V5_rulebook_Aug_19

DISCIPLINES

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

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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

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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

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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

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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 me- ■■ Dice Pools: Dexterity + Athlet-
with this power perceive events ters-per-second equivalents
instantly and can react to them for the speeds attained by ics, or as needed
with superhuman alacrity. They Celerity, and even if we did, ■■ System: The vampire moves in
can observe incoming projectiles not every combat turn lasts
to the extent that they can attempt the same number of seconds. a straight line toward a target,
to dodge arrows and even bullets The Storyteller decides how covering any distance under 50
without available cover. many floors of a staircase a meters while still having enough
■■ Cost: Free 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 neces- ous, the character needs to make
to their defense pools for sity, not by using dots and a Dexterity + Athletics roll to
lack of cover against Fire- multipliers. 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

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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, as
saturated with the power of Celer- lightning strike determined by the Storyteller.
ity, conveying a part of that power
to anyone who drinks of it. While Faster than the eye can follow, Dominate
this is also a first step towards a the vampire can strike with fist or
Blood Bond, already bound thralls melee weapon at such speed that “Miss Savona, I assume.” Talley
or servants have little use for such the opponent is unable to defend bowed deeply to the Ventrue prodigy
worries, and even non-bound allies or take evasive action. as she and her entourage entered the
might decide to brave a sip for the ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check monument where their meeting was
sake of temporary power. ■■ System: Use before making a to take place.
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check
Brawl or Melee attack. The op- “Call me ‘Miss,’ ‘Madame,’ ‘Lady’
ponent makes no roll to dodge or whatever you choose, Hound. Your
or defend; make the attack at

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DISCIPLINES

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

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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

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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

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is still supple but stops almost any EXAMPLE: cables all over the damn place. It’s a
blow before momentarily breaking firetrap. I reach out to move one aside
and reforming. A vampire using Darin has Blood Potency 3, giving as I think my bag will catch on it.
this power is almost impossible to him a Blood Surge of 2. He cannot That’s when it happens.
destroy outright, barring a lucky increase his Physical Attributes
blow or physical restraint. past 8 using Prowess from Pain. The butler turns around and he
■■ Cost: Two Rouse Checks shrieks at me to touch nothing. His
■■ System: With this power ac- ■■ Duration: One scene face shifts before my eyes. His body
too. He turns into this scaly little slime
tive, the vampire ignores the Obfuscate of a man. And then he’s the maid. And
first source of physical damage then he’s the butler again. And then
each turn, including fire but Okay, I’ll start from the top. I’m just he’s someone different. And then he’s
not sunlight. If confusion arises a courier, and after I received word running away into all the shadows I
about which source is “first,” of this order that went through three suddenly notice around this place. I get
the Storyteller either decides companies to get to me – clearly the fuck out.
based on the narrative, or the someone trying to cover their tracks –
vampire ignores the most dam- and I was given a hush bonus, I said So yeah, the guy’s name was “Ma-
aging single source that turn. “fuck it, why not.” That’s how I ended ropis,” but weird thing: I checked out
A critical win on an attack roll up delivering that box to the mansion. the mansion again a week later and it
bypasses this power. No, I never saw what was in the box, was completely empty and dusty, like
■■ Duration: One scene but judging from the setup at that it had been vacant for decades.
place, I’m guessing it was something
prowess from pain computery. Nicknames: Stealth Mode, Cloak-
ing, Veiling, Occulto
Injuries and impairments now So the guy who answers the door
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 the house, I see servers, computers, 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

