Melpominee
This Discipline allows the Daughters of Cacophony to use speech and song for
a variety of supernatural effects.
Basic
Tourett’s Voice
You can project your voice to any person with which you are familiar. In game
terms, you pass a note or whisper in the target’s ear. In addition to the target, only those
with Heightened Senses standing nearby will be aware of and hear the exchange.
The Missing Voice
You may “throw” your voice, causing to it emanate from any place within view.
This operates independently of you, and you may continue to talk normally while the
“thrown” voice chimes in. This power works automatically, but if you wish to undertake
any other actions at the same time, you must perform a Mental Challenge; success
indicates you can divide your concentration. The best way to handle this is to
give a Narrator a note with what you wish to say.
Intermediate
Madrigal
The crashing waves of your song carry the force of your own emotions. With
inspiring verses, you raise others to the heights of passion; black melancholy
afflicts the victims of your works of despair.
You must make a Social Challenge against every target that you wish to
affect with your Madrigal — you can affect anyone within hearing range, at
your discretion. Willpower can be used to retest in defense against this power,
as usual for Social Challenges. If you choose to affect multiple people, use a
mass challenge as described in mob combat. Anyone who succumbs suffers the
effects of an overwhelming surge of emotion, directed by your choice of song.
The subjects should roleplay this wave of emotion as long as you perform no
action other than singing.
You must sing for a full turn for Madrigal to take effect. The player need not
actually sing to invoke this Discipline, though players so talented are certainly
encouraged to do so. Targets are two Traits up or down in all challenges, depending
on way the caster designed, for the remainer of the scence or one hour, whichever
comes first. By spending a Willpower Trait, an effected target can initiate a Social
Challenge with the caster to break free, the caster risks no Traits in this action.
Song of Serenity
By reaching deep within the soul of an individual, you can tame his bestial nature,
or at least quiet it for a while. This is useful not only in calming your allies, but also
for robbing a foe of her spirit and energy.
To use this power, you must make a Social Challenge. If you win the test, Song of
Serenity brings a Kindred or Garou out of frenzy. Furthermore, if used against an individual
who is not in frenzy, this Discipline quenches the fire in his soul, making him weak and
malleable. In this state, he may not spend willpower and gains the Negative Mental Traits:
Submissive x 2. This use of the Discipline lasts for the remainder of evening or session. The
Kindred may not use this Discipline on herself, and its effects are not cumulative.
Advanced
Virtuosa
Though most Daughters of Cacophony are limited to affecting a single
target with hidden speech or insanity, your performance carries your music to
as many listeners as you desire. You can extend your powers of Melpominee
to multiple subjects.
You need only expend one Blood Trait to use your powers on up to five targets
at once. If you use Tourett’s Voice, every subject
hears the same words or music that you project. If you use The Missing Voice and
Song of Serenity, you make a mass Social Challenge against all of the victims at once.
In either case, you can only use one power at a time — you cannot use Virtuosa to
project speech to some people while singing to others simultaneously.
Mytherceria
Kindred of the Kiasyd bloodline are the only vampires who can possess this Discipline.
Basic
Fey Sight
This Discipline allows you to use your normal vision to see changelings for what
they truly are. You may then speak with any creature you see by
winning or tying a Simple Test with that individual. For every test won or tied, you
may speak with the changeling for five minutes. If you lose the test, you lose
your vision of the other creature(s) for one minute.
Darkling Trickery
This power allows the Kiasyd to play minor magical pranks. By defeating a target
in a Mental Challenge, you can create spontaneous effects. While none of them should
be overtly harmful, they most certainly should be annoying to the victim. Examples of
possible effects: target lets out a deafening scream, target slips and falls, target’s gun
jams, target’s pants fall down, target sneezes steadily for one minute straight. The
effect of this power should be regulated closelyby a Narrator.
Intermediate
Faerie Wards
Kiasyd can protect an area with faerie glyphs, more to prevent others from returning
to the area than as a practical joke. By spending one Mental Trait per 10 feet protected,
you can cause visitors to become extremely disoriented and remain that way for 10
minutes after they leave the area. The Discipline affects all worlds, including the Umbra.
You may spend as many Mental Traits as you wish to ward an area. By spending
three or more Mental Traits to ward a 10-foot area (even though only one Trait is
required to ward it successfully), you can boost the glyph‘s potence, raising the
difficulty level for those wishing to avoid the ward’s effects. To avoid these effects, the
victim must engage in a Mental Challenge with you or the Storyteller and bid the same
number of Mental Traits as you spent to establish the glyph.
Banshee’s Wail
The character can expend a Mental Trait to emit a sonic blast from their mouth at a
target within thirty feet. If the character succeeds in a direct Mental Challenge(Unnecessary
if target is surprised), the victim becomes highly disoriented for the next hour and is down
two bids in all challenges. If the character loses the challenge, the Trait is still lost. Further
uses of Banshee’s Wail on the target while effects are still in place cause the target to be
down an additional bid on all challenges, to a maximum of five bids.
Advanced
Stone Travel
Kiasyd have a natural affinity for earth and can identify all rocks and minerals without
having to spend any Traits. Using this Discipline, you can burrow atunnel into the eaah by
spendingone Physical Trait for every 20 feet burrowed. While an enemy can follow you into
this tunnel, it is probably not a good idea, since they tend to collapse. You may activate this
Discipline on dirt or natural stone only. It may not be used with asphalt, concrete, brick walls
or walkways, or stone tainted with synthetic substances such as non-clay or sand mortar.
Necromancy
This Discipline allows Kindred to summon and command the spirits of the dead.
Basic
Summon Spirit
You can summon a spirit providing you meet the following conditions:
-You must know the name of the spirit, although a strong psychic impression
from Spirit’s Touch will suffice.
-The spirit can be that of a dead mortal or of an extinguished vampire. Neither
living spirits nor destroyed vampires who have reached Golconda can be summoned.
-A person or object with some connection to the spirit in its life must be present
in the room during the summoning.
You must defeat an unwilling spirit in a Social Challenge in order to summon it.
