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So, I wrote a thing.
After months of a game set in the Islamic Golden Age, I've put together all the material I made about the Djinn and wrote what I hope to be enough to use them in a game even without previous knowledge. I wrote them as a new kind of Ephemeral Beings. The mechanics follow the 1st Edition Rules (my game still uses them while waiting for the 2nd Edition Corebooks, sorry!), but I tried to add some basic update to the 2nd Edition rules whenever possible. I wanted to make this stuff useful even to those you that use the 2nd Edition from the start, without having to tinker with the "old" mechanics.
Here's the first part, with a general overview and a couple of rules. I'll post the second one, which includes some other mechanics, the Numina, the various races and a dozen of sample Djinn in a couple of days, just to make the walls of text a bit more easy to deal with. As always, criticism is welcomed.
Born of Smokeless Fire
Djinn occupy an odd place in great scheme of things. They defy easy classification, They have much in common with Spirits and other Ephemeral beings and yet, they possess a degree of will and freedom that belongs more to mankind. It is perhaps best to say that Djinn are a race of its own, a sort of midway point between the ephemeral and the material. At the core, that which defines Djinn and differentiates them from other supernatural beings of not human origin, its their ability to choose, their true degree of free will. Sure, they express it in a way that is deeply different from the human race, but they incontestably possses the privilege and the curse of being able to make their own choices. Spirits don't really have it, being so bound to the nature of what they incarnate. The True Fae imitate it, but they are forced by their own narrative and the fickle expressions of Wyrd. What Angels have can't be called free will either, until of course they decide to really use it (at which point they usually Fall). Even Ghosts, their mortal life notwithstanding, tend to lose it as they suffer the crucible of death and become embroiled in their own passions. Djinn, on the other, are defined by the choices they made, either conscious or unconscious one. A Djinni istinctively chooses which aspect of the world he wants to merge with and has full control on how it uses its power for the duration of its potentially eternal existance. One cannot really blame a Pain Spirit for spreading suffering along its path, while a Djinni is fully aware of what it is doing. The Djinn are not always able to discern the consequences of their action, but the same can be said for humans. Perhaps what is more important is that a Djinni can change. A Efreet that used to slaughter entire armies and put their heads on brass spikes may repent and change its way, and mean it, only to return to its old ways after a millenia after a traumatic encounter with a powerful sorcerer makes it think that all those years of peaceful existance were only a sign of weakness after all. This is exactly what makes Djinn so unpredictable and dangerous. There's no true pattern to discern when dealing with them. Apart from few general trappings of their kind (which a specific Djinni may not follow at all) there is no way to predict what kind of being will come out of the bottle once the seal is removed.
Djinn don't need to sleep, eat or have sex to procreate, but they still can indulge in those pleasure for the sake of it. They don't need to breathe, don't get sick and are immortal unless slain. Djinn can be female or male. There's no stigma in Djinn's culture about the sexual orientation: a Djinni of a given gender can be attracted to males or females (or both) without other Djinn minding at all. The distinction has no real importance when it comes to procreation, since Djinn can reproduce asexually. Once every 100 years, a Djinni is able to create another like itself—a “child.” This child has the same traits as the parent, though, given free will, is likely to develop a different personality. When a couple of Djinn, no matter what the gender, desires to have a child, they can simply share their procreative power (as in, none of them must have spawned another Djinn during the last century) and generate it. This shared „birth“ often involves a sexual act between the two Djinn, but it does not have to. The child belongs to the same family of Djinn of one of its parents and a share of the powers of both. Djinn are known to being attracted to humans as well and their history is full of examples of romances between the two races (and other...less consensual relationships) but such unions rarely produce offspring. To give an idea, this sort of hybrid birth usually happens only once in a handful of generations. In this exceptional cases, the sexes of the parents have to be biologically compatible from a human point of view, and the child is always human, even if he shows some traces of the power of his supernatural parent.
The Djinn appearance varies wildy. Some are beings of unparalleled beauty, while others are nightmarish ogre-like creature that terrify anyone who catches a sight of them. By using their powers, Djinn can modify the way they look with ease, making their shape quite fluid. A Djinni often comes to appreciate a certain look after a while, seeing it as its „true“ appearance, the one they prefer to wear. Other Numen allow them to manifest as animals and ordinary humans, with many Djinn having a collection of masks and false identities they love to play with when infiltrating among mankind.
Djinn live everywhere but they favor remote, uninhabited places. It's in those locations that they can do whatever they want without having to worry about others. Unfortunately for them a Djinni's presence tend to attract attention. Werewolves may mistake them for powerfuld and odd spirits that mess with the balance of the local Shadow (on their part, Spirits tend to be intimidated or wary of Djinn), Vampires, Hunters often look after Djinn to gather knowledge and secrets, Demons see them either as a resource or a danger for their hidden war with the God-Machine and Mages, while always eager to learn more knowledge as well, seem to have an unealthy inclination for forcing Djinn into slavery. This tends to lead even those Djinn who prefer to be left alone into conflict with other supernaturals. Given that, even if they are spread all around the world, the Djinn consider the Middle East as their ancestral homeland, this means they share their history with Irem and the Arisen. While they think of Mages to be their most hated enemy among supernaturals, Djinn and Mummies have met and fought so many times across the ages, that books can be filled with the narration of their clashes. All things considered, whether it's a hoard of relics and treasures, long-lost knowledge or their sheer power, Djinn always have something that other supernaturals want.
Djinn, behavior and morality
Trying to apply human morality to Djinn would be a mistake. It comes so close and yet so far. Djinn are not human, but a whole different race with its own principles and customs. Even those Djinn that truly want to interact with humans on their level and wishes no particular harm to them will have an hard time at grasping the nuances of our moral conventions and, even then, might not share them at all (or find them offensive). All that we can do is to elaborate their behavior in broad strokes.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that Djinn are almost always dedicated to a purpose. They are passionate, driven beings and they live each day while being absolutely loyal to their desires. What Djinn want? Everyting and nothing. One might be happy with flying over the sands of the desert, while another won't be satisfied until he proves to be the greatest swordsman of its kind. Some Djinn evenembrace a human religion with a conviction that ordinary believers could only hope to reach. There's no real method to know their aspiration. Some have a plan that stretches across the centuries, others have not really bothered to figure what they want to do. Those who wish to deal with the Djinn have to deal with this fact, so simple and yet so frustrating. The best an occultist can do is to learn how Djinn tend to act and hope to be prepared.
