"What do you mean what am i doing? I'm trying to pick open the cuffs with my feet. Now hold still!"

While many have the ability to escape from bonds and contort their bodies. You are a physical prodigy when it comes to these sorts of things. You are double jointed..Heck, probably triple jointed. You can tie and untie ropes with your feet. Straight jackets, ropes, chains, and and many other forms of restriant hold no fear for you.

System: This Knack offsets any penalites on any Athletics or Ledgerdemain roll that involves twisting and contorting the human body. Ropes cannot hold him at all (taking a single combat round to divest himself from them) but other forms of restraint require a roll.

The Stalwart may also, at his option make a Ledgerdemain roll to dislocate and relocate his limbs.

(allthough this will cause the character to suffer 1 level of unsoakable damage when he relocates them. This is a painful process. this damage may be healed normally.If the Stalwart get more than 4 successes on his roll then he may sidestep this damage Botches on this roll should be suitably horrific and dire.)

Example: the Amazing Bandini is about to be caught with the rumanian crown jewels. Porters are trying to break down the door of his stateroom. Thinking quickly, he opens the window and then drags his suitcase out from under the bed. With three successive Ledgerdemain rolls he dislocates both legs and one arm,packs himself into the empty suitcase, and with his single working arm, shoves himself under the bed and locks it shut from the inside. Later, when he is alone, he can undergo the agonizing work of putting his cramped body back together. He rolls three times and gets lucky on one of the rolls so he only suffers 2 levels of unsoakable damage.

" My friend here must have had too much Karachi... Me. I'm fine. give me another round.

In Chinese legend, it was said that Demon Hunters often developed a legendary tolerance to Alcohol because getting a demon drunk was one of the few ways to trick secrets out of them and get them vulnerable. You have learned how to drink and carouse at a level that most people can't handle. People often mistake you for a game developer.

System:You have developed the metabolism of an Aberrant as far as many types of drugs are concerned. You may apply your Destructive Inspiration as additional dice on any resistance roll that involves drugs or strong drink.(poisons and irritants are not affected)

" All quiet over here squad leader...Heh Heh."

The human voice is an extremely sophisticated instrument. You however have been gifted with the equivalent of a stradivarius and mini-moog synthesizer all wrapped up into one. While others may have an interest in the arts of mimicry and ventriloquism. Your vocal abilities are far beyond the pale. You can make any sound the human voice is capable of producing and quiet a few besides.

System: All rolls using Protean Voice come off of Perfomance but relly on different attributes. To create any sound that a human voice can make simply roll a straight Charisma+Performance roll. To create any sound that a human voice cannot create you must make a Stamina+performance roll. To exactly mimic another person voice requires a Perception+performance roll with at least 3 successes. To indulge in a bit of ventriloquism requires a Dexterity+Performance roll (In order to properly "Throw" the voice and conceal lip movement. (Note that this option is open to other players as well but requires at least two successes on the roll.)

Botches on any of these rolls may damage the vocal chords for a day or two.(ST discretion)

Example: Kyodai is attempting to infiltrate an enemy installation. He finds a safe place and begins singing like an 8 year old girl.(Cha+Perf) When the sentries come out to investigate he bounces "Her " voice all over the place (Dex+Perf) After puzzling them for a few moment while getting into position, he makes the sound of the 8 year old girl being eaten by a flock of rabid storks. (Sta+Performance) Totally demoralized, the sentries begin to clutch together and before they know what's happening, Kyodai is among them slashing with his tanto. When the squad leader calls on the radio. Kyodai impersonates the sentries voice and moves in to create greater havoc.

"I told you we weren't lost."

You have an ability to draw on an innate sense of direction. You have a bone in your nose that is extremely sensitive to magnetic north or perhaps you allways mentally map places in your head. Perhaps you've just got a talent for Nap of the Earth piloting...either way you look at it. it's very difficult for you to get lost.

System: Even if you have no visual cues at all (I.E. Setting sun, stars, etc...) you may add your Intuitive inspiration to any Navigation rolls. If you have a accurate map, it is flatly impossible for you to become lost in relation to it. (of course, not all maps are accurate)

The witch doctors speak of a place called the Valley of Echoes. It is here that the cave of M'temba is located. Legends say that when M'temba left this earth he went into the cave and joined with the black blood of the earth. Mystical powers are imputed to those who immerse themselves in the black blood of the earth but only if they are pure of heart.

Witch Doctors speak freely of this place for a number of reasons. (1) It is very difficult to find the Valley of Echoes which is in the heart of the jungle. (2) The Valley of Echoes is said to dangerous and haunted besides. (3) The cave of M'temba requires 3 tests to enter the black blood of the earth, a test of wisdom, a test of stamina, and a test of faith. (4) Supposedly, those who M'temba adjudges corrupt die in horrible screaming agony.

In other words, there aren't exactly a lot of whites who go looking for it in the first place and those who do rarely return. Those who do, earn respect among the tribes for M'temba has judged them and they have passed.

Those who are wise in the ways of medicine also say that other tribes in other parts of the world have learned the gifts of M'temba. Who are we to question M'temba if he want to gift Aztecs and Indians with his wisdom. Each of them learns medicine in a different way and may earn the gifts through visionquest or through ritual. But they are the Gifts of M'temba. Never forget that.

