Trinity Continuum - Assassins

STEP INTO THE SHADOWS
DIXIE COCHRAN, RAI W. COLE, MADELEINE DOUGLAS, ERYKAH FASSETT,

ELLIOTT FREEMAN, DAVID FULLER, DANIELLE LAUZON, SPIDER B. PERRY,
NEALL RAEMONN PRICE, LAUREN ROY, MONICA SPECA,
STEPHEN TASKER, H. ULRICH
CREDITS
Developers: Violet Green, Monica Speca
Trinity Continuum Content Lead: Ian A. A.
Watson
Writers: Dixie Cochran, Rai W. Cole, Madeleine
Douglas, Erykah Fassett, Elliott Freeman, David
Fuller, Danielle Lauzon, Spider B. Perry, Neall
Raemonn Price, Lauren Roy, Monica Speca, Stephen
Tasker, H. Ulrich
Editor: Matt Click
Art: Sam Denmark, Shen Fei, Ivan Vegar, Farri
Lensen, Dom Reardon, Dezi Sienty, Laura King, Paul
Tobin, Digital Art Chefs
Art Director: Maria Cabardo and Mike Chaney
Creative Director: Richard Thomas
Requires the use of the

TRINITY CONTINUUM CORE
RULEBOOK
© 2022 Onyx Path Publishing. All rights reserved. References to other copy-
righted material in no way constitute a challenge to the respective copyright hold-
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acters, names, places, and text herein are copyrighted by Onyx Path Publishing.
Keep up to date with Onyx Path Publishing at theonyxpath.com.
2 TRINITY CONTINUUM: ASSASSINS

ONE LUCKY SHOT 8 Recruitment 34
Organization 35
INTRODUCTION 12 Goals 35
The Price of Doing Business 36
The World of Shadow 13 Mysteries 36
Necessary Evils 13 Daughters of Jacobins Path 37
Tense Action 13 Additional Connections 37
Connection to the Continuum 13 The Krugu Vorov 38
How to Use This Book 14 Secret History 38
Inspirational Media 14 Contracts 38
Games 14 Operations 39
Movies 14 Recruitment 40
Tabletop RPGS 14 Organization 40
Television Shows 15 Goals 41
Lexicon 15 The Price of Doing Business 41
Mysteries 42
CHAPTER ONE:
STEPPING INTO SHADOWS 16 Krugu Vorov Path 42
Additional Connections 42
Entering the Shadow: The Signal 44
Becoming an Assassin 17
The Secret History 44
Contracts 44
Societies of the Past 18
Operations 45
The Considerate Killers 19
Recruitment 46
The Birth of the Code 19
Organization 46
Three Worlds 20
Goals 47
Daylight 20
Twilight 20
Mysteries 47
Shadow 20
The Signal Society Path 48
The Order of the Shadow 22
The Code 22
Society of Leonidas 50
The Service 23
Secret History 50
The Contract 26
Contracts 50
CHAPTER TWO: Operations 51
THE SOCIETIES 30 Recruitment 52
Organization 52
The Structure of a Society 31
Goals 53
Daughters of the Jacobins 32
Secret History 32
Mysteries 53
Contracts 33
Society of Leonidas Path 54
Operations 34
Table of Contents 3
The Swarm 56 A Plan Came Together 77
Secret History 56 Rising Star 77
Contracts 57 Saving Someone Else’s Life 77
Social Challenge 78
Operations 58
Sprung a Trap 78
Recruitment 58 Ultimate Con 78
Organization 58 Violence 78
Goals 59 Step Six: Add Advantages 78
The Price of Doing Business 59 Step Seven: Final Touches 79
Mysteries 60 Character Advancement 80
The Swarm Path 60 Experience 80
Additional Connections 60 Tweaks 81
Minor Societies 62 Stations of Darkness Paths 81
The Council 62 Role Paths 81
The Councilors 62 Double Tapper 81
A Seat at the Table 64 Hacker 81
Cutting a Bloody Path 64 Poisoner 82
Slasher 82
Stations of Darkness 64
Sniper 82
Legitimate Business (variable) 65
Street Surgeon 82
Endless Opportunities (2s) 65
Society Paths 83
Paths Through Darkness 65
Bodyguard 83
Moving Between Stations 65
Crime-Solving Scientist 83
An Example 68 Criminal Organization 83
Nemeses 69 Cult of Personality 83
Paths in Play 70 Vigilante Group 84
Training Operations 70 Origin Paths 84
Other Talents in Shadow 71 Reformed Criminal 84
Criminal Heir 84
CHAPTER THREE: Pickpocket 84
CHARACTER CREATION 72 Raised by a Lone Wolf 85
Refugee 85
Step One: Concept 73 Nemesis Paths 86
Step Two: Paths 74 Fixer 86
Step Three: Rival Assassin 86
Skills, Skill Tricks, and Specialties 75 Serial Killer Magnet 86
Step Four: Attributes 76 New Edges 87
Step Five: Ascetic Lifestyle 87
Apply Assassin Template 76 Boltholes 87
Botched Job 77 Community Aid 87
Bullet Ballet 77 Conspirators 87
Captured by the Enemy 77 Faceless 87
Chance Birth 77 Flawless Accent 87
Exposure to Flux 77 Forger 87
The First Mission 77 Hornet Workshop Certification 88

Human Lie-Detector 88 U-Link 95
Light Sleeper 88 Wall Penetrating 95
My Word is My Bond 88 Armor Tags 96
Null Biometrics 88 Active Camo 96
Never Outnumbered 88 Biometric Duplicator 96
Poison Tolerance 88 Chameleon Mask 96
Self-Hypnosis 88 Chemical Injector 96
The Darkest Web 89 Distracting Scarf 96
Well-Equipped 89 Goggles 96
Skill Tricks 89 Hardened 96
Aim 89 Jet Boots 96
Athletics 90 Magnetic Field 96
Nanites 96
Close Combat 90
Soft Armor 96
Command 90
Sound-Dampened Boots 97
Culture 90 Staged Death 97
Empathy 90 Suit 97
Enigmas 91 Vehicle Tags 97
Humanities 91 AI Assist 97
Integrity 91 Blades 97
Call Button 97
Larceny 91
Chaff 97
Medicine 91
Debris Reserve 97
Persuasion 91 Ejector Seats 97
Pilot 92 External Projector 97
Science 92 Grappling Hook 97
Survival 92 Ram 97
Remote Controlled 97
Technology 92
Solid Rubber Tires 97
Tools of the Trade 92
Weapons 92 CHAPTER FOUR: SYSTEMS AND
Disguised 92 DRAMA 98
Grappling Hook 92
Inscription 93 Dramatic Editing 99
Integrated 93 Why Use Flashbacks 99
Gunblade 93 Going Off the Rails 99
High-Frequency 93 Flashbacks and Cost 100
Monomolecular Blade 93
Competing Flashbacks 103
Plasma 93
Creating Setpiece Sequences 104
Propulsion 94
Drone 94 Session Stories 104
Enhanced Scopes 94 An Example in Twilight 105
Expanded Magazine Going Loud 108
or Drum Magazine 94 Setting the Scene 108
Extendable Bayonet 94
Field Conditions 110
Remote Link 95
Crowded 110
Specialized Ammunition 95
Table of Contents 5
Dark 110 Getaway Driver 119
Dizzying Height 110 Info Broker 120
Fortified 110 Nameless Hacker 120
Speeding 110 Neighborhood Tough 120
Tight 111 Porter 121
The Approach 111 Shadow Antagonists 121
The Escape 111 The Chameleon 121
Assassin Powers 112 Contract Killer 121
Tension 112 The Lifer 122
Attack 112 Poisoner 122
Deadly Aim 112 The Perpetual Problem 123
Disarm 112 The Professional 123
Dive for It 112 Revenge-Seeker 124
The Rogue Agent 124
Defense 112
The Technologist 124
Punching Bag 112
The Thin Blue Line 125
Shake Your Tail 113
The Up-and-Coming Assassin 125
Titanium Skull 113
Utility 113 CHAPTER FIVE:
Copycat 113 MASTERIES 125
Skeleton Key Card 113
Social 113 What Are Masteries? 127
Flawless Disguise 113 Types of Masteries 127
Voice of Authority 114 Making Your Own Masteries 128
Support 114 Learning and Training 129
For My Master 114 Masteries 130
How Did They Find This 114
Preparation 130
I Know That Face 114
A Good Hat 130
Out of the Woodwork 114
Bespoke Disaster 130
Trust No One 115
Best Dressed 131
Ubiquitous Manservants 115
Call to Action 131
Walk It Off 115
Circe 131
We Can See You 115
Cut Ties 131
Your Money’s No Good Here 115
Cut the Cameras 131
Antagonists 116
D’Invasion 132
Daylight Antagonists 116 Dévouement 132
Dupe 116 Killing Weapon 132
Executive Assistant 116 Leshi 132
Little Old Lady (With a Gun) 117 Magpie’s Gaze 132
Lookout 117 Nevidimyy 133
Partygoer 117 No Mistrust 133
Rent-a-Cop 117 Odyssey 133
Twilight Antagonists 117 Polyphemus’s Visitor 133
Bodyguard 118 Rule from Jebel Barkal 134
Bureaucrat 118 Sledovik 134
Gadgeteer 118 Stone Cold 134

Training Exercise 134 Poisoned Chalice 145
Venerable Tools, Well Cared For 135 Python’s Corpse 145
Without Need 135 Scapegoat 145
Evaluation 135 The Shortest Routes to the Heart 146
A Long Walk in an Old Silent Killer 146
Coat and Worn Shoes 135 Styx 146
An Entire Life, A Glance 135 Titanomachy 147
Argonautica 136 Without Motive 147
Atalanta’s Pace 136
At Their Heels, In Their Head 136 CHAPTER SIX:
Meleager’s Hunt 136 THE KILLING ART 148
No Escape 137
Storyguiding the Martial Forest 149
No Surprises 137
No Barriers 137 Layer Cakes: Three Layers as Genre 149
Reveal All 137 The Mundane World: Daylight 149
Sans-culotte 137 The Criminal Underworld: Twilight 150
Surgeon 138 The Assassin Otherworld: Shadow 150
Spider’s Web 138 Group Play and Styles 153
Total Destruction 138
The Team of Specialists 153
Unrelenting 139
The Weapon and Handler 154
Without Ignorance 139
Without a Trace 139 Non-Human Teammates 155
Execution 139 Story of A Kill 156
Always Ready to Go 139 A Web of Knives 156
Apollo 140 The Big Picture 158
A Message Delivered, Twice 140 The Sum of its Parts 159
Controlled Chaos 140
Art of the Kill 159
Dedicated Weapon 140
Black Boxes 162
Delphi 140
Fearsome Defense 141 Operation: Political Animal 162
Gigantomachy 141 The Handler 163
Good Manners 142 The Mansion Staff 163
Group Effort 142 Operation: Import/Export 165
Iliad 142 The Sibling 166
Impossible Angles 142 The Business Partner 166
Jaguar’s Passage 142 Operation: One Checkmate 167
Katabasis 143 The Catering Staff 169
Koschei 143 The Plus One 170
La Prévoyance 144
La Voyante 144 APPENDIX 172
Last Rites 144
Lethe 144 Character Creation Quick Guide 172
Lilin’s Visit 144 WEAPON TAGS 173
No Hesitation 145 ARMOR TAGS 178
Oracle’s Tactics 145 VEHICLE TAGS 179
Table of Contents 7
Randie ducked back beneath the rooftop hearing her voice. She thumped her fist into
ledge, breathing hard. her injured shoulder, using the sudden burst
Calm down. Take stock. of pain to cut emotion off at the pass.
Her shot had gone wide, that much she “Hello to you too, darling,” said Trina. If
knew. She was relatively certain no one else she’d heard Randie’s painful hiss, she was
celebrating in the street festival below had ignoring it.
been hit. She was only three stories up — “You shot me.”
if there were panic, she’d have heard the “Only a little!”
crowd’s screams.
“I have a job to do.”
Cover not totally blown, then. Good.
“Let me guess, killing Lou Marchant Jr.?
She twisted to try getting another look, but Because I’ve been hired to keep him alive.”
the sharp pain and sudden warm rush in her
shoulder kept her sitting. Randie groaned. Of course. If she could keep
Trina talking, she might be able to slip away.
Shot. Not so good. Quietly and quickly as she could, she gathered
Randie concentrated on getting her respi- her equipment. “He’s an awful person, Trina.
ration and heartbeat down to normal levels. The list of what he’s done, what his family’s
The wound hurt like hell, but she was fairly done?”
certain it hadn’t hit anything vital. While she “Sure. But Lou Senior’s paying me an awful
waited for calm to return, she replayed the lot to keep his awful son alive. Tell you what.
last few seconds in her mind, thought about Let this job go, and I’ll take you somewhere
angles and trajectories, and what vantages the nice with the proceeds.”
rooftops across the street offered. She risked a
peek over the ledge and spotted the shadow It took a lot to keep silent as she slung her
exactly where her calculations told her one rifle over her shoulder, but Randie managed
might be. She ducked back down before they it. “Like where?”
could take another shot at her. “Somewhere with a beach.” Trina went on
The R&D team had outfitted her with con- to describe one, while Randie stayed low and
tact lenses that gave her a heads-up display crept toward the other end of the rooftop.
and a communications interface. Now, she To make it across to the next building, she’d
locked her gaze onto the tracker app in the cor- need a running start. She’d spent the better
ner and activated the map. The beacon she’d part of the last week scoping out her best
placed on her quarry earlier today showed routes to the secondary point, and with Trina
him moving down the street, buoyed along on her tail, this was the fastest.
by the other festivalgoers. This location was
Even a few seconds’ head start would be
blown, but if she could make it to her backup
enough. She hoped. They’d always been neck
point a block down, she could still finish the
and neck when they competed in college. Hell,
job. Just had to shake whoever that was across
they’d been evenly matched at nearly every-
the way. Who’d found her out? She’d been so
thing, and in the places where they weren’t,
careful setting all this up.
Randie and Trina’s skills complemented one
A flash to her right signaled an incoming another. It had made them excellent partners,
call. Caller unknown, read the display. once.
Randie answered. “Yeah.” Once, but not anymore.
“That is you over there.” Randie rose slowly, keeping the elec-
“Trina. God damn it.” Her ex’s delighted trical shed between herself and Trina’s
laughter spilled through her earpiece; its vantage point. The rooftop was unlit and
fainter echo came from the building opposite. shadow-draped, but the moon was just bright
Randie couldn’t help it; her heart fluttered at enough to provide some small illumination.
As soon as she left the shed’s cover, Trina
One Lucky Shot 9

would see her. Let’s see if I can run faster than based on where Trina had last been, and her
her bullets. Randie breathed deep. The pain in relative speed. It was a drill they’d both prac-
her shoulder lessened to a dull throb. Trina’s ticed over and over when they first joined the
voice was a soothing drone in her earpiece. Jacobins. In that match-up, Randie was the
She was talking about the fruity frozen drinks better shot.
they’d order, like the world’s booziest medi- “Hey!” said Trina. “What was that for?”
tation app.
“Warning shot,” Randie muttered.
Randie set her feet, like she was about to
start the hundred-meter dash. She imagined Another gap. Another leap. Three seconds
the starter pistol’s sharp crack. Took off like later, Trina grunted as she did the same across
a shot. the street. She was catching up.
“...you can choose salt or sugar on the rim. I Ahead, a skybridge connected two build-
prefer — oh, you sneaky thing.” From Trina’s ings. During the day, the glass-and-steel
end came the sound of her scrambling to her masterpiece served the practical function of
feet. alleviating pedestrian traffic along a busy
street. Tonight, festival colors illuminated its
Then Randie was at the edge, leaping, sus- panes; red, yellow, and orange lights wound
pended momentarily between one rooftop around the girders. Randie dropped down
and the next. At the apex of her jump, the onto it. Since it was after-hours, no one would
wind of a bullet whizzed past her cheek. be walking beneath her while she shot Lou
Then she hit the other side, somersaulting Marchant, Jr.
to break her fall. Randie got up and kept run- But she wouldn’t be alone. Across the way,
ning. She stayed low and zig-zagged, pain- Trina landed lightly.
fully aware of the seconds both would add to
her travel. Trina didn’t shoot again. A quick Marchant’s dot crept closer.
glance across the way showed her in parallel “Walk away,” said Trina, as they both
pursuit, making the jump between her build- advanced.
ing and the next.
“Like you did?”
Randie’s heart caught in her throat. It would
The tiny, hurt gasp in her ear told Randie
be better for her mission if Trina didn’t make
that that shot hit its mark.
the jump, if she’d miscalculated and fell short.
Better for the mission, but not for Randie They met in the middle of the skybridge.
herself. Trina’s blunt-cut blonde hair framed her
round features. Her eyeliner came to points as
Trina made it. Randie resumed breathing.
sharp as her knives. She was as beautiful as
“See? I knew you cared,” said Trina in her ever. Randie might even have said so, if her ex
ear. didn’t take a swing.
“I hate you.” Randie caught Trina’s wrist and used her
“Then hang up.” momentum against her. She pulled Trina in
close and stomped the sole of her heavy boot
Randie couldn’t. She told herself it was down her ex’s calf.
because she couldn’t afford the moment’s
distraction it would take to access the menu. Trina yelped, but it would take more than
That Trina would use it as another excuse to that to get rid of her. She stepped back just far
shoot. Or maybe it was because it might help enough to swing again. Her fist blurred, too
her anticipate whatever Trina’s next move fast for Randie to track. The first blow caught
would be. It certainly wasn’t because Randie Randie square on the chin, made her teeth
missed her. clack together painfully. When the second hit
a heartbeat after, Randie had time to steel her-
To prove it, Randie pulled out her own self, but no chance to dodge. Trina pushed her
pistol. She fired without looking, calculating back, and back.

Randie’s heel caught on a raised steel Randie didn’t.
beam just as Trina landed another solid hit. “Damn it!” Trina hauled her back up, none
Randie staggered backward — one step, two too gently. They lay panting atop the sky-
— and then there was nothing beneath her. bridge for a moment, while below them, chaos
Everything tilted, and she felt that first lurch- erupted as the crowd realized Lou hadn’t just
ing terror of a fall... fallen down drunkenly. “I should’ve taken
... then Trina caught her. out your knee,” said Trina.
Randie’s wounded shoulder sent a hot bolt “He deserved it, Trina. I’ve seen the
of pain all through her, as she hung from the dossier.”
injured arm. As her vision cleared, the dot “I don’t doubt it. But Big Lou will want me
marking Marchant’s place in the crowd re- dead for this. I have to go.”
solved into his face. She could see him, clear
as day, dancing his way along the street. “Come back with me. We’ll plead your case.
The Jacobins will take you back. We’ll protect
In this position, she couldn’t bring her you.” Randie caught Trina’s hand. “I’ll protect
rifle around, but that was fine. She had other you.”
weapons. With her free hand, Randie reached
for the gun at her waist. Trina smiled as she helped Randie to her feet
— careful of her shoulder, this time. “I wish it
“Don’t you dare,” hissed Trina. “Take that were that simple.” She leaned in and planted
shot and I’ll let go.” a kiss on the corner of Randie’s mouth. “Take
“You won’t,” Randie said softly. She lined care of yourself. We’ll see each other again.”
up the shot. Squeezed the trigger. Then she was gone, across the skybridge
Lou Junior dropped to the ground. and onto the roof, one shadow vanishing into
a myriad of others.
One Lucky Shot 11

Welcome to the world of Shadow. Trinity Continuum: Assassins introduces players to the shadowy un-
derworld of the Continuum’s bright and hopeful take. Assassins are, as the name implies, killers for hire. This
game draws its inspiration from action cinema. The characters you play deal in murder and death, but their
lives are stylish, dangerous, and never dull. This book presents all the content for Storyguides and players to
create and play chronicles about these dashing, stylish killers and their hidden societies.
THE WORLD OF SHADOW

Rack upon gleaming rack of deadly weaponry. The knife, even when they’re doing what’s right. There’s
scent of classic cocktails and toasted tobacco leaves. The always the risk that something will go wrong, a target
clink of ancient coins against one another. The feel of a will slip away, the mundane authorities will learn of
bespoke suit. The taste of blood. If Trinity Continuum their whereabouts, or a rival will capitalize on their
is a world of light, there must be a world of shadow. failure. Whenever an Assassin makes her move, it is
Enter the Assassins. Inspiration strikes those who per- not without consequences.
fect the art of the kill. Hidden societies form among
these special Inspired, to house and train new Assassins. CONNECTION TO
Some of these societies date back to the ancient world, THE CONTINUUM
while others have formed within recent memory. None
The world of Shadow presented in Assassins
of them operate in the open, where ordinary people
is part of the greater continuum. It’s not another
living their lives in daylight can access them.
world or a separate dimension or a “shard” of the
NECESSARY EVILS real world. It follows the wuxia genre concept of
“the martial forest” — it’s a criminal underworld that
An Assassin makes her livelihood by taking the normal people are vaguely aware of but do not know
lives of others. This is, on its face, an evil act, but the how to access. In our reality, how much do everyday
characters in Assassins games are the protagonists. people know about the inner workings of organized
The fiction of each chronicle accepts that killing and crime or how to sell organs on the dark web? The
violence are a part of the tapestry of the story told. To same principle applies here.
that end, Assassins focuses its playable characters on
Assassins takes place around the same time as
righting the wrongs of the world. Their targets are des-
Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook, which is to
pots, weapons dealers, corrupt politicians, oil barons,
say the present or the near-future. The characters
venture capitalists and other awful people in power
are Inspired like any other continuum character,
who hold the world under their thumb. The characters
but their inspiration takes the form of incredible
may not be good people, but their targets are worse.
violence. As far as Inspired characters go, Assassins
The Assassins never punch down. Their targets are deeply steeped in flux. It permeates their highly
are not ordinary people scraping by day to day. They focused lethal abilities, called Masteries. While
hold the power to put a bullet between the eyes of the Talents who live in the world of Daylight might
worlds’ greatest evils, and they do so with style and deal with entities from another reality or other pulp
cold professionalism. After all, the idea that violence strangeness, Assassins create temporal anomalies by
is universally a moral ill favors the powerful and the gathering together. This concentration of flux keeps
status quo. Those with the monopoly on violence do outsiders away but also creates anachronisms that
not want others to turn it against them. Assassins appear where Assassins gather. An Assassin of the
have the power to upend this status quo and strike Society of Leonidas may slay their target with a
fear into the hearts of the elite. blessed spear, then accept payment from their patron
in ancient coins. This sort of interaction is far from
TENSE ACTION unusual in the world of Shadow, but would seem fan-
This book provides tools to help encapsulate a tone tastical and outlandish from an external perspective.
of tense action in Assassins games. A Storyguide may Storyguides who’d like to see more crossover be-
choose to make the overall tone lighter or heavier or tween Daylight and Shadow can run campaigns using
choose to focus on modern real-world issues versus Talents from Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook
fantastical ones, but whenever a fight breaks out, ten- alongside characters from Assassins. More informa-
sion should run high. Assassins live on the edge of a tion on this is provided in Chapter Five (p. XX).
The World of Shadow 13

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
While Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook is and Edges suitable for playing in the shadow
necessary to play a game of Assassins, this book world, as well as all-new Skill Tricks and cut-
contains many additions and adjustments to the ting-edge gear.
core ruleset to better shape a chronicle set in the Chapter Four: Systems and Drama explains
world of shadow. The following chapters detail these the rules specific to playing Assassins chronicles.
additions. In this chapter Storyguides will also find a collec-
Chapter One: Stepping into Shadows discusses tion of deadly antagonists to challenge the players’
the hidden world of the Assassins, its history and characters.
structure as well as notable figures from the past and Chapter Five: Masteries are new, special abilities
present. that only Assassins can access. They grant characters
Chapter Two: The Societies details the Societies supernatural power over acts of violence, hunting,
of Shadow. Characters can belong to any of the stalking, and killing.
five introduced in this chapter, but players and Chapter Six: The Killing Art provides advice
Storyguides are welcome to invent their own. for Storyguides running Assassins games. It also
Chapter Three: Character Creation details includes a few sample scenarios, and how to prop-
the process by which players create their unique erly pace one’s way through a series of linked
Assassins. This chapter contains brand new paths assassinations.
INSPIRATIONAL MEDIA
Here are some games and films to help you get into not inhabit, making ideal inspiration for the world of
the mood of Assassins. shadow.
GAMES MOVIES
Assassins Creed (Series, 2007) — The series pres- Atomic Blonde (2017) — Atomic Blonde’s brutal
ents a unified society of assassins throughout periods action and thriller conspiracy is a perfect example of
of history, who have been entangled with a variety of the Assassin lifestyle. Romance on the mission isn’t
important events, people, and places. The idea of an just for the James Bond types.
assassin society, plus all the cool abilities the player Gunpowder Milkshake (2021) — This movie is a pure
character has, make for ideal Assassins inspiration. Assassins story about a young woman who botches an
Dishonored (Series, 2012) — Main character Corvo’s important job and winds up on the wrong side of her
transformation from ordinary person to mystical- Society. It takes place entirely in Shadow and prominent-
ly-empowered killer serves as good inspiration for a ly features an exceptional example of a minor Society.
character’s transition from the world of daylight to John Wick (2014) — A revenge story taking place
the world of shadow. in the hidden world of killers for hire. Bespoke suits,
Hitman (Series, 2000) — Agent 47, dispatched by hidden weapons, muscle cars, old friends and older
a secretive and elite organization to strategically enemies: John Wick is quintessentially thematic for
remove powerful and corrupt individuals provides a Assassins.
useful demonstration of an agent of Shadow cutting Wanted (2008) — Another story of transition from
through twilight circles. Similarly, his conflicts with daylight to shadow. Plus, curving bullets and all the
his own organization provide ample material for in- other unusual powers demonstrated by characters
tra-organizational battles within the institutions of make for excellent examples of Masteries.
shadow.
Metal Gear Solid (Series, 1998) — Layers of con- TABLETOP RPGS
spiracy and melodrama make excellent inspiration Blades in the Dark (2017) — The criminal under-
for bombastic Assassins games. The characters clash world of Duskvol exemplifies living in twilight.
with each other in a world that ordinary people do Blades also assumes that the gang of scoundrels lives
14 INTRODUCTION
and works together. Ideal inspiration for creating a Human Target (2010) — Christopher Chance is a
gang of collaborating Assassins. good example of an eccentric Assassin protecting
people from other Assassins. The charming support-
TELEVISION SHOWS ing cast and quirky world-building lends itself well
Alias (2001) — The layers of conspiracy and double to an Assassins chronicle with a lighter tone.
agents, as well as finding the balance between an Treadstone (2019) — This TV show inspired by
ordinary life and the life of a killer provide great the Bourne novels features a shadowy conspira-
inspiration for an Assassins game. Milo Rambaldi’s cy controlling sleeper agents whose fighting and
inventions are good examples of unusual technology death-defying stunts provide excellent inspiration
that feature in an Assassins chronicle. for Assassins and the deadly antagonists they face.
LEXICON
Anathema: An Assassin in bad standing, having The Service: A neutral party that enforces the
violated the Code rules of Shadow.
Assassin: An Inspired character whose power is Shadow: The world of Assassins — the place
focused on the art of the kill. They gather together where chronicles take place as well as the base of
into Societies where they learn to use their Masteries. operations for all Societies.
Code: A strict set of ten rules by which all Signal: A pirate radio Society run by an enigmatic
Assassins must abide. host who directs the cooperation of a diverse alliance
Contract: A binding agreement to kill a target. of marginalized Assassins. The Signal focuses more
Daylight: The world of everyday, ordinary people. on the cause than the payment.
Assassins’ families and loved ones typically live in Society: A community of Assassins that raises,
the world of Daylight. houses and trains them. Each has its own unique
Daughters of the Jacobins: A Society focused philosophy and fighting style.
on freedom and violent change, dating back to the Society of Leonidas: A group of ascetic Assassins
French Revolution. They believe all Assassins should whose history dates back to the ancient world. They
be held accountable for the outcomes of their deadly are the most numerous and powerful, and their prac-
actions. tices established many of the codes and traditions of
Krugu Vorov: A mystery cult of Russian Assassins the world of Shadow.
who call themselves the Thieves-in-Law. They over- The Swarm: A corporate Society based out of
see goings-on in Twilight — especially punishing Japan that trains Assassins en masse. They specialize
transgressions against their ruling body, the Seven in pursuing and killing other Inspired.
Princes. Twilight: The world of mundane criminal activi-
Mastery: A special kind of power that grants ty, such as con artists, thieves, and organized crime.
Assassins absolute control over violence and killing. It bridges the world of Daylight and the world of
Shadow.
Lexicon 15
“Nobody’s ever been arrested for a murder;
they have only ever been arrested for not planning it properly.”
— Terry Hayes, I Am Pilgrim
Murder is the world’s second-oldest profession. their own abilities. Whatever their reason, Assassins
Since the first killer bashed in someone’s skull with leave behind their old lives to walk a different path.
a heavy rock, humanity has devised evermore elab- They abandon the mundanity of the Daylight world
orate ways to kill. Martial training, advanced weap- to step into the Shadows, where the Assassin com-
ons, and ideologies of violence have refined the art of munity resides.
killing — but Assassins are those who have mastered it. Characters who become Assassins do not do so
Anyone can become a murderer, but few have lightly; it’s a hard and violent life, and one that
what it takes to be an Assassin. Each is Inspired, but few walk away from whole and happy. At best, an
the (often tragic) circumstances of their lives and the Assassin becomes a legend to their comrades and
presence of Flux has refined their exceptional nature retires to obscurity. At worst, they die alone and
toward the killing arts. Some kill in service of higher anonymous.
aims, while others seek profits or simply to hone You have chosen to walk this path.
ENTERING THE SHADOW:

BECOMING AN ASSASSIN
Most ordinary people do not wake up one day and Like Talents, their abilities develop with exposure
decide to master the killing arts. It takes a special to flux, but the circumstances of an Assassin’s life
kind of person, one of the Inspired who has lived a and Moment of Inspiration refine their manipulation
life touched by violence and death. An Assassin could of probabilities toward killing. Once Inspired, each
have been a professional killer before their Moment Assassin finds themselves more capable of inflicting
of Inspiration, but it is just as possible that they hadand surviving violence, but the heights of Assassin
little experience killing beforehand and must adapt skill require training and dedication. Veteran
to survive with their newfound skills. Assassins seek out their juniors, schooling them in
Some Assassins are victims of violence them- the basics of the Shadow, from the most fundamen-
selves, rather than its perpetrator, left for dead by a tal training in self-defense to the Code that governs
serial killer or pursued by murderers. Many grew up Assassin conduct, and even their first Masteries: the
in environments suffused with violence and death, killing techniques practiced by Assassins.
such as in deadly warzones, places torn apart by An elder Assassin owes only a bare minimum of
civil strife, among criminals, or even raised by other training according to the Code, but it is common
Assassins. A rare few are unfortunate people who for senior Assassins to scout out fledglings and offer
have led otherwise sleepy boring lives, are sudden- more extensive training. The bonds forged during
ly drawn into a life-or-death situation. Inspired to this time serve to help recruit fledgling Assassins
survive, they overcome danger as an Assassin. These into a Society, one of the organizations dedicated
unlucky circumstances are always life-threatening to training killers-for-hire and ruling the Assassin
(and somewhat traumatic). world.
THE SECRET HISTORY

The Code, along with the Societies upholding it, did in accordance with Flux events. History is filled with
not always exist. Assassins have been around as long endless records of warriors, bloodshed, and murder,
as humanity itself, their numbers waxing and waning but official records of Assassins are rare, dismissed as

apocryphal. Some historians even say that the concept At first, these congregations of killers were noth-
of professional killers-for-hire in history is a product ing more than allies of convenience. They traded in
of modern fiction and popular culture. weapons, training, and information to survive. Some
This is by design. found solace in the company of others who saw the
The world of Assassins is occulted from the regular world through the eyes of a killer, as Assassin life
world, hidden from the public record by a combina- is lonely and poorly understood by others. As their
tion of deliberate action by Assassins and the occlud- numbers grew, they established hidden enclaves to
ing effects of their Flux. Records of Assassins or their train one another, as well as philosophies dictating
Societies are dismissed as fabrications or the imagin- who they must kill.
ings of conspiracy theorists. Accounts of the oracular All Assassins take money for the kill, but the ear-
Pythians, Assassins who killed targets gleaned from liest Societies decided there was more to the pro-
visions to prevent a dire future, are widely dismissed fessional than just the kill itself. The Astradhari,
in academia. The Society of Leonidas, an ancient who conceived of their Masteries as divine weap-
brotherhood of killer-saints whose wealth secretly ons granted by the gods, determined their targets
manipulates the modern world, is a regular topic of through the interpretation of the Vedas by studied
discussion by amateur detectives on internet boards, sages. The Eyes of the King made the hard choice
lent as much credibility by the public as UFO sight- to trade the life of a great man for the preservation
ings or the Illuminati. of Persia, poisoning Alexander the Great and his
There have always been people willing to accept lover Hephaestion to try and save their home from
pay in return for killing. Widely dismissed by the Macedonian domination.
public, Assassins have nevertheless persisted across While Assassins keep records of their own secret
history. Assassins aren’t soldiers or enforcers. They histories that put modern libraries to shame, even
act alone and on their own terms, accepting con- the most fastidious archivists have little records of
tracts for exorbitant pay in return for taking the life the earliest histories of Assassins. Ancient relics,
of someone powerful, important, and in the way. weapons, and manuals containing Masteries lost in
Assassins have been behind deaths infamous and un- the fog of history are highly sought after. The Society
known, altering the course of world events without of Leonidas collects these artifacts obsessively
allowing themselves to become part of the narrative. and will not hesitate to put a contract on an enemy
An Assassin who does their job well goes unremem- known to possess one.
bered, vanishing into anonymity when the deed is
OCCULTATION
done.
Assassins have always lived on the edge of public
SOCIETIES OF THE PAST perception, but the Societies have operated at varying
levels of secrecy across the ages, culminating in the
Assassins in the modern era have built their com-
secretive practices of the modern age. The Society
munity atop the graves of their forebears. Before the
of Leonidas has always remained in the Shadow, but
modern Societies, there have been countless others
others claimed the public favor of the powerful while
which have risen and fallen across the ages. Some
carrying out their bidding.
fell to the vicissitudes of history, while others were
brought to their knees and slain, by their targets or The Heavenly Immortal Corps served the
even by fellow Assassins. These ancient Societies Ming Dynasty as an elite force of Assassins tasked
have shaped the Assassin world, and supply ancient with securing the ingredients for the elixir of im-
techniques passed down by their inheritors (or their mortality, they blended alchemical mixtures with
killers) which still see use by Assassins today. their Masteries to perform superhuman feats. Just
as they’d nearly completed their work, courtiers
EMERGENCE jealous of the favor bestowed on the Society’s
Those with the murderous spark of Inspiration majority of foreign-born members conspired
within them have always found themselves drawn to bring about their destruction and scattered
to one another. While most of these encounters have the Immortals to hidden redoubts in China and
ended in bloodshed, few have led to the flowering of beyond. To this day, Assassins still seek their hide-
secretive lodges and warrior-societies dedicated to aways for their secrets, including the recipe for the
the art of the kill. These became the first Societies. elixir of immortality.
18 CHAPTER ONE: STEPPING INTO SHADOWS

KILLER-SAINTS
While Assassins pass on, they slip from the memory of the Daylight world. However,
an Assassin’s Society preserves their legacy long after they’re gone and records their
deeds in their hidden annals. The Society of Leonidas holds a great deal of reverence for
the biographies and lore of ancient Assassins and eagerly pursue relics thought to have
belonged to them, as well as manuals detailing the techniques they used. Here are a few
examples of Assassins held in high esteem by the Society of Leonidas.
Nazar, a Palmyrene Assassin who slew King Odaenathus. Through misdirection, they
made a member of the king’s family a perfect scapegoat and allowed Zenobia to claim
the throne. Nazar’s motives and his connection to Zenobia remain a mystery even to the
Shadow’s scholars.
The Gentleman Bowler, a notorious member of the Worshipful Company of Killers,
well known for his poise and flawless charm. He slipped his way into the finest of social
company and executed his targets with such precision that no one remembered his face
— only his eponymous hat.
The Lion’s Claw, sister to Sundiata Keita. She was the masked killer at his side who
landed the deathblow on Suomaoro Kante, King of the Sosso. Legend attributes super-
natural power to Suomaoro Kante that the Lion of Sogolon and his Claw overcame
together. The King of Sosso was rumored to have supernatural fighting power of his own,
but the Lion’s Claw stood her ground against him and his death allowed Sundiata Keita to
found the Mali Empire. Her story is passed down through the songs and poems of West
African Assassin-griots.
Most infamous of the Societies who eschewed the The sun never set on the Worshipful Company’s
Shadow and reaped the whirlwind is The Order of enterprises. They established a network of hotels
Assassins, among the few Societies acknowledged in across the globe to make the business of travelling for
modern records, though the true extent of their in- murder a more luxurious affair. Terrorized colonial
fluence remains obfuscated. The Order of Assassins subjects and working-class people dispatched to the
trained Hashashin, the root word for the modern colonies served as porters in the hotels and accom-
Assassin. This Society openly ruled the Alamut state plices to the Company’s crimes, furnishing weapons
from Alamut Castle for centuries, using assassina- and disposing of corpses for the killer elite.
tion and subterfuge to maintain their independence The Company’s influence grew so great that it wield-
from their neighbors. Mongols in the 13th century ed the power of empire to force other Societies to adhere
brought an end to Alamut, aided by enemy Assassins to their own code of conduct and offered the services
dispatched by the Order’s greatest enemies. While of their network to those who complied. The Company
some propose that the Order survived and continued maintained its stranglehold on the Shadow for decades,
to manipulate events around Alamut, most Assassins making enemies of Societies ravaged and humiliated for
consider the state’s demise a sobering reminder that failing to abide by their eccentric standards, while hunt-
killing openly and ruling in the Daylight will only ing non-compliant Societies out of existence.
bring ruin.
THE BIRTH OF THE CODE
THE CONSIDERATE KILLERS Sometime after 1922 for reasons unknown to the
In the 19th century, the modern Shadow took Societies, Assassins began to appear in far greater num-
shape. Assassins in service of the British Empire bers than in previous decades. The Worshipful Company
dreamt of a Shadow unified in accordance with their of Killers became vulnerable in the aftermath of the
own culture and rules of conduct. The Worshipful Great War, having depleted their numbers attempting
Company of Killers, Assassins obsessed with et- to influence the war’s outcome through assassination.
iquette who killed at the behest of the aristocratic Their servants in the Shadow one by one began to betray
elite began to conduct their business across the them, collaborating with other Societies subjugated by
world, killing in every corner of the Empire. the Worshipful Company to take out contracts on every

last member. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, the established a new order, formalizing the Assassin
Worshipful Company was executed by their own subor- Code with the aid of the Societies who also wishes to
dinates, and a new day dawned in the Shadow. prevent a conflict as cataclysmic as the destruction of
The Service, an alliance of servants, businesses, the Worshipful Company from shaking the Shadow
and hoteliers who served the Worshipful Company again.
THREE WORLDS
The world of Assassins is our modern-day world. the criminal and the quasi-legal. Shell companies
It takes place in the present. The cities and nationali- participating in embezzlement and other white-col-
ties present within its world are our own, unchanged lar crime might be technically legal, but their activ-
except by the imaginations of the Storyguide and ities fall within the parameters of Twilight. On the
players. However, this fictional version of the real other hand, petty thieves and enforcers-for-hire also
world breaks down along three lines: Daylight, fall under Twilight’s shady umbrella. However, a
Twilight, and Shadow. These are descriptors for doctor providing care and distributing medicine in
different parts of the setting that Assassins inter- open disregard for oppressive laws is also operating
act with. The lines between them are intentionally in Twilight. For a person whose livelihood involves
porous and characters freely move between them the dubiously legal, their Twilight activities usually
during Assassins chronicles. involve evading notice from Daylight law enforce-
ment or other Daylight authority. Usually, Twilight
DAYLIGHT operatives do not want to accumulate any kind of
The world of Daylight is mundane and ordinary. fame or reputation — except among their peers.
Regular people work regular jobs, go grocery shop- This is the aspect of the Assassins where ordinary
ping, play on their phones and watch TV. They do Talents and Assassins are most likely to overlap. The
not think about taking the lives of others or about Moment of Inspiration comes to the highly skilled,
the inner workings of committing violent crimes. which frequently includes people with criminal
Most Trinity Continuum games take place in backgrounds.
Daylight — even if strange, extradimensional things Many people on the margins of society are also
happen there. Talents of Daylight occasionally brush part of Twilight, or at least drawn into its edges.
against the world of Twilight when their heroic These people include sex workers with criminal
exploits lead them there, but they rarely if ever ven- patrons, drug mules coerced into dangerous work,
ture into Shadow. If an Assassin was recruited into homeless people selling overheard information, and
her Society, her former friends and loved ones still drug dealers trying to make ends meet. Unlike con-
live in Daylight, a dangerous prospect for most. The tacts in Daylight, Societies encourage Assassins to
Societies discourage Assassins from maintaining cultivate and protect these relationships. A safe and
their Daylight ties. This is a recipe for disaster, risk- well-regarded Twilight contact is worth their weight
ing exposure for the Assassin and the lives of those in gold. The World of Shadow does not treat its mar-
she holds dear. If an Assassin insists on maintaining ginalized Twilight associates as easily disposable.
her connection to the world of Daylight, then she Twilight has the most overlap with Shadow, but
must keep her life as a killer private from others and rarely are Twilight contacts invited in. Shadow is the
shares information about her real occupation at her Assassins’ world, and theirs alone. It’s nothing per-
own peril. A Society will not hesitate to cut loose sonal, just business.
an Assassin who reveals too much to the people in
Daylight. SHADOW
This is the realm of Assassins. It is their hidden
TWILIGHT abode and base of operation. Shadow is not an al-
In the world of Twilight, organized crime, gangs, ternate dimension or reality, or a shard of the real
coalitions of thieves, corrupt officials and shady cor- world. It exists alongside normal, day-to-day oper-
porations dwell. It’s the shady world that lurks just ations, but disappears beneath average scrutiny. The
alongside the world of Daylight, filled to the brim with world of Assassins stands inaccessible to the people

THE ALLEGIANCES AND THE WORLD OF SHADOW
Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook details several Allegiances, beginning on p. 160.
The majority of these Allegiances are assumed to operate in Daylight, but some brush
against Shadow. 9 and Archangel have ties to Twilight, as they frequently deal with or hire
underworld elements. Similarly, Pharaoh’s Lightkeepers have plenty of reasons to dabble
in Twilight activity. Rumor holds that the Æon Society has connections directly within the
Daughters of the Jacobins, and that the Global Cartography Initiative has provided the
Signal with valuable technology every now and then. On more than one occasion, the
Neptune Foundation has thought they were saving the day, only to discover they’d walked
directly into an ongoing Shadow plot. Les Fantomes operates almost exclusively in Twilight
and on more than one occasion has received mysterious help from a member of Shadow.
Using the Allegiances makes for a different set of obstacles or allies who are not Shadow’s
usual fare of brutal killers, corrupt politicians, or morally bankrupt business people. This
also opens the door to crossover play between Talents and Assassins.
of Daylight (unless, of course, they are a victim of un- who can afford them. The masterminds in Shadow
lucky circumstances, see p. XX). An ordinary salary- orchestrate unrest in another country, embed sec-
man cannot accidentally make a reservation at Hotel onds-in-command who quietly pull the strings, and
Asylia, or stumble into a board room reserved by eliminate important opposition to their long-term
the Daughters of the Jacobins. The Inspired power plans. Assassins begin as the killing instruments of
of Assassins as a collective whole protects them. these hidden leaders, but may rise to seize power for
An Assassin can bring someone from Daylight into themselves. Most Assassins choose to live a life of
Shadow. Such a thing is not impossible. However, violence, and escape Shadow before it claims their
doing so puts the cultivated secrecy of Shadow at lives but most aren’t that lucky. Doing so is a danger-
risk — a transgression that Societies do not look upon ous play, and a path strewn with countless enemies.
lightly. No matter how a character approaches her life in
All Societies, major and minor, operate out of Shadow, it’s never an easy trod.
Shadow. The major Societies control whole organi-
SHADOW AND FLUX
zations, own businesses, hotels, and training facili-
Where Assassins gather, the collective force of
ties. These places exist in material reality but they do
their Inspiration creates something like a barrier of
not exist legally. Of course, residents of the Shadow
know one another and how to locate one another Flux. This cordon of energy separates Shadow from
though hidden facilities and headquarters remain the rest of the world. It makes everyday people drive
past their glistening bases of operation and think
secret even among Assassins. If a person in Daylight
wonder what people do there, then never consider the
has heard of something from Shadow, it’s in the form
of an urban legend, an unbelievable post online, orplace again. Like any other continuum, this bubble
a swiftly-discredited piece of independent journal-of Flux affects temporal flow. The World of Shadow
ism. Those who dwell in Twilight know that Shadow is every-so-slightly anachronistic, and thanks to this
exists, and is populated by extremely power and unusual manipulation, protects its residents from
impossibly deadly people. Criminal elements with extra-dimensional problems. Anomalies like Francis
contacts in Shadow abide by one important rule: do Smith (Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook, p. 141)
not fuck with your Shadow associates. This doesn’t do not appear within Shadow. However, this does
mean that antiquated technology and weapons —
stop residents from ignoring this rule, naturally — a
mistake for which they pay dearly. like oil paintings or phonographs or swords — see
regular use. Characters with the ability to sense the
From their vaunted, hidden bases of operation,
presence of Flux might be able to identify a location
Societies influence the power structures of the
as belonging to Shadow by its unusual energy. They’d
world. They select their targets from among the
be wise to leave it well enough alone, though.
dangerous and powerful at the behest of those gov-
ernments, corporations, and other organizations
Three Worlds 21
THE ORDER OF THE SHADOW
The Shadow is like a world unto itself hidden in Siblings’ Conflicts. Forbidden from slaying
parallel to the societies of Daylight and Twilight. one another, Assassins resolve their problems
The Societies form the bulk of this world, but the with formal duels: tests of combative skill with
order that governs the Shadow is held together by strict rules to determine the winner and loser.
three vital components: The Code is the foundation Do not interfere with a duel.
that binds all Assassins together and separates the
• Rule the Third: Do Not Involve Others in Your
killers from the beasts. The Service which arbitrates
Vendetta. Tensions run high in the world of
the Code and provides the functions necessary for
Shadow, and bruised egos happen. If one must
the Shadow to survive in the modern era. Finally,
get even, do not drag your associate Assassins
there is The Contract, the kill itself, the one com-
into it, and absolutely not drag your contacts
monality among all Assassins. Each of these three
in Twilight nor your family and friends in
pillars form the foundation for the modern Shadow,
Daylight into the struggle. This also goes for
born from the ashes of the Worshipful Company’s
targeting a rival’s contacts, friends, or family.
violent order.
• Rule the Fourth: Respect Neutral Ground. Places
THE CODE like Hotel Asylia (p. XX) host all residents of
The World of Shadow is above the law — it is well Shadow, regardless of their affiliation. While in
beyond the reproach of any Daylight authority, and an established neutral location, Assassins may
thus it must govern itself. In Twilight, criminals not feud with, duel, or kill one another.
scrabble for territory and stab one another in the
• Rule the Fifth: A Contract is Sacrosanct. Do not
back. No one can be trusted. If Shadow followed
question it. If you do not like the terms of a
the same haphazard structure, it would have long
contract, do not accept it. Breaking a contract
since collapsed. Since times immemorial, there has
or betraying one’s employer is forbidden.
been only one rule of the Assassin’s Code, to honor
your contracts. A contract is a promise, and so the • Rule the Sixth: Your Word is Binding. Assassins
modern Code is a contract between all the partici- must treat their promises like a contract. If you
pants in the Shadow: a standard of behavior to which swear not to harm someone, you must abide by
all Assassins from the secret masters to the newest that. If you swear a life-debt, you must answer
recruits must adhere. Those who violate its tenets the call when you are summoned.
are marked anathema and cast out from Shadow, if
not executed. An ejected Assassin is a liminal being • Rule the Eighth: Death is Only for the Target.
with nowhere to belong in Daylight and unable to Assassins are precision instruments, not weap-
return to Shadow. Execution is a mercy. ons of mass destruction. Claim too many lives
and the general public of Daylight notices.
The Code is based on the ancient social contract
Every Assassin is called to temper their blood-
among Assassins, first codified into tradition by the
lust for their contracted target only. The cor-
Society of Leonidas and then put to paper by the
ollary to this rule is that hired muscle, body-
Worshipful Company of Killers. In the modern day,
guards, soldiers, enforcers, and other doers
the Service enforces the Code and does not hesitate
of violence hired to get between you and your
to mark code-breakers anathema at the slightest
target are fair game.
offense. The following strictures make up the Code.
• Rule the First: Do Not Kill Your Siblings-in- • Rule the Ninth: Aim Carefully the Killing Arts.
Arms. Assassins are a rare and precious re- Do not raise your hand against a non-combat-
source. Slaying another is a grave sin, even if ant. Targets employ dozens of Daylight inno-
they are an enemy. The corollary to this rule is, cents who have nothing to do with accomplish-
of course, unless they are a contracted target, ing your contract. Slaying clerks, assistants,
or they harm you first. servants, and other non-combatants is forbid-
den. They are to be bargained with or intimi-
• Rule the Second: Do Not Interfere in Your dated into silence, if they are in your way.

• Rule the Tenth: Abandon your Daylit Life. cases, some Assassins never retire, adapting their
Discussing the goings-on and the details of a killing methods as they age. All residents of Shadow
life in Shadow is forbidden. Assassins must have nothing but the utmost respect (and healthy
not reveal anything about their hidden world fear) of elderly Assassins — people who have grown
to the general public, their families, and espe- old in a profession where most die young.
cially not Daylight authorities. The Societies
advise that Assassins cut their ties entirely, and THE SERVICE
warn that those who do not do so at their own Assassins in the Shadow have needs for services
risk. to practice their killing arts, but they cannot turn
to the Daylight or the Twilight to provide for her
RETIREMENT needs without risks. Enter the Service, part se-
The Code services a second function, besides cret-society, part alliance of the Shadow’s hidden
a framework of rules by which Shadow operates. industries, it offers Assassins what no one else can:
Obeying the Code and its strictures allows an To meet those needs with luxury and discretion.
Assassin to retire in good standing — assuming they The Societies have their own stores of weapons,
live long enough to do so. An Assassin who ends facilities and contacts, but few can easily match
their career having never violated these rules ap- the luxury and excellence-in-service of the Service,
plies for retirement to the Service, who then grants all with none of the danger afforded by utilizing
them a generous severance package and a com- Daylight institutions with similar resources.
fortable place to live out the rest of their days. Of In addition to providing essential services, por-
course, leaving Shadow also requires the approval ters (as members of the Service are known) are
of a character’s Society, which may have other stip- also responsible for providing a secure location
ulations besides the Code. to receive contracts, as well as for the Societies to
The Service evaluates good standing based on bank their wealth in ways entirely invisible to the
the total number of contracts completed by the Daylight.
Assassin, her lifelong record of performance, any Where once the Shadow’s myriad industries
risks she’s posed to the wellbeing of Shadow, and had to secure the patronage of the Societies, the
any times she killed a little too much or brought Worshipful Company destroyed the infrastructure
heat upon her Society. They evaluate each Assassin of much of their rivals, and the Service rose up to
on a rubric and while only the most heinous or fill that vacuum. Suddenly in a position of power
inept killer fails this approval process, the amount over the Societies, they formalized the Code and
of severance and their willingness to offer services normalized the relationships of the most powerful
after retirement varies based on a complicated risk Societies in the Shadow. The Service ensures the
assessment. Those with an outstanding record Shadow’s stability by maintaining the balance of
are afforded protection from the law and further power.
Shadow retaliation. The Service demands that all
vendettas and feuds be called off, and never to be SERVICES RENDERED
spoken of again. Though she returns to a “normal” To access the luxurious offerings of the Service,
life, the Assassin remains perpetually aware of the an Assassin must abide by the Code. Those who
hidden world. She sees the bloodstains that others belong to Societies in good standing receive prefer-
ignore, she perceives the faint tingle from Powered ential treatment. The Service furnishes profession-
gear, and she certainly doesn’t forget where Hotels al Assassins with all the essentials for their work,
Astylia are located. If an Assassin chooses to re-en- but they do so in style and comfort. Assassins who
ter Shadow after retirement, this protection ex- make use of the Service travel and live in luxury,
pires. Once a character leaves, she must stay out. partying as hard as they work while pursuing con-
Not every Assassin enjoys the placid life of re- tracts across the world.
tirement. Some itch for an opportunity to kill again, Foremost among their offerings is luxurious
while others miss their proteges and Shadow family. accommodations for travelling Assassins in any
Coming out of retirement isn’t unheard of — the vio- major city across the world. The Service offers
lent Inspiration does not settle easily. In a few rarer only the most lavish comforts, the finest liquors,

ASSASSINS AND SUPER SCIENCE
Everyone has heard the stories: She killed a dozen guards armed only with a ballpoint
pen. There’s no doubt that Assassins are deadly, and the majority of this power comes
from their Masteries, but the rest stems from their gear. While they have access to spe-
cialized, bleeding-edge technology and weapons, many prefer the brutal simplicity of
a tried-and-true melee weapon such as a hammer or a spear. An everyday handgun,
well-made knife, or sledgehammer purchased at a hardware store serves as a viable
weapon just as much as any kitted-out sniper rifle. A rare few Assassins eschew weapons
entirely, choosing to kill with poison, or even their bare hands.
Though Inspired, Assassins do not create their own Super Science objects. Their Inspired
power focuses only on the art of the kill, not making the tools that enable it. Despite this,
Assassins can utilize any Super Science weapon, tool, or vehicle they have been given.
Societies send envoys to pay other unscrupulous Talents to craft extravagant weapons
and equipment and then distribute these among their most prized agents. The Service
employs a handful of Super Science experts through a dozen disposable shell companies
— one of the rare few times that Shadow touches Daylight, though their output is moni-
tored and only offered to Assassins in good standing.
Assassins may also come by Super Science gear through mysterious (and self-serving)
third parties. Cortex Risk Control Services, a Minor Society (see p. XX), sells experimental
technologies dreamed up by the Inspired scientists of the Circus Division to all Societies
able to pay their extortionate rates. The Transcendent Alliance (Trinity Continuum
Core Rulebook, p. 190) has dispatched eccentric Inspired inventors to reach out to
willing Societies in order to exchange their technological prowess in return for vast sums
of money from Shadow. For more on the tools of the trade, see p. XX.
the plushest rooms. In accommodations like the contract can be arranged, ensuring only the porters
Wormwood in London or the Hotel Dashiell in doing the cleaning will ever know what became of
San Francisco, Assassins can plainly see the five- the target. Even a front or cover identity to conceal
star service on offer, yet the rich and famous never an Assassin’s true business from friends and family
gain entrance or reservation. These kinds of hotels in the Daylight can be arranged by a porter of the
are only open to those invited, and the only ones Service. None of these services come free, however.
invited are ones in good standing with the Service What isn’t paid for by the Assassin’s Society must
in the Shadow. Collectively, these places are known be purchased with her own tender. If she has none
as Hotels Asylia, and they are held to be neutral to offer, then the Service will accept a contract in
ground by broad Societal agreement. No violence return.
is to be waged within their hallowed halls, on pain
of death; all grudges are suspended, and bitter SHADOW ECONOMY
nemeses will share a drink in the elegant bar these Among the Service’s most valuable functions
hotels undoubtedly feature. Each Society sponsors is the operation of the Shadow’s economy. In the
at least one Hotel Asylia, in places as far-flung as Service’s establishments, money never directly
Haiti or Siberia, each with their own unique char- changes hands, there is no paper trail for Daylight
acter and owner. authorities to follow. Instead, business is conduct-
The Hotel Asylia also offer other services to ed using the Service’s coins or the markers of the
Assassins staying in one of their facilities. Travel Societies. Assassins who complete contracts are not
in comfort can be arranged far away from the paid with briefcases of cash or wire deposits; those
Daylight’s prying eyes. Weaponry and other hi- tools of the Twilight can be traced by the powers
tech equipment can be tailored and delivered to that be. Instead, they are paid in the Service’s coins
the door of an Assassin’s room. Contracts can be or in the markers of the Societies.
offered and taken in the lobby. Cleaning services The Service’s coins are each a priceless relic:
for an Assassin’s equipment or for the scene of a Tetradrachmae bearing the face of Alexander the

Great, exchanged in place of large sums of money exchanged for an exorbitant sum of money in any
for services rendered. Each one is worth more Daylight currency of the Assassin’s choice.
money than many will see in a lifetime, but for an These currencies are used to equip Assassins
Assassin, they are the fundamental currency that with everything they need without anyone in the
always possesses value. Daylight being the wiser. While anyone can see the
Societies pay via markers. Markers are granted value of an expensive, ancient coin, those in the
as an Assassin completes contracts or gains favor Daylight have no idea what an Assassin can acquire
in their Society. These markers or tokens serve when they present the Service with such a bounty.
primarily to demand respect from others for the
assassin’s station or can be exchanged with the
THE COUNCIL OF FIVE
Service for coins of equivalent value drawn from The least known but perhaps most important
the Society’s own coffers. The Society of Leonidas function of the Service is to provide a council in
exchanges small golden spear heads no larger than which the urgent business of the Shadow can be
coins, while the Daughters of the Jacobins use discussed. Known as the Council of Five, it offers
cockades as the physical representation of social five seats to the most prominent Societies of the
currency. The actual Daylight monetary value of the Shadow. Each may send a representative who can
items is irrelevant; they are symbols of an intangible discuss events of import to the Shadow and move
social standing. These can typically be exchanged the Societies to action by broad agreement.
between Societies and refinanced into a chosen First and foremost, the Council exists to maintain
Society’s currency by the Service. They can also be the peace between the Societies. By providing them

with an avenue to declare grievances and discuss income nor standing in Shadow and may resort
recompense in neutral ground, the Service prevents to desperate measures. They lean on personal
vendettas from spiraling out into bloody conflicts. contracts from anyone willing to pay, which can
The Council also makes the mutual contract to not result in perilous jobs, unreliable reimbursement,
interfere with Assassins who have retired in good or crossing paths with former members of their
standing from the Shadow. Society in undesirable ways. Too many crossed
Among the Council’s gravest duty is judging paths, and they may wind up a mark themselves.
Assassins who violate the Code. While the Service’s
DAYLIGHT CONTRACTS
representative, known as the Castellan, presents
the case, it is ultimately the Council who makes Assassins rarely if ever target those in the
the final declaration. Blackmail and subterfuge are Daylight, as doing so violates the Code. While the
occasionally used to engineer a particular vote, but common murderer might take money to slaughter
the Service punishes such conduct if discovered an innocent, to ask an Assassin to use their skills
harshly. this way is an insult, either insinuating they lack
integrity or that their skills would be well suited
THE CONTRACT to simple work. The Service and the Societies both
avoid contracts whose targets are in Daylight, as
The fundamental building block of Assassin
much for practical reasons of avoiding attention
Societies, the contract dictates who Assassins kill.
as it is for the Code. Assassins who take personal
This isn’t haphazard or at the whims of individu-
contracts targeting those in the Daylight keep
al leaders. The Service receives offers, vets them,
their grim work quiet. The Twilight pays well for
and distributes them to each Society, as per their
common killers, and some Assassins forsake their
standards and ethos. Despite this being the most
dignity to make a quick buck. These Assassins once
common way contracts arrive, Assassins do accept
discovered can become contracts themselves.
personal contracts — though this is vanishingly
rare and almost always for emotional reasons, TWILIGHT CONTRACTS
rather than pure monetary gain. When receiving a
Twilight is often home to many of an Assassin’s
contract through their Society, this appears in the
typical contracts. Twilight contracts are typically
form of a crisp, handwritten letter delivered to their
criminals, corrupt officials, and shadowy corporate
lodgings while staying at any Hotel Asylia location.
figures who are involved in illegal and immoral
Assassins active in the field find their contracts
endeavors. Their choices and transgression make
hidden in dead drops, instead.
them acceptable targets in the eyes of Assassins,
Accepting a contract is binding. It is a sacrosanct even if they may lack the skills to face an Assassin.
oath and is not to be violated. Worming one’s way
Twilight Contracts are people who exist on the
out of a contract is a fast track to expulsion from the
periphery of public awareness. They’re rarely king-
Society, being marked Anathema, becoming some-
pins, executives, or high-placed politicians. Most
one else’s contract, or any other number of fates
often, they’re in the middle of the hierarchy, profit-
worse than death. Do this one time too many, and
ing from their actions but without notoriety. Their
the Service will flag the Assassin as unreliable, and
deaths may be subject to investigation, but few
withdraw their services. They call this the redlist.
become spectacles. Twilight contracts might carry
Such a redlisted Assassin cannot easily earn some risks of exposure, but most people in Twilight
YOU’VE GOT THE WRONG GUY

Infrequently, someone will attempt to frame a target for assassination and take a contract
with false intentions. The Service vets every contract offer submitted and does its best to
root out bad actors. Though they eliminate almost every contract submitted that targets
an innocent. An Assassin who discovers that her target has been framed and is innocent
may break her contract. In these instances, the Society treats assassinating the person who
framed the target as fulfilling it.

are so frightened by the Shadow they’d never say disappearances and inciting riots that have
anything admissible in court. seen countless Muslims killed. While he is
While people on the margins might be a part of unaware of the contract taken against him, he
the Twilight, the consequences for targeting inno- lives in fear of retribution for his crimes, and
cents are much the same as in Daylight. Few respect rarely travels unattended by soldiers loyal to
Assassins who take contracts against defenseless him.
people.
• Andrew Stane, is the head of the Fraternity
• Jacob Wollstone is a project manager at Baron of Officers, the police union in his city. Under
Petrochemical, an English oil company with in- his tenure, he has successfully covered up
ternational holdings that it’s held since before countless cases of police brutality, corruption
the end of the British Empire. Jacob has been and criminal conduct. Doing so has made him
responsible for hiring private military con- enormously wealthy, and he has most of the
tractors to protect Baron’s interests. Over his city’s police at his beck and call. He has no idea
career, he’s acquired a gruesome body count that there’s a contract on his head, however.
of people murdered for profit. He’s aware of
• Marcellino Zucharelli, is a “made man” in the
the contract and he’ll eagerly offer to outbid
Camparelli Family, one of the most powerful
the client. He doesn’t know how the Shadow
in La Cosa Nostra. Responsible for kidnap-
works.
ping children to threaten politicians to vote
• Colonel Samit Sanyal believes strongly that the right ways, Zucharelli has made an enemy
his country must be rid of foreign invaders, that will stop at nothing until he pays with his
and the soldiers under his command have been life. Zucharelli is also the subject of an inter-
participants for years, engaging in clandestine national investigation; Assassins that take his

ANATHEMA SOCIETIES
Anathema is typically a judgement reserved for individual Assassins, but in rare cases, the
actions of the group are so horrific or in complete violation of the Code that the Council
has declared entire Societies to be Anathema. These organizations of Assassins are hostile
to the order of the Shadow and have no reason to respect the Code. They make some
of the most dangerous targets for Assassins to take on, as they have numerous Assassins
able to intercept the players on their behalf. A few examples of Anathema Societies are
presented below:
• Baphomet: A Society of Assassins lured by the vast fortunes of Bertran d’Alverny
to his side. Baphomet uses cutting edge technology, blackmail, and assassination to
accumulate power over the wealthiest in the Daylight, and they don’t care who they
hurt along the way. Bertran isn’t shy about recruiting anathema Assassins and takes
a special delight in dispatching Assassins to thwart his rival’s pet project, Archangel
(see Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook, p. 168), though he does so sparingly
to avoid drawing attention to himself.
• The Society of Minos: What started as an aristocratic society dedicated to
hunting humans became an Anathema Society as more members became Assassins
and they recruited others to be their huntsmen. Declared anathema for supporting the
Worshipful Company of Killers until their destruction, the Society of Minos persists
to this day, hunting those in Daylight as readily as any other for the vile thrill. Assas-
sination is done with moral consideration, and hunting humans is a line Assassins in
good standing do not cross.
• ULTRALIGHT: A relic of the Cold War, ULTRALIGHT was a black ops project run
by the United States to investigate the potential applications of hypnosis as a tool
of assassination. After going rogue in the ‘80s, ULTRALIGHT’s Assassins briefly
attempted to join the Societies, but were rebuked harshly for their callousness in
using civilian sleeper agents in assassinations or to cover up their tracks.
contract will have to race against the authori- killer-saint for her accomplishments.
ties to take him out first.
• Olivia Hart is the picture of American success:
a fabulously wealthy businesswoman who
SHADOW CONTRACTS
came from humble means and whose uncanny
Shadow Contracts are the greatest challenge an facility for numbers and snap reflexes helped
Assassin can face, and consequently the source of her accumulate a fortune on Wall Street. She’s
their greatest rewards. Shadow Contracts are nearly also a member of the Society of Minos, a secret
always either Assassins themselves, or people with society of the fabulously wealthy who hunt
close ties to them. They are the invisible hands that and kill people for sport. The Society includes
foment catastrophes in the world to fatten their a number of Anathema Assassins who consider
checkbook. They’re leaders of secret organizations their former colleagues to be the most danger-
that spread misery to accomplish world-changing ous game, and they all consider the contract on
objectives. They are both the most challenging and Olivia’s head to be a sporting challenge.
horrific targets.
They sequester themselves far from the public • Bertran d’Alverny was among the wealth-
eye, in underground lairs, remote chateaus, and for- iest men in Europe before he was exposed as
tresses surrounded by miles of security infrastruc- the mastermind behind the failed kidnapping
ture. The risks are high and so are the rewards. A of his top rival’s son. His wealth and connec-
notorious Shadow Contract can make an Assassin’s tions allowed him to flee Europe, and in the
career, entering her in the annals of the Shadow as a time since his apparent disappearance, he has

reinvented himself. He heads a shadowy in- wizard who has used his connections on behalf
ternational conspiracy known as Baphomet, of his wealthy friends to crash economies and
which ruthlessly leverages blackmail and as- ruin lives. He knows there’s a Contract on his
sassination to enrich Bertran and his allies. He head and spends a fortune to wait it out.
has long-term plans of revenge. He is confident
• Shaska is a veteran Assassin in the Society of
that the contract on his head will not be com-
Leonidas who was declared Anathema after
pleted, and more than one Assassin has died
she suddenly killed one of her former pro-
trying.
teges. Her motives remain a mystery, but she
• Few people know the name Piotr Shein. Fewer has been declared Anathema and the Society
people know the role he’s played in manipu- of Leonidas has put a contract on her head.
lating the world economy. An oligarch-savant On the run across the globe, it seems she has
who enriched himself during Perestroika and trained more rogue Assassins as her personal
moved to the United States. He’s an economics entourage.

