The Path of Transformation
By Deirdre Brooks.
Modified By: Darrell Benvenuto (benvenut@qcunixacc.qc.edu)
This path allows the Kindred to manipulate his or her own appearance
through actual changes to the physical body. The Aura, however, remains
unchanged, and those with Auspex that know the Kindred's Aura (and are
well-learned enough to know that no two auras are exactly alike) can still
identify the Kindred. It is rumored that there are ways to use this path upon
others, both Kindred and Kine, but it is no doubt a tightly-held secret.
* The Magus can permanently alter her own skin and hair
color (including new hair, grown later with this path or the more commonly
known ritual of Rebirth of Mortal Vanity), with the expenditure of a point of
Willpower.
** Facial features, hair length and style can be altered at
this level. Baldness can be cured. Expends a point of Willpower.
*** Appearance can be raised or lowered to a maximum of 5
and a minimum of 0. Skin texture can be altered. Scars, the effects of Skin
Diseases and similar problems can be added or removed. Requires an extended
Wits + Medicine roll for a total of 3 successes against a difficulty of 7,
with the Expenditure of a Willpower point for each roll.
**** Allows alteration of internal organs and surrounding
flesh. Can provide a full sex change, removal of the effects of diseases,
cancers, etc. Alternately, they can be induced as part of a disguise.
Severe flesh wounds can be healed by closing and reshaping the flesh in the
damaged region (a roll of Wits + Medicine is required, and the number
of successes is the number of wound levels healed). Internal bleeding
can be stopped or started. Tissue can be converted to or from fat. Muscle
tissue can be added or subtracted by shifting it from other areas, up to
a maximum of one Strength Attribute dot per fifty pounds (2.5 stone) that
the Magus weighs. This level requires the expenditure of two Willpower
points.
***** Bone alteration is now possible. The Magus can now heal
or inflict spinal problems, including severed spinal cords and the effects of bone diseases. Height can also be modified; the Magus can shift bone
tissue into other areas and alter height or width by as much as two feet in
any direction. Note that mass remains constant; a thin, 100 pound (5
stone) Kindred who made himself/herself look like a professional bodybuilder
would still only weigh 100 pounds.
The Path of the Traveller
By Deirdre Brooks
Modified By: Darrell Benvenuto (benvenut@qcunix.acc.qc.edu)
This path allows Magi to travel more quickly. In no event does it allow
for extra actions, save those instances where circumstance and the
Storyteller dictate that it does. The Magus can not be encumbered beyond
light clothing while using these abilities, especially the higher-level ones.
* This allows the Magus to move (run) at thrice normal speed.
It requires the expenditure of a blood point and a Willpower roll
(difficulty 6). The effect lasts for approximately ten minutes.
** At this level, the Magus can perform an unnaturally
quick sidestep, allowing dodges to be performed as though heavy cover were
nearby. This sidestep will take the Magus no more than 6 feet, at most,
from his original location. Use of this ability expends a blood point.
*** The Magus can now move (run) at ten times normal speed.
This costs two full blood points, and lasts only ten minutes.
**** The Magus has achieved the first level of true power in
this path, and can Teleport instantly up to 100 feet distant, within his line
of sight. There must be no intervening barriers which would stop the
passage of air. To normal cameras and eyes, the Magi simply disappears with a
sharp, cracking sound as air rushes in to fill the space he
occupied. Stop-motion photography would reveal that the Magus turned
into a blurred, dark form that darted with incredible rapidity, captured in
only one high-speed film frame, in the direction of his destination.
***** The Magus is now a master of this path, and can use
it to Teleport instantly to any spot on the planet or, depending on his
Generation, beyond, with a range of approximately twenty thousand miles
minus (Generation x 1,000 miles). When teleporting, a Wits + Survival roll
must be made, against a difficulty, and with Blood Point costs, as listed
below:
| Range | Blood | Difficulty Mod
|
| 20 Miles | 2 BP | +0 No Modifier
|
| 200 Miles | 4 BP | +1 Difficult
|
| 2000 Miles | 6 BP | +2 Very Hard
|
| 20000 Miles | 10 BP | +3 Straining
|
| Difficulty | Location
|
| 6 | One's own, well-known Haven
|
| 7 | Visited 3+ times, well-known
|
| 8 | Visited once
|
| 9 | Described in explicit detail
|
| 10 | Only have a photograph
|
If a difficulty raises above 10 with a Modifier, it cannot be
accomplished, and the Magus is very likely to emerge explosively in a solid
surface, dying instantly. Willpower Points cannot be spent to achieve
automatic successes in this instance, as the circumstances are wholly beyond
control.
The ritual of Casting Thy Sight is an excellent companion to this path, as
by thoroughly examining the area through the use of such Scrying Magic, one
can lower the difficulty to that of a well-known, visited three or more
times location.
The Path of Inner Silence
By Bryan Rendell, for his re-work of the Assamite Clan.
Modified By: Darrell Benvenuto (benvenut@qcunix.acc.qc.edu)
In understanding our awareness of reality, we appreciate the fact that
there is no gap between ourselves and our perceptions. To speak of a notion
such as pain, we must speak of experiencing pain, for this is exactly what
pain is. However, Practitioners of the path of Inner Silence can achieve a
dualism in their perceptions, inserting a gap between their experiences and
themselves while still maintaining both. Whether this path actually achieves
this end or simulates the effect in another manner is a matter of debate.
On a practical level, when this path is learned as a Primary Discipline, as is
the path of Blood Thaumaturgy, the powers operate as described below. However,
if the path is learned separately, as other paths are, then the Magus must
make a Willpower roll and spend a Blood Point for each use.
Frequent use of this power will reduce Humanity! This fact seems to suggest
that there is not the separation of mind and body that this path is meant
to accomplish, but a different effect being performed. What, though, has
yet to be determined.
