Enemies of the Night: Merits/Flaws & Powers For SRD [ALPHA REVIEW]
Kindred Predator Types
Blood Leech
Either you think feeding on mortals is disgusting or inherently wrong, or you have developed an uncontrollable addiction to feeding only from vampiric blood. There are three ways you can get blood from other vampires: hunting down those weaker than you, coercing them to give it to you, or taking their blood as payment. Unfortunately, this practice is at best shunned and often forbidden in polite Kindred society. Some successful Blood Leeches conceal their activities through the power granted by positions of authority. Others take risks that lead down a dangerous path.
- Gain the second dot of Blood Potency.
- Lose one dot of Humanity.
- Gain the Dark Secret: Diablerist (●) Flaw. You are an active diablerist. Your aura is stained with the black veins of diablerie.
- Gain the Insatiable (●) Feeding Flaw.
- Gain the Prey Exclusion (Non-Supernaturals) (●) Feeding Flaw.
- Hunting Pool: Special. Since you feed from vampires and do not feed from non-supernatural sources, you must work with your Storyteller to determine how your feeding is conducted. For example, they may require you to convince other characters to willingly feed you from the vein, or take their blood by force. Storytellers should exercise their discretion and determine if this Predator Type is appropriate for their game style.
Montero
The montera, or deer hunt, has been a tradition among aristocratic Spanish families since the Middle Ages. During a montera, teams of beaters drove game onto the waiting weapon of the hunter. Using ghouls to herd your victims to you for the kill, you carry on this tradition. A modern montera may take the form of a flash mob, a protest march, or a seemingly senseless gang pursuit.
- Lose one dot of Humanity.
- Gain a one-dot Ally and attach the ●● Retainer Advantage to this Ally.
- Gain an additional one-dot Ally and attach the ●● Retainer Advantage to this Ally.
- Gain the Enemy (●●) Flaw: Your ghouls have angered someone, or crossed into the wrong turf to get your supply. Even if you rid yourself of this Enemy, a new one will emerge within 1 month or two games, whichever is shorter. Your Storyteller will provide the details of this Enemy.
- Hunting Pool: Intelligence + Stealth. You and your team of ghouls have a well-practiced plan to hunt down blood. You work together to herd victims to remote locations where you can feed safely.
Trapdoor
Instead of wandering the dark streets or breaking into homes, you build yourself a nest to lure prey into it. You may haunt the abandoned grounds of an amusement park, manage an underground fight club, or lurk in the shadows of a supposedly "haunted house. Once your prey wanders into your trap, you may drain them slowly and carefully, take a quick sip and send them on their way, or terrorize and imprison them.
- Gain three dots in the Haven Background or its associated Advantages.
- Gain two dots in the Herd Background or its associated Advantages.
- You have built your house in a bad part of town or employed disreputable contractors. Gain two dots of Haven Flaws.
- Hunting Pool: Dexterity + Stealth. You sneak through your traps and feed on trespassers or urban explorers.
Kindred Merits/Flaws
Mythical Merits
Cold Dead Hunger (●●): Your Beast is weak and distant when you Hunger. While you can still sense it urging you toward indulgence, it is easier to quell. Through meditation, faith, self-denial, or other means you have girded your Beast against Frenzy. Gain a +2 bonus to all attempts to resist Hunger Frenzy.
Physical Flaws
Insatiable (●): When feeding from other vampires, those of weaker potency fail to sate your Hunger fully. Your Blood Potency is considered two higher when feeding from another vampire.
Plaguebringer (●●): You have a disease in your blood that you cannot expunge and you display the symptoms of such disease despite your undead state. You may have unmendable sores or rashes, you may even instinctually cough or ooze mucus. Mortals you bite contract your disease.
Thin-Blood Merits/Flaws
Merits
Abhorrent Blood: Your blood is repulsive to other vampires. This could be due to your state between life and undeath, or your questionable usages of Thin-Blood Alchemy. Drinking from your veins is an act of sheer resolve. Vampires who bite you must spend 1 point of Willpower per turn to successfully drink from you to gain any benefit from doing so.
Faith-Proof: Whether you consider yourself an atheist or you maintain deep, personal religious beliefs, your mortality is stronger than your vampiric nature. You are immune to the powers of True Faith.
Low Appetite: By a quirk of your Duskborn state, your body requires less Blood to carry out the basic functions of vampiric existence. You begin the game with 1 less starting Hunger (to a minimum of 0). If your Storyteller is using the optional rule requiring a Rouse Check to Awaken, you always succeed.
Humanistic Mien: The strength of your Humanity is more powerful than your Beast. Treat your Humanity as 2 higher for the purposes of penalties when interacting with mortals and how Blush of Life applies to you.
Swift Feeder: You have perfected the routine of finding blood. Reduce the time it takes to sip from a human to 1 minute out of play, and the amount of time to take a Non-Harmful Drink to 3 minutes (see pg 120, LoTN). In addition, once per game, your Herd will come to you. This allows you to utilize your Herd without spending time out of game. Note that this may expose your Herd to other characters.
Flaws
Heliophobe: You have seen the effects of the sun on true vampires, and it terrifies you. Unlike most thin-bloods, you must still test for frenzy from sunlight.
Plaguebearer: You are susceptible to human illness and disease. At the start of any game and whenever you feed from any kind of human blood, you must make a test. If you lose the test, you gain the Weakened condition for the night as your body is wracked with illness. A win or a tie on this test means that you do not fall ill.
Sloppy Drinker: Whenever you feed from animals, sip from a human, or attempt a non-harmful drink (see page 120 of Laws of the Night) you must make a Dexterity + Medicine test against a difficulty equal to the total Hunger slaked. If you fail your bite wound is too ragged to close. Without medical or supernatural aid, the animal or mortal will bleed out and die with Masquerade-threatening neck wounds.