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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
vampire was ever there to begin “I’m not some thug.” Theo stood on a
with; their memory clouds on impostor’s guise broken stage in Berlin, alongside
the topic. With a critical win, ■■ Prerequisite: Mask of a Thou- Hesha Ruhadze of the Ministry and
the vampire vanishes entirely Rudi of Clan Gangrel. Three cor-
from the observer’s memory. sand Faces ners of the Anarch Movement, even
This power does not affect though the 30-or-so strong audience
vampires’ memories, but any With some preparation the vam- was mainly comprised of Caitiff and
win by the user hides them as if pire can make themselves appear thin-bloods. “And neither are you good
they initiated their power un- as a specific individual of any build guys and girls. None of you are the
observed. This power can only and gender. The user must carefully simple-minded fools the Camarilla
be used once per scene. study the subject, otherwise the claim you are! You were mortal, and
■■ Duration: As per power aug- charade fails when meeting anyone now you’re not, but you’re just as valid
mented with more than a casual familiarity as those motherfuckers over in the
with the person being mimicked. Ivory Tower!”
Level 5 ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check
■■ Dice Pools: Wits + Obfuscate, A small cry of support resounded
cloak the gathering throughout the old theatre, as Hesha
Manipulation + Performance slowly clapped his hands. Theo contin-
The vampire can shelter their ■■ System: The user must study ued, walking over to a pillar running
companions under the cloak of from the side of the stage to the ceiling.
Obfuscate. the face to be copied for at “We won’t take their belittling shit
■■ Cost: One Rouse Check in ad- least five minutes, from differ- any more! We will not be second class!
ent angles. The user requires We will not be trash to be kicked into
dition to the cost of the power another ten minutes of obser- the path of the Inquisition!” Theo Bell
extended vation to mimic the subject’s threw a punch into the concrete pillar,
■■ System: The vampire can voice and mannerisms. The user his fist smashing through the stone
extend their power of Obfusca- can only copy human appear- and out the other side. With a roar, he
tion to a number of additional ance, not animal form. The Sto- pulled his arm free and held it up.
willing subjects equal to their ryteller then makes a hidden
Wits, plus one for each ad- test of Wits + Obfuscate (Dif- The supportive cry was now a
ditional Rouse Check made. ficulty 4). A failure means that cheer. Hesha raised an eyebrow. It was
The Obfuscate power used on the resemblance is less than a theatrical gesture, but it confirmed
the group can be any known convincing, and anyone close his view: better to be on this side of
to the user, and every member to the person copied notices Theo Bell’s fists than the other.
of the group count as having something amiss automatically.
used it on themselves, using the A win creates a convincing il-

263

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

264

DISCIPLINES

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

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

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DISCIPLINES

men, YouTube sensations and threatening and exudes an aura of of nights equal to the user's
Instagram influencers. menace powerful enough to make Presence and is renewed to full
most mortals avoid their attention duration if used again during
Level 1 and even vampires think twice the period. Once the benefit
about acting against them. fades, withdrawal strikes and
awe ■■ Cost: Free all actions not spent working
■■ System: Add the user’s Pres- toward acquiring a new fix
Anyone in the presence of the receive a penalty equal to the
vampire finds their attention ence rating to any Intimida- initial bonus, including trying
inexplicably drawn to them. Those tion rolls. Attacking the user to resist whatever the user
listening to the vampire speak requires a Resolve+Composure asks of the addict. A victim
might suddenly agree on subjects roll at Difficulty 2. fed upon with this power can
where they once held different make a Willpower test (Dif-
viewpoints. While this power Vampires cannot use Awe ficulty equals the user's Pres-
doesn’t cause rapt infatuation, it and Daunt simultaneously. ence) every week to resist the
is still strong enough to sway the ■■ Duration: One scene or until effects. Winning this test for
minds of most mortals. intentionally ended three consecutive weeks breaks
■■ Cost: Free the effect, as does a single
■■ Dice Pools: Manipulation + Level 2 critical win.
■■ Duration: Until successfully
Presence vs Composure + Intel- lingering kiss resisted
ligence
■■ System: Add the Presence rat- The Kiss of a vampire induces Level 3
ing to any Skill roll involving near-ecstasy in the victim, but
Persuasion or Performance as this power leaves other Kisses in dread gaze
well as to other Charisma-re- the dust. Victims fed upon by the
lated rolls, at the Storyteller’s user become addicted to the Kiss, Briefly exposing their vampiric
discretion. Anyone aware that obsessing over it and even seeking nature, the user instills a single
they’re being affected can the vampire out for repeated feed- subject with utter terror. Mortals
try to resist with a contest of ings. Mortals often become anemic, are cowed, run, or freeze with fear,
Composure + Intelligence vs self-harm, or even die from this while other vampires either submit
the user’s Manipulation + Pres- addiction, but vampires find it a like whipped dogs or flee in fren-
ence. On a win, the target can useful power for cultivating a herd zied Rötschreck.
resist the effects for one scene; and empowering their favored as- ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check
a critical win makes the target sociates. Addicting other vampires ■■ Dice Pools: Charisma + Pres-
immune for the entire night. is also possible, with the caveat
Once the power wears off, vic- that obsessed vampires demanding ence vs Composure + Resolve
tims revert to their previous to be fed from quickly lead to the ■■ System: Displaying their
opinions. user becoming Blood Bound.
■■ Duration: One scene or until ■■ Cost: Free fangs, their face twisted in a
intentionally ended ■■ System: The vampire can predatory grimace, the user
rolls a contest of Charisma +
daunt choose to use this power or Presence against their target’s
not during each feeding. The Composure + Resolve.
Instead of attracting people, the victim gains a bonus equal ◻◻ Failure: Mortals are unable
vampire uses Presence to repel. to half the user's Presence
With this power the user appears (round up) to Social pools. to act other than in their
This benefit lasts for a number own defense, backing off