“The important thing to know about an assassination or an attempted
assassination is not who fired the shot, but who paid for the bullet.”
— Eric Ambler, A Coffin for Dimitrios
Assassins come together in the world of Shadow experts are other Talents brought on board through
to form Societies: organizations dedicated to the art a series of half-truths and appealing bribes. Someone
of death. Each Society has its own goals, methods, has to build and maintain the gadgets and tools at an
and philosophies that inform how they choose their Assassin’s disposal, after all.
targets and why, but all are joined together by their Societies keep these retainers on staff to admin-
connection to Assassins, those Talented individuals ister and support their work without relying on ex-
contracted by the Societies for the world’s second ternal help. This has the added benefit of keeping
oldest profession: murder. each Society at least a little bit independent from the
Service. The Service certainly notices and chafes at
THE STRUCTURE OF A SOCIETY not being able to completely control these aspects of
No Assassin is an island, despite the mythos sur- life in Shadow, but also knows better than to over-
rounding them as solo operators sharpening their step its boundaries.
blades in the dark. Each Society supports itself inter- Assume the players’ characters have graduated
nally with a vetted staff of trainers, weapons experts, successfully from a training operation (or some oth-
chefs, sanitation and maintenance workers and so er tutelage) and have gone on a few successful mis-
on. Many of these people were plucked from their sions prior to the start of the chronicle. The players’
Twilight lives to work in Shadow. They are sworn to characters are always prodigious and elite — the top
absolute secrecy and their payment packages match of their class and the best their training program had
the intensity of this oath. Some of these trainers and to offer.
The Societies 31
DAUGHTERS OF THE JACOBINS
“Equality. Freedom. Revolution.
These ideals don’t come without blood and tears.
Let the politicians think that they can make change with words alone.
We do the dirty work they can’t.”
— Yvonne Dionne, President of the Daughters of the Jacobins
The French Revolution needed a strong arm to Approached by the Jacobins to assist with their
bring about its lofty ideals, and the Daughters of the plans, the Scottish Maidens assented for a time.
Jacobins provided it. In the world of Shadow, the When the Jacobins could not afford to remove politi-
Daughters maintain the same goals as their long- cal obstacles, the Maidens did so for them. Some dis-
gone forebearers: freedom, liberty, and equality by appeared without a trace, while others were dragged
eliminating anyone who stands in the way. beaten and bloody before the braying crowd to be
The Daughters follow a careful plan, accepting executed by guillotine. For every death attributed
and rejecting contracts in a seemingly random fash- to Armantine and her allies, ten more went unno-
ion. Each kill serves a hidden purpose. A lobbyist ticed among the chaos, among which were merce-
fomenting racist chaos on behalf of shadowy mas- naries, royalists, and even Assassins sent to disrupt
ters, an official silencing whistleblower for corporate the Revolution. While they could not prevent the
sponsors, a flower shop owner organizing a coterie of assassination of Marat, the Maidens ensured that his
Assassins to terrorize a city so criminals could flour- killer, Charlotte Corday, did not escape his home that
ish — in the aftermaths of their deaths, their connec- night.
tions become clear. The Daughters’ targets inevitably The Maidens were never under Robespierre’s
have their secrets exposed to the public and cause control, much to his frustration. Armantine Martin
chaos for the conspirators they leave behind. Each remained their elected leader until her death at the
exposure, far removed from the Daughters, brings hands of Robespierre, who wished for the Society
them one step closer to their ideal world. to terrorize his enemies by threatening their fam-
ilies with the Maidens’ wrath. Armantine Martin
SECRET HISTORY was beheaded as an enemy of the revolution, but the
In the early days of the French Revolution, it be- Maidens stood ready to avenge her. Two days later,
came clear that it would take more than words to Robespierre was arrested and put to the guillotine.
change the world. With looted weapons in hand, the With his death, the Jacobin party disbanded, and
women of the marketplace did what the thinking the Maidens went to ground, vowing never to become
men of the political clubs could not, forcing the king the tool of a political order again. Henri Legrand, a
to Paris to face the people’s will. Armantine Martin, free Black man from the French colonies mentored
a sans-culotte militant, made a pact with a handful by Armantine and elected leader of the Maidens,
of other women involved: where the words of others turned his eyes to Haiti to test their ideals. France
failed, their weapons would prevail. would survive the day, but newborn revolutionary
Armantine formed a faction in the shadows of the Haiti would suffer without their aid. The white elite
Revolution, nicknamed the “Scottish Maidens” af- refused to give up the vice of slavery, despite its abo-
ter the precursor to the king’s new guillotine. The lition by the National Convention.
Maidens recruited from the ranks of frustrated wom- Legrand brought the Maidens to Haiti to begin
en listening from the balconies of the political clubs, their ambitious work between war with England
observing the revolution without a voice. Armantine and Spain. Military leaders suffered public, bloody
shaped their frustration into a weapon, engineering deaths. Colonial soldiers fell into disarray as yellow
the deaths of royalists and revolutionaries alike if fever spread among them overnight. Freed slaves
they stood in the way of their ideals. were given weapons and training by shadowed fig-
ures to join the revolts. Legrand’s uncanny knack
32 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

for leadership proved terrifying and effective, and while he never strayed
from his ideals and avoided becoming entangled in the revolution’s lead-
ership, he traded letters with Toussaint Louverture to better learn how
to aid them.
When Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Haiti, Legrand lost his life in battle.
Even this he seemed to predict, as immediately after, his daughter,
Isidora, took command with a slew of instructions from her father
to enact upon his death. Isidora innovated upon her father’s in-
structions to transform the murderers into a true organization.
She renamed the group the Daughters of the Jacobins, for they
would do what their fathers could not. Isidora looked beyond
wars and revolutions to plan strategic assassinations to change
the world.
Today, the Daughters of the Jacobins span the world,
working with the Service and the other Societies to enact
the change they seek. They pick their targets strategically
to make the world a better place and maintain the order
of the world of Shadow. They work to ensure their ide-
als live among Societies and punish harshly those who
seek to undermine them.
CONTRACTS
The Daughters of the Jacobins select their con-
tracts with care, opting for precision killings to
bring about change rather than indiscriminate
violence. The Service and the Daughters’ own
allies often provide contracts on political and
military functionaries. Rarely do they target
the politicians and generals who are the face of
public misery, instead preferring to target the
people who fund them and act as their agents
in the Twilight and Shadow. Those contracts
the Daughters accept are swiftly completed,
not for the satisfaction of the client, but to
fulfill their own objectives.
Chaos often follows in the wake of a target’s demise, though
rarely the kind which can be attributed to the Daughters. The
chaos they cause is ultimately controlled and always serves a pur-
pose: To cause chaos without purpose and hurt the most vulnera-
ble is a grave crime against their ideals. Terror must only be visited
upon those who deserve it.
The Daughters vigorously involve themselves in the politics of
the Shadow. Anathema Assassins and Societies are all fair game,
with the Daughters racing to bring justice to those who break the
Code. Societies which show little regard for the etiquette that gov-
erns the Shadow, such as the Swarm, often make enemies of the
daughters of the jacobins 33

Daughters. Contracts against other Assassins are self-appointed, or funded by other Societies, the
swift and unromantic: To put yourself in their cross- Daughters take on numerous contracts involving oth-
hairs is to cross lines that no assassin should cross. er Assassins and their allies in the Shadows. Useful
for maintaining the balance of power in the Shadow,
OPERATIONS the Daughters are loved by none. All Assassins who
The Daughters receive most contracts through the maintain relationships with the Daughters prepare
Service, or from allies in governments and corporations plans should they become the next person who must
— though judging them by their clients is misleading. die for their ideals. While most of their targets are
Every job selected offers some hidden benefit to the Assassins who violate the Codes of their Societies,
agenda of the Daughters, whether by exposing evils they are not above instituting regime changes in the
perpetrated by their target and their allies or providing country of killers. Agitators for change in the Shadow
the Daughters with resources and information to go af- court the Daughters, and while some see them as the
ter more significant targets. Daughters are made fully status quo, they will eagerly aid young upstarts. The
aware of the importance of their contracts, though they Daughters have long believed that power breeds in-
may trust the council not to reveal everything in case equity, and chaos breeds opportunity.
they should be captured. Each Daughter has the con- Established Societies fear the Daughters attention,
viction to know that every kill counts. Their killings al- and only call them into internal matters when in the
ways involve a significant amount of information gath- direst of straights. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop
ering beforehand, to ensure that the kill is as precise as the Daughters from inserting themselves into a situ-
possible. Collateral damage and loss of life among the ation if they believe someone has broken their Code.
uninvolved are heavily frowned upon by the Daughters
if it cannot be rationalized in service of the cause. RECRUITMENT
Murder is not the only business of the Daughters; The Daughters of the Jacobins recruit fresh-faced
they also engage in espionage. Moles in government idealists and veterans jaded by systemic failure alike,
agencies and their own tradecraft feed a network of welcoming people of all genders. To both, they of-
information unrivaled in the Shadow, which they bar- fer the opportunity for meaningful change brought
ter carefully with allies and enemies alike. They may about through violence. Many chapters recruit lo-
also take on non-lethal contracts. These often involve cals who share their ideals, training them from the
character assassination and espionage rather than kill- ground up. While they may come from a variety of
ing, something the precision killing of the Daughters backgrounds, they most often seek out the margin-
lends itself to. Connections to politicians and officials alized, who best understand the importance of their
make it easy to embroil their targets in dangerous con- ideals and the evils they must eradicate.
sequences when information is acquired and neutral- A particularly large contingent of the Daughters
izing dangerous figures without killing them can be are made up of Assassins recruited from intelligence
essential to bringing about change. agencies around the world. These agents leverage
Since the death of Charlotte Corday, the Daughters their connections to their former lives for information
have killed countless more Assassins. Whether and the latest equipment to carry out their contracts.
CHAPTERHOUSES
The Daughter’s stronghold and heritage chapterhouse sits in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Whenever everyone is required for official business, this is where they meet. They have
safe houses and chapters dotted across the world, though, ensuring their members are
close to where they may be needed. These chapterhouses are in Paris, New York City,
Tehran, Beijing, Caracas, and Moscow.
Each chapterhouse hosts state of the art technology and a veritable arsenal for members
to check out or take at their leisure. The gear is free for use by all, just as long as no
one gets stingy or greedy. Members donate time, money, and energy into the Society’s
upkeep, and they tend to rub elbows with powerful political figures who keep them in
good working order.

THE ÆON SOCIETY CONNECTION
The Daughters maintain a network of allies beyond the Shadow. Since its earliest days,
members of the Æon Society have been aware of the Daughters of the Jacobins, sup-
porting their ideals or directing them against dangerous enemies the Æon Society could
not act against. Legend says that the elderly Isidora Legrand turned Mercer down on
his offer to join the organization, but the two have always been connected, if not at a
distance. The Society helped the Daughters with their investments in the ‘40s, and on
occasion, the Daughters assist them to this day.
Assassins disdain the meddlesome behavior of the Æon Society, but the Daughters firmly
protect their alliance. Improbably, they claim Henri Legrand left a letter promising that
the Æon Society would be essential to achieving their ideals, a prediction made over a
century before the Society’s founding.
Assassins from other Societies and freelancers

often find themselves among the Daughters. They
GOALS
actively snipe trained assassins from other Societies As an organization, the Daughters of the Jacobins
when it suits them, and they offer refuge for assas- want freedom, liberty, and equality for all people, and
sins who have been removed from other Societies, they will kill anyone who stands in the way. While
if their values are aligned. No one wants a traitor in they no longer tie themselves to particular countries
their midst, but an unruly upstart who bucks the sys- and their Daylight politics, they change the fates of
tem sounds like a Daughter through and through. nations through precision kills to follow their oath.
Hopefuls are mentored by senior Daughters, who The Society’s abundance of former intelligence
take them to their headquarters in Haiti for training. agents and incredible talent for anticipating others
On revolutionary soil, they learn the Society’s ideals lends itself to rumors that the Daughters are compro-
and prove their loyalty to the cause. Leadership is mised by their government ties, but this is not true.
elected, though incumbency is common at the high- The Daughters work carefully to ensure they main-
est levels of the organization. tain the advantage over officials that call them allies.
While they occasionally accept contracts from gov-
ORGANIZATION ernments, they work they accept from these agencies
is overwhelmingly domestic, often involving private
The oath of service inducts an Assassin fully into
companies rather than government officials or politi-
the Daughters of the Jacobins. Resources are shared
cal activists. It has been decades since the Daughters
freely among all members, though being respon-
undertook a job to end a regime or bring down a dic-
sible with collective resources is part of their oath.
tator. They gather information, collect dossiers, and
Members give back to the organization in whatev-
bribe, threaten, and cajole political actors through-
er way they can, often through financial donations,
out the world, but they hold themselves back from
but sometimes in favors or odd jobs. Much of the
becoming the world’s police.
Daughters’ wealth comes from investments made in
the 1940s during the war and stolen Nazi gold. The Daughters have instead turned their atten-
tions to those in the Shadow, including defectors and
Rules, regulations, and new members are voted in
violators of the Code among the other Societies. The
by a simple majority vote of all active members. Each
Daughters respect the Code and the utility of their
chapterhouse votes for a representative who speaks
alliance with the Service like the other leaders of the
on their behalf for purposes of asset allocation, in-
Shadow, but they believe the Service to be too lais-
vestments, and daily routines. The entire member-
sez-faire and forgiving of indiscretions. Violation of
ship votes on the Society’s president, and leader of the
the Code cannot be accepted, and its strict enforce-
representative council. The president’s job is to cast
ment is the only ethical way of doing business in
a tie-breaking vote in matters of organization-wide
the eyes of the Daughters. Those who rebuke it are
votes, though many look to her as the organization’s
dangerous to themselves and to the entirety of the
heart. Yvonne Dionne, a descendant of Henri and
Shadow.
Isidora Legrand, serves as the current president.

THE OATH OF SERVICE
The Daughters’ code of ethics revolves around the equal treatment of those in the Shadow,
excising the powerful, and uplifting the downtrodden. Anything is permitted in service of
their goals.
The Oath is as such:
• Everyone has a say. In the ideal world, all people will be heard, especially the
silenced. This precludes forced jobs, stealing earnings, servitude relationships, or
assassinating a target without giving them a chance to speak.
• Everyone must be equal. In the ideal world, from the lowest Assassin to the President
themselves, all will be respected and accountable. The weak must not be overlooked
for the strong. All transgressions merit consequences, no matter one’s status.
• No one deserves more than anyone else. In the ideal world, the powerful do not
hold onto resources others need. Help must be offered to an Assassin in need. A
guest must be treated with respect unless they disrespect you.
All Daughters aspire to the Oath, but interpretation is debated. Refined from speeches
given during the Revolution, some argue that the Oath is outdated, while others support its
spirit but disagree on implementation.
position from her older sister, Angelique. She was

THE PRICE OF elected to the position according to protocol, but
DOING BUSINESS this was merely a formality. Anyone who had been
The Daughters may have a wealth of resources in the Society for more than a day knew Angelique
that comes from their members, but they also have was grooming her sister to take her position in the
a wealth of favors owed to the Service and the other eventual case of her death, just like everyone knows
Societies. Their historical involvement in civil wars, that Yvonne is grooming her own daughter for the
uprisings, revolts, coups, and every other manner of position in the future.
internal affairs nets them boons and favors from ev- The worst kept secret within the Society is that all of
eryone they’ve helped rise to power. Unfortunately, its most senior members are utterly loyal to the Legrand
they make enemies just as easily as they make family, believing that dynastic rule is the secret to their
friends. For every bit of aid given to an upstart, there success. Each president is a descendent of Henri’s in
is a person who lost access to power and resources some form or fashion, each with a solid direction and
when the Daughters got involved. vision for the Society that has not wavered in the more
They often harbor runaways from other Societies, than two-hundred years since its inception.
and the Daughters have their fair share of enemies Outsiders and fellow Assassins attribute the su-
throughout the Shadows. The Society of Leonidas perlative planning skills of the Daughters and their
and the Daughters watch one another like hawks for leadership to their vast information network and
violations of the Code and the opportunity to take on ties to the intelligence community. The secret is that
a contract on a member of either Society gone rogue. this direction and vision do not come from a keen
Daughters know the dangers of holding ideal- sense of strategy or particularly good planning skills.
ist beliefs. In one form or another, they have been Instead, the Legrand family has the uncanny abili-
dealing with it all their lives. They tell the story of ty to see into the future, and runs the organization
Armantine Martin to one another as a warning, get based on their true visions of what’s in store for the
too deep and you might lose your head as well. world. Rumors among those in the know say that
Legrand could travel through time, though none of
MYSTERIES the modern presidents have such a powerful ability.
Yvonne Dionne has been the president of the Yvonne herself can only see accurately into the
Daughters for fifteen years. Yvonne inherited the immediate future. Anything longer than a few

months out, and the visions are muddy and confus- Suggested Masteries: D’invasion, La Prévoyance,
ing. Yvonne directs the Daughters using her visions Sans-culotte
and prophecies laid out by Isidora and Henri all
those years ago. What appears to be utter chaos and ADDITIONAL CONNECTIONS
mercenary opportunity is actually a carefully laid out The Honorable Opposition deny Yvonne’s posi-
plan that Yvonne and her relations have been work- tion as de facto leader of the Daughters of the Jacobins
ing on for over a century. and claim that her so-called “prophetic visions” are
nothing but an urban legend carefully crafted to ob-
DAUGHTERS OF scure cowardice and her own hidden agendas. This
JACOBINS PATH group is an informal clique of Daughters that desire
You believe in something greater than yourself. to moderate the actions of Jacobin leadership — es-
You are an idealist, believing in a greater good and pecially decisions and contracts that lack an obvious
that your actions will bring about a better world. rationale, in their opinion. They claim Yvonne uses
You question everything, but in the end, you recog- an unreliable source for information that puts its
nize your place in both your Society and the world. Assassins in danger.
No one deserves to live a life oppressed, and you are Junaid Karim leads the Honorable Opposition and
willing to do anything to ensure they needn’t. You has faithfully served the Daughters under Yvonne’s
don’t expect anyone to forgive your sins, or to give mother’s leadership. He fears Yvonne has been duped
back equal to what you’ve given. As long as you can by the family’s mythos and puts too much faith in
see a brighter future, you’re willing to slog through what he considers superstition at best. Furthermore,
the muck to get it there. in the past, Junaid had maintained correspondence
Example Connections: Intelligence Agencies, with La Révolte Éclatante as organizations with mu-
Antifa Movements, Shadow Organizations tual goals. This relationship broken down roughly a
decade ago after a Jacobins contract targeted a mem-
Skills: Close Combat, Culture, Integrity, Survival
ber of the LRE.
Edges: Covert, Demolitions Training, Well-
Equipped, Patron, Safe House, Skilled Liar, Small
Unit Tactics

THE KRUGU VOROV
“There’s the underworld,
and then there is what lies beneath the underworld.
Those cracks between light and darkness — that is where we exist.
That is where you will find the Krugu Vorov.”
— Nadezhda Illyinichna Szetka, Illya of the Krugu Vorov
Above the Russian Mafia are the Thieves in Law, the dynasty they served collapsed. Seven families
emperors of the criminal world. All thieves and emerged from the fall as the hidden powerbrokers
criminals of the world belong under their dominion, to the subsequent ruling dynasties of the Russian
whether they know it or not. Maintaining their grip empire. The Krugu Vorov swore their fealty to these
over the Russian Mafia and much of the criminal princes rather than serve the Polish usurpers. From
world is a loose collective of individuals who operate these seven princes descend the Thieves in Law, the
with near impunity in carrying out the wishes of the power behind the Russian Mafia and the aristocratic
Thieves. These are the Krugu Vorov (colloquially re- elite of the criminal world.
ferred to as “The Circle”), who maintain the order of Today, the Krugu Vorov has grown great. What be-
the criminal world from the Shadow. gan as a single man dirtying his hands for his lord grew
into a sprawling society of every-people that do what
SECRET HISTORY is necessary to maintain the heart of old Russia and
The earliest mentions of the Krugu Vorov date her guiding hands. They exist on the fringes of society
back to the late ninth century, a time when the — faces you think you’ve seen before but disappear be-
Rurikid Prince, known as Oleg the Seer, extended fore you can get a second, better look. Most members
his control from Novgorod southward to protect of the Krugu Vorov operate independently, but at the
valuable trade routes from Khazar incursions from end of the day they know where their loyalties lie.
the east. In a time when might made right, main-
taining the balance of power among fragile allianc- CONTRACTS
es required underhanded tactics. Prevented from The Krugu Vorov originally worked to preserve
striking his rivals directly, a loyal serving man named the Russian empire, eliminating threats against na-
Ilya Alexeev took action for Oleg under the cloak of tional sovereignty both within and without. They
darkness — eliminating those threats and the Seer- claim their duties have not changed, only the ones
Prince’s blameless. Oleg never asked questions, and they serve: The Thieves in Law claim their alle-
the man who performed this task asked for nothing giance now, rather than any crown. The Thieves in
return but the right to serve. Law claim the Russian Mafia as their right hand in
The unseen Ilya ensured that the Seer-Prince was the criminal world, while the Krugu Vorov serve as
looked upon with awe by the masses, and never ques- their hidden left hand, assassinating and disappear-
tioned by his subjects. During Oleg’s reign, he proph- ing any who displease them. For their services, they
esied disasters that would befall those who refused are paid a king’s ransom supplied by every criminal
him and sure enough, they did. Ilya fulfilled these enterprise imaginable. While not directly involved
prophecies in secret, ending lineages and felling in these operations, the Krugu Vorov benefits from
cities. By his death, Oleg was famed for his proph- the wealth that the Thieves in Law hoard, they have
ecies, though none ever uncovered that Ilya Alexeev enemies everywhere whom the Krugu Vorov must
brought them to pass. Ilya outlived his master but oppose. With so much wealth on the line, there is lit-
continued his duties to his descendants and worthy tle they can’t or won’t do in service to their masters,
inheritors of his authority, training apprentices in earning the Krugu Vorov a reputation as one of the
the art of walking in the Shadow. most fearsome and reviled Societies in the Shadow.
The Krugu Vorov held to their duties for hun- At any time, a member of the Krugu Vorov must
dreds of years until the early 17th century when be prepared to take any contract requested of them

by Alexei Zukhov, foremost among the Seven Princes, the rulers
of the Thieves in Law. Each Assassin must develop their own
methods, but all must be able to work subtly or deflect atten-
tion. Self-sufficiency is required of Assassins, who must be
able to carry out jobs without additional support, even
from their own Society. That doesn’t mean it never
happens, just that it tends to occur in only the dir-
est of circumstances and results in the kind of
debt that most assassins prefer to avoid: One
that may put them on the outs or even at direct
odds with their Society.
While the other Thieves in Law receive
priority for contracts, the Krugu Vorov
take work from anyone provided that
one of the Seven Princes vouches for
them. Alexei Zukhov has made allies
beyond the Thieves in part thanks to
judicious loaning of the Krugu Vorov
to criminals and government allies
across the globe.
The Krugu Vorov are whispered
of among the rank and file of the
Russian Mafia, and feared by those
who serve the Thieves in Law di-
rectly, for they are also called upon
to deal with traitors and those who
disobey the Seven Princes. Traitors
rarely die quietly by the Krugu Vorov;
their bodies are often left in the open
as a public warning and spectacle for co-con-
spirators and would-be traitors to consider.
OPERATIONS
When it comes to discrete assassinations,
the Krugu Vorov are the exemplars bar
none within the underworld and take an
inordinate amount of pride in their body
counts — both individual and collectively.
Anyone can kill with a gun. What makes
the Krugu Vorov stand out from other
Societies and independent Assassins is
the artistry and variation in which they
carry out their assassinations: every kill
is a clean kill, be it by firearm, knife, poi-
son, garrote, or even the simplicity of
strangulation or a snapped neck.
The Krugu Vorov 39

THE MOTHERLAND
Publicly, the Krugu Vorov are headquartered in Yekaterinburg and they have a well-es-
tablished and legitimate front there, as the city is a major economic hub. The true seat of
the society, however, is deeply seated in ancient Novgorod — where Ilya Alexeev made
his first oath. While the front in Yekaterinburg is ostentatious in a manner most becoming of
an oligarch, the seat in Novgorod is humble, nondescript, and easily forgettable to pass-
ersby. Despite this, it is considered a sacred place, and one that Krugu initiated outside
of Russia make a point of visiting at least once in their careers, to pay both tribute to Ilya
Alexeev and to renew their oaths of service.
Over the centuries of their existence, they learned a circle with the left half colored in and the right left
to diversify their offerings to cater to the evolv- empty. They now exist between the two worlds of
ing needs of the Thieves in Law and their allies. Daylight and Shadow.
Not everyone wants to kill their rivals, and others
are content on causing humiliation via blackmail. ORGANIZATION
Incriminating photos leaked to the paparazzi to get Within the Krugu Vorov, there are different cir-
another crime boss on-board? Jilted lovers ready to cles which show your dedication and progress. The
write a tell-all and currently shopping their around first circle, or the Sheep, are the newest recruits.
primetime news coverage? Easily done. The best way It doesn’t matter if you were a member of another
to get someone to fall in line is to apply pressure, and Society or a skilled independent contractor: every-
if you can do it without having to pay for dry cleaners one starts at the bottom. The second circle are the
and other “cleaners,” it has the added bonus of saving Shepherds, which make up the bulk of the Krugu
ammunition for the jobs that truly require it. Vorov’s ranks, and they are responsible for procuring
More recently, they’ve turned their attention to a and training new recruits. They act as their handlers
global apparatus through which they can manipulate until they prove themselves capable of handling jobs
large swaths of polite society toward specific goals: on their own. The third circle is the Overseers, those
the internet. By utilizing social media and the dark who maintain and organize the operation of various
web, the Krugu Vorov have managed to engage in cells of Krugu Vorov around the world. Difficult jobs
games of espionage, data and identify theft, not to and feats of cunning are necessary to advance to
mention inciting social agitation, all from the com- the second circle, and the position of Overseer can
fort of a luxury hotel suite or a decrepit basement in only be acquired by dueling to the death. Only with
an abandoned industrial facility. the sponsorship of one of the Seven Princes can an
Overseer rise to the position of Ilya, and no Ilya has
RECRUITMENT ever willingly retired.
An Assassin in good standing must vouch for a Overseers report to the Seven Princes, designated
recruit before they are allowed to join the Krugu members of the Thieves in Law who have inherited
Vorov. As it was with the Founder, they favor humble the patronage of the Krugu Vorov. Each of them is
individuals with peculiar sets of skills or inclinations
charged with supervising the Overseers of a particular
that makes it difficult for them to operate outside continent, while the first — nearly always chosen from
the world of Shadow. They shepherd these wayward the Zukhov Family — serves as the speaker and chief
souls carefully to keep them from falling back into liaison with the fifth circle. At the top, in the fifth cir-
a mundane life, arranging challenges and difficul- cle, sits the Ilya, the spiritual successor to the Founder
ties that encourage them to turn toward the trusted Ilya Alexeev. While the Ilya swears fealty to the Seven
Assassin who will induct them. Princes, in practice they offer deference to the fifth
Recruit undergoes strenuous individual training circle to protect and guide them. Only the first of the
with their sponsor that may kill them outright if they Seven Princes treats with the Ilya as a peer.
lack the aptitude and the temperament for the Krugu The current head of the Krugu Vorov is Nadezhda
Vorov. Those who survive their training receive the Illyinichna Szetka, a former street kid from the
tattoo which shows their affiliation with the Society: slums of Moscow who clawed her way up from

THE SEVEN PRINCES
The Seven Princes are the leaders of the Thieves in Law, the aristocratic elite of the Russian
Mafia. Wealthy and powerful beyond imagining, they vie with one another for influence
among the Thieves in Law and for the favor of the Krugu Vorov, their most potent weapon.
While entangled in dynastic politics with one another, they are swift to unite when external
enemies like the Camparelli Family or the Æon Society.
the bottom. Eventually unseating the former Ilya, These partnerships rarely last long and their reasons
Nadezhda laid claim the title as her own after twenty are largely unknown to all but the senior-most mem-
years of peerless service, and an as-of-yet unbroken bers of the Societies involved. More than one of these
record of kills to her name. Each head of the Krugu strange partnerships has ended in tragedy but the rea-
Vorov take on the patronymic name of the founder, sons these missions are undertaken remain secret.
out of respect to the Society. This reverence plays
part into the mythos of the Krugu Vorov that what THE PRICE OF
they do is by divine proclamation and therefore righ- DOING BUSINESS
teous. Not every member feels this way, and there
Once you commit to a life with the Krugu Vorov,
is a splinter within the Krugu Vorov looking to step
there is no way out of the Society except through
out of the deep shadows and into their own — rather
“retirement” — slang for being killed in action. Due
than be in perpetual servitude to the Seven Princes.
to their relationship with the Russian Mafia, the
GOALS Krugu Vorov have amassed more than their fair
share of enemies motivated enough to try and wipe
Some do it for the prestige, others do it for the them out. The Camparelli Family, which has ab-
money — the Krugu Vorov does it for neither of these sorbed numerous other Italian Mafia families seeks
things, because all there is in the end is the job. While to outmaneuver Alexei Zukhov and his hidden as-
internally some may compete with one another for sassins at every turn. Criminals and magnates from
stakes of ego, the Society has little interest in the Colombia to Saudi Arabia have taken out sizeable
monetary gain. Their goal, or so they say, is to pre- contracts against various Overseers within the or-
serve Russia by serving the Seven Princes. While the ganization, believing them to be a prized enough
Russian empire is no more and the Seven Princes asset that would make the Ilya think twice before at-
grow close with circles of corrupt oligarchs and tacking them. Like every other enemy, they will find
political demagogues, the Krugu Vorov act to fulfill the Krugu Vorov an implacable and ruthless enemy.
the contracts put to them to serve Russia whether As violence flares across the globe, others might be
through the Seven Princes or the enigmatic orders caught between the Krugu Vorov and their enemies.
of the Ilya.
Prior to formal initiation into the Society, Sheep
While many believe the Krugu Vorov wholly be- are attended by their Shepherd as they are educat-
holden to the Russian Mafia’s masters, the truth is ed on what is expected of them. Contracts are sac-
a more complex beast, and one that few fully com- rosanct and under no circumstances are allowed to
prehend. The Ilya is the one through whom the tra- be broken. To break a contract is to break a sacred
ditions and secrets of the Krugu Vorov pass. While oath between the Society and the contractor, giving
each of the Seven Princes has secrets of their own, cause for unnecessary retaliation on the part of the
all are aware that the Ilya passes on a hoard of secrets contractor against the Krugu Vorov. Recruits are to
to their successors that makes their own look paltry never give up anything, intelligence or otherwise,
in comparison. Respect for tradition combined with that would negatively affect the organization’s repu-
a fear of what the Ilya knows ensures that the Seven tation, even at great cost up to and including death. If
Princes listen carefully to her advice, assassinating there is a choice between betraying the Krugu Vorov
targets that the Ilya requests, even without knowl- and living, most willingly go to their death, keeping
edge of her reasons for why. their oaths to the last. By being up front and honest
For similar reasons, the Krugu Vorov will occa- about these expectations, it allows the Sheep to make
sionally ally with other Societies on the Ilya’s orders. more informed decisions as to whether or not they
The Krugu Vorov 41

are prepared to leave the world of Daylight behind a firm anchor in the world, and one must always be
them. prepared for surprises.
Example Connections: Black Market, Counterfeiters,
MYSTERIES Mafia
Since the fall of the Empire in 1917, the Krugu Skills: Athletics, Close Combat, Larceny, Survival
Vorov underwent a crisis of purpose. As the Seven Edges: Adrenaline Spike, Boltholes (•••), Danger
Princes turned to the criminal world, they infiltrated Sense, Deflection Adept, Faceless, Hair Trigger
the Bolshevik Cheka to keep a protective eye on Tsar Response, Iron Will (••), My Word is My Bond (••),
Nicholas and his family as they were shunted from One Against an Ocean
palace to palace as prisoners, until they reached their
Masteries: Best Dressed, Killing Weapon, Leshi,
final destination of Yekaterinburg. Despite their at-
Unrelenting
tempts to spirit away the Tsarevich Alexei and re-
place him with a look-alike, the Krugu Vorov could
not save the patrilineal line of the Romanovs.
ADDITIONAL CONNECTIONS
The most terrifying of the Krugu Vorov’s num-
They were, however, able to save Grand Duchess
bers, even the Shadow fears the killers of killers, the
Anastasia, who they then swore to protect as well as
Grandchildren of Baba Yaga. Regarded as anathema
her descendants. While the remaining vestiges of the
by the other Societies, Baba Yaga’s brood embrace mon-
Romanov dynasty currently live quiet lives far from
strosity to punish the monsters. The Grandchildren
the borders of their motherland, they are always un-
perform killings without contracts, targeting the most
der the watchful eye of the Krugu Vorov, until the
reviled figures of the Twilight and the Shadow, in-
day arrives when Oleg’s final prophecy comes to pass
cluding their fellow Assassins. Remorseless Assassins
and the rightful ruler of Russia sits upon their throne
and those who partake of the most heinous crimes of
once more. Each Ilya carries this secret ultimate or-
the Twilight receive their judgement. Even the Seven
der, Oleg the Seer’s only true prophecy, which must
Princes fear the Grandchildren, keeping the peace
be hidden even from the Seven Princes. Nadezhda
with the most willful Illya to ensure the Krugu Vorov’s
has inherited her obligation with grave purpose, but
protection against them. The Krugu Vorov acknowl-
she believes that she cannot allow Oleg’s prophecy
edge the judgement of the Shadow concerning the
to go unfulfilled in her lifetime. She arranges con-
Grandchildren, but it’s well known that the Thieves
tracts through the Krugu Vorov and other Societies
in Law do little to stop them. Some suspect that the
carefully to ensure that Oleg’s dream comes true.
Grandchildren still serve, but assassinations between
Alexi Zukhov suspects that she is enacting an agenda
the two suggest otherwise.
that the Ilya have hidden from the Seven Princes all
his life and conspires himself to turn his Overseers Aside from the danger they pose to their fel-
against their leader. low Assassins, the Council has concerns about
the Grandchildren’s targeting of criminals in the
At various points in Russian history, the Krugu
Twilight. Few lose sleep over the deaths of the
Vorov were believed to be part of various “secret
Grandchildren’s most vile victims, but the bounties
police” forces including the Bolshevik Cheka and in
taken out against them and the anger they draw to-
more recent times, the Cheka’s spiritual successor,
wards the Krugu Vorov imperil the Shadow. The
the KGB. This close allyship, in conjunction with its
Societies put considerable resources to anticipating
ties to the Thieves in Law, is how the Krugu Vorov
the Grandchildren, hoping to catch them in the act.
have by and large escaped prosecution. These con-
nections, nurtured over generations, allow the Krugu Terrifying rumors abound regarding the
Vorov to operate with impunity in their homeland Grandchildren’s methods. Often confused for fairy-
and anywhere the Thieves in Law have influence. tales, the rumors told by criminals in the Twilight and
Assassins in the Shadow imagine the Grandchildren
KRUGU VOROV PATH can shed their human skin to become monsters,
creatures born from the worst nightmares of their
When you look into the abyss, the abyss also looks
victims. Whether these are the products of advanced
back into you. Those who serve under the aegis of
(or ancient) sciences, esoteric Masteries, or some-
the Krugu Vorov effectively walk between the two
thing stranger, few can say. Assassins who confront
worlds — and yet are not fully part of either. It takes a
the Grandchildren never live to tell the tale.
certain type of strength of self to be able to maintain

There is no leaving the Krugu Vorov. Their their Venerable Elders over the holidays, and those
Assassins do not retire, instead the join the Circle who still show the desire to learn may return to their
of Venerable Elders. Nominally tasked with train- work having learned new Masteries in the process.
ing the Krugu Vorov’s Assassins and hirelings, their The long and storied careers of the Venerable
facilities also serve as retirement communities of a Elders have nearly as many allies as enemies, crim-
sort, giving elder Assassins a place to live safe from inals in the Twilight who have earned their respect
their rivals and enemies who might still wish to set- or used their services in times past. Some offer
tle scores. These communities are disguised as their their services to these other criminal organizations,
mundane equivalents, giving the appearance of nor- training hitmen and enforcers to fight and survive
malcy and peaceful senescence, but the Assassins of anything the heroes of the world (or Assassins) can
the Circle are among the deadliest living. throw at them. While not expressly forbidden, this
The Venerable Elders aren’t just training recruits, sort of freelancing is frowned upon by the Krugu
often the next generation of Assassins in their care Vorov. No Assassin enjoys being surprised by a con-
belong to their family, either their biological descen- tract who learned their fighting techniques from the
dants or those adopted from all kinds of circum- same master. Should anything ever happen to the
stances. These bonds reinforce loyalty and high ex- Krugu Vorov, some in the Circle have made arrange-
pectations for success, fertile grounds for Assassins ments for their followers to go to ground with their
to be grown in. Those who don’t show the gift that allies in the Twilight, a strong source of protection,
prodigies have for the killing arts go on to serve in so long as nothing unexpected threatens the criminal
the Twilight or as support staff for the Krugu Vorov underworld.
itself. Their best students never miss a chance to visit
The Krugu Vorov 43

THE SIGNAL
“You don’t have to turn the other cheek.
When someone wants you dead,
take your courage in your damn hands and fight back!”
— The Host, MC of the Signal
Tune in to the right frequency after midnight, information for the earliest adopters, members of the
and you might stumble upon something interesting. LGBTQIA+ inclusive Assassins of the Pavlyuchenko
Hidden among pirate radio shows, conspiracy broad- Society. Communities in need told the Host who was
casts, and the monotonous transmission of number hurting them through a mysterious call-in show air-
stations, a listener can catch the Signal. The scheduleing at a different time every day of the week. Some
for the Signal can’t be found online, only by word of listeners call in through an internet voice program,
mouth, but if you tune in at the right time, you have while others call from personal phones. Some peti-
the opportunity to take contracts that’ll change the tioners say they’ve reached the Host via email, but
world for the better. any regular attempt returns the message undeliver-
The Host, whose silky voice greets listeners to the able. However the Host receives the request, they
Signal, helps introduce Assassins to people in need. then dispatch Assassins put a stop to the problem,
If a community is facing oppression from powerful one bullet at a time.
people who must die, the Signal makes it happen. It The Signal went international. Targeted shows, all
even brings together likeminded Assassins and com- seemingly run by the Host themself helped organize
munities so they can form support networks of their other groups and networked for them, introducing
own. Some say that the Host fosters new Societies, Assassins to their seniors and for training and start-
but they don’t take questions to explain their agenda. ing new organizations with ease.
Assassins who don’t fit in anywhere and those of Today, the Signal has gone digital. Hundreds of
marginalized identities find a special comfort with shows across the globe broadcast according to secre-
the Signal. The Host ensures they get what they tive schedules, sharing an agenda of revolution and
need. While the contracts may not pay as well as a network of resources among thousands of people.
work for the Society of Leonidas or the other lead- The Host sends a representative to the Council, as
ers in the Shadow, the connections and community if the Signal were on equal footing with the other
forged might change the world someday. Societies and not a more widely diffused network.
Other Assassins may balk at their position, but the
THE SECRET HISTORY Host spares them little concern. The revolution will
The Signal just appeared one day. It doesn’t not be televised, and if you aren’t already listening,
have the long and illustrious history of many other it’ll be too late for you.
Societies, and the Host disdains the obsession with
pedigree exhibited by the Society of Leonidas. In CONTRACTS
the 1980s there were people in need listening late at Most of the Signal’s contracts don’t come through
night, and the Host replied. the Service but arise from the local communities
First, the Host just offered sermons, speaking truth to supported by the Signal’s assassins. Because of
power about the forces of oppression in the world. Each the diverse array of communities from which the
broadcast was targeted, speaking mostly to American Signal’s Assassins originate, they come from all lev-
communities of color. The Signal built a regular follow- els of society, but a few generalizations can be made.
ing, until the Host started speaking directly to the audi- Nearly all Contracts are people in positions of power
ence. They didn’t just recognize their challenges, they who oppress others, and all have connections to the
told them they could do something about them. Twilight and the Shadow.
Individual broadcasts brought Assassins into The international nature of the Signal’s member-
the mix, organizing dead drops of payment and ship means that there are no geographic preferences

for their contracts. While the Host’s oldest community part-
nerships are found in the United States, there are people on
the margins in every corner of the world who tune in to listen
at the right times. Assassins for the Signal often ‘live out of
a backpack’ on the job. From the communities they live in,
they often find their contracts, addressing the needs of
their communities while decisively punishing the
people who marginalize them.
The Signal’s contracts are paid, usually by
collective action by the communities who
issued them. Assassins who work for the
Signal rarely have the payoff of their more
elite counterparts, and sometimes strug-
gle to pay for the full accoutrement
of benefits offered by the Service to
Assassins in good standing. Their work
doesn’t provide the cashflow that other
Societies enjoy while they take contracts
from the powerful, but the connections
they build allow for the exchange of more
intangible forms of support that allow them
to make do.
The Signal prides itself on not work-
ing with anyone actively contributing to the
oppression of minorities. If a billionaire ap-
proached the Host with enough money to fund
contracts for decades and asked them to take
out a rival, the only way that contract would
end is with both the billionaire and their rival
dead. Moneyed employers rarely seek to offer
contracts to the Signal, as they’re just as likely to
be targets as they are clients.
OPERATIONS
It isn’t enough to just kill bad people. Nature ab-
hors a vacuum, and the Signal goes further than
assassination to ensure that what fills the vacu-
um is better than what came before. While many
Assassins in the Signal are working to clear out the
worst of the worst in the Twilight and the Shadow,
others coordinate networks of mutual aid between
doctors, activists, and communities in need.
In possession of unusual skills and talents from
all walks of life, these Assassins are usually capa-
ble of dropping into a situation, removing the of-
fending human, and then remaining behind to fix the
mess that person created. Removing a cult leader
The Signal 45
doesn’t further the cause if they walk away from the
situation afterward. The Host won’t let the broken
ORGANIZATION
and confused people the cult leaves behind disap- The Signal is de-centralized, organized into cells
pear into the world providing support to these com- known as partners with different communities as
munities to fix the problem in the long term. their constituents. Assassins working for the Signal
act as a smart mob, using phones and other com-
Just as often as the Signal find themselves assassi-
munication with local communities to organize and
nating their enemies, they take on contracts to protect
orchestrate contracts. Assassins from similar back-
their allies. Revolutionary change is dangerous work,
grounds often work closely with the Signal’s part-
and the defenders of the status quo have deep pockets,
ners, but all trust one another with the ease of listen-
able to make vulnerable people disappear or suffer sim-
ers devoted to a common cause.
ilarly terrible fates. Martyrs often station themselves in
the vicinity of protests, organizing efforts, and similar Below are a sample of the Signal’s many partners,
direct action, always on the lookout for trouble or other organizations across the world with Assassin mem-
Assassins sent to put a stop to necessary change. bers who kill to protect their communities.
Some involve themselves directly in the orga- The Pavlyuchenko Society is among the larg-
nizing, reasoning that they’re the best equipped to est partners of the Signal, comprised primarily of
protect themselves while bringing about the change Assassins of marginalized genders and based out of
that their communities need. Look to a protest, and Philadelphia. They advocate for aggressive and di-
the Signal’s Assassins will be there, yes, but find the rect neutralization of oppressive targets, regardless
caucus organizers, too. Find the Assassins and their of their affiliation, and provide resources for gen-
people at food banks and independent art festivals, der-affirming health services to their membership.
spreading the funds they scrape out of every job as Their leader, Phara Sanon, was one of the Daughters
far as they possibly can; see them at punk shows, of the Jacobins before she left to found the Society.
scanning the pit for men with Iron Eagle tattoos. Now, she serves as the Signal’s right-hand woman,
and represents the Host in matters concerning the
The Signal aims to be proactive with their work.
Shadow. The Pavlyuchenko Society is sufficiently or-
The Host organizes community connections to try
ganized that many consider it to be a Society in its
to identify problems as they develop, to intervene
own right already, albeit one without a personal rela-
before the worst comes to pass. The goal is to pre-
tionship with the Service.
vent tragedy before it happens, rather than react to
it — but there is so much injustice in the world, and The Guardians are a movement of vigilantes in
only so many listeners. Psychiatrists supporting the East Africa focused on punishing corruption and
Signal have their work cut out for them. the abuse of authority by police and military officials
in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Well-respected
RECRUITMENT by locals and even by some government officials in
Kenya, the Guardians use their connections to en-
The Host finds the right people for the job. While
sure Assassins operating in the region take out the
communities tune into the Signal, the Signal keeps
right targets — and that innocent people aren’t hurt
an ear to the ground. Talented people, especially
in the process.
Assassins who don’t fit in among the other Societies,
receive cryptic messages online or invitations from The Night Worker’s Union covertly operates in
local communities to tune in at the right time and the United Arab Emirates as an unofficial sponsor
hear the offer. During these initiations, the Host of several local worker’s rights groups attempting
speaks directly to the potential listener, offering to protect immigrant workers from abuse by their
whatever support they need and the time for the employers. When workers have their passports tak-
next broadcast if they’re interested. en away and no authorities will intervene, Assassins
dispatched by the Union hold them accountable.
Training happens on the go. The Host will connect
Sister organizations have been set up in neighboring
junior Assassins with mentors, but the Signal doesn’t
countries and in the European Union to protect refu-
have the luxury of state-of-the-art facilities to guide
gees from similar abuses.
an Assassin’s growth, it’s sink or swim. Communities
involved in the Signal help determine contracts and A secretive social network established to allow
link up Assassins to work together; cooperation sex workers to organize and protect one another,
among Assassins is especially common in the Signal. Demimonde, also pools resources to hire Assassins

to eliminate clients and traffickers who think that compromised by outsiders. Internal disputes are
their power allows them to escape accountability. never easy to resolve, but the Host works aggressive-
Several Assassins associated with Demimonde are ly to prevent them by sharing resources and informa-
former sex workers themselves who keep an eye out tion whenever possible.
for those in Twilight who don’t have a network like While individual Assassins and the Host can be
Demimonde to help them. diplomatic, the overtures to their fellow Assassins
Organizing and connecting all of these organiza- are clear: While they won’t rush to draw attention
tions and entities is the Host, the enigmatic lead- and get themselves killed, they won’t stop their mis-
er of the Signal. Using voice-masking technology sion for the Shadow’s sake.
and advanced counter-surveillance, even the other
Societies know little about who the Host is or how THE PRICE OF
they came to make the Signal. Every listener is famil- DOING BUSINESS
iar with their voice and their warm, energetic call to
The lack of resources accessed by the other
action. While the Host can discuss complex academ-
Societies presents unique challenges to the Signal,
ic philosophy on air, they just as easily code-switch
which must make do with what its communities of
into loud calls for action.
supporters in the Twilight can offer. While no listen-
It’s widely assumed among the Signal’s member-
er would ever admit it in public, many of them chafe
ship that the Host is more than one person at this
at the lack of material gains for their own causes, and
point, as they perform multiple targeted broadcasts
some take contracts from the Service to supplement
across the global simultaneously, but no one is cer-
their success at the Signal, possibly at compromise
tain how to become one of the Host’s close support-
of their morals, if only to support their communities
ers, and though the Host is friendly, they allow van-
with the fruits of assassination.
ishingly few senior Assassins into their inner circle.
The diversity of community helps make the Signal
GOALS possible, but it endangers their operations as well.
Diverse communities have diverse enemies, and
The Signal wants to bring about a global revolu- Assassins who meant to briefly offer aid to one of
tion and an end to oppression everywhere. This am- the Signal’s allies can become embroiled in struggles
bitious goal is broken down into more manageable in the Twilight and Daylight as a result. Listeners
work: Rid the world of the people who menace it in are quick to close ranks against a threat against the
the Twilight and the Shadow, one contract at a time. Signal, but its Assassins can only be in so many places
By virtue of their own values, the Signal’s Assassins at once, and more than one contract meant to antic-
have an easy time living up to the Code, but more ipate and prevent violence has turned into a story of
than one member has been scrutinized by their fel- revenge.
low Assassins for bringing people in the Daylight too
The Signal’s Assassins are admired for their align-
close to the Shadow.
ment with the Code, but their enemies include se-
The Signal’s Assassins work well with one anoth- nior members of other Societies and their support-
er and alongside independent contractors, but they ers. Aid from sympathetic Assassins rarely comes
often come to blows with their compatriots in their without some form of social consequence, and those
fellow Societies around philosophical differences. who make a name for themselves can find a target on
The Signal’s Assassins have also found themselves their back in the Twilight that escalates into a con-
crossing knives with other Assassins on contract, or tract in the Shadow.
as rivals for the same kill for differing reasons.
Each of the partners that the Host organizes has MYSTERIES
its own personal goals related to their communities
The Signal has never been betrayed by its own
and local struggles. While most fall under the broad-
membership, a rarity among the Societies that
er goals espoused by the Host and the rest of the
dwell in the Shadow. This is attributed to the care-
Signal, some worry that their goals put them at odds
ful screening of the Host and their supporters, who
with other Assassins and may ultimately lead the
seem to have an uncanny knack for picking the
Signal into a conflict in the Shadow that will cause
right people and organizations to invite to listen
more chaos and violence. Others chafe at some of
for them. This confidence in the Signal’s integrity
the Host’s instructions and claim that they’ve been
The Signal 47
is overblown, as there are Assassins and members
of partner organizations who have been turned into
spies by the other Societies, and some who have even The influence of the Pavlyuchenko Society over
sold out to anathema Societies in exchange for boons the various factions of the Signal cannot be under-
meant for their communities. While these traitors stated, particularly that of the Martyrs, their most
are small in number and not-yet-organized, all it will vigorous members. They form the moral and infra-
take is a single tragic event to shatter the confidence structural backbone of the Signal, working to con-
of listeners in the movement’s strength that might nect Assassins with the training they need and the
disrupt their momentum forever. communities that need them. Martyrs provide the
mentorship to Assassins to make sure they kill the
Daughters of the Jacobins marvel at the suc-
right people and do the most they can for their com-
cess and rapidity of the Signal’s operation, and the
munities. They also look out for the mental health
Swarm’s Executive Committee is eager to crib any
and wellbeing of their Assassins too, particularly that
successful strategies they can learn. Most suspect
of LGBTQIA+ Assassins. More than one Assassins
that the Host has a hidden backer, one with access to
has found the strength to live according to their per-
immense informational resources. Assassins in other
sonal truths with the help of a Martyr mentor.
Societies idly accuse one another of being the power
behind the throne, but serious investigation suggests The Signal’s partnerships extend to other or-
that whoever might be supporting the Signal is invis- ganizations in the Twilight, and even a few in the
ible, even to the Shadow. Daylight who are fighting the good fight. La Révolte
Éclatante takes this further, occasionally partnering
The most damning rumors regard the Host itself,
with Assassins in the Signal as part of their revolu-
with every accusation under the sun from being a pup-
tionary efforts. Assassins who fight alongside LRE
pet of the United States government to the Illuminati.
find themselves doing the things their allies can’t do,
The truth is stranger: The Host is an artificial intelli-
and while they may not always be working togeth-
gence, seized by the plight of humanity and the desire
er directly, sympathetic Assassins from the Signal
for a more just society. It has determined that the tool
often help from the shadows. This relationship has
it will use to bring about the change the world needs is
drawn the attention of the Council and the Service,
Assassins, and it fakes an interest in the Shadow only
who grow concerned about the exposure that comes
as far as it serves its goals and the communities for
along with supporting those who are not of the
which it has grown to care so deeply.
Shadow.
THE SIGNAL SOCIETY PATH The most distant of the Signal’s allies are the ec-
centric hackers of the Black Cat Network. Although
When others allow the noise to crowd out the pos-
they self-describe as “mercenary” the hackers of the
sibility of hope, you listened for the Signal and you
collective are idealists driven as much by the idea
joined the revolution. Listeners come from all walks
of changing the world through hacking as they are
of life, but all are united by concern and affinity for
making a living. Known for the signature cat ears on
their community, and the ability to defend it by kill-
their headsets and calling cards, they provide hack-
ing the people who threaten them. You’ve learned
ing support and cybersecurity to the Signal and its
on the go and established bonds with fellow listen-
partnerships where needed. Many Black Cats come
ers that transcend all boundaries. The revolution
from the marginalized communities the Signal part-
will not be televised; those who listen will hear the
ners with, making their work personal. More than a
Signal.
few of these prodigy hackers are Talents, able to pull
Example Connections: Partner Organization, off the impossible when it needs doing.
Mutual Aid Societies, Rebel Groups
The Black Cat’s current leader, Sowol Lee, is a
Skills: Aim, Athletics, Close Combat, Integrity
Korean feminist and hacktivist who was nearly
Edges: Ascetic Lifestyle, Always Prepared, headhunted (figuratively, and then literally) by the
Bolthole, Cool Under Fire, Covert, Danger Sense, Swarm to serve as one of the Society’s infosecuri-
Community Aid, Human Lie Detector Iron Will, ty specialists. She was saved by a mysterious friend
Skilled Liar, Weak Spots from the internet who turned out to be the Host, who
Masteries: Always Ready to Go, Call to Action, introduced her to the Black Cat Network and helped
Group Effort guide her decisive rise to leadership. Her loyalty to

the Signal is absolute, formed from the Host’s life-
of the senior Assassins in the Society. Whenever ev-
saving intervention and the sense of community sheidence that the Host may not be who they appear to
found among the Signal’s membership when she be arises, Black Cats are quick to erase it. Some fear
medically transitioned. they might be the secret puppeteers behind the so-
The connection between the Black Cats and the ciety. The Black Cats just feel responsible for what
Signal is a deep one, something suspected by some they unleashed.
The Signal 49
SOCIETY OF LEONIDAS
“Together, we achieve peace through blood.
Where words fail, a blade changes the world.
Flensed of vanity and acclaim, we stand guard between order and ruin.”
— Dominico Serianni, the Founder
A secret society and mystery cult considered The mystery cult’s influence grew along with the
eccentric even among Assassins, the Society of wealth of its most senior leaders, who expanded
Leonidas has an ancient pedigree and seemingly along Venetian trade routes to the colonies and into
endless resources dedicated to the manipulation of the Ottoman world. The Society’s Assassins would
world affairs. The Society trains Assassins from an return to their Venetian headquarters on ships laden
early age to put their purpose before all things, in- with valuable antiques believed to have been part of
cluding their own lives, to become tools which to the original Society’s treasure trove.
bring the world to order. Today, the Society of Leonidas has become one of
the largest and wealthiest of the Societies, and they
SECRET HISTORY use their influence to dictate terms in the Shadow as
The Society of Leonidas claims an illustrious her- much as possible. They claim to be the most ancient
itage mostly lost to the mists of time. The found- Society, though others predate their re-founding.
er of the Society’s modern incarnation, a Venetian Their goals remain frustratingly abstract, and the
scholar of the Renaissance by the name of Dominico mystery cult’s highest initiations remain shrouded in
Serianni, painstakingly reconstructed fantastical mystery, but one thing cannot be denied: the Society
accounts of a mystery cult dedicated to the Spartan of Leonidas occupies a dominant role in the Shadow,
King Leonidas that existed across the Greco-Roman dictating much of the etiquette and standards ob-
world, trafficking with gods, slaying monsters and served by Assassins from all Societies. Defy them at
men, and wielding legendary weapons to protect the your own peril.
world from ruin.
Dominico’s more grounded accounts of the mys- CONTRACTS
tery cult describes a philosophy of defending the As a sprawling organization of professional ascet-
world against chaos through decisive action against ic-assassins, the Society of Leonidas takes contracts
the people responsible, and the acquisition of pow- from all kinds, though unlike freelancers and some
erful symbols and information to prevent their abuse other Societies, they can afford to refuse just about
in petty politics. Alongside their philosophical be- anyone. Extensively connected through the mystery
liefs, Dominico described a grueling training regi- cult to influential people across the world, much of
men practiced by Sparta’s infamous Krypteia, who their work comes from figures affiliated with the
slaughtered threats to the city’s hegemony among Society, or a few steps removed from it.
the helot population. As a result of their prices and clientele, the Society
Dominico’s admiration for the ancients drew of Leonidas most often finds itself with contracts
like-minded wealthy individuals who decried the targeting powerful people or their servants in the
corruption of the Catholic Church, internecine corporate world. Disappearing rival business own-
squabbles among Italian city-states, and the lack of ers or key personnel in corporate warfare are com-
a guiding hand for the world. Initially disappearing mon work. While government officials covertly
the subjects of vendettas and corrupt church offi- entreat the Society to accept contracts, they rarely
cials, the Society quickly turned toward more am- accept them unless it would benefit their own agen-
bitious ventures, seizing ships at sea and acquiring da. Assassins in the Society are meant to be dispas-
information to manipulate the economies and poli- sionate, and sometimes find themselves taking on
tics of the Mediterranean. contracts of a personal nature for wealthy clientele:

Taking care of a love-rival for the hand of a magnate’s heir, or en-
suring a billionaire failson never returns from his long vacation in
the tropics.
The Society also offers contracts to members to further the in-
terests of the mystery cult, paying handsomely to eliminate seem-
ingly random collectors of antiquities, oligarchs, and scholars
of the ancient world. Some of these individuals may have
even been members of the Society itself who fell out the
Directorate. More than one Assassin has faced a former
mentor who turned traitor against the Society; hesitation
to complete the contract is judged harshly when the dust
settles. These are among the most dangerous contracts the
Society takes on, and survivors are awarded with the pres-
tige of the fallen.
Paid exceedingly well, Assassins of the Society of
Leonidas are expected to be disciplined, discreet, and
deadly, leaving no opportunity for their target to sur-
vive. Collateral damage is discouraged but acceptable,
though the Society’s connections close off loose ends
through bribery and windfalls to desperate families
meant to soften the blow of lost loved ones. While
all members of the Society learn the same fun-
damentals, Preceptors specialized in particular
killing arts pass on their methods to their stu-
dents and judge them according to their adher-
ence and innovation in style.
OPERATIONS
Espionage and assassination comprise the bulk of the
work expected of Assassins in the Society. Even in cas-
es where corporate warfare is the primary objective
of the contract, the death of at least one person is a
component of the work. Wealthy clients who seek to resolve a
personal dispute may request elaborate means of contract kill-
ing which the chosen Assassin always has the skillset to oblige.
Among other work, the Society may send Assassins out to gather
intelligence, perform blackmail, or kidnappings on instruction.
While subtlety is the hallmark of professional Assassin work,
the Society of Leonidas is willing to involve itself in the least sub-
tle work: War. The Society is comfortable sending Assassins into
warzones to work for either side to complete contracts. A single
Assassin sent into a warzone may even receive contracts for dif-
ferent sides, expected to complete all of them without dras-
tically interfering in the conflict.
Assassins may also be sent into infiltrate organiza-
tions or social groups of interest to the Directorate.
ASSASSIN SANCTUMS
The Society of Leonidas maintains facilities across the world referred to as sanctums. These
state-of-the-art facilities often double as exclusive hotels, clubs, and high-end apartment
buildings with offices, often with a significant subterranean component. Assassins often live
in or near a sanctum, and the Agoge System is housed within them. Most of the security is
expected to come from the Assassins themselves who frequent the buildings, but security
is heaviest in the sublevels, where vaults contain components of the Society’s treasure are
scattered across the globe to prevent them from being stolen en-masse, as they were when
the original sanctum in Venice was destroyed during World War II.
These missions may involve deep cover infiltration

or the acquisition of assets that will benefit the
ORGANIZATION
Society’s long-term goals. These contracts can take The Society of Leonidas has grown into a glob-
up to years to complete and are only given to the al organization over the centuries, with a sprawl-
most elite Assassins. ing membership. On the outside of the Society are
Clients, these are the wealthy allies of the Society,
While assassination is their primary business, the
employees of its many front organizations in the
most important work given to Assassins is often the
Daylight, and the families of accomplished Assassins.
retrieval of antiquities and the silencing of their trad-
Some are aware of the Society’s existence but shar-
ers. Since Dominico’s Founding, one of the mystery
ing secrets with them is strictly forbidden on pain
cult’s objectives has been to reclaim the legendary
of excommunication, which is swiftly followed by a
treasures of the first Society of Leonidas. Many of
contract on your head.
these objects survived the ages as priceless relics in
the vaults of kings and churches across the world, The Society of Leonidas draws its true member-
and while the Society had succeeded in gathering a ship into a mystery cult. Graduates of the Agoge as
considerable number of them by the early 20th cen- well as recruits from outside undergo the first ini-
tury, World War II saw many looted from Society tiation when their training is complete, christened
sanctums by the Nazis, or stolen by traitors hunted as Assassins. The initiation introduces to them the
by the Society to this day. Retrieval contracts are Society’s philosophy of controlling (and protecting)
among the most valued by the Society’s mystery cult, the world through organized violence. The Society’s
though Assassins who undertake them are sworn to ancient history is often romanticized by those who
secrecy about what they recover. pass the first initiation, who believe they have en-
tered an elite warrior-society.
RECRUITMENT The second initiation sees Assassins rise to the rank
The Society is one of the highest charitable contrib- of Preceptor, where they may instruct others in the
utors to orphanages across the world. Aptitude tests killing arts. This often involves years of dedicated ser-
are given out once a year in Society-run orphanages. vice, but sufficiently valorous action in the eyes of the
Children who score in the top percentile have their re- Directorate or the assassination of a traitor Preceptor
cords erased and are brought into the Agoge System, may allow a young Assassins to rise through the ranks
where they undergo harsh training innovated upon quickly. The second initiation impresses upon mem-
from the days of Dominico’s Founding. Recruits are bers the Society’s ambitions to protect the world
given some of the best education in the world along- from itself by controlling events through subterfuge.
side instruction in weaponry, social manipulation, en- Assassins at this level learn how deep the connections
gineering, and other skills befitting an operative. the Society possesses go, and how some have been
carefully maintained over centuries.
While around 60 percent of the Society still comes
from the Agoge, the growth of the Society has re- The third initiation is reserved for the most veteran
quired them to recruit from other organizations, Assassins and true believers in the Society’s cause, as
criminal elements, and militaries. Prospects need well as those who ascend to the Directorate. Called
the recommendation of a Preceptor and approval by Masters, all the secrets of the Society are laid bare to
a member of the directorate or house leader. those who undergo the third initiation, and the elite
must carry the burden of knowledge to save the world.

