Holy Blood

A game about vampires

Part 1: World
Terrorist Attack Kills 42
By Steven Michaels
A squad of suicide bombers accomplished a coordinated attack on Churches
yesterday morning, killing 42. The organization calling itself The Gnostic Truth
claimed responsibility. His Holiness was not available for comment.
In what has been the seventh of such attacks this year, terrorists have claimed the
lives of as many as three-hundred faithful. The attacks came suddenly, at or around
8:15 PM in three cities: New Jerusalem, San Francisco , and Los Angeles . Each
attack targeted a cathedral at the time of holy mass.
The leader of the organization, terrorist Lazarus Jones, released a video to news
networks, claiming his organization was responsible for the coordinated attacks.
Peace and negotiations are not options, the leader said. Their souls were damned
and owned by Satan.
(from CNN: the Church News Network)
Benediction
The Son of Man walked the Earth. God made flesh. And this flesh was given unto us
as sacrifice for our sins, that we may know eternal life.
He was betrayed, crucified, and buried. But He gave to us that which He promised:
eternal life.
And now, my brothers and sisters, there are those who would take from us what was
rightfully given to us. Our Lord's sacrifice was for the righteous, not the heathens
who worship false gods. They hope to destroy us with their graven images and
whispered prayers. Their sorcery is mighty, but the Blood of the Lamb is stronger.
It is the Blood that flows through our veins. The Blood that gives us might. We are
the Chosen . How can the generation of vipers escape the damnations of Hell? Where
fire waits. Where Lucifer the betrayer waits? The Morning Star who tries to blind and
burn us?
Those who worship the Morning Star will find their rituals wanting and their prayers
empty. The Inquisition will go forth and bring those with false hearts to the fire, and
we will send them to their infernal master. And we will pray that their souls find no
rest in the bosom of their Bright Lord.
For was it not Jesus who promised us everlasting life?
Amen.
Was it not Jesus who was sacrificed to give us that everlasting life?
Amen.
And was it not Lucifer who tried to tempt our Lord away from his true path?
Amen.
And was it not Jesus who cast the Devil behind him and brought us what He
promised?
Thanks be to God.
Let us pray, my brothers and sisters
from the sermon of Father Jacob San Gabriel, Santa Monica , California

And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink
ye all of it, for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for
many for the remission of sins.
the Book of Matthew 26: 27-28

Propaganda
The Church first rose to prominence after the death of Jesus. The Romans and the
Jews murdered Jesus in such a ritualistic manner, you wonder if they knew something
the rest of us didn't.
He gave unto his followers a secret ritual, one that allowed them to live forever, but
forbade them certain freedoms. While the followers of Jesus did not understand why
they could no longer walk in the sun, a few did know. For they understood a different
truth, a deeper truth than the Savior's followers knew although Jesus Himself must
have known.
The secret history of the world, the one the Bible doesn't want us to know, is that
there are actually two Gods: one invisible, the other visible. The visible God, the one
the Bible calls JHVH, is what our faith calls the demiurge. This God, the one who
made the world and all things in it. The Demiurge did not create the soul, did not
create the mind, did not create the will. The Demiurge created temptation. The
Demiurge created sin. Think of the seven deadly sins: lust, anger, greed, sloth,
envy these things are desires for the material world. These are the things that
distract us from our true selves: our minds and our spirits.
We must not be tempted by the Church's promise of eternal life. We must not allow
ourselves to be drawn into the Church's promise of blood and sacrifice. We must
destroy those who serve the Master of Flesh.
Pamphlet confiscated by the Inquisition

"FATHER... this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God,
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." John, 17: 3
"God our Savior desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge
 of the truth."
1 Timothy 2:3-4

Beatitudes
Blessed are the poor in spirit , for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are the meek , for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil
against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in Heaven.
The Son of Man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom
all things that offend, and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace
of fire: there shall be wailing
and gnashing of teeth .
The Book of Michael
Anonymous Gnostic Screed
Blessed are the poor in spirit. Those who sell their spirit. Who sell it like whores.
Spill it on the church floor for the clergy to suck and sup.
Blessed are the meek. For they are the cattle that will hold up the church without
question or thought.
