DjinnTheBinding:Workings:Protection

Workings

One Dot

Protect the Weak

The player declares that they will use this power and selects one other character. This character must be in some sense “weak”. This can be anyone with a power stat lower than the Djinn including all mortals, or someone hurt badly. If they have vast supernatural power that isn’t useful in combat or are unable to fight due to moral or supernatural reasons they count.

All attacks against the nominated character instead strike the Djinn.

Drawback: This is the Djinn’s full action for a turn. Dodging isn’t possible since a Djinn is trying to take the blows.

Supercharging: Every point of Rukh grants an additonal 1/1 armour for a turn.

Refinements

(●) Active Defence: The Djinn may use Instant or Reflexive actions that increase her Defence or Armour. Dodging isn’t allowed since the purpose is to take the hit, but Brawling or Weaponry Dodge is since they’re deflective rather than evasive actions.
(●●●) Guard to the Just: The Djinn gets free armour depending on their charge's morality: 1/1 for morality 6, 2/2 for morality 7 and so on.

On Watch

The Djinn gains a bonus equal to his Naphisha to perception rolls when actively on some form of guard duty. This might be patrolling the corridors, watching monitors or standing on a tall tower watching the horizon.

There is no cost or overcharging for this Working.

Refinements

(●) Watchman’s duty: The Djinn adds Naphsha to Stamina or Resolve rolls required to stay focused. This includes resisting psychic attacks, sleeping gasses and other low attempts to keep them from fulfilling their duty.
(●) Night Watch: The Djinn can see in perfect darkness.
(●) Day Watch: The Djinn can see clearly no matter how bright the light. For example they could clearly see aircraft covering their approach by flying from the sun.

Guardian of the Sanctuary

The Djinn automatically gets armour so long as they are defending a place holy to an Abrahamic religion. A church, synagogue or mosque grants 1/1. A rare and important site like a Cathedral grants 2/2 while a site of worldwide importance such as Mecca or the Wailing Wall grants 4/4.

Supercharging: Every point of Rukh allows the Djinn to apply her full defence to two additional foes before his defence decreases. She turns herself into an immovable wall between the sacred place and those who would defile it.

A note on range: defending a holy place dose not mean they’re within it, but at the same time you can’t get a bonus anytime someone does something that might damage a church. Assume that for a +1 bonus the Djinn cannot be standing more than 10 feet from the gates. For a +2 bonus the Djinn must be within one mile and for a +4 bonus the Djinn must be within one mile of the same city.

Two Dots

Hold the Line

The Djinn declares some sort of line; it doesn’t need to have a physical representation but it must be a single straight line no longer than 15 feet. Any foe who wishes to cross the line must attack the Djinn in Melee and score more successes than the Djinn’s defence (his regular defence without any modifiers applied, although his defence against each attack drops as normal).

Physically this manifests as the Djinn moving at blazing speed to meet every attacker, be they one or one hundred.

The Djinn may make one melee attack as normal with a -1 for every person who attempted to cross the line this round; for the rest of the turn the line remains defenceless. (Players are strongly encouraged to make their attack last.)

Note that it is possible to flank the Djinn, and so long as this Working is in effect the Djinn cannot apply his defence to attacks that come from any other direction. Only one Djinn can hold a single line, but a staggered defence or a longer line is possible.

Supercharge (Violent): The Djinn imbues the line with its Rukh, moving from a metaphorical wall towards a physical one. Ifrits create a wall of fire, Utukku grow thorns. This takes one turn of work per Rukh spent. Every two points of Rukh creates one wall die. For every person who attempts to attack across the wall roll the wall dice; every success gives them a -1 penalty to attack for that turn and one bashing damage which can be reduced by armour.

Refinements

(●●) Steadfast Wall: The Djinn’s defence will not drop no matter how many foes attack him.

[PICTURE – Five huge Djinn dressed in finest Arabian Nights silks stand in a wide line, wielding a variety of elaborate spears and scimitars. In the distance an army approaches.]

