LeviathanTempest:Hybrids

Lahmasu and Hybrids, Our Distant Cousins

Not all who bear the blood of the Tribe become Leviathans. Most are merely carriers, ordinary humans with something ancient hidden in their genes, waiting for two distant trickles of Tiamat's blood to unite when the stars are right. Sometimes, when cousin meets cousin one too many times, when a human carrying recessive markers lays with a Leviathan. Sometimes the Tribe is too strong within a person to be entirely dormant but the social, genetic or even mystical conditions required to produce a full blooded Leviathan are unfulfilled. Sometimes you get a child of two Tribes. Sometimes you get a Hybrid.

Psychologically Hybrids are human. They do have instincts that reflect their heritage – a Hybrid that's half alligator will have predatory instincts – but they have an easy time choosing not to follow their instincts much like a human and very much unlike your typical Leviathan. Mechanically speaking Hybrids follow Morality and though Hybrids tend towards the lower ends of the intelligence curve a Hybrid with Intelligence 2 is no different from a human with Intelligence 2. Even when a Hybrid isn't sentient they still show recognisable human traits and behaviours, many are much smarter than animals and can be trained in complex tasks. Mentally what really separates Hybrids from humanity is social factors. Most come from where the Tribe's blood runs thickest, their family environment is often a culture to itself and as a culture shaped by the Wicked Tribe it's rarely a healthy one. Even those human enough to socialise with humanity often look different enough to grow up with funny looks if not outright discrimination.

The Hybrid Template

Hybrids are considered to be a minor Template. Philosophically and mechanically they're human with a little extra. Yes some of them are physically more fish than man but man was never defined by the colour, or shape, of his skin. The Hybrid template consists of: Strain, Mutations, Depth and Ichor.

In addition to actual Hybrids this Template can be used to represent Leviathans who are in the process of Emerging but have not yet gained the full template, when doing so feel free to bend any rule written below.

Strain

Each Strain of Leviathans births a line of Hybrids that it claims as it's own. These lines are called Lemashu and tend to be more stable than regular Hybrids, both in that their Mutations follow more predictable lines and in that they are spared the worst effects being a Hybrid has upon the body and the mind.

The first Mutation acquired by a Lamashu is set by their Strain.

• Gugal, born of the Bahamutans: Increased Endurance (OOOO)
• Abuu, born of the Dagonites: ?????
• Heqen, born of the Nu: Diving into the Tempest (OOOO)
• Pelopsids, born of the Oceanids: Increased Resolve (OOOO)
• Gibborim, born of the Taninim: Natural Weapons (OOOO)
• Mahhu, born of the Lahamu: Prophecy (OOOO)
• Alphestes, born of the Thalassans: Increased Strength (OOOO)

Mutations

Within the genetic code of every Hybrid lies Mutations, strands of DNA from an earlier age of the world that guide the body in ways unimaginable to natural evolution. A Hybrid may be born displaying all their mutations or they may activate over the course of it's life. If there is a correlation between how a Hybrid appears at birth and it's eventual state the Tribe hasn't identified it. Unlike Leviathans who can guide their genetics through dedication and self discovery Hybrids get what they're born with. Though this means the character has no control over their Mutations the player retains full control.

Lemashu begin play with a single Mutation chosen by their Strain, Hybrids have four dots to spend as they wish. Additional Mutations can be brought with Merit dots, as always the fifth dot of a Mutation costs double. During play Mutations can be brought for experience points and cost new Dots x 2. There is a further restriction for Lemashu: They have a primary Vestige and select a second favoured Vestige as per their Leviathans' Strain. Lemashu must place a number of dots into their primary Vestige equal to Depth and in addition a number of dots in either favoured Vestige equal to Depth. Favoured Vestiges don't provide experience discounts.

Not all mutations are “cool powers”. Hybrids must take two flaws to represent harmful side effects of their mutations. Neither of these flaws provide experience though they may take a third flaw which will provide experience as normal. Lemashu are not immune to harmful mutations but it's considerably rarer, they do not require any flaws but may take one as usual.

Sidebar: Genetic Mayhem, an Optional Rule

The most powerful Hybrids are the ones with the most mutations. But surely the most mutated Hybrids would have a host of disorders as well as their abilities. There are two ways to represent this, both should not be used unless the gaming group is confident they can manage them.

The first and simplest is to give an extra flaw to Hybrids and Lemashu every time their Depth decreases. This may be tempered with a new Mutation (O – OOOO), each dot allows the player to remove one genetic Flaw. This Mutation either is independent of the Vestiges or goes under Vitality, Storytellers choice.

The second is to allow players to take as many additional flaws as they want. The first additional flaw grants experience as usual. Extra Flaws – which must represent genetic disorders – provide “genetic experience” which can only be spent on Mutations. The advantage of this system is that not all Lemashu or Strains of Lemashu are noted to be equally healthy, a fact which for simplicity's sake is not represented in the mechanics. As for what happens when a player has run out of room for Mutations but still has Genetic Experience: sadly that experience is useless, no one ever said genetic disorders were nice.

