In Nomine Stylesheet

Last updated March 28, 2007

Official Usages

Authors should use these.

The secondary alternate names in the main book may also be used, but the preferred alternates are clearer, generally. Secondary alternate names are for times when there's just too many primary and alternate names.

Common (mis)usages

Authors should avoid these, but characters might use them.

Other Misusages

These should only be found in quotes, mangled by a character:

* It might get shortened to "Imp," but not around real Impudites (and maybe not around real imps).

Also, anything taking the singular and adding a "s" - Calabites, Habbalites, Shedites, Lilims, etc.

Band/Choir Attunements should be listed in the form of: [Singular] of [Word] or [Singular] of [Superior], with the first being preferred. I.e.,: "The Elohite of Creation attunement" or "Attunements: Elohite of Creation, Mercurian of Creation." (Yes, we've done it [Plural] of [Superior/Word] in the past, but this makes weirdities.)

Servitors are listed as "[Choir/Band] [Rank] of [Word]" or sometimes "of [Superior.]"

Those working for someone else are [Singular] of [Word], in service to [Superior/Word]. (Using the Superior's name is more favored for "in service to".)

Capitalizations:

* means there's a conflict in the text; the listed capitalization is the preferred one.

Accuracy

The bonus to hit things with a weapon, also "Acc" in tables

angel(s)

Angel of [Word]

Use only for Word-bound. If you mean a servitor of someone (as in, "angel of War," then either don't begin the sentence with "Angel" or use "Angel of Michael" or "Servitor of War."

Archangel(s)

artifact(s)

corporeal, ethereal, celestial

*attunement(s)

*(attunement when used with its proper name) e.g. Transubstantiation attunement

Band/Choir

*Band/Choir Attunement(s) & Servitor Attunement(s)

Two words are capped, attunement alone is not

bodhisattva(s)

Body hit(s)

aka Body

cast a Song

Do not use this; Songs are performed.

Charisma

In the format "Charisma -2"; max bonus from Charisma and Charisma (Sex Appeal) combined is +3 total; max negative Charisma is -2.

Cathedral(s)

Actual title often capitalized: e.g., Halls of Progress.

CD

Check digit or check die, used only in formulas where "check digit" would be cumbersome.

celestial(s)

As in, an angel or a demon; frequently miscapped, watch it!

Celestial Force(s)

celestial form

celestial realm(s)

Also, "celestial plane(s)"

Chapter(s)

Chapter numbers ARE NOT USED in In Nomine books! If you refer to a chapter (e.g., "Chapter 5"), be sure to give either a p. 00 reference, or phrase it as "Chapter 5, Humans"!

characteristic(s)

Such as Will, Perception, etc., which are capitalized. Celestials max out at 12 for any characteristic! Humans at 10.

character points

check digit(s)

Rarely, "CD" may be used; consult the LE

Corporeal Force(s)

corporeal realm

There's only one; also, "corporeal plane"

Corruptor(s)

A secondary Band-name for Shedim; note it's OR, not ER!

d666

demon(s)

Demon of [Word]

Use only for Word-bound. Same confusion-reducing stuff as per "Angel of [Word]"

demonling(s)

Imps, gremlins, and wimpier . . .

Demon Prince(s)

Or Demon Princess(es)

destiny and Destiny

One is a noun for someone's ultimate disposition in life, the other is a Word. Be kind to editors and capitalize the Word, but not the mere noun . . .

Note: destiny = GOOD future. (Do not say "dark destiny.")

Diabolical

The noun, generally, when used as a synonym for demon

*diabolical

The adjective

Disfavored

The term for Outcasts and Renegades as a set - as an adjective or as "the Disfavored."

Discord

Same plural; not "Discords" unless you are naming them; e.g., "the Merciful, Aura, and Crippled Discords" but "he has a lot of Discord" is prefered to "he has many Discords."

Discordant

dissonance

"notes of" or "dissonant tones" for plural

Dissonance Conditions

*Distinction(s)

Used only for celestial Distinctions - Vassal/Knight, etc.

disturbance(s)

Don't confuse disturbance with dissonance!

Domain(s)

A Principality, Cathedral or ethereal Domain.

dreamland(s), dreamscape(s)

Earth

The corporeal realm

enchanter(s)

Creators of artifacts

Essence

Essence has no units, currently. Refer to it as "4 Essence" - numeral, no units, then Essence.

ethereal(s)

An ethereal spirit; frequently miscapped; watch it!

Ethereal Force(s)

ethereal form or ethereal body

DOES NOT EXIST! (p. IN52.)

ethereal god(s)

aka pagan gods

ethereal realm(s)

also, "ethereal plane(s)"

ethereal spirit(s)

Fall

As in what happens when an angel becomes a demon

Fallen, a

A new demon, ex-angel.

Fallen, the

Often refers to the demons who Fell originally.

familiar(s)

A reliever, imp, gremlin, or demonling which has a vessel and serves another being.

fate and Fate

One is a noun for someone's ultimate disposition in life, the other is a Word. Be kind to editors and capitalize the Word, but not the mere noun . . .

Note: fate = BAD future.

Features

Replacement word for limitations for artifacts. Also used for Tethers. Specific Features are capitalized (e.g. Convenience Features, Use Features, etc.)

Force(s)

Don't go above 18 for non-Superiors! Or 15 for humans. Forces of a character are expressed as "9-Force" or "4-Force" - numeral, then hyphenated.

Geas(es)

When used as a noun, or as a Discord. "geasa" to some characters, but not authors.

geas(-ed, -ing)

The verb.

Geas hook

The term for the state of "you get to resist with a Will roll." If the person can no longer defy the Geas without dissonance/damage, then it's a full-blown Geas. Before that, it's a hook or Geas hook.

Also see the glossary in the Lilith expansion.

go celestial

gremlin(s)

Heart(s)

Heaven

Hell

This differs from the AP Stylebook

Hellsworn

Another term for a Soldier of Hell - particularly one who has accepted an infernal Force, and will be drawn to Hell by the weight of it after death.

hook

See Geas hook.

Host

The angelic side

host(s)

What a Kyriotate or Shedite uses

human(s)

imp(s)

Infernal(s)

The noun, sometimes used as a synonym for demon

infernal

The adjective, except for Interventions

Intervention(s)

Divine or Infernal; sometimes Demonic or Diabolic

invoke

A Geas, a Superior, a relic, a Song, etc.

Judgment

Not Judgement

level(s)

As a generic term for skills or Discord

Limbo

living artifact(s)

Marches, Border Marches, Far Marches, Farthest Marches

Mind hits

aka Mind

Muhammed

The prefered spelling for Mohammed.

mummy (-ies)

mundane(s)

Numinous Corpus

Same plural - no Corpii.

Outcast(s)

An angel cast out of Heaven for some reason.

perform

Or invoke; what you do with a Song; NOT "cast"! Fiction may have someone "Sing healing," but that is not likely to come up in rulebooks.

Power

The damage-bonus that weapons do; negative Power is possible

Principality(-ies)

A Prince's Domain

Protection

Innate damage-reduction of something - if negative, increase damage!

redemption (redeem, etc.)

Yes, Fall is uppercase, redeem is lowercase. Also note that celestials redeem, humans get salvation.

reliever(s)

relic(s)

reliquary(-ies)

Remnant(s)

What's left after a non-human's lost all its Celestial Forces.

Renegade(s)

A demon on the lam

resonance(s)

almost never used in the plural

**resonate

a possible verb (which SJ has neither approved nor disapproved yet) for "to use one's resonance upon something or someone." E.g., The Calabite resonanted the door and it fell apart. The Seraph resonated the truth of the statement.

Resource(s)

Rite(s)

A ritual that either gives Essence to an ethereal, or grants Essence to the performing being.

Role(s)

Also, limits the amount of Status! Status level cannot exceed Role level.

Saint(s)

A Soldier of God, returned in a vessel

saint(s)

J. Random person named a saint by humans.

Seneschal(s)

Minimum 13 Forces, 99% of the time Wordbound to their Tether.

Seraph

. . . and Cherub, Lilim, Impudite, etc.

servant(s)

Servitor(s)

The common sort of minion for Superiors

servitor(s)

A minion to a Word-bound celestial or one with a Distinction

Sex Appeal

Previous term for a specified Charisma. Should now be in the form of: "Charisma +# (sex appeal)." Likewise, any other specialized Charismas should be in the form of: "Charisma +# (reputation/intimidating/etc.)" The maximum amount of specialized Charisma and general Charisma cannot exceed 3, total.

skill(s)

Are always capitalized: e.g., Fighting, Tracking, Emote.

Soldier(s)

Of God/Hell; mundane soldiers aren't capitalized

Song(s)

"Celestial/Ethereal/Corporeal" is capitalized when put with Song. e.g. Celestial Song of Attraction

sorcerer(s)

Note it's ER, not OR.

Soul hit(s)

aka Soul

Status

When refering to the Status of a Role; cannot be above the Role's level! Format is "Status/#" for celestials, not "Status: #". Format is Status # for humans.

Superior(s)

Only for AA/DP - immediate boss is "superior"; take care to phrase sentences so this is obvious; "immediate superior" is also used.

Moriah suggested that one's immediate superior could also be called: boss, supervisor, director or conductor (for that musical motif), chief, master (maybe for the diabolicals), mentor (for the divine).

Synonyms for one's Superior are generally "Master," "Lord," or "Boss." Superiors nearly always always get a capital letter, though a Prince could also be a "dark lord." "Boss" should be a tertiary synonym except for less formal Servitors, or ones who have a "professional" relationship with their Superior (Marc, Jean, Eli, maybe Janus, Kobal, maybe Nybbas, perhaps some others.

Symphony, the

aka the "True Symphony"

symphony (-ies)

What demons have, aka "personal symphony"

talisman(s)

target number

Rarely and unofficially "TN"; expand unless you have explicit permission to do otherwise.

Tether(s)

See the Liber Castellorum for Tether-specific terms.

Toughness

In the format of "Toughness: +2" - only 2 levels, max, and only for humans.

Trauma, Traumatized

triad(s)

of Judgment

Triad(s)

of the Asian Mafia

undead

Both plural and singular - "an undead"

vampire(s)

vessel(s)

aka corporeal vessels; in the format Vessel/1; only non-mortals get to have vessels. Vessels cannot be traded among Servitors.

the War

Referencing the battle between Heaven and Hell, or Baal's Word

Word

Word-bound

Do not use "Worded."

*zombi(s)

Not zombie

Some notes on general style

Read the SJ Games general style guide. I repeat: READ THE SJ GAMES GENERAL STYLE GUIDE. This is not a suggestion, it is a necessity. Print it out, sleep with it under your pillow, and refer to it early and often. We have received a great deal of material from authors who had obviously not read the style guide, and we don't want any more in the future. The stylesheet you are reading now is supplementary; reading this will not take the place of reading the SJ Games style guide.

DO NOT capitalize section or chapter heads. We can capitalize them if necessary, but to remove capitals requires retyping the words. Capital letters should only be used for emphasis in a section that is already bold italic (such as a pullquote).

DO NOT put spaces between paragraphs, or between headers and body text. Use empty lines only as required by the Coding Guide - before and after boxed text and pullquotes; when switching from TEXT-HANG/TEXT-BOXHANG to regular TEXT/TEXT-BOX or vice versa; when following vignettes.

Try to avoid stacking one header directly on top of another. We do this with character names, but usually it looks awkward, particularly if a B-, C-, and D-head are stacked in a pile of three headers.

Skills and Songs

When describing skills in a character writeup, the format is as follows:

Skill/Level (Specialty, if any)

as in:

Knowledge/4 (Nuclear Physics), Small Weapon/2 (Knife), etc.

There are a number of skills that DO NOT exist by themselves, that MUST have a specialty listed after them. They include:

• Artistry
• Knowledge
• Languages
• Large Weapon
• Ranged Weapon
• Small Weapon
• Survival

The skill listing, "Large Weapon/3" is meaningless. The large weapon must be specified (and no, we haven't defined the possible categories). Some examples would be Sword, Spear, Club, Chainsaw, Chrysler Building (for a sufficiently strong character), etc.

Oddly enough, Driving as written on p. 74 of In Nomine does not need a specialty. Cars, trucks, and motorcycles are covered, though. Exotic vehicles would probably require a specialty. (Driving/# (Piloting), for instance.)

If a character has more than one specialty of the same skill, format it thusly:

Skill (Specialty One/Level, Specialty Two/Level, Specialty Three/Level)

Gene's example was:

Ranged Weapon (Chrysler Building/1, Wienermobile/3, My Ego/7)

(However, skills do not go above 6! We'll make an exception for Gene's ego . . . )

Songs, on the other hand, are formatted thusly:

Name (Plane/Level)

as in:

Healing (Celestial/6), Attraction (Corporeal/2, Ethereal/1), Numinous Corpus (Claws/1, Fangs/5), Light (Corporeal/4), Motion (All/1), etc.

