(26600) Digital Grimoire, Shadowrun
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DIGITAL GRIMOIRE
Digital Grimoire Credits
Writing
Lars Blumenstein, Robert Derie, John Dunn, and Peter Taylor
Editing
John Dunn, Peter Taylor
Artists
Tom Baxa, Steve Prescott, Chad Sergesketter, John Zeleznik
Production
Adam Jury
Shadowrun Line Developer
Peter Taylor
Shadowrun eBook Development
John Dunn
Inspiration:
Perdido Street Station
and
American Gods
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“ W h a t i n t h e n a m e o f A ll a h i s t h a t ? ” M a h m u t n u d g e d t h e b u ll e t - r i d d l e d t h i n g w i t h h i s f o o t . T h e g u n i r e w a s
s t ill e c h o i n g i n t h e d i s t a n c e , t h e a c o u s t i c s o f t h e t u n n e l s b o u n c i n g t h e s o u n d b a c k a n d f o r t h .
A c o u p l e o f li m b s t w i t c h e d a n d t h e n s t o p p e d m o v i n g . M a h m u t p o k e d i t a g a i n w i t h h i s a s s a u l t r i l e j u s t
t o m a k e s u r e . T h e m e r c h a d s i g n e d o n w i t h t h i s g r o u p o f f o r e i g n e r r u n n e r s a s b a c k u p a n d h e w a s i n c r e a s i n g l y
s u r e h e ’ d m a d e a m i s t a k e . H e ’ d g r o w n u p i n t h e b a c k s t a b b i n g s h a d o w s o f I s t a n b u l a n d h e ’ d n e v e r s e e n t h e li k e
o f t h i s thing…
“ L o o k s li k e blatta orientalis t o m e , ” s a i d E lij a h , c r o u c h i n g o v e r t h e b o d y . B e h i n d h i m , E t h e r n a u t n o d d e d
a g r e e m e n t . T h e m a g i c i a n c a u g h t M a h m u t ’ s u n c o m p r e h e n d i n g e x p r e s s i o n a n d s i g h e d . “ I t ’ s a b u g , M a h m u t . A n
i n s e c t s p i r i t , a r o a c h s p i r i t t o b e e x a c t . I’ d h a z a r d a g u e s s t h a t t h e y li k e t h e h u m i d i t y o f t h e hamam. ”
M a h m u d s p a t o n t h e b o d y . “ I f f r i t i, ” h e m u m b l e d a n d m a d e a s i g n a g a i n s t e v il.
D e c k a r d g a v e t h e T u r k a s l a p o n t h e s h o u l d e r. “ T h o s e y o u g e t u s e d t o . T h e p r o f e s s o r ’ s g i b b e r i s h … n o t s o
m u c h . ” H e d i d n ’ t l o o k a s c o c k y a n d c o n i d e n t a s h e s o u n d e d . H i s m e m o r i e s o f t h e C h i c a g o w e r e s t ill f r e s h .
E t h e r n a u t s c a n n e d t h e b o d y w i t h h i s S i g h t , a n d h i s li p s t i g h t e n e d , “ B a d n e w s . T h i s i s a c a r e t a k e r. W e m u s t
h a v e t a k e n a w r o n g t u r n i n t o a n e s t . T h a t , o r w e n e e d a w o r d w i t h A h m e d w h e n w e g e t b a c k . I h a d a f e e li n g t h a t
w e a s e l w a s s e t t i n g u s u p . L e t ’ s m o v e , l a d i e s — t h e o t h e r s w ill h a v e h e a r d t h a t r a c k e t . ”
N e i t h u n s h e a t h e d h e r s c i m i t a r, w h il e M a h m u t l o o k e d n e r v o u s l y f r o m r u n n e r t o r u n n e r t w i s t i n g h i s m o u s -
t a c h e w i t h h i s g r e a s y i n g e r t i p s , “ O t h e r s ? W h a t d o e s t h i s m e a n , o t h e r s ? ”
T h e N u b i a n a d e p t s h o u l d e r e d h e r b a c k p a c k a n d d r e w h e r s e c o n d s c i m i t a r, “ I t m e a n s t h e s e p a s s a g e s w ill b e
c r a w li n g w i t h r o a c h e s i n a f e w m i n u t e s . B i g r o a c h e s . T h e y t e n d t o g e t t e r r i t o r i a l i f t h e y t h i n k w e ’ r e a t h r e a t t o
t h e i r n e s t . ”
T h e b l o o d d r a i n e d f r o m M a h m u t ’ s f a c e , “ Y o u h a v e m e t s u c h t h i n g s b e f o r e , y e s ?
