In Nomine is a role-playing game designed by Derek Pearcy and published in 1997 by @Steve Jackson Games, based on the French game In Nomine Satanis/Magna Veritas. Players typically assume the role of angels and demons in a setting that draws heavily on the traditional Christian mythos. 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
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 war between Heaven and Hell is secondary to the conflicts between angels, demons, and their superiors.
Intro
Welcome to Eviliv3, the live media commentary show that answers the question, would the Romans have crucified Jesus if they knew it would change their empire nearly four hundred years later? Subscribe if you’re new to the channel, because today we are beginning our In Nomine series with this episode, What is In Nomine?
Discussion
In its most basic form, In Nomine is a tabletop role-playing game that allows a player to adopt the role of an angel, demon, human, ethereal, or other entity, also known as a Player Character, or PC. Together with the Game Master, or GM, they create a shared story, or scenario, the backdrop of which is outlined by the GM, and the outcome is informed by the PC’s actions and the resolution of conflicts with the use of three six-sided dice, or D666.
In Nomine was designed by Derek Pearcy for Steve Jackson Games, and based on the French game In Nomine Satanis / Magna Veritas by Christophe Réaux, known by the pseudonym Croc. It was originally released in 1997, and is available online through the link in the description below. On release, In Nomine won the Origins Award for Best Graphic Presentation of a Roleplaying Game, Adventure, or Supplement of 1997.
While In Nomine isn’t a religious roleplaying game, it is set in a universe informed loosely by Abrahamic myth, and expanded on by being set in a modern world with powerful entities manipulating the Symphony through three distinct realms. The Corporeal Realm, or Earth where all mortals dwell. The Ethereal Realm, also known as the Marches, echoes of the Symphony created by mortals and celestials. Pagan gods and creatures of myth dwell therein. And lastly, the Celestial Realm, composed of Heaven and Hell where angels and demons dwell. These three realms are the battlegrounds for the war, and all within are either soldiers in that war or pawns to be manipulated.
The Symphony is everything. It’s God’s expression of creation. It is in the process of writing the Symphony that God created himself as well as the Universe, so it is all tied together. The bene-elohim, or angels are the beings set between God and his creation, formed from the light of divinity and clothed in the firmament of reality. Angels are the instruments of God, charged with nurturing his creation in accordance to their nature. A third of the hosts of heaven rebelled against God and were cast to Hell, their dissonance with the Symphony causing them to fall and become demons.
The actions Angels and Demons take, even some divinely inspired humans and Ethereals, affect the nature of the Symphony. You either act according to your nature, resonating with the Symphony, or against it, and create dissonance within the Symphony. This dissonance can be heard by others attuned to the Symphony, acting as a beacon of disruption, allowing others to locate you and identify you and your actions within it. This is the genesis of the war, demons relentlessly pursuing their selfish goals, and angels acting as their natures require.
While most games will center around the conflicts between Angels and Demons, Heaven and Hell, others may be political between Archangels or Demon Princes. You may even find yourself working alongside other angels or demons for a shared cause like protecting a Tether, a location that connects the Celestial Realm to the Corporeal Realm. While In Nomine is a rules light game, focusing on story and entertainment, the numbers on a character sheet represent the PC’s characteristics, informing the player, based on their choices, what they are capable of achieving in a given conflict. Even these characteristics are bound between the three realms, reinforcing the connection to The Symphony.
Future episodes will explore In Nomine’s game mechanics and lore. So stay tuned.
Outro
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