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Unknown Armies
Statosphere: The Invisible Clergy Sourcebook
NEVER PLAY AGAINST THE HOUSE From the flip of a coin to a glance in a bar to the trajectory of a bullet -- every step we take is a function of all the steps we took before and the infinity of choice that lies between. But free will caries a price. The invisible clergy, humans ascended into archtypes, reside in the statosphere where probabilities large and small flow like water through their fingers. Oppose them and coincidence itself can turn against you ... not to mention the terrible agents of the House of Runciation, where they take you to become your own worst enemy. Deal the cards if you're ready to new archetypes * godwalker rules * le Comte de Saint-Germain * invisible clergy lore * secrets of the House of Renunciation * and a pack full of trouble. RECOMMENDED FOR MATURE READERS
- GenresRole Playing GamesGames
Paperback
Published June 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 4, 2025
Imagine that there is a group of people who have power over you. They can tip the scales one way or another and completely change the course of your life. No, I don't mean your boss or the senate. Imagine a collective of god like beings powered by human consciousness. That's kind of like the invisible clergy.
Humanity loves archetypes. They show up constantly in our stories and histories. The Hunter. The Mother. The Martyr. Human consciousness focuses on these sorts of things. What if they had real power? What if you could channel magick by being the most Martyr person in the world? And if you went far enough, you could be the most exemplary Hunter and ascend to the godlike collective.
The Invisible Clergy is one of the most fascinating elements of the background lore to the tabletop roleplaying game Unknown Armies. They are possess great power but also limited ability. They can't change human will. But they can tilt the odds this way or that to guide you in a different direction. If you violate the taboos of your archetype, you risk being cast down and losing favor within the archetype. A strong enough pursuant can change how that archetype manifests.
It's big brained human-centric ideas of cosmic horror and it is fascinating. The book has a good mix of lore and gameable content. You get full write-ups on a good chunk of the popular archetypes (but, of course, not all of them. There could be as many as 332!) with possible historical examples, taboos, symbols, and powers based on how aligned a character is to the archetype.
We also get a good amount of information on the Comte De St Germain, the first and last human. An immortal being who was here at the dawn of humanity and will be here to turn the lights off and lock the doors when we're gone.
Humanity loves archetypes. They show up constantly in our stories and histories. The Hunter. The Mother. The Martyr. Human consciousness focuses on these sorts of things. What if they had real power? What if you could channel magick by being the most Martyr person in the world? And if you went far enough, you could be the most exemplary Hunter and ascend to the godlike collective.
The Invisible Clergy is one of the most fascinating elements of the background lore to the tabletop roleplaying game Unknown Armies. They are possess great power but also limited ability. They can't change human will. But they can tilt the odds this way or that to guide you in a different direction. If you violate the taboos of your archetype, you risk being cast down and losing favor within the archetype. A strong enough pursuant can change how that archetype manifests.
It's big brained human-centric ideas of cosmic horror and it is fascinating. The book has a good mix of lore and gameable content. You get full write-ups on a good chunk of the popular archetypes (but, of course, not all of them. There could be as many as 332!) with possible historical examples, taboos, symbols, and powers based on how aligned a character is to the archetype.
We also get a good amount of information on the Comte De St Germain, the first and last human. An immortal being who was here at the dawn of humanity and will be here to turn the lights off and lock the doors when we're gone.
December 21, 2022
Definitive deep dive on this subject. Full review: https://refereeingandreflection.wordp...
June 30, 2016
This is a fantastic and extremely gritty roleplaying game. Combat is brutal and bloody—the combat chapter opens up by describing several ways to get out of a fight, since more often than not you're gonna get torn the hell up if you're not careful, or even if you are.
The most common fears are what hammer it home (a trait tragically underused). Sure, you might have your body torn to bits by an Unspeakable Servant, but there's a much higher chance you'll just lose your mind, become a recluse whose divorce from society is directly tied to a divorce from reality, and watch everything you loved or cared about slip away from you, until all you've got left is your power... And that's if you're successful.
It's surreal, weird, and mind-rippingly fun.
The most common fears are what hammer it home (a trait tragically underused). Sure, you might have your body torn to bits by an Unspeakable Servant, but there's a much higher chance you'll just lose your mind, become a recluse whose divorce from society is directly tied to a divorce from reality, and watch everything you loved or cared about slip away from you, until all you've got left is your power... And that's if you're successful.
It's surreal, weird, and mind-rippingly fun.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews