Thaumaturgy
Perhaps the rarest of the Disciplines known to Camarilla vampires, Thaumaturgy
is said to have been created by the Clan Tremere. Since it is almost exclusively found
among Kindred of their bloodline, and because they are loath to teach it to others,
there may be a degree of truth to this rumor.
While characters may only start with the Path of Blood, it is the fundamental key
to learning the other Paths mentioned below. See the section on other Paths for
further details.
The Path of Blood
Basic
Blood Mastery
In possessing power over a portion of a subject’s blood, you can, in turn, exercise
power over him. Used in such fashion, Blood Mastery often acts as a prerequisite to
other Thaumaturgical rituals.
You can declare the use of Blood Mastery before or even during a challenge, as
long as you do so before a test is performed. To use Blood Mastery, you must possess
a Blood Trait from the subject which is destroyed when you activate the Discipline.
By destroying the Blood Trait, you automatically win a single test, and the subject
is not allowed any retests. If either you or the subject bid any Traits, those Traits are
not lost.
Inquisition of Captive Vitae
You are able to ascertain certain bits of information by carefully examining an
individual’s blood. Some types of information that youcan glean are: clan, generation,
creature type, diablerie (up to one year) and physical nature.
For each question asked, you must have at least one Blood Trait -which is
destroyed in the process - and you must win or tie a Simple Test.
Intermediate
Theft of Vitae
By concentrating, you can visibly coax blood from a container or target into your
body. Because the source of the theft is obvious, you should expect an immediate
attack if you use this ritual on another Kindred. This power works automatically
against visible containers or receptacles, even those in somebody’s possession. If the
source of the blood is another creature or a hidden (but known) source, you must first
win a Mental Challenge against the target. If you win, you may choose to expend a
Mental Trait for each Blood Trait you want to siphon out of your target. You must
spend all Blood Traits above your maximum immediately or they are lost.
Once in your body, this blood is considered yours and cannot be used against the
original owner in any other use of Thaumaturgy.
Potency of the Blood
You can manipulate the blood within you, distilling it and making it more
potent, effectively lowering your generation. The more dramatic the alteration, the
greater the price.
-Each step from 13th to 10th -One Blood Trait
-Each step from 10th to 8th -Two Blood Traits
-Each step from 8th to 6th -Three Blood Traits
-Each step from 6th to 5th - Four Blood Traits
-5th to 4th (maximum reduction) - Five Blood Traits
These costs are cumulative. For example, it would take the prodigious sum of 10
Blood Traits to lower a 10th generation vampire to 6th generation. While few Kindred
can contain that much blood, vampires can store additional blood externally for the
process. Kindred may only be under the effect of a single application of this Discipline
at one time, and the effects fade at the next sunrise.
Advanced
Cauldron of Blood
With a touch, you can cause the very life-fluid inside a foe to boil and bum within
her veins. Unless the victim cannot resist, you must first win a Physical Challenge to
establish a firm grip on the victim. Once this has been achieved, you spend a Willpower
Trait to activate the Cauldron of Blood. At this point, you may choose to expend a
variable number of Mental Traits, each of which destroys a single Blood Trait and inflicts
an ordinary wound. You may not inflict more wounds than the victim has Blood Traits.
A human who loses two or more of her Blood Traits in this manner will die.
Other Paths
While the Path of Blood comes instinctively to the Tremere bloodline, other, more
difficult Paths are available to Kindred who display arcane predispositions. Generally,
you cannot take any of the following Paths upon character creation, although you can
learn them through experience and the instruction of a tutor of arcane text.
The first Path that you learn - the Path of Blood - is your primary Path. You
may not raise subsequent Paths above your mastery in this primary Path. Additionally,
you or your chantry must seek out and uncover the knowledge required to study it. One
method of doing so involves using the Occult Ability; other possibilities may form the
basis for stories involving occultists or Clan Tremere in your chronicle.
Remember that you must first find knowledge before you can learn it. Learning new
Paths after the first requires time, patience and experience, just as would any other Discipline.
Lure of Flame
This Path allows you to manipulate and create an unnatural fire that will not
ignite objects until you release the flames.
Basic
Hand of Flame
You may instantly call forth a flaming wreath about your hands. If you defeat a
foe in a Physical Challenge with the flaming appendage, you inflict an aggravated
wound instead of a normal one. Flammable foes or objects hit with the Hand of Flame
may ignite (Storyteller’s discretion).
Flamebolt
By expending a Mental Trait, you can summon forth and hurl a fiery brand at range.
This functions exactly like a ranged weapon, except that you use your Occult Ability
instead of Firearms. Use Mental Traits for all challenges involved. Other trivial (no test
needed) uses of this power include lighting cigarettes and candles at range or destroying
light cloth and paper items. More resilient items require a Static Challenge.
Intermediate
Wall of Fire
A column of flame erupts from the very air, burning with unnatural vigor
at your command. You need only point to the desired location and utter the syllables
of this magic in order to generate a veritable Wall of Fire. You can create this
flaming barrier at any site that you can see, up to 50 feet away from yourself.
