Mami Wata, 1880’s Snake Charmer Print |
This is a Tradition for the Witch Class by Monsieur Le Battlier.
While your average Wizard invites spells into their skull to be fired out of their head-meat cannon, a practitioner of Voodoo opens their entire being to be possessed by spirits. Through bribes and sacrifices the practitioner of Voodoo may entice the spirits to grant them boons or disable their enemies. The spirits or Loa come in numerous categories, the most common of which are the helpful Rada, the violent Petro, and the ancestral Ghede. Being possessed by a Loa is called being “mounted” and the possessed person is known as a Cheval, or Horse as their are rode by the loa. While Mambos and Houngans (priestesses and priests respectively) usually work with the spirits only for a nominal good, Voodoo Queens and Kings tend to be more lax in their definition of “Good.” The most dangerous of practitioners are Bokor, so called sorcerers who “work with both hands” and are willing to work with the darkest and most malicious of spirits. Only a malicious Bokor would raise zombies and thus true zombies are missing from this list.
When working as a “Coven”, the pooled Working affects the most senior caster. When making a Craft, it usually takes the form of a doll, gris-gris, or paquet congo representing the power of the Loa being invoked. They can also carve or draw out Veves, which are sigil-like symbols that act like beacons to attract the Loa.
Practitioner: Practitioners know enough to interact with the Loa but are not knowledgeable in the deeper workings of Voodoo.
Perk: Fresh in mind, body, and soul, a Practitioner is resistant to machinations of spirits and undead. The Practitioner receives a 4 bonus on saves against forceful possession and against disease (which we all know is a type of spirit anyways.)
Signs:
1. A Practitioner can use any alcohol in place of lamp oil for light, creating a heatless blue will-o-wisp
2. A Practitioner can speak to other Practitioners though the language of drums, louder drums being capable of being heard farther away.
Mambo/Houngan: A Mambo or Houngan is literally a priestess or priest of Voodoo, often having a community that they serve in that role for.
Perk: The Mambo is both an experienced worker and an experienced teacher. She may invest up to [template] WD in a target creature capable of language and teach them one Working that must be used within 24 hours. Any WD used by the target are exhausted regardless of their roll and the exhausted WD return to the Matron the next day.
Disadvantage: The spirits demand additional sacrifice from the Mambo to do her bidding. Any Working must include a libation of alcohol or sacrifice of tobacco (2cp in either case) or the WD are automatically exhausted.
Signs:
1. A Mambo can walk through swampy terrain as though it were a paved road.
2. A Mambo can ritually protect a corpse against possession by unwelcome spirits. Alternatively, you can deliberately invite spirits to possess a corpse. The ritual takes 10 minutes. The most dangerous time is between death and dawn; after that, the corpse becomes less appealing to wandering spirits.*
Queen/King: A Voodoo Queen or King has delved deeply into the secret rites of Voodoo and carry great power but risk corruption.
Disadvantage: The Queen’s body is an open gateway for the Spirits and they are used to her acting as their Cheval. Every time a Queen does a Working, there is a 1-in-6 chance she is possessed by a loa, and take a -4 to Attack and Defense for 1d6 rounds as she dances, sings, and writhes under the loa’s influence.
Signs:
1. A Queen can touch an object or person and immediately know if it has any sort of possession or spiritual affliction. Because Diseases are Spirits, this means she can diagnose disease as well.
2. A Queen always knows the general direction of the closest graveyard or crossroads.
Voodoo Alter by Louis Maistros |
Workings
Djab are a group of mercenary spirits who take the jobs that other spirits feel below them. Djab appear differently every time summoned, but are usually ethereal impish and wicked looking creatures. A Djab acts as a 1 HD creature with 1 Strength and will act in accordance to the summoner’s wishes. They prefer to be malicious and can harass a target and give them a 1 penalty on all rolls for as long as the harassment continues. The Djab will expect payment (1 CP per round active) and will remain after the time limit is up to harass you until it has been paid. For any work that isn’t explicitly mischievous or malicious, a Djab may double their fee.
Bade and Sogbo
Ayizan/Loco
Erzulie
Zaka
Marinette Bras Cheche
Marassa
1-10 sum: Reroll the weather. You must accept the new result, even if it’s identical to the old result. The weather changes in 1d6 hours.
