Voodoo

Voodoo is a magical tradition practiced mainly in the Caribbean and southern United States. Voodoo is a unique combination of Catholicism and African tribal religions, and is almost an exclusive feature of former slave-holding areas. Similar traditions may be practiced in Africa.

For ideas on how to use voodoo in a campaign, see Trails in the Darkness, an anthology of Robert E. Howard's somewhat Cthulhuvian stories set in the Deep South, and "Pigeons from Hell", in Cthulhu: The Mythos and Kindred Horrors.

Glossary

  • Ange: A good spirit.
  • Asson: A rattle used in contacting the Loa.
  • Baka: An evil spirit.
  • Bocor: An evil sorcerer, a follower of Petro. Male or female.
  • Bruja: A female practitioner of Brujeria.
  • Brujeria: A voodoo-like tradition practiced in Mexico.
  • Brujo: A male practitioner of Brujeria.
  • Canari: A clay jar used to capture souls.
  • Candomble: A tradition practiced in Portuguese areas.
  • Casa: The Santeria equivalent of an honfour.
  • Cheval: A person possessed by a Loa.
  • Connaissance: A path of healing magic. Opposed to Petro.
  • Corps-de-Fer: A powerful form of undead powered by Petro.
  • Engagement: A contract between a mortal and a Loa.
  • Fort: Used as a descriptor of a person who is magically strong.
  • Garde: A charm or enchantment.
  • Goat Without Horns: Another name for Petro.
  • Gris-Gris: A spell.
  • Gros Bon Ange: A person’s spirit double.
  • Guinee: The Land Under the Sea where the Loa dwell.
  • Honfour: A sacred area for voodoo priests.
  • Houngan: A priest of Connaissance.
  • Hounenikon: A high-ranking member of a societe.
  • Hounsi: Assisstants to a houngan.
  • Installe: The act of possession by a Loa.
  • La-place: The apprentice houngan.
  • Loa: The deities of voodoo.
  • Loa Achete: A spirit serving the houngan.
  • Loa Travail: A spirit serving the houngan.
  • Macumba: General term for both Candomble and Quinbanda.
  • Mait Tete: The Loa to which a houngan is sworn. Every practitioner of voodoo, Santeria, or Macumba be they houngan, mambo, or bocor, must choose a Mait Tete. The Mait Tete is a Loa that is especially revered, although the wise voodoo priest reveres them all. During the casting of any voodoo spell, the Veve or holy symbol of the Mait Tete must be inscribed on the ground before magic points are spent. What the Veve is drawn in depends on the sect—in chalk if the practitioner is Connaissance, or chicken's blood if they are Petro.
  • Mambo: A voodoo priestess.
  • Mange-moun: A problem or illness sent by a demon.
  • Mauvais Esprit: An evil spirit created through Petro.
  • Mazanxa: A Petro societe.
  • Nom-valiant: The houngan or mambo’s ritual name.
  • Orisha: A spirit in Santeria; functionally identical to Loa.
  • Petro: The evil twin of Connaissance, a dark and destructive path.
  • Quinbanda: A tradition practiced in Portuguese areas.
  • Santera: A female practitioner of Santeria.
  • Santeria: A tradition practiced in Spanish areas.
  • Santero: A male practitioner of Santeria.
  • Societe: A community of houngans.
  • Tonnelle: An outdoor honfour.
  • Veve: A symbol used to represent a specific Loa.
  • Vlinblindingue: A Petro societe.
  • Voodoo: A magical tradition practiced in French areas.
  • Zobop: A Petro societe.
  • Zombi: A living corpse animated by a houngan.
  • Zuvembi: A female Zombi.