Order is "Song (Corporeal, Ethereal, Celestial)."

Two exceptions:

The Song of Thunder, while considered Corporeal for game purposes (IN, p. 84), cuts across all three planes so is listed simply as:

Thunder/Level - Thunder/3, or Thunder/6, or whatever.

(As are all other Songs, such as Possession, that have only one "version".)

The family of Numinous Corpus Songs (p. 82) may be listed by type (especially if the character has only one or two), as in:

Fangs/3, Tongue/1, Horns/5, etc.

I know we've already published character writeups here and there where these rules haven't been followed. Pointing that out will win you no friends here, but if anyone spots one that could be passed on to the Errata Coordinator (also see the page for In Nomine errata), that would be helpful.

The In Nomine style for page references in other books is, in parentheses, the common full name of the book (without subtitles or cycle numbers) in bold italic, comma in bold italic, p., space, the page number. Do not use the word "See" at the front. Examples:

(Fall of the Malakim, p. 00)
(Infernal Player's Guide, p. 00)
(Night Music, p. 00)

Note that the p. 00 (or p. 111, or whatever!) has a space after the "p." and before the numeral! If you know the page number for the book in question, insert it. Use p. 00 for same-book references, and as a placeholder for page numbers you don't know.

For page numbers in the same book, use "(see p. 00)," or, when appropriate, "(see box on p. 00)." When refering to a specific section, italicize the name of the section: "(see Superior Opinions, p. 00)." For a reference that spans multiple pages, the format is "pp. 00-00."

(As a note, use "p. 00" with two zeros for all unknown page refs. Do not use "p. XX" or "p. OO" with capital O's.)

When doing a Seneschal, the format is thus (where CAPITAL LETTERS are being used to designate a variable. DO NOT put the variable itself in all caps!):

Word-bound Seneschal:

@C-Head:NAME
@D-Head:Seneschal of TETHER'S NAME,
@D-Head:CHOIR/BAND TITLE of WORD

Attuned Seneschal:

@C-Head:NAME
@D-Head:CHOIR/BAND TITLE of WORD
[stuff]
Attunements: [stuff], Seneschal (attuned to TETHER'S NAME)

General Character format:

@C-Head:NAME
[if Word-bound] @D-Head: Angel/Demon/Seneschal of WORD/TETHER'S NAME
@D-Head:CHOIR/BAND TITLE of WORD

If no distinctions, then "Title" is either "Servitor" or absent (if in good standing)

For Renegade and Outcasts, the last D-head reads:

Renegade/Outcast CHOIR/BAND TITLE of WORD.

Again, if no Distinctions, "title" is either "Servitor" or absent.

For those in service to someone, the last D-Head reads:

CHOIR/BAND TITLE of WORD in service to NAME

Again, if no Distinctions, "title" is either "Servitor" or absent.

The rest of the character sheet should be in this format (those are tabs after all the numbers):

@BODY:Vignette, if any.
@IN STATS:Corporeal Forces - #     Strength #     Agility #
@IN STATS:Ethereal Forces - #     Intelligence #     Precision #
@IN STATS:Celestial Forces - #     Will #     Perception #
@BODY:Vessel(s): Vessel1/# (gender/description [e.g., "female" or "old
lady"]), Charisma +/-# (type) [if any Charisma and if any "type"];
Vessel2/# (gender/description), Charisma +/-# (type); [etc.]
[If there is only one vessel, leave off the "(s)"]
@BODY:Role(s): "Name," [if any] Role Title1/#, Status/#; "Name," Role
Name2/#, Status/#; [etc., making sure that if Roles are attached to a
vessel, this is obvious. If there is only one Role, leave off the "(s)"]
@BODY:Skills: [etc.]
@BODY:Songs: [etc.]
@BODY:Attunements: CHOIR/BAND SINGULAR of WORD, [etc], any
Distinctions.
@BODY:Malakite Oaths: [if Malakite; a Malakite will have oaths!  If
he does not, he needs to.]
@BODY:Discord: [if any; a CALABITE will have Discord!  If he does
not, he needs to.]
@BODY:Artifacts: [if any]
@BODY:Special Rites: [if any]
@BODY:Special Ability (-ies): [if any; these are where "cute
abilities" of the Word-bound should probably go]
@BODY:   [a blank line, with only the tag!]
@BODY:The Rest Of The Description.