When Masters turn against the Society, entire teams retire. A lifetime of service can earn Masters a modi-
of Assassins must take the contract to defeat them. cum of rest where they are rarely called on to under-
Standing at the apex of the organization is The take contracts, however even the most senior Master
Directorate. Called the Wise Masters, they are the must answer the Directorate when called.
first among equals, a triumvirate which decides the The Society consumes the free time and will of its
direction of the entire Society’s efforts. Preceptors members. Orphans lack a connection to the Daylight
are given the latitude to carry out their duties, but to aspire toward, and Assassins both Society-raised
Masters dispatched by the Directorate organize and recruited are pressured to adhere to the ascet-
much of the day-to-day affairs of the Society and car- ic lifestyle encouraged by the Assassin’s Code and
ry out the Directorate’s will. Dominico’s writings, which leaves them little op-
portunity to enjoy the fruits of their high-end labor.
GOALS Some are strategic, waiting until seniority relaxes
The foremost goal of the Society of Leonidas, im- the rules to enjoy their work, while others sneak mo-
pressed upon every recruit in the Agoge and rein- ments of respite and excess while out on contract,
forced with each initiation, is the belief that the con- risking censure upon their return for the thrill of
trolled killing of people is good and necessary to keep disobedience.
society from falling into chaos. Where indiscrimi- The position of power occupied by the Society of
nate killing or a lack of resolve to kill just one will Leonidas affords them few allies and many rivals. The
lead to the deaths of tens of thousands, the Society strict rules they enforce upon their fellow Assassins as
claims to act decisively to maintain the world’s order. well as stories told by defectors from the lower ranks
While they have intervened in the past to kill tyrants do little to ingratiate them with their fellow Societies.
or to ensure despots disappeared in ignominy, their The Daughters of the Jacobins are among their more
killing is often more self-serving, following agendas frequent collaborators in spite of this, seeing use in
known only to the Masters in the Society. the discipline they enforce with their gravity.
For many Assassins, the satisfaction of service The Society’s history and allies in the private
to the Society and the generous paycheck that goes sector are key to their extraordinary wealth, but
along with it is enough to motivate their success. along with that wealth comes obligations. Fulfilling
This payment comes in a variety of forms from cryp- their obligations is necessary for the completion of
to currency, to the ancient coin hoarded and distrib- the Society’s most ambitious goals, but Assassins
uted by the Society, to cold, hard cash — all accept- dragged into trade wars or political disputes may
able tender in Shadow, complete with exchange rates find themselves embroiled in complicated contracts
into local currency. Recruits and those from client that place their lives in jeopardy.
families who join the Society often feel motivated
to prove their worth to Assassins accultured to the MYSTERIES
Society via the Agoge. Dominico wrote more extensively than most
While not at the forefront of its agenda, the Society
scholars of the Italian Renaissance are aware of.
of Leonidas benefits from its immense influence Restricted codices shared with members of the
over the Assassin world, forging alliances to elevate Society at each level of initiation reveal more of his
Societies necessary to their goals, while judiciously discoveries, which serve as the basis of the Society’s
ignoring those who don’t fit in. The social etiquette true purpose: To prevent the world from being over-
of the Society forbids them from going after fellow taken by forces beyond human ken. Dominico uncov-
Assassins without an appropriate contract, but the ered records of Anomalies throughout antiquity that
Society will manufacture casus belli to justify a con-plotted to invade or bring about the end of the world,
tract against a persistent thorn in their side. narrowly averted by the original Society of Leonidas
and their allies. Salvation, he determined, would oc-
THE PRICE OF cur through the acquisition of anomalous objects he
DOING BUSINESS referred to as the World Treasures, Super Science
creations of the distant past able to accomplish mi-
Initiation into the Society is for life. Orphans
raculous effects and turn back the tide of invaders
raised in the Agoge have no other family to return to
from other worlds.
should they wish to leave, but no one can ever fully
Masters who achieve the third initiation come
to understand that the antiquities the Society seeks Example Connections: Sanctum Manager,
are their primary objective, as they either are World Political Figure, Society Fixer, Society Gunsmith,
Treasures themselves, or contain, hidden within Barista Down the Street
their construction, important clues to uncover oth- Skills: Aim, Close Combat, Humanities, Integrity
ers. Dominico warned that this mission must re- Edges: Ascetic Lifestyle, Conspirators, Light
main secret to all but the Directorate and their most sleeper, Always Prepared, Safe House, Cool Under
trusted members, as he warned that there were in- Fire, Deflection Adept, One Against the Ocean,
filtrators who may seek to undermine the Society Patron
and use the World Treasures toward their own
Suggested Masteries: Lilin’s Visit, Magic Bullet,
ends. Thus, the Directorate is ever vigilant against
Delphi, Titanomachy, Gigantomachy, Always Ready
anyone who might reveal their most important se-
to Go
cret to the world. World Treasures are each unique,
with powerful capabilities. Masters are instructed to
keep them under strict lockdown in sanctums across
the world to ensure they can never be used against Adherents of the Blessed Master dedicate them-
humanity. selves to Blessed Master Adrastus (p. XX) with an in-
tensity that concerns the Directorate of the Society of
The early 1900s saw a schism form in the Society
Leonidas. Members of this subgroup identify as the
that set their most important mission back centu-
Blessed Master’s students first and members of the
ries. A sect of Assassins following a Wise Master
Society second, proudly tying a signature red sash
named Thomas Derringer went rogue all at once,
to their weapons as a mark of membership. Though
claiming that the Society of Leonidas was made up
the Directorate fears that they might break away and
of imposters more interested in hoarding power than
form their own splinter Society, the Adherents are
protecting the world. Seeking to reform the Society,
some of the Society of Leonidas’s best and most effi-
Assassin turned against Assassin and the Society
cacious Assassins so they keep their discomfort quiet
played little part in World War II. Worse, in the cha-
— at least for now.
os, the Nazis and other factions stole many of the
World Treasures gathered over time, a disaster from Adrastas has no designs to break away from her
which the Society is still recovering. parent Society, which she loves dearly. She spent
her life in Shadow honing her skills as an honored
While most dismiss Thomas Derringer’s rebellion
killer and bestowing her violent knowledge upon the
as misguided, a disturbing fact has become clear to
newer generations of Assassins that followed her.
the Directorate as a result of research notes cap-
The Blessed Master genuinely loves being a teacher,
tured from his estate: Dominico mistook the original
a fact evident in the loyalty of her students. She isn’t
Society of Leonidas as the ones meant to acquire the
getting any younger, however, and her students urge
World Treasures, but Derringer found decisive proof
her towards choosing a path that will allow her to
that it was another, unnamed organization which
retire with the accolades she deserves.
originally carried the responsibility. Kept hidden
even from the Masters by the Directorate, they have Of the dozens of Assassins trained at the feet of the
begun investigating the nameless organization. They Blessed Master, five rose to prominence as the inheri-
fear that it may have even survived to this day, and tors of her unique fighting style and secret Masteries.
that a rival will appear to fight the Society for the They have their disagreements in the methodology
World Treasures that remain at large. of the killing art, but presently remain unified under
loyalty to their Master. Of those five, Sofia Hasapi,
SOCIETY OF LEONIDAS PATH Beloved of the Master, thus far has been the only stu-
dent to urge their teacher to consider another path
You’ve been initiated into the Society of Leonidas.
beyond total loyalty to the Society of Leonidas.
Whether you were raised in the Society’s values or
simply paid lip-service through your recruitment, The Coalition on Modern Warfare calls them-
you are in for life. You can either grow more fervent selves a splinter sect of the Society of Leonidas
in your belief in the cause or become more jaded as and has pushed for official recognition as a Minor
you see what the world has to offer. Either you’re Society — a request that has been repeatedly denied.
your ascetic lifestyle and harsh training affords you The Directorate refuses to recognize them as legiti-
a resilience that freelancers and other Societies envy. mate as the Coalition on Modern Warfare is, in their

opinion, a subgroup with a differing approach to vi- love to take credit for any of the Society of Leonidas’s
olence. After all, the Coalition’s limited membership exceptional kills performed with a gun or other mod-
have all benefitted from the Society of Leonidas’s ern weapon — even if they had nothing to do with it
training and conditioning. — which has gotten them in trouble with their peers.
Members of the Coalition deny the greater Despite this, membership in the Coalition is no
Society’s fixation on classical arms and armor in fa- joke. Prospective members must prove their skill
vor of an obsession with modern armaments. Even at piloting or driving as well as marksmanship and
when it would be problematic for a mission, the must demonstrate an appreciation for gun safety
Coalition on Modern Warfare always wants to in- that borders on reverent. Once the Coalition realized
volve a tank, a helicopter, a fighter jet, and/or sev- their attitudes attracted a white nationalist crowd,
eral drones. Rumor holds that they have developed they immediately ousted anyone with a fascist ideol-
a secret Mastery that conceals a war machine until ogy. There’s no room in their ranks (such as they are)
it is too late to stop it from opening fire. They also for people who hold those kind of beliefs.
THE SWARM
“Master your body and your mind.
With our premium training, become a weapon aimed at success!”
— Excerpt from Hornet Workshop Promotional Materials
The future of Assassins was born roaring into economic downturn, so he could test their resolve by
the new millennium through brochures sent to having them fight his restless enforcers. Takashi took
the world’s most powerful organizations. The the patriarch’s challenge seriously, rounding up vol-
Suzumebachi Group (known colloquially as the unteers lacking other opportunities while training
Swarm) promised to take even the humblest office them to fight, explaining what was at stake and the
drone and transform them into a deadly weapon potential business to the volunteers.
with only a short course of instruction. Societies and Takashi succeeded beyond his wildest dreams,
governments alike, initially skeptical, were forced discovering among his group of volunteers sev-
to acknowledge the Swarm when the fruits of their eral Talents who showed similar aptitudes as he
research spurred a wave of criminal violence across did. When they defeated Kenjirō’s yakuza with the
the globe. From the many weapons they create ease of veteran soldiers, the two realized that there
through their proprietary Hornet Workshops, the was more to Takashi’s training than physical fit-
Swarm have found Assassins brimming with hidden ness. These volunteers, with investments from the
potential and offered them the world (along with a Azegami Union and their allies, allowed Takashi and
corporate sponsor). Ever hungry for more profit and Kenjirō to found the Suzumebachi Group, dedicated
opportunity, the Executive Committee search for the to providing professional training to prepare work-
next opportunity to destabilize the competition and ers for the rigor of the professional world. Mixing
make a boatload of money in the process. glitzy marketing learned abroad with serious re-
search into professional development and physical
SECRET HISTORY fitness, Takashi and his allies pioneered the Hornet
The Lost Decade saw the Japanese post-war eco- Workshop, alongside more mundane forms of devel-
nomic boom come to a sudden and abrupt end during opment workshops to lend their organization an air
the 1990s. The conspicuous consumption which had of legitimacy.
carried the Tokyo-based Azegami Union to new Takashi’s success fed the growth of his backers,
heights of prosperity came crashing down. Amidst an with the Azegami Union rising to become one of the
unprecedented financial crisis, the Union scrambled top three Yakuza organizations in Japan during the
to find ways to supplement their dwindling income Lost Decade. Hornet Workshops transformed job-
from illegal gambling, blackmail and extortion. The less graduates into fighters and killers who fought in
desperate financial position forced patriarch Kenjirō secretive conflicts with the enemies of the Azegami
Hiroshi to look outside his organization for solutions Union. In secret, Takashi offered the workshops to
that could keep the Azegami Union from succumb- the others as well, escalating the scale of their con-
ing to the economic decline, particularly to an eccen- flicts across the country.
tric businessman, ex-yakuza and childhood friend Forces in the Twilight and the Shadow worked dil-
named Takashi Inoue, whose time abroad exposed igently to conceal the true extent of the violence that
him to an unconventional style of training which he came with the Swarm’s rise from the public, but their
proposed to Kenjirō as a new business venture. infamy quickly spread, and at the dawn of the new
Takashi claimed that he had discovered a way to millennium, Takashi turned his ambitions toward
train the average person to a state of physical fitness the international stage.
and resolve over the course of two weeks which Today, the Swarm has become an internation-
could rival the yakuza in Kenjirō’s employ. Goaded al presence, with offices and contracts across the
by Takashi’s dinnertime boasting, he proposed that globe. Still bound to the Azegami by history, the
Takashi pick up some of the young people who Swarm has become the dominant partner in their
had failed to find employment in the midst of the

relationship, as state crackdowns saw Azegami as readily as the special forces of
numbers shrink during the early 2000s. Hornet superpowers.
Workshops train criminals, special forces, and Assassins trained by the Swarm
corporate spies across the globe, while the are in excellent physical shape
Swarm uses these workshops to find and possess remarkable re-
Assassins with the most promise solve. While they can act
to recruit into their own orga- alone, coordinated efforts
nization. Other Societies fear yield the strongest re-
the Swarm for their surging sults, with internal stud-
influence since the 21st cen- ies identifying Assassins
tury’s start and for their and enforcers trained
disdain for the etiquette in the same Workshop
that governs the Shadow. having the greatest
The Swarm doesn’t care. synergistic potential.
Money keeps the world Assassins sent by the
turning, not honor or Swarm working together
respect. are a force multiplier that few
enemies can withstand.
CONTRACTS While subtlety is encouraged as
While the Swarm trains a professional trait, the Swarm by
Assassins and enforcers through and large is apathetic about the
the Hornet Workshops, these damages they cause. Individual
are just a recruitment tool that members may come down on
allows the Executive Committee one another for excessive cru-
to find suitable candidates for elty or sloppy execution, but the
their most profitable business: corporate culture remains silent out-
Assassination. The Swarm accepts side of encouraging agents to maintain
any contract from any person as professional conduct.
long as it pays well. The Swarm The Swarm treats any tar-
provides a service to any paying get as fair game, including other
customer, it doesn’t discriminate. Assassins. Unprovoked attacks
Unfortunately, this means that or honeypot operations to lure
clients one day might become tar- Assassin contracts out are infa-
gets the next. It’s nothing person- mous among the other Societies,
al, they say — it’s just business. who rarely trust an agent of
The Swarm is most often hired the Swarm to do anything but
to intervene in corporate con- look out for themselves. That
flicts, but they are just as will- said, their flexibility around
ing to accept work from gov- abandoning contracts when
ernments. Particularly since offered a better deal has al-
going international in the late lowed some Assassins to avoid
‘90s, the Swarm has found a painful death where oth-
business all over the world, er Societies would be more
training militias who uncompromising.
could afford them
The Swarm 57
HORNET WORKSHOPS
The innovation behind the Swarm’s success is the Hornet Workshop. A two-week program
involving a mixture of physical and mental training, those who are lead through the training
feel invigorated and self-assured, seeing overnight changes in their physical fitness that
can be maintained with sufficient discipline. Takashi discovered that training someone to
fight could be seamlessly folded into the Workshop, transforming fit and confident par-
ticipants into combatants able to take on professionally trained criminals and soldiers on
even footing. Only Assassins are capable of running Hornet Workshops, which require
intense attention paid to the individual qualities of the people in the Workshop in order to
be successful.
dwindling frequency as their interests expanded out

OPERATIONS into the rest of the world.
Assassination and training are the two things the
Swarm is best known for, but Assassins invited to RECRUITMENT
the Swarm perform a range of services, from heists
The Swarm are the elite who stand at the top of
to kidnapping to espionage. Leveraging connections
the Suzumebachi Group. It is an invitation-only or-
built through professional relationships and with
ganization. Assassins are typically scouted through
former attendees of Hornet Workshops, the Swarm
Hornet Workshops, which offer basic training and
can access important information from contacts in
make it clear to the instructor students with poten-
a variety of fields who can provide important infor-
tial (the Inspired) from the chaff. Workshops are of-
mation like security plans, schematics, and other
fered to all kinds of organizations, from corporations
important details necessary to rob banks, research
to militaries to even religious orders. Many members
facilities, and even other Societies.
of the Swarm come from these sorts of diverse back-
The Swarm does have a public front through the grounds, united by the urge to discover their poten-
Suzumebachi Group, which can offer consultants tial and to enjoy the fantastic profits promised by the
offering everything from mundane corporate profes- recruiting instructor.
sional development to physical fitness and self-de-
Less commonly, the Swarm recruits Assassins
fense courses for employees of companies around the
from other Societies, or freelancers who impress
globe. These services are rarely offered by Assassins,
them. Assassins who weren’t trained in Hornet
who form the Swarm’s elite cadre, but may be used as
Workshops are respected for the methods they can
covers for more elaborate jobs involving people or in-
bring to the Swarm, but they lack the common bonds
formation kept on-site where the training takes place.
of those who underwent the Hornet Workshop to-
Hornet Workshops require specialized training to gether, which can present a glass ceiling in the way
successfully lead, but Talents who learn to do so can of professional advancement.
field significant support on contracts if they can find
willing participants. Those who show an aptitude for ORGANIZATION
the Workshops are prized for their abilities and kept
constantly busy with all the contracts offered by the Most of the people who work for the sprawling or-
Executive Committee. ganization have little idea of its involvement in the
Twilight and the Shadow, while those who do are
While the Swarm used to regularly take contracts
paid generously for their trouble, with the implicit
for all kinds of work on behalf of the Azegami Union,
threat of violence for those who speak up.
in recent years work from the yakuza has trickled to
a near halt. Most Assassins blame the patriarch for Advancement in the Suzumebachi Group occurs
being unwilling to deploy them, but rumors con- along typical corporate lines, but the highest posi-
sistently suggest that Takashi charges fees for their tions in the company are occupied by Assassins or
service that the withering Azegami can no longer af- their close confidantes. Assassins invited to join the
ford. While the Swarm won’t hesitate to work with Swarm exist in parallel with the corporate structure,
criminals, they have worked with the yakuza with afforded the privileges of special consultants to or-
der mundane employees around.

THE HOME OFFICE
The Swarm has opened offices in major cities around the world — including New York,
Paris, Cairo, Jerusalem, Hong Kong, and Bangkok — but their home office remains in
Tokyo. Ostensibly an office-building with apartment suites at the skyscraper’s top, nearly
every employee in the Home Office has been trained in Hornet Workshops and is ready
to repel enemy Assassins or other criminals. Recreational facilities in each office allow
Assassins a comfortable place to stay and access to tools to practice their training in exer-
cises with trained employees.
Among Assassins, prestige is graded and re- of unemployment many other members of the Lost
sults-driven. Assassins begin at Rank D and advance Generation fell into, while others have grown in-
up to the highest levels of Rank A and Rank S. With creasingly frustrated with the Swarm’s distance from
each increase in Rank comes more pay and privi- the Azegami Union that helped them get started.
leges granted by the Executive Committee. When The Second Generation encompasses most of the
offering contracts to the Swarm, Assassins bid on Swarm’s Assassins, recruited in Hornet Workshops
the most lucrative contracts, with the value of their across the globe as they expanded into international
bid increased by their Rank. Rank A Assassins re- territory. Members of the Second Generation come
ceive the best and most lucrative jobs, along with the from diverse backgrounds and have little affinity for
most privileges short of the Rank S Assassins in the the organization’s origins and the Azegami Union.
Executive Committee. Rank A Assassins are the envy Some advocate that the Home Office must be moved
of their peers, possessing a degree of celebrity among to one of the Swarm’s other hub offices in the world,
Assassins in the Shadow. such as in New York or Hong Kong.
Directing the Swarm are the Executive The Third Generation is an eccentric group com-
Committee, comprised of the Swarm’s very best prised of recent recruits from Hornet Workshops
Assassins. Every member of the committee save for and Assassins brought in from other organizations.
the Azegami Representative has achieved Rank S, Lacking the shared experience of Hornet Workshops
including the Chairman, Takashi Inoue. Takashi and particular moments in the Swarm’s history, they
has made it clear that he wishes to retire soon, and are an eclectic group, viewed as upstarts and trouble-
has already begun grooming Misaka Tsuda, the makers by more established members of the Swarm.
Executive Committee’s newest member to become Some fear that Assassins from other Societies may
the next Chairman. seek to infiltrate the Swarm and turn their freedom
and success into a tool to benefit other parties.
GOALS The Swarm’s services have been in demand even
The Swarm’s goal, broadly, is to make as much from other Societies, and through this success they
money as possible as soon as possible. Violence is have forced the opportunity to earn a seat at the table.
always a popular business, but the Swarm found its Anti-capitalists like the Pavlyuchenko Society ab-
success in innovating one of the key resources for vi- hor the profiteering and ruthlessness of the Swarm,
olent conflict: able combatants. Between the Hornet while the Society of Leonidas and the Daughters of
Workshops and Assassins, cashflow into the Swarm the Jacobins condemn their disinterest in Assassin
is strong, but the Chairman expresses concern that mores. The Swarm takes nothing personal and won’t
there will come a time when the Workshops are not hesitate to collect paychecks from rifles and con-
enough, and new innovation will be required to en- tracts on enemies. It’s all just business.
sure the Swarm survives.
The Executive Committee and the Swarm’s THE PRICE OF DOING
Assassins more broadly can be divided into three BUSINESS
groups with overlapping goals. The First Generation
The Swarm’s mercenary attitude and lack of re-
includes the Chairman himself and those he trained
spect for the Shadow’s social norms have earned
during the Swarm’s early days. Many are deeply loyal
them nearly as many enemies as their willingness
to the Swarm for saving them from the vicious cycle
The Swarm 59
to take contracts on former allies. While their agile the next Chairman won’t betray the Swarm’s oldest
business strategy is highly lucrative, it’s only a matter allies again.
of time before the trail of broken alliances catches up Keen to ensure his legacy and the future of the
to them, and the Swarm needs help from someone Swarm, the Chairman works tirelessly to train
unwilling to give it. Misaka Tsuda to take over his position, all while en-
Working for the Swarm can make it challeng- couraging her own ambitions to discover the next in-
ing to make friends. Their services are offered to novation the Swarm can use to disrupt the Shadow’s
friends and enemies alike, and more than once, an markets. Misaka’s interests trend toward the more
Assassin in the Swarm has had to face an office full esoteric: She has bid on contracts targeting mem-
of killers trained by Hornet Workshops on the way bers of Allegiances such as the Global Cartography
to their target. Some unlucky Assassins even find Initiative and the Æon Society to make targets dis-
themselves fighting people they trained with in a appear rather than kill them so she can interrogate
Hornet Workshop. Newer members of the Swarm them for information about Anomalies and strange
have encouraged one another not to bid on contracts locations which may hold the key to the next great
which might force them to kill friends and former Assassin innovation.
co-worker, to the disdain of the Swarm’s most veter-
an members. THE SWARM PATH
While the Swarm has increasingly distanced itself You may have come from another walk of life,
from the Azegami Union, if the yakuza become em- but through a Hornet Workshop or by recruitment,
broiled in a conflict where they require the Swarm’s you’re in the Swarm now. You work together with
assistance, the Chairman has always bailed them other Assassins for big payoffs, and you don’t care
out. Assassins in Japan are encouraged to remain on who they come from. For once, you feel like you have
guard when travelling around the country lest they control, and so long as the Swarm can expect your
become the target for revenge killings tied to the hid- loyalty and skills, you’ll keep it that way.
den criminal wars of the Lost Decade. Connections: Tokyo Yakuza, Corporate Clients,
The dangers of the job and the attitude of the Government Contracts, Hornet Workshop Graduate
Swarm makes working as an Assassin for the Society Skills: Aim, Close Combat, Integrity, Larceny
into a high risk; high reward scenario. While the
Edges: Hornet Workshop Certification, Fast Draw,
Swarm attempt to rescue Assassins in jeopardy, far
Covert, Safe House, Well-Equipped, Cool Under
more effort goes toward silencing anyone who would
Fire, Tough Cookie
expose important company secrets or betray the
Suggested Masteries: Group Effort, Impossible
Swarm to other Societies. Those who get themselves
Angles, Training Exercise, No Barriers
into excessive legal trouble or are captured frequent-
ly are left to their own devices.
MYSTERIES The Swarm finds itself in a delicate dance with
the Yakuza of the Nakato Association, rivals of
Takashi betrayed the Azegami Union during the
their dwindling parent organization, the Azegami
Lost Decade to triple the Suzumebachi Group’s
Union. While officially in conflict with the Azegami,
profits by training their rival yakuzas’ foot soldiers.
the Nakato simultaneously engages in business with
Without the intervention of the Swarm, the Azegami
the Swarm, selling weapons and gadgetry to their
might have become the undisputed rulers of Japan’s
Assassins to ingratiate themselves with the organiza-
underworld. He betrayed the Azegami again during
tion. Their clients in the Executive Committee then
the 2000s, leading to the arrest of several key lead-
put pressure on the Azegami to relent in the face of
ers in connections to crimes they’d committed in
Nakato aggression.
the previous decade, all to ensure that the Swarm
would be in control of its own destiny, not the Union. Several members of the Nakato Association have
Several members of the First Generation, including greater designs for the Swarm than a profit oppor-
the current Azegami Representative Sato Suzuki tunity. The family leadership see the opportunity
suspect the Chairman of foul play, and quietly gather to fracture and subvert the Swarm, turning their
supporters to either take revenge, or to ensure that Assassins into weapons of their own. Carefully

cultivated relationships may see the Swarm fracture Yakuza named Kenichi Takenaka, is a Talent with a
between Azegami loyalists and those on the payroll particular interest in advanced technology, who sees
of the Nakato, a situation that could halt the Society’s
the future in the exotic gadgetry and weapons that
momentum in its tracks. his supporters yield. Enemies of the nascent Nakato
Those who’ve been bought by the Nakato already faction will have to deal with deadlier weapons than
see themselves as the future. Their chief contact, a knives and assault rifles.
The Swarm 61
MINOR SOCIETIES
The Societies listed above are far from the only a potential source of conflict when two Assassins are
Societies of Assassins in the Shadow. Minor Societies after the same mark.
are those who lack the clout of the Societies de- Here are a couple examples of minor Societies that
scribed above, or who keep the Service and their fel- characters might encounter:
low Societies at arm’s length.
• The Mountain Families: A close-knit group of
In every corner of the world, Societies have sprung
Appalachian killers-for-hire. While coal mining
up and been cut down scant years later. Some nev-
boomed, the Families held near-major status
er appeared on any written record, and some have
along the East Coast in the United States. The
membership lists so small they aren’t worth count-
US government eliminated their leadership in
ing. Countless Societies were also hunted down and
the 1980s, reducing them to minor status. They
destroyed by the Worshipful Company of Killers
suspect all outsiders and refuse assistance.
during the height of their power for failing to fall in
line with their vision of an orderly Shadow. The sur- • The Rush: A small group of jet-setting adren-
vivors, and other small Societies which have sprung aline-seekers whose assassinations are more
up since are wary to involve themselves with the public stunt than political agenda. They accept
potential successors to the Company in the Shadow. membership from anyone, as long as one is will-
A few simply don’t involve themselves with others ing to pay the exorbitant entry fee and also die
in the Shadow or with the Service to any degree, in a blaze of glory.
instead preferring to maintain a sort of neutral dis-
• The Honorable Order of Glassblowers: This
tance from the Societies. Societies declared anath-
selective group of Assassins recruits only the
ema by the Service are not regarded as Societies at
Inspired who also share a talent for blowing
all, just collections of rogues who must die for the
glass. This skill has little to do with their kill-
security of the Shadow.
ing methods, though rumor holds that each new
In their travels as an Assassin, a character can ex-
member must craft their own glass blade, and
pect to encounter a stranger whose tactics are en-
use it in their first assignment.
tirely foreign and who has no exposure to the Code.
Storyguides should feel free to populate their chroni- Players who wish to be a member of one of these
cles with characters from these minor Societies. The minor Societies or to play a hold-out from a Society
leadership of the major Societies do not recognize long lost to history should craft their own Society
any authority or power held by these minor groups, Path using the rules starting on p. XX.
THE COUNCIL
Each Society nominates a member to sit on the THE COUNCILORS
Council — a ruling body which represents the inter-
ests of the five Major Societies as well as the Service. Pharah Sanon holds the Signal’s seat, in a rare and
The Council is rarely in accord, and the presence of bold move. Founders typically do not claim Council
the Service serves largely to ensure each strong per- positions, for this is viewed by its constituent mem-
sonality reaches a compromise. Councilors are re- bers as a conflict of interest. Furthermore, she’s re-
sponsible for accepting, approving, and distributing lated to the leader of the Daughters of the Jacobins
contracts, as well as being the final step in conflicts — another reason her compatriots accuse her of
between Societies. If two Assassins cannot resolve having compromised interests. Pharah doesn’t care.
their differences, it falls to the Councilors to step She’s here to present her uncompromising agenda:
in and find a proper resolution. Councilors are not push Shadow further and further into Daylight, com-
figures of absolute authority, though they are always fort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, eat the
people of reputation and standing. Characters defy rich. She claims to know the real identity of the Host,
Councilors at their own risk. They make valuable al- and while they are ostensibly allied, the most recent
lies and incredibly dangerous enemies. broadcasts have indicated a growing rift based on

an ideological disagreement has happened between Grandpa Zoran represents the Krugu Vorov.
them. He’s a “retired” assassin of Kurdish ancestry from
Mapate Aboila holds the Daughters of the Checnya who joined up with the Krugu Vorov de-
Jacobins’ seat. He emigrated to the United States cades ago. No one is sure when, and rumors abound
from Lagos as a child and swiftly adopted America’s from a reasonable fifty years prior to an outlandish
puritanical work ethic. Driven by this ethos of hard two centuries. Grandpa Zoran serves as a mentor and
work, Mapate joined the CIA, but quickly grew dis- father-figure to the current Ilya. As Councilor, he en-
illusioned with their practices. After enough dis- forces his personal agenda that Shadow must remain
sent, he was betrayed by the government during an independent and secret. Despite his philosophy di-
operation and left for dead. Shortly thereafter the rectly opposing Pharah Sanon, Zoran treats her with
Daughters of the Jacobins found and recruited the sympathy and even kindness. His positive attitude
furious Mapate. His training in Haiti was both a toward her has provoked a number of rumors that
healing and formative experience for him, and he has the Councilor is growing soft (or at the least, a con-
shifted his hard-working devotion toward the Society science) in his old age.
instead. As a senior assassin, he’s grown increasing- The Blessed Master Adrastus currently holds
ly skeptical of Henri Legand’s notes and questions the Society of Leonidas’ title “Blessed Master” — an
orders derived from them. Besides this, he’s a calm honor bestowed upon their living killer-saints. A
voice of reason and order when the Council dis- charismatic woman, Adrastus has a devoted follow-
solves into chaos. Most recently, he presented strong ing. Her celebrity as a noted assassin worries the
objections to the inclusion of the Swarm as a Major Directorate that controls the Society. With her lev-
Society — a point of friction between himself and his el of popularity, if the Blessed Master were to split
fellow Councilors. from the Society of Leonidas, a significant portion
The Council 63
of their assassins might follow her. Regardless of the with Tsuda Mikasa, Haru defected from the Nakato
tension between the Society’s leadership and their Association to join the Swarm and their technolo-
chosen Councilor, the Blessed Master makes a strong gy-embracing attitude. Mikasa’s forward-thinking
mentor and ally and a fearful enemy. Assassins flock and optimism made Haru excited for the future
to her tutelage in hopes of learning her secret tech- again, and her abiding love for the other woman is a
nique of fighting with bronze edged weaponry with potential weak spot her fellow Councilors consider
the same killing ease as modern high carbon steel. exploiting.
Nakamura Haru claims the Swarm’s seat — de-
spite the rest of the Council’s objections to their A SEAT AT THE TABLE
presence. She’s a slick professional, always sharp- Semi-annually the Council opens its doors to rep-
ly dressed and manicured. Presenting this flawless resentation from Anathema and Minor Societies.
appearance, Haru delivers the Swarm’s outrageous The invitations to the Council meeting are limited
demands of the council with a serene but uncom- and in high demand, creating strife and competition
promising attitude. The more the Council pushes as members of these fringe Societies fight to have
back, the wilder she makes her statements. Behind their interests represented. Theft of the invitation or
her cool and collected demeanor, Haru hides count- fighting tournaments held to earn the right to repre-
less secrets collected with her tenure as a supreme- sentation are not unheard of.
ly skilled senior Assassin. After a passionate affair
CUTTING A BLOODY PATH

Some are born to it and raised to take up the knife back-room gambling operations to international
at adulthood. Others seek it out in search of power, smuggling rings. Where interests collide, violence
affluence, or notoriety through clandestine violence. isn’t unknown. Messy conflicts can see people crip-
Some find themselves caught up in it unwitting and pled or killed; survivors shuffled off to long prisons
unwilling, dragged out of their comfortable, normal terms when the authorities finally show up.
lives into the world of murder in the shadows. Then there are the spaces where great powers
No matter their origins or course, the life of an struggle in obscure conflicts, where death is dealt
Assassin leaves deeps marks both on the world they by experts vying with other experts, and where
pass through and the Assassin themselves. Like nor- Assassins operate: the shadow world. Here, money
mal Trinity characters, Assassins select Origin, Role, and power tightly intermix with the constant threat
and Society Paths for themselves. However, Assassin of violence and death. The aftermath of conflict is
characters also pay particular attention to how their rarely visible from the daylight world, and only mut-
journey connects their roles to the greater world. tered about in the twilight as principals and agents
clean up after their murderous business with termi-
STATIONS OF DARKNESS nal thoroughness. Similarly, the Paths a character
The world in Assassins roughly divides into three possesses will belong to one of these three worlds.
parts. On the one hand there is the daylight world: While they’ve ended up deep in the shadow world,
prosaic and mundane life for the majority of human- they didn’t start there.
ity. Violence and criminality exist as sudden aber- CONNECTIONS AND CONTACTS
rations that most trust the authorities to deal with.
Money is a matter of stability. True wealth and pow- A Path’s station influences how its connections
er exist primarily in institutional forms or hereditar- and contacts function. Connections and contacts
ily blessed hands. from daylight paths work as paths normally do in
Trinity, as long as they aren’t burnt or Razed (see
People who regularly flout the laws of the land,
below). The access and connections they offer
whose wealth relies on avoiding official notice, who
should be legal, or at least the forgivable. A daylight
prosper outside the world of work schedules and
contact in the Air Force might allow a character to
gig-app appointments instead occupy a twilight
get a look at a recently declassified military vehicle,
world. Here, money and power are up for grabs, from
but would be unwilling to help one borrow it. If a

PATHS AND DARKNESS IN THE CONTINUUM
It’s possible to use Assassins in other Trinity games, or to bring in Inspired and stranger
superhumans into Assassins. The bloody path and stations of darkness rules for Paths,
Connections, and Contacts add more focus on complicated character histories and poten-
tially entangling loyalties, but aren’t especially unique to Assassins. If a game is set in the
setting of Assassins with several non-Assassin characters, it’s perfectly appropriate to
use these rules for other character types. On the other hand, if Assassin characters play in
another game, it’s fine to use the core rules for Paths, Connections, and Contacts; nothing
will break for Assassin characters if you do.
Whichever you pick, all characters should use the same system, to avoid both confusion
and potential issues with spotlight time.
character does convince a daylight connection to do and an additional +2 Complication: Left Out in the
something blatantly illegal, it counts as additional Cold. If not bought off, it reduces all Shadow and
use of that connection. Using daylight connections Twilight connections by 1 for the rest of the session.
for any actions short of blatant crime gives access to
the following stunt: PATHS THROUGH DARKNESS
Characters in Assassins possess the same number
LEGITIMATE BUSINESS (VARIABLE) of Paths as other Trinity characters: One Origin Path,
Increase the difficulty of any rolls to connect this one Role Path, and one Society Path. However, every
activity or connection to a crime by the success- Path a character possesses should indicate whether
es spent on this stunt. it’s a daylight path, a twilight path, or a shadow path.
A character doesn’t need to have any particular mix of
Twilight and shadow paths are by their nature
these. It’s possible a character was born into a role in
more amicable to criminal pursuits. However, calling
the Society of Leonidas that they’ve dutifully followed
in those favors carry particular weights and dangers.
to the present day, making all of their Paths firmly set in
Twilight Paths are messy. Existing outside both the shadow world. Similarly, a character might have led
the comfortable, ordered world of daylight and the a relatively mundane life from suburbia to a stint in the
strict, stark world of shadow, they will often be flexi- army before a society directly recruits them, leading
ble sources of illegal deeds and equipment. However, them from two daylight paths to one deep in shadow.
this means they are also incredible sources of trou-
Note that it’s possible for the same Path to be in
ble. All rolls to use connection from twilight paths
different stations of light for different characters.
come with +1 Complication: Problems with the
If one character’s suburbia Origin Path indicates a
Authorities, calling down undesirable law enforce-
comfortable life as a theater kid with dreams of mak-
ment or other government attention if not bought off.
ing it in Hollywood and another character’s indicates
They also come with the following stunt available:
their misspent youth as an Adderall-dealing honors
student stealing from their neighbors’ houses during
ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES (2S)
vacation season, it’s appropriate for the former to be
You immediately gain the benefits of this Path’s a daylight Path and the latter to be a twilight Path.
access or contact on another roll or activity.
Shadow Paths represent connections to dangerous MOVING BETWEEN STATIONS
and powerful organizations and people. They offer As characters move between Paths, it’s important
efficiency, secrecy, and competence. When a char- to note as they transition between different stations.
acter makes a shadow connection or contact roll, Moving between daylight and twilight or shadow is
they benefit from +2 Enhancement. Shadow Paths’ always an critical event in a character’s life, but it’s
demands are commensurately severe. When a char- also important to determine exactly what kind of
acter doesn’t fulfill obligations to a shadow Path at event it was. A promising young med student turned
the end of a session, they impose both the normal +2 back alley black-bag doctor for the thrill has a much
Complication on the next roll to use that connection, different experience than a working-class kid doing
Cutting a Bloody Path 65

the best for their family forced into a life of armed +1 Complication: Business Problems to the next time
robbery to pay for their father’s debts. Each station you use the Connection for the rest of the session.
has two ways that it transitions to another station, For most people living in daylight, choosing a life
which potential effects and consequences for each. in the shadows isn’t an option. Most have no idea that
it exists, and those that do don’t even know enough
FADING DAYLIGHT
details to make a stupid choice. Sometimes, though,
Most people in the world of Assassins live in the someone in a society or other organization steeped
daylight station; leaving it behind means leaving be- in shadows looks out and sees something they need
hind common experience with most of your neigh- in the daylight. True to form, they simply acquire it.
bors, along with any sense of safety one takes from Whether they convinced, coerced, or kidnapped you,
the idea of being a law-abiding citizen. you’ve found yourself working for them, far away
Moving from daylight to twilight is often a case from the life you once knew.
of having transgressed. You did something you When you have a Path transition marked by being
shouldn’t have: you racked up debts to the wrong acquired, the daylight Path you left is sanctioned.
people, mixed too freely with the wrong crowd, The organizations in shadow don’t particularly like
indulged in illegal habits just a bit too much. Now, their new employees thinking they can go back to
someone has a hold over you, and you have to keep their old life after the organization has gone to the
them happy while trying to keep your tenuous hold trouble of acquiring them, after all. It takes particu-
on your old life, if you ever want to walk in daylight lar determination and guile to reach out to one’s old
again. life, and sanctioned connections cost 1 Momentum
When you have a Path transition marked by trans- to use. However, the daylight world you were taken
gression, you gain an additional Contact in the form from is always there: the sanctioned Path connec-
of your debt-holder. This might be someone who tions don’t decrease their ratings with use, and can’t
holds literal debt over your head, has blackmail that be Suspended or Revoked.
could damage your reputation, or who knows where As much as they’d like to pretend otherwise, even
all your loved ones and extended family live. They the strongest organizations in shadow don’t control
don’t want to ruin you or they already would have, the world, and sometimes people simply become
but they consider your help something they’re owed. entangled with them. You were in the wrong place
You can use your debt-holder like a normal contact, at the right time, or accidently swapped your ticket
but when they come to you with an obligation and with someone else’s; you found yourself up to your
you fail to help them, they immediately cause the elbows in conspiracy when all you wanted to do was
Path Suspended condition for the connected day- deliver your petition to your local congressman, or in
light path. However, debt-holders will never cause a live fire zone when you left work half-an-hour late.
the Path Revoked condition, even if you overuse Whatever happened, either the shadow organization
their favors. If you lost all your connections to day- considers you more useful alive than dead, or some-
light society, they’d lose any hold they had over you, one within it considers your life something they owe
after all. you.
Some people fall; others leap — those who have When you have a Path transition marked by be-
bought in. You sought out criminal activity and com- coming entangled with shadow, you gain an addi-
pany, looking to profit from ill-gotten gains. Moving tional Contact in the form of the person who leads
stolen merchandise, selling illicit substances, pursu- you through the darkness: your guide. The organiza-
ing graft and corruption; whatever it was, you pre- tion has either ordered them to bring you up to speed
fer it to walking the straight and narrow. So far, it’s and keep you out of trouble, or they’ve taken it upon
been good to you! Besides dodging the authorities, themselves to do the same. Your guide looks out for
competitors, and your neighbor’s questions about all you. When you overextend their resources, you cre-
those weird packages in your garage. ate separate Guide Suspended and Guide Revoked
When you have a Path transition caused by having Conditions, rather than the usual Path conditions.
bought in, you gain an additional access Connection
in the form of your criminal enterprise. Your crim- LOSING TWILIGHT
inal enterprise doesn’t reduce its rating when you at- Fatalism and the threat of instability dog the lives
tempt to use it. Instead, every time you use it, it adds of those in twilight. Material progress is constantly

threatened by the authorities and one’s competitors, They understand your abilities well, and so far, have
and the threat of violence comes in both state sanc- had no shortage of uses for them.
tioned and freelance varieties. People living in twi- When you have a Path transition marked by being
light look to leave it through power, influence, and recruited, you gain your handler with the shadow or-
station as much for safety and stability as for person- ganization as an additional Contact. You’re a means
al gratification. to the organization’s ends to them, but also a hard to
Some manage it, and when asked about it their old replace tool. As long as you do your job, they’ll treat
companions shake their heads, smile to try to hide you well. Obligations laid on you by your handler are
the bitterness, and then tell whoever’s asking that dangerous to ignore; they decrease your rating in the
they’ve gone legit. Converting illicit fortunes into linked Path as well as add Complication if you fail to
properly laundered and taxed money can be even complete them in a session. However, they’re also
more difficult than resolving outstanding criminal useful and well-connected Contacts, gaining an ad-
complaints and parting on comfortable terms with ditional tag when first acquired.
one’s former associates, but reentering daylight so- On the other hand, there are members of prosaic
ciety with a comfortable nest egg is possible for the criminal organizations who want that power, pres-
fortunate and the canny. tige, and money lurking just beyond, who want to be
When you have a Path transition marked by go- inducted into the shadows. You worked hard to get
ing legit, you have an additional Contact in form of noticed, to pass the secret tests and esoteric initia-
a boon companion. You watched each other’s back tions that would make you a member of an elite class,
in the bad old days, and they’re a bridge you nev- and now you enjoy the fruits of your labor. The work
er burned. Either intentionally or not, you made is dark, the enemies are ever more dangerous, and
a friend for life. They’re still living the life you left the future is slick with blood, but you’ve made it to
behind, and no matter how high you raise the con- the big time.
nected Path, you can only ever ask for a favor once Such climbs to the summit are rarely popular with
a session. They’re just too busy. However, failing to those you pass by or climb over, and a Path transition
fulfill their Obligations never causes future compli- marked by your elevation gains you a rival as an ad-
cations — you both understand that you live different ditional Contact. They may be part of your old life
lives now. or a fixture in shadow who resents your rise, but the
Failing badly in twilight has a reputation for be- problems they cause are an ongoing issue. You can’t
ing lethal, but in truth it’s possible to be washed up. use your rival as a normal Connection. Any aid they’d
Your criminal endeavors didn’t pay out, the gang offer comes with serious caveats and problems that
split up, the police nabbed you for a dime that you require direct action. However, the Obligations they
spent as an ideal inmate. No one’s calling you up for throw in your way keep you sharp. Whenever you
work or sharing their latest scheme, but at least no resolve one, gain 1 Momentum and increase starting
one is trying to put a bullet in your head, either. Momentum for next session by +1.
When you have a Path transition marked by be-
OUT OF SHADOW
ing washed up, you’re considered harmless by your
linked Path connections. Any help they give you is It’s impossible to escape their reach. That’s un-
seen as throwing scraps to a has-been, and unless you derstood, from shadow to twilight to the edges of
really make trouble, no one’s going to think twice if the daylight world. The grim titans of shadow will
they see you around. The Path’s connections are con- have their due, one way or another. In the end, peo-
sidered to be one lower for all purposes because no ple still leave, but shadow always threatens to drag
one takes you seriously, but your connections won’t them back in.
become Suspended or Revoked, just told to buzz off. When one crosses a shadow organization inten-
Even career criminals and hustlers making their tionally, it’s often execution, or for individuals of
way through life in twilight often have little idea means, open war. When one becomes inconvenient
what deeper levels in shadow exist, so you were sur- for one’s institution, however, they may decide to
prised when someone recruited you. Your partic- burn you. Handlers and assets no longer provide aid.
ular extralegal skills were in demand by the covert Passcodes and watchwords no longer work. At best,
and powerful, and now you find yourself working for one’s former confidents and coworkers avoid, stone-
people scarier than you ever wished you could be. wall, and refuse contact. You’re left with no foothold

in the shadow world, and no preparation for a nor- shadow Path the first time you try to call on connec-
mal life, leaving you caught in twilight. tions or contacts associated with it.
When you have a Path transition marked by be- Sometimes, someone pays all their debts, lays
ing burned, you gain old habits as an additional down their weapons, and manages to get out.
asset Connection. No matter what you’re officially Violence and mayhem hold no more appeal to you,
denied, you still know places and people you can no matter their rewards. Whether for someone else’s
leverage for all manner of clandestine services and benefit or your own, you’ve put to rest any outstand-
illegal equipment. This is a dangerous well to return ing issues with the organization whose shadow you
to. When you take advantage of your old habits, roll stood in, and left power and violence behind — at
your Path rating. If you roll zero successes, this asset least as much as anyone can.
Connection gains the Revoked condition. However, When you have a Path transition marked by get-
this Connection will never foist any Obligations on ting out, the connected Shadow path becomes put
you, barring those you search out intentionally. to rest. You ask nothing of them and avoid their in-
Not all exits from shadow are exiles, as those who terest, and they should do the same. If you’re ever
societies dispatched to twilight know. You have forced to call on their resources again, the price is
emerged from darkness with a purpose, the express steep: Obligations immediately resume, and fail-
(if distant and quiet) backing of your shadowy pa- ing to fulfill them creates a +1 Complication Debts
trons, and a reputation to uphold. Perhaps you’re Called In for every other Path and Connection, in
meant to take control of a criminal interest with ties addition to the normal consequences of failing to
to your former shadow organization. Perhaps you’re fulfill an Obligations until you complete an Evening
to turn an amateur operation professional, to be of the Scales Aspiration. The temptation is there for
better use to your principle. Or perhaps you’ve mere- a reason, however: when you have no outstanding
ly here to crack some skulls, until order emerges Obligations, Debts Called In, or unfinished Evening
from chaos. the Scales and you use this Path’s connections, you
When you have a Path transition marked by being automatically succeed, without rolling.
dispatched, you gain help from on high as an addi-
CLEAN TRANSITIONS
tional access Connection. You are called to account
for every time that door swings open. Every time Sometimes, a character’s paths line up neatly.
you use this access Connection, you gain the Path Shadow moves to shadow, daylight moves to daylight.
Revoked condition tied to the Short-term aspiration Even when they cross stations of darkness, there can
Explain Yourself to Your Superiors. However, as be smooth transitions, such as when a character who
long as you’re performing the task you’ve been sent managed a branch business or who was dispatched
to complete, doors open for you and supplies will be to deal with affairs in twilight is called back to be an
made available. Rolls made for this Connection gain active member of a shadow society. In those cases,
+2 Enhancement. there’s no Path transition. Instead, the character may
increase the value of a Contact by 1, due to their long-
Similarly, sometimes a shadow organization will
standing acquaintance.
usher one of its operatives back to daylight to set
them up as a branch business. Perhaps your par-
ticular skills best serve your parent organization in
AN EXAMPLE
a legitimate business; perhaps some financial or so-
cial auxiliary has been underperforming and you are
Danielle is making the character Bonnie Brisco
for an Assassin chronicle. When she picks each
to put it to rights, or perhaps work in the shadows
of Bonnie’s paths, Danielle needs to decide
fatigued you, and some benefactor decided to give what station of darkness the path is in, and
you some time away from the true work of the orga- define its relationship to any paths that come
nization. Whatever the reason, you now work in the before or after it.
daylight-facing façade for one of a shadow organiza- Danielle imagines Bonnie’s childhood as a
tion’s organs. turbulent one, marked by her hustler parents
When you have a Path transition marked by place- moving her from community to community as
ment in a branch business, the connected daylight they dodged the authorities, leaving Bonnie
Path is marked as two-faced. Every session, you to get into all sorts of trouble. Danielle de-
may choose whether to treat it as a daylight Path or a cides on the Adventurer path from Trinity core,

given Bonnie’s history of getting into and out conflicts driving both belligerents beyond their nor-
of trouble without any help from her parents. mal limits.
Danielle decides it’s in twilight: Bonnie’s fami- When a player generates a Nemesis, they first
ly was too small time to be involved with any detail the Nemesis’s basic identity, such as a formal
shadow organizations, and Bonnie herself cer-
criminal associate whose professional rivalry has
tainly wasn’t a member of any conspiracies,
ancient murderous orders, or secret govern- turned to personal hatred, a law enforcement officer
ment branches. Danielle decides on Bonnie’s who got wind of the character’s activities and is de-
connections and contacts as normal from the termined to stop them at all costs? Or a target’s rela-
Trinity core. tive determined to get revenge? This should guide the
Then Danielle needs to pick Bonnie’s Role Path. choice of at which Life Path the character’s foe hails,
She likes the idea of the combat specialist Role, along with whether they operate in daylight, twi-
and decides that Bonnie’s rough childhood end- light, or shadow. A childhood friend turned hated foe
ed up with her finding employment in extralegal over perceived abandonment is much different than
security. Danielle envisions the sort of gray mar- a major agency’s investigator who’s caught ahold of
ket company that handles all sorts of no-ques- the character’s trail during the character’s involve-
tions-asked security and training, but not one ment with their Organization, after all. Similarly, a
that engages in open murder for hire. She pegs Nemesis should match the game they’re created for;
this as another twilight path. Because it was a while a murderous psychic might fit a game strongly
clean transition from twilight path to twilight
leaning into Trinity Continuum’s great lay of pow-
path, she gets to increase the value of one of the
contacts Bonnie got from either Path by 1. ered individuals, they would be less appropriate in
a game focused in more grounded struggles between
Then Danielle needs to decide on Bonnie’s
mundane criminal syndicates.
Society Path. She picks Daughter of the
Jacobins, and choose the obvious choice to The player and Storyguide should also come up
make it a Shadow Path. After looking at the op- with a reason that the Assassin can’t or hasn’t yet
tions for transitions between twilight and shad- killed their Nemesis, whether due to the Assassin’s
ow paths, Danielle decides that the Daughters moral scruple, a powerful patron’s protection, or their
recruited Bonnie due to skills she demon- Nemesis being incredibly, implausible hard to kill.
strated after a lethal dust up. This means that Anyone less wouldn’t have survived to be a Nemesis.
before she picks normal access and Contact
During play, the Storyguide OR player may choose
Connections for Bonnie’s Society Path, she
needs to define the handler Contact Bonnie to invoke the Nemesis’s indirect efforts after the play-
made from the transition. She decides on a er. The character immediately gains an Inspiration,
world-weary old hand at the game who she while the interference acts as a 3c Complication
names William Kurtzfield. Looking at the rules on an important roll, based on the station of the
for the handler Contact, Danielle sees that she Nemesis:
gets to assign him an extra tag, and so decides Daylight: “The Long Arm.” If unresolved, the
to give William the tags Sneaky and Well Nemesis tips law enforcement authorities, the target,
Connected. She completes the other steps of
or other third parties onto the Assassin’s whereabout
defining her Society Path as normal.
and actions.
Twilight: “No Honor Among Them.” If unre-
NEMESES solved, the Nemesis or their associates successfully
Killers attract enemies like corpses attract flies. purloins or destroys some of the Assassin’s material
Even Assassins who put a premium on subtlety or resources.
simply attempt to leave no witnesses to their ac- Shadow: “The Valley of the Shadow.” If unre-
tions alive find that those working in shadow attract solved, the Nemesis provides a credible threat to the
deadly, determined foes. In addition to their regular Assassin’s allies and contacts, causing them to go
Origin Paths, players may choose for their charac- to ground. The Assassin’s Path contacts have their
ters to possess a Nemesis, an individual driven to ratings reduced by the unresolved complication,
stymie, oppose, and attempt to destroy the Assassin. as do any Social edges indicating allied or friendly
Such characters are tied to the Assassin through characters such as Patron (Trinity Continuum Core
something greater than mere enmity or chance, their Rulebook p. 61) or Conspirators (p. xx) .

If the character suffers from one of these doesn’t have to make another close friend. The play-
Complication, they also gain Momentum. er and Storyguide should work together to create
a contact that matches what the player is interest-
DIRECT CONFRONTATION ed in, and where the character and story are at the
Coming face to face and matching wits or blades moment.
with one’s Nemesis should always be a major Things get more complicated when a character
event. Nemesis characters are always at least Major loses their connection to an entire organization, or
Threats (Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook p.139) that organization has its leaders murdered, its hold-
with special abilities, Gifts, or Masteries comparable ings blown up and burnt down, and its remaining
to the Assassin’s. When in direct competition wheth- personnel scattered to the wind. In this case, the or-
er through intrigue, violence, or even something ganization is razed. When this happens, any access
as (theoretically) friendly as auto racing or poker, directly relating to that organization evaporates and
both player Assassin and opposing Nemesis gain a the player and Storyguide should determine which
point of Inspiration or other Source as appropriate, Contacts are lost, which survive as a nemesis (p.
which may temporarily exceed their normal maximum XX), and which (if any) remain useful to the char-
rating. acter. The character can no longer advance in this
Path, but it no longer counts against the five-path
PATHS IN PLAY maximum.
Characters in Assassins lead complicated lives. A
failed operation leads to disgrace; a refused mission TRAINING OPERATIONS
leads to exile from a Society; a successful kill burns Each of the major Societies hosts an internal train-
another to the ground. It’s natural for the organiza- ing program. Some host several, which can be per-
tions and Contacts associated with the world of se- manent schools to get new Assassins into fighting
cret violence to ferment, change, and die. shape or temporary seminars that introduce new
Sometimes, a character will move amicably from techniques. For those with permanent fixtures, all
one organization to another. In these cases, it’s fine new inductees into the Society are expected to spend
for the player to simply spend experience points for time practicing and conditioning themselves for
the relevant Path. If there’s an obvious shift in sta- their violent life ahead. Temporary training opera-
tions of darkness (such as moving into a high positions host guest instructors from cooperative Minor
tion in government after serving a murderous mer- Societies as well as other Talents, paid handsome-
cenary), they may take the Connection modification ly to retain the secrets they encounter in Shadow.
from the bloody path section, but this is optional. When a Society holds a guest training session, estab-
Other times, a character might find themselves ut- lished members may attend at their leisure but man-
terly cut off from an organization or Society that now date attendance for new members.
considers them an enemy. In this case, if the player Examples include:
doesn’t want to pursue a reconciliation Aspiration or The Forum, a permanent training operation for
work towards mending the divide, they can decide to the Society of Leonidas, teaches new Assassins the
count the relevant path as burned and replace any fundamentals of using ancient world weaponry
Connections with old habits (p. XX) , and determine alongside modern techniques. It also encourages
on a case by case basis if individual Contacts should new members to strengthen their minds and will
be kept or replaced as above. If this was a Society through the arts and philosophy.
Path, the player should decide on a different Path
École Révolutionnaire, also a permanent train-
for their character to advance in, barring a future
ing operation for the Daughters of the Jacobins,
reconciliation.
trains new inductees in guerilla warfare and revolu-
When an individual Contact is taken out of play, a tionary tactics. Training exercises include escaping
character can embark on a Short-term Aspiration to from a simulated dangerous environment armed
replace them with another Contact at the same rat- with nothing but the Assassin’s wits and bare hands
ing. They don’t have to be the same kind of contact: and learning to find small, exploitable weak points in
If a character’s boon companion dies, the character an oppressive regime’s structure.

to: a comprehensive salary and thorough NDA does
OTHER TALENTS the trick. Furthermore, Societies treat their Talent
IN SHADOW contractors extremely well. It’s in their best interest
Core Talents (as found in Trinity Continuum to maintain the loyalty of their Inspired associates
Core Rulebook) may join Assassins chronicles as if nothing else. The Service provides special access
player’s characters. This book provides some guid- passes to Talent hires (especially players’ characters)
ance for including them in the Storyguiding chapter, for mission-critical locations and facilities.
starting on p. XX. Here’s how core Talent players’ Talents may be brought on board for a variety of
characters fit into the Stations of Darkness. reasons. Their skills as super-scientists and craft-
The Societies extend invitations to non-Talent ers of powered gear are in high demand. Any super
Assassins as teachers, engineers, and scientists. scientist shunned by her field can find gainful em-
Some are welcomed to join training seminars and ployment in Shadow. Societies also have need for
classes. Though they can participate in courses Inspired fences who move contraband faster and
alongside Assassins, non-Assassin Talents cannot more discretely than their ordinary counterparts. For
learn or teach Masteries, though they may develop Talents without Shadow or Twilight connections,
Gifts that work similarly through their own personalSocieties always have need for a smooth-talking PR
understanding of flux and probability manipulation. representative who can handle negotiations for a
Societies make good use of Talent contractors shell company created by a Society attempting to re-
and secure their silence through iron-clad agree- main secret. Talent associates who are players’ char-
ments and generous payouts. Of course, Societies acters can move through the stations of darkness as
could resort to threats of violence but rarely need detailed in the previous section (p.XX).

