OWbN Guide to BloodMagic Research and Adaptation by:

Dennis Sharpe, Jason Brandon, Josh Tanner and Dave Hoffman October 26, 2002

V1.0 Notes: 1) This is packet is designed to be a more complete set of the existing Thaumaturgy and other Blood Magic printed in the White Wolf source material, and created in OWbN. 2) The rules set forth in this packet are only proposed as a resource for OWbN Storytellers. 3) The rarity rules previously used in this packet’s forerunners don not apply to this packet as a whole. Each section has the rarity only for the Clan whose magic is covered in it. Contents: Sections

1 - Introduction (page 1) Table of Contents (pg 1) 2 - Tremere Thaumaturgy (pages 2-39) Introduction (pg 2) Paths (pg 5) Rituals (pg12) 3 - Setite Sorcery (pages 40-99) Background (pg 40) Paths (pg 45) Rituals (pg 61) 4 - Assamite Sorcery (pages 100-118) Introduction (pg 100) Paths (pg 103) Rituals (pg 108)

5 - Koldunic Sorcery (pages 119-134) Background (pg 119) Ways (pg 121) Rituals (pg 133) 6 – Dark Thaumaturgy (pages 135-138) Paths (pg 136) Rituals (pg 137) 7 – Necromancy (pages 139-158) Paths (pg 141) Ritual (pg 144) 8 – Credits (page 159)

1

Tremere Thaumaturgy Note: Path of Blood is the Primary Path for all new starting Tremere, barring ST approval. Path and Ritual Classification: ATTENTION – Any Tremere of any rank may have any level path or ritual, they need only have the proper level of approval to be allowed to posses it. However, if the Tremere is not of sufficient rank to learn the path or ritual without their superior’s approval, then a superior’s approval is required for them to teach it to anyone, unless the teaching is approved by one of the appropriate rank. It is requested that the levels of Rare, and Very Rare require notification to the Tremere Coord and the Sub-Coord of your region as to why a Lord/Pontifex/Better is allowing someone of below the rank of Lord/Pontifex/Better to have access to the Rare/Very Rare paths/rituals. To add to that, Paths that in 3rd ed. are Sabbat only are just that; SABBAT ONLY. Common: All Tremere Uncommon: Regent or with Regent’s permission. Rare: Lord or with Lord’s permission. Very Rare: Sabbat Paths/ Rituals or anything that PCs should NOT be allowed to have at all, or have created themselves and shared with no one. Getting these would require you breaking into the chantry in Vienna, slipping in the Sabbat HQ in Mexico City, or getting it from the one who made it. Unique: Created by a Player Character. These can only be acquired through the PC who created the ritual or through someone who acquired the ritual through legitimate means from the one who created it. Note- Non-Tremere clans that have some type of Thaumaturgy may not have rituals listed in this section unless instructed by a Tremere/Thaumaturgist or their clan already has those rituals or that accompany style of Thaumaturgy in question 2

Learning Thaumaturgy Thaumaturgy is not simply a discipline of the blood like many other powers, but is

almost a separate power. With rare exception, only members of house and clan Tremere may learn Thaumaturgy with the same ease that other disciplines are learned.

Tremere get one path of Thaumaturgy at in clan costs. Along with this, two basic, two intermediate, and one advanced ritual are learned. The first basic ritual must be Rite of Introduction. Other “Freebee” rituals are available at the discretion of the Storytellers. Any secondary paths may be learned with the following restrictions. 1. You must have a teacher. 2. You cannot learn ANY secondary paths beyond the second Basic until your Primary Path is at Advanced. If you have advanced in your primary path, you may learn advanced in any secondary path.

Rituals may be learned at a cost of two points per level of the ritual (two for a basic, four for a intermediate, and six for a advanced). You may not learn a ritual of a level higher than your primary path of thaumaturgy. Learning Rituals requires that you either have a teacher or have made arrangements for the appropriate tomes to be in your possession, and that you have the permission of your superior to have the Rituals. Learning Thaumaturgy out of Clan

It is suggested in the Tremere Clan Book that it takes a great amount of time for those not of the Tremere to learn Thaumaturgy without the aid of the Tremere. If a player wishes to Learn Thaumaturgy, on her own, they should be forced to have a minimum of one Year of study. This study should interfere in the learning of other things (disciplines, abilities, gaining influence, etc…), because of the intense amount of time that the student needs to put towards learn Thaumaturgy on her own.

If the player is willing to learn from the Tremere directly, it is a different matter entirely. The Ritual Inherited Affinity will allow the student the ability to learn Thaumaturgy in significant less time, like any other out of Clan Discipline. The student must place her-self at the whim of the Tremere, which most Kindred would not do. In almost all cases a Blood Contract is required. There would have to be extenuating circumstances for such a Contract to not exist. The teaching of Thaumaturgy by a Tremere is an extremely rare thing. The teacher and the student are watched, so that the loyalty of both is assured. At a minimum the contract should include a clause that any Thaumaturgy that the student learns will not be used against any member of House and Clan Tremere. Both the previous things must be done, as well as approved by the hierarchy of the Tremere, if the teacher is not to be accused of betraying her Clan.

Path and Ritual Creation Creating new Rituals & Paths should be a challenge, but it should be possible. 3

The MET ST Guide it states a suggested process (Paths pgs. 44-46 & Rituals pgs. 63-64). It says that to make a ritual the creator must have ‘a Thaumaturgy Trait one level higher than that of the ritual level she seeks to create, of her Primary Path.’ By this description there cannot be any new advanced rituals created unless an NPC, with Elder Thaumaturgy, is considered the ‘creator’ of the Path or Ritual.

In addition to that in the MET Camarilla guide it states that minimum levels of Occult influence that are required to create a Ritual (6:Basic, 7:Intermediate, & 8:Advanced, same levels for Paths), however local House Rules may vary. Again, by the printed description, a single Tremere, working on her own could not create even the most Basic of Rituals. Such a task could be achieved by an Elder Tremere or by multiple Tremere working together in the creation process, with the minimum level of influence. Now depending on how your local game uses influence, two or more Tremere working together could create a Basic or higher ritual. To restate for the record, it is all up to your local Storytellers.

If you do create a Ritual or Path, please submit it to the Tremere Coord for possible approval to be included in this packet. If it is not submitted to the Tremere Coord, for approval, it will not be accepted into OWbN as a whole. This means that the ritual or path can only be used in your home game, and other games that approve it individually.

4

Paths

Note: All Paths listed here have their most recent text reference listed in the chart below. Any Paths not listed in a MET book are listed in their full text, in the section directly following the Ritual Chart. Common: Lure the Flame Movement of the Mind Path of Blood Path of Conjuring Path of Weather Control The Green Path

Uncommon: Alchemy Hearth Path Path of Elemental Mastery Path of Spirit Manipulation

Rare: Hands of Destruction Master of the Mortal Shell Onieromancy Path of Neptune’s Might Path of Corruption Path of the Focused Mind

Path of Transmutation Path of Shadow Crafting Technomancy Vine of Dionysus

Very Rare: Bio-Thaumaturgy Fathers Vengeance Faux Path of Blood’s Curse Path of Curses Path of Mars Gift of Morpheus Thaumatugical Countermagic Spirit Thaumaturgy Way of the Levinbolt Way of Warding

Unique: Borealis

*The following paths are Dead Paths, and cannot be learned by anyone. No conversions are given for them for just this reason. Way of the Worlds Blood (Original Source: Libra Sanguinus II: Keepers of the Word) Way of the Shadow World (Original Source: Libra Sanguinus II: Keepers of the Word) Way of Passage (Original Source: Dark Ages Compendium) Prey on the Soul’s Fear (Original Source: Dark Ages Compendium)

5

Path Name Rarity Location Path of Blood 1 LotN Revised: 177 Path of Flames 1 LotN Revised: 178 Movement of the Mind 1 LotN Revised: 180 Path of Conjuring 1 LotN Revised: 182 Hands of Destruction 3 LotN Revised: 183 Elemental Mastery 2 MET Camarilla Guide: 76 Green Path 1 MET Camarilla Guide: 78 Neptune’s Might 3 MET Camarilla Guide: 81 Corruption 3 MET Camarilla Guide: 83 Technomancy 3 MET Camarilla Guide: 86 Path of Spirit Manipulation 2 MET Camarilla Guide: 89 Thuamaturgical Counter Magic 4 MET Camarilla Guide: 92 Weather Control 1 MET Camarilla Guide: 93 Path of Mars 4 MET Sabbat Guide: 125 Father’s Vengeance 4 MET Sabbat Guide: 127 Alchemy 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 47 Biothaumatrgy 4 MET Storytellers Guide: 48 Focused Mind 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 50 Hearth Path 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 51 Mastery of the Mortal Shell 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 53 Onieromancy 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 54 Path of Blood’s Curse 4 MET Storytellers Guide: 56 Path of Curses 4 MET Storytellers Guide: 58 Transmutation 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 60 Vine of Dionysus 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 61 Spirit Thaumaturgy 4 Laws of Elysium: 74 Gift of Morpheus 4 Laws of the Night: 103 (below) Way of the Levinbolt 4 Tremere Clan Book: 51 Path of Shadow Crafting 3 Tremere Clan Book: 53 Faux Path 4 Blood Magic: 84 (below) Way of Warding 4 Dark Ages Borealis 5 OWbN

6

Additions & Table Top Path Conversion

Alchemy This power is rated in levels rather than the typical system found on other paths,

this is to facilitate its use. A character can affect a transformation up to the level he knows. To do this he must win a Mental challenge vs. a difficulty equal to the level of the change +5. Furthermore, he must spend one mental trait per level of this path that he is using. This path must be used in a controlled, laboratory setting. The amount of Mass/Volume that the castor can affect is based on the amount of additional mental traits that the castor expends when the path is activated. Nothing larger than a Car can be affected. As it would not fit into a Lab very well if it were bigger than that.

Mentals Mass/Volume (examples) 2 A Coin 4 A Brick 6 A Table 8 A Safe 10 A Car

Way of Warding General Notes: Each level of this path requires the magus to paint a glyph on a

object with their own blood (spending a blood trait), and succeed in a simple test. Contact with fire or sunlight will destroy all wards created by this path. Basic Bar the Common Passage

This will reinforce the physical stature of any object. After activated (see above) the affected object doubles it traits to resist breaking/battering. This may allow it to overbid in challenges against it if applicable. Traits of items affected are subject to the storyteller’s discretion. Any object affected by this power will receive a free retest against any use of thaumaturgy to destroy it or alter its state (Path of Flames, Thaumaturgical Alchemy, etc). Glyph of Scrying

The magus can see the area around the ward as if she was there. This can be placed on portable objects to act as remote sensors. Sensory amplification (heightened senses, spirit eyes, Eyes of the Beast) can be used through the ward. While looking through this glyph, the magus has no awareness of her current physical surroundings save for if damage is dealt to her (must be damage, a touch will not be noticed). Intermediate Runes of Power

7

This protective ward will do lethal damage equal to the number of mental traits the magus permanently expends at the time of use. The ward cannot be moved more than it’s normal range of motion (a door can swing on it’s hinges, but a sword would loose the effect as soon as it was picked up) after this rune is inscribed on it. Furthermore, any sentient creature will feel the power emanating from the rune, and will not be able to willingly touch it unless they expend a willpower trait (cannot be dominated into touching it). Glyph of Enlightenment

The caster may create glyphs that can both act as glyph of scrying, and allow for 2-way communication. Thaumaturgical effects that you can meet the restrictions on can be used through this conduit (Generally, no touch. Theft of Vitae will steal the blood and find the most direct route to you if there is one). All restrictions of the second basic of this path still apply. Advanced Secure the Sacred Domain

This powerful incantation allows the magus to protect an entire building. She draws a glyph at the exact center of the building (requiring the expenditure of a willpower trait and a static mental test vs. 10 traits). If successful, all windows, portals, and doors shut and become magically sealed (Cannot be opened but can be destroyed. Current breaches in the original structure are covered with a magical wall of force that cannot be destroyed, but can be circumvented (by knocking down a different wall). Multiple uses of this power will not have any effect other than sealing new breaches in walls. Gift of Morpheus

This path allows you to control others’ sleep and dreams. Basic Cause Sleep

By winning a Mental Challenge with the victim, you can cause him to fall asleep. The victim will not fall over and snore on the floor, but he will, over a period of five minutes, gradually drift into a sleep from which loud noise or physical contact can wake him. While the ritual is intended primarily for use against mortals, you can spend a Willpower Trait to affect a vampire (you must still win a Mental Challenge). Mass Slumber

By spending a Willpower Trait, you can cause a group of mortals to fall asleep. To resist, mortals must spend a Willpower Trait and test against you in a Mental Challenge. If there are ghouls or Garou present in the “mortal” crowd, you must engage in individual Mental Challenges with each non-mortal. This ritual is best invoked in the presence of a Storyteller.

8

Intermediate Enchanted Slumber

This ritual allows you to cause a person or creature to fall into a sleep from which she cannot be wakened until a specific event occurs (like a kiss from Prince Charming). This event should be achievable, though not necessarily easy. The target will rouse if her life is threatened, although she will be down two Traits in all areas. To invoke this sleep, you must spend a Willpower Trait and initiate a Mental Challenge.

This is best used on a Narrator character. If used on a player character, you should remember that if the conditions are unachievable in-game, they could cause the player to be effectively cut out of the game for at the least the duration of the evening. Storytellers may choose not to allow you to set impossible conditions such as, “She may not awaken until her body is physically transported to the planet Mars.” Dreamscape

This allows the caster to enter the dreams of a sleeping target. The caster may not use any powers or harm the target in any way, nor does this power grant any control over the dream itself. The Target is not aware of the presence of the caster in her dream.You must possess a personal item of the target and engage in a Static Mental challenge with a difficulty equal to the total permanent (not temporary) willpower of the target. Advanced Dream Mastery

You may enter the mind of a specific sleeper and induce nightmares or use Disciplines such as Presence, Dominate or Auspex if you possess them. You effectively gain control over the sleeper’s dreams and can do as you wish. Any Discipline used on the sleeper must incorporate the usual number of challenges and other Blood and Willpower expenditures. This requires you to win a Mental Challenge and spend one Mental Trait. The sleeper may take normal action in her dream. Borealis Basic Ran’s Touch

By concentrating the thaumaturge can freeze a small area, rendering simple devices useless. To activate this power the target must be touched and single blood trait must be spent, then the caster engages in a Mental vs. Physical challenge. An additional Blood Trait must be spent for a currently moving target. This cannot be employed on a living or undead target.

Grasp of Magni

9

A slightly larger area of space can now be frozen and the thaumaturge no longer needs to touch the target. By spending a Mental Trait the caster may create a small (up to a cubic foot) block of ice. If targeting a person or something that a person is grasping, the caster must engage in a Mental vs. Physical Challenge. The Ice can halt movement of a person or machine, and will last until melted or broken (static Physical vs. 6 traits).

Intermediate Forseti’s Silence

With this level of control the thaumaturge can create a wall of Ice. The wall is three cubic feet of ice for each Mental Trait spent to cast it, has as many Enduring Physical Traits as Mental Trait spent to cast it, and has health levels equal to half of the Mental Traits spent to cast it, rounded down. The wall must be summoned in unoccupied space within 50 feet of the caster.

Hel’s Kiss

The thaumaturge can literally freeze the blood of his chosen target. By spending a Willpower and winning a Mental vs. Physical challenge against the target, up to 3 Traits of Blood are frozen in the target’s veins. A Mental Trait must be spent for each Blood Trait frozen. For mortals this would cause a lethal wound for each blood frozen, and render that blood permanently useless fluid. For Kindred this would make the blood unusable for 5 Minutes or the end of a scene. In both cases the target would be down one Physical trait for each blood trait frozen.

Advanced Tomb of Buri

This power can completely incase a single target in a Tomb of Ice. The Thaumaturgist must concentrate for a full turn, expend a Willpower Trait and initiate a Mental vs. Physical Challenge against the target. The Tomb has as many Enduring Physical Traits as Mental Trait spent to cast it, and has health levels equal to half of the Mental Traits spent to cast it, rounded down. If a Mortal is trapped in the Block of Ice he or she will take one Lethal wound each round until broken free. The victim of this power may attempt to break out, destroying the health levels of the ice, by initiating a physical challenge from within it.

Faux Path

As with nearly all Thaumaturgy, the Faux Path requires the expenditure of one blood trait and an entire turn of casting in addition to any other requirements specified in the power description. The symbol for use of the Faux path is crossed fingers, where appropriate.

Basic Hello, Goodbye

The player makes a Static Mental challenge vs. six traits to invoke this power. The next sentence the thaumaturge utters will be perceived as a lie for the duration of the evening. At dawn, the affected characters may once again exercise their own judgment regarding the veracity of the statement.

Disciplinary Identification

10

The thaumaturge may identify a discipline he witnesses being used. In the case of disciplines such as Dominate or Dementation, an Awareness challenge may be

required to notice that a discipline is in effect. Powers belonging to other Supernatural creatures, with the exception of Hedge Magic, register as "Unquantified.” The effects of Hedge Magic, True Faith, Dark Thaumaturgy, and all other Sorceries, will always register as "Thaumaturgy" at this level of mastery. The Thaumaturge throws a Static Mental challenge vs. six traits to invoke this power. The Thaumaturge must know at least cursory information about the discipline’s powers. Note that this power may never be used in combat.

Intermediate Thaumaturgical Identification

The third level of The Faux Path allows the Thaumaturge to identify the specific paths of Thaumaturgy and other path-based disciplines, provided he is at least familiar with the effects of the path under scrutiny and has first used Disciplinary Identification to identify the Discipline. Any use of this power without first successfully using Disciplinary Identification will result in an incorrect result. The Thaumaturge makes a Static Mental challenge vs. eight traits to invoke this power.

Ritual Madness

By making a Static Mental challenge vs. eight traits, the Thaumaturge can place the physical, somatic effects or extrapolations of the effects of any ritual he is familiar with on an object or person, but the ‘ritual’ will have no actual effect. In the case of faux wards (Ward vs. Fools) or similar effects, a courage check may be needed to touch the affected item. Such items will get any sensory-based traits incurred by the actual ritual. These effects last until the next sunset.

Advanced Disciplinary Affectation

The Thaumaturge can duplicate the outward appearance of any Discipline or Path power up to the Advanced level, provided he is familiar with the power in question. The Thaumaturge may mimic any and all outward effects of a Discipline with a Static

mental challenge vs. ten traits, the expenditure of a Willpower trait, and by meeting the

costs associated with the mimicked power as well. The burden of proof is with the

Caster. Powers such as Obfuscate and Chimerstry will appear to have been used, but not successfully, against the viewer, i.e., the observer will believe that the discipline was used, but that it failed to deceive her. Bonus traits and negative traits conferred by the powers mimicked are not actually conferred, nor are the actual benefits of the power generated.

11

Rituals

Note: All Rituals listed here have their most recent text reference listed in the chart below. Any Rituals not listed in a MET book are listed in their full text, in the section directly following the Ritual Chart. Common: Binding the Beast Blood Mastery Blood Mead (Vine of Dionysus) Blood Walk Bone of Lies Brand of the Paramour Bureaucratic Condemnation Calling the Restless Spirit Communicate with Kindred Sire Craft Bloodstone Defense of Sacred Haven Deflection of Wooden Doom Donning Mask of Shadows Encrypt Missive Engaging Vessel of Transference Expedient Paperwork Extinguish Gentle Mind Illusion of Peaceful Death Impassable Trail Impressive Visage Incantation of the Shepherd Learning the Mind Enslumbered

Mourning Life Course Open Passage, the Pavis of the Foul Presence Preserve Blood Principle Focus of Vitae Infusion Purify Blood Purity of the Flesh Rebirth of Mortal Vanity Rite of Introduction Ritual’s Recognition Sanguineous Phial Scent of the Lupine’s Passing Scribe, the Serenading Kami Steps of the Terrified (Assasmite/Sabbat) Stolen Kisses Stone Slumber Telecommunication Trima (Vine of Dionysus) Wake with Evening’s Freshness Ward vs. Ghouls Warding Circle vs. Kindred Watcher, the Whispers of the Ghost

Uncommon: Abandon the Fetters of Blood Bind the Accusing Tongue Bladed Hands Blood Contract Blood Into Water Cleansing of the Flesh Craft Dream Catcher (Oneiromancy/Morpheus) Crimson Sentinel

Curse Belated, the Curse of Clytaemnestra Devil’s Touch Dominoe of Life (Sabbat ONLY) Enhancing the Curse Eyes of the Beast (Sabbat ONLY) Eyes of the Night Hawk (Sabbat ONLY) Eyes of the Past Fire Walker (Sabbat ONLY) Friend of the Trees (Sabbat ONLY)

12

Ghost in the System Haunting, the Heart of Stone Imp’s Affliction, the Incorporeal Passage Infirm Inert Inscription Jinx Luminous Vitae Major Creation (Path of Conjuring) Mark of Amaranth Obscure the Malice Power of the Pyramid Protean Curse Purge the Inner Demon Recure the Homeland (Sabbat ONLY) Rend the Mind Rending Sweet Earth Respect of the Animals Return the Heart (Path of Blood’s Curse) Rutor’s Hands Sanguine Assistant Scry

Sculpting the Perfect Servant Sense the Mystical Severed Hand Soul of the Homunculi Splinter Servant Stone Slumber Summon the Guardian Spirit Track the Transgressor Umbra Walk Unseen Change, the Unweave Ritual Ward vs. Demons Ward vs. Fae Ward vs. Ghosts Ward vs. Kindred Ward vs. Lupine Ward vs. Spirit Warding Circle vs. Ghosts Warding Circle vs. Ghouls Warding Circle vs. Lupines Warding Circle vs. Spirits Will o’ the Wisp (Sabbat ONLY)

Rare: Beacon of the Self Blood Allergy Blood Certamen Blood Rush (Sabbat ONLY) Bottled Voice Clinging of the Insect Cobra’s Favor Court of the Hallowed Truth Eldritch Glimmer (Sabbat ONLY) Enchant Talisman Escape to a True Friend Flesh of the Fiery Touch Haunted House Illuminate Trail of Prey (Assamite/Sabbat) Inherited Affinity Innocence of the Child’s Heart Invisible Chains of Binding

Iron Mind Keening of the Banshee Machine Blitz Mind Crawler Mirror of the Second Sight Mirror Walk Night of the Red Heart One Mind of the Covens Power of the Invisible Flame Shaft of Belated Quiescence Spirit of Torment Stone of the True Form Touch of Nightshade, A Transubstantiation of the Seven True Sight Vires Acquirit Eundo Warding Circles vs. Demons Widow’s Spite (Sabbat ONLY)

Very Rare: Blade of the Forbidden Flower

Blood Test Bone of Contention

13

Bone of Eternal Thirst Bone of the Kindred Chain of the Bloodline Chill of the Windsaber Dedicate the Chantry (Cast by the Lord in the area when a new Chantry is built) Deny the Intruder (See Dedicate the Chantry) Divorcing the Soul Dominion Drawing upon the Bond Eyes of the Ever Vigilant Fire in the Blood Gift, the Impede the Gifts of Caine Invulnerable Weakness

Lion Heart Nectar of the Bitter Rose Paper Flesh Raise the Dead Refined Digestion Ritual of Holding Rotten Wood Shadow of the Wolf Spider’s Web Summon Mischievous Spirit Thirst Unquenchable Utter Destruction of Bonds Verdant Blade, The Weapon of the Kindred Soul

Unique: Active Defense (P. Cross’ Ritual, WbN) Alter Blood (C:DR) Bring Forth the Light Within (R. Magius’ Ritual, C-U) Craft Spirit Bloodstone (S. Lazerion, Tuscola) Deny the Sun’s Weight (R. Johnson’s Ritual, M:NR) Diamond’s Doom (C:DR) Ex Libris (R. Magius’ Ritual, C-U) Extreme Care (C:DR) Graves Defiance (R.Graves, CiD) Import Item (C:DR) Knowledge of the Childe’s Peril (A. Blake’s Ritual, Tuscola)

Lightning Rod (V. King's Ritual, NVA) Mirror Attunement (S. Lazerion, Tuscola) Pavis of the Dark Dementia (Gary) Rite of the Vanishing Blemish (HoB) Serenity of the Heart's Blood (R. Johnson’s Ritual, M:NR) Sight of the Dead (V. Daemos, C-U) Stalk the True Body (C:DR) Teleport to a Safe Haven (C:DR) Tremere’s Bane (C:DR) Walkin’s Purity of the Flesh (P. Walkin’s Ritual, C-U) Wizard’s Gift (V. King's Ritual, NVA) Wizard's Gold (V. King's Ritual, NVA)

14

Ritual Name Rarity Location Level Abandon the Fetters of Blood 2 Tremere Clan Book: 65 Advanced Active Defense 5 Westchester by Night Advanced Alter Blood 5 Chicago: Dark Requiem Basic Beacon of the Self 4 New York by Night: 38 Intermediate Bind the Accusing tongue 2 Camarilla Guide: 109 Basic Binding the Beast 1 Laws of Elysium: 82 Intermediate Blade of the Forbidden Flower 4 Blood Magic: 99 Methuselah Bladed Hands 2 Laws of Elysium: 82 Intermediate Blood Allergy 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 69 Intermediate Blood Certamen 3 Tremere Clan Book: 61 Intermediate Blood Contract 2 LotN Revised: 187 Advanced Blood Into Water 1 New York by Night: 48 Basic Blood Mastery 1 Tremere Clan Book: 56 Basic Blood Mead 1 MET Storytellers Guide:64 Basic Blood Rush 3 MET Sabbat Guide: 130 Basic Blood Test 4 Chicago: Dark Requiem Basic Blood Walk 1 Laws of Elysium: 80 Basic Bone of Contention 4 Tremere Clan Book: 66 Elder Bone of Eternal Thirst 4 Blood Magic: 99 Master Bone of Lies 1 LotN Revised: 186 Intermediate Bone of the Kindred 4 2nd Ed. Players Guide: 92 Elder Bottled Voice 3 Laws of Elysium: 90 Intermediate Brand of the Paramour 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 65 Basic Bring Forth the Light Within 5 C-U: Fires of the Wise Basic Bureaucratic Condemnation 1 Blood Magic: 91 Basic Calling the Restless Spirit 1 Laws of Elysium: 80 Basic Chain of the Bloodline 4 2nd Ed. Players Guide: 92 Master Chill of the Windsaber 4 MET Journal #1: 44 Advanced Cleansing of the Flesh 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 69 Intermediate Clinging of the Insect 3 MET Sabbat Guide: 132 Intermediate Cobra’s Favor 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 73 Advanced Communicate with Kindred Sire 1 LotN Revised: 185 Basic Court of Hallowed Truth 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 73 Advanced Craft Bloodstone 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 65 Basic Craft Dream Catcher 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 70 Intermediate Craft Spirit Bloodstone 5 Shadows of Cincinnati Advanced Crimson Sentinel 2 Laws of the Night: 101 Basic Curse Belated, the 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 70 Intermediate Curse of Clytaemnestra 2 Laws of Elysium: 85 Advanced Dedicate the Chantry 4 Tremere Clan Book: 57 Basic

15

Defense of Sacred Haven 1 LotN Revised: 185 Basic Deflection of Wooden Doom 1 LotN Revised: 185 Basic Deny the Intruder 4 Tremere Clan Book: 58 Basic Deny the Sun’s Weight 5 Milwaukee: Nocturnal Rapture Intermediate Devil’s Touch 2 LotN Revised: 185 Basic Diamond’s Doom 5 Chicago: Dark Requiem Advanced Divorcing the Soul 4 2nd Ed. Players Guide: 92 Master Dominion 4 Laws of Elysium: 92 Advanced Dominoe of Life 2 MET Sabbat Guide: 130 Basic Donning the Mask of Shadows 1 Laws of Elysium: 80 Basic Drawing upon the Bond 4 2nd Ed. Sabbat Players Guide: 119 Elder Eldritch Glimmer 3 Laws of Elysium: 90 Intermediate Enchant Talisman 3 Camarilla Guide: 113 Advanced Encrypt Missive 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 65 Basic Engaging the Vessel of Transference

1 Camarilla Guide: 110 Basic

Enhancing the Curse 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 65 Basic Escape to a True Friend 3 Camarilla Guide: 114 Advanced Ex Libris (Fire Trap) 5 C-U: Fires of the Wise Basic Expedient Paperwork 1 Blood Magic: 87 Basic Extinguish 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 66 Basic Extreme Care 5 Chicago: Dark Requiem Basic Eyes of the Beast 2 Laws of Elysium: 92 Advanced Eyes of the Ever Vigilant 4 MET Storytellers Guide: 75 Ascendant Eyes of the Nighthawk 2 MET Sabbat Guide: 130 Basic Eyes of the Past 2 Laws of Elysium: 83 Intermediate Fire in the Blood 4 Laws of the Night: 105 Intermediate Firewalker 2 MET Sabbat Guide: 132 Intermediate Flesh of the Fiery Touch 3 Laws of Elysium: 83 Intermediate Friend of the Trees 2 Laws of Elysium: 90 Intermediate Gentle Mind 1 Laws of Elysium: 83 Intermediate Ghost in the System 2 Blood Magic: 97 Advanced Gift, the 4 MET Journal #1: 45 Master Graves Defiance 5 Columbus in Darkness Intermediate Haunted House 3 Laws of Elysium: 83 Intermediate Haunting, the 2 Laws of Elysium: 90 Intermediate Heart of Stone 2 Laws of Elysium: 83 Intermediate Illuminate Trail of Prey 3 MET Sabbat Guide: 131 Basic Illusion of Peaceful Death 1 Laws of Elysium: 84 Intermediate Imp’s Affliction, the 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 66 Basic Impassable Trail 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 66 Basic Impede the Gifts of Caine 4 Archon’s and Templars: pg 146 Master Import Item 5 Chicago: Dark Requiem Advanced

16

Impressive Visage 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 66 Basic Incantation of the Shepherd 1 Camarilla Guide:110 Basic Incorporeal Passage 2 LotN Revised: 186 Intermediate Infirm Inert 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 70 Intermediate Inherited Affinity 3 Tremere Clan Book: 59 Intermediate Innocence of the Child’s Heart 3 Laws of Elysium: 84 Intermediate Inscription 2 Tremere Clan Book: 58 Basic Invisible Chains of Binding 3 Laws of the Night: 106 Advanced Invulnerable Weakness 4 2nd Ed. Players Guide: 93 Ascendant Iron Mind 3 MET Journal #1: 46 Intermediate Jinx 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 66 Basic Keening of the Banshee 3 Laws of Elysium: 91 Intermediate Knowledge of the Childe’s Peril 5 Tuscola: Buried Destiny Intermediate Learning the Mind Enslumbered 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 67 Basic Lightning Rod 5 Night Falls, NVA Intermediate Lion Heart 4 Laws of Elysium: 92 Advanced Luminous Vitae 2 New York by Night: 48 Basic Machine Blitz 3 MET Sabbat Guide: 131 Basic Major Creation 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 71 Intermediate Mark of Amaranth 2 Tremere Clan Book: 63 Intermediate Mindcrawler 3 Laws of Elysium: 92 Advanced Mirror Attunement 5 Shadows of Cincinnati Advanced Mirror of the Second Sight 3 MET Sabbat Guide: 133 Intermediate Mirror Walk 3 Laws of Elysium: 91 Intermediate Mourning Life’s Curse 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 67 Basic Nectar of the Bitter Rose 4 LotN Revised: 187 Advanced Night of the Red Heart 3 Tremere Clan Book: 65 Advanced Obscure the Malice 2 New York by Night: 48 Basic One Mind of the Covens 3 2nd Ed Players Guide: 91 Advanced Open Passage, the 1 LotN Revised: 185 Basic Paper Flesh 4 MET Sabbat Guide: 133 Advanced Pavis of the Dark Dementia 5 Crown of Thorns, Gary Advanced Pavis of the Foul Presence 1 LotN Revised: 187 Intermediate Power of Invisible Flame 3 Laws of Elysium: 89 Basic Power of the Pyramid 2 Tremere Clan Book: 60 Intermediate Preserve Blood 1 Laws of Elysium: 89 Basic Principle Focus of Vitae Infusion 1 LotN Revised: 186 Basic Protean Curse 2 Laws of Elysium: 84 Intermediate Purge the Inner Demon 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 67 Basic Purify Blood 1 Tremere Clan Book: 57 Basic Purity of the Flesh 1 Camarilla Guide: 110 Basic Raise the Dead 4 MET Journal #1: 41 Master Rebirth of Mortal Vanity 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 67 Basic

17

Recure the Homeland 2 MET Sabbat Guide: 131 Basic Refined Digestion 4 MET Storytellers Guide: 74 Master Rend the Mind 2 Blood Magic: 96 Intermediate Rending Sweet Earth 2 Laws of Elysium: 84 Intermediate Respect of the Animals 2 Laws of Elysium: 91 Intermediate Return the Heart 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 71 Intermediate Rite of Introduction 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 68 Basic Rite of the Vanishing Blemish 5 Milledgeville, Habit of Being Basic Ritual of Holding 4 MET Journal #1: 42 Master Ritual’s Recognition 1 Tremere Clan Book: 59 Basic Rotten Wood 4 Laws of the Night: 105 Basic Rutor’s Hands 2 LotN Revised: 187 Intermediate Sanguine Assistant 2 Camarilla Guide: 111 Basic Sanguineous Phial 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 68 Basic Scent of the Lupine’s Passing 1 LotN Revised: 186 Basic Scribe, the 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 68 Basic Scry 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 71 Intermediate Sculpting the Perfect Servant 2 Blood Magic: 97 Advanced Sense the Mystical 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 68 Basic Serenading the Kami 1 Blood Magic: 91 Basic Serenity of the Heart's Blood 5 Milwaukee: Nocturnal Rapture Intermediate Severed Hand 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 73 Advanced Shadow of the Wolf 4 MET Journal47 Ascendant Shaft of Belated Quiescence 3 Camarilla Guide: 112 Intermediate Sight of the Dead 5 C-U, Fires of the Wise Intermediate Soul of the Homunculi 2 LotN Revised: 187 Intermediate Spider’s Web 4 MET Journal #1: 49 Master Spirit of Torment 3 Laws of Elysium: 93 Advanced Splinter Servant 2 Camarilla Guide: 113 Intermediate Stalk the True Body 5 Chicago: Dark Requiem Advanced Steps of the Terrified 1 Laws of Elysium: 89 Basic Stolen Kisses 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 71 Intermediate Stone of the True Form 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 74 Advanced Stone Slumber 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 74 Advanced Summon the Guardian Spirit 2 Laws of Elysium: 89 Basic Summon Mischievous Spirit 4 2nd Ed. Sabbat Players Guide: 118 Intermediate Telecommunication 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 72 Intermediate Teleport to a Safe Haven 5 Chicago: Dark Requiem Advanced Thirst Unquenchable 4 Laws of the Night: 106 Advanced Touch of Night Shade, A 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 72 Intermediate Track the Transgressor 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 72 Intermediate Transubstantiation of the Seven 3 Tremere Clan Book: 61 Intermediate Tremere’s Bane 5 Chicago: Dark Requiem Advanced

18

Trima 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 69 Basic True Sight 3 Diablerie Britain Basic Umbra Walk 2 LotN Revised: 188 Advanced Unseen Change, the 2 Laws of Elysium: 85 Intermediate Unweave Ritual 2 Tremere Clan Book: 64 Intermediate Utter Destruction of Bonds 4 MET Journal #1: 43 Master Verdant Blade, The 4 Archon’s and Templars: pg 146 Advanced Vires Acquirit Eundo 3 Blood Magic: 98 Advanced Wake with Evening’s Freshness 1 LotN Revised: 186 Basic Walkin’s Purity of the Flesh 5 C-U, Fires of the Wise Basic Ward vs. Demons 2 Camarilla Guide: 114 Advanced Ward vs. Fae 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 73 Intermediate Ward vs. Ghosts 2 Camarilla Guide: 114 Advanced Ward vs. Ghouls 1 LotN Revised: 186 Basic Ward vs. Kindred 2 Camarilla Guide: 113 Advanced Ward vs. Lupines 2 Camarilla Guide: 113 Intermediate Ward vs. Spirits 2 Camarilla Guide: 114 Advanced Warding Circle vs. Demons 3 Camarilla Guide: 111 Advanced Warding Circle vs. Ghosts 2 Camarilla Guide: 111 Advanced Warding Circle vs. Ghouls 2 Camarilla Guide: 111 Basic Warding Circle vs. Kindred 1 Camarilla Guide: 111 Advanced Warding Circle vs. Lupines 2 Camarilla Guide: 111 Intermediate Warding Circle vs. Spirits 2 Camarilla Guide: 111 Advanced Watcher, the 1 Laws of Elysium: 85 Intermediate Weapon of the Kindred Soul 4 2nd Ed. Players Guide: 92 Methuselah Whispers of the Ghost 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 69 Basic Widow’s Spite 3 MET Sabbat Guide: 132 Basic Will o’ the Wisp 2 Laws of Elysium: 89 Basic Wizard's Gold 5 Night Falls (NVA) Intermediate Wizard’s Gift 5 Night Falls (NVA) Advanced

19

Table Top & OWbN Specific Thaumaturgy

Ritual’s

Some of the rituals listed below will not be found in any White Wolf publication. Players of OWbN have created these Rituals. They are included here for players and STs to appreciate the devotion that these players have had to their characters and the Tremere. They have been approved by the Tremere Coordinator, and may be included in your game with STs permission. Basic Alter Blood

This ritual will temporarily mask, but not change or produce false readings, when Path of Blood’s Taste of Vitae is used upon the ensorcelled Thaumaturgist or a Trait of Blood that she has likewise enchanted.

System: With the expenditure of a Mental Trait by the Thaumaturge, this ritual will temporarily alter the readings of Taste of Vitae if used on the Thaumaturgists blood. The only information that is obtainable is the relative generation of the Kindred, compared to the inquisitor, i.e. higher or lower generation only.

Note: this ritual only effects Taste of Vitae, it will not fool other rituals such as Blood Walk, etc. from discerning information from the Blood. The effects of this ritual, if cast on the Thaumaturgist, will last until the following sunrise. The Thaumaturge during this time may only use her blood to heal wounds, as it becomes somewhat alien to her. This ritual may also be used to enchant a Blood Trait in a vessel. This enchantment will have the same effect but will permanently alter the Blood Trait.

Blood Into Water

All spilled blood within this ritual’s reach transmutes to water. This is most frequently used to remove bloodstains, wether as a result of foul play or rites that involve blood to mark or otherwise designate effects. The thaumaturge pours a cup of purified water through the fingers of his outstretched hand while casting this ritual.

System: The ritual requires a five minute casting time and affects a ten foot radius, but will cleanse the area of blood thoroughly. Blood in containers and living things will not be affected, only spilt blood.

Note that certain rituals and powers require blood markings or require blood to be applied to an object (such as Ward vs. Ghouls or Impassible Trail). This power has no effect on blood used to create active or dormant discipline effects – it could not be used to remove a Ward vs. Ghouls, though it could be used to clean up a blood circle drawn on the ground used to bind a demon, so long as that binding is done and over with.

Blood Test

20

When this Ritual is used, if there is enough Kindred Vitae in the ‘tested’ sample to cause a step in a blood bond or viniculum, the Kindred Vitae will move in a visible spiral within the blood sample. The movement is visibly apparent to all present. The more Kindred Vitae present in the sample, the larger and more spectacular the movement.

System: Casting Blood Test requires the expenditure of one Willpower, one Mental trait, and an extended static Mental challenge. The number of successes or ties, against a difficulty of five traits, equals the number of blood points that can be tested during a one-hour time frame. The caster’s hands acquire a slight bluish tinge while the ritual is in effect.

Bring Forth the Light Within

This Ritual may be cast on a ‘non-magical’ object in one of two ways. It may be cast temporarily where it will work for one evening, or it may be cast permanently where it will last forever. Upon speaking the power word (set during casting) the object the ritual is cast upon will begin to glow with a soft, dull white light. After this point a second power word (also set during casting) may be spoken for the object to stop glowing.

System: as a Basic Ritual this takes a casting time of 15 min., It requires the temporary expenditure of one mental trait for a one night effect, and one permanent mental trait for the permanent effect.

Bind the Accusing Tongue

Bind the accusing tongue lays a compulsion upon the target that prevents her from speaking ill of the caster, allowing the thaumaturge to commit literally unspeakable acts without fear of reprisal.

System: The caster must have a picture or image of the target, a lock of her hair and a black silken cord. The caster ties the cord around the hair while chanting. Any time the target wants to speak ill of the caster, she must defeat the caster in a mental challenge (Occult retests on both sides are applicable).

Bureaucratic Condemnation

This ritual was created to be the opposite of Expedient Paperwork. System: Once cast the influence actions of the target of this ritual take three

times as long as they normally would. A Storyteller may allow a player with a significant amount of influence may decrease this time, but that is up to each local game.

Ex Libris (Fire Trap)

This ritual is simply a ward cast and scribed on the inside cover of a bound book where, after casting the book cannot be opened without intoning the power phrase (set during the casting). If the correct phrase is not uttered before opening the book, it combusts and burns to ashes (causing no damage to the person holding the book).

