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https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Diablerie_(VTM)?so=search
Diablerie (VTM)
Diablerie, also called the Amaranth, is a term used by vampires to describe the act of drinking another Cainite's blood and drawing their soul into one's own.
Overview
“ And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm... ” — Isaiah 9:20, King James Bible Diablerie involves the consumption of another Kindred's vitae to the point of Final Death, but as the soul is consumed with the vampire's heart's blood, the vampire's destruction is absolute. Most vampires consider it a heinous act, akin to cannibalism.
The aggressor, dubbed the diablerist, automatically loses some of its Humanity and is branded by black streaks in their aura that may persist for several years. Still, the practice holds a great deal of allure, for it is said to bestow the greatest pleasure imaginable to the diablerist, greater than the Kiss, and can also grant him or her greater power.
Diablerizing the soul of a Cainite of significant age is one of the few ways of lowering one's generation, for if the victim possessed more potent blood then the diablerist's, the diablerist's Generation drops by one, possibly more if the victim was of notably lower Generation. However, there is the risk of some portion of the victim's soul living on within the diablerist. Rumors abound of diablerists taking on the mannerisms of their victims, and even stranger tales speak of the victims consuming their assailants from within and taking over their bodies. Some Antediluvians and methuselahs are believed to have survived their death in this manner.
The Traditions of the Camarilla strongly forbid the practice, but the majority of the Sabbat and Assamites consider it quite acceptable, one of the reasons both groups are viewed with such fear and disgust. While one's rank in a Path of Enlightenment may fall as a result of committing diablerie, several Paths actually encourage vampires to perform the act under the proper circumstances.
Amaranth
Amaranth is a small red finch from Africa, and some theorize the association with the practice of diablerie arose from the predominant color with the bird and with the drinking. Another hypothesis suggests that it comes from a red orchid traditionally sent to the future victim of diablerie, as an advance warning one week prior to the attack in antiquity and the Dark Ages. Others claim that the association with the word came from a Toreador methuselah called "Amarantha", who might have been the first victim of this foul deed.
Heart's Blood
Assamite studies of vitae have isolated the part within a vampire's blood that contains the soul. They call it "heart's blood" and it manifests as a thick, blackish liquid that quickly grows dry when it leaves the body.[1] Via applications of Quietus, they are able to manipulate the heart's blood to allow them to diablerize a victim later. Furthermore, studies in Quietus have found a way to force the last drop of vitae within a vampire's body to calcify the heart into a semi-translucent grayish-white flask known as a "Debitum". The Debitum enshrouds the spiritual essence (the "heart's-blood") of the victim – which, if examined in detail, can be seen encased within, swimming in despair. Heart’s-blood preserved in this way endures indefinitely. If vampiric fangs pierce it, the heart reanimates, pumping a cupful of celadon-colored, aqueous, non-burning flame vaguely resembling the victim into the vampire's maw. The vampire gains all the benefits of diablerie from this.[2] Heart's blood plays an important role in Assamite society, being used for rituals of the Path of Blood, studies of the Sorcerer and Vizier Caste and used to repay one's master in Alamut.[1]
Gameplay
In gameplay terms, diablerie is rolled by draining another Kindred of blood just as he would a mortal, but continue feeding at this point. An extended Strength roll is made against a difficulty of 9. Every success inflicts one level of aggravated damage, and diablerie is complete when all health levels are attacked.
The supplement The Black Hand: A Guide to the Tal'Mahe'Ra, introduces rules for diablerie that lowers the diablerist's generation by more than one, gaining Discipline dots from Disciplines that the victim had higher than the diablerist and how the victim can possess the diablerist.
Etymology
Diablerie: The word comes from French diable (from Latin diabolus, meaning "devil") + -erie ("art or practice of").
Amaranth: Like the name of the plant, the word comes from Ancient Greek and means "everlasting flower".
Homebrew notes on Diablerie:
If the vampire is Path of Humanity or any Path that would forbid Diablerie the character loses one point of Humanity or Path automatically. One more roll is required as a utterly depraved act. So it would be typical to lose 2 points of Humanity or Path. If the roll botches, the character loses 3 points.
I don't care about limiting diablerie advancement. The character takes the new generation if it is an improvement.
In addition the body takes on experience for this action. It varies based on age.
The vampire is less than 10 years past its first death: 1 experience.
The vampire is less than 11-100 years past its first death: 10 experience.
The vampire is less than 101-500 years past its first death: 20 experience.
The vampire is less than 501-1000 years past its first death: 30 experience.
The vampire is less than 1001-2000 years past its first death: 40 experience.
The vampire is less than 2001-3000 years past its first death: 50 experience.
The vampire is less than 3001-4000 years past its first death: 60 experience.
The vampire is less than 4001-5000 years past its first death: 70 experience.
The vampire is less than 5001-6000 years past its first death: 80 experience.
The vampire is less than 6001-7000 years past its first death: 90 experience.
The vampire is more than 7000 years past its first death: 100 experience.
A vampire with 5 or more levels of generation above their killer may take over the new body. It's a contested roll of Willpower at difficulty 8. Botches take away successes. The first to 30 successes wins.
If the new body is taken over, the vampire brings all of their skills and disciplines over, as well as their mental attributes, their Charisma and their Manipulation. They gain their killer's language, Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, and Appearance. They also gain 100 experience they can use to improve their skills or disciplines with things they would like to keep from their attacker.
The Storyteller should update the player in between sessions as the new personality takes over...
https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Blood_Pool?so=search
Blood Pool
In Vampire: The Masquerade, the quantity and concentration of an individual's blood is measured by their blood pool, consisting of a number of individual blood points that approximate how nourishing that blood is to vampires. When not in torpor, vampires expend one blood point a night in order to sustain their existence, but blood points can be spent in other ways to fuel the vampire's mystical power. The maximum size of one's blood pool is not related to volume; elder vampires concentrate their blood internally, so a neonate and Methuselah both store approximately ten pints of fluid, even though a Methuselah will have more blood points than the neonate. Similarly, humans have larger blood pools than cows, despite cows having a considerably greater volume of blood.
Blood points are a metagame gauge of a vampire's reserves, and most vampires do not think of blood in terms of discrete "points"; instead they merely know when they are sated, and when they are running low. However, a Tremere scholar devised a method of quantifying the efficiency of a vampire's vitae, using several scales and experimental measures involving waking, Discipline use, healing, and augmenting the subject's strength. It is through this research he "discovered" blood points, though he called them "Vitae Efficacy Units", or VEUs. This theory is not widely known, and is too scientific an approach to the Curse of Caine for most vampires to be interested, though Dr. Douglas Netchurch has made extensive use of it in his research into the thin-blooded.
In Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition, the blood pool has been replaced with a Hunger mechanic.
Mechanics
Uses for Blood Points
One blood point can heal a level of bashing or lethal damage in a single turn
One blood point can raise a Physical Attribute by one dot for a scene, up to one dot above their generational trait maximum. More blood can be spent to raise said attributes above said limit, but doing so lasts only 3 turns.
Some Discipline powers require spending blood points to activate their effects.
Feeding a mortal or animal even one blood point makes them a ghoul of the vampire. Every subsequent feeding (on subsequent nights) establishes a stronger blood bond.
(8 - Humanity rating) blood points can activate the "Blush of Life" and allow vampire's to simulate being alive to a certain extent. Those who follow a Path of Enlightenment are incapable of doing such.
Children of the Night
https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Animalism_(VTM)
Animalism (VTM)
Animalism is a Discipline that brings the vampire closer to their animalistic nature. This not only allows them to communicate with and gain dominance over creatures of nature, but gives them influence over the Beast itself.
