By: John Hopler

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Spirit Warrior
Warriors
arriors

Written & Designed by: John Hopler

Editing & Layout: John Hopler
Cover Art: Michael Osadciw
Interior Art: Jeff Revner
Cover Design: Zeke Sparkes

Logos: Zeke Sparkes &Ron Spencer

Special Thanks to: Christy Hopler, Shane Hensley, Michelle Hensley, Caden Hensley, John Goff
Deadlands created by Shane Lacy Hensley.

Dedicated to: My hometown—Middletown, NJ

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 Table o’ Contents
Introduction .................... 4 No Man’s Land ......... 35 The Marshal’s
Handbook ................ 103
Posse Territory ............ 5

Chapter Two:
Chapter One:
Makin’ Spooks ..... 37
The Spirit Toxic Shamans ............................. 40 Chapter Four:
Warriors ..........................7 New Edges ....................................... 42
Back to the Future ..................... 8 New Hindrances ........................ 43
Spooky
Trouble a Brewin’ ....................... 15 Toxic Guardians .......................... 44 Secrets ......................... 105
The New Ways .............................. 18 The Coyote
The Toxic Spirits ........................ 22 Archetypes .................... 48 Wasteland ................................. 138
Indians Today ................................ 27 Deadwood ....................................... 122
Deadwood ......................................... 34 Chapter Three: Relics .................................................... 125
Favors Toxic Spills ...................................... 126

& Relics ....................... 53 Index................................... 127

Invoking Favors ........................... 53
The Favors ........................................ 55
Relics ...................................................... 96
Favor Summaries .................... 100
 poisonous, barren wasteland and the
Welcome to the rest of the world may soon follow
unless these pestilent poltergeists are
stopped.
Front Lines! Spirit Warriors contains everything
you need to create your own frontline
Your heroes may not know it yet, but soldier in the battle for Earth’s future. A
there’s another war going on. As if the new type of magician, the toxic
Reckoners and the cybernetic legions shaman, fights on both sides of this
of General Throckmorton’s Combine desperate battle. As a Caretaker, can
weren’t bad enough, a new threat now your hero turn the toxic spirits’ own
looms over the Wasted West: the toxic power against them and stop the
spirits. These supernatural baddies are Corrupters from spreading their
out to turn the entire world into their insidious poison across the world? Or
own toxic playground—and they might will he become the very thing which
just succeed! he is fighting?
Spawned from the interaction of the The only way to find out is to dig in.
world’s pollution and the supernatural Chapter One gets you up to speed on
energy released by the bombs dropped what’s been going down with the
on Judgment Day, these nature spirits various Indian tribes of the Wasted
gone bad are on a recruiting drive. From West—what’s happened to them since
the laziest litterbug to the world’s most the Reckoning, and more importantly
powerful polluters, the toxic spirits are what’s happened since the Last War.
willing to take anyone into their army You’ll learn all about the Great
of defilers. The Coyote Confederation Summoning, the Great Wasting, the
has already been transformed into a Children of the Dust, the Keepers of the
Land, and the appearance of the toxic
spirits.
Chapter Two has everything you
need to make your very own toxic
shaman or modern Indian brave. This
chapter has some new Edges and
Hindrances especially for these
character types, as well as the low
down on the low down toxic guardians.
Chapter Three is the meat of the
book. It’s got more than 100 new favors
for all you budding shamans out there
to sink your teeth into. It also has some
guidance as to which path of power
your new spook should take, a
collection of relics, both old and
modern, and rules for chuggin’ down
spook juice to recharge your shaman’s
batteries.
Chapter Four, as usual, is for Mr.
Marshal. It contains all those dirty little
secrets that we don’t want you player
types reading. In the case of toxic
spirits, some of these secrets are dirty
indeed. Find out all about the Changed
Lands, Deadwood, the Sioux Nations’
realm of nature, and the insect spirits’
insidious agenda.
So what are you hanging around in
the Introduction for? Those toxic spirits
aren’t going to clean themselves up. Get
out there and give them what for!
 Posse
Territory
The Spirit Warriors

8
 The Spirit Warriors

The Spirit Warriors

time. These pacts created a relationship of

Librarian’s Note: The following document is an interview with a toxic shaman named
mutual respect between the people and the
Dirty Waters, formerly known as John Eagle Claw. Interviews with other shamans can be
spirits and each served the other.
found in files TS102, TS 103, and SP230.5.
The relationship with the toxic spirits is
much different. Each side tries to use the other
So, you wish to learn the story of the toxic
to further its own ends. Sometimes one group
spirits and the shamans who deal with them.
comes out ahead, sometimes the other. It’s a
Why?
continuous struggle for dominance, the
I see. You’re a collector of knowledge. The
outcome of which will have a major impact on
reason I ask is that if you were interested in
the future of both this physical world we live
actually learning the methods and rituals
in and the nature of the Hunting Grounds. The
needed to contact these spirits, there are many
battle lines have been drawn, and eventually
tests and rites I would need to perform to
everyone must choose a side.
satisfy my self as to your true motivations. I
But I’m getting ahead of myself. If this
don’t easily divulge the information needed to
account is to be of any use to you, I suppose I
contact theses spirits because in the wrong
should explain this in an orderly manner and
hands, the power can do much harm.
start at the beginning. First, let me introduce
You seem surprised that I would even
myself:
consider such a thing. It’s not necessary to be
I am known as Dirty Waters. I once went by
a Native American to deal with the toxic
the name of John Eagle Claw, but that was a
spirits. Most of the people you call “spooks” are
long time ago. In many ways it seems like it
Indians, but a substantial portion are not.
was a lifetime ago, and my memories of those
These malignant beings are relative
days are simply a dream. I am a shaman of the
newcomers to the spirit world, and like the
Cherokee, one of the few remaining members
tech spirits the junkers deal with, they operate
of my tribe. I dance with the toxic spirits of the
under a completely different set of rules than
Hunting Grounds and I’m proud to number
the nature spirits my forefathers treated with.
myself among the Caretakers. I’ll explain that
The relationship between nature spirits and
in just a moment.
my people was defined by ancient pacts forged
Muddy Waters? No, I’m afraid I’m not familiar
so long ago their origin is lost to the mists of
with his music.

9
 The Spirit Warriors

Back to the Future There Are No Sioux

Just to be accurate for your Librarian
friends, I should point out that there is no
In order to understand the state of things
such thing as the Sioux tribe. The word Sioux
today, it’s necessary to back up and review
is a French adaptation of the Chippewa word
some history. The story begins with the Sioux
natawesiwak, which means enemy. That’s how
Nations.
many of our tribes were named by whites—by
Yes, the first toxic shamans came from the
taking the word for “enemy” from another
Coyote Confederation, but to understand why,
tribe. Of course, all this name-calling implies
we need to talk about the Sioux. Who’s telling
that we natives weren’t all peace-loving tree-
this story anyway?
huggers like some people like to suggest, but
that’s a story for another time.
Master Librarian’s Note: Please have someone review proper interviewing technique
The tribes called “the Sioux” are actually the
with Librarian McDowell. His enthusiasm is commendable, and the information he has
Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota peoples. These
recovered has been of major importance, but he must learn to conduct more structured
names mean “friends,” “allies,” and “to be
interviews.
friendly.” All of these tribes spoke the same
language but lived in different parts of the
Plains.
The Sioux Nations The Old Ways
The Sioux Nations were formed not long
after the event known as the Reckoning Most, but not all, of the Sioux were followers
occurred. You know what that is don’t you? of the Old Ways. This was a movement started
You’re looking at its effects all round you right by shamans who felt that the return of the
now. Yes? Good. nature spirits was a call to return to the faith
Anyway, the return of the manitous caused of their ancestors and to forsake the white
the nature spirits to take a renewed interest in man’s modern technology. Those who believed
what was going on in the physical world (since this often swore an oath to never use any
it was a shaman by the name of Raven, that modern devices and to use no technology that
started all this mess in the first place). Native predated the arrival of the white man. Those
shamans found that spirits who had long been who took this oath claim the nature spirits
silent were now speaking with them again, honored this commitment by more easily
and in some cases, they wouldn’t shut up. Of granting them favors.
course this meant the shamans’ medicine was I’ve spoken with a number of traditional
suddenly much more powerful. shamans, and I believe this claim is true. In
Sitting Bull, and some other powerful chiefs fact, I think the nature spirits planted the idea
like Crazy Horse, decided to use this power. for the whole Old Ways thing themselves.
While the fork-tongued devils were busy You see, time in the Hunting Grounds isn’t
busting caps in each other—hey, I watched the like it is here. In the spirit world, it’s possible to
same vids you did before the war, I never took bend things a little and be able to look at the
the Old Ways Oath—they united the Lakota, past or peer dimly into the future. Some
Nakota, and Dakota tribes under their shamans actually claim to be able to travel
leadership, along with some of the Northern through time, but I think that’s a load crap.
Cheyenne. Then they gave the boot to the few Be that as it may, most spirits are only
US troops in their traditional lands and set up interested in the here and now. I guess when
their own nation. This new Indian nation you’re an eternal entity (provided some other
covered most of Nebraska, the western half of spirit doesn’t gobble you up) yesterday, today,
the Dakotas, and a good portion of eastern and tomorrow all sort of blend together. Most
Wyoming. Any paleface wandering into this spirits don’t bother to worry about what
area was shown his way back out right quick— tomorrow will bring and only go peering into
if he didn’t get an arrow in his backside. the future when some shaman starts shaking
his Magic 8-Ball.

10
 The Spirit Warriors

The point I’m trying to get to here is that

some nature spirits did go gazing into the
future—and they didn’t like what they saw.
They caught a quick glimpse of Judgment Day
and the devastation it caused. They also
learned that the tech spirits—spirits who live
inside man-made objects—were involved in the
shenanigans.
Oh, you’ve heard of them. Okay, I’ll spare you
all the gory details then. Suffice it to say, the
nature spirits wanted to nip this in the bud
and they went to war against the tech spirits.
By encouraging the shamans to stay away
from modern technology, they could at least
prevent their closest allies from creating more
of those damned tech spirits.

The Deadwood Massacree

There was only one problem with the
Lakota leaders’ plans to live happily ever after
as an independent nation—ghost rock. Near the
center of the Sioux Nations’ territory are the
Black Hills, or paha sapa, a sacred site to the
Sioux Tribes.
They also became sacred to the white man, A Sioux scout spies on the Union soldiers.
but not for any spiritual reasons. There was
gold in them thar hills, and ghost rock, and
lots of it. The Black Hills boasted the largest
Goldilocks vs. Sitting Bull
deposits of that evil black rock east of the The US president, Grant I think it was, had
Great Maze. Once word of this got out, Sioux been under pressure to “put those uppity
braves ran themselves ragged trying to catch Injuns in their place,” but he had been
and evict all the wildcat miners sneaking into reluctant to take action. He had more
the hills. important things to deal with—like half of his
Things eventually turned ugly, and a number country being in open rebellion.
of people got dead. The miners, their numbers The banner headlines about the massacre in
growing daily, banded together for defense and the Black Hills forced his hand though, and he
even went so far as to build a stockade at the sent some cavalry into the Sioux Nations to
edge of the hills along Deadwood Creek. Of teach Sitting Bull a lesson in humility.
course, the Sioux weren’t about to sit back and Unfortunately for Grant, it was to be the other
let a bunch of miners desecrate one of their way around.
most holy sites, so it was only a matter of time To make a long story short, the expedition
before things got even uglier. was a disaster for the palefaces. A column
Against the wishes of the wicasas, the under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel
Sioux elders, a hotheaded brave by the name George Armstrong Custer was surrounded
of Red Bear led an attack against the stockade near the Little Big Horn and wiped out by
and killed all but 10 of the 100 miners living braves led by Red Bear and Crazy Horse. Only
there. If he had made a clean sweep of it the illustrious Colonel managed to escape, and
things might have gone very differently. The I’ve heard stories he didn’t escape so much as
ten who escaped managed to stumble back to he was let go, in order to send a message that
US territory and tell their horrible tale to the any further expeditions into Sioux territory
newspapers. That’s when things hit the fan. would meet a similar fate.

11
 The Spirit Warriors

The Deadwood Treaty

Before this column got under way, however,
Sitting Bull made an offer that headed off a
full-scale war. He agreed to allow miners into
the Black Hills under very specific conditions—
number one being that the miners paid
outrageous fees and taxes to the Sioux
Nations.
This scheme was agreeable to both sides
and prevented a lot of bloodshed, so the
Deadwood Creek Treaty was quickly signed.
The treaty created the city of Deadwood, the
only place where whites were allowed to live
within the Sioux Nations (I’m sure Sitting Bull
just loved putting the palefaces on a
reservation) and established areas within the
Black Hills where the mining of gold and ghost
rock were allowed.
It also designated a single railroad in and
out of the city for use by the whites. Any
paleface found elsewhere in the Nations could
be put to death. Despite these draconian
restrictions, the lure of easy money was too
great and thousands of miners flocked to the
place. Deadwood became a boomtown nearly
overnight.

Iron Dragon
Remember how I said that not all Sioux
followed the Old Ways? Well, one of the most
important Lakota leaders to reject this belief
was none other than Sitting Bull himself. He
knew the white man’s inventions held power—
power he wanted for himself. However, he
Custer makes his last stand. knew most of his people had become Old
Ways followers, so he professed to believe too. I
Once again, the Sioux would have been guess you could say that Sitting Bull had
better off to kill them all and let the Great learned the power of the white man’s politics
Spirit sort them out. also.
When Custer returned to Wyoming, he He cut a deal with the Iron Dragon Railroad
immediately set about raising a unit of that allowed the outfit to build a line straight
volunteers to return to the Sioux Nations and through the heart of the Sioux Nations—with a
get revenge for the humiliation he suffered spur extending down to Deadwood. In
there. More importantly, news of what had exchange for this concession—Kang’s railroad
happened was reported in all the papers. Soon made a fortune hauling gold and ghost rock
the US public was clamoring for Sitting Bull’s out of the Black Hills—and a cut of the money
head on a silver platter with a nice garnish of the Indians were making in taxes and fees
grapes. Grant began to reluctantly organize a from the miners, Iron Dragon trains made
second expedition to send against the Indian secret rendezvous with Sitting Bull’s most
nation. trusted warriors to drop off loads of weapons

12
 The Spirit Warriors

and ammo. Sitting Bull had no doubt that the deserter—but none of them had been able to
US would attack the Nations once it was done penetrate the ring of hired guns around him.
dealing with the Confederacy and he wanted Even an Agency operation to bag the wayward
to be ready when that happened. While he general had failed.) In hindsight, this was a
couldn’t deny the power of the Sioux shamans, pretty bad idea, but tempers were running hot
he wasn’t confident that the nature spirits and then.
the bravery of his warriors alone would be
enough to stop a regiment of Gatling-armed
steam tanks.
The Battle of 10,000 Arrows
The cavalry, under the command of Colonel
Custer Returns Brook Manning, caught up to Custer about 40
miles southwest of Deadwood. There was only
This situation lasted for a few years, but one small problem: Custer’s troops
growing tensions between the Sioux braves outnumbered Manning’s by about 4-to-1 and
and the miners in Deadwood, and growing the general didn’t feel like being arrested.
conflict between Sitting Bull and the other There were also many men under Manning’s
elders of the Sioux Nations, made for a very command who sympathized with Custer and
uneasy peace. This wasn’t helped by the fact wanted to avenge the death’s of the men of
that Custer had supporters within Deadwood the 7th Cavalry.
who agitated against the Treaty and looked for When the two forces met, there was a tense
opportunities to provoke an incident which standoff that lasted nearly two hours. No one
could once again draw the United States into knows exactly how it would have been
the area. resolved, because it was ended by the attack
Finally, it happened. Some Sioux braves, of a large Sioux force under the command of
angered by attacks from some elusive snipers Red Bear. The hired guns and US troopers were
armed with buffalo rifles, attacked one of the forced to fight side-by-side to defend
larger mines outside the city and slaughtered themselves from the fierce onslaught of
everyone there. The next day, Custer’s army of thousands of mounted braves.
hired guns and money-hungry miners Although the Sioux warriors valiantly made
swarmed across the border. (No history I’ve charge after charge against the invaders, they
ever read has fully explained exactly how were cut down time after time by volleys of
Custer learned of the attack so quickly. Cynical well-aimed rifle fire. The few shamans who
types might suspect that he knew that it was accompanied the hastily assembled force had
going to happen ahead of time.) not had time to prepare powerful medicine for
Regardless of how the fair-haired general the battle, and there was little they could do
heard about it (he gave himself a promotion on the battlefield to sway the outcome. The
once he stopped following orders from Sioux warriors were eventually forced to
Washington), the fight was on. His mercenary retreat, leaving behind hundreds of dead and
army, now swelled with fresh volunteers eager wounded.
to avenge the latest massacre, drove deep into Manning was killed during the battle, and
the Sioux Nations. The Lakota and Cheyenne his subordinates decided to throw in with
braves were caught unawares and General Custer. All of the US troopers followed them.
Custer scored a number of easy victories Although not all them were sympathetic to
before any sort of real defense could be Custer’s cause, those who weren’t didn’t want
organized to stop him. to have to make the trek back out of the
Once news of Custer’s assault reached Nations alone and unarmed.
Washington, a troop of cavalry stationed in The West’s newest Napoleon didn’t waste
northern Colorado was dispatched into the any time. Instead, he pressed on toward
Sioux Nations to find Custer, arrest him, and Deadwood. He arrived there two days later,
return him to US territory for a trial. (A number chasing away a force of Sioux braves who
of US Marshals had tried to arrest Custer were besieging the city’s hastily erected
previous to this—since he was technically a barricades.

13
 The Spirit Warriors

The beleaguered citizens hailed Custer as a Unfortunately for everyone involved, the
conquering hero. Once safely inside the city, Sioux Chief was talking on a party line.
the general opened up his supply wagons and Wasatch agents had tapped the telegraph line
passed out rifles and ammunition to anyone many years earlier and recorded every word
who wanted to join him—which was most. that passed between Sitting Bull and Kang.
Between the deserting US troopers and the Before the first Iron Dragon troop train had left
eager Deadwood citizens, Custer’s force had the station, word of the deal was on its way to
grown by almost 1500 after crossing into the Dr. Hellstromme in Salt Lake City.
Sioux Nations. Hellstromme couldn’t allow Iron Dragon to
gain complete control of the Black Hills, so he
Playing His Hand ordered his troops to saddle up and head out. He
figured that if he helped Custer crush the Sioux
Custer’s early victories and the relief of Nation, a grateful US government would grant
Deadwood made Sitting Bull very nervous. It him the mining rights to the area, especially if
would be days before enough warbands had his troops were already there—possession being
gathered to form a force capable of meeting nine tenths of the law and all that.
the general in the field. In the mean time,
warriors attacked Custer’s scouts and harassed
his foraging parties.
Hell on Earth
Custer began moving north again before the Over the next month, the Sioux Nations was
warbands finished forming—Sitting Bull turned into a slaughterhouse. Ranks of
blinked. He ordered his braves to open the automatons and steam tanks clashed against
hidden caches of rifles, Gatling guns, and massed ranks of Chinese spearmen, kamikaze
cannons and begin passing them out. Then he bombers, and ogres summoned from the
went before the assembled wicasas and told depths of Hell. Custer’s outriders scoured the
them of his plan. countryside, destroying Sioux camps and
Instead of hailing him as a savior, the elders torching stored food. The fires from burning
were horrified by what Sitting Bull had done. villages and shattered ghost-rock vehicles
After hours of debate, the council fragmented caused the night sky to glow red. Neither side
and dissolved. Those loyal to Sitting Bull had a clear advantage, but one thing was
remained, while the Old Ways elders and their obvious—the Sioux were the big losers.
warriors fled north to buy more time to
prepare for their fight against Custer.
This left Sitting Bull with a well-armed force
The Great Summoning
that was inferior in both numbers and The warriors who had remained loyal
experience to Custer’s. He knew he had little to the wicasas and the old ways had
chance of winning a pitched battle against the retreated north across the Grand River.
general’s advancing column, but a big victory These braves, backed by powerful
was exactly what he needed to regain the medicine from their shamans, were
loyalty of his people. In desperation, he turned able to turn back any force which tried 105
to a dangerous ally. to cross the river, but they lacked the
strength to move south and help the Sioux
The Dragon Awakes trapped in the middle of fighting. Any force
that headed south would have to fight both
Sitting Bull contacted Iron Dragon using the Custer’s and Sitting Bull’s troops.
telegraph line running along the company’s Word came that US troops were massing on
tracks. He promised Kang all sorts of the eastern border of the Sioux Nations and
concessions and a virtual monopoly over the that Confederate raiders had slipped across the
ghost rock in the Black Hills if he would send border from Colorado and were headed north.
help. Kang agreed, and within hours, Iron The wicasas decided that something had to be
Dragon troops were being loaded on trains and done to end this fighting before it escalated
rushed to the Sioux Nations. even further and everything they had worked
for was destroyed.

14
 The Spirit Warriors

The wicasas gathered all of the Old Ways

shamans together in a great council and
discussed the situation. After much talk and
consultation with the spirits, it was decided
that much as the Old Ones had been willing to
pay the ultimate sacrifice to stop the
Reckoners in the past, they must now be
prepared to do the same to save their people
from destruction.
Hundreds of medicine men gathered
together to perform a massive ritual unlike
any the world had seen in centuries or has
seen since. They chanted, they prayed, they
fasted, they gave burnt offerings and blood
offerings. They scarred and mutilated
themselves. Then they contacted the spirits—
the spirits of the sky, the water, the earth, and
of the animals. They searched out powerful
ancient spirits, those who shamans had feared
to contact for centuries; those who merely the
sight of which could drive a man insane or
even kill him.
This Great Summoning lasted for seven days.
At the end of the last day, the drums were
suddenly silent, the burning offerings sputtered
out, and the remaining shamans collapsed A shaman participating in the Great Summoning.
from exhaustion. Less than a score of the
more than 200 shamans and braves who had guard were once again caught near the Little
participated in the ritual had survived to the Big Horn, but this time he didn’t escape—the
end, but it had worked. general and his men were killed to the last.
The Old Ways warriors found Sitting Bull in
Reap the Whirlwind the ruins of Deadwood. Like his rival Custer,
the great Sioux chief fought to the death
When the last exhausted medicine man rather than allow himself to be captured.
collapsed in a heap, there was a great peal of Warriors who had fought with him said he
thunder, the ground shook, and a great wind knew that he had brought great suffering upon
blew across the Sioux Nations. Everywhere this his people and preferred death in battle than
wind blew, the enemies of the Sioux trembled the fate which awaited him at the hands of
in fear and technological devices suddenly the wicasas.
ceased to work. Steam tanks clanked to a halt The vanguard of the US forces on the
and the ghost-rock fires in their bellies went Nations’ eastern border crossed into Sioux
out, clockwork spiders skittered around in a territory only to find that they had all been
manic frenzy and then exploded in hail of equipped with “defective” ammo. When a
gears and springs, and kamikaze bombers Cheyenne war party appeared, they quickly
hurled themselves at terrified enemies with turned tail and headed back east across the
broken guns only to find that their explosives border. When the leader of this advance party
wouldn’t detonate. tried to explain why he had retreated, he
Along the banks of the Grand River, the accidentally shot one of his own men when
assembled Sioux warriors surged south with his pistol suddenly began working again. The
the wind. They slaughtered any of their unfortunate lieutenant was court-martialled,
enemies who tried to stand and fight and but there was no US invasion of the Sioux
captured the rest. Custer and his personal body Nations.

15
 The Spirit Warriors

Have you ever seen the totems along the

highways and train tracks leading into
Deadwood? Yeah, those. I’ve heard them
described in documentaries as “colorful
talismans employed by the superstitious Sioux to
ward off the ‘evil’ spirits thought to inhabit
modern devices.” Well, they got it backwards.
Those talismans actually keep the nature spirits
in the Sioux Nations from jumping the tech
spirits moving through those areas. They
actually create small corridors into and around
Deadwood in which technology still works.
I can tell from your look that you don’t
believe me. If you ever go through the
documents at an airport, check the flight
plans. Not one of them passes over the
Nations, and it’s not due to any national
sovereignty issues or hidden Sioux antiaircraft
weapons. The Agency just did a Hell of a job of
keeping the whole thing under wraps.
Aerial photos of the Sioux Nations? Yeah,
I’ve seen them. I guarantee you they were
taken by a plane just over the border or over
one of the highways leading into Deadwood.

Coyote addresses the braves of the Confederation. The Ravenites

Speaking of Deadwood, that’s where all
Nature’s Realm of Sitting Bull’s followers ended up. Once
The sacrifice of the Sioux shamans called peace was restored in the Nations, the
forth the magic of some of the most powerful wicasas sat in judgment of those who
spirits of the natural realm. The powerful had turned against the Old Ways. As far
medicine they worked created an area within as they were concerned, the success of
108
the Sioux Nation’s borders in which no the Great Summoning, as it came to be
technological devices can function. Any tech known, was proof positive that the Old
spirits within this area endure such Ways were the only way. Those who refused to
excruciating pain that it’s as if they were in a follow this belief had no place in the tribe.
coma—any device they inhabit simply won’t Sitting Bull’s followers were given a chance
work. to change their ways. Those who willingly
I’m sure you’ve heard all the statements the converted to the Old Ways were welcomed
US government has put out over the years back into the tribe. Those who refused were
about its respect for the autonomy of the exiled to Deadwood and those totems I
native peoples in the Sioux Nations (while still mentioned were erected to allow technology to
keeping many of the Northwestern tribes on function within the city. The wicasas felt that
reservations). The truth of the matter is the US in time these misguided souls would tire of
couldn’t have ended the Sioux Nations’ the white man’s playthings and eventually see
autonomy if it wanted to—unless the soldiers the error of their ways. They were wrong—very
were armed with bows and arrows. Within a wrong—but that’s a story for later. These exiles
few minutes of crossing the border, any were dubbed “Ravenites”—although few
hovertanks sent in their would become actually belonged to Raven’s cult—because, like
$50,000,000 boulders. The government knew the evil shaman, they allowed their fear and
that and just stayed out. hate to overcome their judgment.

16
 The Spirit Warriors

Trouble a Brewin’ Power in the Confederation was split

between two groups of major tribes, one
supporting the Old Ways movement and the
Okay, I can see you’re thinking, “That’s all other against it. The Old Ways were followed
very interesting, but what does it have to do by the Southern Cheyenne, the Arapaho, and a
with toxic spirits?” number of smaller tribes. Those opposed to
Well, I told you that story so I can tell you the Old Ways were the Commanche, Kiowa,
this one. Cherokee, and the minor tribes which followed
As you mentioned earlier, the first toxic their lead.
shamans came out of the Coyote In the end, the anti-Old Ways faction won
Confederation. They came about because the out. Individuals were free to believe as they
Coyote shamans were jealous of what their chose, but the Confederation’s government had
Sioux brothers had managed to accomplish. a policy of arming its warriors with modern
But, once again, I’m getting ahead of myself. weapons and educating the people in the ways
of modern science.

The Coyote Confederation The Border War

The Coyote Confederation was formed from The reason for the lack of belief in
the tribes that inhabited what was once the Old Ways goes back to the late 1800s. 110
known as the Indian Territory. This was For reasons unknown, Coyote, the
basically a giant reservation for the tribes Confederation’s mysterious and mystical leader,
called the Five Civilized Nations: the Creek, my began a war with some of the smaller Plains
own people, the Cherokee, the Chickasaw, the tribes to the north of Coyote lands. The war
Choctaw, and the Seminoles. All of these tribes started with just a few small-scale raids, but
had originally lived further east in Alabama, escalated quickly. As the fighting grew more
Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi and were intense, white homesteaders in the area were
forcibly relocated by the US government. drawn into the conflict.
Besides the members of the Five Civilized Most of the fighting took place near where
Nations (subjugated is more like it) there were the borders of Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska
also Commanche, Kiowa, Arapaho, and come together. This area had been temporarily
Southern Cheyenne in the Confederation. demilitarized following the war, but as more
I’m sure you’ve heard of the Trail of Tears. homesteads went up in flames, troops from
My ancestors came west on it—nearly 16,000 of both sides moved toward the border. With all
them. Many died along the way or were the confusion caused by the guerilla war being
brutalized by the soldiers escorting them. waged by the Indians, it didn’t take long before
Those who survived were forced to share the soldiers from both North and South started
Indian Territory with the tribes already living shooting at each. Both countries mobilized
there. troops and it looked as if Round 2 of the Civil
War was about to begin.
Neither side really wanted war, but it looked
The Tower of Babel is if it might be unavoidable—neither could
The great number of different tribes with afford to pull out of the border area while the
different cultures was often almost the fighting continued. Finally, a Confederate
Confederation’s undoing. As much as the tribes general by the name of Horace Madison
wanted to present a united front against the convinced the CSA government that the best
those who would kill them or steal their lands, way to end the fighting was to nip it in the
the chiefs were only human. It was inevitable bud by invading the Coyote Confederation. He
that some of these tribes would war against was given command of four divisions, two
each other. This internal conflict prevented the infantry and two cavalry, and given a free
Confederation from ever being as strong as the reign to do as he saw fit within Confederation
Sioux Nations. lands.

17
 The Spirit Warriors

“Massacre” Madison outnumbered and outgunned, and there was

no hope in sight. Even the power of their
Madison’s advance into the Confederation shamans could do little to even the odds.
made Sherman’s March to the Sea look like a A desperate appeal was sent to the Sioux
Sunday afternoon barbecue. He destroyed every Nations, but the wicasas refused to help them.
settlement he encountered, putting the Although many of the Sioux were sympathetic,
buildings to the torch and killing all the they were still recovering from the effects of
inhabitants—young or old, men or women, no their own recent battles and could not spare any
one was spared. It was more the work of a warriors. Many of the elders also felt that the
butcher than a soldier, but it did the job. Once Coyote Confederation’s leadership was being
the Confederation’s warriors heard what was punished for its rejection of the Old Ways.
being done to their homes, they gave up their
raids along the border and rushed back. As the
raiding stopped, the Union and Confederate
The War Council
troops were able to withdraw from the border While Madison paused on the banks of the
and a second War Between the States was Arkansas River to rest his men and water his
averted—for a time. horses, Coyote and Qanah Parker gathered the
As more Coyote braves took the field against Confederation’s medicine men and war chiefs
“Massacre” Madison, the general had to spend together. Those belonging to the tribes which
more time fighting and less time pillaging, but still followed the Old Ways were given new
this didn’t stop his steady advance north respect and allowed to speak at the war
through Confederation territory. By the time council.
Madison’s troops reached the southern bank of These shamans, ever envious of what the
the Arkansas River, the Coyote forces were on Lakota medicine men had achieved, proposed
the ropes and they knew it. They were that the Coyote Confederation save itself by
turning to the Old Ways and attempting a
Summoning as the Sioux had. For this attempt
to work, they said, the tribes of the
Confederation’s conversion must be sincere;
they could not simply put their weapons aside
and then pick them up again later—they had to
be destroyed.
This caused quite an uproar in the council.
The thought of unilaterally disarming while
the enemy was at their gates seemed to be
nonsense to the assembled warriors.
The Old Wayers suggestion was about to be
dismissed entirely when a messenger arrived
at the council. He brought news that Madison’s
troops were on the move again. Satanta had
engaged the soldiers with some of his best
warriors and the war chief had been shot.
Whether he was dead or only seriously
wounded was not known because the Coyote
braves had broken and fled when their leader
fell. His body was now in the hands of the
Confederate troopers. Massacre Madison was
now headed north with little to oppose him.
This news quieted the warriors and many
began to seriously consider the Old Wayers
proposal. The council fires burned long into the
Massacre Madison at work. night. When the dawn finally came, the

18
 The Spirit Warriors

decision was made. The Coyote Confederation dry, cracked, dust bowls that still yield
would officially adopt the Old Ways and throw little food to this very day and wells
down their weapons and other possessions became tainted with foul-smelling
made by the white man. sulphur. Pregnant women went into
labor early. Many lost their babies, but
The Great Wasting those that survived were said to possess
dark powers. It was as if the Coyote
111

Messengers were sent to all the warbands Confederation had been visited by every plague
and to the villages that had not yet been from the white man’s Bible and then some.
destroyed by Madison, telling them of When the dust cleared, the Confederate
the council’s decisions. They were all to army was no more. The neat lines of troops
burn anything they possessed which had been reduced to little more than heaps of
had not been made with Indian hands. dust-scoured bones covered with scraps of
111 Bonfires burned throughout the uniforms. The Coyote Confederation had been
Confederation that night as the people saved, but at much too high a price.
prayed to the spirits for deliverance. At the site As the dazed survivors took stock of what
of the war council, enormous pyres of happened, they realized that the cloud had also
weapons burned late into the night as the claimed their leader—all that was found of
Confederation shamans, led by Coyote himself, Coyote were scraps of his vermillion cloak. The
began their long ordeal. war chiefs felt that the spirits had played some
To the south, Madison saw the fire reflected form of cruel trick on them and they became
on the clouds and wondered what the Hell the enraged. The surviving Old Ways shamans fled
savages were up to. He was more right than he for their lives as the angry chiefs and their
knew. braves fell upon them with clubs and spears.
The Confederate troops advanced quickly. Since the day of the Great Wasting, no
They were opposed now by only the Old Ways member of the Coyote Confederation has ever
warriors with their bows and arrows and some openly acknowledged belief in the Old Ways.
new converts who fought with hastily
constructed spears and clubs. It took them only
three days to come within sight of the war
Rock & A Hard Place
council’s location. That night Madison and his After losing four entire divisions inside the
men camped in sight of the seemingly Coyote Confederation, the Confederacy was
maddened shamans as they whirled and understandably cautious about further actions
chanted around their fires. against the Indian nation. Texas Rangers
The next morning, as the Confederate troops slipped in and out of the Confederation looking
formed up into a line of battle, the Coyote for clues to the fate of Madison and his men.
shamans completed their rituals and invoked What they found surprised them. The tribes
their favor. There was a loud clap of thunder of the Coyote Confederation, despite their
and a tremendous wind that sounded like the “great victory,” were a broken and dispirited
spirits of the damned. It kicked up a dark, dust people. Those who had survived the Great
cloud that flowed over Coyote brave and trooper Wasting were barely able to eke out an
alike and spread across the countryside. existence in the barren wastes. Once fertile
Many within the cloud died, both Indian and land grew crops of weeds and thorns, and the
paleface. Those who survived claimed they tribes’ herds were little more than walking
could see spirits moving in its dark depths. skeletons that gave little milk and only tough,
Everywhere the cloud went people died. It stringy meat. Water throughout the
killed mostly the very young and the very old, Confederation, although drinkable, tasted foul
but it also took those who were sick or badly and brackish.
wounded as well. The people were in little better condition.
The dark dust also did something to my Too proud or too stubborn to ask for help, the
people’s land. It killed crops and cattle and it people worked long, hard days to merely grow
poisoned the soil. Once fertile fields became enough food to get by. Starvation was common,

19
 The Spirit Warriors

and even the “richest” tribes had only a few

days supply of food between themselves and
total disaster. It was obvious to the Rangers
The New Ways
that despite the destruction of the Confederate Things turned for the bad following the end
soldiers, the Coyote Confederation was of the Korean War. The size of the Confederate
defeated. military was slashed and the Army no longer
Once the Rangers final report was made, needed all the recruits the Coyote Territory
the Confederate government sent provided. Unemployment levels in the territory
representatives to speak with the Coyote shot up to almost 30% as thousands of young
chiefs. Their offer was simple: If the men went without work. Many of these young
Confederation was willing to sacrifice its braves got involved in alcohol and other drugs,
independence and become a territory of the causing the crime rates to soar as well.
CSA, the Confederacy would send shipments To make matters worse, many of the
of food and medicine in return for the service Confederate states began to complain about
of the Coyote warriors in the Confederate the burden of supplying the growing Coyote
military. The thought of sacrificing their tribes with food. Some hotheads wanted to cut
independence shamed and angered the chiefs, the territory loose from the Confederacy
but they had little choice but to accept when altogether, and there was strong support in the
one of their number keeled over from Southern Congress for reducing the territory’s
starvation during the council called to consider support levels. In 1958, a measure reducing the
the offer. tribes’ support by nearly half passed by a large
margin. As a territory, the Coyote tribes had no
The Times They Are a Changin’ representatives in the Congress, so there was
little they could do to stop it.
Things improved for my people after that.
Starvation once again became a threat in
The Confederacy kept its promise and sent
the Coyote lands. Many public charities through
food and medicine. The tribes kept theirs and
out the Confederacy pitched in to make up the
sent their young warriors off to serve as
lost government support, but even this support
scouts for the Confederate Army.
dried up in 1964. That was the year two Coyote
Although things got better, the underlying
braves serving in the Confederate military—
problem remained the same: Coyote territory
frustrated by their people’s treatment by the
was a barren wasteland. Until that changed,
government—were caught red-handed selling
the tribes of the area were completely
secrets to the Soviet Union.
dependent on the Confederate government for
the neccesities of life. Years passed, and the
land showed few signs of recovery.
Coyote shamans found that the terrible blight
Not In My Backyard
that devastated the land had also reduced the Desperate to find jobs and food for their
power of their medicine. It seemed to many that people, the Coyote chiefs began an active
the nature spirits had forsaken them. They could campaign to attract NIMBY (Not In My
invoke minor favors, but the powerful medicine BackYard) industries to the territory. These are
of their ancestors was lost to them. The things like landfills, prisons, nuclear waste
medicine men looked for ways to cure their sick storage facilities, and the like. The chiefs
land, but they could find no solution. offered the companies dirt-cheap land (it
Decades passed. Coyote warriors served with wasn’t good for much else anyway), a work
distinction in World War I and World War II. force that was willing to work hard for low
The food from the government continued to wages, and minimal regulations.
flow into the territory. The Coyote tribes grew The campaign worked better than the chiefs
and some even became fat. The people began had ever dreamed. Landfills and prisons began
to look to the future with hope once again. popping up all over the territory. The
Unfortunately, this state of affairs was not to Confederate government itself opened two
last. nuclear waste facilities, a nuclear reactor, and

20
 The Spirit Warriors

a bio-weapons research facility in the area. The Manitous would speak with the Coyote
Coyote people once again had food and jobs, shamans, and at times seemed unusually
but only at the cost of poisoning their land interested in them, but most of the medicine
even more than it already was. The tribes had men had better sense than to go down that
full bellies, but they also had the highest rates path. Unfortunately, a few of the more power-
of cancer, miscarriages, and birth defects in hungry ones did. Some of them became
the industrialized world. powerful black magicians and practitioners of
As the years passed, the Coyote people ghost medicine (a secret they hid from others
slowly moved up from being merely employees of course), while others simply went mad. More
of these industries to owners. When the Last than one of these insane medicine men went
War began, Coyote Chemical was one of the on killing rampages before they were put down
world’s largest producers of pesticides, by the tribal police.
explosives, and household chemicals. The I actually did some research into this before
company employed nearly 30,000 people in the Last War and made a startling discovery.
Coyote Territory alone. Most of the shamans who were known to
have turned to “the dark side” were

Bad Medicine descendants of the “Children of the Dust.” That

was the name given to children born on the
day of the Great Wasting.
Okay, I’d be willing to bet you can see In time, however, a new population of spirits
where I’m going with this, and you’re right. began to communicate with the shamans.
You see, when the tribes’ shamans lost their Some of these were tech spirits who had
ability to work powerful medicine, they started found refuge in the desolation of the Coyote
looking around for other sources of power. At Confederation’s aura, but since very few of the
first they couldn’t find any. Whatever went
wrong with the summoning the earlier
shamans tried, it had turned the Coyote
Confederation into a desolate, spiritual
wasteland.
Although the Hunting Grounds and the
physical world don’t correspond to one another
on a one-to-one basis, what happens in one
realm does impact the other. No one is sure
whether the Great Wasting chased away the
nature spirits and this manifested itself in the
land or the devastation to the land chased
away the spirits. It doesn’t really matter,
because the end result was the same—the
nature spirits wanted nothing to do with
anything connected to the Coyote
Confederation.

