Dread Powers are the unique powers and abilities possessed by horrors (monsters and other supernatural beings) in the Chronicles of Darkness. First introduced in Hunter: The Vigil, they were integrated into the Storytelling System's core rules in the Chronicles of Darkness: Revised Storytelling System Rulebook.
Dread Powers are kept somewhat generic in textual flavor when compared to other traits, as they are meant to be used to provide a framework for the Storyteller when designing antagonists and other unique and/or monstrous storyteller characters. Normally, traits would be more specifically defined (such as Numina) so that they could be at least theoretically usable by the player characters or their allies.
In Hunter: The Vigil, Dread Powers are assigned a dot-based rating, not unlike most supernatural beings' powers. In the Revised Chronicles of Darkness rulebook, Dread Powers follow the framework of Merits: most Dread Powers are binary, where a Horror either does or does not have any given Dread Power, although a few are given variable dot ratings (not always from one to five dots).
The Strix also possess their own suite of unique Dread Powers that follow the Merit-like framework; their powers were simply called "supernatural powers" when they were first introduced in Requiem for Rome, and were given the "Dread Powers" appellation in Night Horrors: The Wicked Dead and later Vampire: The Requiem Second Edition.
Many other creatures are known to utilise Dread Powers, including some which are unique to their kind. The Adaptations used by Cryptids resemble Dread Powers in all but name.
List of Dread Powers[]
Dread Powers with the same name listed in multiple sources are not duplicated. Dread Powers are listed under a specific creature type if they are stated to be specific to that creature, or if they rely on mechanics specific to that creature or game. If the creature can also use Dread Powers from the general list, these powers are not duplicated on the creature list.
General Dread Powers[]
Chronicles of Darkness: Revised Storytelling System Rulebook[]
- Beastmaster: the horror has mastery over lesser beasts
- Chameleon Horror: the creature can blend into its surrounding environment
- Discorporate: the horror's body dissolves into a swarm of smaller creatures
- Eye Spy: the horror can view events happening at a distance
- Fire Elemental: the creature is made of fire
- Gremlin: mechanical devices fail in the creature's presence
- Home Ground: the horror has a specific territory on which it receives bonuses
- Hunter's Senses: the horror can hone in on a specific type of prey
- Hypnotic Gaze: the horror's appearance can charm and beguile
- Immortal: the horror can only be killed by its Bane
- Influence (●-●●●●●): the creature wields an Influence like a spirit, paying Willpower instead of Essence
- Jump Scare: the creature lurches into sudden action
- Know Soul: the creature can learn information about the victim's nature
- Madness and Terror: the creature inflicts maddening fear on the victim
- Maze: the creature warps the architecture of a structure
- Miracle: the creature can do something miraculous upon request
- Mist Form: the creature's body takes the form of a gas
- Natural Weapons (●-●●●): the creature has claws, fangs, or other dangerous anatomy
- Numen: the creature can utilize a Numen (CofD), paying Willpower instead of Essence
- Prodigious Leap: the creature can jump impossibly far
- Reality Stutter: the creature flickers from place to place
- Regenerate (●-●●●●●): the creature heals rapidly.
- Skin-Taker: the horror can steal the face or skin of another entity
- Snare: the horror can create traps
- Soul Thief: under specific conditions, the horror can remove a human soul.
- Surprise Entrance: the horror can enter any space, no matter how secure
- Toxic (● or ●●): the creature spreads poison or disease
- Unbreakable: the creature is extremely difficult to damage
- Wall Climb: the horror can walk up walls or cling to ceilings
Werewolf: The Forsaken Second Edition[]
- Air Elemental: the creature is a gas
- Armored Hide (●-●●●): the creature's thick skin acts as Armor
- Beastmaster: The creature has mastery over lesser beasts.
- Blinding Spray (●-●●●): the creature spits noxious fluid at an attacker
- Burrow: the creature can dig through earth and rock
- Chameleon Horror: The creature can blend into its surrounding environment, matching not just the colors but even the textures.
- Earth Elemental: the creature's body is made of stone
- Eye Spy: The creature has a specific form of remote viewing that it can practice.
- Fire Elemental: The creature's body is made of fire.
- Gauntlet Cloak: the creature reaches into the Gauntlet to become invisible
- Home Ground: The creature gains supernatural bonuses on its home ground.
- Hunter's Senses: The creature has incredibly honed senses for a specific type of prey.
- Hypnotic Gaze: The creature's gaze can charm and beguile.
- Interface: the creature can use computers or other technological devices without touching them.
- Juggernaut: the creature can smash inanimate objects with ease
- Leap: the creature can jump prodigiously far
- Maze: The creature can turn a structure into an insane maze.
