CAIN - Lecture Notes

Overview

• CAIN: A global supra-governmental organization designed for the execution and disposal of supernatural phenomena, primarily Sins.
• Mission: To wipe out the stain of humanity's sins.
• Exorcists: Psychics trained and employed by CAIN to hunt and destroy Sins.
• Structure: Contains divisions like CASTLE and TEMERITY responsible for various functions like security, research, and training.

Gameplay Structure

• Game Type: Investigative role-playing game focused on hunting down Sins.
• Exorcists: Players use psychic powers called Blasphemies to hunt and execute Sins.
• Hunt: Each game session is a hunt leading to a climactic fight in a Sin's palace.

Key Concepts

Sins

• Definition: Manifestations of human failures and traumas, existing as supernatural entities.
• Types: Ogre, Idol, Hound, Centipede, Toad, and Lord.
• Forms: Free-acting (Severed), bound to host (Fused), or controlled (Bound).
• Category: Indicates power level (0-7), affects difficulty of confrontation.

Exorcists

• Abilities: Use Blasphemies powered by psychic energy to combat Sins.
• Skills: Various skills dictate success in different actions like combat, negotiation, and stealth.
• Resources: Use of Psyche Bursts and management of stress, injuries, and Sin buildup.

Blasphemies

• Types: Twelve Blasphemies such as Tension, Ardence, Whisper, etc.
• Usage: Provide various supernatural abilities to aid in overcoming challenges.

Game Mechanics

• Action Roll: Determines outcomes of character actions using d6 dice pools.
• Talisman System: Tracks tasks' progress and complex game actions.
• Scenes: Structured in series of hunts, involving various gameplay elements including investigation, confrontation, and exfiltration.

Playing the Game

• Start of Hunt: Briefing of the mission outlining objectives and initial setup.
• Tracking and Execution: Follow clues to locate the Sin's palace for execution.
• Consequences: Failure to execute Sins can result in catastrophic events.

Important Elements

Sin Manifestation

• Causes: High emotional trauma and psychic stress lead to Sin creation.
• Effects: Sins create a pocket dimension (Palace) to hide and regenerate.

Pressure and Tension

• Pressure Talisman: Represents degrading situation as hunt progresses.
• Tension Moves: Specific actions triggered during hunts affecting the environment and challenges.

Trump Cards

• Divine Agony: Allows Exorcists to improve rolls in desperate scenarios.
• Sin Overflow: Risk of transformation into Sins if Sin levels exceed safe limits.

Conflict Resolution

• Conflict Scenes: Use structured actions like Act, Defend, Flee to simulate fights.
• Threats and Complications: Introduce more challenges or change stakes in the scene.

Game Development and Design

• Audio and Visual Inspirations: Inspired by music albums, manga, and video games.
• Versioning: Updates to gameplay and mechanics are recorded in version history.

Summary

• CAIN provides a narrative-driven RPG experience focusing on the supernatural and psychic battles against Sins.
• Players strategize and harness their abilities to conquer evil manifestations.
• Emphasizes teamwork, strategic planning, and resource management to survive and succeed in missions.

CAIN is both a thrilling adventure and a deep dive into the human psyche and the manifestations of its fears and desires.