Overview
Animalism is particularly common among the clans that are most removed from humanity, though many of its powers specifically target the Beasts of mortals and Cainites.
As Disciplines are as much reflections of the Curse of Caine as the traditional banes, extensive use of Animalism often leads to a withering of social skills, as users begin to prefer the simplicity and predictability of animals over the mores of society and the treachery of Kindred and kine alike.[1]
Some devoted practitioners (usually elders who have reached advanced powers) forget that animals are not as sophisticated as humans, treating them as he would humans and expecting them to react like them.[2]
Official Abilities
Included below are the official powers described in supplements for Vampire: The Masquerade and Dark Ages: Vampire. Sources are described below in the order they were printed.
Standard Powers
[1]- Feral Whispers: Speak telepathically with an animal whose eyes you meet. (Manipulation + Animal Ken)
- [2]
- Beckoning: Summon animals of a particular type to you. (Charisma + Survival)
- [3]
- Quell the Beast: Cow a mortal into a state of fear or apathy. (Manipulation + Intimidation)
- [4]
- Subsume the Spirit: Possess the body of an animal. (Manipulation + Animal Ken)
- [5]
- Drawing Out the Beast: When about to Frenzy, send your Beast into another person. (Manipulation + Self Control)
There is nothing listed above costs Blood Points to use.
https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Auspex_(VTM)
Auspex
Overview
Auspex is as much a reflection of the Curse of Caine as the traditional banes, as it can lead to an obsession with minutiae and distraction from important matters due to focusing on minor details[1]. Also, higher mastery of the discipline can result in Cainites who are accustomed to using Auspex to read the minds of people in any situation and may suddenly find themselves unable to shut the mind-reading down. These vampires find themselves overwhelmed with "background noise" or, if only in the company of one or two people, answering unasked questions.[2]
It is one of the most common and favored Disciplines amongCainitesdue to its versatility and overall usefulness in just about every facet of vampiric existence. In addition to the individual powers granted at each level, Auspex allows someone the opportunity to see through illusions, such as fromObfuscateorChimerstry, so long as the user possesses at least an equal mastery in Auspex as the Discipline in question. Furthermore, it has been known to grant some degree of oracular ability, particularly when alerting a Cainite to danger, even if they are intorpor.
Official Abilities
Included below are the official powers described in supplements forVampire: The MasqueradeandDark Ages: Vampire. Sources are described below in the order they were printed.
Interestingly enough, inVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Auspex is a progressive Discipline like Celerity or Potence. It has no individual powers, just one effect which grows in strength.
Standard Powers
- Heightened Senses: Raise your five senses to superhuman levels (double clarity and range of sight, hearing and smell).
- Aura Perception: Learn various qualities of a person from their aura (Perception + Empathy)
- The Spirit's Touch: Learn something of an object and its previous owner from its resonance (Perception + Empathy)
- Telepathy: Briefly probe someone's mind or project a telepathic message to them (Intelligence + Subterfuge)
- Psychic Projection: Free your mind to travel the world in astral form (Perception + Occult)
There is nothing listed above costs Blood Points to use.
https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Celerity_(VTM)
Celerity (VTM)
Celerity is a Discipline that grants vampires supernatural quickness and reflexes.
Overview
For some Cainites, the mortal world moves in slow motion. In times of stress, vampires with Celerity can move with amazing speed, becoming blurs of motion to anyone, mortal or immortal, who does not possess the Discipline. Celerity is common to the Banu Haqim, Brujah, and Toreador clans. The Banu Haqim utilize the Discipline to strike down their foes before they can mount a counterattack. Toreador are more likely to use the Discipline to lend supernatural grace to live performances such as a dance, but can be as terrifying as the Children of Haqim if they are angered.