- Monstrous Resilience: the creature can shrug off grievous wounds.
- Natural Weapons (● to ●●●): The creature is armed with natural weaponry, jaws, talons, bone spurs or metallic blades.
- Pierce Mind: the creature can read minds or make a psychic attack
- Reality Stutter: The creature's presence sets reality stuttering and juddering, allowing it to flicker amongst disoriented enemies.
- Regenerate (● to ●●●●●): The creature possesses incredible powers of regeneration.
- Snare: The creature can create a snare that will entrap victims.
- Skin-Taker: The creature can steal the face and skin of another.
- Swift: the creature is extremely fast
- Toxic Bite (● or ●●): a bite attack spreads poison or disease
- Venomous Ichor: the creature's flesh is poisonous
- Wall Climb: The creature can walk up walls or even cling to the ceiling.
- Water Elemental: the creature's body is liquid
Night Horrors: Shunned by the Moon[]
- Blindsight: the creature perceives its surroundings perfectly despite lacking eyes
- Corruption: forces a target to indulge their Vice or commit an action that would cause a Breaking Point
- Entrancing Song: the creature's singing awes those who hear it
- Flight: the creature can fly
- Lashing Tendrils: the creature has a long, prehensile appendage such as tentacles or a long tongue
- Lure of the Unknown: target is drawn to explore a specific area
- Occult Avarice: the creature can use occult items normally restricted to other types of beings
- Siren: the creature's singing charms those who hear it
- Storm Caller: the creature summons a powerful storm
- Storm Elemental: the creature charges its body with electrical energy
- Thunderbolt: the creature generates bolts of electricity
Changeling: the Lost Second Edition[]
- Lethe's Embrace: the creature siphons off some of the target's memories
- Pied Piper: the creature compells the targets to follow it
Beast Player's Guide[]
- Death from Above: the creature can fly
- Ensnare: the creature can create traps
- Hidden Movement: the creature can move faster when it is unobserved
- Lockdown: the creature restricts supernatural means of leaving the area
- Phase Step: the creature can pass through solid matter
- Shapeshift: the creature can temporarily change shape
- Slick Skin: the creature is slimy and difficult to grapple
- Thresher: the creature retains half Defense when making an all-out attack
- Towering Presence: the creature is extremely large
Geryo Dread Powers[]
Night Horrors: Shunned by the Moon[]
- Corrosive Heart: the creature poisons those who bite it or those who it bites; poisons a Locus; enhances damage to a structure
- Death's Secrets: drink in the soul of dying prey to learn their secrets
- Eight Headed (Orocheiros only): the eight heads of Orocheiros are effectively separate entities
- Flesh Suit: the Geryo takes on the flesh or corpus of another as its own.
- Ghostwrench: The creature may consume a ghost of rank 1 or 2 and later vomit it up
- Mind Thief: a Geryo using Flesh Suit can access the memories of its host
- Perspective (Zahakeryon only): change effective size as a reflexive action
- Swift Skinner: use the Skin Thief facet as a reflexive action
- You Are Bound (Zahakeryon and Hounds of Orthrus only): paralyze target as if grappled; target must spend Willpower to cross a boundary
Ghost Eater Dread Powers[]
Geist: The Sin-Eaters Second Edition[]
- Abmortality: gain a Bane, which is the only thing that can kill you
- Anchor Eater: consuming a ghost's Anchors awards Plasm
- Death Inurement: become immune to whatever killed the last ghost you ate
- Know Vice: determine the Vice or equivalent trait of the target
- Learn Memories: devouring a ghost grants access to their memories
- Supernatural Merit (●-●●●●●): gain a Supernatural Merit as a Dread Power, paying the costs in Plasm instead of Willpower
- The Dead Identity: use the memories gained from Learn Memories to imitate the ghost
Hobgoblin Dread Powers[]
Changeling: The Lost Second Edition[]
- Bottle Glamour: store Glamour for later
- Conjure Dreams: warp the Hedge into a setting from the target's dreams
- Fairy Swarm: the hob belongs to, or commands, a swarm of creatures.
- Much Depends on Dinner: the targets are compelled to join an illusory feast
- The Path Not Taken: create a false trail through the Hedge
Horrorspawn Dread Powers[]
Beast Player's Guide[]
- Atavistic Nature: the Horrorspawn can use one of its parent's Atavisms
- Fearful Aura: any non-Beast who sees the Horrorspawn becomes Spooked or Frightened
Host Dread Powers[]
Night Horrors: Wolfsbane[]
- Devour Morality (Uglathlu): A Worm Host can consume the Morality of a human being.
- Gauntlet Breach (Adarusharu): Wolf Hosts can only breach the Gauntlet when the moon is in sight.