The spirit is not bound to remain any longer than one minute or one question, whichever
comes first. However, if the spirit is willing, you can maintain contact for much longer.
Insight
This Discipline allows you to look into the eyes of a corpse and
view the last five minutes those eyes saw in life, often images of the
target’s killer and the manner of death. Insight also works on the walking
dead, and may allow you to perceive the identity of a vampire’s
sire. A Mental Challenge must be won if the target resists.
Intermediate
Compel Spirit
You can now compel a summoned spirit to perform certain tasks. If you succeed
in a Mental Challenge against a spirit who has already been summoned, you can force
the spirit to perform one simple task or act on your behalf for one hour.
Torment
There is a reason that ghosts fear the most puissant necromancers of the
Giovanni. Through the use of Torment, the necromancer can inflict actual damage
on the dead, punishing them for their indiscretions.
Though you remain in the physical world, you can make Physical Challenges
against wraiths. You lash out with supernatural energies, though many Giovanni
choose to direct the blow by striking physically. Your attacks inflict lethal damage
on the wraith; a wraith discorporated with this power is banished to the deeper
levels of the Underworld for a full month, unable to return.
Advanced
Soul Stealing
You can now draw the spirit out of a living (or undead) body by spending one
Willpower Trait and succeeding in a Social Challenge. Once withdrawn, the spirit is
treated as a ghost. You can then use other Disciplines to bind this spirit or cast another
spirit into the now vacant body. If the living spirit remains unbound, it can return to
its body (providing that its body is still empty) at the cost of one Willpower Trait.
Obeah
The power to heal can be great indeed. However, Obeah is more than just a
command of physical healing; it gives Salubri control of the body and soul and is said
to be fundamentally connected to the power of their third eye. Indeed, other Kindred
who learn this Discipline also develop the third eye.
Basic
Healing Touch
With but a touch and the expenditure of a Blood Trait, you can heal one Health Level
of another’s wounds, even aggravated ones. This touch requires no test, providing the subject
is willing. However, you must succeed inaPhysica1Challeng.e if your subject chooses to resist.
Anesthetic Touch
By using this power, you may lay your hands on someone and
stop her body from feeling any pain, or bring a vampire out of frenzy.
This power also paralyzes the target for one turn per Mental Trait
expended. You must defeat an unwilling target in a Physical Challenge.
Improper use of this Discipline (e.g., using this power simply
to paralyze a target) may demand a Beast Trait check.
Intermediate
Neutral Guard
By spending two Mental Traits, you can protect yourself and those under your
care from harm. Once enacted, no one not already within 10 feet of you can
approach unless you voluntarily drop your guard or they defeat you in a Mental
Challenge. However, ifyou are successful at the challenge, they are paralyzed for five
minutes. If you take any hostile action while using this Discipline, you automatically
cancel the Neutral Guard.
Advanced
Healing the Mind
With this Discipline, you can diagnose and cure someone else’s Derangements
for an evening by winning a Mental Challenge. If you choose to expend three Mental
Traits permanently, you may make your healing effects permanent. However, you are
two bids down whenever you try to remove a Malkavian’s Derangement, your effects
will never be permanent, and you may never heal his last two Derangements.
Obfuscate
Kindred hide in the midst of teeming hordes of humanity. For those who are truly
hideous, the gift of Obfuscation is priceless. Essentially, most of the powers of
Obfuscate affect the minds of observers, preventing them from perceiving things as
they truly are. As a result, surveillance devices, such as cameras, will still register the
character normally. However, if a person employing such a device is relatively near the
Obfuscating character, she will still be affected by the power and not be able to perceive
the charcter. For example, a tourist with a video camera would not see a skulking Nosferatu
at the base of the Washington monument through the camera's viewpiece. However, if he
later watched the film at home, he would indeed notice the lulking figure that he somehow
missed earlier.
Basic
Unseen Presence
This power allows you to remain obscured and unseen even in crowds. You can
walk about without being seen or heard, lurk while listening to whispered conversations
and escape from dangerous situations.
While this Discipline is activated, other players must pretend not to see you; if
you choose to spy upon them, they must continue acting normally, as if you are not
there. To engage this power, you must cross both your arms in front of you,
demonstrating your actions to everyone around you. As soon as you touch objects
around you (other than walking around), talk to others or otherwise interact with your
environment, you instantly become visible to everyone (uncross your arms).
If you are moving, a Kindred with Heightened Senses will detect somethiig is amiss, hut
must defeat you in a Mental Challenge to actually pinpoint your location and see you. In any
case, you cannot surprise an individual with Heightened Senses by using Unseen Presence.
You may attempt to evoke the “Fair Escape” rule with Unseen Presence by
winninga Mentalchallenge. If you win, you have slipped away unnoticed (watch out
for characters with Heightened Senses, however). You cannot use this method of
escape if you are currently involved in a challenge.
Mask of 1000 Faces
This Discipline allows you to assume a completely different appearance. To
adopt this convincing disguise, you may be required to assume new props and clothes,
change badges or use the appropriate hand sign to indicate your change in appearance.
This Discipline is extremely valuable to the hideous Nosferatu.
Characters with Heightened Senses can sense something is amiss about your looks,
but they must defeat you in a Mental Challenge to pierce your projected veil. Because
this power affects minds, it is useless against remote cameras and photographs (although
a nearby witness will still discount proof if the Obfuscating individual is in sight).
You possess one “instinctive” illusory disguise that you can adopt automatically
while conscious. You can assume other disguises temporarily, but each costs one
Mental Trait. While asleep, when in Torpor or upon Final Death, you return to your
true appearance.
Intermediate
Cloak the Gathering
Not only can you mystically mask your own passing, but others can also benefit
from your power. You may place others (if they are willing) under your mantle of
Obfuscation, thereby rendering them invisible. After you disappear, you must expend
a Mental Trait for each individual you wish to Cloak. Each individual Cloaked in this
manner must cross her arms to indicate the use of Unseen Presence.
Individuals under the effect of this power must always remain within three paces
of you to remain hidden. While Cloaked, you and your allies can still see each other.