Who Goes There?

For a few of generations following the Great
Wasting, the shamans of the Coyote tribes
were nearly powerless. They searched the
Hunting Grounds in vain for spirits who would
speak to them. Their reception in the spirit
world was about as warm as a leper who
wanders into town ringing a bell and yelling,
“Unclean! Unclean!”
A Coyote brave scouts for the CSA during the Last War.

21
 The Spirit Warriors

medicine men had any form of technical

training, they may as well have been Martians.
The shamans couldn’t make any sense of
Breeding Ground
what they were saying and eventually stopped My father, John Eagle Claw, Jr. (I was John
trying. Eagle Claw, III), was the president of Eagle
Claw Petroleum. His company owned half the
Librarian’s Note: Please see Librarian Holmquist’s report “The Junkman Cometh” for oil wells in the Coyote Territory, so I never
more details about the supernatural war between the nature and tech spirits: wanted for much growing up.
Files JU 358.1-JU 358.9 I guess the year was 2075, or maybe it was
‘76. Times were good for the Coyote tribes; the
But there was a new form of spirit—that economy was booming and unemployment
seemed vaguely familiar—that could was at a 50 year low. Provided you didn’t mind
communicate with the shamans. You guessed dying an early death of cancer or from some
it! Toxic spirits. Most of these bad puppies had strange blood disorder, Coyote Territory wasn’t
once been nature spirits until they were a bad place to live.
warped by the effects of man’s pollution of the I had a medical degree from the University
environment. Once they changed, they became of Virginia and I had just completed my
spiritual outcasts, hunted by their former residency. My father got me a job with CEPA
brothers and sisters. Like the tech spirits, some (Coyote Environmental Preservation Agency) as
managed to find refuge in the spiritual no- a medical researcher. I was looking forward to
man’s-land created by the Coyote getting back to my home and helping solve the
Confederation. many medical ailments my people were
I say most of them had once been nature plagued by. My sister had been born with a
spirits because some were actually created by malformed arm, so I had been interested in the
the pollution. As I mentioned earlier, the subject from a very young age.
physical world has an impact on the spiritual
world and vice-versa. In some cases, the Nothing To See Here
corrupting influence of the pollution was
strong enough to interact with the raw I enjoyed my work at first. I even had a few
spiritual energy of the Hunting Grounds and minor successes, pinpointing sources of
actually give birth to these entities. Many of pollution that were causing health problems
the industrial cities of the Northeast were for various towns and villages. It didn’t take
breeding grounds for these spirits. I understand long, though, for me to realize that I was
that portions New Jersey were damn near bailing out the Titanic with a drinking glass.
overrun with the things. As you’ll see in a There were a number of hot spots in the
moment, this little fact had a profound impact northeastern portion of the territory that it
on my people. seemed to me were obvious pollution sites.
Regardless of where they came from, most Whenever I asked about them, I was always
of the Coyote shamans were overjoyed to see told, “Somebody’s on it,” yet nothing ever
them. It took many years before the medicine seemed to be done. I continued asking
men had established a rapport with these questions, and I was eventually told to keep
spirits, and it took even longer before they my nose out of it or I would lose my job.
learned how to invoke their power to work I’ve always been stubborn, so that just made
magic in the physical world. During this time, me more determined to get to the bottom of it.
the shamans in the know guarded their I went up there on my own time and took
knowledge jealously and few people outside of some samples. The results of my analysis
their circle knew that such a thing as a toxic floored me. The air, water, and soil in the area
spirit even existed. were all contaminated with carcinogenic
Let’s fast forward a few years to the time chemicals at many times the safe limit. When I
when I first became involved with toxic spirits. presented my findings to my boss, he thanked
It was way back before the war in the mid- me profusely and told me that he would kick
2070s. my report upstairs. Two days later I was fired.

22
 The Spirit Warriors

That night I got a call from my father. “John,”

he said, “I hear you’ve been asking questions
in the wrong places. You should really let it
drop.” I had never heard my father sound
scared before, and this convinced me to let
well enough alone for awhile.
I started a private practice that did well, but
every time I diagnosed a new case of cancer
or treated a child with a birth defect I couldn’t
help but think of what I’d found. Eventually I
decided to do some investigating on my own.
Unfortunately, my medical school training
didn’t include any instruction on infiltrating
secure compounds. I was caught by Coyote
Chemical guards my first night out. They
roughed me up pretty badly before turning me
over to the local police, who also worked me
over pretty thoroughly. My father bailed me out
of jail and didn’t say a word to me on the ride
home.

The Keepers of the Land

After that experience I went back to my
practice and kept my nose where it belonged. I
had pretty much given up any idea of finding The Keepers of the Land strike again.
out what was going on up there.
Then one day one of my patients revealed
his secret to me. He was a member of a group
Coyote Chemical
that called itself “The Keepers of the Land.” I made a return visit to that Coyote Chemical
This group was also investigating the pollution plant a few years later. I was a full-fledged
problems in the territory, and they had heard toxic shaman by then, and I had changed my
about my arrest near the Coyote Chemical name to Dirty Waters—both to reflect my new
plant. He gave me a time and place to meet life and to spare my father some
him if I was interested in learning more. embarrassment.
I was scared, but my bullheadedness kept Some fellow Keepers and I broke into the
me going. I went to the meeting, talked with factory, stole records, and disabled as much
him, and arranged a second meeting. At the machinery as we could. We discovered what
second rendezvous I met a few more members, we had long suspected. The factory was
learned more about the group, and decided to deliberately pumping tons of chemicals a day
join. I had no idea how much that decision into the air, water, and soil around the facility.
would change my life, but looking back on it, I Why? To breed more toxic spirits, of course.
don’t regret it for a second. Some of the shamans who had learned to
During my time with the Keepers, I learned harness the spirit’s energy weren’t content
the secrets of the toxic spirits, how to contact with the small amount of power it gave them.
and manipulate them, and what their agenda They wanted more. They used the power they
was. I also learned how deep their corrupting did have to gain wealth and influence. Then
influence had spread among my people. Like they used their material power to gain control
the others in the group, I was dedicated to of the polluting industries in the territory, and
fighting this influence. That’s how I became a used these industries to poison the
known terrorist on the Texas Rangers’ Most environment for their toxic buddies in the
Wanted list. Hunting Grounds.

23
 The Spirit Warriors

By the time I got involved in the fight

against them, these power-hungry shamans’
power was well established. They controlled
The Toxic Spirits
entire companies, towns, and police forces. Yep, that’s right, I said malicious. Whether
Trying to stop them by legitimate means was they were once a friendly nature spirit or they
futile—they had the money and the influence just woke up one day from a sludge puddle,
to crush any sort of official investigation. So toxic spirits are all about bad attitude. They
we went after them the only way we could— don’t like other spirits or people and they’re
sabotage, bombs, magical attacks against their not shy about showing it—maybe it all goes
guardian spirits, and the like. back to Oscar the Grouch, I don’t know.
Eventually things got too hot for us in
Coyote Territory and we were forced to flee to
the US. We found places to hide in many Indian What Do They Want?
reservations throughout the west. In return for As far as anyone has been able to
their help we shared with them our determine, the toxic spirits have only
knowledge. Many disillusioned young braves one real goal: to create more spirits like 112
joined our cause. them and in the process turn the Earth
I don’t know whether we could have made a into an uninhabitable toxic wasteland. The jury
real difference or not. Although the industries in is still out on whether they want to utterly
the Coyote Territory were deliberately breeding destroy the human race (except for the insect
toxic spirits, there were thousands of other spirits, but I’ll get to them in a minute), but the
locations throughout the world that were point is pretty academic—only the most powerful
creating them inadvertently. All our attempts to shamans could survive for more than a few
make the public aware of the threat were minutes in a world run by the toxic spirits.
thwarted by the Texas Rangers and the Agency.
In the end, the Last War began and it all
became moot. Shamans
Eco-Disaster The whole secret to shamanic magic is that
the shaman gives the spirit something it
wants, and in return, the spirit gives the
We were busy plugging holes in the dike shaman what he wants. In the case of nature
when the Last War came along and blew the spirits, they just want a show of respect and
whole thing wide open. Even before Judgment sacrifice on the medicine man’s part. Tech
Day, the war was an ecological disaster of spirits want a new body, so junkers build
incredible proportions. Burning fuel tanks and objects for them to inhabit. Toxic spirits want
rubbled factories poured tons of pollution into more of the same, so that’s what toxic
the air, ground, and water. Depleted uranium shamans give them.
shells, ionized by the incredible velocities with How the shaman does this depends on
which they impacted, spread radioactive dust, whether he is trying to help or hinder the
and the ruptured containment chambers of spirits’ agenda. Confused? I thought you might
reactors leaked radioactive water and steam. be. There are two major types of toxic
Thousands of new toxic spirits were created shamans: corrupters and caretakers.
before the first ghost-rock bomb dropped.
Judgment Day pushed it over the top. The
destructive force of the explosions spilled all The Corrupters
sorts of contamination into the environment. Corrupters are the toxic spirits’ willing
Then the massive amounts of G-ray energy henchmen. They are out to create the toxic
released by the bombs warped many of the paradise that the spirits dream of. When they
spirits which had survived the effects of this invoke a favor from one of these spirits, they
pollution. Overnight, the spirit world was hip take some of the corrupted spiritual energy
deep with these malicious spirits. which surrounds these beings and channel it

24
 The Spirit Warriors

into the environment around them. The more

spectacular the favor, the more energy is
Spook Juice
leached into the physical world and the more Spooks, that’s what a lot of people call us.
pronounced the effect. This energy creates a You’ll notice I hadn’t used the term until you
pocket of permanent pollution in the world brought it up. I understand where the name
which in turn impacts the Hunting Grounds came from, I just don’t care for it.
and causes the creation of more toxic spirits. Okay, here’s the deal with the spook juice.
Although the visible impact of invoking a When a shaman contacts the Hunting Ground
single favor may be slight, when you multiply to invoke a favor, he must have some way of
it by many shamans casting many favors over attracting the toxic spirits’ attention. The
time, it really adds up. Unless the corrupters easiest way to do this is to corrupt your soul
are stopped, the toxic spirits will eventually get with pollution. In the old days, we used to do
their wish. this by covering ourselves in pollution, entering
Besides polluting by invoking favors, these a trance, and allowing the pollution’s essence
jokers go out of their way to pollute in more to mingle with our own. That still works, but
conventional ways. They routinely throw their spook juice is a lot faster.
food wrappers on the ground, use styrofoam You see, spook juice is made from ghost
cups, and empty oil tankers into the Gulf of rock, and ghost rock is one of the most corrupt
Mexico. I have yet to see one who can walk forms of matter on the planet. You look
past a trashcan without kicking it over. surprised. Yup, ghost rock, spiritually speaking,
is pure filth and evil. I drink the stuff because I
The Caretakers have to; I can’t even begin to understand
people who drink the stuff for “fun.” Toxic
Opposed to the corrupters are the shamans have learned to channel this stuff
caretakers. These incredibly selfless shamans directly into their souls. To a toxic spirit, a
(okay, maybe I’m laying it on a little thick) are
out to thwart the toxic spirits. They only deal
with these supernatural baddies because it’s
the quickest to clean up the mess the toxic
spirits have created.
Rather than channeling the spirit’s
corrupting influence into the environment and
creating more pollution, we reverse the process.
A caretaker absorbs the pollution’s essence
and pumps that into the Hunting Grounds,
where the spirits feed on it. The toxic spirits
know what we’re up to, but they can’t help
themselves—the crap we shoot into the spirit
world is like a Scooby Snack to them.
The theory behind all this is that if the
caretakers can clean up enough of the world’s
pollution, the toxic spirits will eventually be
weakened enough the nature spirits can kick
their butts. This is a pretty tall order considering
the world’s current sorry state, but unless we
try, the toxic spirits win by default. As those old
PSAs use to say, “Give a hoot. Don’t pollute.”
Of course, caretakers do other things beside
channeling raw sewage into the Hunting
Grounds and hoping the spirits choke on it.
Whenever possible we try to clean up pollution
in more conventional ways. A corrupter gets more than he bargained for.

25
 The Spirit Warriors

spook with a belly full of juice looks like a The recruiters are what we in the biz call
spotlight does to a moth. They can’t help but “toxic guardians.” Many shamans have one of
come over and see what’s going on. I guess all these spirits buzzing around them. They have
that bad attitude doesn’t leave much room for powers which they often use to protect or aid
a brain. the shaman in some way.
Do you want to see a toxic spirit? No, I’m not Why?
going to summon one up for demonstration Well in the case of corrupter shamans, I
purposes. The next time you fill up your car’s think they’re just looking out for someone who
tank with spook juice, take a few swigs is useful to them. The guardians around
yourself. Once things start changing strange caretakers are in it for the candy. Every time a
colors, fire the engine up and watch the tail caretaker invokes a favor, the guardian gets a
pipe. In a few seconds you’ll see a bunch of mouthful of the sweet pollution he’s
“things” flitting around the back end of the car, channeling. The guardians don’t really care
sucking down all the toxic goodness it’s whether their hosts live or die, they’re just
spewing. You’ll see mostly smog spirits, but interested in how useful the people are while
depending on how dirty your engine burns, they’re still drawing breath.
you might see a sludge spirit or even a trash The reason I call them recruiters is because
spirit. they don’t just latch onto shamans. They’ll
buddy up with anyone who looks to be a
Spheres litterbug. Any person who performs an act of
pollution—whether done deliberately or not—
That brings me to my next subject, the can suddenly find one of these spirits hanging
spiritual spheres. The toxic spirits are tied very around them.
directly to the elemental spheres: Earth, Air, Once the spirit has selected a “host,” it
Fire, and Water. Only in their case, they performs little services for that person—until
represent the various polluted forms of these he stops polluting. When that happens, the
elements: Trash, Smog, Radiation, and Sludge. person’s spirit friend is suddenly absent when
Due to this affinity for the elements, toxic he needs it, and he begins to feel subtle urges
shamans must select the sphere they wish to to destroy the environment. Once he performs
“serve.” It seems that the toxic spirits bad another act of environmental sabotage, the
attitudes extend to each other as well. The guardian returns and begins doing favors for
spirits are very protective of their spheres. his buddy again.
They always try to make their sphere the The guardians use this to condition their
predominant one and will have nothing to do hosts into performing bigger and bigger acts of
with shamans who serve an opposed sphere. pollution. The more spectacular the act, the
I’m a sludge shaman, which means the more powerful the favors granted by the spirit.
spirits of polluted water are my buds in the I’ve encountered two shamans, both corrupters,
Hunting Grounds. Although they’re not crazy by the way, who learned the rituals they
about it, I can call upon trash and smog spirits needed to function as medicine men from
in a pinch, but radiation spirits will have their guardians—they had no training from any
nothing to do with me because radiation (Fire) human teachers.
is opposed to sludge (Water). What did they do to earn this? One found an
oil refinery that still had a few million gallons
Toxic Guardians of crude in its tanks. He set the entire thing
ablaze. The second opened the containment
There is one other thing you can say about building at a damaged nuclear plant and
toxic spirits: they’re ambitious. They’re not allowed thousands of gallons of radioactive
content to just sit around and wait for the water to flow into the Missouri River.
corrupters they deal with to finish poisoning How do I know this? They told me. It’s not
the Earth for them. The toxic spirits actively like we wear team uniforms or anything. I met
seek out people who seem likely candidates them, we shared some spook juice and a few
and recruit them to their cause. stories, and then I moved on.

26
 The Spirit Warriors

What do you mean, what happened to You can run into these yahoos nearly
them? What do you think? I said I moved on, anywhere, but they tend to be most common
not we. around urban areas. This is primarily because
there is simply many more opportunities to
Equal Opportunity Polluters cause mayhem in these locations.
I ran into a trash cult outside Dallas that
For most of my little history lesson, I’ve spent each day draining the oil out wrecked
referred to the toxic spirits from a Native cars and then pouring it in the dirt. They had
American point of view. I should point out, been doing that each and every day for over
though, that the toxic spirits don’t give a crap two months. I have no idea how many gallons
about race. Most toxic shamans are Indians, but of oil they dumped, I just know it was a lot.
that’s only due to our culture—we grew up with Once I ended their little pastime, it took me
the spirit world as a very real part of our lives. nearly two weeks of invoking purification
There are non-Indian toxic shamans favors to clean the place up.
(although I’ve yet to meet a traditional shaman
who wasn’t Native American) and their
numbers are growing. There are even more
Insect Shamans
non-Indians who have toxic guardians. There’s one last type of toxic
shaman I should mention: insect
112
Toxic Cults shamans. I’ll warn you right now that I
don’t know much about them, so you’ll have to
A prime example of these types are the take what I say with a grain or two of salt.
many toxic cults that have sprung up in I had no idea insect shamans existed until I
the ruins of civilization. Most of these encountered one only a couple of years ago. He
start with a single person who does gave me the creeps. He was really quiet and
something to attract the attention of a
toxic guardian. She continues to grow in
113 power by repeated acts of pollution.
Somewhere along the way, she attracts
some followers, who join in the mayhem. Her
disciples’ actions attract their own guardians,
and the group’s power grows.
Usually at this point one of two things
happen. Either the group is wiped out because
their actions have gained them a lot of
enemies, or they are strong enough to defeat
their enemies and go on to commit some truly
heinous act of pollution that causes one or
more of their members to develop into a full-
blown shaman. Groups that reach this stage
are extremely dangerous.
Most toxic cults follow a single sphere. In
other words, all of the headcases have smog
guardians, or they all have trash guardians, etc.
I’ve encountered one cult that was of mixed
spheres, and they nearly did me in. I thought I
was dealing with a smog cult, when I suddenly
discovered there were some sludge cultists in
the group. Their guardians granted them
immunity to most of the favors I knew, so my
companions and I had to deal with them the
old-fashioned way—acute lead poisoning.
Some cultists go to great lengths to cause pollution.

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 The Spirit Warriors

his eyes never moved. When he tracked The only theory I’ve come up with is that
something, he turned his entire head to follow the insects have a real mad on about
it. He hardly ever blinked either. We got into a something. Maybe they’re tired of being
pretty heated discussion about toxic spirits and stepped on for centuries, or maybe there were
their agenda, and he started mumbling one too many documentaries talking about
something under his breath. One of my how the insects would inherit the Earth after
traveling companions went for his gun, but a nuclear war and the bugs want hurry things
before he could fire, the insect shaman along.
dissolved into a carpet of roaches and skittered It has to be something similar to this,
down a drain pipe. I still have nightmares because the insects’ agenda is a little different
about that at times. than that of the other toxic spirits. They still
I’ve talked to other, friendlier, shamans want the Earth to be polluted, so that new
about these guys and here’s what I’ve been toxic insect spirits are formed, but that’s only
able to piece together: part of what they’re after. Their ultimate goal
Their power comes from insect-related seems to be the complete extermination of the
spirits that were warped by pollution or by the human race.
bombs on Judgment Day. This is unusual This is borne out by the fact that insect
because most other warped animal spirits guardians want their hosts to do more than
work with shamans of a related sphere— just pollute. For an act of pollution to satisfy
warped bird spirits work with smog shamans, one of these supernatural baddies, the
warped fish with sludge shamans, warped pollution has to kill someone.
raccoons with trash spooks, and so on. How Believe it or not, I actually met a second
the bugs rated their own personal shamans is insect shaman who not only was a caretaker,
a bit of a mystery. but a pretty nice guy as well. He says he’s
careful to use his powers only against those
who deserve to die, Black Hats, Doom cultists,
biker gangs, and the like. When he runs out of
bad guys, which he doubts will happen in his
lifetime, he intends to end his gig as a shaman.
I wished him well, and I don’t doubt his
intentions, but I can’t picture the insect spirits
letting him go that easily.

The Cult o’ Doom

As long as I’ve mentioned the Doomies, I
suppose I should say a few more words about
them.
They don’t like toxic shamans, especially
those who deal with radiation spirits. Our
ability to work with radiation, and to cause or
remove mutations, just throws all sorts of
wrenches in Silas’ theology. He has branded all
toxic shamans as heretics and puts to death
any his troops capture.
The schismatic Doomsayers are a little more
tolerant, but they still don’t trust us. I think
that’s because they’ve encountered mostly
hostile corrupters, but also because some of us
have the ability to make ourselves immune to
their miracles for short periods of time.
The insect spirits have given birth to some strange creatures.

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 The Spirit Warriors

Indians Today Ravenite leaders got together and petitioned

the wicasas. They reminded the Sioux leaders
that the treaty had also specified that there
Well, that’s my basic spiel about toxic would be a rail line open to the city.
shamans. Is there anything else you’d like to Honorbound by their decision to follow the
know? treaty, the Sioux elders had no choice but to
A rundown on what’s going on with Native place more totems and reopen the Iron Dragon
American groups today? No problem. I warn line running through the Nations.
you that some of my information may be a When the first train since the Summoning
little out of date. arrived in Deadwood, it ended all hope that the
Ravenites would someday tire of their material
possessions and return to the Old Ways. Once
The Sioux Nations contact with the outside world was established
some Ravenites left the city, but most stayed

& The Ravenites and made a fortune off the sale of ghost rock.
Rather than return to the Old Ways, over time
the Ravenites became some of the most
After the Great Summoning, time pretty materialistic and decadent people on the
much stopped for the Sioux Nations. The planet.
United States learned not to mess around in
Sioux territory and the tribes were left to live
in peace. Since all of the tribes had become Bright Lights, Big City
staunch supporters of the Old Ways very little The Sioux elders eventually came to greatly
changed over the years. regret their decision to exile Sitting Bull’s
The biggest problem the Sioux elders faced followers to Deadwood. Over the years some
was the followers of Sitting Bull they had young Sioux became disillusioned with the Old
exiled to Deadwood. The history of the Sioux Ways and left the Sioux Nations to join their
and the Ravenites are inextricably intertwined, brothers in Deadwood. The Sioux tribes lost
so I’ll talk about them together. scores of young men and women to the bright
lights of the treaty city. To prevent the possible
The Deadwood Corridor corrupting influence that those who had been
to Deadwood might have on the tribes, those
Not long after the Great Summoning, the who left were not allowed to return.
Sioux had their first problem with the Most of those who left regretted the
Ravenites. decision. The ability to shoot a bow and ride a
The region to which these Sioux had been horse were of no use in the high-tech society
banished included the area immediately the Ravenites created. If they were lucky, they
around Deadwood and the portions of the managed to find some sort of low-paying
Black Hills where mining was allowed. This menial job, but most ended up homeless and
was the same territory which had been destitute or forced into a life of prostitution
established by the Deadwood Creek Treaty. (which was legal in Deadwood).
Many of the Sioux chiefs argued against
letting the Ravenites have access to the ghost
rock, but the wicasas decided to follow the The City on the Plains
terms of the treaty—the white man could Deadwood grew quickly. At first it grew
break treaties all he wanted, but the Sioux outward, but it soon hit the edges of the treaty
would honor theirs. territory. The only direction left to grow was
Within this area modern inventions worked vertically. Deadwood was the first city on Earth
just fine, but since the Ravenites had no way to erect a modern skyscraper, beating out New
to get spare parts, they quickly wore out. There York City for the honor by three days. That was
also wasn’t much room for the people to grow only the beginning, by the time the Last War
crops, so the exiles were constantly begging began the smallest building in Deadwood
their Old Ways neighbors for food. Finally, the

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 The Spirit Warriors

towered over 100 stories above the ground and

most had basements 20 levels or more deep.
Judgment Day
The city had elevated roads and trains running Judgment Day came early to
between the buildings, many of which were Deadwood. Days before the bombs
more than 50 stories above the ground—you dropped, a charred figure wandered into
108
really don’t want to go through the guard rail town and ripped the place apart. How
that high up. one man could cause the destruction he is a
The tremendous wealth enjoyed by most said to have wreaked is a mystery to me, but
Ravenites enabled many of them to own the ruins of Deadwood speak for themselves.
aircars—civilian versions of the VTOL aircraft I’ll say more about that in a moment.
pioneered by the military. Deadwood was the Some say this mysterious figure was none
first city to have an integrated air control other than Raven himself, come to avenge
system for these vehicles and official “air himself upon his unworthy followers. I don’t
roads” to regulate VTOL traffic. Only a few know if this is true, but after seeing the
years before the war began, there was actually ruined city for myself, I’d say anything is
an air taxi service. The place looked like one possible.
of those cities everyone in the mid-20th Regardless of who or what caused the
century had predicted the cities of the year destruction, hundreds of thousands of people
2000 would be. died as enormous skyscrapers collapsed into
The city was supplied by a high-tech transit rubble. Those who survived fled the city as
system that was tightly crammed inside the fast their limos could take them, at least until
narrow corridor the Sioux had opened for the the highways became a mass of twisted,
old Iron Dragon rail line. A double-tracked, burning wrecks. Those who couldn’t escape by
three-tiered, mag-lev line ran in and out of the car fled on foot into the Sioux Nations.
city side-by-side with a four-level, computer- The Sioux were overwhelmed by this flood
regulated highway. Aircars zipped in and out of of refugees who outnumbered the entire
the city above all the traffic rushing along population of the Nations many times over. The
below them. Sioux gave them shelter and fed them as best
Here and there the transport system was they could, slaughtering an entire herd of
pierced by massive tunnels and walkways that buffalo in the process, but the wicasas knew
allowed the Ravenites’ Sioux neighbors and that the frightened masses from the city
their herds of buffalo and wild horses to move couldn’t stay long without exhausting the
between the northern and southern halves of Nations’ resources.
the territory. To make matters worse, more refugees from
the devastated cities around the Sioux Nations
The Last War had begun streaming into the Indian nation. To
this day, the edges of Sioux territory are ringed
Meanwhile, away from all the hustle and with the disabled vehicles left behind by these
bustle and neon lights of Deadwood, the Sioux fleeing civilians.
went about their lives in a manner not much
different from their ancestors centuries before.
The Last War had very little impact on the
War
Sioux Nations except for the pollution that The elders’ problem was solved by War.
drifted across the border from battles fought in That’s War with a capital “W.”
Kansas. Troop and supply trains flew through After he had finished demolishing what
the Indian territory on the tracks running was left of Kansas after the bombs dropped,
through Deadwood, and Sioux braves often the Reckoner on the Red Horse turned north
paused while hunting buffalo to watch toward the Sioux Nations. The Lakota
spectacular aerial battles occurring just outside warbands—reinforced by volunteers from
the Nations’ borders, but other than that, the among the refugees—went out to meet him.
war years were as peaceful as the hundreds Tremendous battles against War and his
that had come before. undead minions raged for many days. The

30
 The Spirit Warriors

Sioux had a slight advantage in that War’s

troops couldn’t use their modern weapons
inside the borders of the Nations, but the
enemy still possessed powerful magic. The
charred figure that was responsible for the
destruction of Deadwood was said to have
been seen in the thickest of the fighting.
The Sioux shamans unleashed powerful
nature spirits against the undead army and the
Lakota braves fought until they were exhausted
and covered in gore from head to foot.
Thousands of warriors—and most of the Sioux
chiefs—died in the fighting, but eventually War
recalled his troops and headed east across the
Mississippi. Whether the Reckoner was driven
off, as the Sioux claim, or he simply had better
things to do, no one knows—and I for one am
not about to go ask him.

Tommy Two Women

A sad footnote to this whole tragic affair is
the story of Tommy Two Women. Tommy was a
successful arms dealer in Deadwood. His
success came primarily because he was the
sort of person who would charge a Searching the ruins of Deadwood.
condemned man for his last meal.
When War’s minions first crossed into the weapons that had been returned by his
Sioux Nations, Tommy convinced a large customers. When the ragged group attacked,
number of his fellow refugees that they should the weapons quickly malfunctioned and the
help do their share of the fighting. He led would-be warriors were cut to pieces.
them back to the outskirts Deadwood to a Hundreds died, but enough survived to spread
warehouse he owned. In it was a load of rifles, the story. Many of these survivors are still
ammo, and other weapons he claimed had hunting Tommy thirteen years later.
been about to be shipped out. I don’t know what became of Tommy,
Surrounded by bodyguards, Tommy sold whether he’s still alive or adorning someone’s
these weapons to the desperate refugees, trophy room wall, but I do know that I wouldn’t
forcing them to part with anything of value want to be in his shoes if he’s ever caught.
they still possessed—gold watches, hunks of
ghost rock, even gold fillings—he took it all.
Once the weapons had been passed out,
The Lakota Today
Tommy loaded his loot into a couple of cargo In the two centuries since the formation of
choppers. He flew overhead as the ragtag army the Sioux Nations, the various tribes have
marched out of the Sioux Nations along the intermarried so much that they now consider
western mag-lev line and then turned south to themselves only a single tribe—the Lakota.
attack War’s minions from the rear. However, The population of the Sioux Nations is much
once the undead horde came into sight, his smaller than it was just before the war. No one
choppers veered off to the west and has taken an exact count, but the Lakota
disappeared from view. today number no more than 10,000. Of the
What the remaining Ravenites were about to seven major clans that existed before the war
learn was that Tommy had lied to them. The only four remain: the Hunkpapa, Oglala, Burnt
warehouse he led them to held defective Thigh, and Minneconjou. The Sihasapa,

31
 The Spirit Warriors

doesn’t appreciate jokes concerning his name

and toilet paper. Be warned.) The other elders
often defer to his wisdom.
The elders are committed to preserving the
safety of the tribe and the Lakota’s way of life.
They will never make any decisions which
would compromise either of these things.

Visitors
The borders of the Sioux Nations are closed
to those not of Native American descent. Any
non-Indians found inside the Nations are asked
their business. Unless they have a matter
which needs to come before the tribal council,
the intruders are politely asked to leave. If they
refuse, the tribe’s warriors show them to the
border or bury them, as the situation warrants.
Visitors who can prove they are of Native
American descent are welcome to stay as long
as they are willing to take the Old Ways Oath.
Provided they are willing to swear the Oath,
the newcomers are adopted into one of the
clans and become full members of the tribe.
The one exception to this is toxic shamans.
The signing of the Deadwood Creek Treaty. Corrupters are attacked on sight, while
caretakers are warmly welcomed. The reason
for this is that portions of Sioux territory have
Itazipacola, and Oohenupa clans were wiped been contaminated by radioactive fallout and
out in the struggle to defeat War. The few toxic runoff from factories upstream of the
survivors of these clans were adopted into the Nations. Caretakers are welcome to remain in
others. Sioux lands as long as they use their powers to
The clans normally break up into hunting clean up some of this pollution.
parties of 30 families or so during the summer.
They lead a nomadic existence across the
plains, hunting buffalo and finding good
Technology
grazing for their horses. If you want to do any interviewing
in the Sioux Nations, you had better
brush up on your shorthand. Any 106
Government interviews you do will be recorded on a
The government of the Sioux Nations tanned deer hide with charcoal because your
remains much as it has always been. Each clan palmcorder won’t work there. You’d better also
sends an elder to the tribal council to become be prepared to grow a beard because that
a wicasa. The wicasas make all major fancy, solar-powered, electric razor I see
decisions concerning the tribe. Their word is sticking out of your pack won’t work either.
final, but nearly anyone affected by their I’ve heard some Sioux say that the medicine
decision can have their say before the council. of the Great Summoning is not as strong as it
The current wicasas are White Cloud once was, but it seems to work just fine to me.
(Oglala), Bucking Horse (Hunkpapa), Broken While I visited with the tribe none of the
Spear (Burnt Thigh), and Leaping Wolf equipment I carried with me functioned, but
(Minneconjou). White Cloud is the oldest of the as soon as I stepped back over the border it all
wicasas and also a powerful shaman. (He also came back to life and performed just fine.

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 The Spirit Warriors

The Coyote Confederation The Tribes

The change wasn’t limited to just
They say you can never go home again. the land. Those unfortunate enough
That’s very true for me—I’m still a wanted to survive the bombs changed as 114
outlaw among my people. I actually hesitate to well. The awful synergy of G-ray and
call them that because many of the “people” pollution warped and molded the people into a
who live in the ruins of the Coyote horrible mockery of what they once were.
Confederation are barely recognizable as Many died while going through the change
human, much less Cherokee, Kiowa, and others went mad, but those who survived
Commanche, or any other tribe. When I say could hardly be called human.
that, I’m not talking about just physical These newly-made mutants formed into
appearance, but also behavior. The tribes that tribes. These tribes now hold undisputed
now live in that region are some of the most control of what was once the Coyote
barbaric I have ever encountered. Federation. Not that there are many who
would want to dispute their hold on the place.
Mutation Nation The entire territory is a toxic wasteland totally
inhospitable to normal humans.
Before the Last War, the pollution being There are five major tribes: the Bloody
pumped into the environment by the original Spears, the Winged Serpents, the Growling
corrupters made severe mutations and birth Wolves, the Black Talons, and the Hunchbacks.
defects common among the tribes of the All of these tribes are cannibalistic. They war
territory. Most of these were fatal, or at the on—and feed off of—each other, as well as
very least severely debilitating, but in instances sending raiding parties into surrounding areas
where toxic spirits were up to their demonic to capture food and slaves (who eventually
work, these mutations could sometimes be become food).
beneficial or even grant the mutant All of the tribe members are mutated in some
supernatural powers. way, and they are all extremely hostile to anyone
On Judgment Day, Coyote Territory got who appears to be “normal.” Their attitudes
nuked—hard. The territory was the site of toward norms is simple: If the mutants think
many of the Confederate’s nuclear weapon they are stronger, they attack; if not, they go for
production facilities, and many of the factories reinforcements and then attack. Norms who are
on Coyote lands produced products vital to the killed go in the stew pot. Those who live serve
war effort. Almost all of the big factories as slaves until they die, then they go in the pot.
caught a ghost rock bomb, as did most of the Most slaves don’t last more than a few weeks
major cities in the territory. before being overcome by the harsh treatment
The sudden release of all this corrupting G- and toxic environment.
ray energy interacted with the tainted land,
creating hordes of new toxic spirits and
warping the land even further. All of the
The Mutant King
pollution which had been secretly pumped into The Black Talons are led by an
the environment bubbled to the surface for all enormous mutant who calls himself
to see. The landscape erupted with piles of Blood Claw. He has granted himself the 114
filth and bubbling pools of toxic goo; rivers and titles “Scourge of the Wastes” and
streams turned black with corruption, dead “Champion of the Changed”—that’s what the
fish covered with oozing sores lining their mutants refer to themselves as, “the Changed.”
banks; glowing clouds of radioactive debris Blood Claw is an ambitious mutant who
floated on the winds and lighted the skies at hopes to unite the various tribes under his
night. Coyote Territory turned into a horrifying leadership. He has already forced the
preview of what the entire Earth may someday Hunchbacks to accept his authority. This has
look like if the toxic spirits are allowed have caused the other three tribes to unite against
their way. them, but they lack strong leadership and

33
 The Spirit Warriors

Toxic Shamans
As you might expect, there are many toxic
shamans among the mutant tribes. As you
might also expect, they’re all corrupters. Their
lives are dedicated to spreading filth and
corruption across the planet.
The shamans teach that the toxic spirits are
their saviors—only with the changes caused by
the spirits could any of them have survived
Judgment Day. They often lead “worship
parties” outside of Coyote lands. These are
groups of warriors whose sole purpose is to
find a source of pollution and release it into
the environment (any pollutants inside Coyote
territory were released long ago).
Be careful of these fanatics if you journey
inside Coyote lands. Within the borders of the
toxic Hell the shamans call home, their favors
are much more potent than normal. Their
followers are dangerous as well—many of
the mutants have toxic guardians.

Traveling the Wastes

If you should ever have to travel
A Child of the Dust is born.
inside Coyote territory, don’t. No, really, 119
spend as much time hacking away at each don’t go unless you have absolutely no
other as they do at their common enemy. I other choice. If you do go, make sure you are
believe it’s only a matter of time before Blood well-equipped and well-armed.
Claw achieves his goal. Once he does, the Remember, the mutants and their shamans
survivor settlements near Coyote territory had want nothing to do with the Old Ways—they
better be well-stocked with ammunition. can and do carry guns. Don’t make the
Blood Claw has somehow gotten his hands mistake of thinking “mutant equals stupid”
on a list of people involved with the Keeper’s of either, they are just as cunning as any other
the Land. He has declared these people as “the human opponent—maybe more so since many
First Enemies of the Changed” because we tried of the Coyote braves served in elite
to put a stop to the pollution that led to their Confederate military units.
transformation. Anyone on that list—including Equipment-wise you’ll want to take a Geiger
myself—who is taken by the Black Talons or the counter, some sort of breathing apparatus like
Hunchbacks can expect a slow, painful death. a gas mask or ventilator, and a Haz-mat suit, if
The would-be king feels the same way possible. The mutants who live in the Coyote
about Doomsayers. He says they are false lands have a natural resistance to the toxins in
prophets sent to lead his people astray from the environment that normal humans lack. If
the worship of their true source of power—the you go in there without the proper protective
toxic spirits. Silas sent emissaries to Blood equipment, you’ll be dead within 24 hours.
Claw a few years ago when he first heard of The best way to ensure your survival is to
the great mutant tribes of the Coyote Territory. take a toxic shaman with you—if you can find
The mutant leader sent the rad priest’s envoys one crazy enough to go. He’ll be able to spot
back to Las Vegas minus their tongues and hazards you probably never dreamed existed,
other sensitive body parts. Blood Claw wears and he’ll be able to grant you temporary
them on a thong around his neck immunity to some of them.