Repulsive Aura: While the vampiric curse has not fully manifested itself in you, it has changed your physiology such that you are unusually susceptible to faith. You take one additional damage from weapons considered holy, and any weapon branded by a character with True Faith. The Storyteller may exercise their discretion to determine if a weapon is considered holy. In addition, when a character uses Level 3 True Faith on you, they automatically identify you as a vampire.
Unending Hunger: Your Beast always hungers for more blood. Your minimum Hunger score is raised from 1 to 2. You may still drain a mortal to reduce your Hunger to zero.
Discipline Powers
Animalism
Savage Provocation
You have learned how to manipulate the aspect of a creature's core. When you issue a challenge, there is no backing down from you.
Animalism ●● Amalgam: Protean ●●
Cost: One Rouse check
Challenge Pool: Charisma + Animal Ken vs. Wits + Resolve
System: Make one Rouse check and spend your standard action to verbally taunt or challenge a target character within 12 steps of you to activate Savage Provocation. Until your target succeeds in a contested challenge against you that she initiates, she may not initiate an offensive challenge against anyone else. Any challenge will suffice, though an attack is certainly a common response to this power. During this time, if you willingly move away from your target or become invisible to the target whether through breaking line of sight or through the effect of Obfuscate, Savage Provocation immediately ends. You may only target one character at a time with this power. Targeting a second character immediately ends the effect on the first character, regardless of whether or not you succeed.
Duration: Until the target successfully initiates an offensive challenge against you.
Blood Sorcery
Transitive Bond
This power allows a blood sorcerer to enhance their blood's bonding effect so that their would-be thrall does not have to drink from their veins directly. Anyone feeding from this enhanced blood, either from a stored bag of it, or from the ghoul it resides in, will only discover the effects of her bond when she meets the user of the power.
Blood Sorcery ●●
Cost: One Rouse check
System: The blood sorcerer can activate this power any time she feeds blood to a ghoul or places her blood in an inanimate vessel, such as a cup or a blood bag. Each use can empower three Rouse checks worth of blood. Anyone who drinks the blood or feeds from the ghoul treats the blood as if she fed directly from the blood sorcerer. This does not overcome the Tremere Clan Bane; however, it will trigger the Banu Haqim Clan Bane. They will remain unaware of the newly created Blood Bond until they come face to face with the blood sorcerer.
Duration: Passive.
Scour Secrets
Rivulets of your Blood scour the immediate area to find a desired piece of information.
Blood Sorcery ●●
Cost: 1 Rouse check
Challenge Pool: Wits + Occult vs difficulties described below
System: On a success, sinewy veins of blood snake out of the sorcerer's skin to search a room for a desired piece of information without the need for concentration. This frees up the Blood Sorcerer to do other things that may require their focus such as doing other research, keeping watch, or defending themselves. The difficulty for this power is determined by the Storyteller, based both on the desired information and the size of the room being searched. For example, finding a non-concealed letter in a small office would be difficulty 2. Finding an encrypted hard drive in a hidden safe in a vast library would be difficulty 10. It takes this power five minutes to search the room. This power does not decode, unlock, or in any way decipher information; it only finds it. If the challenge is successful but the information is not in the room, then the user knows this is the case.
Duration: Defined by the Storyteller
Reclamation of Vitae
This power allows the user to reclaim any blood she has used to create ghouls. No matter how far away they are, the blood returns by mystical means, leaving the ghoul severely injured and without their life-extending power of immortality
Blood Sorcery ●●●●
Cost: One or more Stains
System: Expend a standard action. For each Ally that you possess with the Retainer Advantage, you may slake 2 Hunger. This power can be used at any distance. The vampiric blood mystically dissipates from the ghoul's body. Slaking blood in this way causes 3 levels of Aggravated damage to the ghoul as their body ages rapidly in an obviously supernatural manner. If the ghoul dies through the use of this power, you may Slake to Hunger 0. For each ghoul affected by this power, the sorcerer gains 1 Stain. A ghoul can only be affected by this power once until it feeds upon the sorcerer's blood again.
Duration: Passive.
Blood Sweat
With this power, you thin the blood of another vampire, causing it to seep through their pores when they call upon its power. The spilled vitae can prove tempting to hungry vampires, including the target.
Blood Sorcery ●●●● Amalgam: Celerity ●●
Cost: 1 Rouse check
Challenge Pool: Intelligence + Occult vs. Resolve + Survival
System: Make one Rouse check and make a contested challenge against a target vampire in your line of sight. If successful, your target must immediately make a Rouse check, even if they are in combat. They continue to make an extra Rouse check for the remainder of the scene at the end of the turn as blood forces itself out of the target's eyes, nose, from beneath her fingernails and even seeping from her pores. No benefit is gained from these Rouse checks. The sight and smell of this amount of blood will cause all vampires within 25 steps of the target who have a Hunger of 4 or higher to test for Hunger Frenzy (difficulty 2). At the end of the turn, she makes any other Rouse checks normally.
Duration: Scene
Celerity
Between the Ticks
Your speed is the stuff of legends, allowing you to move so quickly that you can defend whole groups of allies at the same time. You seem to glide in just in time to deflect or parry incoming attacks against one ally before blurring over to protect another.
Celerity ●●●●●
Cost: 1 Rouse check
System: As long as you have not taken any offensive actions this turn, you may make 1 Rouse check at any point in the initiative order to activate Between the Ticks for one turn. While active, you may not take any offensive Physical actions. Instead, when an ally within six steps of you is attacked, you may declare the Assist Defender maneuver to temporarily move to within one step of them and defend them without expending an action. After completing the Assist Defender maneuver, you return to the location you started from. You may do this up to five times per turn.
Duration: 1 turn
Dominate
Delirium
You are capable of turning the world of your enemies upside down, shaking it up and then smashing it on the ground. They are left disoriented, unable to perceive anything around her and forced to assume everything in her line of sight is an enemy trying to kill her.