Each individual hidden by this Discipline must abide by the limitation listed under
Unseen Presence, or the Cloaked companion immediately forfeits the Discipline’s
effect. If one member of the group becomes visible in this manner, she can no longer
see the rest, who remain unaffected. If the user of the Discipline violates the
limitations of Unseen Presence, all participants become visible.
If a Kindred with Heightened Senses defeats one of the cloaked individuals in a
Mental Challenge, she perceives only that individual. However, if a perceptive
Kindred challenges and defeats the Kindred projecting the Cloak, all of the subjects
are revealed to the challenger. Usually, it is not readily apparent which Kindred in the
gathering is employing this power.
Fade from Mind's Eye
With a declaration of "Fade From Mind's Eye" the character may cross their arms
and enter obfuscate, even with witnesses present. Use of this discipline is not a breach
of the masquerade.
Advanced
Soul Mask
What Mask of 1000 Faces does to the body, Soul Mask accomplishes for the inner
self. Kindred possessing Aura Perception and Telepathy often become smug in their
ability to unearth others’ deepest secrets and personalities. You, however, have the
ability to render those powers impotent. Your true nature is inscrutable. This is not to
say that your secrets cannot be fathomed, but it takes a very dedicated and decidedly
nosy individual to do so.
A single Mental Trait must be expended for each piece of information about
yourself you wish to alter. The types of information that can be masked are Nature,
Demeanor, recent diablerie, emotional state, surface thoughts, type of creature and
Derangements. Each of these “masks” must be recorded when the power is activated.
The masks remain until sunrise or until you choose to change them (at additional cost).
Obtenebration
Vampires are creatures of shadow, none more so than practitioners of Obtenebration.
This Discipline enables the Lasombra to shape shadows, the very essence of their twilight souls.
Basic
Shadow Play
You can blend in with shadows. If there is an area shadow, you may stand in it with arms
crossed for Obfuscate and remain unseen. To see you, another Kindred must initiate a
Mental Challenge which, even if successful, cannot distinguish between Obfuscate and
Obtenebration. This Discipline may not be used unless real shadows are present;
acceptable places include very dark rooms, closets, under tables (if it is dim) and so forth.
Shroud of Night
You can create an area of inky black matter that blinds everyone regardless of
Heightened Senses or Gleam of the Red Eyes. This darkness extinguishes light and
stifles, but does not eliminate, sound. Use of this Discipline looks unusual to those on
the outside, appearing as a huge, black blob nothing like a natural shadow.
Shroud ofNight costs you one Blood Trait for every 10 feet you wish the darkness
to extend. A Storyteller should be present to explain the phenomenon to all involved.
Unless others notice your high concentration level, they will be unable to trace the
phenomenon back to you.
Intermediate
Arms of the Abyss
With this Discipline, you can force shadows within 15 feet of you to attack a
specific target. Use of this Discipline requires a real shadow to be present and visible
to the victim (although the victim does not actually have to be looking at it). If the
character being attacked is blind, then a Storyteller may vouch for its existence.
Furthermore, you cannot engage in any other physical action while causing the
shadow to hold, knock over, trip, grasp, block or otherwise attack an opponent.
This Discipline costs one Blood Trait per shadow animated and requires a
Physical Challenge (the shadow’s Physical Traits, listed below, vs. the victim’s
Physical Traits). Once you have spent the Blood Trait, other characters see the
shadow form into a tendril and move about, seemingly of its own volition. While the
shadow tendrils cannot move around an area, they can whip, slash and grab from their
initial point of origin. They both inflict and take normal damage.
Each shadow possesses six Physical Traits and the caster level of Potence.
Storytellers should feel free to allow characters with this Discipline to choose their
own adjectives, as long as they suit the shadow. The Lasombra has the option of
spending additional Blood Traits to add Physical Traits to her shadow tendrils at a
one-for-one cost.
Black Metamorphosis
Spewing forth your own stained inner spirit, you meld your corpselike body with
the very stuff of tangible darkness. Your head and limbs seem to fade into shadow, while
bands of blackness striate your body and shadowy tentacles sprout from your torso.
You must expend two Blood Traits and a Social Trait to evoke this power. You
immediately sprout four tentacles just like those of the Arms of the Abyss power,
though they are considered extensions of yourself and they use your Traits. The
chilling darkness about your body and infusing the tentacles afflicts anyone you
touch with the Negative Trait Clumsy as their limbs are numbed with supernatural
cold. You may make one additional attack at the end of each turn by using the
tentacles, in addition to any strikes that you normally gain or make with Celerity
(this extra attack is added to your attack sequence, not multiplied if you have extra
actions). You gain the bonus Traits Intimidating x 3 while taking on this demonic
aspect. Lastly, you suffer no penalties from any sorts of mundane darkness.
The Black Metamorphosis lasts for one scene or one hour.
Advanced
Shadow Body
You can turn your body into an oozing form of shadow, making yourself impervious
tophysical harmexceptforsunlight or fire (which inflict one extra Health Leve1 ofdamage
in this form). You may not initiate any challenges or attack in any way. Shadow Body also
allows you to slip through cracks in walls and slither at walking speed along any surface.
This Discipline costs two Blood Traits, one to assume the shadow form and one
to return to normal form. It takes one full minute to change forms.
Potence
Another distinctly physical Discipline from which many Kindred benefit is a
supernaturally heightened degree of strength known as Potence. Those employing
this gift find themselves able to perform incredible feats and inflict brutal amounts of
damage. Unfortunately, like so many of the physical Disciplines, Potence easily marks
the user as something more than human. As a result, many consider exercising Vigor
or Puissance a breach of the Masquerade.
Basic
Prowess
You possess a degree of supernatural strength beyond that of average Kindred. Even
when your strength should be spent, you can call upon the might that is your bloodright.
You may expend a single Blood Trait to recover all Physical Traits that you have
depleted or lost this session; you may not use Potence to restore any other type
of Physical Traits.
Intensity
Your titanic strength never fails you. Unless sorely pressed or wounded,
you can continue incredible feats indefinitely.