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 The Spirit Warriors

The Apache Cochise’s body was tended night and day by

the tribe’s shamans. They used every bit of
their arcane knowledge to maintain the
I’m sure you’ve heard the stories of how the warrior chief’s body in good health, but after
Chiricahua Apaches held out in the Dragoon nearly 200 years, there was little even they
Mountains against the best the Confederacy could do. As his people battled for their lives
could throw at them for over a century, and against the CEAL teams, the life force slowly
how it took the elite cyborg CEAL teams to left his body. As his body died, so did the magic
finally put an end to their raiding along the protecting the Apache warriors.
highways in southwestern Arizona. I’m sure The braves fought valiantly, but they were
you’ve also seen the tabloid headlines: “Cochise eventually overwhelmed and defeated. The
Still Alive After 150 Years!” CEAL teams found their stronghold and the
Well, all of those stories are true to a point. surviving Chiricahua were carted off to
Despite the Confederacy’s best efforts, the reservations in Texas—at least that’s what the
Apaches under Geronimo’s leadership newspapers reported.
managed to secure a stronghold in the
Dragoon Mountains. From there they raided the
Ghost Trail from California and the Bayou
Never Say Die!
Vermillion rail line. No matter how high a high In reality, a small band of braves, women,
a bounty was offered or how many troops were and children managed to fight their way free
sent into the area, they could never locate the and escape as the stronghold fell. This group
Chiricahua’s lair. slipped across the border into Mexico, where
The raiding in southwestern Arizona they found refuge.
continued long after Geronimo’s death. Trucks This group refused to end their feud with
laden with cargo would be found empty along the Confederacy. They continued to raid across
the highway, but no evidence of the raiders the border into the CSA, and during the border
could be uncovered. The mountains were conflict between the Confederacy and Mexico
searched with helicopters and even spy they served as scouts for the Mexican Army.
satellites, but they never found the Apache’s When the Last War began, they again
secret stronghold. volunteered their services. Apache warriors in
Finally the Confederates sent their cyborg power armor were some of the first troops to
units into the mountains to put an end to the cross the Confederacy’s border and they were
situation once and for all. Fierce fighting raged some of the last to leave—it was their valiant
in the Dragoons for month. The Apaches were rearguard action that enabled many of the
armed with the latest weaponry they had Mexican troops to escape by hydrofoil when
either stolen or purchased from Ravenite arms Ramirez was defeated.
dealers, but the undead warriors didn’t need to
sleep or eat and they kept up a relentless
pressure on the Chiricahua.
Matanza
The Apache today are led by a
Cochise warrior named Matanza (Spanish for
“bloodshed”). His people lead a nomadic 121
In the end, the battle was decided by existence, moving from place to place in
Cochise’s death. This ancient Apache warrior a large caravan of cars and trucks. They have
had been alive since the Chiricahua first fled moved back into their old stomping grounds in
into the mountains. His spirit had entered the Arizona and they live much as their forefathers
Hunting Grounds and forced a powerful gan—a did, raiding caravans and settlements for food
mountain spirit—to shelter his people from and equipment.
their enemies. The only catch was that Unlike many biker gangs, the Chiricahua are
Cochise’s soul had to remain in the spirit world not bloodthirsty savages. If their enemies
with the gan to force its obedience. His body surrender, they simply take what they need
remained in a coma in the physical world. and move on—they get no joy from raping and
killing helpless victims.

35
 The Spirit Warriors

Matanza’s band numbered less than 50 when about being dead, I suppose. I don’t normally
he first crossed back into what was the drink spook juice for its intoxicating effects,
Confederacy. Now his tribe numbers over 200. but I did this time. Once I had taken a few
He has been joined by Apaches who migrated swigs, I could see the city’s aura was a deep,
west from reservations after the war and by the angry red that seemed to pulse like a heart as
survivors of other small tribes from the area. I watched.
The tribe is extremely well-equipped. I’ve spoken to a few Sioux braves who claim
Matanza and his braves served with the to have actually entered the city. They reported
Mexican Army during the Last War as scouts, seeing a number of strange creatures in the
and many of them still have their power armor. ruins, including some sort of inky, black bats
Matanza himself wears a suit of Wolverine whose shriek could stop a man’s heart, and
armor he scavenged from one of his fallen charred, walking corpses that attacked in
foes. It’s hard to miss him in battle. He has packs. The braves also said that they felt as if
painted his armor blood red and decorated it they were being watched the entire time they
with feathers and other talismans. were in the city, as if a thousand eyes were
constantly upon them. That feeling could come

Deadwood from all the restless spirits in the city, or it

could be that some unseen menace was
actually stalking the warriors. I’ll let you make
Well, it’s been fun to chat, but I think I’d that call.
122 best be going soon. Those clouds moving in Besides the supernatural threat the city
look pretty acidic. I could use a shower to poses, there are also very real physical dangers
recharge my batteries, so to speak, and you to contend with. When that, “thing,” attacked
had best get under some cover. Deadwood it actually caused entire skyscrapers
Is there anything else you’d like to hear to collapse and elevated roadways to fall. Those
about before I vamoose? that remain standing are in bad shape. I could
Deadwood, huh? I could tell by the gleam in see from where I stood outside the city that a
your eye you were going to ask that. few buildings had partially toppled and were
Okay. I can’t give you much detail, because I leaning against adjacent ones. Not exactly a
didn’t go into the actual city. Call me a coward, stable situation.
but what I saw from a distance was enough My Sioux hosts reported that many times
for me to know I didn’t want to go there. when a bad storm or heavy snow passes
through the area, they can hear great cracking
noises and rumbles from Deadwood as more
It’s Haunted structural members give way and portions of
Pure and simple, the place is haunted. buildings come tumbling down. It sometimes
I walked in toward the city on one of the doesn’t take much to cause a collapse, some
mag-lev lines and stopped about a mile short of these precarious heaps just need a little
of the city limits. I deal with spirits on a daily nudge. The warriors who went into the city
basis, so I’m not normally given to the heebie- caused a partial collapse simply by tossing a
jeebies, but that place gave me the creeps. rock through a window. The top 10 stories of
There’s no maelstrom around the place—I the building collapsed into the street from just
guess no one wanted to fling perfectly good that tiny shock. The braves barely escaped
nukes through the Sioux Nation’s little Tech-B- with their lives.
Gone zone—but the place still moans. It’s I’m sure there are all sorts of great salvage
mostly an effect of the wind blowing through opportunities in Deadwood—especially in the
the shattered skyscrapers, but beneath that Ravenite weapons factories and warehouses—
wind I could hear the muted voices of but I don’t plan on looking for them. Treasure
thousand of restless souls. doesn’t do you a whole lot of good when
Some were whispering, some were talking, you’re dead. There are a whole lot of angry
and some were screaming, but they all had souls in Deadwood and I don’t want to add my
one thing in common—they were angry. Angry own to that number.

36
No Man’s Land
 Chapter Two:
Makin’ Spooks

Now that you know where spooks What this means in game terms is
come from and what they’re up to, it’s that nearly any hero can buy a 1-point
time to make one for yourself. This toxic guardian (see page 42). There are
chapter contains everything you need a few restrictions: Junkers with browser
to know to create a toxic shaman or a spirits and traditional shamans (see
warrior favored by the most virulent Ghost Dancers) with a guardian spirit
members of the spirit world. cannot purchase a toxic guardian.
Browsers and guardian spirits are a
jealous bunch and they’re not about to
Spirit Warriors share their hero with some slimy,
warped reject from a B-grade horror
Let’s start with the non-shamans movie.
first. As Dirty Waters described, the To purchase one of these spirits,
toxic spirits are out to turn the world there must be something in your hero’s
into a poisonous playground for their past that attracted it. This means your
exclusive use. To that end, they are brainer has done something to harm
constantly looking for willing humans the environment in a major way. This
they can corrupt to their own ends. can be something done deliberately or
Anyone who shows an inclination to by accident (“Gee, I had no idea that
harm the environment can find himself button would cause the holding tank
the target of these malevolent spirits’ to vent into the river!”). The event
attention. The toxic spirits latch on to must match the type of spirit
these individuals and grant them minor purchased, e.g. polluting a river gets
favors in an attempt to entice them to the hero a sludge spirit, while
further acts of environmental sabotage. releasing CFCs into the atmosphere
Those who cooperate with these attracts the attention of a smog
ghostly corrupters often find their spirit. Your hero might
powers grow. The hardest working of also want to
these polluters can often achieve the pick Edges
powers of a full-fledged toxic shaman. and
 Hindrances associated with this event. Your Marshal has the final say on
Enemy, outlaw, and renown are all what it takes to make your toxic buddy
likely results of such an action. smile.
Although most people are too worried
about survival to care about litterbugs, Movin’ On Up
some people, like caretaker shamans,
make it their business, and if your hero As we mentioned, the purpose of
poisoned some settlement’s water these little acts is to encourage your
supply, the townsfolk aren’t going to be hero to move on to bigger and better
too pleased with her. things. By performing large-scale acts
of pollution, it’s possible for your
brainer to increase the power of his
Dirty Deeds toxic guardian.
The spirit’s power comes with a For this to happen, the pollution
price, however. In order to gain the must have a major impact over a large
benefits of the toxic guardian, your area (a 2-mile radius zone or larger), or
hero must continue his polluting ways. cause serious harm or death to a large
Each time your waster commits some number of people (20 or more)—as far
act of pollution which matches his as the spirit’s concerned, preferably
guardian’s persuasion, he gains the use both.
of the spirit’s powers for one week. Once this act has been perpetrated,
Once the week ends, the spirit refuses the hero must make an Incredible (11)
to aid the brainer unless he performs Spirit roll. If the roll succeeds, the level
some more environmental sabotage. of the hero’s toxic guardian increases,
The acts needed to gain the spirit’s i.e. a 1-point guardian becomes a three-
favor in this way are fairly minor. The pointer, and a three-point spirit
toxic guardian views these as a means becomes a five-point spirit. If the roll
to wear down your hero’s resistance to fails, the spirit’s power does not
performing some truly big-time increase, but the hero still gains use of
polluting. In game terms this means its powers for a full month.
your waster must do something which
has a significant impact on the The Big Plunge
environment in a small area, or which
causes serious harm to living creatures There is one last threshold your hero
in the vicinity. A few examples: can cross. Once her carcinogenic friend
has reached the 5-point level,
Radiation: Spreading performing a further, and yet more
radioactive dust over an destructive, bit of polluting can actually
uncontaminated field. Removing transform your waster into a full-
the shielding from a radiation fledged toxic shaman. This requires
source. causing environmental damage on a
Sludge: Pouring a few gallons large scale—we’re talking things like
of oil into a stream. venting a full oil tanker into the sea,
Smog: Venting an air causing a ghost-rock reactor meltdown,
conditioning unit’s refrigerant and the like. The pollution must affect
into the atmosphere. Starting a an area at least 10 miles in radius or
small oil or ghost rock fire. cause serious harm or death to 100 or
Trash: Pouring a drum of more people.
PCBs into an uncontaminated Once your litterbug has wreaked his
field. Spreading ten pounds or havoc, he must make an Incredible (11)
more of non-biodegradable trash Spirit roll. If the roll succeeds, he gains
in an otherwise pristine area. the arcane background: toxic shaman
Edge and the corrupt and immunity
favors (other favors must be learned as
described on page 54). His pollution

40 No Man’s Land type is the same as his guardian’s.

Failed rolls still gain the use of the
spirit’s abilities for a full year.
Insect Guardians
Insect spirits are both easier and
harder to please. Since these warped
specters are less worried about
polluting the world than doing away
with all the two-legs who like to stomp
on their physical brethren, it doesn’t
matter what form the pollution takes
as long as someone gets dead—the
more the better.
Insect spirits require a weekly act of
pollution, just like their toxic buddies.
The only difference is that at least one
human being must be killed by it. Acts
to increase the spirit’s level must off at
least 20 people. Getting to become a
shaman requires at least 100 deaths
from a single act.

I Need a Hero!
Toxic spirits sound like a lovely
bunch, don’t they? Heroes who gain
their favor may sometimes be tempted
to do things which are not exactly
heroic in order to increase their
personal power (which suits the toxic
spirits and the Reckoners just fine). Just
remember that player-controlled heroes
are supposed to be the guys in the
white hats.
How can I kill twenty people with
Guardian Spirits
pollution and still be a hero? Glad you With the number of entities hostile
asked. Toxic spirits don’t care who gets to nature spirits—toxic and tech spirits—
hurt, as long as someone does. If the growing, the old spirits are desperately
toxins your waster pours into a stream in need of allies. Despite this, they
just happen to flow into the water continue to limit themselves to working
supply of a Combine base, or the only with their traditional Native
reactor you overload just happens to American allies. Toxic spirits, of course,
vaporize a tainted junker and his could care less about the race of the
henchmen, you’ve eliminated a great heroes which they latch onto.
evil while still pleasing the slimy creep This is partly due to the many
looking over your shoulder. centuries of trust and cooperation
Be warned that your Marshal will be between the spirits and the Indians, but
keeping an eye on you. If your hero also due to the fact that the other
tries to increase his power at the races have given the nature spirits no
expense of innocents, expect reason to trust them. In fact they have
consequences. These may materialize been the source of the very spirits with
in the form of angry shamans, bounty which the nature spirits are now at
hunters, and vengeful friends and war.
relatives. In the worst cases you may Heroes of Native American descent
even inadvertently start your hero down can purchase guardian spirits using the
the road to servitorhood. Heroes with rules found in Ghost Dancers. They may
toxic guardians are dancing with the also gain the use of shaman favors
devil, and they need to be ever vigilant requiring only one Appeasement Point
that they’re the ones calling the tune. to cast.
 Corrupters, on the other hand,
Toxic Shamans channel some of the spiritual pollution
in the Hunting Grounds into the
So, your brainer wants to run with environment around them. Most
the big dogs and be a full-fledged corrupters are down with the toxic
spook. Before your waster can start spirits’ agenda of turning the Earth into
wrasslin’ slime demons there are a few a giant chemical cesspool. These guys
things your hero needs. are usually evil with a capital “E,” but
For starters, your hero must have the there are also well-meaning shamans
arcane background: toxic shaman Edge. who believe that by siphoning off the
He also needs the faith: toxic spirits toxers power in the spirit world they
Aptitude. You’ll probably want to sink weaken them and give the nature
as many points as you can into faith spirits a better chance of victory in the
because your spook starts with one Hunting Grounds.
favor for each level in this Aptitude. Then, of course, there are the
Those are the basics. Your waster can shamans who don’t give a rat’s behind
also buy a toxic guardian (see page 42). about the metaphysical implications of
Unlike the unwashed masses, spooks their actions and are just in it for the
don’t have to prove their loyalty to the power trip. Despite their indifference,
goopier residents of the spirit world; the they must still choose to be one or the
toxic spirits flock to the shaman’s other.
polluted soul. This means toxic shamans Your spook’s school can have effects
don’t have to perform any acts of on the environment around him, so
pollution to keep their guardians’ favor. choose carefully. Your Marshal has all
A spook’s guardian must match his the details about this in his section of
selected sphere (see below). the book.

Corrupter or Caretaker? Choose a Sphere

You should also decide which flavor Your shaman must also choose a
of shaman your brainer is: corrupter or sphere. This is the form of pollution
caretaker. Both types use the same over which your spook has the most
basic mechanics for working their power. There are five spheres:
miracles, but your hero’s choice affects Radiation, Sludge, Smog, Trash, and
the way other wasters react to her. Insect. (Okay, insects aren’t a form of
Corrupters and caretakers mix about as pollution, but you get the idea.)
well as Nazis and Libertarians, so you Your hero’s sphere affects which
can count on having shamans of the favors your shaman can know and how
opposing school giving your hero the easy it is for him to learn new ones.
shaft whenever possible. When choosing your spook’s starting
Caretakers are out to protect the favors, each favor in his sphere, or from
environment (hence the name). When the general category, count as one
they cast a favor, they channel some of choice. Favors outside his sphere count
the pollution in the environment around as two choices each. A toxic shaman
124 them into the Hunting Ground. Although cannot learn any favors from a sphere
the toxic spirits feed on this corruption, opposed to his own (check out the
caretakers believe that by cleaning up Sphere Table to see which spheres are
the Earth they can eventually remove opposed).
the ultimate source of the spirits’ power
and return control of the Hunting Jason is picking favors for his
Grounds to the nature spirits. new smog spook. His shaman
has a faith of 5. This gives him
five choices. He picks two from
the Smog sphere, one general
favor, and one favor from the

42 No Man’s Land Radiation sphere (which counts

as two choices).
Strain
Like most other magic-using heroes, Makin’ Spooks 43
the number of favors a spook can cast
is limited by his Strain. The amount of
Strain a toxic shaman can handle is full 3 actions to down. Going bust on
equal to his Vigor die type. Unlike other the roll means your brainer choked
spiritual types, though, they don’t himself. He takes 1d4 Wind and spews
regain lost Strain by sitting around with most of his drink all over his buddies.
their thumbs up the their tookasses. Once the juice is down the hatch,
your spook has to make a faith roll as
Regaining Strain described earlier. The only catch is,
since your shaman is guzzling his brew,
The most common method for toxic
the base TN for the roll jumps to Hard
shamans to recover Strain is to down
(9), plus any modifiers due to your
some spook juice—that’s how they got
brainer hitting the bottle earlier in the
the nickname spooks. Each pint of
day.
spook juice swallowed restores 1d4
Spooks can also drink spook juice for
points of Strain (don’t reroll Aces). With
the effects described in The Wasted
eight pints to the gallon, that means a
West. This doesn’t require any special
single gallon of spook juice is good for
rolls, but the shaman doesn’t recover
8-32 points of Strain.
any Strain while doing this. He does get
When a shaman drinks spook juice,
a +2 to his Vigor rolls though, due to
he performs some presto-chango that
the tolerance his body has built up to
infuses the liquid’s corrupting influence
the stuff.
directly into his soul, turning it into a
beacon for the warped spirits he deals
with. Doing this correctly requires a Fair
(5) faith roll. The TN for this roll
increases by +2 for each pint the spook
downs in a 24-hour period. Failing the
roll means that no Strain is recovered,
the juice’s energy simply dissipates into
the Hunting Grounds. This is hard on
the shaman’s system and causes 1 Wind
for every point by which the roll is
missed. This spiritual Wind is recovered
at the rate of 1 point per hour.

Chuggin’
The process of turning spook juice
into Strain takes concentration and
about 10 minutes of time. In an
emergency, though, it can be done
faster.
Downing a pint of spook juice takes
3 actions in combat. Even this is
sometimes too slow, so many spooks
have learned to power drink. This
requires the new Vigor-based chuggin’
Aptitude. Downing a pint requires a Fair
(5) chuggin’ roll. The amount of time
required to finish the pint off is
reduced by one action for a success and
by an additional action for a raise.
Failing the roll means the pint takes a
 Pollution Spheres New Edges
Here are a few new Edges to give
your spook a slimy pseudopod up on
S p h e rre
e Opposed the competition.
Radiation Sludge
Sludge Radiation Extra Favors 2
Smog Trash
Trash Smog Your toxic shaman can begin play
Insect None with more favors than dictated by his
faith. Every 2 points spent on extra
favors gets your brainer an extra pick
Absorption (which means that buying an additional
Spooks can also recover Strain when favor which is outside your waster’s
in the presence of a large amount of sphere costs 4 points).
their spheres’ pollution. This has to be There’s a limit, though. Your spook
a sizeable quantity of the stuff; a can only buy an additional number of
puddle of acid rain won’t do it, but an favors equal to half his Knowledge die
industrial holding tank full of dioxin type. A shaman with a faith of 5 and a
will. Radiation shamans have it the Knowledge die of 8, for instance, could
easiest, they can draw from maelstroms start with up to 9 favors.
and all the other radioactive fallout left
behind by the Last War. Your Marshal Poisoned 1/3/5
has the final say as to whether a
source of pollution is large enough for Every one in awhile, the goop doesn’t
your shaman to draw Strain from. wash off and the toxic shaman’s body
Recovering Strain from a pollution pays the price. Your brainer’s soul has
source requires the shaman to immerse collected some corruption that just
himself in the pollution and go into a won’t go away and it has affected his
meditative trance. This means the spook physical being. Each level of this Edge
has to wade in the toxic pool, enter the purchased gives your waster additional
reactor core, sit in a cloud of toxic gas, Strain, but at a cost to his health (in
etc. The good news is that while the form of the ailin’ Hindrance). Check
meditating, the shaman is protected as if out the Poisoned Table for the details.
she had cast the immunity favor. The extra Strain granted by this Edge
Once your brainer is wallowing in the can be recovered through rest; the
filth of his choice, make a Hard (9) faith shaman doesn’t need any spook juice
roll. If the roll succeeds, the spook gains or pollution. Each hour spent resting
1 Strain for each 10 minutes spent in regains 1 point of this bonus Strain.
meditation. Failing the roll means the
shaman is unable to trap the essence of
the pollution in his soul and it passes Poisoned
through him into the Hunting Grounds.
This causes 1 point of Wind for each
point by which the roll was missed. As Le
evve l Strain Ailin’ Le
Levvel
before, this Wind is recovered at the rate 1 +2 Minor
of 1 point per hour. Going bust means 3 +4 Chronic
the shaman’s immunity fails and he 5 +6 Fatal
suffers the effects of whatever pollution
he’s bathing in.
Spirit Metabolism 3
Your hero’s soul is more receptive to
the effects of spook juice than most.
Each pint of the brew she downs
44 No Man’s Land restores 1d6 Strain on a successful faith
roll.
Toxic Guardian 1/3/5
Your spook or spirit warrior has a
toxic buddy watching over him from the
Makin’ Spooks 45
Hunting Grounds. This spirit
occasionally grants the hero special
powers. Non-shamans can purchase a
guardian from any sphere, but a spook’s
guardian must match his pollution
sphere.
A guardian’s powers are activated by
New Hindrances
spending chips. The level of power After you’ve loaded up on all the
available from a toxic guardian is new Edges, you may find yourself short
dependent on the level at which it is a few points. Here are some brand
purchased. The higher the level, the spanking new Hindrances to help
more powers are available (see the Toxic balance things out.
Guardian Table for details). The
maximum level at which a non-shaman Chew Toy 5
can purchase a guardian is level 1 (but
this can be increased later as described For some reason, the toxic spirits like
on page 38). A toxic guardian’s Legend to shake your waster around like a
chip power is available at all levels. ragged slipper. When checking for a
Besides the powers listed for each toxic spill, draw one card for each point
guardian type (see page 44), they of Strain required to activate the favor.
provide an added benefit for toxic If any of the cards drawn come up a
shamans: extra Strain. Spooks can Joker, your brainer suffers a spill. Oh,
choose to spend a chip to either and have a nice day.
activate the spirit’s corresponding
power or gain some bonus Strain—not
both.
This Strain must be used
immediately to cast a favor; it may not
be stored up or used to replace the
caster’s Strain. White chips provide 1
Strain, red chips 2 Strain, blue chips 3
Strain, and Legend Chips 5 Strain. See
the Toxic Guardian Table for the
maximum amount of Strain which a
spirit can provide.
All toxic guardians can also be used
to provide the immunity favor for those
they protect by spending a white chip.
This ability lasts 10 minutes (although
additional chips can be spent to extend
this period) and may be used instead of
the spirit’s regular white chip power or
gaining extra Strain. This ability is a
favorite among the many toxic cultists
with guardian spirits.

Toxic Guardian
Le
evve l Max Po we r Max Strain
Pow
1 White 1
3 Red 2
5 Blue 5
 Clogged Pipes 2/4
Your waster’s soul is resistant to the
Toxic Guardians
flow of toxic energy. He has to really
As we mentioned earlier in the
push hard to work his mojo. The 2-
chapter, it’s possible for a waster to
point level of this Hindrance increases
acquire a toxic spirit as a sort of
the Strain cost of all favors by +1. The 4-
guardian angel. Calling them
point level increases the Strain cost of
“guardians” is a bit of a misnomer.
all favors by +2. Beware that this can
These spirits aren’t so much concerned
make life very difficult at times.
with keeping their charge safe as they
are with tempting them into screwing
Juice Resistant 3 up the environment more than it
already is. If their “host” gets offed in
Your waster doesn’t get as much
the process, it’s no slime off the spirit’s
bang from spook juice as most. When
nose.
rolling for the number of Strain points
The possible toxic guardians are
recovered by drinking spook juice,
listed below. Each entry contains a
subtract 1 from each die rolled. It is
description of the spirit type and a list
possible to regain zero Strain.
of the powers granted by the guardian.
A spook may not have both spirit
Each power is associated with a chip
metabolism and juice resistant.
color. A chip of this color (or better)
must be spent to activate the power.
Limited Tolerance 2 Each entry also contains a list of
suggested deeds that non-shamans can
Your toxic shaman can’t handle his
perform to stay in the spirit’s good
pollution. Every two points of this
graces (remember that shamans don’t
Hindrance taken reduces your waster’s
have to perform deeds to get their
maximum Strain by 1 point.
guardians’ aid). These lists are provided
simply to give some examples, they’re
Mutant 3 hardly exhaustive.
Oops. Your brainer’s immunity favor
quit a few seconds too soon. Insect Spirit
Many spooks have acquired
Deeds: Insect spirits are satisfied with
mutations during their careers. This is
any of the deeds listed for the other
an unavoidable occupational hazard
spirits, as long as someone is
when you’re constantly mucking
harmed by them. Acts of pollution
around with radiation, carcinogenic
using insecticide cause the spirit to
chemicals and the like.
abandon its host for a full month.

One-Trick Pony 5 These are the spirits of all the nasty

Your brainer’s powers are more creepy-crawlies that most people
focused than most. Your spook can only squash on sight—roaches, scorpions,
learn favors from his selected sphere maggots, spiders, that sort of thing. For
and the general category. centuries mankind has been trying to
stomp out these bugs—often literally—
and they’re tired of it. Now they’re
Slow Learner 4 looking for some payback. They’re
Your waster must pay double Bounty determined to make those predictions
Points whenever he attempts to learn a about cockroaches ruling the world
new favor. after a nuclear war come true.
Not all insect spirits are out to do in
the human race, but those who aren’t
are hard to find. The baddies that toxic
shamans deal with are the ones who
46 No Man’s Land were warped by the corrupting blasts
of the ghost rock bombs detonated on
Judgment Day.
 White: The spirit’s host becomes
more resistant to radiation and man-
made toxins. This gives a +4 bonus to
all Vigor rolls made to resist the effects
Makin’ Spooks 47
of these things for an hour.
Red: Your brainer’s eyes bulge out
and gain multiple facets like an insect’s Red: Your waster is granted x-ray
compound eyes. This grants a +4 to all vision. She can see through up to 1 foot
Cognition rolls to spot things visually of material, but anything which is
and allows your hero to see up to 90° protected by an inch of lead or more
behind him on each side. This effect remains opaque. This ability lasts 10
lasts for an hour. minutes.
Blue: Your hero gains the ability to Blue: Your brainer can cause his
climb vertical surfaces and hang from weapon to glow with nuclear fire (this
ceilings, cave roofs, and the like for 10 does no damage to the weapon). Fiery
minutes. No climbin’ rolls are required; weapons do an additional 1d8 damage.
until the duration of this power expires This damage is not affected by armor
your waster can cling to any surface. (unless shielded against radiation) and
Legend: The host undergoes a occurs even if the weapon fails to
minor transformation. His skin becomes penetrate. Living targets struck by an
hard and chitinous, granting him Armor irradiated weapon must make a Fair (5)
1, and a pair of razor sharp mandibles Vigor roll to avoid radiation poisoning.
grow out from the sides of his jaw. This In addition, flammable objects struck by
transformation lasts for 10 minutes. an irradiated weapon have a 1 in 4
The mandibles can be used to bite chance of catching fire. This ability
someone for Strength +1d6 AP 2 lasts for 1d10 rounds.
damage. If the attack causes at least
one wound, your hero may also inject a
powerful neurotoxin into the target.
The unfortunate victim must make a
Hard (9) Vigor roll or be paralyzed for
1d4 hours.

Radiation Spirit
Deeds: Anything which contaminates
an area with radiation: sprinkling
fallout over an uncomtaminated
field, dropping a chunk of uranium
in a well, spraying radon gas inside a
bunker, etc.

These are the spirits of fire and

radiation: fire elementals and earth
spirits associated with radioactive
elements. They want nothing more
than to see the whole world glow in
the dark. They are also very malicious
spirits that delight in causing death
and destruction.
White: Your hero gains the ability to
“see” radiation for 10 minutes.
Radioactive areas glow when your
brainer looks at them; the brighter the
glow, the more intense the radiation.
Doomsayers and other radiation
shamans always emit a slight glow
when viewed with this power.
 Legend: Your hero’s skin and Legend: Your waster is able to
equipment begins to crackle with a loosen his molecular structure
sickly green glow. Anyone touching your somewhat, allowing things to pass
hero takes 3d6 damage at the point of through his body. Cutting and impaling
contact. In addition, your waster’s eyes weapons (swords, daggers) cause only 1
glow a bright green and gain the ability Wind per hit. Damage from impact
to shoot bolts of radiation energy. These weapons (clubs, bullets) is reduced by 4.
bolts have a Speed of 1, ROF of 1, and a This ability lasts for 2d6 rounds.
Range Increment of 10. Each bolt fired
causes your hero 1d4 Wind. This ability Smog Spirit
lasts 1d6 rounds.
Deeds: Anything which pollutes the
air: starting an oil fire, releasing CFCs
Sludge Spirit into the atmosphere, removing the
Deeds: Anything which pollutes a catalytic converter from a working
source of clean water: pouring vehicle, etc.
chemicals in a well, releasing an oil
slick into stream, pouring insecticide Smog spirits are the corrupted air
into a pond, etc. spirits. Some got that way due to
prewar pollution, others got blasted
A sludge spirit is a water spirit with G-rays on Judgment Day and
which has been warped either by turned nasty. As you may have guessed,
man’s pollution or the G-ray energy they’re out to make the world’s
released on Judgment Day. The sludge atmosphere into an unbreathable,
spirits’ goal is to see all water on the choking soup of soot, toxins, and
Earth become too polluted to support smoke.
life—at least non-mutated life. They’re also out to make sure the
White: Webbing appears between holes in the ozone layer get bigger and
your hero’s fingers and toes. This bigger. The smog spirits figure if they
grants a +4 to all swimmin’ rolls (only can’t choke everyone to death, maybe
+2 if your hero keeps her shoes on) they can at least cause them to get
and doubles her Pace in the water. This cancer.
effect lasts for 10 minutes. White: The smog spirit guides any
Red: Your brainer gains the ability to thrown or missile weapons (bows,
breathe underwater for 10 minutes. crossbows, slings) launched by your
Very handy when paired with the brainer to their targets. This grants a
white power. +4 to all such attacks. The effect lasts
Blue: Your waster’s blood and saliva for 1d6 rounds.
become highly acidic. Your hero can spit Red: The spirit creates a small
at people (Speed 1, ROF 1, Range whirlwind around a single target. The
Increment 1 foot) for 2d4 damage. In dust blown about by the twister makes
addition, roll 1d6 for anyone within one it hard to see and imposes a –4 penalty
yard of your brainer when he takes a to all attacks made by the target.
wound. On a roll of 5 or 6, they have Blue: The spirit creates a toxic cloud
been splashed with your hero’s blood 5 yards in radius up to 20 yards away.
for 2d6 damage. Also roll 1d6 for any Anyone caught within this cloud
melee weapon which causes a wound. without some sort of gas mask or
On a 5 or 6, the weapon loses 1d4 other breathing apparatus must make
Durability steps (remember an item has an Incredible (11) Vigor roll each action
only 5 Durability steps and that each they spend inside the cloud. Failing the
one lost imposes a cumulative –1 roll means the brainer takes a number
penalty to the item’s use). of Wind equal to the amount by which
the roll was missed.
The cloud also obscures vision,
imposing a –4 penalty to all ranged

48 No Man’s Land attacks made into or out of the cloud.

The cloud lasts for 1d6 rounds before
dispersing.
 Legend: The spirit causes a small
whirlwind that actually lifts your brainer
into the air. Your hero can travel at a
Pace equal to his Spirit. He can also
Makin’ Spooks 49
adjust his height by an equal amount.
The maximum height your brainer can
achieve is 20 yards above the ground. To add infection to injury, the target
The mini tornado lasts for 1d6 minutes. must make a Hard (9) Vigor roll to avoid
becoming infected. Failing the roll means
Trash Spirit the target gets tetanus. Symptoms
appear 1d20+4 days later. The first signs
Deeds: Anything which poisons the are headaches and difficulty opening the
ground: spilling oil or antifreeze onto mouth, 1d4 days later his facial muscles
the ground (at least a few gallons), contract giving him a permanent
burying canisters of poorly-sealed sardonic grin. Each day after this he
toxic waste, plowing a field with salt. must make a Hard (9) Vigor roll to avoid
taking a wound to the guts (this can’t be
These are the spirits of the earth cured with medicine). He also suffers
which have been corrupted by pollution violent muscles spasms which double all
or G-rays. Like the other spirits, they wound penalties.
wish to pollute everything that falls Legend: Your brainer’s skin becomes
within their sphere. Unlike their toxic encrusted with rusty metallic scales.
brethren, trash spirits tend to be hard These scales give your waster Armor 4
to stir to action, but are very powerful to all hit locations, but impose a –2
once they have started in motion. penalty to all Nimbleness-based rolls.
White: Your brainer can nominate a This effect lasts for 2d6 rounds.
single human-sized target for this
ability. The earth rises up to pluck at
the target’s feet and legs, generally
trying to impede the victim’s
movement. The target must make a
Hard (9) Strength roll. A successful roll
means the target has broken free of
the earth’s grasp and the power ends.
Failing the roll means the target’s Pace
is halved and anyone attacking the
target in hand-to-hand combat receives
a +4 bonus to hit. The target also
suffers a –4 penalty to any dodge rolls.
The effect of this power lasts for 2d6
rounds or until the target breaks free.
Red: Your hero can burrow through
the ground at a rate equal to his Pace.
Your waster always knows which way
is up, but he has no other knowledge
of which direction he is headed. If your
brainer is planning on moving long
distances with this ability, a compass
would be a good investment. The effect
of this power lasts for 10 minutes.
Blue: Your waster can pick a single
target within his sight. Rusted metal
spikes erupt from the ground beneath
the designated victim. These cause 3d6
AP 2 damage. This damage is normally
applied to the target’s legs, but may be
rolled randomly if the target is prone.
 Radiation Shaman
Traits & Aptitudes Personality
Deftness 1d6 What do you want? Can’t you see I’ve
Shootin’: pistol 3 got a splitting headache?
Nimbleness 2d6 No, I’m not interested in seeing the
Climbin 1 goo bubbling in your backyard. You
Drivin’: car 2 need a sludge shaman for that.
Fightin’: I’m a radiation shaman. Read my
brawlin’ lips: ray-dee-ay-shun.
3 The goo set off your Geiger
Sneak 3 counter? Why didn’t
Str ength 4d6
Strength you say that in the
Quickness first place? Lead on.
3d6
Vigor 2d10 Quote: Ow! Quit
Cognition 2d8 that!
Scrutinize 2
Search 3
Kno wledge 3d8
Knowledge
Area knowledge:
Home county
2
Language: Native
tribe 2
Language: English 2
Mien 2d6
Smarts 2d10
Survival: plains 3
Spirit 3d12
Faith 5
Guts 3
Wind 22
Pace 6
Strain 10
Edges
Arcane Background:
toxic shaman 3
Extra Favor 2
Toxic Guardian: radiation
5
Hindrances
Chew Toy –5
Curious –3
Heavy Sleeper –1
Favor
Fav s: Energy form,
ors:
healing, immunity:
radiation, misdirection,
rad blast, radar range
Gear: S&W .38 snubnose, 50 rounds of
.38 ammo, can of Dr. Pepper, staff, 1
gallon of spook juice, $25
 Sludge Shaman
Traits & Aptitudes Personality
Deftness 2d6 Hey, don’t go pouring that down the
Shootin’: pistol 3 drain!
Nimbleness 2d6 Do you have any idea what that’s
Climbin 1 going to do to the environment. Great,
Fightin’: brawlin’ 3 now I’m gonna have to waste my
Ridin’: horse 2 energy slopping that up. Next time,
Sneak 1 think before you act.
Str ength 2d6
Strength Look, buddy, I don’t need any lip from
Quickness 3d10 the likes of you. I’ve spent the last 10
Quick draw 2 years cleaning up after slobs
Vigor 3d8 like you. You think I really
Cognition 2d10 have time for that? There
Scrutinize 2 are corrupters out there
Search 3 making real messes,
Kno wledge 1d6
Knowledge but am I chasing
Area knowledge: Home county 2 them?
Language: Native tribe 2 No. I’ve got to
Language: English 2 take time out to
Mien 2d6 clean up this
Smarts 3d8 crap because
Spirit 2d12 you’re too lazy
Faith 5 to dispose of
Guts 3 your oil
Wind 20 properly.
Pace 6 Yeah, I know
Strain 10 the recycling
Edges center is closed.
Arcane
Background: Quote: I’ve got
toxic something that’ll
shaman 3 clean your drains!
Eagle eyes 1
Poisoned 1
Toxic Guardian: sludge 3
Hindrances
Ailin’: minor 0 (from
Poisoned)
All Thumbs –2
One Trick Pony –3
Self-righteous –3
Favor
Fav s: Acid ball, blobs,
ors:
cleanse, immunity:
sludge, quicksludge
Gear: Ruger
Thunderhawk, 25
rounds of .357 Magnum
ammo, 2 gallons of spook juice, 3
vials of sludge, $20
 Smog Shaman
Traits & Aptitudes Personality
Deftness 1d10 Sure, I’ve been to the Changed Lands.
Bow 4 Saw Blood Claw himself. He’s not so
Throwin’: balanced 2 tough. I woulda taken him down
Nimbleness 3d6 myself, but he had about twenty guards
Climbin 1 with him. Not that that’s a problem,
Fightin’: brawlin’ 3 mind you, but there were also
Sneak 3 some innocent prisoners
Strength 3d6
Strength in my line of fire.
Quickness 4d6 What?
Vigor 2d10 What color
Cognition 3d8 were Blood
Scrutinize 1 Claw’s eyes?
Search 2 Uh, brown.
Kno wledge 2d6
Knowledge Oh, okay, I
Area knowledge: Home didn’t see
county 2 Blood Claw
Language: English 2 and I
Mien 2d6 haven’t been
Smarts 2d8 to the Changed
Spirit 3d12 Lands either.
Faith 5 But I want to.
Guts 2
Wind 22 Quote: Blow it
Pace 6 out your rear!
Strain 10
Edges
Arcane
Background:
toxic shaman 3
Toxic Guardian: smog
5
Hindrances
Big Britches –3
Big Mouth –3
Intolerance:
corrupters –1
Lyin’ Eyes –3
Favor
Fav s: Cleanse,
ors:
coffin nails, gas
form, guiding
wind, immunity:
smog
Gear: Bow, 30 arrows,
2 gallons of spook juice, gas mask,
staff and a small fan w/batteries,
pack of cigarettes, $40.
 Trash Shaman
Traits & Aptitudes Personality
Deftness 1d6 Yeah, I’ve been to the Changed
Shootin’: rifle 4 Lands. Boy, did they change me. I
Nimbleness 2d6 picked myself up a mutation while I
Climbin 1 was down there.
Fightin’: brawlin’, spear 3 I wouldn’t recommend going there
Sneak 3 unless you’ve got some power over the
Str ength 2d6
Strength toxic spirits. The landscape alone is
Quickness 4d6 enough to kill you, not to mention the
Vigor d12 mutant tribes and the strange animals
Cognition 3d8 that live there.
Search 3 Why’d I go? I was tracking a
Kno wledge 3d8
Knowledge mutie raiding
Area knowledge: The party that had
Changed Lands 2 made off with
Language: Cherokee 2 some innocent
Language: English 2 farmers. I
Mien 2d6 managed to
Smarts 2d10 rescue most of
Survival: toxic them
wastes 3 before
Spirit 3d10 they
Faith 5 ended
Guts 2 up in
Wind 22 the
Pace 6 raiders’
Edges stewpot.
Arcane
Background 3 Quote:
Extra Favor 2 Pick that
Toxic guardian: trash up!
5
Hindrances
Enemy: Blood Claw –2
Heroic –5
Mutant (have your
Marshal draw) –3
Favor
Fav s: Dumpster,
ors:
garbage disposal,
healing,
invisibility,
Jersey shore,
junk wall
Gear: SA assault
rifle, 20 rounds
of 7.62mm ammo, and 1 gallon
of spook juice.
 Chapter Three:
Favors & Relics

Now we’ve gotten to the good stuff—

at least as far as budding spooks go—
the favors.
Invoking Favors
This chapter contains complete Invoking a favor works much like it
descriptions of all the favors available does for other heroes with arcane
to toxic shamans, as well as a short list backgrounds. Your spook must spend
of some relics associated with this form the required amount of time listed to
of magic and some relics associated request the favor and then make a faith
with traditional shamans and Indian roll against the favor’s Target Number. If
history. There’s also a summary table of the roll succeeds, the favor works as
all the favors starting on page 100. described and the hero must pay the
necessary Strain—no Strain, no favor. If
Why Favors? it fails, no favor is granted, but no
Strain is used.
The “spells” used by toxic shamans
Going bust on a faith roll is bad news.
are called favors because that’s
When this happens some of the
essentially what they are. The shaman
pollution your spook is dealing with
does something for the spirit
has an effect on him and he gains a
(caretakers feed the spirits pollution
brand new mutation. Have your
from the physical world, corrupters use
Marshal pick a random mutation for
corrupted spiritual energy from the
your brainer.
Hunting Grounds to further poison the
Of course, that’s not the only bad
Earth and create more toxic spirits), and
thing that can happen to your
the spirit returns the favor by doing
waster while he’s calling his toxic
something for the spook.
buddies down on his enemies. Turn
Unlike the favors requested by
the page and we’ll enlighten you
traditional medicine men, there are no
on this matter.
set rituals established for asking for
them, so the magic of toxic shamans
tends to be faster.
 Learning New Favors
Once your hero has accumulated
some chips to spend, he might want to
acquire some new favors. This requires
your hero to spend some time
communing with his toxic pals.
Learning a new favor within your
spook’s selected sphere, or a general
favor, takes 2d6 hours of meditation. At
the end of this time, make a Hard (9)
faith roll. Success means that your hero
has learned a new favor and must
cough up 5 Bounty Points.
Learning a favor outside of your
hero’s sphere is a little harder because
he must deal with spirits with which
he is unfamiliar. This takes 2d6+12
hours of meditation and another Hard
(9) faith roll. If the roll succeeds, your
brainer learns the favor and must pony
up 10 bounty points.
In both cases, if the faith roll is
failed, the time spent meditating is
simply wasted (although your waster
should be pretty relaxed), and no favor
is learned. Under no circumstances can
a spook learn a favor from an opposed
sphere.

