Vampire The Masquerade 5th

DISCIPLINES

Characteristics ■■ Duration: Until deactivated. Level 2
Having the power active for
Storytellers may wish to make longer stretches of time with- premonition
Auspex rolls for characters in order out rest (more than a scene),
to more convincingly provide especially so for high-stimulus The vampire experiences flashes of
wrong or incomplete answers after environments, might necessi- insight. These may take the form
failed rolls. tate spending Willpower, at the of raised hackles, sudden inspira-
■■ Type: Mental Storyteller’s discretion. tion or even vivid visions. While
■■ Masquerade threat: Low. Aus- never too precise, these visions can
sense the unseen nudge the vampire out of harm’s
pex never by itself manifests in way or reveal a truth previously
a way visible to the naked eye The senses of the vampire become overlooked.
or causes effects that can’t be attuned to dimensions beyond the ■■ Cost: Free or one Rouse Check
rationalized, if only as dumb mundane, allowing them to sense ■■ Dice Pools: Resolve + Auspex
luck. presences otherwise hidden from ■■ System: Whenever the Story-
■■ Blood Resonance: Phlegmatic. the naked eye. This can be any-
Artists (especially photog- thing from another vampire using teller deems it appropriate,
raphers) and visionaries, Obfuscate to someone using Aus- this power gives the character
certain schizophrenics, users pex to spy upon the character to a a sudden hint that aids them
of psychoactive substances, ghost in the middle of the room. in some way: letting them find
detectives. Dormant Blood Sorcery spells and a clue they’ve missed or saving
rituals might also be found with them from danger. Whether it
Level 1 this power, at the Storyteller’s gives the character a sudden vi-
discretion. sion of themselves walking into
heightened senses ■■ Cost: Free a trap, an inviting red glow
■■ Dice Pools: Wits + Auspex or over the second right turn dur-
The vampire’s senses sharpen to a ing a chase, or the brief flash of
preternatural degree, giving them Resolve + Auspex a skeleton beneath the floor-
the ability to see in pitch darkness, ■■ System: Whenever there’s boards in the Prince’s office,
hear ultrasonic frequencies and this power always gives the Sto-
smell the fear of cowering prey. something supernatural hiding ryteller license to subtly speed
■■ Cost: Free (but see below) in plain sight, the Storyteller up play or move the story onto
■■ Dice Pools: Wits + Resolve makes a hidden roll of Wits a desired track. The suggested
■■ System: The user adds their + Auspex against a Difficulty limit is one premonition per
they choose. Against an entity scene, even if more than one
Auspex rating to all perception actively trying to stay hidden, character has Premonition.
rolls. If exposed to extreme the Storyteller can call for a ■■ The user can also actively pro-
sensations, such as loud bangs, blind roll (“Lisa, roll seven dice voke a premonition by focusing
flashes of intense light or for me”) as a contest against on a subject, making a Rouse
overpowering smells while the the target’s relevant pool. (For Check and rolling Resolve +
power is active the user must example, detecting a vampire Auspex. The number of success-
succeed on a Wits + Resolve using Obfuscate would be a es rolled determines the level of
(Difficulty 3 or more) roll to roll of Wits + Auspex vs Wits insight on the subject, if any.
dampen their senses in time, + Obfuscate) If the vampire ■■ Duration: Passive
or the overload causes them to actively searches for a hidden
sustain a -3 dice penalty to all supernatural entity, they roll
perception-based rolls for the Resolve + Auspex similarly.
rest of the scene. ■■ Duration: Passive

249

COREBOOK

Level 3 If scanning a crowd, roll Sense the Unseen can allow
versus a Difficulty de- the passenger to be noticed.
scry the soul termined by the size of To get rid of an unwanted
the crowd and external rider, the victim must beat
By focusing on a person, the vam- distractions, as well as the the intruder at a Wits + Re-
pire can perceive the state of that type of trait being sought. solve vs Wits + Resolve roll.
person’s psyche as a shifting aura (Finding the vampire in An Auspex user thrown out
of colors. Auras reveal little pre- the living room might only this way cannot make another
cise information, but do provide be a Difficulty 3, while Sharing attempt until the next
clues regarding many subjects, finding the most nervous night.
e.g., emotional state, Resonance, person at a crowded rave is ■■ Duration: One scene
and supernatural traits. If look- most likely Difficulty 6 or
ing for a specific condition, the higher.) Level 4
vampire can cursorily scan the ■■ Duration: One turn, or Story-
crowd to detect it. Such cursory teller’s discretion spirit’s touch
scans provide no further infor- By touching an inanimate object
mation. share the senses or the ground at a location, the
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check vampire can sense the emotional
■■ Dice Pools: Intelligence + Aus- By reaching out with their mind, residue left by those who have
the vampire can tap into the handled that object or visited the
pex vs Composure + Subterfuge senses of another mortal or vam- location in the past. The user gains
■■ System: Make an Intelligence pire, seeing, hearing, and feeling insight into not only that person,
what they do. The user still but also what was done and under
+ Auspex vs Composure + retains their own perceptions what circumstances. While rarely
Subterfuge roll. On a win, the and is still aware of their own crystal clear, the information often
Storyteller truthfully answers surroundings, though the effect provides leads impossible to gain
a number of questions equal requires some getting used to. from regular forensics and deduc-
to the margin of the roll about The user decides whether to tap tion.
the target’s aura and psyche, into only one, some, or all of the ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check
including: target’s senses. When used on a ■■ Dice Pools: Intelligence +
◻◻ The emotional state of the stranger this power requires line
of sight to initiate. However, it Auspex
subject can be used over longer distances ■■ System: Make an Intelligence +
◻◻ The Resonance in the sub- on someone who still has some of
the user’s Blood in their body. Auspex roll versus a Difficulty
ject’s blood ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check depending on the information
◻◻ Whether the subject is a ■■ Dice Pools: Resolve + Auspex sought. Gleaning the emotional
■■ System: Roll Resolve + state of the user of a murder
vampire, werewolf, ghoul weapon used a few days before
or any other supernatural Auspex at Difficulty 3. This is Difficulty 3, but sensing
being Difficulty can go up depend- the surroundings in which a
◻◻ Whether the subject is un- ing on distraction, distance, 300-year old letter was written
der the influence of Blood and other factors, such as the approaches Difficulty 6 or
Sorcery or other magic amount of the user’s Blood higher. Each point of margin on
◻◻ Whether the subject has that remains in the target. the roll allows the user to sense
committed diablerie in the The target usually remains roughly one additional previ-
last year unaware of the intrusion, but
◻◻ A critical win allows
discovery of something
unexpected, as determined
by the Storyteller

250

DISCIPLINES

ous handler and set of circum- per point of margin; answers a Resolve + Auspex vs Resolve
stances, counting backwards about deliberately concealed + Intelligence conflict with the
from the most recent. information might consume victim in order to inhabit their
■■ Duration: One turn more than one point. A critical body. If the vampire’s player
win reveals something major, rolls a total failure, the victim
Level 5 regardless of the questions becomes immune to further
asked, assuming there is some- Possession attempts for the
clairvoyance thing to reveal. duration of the story.

By closing their eyes and entering a The vampire can also Once the vampire inhabits
light trance, the vampire becomes clairvoyantly monitor events in the body of their victim, their
master of its surroundings. In a few progress, though this requires own body falls into a torpor-like
minutes it can gather information them to remain in the area for trance, completely unaware of
from roughly a city-block sized area as long as the effect is active. their surrounding and their own
(more if outdoors or less populated) ■■ Duration: A few minutes for physical state except for Ag-
that would normally take many information gathering, up to a gravated damage, which breaks
hours, perhaps days of legwork and night for vigilance. the trance and ends the effects.
investigation. Once connected in A vampire possessing a mortal
such a way to their surroundings the possession can use Auspex, Presence, and
vampire can also receive informa- Dominate through them. If the
tion on anything happening out of ■■ Amalgam: Dominate 3 user wishes to extend Possession
the ordinary in the area. into daytime, they must make
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check With this power the vampire can a roll to stay awake (p. 219).
■■ Dice Pools: Intelligence + strip the will of a mortal and com- Failure to stay awake ends the
pletely possess their body, using it power. Any Aggravated damage
Auspex as their own. While the mind of the to the subject also risks ending
■■ System: Roll Intelligence + subject remains hidden to the vam- the possession – the user must
pire, they can do anything and go succeed at a Resolve + Auspex
Auspex against a Difficulty anywhere the subject could while roll (Difficulty 2 + damage
based on the security and level the power remains active. Using taken) to stay in control. If the
of activity of the area. Using this, a vampire can even experience subject dies during Possession,
Clairvoyance on one’s own the sunlight, food, and physical the resulting spiritual trauma
mansion would be Difficulty 3 sexuality long denied them, their immediately causes the user to
while an unfamiliar city block host paying the price for whatever sustain three levels of Aggra-
in the slums of a major city abuse the vampire wreaks on their vated damage to Willpower.
would amount to 7 or more. body while riding it.
The user adds their base Haven ■■ Cost: Two Rouse Checks This power does not give
rating in extra dice to the pool ■■ Dice Pools: Resolve + Auspex the user the ability to read the
when using Clairvoyance on mind, use the skills, or emulate
their own haven. vs Resolve + Intelligence the manners of the victim. Any
■■ System: This power can only be skills employed use the possess-
The Storyteller answers the ing vampire’s rating. The user
vampire’s questions about the used on mortals. If the mortal must make a Manipulation +
comings and goings in the area, is a ghoul, they must first be Performance vs Wits + Insight
what people have seen and Blood Bound to the user. Before roll to successfully impersonate
heard, topics of local gossip, possession can begin, the vam- the victim’s manners, expres-
recent major shocks or impres- pire must have eye contact with sions, and the like.
sions, and so forth. The player their victim (See Dominate, p.
can ask roughly one question 254). The user then engages in

251

COREBOOK

Finally, Possession violates before rolling. natural creature, though it does more
the victim even more pro- ■■ Duration: Roughly one minute than grant a supernatural speed,
foundly than a Blood Bond. with vampires employing it actually
The Storyteller should consider per Rouse Check. Increased appearing to think almost as fast as
awarding Stains for this action. to a full scene on consenting they act. While some vampires use
■■ Duration: Until ended, volun- subjects. to slice and stab at enemies without
tarily or involuntarily. fear of riposte, others simply use it to
Celerity get from A to B faster than any other
telepathy person on foot.
Report #600 – Unnatural Speed
At the highest levels of Auspex We have now observed on 37* occa- Characteristics
the vampire can now literally read
minds, as well as project their own sions the unnatural speed of the blank- ■■ Type: Physical
thoughts into the minds of others. body. The species is capable of bursts of ■■ Masquerade Threat: Medium-
While reading a mortal mind is speed and grace, appearing before one of
relatively straightforward, undead us, moving to the rear, and biting from High. Most Celerity powers
minds requires a higher effort to behind in what is estimated to be fewer are clearly inhuman, the only
penetrate. than two seconds. Additionally, some saving grace being that they’re
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check (plus rare blankbodies have shown they can very hard to catch on film or
continue acting at this fast rate, appear- photograph.
one Willpower vs non-consent- ing down the other end of a street in ten ■■ Blood Resonance: Choleric.
ing vampires) seconds when it should take 60. Fear and utter terror, runners,
■■ Dice Pools: Resolve + Auspex athletes, amphetamine and al-
vs Wits + Subterfuge There is no known remedy or kaloid users, habitual players of
■■ System: The user is not defense against this quickness, which first-person shooters and other
required to roll any dice to acts as one of the greatest threats to our twitch games.
project their thoughts to termination of the species. It is supposed
another, vampire or mortal, that they require blood in their systems Level 1
though they do require line to act in this way, but we do not know
of sight. To read the mind of how much or how long said blood fuels cat’s grace
a mortal within line of sight, their actions. The vampire gains a balance and
roll Resolve + Auspex vs Wits grace equal to and surpassing
+ Subterfuge while looking Current protocol is to record blank- world-class trapeze artists. They
into their eyes. (Unless the bodies of this type from a distance. If can walk and even run across
mortal consents, in which cornered by one, permission is granted ledges and wires effortlessly and
case no roll is required.) A to detonate a microbomb on the agent’s can keep their balance on the slim-
win means that the user can person, as even the fast types do not mest of supports.
discern surface thoughts as a show resistance to areas of fire or shrap- ■■ Cost: Free
stream of images, with higher nel. Slowing or destroying one of these ■■ System: The user automati-
margin allowing the user to creatures is worth a single agent’s life.
probe for more distant or bur- cally passes any Dexterity- or
ied memories. A critical win *at time of report. Athletics-based roll needed to
gives a coherent picture of the keep their balance. Note that
subject’s current thoughts and Nicknames: Bolting, Slipping, this power does not allow them
intentions. To read the mind Velocitas to balance on support that can-
of a non-consenting vampire, not take their weight.
spend one Willpower point The ability to strike fast, dodge ■■ Duration: Passive
blows, and escape pursuers allows
Kindred to become extremely ef-
fective predators. Celerity enables
vampires to move faster than any

252

DISCIPLINES

rapid reflexes HOW FAST IS FAST? to teleport, a rush of wind the only
Vampire does not ask play- sign of their passing.
While their bodies still can’t ers to move figures on a grid. ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check
defy the laws of nature, vampires We don’t provide precise ■■ Dice Pools: Dexterity + Athlet-
with this power perceive events meters-per-second equiva-
instantly and can react to them lents for the speeds attained ics, or as needed
with superhuman alacrity. They by Celerity, and even if we ■■ System: The vampire moves in
can observe incoming projectiles did, not every combat turn
to the extent that they can attempt lasts the same number of sec- a straight line toward a target,
to dodge arrows and even bullets onds. The Storyteller decides covering any distance under 50
without available cover. how many floors of a staircase meters while still having enough
■■ Cost: Free a vampire with Celerity climbs time to perform an action, such
■■ System: With this power, in a turn based on the results as an attack, during the turn. If
of the contest with its foes or the terrain is in any way hazard-
vampires suffer no penalty based on dramatic necessity, ous, the character needs to make
to their defense pools for not by using dots and multipli- a Dexterity + Athletics roll to
lack of cover against Fire- ers. avoid stumbling and coming to
arms attacks. They can also a halt on the way. The Storytell-
take a minor action (see p. But some players want to er may call for other contests as
298) worth up to two dice ground their game, at least desired, especially if the vampire
per turn, such as readying or slightly, in the specific. Usain races a distant foe to an object
reloading a weapon, for free. Bolt, the fastest human being or an action. Vampires engaging
■■ Duration: Passive ever timed, runs nearly 45 a foe with this power act as if
km/hour. If you assume a dot already engaged when the turn
Level 2 in Dexterity equals 9 km/hour begins.
running flat-out, you have a
fleetness thumbnail answer to the eter- EXAMPLE:
nal question “Can my vampire
Their mastery of Celerity now catch that speeding car?” Seo-Hee has Blink, facing an FBI
allows the vampire to move and (“No.”) Of course in your agent 40 meters across hazardous ter-
react with dizzying speed. game, a dot in Dexterity can rain with his Glock 17 out. She wants
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check mean whatever you need it to to get inside the shooter’s arc before he
■■ System: Add the Celerity mean – but it mostly means can fire. She rolls Dexterity + Athletics
an edge over those with one vs. the G-man’s Dexterity + Firearms.
rating to user's dice pool for less dot in Dexterity. On a win, she can make a Brawl or
non-combat Dexterity tests. Melee attack before the Fed can fire.
Once per turn the user may If the agent wins, he can get a shot off
also do this when defending at the vampire first, and then she can
with Dexterity + Athletics. make a Brawl or Melee attack.
■■ Duration: One scene
■■ Duration: One turn
Level 3
traversal
blink
With blurring speed the vampire
The vampire swiftly closes in on can run or climb along any surface,
a foe, engaging or escaping in the including vertical and even liquid
blink of an eye. To an unprepared mediums. While Traversal does
observer the user almost appears

253

COREBOOK

not grant insect-like supernatural ■■ System: Drinking a Rouse Difficulty 1. An opponent pos-
traction, running up or along walls Checks worth of Blood directly sessing Celerity 5 can nullify
present little problem. Walking from the user gifts the drinker this power by making their
on water remains impossible, but with temporary Celerity own Rouse Check, defending at
the vampire can run on water for a equal to half the Celerity dots the same speed.
limited distance given a run-up. (rounded down) of the donor. ■■ Duration: A single attack
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check The drinker gains the same
■■ Dice Pools: Dexterity + Athlet- non-Amalgam powers as the split second
donor’s, up to that level.
ics The speed at which the vampire
■■ System: Make a Dexterity + ■■ Duration: One night; for vam- moves catches up with their super-
pires, until the next feeding or charged perception, allowing them
Athletics roll with a Difficulty the vampire reaches Hunger 5 to react to events around them
of 3 (inclined surface with trac- at a moment’s notice. Ambushers
tion) to 6 (slick vertical surface, unerring aim find their prey already standing
open water), depending on the behind them, and favors asked are
surface and angle. Each point of ■■ Amalgam: Auspex 2 completed before the words leave
margin gets the vampire further the supplicants mouth.
up or out; a margin of 0 gets to The world around them slowing to ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check
a close target, a margin of 1 to a crawl, the vampire can aim and ■■ System: The player can super-
one farther than that, and so throw or fire any weapon at a tar-
forth. The Storyteller should get as if the target were stationary. sede the Storyteller’s narra-
inform the player beforehand ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check tion of events, within reason.
if a target is too distant to ■■ System: Use before making a They can choose to have their
even attempt Traversal; as a character move through a door
rule of thumb, anything over ranged attack. The target makes before it closes, circumvent an
water farther than 60 meters no roll to dodge or defend; ambush after it has been trig-
(or more than 30 stories up a make the attack at Difficulty 1. gered, roll out of the way of an
building) probably exceeds this An opponent possessing Celer- explosion, and so forth. The ac-
power’s range. ity 5 can nullify this power tion taken must be reasonable
■■ Duration: One turn by making their own Rouse and should not take more than
Check, defending at the same a few seconds in real time. The
Level 4 speed. Storyteller decides what Skills,
■■ Duration: A single attack if any, need to be checked to
draught of elegance successfully accomplish an ac-
Level 5 tion begun using this power.
The Blood of the vampire becomes ■■ Duration: Roughly one action,
saturated with the power of Celer- lightning strike as determined by the Story-
ity, conveying a part of that power teller.
to anyone who drinks of it. While Faster than the eye can follow,
this is also a first step towards a the vampire can strike with fist or Dominate
Blood Bond, already bound thralls melee weapon at such speed that
or servants have little use for such the opponent is unable to defend “Miss Savona, I assume.” Talley bowed
worries, and even non-bound allies or take evasive action. deeply to the Ventrue prodigy as she
might decide to brave a sip for the ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check and her entourage entered the monu-
sake of temporary power. ■■ System: Use before making a ment where their meeting was to take
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check place.
Brawl or Melee attack. The op-
ponent makes no roll to dodge
or defend; make the attack at