Blessed are the persecuted. Only a soul so blinded by their own damned dogma
would look at me and considerthemselves persecuted.
Blessed are they when men revile you for the creature you've become: a blood slave
to the Holy Mother Church . You who suck on Christ's wounds, you who use the
image of His death. You who twist His words to mean what you want.
Yes, rejoice and be glad. Your reward is coming.
The Gnostic Truth Revealed
It's six o'clock on CBN 1 and that means its time for GOD'S OWN TRUTH with John
Veritas
(text taken from transcript)
JOHN VERITAS
Gnosticism. What is it? We've heard a lot from the media
today, but what exactly is it? Well, joining me here
today on God's Own Truth is Reverend Timothy Burke to
help us understand exactly what gnosticism is and why
they hate the Mother Church .
JOHN VERITAS
Reverend, welcome to God's Own Truth.
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
God be with you.
JOHN VERITAS
And also with you. Gnosticism isn't a new thing, is it,
Reverend?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
No, it's not. Gnosticism is a heresy that's been with us
for quite a long time.
JOHN VERITAS
Can you explain further?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Certainly. Gnosticism arose a few centuries or so after
Christ's death...
JOHN VERITAS
So, it isn't as old as the Holy Mother Church ?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Oh, heavens no.
JOHN VERITAS
So, its beliefs are based on writings written long after
Jesus' death.
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Well, the so-called "gnostic gospels" are far from what
I'd call reliable sources. They were written by desperate
men who want to give Satan new clothes.
JOHN VERITAS
Satan worshipers?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Indeed.
JOHN VERITAS
Why do they worship Satan?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
They're deceived. They believe in two Gods --
JOHN VERITAS
(interrupting)
Excuse me... Two Gods?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Yes. An invisible God and a visible God.
JOHN VERITAS
I see.
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
They believe the soul was created by the invisible god --
a god who cannot be named -- and the world was created by
the visible God, the one named in the Bible.
They also believe everything has a soul. Us, animals,
trees. Even rocks!
JOHN VERITAS
Amazing! Gnostics really believerocks have souls?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Yes, they do. And they believe that the visible God is
really Satan.
JOHN VERITAS
(incredulously)
Now wait a minute. You mean to tell me that the Gnostic
Movement believes that God Almighty is Satan?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Yes. They believe it enough to die for it.
JOHN VERITAS
We've seen a lot of Gnostic suicide attacks in the past,
Reverend. Doesn't the Bible say suicide is a sin?
REV. TIMOTHY BLAKE
Yes. A mortal sin for which one spends an eternity in
Hell.
Confession
(from the private journal of Lazarus Jones)
Watch them.
Watch them pile into their churches.
Watch them slit their wrists.
Watch them drink from the cup.
The blood of Christ.
It's a lie. All a lie.
Christ didn't come to give us eternal life. Not like this. Not like this.
They fear the sun. It burns them. The cold reason of the sun. Lucifer's star. The Light
Bringer. He Who Disobeyed.
The Demiurge has its disciples and its tools. And it's false angels. Gabriel. Rafael.
Sammael. The only angels we can trust are those who were punished for trying to
fight. Cast out from JHVH's paradise, they fight with us now. Lucifer and his
followers, those who disobeyed and were punished.
What kind of God would punish a worshipful follower for questioning His judgment?
What kind of God demands obedience? What kind of God demands fear?
They burn at the Lightbringer's touch because he brings the Truth.
All the world is false. A decaying, decadent place where sin reigns. There are two
Gods: one visible, the other invisible. The God who's name cannot be uttered, he
made our souls. He made our minds. He made our spirits. The JHVH made our flesh.
Made us weak. Made us weak so his flock could be strong.
They drink from the cup. The priest bleeds and they drink. Blood from He who was
murdered and stolen from us. They killed him. Murdered him. Hung him like a dog.
It was a ritual murder to steal his soul. And they captured his blood in a cup and they
drank from the cup and now they have His Divine Essence. All that made him
beautiful and perfect, they stole. And perverted. And corrupted.
And now, it is theirs.
Their Holy Father holds the cup and he drinks from it.
The Cardinals, they drink from him.
The Bishops, they drink from the Cardinals.
The Priests, they drink from the Bishops.
And the flock they give their blood to the Holy Mother Church .