System: as a Basic Ritual this takes a casting time of 15 min., and one blood trait (used as the ink of the ward)

Expedient Paperwork

21

This ritual allows a thaumaturge to avoid delays that are created in modern bureaucracies (church, government, financial, etc…). It requires the hair of a dog that is considered loyal and protective (could be bound).

System: Once cast this decreases the amount of time that influence actions might take. The amount of time saved is up to the ST. It is suggested that the time required is reduced to one third of the original time. The ritual takes 8 hours to complete.

Extreme Care

This ritual allows for the creation of enchanted elixirs. These elixirs have the ability to miraculous heal mortal creatures of disease and wounds.

System: This ritual, usable only on mortal living creatures (humans, ghouls, Garou, etc.), requires that one trait of Vampiric Blood be injected, or ingested, into a subject's body. This has the usual effects - the subject moves a step closer to becoming blood bound to the vampire whose blood is used, and temporarily becomes a Ghoul. In addition, the mortal automatically heals one Wound Level of damage and the Thaumaturge, if in the presence of the use of the elixir, may spend one Medical Ability to cure the patient of one viral or bacterial illness (Not cancers or hereditary diseases. AIDS, Ebola, and other such particularly nasty things should be immune to healing, but the life span of the infected person could be extended).

Mortals drinking this elixir may be brought back from the threshold of death, without being made into a vampire. The blood leaves no trace in the patient's system, and all but the partial Blood Bond fades completely within 3 days. Once the Thaumaturgist’s blood is transformed into the elixir it loses most of its connections to the Thaumaturge. Thus, it may not be used for Discipline or rituals against the Thaumaturge. And, rituals such as Blood Walk or Disciplines such as taste of Vitae merely reveal that it is altered Kindred vitae and little else.

The elixir will only retain its potency for 72 hours after casting.

Incantation of the Shepherd This 15 Minute Ritual allows the user to locate, in approximate Direction and

Distance, all members of the Caster's Herd. To properly cast this ritual, the Thaumaurgist, while intoning the names of her Herd, must hold two small glass objects to her eyes and spin in a slow circle. . If the Caster does not have the Herd Background, she will detect the closest three mortals from whom she has fed at least three times. This Ritual has a Maximum range of 10 times the Caster's Herd Background, or 5 miles if she does not have any Herd Background.

Luminous Vitae

This ritual duplicates the effects of alternate light sources on vitae, causing blood to glow in the caster’s sight. This is most often used to make sure an area has been cleaned sufficiently in a chantry laboratory, but it has a number of useful applications outside the chantry as well. The caster looks through the eye of a needle when using this ritual.

22

System: To enact this ritual the caster must engage in a static mental challenge vs. six traits while pouring water through his fingers. The power of this ten-minute ritual

lasts for one scene or one hour, during which blood on a surface no matter how small an area or how faint glows an iridescent purple. From the oldest bloody fingerprint on a desk drawer to a pool of blood gathering beneath a murder victim’s corpse, it all becomes visible.

The power has no effect on blood inside a person or container. If the thaumaturge opens a vessel containing blood, he will see the vitae in the usual purple color, but this ritual does not allow him to see though other objects.

Obscure the Malice

In this ritual, the caster pours her own vitae into a corpse’s wound. The blood scabs over and the wound “heals” during the course of the ritual. This ritual cannot be used to heal the living or undead, though it can conceal evidence of feeding or other physical violence on a corpse.

System: To activate this ritual the caster must engage in an extended static mental challenge vs. six traits, the effect of the ritual is determined by the amount of successes. One success indicates a very visible wound (that nonetheless must have healed before the victim suffered whatever trauma killed him…) while five successes heals the would flawlessly postmortem. This ritual works only for wounds – poisons, drowning, ect. will still be evident with a full autopsy, though such results may prove misleading without other telltale marks.

Rite of the Vanishing Blemish

This ritual 'soaks' blood and other stains, leaving no trace. System: With a small amount of raw cotton or wool and the caster’s incantation,

even large stains are absorbed into nothingness. The material must be held over the stain while the incantation is said, after which it is mystically "soaked" in and the cotton/wool is useless. This works even if the stain has dried.

Serenading the Kami

By binding spirits to her physical form the thaumaturge can gain a temporary boost in strength.

System: This ritual grants the castor 2 additional traits in her next physical action. This action could be as simple as digging a ditch or hitting someone. It takes 30 minutes to cast this ritual.

True Sight

"This ritual turns a vampire into an undead polygraph. It is often used by Justicars to catch Diabolists. Once the short ritual is performed (requiring about five minutes), the vampire's senses become amazingly enhanced, allowing her to hear the slightest quaver in a person's voice, see the minute twitching of a liar's mouth, or notice how a liar's eyes blink too much."

Mechanics: "True Sight only detects deliberate, willful lies. If the other party believes she is telling the truth, then what she says will appear to be true. The ritual detects the state of nervousness, not whether the truth was spoken."

23

In effect, the Thaumaturge has a single extra investigation ability and five extra mental traits, for the duration of the ritual, for the purposes of Auspex challenges that

they initiate. These traits may not be bid, but are added to the caster's total for purposes of comparison or overbid. They do not aid in Auspex challenges initiated against the caster because the ritual does nothing to alter the Thaumaturgists ability to hide their own reactions, nor the other person's ability to perceive the Thaumaturgists. To indicate that this ritual is in effect, the player should get a card denoting the extra traits and the time cast from a storyteller.

This ritual takes five minutes to cast and last’s one hour. Walkin’s Purity of the Flesh

This Ritual is functionally the same as the Ritual ‘Purity of the Flesh’ with a few minor changes. It does require the same casting time, and additionally 13 quartz Crystals, that are ‘popped like flashbulbs’ upon the Ritual’s completion

System: The system for this Ritual is Identical to ‘Purity of the Flesh’ with the addition that the subject of the Ritual is also freed of any Technological enhancements (ie: Technocracy Nanites and the like)

Warding Circle versus Ghouls (and others)

Created as a protective ward, it creates a circle of protection against many different creature types. Each creature type is a separate ritual.

System: These rituals require three traits of blood of the appropriate creature type (handful of sea salt for spirits, ground marble from a tombstone for ghosts, or holy water for demons). The caster determines the size of the warding circle in the following manner. It starts at a base of 10’ radius (20’ diameter). The caster may spend one mental trait and one-blood traits to increase the radius by 10’.

Any appropriate creature that approaches the circle will feel the power of the circle. In order to cross the ward, she must win a static test against the mental traits of the caster, bidding her current number of willpower traits (no traits are risked by either side). If she fails she takes three lethal damage, and is denied entry. If she wins the challenge she may cross, but still takes the three lethal damage. Attempts to leave the circle are not blocked.

Wards can be laid inside of each other, but must have at lest 20’ diameter smaller than the one they are inside of, and must be of different types

Intermediate Beacon of the Self

While Calebros ascribes a great deal of power to this ritual, it is not so potent as he believes it to be. In fact, the ritual itself is quite rare, owing to many Tremere elders harboring some degree of paranoia. While the ritual does indeed locate Kindred with ease, few of those elders want themselves so effortlessly found, and guard the secrets of its performance. This ritual reveals the location of a specific Kindred to the caster, so long as she is within a night’s travel of the caster’s current location. The caster receives a dream-like but identifiable mental image of the subject’s current location. This ritual requires some portion of the subject’s body, however small: a hair, a severed finger, a fang, or a thumbnail.

24

System: The thaumaturge performs this 20-minute ritual as normal, which destroys the subject’s left-behind matter in a whiff of yellow smoke. The caster inhales the smoke, which creates the vision in her mind. The caster then engages in a static mental challenge vs. six traits. If the ritual fails, or if the subject is out of range (“within a night’s travel” seems to be an arcane measurement, equal to the distance the caster could travel on foot in one night), it provides no image at all, though it does destroy the tissue sample.

Deny the Sun's Weight

The caster gains the ability to exist on less rest than other kindred, tending to rise at least one hour before sunrise. For the duration of the ritual, he will always seem to be the first to rise and the last to go to bed, even if he's been out until dawn. While other kindred may still be groggy, he is awake and aware.

System: The caster may awaken early and remain awake late during the first and last hour of light, with no need to expend Willpower to stay awake. This Ritual takes 20 minutes to cast and its duration is 24 hours. This ritual does not grant the ability to bid more Traits than your Morality would normally allow during the day. Another means such as Light Sleeper or the ritual Wake with Evening's Freshness would be needed to bid more Traits than your Morality would normally allow during the day. The primary Components to cast is A moonstone gem, which must be with the caster for the duration of the ritual, and is often worn as a ring or pendant.

Graves' Defiance

With this ritual the Thaumaturge can protect against the removal of her soul from her current body. Based upon the ritual uses of "Body Hooks" by some Native Americans and a few African Spiritualists the Thaumaturgist "hooks" her soul to her body.

The Thaumaturgist must soak an Iron Hook (of at least 2 inches in length) in a mixture that must include: a point of the Thaumaturgist 's blood and the ashes of a recently (within one day) slain and cremated ‘Innocent’ human (Innocent requires the victim be of Humanity 5, this will require a conscience/conviction test if appropriate to the Thaumaturgist’s morality). The Hook must soak for a period of seven days, at the end of which the Thaumaturgist begins the casting of the ritual.

The ritual takes the normal twenty minutes to cast. At the conclusion of the ritual the Thaumaturgist expends a Temporary Willpower and inserts the hook through the flesh of her chest. This action causes a lethal damage, which can neither be prevented nor soaked (you must take the damage for the ritual to work). For the rest of the evening, or until the Lethal inflicted from the Hook is healed (whether or not the healing was intentional), the Thaumaturgist 's soul is "hooked" to her body.

For the duration of the ritual, any time an event (other then Final Death) would cause the Thaumaturgist's soul to leave her body she instead suffers one level of lethal damage. This damage cannot be soaked nor prevented (but may be healed). Events include Disciplines used on the Thaumaturgist as well as Disciplines the Thaumaturgist may use (i.e. the Thaumaturgist will take a lethal if she

25

attempts to use Psychic Projection, Possession, Subsume the Spirit, ect, and the Discipline will fail). If the Thaumaturgist uses this ritual while possessing another shell (mortal or otherwise), her soul is "Hooked" in that shell. If the shell dies she dies (Final Death).

When the ritual ends (either at sunrise or when the lethal inflicted during casting is healed) the Hook crumbles to a pile of rust and a new one must be procured to enact the ritual again.

Knowledge of the Childe’s Peril

With a trait of Blood from a ghoul (the caster’s or not), the caster of this Ritual may become attuned to said ghoul for a night allowing the use of the ghouls senses.

System: This Ritual takes 30 min. to cast and lasts all night. One trait of the casters blood is mixed with one trait of the ghouls blood, and the ritual is performed. The blood boils down to one trait and then Imbibed by the caster, thus attuning the ghoul to the caster. After the Ritual is complete any time throughout the night the caster may spend a Mental Trait to gain use one of the Ghouls senses for a period of 1 hour, though the caster may choose to ‘turn off’ the effect of the Ritual. (see though the ghouls eyes, hear through the ghouls ears, etc.) The caster’s senses take a back seat to those of the ghouls so they are effectively blind or deaf or without whatever sense they are taking from the ghoul. The ghoul is unaware that the ritual has been cast or enacted, however the caster may NOT interact with anything within the area of the affected ghoul. When the hour is up the caster may expend another trait to gain the effects of the Ritual again, however at the end of the night the Ritual is over and the ghoul must be re-attuned to use the Ritual again.

Lighting Rod

With this Ritual a Master of the Path of Weather may utilize a Bolt of Lightning for later use.

System: An appropriate item must be pre-prepared to accept the bolt. A Staff or Sword is appropriate (though if a sword the Lightning Bolt cannot be released as part of a strike of the Weapon). This takes a week, with a series of challenges (one static mental challenge each night difficulty of 10). If any fail the item is destroyed and the process must start over again. On the last night a Permanent Mental Trait must be spent to attune the item to the castor. Only the castor may release her own Lightning. Once the item is created it may hold One (1) Lightning Strike, for each of the Permanent Willpower that the castor has. Following the rules of Lightning Strike (Advanced Weather) the castor must summon Lightning to the Rod. She or she will take 3 Lethal Wounds doing so, but the Lightning is also stored. If the Rod is broken the Lightning will harm anyone holding it. To release the Lightning Strike the castor must again follow all rules of Lightning Strike, save the weather requirement, since the lightning already exists.

Rend the Mind

Most of the Tremere are not physically powerful. This ritual combines the lethal powers of Thaumaturgy and Auspex into a powerful tool.

26

System: This ritual allows the castor to make one telepathic attack before the next sunrise. If she wins a mental challenge against her target she will cause a number of bashing wounds equal to her permanent willpower. This ritual takes one hour to cast. Also the castors Primary Path must be at the second intermediate and have Telepathy.

Sanguine Assistant

Tremere often need lab assistants that they can trust implicitly. This ritual allows a thaumaturge to create a temporary servant that was utterly loyal.

System: The caster spends 5 blood and makes a static test against 10 traits. The resulting servant is about a foot tall, and roughly humanoid shape and is formed out of random objects in the room (but oddly enough it will never take anything that you will be using).

The servant will last for a number of days equal to the caster’s mental traits. The servant will follow the orders of the caster, and will take on the personality

and mannerisms of the caster. When the ritual expires, it will return to the bowl it was summoned in, and fall apart. The caster may re-summon the same servant and it will retain its personality and memories.

Serenity of the Heart's Blood

The caster gains +2 Traits in tests to resist Frenzy and Rötschreck, for the duration of this ritual. The thaumaturge may only use the power on himself.

System: No physical component is necessary to empower this ritual, however, during the casting the thaumaturge must meditate and achieve a trance-like state. The ritual gains its power from Inherency. The caster cannot expend vitae to increase Physical Traits while the ritual is in effect (thus not allowing his heart's blood to be stirred), is able to gain a degree of mastery over his beast. This ritual requires 20 Minutes to cast and its Duration is 24 hours.

Shaft of Belated Quintessence

This ritual turns a regular stake of rowan wood into a particularly vicious weapon. When the tip touches kindred, it breaks off and burrows for the victim’s heart.

System: The stake must be of rowan wood, coated in three traits of the caster’s blood and baked over an oak wood fire. When the stake is used in combat, it acts normally as a weapon. If a successful strike hits, the tip of the stake breaks off and begins burrowing at the heart of the victim (even if you have misplaced heart). Every hour, the affected player must make a static physical challenge against the mental traits of the caster or take one lethal damage. Once 5 lethal damage has been done in this fashion, the character is staked.

Removing the tip via surgery requires the medicine ability. The surgeon enters an extended challenge against a number of traits equal to the creator of the stake’s mental traits. She must cumulate 5 successes to remove the tip. Each challenge made will do 1 point of lethal damage win, loose or tie. Healing the wounds closes the incisions and the surgeon must start over.

27

If a stake enchanted with this ritual is used on someone that has her heart removed by Heart of Darkness (advanced Serpents), the stake will do normal combat damage on the initial hit, but the tip will not break off, and the ritual is not expended.

Sight of the Dead

Allows the caster to see and hear wraiths for x hours where x is the number of blood traits spent upon casting.

System: The caster must obtain dirt from a freshly dug grave. While mixing in x blood traits, the thaumaturgist must read backwards from the Bible (“Ashes to Ashes…”). He then must smear the dirt/blood mixture behind his ears, and on his eye lids.

Splinter Servant

Another ritual designed to enchant a stake, Splinter Servant is a progressive development of Shaft of Belated Quintessence, and the two rituals are mutually exclusive (They cannot be placed on the same stake). The stake itself becomes a minion bent on staking its target.

System: The stake must be made from a tree that has been nourished by the dead (a tree from a graveyard would be a good choice) and wrapped in sheath made of nightshade twine and wax. When the binding is torn off, the splinter servant springs to life, ripping little legs out of itself, and attacking the person that it is commanded too attack (by pointing it at the target as the sheath is ripped off).

The splinter servant has a number of Physical Traits equal to half the Mental Traits of the caster, a number of melee equal to the caster’s occult rating, and is immune to mental and social challenges. It has three health levels, and ignores wound penalties. It can move up to 30’ (9 paces) per turn. It will remain active and attacking until it stakes its victim, it is destroyed by damage, or 5 combat rounds have passed. It looses traits normally, and must succeed in the normal staking challenges. It is up three traits to avoid attacks due to small size.

Any damage increasing effects (Scorpion’s Touch, Wards, ext.) will ruin the ritual.

Summon Mischievous Spirit The Vampire with this Ritual is able to summon a poltergeist. The poltergeist will

cause a ruckus, messing with appliances, furniture, plumbing, electronic devices, and any other inanimate objects. The Spirit may cause almost any object to move around, but it will seldom directly harm a person. However, it will readily cause indirect injury, such as dropping a chair on someone’s head, or causing a knife to fly across the room.

It is important to remember that the Spirit doesn’t want to harm the victim – it just wants to annoy the hell out of him.

System: The effect of the spirit is up to ST discretion. The length of time the spirit stays is based on a simple challenge that is thrown and repeated until a loss occurs. The amount of success, are the number of hours the spirit will stay.

Wizard's Gold

28

Description: The elders of Clan Tremere have newly created this ritual. It was created in an effort to reduce the amount of rare and restricted rituals and paths that are

being taught by members of House and Clan that should not be teaching such things. This Ritual is cast whenever a ritual or path that is restricted to Regents or above is taught to an Apprentice.

System: A Gold coin of the highest quality is used. Stamped on one side is the shield of House and Clan Tremere. On the other are the names of the teacher and the student and the name of the ritual or path that is being taught. The teacher places the coin in a Silver chalice with a trait of her vitae as well as a blood trait of the student. During the casting of the ritual the coin absorbs the blood and takes on a slightly red hue. Another trait of Vitae must be used to fuel the ritual itself. Once completed the student is unable to teach the ritual or path. She can speak of the path and what affects that it has. But she is unable to impart enough knowledge to another person so that person can then learn that power.

Advanced Active Defense

This ritual is used to assist in the defense of a chantry when needed. This ritual helps the Chantry to actually defend itself, in a way reminiscent of Hearth Path. The ritual allows items such as furniture and ornaments to fly about of their own accord to follow simple orders given by the caster. Other casters may be added into the ritual and assigned area's or specific items that they may control in the same manner, so that multiple defenders may place themselves strategically to defend the Chantry. To invest others in the ritual requires that they and their blood to be involved in the initial casting.

System: Casting time for this ritual takes a week, and the investment of 14 Blood

Traits and the expenditure of 21 Mental Traits during that week, "consecrating" the grounds, and attuning themselves to it. Any others to be included in the ritual must be present during the initial casting. This ritual must be recast after one lunar month to maintain integrity. Craft Spirit Bloodstone

This is a small perfectly spherical stone crafted from an opal (tourmalated opal). The opal is left in a crystal bowl of vitae (three points of your own blood), which takes three evenings to absorb. This can only be cast during the full moon, and must be exposed to the moonlight during the evening. This bloodstone may then be tracked across to the umbra, and the shadowlands. Further the caster may track it from three planes interchangeably: the astral plane, the umbra, and the shadowlands.

Enchant Talisman

Create talisman allows the thaumaturgy to enchant a personal magical item (the fabled wizards staff) to act as a amplifier for her Thaumaturgical might. Many such talismans are covered with magical writing and runes (like every ward the caster knows). The object must be rigid and about a yard in length (swords and walking staffs are the most common, but some may enchant shotguns, pool cues or other more exotic objects).

29

System: This ritual takes 6 hours per night for a complete lunar cycle, beginning and ending with a new moon. The caster enters one extended challenge per week. The challenge is 10 static mental challenges against 16 traits. The caster must win or tie (be sure to compare traits on a tie on the RPS) 20 times over the course of the 4 sets of challenges. Failure means that the effort has been wasted, and the thaumaturge must start over.

If successful, the caster now has a potent weapon and tool. With the following benefits (as long as the Talisman is in the hands of the caster): 1.The caster is considered 1 trait up on any Magical attack made against her. 2.The caster is considered 2 traits up on any challenge with her Primary Path. 3.The caster is considered 1 trait up when casting her rituals. 4.If the item is used as a weapon, it has no negative traits. If another person ever takes this item, being that it is inscribed with the true name

of it’s creator (and if you are a product of western society, your birth name IS your true name), they are considered three traits up in any Magical attack against you.

You always have an innate mental connection with your talisman, and you can track it if moving at a normal walking pace. You can always tell general direction and distance. You know if it is destroyed. You can only have One Talisman in existence at a time.

Diamond's Doom

This ritual is the trademark of John Diamond, Jonestown's sire. It enchants a wooden object into a powerful anti-Kindred weapon. The object can be as large as a wooden stake or a cane, or as small as a letter opener; in any case, it must be roughly shaped like a stabbing weapon.

System: A Diamond’s Doom stake gains an additional trait for use in combat challenges. Like any common stake, it can be used to impale the heart of and immobilize a vampire. The attacker makes three simple tests, not two, and if any two of them succeed, the defender is staked.

Once the enchanted weapon is in a vampire's heart, it takes root, and cannot be removed without ripping out the heart and putting the vampire into torpor--a disaster for low-generation Kindred. Furthermore, if weapon and heart are removed--a task involving considerable strength or crude butchery--the vampire remains staked, similar to the results of staking a removed heart as in Heart of Darkness. If the heart is burned or exposed to the sun, the vampire is destroyed. Furthermore, if the heart is outside of the body of the kindred for more than one hour, it begins to decay, and will lead to the death of the kindred who’s heart it is (this ritual is not a cheap alternative to Heart of Darkness, and does not provide the protections of the heart that the Advanced Serpentis does). Aegis may be blown to avoid death by heart deterioration. The heart will re-form in the body when Aegis is blown.

The weapon will release its grip and slide out easily if the true name of the one who wielded it is spoken as it is pulled. Anyone may remove it by this method.

30

Other methods of removal would be by the use of Vicissitude (up to Bonecraft is required), the ritual Rotten Wood will destroy the stake, Decay (First Basic Hands of Destruction) will destroy the stake (the Second Basic Gnarl Wood will not work). Other

methods such as burning the stake out with a blowtorch will only result in the death of the person so staked.

The ritual Purity of Flesh will also expel the stake. Those who can see auras will notice a shimmering cloud of menace and hate

around the weapon if they think to check. Anyone who tries to use Spirit's Touch or its equivalent will be overwhelmed by visions of pain and violence from the malevolent intelligence that inhabits the weapon if they attempt to "read" it. Whether they win or lose, they will gain no useful information from the Spirit's Touch.

This ritual can by no means be combined with Shaft of Belated Quintessence or Splinter Servant.

Escape to a True Friend

One of the few rituals that provide a form of teleportation, this ritual takes the caster to the general area of the person that they trust the most.

System: Taking 3 hours each night for 3 nights engraving a magic circle on bare stone. Each night requires three blood traits as well that are poured into the circle, and the caster permanently expends a mental trait each night. Once the circle is complete, the transport may happen at any time. Note that the caster is the only one that may utilize the circle. The caster steps into the circle and speaks the name of her friend. The caster then appears a short (5 min) walk away from her friend.

This ritual will only function if the caster names one who she believes to be her friend.

Ghost in the system

Modern false identities can be created with this ritual. The identity is created with great detail, Citizenship, drivers license, SSN number, etc.

System: The castor must make 7 challenges (they must be won), one for each night that this ritual takes to complete (IE one week). If she fails 4 or more of the challenges the ritual is a complete failure and a certain government agency might start looking into the changes. If all of the challenges are not won there is an extended delay in the creation of the new identity. The amount of time is up to the ST. While in this ‘problem’ time the Kindred will have as much of a hard time completing mortal activities as an ST wishes. This ritual is powerful with real negative drawbacks if failed. Import Item

This ritual allows the Thaumaturgist to call forth an enchanted item into their presence, avoiding all physical barriers in its path.

31

System: Unlike this ritual’s Infernal predecessor, ‘Aport Object’, it does not use external forces – such as demons and their ilk – to accomplish its task. Without these forces to make the ritual possible the Tremere looked to other rituals, such as ‘Escape to a True Friend’, to re-derive their means of translocation. The Shadowlands, while not as secure as an Umbral Pocket realm, was deemed to be the most achievable means by which this translocation could be accomplished. Although this was the decided upon means – it does take a considerable trained Thaumaturgist to master it’s utilization. Unlike its Infernal cousin that even a neonate can master – or is that ‘its masters will utilize them’? To enchant an item, so its capable of such a journey, the Thaumaturgist

needs soak the item in three of her Blood Traits, for the ninety-minute ritual, and expend a Willpower Trait. Items attuned in this manner may be no larger than the Thaumaturge can hold in both hands or be more than twice her mass. Items, which are so attuned, must have this indicated on their respective ‘item cards’ or recorded on the Thaumaturgist’s character sheet for the ST’ review.

To summon an object so ensorcelled through the Shadowlands, the Thaumaturgist must will the object into her presence, thus expending a Mental Trait (taking one full combat turn). If however she does not have either hand free, the item will appear where she wishes but no more than five feet from her. Note: the item will not imbed itself within anything or anyone. Also noting the medium by which the ensorcelled item travels, Ward versus Spirit prevents the use of this ritual.

Upon reaching the Thaumaturgist, items summoned in this manner lose their enchantment. This is important because a Thaumaturgist may only have one enchantment of this type at any given time. Hypothetically two Thaumaturges may each have an item enchanted by this ritual. However be warned, if both Thaumaturgists summon the same item at the exact same instance (same action) the object goes to neither. In fact Arcades, the creator of this ritual, postulates that items lost in this manner are displaced into the depths of the Shadowlands – but as of now this is only a hypothesis.

Mirror Attunement

This ritual requires a glass mirror. The caster must etch (properly and with good craftsmanship, as hieroglyphics are not only a language but a set of magical symbols as well) into the glass, a border of text. That text being a very lengthy and poetic description of a soul passing through it’s own reflection.

Then the "mate" of this mirror must have the *exact* mirrored set of hieroglyphs etched in by the caster, including any flaws or extended artistic whim. The caster then paints in, with her vitae, the etched hieroglyphs (the mirror image reflection on its mate, identically) and brings them 'to life'. The blood then must be left to dry, in the waxing half-moon moonlight.

After this preparation, these two mirrors, no matter what location, distance, or angle, can be entered by someone using the ritual "Mirror Walk", and exit out the 'mate' of the mirror entered.

One Mind of the Covens

"This is a very exclusive ritual used by the Regent of a given chantry during a simultaneous communication with her equivalents across the world."

System: "This ritual is one of the main reasons that the Tremere clan is so controlled and organized - it allows the elders to demand current information concerning the progress of all its members' schemes." Another more common utilization of this ritual, allows those with the same variant rituals, after engaging in an hour-long chant, to stare into a silver mirror and telepathically speak to their counterparts, even across the world. This means of communication can be maintained all night and can switch from person to person throughout the casting. It can even contact several (or all) of them simultaneously, with each Tremere getting a signal, much like that sent by the Rite of

32

Introduction, alerting her to the fact that there is another that seeks her attention. Many Tremere carry pocket mirrors in compacts or cigarette cases for just such an event.

Pavis of Dark Dementia By exerting both the power of the Tremere blood, and his personal will, and by

tying a Silver Cord or chain about the neck, the Tremere will find himself immune to the effect of the Malkavian Dementation. If any of these powers should be used effectively against the Tremere while the spell is still sealed about him, they will immediately reflect back upon the unfortunate Aggressor affecting, and Afflicting them instead.

Casting cost: 1 Blood point and 1 Willpower Duration: Until the next Sunrise This Ritual was created do to a massive influx of Malkavians wielding Advanced

Dementation attacking the powerful members of the city. After the Regent Monsignor had been hit with total insanity, he decided he needed a defense. Through Apprentice Gilbert’s help and the auspices of many other kindred in the area he conducted extended research leading to the creation of this ritual.

Sculpting the Perfect Servant

This ritual truly has no real possible game affect. To see any real development from a PC perspective a character would have to be alive for more than a decade. This ritual should be used by the STs as background information for possible PCs or storyline. In the hands of a PC it has no purpose. Teleport to a Safe Haven

Via the utilization of a material focus and an attuned summoning circle the Thaumaturgist is capable of teleporting from anywhere to their "Safe Haven."

System: During the ninety-minute ritual a one-meter circle is inscribed and enchanted with the proper arcane sigils and the caster permanently expends a mental trait. This is done in conjunction with enchanting a material focus. These two in tandem make the ritual capable of transporting and receiving the Thaumaturgist's physical form (true body only, this ritual will fail if cast on a possession suit), into the summoning circle. Note that the caster is retrieved naked, and all items are left behind.

The material focus can be created out of any material but is commonly made of ceramics or something else that is easily broken when the need presents itself. After the amulet had been physically fashioned it is then imbued, during the casting of the ritual, with a Blood Trait of the Thaumaturgist's physical form and will remain so enchanted until broken or one month (30 days) passes. When the material focus is broken (requiring a static physical test vs. 5 traits in combat), the physical form that is attuned to the circle is drawn to it at the end of the combat round. Thusly, teleporting the attuned body into the center of the circle. Only one such attunement may be placed upon any physical form at any one time.

Tremere’s Bane

33

This very potent ritual takes five people to cast, though only one person needs to have the ritual. All five castors must succeed in a Static Challenge (Diff 12). This is a two hour long ritual where the five mages chant while the blood of a recently (same night of ritual) embraced and willing (not coerced with disciplines) virgin (male or female) is sacrificially drained into a chalice with a ceremonial dagger. A five-pointed star is drawn on the floor (facing north), each mage sits at one of the points, the virgin is placed in the center. The mage at the north point takes the dagger and chance, places the chance next to the virgin, and then holds up the dagger and everyone begins to chant. After the chanting has reached its rhythm the dagger is plunged into the heart of the virgin. The blood then begins to drain into the chalice. The blood in the chalice does not stay it mystically evaporates. This process takes the whole two hours. The virgin will feel no pain during the ritual and she will not be killed, just her blood will be drained.

If this ritual has been successfully cast then anyone who is not of Tremere blood will experience a difficult time employing any of the Paths of Thaumaturgy, not rituals just Paths. The system for this is as follows; when any discipline is used the cost for that discipline is doubled and if it doesn't already have a test then it will require a simple test to use. If the tests are failed then the opposite effect of the discipline will occur.

The Ritual lasts for One year and affects a single building. Here are two examples: An 11th generation Brujah tries to lower her generation to 8th with Potency of the

blood. Normally it would cost her 6 Mental traits and one Blood, but with Tremere’s Bane being present it will cost 12 Mental traits, 2 Blood and a simple Test. If she fails the test then instead of lowering her generation she raises her generation to 13th. If a Malkavian tries to Forcebolt another vampire, it will cost her 2 blood traits instead of one. If she loses the challenge she suffers the effects of Forcebolt herself.

Verdant Blade, The

Kindred sometimes have to be taken in for judgment or (more likely) for questioning. Carrying a heavy wooden stake is fairly conspicuous, though, and it lets your target know that you don’t want him dead. Several Quaesitors developed the Verdant Blade in the 1800s. Its use is limited largely to that group, though a few other Archons have learned it. The ritual temporarily enchants any sharp object – a sword or large knife, a bone, a piton, or tent spike – to paralyze Kindred staked with it as though it were wooden. The weapon or item must be placed in a vat or tub along with a freshly cut tree branch, several ounces of sap, and a gallon of water. When the ritual is complete, the weapon will paralyze a vampire when driven into its heart. This effect works only once; once the weapon is removed, it must be enchanted again if the caster wishes to use it to stake another Kindred.

System: the caster must expend a blood trait and make a static mental challenge vs. ten mental traits, and must spill a second blood trait into the vat with the items described above. The chanting that follows takes 25 minutes. If the static mental is failed, the weapon is not enchanted and will shatter on impact. The item or weapon must still be large enough to use as a stake (a large knife or sword will work, but a pin will not). The ritual does not make the actual staking process any easier, and the weapon cannot be enchanted in any other respect.

34

Vires Acquirit Eundo

This ritual when cast in tandem with another ritual can increase some effects of that ritual

System: The affects that are extended are completely up to the ST. The player can suggest possibilities as to what affects are changed, but the ST has the final say so. It is suggest that the player carry an index card signed by an ST that says that the change is legit. It is strongly advised to STs that allow this ritual that they use common sense before approving some extended requests.

Wizard's Gift

Description: This ritual was created as the opposite of Wizard's Gold. Once an Apprentice attains the position of Regent she must be able to educate those Apprentices that she has been chosen to educate.

System: The coin, or coins (as this can be cast on any coins that have the persons name on it) have this ritual cast on them in the presence of the person that they affect. If successful the thaumaturge is now free to teach the rituals and paths that were before closed.

Elder Bone of Eternal Thirst

This three night Ritual creates an ensorcelled weapon made of bone and ivory. The Thaumaturge must carve the weapon himself and then bathe it in the lifeblood of a year-old fledgling each night. All of the blood is absorbed into the weapon and cannot be used for any other purposes. The third “contributor” must be the caster’s own Childe. The enchanted weapon becomes a powerful tool, able to sever flesh and even bone with ease, draining the strength of those it injures. It is nearly impossible to destroy this weapon.

System: All damage done by this bone-weapon is aggravated. In addition, for each level of damage it does the weapon “drinks” a trait of the victim’s blood. The weapon can be destroyed only if it absorbs 20 traits of blood from a single victim. If this happens it is immediately incinerated Any weapon that can be carved from ivory or bone may be used in this ritual, and does damage per that weapon type

Bone of the Kindred

"This two-night ritual creates an enchanted weapon made of bone or ivory. The ritual requires the lifeblood of a Kindred. This blood is absorbed into the weapon and cannot be used for any other purpose. The enchanted weapon inflicts aggravated wounds. When in use, the weapon seems to "drink" any blood that is on it."

System: When in the hands of the one to whom the Weapon is attuned, all damage dealt by the weapon (including extra damage from Potence and wards is aggravated, and it steals a Blood Trait every time it strikes a target. The Blood Trait that is stolen is absorbed into the blade to empower itself, and cannot be extracted by any means, including the destruction of the weapon.

35

Drawing upon the Bond This Ritual allows the caster to draw upon the power of her thralls. System: The caster may utilize any disciplines that any of her thralls possess.

All challenges using that discipline uses the caster’s traits, willpower and blood. This Ritual should be NPC access only as it can be very unbalancing.

Master Chain of the Blood Line

This Ritual grants the Warlock power over another vampire’s extended brood. This Ritual takes three nights and must end on the night of a new moon with the death of the Kindred whose brood the caster wishes to control. The Warlock must kill the Kindred by successfully committing Diablerie upon her. When the Ritual is completed by the Diablerie, the Warlock then learns the brood of the victim, and in turn their brood, and so on. When the caster encounters any of these Kindred, he may command them in any way, impelling them to obey.

System: Those commanded in this manner may resist by making a Static Self-Control challenge against the number of permanent willpower traits of the caster. If the caster wins, the victim must wait an hour before attempting to challenge again, and conversely if the caster loses he must wait an hour before attempting to command the victim again via this ritual. While successfully under the effects of this ritual the victim is rendered incapable of attacking the Warlock.

Divorcing the Soul

This is a devastating Ritual that separates one’s spirit from it’s physical element, although the spirit is kept imprisoned in the body. During the casting of this Ritual, the Thaumaturge drops dead pomegranate seeds in a ring around the target, saying a short, enigmatic chant with each one. The target could be a single person, a house, an office building, a city block, or even an entire city. The caster must be walking (one seed per pace), so after the initial seven hour incantation, the ritual can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several years to complete.

System: The affected individual(s) cannot use or regain willpower, all of her abilities and virtues drop to (and cannot rise above) one trait, and she becomes almost incapable of creative thought. The Victim(s) has no motivation, little emotion and can only bid half traits in Dominate or Presence challenges. She gains the Negative Physical Traits of Lethargic, and Slow, AND the Negative Mental Traits of Careless, and Depressed. The enchantment stays in effect until one of the seeds is displaced (burying them is a good idea).

Impede the Gifts of Caine

Developed for use by Quaesitors facing superior numbers of Kindred, Impede the Gifts of Caine allows the thaumaturge to temporarily dampen the use of Disciplines in her immediate area. The focus of the ritual can be any item between the size of a baseball and that of a small suitcase, though it must be of relatively sturdy construction. The item must be bathed in six traits of vitae that must come from at least two different

36

thaumaturges (though only one need know the ritual). Discipline use in this area is substantially more difficult. The effect lasts for as long as the device is active.

System: To cast this ritual the thaumaturge must expend a blood trait in addition to those in which the focus must be submerged, engage in a static mental challenge vs. ten traits, and requires a full hour of casting. Upon completion of the ritual, successful or not, the focus of the ritual is set briefly aflame (if the ritual succeeds, the damage done to the item fades), and must be extinguished by the bare hand of the thaumaturge (causing one level of aggravated damage, as well as a Courage test to avoid Rotschreck). Once activated, the device creates an area of power one hundred feet in diameter, centered on itself. Once active, anyone attempting to invoke or use disciplines in the area must first enter a static mental challenge vs. a difficulty of ten traits. Kindred of a lower generation than the caster remain unaffected, but the caster herself is affected if she steps inside the area. The item functions until “turned off” or until dawn. In either case, once deactivated, it becomes nonmagical and cannot be reused.

Methuselah Weapon of the Kindred Soul/Blade of the Forbidden Flower

"This ritual creates an enchanted weapon much like the "Bone of the Kindred" weapon from the above ritual. The ritual requires the lifeblood of a Kindred who is also an expert in the use of the weapon to be enchanted. As above, this blood is absorbed and may not be used in any other way."

"The weapon created by this ritual becomes the vessel for the slain Kindred's soul and Willpower. The Thaumaturgist conducting this ritual has a great deal of control over the weapon's new personality and goals, and commonly imbues the weapon with an overriding desire to protect the Thaumaturgist. The weapon maintains all of the Abilities, Disciplines, etc. of the Kindred slain to create it, but all of its memories seem distant and unimportant. The weapon is given a new name during the ritual, and can communicate with its user telepathically. In effect, the weapon is a freethinking being with its own goals, Abilities and mystical Disciplines." Note that you cannot actually use the disciplines or abilities of the weapon, but the weapon can use them (to the limitations of it’s form) to follow it’s own goals and desires.

Invulnerable Weakness This is a jealously guarded Ritual, allegedly known only to Tremere himself. The

Ritual takes an entire year to cast and a massive number of complex components to complete. The most important component is a large diamond bathed in the sun’s rays for an entire, cloudless day and engraved with the symbols of life and death. The gem is then consumed on the final night of the Ritual. It will stay inside the Warlock’s body until it slowly and mystically decomposes over a period of years. During that time the caster is immune to fire, heat and sunlight. Furthermore, the kindred may stay awake during the day. During the duration of the Ritual’s affect those who drink the blood of the caster will gain all the same benefits for an hour per trait.

37

System: An extended physical challenge (stamina based) is entered into with occult as the appropriate retest. The number of successes is the amount of years this ritual will work for.

38

Credits

Firstly, I thank Ian James. He put together both the most recent Alpha, and now Beta releases of the ‘Thaum. Packet’, both beautifully done and sorely needed. Second, Scott Little is to be commended in his effort to release the first version of this packet. Before them, and aiding them in their endeavors were others. I acknowledge their aid as well as those who they acknowledged: Mark Roemer, Brian Goudie, Jessy Larpenter, Lance Larson, P. David Gill, Adam Gibson, Ross Anderson, Ken Cummins, Marcus Kim, Adam Madlinger, Dylan Parker and Aaron Wiseman. Thanks to you all, as well as all those who are not mentioned here.

To date, many people have created their own Rituals and have aided in converting many table top Rituals to accommodate the LARP rules systems. It is my hope that this sort of initiative continues. OWbN is only as strong as it’s members, and the cooperation on this project has shown that we are a grand organization indeed.

Thanks to all, Dennis Sharpe

This document is an entirely unofficial use of the Vampire: The Masquerade and A World of Darkness gaming materials published by White Wolf Game Studios and not intended as an official or profit making venture in any way, shape or form. Although the use of these concepts, rules, etc., is unauthorized, no infringement is intended. The creator of this document is not affiliated with White Wolf Games Studios in any way

39

Setite Sorcery

Introduction Akhu: The Divine Image

Not a few vampires know that the Followers of Set claim an ancient magic quite different from the Thaumaturgy of the Tremere. Most of these Kindred simply call this magic “Setite Sorcery”. This magic art has an actual name of its own, though. The Setites themselves call it Akhu, and they are not the only vampires who practice this art.

Unlike Europeans, the ancient Egyptians regarded magic as a profoundly legitimate art. A sorcerer did not blaspheme against the gods by casting spells: The Egyptian gods gave magic to humanity as a gift, and each spell reaffirmed this bond between the human and the divine. Priests doubled as community magicians. The Egyptians saw no fundamental difference between a rite conducted in a temple for the benefit of Pharaoh and the state and a spell cast at a client’s house for personal benefit.

The ancient Egyptians also did not distinguish between “black” and “white” magic. All magic was ethically neutral. An Egyptian certainly did not like becoming the target of a curse, any more than a modern person likes being shot at; but an Egyptian responded to hostile magic by consulting his local priest-magician for spells to protect him – and to let him shoot back. Historians find only one record of an Egyptian trial for criminal sorcery, in the case of an official who attempted a sorcerous coup using magic books he stole from Pharaoh’s library. The official’s crimes, however, lay in the theft and the assassination attempt – not in the magic itself.