254

DISCIPLINES

“Call me ‘Miss,’ ‘Madame,’ ‘Lady’ own volition. At its most basic, must command the victim verbally.
or whatever you choose, Hound. Your Dominate enables a vampire to The victim must be able to hear
actions carry more weight than your make a victim forget the feed they the user and understand their
skill in etiquette.” Fiorenza Savona just endured or enjoyed. At its language.
dismissed two of her bodyguards with most dangerous, it allows Kindred
a gesture, a flick of imaginary dust to enslave entire crowds of kine. Without Terminal Decree
from her sleeve. “You and your clan- This is the Beast at its most cruel (Dominate 5), commands result-
mates have done well. We witnessed and controlling. ing in obvious death or serious
the burning of four Sabbat Cardinals injury fail automatically. Subjects
last month, thanks to your… sacrifice. Dominate acts as a bludgeon roll to resist commands resulting
We are ready to approach the Magis- to enforce the Masquerade, create in other social or physical harm,
ters with serious talks regarding your submissive servants, and reinforce such as undressing in public. (See
joining the fold.” the self-assuredness of the vampire. individual powers for details.)
When using this Discipline, Kin- Vampires cannot use Dominate to
Talley smiled, though his smiles dred feel omnipotent, although the extract information, as the victim
were always false, and caught Savona’s wisest of them know that this too becomes a mindless puppet while
eyes. “You will dismiss your security may be shackles of a kind, slipped under its influence. For example,
immediately.” The words cleaved upon them by the Blood. the Compel command “Speak”
through the Ventrue’s mind like a results in blabbering word salad,
broadsword, wielded without subtlety. Characteristics while someone Mesmerized to “tell
what you know about the assassin”
She grimaced and hissed at the Most Dominate powers require responds “what you know about
Lasombra. “You think to manipulate eye contact with the victim. Once the assassin.” Dominate cannot
me so directly? I am not some thin- they establish contact, Dominate make subjects do something they
blood or ghoul to be commanded, holds the gaze of the victim until could not do on command, such as
Keeper!” Each member of her entou- the user conveys their command “Sleep.” Ultimately, the Storyteller
rage went for their holstered weapons. or commands, barring interfer- determines what the Discipline
ence. Catching the eyes of someone can accomplish, but they should
“Wait, wait…” Talley was grinning actively attempting to avoid the take care that Dominate remains
now. “I just wanted to ensure you vampire’s gaze requires a contest of one Discipline of many, rather
were not some weak envoy. I prefer the user’s Resolve + Intimidation than the catch-all solution to every
diplomacy with strong characters, and vs the target’s Wits + Awareness. It problem.
clearly, you are that. I meant no of- is of course impossible to catch the
fense.” Savona’s guards froze, awaiting eyes of someone squeezing their Dominate cuts to the core
her response. She ordered them to put eyes shut or wearing a blindfold, of vampiric mastery and preda-
their weapons away. but that person should be easy tion. Thus, vampires must resist
prey to other tactics. attempts to Dominate them. A
Talley bowed again, mentally vampire of lower (stronger) genera-
noting that to get to this Ventrue, he Using Dominate in combat tion can resist Dominate attempts
would need to focus on crushing the or in other frantic situations is from higher generation vampires
wills of her servants instead. limited to people attacking or by spending a Willpower point,
otherwise interacting with the user negating the effect completely.
Nicknames: Snake Charming, Mes- directly, as everyone else’s atten-
merism, Mentis Imperium tion is firmly focused on their own On a total failure on the roll of
peril. any Dominate power, that vampire
Dominate grants the vampire the can no longer Dominate that target
ability to control the actions of Unless the user has super- for the rest of the story.
others, manipulate their memories, natural means such as Telepathy
and force living creatures into acts (Auspex 5) at their disposal, they Dominate threatens Human-
they would not perform of their ity, especially if the vampire has

255

COREBOOK

any Principles involving personal command, no longer than a short ■■ System: No roll is required
freedom or forbidding violations sentence, to be obeyed to the let- against an unprepared mortal
of human integrity. Using it may ter. It must be possible to complete victim. Commanding a resist-
incur Stains (p. 239). the command in a single turn. The ing victim or another vampire
■■ Type: Mental Storyteller decides whether to requires a contest of Manipu-
■■ Masquerade Threat: Low. Bar- interpret ambiguous commands in lation + Dominate vs Intel-
an unexpected or unfavorable way; ligence + Resolve. Commands
ring someone Dominating an alternatively, the command simply that go against the victim’s
entire auditorium to jump off confuses the victim and fails. nature also require such a
the cliffs of Dover, it remains ■■ Cost: Free contest.
one of the more subtle vam- ■■ Dice Pools: Charisma + Domi-
piric powers. ■■ Duration: Until the command
■■ Blood Resonance: Phlegmatic. nate vs Intelligence + Resolve is carried out or the scene ends,
The blood of the submissive ■■ System: No roll is required whichever comes first.
or the dominant, masters and
slaves, captains of industry, against an unprepared mortal dementation
power trippers, cult leaders victim. Commanding a resist-
and followers. ing victim, a victim the vam- ■■ Amalgam: Obfuscate 2
pire has previously Dominated
Level 1 in the same scene, or another This subtle power requires nothing
vampire requires a contest of more than casual conversation, as
cloud memory Charisma + Dominate vs Intel- the vampire’s insidious influence
ligence + Resolve. Commands hides between the lines and inflec-
By uttering the phrase “Forget!” that go against the victim’s na- tions employed. The victim finds
the user can make the Dominated ture also require such a contest. themselves increasingly agitated as
victim forget the current moment ■■ Duration: No more than a their inner demons bubble to the
as well as the last few minutes, single scene surface, eventually drowning out
enough to mask a superficial all rhyme and reason.
feeding or a chance meeting. No Level 2 ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check per
new memories are formed and if
pressed the victim realizes they mesmerize scene
have a few minutes missing. ■■ Dice Pools: Manipulation +
■■ Cost: Free The vampire can issue complex
■■ Dice Pools: Charisma + Domi- commands to a victim, as long as Dominate vs Composure +
they have the subject’s gaze and Intelligence
nate vs Wits + Resolve relative quiet in which to issue ■■ System: After engaging in
■■ System: No roll is required instructions. The instructions must conversation with a victim,
be carried out immediately to the the user can activate this
against an unprepared mortal victim’s best ability, and must not power. For the duration of the
victim. Clouding the memory contain any conditional actions scene, the user may attack a
of a resisting victim or another (“...if you see Henry, give him the single individual each turn in
vampire requires a Charisma document”), as this would require a Manipulation + Dominate
+ Dominate vs Wits + Resolve the victim to exercise cognition. vs Composure + Intelligence
roll. ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check conflict, causing Superficial
■■ Duration: Indefinitely ■■ Dice Pools: Manipulation + damage to Willpower. A mortal
who becomes Impaired by this
compel Dominate vs Intelligence + power experiences a nervous
Resolve breakdown or psychotic break,
With eye contact, the vampire can the shape and nature of which
issue the victim a single-action

256

DISCIPLINES

depends on their personal- submerged directive Level 5
ity (and perhaps their blood
Resonance). A vampire that When using Mesmerize, the mass manipulation
becomes Impaired by this power vampire can now implant a post-
must immediately succumb to hypnotic suggestion, allowing the The vampire can now command
a Compulsion, as chosen by the command to remain dormant until entire gatherings of mortals, and in
power’s user. a specific stimulus occurs. This some cases even groups of vam-
trigger can be anything from a pires. The vampire can use this
If the user wants to affect specific date, to a person (“When power both to issue instructions
multiple victims, they need to you meet Roland, tell him these and to manipulate memories.
make a separate Rouse Check words”), to hearing a specific ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check in ad-
for each one. phrase. The Submerged Directive
■■ Duration: One Scene. never expires; people can conceiv- dition to the cost of the power
ably walk around with an order amplified
Level 3 buried in their mind for years. The ■■ System: The vampire can am-
user can only embed one sugges- plify any of their other powers
the forgetful mind tion per victim. to affect a group of people,
■■ Cost: No additional cost mortal or vampire, at once.
The vampire can rewrite whole ■■ System: As Mesmerize, though All of the victims need to see
swathes of the victim’s memories, the eyes of the user. The user
as long as they can keep the vic- the Storyteller might want to makes any needed roll against
tim’s gaze and full, uninterrupted make any rolls in secret. There’s the strongest opponent in the
attention. The vampire verbally no way of knowing if the sub- group.
describes the victim’s new memo- merged suggestion works until ■■ Duration: As per power ampli-
ries, which the victim then accepts the conditions are met. fied
as their own. This power does not ■■ Duration: Passive
allow the user to investigate the terminal decree
victim’s true memories; it more Level 4
resembles blindly painting over the No longer hampered by the self-
old canvas. rationalize preservation instincts of their
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check victims, the vampire can now issue
■■ Dice Pools: Manipulation + The vampire’s victims now believe commands that directly lead to
that anything they do under the the harm or death of the victim.
Dominate vs Intelligence + influence of Dominate was a result Mortals can be made to blow their
Resolve of their own free will, and defend brains out, jump from rooftops,
■■ System: The user rolls a contest their actions, however absurd. or swallow poison. Vampires can,
of Manipulation + Dominate Long-term exposure to this power with a bit of effort, be made to
vs Intelligence + Resolve. Each can lead to severe mental trauma walk into fire or sunlight.
point of margin allows the user in the victim. ■■ Cost: No additional Hunger
to add or remove an additional ■■ Cost: No additional cost
memory. The victim recalls the ■■ System: If pressed on their cost, but the Humanity cost is
edits vaguely, foggy ideations potentially severe
that can fall apart under close belief, the victim can make a ■■ System: Terminal commands
questioning. A critical win cre- Wits+Awareness test (Difficulty now must be resisted (see in-
ates a flawless imprint, as real as 5). A win makes them question dividual powers regarding rolls
any true memory. their own statement, and pos- involved), rather than failing
■■ Duration: Indefinitely sibly their sanity. automatically.
■■ Duration: Indefinitely ■■ Duration: Passive

257

COREBOOK

Fortitude harm, fire, and supernatural unswayable mind
coercion.
A deafening rattle like several glass The user gains a mystical ability
doors slamming shut punctuates the Those possessing Fortitude ex- to resist any attempts to sway
quiet ambience, as a hail of gunfire emplify the stolid pillars of Kindred them through mundane charms,
blasts through the office and into the society, able to withstand blows coercion, and wiles. Some exhibit
company’s directors. A few slump and charms without movement or Unswayable Mind as zen-like
dead onto the mahogany table around sign of dilapidation. Few vampires calm, others as supernatural stub-
which they were sat, while others feel as secure in their immortality bornness.
writhe on the floor in pain. The gun- as do elder Blue Bloods and Ferals. ■■ Cost: Free
man flees, dropping his weapon and ■■ System: The user adds their
charging out the fire escape. Characteristics
dots in Fortitude as extra
A chorus of wounded cries and ■■ Type: Physical dice in any roll made to resist
moans rises from the boardroom, as ■■ Masquerade Threat: Medium. coercion, intimidation, seduc-
Mayumi Shibasaki pulls herself from tion, or any other attempt to
the floor, wiping her hands down her Eyewitnesses undoubtedly sway the user’s mind against
suit, punctured with bullet holes. A react upon someone taking a their will. This power also
few heavy thuds follow, as chunks of terminal beating or a hail of works against supernatural
metal fall from the material where bullets and getting back up abilities such as Dominate and
they sat after finding her flesh resist- seemingly unhurt. Favorite Presence.
ant to the bullet spray. She looks down cover-up explanations include ■■ Duration: Passive
at the wounded board members, and erroneous recollection in the
sucks a few mouthfuls of blood from excitement (the bullets only Level 2
the open wounds on display, her mind seemed to hit), special effects
fixated on two things: (YouTube prank), or the tried- toughness
and-tested “must have been on
Whoever ordered this hit couldn’t PCP” rationale. All vampires with this power
have known how resistant her flesh ■■ Blood Resonance: Melancholic. exhibit an innate ability to ignore
could be. Survivors of war, abuse, or damage that would otherwise
misfortune; endurance runners; inconvenience and even disable
Whoever ordered this hit would mountain climbers; infantry others of their kind. While this
pay for a new damn suit. and special forces; those with power alone gives no protection
very powerful immune systems. against banes and other aggravated
Nicknames: Bricking Up, Stone damage, the protection it confers
Flesh, Resistentia Level 1 adds up in the long run.
■■ Cost: One Rouse check
Much prized by immortals, For- resilience ■■ System: Subtract the Forti-
titude grants the ability to resist
physical and mental assault. Few Endowed with supernatural endur- tude of the defender from all
vampires survive longer than a ance, the user can strengthen their Superficial damage sustained.
century without at least a mote physical resolve. This occurs before halving the
of Fortitude, especially in a world ■■ Cost: Free damage, and cannot reduce the
where violence is common and ■■ System: The user adds their damage below one.
not even Kindred are safe. In ■■ Duration: One scene
these nights, fewer vampires use Fortitude rating to their
Fortitude to resist the sun than Health track. enduring beasts
they do to withstand violent ■■ Duration: Passive
■■ Amalgam: Animalism 1

258

DISCIPLINES

The user shares a small portion of ■■ System: The user can convert a pletely blank while their aura is,
their unnatural toughness with the number of Aggravated damage for lack of better words, flat.
animals they influence. Teem- equal to their Fortitude rating ■■ Cost: Free
ing swarms and great beasts alike to Superficial damage when ■■ System: Increases the Difficul-
exhibit a resistance to fleeting in- sustained. They may not heal
juries almost equal to the vampire that Superficial damage for the ty of using Scry Soul (Auspex
themself. rest of the scene. This power 3), Telepathy (Auspex 5), and
■■ Cost: Free (for famulus); converts a number of damage similar powers on the user
per scene, not per wound or by half their Fortitude rating
One Rouse Check (for other per attack. (round up). If the rules allow
animals) the user to resist these powers,
■■ Dice Pools: Stamina + Animal- EXAMPLE: they add their Fortitude rating
ism (for non-famulus animals) to their dice pool instead.
■■ System: The vampire can choose Salman has Fortitude 3. During ■■ Duration: One scene
to extend some of their Forti- the upcoming brawl, he could for
tude powers to animals affected example convert 2 points of Aggra- Level 4
by their Animalism. Any animal vated damage to Superficial, then
thus imbued gains additional convert 1 more point of Aggravated draught of endurance
Health levels equal to the Forti- damage taken the next turn before
tude dots of the vampire. Using his power expires. The Blood of the vampire be-
this power on their famulus is comes saturated with the power of
free and automatic. To imbue The user can renew this Fortitude, conveying a part of that
other animals besides their power once expired by power to anyone who drinks of it.
famulus, the user must make a making another Rouse This is the Fortitude equivalent of
Rouse Check and roll a test of Check. If endangered unex- Draught of Elegance (p. 254).
Stamina + Animalism (Dif- pectedly, the user can acti- ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check
ficulty 3). The user can fortify vate this power reflexively ■■ System: Drinking a Rouse
one animal per point of margin. with a Wits + Survival roll
When the effect ends, remove (Difficulty 3) upon receiv- Check's worth of Blood
unmarked Health first; this may ing Aggravated damage. If directly from the user gifts
result in the animal expiring. the user fails the test, the the drinker with temporary
■■ Duration: One Scene. power does not activate; Fortitude equal to half the
if they win the test, they Fortitude dots (rounded down)
Level 3 must make a Rouse Check of the donor. The drinker gains
to pay for the power. the same powers as the donor’s,
defy bane ■■ Duration: One scene or until up to that level.
expired, whichever comes first ■■ Duration: One night; for vam-
By preparing themselves with an pires, until the next feeding or
expenditure of power, the vampire fortify the inner facade the vampire reaches Hunger 5
can make themselves temporarily
resistant to fire and sunlight as well Instead of hardening the vampire’s Level 5
as other grievous wounds that would physical frame, this power allows
threaten them with Final Death. the user to protect their thoughts flesh of marble
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check and emotions from supernatural
■■ Dice Pools: Wits + Survival (to prying. Their mind appears com- The power of the Blood causes
the skin of the vampire to harden,
activate reflexively) taking on a marble-like sheen that