Spells

  • Capture the Dead: Petro. A corpse with an intact head must be procured by the caster. 10 magic points are spent as the bocor offers up a prayer to Baron Samedi. If the prayer is acceptable in Samedi's eyes, the corpse begins to speak and will converse with the caster. The corpse in question knows only those facts known to it in life.
  • Cast Out Devil: See p. 196, CoC.
  • Contact Deity: Loa: See p. 200, CoC.
  • Contact Spirits of the Dead: See p. 200, CoC.
  • Create Zombi: See p. 203, CoC.
  • Enchant Asson: Costs the houngan 1 POW. Creates a ceremonial rattle used in the casting of Contact Deity: Loa. Use of an Asson negates the magic point cost of that spell.
  • Enchant Canari: A clay jug (terra cotta, porcelain, or ceramic will also work) is covered with the Veve of the houngan’s Mait Tete. While inscribing the Veves, the houngan sacrifices 3 POW and the jug is enchanted. A permanent Mange-moun spell is anchored to the jug and will affect anyone grabbing the jug other than the houngan.
  • Enchant Clochette: Known only to houngans of Legba and Ogoun (or their Petro equivalents). The caster sacrifices 2 POW to enchant a small iron bell. Whenever rung, the iron bell has two effects: it adds 1D4 points of armor to the ringer, and all shapeshifters (or magicians using shapeshifting magic) within earshot are transformed to their natural shape.
  • Enchant Candle: See p. 205, CoC.
  • Enchant Doll: See p. 206, CoC.
  • Enchant Fwet Kesh: Enchants a small leather whip. The caster must sacrifice 1 POW. Thereafter, when cracked, it functions as an anti-spell and negates any voodoo spells cast against its owner that round.
  • Enchant Gris-Gris: See p. 206, CoC.
  • Enchant Joukoujou: The houngan must fashion a meter-long staff from a piece of wood hewn by his own hands. The staff is painted half-white and half-black, and a point of POW sacrificed. When waved, it negates any magic point cost for any voodoo spell. Its only drawback is that it casts Contact Deity: Loa every time it is used and, although this costs the houngan no magic points, the Loa are annoyed easily and may seek revenge on the caster.
  • Enchant Ju-Ju: See p. 206, CoC.
  • Enchant Kubhasah: The houngan must cut himself across the chest with a machete. He thereby sacrifices 3 POW and the machete becomes an enchanted weapon, functionally identically to the Cavalry Sabre (CoC).
  • Enchant Ouanga: With a sacrifice of 1 (or more) POW, a necklace made from the bones of a sacrificed chicken is enchanted in one of three ways. The houngan creates either a Ouanga Cadavre (gives a bonus to CON equal to its POW enchantment to resist poisons or disease), Ouanga Gros Bon Ange (negates any attempts at Soul Extraction made), or a Ouanga Moun (gives the wearer a bonus to POW equal to the necklace’s enchantment to aid in resistance of a Mange-moun).
  • Enchant Sekey Madoule: Petro. A small wooden coffin is built. The coffin is painted black and, while painting, the bocor uses Contact Loa for Carrefour, who blesses the box. In return, he takes 4 POW from the bocor but grants him use of any spell, voodoo or not, with no magic point cost for 1D6 weeks.
  • Enchant Wanga: See p. 207, CoC.
  • Gad: The caster draws the Veve on the target of the spell: in rooster’s blood if it is to be cast on himself, or with a flour and water mixture if it is to be cast on another individual. With the sacrifice of 4 magic points, the spell increases the target’s Luck by 15 percentiles.
  • Mange-moun: The target must be in the caster’s line of sight. If so, the target is afflicted with a wasting disease if a POW vs. 18 test fails. He or she must succeed in a CON x 2 roll each day. Each time it fails, the victim loses a point of Strength. If it succeeds, the disease is cured but any lost Strength points are not regained. Costs the caster 9 magic points.
  • Sending of the Dead: See p. 213, CoC.
  • Soul Extraction: See p. 214, CoC.
  • Spirit Protection: This spell, when cast (2 magic points), breaks a Mange-moun or Wanga. It also grants +5 POW for the purposes of fighting either possession or a Wraith (CoC) only. A Canari is required.
  • Summon/Bind Baka: See p. 216, CoC.

Creatures

Corps-de-Fer

“The Iron Body.” Created when a practitioner of voodoo, on his deathbed, calls out to the Guerrier Fer, Petro's version of Ogoun. The body is raised from the dead. When “killed,” the Corps-de-Fer is only incapacitated. To be laid to rest, it must be dressed in a black suit with its pockets turned inside out and cut, and in a coffin with 24 seeds, of any type.

  • Statistics: As Zombie (CoC)
  • Av. Damage Bonus: +1D4
  • Attacks: As human
  • Armor: However many Guerrier Fer chooses to give it (typically 7-10). After its armor is depleted, it takes damage as a normal Zombie.
  • Spells: Command Flies, Command Worms, Enchant Wanga, Mange-moun
  • SAN Loss: 1/1D8

Mauvais Esprit

“The Evil Spirit,” this foul creature is what results when a bocor chosen by Baron Samedi is murdered. A Mauvais Esprit functions as a Wraith (CoC). The spirit can only be dispelled if it is exhumed, shaven, and its nails trimmed. It must then be reburied with its hair, its nail clippings, a rosary, and 6 needles.