Their symbol is the cross. Their symbol of power. The symbol of what they stole
from us. It blinds us. Burns us. We cannot face the awful truth of what they did how
they tortured, raped, and murdered the one who came to save us from JHVH. I have
looked upon their holy symbol and fell to my knees for despair.
Oh Christ! We failed you
We failed you

Part 2: Terrorists
1: Devotion
You are a rebel, a criminal, scum, sinning filth. A terrorist. You blow up buildings and
murder the clergy because they've sold their souls to the Demiurge. You have no
supernatural powers; only your secret knowledge to guide you. There are other
groups working against the Church: Quabbalists, Hermetics, Wiccans but they, too,
can be enemies. The enemy of my enemy is not always my friend.
Your Devotion is based on your Virtues, below. Your Devotion is equal to your lowest
Virtue.
2: Backgrounds
Every heretical terrorist has a past. This is where you detail yours, traitor.
You have 15 points to allocate to Backgrounds. Backgrounds include Careers, Allies,
or Wealth. Look at these below and trace your own personal path to damnation.
Note: you can also spend BG Points on Quirks, so be thrifty.
Career (1-4 Points)
At some point in your worthless life, you held a career. Maybe two. Perhaps you were
a baker, or a butcher, or a candlestick maker. Maybe you were a spy for the Church
before you turned traitor, murdering innocent women and children who have done
nothing more than turn their lives to Christ.
Pick a Career. You can put up to 4 of your points into your Career. If you want a
second Career, you can have one. Obviously, heathens like yourselves can't commit
to one thing, but wander like soulless gypsies from job to job with no love of Christ
in their hearts.
Allies (1-4 Points)
Murderous filth like yourself have to protect each other. You have a small circle of
allies that have bound together with the intention of protecting each other. Your little
coven of Satan worshippers does each other favors, but you have to keep yourselves
safe above all else, don't you? After all, your souls are going to Hell when you die.
So, don't count on your coven too much.
You may spend Allies in two ways: making yourself fellow traitorous friends with
little influence or making co-conspirators who have more influence. A one-point Ally
can't do much for you, but he can give you a safe house to rest at while you heal your
wounds from your unholy war. A four-point ally, on the other hand, has significant
influence and power. Remember, the more you own, the more you have to protect
Wealth (1-4 Points)
Just because you have a job doesn't mean you have access to ready cash. Having a
career assumes you have enough money to get buy day by day and even a little put
away in savings. Wealth indicates resources above and beyond what you earn from
your day job.
Wealth 1: Half again your Career's income.
Wealth 2: Double your Career's income.
Wealth 3: Triple your Career's income.
Wealth 4: Six times your Career's income.

3: Quirks
The world is a strange place, full of mystery and enigmas. There's a reason you've
turned your back on the Savior: you were blessed by Satan with some peculiar gift
to trick you into believing you are special somehow. In fact, you are nothing special.
We are all dirt, blessed by God. All blessings come from the Lord. When you face the
scourges of the Inquisition, you'll learn your life isn't special.
All Quirks cost 1 Background Point.
Awareness
For some reason, you have a supernatural sense of your surroundings. You gain 2
Advantage Dice whenever you roll for perception-based tests. Also, when you are
being surprised (by someone with the Assassin, Thief, or other stealth-based
Career), you gain those additional dice.
Concentration
You are not easily distracted from important tasks. You do not lose dice when being
distracted from a task.
Confidence
The key to being a good liar (you heathen) is exuding a sense of confidence. You've
got that in spades. When trying to convince others of your sincerity, add 2 Advantage
Dice.
Dead to the World
As far as the world is concerned, you are dead and in the grave. Your death records
are open and easily found. You do not pay tithes to the Church and the Inquisition is
skeptical when your description is given by eye-witnesses.
Fake ID
You've set up a false identity. You can masquerade as either yourself or your
pseudonym.
Fame
You have a small degree of fame. People may recognize you from time to time and
may even want your autograph.
Jack-of-all-Trades
You have a little bit of knowledge in every field but only a little. In order to take
this Quirk, you cannot have more than 2 dice in any Career Background. You add 2
Advantage Dice to any action you take.