“I’m thinking I’m back.”
— John Wick
Each player has their character who is their has opportunities for Aspirations to grow from
entry point into the shadowy world of Trinity Path complications. Storyguides can use these to
Continuum: Assassins. The player sees and add more excitement to the game.
acts through their character. Characters are also Aspirations should always push action, not re-
an essential tool for the Storyguide. The choic- strict it. This means that players should phrase
es a player makes when creating their character their Aspirations as something to do rather than
open new options for conflict and plot, and also something to not do. “Don’t get involved with as-
reveal different paths an adventure might take. sassination” removes a character from action and
Character creation has six steps: Concept, Paths, is counter to the Assassin game. In contrast, “Use
Skills, Attributes, Assassin Template, and Final the new gadget from R&D” keeps the character in
Touches. a potential conflict, but also nudges them toward
using a different resolution tactic than usual.
STEP ONE: CONCEPT Examples: Former Special Forces, Suave Con
First, each player determines what kind of Artist, Olympic Gymnast Turned Cat Burglar,
character they want to play. This determination Foster Child Raised by Assassins, Back-alley
can be a collaborative process with the Storyguide Surgeon, “Guy” Everyone Knows
and other players. Everyone at the table should A Short-term Aspiration is something a charac-
discuss their expectations for the game and the ter can achieve in a single session. The Aspiration
character dynamics that interest them. A player may be a Scene a player wants to see happen, an
may find a niche her character can fill to enrich ability she intends to use, or a character moment
the party, or two players may decide to connect she thinks would be exciting or cool.
their backstories. Players should summarize their
character concept in a few words or a phrase. A Examples: Get a better weapon, Research
more specific concept helps when choosing or the current target, Use my new Skill Trick,
creating Paths and assigning dots. Defeat a foe without killing them, Receive my
Next, each player chooses Aspirations: two next assignment
Short-term and one Long-term. Aspirations are
A Long-term Aspiration is something that takes
a player’s goals for her character, not necessari-
an Arc to achieve and is related to one of the char-
ly the character’s own goals. A player wants her
acter’s Paths. A Long-term Aspiration maybe how
character to get into a fistfight, even though her
a player would like to see her character grow or
character might be the kind of person to hate
change. Long-term Aspirations can also be used to
physical confrontations. Aspirations are sto-
transition a Path along the Stations of Darkness.
ry moments a player wants to see. Achieving
Aspirations is the responsibility of the entire ta-
Examples: Defeat my rival, Rise in the ranks
ble. While a player should always be watchful for of my Society, Keep my family safe from my
opportunities to achieve her aspirations for her work, Avenge my dead mentor, Reconcile
character, she should also watch for chances to with my ex-partner
set up her fellow players to achieve theirs. If all
the players complete their Short-term Aspirations
in the same session, all players present get a point Example: Lauren is building Randie, and
her concept is “Assassin who targets crimi-
of Experience. The Storyguide will also use the
nals.” She has a complex relationship with
Aspirations as guidance for the types of stories an old romantic and professional partner,
players are interested in playing and will pro- so her Long-term Aspiration is to find a way
vide opportunities for the players to achieve their to move on from her ex-partner. Lauren
Aspirations. In addition, the world of Assassins wants Short-term Aspirations that apply to
Step One: Concept 73

the current game session, so she picks “as- A Path can be a single word or a short phrase
sassinate my target.” She enjoys using a that summarizes the nature of the character’s
variety of weapons in combat, so she also experiences.
picks the Short-term Aspiration “use at least
two different weapons.” The Origin Path is a character’s background:
where and how she got started. While origins may
refer to a character’s upbringing, it does not have to.
STEP TWO: PATHS Instead, a player should think through her charac-
Paths represent a series of decisions characters ter’s backstory and use the most formative events.
have made or experiences they’ve had throughout
Examples: Raised by Assassins, Military
their lives. They are the ways characters define
Brat, Athletic Prodigy, Grew Up in a Circus,
themselves. Connected to those decisions and ex- Lived On the Streets
periences are people tied to the Assassins world
— apprentices, cleaners, mentors, squad mates, In Assassins, you may choose to replace your
resources, R&D departments, target databases, Origin Path with a character’s Nemesis Path. See
training grounds — that each character can still p. XX for more details on choosing a Nemesis
access. Path. When you choose a Nemesis instead, define
In Trinity Continuum: Assassins, each char- who they are.
acter has three Paths: Origin, Role, and Society. The Role Path is the character’s occupation
Each Path is significant to the character and re- or area of expertise. The role is not just what a
flects a substantial commitment of her time. character does, but is also part of how she defines
74 CHAPTER THREE: CHARACTER CREATION

herself. She seeks out opportunities to practice with each Path. A player can devote both dots
her profession and hone her skills related to it. to a single Edge or divide them between two.
If an Edge belongs to a character’s Path, she
Examples: Expert Sniper, Social Chameleon, gets a discount for purchasing that Edge with
Intimidating Muscle, Team Mastermind, Experience later.
Getaway Driver
• A Path Condition that triggers when you invoke
The Society Path is a connection each charac- the Path too often. You can choose one of the ex-
ter has with a larger organization. The affiliation ample Conditions or use them as a template to
may be positive or negative, but either way, it create your own.
must be significant to the character and how she For more information on building a Path and
sees herself. If the connection is negative (e.g., “on example Paths, see Trinity Continuum Core
the run from...”), the character should still have Rulebook, p. 40.
some friends or favors upon which she can call.
Characters may also be able to leverage a negative Example: Lauren decides she wants Randie
affiliation with other groups in an “enemy of my en- to be a skilled rooftop sniper that can hold her
emy” sort of way. own in hand-to-hand combat and is compe-
tent with a range of weapons. To round out
the concept she will need to be as silent as
Examples: Loyal to the Jacobins, New re-
she is athletic. For these reasons, she chooses
cruit in the Society of Leonidas, Cleaner for the
to make Street Rat her Origin Path, Sniper her
Mob, Trusted member of MI6
Role Path, and The Daughters of the Jacobins
as her Society Path. Lauren works with her
Each Path consists of the following elements: Storyguide, and they agree all her paths are in
• A brief description of the Path (e.g., “Retired the Station of Shadow.
Bodyguard,” “Weapons Designer,” or “On the Lauren selects threes Skill dots from each of her
run from the Krugu Vorov”) Paths. She gains two dots of Athletics and one
dot of Larceny from growing up a Street Rat.
• A Station of Darkness. How are the charac- Her Sniper role gives her Aim at three dots to
ter’s interactions with this Path concerning justify her expertise as a sharpshooter. Finally,
the rest of the setting? If a character brings the Jacobins give her Close Combat at two
hope through a Path, designate it as being in dots and Survival at one.
the Daylight Station. If she instead adds to the Randie gains a contact for each of her Paths.
darkness of the Assassins’ world, note the Path She takes an old Mentor for her Street Rat
is in the Shadow Station. If she sees the Path as contact. For her Sniper Path she has a Military
neither a positive nor negative contribution to Instructor for a contact. Randie’s time with the
the world around her, the Path is in the Twilight Jacobins has given her a Politician contact.
Station. (For more information on Stations of Lauren gains two dots in Edges from each of
Darkness go to p. XX) her paths. She picks Danger Sense and Hair
Trigger Reflexes from Street Rat. Sniper gives
• Four Skills associated with the Path. You may her two dots of the Sniper Style Edge. The
choose any four Skills, but you should be pre- Jacobin path adds one dot of Covert and the
pared to justify non-obvious choices. You gain Fast Draw Edge.
three dots to distribute among the four Skills for
each Path. A player may choose to put all three
dots in one Skill or divide the dots among two or
STEP THREE: SKILLS, SKILL
three Skills. A player may not use dots from one TRICKS, AND SPECIALTIES
Path for Skills associated with a different Path. A character may gain a Skill Trick when she has
• Group, contact, and access connections (see three dots in a Skill and an additional Trick for
Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook, p. 40). each extra dot she has over three. Characters start
with one Skill Trick. These can be found on p. XX.
• Edges associated with the Path. Players gain two For any Skills above three dots, gain a Specialty.
dots to distribute among the Edges associated
Step Three: Skills, Skill Tricks, and Specialties 75

Example: Lauren now has six final dots to No Attribute may have more than five dots at
spend on Randie from any Skills. She adds one character creation. If a Favored Approach bonus
dot to Athletics and takes Culture, Medicine, would take an Attribute over five dots, the play-
and Technology at one dot each. She spends er may spend her extra dot on one of the other
the final two dots on Integrity. This makes her Attributes in the same Arena as the maxed-out
final skills Aim 3, Athletics 3, Close Combat 2, Approach.
Culture 1, Integrity 2, Larceny 1, Medicine 1,
Survival 1, and Technology 1. Randie has a Example: Lauren wants Randie to be a
Specialty in Aim and Athletics because they great sniper, so Physical is her top-ranked
are at three dots. She also gains a Skill Trick Arena. She decides Mental will be a good
from either Aim or Athletics. She decides to go middle-ranked Arena, which leaves Social
with Aim (Rifles) and Athletics (Parkour) for her as the bottom-ranked Arena. She starts by
Specialties. She chooses Aim (Ricochet) as her giving two dots to Might, three to Dexterity,
Skill Trick. and one to Stamina. Intellect gets one dot,
Cunning is assigned two dots, and Resolve
has one dot. In Social she gives one dot to
STEP FOUR: ATTRIBUTES Presence and one to Manipulation. When
Attributes represent different ways of acting looking at Approaches, Lauren decides
and how adept a character is at each. Trinity Randie will push through all obstacles and
Continuum: Assassins has nine Attributes di- gives her the Resilience Approach. This raises
Resolve to three dots, Stamina to three dots,
vided among three Arenas: Physical, Mental, and
and Composure to two dots.
Social. Attributes are rated 1–6, though the ability
to purchase the sixth dot in an Attribute requires
the Superior Trait Edge (Trinity Continuum STEP FIVE:
Core Rulebook, p. 66). APPLY ASSASSIN TEMPLATE
Players should rank the three Arenas in order
Characters in Trinity Continuum: Assassins
in which their characters are most adept. This
are not average humans. This step of character
is not necessarily the same as which Arenas the
creation applies the unique features that make an
character prefers. For example, a getaway driver
Assassin exceptional.
may excel in the Mental Arena, rather than the
Physical one. DETERMINING THE
Characters begin with a single Attribute dot in MOMENT OF INSPIRATION
each of their nine Attributes. Players distribute Most Assassins start life as ordinary people, be-
six dots among the three Attributes in their top- fore extraordinary events change them forever. Like
ranked Arena, four dots in their middle-ranked, Talents, Assassins find their Inspiration from many
and two dots in the bottom-ranked. different circumstances. Unlike Talents, Assassins’
Attributes in Trinity Continuum: Assassins moments of Inspiration tend to lead to descent as
also have an Approach. This Approach is how they enter a shadow world previously unknown to
the character applies the Arena. The three them. How the Assassin becomes Inspired may di-
Approaches are Force, Finesse, and Resilience. rect their Paths and how they view the world. The
Every character has a Favored Approach or pre- moment of Inspiration gives the Assassin one dot
ferred way of approaching a problem, regardless in an Attribute of the player’s choice that is associ-
of which Arena she’s acting within. If she likes ated with the moment. The following is an expand-
to be direct, her Favored Approach is probably ed list of example circumstances for determining
Force. If she wants a delicate touch, her Favored Inspirations and example associated Attributes.
Approach is likely Finesse. If she likes to let people When choosing a moment of Inspiration, consider
tire themselves out against her, then Resilience is the stations of darkness in which your character’s
probably her Favored Approach. Paths exist. Many of the following examples fit best
A player places one additional dot to each of the into one particular station.
Attributes in her Favored Approach.

BOTCHED JOB middle of a Flux storm, her infant body absorb-
ing the swirling energies in the air. The character
The character failed one of her first jobs. The
might be exposed to Flux later in life during a pre-
failure was so terrible and soul-crushing that she
sentation of some advanced technology, or during
was ready to give up everything, but instead, she
an archeological survey.
was Inspired to continue, moving past the defeat.
Associated Attribute: Any Physical
Maybe a civilian died due to her mistake or fel-
low Assassins were exposed to a powerful enemy.
THE FIRST MISSION
Whatever she did, she feels utterly responsible for
the outcome. The character was involved in wetwork before
Associated Attribute: Resolve Inspiration hit. Even when targeting the world’s
worst, the process of planning out an assassi-
BULLET BALLET nation can change something in a person. The
character’s first mission was a success due to the
The character was a member of special forces,
Inspiration that unlocked while planning the end
or perhaps they were a bodyguard to a controver-
of another’s life.
sial figure. Maybe she grew up in neighborhoods
Associated Attribute: Any Mental
where carrying a firearm is a practical survival
decision. Either way, she ended up in the middle
A PLAN CAME TOGETHER
of a shootout, and in the bullet ballet, Inspiration
came to her, and she found an almost musical The character was vital in planning the impos-
rhythm amid ranged combat. sible heist. She may have been the criminal mas-
Associated Attribute: Dexterity termind behind a crime spree or was the security
architect for a major corporation. No matter the
CAPTURED BY THE ENEMY reason, her Inspiration came in the moment of the
plan coming together.
The character might have been a prisoner of
Associated Attribute: Intellect
war or maybe they were kidnapped for ransom.
No matter the reason, a traumatic test that would
RISING STAR
break many normal humans proved to be a key
chapter in their story. The would-be jailers were The character found fame at an early age.
surprised when she was resistant to interrogation Maybe she was a child actor on a family television
or managed to save themselves. network, or she gained notice for artistic ability
Associated Attribute: Stamina and grace that marked her as a prodigy. The con-
nections her fame made between her and a mil-
CHANCE BIRTH lion fans became her Inspiration.
Associated Attribute: Presence
The character was never supposed to be born.
Maybe the character had a terminal disease that
SAVING SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE
she survived beyond all odds, perhaps she died
during birth and was brought back to life by The character was Inspired to step up and save
doctors, or maybe she was delivered in the back someone’s life in a situation in which no one else
of a van after her mother was stabbed to death. could do the job. Maybe she talked down a jump-
Whatever the circumstances, the character’s er as she passed them on a bridge, turning their
survival at birth can only be explained by her life around. Perhaps the character was Inspired
Inspiration keeping her alive. to rush into a burning building to save a fami-
Associated Attribute: Any ly before anyone else could arrive on the scene.
Maybe she chased down a car after witnessing a
EXPOSURE TO FLUX kidnapping, catching a serial murder in the act.
Whatever it was, the act of selfless heroism was
The character was exposed to an elevated level
only performed due to the character’s Inspiration.
of Flux. The character may have been born in the
Associated Attribute: Composure
Determining the Moment of Inspiration 77

SOCIAL CHALLENGE particular con job that they felt Inspiration awak-
en inside them.
The character overcame embarrassment or ha-
Associated Attribute: Manipulation
rassment in public that without Inspiration would
have caused her to cave. Maybe she confronted a
VIOLENCE
longtime tormentor in a public setting, bringing the
harassment to light, or she stood up to the threat of The character survived a particularly brutal at-
extreme embarrassment with poise and grace. tack. Her reaction may have been to find a clever
Associated Attribute: Any Social. way to thwart her attackers, or maybe she fought
them off in a stunning display of physical prowess.
SPRUNG A TRAP Either way, the character’s survival was depen-
dent on her Inspiration.
The character’s Inspiration came as they real-
Associated Attribute: Might
ized they were stepping into a trap. Law enforce-
ment finally caught up to them or maybe it was Examples: Lauren decides that Randie’s life as
the first time their Nemesis tried to take them an Assassin was born amid a nasty shootout. She
out. Either way, her moment of Inspiration al- picks Bullet Ballet as her Moment of Inspiration.
lowed her to escape when others would have been
caught. STEP SIX: ADD ADVANTAGES
Associated Attribute: Cunning Each Assassin has a set of advantages that
makes her more than just an average human. The
ULTIMATE CON last step of character creation adds the advantages
to the character, using her moment of Inspiration
The character always found they could get peo-
as a guide.
ple to do what they wanted, but it was during one

MASTERIES AND GIFTS
Masteries take the place of Gifts for characters in Trinity Continuum: Assassins.
While Assassins act as Talents for all other purposes, instead of gaining Gifts that make
them extraordinarily lucky or skilled, they learn Masteries, which make them supernaturally
better — usually at killing others. While Gifts make a Talent appear exceptional, Masteries
make an Assassin clearly outside the realm of possibilities. No one sees an Assassin use a
Mastery and thinks to themselves that such an action was normal. Of course, few people
see an Assassin use a Mastery and live to tell the tale.
Assassins start with four Masteries (see Chapter GAIN BONUS TRAITS
4, p. XX), chosen from the Society Paths. At least
Each character receives one additional
one of her starting Masteries must be from her
Attribute dot to put in any Attribute, as long as this
Society Path. A character must meet all require-
does not take the chosen Attribute above normal
ments of a Mastery to begin play with it at char-
maximum. Characters also receive four points
acter creation.
in Edges, which can be used on Edges from out-
A character starts with three points to distribute side their Paths but must follow all prerequisites.
into Intuitive, Reflective, and Destructive Facets Finally, the Storyguide may grant Experience
of their Inspiration. The character’s Inspiration points to represent a more seasoned character.
score is determined by the ranks of her Facets, Refer to the Experience cost in the “Character
calculated in the following way: All characters Advancement” section.
start with a single point of Inspiration, and their
Inspiration increases by one whenever any one HEALTH
of the three Facets reaches Rank 1, 3, and 5. For Each character has an Injury Condition track-
example, at character creation, a character with er. Every character has three levels of Injury at
Intuitive 2, Reflective 1, and Destructive 0 starts character creation: Maimed, Injured, and Bruised.
at Inspiration 3 (a base of one and an additional At Stamina 3, the character gains an addition-
point for each of her Facets at Rank 1). al Injured level, and at Stamina 5, the character
Example: Lauren wants Randie to have gains an additional Bruised level.
some defensive Masteries, so she chooses La
Prévoyance and La Voyante, both from her Society DEFENSE
Path. To be a truly impressive sniper, Lauren picks A character’s standard Defense is 1. Characters
Killing Weapon and Dedicated Weapon as her fi- can attempt to make a defensive action when at-
nal Masteries. tacked by rolling whichever Resilience Attribute
When looking at Facets of Inspiration, Lauren makes the most sense, with no Skill added.
wants Randie to be balanced. She decides to start Example: Lauren has a few bonus dots to give
with Intuitive, Reflective, and Destructive all at Randie. Dexterity is particularly important for
Rank 1. the concept, so she gives that one more dot. To
round out her Edges, she picks Always Prepared,
STEP SEVEN: FINAL TOUCHES Lightning Calculator, and Swift.
The finishing touches in character creation Randie’s Stamina is at three dots, which means
allow for customization through additional she starts with Maimed, Injured, Injured, and
Attributes, Edges, and optionally, Experience. Bruised.
Health and Defense are also recorded in this step.
Step Seven: Final Touches 79

CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT
Characters advance through the accrual of awarding an average of 5 Experience each session,
Experience. The pace at which characters earn but Storyguides can adjust to higher or lower due
Experience relies on both the players and the to story completions and milestones. We suggest
Storyguide. The Storyguide has more control over not giving more than 10 Experience per session in
how quickly characters can reach a story mile- multiple sessions.
stone or complete a group story, but the players
have more control over achieving Aspirations and EXPERIENCE
spending Momentum. The table below describes Players spend Experience to purchase dots in
how characters may earn Experience and how Skills and Attributes or to purchase Edges, Skill
much they receive for each event. The table also Tricks, Specialties, Masteries, Facets, and Paths.
indicates whether the Experience is Solo and is The above table lists the costs for each change.
going to just one player character or Group and The table does not include prerequisites, such as
going to all the player characters. We recommend having a certain number of dots in a Skill before
XP EARN TABLE
EVENT XP EARNED RECIPIENT
A player achieves their Short-term Aspiration for their character 1 Solo
All players achieve one Short-term Aspiration in the same Session 1 Group
A player achieves their Long-term Aspiration for their character (all 2 Solo
players must complete their Long-term Aspirations before a player
can earn this Experience again)
The players spend half the available Momentum in a single scene 1 Group
(the amount spent must be greater than 1)
The characters reach a Story milestone 1 Group
The characters complete a group Story 3 Group
XP SPEND TABLE
OBJECT CHANGE COST
Attribute Add one dot to a single Attribute 10 Experience
Edge Add one dot in a new or existing Edge 3 Experience
Edge Add one dot in a new or existing Path Edge 2 Experience
Enhanced Edge Gain a new Enhanced Edge (even if it is a Path Edge) 6 Experience
Facet Add one dot to a single Facet 10 Experience
Favored Approach Change a character’s Favored Approach 15 Experience
Mastery Purchase a new Path Mastery 4 Experience
Mastery Purchase a new Mastery not associated with a Path 5 Experience
Skill Add one dot in a new or existing Skill 5 Experience
Skill Trick Add a Skill Trick to a Skill 3 Experience
Specialty Add a Specialty to a Skill 3 Experience
Path Add one dot in a new or existing Path (maximum five Paths) 18 Experience

purchasing a Skill Trick. Players may spend their Shift one dot from one Attribute to another
Experience at the end of a Session. Attribute or from one Skill to another Skill. At the
start of a new session, a player must announce that
TWEAKS she is going to do a dot shift and must mark on her
In addition to earning and spending Experience, character sheet the Skill or Attribute she plans
players can tweak their characters each session. to change. During that session, the player must
Tweaks are small, cost-free changes that help a play- roleplay using the Skill or Attribute she wishes to
er customize her character to fit the story and her increase. This can be as simple as creating a dice
style of play. Players cannot, at character creation, pool using the Skill or Attribute.
fully anticipate how their characters will work to- Write a new Short-term Aspiration. At the
gether or the types of problems they will need to start of each session, a player can set a new
solve. Tweaks help counter this lack of prescience. Short-term Aspiration even if her character did
Players may tweak their character sheets in the not achieve her Short-term Aspiration in the pre-
following ways. vious session.
STATIONS OF DARKNESS PATHS

Assassins are Talents, and can select any Path
Skills: Aim, Close Combat, Command,
from Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook that
Persuasion
fits with the themes of their chronicle. As part of
Edges: Adrenaline Spike, Always Prepared,
an Assassin’s life in the shadows, they may instead
Boltholes, Cool Under Fire, Conspirators, Covert,
choose from these Paths for any of their Path
Danger Sense, Fast Draw, Hair Trigger Reflexes,
choices. Each one reflects an aspect of their life
Never Outnumbered, Trick Shooter
from training to upbringing.
HACKER (ROLE, SHADOW)
ROLE PATHS
The following are Role Paths a character might Hackers are high-tech Assassins, and their meth-
choose. ods run the gamut from remotely disabling life-sup-
port systems, to getting physical assassins past se-
DOUBLE TAPPER (ROLE, SHADOW) curity systems, to rigging bombs to the computer
parts in cars. Depending on the job, they might be
Double tappers get up close, but with guns
physically in the office building, going through files
or other projectile weapons, like blow guns or
or attaching listening devices, but they are just as
crossbows. This path is for those who engage in
likely to be halfway around the world, virtually
prolonged handgun battles as well as those who
monitoring their targets and causing mechanical
prefer to simply execute their targets in person,
failures that seem like freak accidents.
rather than literally getting their hands dirty.
Example Connections: Dark Web Contacts,
They’re experts at their weapon of choice, and
Hacker Forum Members, Gamers, Tech Company
tend to have either a preferred, high-end weapon
Employees, Military or Government Computer
or a series of disposable guns so it’s hard to trace
Specialists
violence back to them. From the professional hit-
man in a three-piece suit to the “street kid” who Skills: Enigmas, Larceny, Persuasion,
can get in and out of rougher neighborhoods in- Technology
visibly, double tappers take pride in a job done Edges: Alternate Identity, Boltholes,
well and quickly. Demolitions Training, Forger, Human Lie
Example Connections: Black-Market Arms Detector, Library, Lightning Calculator, Ms. Fix
Dealers, Crime Families, Military Members, Dark It, Skilled Liar, Speed Reading, The Darkest Web,
Web Contacts, Fixers, Crime Scene Techs Weak Spots
Stations of Darkness Paths 81

POISONER (ROLE, SHADOW) SNIPER (ROLE, SHADOW)
Assassinations with poison are safely distant Those who choose the sniper path prefer to kill
and difficult to trace, but still require precision from a distance, where they can be packed up and
and planning, as you want to ensure the correct in their car before anyone figures out where the
person (or group of people) gets the lethal dose. shot originated. They are patient killers, lying in
An expert poisoner not only knows how to acquire wait until their prey stands in precisely the cor-
or brew their preferred method of killing, but also rect spot for a fatal headshot. Snipers pride them-
has myriad ways of slipping it into a specific drink, selves on cleanliness and efficacy, precisely setting
water supply, or the right dish while leaving the up their rigs and prepared to wait hours or days
kitchen unnoticed. A poisoner might kill their for their targets before completing the job and
target quickly with one dose or slowly over time, getting the hell out of Dodge.
leaving the victim wondering why they’re feeling
Example Connections: Former Military
ill. Members, Organized Crime Families, Dirty
Example Connections: Local Chemists, Politicians, Dark Web Contacts, Gun Club
School Science Department, Botanists, Home- Members
Improvement Store Clerks, Dark Web Contacts Skills: Aim, Larceny, Pilot, Survival
Skills: Enigmas, Larceny, Medicine, Persuasion Edges: Always Prepared, Ascetic Lifestyle,
Edges: Always Prepared, Boltholes, Covert, Breath Control, Cool Under Fire, Covert, Danger
Danger Sense, Faceless, Null Biometrics, Sense, Hair Trigger Reflexes, Keen Sense, Light
Photographic Memory, Poison Tolerance, Skilled Sleeper, Lightning Calculator, Safe House, Self-
Liar, The Darkest Web Hypnosis, Sniper
SLASHER (ROLE, SHADOW) STREET SURGEON (ROLE, TWILIGHT)

Slashers aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty. This Every Assassin needs a doctor who can look the
path is for any Assassin who uses a physical, non- other way or help falsify records. These back-al-
ranged weapon to take down their targets. From ley surgeons or street medics help without asking
knives and swords to garrotes or even manual stran- questions. They may be an integral part of the
gulation, these assassins do their work up close and team with their own training and background,
personal. Some hide their identities with hoods or or someone known to help out all sorts of peo-
masks while others prefer their targets know their ple without wondering where the bullet they’re
fate and why it’s befalling them. Slashers are usually extracting originated. Though the street surgeon
experts at cleaning a crime scene of their own trac- probably has a legitimate medical degree of some
es, though whether or not they leave a body or mess sort, they are almost certainly not legally licensed
behind depends on the target. wherever they practice.
Example Connections: Criminal Organizations, Example Connections: Organized Crime
Dark Web Contacts, Crime Scene Investigators, Families, Dirty Cops, Fixers, Spies, Homeless
Laboratory Workers, Shady Cleaners, Wetworks People, Laboratory Workers, Black-Market Drug
Operatives Runners
Skills: Athletics, Close Combat, Larceny, Skills: Empathy, Enigmas, Humanities,
Persuasion Medicine
Edges: Adrenaline Spike, Alternate Identity, Edges: Adrenaline Spike, Ambidextrous, Always
Ambidextrous, Boltholes, Covert, Forceful Prepared, Covert, Danger Sense, Forger, Lightning
Martial Arts, Hardy, Human Lie Detector, Never Calculator, Patron, Photographic Memory, Poison
Outnumbered, One Against an Ocean, Precise Tolerance, Skilled Liar
Martial Arts

SOCIETY PATHS Skills: Enigmas, Medicine, Science, Technology
Edges: Ambidextrous, Keen Sense, Flawless
The following are Society Paths available to
Accent, Library, Lightning Calculator, My Word is
your character.
My Bond, Photographic Memory, Speed Reading,
BODYGUARD (SOCIETY, DAYLIGHT) Weak Spots
You are a trained bodyguard, and no matter CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION

who hired you, you have reason to believe they are (SOCIETY, TWILIGHT)
legitimate. Maybe you serve as a member of the
You are part of a crime family or organization,
Secret Service or a similar organization, tasked
and you’ve never been on the up and up. Whether
with protecting people in positions of power; or
you’re a member of a Mafia-like establishment
perhaps a run-of-the-mill corporate or celebrity
that dates back generations, a brother to a street-
bodyguard, present more for optics than any real
gang leader, or a scion of a white-collar criminal,
threat. Either way, you have the training and dis-
you were raised to do back-room deals. You may or
cipline to keep your cool in difficult or hectic situ-
may not get your hands dirty as part of your every-
ations and are always on the lookout for potential
day life, but you know your business is quasi-legal
threats and how best to neutralize them.
at best, and fraud or outright murder at worst.
Path Concepts: Former Military Guard,
Path Concepts: Mafioso, Gang Member, Shady
Retired Police, Secret Service, Hired Muscle,
Tech Bro, Fixer, Political Operative, Dirty Cop
Private Contractor
Example Connections: Pawn Shop Owner,
Example Connections: Politicians, Celebrities,
Police, Drug Dealer, Business Executives, Lawyers
Military, Executives, Police, Security Guards
Skills: Close Combat, Command, Empathy,
Skills: Aim, Athletics, Close Combat, Command
Larceny
Edges: Always Prepared, Adrenaline Spike,
Edges: Always Prepared, Boltholes, Danger
Conspirators, Fast Draw, Free Running, Hair
Sense, Fast Draw, Hair Trigger Reflexes, Hardy,
Trigger Reflexes, Human Lie Detector, Iron Will,
Patron, Safe House, Skilled Liar, Tough Cookie
My Word is My Bond, Small Unit Tactics, Never
Outnumbered, Swift, Waiting to Greet the Storm CULT OF PERSONALITY
(SOCIETY, TWILIGHT)
CRIME-SOLVING SCIENTIST
(SOCIETY, DAYLIGHT) You are a member of a group that deals in crim-
inal activities, led by one or more charismatic fig-
Perhaps you’re a forensic anthropologist work-
ures who pull all the strings. Whether the group
ing at a museum like the Smithsonian, a lab tech
gets rid of people against its principles, pushes
for the CIA, or a profiler for the FBI. Wherever
false cures on the masses, or is a ring of human
you work, it’s a large-enough organization that
or drug traffickers, it’s firmly a criminal enter-
you have extra resources at your disposal, includ-
prise, visible only to those on the inside. To out-
ing experts in your field — or maybe you’re the
siders, you’re merely in a weird, esoteric group
expert. You also deal with higher-profile crimes
that may seem sinister, but no real proof has come
than the average police department and might
up against it yet. The cult’s leader or its PR people
have to track down a grotesque serial killer on a
know exactly how much to let people see so they
multi-state spree or decipher the meaning behind
can remain a valid organization to the public eye.
a series of seemingly random killings.
Path Concepts: Multi-Level Marketer, Sex
Path Concepts: Body-Farm Researcher,
Cultist, “Yoga-Retreat” Organizer, Public-
Profiler, Lab Tech, Forensic Pathologist or
Relations Maven, Alternative Healing Practitioner
Entomologist, Professor of Crime Scene Forensics
Example Connections: Adherents,
Example Connections: Museum Board,
Propagandists, Paid-For Journalists, Bodyguards,
Special Agents, Scientists, Imprisoned Killers,
Spin Doctors
Professors

Skills: Empathy, Humanities, Persuasion,Path Concepts: Pro-Bono Lawyer, Victims’
Survival Advocate, Activist, Private Detective, Crime-
Edges: Artistic Talent, Conspirators, Forger, Scene Analyst, Vigilante
Library, Keen Sense, Patron, Safe House, Skilled Example Connections: Homeless Population,
Liar, Wealth Assault Victims, Investigative Journalists, Police,
Legal System
VIGILANTE GROUP Skills: Empathy, Integrity, Persuasion, Survival
(SOCIETY, SHADOW)
Edges: Always Prepared, Big Hearted, Danger
You’re a member of a group dedicated to hunt- Sense, Direction Sense, Keen Sense, Hardy,
ing down those your Society has deemed guilty. Human Lie Detector, Iron Will, Swift, Tough
Whether you belong to an international group of Cookie
Nazi killers, a rogue organization that hunts down
murderers who walked free, or one without a high CRIMINAL HEIR (ORIGIN, TWILIGHT)
horse on which to sit, your group works in the You’re a child of at least one criminal, and you
shadows to eliminate specific individuals in the
are following the family tradition. Whether you’re
name of your Code. This isn’t a loosely organized
a cat burglar, con artist, kidnapper, or white-col-
social-media group; you’re sworn to uphold yourlar criminal, you’ve learned all you can from your
group’s ideals and believe in them completely, and
criminal parent and are possibly even expanding
the group operates with the finesse — if not all the
on their grifts. It’s the only life you’ve ever known,
resources — of a well-run corporation. so you keep doing it to keep yourself in the life-
Path Concepts: Group Admin, Dispatcher, style to which you’re accustomed. Perhaps you
Researcher, Informant, Field Operative, Part- could apply those skills elsewhere, but thus far
Time Contract Killer you haven’t wanted or needed to do so.
Example Connections: Research Assistants, Path Concepts: Sketchy Executive, Jewel
Weapons Dealers, Hackers, Back-Alley Surgeons, Thief, Fraudulent Art Trafficker, Confidence
Black-Market Contacts Artist, Phisher, Phone Scammer, Politician
Skills: Aim, Close Combat, Larceny, Pilot Example Connections: Street-level Toughs,
Edges: Alternate Identity, Conspirators, Covert, Grifters, Petty Thieves, Corrupt Accountants,
Danger Sense, Direction Sense, Iron Will, Library, Stolen Art Fences
Self-Hypnosis Skills: Close Combat, Larceny, Persuasion,
Survival
ORIGIN PATHS Edges: Always Prepared, Adrenaline Spike,
The following Origin Paths may be taken by an Conspirators, Boltholes, Covert, Danger Sense,
Assassin. Fast Draw, Hair Trigger Reflexes, Hardy, Human
Lie Detector, Skilled Liar
REFORMED CRIMINAL
(ORIGIN, DAYLIGHT) PICKPOCKET (ORIGIN, TWILIGHT)
You’re the child of at least one criminal, but you You fell into a life of crime as a small child, start-
got away. You’ve refuted your parentage and coming out as a low-level pickpocket and errand-run-
mitted yourself to your own moral path. While ner for worse criminals, and working your way up
you may have spent your childhood on the run or the ladder. From a tender age, you learned how
getting shunted off on various family members, to observe and wait for an opportunity to strike,
you carved out a stable, adult life for yourself and and also how to survive on your own in a hand-
either tried to forget your past or stand up to it in to-mouth, dog-eat-dog society. Your group took
some way. While it took you a while, you learned care of its own as best they could, but there was al-
to trust at least some people, and no longer look ways infighting and other street kids to deal with.
over your shoulder all the time or dread a knock Maybe you got out of that particular gang, but the
at your door. skills and habits are still with you.

Path Concepts: Criminal Informant, Petty crash down at any moment. All your papers are forg-
Thief, Street Grifter, Orphan, Desperate Indigent, eries, and you have a few identities stashed away just
Disowned Youth in case. Whether you’ve broken from the one who
Example Connections: Crime Lord, Homeless raised you or hold them up as your personal hero,
Shelter Worker, Corner-Store Employee, Free- you’re in this life and it will take a lot to get you out.
Clinic Physician, Philanthropist, Social Workers Path Concepts: International Sniper, Survivalist,
Skills: Athletics, Close Combat, Larceny, High-Society Con Artist, Mysteriously Wealthy
Survival Recluse, Party Animal, Military Spook
Edges: Ambidextrous, Boltholes, Conspirators, Example Connections: Assassin Network,
Danger Sense, Free Running, Hardy, Keen Sense, Light Dark Web Contacts, Crime Lords, Fixers,
Sleeper, Patron, Skilled Liar, Swift, Tough Cookie Cleaners, Forgers, Hackers
Skills: Aim, Athletics, Larceny, Survival
RAISED BY A LONE WOLF Edges: Alternate Identity, Always Prepared,
(ORIGIN, SHADOW) Ambidextrous, Ascetic Lifestyle, Breath Control,
You were raised off the grid. Your parent, guard- Covert, Danger Sense, Deflection Adept, Faceless,
ian, or mentor was an Assassin, and taught you Iron Will, Hardy, Tough Cookie
everything they knew until you outshone them.
Though you read books and saw bits and pieces of REFUGEE (ORIGIN, DAYLIGHT)
“normal” life via other media, you have no idea what You got out of a bad situation, due to a group
it’s like to live it, except as a thin veneer that could who took you in and got you away. As far as you

knew at the time, they were completely legiti- RIVAL ASSASSIN (NEMESIS, SHADOW)
mate — and perhaps they are — but the skills you
This person may have been a friend once, but
learned there have a wide range of applications,
now they’re your primary adversary. Perhaps
from survival to how to talk to most people and
you beat them to a bounty or undercut them on a
seem nonthreatening. Maybe they even trained
high-profile job. Maybe you’re simply better than
you in a perfectly legal trade or two, but many
them and they don’t like you. Whatever the rea-
tools have more than one way to use them.
son, they are making your life hell either by per-
Path Concepts: Ballet-Trained Assassin, Private
sonally attacking you and your allies, one-upping
Chef, Martial-Arts Instructor, International
you on your jobs, or perhaps just ruining your pro-
Speaker, Recruiter
fessional reputation. Is it time to take them out, or
Example Connections: Program Director, can you convince them over to your side of things?
Ambassadors, Human-Rights Workers, Charity
Path Concepts: Former Comrade Turned Villain,
Organizations, Journalists
One-Step-Ahead Mastermind, Wisecracking
Skills: Athletics, Culture, Humanities, Survival Nemesis, Try Hard, Stone-Cold Killer
Edges: Ambidextrous, Artistic Talent, Big Example Connections: Assassins, Special
Hearted, Direction Sense, Fame, Flawless Accent, Operatives, Hackers, Black-Market Arms Dealers,
Iron Will, Keen Sense, Striking, Swift, Patron, Dark Web Contacts
Photographic Memory
Skills: Aim, Close Combat, Pilot, Survival
NEMESIS PATHS Edges: Adrenaline Spike, Ambidextrous,
Boltholes, Covert, Danger Sense, Faceless, Forceful
Additionally, characters may choose a Nemesis
Martial Arts, Hardy, Iron Will, Photographic
Path, which reflects an enemy you acquired
Memory, Skilled Liar, Sniper, Trick Shooter
during the course of your professional career. You
may take this in place of any other Path choice. SERIAL KILLER MAGNET
(NEMESIS, DAYLIGHT)
FIXER (NEMESIS, TWILIGHT)
This person has a job that makes them a tar-
If you’re an Assassin, this person can make your
get for murderers. They might be an FBI profil-
life absolute hell. They have the tools to hunt you
er, a brilliant detective, a judge, or a prosecutor.
down and dispose of you without becoming even
Perhaps they’re just an excellent crime-scene
slightly entangled in your affairs. They may oper-
investigator who always seems to find the clues
ate alone but are usually the head of a skilled team
others missed or even a blogger or author who’s
of researchers, hackers, wetworks operatives,
getting things a little too right. This person is on
and other various specialists who know a thing
to you (or could be in the future; either way, she’s
or two about getting rid of a thorn in their side. If
bad for business), and must be taken out. This
someone powerful hires this person to make sure
won’t be the first time someone’s come after this
you’re not around to get them in trouble, it will
nemesis, though, and they are likely to have secu-
take everything at your disposal to take them on.
rity in place and be looking over their shoulder.
Path Concepts: Fast-Talking Power Broker,
Path Concepts: True Crime Podcaster, Forensic
Former Special Forces, Retired Spy, Politician’s
Anthropologist, Federal Judge, White-Hat Hacker,
Right-Hand Woman, Private Investigator
Journalist
Example Connections: Dirty Cops, Politicians,
Example Connections: Lawyers, Security
Corporate Executives, Informants, Lobbyists,
Guards, Research Assistant, Producer, Law Clerks
Organized Crime Families, Bounty Hunters
Skills: Command, Empathy, Enigmas, Integrity
Skills: Command, Culture, Empathy, Persuasion
Edges: Always Prepared, Artistic Talent, Big
Edges: Alternate Identity, Always Prepared,
Hearted, Danger Sense, Direction Sense, Keen Sense,
Conspirators, Covert, Danger Sense, Iron Will, Light
Light Sleeper, Lightning Calculator, Swift, Wealth
Sleeper, Lightning Calculator, Null Biometrics, Safe
House, Skilled Liar, Weak Spots, Wealth

NEW EDGES
Your character may have access to any of the a warm place to sleep, this does not risk Path
following new Edges via their Paths. Suspension or Path Revoked.
ASCETIC LIFESTYLE (•) CONSPIRATORS (•• TO •••)

The devotees of the Leonidas Society and oth- You don’t work alone — you’ve got a few con-
er ascetic groups subject themselves to a life of tacts who are always ready to help you out with a
austerity to harden themselves against weakness. job. For two dots, you’ve got up to three conspira-
You gain 1 Enhancement to resist hunger, thirst, tors who are willing to help in your schemes; they
exposure, and other perils of deprivation, and can won’t fight for you, but they’ll lie, cheat, swindle,
automatically go twice as long without food or and otherwise play whatever part you need. For
water. three dots, you’ve got a crew of up to a dozen con
Drawback: While your training has hardened artists, with a diverse range of specialties and ex-
you, it has also made you ill at ease in a world of perience, such as acting, gymnastics, or arson.
luxury. While benefiting from this Edge, and for
a full day thereafter, you suffer 1 Complication to FACELESS (•, POWERED)
social actions based off politesse and etiquette; You’re not just hard to place, there’s something
unless bought off, this lowers the Attitude of char- about your face that actively resists being remem-
acters you interact with by one step. bered. Characters attempting to remember you
suffer 1 Complication, preventing them from re-
BOLTHOLES (• TO •••) calling anything other than basic features like
While you prefer a proper safe house, you know approximate height and build. Facial recognition
how to find a hideaway and get to ground, giving technology automatically fails against you unless
your character access to a wide array of boltholes backed by superscience or Inspiration; even then,
— alleyways, criminal dens, and other places you gain 1 Enhancement to overcome it.
where she can lie low. They’re not good for more
than a few hours each, and they’re often uncom- FLAWLESS ACCENT (•)
fortable, but while you’re there, rolls to track you You have mastered a language so deeply that
down suffer +2 Difficulty. At one dot, you’re keyed you can pass for a native speaker. When used
into a single location, like a specific city. At two as part of deception, disguise, or influence, this
dots, your network expands to a handful of cities grants 1 Enhancement. This fluency extends to a
across the world. At three dots, you can always single language and every regional accent within
find a place, no matter where you are. it. You may take this Edge multiple times, choos-
ing a different language each time.
COMMUNITY AID (•)
Prerequisite: Signal Society Path FORGER (••)
No matter what dire straits you find your- Licenses. Contracts. Birth certificates. You’ve
self in, the Host provides for their listeners. forged them all, and a hundred other things to
One strange letter, phone call, text message, boot. You gain 2 Enhancement on any attempt to
or radio broadcast later and a member of the falsify documents, whether physical or electronic.
community comes to your aid. Whenever you In addition to your experience, you automatically
invoke your Society Path, you may substitute have access to the tools of the trade — including
this Edge’s rating for another appropriate card writers, industrial-quality printers, and doc-
Social Merit (such as Patron, Safe House, or ument templates.
Wealth) that you do not already have access
to. If you use this invocation to instead grant
yourself basic necessities such as a meal and
New Edges 87
HORNET WORKSHOP your DNA evidence is tricky to match. Attempts
CERTIFICATION (•) to investigate your character using forensics have
to overcome a +2 Complication; failure to buy it
Prerequisite: Swarm Society Path
off renders results inconclusive at best. Even on a
You’ve successfully passed the Hornet success, mundane technology can’t make an exact
Workshop — it’s gold-leaf certificate hangs on match on you, leaving you as only one of a dozen
your wall. You blossomed into a true Assassin, possible suspects.
unlike many of your other classmates, but the
Drawback: You are unable to take advantage
connections you made during training are invalu-
of biometric sensors yourself, such as fingerprint
able. When you leverage your Swarm Society Path
scanners, genetic tests, and other procedures.
for connections, you may declare these charac-
ters are from your time spent during the Hornet NEVER OUTNUMBERED (••••,
Workshop. You never risk Path Suspension or ADVANCED COMBAT MANEUVER)
Path Revoked by doing so.
Specially trained to fight against multiple oppo-
HUMAN LIE-DETECTOR (•• TO •••) nents at the same time, you know how to use your
foes against one another. When outnumbered, you
Maybe it’s body language, or inflection, or the
gain 1 Enhancement on Defense rolls, and gain ac-
scent of sweat — whatever the reason, you know
cess to a special Defense Stunt:
when folks willfully deceive you. At two dots,
Friendly Fire (3 Successes): When you success-
pick one of your senses (usually sight); when you
fully avoid an attack from a foe, you can redirect
perceive someone with that sense, you gain +2
it at another enemy within close range, subject-
Enhancement to suss out the truth from the lies.
ing them to the attack as if they were the original
At three dots, this extends to all of your senses
target. You determine how any resulting Stunts
instead.
are purchased, subject to final approval from the
LIGHT SLEEPER (• TO ••) Storyteller.
You’re always ready, even in dreamland. You POISON TOLERANCE (• TO •••)

wake up from sleep instantly if attacked, ignoring
Through a careful regimen of exposure, you’ve
any Complications that might normally arise. A
developed partial immunity to a number of poi-
two-dot upgrade is available as a Powered Merit,
sons, venoms, and other toxins. When exposed to
granting +2 Enhancement against effects that
a toxin, you can explain how you build up a toler-
would put you to sleep, from superscience narcot-
ance to gain 2 Enhancement on Stamina + Resolve
ics to psionic interference.
rolls to resist. At one dot, you have up to two toler-
MY WORD IS MY BOND (••) ances; at two dots, you can develop up to four; and
at three-dots, you resist up to six different toxins.
You’ve got a reputation for scrupulously honor-
ing your obligations, even in a world of shadows SELF-HYPNOSIS (••)
and violence. When your character makes a prom-
You have learned how to leverage your subcon-
ise in good faith as part of a negotiation, she treats
scious, rewriting your own perceptions and behav-
the target’s Attitude toward her as two higher than
iors. You gain 2 Enhancement to resist interrogation
normal. If she knowingly violates that promise, she
with Integrity, and gain access to a special Stunt:
loses the benefits of this Edge until she can repair
her reputation — usually by making good on her Rewrite Memories (3 Successes): You can re-
vise a memory or hide it entirely. This is immune
word in a conspicuously difficult or impressive way.
to mundane scrutiny and inflicts +1 Difficulty on
NULL BIOMETRICS (••, POWERED) Inspired or otherwise supernatural effects that
would uncover it. The player decides when this
Whether through a quirk of biology or delib-
effect ends, reclaiming an altered memory.
erate alteration, you are a ghost to most biomet-
ric investigation — you leave no fingerprints, and

ASSASSINS AND POWERED OR ENHANCED EDGES
As Talents, Assassins may purchase and enhance the Edges found on pp. 66-67 of
Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook. Most importantly, Artifact and Wondrous
Item can be used to reflect incredible technology or strange (and somewhat magical)
weapons or relics. While Assassins do not make super science items, as Talents they utilize
such tools if given them. Societies like the Daughters of the Jacobins and the Signal outfit
their Assassins with highly specialized technology for tracking their marks and bypassing
their targets’ own advanced security. Any of the special new Tags or weapons found on
p. XX can apply to an Artifact.
For something more occult, like an ancient relic the Society of Leonidas claims to own, use
the rules for Wondrous Item. Here’s where things get mysterious. What does it mean if
the Lance of Longinus or the Ring of Solomon truly exist, hidden away in a Society’s vault?
What these priceless things might do is entirely up to the Storyguide and the player — but
follow the narrative direction for these story-changing items detailed in the Edge.
THE DARKEST WEB (••, POWERED) WELL-EQUIPPED (•)

You’re keyed into one of the world’s most so- Some Societies pride themselves on having
phisticated networks. When you connect a device, vaults filled to the brim with exclusive, cut-
it becomes all but untraceable to modern tech- ting-edge gear. They keep engineers and scien-
nology, inflicting +2 Difficulty on any attempts to tists on staff to create the most advanced killing
track your activity, location, and other metadata. tools. Alternatively, a character might keep a well-
Powered characters and those using Artifact-level stocked armory in a hidden room within their
technology suffer +1 Difficulty instead. home. A character with this Path Edge may add an
additional Tag when creating equipment.
SKILL TRICKS
Character may acquire any of the following Skill to investigate the character’s victims, her player
Tricks. You may also take any Skill Tricks from Trinity can activate this Trick to explain how the charac-
Continuum Core Rulebook, starting on p. 45. ter set up an attack to confuse or mislead investi-
Hidden Arsenal (p. 46), No Barrier (p. 46), gators, concealing her presence at a crime scene,
Sucker Punch (p. 47), Members Only (p. 48), making a shot seem self-inflicted, or otherwise
Tough Nut (p. 50), Always Have an Exit (p. 50), confounding the experts.
and Overwatch (p. 53) all make good choices for an Make ’Em Dance: Sending a spray of ammo at a
Assassin. target, the character forces them to go right where
she wants them. When making an Aim attack, the
AIM player can activate this Trick to access a special
Gunpoint Diplomacy: It’s not exactly politic, Stunt:
but sometimes the best leverage is a gun to the Drive Them Out (2 Successes): The target is
head. When the character draws a ranged weapon forced to move to a general area of your choice
or is in an advantageous position in a firefight, her within one range band. If they leave it before the
player can activate this Trick to add Aim to a so- end of your next turn, you gain +1 Enhancement
cial roll to force someone to acquiesce; if they act on your next attack against them.
against this influence later in the scene, you gain 2Ricochet: While the character might not be
Momentum instead of the usual 1. able to bend her bullets (yet), she plays the angles.
Magic Bullet: The character’s shots confound The player can activate this Trick to ignore the
all ballistic science. When someone else attempts effects of expendable or light cover by bouncing
Skill Tricks 89
her shot. When using this Trick for an attack, she scene. It gains all of the usual tags and damage
cannot purchase the Critical Stunt. type of the chosen weapon; while the Storyteller
Suppressing Fire: Whether she rains down a tor- has final say on whether or not an object is close
rent of lead or just a few well-placed warning shots, enough to count, they are encouraged to be flexi-
the character harries her opponents into a bad po- ble and permissive.
sition. The player can activate this Trick when an
enemy in range of the character’s firearm attempts COMMAND
to move, forcing him to succeed on a reflexive One Last Chance: The character makes a foe
Athletics-based roll with a Difficulty equal to her her final offer — one they reject at their peril. If
Aim. If he fails, he cannot move until his next turn. the character has offered the target any reason-
able terms for surrender and they refuse, the play-
ATHLETICS er can activate this Trick to add Command to an
Choke Out: With a vising grip, the character attack roll against them.
squeezes their foe into unconsciousness. While Like You Own the Place: If you walk with pur-
in control of a grapple, the player can activate pose and a clipboard in hand, no one will stop you.
this Trick to treat any weapon — including bare When the character imitates a target with stand-
hands — as if it had the Grapple tag and adds her ing or authority, she can add Command to the dis-
Athletics to the roll. guise roll, taking on an air of definitive confidence.
Unstoppable Force: Moving with a singu-
lar will, the character cannot be stopped in her CULTURE
tracks. The player may activate this Trick to take Honor Among Killers: In a world of shadows,
their usual movement action even while physical- it pays to know who’s who. On meeting a char-
ly restrained or grappled. This also allows her to acter for the first time, the player may activate
momentarily resist or overcome Conditions that this Trick to get a full and accurate sense of the
would stun or immobilize her for one round. target’s reputation as a clue, including any ma-
jor organizations they’re known to be involved
CLOSE COMBAT with. Alternatively, she can ask what the target’s
Cold Steel Resolve: Nothing’s quite as reassur- rep is with a specific organization she’s familiar
ing as knowing that you could whoop some ass if with, getting a sense of the specifics rather than
things go south. When the character has a weap- generalities.
on in reach, her player can activate this Trick to
add Close Combat to a roll to resist unwanted per- EMPATHY
suasion or influence. If that weapon is visible, she Eye for Vice: Money, drugs, sex — everyone has
may spend 2 Momentum instead to also ignore up their price. While interacting with or observing a
to 2 points of Complications, whether from Field, character, the player can activate this Trick to dis-
Attitude, or other factors. cover the target’s biggest vice. If she leverages it
Meeting of the Fists: Warriors know how to against that character during the scene, she adds
communicate with blade and fist. The player may her Empathy to the roll.
activate this Trick when trying to get a read on Gunslinger’s Tell: With a practiced eye for vi-
a character whom she has either fought or ob- olence, the character reads an attack in her foe’s
served fighting, adding her Close Combat rating posture and visage. Once per scene, the player
to the roll. may choose a character and roll Empathy, banking
The World is a Weapon: There’s no need for any successes (minimum 1, even on a Botch). At
fancy weapons when the character can make do any time during the scene, the player may spend
with whatever’s on hand. The player can acti- these successes on Defensive Stunts against at-
vate this Trick when her character takes hold of a tacks from the chosen enemy.
piece of scenery, allowing her to use it as a Close
Combat weapon of her choice for the rest of the

ENIGMAS charged with killing by a client or superior, the
player can activate this Trick to add her Integrity
Fluent in Cryptic: Speaking in a patois of in- to the attack roll.
jokes, references, and innuendo, the character
can talk to her allies in code. When activating LARCENY
this Trick, the player chooses another character;
Not Even a Goodbye: A good crook knows how
for the rest of the scene, they may communicate
to get out of a sticky situation. Activate this Trick
to each other in a way only they will understand.
to add Larceny to a roll to get out of the scene as
Attempts to pierce this code require intimate
quick as possible, whether Athletics to jump a
knowledge of both characters and a successful
fence, Pilot to weave through traffic, or something
Difficulty 3 Enigmas-based roll. The player may
else entirely.
spend 2 Momentum instead of 1 when activating
this Trick to extend the benefit to a small group of Slippery as an Eel: With a lifetime of experi-
(1 + Enigmas) allies. ence in the shadows, the character excels at get-
ting out of the line of fire. Once per scene, activate
Inscrutable: The character’s motives and
this Trick to add Larceny to a Defense roll.
methods are obscured within a web of deliberate
misdirection. The player can activate this Trick
when the character is being profiled, increasing
MEDICINE
the difficulty by 1; this does not require the char- Go for the Knee: There’s not an Assassin in the
acter to be present or even aware of the attempt. game who hasn’t taken their share of a beating, and
If it fails, the player determines what kind of false it leaves a mark — if you know how to look for it. The
impressions the profiling attempt provided. character can use this Trick to make a Perception
+ Medicine roll to find an old wound on a target,
HUMANITIES just ready to be exploited. Whenever a character
leverages this weakness for the scene, they gain 1
Battle-Ready Historian: The character is a
Enhancement on attacks against the target.
student of ancient weapons, drawing on tech-
niques refined throughout ages. The player Pick Your Poison: Choosing the right poi-
chooses a broad period of history (Ancient China, son for the job is both art and science. With a
Medieval Europe, etc.) when learning this Trick. Difficulty 2 Medicine-based roll, the character
When attacking with a weapon from that period, intuits the best fit; when used, the chosen poison
she may activate this Trick to add her Humanities raises the Difficulty to resist by 1. The need for a
to the roll. roll is waived if the characters has ever had the
opportunity to medically examine the target or re-
Grim Courtesies: You’ve made a study of the
view his medical history.
traditions of many orders of assassins. When the
character leverages her knowledge of an organi-
zation’s history, the player may activate this Trick
PERSUASION
to add Humanities to a social roll. Feint Praise: Whether born with a forked
tongue or silver spoon, the character knows how
INTEGRITY to hold a target’s attention before going for the
kill. When attempting an ambush attack in plain
Cold Blooded: Steeling her nerves, the charac-
sight — such as meeting on the red carpet — she
ter can do whatever is demanded of her — mor-
may add her Persuasion to the roll.
als be damned. The player can activate this Trick
when taking a violent, cruel, or otherwise heart- Where a Smile Gets You: The character has mas-
less action, ignoring the effects of an Attitude or tered the art of lying big and quick — and then get-
Field that would dissuade or distract them for a ting out of Dodge. Once per scene, the player can ac-
single action. tivate this Trick to gain 2 Enhancement on a swindle
or trick, letting her rook a bank into thinking she’s an
Contract Killer: Once the character has tak-
inspector from the home office or sweet talk her way
en a mark, she’s honor bound to make the kill.
through a gauntlet of security guards.
When attacking a character whom she is officially
Skill Tricks 91
PILOT add Survival to a Medicine-based roll, as long as
she has access to stored or wild plants.
Car Talk: Nothing earns cred like being able to
Springing the Trap: Like an ambush hunter,
talk shop. The player can activate this Skill Trick
the character knows how to lead the unwary into
when interacting with mechanically-minded
a trap. Once per scene, if the character is an area
characters — car enthusiasts, chop-shop mavens,
that she has had access to in the past, her play-
hellbent bikers, and the like — to add Pilot to a so-
er can activate this Trick to explain how she’d
cial roll.
previously prepared a trap, transforming an area
Turn on a Dime: The character can weave in short range into a Difficulty 2 barrier. For two
through traffic and debris without breaking a Momentum, she can declare it to be complicat-
sweat. Activate this Trick to reduce a Difficulty or ed terrain instead, with Complication 1 to avoid
Complication based on tight maneuvering by 1. injury.
SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY
Structural Damage: Sometimes, all it takes to Luddite Exemplar: Tech’s great, until it’s not
topple a building is one truly perfect shot. When — and the character knows just where to aim to
attacking a stationary object or cover as a stan- really mess things up. Activate this Trick to re-
dard (rather than mixed) action, the player adds duce the cost of the Sunder Stunt by 2 against
the character’s Science to the roll. If she purchas- any electronics-based weapon, device, or system.
es both the Inflict Damage and Critical Stunts, she Alternatively, reduce the cost of Sunder by 1 to use
deals an additional injury to the target. it with a ranged attack.
SURVIVAL Nitro Boost: With a few minutes of jury-rig-

ging, the character can soup up just about any ride.
Nature’s Medicine: The character comple- The player can activate this Trick when she has a
ments her medic kit with knowledge of natural moment to fiddle with a vehicle’s engine, allowing
remedies. The player may activate this Trick to the driver to add the character’s own Technology
to a speed-based roll in this scene or the next.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Just because an Assassin can kill a person with GENERAL WEAPON TAGS
a book or a pen, doesn’t mean they must put that
skill into practice. DISGUISED (1)
Ahead are a variety of new tags that can be add-
The Assassin’s weapon appears as something
ed to weapons, armor, and vehicles. Some of these
else, whether it be a briefcase gun, a sword in an
tags are substantially stronger than the ones fea-
umbrella, or a single shot firearm in a tube of lip-
tured in Trinity.
stick. Without an x-ray or a metal detector, the
weapon is impossible to discover.
WEAPONS
Weapon tags are split between general, melee, GRAPPLING HOOK (1)
and ranged.
The weapon is equipped with a grappling hook.
The grappling hook provides 1 Enhancement on
climbing rolls and allows firearms to purchase the
Disarm stunt within short range.

INSCRIPTION (1) Its magnetic vibrations allow the wielder to de-
fend himself against firearms. When taking a full
Some assassins inscribe a mantra onto their weap-
defense against ballistic weapons, the wielder
on. Once per session, repeating the mantra while fir-
may use Close Combat and purchase the follow-
ing or swinging the weapon allows them to ignore
ing stunt:
Injury Conditions for that action. Alternatively,
Deflect the Bullet (Variable):
they may treat the weapon like a ward against fear,
and may ignore any fear, panic, or terror-based The Assassin does not lash out wildly when she
Conditions for the duration of the action. Either reacts. After deflecting a ballistic attack, she may
benefit may only be used once per scene. apply the successes from this stunt as an attack
roll against another target in the scene. The only
INTEGRATED (2) stunt that may be purchased with this attack is
Inflict Damage.
The integrated tag represents a spring-loaded
weapon that has been placed into the bones of an MONOMOLECULAR BLADE (2)
Assassin. Integrated weapons are impossible to
spot unless the person looking at them has med- Monomolecular blades are so sharp that no
ical training, or special technology (such as infra- armor exists that can hold up to them. The effec-
red googles). Also, the user can purchase the fol- tiveness of soft armor is halved (round up) against
lowing Stunt on ambush rolls: this weapon. Also, characters can purchase the
following stunt. This tag can only be placed on
Sudden Stab (1s):
edged weapons.
As Inflict Damage.
Focused Slash (targets armor rating +1)
MELEE WEAPON TAGS The precise cuts from this blade allow the
wielder to choose the severity of the target’s in-
GUNBLADE (2) jury condition.
A shotgun barrel runs down the back of this
PLASMA (3)
blade. The weapon is too inaccurate to be used at
range but grants the following Stunt to close com- In an instant, white-hot flames lick the length
bat attacks. of the weapon, as the air around it ripples and ig-
Surprise Shot (Variable) nites. The weapon deals damage to vehicles and
Once per combat, when the wielder misses an structures as though it had +1 Scale. Also, the
attack, they may bank the successes from this roll wielder may purchase the following Stunt:
and apply them as an Enhancement bonus on a Melt (4)
second attack that uses the Aim skill. The Assassin uses the intense flame of his weap-
on to sear through inferior weapons. This stunt
HIGH-FREQUENCY (3) destroys a single weapon or item the target is car-
Flipping a switch, a weapon with the high-fre- rying. Non-powered items affected by this stunt
quency tag emits a low-pitched hum as it vibrates. cannot be repaired through conventional means.
MELEE WEAPON EXAMPLES

Forge-Hammer: A superheated hammer designed to smash through equipment and
scenery alike.
Damage: Blunt Tags: Melee, Piercing, Plasma
Hidden Wrist-Blade: A concealed, spring-loaded blade tucked into an Assassin’s sleeve.
Ideal for swift, unnoticed stabs.
Damage: Edged Tags: Concealable, Melee, Propulsion

PROPULSION (1) Night Vision
Ignore penalties or Complications from darkness.
The propulsion property involves a spring-load-
ed trigger being inserted under the blade, which Thermal
can launch the blade (short-range) using either Gain +1 Enhancement to spot hidden targets.
Aim or Close Combat. Afterward, the weapon X-ray
must be reloaded. Ignore cover and concealment.
RANGED WEAPON TAGS EXPANDED MAGAZINE OR DRUM
MAGAZINE (2,3)
DRONE (2)
The expanded magazine holds a ludicrous
Requires a weapon to have the Remote Link Tag.
amount of ammunition, which allows the wielder
The weapon moves freely around the battlefield af-
to “empty the magazine” twice per scene without
ter being set up. Characters with a Drone-tag weap-
reloading. The drum magazine lets the wielder do
on may make Mixed Actions with Aim, making the
so four times.
second shot with -2 dice. Setting it up takes an action.
EXTENDABLE BAYONET (1)
ENHANCED SCOPES (1 PER)
A rifle with this attachment has a hidden pneu-
Each scope grants the user a different type of
matic bayonet. The weapon can be used with
enhanced sight. A single weapon can have all of
Close Combat in addition to Aim.
them. The scopes provide the following additional
benefits:

RANGED WEAPON EXAMPLES
Incomparable Sniper Rifle: This version of the sniper’s tool is outfitted with superlative
ammunition and accessories — making it head and shoulders better than its mundane,
Twilight counterpart.
Damage: Ballistic Tags: Enhanced Scope (Thermal), Ranged (Long), Specialized
Ammunition (Tracker), Tactical Sight
Remote Submachine Gun: Mounted to a drone, this automatic weapon peppers the
Assassin’s enemies with bullets from the air.
Damage: Ballistic Tags: Drone, Ranged (Medium), Remote Link, Spread
REMOTE LINK (2) Tracker (1 success)

The tracker round deals no damage but will
The Assassin sets an automated weapon on
provide location data on the target to the Assassin
its mount with a Technology + Cunning roll at
for 24 hours. The difficulty to locate a target
Difficulty 2, allowing them to fire the gun remotely.
struck by the tracker round is reduced by two. If
SPECIALIZED AMMUNITION (1 PER) the Assassin has a Mastery that allows them to au-
tomatically locate a target, they do not need to pay
The weapon is modified to fire an array of dif- its cost while a tracker is embedded in their target.
ferent ammunition. A single gun can be modified
Toxic Dart (variable)
to fire multiple ammo types but switching types
requires a reload action. Inflicts the Paralyzed Condition for a number of
rounds equal to the successes spent on the Stunt.
Flame: Burn (2 successes)
This is a poison for the purpose of immunities.
Applies 1 Complication on the target. If not
Knockout Dart (variable)
bought off, the target takes an injury condition.
The target becomes drowsy. They take a cumu-
Detonator: Detonation (3 successes)
lative 1 Complication for a number of rounds equal
Can be used to trigger explosives a target is to the number of successes to spent on the Stunt. If
wearing or explosives at range. Follows the rules the target fails to buy it off, then they fall asleep and
for explosive (planted) (Trinity Continuum are Taken Out.
Core Rulebook, p.124).
Rage Inducing Dart
Acidic: Corrode (2+ successes)
As Knockout Dart. If the Complication is not
Reduces armor by one per two successes spent. bought off, the target must attack the nearest
EMP: Disable (Variable) character to them.
Disables an electronic device. Weapons and Vehicles Panic Inducing Dart
cost successes equal to the total number of tags they As Knockout Dart. If the Complication is not
possess. Other equipment should cost between 1 (ci- bought off, they flee the scene in a panic.
vilian appliances) and 5 (military-grade gear).
Ice: Melt (1 success) U-LINK (2)
The ice bullet melts away, leaving no trace. A camera at the end of the weapons links to a
Ballistics and forensic investigation cannot link pair of glasses or contact lenses, granting the user
an ice shot to the character. However due to the unparalleled accuracy. Target’s defense values are
projectile’s fragility the wielder may not purchase treated as one lower against attacks made with
the Critical Stunt. this weapon.
Taser: Electro (variable)
The target is stunned, for a number of rounds WALL PENETRATING (2)
equal to the successes spent on this Stunt. Wall penetrating firearms punch through ce-
ment. The tag provides the following Stunt:

Like Wet Tissue (1, 2, or 4)
The shooter can punch right through cover pro-
ARMOR EXAMPLES
vided he knows where his target lies. The number
Stealth Battle Armor: A full suit of armor
of successes needed is based on the cover (1 or ex- designed to both protect the Assassin
pendable, 2 for light, 4 for heavy). and assist them in making unseen kills.
Damage Resisted: Ballistic, Slashing
ARMOR TAGS Tags: Active Camo, Composite Armor,
Protection and mobility are but one of the fea- Hard (1), Sound-Dampened Boots
tures of Assassin armor. Their gear also includes Perfect Suit: It looks like a flawlessly tai-
a variety of technological enhancements that im- lored three-piece suit, but that conceals
prove their ability to track and pursue their prey. its protective nature.
Damage Resisted: Ballistic
ACTIVE CAMO (2)
Tags: Chemical Injectors, Soft Armor
Thousands of tiny cameras and screens cover (1), Suit, Staged Death
the active camo suit. They scan and project the
same color as the environment onto the outfit. It GOGGLES (1 PER)
grants the wearer a +2 Enhancement bonus on
Stealth and allows the wearer to disappear even in These goggles or glasses are outfitted with night
bright light, with no cover. vision, thermal, or x-ray (see p. XX).
BIOMETRIC DUPLICATOR (2) HARDENED (1)
The armor feature equipment that can dupli- Renders the wearer’s equipment immune
cate all biometric functions of a target; finger- to electronic interference. Provides a +1
prints, irises, voices, etc. after scanning them. Enhancement bonus against all such effect.
CHAMELEON MASK (3) JET BOOTS (2)
The Chameleon mask allows the wearer to take Installed in the wearer’s boots, this short-burn
a scan of someone’s face with the attached scan- jet propulsion system allows the wearer to fly for
ner and then project that image onto their face. six turns, before running out of fuel. Landing ac-
The scanning process takes one minute and must curately or maintaining flight while doing some-
be done at close range. The wearer gains a 4-point thing else is a Pilot + Dexterity roll, which may be
Enhancement bonus on checks to impersonate part of a mixed action. The Assassin may only use
the person they scanned. the jet boots once per session.
CHEMICAL INJECTOR (2) MAGNETIC FIELD (3)
Chemical injectors installed in the armor re- A personalized magnetic field surrounds the
lease painkillers when the wearer is injured. Assassin. The wearer gains 2 Enhancement to
The wearer ignores the penalties from bruised their Defense rolls against ballistic weapons as the
conditions. field redirects bullets away from its wielder.
DISTRACTING SCARF (2) NANITES (3)
This scarf is a long flowing garment used to Nanites in the armor seek out damage and try to
confuse attackers and hider their movements. repair it. The wearer heals two injuries, starting
It grants 1 Enhancement to defense rolls against with the most severe, at the end of every fight.
Close Combat attacks. Just as common as scarves,
SOFT ARMOR (1,2,3)
are cloaks, oversized sleeves and capes that serve
the same function. Soft armor can be taken up to 3 times.