Whenever you enter a challenge of strength, you may use Potence as your bid
Trait. This Trait does not count toward totals when resolving ties or overbids, but
it can never be lost; thus, you may continually use Potence in successive tests of
strength. Only if you are forced to risk multiple Traits — such as due to wounds
or Negative Traits — do you risk losing any of your other Physical Traits.
If you run out of Physical Traits, you cannot use this Discipline. Once you
have been completely exhausted, you can no longer enter challenges.
Intermediate
Might
You can redouble your efforts in any test of strength, often overcoming obstacles that
would daunt lesser Kindred. If you should lose a challenge involving strength, you may call for
a single immediate retest. Any Traits you lost remain lost, although you need not bid another
Trait. You do, however, stand to win the object of the challenge should you win the second test.
This Discipline can only be used once per challenge and cannot be recalled by an
opponent’s use ofan Ability, but could be overcome by another Kindred using Might. Might
may not be used in tests of coordination, grace or speed, only in tests that involve raw strength.
Vigor
Your physical strength has reached truly astonishing proportions, marking you as
superhuman. Because many Kindred consider the use of Vigor in mortal company a breach
of the Masquerade, they refrain from using this level of strength unless in dire straits.
When using Vigor, you should make the hand signal called the “Bomb,” which is
a clenched fist with thumb extended upward. You may apply the Bomb in combat and
Physical Challenges that are strength-related, but not in challenges of coordination,
speed, grace or the like. The Bomb interacts with other signals in a manner befitting its
name: it defeats both Rock and Paper, but in turn is defeated by Scissors (the fuse is cut).
You must declare that you are able to use the Bomb before you can use it to resolve a test.
Advanced
Puissance
You possess monumental strength. What you consider casual exertion is sufficient
force to deform metal and fracture stone. Your full strengthwill shatter the bones
of the toughest mortal, rend plate steel and grind marble blocks into gravel. Even your
fellow Kindred cannot survive the type of punishment you can inflict for long.
In hand-to-hand combat, you inflict an additional Health Level against your
foes. Furthermore, you win all ties in Physical Challenges involving strength,
regardless of who possesses the most Traits. Of course, if your opponent also has
Puissance, the winner is determined normally.
Presence
Presence can be seen as sort of a supernatural magnitude of charisma, personality and
appeal. Particularly among mortals, Kindred possessing this Discipline are often seen as
being magnetic or having an intangible quality that draws people to them. While
Dominate controls the logical and conscious mind, Presence appeals to the emotions of
the subject. Unlike Dominate, however, Presence can affect Kindred of lower generation.
Basic
Awe
The sight of you turns heads. When you let your charisma shine, you draw
attention naturally. People try to be close to you, and even those disinclined to
listen to you give some consideration to anything you say or do.
When you are involved in a Social Challenge, you may expend one Social
Trait to invoke Awe, gaining an automatic retest. You may only use this power
once per Social Challenge. You may use Awe in a mass challenge, but you must
expend one Social Trait for each person retested against.
Dread Gaze
You are able to inject others with feelings of terror and fear by looking into their eyes.
By defeating your target in a Social Challenge, you can cause her to run from you in a panic.
Unable to take any action against you or to initiate a challenge, the victim must flee the
area without stopping until out of your presence. For the next hour, he actively avoids you
and leaves immediately should you appear. If somehow forced to remain in your presence,
the individual will be extremely uncomfortable and must bid an additional Trait in all
challenges against you. If you attack the victim, he may defend himself as normal.
Intermediate
Entrancement
This Discipline describes your ability to attract, sway and control others. Your
seductive glamour ensnares everyone you look upon - even those who despise you
and wish you harm can be rendered civil, if not docile.
You may attempt to Entrance an individual by engaging him in a Social Challenge. If you
are successful, the target must speak to you politely and in acivil manner. Furthermore, he may
not attack you while Entranced. The Entrancement is broken if you initiate an act of aggression
against the subject or behave in an obviously insulting or crude manner towards him -
otherwise, the power lasts for one hour. If the user breaks the Entrancement by attacking the
individual, she may not Entrance that individual again for the remainder of the night.
Summon
You can demand the immediate appearance of a person known to you, and he will
come. Even across great distances, your mental summoning is not easy to resist.
The standard method of employing this power is to select an out-of-game envoy to
carry your summons. This should be someone who doesn’t mind or who can take the time
out to perform the duty. You declare to the envoy the number of Social Traits you wish
to devote to the power. Each Social Trait beyond the first allows a retest if the subject
wins the Social Challenge or resists the power of the call. In the meantime, you must
remain in the same place so that the subject can find you if he loses the challenge. Any
Social Traits invested in the call are considered lost, even if the subject relents. A Willpower
Trait may be expending before a narrator starts the challenge by the target to ignore the effect
of Summon, all traits spent by the caster are returned and the target is not aware of any attempt.
There will often be quite a time lag when using this power. This is easy to understand
when one considers the amount of time it will take to find the subject, engage in a challenge
and respond. Players are therefore advised not to use this power frivolously.
Advanced
Majesty
You exude an aura of power and insurmountable might. Those around you find
it difficult to think about, let alone act out, offenses against your person. You can
expect to be treated with great respect, if not awe.
The effect of this Discipline extends about 10 paces from you and immediately
fades if you take offensive actions against anyone within range of your power. This
effect is always active while you are conscious and takes no effort on your part.
However, when in question, you should signify that you have Majesty by holding your
arms out from your sides when you enter a room or other area.
Anyone attempting an offensive or aggressive action against you must first defeat
you in a Social Challenge. If the attacker fails, she cannot continue with the planned
action and cannot challenge your Majesty again that evening. Furthermore, unlike
other powers, the subject may not spend a Willpower Trait to ignore Majesty’s initial
effects, although at a later time, she may spend one to challenge its effects. At least
an hour must pass before the next attempt.
Protean
This Discipline allows a vampire to transform either her entire body or a part of
her body into something nonhuman. The vampire can thus grow claws, turn into a bat
or even become mist.