Casting a Wall of Fire takes a single action. A Wall of Fire occupies a space
approximately six feet in diameter, and of equal height. If you cast the wall at a
person’s location, you use your Mental Traits in a challenge against the victim’s
Physical Traits. If you win, the fire shoots up underneath the subject, inflicting
a level of aggravated damage. The wall remains until you decide to extinguish it,
move more than 50 feet away or are knocked unconscious, fall into torpor, or die.
Individuals moving through the Wall of Fire suffer a level of aggravated damage
automatically each turn that they are within or passing through its confines.
If you cast a Wall of Fire at a flammable object or surface, the target may well ignite, spreading
the fire. You have no special immunity to your own fires created with this magic.
Engulf
You can engulf a foe in a searing column of flames by initiating a Mental
Challenge using the Occult Ability (to master the fiery energies and place the flames
accurately), while the defender must employ Physical Traits (to avoid the flames).
To initiate the challenge, you must expend a Willpower Trait. If the casting is
successful, the subject combusts, suffering two aggravated wounds. For each challenge
or every full five seconds (whichever is greater) that passes, the victim may attempt
to win or tie a Simple Test to extinguish the flames. Failing or engaging in alternative
actions results in another aggravated wound and continued burning. Success indicates
that the flames are out and no further damage is inflicted.
Advanced
Firestorm
By will alone, you can summon a firestorm that encompasses areas and can incinerate
multiple foes. To activate this Discipline, you must expend a Willpower Trait and define
the area you wish to affect. This area may be no more than 20 feet in diameter. Animated
targets in this area must win a Static Physical Challenge (difficulty of six Traits) to leap
to safety. If there is nowhere for a victim to escape (Narrator’s discretion), he fails the test,
or if he cannot or will not leave the area, he suffers one aggravated wound.
Movement of the Mind
This path allows you to move objects with the power of your mind.
Basic
Force Bolt
You can focus your will into a tangible, ranged bolt of mental force that can send a
foe reeling. Casting this effect requires the expenditure of a Willpower Trait. If you defeat
your opponent in a challenge (using your Mental Traits against the subject’s Physical
Traits), you knock down and stun the subject for 15 seconds (counted aloud). During this
time, the victim cannot not initiate any physical actions, although she may use appropriate
Stamina-related Traits to avoid damage from further challenges. Opponents with Swift,
ness are only stunned for 10 seconds. Rapidity reduces this to five seconds, and Kindred
with Fleetness recover immediately. Treat this Discipline as ranged combat.
Manipulate
By concentrating intently, you can perform fine and delicate manipulation of
items at range. However, because using Abilities in a challenge in this manner is
somewhat difficult, you must risk two Traits instead of one. In general, you may only
manipulate objects that an average human can lift in one hand. Furthermore, the
speed of manipulated objects is equal to a casual walk. Range cannot exceed 100 feet.
Intermediate
Flight /Snare
You can lift and move large objects (no more than a few hundred pounds), but
cannot exercise fine manipulation over them. If you use this power on yourself, you
can “fly” for short distances and avoid falls. Used against an opponent, this Discipline
holds foes at bay by lifting them off the ground. (This does not prevent the victim from
firing a gun, calling for help or using her own Disciplines, however.)
To successfully snare an opponent, you must first defeat the subject in a challenge
using your Mental Traits versus the subject’s Physical Traits. This power is too awkward
and clumsy to drop objects on foes accurately or to hurl projectiles at an opponent.
If used to fly, the power costs one Mental Trait per five minutes of use.
Repulse
A wave of motion overtakes everything around you with a simple gesture
and a few spoken words. You can push away threatening opponents or shove
objects with incredible power.
You can Repulse anything within your line of sight. Objects flung with Repulse
move up to 30 feet away from you, and you can push multiple objects simultaneously.
If you Repulse people, you make a challenge of your Mental Traits against
each of their Physical Traits, as described in mass combat. Anyone who loses to
you is flung 30 feet away. Even people who are grappling or biting you can be
pushed away in this fashion. If you Repulse an object so that it strikes a victim, you
use your Mental Traits to strike with it while the opponent dodges with Physical
Traits. Objects hitting in this fashion do one health level of lethal damage.
Repulse is an instant effect; you cannot Repulse an object to strike someone
and then continue shoving it around in successive turns. You must Repulse
objects or people every turn that you wish to move them.
Advanced
Control
Gripping a target with mental force, you bend its motions to your will. As
you direct its movements with your commanding magical phrases and gestures,
it spins, flies and moves according to your direction.
When you Control an object, you can heft anything up to a ton in weight and
manipulate it with precision equal to both of your hands. You can therefore hoist an
automobile or tie shoelaces. These devices can be used to attack, doing one health level of
lethal damage if they strike (as described under Repulse). You can even control a weapon
remotely, scoring its normal damage, though this sort of fine manipulation requires you
to bid an extra Trait in all challenges with it (as described under Manipulate).
People grabbed with Control can be rendered paralyzed, or they can be flung about
at your will. Slamming a victim into a wall or other hard surface causes one level of lethal
damage. You must make a Mental Challenge against the target’s Physical Traits when you
first exercise Control, and in any successive turn where you attempt to move the victim.
Thus, you must win a test to grab the victim, and if you do anything other than immobilize
him, you must make additional tests. Note that Control only affects the victim’s physical
motions; the subject can still talk, shout for help, use Disciplines and so on.
Exercising Control over one object or creature requires all of your concentration.
Once you stop concentrating, the power dissipates. Control is also lost if
you lose sight of the subject.
Weather Control
This path allows you to manipulate, change and otherwise command the weather.
Basic
Cloak of Fog
You can call up an obscuring fog that blankets the area. The fog bank can only
appear out of doors and can cover an area up to 100 feet across.
The Discipline costs one Mental Trait and takes 15 minutes to activate. Within
the fog, visibility (and thus ranged actions) are cut to five feet. Furthermore, visual
tests require you to risk two Traits instead of one, although Heightened Senses and the
like eliminate these penalties. At the Storyteller’s option, fog may reduce the damage
a vampire takes from sunlight.
Downpour
You can cause the skies to darken and moisture-laden clouds to bring rain. The
rain is very heavy, but only affects a small area (about 100 feet), while surrounding
areas are overcast and sullen.
This power costs a Mental Trait and takes 15 minutes to activate. Everyone
exposed to the torrential downpour risks two Traits for Physical Challenges, while
ranged actions are reduced to 20 feet. At the Storyteller’s option, darkened rainstorm
skies may reduce the damage that sunlight causes vampires.
Intermediate
Tempest
You can alter the local weather patterns of large areas and call forth a variety of
weather effects. By spending a Willpower Trait, you summon the chosen type of
weather form, which lasts for one hour, plus an additional hour for each Mental Trait
you expend. The Storyteller may assign a higher cost or require a Static Mental
Challenge for very unusual or unseasonable weather. Weather you can create includes
thunderstorms, hailstorms, blizzards or clear skies. The game effects are similar to that
of Cloak of Fog and Downpour, but the Tempest’s effects are citywide.
Deliverance
Controlling the weather has powerful advantages, but also just as powerful disadvantages if not prepared. At this level of mastery, you can avoid such disadvantages from your own magics, aid your allies and even nullify the hindrances of an enemy’s magics, though not stop the power itself.
Fog doesn’t hinder your vision, rain and hail seem to just miss you, high winds gently blow by you, and even a blizzard’s chill doesn’t freeze you to the bone. The caster is automatically immune to most negative effects of his own previous levels of Weather Control; Cloak of Fog, Downpour, and Tempest.
By spending a Mental Trait for each ally while touching them during the initial casting to add the immunity to them for the scene. You can directly challenge an enemy caster’s Weather Control with a direct Mental challenge. If you attempt to aid allies in this challenge, you bid an additional trait per person during this challenge. If successful, the enemy caster will realize something is amiss within the area of his power, though not the location or what it may be.
Advanced
Call Lightning
By will alone, you bring forth devastating bolts of lightning from the heavens to
smite your foes. This power only works outdoors in overcast, stormy or rainy
conditions and costs a Willpower Trait to activate. If your attack - using your Mental
Traits and Survival Ability against your foe’s Physical Traits - succeeds, your victim
suffers three aggravated wounds.
Path of Conjuring
Nothing larger or heavier than the conjurer may be summoned (no
LAW rockets and no tanks). Conjured items differ from their “live”
counterparts in that they seem too perfect and have no distinguishing
characteristics.
Basic
Summoning the Spirit
You can summon a simple inanimate object with the expenditure of one
Willpower Trait. The object cannot be more complex than a hand-held object
with no moving parts (dagger, pencil) and weighing no more than 10 pounds.
The object remains solid for 10 minutes for every Willpower Trait expended
(e.g., three Willpower equals minutes), then returns to the place from which it
was summoned.
Permanency
You can conjure an object without the expense of Willpower. The object
cannot be more complex than a hand-held object with no moving parts
(dagger, pencil). An object conjured in this fashion is permanent and must be
physically returned to its place of origin. The cost for this power is the
expenditure of two Blood Traits.
Intermediate
Reverse Conjuration
You can send conjured objects back to the nether planes from which they
come. Any item that you can see or feel can be subjected to this power with only
a few words and simple gestures.
To use Reverse Conjuration on an item, you must make a Mental Challenge against
the Traits recorded at the item’s creation. This power works only on conjured objects,
but you can do a Static Mental Challenge vs. the original conjurer’s Mental Traits telling
you if an item is a “real” one or not. You may banish any of your own creations without
a challenge (although it still takes a full turn).
Magic of the Smith
You can summon forth complex objects with moveable parts (handguns,
CD players, anything within the limits of size) with the expenditure of two
Willpower Traits. You must have a working knowledge (Storyteller’s discretion)
of the object. The object remains for 10 minutes per every Willpower Trait you
expend (e.g., three Willpower points equals 30 minutes). Permanency will not
affect objects conjured with this power.
