House rules and interpretations listed alphabetically by ability
Animal Summoning (demon summoning) [pg. 13]

1) The recommendation to max out demons at 1/4 to 1/2 of character CP base level applies. So 45 CP is the highest level of CP that may be bought for demons. Demons typically should have the exorcisable defect.

2) For the 3 and 5 point levels, a character may summon as many creatures as is allowed by the medium progression based on level. However, the number of creatures per round summoned is limited to slow progression based on level.

3) In addition, a character is limited in the types of animals or demons they can summon. This limitation is a weaker version of the restriction placed on types of agents [pg. 12]. If a character is only summoning creatures of a single type, no penalty is occurred. If a character is summoning multiple types of creatures then they must sacrifice a summoning slot for every additional kind of creature.

For example, a character that could summon 5 creatures may use all of their slots in the following ways.

  • Five Foxes (No slots spent to buy extra types)
  • Three foxes and a badger (One slot spent to buy an extra type)
  • Two foxes and two badgers (One slot spent to buy an extra type)
  • One fox, one badger, and one ferret (Two slots spent to buy extra types)

Creatures with the same stats and abilities but with different skills count as the same type.

4) The duration PMV is not required for animal or demon summoning. However, this requires constant concentration by the character. For mechanics purposes treat this as increase the concentration defect level of this power by one (See page 51 for the concentration defect)

Divine Relationship [pg. 17]
  1. Unlike the Tristat rules, you must take the most recent outcome of a roll, not the best outcome, when you use a DR.
  2. I will allow using DR on behalf of others, but reserve the right to override this rule.
  3. I probably only allow it when the roll has a rather direct effect for the character giving the DR.
  4. You can not DR another PC or an NPCs roll unless that PC or NPC desires it to be DRed.
Exorcism [pg. 18]:

Unless the player says otherwise, exorcism against extra-planars and other completely standard targets drains soul points.

Exorcism related defects [new]:

Exorcisable (often appropriate as a defect for an insubstantial alternate form or for summoned creatures):

  • 2 BP: The character can be subjected to exorcism, and if fully exorcised is knocked out or sent to another plane. However, recovery or getting back to the plane from which the character was exorcised is fairly easy.
  • 4 BP: The character can be subjected to exorcism, and if fully exorcised is sent to another plane. Getting back to the plane from which the character was exorcised is fairly difficult.
  • 6 BP. The character can be subjected to exorcism, and if fully exorcised is killed.

Vulnerability (Exorcism):

This defect is the same as the normal vulnerability defect with a few exceptions.

  1. The character must fail a defense against exorcism, not merely be in the presence of exorcism, for the vulnerability to have effect.
  2. The exorcist (while exclusively engaged in exorcism) and a few people standing behind the exorcist that take full defensive actions for that turn can not be attacked by the character. (for a strict number, use exorcism level on the slow progression chart starting at one person defended)
  3. No other effects of exorcism apply to the character, unless the character has also taken the exorcisable defect.
Gadgets [pg. 21]

Gadgets are only 1 pt / level. All items obtained via gadgets are insured. See advancement for details.

Design Note: This is a side effect of the level of funding and technology of the game, unlike some of the other house rules which may be appropriate to most settings.

Mind Control [pg. 26]:

The essence of these rules revisions are that the nature of the task (the level of "Control") which the controller can force the controllee to do increases as the levels of the Mind Control Attribute possessed by the controller increase.

If the controller has a specific task they wish to force the controllee to perform, they should ask the GM for the task's Control level. If the controller wishes instead to take control generally and force various tasks as they come up, the controller should declare the level of Control they wish to use.

  • Lvl 1 Task is effortless, greatly in line with controllee's tendencies.
  • Lvl 2 Task is almost effortless, in line with controllee's tendencies.
  • Lvl 3 Task requires some effort, somewhat in line with controllee's tendencies.
  • Lvl 4 Task requires moderate effort, neutral to controllee's tendencies.
  • Lvl 5 Task requires decent effort, somewhat opposed to controllee's tendencies.
  • Lvl 6 Task requires significant effort, opposed to controllee's tendencies.
  • Lvl 7 Task requires extreme effort, greatly opposed to controllee's tendencies.
  • Lvl 8 Task requires maximum effort, utterly opposed to controllee's tendencies.

The phrase "tendencies" is meant to refer to a mix of personality traits and goals. The "effort" required is subjective on the part of the controllee; lifting a sofa is effortless for a character with super strength but requires significant effort for the average person. Finally, of course some tasks may fit on different points of the "effort" and "tendencies" scales; the GM should balance the required Control level appropriately.

To initiate mind control, the controller makes an "Attack" roll against their Mind Stat. Only one Attack roll is ever required, at the time mind control is initiated. This roll is not modified by the level of Control required. Nor does the level of the Mind Control Attribute possessed by the controller give them bonuses to this roll. Bonuses to it can instead be obtained using the Power Usage Skill.

The controllee is then permitted a "Defense" roll, against the higher of their Mind and Soul Stats. If the controllee succeeds, then the mind control attempt is unsuccessful. Also, if the controller at any time attempts to "up" the level of Control (including accidentally by attempting to force a task that would require a greater level of Control) then the controllee gets another Defense roll. If the controllee succeeds on that roll, the mind control is broken; if they fail, the mind control continues at the higher Control level.