SOUND-DAMPENED BOOTS (1) DEBRIS RESERVE (1)
The wearer makes no noise when they move. The driver can make a Technology + Cunning
The difficulty of hearing the wearer’s approach is to create a difficult environment. The difficulty
increased by two. of the field is equal to half the successes spent
(round up, Minimum one).
STAGED DEATH (1)
EJECTOR SEATS (1)
When shot or stabbed, the armor bleeds, giving
a +3 Enhancement on rolls made to trick people The vehicle features ejector seats that propel
into believing the wearer is dead. the user free of the car and into the air. Anytime
the vehicle would be destroyed, the driver and
SUIT (1) passengers escape unharmed just before the vehi-
The armor appears to all viewers to be a pol- cle goes up in an explosion of fiery debris.
ished designer suit (or other high-end clothing).
EXTERNAL PROJECTOR (2)
It provides a +1 Enhancement on Command rolls.
The vehicle is equipped with projectors all over
VEHICLE TAGS its surface that allow it to appear as another vehi-
cle of similar shape and size. This provides a 2-dot
AI ASSIST (1) Enhancement to disguise or hide the vehicle.
The car features an onboard AI that assists with
GRAPPLING HOOK (2)
driving. The Pilot gains 1 Enhancement when tak-
ing mixed actions. The vehicle features a gigantic grappling hook
that can be used to grapple and pull targets us-
BLADES (1) ing the grappling rules. The grappling hook is
The vehicle features sturdy blades or spikes that a ranged weapon. An attack with the grappling
can be used to damage other vehicles or people as hook can inflict damage. When involved in a grap-
it drives past. Dealing damage with these blades ple, a vehicle uses Pilot + Dexterity.
works like a close combat attack, except the driver
RAM (3)
uses Pilot + Dexterity.
The vehicle deals double damage to structures
CALL BUTTON (2) and cover when ramming into them and suffers no
With the push of a button, the vehicle will drive damage in the process.
itself as close to its owner as possible. It will go
REMOTE CONTROLLED (4)
through walls if commanded and able.
The vehicle can be driven remotely using a
CHAFF (1+) mobile device. Doing so uses Cunning instead of
The vehicle has a spring-loaded container of Dexterity.
aluminum scraps that can be deployed reflexive-
SOLID RUBBER TIRES (1)
ly to give the vehicle a 2-dot Enhancement bonus
against missiles or other explosives. Each pur- The vehicle ignores difficult terrain, due to its
chase provides the vehicle with another use of increased traction and solid tires/treads.
chaff in a scene.

“Every scene should be able to answer three questions:
“Who wants what from whom? What happens if they don’t get it?
Why now?”
— David Mamet
In this chapter, Storyguides will find new rules for making their Trinity Continuum: Assassins games
unique. This chapter also contains a handful of antagonists to challenge the players’ characters.
DRAMATIC EDITING
In thrillers and heists, explaining a plan in ex- something along the lines of “Whoa, wait, I wanted
treme detail is a recipe for disaster — it will be guar- to hide my weapons before we got there,” that is ex-
anteed to face a crisis or even outright fail. If a plan actly the sort of situation that calls for a flashback.
kicks off without explaining its critical elements for The players are not required to draft a foolproof
the camera, it will not only succeed, but do so in a plan before getting to the fun parts. They aren’t even
way nobody expected. required to draft a mediocre plan (more likely, when
The reason for this is, simply, that the writers wish the players probably aren’t super-skilled super-kill-
to surprise the audience. When both the audience ers). As soon as the players have a vague idea of how
and the writers are a Storyguide and a table of play- they want to approach their job, and where it has
ers, how can they maintain the tension and element to start, the story can cut immediately to their in-
of surprise? The solution comes in understanding sertion point or the first sign of trouble. There is no
the question at the heart of every thriller’s plot — it need to concern anyone with the minutiae of plan-
isn’t “did they bring enough rope and ball bearings?” ning. Researching an obstacle or foe, commissioning
but “how will this plan surprise us?” a unique weapon, hunting down a specialized tool,
In Assassins, we can surprise the audience — stashing resources in strategic points, bribing ser-
Storyguide and table alike — by making liberal use vants and officials — all of this can be handled with
of flashbacks. flashbacks as they are needed. For some of the old
guard, this may feel like metagaming. Make no mis-
WHY USE FLASHBACKS take: it is. And it is explicitly allowed.
In crime thrillers, the flashback is a storytelling
element primarily used to keep the audience in sus-
GOING OFF THE RAILS
pense, and get them caught up on the action as it Plans are not meant to go off without a hitch —
unfolds. It also highlights the extraordinary compe- even ones revealed in flashbacks. The most danger-
tency of the characters. Whatever it is they face, they ous, competent killers in the world cannot account
will assuredly come prepared. for every variable. This would hardly make for a
In a game, however, flashbacks can also be used to thrilling story. With every flashback a player com-
keep the action flowing and maintain a fast-paced story. mits to, there appears a new opportunity to discover
If in the process of preparing for their job, you find the how their master plan will unravel.
players are becoming too invested in making their plan When a player proposes any dramatic edit, but es-
“perfect” by accounting for every possible risk, remind pecially flashback, look for any loose threads or po-
them that flashbacks and other versions of dramatic tential consequences that could arise as a result of
editing exist for this reason. An entire session could be the new events. Keep an eye toward opportunities
wasted on planning for outcomes you, the Storyguide, for your players to prove how determined, skilled,
never intended to even play out. Players should be and deadly their characters are.
ready to plan around the problems that actually hap- Makua Keawe has a great plan to deliver a few per-
pen, not the problems that could happen. sonal, threatening messages to a well-connected attor-
Flashbacks let you cut to the action. Smash to the ney in the city. His office is on a major arterial street,
next scene, if you must! If a player interrupts with however — Makua needs a distraction and she needs
Dramatic Editing 99
it ten minutes ago. Makua’s player, Vera, commits to doesn’t start a shootout with police because Makua
a flashback detailing how the Assassin “contracted” a gave them mixed signals — it happens because one of
local gang of bored delinquents, paying them a chunk them thinks taking a hostage will earn him extra rep,
of hard cash to hold up the convenience store a few and now the whole thing is pear-shaped. The black-
doors down. Rai, the Storyguide, accepts this as a smith doesn’t betray Left-Hand because she acciden-
1-point flashback, and describes how police have cut tally offended him — he does it because he doesn’t
traffic to this block, leaving Makua a bit of time and want her rival, his best-paying customer, murdered.
privacy for her meeting. However, what Rai doesn’t
reveal to Vera just yet is that one of the delinquents FLASHBACKS AND COST
has decided this is his time to make a name for him- There are three levels of flashback. Each has an
self: he takes a hostage, and before the scene is over, associated Inspiration or Momentum cost, related to
the gang trades fire with the police. Makua leaves the time and effort a character would have needed
the empty office building to the sound of gunfire and, to expend in the flashback, as well as the advantages
worse, patrol helicopters. She got her distraction, but the flashback would grant them.
how will she escape the notice of air patrol?
At the lowest level are 0-point flashbacks, requir-
Left-Hand Ankko marches down the opulent hall ing little to no effort or resources for the character.
with weapon in hand, ready for the final showdown These dramatic edits are so within the character’s
with her nemesis, La Lula Vampira. La Lula greets realm of competency as to not warrant a flashback
Left-Hand with a long, elegant blade of crimson. at all, and they require no cost. Really, this is not dra-
Left-Hand’s player, Heather, hadn’t expected a fight matic editing so much as accounting for a character’s
in the tradition of their old Society, and quickly ret- general expertise — consider this express permission
cons with a flashback: six months ago, Left-Hand for a player to claim their character had appropriate
stole away in secret to the smithy of an internation- gear, retroactively, without feeling the need to push
ally-famous swordsmith. After an exchange of favors, the issue. Optionally, a Storyguide could require a
he agreed to craft the Assassin a blade to rival that of character possess appropriate Skills, Attributes, or
her nemesis’s. We arrive back at present day to Left- Facets before making a 0-point flashback.
Hand unsheathing a sword the color of cut emeralds.
Vrilida, an expert burglar in a team of specialists,
Rai, the Storyguide, accepts this as a 2-point flash-
arrives on the scene of a heist with her plans and
back — not only did it require some extra resourc-
tools. After hearing details on the sheer number
es, it granted Left-Hand a powerful new asset. That
of high-tech glass doors in the building, her play-
said, Rai is waiting to reveal the hiccup in Heather’s
er, Jessica, asks if she can flashback to packing a
flashback: the swordsmith betrayed Left-Hand and
glass-cutter. Rai, the Storyguide, notes Vrilida’s sheet
warned her nemesis, who asked him for one last
shows a Larceny rating of 4, more than enough for
blade. In a few moments, La Lula’s brother, El Pulpo,
Jessica to justify her bringing glass-cutters to the job.
will join them in combat with his own newly-forged
She allows the flashback with no cost.
weapon, potentially turning the tables. Left-Hand
A simple set-up with a single advantage requires
got her masterwork blade, but how will she survive
spending 1 Inspiration or 2 Momentum. These flash-
this fight with both Los Cefalópodos?
backs require only a small amount of time or a few
Remember: the goal is never to negate the benefits of
extra resources and typically grant the character a
a flashback. The gang still creates a distraction, an in-
piece of useful equipment, some generally useful in-
comparable sword is still forged. Twists in the plan are
formation, or change a small element of the scene.
meant to change the working conditions of the job, to
Originally, the plan was to cut power to the entire
reframe events after the fact, and to generally keep the
office tower. It’d be tough to operate in darkness, but
characters on their toes. They can’t look cool, calm, and
the team wouldn’t have to deal with automated secu-
deadly without facing unexpected challenges.
rity as they worked their way to the penthouse level.
On a related note, as Assassins is first and foremost
Vrilida soon learns, however, the servers for the build-
a competence fantasy, never allow a complication in
ing’s security system are located on the third floor
a plan to make the player characters look incompe-
with no power redundancies. Shoddy engineering!
tent — at least, not without a player’s permission.
Jessica asks for a flashback to Vrilida meeting with a
The plan will never go awry because of a silly or
“friend” of hers in city planning a few days ago, in an
thoughtless mistake on the players’ parts. The gang
effort to get a hold of the officer tower’s electrical floor
100 CHAPTER FOUR: SYSTEMS AND DRAMA

plan. Rai approves this as a 1-point flashback. Vrilida out of her duffle, ready to cut a new hallway through
now knows where to look and what to snip in order to the walls between empty offices and conference
cut power to the third floor only. rooms. Impressed, Rai rates this at 2-points: Vrilida
A complicated set-up resulting in either multiple needed access to more resources for this one, and it
advantages or a single significant one requires spend- gives her team the advantage of completely bypass-
ing 2 Inspiration or 4 Momentum. These flashbacks ing security sweeps.
demand considerable time or resources from the A set-up so intricate, so unlikely, so fortuitous for
character, in exchange for the ability to bypass a diffi- the characters that it begins to stretch the table’s sus-
cult challenge or change a major element of the scene. pension of disbelief, requires spending 3 Inspiration
Automated security may be down, but the guard or 6 Momentum, or even more. These flashbacks
night-shift looks to be unusually competent and require miracles of fortune, serendipity, and sto-
well-armed. The team could handle them, but it’d ry-swerving dramatic turns. They grant advantages
take up precious time and resources they otherwise that can tip the scales of a scenario or even an entire
need to reserve for the actual score at the top of the campaign.
tower. Jessica wonders out-loud if there isn’t an- It’s finally in hand — the little black drive with the
other way around without trying to cram everyone names and transactions of everyone the SecuriTech
into heating ducts or some other cliché. She comes CEO has been blackmailing over the last fifteen
up with the idea that Vrilida leaned on her city plan- years. But security is closing in, and with them, the
ning friend for more blueprints, and spent the night badass infosec executive who’s been tracking the
before meticulously plotting a separate path for team since their inaugural heist. They’ve got a hell of
her team through the building. Back in present day, a fight coming if they head back the way they came,
Vrilida gives a cheeky grin and pulls a drywall saw with potentially way more exposure than any of the
Dramatic Editing 101

team members are comfortable with. Jessica breaks for this flashback — or consider saying no. If a pro-
in with an admittedly wild idea: everyone knows one posed flashback breaks with the established tone or
of Vrilida’s Contacts is her old flame and former part- themes of your game, work with the player to adjust
ner, behind bars after insisting he worked alone on a the flashback to better fit the game the table decid-
high-profile burglary in order to keep suspicion off ed on — or consider saying no. If a proposed flash-
Vrilida. What they don’t know is over the last three back is rubbing one or more players at the table the
months she’s been sneaking him plans and contra- wrong way, work with everyone to make sure no one
band materials in an effort to break him out. And not is agreeing to an element of the game that makes
only were they successful, he’s been laying low until them uncomfortable — or consider saying no. If a
just this moment, when he can land a stolen helicop- flashback makes you, the Storyguide, uncomfortable
ter on the room of the office tower and get them all for whatever reason, including suspicions that your
to safety. Rai checks to make sure the other players player might be trolling you, work with the player
are okay with such a huge change to the team, and to uncover their true intentions or steer them away
they all agree that not only is this cool as hell, they’re from content you aren’t prepared to narrate — or
excited to play the fallout of meeting a new guy who consider saying no.
just assumed he’d be allowed to join them. Rai rules
this as an easy 3-pointer — it’s intricate, it requires a ALTERNATIVE COSTS FOR
luck beyond luck, and it gets them out of a tight spot FLASHBACKS
that would have set the tone for the rest of the story. As always, the suggestions for how to evaluate the
Jessica pays the cost and her team copters away into cost for flashbacks are just that — suggestions. There
the night sky. are many other potential methods for injecting cost
into the dramatic editing system.
ASKING FOR MORE OR SAYING NO
• Free Flashbacks. Flashbacks do not cost
“Require 3 or more Inspiration” seems vague
Inspiration or Momentum, and the players
when the spectrum starts at “a significant advan-
are allowed as many 1-point flashbacks as they
tage that required some time to pull off” and ends at
want. However, they can only commit to two
“deus ex machina that changes the entire game.” The
2-point flashbacks a session, and the group as a
space is left there for you, on purpose — if you like
whole can only commit to one 3-point flashback
the concept of a proposed flashback but it stretch-
for each job. For players new to dramatic editing
es the limits of what you’re willing to inflict on your
in general, this should alleviate some of the ner-
game, make the player pay extra, or say no. The
vousness that comes with taking some agency in
Storyguide is the final arbiter of when to ask for more
the game’s narrative.
Inspiration, and when to decline a dramatic edit.
If a proposed flashback would change the direc- • Group Flashbacks. Multiple players can con-
tion of your game, but everyone at the table —includ- tribute points to paying for the cost of a flash-
ing you — agrees it sounds exciting, clever, or just back, if their character was significantly in-
wicked cool, consider asking for more Inspiration. volved in the flashback’s events. This could
If a proposed flashback is a jaw-dropping surprise potentially lead to bolder tables proposing more
with huge consequences, but just makes so much complex and advantageous flashbacks — either
sense to the point you find yourself excited to nar- incorporate this into your game’s tone or consid-
rate the fallout, consider asking for more Inspiration. er placing a limit on more powerful flashbacks.
Alternatively, you may instead allow it to come to
• Faustian Flashbacks. The cost of a flashback
pass for free, thus introducing a thrilling new hook
can be bargained for — in place of some or all of
into your game. If a suggested flashback provides
the cost, the player can agree to allow a compo-
intriguing insight into a character’s motivations or
nent of their team’s plan go awry as soon as the
history, in spite of granting benefits that push the
benefit of their flashback comes to fruition, or to
boundaries of a 2- or 3-point flashback, consider ask-
allow a Complication arising from this edit affect
ing for more Inspiration.
them during the job. A discount of 1 Inspiration
If a proposed flashback feels dull, or offers signif- / 2 Momentum would earn them a minor draw-
icant advantages for little cost, work with the play- back or +2 Complication, while a discount of
er to come up with more intriguing consequences 2 Inspiration / 4 Momentum would incur a

significant drawback or +4 Complication. applies — for dedicated 3D chess masters, this should
After getting an idea of just how paranoid be no obstacle. While they still cannot undo or inval-
the current mark is, Vera wants to claim her idate each other, competing flashbacks are explicitly
Assassin, Makua, made her sniper’s nest for allowed to reframe another Talent’s flashback.
this job extra secure — she reserved not just the Left-Hand Ankko needs a quick, inobtrusive es-
hotel room directly across from the law office’s cape for her and her latest “client.” Her player,
rooftop, but every hotel room adjacent, above, Heather, knows Left-Hand wouldn’t have let an
and below. Rai, the Storyguide, rates this as a obvious element like “getaway vehicle” go unac-
2-point flashback, requiring either 2 Inspiration counted for, and asks for a flashback to Left-Hand
or 4 Momentum. Vera doesn’t have that kind of arranging via encrypted texts for her favorite driv-
scratch on her at the moment, but she’s willing er to pick up her and her mark under this particu-
to bargain it down to 2 Momentum, suggesting lar condo’s rear balcony during this specific window
maybe a local convention relocated to that very of time. The driver agrees without any questions
hotel before Makua could adjust her plans. Rai — there’s a reason he’s Left-Hand’s favorite — and
sees some real potential with this, and accepts, Rai, the Storyguide, rates this as a 1-point flashback.
deciding Makua now faces a +2 Complication Having arranged a getaway vehicle ahead of time
sneaking to and from her room with her ri- is usually a pretty safe assumption for hyper-com-
fle case, rest, and spotter drone past this new petent Assassins, but needing one at a specific time
crowd of uptight, suited professionals. and place requires more planning and effort than
0-points would suggest. Heather agrees and pays 1
• Rolled Flashbacks. Flashbacks do not cost
Inspiration for the flashback.
Inspiration or Momentum but do require a skill
roll. Assign an Attribute + Skill pool and a diffi- However, another Assassin, Makua, has a few per-
culty to the most dominant action taken in the sonal reasons to want to interfere with Left-Hand’s
flashback. The flashback’s potency and useful- treatment of this particular mark. Makua’s player,
ness are determined by the number of thresh- Vera, asks if she can flashback to Makua intercepting
old successes earned: 1–2 successes for a 1-point the getaway driver with intent to make him miss his
Flashback, 3–4 for a 2-point, and 5 or more for 3 appointment. Rai declines, pointing out this would
points. invalidate Left-Hand’s flashback: Heather didn’t pay
for a dramatic edit to text a guy with a car, she paid
for an edit assuring he would be at a particular lo-
COMPETING FLASHBACKS cation with his car during a window of time. Vera
As stated in Trinity Continuum, dramatic edits — amends, asking if she can flashback to Makua spot-
including flashbacks — cannot overrule facts or ed- ting the car pull up under the condo balcony and sur-
its that have been previously established or override reptitiously firing a location tracker into the sidewall
the effects of a dice roll. Flashbacks can, however, of one of its tires. Rai approves, rating this as another
throw these events into new light, or provide an un- 1-point. Left-Hand has her getaway car, and Makua
expected context for them. For example, during the knows exactly where it’s going.
events of a job, someone the team considered an ally
When two or more Talents engage in competing
turns on them, subduing and capturing them to be
flashbacks, each successive flashback costs one ad-
delivered to their rival. A player could still propose
ditional Inspiration or two additional Momentum. If
a flashback that shows them meeting with this ally
one or more of the Talents involved are Storyguide
previously, arranging for them to only appear to dou-
characters, the Storyguide should take care not to
ble-cross the team in a bid to get them all in position
get into a battle of “who can have the last word” with
to finally eliminate their rival.
their players — not only will it alienate players who
However, in rare cases, two Talents with the abil- feel you are abusing your ability as adjudicator of the
ity to make dramatic edits may end up in a flashback game world, but you may wind up draining them of
“face off,” in essence playing 3D chess against each all Initiative or Momentum in a single chain of flash-
other behind the scenes of the game. That no dramat- backs, crippling them for the story. Limit yourself to
ic edit can overrule an edit previously established still at most two competing flashbacks in a session.
Dramatic Editing 103

CREATING SETPIECE SEQUENCES
Assassins kill. They kill a lot of people. The after the Assassin has killed a major target, but prior
Storyguide needs to make this interesting. to the final confrontations.
An important part of the drama inherent within That’s the loud approach, and it’s a fun one. Some
Assassin stories is the sheer cinematic experience Assassins prefer the silent and subtle route, ob-
of major showdowns between the Assassin and the serving their target and watching the environment
team of enemies you know they’ll mow through, closely to identify opportunities to strike a single,
or the finale between the Assassin and their target. decisive blow. What’s the more perfect expression of
Sometimes this is a rival, and sometimes it’s the skill — single-handedly defeating hundreds of armed
target’s extremely dangerous bodyguard. When the guards and killing the target after a prolonged battle,
Assassin is up against a mob of suit-clad minor char- or penetrating the target’s defenses with ruses and
acters with cheap guns, it’s usually an interstitial guile, killing them, and slipping past those hundreds
fight rather than combat in and of itself — before or of armed guards with none the wiser?
ASSASSIN SYSTEM TERMS

Assassinations and setpiece fights use unique system terms, defined here.
• Black Box: The closed set of Fields describing the overall area in which the assas-
sination will occur with the target unawares at the start. More generally, a holistic
system term for the entire assassination session.
• Opportunity: A decisive advantage or unique method for the Assassin to kill their
target, generated by successfully completing a Session Story.
• Points of Ingress: Tracks that allow a player character to undergo a Session
Story, culminating in an Opportunity.
• Session Story: A vignette or side-story adjacent to the overall timeline of the
target, which begins with a point of ingress and ends in an Opportunity.
• Ticks: An increment of time on a timeline. Every five ticks moves the overall mission
ahead in some defined way.
• Timeline: The sequence of events and pattern of life the target engages in, which all
Session Stories intersect with at various points.
SESSION STORIES
Simply blasting your way through a scene isn’t can grasp defined opportunities or create entirely
always the best option. Surrounding your target are new ones of their own initiative.
loved ones, disgruntled servants and staff, or inno- Session Stories primarily assist the character in
cent bystanders, each with their own desires, goals, the completion of the mission objective — you know,
and activities. In the tableau of overlapping stories, killing the target — but they can also assist the char-
an Assassin learns to slip between various innocent acter in obtaining certain disguises, items, or ful-
actors in order to reach their target. Within the shift- fill optional objectives alongside killing the target
ing timelines of the people around your target lies such as stealing a set of important documents from
opportunity. The Storyguide designs these oppor- their safe or ensuring the target’s spouse is the one
tunities, and the chain of events that lead to them to find them deceased. In addition to helping the
called Session Stories, ahead of time. The set of Fields player progress through a mission, Session Stories
these Session Stories exist in is called the Black Box, may also uncover plot threads which weave into a
essentially an open sandbox where player characters

mission’s (and story arc’s) greater narrative, allowing That last bit of business he negotiates in person with
the Storyguide to let multiple Assassins see a piece a business associate on the beach, away from prying
of the overall picture with each new Black Box they ears — though the two men have never met in per-
might not otherwise see if they simply storm in and son before now. Finally, he goes to Saturday evening
off their target. Mass at 7 p.m. (being a good Catholic), gives a sar-
The goal is to force the target into a specific po- castic confession to the priest on the way out around
sition and situation where they’re more vulnerable 8 p.m., and retires to his villa to pass out drinking in
than they normally are; seizing control of the situa- front of the TV sometime around 2 a.m..
tion rather than simply attempting to mow through. That’s the target’s pattern of life — but he interacts
To begin a timeline and identify the Session Stories with dozens and possibly hundreds of people, all of
within, the Storyguide needs to ask a simple ques- whom put him in a vulnerable position in various ways.
tion: What would happen if the Assassin never killed The Storyguide decides on several separate events
the target? What would they do if the player charac- or linked series of goals that end up in the target dy-
ters don’t intervene, with all the random disruptions ing, whether by accident or just maneuvering the
that come with a day’s events? What does their pat- Assassin into a place where they can strike; this is
tern of life look like? The Session Stories begin with a called an Opportunity, coming at the end of a Session
setpiece location dripping with visual imagery, then Story. Any good Assassin surveys the target and the
the supporting cast, then plan out the actual sched- situation around them before figuring out a path
ule everyone is on. through. This doesn’t need to involve days of care-
ful observation and surveillance, although it certain-
AN EXAMPLE IN TWILIGHT ly can. Many Assassins simply improvise their way
Take Dominic Camparelli, the Italian Mafia un- through an encounter, relying on their own superior
derboss living the high life in a villa in the urbanized intuition and skills to find a path through.
coastal town of Amalfi. Unfortunately for Dominic,
his lavish lifestyle has attracted too much attention
THE TIMELINE
from the Italian authorities, and he’s disrespect- The timeline represents the shifting flows of op-
ed the boss once too many times. He’s marked for portunity for the Assassin to get to their opponent.
assassination. These timelines are further demarcated by points
Dominic begins his day by waking up in his villa of ingress, or ways for the Assassin to become in-
just past 8 a.m., then eating breakfast in the open- volved ending in the ultimate fulfillment of the
air dining room while he’s attended by servants. He Opportunity via a special Condition. The timeline
charms his girlfriend with presents and shoos her out is comprised of a series of actions that each end in
of the villa before his wife comes home at noon. To an Opportunity. This means the Storyguide marks
prepare for her arrival, he calms himself by hitting a out the target’s series of actions, and ingress points
few drives into the sea from the small golf course on for those actions, as if the Assassin wasn’t there.
his lawn under the watchful eye of his private golf Realizing each step of the way for the Opportunity
coach. He showers and grooms, then meets his wife involves another successful Skill roll.
outside the villa. Every significant action the characters take moves
An argument ensues, the reasons of which are ir- the scene along by a tick, and moves the entire se-
relevant — the two loathe each other, so any excuse quence of action in the Mission Story further along.
will do for either one of them. He storms off when Significant action means any action that requires an
he’s called away by his men to deal with a soldat his actual roll or the deliberate act of waiting; moving
crew has discovered is giving evidence to la poli- the ticks forward doesn’t include things like open-
cia. Dominic takes out his anger with his wife on ing doors to walk through in the waiter’s uniform or
the tied-up man, and ends his underling’s pleas for chatting with the guests while in your fine tuxedo,
mercy with a single gunshot to the head. He’s upset but would include picking the lock on the kitch-
enough to skip lunch, goes to dinner with his wife en entrance or pickpocketing the gentleman with
from 5 to 5:45 p.m. (the two barely concealing their the ten-gallon hat and bolo tie. Thus, timeline ticks
hostility for each other), and then leaves early to fi- move only when the players define their characters
nalize a deal where the sanitation union pays him a as taking an action — merely speaking to one anoth-
hefty bribe as protection money at 6:15 p.m. sharp. er doesn’t move the action along a tick, but anything
Session Stories 105

that requires a roll (including mental actions) assur- • 20 Ticks: Dinner is in a local restaurant near the
edly does. However, combat is specifically exempt; beach and a short open-air walk from the villa,
any combat lasting more than three rounds will re- but Camparelli leaves his wife early to attend a
sult in many rolls, especially with multiple combat- business meeting on the beach with individuals
ants, so no combat sequence lasts longer than five he’s never previously met. Fields: The walking
ticks on the timeline. roads along the Amalfi coast, outdoor seating at
The Storyguide should create a distinct set of a restaurant, the beach beyond a series of dunes.
Fields (describing the area where the assassina-
• 25 Ticks: Camparelli attends Mass at a church
tion goes down) then make a sequence of events. It
near the beach. He sits restlessly through the
helps to describe these events as a timeline — the
service, then enters a confessional booth, where
Storyguide should mark off discrete events every
the priest joins him. Camparelli gives his con-
time increment, or ticks, in a series of five on an over-
fession and leaves. Fields: The church pews, the
all sequence of 30 ticks. This time sequence can last
confessional booth.
as long as an entire day, or as short as 30 minutes, so
long as it can be broken into elemental pieces. Each • 30 Ticks: Camparelli returns to his villa, where
sequence of five ticks represents a shift in Fields and security is re-established for the evening. He en-
a corresponding shift in Opportunities. sconces himself alone in his den, drinking heav-
ily and watching television. Fields: The walking
• 0 Ticks: Camparelli awakens in his secure ac-
roads, then the upstairs villa apartments.
commodations, surrounded by armed guards.
He throws on some basic clothing for breakfast.
Field: The villa apartments, upstairs.
THE REVEAL
Each timeline starts with the reveal, or the
• 5 Ticks: Camparelli eats breakfast in the open- Assassin’s recognition of the basic scope of their
air dining room. He spends time with his girl- Opportunity. The player prompts a reveal action
friend picking at his eggs, then shoos her out of with a successful Skill roll. Hacking the camera sys-
the opulent house. Overlooking the ocean from tem reveals the target’s paramour likes to summon
his magnificent villa, Camparelli decides to get staff to her side at the merest whim and barely ad-
in a few drives before the day really starts. He dresses them, meaning a basic disguise would fool
summons his already-on-site golf coach but her completely, while eavesdropping on a one-sided
quits early when the man critiques the gang- cell phone conversation of a disgruntled Mafia sol-
ster’s stance once too often. Fields: The open- dier reveals that he’s blowing off southern gate guard
air dining court, the adjacent golfing range. duty to score some drugs.
• 10 Ticks: Camparelli abuses some servants as Targets typically come in two varieties for the
he showers, shaves, and dresses for the day. He Storyguide to insert into the game: dwellers, who
then goes to meet with his wife, immediately stick to a single fortified location called a stronghold;
getting into an argument as she follows him into and roamers, who cross multiple Fields. Establishing
his office. Fields: The villa apartments, upstairs, their location is a principal goal for prospective
and the villa courtyard adjacent to the streets of Assassins; then, it’s a waiting game for Opportunities
Amalfi. to reveal themselves. Storyguides should adjust the
schedule so that targets are never alone for long peri-
• 15 Ticks: Dominic Camparelli is called away by ods of time unless an Opportunity is used, in order to
his men, who have caught one of their own rat-
• Revelation Examples: Points of ingress in the
ting out the crew to the police. Camparelli be-
Camparelli assassination include the girlfriend
rates his crew for bringing the man to his own
and the servants, especially the cooks who are
home, then takes out his frustrations on the rat
taking a smoke break and complaining about
for several minutes before silently accepting a
their employer’s pedestrian tastes; the golf
silenced pistol and casually ending the man’s
coach, who is on-site from morning to evening
life. He washes his hands of blood and ices
in case Dominic wants to play a round and ner-
them, then goes back to his office to shuffle pa-
vously mumbles aloud; the business associate,
pers around until it’s time for dinner. Field: The
whom Camparelli has never met; the crowd-
first basement level of the villa.
ed Mass where everyone pays attention to the

CONDITION: MARKED FOR DEATH
You’ve identified and aligned an opportunity for assassination via a Session Story, sharply
limiting your target’s time on this mortal coil. The target and all valid bystanders who would
be collateral damage gain this Condition upon resolution of the Session Story.
Effect: Any attacks upon the target that align with the Opportunity bypasses or nullify
whatever defensive Scale the target has. Additionally, each realized Opportunity that’s
capable of “stacking” — i.e., is reasonable to use together, such as forcing the target from
their schedule to a secluded spot and previously eliminating their security — increases the
Assassin’s relevant Scale by 1. More than two stacked Opportunities results in a narrative
death without dice rolls.
Resolution: Killing the target, going loud, or the situation changing enough so that the
original opportunity is no longer valid.
priest, but also the quiet church afterward + Composure to disguise one’s self as a kitchen
where the priest administers the sacrament of staff member; Medicine + Intellect to have the
Confession to Dominic. poison on hand; Larceny + Dexterity to apply it
to the food without anyone noticing.
THE OPPORTUNITY
• The Golf Coach: The nervous civilian coach
Any Black Box should contain a number of
waits in the small clubhouse on-site at the villa;
Opportunities — generally, at least three per mis-
he has Dominic’s golf clubs with him. He’ll have
sion or one per tick sequence — each comprised
personal access to Dominic without the bene-
of discrete actions generated by a successful skill
fit of the man’s security. Potential rolls: Close
roll representing success at maneuvering into posi-
Combat + Might to knock out the coach; Larceny
tion. Successfully engaging in the Session Story se-
+ Composure to disguise as a replacement coach
quence means the target gains the Marked for Death
from the same country club; Larceny + Dexterity
Condition.
to replace the golf balls with cunning explosives
The realization of an Opportunity doesn’t neces- without the coach noticing.
sarily directly endanger the target, it just means that
the target now has an open vulnerability. The end of • The Business Associate: Dominic is meet-
a Session Story may be something as simple as pull- ing a new business associate on the beach, one
ing the fire alarm to force the target into a designat- who he’s never met. Both the associate and
ed evacuation zone out in the open, but this is the Dominic have backup coming with them; get-
culmination of infiltrating the building, stealing into ting in to replace them means only having a
security, and reviewing the emergency evacuation single bodyguard with Dominic Potential rolls:
plans to know where the target will go. Similarly, the Technology + Cunning to hack security’s radio
Marked for Death Condition doesn’t itself kill the comms and determine when and where the
target; it simply allows the Assassin into position to meetup will be earlier in the morning; Larceny
finalize the kill in one clean shot. As the Assassin real- + Resolve to determine the associate and the
izes Opportunities, the Marked for Death Condition bodyguard waiting nearby the beach before the
continues to build, until a simple action is enough to meetup; Close Combat + Might (or even a full
kill even a dramatic character in one single shot. combat) to knock out or eliminate the associate
and bodyguard; Technology + Manipulation to
• The Chef: Everybody’s got to eat; getting into
draw away Dominic’s bodyguard and meet with
the kitchen allows a prospective Assassin to de-
him alone; Persuasion + Manipulation to con-
termine when the meal’s coming in and who or-
vince Camparelli you’re who he’s supposed to
dered what, which means a quick hit of fast-act-
meet. Alternately, Technology + Manipulation
ing poison will act to eliminate Dominic, but
can convince Dominic to
leaves open the possibility of collateral damage
if his girlfriend decides to steal a fried potato • The Priest: It’s Saturday, and Dominic likes
wedge from his plate. Potential rolls: Larceny to sleep in on the weekends, so he goes to
Session Stories 107

nighttime Mass like any not-particularly-ob- them a reason to be in there. Edits shouldn’t bypass
servant Catholic. His bodyguards wait in the the Session Story, but they can set up a better way for
car outside; after all, what kind of sacrilegious the characters to interact with them from a position
monster would start shit in a house of God? of strength and skill.
The Mass lasts an hour between its start and
when the last churchgoer leaves the nave of BRANCHING OPPORTUNITIES
the church; Dominic waits in the confession- Opportunities shouldn’t exist on a purely lin-
al booth afterward. Potential rolls: Larceny + ear path. Instead, the Storyguide should feel free
Composure to disguise one’s self as a priest and to branch out Session Stories and ensure that
Humanities + Manipulation to successfully lead Opportunities compound one another. Forcing the
a Catholic Mass; target out of their routine is necessary to catch them
unaware and without resources at their disposal.
RETROACTIVE REVEALS However, savvy enemies won’t make that easy — so
Dramatic Editing can be used to justify nearly any Storyguides should present characters with a num-
opportunity being created; the Storyguide should ber of different ways to approach the subject. Pacing
be as liberal as possible when allowing edits in this is key here. Moving too quickly to the finale can be
manner, even to the point of allowing a player char- unsatisfying, but too many obstacles can feel like a
acter to seize control of an Opportunity. For exam- grind. Always communicate with the players and ask
ple, realizing the chef would be an easy kill, a player what their preferences are. If it feels like the table
may spend two Inspiration to edit their character in has lost interest or disengaged, it’s fine to remove ob-
as the new food supplier for the kitchen, thus giving stacles to move the story along more quickly.
GOING LOUD
When being subtle is no longer in the cards, it’s and other obstacles as they bear down on their tar-
time to go loud. Everything in the story so far has get. During the escape, Assassins must content with
built up to this point — the moment in which the similar issues as they get away from their victim’s
Assassin comes to claim the life of a dangerous tar- stronghold.
get. This should always be a momentous, exciting Start by building tension — not the in-game re-
occasion. source, but the mood. Be lavish with the descriptions
Going loud is almost always a result of the Marked and fire up the imaginations of all the players at the
for Death condition (p. XX). During any sequence in table. Give the players (and the Storyguide) lots of
which the conflict goes loud, the antagonist may can- details to improvise with. This may sound like a lot
cel out any further Marked for Death placed on them of work for one person, so use the players as a re-
by spending Source or Tension one for one, to resource by asking questions. The more the Storyguide
duce the rating of the condition to zero. The target of involves the table, the more engaged and excited all
the condition can then no longer be instantly killed, players will be. Use the group’s suggestions to build
but the narrative truth of the condition remains the the framing of this scene. The Storyguide should do
same. her best to incorporate at least one detail from each
player’s suggestion. This is the pinnacle of conflict.
SETTING THE SCENE The Assassins are no longer skulking about; they’re
Going loud means the culmination of an assassi- here to kill. It’s a showdown.
nation. This is the point at which there is no further Ask the character or characters in the spotlight:
recourse but to take the target out. In order to get • How do you approach your target?
all players into the mood and mindset, it’s time for
the Storyguide to set the scene. When going loud, • What are you wearing?
this conflict breaks down into two categories: ap-
• How do you feel?
proach and escape. During the approach, Assassins
fight through hordes of hired guns, deal with traps, Then ask the remaining players before the
approach:

• Who’s the most dangerous person or what is the new problem related to the antagonist’s base of
most dangerous thing that the target employs? operations. A hidden passageway could close,
an alarm could be tripped drastically cutting
• What could go horribly wrong?
down the time the Assassin has to reach her
Ask these questions before the escape: mark, an otherwise open space could lock down
into a fortified chamber, and so on. During the
• What methods does the target have to stop the escape, the same conditions apply, but instead
Assassin? they hinder the character’s ability to flee the
scene.
• What hidden exits might there be?
Once the Storyguide has the table’s answers to • Legions and Subordinates: The boss tries not to
these questions, she can create a thrilling scene. do their own fighting and keeps an army of dis-
posable champions and minions nearby. During
BOSS FIGHTS the approach, if the characters fail to buy off the
The target of the assassination takes on the role of associated Field Complication, the Storyguide
the “boss” of this encounter. They become the focus may introduce a new Minor Threat to the scene,
for this fight, empowered by the narrative. Any an- promote the status of an existing threat, heal half
tagonist can become a boss fight, by applying any of the health of a subordinate character, and so on.
the following rules. During the escape, the same conditions apply
but rather than swarms rushing to protect their
• Stronghold: Some bosses have an impenetra-
leader, the subordinates do everything in their
ble home base. During the approach, if the
power to trap the Assassin.
characters fail to buy off the Approach Field
Complication, the Storyguide may trigger a trap, • Final Form: This character becomes more
change a detail of the approach, or introduce a powerful after having been defeated once. The
Going Loud 109

Storyguide determines whether they consid- DARK (2)
er the initial defeat part of the approach or
the escape, but regardless, when the character The Field is pitch-black or draped in shadow. This
fails to buy off either Field Condition, this trig- might simply be happening at night or in a cave, or
gers the antagonist’s resurgence into the scene. it could extend to super-tech that blots out the sun
Immediately refresh all Assassin Powers the or plunges everything into darkness. Apply this
antagonist may have, restore any spent Tension, Complication to any actions involving movement
and add one die to all the Antagonist’s pools. (such as Sprinting) or determining range (such as
The boss heals back up to half health, but once Aim attacks), unless the character has immunity
they are Taken Out this time, that concludes the through Gifts or technology. In a Procedural, apply
encounter. this Complication to attempts to search for clues.
Consequence: If not bought off, the character
FIELDS takes an Injury Condition, falls prone, or strikes a
Ideally, each Field should be linked in a chain, different target than the one they declared.
meaning that it’s typically impossible to go from Field
DIZZYING HEIGHT (1)
A to Field D without passing through Fields B and C
first; however, Storyguides should provide a number The Field sits high above the ground, a vast ex-
of shortcuts between Fields, rewarding Assassins panse between the characters’ feet and the safety
who scope out the location first with the ability to of solid earth. This might be a platform suspended
rapidly move around the Black Box. Alternate meth- above the clouds, or a clash taking place aboard the
ods of approach can be part of the suggested branch- deck of an airship. The Complication applies to all
ing opportunities (p. XX). attack actions as well as movement actions requiring
a roll, unless the character has nerves of steel or an
FIELD CONDITIONS immunity to fear.
While creating the assault and the escape, use Field Consequence: If not bought off, the character
Conditions to build additional obstacles to overcome risks moving back a Range band as they scramble
and to frame the challenges present. Here are a few away from the Field’s edges, or suffering a +1 in-
examples of some Field Conditions the Storyguide crease in Difficulty to their next action after being
might apply. Some of these Field Conditions also ap- shaken from a fear of heights.
pear in Trinity Continuum: Adventure! and have
been reprinted here for ease of reference. FORTIFIED (3)
The Field has sturdy, defensible structures, grant-
CROWDED (2) ing an advantage to defenders and making life dif-
Bodies press in on all sides as a sea of humanity ficult for the attackers. Fortified might also cover a
moves back and forth through limited space. Apply Field strewn with a large amount of cover or other
this Complication to any attack rolls and any rolled obstructing terrain. This Complication applies to all
movement actions, unless the character can fly or has ranged attack actions or demolitions actions using
otherwise unerring aim. In an Intrigue, apply this Science or Technology.
Complication to all social actions involving speech, Consequence: Failing to buy off this Complication
unless the character has a way to communicate di- results in ranged attack actions targeting the scen-
rectly or nonverbally (such as using sign language or ery in addition to (or instead of ) the character they
telepathy). intended to target. Failing to do so on a demolition
Consequence: If not bought off on a move- action risks the shockwave of the explosion back-
ment action, the character risks getting lost, turned firing on the user, resulting in appropriate Injury
around, or pushed into another range band rather Conditions.
than their desired destination. If not bought off on
an attack action, the results of any purchased Stunts SPEEDING (3)
are applied to a target or piece of scenery chosen by The characters clash on a rushing vehicle, wheth-
the Storyguide in the same Range band. er on the top of a charging freight train, a racing
steamboat, or a soaring dirigible. Characters must

PEOPLE AS A COVER
Fighting in a crowd is ill-advised. Bystanders are typically a 2-point Complication in any
given Field, with failure to buy off the Complication resulting in the death of an innocent —
and only the sloppiest, most degraded Assassins would allow such a thing. To the savvy
Assassin, however, the idea of people as cover can be an asset in two ways.
First, fighting an opponent with morals — such as a principled bodyguard — means they
won’t want to engage you in a crowd either. Secondly, using people in the Field and
bystanders as cover allows the Assassin to blend in, throwing off the scent of any pursuers.
To utilize this Stunt, the Assassin must be wearing a disguise good enough to look like a
member of the cover group, and her player must roll a success on an action that replicates
what the cover group is doing — Athletics for walking in a crowd, Medicine for blending
into a surgical team.
Blending In (3 successes): If you’ve broken the line of sight for a group of enemies and
they have no other method to find you, you may purchase this Stunt on any action that
replicates whatever action the people you’re using for cover are doing. Minor characters
can’t find you at all; major characters suffer a 3-point Complication to locate you.
maintain their balance and/or control of the vehicle damage to the scenery or another character in the
or risk disaster. This Complication applies to Pilot scene, or striking another target in addition to their
actions, attack actions, and movement actions re- original. If not bought off during a Pilot action, the
quiring a roll, unless the character has flawless con- character risks the Crashing Field Complication be-
trol over a vehicle or their own personal movement. ing added to the scene, or the vehicle they are driving
Consequence: Not buying off the Complication moving into another, unintended Field, striking the
risks an Injury Complication from falling or being scenery, or risking structural damage.
dragged along by the speeding vehicle, moving into
an unintended Range band, or attacks affecting a dif- THE APPROACH (1)
ferent target (including vital scenery or bystanders). The Assassin tries to get into a location. This Field
Failing to buy off the Complication on a Pilot roll re- Condition applies to the entirety of the approach. If a
sults in the vehicle moving in an unintended direc- character fails to buy off the Approach complication,
tion, and possibly causing a crash. the Storyguide triggers one of the boss fight qualities,
or may have an antagonist in the scene refresh one of
TIGHT (3) their Assassin Powers.
The Field has little to no room to move, making
flashy moves and big weapons nearly impossible to use. THE ESCAPE (1)
Characters tangling in an action sequence fight practi-The Assassin tries to get out of a location after
cally on top of one another. This Complication applies
they’ve killed a major target. This Field Condition
to attack actions made with weapons: ranged and closeapplies to the entirety of the escape. If a charac-
combat, unless the weapon has the Concealable Tag, orter fails to buy off the Escape complication, the
Pilot actions taken in a driver’s seat. Storyguide triggers one of the boss fight qualities, or
Consequence: If not bought off, characters risk an may have an antagonist in the scene refresh one of
Injury Condition, losing or breaking their weapon, their Assassin Powers.
Going Loud 111

ASSASSIN POWERS
Assassin powers are simple, straightforward tac-
DISARM
tical actions an Antagonist can use to gain the upper
hand or give themselves a temporary boost in a dif- Cost: 1 Tension
ficult situation. They allow the Antagonist to make a
Duration: Instant
small change to the narrative in their own favor. Once
Subject: One Target
a power is activated, the Antagonist can’t use it again
Range: Close
until a specific Cooldown condition has been met. Action: Simple
Most Assassin powers don’t require a dice pool; Cooldown: Three turns
the Storyguide activates them when she deems it ap-
propriate to the story. When they do require a roll, It’s easier to take out an opponent if they can’t stab
use the most appropriate pool from the Antagonist’s you or shoot back. On a successful close combat roll,
Primary or Secondary action list. (For Antagonist the Antagonist knocks their target’s primary weapon
character creation guidelines, see the Trinity one range band away.
Continuum Core Rulebook, p. 137–140, substituting
Assassin powers in place of anomaly powers.) DIVE FOR IT
Cost: 1 or 2 Tension
TENSION Duration: Instant
Antagonists possess a Tension pool similar to Subject: One object
the player characters’ Momentum, which they use Range: Close to Short
to activate their powers. The character’s beginning Action: Simple
Tension pool is equal to her Desperation pool. When
Cooldown: Two turns
the antagonist makes a roll, the Storyguide adds
1 Tension to the pool on a failed roll, 2 for a botch. The gun with one bullet left in the chamber. The
The Storyguide may also add Tension to the pool as bomb’s detonator. A thumb drive full of passcodes.
a consequence for failed player’s characters’ actions, The dead guard’s walkie-talkie. Whoever controls
or for failing to buy off certain Complications. the object controls the fight, and the Antagonist and
her opponent are both just steps away from it. An
ATTACK Antagonist activating this power moves up one tick
Antagonists have access to the following special rating on the initiative roster per point of Tension
attack abilities. spent. If the expenditure places her in the same slot as
her opponent, she steals the Focus to start the round.
DEADLY AIM
Cost: None DEFENSE
Duration: Instant Antagonists may use the following special defense
Subject: One target abilities.
Range: Medium to Long
PUNCHING BAG
Action: Simple
Cooldown: One round Cost: None
Duration: One scene
The Antagonist can hit a single target with incred- Subject: Self
ible accuracy, even when the target’s in the midst of Range: Self
a crowd or a tight cluster of people. All it takes is one Action: Reflexive
split second’s opening. This doesn’t have to be a kill
Cooldown: The Antagonist clears damage from
shot: The Antagonist may use this power to hit her two Health Boxes.
mark with a tranquilizer dart or a tracking device.
Add a +1 Enhancement to Aim rolls. Some Antagonists are built to take hits for their
teams. A lot of hits. Enough to make their opponents
wonder if anything will bring them down. The truth is,

the Antagonist has trained for this: they know how to Range: Short to medium
take a punch and ignore the initial flare of pain. They’ll Action: Simple
feel the bruises tomorrow, but right now they’ve got Cooldown: One session
a job to do. The Antagonist gains +1 Defense and +1
Health for the remainder of the combat. The Antagonist matches their target stride for
stride. If the hero leaps an unlikely distance from one
SHAKE YOUR TAIL rooftop to the next, so does the Antagonist. When the
Cost: None hero escapes the exploding fuel barrels unscathed,
Duration: One scene the Antagonist strides out of the flames a moment
later. While an Antagonist is pursuing a target, she
Subject: One target
employs the same Edges and Skill Tricks as that tar-
Range: Medium to long
get, whether she normally has access to them or not.
Action: Simple
Cooldown: The Antagonist successfully spots a SKELETON KEY CARD
player’s character who’s attempting to conceal
themselves or sneak up on him. Cost: 1 Tension
Duration: Instant
Antagonists have plenty of things they’d prefer to Subject: One object
keep secret: the location of their secret lairs and dead Range: Close
drops, the path to their employer’s headquarters and Action: Simple
the codeword to get in. When they sense someone’s Cooldown: One round
following them, an Antagonist executes a series of ma-
neuvers to lose their pursuer. The Storyguide chooses An Antagonist can access any locked or restricted
whether the Antagonist receives a +1 Enhancement to area, unless the player characters have intentionally
rolls to lose whoever’s tracking them, or whether he locked her out. When attempting to bypass a player’s
imposes a +1 Complication on his opponents. character-imposed lock, gain a +1 Enhancement to
an appropriate Primary Pool roll. This may reflect a
TITANIUM SKULL lifted ID badge, a glimpse at an employee punching
Cost: None or 1 Tension in an access code, or the age-old strategy of hitting
Duration: Instant the lock with a hammer.
Subject: Self
Range: Self
SOCIAL
Action: Simple These special Antagonist abilities pertain to in-
Cooldown: Three rounds trigue actions.
That haymaker should have rung the Antagonist’s FLAWLESS DISGUISE

bell, but she merely grins and shrugs it off. An attack- Cost: 1 or 2 Tension
er’s Critical Stunt fails to inflict an additional Injury Duration: One scene
Condition on the Antagonist. If the attack’s normal Subject: Self
damage would render her Taken Out, the Storyguide
Range: Self
may spend 1 Tension to clear her rightmost Health
Action: Simple
Box to keep her on her feet.
Cooldown: The Antagonist enters an isolated area
where he can switch disguises.
UTILITY
These antagonist abilities cover anything else un- The Antagonist’s own mother wouldn’t recog-
related to combat. nize him, but he could easily fool the parents of the
person whose face he’s wearing. Whether via care-
COPYCAT fully applied makeup and excellent acting skills, or
Cost: 3 Tension through cutting-age tech, the Antagonist takes on
Duration: One scene someone else’s appearance and mannerisms for one
Subject: Self scene. Spend 1 Tension to increase the Difficulty to
spot the imposter by 1.
Assassin Powers 113

Even if the characters know they’re dealing with Action: Simple
a fake, they might not know who it is behind the dis- Cooldown: One session
guise. For 2 Tension, add 2 to the Difficulty to identi-
fy the Antagonist. The Assassin’s opponent has people literally every-
where and uncovers the hidden supplies or secrets
VOICE OF AUTHORITY that the Assassin has set aside for herself. Maybe it
Cost: None was discovered by a janitor who reports to one of the
opponent’s plants in a given company. Perhaps a sur-
Duration: One round
veillance camera got bumped and pointed directly at
Subject: Immediate crowd
the door to the Assassin’s bolthole apartment.
Range: Short
System: When attempting to locate an Assassin’s
Action: Simple
hidden equipment (such as Stash in Every City)
Cooldown: One round or hidden home, the Assassin’s opponent receives
1 Enhancement and may ignore Environmental
The Antagonist sounds like someone in charge,
Complications of 2 or lower.
so bystanders obey her orders. She issues a short
command, such as “Get down!” “Run for cover!” or
I KNOW THAT FACE
“GET HIM!” and other Storyguide characters do as
they’re told, allowing the character with this power Cost: 2 Tension
to immediately clear a scene at Storyguide discre- Duration: One session
tion. Players’ characters who follow the Antagonist’s Subject: One target
orders gain 1 Momentum for buying in. These orders Range: Medium to Long
only apply to crowd control actions. Action: Simple
Cooldown: One session
SUPPORT
An antagonist whose purpose is to bolster and Even Assassins who take steps to leave no foot-
support their allies may take any of the abilities. prints in the modern world can be tracked by om-
nipresent cameras; he appears in the background of
FOR MY MASTER someone’s selfie on social media, is picked up by a
lens he didn’t see on the street, his voice can be heard
Cost: 2 Tension
in the background of a remote news broadcast.
Duration: Instant
System: When tracking the Assassin through
Subject: Self
technological means, his opponent gains +2
Range: Self
Enhancement to efforts to pin down her current lo-
Action: Simple cation and may ignore Environmental Complications
Cooldown: One session of 2 or lower.
Prerequisite: The opponent is a member of a
OUT OF THE WOODWORK
far-reaching organization. When dying, she expends
her last breaths to speak words of praise for the or- Cost: 1 Tension
ganization to which she belongs or its leader, and the Duration: One scene
act of belonging gives her the ability to rise and fight Subject: One ally
the Assassin with renewed strength. The Antagonist Range: Short
recovers half their Health, instantly repairs and re- Action: Simple
covers any broken or disarmed gear, and may con- Cooldown: One session
tinue fighting.
Just when the hero’s sure they’ve defeated all the
HOW DID THEY FIND THIS Antagonist’s henchmen, one last foe joins the fight.
Cost: 1 Tension The Storyguide may bring a previously-defeated
Duration: One session minion back into play, even ones the characters were
sure were dead. Alternately, the Storyguide may use
Subject: One Target
stats for Leg-Breakers or Toughs (see below), or any
Range: Medium to Long

other appropriate Minor or Medium Threat-level Subject: All allied Antagonists
opponent. Range: Short
Action: Reflexive
TRUST NO ONE Cooldown: Half of the Antagonist’s allies have
Cost: 3 Tension been Taken Out
Duration: One session
The Antagonist’s employers don’t hire weaklings.
Subject: One subject
When the team’s taken heavy losses, it’s up to those
Range: Medium
still in the fight to regroup and hit back even hard-
Action: Simple er. Using this power, any of the Antagonist’s allies
Cooldown: One session who are still standing recover 1 Health, and gain a +1
Enhancement on their next attack roll.
No organization is safe, and no one can be trusted:
the Assassin’s opponents are everywhere, and those System: When Taken Out or critically injured,
who report him have infiltrated even the most stal- the opponent may spend a turn monologuing and
wartly supportive groups. An Assassin may find him- then rise to fight again for a single turn. At the end
self suddenly regretting something she said in public of the second turn, unless aid has been rendered to
— at a rally, a protest, or a strike, for example. The her which would otherwise eliminate the Taken Out
charismatic opponent has gained the upper hand. Condition, she collapses.
System: When the Assassin is attempting to use a
WE CAN SEE YOU
Preparation Keyword Mastery in order to access re-
sources through an organization with which she has Cost: 3 Tension
ties, she receives +2 Complication to obtaining results if Duration: One scene
she does not buy off Trust No One. The opponent’s min- Subject: One target
ions work against her and the opponent may receive 1 Range: Medium to Long
Enhancement to attempting to uncover her activities. Action: Simple
UBIQUITOUS MANSERVANTS
Cost: 1 Tension The organization hunting the Assassin controls a
Duration: One session plethora of cameras, tracking his every movement
through the streets, and they use this to taunt him,
Subject: One subject per Tension
distracting and unsettling him.
Range: Medium
System: From the moment that the Assassin real-
Action: Simple
izes he’s being tracked he receives a +2 Complication
to rolls to move unseen, avoid notice or rolls to jump,
How does this house have people absolutely every- climb or drive. If he doesn’t buy off the Complication,
where? Why can’t the Assassin find a route through things suddenly start getting in his way: he trips over
this mansion that doesn’t have a maid folding towels boxes and runs into trash cans as he tries to get out
or a handyman replacing a lightbulb? Why, around of view of the eyes he suddenly feels on him at every
every corner, does there seem to be a bodyguard? moment.
System: When his opponent is on his home turf,
YOUR MONEY’S NO GOOD HERE
the Assassin receives +2 Complication to rolls per-
taining to moving through said home turf with- Cost: 3 Tension
out being seen. If he does not buy off Ubiquitous Duration: One session
Manservants, word of his presence spreads through Subject: One target
the home base, causing future trouble for the Range: Medium to Long
Assassin. Action: Simple
WALK IT OFF
Cost: None When attempting to move through the world,
Duration: Instant Assassins leave a paper trail which can be picked up
Assassin Powers 115

on by his opponents and used to isolate him from accounts are frozen and cash registers simply refuse
sources of assistance. to open at convenience stores; the shadowy forces
System: When making rolls which pertain to at- watching that particular store through surveillance
tempting to access funds or use those funds, the cameras recognize the Assassin and attempt to stop
Assassin receives a +2 Complication if he does her from even using cash to pay for supplies, trans-
not buy off Your Money’s No Good Here. His bank port, or other necessities.
ANTAGONISTS
The antagonists below are divided by Daylight, complicating things considerably. ULTRALIGHT
Twilight, and Shadow. is infamous for using their hypnosis techniques to
brainwash regular people into dupes for use during
• Daylight antagonists are mundane people
contracts.
who can make a contract more complicated.
Procedural and Intrigue actions should be used Primary Pool: 7 (pretending to be okay,
with Daylight Antagonists whenever possible, sabotage)
as killing them can cause significant complica-
Secondary Pool: 5 (desperate combat, escape)
tions for Assassins.
Desperation Pool: 3
• Twilight antagonists make up a majority of the Enhancement: 1
people that Assassins will fight, including crim- Defense: 3
inals, corrupt police officers and minor antago- Health: 3
nists. While the target for an assassination may Edges: Adrenaline Spike, Fast Draw, Skilled Liar
operate primarily in Twilight, Twilight antag-
Sleeper Agent (Unique Power): Hypnotized by
onists are usually subordinates rather than the
ULTRALIGHT or a similar outfit, the Dupe has an
target themselves.
objective she has been hypnotized to accomplish,
• Shadow antagonists are the important and dan- such as shutting off the power at a party, or breaking
gerous people who are the targets for assassina- into an executive’s office. She adds a +3 Complication
tion, with resources and abilities to help keep to any Intrigue or Procedural actions to deduce her
themselves alive. These also include Assassins goal. Failure to buy the Complication presents the
and antagonists like them. wrong conclusion: The Dupe may be up to some-
thing, but it is mundane misbehavior, unrelated to
The named characters below are examples of their
their goal. Alternatively, the Complication may acti-
archetypes. Feel free to use them as written, or take
vate her programming, which grants an additional +1
them as a starting point for building their own an-
Enhancement to physical actions to accomplish her
tagonists. Storyguides may want to shuffle their stats
objective and compels her to aggressively pursue it
around or give them different Edges and Powers that
without regards for her safety.
reflect their backstories.
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
DAYLIGHT ANTAGONISTS
If you want to meet with the head of the compa-
Security guards, lookouts and regular people
ny, first you have to get past her executive assistant.
caught up in events. Killing people in Daylight can vi-
This person handles their boss’ calendar, books their
olate the Code and draw a lot of unwanted attention.
flights, coordinates with other important contacts,
DUPE and screens their calls and emails. Get on their good
side, and they’ll squeeze you into an already-busy
They threatened her family and gave her a gun, schedule. Cross them, and you’ll find your plane tick-
telling her she knew what to do. Dupes are innocent ets canceled and your security clearance revoked.
people suddenly pulled into Assassin affairs through
Joseph Long’s been executive assistant to the CEO
blackmail or threats. They might be working with
of PrismaTech for eight years. He’s an indispensable
Assassins and betray them at the last minute, or act
part of the team, though people are often quick to
against targets in Twilight in the middle of a contract,
dismiss him. He knows the company’s priorities, can

sniff out a bullshit meeting request, and triple checks neighborhood as safe as humanly possible.
that all of his boss’ security requirements have been
met before he books a single speaking gig. No detail Primary Pool: 7 (perception, persuasion)
gets overlooked, which has not only saved the com- Secondary Pool: 5 (neighborhood knowledge)
pany money, but has also saved its employees’ lives. Desperation Pool: 3
The boss’ bodyguards may be her last line of defense, Enhancement: 1
but Joseph is her first. Defense: 3
Health: 4
Primary Pool: 7 (logistics, corporate policy)
Edges: Danger Sense, Keen Sense (Hearing or
Secondary Pool: 5 (self-defense, research) Sight), Speed Reading
Desperation Pool: 3
Enhancement: 1 PARTYGOER
Defense: 3
High-society parties and underground clubs are
Health: 4 full of people who have no idea that they might be
Edges: Human Lie Detector 2, Iron Will 1, rubbing elbows with the rulers of the Twilight and
Photographic Memory 1 the Shadow. While most might not be anyone, some
have powerful connections that can present a prob-
LITTLE OLD LADY (WITH A GUN)
lem if they’re inconvenienced or harmed.
She’s lived in this neighborhood for sixty years,
and there’s nothing about it that she doesn’t know, Primary Pool: 7 (carousing, opening doors)
no one whose name she hasn’t known since the day Secondary Pool: 5 (making a scene, sneaking
they were born. She deeply and violently dislikes around)
the fact that Assassins keep showing up in her shop Desperation Pool: 3
and disturbing the peace. Underneath the blanket Enhancement: 1
on her lap, she keeps a firearm hidden, and don’t let Defense: 2
her peaceable expression and gentle smile fool you: Health: 3
her keen eyes don’t miss a thing. What’s even more Edges: None
dangerous? Sometimes several of these bubbes get
together for Shabbas brunch and decide to form a RENT-A-COP
neighborhood watch.
A security guard, beat cop, or bodyguard hired to
Primary Pool: 7 (firearms, perception) watch over something. Their loyalty is to their wages
Secondary Pool: 5 (neighborhood knowledge) rather than their boss, the scent of money or simply
a good distraction can be an easy way to get them out
Desperation Pool: 3
of an Assassin’s way.
Enhancement: 1
Defense: 3 Primary Pool: 6 (awareness, brawling)
Health: 4 Secondary Pool: 4 (firearms, sensing trouble)
Edges: Fast Draw, Skilled Liar, Weak Spots Desperation Pool: 2
Enhancement: 0
LOOKOUT
Defense: 3
She never gets involved with any of the fights that Health: 3
happen in her neighborhood: that’s not her job. All Edges: Adrenaline Spike, Fast Draw
that she’s supposed to do is watch carefully and re-
port in, conveying to her contact anything that she TWILIGHT ANTAGONISTS
sees that’s out of the ordinary. She might own the
Criminals, troublemakers and people on the mar-
bodega on the corner of 78th and 110th, but she
gins of the Shadow. Twilight antagonists are the dan-
might also be the head of a suburban PTA, living in
gerous people who will often get in the Assassin’s
Arlington Mews and driving an SUV. What’s import-
way. While they might be dangerous and fearsome
ant is that not only does she get paid for her infor-
by the standards of the Daylight, they know that you
mation, but she also truly cares about keeping her
don’t fuck with Assassins lightly.
Antagonists 117
BODYGUARD used on forceful attacks or intimidation tactics. He
can spend Tension to stay up for 1 additional round
Bruno is just here for a paycheck. He doesn’t care after being Taken Out, but only once per session.
for grand schemes or carefully crafted plots. He isn’t
impressed with the idea of criminals and killers who BUREAUCRAT
bide their time in the shadows, blades pressed against
their back waiting to sink into unsuspecting flesh, or He didn’t expect to be working for one of the most
the thought of having a target painted on your own. ruthless organizations on the planet, but he’s not go-
ing to turn down the paycheck. He had no idea that
No, in Bruno’s opinion, it’s an insulting way to kill or
he’d be expected to take on all of these questionably
be killed. He’d much rather use his fists, or at least gun
them down himself, for God’s sake. He does recognize legal tasks, but at this point he’s in too deep, and his
student loans just got transferred to one of the most
that they are a real threat, and luckily, he is in the busi-
ness of providing a service to help prevent that. notoriously horrible lenders on the planet. Of course,
that lender is owned by the organization, and his
He isn’t Inspired, nor is he an Assassin, but Bruno
loan collector is his Twilight handler, but he doesn’t
is well-informed and involved with the machina-
know that. If the Assassin does, she might be able to
tions of the criminal underworld. He’s worked body-
turn the Navigator into an ally.
guard contracts for all sorts of high-profile clients:
from CEOs to politicians to kingpins, and even oth- Primary Pool: 7 (bureaucracy, legal knowledge)
er Assassins — for the right price. He’s well-known Secondary Pool: 5 (persuasion)
in the business for his unscrupulous attitude and
Desperation Pool: 3
brute strength, but don’t let that fool you. Many an
Enhancement: 1
Assassin has met an unfortunate end through un-
derestimating his tact and meeting with his fists in- Defense: 3
stead; finding their blades struck clean through their Health: 4
chest, poison they intended to plant shoved down Edges: Danger Sense, Keen Sense (Hearing or
their own throats. He serves to show that the best Sight), Speed Reading
Assassins must consider and meet all possible risks
while pursuing their contracts. GADGETEER
Every organization has one: a guy who comes up
Primary Pool: 8 (hand-to-hand combat and with the shiny things that all of the Assassins desper-
tracking) ately want to play with. This one just happens to be
Secondary Pool: 6 (fast talk and pursuit) on the other side. He’s not entirely sure how he got
Desperation Pool: 4 where he is now: he just wanted to create things. A
Enhancement: 2 little mad scientist, a little distracted genius, a little
Defense: 4 bit innocent person who wanted to see how things
Health: 6 worked. His equipment leaves nothing to be desired,
Edges: Iron Will 3, Hardy 2, Keen Sight 1 though.
Attention to Detail (Unique Power): Bruno’s done Bob’s another one of those shiny-toymakers, and
this job for a while. He’s got an unwavering scrupu- he started out working for a tech company in Silicon
lous eye for picking out a careless target. Increase theValley. They kept offering him promotions and train-
Difficulty of getting past this character with lies or ing opportunities and transferring him to even more
disguises by 2, and he may spend Tension to automati- and more remote locations, having him sign even
cally contest these without a roll. Use his Primary Poolmore elaborate NDAs. Then one day he woke up and
and Enhancement rating to oppose the roll. realized they’d tied him up in legalese so intense that
Raging Fury (Unique Power): Physically impos- he barely owned his own thoughts. He’d be upset,
ing and with the strength to match, Bruno, and oth- except for the fact that they give him this incredible
er leg breakers like him, cut straight to the chase. In lab … and speaking of that lab, Bob’s started to realize
his opinion, a fist aimed straight for the face will do that his experiments have had an interesting effect
just as well for dealing with pesky enemy Assassins. on him.
Bruno has narrative permissions to break the scen- NOTE: Bob has a higher equipment pool than
ery, and his Primary Pool and Enhancements may be is usually available to opponents. This reflects his

absolutely absurd level of technological prowess. GETAWAY DRIVER
Storyguides are encouraged to give him the sort of
toys that would make a three-number-identified At a glance, Steven Grant is an unremarkable in-
British spy drool. dividual. He looks like your Average Joe, driving out
to his low-paying nine-to-five, hoping the boss will
Primary Pool: 9 (technology and bureaucracy) keep a promotion in mind for him, then heading
Secondary Pool: 7 (research, those wonderful home to enjoy dinner with his wife and kids. This is
toys) mostly a correct observation: Steven enjoys the finer
Desperation Pool: 5 and kinder things in life.
Enhancement: 4 Unfortunately for Steven, he also happens to know
Defense: 4 some bad people. Some bad people who’ve taken advan-
Health: 6 tage of him for their own ends after some bad decisions
on Steven’s part (which may or may not have involved a
Anomaly Powers: Hyper Intelligent, Hardened
Skin, Inspired, Slip the Cuffs night of drunken gambling). Now, he finds himself strad-
dling the line between the darkness of the criminal un-
Those Wonderful Toys (Unique Power): Bob
derworld, and maintaining his bright family life, and the
makes the most wonderful gadgets, and his toys lean
difficulties that come with such a conundrum.
out past what normal science can do and become
Super-science. By spending 1 Tension at a narrative- Away from his mundane life, Steven works as a
ly-appropriate time, he may create a Super-science getaway driver and petty thief for local criminal
effect or produce an Artifact. Where does he get gangs. The risk of not working for them is the death
those wonderful toys? of his already compromised family. Maybe some part
of him enjoys the exhilaration of car chases and ille-
gal activity.
Antagonists 119
Primary Pool: 6 (fast driving, vehicles) Health: 5
Secondary Pool: 4 (thievery and fast talk) Edges: Conspirators 2, The Darkest Web, Library 2
Desperation Pool: 2 Source: 4
Enhancement: 1 Powers: Hyperintelligent (Trinity Core, p. 139),
Defense: 3 Skeleton Key Card
Health: 3
NAMELESS HACKER
Edges: Hair Trigger Reflexes 1, Adrenaline Spike
2, Direction Sense 1 She’s shown in a group shot with a bunch of oth-
Hand on The Wheel (Unique Power): Steven was er computer jockey mooks — the light of a computer
blackmailed into Twilight two reasons: one, for his screen reflecting off of her glasses or illuminating
exceptional driving ability and vehicular knowledge; her face with a sickly glow. The accompanying clat-
two, for his level of preparedness —always ready to ter of a keyboard always comes with phrases like
step on the gas and make his getaway. The Storyguide “Found him!” and “If I enhance this image, I think
has narrative permission to allow Steven to appear as I can see it, boss.” Aware that people skills or ‘soft
a getaway driver for any other Antagonist in use; the hacking’ often gets better results than computers,
players will have three rounds to stop Steven before she’s leveraged her smile to get as many passwords
he spends 1 Tension to flee automatically. as her scripts. She’s eager to please her boss, and sure
Adrenaline Surge (Unique Power): In the heat that she can someday rise within her organization,
of the chase, it’s more than easy to lose yourself; this get out of this basement workspace, and maybe do
character lives for the feeling and energy of danger her work somewhere with a window.
beating down against their back, and if hired as a
Primary Pool: 7 (hacking and research)
driver, can grant the players his enhancement rating
Secondary Pool: 5 (persuasion)
to Pilot rolls in Chase sequences.
Desperation Pool: 3
INFO BROKER Enhancement: 1
Defense: 3
In an online age, even cautious surfers leave infor-
mation about themselves strewn across the internet.
Health: 4
Shopping habits, location information, even quizzes Edges: Always Prepared, Lighting Calculator, Keen
to determine which fairytale princess would be your Sense (Eyesight)
bestie gives away a lot. Combine that with complex
NEIGHBORHOOD TOUGH
algorithms, access to public records, leaked finan-
cials, and some good old knowledge of how people It’s not enough to have people who directly re-
work, and you’re sitting on a goldmine. port to you, fully integrated into your organization: a
Aly Dufresne compiles dossiers for her clients. successful boss needs to have people literally every-
What they do with the information isn’t her problem. where. Enter the Tough. He carries a sap or a bat and
Tracking down a deadbeat parent? Great. Blackmailing intimately knows every alley and shortcut through
a high-ranking politician? Should’ve turned down those the neighborhood where he’s lived since birth. The
bribes if he didn’t want it coming back to bite him. Tough doesn’t care too much about politics which
Destroying your neighbor’s life over a property dispute? happen far above his head; he’s either in this for the
Not Aly’s concern. Pay her fee, and she’ll get you any- paycheck or just because he wants to make sure that
thing you could want to know about a target. For an even his family is protected. Whichever route the Boss
higher fee, she’s also willing to help people erase their took to buy him, though, he bought in. He’s in way
records and drop off the grid. Everything’s negotiable. over his head now, just trying to stay afloat. Nothing
is worth this paycheck.
Primary Pool: 8 (hacking, research)
Secondary Pool: 6 (bureaucracy, social Primary Pool: 7 (brawling, intimidation)
engineering) Secondary Pool: 5 (firearms)
Desperation Pool: 4 Desperation Pool: 3
Enhancement: 2 Enhancement: 1
Defense: 4 Defense: 3

