TREMERE - ELITE

ABILITY SET: AUSPEX, DOMINATE, THAUMATURGY

Given their insular ways and special capabilities, Tremere Kindred have a decided difference from other vampires. Their very origin tells of their superiority in bringing on vampirism willingly, rather than suffering the indignity of a curse. These differences spread the poisonous doctrine of the Elite, who believe in the superiority of the Tremere over other clans and in the ultimate victory of the Tremere clan against all other Kindred in the Jyhad. 

Members of the Elite work quietly to press their supremacy— a murdered Kindred here, a discredited rival there, a patsy indebted with Thaumaturgy in another place. Each one becomes a piece converted to serve the Tremere or removed entirely from the picture. 

The Elite jealously guard clan secrets and believe that the Tremere pyramid, the will of Tremere himself and their own talents show that the Tremere are not simply another clan, but a new step in vampire existence.

Some extremists among the already-radical Elite have taken to the dangerous practice of hunting other Kindred, especially those who uncover clan secrets. While ranking Tremere frown upon dissemination of clan information, they frown even more sternly upon crazed zealots making enemies through wanton killing. 

Unfortunately, this does not stop the Elite. They believe that natural Tremere superiority justifies their actions. Small groups of Elite apprentices covertly meet to discuss ways to make the clan stronger, discuss plots to topple Tremere “assimilators” who work freely with other Kindred, and means to destroy those few who manage to wrest Thaumaturgy or hidden lore from the Tremere. Indeed, it’s rumored that modern Elite require prospective members to hunt and kill a non-Tremere thaumaturge, and that they use special rituals to do so. 

Elite also participate actively in hunting down rogues, under the guise of cleansing their ranks of the unworthy. Since its formation in the late 18th century, the faction has drawn its fair share of derision from the less rabid mainstream clan. The group’s activities meet a mixed reception. Elders publicly decry such heavy-handed tactics, but sometimes privately approve of the removal of a problem Kindred. Many Tremere consider the society little more than a bigoted gang, while members themselves rally to the cause of their own righteousness.

Their distrust of the other clans is on par with the worst of human racism. The Elite are rumored to use the Inquisition and other Vampire Hunters to search out members of the other Clans and have them destroyed. These rumors are of course denied and any who actually defend this course point out that the further rumors of diablerie are ludicrous. The Order is rumored to have perfected magic and rituals that search out sleeping members of the other clans so they can be tracked down and destroyed. A preemptive strike before these sleepers can turn on the House and Clan.

CLAN TREMERE - ELITE

Nickname: Sovereigns

Disciplines: Auspex, Dominate, Thaumaturgy

Weakness:  Tremere dependency on blood is even more pronounced than that of other Kindred. It takes only two draughts of another vampire’s blood for a Tremere to become blood bound instead of the normal three — the first drink counts as if the Tremere had taken two drinks. (For more information on the blood bond, seep. 286).  

Strength: 

Appearance: Elites enjoy reminding the world that they are "elite," and they dress accordingly. However, their fashion choices are reminiscent in some way to those of the late middle ages to the early Renaissance. Typically this ends up being an eclectic or even anachronistic combination of modern couture styles accented with late 1400s through to the 1600s elements. For example, a Versace suit with a damask or brocade vest or tie, and a draped black-on-black design cloak. Or, a Christian Dior dress with lapels elaborately embroidered in gold, sporting a draping solid gold and emerald medallion belt. Elites also love their jewelry. Gems and gold are their favorite adornments, but never in a garish way. They are more prone to keep their fashions elegant and accessorize with a single impressive showy piece.

Haven: Elite's spend much of their time in research in the central Chantry. Their private homes range in style from Renaissance to modern based on their tastes, and decorated with items that reflect the time periods in which they were first embraced. Though there is usually a private or hidden room for their personal libraries, labs, or even a dungeon-like room for entertaining "special" guests.

Embrace: Elites are very discriminating in those they select to embrace. Childer are almost always from prestigious backgrounds of wealth and influence. Their philosophy is that it is easier to teach a Childe the ways of the Vampire than it is to teach one how to be an aristocrat. 

Elites are known to nurture whole family lines of mortals, selecting the cream of the crop every couple of centuries or so to embrace. There are Tremere Elites who have bragged the royal family of England is one of them, citing the missing young princes King Edward V and his brother Richard the Duke of York as those culled from the castle and Embraced when they were of sufficient age. 

The story goes the deed was done in a deal made with their nefarious uncle, Richard Duke of Gloucester - who then became King Richard III. Richard didn't just want the princes dead, he wanted to ensure their bodies were never found, nor any evidence of their demise. This would ensure those supporting the crowning of young King Edward V from having any reason to rebel.

The Elites guaranteed this. Sometime in late June 1483, members of the Elite absconded with the boys, Dominated away a good part of their identities, then relocated them out of the country to be groomed for their inevitable Embrace. In return, Richard promised the Tremere his support, lands, money and titles once he was crowned King of England. Members of the Elite, eager for their reward, then successfully Dominated several members of Parliament to declare the princes illegitimate, who then declared Richard king on July 6, 1483 shortly after.

Unfortunately, and much to his later regret, Richard failed to hold up his end of the bargain with the Tremere Elite after he was crowned King of England. On August 22, 1485, Richard and his army were defeated by the inferior forces of Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Even though Richard's army well outnumbered Henry's, the Tremere Elite had entered into a new agreement with Henry and greatly tipped the scales in his favor, ensuring an overwhelming victory over Richard's superior forces. Henry then became king and, learning from the devastating mistakes of his predecessor, honored their agreement to the letter.

Character Creation: Mental Skills are prominent among the Tremere. Many have high points in both Willpower and Occult, but the Elite are less likely to have much in the way of Physical Skills. They feel it is beneath them to exert themselves in such ways when it is much preferred to hire someone else to do the "heavy lifting" when it comes to physical fighting and violence. However, of all the Tremere Elites are more likely to invest heavily in those disciplines of Mental Attacks. Having a knack for Dominate, many Elites seek to find other such skills that defeat enemies without lifting a finger.

While diversity of abilities and skills is wise, Tremere benefit most if they stick to investing in those that raise their Mental Defense and Mental Attack. They often favor endeavors that heighten their relationship to the Clan, such as a titled leader of the Inner Circle.  

Background: The Elites diverge only slightly from other Tremere, most significantly in their desire to promote their supremacy over all Kindred. While other Tremere "believe" they are superior, Elite Tremere "know" they are superior and seek out ways to prove and/or enforce it. This does not always go over well with the Ivory Tower, who has accused the Elites of, delicately speaking, not playing well with others, as well as "Inserting themselves into affairs that do not concern them."

To illustrate such accusations, the Elite are often reminded of their failures leading up to and during the French Revolution, when the Elite Tremere held the powerful offices of Prince in both Paris and Versailles. Without going into all the lurid details of that debacle, the princes of these two beautiful cities greatly influenced the French nobility, nurtured an insurmountable divide between the aristocracy and the common people of France, aided significantly in gaining power for Queen-consort Marie Antoinette that deteriorated her already fragile popularity, and nearly single-handedly destroyed the very monarchy they hoped to support. There is, of course, much more to this story but it's rather pointless to drudge up such unfortunate history and the symphony of mistakes that took place during this time period. However, Kindred have very long memories and 300 years is merely a snap of the fingers to many.

ELITE TREMERE ABILITIES

AUSPEX

Auspex gives the vampire uncanny sensory abilities. Vampires with Auspex start with the capacity to heighten their natural senses significantly, but as they grow in power they can perceive psychic auras and read the thoughts of another being. 

Auspex can also pierce through mental illusions such as those created by Obfuscate. However, vampires with Auspex need to be careful. Their increased sensory sensitivity can cause them to be drawn in by beautiful things or stunned by loud noises and pungent smells. Sudden or dynamic events can disorient an Auspex-using character unless the Player makes a Willpower roll to block them out (difficulty of at least 60 and dependent on the Storyteller's call,) although the more potent the source of distraction, the higher the difficulty. Failure overwhelms the character’s senses, making the Auspex-using vampire oblivious to their surroundings for a turn or two. While the Malkavians and Toreador are more prone to these kinds of distractions, the Tremere and Tzimisce aren’t immune. Dots in Perception are very useful for using Auspex powers, as more points purchased in this ability will help the character gain more sensory information.

◉◎◎◎◎◎◎◎: Auspex 1 - Heightened Senses (Buff)   

• Permanent: Adds +5 Physical Attack, Physical Defense, Mental Skill and Athletics/Reflexes.
• The vampire can automatically pass checks to keep their balance, and the vampire suffers no penalty to dodging gunfire without cover.

Base Roll: N/A
Mod: N/A
Energy/Blood Cost: 1 pt.
Damage: 0
Duration: 2 Turns

Description:

This power increases the acuity of all of the vampire’s senses, effectively doubling the clarity and range of sight, hearing, smell and perception. While the vampire's senses of taste, touch and observation extend no farther than normal, they likewise become far more distinct. For example, the vampire could taste and identify the hint of liquor in a victim’s blood or feel the give of the board concealing a hollow space in the floor. When speaking with someone, they will sense if they are being lied to or someone is attempting to deceive them.