“ Y e s , ” m u t t e r e d E lij a h , l o o k i n g g r i m . N e i t h l a s h e d h i m t h e u g l y a c i d b u r n u s u a ll y h i d d e n u n d e r h e r n e c k e r -
c h i e f, “ T h a t ’ s o n e w a y o f p u t t i n g i t … ”
G i z m o e x a m i n e d o n e o f t h e s i d e - t u n n e l s i d e n t i c a l t o s o m a n y o t h e r s r i d d li n g t h e g r o u n d b e l o w t h e s t r e e t s
o f B e y o g l u . S o m e w h e r e b e l o w l a y t h e a n c i e n t c i t y ’ s v a s t l a b y r i n t h i n e c i s t e r n , a n d t h e g u n i r e w a s s t ill e c h o i n g .
T h e t e c h i e p o i n t e d d o w n t h e d a r k e n e d s h a f t . “ T h e r e ’ s a t e m p e r a t u r e g r a d i e n t i n t h i s d i r e c t i o n , b o s s . I t g e t s c o l d e r
d o w n t h i s w a y , m a y b e t h e y w o n ’ t f o ll o w ? W e h a v e n o q u a r r e l w i t h t h e m . T h i s w a s a n h o n e s t m i s t a k e . W e ’ r e o n a
s c a v e n g e r h u n t . W e c o u l d t r y a n d c u t a d e a l w i t h t h e s h a m a n , ” G i z m o t h r e w i n h o p e f u ll y .
D e c k a r d g r a b b e d t h e e x c a v a t i o n g e a r f r o m w h e r e h e ’ d d r o p p e d i t , a n d s h o u l d e r e d p a s t t h e t e c h , “ L i k e t h a t
w o r k e d o u t l a s t t i m e . F o r g o t t e n t h e S h a t t e r g r a v e s a l r e a d y ? S u r e y o u d i d , N e i t h a n d m e s a v e d y o u r s c r a w n y a s s .
I’ m n o t w a i t i n g r o u n d , a n y o n e c o m i n g ? ”
E t h e r n a u t o p e n e d h i s e y e s , h i s a s t r a l r e c o n n a i s s a n c e i n i s h e d , “ T h e p o i n t i s m o o t . T h e y ’ r e c o m i n g . L e t ’ s m o v e !
L a d i e s , g o , g o , G O ! ”
A s t h e y s c u r r i e d i n t o t h e t u n n e l, t h e y c o u l d a ll h e a r t h e s k i t t e r i n g a n d c li c k i n g o f c h i t i n o n a n c i e n t s t o n e .
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
FURTHER PATHS OF MAGIC
MORE MAGICAL THREATS
14
Blood Magic Enchantments
14
3
he Toxic Paths
14
he Egyptian Tradition
3
A Poisoner “Tradition”
14
he Rastafarian Tradition
4
Shadow Spirits
14
he Psionic Tradition
4
Group Pacts
14
SAMPLE MAGICAL GROUPS
5
Insect Spirits
15
Shrine of Southern Winds
5
A Brief Timeline of Insect Spirits
15
he Oxford Grand Lodge
6
Hive in Plain Sight
16
Código 515
6
ExPANDED GRIMOIRE
16
FURTHER ENCHANTING
7
ADDITIONAL ADEPT POWERS
17
Evaluating Magical Goods
7
Uncommon Metamagic Enchantments
7
SIDEBARS
Optional Rule: he “Lost” Adepts
Gaining Focus Addiction in Play
8
5
Making a Unique Enchantment
8
A Note on Large Magical Groups
5
ExPANDED SPIRITS
10
Optional Rule: Alternative Circulations
8
Optional Rule: Attuned Watcher Spirits
10
Sample Unique Enchantment:
Resolving Possession
10
Kurokawa, he Black River
9
Possession and he Gamemaster
11
What is an Air Spirit ?
11
Possession Examples
12
Tweaking the Rules:
Alternative Possession Mechanics
12
FURTHER PATHS OF MAGIC
he following section ofers additional traditions that are
familiar to magicians in the Sixth World. Note that the “Psionic
tradition” is in fact a magical oddity in that its practitioners
believe other magicians are deluded to attribute magic to super-
natural sources rather than the power of the mind.