Love
The highly heretical ideas of romance run deep in your blood. Instead devoting
your heart to the Lord, you've given your heart to another. Any actions involving your
lover give you 2 Advantage Dice.
Pretty Face
Vanity is your sin. You doll yourself up with paints and pretty clothes. You gain 3
Advantage Dice to any test involving other people who would be attracted to you.
Tough
Lucifer has blessed you with supernatural resilience. Until you are killed or knocked
unconscious, you always have 1 die for Risks, regardless of Wounds.
Warrior Cunning
You may have gotten it from training in the ranks of the Church's knights or you may
have just been born with a natural talent for murder. Whatever the reason, you gain 2
Advantage Dice on any Risks of martial prowess.
4: Virtues and Sins
The Seven Cardinal Virtues and Seven Deadly Sins make up the bulk of your abilities
and personality. Assign fifteen points to your Virtues and fifteen points to your Sins.
Each must have at least one point. Remember, your Devotion is based on your
Virtues: your Devotion equals your lowest Virtue.
The Virtues (1)
Prudence
Prudence represents your wisdom, vigilance, thoughtfulness and discretion.
Whenever your perceptions or judgment are tested, roll your Prudence.
Temperance
Temperance is your ability to say no. It reflects your moderation, restraint, self-
control and sobriety. Whenever you are tempted, roll your Temperance.
Justice
Justice is your understanding of abstract notions such as fairness and equality. When
you need to judge a matter fairly, roll your Justice.
Fortitude
Fortitude represents your strength, endurance, and resoluteness. It is not just a
reflection of physical ability, but your own determination which is sometimes more
important than mere muscles.
Charity
Charity represents your generosity, benevolence, helpfulness, and mercy. When you
are called to help others, your choice will influence and be influenced by your
Charity.
Hope
They say a man without hope is a man without fear. The opposite is also true. A man
who is driven by his hopes sees obstacles as opportunities. When you are driven to
despair, it is your hope that keeps you going.
Faith
Finally, faith represents trust, fidelity, loyalty, and conviction. A man who does not
believe in the charity of others will not live with an open heart. Whenever your
loyalty and conviction are tested, roll your Faith.
The Sins (2)
Pride
Pride is the sin of self-confidence, relying on your own hubris rather than God's
grace. Those with the sin of pride in their hearts will be broken on the wheel when
their souls are cast down into Hell.
Envy
Envy is the desire to be or have something that belongs to another. When you commit
the sin of envy, you take for granted the gifts God has given you. Those with the sin
of envy in their hearts will be forever drowned in freezing water when their souls are
cast down into Hell.
Gluttony
Gluttony is the sin of eating more than what you need. Others go without in the
world; eating more than your own share shows you care nothing for the starving and
suffering. Those with the sin of gluttony in their hearts will be fed serpents, rotten
flesh and rats for all eternity when their souls are cast down into Hell.
Lust
Lust is the carnal cravings of the loins for each other. Those with lust in their hearts
ignore the beauty of God's most precious gift: the soul. They are shallow and see only
the flesh. Those with the sin of lust in their hearts will be buried in burning coals
forever when their souls are cast down into Hell.
Anger
Anger (or Wrath) is the sin of failing to see that all men have fault; it is the lack of a
forgiving heart. Those with the sin of anger will be dismembered forever when their
souls are cast down into Hell.
Greed
Those who commit the sin of greed think the world is run by money. They think
material things supersede the soul. They will learn. Those with the sin of greed in
their hearts will be boiled in oil for all eternity when their souls are cast down into
Hell.
Sloth
Those who commit the sin of sloth avoid their work, leaving others to toil in their
absence. God assigns each of us our lot in life, and to deny our work is to deny God's
will. Those with the sin of sloth in their hearts will be cast into a pit of vipers,
suffering their venom for all eternity when their souls are cast down into Hell.
Part Three: System
This game uses the Advantage System a little thing we keep over at the Brewery in
case an editor calls us up and asks Have you got something for a Halloween issue?
We keep it around just so we can say, Why, yes we do!
If you've taken a look at Enemy Gods , you know how the Advantage System works.
You roll a bunch of dice, keep the ones that roll even, and get rid of the rest. The even
numbered dice create successes. If you roll a number of successes equal to the Target
Number set by the GM, then your Terrorist succeeds. If you don't, then your Terrorist
fails.