The Kindred may magnify his/her/their senses at will, sustaining this heightened focus for as long as the vampire desires. At the Storyteller’s option, this may make hunting easier. Occasionally, this talent provides extrasensory or even precognitive insights. 

These brief, unfocused glimpses may be odd premonitions, flashes of empathy, or eerie feelings of foreboding. The vampire has no control over these perceptions, but with practice can learn to interpret them with a fair degree of accuracy. 

Expanded senses come at a price, however. Bright lights, loud noises and strong smells present a hazard while the vampire uses this power. In addition to the possibility for distraction, an especially sudden or potent stimulus (like the glare of a spotlight or a clap of thunder) can blind or deafen the Kindred for an hour or more.

System: 

It takes a reflexive action and the expenditure of Blood/Energy points to activate this ability, but no roll is required.  In certain circumstances, a Storyteller may request a dice roll associated with using the character’s sense (Mod Auspex level, Willpower and Mental Skill). The Storyteller may also use this power to see if the character perceives a threat. In this case, the Storyteller privately rolls the character’s unmodified Auspex rating, applying whatever difficulty he feels best suits the circumstances. For example, sensing that a pistol is pointed at the back of the character’s head may require a roll of difficulty 50, while the sudden realization that a rival for Primogen is planning her assassination may require a 90. 

Note that even this “precognition” comes only as a result of interpreting details the Kindred is able to notice "while actively using Auspex." It’s not an all-purpose insight or miraculous revelation. At the character’s discretion, he/she/they may selectively heighten one specific sense, rather than turning them up. In these cases, the difficulty to perceive stimuli using that sense drops by -10, but the difficulty to avoid distraction or temporary bedazzlement via the enhanced sense increases by +20.

This power does not let characters see in pitch darkness, but it does reduce difficulty penalties to act in such darkness by -10, and the character may make ranged attacks in pitch darkness if the vampire using Auspex can hear, smell, or otherwise detect her foe via the senses.

◉◉◎◎◎◎◎◎: Auspex 2 - Aura Perception (Mental Skill)   

Base Roll: 60
Mod: Willpower, Mental Skill
Energy/Blood Cost: 3 pts.
Damage: 0
Duration: 1 Turn

Description:

Using this power, the vampire can perceive the psychic “auras” that radiates about mortals and supernatural beings alike. These halos comprise a shifting, swirling series of colors that take practice to discern with any level of clarity. Even the simplest individual can have many shifting hues within his aura; strong emotions predominate, while momentary impressions or deep secrets flash through in streaks and swirls. The colors change in response to the subject’s emotional state, blending into new tones in a constantly dancing pattern of emotions and impulses. The stronger the emotions involved, the more intense the hues become. 

A skilled vampire can learn much from her subject by reading the nuances of color and brilliance in the aura’s flow. Aside from perceiving emotional states, vampires use Aura Perception to detect supernatural beings. The colors in Kindred auras, while intense, are quite pale, while mage halos often flare and crackle with arcane power. The race of shapeshifters has strikingly bright, almost frantic, auras, and ghosts have weak auras that flicker fitfully like a dying flame. While a faerie creature's aura is vivid and radiant, streaked with capricious rainbow hues.

System: 

After the character stares at the subject for at least a few seconds and makes a successful roll, use the chart below to determine how much of the subject’s aura the Player's character sees and understands (see the table below). A failure indicates that the play of colors and patterns yields no prevailing impression. A botch indicates a false or erroneous interpretation. The Storyteller may wish to make this roll, thus keeping the player in the dark as to the veracity of the character’s interpretation.

Roll Chart:

1-10: BOTCH! You may unknowingly perceive a false impression of the Aura. Exactly if or what that error in perception is will be determined by the Storyteller. Whether you are told fact, fiction or a mixture of the two will be unknown to you.

11-30:  The play of colors and patterns yields no prevailing impression to you at this time.

31-50:  You can distinguish only the intensity of the aura (pale or bright), but not its color. This gives you information on how strongly the subject feels at the time, but not what they are feeling.

51-60: You can distinguish the main color of the aura and the intensity.

61-70:  You can recognize the main color and the secondary color patterns in the aura, including the intensity of in both.

71-90:  You can detect the main and secondary color patterns in the aura, the intensity of those two patterns, plus any subtle shifts between the them that might indicate duplicity or one pattern threatening to overcome the other. For example, reading the aura of someone who's girlfriend is breaking up with them might show the blue colors of love shifting to the silver hues of sadness, then blazing into the red of anger. If you watch long enough, perhaps it will shift again to the gray of depression or a confused mottle hue of shifting colors.

91-100+:  You can detect the main and secondary color patterns in the aura, the intensity of those two patterns, plus any subtle shifts between the them that might indicate duplicity or one pattern threatening to overcome the other. (See example in 71-90).  In addition to knowing all the emotions depicted in the aura, their exact mix within it and their intensity, you also get a strong sense of the person's intent in regards to these emotions. As in the example above, the jilted boyfriend with an intense shade of angry red and shifts of silver sadness might also display vibrant flashes of aggressive purple. This would indicate that the man "intends" to direct these intense emotions against his girlfriend's new boyfriend, or her sister if he believes his girlfriend has been influenced her against him. This aggression could be physical and murderous, or sneaky and vengeful (slash the tires of her car or attempt to get her fired from work). 

◉◉◉◎◎◎◎◎: Auspex 3 - Spirits Touch (Mental Skill)   

Base Roll: 20
Mod: Willpower, Mental Skill
Energy/Blood Cost: 5 pts.
Damage: 0
Duration: Takes One Full Turn

Description: 

When someone handles an object for any length of time, that person leaves a psychic impression on the item. A vampire with this level of Auspex can “read” these sensations, learning who handled the object, when he last held it, and what was done with it recently. (For these purposes, a corpse counts as an “object” and can be read accordingly since it is merely a body without life.) 

These visions are seldom clear and detailed, registering more like a kind of “psychic snapshot.” Still, the Kindred can learn much even from such a glimpse. Although most visions concern the last person to handle the item, a long-time owner leaves a stronger impression than someone who held the object briefly in comparison.

Gleaning information from the spiritual residue requires the vampire to hold the object and enter a shallow trance. She is only marginally aware of her surroundings while using The Spirit’s Touch, but a loud noise or jarring physical sensation breaks the trance instantly.

System: 

The player makes a successful roll, modified by their Willpower and Mental Skill. The Storyteller will provide a bonus of 0%-50% on the roll, depending on how strong (or weak) the psychic impression is imbedded on the item. The Player can add this percentage manually into their HUD before they roll.

The difficulty for any object is determined by 1) the age of the impressions, 2) the intensity of the events the object was involved in, 3) and the mental and/or spiritual strength of the person who possessed it. Sensing information from a pistol used for a murder hours ago may provide a 40% bonus, while learning who first owned a bloodstained puppet fashioned a century ago might only give a 5% bonus. However, the same puppet might provide a 50% bonus regarding the blood on the puppet if the event was intense or led to the loss of life. 

The greater the individual’s emotional connection to the object, the stronger the impression he leaves on it — and the more information the Kindred can glean from it. However, a very old gold necklace that was worn for many decades by a long deceased woman could easily carry her imprint for a hundred years after her death, even if the item had experienced no intense negative/positive connection. This might make it more difficult to read through the years of following contact clutter to find out more recent events involving the necklace or who most recently owned it.

Events involving strong emotions (a wedding/birthday gift, a torture, a long family history, murder of passion) likewise leave stronger impressions than short or casual contact do.  (See the Roll Chart below.)

Roll Chart:

1-10: BOTCH! The character is overwhelmed by psychic impressions for the next 3 turns and is unable to act.

11-19: No information of any real value can be gleaned from the object. If the price tag is still on it, you will know how much it cost.

20-29: Very basic information, such as the last owner’s gender or hair color, for instance.

30-49: The information above, plus a second piece of basic information, such as if the owner wore glasses or a hat, a scent or a taste, etc.

50-69: All the information above, plus more useful information about the last owner, such as age and state of mind the last time he/she/they had the object physically in their possession, the intensity of that emotion, the time of day they last had it, etc.

70-89: You get all the previous information, plus the owner's name who possessed the object the longest, as well as what happened to the object immediately after it was passed to another. This would include all the events and information regarding when it exchanged hands. While the names of the successive owners may be missing or rather vague, the Player's Character can give an excellent and detailed physical description of all the owners.

90+: The Player's Character receives a wealth of information, nearly anything they want to know about the person’s relationship with that object is available, including a complete history of the item, who owned it, their names, and for how long. You can see flashes of events in which the object was present, as if you were the object. These flashes can include scents, visuals and sounds like snippets of a movie.

◉◉◉◉◎◎◎◎: Auspex 4 - Telepathy (Mental Attack)   

Base Roll: 30
Mod: Mental Skill and Mental Attack
Def: Mental Defense
Energy/Blood Cost: 8 pts.
Damage: 0
Duration: Takes One Full Turn

Description: 

The vampire can project a portion of her consciousness into a nearby mortal’s mind, creating a mental link through which she can:

     1) Communicate wordlessly or even read the target’s deepest thoughts, OR
     2) Project a thought into the target mortal's mind. 