Dominate ●●●● Amalgam: Auspex ●●
Cost: 1 Rouse check
Challenge Pool: Manipulation + Intimidation vs. Wits + Composure
System: Make one Rouse check, expend your standard action, and make an opposed challenge against a target character. Your target can no longer separate friend from foe for the scene. She considers all characters to be her enemy. She is no longer able to employ beneficial powers on allies or take actions that directly benefit any other characters, such as Assist Defender. She cannot benefit from helpful powers originating from other characters, and she is never considered a willing target for any mechanics. On her next turn, she must spend a simple action to end any powers she is currently maintaining that positively affect other characters. She must then attack or use a power to attack the person who is physically nearest to her as if they were attempting to kill her and she was defending herself in a fight for her life against them. She continues to use her simple and standard actions each turn to best attack the person nearest to her for the duration of the power, changing targets as necessary if a new person comes closer to her. Powers that enhance attacks such as Puissance or Staggering Strike must be applied to any attacks, and the most effective, damaging and/or disabling power must be used. The Storyteller may exercise their discretion to determine the appropriate action in the situation. This power is not broken by being attacked, even if the user does not possess Terminal Decree.
Duration: 3 turns
Fortitude
Earth's Perseverance
You are as unmoving as a block of granite. While active, you cannot be moved by any means unless you wish to be moved. Cars wrap around you, and even the strongest kindred cannot drag you to your grave.
Fortitude ●●
Cost: One Rouse check
System: This power can be activated at any point during the initiative order. Once active, the user cannot be moved in any way unless she chooses to be moved. This power does not make her immune to damage, such as from being hit by an oncoming car. However, such a collision will not move the character. It will severely hamper the normal movement of the car. Objects that hit you are likely damaged and deflect off of you with substantially reduced momentum. Collisions such as this are obvious breaches of the Masquerade. Because you are fixed in position, using this power while in a moving vehicle is very dangerous. Your body will tear through the vehicle as it moves through your position. Whatever the reason, if you collide with a moving object with sufficient mass to injure a person, you take damage equal to the Structure of the object you collide with. Your Storyteller is the final arbiter on other results of such collisions.
Duration: 1 scene
Gorgon's Scales
Blood Resonance can give vampires defenses against their own weaknesses and the attacks of others. It can be hard to find the right vessel, but some cruel vampires keep multiple vessels with different Resonances readily available for quick manipulation.
Fortitude ●●●
Cost: One Rouse check
System: This power can be activated at any point during the initiative order with no action cost. It can also be activated pre-emptively outside of initiative to prevent certain effects as described below. Once activated, the vampire gains a specific immunity based on the Resonance of the blood they most recently fed upon. Choleric: While active, the first time a stake would normally pierce the vampire's heart, it instead decays to ash without doing any damage. Melancholy: While active, the first three damage a vampire takes from fire damage is automatically reduced to Normal damage. Phlegmatic: While active, the first time during a scene when subjected to an Auspex power that would reveal something about your character or something your character knows, the power fails without a test. Sanguine: During the scene, the first four damage a vampire takes from the sun is automatically reduced to Normal damage. Once any of these four effects are triggered, the Resonance of the blood weakens and the vampire must feed before activating this power again. If they have a Dyscrasia card, they may keep and use it as per normal.
Duration: 1 scene or until the Resonance is lost, whichever comes first.
Obfuscate
Mental Maze
Using the tricks of Obfuscate and commands of Dominate, you can turn any room into an impossible maze for your target with three simple words: 'you cannot escape'.
Obfuscate ●●● Amalgam: Dominate ●
Cost: 1 or 2 Rouse Checks
Challenge Pool: Manipulation + Subterfuge vs. Intelligence + Resolve
System: Make one Rouse check and spend your standard action while saying 'you cannot escape' to a target whose Gaze and Focus you have. If successful on an opposed challenge, your target's mind tricks them by creating mental obstacles that keep them trapped in the building they are presently in. They are unable to leave the room or declare Fair Escape from a combat scenario for a scene, even if helped by another character. You may Rouse the blood an additional time to trap a target inside a single room or densely packed outdoor environment such as a forest or construction site. If you attempt to use this power on a target and fail, you cannot use it on them again for 5 minutes. This power may not be overcome using Auspex. This power fails if the environment becomes dangerous (such as if the building is on fire), or if the target is attacked, unless you also possess the power Terminal Decree.
Duration: Scene
Psychonautics
Your command over the perceptions of others is nearly absolute. You can manipulate a target's mind to lie to them, causing wondrous and debilitating illusions, rendering them easy prey.
Obfuscate ●●●●● Amalgam: Presence ●●●
Cost: 2 Rouse checks
Challenge Pool: Manipulation + Subterfuge vs. Intelligence + Resolve
System: Make two Rouse checks and expend your standard action. If you succeed on an opposed challenge, your target's perceptions are twisted into a distorted experience that prevents them from accurately perceiving the world around them. Mechanically, they are rendered Impaired for the scene. This power may not be overcome with Auspex.
Duration: Scene
Oblivion
Abyssal Armaments
The user can summon shadowy weapons and armor that have advantages over similar terrestrial equipment.
Oblivion ● Amalgam: Potence ●
Cost: 1 Rouse check
System: Make one Rouse check and spend your simple action to conjure up to two melee weapons and one piece of protective gear. The shadowy equipment appears upon your person. These items are made made from abyssal energies but function in every way like normal equipment except for the following: Weapons created with this power cannot be given to another character or be disarmed by others' combat maneuvers. They cannot have the Staking or Bane Qualities. Protective gear created by this power that possesses the Sturdy quality cannot be mended or repaired normally. Instead, once per combat, the user may spend 1 simple action to immediately repair her Abyssal armor. Abyssal Armaments may not be activated more than once per combat scene.
Duration: Scene
Umbrous Clutch
The Oblivion practitioner can create a temporary gate out of a victim's shadow and force them through it, teleporting them to the caster's feet. The journey through the Abyss, however fleeting, is traumatizing.
Oblivion ●●●●
Cost: One Rouse check
Challenge Pool: Wits + Occult vs. Wits + Athletics
System: Make a Rouse check and spend your standard action to target a character within 9 steps of you that is casting a shadow. If you are successful in a contested challenge against your target they appear to fall into their own shadow. A split second later, your target falls upward through your shadow, landing next to you. They lose one Willpower from the horror of being torn through the Abyss in this way.