* Silence of the Lower Senses:
At this base level, the path enables the disjunction of the
practitioner from the senses of taste, smell and touch. While
still fully aware of the perceptions of these senses, they are
also distant and unconnected, as though belonging to someone
else. Any effects caused by these sensations are muted by the
degree of distance the Magus can achieve.
System: The Thaumaturge rolls Perception + Meditation against a
difficulty of 8 to determine the duration and extent of
the effect. Each success results in a duration of 1
minute. Each success will also result in a difficulty
shift or a dice pool alteration for all experiences
affecting the senses of taste, smell and touch. Thus the
difficulty of Frenzy rolls inspired by wounds or by the
taste or smell of blood, as well as wound penalties from
injuries, are decreased by the number of successes
attained. Note that these are only two examples of
possible effects. The Storyteller must judge other cases
that might also arise.
** Silence of the Higher Senses:
This level of ability is greatly similar to Silence of the Lower
Senses, but affects sight and hearing as well.
System: Roll, difficulty and duration of effect are similar to
Silence of the Lower Senses. Possible examples of use
include increasing the difficulty of Rotschreck and Frenzy
rolls. An interesting effect of this power is the
ability to see through a number of levels of Obfuscate
equal to the number of successes achieved.
*** Silence of the Unconscious Mind:
This level of ability is greatly similar to Silence of the Higher
Senses, but affects the subconscious as well.
System: Roll, difficulty and duration of effect are similar to
Silence of the Unconscious Mind. This power primarily
affects the acquisition and effect of derangements. As
derangements are largely role played, the Storyteller
must judge the degree to which the Derangement can be
ignored based on the number of successes achieved. In
the case of acquisition of Derangements from botched
Humanity, Frenzy and Rotschreck rolls, the successes
gained with this power is the number of botches that can
be ignored, with the removal of all botches resulting in
no Derangements being gained. This power can also be
used to see through Obfuscate in the manner of Silence of
the Higher Senses. These two effects are cumulative.
**** Silence of the Conscious Mind
This level of ability is identical to Silence of the Lower
Senses, but affects the Conscious Mind. The question of how the
Consciousness can separate itself from itself is a troublesome
one, and has led into discussion on the nature of the mind/brain
interface, and whether one is the copy of the other... whether
the tabula rasa, or blank tablet, of the soul mimics the
development of the brain, and consciousness arises from both
segments, or whether they are already separate, but that copy
which is the soul is simply not being used. Regardless of the
cause, the power works quite well.
System: Roll, difficulty and duration of effect are similar to
Silence of the Lower Senses. This power's effect comes
into play in subtracting successes from any Dominate or
Presence Discipline rolls if used against the Magus,
ignoring wound penalties that do not physically prevent
the body from moving (i.e., legs blown off), and
subtracting from the difficulties of Frenzy and
Rotschreck rolls. Note that the effects which duplicate
those of earlier powers are cumulative with the use of
Silence of the Lower and Higher senses.
Silence of the Conscious Mind largely reflects a disjunction of
the character from the present, while Silence of the Unconscious
Mind is a disjunction from the past. Once again, the Storyteller
must make judgement on individual cases.
***** Silence of the Spirit:
At this ultimate level of the path, the thaumaturge can divorce
herself from her soul, and the power that Animates her
as a Kindred. While this power requires the judgement of the
Storyteller as to the effect of this, there are two particular
effects that need discussion; the ability of the Kindred to
achieve Final Death at will, and the effect on her Humanity.
System: Roll, difficulty and duration of effect (where
applicable) are similar to Silence of the Lower Senses.
If the Kindred so desires, and achieves 4 successes on
the roll, she can expire on the spot as her soul
departs her body. Why she may wish to do so may vary;
she may be being held, awaiting horrible tortures and
then death, and it is better to end her life there and
then before she reveals secrets under torture that are
best kept in the dark.
The Path of Aeolus
By Trey and Rob Greene
Modified By: Darrell Benvenuto (benvenut@qcunix.acc.qc.edu)
This path deals with the summoning up of mist and fog to shroud oneself
and/or an area, as well as certain unusual means of melding with the
magically suspended water vapors. The use of a level of this path costs, as
usual, 1 Blood Point and a Willpower roll is required.
* Summon the Fog:
The Magus's vision will be unhindered by the mist, but all
others must halve their perception rolls. In an odd way, the
Magus mentally "feels" about himself with the fog.
System: A Blood Point of Energy must be expended and a Willpower
roll is required. Note that the difficulty of the
Willpower roll will range from 4 if the Kindred is upon
or near a large body of water (Pond, Lake, Bay, Ocean),
through 5 if it rained recently and the ground is wet,
all the way up to 10 in a dry, arid desert, where the
moisture will have to be pulled from far beneath the
surface of the Earth. Performing the path near a large
body of water also automatically moves the effect level
(below) up by one.
The area the fog will cover is dependent upon the number
of successes rolled by the Magus on a simple (Number of
levels in path + Occult) roll:
| Successes | Result
|
| 1 | A hazy fog that covers approximately 20 sq. ft.
|
| 2 | A soft fog covering an area a city block in size.
|
| 3 | A small neighborhood is enshrouded in soft fog.
|
| 4 | A large neighborhood is enshrouded in soft fog.
|
| 5 | A small city, or a large city if near a
river.
|
** Summon Chilling Fog:
As above, but in addition the mist is creepy and unnerving (-1 to
Willpower and +1 to Frenzy rolls). This costs an extra Blood
Point's worth of Vitae to summon forth.
*** Shroud of Fog:
In the fog, the Magus moves silently and is effectively
invisible. Other Magii with this path can also use the fog for
this purpose, without the original summoner knowing it.
**** Silent Fog:
When this level of the path is exercised, the fog will grow
thicker and more cloying. Sounds will only travel for a distance
of four feet or so. The effective range of Protean level I,
Gleam of the Red Eyes, will be reduced to only around ten feet or
so. Mortals may panic. This is an unnatural condition, and if
used in a City, should be considered a possible Breach of the
Masquerade.