Basic
Gleam of the Red Eyes
With a moment’s pause, you can make your eyes able to see in absolute
darkness. An eerie red glow emanates from your eyes, and you can see perfectly
well in pitch-blackness.
You need only declare your intent to use Gleam of the Red Eyes, and at the end of
the turn, the change is complete. You suffer no penalties at all for natural darkness
while using this Discipline. However, you do suffer the Negative Trait Bestial due to
your red, glowing eyes, unless you take steps to conceal them (most commonly, with
sunglasses). Using this power is also a rather obvious breach of the Masquerade.
Wolf Claws
At will, you can instantly cause long, razor-sharp claws to grow from your
fingertips. Because the claws are obvious and not easily hidden, using this Discipline
among mortals constitutes a breach of the Masquerade. When used in combat, Wolfs
Claws causes aggravated damage.
Intermediate
Earth Meld
Eerily and effortlessly, you can sink into the protective bosom of the earth. This is
an ideal way to flee such threats as fire and the sun, provided you can find an open patch
of earth. You can also use this Discipline as a “Fair Escape.” However, a Kindred using
Earth Meld during combat as a defensive action will have to relent if he is attacked; he
Will fade into the ground at the end of the turn.Thepowerwil1notworkonanysubstance
other than soil. Earth Meld leaves no trace of its use and only a few powers may be able
to detect the hidden Kindred (Storyteller’s discretion). This Discipline costs one Blood
Trait to use, but the character may return to the surface at no cost.
Shadow of the Beast
You are capable of transforming into a wolf or bat. The process requires a full 10
seconds and one Blood Trait. During this time, you may not engage in any other
action, although you may make the transformation instantaneously with the expenditure
of three Blood Traits.
The change only alters your body and normal clothes - weapons and other
equipment do not change. Furthermore, certain Disciplines and Abilities may be
impossible to use (for instance, bats cannot Drive). A Storyteller should be consulted
in any questionable cases.
As a bat, you can navigate easily in darkness and use flight to escape most foes
(as per the “Fair Escape” rules). You also gain the Trait: Quick x 3. However, you must
avoid well-lit areas. Obviously, bats are difficult to attack in melee, so you are usually
only vulnerable to ranged attacks.
As a wolf, youcan pass as a normal animal to most individuals. You can communicate
with other wolves (although this is different from understanding the Garou Tongue) and
might be able to associate with Garou to a degree if they are not too hostile and you don’t
stink too much of the Wyrm. You gain the Traits: Ferocious, Tenacious and Cunning.
Advanced
Form of Mist
Through rigorous control of your physical form, you can slowly diffuse into a h e mist. This
process requires intense concentration and one full minute. In this vaporous state, you can slip
through any structure, provided it isn’t airtight. You are also immune to physical injuries except
for those caused by fire and sunlight. Movement in this form is slow, equivalent to walking, and
strong winds will reduce this to a slow walk or even push you in an undesired direction.
It costs one Blood Trait to assume Mist Form and one to return to human form. While
in Mist Form, you may not use Physical Abilities or Disciplines. Obviously, being in such
a state also prevents you from using certain other non-physical powers, like Command,
Thaumaturgy, Wolfs Claws, rituals and so on.
Quietus
A quiet death is the goal of this Discipline, ensuring the height of secrecy.
Through their blood, the Assamites master this Discipline, often combining it with
Obfuscate to form a most potent tool.
Basic
Silence of Death
At the cost of one Blood Trait, you can create a zone of silence. Everyone within
20 feet of you cannot speak or make any other noises. You gain the additional
advantage of a one second surprise rule when employing this Discipline.
Weakness
With this power, you can utilize your blood as a contact poison. Flesh-to-flesh
contact, the expenditure of a Blood Trait and a successful Physical Challenge are all
required to use Weakness. If the attempt is successful, the victim is down two
Physical Traits for an hour.
Intermediate
Poison Blade
With the expenditure of a Blood Trait, the Assamite can coat a blade with her own blood.
Poisonous to other Kindred, the blood coating enables the weapon to inflict aggravated
damage on an opponent. Poison Blade may be used one time per Blood Trait spent.
Blood Spit
Your concentrated blood is so powerfully toxic that you can merely spit it at a foe
and watch it burn through her skin. The ichor evoked with this power does not affect
metal or stone, but melts through flesh and bone, reducing it to smoking sludge.
You can spit a single Blood Trait at a victim with this power (this counts as a
single action). If you successfully strike with a Physical Challenge, the victim takes
one level of aggravated damage. You must directly spew this blood out; if it misses
the victim or is placed on an object, it loses its toxicity within the turn. Note that
the blood must be deliberately converted into a poison in this fashion — your own
blood can still be drained from your body without poisoning the drinker.
Advanced
Blood Sweat
You can make an opponent sweat blood by concentrating on him. You must announce
how many Blood Traits you are trying to make your opponent lase, then initiate a Mental
Challenge. If you are successful, your opponent must discard his Blood Traits. However, if you
lose, your Willpower Trait(s) are still spent. Every three Blood Traits costs one Willpower Trait.
The victim of Blood Sweat does not automatically know who is affecting her.
Rodentia
Basic
Rodent Claws
The Xanthian may grow claws at will. Rodent claws have small barbs at their tips, which inflict aggravated damage, and also grant 1 bonus trait when used for climbing.
Rodent Ken
This ability allows the user to communicate with rodents that may be in the area, the normally repulsed animals now are not. This level is similar to the Ability: Animal Ken, but is restricted to rodents. The rodent wins a simple test in order to understand and carry out any orders given to it (guard, fetch, etc.).
Intermediate
Cartilage Skeleton
With the expenditure of 3 blood traits, the Xanthian may transform her bone matter into cartilage. During this state, she is 1 trait down on any physical test involving strength, unless the test is to see whether or not can hold on to something. Another effect is that while in this state, she may squeeze through any opening big enough for her head it fit though (Gains the Merit: Double-Jointed). Also, she gains 2 extra Resilient Physical Traits, and only attackers with or equal to Potence 3 may break their bones.