Duration: Passive
Withering Spirit
By channeling raw entropy, you can destroy a creature's very spirit. Victims destroyed by this power are so utterly consumed that they have no chance of returning as a wraith.
Oblivion ●●●●●
Cost: 1 Rouse check
Challenge Pool: Resolve + Occult vs Resolve + Stamina
System: Make one Rouse check and spend your standard action while obviously gesturing towards a target character within three steps of you. If you succeed in a contested challenge, a portion of your target's spirit is ripped from them, visibly dissolving in air like dissipating smoke. Your target immediately loses three Willpower. This power gains no additional benefit from a critical win. Mortals who become Impaired by Withering Spirit immediately die of fright and cannot return as a Wraith.
Duration: Passive
Potence
Spark of Rage
By combining your Presence and Potence, you've learned how to channel your own strength into your voice and your words saying exactly the right thing to send them into a blind fury.
Potence ●●● Amalgam: Presence ●
Cost: 1 Rouse Check
Challenge Pool: Strength + Intimidation vs. Intelligence + Composure
System: Spend a standard action inciting a target vampire or other supernatural creature capable of Frenzy whose Gaze and Focus you have to fury with your words and gestures. If successful on a contested challenge, your target immediately tests for Fury Frenzy against a difficulty of 8. If they frenzy, their source of anger is the closest character. This power may be used with Capricious Visage.
Duration: Immediate
Presence
Beneath Notice
Blending in often involves interacting in an expected way. As long as you don't draw attention to yourself, observers will treat you as someone who belongs where they are.
Presence ●●● Amalgam: Obfuscate ●●
Cost: 1 Rouse check
System: Make one Rouse check and use a simple action to activate Beneath Notice for up to one hour. While Beneath Notice is active, observers will assume that you are an expected and legitimate part of their surroundings so long as you do not draw undue attention to yourself. They assume you have an authentic reason to be there and will not question your presence. You can interact with mortals while under the effect of this power so long as you do not startle them or give them any reason to scrutinize your appearance. In addition, no one will stop to ask you for identification or credentials. They will casually overlook you, assuming that they have already verified your reasons for being in the area along with everyone else. Beneath Notice will fail immediately if you attempt to enter a restricted area alone. Any mortals observing you or interacting with you are incapable of describing you in any specific detail after the effects of this power end. Mortals will only remember a bland-seeming individual with the proper credentials and reasons to be present and little else. If you are detected using another power, threaten or attack another character, or otherwise draw significant attention to yourself, this power immediately ends. Supernatural creatures may attempt to pierce this power using Sense the Unseen or other similar powers.
Duration: One hour
Suffuse the Edifice
You have learned to extend some of your Presence powers to the very structure of a building.
Presence ●●●●
Cost: One Rouse check
System: A vampire who possesses the powers Awe, Daunt, or Majesty, may extend them through the structure of a building. You may only extend one of the listed powers at a time. Anyone inside or looking at the building treats it and you as the source of the power you are extending. These powers work as follows: A building under the influence of Awe will cause people within line of sight to flock to the building and try to get inside unless they spend a Willpower point to ignore Awe. Daunt will cause all mortals within line of sight to be nervous and afraid of the building. They will refuse to enter or try to harm the building unless they win a Resolve + Composure challenge vs. difficulty 3. Supernatural creatures can sense the threatening aura of the building but may act freely. When Majesty is used to suffuse a building, treat the entire building as if it is the vampire itself. When Majesty is used to suffuse a building it is extremely dangerous to the Masquerade. If you attack or use a power on an individual affected by Suffuse the Edifice, this power ends for that person. They are rendered immune to your use of Suffuse the Edifice for the next hour and act normally. This breaking of Suffuse the Edifice only affects that specific individual; others in the area who are affected by Suffuse the Edifice are not freed simply by witnessing your attack or power use on their friend. Those characters previously affected by Suffuse the Edifice are then immune to your uses of the power for the rest of the night.
Duration: As the power suffused
Protean
Visceral Absorption
Clean up on aisle 7. With this power, you become a temporary permeable sponge for blood and viscera, absorbing it inside you in a whirlwind of gore.
Protean ●●●●
Cost: 1 Rouse check
System: Make one Rouse check and expend your standard action to activate Visceral Absorption for a scene. For the duration of this power, you may spend your standard action to attempt to absorb the viscera of a corpse within arm's reach. This includes both traditional corpses and those of characters who are Incapacitated due to having 0 Health, having reached Hunger 6, or otherwise lacking the capacity to resist due to Mercy or Damnation. When absorbing the viscera of a corpse, you instantly absorb nearly all of the blood remaining in the target's body, healing fully as if you had drunk their blood normally. If the corpse was a supernatural creature in a physical form (including undead), you may make a Stamina + Medicine test. On a success, you also learn a random Level 1 or 2 power of the character based on what organ or viscera you absorb (e.g., a heart may give insight into the powers of Fortitude, a brain powers of Auspex, etc.). You may use a power learned in this way one time before the next sunset. This power cannot be executed with surprise. It is obvious to any observer that the power is being used, as your body distends and warps to absorb the blood and viscera of your target.
Duration: Scene
Blood Sorcery Rituals
Level 1
Beelzebeatit
This ritual drives away animals and vermin. While it does nothing to prevent ensorcelled animal spies from returning, it makes them quite obvious if they do.
Ingredients: Vinegar or alcohol.
Process: The ritualist spreads the mixture of her blood and chosen ingredient on the floor or ground in a counterclockwise circular path. The area circumscribed can be as large as 1000 square feet.
System: Once the circle is complete, insects and animals must immediately vacate the circumscribed area. Thereafter, animals will not willingly enter the space. This does not prevent animals compelled by supernatural means from entering the area. Familiars who succeed in a difficulty 5 Social challenge may ignore this power.
