Another intriguing class of undead in the world of darkness is the Revenant or "Risen". This is the spirit of a dead person that, through an incredible passion and desire, has found a way back to its body and re-animated it. Their unique perspective as REAL walking dead makes them interesting to play and frightening to face.

These rules were inspired by "the Risen" sourcebook for Wraith: the Oblivion by White Wolf Games. I highly suggest you get a copy of "the Risen" as a companion to these rules, though you won’t need it to actually play.

Revenants are built using the Spirit Rules from Horror Hero and Hero Almanac #1. Physical stats and powers must have the advantage Affects Real World (+2) and the disadvantages: Independent (-2) and Obvious Inaccessible Focus: Body (-1/2). This simulates the fact that if the Revenant ever has its body destroyed, that’s it. There’s no coming back.

*Dex, Int, Ego, Pre and start at 10 ,while Spd begins as figured, and can be increased as normal. Other attributes must be bought from 0 and increased through the following guidelines.

*Str must begin at 15 (costs 30pts) and can be increased +1 Str/ 2pts (this assumes the normal cost of Str is 2pts/ point )

*Body must begin at 10 (costs 17pts) and can be increased +2 Body/ 3pts

*Comeliness starts at zero and may be increased at character creation +2 Com/ 1pt as normal. A Revenant may not increase its Com past 14

*PD and ED must start at 2 each (costs 4pts) and can be increased +1 PD or ED/ 1pt as normal.

*Running must begin at 6" (costs 10pts) and can be increased +1"/ 1.7pts

*Revenants must buy Normal Vision (4pts), Normal Hearing (4pts), Normal Touch (4pts) and Normal Taste/ Smell (4pts)

*Revenants have unusually acute senses and receive +2 to all Perception rolls (5pts)

*Revenants do not have a Con, Rec, End or Stun.

Beginning Attributes and stuff Total Cost: 78pts

Innate Revenant Abilities:

*Life Sight: Detect Life, as a sense, Discriminatory, At Range. A.R.W.(+2), Only Affects Real World (-1/2)

Total Cost: 30pts

*Death Sight: Detect Deathly Energies, as a sense, At Range...............cost: 10pts

& Precognition in the Real World, 0 END (+1/2), Only to see possible death of living subject (-1), Only affects Real World (-1/2), Ego Roll (-1/2).................cost: 30pts .......................... Total Cost: 40pts

*Pathos: 30pt END Reserve, REC: 6, REC is only active for one turn with a successful Ego Roll (-1/2), REC activation can only be attempted when the Revenant is among mortals experiencing strong emotions or acts in the interests of her own Psychological Limitations and/or Passionate Goals. Total Cost: 10pts

*Corpus: 2D6 Body Aid; A.R.W.(+2), Independent OIF: Body (-2 1/2), Self Only (-1/2), Only to restore lost Body up to beginning level (-1/2), Not vs. Aggravated Damage (-1/2) .......................cost: 12pts ..................[END: 3]

& Regenerate: 2 Body/ Day (-1 1/4), A.R.W.(+2), Independent OIF: Body (-2 1/2), Only after eight hours of rest (-1/4), Costs Pathos (-1/2), 1/2 END (+1/4) .........................................................cost: 12pts...................[END: 3]

Total Cost: 24pts

(Note: to keep up with Hero 5th ed., Aid now costs 10pts/ 1D6)

Innate Revenant Abilities Total Cost: 110pts!

Revenants are allowed to buy a limited selection of the powers available to the damned. Revenants may purchase the Disciplines of Celerity, Fortitude, Obfuscate and Potence. When a Discipline calls for an expenditure of 2 Blood END the Revenant will spend 3 Pathos END. Since vampire disciplines are not inherent abilities, the Total Cost is always increased by two. [See Vampire Disciplines file for power costs and description.]

Revenants may also be allowed to buy Talents and Powers that are appropriate to the characters concept. Luck and Danger Sense are very appropriate while Magery [See Vampire Conversion] is not since the dead cannot manipulate mana or cast spells. Telepathy (limited to 40 active points) may also be appropriate as well as Ego Attack (no range) and/or Psychometry (Clairsentience). However, Telekinesis, Energy Blast and Force Field would not. GMs are advised to use discretion. The idea is to roughly simulate the Arcanoi abilities from Wraith: the Oblivion.

Revenants are very complex characters and this is immediately noticeable by the disadvantages. Not only does a character select for themselves goals and limitations, but they must be on the constant lookout for the dark half of their split personality: the Shadow, who is actively looking to ruin the character’s unlife. This requires a new disadvantage called Multiple Personality.

Based on the Berserk disadvantage, the idea is the same: under the right circumstances the player loses control of their character. However, instead of a clear and uncontrolled action taking place, the character acts in any way the GM deems appropriate, especially when considering the Shadows personality and goals. This is especially damning to the Revenant's sanity, not to mention the player's control.

Another unique feature of the Revenant's multiple personality are the control rolls, similar to those in the Berserk disadvantage. The roll for loss of control is called Shadow. This is an expression of the Shadow’s strength. All revenants start with a Shadow roll of 11-, this rating can only be raised or lowered through role-playing situations (this is similar to the way Humanity is dealt with in Vampire: the Masquerade). The Shadow number will increase whenever the Shadow has accomplished a goal or fulfilled one of its personality traits thoroughly. The Shadow Number should fall whenever the Revenant thwarts a Shadow’s goals or keeps it from satisfying its personal needs. The shadow roll can never exceed 14- or be lower than 8-.