There are several races of Djinn, and if one comes from one instead of another will behave differently (more about this can be found below), but knowing how to deal with one race, while immensely helpful, will only be useful to a certain point. As a rule of thumb, Djinn tend to be proud and not immune to a certain degree of flattery. They have a deep sense of honor and do not forget slights easily, even if they don't have to act upon them and might be willing to overlook minor ones. An angry Djinni, however, it a terrible thing to behold and it will not stop until it obtains retribution. On the other hand, Djinn usually don't hesitate to reward those who work for them or entertain them. Djinn's gift are sometimes odd and come from any possession that the Djinn in question considers to own, such has half the blood of a man who offended them, but the thought is still there. Even the kind acts of a Djinni are something to be careful of: a Marid who turns your mean brother into a dog so you can whip it hundred times a day expects you to be grateful and happy about it (unless, of course, you want to offend it). Many Djinn have their sort of moral code, with ideas about the difference between servitude and slavery, about how the humans should be treated, how to deal with thieves and what is the right way to use their powers. Each Djinn lives according to this code and its personal conception of honor and a man that agrees with it (or pretends to) will have much easier time to earn the Djinn's respect. A little quirk shared by a lot of Djinn is that they love to hear interesting stories. Unless they're really angry or determined, most Djinn will postpone what they're doing if they have the chance to hear a new tale. It's not like they're bound to (it's not a Ban), just a odd habit they tend to indulge in. A good storyteller is able to keep a Djinn interested for days, and will probaly be rewared for its skill in the meantime. A bad one will be rewarded...in other ways.
So, are Djinn beyond Good and Evil? Absolutely not. They completely understand those concepts and tend to have strong feelings about them. It's just that, when compared to human morality, the differences of Djinn's morality vastly outnumber the common points. This is what creates a deceiving and uncanny obstacle when trying to understand them. Even those families of Djinn that are most often called evil, like Ghilans and Efreet, are not easily classified from a moral standpoint. Don't make a mistake, members of both households tend to be cruel and ravenous individuals indeed, quite more often than a Jann or a Marid would, but, the truth is, they don't have to. The one exception being those Djinn that belong to the wicked fifth race of geniekind, the Shaitan. Unlike other races, the Shaitan (who aren't an actual race but rather a group) are those Djinn who chose to be forces of corruption and pain, harbingers of destruction in this world and others. An Efreet might not want to change at all, but the potential is still there. A Ghul may feel sorry for its victims and disgusted by its own hunger. A Shaitan cannot and does not want to do that: they're damned and know it, consciously making the choice to become agents of darkness. For a race that tends to evade the bonds of Black and White morality, Shaitan are a veritable nadir of evil, and they're proud of it.
Faith & Religion
Djinn live for millenia and know things any scholar would kill to learn, but they are not born with any more answers about the birth of their race and the Universe than other sentient beings. There are Djinn old enough to remember the foundation of Irem and the first nights of the vampiric race (good look finding and persuading them to share what they know, though) but there are still some things even them can't know for certain. Those rare Djinn who could have answers (we're talking about Rank 6+ Djinn here) either don't or keep their knowledge for themselves. With this in mind, Djinn look for a meaning and a greater purpose for their life just as many humans do.
A considerable number of Djinn find such things within human religions. Most of the Djinn who convert do so for one of the Abrahamic religions, probably due to a matter of exposure and the fact that their race has a place in them that is not in strict contrast with their existance (Islam, obviously, does mention the Djinn on many occasions and says directly that a Djinni who believes in Allah and follow the Quran is on the same Right Path as any other Muslim), but quite a few still believe in older faiths like Zoroastrianism (a number of Shaitan, for example, claim to be agent of Angra Mainyu instead of Iblis), Gnosticism or the Mesopotamian ones. More distant religion have less grasp among the Djinn, both from a geographical and a more practical point of view (it is hard for an immortal Djinni to understand the cicle of reincarnations Buddhism and Hinduism offer) but there's nothing that prevents a Djinni to convert to those as well, if it comes to believe in them. For a Djinni, following the norms of a human religion is not an easy task. Their faith is colored by their inhuman way of thinking and each day they have to fight their impulses and inborn nature. In a way, this makes all their efforts even more remarkable.
Sidebar: King Solomon and the Djinn
Solomon, son of David, was a Biblical king known for its wisdom and greatness. According to legends, he was able to summon demons and used them to build his palace, talk to the animals and had access to forbidden knowledge. Denizens of the World of Darkness cannot agree about what Solomon was (many say a Mage, as testified by artifacts and Legacies born out of his legend) but they all agree he had some sort of mastery upon the supernatural world. The Djinn, on their hand, view Solomon has the only man unequivocally worthy of their respect. Both a hated tyrant and a respected enemy for them, Solomon somehow bound hundreds of Djinn to his will, a feat none has come close to match since then. Solomon deciphered the essential nature of djinndom and use it to make wonders possible. Lots of Djinn still remember Solomon clearly and even those who never became part of his household or were born later heed honor to him, an extraordinary man that was able to earn the grudging respect even from the proudest Marid. The Ghilan still tell tales of his wrath, the Efreet wonder how he did what he did and the Shaitan curse his name to this very day, but few are the Djinn who don't have something to say about King Solomon.
Djinn and Sanctuaries
Many of the stories about Djinn that narrate of flying cities, cave filled with wonders and other hidden abodes are in fact talking about the Djinn Sanctuaries. Sanctuaries are little pocket universes that the Djinn use as their personal residence. Though they have an entrance that is anchored to a specific point in the material, Sanctuaries are immaterial, undetectable and exist between the layers of reality, far from the physical world. Sanctuaries are fixed in place and located whenever a Djinn decides to dwell. They are permanent but, since a Djinn can only have of at a time, they are able to erase a previous one if they want to. As to what happens to those who were inside when the little universe crumbles on itself, no one can say. Mortal usually cannot enter a Santuary, but can stumble inside one by mistake by somehow finding its entrance or by being draggend inside by a Djinn. Inside a Sanctuary, time is at a standstill, meaning that those who are inside don't need to eat or drink and don't age at all. The Size and shape of Sanctuaries varies according to the power of its owner (Rank x 200 Yards). Several Djinn can also pool together their Sanctuaries in order to build a bigger one, often under the guide of a powerful Djinn or more. A Djinni trapped inside a vessel loses its previous Sanctuary automatically, only to use its vessel as the new one. Vessel-made sanctuaries are empty and oppressive spaces, though, not something most Djinn are happy to return to. Inside a Sanctuary, a Djinn has not to roll or spend Essence to manifest, use its Influences and can do so as a reflexive action.