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for a turn. Vampires are adds dice equal to their Pres- night after night if required to reach
unaffected. ence rating to any Social dice the target or if the target is other-
◻◻ Win: Mortals run in fear. pool against the entranced sub- wise reluctant. Anyone Summoned
Vampires are unable to act ject. Requests resulting in obvi- feels a pull toward the summoner
other than in their own de- ous harm to the subject or their and tries to reach them, though
fense for a turn unless they loved ones, or that oppose the without endangering themselves
spend Willpower equal to subject’s Tenets, fail and require physically or financially. They won’t
the users margin of win (to an immediate power contest sell their house to buy a ticket or
a minimum of one). roll as above, or the Entrance- miss a vital meeting, but they might
◻◻ Critical Win: Mortals ment immediately fails. skip out of normal work or social
freeze or crumple into a ■■ Duration: One hour plus one commitments.
fetal position. Vampires per point of margin ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check
must make a terror frenzy ■■ Dice Pools: Manipulation +
test (Difficulty 3). If they Level 4
win, they are still affected Presence vs Composure + Intel-
as above. irresistible voice ligence
■■ Duration: One turn ■■ System: The user needs to con-
■■ Amalgam: Dominate 1 centrate for five minutes and
entrancement think of the person being sum-
The Presence of the user becomes moned, then rolls Manipulation
The vampire focuses their un- a conduit for Dominate. The vam- + Presence vs Composure + In-
natural allure on a single person, pire now only needs their voice telligence. On a win, the target
instilling in them a rapt fascina- to be heard in order to employ hears the summoning, but may
tion or infatuation akin to falling Dominate powers. or may not heed it. On a critical
head over heels in love or meet- ■■ Cost: No additional cost win, the target arrives as quickly
ing one’s lifelong idol. The person ■■ System: The user's voice alone as possible, barring immediate
affected does their best to remain risk to their 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 needs summon countenance to supernatural levels.
Whether they appear as heartrend-
to gain the subject’s attention The vampire can call to themselves ingly beautiful, monstrously terrify-
and win a contest of Charisma + any person, mortal or vampire, ing, or wielding absolute command,
Presence vs Composure + Wits. upon whom they’ve previously used everyone who views them is struck
The effect lasts for roughly one Awe, Entrancement, or Majesty, or by their image, unable to act or even
hour plus one per point of mar- who has tasted their Blood at least speak against the vampire. To experi-
gin on the win. The vampire can once. The target knows who is sum- ence Majesty is to be in the presence
renew this effect indefinitely, moning them and the user’s current of the divine - or the infernal.
but a failure ends the effect and location. This calling lasts for a ■■ Cost: Two Rouse Checks
makes the subject immune for night. After that time, the effect ■■ Dice Pools: Charisma + Pres-
the rest of the night. subsides, but the user can repeat it