***** Become as one with the Fog:
At this level of mastery of the path, the Magus can become
invisible and semi-etheral, floating within the fog. While in
this form, the Magus benefits from four automatic soak dice
(non-aggravated only) and gains the ability to walk on water.
The Path of the Quickening Mind
By Harcourt Falconet
Modified By: Darrell Benvenuto (benvenut@qcunix.acc.qc.edu)
This path is one of the most jealously guarded bits of knowledge around.
It allows, at its upper levels, for the complete integration of dozens of
years worth of study into one's mind in an instant, granting the Kindred
that possesses it the ability to absorb the knowledge of the ages without
picking up a single book. The potential, as one can imagine, is astounding.
* Speed Reading:
This requires neither the expediture of Blood energy nor a
Willpower roll, merely a roll of Intelligence + Linguistics
against a difficulty of 4. The more successes, the more quickly
the book has been read. The total time, of course, depends on
the size and complexity of the book.
** Shelve the Mind:
One blood point must be spent to empower this ability, which
grants Eidetic Recall as per the Merit, granting the Kindred
complete and perfect recall of everything she ever experienced
or learned on any given subject, no matter how many years ago.
The number of successes rolled on a (Intelligence + rank in this
path) roll against a difficulty of 6 determines the number of
days for which that ability lasts. All information received
within this time is retained in perfect detail. After this
period elapses, if more blood is not used, then the detail will
begin to fade, leaving the thaumaturgist with her "standard"
memories or perhaps just a little better refreshed for the
experience. Of course, most Magii will attempt to keep this
level active at all times; it's a fantastic help when it comes
to learning!
*** Illuminating Touch:
By simply touching or holding a book, the Magus gains instant
knowledge of all that is in it, provided it is written in a
language she understands. This requires a blood point to use
and an (Intelligence + rank in this path) roll against a
difficulty of 7, the number of successes determining the
knowledge received:
| Successes | Result
|
| 1 | The general subject matter and topics
|
| 2 | Basic recall of the outlines, with little detail
|
| 3 | Basic recall of everything, with great detail
|
| 4 | Complete, Eidetic Recall is possible
|
| 5 | Complete, Eidetic Recall and full
understanding
|
It is rumored that this path level can be used to retrieve
information from Digital Storage mediums as well but it must
be a specifically tailored variant of the path, as most Kindred
who try cannot accomplish this fact.
**** Embrace the Store of Knowledge:
This level of the path functions in the same manner as level 3,
but may be used on large amounts of books simultaneously, such as
in a library. All works to be scanned must be within line of
sight of the Magus, but she is free to move about if necessary.
A blood point must be spent each turn to maintain the flow of
information. The number of turns required is determined by the
Magus's roll of Intelligence + Linguistics against a difficulty
of 8 every turn until a net amount of successes have accrued,
according to the size of the library.
| Successes Required | Size of Library
|
| 3 | Small box of books
|
| 6 | Single bookcase
|
| 5 | Small bookshop or home library
|
| 25-50 | Large bookshop or College library
|
| 70-90 | County or large University library
|
| 200+ | National Library (Library of Congress)
|
***** Reveal Scribe's Works:
At this extreme level of mastery of this path, the thaumaturgist
can retrieve information from anywhere within a 10' Radius as per
levels 3 and 4, but the volumes or scrolls do not have to be
within sight. Furthermore, this includes all written or printed
mediums, such as scrolls, books and handwritten materials. The
thaumaturgist need not necessarily understand the information,
but can quote or copy it out with Eidetic precision. Two blood
points need to be expended and an Intelligence + Linguistics roll
made to determine the accuracy of the Recall.
The Path of Luminescence
By Trey
Modified By: Darrell Benvenuto (benvenut@qcunix.acc.qc.edu)
This path deals with the generation of light. This light is a soft
greenish-white or bluish-white in color, and generates no heat. The light
must be cast upon an area, and will be sourceless to any observers. To use
this path requires the expenditure of a Blood Point and a Willpower roll
against a base difficulty of the level of the path to be used + 3.
Each success indicates that the effect will last for ten minutes. To use a
level of this path that is two levels or less than your total level of Mastery
of this path does not require the expenditure of a Blood Point.
| * | A small room | 100 sq. ft.
|
| ** | A large room or a small house | 1,000 sq. ft.
|
| *** | A large house or small building | 10,000 sq. ft.
|
| **** | A large building or other area | 100,000 sq. ft.
|
| ***** | A football stadium or other area | 1,000,000 sq. ft.
|
At level 5, the Magus can alternatively choose to focus a
projected burst of light from his or her hands that can
temporarily blind Kindred and Kine in a small area (100 sq. ft.,
Target(s) must be facing the Magus). The Magus must roll a
Contest of Wits + Alertness with a Base difficulty of 6 against
the Target's roll of Stamina + Alertness against the same
difficulty. The Target's successes take away from the Magii's.
If there is a positive value left, it is the number of minutes the
Target will be blinded. Double this amount if the Target was
using Auspex to enhance their vision. While blinded, the Target
cannot make use of the Protean Discipline's Gleam of the Red Eyes,
Dominate or any Auspex level pertaining to Vision (Aura Sight).
The Path of the Blood Rose
By Aimee Cohen
(mbkqc@qcunix.acc.qc.edu)
Modified By: Darrell Benvenuto (benvenut@qcunix.acc.qc.edu)
Due to the Complexity of this path, it cannot be learned by
Kindred who are less than level 3, or preferably 4, in Blood
Thaumaturgy.
This path involves the use and application of a combination of
mortal and Kindred Vitae, the Kindred Vitae specifically having
been drawn from those lower than Tenth Generation, and "Pure" red
roses. A practitioner of this path grows more and more adept in
the making and use of these mixtures to imbue certain crystals
with reserves of life energy, as well as to enhance Kindred
abilities.