Rodent Death Scree
Filling your lungs to full capacity, Cartilage Skeleton must be active, you are able to produce a supersonic scream able to peel the paint off of a new car and shatter glass. In battle this would cause 1 level of aggravated damage, though characters with heighten senses hearing or an equivalent, will receive an additional weapon damage. Use of this discipline is a breach of the masquerade.
Advanced
Of Rodent and Man
Developed by the bloodline founder not as a war form, but as to gain some of the strengths and advantages of rodents through the Rodentia disciplines. Spend 2 blood traits and take a full minute to activate, and gain the negative traits: Feral (Social) and Jumpy (Mental). While this power is active, claws and bite attacks do an additional health level of damage, and you have 7 points to spend from the chart below for extra abilities, but most have flaws that must be taken with the abilities. Additions to the list must be approved by the Storyteller. This discipline may be purchased multiple times for extra forms, but only one may be active at a time.
Abilities Cost Negative Traits Areas that may be affected
Prehensile Tail 2 Bestial (S) butt, type of tail
Extra health level 3 Flabby (P) torso
Extended Senses 1 - ears, nose, eyes, etc.
Danger Sense 2 Jumpy (M)
2 Traits (Max - 6) 1 - varies
Inoffensive to Animals 1 - n/a
Spines 2 Bestial (S) whole body
Daredevil 2 Overconfident n/a
Double Movement 4 Paranoia legs, arms, feet
Serpentis
This Discipline is entirely derived from the legendary powers of Set. As such, it
is unique to the Followers of Set.
Basic
Eyes of the Serpent
You can paralyze others with your gaze. Like a serpent’s, your eyes appear gold
with large black irises, hypnotizing those with whom you establish eye contact. After
making eye contact, you may initiate a Social Challenge. If you are successful, your
victim is paralyzed for as long as you maintain the eye contact. Mortals may only bid
half their Traits to resist this challenge.
The Serpent’s Tongue
You can now transform your tongue into that of a serpent’s. Becoming 18-inches
long, your tongue inflicts aggravated damage and drains a Blood Trait from your
opponent on a successful attack.
Intermediate
The Skin of the Adder
The power of your reptilian blood allows you to erupt into a serpentine
form of protective scales and snakelike flexibility. You can thus transform into
a monstrous hybrid of humanoid and snake, an effective engine of war or a
terrible slithering beast of intimidation.
You need only spend a Blood Trait and a Willpower Trait to invoke this
power. At the end of the turn, The Skin of the Adder overtakes you, covering you
in a mottled scaly hide and lending a whiplike flexibility to your limbs. You gain
the bonus Traits Lithe and Tough. Your mouth also distends like a snake’s, so
that your bite causes an additional wound if you win (not tie) a Simple Test after
biting (though you can still feed without causing any extra damage, if desired).
Your cartilaginous body can also fit through any opening wide enough to accommodate
your head. Due to the hideous nature of your snake-form, you gain the
Negative Social Traits Bestial and Repugnant while in this form. Obviously, being
in this form rips the Masquerade wide open if you’re spotted by mortals.
The Skin of the Adder remains in effect until you decide to transform back,
or until the next sunrise.
Form of the Serpent
You can now transform your entire body into the shape of a serpent, gaining additional
Physical Traits: Lithe, Wiry and Steady. Once a serpent type is chosen, it can not be changed.
. You gain all the obvious advantages of this form (slither through holes, rarefied sense of
smell, poisonous bite- to mortals at least). To use this Discipline, you must expend one
Physical Trait and one Blood Trait and may take no action for one full minute - you can’t
even speak.
Advanced
Heart of Darkness
You can remove your heart from your body, thus rendering yourself immune to
staking. However, if someone else finds your heart, you are completely at her mercy. With
several hours of surgery, you can also perform this Discipline on other Kindred. Because
Heart of Darkness takes several hours to perform, it is usually done between game sessions.
Shadow
Basic
Shadow Stalk
When active, the user may inhabit an individual’s shadow and travel where she travels. Spend 1 Mental trait to sink into someone’s shadow, and you may also jump from person to person if their shadows’ touch by spending an addtional Mental trait each time. Heighten Senses is always enough to test to see the hidden.
Shadow View
By simply touching of a recently deceased body's shadow, impressions and scattered visions appear to the user, similar to Auspex's Spirit Touch. The body must still be generally in the same spot in which it died. All visions are expressed from the shadow point of view, and are hazy at best.
Spend 1 Mental trait and do win simple test to activate, and this power cannot be used on shadows of bodies dead more than 15 min.
Intermediate
Shadow Guise
By using the inner powers of the shadow, the user may steal the identity and physical prowess of someone whom shadow she inhabits. First Shadow Stalk must be used, then enter and Static Mental challenge with the individual whom shadow has benn inhabited. Spend a blood trait to finish the process. You gain the appearance of the target, similar to Obfuscate's Mack of 1000 Faces, which requires Auspex 2 or a supernatural equalivant to test to see through it. Also, you gain the current physical traits of the target, not their max traits, at the time of this powers use, even if the targets traits are lower than the user's, until the power is dropped.
Shadow Thief
By removing the shadow from a target by varies means, (slicing, shoting, ripping, etc.), the caster gains an advantage over the target. This disorients the target with the loss of it’s shadow, whether the target nows of it or not.
Spend 2 blood traits while in contact with a target’s shadow and call the action to remove it in one form or another, the shadow can be remove without the knowledge of the target. A Static Physical challenge vs. the targets physical traits to remove the shadow, failure on the test alerts the target that the caster was trying to use a power on them, though not any details. Slicing or shoting the legs, or other actions the successfully “remove” the shadow from the target are acceptable. EX: Joe is doing a handstand, Kain comes over grabs the shadow’s arms and pulls the off from behind, unnoticed by Joe. Kain puts Joe’s shadow in his pocket and disappears. The shadow is tangible, but has very little mass and can be put even in small container or pocket.