Djinn derive Willpower, Corpus, Defense and Resistance from these three traits in the same way that ghosts do. Their Size can vary dramatically. Djinn reckon Speed as Power + Finesse + a species factor, which varies, depending on the form the being takes, usually ranging from 5 to 10, with no upper limit (Djinn can be big).While the various kinds of Djinn differ only in their motives and in the powers they use, Greater and Lesser Djinn do vary in power. Lesser Djinn (Rank 1 – 3) appear far more often.
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Djinn also possess Influence as Spirits and Angels do.
Djinn have no Morality trait, but they do have Virtues and Vices. Most Djinn regain Willpower from Virtues and Vices in the same way that mortals do. They regain all their spent Willpower points by fulfilling their Virtue, or one point for indulging their Vice. Ghilan and Efreets, on the other hand, gain Willpower in the opposite way. They regain one point of Willpower from acting according to their Virtue or all of their Willpower from acting in line with their Vice. Shaitan regain Willpower according to which race they belonged to before swearing loyalty to Iblis. Djinnuse Numina, which work in the same way as the powers commanded by ghosts and spirits.
In their „natural“ state, due to their bizarre existance as beings neither human nor exactly spirit, Djinn have no bans and banes. That said, there are countless ways into which a Djinni can acquire them during their existance, sometimes willingly, and thus almost all the Djinn out there have a Ban and a Bane. A Djinni who does not is either a newborn or extremely strong and lucky, and both occurrences are remarkably rare.
WoD 1st Edition:
• A spirit must spend a point of Essence per day to survive. This expenditure usually takes place at moonrise. If the spirit has no Essence to spend, it falls into slumber until it manages to gain Essence somehow, such as by being immersed in a new flow of Essence.
• Spirits use Essence to use their Influences.
• Spirits can use Essence to temporarily boost their traits on a one-for-one basis. Each such boost lasts for one scene.
• A spirit that has fled into the physical world must expend one point of Essence per Rank per hour as long as it remains ephemeral (which is to say, without possessing a host body or using the Numen: Fetter). Djinn, by virtue of their "closer to the material" nature, only have to spend one point of Essence per Rank per day. It cannot regain this lost Essence until it either gains a fetter or crosses back into the Shadow. If a spirit loses all its Essence while in the physical world, it passes into slumber and is drawn back across the Gauntlet into the spirit world, losing a point of Corpus from the rough transition. Djinn return to Twilight instead.
• As long as a spirit still has some Essence, it isn’t destroyed when reduced to zero Corpus, but rather discorporated.
WoD 2nd Edition: Djinn can spend and lose Essence as any other Ephemeral being. The ways they can regain Essence are specified below
Essence and Rukh
The Djinn refer to the kind of Essence they process as Rukh. According to the Djinn, the Rukh is a sort of energy wowen into all the aspects of reality, the blood of Creation, but can be harvested by them only under some specific circumstances. The exact difference between Rukh, the type of Essence used by other ephemeral beings or even other kinds of energies like Mana, Pyros or Sekhem is not exactly clear and might even be a mere cultural distinction that only belongs to the Djinn, but most supernatural academics tend to agree it is something in between. Rule-wise, it is treated as Essence and the only distinctions that matter are the way in which Djinn can acquire it.
A Djinni without a Ban can only recover Essence by stealing it from other Djinn (The attacking entity rolls Power + Finesse, contested by the victim’s Power + Resistance. If the attacker succeeds, it steals up to the successes in Essence, as long as the target entity has Essence remaining to lose) or by being exposed to the Rukh. For a Djinni, Rukh is literally everywhere, but only a huge condensed amount of it enough is able to fill their reserves of Essence. For practical purposes, this means the Djinn regains a point of Essence for everyday it spends in proximity of pure, unbridled supernatural energy (something not easy to find indeed) or an object empowered by such kind of power. Many Djinn hoard piles of magical artifacts for this very reason. Storytellers who use Djinn in non-mortal games should decide in advance if and to which degree the Djinn can feed on the energies of the gameline in question. Keep only in mind that this option is not the most efficient one for, and it should remain quite difficult and specific to satisfy its requirements. Magical items like a Mummy's Relic or a Werewolf's Fetish should probably be appropriate, but magical energies in their raw state are only viable when in a high amount indeed. Some energies, like Pyros, Mana or Sekhem, are suitable for all kind of Djinn, but others, like Plasm, Wyrd or Aether, are probably better suited to specific races of Djinn like the Ghilan or the Marid.
Left with only this option, a Djinn is forced to avoid using its power and never leave the source of the energy, otherwise he'll slowly wither away. This is why the vast majority of Djinn decide to sacrifice a bit of their freedom and acquire a weakness in order to broaden their options. Most of the time this is a conscious choice (even if sometimes it can be forced upon, see below) but when it happens the Djinn acquires a Ban (and a Bane, if you're using the 2nd Edition rules“). The Ban and Bane reflect the nature of the Djinn and often the conditions that brought it to acquire them as well.
When a Djinni acquires a Ban, no matter the reasons behind it, it must choose an aspect of the material world, something intrinsecally related to its nature and personality. The proximity to this aspect allow the Djinni to recover essence as if they were in proximity of magical energies. Technically speaking, the resonance between the now declared nature of the Djinni and a specific natural feature or phenomenon allows the being to extract the Rukh that hides inside it. Particular aspects of the natural world, like fire, gold, sand, the darkness of a cave or a thunderstorm are among the most common choice, but more abstract aspects like pain, faith or music are not unheard of. When a Djinni acquires a Ban, it defines him, becoming a part of his nature as much as his Virtue and Vice. In fact, Virtue and Vice (or Vice and Virtue for Ghuls and Efreet) and the aspect of the world it accepted within itself when taking the Ban are the three pillars upon which the Djinn's identity stands. There will be more examples when speaking of the differents races of Djinn. Almost all Djinn eventually choose to take a Ban at some point of their life (usually very early, without thinking very much about it) in order to make existance easier for this very reason. It is not considered a weakness to bind themselves with an aspect of the world, and many Djinn are proud of this shared nature, protecting what empowers them and seeing other Djinn who share their connection as brethren souls.. Additionally, a Djinn can recover Essence by:
-Performing a service or fullfilling an oath to somebody else. The amount of Essence varies according to the difficulty of the task, ranging from 1 (gift somebody with clothes that would suit a prince) to 5 (eradicate the Sultan's palace from its foundation and move it away). A Djinni has not to have a Ban in order to perform a service, but will only recover Essence if it has it. Anyways, a Djinni forced to do so, such as one summoned and bound by a sorcerer, is obliged to take a Ban if it had not one already. Since most Djinn will already have a Ban before being summoned, their opinions on this event vary: some hate to be tainted this way, others don't mind much. Generally speaking, Djinn don't like to be bossed around in the first place.
