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THE VELVET BOOK Persona Tabletop Roleplaying A Personanon Press Game This project is a fan-work and is free to distribute Shin Megami Tensei: Persona is developed and published by SEGA and Atlus Monsters and Other Childish Things is written by Benjamin Baugh and published by Arc Dream Publishing The One-Roll Engine was designed by Greg Stolze Visit this project’s Discord channel at https://discord.gg/aWZMuZP What is Monsters and Other Childish Things? What is Persona? What am I reading? The Velvet Book So, then, without further ado... Table of Contents Chapter I: Characters Attacks 42 What Kind of Characters are in a Velvet Book Game? 14 Defends 42 What Makes a Character 14 Useful 42 Your Stats 15 What Personas are Made-Of: Extras 43 Stat Details 16 Always Works, Area, Burn, Effective, Fast 43 Your Skills 16 Heal, Power, Recoil, Spray, Tough 44 Diligent Skills 16 Extras and Multiple Actions 45 Gutsy Skills 17 Always Works and Multiple Actions 45 Proficient Skills 17 Special Interactions 45 Knowledgeable Skills 17 What Personas are Made-Of: Hit Points 46 Expressive Skills 17 Putting the Pieces Together 46 Your Relationships 18 Small Parts 47 Relationships, Arcana and Archetypes 19 The Other Essentials 47 Arcana and Psychology 19 Arcana 47 Arcana and Gender 19 Evocation 48 Making your Character 20 Elemental Resistance and Weakness 48 Starting Relationships 20 What are they? 48 ARCANA ARCHETYPES INDEX How they Work 48 Magician, High Priestess, Empress, Emperor 21 The Elements of Persona 48 Hierophant, Lovers, Chariot, Justice 22 Favorite Thing 49 Hermit, Fortune, Strength, Hanged Man 23 Persona Themes and Group Dynamics 49 Death, Temperance, Devil, Tower 24 Level-Up: Improving your Persona 50 Star, Moon, Sun, Judgement 25 Optional Rules 51 The Fool and the World 26 The Voice In Your Head 51 Visible Personas 51 Chapter II: The One Roll Engine Useful in the Real World 51 An Introduction to ORE. 28 Bizarre Personas 51 What Sets Mean 29 PERSONA AND ARCANA COMPENDIUM Strategizing your Sets 29 Magician, High Priestess, Empress, Emperor, Difficulty 30 Hierophant, Lovers, Chariot, Justice 52 Bonuses and Penalties 30 Hermit, Fortune, Strength, Hanged Man, Death, Difficulties vs Penalties 30 Temperence, Devil, Tower 53 Multiple Actions 30 Star, Moon, Sun, Judgement, The Fool, The World 54 Doing One Thing Multiple Times 30 Chapter IV: The Player’s Manual Doing Two Things at Once 31 Called Shots 31 Introduction 56 Gobble Dice 32 Understanding your Height and Width 56 Severe Action Penalties 32 Measuring Height 56 Foiling Actions 32 Measuring Width 57 Blocking Attacks 33 Specific Rules for Skills Contested Actions 33 Academics 57 Awesome Dice 35 Aim, Beat-Down 58 Block, Charm, Connive 59 Chapter III: Personas Courage, Fighting 60 What is a Persona? 38 Notice, Out-Think 61 How Personas are the Same as Monsters 38 P.E., Put-Down, Reflex 62 How Personas are Different from Monsters 38 Shop, Wind 63 What Personas are Made-Of: Parts 39 Your Day to Day Life 64 Should Personas have personalities? 40 Time Slots 64 3d and 5d: The two models of Personas 40 How to Spend your Time 64 Sample 3d Persona: Orpheus 41 Helping Out Other Players 65 Sample 5d Persona: Arsene 41 Experience Points and Character Growth 65 What Personas are Made-Of: Qualities 42 (Page #) Table of Contents Chapter V: Relationships Situational Advantages 94 The Power of Friendship 68 Ambush 94 Casual and Intense: The Language of Relationships 68 Sudden Attack 94 Relationship Dice 68 Use the Environment 95 Relationship Shock 69 Healing 95 Healing Shock with Quality Time 69 For Humans and Personas 95 Awesomely Intense Relationships 70 Healing Humans 95 Relationship Reversal 70 Healing Personas 96 Relationships and Personas: Arcana Boosting 71 Healing Under Time Restraints 97 Relationship Feedback 72 Defending Against Area Attacks 98 Improving Relationships 73 Shadows 101: What Players Need to Know 99 Minor Shadows 99 Chapter VI: Combat Major Shadows 100 Preface I: What Persona Players Should Know about Ending a Battle 100 Fighting 76 Chapter VII: The Path to Awesome Power Preface II: Streamlining Monsters Combat for Persona 77 Who’s the target? 77 What It Means to be Awesome 102 Battle for Everyone’s Souls: The ORE Combat Tutorial 78 Awesome Humans 102 The Combat Round 78 Awesome Personas 102 How to Attack 78 Awesome as a Resource 102 Stunning Attacks 79 The First Path: Preparation (for Humans) 103 Back-Up Attacks 79 The First Path: Preparation (for Personas) 103 Redirecting Attacks 80 You can’t use Preparation to Stockpile Awesomeness 104 Damage 80 The Second Path: Cooperation 105 Tracking Damage 80 The Third Path: Desperation and Sacrifice 106 Defense 81 Chapter VIII: Shadows Declaring Defense 82 What is a Shadow? 