Strict Teachers
Toxic Spills As with invoking favors, the toxic
spirits tend not to treat those seeking
Toxic spirits don’t particularly care their knowledge with kid gloves.
whether those who contact them live Communing with these slimy residents
or die (there will always be some new of the Hunting Grounds can be
power-hungry yahoos ready to take hazardous to your spook’s health—they
their place), and they are sometimes a don’t have much patience with slow
116 little rough with those who attempt to learners.
channel their power. This can cause Each time your waster attempts to
your waster all sorts of problems from learn a new favor (regardless of
physical damage to poisoning to whether or not the faith roll was
misdirected favors. successful), you must check to see that
To represent this, you must draw a his spiritual advisors didn’t get out of
card from the Action Deck each time hand. When learning a favor in your
your brainer casts a favor. If the card brainer’s sphere, or a general favor, pull
drawn is a Joker, something bad has a single card from the Action Deck at
happened. Have your Marshal roll on the end of his period of meditation. If
the Toxic Spill Table tucked away in her learning a favor from outside your
part of the book. hero’s sphere, pull two cards. If any of
the cards drawn are a Joker, your
unlucky hero takes 4d10 damage to
guts. If he’s unfortunate enough to pull

56 No Man’s Land both Jokers, he takes damage from

each one. The damage from each is
applied separately, though.
 The Favors Favors & Relics 57
Every favor has five important
statistics:
TN is the Target Number the spook
has to get on his faith roll to
successfully cast the favor. If the faith
roll equals or exceeds this number the
General Favors
favor takes effect. These are favors known by all the
Strain is the amount of Strain the toxic spirits and can be learned by
toxic shaman must have available to shamans of any sphere. However, some
power the favor. This Strain is lost if of these favors are still sphere specific.
the favor is successfully cast. If your Immunity for instance has different
hero does not have the Strain required effects depending on which sphere it is
for a favor, he may not invoke it, associated with (the individual favor
regardless of how high he rolls on his descriptions list these differences).
faith total. Favors which are sphere specific must
Speed is how long it takes to invoke be learned separately for each sphere.
the favor. If Speed is a number, this is A smog shaman, for instance, could
the number of combat actions required. learn smog immunity. This counts as a
Noncombat favors can often take single pick because it is within his
longer, sometimes minutes or hours. sphere. If he learned sludge immunity,
Duration is how long the favor lasts. If this counts as two picks because it is
it says “one round,” the favor lasts from outside his sphere. He could never learn
the time it is cast until the end of the trash immunity, because this belongs to
round (after all actions are finished). If it an opposed sphere.
says “Concentration,” your spook can
keep the favor going as long as she does Ask the Spirits
only simple actions. It might also list
TN: Varies
something like “1/round.” This means
Strain: Varies
that your toxic shaman can keep the
Speed: 1 hour
favor going for the cost of the specified
Duration: Instant
amount of Strain each round. This Strain
Range: Self
must be spent at the beginning of the
Lost your car keys again? This favor
round (while Quickness totals are being
helps you find them.
made) to stay in effect. Some favors may
Ask the spirits allows the shaman to
also give a choice, such as
search for information in the spirit
“Concentration or 1/round.” This means
world. The difficulty of finding this
your hero can choose either method on
knowledge, and the Strain involved,
any given round.
depends on the magnitude of the
Range lists the maximum distance
subject. Check out the Ask the Spirits
the spook can be from the target, point
Table below for details. Most spirits are
of impact, and so on.
only interested in the here and now, so
the amount of Strain required is
Organization increased by 1 for every 10 years into the
past or future the spirit must look to
The favor descriptions which follow find the information.
are broken down by sphere. Favors in Once the favor has been granted, the
the general sphere are common to all shaman must make a Hard (9) Spirit
types of toxic spirits and are available roll. On a success, the spirit is able to
to shamans of any sphere. Remember find an answer to the question. If the
that starting shamans can select a roll fails, the spirit isn’t able to find any
number of favors equal to their faith information of use. If the shaman goes
Aptitude, but favors from outside their bust, the spirit zips away and the
sphere or the general sphere count as shaman has to wait an hour before he
two choices. can contact another one.
 Before you Marshals out there start Cleanse
tearing your hair out, we need to stress
that the spirits never answer in a clear- TN: 9
cut manner. Their responses are always Strain: 1 per 10 cubic feet cleansed
vague and riddle-like. In adventures with Speed: 1 minute per cubic foot
a lot of investigation, it’s a good idea to Duration: Permanent
craft some responses to this favor before Range: Touch
you actually run the adventure. This way This favor can only be learned by
you can avoid giving away any caretaker shamans.
information inadvertently. Cleanse allows the spook to remove
For instance, if the shaman’s keys pollution from an area by channeling
were snagged by a pack rat, the spirit its corrupted aura into the Hunting
might respond, “Search for the thief Grounds. The effects of this favor are
that walks on four legs.” It’s up to the permanent only in that the pollution
shaman to figure out where to proceed removed will not return; it does nothing
from there. This favor should be used to to prevent future contamination.
give the posse clues, not to short-circuit Cleansing a patch of ground in the
an adventure. center of a nuked city removes the
One final thing, the spirit summoned radioactive fallout from it, but it won’t
by the shaman has no power to find take long for the wind to blow fresh
information in an opposed sphere. For contamination into the area.
example, if a radiation shaman’s keys Even though it provides them with
fell in Sludge Creek in Junkyard, he’d be some fresh nourishment in the Hunting
out of luck. The radiation spirit would Grounds, toxic spirits are not crazy
be unable to locate them because about performing this favor. Your
they’re in a realm dominated by sludge, brainer must draw two cards when
radiation’s opposed sphere. Likewise, a checking for a toxic spill.
smog shaman trying to locate a body This favor is sphere specific. This
which had been buried in means cleanse radiation, cleanse smog,
contaminated soil would also learn cleanse sludge, and cleanse trash are
nothing. separate favors.

Ask the Spirits Corrupt

TN: 5
Strain: 1 per 10 cubic feet corrupted
Speed: 1 minute per cubic foot
TN Strain Question
corrupted
7 2 Minor Question:
Duration: Permanent
The location of a
Range: Touch
missing item.
This favor may only be learned by
9 4 Major Issue: The
corrupter shamans.
identity of a
Corrupt is the opposite of the cleanse
murderer; the
favor. It channels corrupted spiritual
weakness of a
energy from the Hunting Grounds and
creature.
uses it to pollute the physical world.
11 8 Extr emel
Extremel
emelyy Major
This favor is only permanent in that the
Issue: The
pollution created by it has no set
outcome of a
duration.
major battle, the
Toxic spirits actually enjoy performing
identity of the
this favor, so when checking for toxic
Boise Horror.
spills, your spook only suffers if he
draws the Black Joker. The Red Joker
has no effect.
This favor is sphere specific. This

58 No Man’s Land means corrupt with radiation, corrupt

with smog, corrupt with sludge, and
corrupt with trash are separate favors.
Curse
TN: 9
Strain: 5
Favors & Relics 59
Speed: 1 hour
Duration: Permanent until dispelled.
Range: Special actions, and suffers a –6 penalty to all
Curse gives your shaman the means Vigor rolls made to resist infections and
to put the whammy on someone who’s viruses.
ticked him off. The exact nature of the Smog: The victim develops severe
curse depends on the sphere in which asthma. Whenever the brainer is in a
the favor is invoked. stressful situation (combat always
The shaman must normally touch qualifies for this), tries to run, or is
the person to be cursed, but if he exposed to large amounts of smoke,
possesses an item which belongs to pollen, or animal hair, he must make a
the victim, he can invoke the curse Hard (9) Vigor roll or have an asthma
from a range of 1 mile per level of faith. attack. Each action the waster does
Once the favor has been successfully anything but sit perfectly still, he
invoked, the caster must win a contest suffers 1d4 Wind. He is incapable of
of Spirit with the victim. If this is running during an attack. A single
successful, the curse takes effect; attack lasts 1d20 minutes.
otherwise it must be attempted again. Trash: The unfortunate waster’s
Once cursed, the victim suffers its body becomes riddled with cancer. Treat
effects until the shaman who inflicted this as if he has the ailin’: fatal
it decides to remove it or dies. It can Hindrance.
also be removed by a shaman of an Curse is sphere specific.
opposed sphere. This process takes an
hour, at the end of which the shaman
must succeed at an Incredible (11) faith
roll. Failing the roll means that the
shaman can never again attempt to lift
that particular curse.
Drugs and healing magic which
normally affect the symptoms shown by
the curse victim are good for only
temporary relief. A successful medical
treatment or healing causes the
symptoms to vanish for 1d6 hours, but
they return after this period.
The exact effects of the curse depend
on the sphere in which it is invoked:
Insect: The victim develops a painful
parasitic infestation. This imposes a –4
modifier to all rolls and requires the
victim to eat twice as much food as
normal. Failure to do so causes 1 point
of Wind which can only be restored by
eating.
Radiation: The waster develops a
bad case of radiation poisoning. His
teeth and hair fall out, large sores cover
his body, and he has chronic diarrhea.
Treat this as if the brainer has the
ailin’: chronic Hindrance.
Sludge: The victim acquires a
chemically-induced immune deficiency.
She has a constant cold or other minor
ailment that cause a –2 penalty to all
 Healing through the shaman and into the
Hunting Grounds. See below to see
TN: Varies exactly what each sphere grants
Strain: Varies immunity to:
Speed: 1 minute Insect: This sphere grants total
Duration: Permanent protection against the venom of all
Range: Touch animals. It is not limited to just insect
Although radiation and chemicals are venom, but also covers poisonous
normally bad for the human body, snakes, fish, and so on.
when used correctly they can also heal. Radiation: This sphere gives
This favor allows your shaman to heal protection from all sources of radiation.
himself and others. A shaman with this favor in effect
The TN and the amount of Strain could safely walk into a nuclear blast
required to heal a wound depends on crater without danger of radiation
its severity. Each successful use of this poisoning. It also provides complete
favor completely heals a single hit protection against any Doomsayer
location. magic which is targeted directly at the
There’s a catch, however. For each shaman, i.e. it would stop an atomic
location healed, the recipient of the blast but not a nuke.
healing racks up an IOU with the spirit Sludge: The spook gains complete
world—and he’s only got one week to immunity to all liquid poisons and acid.
pay up. This means that for each A shaman using this favor could safely
wound location healed, the brainer go for a swim in Sludge Creek.
must perform an act of pollution Smog: Your shaman has complete
related to the healing shaman’s sphere immunity to all airborne toxins.
within the next 7 days. Failing to do so Trash: This sphere allows your
means the wound returns and its waster to consume contaminated food
severity level is increased by one. with no ill effects. He could eat
vegetables grown in a field loaded with

Healing dioxin and have no problems.

Immunity is sphere specific. Insect
immunity, radiation immunity, sludge
immunity, smog immunity, etc. are each
TN Strain Wound LeLevvel separate favors.
5 1 Light
7 2 Heavy Invisibility
9 3 Serious
TN: 9
11 4 Critical
Strain: 3
13 5 Maimed
Speed: 2
Duration: Concentration or 1/round
Immunity Range: Self
TN: 5 This favor allows the shaman to
Strain: 1 blend in perfectly with elements of his
Speed: 1 chosen sphere:
Duration: 1/5 minutes Radiation: Radio waves pass right
Range: Self through the spook, making him
This favor grants the user total invisible to radar devices. Also, his
immunity to damage from sources in infrared emissions match his
the sphere in which the favor is surroundings, making him invisible to
invoked by channeling the pollution thermal imaging devices.
Sludge: The shaman’s body and
equipment take on a watery
appearance, making him invisible while
submerged in water. Any portion of the

60 No Man’s Land spook’s body which emerges from the

water becomes instantly visible,
however.
 Smog: The shaman’s body and
equipment take on a smoky form.
While in a smoke cloud, the caster is
invisible. In clear air, he’s still hard to
Favors & Relics 61
spot, receiving a +4 to all sneak rolls.
Trash: All portions of the spook’s
body which are in contact with the and discusses ways of using the
ground are invisible. Any body part Hunting Grounds to travel between the
which leaves the ground immediately different settings in the Deadlands
becomes visible. universe), but there are a few uses you
Invisibility is sphere specific. can put this favor to right away.
The first is fast travel. Once in the
Luck Hunting Grounds, it’s possible to quickly
travel to another, existing portal and
TN: 9
Strain: 3
Speed: 1
Duration: Instant
Range: Self
The toxic spirits can sometimes be
called on to bestow luck to their
favored servants.
A successful invocation of this favor
gets the caster a white chip. Each raise
the shaman gets on her faith roll
increases the chip type by one level, i.e.
one raise nets a red chip, and two
raises snags a blue chip for the spook.
It’s not possible to pull down a legend
chip with this favor.
A failed casting of this favor causes
the shaman to lose his lowest chip.
A chip gained with this miracle must
be spent on the hero’s next action; it
cannot be saved or spent as bounty
points.

Open Portal
TN: 11
Strain: 5
Speed: 1 hour
Duration: 1 hour
Range: 10 yards
This is some big time mojo. Open
portal allows your shaman to create a
temporary gateway into the Hunting
Grounds. Your hero and his friends can
use this portal to physically step into
the spirit world.
Why would you want to do that? Well,
we don’t have room to detail everything
it’s possible to do in the Hunting
Grounds in this book (if you’re
interested, you should check out the
information in the Deadlands book Ghost
Dancers or wait for the Hunting Grounds
book which updates this information
 skip all the abominations, road gangs, dream. Changing the dream requires
and other unpleasantness along the the shaman to win a contest of Spirit
way. Of course, there’s no guarantee with the dreamer. If successful, the
that you won’t run into some unsavory shaman can alter the dream as he
spirits while traveling the Hunting chooses, using it to send a message,
Grounds, but that’s up to your Marshal. cause a nightmare, or anything else he
Once your hero has entered the desires.
Hunting Grounds, finding your way to While in the Hunting Grounds, the
another portal requires an area shaman may keep his original portal
knowledge: Hunting Grounds roll against open by paying more Strain, but
a TN of 15. Failing this roll means your keeping an unguarded portal open is
brainer wanders the Hunting Grounds not without risks. If left unattended,
for awhile and can then try again. your spook has no control over who or
Check out the Travel Time Table below what may use the portal in his
to see how long this takes. If the area absence. Many shamans who make use
knowledge roll was successful, subtract of portals work in pairs; one enters the
the amount by which the roll exceeded Hunting Grounds while the other
the TN from the roll on this table. If the stands guard. Shamans with a
area knowledge roll failed, add the conscience rarely open portals near any
amount by which the roll was missed human settlements.
to the roll on the table.
If your toxic shaman doesn’t know of
a portal where he’s trying to go, he can
attempt to make one by invoking this
Travel Time
favor again. This can be dangerous,
because the spirits have never been
1d20 Ti m e
good with geography. By paying just the
1-4 1d20 minutes
base cost of this favor, you guarantee
5-8 1d6 hours
that a portal opens somewhere in the
9-12 1d20 hours
physical world (exactly where is up
13-16 1d6 days
your Marshal). Paying double Strain
17-20 1d20 days
allows you to pick a state to appear in.
20+ 1d6 weeks
Paying triple allows you to specify a
county in the state. By paying
quadruple Strain, you can ensure the Pact
portal opens within sight of a specific TN: 7
landmark. Strain: Varies
While in the Hunting Grounds, your Speed: 5 minutes per Strain spent
shaman can also visit the dreams of Duration: Permanent
people she knows (they have to be Range: Touch
sleeping or unconscious at the time, of Pact allows a spook to spend Strain
course). Finding a specific person’s on a favor in advance and bind a spirit
dream requires an area knowledge: to redeeming that favor at a later time.
Hunting Grounds roll against a TN of 17. Casting this favor requires the
A successful roll gets the shaman into shaman to prepare a fetish as a token
the person’s dream. Failure means the of the pact. This fetish can be any small
shaman can’t try again for another object connected in some way to the
hour. sphere of the favor being pacted. A
Once in someone’s dream, the nuclear plant worker’s ID badge, for
shaman can simply watch (to perhaps instance, would be a suitable token for
gain some information or simply be a a radiation favor. Preparing the fetish to
peeping Tom), or he can try to alter the receive the favor takes only 10 short
minutes.
Once the fetish is ready, the shaman
must cast the desired favor followed by
62 No Man’s Land pact. The Strain required for pact is
equal to the Strain used to cast the
favor being stored.
 If pact is successfully invoked, the
first favor is stored in the object. It can
be redeemed later in a single action by
anyone holding the fetish and
Favors & Relics 63
succeeding at an Onerous (7) Spirit roll.
The redeemed favor uses the caster’s
original roll to determine its success. Should the shaman go bust on the
Once redeemed, the stored favor is contest of Spirits a manitou manages
gone, but the fetish may be used again to slip back into the body along with
to store another favor. the soul. The deceased returns from
Spirits, especially toxic spirits, don’t the dead as a Harrowed. The manitou
like being on call. Every unredeemed begins with total Dominion over the
token a shaman has created imposes a deader’s soul.
–1 cumulative penalty to all faith rolls As with healing, there’s an extra
made to invoke other favors. Your price to pay for those returned from the
brainer must also draw two cards dead by the toxic spirits. The recently
when checking for a toxic spill for this deceased person returns from the Great
favor. Beyond with a toxic monkey on her
back. The resurrected brainer gains a 1-
Resurrection point toxic guardian. This guardian is
unlike a normal one in that it actually
TN: 13 maintains the link between its host’s
Strain: 15 body and soul. The host must perform
Speed: 1 hour an act to gain the spirit’s favor each
Duration: Permanent week (even spooks must perform these
Range: Touch acts). Failure to do so causes the spirit
It’s possible to force the spirit of a
recently deceased person back into its
body. This is a very risky and
dangerous process, but it’s the only way
to bring someone back from the Great
Beyond.
Once the favor has been successfully
invoked, the first step is to convince
the spirit to reenter the body. This
requires the shaman to beat the
deceased person’s soul in a contest of
Spirit.
If successful, the soul is returned to
the body, but it quickly returns to the
Hunting Grounds if the body is not
healed from whatever killed it. In fact,
the shock of returning to a badly
wounded body can drive the
resurrected person insane. The returned
soul must beat his single worst
wound’s TN with a guts roll or gain a
major phobia. Unless healed, the soul
remains in the body for only an hour
before returning to the Hunting
Grounds.
If the contest of Spirits is failed, the
spirit continues on to its just reward in
the Hunting Grounds and no further
attempts at reviving the deceased may
be made. Although the room-
temperature hero may still check to see
if he returns Harrowed.
 Spirit Guide
TN: 7
Strain: 2
Speed: 1
Duration: 1 destination
Range: Self
There is very little meaningful
geography in the Hunting Grounds, and
it can often be hard for a shaman to
find his way around. This favor allows
the caster to ask the spirits for
guidance.
When a spook is walking the
Hunting Grounds with a spirit guide, he
makes his area knowledge: Hunting
Grounds roll as normal. The spirit
summoned as a guide also makes a
Spirit roll (pull a card to determine the
spirit’s Spirit, redraw any Deuces). The
spirit’s total is added to the shaman’s
roll to determine if the waster reached
his goal. This combined total is also
used when figuring the time it took to
reach the destination. Once the
shaman reaches his destination, the
spirit guide splits.

Spiritual Attack
TN: 7
to begin loosening the waster’s soul’s Strain: 3
connection to the body. Each day a hero Speed: 2
fails to perform an act of pollution to Duration: 1/round
satisfy her guardian, she suffers 1 Range: 10 yards/faith level
wound to the guts at sunset. This This favor allows a toxic shaman to
wound cannot be healed by any means. put a hurtin’ on opponents who also
This continues until the waster pleases have spiritual pals—other spooks,
her guardian or she dies. Once she junkers, traditional shamans, and the
performs a satisfactory act, all wounds like.
caused by the guardian are instantly When invoked, spiritual attack sics a
healed. pack of toxic spirits on any guardian
If a resurrected waster manages to spirit, browser spirit, toxic guardian, or
survive a full year of this blackmail, his other spiritual entity associated with
soul manages to form its own links to the shaman’s human target. This horde
the body. Once this happens, the of gibbering slime has a Quickness of
pollution spirit can no longer cause 3d8 and attacks on each of its actions
wounds to the hero, but it does for 3d10 damage. Roll the target’s Spirit
continue to function as a normal toxic rating against this damage (draw a card
guardian (the brainer deserves to determine Spirit randomly if not
something for all the grief he has known, redrawing Deuces). If the
suffered). damage is higher, the target spirit
takes the difference in damage. Once
the target spirit has taken a total of 50
points of damage, it has been defeated.

64 No Man’s Land The character with whom the spirit

was associated loses the use of its
abilities permanently.
 This attack takes place on the
Hunting Grounds, so there is little the
human target can do to help her spirit
friend unless she can see into the
Favors & Relics 65
spirit world. Even if this is the case,
only attacks that can harm spiritual
targets may be used against the Once summoned into the physical
attacking toxic spirits. The group of world, the spirits can only travel at
marauding spirits disperses once it their Pace, so conjuring up a spirit to
suffers 50 points of damage. attack someone hundreds of miles
away can get very expensive Strain-
Summon Spirit wise. If the Strain to maintain the favor
is not paid, the spirit is released from
TN: 9 its service and returns to the Hunting
Strain: Varies Grounds.
Speed: 10 minutes The spirits summoned by this favor
Duration: Varies/hour have some special powers in common
Range: 10 yards as well as a few which are specific to
Summon spirit gives your spook the the spirit’s sphere. Check out the profile
power to call forth a toxic spirit from below for details. The Aptitudes
the Hunting Grounds and force it to do possessed by the spirits are listed, but
her bidding. not the die types, because these vary
The Strain needed to invoke and with the size of the spirit summoned
maintain this favor depends on the size Summon spirit is sphere specific.
of the spirit summoned by the shaman. Summon insect spirit, summon radiation
See the Summon Spirit Table for details. spirit, summon smog spirit, etc., are all
The dice listed for each spirit size is separate favors.
used for all of the spirit’s Traits and
Aptitudes.
Successfully invoking this favor Profile: Summoned Spirit
simply calls the spirit forth before the Corpor eal: D:Varies, N:Varies, S:Varies,
Corporeal:
caster. The shaman must then win a Q:Varies, V:Varies
contest of Spirits with the entity to be Fightin’: brawlin’
able to assign it a task. If this contest Mental: C:Varies, K:Varies, M:Varies,
of Spirits is failed, the spirit returns to Sm:Varies, Sp:Varies
the Hunting Ground. Should the spook Overawe, search, trackin’
go bust on his roll, the spirit attacks Pace: 12
the summoner. Size: 6/8/10
A controlled spirit can be given a Wind: Varies
single specific task to complete. This Terr or: 5/7/9 (Minor/Major/Greater)
error:
task must have an obvious conclusion Special Abilities:
to it. The shaman should word his Cla ws: Strength+2d6. These can only
Claws:
orders carefully. Toxic spirits aren’t big be used against physical targets
on playing errand boy, so the while the spirit is manifested.
summoned spirit twists its orders as Immunity: Physical attacks
much as it can to cause the shaman Insubstantial: The spirit can pass
grief while still fulfilling the letter of through solid objects.
the commands it received. The more Manif est: The spirit can temporarily
Manifest:
raises the shaman gains in the contest take on a physical form if needed
of Spirits, the closer the spirit remains to fulfill its orders. It takes an
to the intent of its orders. It’s up to the action for the spirit to change from
Marshal to determine exactly how the one form to the other, and it can
spirit behaves. only remain in its physical state for
The spirit has no specific knowledge a number of minutes equal to its
of the physical world, so the shaman Spirit each day. While manifested,
must describe how to find or recognize the spirit loses its immunity to
any object or person the spirit is to physical attacks and its ability to
interact with. pass through solid objects.
 Spher
Sphere e Abilities:
Acid Glob (Sludge): The spirit can
project a glob of acid that splatters
on impact. The glob has a Speed of
Summon Spirit
1, Range Increment of 5, a Burst
Radius of 5, and does damage
Spirit Dice Strain
equal to the spirit’s die type. The
Minor 2d6 4+2/hour
spirit can launch a number of
Major 3d8 6+3/hour
these equal to its die type each
Greater 4d12 8+4/hour
day.
Atomic Blast (Radiation): The
spirit can shoot bolts of atomic Zombie
energy from its eyes. These have a
TN: 7
Speed of 1, Range Increment of 10,
Strain: 5
and do damage equal to the spirit’s
Speed: 3
die type. The spirit can project a
Duration: 1 minute/faith level, then 1/
number of these equal to its die
minute
type each day.
Range: Sight
Flight (Insect and Smog): Pace 36
The Reckoners aren’t the only ones
Gas Cloud (Smog): The spirit can
who can make zombies. This favor
cause a cloud of toxic gas 5 yards
allows your spook to conjure up some
in radius to form around it. Anyone
supernatural helpers.
in this cloud must make an
The zombie favor can be used to
Incredible (11) Vigor roll each round
reanimate any human or animal corpse.
or suffer the difference in Wind. It
The favor doesn’t work on
takes the spirit an action to form
abominations, though it does work on
the cloud, but it can maintain it
the corpses of defeated abominations if
indefinitely.
they were once human or animal.
Hurling: The spirit can
Zombies are tricky and diabolical
telekinetically hurl rocks and large
creatures, but thanks to the favor they
pieces of metallic trash at its
must follow the instructions of their
target. These hurled objects have a
master to the letter. Given the chance,
Speed of 1, a Range Increment of
though, they’ll get into sinister mischief
10, and do damage equal to the
on their own.
spirit’s die type. The spirit can hurl
Zombies can talk, but they don’t have
these objects as long as it has a
much to say. They know little about the
supply of ammunition within 5
Hunting Grounds, the Reckoners, and
yards of it.
so on. They do know they love to eat
Paral yzation (Insect): On a
Paralyzation
brains however.
successful fightin’: brawlin’ attack,
It possible to make a permanent
the target must make a Hard (9)
undead servant by spending triple the
Vigor roll or be paralyzed for 1d6
Strain when the favor is invoked. This
rounds. The spirit does not have to
process takes considerably longer, 24
be manifested to use this ability.
hours, and the body to be reanimated
Description: Summoned spirits appear
must be immersed in the sphere in
as a wispy, transparent
which it is invoked. A sludge zombie,
representation of their spheres.
for instance, must be immersed in a vat
Insect spirits often look like
of toxic goo, while a trash zombie must
mantises or wasps, radiation spirits
be buried in contaminated earth. The
appear as a sheet of flame or
maximum number of permanent
mushroom cloud, etc.
zombies a spook may have is equal to
half his Spirit die.
Zombies made with this favor share
some common stats but they also have
special powers dependent on their
66 No Man’s Land sphere. Check out the profile on the
next page for details.
 Zombie is sphere specific. That
means insect zombie, radiation zombie,
etc. are each separate favors.
Favors & Relics 67
Profile: Zombie
Corpor eal: D:2d6, N:2d8, S:3d8, Q:2d10,
Corporeal: zombie takes a wound to the
V:2d8 lower guts, this swarm is
Climbin’ 1d8, dodge 2d8, fightin’: brawlin’ automatically released forming a
3d8, shootin’: (any) 2d6, sneak 3d8, cloud of biting insects in a 5-yard
swimmin’ 1d8 radius around the zombie. Anyone
Mental: C:2d10, K:1d6, M:1d6, Sm:1d6, caught in this swarm takes 1d8
Sp:1d4 Wind per round. The swarm is
Overawe 5d6 dispersed if it takes 30 or more
Pace: 8 points of damage from an area-
Size: 6 effect weapon. The zombie can
Wind: NA also breathe a stream of insects at
Terr or: 9
error: individual targets within 10 yards.
Special Abilities: This requires a successful shootin’
Fearless. roll against a TN of 7. If the attack
Undead. hits, the target suffers a onetime
Spher
Sphere e Abilities: Wind loss of 1d6 points.
Burr
Burro ow (T rash): The zombie can
(Trash): Description: Zombies created with
tunnel through the ground at a this favor look much like any other
Pace of 8. except they exhibit differences based
Radiation T ouch (Radiation): The
Touch on their sphere—slime, insects, etc.
touch of a radiation zombie causes
3d6 damage. Normal armor cannot
protect against this.
Slime (Sludge): Sludge zombies
excrete an acidic slime that coats
their entire bodies. Anyone
splashed with this stuff takes 3d6
damage. Anyone who the zombie
hits with a fightin’ brawlin’ attack
is automatically struck with the
slime. Anyone within 2 yards of
the zombie when it suffers a
wound must make an Onerous (7)
dodge roll to avoid being splashed.
In addition, roll 1d6 for any
weapons striking the zombie. On a
5 or 6, the acid begins to eat into
the weapon and causes it to lose a
Durability step.
Smoker’
Smoker’s s Cough (Smog): The
zombie coughs a cloud of thick
smoke into one opponent’s face
(no to hit roll is needed). The target
must make a Hard (9) Vigor roll or
suffer 2d6 Wind.
Surprise (T rash): Any hero which
(Trash):
has a trash zombie burrow up
from beneath him must check for
surprise.
Sw arm (Insect): The zombie’s
Swarm
bloated belly is filled with an
angry swarm of insects. If the
 Insect Favors Dull Pain
TN: 5
These favors are provided by warped Strain: 2
insect spirits and reflect many of the Speed: 1
abilities and powers of the insect world. Duration: 1/hour
Range: Self
Burrow Insects have very rudimentary
nervous systems, which means they do
TN: 5 not feel pain as acutely as creatures
Strain: 1 with more complex systems. A bug
Speed: 1 being eaten alive may only sense a dull
Duration: 1/round ache.
Range: Self When this favor is invoked, the
Burrow allows the shaman to tunnel maximum wound modifier the shaman
through the earth like a burrowing can be affected by is –1. Wound
insect. The spook can move through modifiers higher than this are
earth, but not solid stone, with a Pace completely ignored.
equal to his Spirit die.
The shaman can dig as deep as he
likes, but it’s not a good idea to be Insect Form
below ground when the favor expires. TN: 7
Roll 1d6 if the shaman is underground Strain: 4
when the favor ends. On a 6, the Speed: 2
shaman’s tunnel collapses on him, Duration: 1 hour +3/hour
causing 1d6 damage for every 2 yards of Range: Self
dirt above him. This favor gives the shaman the
ability to transform his body. He has
Chitin two options when invoking this favor,
he can transform into a giant mantis,
TN: 5 or he can break his body down into a
Strain: 2 swarm of roaches (sounds nasty, but it
Speed: 1 can actually be quite handy). The
Duration: 1/round shaman can return to his own form at
Range: Self any time.
This favor gives the shaman the Mantis fform:
orm: The spook
ability to cover herself with hard, transmogrifies into a giant mantis (see
chitinous armor like the exoskeleton of the profile below). Clothing and
insects. equipment are not affected and are
A successful invocation of this favor dropped unless they can be fitted to the
causes a hard, chitinous shell to form shaman’s new form.
around the shaman’s body. This shell Roach Sw arm: The shaman’s body
Swarm:
has Armor 1 at all body locations, but transforms into a swarm of roaches.
the Armor level increases by 1 for every The spook can choose to retain his
raise the spook gets on his faith roll. man-shape, or the swarm can break
This armor is somewhat bulky, down and assume nearly any shape;
especially at the joints. The shaman allowing the shaman to travel through
suffers a –1 penalty to all Nimbleness- pipes, under doors, etc. While in man-
and Deftness-related rolls for each level shape, the shaman can still use any of
of Armor the favor provides. Armor 3 his equipment as normal.
chitin for instance, causes a –3 penalty The shaman is also less vulnerable
to these rolls. to damage in roach form: cutting and
impaling weapons, and bullets, inflict
only 1d4 Wind per strike. Crushing
weapons still cause full damage.

68 No Man’s Land Insecticides cause 3d6 damage per dose

administered to the shaman. An
average can of bug spray has 20 doses.
Profile: Giant Mantis
Corpor eal: D:3d8, N:2d10, S:4d12+2,
Corporeal:
Q:3d10, V:4d8
Favors & Relics 69
As per shaman
Mental: As per shaman
As per shaman
Pace: 10 Insect Strength
Size: 8 TN: 7
Wind: Varies Strain: 2
Terror: 5
error: Speed: 1
Special Abilities: Duration: 1/round
Armor: 2 Range: Self
Barbed Limbs: The shaman’s Insects are capable of lifting many
forelimbs can strike for STR+1d6 more times their body weight than
damage. If the spook hits with a larger creatures. This favor allows the
raise, the target is trapped shaman to tap into some of this
between the mantis’ limbs and can strength. Your waster may not lift
only escape by winning a contest buses over his head, but he will be able
of Strength with the shaman. to hold his own with some of the
Compound e yes: The shaman can
ey nastier abominations out there.
see up to 45° behind him on either A successful invocation of this favor
side. increases the spook’s Strength die by
Mandibles: The mantis can strike two steps. Each raise achieved on the
with its razor-sharp mandibles for faith roll increases his Strength by an
STR+2d8 AP 1 damage. If the target additional level.
is trapped in the mantis’ forelimbs,
mandible attacks require only a
Fair (5) roll to hit.
Flight: The shaman can fly with a
Pace of 36.
Description: A giant praying mantis.