Safe In My Arms

Providing the Djinn is carrying a willing, living or potentially living being that being is immune to all damage, any damage that would affect the Djinn’s charge instead falls on the Djinn herself.

Drawback: When affected by something that would normally affect only one person, the Djinn takes the blow like normal. However, something that affects both the Djinn and its charge simultaneously, such as an explosion or extreme temperatures, causes the Djinn to take damage for both people. Furthermore, the damage is calculated for the Djinn’s charge as normal, then transferred unmodified to the Djinn. An Ifrit carrying a child to safety in a burning building is immune to the fire itself but can’t apply its resistance to damage taken for the child.

Cost: 1 Rukh, lasts for as long as the Djinn holds its charge.

Supercharging: 1 Rukh adds two dice to any Stamina or Athletics roll used to take the charge to a place of safety.

Sidebar: What is alive?

The World of Darkness is full of unique creatures and it is entirely feasible that a gaming troupe will come across a creature that forces them to ask “Is this alive, should this qualify for Safe in my arms?” Djinn is a game; its purpose is to entertain, not make profound philosophical arguments. If this situation occurs in your game, the correct response is “Whatever is more fun.” If your troupe prefers things to be a little more solidly defined, here are a couple of options:
If it can think it’s alive.
If it’s biological it’s alive.
As above but excluding beings explicitly defined as “Undead” such as ghosts.

Refinements

(●) No one left behind: The Djinn can use Safe in my Arms for as many people as it is physically able to carry. It costs one extra Rukh per person and the Djinn must take everyone’s damage; otherwise the Working is as normal.

(●●) To a Place of Safety: The Djinn may spend one Rukh to instinctively know the way to a place where they can safely take their charge. This power only deals with the immediate problem: carrying a starving homeless child on a frosty night will find somewhere warm with food. It will not find a loving childless family looking to adopt except by lucky coincidence.

Back to back

Two Djinn with each other’s trust and support have the strength of ten. With this Working a band fight side by side, each watching for the other and each stronger for it. Everyone included in this working will take no penalties to defence until they have been attacked by more opponents than friends in the Working.

Cost: 1 Rukh per person involved.

Duration: One scene

Roll: Presence + Empathy – 1 for every Djinn who dose not have this Working.

Supercharging: Just spend extra Rukh to include more people.

Refinements

(●●) Moral Support: Djinn protecting each other with Back to Back gain extra dice equal to the number of Djinn included in the Working to resist hostile supernatural abilities which would affect them mentally.

Three Dots

Architect of the Fortress

The Djinn can increase an object’s durability. This applies to any object that is designed to hold people within and is not worn. Buildings and vehicles are the most common targets. Every two Rukh increases Durability by one. Additionally, all Larceny checks to enter the object take a penalty equal to the bonus durability.

Using this Working is an extended Stamina + Crafts roll that needs one success for every three size points the target has. Each Roll is 10 minuets of work. The extra durability decreases by one point a day.

Supercharging: Just spend extra Rukh for more durability.

Teamwork: Other Djinn can contribute -- if they know this working they can spend two Rukh for a point of Durability, otherwise it’s four. Use the normal teamwork rules from WoD core.

Refinements

(●) Modern Design: The Equipment bonus for mundane security equipment built into the protected object is increased by an amount equal to the bonus durability. This working cannot increase the equipment bonus beyond +5.
(●●) Defensive Coordination: The Djinn gains the ability to communicate with those inside its Fortress; they gain an Initiative bonus equal to the Djinn’s Wits + Composure. This does not stack with other Initiative bonuses from the building (such as a home merit); use the highest.
(●●●●) Heart of the Fortress: The Djinn’s Anchor is added to the object; it may be buried in the foundations or hidden between some walls. Perform Architect of the Fortress as normal but add the Djinn’s Stamina as extra Durability. Additonally, the object automatically recovers Structure points equal to the Djinn’s Naphsha every hour. The fortress also takes on characteristics of the Djinn -- walls become rocky with a Ghul or damp with a Marid. Drawback: The Djinn cannot maintain a vessel while using Heart of the Fortress and feels pain when the object is damaged. After a serious attack some rest and recuperation may be required. This cannot be combined with Standing Army; either the Djinn is focused on leading the troops or maintaining the building.