Advanced
Power Over Life
You may create simple simulacra of living beings. These creations lack free
will, emotions and creativity, but will follow your orders. To conjure the simulacra
requires the expenditure of five Blood Traits. The beings last for one evening and
may not be made permanent. (Note: Simulacra [or golems] created in this way
have seven Physical Traits, no Mental or Social Traits, no Abilities, and are immune
to all Mental and Social Challenges.)
Wraith/Spirit Thaumaturgy
There are two separate paths. "Spirit"Thaumaturgy affects only spirits in the middle umbra (Banes, weaver spirits etc.). Spirit Eyes will allow one to gaze into the middle umbra, also allowing them to see any garou there etc.
There are two slight changes in the rules for "Wraith" Thaumaturgy from Spirit Thaumaturgy. First, the first intermediate level cannot be used to bind a wraith to a location. Second, Yes, this does mean that middle umbra spirits will be easier to control and bind than wraiths. It's supposed to be that way. No one will be playing any middle umbra spirit PCs (um.. I hope).
Failures in Wraith/Spirit Thaumaturgy are not recommended; the spirit of a botched
summoning may turn out to be a Spectre or may decide to follow the vampire
around for a while to harass her. This is the rarest Path of Thaumaturgy; most of
its practitioners learned the rudiments as mortals. This Path is known among
Sabbat and Camarilla Tremere.
Basic
Evil Eye
You can summon a wraith/spirit to harass a victim for a duration of time determined
by the number of Mental Traits expended into the challenge. You must defeat the
victim in a Mental Challenge. If you are successful, the victim must bid two extra
Traits in any challenges for 10 minutes. You may extend the duration of harassment
at the cost of one Mental Trait per five minutes.
Wraith/Spirit Eyes
You may attempt to see and communicate with wraiths/spirits in the area. A successful
Mental Challenge versus the wraith is required before you are able to see or
communicate with it. You may communicate with the ghost for five minutes for
every Mental Trait you expend.
Intermediate
Wraith/Spirit Slave
This power allows you to master a summoned wraith/spirit. To use this power, you
must win a Mental Challenge against the wraith/spirit. If you win the test, the wraith/spirit is
bound to remain and answer one question you like, or perform any one task you
require. If unwilling, the wraith might opt to perform the task poorly.
Journey
This power is similar to the Auspex power of Psychic Projection, but your spirit
remains within the physical realm. Your body remains in one place while the spirit
travels around. You can be trapped inside relics/fetishes when in this state, and can
potentially be controlled by any wraith/spirit power. Mental Disciplines that do not require
touch are available for use while in this state, with the exception of Necromancy or
any other Wraith/Spirit Thaumaturgy. Any power requiring physical contact or that
manipulates the physical body is unavailable. Your spirit is visible to those around
you unless Obfuscate is being used. To activate this power requires the expenditure
of one Willpower Trait. While in this form, your spirit is immune to physical harm
but is affected by sunlight and wards as normal.
Advanced
Relics/Fetishes
You can cause spirits to inhabit objects, or fetishes, which you may then carry
around with you. Once the spirit is imprisoned, the fetish will allow you access to
one and only one power (not to exceed Advanced level) that the wraith/spirit possesses.
The power that becomes available is determined by the Storyteller. A successful
Mental Challenge against the victim is all that is required to bind the spirit to the
fetish. The spirit is trapped in the fetish until the fetish is broken. Before you may
access any power of the fetish, you must permantly expend a Mental Trait to
attune the item to yourself. For Wraith Thaumaturgy, in order to use Relics on a
wraith the user must possess a fetter of the wraith and win in a direct mental challenge
(which will be as obvious an attack as they get).
Elemental Mastery
Basic
Elemental Strength
This power allows you to increase your Physical Traits without the need to
expend Blood Traits. You can expend one Willpower Trait to gain the Physical
Traits Brawny, Dexterous and Resilient. To maintain this power, you must
continue to expend one Willpower Trait per round after the first round. You
may only spend one Willpower Trait per round toward this Discipline.
Wooden Tongues
This power allows you to gain information from inanimate objects. You may
attempt to gain impressions of what the object has experienced by succeeding in
a static Mental Challenge against the object (difficulty determined by Storyteller).
The object’s memories are limited and its feelings may be completely alien to you,
but any information gained can be extremely valuable. This use of the Discipline
usually requires the assistance of a Narrator. To enact this power, you must
expend a Mental Trait.
Intermediate
Animate the Unmoving
This power allows you to animate objects that are within line of sight. With
the expenditure of one Willpower Trait and a successful Static Challenge, you can
call upon an object to perform a simple task. Chairs can run, statues can walk or
attack, and a stake could squirm out of someone’s hand. You may keep the object
active past the first round at the cost of one Mental Trait per extra round. The
Narrator should determine the Traits of the object.
