Sinister Hovering Orb - Tumblr Posts
Sinister Hovering Orb just got a proper release, so it's time to update these extra playbooks! Tragically, they're still longer than the actual base game, but what are you gonna do?
SESSILE HEINOUS OBJECTS
THE ENTITY Are you an advanced alien computer? A cosmic force of nature? A visage of God? Mortals who do not understand your nature argue like blind men at the feet of an elephant. But one thing is clear: your presence marks a turning point for humanity, for good or ill.
You are a… - Sinister hovering orb. - Ominous floating monolith. - Disquieting stellated polyhedron. - (Other.) And you have… - Etchings and glyphs of an unknown language. - A glow in colors with no human name. - A quiet but nauseating polyphonic hum. - (Other.)
With Eyes to See: When a mortal mind is made to comprehend your true nature, roll +Revelation. On a 10+ the mortal is unnaturally empowered with telekinesis, monstrous physiology, or similar, and uses it to ecstatically carry out your will. On a 7-9 choose one:
- Dementia or megalomania drives the mortal on an only tangentially related rampage. - The power is too much to contain, and the mortal will expire shortly after they accomplish their most direct and immediate task.
On a 6- the mortal ruptures under the weight of truth, and messily expires on the spot.
THE ARTIFACT For eons you lay undisturbed in your lightless crypt, no threat to anyone. But greedy for knowledge, wealth, and fame, they unearthed you from rest and returned you to the world of man. Now they will reap what they have sown.
You are a… - Sealed sarcophagus. - Intricate puzzle box. - Unidentifiable animal statuette. - (Other.) And you are… - Encrusted in priceless jewels and metals. - Impervious to all conventional means of destruction. - Hundreds of millennia old according to carbon dating. - (Other.)
Pandora’s Box: When someone who should know better than to tamper with you just can’t help themselves, roll +Ill-Fortune. On a 10+ declare an infraction (such as physical violence, removal from your tomb, or blasphemy) and a punishment (such as disease, earthquakes, or spiders) and this conditional curse afflicts the victim inescapably and forevermore. On a 7-9 choose one:
- The curse is indiscriminate and spreads to innocents once it begins. - There’s some tricky exact wording to the curse which can be carefully sidestepped.
On a 6- the victim suffers a frightening but potentially coincidental scare and backs off before the infraction, shaken but unharmed.
THE EFFIGY You seemed like such a harmless thing. But people feel watched when you’re in the room, unsafe when you’re in the house. She said there was something inside you. She wasn’t talking about stuffing.
You are a… - Antique porcelain doll. - Old fashioned marionette. - Time weathered teddy bear. - (Other.) And you have… - Incredibly lifelike eyes. - A strange note in the will regarding your care. - A certificate from your online vendor confirming that you are in fact haunted - (Other.)
Dolly Did It: When someone finds you somewhere they’re certain they didn’t leave you, roll +Stillness. On a 10+ you are found at the center of a shockingly destructive or deliberate scene of malice or violence, and if you have used this move at least once already, someone may even be found dead. On a 7-9 choose one:
- Witnesses agree that one specific party among them must be responsible, despite that individual’s protests. - The scene is laid out, but you are not present, apparently unmoved from your last known location.
On a 6- the scene is not as dire as it appeared to be at a glance, and there is actually no serious damage done.
THE ORGANISM They called you a breakthrough, eager to learn everything you could teach them. They were so optimistic when you were confined to a petri dish. Once they found traces of you in the air vents, it was already too late.
You are a… - Complex slime mold. - Decentralized mass of veiny meat. - Goddamn mushroom. - (Other.) And you have… - A significant amount of human DNA in your genome. - An electrical signature that seems to resemble brain waves. - A nigh indestructible crystalline core left behind at the discovery site - (Other.)
Biohazard: When researchers discover a pernicious effect you have on human biology, roll +Foreboding. On a 10+, declare any symptoms you wish such as death, transformation, insanity, or something stranger. It could be caused by a gas, an oil, or even a subsonic frequency, but it’s already everywhere, and everyone present is doomed to succumb before long. On a 7-9 choose one:
- The transmission is limited to direct contact. Many are afflicted but some are still safe, and know to be more careful now. - There is a cure. It’s not easy, or painless, but with luck and effort there is time to reverse the effects before all hope is lost.
On a 6- the effect provokes a strange allergic reaction which is debilitating but survivable. All victims are expected to make full recoveries.