A comment on usage of words, titles, and group-names:

Do NOT come up with elegant names which cross over with already-defined IN-usages! It's happened at least twice (both times before I had full control), and it's caused problems both times. So don't do it, because the next time it happens, I will prune it.

Some useages noted from various non-canon places (some of which may become canon in the future; canon ones noted with a *):

"The Horde"

The opposite to the Host; "I bet we get alternate panty-raids from the Host and the Horde in IOU dorms."

"Halos"

A synonym for angels, used by demons

Things to call Servitors:

Blandine/Dreams

Dreamer(s), Dreamie(s)

David/Stone

Davidian(s)*, Stonie(s) (could crop up in canon as an insulting term), Delvers*, Trogs*

Dominic/Judgment

Dominican(s)*, Judge(s)*, Judgmenter(s)* (or merely poker-spines)

Eli/Creation

Creationer(s), Eliite(s)

Gabriel/Fire

Gabrielite(s)

Janus/the Wind

Windy(-ies)

Jean/Lightning

Jeanite(s), Sparkie(s)

Jordi/Animals

Jordian(s)

Laurence/the Sword

Laurencian(s)*, Laurentine(s)*, Sword-bearers*, Swordie(s) (or poker-spines) (Swordie could be used in canon as an insulting term.)

Michael/War

Michaelite(s)*, Michaline(s), Warrior(s)*. Berserkers*, Axemen*, Fighters* (uncommon).

Novalis/Flowers

Flowerchildren, Flowers

Yves/Destiny

Yvites*

Andrealphus/Lust

Lustie(s)*, Andrealphan(s)*, Andrealphite(s)*, Andrean(s), Andreite(s)

Asmodeus/the Game

Asmodean(s), Gamester(s), (and spooks, spies, or other unflattering things)

Baal/the War

Warrior(s), Baalite(s) (yes, "Warrior" is potentially confusing . . . )

Beleth/Nightmares

Belethian(s)

Belial/Fire

Haagenti/Gluttony

Glutton(s)*, Haagentian(s)*, Gobbler(s)*

Kobal/Dark Humor

Joker(s)*, Jester(s)*, Comedian(s)*, Kobalite(s)*

Kronos/Fate

Malphas/Factions

Factioner(s), Malphan(s)

Nybbas/the Media

Nybbytes*, Nybbasians*, Fakers*

Saminga/Death

Samingan(s)

Valefor/Theft

Thief/Thieves

Vapula/Technology

Vapulan(s), Technologist(s), Techie(s)

Lilith/Freedom

Lilim (well, often . . . ), the Free (again, almost exclusively applied to Lilim), the Sisterhood (Lilim again)

Some slang for characters or mostly in-character comments.

Seraph(im)/Balseraph(s)

snake(s), six-eyes (derogatory, either way)

Malaki(te/m)

black-wing(s) (casual, often used by demons)

Mercurian(s)

fluff-wing(s) (usually derogatory)

Lilim

greenie(s) (derogatory)

Format for Quotes, Pullquotes/flavorquotes, and boxes.

Legacy formatting, kept for those who might have trouble using the WYSIWYG template

Quotes are used for paragraphs in italics - it is more efficient in layout. The format is:

@QUOTE:"The text of the quote, with a new tag for every paragraph of it.
(Use quotation marks unless the quotation is a poem.)"
@QUOTE: <\#208> The Attribution
(that's a tab in front of the dash-code, and a space after the dash-code)
@BODY:            [this is a blank line]

Pullquotes/flavorboxes are formatted thusly:

[A completely blank line, with no tags.]
@PULLQUOTE:The quote.
(DO NOT use quotation marks around pullquotes.
You may use them within pullquotes to denote conversation.)
@PULLQUOTE:  <\#208> Attribution
(that's a tab in front of the dash-code, and a space after the dash-code)
[Another completely blank line, with no tags]

Boxes are formatted thusly:

[A completely blank line, with no tags.]
@SB-HEAD:The Title Of The Box
@SB-BODY:A paragraph.
@SB-BODY:Another paragraph, etc.
[Another completely blank line, with no tags.]

Quarkcode trivia:

The "fnord codes" (the stuff in angle brackets) will NOT insert any spaces. If you have a case where you have a colon, for instance, you must insert the space after the colon and formatting tag.

E.g., in Superior Opinions:

<B>Blandine:<B> Blandine's Opinion Here

At one point, the Line Editor thought there was an error in this file. If you can find it and bring it to her attention, the Djinn Princess of Nitpicking will send you a Rite.