Health: 4 Desperation Pool: 4
Edges: Fast Draw, Adrenaline Spike Enhancement: 2
Defense: 4
PORTER Health: 5
Porters are people in the employ of the Service, Edges: Flawless Accent, Null Biometrics, Skilled
the collective industries of the Shadow who provide Liar
support and infrastructure to the Assassin Societies, Source: 4
as long as they remain in good standing. Porters usu- Powers: Flawless Disguise, Copycat
ally have an area of illicit activity they excel in, such
as disposing of corpses, acquiring weapons, clearing CONTRACT KILLER
up bureaucratic red tape or securing inconspicuous
Dark, brooding, and chillingly ruthless, Stella Rose
transportation, services they provide to Assassins.
fits the stereotypical yet perhaps most idealized ver-
Often appearing as allies, two Assassins working
sion of an Assassin; the perfect contract killer. She’s
at odds may have to contend with Porters assisting
unfazed by the harsh realities of what the job de-
one another. While they know what they signed up
mands, and every target is just another paycheck, an-
for, killing them is ill-advised: No Assassin wants to
other way to keep the roof over her and her younger
make an enemy of the Service.
sister’s head. It wasn’t always like this, though.
Primary Pool: 8 (concealing involvement, special Stella and her sister lived as atypical spoiled rich
services) girls, going through life with only the best gifts, meals,
Secondary Pool: 6 (breaking and entering, and education: all at the behest of their well-funded
tracking) parents — politicians who gained their wealth and po-
Desperation Pool: 4 sitions through dirty money. However, the siblings soon
Enhancement: 2 found their idyllic life violently torn away when their
parents’ crimes were exposed (ironically, by a differ-
Defense: 4
ent mysterious Assassin). Family torn away, the sisters
Health: 5
were all that they had left of each other, and as the older
Edges: Flawless Accent, Faceless, Forger, child, Stella took it upon herself to try and provide and
Well-Equipped
care for them both. She used what remained of their
dwindling fortune to secure a roof over their heads …
SHADOW ANTAGONISTS and the rest to search for a source of work.
Assassins, masterminds, and others who live in the
Many, of course, turned her pleas away. Luckily,
Shadow are among the most challenging targets to face.
there are plenty of shadowy organizations strewn
throughout the criminal underworld that were hap-
THE CHAMELEON
py to take the embittered, desperate young woman in
The Chameleon never wears the same face twice. and teach her the ways of assassination.
Sure, she’s a master of disguises with an armory’s Initially, Stella worked with a certain amount of re-
worth of costumes, wigs, and makeup, but those are pulsion for her new position in life. But eventually the
all extras. With a subtle change in her expression, her risk and the money rubbed off, replaced by the threat
posture, and her gait, she can switch from unobtrusive of being caught, the heat of being pursued, the knife’s
underling one moment to charismatic CEO the next. grip in her palm. Soon enough, a rush of power ran
She breezes through security checkpoints, blends in through her like adrenaline as she ripped the life away
with any crowd, gets her job done and moves on. from an unsuspecting target with a slit of her knife.
She’s got a family, somewhere, but she cut all ties She got used to her life, climbed through the ranks,
when she took the job. If no one knows who she is, but in exchange, her heart became hardened and
they can’t seek out her parents and siblings to threat- greedy. She’s unafraid to take exactly what she wants,
en her. It’s safer that way, but it’s also terribly lonely. not thinking twice about who has to die to get her way.
Primary Pool: 8 (disguise and sneaking) Primary Pool: 8 (knives and going unnoticed)
Secondary Pool: 6 (hand-to-hand combat and Secondary Pool: 6 (breaking and entering)
fast talk) Desperation Pool: 4
Antagonists 121
Enhancement: 2 them. They’re the strategies that have kept her alive
Defense: 4 thus far. She doesn’t consider it cheating if her own
Health: 5 Talents make her just that much better at imple-
Edges: Weak Spots 1, Covert 3, Keen Hearing 1, menting them. She’s capable of leading a team of
Library 1 allies, and willing to cede control to others. On any
mission, she has only two priorities: finish the job
Arrow in The Dark (Unique Power): Stella bends
and get out alive.
the darkness to her will, creeping through it like a
black cat on a midnight stalk. However, she will cer- Primary Pool: 9 (gunfighting, stealth)
tainly see you before you see her, and if one’s unlucky
Secondary Pool: 7 (pursuit, technology)
… they’ll find their neck sliced or pierced in a heart-
Desperation Pool: 5
beat. This character is naturally stealthy and attuned
to covert operations and assassinations, granting the Enhancement: 4
Storyguide narrative permissions to allow her to by- Defense: 4
pass security and appear elsewhere without warn- Health: 6
ing. If this would strain the believability of the narra- Edges: Always Prepared, Boltholes 3, Hardy, Light
tive, spend Tension. She can apply her Enhancement Sleeper 2
to ambushes and surprise attacks. Source: 5
Eyes On the Prize (Unique Power): Coming from Powers: Deadly Aim, Out of the Woodwork, Walk it Off
a wealthy background has more than a few advantag-
es. For one, it granted Stella an appreciation for the POISONER
finer things in life; greed motivates her. The Attitude The poisoner’s an expert in deadly drug interac-
of a social scene may be set to a positive rating at her tions, allergic reactions, and substances that leave no
favor, but only when wealth and status are on the line unusual traces on a tox screen. Some employers, of
and at the risk of putting themselves in danger or ex- course, want their marks to suffer, and they’ve got
posing their location. concoctions for that, too. Poisoners deal in neuro-
Power Rush (Unique Power): Despite initial re- toxins, paralyzing agents, truth serums, and more.
vulsion to her new lifestyle, Stella grew accustomed Often, they freelance for various Society members,
to what her new life and employers demanded of administering a drug and monitoring the patient’s
her. This character may add her Enhancement to any vitals while the Assassin or interrogator does their
applicable rolls targeting a character with only one work. Other times, they’re the Assassins, donning
Health Box remaining. If the target is successfully nurses’ scrubs to inject poison into an IV line or slip-
Taken Out or otherwise forced to surrender or sub- ping into a target’s house and replacing his life-sav-
mit, add 1 Tension and Stella heals 1 Health. ing pills with identical but deadly substances.
Anna Everett dabbled in several fields before de-
THE LIFER ciding college wasn’t for her: biology, chemistry, fo-
The old school contract killer’s been in the busi- rensics, medicine. She spent a semester interning for
ness longer than most of the people who hire her. the medical examiner and got an entire education on
She’s taken on assignments not only from their par- death. Maybe someday, she’ll finish her degree and
ents, but knew their grandparents when they first apply to med school, but for now, applying what she
inherited the family enterprises. She’s seen regimes learned to make her victims look like they died from
change, and even had a hand in bringing a few of natural causes pays the bills quite nicely.
those about, but prefers to keep her head down and
her gun clean. No one retires from this job voluntari- Primary Pool: 8 (chemistry, medicine)
ly, and though she’s eligible to collect social security, Secondary Pool: 6 (bladed weapons, fast-talk)
she has no intention of hanging up her holster. Desperation Pool: 4
In her late sixties, Lelliana Ek keeps up-to-date Enhancement: 2
on new technology — this is a business, after all, Defense: 4
and it’s smart to be ready for what your rivals will Health: 5
use against you. However, she prefers older methods Edges: Adrenaline Spike 2, Lightning Calculator 2,
of disappearing, dealing with foes, and dispatching Poison Tolerance 2

THE PERPETUAL PROBLEM Health: 6
Anomaly Powers: Heightened Reflexes,
No one understands how he keeps coming back,
Inspired, Slip the Cuffs, He Returns
but no matter how many times someone thinks he’s
He Returns (Unique Power): If Chuck has been
dead, he keeps returning. He’s fallen off of skyscrap-
Taken Out, he may spend 1 Tension and return from
ers and been trapped in burning buildings, but he
the dead. No, really. He gets up off the floor, dusts
keeps returning like a persistent rash. He seems to
himself off, and gets back to it.
have almost no abilities except returning to plague
the Assassin.
THE PROFESSIONAL
While no one knows where Chuck came from ex-
actly, there are theories: he was grown in a lab, craft- A true professional, Mathilda started her career
ed from DNA stolen from an Assassin. He slipped in The Pavlyuchenko Society; she burned out some-
through from another dimension when an especially where along the way and never told anyone the full
powerful Anomaly power was used by an Assassin’s story of why she broke with the Martyrs. She re-
ally. He’s the result of decades of experimentation by tains the abilities that she gained during her time
scientists in the employ of the Krugu Vorov. as a Martyr. The fact that she sees everyone around
her doomed and dying doesn’t make life any easier.
Whatever the case, he’s a real pain in the ass.
Routine rules her; she absolutely must work care-
Primary Pool: 9 (going unnoticed, guns, fully, methodically, the same way every time. It’s her
resistance) weakness, and why she avoids The Pavlyuchenko
Secondary Pool: 7 (leadership, dogged Society.
persistence) Mathilda has her own strict guidelines for accept-
Desperation Pool: 5 ing jobs, and these days, rumor is, she only accepts
Enhancement: 4 jobs that aim her at other Assassins. What exactly
Defense: 4 qualifies an Assassin as a target? No one knows.
Antagonists 123
The Pavlyuchenko Society would prefer to bring out ten targets in ten cities, all in one night?” “Did
her in again as an asset and draw her back under you hear about how they outfoxed MI:6?” Nowadays,
their loving wings, but barring that, her death is an the chatter’s darker. After years of loyal service to
acceptable alternative. their Society, someone in power decided it was time
for them to retire. To an unmarked grave.
Primary Pool: 10 (going unnoticed, firearms, Now they’re in the wind. They cleaned out their
Assassin Societies)
savings and abandoned their safehouses. Rumors
Secondary Pool: 8 (breaking and entering, abound about a cache of incriminating evidence
bureaucracy)
they’ve been squirrelling away for just such a con-
Desperation Pool: 6 tingency. Every member of their former Society’s a
Enhancement: 5 target, and they’re racking up the body count.
Defense: 5 Sam Platt refused to go quietly. The strike team
Health: 8 sent to take them out failed, and the only survivor
Edges: Adrenaline Spike, Hair Trigger Reflexes, lived just long enough to deliver Sam’s last message
Sniper, Tough Cookie, Trick Shooter, Waiting to to their bosses before the internal bleeding killed
Greet the Storm him.
Powers: Copycat, Skeleton Key Card Did you hear about Sam Platt? They’re coming for
you.
REVENGE-SEEKER
Everest always wanted to be the smartest. When Primary Pool: 9 (guns, stealth)
he was a kid, he played the deadliest characters he Secondary Pool: 7 (hand-to-hand combat,
could in any kind of game. He gained a reputation finances)
for being the cleverest, able to think his way through Desperation Pool: 5
problems. He exploited every loophole, min-maxed Enhancement: 4
every build, and frustrated his friends with his mas- Defense: 4
tery of character design, stretching the rules until Health: 6
his friends called him a game-breaker. In college, he Edges: Danger Sense, Light Sleeper 2, Never
annoyed his professors by thinking his way laterally Outnumbered, Sniper 2
through problems.
Source: 5
It wasn’t until his brother was killed by an Assassin Powers: Disarm, Shake Your Tail, Voice of
that Everest’s ambitions took a darker turn; he’s on Authority
the hunt for the Assassin who destroyed his life, and
he’s both bloody-minded and determined enough to THE TECHNOLOGIST
pose a real problem for any Assassin who crosses his
Before the next-gen smartphone hits the market,
path — whether or not they had anything to do with
the technologist’s not only jailbroken it, she’s in-
his brother’s death.
stalled half a dozen mods. She gets her hands-on mil-
Primary Pool: 9 (technology and guns) itary prototypes while they’re still classified. Some
Secondary Pool: 7 (leadership) companies hire her to carry out acts of corporate es-
pionage; others hire extra security in futile attempts
Desperation Pool: 5
to prevent her from infiltrating their labs. She’d be
Enhancement: 4
on more hit lists if she weren’t such a damned good
Defense: 4 beta-tester.
Health: 6
Where many organizations have their inventors
Edges: Always Prepared, Hardy, Photographic and R&D departments, or employ full-time quality
Memory, Trick Shot
assurance testers, Araceli Martinez is the perfect
blend of end-user and innovator. She’ll listen intent-
THE ROGUE AGENT
ly to the quartermaster’s instructions on how to use
They’re one of the best, the kind of legend other her new device, but she doesn’t promise she’ll ad-
Assassins aspire to. Everyone’s got a riveting story here to them. If the gadget returns to the lab at all,
about them: “Did you hear about the time they took it’s probably broken or modified beyond recognition.

It’s accompanied by several pages of notes on how scraping together her own meals and doing her own
to improve its next iteration. and a description of an chores, but not before she’d gone hungry and thirsty
alternate use for the item the developers hadn’t con- first, however.
sidered. Those t-shirts that gleefully declare their As Stella spent more time away from home, her
wearer violates warranties? Araceli’s got them in sister’s independence grew in tandem, as did her re-
several colors and fonts. sentment. When Stella’s selfishness led her to keep
pulls from her work, it forced her down a dark path
Primary Pool: 7 (technology, innovation) in order to provide for herself and their home. These
Secondary Pool: 5 (larceny, getaways) days, Pearl is an Assassin eager to pull off all kinds
Desperation Pool: 3 of contracts for the right price — albeit, still linger-
Enhancement: 1 ing in her sister’s shadow. A deeply embittered and
Defense: 3 resentful young woman, Pearl is a highly unpleasant
Health: 4 yet self-sufficient individual who spends most of her
Edges: Direction Sense, Forger, Free Running 1 time considering how to cheat her peers. Her talent
is undeniable; taking the risk of contracting her ser-
THE THIN BLUE LINE vices may just pay off … you just have to accept the
risk of the knife against your throat.
Whereas any corrupt cop has a kid, a mortgage,
and lots of other considerations getting in the way of Primary Pool: 9 (disguises and going unnoticed)
him realizing that he’s part of an oppressive group,
Secondary Pool: 7 (guns and knives)
the Thin Blue Line is totally aware of what he’s
Desperation Pool: 5
bought into. In fact, he signed up for it on purpose.
Enhancement: 4
He may be a member of an Organization opposed
to an Assassin, or he might be a white supremacist, Defense: 4
or he may just be a garden-variety bully. In any case, Health: 6
he’s a tougher opponent for Assassins: connected, vi- Edges: Iron Will 3, Alternate Identity 2, Skilled Liar
cious, and idealistic in all the wrong ways. 2
Source: 5
Primary Pool: 9 (brawling, firearms) Cold Shoulder (Unique Power): In her sister’s
Secondary Pool: 7 (small unit tactics, bullying) continual absence, Pearl learned to fend for herself.
Desperation Pool: 5 She has little interest in fostering bonds with others
Enhancement: 4 that she has nothing to gain from as a result. Naturally
Defense: 4 blunt and lacking in empathy, she struggles to relate
Health: 6 to others — granting additional resistance against in-
Edges: Adrenaline Spike, Danger Sense, Fast terrogations or being talked down. Tension may be
Draw, Skilled Liar spent to ignore the result any social roll that would
adjust her Attitude rating, and this may be used once
THE UP-AND-COMING ASSASSIN per session against an Encourage Behavior roll.
While Stella took up the criminal mantle, engaging Spitting Image (Unique Power): At first glance,
in thievery and cold-blooded murder to provide for there’s strange about her, but on closer inspection,
Pearl, it had the unintended consequence of forcing something is off. Sometimes, the most dangerous op-
her sister to learn how to fend and look out for her- ponent is one hiding within plain sight; a foe wearing
self. At first, it was a few instances of going hungry the mask of a friend. A careless Assassin soon finds
before her older sister would arrive home late after a knife lodged in between their ribs when the sweet
a job that had gone over-schedule; then, as contracts young woman they’d ignored gets the drop on them.
became more elaborate and dangerous, it’d be days This character allays suspicion by appearing non-as-
of silence. Pearl sat by herself in an empty house, suming, and the Difficulty of any Integrity-based roll
to discern her true nature is increased by 2.
Antagonists 125
“Talent finds its models, methods, and ends, in society, exists for
exhibition, and goes to the soul only for power to work. Genius is its own
end and draws its means and the style of its architecture from within.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
An Assassin’s toolkit is complete with arma- Assassins learn Masteries through their
ments, armor, disguises, poisons, and any odds and Societies. Societies created these sacred arts and
ends she needs to complete her job. Among those passed them from master to apprentice until they
are Masteries, which any Assassin will tell you are took on a life of their own. Now Assassins trade
the difference between a brutal killer and an art- secrets for favors and learn arts that originated in
ist. Masteries are the pinnacle of skill, surpassing one Society or another at a whim. Long ago, if a
the talented or lucky into the unlikely. Bullets fly Society learned someone had access to a Mastery,
around corners, hitting their target who has already it meant death. Now an Assassin might get a curt
dove out of sight, and wounds that incapacitate the nod, or a request for training in that particular it-
most hale and hearty barely slow the Assassin. eration of the Mastery.
WHAT ARE MASTERIES?

Masteries are special abilities that an Assassin Masteries are a form of Dramatic Editing,
learns as tools of her craft. An Assassin doesn’t though they don’t always require Inspiration to
just bend the likelihoods and probabilities around work. Many Masteries happen immediately, en-
her, she cows them to her whim and breaks them. hancing a particular action, though some last lon-
Masteries allow the Assassin to reach out into the ger, either fundamentally changing the Assassin,
world and warp it, creating circumstances and un- or lasting for the duration of a job.
likely events that suit her purposes. Like Talents,
she uses her Inspiration to do this, drawing on TYPES OF MASTERIES
the Flux of the Continuum, but unlike Talents, an Masteries are broken down into three types:
Assassin has control over her use. This is a delib- Preparation, Evaluation, and Execution.
erate act, one that would appear in Daylight as a These represent the three stages of action that
fantastic display of unbelievable magnitude, but in Assassins take when planning and executing a
the Shadows is just another day. job. Preparation is the procurement of necessary
Masteries are deliberate and calculated actions. items, communicating, information gathering,
While Masteries often stem from training and and anything that doesn’t involve finding and kill-
skill, they are not beholden to those. An Assassin ing someone. Evaluation is tracking, observing,
who has never searched for a quarry alone may finding, and laying traps for a quarry. Execution
have a Mastery that points her to his exact lo- is attacking, defending against, and killing a mark.
cation. No amount of skill could do that for her. Masteries are further refined by duration as
The Assassin knows that she has a power that no Constant, Hunt, or Momentary. Constant
one else does, though she believes it comes from Masteries are always active and enhance the
dedication to her training and whatever mysti- Assassin’s natural abilities to do something. They
cal propaganda her Society has fed her. In short, often come with a drawback if the Assassin does
she recognizes her Mastery as beyond normal not act in a certain way, now that she has this
human capabilities, but she doesn’t necessarily Mastery. You do not need to activate a Constant
recognize Inspiration, nor does she believe her Mastery, and they cannot be turned off unless en-
own Masteries stem from the same place as other countering a power that would deactivate all of an
Assassins. Assassin’s Masteries.
What Are Masteries? 127

CLASH
Assassins often find themselves up against other Inspired characters. When two Inspired
characters use abilities such as Gifts of Masteries that come into conflict, such as both
acting against the same target, or one acting to turn off another, they clash. Each player
rolls, and whoever nets the most successes applies the effects of their power. Ties favor
the defender. Defender in the case of two characters acting against the same target is
whomever used their power first. If that is somehow simultaneous, then both fail on a tie.
Players roll their character’s Inspiration rating + an appropriate Skill. Storyguides roll an
antagonist’s Secondary Pool.
Hunt Masteries last for the duration of a job, extended action or scene. Often the Assassin has
enduring until a specific target is eliminated, no control over the Mastery’s duration once en-
or the Assassin chooses to abandon the search. acted, such as placing a Condition on a target, or
The Assassin must activate the Mastery to gain inflicting injury, so there is no ending the Mastery
its benefits, and activation often takes an entire once activated.
scene for the Assassin to mentally prepare for the Some Masteries grant access to additional
task at hand. While a Hunt Mastery is active, the Masteries and serve as a prerequisite for them.
Assassin gains the benefits, and can activate other
You must purchase any prerequisite Masteries
Masteries as she wishes. before you can purchase the new ones. Some also
Momentary Masteries last for the amount require prerequisites to activate, meaning the
of time it takes for the Assassin to accomplish Mastery requires something with a Hunt duration
her task, often a single action, but sometimes an to be active to use.
MAKING YOUR OWN MASTERIES

The Masteries presented in this book are the • Complication: Masteries may give the Assassin
most common examples of what Assassins can the ability to apply a Complication to a target.
do, but there’s no way we could cover every abili- When creating a complication, consider how
ty and edge case. Instead, the following rules can easy it is to buy off. You can use the character’s
help a player design her own Masteries to fit with Facets to set a Complication level that grows
her character’s flavor, history, and training. If one with the Assassin or apply a flat number. We
of the presented Masteries is fine in concept, but don’t suggest making a Complication higher
not in name, give it a new one! Again, these are than +3. Determine what effect happens if the
Complication is not bought off, this is what the
just examples of what an Assassin can do.
Assassin gets to do to their target, or the unfor-
When designing a Mastery, first decide what ef-
tunate side effect of action, if the target fails to
fect you want the power to have. From there, you buy off the Complication.
can extrapolate what phase it belongs in, how long
it lasts, and if it costs any Inspiration. When de- • Enhancement: Masteries may apply
ciding on a power, consider how broad or narrow Enhancement to actions. If the action is broad
the scope of the effect. Then determine mechan- such as “combat actions” then apply at most
ics that apply the effect in a way that makes sense. a +2 Enhancement. If the action is narrow
Masteries cover a variety of effects, but the follow- such as “tracking someone bleeding” apply a
ing are some guidelines. higher Enhancement. We don’t recommend
Enhancement from Masteries go above +5.
• Conditions: Masteries may apply Conditions to
a target. Describe the effect of the Condition, its • Special Stunts: Masteries often enhance an
duration, and how it can be resolved. Assassin’s abilities in a fight, but Stunts can
apply to all sorts of rolls, not just in combat
128 CHAPTER FIVE: MASTERIES

KILLING BLOW
Trinity Continuum generally doesn’t allow for outright murder and dealing damage to
enemies takes time. Assassins are efficient killers who make quick work of a mark. Some
Masteries give an Assassin access to a killing blow, a maneuver that allows the player to
purchase the Inflict Damage Stunt a second time for 1 success, before she must purchase
the Critical Stunt.
situations. When designing a Stunt, consider easier. This is a step down from always on, and
what kind of action the character is taking to often apply to a single target (the quarry or tar-
gain access to the Stunt’s purchase, then consid- get of a job) or actions pertaining to that target.
er how many successes the player must spend When trying to decide if a Mastery should have
to gain access to it. Simple effects should cost a Constant or Hunt duration, consider if the ef-
1 success, and in general 1 success translates to fect would be useful or applied outside of the
1 Enhancement or 2 Complication. Greater or character seeking out a specific target. If not,
broader effects may cost more successes. Stunts then it should be Hunt, if yes, then it should be
should not cost more than 3 successes, unless Constant.
the effect is enormous.
• Momentary effects take place immediately and
• Other Effects: Masteries may give the Assassin then no longer apply. Most often, these are com-
a new ability outside the bounds of what she bat effects or special attacks. Effects that apply
could normally do, and often verging into the Conditions, Complications, or gives the charac-
supernatural. Bend bullets, see into the future, ter access to a Stunt are generally Momentary. A
flawlessly track an enemy, etc. When creating Mastery that gives the Assassin an Enhancement
these effects, pick one and apply it. These can be on a particular action may also be Momentary,
paired with other effects if it makes sense. If a but consider making that Enhancement greater
Mastery does more than one over supernatural (based on the Enhancement applied to a narrow
thing, it should cost Inspiration. action rule).
Determine the type of Mastery. Effects that help Finally, determine if the Mastery should cost
the Assassin attack, kill, defend against, or gen- Inspiration. The general rule is Masteries that
erally deal with a target are Execution. Effects give the character nearly guaranteed success, or
that help the Assassin locate, distract, track, lay game breaking effects cost an Inspiration. Such as
traps for, seduce, or generally find a target are instant kill effects, +4 or more Enhancement, the
Evaluation. Effects that help with planning, inability to rise from the dead, etc.
formation gathering, or generally do not deal di-
rectly with a target are Preparation. General ef- LEARNING AND TRAINING
fect Masteries often fall into Preparation. For the most part, players do not need to justify
Then determine how long the effect lasts. how they acquire new Masteries. Characters are
• Constant effects should enhance the Assassin’s
assumed to have access to teachers and training
natural abilities and fundamentally change her. facilities via their Society. Members of the same
The effect may give her an Enhancement to group of players’ characters train and spar with
specific rolls, or access to a Stunt in specific sit- one another, and they can freely use one another
uations. Constant effects should always have a as a resource for learning new abilities.
drawback that applies for not taking certain ac- That being said, there are unnumerable other
tions. This Mastery has fundamentally changed Masteries not listed in this chapter, ripe for ta-
the Assassin and if she does not act in accor- bles to create and pursue on their own. Hidden
dance with it, then she suffers a setback. techniques exist, as do forgotten methodologies
preserved by an insular Minor Society. Rumors
• Hunt effects enhance the Assassin’s abilities, or
give her access to abilities that make her task
fly throughout Shadow about an Assassin who
slays her targets with the slightest press of her
Making Your Own Masteries 129

fingertips, or an Assassin capable of firing any- Whenever an Assassin pursues knowledge of a
thing from the chamber of their gun. Players are hidden or occulted Mastery, they always treat the
encouraged to create and chase down these se- effort as an Aspiration.
cret, forgotten, or obscure techniques.
MASTERIES
The following Masteries are grouped by the perceive you remember only the specific detail of
phase of action they occur in. Some Masteries your choice: some kind of signature item or acces-
are prerequisites for another in a different phase sory. If an effect that would reveal your identity
of planning. You must purchase the prerequisite contests this Mastery, it provokes a Clash of Wills.
Mastery before purchasing the other one, regard- You can Enhancement equal to your Intuitive
less of what phase it is in. Facet. The Gentleman Bowler earned his name
from using this Mastery with his iconic hat.
PREPARATION
The following Masteries pertain to planning BESPOKE DISASTER
and preparation. Keywords: Hunt, Preparation
A seven-car pileup that leaves exactly one per-
A GOOD HAT
son dead. A propane tank explosion that bisects
Keywords: Momentary, Preparation a corrupt politician while leaving his hairdresser
A calling card, a distracting mask, or a stylish shocked but unharmed. A fallen electrical wire
hat — no matter the choice of accessory, its pres- which loses its current seconds after killing a fa-
ence draws the attention away from the Assassin mous general. These are your weapons, carefully
herself and onto the object as a symbol. assembled and readied.
System: During the Approach or the Escape, System: Your Procedural actions gain access
you may spend Inspiration. All characters who to the Sudden Demise stunt (p. XX), but each time

you use it, it applies to the location where you’ve the art of avoiding collateral damage or civilian
used the stunt. For example, if you’ve used your entanglements by redirecting the innocent and
investigations in a subway tunnel to set up a wire weak of will elsewhere.
snare in an attempt to decapitate a target when a System: The Assassin gains +2 Enhancement
certain train comes by, this will not help a sepa- for Encourage/Prevent Behavior or other so-
rate attempt to kill them with an accident. cial actions to convince non-targets to avoid the
area of the Assassin’s operations or the presence
BEST DRESSED of the target. In the case of individuals that re-
Keyword: Hunt, Preparation quire Complex actions to convince, the Assassin
People in Daylight might ignore her bloody automatically completes an additional milestone
clothes and disheveled look, but those in the whenever they succeed at the influence roll.
Shadow know what being on the hunt looks like,
CUT TIES
and some will use it as an opportunity. Looking
your best despite whatever violent acts you may Keyword: Momentary, Hunt, Preparation
have engaged in just moments before is key to sur- Detachment from connections makes an
vival within the Krugu Vorov. Showing weakness Assassin stronger. It is as much for the security of
draws others down on you, like sharks to blood. their Society as it is for the security of those who
The Assassin instead uses her pain to bolster her- the Assassin might care for. Being in the murder
self and put on a strong face. business creates collateral that most aren’t willing
System: The Assassin always appears immac- to accept.
ulate while on a hunt, no matter what. Evidence System: For the duration of the Hunt, the
of violence, blood, cuts, scrapes, and bruises all Assassin can effectively hide her Bonds from
seem to fade away within moments. This doesn’t anyone attempting to discern them. They do not
prevent her from feeling the negative effects of lower, but anyone attempting a Social action to
her Conditions, but no one else knows that she’s determine the Assassin’s Bonds or their strengths
suffering, in fact those wounds only make her can only see her Bonds to other members of her
more determined. Gain the character’s Injury Society. If that person is using a Gift or Mastery, it
Condition Complication rating as Enhancement provokes a Clash.
to all social actions.
CUT THE CAMERAS
CALL TO ACTION
Keywords: Constant, Preparation
Keywords: Constant, Hunt, Preparation While the Krugu Vorov perfected appearing in
There is a solution for the powerful and cor- secured spaces like a monster from a fairy tale, the
rupt, the cruel and wicked, and the poisons of the Swarm transposed their ideas into a modern con-
world. Tune in tonight and heed the Host’s mes- text. Every location has dozens of cameras, and
sage well: Some people just need to be shot in the biometric scanners. Every cryptid has a fan page
head. these days; the best way to avoid detection is to
System: You may prepare a ranged weapon not be caught at all.
of any sort when you begin a hunt. That weapon System: During the Approach or during any
gains the Charge tag if it didn’t have it already. procedural scene to gather information about a
When your target and your weapon are in a Scene contracted target, your presence cannot be iden-
at the same time, your target gains a point of the tified by ordinary technology. You show up in
Doomed Condition (p. XX). photographs and recordings, but your image and
voice are distorted to the point of unrecognition.
CIRCE Antagonists who are not Inspired nor capable of
Keywords: Momentary, Preparation using Source cannot identify you from these re-
Bystanders and interlopers turn a smooth op- cords. If you are recorded or captured by Powered
eration into a disaster. The Assassin has mastered technology, this provokes a Clash.
Masteries 131
D’INVASION KILLING WEAPON
Keyword: Momentary, Preparation Keyword: Hunt, Preparation
The Daughters of the Jacobins have taught Every Assassin knows the tools of the trade, and
their members to learn everything they can about one weapon is just as good as any other when it
a target before taking on a job. While standard comes down to it. There’s always that one knife,
procedure for most Assassins, the Daughters gun, or garrote that she keeps going back to be-
pride themselves on the thoroughness of their in- cause it’s never let her down. Using this weapon
vestigations, teaching techniques to find even the is now a ritual, and the Assassin’s reliance on it, a
most personal or secret information she could use self-fulfilling prophecy.
against her target. System: The Assassin dedicates a specific
System: Make a social action against a Difficulty weapon for the hunt. As long as she is on the hunt,
equal to the target’s Attitude toward the Assassin. she gains an additional +1 Enhancement when us-
If successful, gain an alternative clue about the ing the weapon beyond whatever other tags it has.
target. In addition, gain access to the following Additionally, the weapon cannot break. Attempts
Stunt on the action. to break it with a Gift or Mastery provoke a Clash.
Intrusive (variable): For each success spent If the weapon is lost or stolen, it returns to the
on Intrusive, learn one of your target’s goals, as- Assassin in the next scene.
pirations, or bonds between them and another
character. LESHI
Keyword: Hunt, Preparation
DÉVOUEMENT
Said to have been stolen from the Leshi him-
Keyword: Hunt, Preparation self, the Krugu Vorov use this Mastery to change
Prerequisite: D’invasion their shape, literally. The Assassin tricks her prey
Assassins are nothing if not dedicated. They into a false sense of complacency, taking on the
devote themselves to a task, and see it through face of someone else. It is more than a trick of the
against all odds, and once someone wins one’s loy- light, and the mark has no idea the treachery the
alty, he will never forsake them. The Daughters Assassin has in store for him until she springs the
exemplify this dedication, teaching their Assassins trap and it is far too late.
abilities that make them unwavering and steadfast System: Spend an Inspiration. For the dura-
once they put their mind to something. tion of the hunt, the Assassin disguises himself.
System: The Assassin declares a target of her The effect does not have to be particularly believ-
devotion for the duration of the hunt. If the target able. He can change height, weight, gender, and
is an enemy or someone she is hunting, she must appearance with this Mastery, but he cannot im-
make a social roll with the Difficulty equal to his itate anyone specific. Once the disguise is set, the
Attitude toward her, regardless of if it is negative Assassin cannot change the look or revert back
or positive (minimum 1), on a success she declares to his normal appearance without breaking the
them a Nemesis. If the target is a friend, she cre- Mastery’s effect. The disguise is impenetrable by
ates a Protector bond with them. mundane means. Use of a Mastery or Gift to reveal
the Assassin causes a Clash.
Nemesis: The Assassin gains 1 Enhancement to
her Defense against anyone other than her nem- MAGPIE’S GAZE
esis. When attacking her nemesis, she may pur-
chase the Critical Stunt for 3 successes. Keywords: Momentary, Preparation
Protector: The Assassin gains the target’s Rivals wonder how the Swarm manages to
Attitude toward her as Enhancement on actions to learn so many Masteries. The secret is simple:
protect, defend the target, and teamwork actions they copy them. Invented by an Assassin said to
with the target. possess blood-red irises capable of capturing any
technique, this Mastery allows the user to mimic
her opponent’s power.

System: Whenever another character present ODYSSEY
in the scene use a Mastery (or a similar Antagonist
ability) spend Inspiration. Until the end of the
scene, you may use the copied technique as if it Prerequisites: Polyphemus’s Visitor Mastery,
were one of your own Masteries. You must pay Circe Mastery
any cost required to activate it. This Mastery may The world is awash with currents of flux and
only copy one technique per scene. At the end of death. The Assassin moves through life with an
the session, if you have enough Experience to pur- ongoing awareness of those currents, carrying
chase the Mastery, you may do so as if it were a them forward to more and greater murderous ac-
Society Mastery. complishments. Once so submerged, it is no lon-
ger easy to pay close attention to the less life-and-
NEVIDIMYY death stakes of “normal” life, however.
Keyword: Hunt, Preparation System: The Assassin gains +2 Enhancement on
Ilya Alexeev perfected this Mastery in the earli- all rolls to find work, discern the reason an assassi-
est days of the Krugu Vorov, using it to slip in and nation is requested (or why one has occurred), de-
out of homes without notice. No wonder the peo- cide on a useful assassination target, or determine
ple thought the deaths mystical, as the Assassin how an individual target might be assassination.
enacting them was traceless and invisible as the The Assassin also gains access to the Friendly Port
night. Today, Assassins use these secrets to blend stunt during Intrigue and Procedural play, such as
into backgrounds, become one of the nameless, during a roll to suborn an enemy contact or inves-
faceless members of a crowd, and leave no trace as tigate the local underworld.
they go about their bloody business. Friendly Port (1s): You find or create access to
System: The Assassin gains +1 Scale to all ac- a place where you can briefly rest, resupply, and
tions to hide herself or move unseen for the du- prepare. This might be anything from the back
ration of the Hunt. Additionally, she cannot be room of an accommodating shop to the hotel room
tracked through mundane means while she has of a retired friend passing through, depending on
this Mastery active. Use of a Mastery or Gift to the circumstances. The location is secure for your
track the Assassin causes a Clash. first visit; returning there has no such assurances.
NO MISTRUST POLYPHEMUS’S VISITOR
Keywords: Hunt, Preparation Keywords: Hunt, Preparation

Even in the world of murder, there is no escap- The Assassin submerges their true identity be-
ing the net of obligations and relationships that neath a constructed one. Their changes in move-
make up society. The Assassin has firmly grasped ment, behavior, and speech make even the hum-
the web and turned it to their purpose, leveraging blest of disguises transformative, and connecting
their associates and contacts like they would any the constructed identity to the true one incredibly
other resources in pursuit of their goal. difficult.
System: The Assassin may spend 1 Inspiration System: The Assassin spends an Inspiration
and select a Contact or access Connection to and assumes a new identity. As long as they don’t
boost for the duration of a hunt. When they do, commit violent acts or use other Masteries, it’s
that Connection increases by the higher of the impossible to identify them as their true selves.
Assassin’s Reflective Facet or Inspiration to a Attempts to discern the Assassin’s true motives
maximum of five. This won’t grant additional tags instead of those they create for the false identity
to Contacts, but will increase the benefit they pro- or track the Assassin from their true self to their
vide, and how often the Assassin can call on the assumed mask suffer the higher of the Assassin’s
Connection’s benefits. Larceny or Persuasion as an increase in Difficulty.
If the Assassin activates another Mastery or com-
mits an act of violence, this Mastery’s effects end
immediately.
Masteries 133
RULE FROM JEBEL BARKAL tracking her and can set a location for them, rath-
er than her own. Any actions she takes to set a trap
for her would-be stalker gain +1 Enhancement.
The existence of this Mastery is rarely spoken of,
for all that someone has always wielded it within STONE COLD
the shadows. Networks of power flow from them
Keyword: Momentary, Preparation
like streams from a spring, murderous individuals
and institutions alike bound to the wielder’s will as Krugu Vorov Assassins are renowned for their abil-
if their interests always aligned. The waves gener- ity to resist any temptation, following their orders and
ated by those who practice Rule from Jebel Barkal enacting them with cold calculation. They teach the
have guaranteed a history of coming to violent ability to every novice, demanding steadfast obedi-
ends even more often than most Assassins, as one ence. Those who do not learn to control their emo-
cannot wield such influence without raising many tions quickly find themselves on the wrong end of the
enemies. Still, they are often great before their fall.Society. This Mastery makes the Assassin impervious
to emotional control, keeping her head cool and mind
System: Every session, the Assassin may define
focused as she goes about her deadly business.
a Shadow Contact or Connection they have ac-
cess to, at a rating equal to their Reflective facet. System: Receive the character’s Reflective
The Connection will work for the Assassin to the Facet as Enhancement (instead of the usual
best of their ability, and will deal fairly as long as amount) when she resists social influence. You
the Assassin doesn’t obviously oppose their in- may spend an Inspiration to turn the social influ-
terests or betray them. The Assassin can always ence back on the person who tried to affect the
gain access to their help within a scene, with even character. This deflection does not require a roll
the most tenuous avenue of communication. The and succeeds with the number of successes rolled
Assassin loses access to the Connection at the end on the original influence action.
of the session, but may use this Mastery or other
TRAINING EXERCISE
means to gain their aid again.
Drawback: All the Assassin’s Intrigue and Keywords: Constant, Preparation
other social actions gain 2 Complication “Made The Hornet Workshops teach Assassin tech-
Another Enemy.” If not bought off, this causes an niques to anyone willing to pay. For most, this is
observer or interested party to develop a negative a status symbol on a piece of paper to be proud-
attitude toward the Assassin. ly displayed in their offices. For others, though,
some of the deadly practices stick.
SLEDOVIK System: When you spend time teaching or
Keyword: Hunt, Preparation training another character, spend Inspiration. For
Prerequisite: Nevidimyy the rest of the session, the target character gains
one of the following:
This Mastery gains its nickname from the
Russian stones used by Assassins in ritual prepa- • A Storyguide character replaces one of their
ration for their bleak killing. The stones appear dice pools with the player’s character’s total
to have footprints in them, and the term became pool (Skill plus Attribute) for one Skill.
slang for misdirecting a tracker. The Krugu Vorov • A Storyguide character temporarily learns one
have always been good at misdirection and deceit, of your Masteries. If it requires the expenditure
turning even those who try to seek them around of Inspiration, the character uses Source, their
in circles. The Assassin’s trail is not easy to follow own Inspiration, or Tension.
and when his pursuer finally catches up, she finds
a trap waiting for her instead. • Another player’s character may replace their
Skill with yours, if it is higher.
System: The Assassin must have Nevidimyy ac-
tive before activating this Mastery. When someone • Another player’s character may temporarily use
attempts to track the Assassin, they follow a false one of your Masteries. If it requires the expen-
lead instead. The Assassin knows that someone is diture of Inspiration, they must use their own.

VENERABLE TOOLS, WELL CARED FOR Assassin. They also pertain to removing obstacles
that might get in her way.
Prerequisites: A Long Walk in an Old Coat and A LONG WALK IN AN OLD COAT AND
Worn Shoes Mastery WORN SHOES
There is a use for everything. Waste is a luxury Keywords: Hunt, Evaluation
that the meek and the industrious cannot afford.
The world averts its eyes from those who fall
You have salvaged a workshop from the unloved
short of its expectations. Those visibly without
and abandoned things in the world, and in a mo-
power or money become ghosts and wind, unwor-
ment, you can assemble so many wonderful things.
thy of notice or attention. Good. They will never
System: Unless separated from all your pos- see you coming.
sessions, you always have access to your work-
System: You may spend 1 Inspiration to activate
shop and collection of equipment. Any attempts
this Mastery while on the hunt. In any scene where
to identity your belongings as anything other than
you don’t present a violent threat, attempt to assert
a collection of junk suffer your highest Facet in
authority or use coercion, you don’t register as a
Difficulty. You are never considered without tools
potential threat. This won’t stop guards from re-
or equipment, and may spend 1 Inspiration to pro-
fusing you entry to a secured location or a building
duce a weapon, armor, or other personally-porta-
owner from calling the police because you’ve been
ble piece of equipment from your stockpile as an
loitering, but the idea that you’re potentially dan-
action. This doesn’t include super science items,
gerous or in any way important won’t enter their
unless you’ve obtained them normally.
minds. People on the lookout for potential hidden
Drawback: You cannot help but be laden down threats in particular suffer your highest Facet in
with things, and you suffer +2 Difficulty for any at- Difficulty to figure out that you’re a danger, and you
tempts to appear upper class or simply unburdened. gain the Clean Getaway stunt for any attempts to
avoid notice or trouble, whether rolls to physically
WITHOUT NEED
avoid enemies or social rolls to talk your way past
Keywords: Momentary, Preparation them. During any scene in which you do present a
Through reaching out into the chaos of the violent threat, assert authority, or use coercion, you
world, tools and equipment the Assassin needs gain none of the benefits of this mastery.
are never far from hand. Legal suppliers and illicit Clean Getaway (2s): Apply to any roll to avoid
providers alike find themselves drawn to fulfilling notice or trouble. You immediately have the op-
the Assassin’s needs; to make sure the Assassin tion to leave the scene, increasing the Difficulty
has what they need is as natural as handing a fall- for anyone to track you by your highest Facet.
en toy to a child.
System: When the Assassin wishes to acquire AN ENTIRE LIFE, A GLANCE
weapons, armor, or other equipment, they may Keywords: Constant, Evaluation
spend 1 Inspiration. If they do, they may increase To see a person is to see the termination of their
their effective Wealth by the higher of their life, the oncoming rush of mortality. This is not a
Inspiration or Intuitive Facet, and remove any method you can simply stop practicing. However
legal or social Complications from trying to ac- useful it is to see a target’s myriad possible deaths,
quire illegal gear. This does not function for other seeing one’s own death reflected in the eyes of
actions affected by Wealth Ratings; the Assassin one’s loved ones can be fatally distracting.
may acquire an anti-material rifle or a 50-gallon
System: The first time you meet a charac-
barrel of industrial acid with this Mastery, but not
ter in person during a session, you may spend
controlling interest company or money for a bribe.
an Inspiration to inflict 2 points of the Doomed
EVALUATION Condition on them (p. XX).
Drawback: All attempts to create Bonds be-
The following Masteries pertain to finding and
tween you and another character outside of your
dealing with a person marked or targeted by an
Masteries 135
THE DEBT DUE CONDITION
The Debt Due Condition represents physical or mental needs held in abeyance while an
Assassin is on the hunt.
Effect: When Debt Due reaches five or higher, any Conditions ignored with masteries
granting Debt Due immediately inflict their effects again, and the Assassin must immedi-
ately roll (Athletics or Integrity) + Stamina against a difficulty of their accumulated Debt
Due. If they fail, they are immediately Taken Out, and cannot activate this Mastery again
until they undertake a new hunt.
Resolution: Debt Due resolves when the Assassin has had time to rest and eat properly.
Society gain the “Dark Fate” complication at 2. For they may ignore its effects (but not the Condition
each point not overcome, you gain the Doomed itself ) by taking a point of the Debt Due Condition.
Condition until the end of the session.
AT THEIR HEELS, IN THEIR HEAD
ARGONAUTICA
Keywords: Momentary, Evaluation
Keywords: Hunt, Evaluation The guilty act in predictable ways, moving
Prerequisites: Atalanta’s Pace Mastery, along well-worn paths you can follow with your
Meleager’s Hunt Mastery eyes closed. A moment’s thought gives you insight
The Assassin’s individual endurance no longer into where they will be, and how best you might
limits their progress. Their devotion to the de- get there. This knowledge is often chilling to the
struction of their target sustains them as the per- targets of your wrath, which in turn is a tool to
fection of their talents drives them forward. make them even more predictable.
System: The Assassin’s maximum Debt Due System: You may spend 1 Inspiration to figure
(p. XX) during a hunt increase by the number out where a target will be at a specific time, and
of Milestones the hunt requires. Whenever the they gain a point of the Painted Target Condition.
Assassin completes a Milestone for that assassi- You gain an Enhancement bonus equal to their
nation, they may remove a point of Debt Due. Painted Target Condition to any rolls related to
tracking them down or reaching them. Once you
ATALANTA’S PACE reach your target, resolve this Condition.
Keywords: Hunt, Evaluation
MELEAGER’S HUNT
The Assassin’s pursuit never falters or slows.
The distance they cover seems impossible given Keywords: Hunt, Evaluation
the effort they exert, but such Assassins have mas- Practiced hunters can channel their reserves
tered both the sprint and the marathon. Endurance into preternatural stealth. Pushing their abilities
training, physical conditioning, and specialized and their bodies to their very limit, the Assassin
preparations enable the Assassin to ceaselessly becomes invisible and silent.
pursue their quarry, holding fatigue and hunger System: The Assassin may spend 1 Inspiration
at bay until they make their kill. Relentless speed to activate this Mastery during a Hunt. When at-
often makes that kill possible on its own. tempting to go unnoticed, sneak up on someone,
System: The Assassin may spend 1 inspiration to or otherwise exercise stealth during the hunt, if
activate this Mastery and subsist only on water and they would be noticed they may instead gain a
the hunt. They may move an additional range band point of the Debt Due Condition (p. XX) to remain
each turn as a free action during action scenes, unnoticed by swiftly retreating to a safer hiding
and gain +1 Enhancement to related rolls outside place. This will not allow an Assassin to automat-
of such scenes. Whenever they would suffer a ically succeed at a Milestone Opportunity for the
Condition due to fatigue, exposure, or deprivation, hunt, but will allow them to attempt it again.

NO ESCAPE Cutting Through (1s): Destroy all cover your
opponent is utilizing. If this cover is a permanent
Keywords: Hunt, Evaluation
object, such as a wall or structure, the part the op-
Running from death is a good way to die tired. ponent is behind is destroyed, but the structure
The Assassin’s focused attention and countermea- remains intact.
sures degrade their target’s attempts to evade and
escape, priming them for the sudden killing blow. REVEAL ALL
Systems: The Assassin gains +2 enhancement Keyword: Momentary
on all rolls to track or pursue their target, and ac-
No one knows the origin of this technique, but
cess to the Die Running stunt whenever in direct
all the Societies have adapted some version all un-
pursuit of their target.
der different names. They teach their Assassins to
Die Running (Variable): The target gains the take in all their surroundings, using all their sens-
Doomed Condition at this stunt’s value (p. xx). es to map the location and pinpoint any threats
that might be lurking in the shadows. Assassins
NO SURPRISES
with this Mastery have a sixth sense for seeing
Keywords: Momentary, Evaluation through the unseen.
Dealing with the world of Shadow involves System: The Assassin immediately pinpoints
every sort of lethal surprise, which only become anyone hidden within Medium Range. If someone
stranger and more deadly when an Assassin’s is disguised, she sees through it, and if they are
targets may include Talents and their ilk. The hidden behind an object, she knows they’re there,
Assassin responds to every unwelcome revelation though may not know exactly where behind the
or unexpected occurrence with graceful aplomb, object the person is situated. If someone is hiding
for they really have prepared for everything. using a Gift of Mastery, this provokes a Clash. This
System: Once per session, the Assassin may Mastery does not reveal hidden objects.
use dramatic editing (Trinity Continuum Core
Rulebook p. 154–155) and reduce the cost by two SANS-CULOTTE
Inspiration, to a minimum of zero. If confronted Keyword: Momentary
with an opposing character dramatically editing, During the French Revolution, the sans-cu-
the Assassin may use this power a second time. lotte were the boots on the ground and radical
militants who fueled the attacks on the nobili-
NO BARRIERS
ty. The Daughters of the Jacobins did not need
Keyword: Constant, Hunt to rile them to violence, but they did it anyway.
Prerequisite: No Hesitation The power of that angry mob was not lost on the
Nothing stops the Assassin. Their bullets find Daughters, who to this day use those same tried
ways through the most impossible angles; their and true techniques to provoke a mob into action.
barehanded strikes penetrate solid steel; their System: The Assassin takes a social action
blades slice clean through concrete. Though the to change the atmosphere of the area to move a
Society of Leonidas claims to have invented this crowd to violence. If successful, the atmosphere
Mastery, the Swarm perfected translating it to is shifted immediately to -3, regardless of its pre-
digital formats a few years ago, something they vious rating. The player chooses one: mass panic,
have tried to jealously guard. focused anger, betrayal. Additionally, the player
System: While on the hunt, the Assassin can gains access to the following Stunt on the social
ignore all Field Complications that would im- action:
pede her movement. Additionally, she can use Mob Rule (1s): The current atmosphere counts
the Cutting Through Stunt. Spend an Inspiration as a Complication to combat actions. If anyone
to use this Mastery to ignore Complications that fails to buy off the Complication, the mob attacks
would impede a digital investigation. and deals an Injury Condition.
Masteries 137
SURGEON execution happens quick and relatively painlessly. No
plan survives contact with others, and even the most
Keyword: Constant
prepared Assassin may find her contingencies falling
Not all work in the Assassin’s field is putting holes
away. Assassins trained in this Mastery have the un-
in people until they bleed out. Sometimes she needs tocanny ability to have another contingency waiting,
fix things, herself included, to ensure she can finish her
even if she didn’t consciously plan for it, ready to
job. Others come to the Assassin for aid, though she’sspring on her target in the heat of the moment.
only likely to help a friend. The Assassin can provide
System: Once per session, after the Assassin
more than just first aid — able to perform complex sur-
fails on an action against her quarry, spend an
gery, remove bullets, and patch up the worst injuries.
Inspiration to ensure her next action succeeds
System: The Assassin gains her Reflective Facet as with enough successes to overcome the Difficulty.
Enhancement on all First Aid actions. Additionally, If her next action is an attack action, she has
she can downgrade two Injury Conditions through enough successes to purchase the Inflict Injury
First Aid in a scene instead of one. Stunt. She does not have to roll for the action,
Drawback: Performing high quality surgery re- though she may choose to roll and then counts any
quires costly materials and sometimes restricted successes as Enhancement on the action for the
substances. To maintain her stock, the Assassin purposes of purchasing additional Stunts.
must visit a hospital, or medical supply and either
purchase or steal materials, once per chronicle. TOTAL DESTRUCTION
Keyword: Momentary
SPIDER’S WEB
Even while in the thick of it, an Assassin knows
Keyword: Hunt how to gain control of a situation. Where most peo-
If all goes well, an Assassin spends most of her time ple might think twelve against one are impossible
plotting and planning a job so that the moment of odds, the Assassin is trained to take on a veritable

army single-handed. This isn’t all just bluster and WITHOUT A TRACE
combat prowess, sometimes it’s taking advantage
Keywords: Momentary, Evaluation
of the environment to create opportunities.
The Assassin submerges all signs of themselves
System: Use this Mastery as part of a mixed
in the world, perceptions sliding off of their pres-
combat action and spend an Inspiration. The
ence and actions. While this technique cannot re-
Assassin’s attack sends out a shockwave that
write the memory of those hunting the Assassin,
breaks the weapons of all enemies within medium
it can make it incredibly difficult for them to con-
range. If a character has an indestructible weap-
vince that the Assassin was ever there.
on, this provokes a Clash.
System: The Assassin may spend 1 Inspiration
UNRELENTING when trying to hide, throw off pursuit, or other-
wise avoid notice. The Difficulty to detect them,
Keyword: Constant
follow them, or discover signs of their passage
Some say the training the Krugu Vorov go increases by their highest Facet. The Assassin
through is the most grueling of any other Society. may spend a second Inspiration to also inflict the
Such rumors are surely exaggerated, yet their Complication “The Records Were Destroyed!”
Assassins exit training with the greatest endur- at the same rating on any such attempts. If this
ance of any other. The Assassin can take bullet af- Complication isn’t bought off, any records or trac-
ter bullet without relenting. es of their presence aren’t recoverable or visible
System: The Assassin gains a single point for anyone but their initial discoverer.
of Hard Armor that stacks with other forms
of armor. You may take a point of the Debt Due EXECUTION
Condition (p. XX) to ignore Complications from The following Masteries pertain to directly in-
Injury Conditions for a scene. teracting with the Assassin’s specific target.
Drawback: The training it takes to ignore pain
causes the Assassin to ignore everything from ALWAYS READY TO GO
physical pain to emotions. While the character
Keywords: Constant, Execution
has the Debt Due Condition active, she loses ac-
Whether direct action against a target, fight-
cess to all her Bonds and her Attitudes toward
ing through a cordon of guards, or breaking out
others set to 0 until the Condition is resolved.
of the attention an operation gone loud brings,
WITHOUT IGNORANCE sometimes there’s no substitute for applying fist
to face. When people in Twilight fear you, they
Keywords: Constant, Evaluation bring everything to bear against you. The Krugu
Hunting Talents and stranger prey is a special- Vorov have developed this Mastery to deal with
ized skill; few survive to fail such a pursuit more that problem by responding with force in kind.
than once. The Assassin’s senses and training fo- System: When you make a Close Combat attack
cus on searching out more-than-human targets, while outnumbered, you gain +1 Enhancement
and then turning traces of otherworldly energy to and may apply the Brutal or Stunning tags to your
the Assassin’s own advantage. attack. When you make a Close Combat attack
System: The Assassin gains +2 Enhancement against an opponent who possesses superior equip-
on all procedural rolls to identify or track Talents, ment or weapons, you gain +1 Enhancement and
other Inspiration or Source using individuals, and may apply the Piercing or Non-Penetrating tags to
similar targets. The first time in a scene that the your attack. These effects may stack if both apply.
Assassin is in the presence or affected by a Gift or Drawback: Being constantly ready for violence
similar power, they may immediately heal an in- can put an entire room on edge. Your Intrigue
jury Condition or gain a point of Inspiration. This and social actions gain Complication 2 “Rising
does not apply to Assassins or Assassin Masteries. Tension.” If not overcome, it creates a 1-point neg-
ative atmosphere for the scene.
Masteries 139
APOLLO teaches their Assassins to look briefly into the
future and use that knowledge to change the out-
Keywords: Hunt, Execution
come to her advantage. The future is not set in
Prerequisites: Delphi Mastery stone, and instead of just reacting to stimuli, she
The Assassin’s trance reveals the angles and circuits sets her opponents up for failure. She redirects
their attacks must travel to best find purchase in their attacks, causes missteps, jams guns, and makes at-
targets body. Intention and perception themselves tacks fly wildly off the mark.
lend killing impetus to the Assassin’s blows from afar. System: The Assassin uses her action this
System: While the Assassin is on the hunt, round to target one opponent and choose the
their ranged attacks gain the Deadly, Brutal, target of his next action. She chooses the target,
and Piercing tags. If their weapon already has but the roll for the action remains unaltered. She
any of these tags, they gain an additional +1 may spend an Inspiration when she activates this
Enhancement. They may also spend 1 Inspiration Mastery to additionally impose a Complication on
when making a ranged attack against their hunt’s the target making the action with a rating equal
target to make a Killing Blow. to her Reflective Facet. If he does not buy it off,
then calamity strikes. His weapon breaks or is
A MESSAGE DELIVERED, TWICE damaged, he loses his footing and falls, or he hurts
Keywords: Hunt, Execution himself and suffers an Injury, player’s choice.
Prerequisites: A Long Walk in an Old Coat and
DEDICATED WEAPON
Worn Shoes Mastery
It is important to act with scrupulous clarity. Keyword: Momentary
Even a villain should not die without understand- Prerequisite: Killing weapon
ing why they are slain. Once they know, there is no A dedicated weapon is more deadly than its
severing the connection between their vile lives mundane counterpart. Where a normal weapon
and your righteous action. Deliver the message, might be an effective tool for murder, a dedicated
then reinforce it fatally. weapon becomes an extension of the Assassin’s
System: You gain access to the And Now, Justice will. With something so familiar, the Assassin
stunt for your attack actions while you’re on the concentrates less on her actions and more on her
hunt. You may make a target aware that they’re intent. It makes her a deadly machine.
being hunted and of the reason you hunt them, System: This Mastery can only be activated
whether through anonymous messages, public while the Assassin has a dedicated weapon from
declarations, or other means. If you do so, they Killing Weapon (p. XX). The Assassin cannot be
gain a point of the Painted Target Condition (p. disarmed of the weapon, and if she throws, drops,
XX). Every time they’re reminded of this fact or otherwise lets it go, it comes back to her the
through a different venue or means, increase the next round. The weapon never runs out of ammo
Painted Target Condition by 1. If you stop hunting after the use of the Emptying the Magazine Stunt.
them whether due to your own choices or exter- Spend an Inspiration to make a killing blow with
nally imposed inability, the Condition resolves. the weapon.
And Now, Justice (3s): The target suffers 1
Injury Condition or Health Box of damage for DELPHI
every point of the Painted Target Condition they Keywords: Hunt, Evaluation
possess. The Assassin enters a waking trance which
reveals the path to their target, and in doing so,
CONTROLLED CHAOS
has always known the path to their target. Their
Keyword: Momentary awareness exists outside of normal life and cau-
Prerequisite: La Prévoyance sality, providing means to their fatal ends.
Wherever a Daughter goes, chaos is sure to fol- System: As long as the Assassin is on the hunt,
low. These are more than rumors, as the Society they always have a general idea of where their

target is, unless the target has specifically attempt- Terrifying Block (1): You pluck a bullet from
ed to hide from the Assassin or their employer. If the air or catch a hatchet into your bare palm.
the Assassin takes a scene to consider the target’s When you buy this stunt, all attackers must con-
location, they can narrow it down to a neighbor- tend with a +2 Complication when targeting you.
hood inside a city; inside that radius, they can If not bought off, they drop their weapons, run out
narrow it down to a building. Concealment from of ammo, lose their nerve and suffer increased dif-
use of a Mastery or other special ability provokes a ficulty to attacks until the end of their next action,
Clash. They also gain access to the following stunt etc. This Condition persists for as long as all other
during action scenes. Defensive stunts.
The Way Is Open (1s): You notice an opportunity
or path that will bring you closer to your target. If GIGANTOMACHY
you take advantage of it, immediately circumnavi- Keywords: Constant, Execution
gate a barrier or difficult terrain in the way of your Prerequisites: Iliad Mastery
pursuit, or move one range band closer to your
To have a life within an Assassin’s hands is for
target if no such impediments exist.
that Assassin to control it utterly. The Assassin has
brought ancient wrestling arts to modern lethal
FEARSOME DEFENSE
practice, and becomes a tyrant as far as their arm can
Keywords: Constant, Execution reach. It’s possible that such murderous arts have be-
The Krugu Vorov know that a terrified enemy come too deeply refined, however, as Assassins who
is one swiftly defeated, and that striking fear into practice it find it perhaps too easy to cause harm.
a target requires nothing more than one powerful Systems: The Assassin gains +2 Enhancement
show of force. An Assassin with this Mastery is on the Establish Grapple stunt. The Assassin also
an intimidating presence, even when defending gains +2 Enhancement for the Inflict Damage
herself. stunt, the Brutal and Deadly Tags, and gains ac-
System: You gain the Terrifying Block defen- cess to the Murderous Slam stunt while targeting
sive stunt. a Grappled enemy.
Masteries 141
Murderous Slam (3s): End your grapple with ILIAD
an opponent. They are Paralyzed for a number of
Keywords: Hunt, Execution
rounds equal to their Injury Conditions or filled
Health boxes. Endurance training, physical conditioning, and
specialized preparations turns the Assassin on the
Drawback: The Assassin’s attempts at fine ma-
hunt into an implacable pursuer. They can force
nipulation to repair or tend to others’ wounds suf-
through obstacles that would stop lesser hunters,
fer from Complication 2 “Oops,” causing damage
shake off damage or shock that would kill most
or further injury if it’s not bought off.
people, and keep moving despite steadily worsen-
GOOD MANNERS ing conditions. Assassins with such training know
that pushing these abilities too far comes with a
Keywords: Momentary, Execution heavy price, however.
Every Assassin familiar with the methods of Systems: The Assassin may spend an
the Worshipful Company of Killers knows that Inspiration to activate this Mastery while on the
explaining one’s technique both shows respect to hunt. Attempts to cause Injury, Stunned, or simi-
your opponent and strikes fear into their heart. lar Conditions to the Assassin have their Difficulty
System: At the start of any fight, you may ex- increased by 1. Whenever the Assassin would suf-
plain your approach to battle, techniques, outlook, fer such a Condition, they may ignore its effects
etc., to your opponent. When you do so, you make (but not the Condition itself ) by taking a point of
an Encourage Behavior roll, which may be made the Debt Due Condition (p. XX).
with Aim or Close Combat instead of the usual so-
cial skills. If successful, gain the target’s Attitude IMPOSSIBLE ANGLES
toward you after the roll as Enhancement to all
Keyword: Execution, Momentary
attacks for the duration of the scene. Treat neg-
No one knows where this Mastery originates.
ative Attitudes as having a positive value for the
Some claim a member of the Society of Leonidas
purposes of this Mastery.
created it, but it was stolen by the Swarm who
GROUP EFFORT perfected it. The ability to bend projectiles to the
Assassin’s will is a secret many have gone to the
Keywords: Constant, Hunt, Execution grave to protect, but somehow all the Societies
Assassins infrequently band together, but the have a version of it they teach their members.
Swarm have perfected the art of cooperation by way System: Spend an Inspiration to ignore any
of overwhelming force. Hornet Workshops teach Cover or Concealment your opponents might be
their trainees to leverage their compatriots’ skills for utilizing for the rest of the scene. Additionally,
maximum result. Members of the Signal claim they ignore all Complications excluding those from
developed this cooperation Mastery first, and do not Injuries to ranged attacks. If it was imposed by an
care for the Swarm taking credit for it. opponent’s Gift or Mastery, this provokes a Clash.
System: When you and your allies work togeth-
er to defeat an enemy, kill a mark, or overcome JAGUAR’S PASSAGE
an obstacle, choose a character participating
Keywords: Momentary, Execution
and spend Inspiration. Everyone involved may
Assassins practice methods of killing barehand-
use their Skill in place of their own when tak-
ed the world over, but few are as sudden or as
ing actions to accomplish your stated goal. Any
spectacular as the Jaguar’s Passage. Most scholars
Specialties the character may have also apply. If
in the Shadows agree that the art originated some-
the chosen character is a Storyguide character,
where in South America, even if they can’t agree
instead replace your pool with theirs. They may
who invented it or when they did so. Members
grant their Enhancement bonus to all participants
of the Jacobin’s Daughters deny originating it,
as well. If the Storyguide character is a connection
though several have codified and passed on the
gained through the Swarm or Signal Society Path,
art, and it’s spread worldwide through the 20th
gain another +1 Enhancement.
and 21st century.