If the controller is not using their maximum possible level of Control (that is, they possess levels of the Mind Control Attribute in excess of the level of Control they are attempting to exert), then for every level less than their maximum that they are using, the controllee takes a +1 penalty to their Defense roll. If the controller attempts to exert a greater level of Control than they possess levels of the Mind Control Attribute, then the Defense roll is automatically successful.

For example, if a controller has 5 levels of the Mind Control Attribute and is using only Level 3 Control, the controllee's Defense roll has a +2 penalty. If the Control required rises to Level 4, the controllee gets another Defense roll, this time at a +1 penalty. If it rises again to Level 6 Control, the controllee's Defense roll automatically succeeds and the mind control is broken.

Finally, note that it is possible to have levels of the Mind Control Attribute above 8, in order to ensure some penalty on the controllee's Defense roll. Also, at the DM's discretion, a Control level above 8 might theoretically arise in truly exceptional circumstances. In particular, the killing of allies might be set at a higher level.

Designer's Notes: This revised Mind Control Attribute was created to give increased meaning to its levels. The original version essentially treated levels solely in terms of bonuses to rolls. Half of these, the bonuses to the Attack roll obtained on the odd levels, could more cheaply be purchased through the Power Usage Skill anyway, and have for this reason been entirely relegated to it in the revisions. The other half, the penalties to the Defense roll, have been given greater prominence amidst an increasingly nuanced view of what was formerly a flat -4 bonus when the task was "Against Nature". In the former version, any task, even one thoroughly Against Nature, could be required by a character with only Mind Control Attribute level 1, assuming the rolls went their way. Now higher levels are required. That aside, the original version's association of the nature of the task with modifications to the Defense roll while the Attack role remained unmodified has been largely retained. Likewise, the presence of only one Attack roll, at the time mind control is initiated, with multiple Defense rolls as required, has been left intact. Finally, the old version's Mind Control Attribute level 8 was the point where the penalties on the controllee's Defense roll exactly equaled the bonuses for a task "Against Nature", resulting in an unmodified Defense roll; this point was used as a benchmark in designing the Control level scale used in the revised version.

Mind Shield [pg. 26]:

See Telepathy.

Special Attack
* Penetrating(Armor/Force Field) [pg. 34]

Every level purchased in Penetrating (Armor) or Penetrating (Force Field) causes an attack to ignore the first 40 points of strength from armor or force fields, respectively.

If the Penetrating (Armor and Force Fields) is bought, then 33 points of strength are ignored from either of those sources instead of 40. In the case that an opponent has both armor and force fields, the strength negated is only applied once.

Half levels may be taken with half the benefit. Treat weapons and ammunition listed in the Tristat book as if they had half the listed levels of penetration.

[This rule is lifted from Zegon's Tristat DX revised]

Special Attack
* Auto-fire [pg. 33]

Auto-fire may be used in the two following ways. This choice can be made when the character makes his or her attack.

  • Semi-Automatic ("Quick, controlled bursts"): The maximum number of hits is reduced to three.
  • Fully automatic ("Spray and pray."): Apply an additional level of inaccurate [pg. 35] to the attack (+2 penalty). The number of maximum hits is still ten.
Special Attack
* Chained Attacks [New]

Chained attacks are an ability for special attacks that allow for fighting-game style moves.

  1. A chained special attack must specify another attack that it follows.
  2. A chained attack may only be used after its preceding attack successfully hits and is not successfully defended.
  3. Each link in a chained special requires a separate attack roll, at a +1 penalty for each preceding attack.
  4. The target receives no defense roll for chained attacks after the first, barring a "Combo Breaker" ability.
  5. Armour and force fields apply separately to each hit in a chained attack.
  6. Abilities and Disabilities are purchased normally for chained attacks.
  7. Chained Attack counts as two abilities. Chained Attack counts as one additional ability if its total modified damage is higher than the highest attack already in the chain.
  8. Each attack in the combo after the first may not have a higher modified damage than the first attack, plus one full increment per attack preceding it.

[NinjaDebugger and Brett suggested and contributed to the development of these rules.]

Special Attack
* Linked Attack [pg. 34]
  1. Only one linked attack may be attached to any given master attack.
  2. Linked attacks may not be attached to other linked attacks.
Telepathy [pg. 39]
/ Mind Shield [pg. 26]:

According to the official rules, you must have a mind shield or telepathy level equal to or exceeding the telepath scanning you in order to notice the scan. I am clarifying and changing these rules in three ways:

  1. Your telepathy only helps you notice telepathic scans by subjects that you could scan using your telepathy. So, if your power is limited to scanning Americans, your telepathy only helps you notice scans by Americans.
  2. Your effective level for noticing scans is your level of mind shield plus your level of telepathy (when applicable as per rule 1).
  3. If you have any effective levels for noticing scans, you will always notice when someone scans you at the scanner's maximum level of telepathy.
  4. If your telepathy level does not exceed their the target's effective level for noticing scans, you can not scan without the target noticing.
  5. If you want to use telepathy without someone noticing it, you must limit your level of telepathy. In order to guarantee you will not be detected you may only use telepathy at [your maximum level of telepathy] minus [target's effective level for noticing scans (as discussed in rule 3)].
  6. A telepath may attempt to determine a target's level effective level for noticing scanning by using telepathy at level 1 and making a power usage roll. However, this determination counts as a level 1 scan and can potentially be detected as per rule 5.