Zombi

Refer to Zombie in the CoC rulebook. Also Corps Cadavre or Zuvembi (if female). Product of a Create Zombi spell.

Loa

Agwe

  • Nature: Sovereign of the Sea
  • Cheval: Exertion Skills; acts unpredictably
  • Petro Form: Agwe, Lord of Sea-storms

Azaca

  • Nature: Master of the Corn
  • Cheval: Plant-related Skills; acts hastily
  • Petro Form: None

Damballah

  • Nature: Good Serpent of the Sky
  • Cheval: Thought Skills, speaks in language other than own
  • Petro Form: None

Erzulie

  • Nature: Mistress of Love
  • Cheval: Communication Skills
  • Petro Form: Ge-Rouges, Mistress of Scorned Love

Ghede

  • Nature: Lord of Resurrection
  • Cheval: Perception Skills
  • Petro Form: Baron Samedi, Lord of Zombies and Graveyards

Legba

  • Nature: Old Man at the Crossroads
  • Cheval: Thought Skills
  • Petro Form: Carrefour, Loa of Magic

Loco & Ayizan

  • Nature: The Priestly Parents
  • Cheval: Manipulation Skills
  • Petro Form: None

Ogoun

  • Nature: The Iron Warrior
  • Cheval: Exertion Skills
  • Petro Form: Guerrier Fer, Loa of Battles

Similar traditions

Brujeria

Brujeria is a magical tradition drawing on traditional Aztec religion in the same way voodoo draws on African tribal magic. Brujeria is mainly practiced in the southwestern United States and Mexico, and uses Aztec deities in place of the Loas or Orishas.

  • Agwe: Cipactli
  • Azaca: Centeotl (F)
  • Damballah: Quetzalcoatl
  • Erzulie: Xochiquetzal (F)
  • Ghede: Mictlantecuhtli
  • Legba: Ometeotl
  • Loco & Ayizan: N/A
  • Ogoun: Huitzilopochtli

Macumba

A form of magic practiced among blacks in Brazil. Actually two traditions, Candomble (comparable to Santeria), and Quinbanda (comparable to Petro Voodoo).

  • Agwe: (C) Senhor Mar; (Q) Senhor Tempestade
  • Azaca: (C) Senhor Milho
  • Damballah: (C) Senhor Serpente
  • Erzulie: (C) Senhora Amor; (Q) Senhora Vermelho Olho
  • Ghede: (C) Senhor Morte; (Q) Senhor Sepultura (no jokes, please -AG)
  • Legba: (C) Velho Homem; (Q) Senhor Màgica
  • Loco & Ayizan: -
  • Obatala: (C) Senhor Paz
  • Ochosi: (C) Senhor Caça
  • Ogoun: (C) Guerreiro; (Q) Guerreiro Ferro
  • Orunla: -

Santeria

Santeria is essentially a form of voodoo, with the same relation to Spanish culture as voodoo has to French. Santeria is based around the concept of Orishas (Loas). Priests of Santeria may choose Mait Tete Orishas. Yoruba, an African tongue, is used in spellcasting. Practitioners of Santeria are mainly found in areas with a high concentration of Hispanics: the southern United States, the Carribean, and Brazil are all acceptable.

  • Agwe: Señor Mar
  • Azaca: Señor Maíz
  • Damballah: Señor Serpiente
  • Erzulie: Señora Amante
  • Ghede: Señor Bromista
  • Legba: Viejo Hombre
  • Loco & Ayizan: Señor & Señora Sacerdote
  • Ogoun: Señor Curador

Obatala

  • Characteristics: The Orisha of Peace
  • Hosts: Social Skills; +3 POW; +3 APP

Ochosi

  • Characteristics: Lord of the Hunt
  • Hosts: Shadow, Stealth; +3 DEX

Orunla

  • Characteristics: The Prince of Time

Credits

This article is based on material from Andrew D. Gable's defunct Delta Green/Equinox site.

The intellectual property known as Delta Green is ™ and © the Delta Green Partnership. The contents of this document are © their respective authors, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.