The Egyptians had several words for magic. The most important were Heka, “Magic”, and Akhu “Spells”. The ancient texts use these words interchangeably. As early as 1000 BCE, however, Egyptian vampires used Heka to refer to mortal sorcery and Akhu to refer to their blood magic. Except for the use of vitae, Heka and Akhu used much the same tools to cast similar spells.

Egyptian attitudes changed during Roman times. The Romans forbade priests to cast spells, though the practice continued in secret. Egypt’s conversion to Christianity completed the transition. After centuries of decline among mortals, only vampires remembered and practiced the ancient sorceries. Heka apparently died, while Akhu went underground.

In the ancient world, Egyptian priests enjoyed a reputation as the world’s greatest sorcerers. Thanks to Akhu, the Followers of Set inherited this reputation. Suspicion of the “pagan” Setites and of “Satanic” sorcery fed on each other in the Christian and Muslim world. Some undead historians argue that the Setites themselves came to believe the baleful rumors spread about them and their sorcery, and that many Setite practices grew from these centuries of propaganda.

In the Middle Ages and Renaissance, Clan Tremere replaced the Followers of Set as the leading purveyors of magic in Europe. A dreadful Inquisition in their native 40

Egypt further reduced Setite power and destroyed most sorcerers from other clans. Egyptian sorcery became an increasingly rare art. Relatively few Setites (or Egyptian vampires of other clans) bothered to learn Akhu – not least because so few Kindred could read the ancient papyrus grimoires.

In the 19th century, however, Champollion’s translation of Egyptian hieroglyphs led to renewed interest in all things Egyptian among Kindred and kine. Some Tremere became interested n the magic of their old rivals and sought to learn Akhu. A large percentage of these Warlocks rebelled against their clan’s hierarchy and became Set-cultists themselves. In 1930, the Council of Seven banned research into Akhu. In 1973, Muharram Rasul ibn Babar, Pontifex of Antioch, persuaded the Council of Seven to lift the ban. The Pontifex, known for his hatred of the Setites, argued that House and Clan needed to master the Serpents’ magic in order to defend against it. The clan’s elders, however, still look askance at any Warlock who shows too much interest in Egyptian magic. The Tremere have lost too many secrets because of defectors.

Not all Setite vampires actually worship Set directly. A large minority of Setites identifies the Dark God with deities from other pantheons. One prominent cult, for instance, identifies Set with the Greek monster Typhon and the Roman gods Mars, Bacchus, and Pluto. Another cult actually links Set to Jesus through some truly amazing “secret doctrines”. A handful of lector-priests translate Akhu to exploit these other pantheons. Most Setites who learn Akhu simply move beyond the “mask” of the other pantheon to worship Set directly and use the old Egyptian forms. So far, no vampire from any other clan has learned any of these hybrid forms of Akhu.

Not all lector-priests come from the Followers of Set clan. They are all Setites in the sense of worshipping the Dark God, but a significant percentage come from other lineages – such as the Tremere defectors and their childer. Few Kindred of other clans adopt the Setite faith, but the Followers of Set teach them Akhu as freely as they teach their own childer.

Raiding the Western Lands

Unfortunately for the Kindred, the Egyptian religion did not grant them the benefits of divine magic. Vampires lacked breath and vital force; their banishment from the sun’s light proclaimed them anathema to the gods. No divine contract gave them the right to cast spells. Just as vampires stole blood from the living, however, the ancient Egyptian Kindred found ways to steal magic from the gods.

Even so, the Egyptian blood magicians drew their charter from a divine legend: the Myth of Set and Osiris. When the sun-god Ra grew too old to continue as king of the gods and the world, he appointed Osiris as his successor. This decision outraged Osiris’ brother Set. The warrior-god reminded Ra of his nightly service, battling the chaos-serpent Apep so the sun-boat could pass the gates of dawn, but Ra would not change his mind.

Set took revenge by murdering Osiris and dismembering his body. Isis, the sister-wife of Osiris, recovered his body, mummified it and magically conceived a son by her dead husband. This son, Horus, grew up to avenge his father and become the next

41

king of the gods, while Osiris became king of the dead. For a time, however, Set successfully usurped the powers of light and life.

In the same way, all blood magicians fuel their spells with the life force they steal from the living. Practitioners of Akhu go even further. They additionally steal power from the dead by reenacting the dismemberment of Osiris, the greatest act of blasphemy in Egyptian legend. The Book of Going Forth by Night, - a text written by Set himself, according to legend – tells them how to do it. This power enhances their magic. Lector-priest can cast many spells without expending vitae, relying entirely upon the power stolen from the dead and from Osiris himself.

Blasphemy-Shrines

As the Egyptians condensed their funerary magic from the Pyramid Texts to the Book of Coming Forth by Day, they allowed more people to enjoy the afterlife privileges once restricted to pharaohs. By Hellenistic times, the Egyptian priests opened the Western Lands to any commoner who could afford the mummification process and a copy of the Book of the Dead. All these people joined the kingdom of Osiris. By emulating the god’s mummification, they mystically became Osiris.

Cultists of Set take this claim seriously. They interpret “becoming Osiris” to mean that these souls become extension of the god and feed his power through a spiritual vampirism. Even tonight, they believe, souls can find themselves in Amenti and become the happy, deluded slaves of the god. The Egyptian religion may have died out, but people still seek immortality through extravagant burials, monuments or a cadaver preserved for the ages.

Since people pass to Amenti through obsession with their cadaver or the pomp of their burial, lector-priests free them from the Western Lands by reversing these conditions. They desecrate the body by breaking bones, splitting the ribcage and using hooks and cords to pull the corpse into a torturous position. By mutilation the corpse, they imitate Set’s murder and dismemberment of Osiris.

The Setite magician likewise mocks and perverts the grave goods. In a full Egyptian burial, the viscera went in four special “canopic jars” placed in a specific arrangement. A Setite reverses that arrangement, placing the northern jar in the south and the eastern jar in the west. Other grave goods join the tableau after suitable defilement. The magician might load a beautiful coffin with manure and turn it into a mushroom farm. Rich clothing becomes a rag-rug for the magician to wipe his feet upon.

Set’s book supplies insulting uses for classically Egyptian grave goods such as amulet and jewelry, usabti figures, furniture, weapons and cases for unguents. Setites dealing with latter-day burials must exercise their ingenuity. For instance, given a person who sought immortality by endowing a library, museum or hospital, a Setite might steal and defile the commemorative plaque, the official stationary and other objects from the building.

42

The Book of Going Forth by Night says that this desecration withers the soul in the Western Lands and inflicts eternal torment upon it. At least, part of the soul writhes and howls in pain. Some Setites believe that the wailing spirit is merely the person’s ka or “astral double”. The imperishable true soul, the sahu, slips free of the broken ka like a snake sloughing its skin, a second death to a genuine and transcendent new life.

Other Setites omit this point of doctrine. They say that anyone who serves Osiris deserves a few millennia of torture. After all, the tortured cadaver eventually falls apart., no matter how carefully a Setite preserves it, and then the soul’s torment ends.

Metaphysics aside, an Akhu practitioner absolutely must perform this rite of desecration in order t work magic. The broken cadaver and tortured ka pull magical power from Amenti to the lector-priest’s ritual chamber. A lector-priest can perform magic elsewhere, but must conduct monthly rites to honor Set in the blasphemy-shrine. If some ill luck destroys the blasphemy-shrine, the lector-priest can no longer perform even the simplest magic ritual.

For a full description of the game mechanics behind the blasphemy-shrine, see the ritual Opening the Gate below.

The Book of Going Forth by Night

Set’s book gives full instructions for “Opening the Gate”. The Book of Going Forth by Night also tells how to inscribe a consecrated copy that makes other magic rituals more likely to succeed, and how to brew a vitae-laced sacramental beer (see the Rituals section for a full description of these rituals). The Book of Going Forth by Night contains no other rituals of Setite sorcery. Many Akhu rituals employ its legends and liturgies, though. Some sendings demand the physical presence of a copy. A tradition-bound Setite would insist upon a copy of The Book of Going Forth by Night written in hieroglyphics upon a genuine papyrus scroll. Less formal lector-priests accept printed copies bound as a modern book (scrolls are not very convenient), and written in hieratic, demotic, or Coptic script. Setites have translated the book into Greek, Arabic, English and several other languages for their neonates to study, but these have no value in magic

Demons and Messengers

The Egyptians believed in several classes of spirits. The ghosts of the blessed

dead were called akhu (singular akh). Spells sometimes appealed to them for help. Mut were evil or at least unredeemed ghosts. Gods could project spirit-images of themselves, called bau (singular ba), to serve as messengers and convey blessings or curses. Duat held a variety of demons and monsters. Apep, the Great Serpent of chaos, became the most notorious. Egyptian funerary texts describe other monsters too, though, such as Maka, a flint armored and knife-slashing serpent 50 feet long. The lesser demons, called sebau, serve Set. Their chief, Seba, looks like a giant snake with 12 human heads sprouting from its body. Sebau look like serpents, crocodiles, or patchworks of these creatures with human parts.

The blessed souls lie beyond the reach of Akhu, but lector-priests can evoke mut, bau, and sebau. Setite sorcerers greatly prefer the sebau: Some Setites believe that clanmates who suffer Final Death become sebau, transformed by the power of Set.

Divine messengers possess Disciplines or Thaumaturgical paths suitable for the god that emanates them. A ba of Ptah might possess the Path of Conjuring, while a ba of Seker might know Necromancy paths, and the bau of a kingship god such as Ra, 43

Amun, or Horus would have Presence. All sebau have Sepentis to The From of the Cobra, and do not have to spend their analog of blood points to fuel these powers.

44

Setite Paths Setite sorcery is unlike normal Thaumaturgy, in that its paths don't necessarily

require inherent vitae expenditure, and may not require a mental challenge. The power for these paths usually comes from the Western Lands, not from the sorcerer herself. In fact, these paths are more like closed-ended Disciplines than more traditional thaumaturgical paths, though they are finite and depend on the larger theory of Setite sorcery.

A lector-priest character needs at least one level of Occult and one level of Linguistics: Egyptian to know the requisite mysteries of Egyptian myth, magic and language. Alchemical rituals demand that the magician possess at least one level of Medicine or Science. If a character lacks at least one level of (an appropriate type of) Crafts, the lector-priest is down one trait on all rituals that involve written spells, engraved amulets or other inscriptions. Additional levels in Mummification, Crafts: Calligraphy, Crafts: Sculpture, etc. may be needed for specific paths or rituals.

Storytellers may impose other difficulty penalties or bonuses upon a player’s challenge, depending on how thoroughly the character adheres to the full pomp of Egyptian priestly tradition. For instance, rituals that involve writing assume that the character employs an authentic reed pen, ink, and papyrus. She could also draw her inscription on a moist clay tablet and bake it hard. Chiseling the spell into a stone stela and painting the hieroglyphs would merit a two-trait bonus. Conversely, scribbling spells with a ballpoint pen on a three-by-five note card would incur a two-trait penalty. Other factors that could reduce difficulties include the use of genuine Nile water, ancient ritual tools or a congregation of fellow Set cultists (such as a personal blood cult). Negative factors include wearing synthetic or animal-derived fabrics (Egyptian priests wore linen), or improvised ritual tools. We recommend that Storytellers do not adjust bonuses or penalties by more than three traits.

Presented below are Five Paths unique to Setites. Akhu also employs its own versions of other paths practiced by the Tremere or others, but often gives them different names. Each path relates in some way to Set or Set-cultist activities. The following Paths can be found in previously published source books from White Wolf. They can be used with the same game mechanics, though usually the performance is significantly more “Egyptian-ized” and they rely on Social instead of Mental Challenges. Read over the section on “Tools and Techniques” (Blood Sacrifice: the Thaumaturgy Companion pg. 21) for ideas of how to subtly change these paths to the Follower of Set outlook.

Alchemy (Alchemy): Laws of the Night Storytellers Guide Conjuring (Path of Ptah): Laws of the Night Corruption (The False Heart): Laws of the Night Storytellers Guide Curses (Sebau’s Touch): Laws of the Night Storytellers Guide Focused Mind (Path of Thoth): Laws of the Night Storytellers Guide Mars (Valor of Sutekh): Laws of the Night Guide to the Sabbat Mastery of the Mortal Shell (Vengeance of Khnum): Laws of the Night Storytellers Guide Spirit Manipulation (Path of Anubis): Laws of the Night Guide to the Camarilla

45Weather Control (Breath of Set): Laws of the Night Guide to the Camarilla

Warrior Setites learn the Valor of Sutekh, as their Primary Path, while more

scholarly inclined Serpents (i.e. Priests) begin their learning with Breath of Set.

The Snake Inside Setites love debasement of all kinds, but have developed a special taste for the

self-destruction of others. Although the modern concept of addiction exists far from the ancient Egyptian worldview, tonight's Setites confidently believe that their god would approve. Even if he doesn't care for their favorite pursuit, they're not about to stop. After all, it's habit-forming. In all uses of this path the lector-priest must be in the presence of target for the power to have affect. Line of sight would suffice. Basic Snake Inside First Taste

The Setite uses this power while his target is conducting some minor, repetitive action. The power makes him unconsciously associate his action with pleasure, so he'll want to do it again. And again. And again. Creative-minded Setites can addict their victims to thoroughly bizarre substances or behaviors.

The magician engages in a Social challenge with the target. If successful, whenever a chance to repeat the triggered action arises the target must repeat the action unless she spends Willpower to stop. This is not a power that can be used in combat. Once the victim has successfully resisted the effects of First Taste on five occasions the power’s effects expire. Cross-Addiction

The Setite temporarily changes the focus of an addict or compulsive's dependency to a substance or behavior of her own choosing. For example, a cocaine addict could be made to crave the act of sex while on the rush, or a compulsive gambler may become a kleptomaniac as well.

With a successful Social challenge the Setite can force a target that is currently under the influence of an addiction to tack on a second addiction of the Setite’s choice. The target must then satisfy both of the addictions, usually through role-playing. The second addiction’s duration is a number of hours equal to the Setite’s permanent Willpower. Intermediate Snake Inside The Jones

The Setite reinforces a victim's preexisting addiction or compulsion, so that he'll set aside all of his moral impulses and ethical beliefs to satisfy his craving.

46

The Setite engages in a Social challenge against the target and spends a blood point. If successful, any qualms the victim might have about removing the barriers to the satisfaction of her cravings melt away. She may not even spend Willpower points to overcome the addiction, and she'll gladly leave her office during the middle of work to score a hit. The effect lasts for one scene per blood point spent.

Fatal Compulsion The Setite twists a victim's dependency, turning it into a literal hunger. If the

subject doesn't satisfy his addiction, he starves to death. A Social challenge against the target and the expenditure of 3 blood points are

necessary to invoke Fatal Compulsion. Whenever she goes for three consecutive nights without indulging her addiction or compulsion, the subject suffers one health level of unsoakable lethal damage. The only way to regain health levels lost in this way is to satisfy the compulsion; the character recovers all of them immediately and the power's influence ends. Advanced Snake Inside Temperance

The final power of the Snake Inside puzzles Setites who do not fully understand their clan's seductive ways. What's the point of preventing addictions? Forcing an addict to abstain, however, can shatter many habits and force a complete lifestyle (or unlifestyle) change - not just an easily visible addiction.

Temperance renders a victim unable to take pleasure from satisfying an addiction. The physical or psychological craving still exists, but the substance or behavior that once gave such pleasure now provokes pain and disgust.

The lector-priest engages her target in an extended Social challenge. If successful, the victim suffers one health level of bashing damage from the nausea and pain of satisfying her addiction. Storytellers may impose other problems, too, based on the nature of the victim's addiction. For instance, an alcoholic forced to go cold turkey might need a successful Willpower challenge to avoid vomiting when he drinks. Storytellers may also wish to impose withdrawal symptoms on those whose addictions would likely produce such a result for "coming off the junk." The length of Temperance follows the table below.

One success One night Two successes One week Three successes Two weeks Four successes One month Five successes Three months Six or more successes Six moths or more

The sorcerer's player must select one and only one craving for Temperance to

affect. The character may use the power more than once, however, to block multiple addictions. Temperance does not work against true physiological necessities such as food (for mortals) or blood (for vampires). Path of the Dry Nile

47

When the son of Osiris killed Set, the snake god vowed that he would take his revenge by working to destroy everything that his brother had held dear in life. Like the god they from which they take inspiration, practitioners of this path swear to destroy everything that makes a society work. Some accept this task as the price of the power

Set grants them. Others revel in it, as they seek their own revenge against an uncaring universe. The Path of the Dry Nile serves as their greatest weapon in this crusade. Unless otherwise stated, each power requires the Setite to place a faience (blue-glazed earthenware) amulet in the personal effects or dwelling of a target individual. The magic lasts until the individual destroys or otherwise gets rid of the amulet. However, it may do permanent harm while active. A husband who leaves his wife under the influence of Love Dies, for example, won't necessarily be able to win her forgiveness after he discards the amulet and comes to his senses. Basic Dry Nile Beauty Fades

The Setite causes a work of art, such as a painting, sculpture, novel, film or live performance, to be per-ceived by its audience as repellent, ugly, badly executed and cruelly nihilistic. Using the power on a work of art that already displays one or more of these qualities is redundant.

The Setite engages in a Static Social challenge (the difficulty is at Storyteller's discretion: a sitcom episode rates a 5; the Mona Lisa, a 14.) The Setite must be in the presence of the work when he uses the power. If multiple copies of a work exist, only the one(s) in her presence is affected. For example, characters watching a television broadcast with her see it as repulsive, while viewers in other households perceive it to be nothing out of the ordinary. The effect lasts for the length of time required to experience the work, or for one scene, whichever is greater. This power doesn't require the amulet described above. Trust Withers

The victim begins to suspect that a specified, trusted ally or associate intends to betray him. The victim's delusion escalates from mild unease to wild-eyed paranoia.

With an extended static Social challenge (against a difficulty of twice the target’s willpower) and the expenditure of a blood trait, the Setite can induce a feeling of unease or even paranoia on a Target towards a specific trusted ally. It takes 9 weeks minus the amount of success to induce the paranoia. As listed above the target will continue to have this feeling while the faience is amongst her possessions. The target gains the derangement Paranoia towards the person chosen by the Setite. This derangement is to be considered active when around that person. Appropriate role-play should be encouraged.

Intermediate Dry Nile Love Dies

The Setite suppresses all feelings of love felt by the victim toward a specified secondary target. The first victim feels nothing but emptiness and confusion when he sees or thinks about the second. Love Dies counters romantic, platonic and familial love.

The Setite must be in the presence of her subject to initiate this power. The player wins a Social challenge against the target and spends two blood points. Thereafter, the subject's emotional attachment - which must have been love in origin - 48

withers over the course of the next few nights (consider the target to eventually gain the Flaw: Hatred towards the formerly loved one). This power does not affect blood bonds. Love Dies ends after a number of months equal to one-half the Setite's Willpower at the time it is used (round up). Hope Dissolves

The Setite's victim subject can't shake the absolute conviction that a specified goal he meant to accomplish can under no circumstances be achieved. He rapidly grows disheartened and indolent.

The Setite must be in the presence of the subject at the time he invokes this power. The player engages in an extended static Social challenge against a difficulty equal to twice the target's Willpower and spends three blood points. If successful, the subject sinks into a deep depression over the course of one day or night, and becomes distinctly morose. While in this state, a character may only bid a number of traits equal to her Self-Control Virtue. If she wishes to use her full Traits, she must spend a Willpower point to undertake that action. Although this power is unlikely to drive a character to suicidal depression, a character already predisposed toward that end may find the urge more compelling.

The duration of this power varies by the number of successes the Setite acquired. It may be cured through therapy, drugs, etc., before this time period, however, should the victim seek help.

One success One night Two successes One week Three successes Two weeks Four successes One month Five successes Three months Six or more successes Six moths or more

Advanced Dry Nile Thrones Crumble

The Setite selects an individual and causes him to reexamine his loyalty to an authority figure. No matter why the target followed his leader admiration, ideological fervor, fear, greed or simple ambivalence he now bitterly rejects his allegiance. Whether the victim actively works against the former object of his loyalty, or simply drops out of the picture, remains his choice.

The Setite must see his subject to initiate this power. The player engages the target in a social challenge and spends three blood points. If the challenge is successful, the character acquires an active antipathy for some leadership figure who affects his life - a manager, a vicar, a king, a president, his father - and reacts in order with his Nature against that figure. This will not always result in physical conflict; a Conformist may well "play along" grudgingly with the authority figure, but he might seek the company of others who oppose the leader, whereas a Rogue may make a grand show of rebellion against the leader. This power lasts for as long as the faience remains intact.

49

Divine Hand

This path deals with sympathetic magic. What the magician does to a model of an object happens in truth to the real object. More frighteningly, the Divine Hand can affect people, too

The composition of a model object does not matter – cardboard works as well as anything – but the model should resemble the object as closely as possible. (Realistic scale model cars, trucks, and other toys are a boon to magicians with Divine Hand.) The lector-priest must hand-craft models of people, animals, or spirits out of beeswax. The magician inscribes words of power on the model while chanting invocations to the gods. What the magician then does to the model happens to the real object within the next 24 hours. The magician can also cause instantaneous, “real time” damage to a target, but only if the magician can actually see the victim. As a magician becomes more powerful, he can affect larger objects and a wider variety of victims.

Every application of the Divine Hand calls for a Mental Challenge against the victim’s Physical Traits, whether that victim is a car or another vampire. The spell to activate the Divine Hand takes at least five minutes to cast. Making an adequate model requires a Mental Challenge (using the appropriate Crafts for a retest) with a difficulty determined by the Storyteller.

Basic Divine Hand Hand of Ptah

At first, the magician can affect only small objects with the Divine Hand – 200 pounds at most. Typical targets might be a wooden support beam, an item of furniture or a small motorcycle. The lector-priest identifies himself with the artisan-god Ptah.

The magician can inflict (or repair) one health level of damage on the object or attempt to move it in a Mental vs. the Physical Challenge.

Hand of Khnum

At this level of mastery, a magician gains the power to affect mortal beings – humans and animals – with the Divine Hand. The magician takes on the power of Khnum, divine shaper of life. Innately supernatural creatures such as vampires and werewolves, however, remain immune.

To cast the Hand of Khnum upon a mortal, the magician inscribes the person’s name on the wax doll and incorporates bits of the person in the doll – a snippet of hair, say, or fingernail clippings. A supernatural “True Name” removes the need for body relics, but most modern people do not have a True Name, or at least they do not know it.

The magician can also affect more massive objects, up to 1,000 pounds, such as a telephone pole, steel support beam, large motorcycle or dumpster.

The magician can inflict one level of Lethal damage upon a mortal victim or attempt to manipulate the victim (for instance, the magician could wrap her hand tightly around a doll to immobilize the victim). If used against an inanimate object she can inflict two levels of damage.

50

Intermediate Divine Hand Hand of Anubis

t this level, the magician gains the power to influence corporeal supernatural entities: vampires, werewolves, changelings, and other such creatures of mixed natures. The character calls upon Anubis, the mediator between worlds. He cannot affect wraiths or other sorts of spirits. As with the Hand of Khnum, the magician needs the victim’s True Name or a sample of her body and her mundane name. The magician must make an extraordinary effort (spending two points of blood and two Willpower), however, to overpower the innate magic of the victim’s being (and inflict one health level of Lethal damage).

The magician can also now affect inanimate objects weighing up to 5,000 pounds, such as a car or a large speedboat, and can inflict three levels of damage.

Hand of Thoth

At this level of mastery, the magician can employ the Divine Hand against all sorts of spirits, including wraiths. Since spirits do not have corporeal forms, the magician needs the spirit’s True Name or (in the case of wraiths) a relic of the deceased’s khat (body) or some object (called a Fetter) that was supremely important to the person in life. The lector-priest can also affect a spirit that she sees directly. The magic only affects spirits who manifest on Earth. The Hand of Thoth cannot reach spirits in their own realms.

At this level, the magician can use the Divine Hand against inanimate objects weighing up to 20,000 pounds, such as an armored limousine, a semi, or a Learjet.

The magician’s player spends two blood points and two Willpower to inflict one level of damage on a spirit. She can also inflict four levels of damage on an inanimate object or two Lethal damage to an animate or supernatural creature.

Advanced Divine Hand Hand of Heka

A master of the Divine Hand can transmit magical powers to affect a target anywhere in the world by calling upon Heka, personified magic itself. The transmitted magic can be a Discipline effect or another path or ritual power. For instance, a lector-priest could make a person fall in love with her by pouring a love potion over a consecrated doll, or by using the Presence power Entrancement upon the doll. The Hand of Heka cannot transmit purely physical effects such as Feral Claws or Queitus attack, but the Hand can transmit non-physical effects to objects, mortals, supernatural beings and spirits.

At this level of mastery the magician can also damage or manipulate inanimate objects weighing up to 100,000 pounds. Examples include a small house (or a section of a larger building), a large yacht, a passenger plane, a boxcar, or a good-sized tree.

The magician’s player spends two blood points and two Willpower points to affect supernatural or spiritual targets. The player also expends whatever vitae the transmitted magic demands, and makes separate dice rolls for the Hand of Heka and the transmitted magic. Either the Hand or the other magic might fail. To influence mortal or corporeal targets the magician needs the victim’s True Name or something

51

from the victim’s body. Affecting spirits requires possession of the spirit’s True Name, a body relic or Fetter for wraiths, or line of sight. The lector-priest can inflict up to five levels of damage on an object or three Lethal damage to an animate or supernatural creature.

Path of Duat

Through the Path of Duat, a practitioner of Akhu conjures the attributes of the Egyptian netherworld and inflicts them upon an enemy. The effects are mental and hypnotica rather than physical; an observer sees no physical cause for the victim’s malady.

Each power calls for a Social Challenge against the victim. Except for the Advanced Level, the effect lasts as long as the magician concentrates upon maintaining it. This means that the magician cannot engage in any violent physical activity, or employ other path or ritual magic. The character can, however, use passive amulets. None of the Duat powers cost blood points. The magician relies upon her blasphemy-shrine’s power.

To use the Path of Duat, the magician must carry a talismanic gem of black onyx carved in the image of a mummified man – the form of Sokar, the god of Duat. A few minutes before using the path, the magician smears the talisman with a drop of her own blood as an offering to Sokar, and whispers a short prayer.

The hypnotic aspects of the Path of Duat mean that the player is down two traits if the lector-priest does not catch the victim’s attention using the darkly glittering talisman on the turn when she initiates the magic. The victim does not need to see the magician on subsequent turns. If the character does not feel the need to attract the victim’s attention, the Path of Duat can affect any victim that the magician can see with his own eyes. Once the magician can no longer see the victim, the Path of Duat attacks end.

Basic Path of Duat A sending of Serpents

Serpents, the spawn of Apep, haunt the 12 caverns of Duat. They swim in the river and coil about the limbs of the unredeemed dead. Through this power, the magician makes her victim hallucinate about snakes. The victim stars seeing a single asp slithering nearby. No matter what the victim does, the snake comes closer. If he runs, another snake drops down before him or slithers from behind the furniture. If he attacks the snake, it vanishes but another serpent takes its place. Before long, more serpents appear, and one manages to coil around his body…. Although the snakes look real and deadly, they never actually bite. They can only frighten the victim.

Other people, of course, do not see these phantom serpents and might assume that a frightened victim is on drugs or has lost his mind.

Darkness of Duat

The dead in Duat exist in darkness, relieved only by the nightly passage of the ship of Ra. This power casts the darkness of Duat into a victim’s eyes, rendering him blind (the victim suffers under the darkness penalties listed on p. 164 of Laws of the 52

Night: Revised under Shroud of Night). The victim also hears the soft lapping of the River of Death as it flows through the Underworld.

Intermediate Path of Duat Suffocation of the Tomb

Along with their other torments, the dead in Duat cannot breathe or speak. The “opening of the Tomb” funerary ritual was meant to deliver the deceased from this unhappy conidtion. Through this power, a magician renders a victim as breathless and must as the dead.

If the magician succeeds in her Social challenge (in this case vs. the victim’s Physical not Social traits), the victim can neither breathe nor speak for as long as the vampire concentrates on her. For vampires, muteness is a minor inconvenience; they do not, of course, need to breathe. For a mortal, loss of breath can kill and deliver him to the netherworld in truth if the magician persists long enough. Mortals can survive a few minutes of suffocation, but immediately drop to the second Bruised level. For each turn of physical activity that a mortal attempts while suffocating, the player engages in a Static Physical Challenge (bidding a Stamina-related trait), difficulty 6. Failure means that the character suffers another health level of bashing damage. Once a mortal loses consciousness from this attack, she can live as many minutes as she has Stamina-related Traits before suffocating to death.

The Narrow House

The dead in Duat rest in coffins that open only when the sun-god Ra makes his nightly passage. At this level, the magician makes her victim fell that he is trapped in a coffin, unable to move.

A successfully paralyzed victim can take no action at all so long as the magician concentrates upon her, unless the player spends a Willpower point. In that case, the victim can act for that single turn (turn, not round), at a two-trait penalty. This power affects vampires, other corporeal supernatural entities and wraiths, but not other sorts of spirits.

Advanced Path of Duat Consignment to Duat

The ultimate power of this path sends the victim’s entire consciousness to Duat. For a mortal, this means death. For a vampire, it merely means torpor – but since the victim is at the magician’s mercy, in all likelihood Final Death soon follows anyway.

Unlike the other powers in this path, the magician’s player spends a Willpower point. The victim, feeling himself die, can also expend Willpower to stay active for another turn. While doing this, the victim must spend an additional trait to act, as if attempting to do two things at once. The victim’s player spends another Willpower point to keep the character alive (or undead at least), but the magician’s player does not have to expend more Willpower points to continue the attack. To survive the attack, the victim needs some way to break the magician’s concentration or escape her line of sight.

53

Torpor induced by Consignment to Duat lasts the normal duration set by the victim’s Humanity or Path of Enlightenment rating – baring further action by the magician.

Ushabti

The name of the path comes from the figurines that prosperous Egyptians had buried with them. In the Afterlife, these figurines supposedly became servants who would work for the interred person’s soul. Images of objects also became real in the death-realm. Egyptian magicians also brought images to life in this world.

Each use of this path requires a separate figurine. Thus, a magician who wants to create a crocodile, fashions a model crocodile; to create a falcon, he uses a model falcon. Animal figures are as easy to animate as images of humans. A magician can use a figurine only once.

In every case, the magician makes the figurine out of wax, or clay mixed with one blood point’s worth of her own vitae and speaks an incantation. The lector-priest writes words of power upon the model, including its name in Egyptian hieroglyphs – “digger”, “bullock”, “guard” or the like. Then she bathes the figure in honey and beer and fumigates it in the smoke of various herbs. At this point, the player makes a Mental Challenge (retest with the Crafts ability) against a variable difficulty (6 traits for a Basic working, 7 for an Intermediate, 8 for an Advanced) to determine whether the magic succeeds. If the magic works, the statuette expands into a life-sized, animate figure. If the player fails – after all appropriate retests – a second Static Test is made. If this challenge fails as well, the statuette animates, but an evil spirit possesses the ushabti and sets about making the character’s unlife miserable.

Ushabti creatures have Attributes and Abilities. Attributes are limited only by the magician’s mastery of the path. A lector-priest cannot give an ushabti any Ability that she herself does not possess, and cannot grant an Ability rating above her own. Only at the highest level of mastery can an ushabti have Virtues, Humanity, or Willpower, because they have no genuine minds or free will. Most ushabti can only follow orders. They cannot think for themselves, even to preserve their own existence.

An ushabti has health levels identical to a human or vampire. Although ushabti can possess the physical abilities intrinsic to an animal form, such as flight for a bird or a lion’s claw’s and teeth, they cannot have any sort of magical powers.

Ushabti range from obviously animate manikins to simulacra almost indistinguishable from life. The number of mental traits spent at the time of creation indicates the realism of the animate figure.

One Trait Obviously clay or wax, like a china doll Two Traits Lifelike; could fool a casual viewer

(Static Mental Challenge against 8 Traits to detect as false).

Three Traits Indistinguishable from life. An ushabti’s “realism rating can never exceed the level of the power that created

it (one trait for Basic, two for Intermediate, three for Advanced).

54

An ushabti creature remains active for one lunar month, so long as it has no contact with mundane humanity and stays within the vampire’s haven. At the end of this period, the magician can extend the ushabti’s existence for another lunar month by feeding it another blood point. If an ushabti interacts with ordinary humans outside the creator’s haven, the magic degrades rapidly: within an hour, the ushabti reverts to wax or clay and becomes a crumbling statuette again. A “slain” ushabti becomes a figurine at the moment of its “death.”

Ushabti figurines are always made for use by a specific person; no one else can employ them. Most of the time, the magician makes ushabti for his own use, but she can prepare ushabti for another person to use at a later time. This costs the magician a point of Willpower. The other person activates the ushabti using the requisite magic words, but does not need to expend vitae.

Basic Ushabti Laborer

At first the magician can produce only simple, nearly mindless servants. These ushabti can perform simple repetitive tasks such as digging, sweeping, pulling and carrying. Laborers cannot fight.

Whether human or animal, these basic ushabti have three Physical traits, one Mental trait, and no Social traits. (Ushabti can be beautiful, if their maker fashions them so. Having no Social Traits represents an ushabti’s inability to perform any task requiring Social Traits.) They have no Abilities.

Servitor

A more skilled magician can produce ushabti with greater intelligence and usefulness. Servitors can perform moderately complex tasks that require some small degree of common sense.

To the basic Laborer, add three more Traits (but Social and Mental Trait totals cannot rise above three). Also add two dots of Abilities. At this level these cannot be combat Abilities.

Intermediate Ushabti Guard

At this level, the magician can create ushabti with simulated minds that work quickly enough to handle combat. An ushabti created with this level of mastery doesn’t have to be an actual guard, but it is a common application.

To the basic Laborer, add six more Traits and four Abilities. Guards can have Social Attributes, but Social and Mental Trait totals cannot rise above three; neither can any Ability.

Overseer

A truly skilled magician can create formidable ushabti – powerful beasts, or servants more skilled than many humans. Such an ushabti can command lesser ushabti, and perform complex tasks without supervision.

55

To the basic Laborer, add nine Traits and six Abilities. Social and Mental Trait totals cannot rise above four; neither can any Ability.

Advanced Ushabti Gift of Khnum

The ancient Egyptians believed that the god Khnum shaped human beings in the womb, as a potter shapes clay. A master of Ushabti can create servants of remarkable skill or power who are utterly loyal, but do not know that they are fakes. Even more remarkably, a magician can craft a body for a spirit and that spirit and body will truly live, as a free-willed being from then on. Through the Gift of Khnum, a blood-sorcerer can raise the dead – or release demons on the world.

To the Basic Laborer, add 12 Traits and eight Abilities. The ushabti also has Virtues, Humanity and Willpower like a starting Vampire character. It can think for itself, but remains emotionally bound to its creator as if blood bound. Alternately, the magician can simply craft a body and infuse it with a pre-existing soul: either a wraith or some other sort of spirit. The ushabti then has whatever Abilities, Virtues and other Traits the spirit had. The magician can create whatever body he pleases, but the spirit must agree of its own free will to occupy the body.

The Gift of Khnum costs two Willpower traits. For every Willpower Trait past the two required Traits spent raises the level of the ushabti’s “realism rating”.

An ushabti created by the Gift of Khnum does not degrade in the presence of ordinary humans, or at the end of a month. It will degrade within minutes, however, if someone challenges it identity and convinces it that it is not a real person. One Setite legend tells of a faithful ushabti who served its creator for a hundred years before it saw its reflection and realized that it was just another of its master’s statues. Another story tells of a perfectly lifelike ushabti who married and bore children to her husband. She crumbled to dust, however, when her husband sought to discover he past and found that she did not have one.

NOTE: Attempting to Embrace an ushabti created with the Gift of Khnum is enough to challenge its identity and destroy the creation. Similarly, attempting to ghoul one is a waste of vitae. Ushabti cannot learn Disciplines, though they are subject to the Blood Bond.

“Lost” Paths

The following Paths aren’t lost in the sense that no one knows them, they are merely extraordinarily difficult to learn. One Path has fallen out of general use since the middle ages, while the other is an adaptation of a Tremere Path, learned by the Lector-Priest converting her to Set. To begin learning one of these Paths a practitioner of Akhu must have heard about the existence of the Path – difficult due to their obscurity – have a Mentor of Level 4 or greater who already knows the Path, an Occult and Setite Lore rating of 4 or greater. In addition, due to their obscurity, they require a Blasphemy Shrine of rating 3 or higher to use.

56

The Immanence of Set

The Setite clan is grounded solidly in the belief that their creator is nothing less than a god, and the blood that courses through their veins is the essence of Set himself, shared amongst his followers to grant them powers over mortals and supernatural creatures alike. Along with this belief comes the sure knowledge that they have become houses of the god – they are utterly joined with their creator, and he may touch his children no matter where they are. Setites employ this sorcerous path to call upon the energies of the god for purposes of communication, manipulation and destruction. Basic Immanence of Set Whisper of the Sands

The shared blood of Set that sings in the veins of all Setites creates a bond between them that allows a Serpent to communicate his thoughts to his servants and childer, no matter how far away they may be. This power allows the sorcerer to share news and information with his network all over the world, and set plans in motion from hundreds of miles away.

To use this power, the player spends a blood point (and an appropriate number of Social Traits) and engages in a social challenge against those he wishes to communicate with. If successful, the lector-priest may communicate with any of his progeny or ghouls, no matter how far away. For each Social Trait spent, one target can receive the message, though all targets receive the same message. The communication last for one turn, and can consist of no more than two short sentences. They player may maintain the link and have the vampire communicate further by spending a Willpower point for each succeeding turn. Tongue of the Tempter

Many Setites are chosen for their ability to manipulate the minds of mortal and Cainite alike, but this ability heightens these qualities to the utmost, giving their words a hypnotic sweetness that can loosen the tightest lips and release a victim’s innermost desires.

The Setite must invoke this power immediately after sundown. The player spends two blood points and makes a Social challenge against the target. That night, the Setite must seek out her victim and engage him in conversation for at least one half-hour. If the invocation was successful, the victim lets slip one of his secret fears or desires, though without remembering having done so. Intermediate Immanence of Set Voice of the Prophet

In ancient times, the powers of the oracle could change a mortal life forever, bringing even the greatest heroes to glory or ruin depending on how they interpreted the words of the god. The Setites were very often the serpent lingering in the shadows of oracular temples such as Siwa or Delphi, sharing the corrupting words of the god with those seeking confirmation of their fears or ambitions. When a Setite employs this 57

power he is supposedly communicating with his akh, lingering in Duat and drawing on the supernatural knowledge available there.

In the presence of the intended victim the player spends two blood points and a Willpower point, then engages in a Mental Challenge against the target. If successful, the Setite delivers a cryptic message to the victim that speaks directly to her deepest desires. The nature of this message is determined by the Storyteller, and may mean little or nothing to the lector-priest using the power. The victim, however, will take the message as confirmation of her secret ambitions, and will be driven to acting upon them regardless of the apparent risks or disadvantages. This ability can be unpredictable, turning a complacent pawn into a raging madman (or vice versa). Lord of Storms

Long before his incarnation as a tempter, Set was the god of darkness and storm. This ability allows the lector-priest to summon up a sandstorm (or thunderstorm) of ferocious intensity, blocking out the sky and driving any sane person to cover, but allowing the Setite to move about quickly and easily.

The Setite spends three blood points and a Willpower point, summoning a raging storm that blankets the area within a square mile of the lector-priest who summoned it. She may increase the radius of the storm by spending additional Willpower, increasing the area by 10 miles per Willpower point. While the howling winds and sand (or rain) are severe enough to drive most sensible creatures to cover (as per the Intermediate levels of the Breath of Set, time to summon the storm is based on the same table as well), the Setite (and anyone in his immediate retinue) may travel untouched by the raging weather, as though it were a calm, clear night. The effects of the storm last for at least one scene, but can last much longer, at the Storyteller’s discretion. More than one Setite has used this power to hinder the movements of his enemies while making a well-timed escape, most notably during the catastrophe at Tanis.

Advanced Immanence of Set Dark Invocation

For thousands of years, the people of Egypt protected their tombs and treasure vaults with foul curses that called upon the gods for vengeance. This ability allows a lector-priest to lay a curse upon an object or place, or direct a damaging one against a particular enemy.

To lay the curse against a person, the Setite must know the victim’s name, and in the case of a vampire, must have a drop of the Cainite’s blood. The Setite must first devise the nature of the curse - it must have a single, specific effect and a specific duration, no longer than a lunar cycle. The effect can be virtually anything: let his strength wither like the parched reed; let his mind be dulled as though by strong wine; let his tongue speak nothing but the truth; let the skin fall from his bones.

Once the curse has been devised, the player spends four blood points and a Willpower point, and then engages in a Social Challenge against the target. If successful, the curse takes effect immediately. In most cases the storyteller applies a trait penalty to the target for appropriate circumstances. In the case of a curse laid to protect a place or object, the Setite must state specific “triggers” that would activate the

58

curse, as well as its affect and duration, and this information must be inscribed around the place or object in question.