Those who would walk this path must cultivate or procure a strain
of rose that is only found in England and on the Northeastern
American Seaboard, watering them with distilled water that has
been mixed with a few drops of mortal Vitae. Once the roses bloom
fully, the Magus must harvest them and crush their petals in a
mortar and pestle, wetting them with a precise dmixture of
Kindred and mortal Vitae (approximately ten crushed roses per pint
(point) of Vitae) while murmuring a complex incantation in Latin.
Once the roses and blood are completely combined into a muddy
paste, they are set aside in a dark niche and allowed to rest for
five nights. During this time the mixture will become crumbly and
dried.
Once the five nights have passed, the dried mixture (known as Los
Negro Rojas [nay-grow row-hoss]) can be wetted with mortal Blood
(thus activating it) and used in the Casting of numerous rituals.
| Level | Description
|
| * | Allows the manufacture of Los Negro Rojas.
|
| ** | Allows the use of level 3 Blood Rose rituals.
|
| *** | Allows the use of level 4 Blood Rose rituals.
|
| **** | Allows the use of level 5 Blood Rose rituals.
|
| ***** | Allows the Master of this path to add other forms
of Vitae to the mixtures, including animal, Faerie,
Garou and Demon. Experimentation at this level can
lead to fascinating results, especially with Vitae
of creatures of the Umbra. Some objects formed with
such corrupted Vitae seem almost self-aware.
|
The Path of Nature's Touch
By Dark Whisper
for the Avengers of Diedne Bloodline
Modified By: Darrell Benvenuto (benvenut@qcunix.acc.qc.edu)
This path is unique, and provides a great deal of insight into the true
nature of that which is Vampirism. Somewhat akin to the Hermetic path of
Elemental Mastery, it concerns connecting the thaumaturge to Nature,
allowing communication and control over living plants and lower life forms.
It does not allow control over or communication with organic materials that
are no longer alive (leather). Kindred who are afflicted with the Flaw that
Living plants will wither in their presence cannot, sadly, work this path.
* The Voice of the Mother:
This level of the path allows the Magus to receive impressions
from plants, insects and low forms of life (worms, spiders, etc).
Although these creatures are not sentient, by interpreting the
impressions from a number of plants and creatures in an area, a
Magus can gain an idea of what took place recently, or, in a
densely populated place like a forest, what is happening
elsewhere in the forest. Note that plants such as trees do not
notice a great deal of what does not intimately concern them
(fire, trees being cut down, etc). Use of this level of the path
does not require a Blood Point. Drastic events taking place in
densely crowded areas of vegetation such as forests can be
communicated throughout the length and breadth of the region,
from plant to plant.
System: The Magus rolls Wits + Linguistics against a difficulty
of 7 to see if she can properly interpret the
impressions that the surrounding plants and lower life
forms are giving off. The more successes, the more that
can be understood, ranging from brief flashes of
disconnected concepts to a fairly clear impression of
what has recently happened or is happening within the
domain of these life forms.
** The Mother's Influence
This level of Mastery of the path gives the Magus limited control
over plants and lower life forms. By channeling his or her own
potent life force through the expenditure of Blood Points, the
Magus can cause vines to snake around opponents' limbs or direct
swarms of insects at targets or areas. The life forms to be
controlled must be in the immediate vicinity of the Magus (15 -
Generation x 10'). The control lasts for approximately ten
minutes, after which another Blood Point must be spent. Note
that vines are not very strong unless in large numbers (figure 1
Strength dot per every 2 vines wrapped around an opponent); so
unless one is near an ivy-covered wall, a Kindred or strong Kine
could easily rip them apart. In addition, swarms of stinging
insects may be horrifying and potentially lethal to Kine, but are
a mere annoyance to Kindred. However, this ability comes in very
handy in a variety of situations.
System: The Magus makes a Willpower roll versus a difficulty of 6
and expends a Blood Point to use the path level. Then
she makes a Manipulation + Survival roll versus a
difficulty of 7. The more successes gained on the roll,
the more control the thaumaturgist gains over the plants
or creatures she is attempting to influence (they must
be within line of sight), ranging from being able to make
a vine slowly creep towards a target at an inch a minute,
or one or two insects to obey a limited directive, to
having a great number of vines leap from a wall and
entangle a target, or a large swarm of insects, as from a
nearby wasp nest, will rush to obey.
*** Call to Arms:
At this level of Mastery, the Magus gains two abilities. She can
summon lower life forms from a distance to serve her will,
and has gained enough control over plant life to enable her to bond them into new forms. Thus, a Magus can draw on the
plant life around herself and create a Wall of Thorns, or a new
form of plant. There must be enough living organic material
around the Magus to create the form; if done properly, the form
will be able to exist, and will not die out over time. Extreme
caution should be used while exercising this ability, as a new
form of plant life may be too aggressive for the local
environment to handle, and it may soon supplant other plants. It
is highly recommended that new plant life created be created (a)
sterile, and (b) without the ability to grow unchecked. Beyond
these restrictions, the Magus can experiment freely.
System: There are two systems, one for summoning lower life forms
and another for manipulating and bonding plants. Each
requires a Willpower roll against a difficulty of 6 and
the expenditure of two blood points.
To summon lower forms of life, the Magus must make a
Charisma + Survival roll against a Base difficulty of 6
(or lower/higher, depending on the area and scarcity of
creatures -- it's easier to summon large quantities of
insects in a jungle than it is in the scorched heat of a
desert). The number of successes rolled determines the
number of beings that will show up, as well as from how
far they will come to answer the Magus's call. It may
also, at the Storyteller's discretion, represent the
amount of control the Magus has over the summoning (i.e.,
she wishes to summon only wasps, not all flying insects).
The summoning will be "heard" approximately 500 yards
distant per success. All lower forms of life that are
summoned will respond to the call.
To bond plants, the Magus rolls Manipulation + Survival.