Typically, when you roll dice for success, you roll a A GM Side Note
number of dice equal to your terrorist's appropriate Hey, Mr. and Mrs. GM!
Devotion, plus any appropriate Background. Rolling Don't skimp on the
Devotion represents your Terrorist's drive to do what must Advantage Dice! They're
be done. Adding his Background in dice represents the fact what make the world go
that he has a better chance of succeeding in tasks that he round. Advantage Dice
has some experience in. came out of a response to
watching another system in
Finally, your happy little Gnostic terrorist can also earn action. In that system, all the
dice by looking for advantages . One of the most important advantages a character could
elements of the Advantage System is Advantage Dice. have were preloaded: right
there on his sheet. The player
These are dice the GM hands out to players for showing
didn't have to think about
initiative and for good roleplaying. Each Advantage Die is how to gain bonuses because
another die the player can roll for a chance of rolling all his bonuses were already
another success. in front of him. Besides, the
wimpy circumstantial bonus
Advantage Dice represent advantages your Terrorist has in (+2) didn't match the Feats
any given Risk. GMs should not be shy about giving he had on his sheet. This led
Advantage Dice; they are here to reward good roleplaying, to the classic I roll to hit
planning, and innovative thinking. Here are some syndrome that drives me
examples of when the GM should award Advantage Dice. crazy. So, I decided to come
up with something I liked
A player says, I have three advantages over my opponent. more.
My Terrorist has a sword. Also, I'm on higher ground.
Finally, my Terrorist has the sun behind him, shining in my Advantage Dice make the
opponent's eyes. player engage the world
around him, make him look
The GM agrees and says, Okay. You have three for any advantage his
advantages. You can roll three additional dice on your character can get. Rather
attack. than rely on his sheet, the
player has to think outside
In many ways, a Terrorist's Backgrounds are like his sheet and think of ways
permanent Advantage Dice. Because a Terrorist has a past, to gain advantages. The
he can use the skills he learned from that past as advantages aren't front
Advantage Dice. loaded and calculated ahead
of time. When all the
Using Devotion thinking is already done for
the player, he resorts to I
As mentioned above, whenever a Terrorist takes a risk, he roll to hit. He doesn't even
uses a number of dice equal to his Devotion, plus any address the situation with an
appropriate Backgrounds or Advantages he can find. But a in-character voice. I roll to
Terrorist also has a number of Devotion Points equal to his hit. With advantage dice, he
Devotion. must think about the fight in-
character. He must address
A Gnostic Terrorist may use a Devotion Point to succeed at the situation going on. If he
any one Risk. This also lowers his Devotion by one point just rolls to hit, he's
until the end of the current game session. missing out on all the
goodies. As the GM, it is
your job to reward his
creativity. Do it. You might
be surprised at the response.
Virtues
Whenever a Terrorist takes an action worthy of a Virtue, he gains a point in that
Virtue. If his lowest Virtue increases by one point, his base Devotion increases as
well. If his lowest Virtue drops, he also loses a point of Devotion.
Virtues can also be used to resist certain temptations. More on that later.
Sins
Sins are used against Terrorists. After all, they are servants of Satan and easily
tempted by the promises of the flesh. If a Terrorist is tempted, he must roll a number
of dice equal to his Sin. If he gets a number of successes less than half his Sin, he is
sorely tempted and must indulge in that Sin.
Committing Terror
When fighting vampires, take turns in rounds. Every round, a Terrorist can take one
non-combat action and one combat action. That is, you can move and attack; pick up
a sword and attack; draw a pistol and attack; open a door and attack; etc.
When you attack an opponent, you both roll dice. Add together any pertinent
Backgrounds or other Advantages. If you roll the most successes, you score a Wound.
If your opponent rolls more successes, your attack fails. You may describe the Wound
any way you see fit.
At the end of the round, all Wounds take effect. A character cannot perform an action
if he has more Wounds than dice. For example, if a Terrorist has five Wounds and can
get only three dice to attack an opponent, he cannot perform that action. If a character
cannot muster enough dice to defend himself (because he has too many Wounds), he
is helpless and can be killed by any character with a single action.