The Soul of the Serpent

This path was originally created as a Hermetic Path used by a Tremere under the sway of the Setite sorceress Kahina and a member of the secret society “The Eye of the Serpent”. I include this as an Akhu Path due to the unique circumstances surrounding its creation.

To quote the description of the Path in Cairo by Night: “Thanks in part to the living asp residing in her stomach (EN: provided by Kahina), the acting Tremere regent in Cairo has developed a Thaumaturgical path of her own over several decades of intense study and experimentation – a discovery she firmly believes to be her own. The path exemplifies and embodies the perfection of the serpent’s form….”

The levels of this path are not “stackable” with Serpentis, and quite frequently function as a lesser (or variant) version of the powers of that Discipline. Basic Soul of the Serpent Serpentine Sense

The most basic level allows the lector-priest to access the considerable olfactory prowess of the serpent, granting acute sensitivity to all smells for the duration of the scene. The possible effects are varied, from allowing the lector-priest to identify poisons and poisoned foods by smell, to effectively letting her “see” in the dark.

Functionally this power works like Tongue of the Asp for darkness penalties, and otherwise grants the user a 1 Trait bonus when comparing ties to smell something. Smells not normally detectable via non-supernaturally heightened senses become apparent to the user. Note that use of this power causes the ophidian character’s hearing to suffer commensurately, imposing a 2 trait difficulty on all related challenges until the Serpentine Sense is no longer employed. Scaleskin

When this application of the path is invoked, the user’s outer layers of skin become smooth and scaly like those of an anaconda or other river snake, allowing for greater flexibility on land as well as considerable freedom of movement through water.

The character gains the Physical Trait Dexterous, and she gains the ability to pass through any opening large enough for her head. In addition, swimming in this form is exceptionally efficient, allowing the user to travel through water at normal land speed. While use of this power is obvious (to say the least) it does allow for some nick-of-time escapes from handcuffs and other difficult situations. Intermediate Soul of the Serpent Venom Curse

The lector-priest can transform her own vitae into a deadly poison capable of blinding the eyes of nearby opponents, like that of a spitting cobra.

59

The character coughs a point of vitae into her mouth, where it transforms mystically into a deadly blood-venom. The vampire then spits the venom at any one opponent within range (equal to three feet per Strength related trait + level of Potence (i.e. Basic, Intermediate, Advanced)). The player engages the target in a physical challenge (bidding two traits due to the difficulty to hit the eyes). If the attack succeeds, the target must immediately make a static Physical Challenge (bidding a Stamina-related Trait) to soak the toxin. If the Stamina Challenge fails the victim remains blind until the venom has run its course.

The blindness lasts for a scene or an hour. Supernatural targets can conceivably shorten this time. Vampires may spend three blood points to eliminate the problem. Lupines will regenerate the blindness in short order, reducing the duration to 1 minute. The blood-venom is extremely toxic to mortals, however, who are blinded for live unless they receive immediate medical attention (within the hour). Thankfully, this supernatural venom is quite thin, and its potency cannot be maintained outside of the lector-priest’s body.

Touch of Typhon

The lector-priest can now metamorphose her entire forearm and hand into a deadly asp, complete with a writhing, venomous snakehead.

Effective range is only five feet, but the bite of the serpent “arm” is deadly, doing an additional level of aggravated damage to anyone struck in combat. Mortals bitten thus must immediately succeed in a Static Physical challenge (vs. 7 traits, bidding a Stamina-related Trait) or die within (total number of Stamina related traits possessed + 5) minutes from the snakehead’s virulent toxin.

If a mortal is killed in this way, the venom begins to seep out of the corpse’s wound shortly thereafter, carrying the unfortunate mortal’s essence along with it. The blood-venom then pools nearby, slowly coagulating to form a small supernatural asp under the control of the lector-priest. From that point forward, that mortal’s soul knows no peace until such time as its new “boy” is killed, thus freeing the tortured spirit within. Advanced Soul of the Serpent Form of the Hydra

This powerful incantation – the ultimate plateau of achievement for one studying this path – allows the lector-priest to transform instantly into a writhing mass of vipers, her body erupting tin a spectacular shower of black, red, green, and gold.

The player must spend two blood points to effect the change, which takes three turns to complete. During this time, the character may take no other action, and no transition of any kind is apparent in her form. At the end of the turn, her body simply bursts into a number of vipers equal to the maximum number of blood points the character can hold. (For example, an 8th generation Setite using this power would explode into 15 separate snakes.) Alternatively, the player may opt to transform instantaneously, but she does so at a cost of five blood points rather than two.

Individuals assuming the Form of the Hydra are nearly impossible to destroy. Every last viper must first be located, as the lector-priest may reform later if even a

60

single serpent remains. This transformation last until the Warlock wills herself to assume normal form once again, which takes another three turns.

Rituals

Unless otherwise noted within the ritual’s description, all follow the similar challenges to those laid out in LotN:R –the only difference is in Trait type, Social instead of Mental. Basic rituals require a Static Social Challenge versus five Traits, Intermediate is vs. seven Traits, and Advanced is vs. nine Traits.

Basic Rituals Dreams of Duat

By invoking Set, the magician curses a victim to suffer terrifying dreams. The magician needs some part of her victim’s body, such as hair or nail clippings. She seals them inside a wax figurine that she inscribes with the person’s name (as closely as hieroglyphic script can approximate it). While reciting the curse, the magician bathes the figurine in water made bitter with natron and declared to come from the river of Duat. The victim then dreams of Duat’s horrors.

Unlike most rituals, this one uses the victim’s Willpower as the difficulty. For each night in which the magician successfully curser her with nightmares, the victim loses one point of temporary Willpower.

If the magician’s player fails the ritual test, a second Static Challenge should be conducted. On a loss of the second challenge, the victim has a different dream. Into the nightmare of darkness, monsters and death sails a shining boat staffed by animal-headed men and women. An ibis-headed man – the god Thoth – tells the dreamer how the magician has cursed her, and gives the magician’s name. (Religious magic has the problem that it goes wrong in religious ways. By accepting the reality of one god, Setite magicians also accept the power of other gods to interfere.)

Inscribe the Book of Set

Many Akhu rituals involve reading prayers from The Book of Going Forth by Night. For some purposes, the words themselves suffice. Powerful rituals, however, demand the use of a specially consecrated scroll. A sorcerer hand-copies the book in hieroglyphic script, on a scroll of authentic papyrus, using vampiric vitae for ink. This generally takes a few years. No one else may handle the copy until it is complete. Consecrated copies of The Book of Going Forth by Night are worth large amounts of money or significant boons to a Setite temple.

Apart from their absolute necessity in some powerful rituals, a consecrated Book of Set increases a lector-priest’s chance of success at other rituals through its mere presence. As a final magical effect, sunlight burns such scrolls to ash.

A sorcerer may also use this highly extended ritual to inscribe other texts. In this case, the resulting book burns in daylight, but has no other magical properties. The Setites use this aspect of the ritual to keep their sacred texts out of mortal hands.

61

Inscribing the Book of Set requires the usual Mental Challenge. Failure indicates that the character did not observe some ritual condition while copying the text, or made

too many errors. The copyist does not have to use his own vitae, although this adds prestige to a copy.

Milk of Set

This entry is a catchall for a range of rituals too numerous to mention, though many Setites have their own names for concoctions created in this fashion. In each, the Setite creates a salve or unguent with magical properties. The exact details of the ritual and ingredients of the salve vary depending on the desired effect.

Each effect must be learned as a separate ritual. When he wants his character to gain a new ritual, the player specifies a desired effect; the Storyteller determines its level, according to her judgment of the unguent's effectiveness as compared to other ritual effects. She should rule out any effect that too closely resembles an existing path or ritual from any tradition, unless the effect is a common one already available to a number of Disciplines. Effects must change their targets for the worse, or alter them so that they serve a new purpose. It takes one week per level to produce a single dose of salve or unguent. It stays potent for two weeks times the level of the ritual, and then becomes useless.

To adversely affect an inanimate object, the starting level of the ritual is Basic. To harm mortals requires an Intermediate ritual. Other supernatural creatures are resilient enough that only Advanced rituals (or above) have any effect. The more complex effects (note the gas tank ritual) raise the level of the ritual. For instance, the ritual to burn through steel or concrete is a Basic one. The same salve, if used to burn the flesh from mortals is Intermediate, and if you want to use it on the Prince, it must be created at the Advanced level. Here are some common manifestations of the Milk of Set.

Effect Level

Add to gas tank of vehicle, so that it goes where Setite wants, not where driver steers it

Intermediate

Alter a lock so that it conforms to a key the Setite owns Basic Bum through steel or concrete Basic Make drug more addictive Basic Make hollow replica of object coated in salve Varies by object size

Melt flesh on contact

Intermediate for mortals Advanced for

supernaturals Two health levels of

damage dealt Salve slithers along the ground in slug-like manner, following trail of specified individual

Basic

Seek out a computer and maliciously alter contents of its hard drive.

Basic

Opening the Gate

62

This ritual prepares a corpse so that it becomes a focus for the Setite's magic and allows even greater benefit from a blasphemy-shrine. If the corpse is not already

mummified according to ancient Egyptian tradition, it must undergo the procedure before the ritual begins. This process alone can take several nights, and is usually performed by a coven of Setite priests and sorcerers.

Once the body is prepared, the ritualist begins the ceremony by verbally recounting the victory of Set over Osiris, and informing the corpse of Set's subsequent penetration of the Western Lands and the powerless-ness of Osiris to stop his progress. He arranges the canopic jars in reversed order, placing the jar that's supposed to be positioned to the west of the body to its east, and so on. The ritualist then saws open the corpse's chest cavity and breaks open the ribcage. He severs the corpse's spine and drills dozens of hooks into the corpse. Into the hooks he threads catgut strings, which he then attaches to a metal frame around the mummy. The sorcerer pulls the strings tight, forcing the body into a tortured position. The ritual takes 12 hours to complete.

The player engages in five simple challenges, succeeding only on a win (retest with the Thanatology [if Storytellers are using the new Abilities mentioned in the Genre packet} or Mummification Ability). Each success on these challenges gives the corpse a rating, showing the degree to which its funeral arrangements satisfied the requirements of The Egyptian Book of the Dead. Zero successes represents no similarity whatsoever, which will most often be the case, and five successes signals the greatest adherence to those rituals possible in modern times.

A successful Setite now possesses a means of siphoning energy from the Western Lands. He may at any time increase his blood or Willpower pools by a number of points equal to the rating the Storyteller assigned the mummy. After the passage of a number of hours equal to his successes on the ritual, he loses the points. He may do this once per session and may only have one ritually desecrated mummy in use at any one time.

If anyone destroys the corpse or unstrings it from the frame, the Setite loses a sum of blood and Willpower points (distributed by the Storyteller) equal to twice his mummy's rating and can no longer perform Akhu. (*This is always the first ritual learned – just as the Tremere always learn Rite of Introduction. Without this ritual the sorcerer cannot perform the necessary magics as the energies of the Western Lands cannot be accessed.)

Opening the Mouth

This magic ritual imitates one of the standard Egyptian rites performed before burial. The funerary rite enabled the deceased to breathe and speak in the Underworld. The Akhu ritual enables a dead person to speak through his own cadaver.

Opening the mouth works only if the body retains an intact head and tongue. The magician sprinkles the cadaver with water and natron (a natural salt used in mummification), places three amulets on the body and recites a funeral prayer. At the end, the magician touches the cadaver’s mouth with his ceremonial rod while commanding it to speak.

63

If the priest correctly performs the ritual, the deceased can hear and speak for one minute, but takes no other action. The ritual does not compel the deceased to tell the truth; nor does the person know anything he did not know when alive. He cannot speak of the afterlife or the Underworld, though. (If asked, he says that Osiris forbids

him to speak of such things… even if the person never heard of Osiris in life. Magic is mysterious.) Opening the Mouth works only once for a particular magician.

Seal the Gates of Blood

Egyptian doctor-priests prescribed an amulet of Set to prevent miscarriage and excessive menstrual bleeding, as the Dark God’s masculinity frightened the womb into shutting tight. Egyptian Setites still vend the charm, though they do not tell clients about one of its powers.

The amulet requires no special effort to scribe and consecrate. A woman who wears the amulet does not miscarry, and her menses are greatly reduces. The menstrual blood, however, actually passes to the lector-priest: one blood point, once a month, but never more than that. If the recipient does not wear the amulet through one menstrual cycle, the spell breaks. The spell otherwise lasts one month per mental trait spent at the time of casting (max 3).

Typhon’s Brew

Most preparations of Setite alchemy begin with this magical, vitae-laced beer. A lector-priest who does not know how to create Typhon’s Brew can forget about pursuing further knowledge of alchemy. This beer sustains ghouls as if it were true vampiric vitae. Vampires can drink it too.

By itself, Typhon’s Brew has no other properties. It cannot be used to Embrace a mortal, nor to blood bond the imbiber: The brewing process negates this aspect of vitae.

Brewing the Typhon’s Brew takes a full month, beginning and ending at the dark of the moon. For every gallon brewed, the alchemist includes one blood point’s worth of his own vitae. The brewing process multiplies the vitae, so that a ghoul can gain one blood point per quart of the magic beer. Vampires, however, gain only one blood point per gallon consumed – the same rate as in brewing the beer. For vampires, the beer’s magic is limited to the fact that they can drink it at all without heaving it up seconds later. They can even get drunk on it, and suffer a hangover later. Intermediate Rituals Dismemberment of Osiris

The Setite ritually dismembers the captured leader of a group or organization, starting with the limbs and finishing with the penis. (The ritual works only on male victims.) At the conclusion of the ritual, the Setite drops the phallus into a tank full offish. It only works if the fish devour the severed organ. The organization headed by the victim suffers a serious calamity, as determined by the Storyteller. A corporation might lose half of its stock value overnight, a military unit could fall in battle, or a religious order might experience mass defections.

The ritual takes six hours to complete. Linked Soul Elixir

This magical drug consists of Typhon’s Brew mixed with juices and resins from seven herbs, including hashish, opium and mandrake. Before administering the Linked Soul Elixir, the magician pours the brew over a steal bearing a spell-prayer to Anubis

64

and collects the liquid in a basin. The prayer recalls the god’s role in judging the dead and demands a similar power to see into the hearts of others.

People who drink the elixir feel each other’s sensations and emotions, as long as they remain within line of sight of each other. It also renders the imbiber completely unable to resist any sort of mind control. The drug opens his soul and he can no longer tell which thoughts are his own. Vampires as well as mortals can drink Linked Soul Elixir.

Each preparation of the Linked Soul Elixir creates two doses. A person under the elixir’s influence feels the pleasure, pain, thoughts and emotions of every other elixir-user within sight. For instance, if one elixir-user suffers a wound penalty, al the other elixir-users suffer the same wound penalty. If one user’s player must roll for the character to resist frenzy or Rötschreck, all the other elixir-users must do so. On the other hand, all the characters joined by Linked Soul Elixir can use each other’s Abilities as if they were their own.

An imbiber of Linked Soul Elixir cannot resist Dominate, Presence, or any other sort of mind control magic. Every use of such Disciplines or magic automatically succeeds. The target’s player cannot expend Willpower to resist the magic. What’s more, every linked character receives the effect of the mind control magic. Every hour after drinking the elixir, a subject engages in a Static Physical Challenge (difficulty 8 - bidding a Stamina-related Trait) to throw off the effects.

Prepare Canopic Jars

The Setite takes bodily tissues of a desired victim and places them in the four canopic jars used in ancient Egyptian funerary practice. He inverts the ritual designed to ensure speedy passage to the Western Lands, gaining advantage over the chosen victim. The jars and their associated tissue types are described fully in Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy page 115.

Samples of other tissues can be used, though they are not so potent. The Setite can still direct a working against a target even if he lacks the requisite bits of flesh; he can use an object stolen from the victim that symbolically resonates with the desired organ. The remaining bits of a meal half-eaten by the target work as substitute contents of south or north jars. Heart pills and asthma inhalers, even breath mints and syringes make acceptable substitutes for the contents of the east jar. Drugs or alcohol once in the possession of the target can represent the liver and gall bladder in a jar of the west. The ritual takes four hours to perform. Once completed, the Setite can at any time interfere with any action performed by the victim, provided he is somehow aware of the target's current activities. Examples of interference include making the victim miss a bus or plane, lose her wallet, become the subject of a random mugging, and any number of other significant yet indirect effects. The Setite may interfere with a number of actions each night equal to the number of additional Mental Traits spent during the ritual challenge (up to three). He may do this until the jars are moved or destroyed.

Scorpion Sending

Set dispatched a scorpion to sting the Infant Horus. This ritual emulates the myth by creating a magical scorpion that attacks a single, predetermined victim.

65

The scorpion’s magical venom has an excellent chance of killing a mortal and can seriously inconvenience a vampire.

The magician makes a model scorpion out of wax; incorporating hair, nail clippings, spittle, or something else that came from the victim’s body. She writes the name of Set on the wax scorpion in green ink and recites the myth of the poisoning of Horus. Then she leaves the model scorpion in a place frequented by the victim. The next time the victim comes near the model it becomes a real scorpion and stings him.

The scorpion’s venom inflicts one health level of lethal damage every 15 minutes. The damage ends if the victim’s player succeeds in a Physical Challenge (bidding a Stamina related trait) at a Static difficulty of 9 (check at every increment of damage). The venom harms both mortals and vampires. It also affects Lupines, changelings and other supernatural races that have physical bodies.

The victim might see the scorpion before it strikes (a Mental Challenge difficulty 11, reduce the difficulty to 9 if the character is actively looking). If the target kills the scorpion before it stings him, it reverts to a wax model. If the scorpion dies after stinging, it stays a real scorpion.

Severing Sand

A handful of consecrated Nile sand can force all sorts of spirits to return from whence they came. Indeed the Severing Sand possesses a limited power over all supernatural creatures. For instance, one magician used Nile sand to prevent a magical giant snake from re-joining its severed halves.

The magician must obtain authentic Egyptian river sand, washed clean and dried in sunlight. She sprinkles the sand with perfumes, natron and a few drops of her own vitae and chants a litany of praise to the Nile.

When using the Severing Sand, the magician invokes an appropriate Egyptian god counter to whatever supernatural creature he faces. Against wraiths, a magician might call upon Anubis to pull the ghost back to the Underworld; Ra or Set work equally well to banish the demons of Duat. Seker affects vampires. A wise magician intuitively knows what god works best for particular circumstances.

A magician may enchant Severing Sand in advance. The sand retains its power until sunrise. An exorcised spirit returns to its home; the magic sand works against all spirits, not just Egyptian ones. The spirit cannot return to Earth until the next nightfall.

A vampire, werewolf or other supernatural creature temporarily loses whatever healing powers it may possess. This effect lasts one minute.

Summon Sebau

A lector-priest can use a clay model to summon sebau – the demons of Duat – and send them to harry her enemies or perform other tasks. The magician must make the model with his own hands, using clay mixed with one blood point of his vitae.

If the ritual succeeds, the magician can command one service from the sebau-fiend that the demon can accomplish in one night. If the player fails the ritual challenge, he must immediately make another Static Challenge (no traits risked). Failure of the second challenge means the demon attacks the magician. If the magician wants the sebau-fiend to attack a specific enemy, he needs the victim’s True Name or some part

66

of the victim’s body. For information and stats on Sebau see the Sebau and Others section on page 21. Advanced Rituals Dismembering the God

The Setite removes from a canopic jar a tissue sample taken from the chosen victim; the sample must have steeped in the urine of a jackal, hyena or other scavenging predator for at least 24 hours. She brews an unguent in which the tissue sample, vitae and papyrus are ingredients, then covers her genitals with this unguent. The Setite completes the ritual by coming into skin contact with the victim before the next sunrise.

The lector-priest spends a between one and three Social traits and engages in a Social challenge against the target of the spell. If the ritual succeeds, the victim loses both a number of Willpower points and a number of blood points equal to twice the caster's number of Traits spent. Further, the victim can't refresh either pool for one night. Note that a significant blood loss (3 or more points) may very well kill a mortal, or at least require medical attention.

Warding Cippus

The ancient Egyptians prized stelae carved with the figure of the infant Horus trampling on crocodiles and strangling serpents or scorpions in his fists. Such statues – called cippi – served as amulets to repel these harmful creatures and, more generally, all the malign forces of the world. The Followers of Set still craft these cippi on rare occasions. Setites seldom use figures of Horus in their magic, but the power of an enemy is still power.

This enchanted stela protects against spirits, not material animals. A consecrated cippus bars all but the most powerful or determined demons of Duat from its proximity. Spirits of Duat cannot approach within 100 feet of a Warding Cippus. If they try, they vanish back to Duat.

No special conditions apply to the carving of the cippus. Enchanting the stela requires several hours of prayers, exorcisms with sand and water, incense, and bathing the stela in honey, beer and the blood of a crocodile, an asp, and crushed scorpions. At the end, the magician lets the rising sun burn his hand to ash while it rests upon the cippus. Completing the final prayer while burning off one’s own hand costs a point of permanent Willpower. Note that this also means taking one health level of aggravated damage. The Warding Cippus works by itself from then on, continuously. Some Warding Cippi are thousands of years old.

Elder Rituals Hybrid Mummy

A magician can stitch together parts of human and animal cadavers, mummify them and invite a spirit to occupy and animate the patchwork khat. Typical hybrid mummy forms included animal-headed men and women in imitation (or parody) of the Egyptian gods, or beasts given human heads and hands.

67

Creating a hybrid mummy requires suitable human and animal body parts and typical mummification equipment. The physical process takes 40 days, just like a normal, non-supernatural mummy, and includes various subsidiary rituals. At the end, the magician conducts an hour-long invocation to Apep and other dreadful, deathly powers of the Underworld while smoking the wrapped, patchwork cadaver over a noxious and stinking fire.

Few normal ghosts consent to occupy such a butchered, composite cadaver. Instead, debased lector-priests call upon evil and insane ghosts called specters who somehow escaped judgment and the Eater of Hearts, or demons of Duat that were never human at all. A few powerful Setite magicians employ hybrid mummies as their servants.

Although the Hybrid Mummy spell requires the normal Social Challenge to succeed, the magician’s player also spends a variable number of points of Willpower in the final rite. Hybrid mummies are more durable than Necromantic zombies: They can endure for thousands of years as long as they remain in subterranean crypts and labyrinths. Mercifully, they decay quickly when exposed to sunlight and a incredulous modern world.

The magician’s player defines a hybrid mummy’s Traits beforehand. A hybrid mummy starts with three Traits in the Physical and Mental categories. A lector-priest can make a hybrid mummy with up to three Dexterity-related Traits, while Strength-related and Stamina-related traits can go as high as the magician wants (as adjudicated by the Storyteller): the sorcerer just uses bigger, stronger parts. Hybrids can also have up to two Traits in each Intelligence-, Wits-related Traits and Abilities. (They have no Social Traits, though.) For every three traits in Attributes or Abilities they hybrid mummy receives, the magician spends one Willpower point. A new hybrid mummy cannot have any Ability that its creator does not, or at a higher level.

Hybrid mummies can learn through experience, however, and raise their Charisma-, Manipulation-related, Mental Traits or Abilities. Raising a Trait costs four experience points each.

The hybrid mummy is a character in its own right. Its creator may bind its will with other spells or Disciplines, but the hybrid has a mind and interests of its own.

Other Rituals

The following rituals have been culled from other sources, but are considered to be accessible to lector-priests who have the appropriate resources to gather them. The sources each ritual can be found in are listed following the ritual name. Similarly, if a ritual is traditionally common among the Priests or Warriors of Set a notation is made as well.

Basic Blood Rush (Sabbat pg 130) Brand of the Paramour (ST Guide pg 65) Defense of Sacred Haven (Warding of the Tomb) (LotN: R pg 185) Devil's Touch (Bes' Disfavor) (LotN: R pg 185) 68

Domino of Life (Return from Du’at) (Sabbat pg 130) Encrypt Missive (Secret of Thoth) (ST Guide pg 65) - Priest Eyes of the Night Hawk (Sabbat Guide pg 130) Illuminate the Trail of Prey (Sabbat Guide pg 131) - Warrior Incantation of the Shepherd (Calling of the Worshippers) (Camarilla*) - Priest Rebirth of Mortal Vanity (ST Guide pg 67) Recure of the Homeland (Nile's Favor) (the Akhu version of this ritual requires Nile mud instead of soil from one's homeland) (Sabbat pg 131) Steps of the Terrified (Pursuit of Set) (Laws of Elysium pg 89) - Warrior Ward (and Warding Circle) vs Ghouls (LotN: R pg 186)

Intermediate A Touch of Nightshade (Scorpion’s Sting) (ST Guide pg 72) - Warrior Cleansing of Flesh (the Akhu version requires the subject to be ritually shaven from head to toe before immersion in water) (ST Guide pg 69) - Priest The Curse Belated (Osiris Defied) (ST Guide pg 70) Major Creation (Gift of Ptah) (ST Guide pg 71) Return of the Heart (Balance of Ma'at)(ST Guide pg 71) Scry (Eyes of Hathor)(ST Guide pg 71) - Priest Splinter Servant (Ptah’s Shaft pg 113) (the Akhu version requires the lector-priest possess at least the Intermediate Level of Ushabti before this ritual can be learned) (Camarilla*) - Warrior Stolen Kisses (ST Guide pg 71) Ward (and Warding Circle) vs Fae (Eshu) (ST Guide pg 73) Ward (and Warding Circle) vs Lupines (Camarilla*) Ward (and Warding Circle) vs Spirit (Bau)(Camarilla*) Ward (and Warding Circle) vs Demon (Sebau) (This should be fairly prevalent considering the use of Sebau in Akhu)

Advanced Cobra's Favor (Blessing of the Asp)(ST Guide pg 73) - Warrior Severed Hand (Set's Judgment or Rending of Osiris)(ST Guide pg 73) Ward vs Ghosts (Ka)(Camarilla*) Ward vs Cainite (Camarilla*)

Note: Since no rituals from the Table Top Guide to the Camarilla appeared in Laws of the Night: Camarilla Guide, use the

commonly accepted guidelines for these rituals.

Player-created Rituals Basic Milk of Set Variant: Snake Oil

This ritual takes one week to cast and the lector-priest may only have one measure of this ritual undergoing ritual preparation at a time. A few drops of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil from Egypt are placed on a platter decorated with

69

hieroglyphs of and incense must be burned on the platter each night while the ritual is being cast. At the end of this time the olive oil is enchanted such that if it is placed in a bottle of perfume (or another cosmetic scent – aftershave and cologne work just as well) it will raise the perceived quality by one (Crafts +1). The wearer of the scent is also up one trait in social challenges for determining ties if the challenger can smell the scent. The sorcerer who enchanted the oil is up two traits in social or mental challenges that attempt to influence the wearer (Presence, Dominate, Path of Corruption, etc.) All effects of this ritual fade two weeks after it is cast. No sorcerer can have more than three preparations of this ritual in existence at a time.

Submitted by Aaron Rice, in use in Milwaukee, Chicago, Green Bay, Winona, and Gary.

Intermediate Courtesan’s Smile

When worn, this amulet will raise the wearer’s visage to the levels usually reserved for supermodels and Tzimisce.

This talisman grants the user four Social Traits, determined by the caster when the item is made. These traits stack with the wearers and can even raise them above her normal generational maximum. They may be bid and lost as normal traits. However it takes one full day for the traits to refresh once lost. Alternately, they may be refreshed at the cost of one willpower point per trait. With beauty comes vanity, though, and the wearer gains the negative Social Trait: Vain. She must also pass a static Social Challenge each time she passes a mirror – or other reflective surface – to avoid staring at her own perfection. If the possessor of the talisman attempts to use engage the caster in a Social Challenge, the magical item fails to perform as usual, granting no supplementary Social Traits. In addition the caster need not bid a Social Trait against the user, and gains a free retest. The enchantment of the talisman lasts for 1 month after creation unless it is bathed in the suns rays and one blood trait from the caster at least once during that month.

Milk of Set Variant: Blood of the Aeons

With the Setite penchant for impersonating other clans, something had to be done to pass the tests of the meddling Tremere and other Blood Sorcerers. The ritual allows the caster to modify his blood for the purposes of Thaumaturgy path of blood: Taste of Vitae. This milk of Set variant requires a trait of blood from a vampire of a given clan.

To cast this ritual, the lector-priest creates a mixture of Fennec fox blood and a pint of Typhon’s Brew made of blood from a given clan of the Aeons (one of the 12 core clans). She must then place a cippis of disguise (a small amulet with the hieroglyph for disguise) in the mixture for a lunar cycle starting at the new moon. The ritual activates when the concoction is imbibed. Upon a successful casting the ritual, any magical means to determine clan of origin on the recipient of the ritual will reveal her to be of the same clan as the blood consumed for the casting. The caster however takes on the clan weakness of the clan impersonated in addition to her own.

70

This ritual lasts for one night and immediately fails if Caitiff or bloodline blood is used.

Advanced Celebration of the Defeat of Osiris

Castable only on the anniversary of Set's victory over Osiris, this is ritual allows the Sorcerer to sacrifice dark energy directly to the Father himself. The ritual takes the form of an entire night of prayer and sacrifice, requiring massive amounts of "dark" emotions (a minimum of 2,000 "vessels") and a minimum of three sacrifices of either mortals or kindred. The ritual is very taxing on the will of the Sorcerer as well requiring a minimum of one willpower point spent every two hours, and a willpower test (vs. your new level) every hour. Success however has great rewards. Powers placed inside the uas (common priest-architect’s measuring-rod with a twisted crossbar at the top) are determined by the lector-priest's ST and should reflect how "appropriate" the sacrifice was, how many of the willpower tests the sorcerer won, and mostly the personality of the sorcerer. The caster has no control over what powers the Father gifts him with.

Bloodline Paths and Rituals Four distinct bloodlines exist within the Setite Clan. The Warriors practice

their martial sorcery within the standard framework of Akhu, as do the lector-priests. The others come at sorcery from a completely different angle. Serpents of the Light practice the Caribbean Wanga with its decidedly necromatically bent, Tlacique still give homage to Tezcatlipoca with the pre-Columbian Nahuallotl, and the Daitya, the Holy Blasphemers, perform their own Brahmin-style sorcery called Sadhana. Like Akhu they approach magic from a religious stance, calling on certain gods or spirits to perform tasks, or asking their favor, unlike the formulaic Thaumaturgy of the Tremere.

These paths are only taught to “priests” of the particular religion and only by other holy men. There are many levels of initiation into the mysteries of that particular brand of sorcery that one must learn before being able to practice the magic. For game purposes, a character must be an active adherent to the religious tradition, seek out a teacher, and be initiated into their magics, a process that usually takes several years. Unless otherwise noted, if a character does not actively practice the belief system espoused (on a nightly basis) she cannot call upon the necessary forces to perform the sorcery. Storytellers: it is highly suggested that you only allow the Sadhana and Nahuallotl to NPC’s, both due to the character type’s status as Rare and Unusual, but also because they are based in such a secretive religious paradigm. The paths cease to be strange to Western Cainites when any character can go down to the local Hindu Temple and learn the secret paths of the Brahmin.

Wanga Voudoun. Santería. Candomblé. Shango cults. Palo Mayombe. Obeayisne.

All these religions and more developed from the slave populations taken from the 71

Yorba, Ewe and Fon tribes of Western Africa. They share another common feature in the sorcerous practice we call Wanga. Created from the multitude of religious practices born in the slave dens that most Americans call Voodoo, Wanga is as much a religion as a method of magic. While some vampires adhere to the precepts of a specific Afro-Caribbean faith, most Kindred wangateurs practice a mishmash that combines many aspects of any or all of these religions. Despite their varied practices, all wangateurs must have real faith (though not necessarily True Faith) in the God and spirits revered by these religions. Those who don’t believe have a great deal of difficulty with Wanga. The player of a Kindred who is not one of the faithful must bid two Traits in any Wanga challenge and must succeed in an additional Static test. Storytellers are encouraged to treat those who fail both challenges as having “botched” and should show the faithless wangateur how the spirits feel about those who call upon them faithlessly.

Several standard paths of Thaumaturgy are available to practitioners of Wanga. In addition, Wanga claims at least three unique paths detailed below. Unless stated otherwise these paths are activated in the standard manner (with the expenditure of one blood point) and require a mental challenge. In addition, the wangateur must call aloud (though it need not be at great volume) upon the power of an appropriate spirit (orisha, loa, Enkisi or the like), and many require the presence of specific items or components. Many wangateurs eventually branch out towards necromancy considering the degree of ancestor-worship inherent in Wanga.

Blood: Laws of the Night Conjuring: Laws of the Night Corruption: Laws of the Night Storytellers Guide Curses: Laws of the Night Storytellers Guide Spirit Manipulation: Laws of the Night Guide to the Camarilla

The Flow of Ashé Kindred who master the Flow of Ashé learn to draw power from sources of ashé

other than vitae. The wangateur can perform supernatural feats without the need to spend the blood in his system. He instead draws the power – “a phantom blood point”, if you will – from components carried on his person. These materials are consumed in the process. Unlike other Thaumaturgical paths, the Flow of Ashé does not require the expenditure of blood to invoke, as that would largely defeat the purpose. If, however, the player fails the challenge, she must engage in a second Static challenge. Failure of this follow-up challenge causes the character to lose two points of blood, in addition to any other penalties.

The player must invoke this path the turn immediately before she wishes to spend the substitute blood point (ex. The level five power). If the “blood” is not used in the turn immediately following, it is lost and the path must be attempted again; the herbs and other components are still consumed. The Flow of Ashé can create only one “phantom blood point” at a time. This path does not affect powers that require more than one blood point to activate.

Most requisite powders and herbs are relatively rare and require that the wangateur frequent occult and specialty shops in order to obtain them.

72

Basic Flow of Ashé Touch of Life

The wangateur may perform the most minor feats of blood – causing her skin to flush, causing her heart to beat and the like – without actually spending a blood point

The character must have in her possession two handfuls of herbs and powdered minerals including aroeira (a Brazilian herb used to treat skin ailments) and copper shavings. The effect lasts for one scene. Strength of Root and Stone

The wangateur may use the Flow of Ashé to power an increase in Physical Traits – for a scene – as though she’d spent one blood point. The components include two handfuls of herbs and powdered minerals including jurubeba (an herb often used to cure stomach and liver ailments, and for the treatment of general weakness) and pure iron filings. Intermediate Flow of Ashé Breath of Life

The wangateur calls upon the power of Ashé to heal injuries to herself. Wounds close as though she’d spent a blood point to repair the damage. Note this can only heal lethal or bashing damage, not aggravated.

In order to use this power, the character must smear a paste on the wound. This paste includes crushed cambara (an shrub once used for the treatment of cuts and skin injuries), powdered human bone and at least a few drops of blood (human or animal and it need not amount to even a single blood point’s worth; it cannot, however, come from the wangateur herself). The ingredients must be mixed immediately prior to the invocation of the path. If it dries for more than a minute or so after mixing, the power fails to function. Unlike normal healing, a wangateur may not use this power to heal while engaged in any other activity; all her attention must be concentrated on applying the salve and activating its power.

Favor of the Orishas

At this level, the wangateur may substitute other sources of Ashé even when powering Disciplines, including other Thaumaturgy paths (but not rituals). This power may be used only to activate a Discipline; it cannot be used to maintain a power already active.

The wangateur must possess several leaves of tobacco (this must be pure; a box of cigarettes won’t do) and a handful of powdered ivory. In addition, the mixture must include a few drops of blood. The wangateur may not shed her own blood to invoke this power, though the blood of a foe struck in melee combat is acceptable.

Once Favor of the Orishas has been used to power another Discipline, all rules and systems of that Discipline – including challenges, maintenance costs, duration and so forth – apply as normal.

73

Advanced Flow of Ashé Gift of Ashé

At this level, the powders or pastes created by levels 1 through 3 of the Flow of Ashé may be imbued with enough power that they hold their magic for a time, and need not be used the following turn. Furthermore, the ashé in these components may be granted to other Kindred for their use if the wangateur chooses to do so.

The effects of the power may be delayed for an entire scene. At any point, the character may activate the stored power, either on her own person or on another Kindred. For instance, a wangateur who anticipates combat might invoke the Breath of Life and mix the paste, then give the paste to a companion, allowing her to heal a single wound level without spending blood should be forced to do so. A wangateur may have a number of pastes and powders prepared at any time equal to her Intelligence.

Orisha’s Fortune

Orisha’s Fortune allows the thaumaturge to manipulate the whim of luck, the vagaries of random chance. By spending his own blood in sacrifice, the wangateur beseeches the spirits to bring fortune to herself and his allies, and misfortune to his foes.

The blood point required cannot simply be spent; the wangateur must physically shed the blood point when the power is activated. The wound need not cause any health levels of damage; merely get the attention of the spirits. Because of this requirement the fourth level of the Flow of Ashé cannot power Orisha’s Fortune. Similarly the blood point shed is magically consumed shortly after it leaves the wangateur’s body and cannot be collected by other thaumaturges for use against her. The wangateur can target anyone in her line of sight. Basic Orisha’s Fortune Sheltering Hand

At this level, the wangateur can use orisha’s Favor to prevent catastrophe. The subject is granted just a bit of extra fortune; she may still fail, but she finds disasters occurring far less frequently.

The wangateur chooses her subject – either herself or an ally. The next action taken by the subject gains a 1-Trait bonus. To enact Sheltering Hand the player must succeed in a Static Mental Challenge vs. 6 traits.

Fortune’s Blessing

The wangateur requests the orisha’s aid for herself or an ally. Luck is with her; tasks become simpler and less likely to fail and the recipient may even find herself capable of feats that would normally be too difficult to perform.

The specific task – hacking, driving, shooting, or any other mundane action – must be declared when the power is invoked. For the duration of the scene the target is considered to have one bonus Ability of that type (for use in retest or for the ability to perform a task that the subject does not normally have the Ability to do).

74

Multiple uses of this power are not cumulative. Any attempt to use it on someone already under its influence automatically fails. To enact Sheltering Hand the player must succeed in a Static Mental Challenge vs. 7 traits. Intermediate Orisha’s Fortune Fortune’s Curse

The reverse of Fortune’s Blessing, this power allows the wangateur to inflict minor misfortune upon an enemy, making a single task more difficult and likely to fail.

The caster must declare a specific sort of action – brawling, sneaking or the like – when the power is invoked and then must defeat the victim in a Mental Challenge. The target of the spell must spend an additional Trait when attempting that action; this power lasts for the scene.

This power is not cumulative, and should be considered a failure if used on someone already under its influence.

Fortune’s Favor

The wangateur calls upon the spirits to perform some truly hefty twisting of the laws of probability. Blows that should land, contests that clearly favor the opposition – all seem to shift inexplicably in favor of the wangateur.

At the moment of casting, the caster must choose a specific individual against whom this power operates. Once this power is invoked, the wangateur is protected by an effect that seems to combine aspects of the previous two powers. The target must bid an additional trait on all challenges, the caster is considered to be up one trait, but only when they are in direct opposition. To enact, the caster must spend a variable number of traits (between one and three) and defeat the target in a Mental Challenge. Fortune’s Favor lasts for a number of turns equal to the number of Mental Traits spent by the wangateur’s player.

The caster cannot use Fortune’s Favor while under the effects of Fortune’s Bless, nor can she use it against anyone already influenced by Fortune’s Curse.

Advanced Orisha’s Fortune Smiting Hand

A truly nasty magic, Smiting Hand, sets the power of the orishas directly against a foe, transforming almost any attempted task into a catastrophic failure.

The caster engages the target in a Mental Challenge. If the wangateur’s player is successful, her victim adds an increased difficulty to his next action. If the target wins the next challenge, she must then be successful in a follow-up Static challenge (no traits risked, success on a win only, not a tie) otherwise the action fails. This follow-up challenge is conducted after all retests have been conducted, and may not be “retested”. If the target fails her next action, she must still engage in the follow-up Static challenge (no traits risked, success on a win only, not a tie) though in this case a failure would result in a “botch” (effects determined by the storyteller, though she is encouraged to have such “botches” result in truly catastrophic results, even as compared to “normal” botches).

75

Voice of the Wild Quite possibly the oldest Wanga path still practiced, Voice of the Wild was

originally created to grant influence over the predators of the savannas and jungles. In addition to vitae, this path requires certain materials that are consumed by the magic during casting.

A wangateur may attempt to influence the same animal as a Kindred utilizing Animalism. Assuming both challenges are successful, control goes to whoever has the highest rating in their respective Discipline (tied levels go to the character with Animalism). Basic Voice of the Wild Scent of the Beast

The magician can produce scents and pheromones appropriate to a particular species of animal. Used in ancient nights to attract game and ward of predators, it finds similar use tonight among more creative wangateurs.