After succeeding, the user

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DISCIPLINES

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

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■■ System: No roll is required form of fingernails extending into penalty. Superficial damage
to activate Eyes of the Beast. wicked talons but can also come in inflicted by the user’s natural
While active the user ignores other forms such as fangs elongat- weapons is not halved while
any sight penalties imposed by ing into veritable daggers, as from Feral Weapons is active.
darkness, including supernatu- a gigantic serpent. ■■ Duration: One scene
ral. While active, the inhuman ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check
appearance of the eyes confers ■■ System: No skill roll is needed Level 3
two bonus dice to Intimidation
pools against mortals. to activate this power. When earth meld
activated, the vampire’s natural
■■ Duration: As long as desired weapon of choice becomes a Becoming one with the soil, the
light piercing Brawl weapon vampire sinks into the earth. Un-
weight of the feather with a +2 modifier to dam- less in torpor, the vampire rises
age. Vampiric Bite Attacks again the following night.
The vampire can reduce their ef- still only deal two points of ■■ Cost: One Rouse Check
fective mass and density, making Aggravated damage despite ■■ System: No test is required, but
themselves almost weightless. This the number of successes, but
allows them to avoid triggering do not suffer the called shot the vampire must be on a natu-
pressure sensors as well as avoiding ral surface: rocks, raw earth,
major damage from falls, collisions, grass, etc. This power does not
or being thrown. The power cannot work on concrete, asphalt, or
be used for longer leaps, as the other artificial surfaces. It takes
vampire’s strength is proportion- a turn for the vampire to sink
ally reduced. into the earth, leaving carried
■■ Cost: Free objects behind atop the soil.
■■ Dice Pools: Wits + Survival While in the earth the vampire
■■ System: If the vampire has time is aware of their surround-
ings, except during day-sleep.
to prepare, no roll is required. At those times, disturbances
As a reaction, such as during a (e.g., digging or loud noises)
sudden fall, activating the pow- awaken them or not as with all
er requires a Wits + Survival roll vampires (p. 219).
at Difficulty 3. As long as the ■■ Duration: One day or more, or
power is in effect, the vampire until disturbed
is immune to damage from falls,
collisions, and being thrown. shapechange
The user also avoids triggering
devices that rely on pressure, at The vampire can assume the shape
the Storyteller’s discretion. of an animal roughly the same size
■■ Duration: As long as desired as their original mass. The vampire
can only change into one type of
Level 2 animal (usually a wolf, sometimes
a large feline or a giant snake),
feral weapons usually one associated with their
clan or the type of prey they most
The vampire can extend their commonly feed on. The animal,
natural weapons to monstrous while usually a spectacular example
proportions. This usually takes the