Normally each dot provides either bonus dice for any action linked to Dexterity (fighting, lock-picking, driving ...) or an additional action that can be used for movement, attacking, or other physical feats in a single round without penalties for multiple actions (The pool can be split as needed). This extraordinary speed violates the laws of physics in that the Cainite does not experience any change in momentum, friction, etc. A knife thrown by someone using Celerity is not any faster, and a vampire moving at incredible speeds will never catch fire no matter how fast they move.
Although Celerity is a common discipline, its similarity to Temporis seems to place its origin with Clan Brujah. Any vampire who learns Temporis (and any True Brujah, who have an affiliation in the blood for it) may never learn or use Celerity.[1]
As part of the Curse upon Caine, heavy reliance on Celerity can lead to impatience with the slow pace of nightly life, leaving the vampire hungry and exhausted after each use.[2] Becoming too accustomed to the slow world that a vampire sees when Celerity is active can lead to disorientation when the world "speeds up" as the Discipline ends.[3]
In the original second edition, Celerity grants extra action equal to the level of Celerity achieved, with full dice for each action. It's a one blood point per turn cost, unlike in revised and later editions. This version is far more powerful than what follows.
https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Dominate_(VTM)
Dominate (VTM)
Dominateis aDisciplinethat overwhelms another person's mind with thevampire's will, forcing victims to think or act according to the vampire's decree.
Overview
Dominate's aspect of the curse of vampirism is that it devalues the basics of true friendship or intimacy. Dominate also dulls the empathy of the user, and one must take care not to become accustomed to being surrounded by sycophants at all times.[1]Some become incapable of understanding why anyone would not agree with them, follow their commands or do whatever they can to serve them.[2]
While undeniably powerful, its use almost always adheres to two important restrictions: the user must meet the eyes of the target and must speak in a language that is clearly heard and understood by the target. Furthermore, this Discipline cannot be used uponCainitesof lowergenerationand cannot force someone to be self-destructive or defy theirNature. Using Dominate is often considered very heavy-handed, hardly appropriate within what passes for polite vampiric society, but it is also favored by those of age and status as an efficient means of asserting their authority.
Official Abilities
Included below are the official powers described in supplements forVampire: The MasqueradeandDark Ages: Vampire. Sources are described below in the order they were printed.
Standard Powers
- Command: Give a simple one-word order that a target must obey. (Manipulation + Intimidation)
- Mesmerize: By holding a target with your gaze you can implant false thoughts or hypnotic suggestions in a target's mind (Manipulation + Leadership)
- The Forgetful Mind: Rewrite the memories of a target (Wits + Subterfuge)
- Conditioning: Over time make a target a slave to your will alone (Charisma + Leadership)
- Possession: Transfer your mind into a mortal body and control their actions (Manipulation + Intimidation)
There is nothing listed above costs Blood Points to use.
https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Fortitude
Fortitude
Fortitude is a Discipline that grants Kindred unearthly toughness, even to the point of resisting fire and sunlight.
Overview
Fortitude grants the Cainite the ability to resist all kinds of damage, however it fulfills its part of God's curse in that it bred arrogance and overconfidence. Sometimes, Cainite masters of Fortitude become convinced of their own indestructibility to the point that they disregard even mortal danger, as their survival instincts slowly atrophy.[1]
Normally Fortitude does not need to be activated, and each dot is added to all soak rolls. Even Risen wraiths may also acquire this Discipline with the right training.
Like Auspex, Fortitude is particularly common among the vampiric bloodlines.
Official Abilities
In classic versions of Vampire prior to the Fifth Edition, there are no individual powers for Fortitude until level 6. At that point, characters may choose to gain additional Fortitude soak dice or learn a unique power. Included below are the official powers described in supplements for Vampire: The Masquerade and Dark Ages: Vampire. Sources are described below in the order they were printed.
Each dot of Fortitude provides one soak dice against anything. This can be stacked up to the game cap of 20 stacked soak dice. There is nothing listed above costs Blood Points to use.