When reading thoughts, the Kindred “hears” in her own mind the thoughts plucked from a subject as if they were spoken to her. When attempting to place a thought into the target mortal's mind, it is perceived as if it were the target's own thought. In either case, the mortal is none the wiser.

This is one of the most potent vampiric abilities since, given time, a Kindred can learn virtually anything from a subject without the person ever knowing. Or place a thought into the mind of a mortal. The Tremere and Tzimisce in particular find this power especially useful in gleaning secrets from others, or for directing their mortal followers with silent precision.

• NOTE: This can only be used on mortals and is not effective on vampires, Garou, spirits or fae. Attempting to do so will have the non-mortal unaffected, but certainly looking around angrily for the source of the attack.

System: 

Projecting or reading thoughts are separate rolls. They are the same skill, but much like you cannot breath in and breath out at the same time, telepathically reading or placing thoughts requires separate actions. The vampire must declare which they will attempt to perform before they make their roll. 

The Player makes a successful roll, modified by their Mental Skill and Mental Attack. The target may choose to defend by rolling against the vampire Player's roll, modified by the target's own Mental Defense.

If the mortal target makes their roll and successfully defends against this mental attack, the vampire fails to read the person's mind and the target is none the wiser. If the vampire is attempting to place a thought into the mind of the mortal, the target will recognize that the aberrant thought is not their own, but the target does not know from whence it came. The mortal may be puzzled or confused by the thought, then simply dismiss it as an odd experience. They might consider it as the results of too much wine, drugs or lack of sleep and think on it no more.

If the mortal target fails their defense roll, the vampire will be able to read the thought(s), or the vampire will successfully project a thought(s) into his/her/their mind. If the target is a Player Character, they will privately send the thought(s) in an IM to the vampire character's Player.

Reading minds or placing thoughts into the the minds of mortals can be a convoluted journey and must be accomplished in layers, like peeling an onion. For the most part, the human mind is a messy landfill of urges, impulses, emotions, song lyrics and trivia. The stronger your roll, the more you will be able to cut through the chatter and read/communicate meaningful thoughts. 

Roll Chart:

1-10: BOTCH! Not only are you unable to read or place a thought into the mortal's mind, you will be able to attempt any kind of telepathy for the rest of the scene. And now you have a brutal headache.

11-29: You can read the target's thoughts, but cannot choose the subject of that thought. It will be whatever is at the top of the person's mind, whatever they are thinking of at the moment. If attempting to place a thought in the mind of the target, you are only able to communicate a vague underlying emotion or condition, such as hunger/thirst, anger, curiosity, boredom, interest, suspicion, etc. The emotion/condition is not strong enough for the target to instantly act on it and they may choose to ignore it if they so wish. 

30-59: You are successful in placing or reading a single directed thought. If reading a thought, it will be one related to what you are specifically looking for, such as "Where are the car keys?" "Who do you love?", "Who killed Bob?", "What is your bank PIN?" These thoughts cannot be longer than five words. If placing a thought, it too can only be a maximum of five words.

60-79: You successfully place/read a single thought comprised of no more than two full sentences. If placing these thoughts, the target will treat them as if they are their own thoughts and act on them unless if violates their own self preservation. For example, you can't place a thought of suicide in the mind of a person, or make them jump of a building. However, the vampire can instill a sense that the target is getting cheated in a deal they are in the process of negotiating, or that the guy sitting next to them is hitting on their wife/girlfriend. The target will feel this thought came from their own mind and react appropriately. If attempting to read the target's mind on a single subject, the target will IM the character's Player and communicate their honest, unfiltered thoughts on the subject in two full and complete sentences.

80-99: If reading the person's mind, the target will tell you exactly what they know and think about the particular subject in as many words as it takes, but a minimum of five sentences. Even if it is a deep secret or something they would never tell another soul, they will confess everything to themselves in the perceived safety of their own mind...and the vampire.

If placing a thought in the target's mind, the vampire can use as many sentences as they wish to get their point across, motivate the target to an action, or make it irresistible to ignore. The target will understand the thoughts perfectly, but hear the words in their own voice.

100+: You get all the information from above, but when reading minds you get the full 3D experience as if you were there. For example, if you want to know everything the target knows about the death of Bob, he will not just tell you what happened, he will share the full memory of how it happened as if it were you own memory. This will include what was said, who pulled the trigger, what happened to the body, the smell of blood in the room, the sound the hacksaw made when it cut Bob apart, where they hid the body and any other evidence, etc. Even if the target wasn't the one who killed Bob or was present at the murder, he will share the memory of how and when he learned of Bob's death, what he knows of the murder and every little detail. 

If placing a thought in the mind of the target, the thought will become an actual memory. For example, if the vampire places the thought "Your wife is cheating on you with the guy who just walked into the bar. Remember that phone call and the photos that were mailed to you? That's the guy!" the target will visualize a memory of seeing the man and his wife together in a photo. The full memory will be up to the target to fill in the details per their own imagination. 

◉◉◉◉◉◎◎◎: Auspex 5 - Psychic Projection (Mental Skill)   

Base Roll: 80
Mod: Willpower & Mental Skill
Def: n/a
Energy/Blood Cost: 8 pts.
Damage: 0
Duration: Takes One Full Turn

Description: 

Vampires with this awesome ability project their senses out of their physical shell, and stepping away from their bodies as entities of pure thought. The vampire’s astral form is immune to physical damage or fatigue, and can “fly” with blinding speed anywhere across the earth — or even underground — so long as they remain below the moon’s orbit.

There is a danger in psychic projection. The Kindreds' material forms lie in a torpid state while their astral selves are active, and the vampires are not aware of anything that befalls their bodies until they return to it. This leaves them vulnerable and open to attacks.

An ephemeral silver cord connects the Kindred’s psyche to his/her/their bodies. If this cord is severed, their consciousness becomes stranded in the astral plane (the realm of ghosts, spirits, and shades). Attempting to return to the vampire’s physical shell is a long and terrifying ordeal, especially since there is no guarantee that the Kindred will accomplish the journey successfully. This significant danger keeps many Kindred from leaving their bodies for long, but those who dare can learn much.

System: 

The vampire finds a safe place for their body and makes a successful roll. If the roll is not successful, they may continue to try again in two turns. Unfortunately, a botch can have catastrophic consequences.  

If the roll is successful, exactly how high the roll is determines where and how far they are able to travel. (See Roll Chart below.)

An astral form may travel at great speeds (the Storyteller can use roughly 1000 miles per hour or 1500 kilometers per hour as a general guide) and carries no clothing or material objects of any kind. 

Some artifacts are said to exist in the spirit world, and the character can try to use one of these tools if the vampire finds one. The character cannot bring such relics to the physical world upon returning, however. Interaction with the physical world is impossible while using Psychic Projection. At best, the character may spend 3 Blood/Energy points to manifest as a ghostlike shape. This apparition lasts one turn before fading away; while she can’t manipulate anything physically during this time, the character can speak in hushed whispers while in the ghostlike shape.

Despite lacking physical substance, an astral character can use Auspex and mental skills normally. At the Storyteller’s discretion, such a character may employ some or all Animalism, Dementation, Dominate, Necromancy, Obtenebration, Presence, Thaumaturgy, and similar non-corporeal mental powers the vampire has acquired. 

Astral Shapes Meeting Each Other
If two astral shapes encounter one another, they  can interact as if they were solid. They may talk, touch, and even fight as if both were in the material world. Since they have no physical bodies, astral characters seeking to interact “physically” substitute Physical Abilities for Mental Abilities. This means mental skills, attack and defense numbers replace physical Attacks, Skills and Defense. Willpower is the modifier on all rolls.

Due to the lack of a material form, the only real way to damage another psychic entity is to cut its silver cord connecting the spirit to the physical body. When fighting this way, consider Willpower points x10 to be health points; when combatants lose all their Willpower Points, the cord is severed. Although an astrally-projected character remains in the reflection of the mortal world, she may venture further into the spirit realms, especially if she becomes lost. 

Other beings with particular sensitivity to psychic activity, such as ghosts, werewolves, and even some magi, travel the astral plane as well, and can interact with a vampire’s psychic presence normally (although the astrally projected character is not considered a “ghost” for powers such as Necromancy). 

Storytellers are encouraged to make trips into the spirit world as bizarre, mysterious, and dreamlike as possible. The world beyond is a vivid and fantastic place, where the true nature of things is stronger and often strikingly different from their earthly appearances.

Roll Chart:

1-10: BOTCH! Your body is flung to a random, unknown destination anywhere in the world. If that place is in the sunlight, you will need to roll for frenzy...even though the sunlight will not harm your spirit self. After two turns, you will need to refocus your efforts, spend another 8 points of Blood/Energy and make an unmodified roll of 80 to return. The return trip will not be pleasant. Re-entering your body will cause all bodily functions to spontaneously erupt as every muscle will convulse. 

IF you botch a second time, the vampire's psychic cord connecting their spirit to their body snaps, stranding the character’s psychic form in the mysterious astral plane.

11-79: Whatever the reason, you were not able to achieve Psychic Projection. You will need to expend 8 more Blood/Energy points and wait another two turns to clear your mind, focus and try again.