270

DISCIPLINES

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

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

272

DISCIPLINES

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

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

274

DISCIPLINES

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

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

276

DISCIPLINES

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

277

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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 may ■■ Process: Before proceeding
well guess the cause of a blank ■■ System: Make no Ritual roll
or foggy recollection, but can- with the ritual the victim must until the vampire is staked.
not recover the actual memory. be exposed the caster’s Blood, If the Ritual roll is a win, the
either by drinking it or having stake shatters as it touches the
ward against spirits it touch an open wound or skin of the vampire. (A critical
even their bare skin: a single win blinds the attacker for two
This Ritual wards an item against drop smeared across the arm turns, showering their face with
incorporeal beings suchs as is enough. After an hour but splinters.) This only works on
wraiths, ghosts, and elemental before a week has passed the genuine attempts at staking -
spirits. Any attempt by them to caster can perform the ritual merely holding the stake against
manipulate or pass through the by piercing their own skin the vampire does not trigger the
item triggers the effect. with the ceremonial dagger, effect. The protection lasts until
shedding blood. As their Blood the end of the night or until the
This ward uses the standard hits the ground the ritual takes splinter is removed from under
rules for Wards (p. 275). effect. the tongue of the vampire,
■■ Ingredients: A handful of salt ■■ System: Make a Resolve + whichever comes first.
Blood Sorcery vs Stamina +
(in some versions, a handful Resolve roll. Every point of essence of air
of brick dust) mixed with the margin on a win does a point
Blood. of damage to the victim, as The caster creates a potion that
their blood vessels burst and when imbibed allows for limited
warding circle against their lungs fill with blood. flight. The Camarilla frowns upon
This damage is Aggravated for the use of this Ritual, due to
ghouls mortals, but only Superficial the extreme risk of Masquerade
on vampires. The caster can breaches; for this reason, its popu-
This Ritual creates a circular Ward repeat this process up to two larity has lessened considerably in
on the floor or ground, intended to more times, each time requir- the modern nights.
prevent the passage of ghouls. ing them to make an additional ■■ Ingredients: Leaves and berries
Rouse Check.
This ward uses the standard of belladonna.
rules for Warding circles (p. 275). deflection of wooden doom ■■ Process: The caster steeps the
■■ Ingredients: The caster draws
By performing this ritual the belladonna in their Blood,
the Warding circle with a hu- vampire protects themselves from reducing the brew over a brazier
man bone dipped in the Blood. being staked. The first stake that while incanting words of power.
would pierce their heart shatters ■■ System: Make the Ritual roll
Level 3 before penetrating the skin. when reducing the mixture. (A
critical win prepares two doses
dagon’s call worth of potion.) The caster
A terrifying technique employed
by the assassins of the Banu

278

DISCIPLINES

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

Blood of the caster.
■■ Process: The caster inscribes

a number of sigils and glyphs

279

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

280

DISCIPLINES

tance between the two circles, caster wish to reverse the
but they must be inscribed process they must repeat the
on the ground or on the floor ritual.
of a building, not on the ■■ System: While under the ef-
floor of a vehicle. The caster fect of the ritual, the caster’s
can transport one person or heart is literally made of stone.
an object or objects totaling Stakes fail to penetrate it,
roughly human mass with breaking if forced. The caster
them. Damaging either circle also exhibits a complete emo-
ruins the ritual completely tional detachment, subtracting
and renders both circles inert. three dice from any Remorse
A vampire can only have one rolls as well as active (not
pair of these circles functional resisting) Social-related rolls,
at 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,
ritual completes; a critical while blackening it in an
win heals the candle-fire oak-wood fire while reading
damage. The effect persists incantations over it. The ritual
indefinitely, and should the takes five hours to complete.

281

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

282

DISCIPLINES

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

Some powers require their own
dice rolls to take effect, or to
measure the degree of success. The
Alchemist makes those rolls where