Depth

All Mutations affect a Hybrids appearance. To represent this Hybrids have Depth using the same scale as Leviathans and with the same social penalties. A Hybrid's Depth is defined by the number of dots they have in Mutations and is ranked from one to five: No Hybrid ever has human form or Apotheosis. Depth in turn sets a limit on a Hybrid's Intelligence and the likelihood of it being non-sapient, for this purpose treat Lemashu as one Depth lower.

DEPTH	MUTATION DOTS	INTELLIGENCE MAXIMUM	SAPIENCE
1	1 to 5	5	Always
2	6 to 10	4	Always
3	11 to 15	3	Mostly
4	16 to 20	2	Rarely
5	21 to 25	1	Never

Depth can and often does increase over a Hybrid's life but a Hybrid never loses their mental faculties, those are defined at birth. A Hybrid with Intelligence 4 simply will not gain an 11th dot of Mutations and similarly a Sapient Hybrid with Intelligence 1 cannot reach Depth 5.

Ichor

All Hybrids can carry the Divine Ichor within themselves. A Hybrid's Maximum Ichor pool is equal to Stamina + Depth and their per turn expenditure is limited to one. Lacking both the bestal and divine natures found within a Leviathan their methods of regaining Ichor are limited. Only Resonance and Immersion allow a Hybrid to gain additional points of Ichor.

Mutations List

This will probably have to be redone. I just started writing Aspects, in retrospect some sort of guidelines should have been written first. - The Kings Raven.

Guide lines: 9again on an Attribute: 4 dots.
9again on a skill: 2 dots. Swimming is an exception.
Access to a Birthright: 1 dot
Access to a Depth one Channel: 3 dots.
Access to a Depth two Channel: 4 dots
Access to a Depth three Channel: 5 dots (Should only be used when Depth 1 - 3 aren’t that different in power)
Costs a point of Ichor: -1 dot.

Awareness

Deep Eyes (O): The Hybrid suffers no discomfort from keeping their eyes open underwater unless the area they are in is exceptionally polluted.

Echo Location (OO): The Hybrid gains the ability to see with echo location, they can ignore all darkness penalties and can see around corners. The conductive properties of water means that they can triple the range of a regular perception check when submerged. Drawback: The Hybrid has sensitive ears, when exposed to loud sounds roll Stamina with a penalty based on the volume. On a failure you get -2 to all actions and -4 to Perception for as long as the noise persists.

Empathetic sense of smell (OOOO): The Hybrid may make Wits + Empathy rolls to smell emotions. This sent is interpreted by the brain as an Aura. Normally this roll is uncontested but supernatural abilities may provide protection as will entirely airtight clothing.

Angler Lantern (O, Depth 3+): The Hybrid gives of a lantern's worth of light from glowing eyes, bioluminescent skin or some new organ.

Elements

Child of the Waves (O or OOO): The Hybrid gets 9again on Athletics rolls to swim, at three dots: 8again.

Smell of Salt (O): The Leviathan can make a Wits + Survival roll to instinctively know the direction of the nearest large body of water. This Aspect will not locate water that is indoors or underground.

Diving into the Tempest (O, OO or OOOO): The Hybrid can willingly enter or exit the Tempest at Gatewater. To do so she must spend a point of Ichor and roll Occult + Survival. At two dots the Hybrid can sense the presence of a Gatewater in Depth*10 miles by spending a point of Ichor and rolling Wits + Survival. At four Dots they may enter and exit anywhere a Leviathan could. Without a Leviathan to carry them Hybrids can never go deeper than the Shallows.

Might

Increased Strength (OOOO): The Hybrid gets 9-again on Strength rolls.

Natural Evasion (OO): The Hybrid has Defence equal to Dexterity even if their Wits are lower.

Predation

Natural Weapons (OOO - OOOOO): The Hybrid has natural weapons. At three dots they do +0L damage, each additional dot increases the damage by one.

Predictors Instinct (OO): The Hybrid has Defence equal to Wits even if their Dexterity is lower.

Sanctity

Mind Blast (OOOO): The Hybrid pays one Ichor and rolls Presence + Intelligece – Resolve + Power Stat to inflict bashing damage with the stun property.

Increased Resolve (OOOO): The Hybrid gains 9-again on Resolve rolls.

Unearthly Beauty (OO): At one dot a Hybrid gains 9-again on seduction rolls against compatible species; at depth one or below this includes humans, Hybrids and Leviathans. At Depth three or below remove humans from the list.

Siren's Song (OO): The Siren may spend a point of Ichor and roll Presence + Expression. Wake vulnerable individuals who's Resolve + Power Trait is lower than the Hybrid's Successes spend a turn moving towards the Hybrid unless they spend a point of Willpower. This power is limited to the range the Hybrid's voice will naturally carry.

Vitality

Increased Endurance (OOOO): The Hybrid gets 9again on Stamina rolls.

Increased Size (OO): The Hybrid gains +1 to size. This stacks with other sources of increased size.

Poisonous (OO): Anyone in contact with the Hybrid suffers a -1 to all actions, after contact is broken this lasts for 5 – Stamina turns.

Superior Lungs (O - OO): The Leviathan adds 2 to their stamina for the purpose of holding their breath At two dots this becomes three and they no longer lose air faster because they are in combat.

Gills (OO): The Hybrid can comfortably breath underwater.

Slimy (O): The Hybrid gets +1 to wriggling through or out of things, including grapples.