80-85: You can project to any place that is line of sight.

86-89: You can project to a familiar location within your city, or anyplace in your country.

90-95: You can travel to an unfamiliar place within your city, or a familiar place anyplace in the world.

96+: You can travel to anyplace on earth or above it, as long as you remain beneath the orbit of the moon. Travel beyond the moon is not possible using Psychic Projection.

◉◉◉◉◉◎◎◎: Auspex 6 - Eagle's Sight (Buff)   

Base Roll: 60
Mod: Mental Skill
Def: n/a
Energy/Blood Cost: 6 pts.
Damage: 0
Duration: Two Turns
Affects: Adds permanent bonuses -

• +10 Athletics/Reflexes
• +10 Initiative

Description: 

By using Eagles Sight, the vampire can mentally fly like a bird and visually see the land and all beneath them with complete clarity. This is different than Psychic Projection since the vampire's spirit never leaves his/her/their body completely and they can "snap out of it" at any time without injury or disorientation. 

Like the eagle, the vampire using this skill has a 340-degree field of vision that allows for both excellent peripheral and binocular vision. For example, an eagle is capable of sighting a rabbit two miles away (or 3.2 kilometers) while in flight the vampire can travel between 20-40 miles per hour (32-64 km) in normal flight at altitudes of 10,000 feet or more. 

System:

The vampire takes one full turn to focus their energy, spends 6 pts. of Blood/Energy and makes a successful roll. The effect lasts for another two full turns of scanning the area as they mentally fly above the area, or until they end the ability. If the vampire is attacked by surprise while in this state, they suffer a -5% defense penalty on the first attack and all initiative.

The vampire still has access to his own hearing and other senses (not including sight). Think of it like wearing VR goggles playing a video game. You can't see what's going on around you, but you can still hear, touch and smell.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◎: Auspex 7 - Psychic Assault (Attack)   

Base Roll: 70
Mod: Mental Attack & Mental Skill
Def: Willpower & Mental Defense
Energy/Blood Cost: 14 pts.
Damage: 42
Duration: Takes One Full Turn

Description: 

Psychic Assault is nothing less than a direct mind-to-mind attack which uses the sheer force of an elder’s will to overpower his target. Victims of Psychic Assault show little outward sign of the attack, save for nosebleeds and expressions of intense agony; all injuries by means of this psychic pressure inflicted are internal. A medical examination of a mortal victim of a Psychic Assault invariably shows the cause of death to be a heart attack, stroke or aneurysm, while vampires killed with this power decay to dust instantly, regardless of age.

System: 

The character must touch or make eye direct contact with his target. The player spends 14 Energy/Blood points and makes a successful roll, modified by Mental Attack and Mental Skill. The target rolls to defend against the attack. If they fail their roll, the target takes 42 points of damage.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉: Auspex 8 - Spirit Link (Mental Skill)   

Base Roll: 90
Mod: Willpower, Mental Attack & Mental Skill
Def: None
Energy/Blood Cost: 8 pts.
Damage: n/a
Duration: Lasts for the length of the scene
Permanent Buffs: 

• +10 Physical Attack
• +10 Physical Defense
• +5 Initiative

Description: 

This powerful ability allows higher-level vampires to mentally link their minds to the minds of any other being or creature. When used on sentient beings, the vampire can mentally link and communicate via hold an ongoing dialogue with any number of people at the same time. Everyone the vampire has selected to link to can hear him in their minds, and also hear the minds of all others in the linked conversation. Distance is not a factor. When used on animal minds, the communication is very limited. The vampire can speak to animals and it will respond as if it physically heard the words, but the animal can only provide an emotional response, such as happy, sad, frightened, angry, confused, anticipation, etc.

An Unexpected Side Effect
For the purpose of conducting group meetings with her clan members across the globe, this skill was developed by an elder Toreador Primogen many hundreds of years ago before modern mass communication. However, she did not anticipate the side effect this type of mental link would have on her. While it worked perfectly in linking multiple minds through her own for an open dialogue, the skill itself effected her own mind in a way she could not control. In essence, she could never fully turn off the skill. 

Such a thing could easily have caused a vampire to go insane. Fortunately for her, it had a powerful and unforeseen effect that forced her to continually reach out and touch the minds of all those around her, giving her a split second impression of impulses and basic non-verbal thought. The ability was reflexive, weak and easily unnoticeable in her normal activities. However, when she was in combat situations she found this constant stream of information allowed her to anticipate the defenses and attacks of her opponents without effort. With practice she honed the skill and became a Master of combat, often seen by the Prince's side to defend him against attacks and settle disagreements on his behalf with the sword.

System:

The Vampire expends 8 points of Blood/Energy points and makes a successful roll. He can then IM or set up a Group IM Chat IN CHARACTER with as many "Characters" (Player-Characters or NPCs) as he wishes. The vampires mind serves as a hub from which all participants can communicate freely. His communication must be notecarded. And the IM/Group Chat communication must include the Storyteller, even though they are not an active part of the In-Character conversation. 

However, if the vampire is attacked or he somehow loses focus, the communication is instantly severed. Length of the "call" is the duration of a scene, unless ended by the Vampire.

The combat bonuses/buffs for those purchasing this skill are permanent and always active.

DOMINATE

Dominate is one of the most dreaded of Disciplines. It is a vampire’s ability to influence another person’s thoughts and actions through her own force of will. Dominate requires that the vampire capture her victim’s gaze. As such, it may be used against only one subject at a time. 

Further, commands must be issued verbally, although simple orders may be made with signs. For example, a pointed finger and forceful expression to indicate “Go!” However, the subject won’t comply if he can’t understand the vampire, no matter how powerful the Kindred’s will is.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, vampires to which Dominate comes naturally tend to be from willful, domineering Clans. The Giovanni, Lasombra, Tremere, and Ventrue all consider an iron will to be a boon, and are eager to impose that iron will on any who would move against them.

While considered to be one of the more powerful of the Cainite abilities, there are two factors that must be present before it can be used on a victim:

1. The user must meet the eyes of the target and must speak in a language that is clearly heard and understood by the target.
   
   
2. Discipline cannot be used upon Cainites of lower generation and cannot force someone to be self-destructive or defy their Nature. 

Using Dominate is often considered very heavy-handed, hardly appropriate within what passes for polite vampiric society and typically used by those who cannot assert their will by other means. However, it tends to be favored by vampires of age and status as an efficient means of enforcing their authority.

◉◎◎◎◎◎◎◎: Dominate 1 - Command (Attack)   

• Base Roll: 60
• Energy/Blood Cost: 3
• Damage: 0
• Mods: Willpower 
• Resist: Willpower can be rolled each turn to resist
• Duration: Three Turns
• Permanent Affects: 
  • +5 Mental Skill

Description: 
The vampire locks eyes with the subject and speaks a one-word command, which the subject must be obey instantly. The order must be clear and straight forward: run, agree, fall, yawn, jump, laugh, surrender, stop, scream, follow. 

If the command is at all confusing or ambiguous, the subject may respond slowly or perform the task poorly. The subject cannot be ordered to do something directly harmful to herself, so a command like “die” is ineffective.

The command may be included in a sentence, thereby concealing the power’s use from others. This effort at subtlety still requires the Kindred to make eye contact at the proper moment and stress the key word slightly. An alert bystander — or even the victim —may notice the emphasis. Still, unless she’s conversant with supernatural powers, the individual is likely to attribute the utterance and the subsequent action to bizarre coincidence.

System: 
The Player makes a successful roll. If the target fails their Resist Roll, they will follow the command to the best of their ability. The Command lasts for a total of 3 Turns. Each turn, the Target may again choose to resist. A successful resist negates the Command for the remainder of the turns. However, the Vampire may use another turn to reassert the Command if he/she/they choose.

Remember, too, that being commanded to act against one’s Nature confounds the use of this power. Being told to “sleep!” in a dangerous situation or “attack!” in police custody may not have the desired effect, or indeed, any effect at all.

◉◉◎◎◎◎◎◎: Dominate 2 - Mesmerize (Mental Skill)   

• Base Roll: 70
• Energy/Blood Cost: 2
• Damage: 0
• Mods: Willpower, Mental Skill 
• Resist: Willpower 
• Duration: For the duration of the scene, or until a request has been fulfilled
• Permanent Affects: 
  • +5 Mental Attack
  • +5 Mental Skill
  • +5 Initiative

Description: 
With this power, a vampire can verbally implant a false thought or hypnotic suggestion in the subject’s subconscious mind. Both Kindred and target must be free from distraction, since Mesmerize requires intense concentration and precise wording to be effective.

The vampire may activate the imposed thought immediately or establish a stimulus that will trigger it later. The victim must be able to understand the vampire, though the two need to maintain eye contact only as long as it takes to implant the idea.

Mesmerize allows for anything from simple, precise directives (handing over an item) to complex, highly involved ones (taking notes of someone’s habits and relaying that information at an appointed time). It is not useful for planting illusions or false memories (such as seeing a rabbit or believing yourself to be on fire). 

A subject can have only one suggestion implanted at any time. 