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Learning a different method means their Blood to the chosen human, The Alchemist can carry a
starting from scratch, essentially paying the distillation cost, and number of fixed formulae (of
counting it as a separate Disci- makes the distillation roll with any level) equal to their Wits or
pline. In this case, formulae for Manipulation + Alchemy. Dexterity – keeping the vials safe,
one method do not apply to other stable, hidden, and leakproof is
methods known, and the same The human’s entire body not a trivial task. (The Storyteller
formula must be learnt separately distills the formula. The Alchemist can decide if each vial takes up the
for each method. then drinks their blood to use the space of a syringe, a can of Red
power (required Hunger slaked Bull, or a thermos.) The Alchemist
athanor corporis The Alche- equals power level minus 1). can store a number of fixed formu-
mist uses their own body as the lae (of any level) equal to twice the
athanor, or alchemical furnace. The Alchemist can only distill sum of Alchemy plus their dots in
This might be a bio-feedback rou- one power per victim, though the Haven: a refrigerator is almost a
tine, the result of an initial elixir victim retains the formula within necessity. Fixed does not necessar-
consumed at initiation, or simply them as long as they’re kept in the ily mean shelf stable, after all.
intuitive understanding of how same emotional state; each power
resonances interact. Ingredients takes as long to activate as it takes to The Alchemist can activate one
usually consist of different types drain that quantity of blood (p. 212). power per turn.
of resonance mixes, requiring the
Alchemist to sample the blood of fixatio Lacking the physical or Level 1
multiple victims to get just the social predilections of the other
right blend. methods, the Alchemist uses a far reach
conventional athanor such as a
The Alchemist drinks the kiln, a metalworking furnace, a This formula allows the alchemist
different types of resonant blood meth cooker, a repurposed propane to use their mind to grab, hold,
required and the process is per- tank, or the like. This method most and push objects or people without
formed within their veins with resembles “classical” alchemy: the touching them. While few can
a distillation roll of Stamina + Alchemist pours their Blood as well employ enough mental force to
Alchemy, together with a Rouse as inert, usually rare, ingredients actually cause direct harm, a clever
Check. into the athanor, pays the distilla- applicant can find many ways to
tion cost, and distills them inside it get an opponent into, or them-
Only one power can be ac- with an Intelligence + Alchemy roll. selves out of, harm’s way.
tive at a time, and a new power ■■ Ingredients: The alchemist’s
must be distilled before it can be The resulting formulae are
activated. This usually takes at fixed, meaning that the Alche- Blood, choleric human blood,
least three turns of concentration, mist can carry them around on melted nylon fibers or a grated
during which the Alchemist can do their person and imbibe them to refrigerator magnet or weird
nothing else. activate their power. (Roll the nootropics ordered off the
distillation roll upon consumption, internet
calcinatio The Alchemist not upon production.) However, ■■ Activation Cost: One Rouse
uses the body of a human as the without a laboratory, they cannot Check
athanor, adjusting their biophysi- make any more – at most, they ■■ Dice Pools: Resolve + Alchemy
cal state by means of emotional might be able to “one-pot” a weak vs Strength + Athletics
pressure and spoken incantations. (Level 3 or less) formula using ■■ System: The alchemist can lift,
(Some practitioners of Calcina- a pressure-cooker or other field push, or pull a physical object
tio use drugs on their subjects expedient. Using such unsuitable or person under 100 kg, within
instead.) The Alchemist then feeds equipment reduces the distillation their sight and closer than
dice pool by 2 dice.