11-20 sum: Choose a basic weather effect, it happens immediately. Ex. Rain, Fog, Sunny, Cloudy, Dust Devil
21-30 sum: Choose a significant weather effect, it occurs immediately- ex. Heat Wave, Cold Snap, Thunderstorm, Dust Storm, F 0-1 Tornado
31-40 sum: Cause or Prevent a Minor Calamity- ex. F2-3 Tornado, Hailstorm, Sirocco, Blizzard
41+ sum: Cause or Prevent a random Major Calamity- ex. F4-5 Tornado, Hurricane, Earthquake, Tsunami, Eclipse, Weird Weather
72+ sum: Local weather is permanently altered
There can be limits to the weather chosen, for example a Tsunami cannot occur in a desert. The weather event lasts [sum]+[dice] hours. If the weather is permanently altered, choose an effect (with GM Approval) and that effect is continuous. For any effect, there can be unforeseen consequences that will be up to the GM.
Erzulie Dantor Portrait Painting by Christy Freeman |
ATTENTIONS
1. The Loa fight for your attention, causing WD to return only on a 1 for the rest of the day.
2. The Loa you are channeling manifests more powerfully than normal. Random supernatural mutation for 1d6 rounds, then make a save. Permanent if you fail.
3. You’ve attract the wrong Loa. Three Wild Djab (see below) show up and cause mischief for everyone for 1d6 rounds or until they killed/bribed/run off.
4. The Loa have a mighty hunger! 1d6 rations are consumed from your inventory and any alcohol you have on your person as well.
5. The Loa are busy elsewhere. Cannot cast any Workings for 1d6 rounds as there are no Loa currently listening.
6. The Loa want to party! Working casts as normal, but the caster is compelled to dance for 1d6 rounds giving them -4 to attack and defense for the duration.
LOSS OF GRIP
1. The more hedonistic aspects of the Loa begin to take hold on the caster. You must consume twice your normal rations in order to heal at lunch and overnight.
2. Your hunger for power increases. Gain a Djab familiar that takes the form of a black animal of some kind. It will make increasingly malicious requests from you.
3. You are marked in some way by dark loa. Your eyes become snake-like or your breath becomes sulfurous or some other unnerving aspect manifests. Natural animals are unnerved by your presence and you have a 4 penalty to any reaction rolls. Hirelings you control have half normal morale.
4. Kalfu, the Loa of Evil that lurks beyond the Crossroads, claims the caster’s soul. They are now a NPC Bokor, a vile and amoral sorcerer/ess intent on spreading suffering. When the day comes that they finally die, their soul is devoured by Kalfu and their corpse risen as a zombie servant.
NOTES:
* Yes, one of the Priestess perks are taken from Skerples’ Necromancer. It is very fitting though.
So first off, you probably notice a distinct lack of Voodoo Dolls. This is because Voodoo doesn’t use “Voodoo Dolls.” This is actually something that originated with European “cunning folk” and was originally meant as a means of combating malevolent witches. I tried to create something of a fusion between Haitian Voudon and New Orleans Voodoo, which while similar have their own unique differences. New Orleans Voodoo tends to be a bit closer to “Hollywood” Voodoo if only because of its spread and dilution. Haitian Voudon is closer to its original West African roots, with the Rada and Ghede Loa often being related to the older African spirits while the Petro are new Loa born out of the Haitian Revolution, literally being spirits of rebellion and the breaking of the bonds of slavery.
Unlike the Orthodox witch that works with Nature/The Cosmos at a broad scale, the Voodoo Tradition works with a pantheon of beings who intercede with the universe on their behalf. Unlike a Wizard, however, they do not bind the Loa to their will, it is more of an act of bartering. Thus the Loa mount/possess the Voodoo “witch” and get to experience a few moments of the corporeal world versus how Wizards stuff spell-ferrets in their brain.
Extra:
A stereotypical Djab. |
0HD (1HP) Wild Djab
Appearance: A knee height unpleasant looking humanoid with red skin and a wicked grin.
Wants: To cause mischief
Armour: None
Move: Normal
Morale: 6
Damage: See Below
Stab: Wild Djab often carry around some sort of small sharp object with which they can stab for 1 damage.
Harass: Wild Djab can catcall, curse, annoy and pester so well that any who fail a Wisdom save receives a 1 penalty to all rolls. These are cumulative with other Wild Djab harassment.
Wild Djab are spirits of petty malice that exist for little else but for causing others grief. They often hang around in packs in graveyards, on the boundaries of crossroads, and in abandoned buildings. Religious iconography makes them uncomfortable and they can be bribed for safe passage via spicy food, alcohol, and tobacco.