System: 
The Player makes a successful roll. If the Target fails their roll, the suggestion takes hold in the victim’s subconscious. The subject cannot be forced to do anything that seems strange to her (she might walk outside, but is unlikely to steal a car). To determine how strong of a suggestion the Vampire is able to implant, see the Roll Chart below

ROLL CHART

1-10: Botch! The target reacts negatively to the Vampire and no further attempts at using Mesmerize can be used on that subject for the duration of the scene. 

1-69: No effect at all. The Target may react normally.

70-79: The Target has a predisposition to listen amicably and  to agree to reasonable requests or accept logical information. The Target cannot be forced to do anything that seems strange to him/her/them. They would probably not jump up and down on the hood of their car, but they would easily let you look at the contents of their wallet or agree to walk into a store and purchase a pack of cigarettes for the Vampire.

80-95: There is a strong imperative in the command and the Target will immediately comply unless following it immediately physically endangers the subject. For example, the Vampire can Command a small man to attack a 350lb professional wrestler, but could not force the target to put a gun to their own head and pull the trigger. 

96+: The Target is enthralled with the Vampire and treats them like a trusted friend who will follow virtually any instruction, even if it potentially puts them in mortal danger. If the Vampire tells the Target to put a gun to their own head and pull the trigger, the Target has three chances to resist the command. However, be mindful of how you use this power. Killing indiscriminately always has repercussions. 

NOTE: If a vampire tries to Mesmerize a subject before the Target fulfills a previously implanted directive, the command that had the highest roll always wins. If the rolls were equal, the newer command supplants the old one.

◉◉◉◎◎◎◎◎: Dominate 3 - The Forgetful Mind (Mental Attack)   

Base Roll: 70

Energy/Blood Cost: 6

Damage: 0

Mods: Willpower, Mental Skill 

Resist: Willpower 

Duration: For the duration of the scene, or until a request has been fulfilled

Permanent Affects:

• +5 Mental Attack

Description: 
After capturing the subject’s gaze, the vampire delves into the subject’s memories, stealing or re-creating them at his whim. The Forgetful Mind does not allow for telepathic contact; the Kindred operates much like a hypnotist, asking directed questions and drawing out answers from the subject. 

The degree of memory alteration depends on what the vampire desires. He may alter the subject’s mind only slightly (quite effective for eliminating memories of the victim meeting or even being fed upon by the vampire) or utterly undo the victim’s memories of her past.

The degree of detail used has a direct bearing on how strongly the new memories take hold, since the victim’s subconscious mind resists the alteration. A simplistic or incomplete false memory (“You went to the movies last night”) crumbles much more quickly than does one with more attention to detail (“You thought about texting your girlfriend while you were in line at the new movie theater, but you knew you’d have to turn your phone off once you got inside. You liked the movie well enough, but the plot seemed weak. You were tired after it ended, so you went home, watched a little late-night television, and went to bed.”).

Even in its simplest applications, The Forgetful Mind requires tremendous skill and finesse. It’s a relatively simple matter to rifle through a victim’s psyche and rip out the memories of the previous night without knowing what the subject did that evening. Doing so leaves a gap in the victim’s mind, however a hole can give rise to further problems down the road or even leave a breadcrumb trail of evidence that the memory was removed.

The Kindred may describe new memories, but these recollections seldom have the same degree of realism that the subject’s original thoughts held. As such, this power isn’t always completely effective. The victim may remember being bitten, but believe it to be an animal attack. Greater memories may return in pieces as dreams, or through sensory triggers like a familiar odor or spoken phrase. 

Even so, months or years may pass before the subject regains enough of her lost memories to make sense of the fragments. A vampire can also sense when a subject’s memories were altered through use of this power, and even restore them, as a hypnotist draws forth suppressed thoughts.

System: 
The Player makes a successful roll. If the Target fails to resist, the target is pacified for the amount of time it takes the vampire to perform the verbal alteration, provided the vampire does not act aggressively toward the Target. How many modifications the Vampire is capable of performing on the Target is determined by the strength of their successful roll.

ROLL CHART

1-10: Botch! The target reacts with hostilityo toward the Vampire and will make any excuse to leave.

11-69: Nothing happens. This Target's mind is closed to you on this attempt, however you may try a different tactic on your next turn.

70-75: May remove a single memory; lasts one day

76-79: May remove, but not alter, a memory permanently

80-85: May permanently make slight changes to a single memory

86-89: May permanently alter or remove entire scene from subject’s memory

90+: May reconstruct entire periods of subject’s life. OR, may restore removed, tampered and/or false memory implants in a subject. The Vampire Character's level of Dominate must be equal to or higher than that of the Vampire who made the alteration.

NOTE: Vampires with skill levels in Dominate cannot use The Forgetful Mind to restore their own memories if they were stolen in such a way.

◉◉◉◉◎◎◎◎: Dominate 4 - Conditioning (Attack)   

Base Roll: 80

Energy/Blood Cost: 8

Damage: 2

Mods: Willpower, Mental Skill, Mental Attack

Resist: Willpower (see System)

Duration: Permanent (see System)

Special: 2 Day Cooldown (see System)

Permanent Affects: 

• +5 Mental Attack
• +5 Mental Skill

Description: 
Through sustained manipulation slowly over the course of time, the vampire can make a subject entirely pliant to the Kindred’s will. With each failure to resist, the victim becomes increasingly susceptible to the vampire’s influence while simultaneously growing more resistant to the corrupting efforts of other Kindred. 

Because this effect is amplified by the increased gravitational pull of the Full Moon, it is typically advised to begin this process on the first, second or third day of any Full Moon. (For simplicity, In DOD the full moon occurs the first, second and third of every month.)

Gaining complete control over a subject’s mind is no small task, taking weeks or even months to accomplish, depending on how weak the Target's mind is or how receptive they already are to the Vampire. This can take less than a week, to a full month. Kindred often fill their retainers’ heads with subtle whispers and veiled urges, thereby ensuring these mortals’ continued loyalty. 

Yet vampires must pay a high price for the minds they ensnare. Servants Dominated in this way can lose much of their passion and individuality. They follow the vampire’s orders quite literally, seldom taking initiative or showing any imagination. In the end, such retainers become like automatons or the walking dead.

System: 
To effectively and fully condition a Target's mind, the Player must:

• Make FIVE (5) successful rolls within a single calendar month AND,
  
  
• The Target must have failed to resist each of those five successful rolls during roleplay. After the fifth failed roll by the Target, the effects to be relatively permanent*, as long as the Vampire has physical contact with the Target once every 7 days.
• The Player's successful rolls DO NOT need to be successive. Of all the rolls they attempt, five must be successful AND the Target must fail to resist them.
  
  
  • NOTE: However, should the Target only fail several of the rolls but not all five, he/she/they are still under a certain level of permanent influence but are not considered totally lost to the Vampire. SEE ROLL CHART

Each of these rolls by the Vampire Player Character can only be done once in a 24 hour period. This constitutes a 1 day cooldown to:

1. Allow the Character's Target to mentally adjust to the Vampire's growing authority over them, OR 
2. Allow the Character's Target to again be receptive to the conditioning.

If the Vampire's Player does not make a successful roll, the Target does not need to attempt to resist since the Vampire failed to exert an adequately influence the Target. The Target will not be aware that such influence was even attempted.

If within a calendar month the Player fails to make all five successful rolls where the Target failed to successfully resist, then the process is at an end and the Target can only be influenced up to their last failed roll (if any of the Target's rolls failed). See Roll Chart.

ROLL CHART: 
(mods are non stacking)

1. First Failed Roll to Resist:
   The Target has a positive outlook in regards to the Vampire and views that Kindred favorably. They don't know why they do, but they just have a good feeling toward them and will respond amiably. However, they are still under their own free will.
2. Second Failed Roll to Resist:
   The Target is happy to do the Vampire any "favors," though they are still under their own autonomy and do not feel unable to refuse if the favor is dangerous or is something that goes against their character.
   • +5 Willpower when rolling to resist any other Vampire's influence, or other being's attempt at controlling the target 
   • -5 Willpower in regards to any roll made to resist the conditioning Vampire.
3. Third Failed Roll to Resist:
   The Target finds it very difficult to resist the Vampire's influence and may attempt to find reasons to be in his/her/their company given the opportunity. The Target may look for ways to be of interest or help to the Vampire in the hopes of furthering the friendship. This of course is by their own choice and they may still yet refuse a request.
   • +10 Willpower when rolling to resist any other Vampire's influence, or other being's attempt at controlling the target
   • -10 Willpower in regards to any roll made to resist the conditioning Vampire.
4. Fourth Failed Roll to Resist:
   The Target actively looks to be in the Vampire's company, even going so far as to ask the Vampire how they can be of help to him/her/them. The Target feels pleased and perhaps even relieved if given a task to perform. If the request is not unreasonable or does not put the Target's life in immediate danger, they will typically be agreeable. While the Target is very willing, they may still choose to resist obeying a request.
   • +15 Willpower when rolling to resist any other Vampire's mental influence, or other being's attempt at controlling the target.
   • -15 Willpower in regards to any roll made to resist the conditioning Vampire.
5. Fifth Failed Roll to Resist:
   Upon the final failed roll to resist, the Target falls so far under the vampire’s influence that the Kindred need not make eye contact or even be present to retain absolute control. The subject does exactly as he/she/they is told (including taking actions that would result in injury or even death), as long as the Target's master can communicate verbally with them. No command roll is necessary unless the subject is totally isolated from the vampire’s presence (in a different room, over the phone). Even if a command roll fails, the target will still likely carryout part of the orders given, simply because her master wishes it and the Target finds great pleasure in fulfilling those desires.
   1. +20 Willpower when rolling to resist any other Vampire's mental influence, or other being's attempt at controlling the target.
   2. -20 Willpower in regards to any roll made to resist the conditioning Vampire.
   3. -20 Willpower in regards to any roll made to mentally influence the Target in any way that would have the Target harm or betray the Vampire.
   4. The Target will lose much of their independent or creative/problem-solving thought, choosing to stick to the letter of commands than risk failing to comply. 
   5. The Target may lose sleep and their appetite over worrying that they will lose the favor of the Vampire and no longer be of useful service if they do not see the Vampire often. This can give them a drawn, pale and emaciated appearance.