259

COREBOOK

is still supple but stops almost any EXAMPLE: the house, I see servers, computers,
blow before momentarily breaking cables all over the damn place. It’s a
and reforming. A vampire using Darin has Blood Potency 3, giving firetrap. I reach out to move one aside
this power is almost impossible to him a Blood Surge of 2. He cannot as I think my bag will catch on it.
destroy outright, barring a lucky increase his Physical Attributes That’s when it happens.
blow or physical restraint. past 8 using Prowess from Pain.
■■ Cost: Two Rouse Checks The butler turns around and he
■■ System: With this power ac- ■■ Duration: One scene shrieks at me to touch nothing. His
face shifts before my eyes. His body
tive, the vampire ignores the Obfuscate too. He turns into this scaly little slime
first source of physical damage of a man. And then he’s the maid. And
each turn, including fire but Okay, I’ll start from the top. I’m just then he’s the butler again. And then
not sunlight. If confusion arises a courier, and after I received word he’s someone different. And then he’s
about which source is “first,” of this order that went through three running away into all the shadows I
the Storyteller either decides companies to get to me – clearly suddenly notice around this place. I get
based on the narrative, or the someone trying to cover their tracks – the fuck out.
vampire ignores the most dam- and I was given a hush bonus, I said
aging single source that turn. “fuck it, why not.” That’s how I ended So yeah, the guy’s name was “Ma-
A critical win on an attack roll up delivering that box to the mansion. ropis,” but weird thing: I checked out
bypasses this power. No, I never saw what was in the box, the mansion again a week later and it
■■ Duration: One scene but judging from the setup at that was completely empty and dusty, like
place, I’m guessing it was something it had been vacant for decades.
prowess from pain computery.
Nicknames: Stealth Mode, Cloak-
Injuries and impairments now So the guy who answers the door ing, Veiling, Occulto
only fuel the powers of the is this butler-looking fellow. Looks For any hunter, the ability to hide,
vampire, who grows stronger and normal, if a bit pale and out of a com- move without being seen, and
faster from each blow, rend, or tear ic book. I just hand over the box and employ camouflage proves vital.
received. Only utter destruction ask for a signature, but he eyes me up For the Kindred practitioners of
can stop one who calls upon this and down. He asks me to come inside Obfuscate, the Discipline provides
Fortitude power. for my bonus. I’ve already received the perfect cover to get close to
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check one bonus, but hell, what’s another? a victim, disguise themselves as
■■ System: Upon activating So in I go. The butler wanders off, and harmless, and escape when the heat
someone else comes back. A maid this grows too much.
the power the vampire no time. She asks if I want a drink. I tell
longer suffers any dice penal- her I’m cool. I just want my money Obfuscate experts may utilize
ties from Health damage and to get out. the Discipline to lurk in the
sustained, such as physical shadows while spying, change ap-
Impairment. Additionally, The maid goes away and the pearance in a crowd while under
they can increase one Physical butler emerges again. I’m developing surveillance, or even spread the gift
Attribute by one dot (de- a funny feeling. He hands over an to a group of vampires looking to
rived stats are unaffected) for envelope of cash and asks if I want to hide.
each level of damage on their see the gear in this place. Thing is, I’ve
Health track, aggravated or never been a tech-head, but I decide to Characteristics
superficial. The user’s At- look anyway. As he takes me through
tributes cannot exceed a value Obfuscate powers work through
equal to their Blood Surge + 6 ambient, low-level mesmerism.
through this ability. Observers see the vampire but

260

DISCIPLINES

their minds choose to ignore it. whole point of this Discipline. collisions, and other sounds of
Witnesses unconsciously move out ■■ Blood Resonance: Melan- their person. This makes the
of the way if the user blocks their vampire undetectable if an ob-
path and rationalize their behavior cholic. The ignored and unseen, server could only notice them
if pressed. Obfuscate affects all five the homeless, forgotten, and by sound, such as when on a
senses unless otherwise noted. depressed; spies, pickpockets, different floor of a house.
excellent servants, roadies and
The Discipline does have lim- stagehands, and all the back- This power does not elimi-
its: the illusion fails if the observer ground people. nate sounds the user makes
cannot ignore the user or if the outside their personal space
user backs the observer into a cor- Level 1 (throwing or dropping objects,
ner. A vampire blocking a doorway or slamming doors, for exam-
cannot maintain Obfuscate against cloak of shadows ple). Failing that, only Sense
someone walking through it. Like- of the Unseen (Auspex 1) can
wise, violent action jeopardizes the Standing perfectly still, the user detect the user.
façade, as does actions like raised blends into the surroundings. As ■■ Duration: One scene
voices, failed pickpocket attempts, long as they have some kind of
and weapons raised to strike. cover, make no sound, and don’t Level 2
Whispering without breaking move, only mechanical or super-
Obfuscate is still possible. natural means can detect them. unseen passage
■■ Cost: Free
Generally, the Discipline offers ■■ System: Follow the general With this power, the vampire can
no protection against machine sur- now move around while staying
veillance. A human staking out the rules for Obfuscate. The effect hidden. The user is functionally
vampire has a hard time pointing lasts until the user moves or invisible, per the usual Obfuscate
the lens in the right direction, but they are detected by other limitations.
automatic cameras and other types means. ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check
of detectors can catch them. ■■ Duration: One scene ■■ System: As long as the user

A vampire with Sense the silence of death emits no overpowering odors
Unseen (Auspex 1) can detect and no sound louder than
Obfuscated characters by rolling Popular among the Banu Haqim, a whisper, this power auto-
Wits or Resolve + Auspex vs Wits this power completely silences the matically works. Only if the
+ Obfuscate. Anyone can detect user, nullifying all sound made by observer has their attention
an Obfuscated vampire who draws them. As with other Obfuscate drawn to the user can they
attention to themselves; such powers, this only works on people make a detection roll.
observers detect such accidental within earshot and does not fool
revelations with a contest of Wits microphones or other electronic Sense the Unseen (Auspex
+ Awareness (or Resolve + Aware- sound detectors. Unlike Obfus- 1) can also detect the hidden
ness for an active searcher) vs cate in general, this power works vampire, as per the general
Wits + Stealth. This also applies to only on the sense of hearing, but Obfuscate rules.
surprise attacks from Obfuscate in exchange operates more ro-
– a victim always has a chance to bustly. A vampire needs to make Note that the user cannot
sense the danger a moment before a whole lot of noise to break this use this power to disappear
the strike.. silence. while being actively observed;
■■ Type: Mental ■■ Cost: Free it automatically fails in such
■■ Masquerade Threat: Low. ■■ System: The user silences their a case.
■■ Duration: One scene or until
Avoiding detection is the footsteps, clothing, minor detection.

261

COREBOOK

Level 3 as their presence is at all plausi- the object wasn’t there, moving
ble (meaning that it will not fool around larger objects if need be.
ghost in the machine people who do not expect anyone ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check
or would be hostile against anyone ■■ Dice Pools: Intelligence +
The user can now transmit the they didn’t know). The power also
effects of Obfuscate through elec- does not provide any personal Obfuscate
tronic media, allowing the vampire identification or other ways of mis- ■■ System: The vampire touches
to appear invisible or masked when leading an identity check.
viewed live on screen. If an ob- ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check the object and rolls a test of In-
server views the image later, as in a ■■ System: No test is required. telligence + Obfuscate against
photograph or recording, the effect a Difficulty from 2 (Concealing
lessens: the image seems slightly Anyone viewing the vampire a ring in a drawer filled with
blurred, making identification sees a forgettable face of the other memorabilia) to 6 (Con-
hard. In addition, automated sur- same gender and approximate cealing a house in the middle
veillance has a tendency to glitch build and height as the user. of an open square), depending
in the presence of the vampire, Clothes take on the same kind on the target’s size and loca-
lessening their chance of being of blandness, depending on tion. The power lasts for one
caught by automated systems. the environment. At an office night. Each point of margin on
■■ Cost: No additional cost the user might appear as a the win conceals the object for
■■ System: No additional roll is nightwatchman, while they an additional night.
may seem to wear overalls at
required when being viewed an assembly plant. Sense the This power conceals anyone
on a live feed. Treat observers Unseen (Auspex 1) can pierce and anything inside the object
as present with the vampire, the power as usual. (e.g., people in a car or shed),
with regard to the Discipline. ■■ Duration: One scene as long as the viewer remains
The observer adds +3 to their outside. This power cannot
Difficulty on tests to iden- Level 4 affect anything larger than a
tify the user on film, video, in two-story house or any object
photographs, or the like taken conceal moving under its own power
during active Obfuscation. The (such as a moving car). Some-
user also gains three additional ■■ Amalgam: Auspex 3 one with the Auspex power
dice to pools they use when Sense the Unseen (or equiva-
trying to circumvent automat- This ability allows the user to lent) can notice the object by
ed electronic surveillance and cloak an inanimate object such as winning a contest of Wits +
countermeasures. a door, a car, or a small house. As Auspex vs the Intelligence +
■■ Duration: As power used with other Obfuscate powers, this Obfuscate of the user.
does not actually make the object ■■ Duration: One night, with an
mask of a thousand faces invisible, but creates a lingering additional night per point of
hypnotic effect that causes most margin on the win.
Instead of disappearing, the vam- people to simply ignore it. In
pire using this power can make this case the power is especially vanish
themselves appear as a nondescript effective, given that the object is
stranger, someone expected to be unlikely to call attention to itself. ■■ Prerequisite: Cloak of Shadows
present in the area. Unlike other Unless something causes passersby
Obfuscate powers, this allows the to collide with it or someone The vampire can activate Cloak of
user to interact and communicate points it out, people behave as if Shadows and Unseen Passage even
with those they might run into. while under direct observation.
They arouse little suspicion as long The vampire appears to vanish
in the blink of an eye; even the

262

DISCIPLINES

memory of them becomes foggy Obfuscating vampire’s rating lusion, but the user must make
and indistinct. as their own when needed for a Manipulation + Performance
■■ Cost: As per power augmented a roll. Members of the group roll to impersonate speech and
■■ Dice Pools: Wits + Obfuscate vs can still perceive each other mannerisms. A critical win cre-
while under the effects of the ates a perfect illusion with no
Wits + Awareness power. If anyone besides the further roll necessary. Sense the
■■ System: When vanishing in user is revealed, either through Unseen (Auspex 1) can pierce
their own doing or an astute the mask as per General Rules.
front of a mortal, roll a contest observer, the rest of the group ■■ Duration: One scene
of Wits + Obfuscate vs Wits remains hidden. If the user is
+ Awareness. On a win, the revealed, so is everyone else. Potence
observer questions whether the ■■ Duration: As power extended “I’m not some thug.” Theo stood on
vampire was ever there to begin a broken stage in Berlin, alongside He-
with; their memory clouds on impostor’s guise sha Ruhadze of the Ministry and Rudi
the topic. With a critical win, ■■ Prerequisite: Mask of a Thou- of Clan Gangrel. Three corners of the
the vampire vanishes entirely Anarch Movement, even though the
from the observer’s memory. sand Faces 30-or-so strong audience was mainly
This power does not affect comprised of Caitiff and thin-bloods.
vampires’ memories, but any With some preparation the vam- “And neither are you good guys and
win by the user hides them as if pire can make themselves appear girls. None of you are the simple-mind-
they initiated their power un- as a specific individual of any build ed fools the Camarilla claim you are!
observed. This power can only and gender. The user must carefully You were mortal, and now you’re not,
be used once per scene. study the subject, otherwise the but you’re just as valid as those moth-
■■ Duration: As per power aug- charade fails when meeting anyone erfuckers over in the Ivory Tower!”
mented with more than a casual familiarity
with the person being mimicked. A small cry of support resounded
Level 5 ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check throughout the old theatre, as Hesha
■■ Dice Pools: Wits + Obfuscate, slowly clapped his hands. Theo contin-
cloak the gathering ued, walking over to a pillar running
Manipulation + Performance from the side of the stage to the ceiling.
The vampire can shelter their ■■ System: The user must study “We won’t take their belittling shit any
companions under the cloak of more! We will not be second class! We
Obfuscate. the face to be copied for at we will not be trash to be kicked into
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check in ad- least five minutes, from differ- the path of the Inquisition!” Theo Bell
ent angles. The user requires threw a punch into the concrete pillar,
dition to the cost of the power another ten minutes of obser- his fist smashing through the stone
extended vation to mimic the subject’s and out the other side. With a roar, he
■■ System: The vampire can voice and mannerisms. The user pulled his arm free and held it up.
extend their power of Obfusca- can only copy human appear-
tion to a number of additional ance, not animal form. The Sto- The supportive cry was now a
willing subjects equal to their ryteller then makes a hidden cheer. Hesha raised an eyebrow. It was
Wits, plus one for each ad- test of Wits + Obfuscate (Dif- a theatrical gesture, but it confirmed
ditional Rouse Check made. ficulty 4). A failure means that his view: better to be on this side of
The Obfuscate power used on the resemblance is less than Theo Bell’s fists than the other.
the group can be any known convincing, and anyone close
to the user, and every member to the person copied notices
of the group count as having something amiss automatically.
used it on themselves, using the A win creates a convincing il-

263

COREBOOK

Nicknames: Hulking, Blood’s construction workers and lum- to their unarmed damage value
Might, Percutio berjacks, longshoremen. as well as to feats of Strength.
■■ Duration: One scene
There is a popular saying among Level 1
the members of Clan Brujah: Level 3
“You only underestimate our lethal body
strength once.” Potence is vitae- brutal feed
fueled strength above and beyond Using this power, the user is capa-
other vampires’ capabilities. ble of causing horrendous damage Known as the “Savage Kiss”, this
More powerful than any perfor- to mortals, tearing skin and break- power allows the user to employ an
mance-enhancing drug, more ing bones with bare fingers. unholy inner strength when drain-
unnatural than the physique of ■■ Cost: Free ing a victim. In mere seconds, the
any bulging bodybuilder, Potence ■■ System: The user’s unarmed attacker swallows torrents of blood
is the Beast let loose through the while mauling the victim. The
fists, feet, limbs, and raw bodily attacks can now do Aggravated result is an efficient, if messy, feed-
power of a vampire. The Disci- Health damage to mortals, if ing often employed in the heat of
pline is used for more than just desired. They also ignore one battle where the mangled remains
hitting things, though it is cer- level of armor per Potence level of the victim can be disguised.
tainly good for this task. It is the of the user. ■■ Cost: Free.
vampire’s ability to force their ■■ Duration: Passive ■■ System: The vampire can drain
body into actions impossible for
mortals to replicate. soaring leap a human completely in sec-
onds, usually within a single
Potence trumps the other Dis- Possessing unholy strength in more turn. Every point of Hunger
ciplines in sheer incongruity an than arms and fists, the user can slaked causes one point of
elderly-looking Nosferatu strikes leap far higher and further than Aggravated Health damage
harder than a mortal heavyweight any mortal. to the victim, as their blood
boxer or a Brujah Embraced as a ■■ Cost: Free vessels burst and organs bruise
child can decapitate a target with ■■ System: The user can jump and rupture internally. Using
one blow. Brutal Feed on a vampire does
a number of meters equal to only Superficial Health dam-
Characteristics three times their Potence level age to their dead and inert
vertically, and five times their organs.
■■ Type: Physical Potence level horizontally. The
■■ Masquerade threat: Medium user needs no run-up to make In combat, Brutal Feed
these leaps. comes immediately after a
to high. Lesser exercises of the ■■ Duration: Passive successful Brawl attack using
Discipline might be passed fangs. The victim first takes
off as “hysterical strength,” Level 2 bite damage, then damage
but once pavement cracks and from this power. Armor does
buildings start to crumble that prowess not protect against Brutal
explanation loses what little Feed, as the wounds are, or at
credibility it had. Vampires with Potence gain far least begin as, mainly internal.
■■ Blood Resonance: Choleric. greater strength from their Blood
The strong and healthy; athletes than those who lack it. Storytellers may decide
and young men and women in ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check such mutilation-killing war-
their prime, gym rats, wrestlers, ■■ System: When activated, add rants Stains (p. 239).
■■ Duration: One feeding
the Potence rating of the user

264

DISCIPLINES

spark of rage might also be able to climb Level 5
copper or bronze cladding or
■■ Amalgam: Presence 3 other softer metal surfaces, earthshock
at the Storyteller’s discretion.
Combining Potence and Presence, Thin glass surfaces (though Their strength an elemental force,
the vampire can incite anger and generally not the glass cur- the vampire can slam their fist or
even frenzy in onlookers, as easily tain walls of modern office foot into the ground, creating a
as awe or dread. The user must take buildings) may shatter under shockwave that throws their op-
care not to rile up an angry mob the stress. In the same way, a ponents prone. One of the more
to turn on them rather than the vampire can hang from a wall dramatic applications of Potence,
target or each other. or ceiling for up to one scene, this power needs to be carefully
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check though only barefoot vampires employed, lest the user literally
■■ Dice Pools: Manipulation + can hang by their feet. bring the house down upon them-
selves.
Potence The climb or clinging leaves ■■ Cost: Two Rouse Checks
■■ System: When active, the user obvious tracks detectable by ■■ System: No additional test is
anyone with an Intelligence +
can add their Potence rat- Investigation test at Difficulty needed to create the shock-
ing to any attempt to rile or 2. Detecting Uncanny Grip wave. (The ground is hard to
incite a person or a crowd to tracks on glass doesn’t even miss.) Anyone within a five-
violence. In addition, the user require a roll. meter radius of the user must
can activate this power and roll ■■ Duration: One scene make a Dexterity + Athletics
a contest of Manipulation + roll (Difficulty 3), with the re-
Potence vs Composure + Intel- Level 4 sults below. Anyone prepared
ligence of another vampire. If for the Earthshock (such as the
they win, the opposing vampire draught of might user’s companions) can shift
must make a fury frenzy test at their results up by one step.
Difficulty 3. The Blood of the vampire be- ◻◻ Critical Win: No effect.
■■ Duration: One Scene comes saturated with the power ◻◻ Win: Knocked off balance.
of Potence, conveying a part of
uncanny grip that power to anyone who drinks Lose current action
of it. This is the Potence equiva- ◻◻ Failure: Fall prone. Lose
Focusing their unnatural strength lent of Draught of Elegance (p.
into their toes and fingers, the 254). current action; must spend
vampire grips and burrows their ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check a turn getting up.
extremities into almost any sur- ■■ System: Drinking a Rouse
face, enabling them to climb and This power causes signifi-
even hang otherwise unsupported Checks worth of Blood directly cant collateral damage. If
from walls and ceilings. Close from the user gifts the drinker used on the ground, the
observation reveals telltale scarring with temporary Potence earth cracks. If used in-
or deformation on these surfaces equal to half the Potence dots doors, furniture breaks and
afterward, however, as this is an (rounded down) of the donor. mirrors shatter. On any-
application of brute force, not The drinker gains the same thing but the ground floor
superhero-style adhesion. powers as the donor’s, up to the floor might shatter,
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check that level. causing everyone within the
■■ System: A vampire using this ■■ Duration: One night; for vam- radius to plummet to the
pires, until the next feeding or floor below. This power can
power automatically succeeds the vampire reaches Hunger 5 only be used once per scene.
on any Skill test to climb a ■■ Duration: One use
non-metallic surface. The user