GMs may wish to invoke a multiple Wound rule that would make combat even
more deadly. That is, the more successes you gain, the more Wounds you inflict on an
opponent. Also, weapons can provide additional Wounds. The circumstances should
be agreed upon by the player and GM.
Vampires
Yes, vampires run the western world. Get used to it.
What do you sinners know about vampires? Not much.
You think they burn up when sunlight touches their skin.
You think they need blood to survive but they might just enjoy doing it.
You think certain herbs keep them at bay.
You think a whole lot of things but the fact of the matter is, you don't know squat.
GM Section
Okay, we all know the rules: no players here. Reading any further spoils surprises and
fun. So, keep your noses out of it.
Or how about we try this on for size. Let's pretend the players are responsible. Let's
pretend the players will use this knowledge to make game play even more fun. Let's
pretend that players will take the knowledge presented here and use it in such a way
that they'll actually put their little Terrorist characters in jeopardy. Gee that would
like encourage roleplaying rewards from the GM for intentionally putting your
Terrorist at risk because of something the player knows but the character doesn't.
Hm let's try that out for a while and see if it works.
World
Vampires run the Church. The Church runs the western world. Governments bend at
the knee before the power of the Pope. (Current Pope is Innocent VII, by the way.)
The protestant revolt lasted twelve minutes.
There is no United States of America . The colonies rebelled in the eighteenth century
and were quickly put down by Church officials. The North American continent is
maintained by British governors. No Declaration of Independence . No Constitution.
No Bill of Rights.
Israel never existed. In most of the world, claiming Jewish heritage is, at the very
least, a crime.
The enemies of the Church are states desperately fighting against its overwhelming
power. China has yet to yield to the Church's power and it bolsters the Middle Eastern
countries who cannot defend themselves. Japan , a powerful force against the Church,
is devoutly Buddhist and refuses to buckle under the Pope's power. Ruled by the
Emperor and his mighty Shogun , Japan 's samurai fight valiantly against the
Inquisition's most dangerous agents.
China is the primary industrial engine of the world, followed by Japan . The Middle
East remains unconquered, but at an incredible cost. Middle Eastern rulers have
declared holy jihad against the Church, sending its youth in suicide missions against
the Vatican .
Medicine is primitive compared to our own standards. No aspirin, no penicillin, no
quick fix medications. No inoculations, no vaccinations. However, communication
technology is surprisingly advanced. Television sets are present but are still black and
white and very large. Radio is the primary source of information in a household.
Automobiles are present, but considered luxury items for the idle rich of which
there are very few in the Western world. No computers. No microchips. No great
industrial move toward miniaturization. Everything is powered by steam, oil, and
muscle. An honest day's work for the penitent soul.
It is a world defined by faith rather than politics. What you believe can get you killed.
There is no democracy, only monarchs, and each rules by divine right, blessed by the
Holy Mother Church .
There are no scientists. There is no science. Natural philosophy, is the term you're
looking for. The body is governed by humors and their respective biles (3).
Vampires
Some are very old. Some are very young. A vampire's age is her most important trait.
Every one hundred years a vampire has existed gives her one point of Age. Thus, a 33
year old vampire has an Age Trait of 0. Once a vampire turns 100, she has an Age
Trait of 1. A seven hundred year old vampire has an Age Trait of 7.
A Vampire's Age has significant benefits:
Each point of Age is an Advantage Die the vampire can use in a round.
A vampire can take a number of additional actions per round equal to its Age.
These actions may be attack actions.
A vampire's powers are fueled by its Age (see below).
Vampire Powers
With all their Advantage Dice, vampires don't need a lot of powers. Using AD, they
can augment their physical attributes. With additional actions, they can move faster
than any mortal could eve imagine. Vampires can also use AD for mental and social
Risks. However, they do have some supernatural abilities worth noting.
Invulnerability
The biggest advantage vampires have is their nigh invulnerability. It is incredibly
difficult to damage a vampire with anything other than silver or gold weapons (4). An
overwhelming amount of injury may be caused by catastrophic events, but a vampire
eventually heals all damage not caused by mundane weapons. Also, fire that
purifying element can harm vampires normally.
Finally, vampires cannot stand the presence of the sun or the full moon. When in the
presence of the sun or full moon, they lose any Advantage Dice due to Age.
When a vampire is destroyed, it crumbles into dust.