Breaking Conditioning
It is possible, though difficult, to shake Conditioning. The subject must be separated entirely from the Vampire to whom she was in thrall. This period of separation varies depending on the individual, but the Storyteller may set it at six weeks, less a number of weeks equal to the subject’s permanent Willpower rating (so a person with 4 Willpower must stay away from the vampire for two OOC weeks ). 

The subject regains her personality slowly during this time, though she may still lapse into brief spells of listlessness, despair, or even anger. If the vampire encounters the target before that time passes, a single successful roll to reestablish Command (difficulty of the target’s current Willpower Mod) on the part of the Vampire can completely reassert the dominance.

If the subject makes it through the time period without intervention by her master, the target regains her former individuality. Even so, the vampire may reestablish conditioning more easily than the first time, since the subject is now predisposed to falling under the Kindred’s mental control. New attempts require only three successes that coincide with the Target's failed rolls than the last bout of conditioning did (which means the subject reaches the threshold for reduced difficulties sooner, as well).  

*Permanent means how long the Target will be under the Vampire's command unless the conditioning deteriorates or somehow erased by another Vampire, or other supernatural mind-control means.

◉◉◉◉◉◎◎◎: Dominate 5 - Possession (Attack)   

• Base Roll: 100
• Energy/Blood Cost: 8
• Damage: 3
• Mods: Willpower, Mental Attack
• Resist: Willpower 
• Duration: Until the Vampire decides to leave or is expelled.
• Permanent Affects: 
• +5 Mental Attack
• +5 Physical Defense
• +5 Mental Skill

Description: 
At this level of Dominate, the force of the Kindred’s psyche is such that it can utterly supplant the mind of a mortal subject. Speaking isn’t required, but the vampire must capture the victim’s gaze. During the psychic struggle, the contestants’ eyes are locked on one another.

Once the Kindred overwhelms the subject’s mind, the vampire moves his consciousness into the victim’s body and controls it as easily as he uses his own. The mortal falls into a mental fugue while under possession. She is aware of events only in a distorted, dreamlike fashion. In turn, the vampire’s mind focuses entirely on controlling his mortal subject. His own body lies in a torpid state, defenseless against any actions made toward it.

Vampires cannot possess one another in this fashion, as even the weakest Kindred’s mind is strong enough to resist such straightforward mental dominance. Only through a blood bond can one vampire control another to this degree. 

Supernatural creatures also cannot be possessed in this way, although ghouls that have drunk from the vampire using Possession can.

System:
The Player makes a successful roll. If the Target fails their roll to resist, the Vampire will fall into a torpor state and take possession of the Target's body. While in the body of the Target, the Vampire will no longer be affected by sunlight and will be able to speak with the host's own voice. While the Vampire will retain his/her/their own mental skills and abilities, they will not have access to the host's memories or knowledge and are restricted to the physical abilities and limitations of the host's body.

 If the vampire leaves the mortal shell (by choice, through supernatural expulsion or after sustaining significant injury), his consciousness returns to his physical form in an instant.

Once freed from possession, the mortal Target regains mental control of herself. This can happen in an instant, or the victim may lie comatose for days while her psyche copes with the violation. The vampire experiences everything the mortal body feels during possession, from pleasure to pain. 

While the Vampire does not incur and actual physical damage experience by the host's body, the Vampire DOES experience any damage or repercussions from Mental Attacks. The only exception to this is If the mortal dies before the vampire’s soul can flee from the body, in which case the Vampire succumbs to torpor. Presumably this is in sympathetic response to the massive trauma of death. 

The Kindred can remain in the mortal’s body even if his own torpid form is destroyed, though such a pathetic creature is not likely to exist for long. At each sunrise, the vampire must roll Willpower + Mental Skill (difficulty 80) or be expelled from the body. If forced from the mortal body, the vampire tumbles into the astral plane, his soul permanently lost in the spirit world. A vampire trapped in a mortal body may not be “re-Embraced.” If the Embrace occurs to such a creature, he simply meets Final Death. The mortal, however, regains consciousness and becomes awakens to the horror of becoming a vampire.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◎◎: Dominate 6 - Chain the Psyche (Debuff)   

• Base Roll: 100
• Energy/Blood Cost: 8
• Damage: 10 HP
• Mods: Mental Attack, Mental Skill, Willpower
• Resist: None
• Permanent Affects: 
  • +10 Mental Attack
  • +5 Mental Skill
  • +10 Initiative

Description: 
Not content with merely commanding their subjects, some elders apply this power to ensure obedience from recalcitrant victims. Chain the Psyche is a Dominate technique that inflicts incapacitating pain on a target who attempts to resist the Vampire’s commands.

System: 
The Player spends 8 Energy/Points identifies the Target, and makes a successful roll. If the Target attempts to resist (aka: rolls to resist, whether successful or not) the vampire’s implanted commands or to recover stolen memories causes intense pain and 10HP of damage. 

When such an attempt is made, the Storyteller rolls the character‘s Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty equal to the subject’s Stamina +Empathy). Each success equals one turn that the victim is unable to act, as she is wracked with agony. Each application of Chain the Psyche crushes a number of resistance attempts equal to the character’s points in Willpower. 

For Example: The Vampire uses Chain the Psyche on the Mayor of the city, for whom he has already successfully placed a level 3 Command upon. The Mayor attempts to resist the Vampire's command to fire the Chief of Police. Whether or not his roll fails or succeeds, the Mayor suffers 10 HP of damage. Since the Vampire has 4 points purchased in Willpower, the Mayor will suffer this same fate for the following 3 attempts to resist the Vampire's commands of him.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◎: Dominate 7 - Mass Manipulate (Area of Effect)   

• Base Roll: 100
• Energy/Blood Cost: 18
• Damage: 10 HP
• Mods: Mental Attack, Willpower
• Resist: Willpower
• Permanent Affects: 
  • +10 Initiative

Description: 
A truly skilled elder may command small crowds through the use of this power. By manipulating the strongest minds within a given group, a gathering may be directed to the vampire’s will. The Sheep always follow the leader.

System: 
The Player declares he wishes to use this skill when roleplaying within a group (three or more people) he desires to control or influence. The person with the strongest Willpower within the group is identified. If there is a tie, the Storyteller will select the Target Character to make the roll for the group.

The Player then spends 18 Energy/Blood points, makes direct eye contact with the Target Character, then makes a successful roll. The identified Target Character in the group with the highest Willpower rolls to resist. If he makes his roll to resist, the Vampire's attempt to use Mass Manipulate fails and no one in the group can be manipulated.

If the Target Character fails his roll, how many others in his group who are affected depends on how badly he rolled. See Roll Chart below.

Those under the influence of the Vampire's Manipulation will be amicable with the Vampire and very open to his opinions and suggestions. While the Vampire can make a good case for starting a bar fight or a flash mob, he cannot directly suggest that the group do direct harm to themselves. The suggestions should have some type of rational basis...even if they are illogical.

ROLL CHART:
How many points below the Vampire's Manipulate roll the Target Character Rolls determines how many others in his group will also feel the full affects of the Manipulation. The Player's Vampire choses the additional person.

• 1-5 points below: 1 other person 
• 6-10 points below: 3 other people 
• 11-20 points below: 5 other people
• 21-50 points below: 6 other people
• 51+ points below: 7 other people
• BOTCH! Rolling a natural 1-10 will have everyone in the group energetically fall under the Vampire's Manipulation. Plus, the Target Character who rolled the botch will vigorously agree with the Vampire no matter how ridiculous or illogical the Vampire's point of view is. He will also heartily encourage all others to rally around the Vampire. What a great guy!

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉: Dominate 8 - Oberon's Grail (Attack)   

• Base Roll: 140
• Energy/Blood Cost: 22
• Damage: 15 HP
• Mods: Mental Attack, Mental Skill, Willpower
• Resist: Willpower, Mental Defense
• Permanent Affects: None

Description: 
While challenging, a powerful Vampire can completely dominate an unresisted mind and wipe it clean of the last 24 hours. Like a surgeon with a laser scalpel, the Vampire cuts out the specific time range of memories. Anything that was learned or that occurred in  in the past 24 hours is forgotten and the Target loses an entire day of their life with no clue as to what transpired or where they were (think Alien abduction cases). While the memories are removed, the Target experiences sudden and intense deal of pain as though being stabbed with an icepick in the back of their head. 