-Spending a day within Rank x3 yards from its vessel. A few Djinn choose to inhabit a vessel, but most are forced into it. Either way, whenever a Djinn is bound to a vessel, it gains a Ban if it had no one before. See below for more details on Djinn and vessels. The vessel itself does not count as a magical objects for the purpose of regaining Essence for the Djinni itself, but it could do so for other Djinn. Given the solitary nature of Djinn this eventuality rarely happens, but the World of Darkness is a big and weird place after all.
WoD 2nd Edition:A Djinni with a vessel treats it not unlike a Ghost would treat an Anchor. He does not suffers Essence Bleed when within Rank x3 yards from it, but it does not make it regain Essence. Abjuration simply forces the Djinn inside the vessel, but the condition cannot be suppressed unless the vessel is destroyed. Without a vessel, Djinn act according to the Resonant Condition as spirits do
Note that all this conditions are cumulative, so a Djinn can recover plenty of Essence if the right conditions are met. For example, a Djinn related to the depths of the earth who spends a day inside a lamp buried in a cave and surrounded with magical artifacts would regain 3 Essence per day.
WoD 2nd Edition: Djinn usually work like Spirits when it comes to Manifestations, meaning most of their activities rely on their Influences and the Resonant or Anchor Conditions, depending on whether they have a vessel or not. Anything matching the description of one of a Djinni’s Influences, the aspect of the world to which the Djinni has connected to when it gained a Ban or the kind of supernaturally charged conditions that would allow even a Ban-less Djinni to regain Essence count as Resonant. All this changes when a Djinn gains a vessel, in which case it can only be tagged with the Anchor Condition and Manifest according to it.
Djinn, Vessels and Magic
There are plenty of tales about Djinn trapped into all sorts of wondrous artifacts. Legends of rings and lamps that grant their owner the servitude of a Djinni are so well known that even those who have no real knowledge of the Djinn are aware of the fact that they can be bound into these Vessels. Djinn are not Spirits nor Ghosts and yet, much to their chagrin, they are still subjected to some of the weaknesses those others ephemeral beings have. Bans and Banes are the most self-explainatory but, to the Djinn, risking to be imprisoned inside a Vessel is even worse.
The art of Djinn entrapment is a closely guarded secret sorcerers go far to protect, up to killing those who dare to steal their knowledge. Binding a Djinn is not easy and it's not something everyone can do. First of all, the wannabe Djinn owner must be able to somehow control ephemeral beings in the first place. Either from Cruac, Arcana, Gifts or Contracts, that's the basic requirement. Mortal occultists can try to bind a Djinn, but they better have done their preparations very well. Mages, while the most competent candidates of the bunch, can affect Djinn with their Arcana if they have the requisite level both in Spirit and Forces and, in the case of Marid, Prime as well. Mages have a penchant for Djinn binding but, while the rewards are great, it requires adequate magical prowess. The sorcerer must also prepare a Vessel.
There are a few requirements for an item to being a suitable Vessel. First, it must be fireproof. Any non-flammable material works, with metal being the traditional choice. In case of bottles, chests and otherwise „openable“ items, it must also be watertight. Third, it must be forged by the sorcerer that's is trying to bind the Djinn, with the specific intention to use it as a Vessel. Any attempts to use an object made by others incurs a -2 penalty when binding the Djinn. Fourth, the sorcerers must inscribe on the Vessel some sort of seal. Ideally, the seal describes the Djinni' True Name (which would grant the owner significant leverage over the Djinn, represented as no penalties given by the Djinn's Rank when trying to bind it) but, since True Names are not exactly easy to find, Djinn handlers traditionally use the Seal of Solomon. If the seal is removed or broken, the Djinn is freed. Destroying a Vessel is not an easy task, though. It can't be damaged by its own occupant at all and receive a bonus in Durability equal to (2+ the Djinn's Rank). Using proper rituals or adding all sorts of limitation to the entrapment, as limiting the number of tasks a Djinn can make for a single person or establishing a certain point after which the Djinn is free to leave the Vessel and never be bound again by the same sorcerer, grant bonuses to the binding, ranging from +1 to +5.
The exception to all this rules is when a Djinni enters a vessel willingly. It's rare, but a Djinn can be persuaded (or coerced) into a Vessel. It may do so to help a human it came to be friend of or to save its own life from destruction. In this case, any item fits.
Contrary to popular belief, most Djinn trapped in a Vessel are not able to grant wishes (some can, though: see the Wish Numen below) but rather, they offer their service to whoever holds the Vessel and calls for them. A summoned Djinn cannot directly harm its master,will obey to his orders and usually try to complete the tasks at the best of its possibilities but a Djinni's disposition towards the Vessel's owner varies from one to another and changes accordingly to how they are treated. Some Djinn obey without questions, while others do their best to bring misfortune upon their owners and intentionally attempt to pervert their requests. Some even try to intimidate the summoner and make him serve them, even if this usually works only on those poor souls that stumbled on a Djinn's Vessel by happenstance. A Djinni cannot leave its Vessel unless summoned (and even then, must remain within a number of yards equal to their Rank x 10 from it), but is able to leave it if their tasks requires it (which usually does). The way a Vessel's owner formulate its requests is very important, since it determines the amount of freedom the Djinn has when working towards it. It is not always an issue, not at all, but there are plenty of cautionary tales about naive Djinn's masters that have learned the lesson on their skin.
