Demonic thralls: Faith vs Resolve

[Solomon Draak]

In the core setting, demon's thralls gets their power from having their soul reshaped in order to be able to use their Faith potential.

In the Dark Age setting, thralls are empowered through spiritual corruption ( Torment ) and are able to tolerate more corruption by either building an hubristic will called Resolve, or by "bleeding out" the corruption through Taint.

So, a couple of questions:

1- are the two system somehow compatible, could they be used together?
2- It's my impression or Dark Age thrall can be brutally more powerful than core ones?

Thank you in advance

[monteparnas]

The two systems were designed independently, for different game lines, with different purposes and under different assumptions. None was expanded long enough to address this, either.

So the short answer is no one knows, because it is complicated. A lot.

In theory DtF takes precedence as the "definitive" rulebook for demons from Hell and their pacts. But since it was not designed for the Dark Ages and is its own game line, rules on Devils Due take precedence for medieval vampires.

Also, the many Vampire rules for Investments and demonic pacts and stuff do not bother to analyze if the entity is actually what it says it is. A Demon in WoD may be a Fallen, a Wyrm Spirit, and some other different kinds of entities with their own powers and agendas. All of them may or may not grant the powers explained in VtM books, depending exclusively on the ST.

Ultimately the Investment rules were meant for games focused on the thrall as main splat, thralls as PCs and villains, with demons acting mostly through them. DtF's rules are meant for thralls-as-retainers, for them to function as Ghouls for Vampires, Kinfolk for Werewolves, etc.

My final analysis is:

1- They're not meant to be used together, but doing so isn't necessarily a problem;

2- They're not necessarily coming from the same entities, think about it if you want to use both;

3- If the Fallen have access to grant their thralls Investments, it is a huge boon for Demons-as-Splat;

4- They have subtle thematic differences. DtF is about the inherent divine spark on humans in the form of Faith. As weird as it seems, human corruption as a spiritual force isn't a theme in it. It is the Wyrm's shtick, though.