265

COREBOOK

fist of caine me I shouldn’t be there. She looked feelings projected at them are nor-
unhappy. My heart broke. It sounds mal and which are compelled.
The vampire’s bare hands can ridiculous, but somehow I’d fallen
inflict grievous injuries, lethal to head over heels in love with her Characteristics
both mortals and other vampires. within a minute. I fell to my knees,
They can dismember, pierce, but she commanded me to leave, and Presence affects the emotions
impale, decapitate, and even rip a it was like she was a nightmare from of those subject to it, not the
heart out of the chest. my childhood all of a sudden. She minds. While this is useful in
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check was… She went from love to hate. that victims are cognizant (unlike
■■ System: For one scene the Dominate), they are not under
I couldn’t help but get the hell out the direct control of the user and
user can inflict Aggravated of there and never look back. I know are thus often unpredictable. In
Health damage to mortals where the dig is, and it’s still going order to be affected by Presence,
and supernaturals alike while on, but I’m too terrified to return. the subject must be in the physi-
Brawling, as they literally What did she do to me? cal presence of the user or at least
rend flesh and tear their op- within earshot. The Discipline
ponents limb from limb with Nicknames: Superstardom, En- does not transmit electronically
their bare hands. thrallment, Sublimitas unless the user possesses Star
■■ Duration: One scene Magnetism (Presence 5). Detect-
Most vampires are creatures of ing the use of Presence is very
Presence grace and lethality. Associated hard unless one has access to
with horrific violence and devas- Sense the Unseen (Auspex 1) and
So yeah, I snuck in late at night, tating beauty, Kindred embody can even then be too subtle to
only to find a whole load of people opposites, alternating between notice unless one is looking for it
with picks and shovels, brushes and nightmare and dream depending specifically.
you know, the normal archaeologi- on the onlooker and the vampire’s
cal paraphernalia. Nobody seemed to whims. Presence is a Discipline Presence power effects do
notice I was even there, at least not at that expresses this bipolar exist- not stack, so someone using Awe
first. They were all too hard at work, ence. Used to attract victims or and Entrancement on the same
and the odd thing for how late at night disperse them in fear, Presence subject would only add their
it was? They all seemed happy. Like allows crowd control, emotional Presence rating once for any
drugged happy. manipulation, and enforced devo- Social-based Persuasion rolls.
tion. A mortal’s greatest fear could
I got to see the hole they were stand before them and suddenly In combat, only the Dread Gaze
digging. I got to see the big black sar- look like the most radiant creature and Majesty powers have any effect,
cophagus - I guess obsidian, but why’s on Earth. as charm is of little use when some-
there an obsidian coffin in this part one has decided they want you hurt.
of the world? I wanted to get closer, Many Presence practitioners ■■ Type: Mental
but then this woman, she seemed to use this Discipline to easily acquire ■■ Masquerade threat: Low-Me-
be leading the dig, stopped me. She feeding vessels, while others use
was… I guess “beautiful” is a simple it do stalk the night as creatures dium. A subtle power, people
word when describing her poise, her of horror, making weak-willed seldom realize Presence has
confidence, and her clarity of voice… kine flee terrified, unsure of what affected them at all. As with
She asked why I wasn’t working and they’ve just seen. Effective as a lure most Disciplines, its higher
I stuttered and stumbled over myself. as well as a defense, vampires with powers can leave puzzled wit-
I was bewitched. Is that the word? I Presence enjoy an easier nightlife nesses behind, especially once
couldn’t look away from her. at the expense of forgetting what the effects wear off.
■■ Blood Resonance: Sanguine.
Then her eyes narrowed. She told

266

DISCIPLINES

The beautiful and lustful, those daunt test (Difficulty equals the user’s
completely infatuated with the Presence) every week to resist
vampire, models and actors Instead of attracting people, the the effects. Winning this test
and movie stars, compelling vampire uses Presence to repel. for three consecutive weeks
public and private speakers With this power the user appears breaks the effect, as does a
from politicians to car sales- threatening and exudes an aura of single critical win.
men, YouTube sensations and menace powerful enough to make ■■ Duration: Until successfully
Instagram influencers. most mortals avoid their attention resisted
and even vampires think twice
Level 1 about acting against them. Level 3
■■ Cost: Free
awe ■■ System: Add the user’s Pres- dread gaze

Anyone in the presence of the ence rating to any Intimida- Briefly exposing their vampiric
vampire finds their attention tion rolls. Attacking the user nature, the user instills a single
inexplicably drawn to them. Those requires a Resolve+Composure subject with utter terror. Mortals
listening to the vampire speak roll at Difficulty 2. are cowed, run, or freeze with fear,
might suddenly agree on subjects while other vampires either submit
where they once held different Vampires cannot use Awe like whipped dogs or flee in fren-
viewpoints. While this power and Daunt simultaneously. zied Rötschreck.
doesn’t cause rapt infatuation, it ■■ Duration: One scene or until ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check
is still strong enough to sway the intentionally ended ■■ Dice Pools: Charisma + Pres-
minds of most mortals.
■■ Cost: Free Level 2 ence vs Composure + Resolve
■■ Dice Pools: Manipulation + ■■ System: Displaying their
lingering kiss
Presence vs Composure + Intel- fangs, their face twisted in a
ligence The Kiss of a vampire induces predatory grimace, the user
■■ System: Add the Presence near-ecstasy in mortals, but this rolls a contest of Charisma +
rating to any Skill roll involv- power leaves other Kisses in the Presence against their target’s
ing Persuasion or Performance dust. Mortals fed upon by the Composure + Resolve.
as well as to other Charisma- user become addicted to the Kiss, ◻◻ Failure: Mortals are unable
related rolls, at the Storyteller’s obsessing over it and even seek-
discretion. Anyone aware that ing the vampire out for repeated to act other than in their
they’re being affected can try to feedings. Mortals often become own defense, backing off
resist with a contest of Compo- anemic, self-harm, or even die for a turn. Vampires are
sure + Intelligence vs the user’s from this addiction, but vampires unaffected.
Manipulation + Presence. On find it a useful power for cultivat- ◻◻ Win: Mortals run in fear.
a win, the target can resist the ing a herd. Vampires are unable to act
effects for one scene; a critical ■■ Cost: Free other than in their own de-
win makes the target immune ■■ System: The vampire can fense for a turn unless they
for the entire night. Once the spend Willpower equal to
power wears off, victims revert choose to use this power or the users margin of win (to
to their previous opinions. not during each feeding. The a minimum of one).
■■ Duration: One scene or until user adds dice equal to their ◻◻ Critical Win: Mortals
intentionally ended Presence to any subsequent freeze or crumple into a
Charisma Attribute-assisted fetal position. Vampires
pool against the bitten subject. must make a terror frenzy
A mortal fed upon with this
power can make a Willpower

267

COREBOOK

test (Difficulty 3). If they Level 4 Presence vs Composure + Intel-
win, they are still affected ligence
as above. irresistible voice ■■ System: The user needs to
■■ Duration: One turn concentrate for five minutes
■■ Amalgam: Dominate 1 and think of the person being
entrancement summoned, then rolls Manipu-
The Presence of the user becomes lation + Presence vs Composure
The vampire focuses their un- a conduit for Dominate. The vam- + Intelligence. On a win, the
natural allure on a single person, pire now only needs their voice target hears the summoning,
instilling in them a rapt fascina- to be heard in order to employ but may or may not heed it.
tion or infatuation akin to falling Dominate powers. On a critical win, the target
head over heels in love or meet- ■■ Cost: No additional cost arrives as quickly as possible,
ing one’s lifelong idol. The person ■■ System: The user's voice alone barring immediate risk to their
affected does their best to remain well-being.
in the vampire’s good graces, but is now enough to Dominate ■■ Duration: One night
stops short of causing themselves a target. This does not apply
or their other loved ones physical to voices transmitted through Level 5
harm. electronic media such as
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check phones, television, or apart- majesty
■■ Dice Pools: Charisma + Pres- ment door-buzzer speakers.
■■ Duration: Passive At this pinnacle of the Discipline
ence vs Composure + Wits the vampire can amplify their
■■ System: The vampire only summon countenance to supernatural levels.
Whether they appear as heartrend-
needs to gain the subject’s at- The vampire can call to themselves ingly beautiful, monstrously ter-
tention and win a contest of any person, mortal or vampire, rifying, or wielding absolute com-
Charisma + Presence vs Com- upon whom they’ve previously mand, everyone who views them is
posure + Wits. The effect lasts used Awe, Entrancement, or Maj- struck by their image, unable to act
for roughly one hour plus one esty, or who has tasted their Blood or even speak against the vampire.
per point of margin on the win. at least once. The target knows To experience Majesty is to be in
The vampire can renew this who is summoning them and the the presence of the divine - or the
effect indefinitely, but a failure user’s current location. This calling infernal.
ends the effect and makes the lasts for a night. After that time, ■■ Cost: Two Rouse Checks
subject immune for the rest of the effect subsides, but the user ■■ Dice Pools: Charisma + Pres-
the night. can repeat it night after night if
required to reach the target or if ence vs Composure + Resolve
After succeeding, the user the target is otherwise reluctant. ■■ System: People in the presence
adds dice equal to their Presence Anyone Summoned feels a pull
rating to any Social dice pool toward the summoner and tries of the user can only stare, slack-
against the entranced subject. to reach them, though without jawed, or avert their eyes in fear
Requests resulting in obvious endangering themselves physically or submission. Anyone wanting
harm to the subject or their or financially. They won’t sell their to act in any way in opposition
loved ones, or that oppose the house to buy a ticket or miss a vital to the user, except for self-
subject’s Tenets, fail and require meeting, but they might skip out preservation, must successfully
an immediate power contest roll of normal work or social commit- win a contest of their Compo-
as above, or the Entrancement ments. sure + Resolve vs. the vampire’s
immediately fails. ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check Charisma + Presence. A win
■■ Duration: One hour plus one ■■ Dice Pools: Manipulation + allows one turn of freedom, plus
per point of margin

268

DISCIPLINES

one per point of margin; only a knew the pack was close. He was still shape or in other ways transform
critical win resists the effect for miles from Copenhagen, and would the body of the vampire also affect
the entire scene. never make it on foot. Stopping for a clothing, swallowed items, and
■■ Duration: One scene second, he surveyed the night air and other small (under a few grams)
then the water beneath him. To take wearables. Protean does not affect
star magnetism to the sky and try to outrace the sun, larger carried items, including
or to bed down for the night in the backpacks, duffel and sports bags.
The Presence powers of the user dirt and silt. He needed blood, but he For this reason users of Protean
now effect people viewing them needed to survive another night first. often travel light.
on live feeds or hearing them over ■■ Type: Physical
the phone. Recorded images or The werewolves bayed as they ■■ Masquerade threat: High. One
messages do not retain the effect, closed on him, only to see the coward
however. Gangrel give a mock salute as he of the most overt Disciplines
■■ Cost: One additional Rouse shifted into the earth. The outraged available to vampires, more
pup swiped at the fetid water and or less all Protean powers can
Check stamped at the ground before being breach the Masquerade on
■■ System: Awe, Daunt, and En- dragged away by her kin. their own.
■■ Blood Resonance: Animal
trancement can be transmitted Nicknames: Morphing, Shapeshift- blood, especially animals
through live feeds via screens ing, Mutatio matching shapeshifted forms;
or phones. If Entrancement is the blood of werewolves,
used, the victim’s name must Werewolves despise vampires for changelings, and other super-
be spoken clearly, as that power their possession of this ability. natural chimeras of man and
only affects one person at a They consider it a mockery of their beast.
time. Anyone else viewing the own nature, as undead beings be-
same transmission only finds come wolves or bats, bearing claws Level 1
the user charming, but not and gnashing fangs like one of
supernaturally so. their own. Yet, Protean has flowed eyes of the beast
■■ Duration: As power used through the Blood for almost as
long as the Kindred have existed. The vampire can will a super-
Protean The power to mutate, shift form, natural red gleam into their eyes,
and become ever-deadlier preda- giving them sight even in the total
Rudi waded through the shallow tors is as natural to the vampire as absence of light.
waters, looking over his shoulder to see it is to the lupine. ■■ Cost: Free
if his pursuers were tracking him now ■■ System: No roll is required
he’d left the land and stopped leaving Practitioners of Protean em-
a trail. He couldn’t see them, but he ploy the Discipline for its utility. to activate Eyes of the Beast.
could definitely hear their howls. He The power enables a vampire to While active the user ignores
cursed. Meeting with lupines was never become a beast, turn their limbs any sight penalties imposed by
a safe proposition, but reacting the into weapons, or change their darkness, including supernatu-
way he did, brandishing his claws and shape into clouds of mist to evade ral. While active, the inhuman
threatening to take out that werewolf capture, glide through keyholes, or appearance of the eyes confers
pup’s eyes… He should have had bet- slip through cracks in a window. two bonus dice to Intimidation
ter control over his anger. He’s not a pools against mortals.
Brujah. Characteristics ■■ Duration: As long as desired

The Gangrel was no expert when Protean powers that change the weight of the feather
it came to sensing the unseen, but he
The vampire can reduce their ef-

269

COREBOOK

fective mass and density, making Feral Weapons is not halved.
themselves almost weightless. This ■■ Duration: One scene
allows them to avoid triggering
pressure sensors as well as avoiding Level 3
major damage from falls, collisions,
or being thrown. The power cannot earth meld
be used for longer leaps, as the
vampire’s strength is proportion- Becoming one with the soil, the
ally reduced. vampire sinks into the earth. Un-
■■ Cost: Free less in torpor, the vampire rises
■■ Dice Pools: Wits + Survival again the following night.
■■ System: If the vampire has time ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check
■■ System: No test is required, but
to prepare, no roll is required.
As a reaction, such as during a the vampire must be on a natu-
sudden fall, activating the pow- ral surface: rocks, raw earth,
er requires a Wits + Survival roll grass, etc. This power does not
at Difficulty 3. As long as the work on concrete, asphalt, or
power is in effect, the vampire other artificial surfaces. It takes
is immune to damage from falls, a turn for the vampire to sink
collisions, and being thrown. into the earth, leaving carried
The user also avoids triggering objects behind atop the soil.
devices that rely on pressure, at While in the earth the vampire
the Storyteller’s discretion. is aware of their surround-
■■ Duration: As long as desired ings, except during day-sleep.
At those times, disturbances
Level 2 (e.g., digging or loud noises)
awaken them or not as with all
feral weapons vampires (p. 219).
■■ Duration: One day or more, or
The vampire can extend their until disturbed
natural weapons to monstrous
proportions. This usually takes the shapechange
form of fingernails extending into
wicked talons but can also come in The vampire can assume the shape
other forms such as fangs elongat- of an animal roughly the same size
ing into veritable daggers, as from as their original mass. The vampire
a gigantic serpent. can only change into one type of
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check animal (usually a wolf, sometimes
■■ System: No skill roll is needed a large feline or a giant snake),
usually one associated with their
to activate this power. When clan or the type of prey they most
activated, the vampire adds commonly feed on. The animal,
a +2 modifier to their Brawl while usually a spectacular example
damage, and causes Aggravated of their species, shows no signs
Health damage to mortals. Su- to a mundane observer of being
perficial damage inflicted from supernatural.

270

DISCIPLINES

■■ Cost: One Rouse Check Level 5 vampire exceedingly hard to stake
■■ System: No test is required. as the position of their heart
mist form changes nightly, and can even
The transformation takes one allow the user to free themselves
turn, during which the user The vampire gains the legend- from paralysis.
may take no other actions. ary power to turn into a cloud of ■■ Cost: Free
Upon transformation, the mist, perceivable to the eye but ■■ System: Increases the Diffi-
vampire gains the Physical untouchable by anything save fire,
Attributes, senses, and native sunlight, and supernatural aggres- culty on any non-combat test
Skills associated with that ani- sion. They can fit through pipes, to stake the vampire by three.
mal (see p. 373) and also gains crevices, and cracks. While strong In Melee combat, only if the
that animal’s natural limits of winds might buffet them, no natu- stake-wielder rolls a critical
communication, manipula- ral force can disperse the cloud. win does the stake penetrate
tion (most animals can carry ■■ Cost: One to three Rouse the user’s heart. Even if staked,
one thing in their mouth), the user can make a Rouse
and so forth. The vampire can Checks Check and roll their Strength +
use other Disciplines, at the ■■ System: No roll is required. Resolve (Difficulty 5) once per
Storyteller’s discretion. (By hour. A win means they man-
and large, they can use Auspex, The transformation takes three age to free themselves from
Animalism, Celerity, Forti- turns, though it can be sped up paralysis as the stake is pushed
tude, Potence, and Protean; with additional Rouse Checks out of their body. They cannot
many powers of Dominate, on a one-for-one basis. While attempt such stake expulsion
Obfuscate, and Presence pose in mist form, the vampire at Hunger 5.
problems; Blood Sorcery is moves at walking pace and ■■ Duration: Passive
completely off the table.) perceives their surroundings
■■ Duration: One scene unless through mystical means as if Blood Sorcery
ended voluntarily before that there as normal. A vampire in
mist form cannot make eye Carna always found this ritual
Level 4 contact or speak. They can use unwholesome, but playing with blood
only those Disciplines requir- was a dirty business. Calling on her
metamorphosis ing no physical form or pres- vitae to give strength, she used a warm
ence, at the Storyteller’s discre- spoon to pop free the unconscious vic-
■■ Prerequisite: Shapechange tion. While in mist form the tim’s eyeball. She sighed, quite human-
vampire can only be damaged like, as she twisted the orb from its
This power grants an additional by sunlight, fire, and immate- tether and placed it in her mouth.
animal form to the user, this time rial supernatural attacks (such
also enabling them to change their as some Rituals). Holding her hand out, the eye still
size. Vampires most commonly ■■ Duration: One scene unless in place on her tongue, her clanmate
metamorphose into bats, rats, ended voluntarily before that placed a heavy knife on Carna’s palm.
unusually large insects, or snakes. Without hesitation, she pulled the tip
(see p. 373) the unfettered heart of the victim’s tongue out between his
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check teeth, and sawed through the muscu-
■■ System: Same as Shapechange. Having mastered the power of lar organ. She placed the tip in her
■■ Duration: One scene unless Protean, the very insides of the mouth, and proceeded to swallow the
user become malleable, almost two components as her fellow Tremere
ended voluntarily before that viscous. The heart, seat of the vitae treated the man’s bleeding orifices.
and unlife of the vampire, detaches
and moves freely, if sluggishly,
within the chest. This makes the