Elemental Form
With the expenditure of one Blood Trait, you can assume the form of an
inanimate object of equal size and weight to your own (e.g., a chair, desk, pillar,
etc.). You may opt also to spend one Willpower Trait at the time of change, which
allows you to have access to your senses and Disciplines. There is no cost to
return to your original form.
Advanced
Summon Elemental
This power allows you to beckon one of the traditional elementals of myth
(fire, water, air and earth). You must succeed in a Static Mental Challenge
against 10 Traits to summon the elemental. Then you must win a Simple Test to
control the creature. If you fail the Simple Test, the elemental attacks you. If it is
controlled, you may banish the elemental at will. See Laws of the Wild for the
statistics of the elementals. The duration of this power is one hour.
Corruption
All of these powers require that the target be within arm’s reach of the caster.
Setites cannot learn this Path without first learning the Path of Blood.
Basic
Contradict
You can make the target say or do the opposite of her intended action. A left
turn becomes a right turn, or a yes becomes no. You must defeat the target in a
Mental Challenge to have this effect.
Disfigurement
This Discipline allows you to make minor changes to a target’s facial features
for the night. You could remove eyebrows, lengthen the target’s nose, or enlarge
her ears. This ability is not powerful enough to disguise an individual completely
or even to make the target unrecognizable. You must succeed in a Mental Challenge
against the target. If you are successful, the target receives the Negative Trait
Repulsive x 2 for the remainder of the evening.
Intermediate
Change Mind
You can change the Demeanor of your target for the evening. The victim is
affected by drastic mood swings immediately, as her Demeanor changes to your
choice. This power requires a successful Mental Challenge.
Cripple
This power allows you to turn your victim into an invalid for a round. The
target may not initiate Physical Challenges and must bid three extra Traits in any
Physical Challenge initiated against her. You must expend a Willpower Trait and
win a Mental Challenge against the victim. For each level of Fortitude the target
possesses, you must expend an additional Mental Trait. You may opt to extend the
time of affliction at a cost of one Mental Trait per minute.
Advanced
Corrupt Soul
After the expenditure of a Willpower Trait in addition to a successful Mental
Challenge, you can change your target’s Nature for the evening. This ability is a
more intense version of Change Mind and can warp the victim’s very essence.
Thaumaturgy Among the Antitribu
Antitribu vampires with this Discipline probably know some of the traditional
rituals and Paths associated with their Camarilla cousins; paths and rituals belonging
solely to the Sabbat follow.
Antitribu Paths
While other Tremere may have heard of the rituals and Paths that follow, it is unlikely
that t hey possess them, since the Sabbat Tremere fiercely protect their secrets and advantages.
Gift of Morpheas
Basic
This path allows you to control others’ sleep and dreams.
Cause Sleep
By winning a Mental Challenge with the victim, you can cause him to fall asleep.
The victim will not fall over and snore on the floor, but he will, over a period of five
minutes, gradually drift into a sleep from which loud noise or physical contact can
wake him. While the ritual is intended primarily for use against mortals, you can spend
a Willpower Trait to affect a vampire (you must still win a Mental Challenge).
Mass Slumber
By spending a Willpower Trait, you can cause a group of mortals to fall asleep.
To resist, mortals must spend a Willpower Trait and test against you in a Mental
Challenge. If there are ghouls or Garou present in the “mortal” crowd, you must
engage in individual Mental Challenges with each non-mortal. This ritual is best
invoked in the presence of a Storyteller.
Intermediate
Enchanted Slumber
This ritual allows you to cause a person or creature to fall into a sleep from which
she cannot be wakened until a specific event occurs (like a kiss from Prince Charming).
This event should be achievable, though not necessarily easy. The target will rouse if her
life is threatened, although she will be down two Traits in all areas. To invoke this sleep,
you must spend a Willpower Trait and initiate a Mental Challenge.
This ritual is best used on a Narrator character. If used on a player character, you
should remember that if the conditions are unachievable in-game, they could cause
the player to be effectively cut out of the game for at least the duration of the evening.
Storytellers may choose not to allow you to set impossible conditions such as, “She
may not awaken until her body is physically transported to the planet Mars.”
Dreamscape
This power lets the vampire telepathically project his own image into the mind of a sleeper.
The vampire has no real control over the dream, but may utilize any Disciplines or Abilities he
possesses in real life while inside the dream. The sleeper may or may nor remember the vampire
in their dreams, depending on how well they usually remembers their dreams. Any
Discipline used on the sleeper must incorporate the usual number of challenges and
other Blood and Willpower expenditures. This requires you to win a Mental Challenge
and spend one Mental Trait. The sleeper may take normal action in her dream.
Advanced
Dream Mastery
You may enter the mind of a specific sleeper and induce nightmares The vampire is able to
make the person remember or forget the dreams. They may manipulate them in any way they can
imagine even to the point of inducing death to the dreamer from sheer terror. Combat can be handled
normally. The vampire may use all their Disciplines as if they were awake. If either dies, the death is
permanent.. You effectively gain control over the sleeper’s dreams and can do as you wish. Any
Discipline used on the sleeper must incorporate the usual number of challenges and
other Blood and Willpower expenditures. This requires you to win a Mental Challenge
and spend one Mental Trait. The sleeper may take normal action in her dream.