108 Defense Strategies 82 Where do Shadows Come From? 108 Multiple Defense Sets 82 Some Shadows are Helpful 109 Attacking and Defending Simultaneously 83 Shadow Styles 109 Perfect Defense 83 Shadow Types 109 Rallying 83 Arcana Points 109 Tilting 84 Minor Shadow Anatomy 110 Emotional Damage: Third-Degree Sick Burns 85 Encountering Minor Shadows 111 Playing Out Emotional Damage 86 Fighting Minor Shadows 111 Emotional Damage and Personas: Reverse Feedback 86 The GM: Master of Shadows 112 Damage Overflow 87 Shadow Mobs 112 Weapons 87 How Shadow Mobs are built 113 A Brief Index of Weapons 88 Shadow Mobs and All-Out Attacks 114 Elemental Warfare 89 When should Mobs be used? 114 Physical Elements 89 How Major Shadows Work 115 Elemental Skill Names 90 Fighting Major Shadows 116 Detecting Weakness and Resistances 90 Gimmicks 117 One More! 91 Fighting to the Finish 118 Playing without One More! 92 Negotiation 92 Chapter IX: Useful Things Opening Negotiations 92 Why Useful Qualities Have Their Own Chapter 120 Shadow Diplomacy 93 How Useful Qualities are Supposed to Work 120 Shadows and Their Favorite Things 93 Not Everything Needs to be a Useful Quality 121 Alternatives to Negotiation 93 What Makes a Good Useful Quality 121 All-Out Attacks 94 Attacks and Defends can also be useful 121 (Page #) Table of Contents Basic Things Any Useful Quality Can Do 122 Enemy Advantage: Engineering Minor Shadow Create an Advantage 122 Encounters 149 Disable an Enemy 122 The Golden Rule 149 Overcome a Threat 122 The Arcana Budget 150 The Useful Gallery 123 Further Guidelines 150 The 10 Common Qualities 123 Shadow Synergy 151 Analyze 123 Fast and Furious 151 Buff 124 Tough Enough 151 The Underlying Question: What are These, Anyway? 124 Bodyguards 151 Boost Power 125 Healing 151 Control (Element or Force) 125 Useful Shenanigans 152 Debuff 126 After-Market Modifications 152 Timing Buffs and Debuffs 126 Shadow Antics 152 Stacking Buffs and Debuffs 127 Blooming Villains: Creating and Controlling Major Flight 127 Shadows 153 Induce (Mental Effect) 128 What is a Major Shadow’s purpose? 153 Negotiation 129 Might 154 Provide Information 129 How Mighty? 154 Unique Movement 130 Arcana Point Budgets for Major Shadows 155 The 13 Exotic Qualities 131 Gimmicks 156 Create (Object) 131 Do-It-Yourself Gimmicks 156 Deadly Power 131 Ready-to-Play Gimmicks Exotic Sense 133 Heavy Armor 157 Gigantic 133 Penetration 157 Immobilize 133 Unlimited Healing 157 Invisibility 134 Regeneration 157 Jinx 134 Multitasking 157 Jinx vs Disable 135 Special Dice Pool 158 Nullify 135 Booster 158 Polymorph 135 Summon Allies 158 Refresh/Revoke 136 Targets All 158 Super Strength 137 Guaranteed Knockdown 158 Tranquilize 137 Bypass Personas 159 Warp 138 Preemptive Action 159 Creating Your Own Useful Qualities 138 Superior Defense 159 Remember the Cost 138 Immunity 159 Be Mindful of the Action Economy 138 Engulf 159 Don’t Be Afraid to Bend the Rules 139 Automatic Action 160 Interference 160 Chapter X: The Velvet Room Damage Magnet 160 Welcome to the Velvet Room 142 Example Major Shadows 161 Advanced Dice Pool Guidelines 142 King Frost 161 One Roll Education 143 Shadow Mitsuo 162 What Roll for Which Class? 143 Going Out with a Bang 163 Sample Class Schedule 143 Finale Attack 163 What Skill for which Assignment? 144 Finale Threat 163 Work Load 144 Optional Rule: Doom Dice 164 Grades 145 How Much Doom? 164 Improving your School Work 145 Getting your Campaign Started 165 Time Management 146 Choosing your Focus 165 Obligation vs Freedom (aka Law vs Chaos) 146 The World: Building your Persona Setting 166 Opportunity Cost 147 The Meta-Narrative Level: Themes and Tone in Persona Under Pressure 147 What is the Theme of your game? 167 (Page #) Table of Contents What is the Tone of your Game? 167 Appendices and References The Cosmic Level: What is the Nature Appendix A: Sample NPCs 201 of the Other World? 168 Appendix B: Shadow Compendium 208 The Overworld 168 Principles of Minor Shadow Design 242 Dungeons 169 Character Sheet 243 What Happens in the Other World? 170 Persona Sheet 244 One-Roll Dungeons 170 Reference: Characters and Personas 245 Elemental Motif 171 Reference: Mechanics and Other Key Rules 246 Hidden Passages 171 Reference: Charts and Figures 247 Population 172 Automated Defenses 173 Sanctuary 173 Physical Challenge 174 Traps 174 High Security 175 Example Security Patrols 176 Hazardous Environment 177 Treasure 178 Using Features in Non-Random Dungeons 178 One-Roll Dungeon Minor Shadows 179 Better Threats: How to Properly Menace your Players 180 The Real World is Threatening Too 180 Standard Threats 180 Persistent Threats 181 Compound Threats 182 How Many Dice Should I Give my Threats? 182 Optional Rule: Loot and Other Valuable Things 183 Loot isn’t Mandatory 183 Where Loot Comes From 183 What is Loot, Exactly? 184 Loot Values 184 What is