Advanced
Shadow Slice
Simple but deadly, the Isogyre may now focus her power not on a person to acheive its killing blows, but on a target's shadow. By spending a blood trait for each individual shadow that is attacked, not each time, the user may attack it with almost any brawling or melee weapons. Hands, swords, claws, etc., but no firearm, bows, etc. Any weapon that leaves the body to inflict damage will not work, storyteller has final ruling. This attack may also be made a surprise attack on a unknowing target, narrator has final say.
Spiritus
Native American shamans taught this Discipline to the Ahrimanes - no one
else has ever been known to possess it.
Basic
Speak With Spirit
This Discipline allows you to speak to nearby wraiths without any Trait
expenditure. Although you cannot see the spirits, you can smell them. A wraith must
win a Simple Test to see if he can respond, and should also describe to you what animal
he would most smell like. Note that because this communication is purely telepathic,
it cannot be overheard by those with Heightened Senses.
Summon Spirit Beasts
You can call on the spirits of dead animals to aid you. These spirits will be
predisposed to helping you, and can follow simple telepathic commands. The
spirits can take any action of which they were capable in normal life
(e.g., a bird spirit can fly, a dog spirit has keen hearing, etc.). Generally it takes
one Mental Trait to summon a spirit, but a Narrator may issue a higher cost for
a larger, more powerful spirit. The spirit arrives in 10-30 minutes. No one can
see the spirit companion except those who have powers that enable them to see
into the spirit world. The spirit will aid you for one night, and then return to the
land of the dead.
Intermediate
Aspect of the Beast
By spending one Blood Trait, you can access Alacrity (Celerity), Vigor (Potence)
or Wolf Claws (Protean). You may use more than one of these Disciplines at a time,
and any costs and time to activate the Disciplines still apply. This Discipline is the direct
result of your meditation and communication with animal spirits. Thus, in addition to the
blood expenditure, you must concentrate for a full minute before you receive your requested
Discipline -during this time, you ask the spirit of an appropriate animal to help you.
The spirit’s aid lasts for 20 minutes or one Physical Challenge, whichever passes first.
Spirit Binding
Spirits are curious, mischievous and even destructive entities and having one watch over something or somewhere is generally questionable at best but can lead to entertaining, even tactical results. Note: wraiths may also be affected by spirit binding, though to a much lesser extent.
Spend a willpower and enter a social challenge vs. the intended spirit or wraith to be bound, all the while forming a perimeter and target/object or by making a binding (rope, chain, etc.) to an object with your will. Those with powers to see/sense the spiritual can notice the power, though only objects or abilities the event spirits or wraiths can affect the bindings.
Generally the target is trapped for a scene, but extended challenges can be made with the storyteller for longer “visits”.
Advanced
The Wildebeest
Using this Discipline, you can attain a feral state in which you become slightly
larger, more catlike in appearance and ready for vicious combat. You may not use any
Social Traits except Intimidating. This Discipline results from your communion with
spirits of wild animals and being in close enough contact with them to allow them to
lend their strengths to your body. It takes one full minute of uninterrupted concentration
to evoke this state, in which you gain the following Physical Traits: Ferocious,
Graceful, Lithe, Athletic, Dexterous and Tireless. You should be sure to describe your
character’s physical change in appearance to those around you.
Thanatosis
The practitioners of this Discipline are obsessed with the appearance of death
and as such are shunned by all but the most twisted of Kindred.
Basic
Putrefaction
You can cause an opponent to decompose rapidly. After stating the number of
Blood Traits you are going to spend, you initiate a Physical Challenge. If you are
successful, every challenge or physical action (other than slowly walking) that your
victim takes causes him to lose one Physical Trait until he is down to zero (this loss
occurs after the challenge is over). Once at zero, he is so far gone that he is incapable
of taking any physical action at all. This effect lasts for a full night. Additionally, the
victim loses one Social Trait for every Blood Trait that you spend. If you lose the
challenge, you do not recover your Blood Traits.
Hag’s Wrinkles
With the expenditure of a Blood Trait, you may expand or contract your skin,
allowing you to change both your general appearance and apparent age. This ability
can also be used to conceal small items in your body by creating pockets of flesh
that are then tightly sealed.
Intermediate
Ashes to Ashes
With this Discipline, you can transform yourself into a pile of heavy ashes,
rendering you immune to fire and sunlight. While neither wind nor rain can separate
you, force can: Your opponent initiates a Physical Challenge and, if successful, your
ashes are separated. Reforming after being separated is painful at best - the Narrator
must determine which parts are missing and how much aggravated damage you receive
as a result. To assume this form requires the expenditure of one Physical Trait.
Necrosis
The hideous decomposition induced with Necrosis disgusts and revolts even the
hardiest constitution. Accelerating the forces of decay, you cause the target’s skin to
rot away and slough off, exposing internal organs in a terrifying panoply of pain.
Necrosis requires you to touch the victim and expend two Blood Traits. The
subject immediately suffers a level of lethal damage as his skin rots and sloughs
off in pieces. Furthermore, the victim takes the Negative Traits Decrepit and
Repugnant as a result of the attack; these Negative Traits remain until the damage
heals. Multiple strikes can inflict additional damage and Negative Traits in
a cumulative fashion, rendering the victim a pool of putrescent liquid.
Advanced
Withering
You can now wither an opponent’s limbs with a touch. By expending two Blood
Traits and winning a Physical Challenge, you render an opponent’s limb useless and
cause him one level of aggravated damage. Even if your opponent heals this damage,
the limb is withered and useless for the remainder of the evening. It should hang
lifeless at his side.
Vicissitude
This Discipline allows the Tzimisce to alter appearances and physiological
structures - whether her own or someone else’s - sometimes in painful ways. Not
just a Discipline, Vicissitude is often considered a disease (and some say more than just
a disease). Using this Discipline can be a tremendous strain on a vampire’s mind: If a
vampire uses this Discipline more than three times per night, he permanently gains
one new Derangement or one Path Trait at the discretion of the Storyteller.
Basic
Changeling
You can alter your own appearance as much as your natural bone structure allows.