Hands of Destruction
The magicians of the Sabbat use magics designed to slay their foes brutally.
The painful powers of the Hands of Destruction are one such straightforward path.
Rumored to be the work of infernalists and demonic tutors, this path delivers
agony and decrepitude on its victims.
Some few Camarilla vampires have unearthed this path, but it remains a rare
curiosity among most thaumaturges. With the destruction of the Sabbat’s Warlocks,
the Hands of Destruction path is relegated to the few zealous warriors who manage
to wrest its secrets from tomes or infernal pacts. A number of regents have barred
practitioners of this path from their chantries on suspicion of infernalism, and
many Tremere refuse to practice it because of its potentially demonic origins.
Exerting Hands of Destruction requires a single turn of casting. In some cases,
it is used as a physical attack, and the spell and the attack are considered to take
one turn, executed on the caster’s normal action.
Basic
Decay
Inanimate matter crumbles rapidly under your touch. Even dead organic
material quickly melts into a puddle of putrescence.
No test is necessary to use this power. For each turn that you maintain contact
with an object, it ages a full year. Using this power reduces wood or organic
matter to a rotted morass quickly, and it can weaken even metal or plastic with
sufficient time. If you break contact with the object, the accelerated aging ceases.
Any decrepitude that you inflict on something is permanent, though.
Although you can age the flesh of a vampire with this power, such a tactic has
no functional effect. Vampires do not suffer any changes or decrepitude from this
aging, as their supernaturally preserved corpses are immune to such treatment.
Gnarl Wood
Your merest glance can swell or contract wood, or twist it into strange
shapes. You need not touch the wood to affect it, only see it.
You can warp up to 50 pounds of wood, rendering it gnarled and useless. This is
an excellent way to burst doors, destroy furnishings and twists stakes into uselessness.
If you try to gnarl an object held by someone, you must best the individual in a Mental
Challenge to warp the wood. You can Gnarl Wood against multiple objects at once, as
long as you can see them all and they do not total more than 50 pounds in weight.
Intermediate
Acidic Touch
Mystically altering your vitae, you cause it to become a thick, black, bilious
substance, a caustic fluid that burns flesh, cloth, metal and wood alike. Your
Acidic Touch has no effect on yourself, but it can leave horrible corroded marks
on anything that makes the slightest contact with your coated hands.
The vitriol created with Acidic Touch inflicts aggravated damage, and it can eat
through most substances (Storyteller’s discretion as to time). You can exude this
acid from any part of your body, thus potentially making simple contact or even a
kiss painfully deadly. Each application of Acidic Touch does only one health level of
damage, so you may need to use this power repeatedly over several turns to burn
through a particularly recalcitrant substance (or subject). No test is necessary to use
Acidic Touch, though, of course, if you try to strike someone with the acids, you must
make the normal Physical Challenge to hit. The acid created with this power is thick
and slimy, so it cannot be flung or spat at opponents; you must deliver it by touch.
Atrophy
The warping effects of your powers allow you to wither the very limbs of your
opponents. A simple touch is all that is required to Atrophy a single limb, turning
it into a useless, fragile husk.
You need to strike your target physically (with a Physical Challenge) in order
to Atrophy a limb. If you hit, you wither one arm or leg, rendering it useless. Doing
so gives the victim the Negative Traits Clumsy and Lame. Multiple attacks can
wither different limbs, cumulatively crippling the victim (and adding additional
Negative Traits). A victim without arms cannot grapple or wield weapons; a victim
without functional legs cannot move. This effect is permanent on mortals, though
vampires can heal a crippled limb as if it were a single aggravated wound.
Advanced
Turn to Dust
Amplifying the process of decay to incredible speeds, you can reduce your
victim to little more than a pile of dust. Mortals almost always die instantly and
collapse to putrefied remains, while even vampires are withered.
If you manage to get a firm grip on your victim with a Physical Challenge,
you can cause him to turn to dust. Each Physical Trait that you expend afterward
causes the subject to age 10 years. Mortals aged more than 50 years die instantly,
reduced to a mass of liquefied tissue and crumbling bone. Vampires attacked
with such ferocity (aged 50 years or more) suffer the Negative Trait Repugnant for
the remainder of the evening as their bodies shrivel slightly, but the immortal
curse prevents any actual physical harm. Note that Turn to Dust functions only
on living or undead targets; use Decay on inanimate subjects.
The Green Path
A favorite of ecologically minded Tremere, the Green Path concentrates
on controlling and understanding nature. Anything more complex than an
algae bloom can theoretically be controlled by this power, from ordinary potted
plants to the sprawling vastness of the rainforest. While many Tremere
consider its practitioners to be merely eccentric tree-huggers, the Green Path
is still as subtle and powerful as nature itself.