The second roll, used to regain control, is called Self. This is an expression of the Revenant's ability to assert its own personality again. A Revenant starts with a Self roll of 11-, this too will rise and fall only through role-playing situations. Like its counterpart, Shadow, the Self rating will increase whenever the character fulfills its goals and personal needs. However, the rating will descend if the Shadow ruins the Revenant's goals or needs. The Self roll can never exceed 14- nor fall below 8-.

This disadvantage serves as a barometer for the character’s inner struggle with its dark side. In a long chronicle, the Shadow and Self ratings are likely to "see-saw" back and forth constantly.

Using the disadvantage is unique as well. Whenever the Shadow or Self misses a roll, another attempt cannot be made until the next level down the Time Chart or a new situation arises that could activate the transfer of power. The time when a character can re-roll resets itself on the Time Chart after the obligatory eight hours of rest the Revenant must have daily.

In combat another aspect must be considered. If the Shadow takes control during a fight it will power the Revenant's abilities with its own private stash of END called Angst. The amount of Angst the Shadow may use is always equal to the Shadow’s rating x2. In cases where the Revenant has used up its Pathos END Reserve, it will not be able to regain control (i.e., roll Self) until situations arise that allow the Pathos Recovery to activate (Such as the Shadow attacking the Revenant's DNPC or attempting to destroy a Fetter).

To conclude, the Multiple Personality disadvantage is based on an approximate level of Berserk:

Common Circumstances> Go 11-, Recover 11- ............................................-20pts

(Note: the points gained from this disadvantage are set and unchanging, it will not fluctuate with the increase or decrease of either Shadow or Self. It is a remote possibility that a Revenant can buy off this disadvantage, but only through long, soul-searching role-playing on behalf of both GM and player. This should be treated with the same regard as Golconda for Vampire’s.)

Tied to Conduit* Physically and Psychologically (Very Common, Total) ...... -50pts

[*A Conduit is an item or animal that ties the Revenant to the real world. It is the means through which the Revenant comes to the real world and maintains its unlife. The Conduit acts as a physical housing for the Shadow, and vice-versa when the Shadow is in control of the body. A revenant must maintain almost constant contact with their conduit. Without it they cannot regain Pathos and will lose 3 Pathos END each day without it. Also, the Revenant's Shadow will not allow any harm to come to the conduit since that would undermine its purposes (whatever they may be) and destroy the Revenant's link to the real world.]

*Vulnerability: Damage to the Conduit acts as Spirit Shift ................................... -15pts

*Vulnerability: Damage to head by killing attacks acts as Spirit Shift x2; .............. -15pts

*Physical Limitation: Bound to Body ................................................................. -25pts

*Distinctive Feature: Deathly Pallor/Appearance (concealable, noticed); .........… -10pts

*Secret Identity: "I am a Revenant" .....................................................................-15pts

.......................................................Disadvantages Total: 150pts!

Character Building:

Revenant's begin with a 125pt Base and 150pts from the Revenant's Burden. The player must select an additional 50pts worth of disadvantages (Psychological ones are strongly suggested). The GM or another player must select another 50pts of disadvantages for the Shadow that are worth no additional points (these form the aforementioned goals and needs of the Shadow. Psych. Lims that are counter to, or variations of, the Revenant's own are particularly fun).Next, the player must select four persons, places or things to be the Revenants Fetters. These are things that meant a lot to the Revenant when it was alive

(Note: a DNPC may be considered a Fetter, however, only one DNPC may be so at a time. Other Fetters should be objects or places). Lastly, the Revenant should select an additional object or animal to serve as its Conduit (Conduits are Fetters too, they’re just more important and mobile than the others. In J. O’barr’s "the Crow", Eric’s bird companion would be considered his Conduit).

The Revenant is built on 325pts. The general allocation of these points should be 188pts for basic abilities, 40 spent on attributes and 60 spent on Skills and Perks (see Vampire Conversion for possible Backgrounds, Merits or Flaws). The remaining 38pts can buy Vampiric Disciplines, Talents or other powers allowed by the GM.

When I developed these rules I was in the mood to simulate the type of character displayed in both "the Crow" movies. White Wolf’s: "the Risen" went a long way towards realizing that, giving me a frame work to develop from. I’ve adapted the elements from Wraith: the Oblivion extensively because I love the role-playing opportunities having a Shadow represents. Even more angst-ridden than V:tM if you ask me. However, all this stuff is up to your own interpretation. I strongly suggest you apply your own ideas of what a walking dead is to these rules. To simulate "the Crow" more closely you may want to throw out the idea of a Shadow and just buy some PsyLims at the Total Level, although you may want to keep all Conduit stuff. I further suggest that you keep Revenants to a minimum as PCs or NPCs. A person who is so driven that even death won’t stop them is a rare thing. The emphasis in my Revenant game has been the exploration of ones own dark side, the black thoughts we try to keep from even ourselves, taking form and action. And, guess who gets stuck with the consequences. It’s a game where you may find that in the pursuit of your passion you become your own worst enemy.

[Note to GMs: Just for fun, hide the player’s Shadow’s Goals and needs from them. Let ‘em figure it out for themselves (insert evil laughter here)]