Duration: Until dawn.
Douse the Fear
This ritual allows the caster to briefly suppress their natural vampiric fear of fire.
Ingredients: A holy object or religious icon.
Process: The caster exposes the holy object to a flame. The object needn't be destroyed.
System: The first time in a night the caster must test for Rotschreck, they automatically succeed. The caster may only cast this ritual once per night.
Duration: 1 night or until used
Seal the Brand
With this ritual you can make tattoos, scars, and other changes to vampire flesh permanent.
Ingredients: Molten silver.
Process: The vampire casting the ritual pours the molten silver over the mundane body modifications she wishes to make permanent. This causes the recipient to suffer 1 Normal damage from the heat.
System: The mundane body modification (holes from piercings, tattoos, etc.) cannot be removed or altered and does not revert when the vampire sleeps. Only another usage of this ritual or a power such as Fleshcrafting can undo the modification.
Duration: Permanent.
Level 2
As Fog on Water
This ritual allows the caster to walk on water.
Ingredients: A piece of wood from a ship or boat.
Process: The caster spills 1 Rouse check of blood on the wood then holds the wood in her hand while walking on the surface of a body of water that they wish to cross.
System: Once complete, the vampire can walk across the surface of water for the remainder of the night, so as long as she continues to carry the piece of wood. While walking they leave a gentle fog that rises from their footsteps.
Duration: 1 night.
Calix Secretus
This ritual allows you to infuse objects with your blood retrieve that blood later.
Ingredients: An object that can fit inside the caster's hand and a variable amount of the caster's blood.
Process: The ritualist drenches the object with their blood by making up to 10 Rouse checks. They may choose to stop Rousing at any time. The ritual ends with no benefit if the caster frenzies during casting.
System: Over the course of 1 hour, the blood spent mystically diffuses into the item. Whenever the caster chooses, they may hold the object and concentrate to 'feed' from the item. The item stores enough blood to lower the user's Hunger a number of times equal to half the number of Rouse checks used during the casting, rounded down. Only the caster may retrieve the blood.You may not reduce your Hunger below one with this power. To other characters, the object is mundane. The caster can only enhance one Calix Secretus at a time.
Duration: Until all the blood is retrieved.
Level 3
One With The Blade
While others were out partying, you worked to gain special insight into swordsmanship. This ritual attunes the caster with a magically enhanced weapon that she can draw forth and sheathe in her own blood.
Ingredients: A melee weapon, enough of the caster's blood to submerge the weapon, and two silver cords.
Process: The caster must wrap a silver cord around both wrists tight enough to draw blood. This blood is then used to submerge the target weapon until the next sunrise. As the night continues, the silver cords sink slowly into the vampire's skin, leaving a permanent thin, silver ring on her wrists like a tattoo. Once the sun rises, the target weapon is fully enchanted.
System: Once the melee weapon has been enhanced, the ritualist can spend one Rouse check and a simple action to cause the melee weapon to dissolve into blood and absorb it into her skin. She must be touching the weapon to do so. Similarly, the caster can make one Rouse check to cause the melee weapon to coalesce from her blood and appear in either hand without spending an action. A ritualist can only have one such enchanted weapon, which always appears immaculate. Enchanting an additional weapon removes the enchantment of the previous one. If the weapon suffers an effect that would break it while it is being held by the caster she may make one Rouse check to prevent the weapon from being broken or destroyed. A melee weapon enchanted with this ritual cannot be enchanted by another ritual.
Duration: Permanent.
Level 4
Feast of Ashes
This ritual curses a target to vomit up blood while she feeds for a time. She unknowingly can only gain mild sustenance by consuming ashes.
Ingredients: A piece of parchment with the known name of the target written on it.
Process: The caster writes the name (or at least the name she knows her target by) on the parchment in her own blood and then burns it.
System: Once the parchment is burned, make a contested challenge against the intended target. If successful, the next three times the target Slakes Hunger from any source, they vomit ash and the Slaking fails. The effects of this ritual ends at dawn. A target may only be affected by this ritual once a night.
Duration: 1 night.
Invisible Chains of Binding
Through high sorcery, the ritualist is able to enchant a chain to make an invisible, ensnaring weapon that allows them to bind their enemies in battle from afar.
Ingredients: A length of chain.
Process: The sorcerer must inscribe arcane sigils on the chain using her own blood. The process takes one hour to complete, after which the chain becomes invisible to everyone but the sorcerer.
System: To employ the Invisible Chains, the sorcerer must concentrate on a target in their line of sight within 25 steps of them and throw the chains. Upon a successful Dexterity + Marksmanship challenge vs. the target's Dexterity + Athletics, the chains wrap around the target's legs and torso, anchoring them to the ground. Once their quarry is ensnared, the bloody chains become visible.. The target suffers the Grappled Condition and may not move from her location until she wins a Strength + Brawl challenge vs. the sorcerer's Resolve + Occult. The target makes these challenges on her Initiative. She may attack and defend herself normally while chained. Once broken, the chains turn to ash. A sorcerer may maintain a number of Invisible Chains up to her Occult skill.
Duration: Until the grapple is broken.
Oblivion Ceremonies
Level 1
Minestra di Morte
The caster must simmer a portion of the corpse in boiling blood, mixing in the herbs. When the liquid has cooled, the caster must drink the liquid.
Ingredients: Part of a target corpse, salt, basil, and rosemary.
Process: The caster must simmer a portion of the corpse in boiling blood, mixing in the herbs. When the liquid has cooled, the caster must drink the liquid.
System: Once the caster has finished drinking the concoction, they immediately know if the spirit of the target corpse resides within the Underworld. If the corpse has left a wraith behind, the caster has a general idea on what prevents the spirit from passing on. This usually gives a clue about where the target wraith haunts or what kind of fetters she has left behind.
Duration: N/A
Level 2
Befoul Vessel
The caster must either feed from a target mortal victim or smear their saliva on a target victim through physical contact. Smearing saliva on them may require a physical challenge.
Ingredients: Vampire saliva.