The Green Path probably originated from the Order of the Naturists, an
old Druidic sect within Clan Tremere. Many practitioners are members of the
order or at least mentored by one. According to Tremere history, the path is
largely based on the magics formerly practiced by House Diedne, an order of
mortal mages destroyed by the Tremere during the Dark Ages.
Basic Green Path
Herbal Wisdom
Merely by touching a plant, you may communicate with its spirit. The
exact nature of the spirit depends largely on the plant in question — ancient
trees may be extremely wise (if rather cryptic), whereas ordinary crabgrass
tends to have far less insight to offer (but might still reveal the face of the
last person who trod upon it).
You must touch the plant you wish to communicate with and activate
the power. You may ask a single question and expect an answer, which may
or may not be helpful but will always be true. To learn more details, make a
Static Mental Challenge against the Storyteller; with success, the spirit will
divulge more detailed information, if it can. The exact details of the answer
are left to the Storyteller.
Speed the Season’s Passing
With this power, you can cause a flower to grow from a seed to full
bloom in mere minutes, or an entire tree to spring up overnight. Alternately,
you may cause a plant to die and decay, grass to wither or stakes to crumble
with but a touch.
You must touch the target plant and activate the power; the plant’s
growth or death, depending on your intent, will be greatly accelerated. For
an almost instant effect, spend a Willpower Trait to cause a plant to spring
from a seed or a tree to sprout fruit in minutes — or start decaying almost
instantly. In combat, the expenditure of a Willpower Trait causes a stake or
other wooden weapon to crumble into dust. However, you cannot use this
power if you become staked.
Intermediate Green Path
Dance of Vines
You can now animate a mass of vegetation up to your own size, either for
utilitarian or combat purposes. Vines can strangle opponents, trees may move
to allow faster passage through a thick forest (and bend again to block the
passage of pursuers), roots may trip unwelcome visitors, and so forth.
The target plant must be within your line of sight. You spend a Willpower
Trait and concentrate on the target plant. The target must have a mass that
is less than or equal to your own. The plants stay active for as many rounds
equal to half your permanent Mental Traits (round down), and are under your
complete control. They are considered to have Physical Traits equal to your
current Willpower rating, and a Brawl rating one lower than your own (thus,
if you only have Brawl 1, then the plant has no Brawl). Generally speaking,
plants do two bashing levels of damage — this can be modified, depending on
the plant. They tend to be best at tripping or tying down opponents, although
some enterprising Warlocks have used rowan saplings in their havens to stake
unwary intruders.
Plants cannot uproot themselves and start running around: Even at their
most energetic, your plants cannot walk under this power. But a tree’s deep
roots can extend for some distance, and who’s to say how much damage 150
pounds of kudzu can do?
Verdant Haven
With this power, you may construct a shelter out of a sufficient amount
of plant matter. The shelter not only provides protection from the elements, it
also protects you against sunlight and attack. It also creates a mystical barrier
that keeps anyone you wish to exclude from entering. A Verdant Haven appears
as a six-foot-tall hemisphere of interlocked branches, leaves and vines
with no discernible opening. Even to a casual observer, it appears to be an
unnatural construction. Some claim that Verdant Havens have supernatural
healing properties, but no Kindred who has spent time in one has reported
such benefits.
You must be in a heavily vegetated area for this power to work. Upon
activating this power, the Verdant Haven springs up around you over the course
of three turns. Once the haven is sealed, anyone wishing to enter the haven
without your permission must make a Mental Challenge against you — you
gain two extra Traits that can be used in this challenge only. Unless the unwelcome
guest wins the challenge, she cannot enter. All attacks against the
haven itself are handled in the same fashion.
The haven lasts until the next sunset, or until you dispel it or leave. Sunlight
does not penetrate the haven unless it has been physically breached.
Advanced Green Path
Awaken the Forest Giants
One of the most impressive applications of Thaumaturgy known to the
Tremere, this power allows you to awaken the very trees of the forest, causing
them to stretch their limbs, pull their roots out of the ground and walk with
steps that make the earth shake. They are not nearly as versatile as spirits
that have been summoned into existence, but their awesome strength and
resilience more than makes up for that.
You must touch the tree you wish to animate, spend a Willpower Trait
and concentrate on the target. You must then spend a Blood Trait for every
two turns you wish the tree to remain active. (Thus, spending two Blood Traits
means the tree will remain active for four turns.) Once this time expires, the
tree stops moving and puts down roots wherever it is at the moment. The
tree cannot be animated again for the rest of the night. While animated, the
tree follows your verbal commands as well as it can. An animated tree has 10
Physical Traits plus twice as many Traits as your Occult rating, and a Brawl
rating equal to your own. It is immune to bashing damage, and because of its
size, all non-aggravated lethal damage is halved (round up). Its health levels
depend on its size; an average tree has five or six health levels.
A tree that ceases to be animated immediately takes root wherever it is.
Even if it is on concrete, its roots will punch through whatever it is standing
on at the moment until it finds earth and water underneath — thus, it is not
impossible to plant a row of maples in the middle of a busy city street. Obviously,
using this power to commit such an obvious breach of the Masquerade
is a good way to ensure that the mistake will not be repeated.