System:
The Player's Character makes direct eye contact and spends 22 points of Energy/Blood points. He then makes a successful roll. If the Target fails to resist, the memory of the last 24 hours is wiped from their mind. This removes any skills learned during that specific 24 hours, any mental commands (or resulting mental trauma/damage) since those events will simply not have happened.

NOTE: This only effects memories and acquired information that happens in roleplay. This does not effect a Player having purchased skills using Experience Points. However, it DOES apply to any roleplay where the Target was taught a skill by another player in roleplay. If this is a qualifier for having an RP reason for the skill, that RP session will need to be done again. IF this causes problems for the Target Player, contact an Admin and your XP will be refunded.

Lost Forever???
While it is possible to regain some of those memories with the help of certain other vampiric or supernatural skills (determined by the Storyteller), Oberon's Grail physically tampers with specific brain functions making total recall impossible. Because of this, it is possible to remove the Commands of other Vampires (either on purpose or by accident) IF those commands were issued within those 24 hours which are now lost. (Storyteller's discretion.)

THAUMATURGY

Thaumaturgy encompasses blood magic and other sorcerous arts available to Kindred. The Tremere Clan is best known for their possession (and jealous hoarding) of this Discipline, known as the Path of Blood. The Tremere created Thaumaturgy by combining mortal wizardry with the power of vampiric vitae, and as a result it is a versatile and powerful Discipline. The Tremere of the Camarilla remain this Discipline’s masters. 

Blood magic isn’t pleasant. The thaumaturge burns through his very essence — and that of other vampires — in an effort to make the world into what he wants. This requires enough ego to feel worthy of imposing one’s will on the world, enough discipline to master the intricacies of arcane formulae, and enough ruthlessness to ignore the moral costs of harvesting so much blood. 

Some people know things about the universe that nobody ought to know, and can do things that nobody ought to be able to do. Humanity tends to wither in the face of the Thaumaturge’s willingness to exploit his own kind for the sake of power. Disregarding others as moral concerns makes the blood magic so much easier, after all, and it frees the magician to really explore lines of investigation without troublesome ethical concern.

Thaumaturges do not forget that Caine could, or so the stories say, create entire Disciplines by an act of will. He could make himself and his childer into whatever a task required them to be. Blood Magic aims to recreate that state of mastery over self and the night. For the dedicated magician of the blood, true triumph consists of removing every barrier between will and result.

◉◎◎◎◎◎◎◎: Thaumaturgy 1 - A Taste for Blood (Mental Skill)   

• Base Roll: 50
• Energy/Blood Cost: 0
• Damage: 0
• Mods: Mental Attack
• Resist: None
• Duration: n/a
• Permanent Affects: 
  • none
• Temporary Bonus:
  • +5 Mental Skill for the duration of the scene.
  • +10 Mental Defense

Description: 
This power was developed as a means of testing a foe’s might — an extremely important ability in the tumultuous early nights of Clan Tremere. By merely touching the blood of his subject, the caster may determine how much vitae remains in the subject and, if the subject is a vampire, how recently he has fed, his level of Generation and, depending on how powerful they are able to execute this ability, whether he has ever committed diablerie.

System: 
The Player does not need to spend any blood points to activate this ability, but does need to make a successful roll. Depending how high of a roll the Player makes determines how much information his Character will receive. A Player can only use this ability once per person, per scene.

Roll Chart: (Each successful level is cumulative with the next and the Tremere receives all previous levels' information.)

1-10: Botch! The blood floods your mind with useless information, trivia, weather reports, the color of the dress/tux they wore to prom, etc. You must spend 10 blood points to release this junk data from your mind or be unable to focus enough energy to use any other of your vampiric abilities and skills for the duration of the scene.

11-49: The blood tells you ... nothing.

50-59: You know if the owner of the blood is another vampire, and if they have lost a significant amount of blood to weaken them and if they still live or if they are torpored. If the owner is mortal, it will tell you if the subject is at risk of bleeding out OR if the subject has already died.

60-69: You know the gender of the blood's owner and their approximate age and generation.

70-79: You know specific ethnic information regarding the blood's owner. If the owner is a Vampire, you know the time and date of when they last fed. If the blood is Mortal, you know their relative state of health.

80-89: You know the generation of the blood's owner if he is a Vampire, their clan and their level in their clan. If Mortal, you know their socio-economic station, and social level. For example, you will know if it is from a Garou Elder, the Primogen of a Clan, the Mayor of a city, if they are a Hunter Judge, etc.

90-99: You gain a mental picture of the owner's blood in your mind, along with their name.

100+: You know all the information from the previous successful levels, plus you may ask the Storyteller any one in-character question regarding the owner of the blood.

◉◉◎◎◎◎◎◎: Thaumaturgy 2 - Blood Rage (Buff)   

• Base Roll: 80
• Energy/Blood Cost: 1
• Damage: 0
• Mods: Mental Attack, Mental Skill
• Resist: Willpower
• Duration: n/a
• Permanent Affects: 
  • +5 Physical Skill
  • +5 Mental Defense
• Temporary Bonus
  • +10 Subterfuge

Description: 
This power allows a vampire to force another Kindred to expend blood against his will. The caster must touch her subject for this power to work, though only the slightest contact is necessary. A vampire affected by this power might feel a physical rush as the thaumaturge heightens his Physical Attributes, might find himself suddenly looking more human, or may even find himself on the brink of frenzy as his stores of vitae are mystically depleted.

System: 
The Player identifies the target in local chat, then spends 1 point of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. If the Target fail his/her/their roll, they must spend five blood points immediately in a form of the Caster's choosing. The Target's Player must IM the Caster's Player the list of abilities he/she/they have earned in one of their skill sets. 

For example, the Target Vampire is a Ravnos with skills in Animalism, Fortitude and Chimerstry. He selects to provide all the skills he has earned in Animalism to the Caster's Player in an IM, which includes Feral Speech, Beckoning, Song of Serenity and Draw the Beast Out. The Target's Player is not required to inform the Casting Character or his/her/their Player on any nuances of the ability or how it works.

The Casting Character selects Draw the Beast Out and compels the Target to use it. If the ability can target another character, the Castor decides who will be his Target's Victim. (This can be the Target's friend, foe or even some innocent bystander walking down the street.) The Target must still make a roll, if using the ability requires it. This particular ability costs 13 Energy/Blood points to use, BUT under this situation it now only requires 5 of the Target's Energy/Blood points. 

IF the Target only has 4 Energy/Blood points left, his Energy/Blood points go down to zero and he must roll vs Willpower (DIF: 50) or Frenzy.

Note: The Thaumaturge may not use Blood Rage on herself. Can be used in combat.

◉◉◉◎◎◎◎◎: Thaumaturgy 3 - Blood of Potency (Buff)   

• Base Roll: 80
• Energy/Blood Cost: 2
• Damage: 0
• Mods: Willpower, Mental Skill
• Resist: Willpower
• Duration: One OOC Hour+
• Permanent Affects: 
  • +5 Physical Skill
• Temporary Affects:
  • +15 Initiative

Description: 
The thaumaturge gains such control over his own blood that he may effectively “concentrate” it, making it more powerful for a short time. In effect, he may temporarily lower his own Generation with this power. This power may be used only once per night.

System: 
One success on the Willpower roll allows the character to lower his Generation by one step for one OOC hour. Depending on how high the Player's roll is will determine how many Generations he may lower his Character's Generation, and/or how long the effect will last past an hour.

NOTES: 

• This skill can only be used once per scene. 
• A Vampire cannot reduce his/her/their generation below the 8th Generation.
• If the vampire is diablerized while this power is in effect, it wears off immediately and the diablerist gains power appropriate to the caster’s actual Generation.
•  Any mortals Embraced by the Thaumaturge are born to the Generation appropriate to their sire’s original Generation (e.g., a Tenth-Generation Tremere who has reduced his effective Generation to Eighth still produces Eleventh-Generation childer). 
• Once the effect wears off, all bonus stats immediately disappear and the Vampire returns to his normal amount of modifiers.

Roll Chart:

1-10: Botch! You go down one Generation for the duration of the scene.

11-79: No Effect

80-89: You reduce your generation by one for one OOC hour.

90-99: You reduce your generation by one for 2 OOC hours instead of one.

100-105: You reduce your generation by two.

106+: You reduce your generation by three for 2 OOC hours instead of one.

NOTE: 

• Each Generation's Mods are cumulative with all the previous Generation's Mods.
• 10th Generation also comes with +5 Mod to Willpower, AND allows the Vampire to sense other Kindred in close quarters. You can't tell what type of Vampire they are, simply that they are Kindred.

◉◉◉◉◎◎◎◎: Thaumaturgy 4 - Theft of Vitae (Heal)   

• Base Roll: 90
• Energy/Blood Cost: 3
• Damage: 2
• Mods: Willpower, Mental Skill, Mental Attack
• Resist: Willpower
• Duration: n/a
• Permanent Affects: 
  • +5 Physical Attack
• Temporary Affects: 
  • +5 Physical Attack for the duration of the scene
  • +5 Physical Defense for the duration of the scene
  • +5 Stealth

Description: 
A Thaumaturge using this power siphons vitae from her Kindred Target. She need never come in actual contact with the Target — blood literally streams out in a physical torrent from the subject to the Kindred (though it is often mystically absorbed and need not enter through the mouth).

