**** Prime **** Entropy **** Matter **** Forces (for immediate and personal use)
**** Prime **** Entropy **** Matter **** Forces **** Time (as a hanging rote)
Diff base: 7 (coincidental, when used with firearms against
otherworldly creatures)
Damage: Aggravated; Varies by successes; see damage table below
The biggest problem in dealing with extra-dimensional beings is
that a majority come from environs ranging from extreme to
downright inhospitable. Frequently, alien physiology imbues
resistance to damage from objects of local origin. Or, in simpler
terms, a switchblade may stop a demon, but only while said demon
takes the blade away from the wielder and finds some interesting
anatomical location in which to lodge the blade. Similarly, quite
often even high-speed lead or silver projectiles fail to make an
impression. While the right priest or other holy man can, by
force of will and mystical energy, persuade the demon to return
to its point of origin, your chances of finding a priest or holy
man to tell the demon "Go to Hell!" are pretty slim
when the demon is two seconds away, intent on mayhem, and closing
in fast. And if you happen to be filling the shoes of that holy
man, even if you happen to have faith sufficient to move
mountains, it's good to have a "Plan B".
For those moments when diplomacy has failed, after negotiations
have proved fruitless, and when the situation has deteriorated to
the point of violence, experienced Demonslayers recommend
DemonShot rounds over Holy Swords by a margin of three to one.
With a core painstakingly tooled from the only the finest
anti-matter, contained by a microminiaturized electromagnetic
bottle, these demon-dropping beauties can be chambered for
weapons ranging from the petite .50 caliber "Desert
Eagle" to the macho-manly 120mm "Thugly Gun".
Appearing to be a little more than a silver-tipped round,
DemonShot rounds feel heavy, even for a .50 caliber pistol round.
Other than a mild magnetic attraction, the bullet is otherwise
unremarkable, drawing little more attention from the mundane
world than any other bullet for a .50 caliber pistol... at least,
until it hits a target.
In both forms of this rote, Prime attacks the quintessential
pattern of the demonic target, releasing the base essence of its
existence on this plane. Entropy similarly attacks the corporeal
body, causing it to break down in accordance with accepted
folklore of demons bodies disappearing in a cloud of
sulfur-and-brimstone smelling smoke. Matter simultaneously
reverses the atomic charges and molecular composition of the
projectile, creating a single dense high-velocity molecule of
anti-matter. Forces creates the electromagnetic containment field
to keep the anti-matter from reacting before the target is
struck, and localizes the ensuing damage from the
matter/anti-matter reaction.
As a hanging rote, Time determines the trigger event: impact of
the bullet on demon-flesh. (Keep in mind that the number of
hanging rotes any mage can create is limited by Arete, and that
hanging rotes don't hang forever.)
DemonShot rounds fired by anyone other than the caster (hanging
rote) must hit the target to go off. (Make your normal firearms
roll to hit.) If not used within eight days, they revert back to
"ordinary" silver bullets.
Damage Effect Table: (8 dice, difficulty 7, adjusted for Forces)
Successes |
Levels of Aggravated Damage |
Botch |
Hit self with ricochet -- take 1 (agg) and don't let it happen again! |
0 |
none -- it's a dud, dude. |
1 |
2 -- merely a flesh wound |
2 |
4 -- that's gotta hurt |
3 |
6 -- ouch |
4 |
8 -- I'm awake |
5 |
15 -- It's not NICE to fool with Mother Nature |
6 |
18 -- This is my BOOM stick |
7 |
28 -- Now that I've got your attention.... |
8 |
32 -- Payback's a ... real pain |
9 |
45 -- A lasting impression |
10+ |
successes x5 -- Go directly to Hell. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. |
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