The Nature Of The Beast

Plasm is ghost-stuff, no more, no less. It's derived from living material beings astral forms, but isn't the SAME as astral energy, being strongly entropic in nature, in some ways it might be termed a sort of astral "anti-matter". While normal astral space is reversed entropy (a little energy expands in the astral to become a LOT of energy), Plasmic energies are AMPLIFIED entropy (a little energy SUCKS UP a lot of energy). Entropy is the force of chaos, that makes complex, ordered systems break down to random, primitive systems. Change, instability, and decay are all aspects of both entropy and Plasm. It is the material of which Ghosts are formed, and the energy used by Necromancers for their magics. Its manipulation is key to ANY Necromantic effect (thus Necromancy skill, the ability to manipulate Plasm, is central to any Necromantic activity).

Plasmic Masses that aren't tied to ghosts or artificially created by a Necromancer are quite rare, but do exist, and are referred to as RAW Plasmic masses. A raw plasmic mass is generally quite temporary: Along with the effects on its Force Rating mentioned below, a Raw Plasmic Mass will degrade, losing 1 Force per Hour until gone entirely. Plasm of ANY of its three states shares some distinct characteristics, which we'll cover before going into the unique properties of each state.

• Plasm is unmixable: Whenever two different types of plasm are forced to mix within the same astral field, one will totally convert the other into its own type. This is referred to elsewhere in this supplement as a "Taint Test", and works this way: the initial Plasm (Or the being whose aura contains the plasm) makes an opposed test of Soulfires (or Force, for Spirits) vs. the Force of the new plasm-type -- the winning influence converts ALL the losing substance into itself. The Tgt#'s for each side are modified as follows depending on the type of plasm they are, between Protoplasm and Ectoplasm, the Ectoplasm side makes its rolls at +1 Tgt#, the Protoplasm side makes its at -1 Tgt#. Between Ichor and EITHER Protoplasm or Ectoplasm, the Ichor side gets -1 to its Tgt#, the other Plasm gets +1 to ITS Tgt#.

  For example, Drakkon has a current Ectoplasmic Energy Pool of 3 permanent and 5 temporary dice, and Necromancy of 8. He devours a Force 7 Shade (cf): he rolls his 8 dice vs. Tgt# 8, getting 2 successes, and the "Taint" rolls 7 dice vs. Tgt# 7, getting 3 successes... The Taint burns through his aura, and the 8 dice in his EEP are converted into Ichor.

• Plasm's PROPERTIES fluctuate widely based on its environment, but based on SO many factors that it's essentially random. GM's are encouraged to be creative in the behavior of raw ectoplasmic masses, though most ghosts are quite "set in their ways", RAW ectoplasm changes virtually everything about its apparent properties, pretty much at random and rapid-fire. It will most often be invisible or nearly so, and always chaotic and formless. Anything else goes, and even THAT can change on occasion. Despite its total lack of a serious approach to ghostly "lore", The Ghostbusters movies DO have a... wide range of ways to show the behavior and properties of ectoplasm :-)

• Plasm exudes a corrosive effect on both living auras and astral space. Details on this process are found below (cf "Shakin' Hands With Mister D" and "Welcome To The Home By The Sea")

• Due to its close connections with forces of chaos and destruction, the strength (Force) of any given Plasmic mass (either "raw" ectoplasm or a ghost) often varies based on any number of factors as noted below. Despite the existence and layout of the table, the strength of any ectoplasmic energy is effected by so MANY things, that the GM may often decide to dispense with the table altogether and assign a random or plot-determined effect on the ectoplasmic energy involved. This is QUITE appropriate. The Table is provided as much to give the GM a rough idea of the SORTS of things that affect ectoplasmic energy levels, rather than something to be consulted for EVERY, or even MOST ectoplasm-related situations.

  Ectoplasmic Strength Variation

  Random F/X:+(1d6-1d6)	Time Rtg Dawn: -1 Morning: -4 Noon: -6 Afternoon: -3 Twilight: +2 Evening: +1 Deep Night: +4	"Season" (Months) Rtg Midwinter (Dec/Jan): +2 Thaw (Feb/Mar): +1 Planting (Apr/May): -3 Midsummer (Jun/Jul): -4 Harvest (Aug/Sep): -1 Fall (Oct/Nov): +1 Solstice/Equinox/Etc: +2
  Weather Rtg Clear: -4 Cloudy: -1 Fog: +2 Raining: +1 Snowing -1
  Domain Rtg Domain Rtg Desert: -4 City (Modern): -4 Field: -2 City (Poor): -2 Forest: +2 Indoors (Business): -4 Lake: +1 Indoors (Modern): -3 Mountain: +2 Indoors (Poor): -1 Prairie: -1 Indoors (Antique): +1 River: +2 Crossroads: +3 Swamp: +4 Underground: +1 Ruined/Abandoned Areas: +2		Misc. Effects Rtg Necromantic Magic*¹: +1/5F Astral Magic*¹: +1/10F Death Occurs Nearby: +2 Mass Death Occurs: +5 Mass Death Site: +4 Murder Site: +2 "Holy Ground"*²: -4 Burial Ground*² +4 "Unhallowed" Graves*²: +3
  *¹: Necromantic or Normal (Astral) Magic effects Ectoplasm within a radius at full effect within (F/2)m, dropping 2 effective Force per Meter thereafter.
  *²: "Holy Ground" for ectoplasmic effects purposes constitutes areas consecrated to any established, functional religion, based on that religion's beliefs. "UnHallowed" Ground represents two main cases -- Holy Ground rendered ritually unclean by its religions beliefs, or areas consecrated to diametrically opposed religious structures (ie, A Satanist cult's worship area, for instance. Note that Witchcraft is NOT Satanism. Only "religious" structures based SPECIFICALLY on the worship of EVIL can create UnHoly Ground specifically.) Also note that abandonment of Holy Ground is almost NEVER sufficient to render it specifically UnHallowed, though it often removes the "Holy Ground" penalty. The place must be specifically DESECRATED, to become UnHallowed. A burial ground is not merely a place a body is buried, it is a place where dead are interred over a period of time, as sanctioned by the living society. In general, any maintained/in-use graveyard will be both Holy Ground and a Burial Ground, unless Necromancers start tearing the place up on the sly, in which case it generally goes from Holy to Unhallowed, making Grandpa very restless indeed. Which, of course, is why Necromancers DO it :-).

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