Also note, homebrew also gives this supernatural armor the further bonus of providing one bonus Bruised health level per dot. This may be stacked through supernatural and mundane armors to reach up to the game cap of +13 Bruised health levels for 14 total Bruised Health levels.
https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Obfuscate_(VTM)
Obfuscate (VTM)
Obfuscate is a Discipline that allows vampires to conceal themselves, deceive the mind of others, or make them ignore what the user does not want to be seen.
Overview
Obfuscate is part of Caine's curse on the Antediluvians in blotting them out from creation. Frequent users of the Discipline find themselves divorced from society, never participating in social interactions, only observing.[1] Some advanced users find themselves unable and unwilling to deactivate the discipline, believing themselves surrounded by similar hidden creatures that wait only to attack them.[2]
It is one of the more popular Disciplines practiced by Cainites, and is the source of legends surrounding the ability of vampires to vanish and appear seemingly from nowhere. Obfuscate is mentally based; its powers achieve their effects by manipulating the minds of others, not in creating any real changes, and thus will not work against creatures immune to such mental effects or technological sensors. Vampires with levels of Auspex may also bypass the effects of Obfuscate.[3]
Official Abilities
Included below are the official powers described in supplements for Vampire: The Masquerade and Dark Ages: Vampire. Sources are described below in the order they were printed.
Standard Powers
- Cloak of Shadows [1]: Remain hidden so long as you do not move
- Unseen Presence [2]: Become invisible to others so long as you do not attract attention (Wits + Stealth)
- Mask of a Thousand Faces [3]: Change your appearance and mannerisms to mimic someone else (Manipulation + Performance)
- Vanish/Fade from the Mind's Eye [4]: Disappear right from in front of someone (Charisma + Steallth)
- Cloak the Gathering [5]: Extend your Obfuscate powers to a group
There is nothing listed above costs Blood Points to use.
https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Obtenebration_(VTM)
Obtenebration
Obtenebration is the trademark Discipline of clan Lasombra which is the unearthly control over shadows. It is related to the practice of Abyss Mysticism within the clan.
Overview
Obtenebration is said to further damn the vampire who uses it, who removes himself further from God's grace and into the dark pull of the Abyss. For this reason, the user is shunned by animals and humans alike.[1] Proficient users may manifest physical changes: eyes become pools of utter darkness, shadows move of their own accord in her presence, and from time to time, spontaneous Obtenebration effects may manifest.[2]
The unnatural darkness summoned by Obtenebration is extremely frightening to mortals, animals, and even other Cainites unaccustomed to its use. The exact nature of this Discipline is unknown even among its greatest masters, and it has been a subject of religious, philosophical, and metaphysical debate among vampires for millennia. The Shadow Crusade believes that Obtenebration stems from the Iryi Azaneal, who gave Lasombra parts of its qlippothic powers in order to manifest in this world.
Its greatest scholars are the followers of the Path of Night and practitioners of Abyss Mysticism, which draws on knowledge of this Discipline in its rituals. While fairly common within the Sabbat, Obtenebration is virtually nonexistent among Camarilla vampires and anyone seen using it would be regarded with extreme suspicion.
Official Abilities
Included below are the official powers described in supplements for Vampire: The Masquerade and Dark Ages: Vampire. Sources are described below in the order they were printed.
Standard Powers
- Shadow Play: Move and shape the natural shadows around you 1 Blood Point to use
- Shroud of Night: Blanket an area in a cloud of unnatural shadow that obscures light, sound, and heat. (Manipulation + Occult) 1 Blood Point
- Arms of the Abyss: Summon black tentacles from the shadows to assist you. (Manipulation + Occult) 1 Blood Point
- Black Metamorphosis: Encase your body in nightmarish armor and grow black tentacles from your sides. (Manipulation + Courage) 2 Blood Points
- Tenebrous Form: Transform into pure shadow that can only be harmed by fire, sunlight, or magic. 3 Blood Points