The number of successes indicates how well the bonding
has occurred (three successes indicates a fully stable
construct), as well as how large the form may be. This
power will never make a plant intelligent, nor can it
force a plant to perform instinctive actions that it
would not have before the bonding (i.e., trying to turn a
Rose into a Venus Fly Trap).
**** Becoming One with Nature:
This level of mastery of the path is somewhat similar with the
Protean Discipline's Earth Meld, in that she who has achieved it
may sink into the Earth. However, the Magus may also enter into
other organic plant forms that are large enough to hold her (a
large tree). This form must be solid, and cannot have spaces
(such as bushes). This melding takes approximately a minute, as
does exiting the melded form.
System: The Magus expends two blood points of energy and makes a
Stamina + Survival roll against a difficulty of 7. If
she is successful, she begins to meld with the Earth or
plant form. The downside of this is that any damage
taken by the plant form will also be taken by the
thaumaturgist; it's easy to perish in a forest fire.
***** The Stream of Life:
This power allows the thaumaturgist to draw upon the life force
of a plant or lower life form to replenish her own life
force and heal herself. This level may effectively be used to
help the Master of this path replenish her Blood Pool.
Note that this ability touches very closely upon the true nature
of Kindred; they exist as parasites, by consuming the life-force
of others. There is no need to consume it via the coarse medium
of Blood; it can be taken directly from living creatures through
the use of Blood Thaumaturgy level 4, or from living plants using
this level of The path of Nature's Touch. Note that any lower
life form, not just plants, can be used, including insects and
bacteria. Though there is not much life essence in bacteria,
draining it away effectively stops growth, killing the bacteria.
Extensive use of this utmost level wreaks changes in the Kindred.
The skin, normally a pale white or sallow color, becomes suffused
with a faint green tint, slowly darkening to a mottled green/grey
and brown over the course of a century or so. After this
century-long change, the Magus feels a strong attachment to the
forest, and will rarely, if ever, leave it. Forest and nature
spirits will come at the Magus's call as though commanded by the
path of Spirit Thaumaturgy, and animals will have no fear of the
Magus whatsoever. Indeed, they will act to protect her if
she is threatened.
The thaumaturgist can draw from the life force of all forms of
plants, from flowers to extensive, mile-long branching root
networks and towering redwood trees. The Magus deals one point
of damage to the target plant for every point of energy taken; that's not a
big deal for giant trees such as redwoods, but smaller plants
will become sickly and even die if more than half of their life
force is removed.
General Guide
| 1 Blood Point | 20 fresh flowers/Beehive
|
| 2 Blood Points | Large hedge or Bed of Ivy
|
| 4 Blood Points | Small tree
|
| 6 Blood Points | Mid-sized tree
|
| 8 Blood Points | Large tree
|
| 10 Blood Points | 100 sq. ft. of Jungle
|
| 20 Blood Points | Giant sequoia (redwood)
|
System: The Magus rolls (Stamina + Survival), and will gain one
blood point per success, at the cost of one Health Level
of damage to the form that she is draining.
The Path of Dreams
By Crowley (RPG118@uriacc.uri.edu)
Modified By: Darrell Benvenuto (benvenut@qcunix.acc.qc.edu)
This path requires the target(s) to be asleep. This is normally not a
problem, as most mortals sleep while the Cainites stalk the World. It
requires that the Magus either be able to see the target (scrying
works) or know approximately where she is. The Magus will pass into
a deep, trance-like state upon commencing use of this path, and will
not awaken unless physically disturbed. Only one level of this path
can be used a night, but the dreams of several people can be entered,
so long as the caster has the appropriate number of blood points in
his pool to expend.
| Level | Effect
|
| * | At this level of ability, the Magus can enter the dreams of
others, and observe what they are dreaming of. The Magus
cannot interact in any way with anything, or be noticed by
the dream's inhabitants. However, the dreamer may become
aware (get the strange feeling) that she is being watched.
The Magus must spend one Blood Point for each person's dreams
he wishes to enter. If the dreamer makes a Willpower roll
against a difficulty of 7, she gets the feeling of being
watched. The dreamer can awaken as normal.
|
| ** | The Magus can now exercise some small amount of control over
the target's dream. Specifically, the caster will normally
appear as the target's "dream lover", in whichever sex the
target finds more attractive. The direction the dream takes
(as fas as the actions of the caster is concerned) is
entirely up to the Magus. The Magus can appear as someone
else (not a lover) by making a Willpower Check against a
difficulty of 7. The Dreamer must make a Willpower roll
versus a difficulty of 8 to wake up, if the caster does not
wish her to awaken. This level of the path costs two full
blood points per target to use.
|
| *** | The Magus can now interact fully with the target's dream.
He can move items, but cannot cause any major changes. For
example, he could run and snatch someone from the path of
an oncoming train, but could not just stop the train. The
dreamer will not notice the Magus unless he makes himself
known. This level of the path costs three Blood Points of
energy per target.
|
| **** | The Magus has become so powerful in this path that he can
take several people into the same dream. The Magus must
choose the person whose dream they enter. The person whose
dream they are in will not realize that they are real people
unless the sharing is voluntary. This ability costs the Magus
3 Blood Points per person involved (excluding the Magus). If
one person is woken up, all in the link must make a Willpower
Checks vs. a difficulty of 6 to see if they awaken as well.
|
| ***** | Having achieved complete Mastery of the path, the Magus is
now in total control of the target's dream. He can alter
reality to any extent, but cannot control the actions of the
dreamer herself. The Magus must spend a full five Blood
Points to use this level of the path, and an additional three
Blood Points if he wishes damage sustained in the dream
(bruises, scrapes, burns, etc.) to be reflected
(hysterically) on the dreamer's body in the real world. The
target must make a Willpower roll against a difficulty of 9
to awaken if the Magus will not let her. Of course, the
target has to fall asleep again sometime... Damage from
wounds sustained in the dream and hysterically represented on
the dreamer's body will never exceed the -1 penalty of
Wounds, despite the severity in the dream (i.e., a dreamer
who dreamed of having her wrist slowly being cut off with a
hacksaw by a cackling tormentor would, dreaming, experience
all the pain and suffering of the event, yet upon awakening,
would only have a deep bruise on their wrist. Dreamers cannot
die in their dreams unless they are in poor health and are
frightened to death.
|
The Path of Voodoo
By Thomas Jensen (tj@hum.auc.dk)
Modified by Darrell Benvenuto (benvenut@qcunix.acc.qc.edu)
The Path of Voodoo originated in the Carribean Islands -- most Cainite
scholars point to Santa Domingo and Jamaica as likely places of origin.