Shape Shifting
As creatures of the Demiurge, master of forms, vampires can change into any form
they desire; even the form of other humans. A vampire may have as
many additional forms as he has Age. Yes, mist is a form.
The Cross
Unfortunately for the unfaithful, the image of the crucified savior is a powerful
symbol of pain and failure. When the symbol is presented forcefully to any Gnostic,
he must roll his Gnosis against the presenter's Age. If he rolls less evens than the
vampire, the Gnostic falls to the ground in complete despair. He loses a number of
actions (cannot act for a number of rounds) equal to the vampire's Age. Multiple
Terrorists can be effected in this way.
Terrorists of other faiths may not be effected in the same way.
Spiritual Terrorism
Vampires are creatures of the Demiurge, and as such, are driven by the seven deadly
Sins. They are lustful, greedy, and full of rage. They are obsessed with the material
world, blinded by its trappings. Most Gnostics do not believe vampires are soulless,
but the analogy is true: their souls are asleep or perhaps even dead. They are complete
creatures of the base and vulgar without any trace of the divine or sublime.
While most Gnostics strive to adhere to the Virtues (which cast away material desires
for more intangible and invisible motives), vampires thrive on the Sins. A vampire
cannot have any Sin lower than a Virtue. Or, at least, she should not. A vampire can
be turned away from the Demiurge at least, that's what some Gnostics believe. But
how can you turn a vampire away from the primal material force of the Demiurge?
What power does Hope have over Lust? What power does Charity have over Greed?
Perhaps none at all. But, if a Gnostic can lose Virtue to his sins, perhaps a vampire
can lose Sin to her Virtues
Gnosis
Every Terrorist has a Gnosis Trait, giving him a number of Gnosis Points to use
during the game. Gnosis translates directly to Advantage Dice, reflecting the
Terrorist's deep understanding of the world.
When a Terrorist uses a Gnosis Point, he doubles whatever number of dice he
happens to be rolling. This represents a moment of pure insight, a moment of pure
intuition. A moment of touching the sacred truth of the world.
At the end of the game session, if you've spent a Gnosis Point, roll one die. If you roll
evens, you gain another one. You can gain Gnosis other ways, too, but for right now,
that'll do.
Apocrypha
This is an introduction to a very dark world. Not a world of embracing darkness to
understand it, but a world of spiritual desolation. You have everything you need to
play a few games of Holy Blood . If you'd like to see more (including rules for the
Buddhist and Voodoun Terrorists fighting against the Church), be sure to check
out Man Fucking Vampiresfrom The Wicked Dead Brewing Company .
We started a tab for you.

Endnotes
1. The first four virtues prudence, temperance, courage, and justice are considered
the cardinal virtues. They were espoused by the Greek philosophers. These are non-
religious virtues, not religiously based, but considered important for all men to
follow, regardless of faith. The last three virtues love, hope, and faith are the
theological virtues. The heathen Paul declared these virtues incapable of any man or
woman who did not surrender his heart to the savior.
2. It is perhaps unfair to refer to these as sins. The original meaning of the word
sin means to fall short. From this translation, the term takes an entirely different
meaning than to transgress against God. It should be pointed out that many of the
Faithful and Clergy are just as concerned about the Virtues as they are about Sin.
3. Health depends on a balance of four primal fluids: Blood (air; hot and moist),
Yellow Bile (fire; hot and dry), Black Bile (Earth; cold and dry), and Phlegm (water;
cold and moist). An imbalance in these fluids causes illness; that is, if you have a
cold, it's because your phlegm is out of balance. You have too much water (cold and
moist), so you need more fire (warm and dry). This is the pervading medical thought
in the Western world.
4. As Gnostic alchemists already know, the two sacred metals are silver and gold.
Silver is the metal of the moon, the element of imagination, intuition, and dreams.
Gold, on the other hand, is the element of the sun, the metal of reason. These two
metals, when in pure form, represent the purest elements present in the world. (It's the
reason the Church is so obsessed with gathering as much silver and gold as possible.)
Because vampires represent corruption of pure ideals, these two metals are anathema
to their very existence.

Daedalus Copyright 2004, Matt Snyder / Chimera Creative

Holy Blood Copyright 2004 John Wick