After months of a game set in the Islamic Golden Age, I've put together all the material I made about the Djinn and wrote what I hope to be enough to use them in a game even without previous knowledge. I wrote them as a new kind of Ephemeral Beings. The mechanics follow the 1st Edition Rules (my game still uses them while waiting for the 2nd Edition Corebooks, sorry!), but I tried to add some basic update to the 2nd Edition rules whenever possible. I wanted to make this stuff useful even to those you that use the 2nd Edition from the start, without having to tinker with the "old" mechanics.
Here's the first part, with a general overview and a couple of rules. I'll post the second one, which includes some other mechanics, the Numina, the various races and a dozen of sample Djinn in a couple of days, just to make the walls of text a bit more easy to deal with. As always, criticism is welcomed.
Born of Smokeless Fire
Djinn occupy an odd place in great scheme of things. They defy easy classification, They have much in common with Spirits and other Ephemeral beings and yet, they possess a degree of will and freedom that belongs more to mankind. It is perhaps best to say that Djinn are a race of its own, a sort of midway point between the ephemeral and the material. At the core, that which defines Djinn and differentiates them from other supernatural beings of not human origin, its their ability to choose, their true degree of free will. Sure, they express it in a way that is deeply different from the human race, but they incontestably possses the privilege and the curse of being able to make their own choices. Spirits don't really have it, being so bound to the nature of what they incarnate. The True Fae imitate it, but they are forced by their own narrative and the fickle expressions of Wyrd. What Angels have can't be called free will either, until of course they decide to really use it (at which point they usually Fall). Even Ghosts, their mortal life notwithstanding, tend to lose it as they suffer the crucible of death and become embroiled in their own passions. Djinn, on the other, are defined by the choices they made, either conscious or unconscious one. A Djinni istinctively chooses which aspect of the world he wants to merge with and has full control on how it uses its power for the duration of its potentially eternal existance. One cannot really blame a Pain Spirit for spreading suffering along its path, while a Djinni is fully aware of what it is doing. The Djinn are not always able to discern the consequences of their action, but the same can be said for humans. Perhaps what is more important is that a Djinni can change. A Efreet that used to slaughter entire armies and put their heads on brass spikes may repent and change its way, and mean it, only to return to its old ways after a millenia after a traumatic encounter with a powerful sorcerer makes it think that all those years of peaceful existance were only a sign of weakness after all. This is exactly what makes Djinn so unpredictable and dangerous. There's no true pattern to discern when dealing with them. Apart from few general trappings of their kind (which a specific Djinni may not follow at all) there is no way to predict what kind of being will come out of the bottle once the seal is removed.
Djinn don't need to sleep, eat or have sex to procreate, but they still can indulge in those pleasure for the sake of it. They don't need to breathe, don't get sick and are immortal unless slain. Djinn can be female or male. There's no stigma in Djinn's culture about the sexual orientation: a Djinni of a given gender can be attracted to males or females (or both) without other Djinn minding at all. The distinction has no real importance when it comes to procreation, since Djinn can reproduce asexually. Once every 100 years, a Djinni is able to create another like itself—a “child.” This child has the same traits as the parent, though, given free will, is likely to develop a different personality. When a couple of Djinn, no matter what the gender, desires to have a child, they can simply share their procreative power (as in, none of them must have spawned another Djinn during the last century) and generate it. This shared „birth“ often involves a sexual act between the two Djinn, but it does not have to. The child belongs to the same family of Djinn of one of its parents and a share of the powers of both. Djinn are known to being attracted to humans as well and their history is full of examples of romances between the two races (and other...less consensual relationships) but such unions rarely produce offspring. To give an idea, this sort of hybrid birth usually happens only once in a handful of generations. In this exceptional cases, the sexes of the parents have to be biologically compatible from a human point of view, and the child is always human, even if he shows some traces of the power of his supernatural parent.
The Djinn appearance varies wildy. Some are beings of unparalleled beauty, while others are nightmarish ogre-like creature that terrify anyone who catches a sight of them. By using their powers, Djinn can modify the way they look with ease, making their shape quite fluid. A Djinni often comes to appreciate a certain look after a while, seeing it as its „true“ appearance, the one they prefer to wear. Other Numen allow them to manifest as animals and ordinary humans, with many Djinn having a collection of masks and false identities they love to play with when infiltrating among mankind.
Djinn live everywhere but they favor remote, uninhabited places. It's in those locations that they can do whatever they want without having to worry about others. Unfortunately for them a Djinni's presence tend to attract attention. Werewolves may mistake them for powerfuld and odd spirits that mess with the balance of the local Shadow (on their part, Spirits tend to be intimidated or wary of Djinn), Vampires, Hunters often look after Djinn to gather knowledge and secrets, Demons see them either as a resource or a danger for their hidden war with the God-Machine and Mages, while always eager to learn more knowledge as well, seem to have an unealthy inclination for forcing Djinn into slavery. This tends to lead even those Djinn who prefer to be left alone into conflict with other supernaturals. Given that, even if they are spread all around the world, the Djinn consider the Middle East as their ancestral homeland, this means they share their history with Irem and the Arisen. While they think of Mages to be their most hated enemy among supernaturals, Djinn and Mummies have met and fought so many times across the ages, that books can be filled with the narration of their clashes. All things considered, whether it's a hoard of relics and treasures, long-lost knowledge or their sheer power, Djinn always have something that other supernaturals want.
Djinn, behavior and morality
Trying to apply human morality to Djinn would be a mistake. It comes so close and yet so far. Djinn are not human, but a whole different race with its own principles and customs. Even those Djinn that truly want to interact with humans on their level and wishes no particular harm to them will have an hard time at grasping the nuances of our moral conventions and, even then, might not share them at all (or find them offensive). All that we can do is to elaborate their behavior in broad strokes.
Perhaps the most important thing to remember is that Djinn are almost always dedicated to a purpose. They are passionate, driven beings and they live each day while being absolutely loyal to their desires. What Djinn want? Everyting and nothing. One might be happy with flying over the sands of the desert, while another won't be satisfied until he proves to be the greatest swordsman of its kind. Some Djinn evenembrace a human religion with a conviction that ordinary believers could only hope to reach. There's no real method to know their aspiration. Some have a plan that stretches across the centuries, others have not really bothered to figure what they want to do. Those who wish to deal with the Djinn have to deal with this fact, so simple and yet so frustrating. The best an occultist can do is to learn how Djinn tend to act and hope to be prepared.