Story Hook

The Band comes across an ancient structure untouched by time; rumour has it that a powerful Djinn is entombed within giving the building his strength. Can the Band rescue this Djinn? Can they do it without ruining a historically valuable site? And how has the Djinn been affected by his long imprisonment?

Mental Fortress

By weaving Rukh into a solid tapestry, a Djinn can armour mortals against mental influences. The Djinn rolls Dexterity + Academics + Naphsha. For the rest of the scene all supernatural attempts to mentally influence a protected individual are penalised by a number equal to the Djinn’s successes. On a Dramatic Failure the botched working causes one lethal dammage.

Cost: 1 Rukh

Drawback: This Working does not distinguish between friendly and hostile influences. Anyone with a supernatural template cannot be protected by this Working.

Supercharging (Violent): The Djinn creates a guardian within the target’s subconscious. This guardian will remain dormant and fade with the Working unless its host is subject to a supernatural attack. At that point it will follow the attack back to its source, across any distance, and attack with the subtlety of a hungry shark. The guardian has a dice pool equal to the amount of Rukh the Djinn overcharged this working with, contested by the attacker’s Resolve + Supernatural Advantage. Mental shielding will protect against the guardian.

Should the guardian win this contest, the attacker takes one dice of lethal damage as it rips into the portion of their mind used for mental assault. Until this damage is healed the attacker cannot attempt to mentally influence another. For example, a mage cannot cast Mind spells on another but can cast them on themselves.

Note: If the attack was from an object then the guardian will attack the object, not its user. This is an uncontested roll; should the guardian score more successes than the object’s Durability, it will take a single point of structural damage and become inoperable until it is repaired.

No matter what happens, the guardian may make only one roll before it expires.

Refinements

(●●) Lasting Effect: Even after the Working fades, the mind may recall something of the protection it received and try to recreate it in times of need. This gives a -1 to all supernatural attempts at mental influence, which lasts until the first successful supernatural influence. If the Djinn scored an Exceptional Success with this Working, this becomes a -2. At the Storyteller’s discretion, a string of successful resistances may cause this to either become a stronger defence or a permanent one that lasts even after a failure. If that happens, it becomes a Merit and an experience cost should be levied.

(●●●●) Persistent Guardian: If the guardian successfully hurts an attacker (or damages an object) it will take up residence. All attempts to heal the damage it caused are contested by the guardian; a successful healing (or repair) destroys the guardian. After one scene the guardian naturally expires.

(●●●●) Free-standing Guardian: With this Refinement a Djinn can create a mental guardian outside a mind. It will protect the current room or an area roughly the size of a three story house, whichever is smaller. As always the attacker need not be in this room, only the victim. Free-standing guardians are still limited to making only one attack.

[Picture]A young, half-starved man is led through an asylum by a friendly doctor. A banshee-like spirit follows, her long bony fingers reaching through the man’s skull. The spirit looks back, its eyes meeting the janitor’s. The spirit is shocked to be seen while the janitor just looks angry. In the janitor’s hands a small mermaid-like creature starts to form; its tail is a shark and its soft compassionate face is split by a fanged maw that stretches from ear to ear.

Four Dots

Standing Army

The Djinn abandons its vessel and instead embeds its consciousness within an entire building or a large vehicle such as a ship or airplane. While doing so the Djinn can control an army of lesser vessels like a puppeteer. These lesser vessels cannot set foot outside the building. Every three points of Rukh grants one lesser vessel per dot of Naphsha. These are not skilled soldiers but can provide the weight of numbers needed to support the Djinn’s allies.