That is, you may not go from being a 5’ 1” overweight, bald man to a six-foot-tall skinny
person. You may look completely different, but your basic size and shape remain the same.
Thii Discipline costs one Blood Trait per use and takes five minutes. Unlike Obfuscate,
you cannot just pop in and out of disguise: it requires time and concentration on your part.
When using Changeling, try to bring a few extra costume pieces with you
so that people in your pack will know not to recognize you when you are wearing
the brown jacket or the fuzzy green hat. Also, if your group is using numbers, you
must change yours to identify you as someone different.
The effects of Changeling last until you change yourself (or are changed back)
to your natural form.
Fleshcraft
Fleshcraft allows you to alter another creature’s flesh. Often used as a combat
technique in inter-Sabbat arguments or to terrify and intimidate other opponents, the
Discipline requires you to engage in a Physical Challenge with an unwilling victim
and win, or to tie a Simple Test with a willing one. The challenge’s outcome
determines whether or not you can lay your hands on the victim while invoking the
Discipline. In any case, this Discipline does not function without physical contact.
If you use this Discipline to improve another’s appearance (requiring a Simple
Test), the victim gains one appropriate Social Trait for the duration of the physical
alteration. Failure on the Simple Test means that the victim loses one Social Trait.
This Discipline costs one Blood Trait each time you use it and takes at least 10
uninterrupted minutes to perform (if altering an entire face).
Intermediate
Bonecraft
Bonecraft allows you to alter the bone structure of your victim. Since its effects
are particularly painful, the Sabbat find this technique most useful in torture
situations. With Bonecraft, you can increase or decrease the size of a bone, insert
objects into bone (as long as the bone itself can be touched), carve bone with bare
hands or engage in similar practices. You cannot use this Discipline to break bones in
combat (that would involve your Physical Traits and Brawl Ability). However, you
can bend bones while touching the victim (a Physicalchallenge with strength-related
Traits). The effects of this Discipline are permanent unless someone else alters them
using the same Discipline.
Bonecraft costs one Blood Trait to use and requires a Physical Challenge
(unwilling victim) or Simple Test (willing victim). If you wish to use Bonecraft on
yourself to enhance the effects of Changeling, you run the risk of a pain frenzy. The
alteration of an entire skeleton takes at least 20 minutes to perform, and the victim
must either spend one Willpower Trait to avoid frenzying from pain or engage in a
Static Physical Challenge.
Note that Storytellers may feel free not to allow the use of this Discipline in their games.
Bloodform
Deliquescing into a puddle of vitae is within your power. You need only
concentrate briefly, and you can reduce any of your limbs or body parts into a
puddle of your own pure blood.
Each limb (arm, leg, head) that you transform becomes one Blood Trait; your
body forms the remainder of your Blood Traits, up to your maximum size. You can
change part or all of yourself, as desired. This blood functions in all ways as your own
blood, but you retain a level of autonomic control over it. In Bloodform, you can move
at a slow walking pace as a puddle of blood, oozing over things and through cracks.
Changing body parts back requires only that you be in contact with the blood, or
that you regrow your part by expending Blood Traits appropriate to the part (a single
Trait to regrow a limb, for instance), in which case the blood that previously formed
the piece becomes inert. While fully in Bloodform, you can use mental Disciplines,
and you are immune to all physical dangers except fire or sunlight. If all of the blood
is imbibed or destroyed while you are in this form, though, you meet Final Death.
Advanced
Horrid Form
With this Discipline, you can assume the form of an enormous, disgusting
monster. Your body is transformed into a seven to eight foot tall creature with
blackish, oily skin and other enchanting features like bony knobs protruding from the
spine, a hideously deformed head and huge, clawlike, seven-fingered hands. You also
must find a way to alert other nearby players to this change. Raising your hands from
your sides, fingers splayed and clawlike, can be appropriate.
You must spend two Blood Traits to activate Horrid Form and, while in it, cannot
use any Social Traits except Intimidation. Moreover, you gain the following Physical
Traits: Brawny, Ferocious, Dexterous, Quick, Enduring and Stalwart. All damage
inflicted while in this form is aggravated.
Viscertika
Kindred of the Gargoyle bloodline are the only vampires who can
possess this Discipline.
Basic
Skin of the Chameleon
By expending a Blood Trait, you can make your skin take on the texture of your
surroundings. By standing still or moving very slowly (one step per three seconds)
you blend in so well you cannot be seen by normal eyes. Characters with Heightened
Senses may opt to do a Mental Challenge against your Physical Traits to find you.
(Note: Unlike Unseen Presence, this power is not a trick of the mind and does not cause
characters to actively avoid your location.) You may move and speak while utilizing
this power, but its usefulness is nullified at that point.
Whispers of the Chamber
With the expenditure of a Willpower Trait, you are able to attune yourself to
detect intruders within an enclosed area. The area can be as large as a small apartment
(about 30’ by 30’) with which you are intimately familiar. This power works even if
the intruders are out of sight, in darkness or protected by Obfuscate. If the target is
actively seeking to avoid being detected, a Mental Challenge versus the target is in order.
Intermediate
Bond with Terra
Similar to the Protean power Earth Meld, this power allows you to melt into stone,
brick or asphalt. However, this power does not allow you to sink deep into the
protective surroundings. Instead, you seep just below the surface and a faint outline of
your form can be seen above where you rest. This power protects from both fire and
the sun. If an adversary attempts to harm you, the surrounding rock effectively gives
you five extra Healthy Traits. This power requires the expenditure of a Blood Trait.
Voices of the Castle
As Whispers of the Chamber, but affecting an entire building or physical structure.
Advanced
Flow within the Sanctuary
By expending two Blood Traits, the user can flow between a stone, brick or other narrator
approved material of a wall. The wall cannot be thicker the user can touch end to end through,
or risk being damaged and/or lost within the wall’s structure. If lost within the wall, make a
Static Mental challenge vs. the wall’s Physical Traits each turn until the user has escaped, location
and direction determined by narrator. Damage suffered is aggravated, one for each loss.