271

COREBOOK

Carna turned to study the Thra- masters of this Discipline develop and cult leaders, as well as
cian text on the wall overlooking this their own Rituals, though many hemophiles and bibliophiles.
entire macabre scene. The man had guard them from others, revelling
resisted her mental compulsions, had in the mystery surrounding their Level 1
refused to translate the work willingly, unknown cache of abilities. To
and would have never succumbed to practice Blood Sorcery is to twist corrosive vitae
torture. It was a sad necessity that she one’s own Blood into submission.
would have to take his eye and tongue Any form of this power reminds Altering the properties of some of
to read and speak the ancient language a vampire that they’re far from their own Blood, the user can make
known only to him. human, as no mortal could wield it highly corrosive to dead sub-
magic in this way. stances, able to corrode most items
Nicknames: A Kind of Magic, down to steaming sludge, given
Thaumaturgy, Quietus Characteristics enough time and Blood shed.
■■ Cost: One or more Rouse
The Tremere maintain that Blood Blood Sorcery is a special Discipline
Sorcery, or “Thaumaturgy” as they in that it both confers powers, like Checks
call it, was their invention. To hear other Disciplines, and also unlocks ■■ System: No additional skill roll
the Banu Haqim give their version, the ability to perform Rituals up
“Quietus” was their blood right to and including the level the user is required. The user concen-
long before the Tremere became holds in the Discipline. Its regular trates for a turn and forces
vampires. Other clans make the powers seem comparatively weak, Blood through an open, usually
same statements. While its origins but the versatility of the Rituals self-inflicted, wound. The user
are murky, the dreaded nature of more than compensates, assuming then spills their Blood on a
Blood Sorcery is not. Few Kindred the user can learn them. At charac- nonliving object (except unliv-
trust the wielders of a power that ter creation, a player can choose one ing flesh such as that of the
can manipulate the vitae in their Level 1 ritual if they have at least Kindred) to corrode and de-
veins and turn Blood into poison. one dot in Blood Sorcery. Charac- compose it. Each Rouse Check
ters can buy new rituals at the cost corrodes approximately 35 cm
Unlike other Disciplines, which of the ritual’s level x 3 experience of matter in all directions from
could be described as advancing points. Learning new Rituals during the splash; this takes approxi-
organically through the victims play requires both experience and mately five minutes (longer
chosen by the vampire, practi- time. Expect a Ritual to take at least on soft metals like copper or
tioners of Blood Sorcery require the square of its rating in weeks to cast iron). Harder metals such
teachers. The Tremere once relied learn. as alloys and steel merely scar
on their pyramidic clan hierarchy ■■ Type: Sorcery and pit; whether they meaning-
to arrange tutelage for neonate ■■ Masquerade Threat: Low-High. fully weaken remains at the
apprentices, while the Banu Haqim Storyteller’s discretion. (This
stress the sire-childe relationship The individual appearance power might corrode through
as being the best form of mentor- of the powers and Rituals in handcuff chains given enough
ship. These nights, many a Child Blood Sorcery varies as widely time and vitae.)
of Haqim washes up in Europe or as their effects. ■■ Duration: N/A
America far from their sire, and ■■ Blood Resonance: Sanguine.
with the Pyramid broken Tremere Although not inherent in the a taste for blood
neonates frantically search through Blood itself, Blood Sorcery
moldy tomes and palimpsests responds eagerly to blood from By tasting a drop of blood, the user
for scraps of true lore. Genuine human occultists, sorcerers, can discern certain basic traits of
the one to whom it belongs.
■■ Cost: Free
■■ Dice Pools: Resolve + Blood

272

DISCIPLINES

Sorcery of Intelligence + Blood Sorcery affected mortals, while hampering
■■ System: The user dabs the vs the Stamina + Composure of vampires if not necessarily render-
a target vampire in line of sight ing them helpless. Specific breath-
blood on their tongue and while concentrating for a turn ing and biofeedback exercises
makes a Resolve + Blood Sor- and gesturing subtly. A win practiced by some secret societies
cery roll (Difficulty 3). With increases the target’s Hunger form the best defense against this
a win, the user can determine by one while a critical win Blood, aside from Fortitude.
the resonance and intensity of increases it by two. The victim ■■ Cost: One or more Rouse
the blood if human. They can can discern who afflicts them
also identify whether the blood if they can see the user while Checks
belongs to a mortal, ghoul, making an Intelligence + Oc- ■■ Dice Pools: Strength + Blood
vampire, or other supernatural cult vs Wits + Subterfuge roll.
creature (it may not neces- ■■ Duration: N/A Sorcery vs Stamina + Occult or
sarily be able to identify the Fortitude
supernatural creature if not Level 3 ■■ System: The user concentrates
Kindred or ghoul). Tasting for a turn and forces Blood
vitae also determines the rela- blood of potency through an open, usually self-
tive Blood Potency (and thus inflicted, wound. Each Rouse
the likely generation band) of The vampire can concentrate Check worth of poison made
the vampire. A critical win also their Blood, increasing its potency takes a turn and emits enough
reveals whether the subject has temporarily. Blood to coat one bladed melee
ever committed diablerie, and ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check weapon stickily or to fill one
the generation (within one) of ■■ Dice Pools: Resolve + Blood mouthful to be spat at a foe.
the vampire. If the user knows Spitting poison at someone
of the supernatural creature in Sorcery involves a Dexterity + Athlet-
question, they can identify the ■■ System: The user makes a ics attack roll (which can be
specific supernatural creature dodged like any ranged attack),
on a critical win after tasting Resolve + Blood Sorcery roll although vampires have been
the blood. against a Difficulty of 2 + their known to French kiss a victim
■■ Duration: N/A Blood Potency. A win increases and transfer the poison that
their Blood Potency by one for way. Even more subtle vam-
Level 2 that scene; a critical win in- pires scorpionate their Blood
creases it by two. The vampire to poison would-be diablerists:
extinguish vitae can use this power to exceed drinking poisoned Blood from
their generation limit on Blood the vein guarantees a hit! Aside
The user can intentionally remove Potency during its duration. from such vein-to-fang trans-
the unlife-giving properties of ■■ Duration: One scene or one mission, however, scorpionated
some of the Blood in another vam- night Blood is a contact poison that
pire, stoking their Hunger as the sublimes away in liquids and
victim’s inner reserves curdle into scorpion’s touch is too viscous to inject with a
impotence. The vampire can transmute some syringe. The user cannot poison
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check of their Blood into a paralyz- beverages with it or (thanks
■■ Dice Pools: Intelligence + Blood ing poison, capable of affecting to the pressure differential)
mortals and vampires alike. They inject it by their own bite. Ar-
Sorcery vs Stamina + Compo- can use this ichor to coat bladed rowheads and bullets carry too
sure weapons, or even spit it at a target. little Blood to use this power
■■ System: The user rolls a contest Scorpionated Blood incapacitates with ranged weapons; the ef-

273

COREBOOK

fect does not last long enough Wits + Occult. A win opens Aggravated damage from
for the user to fill hollow bul- an arterial wound, and the this poison, the user rolls the
lets with scorpionated Blood. vampire can start feeding from contest again; on a win, the
across the room. (A target vampire enters torpor when
If the poison hits, the user wearing full-body protection next they go to sleep.
rolls a contest of Strength + such as a hazmat suit merely ■■ Duration: The poison remains
Blood Sorcery vs Stamina + bleeds ecstatically out into the potent for one scene
Occult. (Vampires with Forti- suit.) The user can do nothing
tude may resist with Stamina else while feeding, but they can cauldron of blood
+ Fortitude.) If the user wins, feed at twice the normal speed
the poison does the margin (at triple speed on a critical This gruesome power lets the user
in Aggravated Health damage win) thanks to the sorcerous boil the blood of a victim in their
to mortals and in non-halved pressure of this power. own veins, causing massive dam-
Superficial Health damage to ■■ Duration: One feeding age and excruciating pain. While
vampires. A mortal who takes there are more efficient ways to kill,
even one point of damage col- Level 5 few methods approach this level of
lapses unconscious. cruelty.
■■ Duration: The poison remains baal’s caress ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check and
potent for one scene The vampire can transmute their
Blood into an extremely aggres- gain one (or more) Stains
Level 4 sive poison, lethal to mortal and ■■ Dice Pools: Resolve + Blood
Kindred alike.
theft of vitae ■■ Cost: One or more Rouse Sorcery vs Composure + Occult
or Fortitude
Through mystical means the Checks ■■ System: The user pays the cost
vampire opens a wound in a major ■■ Dice Pools: Strength + Blood and touches the victim (Dex-
artery of a mortal victim, blood terity + Athletics in combat
shooting out through the air in a Sorcery vs Stamina + Occult or or similar situations), rolling a
stream toward the open mouth Fortitude contest of Resolve + Blood Sor-
of the user. This has the addi- ■■ System: This power uses the cery vs Composure + Occult.
tional effect of keeping the mortal same system (and its poison (Vampires with Fortitude may
subdued as if in the throes of the has the same restrictions) as resist with Composure + For-
Kiss, and the wound closes by itself Scorpion’s Touch (p. 273), with titude.) On a win, each point
once the effect ends, whether the increased damage. of margin causes one point of
victim expired or not. This power Aggravated damage in the vic-
is extremely spectacular and a If the poison hits, the user tim. Mortals taking at least one
potential Masquerade breach while rolls a contest of Strength + point of damage die screaming.
in progress, but once ended leaves Blood Sorcery vs Stamina + Oc- Vampire victims add 1 Hunger
no traces. cult. (Vampires with Fortitude per point of damage inflicted,
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check may resist with Fortitude in lieu until Hunger is at 5.
■■ Dice Pools: Wits + Blood Sor- of the Occult Skill.) If the user ■■ Duration: One turn
wins, the poison does the margin
cery vs Wits + Occult in Aggravated Health damage Rituals
■■ System: The user makes a beck- to mortals and vampires alike. A
mortal who takes even one point Unless otherwise noted, perform-
oning gesture toward a mortal of damage dies instantly. ing a ritual requires a Rouse Check,
target in line of sight and rolls five minutes per level to cast, and
their Wits + Blood Sorcery vs If a vampire target takes

274

DISCIPLINES

a winning Intelligence + Blood Ward lasts until the warded object
Sorcery test (Difficulty = Ritual is physically destroyed or broken;
level + 1). Rituals usually require the trespasser cannot do this.
additional ingredients, though
some need only the uninterrupted Do not make the Ritual roll
concentration of the user, and of- until the first time the trespasser
ten involve the mingling of Blood touches the Ward, triggering its ef-
with ingredients chosen according fect. Gloves or other garments of-
to the principles of sympathetic fer no protection. If the caster wins
magic or alchemy. Unless otherwise the Ritual test, the victim suffers
stated the caster can only perform one point of Aggravated Health
beneficial rituals on themselves. damage. On a critical win, damage
for this Ward is three points of
Wards Aggravated damage. The caster
does not need to make the Ritual
The Tremere employ Wards roll for each trespasser touching
extensively, basing them on their the Ward, only the first. Anyone
Hermetic traditional sigils. Banu affected who wants to touch the
Haqim Wards usually involve warded object again must spend a
gematriac or abjadic writing, point of Willpower and then win a
rather than occult symbols, but Stamina + Resolve test (Difficulty
the methodology remains the same 4, or 7 for a critical-success Ward)
in both cases. Wards consist of a to make the attempt.
glyph or line of script keyed to
repel a single type of supernatural, Sense the Unseen (Auspex 1)
called “the trespasser” in these can detect a Ward with a contest of
rules. When touched, they cause Intelligence + Auspex vs the caster’s
something like an electric shock Intelligence + Blood Sorcery.
to the trespasser’s mind and body,
imparting both physical burns warding circles A Warding
and a sudden bout of sheer terror. circle resembles a regular Ward,
The ward does not work on forced painted on the ground or floor.
contact - a warded sword will not It requires three times the ritual
trigger the ward when striking a ingredients of a regular Ward of
trespasser, but it will if a trespasser the same type. Knowledge of one
tries to pick it up. Ward does not convey knowledge
of its corresponding Warding
Wards can only cover a space circle, or vice versa. Trespassers
about a meter across: for example, who attempt to cross a Warding
a caster cannot ward a whole car, circle suffer its effect. Unless the
but they can ward a steering wheel. caster inscribes the Warding circle
The caster pours their Blood on the “pointing inward” around the tres-
object to be warded, tracing the passer in the first place, it does not
glyph in it with their bare finger. block attempts to leave the circle.
Once the caster wipes the Blood
off, the ward becomes invisible. The Its rules differ from regular
Wards in a few respects: It costs
three Rouse Checks worth of Blood

275

COREBOOK

to paint the circle and pentacles, cup, spending an roughly an hour. ore or a small magnet and a
which can cover up to a three-meter ■■ System: A win on the Ritual roll liter of blood from any source
radius. It takes one full night to cast in a silver bowl
and a Ritual roll made at the time (see General Systems) allows ■■ Process: The user spills their
(at +2 to Difficulty) if the caster the user to learn the generation Blood into the blood in the
wants it to last a year and a day; and name of the subject as well bowl and then recites a chant
otherwise it dissipates at dawn. as the subject’s sire. A Critical over it for an hour, repeating
Win also informs the user of the chant over the next two
When the trespasser attempts any Blood Bonds active on the nights. The pebble (or magnet)
to cross the circle, roll a contest subject, as regnant or thrall. absorbs the blood over the
of Intelligence + Blood Sorcery vs three nights; upon successful
the trespasser’s Willpower. (If the clinging of the insect completion, the liquid appears
Storyteller or player wrote down translucent.
the result of the original Ritual roll The vampire gains the ability to ■■ System: Make the Ritual roll at
used to cast a year-long Ward- cling to walls like a grotesque the end of the third night. On a
ing circle, they can use that result insect or spider. win the caster attunes their mind
here.) If the Warding circle fails, ■■ Ingredients: A living spider to the Bloodstone. The caster can
the trespasser can enter it. If the ■■ Process: The caster fills a vial unerringly sense the direction
caster wins, the trespasser takes and distance to the stone. This
three points of Superficial Health with their own Blood and effect lasts until the Bloodstone
damage (three points of Aggravat- crushes the spider into it, mix- is destroyed or a week has passed.
ed damage on a critical win) and ing the ground bits with the A caster can have and keep track
cannot enter. The trespasser must Blood before ingesting it. (This to a number of stones up to their
spend a point of Willpower to does not refund any Hunger Resolve.
attempt to enter the circle again. gained.) The caster can only
If the trespasser wins the contest, perform this ritual on them- wake with evening’s fresh-
enters the circle and leaves it again, selves; others gain no benefit
they must repeat their half of the from drinking the mixture. ness
contest (the caster’s initial result ■■ System: A successful Ritual
remains) to re-enter it. yields the ability to cling to Performed before dawn, this ritual
walls and ceiling for a scene, allows the caster to awake at any
Level 1 while a critical win extends the sign of danger, fully alert as if
duration to a whole night. The awake during the night.
blood walk caster must cling to the surface ■■ Ingredients: The burnt bones
with both hands and feet; they
This Ritual expands upon the move at approximately half and feathers of a rooster
power A Taste for Blood allow- their usual rate. ■■ Process: The caster mixes the
ing the user to learn more details
about the subject studied, assum- craft bloodstone ashes with their own Blood,
ing the subject is a vampire. drawing a circle with the mix-
■■ Ingredients: A silver cup filled This Ritual results in a Bloodstone, ture around their place of sleep.
a magical tracker to which the ■■ System: Do not make a Ritual
with Blood from the subject. caster always knows the direc- roll unless true danger ap-
(One Rouse Check’s worth) tion as well as general distance. pears. If the caster is threat-
■■ Process: The user mixes their As the Camarilla retreats from ened during the day, make the
Blood with the subject’s and modern technology, this previ- Ritual roll then, with the caster
repeats an incantation over the ously neglected Ritual has seen a rousing on a win. For the dura-
resurgence in use. tion of the scene the vampire
■■ Ingredients: A pebble of iron ignores the daytime penalties

276

DISCIPLINES

for staying awake. On a critical eyes of babel To follow the tracks, the caster
win, the effects last until the makes an Intelligence + Sur-
following dawn. By ingesting the tongue and an vival roll against a Difficulty
eye of a person the caster gains equal to 6 minus the margin on
ward against ghouls the ability to read and speak any the ritual test. The target must
language known by the victim. be known by face by the caster,
Wary Tremere created this ritual ■■ Ingredients: A fresh eye and who sees the path travelled by
to protect themselves from the the victim over the previous 24
minions of vengeful rivals. tongue of a person hours. The path remains visible
■■ Process: Plucking the ingredi- for the entire night; a critical
This ward uses the standard win extends this to two nights.
rules for Wards (p. 275). ents fresh from the victim, the
■■ Ingredients: Nothing apart vampire chews and swallows truth of blood
them. (This most likely incurs
from the usual requirement of a Stain.) Until recently known only to Banu
the caster’s Blood. ■■ System: The Rouse Check Haqim viziers, this Ritual creates
required for this ritual allows a mystic potion capable of sifting
Level 2 for the supernatural dissolution lies from truth. This Ritual has
of the ingredients once swal- power enough even to sometimes
communicate with kindred lowed. Once this is done, make uncover facts unknown to the
the Ritual roll. A win gives the speaker.
sire caster the ability to read and ■■ Ingredients: One pint of blood
speak any language known by
The caster uses the bond between the victim, at the same skill from the subject
sire and childe to open a bridge level for a week. A critical ■■ Process: The performer of the
between minds, allowing the childe win extends the duration to a
to create a telepathic link for the month. Ritual mixes their own Blood
purpose of long-distance com- with that of the subject in a
munication. As with some other illuminate the trail of prey vessel large enough to allow for
Rituals, this one sees a resurgence the dipping of the finger.
in these nights of wiretaps and The ritual allows the caster to ■■ System: Instead of the regular
electronic surveillance. perceive the previous whereabouts Ritual roll, the caster immers-
■■ Ingredients: An object previ- of a designated person as a subtly es their finger in the mixture
glowing trail, visible only to them. and makes a Resolve + Blood
ously possessed by the sire and ■■ Ingredients: A white satin Sorcery vs Composure + Oc-
a silver bowl filled with clear cult roll for every statement
water. ribbon. made by the subject. The first
■■ Process: The caster submerges ■■ Process: The performer of the failed contest ends the Ritual.
the object in water and lets A Win tells them whether
their Blood drip into the bowl, ritual soaks the ribbon in their that statement is true, as far
concentrating upon the last own Blood, setting it alight. as the subject knows. On a
memory of their sire for up to ■■ System: If the Ritual roll critical win by the caster, the
30 minutes. is a win the ribbon catches subject involuntarily expands
■■ System: Make the ritual roll after fire despite being wet, burn- upon their answer, providing
15 minutes have passed. A win ing fiercely like a fuse. Once more information, including
allows for ten minutes of two- consumed, the ritual takes details they glancingly saw or
way silent mental communica- effect. While the ritual remains subconsciously forgot. (The
tion once 15 more minutes have active, the caster can follow Storyteller should inform the
passed. A critical win allows faint traces of the target even
immediate communication. Any in areas where they left no
major disturbance on either end tracks, such as crowded cities.
breaks the connection.

