Compromise

Any halfway competent demon knows that the Symphony is a game of espionage on a universal scale. The biggest risk they face is being discovered by the opposition.

Where demons lack Integrity and thus cannot suffer Breaking Points, they instead risk Compromise (in the espionage sense of "my Cover has been compromised").

As a demon strains their Cover, it can grow out of sync with reality, much like a computer that’s cut off from its automatic updating software. Pushed too far, Cover snaps, causing the original unaltered reality to crash back into place. Reality, as it turns out, abhors change and the supernatural, and will attempt to course correct itself - outing demons and pactholders alike in the process.

The God Machine is capable of detecting these abnormalities in reality. Through Its agents, Infrastructure, and perhaps even the omnipresent force of the Symphony itself, the God Machine is constantly on the lookout for Fallen resources to reclaim or scour.

Compromise most often occurs when a demon or pactholder makes a misstep, standing out too much from mundane reality, to which the God Machine reacts. Yet, the God Machine has also been known to take a more active role. Due to Its limited resources, it only does so when It finds due cause, such as noticing an uptick in sabotaged Infrastructure in an area, or has a particular goal in mind, such as preemptive scouring to take control of a region. The God Machine may probe areas or individuals, akin to testing security measures, using methods ranging from baiting demons into a trap to investigating suspicious individuals. Even the quietest demon refraining from interacting with the God Machine's works should be careful of becoming too complacent, as no one ever knows when the God Machine chooses to switch gears.

So if the God Machine is so all-seeing, how are demons not immediately captured the moment they are Compromised? How is it possible to escape being Hunted?

Consider a calm, empty lake, with a NO SWIMMING sign. Someone viewing the water from above will quickly and easily notice a break in the surface. In some cases, the breach is so quick and subtle that it could've been something innocuous - a gust of wind, an animal, etc - that it's not worth immediately diving into the water, but instead the viewer keeps a closer eye on the location. In other cases, the breach is obvious - a swimmer leaping out of the water, unmistakably trespassing. This calls for an immediate diversion of resources to capture the trespasser, and the God Machine knows exactly who, what, where they were at the time of the breach.

Then, remember that the God Machine works through proxies, and Its proxies are fallible. Agents may lose track of a quarry, get killed, or simply be drawn into too long of a case. The God Machine may choose to call Its agents back, deciding that it's not worth the time nor resources to continue pursuit.

And sometimes, agents of the God Machine simply fail to report an incident. The God Machine might never hear of a Compromise to begin with. Some angels are given the clearance to make such judgment calls themselves, and rogue agents such as Exiles and Integrators may have too much free will of their own to be fully aligned with the God Machine's will.

MECHANICS

ROLLING

When a situation calls for Compromise, roll Wits + Manipulation, using modifiers appropriate for the situation. Note that Conditions that normally penalize Wits or Manipulation almost never apply to Compromise - Conditions that affect Compromise are generally Compromise-specific.

Note that in some cases, Compromise automatically fails - do not roll.

Compromise can be caused by:

Cadenzas
- - Every use
  - Can spent 1 Willpower to negate Compromise
Leitmotifs
- - After 1 + Resonance uses in a day
Partial Demon Transformation
- - If the visual effect is seen by humans or agents of the God Machine
Full Demon Transformation
- - Immediately, with a -3 penalty
  - Penalized by an additional -1 per Scene where the Transformation was maintained beyond the first. The initial -3 penalty does not apply
Directly Interfacing with Infrastructure
- - Includes disabling linchpins, connecting to the Infrastructure using or for supernatural means, or attempting to alter the Infrastructure with spells
Revealing True Nature to Humans
- - This can be as broad as "I have a pact with a demon" to as specific as "On Sunday the 24th of February, I made a wish with a demon to save my family after a car accident on Third Street"
  - This must be significant information, and the human(s) must believe it
  - If the information is disseminated to several people at once, this counts for only one Compromise
  - This information does not have to come from the character directly - anyone who knows something about their true nature can reveal it and force Compromise
Supernatural Acts/Brands Visible to Humans
- - Similar to 'revealing your true nature to humans', but focuses more on accidental reveals
  - The humans do not necessarily have to suspect the character of anything supernatural - bonuses or penalties may apply depending on how lucid or skeptical the onlookers are

INTEGRITY

For a pactholder, their soul and metaphysical self act as a stand-in for their demonic passenger's Cover. Thus, their Integrity acts as a defense against Compromise - high Integrity better shields the pactholder's true nature, while low Integrity may draw more suspicion and reveal supernatural traits within.