There are several races of Djinn, and if one comes from one instead of another will behave differently (more about this can be found below), but knowing how to deal with one race, while immensely helpful, will only be useful to a certain point. As a rule of thumb, Djinn tend to be proud and not immune to a certain degree of flattery. They have a deep sense of honor and do not forget slights easily, even if they don't have to act upon them and might be willing to overlook minor ones. An angry Djinni, however, it a terrible thing to behold and it will not stop until it obtains retribution. On the other hand, Djinn usually don't hesitate to reward those who work for them or entertain them. Djinn's gift are sometimes odd and come from any possession that the Djinn in question considers to own, such has half the blood of a man who offended them, but the thought is still there. Even the kind acts of a Djinni are something to be careful of: a Marid who turns your mean brother into a dog so you can whip it hundred times a day expects you to be grateful and happy about it (unless, of course, you want to offend it). Many Djinn have their sort of moral code, with ideas about the difference between servitude and slavery, about how the humans should be treated, how to deal with thieves and what is the right way to use their powers. Each Djinn lives according to this code and its personal conception of honor and a man that agrees with it (or pretends to) will have much easier time to earn the Djinn's respect. A little quirk shared by a lot of Djinn is that they love to hear interesting stories. Unless they're really angry or determined, most Djinn will postpone what they're doing if they have the chance to hear a new tale. It's not like they're bound to (it's not a Ban), just a odd habit they tend to indulge in. A good storyteller is able to keep a Djinn interested for days, and will probaly be rewared for its skill in the meantime. A bad one will be rewarded...in other ways.
So, are Djinn beyond Good and Evil? Absolutely not. They completely understand those concepts and tend to have strong feelings about them. It's just that, when compared to human morality, the differences of Djinn's morality vastly outnumber the common points. This is what creates a deceiving and uncanny obstacle when trying to understand them. Even those families of Djinn that are most often called evil, like Ghilans and Efreet, are not easily classified from a moral standpoint. Don't make a mistake, members of both households tend to be cruel and ravenous individuals indeed, quite more often than a Jann or a Marid would, but, the truth is, they don't have to. The one exception being those Djinn that belong to the wicked fifth race of geniekind, the Shaitan. Unlike other races, the Shaitan (who aren't an actual race but rather a group) are those Djinn who chose to be forces of corruption and pain, harbingers of destruction in this world and others. An Efreet might not want to change at all, but the potential is still there. A Ghul may feel sorry for its victims and disgusted by its own hunger. A Shaitan cannot and does not want to do that: they're damned and know it, consciously making the choice to become agents of darkness. For a race that tends to evade the bonds of Black and White morality, Shaitan are a veritable nadir of evil, and they're proud of it.
Faith & Religion
Djinn live for millenia and know things any scholar would kill to learn, but they are not born with any more answers about the birth of their race and the Universe than other sentient beings. There are Djinn old enough to remember the foundation of Irem and the first nights of the vampiric race (good look finding and persuading them to share what they know, though) but there are still some things even them can't know for certain. Those rare Djinn who could have answers (we're talking about Rank 6+ Djinn here) either don't or keep their knowledge for themselves. With this in mind, Djinn look for a meaning and a greater purpose for their life just as many humans do.
A considerable number of Djinn find such things within human religions. Most of the Djinn who convert do so for one of the Abrahamic religions, probably due to a matter of exposure and the fact that their race has a place in them that is not in strict contrast with their existance (Islam, obviously, does mention the Djinn on many occasions and says directly that a Djinni who believes in Allah and follow the Quran is on the same Right Path as any other Muslim), but quite a few still believe in older faiths like Zoroastrianism (a number of Shaitan, for example, claim to be agent of Angra Mainyu instead of Iblis), Gnosticism or the Mesopotamian ones. More distant religion have less grasp among the Djinn, both from a geographical and a more practical point of view (it is hard for an immortal Djinni to understand the cicle of reincarnations Buddhism and Hinduism offer) but there's nothing that prevents a Djinni to convert to those as well, if it comes to believe in them. For a Djinni, following the norms of a human religion is not an easy task. Their faith is colored by their inhuman way of thinking and each day they have to fight their impulses and inborn nature. In a way, this makes all their efforts even more remarkable.
Sidebar: King Solomon and the Djinn
Solomon, son of David, was a Biblical king known for its wisdom and greatness. According to legends, he was able to summon demons and used them to build his palace, talk to the animals and had access to forbidden knowledge. Denizens of the World of Darkness cannot agree about what Solomon was (many say a Mage, as testified by artifacts and Legacies born out of his legend) but they all agree he had some sort of mastery upon the supernatural world. The Djinn, on their hand, view Solomon has the only man unequivocally worthy of their respect. Both a hated tyrant and a respected enemy for them, Solomon somehow bound hundreds of Djinn to his will, a feat none has come close to match since then. Solomon deciphered the essential nature of djinndom and use it to make wonders possible. Lots of Djinn still remember Solomon clearly and even those who never became part of his household or were born later heed honor to him, an extraordinary man that was able to earn the grudging respect even from the proudest Marid. The Ghilan still tell tales of his wrath, the Efreet wonder how he did what he did and the Shaitan curse his name to this very day, but few are the Djinn who don't have something to say about King Solomon.
Djinn and Sanctuaries
Many of the stories about Djinn that narrate of flying cities, cave filled with wonders and other hidden abodes are in fact talking about the Djinn Sanctuaries. Sanctuaries are little pocket universes that the Djinn use as their personal residence. Though they have an entrance that is anchored to a specific point in the material, Sanctuaries are immaterial, undetectable and exist between the layers of reality, far from the physical world. Sanctuaries are fixed in place and located whenever a Djinn decides to dwell. They are permanent but, since a Djinn can only have of at a time, they are able to erase a previous one if they want to. As to what happens to those who were inside when the little universe crumbles on itself, no one can say. Mortal usually cannot enter a Santuary, but can stumble inside one by mistake by somehow finding its entrance or by being draggend inside by a Djinn. Inside a Sanctuary, time is at a standstill, meaning that those who are inside don't need to eat or drink and don't age at all. The Size and shape of Sanctuaries varies according to the power of its owner (Rank x 200 Yards). Several Djinn can also pool together their Sanctuaries in order to build a bigger one, often under the guide of a powerful Djinn or more. A Djinni trapped inside a vessel loses its previous Sanctuary automatically, only to use its vessel as the new one. Vessel-made sanctuaries are empty and oppressive spaces, though, not something most Djinn are happy to return to. Inside a Sanctuary, a Djinn has not to roll or spend Essence to manifest, use its Influences and can do so as a reflexive action.