284

DISCIPLINES

10 meters. The object moves ■■ Activation Cost: One Rouse from all sight-based detection
swiftly, but not rapidly enough Check and ranged attack dice pools.
to injure a person with the In addition, the alchemist
blow; the object may break if it ■■ System: Upon activation a can make the mist suffocate a
is fragile. The exception: knives cloud of mist-like vapor sur- mortal with a contest of Wits
or other small metal tools, rounds the alchemist, masking + Alchemy vs. Stamina + Sur-
which the alchemist can wield their features and obscuring vival. On a win, the target can
with a Resolve + Alchemy test, their silhouette. Anyone at- take no action except coughing
at a two-dice penalty because tempting to identify the user or and choking; on a critical win,
of the need for precision. A hit them with ranged weapons the target loses consciousness.
knife used this way does only suffers a two-dice penalty to The alchemist can only employ
one point of extra damage. their pool. The user can extend Envelop on single targets, and
the cloud to encompass a group only on one at a time.
Trying to move someone of up to five people by making ■■ Duration: Until scene ends or
actively resisting requires a another Rouse check. the alchemist ends the effect
contest of Resolve + Alchemy voluntarily.
vs Strength + Athletics. On a ■■ Duration: One scene or until
win, the alchemist can pull the voluntarily ended. Level 3
victim within grabbing or claw-
ing range, or throw them one Level 2 At level 3, the Alchemist can de-
meter for each point of margin velop formulae to counterfeit level
on the contest, doing an equal At level 2, the Alchemist can devel- 2 powers of other Disciplines.
amount of Superficial dam- op formulae to counterfeit level 1
age. They land prone. Keeping powers of other Disciplines. Each of these formulae take at
someone or something floating least a night to distill and at least
in mid-air requires a Resolve + Each of these formulae take at one month to research.
Thin-Blood Alchemy (Dif- least a week to research.
ficulty 3) roll every turn. Fine defractionate
manipulation (such as pulling envelop
the pin of a grenade) requires a This formula results in a ho-
Wits + Alchemy roll at a suit- This formula creates a mist that meopathic elixir. When added to
able Difficulty, as determined clings to a victim, blinding it and fractionated medical-supply blood,
by the Storyteller. (in the case of mortals) causing the elixir returns it to freshness,
■■ Duration: One turn unless held suffocation. allowing vampires without the Iron
(see above). ■■ Ingredients: The alchemist’s Gullet merit to obtain nutrition
from it.
haze Blood, melancholic and phleg- ■■ Ingredients: The alchemist’s
matic human blood, potassium
This formula creates a field of mist chlorate, smog or halon gas Blood, sanguine and melan-
that follows the user, rendering ■■ Activation Cost: One Rouse cholic human blood, O-nega-
them more difficult to target with Check tive human blood (only a few
ranged weapons and concealing ■■ Dice Pools: Wits + Alchemy vs ml), moldy spinach, hot black
their identity. Stamina + Survival coffee, sodium octanoate
■■ Ingredients: In addition to the ■■ System: The alchemist acti- ■■ System: The alchemist taps their
vates the power and chooses a vessel (Calcinatio), or their own
alchemist’s Blood and phleg- target within sight. A swirl- vein (Athanor Corporis) to get
matic human blood, dry ice or ing mist envelops the target, the Defractionate elixir if they
cigar smoke or auto exhaust obscuring their sight and do not use Fixatio. For each
penalizing them three dice

285

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success on the distillation roll, can help shape a human body to gravated Health damage for
they get enough elixir to turn match the mental self-image or de- mortals
one blood bag (slakes 1 Hunger) sired shape held by the conscious- ■■ Dice Pools: Stamina + Resolve
from fractionated to unfraction- ness within it. ■■ System: Whoever imbibes the
ated blood. Any vampire can formula mixed with a Rouse
consume this blood and slake With the help of rare reagents Check worth of their own
Hunger with it. the Alchemist can even defy one blood instantly falls into a
■■ Athanor Corporis: The alche- of the fundamental curses of the catatonic fever dream until the
mist can tap their own vein vampiric condition by altering the following night, the depths of
once per night for this elixir unchanging state to which the un- their psyche plumbed for their
until their next feeding, or dead revert to in their daysleep. This personal idealized form, or a
until they reach Hunger 5. They specific formula can be imbibed by form strongly desired. The ef-
need not pay the distillation mortals or vampires other than the fects of Profane Hieros Gamos
cost again. Alchemist, after their ritual purifica- are limited to the external mor-
■■ Calcinatio: If the vessel sur- tion and deep meditation on their phology of the human form, the
vives the tap, the alchemist can own idealized, or desired, form. body refusing transformations
tap them again in a week for too outlandish and fantastical
more elixir. They need not pay This knowledge makes the to be without the wondrous
the distillation cost again, but expertise of the Alchemist a valu- spectrum of human anatomy.
the vessel pays the Health cost able and desired commodity even
(3 Aggravated damage) each to those Kindred who loathe their The imbiber makes a
time they are tapped. very existence. Duskborn openly Stamina + Resolve roll against
offering services like these are more a difficulty of 8 minus the suc-
profane hieros gamos likely to be coerced to work or kid- cesses on the distillation roll. If
napped than paid handsomely. the imbiber is a vampire, they
To the Alchemist, rebirth and ■■ Ingredients: The alchemist’s add their Bane Severity to the
renewal are not locked behind the difficulty of the check.
ritual of sacred union between two Blood, melancholic and phleg-
opposites. Through the power of matic human blood, entheo- On a win, the transforma-
their mercurial vitae the Alchemist genic substances tion process is successful and
■■ Activation Cost: One Rouse their physical body molds to
Check or One point of Ag-