On all Compromise rolls, apply a modifier based on the character's current Integrity:

9 - 10: +2
7 - 8: +1
5 - 6: +0
3 - 4: -1
1 - 2: -2

MAGIC OVERFLOW

When a pactholder experiences an instance of symphonic overexposure, the surge of symphonic energy in an otherwise human form amplifies any attention they may be subject to.

When a situation requires both a Magic Overflow and a Compromise roll, always roll Magic Overflow first. If the Magic Overflow roll fails, apply a -1 penalty to the Compromise roll. Apply -3 instead on a Dramatic Failure.

ADDITIONAL MODIFIERS

Context plays a key role in Compromise, adding a variety of modifiers. Examples include:

Each successive time the character rolls Compromise in the same day incurs a cumulative -1 penalty
Directly interacting with an angel can trigger Compromise. If the character was acting human they may have a +2 or more bonus, depending on how convincing/mundane they were
If human witnesses are confused or uncertain about supernatural effects, the character may gain a +1 bonus. On the other hand, overt acts in front of lucid witnesses may incur a -2 penalty
The God Machine pays different amounts of attention to areas. In a high-alert area, the character may have a -4 to -2 penalty. In low-alert areas, gain a +2 to +4 bonus instead. Exact modifiers depend on how critical the area is and whether it is currently active
The Interference spell directly gives a [Success] bonus

ROLL RESULTS

Note: though the results mention choosing between Conditions and brands, the Storyteller can choose to assign a Condition at their own discretion. In-universe, "choosing" a brand occurs when a character catches onto a Compromise and is able to react quickly enough to pull away, in a metaphysical sense. Not all situations give the character that chance.

Dramatic Failure
- - The character has drawn significant attention, enough to immediately divert the God Machine's resources should It choose to do so. For a moment, the God Machine or Its agents know exactly where the character is and what triggered the Compromise.
  - Choose: the Storyteller assigns a Dramatic Failure Compromise Condition, or take two lingering brands. Example Conditions include:
    - - Traced, Backstabbed, or Hunted
      - Any custom angelic Condition on par with the above
  - Gain a Beat.
Failure
- - The character has drawn significant attention. The God Machine or Its agents have a sense of their general whereabouts and activity.
  - Choose: the Storyteller assigns a Failure Compromise Condition, or take a lingering brand. Example Conditions include:
    - - Noticed, Unnatural, Marked, Surveilled, or Hunted
      - Any custom angelic Condition on par with the above
      - Except in extreme cases (such as taking demonic form in front of an angel), Compromise failures should rarely jump direct to Hunted
Success
- - The character has come through the Compromise intact, though may be spooked by the close call or feel the lingering stress of the encounter.
  - Choose: the Storyteller assigns a Success Compromise Condition, or take a transient brand. Example Conditions include:
    - - The standard Shaken Condition
      - A Condition that penalizes the next Compromise roll
      - A Condition that causes a minor penalty to certain rolls or spells
Exceptional Success
- - The character somehow manages to survive the Compromise untouched.
  - Gain a Beat.

THE GOD MACHINE'S NOTICE

What does the God Machine's attention look like? The Storyteller is encouraged to telegraph this attention through some subtle alteration of the world around the characters. A pay phone starts ringing, and then stops. Television screens flicker. Radio signals distort for a few seconds. Passersby all fall silent and glance at the character, only for a second, but noticeably in unison.

The event should be quick, obviously strange but not overtly supernatural, and it should be something that the characters can’t run down or easily investigate. It should make clear to the characters that something isn’t right, but the event shouldn’t scare them so badly that they spend the rest of the chapter trying to figure out what happened and why.

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