Djinn derive Willpower, Corpus, Defense and Resistance from these three traits in the same way that ghosts do. Their Size can vary dramatically. Djinn reckon Speed as Power + Finesse + a species factor, which varies, depending on the form the being takes, usually ranging from 5 to 10, with no upper limit (Djinn can be big).While the various kinds of Djinn differ only in their motives and in the powers they use, Greater and Lesser Djinn do vary in power. Lesser Djinn (Rank 1 – 3) appear far more often.
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| Rank | Trait Limit | Attribute Dots | Maximum Essence | Numina |
| • | 5 | 5 – 8 | 10 | 1 – 3 |
| •• | 7 | 9 – 14 | 15 | 3 – 5 |
| ••• | 9 | 15 – 25 | 20 | 5 – 7 |
| •••• | 12 | 26 – 35 | 25 | 7 – 9 |
| ••••• | 15 | 36 – 45 | 50 | 9 – 11 |
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Djinn also possess Influence as Spirits and Angels do.
Djinn have no Morality trait, but they do have Virtues and Vices. Most Djinn regain Willpower from Virtues and Vices in the same way that mortals do. They regain all their spent Willpower points by fulfilling their Virtue, or one point for indulging their Vice. Ghilan and Efreets, on the other hand, gain Willpower in the opposite way. They regain one point of Willpower from acting according to their Virtue or all of their Willpower from acting in line with their Vice. Shaitan regain Willpower according to which race they belonged to before swearing loyalty to Iblis. Djinnuse Numina, which work in the same way as the powers commanded by ghosts and spirits.
In their „natural“ state, due to their bizarre existance as beings neither human nor exactly spirit, Djinn have no bans and banes. That said, there are countless ways into which a Djinni can acquire them during their existance, sometimes willingly, and thus almost all the Djinn out there have a Ban and a Bane. A Djinni who does not is either a newborn or extremely strong and lucky, and both occurrences are remarkably rare.
WoD 1st Edition:
• A spirit must spend a point of Essence per day to survive. This expenditure usually takes place at moonrise. If the spirit has no Essence to spend, it falls into slumber until it manages to gain Essence somehow, such as by being immersed in a new flow of Essence.
• Spirits use Essence to use their Influences.
• Spirits can use Essence to temporarily boost their traits on a one-for-one basis. Each such boost lasts for one scene.
• A spirit that has fled into the physical world must expend one point of Essence per Rank per hour as long as it remains ephemeral (which is to say, without possessing a host body or using the Numen: Fetter). Djinn, by virtue of their "closer to the material" nature, only have to spend one point of Essence per Rank per day. It cannot regain this lost Essence until it either gains a fetter or crosses back into the Shadow. If a spirit loses all its Essence while in the physical world, it passes into slumber and is drawn back across the Gauntlet into the spirit world, losing a point of Corpus from the rough transition. Djinn return to Twilight instead.
• As long as a spirit still has some Essence, it isn’t destroyed when reduced to zero Corpus, but rather discorporated.
WoD 2nd Edition: Djinn can spend and lose Essence as any other Ephemeral being. The ways they can regain Essence are specified below
Essence and Rukh
The Djinn refer to the kind of Essence they process as Rukh. According to the Djinn, the Rukh is a sort of energy wowen into all the aspects of reality, the blood of Creation, but can be harvested by them only under some specific circumstances. The exact difference between Rukh, the type of Essence used by other ephemeral beings or even other kinds of energies like Mana, Pyros or Sekhem is not exactly clear and might even be a mere cultural distinction that only belongs to the Djinn, but most supernatural academics tend to agree it is something in between. Rule-wise, it is treated as Essence and the only distinctions that matter are the way in which Djinn can acquire it.
A Djinni without a Ban can only recover Essence by stealing it from other Djinn (The attacking entity rolls Power + Finesse, contested by the victim’s Power + Resistance. If the attacker succeeds, it steals up to the successes in Essence, as long as the target entity has Essence remaining to lose) or by being exposed to the Rukh. For a Djinni, Rukh is literally everywhere, but only a huge condensed amount of it enough is able to fill their reserves of Essence. For practical purposes, this means the Djinn regains a point of Essence for everyday it spends in proximity of pure, unbridled supernatural energy (something not easy to find indeed) or an object empowered by such kind of power. Many Djinn hoard piles of magical artifacts for this very reason. Storytellers who use Djinn in non-mortal games should decide in advance if and to which degree the Djinn can feed on the energies of the gameline in question. Keep only in mind that this option is not the most efficient one for, and it should remain quite difficult and specific to satisfy its requirements. Magical items like a Mummy's Relic or a Werewolf's Fetish should probably be appropriate, but magical energies in their raw state are only viable when in a high amount indeed. Some energies, like Pyros, Mana or Sekhem, are suitable for all kind of Djinn, but others, like Plasm, Wyrd or Aether, are probably better suited to specific races of Djinn like the Ghilan or the Marid.
Left with only this option, a Djinn is forced to avoid using its power and never leave the source of the energy, otherwise he'll slowly wither away. This is why the vast majority of Djinn decide to sacrifice a bit of their freedom and acquire a weakness in order to broaden their options. Most of the time this is a conscious choice (even if sometimes it can be forced upon, see below) but when it happens the Djinn acquires a Ban (and a Bane, if you're using the 2nd Edition rules“). The Ban and Bane reflect the nature of the Djinn and often the conditions that brought it to acquire them as well.