The caster must have in her possession a sample (tuft of fur, whisker, tooth, drop of blood, etc.) from the animal she wishes to smell like. If successful in a static Mental challenge vs. six Traits, the Kindred gives off a scent identical to that of the target animal for the remainder of the scene. If an additional Mental Trait is spent she could smell like that animal in a particular emotional state; she could, for instance, duplicate the scent of a scared cat or a dog in heat. With the expenditure of three Mental Traits, the power is effective enough to fool an animal ghoul. Three Mental Traits will also permit the caster to fool Lupines, Kindred in animal form, or Kindred using Auspex, but they gain the benefit of a Perception-related Mental challenge vs. the caster. If they succeed, the Lupine or Kindred notices something subtly off about the caster’s scent, and may well investigate further.

Any attempt to attract an animal requires the expenditure of a single Mental Trait to inspire the creature to overcome its instinctive aversion to vampires; without the expenditure, the animal will approach to within a few yards, but no closer. Any attempt to create a scent strong enough to affect a human or Kindred not using Auspex (duplicating the spray of a skunk, for instance) also requires the expenditure of a Mental Trait. Hide from Hunter’s Eyes

With this power, the Kindred causes animals to overlook her completely. This applies to scent and hearing as well as sight. The wangateur must have a body part (fur, hair, or a tooth will suffice) from the kind of animal she wishes to hide from and a pinch of pepper, a drop of perfume or any other strongly scented material. This must be rubbed on the sample as the blood is spent and a Static Mental Challenge (difficulty 6) is conducted. For the remainder of the scene, animals of the specified variety (dogs being the most common in modern cities) simply don’t notice the Kindred’s presence unless she specifically does something to attract attention (touching the animal, making any noise louder than low conversations or the like).

This power requires the expenditure of 3 Mental Traits to fool Lupines or Kindred in animal form or using Auspex and that the caster defeat them in a Mental Challenge. 76

It functions on animal ghouls without the Trait expenditure, but they too are allowed the Mental Challenge. Intermediate Voice of the Wild Marking the Prey

Working off the premise, “I don’t have to run faster than the bear, I just have to run faster than you,” this power allows the caster to fix the attention of a given variety of animal on a specific target. The beasts in question will focus only on that individual, unless someone else makes a concerted effort to get their attention (physical contact is required; shouting at them accomplishes nothing).

The caster must have a sample from the variety of animal to be influenced, and a pinch or drop of something that animal might find attractive (catnip for cats, the fur of a small rodent for snakes, etc.). These must be combined at the time the blood is spent to invoke the magic. The target must be visible to the wangateur and must be defeated in a Mental Challenge to take affect. If successful, all animals of the chosen variety in the area will focus exclusively on the target for the duration of the scene, or until the target is able to escape their immediate vicinity (and avoid pursuit) for several minutes. Friendly animals will frolic and play around the target, whereas hostile animals will attack.

Guiding Spirit

This power allows the wangateur to manipulate the emotional state of an animal. This means more than just “angry” or “sad”. The caster can achieve a specific degree of control by causing the animal to react one way to some stimuli, and entirely differently to another. Although not as particular as the control granted by Animalism, Guiding Spirit can create some truly impressive results.

The caster must have in his possession some body part (see above) from the type of animal to be influenced. The caster must make eye contact or direct physical contact with the animal as she spends vitae and engages in a Static Mental Challenge (vs. 7 Traits) to invoke this power. The animal may make this a contested challenge instead of a Static by spending a Willpower and only if the wangateur is influencing it to do something totally against its instincts or training. This power lasts for one scene.

The target can be made to calm down, grow enraged enough to attack a specific target, become playful or any other emotional effect on which the Storyteller and the player can agree. The animal cannot be made to perform specific tricks for which it has not been trained, nor can it be made to place itself in the path of certain harm (though it can be made to take risks). The exact limits of this power are deliberately vague, as animals react on a much more emotional and instinctive level than humans. It is ultimately the Storyteller’s call as to what is and is not possible with Guiding Spirit.

Advanced Voice of the Wild Mantle of the Beast

The caster may assume a single physical characteristic of an animal. The eyes of a cat will allow vision in areas of very low lighting (though not complete darkness). The claws of a bear are sufficient for shredding opponents, and aid in climbing to boot. 77

The nose of a bloodhound can tell you exactly where that snooping reporter ran off to. And though Kindred aren’t built for flight, a set of wings will at least break your fall, allowing you o glide to (relative) safety.

The character must have on her person a sample (as above) of the animal whose feature she wishes to duplicate. This power duplicates a single feature only. Thus, the character could not take a snake’s ability to wriggle through small places, because that is a factor of the snake’s body structure and not a specific feature; she could, however, take the compressible ribcage of a mouse and accomplish must the same thing, as that is a single physical feature of the animal.

Claws created with Mantle of the Beast do a level of aggravated damage. They also grant two bonus traits for climbing. Wings require a Static Stamina-related Physical challenge (difficulty seven, retest with Athletics) to use properly. Kindred can glide for a distance of 100 yards (further with a strong tailwind), and she can safely fall almost any distance without taking damage. A protective covering like a turtle’s shell or a insect’s carapace adds two bonus Traits to a character’s Physical Trait total for soaking damage only. Advantages for taking other features are at Storyteller discretion.

Wanga Rituals

To perform a ritual, a wangateur must wield an asson, an ekwele, a kisengue or

other religious talisman, in addition to listed components. Unless otherwise noted within the ritual’s description, all follow the similar challenges to those laid out in LotN:R – basic rituals require a Static Mental Challenge versus five Traits, Intermediate is vs. seven Traits, and Advanced is vs. nine Traits. A failure on this challenge indicates that the magic has not been properly invoked; any required components are still consumed, and must be replaced if the caster wishes to try again.

Some rituals, such as Grandfather’s Gift, Ori Sight, and Shackles of Blood, call specifically on ancestor spirits. The Ara Orun, while often generous and helpful, can also be malicious and cruel on whim. Any time such a ritual is attempted and failed, the player must engage in a Simple Challenge (success on a win or tie). If this challenge fails, the failed ritual backfires on the wangateur in some way; the Ara Orun have proven exceptionally hostile this night.

Wangateurs have access to several rituals of “traditional” Thaumaturgy. These include many wards and other defensive rituals, divinations, various bone-related rituals and those that are designed to cause injury or consternation from a distance (“curse” rituals). In addition, Wanga has its own rich library of unique magics that call upon the spirits and the ashé of the world around them. Suggested rituals include: Basic Devil's Touch (LotN: R) Defense of Sacred Haven (LotN: R) Impassable Trail (ST Guide) Ward (and Warding Circle) vs Ghouls (LotN: R) Intermediate Bone of Lies (LotN: R) Bottled Voice (LotN: R) 78

The Curse Belated (ST Guide) Scry (ST Guide) Ward (and Warding Circle) vs Fae (ST Guide) Ward (and Warding Circle) vs Lupines (Camarilla*) Ward (and Warding Circle) vs Spirit (Camarilla*) Ward (and Warding Circle) vs Demon Advanced Ward vs Ghosts(Camarilla*) Ward vs Cainite (Camarilla*)

Note: Since no rituals from the Table Top Guide to the Camarilla appeared in Laws of the Night: Camarilla Guide, use the

commonly accepted guidelines for these rituals. Basic Rituals Singing Charm

A small item is enchanted to send out a constant call that only the caster can hear. This “song” is audible for many miles, and the magician can always determine direction and approximate distance to thee charm. On Sunday night, the caster slices off an earlobe, which is then placed in a pot or other metallic receptacle. To this is added one point of the caster’s blood and the tongue of a bird. The entire mixture must be burned and the remains mixed with the ashes of a cremated corpse. The ash is then placed in a small leather or hide pouch (about the size of an apricot), which must be sewn shut.

The Singing Charm can be heard by the wangateur as long as he is within a hundred miles, and the charm sings for a week. During this time, the caster need merely concentrate to learn the object’s approximate direction and distance (direction is accurate to within a few degrees, and distance to within a few yards).

Craft Garde

The caster creates gardes (also called paquets Congo), talismans designed to protect the bearer against hostile magics. The garde may look like nearly anything – a small leather pouch, a doll or a bit of ornamental jewelry are all common forms. The caster mixes two points of her own blood with various powdered healing herbs (such as jurubeba), exactly nine drops of rum and some sample (hair, fingernail, etc.) from the intended recipient of the garde. The garde thus created will function only for that person. This ritual does not allow the caster to create a talisman to protect herself.

The garde functions for a week. It must be worn at all times to be effective, and it much touch the bearer’s skin. For the duration, any attempt to use blood magic rituals (but not paths) against the bearer has its difficulty increased by 2 Traits.

Craft Gris-Gris

The wangateur creates a gris-gris that will bring harm and misfortune to the recipient. The victim feels ill, suffers from ailment such as headaches and muscle pains and is unable to concentrate. The caster must mix two points of his own blood, the finger bone of an infant, nine pinches of graveyard dirt and a sample taken from the

79

intended victim. The gris-gris must then be hidden within a few feet of the victim’s home or haven.

Against Kindred the gris-gris functions for one night per Mental Trait spent during the ritual, (to a maximum of three Traits) unless the gris-gris is moved first; against mortals, the magic is permanent until the gris-gris is located and removed. All actions performed while under the effects of the gris-gris have a one trait penalty. A wangateur with a higher level of Wanga than the caster who finds the hidden gris-gris can turn its effects back on the caster with a successful Mental Challenge.

Grandfather’s Gift

The wangateur contacts the Ara Orun and asks them to grant her their skills and knowledge. The caster must mix one full handful of graveyard earth and an offering to the spirits into a small container while spending between one and three Mental Traits. This offering should consist of rum, fruits, cigarettes, pennies and any other gifts she feels appropriate. If successful, the spirits grant her temporary knowledge.

Every mental trait spend must be divided between Abilities and turns of duration. For instance, three Mental Traits could be used to raise the caster’s Occult by two for one turn or by one for two turns. The ability raised must be one that the caster’s deceased ancestors – Kindred or kine – could reasonably have possessed.

Intermediate Rituals Curse Candle

On a Friday night, the magician creates a black candle incorporating the brains and bones of a dead man, nine pinches of cemetery dirt, pepper, the leaves of an itching plant and other herbs. By burning the candle for 20 minutes each night while concentrating on the victim, the magician plagues the victim with poltergeist-like activity such as thrown objects or furniture that moves to trip him. This only happens when no one else is looking. Other people will soon think that the victim is crazy, clumsy or both. Most of the time, the curse is merely a nuisance. If the ghostly force shoves a victim while he walks down a steep flight of stairs, though, or throws something while the victim drives a car, the victim might be seriously injured.

The Curse Candle does not require any expenditure of vitae to create, but each 20 minutes of use costs the magician one blood point. The poltergeist plagues the victim for 24 hours for each use. The magician must be within (Willpower x 10) miles of the victim. The poltergeist has six Physical Traits for enacting all of its pranks and attacks. It will try to cause serious harm at least once every night that it harasses the victim, using whatever props it finds on hand. The candle is large enough to burn for three 20-minute periods.

Ori Sight

In voudoun, the ori is the soul, of both the individual and her family, that resides in the head. By petitioning the Ara Orun, the magician may attempt to use the senses of someone else’s ori, thus seeing through the subject’s eyes and hearing through her ears. The caster must burn one of her own eyes and ears (removing these causes three levels of unsoakable aggravated damage, which can be healed in the normal

80

fashion). The resulting ash must be placed inside a human skull and mixed with a splash of rum, tobacco and an eyelash or drop of blood from the individual in question. The resulting paste must be applied to the caster’s empty eye socket and the flesh where her ear used to be. She may then see and hear everything the target experiences.

The caster may shift back and forth between her own senses and those of the target at will. If the caster has eyelashes or blood from more than one individual, she may include a number of people in the spell equal to he level of Wanga, and may shift back and forth between her own senses or any of theirs as she chooses. The gauging out of an eye and the slicing off of an ear each require a Willpower challenge (difficulty 8). The ritual lasts until the player spends blood to heal the injuries to her eye and ear.

Candle of Rage

This is constructed much like the Curse Candle, save that the brains and bones must come from a man who died violently, and that nightshade is substituted for pepper. By burning the candle for 20 minutes each night while concentrating on the victim, the caster may influence the victim’s emotional state. The most common result is to drive the target into a rage, but other options exist.

The Candle of Rage does not require any expenditure of vitae to create, but each 20 minutes of use costs the magician one blood point. Every night the candle is burned, the wangateur engages the victim in a mental challenge, defeat means the candle has no effect that night, but the magician may try again the following night. If the ritual functions, the victim finds the difficulty of all Self-Control Challenges raised by two traits for the night. This often results in a great deal of bloodshed as the victim loses his temper or frenzies on a regular basis. The candle may be burned three times.

The Candle of Rage will affect mortals and other creatures that do not normally frenzy. These enter into a near-mindless, berserk rage, though they gain none of the benefits normally associated with a Kindred frenzy. Targets that do not have a Self-Control Trait (such as animals) should use instead use their Willpower at half its normal level. Advanced Rituals Shackles of Blood

The wangateur must spill three points of her own blood, numerous herbs (with both healing and hallucinogenic effects), various peppers, tobacco and the heart of a recently deceased person (male if the intended victim is female and vice versa) into a nganga. The mixture is then stirred with an iron rod as many of the orishas, including the Ara Orun, are invoked. This takes three full hours of stirring. The result must then be strained through unbleached cotton. The liquid produced, when drunk by the subject, creates an instant – though temporary – emotional attachment that is equivalent to a blood bond. This occurs even if the victim has never fed from the magician.

The false bond lasts for a number of nights equal to the number of Mental Traits spent at the time of creation (between one and three). The caster may attempt to create a true blood bond with the victim during this time. If the ritual expires before a

81

true bond is formed, however, any partial bonds are instantly nullified, as if the victim had never fed from the magician.

Kindred who feed from a mortal who has consumed this mixture within the past 24 hours are themselves affected as though they themselves had drunk it directly.

Sadhana Sadhana, Hindu for “Ganing”, is the blood-magic of the Indian sub-continent.

Practiced primarily by Daitya and Ravnos rakta-sadhus (blood sorcerers). Based largely on ancient practices of the Hindu religion, it is the closest to Hermetic Thaumaturgy of the theocratic sorceries. Along, with meditation, mantras, fasting and mandalas, the Brahminist tradition holds that a letter-perfect sacrifice compels the gods to work the sadhu’s will.

Like Tremere Thaumaturgy, Sadhana paths call for a Mental challenge (unless otherwise noted) and rituals function the same. Unlike Hermetic magi, a sadhu must learn the Meditation ability to practice her sorcery. A sorcerer cannot employ path magic at a higher level than her Meditation Trait rating, though she may perform rituals at a higher level. She still knows her primary path to the level of her full Thaumaturgical mastery; she simply lacks the spiritual force or focus to use it. When her player raises the character’s Meditation Trait, she can use the path to a higher level. At the Storyteller’s discretion, a sadhu’s player can retest Sadhana with Meditation instead of Occult – but at the cost of the power taking as much time as a ritual of the same level. Meditation is not quick.

Sadhus independently developed some versions of well-known Hermetic paths. Contact with the Middle Eastern ashipu inspired other paths. Ancient contact between the Daitya and their Setite cousins in Egypt led to a Sadhana version of the Path of Duat. This “Path of Yama” named after the Hindu king of the Dead, employs a mental challenge, rather than a social one, and does not require any sort of talisman. Many Indian Path names include the suffixes –Raja, “Rulership, Mastery” or –Vidya, “Lore”. Alchemy (Rasayana): Laws of the Night Storytellers Guide Conjuring (Brahma-Vidya): Laws of the Night Elemental Mastery (Yaksha-Vidya): Laws of the Night Guide to the Camarilla Focused Mind (Echo of Nirvana): Laws of the Night Storytellers Guide Hands of Destruction (Hand of Mahakala): Laws of the Night Guide to the Sabbat Movement of the Mind (Rishi’s Hand): Laws of the Night Oneiromancy (Lakshmi’s Wishes): Laws of the Night Storytellers Guide Snake Inside (Temptation of Mara): OWbN Thaumaturgy Guide Spirit Manipulation (Asura-Raja): Laws of the Night Guide to the Camarilla The Path of Blood Nectar

The Path of Blood Nectar allows the sadhu to convert their blood into a potion that briefly grants the drinker any one of her powers. The Path requires one minute of concentration per level, during which the vampire engages in yogic and vitae-shifting exercises and meditation. At the end of this time the character engages in a mental

82

challenge vs (Path level +5) traits. The sorcerer then opens a vein and releases the blood nectar, which must be immediately consumed (within 1 minute) to have any effect. Unlike most paths, Blood Nectar costs one blood point per level to use.

Each does confers one of the sadhu’s powers (Disciplines or Thaumaturgical Paths – not rituals) to another for one scene. The sorcerer cannot impart a Discipline at a higher level than she herself knows.

Someone who consumes the elixir created gains that Discipline or Path, up to the level that the sorcerer chose to store (i.e. a level 3 nectar of Dominate would give the imbiber Command, Mesmerism and Forgetful Mind for the scene). If the target already knows the Discipline at that level or higher, the Blood Nectar has no effect except to grant one blood point’s worth of vitae, and a step towards a blood bond to the sadhu. A character can only be under the effects of one nectar at a time. Upon consuming a second draught, the higher-level potion cancels out the lower-level. If two of the same potency are consumed, they cancel each other out, leaving nothing. Only one Discipline cannot be contained by the Path of Blood Nectar: the Path of Blood Nectar itself.

As mastery of the Path of Blood Nectar increases, a sorcerer can store a Discipline to a higher level

� Confer the first Basic level of a Discipline or Path. �� Confer the second Basic level of a Discipline or Path. ��� Confer the first Intermediate level of a Discipline or Path. ���� Confer the second Intermediate level of a Discipline or Path. ����� Confer the Advanced level of a Discipline or Path.

The Path of Karma Knowledge of other people’s pasts is one of the most common powers claimed

for Indian magicians, even to knowing a person’s previous incarnations. Any mystic worth his title can remember his own past lives. Knowledge of the future is nearly as easy. Through the Siddhi of Karma, an Indian sorcerer can learn many secrets about another person’s life, both past and yet to come. At higher levels, a sadhu can call upon the Abilities from his pas lives. A true master can wrench control of the cycle of reincarnation to change destinies in this life and beyond.

Each power requires the expenditure of one blood point. Because of the heavy reliance on Storyteller involvement, it is recommended that this path only be used in the presence of a Storyteller. Basic Path of Karma Threads of the Past

The first siddhi of this path is knowledge of another person’s past – the events that made her who she is tonight, and brought her to her present place.

After engaging in a Static Mental Challenge against the target, the character receives one brief impression of an important event in the target’s past, and may opt to continue in an extended challenge after success of the first for further impressions. As a guideline, the Storyteller should describe each impression in one short paragraph of 83

pure description, like a snapshot. The sadhu does not receive these impressions in any particular order; he can only guess at their interpretation. If the sadhu uses this power on a Kindred, however, the list of impressions always includes the subject’s Embrace as the single most important event in that person’s existence. The sorcerer also learns the target’s common name (though not his True Name). Weave of the Future

The sadhu can receive brief impressions of potentially important events within the next year of the subject’s existence. The events may be good or bad, dangers or opportunities. A person can try to avoid foreseen dangers, but this is never reliable. Sometimes the very action taken to avoid an event causes it to take place.

A sadhu can use this power for his own benefit, but only rarely. He cannot learn about events from his own future until all the events previously foreseen either have taken place or he has successfully avoided them.

The player engages in Static Mental Challenge vs. 7 Traits. If successful, the sadhu sees one brief scene from the target’s future (or his own). Again, the Storyteller should describe these in one image, like a snapshot, with no explanation of context or meaning, though the character can see if the subject faces obvious danger. Intermediate Path of Karma Certain Fate

At this level, a sadhu can see farther and pick out the events, people and forces that inexorably shape the person’s future. The magician gains more detailed knowledge, but the subject has less chance to change the future. The events grow from the whole shape of the person’s life and, Hindu’s believe, past lives. Once again, these aren’t necessarily bad things, but the Certain Fate often presents dire but obscure warnings. A sadhu cannot use this power on herself.

After engaging in a Static Mental Challenge against the target, the character receives one fact about the subject’s entire future existence – for example, an important conflict he will face, or a person who will become important to him in some way – and may opt to continue in an extended challenge after success of the first for further facts. As is the way with prophecies, the sorcerer sees the setup of future situations but generally not how they turn out. If the sadhu succeeds three or more times, the visions include a scene of the subject’s most probably death and whether or not a mortal subject is destined to become a Kindred, wraith or kuei-jin.

Past Lives

At this level, a Sadhu obtains moderately detailed, capsule biographies of a person’s previous incarnations. A sorcerer can examine her own past lives, too. In India, people believe that events in this life reward and punish their deeds in past lives, so knowing previous incarnations can help one cope with life’s trials. The sooner you expiate your sins, the sooner you can accumulate merit for a better life in your next incarnation. 84

On a more practical level, a sadhu can use this power to temporarily gain Abilities that she knew in her past lives. She can thus gain virtually any skill she wants.

Each use of this power (by defeating the subject in a Mental Challenge) provides an overview of one of the subject’s past lives. By itself, this has no immediate, practical benefit, but it’s a great way to impress one’s aptitudes on other people: They instinctively know that the sadhu tells them the truth.

A sadhu can also use this power to “remember” Abilities from her own past lives. After winning a Static Mental Challenge (vs. 8 traits) the sadhu gains one Ability of her choice, subject only to the limitation that she cannot raise any Ability above three “dots”. The Ability lasts for a single scene. Not that the Ability comes from a past life, and are thus limited by the age of the Cainite in question. For example, a thousand-year-old sadhu would not be able to call upon her past lives for potential with the Computer Knowledge.

Advanced Path of Karma Master of Samsara

Samsara is the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. A master of Karma can not only look ahead to see a person’s next incarnation, he can shape that incarnation to some degree. Even more amazingly, he has a limited power to reverse the wheel or samsara and briefly restore people to a previous incarnation.

All applications of this power require only a Mental Challenge against the individual the sadhu is attempting to affect, but demand that the player spend one point of permanent Willpower. For this, the sadhu not only receives a capsule description of the person’s next life, he can perform one of the following feats:

Ordain one fact about that person’s future life (nearly anything, comparable in power to imposing a Dark Fate but it could just as easily be a good thing).

Preordain that a person becomes a wraith or Cathayan vampire upon death… or not.

Transform a mortal (not a vampire) into whatever or whoever she was in a previous life for one scene. The target character retains only a dreamlike awareness of her “current” self. The subject temporarily becomes a different character. The sadhu can choose among the incarnations revealed by the Past Lives power, transform the subject into her immediately previous incarnation, or leave it all to chance and the Storyteller’s whim.

Transform a mortal (not a vampire) into whatever or whoever she will be in her next life; or

Set the circumstances of his own next incarnation An undead sadhu can view and select his own future existence after his

destruction as a vampire, but cannot use any of the other powers on himself. A sadhu who uses Master of Samsara often takes a casual attitude toward the prospect of Final Death, since the sadhu has already selected a comfortable next incarnation… possibly including revenge on his enemies.

Sadhana Rituals

85

Unless otherwise noted within the ritual’s description, all follow the similar challenges to those laid out in LotN:R – basic rituals require a Static Mental Challenge versus five Traits, Intermediate is vs. seven Traits, and Advanced is vs. nine Traits.

Basic Rituals Armor of Diamond Serenity

This tantra beseeches Shiva, the demon king Bali or some other ascetic god to purge the magician’s mind of all the snares of mortal passions. This foretaste of Enlightenment temporarily grants a will as unyielding as diamond

If the ritual succeeds the magician becomes immune to frenzy and Rötschreck for the rest of the night. The character is also up 2 Traits on Willpower challenges. On the other hand, the magician cannot expend vitae to gain Physical Traits while this ritual remains in effect.

Rakta-Maya Rituals

This label covers numerous rituals. Each ritual enables a magician to hypnotize a willing audience into seeing one specific illusion. For instance, one maya ritual makes and audience see the Indian Rope Trick. Another ritual makes the audience seen the magician levitate. A third produces the hypnotic illusion of maidens leaping out of a basket, dancing for the amusement of the crowd, then vanishing into the basket once more.

Unlike other rituals, these illusions call for a Social Challenge against the audience (simply choose any one member of the audience to contest the challenge without risking a trait). These rituals can affect several dozen people, whom the magician sets apart form the mundane world through an enclosure scratched in the ground.

Water Walking

Through a sacrifice of porridge and ghee to Varuna, the god of waters, the sadhu gains the classic holy man’s power of walking on water.

If the tantra succeeds, the magician can walk on water. The power last a full scene. If something should knock the sorcerer off his feet, however, the magic ends and the sadhu splashes into the water.

Animaa

This ritual grants one of the classic sidshis, the power of clairvoyant shrinking, or microscopic vision. The magician can see tiny things clearly, as if he were the size of a bird, a mouse, an ant, a grain of dust, or even smaller.

For each mental trait spent while casting the ritual, the magician gains magnification on her eyesight as per the table below. She concentrates and closes her eyes. Then she imagines opening her eyes, and finds herself apparently shrunk to the appropriate size. The power is entirely clairvoyant, though; the magician does not physically shrink.

86

Traits spent Magnification 1 Mental Trait 10x 2 Mental Trait 30x 3 Mental Trait 50x

Ash of Agni’s Curse The magician burns an offering to Agni, god of fire and the sacrifice, while

beseeching the god to withdraw his favor from the fires of the magician’s enemies. The magician then gathers the ash of the sacrifice and stores it in a box or jar. A handful of the ash, scattered on a fire, extinguishes any mundane blaze.

The magician games one dose of magic ash that she (but no one else) can use later. Each does of ash extinguished 100 square feet of flame.

Garimaa

This ritual grants another classic siddhi, the power of becoming “immovably heavy.” For a time, the magician becomes almost impossible to knock off her feet or push in any direction she does not want to go.

If the ritual succeeds an effective 17 Physical Traits resists any force that attempts to move the magician against his will. The sadhu does not personally gain any Physical Traits; he cannot lift boulders or crash through walls. The magical force acts in a purely passive way to resist other forces.

Intermediate Rituals Destiny’s Call

Indian magicians have a reputation for weaving the strands of fate. This tantra enables the magician to meet a person having whatever qualities she wants. Somehow, coincidence brings the magician and the target together – although the magician does not know in advance precisely who comes at Destiny’s Call.

This ritual acts like the Presence power of Summon, but instead of a specific person known to the sorcerer, Destiny’s Call draws in an unknown person who meets three conditions set by the magician. The sadhu can set physical conditions, such as “an old man with green eyes” or a “blonde virgin girl”; or mental conditions such as “a person interested in Ming pottery,” “a skilled mathematician” or “a person of absolute honesty”; or social conditions, such as “the richest man in Benares” or “a recently jilted lover.” She cannot set supernatural conditions, such as “a werewolf” or “a Methuselah.” Since the sorcerer cannot specify every aspect of who comes, she must stay alert to recognize when the desired person appears. Sometimes the sadhu calls a person who fits all the conditions, but who proves surprising in other ways.

Destiny’s Call dissipates at dawn. The desired person might not appear by then: This may happen if the only person who fits the conditions started at a great distance. The magician can perform the ritual again on subsequent nights, until the person appears or the sadhu gives up. The target feels drawn to the sorcerer’s location without

87

knowing why, and may well resist the call even though outrageous coincidences help her along the way.

Leper’s Curse

The Atharva-Veda includes several charms to cure leprosy… but a Brahmin can reverse a sacred rite and turn it into a curse upon an enemy. To curse a mortal with leprosy, a sadhu calls upon Agni, Indra and other gods of light and life to deliver the victim unto Nirriti, the goddess of misery and destruction.

If the sadhu performs the curse correctly, the mortal victim contracts leprosy within a week. This is true leprosy, not a magical simulation. The leprosy-curing spell from the Atharva-Veda can remove the curse, however if the victim uses it within one month of contracting the disease.

Milk of Puutanaa

Indian legend tells of a demoness called Puutanaa who kills infants by suckling them with her poisoned milk. Undead sadhus can all upon Puutanaa, by their family connection as fellow demons, to poison a child of their choice.

The sadhu needs a sympathetic link to the victim consisting of the child’s name and the names of the child’s parents. The next milk that the child drinks carries Puutanaa’s venom, which always kills. The curse cannot affect anyone after his first adult tooth grows in.

Aurava

Some Indian sorcerers can conjure aurava, a magical fire that burns under water. Sadhus have learned to imitate this feat. The ritual involves drawing a mandala on a golden tray underwater, placing an offering at the center, and challenging Agni to claim his due. When the offering bursts into flame, the magician can carry the tray about and use the aurava to set other things on fire.

The magical golden fire burns on the tray for a full scene. Substances that would be flammable in air can catch fire from the aurava, and they burn until the magic fire runs out of fuel, or something other than water extinguishes them.

Warded Womb

The Indians have a story about a snake-demoness who destroys a pregnant woman’s embryo and replaces it with one of her own spawn, so the woman gives birth to a snake. Through an oblation of milk and ghee and an amulet of lead, a sadhu can ban the snake-demoness from a woman’s womb and guarantee that she delivers a safely human child.

Correctly performed, the ritual protects a pregnant woman against miscarriage and guarantees an easy delivery of a healthy child. It also eradicates any supernatural taint from the infant. Progeny of werewolves, werecats, or (most particularly) the weresnakes of India do not inherit any supernatural heritage. The ritual also negates the condition of being born a revenant and the potential for any other innate supernatural talent other than True Faith.

88

Advanced Rituals Transcendentally Satisfying Body-Filling

In Sanskrit, this powerful tantra has the sesquipedalian name of parapurakayapravesa. It enables a magician to enter and possess the body of anther person. The sorcerer can then “learn his mind, understand his experiences, and even enjoy his wives.” Although the sexual possibilities are not lost on sadhus, they also find more practical uses for the ritual. For instance, this ritual enables an undead sadhu to live again in another person’s body, if only for a short time.

The tantra requires a drum made from the top of a human skull, the sacrifice of a horse to Shiva, an oblation of soma and finally drinking the soma dregs mixed with the horse’s blood. The spell also requires something that came from the mortal victim’s body, such as hair or feces, which likewise burns in the sacrificial fire. The sadhu vanishes and merges with the victim, wherever he may be. The sadhu performs the ritual at a shrine to Shiva previously consecrated by the magician and used for worship for at least a year.

The ritual works only on mortal humans (not anyone with any sort of supernatural powers), but they cannot resist its power – assuming the ritual challenge was successful. The ritual works no matter how great the target’s distance.

The effect resembles the Dominate power of Possession, but with certain advantages and limitations. The possessing sadhu can act freely during the day – her own body doesn’t have to stay awake because it doesn’t exist – and she can riffle freely though the victim’s memories and use his Abilities as if they were her own. If she wants, the sorcerer can simply “ride along” and share the victim’s mind and experiences while remaining hidden. On the other hand, the possessor cannot use any Disciplines at all. The possession ends at the next sunset, when the sadhu reappears in his own body at the site of the sacrifice. The sadhu can voluntarily end the body-filling before then, but had best be sure that her shrine is not then in daylight….

When the possession ends, the victim regains control of his mind and body. The effect on the victim depends on the Storyteller’s discretion. If the magician passively “rode along”, the victim might suffer nothing worse than a few nightmares. If the sadhu engages in abhorrent crimes and degradations while in the victim’s body, the spiritual violation might place the victim in a coma for days, or even have accompanying Humanity problems.

Master Rituals Loom of Vishnu

This potent tantra enables a magician to usurp the god Vishnu’s power of cosmic illusion. The magician burns an oblation of milk, ghee, soma and her own vitae within a special mandala, then burns a picture of a scene she wants to create. That scene then appears in solid form – real to every test that mortal senses can devise.

The zone of maya lasts until dawn. At the sun’s rising, it vanishes like a dream. The power of illusion has three limits.

89

The illusion has a maximum diameter of 60 feet (although it may seem much larger from inside). If a person steps outside the illusion’s actual boundary, he returns to normal reality.

The illusion cannot cause real harm to anyone who enters it. The magician can set whatever rules he wants for this pocket of altered reality: People can fly, they become rotting animate corpses, anything, but the maya itself cannot inflict any real damage. If a person dos something stupid and hurts himself, however that’s not the illusion’s doing.

The zone of maya must include the magician’s sacrificial fire. The magician can place it in some context that hides its significant, such as placing it in a fireplace or disguising it as a campfire. Extinguishing the fire instantly breaks the illusion

Auspex hints at the falsity of the scene. To Heightened Senses, everything in the scene looks a little too regular, without the fine detail of real things. Illusory creatures lack auras; the Spirit’s Touch detects no psychic impressions on objects. The Storyteller should not come out and tell players that their characters have entered an illusion; let them figure it out for themselves.

Nahuallotl Like Wanga, Nahuallotl is as much a religious system as a form of magic. The

Tlacique believe that their magic comes from Tezcatlipoca and other ancient gods of Central and South America, gods upon whom the Tlacique still call. They believe these gods demand sacrifices, that the sun requires blood and hearts to keep it alive from day to day. Aztec faith maintained that the Earth has already died four times and that the end of this, the fifth age, will be the end of all that is. The Tlacique believe this still, and their religious rites – and their magic – reflect the need to offer constant sacrifice to the powers that be.

No recorded occurrence of a Tlacique willingly teaching Nahuallotl to an outsider exists, but even if one did, a “heathen” nahualli suffers the same penalties to her challenges as do faithless wangateurs (see the Wanga section).

Nahuallotl employs the same mechanics as Hermetic thaumaturgy, but it remains a distinct and incompatible Discipline due to its forms and procedures.

Although they were created independently, most of Nahuallotl’s paths emulate those invoked in more familiar forms of blood magic; only names and procedures vary. When a nahualli invokes a path power, she must physically spill the blood points spent. The Aztecs believed that blood from the earlobe, tongue and genitals was of particular potency, and many nahualli carry a large cactus spine used to draw the required blood. In addition, the caster prays aloud to the gods. The most common paths of Nahuallotl and their Thaumaturgical equivalents follow. In addition Nahuallotl claims one unique path. Blood (Flower of the Divine Liquor): Laws of the Night Corruption (Secret Ways of Tezcatlipoca): Laws of the Night Storytellers Guide Flames (Huehueteotl’s Glory): Laws of the Night Spirit Manipulation (Rites of Tezcatlipoca): Laws of the Night Guide to the Camarilla 90

Weather Control (Breath of Quetzacoatl): Laws of the Night Guide to the Camarilla

Lash of Xipe Totec Xipe Totec, “Our Lord of the Flayed One,” is the god of suffering, and many of his

rites involved the flaying of the skin from the victim with an obsidian blade. This path allows the nahualli to control pain itself. Basic Lash of Xipe Totec Another’s Burden

The nahualli can lessen the pain of another by taking some or all of his suffering onto herself.

The caster touches the subject after shedding a blood point and praying to Xipe Totec. The nahualli engages in a Static Mental Challenge (vs six Traits) and spends between one and three Mental Traits. For each Trait spent, the subject’s wound penalties are considered to be at one wound category (Healthy, Bruised, Wounded, Incapacitated, or Torpor) higher and the sorcerer is considered to be at one category lower. She does not actually take any wounds, just the penalties associated with them. The power lasts for a scene or until the nahualli chooses to deactivate it. If the subject wishes to resist the power for whatever reason, she may engage the magician in a Mental Challenge. Obsidian Shattered

The nahualli may temporarily ignore wound penalties. This does not actually heal any damage; it simply dulls pain. This power may be used on the caster only.

The nahualli sheds a blood point and prays to Xipe Totec. After engaging in a Static Mental Challenge (vs. six Traits) and spending between one and three Mental traits the caster’s wound penalties are considered to be at one wound category (Healthy, Bruised, Wounded, Incapacitated, or Torpor) higher for each Trait spent. Intermediate Lash of Xipe Totec Burden Another

The caster may reduce his own pain by inflicting it upon another. The caster must touch the subject while shedding a blood point and praying to

Xipe Totec. The power is activated just like Another’s Burden (with a Mental Challenge against the subject). For each Trait spent, the sorcerer’s wound penalties are considered to be at one wound category (Healthy, Bruised, Wounded, Incapacitated, or Torpor) higher and the subject is considered to be at one category lower. She does not actually take any wounds, just the penalties associated with them. A nahualli may not transfer more pain – or penalties – than she currently suffers. The power lasts for a scene or until the nahualli chooses to deactivate it. Obsidian’s Edge 91

The nahualli may now cause actual damage at a distance. Wounds appear on the target’s skin as though an invisible blade is being applied.

Obsidian’s Edge requires the standard prayers and shedding of blood. The challenge in this case pits the caster’s Mental Traits against the victim’s Physical Traits and the caster inflicts one level of damage per Mental Trait spent (to a maximum of Three Traits). This power may target anyone within line of sight.

Advanced Lash of Xipe Totec Flay

A further enhancement to the power of Obsidian’s Edge, Flay may be used to cause severe pain and injury to multiple foes at once.

Flay requires the caster to pray, shed blood, and engage the victims in the same challenge as with Obsidian’s Edge. The power can target a number of victims in a single turn equal to the number of Intelligence-related Mental Traits currently possessed by the caster (to a maximum of five); it otherwise employs the same mechanics as Obsidian’s Edge.

Nahuallotl Rituals

When invoking paths, the nahualli’s own vitae serves as sufficient sacrifice. Where rituals are concerned, however, the gods demand more. Rituals require an offering of life, not just vitae. Some less potent rituals function with animal sacrifice, but the most powerful require human life. The nahualli normally sacrifice a human by opening the chest and rib cage and removing the heart. When they feel they can get away with it, the Tlacique perform such sacrifices regularly, even when not casting Nahuallotl rituals. They see this as doing their part to keep the sun rising day to day.

Most of the Tlacique’s sacrifices come from three potential groups. Occasionally, they find members of their community desperate enough to go under the knife willingly, in exchange for promises of wealth and protection for their families. Other sacrifices come from those criminals who dare prey upon a Tlacique’s community. Finally, many Tlacique hate the Sabbat so much that anyone connected with that sect becomes an enemy, and a potential sacrifice. The Tlacique treasure those few people who volunteer for the procedure; a willing sacrifice lowers the difficulty of the ritual by 2.

Unless otherwise noted within the ritual’s description, all follow the similar challenges to those laid out in LotN:R – basic rituals require a Static Mental Challenge versus five Traits, Intermediate is vs. seven Traits, and Advanced is vs. nine Traits.

Basic Rituals Mirror of the Gods

The nahualli utters a prayer to Tezcatlipoca and smears a mixture of his own blood (one point) and the blood of a sacrificial animal (anything the size of a cat suffices) across the surface of a mirror. The blood fades as it is smeared. For the rest of the night, the reflection of any person or item currently under the effects of a path or ritual (from any variety of blood magic, be it Thaumaturgy, Necromancy, or any others)

92

glows softly when viewed in the mirror. If the mirror is made of obsidian, the ritual lasts an additional night.

Shroud of Day

Developed so the besieged Tlacique might move or otherwise make use of captured foes without their knowledge, Shroud of Day is cast upon a sharp wooden implement of sufficient size to stake a vampire. The ritual requires the sacrifice of two small animals, one nocturnal, one diurnal. Their blood is mixed with a single point of the caster’s own vitae, and the stake is soaked in this mixture for two hours. The next vampire staked with that particular weapon is put to sleep (as though the sun were up) in addition to being paralyzed. This prevents the victim from seeing or hearing what is happening around him; he is not aware that time has elapsed at all. This ritual does not grant any other special powers or qualities to the weapon.

Intermediate Rituals Brother’s Eyes

This ritual is identical, in most respects, to Ori Sight (see the Wanga section), in that it allows the nahualli to see and hear through the eyes and ears of another. To invoke this ritual, the caster spends a blood point while uttering a prayer to Tezcatlipoca. If she wishes to see through the eyes of a mortal, she must have in her possession the heart of a close blood relative of the person. If the subject of the ritual is Kindred, she must have in her possession the heart of the Kindred whose eyes and ears she wishes to use. The ritual does not, however, require the caster to remove her own eye and ear, as does Ori Sight.

Strength of the Vanquished

The nahualli absorbs the strength of her foes by consuming specific portions of their bodies. This ritual requires an hour of prayer to both Tezcatlipoca and Xipe Totec, followed by the sacrifice of the subject with an obsidian-bladed knife. The subject must be alive – or undead – when the ritual begins. The nahualli‘s player must spend one Willpower point to make the character consume the organs, along with one blood point for each organ consumed. The consumption is symbolic, as the organs are quickly vomited up in one pulpy mass. The nahualli gains a temporary increase to one or more of her Attribute categories (determined by the parts consumed). If the Attribute category (Strength-related, Dexterity-related and Stamina-related for Physical, etc.) of the “donor” is higher than that of the caster, the caster gains a number of temporary Traits of that type to match. If the victim’s Attribute category is equal or lower, the nahualli gains one Trait of the appropriate type. Thus if the nahualli has 2 Intelligence-related Traits and consumes the brain of someone with 5 Intelligence-related Traits, she gains 3 Intelligence-related Traits of her choice; if, however, the victim had only 2 Intelligence-related Traits, the caster gains a single Intelligence-related Trait of her choice. Attributes can be raised to 1 higher than generational maximum. The increase lasts for the rest of the night. This power does not function if the victim is a vampire of sufficient age to decay immediately upon Final Death.