This is mainly due to the regional concentration of Voodoo cults, but also
because of the way in which Voodoo affects all stages of life on the
islands; a so widespread, vital importance could not have been achieved if
the Art had not been present from the very primeval youth of the islands,
from before the petty colonial squabbles over the lush island of Santa
Domingo or the days of Toussaint L'Overture and Dessalines.
The practice of Voodoo has been greatly feared through the centuries, and
with good cause. Although many "investigators" believe they have
revealed
Voodoo to be a total hoax, in fact they have only seen the smoke screen
that was set up by the true Cainite Priests that rule the islands and
practice their dark arts.
The path of Voodoo involves using Spirits of the Dead to do one's work and
bidding. For the unwary, this path can be a dangerous one, as failure to
command the Spirits properly may very well gain the enmity of the Loa
Spirits, such as Papa Legba or Baron Samedi -- but even the hostility of a
normal spirit is a most unpleasant experience. If the Magus fails in the
use of the path, she loses a point of Willpower and furthermore gains the
enmity of an entity from the plane of the Loa. The Storyteller should
decide what kind of Spirit the would-be user offends. Note that a
high-ranking (and thus more powerful) Spirit could very well interfere
with the Magus's plans, if it judges its underlings to be unable to deal
properly with the offending Magus. Of course, the severity of the offense
is dictated by the degree of failure; a small failure would be dealt with
by a Spirit similar in power to a poltergeist -- with a correspondingly
short period of punishment -- while a horrible, botched failure will
attract the attention and wrath of one or more of the Loa.
The Path of Voodoo is very rare and is usually only possessed by Cainites
who were either members of a powerful Voodoo cult while they were
alive,
or who were embraced by a Cainite to whom the Practice of the path
would
come instead of the path of Thaumaturgy, such as the Followers of Set
and
the Serpents of the Light.
Unlike the path of Spirit Thaumaturgy, which is somewhat akin to the
Path
of Voodoo, with Voodoo, contacting the Spirit Planes comes naturally to
Kindred, as they are already attuned to the Plane of Death.
Quick Vocabulary:
| Baron Samedi | Protector of the Cemetary, Servant of Guede
|
| Bokos | Sorcerors who work for the secret Voodoo Societies
which are at times called "Red Cults" and at times
the "Black Cults." It may be that there exist two
sects which wage war on each other and it is not
always clear who is good and who is evil. Whatever
the case, the Boko is closely tied in with such
things as ritualistic murder, cannibalism and
black magick. Bokos will -- for a suitable fee --
call for the help of Baron Samedi to cast deadly
curses upon the living -- and perhaps even more
dreadful curses upon the recently deceased, as
they are the ones who can be turned into Zombies
or even worse things.
|
| Damballah | Spirit of Snakes, a source of Virility and Power
|
| Erzulie | Spirit of Love, Jealousy and Revenge
|
| Grans Bwa | Spirit of the Forest
|
| Guede | Spirit of the Dead, Lord of the Mysteries of Death
and Dark Sorcery.
|
| Mambo | A female Voodoo Priest(ess).
|
| Houmfor | Typically a temple in the deepest forests of
Haiti. The Houmfor is composed of a small building
in which the holy artifacts are kept, a room with
open walls attached to it, and finally a yard in
which the believers can gather.
|
| Houngan | A male Voodoo Priest.
|
| Papa Legba | Overlord of the Loa Spirits, the Spirit of
Communication between all Spheres, Lord of the
Ways, Lord of the Crossroads.
|
| Sobo | The Spirit of Thunder.
|
| Tonton Macoute | Haitian term for wandering sorcerors, who are
usually evil and only different from Bokos in the
way that they do not work with a cult.
|
| Veves | Magical symbols or Runes, which are specially
associated with the Loa Spirit which the Priest
wishes to Contact, Summon or Invoke.
|
* The Mark of Guede: The target of this power becomes
invisibly Marked for Death, and it is primarily the way
to prepare for more powerful Voodoo. Guede is the Loa
Spirit of the Dead and is usually the one whom Houngans
(male Voodoo priests), Mambos (female Voodoo priests) or
Bokos (the notorious, evil Voodoo priests) address when
they wish to curse someone. Papa Legba and Guede's
Acolyte Baron Samedi are also used for such purposes, as
the Opener of the Gateway and the Lord of the Cemetary,
respectively. However, when the Gateway has been opened,
the cursed character seems to attract malicious Spirits
who follow him and torment him by hindering his actions
to some degree. While these Spirits do not follow the
Marked person constantly, they show up frequently.
System: The Cainite practitioner needs three things to
use this power: A broad bladed knife, with a
serrated edge, and a handle wrapped in skin torn
from a freshly-killed animal (this knife is
sometimes known as the Ku-bha-sah), a clay
amulet engraved with the Veves (Voodoo Runes) of
Guede, which resemble a stylized image of a
white snake curling around a tombstone. The
snake is normally perceived as the Snake Loa
Damballah's mark, but it is believed that his
Veves have been mixed with that of Guede, for he
also represents Power. This Amulet must be
bound to the handle of the knife, using a
leather strap made from the skin of a
one-week-old corpse. The final ingredient are
three blood points of Cainite Vitae, which are
used to baptize the amulet and knife. If the
materials have been properly prepared and
approved by Guede, the Vitae is absorbed into
the Knife and Amulet.