Lesser vessels have no mental or social attributes or skills, one dot in each physical attribute and 3 dots to be divided as the player wishes, and 1/3 of the Djinn’s skills in Athletics, Brawl, Firearms and Weaponry, with at least one dot if the Djinn knows that skill. They may be created with melee weaponry which makes their attacks lethal but provides no extra dice. All lesser vessels are identical.

Creating a batch of lesser vessels requires a Dexterity + Crafts roll and takes half an hour.

Supercharging: Just spend extra Rukh for more soldiers.

Drawback: The Djinn cannot maintain a proper vessel while using this working and feels pain from any damage to the building. Some rest and recuperation may be required after a serious attack.

Refinements

(●●) Defensive Coordination: The Djinn gains the ability to communicate with those inside its Fortress; they gain an Initiative Bonus equal to the Djinn’s Wits + Composure. This does not stack with other Initiative bonuses from the building (such as a home Merit), use the highest.
(●● or ●●●)To the Breach: The Djinn may absorb his lesser vessels into the building’s walls. This takes half an hour but any number of lesser vessels can be absorbed simultaneously. At the instant a wall or door is breached, the Djinn instantly knows and may choose for any number of absorbed lesser vessels to emerge and fight the intruders. The three dot version allows the Djinn to release lesser vessels at any time.

So They Can Help Themselves

A true hero inspires others how to become heroes themselves. With this power a Djinn can do something similar. The Djinn works hard to build defences, details a cunning stratagem for the battle or gives a rousing speech. More importantly, as they do so they let their Rukh flow free, empowering their allies. Using this Working is an extended action; every two points of Rukh allows one Presence + skill roll equal to 15 minutes of work. Every success adds to a pool of dice. Mortal allies of the Djinn may add from this pool to their rolls during the event.

Teamwork: This Working cannot be stacked with itself; instead use the Teamwork rules from WoD core. Secondary actors pay 2 Rukh per roll they contribute to, but must possess this Working. Accepted skills are any group activity that logically increases the group’s chances of success: building fortifications, drilling the troops, creating a plan for battle, etc.. The attribute for the Working is always Presence.

Cost: 2 Rukh per use.

Supercharging: Just spend extra Rukh for more rolls.

Notes: The Inspiring Merit has no special effect here, but players should feel free to make a roll for that too.

Refinements

(●●●●●) To the Last: Anyone inspired by So They Can Help Themselves will not collapse from bashing damage under any circumstances. After their health is filled with lethal damage they may spend a point of Willpower to keep fighting for another turn (but they suffer twice the bleeding out damage for that turn). Filling someone’s healthbox with aggravated damage is still fatal.

Outside The Battle

Some people just don’t belong in a fight: doctors who’ve sworn to never take a life, leaders who cannot fight but can build a better world. With this Working, a Djinn’s power to guard such people from harm approaches its peak. A Djinn nominates another and rolls Stamina + Survival. For one turn per success plus a number of turns equal to the Djinn’s Naphsha, the target gets a Durability equal the Djinn’s Naphsha + the target Morality. Targets must be “weak” in the same sense as Protect the Weak.

Drawback: The target becomes immobilised by the Djinn’s protection. The Djinn who performed this Working may carry them, but anyone else who attempts to touch the target finds them immovably heavy.

Cost: 3 Rukh

Supercharging: 1 Rukh for an extra turn’s duration. This may be spent as an instant action at any time the Working is in effect.

Notes: This is a more expensive version of Protect the Weak or Safe in My Arms. Its primary advantage is that unlike the earlier version, the Djinn is free to unleash the asskicking knowing that the person he’s defending is safe.

Five Dots

Finest Hour

This Working can only be used in strict conditions: the Djinn and his allies must be defending, not attacking or pre-emptively defending, and they must be against a superior force. The Djinn turns himself into an indomitable titan that can stand against armies for a battle that will be recalled in stories for thousands of years. The Djinn gets bonus health equal to his current Rukh (calculated after spending for Supercharging), which lasts for the duration of the battle. The huge Rukh expenditure will cause massive Turbulence which will be contained by the Djinn – at the end of the Working their health box is filled entirely with Aggravated Damage, no healing is possible.