Process: The caster must either feed from a target mortal victim or smear their saliva on a target victim through physical contact. Smearing saliva on them may require a physical challenge.
System: This power turns a mortal vessel into a trap. There is no immediate effect when using this power. The target mortal is unaware of any harm done or any danger they pose. Once the caster has successfully used this ritual on a mortal, any other vampire who feeds from them gains Hunger instead of Slaking it. The Storyteller asks the unwitting vampire's player how much Hunger they intend to Slake from the vessel. The vampire gains that amount of Hunger immediately instead of Slaking that amount. If this pushes the unwitting vampire above Hunger 5, she immediately succumbs to Hunger Frenzy. Regardless of whether the mortal is fed on or not, the next morning the mortal dies in a puddle of acrid sweat. A vampire can only target 1 mortal per night with this power.
Duration: 1 night.
Level 3
Harrowhaunt
At least 3 mortals must be inflicted with terror and torture over at least 1 hour within a building that is no larger than two stories. At the conclusion of this period, all 3 mortals must be killed and their bones must be buried on the property. If any of the mortals escape, the Ceremony fails. The use of this ceremony is particularly revolting and causes the caster to gain 1 Stain. Once the remains of the human ingredients are buried beneath the building, the Ceremony is complete. Afterward, the broken remains of their souls linger in the building.
Ingredients: At least 3 mortals who are currently subject to abject terror and suffering.
Process: At least 3 mortals must be inflicted with terror and torture over at least 1 hour within a building that is no larger than two stories. At the conclusion of this period, all 3 mortals must be killed and their bones must be buried on the property. If any of the mortals escape, the Ceremony fails. The use of this ceremony is particularly revolting and causes the caster to gain 1 Stain. Once the remains of the human ingredients are buried beneath the building, the Ceremony is complete. Afterward, the broken remains of their souls linger in the building.
System: Non-supernatural mortals entering within 12 steps of the building are beset by irrational fear and must succeed in a Composure + Resolve test vs. a difficulty of 8 for each turn they wish to remain within 12 steps of the building. A failure on this test causes the mortals to run away in fear unwilling to return. Supernatural creatures have a diminished response to the location. They can enter freely, but every 30 minutes spent within the building causes them to test for Fear Frenzy vs. a difficulty of 6.
Duration: This ritual lasts until the bones of the humans are dug up and put to rest naturally.
Level 4
Chains of Damnation
Over the course of one hour, the ritualist scars and burns the ghoul in a horrific ceremony that causes at least 1 Stain to the caster that cannot be mitigated by any method. After the hour is complete, the caster flays the ghoul and sews the ritual ingredients inside of them. Over the remainder of the night, nearby wraiths and specters will inhabit the body.
Ingredients: 1 wraith fetter and 5 other objects stolen from gravesites, and as well as 1 target ghoul Ally with the Retainer Advantage.
Process: Over the course of one hour, the ritualist scars and burns the ghoul in a horrific ceremony that causes at least 1 Stain to the caster that cannot be mitigated by any method. After the hour is complete, the caster flays the ghoul and sews the ritual ingredients inside of them. Over the remainder of the night, nearby wraiths and specters will inhabit the body.
System: The following morning after the ceremony is performed, the target ghoul is considered to be a Shackled (see page XX). The wraiths will remain dormant for up to one week before tearing themselves out of the ghoul host on their own, destroying the ghoul in the process. During that week, you may instruct the shackled to approach a specific target location or person. Upon reaching three steps of that target, the Shackled will attack as described on page XX. A single character may control a number of Shackled up to their dots in the Occult Skill.
Duration: 1 week or until destroyed.
Shackled
The Shackled are ghouls subjected to a horrifying Oblivion ceremony in which their bodies are scarred and branded with arcane sigils. Sometimes, their bodies are flayed open and sewn back shut with ghostly fetters trapped inside them. The end result is a ghoul that is haunted by angry and vengeful spirits. Shackled are usually covered from head to toe to disguise their disgusting appearance before they attack. They are trained to approach a location or specific target and attack. When the Shackled reach their intended target the specters inside them will attack anyone and everything around them. The Shackled often attack using spectral claws or by throwing objects like a deranged poltergeist. These attacks are invisible and terrifying, unless the specters choose to manifest. When a specter manifests, they usually do it by further warping the appearance of their anchor.
System: Shackled are created using an Oblivion Ceremony (see page XX). They are considered both a ghoul and a wraith, but they are combined in such a way that powers that solely affect ghouls or wraiths do not affect the Shackled. However, powers that affect all mortals affect the Shackled normally. Shackled attacks are nearly invisible but clearly originate from the body of the ghoul as its body writhes with spiritual energy. The ghostly attacks leave a chilling breeze and smell of death in the air. The specters can manifest in the real world, appearing to be anchored into the very flesh of the Shackled but can never fully leave their host. The ghostly enhancements the specters provide to a Shackled are represented by discipline powers. Storytellers should make this obvious when describing the Shackled actions. The stats below represent the entirety of the creature. Once the physical body of the ghoul dies the Spectres dissipate or flee.
Standard Test Pools: Physical 2(6), Social 3(1), Mental 4(2)
Secondary Attributes: Health 6, Initiative 4, Willpower 8
Exceptional Test Pools: Brawl (Spectral Blow): 8, Marksmanship (Spectral Throw) 8, Intimidation (Spectral Manifestation) 8
Disciplines: Equivalent of Potence 3 and Fortitude 3
Characteristics: Dice pools in parentheses are only used once the specters have been unshackled from the ghoul. After one scene or the Shackled's death, the body decays to dust in roughly an hour and the wraiths fade away. The Specters must always remain anchored to the ghoul body.
Level 5
Lazarene Blessing
Incense is burned to perfume the air prior to the necromancer cutting the heart from their living sacrifice. The beating heart is then replaced with the heart of another mammal. The chest cavity is stitched up and then the silver powder must be poured over the open eyes of the sacrificed mortal. For the next hour, any nearby wraiths may possess the body. None can be forced to do so, but few would refuse such an opportunity. The first wraith to possess the body completes the ritual.