277

COREBOOK

caster if there is no more in- Haqim, this Ritual lets the user ■■ Ingredients: Wood splinters or
formation about that topic.) rupture the very blood vessels of shavings
The mixture bubbles and the victim from afar, having only
seethes during the process, touched them but briefly previous- ■■ Process: The vampire mixes the
turning completely to ash at ly. Mortals expire rather messily, shavings with their Blood and
the end of the scene. and even vampires must fear this draws a circle around them-
silent killer. selves. They must then meditate
This Ritual cannot pierce ■■ Ingredients: A gold inlaid in this circle for an hour, con-
Cloud Memory, the Forget- cluding by placing one splinter
ful Mind, or other memory- ceremonial dagger of wood under their tongue.
wiping powers. The caster ■■ Process: Before proceeding
may well guess the cause of a ■■ System: Make no Ritual roll
blank or foggy recollection, with the ritual the victim must until the vampire is staked.
but cannot recover the actual be exposed the caster’s Blood, If the Ritual roll is a win, the
memory. either by drinking it or having stake shatters as it touches the
it touch an open wound or skin of the vampire. (A critical
ward against spirits even their bare skin: a single win blinds the attacker for
drop smeared across the arm two turns, showering their face
This Ritual wards an item against is enough. After an hour but with splinters.) This only works
incorporeal beings suchs as before a week has passed the on genuine attempts at stak-
wraiths, ghosts, and elemental caster can perform the ritual ing - merely holding the stake
spirits. Any attempt by them to by piercing their own skin against the vampire does not
manipulate or pass through the with the ceremonial dagger, trigger the effect. The protec-
item triggers the effect. shedding blood. As their Blood tion lasts until the end of the
hits the ground the ritual takes night or until the splinter is re-
This ward uses the standard effect. moved from under the tongue
rules for Wards (p. 275). ■■ System: Make a Resolve + of the vampire, whichever
■■ Ingredients: A handful of salt Blood Sorcery vs Stamina + comes first.
Resolve roll. Every point of
(in some versions, a handful margin on a win does a point essence of air
of brick dust) mixed with the of damage to the victim, as
Blood. their blood vessels burst and The caster creates a potion that
their lungs fill with blood. when imbibed allows for limited
warding circle against This damage is Aggravated for flight. The Camarilla frowns upon
mortals, but only Superficial the use of this Ritual, due to
ghouls on vampires. The caster can the extreme risk of Masquerade
repeat this process up to two breaches; for this reason, its popu-
This Ritual creates a circular Ward more times, each time requir- larity has lessened considerably in
on the floor or ground, intended to ing them to make an additional the modern nights.
prevent the passage of ghouls. Rouse Check. ■■ Ingredients: Leaves and berries

This ward uses the standard deflection of wooden doom of belladonna
rules for Warding circles (p. 275). ■■ Process: The caster steeps the
■■ Ingredients: The caster draws By performing this ritual the
vampire protects themselves from belladonna in their Blood,
the Warding circle with a hu- being staked. The first stake that reducing the brew over a
man bone dipped in the Blood. would pierce their heart shatters brazier while incanting words
before penetrating the skin. of power.
Level 3 ■■ System: Make the Ritual roll
when reducing the mixture. (A
dagon’s call
A terrifying technique employed
by the assassins of the Banu

278

DISCIPLINES

critical win prepares two doses the caster; the fingertip regrows ■■ Ingredients: Nothing but the
worth of potion.) The caster during day-sleep. Blood of the caster
can tell whether the ritual
succeeded, so they won’t end ward against lupines ■■ Process: The caster inscribes
up with a dud. The resulting a number of sigils and glyphs
black potion retains its potency This Ritual wards an item against on and around the area to be
for a night and activates when werewolves, in any form. Any at- protected. They must take
imbibed. The potion enables tempt by them to touch the item special care on windows and
the caster (and only them) to triggers the effect. doorways, but may even ward
fly or hover at approximately an open doorway if the area is
running speed for a scene. The This ward uses the standard indoors. (The ritual wards gray
caster can carry a human-sized rules for Wards (p. 275). or liminal areas, such as ruins,
mass, though their speed drops ■■ Ingredients: A handful of silver at the Storyteller’s discretion.)
to walking speed. Grabbing and
carrying aloft an unwilling sub- dust mixed with the Blood. ■■ System: The process takes
ject, or pulling the flier to the an hour or more, depend-
ground, both require a contest warding circle against ing on the state or the area
between the caster’s Strength + to be warded. The area can
Blood Sorcery and the other’s spirits be no larger than a circle
Strength + Athletics. with a six-meter radius. The
This Ritual creates a circular Ward ritual automatically fails if the
firewalker on the floor or ground, intended caster steps out of the area at
to prevent the passage of spirits. any time after the warding is
A painful ritual to perform, this al- Although more difficult than some complete. The caster makes the
lows the caster to make themselves Warding circles, it is one of the Ritual roll once the sun rises.
and even their comrades resistant most commonly found in grimoires On a Win, shadow blankets
to fire. and other sources. A human oc- the area, closing off any view of
■■ Ingredients: A fingertip of the cultist could potentially recon- the outside but also preventing
struct a functioning version of any sun damage to the vam-
caster this Ritual with an Intelligence + pires within. On a critical win,
■■ Process: The vampire cuts one Occult test (Difficulty 6), although those inside can spy the outside
they could not cast it without vitae world dimly. The Ritual lasts
of their fingertips off and burns or some other supernatural aid or through an entire day unless
it together with their Blood in element. ended by the caster stepping
a golden chalice or bowl. outside the area.
■■ System: Make a Stamina + Re- This ward uses the standard
solve test (Difficulty 3) to cut off rules for Warding circles (p. 275). eyes of the nighthawk
a fingertip. On a winning Ritual ■■ Ingredients: The caster draws
roll, a bluish flame consumes Related to the primitive powers
the Blood and fingertip, signal- the Warding circle with an iron of Animalism, this Ritual allows
ing the completion of the ritual. knife dipped in salt and Blood. the caster to possess a carnivorous
For the rest of the night fire fowl, usually a raven or a bird of
damage to the caster is halved. Level 4 prey, directing its flight and seeing
This ritual can be performed through its eyes. Parrots and my-
on others, but the fingertips defense of the sacred haven nahs, not being carnivores, cannot
sacrificed must all belong to be used in this Ritual. Some Trem-
the caster. The mutilation is not The performer of this powerful ere spent years training crows or
enough to count as damage to ritual can ward their haven against ravens to speak before using them
the sun itself, protecting their
resting place from penetration by
its destructive rays as a mystical
darkness blankets the area.

279

COREBOOK

as nighthawks; with the Pyramid of the broken mirror. While risk terror frenzy, and cannot
disrupted, fewer Warlocks have the incorporeal, the caster remains inscribe this Ward that night if
spare time now. immune to everything except they succumb to it.
■■ Ingredients: The eyes of the fire, sunlight, and arcane
weapons and rituals capable warding circle against
bird used, taken at the conclu- of damaging spirits. The caster
sion of the Ritual can still be seen and heard lupines
■■ Process: The caster feeds their but cannot interact physically
Blood to the bird and enters a with anything or anyone. They This ward uses the standard rules
trance. cannot Rouse the Blood while for Warding circles (p. 275).
■■ System: On a winning Ritual incorporeal. Incorporeal cast- ■■ Ingredients: The caster draws
roll the caster can control the ers have no access to any spirit
bird and see through its eyes. On realm; the ritual does not make the Warding circle with a silver
a critical win, the bird can per- them wraiths or spirits. The knife dipped in wolfsbane and
form simple actions under con- caster can walk through walls Blood.
trol, such as picking up objects and other objects but must
or manipulating keys or dials. do so in a straight line; they Level 5
The caster can use most non- cannot change direction while
physical Disciplines through the inside solid matter. This Ritual escape to true sanctuary
bird, even Dominate assuming lasts for one scene or until the
the caster has Telepathy (p. 252) caster drops the shard. Return- By preparing two mystic circles
or some other way to communi- ing to the material while inside in an arduous ritual the caster
cate with targets non-verbally. solid matter can result in can instantly travel from one to
There is no limit to the range the anything from destruction to the other. The journey is one-way,
bird can fly, though unless the entombment to minor incon- and the caster must designate one
caster plucks the eyes out of the venience (the ashtray is stuck circle for departure while the “ar-
bird at the end of the night they halfway through the caster’s rival” circle serves as an exit.
themselves suffer blindness for arm); the Storyteller decides ■■ Ingredients: Two charred cir-
three nights to come. the precise outcome.
cles of approximately a meter
incorporeal passage ward against cainites in diameter.
■■ Process: The caster burns the
The caster assumes an incorporeal This Ritual wards an item against circles into the ground or
state, not unlike a ghost, able to all vampires except the caster. floor with an open flame, then
freely pass through objects and Any attempt by them to touch the consecrates each circle. Con-
rendered totally immune to physi- item triggers the effect. However, secration requires two hours
cal damage. They cannot interact a vampire examining the Ward of chanting per night and
physically with the material world with Auspex can read the name of two Rouse Checks, for three
except by sight and speech. the caster in it with a successful consecutive nights. In total,
■■ Ingredients: A mirror contest of Intelligence + Auspex this ritual takes twelve Rouse
■■ Process: The caster spills their vs. the caster’s Intelligence + Blood Checks worth of Blood from
Sorcery. the caster.
Blood on the mirror, chanting, ■■ System: Once the circles are
and then breaks it. This ward uses the standard complete the caster need but
■■ System: Make a Ritual roll. rules for Wards (p. 275). step into the one designated
If the roll is a win, the caster ■■ Ingredients: Ash warm from for departure and concentrate
assumes an incorporeal form for a turn, making a Ritual roll.
as long as they hold a shard a still-burning fire; casters (The caster makes the Ritual
roll each time they attempt to
travel, but can only make one

280

DISCIPLINES

attempt per scene.) On a win ritual completes; a critical
the caster vanishes, reappear- win heals the candle-fire
ing in an instant in the middle damage. The effect persists
of the exit circle. There is no indefinitely, and should the
limit to the distance between caster wish to reverse the
the two circles, but they must process they must repeat the
be inscribed on the ground or ritual.
on the floor of a building, not ■■ System: While under the ef-
on the floor of a vehicle. The fect of the ritual, the caster’s
caster can transport one person heart is literally made of stone.
or an object or objects total- Stakes fail to penetrate it,
ing roughly human mass with breaking if forced. The caster
them. Damaging either circle also exhibits a complete emo-
ruins the ritual completely and tional detachment, subtracting
renders both circles inert. A three dice from any Remorse
vampire can only have one pair rolls as well as active (not
of these circles functional at resisting) Social-related rolls,
any given time. except for Intimidation and
Dominate. The caster cannot
heart of stone employ Presence but gains
three bonus dice to pools used
Performing this ritual turns the to resist the effects of that
caster’s unliving heart to stone. Discipline.
This makes them immune to stakes
but also, through some fluke of shaft of belated dissolution
sympathetic magic, completely
remorseless and cold-hearted The Kindred fear few weapons as
automatons totally unreceptive to they fear the dreaded stake created
emotional and social cues. Even by this ritual. Thought to be the
more so than normal. origin of the myth regarding stakes
■■ Ingredients: A stone slab and a as the ultimate tool for slaying
vampires, the Shaft of Belated
wax candle drenched with the Dissolution not only seeks out the
Blood of the caster heart of the vampire it’s aimed at
■■ Process: The caster lies on but actually causes Final Death
the stone slab with the candle when reaching its target. If need
on their chest letting it burn be, the Shaft works toward this
down to nothing over the goal as a splinter, inching its way
course of a night. As the fire through the target vampire’s body
reaches their chest, it causes to reach its goal.
one point of Aggravated dam- ■■ Ingredients: A stake carved of
age and forces a terror frenzy
roll (Difficulty 3). If the rowan wood, inscribed with
caster fails the frenzy roll, the baneful runes
ritual ends. If the caster does ■■ Process: The caster drenches
not enter frenzy, they make the stake with two Rouse
the Ritual roll. On a win the Checks worth of their Blood,

281

COREBOOK

while blackening it in an the Warding Circle with a good, and I kind of don’t want to go
oak-wood fire while reading rowan wand dipped in the mix- back there. Ever.
incantations over it. The ritual ture of ash from a still-burning
takes five hours to complete. fire and Blood. Nicknames: Cooking, Home Brew,
■■ System: This stake confers a the Craft, Mashup
three-dice bonus to any pool Thin-Blood The thin Blood of the latest gen-
on any attempt to stake a erations holds barely any power
vampire, whether hammered Alchemy of its own. But certain thin-
in while the victim sleeps, bloods have learned to use it as
wielded in melee, or fired from I knew Pedro was into some weird shit, a catalyst, awakening the latent
a crossbow. The caster need but I hadn’t really known how weird. power in everything from human
not wield the stake themselves. He had all of us looking for the strangest trauma to gasoline. Born of the
If the attack roll wins with a possible crap: leaded gasoline, green-apple street drug scene and cocktail
margin of five or better, the flavored vape juice, depleted uranium culture as much as it was uncov-
vampire withers to dust in a shavings, Diet Jolt Cola, and ethidium ered by instinct or in molder-
single turn as if consumed by bromide, whatever the fuck that is. We’d ing medieval texts, thin-blood
an invisible fire. If the stake bring it by and he’d put it in Tupperware Alchemy may be the defining art
hits, but the roll has insuf- or an old vodka bottle or a Ziploc baggie of the next-millennium lick. By
ficient margin (under five) or whatever, and paste a label on it. Plus blending strongly resonant hu-
to pierce the heart, the stake every so often horse tranquilizers and man blood, and sometimes other
breaks off in the wound, the ketamine and PCP and shrooms and substances, with their own vitae,
tip burying itself as it slowly that horrible Russian shit that turns Alchemists can counterfeit a
begins to inch its way toward your skin black, but that we could just wide range of powers from other
the heart of the victim. De- chalk up to business as usual. Disciplines – and some unique
pending on where it struck this powers of their own. Rumors
can take hours or nights, but But like I said, the money was already abound of specific elixirs
unless extracted by medical or good and we could just take it and go that grant the ability to walk in
mystical means, Final Death is get our own fun somewhere and ask no sunlight, commune with Antedi-
assured. To remove it surgically questions. Until I made a delivery to his luvians, or achieve Golconda. But
someone other than the victim lab one night. He hadn’t called, but I’d for now, the street-level cookers
needs to win a roll of Dexterity scored a whole case of expired imported have all they can do to stay out
+ Medicine (Difficulty 6) in a sauerkraut and thought Pedro might of the Court’s sight – plenty of
process that takes up to four want to buy it off me. Yeah, I was dry elders consider Alchemy nothing
hours. If no medical expertise and itching, but I swear I saw what I but watered-down diablerie.
can be found, someone can saw. And I saw Pedro shirtless, with a
remove the splinter by severing motherfucking kiln going full blast, the Alchemy can counterfeit
the afflicted limb – unless the light reflecting off all those tubs and some Blood Sorcery powers
splinter has already reached containers on his shelves. And he had a (those that affect the caster’s
the torso. tube running from some girl’s vein into Blood), but not Rituals. The
a Mason jar, filling it up with her blood. Storyteller can rule any other
warding circle against He was writing the label for the jar so power off-limits to Alchemy if
he didn’t see me. I think he heard the they worry about game balance
cainites sauerkraut hit the floor though, and I’m or the plausibility of the fiction
sure he smelled it. – and reverse themselves later
This ward uses the standard rules if they wish, or hint at unique
for Warding Circles (p. 275). But he just called and asked if my recipes developed in Switzerland
■■ Ingredients: The caster draws medical waste hookup had anything

282

DISCIPLINES

or hidden in a Cairo library. The Some powers require their own experience or emotion caught in the
Discipline is young, and thin- dice rolls to take effect, or to blood can be just as powerful as rare
bloods have hardly explored measure the degree of success. The research chemicals.
every possible working or tasted Alchemist makes those rolls where
every possible cocktail. needed, substituting their rating The Storyteller should modify
in Thin-Blood Alchemy for the the dice pool up or down by one
Characteristics specific Discipline rating where or two dice based on the quality of
relevant. the ingredients – and perhaps by
All formulae require vitae from the the originality if the player comes
Alchemist and human blood of the To learn a new formula up with suitably nasty or bizarre
correct Resonance (p. 226). The Res- requires research time, whether things for their Alchemist to use.
onant human blood can be stored the Alchemist spends it poring As a rule of thumb:
in a blood bag, or in a Starbucks through libraries or in medita- ■■ Add one die for very rare or
to-go cup for that matter. The tion or on tasting expeditions or
specific amount needed depends on performing laboratory experimen- expensive ingredients (ones
the degree of the donor’s Resonance tation. Players should write down that require at least a story to
and on the Storyteller’s whim. which formulae their character source or Resources dots higher
already knows, and any special than the level of the formula);
In these rules, “power level” al- ingredients it requires. A character subtract one die for cheap
ways refers to the level of Alchemy receives a formula for free for each substitute ingredients you can
involved, not the level of the power dot in Thin-Blood Alchemy and buy at a big box retailer. (Many
counterfeited with the formula. can purchase additional formulae formulae include easily avail-
with experience and experimenta- able industrial chemicals or
All formulae have a cost to tion. foods as standard ingredients;
distill, and then the cost to activate. ■■ Masquerade Threat: Varies as invoke this penalty only when
The distillation cost reflects the the characters substitute such
fact that all formulae include the widely as the powers it coun- things for a superior ingredient
Alchemist’s own vitae: A single terfeits and the method used. listed.)
Rouse Check. Activation cost for ■■ Blood Resonance: Required ■■ Add one die for very potent
a formula is the same as using the for each formula and varies or magical ingredients, such
power normally: free, or some num- accordingly. as unicorn horn, red mercury,
ber of additional Rouse Checks. human blood with a Dyscra-
ingredients The listed ingredi- sia, werewolf blood, or vitae
Once activated, the Alchemist ents for each formula are sugges- with Blood Potency two levels
makes a distillation roll to deter- tions. Each thin-blood alchemist higher than the level of the
mine how effective the particular develops their own proprietary formula; subtract one die for
mixture was. Each version of formulae, often writing the recipes medical bagged blood, melted-
Alchemy builds a different dice down in code just as the medieval down candles from the New
pool for the distillation roll. The alchemists did. The alchemist’s own Age shop, or other faux magics.
more successes, the more effective Blood is the only unvarying ingredi- ■■ Add one die for player creativ-
the mixture: ent in all alchemical formulae, ity in suggesting ingredients,
although almost all of them also especially if sourcing them gets
successes effect of the require human blood of a specific them into trouble or otherwise
Resonance. Cold or clotted blood advances the story.
2 mixture can work in a formula if the alche-
4 mist has enough of it. Ingredients distillation methods When
6 Power weak, fluky, or need not be physical – a specific the first dot in Thin-Blood Al-
late in happening