Cost: All Rukh.

Supercharging: 3 Rukh boosts an attribute by one dot for the duration up to a maximum of 10.

[Picture: A huge Djinn: ten foot tall, bare-chested and muscular, is surrounded by demons. Arrows and swords run through his body and fire pours from the wounds. A horrific medusa-looking creature is wrapped around his chest, clawing at the Djinn’s face. One of the Djinn’s hands wields an enormous halberd which is cleaving through a demon; the other is pushing the Medusa from his body, a jet of fire burning through his assailant. The scene takes place atop a mound of demon corpses.]

Refinements

(●●●●●) Martyr (Requires Finest Hour): When using Finest Hour you gain a free Willpower point after performing or receiving any attack that does five or more damage. You may reflexively transfer this point to an ally.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodies

A Djinn is always under observation from angels, but as a Michaelite gains the trust of his parole officers she may be pleased to discover the heavenly host is not only watching but also watching their back. With this working a Djinn can request the aid of a lesser angel in battle. Angels are not minions and can’t be made to obey orders; if there is no need no angel will turn up. Furthermore, if the Djinn attempts wicked acts, the angel will object and might possibly turn on its summoner. All this said, the angels called by this Working show professionalism and know how to work in a group.

Roll: Manipulation + Persuasion

Cost: 5 Rukh

Overcharging: N/A

Lesser Angel

These stats represent a typical angel that might aid a Djinn; the Storyteller should feel free to use different stats and Numina appropriate to the situation. Though Djinn debate whether there actually is some deliberate intelligence choosing the right angel for the job, all agree that it sure seems that way.

Power 5 Finesse 4 Resistance 6

Virtue: Justice Vice: Wrath

Rukh: 15

Appearance: The appearance of an angel is a matter of choice; Michael’s Host normally take forms designed to reassure those they are sent to protect. The winged human look is very popular as humans immediately associate it with angels and good. In this form one of Michael’s often display an androgynous mix of features that represent strength to demonstrate they are capable protectors and soft comforting features to provide reassurance that they really are here to help.

Other forms used by Michael’s Host include shapeless masses of electricity and flame and the beautiful monstrosities found in the Old Testament. These forms are more common when on the offence.

Numina

Materialise: Though naturally in Twlight, for three Rukh and a Power + Finesse roll the angel can materialise on the physical plane. This lasts indefinitely until they choose to cease being material.

Blessed Teamwork: An angel in Michael’s heavenly host can contribute to any Working of Protection that allows teamwork. When doing so treat the angel as though they knew the Working.

Angel’s Weapon: An angel may summon their own personal weapon, often but not always a flaming sword. This is a reflexive action and costs one Rukh. An angel’s weapon has a damage rating of 6 lethal and does fire, holy or normal cutting damage, whatever is most effective against the target. If an angel gives his weapon to another, it lasts until the end of the scene. At Morality 7, holding the sword does one bashing (fire) damage a turn. At Morality 8+ there is no effect, while at morality 6 or lower wielding the weapon is impossible. An angel may only summon one weapon at a time and it will fade after one scene.

Blessed Weapons: Any weapon the angel wields does holy damage in addition to its regular type. As an instant action and for one Rukh, they may bless a weapon for the rest of the scene. For two Rukh and a Finesse roll the Angel may permanently bless a weapon. An angel in Michael’s host can bless any object, not just weapons, but if they do so the only effect is that it will do holy damage if used in combat. They are heaven’s soldiers, not its craftsmen.

Prayer: The angel beseeches Michael for his blessing. This is an instant action and costs one Rukh. After doing so the angel gains an additional Numina identical to any one or two dot Working of Protection. An angel can use Prayer as many times as it wants but it must "swap out" the previously acquired Working.

Sidebar: Angels are not fickle

While the angels will decide for themselves, if they respond they are reasonably predictable in their decisions. Any Djinn who knows this Working can safely be assumed to be able to competently judge how the angels will respond.