Ingredients: A living mortal to be sacrificed, incense, the heart of any mammal, and silver powder.
Process: Incense is burned to perfume the air prior to the necromancer cutting the heart from their living sacrifice. The beating heart is then replaced with the heart of another mammal. The chest cavity is stitched up and then the silver powder must be poured over the open eyes of the sacrificed mortal. For the next hour, any nearby wraiths may possess the body. None can be forced to do so, but few would refuse such an opportunity. The first wraith to possess the body completes the ritual.
System: Once the wraith has entered the body, the corpse will animate. Over the course of 5 minutes, the body heals itself of any wounds or damage that may have caused its death. Once fully healed, the body appears to be a living human even under medical scrutiny. The newly risen body possesses all of its same physical attributes, Disciplines (if a ghoul), and Backgrounds that it had in life. The body's Mental Attributes, Social Attributes, and Skills match those of the possessing wraith. The risen corpse cannot be Embraced or made into a ghoul, however if it was a ghoul prior to the use of this ritual it no longer requires 1 Rouse check worth of blood to maintain its ability to use discipline powers. The Storyteller will decide what type of wraith possesses the body including what if any powers it may have. This ritual lasts indefinitely unless the possessed body dies again, or the wraith is exorcized from the body through supernatural means. The sacrifice of the living mortal and the acquisition of a mammal's heart used for this ritual may incur Stains depending on your Chronicle Tenets.
Duration: Indefinitely, until the body dies again, or the wraith is exorcized.
Thin Blood Alchemy Formulae
Level 1
Gaoler's Bane
This formula allows the alchemist to be unrestricted by bonds, restraints, or the grip of an enemy combatant.
Required ingredients: The alchemist's blood, sanguine blood and 1 to 3 days' worth of contents from a regularly used grill's grease trap.
Cost: 1 Rouse check
System: Once imbibed, this potion requires one Rouse check to activate. Thereafter, the alchemist becomes immune to the Grappled condition and can automatically escape any physical bonds or handcuffs for the next 10 minutes.
Duration: 10 minutes after being activated.
Mercurial Tongue
The alchemist can speak the native language of the mortal whose blood is used during distillation and any mortal they feed on for the rest of the night.
Required ingredients: The alchemist's blood, the blood of a mortal whose native language is different from the alchemist's, the tongue of a fish or a bird, hot sauce from another country, and copper filings.
Cost: 1 Rouse check
System: Once imbibed, the alchemist can speak the native language of the mortal whose blood was used in this formula. In addition, whenever the alchemist feeds, they may spend 1 willpower to switch their new language to the native language of the mortal they just fed on. A native language is the first language or dialect the mortal learned during their life.
Duration: One night, or until the alchemist feeds from a mortal with the same native language as the alchemist, whichever occurs first.
Plug-In
With this formula, the alchemist can produce low level electrical current from their body capable of powering a variety of objects.
Required ingredients: The alchemist's blood, sanguine blood, liquid nitrogen, tungsten shavings and a broken battery.
Cost: 1 Rouse check
System: Once imbibed, the alchemist's body fills with electrical currents that can be used to power devices up to the size of a smart car, including mobile phones, laptops, or a light bulb so long as the alchemist remains in contact with them. As well, by expending the charge and ending the effects of Plug-In, the alchemist can refill a device's battery to half charge by spending a simple action and touching a device powered by a battery that has run out of power.
Duration: One scene or until used to refill a battery, whichever occurs first.
Portable Shade
Often referred to as 'suntan lotion', this formula was developed by Cainites on the Path of the Sun to enhance the already substantial resistance to sunlight that a thin blood possesses.
Required ingredients: The alchemist's blood, sanguine blood, and fresh plant leaves.
Suggested ingredients: Off-the-shelf sunblock ointments.
Cost: 1 Rouse check
System: Once the potion has been distilled and consumed, the alchemist is immune to ALL effects of sunlight for 10 minutes. This includes being immune to the reduced effects of the sun if you possess the Day Drinker thin-blood merit. When the potion's effect ends, the alchemist suffers 1 Aggravated damage. If this formula expires while the alchemist is in sunlight, she suffers the effects of sunlight immediately.
Duration: 10 minutes.
Level 2
Friend's List
This formula allows the alchemist to see the connections between Kindred and mortals.
Required ingredients: The alchemist's blood, phlegmatic blood, the eye of a whippoorwill or another nocturnal bird, and a silver thread.
Cost: 1 Rouse check
System: Once the potion has been distilled, the alchemist must drink it within 24 hours and focus on a target mortal. The alchemist must make a test using her Intelligence + Science vs. a difficulty of 5. On a success, the ritualist can determine whether the mortal is a ghoul, Touchstone, Contact, or Ally to another vampire. The effects of this formula end after successfully using this potion or if 24 hours have passed without the alchemist making a test to use it.
Duration: 24 hours or until used, whichever occurs first.
Red's Flamin' Hot Sauce
Discovered by total accident, this formula turns blood into an accelerant that cannot easily be extinguished once inflamed.
Required ingredients: The alchemist's blood, choleric blood, canola oil, and cayenne or other spicy pepper seasoning.
Cost: Unlike other Blood Alchemy formulas, this formula does not require the user to imbibe it to gain the effects, nor does it require a Rouse check to activate it (only to brew it). Once complete, the choleric human blood that was used during distillation becomes flammable.
System: The introduction of any flame to the imbued blood will cause it to burn slowly. It will continue to burn despite any efforts to extinguish it for 1 scene or 1 hour (whichever is shorter). A fire created by this formula spreads slowly. At its slow acceleration rate, it will never spread to an area larger than 1 house before the duration ends. If the blood is consumed by any vampire and that vampire then takes damage from a source of fire in the same scene in which she consumed the blood, that vampire will suffer 1 additional Aggravated damage. This additional damage applies to every hit from a source of fire taken in the scene.