" The little one says that he smells many men in the jungle. They are coming from the river. We must go."

M'temba's first gift is the ability to understand the animals. those who are gifted in this way are rarely bitten or hurt because he has relearned the language that they once shared in common in the ancient days.

System: The Beastlord gains the ability to communicate empathically with animals. This translates out into a bonus to Animal Husbandry rolls based on the beastlord's Intuitive facet. This roll is modified by the type of creatures that the Beastlord is trying to communicate with.

Primates(+1)

Mammals (no modifier)

Avians (-1)

Reptiles (-2)

Fish (-3)

Beastlord characters who try to communicate with insects and bacteria should be beaten about the head and shoulders.

Note that this form of communication is empathic and as such is fairly inexact for informational purposes. this knack also does not confer any ability to control the beast in question but is often useful for calming beasts and making friends with them. Animals tend to be well disposed to those who speak their language.

When using this gift, the beast lord must actually make animal noises and must listen to the animal to understand him. This knack costs inspiration to activate and lasts for an entire scene. Regular use of this knack can cut the time and effort necessary to train an animal for various tasks.

" I call on the spirit of Tantor! Grant me strength!"

M'temba's second gift is the ability to call on the spirit of animals to fortify the body for the rigors of the world.

System: The Beastlord spend a point of Inspiration and this knack become active for the rest of the scene. The Beastlord takes his permanent willpower trait and halves it (rounding up) he then applies those dots to one of his physical attributes which must be chosen when the knack is activated and cannot be changed thereafter. The Beastlords physical attributes can go over 5 in this fashion and those who have used this gift have displayed prodigious feats of strength, dexterity and stamina. (note to twinks: this will not grant you nifty mega attribute benefits like Aberrant but extra dice to damage,initiative, and soak are allways nice don't you think?)

When using this gift, the beast lord must enter a light trance and invoke the power of a particular beast out loud.

"Never mind how i will find the soldiers. Be ready to strike when i return.They cannot hide from eyes in the sky."

M'temba's greatest gift is reserved for only those who are most pure in heart. They gain the ability to take on the form of a beast and live as one with nature.

System: This knack confers an extremely limited form of Shapeshifting. The Beastlord must spend Inspiration and then make a Stamina+Athletics roll against +2 difficulty. (botches on this roll result in the beastlord temporarily losing his intellect to his animal instinct.this may have lasting effect even when he's reverted to human form.)

Success on the roll indicates that the Beastlord is able to take on the form of an animal (this animal must be chosen when the knack is purchased and cannot be changed. if you want to assume multiple animal forms you must purchase this level 3 knack multiple times.) Look in the storytelling section for examples of animal forms to take on. (the animal must actually be indigenous to the area the beastlord comes from. Beastlords cannot assume the form of dinosaurs or similarly telluricly augmented animals.

The transformation into the animal lasts until the beastlord wills it away (Again roll Sta+Athletics + 2 diff) or until he loses consciousness (either through bashing damage or going to sleep) If the beastlord suffers Lethal damage while in animal form half of it will carry over into his human form. If he is slain in animal form he stays dead.

While in animal form, the beastlord retains full possession of his intellect. he may also use his Inspiration for dramatic editing and cliffhanging and various other uses. however it should be noted that there are very few knacks that translate across to an animal form. Most of these are physical in nature. (body of bronze,man for all seasons, et al.)

"You cannot stop me. i will not rest until i have broken you in my hands."

You are an atavisitic force of nature. it very difficult to turn you aside in combat and you will walk across the desert to destroy your enemies if it's necessary.

System: You gain 2 extra healthy health levels. In addition, for the expenditure of 1 inspiration. Your Stamina gains a number of dice equal to half of your Willpower (round down) for the remainder of the scene. this affects stun rolls, soak, endurance and resistance rolls. Possessors of this knack are very large and have some difficulty hiding,disguising themselves, or remaining inconspicuous.

"You having some trouble Swami?"

Something in your mental makeup is detrimental to psychic force. You generate some sort of signal that heterodynes with psychic powers robbing them of a lot of their sting. Mesmerist fear you as many of their powers become useless against you.

System: When mesmerists try to direct their powers against you they must subtract 1 die from their pool for every dot you possess in destructive inspiration. This also affects positive mesmerist effects like Touch of Life

"<Krack!> OW! What the hell are you made of ?"

Just as Body of Bronze grants it's owner a superdense epidermis, Pillar of Stone gives it's owner a superrdense skeletal structure capable of withstanding serious damage. Most conventional weapons and sources of damage cannot break your bones at all.

System: Pillar of Stone offers it's owner a number of useful advantages. Hand to hand damage meted out by the stalwart is given a +3 bonus (as if the player were weilding a baseball bat.) Half of all lethal damage the player receives is converted to bashing (after soak) and those who attack the Stalwart hand to hand suffer half of the damage (rounded up) for each strike they land on him.

Example: Kyodai attacks Countess Ilse Von Haupt. He lands a serious kick on her for 7 dice of bashing damage. Since Ilse has Pillar of Stone. Kyodai take 4 level of bashing damage (which he now has to soak.) and his foot hurts.

Storytellers should be very very careful about stacking Pillar of Stone with Body of Bronze either for players or for villian types.