- Growth (Usudwirku): Fungal Hosts may grow outwards, spreading its form within the Shadow or material world.
- Healing (Usudwirku): Fungal Hosts can heal two bashing or one lethal point of damage.
- Mycotoxins (Usudwirku): Fungal Hosts can conjure two types of toxins.
- Produce Namusiden (Usudwirku): The Fungal Hosts reproduce through the creation of Namusiden.
- Sense Fear (Adarusharu): Wolf Hosts can sense which group is the most fearful.
- Stalking (Adarusharu): Wolf Hosts cannot be noticed as they stalk prey.
- Step Sideways (Uglathlu): Worm Host may step sideways through a Wound.
- Swarm Attack (Adarusharu): Wolf Hosts take the shape of a pack of wolves, despite being a single entity.
Werewolf: The Forsaken Second Edition[]
- Discorporate (Hosts Only): If a shartha suffers damage that would kill it, the host body shrivels and withers as rats or spiders pour out of it in a flood.
- Gauntlet Webs (Azlu): strengthen the Gauntlet
- Gauntlet Gnaw (Beshilu): weaken the Gauntlet
- Warp Shard (Beshilu): instill a fellow shard with a specific Dread Power
Night Horrors: Shunned by the Moon[]
- Crimson Gauntlet (Ukusgualu): drench the Gauntlet in blood
- Dreaming Gauntlet (Hidaglu): cause wasp-themed nightmares
- Gauntlet Retch (Zurdilu): create a gateway leading to a Zurdilu nest
- Gauntlet Schism (Hidaglu): pull onlookers through the Gauntlet
- Gauntlglob (Thihoshlu): taint the Gauntlet to leech Essence and Willpower
- King's Nectar (Srizaku): produce addictive, hypnotic nectar
- Shard Infection (Ukusgualu): leave an infected wound on a victim, allowing the host to infest it with a new shard
- Slothful Aura (Thihoshlu): suppress supernatural frenzy
- Structivore (Zurdilu): erode the Structure and Durability of an object, destroying its spiritual essence
Huntsmen Dread Powers[]
Changeling: The Lost Second Edition[]
- Among the Sheep: Huntsmen can masquerade as humans
- Apex Predator: the Huntsman can summon a single large animal or a group of smaller ones
- Command the Herald: the Huntsman controls an animal and can see and speak through it
- Heart of Iron: Huntsmen are not vulnerable to cold iron
- Hungry Heart: the Huntsmen can steal Glamour from a target while making an attack
- Hunter's Panoply: The Huntsman's signature weapon and other tools are in perfect condition, and can be summoned back to hand instantly
- Hunter's Senses: The Huntsman is particularly adept at spotting Changelings
- Inescapable Snare: the Huntsman sets a trap that negates fae magic
- Kindred Spirits: Huntsmen can learn about a Changeling's nature, such as their Needle and Thread, Touchstones and Clarity
- Surprise Entrance: Huntsmen can suddenly appear on the scene
- Watchful Gaze: the target gains the Paranoid Condition
Idigam Dread Powers[]
Werewolf: The Forsaken Second Edition[]
- Bane-Salve: reduces damaged the target takes from its Bane
- Call Void Spirit: the Idigam summons an alien spirit from outer space
- Colossus: the Idigam is massive in size
- Crazed Evolution: cause mutations in nearby creatures
- Devourer: restores Corpus and Essence from bite attacks
- Divine Clay: reshapes an unresisting creature's body
- Elemental Fury: acts as a five-dot Influence for a chosen element or a type of natural disaster
- Furious Madness: exacerbate the Death Rage of the Uratha
- Mad Fecundity: cause nature to run wild
- Nightmare Plague: cause disturbing nightmares in nearby sleepers
- Purification: heal all damage
- Soul Furnace: consume a soul to boost other Dread Powers or abilities
- Soul Slave: transforms a captive soul into a spirit-like servitor
- Shifting: the Idigam can change its physical form to suit its purposes
- Spirit Dominion: see through the eyes of nearby spirits
- Spirit Interrogation: force a spirit to answer questions truthfully
Night Horrors: Shunned by the Moon[]
- Gauntlet Grab: snatch a target across the Gauntlet and pull it through
- Gauntlet Stasis: trap the victim inside the Gauntlet
- Mass Manipulation: subtly sway the minds of a group
Pandoran Dread Powers[]
Promethean: The Created Second Edition[]
- Armor (●-●●●●●): the Pandoran possesses innate armor
- Beastly Mutation (●-●●●●●): the Pandoran looks more animal than human
- Bizarre Weaponry (●-●●●●●): the Pandoran possesses fangs, claws or other natural weapons
- Breath Attack (●-●●●●●): the Pandoran spews fire, acid or other damaging substances from its mouth
- Briareus' Prowess (●-●●●●●): the Pandoran is stronger, faster, or tougher than it looks
- Camouflage (●-●●●●●): the Pandoran's flesh blends into its surroundings
- Consume Vitriol: using Pyros, the Pandoran coaxes Vitriol out of its victim to consume
- Divide: new Rank 1 Pandorans hive off from their parent
- Malleable Form (●-●●●●●): the Pandoran can squeeze its soft body through tiny openings
- Paralyze (●-●●●●●): the Pandoran afflicts its victims with paralysis
- Scurry (●-●●●●●): the Pandoran moves exceptionally fast
- Sense Vitriol: the Pandoran is aware of how much unspent Vitriol a Promethean victim possesses
- Track Pyros: the Pandoran can sense any source of Pyros and track it over long distances
- Wall-Walking (●-●●●●●): the Pandoran can traverse walls and ceilings as easily as floors
Night Horrors: The Tormented[]
- Homunculus: create a Rank 1 Pandoran out of blood, Pyros and corpse parts
- Implant (●-●●●●●): the sublimatus is a parasite that can take over its victim's body.