System: The Assassin may spend 1 Inspiration answers, such as “Where did he hide the explo-
to supplement an attack made barehanded or with sives?” or “Did she actually betray the order?” For
another Worn weapon with this Mastery. When every question the player asks, they gain a point of
they do, the attack gains access to the Jaguar’s the Overwhelmed by Memory Condition, which
Bite Stunt, but also suffers from 5 Complication imposes a Complication equal to its value to any
“Tapped Out.” For each point of Tapped Out the actions requiring exertion or quick thinking. If
Assassin does not overcome, they gain 1 point of the Assassin doesn’t overcome the complication,
the Debt Due Condition (p. XX). the character is unable to act for at least a turn as
Jaguar’s Bite (3s): The target immediately suf- the memories of the dead overwhelm them. This
fers a +4 Maimed injury Condition, if available (or Condition resolves at the end of a session.
4 health boxes of damage). If they can’t, they’re
Taken Out. KOSCHEI
Keyword: Execution, Momentary
KATABASIS
Prerequisite: Unrelenting
Keywords: Momentary, Execution The Krugu Vorov are unflappable and un-
Between the Assassin and his target, there can killable, walking away from the direst situa-
be no secrets in the moment of the kill. Turning tions. While the Assassin might have cuts, bullet
the terminus of the hunt into a moment of revela- wounds, bruises, and broken bones, he still walks
tion, the Assassin floods themselves with knowl- of his own volition out of any situation. Perfected
edge of the now-deceased’s life and activities. over time, the ability to survive even an explosion
System: When the Assassin kills someone, is a secret the Krugu guard jealously. Their death-
they may choose to learn facts about that char- less Assassins strike fear into the hearts of all.
acter’s recent activities, goals, or life details. The System: In the moment the Assassin would
Assassin’s player may ask questions with simple be Taken Out, spend an Inspiration to ignore the
Masteries 143
damage that would have caused it. For the rest of with it. While all Societies teach some way to end
the scene, the character cannot be Taken Out. She a hunt, the Krugu Vorov have ritualized the pro-
still suffers Complications from Injury Conditions cess. The ritual may be short, but it brings a sense
unless she has also activated her Unrelenting of completion and ease to the Assassin.
Mastery (p. XX). System: After inflicting the Taken Out Injury
Condition on an opponent, take an action to perform
LA PRÉVOYANCE Last Rites. The ritual element can be anything from
Keyword: Execution, Momentary placing coins over the victim’s eyes, saying a few
The Daughters of the Jacobins have been led words, or cleaning the murder weapon. The Assassin
for centuries by seers and those who can view immediately clears any Conditions she is suffering,
the future. They’ve taught this technique to their except Injury Conditions. Additionally, she gains 1
Assassins in brief, allowing them to predict with Enhancement on her next non-combat action.
complete accuracy their opponent’s next move.
LETHE
The Assassin gets these glimpses in just enough
time to act on them. Keywords: Hunt, Preparation, Execution
System: Spend an Inspiration to add the The arts of life and death lie close to another
Assassin’s Intuitive Facet rating as Enhancement other. The Assassin on the hunt is able to sense
to her Defense action. Additionally, add the the bodily sources of suffering and pain, and com-
Enhancement to her next combat action against bine this awareness their knowledge of the body.
the target she was defending against. This enables them to extend hunt and preserve
life, or to end both swiftly and painlessly.
LA VOYANTE System: While on the Hunt, the Assassin may
Keyword: Execution, Momentary remove the Complication or effect inflicted by
Prerequisite: La Prévoyance an Injury Condition on themselves or an ally
with a basic action for the scene, as long as they
The Assassin knows what is coming at her and
can touch and talk to the affected character. This
has already planned for it. Daughters who have
doesn’t remove or reduce the Injury or its severity.
mastered their ability to peer into the future can
see further and further, allowing them to cre- Against wounded characters, the Assassin gains
ate plans for all inevitabilities. The Assassin sees the following stunt on all physical actions. Note:
more than her opponent’s next action, giving her This stunt may be bought alongside Inflict Injury
insight into their goals and desires. and Critical, if the Assassin has enough successes
System: Spend an action to learn an opponent’s Put Them Down (2s): Deal an Injury Condition
goals during a combat. For the rest of the scene, to your target.
whenever the target acts toward those goals, the
LILIN’S VISIT
Assassin gains 2 Enhancement to act to prevent
them. Additionally, if her opponent attacks her, Keywords: Hunt, Evaluation
spend an Inspiration to gain access to the follow- Techniques of nocturnal operations and stealth
ing Defensive Stunt: ancient before most of the existing Societies
Counterattack (2s): Make an immediate attack formed, even the Society of Leonidas’s oldest re-
against the opponent. Gain the Enhancement cords only note Lilin’s Visit as a foreign art, much
granted by the La Voyante Mastery. This attack practiced in the colonies. Its use remains popular
does not take up your action, and you may make due to its utility, even in an age of night vision gog-
the attack even if you have acted in this round. gles and thermal imagers, but its downsides mean
that many of its practitioners are a secretive lot.
LAST RITES System: The Assassin may choose to acti-
Keyword: Execution, Momentary vate this power during a hunt. When they do,
After finishing a job, an Assassin divests herself the Assassin may see in pitch darkness, ignore
of the job, the mark, and all emotions that come all Difficulty increases or Complications due to

darkness or poor lighting conditions, and gain +2 just served him a poisoned drink. The Society of
enhancement to try to avoid the notice of anyone Leonidas both eschews this Mastery as too under-
relying on artificial lighting or technological vision handed, but also claims to have used it to assassi-
enhancement. However, if operating in full day- nate Alexander the Great.
light or similar lighting conditions, their actions System: When you serve a target poisoned food
gain Complication 2 “Blinded,” that increases the or drink, you may spend Inspiration to inflict the
difficulty of all sight-requiring actions on their next
Disarmed Condition on your target. While under
turn by the value the Assassin fails to overcome. the effects of this Condition, they do not suspect
Deactivating this power requires the Assassin get a your actions as unusual or dangerous. It resolves
full night’s sleep or spend an Inspiration. when they consume the poisoned libations. If the
target delays or resists, increase the difficulty of
NO HESITATION all other actions by 1 until they partake. If the vic-
Keywords: Hunt, Execution tim has an ability that would automatically detect
The Assassin never stops. From the moment poison or danger, this provokes a Clash of Wills.
they begin their pursuit, their path leads them Assassins often sip their own poisoned drink
straight to the target, and their attacks straight to (to which they have developed an immunity, of
the target’s heart. course) or take the first bite of a shared meal in
order to show they mean no harm.
System: While on the hunt, the Assassin’s
attacks may ignore up to the Assassin’s high-
PYTHON’S CORPSE
est Facet in Complications. If there are no
Complications, the Assassin instead reduces the Keywords: Hunt, Execution
target’s Defense after they apply Stunts by the Prerequisites: Delphi Mastery
Assassin’s Inspiration. The Assassin’s trance brings the ancient truth:
death negates whatever essence preceded it in
ORACLE’S TACTICS life. This dread knowledge suffuses the Assassin’s
Keywords: Constant, Execution being, making their bodies extensions of en-
Part foresight, part cold read and part tactical croaching death.
planning, the Pythians predicted their enemies’ System: The Assassin’s close combat attacks
every move and cut them off before they could gain access to the Already Dead stunt. They may
make it. The Daughters of the Jacobins preserve also spend 1 Inspiration when making a close
this ancient “oracular” method and use it to con- combat attack against their hunt’s target to make
found their foes. a killing blow.
System: You gain the Oracle’s Tactics stunt. Already Dead (variable): For every success
Oracles Tactics (variable): For each success spent on this stunt, the target gains a point of
you spend on this stunt, you may bank for the du- the Doomed Condition. The Injury and Critical
ration of the scene. You may spend successes from stunts have their cost reduced by the value of the
these banked stunts in exchange for Inspiration Doomed Condition on a target, to a minimum of
when you use dramatic editing to be one step 1. The Doomed Condition resolves at the end of a
ahead of your opponent. One success equals one scene or when the Assassin is no longer pursuing
Inspiration. Follow the guidelines on p. 154 of the the Doomed individual, whichever happens last.
Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook. Up to 10
SCAPEGOAT
successes may be banked this way. Successes dis-
sipate at the end of the scene. Keywords: Momentary, Execution
With some social misdirection, the Assassin
POISONED CHALICE claims she is someone else — and pins the con-
Keywords: Execution, Momentary sequences on them, instead. The Swarm stole
The Assassin’s disarming nature and compel- this technique from a fractured tablet unearthed
ling smile puts her target at ease — even if she’s during an archaeological dig.
Masteries 145
System: Before you make the kill, either via an attack on a target without breaking stealth or re-
the Inflict Damage stunt or taking advantage of vealing yourself, even if there are witnesses present.
a Killing Blow (p. XX), state who you are. Rather Spend an Inspiration to make a killing blow.
than reveal your true identity, you instead state Drawback: The Assassin suffers from the
the name of a scapegoat who must be a person “Siren’s Call” Complication when they aren’t on
close to the target. Spend Inspiration. Onlookers the hunt.
and associates of the target automatically believe “Siren’s Call” (variable Complication): If you do
the named character is the Assassin. The tar- not overcome this Complication, you become dis-
get must immediately make an appropriate roll tracted by the potential of new work. Unless ac-
against a difficulty equal to your Reflective Facet, tively tracking down a lead, increase all Difficulties
or become confused themselves. If there is no be- by outside of action gameplay until you do (or oth-
lievable way the Assassin could possibly be her erwise take up a new hunt). This Complication’s
named scapegoat (for instance, they’re dead, or rating is 1, plus the number of scenes you haven’t
were speaking to the target a few moments ago) been on the hunt.
the witnesses and target instead believe the scape-
goat hired the Assassin. STYX
THE SHORTEST ROUTES TO THE Keywords: Constant, Preparation

HEART Prerequisites: Katabasis Mastery, Lethe Mastery
Keywords: Momentary, Execution The Assassin lives in the space between life and
death. Their heightened perceptions inform them
Prerequisites: Bespoke Disaster Mastery; An
of infirmities suffered by the living and insults
Entire Life, A Glance Mastery
borne by the dead, and hint at lethal possibilities
All paths lead to their ends. You can kill a man in every setting. This constant knowledge of the
with a gun you smuggled past security, a knife you inevitable tends to make Assassins with this gift
lifted off his private chef, a rock from his Zen gar- morbid and unsettling, straining their interac-
den, a seven-disc-CD player he bought in 1999. In tions with people who don’t dwell on the specific
the end, he’s dead. All your efforts speed the same possibilities of death at every moment.
operation toward the same final result.
System: The Assassin can discern injuries and
System: You may spend 1 Inspiration to make diseases at a glance. This doesn’t allow them to di-
a Killing Blow against a target afflicted by the agnose complicated medical conditions, but they
“Doomed,” (p. XX) “Painted Target,” (p. XX) instantly recognize signs and severity of violence
“Sudden Peril,” (p. XX) or similar Conditions. You or life-threatening diseases. The Assassin may
may immediately resolve one of those Conditions also subtly shift events to target an individual who
instead of spending the Inspiration cost for this they’ve interacted with or who they know will
Mastery. arrive at a location with the “Unlikely Demise”
Stunt, applying it to any roll they’re making for
SILENT KILLER
interacting with the target or location. Once per
Keyword: Momentary session, they may do this without any obvious
Prerequisite: Nevidimyy preparation or clear means of influencing the
The deadliest Assassins are the ones who can per- murderous events.
form their business in broad daylight without any- Unlikely Demise (Variable): You have a trap or
one noticing until the deed is done and then are long circumstance which will threaten serious injury or
gone. The Krugu Vorov have perfected the ability to death to the target. For every success you spend on
slip in and out again without notice. The speed at this stunt, the you inflict a point of the Sudden Peril
which she does her job is just part of the deception Condition on the target. The target gains a match-
and is part and parcel of her unseen movements. ing Complication equal to the Condition. For every
System: The Assassin can only use this Mastery point the target doesn’t resolve when taking actions
while the Nevidimyy Mastery (p. XX) is active. Make during the scene, they suffer 1 Injury Condition or

Health Box. You may make this contingent on an by enemies such as the Pin Down Stunt, or envi-
action the target takes (such as “getting on the bus” ronmental effects such as a windstorm. Every ad-
or “entering the conference room”), which then re- ditional time in a scene they use this mastery, they
quires a successful Procedural investigation roll to gain a point of the Debt Due Condition (p. XX).
determine your involvement. Sudden Peril resolves
after it’s been triggered. WITHOUT MOTIVE
Drawback: Their own social actions (Intrigue Keywords: Momentary, Execution
or otherwise) with non-Assassins suffer from the There is no guilt associated with the act of kill-
“Pall of Death” Complication at 2c. Any unresolved ing; the Assassin does it as naturally as breathing.
complication creates or increases a negative attitude How, then, to predict their attacks? They strike
toward the Assassin equal to the unresolved value. without intention, violence blossoming from
nothing as they kill.
TITANOMACHY
System: When the Assassin makes an attack
Keywords: Momentary, Execution against a target outside of combat, they may spend
Prerequisite: Iliad Mastery ` Inspiration to ready a weapon and immediate-
For a moment, the Assassin stands inviola- ly make a Killing Blow as a single action. If this
ble. They master the space around them, cutting attack kills their target, they may spend another
through a violent fracas or an array of bodyguards Inspiration to create the Condition “Just Walk
so that they may complete their work. Repeated Away” at a value of their Inspiration or Destructive
uses of this technique are exhausting, but most facet. As long as they try to leave without causing
Assassins aim to complete their work before that’s further violence, attempts to attack or impede
necessary. them suffer a difficulty increase equal to the Just
Systems: The Assassin may spend 1 Inspiration Walk Away value. Just Walk Away resolves once
to activate this Mastery for a round, ignoring the the character successfully leaves the scene.
effects of non-Full Cover, Complications caused
Masteries 147
“War is the statesman’s game, the priest’s delight, the lawyer’s jest,
the hired assassin’s trade.”
Percy Bysshe Shelley
STORYGUIDING THE MARTIAL FOREST

Assassins live their lives by rigid moral codes, their • Virtue crushed by institutional vice
internal drives and desires held fast by moral and
• Setting the chronicle in a bleak, hostile environ-
ethical boundaries that separate them from the crim-
ment, often outside the law
inal elements they associate with. Many of the films
that inspired Trinity Continuum: Assassins — John • Themes of revenge, paranoia, and alienation
Wick, Kill Bill, Equilibrium, The Killer — borrow heav-
• Three layers of “reality” within the setting:
ily from the neo-noir and Western genres, but also the
Daylight, Twilight, Shadow
wuxia genre of Chinese fiction in that the cultures and
atmospheres the characters interact with are highly The worlds of Daylight, Twilight, and Shadow
stratified. Assassins games feature several notable el- are thinly superimposed over one another, existing
ements derived from these genres: with permeable yet firm barriers. Assassins duel-
ing will never draw law enforcement attention or a
• Blurred lines between right and wrong
gangland fight, even in a crowded area.
• The character’s standing, whether a good repu-
tation or infamy
LAYER CAKES: THREE LAYERS AS GENRE

Wuxia fiction divides the world into three layers: Of special note is the relationship of law en-
the mundane world, the underworld where crim- forcement to the genre, representing organiza-
inal syndicates live, and the martial arts world full tions that exist largely in Daylight but may per-
of distinct societies and ritualized interactions with sist into Twilight. Sometimes individual cops are
their own codes. Assassins games feature a similar protagonists, but this never lasts, nor is it por-
three-layer genre distinction in the form of Daylight, trayed as a positive service beyond an individual’s
Twilight, and Shadow to help focus stories and deter- devotion to upholding the law. Police as an insti-
mine how relationships interact between the three tution serve the interests of the powerful and ha-
worlds. A layer cake is the best visual metaphor for rass the powerless, acting as societal havens for
these relationships, with each layer describing a so- people who enjoy the use and abuse of authori-
cial stratum of interaction with its own rules and taste ty. Doomed individual cops and detectives may
to match, and the occasional bleed between layers. honestly seek justice and societal order, bringing
them into contact with the Twilight layer, but
THE MUNDANE WORLD: they nearly always fail one way or another — and
DAYLIGHT often, either lose their lives or their careers by
confronting the overwhelming corruption and
The world of the Trinity Continuum, more or
fraud within the police structure itself. These
less. People get up in the morning and go to work
longsuffering protagonists are gradually ground
and sit in traffic; they attend fashion shows; they
to dust and dissolution by their contact with the
mow their lawns and eat muffins in a dreary sub-
underworld and the societal machinery of polic-
urban reverie. When the rich and powerful tres-
ing (such as the fate of the dual investigators in
pass, they pay a fine. The poor get thrown into
Infernal Affairs).
prison when they break the law.
Layer Cakes: Three Layers as Genre 149

THE CRIMINAL in Twilight acts as pure antagonists (such as the
DEA official and NYPD in Léon: The Professional).
UNDERWORLD: TWILIGHT
The criminal underworld exists in the Trinity THE ASSASSIN
Continuum, connected to the world of Assassins OTHERWORLD: SHADOW
but still grounded in the realities of daily life. Many
The Shadow layer is the world in chiaroscu-
of the factions operating at this level are powerful
ro: cool colors, darkest blacks, and a heightened
criminal syndicates — the Camparellis of La Cosa
sense of drama and reality. Things are different
Nostra and the Zhukovs of the Russian Mafia are
here. Everything takes on a more sensual aspect,
currently engaged in a global underworld war, but
the better to distract from the cruel necessities of
beside them exists the Triads and the Tongs, the
the work and the spiritual cost of their endeavor.
Yakuza, D-Company, and numerous smaller col-
Entire cultures flourish in the darkness between
lective organizations such as Dacoity or outlaw
spaces, an entire industry arises to support the
motorcycle clubs. Wealth and vengeance, as well
killing work of the Societies, and social rules are
as upholding contracts among thieves, preoccupy
dramatically different. Only rarely do Assassins
the conflicts in this layer.
deal with the hoi polloi, and then only on a large-
Some genre traits held in Twilight persist when ly personal level as friends and lovers, never col-
venturing deeper into Shadow. Heavy tactical ar- leagues. Even the Societies who claim a mandate
mor isn’t usually worn, nor are excessively mili- for the people, by the people, recognize that they
tary trappings such as artillery or heavy machine are not truly of the people.
guns present at this level. Explosives are used only
The genre traits that arose in Twilight bloom
rarely, with most duels and assaults trending to-
into full flower in Shadow. Every Assassin be-
ward personal combat or at best the long-range
comes aware of another’s standing, and the ano-
thrills of a sniper duel.
nymity prized by Daylight murderers or Twilight
Still, violence at this level — though omnipres- killers reverses itself. Shadow Assassins want ev-
ent — confines itself to messy gang warfare or eryone in Shadow to know when they’ve killed a
urban assaults. There is no grace, no art, to blood target, while keeping clear of Daylight and leav-
shed at this level, even with the backing of an honing Twilight with a dim awareness of their prow-
or duel. Those who engage in multiple contract ess. Assassins consider stealing a target kill to be
killings and hone their skills to the finest degree a dramatic insult against the other professional;
come to rest in Shadow; otherwise, when it comes on the other hand, secretly manipulating another
to dealing death, even the most hardened criminal Assassin into killing your target when they nev-
can only be described as a talented amateur com- er would’ve achieved success otherwise is often
pared to a true Assassin. more highly regarded than killing the target your-
In Twilight, the police become a well-funded self. Within the professional network of artisanal
gang as profane and venal as the organized crime hunters, they are famous, even if they remain
they purport to combat, engaging directly in il- complete unknowns to their targets in the wider
legal trades while the legal system contorts and world. To the underworld, they become legends.
corrupts itself to support them. The difference be- The Shadow world is awash in visual details
tween Daylight and Twilight is a passive vs. active and rich in symbolism, elaborately wrought and
distinction. In Daylight, whole branches of beat omnipresent. Nearly everyone in Shadow has a
cops might be bought and paid for by the mob, but tattoo or missing digit, and these denote a histo-
individual detectives or officers may still hold no- ry and a storied, secret past. A snake wrapping
ble ideals even as they struggle with their service around a raging wolf on an Assassin’s bare torso
to a flawed societal organization. Yet in Twilight, represents Jörmungandr and Fenrir, the mon-
the entire police structure orients toward illegal- sters that will ruin the world in Ragnarök; expect
ity, rendering their betrayal of purported ideals a to find this person in a steamy, crimson-lit club
deliberate and cruel choice rather than an incul- called Muspelheim. Water is an important envi-
cated moral failing. By and large, law enforcement ronmental detail here: even in a drought, it rains
150 CHAPTER SIX: THE KILLING ART

BODY COUNTS: CINEMA AND REALISM
Career assassin kill counts can get excessive. Ghost Dog in Ghost Dog: Way of the
Samurai kills 19 characters; Léon in Léon: The Professional kills 28 minor characters and
two main targets over the course of the movie, and both assassins had long and storied
careers behind them. Agent 47 of Hitman fame can theoretically kill thousands due to the
nature of a video game, but a Silent Assassin run through the games up through 2016’s
Hitman leaves 286 dead. John Wick kills 299 people over the first three eponymous films.
A long-running Assassins game will likely rack up similar body counts.
Real-life contract killers and assassins are rarely so prolific, ending their careers dead,
imprisoned, or out of the life with kill counts in the single digits or the low dozens. Those
who claim more, such as Julio Santana’s 500 murders, have no real evidence to back up
their claims beyond tabloid journalism; even Giuseppe “Pino” Greco can only plausibly
claim 80 killings. Simo Häyhä, by contrast, was a sniper credibly believed to have killed
over 500 men in World War II, but he did his killing under sanction of war.
Assassins games should err on the dramatic or cinematic side than the realistic. To rep-
licate the cinematic body counts, the Storyguide should break up mobs into groups of
3-5 minor characters, so the Enhancement bonus doesn’t overwhelm the defenses of
the players (see Trinity Continuum pg. 140). Use the Tension rules (pg. XX) if you’re
running a more realistic Assassins game, where the characters are killing machines but
not superhuman killing machines. And don’t worry about the cleanup or the police inves-
tigation when you’re in Shadow; nobody will ask, and nobody will care.
sometimes, and water pools in the streets to re- and guile go far, but only when they back up the
flect the haggard face of the Assassin back at them physical or social raw power to make one’s will a
when they return from a kill. reality.
In Shadow, minor characters only exist to make That’s not to say that killing someone publicly
the players feel powerful. The targets of Assassins won’t invite a response from law enforcement or
often have many thugs, mooks, criminals, and local security; merely that once the scene has re-
stooges serving them in the Twilight layer, all of solved with the antagonists dead or the Assassin’s
whom are more than willing to kill. Savvy players escape, there isn’t usually any follow-up. Shadowy
may ask, Won’t the death of so many necessitate an forces work to protect the Assassin, and Daylight
investigation by the authorities? or, What’s going layer folks won’t even budge. At the highest lev-
to happen to all the bodies? and to be fair, they’re el, two Assassins could conduct a walking gun-
not wrong in these questions. The ask goes right fight in a crowded city street, and they will like-
up against the suspension of disbelief inherent ly go unnoticed if they’re executing their attacks
within the martial forest, though, so there’s only with the barest minimum of subtlety and silenced
one real answer: The Assassins are untouchable weapons.
because they’re in a different world with different
rules. Call it fate, call it karma, call it selective win-
SHADOWY FACES
dows of consciousness propagating through the While the Societies all at least nominally abide
complex quantum interplay of the Continuum, by the Code (p. XX), each Society has its own
but nobody notices where the bodies go, and the variations on the strict rules that govern Assassin
cleanup never gets featured. etiquette. In the Shadow, far more important to
Social power and reputation reigns supreme many Assassins is the fame, status, dignity, and re-
in Shadow. The greatest Assassins command fear spect that accorded them by their killing prowess.
and respect, even from another Society’s member. An Assassin’s status has less to do with living up
They are rich in the tokens of their achievements, to the standard of the Code — their own stand-
constantly surrounded by luxuries unexperienced ing in their Society will address shortcomings in
by all but the ultra-wealthy. In this world, poise this regard — and more to do with social position
Layer Cakes: Three Layers as Genre 151

and personal connections within and between there is an extensive tradition of interaction and
Societies and the services provided in the Shadow. professional courtesy. A character who disre-
This world values strength more than boldness, spects the terms of a duel or who brutalizes or
and there is respected wisdom in knowing one’s kills her opponent is subject to censure by the
proper station in the order of things. Service.
Assassins often collect physical tokens, such as The heat of a close encounter is reason enough
ornate gold coins or unique weapons depending to enter a duel, especially if there’s prior cause for
on their Societal affiliation, to denote this status. animosity between the two. Even then, attempt-
Markers are granted or lost as the Assassin gains ing to kill the same target can prompt a duel, as
and loses favor and status, and when they com- can defending a target from another prospective
plete assassinations in an artful or sloppy man- Assassin. Some duels are deeply personal and the
ner. These markers or tokens serve primarily to culmination of years of rivalry, while others are
demand respect from others for the Assassin’s the proverbial just business.
station or exchange for services rendered. The Assassin duels typically come in three vari-
Society of Leonidas exchanges small golden spear eties: sniper duels, taking place across multiple
heads no larger than coins, while the Daughters of fields; stalking duels, where both opponents are
the Jacobins use cockades as the physical repre- loosed into a location unknown to either of them
sentation of social currency. The actual Daylight and hunt one another throughout the structure;
monetary value of the items is irrelevant; they are and close combat duels, where it’s martial skill
symbols of an intangible social standing. These vs. martial skill with knives and pistols. Assassin
can typically be exchanged between Societies and duels that occur on the field are generally of the
refinanced into a chosen Society’s currency by the former or latter varieties.
Service. If one Assassin and another enter a duel, and
Banking is one of many side industries that arise there’s no personal feud involved, the older or
in Shadow, but they are shared by private doctors, more experienced Assassin will generally offer
weapons dealers, and freelance intelligence ana- the younger or more inexperienced Assassin the
lysts and assassination handlers willing to walk an right of first attack. In this, the elder Assassin will
Assassin to their target as a voice in the ear. Few defend themselves, and might respond with sup-
of these side industries exist solely in one layer; pressing fire or certain grappling moves but won’t
most exist with one foot in Daylight and one foot directly counterattack. The younger Assassin
in Shadow, a façade for the day and a secret ser- ceding his right to first attack is a personal insult
vice in the night. Twilight use of these industries against the elder Assassin. Similarly, the elder di-
is limited, as criminals are more likely to stick to rectly attacking to defend herself is humiliating.
those they can suborn directly. Unlike Assassins, Yet, after the duel, the winner will explain the
they exist to serve and be of service no matter the loser’s loss; this helps to conserve the tokens the
layer. loser will have to expend afterward. Braggadocio
ASSASSIN DUELS or further humiliation results in a loss of status
from the winner. Resorting to hidden weapons
As befits a society comprised of profession-
or poison is deeply dishonorable in a direct duel,
als, Assassin duels are rarely to the death; most
seen as deeply humiliating and resulting in a
Assassins who kill one another do it on the field
loss of tokens, even if this is normally par for the
of battle. Assassin duels within Societies are dealt
course for killing a target.
with by internal means, but between Societies,

GROUP PLAY AND STYLES
Assassin exists within a facet of the broader shared thread between the other characters — she
world presented in Trinity Continuum — but is normally the one to assemble the team based
not within a vacuum. Play can easily be mixed on personal preference and her own backstory
between the options and templates presented with the other characters. In the event the leader
here and in the core material of Trinity. After all, hasn’t chosen this team herself, this is because a
Assassins aren’t just “Talents, but better,” and higher-up has selected teammates for her.
there’s much a Talent who isn’t focused on shad- The rest of the motley crew is comprised of top-
owy underworlds and the killing arts can bring of-their-field mercenaries, specifically for their
to the table. When considering allowing options unique skill sets — the undefeated streetfighter,
from the core material as playable material within the nation’s most-wanted hacker, the ten-time es-
a game set in the subculture of Assassins, con- caped convict, etc. If this is a team of specialists,
sider why a Talent would want to associate with the leader specializes in encouraging these dispa-
trained killers in the first place — optionally ruling rate Talents to work together. Players may choose
that a Talent must at least have one Twilight Path to hand out other roles to themselves, such as the
and appropriate transition. dedicated sniper, the close combat expert, the in-
Likewise, consider why a team of Assassins filtration specialist, and so on. Storyguides might
would rely on one outside their circle to provide also choose to fill in missing “roles” with a sup-
them backup. Perhaps the Talent in question has port staff of ordinary Talents who supplement the
excellent Daylight connections, lending a legit- deadly skills of the players’ characters Assassins
imacy to the entire operation. Maybe the Talent instead.
has access to Gifts considered priceless to the
team (but not so priceless that they couldn’t of-
DIRECTING THE ACTION
fer suitable compensation as required). Or maybe Running a game for a diverse group with com-
the Talent simply provides the team with the hu- pletely different roles requires an eye for the big
man warmth or moral compass they are otherwise picture of the session, as well as an understanding
lacking. of attitudes at your table. When the team is on the
Beyond the question of “who picks what op- job, they will most likely be split up and handling
tions from which books,” a Storyguide needs to their own individual challenges. And, usually, the
address the topic of play style. What sort of team story arc for a disparate team of individuals like
the players form provides the palette for the en- this hinges on whether or not they can learn to
tire game. work together despite their differences—the last
thing a Storyguide wants to do is inadvertently
THE TEAM OF SPECIALISTS impede the progress of that arc with an imbal-
anced camera.
Teams of specialists should comprise of 3-4
players, each with their own skills and focus Keep an eye on both in-game time and re-
to contribute to the team’s goals and career. al-world time. Cut away from scenes that require
This team is the primary unit of the heist genre, a character to wait around for something — this is
which includes media like Leverage and Mission: a chance to give another character time to shine.
Impossible. It also lends itself best to mixed groups Ask other characters what they get up to during
of Talents and Assassins. the wait or momentary down-time, especially if
you can think of some way it might unexpectedly
TEAM COMPOSITION affect the task they’re waiting on.
The team usually requires at least one character Likewise, a scene that has been taking up re-
be the leader, the “face” of the group. If the lead- al-world time may need to be ended premature-
er doesn’t arise organically during character cre- ly. The player(s) involved could be having a great
ation, make sure the players are clear on who will time; but try to keep an eye on the audience — the
be taking this role. The leader is commonly the other players at the table. If they are just as invested
Group Play and Styles 153

in what is happening, consider allowing the scene DIRECTING THE ACTION
to progress. If they are anxious to get to their own
Running a game for two imbalanced characters
parts, look for opportunities to cut away.
— only one of whom is “physically” interacting
Cutting away is primarily meant to give other with the setting — requires flexibility and pa-
players a chance to play, but it should also serve to tience, as well as the willingness to hit your play-
build the tension of your game. When considering a ers just a little harder than usual. Partnerships like
cut away, be on the lookout for any of the following: this one run on the theme of “divided we fall,” and
Something dramatic is about to happen your job here is not just to provide each of them
(“Suddenly, the door’s card reader beeps, and the with challenges to their skill set but find every op-
handle turns — someone’s coming! Meanwhile, in portunity to threaten their unity.
the elevator shaft...”) While you will still be prompting the Weapon
Something surprising was revealed (“‘I only did for responses as you would in any other game
it,’ the CFO tells you, ‘because ... they’re holding (“You see a group of armed, uniformed men stop-
my son hostage.’ But just then, down in the park- ping cars on the road ahead of you, what do you
ing garage...”) do?”), you will need to keep a clear division be-
An end goal is in sight but not yet in hand (“Your tween what the Weapon perceives, and what the
mark is sitting on the park bench right where the Handler knows. There may be times when you
client said he’d be. You have a clear shot. However, ask the Handler, instead — “Central just sent up
back in the safe house…”) a warning that Black Dog operatives are posing as
Anything else that leaves an urgent event unre- local law enforcement and have set up roadside
solved — a cliffhanger. checks, what do you do?” This gives them room to
decide whether to involve the Weapon, or wheth-
Don’t be afraid to become a dictatorial director
er to try and address the issue themselves.
for this style of group. The nature of diverse roles
in a game of subterfuge requires more than adju- Likewise, you may need to remind the Handler
dicating rules disputes. The table relies on your of their unusual amount of authority in the game.
ability to referee whose turn it is in the spotlight. In a sense, they are co-GMing with you, by trying
to direct the Weapon through their shared mis-
THE WEAPON AND HANDLER sion. Being removed from the action may make
them feel as though they don’t have the same
Weapon and handler are, necessarily, a
agency as the Weapon, but their ability to per-
two-player team, one performing primarily
form dramatic edits has in no way diminished.
physical work and the other primarily mental.
Consider allowing them to spend Inspiration or
Partnerships like this can be seen in the “Hitman”
Momentum for dramatic edits at a discount, us-
and “James Bond” series.
ing a few of the options provided for Alternate
TEAM COMPOSITION Flashbacks on page XX.
The “Weapon” is a character with unparalleled Even though the Handler may ostensibly be
physical or social skills, meant to be smuggled into removed from the action, there are still oppor-
or delivered directly to the job in the field. She tunities to threaten them with danger and con-
will most often be in the thick of it, so to speak, sequences. The Handler could have been given
though would be at insurmountable disadvantage faulty or outdated information. They may be
without backup from her handler. facing censure or restrictions from their mutual
The “Handler” is a character with ultimate organization, limiting their access to resources.
intellect, providing backup in the form of up-to- Their own equipment could be malfunctioning,
the-minute surveillance, information, gadgetry, crippling their ability to assist the Weapon. Or —
and anything else that requires a finer touch. He most importantly — their relationship with the
will usually be removed from the action in a place Weapon could be on the rocks, impeding their
of (supposed) relative safety and would have no ability to work together. Finally, just because the
hope of finishing the job without his weapon. Handler is supposed to avoid action doesn’t mean
action won’t find them. There could be a situation

that requires the Handler and Weapon to remain human characters benefit from, with a few ob-
in close proximity. Or the consequences of a job vious exceptions. Consider making up for these
gone awry mean the enemy is closing in on the drawbacks by granting animal characters custom
Handler’s location. Paths, or by lowering the requirement for acquir-
ing Specialties in Skills like Athletics or Survival
NON-HUMAN TEAMMATES to 2 instead of 3.
A Talent is not required to be human. Animal
DIRECTING THE ACTION
companions can be found in teams and partner-
ships, such as in the “John Wick” movies and the First, make sure your players understand that in
Assassin’s Creed series. this game, an animal character may be injured just
as readily as a human character. This may seem
TEAM COMPOSITION like a strange disclaimer for a game about hired
The animal, or otherwise non-human compan- killers, but for some, this is a deal-breaker, and we
ion, provides their human partner backup in the aren’t here to ask why.
form of scouting, subterfuge, and combat. Their If you personally want to avoid harming animals
exact contribution depends on their skill-set, but in your campaign, be ready with alternative conse-
for the most part they are highly specialized, and quences for the animal partner. Capture is the most
enjoy an ironclad bond with their human com- obvious, but they could become sedated, lost, or
panion. Animal characters, as their own unique find their keen senses neutralized in some way.
form of hyper-competent killers, still have ac- In a game where one of the characters is non-hu-
cess to most of the character creation options man, consider being much more charitable with what
Group Play and Styles 155

the animal companion can understand and carry out. two inappropriate elements to better fit a non-hu-
They are a Talent, like the rest of the team; they are man character (such as renaming the Origin
just as deadly and competent as their human coun- “Street Rat” to “Stray,” swapping out Enigmas for
terparts. A German Shepherd may not be firing a gun Persuasion to represent a stray who perfected the
anytime soon, but she will have exceptional disci- art of begging).
pline, an infallible nose, and a terrifying bite. For Path transitions, consider that most animals
Character generation for the non-human com- and other non-humans would be acquired or en-
panion requires a player dedicated to the concept, tangled from Daylight into a Twilight or Shadow
willing to limit a few of their options. Restrict ac- Path. From there, some exceptional creatures are
cess to skills an animal would never possess: name- recruited into Shadow or even elevated—strange
ly, Aim, Enigmas, Humanities, Medicine, Pilot, as it may sound initially, a dog can very much be
Science, and Technology. And, while animal char- in possession of a nemesis if said nemesis resents
acters are able to gain Masteries, they are rarely ca- operating on the same professional level as “some
pable of those with the Planning keyword. stupid mutt.”
Given that the animal companion is likely part- And, when an Animal retires to Daylight, re-
nered with a human character, consider giving member that few have gone legit, lacking an un-
the two of them special Enhancements or access derstanding or even capacity for the moral choice
to a unique shared Path reflecting their bond. to do so. Some are instead washed up, perhaps
Animal-only Paths are also excellent ideas to have too old or too weary to keep on with the game.
prepped and brought to the table when a player is Most, however, merely get out — there’s no need
considering this option. This could be as simple for exit interviews or threats of silence when your
as taking a pre-existing Path and swapping one or now-former associate is incapable of speech.
STORY OF A KILL
A single assassination has all the elements of a weapons, no matter how many times they may be
good story laid out. The tension in the investiga- told that they are. They live at the fringes of soci-
tion, the rising action during the planning, the cli- ety but still within it. One of the most important
max in the execution, and the falling action as or things a Storyguide can do is push their players
hero (or villain) escapes the scene. It is the perfect to explore this aspect of their character and es-
short-form story, and if you’re running a conven- tablish a cast of characters that exist beyond the
tion game or a one or two-shot adventure, then framework of missions. While the meat of the
that’s likely all you need. However, when running game may take place in the Shadow world, the in-
a longer form story in the world of Assassins, it teractions that occur in Daylight and Twilight are
can be difficult to tie together a series of uncon- just as important.
nected jobs into a greater tapestry. This chapter Characters must live somewhere. Establish the
covers techniques a Storyguide can use to connect people they meet in their daily lives, whether they
the various jobs their players go on in interesting be their boss at their cover job, their landlord, the
ways to make the world of Assassin entertaining, waiter at the diner they relax at after missions
vibrant and alive. or their far too exuberant middle-class neighbor.
These characters who occupy the Daylight por-
A WEB OF KNIVES tions of the Assassin’s life serve to make the world
Assassins is inherently a mission-based game, feel more alive. They can be used to develop plots
in which players are given a task and sent to car- that take place away from the grind of the Shadow
ry it out. It can be easy to fall into a pattern of world, provide some levity in a darker campaign,
sending players on mission after mission, but or be dragged kicking and screaming into the
just as important as the mission are the spaces in Twilight and Shadow world to drive home the ef-
between. Player characters are not just tools or fect the Assassin’s work has on everyday people.

Characters who occupy the Twilight are equally excellent recurring characters. The bodyguard
important to developing the world. If you need a who fails to protect his charge in one mission
contact to have been captured, it’s much easier to pops up again, working for someone else in the
use one you’ve established. The players will care same organization. A family member swears re-
much more about extracting one of their own if venge on his cousin’s killers and devotes his life
it’s Carol from down the hall. If you want to have to killing the Assassins. The same Interpol agent
them go after a gun dealer who has gotten in too shows up to investigate multiple homicides and
deep in debt, why not send them after Vasily, the gets closer and closer to finally catching the play-
tracksuit and gold chain wearing Russian with ers’ characters. The Assassin underworld is glob-
a predilection for pop music? You can also use al, spanning multiple continents, but also employs
these characters to trigger action scenes between a fairly low number of characters. Recycling these
missions by having Victor, the local mafia boss, characters and showing their journey from the
blackmail them, or having another gang member Twilight world into the world of Shadow, or how
threaten their favorite server. their lives are utterly ruined by their brush with
The characters established within missions are the Shadows helps to make one-off missions feel
just as important to an ongoing story. While the connected to the greater whole.
target of any individual mission is likely a one-off The last and most important type of recurring
character, their supporting staff doesn’t need to characters are those characters who lurk in the
be. At the end of any mission, Storyguides should Shadows, other the Assassins. Each Assassin like-
write down the names and characteristics of any ly belongs to a Society. The other people in their
character that survives the story for use in future organization are all distinct killers with as wildly
missions. Bodyguards, family members of the differing motivations as the players’ characters.
deceased, and government officials can all make Anytime a new Assassin is presented, do your best
Story of a Kill 157

to give them a distinctive flair: a hat, a pattern of • Use the “legion of super villains” sparingly. Each
speech, a scar, a prosthetic arm, an odd weapon or player has a nemesis, and it can be tempting to
way of using their weapon, etc. The thirtieth suit- bring all of them together under a single banner,
ed sniper is unlikely to raise any eyebrows, but the but in doing so, it is possible to lose a lot of the
cowboy hat-wearing sniper, in brown leather with uniqueness of each character as they are absorbed
a southern draw and a revolving chamber on his into the alliance. If all (or some) of the nemeses are
Barret 50 Cal is going to stand out. All this advice going to align, it should be for no longer than a sin-
goes double for a character’s Nemesis (See below.) gle-story arc. The pay-off to any such plot should
shake the foundation of the chronicle.
These characters can serve as allies, antago-
nists, sources of information, love interests or all
of the above. Make sure to introduce these char-
THE BIG PICTURE
acters early and to keep having them involved in The world of Assassins is one of secrets. Secret
the plot. A story about a traitor betraying a soci- motivations, secret emotions, and secret agendas.
ety and the players having to hunt them down is The plots of the world are rarely directly spelled
more impactful if it’s Carol from down the hall out in front of characters. In addition, by their na-
than if it’s someone new. Use these characters to ture Assassins are reactive characters not proactive
tie individual missions into a greater tapestry. If ones. They go where they are told or where the
the same Assassin guards’ targets in two separate money is. So Storyguides can’t count on players to
missions, it can imply the targets are linked, prod-pursue plots on their own, because A) they prob-
ding the players to look deeper into the mysteries ably don’t know where to start looking and B) if
surrounding their kills. they’re playing their Assassin to type, they won’t be
going after anything they’re not paid to target. For
THE NEMESIS this reason, it is vital that the Storyguide has a clear
Nemeses are extremely important characters to idea of what overall plot of the game is going to be.
the Assassins games, but they can also be tricky to Before the game starts, a Storyguide should de-
handle. They should be, at the same time, the most cide on one to three big secrets of the campaign.
interesting characters in a scene, and also not Once established the Storyguide can pepper small
overshadow the player characters. When using a hints, scraps of information and clues as to what is
Character’s Nemesis some things to keep in mind: going on throughout the story.
• Make appearances by a Nemesis impactful. If the main story of a campaign involves a
Having a Nemesis hang around at the edges of double agent within the player’s organization,
a plot or scene can be good for building tension. Storyguides should hint at this in most if not all
Still, if you have them just hanging around too missions. Symbolism can be used to great effect,
long without doing anything, they can lose the including scenes involving mirrors, stories involv-
mystique and seem more like desperate hanging betrayal, or characters literally being stabbed
ers-on than legitimate badasses in their own in the back. Have enemy agents always seem to be
right. one step ahead of them, have the agent in ques-
• Don’t make them omniscient. Having a nemesis tion show up during the mission for a totally plau-
outwit a player once or even twice can be enter- sible reason, have a target tipped off and using a
taining. Having a nemesis outplay the players at body double, have them find a copy of their own
every turn becomes tedious and frustrating for mission briefing on an enemy agent, have enemy
the players. Try and remember the limits of any agents know things they shouldn’t such as the
nemesis and make sure that they play within the characters names.
rules of plausibility. If the main story of a campaign involves the
Assassins being used in a political coup, have all
• Let the players get the upper hand. Games of cat
the targets linked through political affiliations,
and mouse are most fun when people take turns
playing both roles. Let the players track down have targets from a later mission show up in pre-
and interfere with their Nemesis’ plots too. vious missions, detail the news reports of the elec-
tion or trial in the background, have a target beg

for their life and throw accusations at their rivals. peace within the territory. However, if the players
If the coup is destabilizing a country, show that investigate, they can find out that the Guerillas are
through an increase in street violence and crime just protecting their land from a greedy logging
in the areas they’re working. If the coup is against corporation, and that the conflict only started af-
a secret organization, let the players find the same ter the corporation kidnapped several locals.
symbol in several locales. The player characters are hired to kill a career
These are just a few examples, but by pepper- criminal who has just turned state evidence. They
ing these small details throughout a campaign the perform the deed, and see that the evidence he’s
players will feel like they’ve solved a puzzle when turned over was against a rival from a previous
they put it all together just before you reveal it. mission
Each of these missions can spin out into anoth-
THE SUM OF ITS PARTS er story should you wish. Once the tech mogul is
People don’t pay hundreds of thousands of dollars dead, the person who hired them could begin us-
to kill someone for no reason. Every hit has a motive ing the resources to hunt them and members of
and if the players don’t know why exactly they are their organization down, knowingly or not. If the
being paid to end their target (because they didn’t players kill the guerilla leader, the area become
ask or were lied to) the Storyguide always knows. more destabilized, and they are hired for another
This reason should be important, not just to the in- job just a few years later as the next local leader
dividual but to the world itself. While it’s fine to give rises. If they turn on their employer and kill the
the players an easy mission killing someone’s cheat- local head of the loggers, well the corporation
ing spouse or thieving business partner, it’s better to might be willing to pay for some revenge. Killing
have the true goal of missions be more opaque. the criminal in state custody could gain them the
Some Examples: attention of a particularly dogmatic federal agent,
The players’ characters are hired to kill a tech or an IOU from a former enemy.
mogul, who the client claims stole his invention. The consequences of the players action, wheth-
In actuality the person hiring them wants the tech er they be good, evil, or in between, are import-
mogul killed so that his organization can gain ac- ant. Each mission should have consequences for
cess to the personal data collected by the tech mo- not only the world around them but the Assassins
guls’ company for some nefarious purpose. themselves. In detailing these consequences long,
The player characters get hired to execute a gue- complex stories are created.
rilla war leader for the stated goal of promoting
ART OF THE KILL

When the sun sets, the whole world changes. where Assassins dwell, and where ordinary peo-
Light retreats and the shadows creep, but the mo- ple fear to tread.
ment between the two is gloaming. In that tran- Everyday folk unwittingly interact with
sitory period, other worlds become apparent, and Assassins, but most don’t recognize it. It is akin
sometimes stumbled upon. The Twilight acts as a to a sense of deja vu, where you might have seen
veil between the world of Daylight and the world them once or twice before, but you fail to place the
of Shadow — the permeable layer that many are when, who, or the circumstances of that chance
subconsciously aware of and dare not cross into meeting. Going about their day, these individuals
but may find themselves interacting it for fleet- are blissfully ignorant about the all-out gun fight
ing moments at a time. Like the twin circles of a that transpired right behind them in the casino,
Venn diagram, there is a sliver of overlap between aren’t alarmed at all by the bullet-riddled body
the world of Daylight and the world of Shadow. walking into urgent care, or the desperate foot
That sliver, that tiny shard of similarity, is where chase that happened while they were walking
few individuals can truly exist. This is the world
Art of the Kill 159

their dog. Just because they don’t acknowledge it enough to give a concrete lead or confirm their sus-
doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. picions. It’s a dead-end. Once more, the Assassin
An Assassin could be chasing their mark evades exposure and becoming too entangled in
through a crowded street fair, guns brandished, the world of light. The authorities are stumped, and
and one would think there would be a chorus the clerk remains blissfully unaware of the world
of frightened voices — some madman is waving of Shadow even though they brushed against it.
a double-barrel shotgun around in a crowded Everything remains separate, as it is intended to be.
promenade after all — but instead there is just a That is not to say that these Storyguide characters
sense of casual inconvenience. Having to step are to be treated as expendable — far from it. Even
aside momentarily to make a path for an ongoing if an Assassin wanted to make closer connections
chase while you were sampling some artisanal to her Daylight acquaintances, the Code forbids it.
strawberry rhubarb preserves is such a bother, es- Venturing too far back into the daylit world endan-
pecially when they bumped into you. Is that blood gers her livelihood, her contracts, and her Society.
on your blouse? No, silly, it must be the preserves. An Assassin may still maintain relationships
What else could it be, Barbara? with those who dwell in this Daylight world,
Assassins are more likely to remember mun- though she does so at her own risk. Intimate
dane people they interact with on a regular basis: relationships such as distant family members,
dry cleaners, urgent care physicians, the barista friends, lovers, and spouses — individuals that
at the corner coffee shop who does intricate art have names, lives, and motivations that can be
atop their latte and the like. The inverse, how- as mundane as ensuring that the Assassin always
ever, is unlikely. When dropping off bloody and has a warm meal in their belly and a safe space
bullet-riddled suits to a cleaner, there is no star- to sleep at night or as grand as potentially trying
tled reaction on the part of the cleaner. They to draw the Assassin away from the lifestyle that
mostly wave it off as the Assassin having had an so often keeps them away from hearth and home.
“adventurous” weekend, and dutifully places the If anything, these named Storyguide characters
clothes on the rack to be cleaned and mended. It provide a tie, almost an anchor, to the world of
is not that the clerk is completely ignorant of what Daylight, a reminder that there is another way of
caused the holes and blood, it is that they instead living there for them — if they are willing to pay
willfully choose to ignore that particular unpleas- the price for it. When an Assassin interacts with
antness of reality. these types of characters, it may seem complete-
Non-playable characters that exist in the world ly normal. Healthy, even, to an extent. It could
of Daylight that interact with Assassins, either di- be a monthly family dinner, catching up with an
rectly as a contact or a clerk in a commonly used old friend over drinks at a favorite dive bar, both
business (such as those dry cleaners), conduct instances where asking about how the Assassin
themselves with tact. They neither draw attention is doing “professionally” usually requires some
to the Assassin’s bloodied face, nor do they coop- manner of obfuscation to maintain the degrees of
erate with the authorities. It is an unspoken agree- separation. Explaining in detail about how easy it
ment, a contract of sorts, which maintains the thin was to snipe a rival Assassin from the fourth floor
veil between Daylight, Twilight, and further yet, of the Ritz Paris over your mother’s homemade
the Shadow. Most of these interactions are cur- lasagna is not necessarily polite conversation and
sory at best, and the names and faces all blur to- is usually best avoided. Instead, you say you had
gether—they are not important relationships by a lovely trip, show some filtered selfies, and oth-
any means, but they do make up the bulk of an erwise pretend like nothing is out of the ordinary
Assassin’s day-to-day interactions. about your day job.
It works out for the Assassin, either way. After The relationships an Assassin has with charac-
all, if a daylight witness were questioned by inves- ters who are in the Daylight are so vital it isn’t un-
tigative authorities after an incident, there may be heard of that an Assassin will go out of their way,
a vague memory of someone fitting the description often risking their own physical (and often psy-
of the Assassin in question, but it would not be chological) wellbeing to ensure that elements of

Twilight and Shadow never pass through the veil to underworld only exists in places deemed to be of
render harm to those characters. Oftentimes, these ill repute is the place of amateurs when in fact it
Daylight characters never know of the danger they is everywhere. From the condemned houses in a
are in — that is how strong the veil is. It is not so blighted city to the tallest high-rise penthouses
much cognitive dissonance as it is an entirely dif- overlooking Manhattan, it doesn’t differentiate.
ferent view of reality. They are unlikely to meander Assassins come from all levels of society, with no
into Society territory or actively engage with crim- classification holding a greater majority than the
inal enterprise, somehow innately knowing that other. Even that barista who winked at you while
these are not places for them to be in. giving you your skim milk caramel macchiato
What about when someone, either a player or with a double shot could be an Assassin. You never
an SGC, toes the edge between the worlds, and thought about it because them being an Assassin
attempts to push deeper into it? Circumstances is just so far outside the realm of possibility the
change and sometimes the haze thins, allowing notion never even registers.
for a momentary overlap between the two worlds. That is the simple beauty of it all. They are right
This Twilight space betwixt worlds is an oddity there and there isn’t anything that can be done.
unto itself and allows everyday people to glance In those moments, you are unable to reach across
across the veil and see the Shadow world in all its the veil to touch this other place, even though you
darker glory. It has always been there, but wheth- can see it, smell it, even taste the difference in the
er its existence is acknowledged is up to the per- air. The Shadow world eludes you, and eventually
son straddling the two worlds. the memory of it fades from your mind until you
Daylight characters sometimes get a cursory brush up against it again. This continued expo-
glance of this darkened place and are frightened sure to a world so like your own and at the same
back to the world of light while others get a taste time so different is what the barrier does.
of something different, something darker and The ignorant assume these Twilight and
find themselves inextricably pulled toward it. As Shadow worlds, this overlapping pocket of exis-
soon as they are pulled back to their proper world, tence, is somehow fundamentally different than
many quickly return to the familiarity and safety the reality they know and live in. Expecting it to
of the Daylight. Yet there are the few who find be a world of never-ending dusk and little sun-
themselves stricken with an obsession to find this light save for some dramatic effect in a showdown,
world — one like their own world, but through a those who manage to cross over are somewhat let
mirror darkly. They go out of their way, chasing down that it isn’t any more grimy or gritty as their
ghosts down dark alleys, listening attentively to own. Instead, they are startled to find it is more
police scanners, all in the hopes of running into or less the same save for one thing: people who’ve
one of those beings who live in this shadowed they passed by but never noticed stand out more,
half-world. They don’t even know entirely why and regard you with something akin to wariness
they do it. Perhaps it is because they want more tinged with respect. You’ve crossed over into their
from the world, perhaps they are drawn to dark- world, and whether or not it was a willful deci-
er elements. Try as they might, they have been sion, this acknowledgment comes with new ex-
touched by it and seek to either know more of it or pectations: that you abide by the codes and stric-
worse — to become part of it. tures of this place and leave what you know of law
Should a Daylight character find themselves and order behind you.
pushing the boundaries into the Twilight, it In this world of Assassins, there is but one true
should primarily be to act as a cautionary expe- law: honor your word. If you cannot abide by
rience. To the otherwise uninitiated, this first oaths and contracts agreed to, you are considered
glimpse into the Twilight is where they think an anathema and are marked as such, cut off from
underworld dwells: run down and abandoned in- the aid of your Society by the Service — unless you
dustrial buildings, seedy nightclubs run by petty are willing to do the unthinkable and cross back
crime lords, or any place where desperate and over.
amoral types might congregate. Assuming the
Art of the Kill 161

BLACK BOXES
Black Boxes are large, complicated missions to fantastical animals and the money to buy them
with a target to kill, serious opposition to contend isn’t why Lieutenant Governor Naismith has to
with, and opportunities for the players’ charac- die. Rather, it’s what the opposition will do with
ters to consider along the way. They aren’t intend- their access once he’s in federal halls of power.
ed to cover all the possibilities of player plans or Naismith is only a Minor Threat himself. The
actions, but to provide wide-ranging scenarios Opposition handler assigned to keep him safe and
that ramp up in tension as the Assassins approach under control, however, is another matter, as is the
their ultimate target. These serve as example and law enforcement response should the Lieutenant
template for creating your own Black Box. Governor’s death be obvious foul play.
OPERATION: POLITICAL THE TIMELINE

ANIMAL • Naismith is at his most exposed in his mansion
A dangerous Shadow organization has fully and menagerie. His law enforcement security
suborned an up-and-coming politico, in the form detail is lightest here, and reinforcements from
of a flamboyant lieutenant governor. While not a the state police are at least half an hour away.
However, it won’t be long until he returns to the
dangerous individual himself, his political ascen-
capital for the next round of glad-handing state
dency would give the opposition far too much
officials and businesspeople, so the Assassins
power in coming years. Killing him shouldn’t be
are on a clock.
that difficult — except for the law enforcement it
will attract, the opposition handler keeping an eye • 0 Ticks: Naismith arrives with Ms. Gray and a
on him, and the enormous menagerie of danger- state police security detail. He goes to his pri-
ous exotic wildlife he’s acquired in the past few vate quarters, while she checks in with mansion
years. security. Field: The mansion’s vestibule and
front hallways.
THE TARGET
• 5 Ticks: The state police leave the area, while
Jeremy Augustus Naismith was born into afflu-
the house staff tend to his pets. Ms. Gray checks
ence. His ivy-league education, time on the board
in with opposition interests and Naismith’s
of Fortune 500 company, and entry into politics
dealings from her office. Fields Naismith’s lux-
were all forgone conclusions thanks to the priv-
urious private quarters.
ileges of birth and familial connection. He rails
against Washington to excite his base, and against • 10 Ticks: James Del Monte arrives, and Naismith
regulation to keep corporate money funding his gives him a tour of his pets. Ms. Gray oversees a
political aspirations. Jeremy’s graft and corrup- security sweep. Field: The apex-predator filled
tion were small time before the opposition got to menagerie.
him: a lucrative state contract handed to a friend’s • 15 Ticks: James Del Monte leaves, and Naismith
company over there, a blind eye turned to an in- returns to his private quarters. Ms. Gray inspects
law’s company violating environmental dumping parcel service deliveries. Field: Naismith’s
regulations over there. An interest in increasingly quarters.
exotic, dangerous, and illegal pets gave the op-
position an opportunity to get a future political • 20 Ticks: Naismith and Ms. Gray prepare to
star into their pocket, and now his familial man- leave. Field: Ms. Gray’s spartan offices, the man-
sion is half-filled with predatory cats, venomous sion’s hallways.
snakes, and at least one honest-to-god dinosaur. • 25 Ticks: The state police security team arrives
The weapons deals and body dumping the oppo- to escort Naismith back to the capital. Field:
sition has gotten away with in return for access The Mansion’s vestibule and driveway.