286

DISCIPLINES

the desired shape. A critical win gerous mission they are attempting These formulae take a month
can grant and remove Merits to inveigle the Alchemist’s coterie to distill and at least three years to
and Flaws of the Looks category, into carrying out. research.
though like all Advantages they
need to be paid for with Experi- These formulae take at least awaken the sleeper
ence points (p. 180). A messy three nights to distill and at least
critical or a bestial failure might three months to research. This formula results in an elixir
cause a new Flaw to manifest, which, when added to human blood,
ranging from Repulsive, Obvi- airborne momentum can awaken a vampire from Torpor.
ous Predator, Stigmata or even ■■ Ingredients: The alchemist’s
Organovore as the Beast inter- This formula enables the alchemist
feres with the transformation. to lift themselves from the ground, Blood, choleric or sanguine
achieving a state of swift flight human blood, adrenaline,
Not even the blood of or floating. They can fly in any ammonium carbonate, hart-
the Duskborn can spare the direction, including up or down, shorn, caffeine or benzedrine,
Nosferatu from their Bane, the though their carrying capacity is melatonin
process incorporating the clan's limited. ■■ System: The alchemist taps their
hideous affliction despite the ■■ Ingredients: The alchemist’s vessel (Calcinatio), or their own
user's mental image.. vein (Athanor Corporis) to get
■■ Duration: Permanent until Blood, choleric and sanguine the Awaken the Sleeper elixir
performed again. human blood, champagne, bird if they do not use Fixatio. They
blood, helium, scopolamine or then mix the elixir into human
Level 4 belladonna extract blood. For each success above 2
■■ Activation Cost: One Rouse on the distillation roll, the elixir
At Level 4, the Alchemist can de- Check can awaken a vampire of that
velop formulae to counterfeit level ■■ Dice Pools: Strength + Al- Blood Potency.
3 powers of other Disciplines. chemy vs Strength+Athletics (if Example: Hari gets 5 successes on
resisted) his Awaken the Sleeper distillation
At this level, all formulae also ■■ System: The potion enables the roll: this elixir can awaken a torpid
require a drop of vitae from a vam- alchemist (and only them) to vampire of Blood Potency 3 or less
pire of a matching clan or from one fly or hover at approximately (5 – 2 = 3).
who already possesses the counter- running speed. The flier can ■■ Athanor Corporis: The alche-
feited Discipline. For example, to carry a human-sized mass, mist can tap their own vein once
counterfeit Shapechange the Al- though their speed drops to per night for this elixir until
chemist needs vitae from a vampire walking speed. Grabbing and their next feeding, or until they
with Protean or from a Gangrel. carrying aloft an unwilling reach Hunger 5. They need not
The Gangrel would not have to pos- subject or pulling the flier pay the distillation cost again.
sess Protean 3, or even have Protean to the ground both require a ■■ Calcinatio: If the vessel survives
at all; the power is in the Blood, not contest between the alchemist’s the tap, the alchemist can tap
the specific vampire. Strength + Alchemy and the them again in a week for more
other’s Strength + Athletics. elixir. They need not pay the
As noted above, this drop does ■■ Duration: One scene distillation cost again, but the
not cost the donor any Health, nor vessel pays the Health cost (5
does it convey a Blood Bond. That Level 5 Aggravated damage) each time
said, Alchemists generally only get they are tapped. The Alchemist
such donations as the result of a At level 5, the Alchemist can de- can also simply feed the vessel’s
major Boon – or because the donor velop formulae to counterfeit level blood to the sleeper directly ■
has some truly horrible and dan- 4 powers of other Disciplines.

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

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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 ■

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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

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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 have 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:

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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.

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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.

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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