93

Organ Attribute category Heart Strength Soles of Feet Dexterity Lungs Stamina Lips Charisma Tongue Manipulation Face Appearance Eyes Perception Brain Intelligence Spine (a portion only) Wits

Advanced Rituals Severance

This ritual is one of the most important to the Tlacique blood sorcerers, as it connects to fundamental aspects of their religious. It is also their greatest secret. The ritual greatly resembles the Serpentis power Heart of Darkness, but it works on other body parts as well as the heart. Using this ritual a nahualli can remove any part of a vampire’s body without killing the vampire – heart, head, whatever – and keep the body part undead and potentially animate. Most often, however, the nahualli will remove his or another vampire’s heart.

A vampire with a removed heart is affected just like Heart of Darkness, with all of the benefits and the drawbacks. Causing one level of damage to a mortal’s heart kills her.

Nahualli who know this ritual routinely extract the hearts of captured enemies, preferring to force service from them instead of simply killing them. A nahualli who holds a vampire’s heart may use Disciplines on that vampire as if he were actually present, no matter how far away the other vampire might be. Crueler nahualli use the ritual to sever an enemy’s head and send it, still animate and speaking, to the victim’s allies as a warning while keeping the vampire’s body.

The magician can cast this ritual only at the dark of the moon, when Texcatlipoca is most powerful. The ritual itself demands an obsidian-bladed knife, a previously consecrated urn, a variety of amulets, and a human sacrifice to appease Mictlantecuhtli, god of the dead, for cheating him of a death. The magician must inflict one health level of aggravated damage while cutting out the body part, even if she uses this ritual on herself. The severed part must immediately be placed in the consecrated clay urn with a blood point of the magician’s own vitae. Cutting out one’s own heart or severing one’s

94

head or hand (unlikely, but it could happen) demands the expenditure of two Willpower points.

95

Sebau and others

Egyptian demons and spirits can come in many forms. It is recommended

that previously established rules be used for each category of entity. Akhu should use the rules for Wraiths (Oblivion), Mut should be considered Spectres, and Bau uses the spirit rules from Laws of the Wild: Revised.

Sebau, on the other hand, are the demons of Egyptian myth. That being said they aren’t demons in the Judeo-Christian-Muslim sense. Nor are they just spirits or banes in the Werewolf-oriented sense. In Egyptian myth and legend the sebau would cause mischief among humans and sometimes cause harm, yet they were also praised and feasts held in their honor as invisible and unknown. Sebau were usually uprooted from wherever they were causing trouble by gods (through their statues) or more powerful spirits. In game terms we will be using the demon traits from LotN: Sabbat pg. 108. Lector-Priests can summon a sebau by spending the appropriate number of traits listed up to their Akhu level. They are not barred by demon wards, nor by spirit wards, and do not show up as “Infernal” by the usual means of detection. Due to its unique nature, only a Warding Cippus can keep a sebau out 100% of the time. Storytellers may rule that heavily warded areas (that incorporate both demon and spirit wards) may keep sebau out, but their unique nature should pose an interesting storytelling experience for those (read: Tremere) who thought they knew everything about “spirits”.

The following Traits define the power of the sebau that the lector-priest may summon with “Summon Sebau” varied by her mastery of Akhu. These Traits are restricted by exact level, rather than by Basic/Intermediate/Advanced classification: a character who only knows Akhu at the first Intermediate level cannot summon sebau with the second set of Intermediate traits. The Storyteller creates the exact traits for the sebau, keeping in mind that every one has Serpentis up to Form of the Cobra.

Any sebau has a number of Health Levels equal to its number of Physical Traits, and it suffers no wound penalties. A “killed” sebau returns to Set and Seba, and that particular creature may not be summoned again for a year and a day. A demon who displays “Disciplines” usually does so in accordance with its role in service to Set. Commonly they display Potence, Obfuscate, Presence, Path of Corruption, Auspex and Celerity, though any Discipline is available and no “blood” needs to be spent to power them (spend Attribute Traits instead).

Basic Imp (cost 1 Social Trait): 6 Attribute Traits, 2 Ability Traits, 1 Willpower Trait Fiend (2 Socials): 10 Attributes, 3 Abilities, 2 Willpower, 2 Basic Disciplines Intermediate Shade (4 Socials): 15 Attributes, 5 Abilities, 4 Willpower, 4 Basic Disciplines Servitor (6 Socials): 21 Attributes, 8 Abilities, 6 Willpower, 6 Basic &

Intermediate Disciplines Advanced Duat Lord (8 Socials): 28 Attributes, 13 Abilities, 8 Willpower, 10 Disciplines

through Advanced 96

FAQ

I’m playing a Tremere/Assamite/Caitiff can I “steal” Setite Sorcery? Yes, and no. People with Thaumaturgy In-Clan can "steal" Setite Sorcery. HOWEVER, if they just attempt to duplicate what they saw, it will fail to work. In order for them to make it work, they must "convert" the Path/Ritual/Whatever from the Setite religious/social paradigm, to their Hermetic/mental paradigm. This requires them to spend the learn time, multiplied by ten, to convert the power, in effect, reconstructing it to achieve an identical effect from their paradigm, and in addition, they must then spend the learn time, learning the power (ie. they take 11 times as long to learn it..) If they do not convert the power, they are effectively trying to spend the wrong types of traits, and the power simply fails.

What do I need in order to teach Setite Sorcery? If a lector-priest wishes to teach Akhu to another she must first have mastered (learned to the Advanced Level) Serpentis and two Paths of Akhu (including the Path to be taught), have an Occult Ability rating of 5, and a Setite Lore of at least 4. A Blasphemy Shrine must also be accessible so that the fledgling blood-magician has access to the energies of the Western Lands required to work the eldritch art.

Can someone not of the lineage of the Followers of Set learn Akhu? Yes. To quote from Blood Sacrifice: the Thaumaturgy Companion p. 23,

“Not all lector-priests come from the Followers of Set Clan. They are all Setite in the sense of worshipping the Dark God, but a significant percentage come from other lineages…. Few Kindred of other clans adopt the Setite faith, but the Followers of Set teach them Akhu as freely as they teach their own childer.”

In other words if you are a Cainite who wants to learn Akhu, you must find a Setite teacher and be on the Path of Sutekh (or at least Typhon). Akhu is religious magic and fails without belief in the Dark God (and the rest of the Egyptian pantheon) that can bring forth the magic.

I’m playing a member of the Cult of Typhon. Can I learn Akhu? Yes, but you will have to be taught by a lector-priest who shares or can incorporate your beliefs.

Can I build an ushabti to bring to life at a later point? Yes, as long as all of the prerequisites are carried out before hand, one can create the statue (win the Mental Challenge, etc.) but spend the vitae and speak the “words of power” at a later date.

Are these the only Paths of Blood Magic that I, as a Setite Sorcerer can learn? To quote from Blood Sacrifice, page 24:

"Akhu employs its own versions of other paths presented in various Vampires supplements, but often gives them other names.... This list does not exclude Akhu versions of other paths, but we recommend that Storytellers not import too many paths from other styles, as this can dilute the mystique of each school of blood magic."

97

If your game wants to add Path of Blood, Lure of Flames, Movement of the Mind, or Hands of Destruction (listed in the newest sourcebooks as common to “all sects”) or any of the other paths, they may feel free to do so. Note that other games may not accept them as Setite Sorcery Paths. In fact it is recommended that the specific cults have their own paths outside of the normal realms of Akhu. For instance one potential variation would have the Cult of Typhon use the Greek Rituals and Paths from Blood Magic (Vine of Dionysus, Onieromancy, Blood Mead, Trima, etc).

What Path(s) should I learn as a Priest/Citizen/Warrior?

Priests - some hear Set's call to worship and that brings them to a more spiritual outlook and leadership role. As Akhu is a greatly religious working, they tend to learn the most paths of sorcery, and those relating to the spiritual aspects of their god. Breath of Set (aka Weather Control) - the primary path for the followers of theLord of Storms Alchemy Conjuring Curses Spirit Manipulation Path of Duat Divine Hand Immanence of Set Path of Thoth (aka Focused Mind) Ushabti Citizens - defined as those Setites not of the Warrior way who have not chosen to become Priests of Set. Hesha Ruhadze is a great example of this; he has no temple yet he conducts Set's will in other ways. For them the Paths of Influence and Corruption are foremost. The False Heart (aka Corruption) The Snake Inside The Dry Nile Warriors - as Set's Vengeance made manifest, they are best suited to those paths that in some way aid them in their martial aspect. Therefore the following paths are recommended for Warriors: Valor of Sutekh (aka Mars) - should be the Warrior's primary Path Vengeance of Khnum (aka Mastery of the Mortal Shell) - control over the body of others Path of Thoth (aka Focused Mind) - a Warrior must have mastery over the mind as well as the body Ushabti - How better to learn the physical form, then to create it? This is not to say that any of these Paths are exclusive to any of the divisions within the clan, only that these are the Paths most often learned by those Followers.

98

Credits Parts of this document have been adapted or reproduced without permission from:

Blood Sacrifice: the Thaumaturgy Companion (softcover), ISBN 1-58846-222-6, pages 17-31, 62-67, 70, 77-83, 88-90. Authors: Dean Shomskak and Ari Marmell (c) Copyright 2002 White Wolf Publishing, Inc.

Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy (softcover), ISBN 1-56504-246-8, pages 113-119. Authors: Jim Moore, Jess Heinig, Justin Achilli, Patrick Lambert, Robin D. Laws, and James Moore (c) Copyright 2000 White Wolf Publishing, Inc.

Libellus Sanguinis 3: Wolves at the Door (softcover), ISBN 1-56504-203-4, pages 105-106. Author: Michael B. Lee (c) Copyright 2000 White Wolf Publishing, Inc.

I’d also like to thank the following resources that helped me cross-reference and keep everything in balance:

The compliers of the OwbN Thaumaturgy Guide located at: http://clans.owbn.org/tremere and all those who have contributed to it, especially Dennis Sharpe.

http://www.bloodmagic.net/ and those who keep it up and running. They allowed me to reference the Blood Magic stuff when I didn’t have the book in front of me.

Jeff Meehan (with the assistance of my lovely wife) for showing me the depths of depravity that a Deacon and Sunday school teacher can conjure up.

And, of course, Tony Davis, the lovable, huggable, Followers of Set Coordinator for One World by Night, his subco-ord, Sarah Klein, Jefferson Davis, Aaron Rice, Wyatt Wheeler, and everyone else who suggested and debated with me.

99

Assamite Sorcery Introduction

The Purpose of this packet is to create a consistent set of rules for OWBN for

Assamite Sorcery. This is only a set of suggested rules, and conversions. It is for the reference of storytellers and players alike. Do not assume that anything in this packet is official in your chronicle unless your storyteller has said so. Also this is a work in progress. This will never truly be finished. When new products are published by White Wolf, if there is stuff in there that should be converted and a need is shown for that conversion, we will get to it in due time. If there is something that you have done yourself and would like to submit it, please do so.

Learning Assamite Sorcery

Unlike Tremere Thaumaturgy the blood magic of the Assamites is highly

spiritual, as it stems from various middles eastern, Indian, and biblical cultures. As much as Tremere magic is regimented in practice, instruction, and research, Assamite sorcery is diverse. 100 Sorcerers standing in a row casting the same spell 100 times would never repeat themselves or one another. Where as 100 thaumaturges casting the same spell 100 times would never deviate in all but the slightest. Thus the two practices (or any clan’s sorcery) are all but exclusive to one another.

Assamite Sorcerers (from here on just referred to as sorcerers) get one path as

their primary at in-clan costs. Along with this, two basic, two intermediate, and one advanced ritual are learned. Others “Freebee” rituals are available at the discretion of the Storytellers.

Any secondary paths may be learned with the following restrictions. You must have a teacher. You cannot learn ANY secondary paths beyond the second Basic until your

Primary Path is at Advanced. If you have advanced in your primary path, you may learn advanced in any secondary path.

Rituals may be learned at a cost of two points per level of the ritual (two for a

basic, four for a intermediate, and six for a advanced). You may not learn a ritual of a level higher than your primary path of thaumaturgy. Learning Rituals requires that you either have a teacher or have made arrangements for the appropriate tomes to be in your possession.

100

Learning Sorcery out of Clan

As stated above Sorcery is very different from other blood magic, however there is still the basic similarity that you are bending the universe to your will (never an easy task). It is my suggestion that like Tremere thaumaturgy, it should take a monumental amount of time to learn sorcery. If a player wishes to Learn Sorcery, on her own, it simply shouldn’t happen. Without an Assamite to instruct in even the rudiments of the discipline there is no basis for even the simplest concepts within such a diverse form of sorcery, as the ritual, and somatic gestures of the paths are not from where the magic flows.

Should the individual find and Assamite instructor than, a minimum of a year of

study to retrain the individuals understanding of the universe. This study should interfere in the learning of other things (disciplines, abilities, gaining influence, etc…), because of the intense amount of time that the student needs to put towards breaking her paradigm, (almost impossible for most vampires).

At this point I would like to note that simply because the Assamites have joined

the Camarilla does not mean that they are everyone’s buddy and are willing to teach their magic. Like the Tremere they would rather sell you their services rather than teach you how to do it yourself. “Give a man a fish he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he doesn’t need you anymore.”

If an individual is chosen he should have gone to considerable lengths for clan

Assamite within whichever sect they happen to be a part of. The applicant should be arguably worthy of clan friendship, and still only the more mundane paths (weather control, movement of the mind, etc…) should be made available.

Path and Ritual Access

Not all of the Paths and Rituals are readily accessible to average Sorcerers. As

a matter of fact many Paths should not be in the hands of a PC. The following system of rarity has been established for ease of understanding, which Paths and Rituals are to be accessible. No matter what a Storyteller is the final call for which Paths and Rituals are to be allowed in her game.

Rating: Common: These Paths and Rituals are common to most Assamites. They are

likely to be found by any Assamite researcher. They still require a teacher for Paths and access to tomes for Rituals.

Uncommon: These Paths and Rituals are more difficult to find and require more effort. A mentor is of some merit (L3 or higher) recommended

Rare: These are taught only to the most trusted of the Clan. These Paths and Rituals are nearly impossible to find to find and require en expenditure of great effort

101

and resources (L6 occult for example). A mentor is of some merit (L5 or higher) is also a possibility.

Most Rare: These Paths and Rituals are restricted in such a manner that they are Rarely seen outside the fortress of Alamut.

The following paths are Dead Paths, and cannot be learned by anyone. No conversions are given for them for just this reason.

Way of the Worlds Blood (Original Source: Libra Sanguinus II: Keepers of the Word) Way of the Shadow World (Original Source: Libra Sanguinus II: Keepers of the Word) Way of Passage (Original Source: Dark Ages Compendium) Prey on the Soul’s Fear (Original Source: Dark Ages Compendium)

Path and Ritual Creation

Creating new Rituals & Paths can open up some serious problems if STs are not

careful. It is my recommendation that they should never allow anything that has combat applications. Rarely consider anything that has application in challenges with other kindred or duplicates another discipline. Things that effect mortals and inanimate objects are a good idea. Like: If you open this book everything written will disappear; You can’t read what I’ve written in this book, it’s just gibberish to you; The practitioner can perform and enjoy sex as though a mortal. Kindred would pay heavily for such luxuries that most power gamers would consider “useless”.

102

Paths

Path Name Rarity Level Location Awakening the Steal A, 3* special note (a) Clan book Assamite

Revised: 74 Blood’s Curse 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 56 Path of Conjuring 1 LoTN Revised: 182 Curses 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 58 Elemental Mastery 2* MET Camarilla Guide: 76 Father’s Vengeance 3 MET Sabbat Guide: 127 Hearth Path 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 51 Hunter’s Wind A, 3* Secrets of Blood Magic:

123 Mars 4 MET Sabbat Guide: 125 Mastery of the Mortal Shell 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 53 Morpheus 4 LoTN 2nd: 103;Below Neptune’s Might 2* MET Camarilla Guide: 81 Hands of Destruction 2 LoTN Revised: 183 Lure of Flames 1* LoTN Revised: 178 Movement of the Mind 1* LoTN Revised: 180 Weather Control 1* MET Camarilla Guide: 93 Whispers of the Heavens A, 4*, special note (b) Libellus Sanguinis (3): 67

* - These paths may be chosen as the sorcerer’s primary path (with storyteller’s permission of course). A - Paths so marked are clan Assamite specific. Special note (a): It may be seen by some STs that Awakening the Steel level 5; Strike the True Flesh can be somewhat unbalancing.

For those games that would prefer a house rule to limit this discipline to something less powerful (rather than ban it altogether), I recommend one or more of the following: - No more than 2 points of damage be unpreventable by this attack. - Only allow this discipline’s use once per turn. - Only allow this to be used in conjunction with non-wooden edged weapons.

Also note: Quietus 2 and 4 are supernatural enhancements for the purposes of this power’s limitations.

Special note (b): It is strongly recommended that an ST closely review Whispers of the Heavens before allowing a player to purchase it. In addition, due to the prophetic nature of said path an ST will likely be required for any use of its powers.

103

Table Top Path Conversions & other Path information

When a new path is released in a White Wolf book, please submit your version of

the MET write up to the Sorcery Co-ord. This will facilitate the use of this path by others. As well as have a consistency of Sorcery rules throughout OWBN.

Please always remember that in ALL uses of the Paths of Sorcery a blood trait must be spent ABOVE any cost that is listed by the path, unless specifically mentioned in the description of a power in a Path.

Gift of Morpheus Dreamscape (Second Intermediate)

This allows the caster to enter the dreams of a sleeping target. The caster may not use any powers or harm the target in any way, nor does this power grant any control over the dream itself. The Target is not aware of the presence of the caster in her dream.

System: You must possess a personal item of the target and engage in a Static Mental challenge with a difficulty equal to the total permanent (not temporary) willpower of the target.

Hunter’s Wind I have reduced the power level of this path a bit more so as to make it playable in

MET.

Basic Scent of deception

The Assamite sorcerer may alter or eliminate his scent. If he chooses to eliminate his scent, individuals attempting to track him are

receive a –5 trait penalty to their tracking attempts and he may use his occult abilities to retest against his pursuers.

If he chooses to alter his scent to that of another individual (to incriminate someone else in an assassination for example), those attempting to determine the scent of the individual must defeat the sorcerer in a mental challenge with occult being the sorcerer’s retest and investigation being the investigator’s retest. There is no inherent penalty to this test as with deadening the scent. In many ways this is like Mask of 1000 faces for smell, with the additional effect that the effects of the power linger.

Skin of the Chameleon

This power is in all ways like the Visceratika power Chameleon Skin.

104

Intermediate Unassuming Pose

The sorcerer may make himself unnoticed by those perusing him by fading into a crowd.

Once activated with a static mental challenge against a static difficulty of 6, the sorcerer cannot be detected by anyone with less Auspex than his path rating in Hunter’s Wind. So long as he remains within a group of at least two other characters and does not look entirely out of place. Example: Dressed like a bum at a Ventrue board meeting, or a clown at the local biker bar. If the Auspex rating is equal to or greater than the Sorcerer’s Hunter’s Wind rating than the character must make a mental challenge with the sorcerer to notice his target.

Just like obfuscate unseen presence, he will be completely ignored by all those around him including the crowd he has faded into.

Whiff of Khalif

The sorcerer may engage any and all targets that are paying attention to him in a mental challenge. If he succeeds they become blissfully unaware of their surroundings for 15 minutes or the remainder of the scene which ever comes first. If an obvious threat becomes present or a noticeable combat ensues this power ends immediately.

Advanced Ghost body

With the expenditure of three blood traits (instead of the usual one for thaumaturgy) the sorcerer becomes completely intangible, and invisible. He cannot use any disciplines while in this form. He cannot hear, but he can see, though strange visions have been known to haunt a sorcerer while in this realm (possibly ghosts or nearby astral travelers). He can be detected in the same manner as one would attempt to detect those on the astral plane. He can be attacked by other Ghost Bodies, or by astral travelers who have detected him. However, a Ghost Body cannot be lost to the astral plane nor does he suffer any real damage or wound penalties, he is simply knocked back into the “real” world if his health levels are reduced to zero. Astral travelers attack with mental traits, use willpower for health levels, and investigation as retests as normal. The Ghost body uses physical traits, his normal health levels, and occult as retests. Note: someone is astral projection does not automatically see the ghost body they must perform the normal aura perception challenge after the expenditure of a mental trait to find the Assamite first. If the astral traveler fails to see the ghost body he may not attack him. Note: Though a combat for the Ghost Body is physical, no disciplines can be used, as such Potence and Fortitude do not apply. Though he may heal as normal with blood.

Also Note: Should the Assamite be in Blood of Potency before he enters the ghost body plane he retains all its benefits. Travel limitations for Ghost Body: You only travel at your normal unaided walking/running pace. You cannot benefit from vehicular travel. You can walk through walls.

105

You cannot go under ground though you may travel through floors to lower levels of buildings.

Whispers of the Heavens

Note: The primary focus of Whispers of the Heavens is to prophesize the future. The sorcerer is two traits down in any use of this power in overcast weather, and

four traits down in a storm. This power may not be used at all if the sorcerer cannot see the sky at all. This

discipline should not be a license to Meta game. BE VAGUE.

Basic Map the Skies

The player performs a static mental challenge against a difficulty of 4. If successful he then performs a simple test with the following results:

Loss - He is aware of his location within 100 miles. Tie – 1 mile Win – 10 yards

Read the Heaven’s Plans The character must be standing in the place or touching the person on whom he

wants to use this power. The player performs a static mental challenge against a difficulty assigned by the

storyteller. If successful the caster receives premonitions of evens that will occur within the next season (a season takes roughly 3 lunar months) involving that person or place. For example:

The sorcerer may see the city ablaze and battle in the streets. This could be a premonition of a major Sabbat offensive. Or he/she may envision a serpent coiled around the Brujah Primogen. Which could mean he will be making a deal with the Followers of Set sometime soon.

Intermediate Call Down the Hunter’s Moon

“To everything, there is a season” This power allows the sorcerer to predict the best time to perform a given task. The caster performs a static mental challenge against difficulty 8. If successful, the beneficiary is considered one trait up in any action directly related to the performance of said task (aside from combat challenges).

For example: Mohamed wishes to kill a prince. He consults the sorcerer who casts this power on him.

He tells Mohamed that Friday June 14th will be the best night to make his attack, as the prince will be traveling to a far away land, and will be away from guards and the safety of his castle. Mohamed takes his advice and uses said night to attack. While sneaking past a guard he is one trait up in the stealth challenge. When picking the lock on the door to the prince’s chamber he is one trait up on the security test. However, once he enters combat Mohamed’s own skills will have to suffice.

106

At narrators discretion this power may give a more tangible effect such as giving the time to sneak into the Giovanni mansion when he (the ST) knows the Giovanni player will be visiting another chronicle, or the tempest will be strong and the wraith will be unable to defend it, etc…

Storytellers are strongly cautioned regarding this power to strongly consider the benefits it will confer as it can easily lead to, or be viewed as, favoritism.

Trace the Soul’s Favor

In order to use this power the sorcerer must know the date of mortal birth, date of embrace, or the birth name of the subject. He then enters a static mental challenge with his target. Upon success the storyteller may grant one piece of the following information: Nature, Demeanor, Path (and approximate rating), notable skills or disciplines, or approximate willpower. Divination is not a science; therefore numbers should not be given when presenting the information gleaned by this power. Suggestions: “You sense a great force of will.” – High willpower “You see a mighty sword.” – High melee score “You see chaos all around him.” – Nature: Eye of the Storm “You see a mask of a king.” – Demeanor: Autocrat

Advanced Ripples on the Sea of Stars

You can perceive any scene that is occurring beneath the same the same stars that he sees (roughly 100 miles).

You must perform a static challenge against difficulty 10 to perceive the scene, for one turn. If successful the difficulty drops by two for each subsequent turn, until it reaches four. Any failure resets the difficulty back to 10. You may use no other powers in conjunction with this discipline to effect the scene in question unless those powers specifically allow it of their own accord such as summon.

Note: People with WW lore 5 will note that this is considerably different from the actual mechanics of the tabletop version of this path. This is because the original text of the path grants a more powerful version of the Elder Auspex: Clairvoyance.

Also note that each turn you wish to perceive the scene costs a blood trait as with any use of thaumaturgy.

107

Rituals

108

Ritual Name Rarity Location Level Approach the Veil A, 2 Blood Magic: 125 See

below Intermediate

Bind the Accusing Tongue 3 Camarilla Guide: 109, Below

Basic

Binding the Beast 1 Laws of Elysium: 82 Intermediate Bladed Hands 1 Laws of Elysium: 83 Intermediate Blood Allergy 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 69 Intermediate Blood Call A, 1, Q Laws of Elysium: 86 Basic Blood Contract 3 LotN Revised: 187 Advanced Blood of the Chameleon A, 4 See Below Intermediate Blood Rush 2 MET Sabbat Guide: 130 Basic Blood Walk 3 Laws of Elysium: 80 Basic Blood’s Cry for Vengeance 3 Libellus Sanguinis (3): 71

see Blood Call; LoE: 86 Basic

Blood of Peace A, 1, Q Laws of Elysium: 86 Basic Bone of Lies 1 LotN Revised: 186 Intermediate Bottled Voice 3 Laws of Elysium: 90 Intermediate Brand of the Paramour 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 65 Basic Burning Blade 2 Cam Guide: 110 Basic Calling the Restless Spirit 1 Laws of Elysium: 80 Basic Cleansing of the Flesh 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 69 Intermediate Clinging of the Insect 3 MET Sabbat Guide: 132 Intermediate Craft Bloodstone 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 65 Basic Curse of Clytaemnestra 3 Laws of Elysium: 85 Advanced Defense of Sacred Haven 1 LotN Revised: 185 Basic Deflection of Wooden Doom 1 LotN Revised: 185 Basic Devil’s Touch 2 LotN Revised: 185 Basic Directing Ahriman’s Lance A, 3 Blood Magic: 125 See

below Intermediate

Dominion 4 Laws of Elysium: 92 Advanced Dominoe of Life 2 MET Sabbat Guide: 130 Basic Donning the Mask of Shadows

1 Laws of Elysium: 80 Basic

Eldritch Glimmer 4 Laws of Elysium: 90 Intermediate Engaging the Vessel of Transference

1 Camarilla Guide: 110 Basic

Enhancing the Curse 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 65 Basic Expedient Paperwork 1 Blood Magic: 87,89; Below Basic Extinguish 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 66 Basic Eye of the Translator 1 Libellus Sanguinis (3): 70 Basic

See below Eyes of the Beast 2 Laws of Elysium: 92 Advanced Eyes of the Nighthawk 3 MET Sabbat Guide: 130 Basic Eyes of the Past 2 Laws of Elysium: 83 Intermediate Flesh of the Fiery Touch 2 Laws of Elysium: 83 Intermediate Friend of the Trees 3 Laws of Elysium: 90 Intermediate From Marduk’s Throat 4, A Blood Magic: 126 See

below Master

Gentle Mind 1 Laws of Elysium: 83 Intermediate Ghost in the System 2 Blood Magic: 97; Below Advanced Gift of Mithra’s Bull A, 3 Blood Magic: 125 See

below Basic

Haunted House 3 Laws of Elysium: 83 Intermediate Haven’s Passage A, 4 See Below Intermediate Healing Blood A, 2, Q Laws of Elysium: 87 Advanced Heart of Stone 2 Laws of Elysium: 83 Intermediate Illuminate Trail of Prey 2 MET Sabbat Guide: 131 Basic Illusion of Peaceful Death 1 Laws of Elysium: 84 Intermediate Impassable Trail 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 66 Basic Impressive Visage 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 66 Basic Incantation of the Shepherd 1 Camarilla Guide: 110 Basic Incorporeal Passage 2 LotN Revised: 186 Intermediate Infirm Inert 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 70 Intermediate Innocence of the Child’s Heart

3 Laws of Elysium: 84 Intermediate

Jinx 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 66 Basic Keening of the Banshee 2 Laws of Elysium: 91 Intermediate Learning the Mind Enslumbered

1 MET Storytellers Guide: 67 Basic

Light of Vengeance A, 2, Q Laws of Elysium: 86 Intermediate Lion Heart 3 Laws of Elysium: 92 Advanced Machine Blitz 3 MET Sabbat Guide: 131 Basic Major Creation 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 71 Intermediate Messenger of the Wind A, 1 Libellus Sanguinis (3): 71

See below Intermediate

Mirror of the Second Sight 3 MET Sabbat Guide: 133 Intermediate Mirror Walk 4 Laws of Elysium: 91 Intermediate Paper Flesh 4 MET Sabbat Guide: 133 Advanced Pebble from the Mountain A, 2 Blood Magic: 124 see

below Basic

Power of the Invisible Flame 3 Laws of Elysium: 89 Basic Principle Focus of Vitae Infusion

1 LotN Revised: 18 Basic

109

Protean Curse 3 Laws of Elysium: 84 Intermediate Purge the Inner Demon 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 67 Basic Purity of Flesh 1 Camarilla Guide: 110 Basic Rebirth of Mortal Vanity 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 67 Basic Recure of Homeland 3 MET Sabbat Guide: 131 Basic Refined Digestion 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 74 Master Rending the Sweet Earth 2 Laws of Elysium: 84 Intermediate Respect of the Animals 2 Laws of Elysium: 91 Intermediate Return the Heart 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 71 Intermediate Rite of Marduk Triumphant A, 4 Blood Magic: 125 See

below Intermediate

Rite of Marduk Slain and Risen

A, 4 Blood Magic: 126 See below

Advanced

Rutor’s Hands 2 LotN Revised: 187 Intermediate Sanguineous Phial 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 68 Basic Scent of the Lupine Passage 1 LotN Revised: 186 Basic Scry 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 71 Intermediate Sculpting the Perfect Servant 2** Blood Magic: 97; Below Advanced Seeing with the Skies Eyes A, 4 Blood Magic: 126 See

below Advanced

Sense the Mystical 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 68 Basic Serenading the Kami 1 Blood Magic: 91; Below Basic Severed Hand 4 MET Storytellers Guide: 73 Advanced Shaft of Belated Quiescence 3 Camarilla Guide: 112;

Below Intermediate

Spirit of Torment 3 Laws of Elysium: 93 Advanced Splinter Servant 2 Camarilla Guide: 113;

Below Intermediate

Steps of the Terrified 1 Laws of Elysium: 89; Blood Magic: 93

Basic

Stolen Kisses 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 71 Intermediate Stone of the True Form 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 74 Advanced Summon the Guardian Spirit 2 Laws of Elysium: 89 Basic The Haunting 2 Laws of Elysium: 90 Intermediate The Imp’s Affliction 2 MET Storytellers Guide: 66 Basic The Open Passage 1 LotN Revised: 185 Basic The Scribe 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 68 Basic The Unseen Change 2 Laws of Elysium: 85 Intermediate The Watcher 1 Laws of Elysium: 85 Intermediate Touch of Nightshade 3 MET Storytellers Guide: 72 Intermediate Touch the Earth A, 2 Blood Magic: 124 see

below Basic

Vires Acquirit Eundo 3 Blood Magic: 98; Below Advanced

110

Wake with Evening’s Freshness

1 LotN Revised: 186 Basic

Ward versus Demons 2 Camarilla Guide: 114 Advanced Ward versus Ghosts 2 Camarilla Guide: 114 Advanced Ward versus Ghouls 1 LotN Revised: 186 Basic Ward versus Kindred 2 Camarilla Guide: 113 Advanced Ward versus Lupines 2 Camarilla Guide: 113 Intermediate Ward versus Spirits 2 Camarilla Guide: 114 Advanced Warding Circle versus Demons

3 Camarilla Guide: 111, Below

Advanced

Warding Circle versus Ghosts

2 Camarilla Guide: 111, Below

Advanced

Warding Circle versus Ghouls

2 Camarilla Guide: 111, Below

Basic

Warding Circle versus Kindred

1 Camarilla Guide: 111, Below

Advanced

Warding Circle versus Lupines

2 Camarilla Guide: 111, Below

Intermediate

Warding Circle versus Spirits 2 Camarilla Guide: 111, Below

Advanced

Whispers of the Ghost 1 MET Storytellers Guide: 69 Basic Widow’s Spite 2* MET Sabbat Guide: 132;

Below Basic

Will o’ the Wisp 2 Laws of Elysium: 89 Basic Words of Undoing A, Q, 1 See below Intermediate

A - Rituals marked with an A are Assamite only. Q – Rituals so marked are Quietus rituals by Laws of Elysium, however it is the

opinion of this coord that such rituals be considered sorcery rituals as sorcerers are now given their own place in White Wolf mechanics. The equivalent levels of Quietus should still be prerequisite for these rituals however, but for all other purposes consider them sorcery.

Table Top Thaumaturgy Ritual Conversions (Plus some)

111

Some of the rituals listed below will not be found in any White Wolf book (unless they deicide to include them some day). Players of OWBN have created these rituals. They are included here for a sense of completeness and to stay in line with the Tremere Thaumaturgy packet. They are only to be included in your game with the STs permission. As noted above I strongly recommend against customized rituals and paths as they are often not properly tested and created by the player of the character that will be learning them.

Basics Bind the Accusing Tongue

Bind the accusing tongue lays a compulsion upon the target that prevents her from speaking ill of the caster, allowing the thaumaturge to commit literally unspeakable acts without fear of reprisal.

System: The caster must have a picture or image of the target, a lock of her hair and a black silken cord. The caster ties the cord around the hair while chanting. Any time the target wants to speak ill of the caster, she must defeat the caster in a mental challenge (Occult retests on both sides are applicable).

Eye of the Translator The sorcerer cuts himself above the left eye and allows his vitae to spill upon the

page he is trying to translate. He then engages in a static mental challenge difficulty determined by the

storyteller. If this ritual is successful he can translate the writing on the page so long as he does not leave it for more than 10 minutes. This ritual only lasts for the evening. It does not grant the user the ability to speak the language (though it may justify the caster the beginning to learning it).

Gift of Mithra’s Bull With this ritual Sorcerer and subject must be connected by Touch the Earth or

Pebble From the Mountain. The sorcerer places a small, sharp blade inside a wine skin, then withdraws it and passes it to the target (via Touch the Earth). The subject cuts an incision in his or her chest. Blood bubbles out of the incision but then vanishes, reappearing in the wine skin. Through this method, the target may pay the sorcerer in vitae for his or her services.

Note: In the final nights this ritual would be all but unused by Schismatic Assamites.

Pebble From the Mountain

The sorcerer takes a stone from Mount Alamut, places it in his mouth, and meditates for an hour. He soaks the stone in his own blood, then in the blood of another Assamite. He gives the stone to that Assamite while chanting an incantation naming himself and the subject as successors to Tiamat, Ahriman, and all the shiatans of Hell.

112

At any subsequent point, by placing the stone in her mouth and repeating the incantation, the other Assamite can initiate a mystical link between herself and the sorcerer identical to that created by Touch the Earth. She is not performing sorcery; the magic rests in the stone, which always works if the initial casting was successful. This ritual takes an hour and a half to perform.

Serenading the Kami By binding spirits to her physical form the sorcerer can gain a temporary boost in

strength. System: This ritual grants the castor 2 additional traits in her next physical

action. This action could be as simple as digging a ditch or hitting someone. It takes 30 minutes to cast this ritual.

Touch the Earth This ritual allows the sorcerer to contact another Assamite for the purpose of

aiding him with further magical effects. Long in advance of the ritual, the Sorcerer takes a stylus and writes, in ancient Mesopotamian script, on a small, still-wet, clay tablet, the name of a lesser-generation Assamite Once hardened, the tablet is placed in an acid to weaken it again. When he chooses to begin the ritual, the sorcerer uses chalk or paint to draw on the tiled floor of his ceremonial chamber the stylized image of an eye, with white, pupil and iris. The eye must be big enough so that a cat, dog or rodent can be placed inside it. Using a mortar and pestle, the sorcerer reduces the tablet to powder. He mixes it into food, which he places in front of the animal. When the animal has ingested the food, the sorcerer cuts its throat with a knife and waits until the pool of spilled blood has expanded in at least four places past the line denoting the white of the eye. When the sorcerer speaks into the animal’s ear, the Assamite whose name was written on the tablet hears his voice. When the sorcerer listens at the animal’s mouth, he can hear his target’s voice. This works no how much distance separates the sorcerer and target. The sorcerer may proceed to use any Assamite path or other ritual to benefit the target. The Sorcerer may also pass to the target any object small enough to fit in the palm of his hand.

Restrictions: The path used by the caster to aid the Assamite must be their primary path of sorcery. It must be an Assamite path (Hunter’s Wind, Whispers of the Heavens, Awaken the Steel). This is not a usage of the discipline by the beneficiary, and so he does not directly gain the use of the discipline. For example: The sorcerer may use Hunter’s Wind: Skin of the Chameleon to aid an assassin in infiltrating a haven. However, he would not be allowed to grant Awaken the Steel: Strike the True Flesh, as the power does not affect the Assamite recipient it affects his opponent.

Note: Any Assamite sorcery path is considered an Assamite path. The sorcerer may simply not use anything on his Brother that he learned as non-Assamite magic. Like if he had some Koldunic magic for example.

113Warding Circle versus Ghouls (and others)

Created as a protective ward, it creates a circle of protection against many different creature types. Each creature type is a separate ritual.

System: These rituals require three traits of blood of the appropriate creature type (handful of sea salt for spirits, ground marble from a tombstone for ghosts, or holy water for demons). The caster determines the size of the warding circle in the following manner. It starts at a base of 10’ radius (20’ diameter). The caster may spend one mental trait and one-blood traits to increase the radius by 10’.

Any appropriate creature that approaches the circle will feel the power of the circle. In order to cross the ward, she must win a static test against the mental traits of the caster, bidding her current number of willpower traits (no traits are risked by either side). If she fails she takes three lethal damage, and is denied entry. If she wins the challenge she may cross, but still takes the three lethal damage. Attempts to leave the circle are not blocked.

Wards can be laid inside of each other, but must have at lest 20’ diameter smaller than the one they are inside of whether they are different types

Widow’s Spite This ritual will cause pain and uncomfortable sensations in another person – The

traditional voodoo doll. System: The caster must create a doll that resembles (no matter how crudely)

the target. The target may be tormented with pain and uncomfortable sensations by manipulating the doll (sticking pins in it, tickling it with feathers, punching it, etc…) but no damage is actually dealt.

It is recommended that the STs encourage appropriate Role-playing with the target of this ritual.

Words of Undoing This ritual allows the Assamite to commit suicide if necessary to avoid capture

(and to prevent closet teachers for Sorcery, Quietus, and Assamite lore 5). System: The sorcerer may cast this ritual upon himself or another.

He does so by soaking the recipients weapon in a mixture of their own blood, the venom of a scorpion, and ashes of nightshade. The sorcerer then uses the weapon to trace the symbol of death over the recipient’s heart.

Once cast the recipient of this ritual may at any time immediately destroy himself, this is not considered diablerie and he does not become a wraith. So long as the recipient of the ritual is conscious and willing (no coercion of any kind) he may activate this effect. Once cast this ritual is active until used. Intermediate Approach the Veil

The sorcerer enters a transcendental state required to experience visions of the veil. He ingests kalif-laden blood, bathes in the blood of a fresh killed bull and meditates. He must first ward off a distracting cascade of unpleasant memories, then an

114

even more tempting series of sensual pleasures. Then comes the opportunity for revelation. The ritual takes 8 hours. Although the sorcerer performs if for research purposes, seeking the secrets of apotheosis, a peek past the veil of truth does grant direct benefits. The sorcerer automatically succeeds in his next challenge for sorcery or rituals. Enacting this ritual requires no challenge only time. If the sorcerer does not take advantage of the ritual’s benefits before he loses his next blood point it is wasted (remember you expend one blood point for waking). Note: This benefit does not apply to challenges against other players, only static difficulties such as ritual challenges and Whispers of the Heavens.

Blood of the Chameleon This is purely an Assamite ritual created by the character Isaac al-Rahim, this

character was a PC and it is unlikely that he would have taught it unless the elders of the clan ordered it. This character is now an NPC controlled by Bay of Blood: Baltimore Under Siege. The ritual allows the caster to modify his blood for the purposes of Thaumaturgy path of blood: Taste of Vitae. This ritual requires a live chameleon drowned in the blood of a vampire of a given clan (or caitiff).

To cast this ritual, you must imbibe a trait of blood from a given clan after a chameleon has been drowned in it. Upon successfully casting the ritual, any thaumaturgical means to determine clan of origin will imply the castor to be of the same clan as the blood consumed for the casting. The caster however takes on the clan weakness (if applicable) of the clan impersonated.

Directing Ahriman’s Lance The sorcerer takes an accurate image of the target or a personal possession of

theirs and swallows it. He waits an hour and then cuts it out of his belly. Until the next sunrise, any Assamite in possession of the image or object improves her chances of killing the target. The possessor of the ritualized item is two traits up on all non-combat challenges that would bring you closer to killing the target (ST discretion).

Note: This ritual is vastly reduced in power compared to its tabletop origin. Even so, it still has the potential to be interpreted in an over powered manner. STs are cautioned to monitor its use.