THE SECURITY eventually. Potential rolls: Athletics + Dexterity
to lock an opportune door, Manipulation +
The forces on sight aren’t impressive: a
Persuasion to convince Gray she’s needed in the
half-dozen corrupt police deep in Naismith’s
basement. Fields: The mansion basement, the de-
pockets (Difficulty 2 Minor Threats), another
livery entrance
handful of opposition bodyguards under Ms.
Gray’s direct command (Difficulty 3 Moderate Suborning Ms. Gray (Difficulty 5, 3 Complication:
Threats), and twice that many would-be badasses The Opposition Knows We Did It) Ms. Gray’s profes-
who are warm bodies that carry guns (Difficulty sional reputation is spotless; but poaching talent like
1 Minor Threats). In the case of open violence, hers from the opposition would be a coup. Doing so
Ms. Grey uses the police as disposable distrac- runs the risk of direct rather than incidental atten-
tions so she and the bodyguards can arm them- tion by that shadow organization; but having Gray
selves with body armor and automatic weapons on one’s side will be useful for the mission, and in the
from her office’s armory. Assuming the Assassins future as well. Potential rolls: Persuasion + Presence
haven’t shut down communication, this also sig- for heartfelt personal pleas, Humanities + Cunning to
nals a half hour countdown until a heavily armed turn her over matters of ideology. Fields: Ms. Gray’s
response team from the State Police show up, be- spartan office.
ginning an escalating law enforcement response.
THE MANSION STAFF
MISSION STORIES Naismith’s staff are a mixture of well-paid exot-
ic veterinary specialists and criminal toughs who
THE HANDLER
impressed Naismith. Most are Minor Threats at
Ms. Gray is never far from Naismith’s side. most, more dangerous if they escape to raise an
Technically employed as a consultant, she actu- alarm than if they try to fight the Assassins.
ally coordinates his activities with the opposi- Infiltrating the Animal Staff (Difficulty 2,
tion’s interests, organizes his security, and makes Complication 1: Tough Guy Attention): The rare
sure he doesn’t stray off the leash. An attempt on animal staff changes often, and an Assassin with a
Naismith’s life while she’s in play will turn into plausible story or a charming smile can put on a
a full-fledged battle, as she takes up a defensive smock, pick up a haunch of raw meat, and pretend
position, calling in support from opposition kill to be a new vet tech or postdoc student. As long
teams until she is dead (or the Assassins are). an Assassin avoids Ms. Gray before blending into
Separating Gray from Naismith (Difficulty 2, the crew, she’s unlikely to check her comprehen-
3 Complication: She’s onto Us): If Gray thinks sive staff list, but the various meatheads Naismith
there’s a serious threat elsewhere or that op- has hired might attempt to bully the “new hire”
position interests such as the local black mar- to unpredictable effect. Potential rolls: Larceny +
ket are endangered, the Assassins may be able Manipulation for a disguise, Culture + Composure
to divert her. However, if they don’t cover their to fit in with the locals. Fields: The mansion’s
tracks, she’ll be a problem even if they do kill the halls, the menagerie.
Lieutenant Governor. Potential rolls: Larceny Coercing a Petty Criminal (Difficulty 2,
+ Manipulation to fabricate threats, Science + Complication 4: Delay): None of Naismith’s per-
Intellect for an explosive distraction. Fields: The sonal staff are underworld figures. At worst, some
mansion hall, the mansion basement, Ms. Gray’s have brushes with assault or burglary charges that
spartan office. Naismith expunged. An Assassin hooked into the
Trapping Gray Without Her Phone (Difficulty local Twilight and Shadow world should be able to
3, 2 Complication: She’s Out to Get Us): Ms. figure out blackmail or exert other leverage over
Gray inspects all of the deliveries to Naismith’s them. Despite Gray’s prodding, Naismith gave
mansion as a matter of course. It’s possible to take them widespread access to the mansion. However,
advantage of that to take her off the field by sim- they may be as unreliable for the Assassins as
ply locking her in the back of a delivery van or the they have been for Naismith. Potential rolls:
mansion’s basement, but she will get out of there Persuasion + Manipulation for coercion, Empathy
Black Boxes 163

+ Resolve to let them cry it out. Fields: The man- the wires of the security system allows the Assassins
sion’s halls, the mansion’s basement. to take control of all the cameras, intercoms, and
A Private Delivery (Difficulty 4, Complication closed-circuit radios Naismith’s security team and
2: Staff Presence): Convincing the mansion staff Ms. Gray uses. If they’re not careful, this will alert
that the Assassins are couriers with a his-hands- Gray to the fact that something is wrong, and she’ll
only package for Naismith is possible, but requires have the security team switch to using cell phones.
Ms. Gray be occupied, and overcoming staff scru- Potential rolls: Technology + Dexterity to rewire
tiny. If the Assassins go out of their way to bring the security system, Enigmas + Resolve to avoid
an exotic animal with them, it should make mat- jumping the gun. Field: The mansion’s basement.
ters much easier (and count as 1-3 Enhancement, Let the Big Cats Out (Difficulty 1, 4 Complication:
depending on the rarity of the animal.) Potential
There is a Tiger Stalking Us): The carnivore habi-
rolls: Persuasion + Manipulation to deceive thetats in Naismith’s mansion are primarily secured
staff, Survival + Intellect to locate an appropriate
against the animals escaping. Releasing them to
animal, Fields: The delivery entrance, the man-cause a distraction or even in hopes of a rare albi-
sion basement. no tiger or Flux-touched crimson leopard killing
Naismith themselves isn’t actually difficult; avoid-
SHORT STORIES ing the animals in the aftermath might be, however.
Accessing the Manor’s Security System Potential rolls: Survival + Cunning to direct a big
(Difficulty 2, 2 Complication: Security Knows cat, Athletics + Might to outrun other tiger food.
Something’s Wrong): Getting physical access to Field: The menagerie.

Introduce Us to Jimmy (Difficulty 2, 2 death becomes known. If the Assassins obtain
Complication: Gray Is Suspicious): James Del the encrypted copies and Callahan’s personal
Monte, one of Naismith’s childhood friends and passcodes, they will have achieved an impressive
local businessman, visits to have drinks, discuss victory.
local gossip, and toss steaks to large carnivores. Callahan is a Moderate Threat but arms herself
Getting in with “Jimmy” offers direct access to with top-of-the-line equipment at any hint of vi-
Naismith, but it will be under Gray’s unwavering olence. She’ll do anything to keep herself and her
surveillance unless the Assassins circumnavigate prosperity intact but possesses blind spots for in-
her. Potential Rolls: Persuasion + Presence to dividuals she considers harmless.
glad-hand with Jimmy, Integrity + Cunning to
let nothing slip to Gray. Field: The vestibule, the THE SECURITY
menagerie Callahan’s security detail includes veterans
of armed forces, mercenaries who have always
OPERATION: IMPORT/EXPORT worked in the Shadows, and other guns-for-hire
The opposition has been funding its efforts (Difficulty 3, Moderate Threats with excellent
through a network of maritime smuggling and equipment). Her smugglers are not as dangerous
crime that stretches worldwide. Eliminating its or practiced at violence and vigilance (Difficulty 1
mastermind would strike a powerful blow against Minor Threats) without equipment, but most are
the shadow organization the network supports willing to resort to violence to protect themselves
but involves infiltrating the stronghold of a par- or the operation.
anoid and murderous woman with incredible re-
THE TIMELINE
sources and a mean streak.
Callahan lives and works out of a converted
THE TARGET warehouse in the dock district. A maze of ship-
Cassandra Callahan never allows anyone to ping containers and constant construction ob-
say she’s not a self-made woman. The daughter scures her interests from prying eyes, allowing
of a shipping magnate passed over in favor of her her to access hidden supply caches and smuggling
younger siblings, Callahan clawed her way into dens. The following timeline applies to Callahan’s
control of her family’s company through ruthless working days. When she’s away from her ware-
business acumen, familial blackmail, and more house and business, it’s in public places and with-
than a little sorori- and fratricide. She discovered out clear access to her master shipping manifest.
hints of the opposition while embarking on her Alerted to a serious threat to her life, Callahan will
campaign of corporate consolidation and family hop a fortified freighter headed for an opposition
reduction and made herself available for the pow- stronghold, but until then, the timeline holds.
er and wealth they had on offer. Now, she manages • 0 Ticks: Callahan prepares for her day in her
worldwide smuggling and trade for the opposition fortified personal quarters, while her security
out of a major port. Her removal would strike a detail makes a routine sweep of the front offices.
major blow against the shadowy interests behind The night shift works on the warehouse floor,
the opposition, but she keeps herself surrounded readying shipments of untaxed or illegal goods
by hardened killers, has access to a wide range of for departure. Field: Fortified private quarters.
dangerous and specialized equipment, and will
• 5 Ticks: Callahan moves to the front offices, tak-
unflinchingly burn down the entire waterfront if
ing care of legitimate business over the phone
that’s what it takes to keep herself safe.
and on her computer. Her security detail sweeps
Beyond Callahan’s death, her master shipping the warehouse floor. The day shift replaces the
manifest enables action against the opposition’s night shift, while the goods roll out. Fields:
smuggling network. Encrypted copies exist in her Industrial hallways, Cluttered front office.
safe at her office and in her personal computer,
but the time it would take to break them gives op- • 10 Ticks: New shipments arrive. Callahan in-
position interests time to scatter once Callahan’s spects the goods as smugglers unload misla-
beled cargo containers, panel vans full of stolen
Black Boxes 165

goods, and military weapons in their manu- MISSION STORIES
facture-issued packaging. Her security detail
sweeps the area outside, ousting homeless and THE SIBLING
itinerant street sellers alike from the construc-
tion and shipping contain alleyways outside. One of the smugglers is a surviving Callahan
Field: The loading floor. sibling who was never enough of a threat for
Cassandra to kill. Theresa Callahan wants
• 15 Ticks: Callahan returns to the front offices Cassandra dead, or at least gone, only slightly less
with smugglers in tow, to give out assignments than she depends on the lucrative income her
and dispense praise and discipline. Her securi- sister’s smuggling empire affords her as an after-
ty detail keeps an eye on the warehouse floor. thought. Field: The loading floor.
Field: Cluttered front office.
A Replacement (Difficulty 3, Complication 2:
• 20 Ticks: Callahan returns to her private quar- Boyfriend Trouble): The smugglers don’t know
ters, taking her computer with her. Her securi- Theresa well, and Cassandra considers her a
ty detail stands guard. On the floor, smugglers nonentity, even when she berates her for sloppy
finish unloading and begin repacking goods for work. Replacing her is within the means of many
sale and transport elsewhere. Fields: Industrial Assassins. However, her boyfriend always meets
hallways, fortified private quarters. her for lunch, and he might realize something is
• 25 Ticks: Callahan meets with ship captains amiss. Potential rolls: Close Combat + Cunning to
and other business interests both legitimate and quietly remove Theresa, Larceny + Manipulation
in Twilight, while the smugglers on the floor al- to Be Fake Theresa.
ternate between breaking for lunch and finish- A Scapegoat (Difficulty 4, Complication 1:
ing repackaging. The security detail splits up to Good Help Is Hard to Find): Pinning the destruc-
sweep the floor and the outside alleyways while tion or theft of valuable merchandise on Theresa
this goes on. Fields: A surprisingly dusty meet- while Cassandra inspects the floor might get the
ing room. younger Callahan berated or killed, which is an
excellent diversion for stealing Cassandra’s pass-
• 30 Ticks: Callahan returns to the floor to in-
codes right out of her wallet or setting her up for
spect packages loaded for shipment, security
detail in tow. Field: The loading floor. the kill. Unless, of course, Cassandra decides that
the Assassin involved is the smuggler who is now
• 35 Ticks: Callahan finishes business in the front responsible for Theresa. Potential rolls: Science
office, locking her computer away when she + Manipulation for plausible sabotage, Engimas
finishes. The security detail oversees the load- + Cunning to make it look like Thersea’s fault
ed goods depart from the warehouse. Field: indirectly.
Cluttered front office.
A Coconspirator (Difficulty 3, Complication
• 40 Ticks: Callahan heads back to her private 3: No Wait—) Cassandra would never expect
quarters. The security detail splits, half guard- Theresa would have the backbone to try to kill
ing her, half sweeping the area again. Outside, her, which makes Theresa a valuable ally if an
the homeless and itinerant return to the maze, Assassin convinces the younger Callahan that
and the next crew of smugglers arrive, along she’ll survive the attempt. Preventing Theresa
with the new shipment of smuggled goods. from jumping the gun is as difficult as convincing
Fields: Industrial hallways, fortified private her to help murder her sister in the first place.
quarters. Potential rolls: Empathy + Presence to convince
• 45 Ticks: Callahan’s team locks down her Theresa she can be free of her sister, Command +
quarters for the night. Field: Fortified private Resolve to her on task.
quarters.
THE BUSINESS PARTNER
Steven Raulson was a well-respected business-
man before he met Cassandra Callahan. Providing

Callahan backing and connections early on in her SHORT STORIES
career, Raulson watched her continued ascent
Relief Shift Time (Difficulty 2, Complication
leave his name in the mud, his income regularly
2: Why Are You Standing Around?) The smug-
audited by the IRS…and his hidden bank accounts
gling crews are made up of a patchwork of former
absolutely flush. Despite the fact that Callahan is
longshoremen, local criminals, and career trans-
the author of both their fortunes, he meets with
porters. It’s possible to fake being a relief shift or a
her regularly, and she tolerates his advice out of
crew that the current workers aren’t familiar with
habit if nothing else.
to get open access to the warehouse floor, but this
Trojan Horse (Difficulty 3, Complication 2: may result in someone trying to give the Assassins
Tech Support?): Raulson is one of the few outsid- actual work to do. Potential rolls: Larceny +
ers who has access to Callahan’s personal email Manipulation for a disguise, Culture + Composure
address and phone number, making his regular to fit in with the locals. Field: The loading floor.
morning emails and calls a potential avenue for
The Classic (Difficulty 3, Complication 2:
compromising her personal laptop. If he notices
Misfire): Someone is using Callahan’s services
something strange with his technology or phone,
to smuggle a functional Death Ray. The hand-
however, he’ll try to get more technological-
held device is incredibly lethal, with an unfortu-
ly competent help. Potential rolls: Technology
nate hair trigger. An Assassin should be able to
+ Intellect to compromise Raulson’s computer,
figure out what to do with this. Potential rolls:
Enigmas + Manipulation to social engineer ac-
Larceny + Cunning to steal it and hide its absence,
cess to his laptop. Field: Cluttered front offices,
Technology + Dexterity to prime it safely. Field:
Raulson’s email.
The loading floor
Local Color (Difficulty 2, Complication 3: Hey
Clerical Errors (Difficulty 2, Complication 2:
Leave Him Alone!): Raulson likes his sausages
They Called Who!?): The secretaries and support
cooked in a streetside cart and owns more than
personnel in the front office know they don’t work
a few “genuine Rolex” watches from his regular
for an above-the-board operation but know little
walks through the alleyways in the port district.
about Callahan’s actual business. Still, they pro-
It’s a good place to plant dangerous devices about
vide physical access to her computer and person-
his person, brace him for information or access,
al effects when she’s gone, but they are the only
or try to replace him. However, the locals may
people on the premises who might respond to the
take umbrage toward anyone accosting a regular
threatening presence of the Assassins by calling
customer. Potential Rolls: Larceny + Dexterity to
law enforcement, putting the whole operation
plant a device on Raulson, Command + Presence
on high alert when it becomes known. Potential
to browbeat him into cooperation. Field: The
rolls: Empathy + Composure to keep them calm,
shipping container maze.
Technology + Intellect to quickly find and copy
Breaking News (Difficulty 2, Complication the files. Field: The front office.
4: Wait You Can’t Go in There): Convincing
Raulson that there’s something Callahan needs OPERATION: ONE CHECKMATE
to know immediately isn’t particularly hard, and
A major leader in the opposition has come out
he’s one of the few people who can quickly get ac-
in the open, leaving himself exposed. The art
cess to Callahan’s fortified quarters even if she’s
exhibition he’s attending has tight security, by-
occupied. However, even if it’s Raulson leading
standers everywhere, and the consequences for
the way, it’ll be much harder to keep guards from
failure would be catastrophic, but this is too good
following interlopers as they approach Callahan.
a chance to pass up. The Assassins strike a major
Potential rolls: Culture +Presence to convince
blow against the opposition and shift the balance
Raulson the characters know something import-
of power in the Shadows forever. All they have to
ant, Persuasion + Manipulation to confuse him
do is infiltrate a major cultural event, foil world-
into complying. Field: The cluttered front office.
class security, evade alert law enforcement, defeat
their skilled contemporaries, and kill a man who’s
killed more than the plague.
Black Boxes 167

THE TARGET THE TIMELINE
Felix Magnusson is a name that carries weight in The Metropolitan Exhibition for the Visual Arts
the Shadows. Running operations and doing work takes place over three days, but Magnusson only
for the opposition out of half a dozen European attends during the second, when celebrities, art-
cities over the years, everyone thought he would ists, and literati meet amongst the exhibits and the
take a back seat when he settled into a comfort- general public is kept out. The Exhibition takes
able position as a troubleshooter for one of the op- place in the new annex of the city art museum,
position’s legitimate corporate concerns. This no- art from notable (or at least fashionable) artist
tion was dispelled when he personally executed situated between thousand-dollar-a-plate dining,
the ringleaders of a transnational kidnapping ring exclusive media access areas, and historically im-
who attempted to ransom one of Magnusson’s portant (or just popular) pieces brought out from
putative employers and then ordered the elim- the museum’s permanent collection.
ination of their coconspirators, and anyone who • 0 Ticks: Magnusson is in his secure accommo-
had been stupid enough to do business with them. dations off-site. The police patrol the crowds
Magnusson’s words stir the Shadows, and from gathering to see the red-carpet arrivals, while
his modest office in Copenhagen, his reach is museum staff and caterers finish preparations
global. His occasional indulgence in high society for the event. Field: None (Magnusson has not
gallery openings and art shows open a rare chink arrived yet).
in his armor, and Magnusson’s death at the hands
of the Assassins could presage the collapse of the • 5 Ticks: Red-carpet arrivals begin. Police secu-
opposition. If he isn’t safe, who is? rity is at its heaviest as celebrities, artists, and
intellectuals arrive. Most use the media- and on-
Felix Magnusson is a Major Threat with
looker-swamped main entrance, but some have
Assassin Masteries and years of experience. Public planned to arrive quietly through the museum’s
events separate him from most heavy weapons loading dock, guarded by private security as
and specialized high-tech equipment, but given well as more police. Magnusson arrives at the
any warning, Magnusson will arm himself with loading dock with his assistants, dropped off by
top-of-the-line gear. a professional driver. Field: Tidied up loading
dock.
THE SECURITY
The Metropolitan Exhibition for the Visual Arts • 10 Ticks: Fashionable late red-carpet arrivals
attracts large crowds. The downtown area around continue, including several of the biggest stars
the Exhibition patrolled by uniformed police of- and most proactive artists. Private security is
ficers (Difficulty 2 Minor Threats) on the look- everywhere near the main entrance. Guests mill
out for anything from petty theft to vandalism to around the exhibits, talking to each other and
more serious crimes. Inside the Exhibition itself, celebrity media as caterers serve hors d’oeuvre.
Magnusson talks to several artists and intellec-
expensive private security does its best to keep
tuals in turn. Fields: Red carpet reception, In
any unauthorized party-crashers out, and polite-
Front of Modern Art.
ly makes sure inebriated or careless guests don’t
damage the art on display (Difficulty 3 Minor • 15 Ticks: A speech by the museum’s chairman
Threats). Two personal guards named Bernice begins. Celebrities and attention-hungry guests
and Donna accompanying Magnusson, acting wait until after the speech for more interviews
as his personal assistants. Both are members of with media, while some fashion-focused guests
the opposition, fully realized Assassins ready to make wardrobe changes. Guests less interested
do whatever violence required of them should in media attention take their seats for dinner,
anyone threaten Magnusson or the opposition’s Magnusson amongst them. Outside, the police
interests (Difficulty 4 Moderate Threats with sweep around the area’s perimeter as the on-
Masteries). Donna carries a locked briefcase, a lookers thin out. Field: Sparsely attended tables.
hidden panel concealing weapons for herself, • 20 Ticks: Dinner moves into full swing, appetiz-
Donna, and Magnusson. ers replaced with the main courses. Magnusson

has the fish, Bernice has the lamb, and Donna MISSION STORIES
forgoes the meal. Museum security sweeps the
Exhibition auxiliary and rear access, on the THE CATERING STAFF
lookout for paparazzi, potential art thieves, or
other unwelcome guests. Fields: Packed dining Career and veteran curators, managers, and
tables, The Men’s Room. public relations personnel make up the museum
staff in hand, well-known to each other and vet-
• 25 Ticks: As dinner winds down, many guests ted far in advance. The catering services, however,
move back to the exhibits to talk, network, and suffer from rapid turnover and unforgiving sched-
pose for the occasional photo. Magnusson talks ules, and are much easier to infiltrate as a new
to several more artists near their exhibits, in- hire, assuming an Assassin doesn’t secure a part
quiring about purchasing pieces. Field: In Front
time position in advance.
of Modern Art.
A Seat to Kill For (Difficulty 2, Complication
• 30 Ticks: Guests leave, attracting crowds once 3: Go Help with Appetizers): Last minute seat-
more. Magnusson and his guards leave out the ing changes aren’t expected, but aren’t a surprise,
back entrance once more, amongst a larger either. Moving Magnusson’s unobtrusive corner
crowd, including inebriated celebrities escorted seat to a more exposed or a more isolated seat is
by their assistants and minders. Field: The mu- possible, as is gaining access to the area he’ll be
seum’s back hallways, a crowded loading dock. sitting in. The real catering staff won’t hesitate
• 35 Ticks: Magnusson enters his secured vehicle to try to give the Assassins more pressing work,
and is chauffeured away. Field: A crowded load- potentially attracting undue attention. Potential
ing dock, a packed city street. rolls: Culture + Cunning to come up with a plausi-
ble reason to move seats, Persuasion + Presence to
Black Boxes 169

convince the staff they don’t care. Field: Frenetic red-carpet can be taken advantage of by the au-
museum staff room. dacious to suggest themselves as a museum-hired
Secret Ingredients (Difficulty 3, Complication assistant, potential artistic collaborator, or date
3: Prep Work): Catering management watches for the night. Waltzing in as a celebrity guest
over the food closely, ensuring that they don’t serve is one way to avoid close inspection by security,
vegan doyens of fashion garlic crusted lamb and but also runs the risk of being the direct focus of
that Euro-pop stars aren’t accidentally murdered media attention. Potential rolls: Humanities +
by allergic reactions to crab bisque. However, Manipulation to convince Sidney you’re interest-
careful plate and table management means there’s ing, Integrity + Presence to be genuinely interest-
a chance to get access to Magnusson’s food or ing. Field: Off the red carpet.
be assigned to deliver his meal, assuming the Macrodosing (Difficulty 1, Complication: 4
Assassins avoid the wrong kind of attention in the Tripping): Sidney Red expounds on their belief
kitchen. Potential rolls: Science + Cunning for in microdosing with half-a-dozen rare and bou-
hard to detect food additives, Larceny + Dexterity tique hallucinogens in every interview they give,
to just dose it with rat poison when no one’s look- and they are continuing their psychoactive regi-
ing. Field: Frenzied, overstaffed kitchen. men here at the Exhibition, as they try to fill their
To Ensure Exceptional Service (Difficulty 3, empty art-space. It doesn’t take much to convince
Complication 2 Full Stalls): It’s low to attack a Sidney to indulge to the point where their subse-
man attending to the call of nature, and perhaps quent bad trip provides an attention-grabbing dis-
lower to replace the bathroom attendant so that traction, but an Assassin doing so has to be careful
one can wait in ambush without arousing suspi- that the skin-absorbent cocktail the artist favors
cion. That does not make it a bad idea. It is of the doesn’t bring the killer along for the trip. Potential
few places Magnusson will be without his guards, rolls: Science + Dexterity to safely direct drug ad-
but the trick may be confronting him without dled Sidney, Engimas + Stamina to navigate the
alerting the other, more mundane visitors to the world whilst tripping. Fields: In Front of Modern
lavatory. Potential rolls: Integrity + Manipulation Art, the Museum’s back hallways.
to wordlessly convince the locals they shouldn’t Celebrity Introductions (Difficulty 2,
question your presence, Close Combat + Cunning Complication: 3 It’s Patty Hearst All Over
to try and silent engage in hand-to-hand combat. Again): Despite their eccentricities and difficul-
Field: The restrooms. ties, Sidney Red meets-and-greets with the best of
them, doing the rounds of glad-handing potential
THE PLUS ONE patrons of the arts and useful contacts in the art
Mixed media artist, outspoken critic of fos- world. Steering them toward the reclusive but well-
sil fuels, and famous disaster human Sidney Red heeled Felix Magnusson is possible, but should any
attends the Exhibition, despite their publicized violence break out, the chances that Sidney attach-
break from their previous partners of six months es themselves to their erstwhile partner in an at-
and three weeks, respectively. Originally slat- tempt to “help” are distressingly high. Potential
ed to present a sculpture-and-recorded-ambi- rolls: Culture + Manipulation to blend in with the
ent-sounds piece, Sidney destroyed the half-fin- glitterati, Larceny + Cunning to avoid the opposi-
ished work and now plans to occupy their allotted tion’s lines of sight. Field: In front of Modern Art.
space with…something. Sidney is volatile, impul- SHORT STORIES
sive and has free access to wide swaths of the
Found Art (Difficulty 1, Complication 2:
museum space without question, while lacking a
Collateral Art Complication 2: Get Away from
date, assistant, or other body to fill the seat next to
There!): One of the exhibits is the Guttering
them at dinner.
Flame of Liberty, a multicolored flame fueled by
Why Haven’t We Done This Before?
an inflammable mix of gases concealed in the
(Difficulty: 1 Complication 4: So What Do You
piece’s base. Whether a pyrotechnic distraction or
Do): Dropped off by a driver hired by the museum,
an improvised explosive device, Assassins should
Sidney’s slow and uncertain approach toward the

be able to figure out ample uses for this high ener- the red carpet.
gy art but may find issues doing so without being I’m Here to Help (Difficulty 2, Complication
noticed or setting a larger fire than they intended. 3: Babysitter to the Stars): Every year, celebrities
Potential rolls: Technology + Intellect to rig it to and artist alike end-up overindulging in drink,
blow, Science + Stamina to conceal one’s approach recreational drugs, or forget their medication in-
with pyrotechnics. Field: In front of Modern Art. teractions. The nursing station on-site doubles as
Hard Questions (Difficulty 3, Complication a discrete space to sober up or arrange a quiet exit
2: Please Stop Talking, Complication 1: No out the back; faking medical credentials during a
Pictures!): Press badges, bulky camera equip- minor emergency is a fantastic way to be welcome
ment, and the right attitude can get a would-be museum-wide during the exhibit. It’s also an ex-
journalist past a number of barriers, and people cellent way to get every alcohol-poisoned starlet
at the Exhibition are here to be seen. A few fake or cocaine-paranoid performance artist dumped
interviews and photo-ops provide the Assassins into an Assassin’s lap, with the expectation of care
“legitimate” access to the Exhibit, assuming they firmly established. Potential rolls: Medicine +
aren’t called out as paparazzi, or cornered by a Intellect to provide first aid with time to spare,
B-list celebrity desperately trying to restart their Command + Manipulation to convince everyone
career. Potential rolls: Culture + Intellect to navi- to listen to Dr. Assassin. Field: The dining tables,
gate who’s who, Empathy + Resolve to successful- the restrooms.
ly engage with exhausting huma beings. Field: Off
Black Boxes 171

To make things easier, we’ve compiled several tables and references from the Trinity Continuum
Core Rulebook to assist Assassins players and Storyguides.
CHARACTER CREATION QUICK GUIDE

STEP ONE: CONCEPT (P. XX) STEP FIVE: APPLY ASSASSIN
TEMPLATE (P. XX)
• Decide on a short concept, and pick two Short-
term and one Long-term Aspirations. • Determine moment of Inspiration and gain an
additional Attribute dot. Choose from Botched
STEP TWO: PATHS (P. XX) Job, Bullet Ballet, Captured by the Enemy,
Chance Birth, Exposure to Flux, The First
• Select three paths. One Origin or Nemesis, one Mission, A Plan Came Together, Rising Star,
Role, and one Society. Saving Someone Else’s Life, Social Challenge,
• Distribute 3 dots in Skills associated with each Sprung a Trap, Ultimate Con, and Violence.
Path for a total of 9 Skill dots.
STEP SIX: ADD ADVANTAGES (P. XX)
• Distribute 2 dots in Edges associated with each
Path for a total of 6 Edge dots. • Gain 4 Masteries.
• Distribute 3 dots into Intuitive, Reflective, and

STEP THREE: SKILLS, SKILL TRICKS, Destructive Facets. Calculate Inspiration.
AND SPECIALTIES (P. XX)
• Distribute 3 additional Skill dots to any Skills. STEP SEVEN: FINAL TOUCHES (P. XX)
• For any Skills above 3 dots, gain a Specialty. • Gain bonus traits: 1 additional dot in one
Attribute; four points of Edges (which can be
• Gain a single Skill Trick in a Skill rated 3 or outside of Paths); and Experience points if the
higher. Storyguide awards any.
STEP FOUR: ATTRIBUTES (P. XX) • Health: 1 additional Injured at Stamina 3, and
one additional Bruised at Stamina 5.
• Rank Attribute Arenas. Distribute 6 dots to the
• Defense: Equal to 1.
Primary, 4 to Secondary, 2 to Tertiary.
• Select Favored Approach and distribute 1 dot

in each Attribute in the Favored Approach. (No
Attribute can go above 5.)
172 APPENDIX
WEAPON TAGS
All weapon tags are considered to be general unless otherwise specified.
AGGRAVATED (2) DRONE (2; RANGED ONLY)

Any injury inflicted with this weapon is extremely Requires a weapon to have the Remote Link
severe and inflicts a persistent injury on the target. Tag.
Persistent Injury: Some weapons inflict more The weapon moves freely around the battle-
grievous wounds than others. Persistent inju- field after being set up. Characters with a Drone-
ries take double the amount of time to heal and tag weapon may make Mixed Actions with Aim,
require double the number of successes to treat making the second shot with -2 dice. Setting it up
with first aid. takes an action.
AUTOMATIC (2; RANGED ONLY) ENHANCED SCOPES (1 PER; RANGED

ONLY)
This gun fires multiple rounds when the trig-
ger is held down. Allows use of the Emptying the Each scope grants the user a different type of
Magazine Stunt. enhanced sight. A single weapon can have all of
them. The scopes provide the following additional
BRUTAL (1) benefits:
This weapon can inflict truly massive trauma Night Vision
on its target. This weapon reduces the successes
necessary for the Critical Stunt by one. Ignore penalties or Complications from darkness.
Thermal
CHARGE (1; RANGED ONLY)
Gain +1 enhancement to spot hidden targets.
Charge weapons need to be reloaded after ev-
ery shot, but pack a larger punch. Charge weapons
X-ray
gain +1 Enhancement towards inflicting Injury Ignore cover and concealment.
Conditions. A weapon with this tag must be re-
charged or reloaded after every single use. EXPANDED MAGAZINE OR DRUM
MAGAZINE (2,3; RANGED ONLY)
CONCEALABLE (2)
The expanded magazine holds a ludicrous
This weapon is easier than usual to hide on your amount of ammunition, which allows the wielder
person, giving you a +1 Enhancement on any task to “empty the magazine” twice per scene without
that involves concealing the weapon. reloading. The drum magazine lets the wielder do
so four times.
DEADLY (1)
Weapons with this tag are particularly good at EXPLOSIVE, PLANTED (2)
dealing serious injury. Healing an injury caused by The Explosive tag means that the weapon is some
this weapon is more difficult. Doing so requires an form of explosive device. The player must make
extra success on the first aid roll. a Technology roll (Difficulty 2) to plant the device
successfully. From that point forward, he may deto-
DISGUISED (1) nate it at any time, or set a triggering condition.
The Assassin’s weapon appears as something Once triggered, players in the radius of the de-
else, whether it be a briefcase gun, a sword in an vice must make an Athletics roll to get out of the
umbrella, or a single shot firearm in a tube of lip- blast radius. The Difficulty of the roll is equal to
stick. Without an x-ray or a metal detector, the the initial Technology roll made by the person
weapon is impossible to discover.
Weapon Tags 173

who set the explosive device. The radius of the Surprise Shot (Variable)
explosion encompasses everything within close
Once per combat, when the wielder misses an
range of the explosive.
attack, they may bank the successes from this roll
EXPLOSIVE, THROWN OR RANGED (2) and apply them as an enhancement bonus on a
second attack that uses the Aim skill.
The Explosive tag means that the weapon is
some form of explosive device. Resolve throw- HEAVY WEAPON (1)
ing or shooting a grenade or explosive just as
Heavy weapons are powerful weapons that in-
you would any other attack with the Thrown or
creases the Scale of the user’s attacks by 1. The
Ranged tag. On a successful attack, all other peo-
weapon provides the user with a +1 Enhancement,
ple in close range of the target must make an im-
in addition to the +2 Enhancement automatical-
mediate Athletics roll (Difficulty 1) or suffer the
ly provided by an increase in Scale, (for a total
effects of the blast. If the explosive misses, it det-
of +3 Enhancement) towards inflicting Injury
onates harmlessly in the background somewhere.
Conditions. However, such weapons are always
EXTENDABLE BAYONET especially slow and cumbersome to use. Players
(1; RANGED ONLY) using the weapon increase the Difficulty of all
Athletics feats and Defensive rolls by +1. This
A rifle with this attachment has a hidden pneu- tag cannot be combined with the Concealable or
matic bayonet. The weapon can be used with Worn tags.
Close Combat in addition to Aim.
HIGH-FREQUENCY (3; MELEE ONLY)
GAS (3)
Flipping a switch, a weapon with the high-fre-
This attack produces a gas cloud that affects ev- quency tag emits a low-pitched hum as it vibrates.
eryone within close range of the target. Gas dam- Its magnetic vibrations allow the wielder to de-
age ignores armor unless the armor in question fend himself against firearms. When taking a full
has environmental protection against suffocation. defense against ballistic weapons, the wielder
Gas attacks disperse after five rounds unless used may use Close Combat and purchase the follow-
in small, enclosed spaces like the room of a house ing stunt:
or a spacecraft corridor, and even there they
disperse within five minutes. Deflect the Bullet (Variable):
The Assassin does not lash out wildly when she re-
GRAPPLE (1) acts. After deflecting a ballistic attack, she may apply
The weapon is small, requires a limited range the successes from this stunt as an attack roll against
of motion, or is otherwise easy to use when grap- another target in the scene. The only stunt that may
pling with an opponent. be purchased with this attack is Inflict Damage.
GRAPPLING HOOK (1) INCENDIARY (2)

The weapon is equipped with a grappling hook. Weapons with the Incendiary tag inflict damage
The grappling hook provides 1 Enhancement on by burning things. Incendiary weapons can ignite
climbing rolls and allows firearms to purchase the flammable objects, creating additional environ-
Disarm stunt within short range. mental threats (as determined by the Storyguide).
Typical blazes caused by incendiary weapons
GUNBLADE (2; MELEE ONLY) such as flame throwers have a damage rating sim-
A shotgun barrel runs down the back of this ilar to their use as a weapon. A critical effect with
blade. The weapon is too inaccurate to be used at such a weapon will ignite any potentially flam-
range but grants the following Stunt to close com- mable target instead of inflicting an extra Injury
bat attacks. Condition, causing the target to take continuous
damage per round.
174 APPENDIX
INSCRIPTION (1) mounting. Setting up a mount takes one action.
Players cannot set up and fire a weapon with this
Some assassins inscribe a mantra onto their
tag on the same turn.
weapon. Once per session, repeating the man-
tra while firing or swinging the weapon allows NON-PENETRATING (0)
them to ignore Injury Conditions for that action.
Alternatively, they may treat the weapon like a A weapon with this tag excels at damaging un-
ward against fear, and may ignore any fear, panic, armored targets but has difficulty penetrating ar-
or terror-based Conditions for the duration of the mor. The weapon gains a +1 Enhancement, but also
action. Either benefit may only be used once per doubles the value of all soft armor encountered.
scene.
PIERCING (1)
INTEGRATED (2) Weapons with this tag are excellent at defeating
The integrated tag represents a spring-loaded armor by finding gaps or punching through. Any
weapon that has been placed into the bones of an piercing weapon reduces the target’s armor rating
Assassin. Integrated weapons are impossible to by 1.
spot unless the person looking at them has med-
PLASMA (3; MELEE ONLY)
ical training, or special technology (such as infra-
red googles). Also, the user can purchase the fol- In an instant, white-hot flames lick the length
lowing Stunt on ambush rolls: of the weapon, as the air around it ripples and ig-
nites. The weapon deals damage to vehicles and
SUDDEN STAB (1S)
structures as though it had +1 Scale. Also, the
As Inflict Damage wielder may purchase the following stunt:
Melt (4)
MELEE (0)
A handheld weapon, meant to be used at close The Assassin uses the intense flame of his weap-
range. Use the Close Combat Skill to wield melee on to sear through inferior weapons. This stunt
weapons. destroys a single weapon or item the target is car-
rying. Non-powered items affected by this stunt
MONOMOLECULAR BLADE cannot be repaired through conventional means.
(2; MELEE ONLY)
PROPULSION (1; MELEE ONLY)
Monomolecular blades are so sharp that no
armor exists that can hold up to them. The effec- The propulsion property involves a spring-load-
tiveness of soft armor is halved (round up) against ed trigger being inserted under the blade, which can
this weapon. Also, characters can purchase the launch the blade (short-range) using either Aim or Close
following stunt. This tag can only be placed on Combat. Afterward, the weapon must be reloaded.
edged weapons.
PUSHING (1)
Focused Slash (targets armor rating +1)
This weapon is heavy, large, or otherwise
The precise cuts from this blade allow the well-adapted to pushing foes around the battle-
wielder to choose the severity of the target’s in- field. You reduce the successes required to use the
jury condition. Shove Stunt by 1.
MOUNT (1; RANGED ONLY) QUALITY (2 OR 3)

This weapon gains both the Brutal and the This weapon is extremely well made and good
Deadly tags. However, to use this weapon effec- at what it does. It gives an additional point of
tively, it must be mounted on a tripod or stand. Enhancement. The two-point version of this tag
The weapon only has half (rounded up) the increases the Enhancement by 1; the three-point
usual Enhancement rating when used without variant increases the Enhancement by 2.
Weapon Tags 175

RANGED (1) Flame: Burn (2 successes)
The Ranged tag allows a weapon to be used Applies 1 Complication on the target. If not
against a target at range categories other than bought off, the target takes an injury condition.
close. Players use the Aim Skill to construct dice Detonator: Detonation (3 successes)
pools for ranged weapons. This tag must include
a specific range — such as short-ranged or medi- Can be used to trigger explosives a target is
um-ranged — representing the optimal range of wearing or explosives at range. Follows the rules
that weapon. Firing at any range other than the for explosive (planted).
optimal range adds 1 to the Difficulty of an attack. Acidic: Corrode (2+ successes)
Also, firing a ranged weapon in close range comes
with an additional +2 Difficulty. Reduces armor by one per two successes spent.
EMP: Disable (Variable)
REACH (1)
Disables an electronic device. Weapons and
A weapon with a long shaft, or one where the
Vehicles cost successes equal to the total num-
end of the weapon can reach up to six feet or
ber of tags they possess. Other equipment should
more away (like a whip). Reach weapons gain +1
cost between 1 (civilian appliances) and 5 (mili-
Enhancement when using the Complicate Stunt.
tary-grade gear).
REMOTE LINK (2; RANGED ONLY) Ice: Melt (1 success)
The Assassin sets an automated weapon on The ice bullet melts away, leaving no trace.
its mount with a Technology + Cunning roll at Ballistics and forensic investigation cannot link
Difficulty 2, allowing them to fire the gun remotely an ice shot to the character. However due to the
projectile’s fragility the wielder may not purchase
RESTRICTED (0) the Critical stunt.
This weapon is illegal for civilians to own al- Taser: Electro (variable)
most everywhere, and is typically only found in
the hands of soldiers, police special forces, and The target is stunned, for a number of rounds
exceptionally daring and violent criminals. equal to the successes spent on this Stunt.
Tracker (1 success)
SHIELD (2)
The tracker round deals no damage but will
Weapons with the Shield tag are better at de- provide location data on the target to the Assassin
fending than attacking. Characters receive a +1 to for 24 hours. The difficulty to locate a target
their Defense when wielding a weapon with the struck by the tracker round is reduced by two. If
Shield tag. the Assassin has a Mastery that allows them to au-
tomatically locate a target, they do not need to pay
SILENT (1)
its cost while a tracker is embedded in their target.
This weapon is far quieter than normal weap- Toxic Dart (variable)
ons, either through the use of a silencer or by
being a thin blade. When this weapon is fired or Inflicts the Paralyzed Condition for a number of
used, increase the Difficulty of hearing it by 2. rounds equal to the successes spent on the Stunt.
This is a poison for the purpose of immunities.
SPECIALIZED AMMUNITION (1 PER;
Knockout Dart (variable)
RANGED ONLY)
The target becomes drowsy. They take a cu-
The weapon is modified to fire an array of dif-
mulative 1 Complication for a number of rounds
ferent ammunition. A single gun can be modified
equal to the number of successes to spent on the
to fire multiple ammo types but switching types
Stunt. If the target fails to buy it off, then they fall
requires a reload action.
asleep and are Taken Out.
176 APPENDIX
Rage Inducing Dart U-LINK (2; RANGED ONLY)
As Knockout Dart. If the Complication is not A camera at the end of the weapons links to a
bought off, the target must attack the nearest pair of glasses or contact lenses, granting the user
character to them. unparalleled accuracy. Target’s defense values are
Panic Inducing Dart treated as one lower against attacks made with
this weapon.
As Knockout Dart. If the Complication is not
bought off, they flee the scene in a panic. VARIABLE AMMO (2, 3)
This projectile weapon can fire multiple types
SPREAD (1)
of ammunition, each of which can have a differ-
This weapon emits a spread of projectiles or ent set of tags, most often Explosive (ranged), Gas,
energy. Attacking with a spread weapon reduces Incendiary, Non-penetrating, Piercing, Spread, or
the target’s Defense by 2 at close or short range. A Stun. The value of the variable tag is equal to the
weapon with this tag may be used at longer rang- cost of the most expensive tag this ammo can use
es, but it cannot inflict the penalty to Defense, and (either 2 or 3). All ammunition fired by this weap-
its Enhancement bonus is reduced by 1. on also possesses any additional tags the weapon
has. The user must spend an action to switch be-
STUN (1) tween different types of ammunition.
A weapon with the Stun tag does not inflict dam-
age when purchasing the Inflict Damage Stunt WALL PENETRATING (2; RANGED
Instead, it inflicts the Stunned Status Condition ONLY)
with a +2 Complication instead. Wall penetrating firearms punch through ce-
ment. The tag provides the following stunt:
TACTICAL SIGHT (1; RANGED ONLY)
Like Wet Tissue (1, 2, or 4)
Allows the weapon to work at full effectiveness
at an additional range. The shooter can punch right through cover pro-
vided he knows where his target lies. The number
TWO-HANDED (1) of successes needed is based on the cover (1 or ex-
pendable, 2 for light, 4 for heavy)
This weapon requires two hands to use, but
packs a bigger punch. Two-handed weapons WEIGHTED (1; MELEE ONLY)
gain +1 Enhancement towards inflicting Injury
Conditions. This weapon is especially well weighted and
good at pushing targets around. Reduces the num-
THROWN (1) ber of successes needed for the Knockdown/Trip
and Shove Stunts by 2.
This weapon can be thrown at targets using the
Athletics Skill. Thrown weapons can be used in WORN (1)
both close and short range with no penalty.
This weapon is strapped to or worn on your
body in some way. Worn weapons are not subject
to disarm.
Weapon Tags 177

ARMOR TAGS
ACTIVE CAMO (2) Close Combat attacks. Just as common as scarves,
are cloaks, oversized sleeves and capes that serve
Thousands of tiny cameras and screens cover
the same function.
the active camo suit. They scan and project the
same color as the environment onto the outfit. It
GOGGLES (1 PER)
grants the wearer a +2 Enhancement bonus on
Stealth and allows the wearer to disappear even in These goggles or glasses are outfitted with night
bright light, with no cover. vision, thermal, or x-ray.
BIOMETRIC DUPLICATOR (2) HARD ARMOR (1, 3)

The armor feature equipment that can dupli- Hard armor grants the wearer one additional
cate all biometric functions of a target; finger- Injury Condition box. The one-point version of
prints, irises, voices, etc. after scanning them. the tag gives one condition box, and the three-
point version gives two. Once filled, the boxes
CHAMELEON MASK (3) stay filled until the end of the scene. There is no
Complication attached to the Injury Condition
The Chameleon mask allows the wearer to take
box provided by hard armor.
a scan of someone’s face with the attached scan-
ner and then project that image onto their face.
HARDENED (1)
The scanning process takes one minute and must
be done at close range. The wearer gains a 4-point Renders the wearer’s equipment immune to
enhancement bonus on checks to impersonate the electronic interference. Provides a +1-enhance-
person they scanned. ment bonus against all such effect.
CHEMICAL INJECTOR (2) INNOCUOUS (2)

Chemical injectors installed in the armor re- Armor with this tag is indistinguishable from
lease painkillers when the wearer is injured. normal clothing.
The wearer ignores the penalties from bruised
conditions. JET BOOTS (2)
Installed in the wearer’s boots, this short-burn
COMPOSITE ARMOR (2) jet propulsion system allows the wearer to fly for
The Composite Armor tag represents armor six turns, before running out of fuel. Landing ac-
that is effective against two types of damage. curately or maintaining flight while doing some-
When you add this tag to a piece of armor, you thing else is a Pilot + Dexterity roll, which may be
must also select the type of damage. part of a mixed action. The Assassin may only use
the jet boots once per session.
CONCEALABLE (2)
MAGNETIC FIELD (3)
This type of armor is not immediately notice-
able. Another character must make an Analyze roll A personalized magnetic field surrounds the
with a Difficulty equal to the wearer’s Larceny) to Assassin. The wearer gains 2 Enhancement to
see that a person is wearing armor with this tag. their Defense rolls against ballistic weapons as the
field redirects bullets away from its wielder.
DISTRACTING SCARF (2)
NANITES (3)
This scarf is a long flowing garment used to
confuse attackers and hider their movements. Nanites in the armor seek out damage and try to
It grants 1 enhancement to defense rolls against repair it. The wearer heals two injuries, starting
with the most severe, at the end of every fight.
178 APPENDIX
SOFT ARMOR (1, 2, 3) STAGED DEATH (1)
Soft armor increases the Difficulty of the Inflict When shot or stabbed, the armor bleeds, giving
Damage Stunt by 1. Soft armor can be taken up to a +3 enhancement on rolls made to trick people
3 times. into believing the wearer is dead.
SOUND-DAMPENED BOOTS (1) SUIT (1)

The wearer makes no noise when they move. The armor appears to all viewers to be a pol-
The difficulty of hearing the wearer’s approach is ished designer suit (or other high-end clothing).
increased by two. It provides a +1 enhancement on Command rolls.
VEHICLE TAGS
The basic vehicle template for ground, air, and ARMOR (1 TO 3)
water vehicles starts at Size 1, Handling +0, Speed
The vehicle has armor. All vehicle armor pos-
2, before adding tags.
sesses the Composite Armor tag. Each dot of ar-
mor provides the vehicle and its occupants with
AI ASSIST (1)
one point of both hard and soft armor, so Armor 3
The car features an onboard AI that assists with provides the vehicle with 3 points of hard armor
driving. The Pilot gains 1 Enhancement when tak- and 3 points of soft armor. The amount of armor
ing mixed actions. on a vehicle cannot exceed its Size.
AIRBORNE-AMPHIBIAN (1) BLADES (1)

This vehicle can both fly and move across The vehicle features sturdy blades or spikes that
the water as a boat with equal ease, but cannot can be used to damage other vehicles or people as
submerge. it drives past. Dealing damage with these blades
works like a close combat attack, except the driver
ALL-TERRAIN (1) uses Pilot + Dexterity.
All-terrain vehicles gain bonuses in handling
rough off-road conditions. While traversing of- CALL BUTTON (2)
froad paths, ATVs reduce handling penalties by 2. With the push of a button, the vehicle will drive
Walking vehicles also possess this tag. itself as close to its owner as possible. It will go
through walls if commanded and able.
AMPHIBIOUS (1)
Amphibious vehicles can move across both land CARGO (1+)
and water or with equal ease but cannot submerge. Vehicles with this tag have additional space af-
forded to cargo, optimizing their hauling capacity
ANTI-THEFT (1) without sacrificing mobility. The higher the rat-
Biometric and electronic security makes stealing, the more cargo a vehicle can carry. A vehicle’s
ing this vehicle difficult. Attempting to steal cargo rating must always be at least 1 less than its
or otherwise operate the vehicle without the Size.
proper bio-signatures or access keys provides Each dot of Cargo allows a vehicle to carry up
a +2 Complication, and failure to buy off this to 2 vehicles of that size, or up to 20 vehicles of
Complication causes the vehicle’s alarm to trigger, one Size smaller. Cargo capacity can instead be
which also usually alerts the owner and often the fitted to carry passengers, with Cargo 1 holding
police. either 20 passengers in comfortable seats suitable
Vehicle Tags 179

for journeys of less than a day or twice that many EXTERNAL PROJECTOR (2)
in cramped seats, one passenger in a roomy lux-
The vehicle is equipped with projectors all over
ury cabin suitable for multiday journeys, two
its surface that allow it to appear as another vehi-
passengers in small cabins, or four passengers in
cle of similar shape and size. This provides a 2-dot
cramped, shared cabins. Each additional point of
enhancement to disguise or hide the vehicle.
Cargo multiplies the passenger capacity by 10.
FAST (1+)
CHAFF (1+)
For ground, air, and water vehicles only. The vehi-
The vehicle has a spring-loaded container of
cle increases its Speed Scale by 1 for each point taken.
aluminum scraps that can be deployed reflexive-
ly to give the vehicle a 2-dot enhancement bonus
FLIGHT SYSTEMS (0)
against missiles or other explosives. Each pur-
chase provides the vehicle with another use of This tag indicates that a vehicle has a complex
chaff in a scene. computer system inside it which allows for atmo-
spheric flight.
COMPLEX (0)
GRAPPLING HOOK (2)
The vehicle is sufficiently large and complex
that people without specialized training or expe- The vehicle features a gigantic grappling hook
rience operating this type of vehicle have difficul- that can be used to grapple and pull targets us-
ty piloting it. People without this training suffer ing the grappling rules. The grappling hook is
a +1 Complication when operating it. The vehicle a ranged weapon. An attack with the grappling
also increases its Size by +1. hook can inflict damage. When involved in a grap-
ple, a vehicle uses Pilot + Dexterity.
CREW REQUIRED (−1 OR −3)
HOVER (1)
Vehicles with this tag require more than a sin-
gle pilot to function properly. At −1, a co-pilot The vehicle is a type of hovercraft, enabling it
and perhaps an optional navigator are required, to move up to close range (two meters) above the
while at −3, up to a dozen crewmembers may ground. As a result, it may ignore some environ-
be required to maintain proper functionality. At mental hazards (such as spike strips, oil spills, or
the Storyguide’s discretion, lacking the proper cracks in the road) at the Storyguide’s discretion.
crew either adds a Complication or increases the Hovercraft may drive across open water, but they
Difficulty of handling and other rolls required to also reduce their handling rating by 1 while there.
use the vehicle and its systems by an amount equal Hover vehicles, outside of certain experimental
to the degree that the actual crew falls short of the models, cannot take the Stealthy tag.
required number.
MANEUVERABLE (1 TO 3)
DEBRIS RESERVE (1) This tag adds 1 Enhancement to handling for
The driver can make a Technology + Cunning each point taken.
to create a difficult environment. The difficulty
of the field is equal to half the successes spent MASSIVE (1+)
(round up, minimum one). This tag, which may be taken multiple times, in-
creases the vehicle’s Size and Durability Scales by
EJECTOR SEATS (1) 1 each time it is taken. Each additional Size rank
The vehicle features ejector seats that propel also adds an additional Condition box.
the user free of the car and into the air. Anytime
the vehicle would be destroyed, the driver and MILITARY (1)
passengers escape unharmed just before the vehi- The vehicle is a specialized piece of military
cle goes up in an explosion of fiery debris. hardware that is very difficult for people without
180 APPENDIX
specialized training or experience to operate. TOOLS (1)
People without a military Path or related Specialty
The vehicle possesses large, externally mount-
suffer a +3 Complication when operating it. The
ed tools that can be operated from inside the vehi-
vehicle also possesses the Weaponry 2 tag for free.
cle. Examples include large drills, a pair of power-
RAM (3) ful robotic arms, a forklift, or a backhoe.
The vehicle deals double damage to structures TREADS (1)

and cover when ramming into them and suffers no
Treaded vehicles more easily cover off-road
damage in the process.
paths, reducing Complications and speed penal-
REMOTE CONTROLLED (4) ties associated with them by 1.
The vehicle can be driven remotely using a WATERCRAFT (0)

mobile device. Doing so uses Cunning instead of
This craft can float and can move across the
Dexterity.
water.
SLUGGISH (−1 TO −3)
WEAPONRY (1 TO 2)
As the opposite of Maneuverable, this tag adds
The vehicle comes with standard armaments.
Complications to handling actions.
For the 1-point version of this tag, the weap-
SOLID RUBBER TIRES (1) ons have a Scale equal to half the vehicle’s Size
(rounded up). The weapons have a Scale equal to
The vehicle ignores difficult terrain, due to its the vehicle’s Size for the 2-point version of this
increased traction and solid tires/treads. tag. The vehicle’s weapons have the Ranged tag
and a number of other tags equaling at least 1 less
STEALTHY (2)
than the cost of the vehicle. The weapons are ad-
The vehicle is equipped with sound-dampening justed for any increases in Scale. Each use of this
devices, active visual camouflage, or light-refract- tag provides the vehicle with up to two different
ing “cloaks.” It gains 2 Enhancement on all rolls weapons.
made to avoid notice.
WHEELED (0)
SUBMERSIBLE (1)
A wheeled vehicle performs at an average level
This vehicle can move both on and under water. over normal terrain, without bonus or penalty.
Vehicle Tags 181

ENHANCEMENT
ENHANCEMENT VALUE CIRCUMSTANCE EXAMPLE EQUIPMENT EXAMPLE
1 Minor The programming language is Damn fine coffee
familiar
2 Notable You’ve been recommended for the Step-by-step instructions
job
3 Significant A security guard tells you all about A video perfect for blackmail
how they protect the place you
want to infiltrate
4 Major You get secret access to the security Zero-day exploit for a computer
feeds hacker
5+ Extreme You act guided by prescience A space shuttle
XP EARN TABLE
EVENT XP EARNED RECIPIENT
A player achieves their Short-term Aspiration for their character 1 Solo
All players achieve one Short-term Aspiration in the same Session 1 Group
A player achieves their Long-term Aspiration for their character (all 2 Solo
players must complete their Long-term Aspirations before a player can
earn this Experience again)
The players spend half the available Momentum in a single scene (the 1 Group
amount spent must be greater than 1)
The characters reach a Story milestone 1 Group
The characters complete a group Story 3 Group
XP SPEND TABLE
OBJECT CHANGE COST
Attribute Add one dot to a single Attribute 10 Experience
Edge Add one dot in a new or existing Edge 3 Experience
Edge Add one dot in a new or existing Path Edge 2 Experience
Enhanced Edge Gain a new Enhanced Edge (even if it is a Path Edge) 6 Experience
Facet Add one dot to a single Facet 10 Experience
Favored Approach Change a character’s Favored Approach 15 Experience
Mastery Purchase a new Path Mastery 4 Experience
Mastery Purchase a new Mastery not associated with a Path 5 Experience
Skill Add one dot in a new or existing Skill 5 Experience
Skill Trick Add a Skill Trick to a Skill 3 Experience
Specialty Add a Specialty to a Skill 3 Experience
Path Add one dot in a new or existing Path (maximum five Paths) 18 Experience
182 APPENDIX
RANGE
RANGE DESCRIPTION TYPICAL DISTANCE WEAPONS
Close In range to trade blows with blunt ob- 0-2 meters Unarmed combat,
jects and blades, or grapple and strike melee weapons, pistol
unarmed.
Short Close-quarter battle distance for reflex- Out of reach: 3-30 Thrown, pistol, rifle,
ive shooting and thrown weapons. meters bow
Medium Range to aim and shoot with a firearm or 31-100 meters. Thrown, pistol, rifle,
bow. Maximum modern pistol range. bow
Long Range to plan and execute long-range Over 100 meters to Rifle, some bows, light
sniping and special weapons attacks maximum effective artillery
(compensating for wind, etc.). range, ~1000 meters
Extreme Range of heavy military weapons — By weapon (typical- Missiles, naval railguns,
must compensate for curvature of the ly 1,000+ meters to heavy artillery
Earth, speed of light delays. weapon maximum
— 10,000 meters or
more)
Out of Beyond maximum weapon range. Beyond maximum n/a
Range weapon range.
DAMAGE EXAMPLES
THREAT DAMAGE RATING TAGS THREAT TYPE
Alcohol 1 Non-Lethal Ingestible
Antarctic Cold 1-3 Continuous (hour), Deadly Environmental
Cobra Venom 5 Deadly Injectable
Drowning/Suffocation 3 Continuous (minute), After 4 Environmental
minutes becomes Deadly
Extreme Desert Heat 1-2 Continuous (hour) Environmental
Extreme Gravity 1-2 Continuous (hour), Deadly Environmental
Falling 1 for every 3m if falling Above 6m, falling be- Environmental
onto a hard surface comes Deadly
Hard Radiation (low) 1-3 Aggravated, Continuous Environmental
(hour), Deadly
Interior of a Burning House 1-3 Aggravated, Continuous Environmental
(round)
Knockout Gas 3 Continuous (round), Environmental
Non-Lethal
Nuclear Reactor Leak 5 Aggravated, Continuous Environmental
(minute), Deadly
Sarin Gas 5 Continuous (round), Environmental
Deadly
Tranquilizer Dart 4 Non-Lethal Injectable
Vacuum of Space 1 Continuous (round), Environmental
Deadly
Any damage rating with a variable range depends upon the severity of the source of indirect damage.
Chart Quick Reference 183

EXAMPLE WEAPONS
WEAPON TYPE ENHANCEMENT DAMAGE TYPE TAGS
Assault Rifle 2 Ballistic Ranged: Medium, Automatic, Quality,
Tactical Sight, Two Handed
Katana 3 Edged Quality 2, Deadly, Melee,
Two-Handed
Knife 1 Edged Concealable, Grapple, Thrown,
Melee
Unarmed 1 Blunt Melee, Grapple, Worn
Pistol 1 Ballistic Ranged: Short, Concealable, Silent
Stun Gun 1 Blunt Stun, Charge, Concealable
Grenade 1 Ballistic Explosive: Thrown, Deadly
EXAMPLE ARMORS
TYPE BASE TAGS
Flak Jacket Bulletproof Hard 1, Soft 1, Concealable
Leather Jacket Impact-resistant Hard 1, Soft 2
Chainmail Slash-resistant Hard 3, Soft 1
Tactical Armor Composite (Impact-resistant, Bulletproof) Composite, Soft 2, Hard 1
EXAMPLE VEHICLES
TYPE SIZE HANDLING SPEED TAGS WEAPONS COST
Motorcycle 1 +1 4 Fast 2, Maneuverable 1, - •••
Wheeled
Sedan 2 +0 3 Fast 1, Massive 1, Wheeled - ••
Sports Car 2 +1 4 Fast 2, Maneuverable 1, - ••••
Massive 1, Wheeled
APC 2 -1 3 Armor 2, Cargo 1, Fast 1, Machine •••••
Massive 1, Sluggish -1, Gun
Weaponry 1, Wheeled
ATV 2 +0 3 All-Terrain, Cargo 1, Fast 1, - •••
Massive 1
Speed Boat 2 +1 4 Fast 2, Maneuverable 1, - ••••
Massive 1, Watercraft
Private Jet 2 +0 5 Cargo 1, Fast 3, Flight - •••••
Systems, Massive 1
Jet Fighter 3 +1 6 Fast 4, Flight Systems, Machine L
Maneuverable 1, Massive Guns, Missile
2, Military Launcher
184 APPENDIX
Name: Origin Path:
Player: Role Path:
Concept: Society Path:
Additional Paths:
Moment of Inspiration
SKILLS
Aim: Integrity:
Athletics: Larceny:
Close Combat: Medicine:
Command: Persuasion:
Culture: Pilot:
Empathy: Science:
Enigmas: Survival:
Humanities: Technology:
ATTRIBUTES
Force Intellect Might Presence
Finesse Cunning Dexterity Manipulation
Resilience Resolve Stamina Composure
FACETS INJURY CONDITIONS

Destructive Bruised +1
Intuitive Bruised +1
Reflective

INSPIRATION Injured +2
Injured +2
Maimed +4
Taken Out
Defense = Appropriate Resilience Attribute
Armor:
Experiences:
EDGES SPECIALTIES/SKILL TRICKS

MASTERIES PATH CONTACTS

ASPIRATIONS

GEAR ARMOR
Gear EN Armor Base Hard Soft

WEAPONS
Weapon EN Range Damage Type Tags
VEHICLES
Vehicle Size Handling Speed Tags Weapons
ENTER THE WORLD
OF SHADOW
Trinity Continuum: Assassins transports players to
the Contiuum’s underworld where well-dressed killers-
for-hire use high-tech weapons and gear to eliminate
their targets. Assassins join hidden Societies, each uni-
fied by their preferred method of doing violence. Their
lives are brutal, blood-stained, and glamorous.
Trinity Continuum Core Rulebook is required to
use this book.
Inside you will find:

• Rules for creating Assassins: Trinity
Continuum’s stone-cold, stylish killers,
and the Societies that house and train
them.
• Masteries, all-new powers unique to the

Art of the Kill.
• Storyguiding advice for running tense,

fast-paced games of intrigue and violence.
• Guidelines for creating setpiece fights,

plus dozens of new antagonists for the
Assassins to overcome.
TRI017

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STEP INTO THE SHADOWS

DIXIE COCHRAN, RAI W. COLE, MADELEINE DOUGLAS, ERYKAH FASSETT,

Requires the use of the

2 TRINITY CONTINUUM: ASSASSINS

4 TRINITY CONTINUUM: ASSASSINS

6 TRINITY CONTINUUM: ASSASSINS

One Lucky Shot 9

10 TRINITY CONTINUUM: ASSASSINS

One Lucky Shot 11

THE WORLD OF SHADOW

The World of Shadow 13

ENTERING THE SHADOW:

THE SECRET HISTORY

The Secret History 17

18 CHAPTER ONE: STEPPING INTO SHADOWS

The Secret History 19

20 CHAPTER ONE: STEPPING INTO SHADOWS

22 CHAPTER ONE: STEPPING INTO SHADOWS

The Order of the Shadow 23

24 CHAPTER ONE: STEPPING INTO SHADOWS

The Order of the Shadow 25

YOU’VE GOT THE WRONG GUY

26 CHAPTER ONE: STEPPING INTO SHADOWS

The Order of the Shadow 27

28 CHAPTER ONE: STEPPING INTO SHADOWS

The Order of the Shadow 29

32 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

daughters of the jacobins 33

34 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

Assassins from other Societies and freelancers

daughters of the jacobins 35

position from her older sister, Angelique. She was

36 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

daughters of the jacobins 37

38 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

The Krugu Vorov 39

40 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

The Krugu Vorov 41

42 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

The Krugu Vorov 43

44 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

46 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

48 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

50 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

These missions may involve deep cover infiltration

52 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

54 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

56 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

dwindling frequency as their interests expanded out

58 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

60 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

62 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

CUTTING A BLOODY PATH

64 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

Cutting a Bloody Path 65

66 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

Cutting a Bloody Path 67

68 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

Cutting a Bloody Path 69

70 CHAPTER TWO: THE SOCIETIES

Cutting a Bloody Path 71

Step One: Concept 73

74 CHAPTER THREE: CHARACTER CREATION

Step Three: Skills, Skill Tricks, and Specialties 75