The Cainite makes a Spirit Lore + Intimidation
roll (difficulty is the target's Humanity). The
number of successes indicates the number of days
that the Mark of Guede will remain effective. At
the discretion of the Storyteller, the
difficulty of rolls made by the Cursed Victim
may be raised at the appropriate moments (such
as when he is in trouble).
If the use of the Power is successful and the
Vitae is absorbed, the knife with the attached
amulet must be placed in the door, or doorway,
of the victim in order for the Spirits to find
their way to him. Note that once the Knife has
been placed, it matters not if the victim
removes it, since the spirits will already have
homed in on their target.
The level of the path of Voodoo must be used
prior to the casting of any of the ritual Curses
described below.
** Ask of the Dead: This power allows the Priest to learn
secrets from the Spirits of Dead Individuals. The
existence of this power is well known in the Carribean;
both true Voodoo worshippers and Followers of Set go to
great lengths to ensure that the corpse of any dead ally
is destroyed in such a way that nothing can be learned
from it through this method.
System: For this level of the path to work, the head of
the dead person must be relatively intact; if it
has been severely damaged, it will yield no
information. Furthermore, the person must not
have been dead for more than seven (7) days, for
according to Voodoo lore, the soul does not
leave this plane of existence until the end of
the seventh day. Until then, the Lore states, it
floats invisibly in the vicinity of the corpse,
highly vulnerable to the powers wielded by those
who know the path of Voodoo. In fact, a number
of special Voodoo amulets are available to the
families of deceased persons. It is said that if
one is buried with such an amulet, the magick of
the Voodoo Priests can never harm the deceased.
The Priest recites the Praise of Samedi and
forcibly inserts his fingers into the back of
the deceased's head as she gazes into its eyes.
The Cainite rolls (Perception + Occult) against
a Base difficulty of 7. For every second Day
beyond the first that the person has been dead,
this difficulty is raised by one. Thus, beyond
the Seventh Day, this power cannot be used.
Only two attempts can be made, one day apart.
The number of Successes gained on the roll
determines what is obtained, as follows:
| Successes | Result
|
| 1 | The Priest gains basic details about the
deceased, such as name, place of residence,
age, job, images of his closest friends, etc.
|
| 2 | Information on places where the deceased has
been is revealed, as well as the faces of
those he recently spoke with. The vision is
usually somewhat hazy -- street names and
house numbers will not appear clearly, but
the image of a building the deceased
physically entered while alive will.
|
| 3 | The Priest gains the exact location, address
and details (if known by the deceased) of
places the deceased has been up to a week
before his death, including names and facts
about people he has talked with.
|
| 4 | The Priest gains all of the above, as well as
secrets that only a very close friend to the
deceased would know.
|
| 5 | At this ultimate level of spiritual
connection (some would say rape), virtually
all that the deceased knew in life is open
and accessible to the Priest. The soul is
laid completely bare for inspection, and
anything the Priest desires to know of the
deceased is forcibly taken. The Storyteller
is advised discretion...simply because the
information is available does not mean that
Priest is able to absorb it all; something
that took the deceased years to master would
not be learned in a matter of moments.
|
*** Summon Snakes: This power allows the Priest to summon all
of the natural snakes in the vicinity. While this power
does not place the snakes under the control of the
Summoner, use of the other third level Step of this path,
Control Snakes, will. The snakes called will move toward
the place from which the Priest issued the summons, and
will move in a fairly direct line unless stopped by
obstacles. If the snakes come across an impassible
surface or if their existences are
threatened, they will "snap out of it" and resume their
normal behavior, as they will once they reach the point
where the summoner was standing when this Power was used.
At this point, confused, they will usually attempt to
leave. It is unlikely they will attack the Priest or
anyone nearby unless they are stepped on, or the Priest
Botched her Summoning roll. Remember that it takes
a while for the snakes to arrive, and those who were
further away take longer to reach the summoning spot than
those nearby -- as they arrive, they awaken from the
enchantment and try to leave, creating all sorts of
turmoil. They must be Controlled as they arrive.
System: The Priest must make a (Manipulation +
Leadership) roll against a Fixed difficulty of
7. Each Success grants a larger radius of
effect. The chart below lists two circumstances;
when the power is used in a city (where the
response will be slim), or in the wilderness.
| Successes | Result
|
| 1 | All summoned snakes within one city block, or
half a mile begin to respond. Ghoul snakes
are not affected.
|
| 2 | All summoned snakes within two city blocks,
or one mile, respond. Ghoul snakes are still
not affected.
|
| 3 | All snakes within five city blocks, or two
and a half miles, respond. Ghoul snakes are
still unaffected, though they will sense the
summoning, and may be restless.
|
| 4 | All snakes within 14 city blocks, or 7 miles,
respond to the summons, including ghouls.
|
| 5 | All snakes within 20 city blocks, or 10 miles
respond to the summonds, including ghouls.
|
Note: If the Cainite summons the snakes while standing in
a crowded place, there is bound to be trouble. If many
snakes answer the summons and attempt to move into a
crowded area, they will feel threatened by the milling
people and start biting. Given the variety of snakes that
will appear, it is likely to assume that there will be a
few poisonous ones, or ones whose venom, while weak, can
cause death from several bites.
*** Control Snakes: With this level of the path, the Priest
is able to control those snakes that she has summoned.
System: The Cainite must roll (Manipulation + Leadership)
against a difficulty based on (10 - the number of
successes rolled during the Summoning of Snakes).
The Priest will then be able to mentally control
the snakes for a period of ten minutes per
success rolled with this power. Commands given
must be very simple and mentally couched in a way
that they are understandable to the snakes.
Furthermore, commands must be within the physical
capabilities of the snakes. Whether the snakes
understand the order or if they are capable of
executing it is determined by the Storyteller.