When a Djinni acquires a Ban, no matter the reasons behind it, it must choose an aspect of the material world, something intrinsecally related to its nature and personality. The proximity to this aspect allow the Djinni to recover essence as if they were in proximity of magical energies. Technically speaking, the resonance between the now declared nature of the Djinni and a specific natural feature or phenomenon allows the being to extract the Rukh that hides inside it. Particular aspects of the natural world, like fire, gold, sand, the darkness of a cave or a thunderstorm are among the most common choice, but more abstract aspects like pain, faith or music are not unheard of. When a Djinni acquires a Ban, it defines him, becoming a part of his nature as much as his Virtue and Vice. In fact, Virtue and Vice (or Vice and Virtue for Ghuls and Efreet) and the aspect of the world it accepted within itself when taking the Ban are the three pillars upon which the Djinn's identity stands. There will be more examples when speaking of the differents races of Djinn. Almost all Djinn eventually choose to take a Ban at some point of their life (usually very early, without thinking very much about it) in order to make existance easier for this very reason. It is not considered a weakness to bind themselves with an aspect of the world, and many Djinn are proud of this shared nature, protecting what empowers them and seeing other Djinn who share their connection as brethren souls.. Additionally, a Djinn can recover Essence by:
-Performing a service or fullfilling an oath to somebody else. The amount of Essence varies according to the difficulty of the task, ranging from 1 (gift somebody with clothes that would suit a prince) to 5 (eradicate the Sultan's palace from its foundation and move it away). A Djinni has not to have a Ban in order to perform a service, but will only recover Essence if it has it. Anyways, a Djinni forced to do so, such as one summoned and bound by a sorcerer, is obliged to take a Ban if it had not one already. Since most Djinn will already have a Ban before being summoned, their opinions on this event vary: some hate to be tainted this way, others don't mind much. Generally speaking, Djinn don't like to be bossed around in the first place.
-Spending a day within Rank x3 yards from its vessel. A few Djinn choose to inhabit a vessel, but most are forced into it. Either way, whenever a Djinn is bound to a vessel, it gains a Ban if it had no one before. See below for more details on Djinn and vessels. The vessel itself does not count as a magical objects for the purpose of regaining Essence for the Djinni itself, but it could do so for other Djinn. Given the solitary nature of Djinn this eventuality rarely happens, but the World of Darkness is a big and weird place after all.
WoD 2nd Edition:A Djinni with a vessel treats it not unlike a Ghost would treat an Anchor. He does not suffers Essence Bleed when within Rank x3 yards from it, but it does not make it regain Essence. Abjuration simply forces the Djinn inside the vessel, but the condition cannot be suppressed unless the vessel is destroyed. Without a vessel, Djinn act according to the Resonant Condition as spirits do
Note that all this conditions are cumulative, so a Djinn can recover plenty of Essence if the right conditions are met. For example, a Djinn related to the depths of the earth who spends a day inside a lamp buried in a cave and surrounded with magical artifacts would regain 3 Essence per day.
WoD 2nd Edition: Djinn usually work like Spirits when it comes to Manifestations, meaning most of their activities rely on their Influences and the Resonant or Anchor Conditions, depending on whether they have a vessel or not. Anything matching the description of one of a Djinni’s Influences, the aspect of the world to which the Djinni has connected to when it gained a Ban or the kind of supernaturally charged conditions that would allow even a Ban-less Djinni to regain Essence count as Resonant. All this changes when a Djinn gains a vessel, in which case it can only be tagged with the Anchor Condition and Manifest according to it.
Djinn, Vessels and Magic
There are plenty of tales about Djinn trapped into all sorts of wondrous artifacts. Legends of rings and lamps that grant their owner the servitude of a Djinni are so well known that even those who have no real knowledge of the Djinn are aware of the fact that they can be bound into these Vessels. Djinn are not Spirits nor Ghosts and yet, much to their chagrin, they are still subjected to some of the weaknesses those others ephemeral beings have. Bans and Banes are the most self-explainatory but, to the Djinn, risking to be imprisoned inside a Vessel is even worse.
The art of Djinn entrapment is a closely guarded secret sorcerers go far to protect, up to killing those who dare to steal their knowledge. Binding a Djinn is not easy and it's not something everyone can do. First of all, the wannabe Djinn owner must be able to somehow control ephemeral beings in the first place. Either from Cruac, Arcana, Gifts or Contracts, that's the basic requirement. Mortal occultists can try to bind a Djinn, but they better have done their preparations very well. Mages, while the most competent candidates of the bunch, can affect Djinn with their Arcana if they have the requisite level both in Spirit and Forces and, in the case of Marid, Prime as well. Mages have a penchant for Djinn binding but, while the rewards are great, it requires adequate magical prowess. The sorcerer must also prepare a Vessel.
There are a few requirements for an item to being a suitable Vessel. First, it must be fireproof. Any non-flammable material works, with metal being the traditional choice. In case of bottles, chests and otherwise „openable“ items, it must also be watertight. Third, it must be forged by the sorcerer that's is trying to bind the Djinn, with the specific intention to use it as a Vessel. Any attempts to use an object made by others incurs a -2 penalty when binding the Djinn. Fourth, the sorcerers must inscribe on the Vessel some sort of seal. Ideally, the seal describes the Djinni' True Name (which would grant the owner significant leverage over the Djinn, represented as no penalties given by the Djinn's Rank when trying to bind it) but, since True Names are not exactly easy to find, Djinn handlers traditionally use the Seal of Solomon. If the seal is removed or broken, the Djinn is freed. Destroying a Vessel is not an easy task, though. It can't be damaged by its own occupant at all and receive a bonus in Durability equal to (2+ the Djinn's Rank). Using proper rituals or adding all sorts of limitation to the entrapment, as limiting the number of tasks a Djinn can make for a single person or establishing a certain point after which the Djinn is free to leave the Vessel and never be bound again by the same sorcerer, grant bonuses to the binding, ranging from +1 to +5.
The exception to all this rules is when a Djinni enters a vessel willingly. It's rare, but a Djinn can be persuaded (or coerced) into a Vessel. It may do so to help a human it came to be friend of or to save its own life from destruction. In this case, any item fits.
Contrary to popular belief, most Djinn trapped in a Vessel are not able to grant wishes (some can, though: see the Wish Numen below) but rather, they offer their service to whoever holds the Vessel and calls for them. A summoned Djinn cannot directly harm its master,will obey to his orders and usually try to complete the tasks at the best of its possibilities but a Djinni's disposition towards the Vessel's owner varies from one to another and changes accordingly to how they are treated. Some Djinn obey without questions, while others do their best to bring misfortune upon their owners and intentionally attempt to pervert their requests. Some even try to intimidate the summoner and make him serve them, even if this usually works only on those poor souls that stumbled on a Djinn's Vessel by happenstance. A Djinni cannot leave its Vessel unless summoned (and even then, must remain within a number of yards equal to their Rank x 10 from it), but is able to leave it if their tasks requires it (which usually does). The way a Vessel's owner formulate its requests is very important, since it determines the amount of freedom the Djinn has when working towards it. It is not always an issue, not at all, but there are plenty of cautionary tales about naive Djinn's masters that have learned the lesson on their skin.
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