System:
The Player identifies the Target, spends 3 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. How high of a roll the Player makes determines how many Energy/Blood points the caster transfers from the Target. You cannot consume more Energy/Blood points than your maximum number allowed. If you steal more points than your max, the excess stolen blood will simply fall to the ground.

The subject must be visible to the Thaumaturge and within 50 feet (15 meters). Using this power prevents the caster from being blood-bound, but otherwise counts as if the vampire ingested the blood herself. This power is spectacularly obvious, and Camarilla princes justifiably consider its public use a breach of the Masquerade.

Roll Chart:

1-10: Botch! You inadvertently transfer 10 of your Energy/Blood points to your named Target.

11-89: No effect.

90-93: You steal 10 Energy/Blood points from your target and add them to your own.

94-97: You steal 15 Energy/Blood points from your target and add them to your own.

98-99: You steal 25 Energy/Blood points from  your target and add them to your own.

100-105: You steal 50 Energy/Blood points from your target and add them to your own.

NOTE: 

• Any points you steal CAN go above and beyond your max amount of Energy/Blood. However, these excess points only last for the duration of the scene and must be used before then or you will lose them.
• If you steal more Energy/Blood Points than your Kindred Target has:
  • You only consume and add the total number of Energy/Blood Points your Target currently has available at that time.
  • Your target's blood points go to zero and he/she/they is immediately Frenzy.

◉◉◉◉◉◎◎◎: Thaumaturgy 5 - Cauldron of Blood (Physical Attack)   

• Base Roll: 140
• Energy/Blood Cost: 3
• Damage: 
  • NPC Mortals: Death
  • PC Mortals: Unconscious
  • Ghouls with Fortitude: 80 HP of damage, decreased by 10HP for every point they have in Fortitude.
  • Garou (NPC & PC): 
    • 50 HP damage in human or wolf form. 
    • 20 HP of damage in any other form.
  • Vampires: 50 HP damage, decreased by 10HP for every point they have in Fortitude.
  • Other Supernatural Beings: 50 HP of damage.
• Mods: Physical Attack, Mental Attack, Willpower
• Resist: Willpower, Mental Defense
• Duration: n/a
• Permanent Affects: 
  • +5 Mental Attack
  • +5 Mental Defense
  • +5 Mental Skill
• Temporary Affects:
  • +10 Physical Defense

Description: 
A thaumaturge using this power boils her subject’s blood in his veins like water on a stove. The Kindred must touch her subject, and it is this contact that simmers the subject’s blood. This power is always fatal to mortals, and causes great damage to Vampires, Garou and other supernatural beings.

System: 
The Player identifies the Target in local chat, spends 3 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. If the Target fails their resist roll, they suffer the amount of damage specific to their race. 

Vampires and Ghouls with Fortitude reduce their damage by 10 points per every point they have purchased in Fortitude.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◎◎: Thaumaturgy 6 - Blood Strike (Ranged Attack)   

• Base Roll: 0
• Energy/Blood Cost: 1
• Damage: 3
• Mods: Physical Attack, Physical Skill
• Resist: Dodge (Those with Celerity)
• Range: 20 meters
• Permanent Affects: 
  • +5 Mental Attack
• Temporary Affects:
  • +5 Initiative

Description: 
The vampire makes a single attack, guided by the unholy power of her Vitae. This attack strikes its foe infallibly like an arrow of blood.

System: 
By invoking this power, the player need not roll to see if the Vampire’s attack hits — it does, automatically. The Vampire's own blood forms into an arrow hard as steel. Only ranged attacks may be made in this manner. These attacks are considered to be one-success attacks and there is no defense. The Vampire can also aim the attack at a specific location or place on the body.

If the Target has Celerity, he/she/they may attempt to dodge the blood arrow, 

Dodge with Celerity:

• DIF: 70
• Mod: +5 for every one point they have in Celerity.
  For example: If a Target has 3 points in Celerity, they receive a +15 bonus Mod to dodge.

NOTE: This ability has a two turn cool-down, meaning it can only be used every third turn.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◎: Thaumaturgy 7 - Blood Salvo (Area of Effect)   

• Base Roll: 0
• Energy/Blood Cost: 1
• Damage: 3
• Mods: Physical Attack, Physical Skill
• Resist: None
• Range: 20 yards
• Permanent Affects: 
  • +5 Physical Attack
• Temporary Affects:
  • +10 Initiative
  • +10 Physical Defense

Description: 
Similar to Blood Strike, the Vampire identifies up to five targets at which to shoot a blood arrow. The shot is always 100% successful. Only a Vampire with Celerity is capable of dodging the arrow.

System:
The Player identifies up to five targets. No roll is required, however if a Target has Celerity, they may attempt to dodge.

Dodge with Celerity:

• DIF: 80
• Mod: +5 for every one point they have in Celerity.
  For example: If a Target has 3 points in Celerity, they receive a +15 bonus Mod to dodge.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉: Thaumaturgy 8 - Treacherous Bonds (Debuff)   

• Base Roll: 70
• Energy/Blood Cost: 1
• Damage: 3
• Mods: Mental Skill, Willpower
• Resist: None
• Range: 20 yards
• Permanent Affects: 
  • +5 Mental Attack
  • +5 Mental Defense
  • +5 Mental Skill
• Temporary Affects:
  • +10 Subterfuge

Description: 
One of the most potent properties of Kindred vitae is the ability to create a blood bond. A Vampire offering his blood to a victim on three separate nights floods a thrall with a powerful attraction and devotion to him. This is called a Blood Bond. 

Under a Blood Bond, the thrall becomes a most loyal and subservient tool of the Vampire and will do anything to appease him. Traditionally when the connection of a bond becomes unstable or weak, emotions of hate may cloud the mind of the thrall, though it may possibly span lifetimes before these feelings become evident. 

The thaumaturge invoking this power incites an instantaneous, hate-induced emotional state within a Vampires thrall; where once there was love, now only loathing drives his emotions. This power creates a backlash in the target’s blood, temporarily twisting any bonds he is under, from the newest to ones built over years’ time.

System: 
The vampire must physically touch up to 5 of a Vampire's childer, ghouls or thralls as his intended subjects within 24 hours before using this power. Within this timeframe, the Player then spends 1 point of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. Depending on how high the Player's roll is determines how many of (and for how long) those bonded will be effected. (Player chooses if he/she/they fail to roll high enough to affect all those touched.)

for this power to take effect. For the duration of one 24 hour OOC time period, per success a thaumaturge scores on his Willpower roll, and depending on whether the magus chooses to affect a regnant or his thrall, a blood bond becomes corrupt and unstable. 

Should a thaumaturge direct this power at a thrall/bond/childer, only the thrall’s/bond's/childer's bond(s) are corrupt, consumed by hate for as many nights as indicated by the Roll Chart. However, if the thaumaturge chooses to invoke this power in a Vampire with bonds (or who is bonded to another), all of the Vampire's thralls/bonds/childer are affected. Plus, the Vampire himself/herself/theirself will have their own bond corrupted and loath the person they are bonded to for as many nights as are indicated by the Caster's roll.

Should a Vampire also be in thrall to someone else while under this effect, that Vampire will also feel only malignity for the one he/she/they are bonded to. This power is mistrusted widely by vampires of Clan Tremere, and had the Ventrue and Lasombra any real knowledge of it, they would likely balk at it, too (when they weren’t inflicting it upon their enemies).

For example: Clifton Andrews, a Tremere Elite, wants to settle a score with Josephine the Seamstress of Flesh, a Tzimisce, by corrupting the blood bonds of those in her thrall. He spends several hours tracking down and coming into casual physical contact with Josephine's Childer and Thralls. Mostly just shaking hands and "accidently" bumping into them. Clifton's Player documents each contact with a Notecard of the RP.

Once completed, Clifton’s Player spends an Energy/Blood point and makes a successful roll. He then warps the blood bond in one of Josephine’s childer. 

For the next three nights, three of Josephine’s blood bound thralls will not only loathe Josephine but may plot to harm their “tyrannical” mistress. Clifton’s revenge is sweeter still, as for the span of these three nights Josephine is racked by fiery hatred for her own sire, who had blood bound her decades before. Clifton knows how treacherous the Seamstress of Flesh is, and rejoices in the knowledge that there is a chance his enemy will suffer a slow Final Death at the hands of her sire.

Roll Chart:

1-10: Botch! Your attempt boomerangs back onto yourself. Any blood bonds you have with any other person or being fill you with utter contempt and loathing for the next 24 hours.

11-69: No effect. Looks like you just wasted a bunch of time stalking people and touching them. Facepalm! 

90-93: You corrupt ONE bonded person/being for 24 hours.

94-97: You corrupt up to TWO bonded people/beings for 24 hours.

98-99: You corrupt up to THREE bonded people/beings for 48 hours.

100-105: You corrupt up to FIVE bonded people/beings for 72 hours.