Haven's Passage First, the Sorcerer needs a stone, rock, or pebble from the excavation site or

other original interior space of a building or other structure. Then while pouring vitae over the stone, the Sorcerer performs the ritual. Once completed, the donor of the vitae may hold the stone and speak the words, "Guide me spirits of earth and air, and give me your conveyance," in any language while facing an exterior of the wall of the space the bearer wishes to enter. The bearer may then begin moving forward at which point

115

he become incorporeal and can pass through exterior walls. The bearer becomes corporeal again when he stops moving or reaches a second exterior wall.

Messenger of the Wind The sorcerer must write a message on clean linen with a pen made from the

feather of an eagle. He rolls the message and ties it with a white silken cord. On the cord he writes the recipients name in their (not his) blood. He then must throw the message into the open sky where the wind carries it away. It will appear in the recipient’s hand at noon of the next day. The message cannot be further enchanted in any way.

Rite of Marduk Triumphant

This ritual allows a Sorcerer to assert her authority over a lesser clan member. The sorcerer ritually enacts the coronation of Marduk, donning mask and robe. Other Assamites, of weaker generation than the sorcerer, may participate in the ritual, thereby increasing its effects. The sorcerer may increase the penalty of any action taken by an Assamite by the number of participants (no greater than half the sorcerer’s total mental traits). This penalty comes in the form of trait reductions for ties and overbids. It is only applicable in any action, which threatens his life or position. This ritual takes one hour to cast plus twenty minutes for each additional participant. The effects last 1 month.

Rite of Marduk Slain and Risen

The beneficiary of this ritual names a target he wishes to diablerize. If successful (which is known upon completion) the sire brood mates, childer and all those blood bound to the victim of diablerie loose one blood and three temporary willpower. The diablerist gains all of this with excess going to the rituals castor (all other excess is lost). For every 10 minutes that each of these individuals is in the presence of either the castor or the diablerist they loose a temporary willpower and suffer flashbacks of the victim’s demise. Shaft of Belated Quintessence

This ritual turns a regular stake of rowan wood into a particularly vicious weapon. When the tip touches kindred, it breaks off and burrows for the victim’s heart.

System: The stake must be of rowan wood, coated in three traits of the caster’s blood and baked over an oak wood fire. When the stake is used in combat, it acts normally as a weapon. If a successful strike hits, the tip of the stake breaks off and begins burrowing at the heart of the victim (even if you have misplaced heart). Every hour, the affected player must make a static physical challenge against the mental traits of the caster or take One Lethal damage. Once Five Lethal damage has been done in this fashion, the character is staked.

Removing the tip via surgery requires the medicine ability. The surgeon enters an extended challenge against a number of traits equal to the creator of the stake’s mental traits. She must cumulate 5 successes to remove the tip. Each challenge made

116

will do 1 point of lethal damage win, lose or tie. Healing the wounds closes the incisions and the surgeon must start over.

If a stake enchanted with this ritual is used on someone that has her heart removed by Heart of Darkness (advanced Serpents), the stake will do normal combat damage on the initial hit, but the tip will not break off, and the ritual is not expended.

Splinter Servant

Another ritual designed to enchant a stake, Splinter Servant is a progressive development of Shaft of Belated Quintessence, and the two rituals are mutually exclusive (They cannot be placed on the same stake). The stake itself becomes a minion bent on staking its target.

System: The stake must be made from a tree that has been nourished by the dead (a tree from a graveyard would be a good choice) and wrapped in sheath made of nightshade twine and wax. When the binding is torn off, the splinter servant springs to life, ripping little legs out of itself, and attacking the person that it is commanded too attack (by pointing it at the target as the sheath is ripped off).

The splinter servant has 10 dexterous physical traits, a number of melee equal to the caster’s occult rating, and is immune to mental and social challenges. It has three health levels, and ignores wound penalties. It can move up to 30’ (9 paces) per turn. It will remain active and attacking until it stakes its victim, it is destroyed by damage, or 5 combat rounds have passed. It looses traits normally, and must succeed in the normal staking challenges. It is up three traits to avoid attacks due to small size.

Any damage increasing effects (Scorpion’s Touch, Wards, ext.) will ruin the ritual.

Advanced Ghost in the system

Modern false identities can be created with this ritual. The identity is created with great detail, Citizenship, drivers license, SSN number, etc.

System: The castor must make 7 challenges (they must be won), one for each night that this ritual takes to complete (IE one week). If she fails 4 or more of the challenges the ritual is a complete failure and a certain government agency might start looking into the changes. If all of the challenges are not won there is an extended delay in the creation of the new identity. The amount of time is up to the ST. While in this ‘problem’ time the Kindred will have as much of a hard time completing mortal activities as an ST wishes. This ritual is powerful with real negative drawbacks if failed.

Sculpting the Perfect Servant

This ritual truly has no real possible game affect. To see any real development from a PC perspective a character would have to be alive for more than a decade. This ritual should be used by the STs as background information for possible PCs or storyline. In the hands of a PC it has no purpose.

Seeing with the Sky’s Eyes 117

The sorcerer enters a trance state and concentrates on a subject individual. He must have on his person an accurate image of the target, or an object she once owned. He then sees a vision of the target, and in so doing learns the target’s precise, current location, no matter where on earth she is.

Vires Acquirit Eundo This ritual when cast in tandem with another ritual can increase some effects of

that ritual System: The affects that are extended are completely up to the ST. The player

can suggest possibilities as to what affects are changed, but the ST has the final say so. It is suggest that the player carry an index card signed by an ST that says that the change is legit. It is strongly advised to STs that allow this ritual that they use common sense before approving some extended requests.

Elder

From Marduk’s Throat This ritual allows Assamites to lower their generation though blood collection. As

this is primarily performed in Alamut, and al-Ashrad would not want the secrets of this ritual to be known to the general public of the Camarilla. Therefore it is the recommendation of the coord that schismatic PCs benefiting from this ritual should be prohibited, as it grants free backgrounds ingeneration without repercussions.

Credits

I’d like to thank all the people who worked on the OWBN Tremere packet, as I horribly plagiarized their work.

This was to have both a sense of completeness as well as a standard format that everyone would be used to.

Other than the OWBN Tremere thaumaturgy packet being used as a template, I’d like to thank; Mike Dusseau, Ian Wolfenden, John Mann, Adam Bisco, and Adam Sartori for their help in putting together this packet.

Thank you, Dave Hoffman

118

Koldunic Sorcery

Part One - The Tzimisce For years immeasurable, the ancient vampiric clan of the Tzimisce ruled the

lands of Eastern Europe. No one really knows much about these elusive vampires; even their name is only so recent, named as it were for the famous lords of the Byzantine Empire in Eastern Europe. They claim to have always lived in the Carpathian Mountains, and it is said that their founder was Diablerized beneath an ancient church in the Carpathians. Stories also whisper of other things buried beneath the Carpathians.

Three main branches of the clan exist; by far the largest is the brood of Yorak the Metamorphosist, who was said to live beneath the Transylvanian Mountains in the Cathedral of Flesh. The get of Bylebog lived in the lands of Lithuania to the north, keeping an unholy vigil over the twisted swamps therein. And the religious figure known as the Dracon, or Obertuse, lived in the metropolis of Constantinople. All three were known as masters of Auspex, for they knew all that took place in their domain. They were also fleshcrafters of incredible means. And they were unparalleled Sorcerers like their sire. It is said that all three died during the Anarch revolts with their sire, called the Eldest. Some even believe these rumors.

Most Tzimisce learn Animalism, Aupsex, and Vicissitude as clan Disciplines. Vicissitude may, however, be replaced by Dominate or Koldunic sorcery. Some would argue that the Tzimisce of Old once knew Koldunic sorcery, but that the young Tzimisce today learn Thaumaturgy. This is a trite argument, however, for two reasons. First, it explicitly states that the elders of clan Tzimisce are once again teaching the lost arts of Koldunism to their childer, in part because of the recent death of the Sabbat Thaumaturges of House Goratrix. Second, as pointed out in the book Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy, technically all disciplines are Thaumaturgy of sorts, and the true Thaumaturges have found the secret of linking and codifying similar arts together under a general Overhang. Koldun operates under the same principle, and thus it is a moot point; Koldunism, like Thaumaturgy, is an umbrella hedge magic and discipline.

Part Two – Koldunism

Koldun is an unusual discipline. It functions similar to Thaumaturgy, and the Tzimisce have developed the creative capacity to expand it beyond its basic paths. Although there are only five paths mentioned in the book Blood Magic, it should here be noted that both Libellus Sanguinus 1 and Children of the Night state that there is indeed a Way of Blood. Since it is not listed in Blood Magic, it can therefore be assumed to be identical to the already printed Path of Blood under Thaumaturgy. It is quite likely that the Tremere "stole" the path originally from the Tzimisce, fine-tuning it in the process. Moreover there are any number of possible minor paths, and the Way of Sorrow is an example of this presented in Clanbook: Tzimisce. Other paths may so be developed. There are a number of differences between Thaumaturgy and Koldun.

* There is no required primary path of Koldunism, although most Koldun learn the Way of Spirit first. 119

* Koldun paths always require the expenditure of a willpower trait to activate, never a blood trait.

* The Way of Water and the Way of Air require mental traits and Challenges. The Way of Fire and the Way of Spirit require social traits and challenges. The Way of Earth requires physical traits and challenges; it may be assumed that the Way of Blood is also physical in nature.

* Koldunism affects the eye color of the wielder: Red for blood, aquamarine for water, orange for fire, brown for earth, pale blue for air, and white for spirit. In addition, other effects (such as skin turning to rock for Way of Earth) may be evident.

* The retest for Koldun is the ability Koldunism. No Koldunic sorcerer may have any path higher than the number of traits she Possesses in Koldunism.

Sources:

The following are a list of books that storytellers may find helpful when dealing with Koldunic powers:

Libellus Sanguinus 1, pgs. 62-63 Transylvania by Night, pgs 110-114 Guide to the Sabbat, pg. 121 Children of the Night, pgs. 23 and 96 Blood Magic: Sectrets of Thaumaturgy, pgs.126-133 Clanbook: Tzimisce (2nd ed.), pgs. 63-67 Sins of the Blood, pgs. 97-101 “The practice of Koldunic Sorcery is a well-kept secret among the Tzimisce of the

Sabbat. Once exceedingly rare, even among the Tzimisce, the lower levels of this dark art are becoming more readily available among the covens. Now that the Tremere influence has suddenly vanished from the sect, the ancient sorcerous arts of the Fiends seem to be on the rise in popularity”. - Guide to the Sabbat, pg. 121

“With the mysterious disappearance of the Tremere antitribu, knowledge and

philosophy of Koldunism is more frequently shared with anyone willing to learn of its existence, and has begun to spread among the ranks of the Sabbat's youth. Some suspect that enterprising Fiends have leaked a bit of their wisdom to the sect in order to keep the old ways in practice...” - Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy pg. 126

“Koldunic Sorcery used to be the province of a few Old World koldun. Now, the

art trickles down through the generations. Even a few neonates know the ways.... Koldunism has always been a young Cainite's art.... Neonates, wide-eyed and newly undead, cling to no myopic opinions about the nature of reality and have yet to fortify their emotional walls against the spirit world. The voice of the land speaks more clearly to the young, as it did to Lugoj and Velya.” - Clanbook Tzimisce, pg.63

120

Ways of Koldunic Sorcery

The Way of the Spirit

The Koldun are, if nothing else, masters of their surroundings. This is no more so evident than in their ability to manipulate the spirit realms. Koldun may switch their perception to the spiritual realms, gaining insight and understanding of their surroundings. This is different than Auspex, and should not be considered merely another way of seeing those things hidden.

This power is exceptionally difficult to translate from the book Blood Magic into LARP terms, in part because it is extremely difficult to role-play through a vampire knowing about everything going on in up to a five mile radius. For this reason, like the disciplines of Celerity, Potence, and Fortitude, this path has been modified from its original form. Every effort has been made to maintain both the feel of the power and playability.

One of the abilities Way of the Spirit allows is for a Koldun to "watch" events in another locale. A set distance is given with each level of power; the Koldun may view alternate locales within the given distance as if she were there. She may not, however, listen; the Koldun may "see" the events, but not hear them. The books state that the koldun "feels" events, and storytellers are encouraged to attempt to maintain this "feel" in game.

A second ability that the Koldun has is that she may never be surprised by anything in the radius of effect. All rules for surprise in combat are nullifed by this power; the Koldun must be informed of the attacks so that she may react accordingly. Ranged attacks that originate outside the radius of influence are unaffected by the Way of the Spirit.

Way of the Spirit does allow a Koldun to activate other Koldunic paths from a distance of up to the radius given, but only of an equal level. Thus if the Koldun knows the first intermediate level of Way of the Spirit, she may use other Koldunic paths up to first intermediate within her sphere of effect.

The Way of the Spirit costs one willpower to activate, and may be maintained for one scene per willpower spent. To pierce any of the disciplines and powers listed below requires a static social vs. mental challenge. Initiating challenges during the duration of this art does not cost any additional willpower. Using other koldunic paths with this power still require their willpower activation costs.

Basic 50-foot radius

The Koldun may "see" through such sight altering powers as Obtenebration and Chimerstry and other sense-altering powers. Note that Horrid Reality and the discipline of Dementation affect the mind, not the senses, and are thus not countered by knowledge of Way of the Spirit.

100-yard radius 121

At this level, the Koldun may pierce the illusion offered by Obfuscate. This applies to all levels of Obfuscate below Mastery, and is not handled as per Auspex vs. Obfuscate. The Koldun may simply make a static social vs. mental challenge to pierce the Obfuscted targets.

Intermediate Quarter mile

At this level, Koldun begin to pierce the barriers that divide the realms. The Koldun may now pierce the near Umbral realms, and are now capable of seeing those in psychic projection and astral form. This requires the same challenge as the other arts of this path.

1-mile radius

The Koldun may now pierce most of the Umbral realms; indeed, only the furthest of the realms escape her notice. She may now detect Umbral spirits and shapeshifters who have traveled into the Umbral realms. Only the most distant of realms (such as Arcadia and the Horizon realms) are beyond her.

Advanced 5-mile radius

At this level, the Koldun is utterly aware of her surroundings. She may peer into the deep Umbral realms, including the Shadowlands, where she may see wraiths and Necromancers who are traveling in the lands of the dead. Again, the challenge is a static social challenge vs. the target's mental traits.

The Way of Earth

The power of the ancient Tzimisce came from the earth, from the rich Carpathian soil. It is said that the Eldest left the first city before its fall, sequestering himself in a land rich in magic that would be his own. His childer in turn gained his power, but at a price; they were forever bound to the land; they chose the land over their brethren, and from then until now the land still calls out to them.

One of the most powerful paths of Koldun is the Way of the Earth; Tzimisce learned long ago to tap into the power that bound them to the soil. This is powerful magic, magic that can seriously weaken, or strengthen, an opponent.

It should here be noted that the Way of Earth requires a physical challenge to activate in addition to the expenditure of a willpower trait. The Koldun must be in direct contact with the earth for these powers to be used. When using the Way of Earth, the Koldun's eyes change to brown and patches of stone ripple across the Koldun's skin.

Basic Soil Silhouette

122

The Koldun can cause the earth to rise up and immobilize anyone target within 100 feet. The earth crawls up the victim and hardens, somewhere between the knees and the hips. The Koldun must make a physical challenge against the target. If successful, the target is immobilized. Thereafter, the target may escape with a static

physical challenge made against the Koldun's physical traits. While immobilized, the target may not move from the waist down.

Unearthly Stamina

The Koldun may spend a willpower trait and gain two stamina traits for the duration of the scene. These traits only last for one scene, and may only be used for the sake of absorbing damage. The Koldun gains the ability to soak Aggravated damage for the scene as well. Intermediate Soil of Death

The Koldun can cause the very earth to swallow a target up, hopelessly trapping her within the soil. The Koldun spends a willpower and makes a physical challenge against her target. If successful, the target is sucked into the ground, up to her head. Thereafter the target is trapped unless they can win a static physical challenge against the Koldun's physical traits. Mortals, ghouls, and creatures that still must breathe will risk a level of lethal damage each round trapped beneath the earth from suffocation; this damage may be soaked.

Root of Vitality

The Koldun must spend a willpower trait to activate this power, but no challenge is made; the target must relent. The target is pulled into the earth up to her neck, where the rich soil will slowly heal her wounds. For each round that the target remains underground, she heals one wound level. Aggrevated wounds are more problematic, and require a blood trait to be spent by the target per aggrevated wound level. The target may leave the ground at any point she chooses.

Advanced Dracula's Restless Soul

The Koldun can command the very ground to tremble and quake, creating in effect a very localized earthquake. This requires not only the expenditure of a willpower trait, but the expenditure of a physical trait per level of effect (see below). All those within the area of effect will take a number of lethal damage equal to the number of physical traits that the koldun spends on the art, to a maximum of five; such damage may be soaked or dodged as appropriate. Nevertheless, the effects should be felt very much by all those present, and storytellers are encouraged to announce the dramatic affects of the localized earthquake that will certainly damage many things during the brief quake (it lasts but one turn).

Physical Traits Area of Effect

1 One structure 2 Five structures 3 Residential street 4 Half a city block 5 Full city block

123

The Way of Fire

The Tzimisce Koldun were masters of the elements, and this in no way was more visible than in their control over the elements. The Way of Fire was the least known of the Koldunic paths, due in large part because it was the least accessible of the elements. It is even debated where the Tzimisce first learned this path. Some claim that they were taught the path by members of the Order of Hermes, perhaps House Flambeau. Others think that maybe there was a forgotten breed of the Tzimisce that lived in a more volatile climate. Certainly there is proof of a family of the Fiends living in India, caught up among the Hindu population. Perhaps these fire dancers first discovered how to harness such terrible forces.

This is one of the most powerful and destructive of the sorcerous paths. Storytellers are advised to keep careful wraps on this one. The path given here is based upon that presented in Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy, but like the Way of Spirit has been modified to fit in a live-action setting.

The Ways of Fire require a social challenge to be made against a target, who may bid physical traits if possible to dodge the effects. These arts, like the rest of Koldun, require the expenditure of a willpower trait. When employing the Way of Fire, the eyes of the Koldun turn a brilliant orange. Note that the nature of the art protects the Koldun from her own arts, but not the arts of other Koldun.

Basic Shatter

The Koldun spends a willpower trait and a number of social traits, and points at an object. The object will superheat and combust, either bursting into flame or shattering instantly. The size of the object determines the number of social traits that must be expended by the Koldun: one trait for a small object (ie. A book), two for a medium sized object (a chair), and three traits for a large objects (a motorcycle). Objects up to the size of a car cannot be affected by this power. Living beings (and vampires) cannot be affected by this power.

Rouse the Molten Rock

The Koldun summons a small amount of molten lava to bubble up from the earth's core. The Koldun spends a willpower trait, and one social trait per round that the magma remains superheated. While heated, the magma does 3 levels of Aggravated damage per round to that which it comes in contact with. The magma begins to cool once the Koldun quits fueling it with social traits, losing a level of Aggravated damage each round. Only a small amount of magma appears (about enough to fill a bathtub), and it tends to flow downhill.

Intermediate Gates of Magma

The Koldun spends a willpower trait and a social trait to call up a ring of magma ten feet tall that surrounds the Kodlun. The ring of magma can be maintained for two rounds per social trait spent. Any vampires attempting to approach the wall of magma 124

must succeed in a courage challenge and suffer a level of Aggravated damage. To cross through the magma requires that a vampire spend a willpower trait and suffer three levels of Aggravated damage. Normal mortals need not make the courage check, but do need to spend a willpower trait if they intend to pass through the magma.

Heat Wave

The Koldun summons a gust of superheated air that blasts her opponent. She spends a willpower trait and makes a social challenge against her target, who resists with a physical challenge. If the Koldun succeeds, the target takes 3 levels of lethal damage from the superheated air. Kindred also lose three blood traits as the vitae evaporates from their system.

Note - This power has been modified from its original format in Blood Magic, and has been placed on a level of power on par with the Tremere Thaumaturgical power of Cauldron of Blood.

Advanced Volcanic Blast

The Koldun can summon a fiery blast of magma to erupt from the earth in a rainy torrent that showers down upon all within twenty feet. All those within the radius suffer three levels of Aggravated damage. The magma will flow thereafter and continue to do three levels of Aggravated damage each round it lasts, which is one round per social trait spent by the Koldun. The magma cools at a rate of one less level of Aggravated damage per round.

The Ways of Wind

The Way of Wind is one of the more common paths Tzimisce Koldun of old learned; while not all Koldun had access to water, fire, or even earth, all had access to the winds of the world whipping through their demesnes with fury and potence.

This path was of incredible use to the Tzimisce, both in controlling their own lands and in repelling invaders, whether mortal or their dread enemies, the Thaumaturges of Clan Tremere.

The Way of Wind requires mental challenges be made (when necessary) and the expenditure of a willpower trait. When using the Way of Wind, a gust of wind whips up around the Koldun, and her eyes turn a pale blue color.

Basic Winds of Guilt

The Koldun can afflict a target with whispering voices that only the target can hear. These voices plague her for the duration of the art, whispering to her greatest sins and all the terrors a Koldun could afflict on the person. At the cost of a willpower, the Koldun engages her target in a mental challenge. If she succeeds, the target is considered down two courage traits, to a minimum of one, whenever she is in the presence of the Koldun. This lasts for the duration of the night. The effect will last for one night, and one additional night per mental trait spent. Combined with the Way of

125

Spirit, the power can have effective range. The target will be aware of who she is afraid of.

Biting Winds

With the expenditure of a willpower trait, the Koldun can cause an extremely cold biting wind to mystically fill an area, subtracting two physical traits from all within. The wind springs up gradually (a breeze the first round, minus one physical trait the second round, and minus two physical traits the third round), and lasts one scene. Those attempting to enter the area must spend one willpower trait and suffer a level of bashing damage from the sudden onslaught of the wind. Movement within the area is severly limited, and everyone loses a "step" per round movement. Intermediate Winds of Lethargy

The Koldun spends a willpower trait and summons a harsh wind that encompasses an entire 200-foot radius (roughly one building). All those within must succeed in a static physical challenge (vs. the Koldun's mental traits) or halve their physical traits for the remainder of the scene due to the extreme lethargy that encompasses them. They also suffer a one step per combat round movement penalty. This art lasts for two rounds per mental trait spent on the power.

Traveling the Winds

The Koldun may spend a willpower trait and allow the winds to carry her off. She moves at a blinding 250 mph, and will reach her destination within a scene. Anything over 250 miles away is beyond the range of this power. This art must be used outside, for the Koldun can maneuver while flying, but not enough to survive the insides of a building. To others, the Koldun will suddenly blur and be gone.

Advanced Body of Zephyr

The Koldun must spend a willpower trait to activate this art. It takes one full round to activate, thus the round the willpower is spent is not the round the Body of Zephyr may be used. The Koldun becomes intangible and indistinct, and may now walk through walls and crowds effortlessly, and may double her movement rate (6 steps per combat round). She may only use other Way of the Wind arts; no other disciplines may be used by the Koldun while in this form. The Koldun may remain in Zephyr form for as long as she chooses.

The Way of Water The Way of Water may have been the rarest of the Koldunic paths in ancient

nights, for most Tzimisce lived in the Carpathian mountains and had little use for a path of sorcery that concerned the little occurring element of water. This is not to say that it was completely foreign; many a voivode found the use of this powerful path invaluable when defending their castles, provided they had a moat or river nearby. Moreover, the 126

children of Bylebog in the Lithuanian lands and the Obertus of Constantinople had ample access to the watery depths of the seas, rivers, and swamps.

The path of water indelibly marks its practitioner. The Koldun spends a willpower point, and her eyes will turn a deep green color, almost aquamarine. The Way of Water requires a mental challenge to use all the arts, unless otherwise noted.

Basic Pools of Illusion

The Koldun can command the mists above the water to swirl into a three-dimensional illusion. This requires a static mental challenge (difficulty determined by the storyteller, based perhaps on the amount of water available). The illusion may move and even speak mystically, but may never leave the water, and is itself effectively intangible. The illusion lasts three rounds before it begins to dissipate.

Watery Solace

Unlike other Koldun powers, this art neither costs willpower nor requires a challenge. The Koldun spends a mental trait and sinks into the water to slumber away the day, similar to the Protean power of Earth Meld. The water need barely cover the Koldun, but will mystically protect her from the harmful light of the sun.

Intermediate Water Walk

Quite simply, the Koldun spends a willpower trait and a mental trait and may walk on water for an entire scene. This does not protect her from hazards in the water (such as sharks). The Koldun may walk on water for a number of scenes equal to the number of mental traits spent to activate this art.

Watery Minions

The Koldun spends a willpower trait to activate this power, and a mental trait per watery minion summoned. For each mental trait, one creature is summoned. The stats of the minion should be determined by the storytellers. Bashing damage will not harm them at all, although fire does an extra two points of damage. The creatures may leave the confines of the water, but only follow the most basic of commands.

Advanced Doom Tides

The Koldun can create a mighty whirlpool with the expenditure of a willpower trait and a mental trait. The whirlpool is assumed to have 15 physical traits; each additional mental trait spend increases the strength of the whirlpool by five traits.

The Way of Blood

127

Although the Tremere claim to be the masters of Thaumaturgy, they are by no means the first to discover it. Whether it was the Cappadocians, the Setites, the Assamites, or the Tzimisce is unknown, although the Koldun most certainly have an opinion. Most curious is the wide usage of the Path of Blood; the Assamite Viziers and

the Tremere Thaumaturges have this path in addition to the Koldun's. All three claim to have developed it first, and although the path is quite similar for all three groups, it is still different enough that they find themselves working under completely different systems.

Things get even more curious when you throw the mages of House Tytalus in.

Tytalus was a group of wizards in the Order of Hermes that declared war on the neighboring House Tremere at one point, even going so far as to ally themselves with the Tzimisce. It is interesting that nearly a thousand years later House Tytalus has reversed its stance, begging the Order of Hermes to readmit House Tremere. The stories say that House Tytalus taught the Tzimisce a few things...

Be that as it may, the Koldun's claim to have practiced Blood Magic as long as

they can remember, for they define it as one of the six cardinal elements. The Blood is Life, and they deal with it as they would any other element; they consider it no more central to their existence than the other elements, for unlike the Tremere the Koldun do not put as heavy an emphasis on Blood as they do on exercising one's will over her surroundings.

As such, like the other Koldunic paths, the Path of Blood requires the expenditure

of a willpower trait for each spell. Moreover, all challenges made are physical challenges, for the Koldun's see the Blood of Life as the Strength of reality. When using the Way of Blood, the Koldun's eyes will turn blood red.

Basic A Taste for Blood

With the expenditure of a willpower trait and a static physical challenge (difficulty equal to the physical traits of the target), the Koldun may determine a piece of information from a taste of the target's blood, such as generation, the amount of blood in a target, or such.

Blood Rage

The target grabs her opponent with a physical challenge and spends a willpower trait. If she does grapple her target, she may force the target to spend a blood trait (even beyond her generational limit) as the Koldun sees fit.

Intermediate Blood of Potency

The Koldun may temporarily lower her generation for a scene, effectively mimicking the Methuselahs and elders of the clan. The Koldun must spend a willpower trait for each generation the Koldun will drop, to a maximum of three. This lasts for one scene, and is especially useful for purposes of Dominate and blood expenditure. The Koldun's eyes remain blood red for the duration of this art.

Theft of Vitae

128

The Koldun spends a number of physical traits equal to the amount of blood she wishes to steal (to a maximum of three) and one willpower trait. After this expenditure, the Koldun engages her target (from afar) in a physical challenge. If the Koldun wins, the target loses a number of blood traits, equal to the amount of physical traits spent. This blood rushes across the distance and is absorbed into the Koldun, quite visible to those around.

Advanced Cauldron of Blood

The Koldun may engage her target in a physical challenge and spend a willpower trait. If the Koldun wins, she may spend up to three physical traits to cause the target's blood to boil and do one aggravated wound to the target per physical trait spent.

The Obscure Paths

There were initially many more paths of Koldunism than the six elemental paths, but sadly the arts were lost through the long nights. But with the resurgence of the kolduns as the premier mages of the Sabbat, koldunism is making a comeback, and new paths are being discovered (or rediscovered) nightly. Clanbook Tzimisce prints the most common of these obscure paths, the Way of Sorrow, which is not reprinted here (as it is already presented in that book in a live-action format). Other paths must be worked out with the storytellers, but should not be given out frivolously; they are obscure for a reason.

129

Koldunic Rituals

Unlike the Paths of Koldunic Sorcery, the Rituals of Koldunic Sorcery do in fact require the expenditure of a blood trait per level of the ritual (unless otherwise noted). In this they function like Thaumaturgical Rituals. The following is a list of the Koldunic Rituals found in the White Wolf books.

Note that many of these rituals are quite powerful and players may in fact want to

perform many of them nightly. Storytellers should be kept aware of this, and modify the available blood pool of Kolduns accordingly.

Basic Hospitality

(Libillus Sanguinus 1 pg. 62) The Sorcerer can summon the local spirits to inhabit and possess the furniture

and belongs of the Koldun. The possessed objects may speak, and will develop unique personalities, often to suit their form. They are, however, incapable of any movement, and serve merely for information, companionship, and warning. This ritual must be performed nightly.

Reawakening the Dead Water

(Blood Magic pg. 133) The Koldun may drip one blood point into a source of water, and then ingests

that water. The Koldun then regains a point of willpower. This ritual takes a half-hour to perform and may only be performed once per night. The Koldun may never exceed her maximum willpower rating.

Ritual of Death's Embrace

(Transylvania by Night pg. 142) The Koldun may draw out the embrace of a mortal. Each night the Koldun drains

the target of one to three points of blood, replacing it with an equal amount of her own. The target will slowly sicken, and the embrace will creep upon her. The ritual is complete when the target finally has ingested ten points of blood and is buried underground. Upon emerging, the childe will be a vampire. If at any point during the ritual the sire is destroyed, the ritual is cancelled and the target reverts to normal.

Enlightenment

(Sins of the Blood pg. 98) The koldun may attune himself to the spirits around him by casting this ritual. For

the duration of the night the koldun is up two traits for the purpose of dealing with any elemental spirits (such as casting the level three ritual Conjure Lesser Demon).

Mephistophelean Minx

(Sins of the Blood pg.98)

130

The koldun feeds a number of blood traits to a cat (or a number of cats). Thereafter the cat will seek out sleeping children and "steal" their essence, which is mystically transferred to the koldun as willpower points throughout the night (one point per blood trait invested). The willpower traits so gained must be spent that evening, for they will dissipate at sunrise. Children drained so three nights in a row will die from a loss of essence.

Reflections

(Blood Sacrifice pg.85) The Koldun may "steal" an artifact from a location, and then perform this ritual

over the stolen object sometime during the next twenty-four hours. The koldun will then be able to fully examine the "room" that the object came from, even looking behind curtains and in desk drawers. The object must be primarily natural (i.e. wooden pencils count, but not plastic ones). Each object may only ever be used once for this ritual. This ritual lasts for a number of minutes equal to the number of willpower traits the koldun has.

Service For Souls

(Sins of the Blood pg. 98) The koldun spends a point of blood and entices the local spirits to attend her,

following which she attempts to entice them into servitude to her by binding them to her very body. Each extra blood trait spent binds a spirit to her; such entities are not physical, but may manifest visibly and audibly, and make excellent spies and emissaries. As long as the spirit servitor is bound, the blood trait offered to the spirit remains inert within the body of the koldun and may not be used for any purpose. Once the spirit is released, the blood is again available to the koldun.

Withering Agony

(Sins of the Blood pg. 98) By spending a blood trait and inscribing a glyph on a victim (and making a social

challenge against her), the koldun entices the spirit of a dying tree to enter into the body of the target. The target will visibly sicken; his hair will begin to fall out, his skin turn ashen gray, rapid weight loss will occur, and a sickly sap will ooze from his pores. The target loses two physical and two social traits for the duration of the power, and suffers an immediate level of non-soakable damage. Moreover, vampires spend two blood points to awaken each night instead of one for the duration of this art. This power lasts for one week.

Intermediate Conjure Lesser Demon

(Libillus Sanguinus 1 pg. 62) This power is a bit of a misnomer, for it doesn't actually summon demons, but

rather Umbral spirits. The Koldun summons a spirit, and can "bind" it to servitude if she can convince it to drink a point of her blood. Otherwise the demon is free to negotiate and bargain at will. The Koldun may maintain a number of sworn demons equal to her

131

intimidation traits. Even when sworn, the demons still retain freedom of will, although they will be favorably disposed towards the sorcerer. Similar to the ritual Service for Souls, this art does not require that the "permanent loan" of a blood trait to the spirit.

Raze the Lelek

(Sins of the Blood pg. 99) The koldun excises the spirit of an object permanently, thus causing the object so

affected to be destroyed instantly, turning to dust and falling apart almost instantly. The effects of this power are permanent, and even modern objects such as telephones may be affected (although living beings may not). The number of blood traits spent is based upon the size of the object.

1 trait - a fountain pen 2 traits - a cell phone 3 traits - a television 4 traits - a sofa 5 traits - a small car

Ties That Bind (Blood Magic pg. 133) If the Koldun spills her own blood over the soil, and then ingests the soil, she

effectively gives herself one bonus trait in each category that may only be used for Koldunic sorcery. This lasts for the next three nights. This ritual may only be used once every three nights.

Beyond the Wall of Death

(Sins of the Blood pg.99) By spending a blood point and chanting over the body of a recently slain (but not

diablerized) koldun, the caster summons the soul of the deceased. The summoner may then convince the koldun to teach it one of the arts of koldunic sorcery, either one level of a path or one ritual. Only one power is taught, and the summoner must know that the deceased had the specific power taught. The experience must still be paid for the art, but the deceased will act as a mentor just long enough to pass on the teachings of a specific art before journeying to the lands of the dead.

Incubus Visage

(Sins of the Blood pg. 99)

132

By ingesting (and spending) the blood of a boar and eating a piece of the victim's skin, the koldun can command a malicious spirit to inhabit and manifest in an offending target with a successful social challenge. Thereafter, the target will manifest a number of negative appearance traits, gaining the flaw of the Nosferatu vampires (unable to initiate social challenges), will lose all appearance related social traits, and gain the flaw Eerie Presence for the duration of about two weeks. This ritual must be cast on the night of a half moon, and lasts until the next half moon. The target also gains a number of "bestial" or "repugnant" traits equal to the number of social traits the koldun spends, to a maximum of five.

Merging of the Souls

(Sins of the Blood pg. 100) The koldun can command the various spirits to inhabit a ghoul, thus providing

extra prowess to the ghoul. Each blood point spent on this ritual (used to "mark" the ghoul) binds a spirit into the ghoul, and each such bound spirit increases the ghoul's physical traits by one. The ghouls can be quite enhanced by this power, to a maximum of 18 traits. However, each trait after the third gives the ghoul a derangement and the negative social trait "bestial" or "repugnant", and the ghoul will be difficult to control due to the number of conflicting personalities that possess it. This art lasts for a number of nights equal to the number of social traits spent when activating this art.

Note that this power turns mortals into inanimate objects for the duration of the power, and will not work at all on other supernatural creatures.

Earth's Embrace

(Blood Sacrifice pg.86) This ritual allows a Tzimisce to avoid their clan's curse, if but for a night. Cast

within an hour of dawn, the Tzimisce may substitute the local soil for her native soil, thus gaining a good night's sleep. This ritual lasts for one day, and may only be performed once per week. Two blood traits and one willpower trait must be spent for this ritual to succeed.

Advanced The Inmost Tug

(Libillus Sanguinus 1 pg. 62) Unlike other rituals, this ritual requires no blood expenditure. The Koldun

engages a target in a social challenge. If she succeeds, the Koldun may intensify the feelings of a blood oath. Love may be turned to lust, or refined to fraternal devotion. The blood oath may even be warped into abject fear, resentment, or even hatred.

Conjure Greater Demon

(Libillus Sanguinus 1. pg. 63) This power is identical to the Conjure Lesser Demon ritual, save that a Greater

Spirit of the Umbra is summoned. It may not be bound and retained, and must be completely bargained with. Many Koldun are hesitant to use this power for obvious reasons.

Elemental Savior

(Sins of the Blood pg.100) By spending four blood points, the koldun entices one the spirits in his command

(via Service for Souls, Conjure Lesser Demon, etc.) to take on physical form, thus becoming an elemental. The spirit will cause available material to form into a body for it, but will lose a level of creative intelligence, obeying only simple one sentence commands. Such elementals will last one night before their body will revert to its original form and the elemental will return to the spirit plane. In days of old the Tzimisce

133

found that golems of rock and tree were useful, but modern koldun have discovered that concrete and stainless steel golems are quite impressive.

Gaze of the Gorgon

(Blood Sacrifice, pg. 86) The koldun may transform a captive victim into a stone statue. This ritual requires

the expenditure of two bllod traits, and a third, to be force fed to the victim, who must be present for the entirety of the hour-long ritual. The koldun then engages the target in a willpower vs. willpower challenge. If the Koldun succeeds, the target becomes a stone statue. For mortals, this is permanent, although kindred will revert to their natural form after one year (usually coming out in a blood frenzy).

Create Revenant Line

(Laws of the Night: Sabbat Guide, pg.171) While it says that this is an advanced thaumaturgy ritual, the origin of the

revenant families predate the Tremere, and the live-action books are notorious for referring to koldunism as "Tzimisce Thaumaturgy", but it is rather obvious what this refers to. Specifically, this is a series of four advanced rituals that all must be learned separately. They are:

Stimulation of the Male's Essence Stimulation of the Female's Essence Protection of the Revenant Essence Perfection of the Revenant Essence Rules for these rituals may be found in the live-action guide to the Sabbat.

Create Blood Brothers (Blood Magic, pg. 135) No system is given for this ritual, and considering the restrictions on such rare

and unusual creatures in a live-action setting, this is appropriate. Storytellers who wish to allow this ritual are advised to do so with caution, and to apply whatever dramatic system is appropriate to their chronicle.

134

Dark Thaumaturgy Rules Notes: 1) There is no Primary Path for those starting on the road of Dark Taumaturgy 2) This format is based off both the East Coast Thaumaturgy Sub-Coord Ian James' "Alpha" Release of compiled Thaumaturgical related material, and Jon Matras’ Midwest Thaumaturgy rules. 3) These rules are only proposed, as a more complete set of the existing Dark Thaumaturgy printed in the White Wolf source material.

Path and Ritual Classification: ATTENTION-It is suggested that the levels of Uncommon, Rare, and Very Rare require notification to the R&U Coord as to why a Demon/Infernal Master is allowing someone to have access to the Uncommon/Rare/Very Rare paths/rituals. To add to that, All Paths that are in this packet are INFERNAL ONLY. Common: All Infernalistist Uncommon: Those with superior contracts or Proven Loyal. Rare: Only with major Sacrifice, or 10pt. Contract Very Rare: Only in the MOST dire situations, or with huge amounts given in exchange

135

Paths

Common: Fires of the Inferno Path of Torture Path of Pestilence Uncommon: Path of Phobos Chains of Pleasure

Rare: Path of Secret Knowledge Very Rare: Taking of the Spirit

Path Name Rarity Location

Fires of Inferno 1 MET Sabbat Guide: 100 Path of Phobos 2 MET Sabbat Guide: 102 Taking of the Spirit 4 MET Sabbat Guide: 103 Chains of Pleasure 2 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Guide: 53 Path of Pestilence 1 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Guide: 55 Path of Secret Knowledge 3 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Guide: 57 Path of Torture 1 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Guide: 57

136

Rituals

Common: Aport Object Haunting Memories Spectral Mask Video Nefas

Uncommon: Bind the Interloper Call Forth the Host Close the Ways Curse of Oedipus Felis Negrum Plague’s Secret Domain Sign of the Moon Sign of the Wraith Turn to Toad

Rare: Bind Tivilio Dismiss Tivilio Inner Furnace, the Soul Leech Summon Grantel Summon Lucricia Summon Tivilio

Very Rare: Into the Abyss Summon Barliagus Transfer Essence

137

Ritual Name Rarity Location Level Aport Object 1 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook:

51 Basic

Bind the Interloper 2 MET Sabbat Guide: 106 Basic Bind Tivilio 3 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook:

52 Intermediate

Call Forth the Host 2 MET Sabbat Guide: 105 Basic Close the Ways 2 MET Sabbat Guide: 109 Advanced Curse of Oedipus 2 MET Sabbat Guide: 106 Basic Dismiss Tivilio 3 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook:

52 Advanced

Felis Negrum 2 MET Sabbat Guide: 107 Intermediate Haunting Memories 1 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook:

52 Basic

Inner Furnace 3 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook: 53

Advanced

Into the Abyss 4 MET Sabbat Guide: 109 Advanced Plague’s Secret Domain 2 MET Sabbat Guide: 107 Intermediate Sign of the Moon 2 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook:

52 Basic

Sign of the Wraith 2 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook: 52

Intermediate

Soul Leech 3 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook: 53

Advanced

Spectral Mask 1 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook: 51

Basic

Summon Barliagus 4 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook: Master

53 Summon Grantel 3 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook:

51 Basic

Summon Lucricia 3 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook: 52

Intermediate

Summon Tivilio 3 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook: 52

Intermediate

Transfer Essence 4 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook: 53

Master

Turn to Toad 2 2nd Ed. Sabbat Storytellers Handbook: 52

Intermediate

Video Nefas 1 MET Sabbat Guide: 106 Basic

End Note: To the Best of my knowledge this is the first attempt to be made, to date, to log

Dark Thaumaturgy. It will, most likely, not be the last. This Project is the combined work of Aaron Wiseman, Adam Madlinger, and myself. We hope it aids you as it was intended.