Insect Speak
TN: 5
Strain: 1
Speed: 1
Duration: 10 minutes
Range: Self
When this favor is invoked, the
shaman is able to communicate with
the members of the insect kingdom. In
general, most insects don’t have much
of interest to say, but they can provide
information on things which are of
interest to them like sources of food
and water.
They can also provide information
about humans moving through their
turf, but only in regard to numbers and
direction of travel. Any requests for a
description of the interlopers is only
going to get the response, “Big.” Insects
are also handy for locating bodies,
buried, hidden, or otherwise, because
the rotting flesh is bound to attract all
sorts creepy-crawlies looking for a meal.
 Maggot Infestation
TN: 7
Strain: 2
Speed: 2
Duration: 1/round
Range: 10 yards/faith level
This favor causes the accelerated
growth of maggots in any of the
target’s open wounds.
Once the favor has been invoked, the
target must make a Hard (9) Vigor roll
for each heavy wound, or worse, that
he has. In each location where the roll
is failed, the wound becomes infested
with maggots which begin to burrow
into the waster’s flesh. At the
beginning of each round following the
infestation, the target suffers an
additional wound in each infested
location.

Mantis Warrior
TN: 5
Strain: 2
Speed: 1
Duration: Concentration or 1/round
Range: 5 yards
Mantis warrior allows the shaman to
cause a partial transformation of
himself or others. The target of this
Iron Gullet spell is infused with the essence of the
mantis’ spirit. The brainer’s Strength
TN: 5 and Nimbleness increase by two die
Strain: 1 types, and his skin becomes hard and
Speed: 1 chitinous, giving him 1 level of armor.
Duration: 1 hour
Range: Self
Bugs eat some nasty stuff, and so Pestilence
can your shaman with this favor. Iron TN: 7
gullet allows your spook to digest Strain: 2
nearly anything organic and gain Speed: 2
nutrition from it. Duration: 1d4 rounds
Your hero can eat grass, paper, wood, Range: 10 yards/faith level
dung, and the like, and be fully fed. This favor summons up a cloud of
This may not sound very appealing, but biting flies and mosquitoes loaded
it beats starving to death. The favor down with all sorts of nasty germs.
also grants the shaman a +4 to all The cloud has a radius of 5 yards.
Vigor rolls made to resist any sort of Anyone caught in this cloud must
ingested poison. Wash that rancid meat make an Incredible (11) Vigor roll at the
down with some drain cleaner! beginning of each round or take the
difference in Wind.
The long term effects of this favor
can be scary. Anyone who suffered

70 No Man’s Land Wind damage from the cloud must

make a Hard (9) Vigor roll after it
disperses. Those who fail contract a
serious disease. They must make daily
Vigor rolls against a Hard (9) TN or
suffer a wound to the guts.
This continues until the waster buys
Favors & Relics 71
the farm or he goes three days in a row
without taking a wound. Until the hero
has shaken off the disease, fever and
chills impose a –2 modifier to all rolls. Stinger
TN: 5
Scent Strain: Varies
Speed: 1
TN: 5 Duration: Varies
Strain: 1 Range: Self
Speed: 1 Invoking this favor transforms the
Duration: Concentration tips of the shaman’s fingers into
Range: Self stingers. These stingers inflict STR+1d4
This favor grants the shaman a in hand-to-hand combat. Depending on
heightened sense of smell. This allows the amount of Strain spent on the
the spook to track a target by scent. favor, these stingers can inject either a
Doing this requires the shaman to make paralyzing venom or a deadly toxin.
periodic Cognition rolls to stay on the The paralyzing venom costs 2 Strain
trail. A fresh scent normally requires a to invoke and 1 Strain per round to
roll against a Fair (5) TN, but the Marshal maintain. If the target takes any
can adjust this for old trails, windy damage at all from the stingers, she
conditions, or covering scents. must make a Hard (9) Vigor roll or be
The shaman can also use this favor paralyzed. A paralyzed waster may
to lay down a scent of his own. This make another roll on each of his
allows him to retrace his trail exactly subsequent actions to recover.
for up to 24 hours. This is useful for The toxin costs 4 Strain to invoke
exploring caves, underground and 2 Strain per round to maintain. A
complexes, and so on. brainer who takes damage from the
shaman’s stingers immediately takes
Spider Sense 4d8 damage to the guts. At the
beginning of each round thereafter, the
TN: 7 waster takes more damage. The
Strain: 2 amount of damage drops by one die
Speed: 1 each round, so on the second round the
Duration: 1/ / 10 minutes target takes 3d8 damage, on the third
Range: Self round he takes 2d8 damage, and so on.
Certain insects are very hard to kill. It
seems like they feel that swatter or
foot coming before it even starts Stink Bug
moving. This favor grants the shaman a TN: 5
similar sort of sixth sense. Strain: 1
While this favor is in effect the spook Speed: 1
gains a +6 to all Cognition rolls made to Duration: 1 round
avoid being surprised. In addition, if the Range: Self
waster is about to do something which It’s time to cut the cheese. Some
could cause him personal danger, like bugs secrete nasty odors as a defensive
cutting the wrong wire on a bomb or measure. Now your spook can too!
stepping onto a rotting bridge, he may When invoked, the shaman releases
make a Hard (9) Cognition roll. a cloud of noxious gas in a 10-yard
If the roll succeeds, the shaman gets radius directly behind him. Those in the
a sense that what he’s about to do is cloud must make an Onerous (7) Vigor
dangerous. It’s best for the Marshal to roll or lose their next action coughing
make these rolls for the shaman, so he and gagging. Those who make their roll
is not aware of the roll’s success or still suffer a –2 penalty to all rolls for
failure. 1d4 rounds as their eyes tear up.
 There’s an additional danger: the gas Summon Insects
is highly flammable. The cloud lasts
from the action on which it was TN: 5
created until the end of the round. If Strain: 3
any open flame hits the cloud it goes Speed: 2
up with a whoosh, causing 3d6 Duration: 1/round
massive damage to everyone Range: 10 yards/faith level
unfortunate enough to be inside it. Summon insects allows the shaman
to call on his small insect brothers to
come to his aid.
Once the favor is invoked, the insects

Summon Insects summoned by it don’t arrive until the

beginning of the next round. Once they
do, however, they swarm all over the
target biting, scratching, squirming into
1d8 Insect E ffffe c t ears, noses, and mouths—generally
1-3 Non-biting No additional effect making life very unpleasant. This
4 Fire Ants Ouch!: The intense pain of imposes a –2 penalty to all rolls made
the ants’ bites imposes a –4 by the brainer.
penalty to all rolls. In addition, the insects may have
5 Bees Ow
Ow,, quit it!: The numerous other effects depending on the type
bee stings send the target summoned. The shaman has no control
into anaphylactic shock. The over what type of insects respond to
target must make a Hard (9) his call. This is determined by rolling on
Vigor roll or take 4d6 the table below or the Marshal may
damage to the guts. Going pick what sort respond based on the
bust on the roll means the spook’s location. Check out the
target dies. Summon Insect Table for all the details.
6 Roaches Pop goes the ear drum!: The
eardrum!: Any rolls called for by a special insect
target must make an type must be made at the beginning of
Onerous (7) Vigor roll. each round in which the shaman
Failing the roll means that maintains the favor.
roaches burrowing into his The insect swarm can be dispersed
ears have punctured his with 20 points of damage from
eardrums. The target has explosives or flame (although this is
the bad ears –3 Hindrance liable to do more damage to the target
for the next two months. than the bugs). The insects also bug
7 Mosquitoes Tropical Disease: The target out if the waster is completely
must make a Hard (9) Vigor immersed in water or smoke (a smoke
roll to avoiding contracting a grenade works nicely for this).
disease from the
mosquitoes. Failing means Termite
the target gains the ailin’:
chronic Hindrance. TN: 7
8 Spiders Black W ido
Widow: The target’s
idow: Strain: Varies
system is flooded with Speed: 1
spider venom. The brainer Duration: Permanent
must make an Onerous (7) Range: 5 yards/faith level.
Vigor roll or die. A Want to see the definition of
successful roll means the befuddled? Cast this favor on a trog’s
target takes 3d8 damage to club just before he whacks someone
the guts. with it.
This favor can be used on any
wooden object. When successful, it
turns solid wood into a papery, easily

72 No Man’s Land broken mess that looks as if a colony

of Formosan termites had been
gnawing on it awhile.
 The amount of Strain required to pull
this off depends on the size of the
object. Check out the Termite Table for
details. Once the favor has been
Favors & Relics 73
successfully invoked, the object loses
most of its structural integrity and is
easily broken: clubs break the first time When used to entangle, the target
they impact, chairs shatter when suffers a cumulative –2 penalty to all
someone sits on them, a light breeze Deftness- and Nimbleness-based rolls
causes a house to collapse under its for each time he is hit with the
own weight, and so on. webbing. The target may make a Hard
It’s possible to affect larger objects, (9) Nimbleness roll on each of his
but the cost to do so is up to your actions to attempt to wriggle free. Each
Marshal. success and raise reduces the webbing
penalty by 2. If the penalty is reduced

Termite to 0, the target has gotten free of the

web. Going bust actually increases the
penalty by –2. If the penalty ever
reaches -8, the target has been
Strain Object completely immobilized and may no
1 Small club, jewelry box longer wriggle free.
2 Large club, small chest, When the favor ends, the spinnerets
chair disappear, but any web created by them
3 Average door, large remains. This means anyone caught in
chest the web had better hope his buddies
4 Rowboat, thick wooden have a sharp knife.
door
5 Small shack
8 Small, single-story
home
10 Two-story house

Web
TN: 5
Strain: 2
Speed: 1
Duration: 1/round
Range: 10 yards/faith level
Does whatever a spider can. Spins a
web, any size, catches thieves just like
flies…
That song is probably a bit before
your waster’s time, but with this favor
he can soon be shooting webs just like
everyone’s favor crimefighter.
Successfully invoking this favor
causes spinnerets to form on the
shaman’s wrists. These can be used to
shoot webbing out to the favor’s
maximum range. The webbing has a
Speed of 1 and a Range Increment of 10.
It can be used to anchor onto an object
and swing or it can be used to
entangle.
The web is extremely strong. It takes
20 points of damage from an edged
weapon to cut through a strand.
 Wings of the Locust Unless the shaman takes a called
shot, the beam hits a random location.
TN: 5 This location takes an immediate
Strain: 2 wound as a fast-growing cancer takes
Speed: 2 root. Armor has no effect against this.
Duration: 10 minutes On each of the shaman’s subsequent
Range: Self actions, as long as he pays the Strain to
Don’t invoke this favor while your maintain the favor, the black beam
shaman is wearing his favorite shirt. continues to infuse its corrupting
Wings of the locust causes a pair of energy into the area, causing the
long, insect-like wings to sprout from cancer to grow and inflicting an
the spook’s back. These allow the additional wound. This continues until
waster to fly with a Pace of 36. It’s hard the location is maimed or the favor
to sneak up on anyone with these ends.
wings. They beat constantly while Limbs which are maimed by this
airborne, causing a loud humming favor actually blacken and fall off. If the
sound that can be heard for some shaman ends the favor before a
distance. location becomes maimed, the cancer
The shaman’s wings can targeted in vanishes, but the wounds remain.
combat with a –2 modifier. Cutting and
crushing weapons do full damage to
the wings, but impaling weapons and
Electrostatic Armor
bullets do only one quarter damage TN: 5
(they tend to simply punch right Strain: 2
through, making only a small hole in Speed: 1
the wing’s surface.) Duration: 1/round
Range: Self
Invoking this favor causes the
Radiation Favors shaman to glow with a crackling green
energy. Anyone who touches the spook
Radiation shamans are sometimes or is touched by her takes damage
mistaken for Doomsayers, but their from this energy.
power comes not from the Glow, but The glow causes 2d6 damage, plus
from the spirits of fire warped by the 1d6 for every raise the caster gets on
spiritual radiation released on Judgment her faith roll.
Day.

Energy Form
Cancer
TN: 9
TN: 7 Strain: 5
Strain: 2 Speed: 2
Speed: 1 Duration: 1 hour
Duration: 1/action Range: Self
Range: 10 yards/faith level Energy form allows a spook to
This is a particularly horrific favor, transform himself into a being of pure
most often used by corrupter shamans. energy. While in this form, the caster is
When invoked, it causes a beam of immune to physical attacks. In fact,
black energy to shoot from the spook’s anyone who attacks the shaman bare-
hand toward the target. Hitting the handed or with a metallic melee
target with the beam requires a weapon must roll a contest of Vigor
successful Deftness roll against a TN of with him. If the attacker loses, he
5 plus 1 for every 10 yards of range. takes a number of Wind equal to the
amount by which his roll lost.
The caster cannot directly affect the
physical world while in this form, i.e. he

74 No Man’s Land can’t use any equipment, move things,

etc., but he can still cast favors. He can
also travel through any conductive
surface (that means metal or water for
you people in Rio Linda) at the speed
of electricity. This means the shaman
can effectively travel nearly
Favors & Relics 75
instantaneously to any point on the
surface (this can be a very fast way to
travel if your waster can find a stretch move it anywhere within a 10-yard
of unbroken power lines). radius around him by concentrating on
The shaman can fire energy bolts it (this requires an action in combat) or
from his hands. These have a Speed of he can command it to follow him at a
1, Range Increment of 10 yards, and do set height and distance.
1d8 damage for every point of Wind the
shaman spends. The maximum damage
for a single bolt is 5d8. Glow Foe
The spook has a significant TN: 5
weakness while in this form: water. Strain: 1
Water grounds the brainer and causes Speed: 1
his life force to leach away into the Duration: 1/round
ground. Each quart of water thrown on Range: 20 yards/faith level
the shaman while in energy form Nuke ‘em ‘til they glow and shoot
causes 1d8 damage (meaning a full ‘em in the dark—words to live by.
gallon does 4d8). Glow foe allows your shaman to do
just that. The favor outlines a single
Energy Weapon target with a bright green glow,
eliminating all modifiers for poor
TN: 7 lighting against that target.
Strain: 2
Speed: 1
Duration: 2/round
Range: Self
This favor allows your waster to
energize his weapon with glowing
plasma straight from the heart of a
fusion reactor.
Energy weapon can be invoked on a
melee or missile weapon. In either
case, the weapon does an extra 2d10
damage on a successful attack. This
damage is inflicted even if the
weapon’s normal damage is not
enough to penetrate the target’s armor.
Roll 1d6 for flammable targets struck
by an energy weapon. On a 5 or 6, the
item catches fire.

Glow Ball
TN: 5
Strain: 1
Speed: 1
Duration: Concentration or 1/10
minutes
Range: 10 yards
Glow ball creates, well, uh, a glowing
ball about the size of a grapefruit. This
ball illuminates an area roughly 20
yards in radius. The ball hovers in
midair. The shaman who created it can
 Traits. The target’s suddenly increased
weight makes it hard for him to defend
himself, his fightin’ skill is reduced by
a like amount when calculating the TN
needed to hit him in hand-to-hand
combat. The brainer’s Pace is also
reduced by 2.
Each raise the shaman gets on his
faith roll increases these penalties by
an additional point. For example, a
shaman who got a success and two
raises on his roll would cause his
opponent to suffer a –4 penalty to his
rolls, have his fightin’ Aptitude reduced
by 4 for defensive purposes, and reduce
his Pace by 4.
This favor only works against living
creatures and other creatures that
contain significant amounts of water.

Maelstrom
TN: 7
Strain: 5
Speed: 3
Duration: 1 round/faith level
Range: 20 yards/faith level
The ghost-rock bombs that destroyed
the world left raging maelstroms in
their wake. These whirling cyclones of
death contain debris, radiation, and the
screaming souls of the damned once
Heavy Water trapped in the ghost rock. With the help
of some radiation spirits and a small
TN: 5 hunk of ghost rock your spook can
Strain: 2 whip up one of his very own.
Speed: 1 This favor requires the shaman to
Duration: Concentration or 1/round have a one-ounce piece of ghost rock.
Range: 10 yards/faith level When the favor is invoked, this nugget
Heavy water—water containing is detonated to form the maelstrom.
deuterium or tritium atoms, hydrogen When the last action required to cast
atoms with extra protons in the the favor is completed, the shaman
nucleus—is a vital component of throws the ghost rock to the point
nuclear research. Now your spook can where he wishes the storm to form.
make it a vital component of his This requires a successful throwin’:
enemies. balanced roll (the rock has a Range
Successfully invoking this favor Increment of 5). If the throw is off
against a target causes the water in his target, use the standard deviation rules
body to become much heavier. This to determine where it lands. The
increased weight makes it difficult for maelstrom forms wherever the rock
the waster to move and imposes a –2 comes to rest.
penalty on all rolls involving Corporeal The ghost rock detonates where it
lands doing 3d20 damage with a 5-yard
Burst Radius. It then forms a howling
maelstrom with a 10-yard radius.

76 No Man’s Land Anyone inside this area takes damage

and risks mutation just as if they had
passed through one of these
supernatural storms (see the Hell on
Earth rulebook to see how damage is
determined).
In addition to the spiritual damage,
Favors & Relics 77
the wind-whipped debris and howling
souls are very distracting. Everyone
inside the maelstrom suffers a –4 Should the shaman go bust while
penalty to all rolls. All ranged attacks invoking the favor, she inflicts a
against targets in the maelstrom also random mutation on the target. The
suffer this penalty. Marshal draws 1d4 cards and selects the
On the round following the formation worst of the mutations.
of the maelstrom, the shaman may There is only so much poking around
move the storm at a Pace equal to his the spook can do with anyone’s genes.
Spirit. The storm may not be moved A person can only have this miracle
beyond the favor’s maximum range. successfully cast on them once. Any
This favor is very similar to the further attempts automatically fail.
Doomsayer miracle of the same name,
and it’s a source of controversy
between the two groups. The added Pulse
control this favor grants over the TN: 7
maelstrom causes rad spooks to claim Strain: 2/5 yards of radius
they have greater power over the forces Speed: 1
of radiation than the Cult of Doom—a Duration: Instant
claim the Doomies get pretty hot under Range: Self
the collar over. The electromagnetic pulse (EMP)
caused by a nuclear explosion can
Mutate short out electrical devices and destroy
fragile electronic equipment. The pulse
TN: 7 favor allows the shaman to temporarily
Strain: 5 recreate this effect.
Speed: 10 minutes When invoked, a powerful EMP
Duration: Permanent blasts out in all directions from the
Range: Touch shaman. This blast extends in a 5-yard
Some mutations, like an eye in the radius for every 2 Strain spent on the
back of your head or hard, leathery favor. Roll 1d6 for each electrical device
skin, can be handy when you’re living within the blast’s area (if there are a
in a radioactive wasteland. Others, like lot, roll only for those which are likely
a glowing body or loose teeth are less to be used). On a roll of 3 or better, the
so. This favor allows your shaman to device is knocked out for 1d4 rounds
manipulate her own genetic code and (roll this duration only once, all items
that of others to give or remove knocked out by a single invocation of
mutations. this favor are knocked out for the same
When mutate is invoked, the spook amount of time). Devices which are
must decide whether she is adding or shielded against EMP are only knocked
removing a mutation from the target. To out on a roll of 6.
add one, the target draws cards to
determine his new mutation (see the
Hell on Earth rulebook). He may draw Rad Blast
one card for each success and raise the TN: 5
shaman gets on her faith roll and select Strain: 1-5
the one he wants (he must take one). Speed: 1
Removing a mutation is a little Duration: Instant
harder. After the favor is invoked, the Range: 20 yards/faith level
target must succeed at an Incredible (11) This is your basic blast of atomic
Vigor roll. He gets a +2 bonus to his roll energy—it’s not fancy, but it gets the job
for every raise the spook gets on her done. Rad blast fires a bolt of glowing
faith roll. If the Vigor roll is made, the green energy from the shaman’s
waster’s mutation vanishes. outstretched hand.
 The spook must aim to make his bolt Radar Range
hit the target, so compare his faith roll
to the TN needed to hit the target (rad TN: 5
blast has a Range Increment of 10 Strain: 2
yards). Speed: 1
If the favor is successfully invoked Duration: 1/round
and hits the target, it inflicts 1d10 Range: 20 yards/faith level
damage for each point of Strain This favor allows the shaman to
pumped into it. This damage is AP 1, beam radar waves from his body, but
and the bolt’s AP rating is also for a different purpose than radar sight.
increased by 1 for each point of Strain When invoked, radar range allows
spent on the favor. The maximum the spook to lock his radar on a target
damage for a single bolt is 5d10 AP 5. of his choice within the favor’s range.
While “locked on” the shaman’s brain
serves as a targeting computer,
Rad Rat correcting his aim. The shaman can
TN: 5 ignore all targeting modifiers for range
Strain: 2 and target movement when firing a
Speed: 2 ranged weapon or ranged favor at the
Duration: 1/round selected victim.
Range: 200 yards
This favor summons up a radiation Radar Sight
spirit to work some rodent mojo for the
shaman. This favor can be used to TN: 5
control a pack of rad rats or to turn a Strain: 1
horde of normal rats into a pack of Speed: 1
these bloodthirsty critters (see the Hell Duration: Concentration or 1/minute
on Earth rulebook for stats and a Range: 1 mile/faith level
description of rad rat tactics). When this favor is invoked, the
Once invoked, rad rat summons the shaman beams out high-frequency
nearest pack of rats or rad rats within radio waves which his eyes can see
the favor’s range to the shaman. It’s up when reflected by objects around him.
to the Marshal as to whether there are This allows the spook to see in total
any of these creatures living nearby. darkness and through smoke, negating
Rats of any type are fairly rare in the all lighting penalties. It also gives the
countryside or mountains, but large waster the ability to detect distant
packs of both types are common in objects, like flying aircraft, even when
urban areas. If a pack is available, it obscured by clouds.
normally numbers between 50 and 100
rats (40+(1d6x10)).
Once the rats arrive (how long this
Radio
takes is also up to the Marshal), the TN: 5
shaman can direct them against any Strain: 1/10 miles of range
target within the favor’s range. Speed: 1
Ordinary rats which have been Duration: 5 minutes
temporarily transformed into rad rats Range: Varies
behave as described in the Hell on Long range communication can be
Earth rulebook, i.e. they flee after half difficult in the Wasted West due to the
their number has been killed. Rad rats interference caused by the radiation
possessed by the radiation spirit and atmospheric disturbances left
become extremely aggressive and fight behind by the ghost-rock bombs
to the last rat. detonated on Judgment Day. Radio
allows your shaman to reach out and
touch someone when it really matters.
When invoked, the spook can

78 No Man’s Land establish contact with anyone he

knows within the favor’s range. The
target of the favor must have a
working radio to receive the shaman’s
message, but the spook does not. His
brain acts as his radio. Once contact
has been established, the spook and
Favors & Relics 79
his friend can converse normally for
the duration of the favor.
The range of this favor depends on
the amount of Strain spent on it. Each
point of Strain extends the range 10
Sludge Favors
miles. These favors are provided by the
tainted spirits of the world’s waterways.
Radon
TN: 5
Acid Ball
Strain: 2 TN: 5
Speed: 1 Strain: 3
Duration: 1 round Speed: 2
Range: 10 yards/faith level Duration: Instant
Radon isn’t just for basements Range: 10 yards/faith roll
anymore. With this favor, the shaman Shamans with the acid ball favor can
can whip up a cloud of this dangerous whip up some toxic badness and hurl it
gas just about anywhere. at their enemies.
Invoking this favor creates a deadly The spook must actually aim the ball,
cloud of radon gas, many times more so compare his faith roll to the TN
concentrated than that typically found needed to hit the target (the acid ball
in basements, bunkers, and other has a Range Increment of 10 yards). If
enclosed areas. This cloud has a radius the ball misses, use the standard
of 10 yards. Everyone inside the cloud
takes 3d8 damage to the guts. Armor
doesn’t protect against this unless it
includes a sealed helmet, which blocks
all damage. Gas masks and other
sealed breathing devices also prevent
damage from the cloud.
Anyone who suffers a wound or
more from the cloud must also make
an Onerous (7) Vigor roll. Failing the roll
means radon particles have become
lodged in the waster’s system. Once a
month for the next year, the brainer
must make another Onerous (7) Vigor
roll. Failing the roll means the waster
has developed cancer and gains the
ailin’: chronic Hindrance.

X-Ray
TN: 5
Strain: 1
Speed: 1
Duration: 1/minute
Range: 10 yards/faith roll
X-ray allows the shaman to see
through solid objects up to 1” thick per
faith level. The favor has a limited
ability to see through lead, but each
inch of lead counts as 2” when
determining an object’s thickness.
 Acid Rain
TN: 9
Strain: 10
Speed: 1 minute
Duration: Varies
Range: 10 miles
Acid rain is a powerful favor that
affects a large area. It’s most often used
by corrupters, but some caretakers have
found uses for it.
This favor can only be invoked
during a rainstorm. When successful,
sludge spirits corrupt the water held in
the clouds, turning it to highly acidic
rain. This rain kills plants and wildlife
in the affected area (a circle 10 miles in
radius around the spook), pollutes
streams and ponds (water from these
sources is undrinkable for 1d4 days),
and damages exposed equipment.
The storm lasts for 1d6 hours. Anyone
caught outside in the storm must make
an Onerous (7) Vigor roll for every 10
minutes of exposure. Those who fail
suffer chemical burns causing 2d6
massive damage. Only completely
sealed armor protects against this
damage.
Roll a d6 each hour a piece of
equipment is exposed to the storm. On
deviation rules to determine where it the roll of a 5 or 6, the equipment loses
lands. When the ball impacts, it a Durability Step. Exposed armor also
splatters over an area 5 yards in radius, loses a level of protection.
causing 3d6 massive damage.
In addition to harming those in the
ball’s splatter zone, the acid is also hard
Acid Weapon
on a waster’s equipment. Roll 1d6 for TN: 5
each piece of equipment in the zone (if Strain: 2
there are a lot, just roll for those likely Speed: 1
to be used in the combat, like weapons, Duration: 1/round
and roll for the other stuff later). On a Range: Self
roll of 6, the item loses 1d4 Durability Acid weapon gives the shaman’s
Steps (remember that each Durability weapon a little extra punch in hand-to-
Step lost imposes a cumulative –1 hand combat.
penalty to the item’s use). This favor can only be invoked on
Many spooks like to use this favor melee weapons, causing them to drip
repeatedly because it quickly disarms with powerful acid. The weapon does
their enemies (while turning them into an additional 2d6 damage on a
toxic goo), but their buddies often aren’t successful strike. Roll 1d6 for any armor
too crazy about it because it doesn’t struck by the weapon. On a roll of 6,
leave much to salvage. the armor loses a level of protection in
the affected area.
In addition, if a strike misses only by
the defensive bonus of a target’s

80 No Man’s Land weapon, the weapon may be damaged.

Roll 1d6. On a roll of 6, the defending
weapon loses a Durability Step.
 Dirty Waters swings his acid
weapon at Theodora and
misses by 2 points—the
Defensive Bonus of the
Favors & Relics 81
Templar’s sword. He rolls 1d6 and
gets a 6. Theodora’s sword loses
a Durability Step and now The acidic forms secretes a powerful
imposes a –1 penalty to all of her acid from the blob’s pores. This causes
fightin’: sword rolls. an extra 2d6 damage to any pseudopod
strikes and a like amount of damage to
Blob Form any entangled body parts (this damage
is inflicted on each of the shaman’s
TN: 7 actions). The acid also has the same
Strain: 4-6 effect on weapon’s and armor as
Speed: 3 described under the acid weapon favor.
Duration: 1 hour
Range: Self
Using this favor allows a shaman to Blobs
transform her body into an amorphous TN: 7
blob. Strain: 3
While in this form, the spook can Speed: 1
alter her shape to flow through pipes, Duration: 5 minutes
under doors etc. She can still cast favors Range: Touch
and she can extend up to two Time to animate some sludge! Blobs
pseudopods which are capable of allows the shaman to infuse sludge
grappling an opponent or swinging a with energy from the Hunting Grounds
melee weapon—they lack the fine and temporarily bring it to life. The
motor control needed to operate a spook needs a small amount of sludge
firearm. for this favor to work. Many shamans
The blob form is less susceptible to who know this favor carry small test
certain forms of damage. Impaling and tubes or beakers of the stuff, but
cutting weapons (daggers, swords) do sludge scooped from a nearby
only one quarter damage. Crushing/ contaminated water source works just
impact weapons (clubs, bullets) do only as well.
half damage. Explosives and fire, Once the favor is invoked, the sludge
however, do double damage. becomes animated under the shaman’s
In hand-to-hand combat, the shaman control. He can direct the blob against
can glom onto her opponent by hitting any target he wishes, or he can hurl
with a raise. This completely entangles the blob (Range Increment 3) at a
the body part struck, preventing its use. target with a successful throwin’:
On each of her following actions, a unbalanced roll.
successful melee attack allows the Blobs are fearless little critters who
shaman to entangle an additional attack their designated targets
adjacent body location. Entangling the relentlessly until one or the other is
target’s head prevents him from dead.
breathing and causes him 1d4 Wind per
round.
The target can attempt to break free Profile: Blob
on his actions by winning a contest of Corpor eal: D:NA, N:2d8, S:2d6, Q:2d8,
Corporeal:
Strength. Each success and raise in this V:3d6
contest frees one body location starting Climbin’ 3d8, dodge 4d8, fightin’:
with the last one entangled. brawlin’ 4d8
This favor has a variable Strain Mental: C:2d6, K:1d4, M:3d6, Sm:1d4,
rating because the shaman can choose Sp:2d6
between a basic blob form and an Pace: 8
acidic blob form. The basic form costs 4 Size: 2 (–4 to hit due to small size)
Strain, while the acidic form costs 6 Wind: NA
Strain. Terr or: 3
error:
 Description: Blobs appear as small,
gooey chunks of animated sludge
dripping with a corrosive acid.

Firewater
TN: 7
Strain: 3+
Speed: 1
Duration: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
The old Greek alchemists have
nothing on the shaman who knows
this favor. It allows the spook to
transform ordinary water into a toxic
concoction that burns with an intense
flame.
Each 3 Strain spent to invoke the
miracle converts up to a pint of water
into this devil’s brew. Because the stuff
ignites on contact with air, firewater
can only be stored in sealed containers.
Stored firewater lasts up to 10 minutes,
after which it reverts back to normal
water. Once ignited, burning firewater is
consumed quickly. A pint burns out in
only a round.
Each pint of firewater does 3d20 AP 2
damage to anything it comes in contact
with. If a target is hit with multiple
pints, roll a separate hit location for
Special Abilities: each. The firewater itself burns out at
Acid: Blobs secrete a strong acid. the end of the round, but flammable
Anything the blob touches takes targets may continue to burn with a
1d4 damage, +1 for each round it normal flame (2d10 damage per affected
has been attached (up to a location, see the Hell on Earth rulebook
maximum of +10). Figure damage for more details). Roll 1d6. On a roll of 5
when the blob first hits, and again or 6, the firewater ignited the target. On
at the beginning of each round. any other result, the brew burned so
Fearless. quickly a regular fire was unable to
Leap: Blobs can leap up to their Pace catch.
in a single action. To hit a living Many shamans who know this favor
target requires a successful carry small jars and beakers of water
fightin’: brawlin’ roll. The target to hurl at their enemies. These
may use either fightin’: brawlin’ or firewater-filled missiles can be hurled
dodge to avoid the attack. at enemies with a successful throwin’:
Sticky: Blobs are sticky. They cling unbalanced roll. The firewater ignites as
to anything they touch, and they soon as the container breaks, but they
can only be pried off with a Hard don’t always shatter on contact. Roll
(9) Strength roll. The blob can also 1d6. On a roll of 1 the container fails to
be washed off in 1d4 actions with break, and can be re-thrown by the
a gallon of water. target or anyone who cares to pick it
up. The result on which a container
fails to shatter may be adjusted by the
Marshal depending on the target and

82 No Man’s Land the surrounding terrain. If fighting in a

pillow factory, for instance, containers
may shatter only a roll of 5 or better.
Flush
TN: 5
Strain: 1
Favors & Relics 83
Speed: 1
Duration: Instant
Range: 5 yards/faith level When cast on another person (it only
This favor is messy but effective. works on the living, Harrowed and
Flush allows the shaman to project a other undead are immune to this favor),
high-pressure jet of raw sewage from the target must roll a contest of Vigor
his palm. versus the spook’s Spirit. If the shaman
Hitting a target with this stream of wins, the target takes 3d8 damage to
filth requires the spook to win a the guts and suffers a –4 penalty to all
contest of his Deftness versus his rolls for 1d4 rounds due to intense pain
opponent’s dodge. If hit, the target must and esophageal spasms.
make an Incredible (11) Strength roll.
Failing the roll means the target is
knocked back 1 yard for each point by Gills
which the roll was failed and must TN: 5
make an Onerous (7) Nimbleness roll to Strain: 1
stay on his feet. Failing this roll means Speed: 1
the target is knocked down and must Duration: 1/minute
spend an action getting back up. Range: Self
In addition, anyone hit by the sewage Time for a swim.
suffers a –2 penalty to all actions for 1d4 When invoked, gills calls on the
rounds due to watering eyes and the spirits of fish warped by pollution to
retching caused by the filth’s stench. grant your shaman the ability to
breathe water.
GERD
TN: 7 Oil Slick
Strain: 3 TN: 5
Speed: 2 Strain: 1
Duration: Instant Speed: 1
Range: 5 yards/faith level Duration: 1/round
GERD stands for GastroEsophageal Range: 10 yards/faith level
Reflux Disease, a condition where Oil slick is a favorite of spooks who
stomach acid backs up into the like to make their enemies look silly.
esophagus, causing a sensation much When invoked, this favor creates an
like that of a small alien burrowing out oil slick 10 yards in radius. Anyone
of your stomach. moving through this area must make
This favor allows the shaman to an Onerous (7) Nimbleness roll or fall
inflict this condition on himself and down. Those who have fallen must
others. When cast on the shaman, she make a Hard (9) Nimbleness roll to get
can use the acid produced as a weapon; back up. Those who don’t want to
when cast on others it causes intense attempt this can crawl through the
pain and internal damage. slick at a quarter of their Pace
When the shaman invokes this favor (rounded down).
on herself, it causes her stomach to Drivers of vehicles traveling through
produce large amounts of acid (to the slick must make an Onerous (7)
which the spook is immune) which the drivin’ roll (plus any modifiers for speed
shaman can projectile vomit at her and the vehicle’s Handling) to retain
enemies. Compare the faith roll used to control.
invoke the favor to the TN needed to If the shaman wishes to add injury
hit the target (the acid has a Range to insult, the oil slick can be ignited.
Increment of 3 yards). If the stream of This is not part of the favor, and
acid hits, it inflicts 3d6 massive damage requires the shaman or one of his
to the target. buddies to toss a match or other flame
 on the slick. Anyone or anything within it quickly sinks and must make a Hard
the flaming slick takes 3d10 damage (9) swimmin’ roll each round or take
when the slick flares up and at the the difference in Wind. While in the
beginning of each round they remain quicksludge, victims who succeed at
within the slick. The slick continues to their swimmin’ rolls can move at the
burn for as long as the shaman spends rate of 1 yard per action.
the Strain to maintain the favor. Vehicles which enter the quicksludge
stop immediately and take damage as
Poison if they had suffered a collision at half
of their current speed. Non-amphibious
TN: 7 vehicles which are smaller than the
Strain: 2/4/8 sludge sink in 1d10 rounds.
Speed: 2 Any victims which have dropped to
Duration: 5 minutes zero Wind or less and any vehicles
Range: 10 yards which have finished sinking, are
Poison allows a spook to turn a trapped beneath the earth when the
single beverage into a toxic brew. The favor ends. Living targets trapped in
lethality of this potion depends on the this way suffer an additional 1d6 Wind
amount of Strain spent on the favor. per round until they expire or are freed
For 2 Strain, the drink causes severe from their earthen grave.
pain, but has no lasting effects. Anyone Conscious victims and still-sinking
drinking it must make an Onerous (7) vehicles return to the ground’s surface
Vigor roll or be stunned. Even if the when the favor ends.
victim makes this roll, he still suffers a By paying double Strain, the shaman
–4 modifier to all rolls due to severe can make the quicksludge acidic. This
pain for 1d4 rounds. inflicts 2d6 massive damage to all
For 4 Strain, the shaman creates a targets trapped in the sludge at the
damaging poison. Anyone unfortunate beginning of each round. Sealed armor
enough to swallow it takes 4d8 damage protects against this damage, but loses
to the guts. one level of protection per round.
For 8 Strain, the potion becomes a
fast-acting and lethal poison. The victim
must make a Hard (9) Vigor roll or die.
Slime
If the roll is made, the target still TN: 5
suffers 4d8 damage to the guts. Strain: 1
Speed: 1
Duration: 5 minutes
Quicksludge Range: 5 yards/faith level
TN: 5 Stand back, Linda Blair! This favor
Strain: 3/6 allows your shaman to vomit forth a
Speed: 2 stream of sticky green goo.
Duration: 1/round The shaman must hit her target with
Range: 10 yards/faith level the stream. Compare the faith roll used
Quicksludge turns a patch of open to invoke the favor with the TN needed
ground into a slimy, treacherous mess to hit the victim (the slime has a Range
that can swallow people and vehicles Increment of 5 yards). If the slime hits,
alike. it entangles the affected body part,
When invoked, the favor creates a imposing a –2 modifier to all rolls made
patch of quicksludge 10 yards in radius. using that location. If the slime is not
This can only be created in an area of washed off (this requires at least a
exposed earth; it doesn’t work on paved quart of water), it hardens 1d4 rounds
or floored areas. Anyone caught within later, completely immobilizing the
slimed location.
Once hard, the slime has an Armor
level of 2, and takes 30 points of

84 No Man’s Land damage to remove. Any damage in

excess of 30 is applied to the encased
body part.
 At the end of the favor’s duration, all
hardened slime crumbles into dust and
falls away.
Favors & Relics 85
Toxic Avenger
TN: 7
Strain: 3
Speed: 2
Smog Favors
Duration: 1/round These favors call upon the spirits of
Range: Self the air—air elementals, bird spirits, and
Toxic avenger allows the shaman to the like—which have been warped by
turn his blood into a chemical stew pollution and G-rays.
that temporarily mutates him into a
rampaging beast.
When invoked, the spook’s Strength
Call Weather
and Vigor die types are raised by two TN: 9
levels, plus a level for each raise Strain: Varies
achieved on his faith roll. In addition, Speed: Varies
his skin thickens, granting a level of Duration: 1d4 hours
Armor for each raise on the roll. Range: 5 miles/faith level
The downside is that the shaman’s The weather spirits can be powerful
Knowledge, Smarts, and Mien die types allies or terrible enemies. This favor
drop by 2 levels (minimum of d4). The can bring much-needed rain to a
grotesque transformation the spook survivor settlement or hurricane-force
undergoes does grant a +4 bonus to all winds to blow back Throckmorton’s
overawe rolls, however. The waster’s raptor squadrons.
Cognition remains unchanged.
When the favor ends, the shaman
must make an Onerous (7) Vigor roll.
Failing the rolls means the brainer
wasn’t able to completely purge his
system of the toxic cocktail and he
gains a permanent random mutation.

