The world of the Chronicles of Darkness is a truly haunted place. The spirits of the dead lurk everywhere, unseen by those who lack the gifts to perceive them. While there are denizens of the dark corners like vampires, mages, werewolves, Sin Eaters or even changelings who can see the dead, communicate with spirits and locate pathways into the Underworld if the need arises. There are also, however, mortals who find their hidden eyes opening, allowing them to see the unquiet dead all around them.
Some people are born with this ability, learning how to deal with it from a young age. Others find that it’s only once their mortal eyes are blinded that they can perceive spirits. There are people whose brush with blood sorcery, Wyrd-bound promises or even a near-death experience granted them Wyre the blessing (or the curse) to see what other people simply cannot. These unusual people have been called many things in many cultures; witches, psychics, necromancers and more. The name they are most commonly known by today, though, is mediums.
The following list of NPCs can fill many roles in your chronicle. They can act as a bridge to speak with ghosts, if none of the player characters possess that ability. They might be a ghost collector, wielding dangerous spirits as a potent antagonist, or powerful ally. They could act as a contact or ally for player characters, or they could simply be a member of the mortal community who can provide aid without the need for the player characters to explain away their supernatural nature and methods to someone who isn’t, technically, a member of their community.
to use the list, either roll d100 for a random result or select appropriate ones manually.
Here are some sample results:
90. Walter Davidson: A crime scene technician, Walter is a meticulous man who can spend hours collecting specimens. While one might think his position would put him in constant contact with ghosts, the truth is that most crimes he helps investigate don’t involve corpses. And even those that do involve a stack of bodies don’t always leave ghosts behind. When it does happen, though, Walter tends to spend time at the scene alone in an attempt to get any useful or relevant facts out of the spirit before doing what he can to help them. Sometimes that goes smoothly… other times, not so much.
91. Justine Lacroix: A woman who’s had political ambitions her whole life, she started out on her city council, and has moved up to serve as mayor for several years. She’s been trying to keep her abilities under wraps for years, fearing that if someone found out (even if it was used to damage her credibility among the regular, mortal voting populace) that it would destroy her aspirations for achieving any kind of higher office. Being a medium has proven to be an unexpected boon, though, as several members of the shadow communities who owe her favors have treated her like an investment, believing that as someone who knows some of the truths of the world that she’ll vote with that in mind.
92. Billy Troy: A child of rum runners and moonshiners, Billy still lives in the hills on his family’s old estate. He’s keeping up with the times, though, maintaining fields of marijuana in hidden
valleys off the Snake Trail that runs through his property. The ghosts of more than a few poachers, gangsters and even ATF agents lurk out in those woods, having run afoul of Bill senior’s booby traps back in the day. The family burial plot up by the house is quiet, but several anchors have been stored all around the property to be sure there are always eyes watching the goings on, and safeguarding the family’s legacy.
Released: 8th July 2023 Pages: 21
PDF ($1.99): DriveThruRPG
“Under the Hammer”