Duration: 1 scene or 1 hour (whichever is shorter).
Level 3
Stay the Falling Sand
The alchemist can extend the static nature of the vampire condition to a small external area around her. This has no effect on vampires, humans or any other living things, but it can temporarily halt explosions, speeding bullets and falling debris.
Required ingredients: The alchemist's blood, melancholic blood, cannabis wax, juniper berries, and a teaspoon of antifreeze.
Cost: Preparation begins by distilling this mixture until it thickens and coagulates into a solid. Later, the solid cube can be heated to be either consumed or inhaled as a vapor. The formula remains dormant in the alchemist's body until activated with one Rouse check.
System: You may activate this power outside your normal initiative. Once activated, the alchemist gains limited control over the passage of time within five steps of them. You may choose one of the following effects without expending an action. Once one of the effects has been used, the effect of this formula ends. Ranged Attack Defense: You may automatically succeed in one test to defend against a single incoming ranged attack involving a projectile. The projectile freezes and falls to the floor harmlessly a few feet from the alchemist. You do not need to be able to perceive the incoming attack. Pause an Explosion: You may pause an explosion originating or traveling within five steps of you for up to 3 turns. This allows the alchemist and his allies a chance to move out of the way. Once the 3 turns are over, the containment ends and the explosion proceeds as normal. Defy Gravity: You may freeze a falling object no larger than a refrigerator within five steps of you in place for up to 3 turns. Once the turns are over, the object falls as normal.
Duration: Varies, depending on the mode used.
Tank
This potion greatly enhances the alchemist's resistance to damage for a short period of time.
Required ingredients: The alchemist's blood, choleric blood, and 1 shot of bourbon.
Suggested ingredients: Kevlar fibers, cement, or ground tortoiseshell.
Cost: 1 Rouse check
System: Once imbibed, the first time within a scene the alchemist suffers damage (Aggravated or Normal), she may make one Rouse check to reduce that damage to zero. Secondary effects of the attack such as a Condition being applied to the alchemist proceed as normal. An alchemist can only consume one Tank potion per night.
Duration: 1 scene or until the alchemist suffers damage, whichever occurs first.
Level 4
Short Circuit
Using this formula allows an alchemist to overload electronics such as a car battery or the fuses of a building.
Required ingredients: The alchemist's blood, battery acid, melancholic blood, and salt water.
Cost: 1 Rouse check
System: Once imbibed, the alchemist may use her simple action to touch a machine or device powered by electricity or batteries, releasing a pulse of energy. All electrical equipment within 30 steps ceases to function immediately. Even backup generators or other electrical equipment that only function in response to a malfunction or power loss are affected by this formula. The effects of this formula appear coincidental, and repairing anything affected by it requires an appropriate skill and roughly an hour of work.
Duration: 1 scene for the use of the formula. Items affected by this formula remain affected until they are repaired as described above.
On-Demand Sunburn
The most dangerous weapon that a Heliophile possesses, this formula allows a thin-blood to store the power of the sun inside herself and unleash it upon her enemies.
Required ingredients: The alchemist's blood, choleric blood, gold shavings, and a teaspoon of mercury.
Suggested ingredients: Assorted halogens such as chlorine and bromide. The mixture must also be subjected to direct sunlight for two hours before use.
Cost: 1 Rouse check
System: Once consumed, the alchemist stores the power of the sun within her veins and may use it as a weapon against another vampire by making Brawl attacks. To activate the effects of this formula, make one Rouse check. For the remainder of the scene, the Alchemist's brawl attacks deal Aggravated damage equal to the target's Bane Severity as if she were exposed to daylight for a turn (minimum of 1). This damage is in place of the Alchemist's normal brawl damage. Attacks benefiting from this power do not gain additional damage or benefits from other powers such as Potence. Each hit causes an obviously supernatural flash of bright light.
Duration: 1 scene.
Level 5
Flowering Amaranth
A form of shared pseudo-diablerie, this formula allows multiple thin-bloods to usurp the basic powers of a full-blooded Kindred.
Required ingredients: The alchemist's blood, the blood of up to two more thin-blood participants, a silk cord, and a full blooded Kindred who has been rendered Helpless.
Suggested ingredients: The juice from red amaranth flowers, pulverized leeches, and hydrogen sulfide.
Cost: 1 Rouse check from each participant
System: All participants must connect themselves in a circle by tying themselves together with a silk cord. Inside the circle, the Helpless full-blooded Kindred must also have his hands and feet bound by a silk cord. The participants then begin draining the blood of the vampire as if to drain them of all their blood. The alchemist then makes a Resolve + Science roll vs. the target vampire's Resolve + Composure + Blood Potency. Each participant adds a +1 bonus to the alchemist's pool. On a success, all participants gain one dot of their choice of one of the victim's in-clan disciplines. They may not choose a Discipline they already have dots in. Gaining a discipline dot in this way does not require the expenditure of experience points. Participants cannot learn or purchase this Discipline higher than the first dot. In all other respects, they can use it as though they were full-blooded Kindred. Similar to diablerie, all participants lose 1 dot of Humanity and gain black veins in their aura for 1 year which are indistinguishable from normal diablerie. However, they do not gain generation or Blood Potency and they remain a thin-blood. Regardless of whether or not the challenge is successful, the victim dies.
Duration: Permanent.
Moment of Clarity
Upon consuming this potion, the alchemist temporarily suppresses their vampire instinct, making the Beast an ally instead of a detriment to their mental acumen.
Required ingredients: The alchemist's blood, phlegmatic blood, cadmium, nootropics, and ash from the burned pages of a meaningful text to the alchemist.
Cost: 1 Rouse check
System: Upon imbibing this potion, the alchemist becomes immune to Messy Criticals and Bestial Failures. In addition, when resisting powers of Dominate, Animalism, Presence, Auspex, and any of their amalgams, the alchemist can treat her resistance pool as 8 if her own pool is lower. An alchemist can only benefit from Moment of Clarity once per night.
Duration: 1 scene.