Toxic Shock
TN: Opposed Spirit versus Vigor
Strain: 2
Speed: 1
Duration: 1/round
Range: 10 yards/faith level
How do you stop a bull from
charging? Send him into toxic shock, of
course.
This favor affects a single living
target. If the shaman wins a contest of
his Spirit versus the target’s Vigor, he is
able to manipulate the victim’s blood
chemistry and send him into toxic
shock. The target is stunned and
cannot act.
On each of his next actions, the
victim may attempt another contest. As
long as the spook wins, the target
remains stunned. If the target wins,
the favor ends and the victim can act
normally on his next action.
 Call Weather
We a t h e r Strain Speed
Wind 2 10 seconds
Storm clouds 4 10 minutes
Rain 6 30 minutes
Blizzard/hurricane 8 1 hour

Caustic Mist
TN: 5
Strain: 2+
Speed: 1
Duration: 1d4 rounds
Range: 20 yards/faith level
Caustic mist summons up a hazy,
burning mist. The size of the area
covered by it is 10 yards in radius plus
an additional 5 yards for every extra
point of Strain spent to invoke the
favor.
All living targets within the mist
without a sealed helmet or some form
of breathing apparatus must make
Onerous (7) Vigor rolls when first
exposed to the mist and at the
beginning of each round they are still
within the cloud. Those who fail suffer
Take a look at the Call Weather
1d6 Wind.
Table to see how much Strain and time
In addition, the cloud’s haziness
is needed to call a particular type of
reduces visibility. This imposes a –2
weather.
penalty on all ranged attacks into, out
Each level of storm requires the
of, or through the mist. Victims in the
previous storm level to be in place.
cloud without some sort of eye
Therefore, storm clouds can’t be
protection suffer an additional –2
summoned unless the winds are called,
penalty due to watering eyes.
and so on. A lightning strike can be
called from any weather except wind.
Also, instead of summoning up the Coffin Nails
next level of weather, the shaman can TN: 5
call up a more powerful version of the Strain: 2
existing weather. Therefore, if there Speed: 2
was already rain, instead of a Duration: 1/round
hurricane, the spook could call up Range: 10 yards/faith level
torrential rains. Cigarettes are sometimes referred to
Note that it’s not possible to call up as “coffin nails.” This favor allows your
weather that does not fit the season. shaman to make this expression a
Your spook can call up rain in the reality.
desert, but not a blizzard. Your shaman must have a supply of
cigarettes for this favor to work. It
doesn’t matter how old or stale they
are, as long as they’re capable of being
86 No Man’s Land burned—your spook won’t actually be
smoking them, so taste is not a factor.
 It takes 2 actions to get this favor
rolling. The first action is spent lighting
some cigarettes (your shaman can light
up to 5 in a single action). The second
Favors & Relics 87
action actually invokes the favor.
Once the favor is invoked, the spook
can flick lighted cigarettes at his The spook has a special attack while
enemies. These coffin nails arrow in gas form. On a successful called shot
straight at the target and bury to a living opponent’s head with
themselves in the victim’s flesh. Each fightin’: brawlin’, she causes 1d6 Wind
cigarette has a Speed of 1, a Range as she prevents him from breathing. If
Increment of 10, and does 2d8 AP 2 the shaman should be lucky enough to
damage. Wounds caused by the nails get two raises on her attack, she has
don’t bleed (the cigarette’s glowing tip managed to flow down into the
cauterizes the wound). brainer’s lungs—completely blocking his
The shaman can continue to flick airways. On each of the shaman’s
coffin nails as long as he has lighted actions, her opponent suffers 2d6 Wind.
cigarettes and pays to maintain the The asphyxiating waster can try to
favor. As long as the favor is in effect, force the shaman out on each if his
the spook may spend an action to light actions by winning a contest of his
more cigarettes (up to 5 an action). Vigor versus the spook’s Strength. While
Shamans who have watched too inside her opponent, the shaman
many John Woo movies have been cannot be harmed without also
known to use this favor to light an oil harming her enemy.
slick filled with bad guys. The spook can compress her body to
fit in very small spaces. An average-
Gas Mask sized person (size 6) can squeeze into
something as small as a one-gallon jug.
TN: 5 The Marshal has the final call on what
Strain: 1 the waster can and cannot fit into. The
Speed: 1 shaman must do this with caution. If
Duration: 1/5 minutes she is still inside a container smaller
Range: Touch than her body when the favor expires,
Gas mask has the same effects as she could suffer serious damage or
the smog immunity favor, but the even death. The exact damage is up to
shaman may use it to grant protection the Marshal and depends on what the
to others. container is constructed of and how
much smaller it is than the spook.
Gas Form This favor does not affect the
shaman’s equipment or clothing. It
TN: 7
simply drops to the ground when the
Strain: 4
spook transforms.
Speed: 3
Duration: 1 hour
Range: Self Guiding Wind
A shaman can use this favor to TN: 5
transform herself into a wispy, Strain: 2
humanoid cloud of smoke. While in this Speed: 1
form the spook is immune to all Duration: 1/round
physical attacks and can change her Range: Self
shape to flow under doors, through Guiding wind summons up a
ventilation shafts, and so on. She can powerful wind spirit to guide the
still invoke favors while in gas form and spook’s missile attacks to their target.
is still affected by magical attacks and The shaman receives a +2 to all ranged
magical weapons. She is particularly attacks with thrown weapons or
vulnerable to any attacks involving arrows. This bonus is increased by +1
wind or explosions, however. These for each raise the waster gets on his
attacks do double damage. faith roll to invoke the favor.
 A waster who is knocked down by
the gust must make an Onerous (7)
Vigor roll to avoid being stunned.

Lighter Than Air

TN: 7
Strain: 3
Speed: 2
Duration: 1/minute
Range: Self
When invoked, this favor allows the
shaman to float as if he were lighter
than air. He may float upward or
downward at a Pace equal to his Spirit
die type.
Unless he’s got a propeller strapped
to his back, the spook has no power to
propel himself forward or backward. He
can only move by pulling himself with
his hands or by being towed by
someone on the ground.

Lightning Strike
TN: 7
Strain: 3+
Speed: 2
Duration: Instant
Range: 20 yards/faith level
This favor calls upon the spirits of
the storm to strike the shaman’s foe
Gust with lightning. Although powerful, this
favor can only be invoked when storm
TN: 5 clouds are present in the sky.
Strain: 1 When invoked, the favor’s target is
Speed: 1 automatically struck for 3d10 damage to
Duration: Instant the guts. Each extra point of Strain
Range: 10 yards/faith level spent on the favor increases this
If your spook really wants to annoy damage by an additional 1d10.
his enemies, he should eat some garlic
before invoking this favor.
Gust allows your shaman to launch a Misdirection
blast of air from his mouth. This stream TN: 5
of wind must be aimed. Compare the Strain: 2
spook’s faith roll to the TN needed to Speed: 1
hit the target (the gust has a Range Duration: 1/round
Increment of 10 yards). If it makes Range: Self
contact, the target must make a Hard Misdirection creates a powerful wall
(9) Strength roll. If he fails, he is blown of swirling wind around the spook.
back 2d6 yards and must make a Hard This howling shield is strong enough to
(9) Nimbleness roll to stay on his feet. cause even bullets to miss their targets.
It imposes a –2 penalty to all physical
attacks—both ranged and hand-to-
hand—directed against the shaman.

88 No Man’s Land This penalty is increased by an

additional –1 for every raise the spook
gets on his faith roll.
PCB
TN: 7
Strain: 2
Favors & Relics 89
Speed: 1
Duration: Instant
Range: 5 yards/faith level some sort of breathing apparatus or
When invoked, this favor creates a sealed armor must make an Onerous
cloud of carcinogenic chemicals to (7) Vigor roll. Those who fail the roll
surround the target. The victim must lose their next 1d4 actions as they are
make a Hard (9) Vigor roll or lose his wracked with a fit of extreme
next 1d6 actions vomiting and retching. coughing that causes 2d6 Wind. The
The number of actions lost is increased number of actions lost is increased by
by +1 for each raise the shaman gets on +1 for each raise the spook gets on his
his faith roll. faith roll.
In addition, should the unfortunate
waster go bust on his Vigor roll, cancer
sets into his body and he gains the Smoke Ring
ailin’: chronic Hindrance. TN: 5
Targets with sealed armor, a gas Strain: 2
mask or other breathing apparatus, and Speed: 1
those who don’t need to breathe (like Duration: 1/minute
Harrowed and undead) are unaffected Range: 5 yards/faith level
by PCB. The shaman must have a lighted
cigar, cigarette, or pipe to use this favor.
Purple Haze When invoked, the favor allows the
spook to blow a constrictive smoke ring
TN: 7 at his target. This attack must be
Strain: 2+ aimed, so compare the shaman’s faith
Speed: 2 total to the TN needed to hit the target
Duration: 1d6 rounds (the smoke ring has a Range Increment
Range: 20 yards/faith level of 5 yards). The invoker may take called
This favor allows the spook to shots—as you’ll see noggin hits can be
blanket an area with a thick, purplish dangerous.
haze. The area covered by this If the ring hits, it immediately
supernatural fog is a circle with a encircles the affected body location and
radius of 10 yards, plus another 5 yards begins squeezing. The smoke ring has a
for each additional point of Strain spent base Strength of 3d8 plus one level for
to invoke the favor. every raise the shaman gets on his
Visibility within the haze is limited to faith roll.
5 yards, and even within that range it is Encircled limbs feel as if they have
difficult to see. All attacks suffer a –4 been shackled in place. The target
penalty. must win a contest of Strength to move
Unlike the other wasters in the the limb.
cloud, the shaman can see just fine. He Encircled torsos and necks (noggin
suffers no vision penalties and gains a hits) have the air slowly crushed out of
+4 bonus to any sneak rolls. them. On each of the shaman’s actions,
roll a contest of the target’s Vigor
Smog versus the smoke ring’s Strength (the
target gets a +2 bonus to his roll when
TN: 7
the ring is around his torso). If the
Strain: 3
target loses, he suffers a number of
Speed: 2
Wind equal to the amount by which the
Duration: 1 round
roll was failed.
Range: 10 yards/faith level
In either case, if the target ever
This favor creates a thick, choking
beats the smoke ring with a raise, the
smog. It covers a circle 10 yards in
ring is dispelled and the brainer is
radius. Anyone caught inside it without
freed.
 Smoker’s Cough bonfire. Then he, and any companions
he wishes to take with him, must
TN: 5 climb atop this material and join hands.
Strain: 2+ At the conclusion of the ritual needed
Speed: 3 to invoke this favor, the bonfire ignites,
Duration: Instant incinerating the shaman and his
Range: 20 yards/faith level friends in a blast of heat. Their ashes
Smoker’s cough gives your shaman a are belched from the top of the
limited ability to detect ambushes and smokestack in cloud of dark, oily
infiltrators. When invoked, the favor smoke and thrown high into the
causes tickling tendrils of smoke to atmosphere.
waft out from the spook. These wisps Once airborne, the spook can control
cover a circle 10 yards in radius, plus an the direction in which their ashes drift,
additional 10 yards per extra Strain moving at a rate of 100 miles per hour.
spent, out to the favor’s maximum The shaman can choose to have their
range. ashes land anywhere within the favor’s
Anyone within this area who harbors range, even inside a building or other
hostile thoughts toward the shaman, structure as long as there is a window
and breathes some of the smoke, must or other opening for the ashes to drift
make an Onerous (7) Vigor roll or be through.
overcome by a fit of coughing. Once a landing spot has been
Spooks should use this favor with chosen, the group’s ashes waft gently
caution, because it is far from foolproof. down for a landing, forming a pile for
Just because no one coughs doesn’t each of the travelers. These piles slowly
mean the shaman has no enemies take on a human shape and eventually
present—they may just have resisted the transform back into the people they
favor’s effects. Likewise, someone with once were. This process takes 2d6
asthma or tuberculosis might have a rounds, so it’s not a good idea to drift
coughing fit simply because of the into the middle of an enemy’s camp
smoke. Marshal’s should try to keep with this favor.
their players guessing with this one. Going bust while invoking this favor
is bad news. When this happens, the
Smokestack bonfire ignites, but the travelers are not
protected from the flames. They each
TN: 7 take 4d12 massive damage from the
Strain: 4+2 per companion blast of heat and go nowhere.
Speed: 5 minutes
Duration: Special
Range: 20 miles/faith level
Suffocate
Smokestack provides a smog shaman TN: 5
with a quick and spectacular means of Strain: 1
traveling. Speed: 1
A spook wishing to invoke this favor Duration: 1/round
needs two things: a tall smokestack Range: 2 yards/faith level
and a good supply of firewood, gasoline, “I find your lack of faith disturbing.”
or other flammable substance. The Your shaman too, can choke the
smokestack must be of the large living daylights out of those who lack
industrial type—a living room fireplace faith in his powers. Proper application
chimney won’t cut it. of this favor can ensure that no one
The shaman must line the bottom of will be making wisecracks about the
the stack with the firewood or other true source of your smog shaman’s
material he intends to use for his power being a can of beans.
Invoking this favor causes a plug of
tar to form in the target’s throat, cutting
of his air supply. This causes the victim

90 No Man’s Land to suffer 2d6 Wind. At the beginning of

each of the following rounds, the target
suffers an additional 1d6 Wind.
Whirlwind
TN: 7
Strain: 3
Favors & Relics 91
Speed: 2
Duration: 2/round
Range: Self
It’s time to ride the whirlwind.
This favor has a little bit of
Trash Favors
everything: offense, defense, and Whether it’s dirty or dingy or
movement. When invoked, whirlwind dusty, I love it, because, it’s trash.
creates a raging windstorm around the —From the collected
shaman. Any loose debris in the area writings of Oscar T.
gets swept up into this maelstrom to Grouch
form a whirling shield around the
spook. These favors call upon the spirits of
The first effect of this cyclone is to the earth—earth elementals, gan, and
make it harder to hit the shaman. The the like—that have been warped by
spinning dust and debris make it hard pollution and G-rays.
to target the waster and make it likely Earth spirits are among some of the
that attacks attempting to penetrate most powerful spirits, but like the
the twister are deflected. All attacks Earth itself they often move slowly and
against the caster suffer a –2 modifier nearly imperceptibly. It often takes
and those attacks that do hit have a much to get an earth spirit to act, but
50% chance of being deflected. Roll 1d6. when it does, it often unleashes
On a roll of 4 or better the attack violence and power unlike anything the
simply misses. other spirits are capable of.
The whirlwind can lift the shaman
into the air and move with him. This
allows him to fly at a Pace equal to
twice his Spirit die type. The waster
can adjust his height from ground level
to 30 feet in the air (the height of the
whirlwind) on each of his actions with
but a thought.
Lastly, the spook can use his
personal tornado to bash his
opponents. All he has to do is move
within 1 yard of them and the
whirlwind does the rest. A target with
a card remaining can attempt a
vamoose action to get out of the way.
This requires the target to win a
contest of his dodge versus the
shaman’s Spirit (that’s what the spook
uses to steer the twister).
Anyone unfortunate enough to come
in contact with the whirlwind takes
3d6 damage from flying debris and
must roll a contest of Strength versus
the shaman’s Spirit. If the spook wins,
the unlucky target gets tossed around
by the wind. Roll 1d12 to find a random
clock facing. The target is tossed 2d6
yards, +1 for each point by which the
contest was lost, in this direction. He
must make a Hard (9) Nimbleness roll
to land on his feet.
 This powerful magic is not without a
price for the spook who invokes it.
Because many spirits must work
throughout the favor’s duration to keep
the land in its tainted state, they are
less likely to heed the shaman’s call in
the future. For every blight favor a
spook has in effect, he suffers a –1
penalty to all faith rolls made to invoke
favors.
A blight can only be lifted by
returning to the spot in which it was
invoked and working the ritual in
reverse (this has the same TN and
Strain cost as the original ritual). This
can be done by any shaman who
knows the blight favor, but it must be
performed in the exact spot in which
the original favor was invoked.

Cancer Cluster
TN: 9
Strain: 10
Speed: 1 hour
Duration: 10/week
Range: 200 yards/faith level
One of the ways in which illegal
toxic waste dumps are located is to
look for cancer clusters: areas in which
people are getting cancer at rates
much higher than the general
Blight population. Odds are, if you find a
cancer cluster, there is something in
TN: 9 the ground or water that shouldn’t be
Strain: 10 there.
Speed: 1 hour This favor allows the shaman to
Duration: 1 year create a cancer cluster of his own.
Range: 1 mile/faith level Once the favor is invoked, all living
This powerful favor calls upon the creatures within the favor’s range must
earth spirits to poison the land, causing make a weekly Vigor roll against a
crops to fail and streams and ponds to Hard (9) TN. Failing the roll means the
turn bitter. You don’t want to get a victim has developed a fast-growing
shaman who knows this favor mad at cancer. He must make a daily Hard (9)
you. Vigor roll or suffer a wound to the guts.
When invoked, blight causes all plant These wounds can’t be healed naturally
life within the favor’s range to wither while the victim still has the cancer.
and die. This is a gradual process that Anyone living, but infected with
takes a few weeks. At the same time, cancer, when the favor ends must
all natural water sources in the area make one more Hard (9) Vigor roll. If
become bitter and undrinkable, the roll is successful, the cancer goes
smelling of sulfur. into remission and any wounds suffered
from it can be healed naturally. The
cancer remains in those who fail this
roll. They must continue to make daily

92 No Man’s Land Vigor rolls until they either die or are

cured. The shaman who invokes this
favor is immune to its effects.
Confound
TN: 5
Strain: 2
Favors & Relics 93
Speed: 2
Duration: Instant
Range: 10 yards/faith level
Although they’ve been warped by even garbage trucks for use as her own
pollution and G-rays, many of these personal transport. The Strain needed
former nature spirits haven’t forgotten to do this varies with the size of the
their centuries-long feud with the tech object. Check out the Dumpster Table
spirits. This favor allows your spook to for the details.
throw a wrench into junkers’ plans. Once the favor has been invoked,
When confound is invoked, the spook the shaman can control the object with
can target a single junker device within but a thought. The rate at which the
the spell’s range. This device must object moves depends on its size (see
make an immediate Stability check. the Dumpster Table). The object can
The device’s Stability is reduced by –2 move in any direction, including straight
for each raise the shaman gets on his up. The exception to this is the garbage
faith roll to invoke the favor. truck. Once animated, the truck moves
as a normal vehicle, even if its engine
Cuisinart is trashed, its tires slashed, and its fuel
tank is empty.
TN: 7 The various objects which can be
Strain: 3 animated with this favor have the
Speed: 2 following stats:
Duration: 2/round Garbage Can: Durability 8/2, Armor
Range: 10 yards/faith level –2.
This favor lets your spook do some Small Dumpster: Durability 25/5,
slicing and dicing. He must have a Armor 2
supply of small, sharp, metal objects Large Dumpster: Durability 35/7,
(about 10 pounds worth) to invoke Armor 3
cuisinart. These can be found on the
battlefield or provided by the shaman
himself.
Once the favor has been invoked,
Garbage Truck
these metal objects lift from the ground
and begin to twirl, creating a whirling
Pass. W h e e l s Top Speed
cloud of sharp metal blades. The spook
3+20 10 90 mph
can move this cloud on each of his
Ac c e l . Durability Armor
actions at a Pace equal to his Spirit die
5 mph 60/12 See below
type. The cloud can be moved in any
Handling
direction, including straight up. Anyone
–2
or anything caught in this cloud takes
Armor: Bottom 1, front 1, rear 3, left
2d8 AP 1 massive damage. This damage
side 1/3 (cab/trash compartment), right
is inflicted on each of the shaman’s
side 1/3, roof 1/3
actions.

Dumpster
TN: 5 Dumpster
Strain: Varies
Speed: 3
Duration: Varies Object Strain Duration Pace
Range: 10 yards/faith level Garbage Can 2 1/minute 4 x Spirit
Dumpster allows your shaman to ride Small Dumpster 3 1/minute 2 x Spirit
around in true style. She can use it to Large Dumpster 4 2/minute Spirit
animate garbage cans, dumpsters, and Garbage Truck 5 3/minute See above
 Earth Form The rippling ground caused by this
favor can also damage structures. Any
TN: 7 buildings or other structures within the
Strain: 5 epicenter take 4d8 damage. This isn’t
Speed: 3 enough to knock down most buildings
Duration: 1 hour (the average house has a Durability of
Range: Self 90-100), but it can cause already
This favor gets your shaman in touch damaged buildings and unstable
with his earthy side. When earth form structures to collapse.
is invoked, it transforms the spook into
a hard, rocky statue of himself. His
mineral-hard skin grants him Armor 4,
Garbage Disposal
but drops his Deftness and Nimbleness TN: 7
die types by a level. The spook is also Strain: 3
able to tap into the earth’s power—his Speed: 2
Strength die type increases by 3 levels. Duration: Instant
While in this form, the shaman can Range: 10 yards/faith level
also burrow through the earth. He can Some of the mob-controlled landfills
move through dirt at a speed equal to of the Northeast contain more bodies
twice his Spirit, and he can even move than many cemeteries. This favor
through solid rock at a Pace equal to allows your shaman to add one more
his Spirit. body to the trash pile.
The spook has a special attack in When garbage disposal is invoked, it
hand-to-hand combat. Whenever he causes a 10’ deep hole to open up
strikes someone with his bare fists, the beneath the shaman’s designated
target must make a Hard (9) Vigor roll target. If the target has any cards
or be stunned. remaining, he may attempt a vamoose
action to avoid falling in the hole. This
Epicenter requires a successful Hard (9)
Nimbleness roll.
TN: 7 Once the target falls in or jumps out
Strain: 3 of the way, the hole slams shut. If the
Speed: 2 unfortunate brainer fell in, he suffers
Duration: Instant 3d8 massive damage from the
Range: 5 yards/faith level collapsing hole. If he survives this, he
Epicenter gives your shaman some may attempt to dig himself free on
breathing room. When invoked, it each of his actions. This requires an
causes a shock wave to ripple outwards Incredible (11) Strength roll. Each success
through the ground in a circle around and raise allows the brainer to squirm
the spook. This shock wave extends out 1’ upward. He must burrow 10’ up to
to the favor’s maximum range. reach the surface. At the beginning of
Everyone caught within this area must each round he remains buried, the
make a Hard (9) Nimbleness roll to waster suffers 2d6 Wind.
remain on their feet. Those who fall
down are stunned. On each of their
following actions they can attempt an
Jersey Shore
Onerous (7) Vigor roll to recover. TN: 7
The drivers of vehicles traveling Strain: 3
through this area must make a Hard (9) Speed: 1
drivin’ roll (plus any modifiers due to Duration: 1 minute
speed and the vehicle’s Handling) to Range: 10 yards/faith level
retain control of their vehicles. Ah, the New Jersey shore, the Riviera
of the toxic spirit world. Portions of the
Jersey shore have serious pollution
problems. There is pollution from the oil

94 No Man’s Land refineries, red tides from New York

City’s sewage, and the occasional beach
closing due to infected hospital waste
washing up in the surf. This favor
allows your shaman to use this last bit
of pollution as a weapon.
When Jersey shore is invoked, it
Favors & Relics 95
causes a bunch of hypodermics to
appear in the shaman’s hand. He
receives 1d6 needles, +1 for each raise has an Armor Value of 6 and a
he gets on his faith roll. All of these Durability of 20/4 per 1 yard section.
hypos are contaminated with The shaman can shape the wall into
supernaturally virulent strains of any configuration he likes, as long as
Hepatitis-B and other nasty diseases. he doesn’t exceed the length set by the
The shaman can fling the needles at amount of Strain spent.
his opponents with a successful The barrier created by junk wall is
throwin’: balanced roll (the needles are permanent and persists after the favor
supernaturally stabilized in flight). The ends.
hypos have a Speed of 1 and a Range
Increment of 10 yards. The needles do
Strength+1d6 AP 2 damage on impact. Magnetize
The shaman can also use them to TN: 7
stab his enemies with a successful Strain: 2
fightin’: brawlin’ attack, doing the same Speed: 1
damage. Duration: 1/round
Any target who suffers a wound or Range: 10 yards/faith level
more from one of these hypodermics Magnetize can make your shaman’s
must make a Hard (9) Vigor roll to avoid enemies look mighty foolish. When
becoming infected with the needle’s invoked, your spook can magnetize any
contents. A brainer who becomes
infected is wracked with pain and fever
as the supernaturally-enhanced bugs
ravage his system. He must make an
Onerous (7) Vigor roll on each of his
actions to even be capable of acting. If
he is able to act, he suffers a –4
penalty to all actions.
The effects of this infection lasts
until the favor expires or the target
gets a raise on his Vigor roll to resist it.
If the target ever goes bust on one of
these rolls, the infection doesn’t end
when the favor does and the brainer
gains the ailin’: chronic Hindrance.

Junk Wall
TN: 5
Strain: 1/Yard of wall
Speed: 1
Duration: Permanent
Range: 20 yards/faith level
Junk wall allows your shaman to
whip up some instant cover. When this
favor is invoked, it causes a tangled,
waist-high wall of earth, rocks, and
rusted metal to rise from the ground at
the point designated by the spook.
Each point of Strain spent on the favor
creates 1 yard of wall roughly 1’ thick. In
the event that the wall is attacked, it
 large piece of ferrous metal (it must be replay the spook’s words in a deep bass
50 pounds or more) within the favor’s rumble. Any response given by the
range. target is transmitted back to the
Once the hunk o’ junk has been shaman in the same way.
magnetized, the fun begins. All ferrous When the message is sent to a
metal within 10 yards of the new specific person, the message is clearly
magnet is drawn to it. Anyone who is audible to only the selected target.
holding or wearing such an object must Others wishing to listen in must make
roll a contest of Strength against the a Fair (5) Cognition roll (or higher at the
magnet. The magnet has a Strength of Marshal’s discretion) to hear. When the
4d12, +2 for each raise the shaman gets message is sent to a location, everyone
on her faith roll. within 10 yards of the site can clearly
If the brainer fails the roll, any items hear the message and respond to it.
he is holding are torn from his grasp
and pulled to the magnet. If he is Shackles
wearing such an item, he is pulled 1
yard closer to the magnet for each TN: 5
point by which the contest was failed. Strain: 2
If the waster is pulled against the Speed: 1
magnet, this causes damage equal to Duration: 1/minute
the magnet’s Strength plus a bonus Range: 10 yards/faith level
determined by the Marshal (this Having trouble getting people to
depends on what else has been pulled listen to your shaman’s environmental
onto the magnet). spiel? Use shackles to get a captive
In addition, any metal weapons fired audience.
or thrown through the magnet’s area of When this favor is invoked, it causes a
effect suffer a –2 penalty to hit, as they pair of rocky hands to erupt from the
tend to be deflected off course by the ground and grab the shaman’s target.
powerful magnetic field. These hands have a Strength of 4d12, +2
Objects larger than the object for each raise the spook gets on his faith
magnetized are not drawn toward it. roll. The hands normally grab the
target’s legs, but if the target is prone or
crawling, the shaman can have them
Rumble grab his arms or even throat.
TN: 5 Once the target has been snagged by
Strain: 2 the hands, he must win a contest of
Speed: 1 Strength to break free from them. In
Duration: 1/minute addition, if the hands have grabbed the
Range: 1 mile/faith level target by the throat, the shaman can
Rumble allows your spook to have them try to strangle his enemy.
communicate with people over a long On each of the spook’s actions roll a
distance. When the favor is invoked, the contest of the hands’ Strength versus
shaman can pick as a target any the victim’s Vigor. If the hands win, the
person he knows within the favor’s target suffers 1 point of Wind for each
range or a specific location within point by which he lost the roll.
range.
Once a target has been selected, the Shock Wave
shaman speaks and his words are
transmitted through the ground as TN: 7
shock waves. When these waves reach Strain: 4+2 per companion
the favor’s target, they cause the Speed: 1 minute
surrounding terrain to vibrate and Duration: Instant
Range: 1 mile/faith level
Shock Wave is another speedy way
for toxic shamans to get around the

96 No Man’s Land Wasted West. It’s also a handy way of

getting inside areas the shaman is not
supposed to be in.
 Before this favor can be invoked, the
shaman must bury a quantity of
explosives (a stick of dynamite or
better) three feet below the area in
Favors & Relics 97
which he performs the ritual. Then he
and anyone traveling with him must
stand atop the explosives while the
favor is invoked. At the ritual’s Trash Talk
conclusion, the explosives detonate, TN: 5
causing a shock wave to travel through Strain: 1
the ground at the speed of sound. The Speed: 1
favor’s magic transforms the travelers Duration: 1/round
into energy that rides this wave to any Range: Self
location within the favor’s range. You know who I am? You got any
Travel to a selected destination is idea what I’m going to do to you?
nearly instantaneous. When the Trash talk allows your shaman to
travelers reach the end of their trip, propagate some serious noise pollution.
they simply reform out of the ground in For the duration of the favor,
a single round. The destination can be everything your spook says seems
any place directly impacted by the somehow more cutting and
shock wave. For instance, the travelers intimidating. This grants him a +2
could appear in the basement of a bonus to all overawe and ridicule
building (which is in direct contact with attempts made while trash talk is in
the earth the wave is moving through), effect. This bonus is increased by an
but not an office on the sixth floor of additional +2 for every raise the
that building. shaman gets on his faith roll.
Going bust on while invoking this
favor is not a good idea. In this case,
the explosives detonate, but the energy
transformation does not take place.
Everyone in the explosive’s Burst
Radius takes damage. The good news
is that the earth tamped down over the
bomb provides 1 level of Armor.

Trash Bridge
TN: 5
Strain: 2
Speed: 2
Duration: 1/minute
Range: 10 yards/faith level
Now it’s your shaman’s turn to walk
on water—or more precisely, floating
trash.
When trash bridge is invoked, it
causes bits of trash to bubble to the
surface of the body of water the spook
wishes to cross. These form a semi-
stable platform for the shaman to walk
on. Semi-stable because walking on the
trash causes it to bob slightly. This
effect isn’t bad if the wasters using the
bridge walk, but anyone trying to run
across the trash must make an
Onerous (7) Nimbleness roll on each
action he runs. Failing the roll means
the brainer ends up swimming.
 Like ask the spirits, this favor can’t
track someone who is in an opposed
sphere. This means it can’t find anyone
who is airborne, because the sky is
part of smog’s sphere.

Volcano
TN: 9
Strain: 6
Speed: 4
Duration: 2/round
Range: 20 yards/faith level
If you really need to get someone’s
attention, this is the favor to use.
Volcano creates an honest-to-goodness,
lava-belching inferno suitable for
roasting enemies and virgin sacrifices.
The shaman can center the eruption
anywhere within the favor’s maximum
range. The eruption begins with a blast
of furnace-hot air and a cloud of
poisonous gas. Everyone within 10 yards
of the eruption site takes 3d6 Wind and
must make an Onerous (7) Vigor roll to
avoid being stunned—a bad thing to be
while standing next to a volcano.
At the beginning of the first round
following the favor’s invocation—as long
as the shaman spends the Strain to
maintain the favor—molten lava begins
to flow from the volcano. This spreads
Trash Track in a circle that increases in radius by 5
TN: 5 yards each round the favor is
Strain: 1 maintained. Anything touched by the
Speed: 2 lava takes 4d20 AP 2 damage.
Duration: Instant The volcano also spews random balls
Range: 20 miles/faith level of lava and superheated rocks. Roll 1d6
Trash track calls on toxic earth for every person and vehicle within 100
spirits to locate a person for the yards of the eruption. On a roll of 6,
shaman. The spook must know the that lucky individual won the lava
person being tracked or possess an catching contest. He gets nailed with a
item which belonged to him. bit of pyroclastic debris that does 4d12
To invoke the favor, the shaman damage. If the debris hits a vehicle,
scatters some trash on the ground and treat this as if it were a light weapon
then completes the ritual. If the person (damage is divided by 5).
is within the favor’s range, the trash The volcano continues to erupt for as
rearranges itself into an arrow pointing long as the invoking shaman can
in the direction the spook must travel continue to provide the Strain needed.
to reach the person. If the person is out Once the spook stops, so does the
of range, the trash forms into a volcano; it immediately becomes
question mark. dormant. This doesn’t mean the lava
cools of immediately, though. It
continues to damage anything which
comes in contact with it, but the

98 No Man’s Land damage inflicted drops by a die type

each hour after the volcano ceases to
erupt.
 Relics Favors & Relics 99
Besides the truckload of spook favors
we just worked through, we thought
we’d also include some new relics for
you hero types to get your greedy mitts in yards. If the user wins a contest of
on. Spirit with the target, the victim suffers
These listings for these relics are a a –4 penalty to all rolls due to intense
little different from those found in pain. This penalty is increased by an
earlier books. For starters, each relic additional –2 for each raise the user
has a Belongin’
Belongin’s s rating. This is the gets in the contest of Spirits.
number of points a starting character The shard’s wielder can maintain
must pay in the belongin’s Edge to this pain at the cost of 1 Wind per
purchase this relic. Some relics have round.
“NA” listed here. This means that the Taint: The shard’s owner gains
object in question is either too rare or extreme versions of the bloodthirsty
too powerful for a new character to and vengeful Hindrances. Whenever
have. These relics can only be acquired someone insults, humiliates, or
through adventuring. otherwise acts against the hero, he
The other change is that not all of must make a Hard (9) Spirit roll or he is
the relics have all of their powers and compelled to seek revenge against the
possible taints listed here. Many of person.
these things are the stuff of legend,
and over the years many stories have
sprung up around them. Many of these
Cochise’s Musket
stories attribute the relics with powers Belongin’
Belongin’s: s: 5
they don’t have while often not This an old, black-powder musket
mentioning powers they do have In that once belonged to the legendary
these cases, the relic descriptions list Apache chief, Cochise. This weapon lay
the object’s reputed powers and its true by his side for over a century as he
powers are tucked away in the struggled with the gan in the Hunting
Marshal’s section. The only way for a Grounds. It was captured by the CEAL
hero to discover the relic’s true powers teams that stormed the Apache
(and taints) is through research stronghold and kept as a trophy.
(perhaps in the Hunting Grounds) or by When the Chamber (see The
actually getting his hands on the object. Junkman Cometh) took over the place
after the Last War, the junkers did not
realize the weapon’s significance and
Bloodstone Shard traded it for some computer parts.
Belongin’
Belongin’s: s: 4 Where the gun has traveled since then
This is a portion of the rock on is anyone’s guess.
which Raven was tortured for Po
Powwers: Cochise’s long struggle
ers:
over a century (see the Wasted against the mountain spirit has imbued
West for all the details). When the weapon with the power to assist its
the shaman finally won his wielder in persevering against
125 freedom. his first act was to vent seemingly insurmountable problems.
his fury upon the rock, shattering Anyone holding the weapon gains a +4
it into a thousand pieces. bonus to all Spirit, Strength, and Vigor
During the many years of Raven’s rolls made to resist the effects of
torment, the rock became tainted with hostile magic, poisons, fatigue, stun,
his foul body fluids. What was once a and brawling damage.
normal-looking rock has been stained a The musket can also be used as a
dark red and black. weapon. It’s magical nature means
Po
Powwer s: The rock can be used to
ers: rounds fired from the weapon can
inflict great pain on an enemy. The harm creatures normally immune to
user may designate any human target physical attacks. Its stats are on the
within 10 times the wielder’s Spirit die following page.
 Relic Weapons
We a p o n Shots Caliber Speed ROF Damage Range Incr ement
Increment
Cochise’s Musket 1 .58 C&B 2 1 5d8 10
Geronimo’s Rifle 15 .45 2 1 4d8+2 20

Taint: The musket’s owner is Po

Powwers: As long as the entire suit is
ers:
inspired by Cochise’s selfless sacrifice worn, it provides total protection
and gains the heroic Hindrance. Should against radiation, airborne toxins,
the hero ever fail to act in a situation in biological agents, and acid for a limited
which heroism is called for (Marshal’s time. This protection remains in effect
call), the weapon no longer grants the no matter how many holes, tears, or
owner any bonuses and won’t even fire. cuts there are in the suit.
The total length of time a suit
Geronimo’s Rifle provides protection varies from suit to
suit. Roll 3d20, rerolling Aces. This is
Belongin’
Belongin’s: s: 5 the total number of minutes the suit
This is another weapon belonging to provides protection. Only subtract from
a famous Apache. During the tribe’s this total when there is actually a
long struggle against the Confederacy, threat to protect against—simply
the Chiricahua warriors became wearing the suit doesn’t use up time.
masters of the ambush—none more so Once the suit’s time is up it no
than Geronimo himself. longer functions.
Power
Pow s: The owner of this rifle
ers: Taint: The next time the hero
gains a +6 to all sneak rolls made to attempts to sleep following a use of the
hide for an ambush. As long as the suit’s power, he is haunted by the
user remains undetected, the called previous owner. He has terrifying
shot penalties for attacks made with dreams in which he relives the other
this weapon are halved. person’s death. The hero must make an
As with Cochise’s weapon, this rifle Onerous (7) Spirit roll or lose one of his
can injure creatures which are immune chips (drawn at random by the
to physical attacks. Marshal).
This weapon only grants its powers
to heroes of Native American descent.
Taint: The user gains the
New Jersey Beach Sand
bloodthirsty Hindrance. In addition, Belongin’
Belongin’s s: 4
when ambushing a foe, the shooter New Jersey beach sand is a highly
must make an Onerous (7) Spirit roll if sought after object by toxic shamans.
he wishes to shoot the target in any Unfortunately, it’s very hard to come by.
location other than the head. To get some, your brainer has two
choices. She can cross the Mississippi,
Ghost Suit fight her way through a horde of
undead and worse, and actually collect
Belongin’ s: 3
Belongin’s: some sand from a beach in New Jersey
This is a haz-mat suit in which or she can find a bit that some
someone died. The poor schmuck’s soul Westerner brought home as a souvenir.
has continued to hang around and acts This isn’t as strange as it sounds, a
as a guardian for whoever wears the number of souvenir shops in Atlantic
suit. City, Ocean City, and other tourist traps
often sold small bottles containing
beach sand and a small amount of
water from the Atlantic Ocean.