Power works as
intended

Power increased in
effect

283

COREBOOK

chemy is gained, the Alchemist (Some practitioners of Calcina- expedient. Using such unsuitable
chooses their method. This is the tio use drugs on their subjects equipment reduces the distillation
way they perform their distillation. instead.) The Alchemist then feeds dice pool by 2 dice.
Learning a different method means their Blood to the chosen human,
starting from scratch, essentially paying the distillation cost, and The Alchemist can carry a
counting it as a separate Disci- makes the distillation roll with number of fixed formulae (of
pline. In this case, formulae for Manipulation + Alchemy. any level) equal to their Wits or
one method do not apply to other Dexterity – keeping the vials safe,
methods known, and the same The human’s entire body stable, hidden, and leakproof is
formula must be learnt separately distills the formula. The Alchemist not a trivial task. (The Storyteller
for each method. then drinks their blood to use the can decide if each vial takes up the
power (required Hunger slaked space of a syringe, a can of Red
athanor corporis The Alche- equals power level minus 1). Bull, or a thermos.) The Alchemist
mist uses their own body as the can store a number of fixed formu-
athanor, or alchemical furnace. The Alchemist can only distill lae (of any level) equal to twice the
This might be a bio-feedback rou- one power per victim, though the sum of Alchemy plus their dots in
tine, the result of an initial elixir victim retains the formula within Haven: a refrigerator is almost a
consumed at initiation, or simply them as long as they’re kept in the necessity. Fixed does not necessar-
intuitive understanding of how same emotional state; each power ily mean shelf stable, after all.
resonances interact. Ingredients takes as long to activate as it takes to
usually consist of different types drain that quantity of blood (p. 212). The Alchemist can activate one
of resonance mixes, requiring the power per turn.
Alchemist to sample the blood of fixatio Lacking the physical or
multiple victims to get just the social predilections of the other Level 1
right blend. methods, the Alchemist uses a
conventional athanor such as a far reach
The Alchemist drinks the kiln, a metalworking furnace, a
different types of resonant blood meth cooker, a repurposed propane This formula allows the alchemist
required and the process is per- tank, or the like. This method most to use their mind to grab, hold,
formed within their veins with resembles “classical” alchemy: the and push objects or people without
a distillation roll of Stamina + Alchemist pours their Blood as well touching them. While few can
Alchemy, together with a Rouse as inert, usually rare, ingredients employ enough mental force to
Check. into the athanor, pays the distilla- actually cause direct harm, a clever
tion cost, and distills them inside it applicant can find many ways to
Only one power can be ac- with an Intelligence + Alchemy roll. get an opponent into, or them-
tive at a time, and a new power selves out of, harm’s way.
must be distilled before it can be The resulting formulae are ■■ Ingredients: The alchemist’s
activated. This usually takes at fixed, meaning that the Alche-
least three turns of concentration, mist can carry them around on Blood, choleric human blood,
during which the Alchemist can do their person and imbibe them to melted nylon fibers or a grated
nothing else. activate their power. (Roll the refrigerator magnet or weird
distillation roll upon consumption, nootropics ordered off the
calcinatio The Alchemist not upon production.) However, internet
uses the body of a human as the without a laboratory, they cannot ■■ Activation Cost: One Rouse
athanor, adjusting their biophysi- make any more – at most, they Check
cal state by means of emotional might be able to “one-pot” a weak ■■ Dice Pools: Resolve + Alchemy
pressure and spoken incantations. (Level 3 or less) formula using vs Strength + Athletics
a pressure-cooker or other field ■■ System: The alchemist can lift,

284

DISCIPLINES

push, or pull a physical object ■■ Ingredients: In addition to the find themselves a perfectly
or person under 100 kg, within alchemist’s Blood and phleg- formed specimen of the desired
their sight and closer than matic human blood, dry ice or gender. In essence it is as if
10 meters. The object moves cigar smoke or auto exhaust they had been born that way.
swiftly, but not rapidly enough There are even stories of self-
to injure a person with the ■■ Activation Cost: One Rouse made Duskborn women giving
blow; the object may break if it Check birth to children. If desired, a
is fragile. The exception: knives modified procedure can create
or other small metal tools, ■■ System: Upon activation a any configuration of gender or
which the alchemist can wield cloud of mist-like vapor sur- agender imaginable.
with a Resolve + Alchemy test, rounds the alchemist, masking ■■ Duration: Permanent until
at a two-dice penalty because their features and obscuring performed again.
of the need for precision. A their silhouette. Anyone at-
knife used this way does only tempting to identify the user or Level 2
one point of extra damage. hit them with ranged weapons
suffers a two-dice penalty to At level 2, the Alchemist can de-
Trying to move someone their pool. The user can extend velop formulae to counterfeit level
actively resisting requires a the cloud to encompass a group 1 powers of other Disciplines.
contest of Resolve + Alchemy of up to five people by making
vs Strength + Athletics. On a another Rouse check. Each of these formulae take at
win, the alchemist can pull the least a week to research.
victim within grabbing or claw- ■■ Duration: One scene or until
ing range, or throw them one voluntarily ended. envelop
meter for each point of margin
on the contest, doing an equal profane hieros gamos This formula creates a mist that
amount of Superficial dam- clings to a victim, blinding it and
age. They land prone. Keeping Alchemical texts speak of the (in the case of mortals) causing
someone or something floating Great Hermaphrodite, the union of suffocation.
in mid-air requires a Resolve + contrasts. Day and night, male and ■■ Ingredients: The alchemist’s
Thin-Blood Alchemy (Dif- female, life and death. Alchemists
ficulty 3) roll every turn. Fine who master the worldly aspect of Blood, melancholic and phleg-
manipulation (such as pulling the Hieros Gamos use the fluid matic human blood, potas-
the pin of a grenade) requires a nature of their condition to change sium chlorate, smog or halon
Wits + Alchemy roll at a suit- their gender. It is a messy process gas
able Difficulty, as determined and requires great dedication and ■■ Activation Cost: One Rouse
by the Storyteller. conviction, but it is a power that Check
■■ Duration: One turn unless held many Kindred secretly envy in ■■ Dice Pools: Wits + Alchemy vs
(see above). their unchanging form. It is also Stamina + Survival
a great way to change identity or ■■ System: The alchemist activates
haze adopt a new mask. the power and chooses a target
■■ Ingredients: The alchemist’s within sight. A swirling mist
This formula creates a field of mist envelops the target, obscuring
that follows the user, rendering Blood, blood from five differ- their sight and penalizing them
them more difficult to target with ent vessels identifying fully as three dice from all sight-based
ranged weapons and concealing the desired gender detection and ranged attack
their identity. ■■ System: After brewing the dice pools. In addition, the
formula, the Alchemist per- alchemist can make the mist
forms self-castration and / or suffocate a mortal with a
mastectomy before falling into contest of Wits + Alchemy vs.
daysleep. Upon awakening they

285

COREBOOK

Stamina + Survival. On a win, fractionated medical-supply blood, ■■ Athanor Corporis: The alche-
the target can take no action the elixir returns it to freshness, al- mist can tap their own vein
except coughing and choking; lowing vampires without the Iron once per night for this elixir
on a critical win, the target Gullet merit to obtain nutrition until their next feeding, or un-
loses consciousness. The alche- from it. til they reach Hunger 5. They
mist can only employ Envelop ■■ Ingredients: The alchemist’s need not pay the distillation
on single targets, and only on cost again.
one at a time. Blood, sanguine and melan-
■■ Duration: Until scene ends or cholic human blood, O-nega- ■■ Calcinatio: If the vessel sur-
the alchemist ends the effect tive human blood (only a few vives the tap, the alchemist can
voluntarily. ml), moldy spinach, hot black tap them again in a week for
coffee, sodium octanoate more elixir. They need not pay
Level 3 ■■ System: The alchemist taps the distillation cost again, but
their vessel (Calcinatio), or the vessel pays the Health cost
At level 3, the Alchemist can de- their own vein (Athanor Cor- (3 Aggravated damage) each
velop formulae to counterfeit level poris) to get the Defractionate time they are tapped.
2 powers of other Disciplines. elixir if they do not use Fixatio.
For each success on the distilla- Level 4
Each of these formulae take at tion roll, they get enough elixir
least a night to distill and at least to turn one blood bag (slakes At Level 4, the Alchemist can
one month to research. 1 Hunger) from fractionated develop formulae to counterfeit
to unfractionated blood. Any level 3 powers of other Disci-
defractionate vampire can consume this blood plines.
and slake Hunger with it.
This formula results in a ho-
meopathic elixir. When added to

286

DISCIPLINES

At this level, all formulae mist’s coterie into carrying out. awaken the sleeper
also require a drop of vitae from These formulae take at least
a vampire of a matching clan or This formula results in an elixir
from one who already possesses three nights to distill and at least which, when added to human
the counterfeited Discipline. For three months to research. blood, can awaken a vampire from
example, to counterfeit Shape- Torpor.
change the Alchemist needs vitae airborne momentum ■■ Ingredients: The alchemist’s
from a vampire with Protean
or from a Gangrel. The Gangrel This formula enables the alchemist Blood, choleric or sanguine
would not have to possess Protean to lift themselves from the ground, human blood, adrenaline,
3, or even have Protean at all; the achieving a state of swift flight ammonium carbonate, hart-
power is in the Blood, not the or floating. They can fly in any shorn, caffeine or benzedrine,
specific vampire. direction, including up or down, melatonin
though their carrying capacity is ■■ System: The alchemist taps
As noted above, this drop does limited. their vessel (Calcinatio), or
not cost the donor any Health, ■■ Ingredients: The alchemist’s their own vein (Athanor
nor does it convey a Blood Bond. Corporis) to get the Awaken
That said, Alchemists generally Blood, choleric and sanguine the Sleeper elixir if they do not
only get such donations as the re- human blood, champagne, bird use Fixatio. They then mix the
sult of a major Boon – or because blood, helium, scopolamine or elixir into human blood. For
the donor has some truly horrible belladonna extract each success above 2 on the
and dangerous mission they are ■■ Activation Cost: One Rouse distillation roll, the elixir can
attempting to inveigle the Alche- Check awaken a vampire of that Blood
■■ Dice Pools: Strength + Al- Potency.
chemy vs Strength+Athletics (if Example: Hari gets 5 successes on
resisted)
■■ System: The potion enables the his Awaken the Sleeper distilla-
alchemist (and only them) to
fly or hover at approximately tion roll: this elixir can awaken a
running speed. The flier can
carry a human-sized mass, torpid vampire of Blood Potency 3
though their speed drops to
walking speed. Grabbing and or less (5 – 3 = 2).
carrying aloft an unwilling ■■ Athanor Corporis: The alche-
subject or pulling the flier
to the ground both require a mist can tap their own vein
contest between the alchemist’s once per night for this elixir
Strength + Alchemy and the until their next feeding, or
other’s Strength + Athletics. until they reach Hunger 5. They
■■ Duration: One scene need not pay the distillation
cost again.
Level 5 ■■ Calcinatio: If the vessel sur-
vives the tap, the alchemist
At level 5, the Alchemist can de- can tap them again in a week
velop formulae to counterfeit level for more elixir. They need not
4 powers of other Disciplines. pay the distillation cost again,
but the vessel pays the Health
These formulae take a month cost (5 Aggravated damage)
to distill and at least three years to each time they are tapped. The
research. Alchemist can also simply feed
the vessel’s blood to the sleeper
directly ■

287

288

ADVANCED SYSTEMS

Advanced

systems

"Then there are Ceremonies, which
are all of them important, but some

are more delightful than others."

– ARTHUR MACHEN, THE WHITE PEOPLE

Vampires, The more complex systems
whether provided in this chapter offer
­portrayed by play- specific guidance for some common
ers or by the Storyteller, and uncommon activities that might
act at least as multifariously as do mortals, involve the player characters.
launching complex plots and embroiling them- Storytellers should, and will undoubtedly have
selves in weird activities. The Storyteller needs to to, invent their own dramatic systems for new situ-
keep all this action organized, arbitrate success and ations. The list of systems below is in no way exhaus-
failure, and plot what the rest of the world does in tive, but it provides a solid foundation on which to
response. base events.
If you come up with a resolution system you like
Vampire: The Masquerade focuses on roleplaying better, by all means use it! Or feel free to embrace no
and character interaction, but even dramatic scenes resolution system at all for freeform scenes and story
often involve some element of dice rolling, depend- elements, and just let roleplaying and dramatic logic
ing on the players’ style. The Storyteller System’s take you through the chronicle.
rules are intentionally abstract and streamlined to
give structure to your drama without constraining it.

289

COREBOOK

Scenes and Modes

Each Storyteller and group of players develop their Types of Scenes
own rhythm for any given Vampire chronicle. One
group may focus on gritty, street-level action; another Scene types depend on how much attention (and usually
might emphasize emotional turmoil and high poli- how much time) you want to spend playing them. A scene
tics; a third aims at uncanny conspiracies cut with of any type can take any amount of story time: minutes
lurid giallo gore. To tune their chronicles to their own or months. Like everything else, it’s up to the group to
rhythms, play groups can vary the mode of play from decide. In most games, the Storyteller drives this decision
scene to scene, as well as the types of scenes from based on their overall sense of the game’s pacing and style,
which they build that chronicle. but some Storytellers and groups enjoy building their
chronicle more collaboratively.
You can play any scene in any mode. Some
groups default to freeform, others to dice-detailed Spotlight
or to any of the other modes given here. You might
play a spotlight scene out freeform; scene types Players and Storyteller play spotlight scenes very at-
depend on the amount of attention you give them, tentively, from their natural beginning to their natural
not the number of dice you roll. Storytellers are less end point. Spotlight scenes usually last longer than
likely to call for a dice-detailed play of an abstracted other scenes. Every player may get input, or a scene
scene. That said, a dice-detailed single combat could may focus the spotlight on one character and their
conceivably be the best or most dramatic way to Touchstone or on two Kindred. Regardless, the group
decide an otherwise abstracted massive battle or should feel that this scene adds dramatic content to
month of politicking to determine the direction (or the chronicle, that it’s worth spending a little more
ownership!) of the chronicle’s setting. time on it, if need be.

290

ADVANCED SYSTEMS

Abstracted In general, mechanics such as spending Willpower
to re-roll dice and using Blood Surges to increase dice
The players and Storyteller play only the high notes pools assume there will be more dice rolling in a game
of abstracted scenes. The outcome may be decided by session - if you’re cutting back on the dice in play, you
a single die roll or a single pithy exchange of dia- should also cut back on the rules intended to mitigate
logue. An abstracted scene often begins in medias res the impact of the dice on play (see Twisting the Dial,
and cuts out once its outcome is clear. Although an p. 158).
abstracted scene may have an impact on the chronicle
or on a character, the players and Storyteller usually Freeform
don’t feel like focusing on it too much. The group may
not want to explore a seduction or serial killing in You play through a freeform scene without dice.
anatomical detail or tactically plot out a whole combat The Storyteller decides any conflicts based on the
or Elysium dinner party. An abstracted scene picks out number of dots on each side or on simple dramatic
a few telling moments for a montage or one critical necessity. Storytellers who want to keep the Hunger
exchange and moves on when its job is done. threat ever-present may wish to still call for Rouse
Checks when the player characters use Disciplines
Downtime or otherwise Rouse the Blood. In other cases, the
Storyteller can just announce “your Hunger goes
Nobody plays out a downtime scene; the Storyteller up” when someone tempting crosses the characters’
describes what happens and the story moves on. There path or when a character clearly exerts their Blood
might not even be a scene at all: “You wait in the lobby to accomplish something. Freeform play especially
of the Prince’s hotel for four hours before he summons suits scenes between vampires and normal humans,
you.” Occasionally the Storyteller might ask a player to between player characters, between two friendly (or
narrate a brief downtime scene: “Your contacts in the at least polite) vampires, or between a vampire and
police force get you into the jail. How do you kill the their thralls or servants.
prisoner?” Downtime scenes are typically brisk, with
one or two lines of monologue or narration. Downtime Directed Freeform
scenes happen, if they happen at all, between Storytell-
er-played characters (SPCs) or among humans, or they The players make a die roll (one total, or one per play-
have such foreordained outcomes that there’s no point er) at the beginning of a directed freeform scene based
describing them, much less playing them out. on the Traits and systems most likely to determine its
outcome. (The Storyteller should disallow re-rolls and
Modes of Play Blood Surges for this one roll.) Then they play out the
scene freeform, but the players direct their characters’
You are not a prisoner of your game, sentenced by actions toward the predetermined result. For example,
some court of rules lawyers to micro-play every single if the roll led to a failed Rouse Check or otherwise in-
interaction your characters might have. You can tailor creased their Hunger, they play up their hunger and its
your game experience to suit your table by varying the consequences. Directed freeform scenes work well for
mode of play from scene to scene. By and large, players dramatic pivot scenes (like third-act turns), in flash-
who trust their Storyteller’s dramatic instincts tend to backs or Memoriam scenes, political and court scenes,
allow a larger proportion of freeform play in various and in scenes leading up to a showdown.
modes. Players who prefer tactical control to dramatic
momentum tend to prefer dice-detailed play.