Even if a mentor is not chosen, the Egyptian pantheon plays an
important part in the tradition’s paradigm.
Heka magicians evoke spirits as emanations of one of the
many Glorious Ones and their lesser subjects. he forms spirits
take are oten linked to the deity being evoked. However, such cor-
respondences are unusually luid and vary on a case by case basis.
For instance, while ire oten corresponds to Ra (the sun god), it
is sometimes linked to Light and Eternal life, the realm of Osiris.
Likewise, the life-breath of Air is sometimes associated with Isis
(the Great mother and Queen), other times it is linked to eagle-
headed Horus, her son. Other common associations include water
for Sobek (crocodile god of the Nile), earth with hoth or Bast
(gods of knowledge and ritual), and Darkness and Illusion with
Set (the betrayer and lord of the desert). To complicate things
further, many deities have dual natures. In legend, Sekhmet, the
ferocious lion goddess, brought death and destruction when she
accompanied the pharaoh on his campaigns of war but was also
evoked by the healers in their ight against disease. Wax igurines
and clay statues in the preferred forms of the gods or favored ani-
mals are the preferred vessels for spirits, though the appropriate
invocations can allow heka magicians to ofer up themselves or
another living form to the gods’ will.
Words of power and hieroglyphic phrases (called
hekau
) also
play an important role in invocations and spells. Heka magicians
use ankhs, wands, staves, figurines, incense, and ritual knives
known as
apotropaic
in their rituals. All sorts of Egyptian symbols
and imagery such as the Eye of Horus, scarabs, snakes, incense, and
burning herbs feature in magical rites. Contrary to popular belief,
they do not make use of “pyramid power” or anything associated
with that theory, though astrolog y, geometry, and Pythagorean
mathematics are important to certain rites.
Egyptian magic is one of the few traditions to have more
followers outside its birthplace than at home. Egypt is an Islamic
THE EGYPTIAN TRADITION
Concept: Egyptian lore believes magic (
heka
) to be one
of the primordial forces used to make the world. hrough heka,
symbolic actions could have practical efects. Deities, spirits and
people are believed to possess this force in the form of their
ka
(immortal spirit), but there are strict conventions and rules about
who, why and how it could be used and learned.
Combat: Fire
Detection: Earth
Health: Air
Illusion: Guidance
Manipulation: Water
Drain: Willpower + Intuition
Note: Egyptian magic is a Possession tradition.
Members of this tradition follow the complex mystic belief
system of the Egyptian
heka
priest, painstakingly resurrecting the
rites of the Ancients from surviving records, just as Isis pieced to-
gether Osiris’ body and bestowed it with new life. To a heka, magic
is the study of the many parts of the ka and of the mystic corre-
spondences of the deities, planets, stars, and the higher and lower
realms upon the Earth. Insight into the workings of this inner and
outer duality, and mastery of the appropriate rites, grants a heka
the power over aspects of the Earthly realm. he gods, known as
the Glorious Ones, are primordial spirits of immense power with
many earthly correspondences. Accordingly, many dedicated heka
take certain divinities as mentor spirits (see p. 184,
Street Magic
).
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he Aleph Society
12
nation, and, though more tolerant than others, Egyptian magi-
cians and their pagan beliefs are persecuted by the authorities (and
the general populace) whenever they practice their arts openly.
Nonetheless, several cults persist and many Awakened ind them-
selves drawn to the undeniable power of the ancient arts and the
mystic phenomena surrounding many Egyptian ruins.
presences at work in God’s creation that should be treated with cau-
tion and only by those with the appropriate training and presence
of mind. Spirits are not evil, but rather quicksilver otherworldly
entities of inconstant nature. Some are channeled into the physical
world through natural things, while others are messengers of higher
realms, but all are volatile, hard to appease, and easily angered.
Oten stereotyped as the people who brought us reggae music
and popularized mind-altering hallucinogenics, the Rastafarian
stereotype is not without some truth. Music, song , and dance
igure highly both in Rasta culture and magical ritual—as do
hallucinogens and altered states of consciousness. Rastafarian
magicians are oten priests and accomplished healers, pillars of
Rasta communities, and most of their magic has strong underlying
religious motifs. Music, poetry, and prayer all play important roles
in magic practice which is seen as a personal and leeting touch of
the divine upon the worldly.