100 No Man’s Land Po

Powwers: A shaman with one of
ers:
these trinkets gains a +2 to all faith
rolls made to cast trash or sludge
favors. In addition, the shaman can
imbibe some of the bottle’s contents. If
she succeeds at a Hard (9) faith roll, she
immediately regains 3d6 Strain.
Favors & Relics 101
An average bottle holds 4 doses of
sand and sea. Once the bottle is empty,
throw it away; its power is gone. Super Fund slugs contain a list of
Taint: The owner of one of these these sites. They are ordinary slugs that
bottles has an overwhelming desire to can be used in any computer or
collect and listen to old Bruce palmcorder to display their contents.
Springsteen and Bon Jovi albums. She Each slug contains a list of either sites
must make an Onerous (7) Spirit roll to in the US or the CSA. If your brainer
pass up an opportunity to scrounge for wants a complete list of the sites to be
these items in a record store. In found around the Wasted West, he
addition, phrases like “fugedaboudit,” needs to have a slug from each country.
“youse guys,” and “am I funny to you?” The last time a list was compiled by
begin to creep into the hero’s speech. either nation was in 2079. After that,
the destruction caused by the war was
Raven’s Spear too great to keep up with all the toxic
spills and the funds were needed for
Belongin’
Belongin’s s : NA more important things like building
Next to the Spear of Destiny— cyborgs and hovertanks.
the spear Longinus is said to Po
Powwers: Many of these sites grant
ers:
have pierced Christ’s side shamans of the appropriate sphere
with—this is one of the most special powers.
sought after relics of the Taint: None
Wasted West. This is the spear
125
which Raven used in his fight
against the Old Ones in the Hunting
Grounds. The head of the spear and
most of the shaft is stained black with
their blood.
Reputed Po wer
Pow s: Numerous powers
ers:
have been attributed to this object.
Many believe that anyone who
possesses the spear will remain forever
young like Raven. Others believe its
bearer is immune to physical attacks
and has a heightened resistance to
magical ones. Still others claim that any
mortal wounded by the spear is
instantly killed.
Taint: Try it and see.

Super Fund Slug

Belongin’
Belongin’s s: 3
This isn’t so much a magical
item as a complete guide to
sites holy to toxic shamans
(or unholy if your brainer is a
caretaker). Both the US and
125 Confederate governments had
programs to locate and clean up
hazardous waste sites within their
borders. They set aside large amounts
of money in Super Funds to be used
for these clean ups.
 Spook Favors
Fa
avvo r TN Strain Speed Duration Range Summary
General Faavvo rrs
s
Ask The Spirits Varies Varies Varies Instant Self Gain knowledge from
the spirits.
Cleanse 9 1/10 cu. ft. 1 min./cu. ft. Permanent Touch Purifies environment.
Corrupt 5 1/10 cu. ft. 1 min./cu. ft. Permanent Touch Pollutes environment.
Curse 9 5 1 hour Permanent Special Curses an enemy.
Healing Varies Varies 1 minute Permanent Touch Heals wounds.
Immunity 5 1 1 1/5 minutes Self Grants immunity to pollution.
Invisibility 9 3 2 Conc. or 1/round Self Grants invisibility under
certain conditions/
Luck 9 3 1 Instant Self Gain chip to spend on next
action.
Open Portal 11 5 1 hour 1 hour 10 yards Opens a gateway into the
Hunting Grounds.
Pact 7 Varies 5 min./Strain Permanent Touch Saves a favor for casting later.
Resurrection 13 15 1 hour Permanent Touch Resurrects dead hero.
Spirit Guide 7 2 1 1 Destination Self Guides shaman in the Hunting
Grounds.
Spiritual Attack 7 3 1 1/round 10 yds/faith Attacks guardian spirits &
browsers.
Summon Spirit 9 Varies 10 minutes Varies 10 yards Summons a spirit to do task.
Zombie 7 5 3 1 minute/faith Sight Creates zombie

Insect Favo rrs

Fav s
Burrow 5 1 1 1/round Self Shaman can burrow through
ground.
Chitin 5 2 1 1/round Self Creates Armor AV 1, +1/raise.
Dull Pain 5 2 1 1/hour Self Reduces pain modifiers.
Insect Form 7 4 2 1hour+3/hour Self Transforms shaman into insect.
Insect Speak 5 1 1 10 minutes Self Shaman can speak to insects.
Insect Strength 7 2 1 1/round Self Increases Strength by 2 dice, +1/
raise.
Iron Gullet 5 1 1 1 hour Self Shaman can digest any organic
material.
Maggot Infestation 7 2 2 1/round 10yds./faith Maggots infest target’s wounds,
causing additional damage.
Mantis Warrior 5 2 1 Conc. or 1/round 5 yards Increases Strength & Nimbleness
by 2 die types.
Pestilence 7 2 2 1d4 rounds 10 yds./faith Summons cloud of infectious,
biting insects.
Scent 5 1 1 Conc. Self Enhances shaman’s sense of
smell.
Spider Sense 7 2 1 1/10 minutes Self Shaman is harder to surprise.
Stinger 5 Varies 1 Varies Self Shaman can sting with
paralyzing venom.
Stink Bug 5 1 1 1/round Self Shaman farts noxious cloud.
Summon Insects 5 3 2 1/round 10 yds./faith Summons horde of insects.
Termite 7 Varies 1 Permanent 5 yds./faith Damages wooden objects.
Web 5 2 1 1/round 10 yds./faith Creates an entangling web.
Wings of Locust 5 2 2 10 minutes Self Shaman can fly at Pace 36.
 More Spook Favors
Fa
avvo r TN Strain Speed Duration Range Summary
Radiation Favo rrs
Fav s
Cancer 7 2 1 1/action 10 yds./faith Inflicts fast-growing cancer
Electro. Armor 5 2 1 1/round Self Shaman is covered with crackling
energy.
Energy Form 9 5 2 1 hour Self Shaman is converted into a being
of pure energy.
Energy Weapon 7 2 1 2/round Self Weapon does +2d10 damage.
Glow Ball 5 1 1 Conc. or 1/10 min. 10 yds. Creates glowing ball.
Glow Foe 5 1 1 1/round 20 yds./faith Eliminates vision penalties
against a single foe.
Heavy Water 5 2 1 1/round 10 yds./faith Imposes –2 penalty, plus
additional –1 per raise.
Maelstrom 7 5 3 1 round/faith 20 yds./faith Creates small ghost rock
maelstrom.
Mutate 7 5 10 minutes Permanent Touch Can inflict or remove mutations.
Pulse 7 Special 1 Instant Self Causes an EMP.
Rad Blast 5 1-5 1 Instant 20 yds./faith Bolt of energy doing 1d10 per
point of Strain.
Rad Rat 5 2 2 1/round 200 yards Summons a pack of rad rats.
Radar Range 5 2 1 1/round 20 yds./faith Negates targeting modifiers.
Radar Sight 5 1 1 Conc. or 1/min. 1 mile/faith Allows shaman to see in total
darkness.
Radio 5 1/10 miles 1 5 minutes Varies Allows long range
communication.
Radon 5 2 1 1 round 10 yds./faith Creates a cloud of radioactive
gas.
X-Ray 5 1 1 1/minute 10 yds./faith Grants x-ray vision.

Sludge Fa vo rrs
Fav s
Acid Ball 5 3 2 Instant 10 yds./faith Hurls acidic ball.
Acid Rain 9 10 1 minute Varies 10 miles Causes an acid rain storm.
Acid Weapon 5 2 1 1/round Self Coats weapon with acid for +2d6
damage.
Blob Form 7 4-6 3 1 hour Self Transforms shaman into blob.
Blobs 7 3 1 5 minutes Touch Animates sludge.
Firewater 7 3+ 1 10 minutes Touch Creates flammable water.
Flush 5 1 1 Instant 5 yds./faith Fires jet of raw sewage.
GERD 7 3 2 Instant 5 yds./faith Causes damage to enemies or
allows shaman to belch acid.
Gills 5 1 1 1/minute Self Shaman can breathe water.
Oil Slick 5 1 1 1/round 10 yds./faith Creates a slippery oil slick.
Poison 7 2/4/8 2 5 minutes 10 yds. Poisons a single beverage.
Quicksludge 5 3 or 6 2 1/round 10 yds./faith Creates an area of quicksludge.
Slime 5 1 1 5 minutes 5 yds./faith Creates sticky, entangling slime.
Toxic Avenger 7 3 2 1/round Self Transforms the shaman into a
hideous, strong brute.
Toxic Shock Opposed 2 1 1/round 10 yds./faith Stuns opponent.
 Even More Favors
Fa
avvo r TN Strain Speed Duration Range Summary
Smog Fa vo rrs
Fav s
Call Weather 9 Varies Varies 1d4 Hours 5 miles/faith Changes the weather
Caustic Mist 5 2+ 1 1d4 rounds 20 yds./faith Creates a damaging mist.
Coffin Nails 5 2 2 1/round 10 yds./faith Shaman can flick cigarettes
doing 2d8 AP 2 damage.
Gas Mask 5 1 1 1/5 minutes Touch Grants another immunity to
airborne poisons.
Gas Form 7 4 3 1 hour Self The shaman transforms into a
cloud of gas.
Guiding Wind 5 2 1 1/round Self Guides arrows and thrown
weapons to their targets.
Gust 5 1 1 Instant 10 yds./faith
Knocks opponents back with a
gust of wind.
Lighter Than Air 7 3 2 1/minute Self The shaman can levitate.
Lightning Strike 7 3+ 2 Instant 20 yds./faith Strikes enemies with lightning.
Misdirection 5 2 1 1/round Self Causes ranged attacks to miss.
PCB 7 2 1 Instant 5 yds./faith Causes opponent to lose actions.
Purple Haze 7 2+ 2 1d6 rounds 20 yds./faith Creates a blinding cloud.
Smog 7 3 2 1 round 10 yds./faith Creates a choking cloud.
Smoke Ring 5 2 1 1/minute 5 yds./faith Creates entangling smoke rings.
Smoker’s Cough 5 2+ 3 Instant 20 yds./faith Reveals the shaman’s enemies.
Smokestack 7 4+2/companion 5 Special 20 miles/faith Allows the shaman to travel
large distances.
Suffocate 5 1 1 1/round 2 yds./faith Chokes victim.
Whirlwind 7 3 2 2/round Self Creates whirlwind which spoils
attacks and allows the
shaman to fly.

Tr a s h F a
av s
vo rrs
Blight 9 10 1 hour 1 year 1 mile/faith
Destroys crops.
Cancer Cluster 9 10 1 hour 10/week 200 yds./faith
Causes cancer over large area.
Confound 5 2 2 Instant 10 yds./faith
Causes Stability checks.
Cuisinart 7 3 2 2/round 10 yds./faith
Causes 2d8 AP 1 massive
damage.
Dumpster 5 Varies 3 Varies 10 yds./faith Animates trash containers.
Earth Form 7 5 3 1 hour Self Transforms shaman.
Epicenter 7 3 2 Instant 5 yds./faith Knocks opponents down.
Garbage Disposal 7 3 2 Instant 10 yds./faith Traps opponent in earth.
Jersey Shore 7 3 1 1 minute 10 yds./faith Hurls infected hypodermics.
Junk Wall 5 1/yd. of wall 1 Permanent 20 yds./faith Creates earthen wall.
Magnetize 7 2 1 1/round 10 yds./faith Creates a powerful magnet.
Rumble 5 2 1 1/minute 1 mile/faith Allows long distance
communication.
Shackles 5 2 1 1/minute 10 yds./faith Binds the target to the ground.
Shock Wave 7 4+2/companion 1 minute Instant 1 mile/faith Allows rapid travel through the
ground.
Trash Bridge 5 2 2 1/minute 10 yds./faith Shaman can walk on water.
Trash Talk 5 1 1 1/round Self Bonus to overawe and ridicule.
Trash Track 5 1 2 Instant 20 miles/faith Tracks an individual.
Volcano 9 6 4 2/round 20 yds./faith Causes a volcanic eruption.
The Marshal’s
Handbook
 Chapter Four:
Spooky Secrets

Okay, you players know the drill.

Take a hike. Scram. Skedaddle.
Vamoose. Git!
The Great Summoning
I’ll tell your Marshal. As you might imagine, the Great
That’s better. Summoning the Sioux shamans pulled
off was some seriously big-time
medicine. The shamans pulled out all
Brass Tacks the stops, used every ritual they knew
All right, Marshal, now that those (including some which had been
players are gone we can get down to banned centuries before), called in
business. every spiritual marker they held, and
This chapter’s overflowing with they still damn near failed. Even
informational goodness. We’ve got the success was costly—more than 90% of
low down on all the juicy bits of the those involved in the mass ordeal failed
toxic shamans’ history, the true powers to survive the experience.
of those relics we waved under the What the Sioux shamans did was
players’ noses, all the information you contact an Elemental spirit. That’s
need to know about what happens Elemental with a capital “E,” if you’re
when the toxic spirits bite your spook’s paying attention. These enormously
head off, the effects caretakers and powerful spirits have been around
corrupters have on the environment, since the world began—some say even
the location of Jimmy Hoffa’s body, and before. Elementals have a strong
who really shot Kennedy. connection to the Earth and they
Okay, we don’t actually have those have the Earth’s power at their
last two bits of information (yeah, like command. Fortunately for the
we’d tell you if we did), but the rest of human race, these powerful
it is all here. Although, if you dig beings have slumbered for
around under Giants Stadium you millennia.
might just be surprised at what you
find.
 The Elementals’ slumber is fortunate nature spirits, even inside their
because when they are awake, things technological shells where they were
happen. Volcanoes erupt, typhoons strip normally safe.
islands bare, and tsunamis flood
coastlines—all things that are bad for Tech in the Sioux Nations
the people living near these disasters.
The Elementals cause these events not So, what does this mean for a posse
because they have it in for the human thinking about heading into the Sioux
race, but because it’s what they do—it’s Nations? It means they had better learn
as natural as breathing. how to use a bow and arrow because
The Sioux shamans managed to all of their high-tech toys are not going
make enough ruckus in the Hunting to function for very long.
Grounds to get one of these spirits to The Elemental’s magic has faded
open its eyes and look around. The some over the centuries, but it is still
Elemental wasn’t too happy about quite potent. While inside the borders
being disturbed, but it figured that if of the Sioux Nations, all technological
granting the shamans’ request would devices must make Stability rolls every
make them shut up and let it get back minute. If the roll is failed, the device
to sleep, it would. stops working and won’t work again
Within the borders of the Sioux until it has left the area. Junker devices
Nations the spirit created an area in use their normal Stability rating for this
which Nature ruled supreme. Inside this roll. Non-junker items within this zone
zone man’s inventions and the tech are considered to have a Stability of 20.
spirits he created had little to no The only catch is that all devices in this
power—the nature spirits were in zone have their Stability reduced by –6.
charge. Any tech spirits entering the This means a normal device rolls
Sioux Nation could be attacked by the against a Stability of 14.
Unless the posse gets into a fight
just after it crosses the border, don’t
bother rolling for all of their equipment.
Just assume that after about 10
minutes, it has all stopped working.
What’s affected by the Sioux’s anti-
tech whammy? Pretty much everything
that wasn’t made by hand from all-
natural materials. Weapons, vehicles,
and other high-tech gizmos are obvious
targets, but it doesn’t stop there.
Modern combat knives lose their edge
and the blade breaks if subjected to
any stress; backpack straps
continuously loosen and fall off the
hero’s shoulders; waterproof tents leak
and the ropes and poles are easily
broken—you get the idea. Some items
may require you to get inventive, but
the posse should quickly learn they
cannot rely on any item that was not
handcrafted from some plant, animal,
or naturally occurring mineral.
For obvious reasons, cyborgs stay
well away from this place. It’s more
than just having a few systems and
limbs stop working—when the spirit
fetter fails bad things happen. For
starters, none of the deader’s systems
work even if they haven’t failed yet.
Roll 1d10 when the fetter fails. For every
2 points on this roll the cyborg gains 1
level of the unfettered Hindrance. If this
causes the manitou’s effective Spirit die
to drop below a d4, the cyborg is dead.
Spooky Secrets 109
Junker Magic
type of magic works). Medicine men
Not many junkers travel to the Sioux who have taken the Old Ways vow get
Nations for one simple reason: their an additional +4 bonus within the
magic doesn’t work there. Tech spirits Sioux Nations—giving them a whopping
stay as far away from this place as they +6 bonus overall.
possibly can, so junker heroes have no
way of performing their powers or tool
tricks. In addition, all of the junker’s Leaving the Nations
browser spirits desert him while he’s Once the posse decides to leave
inside Sioux territory. Familiars stop Lakota Territory, the heroes have a few
working also. last rolls to make. Each hero needs to
roll a d20 for each of his possessions
Toxic Shamans (just roll for important things like
weapons, armor, and so on, don’t
Corrupters are not welcome in the bother with boots, toothbrushes, and
Sioux Nations and their magic does not things like that unless you want to). If
work. As Dirty Waters described, he rolls a 20, the item’s tech spirit
caretakers are welcomed by the Lakota. didn’t survive its stay. The item is
Caretakers’ magic only works, however, permanently broken.
if they are granted a talisman by one of Likewise, junkers, toxic shamans,
the Sioux shamans. These talismans and anyone else who has some form of
are smaller versions of the totems set spirit buddy, need to roll 1d20 for each
up around Deadwood. As long as the of these spirits. On a roll of 20, the
shaman possesses this talisman, the browser, familiar, toxic guardian, or
nature spirits leave him alone and what have you, wasn’t driven off—it
allow him to work his medicine. was killed and the hero loses its use
Toxic shamans without a talisman permanently.
cannot invoke any favors and they lose
the use of their toxic guardians, if any.

Doomies, Sykers, and the Blessed

The Sioux Nations
Fear Level 2
Since Doomsayers, sykers, and the As long as we’re discussing the
blessed channel energy directly from Sioux Nations, we might as well talk
the Hunting Grounds rather than using about what your heroes are likely to
spiritual intermediaries, their brands of encounter should they venture in.
magic work just fine inside the Sioux The two most likely things for your
Nations. posse to encounter is a scouting party
or a hunting party. Which they run into
Traditional Shamans is up to you, Marshal, but it should
depend on how far into Sioux Territory
Working their medicine is easier the posse has traveled.
than ever for traditional shamans inside Scouting parties patrol the edges of
Sioux Territory. The area within the the Sioux Nations looking for intruders.
Lakota’s borders has become a haven Only Indians wishing to join the tribe,
for nature spirits where they can flee individuals with business for the
the corruption caused by the war and wicasas, and caretaker toxic shamans
the Reckoners. are allowed inside the nation’s borders.
All traditional shamans gain a +2 All other are asked to leave. If they
bonus to all of their ritual rolls (see the refuse, they’re removed by force. A
Deadlands Player’s Guide or Ghost typical scouting party contains 5+1d6
Dancers for more details on how this braves. See the profile below for stats.
 Profile: Sioux Brave
Corpor eal: D:3d6, N:3d8, S:2d8, Q:2d8,
Corporeal:
V:3d8
Bow 4d6, climbin’ 3d8, fightin’: brawlin’,
knife, tomahawk 4d8, ridin’: horse
5d8, sneak 5d8, swimmin 2d8,
throwin’: balanced 3d6
Mental: C:3d8, K:2d6, M:3d6, Sm:2d8,
Sp:3d8
Area knowledge: Sioux Nations 4d6,
search 4d8, trackin’ 5d8, survival:
plains 4d8, faith 3d8
Edges: Guardian spirit: wolf 1 (See
Ghost Dancers for details on what
this does.)
Hindrances: Oath –3: Old Ways
Pace: 8
Size: 6
Wind: 16
Special Abilities: (Again, you’ll need
to consult Ghost Dancers.)
Shaman Rituals: Ritual 3: paint
Shaman Fa Favvors: Spirit warrior
ors:
Gear: Horse, bow, 30 arrows, flint knife
or tomahawk.

Profile: Sioux Shaman

Corpor eal: D:2d6, N:3d6, S:2d6, Q:2d8,
Corporeal:
V:2d8
Bow 3d6, climbin’ 3d6, fightin’: brawlin’,
spear 4d6, ridin’: horse 3d6, sneak
3d6, throwin’: balanced 4d6
Mental: C:3d8, K:2d10, M:3d8, Sm:2d8,
Sp:3d12
Academia: occult 4d10, area knowledge:
Sioux Nations 3d10, faith 5d12, guts
3d12, medicine 3d10, overawe 4d8,
search 3d8, scrutinize 4d8, survival:
plains 3d8, tale tellin’ 2d8, trackin’
3d8
Edges: Arcane background: shaman 3,
Hunting parties are found deeper guardian spirit 4 (See Ghost Dancers
inside the Sioux Nations. These are for more details on this).
groups of 20 to 30 families and they Hindrances: Intolerance: Corrupters –3,
may be found encamped or on the oath: Old Ways –3
move following the buffalo herds. A Pace: 6
typical hunting party has 20+3d20 Size: 6
braves, 1d4-1 shamans, and an equal Wind: 20
number of old people, noncombatants, Special Abilities: (There’s not enough
and children. room to detail all of these abilities
here. Check out Ghost Dancers or
assign them similar toxic shaman
favors minus all the pollution

110 Marshal trappings.)

Shaman Rituals: Ritual 5: dance,
fast, pledge, scar
 Shaman Fa vor
Fav s: Healing, lightning
ors:
strike, summon spirit, guiding
wind, spirit warrior.
Gear: Medicine bag, spear or staff, flint
Spooky Secrets 111
knife, talismans, and various herbs
and potions.
and give him a persuasion Aptitude of

The Ravenites 6d12 and a bluff of 5d12. Oh yeah, he’s

also got a gamblin’ Aptitude of 6d12.
There were more true Ravenites—
members of Raven’s cult—among Sitting Ravenites: The Cult
Bull’s followers than Dirty Waters
Raven’s followers aren’t as numerous
realizes. Their goal was to use Sitting
as they once were, but those who
Bull to turn the Sioux Nations against
remain are as fanatical as ever. The cult
the Old Ways movement—a task they
is organized into cells of 11-30 cultists
obviously failed at.
(10+1d20) led by a “Raven”—a leader who
Raven was not pleased with what
calls himself Raven, and whom many
happened in the Sioux Nations and he
of the cultists believe is “the” Raven.
was even more displeased that his
Different cells work in different ways.
followers turned away from his cause to
Some work openly, causing mayhem
pursue a life of decadence and greed in
and destruction, while others have
Deadwood. That was one of his primary
infiltrated some of the larger survivor
reasons for destroying the place—that,
settlements and work behind the
and the fact that over a century of
scenes to spread disharmony and war
torture had put him in a really grumpy
between the groups.
mood.
The cells receive little guidance from
Raven himself—he’s busy with a little
Ravenites: The People project east of the Mississippi—but the
false Ravens recently had a vision from
The inhabitants of Deadwood have
their leader. He warned them that he
scattered across the Wasted West. Some
would soon return. Those who had
have taken the Old Ways Oath and
served him faithfully would be
joined the Lakota tribe, but most have
rewarded, while those who had failed
headed out into the wastes to find
him would suffer greatly. This has
fortune and fame. Many Ravenites have
spurred the false Ravens into a flurry
made it their life’s goal to find Tommy
of activity, as none of them wish to
Two Women and make sure he suffers
suffer Raven’s wrath.
for his betrayal of his people. Most have
become mercenaries who work for the
highest bidder regardless of the cause, Profile: Raven Cultist
and a few have even set themselves up
Corpor eal: D:2d8, N:2d6, S:3d6, Q:3d6,
Corporeal:
as petty warlords.
V:2d8
More than one once-rich Ravenite
Climbin’ 2d6, fightin’: brawlin’, knife
has had dreams of leading a salvage
3d6, shootin: rifle, pistol 3d8, sneak
team into Deadwood. A few expeditions
4d6
have tried—including one which was
Mental: C:2d8, K:2d6, M:2d6, Sm:3d6,
backed by Throckmorton—but none has
Sp:2d8
yet returned from the dead city. (See
Academia: occult 3d6, faith 4d8,
page 122 for details on what your
scroungin’ 4d6, search 3d8, survival:
heroes can expect in the ruins of
various 3d6
Deadwood).
Edges: Friends in High Places 3 (can
Tommy Two Women is still alive—and
call on a false Raven and other
living under an alias, for obvious
cultists for help)
reasons. He’s nothing spectacular stat-
Hindrances: Bloodthirsty –2,
wise. Use the Ravenite archetype stats
intolerance: Old Wayers –5,
if your heroes encounter him, but
vengeful –3
bump his Mien and Smarts up to 2d12
Pace: 6
Size: 6 Hindrances: Bloodthirsty –2,
Wind: 16 intolerance: Old Wayers –3,
Gear: Assorted rifles and pistols. intolerance: whites –3, mean as a
Description: All of the cultists are of rattler –2, vengeful –3
Native American descent and have a Pace: 10
tatoo of a black raven somewhere on Size: 6
their bodies. Wind: 24
Special Abilities:
Profile: False Raven Armor: Black magic grants the
Ravens level 2 armor.
Corpor eal: D:4d8, N:5d10, S:3d12, Q:2d10,
Corporeal: Bolt o’ Doom: A Raven can launch a
V:3d12 black bolt at his enemies with a
Climbin’ 3d10, drivin’: car 3d10, fightin’: Fair (5) faith roll. The bolt is Speed
brawlin’, staff 5d10, shootin’: rifle, 1, Range Increment 10, and does
pistol 5d8, sneak 5d10 4d8 damage. Each bolt launched
Mental: C:2d10, K:3d8, M:3d12, Sm:4d8, costs the Raven 1 Wind.
Sp:4d12 Toxic Shaman Fa Fav vors: Corrupt,
ors:
Academia: occult 5d8, disguise 4d8, faith curse, healing, summon spirit,
6d12, guts 4d12, overawe 5d12, zombie, 3 others from a single
performin’ 4d12, persuasion 5d12, sphere matching his guardian.
scrutinize 5d10, search 4d10, survival: Gear: Black robes, staff, assorted rifles
various 4d8 and pistols.
Edges: Arcane background: toxic Description: When not in disguise,
shaman 3, thick-skinned 3, toxic “Raven” wears a black robe and
guardian: (various spheres, but Insect carries a large staff decorated with
is most common) 5, the stare 1 various talismans. Many Ravens have
attempted to emulate their master’s
appearance by setting themselves on
fire. Many of them are horribly
scarred with burns from head to foot.

The Border War

The border war sparked by the
Coyote Confederation was actually the
work of Raven. He finally succeeded in
his plans to kill Isatai and assume his
place as Coyote, the leader of the
Confederation.
At this time, Raven was still a
faithful servant of the Reckoners and
he was trying to hasten their coming.
He thought if he could cause tensions
along the border and provoke another
war between the US and the CSA, the
jump in the Fear level would give him
an opportunity to call them forth.
Madison’s assault into the Coyote
Confederation was unexpected, but it
still gave Raven the opportunity he was
looking for. As the tribes turned to him
for help, he arranged for the Old Ways
shamans to speak before the council.
By twisting their idea he could kill two
birds with one stone—he could summon
the Reckoners and discredit the Old
Ways movement.
The Great Wasting
Unknown to the Confederation Spooky Secrets 113
shamans who blindly trusted Coyote/
Raven, all of the spiritual energy their
rituals created was not being
The descendants of these original
channeled to nature spirits which
children are stirring up trouble today.
might have aided them, but to the
Many remained in the Coyote
Reckoners ever-faithful servants, the
Confederation—where they are revered
manitous.
by the mutant tribesmen who live
When the ritual was completed, it
there—but others have gone looking for
opened a massive portal to the Hunting
excitement elsewhere. One of these
Grounds through which flowed
demonic half-breeds can be found
manitous and things much worse. This
anywhere in the Wasted West.
spiked the Fear level in the
A Child of the Dust appears human,
Confederation, temporarily turning the
but always exhibits some sign of its
place into a Deadlands. Evil spirits
demonic side. Some have the traditional
stalked the land killing, maiming, and
clubfoot while others have long, sharp
causing general mayhem. Fortunately
canines or black eyes.
for the Coyote tribes, this momentary
Deadlands wasn’t strong enough for the
Reckoners to chance coming to Earth Profile: Child of the Dust
at that time.
Corpor eal: D:4d8, N:4d10, S:3d12+4,
Corporeal:
Unfortunately, the ritual did have a
Q:2d10, V:3d12
lasting effect. The Reckoners’
Climbin’ 3d10, drivin’: car 3d10, fightin’:
corrupting influence flowed through
brawlin’ 5d10, shootin’: rifle, pistol
the gate and spread back through the
5d8, sneak 5d10
shamans’ spiritual link to the land and
Mental: C:2d10, K:3d8, M:3d12, Sm:4d8,
their people to create a supernatural
Sp:4d12
wasteland. The lands of the Coyote
Academia: occult 6d8, overawe 5d12,
Confederation became a blighted
performin’ 4d12, scrutinize 5d10,
landscape shunned by most nature
search 4d10
spirits.
Edges: Sand 5, “the stare” 1, tough as
nails 5, “the voice” 1
The Children o’ the Dust Hindrances: Bloodthirsty –2, mean as
a rattler –2, vengeful –3
Some of the most unfortunate
Pace: 10
victims of the Great Wasting were the
Size: 6
youngest. As the manitous flowed
Wind: 34
across the land, they forced their way
Special Abilities:
into the wombs of pregnant women.
Armor: Black magic grants the Child
The lucky children died. The others had
level 2 armor.
their still-forming souls warped and
Bolt o’ Doom: A Child can launch a
corrupted as manitous actually merged
black bolt at his enemies with a
with them, creating an unholy human/
Fair (5) Spirit roll. The bolt is Speed
manitou crossbreed.
1, Range Increment 10, and does
These children defined the term
4d8 damage. Each bolt launched
“demon seed.” As they grew, their evil
costs the Child 1 Wind.
side often manifested itself, causing
Choke: The Child can telekinetically
death and destruction around them. It
choke anyone who gives them lip.
was never anything that could be
This power has a range of 20
directly attributed to the child, but
yards, or 10 miles if the Child has
many “unfortunate accidents” occurred
an object which belonged to the
around them. Even worse than the
victim. Roll a contest of the Child’s
mayhem they caused, these “Children
Spirit versus the victim’s Vigor at
of the Dust” passed their demonic traits
the beginning of each round. If the
on to their offspring.
 Child wins, his target suffers the
difference between the rolls in
Wind. If the target wins with a
Toxic Spirits
raise, she has shaken off the Dirty Waters is right on the money as
effects temporarily. The Child far as the origins of the toxic spirits
cannot attempt to choke that and how the magic of the toxic
individual again until 24 hours shamans works. He’s a little off the
have passed. mark when it comes to their
Cla ws: The Child can sprout a set of
Claws: motivations.
nasty claws that do STR+2d6
damage. What Do They Want?
Illusion: The Child can cause a
single target to see things which He’s right when he says that the
aren’t there. These are usually toxic spirits want to turn the world into
things which the man-demon a polluted wasteland. They don’t want
knows frighten its victim or which to kill off the human race, though—
could cause the target to injure with one exception, but we’ll get to that
themselves or another. Roll a in a moment.
contest of Spirits. If the Child wins, The toxic spirits want to make the
it can cause the victim to see rest of the world like the Coyote
nearly anything. Each round this Confederation. You can think of the
illusion is maintained costs the toxic wastes there as a sort of model by
creature 1 Wind. If the illusion is which they judge the rest of the world
something which the victim has by. They want to keep a portion of
reason to believe is not there, she humanity alive, yet dependent on them
may roll a new contest of Spirits for survival.
each round. If the victim wins with Why? Because without humanity to
a raise, the illusion ends. muck things up, nature will eventually
Sho
Shov ve: Oops, Mommy fell down the cleanse itself. It may take months,
stairs. This power allows the Child years, or even millennia in the case of
to give someone a telekinetic some radioactive contamination, but
shove or topple something over on eventually the world will be clean
an unsuspecting victim. It has a again. When that happens the toxic
range of 50 yards. When shoving a spirits will lose most of their power
person, roll a contest of the (there’s always some naturally
victim’s Strength versus the Child’s occurring pollution), and be defenseless
Spirit. The Child should get a against attacks by the nature spirits in
bonus to his roll if the target is the Hunting Grounds.
surprised by this sudden shove. As long as humanity is still around,
Gear: A wide assortment of weapons though, the toxic spirits are confident
and armor. Many wear vests (AV 2) to they can always convince someone to
supplement their natural armor. (How make a mess of things somewhere.
fair is that?)
Description: Children of the Dust Insect Spirits
outside the Coyote Confederation
The exception we mentioned is, of
dress much like normal people and
course, the insect spirits. After
try to wear clothing that covers any
thousand of years of being poisoned,
deformities they might have. Those
squashed, zapped, and checked in, but
within the toxic wastes tend to wear
not out, they want some payback. They
robes and carry staves. They
don’t care about what happens after
generally play the part of demonic
the human race is exterminated, they’re
cult leader to the hilt.
just concerned with reaching that goal.
If the world returns to a pristine
natural state, the insect spirits don’t
care—just so long as there are no more
114 Marshal humans in it. The whole pollution gig is
just a means to an end for them.
Toxic Cults
As Dirty Waters mentioned, toxic Spooky Secrets 115
cults have begun to spring up across
the Wasted West. They can be found
nearly anywhere, but they are most
common around ruined cities because The Black Water Gang
it is much easier to find sources of
A cult calling itself the Black Water
pollution to unleash on the
Gang makes its home in the Great
environment.
Maze. This group has nearly 50
Most cults are small, numbering
members and is led by two sludge
between 2 and 12 individuals (2d6).
shamans, Slick and Red Tide.
These small cults rarely have a shaman
The BWG pollutes the waters of the
among them, but the leader usually has
Great Maze with ghost rock. They hunt
a 3 or 5-point toxic guardian.
through the mines, wrecked ships, and
abandoned outposts in the area for the
Larger Cults stuff. Once they find some, they load it
on their flagship, the Black Wave. This
There are a few large cults. Most of
ship has a number of industrial-sized
these have between 21 and 40 members
rock pulverizers on it that they use to
(20+1d20) and all are led by a toxic
grind the ghost rock into a fine powder.
shaman. Most of these leaders were
Once they’ve done that, they load the
once cultists themselves and moved up
dust into large hoppers and sail up and
through the ranks by performing ever
down the channels leaving a wake of
greater acts of pollution. Use one of the
ghost rock powder behind them.
toxic shaman archetypes for their stats.
There are two cults in particular
which have made a name for
themselves.