Thank you, Dennis Sharpe This document is an entirely unofficial use of the Vampire: The Masquerade and

A World of Darkness gaming materials published by White Wolf Game Studios and not intended as an official or profit making venture in any way, shape or form. Although the use of these concepts, rules, etc., is unauthorized, no infringement is intended. The creator of this document is not affiliated with White Wolf Games Studios in any way.

138

Necromancy

Key to Book References: LotNR Laws of the Night Revised LotNR-C Laws of the Night Camarilla Guide LotNR-S Laws of the Night Sabbat Guide LotNR-ST Laws of the Night ST Guide DE Dark Epics CB:G Clanbook Giovanni CB:G2 Clanbook Giovanni 2nd Ed BM Blood Magic BS Blood Sacrafice Necromancy basics There are three different types of necromancer: 1) Those with necromancy In-Clan (Giovanni, Harbingers of Skulls, Nagaraja) 2) Those with necromancy Out-of-Clan (Nearly everyone else) 3) Those who can learn necromancy on their own, out-of-clan (Samedi, Some Serpents of the Light (BM 110) There are two different types of necromancy: 1) Voudoun 2) Western. (BM 101) These are not interchangable, much like different schools of Thaumaturgy. They are based on very different belief systems, and as a result, Interact with the world in a very different way.

Learning Necromancy

For those with Necromancy In-Clan, necromancy comes about as easily as any

other discipline. It is part of the blood, and inherent to necromantically inclined vampires. Individual paths and rituals of necromancy do require some instruction, but for these clans, instruction in several paths is easily found. All clans currently with Necromancy as an In-Clan discipline practice Western Necromancy.

For those with Necromancy Out-of-Clan, every level of necromancy must be taught separately, by a Vampire with Necromancy In-Clan. They learn they type of Necromancy that their teacher knows (Voudoun or Western). In practice, there are no Vampires with Voudoun Necromancy in-clan, so all Out-of-Clan necromancy is Western.

139

Those who can learn Necromancy without a teacher are actually learning from the Baron (BM 106-112). It is suggested that Storytellers reinforce this concept. The Baron only teaches Voudoun Necromancy.

Path Basics:

Repeating from LotNR 152: There are different paths of Necromancy. All

Necromancers have a primary path, and may have one or more secondary paths. When the Primary path is known at only the Basic level, they may not know any secondary paths. When the Primary Path is raised to the intermediate level, they may learn the basic levels of one Secondary Path. When the Primary Path is known to the Advanced level, additional secondary paths may be learned, and all paths may also be learned to the Advanced level.

Teaching Necromancy

A student necromancer always receives as their Primary path, the Primary Path

of their Teacher. Advanced paths of necromancy may only be taught Out-of-Clan by elders of 7th Generation or better.

The Clans and Paths: All Giovanni have the Sepulchre Path as their primary path (LotNR 152) All Samedi have the Sepulchre Path as their primary path (LotNR 152) All Harbingers of Skulls have the Mortuus Path as their primary path (LotNR-S 116) All Nagaraja have the Sepulchre Path as their primary path (LotNR-ST 27)

140

The Paths The Sepulchre Path

(LotNR 152) This is what most people think of when they think about necromancy (and who

doesn't). The sepulchre path deals with contacting, summoning and controlling wraiths. This is the most basic of all necromantic concepts, and as such, is the Primary Path for all necromancers other than the Harbingers of Skulls.

Rarity: If you know necromancy, you know this.

Common Variations:

Voudoun Variations: There is a two-trait penalty for a Voudoun Necromancer attempting to Summon, Haunt or Compel the spirit of someone who practiced or believed in Voudoun (Mostly a Caribbean thing) (BM 111)

Weak Shroud Variants: (CB-G 58)

One trait bonus on challenges to summon souls, but if you fail, and the difficulty is double your current total, the ST can overbid you. If the ST wins this overbid, several spectres may appear.

One trait penalty to compel souls. The Ash Path

(LotNR 153) The Ash path deals with the shroud, the barrier between the skinlands and the

Shadowlands.

Rarity: Fairly common for all necromancers

Common Variations:

Voudoun Variation: For the power Ex Nihilo, the Voudoun version of the power requires a six hours trip across a body of water, slipping through the surface. (BM 111)

Weak Shroud Variants: (CB-G 58-59)

The first three levels of this power suffer a one-trait penalty on any challenges.

Ex Nihilo: Depending on the Maelstrom, kindred will generally take one level of lethal damage per hour/scene unless they win/tie a Simple Test.

The Bone Path (LotNR 155)

141

The Bone path deals with the application of necromantic energies to subjects in

the living world.

Rarity: Fairly common for all necromancers

Common Variations:

Weak Shround Variants (CB-G 58): Apprentices Brooms and Shambling Hordes: Make a simple test when using this

power (retest Thanatology/Occult). If you lose, the created Zombie is a "Shambler". Shamblers are described on page 56 Clanbook: Giovanni, but are basically zombies that are not under the control of the necromancer who created them, with the following traits:

9 Physical, 0 Social, 4 Mental, Brawl, Intimidationx3, Fortitudex3, Immune to Dementation, Dominate, Presence, Eyes of the Serpent, Telepathy, normal health levels (for Fortitude) and no wound penalties.

Soul Stealing: Targets of soul-stealing get a one-trait bonus to resist. For each

hour/scene that a soul is forced from its body, it must spend a Willpower trait or gain a permanent derangement. If unable to spend Willpower (out of traits/quelled) permanent willpower may be sacrificed to prevent the acquisition of any derangements. The Mortuus Path

(LotNR-S 116) The Mortuus path is a path-based offshoot of the Dark Ages power, Mortus. It

deals with the physical effects of death.

Rarity: Known primarily to Harbingers of Skulls. However, due to it's origins, Giovanni embraced prior to 1444 (Premascines) also have access to this path. It should rarely be taught to PC Giovanni, and only those whohave proven both competence and loyalty over a period of time.

Variants: none published.

Comments: With the publication of the Revised Dark Ages, Mortus, the Capadocian discipline, has been converted into a handful of paths. I expect some of these will turn into necromancy in the future.

The Vitreous Path

(LotNR-ST 26)

142

The Vitreous Path uses the entropic energies of the underworld to various effects.

Rarity: This path is only known to the Nagaraja. PC's with this pathshould not exist.

Variations:

Weak Shroud Variant (CB:G 59):

The first three levels of this power suffer a one trait penalty. The fourth and fifth levels of this power gain a one trait bonus. The Cenotaph Path

(CB-G 67): The Cenotaph path is an offshoot of African Nigrimancy, used by the Ghiberti

(Minor Giovanni Family) to locate recently dead ghosts.

Rarity: only members of the Ghiberti sub-family of the Giovanni, and possibly Giovanni who have studied in African for some amount of time know this path.

Variants: None published.

143

Rituals

Rituals must be of the necromantic type the necromancer is familiar with. Voudoun rituals will not work for Western Necromancers, and Vice-Versa.

What follows is a list of published necromantic rituals, where they may be found,

level, what type they are, and any comments.

LotNR (157-158): Basic Call of the Hungry Dead Eyes of the Grave Spirit Beacon Intermediate Cadaver's Touch Call on the Shadow's Grace Ritual of the Unearthed Fetter Advanced Grasp the Chostly

All rituals in LotNR can be found in both Western and Voudoun versions fairly easily. Sabbat Guide (118) Basic Eldritch Beacon Puppet Intermediate Din of the Damned Peek Past the Shroud Advanced Chill of Oblivion

These rituals are uncommon for the Sabbat, and Rare for Non-Sabbat necromancers. They are all based in Western Necromancy.

Giovanni Clanbook Revised (71-73) Basic Ritual of the Smoking Mirror Ritual of Pochtli Intermediate Divine Sign

144

Ritual of Xipe Totec Advanced Ritual of Teyolia

These five rituals are Pisanob Necromancy. The Pisanod are a South American branch of Giovanni. Non-Pisanob Giovanni characters are unlikely to know any of these rituals besides the Ritual of Pochtli. Non-Giovanni should consider these five rituals very rare. These rituals are considered Western Necromancy. Giovanni Clanbook Revised (74-77) Basic Minestra Di Morte The Hand of Glory Occhoi D'Uomo Morto Intermediate Tempestra Scudo Bastone Diabolico Advanced Esilio

These rituals are Rare to non-Giovanni, and Uncommon among the Giovanni.

They are all Western Necromancy.

Blood Magic (105-106): Basic Circle of Cerberus Rape of Persephone Judgement of Rhadamanthus Intermediate Drink of Styx's Waters Drink of Lethe's Waters Advanced Chair of Hades

These rituals are all Western Necromancy. They should be considered Rare for all Necromancers.

Blood Magic (111-113) Basic Knowing Stone Two Centimes Intermediate

145Nightmare Drums

Blood Dance Baleful Doll Advanced Dead Man's Hand

These rituals are all Voudoun Necromancy, and should be considered Rare for

all necromancers.

Blood Sacrifice (85) Basic Part the Veil Intermediate Eyes of the Dead Advanced Garb of Hades

These rituals should be considered Uncommon, and can be found in both

Western and Voudoun forms.

OWBN Rituals: The following rituals have been created by players and storytellers in OWBN.

Their inclusion here should not be taken as a sign of official approval; they are simply presented for reference. Storytellers are encouraged to use their own discretion when allowing any of these rituals to be used, taught, or learned by characters in their games.

Again, disclaimer: None of these rituals are "approved" by OWBN. They have all been approved by a Storyteller, but you are free to allow or disallow them as you see fit.

Basic Approaching the Shroud

This disturbing ritual brings a vampire closer to the grave, making her body unfeeling and pale, like that of a bloodless corpse. It takes an hour to cast, and requires a handful of soil from the grave. When the ritual is activated, the caster will feel her body grow cold and numb. During the ritual, the caster is down one trait in all Social

Challenges and acquires the Negative Physical Trait "Sickly" for the duration of the ritual. However, because the Vampire can feel no pain, she suffers no wound penalties to traits bid. The effects of the ritual last for one night.

Warding the Family

This ritual is frequently used by the Giovanni to ensure the well being of those family members that are ghouls rather than Cainites. The ritual takes a whole night to cast, but its effects last for one year. The Giovanni must anoint herself with the fluids from a human eyeball, and then drink at least two points of blood from the recipient of

146

this ritual. Then the recipient drinks a bit of blood from the Giovanni to complete the ritual. For the duration of this ritual's effect, whenever the recipient of this ritual believes that he is in mortal danger, the caster will sense this, and get a sudden mental image of whatever the subject sees at that moment (for instance the vampire about to put a bullet through the subject's head). Of course, if the victim dies suddenly and is taken by surprise (such as from a knife in the back), he will not know that he is in mortal danger and the ritual will not activate.

Wisdom of Bone

By obtaining a fragment of bone from an individual, as well as some of that person's blood, the caster can gain supernatural knowledge of that person's thoughts. The ritual takes an hour, and the bone must be crushed into a powder and mixed with at least one blood point from the target until it becomes a paste, which the caster swallows at the end of the ritual. For the rest of the night, the caster may use the Auspex power of Telepathy upon the target, from which the blood and bone were taken, even if the caster does not possess that power. Note that if the subject is a Cainite, the caster is one step towards becoming Blood Bound to the target when he drinks the paste.

Calling the Restless Spirit (Chicago by Night pg. 121, LoE pg. 80) Time Required: Ten minutes. Duration: Five minutes or until interrupted. Components: The name of or the area haunted by the one to whom she wishes to communicate.

This ritual allows the caster to speak with someone who has died. This ritual must be cast within 10 feet of the corpse. If the caster attempts to communicate with a ghost, she does not have to be near the body, but must be in the area the ghost haunts. This will work on a vampire who has died the Final Death, but not through diablerie.

Mechanics: By enacting this ritual, you can summon up a ghost for five minutes of conversation after succeeding on a Simple Test." Spirits summoned so may not be -very helpful, or even cooperative, and conversation is usually haltingly at best, due to the disjointed nature of being dead. But, once cast the spirit is required to remain present, unless dismissed, for the duration of the ritual. If the conversation is seriously interrupted, such as combat, then the ritual ends. For the duration of this five-minute ritual the spirit may not attack or adversely affect the Necromancer unless she takes offensive actions towards the spirit. Offensive actions, in the case of this ritual, only include actions that would either do 'physical' harm to the spirit (e.g., corpus damage) or would permanently bind the spirit. Manipulation and commanding of the spirit does not violate the protection that this ritual conveys to the Necromancer. Lastly some ghosts may not let the Necromancer finish casting the ritual, especially if they have seen it before and don't feel like talking...

Illusion of Peaceful Death (Chicago by Night pg. 121, UE pg. 84) Required: Five minutes.

147Duration: Permanent.

Components: White feathers. This ritual heals visible wounds on a corpse, making it appear as if the person

has died of natural causes. It does not add blood to a corpse, but will remove reasons for a person to check for blood loss.

Mechanics-. The caster must dust the body with awhile feather and expend two Mental Traits. The body must also contain at least one Blood Trait within its system and must not be missing any major limbs for the ritual to be effective. Anyone investigating the body, who is not specifically looking for exsanguination (death by blood loss), believes the person to have died of natural causes. If however exsanguination is specifically investigated a Static Mental Challenges versus the Necromancer's Mental Traits is necessary to diagnose the real cause of death. The effect is virtually permanent, however normal decaying will occur.

Preserve Corpse Time Required 30 min to prepare elixir Duration: Permanent once applied Components: A liquid composed of decaying organic materials and rare herbs. Prerequisites: Necromancy: Primary Path - Basic, Ability: Occult 1.

This ritual enables the user to create a special elixir that keeps dead things from rotting and deteriorating. It is a widely known ritual among the Nagaraja as well as a rare few Giovanni Necromancers.

Mechanics: The ritual requires the caster to use her hand, coating the material to be preserved, a special liquid composed of decaying organic materials and rare herbs. Once the liquid dries into the surface, the material is protected indefinitely. The ritual produces enough of the liquid to cover one large adult corpse. The elixir will lose potency unless applied within a week of its manufacture.

Summon Guardian Spirit (Sabbat Players Guide pg. 118, LoE pg. 89) Time Required: Thirty minutes Duration: 24 hours. Components: None.

This power allows the vampire to summon a spirit for the express purpose of guarding him. The spirit aids the vampire in no way except to alert him to danger.

Mechanics: The Necromancer must win a Static Social Challenge (difficulty of five Traits) to summon the spirit. If successful the spirit cannot do more than warn you of danger through interaction with the surrounding environment. Though the spirit cannot speak, it may communicate by ringing a bell, knocking on the bed, etc. In addition, the spirit will only be visible to the vampire during times of danger. The spirit serves the vampire for 24 hours.

Once enacted the Necromancer cannot be surprised for the duration of this ritual.

Intermediate Haunted House (Milwaukee by Night pg. 54, LoE pg. 83)

148

Time Required: Three hours. Duration: Ten years. Components: Three Blood Traits. Prerequisites: Necromancy: Primary Path - Advanced Ability: Spirit Lore I or Occult 2.

"This ritual may be cast on any Kindred's haven. After casting, rumors begin to circulate of the location being haunted, leading many to shun it. Even those who profess disbelief will avoid the place."

Mechanics: "You must spend three Blood Traits to cast this ritual, with more Blood Traits increasing the effect. The ritual will last for IO years, at which time, mortals will begin to rationalize the place as merely run-down or just weird." Any mortals, including ghouls and Garou, who wish to approach the 'Haunted House', must succeed in a Static Mental Challenge against the number of Blood Traits that were expended in the ritual's casting. If unsuccessful, they experience a sense of macabre and must avoid the area completely for a week's time before they can muster up the courage to try again, if ever.

This ritual may have negative effects, however. In terms of Wraith: the Oblivion - the ensorcelled location is considered a Haunt (W:10 pg. 16 1) and a wraith "... automatically gains a Mental Trait (which can be bid for purposes of crossing the Shroud)." Therefore the Haunted House may in fact actually become legitimately haunted. Commonplace Shroud ratings vary from 4-10, with the average at 8, but buildings so ensorcelled have Shroud ratings from 2- 8, with the average at 6.

Haunting Breeze (Black Hand Book pg. 79) Time Required: One hour. Duration: As long as the Necromancer remains within visual range of at least a portion of the affected area. Components: None. Prerequisites: Necromancy: Primary Path - Intermediate Ability: Spirit Lore I or Occult 2.

The Necromancer can summon a light, supernatural wind, which serves more to frighten than to harm. It is chilling, and those who listen can hear the warnings, curses, screams and laughter of the dead carried on it. Those who look closely can see the shapes of people swirling about in the wind. The wind can even be summoned inside an enclosed area.

Mechanics: The Haunting Breeze increases the difficulty of all perception-based Mental Challenges by four Traits, even for the Necromancer. And, unless individuals, save for the Necromancer, within the affected area succeed in a Static Mental Challenge against the Necromancer for each round they attempt to take an action, they are down two additional Traits in all Challenges. Any mortals within the area, who fail the Static Mental Test, run away in fear and cannot return for a minimum of one hour or until they spend a Willpower Trait to regain their nerve.

The ritual lasts as long as the Necromancer remains within visual range of at least a portion of the affected area (she need not remain within, or even relatively near the area), expiring when she leaves the area or causes the ritual to end.

149

This ritual actually opens a type of window into the Shadowlands for its duration. And, in terms of Wraith: the Oblivion - the ensorcelled location is considered a Haunt (W:tO pg. 16 1) and a wraith automatically gains a Mental Trait (which can be bid for

purposes of crossing the Shroud)." Also, the Shroud within the area is reduced by half of its normal rating. Commonplace Shroud ratings vary from 4-10, with the average at 8.

History: Note, most wraiths will look most favorably upon the Necromancer whilst this ritual is in effect -for it gives them the chance to more easily interact with the material realm - one in which most 'gravely missed. Some Necromancers actually utilize this ritual as a sort of reward for wraiths that have served her well. The Haunting (Sabbat Players Guide pg. 120, LoE pg. 90-91) Time Required: One hour. Duration: Variable. Components: None.

By casting this ritual, you may summon a malevolent spirit to cause fear in a target. Like a poltergeist, this spirit will play tricks on a subject, but its intentions are to frighten, to death if it can.

Mechanics: This spirit cannot directly harm the victim but if it wins a Social Challenge against her, the spirit makes Simple Tests until it loses to determine how much harm it can do. The customary spirit that is summoned with the ritual will possess 12 Social Traits; this may vary with ST discretion. The Narrator playing the spirit determines exactly what the spirit does.

1 success - Panic and alarm freezes the target in place for a few minutes. After the incident the victim is down one trait on all challenges for the remainder of the evening.

2 successes - Horror and shock causes her to faint. Upon waking the victim is down 2 traits on all challenges for that evening and the following evening.

3 successes absolute fright causes her to become Incapacitated. When consciousness is regained she will be three traits down on all challenges for the following three evenings and temporarily suffers from Paranoia of Spirits. At the end of the three days the victim engages in a static test Vs 8 traits to see if she suffers a permanent derangement.

4 Successes Terror incarnate "...can kill the target unless she wins a Static Physical Challenge..." versus 12 Social Traits. If successful, survivors "...may awaken to find their hair turned white from the experience." In addition, survivors must engage in a Static Test versus 12 Traits to see if they suffer a permanent Derangement from the incident. The Necromancer may use those not so lucky as to survive in their next existence on other victims of this ritual.

While Kindred cannot be 'frightened to death' - they can and will be terrified if they are relatively ignorant of the Spirit World. Being told that such a place exists does not in itself strengthen one's reality against the terror that can be unleashed by one of its denizens.

This ritual will affect kindred that are on the Path of Humanity with two or fewer Beast Traits, or any others that are similarity following naive ideologies unless they possess at least one point of Spirit Lore or two Occult Abilities. If four successes are scored against the Kindred victim, instead of dying, she receives a Morality check or a Psychological Flaw as she is driven insane - STs discretion. Morality Traits lost and

150

Flaws gained in such a manner should have some correlation to the Haunting - such as Phobia of Spirits or Paranoia.

The spirit will remain for a period of time based on the number of Occult Ability that the Necromancer possesses (as follows). Each night, past the first, the poltergeist will attempt another 'haunting' against the victim of this ritual.

1-2 Occult One Evening 3 Occult Two Nights 4 Occult Four Nights 5+ Occult Seven Nights

Shadowgate (Black Hand Book pg. 79) Time Required: Five minutes Duration: One hour Components: None. Prerequisites: Necromancy: Primary Path - Intermediate, Ability: Occult 2.

This ritual allows the Necromancer to enter or leave the Shadowlands by painting an X over each eye and then stepping into an extremely dark shadow.

Mechanics: The shadow will open up into the corresponding Shadowland, and the character can bring anything that he can carry. The X must be marked on with powder made of coal and human ashes.

Spirit Contract (See Blood Contract in VPG pg. 90 and LoE pg. 85) Time Required: One Night. Duration: Permanent or until the one meets the criteria for contractual completion. Components: The contract must be signed in the Blood of both parties. Prerequisites: Necromancy: Primary Path - Intermediate, Ability: Occult 3

This ritual creates an unbreakable bond between the two parties of a contract. The contract must be written in the caster's blood and takes about one night to complete. The ritual is finished when both parties sign the agreement in their own blood, after which they are compelled to abide by the terms as stated. The only way out is to complete one's part of the bargain or burn the contract.

Mechanics: To initially create a Spirit Contract the Necromancer must enchant a parchment, during the course of a night, and legibly inscribe it's written contents in the Necromancer's own blood. During the process of enchantment, the Necromancer designates a specific number of individuals, naming one, needed to sign the Spirit Contract. Until the specified number of individuals signs the Spirit Contract it remains inactive. The name, or names, signed on the Spirit Contract do not affect its viability, the Blood by which the name, or names, is signed does. For a Contract to be valid the signer, or signers, must sign in their own blood. If any one of the individuals signing the Contract does not sign in her own Blood the Contract becomes active but is non-binding. Thus, the Contract turns to ash - reference the select ways in which a Contract can be destroyed below for more details. Spirit Contracts can be utilized to restrict or compel the actions of those that sign them. The nature of Spirit Contracts dictates that

151

Those who sign the Contracts are "compelled to abide by the terms" of the Spirit Contract. Thus, the signers cannot unwillingly or unknowingly breach any portion of the Contract by delusion, trickery or other such means. If the individual who is contractually bound unwittingly attempts to break any clause in the contract she feels a sense of "impending doom." If she ignores the sense of "impending doom' and wishes to continue with her course of action she must expend 3 Willpower Traits and succeed in a Simple Test. If she is successful in breaching the Spirit Contract, in the aforementioned manner, a Spirit then haunts her. Note Ward vs. Spirits, Circle vs. Spirits, Ward vs. Wraiths, Circle vs. Wraiths, etc will not save someone that breaks a Spirit Contract; the Spirit will just haunt them in more roundabout ways. In fact, as long

As the Contract is intact the Spirit will continue to haunt those who are in abeyance of its contractual agreements.

The spirit has 13 Physical Traits, seven Social Traits and three Mental Traits, It has three Willpower Traits, the Abilities of Brawl x 3, Subterfuge, Intimidate x 3 and Occult. It also has the following:

Disciplines: Heightened Senses, Aura Perception, Might, Unseen Presence, Mask of 1000 Faces and Cloak the Gathering. When trying to frighten someone, the spirit gains three bonus Social Traits (Frightening x 3). Furthermore, the Spirit has the ability to move objects weighing less than 25 lbs. with its mind and while Unseen. In its normal form, the spirit is incorporeal, but it can spend a Mental Trait in order to become corporeal for five minutes. The appearance, actions and other details of the spirit are left up to the discretion of the Narrator.

There are, in fact, only a select few ways out of a Spirit Contract and they are as follows: A Spirit Contract's power will fade once the completion of one's part of the bargain is achieved, such as the acquisition of an item or the completion of a specified task. The next way out of a Spirit Contract is to have the actual Contract physically destroyed by burning the contract. Note no other means of physical destruction is possible. The Contract cannot, for example, be torn asunder and will not deteriorate over the centuries. Also, the Spirit Contract will be destroyed if the Contract was, when originally drafted, signed by multiple individuals (this is not a requirement) and only one individual remains, others having met Final Death or the final criteria, which follows.

Overall, once a Spirit Contract is non-binding the Contract turns to ash and the Necromantic Aura surrounding it dissipates.

152

Note, regarding the Discipline of Dominate, because “The command cannot be blatantly suicidal or self-destructive... attempts to Dominate someone, who is bound by a Spirit Contract, into breaking said Contract will fail outright. But note, Dominate may be utilized to force some to sign a contract in as far as the Contract is not "...blatantly suicidal or self-destructive. In other words; if the Contract allows the individual a means of survival, no matter how stringently their actions may be restrained, they cannot avoid signing it in this manner. It should also be noted, to players and Storytellers alike, that it is a VERY bad idea to leave any of the clauses in a Spirit Contract AT ALL ambiguous. Clauses for the most part should be black and white in their interpretations; this cuts down on endless amounts of strife over interpretations of the clauses. Thus, things like "One must follow the Oath of the Tremere", something that is purposefully riddled with inconsistencies and contradictory phrases, should NOT be included in a Spirit Contract. Specific clauses out of the Oath, on the other hand, which have black and white

interpretations such as "I shall obey those the House sees fit to name my superiors...” are commonly found in Spirit Contracts. Also, such sweeping statements like "One must follow the Traditions of the Camarilla" are highly unadvisable (for example, if a Prince removes her "acknowledgement" from a Kindred within her Domain, whose contract bears the aforementioned restriction, the individual is in abeyance of the 5th Tradition of Hospitality, which brings a more literally deadly meaning to "Without the word of acceptance, thou art nothing." Also, the contracted individual may not even disagree on any level with a Prince without breaking the 2nd Tradition of Domain, for "None may challenge thy word while within thy domain.") So overall, it is suggested that one does not allude to any other 'laws' or 'codes' from within a Spirit Contract - instead writing them out in detail to avoid any potential problems or contradictions.

Bottled Death

To cast this ritual, the caster needs a small bit of flesh from a Cainite. The flesh (preferably fresh), must be mixed with at least two blood points from either a lupine or a changeling (ingredients which are both difficult to obtain, due to the ferocity of the first and the elusiveness of the second). The mixture of flesh and blood is then placed in a small glass vial that is engraved with a mystical symbol. After chanting the words of the ritual, the vial is stooped and left in absolute darkness for a week. After this period, the flesh gobbets have liquefied and become absorbed into the blood, which has become a deadly poison to kindred. If the from the vial is subsequently drunken by or injected into a Vampire, it inflicts three health levels of Aggravated Damage for each point consumed. The blood is especially lethal to the Cainite whose flesh was used in the ritual, for if he so much as touches the blood, it is instantly absorbed into his skin, and he takes damage as though he had consumed the blood.

Skull Sentry

This old ritual was allegedly developed by the Giovanni during the Dark Ages, to protect them from spies using Obfuscate (although some say that the ritual was actually taught to a Giovanni by a Celtic necromancer). The ritual is also effective against kindred using Vicissitude to change their appearance so they can infiltrate the Giovanni. To cast this ritual, the Giovanni must cut the head from a living creature using a special knife that is engraved with runic symbols and lightly powdered with gold dust. Then the severed head must be completely drenched in blood. Any blood may be used, but typically the caster uses her own blood as well as that of a few trusted ghouls (because the ritual activates when an individual whose blood was not used in the casting approaches the head). The head is then buried underground until all the flesh has decayed from it. At this point, the skull is extracted, polished, and placed near an item or area that the caster wishes it to guard. Thereafter, any individual whose blood was not used in the casting of the ritual will, when approaching within twenty feet of the skull, activate a disturbing effect. Blood will drip from the eye sockets of the skull, which starts to glow with a ruddy hue. This effect ends when the person that has triggered it leaves the area.

Thirst of the Beast

153

This ritual is very useful for Giovanni that are trying to locate Kindred that are attempting to lose pursuit by blending into a crowd of Kine. However, it does have some drawbacks, and is best used only by those kindred who have few, if any, Beast Traits. The 30-minute long ritual requires some fetid water be drunk with at least one blood point of Kine Vitae. At this point, the caster will be unable to gain any nourishment at all from human vitae for the rest of the night; only the blood of vampires will provide any nourishment whatsoever. The advantage is that should the caster's blood pool fall to five or fewer traits during the night, he will be able to identify all vampires within fiftyfeet by succeeding in a Static Mental Challenge against a difficulty of two traits. He senses the Vampire by the distinctive odor of their blood. Unfortunately, the caster must spend a point of willpower to avoid frenzy and exsanguinating the Kindred whose blood he smells. It is rumored that if this ritual is used overmuch, its effects become permanent, especially upon Vampires that are already quite old and are beginning to experience the thinning of the blood.

Ancestor's Graces

Dismisses Summoning one whole evening, like the Thaumaturgy ritual Pavis, and acts as if the summoning simply fails. The requirements for this ritual are the at least 200 years old bones of one of the caster's direct mortal ancestors that have lain at least one evening in The Loggia. The bone must then be pulverized into a fine powder and placed on the Giovanni's forehead in the sign of the cross (just like Ash Wednesday.) Due to the specific component only the Giovanni Clan know and use this ritual.

Scream of the Banshee Time Required: 6 hours Duration: Permanent until activated Components: The finger bone of a corpse Prerequisites: Necromancy: Primary Path - Intermediate, Ability: Occult 3

This ritual allows a Necromancer to infuse the scream of a banshee into a finger bone of a corpse.

Mechanics: The Necromancer chants over a finger bone of a corpse for 6 hours investing as many mental traits as she wants into the bone. Once the ritual is complete, the bone becomes a one-shot dangerous weapon. When the finger bone is crushed, all Characters within 30' or inside a room (whichever is smaller) must make a physical challenge vs. the number of mental traits invested in the bone. If they fail, they take 1 level of lethal damage and are deaf until that wound is healed. If a character has heightened senses up at the time of the finger bone's destruction, they are 6 traits down on this challenge and if they fail, they take 2 levels of lethal damage that needs to be healed before the character can hear again.

Advanced Curse of Clytaemnestra (Milwaukee by Night pg. 53, LoE pg. 85) Time Required: One day

154

Duration: Permanent Components: A personal possession of the target as well as some of his blood. Prerequisites: Necromancy: Primary Path - Advanced, Ability: Occult 3.

Through use of this ritual the Necromancer, “rapidly, decaying him into nothing", is able to destroy one male mortal (including ghouls) by aging him

Mechanics: The Necromancer "must have a personal possession of the subject, as well as at least one Blood Trait, The ritual takes one full day to cast. The target can resist by winning a Static Physical Challenge, the difficulty determined by the number of Blood Traits invested by the caster during the ritual. If the subject ties, then he is merely crippled and takes three normal wounds." (3-7-99)

Mass Grave (Black Hand Book pg. 80) Time Required: Ten minutes Duration: varies Components: A silver dagger, a sentient sacrifice and empty graves Prerequisites: Necromancy: Primary Path - Advanced, Ability: Occult 3

This ritual is like Shadowland Passage except that it can affect an entire group. Everyone going to the Shadowlands must be buried together in one grave, using dirt mixed with the remains of at lest one freshly killed intelligent creature.

Mechanics: To enact this ritual the Necromancer must sacrifice a sentient creature (Mortal, Vampire, Garou, etc.) by plunging a specially prepared pure silver dagger into its chest. The blood, flowing from the dagger's wound, then pours out and soaks the moist soil of the empty grave. This blood soaked soil is then used to lightly cover the Necromancer and her entourage. This is usually accomplished by having Ghouls do so, whist they lay in graves. Due to these actions, the Necromancer and her entourage will cross the Shroud into the Shadowlands.

The Necromancer must have been in the location in the Shadowlands sometime previously if she is attempting to transport herself, and her possible entourage, to somewhere other than the directly corresponding Shadowlands. Once in the Shadowlands, the Necromancer can return herself, and the -other- to either where the ritual was enacted or to their current corresponding location in the Skinlands, and therefore ending the ritual. If she does not accompany them, they my only step into the corresponding Skinlands.

Shadowland Passage (Black Hand Book pg. 80) Time Required: One action Duration: varies Components: A silver dagger Prerequisites: Necromancy: Primary Path - Advanced, Ability: Occult 3

"The vampire can physically pass into any location of the Shadowlands,provided that she has been in that location before." "Members of the Black Hand use(d) this ritual to get to Enoch."

155

Mechanics: "The necromancer symbolically kills herself by plunging a specially prepared dagger into her heart..." (doing one Wound Level) "...and failing into a body of

water deep enough to cover her. The dagger must be made from the purest silver, and the hilt must have at least one vampire fang worked into it. The Necromancer, in a method similar to Shadowgate, may carry any items that she carried on her while casting this ritual into the Shadowlands.

The Necromancer must have been in the location in the Shadowlands sometime previously if she is attempting to transport herself to somewhere other than the directly corresponding Shadowlands. "When she returns from the Shadowlands, she will reappear in the water."

Spirit Of Torment (Sabbat Players Guide pg. 121, LoE pg. 93) Time Required: Ninety minutes Duration: Varies Components: None Prerequisites: Necromancy: Primary Path - Advanced; Ability- Wraith Lore, Occult 3

"Similar to 'The Haunting', this ritual lets you summon a spirit to do your bidding. This time, the spirit is capable of taking on physical form and doing real damage to others."

Mechanics: "in order to summon the spirit, you must win a Social Challenge. Once the challenge is won, the spirit obeys your commands to the letter, until to it takes damage to its physical form. At that point, the spirit flees." ...unless other means of control are exerted over the spirit. "The spirit will stay only for a limited time based upon the Necromancer's Occult Ability and/or her Spirit Lore. Only one such Spirit can be summoned and sustained, without other means of control, at any one point in time.

Occult/ Spirit Lore

Duration

1-2 One Scene 3 One Hour 4 One Night 5+ One Week

"The spirit has 13 Physical Traits, seven Social Traits and three Mental Traits, It

has three Willpower Traits, the Abilities of Brawl x4, Intimidate x 3 and Occult. It also has the following Disciplines: Heightened Senses, Aura Perception, Might, Unseen Presence, Mask of 1000 Faces and Cloak the Gathering. When trying to frighten someone, the spirit gains three bonus Social Traits (Frightening x 3). Furthermore, by winning a Mental Challenge, the spirit can see and identify anything in the local Near Umbra." In its normal form, the spirit is incorporeal, but it can spend a Mental Trait in order to become corporeal for five minutes. The appearance, actions and other details of the spirit are left up to the discretion of the Narrator.

Echoed Sacrifice

156

To begin this ritual, the caster must have at least one drop of blood from the individual that she wishes to subject to this gruesome torture. She then must cut off the limb of a living Kine, and draw mystical symbols upon one of her own limbs. That limb

will suddenly shrivel and become unusable. The caster will experience no pain from this self-mutilation; however, the target of this ritual will be subjected to hellish agony, and is one trait down in all three categories while this ritual is in effect. The caster may end the ritual at any time by severing her shriveled limb (this may be regrown in one week through the expenditure of Blood Traits). It should be noted that this ritual is used only to torture an enemy, and almost never to weaken them in preparation for an attack upon them. Should the tormented subject die or drop into torpor before the caster ends the ritual, all effects of this ritual become permanent (i.e., the caster's limb is permanently shriveled and unusable and the subject suffers permanent trait loss due to severe pain). Torment the Shattered Spirit

This powerful ritual helps the necromancer hide all evidence of diablerie. It requires a living Kine to serve as a vessel for the remnants of the spirit that the necromancer has diablerized. Although other beings such as Garou, Kindred, etc. may also serve as a vessel, this is inadvisable since the being will be hostile once the remnants of the diablerized victim have been channeled into it. The mannerisms, speech patterns, and facial expressions of the diablerized being are evident in the vessel. The vessel is then sacrificed in another elaborate ritual lasting one hour. This eliminates all black veins gained by the diablerie of that Kindred (but not black veins gained from other diablerie) from the aura of that caster. Soul shards are not removed, however and in fact the will be cursed with one or two additional soul shards after the ritual is complete. Precautions must also be taken to ensure that the vessel does not escape. In the one documented incident when this occurred, the vessel allegedly developed strange supernatural powers and evinced an obsession with getting vengeance upon the caster. (Storytellers should see 'The Risen,' a supplement for Wraith, for ideas about what would happen should this unlikely event occur.)

Leap into the Shadowlands Time Required: 6 hours. Duration: Permanent until activated Components: The finger bone of the Necromancer Prerequisites: Necromancy: Primary Path - Advanced, Ability: Occult 4, Spirit Lore 2

This ritual allows a Necromancer a quick leap into the Shadowlands. Mechanics: The Necromancer chants over a finger bone that they have removed

from themselves for 6 hours, bathing the finger bone in 3 traits of their blood, burning a Willpower, and investing as many mental traits as she wants into the bone. Once the ritual is complete, the bone becomes a one-shot leap for the Necromancer into the Shadowlands. When the finger bone is destroyed you make a static challenge of the Mental traits invested into the finger bone vs. the level of the shroud. If you succeed, you leap into the Shadowlands. To return you just need to expend a willpower trait. You can take with you only the inanimate objects that you carry. You cannot pull living or undead creatures in with you.

You must be a Necromancer to enter the Shadowlands.

Spirit Bringer

157

Time Required: 16 hours (minus 1 hour for every level of Occult Ability and Wraith Lore possessed by the caster)

Duration: Permanent Components: Object to be imbued with Spirit Bringer. Three destroyed fetters

and at least one blood trait from each Necromancer that will be attuned to the item. Prerequisites: At least one Necromancer with two Necromancy Paths at

Advanced. Plus the total Occult and Wraith Lore abilities must be, at least, 10 (i.e. One Necromancer with Occult 3 and Wrath lore 3 another with Occult 3 and Wraith lore 1).

This ritual allows 2 or more Necromancers to imbue an item with the ability to create a fetter with any Wraith that is created in its presence. This means that if someone dies in the presence of the item and they become a wraith there is a chance that the wraith becomes fettered to the item

Mechanics: To create the ritual the Necromancers prepare an appropriate item and then bathes the item in their blood for 16 hours (minus 1 hour for every level of occult ability and wraith lore). Each Necromancer involved in the ritual must expend one willpower trait. Once the ritual is complete, the Necromancers involved are attuned to the item and the item has the following properties. When a creature that can become a Wraith dies in the presence of the item, they get two extra retests to become a Wraith. These retests are used after any normal retests. If the creature becomes a Wraith and had to use these retests, it becomes a drone with only the staff as a five-point fetter. This drone cannot escape the presence of the item and is considered compelled to the owner. If the creature becomes a Wraith without using the two extra retests, the wraith does up to five mental challenges vs. the traits of the Necromancer who created the item until he wins. Each failure means the item becomes a one-point fetter. If someone not attuned to the item grabs it, they are highlighted in the Shadowlands with a pale red aura and all wraiths fettered to the item will attack the person until the item is in the possession of someone attuned to it. All Wraithly powers affect this individual with greater ease and severity (Storytellers using Oblivion should require the target to bid an additional trait when Arcanoi are directed against the bearer of the beacon).

A Necromancer attuned to the staff may choose to make any of the item's drones visible to the skinlands All effects are permanent until the item is destroyed.

Spirit Bringer Staff Bonus Traits- Tough*8, +2 traits Negative Traits- Heavy Damage- one of bashing Special Ability- this staff may be used stake vampires using the tip. Staff is super hard and strong as the Staff is hardened with Arcanoi.

158

End Credits

To tell the truth I really can’t believe it’s finally done. This project has eaten more hours than you could possibly realize. Free time went out the window, and real life was on hold. It’s done. More than 160 pages of it, with more than 30 people’s contributions in submissions, editing, formatting, and loads more help. I couldn’t be more proud with this final product. I may not agree with all that is contained here, but the effort that brought it to you in this format is thanks the cooperation of many people that, to be honest, just didn’t have to cooperate. Everyone did. They worked their butt’s off, and you have in front of you the first packet of it’s type.

From Tremere: Dennis Sharpe, Kevin Wilhite, Dan Herbstreith From Setite: Tony Davis, Josh Tanner From Assamite: John Hawthorne, Dave Hoffman From Sabbat: Matt Solon, Jason Brandon From Giovanni: Alex Kallend There were so many more contributors that I can’t begin to name them all. If You

aren’t mentioned here, and you know you helped, then know that I will thank you in person, or have thanked you in person. Without the contributions of all on this project it wouldn’t be as good as it is.

All My Thanks, Dennis Sharpe OWbN Tremere Coordinator

This document is an entirely unofficial use of the Vampire: The Masquerade and A World of Darkness gaming materials published by White Wolf Game Studios and not intended as an official or profit making venture in any way, shape or form. Although the use of these concepts, rules, etc., is unauthorized, no infringement is intended. The creator of this document is not affiliated with White Wolf Games Studios in any way.

159