Let’s learn about the Superior: Novalis, Archangel of Flowers in the tabletop role-playing game In Nomine. In Nomine is a role-playing game designed by Derek Pearcy and published in 1997 by @Steve Jackson Games. You can learn more on the official website here: http://www.sjgames.com/innomine/ or the Wikipedia page here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Nomine_(role-playing_game). You can buy In Nomine products here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/12199/Steve-Jackson-Games/subcategory/28908_30775/In-Nomine?affiliate_id=50797
Time Stamps:
- 0:00 Intro
- 0:26 About the Superior
- 1:20 Dissonance
- 1:44 Choir Attunements
- 2:54 Servitor Attunements
- 3:31 Distinctions
- 4:02 Relations
- 4:23 Basic Rites
- 4:37 Chance of Invocation
- 5:23 Outro
About In Nomine
Written by Derek Pearcy + Illustrated by Dan Smith
Edited by Jeff Koke, Steve Jackson, and Susan Pinsonneault
Cover art by John Zeleznik (first printing) and Christopher Shy (second printing)
In Nomine is a modern roleplaying game in which the players take the part of celestial beings – angels and demons – as they struggle for control of humanity and themselves. The celestials, powerful though they may be, are merely pawns in a much larger game being played by their Superiors, the Archangels and Demon Princes. Based on the best-selling French RPG by the wonderfully diabolical Croc!
In Nomine won the Origins Award for Best Graphic Presentation of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement of 1997.
Transcript
Cold Open
The world is a garden – peaceful until disturbed…
Intro
Welcome to Eviliv3 Play, a celebration of my favorite tabletop role-playing games. This is a sister channel to Eviliv3. Subscribe if you’re new to the channel, because today we are continuing our In Nomine series with this episode, Superiors: Novalis, Archangel of Flowers.
Discussion
About
Novalis is a Cherub, and a powerful female. Her Word in the angelic tongue resonates with tones of growth, nurturing and peace. When in the Corporeal Realm she may look like a cross between a debutante, and a flower child, a young girl with a basket of flowers, or a spry, cheerful, old gardener. She is always light and quick in both body and spirit. Her kindness is unequaled, and she avoids conflict as much as possible. She looks down on her servitors participating in overtly-violent missions, unless their presence prevents bloodshed.
Her servitors are charged with calming the souls of humanity. To this end, they may be as precise as a new bonsai or as wild and mad as a valley of kudzu. However all would fit right into a Dead show. Her servants are known to be incredibly friendly and other angels can’t help but get along with them.
Dissonance
Dissonance is what you earn for acting against your Resonance, or nature. In addition to this, you may earn notes of Dissonance by acting against your Superior’s Word. For angels of Novalis, they earn dissonance for performing or allowing violence that is not absolutely necessary. They are prohibited from killing a human. Even demons are presented with kindness before revealing one’s thorns.
Choir Attunements
Attunements are supernatural powers you can either purchase at character creation or after. Each is specific to a Choir, but if not restricted may be purchased by anyone. Seraphim have an aura of peace. If you wish to act out violence in their presence, you must succeed at a Will roll minus the angel’s total forces, +1 for every yard apart you are. Cherubim are able to take on themselves the corporeal damage of those they touch. Ofanim are able to travel through plant life from one they can touch, to another they can see within their total forces in miles! Elohim are restricted and able to feel the emotions in the vicinity of a plant by touching it. They may learn the source of it with a perception check. Malakim are able to pass freely through foliage, but their pursuers may become entangled, reducing their movement. Kyriotates attunement is also restricted. They are able to take plants as hosts, with up to twice their total forces! And finally Mercurians fill perceptive humans with joy. If they succeed in a perception roll to see a celestially-manifested Mercurian, the next nonviolent roll they make is raised by its check digit!
Servitor Attunements
You may also purchase Servitor Attunements. Novalis offers Nothing but Flowers. If the servitor hides behind or within plants, they are unable to be spotted without a perception roll minus the angels Celestial Forces. If they hide among flowers, they are completely invisible. And Crown of Joy allows the angel to weave a crown of multicolored flowers in a half hour with one essence. If shaken, it produces a cloud that if entered, may fill you with limitless joy and kindness, encouraging dancing. It takes a Will roll to resist.
Distinctions
If you serve Novalis well, she may grant you a Distinction. The first is Vassal of Flowers. This allows the angel to detect the degree of love or hate between two people in sight. Friend of the Gardeners allows the angel to bring a large plant or square yard of small plants to perfect health. If anyone finds themselves among them, they gain a modifier of 1 for peace and healing. And finally Master of Peace allows the angel to calm an irrational individual or smooth over misunderstandings.
Relations
Not all archangels are friendly toward Novalis, seeing her as blasphemous for wanting to reach out to Demons rather than kill them. Her corporeal dress also bothers David and Michael as well, who are hostile toward her. Dominic grumbles, but takes no action. She is associated with Yves, and allied with Eli, and Jordi.
Basic Rites
There are a couple rites that Novalis offers her servitors to earn Essence. The first is to sleep alone in a garden from sunset to sunrise. The second is to dance for two hours to live music among the throngs of humanity.
Chance of Invocation
It’s pretty easy to summon Novalis with a base chance of invocation of 4. But there are modifiers that may be leveraged to increase that already high number. You could have a peace symbol on you, a large bouquet of flowers, remove ten plants from their pots and replant them in the ground, shut down a nuclear power plant, attend a large outdoor concert, or congregate with fifty thousand people for peace.
It’s pretty clear that Novalis turns the trope of War on its head, but that may be the perfect type of subversive storytelling that you could use to keep your players on their toes. It could also be used as a one-off session focused on love and affection rather than the constant struggle between killing or being killed. You should consider some creative ways of adding her into your next In Nomine campaign.
Outro
Thank you for watching today’s In Nomine episode. Subscribe and ring the bell if you are new to the channel. Don’t forget to click the like button and comment to let others learn about this award winning role-playing game and this channel.
And as always, remember that evil spelled backwards is live, so get out there and Be Evil!