Neptune’s Might
Most vampire myths don’t associate vampires with the sea, and indeed,
most vampires don’t feel any particular connection — the sea simply means
nothing to most of them. Nevertheless, Neptune’s Might has always had a small
but devoted following among the Tremere.
Once a thaumaturge reaches the Intermediate level of Neptune’s Might, she
may choose to specialize in either salt water or fresh water. Such specialization
grants her two extra Traits as appropriate when dealing with the water type
of her choice, but also forces her to bid two extra Traits when dealing with
the opposite. Blood is considered to be neither salty nor fresh for this purpose,
and difficulties to manipulate it are unaffected. Note that this specialization
is optional.
Basic Neptune’s Might
Eyes of the Sea
You may look deep into a body of water and view events that have transpired
in, on or around it from the water’s perspective. Some practitioners of
this path claim that the thaumaturge communes with the spirits of the water
when using this power; some younger Kindred scoff at such claims, and others
simply don’t care.
You must stare deeply into a body of water when activating this power.
You may see up to one day into the past. If you wish to see more, you must
start making Simple Tests; with each successful test, you may gaze further
back in time. Alternately, spending a Willpower Trait counts as an automatic
success.
This power can only be used on standing water — lakes and puddles will
do; oceans, rivers, sewers or wineglasses will not.
Prison of Water
With this dramatic power you can command a sufficiently large body of
water to animate itself and imprison a subject. A significant amount of fluid
is required for this power to be truly effective, although even a few gallons
are sufficient to form chains of animated water. Mortals who are subjected
to this power may drown if you are not careful (or if you want to kill them).
The extreme pressures that can be brought to bear may even crush other
vampires.
Upon activating this power, you must invest Blood Traits into the effect.
Every Trait spent equals two Physical Traits for the prison. Your Occult rating
is added to this. After that, you may form a prison of water around the subject.
To break free, the subject must make a Physical Test against the Traits of the
animated water. If he wins, he breaks free, breaking the animated prison and
causing the water to become inanimate.
If you desire, you may crush your trapped subject, again using the prison’s
Physical Traits against the subject’s Physical Traits. Each successful challenge
results in one health level of lethal damage to the subject. You may choose to
automatically drown a mortal subject. A single prison may be used on a single
subject, but you are free to invoke multiple prisons for multiple subjects.
You must always have a line of sight to both the source of water and the
subject. The prison remains in existence as long as you are in the same area
and maintain a line of sight to them, unless you become unconscious or fall
into sleep or torpor.
If a sufficient quantity of water is not present (at least a bathtub’s worth),
you must bid two additional Traits when making any challenges related to
Prison of Water.
Intermediate Neptune’s Might
Blood to Water
You have now attained enough power to transmute other liquids into
water. The most commonly seen form of this power is an assault: With but a
touch, you may transmute the victim’s blood into water. For a mortal, this is
lethal, and vampires are weakened by it.
You must touch your intended victim when activating the power. You
may then spend as many Mental Traits as you please; every Mental Trait
counts as one Blood Trait that becomes water. For a mortal, this means death
in minutes; a vampire is weakened as the vitae in his system effectively disappears.
What’s more, the vampire suffers wound penalties as if he were injured,
even though actual injury is not inflicted. Those with at least Basic Fortitude
are unaffected by this, but still lose the Blood Traits normally. The water
evaporates out of a vampire’s body at a rate of one Blood Trait per hour, but
the lost blood will not return.
Liquids other than blood can be transmuted into water as well, as long
as you either touch the liquid itself or the container it is in.
Flowing Wall
With this power you can command water to such an extent that you
can form it into an almost impenetrable wall. You must touch the surface
of a standing body of water and spend two Willpower Traits. You must then
spend Mental Traits: Each Mental Trait spent in this fashion causes 10 feet
of watery barrier to appear in one dimension, either in width or height. Your
permanent Mental Traits are the only limit to how tall or wide a wall you can
create. The wall may be placed anywhere in your line of sight and must be
formed in a straight line. The wall remains in place until sunrise. It cannot
be climbed, but it can be flown over.
Anyone attempting to pass through the wall must make three Static
Physical Challenges against your permanent Mental Traits; unless they succeed,
they cannot pass through. This also applies to characters who are in
astral form or in the Umbra, although those characters use their Mental Traits
instead of Physical Traits.
Advanced Neptune’s Might
Dehydrate
Upon reaching this level of mastery, you can directly attack both mortal
and supernatural targets by removing the water from their bodies. Victims
who succumb to this power leave behind hideous mummified corpses. There
are other, less aggressive applications for this power, such as drying out wet
clothes or evaporating puddles to keep other practitioners of this path from
using them.
Make a Mental Challenge against the target’s Physical Traits. If successful,
you inflict three levels of lethal damage on the subject. Armor offers no
protection against this attack, but it can be healed normally. Vampires lose
Blood Traits instead of health levels; if the target has no more Blood Traits
left, she will then lose health levels as normal.
