, go for it.
One of my Fetters was destroyed. Can I keep its relic as a Fetter? Certainly not. Fetters must be physical objects (people, places or things) in the Skinlands. Underworld objects and denizens can not be Fetters.
What if a Silent Strider werewolf picks up my Fetter and carries it into the Dark Umbra? Is it still a Fetter? Yes, because it has crossed into the Underworld physically as opposed to by means of being destroyed. However, this sort of situation is extremely rare.
Can I have Passions centered around the Underworld. Most certainly. Most older wraiths have Passions almost exclusively devoted to the Shadowlands and the Tempest, and few or none dealing with the living.
How fast can a wraith move when using Ride the Electron Highway (Inhabit ), and can she take along passengers?
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Wraiths moving through electronic equipment move at the speed of thought, which is pretty fast. This sort of ease of movement has led to many Artificers abandoning the Tempest as a method of travel between Skinlands points, as moving through circuits is as fast and often safer. However, it's hard to select where you're going, it's very easy to take wrong turns, and competing for space with data packets can get dangerous. However, wraiths traveling the electron highway can not take passengers with them, limiting the art's use.
What does the inside of the electron highway look like, anyway? The entire system is representational; what it looks like pretty much depends on what each individual wraith moving around in it.
What other Awakened beings am I likely to see in the Underworld? Not many of any stripe, but the most frequent visitors are Silent Strider Garou, and Euthanatos and Dreamspeaker mages. Void Engineers are occasional visitors.
What about Giovanni vampires? Even if they could travel to the Shadowlands, the masters of Necromancy would know better than to meet wraiths on their home turf.
How is Stygia now governed? The Deathlords of seven of the Legions rule the Dark Kingdom of Iron in a semi-feudal oligarchy. The Ladies of Fate, servitors of the one true Lady of Fate, command their own Legion but do not usually dabble in Stygian politics.
So who's really in charge? It depends on whom you ask.
Where are the various Dark Kingdoms located in relation to one another? The true heart of each Dark Kingdom is tucked away in an oasis of safety inside the Tempest, separated from all of the other Kingdoms. However, each realm's Shadowlands
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occupies the same physical space as does its Skinlands. Technically, a wraith could walk from a Stygian Necropolis to the Bush of Ghosts or to the Yellow Springs.
Who controls the Shadowlands of the Middle East? Stygian Legions followed Roman Legions there two thousand years ago, and haven't relinquished control yet.
One of my Fetters is a human being, and I know he's going to die some day. If I get him ghouled or Embraced, do I lose him as a Fetter? You definitely wouldn't if he were simply turned into a ghoul. A Fetter turned into a vampire is more problematic, as the human being technically dies in order to receive the Embrace. In that instant, the Fetter is lost but can later be re-attached through Lifeweb (after your Harrowing, of course).
I have two Passions tied up in the same core emotion. Do I roll for both if I'm in the presence of that emotion? Yes, though it's recommended that you not double up Passions on emotions. You can even roll for a Passion and a Dark Passion simultaneously.
Can I convert one point of Permanent Angst into 10 points of Temporary Angst? Yes, but that defeats the purpose of the exercise.
If my wraith gets pulled into a Sandman's dream pageant, can he still use his Arcanoi? Within the bounds of the shared dream, most certainly.
So what's so bad about being a Spectre, anyway? Other than constant agony and the likelihood of being devoured by one of your own allies, not much. Did I mention the incessant suicide charges?
What happens to a wraith caught in a Maelstrom? Lucky ones are simply whirled off to the Tempest. Unlucky ones fall prey to the Spectres that ride the storm winds, or
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have their Corpus stripped away by the sheer force of the wind.
Okay, so my wraith is about to be captured by a bunch of slavers and sold to the local Artificer. Why not just have my character dump himself into a Harrowing to avoid escape? In the short term, this is a good plan. On the other hand, what if the slavers have someone skilled in Lifeweb with them? They'll just be waiting at your character's Fetters if/when he emerges from the Harrowing, when he'll be tired and depleted.
My vampire/mage/changeling/Garou character just died. Can I bring her back as a wraith? Any vampire who is not diablerized and who did not reach Golconda before Final Death can become a wraith. Most Garou are reincarnated or join their ancestors as opposed to becoming wraiths, but certain werewolves with Wyrm-taint can become Restless Dead. Any sort of mage can become a wraith, though she won't bring her Avatar across the Shroud. Only changelings killed by cold iron can become wraiths.
Will my vampire still have all of his Disciplines once he becomes a wraith? No. Any Awakened being of any type who becomes a wraith starts out as a basic wraith - no Disciplines, no Spheres, no Rotes, no Gifts, Cantrips or anything else. Most formerly powerful supernatural beings take a while to adjust to the Underworld ("You mean I can't throw fireballs any more?"). Sometimes that adjustment period is too long for their own good. Also, a great many Awakened beings rack up quite a few enemies before crossing the Shroud, and some of those enemies are certain to be waiting, and have the added benefit of years of wraithly experience. As with other wraiths, the appearance of an Awakened being's ghost depends on how she viewed herself in life. A Garou could conceivably become a Crinos-Form wraith, but she would have only the shape, not the strength that Crinos form bestows upon the living.
What about that city of vampires that's supposedly in the Underworld? Can't those vampires use their Disciplines? Awakened beings that are physically transported into the Underworld can still use their natural (or unnatural)
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abilities. As for the City of Enoch, those few wraiths who have heard of it alternately claim that it has its own island in the Tempest, a la Stygia, or that it's one of the less popular Far Shores.
My wraith was French. One of my Circlemates was American. Another was German. How can we talk to each other? The language of death is universal. All of the wraiths from a particular paradigm can converse, while their Linguistics ratings determines how well they understand the languages of "foreigners" who speak in the Skinlands.
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Wraith: The Oblivion FAQ

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What are the different realms that wraiths can inhabit?

What abilities and limitations do wraiths have?

Wraith FAQ

Wraith: The Oblivion FAQ

wraiths. Important safety tip: Don't cross the streams.

be smelted legally. For more details, check out Guildbook: Artificers.

Are Soulforged or Moliated objects conscious? Do they

So who's really in charge? It depends on whom you ask.

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