- Swarm Form (●-●●●●●): the Pandoran breaks apart into a swarm of smaller creatures controlled by a hive mind.
Strix Dread Powers[]
Vampire: The Requiem Second Edition[]
Doom Powers[]
- See the Cracks: the Strix can perceive traits like Vice, Integrity or Humanity, and related conditions.
- Ambition's Source: the Strix can perceive the target's Aspirations
- Tip of the Tongue: boosts the Strix's Finesse for Manipulation rolls
- Web of Destiny: the Strix can manipulate possible futures
- The Beast's Rebuke: the Strix tempts the targeted vampire to give in to the Beast
- False Fiend: creates the illusion that the targeted vampire is host to a Strix
- Vice Manipulation: alters the victim's Vice, Requiem, or equivalent trait for one month
Host Powers[]
- Breath Eater: the Strix can steal breath while embodied in a host
- Hollow Bones: the Strix's host becomes able to jump farther
- Sheep's Clothing: masks the physical condition of the Strix's host body
- Preservation: prevents host bodies from decaying or aging, at a price
- Genesis: spawns new Strix by consuming the host's Blood Potency
- Talons of Fury: the Materialized Strix deals aggravated damage
Shadow Powers[]
- Sudden Surprise: improves ambush attacks
- Screech: stuns victim with a horrid shriek
- Smoke and Mirrors: creates an illusion from smoke and shadows
- Labyrinth: seals the exits of a building
Vitae Powers[]
- Indomitable: the Strix is unaffected by mind-altering Disciplines and may turn the effect back on the user.
- Kindred Disciplines: the Strix can retain Disciplines, Devotions or Crúac rites after leaving a vampire host.
- Command the Lost: the Strix can enthrall a victim with a depleted or broken will
- Shadow Infection: the Strix leeches Vitae from its surroundings
- Soul Bite: strips the soul from a living mortal, which the Strix can farm for Vitae
Other Dread Powers[]
Chronicles of Darkness: The Contagion Chronicle[]
- Attention: Grab the attention of a group for a moment
- Host Immunity: Designate an individual as an asymptomatic carrier of the Contagion
- Poisonous Words: Spread the Contagion by speaking
Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras 2[]
- Beast of Black Silt (Ravener): regenerate health while on Home Ground
- The Fog: poisonous cloud deals aggravated damage to mortals
- Spawn of Apep (Ravener): Breaking Points suffer a penalty in the creature's presence
References[]
- CofD: Chronicles of Darkness: Revised Storytelling System Rulebook
[citation needed] - GTS: Geist: The Sin-Eaters Second Edition
[citation needed] - BTP: Beast Player's Guide [citation needed]
- CTL: Changeling: The Lost Second Edition [citation needed]
- WTF: Night Horrors: Wolfsbane, p. 84, 92-93, 126-127
- WTF: Werewolf: The Forsaken Second Edition, p. 210-212, 220-222
- WTF: Night Horrors: Shunned by the Moon, p. 111, 114, 120, 123, 126-127, 142, 162-163, 167, 170, 173-174, 185
- PTC: Promethean: The Created Second Edition [citation needed]
- PTC: Night Horrors: The Tormented [citation needed]
- VTR: Vampire: The Requiem Second Edition [citation needed]
- CofD: Chronicles of Darkness: The Contagion Chronicle [citation needed]
- CofD: Chronicles of Darkness: Dark Eras 2 [citation needed]