291

COREBOOK

The Hunger Game

Every player character must balance the threat of frenzy THEY HUNGER ME, THEY HUNGER ME NOT
with the freedom of the Kindred, the danger to the Mas- Since a Rouse Check has a 50% chance of failing, the
querade with the desire to feed. In a Vampire game using Storyteller increments the character’s Hunger up by 1
mostly dice-detailed play, the Hunger dice and Rouse every other time that a Rouse Check would normally
Check mechanics provide this sense of bloody urgency occur in dice-detailed play.
and risk. If your game has a lot of freeform scenes
– pure, directed, or punctuated – the Hunger TIME TO EAT
element can recede into the background, as The Storyteller increments Hunger based on
the dice outcomes intended to drive it come elapsed time: either play time, or setting time.
up less often with reduced dice-rolling.
Increase Hunger by 1 every 45 minutes or
Every troupe and every Storyteller hour of play time or every two hours of
will come up with their own solution in setting time.
play, based on what feels right in the
moment or at their particular table. TICK WORDS
Here are a few possibilities to consid- Before the session, the Storyteller
er, to combine or hack to get exactly chooses a tick word. This word might
the level of thirst you want to play be “vampire,” “blood,” or some other
with. Regardless of which system you word that players tend to say fairly often
use, the Storyteller should keep track during play. When a player says the tick
of player character Hunger some- word for that session, the Storyteller
how: by marking notes, by handing puts a tick mark by their character
red poker chips or red dice to players name on a sheet of paper, indicating
as their characters’ Hunger goes up (even their Hunger has increased. (Storytellers
in diceless games, they can serve as useful, should keep this act subtle, to disguise the
tactile reminders for roleplaying), or by specific tick word from the players, and they
marking a corner of the Relationship Map. should change the tick word if the players
In some troupes, other players can also catch on.) Once a character’s Hunger becomes
hand out Hunger tokens when something relevant to the drama (usually when it hits 3 or
in the story justifies it. 4), the Storyteller tells the player their character
is getting hungry. When it should take a leading
STARTING HUNGER role in the drama (Hunger 5), the Storyteller
For freeform scenes of all sorts, set informs the player their character is starving. If
the stage for the roleplaying and for the character feeds, the Storyteller erases how-
the few rolls that occur by randomly de- ever many ticks their drinking has slaked.
termining character Hunger: roll a die and divide it by
two, re-rolling a result of Hunger 5. Players roleplay
using this starting Hunger as a base.

292

ADVANCED SYSTEMS

Punctuated Freeform Extended
Tests
This mode of freeform play is punc-
tuated by dice rolls at critical mo- In cases where it is impossible to
ments. When freeform play leads adjust the time-scale to the task,
to a major conflict, players make a such as when there are several dra-
single die roll to decide (or direct) matic things happening at the same
its outcome, and then continue time, you might want to use more
playing the scene. The Storyteller than one roll to accomplish a task
abstracts wounds, faux pas, and fully. For example, your character
other tactical questions to keep the might have to pick a lock while the
story moving. Often, the Storytell- other players play hide-and-seek
er goes along with player sugges- with museum guards, load a truck
tions if they add drama or interest, with goods during a firefight, or
requiring only as many rolls as take over an institution over the
needed to keep Hunger present in course of normal play.
the story. Spending Willpower on
re-rolls weakens punctuated free- Versions of
form play by removing dramatic E­ xtended Tests
tension. This mode works well for
all sorts of scenes, but especially standard extended test:
well for social or stress scenes, In the standard extended test, the
scenes with potential shifts of pow- Storyteller assigns a very large
er and focus, lengthy side quests (10+) Difficulty to the task, allow-
such as hunting or Memoriam, and ing you to accumulate successes
even many spotlight scenes. with each roll in a running total
until you meet or exceed that
Dice-Detailed Difficulty.

Characters play through their EXAMPLE:
actions in detail, using dice to
determine outcomes, even on a Getting control over the human
turn-by-turn basis where tactically trafficking operation in New
significant. Dice-detailed play takes Orleans requires a total of 20 suc-
longer to play out a scene than cesses on rolls mainly involving
any other mode. Because of its Larceny and Streetwise. The players
potential for intense focus, players have to accumulate successes at the
are often prepared for a spotlight same time, as they are dodging all
scene to enter dice-detailed mode. the others trying to do the same.
Combat scenes are the paradig-
matic dice-detailed scenes; these
scenes can include not just physical
combats, but also intense social
combats, such as repartee with a
hostile Harpy at court ■

293

COREBOOK

series test:  Alternately, the cascading test:  A version of them roll a basic contest against
Story­teller assigns a regular a series test, the player adds the each other once per increment. The
D­ ifficulty to a series of tasks, margin on each task as extra dice winner subtracts the loser’s successes
requiring a certain number of wins toward the next task. This models from their own and applies the
to ultimately succeed. Series tests situations where success breeds remainder to their accumulated suc-
model tasks with a specific number more success, but one failure ends cesses. The loser adds no successes to
of components: defeating each the test. This might be a long-term their running total this increment.
alarm and lock on the vault, block- blackmail or bribery scheme, an
ing each entrance of the haven, all-night seduction attempt, or a Like a hard extended test, this
discovering all four volumes of a hack of a complex computer sys- version of the extended contest can
Tremere grimoire. tem with several layers of authenti- take a very long time to play out.
cation and encryption.
EXAMPLE: Special Cases
EXAMPLE: and ­Extended
Getting the goods from the museum Tests
reliquary requires three wins, one Vic needs four rolls (one per session)
on each task: beating the roof alarm to put the local priest on his payroll. Some of the special results and rules
(Intelligence + Larceny), breaking He rolls six successes on a Difficulty for simple tests function slightly dif-
in through the skylight (Dexterity 4 Charisma + Subterfuge test and ferently by default in extended tests.
+ Larceny), and extracting the idol adds three dice to his next pool for a The Storyteller can mix and match
from the laser field (Composure + Difficulty 5 Manipulation + Persua- these exceptions to fit the dramatic
Larceny). sion test. circumstances or the narrative.

hard extended test:  Combines Extended Contests teamwork: Applies to most
standard and series extended tests, extended tests, but even when
and counts only the margin on each To model two characters – whether it doesn’t, it might allow you to
task toward the ultimate Difficulty. a player character and an SPC ignore or try to fix a total failure
These work best on rolls made once or two player characters – racing rather than blow the whole test.
or twice per session, intended to against each other to complete an
model incremental progress toward a extended action first, the Storytell- total Failure: Erases all suc-
background or long-term goal. These er can use an extended contest. cesses and wins; the player must
fit long-term goals with little or no start over again from the begin-
worthy (or active) opposition. In the easiest extended con- ning. In some cases, the Storyteller
test, each character makes their might rule they can’t even start
EXAMPLE: roll once per increment, and the over ■
Storyteller awards the goal to the
Tabitha slowly worms her way into character who accumulates enough
the good graces of the local Tremere, successes for the Difficulty first.
so she can learn more rituals. Each If both reach the Difficulty on the
session, she rolls Intelligence + Occult to same increment, the goal goes to
impress a Warlock with her knowledge, whichever character accumulated
accumulating her margin on each test the most successes.
toward an ultimate Difficulty of 20.
If the characters are in position
to interfere directly with each other’s
attempts, the Storyteller may have

294

ADVANCED SYSTEMS

Advanced Conflict

As predatory creatures, vampires “Have we reached a conclusion? They choose to zoom out and fast-
often clash with each other, with Will anything change dramati- forward the rest of the scene.
their prey (sometimes), and with cally with more exchanges?” The
those who would try to keep them Storyteller should feel free to fast- Concessions
from their prey. forward to the end of a conflict if
all that remains is more rolls, while If the outcome is still in doubt,
Sometimes, those clashes get being careful not to exclude the the Storyteller can see if there is a
bloody. Sometimes, they remain players from their own drama. concession of some sort to be made.
conflicts of words or emotions, This is a negotiated outcome be-
especially when a Prince holds EXAMPLE: tween players and Storyteller, and
their courtiers to account. Some- it need not necessarily be reflected
times, vampires conflict behind the The player coterie is mouthing as a negotiation in the narrative. A
scenes, using human institutions as off to another coterie during an concession means one side (usually
their armor and their weapons. Anarch moot, doing their best to the one that has the disadvantage)
impress the audience and the senior concedes, but does not suffer the
This section expands on basic Kindred and establish themselves full consequences of a loss. If the
Conflict (pp. 123-130). The Storyteller as the kings and queens of the players has the disadvantage, the
can use any of the rules systems lowest rung of the social hierarchy. Storyteller should reward them
or modules in Advanced Conflict After three exchanges of posturing, mechanically (as well as in the sto-
without having to use all of them in tough talk, and displays of bravery, ry) for conceding; if adding a dot
their game, in addition to the basic neither group has backed down, to the coterie’s (or a character’s)
Conflict rules. but the Storyteller knows that the Background seems too grandiose,
crowd is sufficiently impressed allow each player to recover a dot
Three, Two, already, and summarizes the end of of Willpower.
Done the conflict and its outcomes.
EXAMPLE:
As the classical three-act model EXAMPLE:
indicates, drama often stales if the After a vicious hunter assault,
action drags too long. Conflict on a The player coterie has tracked their the coterie teeters on the brink of
tabletop likewise feels tighter, and quarry through the city in an exit- extinction. Since it is still early in
the results richer, with just three ing game of hunter-and-prey. Even- the chronicle, the Storyteller offers
or so exchanges (we note this in tually the quarry escapes into an concession rather than playing out
the rules, see Three Turns and Out, office where people are still burning the final breaths of the coterie. The
p. 130). Especially when using the the midnight oil, and the play- player characters get to escape, as
more detailed systems of Advanced ers pause to make grand plans on long as one of them stays behind
Conflict, try to end conflict scenes how to gain access to the building. and covers the retreat. Instead of
after three exchanges. While the players seem to be enjoy- four new characters, the troupe will
ing the challenge, the Storyteller need only one.
Are We Done Here? knows that this isn’t difficult, and
that their quarry will be long gone
After three rounds of conflict, the by the time they make the attempt.
Storyteller and players should ask:

295

COREBOOK

EXAMPLE: Exeunt Advance

The last few exchanges have seen Note that conclusion of a Working directly towards the
mind games galore as the player conflict need not resolve it goal(s) of the conflict: this could be
characters try to outwit their on- completely. It could also just cozying up to an elder when vying
line opponents. Since they think on- move it into a new scene. for a seat on the council, destroy-
line action is a little bit lukewarm, ing evidence before getting over-
the players offer the concession that EXAMPLE: whelmed, gathering influence in a
they fail in destroying the enemy’s housing project, hacking a security
digital infrastructure, but instead The player coterie has been system before being discovered,
uncover the identity of one of their shooting it out with a local Kissing students, etc. Note how-
foes. Their next meeting with the gang seeking to “root out the ever, that advance is not applicable
enemy will be more … personal. monsters in their midst.” Even to all conflicts. The prime example
if the humans were dumb (or being combat, where there are no
One Roll just inexperienced) enough goals except hurting the opposition
to attack the coterie after and/or getting the hell out of there.
If none of the above scenarios sundown, the player charac- Depending on the conflict, a prior
apply, consider raising the stakes ters have suffered plenty. They Maneuver (see below) might be
and resolving the conflict with a gladly accept the concession
one-roll conflict (see p. 298), where that they get to barricade
all consequences are amplified. You themselves in a room to
can set a Difficulty based on how recuperate, plan their next
the previous three rounds have move, and angst over what the
gone. One-on-one conflicts have fight has revealed about their
clear winners each round; some- monstrous natures.
times larger combats do also.
A­ dditional
■■ If most of the combat has gone C­ onflict
the player characters’ way or if O­ ptions
they’ve won all three previous
rounds, set the Difficulty at 3. All conflict actions need not be
straight attacks on the opposition.
■■ If both sides have suffered fairly In fact, most engagements involve
evenly or if the player charac- a goal that does not solely rely on
ters have won two out of three removing all enemies, and there is
rounds, set the Difficulty at 4. no reason why players should be
forced to confront their opponents
■■ If the player characters have head-on when they can achieve
gotten the worst of it or won their ends with other means. Con-
only one exchange out of three, sider the following action variants
set the Difficulty at 5. when engaged in a conflict of any
kind:
■■ If the player characters have
been lucky to survive this long
or have lost all three previous
rounds, set the Difficulty at 6.

296

ADVANCED SYSTEMS

required to advance effectively.. ■■ Gaining a superior position. Block
Advances are usually run as Whether by misdirection,
speed, or stealth, this allows Actively opposing another charac-
an extended test (see p. 293) with the attacker to strike the op- ter’s actions. This could be by posi-
the player rolling to accumulate as ponent unopposed (see Sur- tioning your character in front of an
many wins/successes as possible. prise, p. 300), though getting attacker, throwing distractions in the
the advantage might be very path of someone working to gather
EXAMPLE: difficult or require accumu- support, laying down suppressive
lating enough successes on an fire, etc. When blocking, simply set
In a Memoriam scene (see p. 311), extended test. the result of your block roll as oppo-
Balzac’s player is trying to establish Example: flanking someone’s sition to the action you’re blocking.
that Balzac once bested Antoine in cover in a firefight, disengaging
a contest to Kiss as many students to return with a surprise at- EXAMPLE:
as possible in one night of revelry tack, or working your way into
in Paris’ 1889 student quarter. As someone’s grace as a setup for Example: Balzac finds himself
Balzac advances (often through, betrayal. thwarted at every turn by a
well, making advances), the rest of particularly perceptive superinten-
the troupe (taking roles as Balzac’s ■■ In some cases a maneuver is dent while he is still trying to get
entourage) attempts a more direct required to make an attack or private access to his second victim
approach. advance towards the goal in the of the night. The superintendent
first place. Only after a success- opposes Balzac’s Dexterity + Stealth
Maneuver ful maneuver can the character (never his strong suit) with her
attack the intended target or Wits + Awareness (a prime skill for
This option involves getting into an advance towards the goal. a superintendent).
advantaged position, either in order Example: finding the target in
to be able to take other actions at all a city-wide conflict, arranging Sometimes it is also possible to
or get an advantage, such as flanking to be alone with the target in a block someone’s block. If this is
a foe, making sure you are alone with conflict of seduction and intrigue, the goal, test at the furthest link
the subject of your desire, getting getting into position to take over a in the chain of blocks first, and if
access to important people, finding company. successful, the later block does not
cover from oncoming shots, etc. take place.
EXAMPLE:
Depending on the situation, a EXAMPLE:
successful maneuver should result While Balzac seeks to win the
in one of these benefits: contest with Antoine by making as One of the players, donning the
many successful hunts as possible, mantle of Balzac's right-hand-girl
■■ A straight dice bonus to the the rest of the entourage wants to for the Memoriam, intervenes
next action. A 1-3 dice pool bo- make unlife difficult for Antoine. by tying down the superinten-
nus is usually enough, perhaps The Storyteller rules that in order dent. First, they roll Charisma +
depending on critical successes to attack Antoine, the players must Persuasion vs. the superintendent’s
or on the margin achieved. first find him by making a Ma- Resolve + Insight, and if they win,
Example: a feint in melee, study- nipulation + Streetwise maneuver the superintendent is “otherwise oc-
ing an opponent’s weakness before versus. his Wits + Awareness. cupied” as Balzac makes his sneak
delivering the perfect insult or attempt to get to his victim.
finding just the right tools for a
hunt.

297

COREBOOK

All-Out Attack All-Out Defence Movement in

Sometimes a combatant wants A character concentrating solely on Conflicts
to go all in, discarding safety in their protection and nothing else
exchange for greater effect. In (save for perhaps a minor action, see Movement in Vampire is often ab-
this case, afford the attacker a +1 p. 298) gets a bonus die to all defense stracted, but it can nevertheless be
damage bonus, but do not let them rolls for the turn. If the character has a significant part of dramatic con-
defend against any attacks. If using access to solid cover and can hide flict. Perhaps a rabid wight is trying
a ranged weapon, this tactic also completely behind it, this advan- to close with a ranged attacker, a
empties the weapon. This option tage can make them impervious to would-be backstabber attempts to
may not be used with surprise. ranged attacks, provided they are not get into position, or the conflict is
If the attack fails, anyone acting flanked (see Maneuvers, p. 297). very mobile, aking place all over
against the combatant gains one the entire city.
additional die to their pools the Minor Actions
next turn. Generally, handle movement
Some actions might not warrant a beyond the immediate as Minor
EXAMPLE: full exchange, but they are still not Actions (see p. 298), but if the
minor enough to justify being done movement is significantly opposed,
Nahum goes all out with his claws, for free. These should not be actions it can also be handled as a Maneu-
looking for a quick beatdown. He that require a roll or that might ver (see p. 297).
is opposed by Clara and her blade. otherwise be opposed in some way.
Nahum’s player rolls Strength + Minor actions subtract dice from If necessary, the Storyteller can
Brawl vs. Clara’s Dexterity + Melee. your character’s main action, and usually provide a simple map of
Even if Nahum’s player scores more the Storyteller might put a cap the conflict. In some conflicts, the
successes than Clara’s, he still takes on how many are possible in one troupe’s Relationship Map might
their entire roll in damage. Clara exchange. Readying a weapon, han- even become an excellent conflict
takes damage if Nahum wins, dling equipment, moving more than map!
including one additional damage a few steps, running an errand, and
for the all-out tactic. taking care of your haven might all One-Roll
be examples of minor actions, de-
pending on the scale of the conflict. C­ onflicts

A player who wants to do only A conflict need not necessarily be
minor actions in a turn may do so, resolved as a “zoomed in” series
with the Storyteller setting a cap on of exchanges as in the basic rules.
how many are possible in a turn. It can also be resolved in a more
“zoomed out” manner, especially
EXAMPLE: if it holds less potential for drama
or involves fewer players. (Or in-
In a later exchange, Balzac’s right- cidentally, if it involves too many
hand-girl from the student quarter actors to turn into a meaningful
wishes to join the others in the hunt conflict!)
for Antoine. The Storyteller rules that
given the timescale, this short hop Simply set a difficulty for the
costs her player two dice, but not their opposition based on its power.
whole action. Each player participating in the
conflict then makes one roll of a
conflict dice pool, without Will-

298