The Burning Sky

A group called the Burning Sky is a
smog cult in southeastern Texas. They
have approximately 40 members and
are led by a smog shaman named TB.
This cult’s specialty is starting oil well
fires. They’ve touched off over a score
of oil rigs in the past three years. Both
Oil Town and OPEC have offered a
reward for their demise: $50 a head for
each cultist and $2000 for TB himself.
This group has proved very elusive—
mainly because the prospective bounty
hunters are looking in the wrong place.
The group actually lives on an oil
platform out in the Gulf of Mexico. They
slip ashore to light a fire and then
retreat back out on the water before
anyone knows they were there.
Taking them out on their home turf
is a tall order. The cult has a number of
machine-guns mounted around the
edges of the platform and the water
around its base is mined. The group
also routinely throws the bodies of
prisoners overboard to attract sharks.
 Profile: Toxic Cultist
Corpor eal: D:2d6, N:3d6, S:2d8, Q:3d6,
Corporeal:
V:3d10
Climbin’ 3d6, fightin’: brawlin 3d6,
shootin’: rifle, pistol 3d6, sneak 3d6,
swimmin’ 2d6
Mental: C:3d6, K:2d6, M:2d6, Sm:2d6,
Sp:3d8
Faith: toxic spirits 3d8, search 3d6,
survival: any 4d6
Edges: Thick-skinned 3, tough as nails
3, toxic guardian: (any) 1
Hindrances: Bloodthirsty –2,
intolerance: caretakers –3
Pace: 6
Size: 6
Wind: 24
Gear: SA or NA assault rifle and 30
rounds of ammunition

Profile: TB
Corpor eal: D:3d8, N:2d6, S:2d6, Q:3d8,
Corporeal:
V:4d10
Climbin’ 2d6, drivin: boat, car 4d6,
fightin’: brawlin’ 3d6, shootin’: pistol
4d8, speed load: pistol 3d8, sneak 3d6,
swimmin 3d6
Mental: C:4d8, K:2d8, M:2d10, Sm:3d8,
Sp:3d12
This method of distributing the ghost Faith: toxic spirits 6d12, guts 3d12,
rock is highly effective. The small leadership 3d10, overawe 3d10,
particles are easily digested by fish and scrutinize 3d8, scroungin’: 5d8
other wildlife. Once in the animals’ professional: law 5d8, search 4d8
systems, the ghost rock’s supernatural Edges: Arcane background: toxic
effects kick in. The areas visited by the shaman 3, spirit metabolism 3, toxic
BWG have shown a remarkable guardian: smog 5
increase in the numbers of mutated Hindrances: Intolerance: caretakers –3
fish and other wildlife. These vicious Pace: 6
creatures are making life difficult for Size: 6
the survivor communities of the Maze. Wind: 22
Many of these towns have tried to Special Abilities:
put an end to the cult’s pollution, but Strain: 10
with little success. The group has Toxic Shaman: Strain: 10, Sphere:
established hideouts in a number of Smog, Favors: Coffin nails, gas
places in the Maze and rarely stays in form, healing, purple haze,
one location for any length of time. suffocate, whirlwind
There will be more details about the Gear: Armored vest (AV 2), S&W Model
Black Water Gang—and the towns they 683, 20 rounds of .44 Magnum ammo,
are terrorizing— in the upcoming Super Fund slug (CSA)
Shattered Coast supplement. Description: TB was once a lawyer for
the tobacco industry. He still dresses
as if he’s about to appear in court. He
wears a nice designer suit

116 Marshal (scavenged), expensive shoes (also

scavenged), and carries his gun in a
leather briefcase.
 The Coyote Spooky Secrets 117
Wasteland
Fear Level 5 in the feast. Caretakers caught in the
The former lands of the Coyote muties territory suffer a similar fate,
Confederation are a toxic wasteland but they are often tortured first.
hostile to human life. The area is ruled There are five tribes in the Changed
by five cannibalistic tribes that revere Lands. Each one has chosen to worship
both toxic spirits and the Children of a different sphere of toxic spirits. A
the Dust as gods. profile of a typical mutie is provided
Let’s take a look at the tribes and after the descriptions of the tribes. This
the other hazards of traveling into this lists the muties’ average stats and
barren land. abilities. Given the random nature of
mutations, though, any one mutie can
vary greatly from this profile. All of the
The Tribes muties are naturally resistant to the
pollution around them.
The mutant tribes that roam these
wastes are the twisted descendants of
the Indian tribes which were part of
Black Talons
the Coyote Confederation. Not all of the The Black Talons are the largest and
inhabitants of the Confederation most powerful of the Changed tribes.
suffered this fate. Many fled after the They occupy the central portion of the
land changed on Judgment Day. Some eastern Coyote Confederation. The tribe
found refuge in the Sioux Nations, is broken up into small raiding parties
while others found safety with other of 20 to 40 individuals that guard the
tribes or in non-Indian communities. tribes’ lands and often raid norm
These refugees have one thing in settlements in western Arkansas.
common: they would like to return These parties lead a nomadic existence
home someday and reclaim their lands. and have no permanent encampments.
Many of them have become caretaker This tribe worships the Insect sphere.
shamans.
Those who remained in
Confederation territory were warped
Blood Claw
and twisted in the same way as their The Black Talons are led by Blood
land. Some died from the “Change,” but Claw, the self-styled “Champion of the
those who survived are some tough Changed.” This would-be mutant king
SOBs. The mutant tribes refer to has established his capitol in the ruins
themselves as “The Changed,” and to of Stunted Pines, a small town at the
their territory as the “Land of Change” point where the Canadian River flows
or simply “The Changed Lands” (it into the Arkansas River.
sounds better in the Indian languages). Blood Claw holds “court” in the
auditorium of the local high school. He’s
Silas guarded at all times by 20 of his most
loyal warriors. Any outsiders captured in
These muties fully believe that the Black Talon lands are brought before the
future belongs to the mutated, but they king for judgment. In most cases this
completely reject Silas’ and the involves the prisoners being turned back
Doomsayers’ theology. They want over to the raiding party that captured
nothing to do with the Glow—toxic them after a few choice cuts of meat
spirits are their gods. are taken for Blood Claw’s table.
Doomsayers found in the Changed Doomsayers and caretakers brought to
Lands suffer a special fate. The Blood Claw are normally tortured before
cannibals serve them up one limb at a the king for his amusement before being
time and force the rad priest to partake served up as dinner.
 Blood Claw is a huge, hulking Hindrances: Big britches –3,
mutant who tends to speak in bloodthirsty –2, ugly as sin –3,
monosyllables. He’s a big fan of the vengeful –3
Conan movies and delights in hearing Pace: 12
“the lamentation of the women.” Few Size: 9
are his equal in hand-to-hand combat. Wind: 30
Special Abilities:
Profile: Blood Claw Armor: Blood Claw’s leathery skin
gives him AV 1 at all locations.
Corpor eal: D:2d10, N:3d12, S:4d12+4,
Corporeal: Ber ser
Berser ker: If Blood Claw suffers a
serker:
Q:4d10, V:3d12 wound he flies into a berserker
Climbin’ 4d10, fightin’: battle axe, rage. While in this state, he
brawlin’, sword 7d12, ridin’: horse 3d12, ignores all wound penalties and is
shootin’: rifle, pistol, shotgun 4d10, unaffected by Wind damage. In
sneak 4d12, throwin’: balanced, addition, his Strength increases to
unbalanced 4d10 4d12+8. He must make a Hard (9)
Mental: C:2d8, K:2d4, M:3d12, Sm:2d6, Smarts roll to recover from this
Sp:3d10 rage. Until he does, he continues
Area knowledge: Changed Lands 5d4, to attack in hand-to-hand combat,
faith 4d10, guts 5d10, leadership 3d12, even if it means attacking his own
overawe 6d12, search 3d8, scrutinize warriors.
3d8, survival: toxic wastes 5d6, Regeneration: Blood Claw can
trackin’ 4d8 make a healing roll for each of his
Edges: Tough as nails 5, “the stare” 1, wounds every 6 hours.
“the voice”: threatening 1 Resistant: The mutant king is
naturally resistant to most toxins.
He gets a +6 bonus to all Vigor
rolls to resist them.
Gear: When going into battle, Blood
Claw wears a heavy suit of crude
platemail made from the remnants of
a suit of power armor. It grants him
AV 4 on the torso and head and AV 2
on his limbs. He carries a Ruger
Thunderhawk with 30 rounds of
ammunition and an enormous battle
axe (Speed 1 (2 to anyone with less
than 3d12 Strength), DB +2, Damage
STR+2d10).
Description: Blood Claw is an
enormous mutant who stands nearly
8’ tall. He has dark, leathery skin and
mismatched eyes (one is blue, the
other is black) that give him an
unnerving stare.

Sickle Cell
As you might have guessed from
Blood Claw’s stats, he’s not the sharpest
knife in the drawer. The true organizing
force behind the mutant king’s drive to
unite the tribes is a toxic shaman who
calls himself Sickle Cell.
Sickle Cell is a weasely little man
who is interested only in power. He’s
currently hitched himself to Blood Claw,
but should he stumble, the shaman will
turn against him in a heartbeat—this
might be the one thing that keeps
heroes brought before Blood Claw out
of the stew pot.
Spooky Secrets 119
Unlike the other shamans in the
Black Talon tribe, who are insect
shamans, Sickle Cell is a sludge
shaman. This has caused some Bloody Spears
mistrust, but none of the mutants dare The Bloody Spears claim the
speak against him while Sickle Cell has northwestern portion of Coyote
Blood Claw’s ear—the few who did have territory west of the Caney River and
ended up as dinner. as far south as the Cimarron River. This
tribe is the second largest in the
Profile: Sickle Cell Changed Lands and the biggest threat
to Blood Claw’s dreams of conquest.
Corpor eal: D:3d8, N:2d6, S:2d6, Q:3d8,
Corporeal: The Bloody Spears’ wily chief, Dennis
V:4d10 Lacklegs has formed a rough alliance
Climbin’ 2d6, fightin’: brawlin’, staff 3d6, with the Growling Wolves and Winged
ridin’: horse 3d6, shootin’: pistol 4d8, Serpents. Despite his best efforts though,
speed load: pistol 3d8, sneak 3d6, the three “allied” tribes continue to
swimmin 3d6 squabble amongst themselves while the
Mental: C:4d8, K:2d8, M:2d10, Sm:3d8, Black Talons’ power grows.
Sp:3d12 Dennis Lacklegs is a tough customer,
Faith: toxic spirits 6d12, guts 3d12, and not someone the heroes should try
leadership 3d10, overawe 3d10, to BS. He got his name because he was
scrutinize 3d8, scroungin’: 5d8, search born with one deformed leg. He forced
4d8 the tribe’s shamans to amputate both
Edges: Arcane background: toxic his legs and he now zips around in a
shaman 3, poisoned 3, spirit tracked, armored wheelchair built by a
metabolism 3, toxic guardian: sludge captured junker.
5 The Bloody Spears worship the
Hindrances: Ailin’: chronic 0, Sludge sphere.
intolerance: caretakers –3, lame –3,
mean as a rattler –2, scrawny –5, ugly
as sin –3, yearnin’: rule the Changed Growling Wolves
tribes –5 The Growling Wolves control the
Pace: 4 southwestern portion of the Changed
Size: 5 Lands from the Red River north to the
Wind: 22 Canadian. They are led by a female
Special Abilities: radiation shaman named Curie. She
Strain: 10 and her council of advisers maintain a
Toxic Shaman: Strain: 10, Sphere: permanent encampment just outside
Sludge, Favors: Acid ball, blob form, the ghost-rock maelstrom over the Red
corrupt, curse, flush, immunity: Rock Nuclear Weapons Facility.
sludge, poison, zombie This Confederate base took a hit
Gear: Armored vest (AV 2), Colt .45, 20 from a conventional nuke as well as a
rounds .45 ammo, 1 frag grenade, 1 ghost rock bomb, so the radiation levels
tear gas grenade, staff here are very high—only Curie and her
Description: Sickle Cell is a short, thin shaman advisers can withstand these
man with a sickly complexion. One levels for prolonged periods. The
of his legs is shorter than the other, maelstrom here glows with an eerie
causing him to walk with a peculiar, green light at night.
rolling gait. One side of his face sags Any heroes brought to this place
as if he has had a stroke. This need to make Hard (9) Vigor rolls every
causes him to speak with a hour to avoid a case of the glows. They
pronounced lisp. The shaman also also need to wash their equipment
has chronic lung problems that cause thoroughly after leaving to keep from
him to cough frequently. taking the contamination with them.
 The Hunchbacks harbors dreams of someday ruling the
Changed Lands and beyond. Should
The Hunchbacks occupy the Blood Claw die, Sickle Cell will be at
southeastern corner of the Changed her doorstep the next day.
Lands as far west as Muddy Boggy
Creek. This tribe is the third largest, but
it is poorly led. Many of the clans
Profile: The Changed
within the tribe fight with each other Corpor eal: D:2d6, N:3d6, S:3d8, Q:3d6,
Corporeal:
and occasionally against their allies in V:3d10
the Black Talons. Climbin’ 3d6, fightin’: brawlin’, spear
The Hunchbacks are led by an 3d6, shootin’: rifle, pistol, shotgun
immense load of a mutant named 3d6, sneak 3d6, swimmin’ 2d6
Garth (his less respectful tribesmen Mental: C:3d6, K:2d6, M:2d6, Sm:2d6,
refer to him as “Girth”). Garth has Sp:3d8
metabolic problems that cause much of Faith: toxic spirits 3d8, search 3d6,
what he eats to be turned to fat—he survival: toxic wastes 4d6
currently tops the scales at over 500 Edges: Thick-skinned 3, tough as nails
pounds. Despite this, he is immensely 3, toxic guardian: (by tribe) 3
strong and a powerful warrior when he Hindrances: Bloodthirsty –2,
can summon up the energy to lift his intolerance: caretakers –3
butt out of his “throne.” Pace: 6
Garth is more concerned with Size: 6
ensuring himself a steady supply of Wind: 24
non-mutant slave girls for his steel- Gear: Varies widely. About 10% of any
reinforced bed than uniting the tribes. group have a military rifle of some
His warriors spend as much time sort and a full clip, 40% have a
raiding survivor settlements outside the selection of civilian rifles, pistols, and
Changed Lands as they do fighting shotguns, the rest have an
alongside the Black Talons. assortment of spears, clubs, and
Sickle Cell is currently plotting to crude swords.
have Garth meet with an accident—
perhaps his heart will give out while Profile: Veteran Changed
sampling the latest prisoners.
The Hunchbacks worship the Trash These are Coyote braves who spent
sphere. time in the Confederate military. They
form the core of any war parties and
serve as bodyguards to the tribe
Winged Serpents chieftains.
The Winged Serpents are the Corpor eal: D:2d8, N:3d8, S:2d8, Q:3d8,
Corporeal:
smallest tribe, and with good reason— V:3d10
they inhabit the central portion of the Climbin’ 4d8, fightin’: brawlin’, knife 4d8,
Changed Lands between the Growling shootin’: rifle, pistol 5d8, sneak 4d8,
Wolves and the Hunchbacks. The tribes’ swimmin’ 3d8
warriors constantly fight both of these Mental: C:4d8, K:2d6, M:2d6, Sm:2d8,
tribes, as well as occasional raids by Sp:3d8
the Black Talons. Faith: toxic spirits 3d8, search 4d8,
The only thing which has allowed survival: toxic wastes 4d8
this tribe to survive is its strong leader. Edges: Thick-skinned 3, tough as nails
The Winged Serpents are led by 3, toxic guardian: (by tribe) 5
Sidewinder, a female smog shaman Hindrances: Bloodthirsty –2,
who is also a Child of the Dust. intolerance: caretakers –3
Sidewinder is utterly ruthless and also Pace: 8
Size: 6
Wind: 24
Gear: SA assault rifle, 60 rounds of

120 Marshal 7.62mm ammunition, infantry

battlesuit, combat knife, and 2 frag
grenades.
The Toxic Wastes
If your posse gets its heart set on Spooky Secrets 121
going to visit the remnants of the
Coyote Confederation, you’re going to
need some idea of what they might
run into. Any group who ventures in
here had better be well-prepared to
rough it.
Changed Lands
The Environment 1d20 Result
The general environment within the 1-6 No Encounter
Changed Lands is hostile to normal 7-8 Raiding Party
humans. Each day the posse spends 9-10 Toxic Pool
within the wastes, each hero must 11-12 Toxic Cloud
make an Incredible (11) survival: toxic 13 Rad Patch
wastes roll or suffer 1d4 Wind. This 14 Toxic Eruption
Wind can only be regained by leaving 15 War Party
the territory. Going bust on this roll 16 Quicksludge
means the brainer takes a light wound 17 Trash Garden
to a random location. 18 Locust Swarm
Wasters with gas masks or some 19 Pale Horses
other sort of filtration system can add 20 Buffalo
+2 to these rolls. Fully-sealed armor or
haz-mat suits add another +2 to these No Encounter: This means just that,
rolls. the heroes don’t run into anything out
Even the Harrowed must make of the ordinary.
survival rolls—the chemicals in the Raiding Party: The posse
environment eat away at their dead encounters a group of 2d6 Changed
flesh too. Deaders get a +2 to their rolls, tribesmen. They are accompanied by
but receive no bonus for air filters—they 1d4-2 Veteran Changed.
only breathe when they need to speak. Toxic Pool: The heroes find a large
They do however get the bonus for a pool of water. Roll a die. On an odd
sealed suit. result the pool is home to 1d6 toxic
This assumes the group has brought zombies. See the Hell on Earth rulebook
their own supply of food and water for stats on the zombies (or use those
with them. If the heroes are forced to from the zombie favor) and the effects
drink the foul water or eat some of the of the pool on anyone who gets too
warped animal life of the region, they close.
suffer a –6 penalty to their survival Toxic Cloud: A cloud of toxic
rolls. chemicals blows over the posse. The
cloud takes 1d6 minutes to pass. The
Encounters heroes must each make a Incredible (11)
Vigor roll each minute spent in the
Besides the general nastiness of the cloud or take the difference in Wind.
environment, there are a number of The wasters get the standard bonuses
other things your heroes may for breathing gear and sealed suits.
encounter while in the Changed Lands. Wind caused by the cloud cannot be
Roll on the Changed Lands Table every recovered while in the Changed Lands.
6 hours the posse spends traveling in Rad Patch: The heroes have
this area, and once when they set up wandered into an area contaminated
camp. If the group spends a significant with radioactive fallout. If the group
amount of time camped in one location, has an active Geiger counter, they
roll once every 12 hours and ignore any notice the rads immediately and can
results that call for a specific terrain avoid a case of the glows with a Fair
type. (5) Vigor roll. If the patch is not
 detected, the heroes blunder through Locust Swarm: The posse is
the radiation and the TN to avoid attacked by a swarm of carnivorous
poisoning goes up to Hard (9). locusts. Roll 1d10 to determine the size
Toxic Eruption: The posse is on of the swarm. It can attack one hero for
unstable ground over an underground each point of size. The swarm
toxic stream. Have all the heroes make automatically hits each round for 3d4
Onerous (7) Nimbleness rolls. Those massive damage. The swarm can only
who fail puncture the crust and are be affected by area effect weapons like
covered in toxic slime that does 3d8 AP explosives and flamethrowers. Every 20
2 damage. After their first encounter points of damage done to the swarm
with such an area, future eruption sites reduces its size by 1 point.
can be spotted with Fair (5) survival: Pale Hor ses: The heroes have
Horses:
toxic wastes or Hard (9) Cognition roll. encountered a herd of what passes for
War Party: The group encounters horses in the Changed Lands. These
some muties with a mission. There are scrawny beasts are all the same color: a
5d6 Changed, 2d6 Veteran Changed, pale off-white. They are covered with
and 1d4-2 toxic shamans in the group. open, running sores and are
Determine the tribe by the posse’s surrounded by a buzzing cloud of flies.
location. Despite their appearance, they are fairly
Quicksludge: The heroes stumbled strong and their sharp hooves can
into some quicksludge. Have everyone deliver a nasty kick. There are 2d20
make Incredible (11) Cognition rolls. animals in the herd.
Those who fail fall in. Treat this as the
favor of the same name (see page 82). Profile: Pale Horse
Roll a die. On an odd result, the
quicksludge is acidic. Future encounters Corpor eal: D:1d4, N:2d8, S:3d12, Q:1d8,
Corporeal:
can be avoided as described above V:2d10
under Toxic Eruption
Eruption. Fightin’: brawlin 3d8
Trash Gar den: The heroes have
Garden: Mental: C:2d6, K:1d4, M:1d6, Sm:1d6,
found the site of an illegal landfill. The Sp:2d4
ground is covered with jagged pieces of Search 3d6
rusted junk and garbage. The posse can Pace: 20
detour around the place, but this takes Size: 9
them 2d6 miles out of their way. The Wind: NA
ground is impassable to all but tracked Terr or: 3
error:
vehicles, and even then the driver must Damage: Bite (STR), kick (STR+1d6)
make a Hard (9) drivin’ roll to avoid Description: See above.
getting hung up. Buf
Bufffalo: There are still buffalo in the
Walking through the area requires Changed Lands—sort of. These beasts
each hero to make two Onerous (7) look sickly. Large patches of their
Nimbleness checks. Failing either roll shaggy hair has fallen out, their eyes
means the brainer has cut himself on a are bloodshot, and great streams of
piece of junk. He takes 2d6 damage to snot flow from their noses. The meat
a random location and must make a of these piteous creatures is an
Hard (9) Vigor roll to avoid infection. If a acquired taste.
body part becomes infected, the hero There are 3d20 animals in the herd.
must make another roll against the
same TN every 12 hours. Failing the roll
means the infected area takes an
Profile: Changed Buffalo
additional wound. This continues until Corpor eal: D:1d4, N:2d8, S:3d12+4, Q:2d6,
Corporeal:
the waster succeeds at two rolls in a V:2d10
row, or the body part becomes maimed. Fightin’: brawlin 3d8
Mental: C:2d6, K:1d4, M:1d6, Sm:1d4,
Sp:2d4
Search 3d6

122 Marshal Pace: 16

Size: 10
Wind: NA
Terror: 3
error:
Damage: Bite (STR), head butt
(STR+2d6)
Special Abilities:
Spooky Secrets 123
Trample: If the buffalo’s head butt
attack hits with a raise or better, it
knocks its foe down and can
continue moving over him and Profile: Matanza
perform an immediate trample Corpor eal: D:3d10, N:4d10, S:4d8, Q:3d10,
Corporeal:
attack that does STR+2d6 damage. V:3d8
Description: See above. Bow 4d10, climbin’ 4d10, drivin’: car, tank
4d10, fightin’: brawlin’, knife 5d10,

The Apache ridin’: horse 3d10, shootin’: rifle, pistol,

energy weapon 6d10, sneak 5d10,
speed load: rifle 4d10
Dirty Waters account of Apache
Mental: C:4d8, K:2d8, M:2d10, Sm:3d8,
history was on the money. What he
Sp:3d10
doesn’t know is that the tribe has a
Area knowledge: the Southwest 4d8,
goal other than simply wandering the
leadership 2d10, overawe 4d10,
wastes looking for loot—they want to go
scrutinize 3d8, search 5d8, survival:
home.
desert 5d8, tinkerin’ 3d8, trackin’ 5d8
The Chiricahua want to return to
Edges: Brawny 3, eagle eyes 1, level-
their mountain stronghold in the
headed 5
Dragoon Mountains. There’s only one
Hindrances: Loyal –3, oath: reclaim
problem. The Chamber (see The
Apache home –5, vengeful –3
Junkman Cometh) has taken up Pace: 10
residence there and they’re not about to
give the place up.
Matanza has asked the Chamber
leaders once to leave. They refused, so
now the Apache leader intends to live
up to his name. His tribes’ current
wanderings are just biding time until
Matanza feels they have the firepower
needed to evict the junkers from their
home.
The Apache have not taken any
direct action against the Chamber’s
stronghold, but they do occasionally
send raiding paries into the Dragoon
Mountains to attack the junkers’
scavenging paries as they return home
with loot.

Matanza
Matanza is a large, handsome
Apache who commands the total trust
of his people. He is quick to anger, and
never forgets a slight or insult, but he
is also doggedly loyal to his friends. His
word is his bond—and he’s vowed to
reclaim the Apache’s home.
The Chiricahua leader is a fierce
warrior who always leads from the
front. He’s hard to miss in his bright red
Wolverine armor bedecked with
feathers and other talismans.
 Size: 7
Wind: 18
Gear: Wolverine armor with heartbeat
Deadwood
sensor, helmet-mounted searchlight, Fear Level 6
and targeting system, an M-200 with There’s a fortune in salvage to be
100 rounds of 20mm ammo, combat had in the warehouses and bunkers
knife, and 2 frag grenades. beneath Deadwood’s streets. The only
Description: See above. problem is getting to it, and getting
back out again. Besides all the
Apache Braves supernatural badness waiting for the
heroes, there’s the problem of just
The braves following Matanza are all
physically transporting the goodies out.
committed to his cause. After years of
There’s not enough room to describe
living in a foreign land, he has restored
the city in detail—we’ll cover that in a
their pride and given them a true sense
later supplement—but we can give you
of purpose.
enough to convince your heroes that
The Chiricahua have traded in their
they should take Dirty Waters’ advice.
trusty ponies for dirt bikes. Patrols of
2d6 Apache braves range out from the
tribe’s main body in all directions. It’s Gettin’ There
their job to detect and report any If the heroes have been granted
threats to the tribe before they get access to the Sioux Nations, they can
close enough to be a danger. These simply walk or ride right past the
patrols prefer to flee rather than fight— totems and into the city. Coming out
often leading their pursuers into a will still be a problem, because the
cleverly concealed ambush. Sioux don’t want anything salvaged
from Deadwood entering their lands.
Profile: Apache Brave If the group can’t pass through Sioux
territory, they are going to have to hoof
Corpor eal: D:3d8, N:2d8, S:3d8, Q:4d6,
Corporeal:
it in via either the eastern or western
V:3d8
highway. Unless the group has a tow
Bow 4d8, climbin’ 4d8, drivin’: car,
truck and a lot of patience, there is no
motorcycle 4d8, fightin’: brawlin’,
way to bring a vehicle into the city, the
knife 5d8, ridin’: horse 3d8, shootin’:
highways in and out are a tangled
rifle, pistol 4d8, sneak 4d8, speed
mass of wrecks and the roadway has
load: rifle 4d8
collapsed in a few spots.
Mental: C:3d8, K:2d6, M:3d6, Sm:2d8,
Driving along the mag-lev rails isn’t
Sp:3d8
much better. All of the tracks are
Area knowledge: the Southwest 4d6,
blocked by stalled trains that stopped
overawe 3d6, scrutinize 3d8, search
when the city lost power. It’s possible to
5d8, survival: desert 4d8, tinkerin’
squeeze by on the maintenance walks,
3d8, trackin’ 5d8
but nothing larger than a bicycle will
Edges: Brave 2
fit through.
Hindrances: Big britches –3
Walking in isn’t exactly quick.
Pace: 8
Coming from the west, the posse has to
Size: 6
cover nearly 120 miles to reach the city.
Wind: 16
The eastern route is double this. The
Gear: Infantry battlesuit, SA assault
best rate the group can make through
rifle with 60 rounds of 7.62mm
the wrecks and rubble is about 10 miles
ammo, combat knife, 2 frag grenades,
a day on foot. That means it takes
dirt bike, walkie-talkie.
about 12 days to reach the city from the
Description: See above.
west and 24 days approaching from the
east. Hope the heroes brought some
food!
If the group is fortunate enough to
124 Marshal own a helicopter or VTOL, it is possible
to fly into the city along either of the
rail corridors.
Encounters
Those travel times don’t include time
to recuperate from getting whupped on.
Spooky Secrets 125
There are all sorts of nasty critters in
the city and some of them wander out
onto the highways.
While the posse is outside the city, One of these spirits manifests itself to
roll for encounters twice a day on the the party and tries to communicate.
Deadwood Table. Ignore results other This requires an Onerous (7) guts roll
than walkin’ dead, veteran walkin’ the first time it happens.
dead, and burned ones. The constant fluttering around of the
Once the heroes reach the city itself, spirit is very distracting. Everyone in
roll for encounters once an hour. the posse suffers a –2 to all rolls while
Deadwood is a dangerous place, and it’s around. The ghost bothers the party
the heroes are going to learn that really for 1d6 hours and then gives up if none
fast. of the heroes attempt to communicate
with it. Subjecting it to a magical attack

Deadwood can have unpredictable results. Roll a

die. On an even result, it flees and
never returns. On an odd result, it
becomes an angry spirit (see below).
1d10 Result If the heroes communicate with the
1-4 No encounter spirit, we leave it up to you as to what
5 Walkin’ Dead it’s after (you can thank us later). It
6 Veteran Walkin’ Dead could be after information, or it may
7 Burned Ones have a task for the posse (check out
8 Restless Spirit
9 Angry Spirit
10 Building Collapse

Walkin’ Dead: Hundreds of

thousands of people died when Raven
attacked. A lot of them have gotten
back up. The posse is attacked by a
pack 20+1d20 walkin’ dead. In a city run
by some of the most successful arms
merchants in the world, you can bet
the zombies are armed. (See the Hell on
Earth rulebook for stats.)
Veteran W alkin’ Dead: Same story,
Walkin’
better zombies. These are the bodies of
cops, casino guards, and the like. There
are 10+2d10. (See the Wasted West.)
Burned Ones: These are a new
type of undead courtesy of Raven. They
are the reanimated corpses of people
who got crisped by the beams Raven
used to topple the skyscrapers. There
are 2d6 of these bad puppies.
Restless Spirit: The souls of many
who died in Raven’s attack still haunt
the city. Some have vital tasks they
must finish, others simply want to
know what happened. They were
eating breakfast when suddenly—
wham—a building fell on their heads.
 the Fate Eaters in Monsters, Muties, & Profile: Burned One
Misfits for some ideas on how to
handle this situation). Corpor eal: D:2d6, N:3d8, S:4d12, Q:3d8,
Corporeal:
Angry Spirits: These ghosts are V:2d10
ticked off—the heroes are living and Fightin’: brawlin’ 4d8, throwin’: black
they’re not. They want to swap places. fire 4d6
Their anger gives them a small Mental: C:3d8, K:2d6, M:1d6, Sm:2d6,
amount of power in the physical world. Sp:3d8
They can basically push and pull things. Search 4d8
The angry spirit stalks the party (it’s Pace: 8
invisible) and watches for an Size: 6
opportunity to use this power to make Wind: NA
one of the heroes buy the farm—like Terr or: 9
error:
walking across a rickety catwalk 30 Special Abilities:
stories up. Let the heroes make a Hard Black Fir e: The burned ones can
Fire:
(9) Spirit roll. Those who succeed feel shoot bolts of black fire at their
as if they’re being spied on. opponents with a successful
When an opportunity comes, the Onerous (7) Spirit roll. Each attempt
spirit strikes and gives the hero or a takes an action whether
heavy nearby object a good shove. It successful or not. These bolts are
has a Strength and fightin’: brawlin’ of Speed 1, Range Increment 10, and
3d8. If it succeeds in killing the brainer, do 3d8 damage.
it instantly occupies the body and Cla ws: The burned ones charred
Claws:
reanimates it. Unfortunately for the finger bones act as claws doing
spirit, its new body only lasts 24 hours STR+1d6 damage.
before collapsing in a heap. Focus: Heart (–8 to hit)
Should the heroes somehow spot Immunity: Physical damage. Only
their invisible friend, 30 points of physical attacks against the
magical damage is enough to destroy it. creature’s focus cause damage.
Building Collapse: This is the big Undead.
one. A building collapses with the Description: These creatures look like
heroes in, on, or underneath it. The a human being who has been badly
first time you roll this encounter, have a burned from head to foot.
building nearby collapse—not close
enough to hurt the heroes, but near
enough to give them a good scare and
a warning. If it comes up again, how
Corrupters
you play it depends on what the heroes
are doing. You could have the building
& Caretakers
they’re in collapse, a building across the As we mentioned back in the player’s
street fall over into their building, an section, the type of toxic shaman a
elevated roadway come crashing down hero is can have effects on the
on their heads, and so on. environment around him. In general, for
Regardless of the situation, you every point of Strain spent on a favor,
should provide the players with a few an area of an equal diameter in yards
warning signs and a way to escape. is cleansed of or corrupted with
Those players who immediately say pollution of the favor’s sphere.
they’re looking for an escape route can If it’s so simple, why did we stick it
make some rolls and vamoose. Those back here in the Marshal’s section?
who act like deer in the headlights get Because this effect is meant to be an
squashed. Cruel, yes, but they were atmospheric thing; it doesn’t always
warned. manifest itself in the same and we
wanted to allow you Marshal’s to have
some fun with it. We knew if we put it
in the player’s section all the caretakers
126 Marshal out there are going to be leaving little
clean circles everywhere they invoke a
favor—that’s not what we wanted.
 What do we want? Cool effects that
fit the spirit of the character type. For
instance, a shaman who invokes a big
smog favor might feel a refreshing
Spooky Secrets 127
breeze that restores a few Wind to he
and his friends, or a minor trash favor
might leave a pair of clean footprints
on a soot-stained floor. The homes of time a person is killed by the spear, the
caretakers should be sparkling clean, user can heal 1d6 wound levels or
while the lair of a corrupter has bump his Strength or Nimbleness up by
pollution dripping from the walls—that’s a die type for 1d10 minutes.
what we’re looking for. Taint: Each time a power of the
This doesn’t mean you have to come spear is used, Raven becomes aware of
up with some dramatic effect every its location. He won’t come to recover
time a shaman invokes a favor. In fact, it—at least not yet—but he does dispatch
you’ll often want to gloss over things to a cell of his Raven Cultists to find the
keep the action flowing, but since the user and retrieve his spear. The
effect is not hardwired you can have Ravenites are immune to the spear’s
fun when you want to. powers unless it is wielded by Raven
himself.

Relics Super Fund Slug

The slug doesn’t have any special
Let’s see what those pesky relics
powers itself, but some of the places on
really do.
the Super Fund list do. There are too
many locations to list here, but we’ll
Bloodstone Shard describe one as an example.
The bloodstone shard has a hidden In 2070, the Pinewood Nuclear
secret. Should the user ever crank the Reactor in northwestern Oregon came
pain modifier up to –8 or greater, the dangerously close to a meltdown.
victim must make a Hard (9) Vigor roll Radioactive steam was released into
each round or die as his heart gives the atmosphere and one of the cooling
out. towers was filled with contaminated
Killing someone in this horrific water. The place was too hot to clean
manner has an effect on the user. Each up immediately after the accident, so it
time this happens, the bloodstone’s was put on the list and left to age a bit.
wielder must make a Hard (9) Spirit roll The government never got around to
or have his Mien die type permanently cleaning the place up, and the cooling
reduced by a level as his features are tower is still filled with radioactive
twisted into a cruel, heartless water. The place is lousy with radiation
expression. If this would drop the hero’s spirits looking for a way to get all that
Mien below a d4, he gains a level of the water into the environment. Any
ugly as sin Hindrance. corrupter who swims in the cooling
There is a slight upside to this, each tower for an hour, and then pulls the
level of Mien lost grants the stone’s plug and lets the water out, gets a
user a +2 to overawe rolls. treat.
Have the shaman make an Onerous
(7) faith roll. For each success and raise
Raven’s Spear on this roll the shaman learns a new
Raven lost this spear when he was radiation or general favor free of
taken by the Old Wayers. He wants it charge.
back. Any caretaker who manages to
Power
Pow s: Anyone wielding this spear
ers: purify the entire contents of the
gains a +6 bonus to resist any magical cooling tower gets the same treat. The
effects targeted directly at him. Any toxic spirits aren’t happy about the
mortal wounded by the spear must cleanup, but they’re so drunk on the
make a Hard (9) Spirit roll or die. Each energy from the reactor, they don’t care.
 Toxic Spills
1d20 Result guts. If the spook passes
1 Strained: The spirit out the favor fails.
granting the favor wants 11 External Corruption: The
a little extra. Increase the spirits corrupt the favor
Strain needed by 1. to harm the shaman’s
2 Grump
Grumpy: y: The spirit’s in a friends. Damage-causing
worse mood than usual. favors hit companions,
The shaman takes 2d6 healing spells do a like
Wind. If the spook passes amount of damage, and
out, the favor fails. so on.
3 Wor k Har
ork der: The toxic
Harder: 12 What’
What’ss Happening?: A
spirit is greedy. Increase temporary overload
the Strain required by 1d4 shocks the spook. The
points. favor fails, and the
4 Not Listening: The spirits shaman is stunned for
are playing hard to get, 1d6 actions.
Increase the favor’s TN by 13 Pollution: The favor fails
+2. and an area 2d10 yards in
5 Very Grump
Grumpy: y: The spirits radius is flooded with
are in a very bad mood. pollution corresponding
The shaman takes 2d6 to the favor’s sphere.
damage to the guts. 14 Greed
Greed y: The favor fails, but
eedy:
6 Drained: The greedy spirit the spook must pay the
gets it all. The favor required Strain anyway.
works as normal, but 15 Fried Brains: The shaman
your spook is reduced to loses use of the favor for
0 Strain. 1d6 days. The favor
7 Boo!: The spirits reveal automatically fails.
themselves in their full 16 Spher
Spheree Shift: If the favor
corrupted glory. Your is of a sphere other than
shaman must make a the spook’s, the shaman’s
Hard (9) guts roll or roll sphere changes to that of
4d6 on the Scart Table. the favor. Any toxic
8 Befuddled: Part of your guardians change sphere
shaman’s brain gets as well.
shorted out. He 17 Migraine: The spook takes
temporarily loses use of 4d10 damage to the
the favor for 24 hours. noggin. The favor fails.
9 External Backlash: A bolt 18 Corruption: The favor fails,
of energy lashes out but the spook gains a
from the spook and level of the poisoned
strikes a random friend Edge.
within 10 yards for 3d6 19 Brain Drain: The spook’s
damage. brain gets fried. He
10 Personal Backlash: The
Personal forgets the favor
spirits have it in for your permanently and loses 1
brainer. The shaman level of faith.
takes 3d6 damage to the 20 Possession: Roll a contest
of Spirits between the
shaman and the toxic
spirit (draw randomly). If
the spirit wins, it
128 Marshal possesses the spook’s
body for 10 minutes.
 Geronimo 33 TB 114
Index Grant, Ulysses 9, 10
Great Summoning, The
Toxic Cults 25, 112
Toxic Guardians
10,000 Arrows, Battle of 11 12-13, 105-106 Description 37-39, 43-
Absorption 42 Great Wasting, The 17, 110 47
Apache 33, 121-122 Growling Wolves 117 History 24
Archetypes 48-51 Guardian Spirits 39 Toxic Shamans
Black Talons 31, 115 Hindrances 43-44 Creation 40-41
Black Water Gang, The Hellstromme Darius 12 History 21-23
113 Hunchbacks, The 31, 118 Toxic Spills 54, 126
Blood Claw 31-32, 115-116 Insect Shamans 25, 26 Toxic Spirits 7, 20-22, 36-
Bloody Spears 117 Insect Spirit 44, 113 39, 112
Border War, The 15, 110 Iron Dragon 10, 12 Toxic Wastes 32, 119-120
Burned Ones 123, 124 Juice Resistant 44 Trash Spirits 47
Burning Sky, The 113 Keepers of the Land 21-22 Two Women, Tommy 29,
Caretakers 23, 40, 124-125 Lacklegs, Dennis 117 109
Changed, The 31, 118 Limited Tolerance 44 Winged Serpents 118
Buffalo 120 Madison, Horace
Veteran 118 “Massacre” 15-17
Changed Lands 31, 32, 115- Manning, Brook 11
121 Matanza 33, 120
Chew Toy 42 Mutant 44
Children of the Dust 17, Nature’s Realm 14
19, 111 NIMBY 18
Chuggin’ 41 Old Ways 8, 12, 14, 16, 17
Clogged Pipes 44 One Trick Pony 44
Cochise 33 Pale Horse 120
Corrupters 22, 40, 124-125 Poisoned 42
Coyote 15, 16, 110-111 Radiation Spirits 45
Coyote Chemical 19, 21 Raven 14, 107, 110
Coyote Confederation 15- Cult of 109-110
18, 31 False 110
Coyote Territory 18-22 Ravenites 14, 27-29, 109
Cult o’ Doom 26, 32, 115 Red Bear 9
Curie 117 Relics 97-99, 125
Custer, George Armstrong Bloodstone Shard 97,
9, 11-13 125
Deadwood 10, 14, 27-29, Cochise’s Musket 97
34, 122-123 Geronimo’s Rifle 98
Massacre 9 Ghost Suit 98
Treaty 10, 27 New Jersey Beach Sand
Dirty Waters 7, 20-21 98-99
Eagle Claw, John 7, 20-21 Raven’s Spear 99, 125
Edges 42-43 Super Fund Slug 99,
Extra Favors 42 125
Favors 52-96 Sickle Cell 116-117
Descriptions 55-96 Sidewinder 118
General 55-65 Sioux Nations 8, 27-30,
Insect 66-72 107-108
Invoking 53 Clans 29-30
Learning 54 Government 30
Radiation 72-77 Sitting Bull 8-10, 12, 13
Sludge 77-83 Slow Learner 44
Smog 83-89 Sludge Spirits 46
Summaries 100-102 Spheres 24, 40, 42
Trash 89-96 Spirit Metabolism 42
Garth 118 Spook Juice 23, 41
Strain 41