THE RASTAFARIAN TRADITION
Concept: Magic is power over God’s creation. Magicians
of the Rastafarian tradition walk a path that preaches spiritual
insight and mystic power through altered state of consciousness,
interaction with the invisible powers of the spirit world, and re-
spect for all creation.
Combat: Man
Detection: Beast
Health: Plant
Illusion: Water
Manipulation: Guide
Drain: Willpower + Intuition
Note: Rastafarian magic is a Possession tradition
A rasta magician is sometimes known as an
obeahman
, some-
times as
griot
, but many simply avoid titles that would set them
apart them from mundane members of the faith. heir religious
beliefs are based on an enlightened Ethiopian king called Ras
Tafari, direct descendent of King Solomon and the Queen of
Sheba. Also known as Jah, this legendary igure is revered as the
Black Christ. Rastafarians also believe that Jamaica is a worldly
metaphor for Hell and Ethiopia, the mythical motherland, is
the Promised Land, and that one day they will return there and
re-enter paradise. Much like the Rastafarian faith, the tradition’s
paradigm evolved and reclaimed the fractured truth from many
diferent sources—from shamanism and voodoo to the Hebrew
Qabbalah and Gnostic Christian beliefs. he core Rastafarian
belief revolves around the sanctity of God’s creation, the metap-
rinciple of cosmic balance, and the mystical creed “word, sound,
and power.”
Like Voodoo, Rastafarian magic believes spirits interact with
the material world through possession. Rastas see spirits as invisible
THE PSIONIC TRADITION
Concept: Psionics is the ability to tap the latent powers of
the metahuman mind and psyche and use them to directly ef-
fect change in the world through concentrated force of will. he
psionic is a mentalist with the talent to manipulate the external
world through the innate powers of the metahuman mind.
Combat: Fire
Detection: Air
Health: Man
Illusion: Guide
Manipulation: Task
Drain: Willpower + Intuition
Note: Psionics is a Possession tradition
Awakened characters who believe their abilities to be purely
psionic in nature are rare in the Sixth World, however, they pose
a unique perspective on the nature of magic and may provide in-
teresting roleplaying opportunities for players and gamemasters
alike (p. 45,
Street Magic
). Most psionics consider the belief in
magic and the supernatural as mere superstition and mysto-
religious nonsense dressed up as pseudo-science and fueled by
yet-to-be-explained psychic and natural phenomena. For instance,
Conjuring is considered the shaping of autonomous psychic con-
structs known as “thought forms.” To a psionic it is only natural
that mystics perceive them as spirits and attribute magical corre-
spondences to them since these are believed to distill aspects of
a psionic’s own psychic abilities (i.e. ire is linked to pyrokinesis,
air is linked to clairvoyance, etc.). Psionics, too, are capable of
“imprinting” and commanding such thought forms on the astral
plane—though depending on concentration and willpower of the
psionic, the thought form may be more or less capable of inde-
pendent action. In game terms, these incorporeal “thought forms”
are normal spirits that interact with the physical world through
possession (p. 101,
Street Magic
)—though psionics do not believe
in preparing vessels through enchanting.
Psionic characters are able to astrally perceive and project
(even to the metaplanes), use Counterspelling , create wards
(“mental shields,”) and may even use appropriate foci (i.e. crystals
to focus their mental energies, etc). he gamemaster and player
should discuss what spells are appropriate for the psionic char-
acter given the character’s understanding of the forces at work.
Because a psionic believes that all of his energies are fueled from
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OPTIONAL RULE: THE “LOST” ADEPTS
The “Lost” are adepts who lack the development
focus of a way. They either have yet to ind a way of
their own, or lack the will or self-discipline to com-
mit to any single way. Some people simply lack the
personality to follow a way, others ind they drift
away when something happens to make them lose
their commitment or shake their belief in their own
self-image. Still others never reconcile the fact they
are Awakened. In such cases, their magic is usually
channeled by random necessity and desire rather
than training and direction. Metahuman magic works
best—and is less dangerous and random—when given
a particular focus, and
Street Magic
notes that such
adepts often have greater dificulty and less control
in developing their magical gifts and powers.