Snakes will usually still withdraw from smoke,
fire and other lethal situations, unless the
Priest rolls Five or more successes to control
them, in which event they would act without
regard for their own safety.
**** The Curse of Samedi: This terrible and feared level of
the Path of Voodoo grants the Priest the ability to kill
his or her victims without actually being near them.
However, the Priest must have inflicted or caused someone
to inflict a wound on the target (i.e., caused a loss of
Health levels) with a Ku-bha-sah (enchanted knife) for
this to work. When this has been done and this level of
the path is used, the victim begins to die of a strange,
wasting disease that slowly, painfully destroys the blood
and eventually kills him.
System: For this Power to Work, the target must have been
Marked for Death with the Mark of Guede. The
Ku-bha-sah that is used to wound the target need
not necessarily be the one that was used to mark
him, and the Priest need not personally be the
one to inflict the wound. As long as the
Ku-bha-sah was enchanted by the Priest for this
purpose, it will work.
The Cainite makes a Spirit Lore + Intimidation
roll against a difficulty of the victim's
Willpower + 2. The number of successes indicates
the number of Health levels that the victim
loses. At this point, the blood of the victim has
been corrupted, and filled with the energies of
death. Kine will lose additonal Health Levels as
a result of this, at the rate of one level per 12
Hour period as their blood is slowly destroyed
and their body mummified. When the Kine in
question has no more blood left, he dies.
Kindred targeted by this Curse suffer a somewhat
different fate. Their blood no longer runs
naturally in their bodies, but rather is stored,
for purposes of maintaining their "dead" bodies
and expending in the use of Vampiric Disciplines.
When a Cainite has been cursed and his
blood corrupted, when he uses a point of Vitae,
he loses a point of Health -- no matter what
the Vitae is used for. So attempting to heal
using Blood will only uselessly burn blood. The
Cainite will eventually be forced into Torpor.
Drinking fresh Vitae to cure the wounds will only
prolong the agony, as the new Vitae will slowly
become corrupted by the "bad blood" in the
Cainite's system, and the process will begin
anew. The only way to stop this magical disease
is to remove all the Vitae from the Cainite's
body. While this effectively removes the disease,
the Beast will surge forth in frenzy and perhaps
place the Cainite in more danger than he faced
under the Curse.
**** Create Zombie: This level of the path allows the Priest
to create Zombies -- Corpse Minions, to the Tremere.
These Zombies follow all the same restrictions and
requirements of Corpse Minions.
** See the level 4 Voodoo Ritual: Create Zombie
System: The body must not have been dead for more than
seven (7) days for this to work, and the Spirit
of the Corpse must still be unclaimed by any
magic or bindings. Standard path Willpower roll.
The Storyteller is under no obligation to disclose
why the Zombie does not rise if something
happened to the Spirit; that is up to the Priest
to discover. The ritual for Creating the Zombie
must be properly performed before this level of
the path is used.
***** Create Serviteur: This ultimate level of the path of
Voodoo allows the Priest to create a serviteur -- in this
case an animal or Kine possessed by a Spirit, and not
just a helper or acolyte, which are also called
serviteurs. These True Serviteurs are probably one of the
most feared servants of the Voodoo Priest (this being a
Houngan, a Mambo or a Bokos). They are possessed of
supernatural strength and abilities, and have no fear.
Even Cainites fear these creatures, as none of the Mental
Disciplines, such as Dominate, Presence, Obfuscate, etc)
work against them. To confront one is to fight a tireless
robot of flesh that will not stop unless it is utterly
destroyed. And to face several... even the bravest might
quail before the rush of a host such as these.
System: The serviteur is a human or an animal, into whom
the Priest binds a Spirit. This actually
creates a lesser form of a Demon Bound creature;
though weaker in most respects, they do not
suffer the overheating problem of the Demon
Bound, and so are more useful at times. If the
use of this path is successful, the Priest is
left with a very powerful and utterly controlled
servant. It is a much better tool than either a
nearly mindless Zombie or a Kine or Childer with
independent thoughts.
For this power to work, the Priest must have
previously marked the target who is to be turned
into a serviteur for death with the Mark of
Guede, as previously described. Once this has
been done, and the target obtained and tied to a
tabletop, the spirit of the target must be
driven out of the body, a function that this
level of the path performs, after an Extended,
Resisted Willpower Contest (The Priest's
Manipulation + Occult versus the Marked Target's
Willpower). The winner of ten cumulative
successes is the victor. This attempt can only
be made once a night. The target may be drugged
to lower his or her Willpower. Once successful,
the cast-out Spirit usually dissipates or
becomes a Wraith (at the Storyteller's
discretion).
When the body is bereft of Spirit, but still
living, the Priest must Summon and then again
enter into an Extended, Resisted Willpower
Contest with the Spirit to be Bound into the
body. If the Priest loses the Contest, the
Spirit flees and may not be re-summoned. If the
Priest wins, she has overwhelmed the will of
the Spirit and forced it into the living flesh
of the victim, and created a True Serviteur.
A True Serviteur adds two points to all existing
Physical Characteristics of the Man or Animal,
has Four Additional Health Levels that cause no
loss in Dice Pools. Most devastatingly, the
Serviteur has the equivalent of Three levels of
Celerity and Three levels of Potence. A common
True Serviteur has a Power Pool of 15 Points
from which to power it's equivalence of
Disciplines. Serviteurs are capable of seeing in
complete darkness, similar to the Protean Gleam
of the Red Eyes.
The Spirit will continue to inhabit the host
body until freed or the body is destroyed. The
Spirit, like a Demon Bound, will not destroy the
body on purpose. Unlike Demon Bound, True
Serviteurs can speak, and many have access to
the memories and abilities of the body they now
inhabit. When away from their Master, and
without instruction, they grow restless, and
occasionally lapse into the persona and mindset
of the former host body.