Gamemasters who desire to stress this fact
in their games may choose to increase the cost of
individual adept powers by 25 percent (whether at
character creation or in play). The same might also
apply to adepts who stray from their original way,
treading a path that contradicts their outlook and
personal convictions. Adepts who abandon a chosen
way completely due to a crisis of conidence or faith
in their own abilities might even ind themselves fac-
ing loss of powers until they regain their focus.
A NOTE ON LARGE MAGICAL GROUPS
Particularly large groups are in fact as-
sociations of various magical groups and are
invariably broken down into smaller local chap-
ters or circles. Prospective members join the local
group—only local membership counts towards
the threshold for Tests to join or found a group
(p. 68,
Street Magic
).
Large groups like the Illuminates of the New
Dawn, the New Druidic Movement or the Doctor
Faustus Society, are normally organized in tiers.
Local leaders are often members of both the
local group and a higher-ranking group in the
same organization. Each of these groups are in
turn led by a member of an even higher-ranking
group, until a inal rank or the inner circle of the
organization is attained.
Resources/Dues: Middle. No dues. All costs are supported
by patrons and community donations.
Patron: he Japanese Imperial household.
Description and Customs: Secluded in the lush greenery
and rolling hills of the Tama Kyuryo Natural Park, on the out-
skirts of Neo-Tokyo, stands the temple known as the Shrine of the
Southern Winds. he shrine has stood since the Meiji period and
is home to a small magical group of
kannushi
(Shinto magicians)
and their fellow monks. he Shrine’s dedicated magical group was
devoted to following the Shinto ideal of enlightenment, through
communion with the kami and the pursuit of mystic understand-
ing. Its existence was peaceful and contemplative.
he Shrine’s magical group is small and the shrine itself is
maintained by oferings from believers and a small Imperial en-
dowment. Its kannushi and monks court the local kami on behalf
of the community to bring good fortune, provide pleasant weather,
guard against evil spirits, and, on occasion, intervene directly on
behalf of someone worthy.
Its history might be unremarkable had not one of the priests,
during a rare visit to the city in 2069, cursed the irst son of a local
wakagashira whom he caught attempting to rape a local girl. he
would-be rapist was let disigured, and his father, Hiro Yamajima
of the Mita-gumi, ordered the temple be razed and the priest put
to the death in retaliation. His minions exacted his commands
with bloody and ruthless eiciency. hey set the ancient shrine
alight and killed several monks who stood in their way.
he temple has since been rebuilt with Imperial aid and is
now protected by the Emperor’s personal decree. Restored to its
former glory, it has been provided with a sizeable Shinto magical
lodge (rating 6) and library. he temple also receives a steady low
of ritual materials provided by local talismongers in exchange for
occasional prayers, blessings, and wardings.
he violence wrought on the holy place seems forgotten.
Ostensibly, the Shrine has returned to a peaceful monastic routine
amidst pleasant rock gardens, placid contemplation pools, and
newly built ofering halls. he truth is more sinister.
Unbeknownst to the Shrine’s Imperial patron, the kannushi
have vowed revenge for the violence wrought on them and have
within, these characters may not choose to take a Mentor Spirit.
As a guideline, spells should be restricted to abilities that could be
ascribed to “the power of the mind” and para-scientiic paradigm
of psionic abilities. Note that traditionally, psionics encompasses
a wide range of abilities (such as telepathy, empathy, clairsentience,
telekinetics, pyrokinetics, cryokinetics, vitakinetics, to name but
a few), and this limitation can be as restrictive or lexible as neces-
sary to it the style and setting of the game.
Alternatively, players wishing to create a psionic character
conforming to a more “classic” conception of mentalist—focusing
on his spell-like abilities and disregarding conjuring—have only
to create a magician character of the psionic tradition and take
the Aspected Magician (Sorcerer) Quality (p. 26,
Street Magic
)
to represent the limitations imposed by the character’s own beliefs.
SAMPLE MAGICAL GROUPS
he following section adds three more sample groups with
distinctive purposes and agendas to the selection in Street Magic.
Gamemasters are free to use them “of the shelf ” or customize to
it their games.
SHRINE OF SOUTHERN WINDS
Purpose: he Shrine’s public purpose is the peaceful pursuit
of Shinto ideals and philosophy through monastic devotion and
seclusion. In secret, it is waging a bloody vendetta against a power-
ful Yakuza clan.
Members: 5
Strictures: Attendance, Belief, Deed (acts of vengeance),
Fraternity, Limited Membership (Shinto
kannushi
), Oath
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