Obtenebration

The signature power of the Lasombra, Obtenebration grants the vampire power over darkness itself. The nature of the darkness invoked by Obtenebration is a matter of intense debate among Kindred. Some believe it to be merely shadows, while others feel that the power gives control over the stuff of the vampire's soul, coaxing it tangibly outward. Regardless, the effects of Obtenebration are terrifying, as waves of darkness roil out from the Cainite, enveloping those in their path like an infernal wave. As Obtenebration is mostly known as a Sabbat Discipline, any Camarilla vampire caught using the power had better have a damned good explanation.

Note: Vampires using Obtenebration can see through the darkness they control, though other vampires (even those that also have Obtenebration) cannot. Dreadful tales of rival Lasombra struggling to blind and smother each other with the same wisps of darkness circulate among young members of the Clan, though no elders have come forth to substantiate these claims.

• Shadow Play:

This power grants the vampire limited control over shadows and other ambient darkness. Though the vampire cannot truly "create" darkness, she can overlap and stretch existing shadows, creating patches of gloom. This power also allows Kindred to separate shadows from their casting bodies and even shape darkness into the shadows of things that are not there. Once a Kindred takes control of darkness or shadow, it gains a mystical tangibility. By varying accounts cold or hellishly hot and cloying, the darkness may be used to aggravate or even smother victims. Certain callous Lasombra claim to have choked mortals to death with their own shadows.

Cost: 1 Vitae

Dice Pool: —

Action: Reflexive

Duration: Scene

The vampire can either cloak herself in darkness or use the darkness to distract an opponent. If used upon oneself, Shadow Play adds one die to Stealth rolls, subtracts one die from all incoming ranged attacks and adds one die to Intimidation rolls. While this power is active on oneself, characters may also move, change, and animate shadows, which can include separating them from their original source. This can include moving shadows in such a way as to allow the character to see better, which reduces any penalty incurred by darkness by the amount of the character’s Obtenebration rating.

Used against an opponent they are plagued by flapping shadows and strangling darkness subtract one dot from their stamina temporarily. This effect is not cumulative with other Obtenebration powers that perform this same function). Mortals, ghouls, and other air-breathers reduced to zero Stamina by strangling shadows begin to asphyxiate (as if drowning, however for the purposes of drowning consider their stamina unchanged); vampires lose all appropriate dice and health boxes but are otherwise unaffected.

Only one target or subject may be affected by this power at any given time, though some modicum of concealment might be offered to a relatively motionless group.

Mortals and animals who witness either use of this power and are unaccustomed to it may panic; roll Resolve + Composure. If the roll fails, the mortal suffers a –1 to all rolls while the power is visible.

•• Shroud of Night:

The vampire can create a cloud of inky blackness. The cloud completely obscures light and even sound to some extent. Those who have been trapped within it (and survived) describe the cloud as viscous and unnerving. This physical manifestation lends credence to those Lasombra who claim that their darkness is something other than mere shadow. The tenebrous cloud may even move, if the creating Kindred wishes, though this requires complete concentration. Though the amorphous cloud constantly shifts and undulates, sometimes even extending shadowy tendrils.

Cost: 1 Vitae

Dice Pool: —

Action: Instant

Duration: Scene

The size of the Shroud is equal to three yards per dot of obtenebration, or five yards per dot if the cainite spends a willpower point. The cloud may be invoked at a distance of up to 50 yards/meters, though creating darkness outside the vampire’s line of sight requires an additional Vitae.

The tarry mass actually extinguishes light sources it engulfs (with the exception of fire), and muffles sounds until they are indistinguishable. Those within the cloud lose all sense of sight and feel as though they’ve been immersed in pitch. Sound also warps and distorts within the cloud, making it difficult to accomplish much. Those inside the cloud suffer the Blinded Condition (see: Combat) in both eyes.

Even those possessed of Eyes of the Beast suffer blindness due to the fact that the darkness is unnatural, abyssal, and magical; not simply an absence of light. However those with Tongue of the Asp are unaffected and while it blocks enhanced sight granted by Auspex it does nothing to stop the other Heightened Senses.

Additionally, being surrounded by the Shroud of Night reduces Stamina by two dots, as the murk smothers and agitates the victims, or by three dots if the cainite expends a willpower (this willpower also increase the size). This effect is not cumulative with other Obtenebration powers that perform this same function, although targets asphyxiate as per Shadow Play if they reach 0 Stamina (as if drowning, however for the purposes of drowning consider their stamina unchanged); more than one unfortunate mortal has “drowned” in darkness.

Mortals and animals surrounded by the Shroud of Night who are unaccustomed to the power must make Resolve + Composure rolls per Shadow Play, above, or panic and flee.

••• Arms of the Abyss:

Refining his control over darkness, the Kindred can create prehensile tentacles that emerge from patches of dim lighting. These tentacles may grasp, restrain, and constrict foes.

Cost: 1 Vitae

Dice Pool: —

Action: Instant

Duration: Scene

The cainite can summon a number of tentacles equal to 1 + their dots in Obtenebration.

Each tentacle is two yards (six feet) long and possesses Strength and Dexterity ratings equal to the invoking vampire’s Obtenebration Trait — Potence and Celerity dots are added to these Strength and Dexterity ratings, respectively as if the tentacles were her own body. If the vampire chooses, she may spend a blood point either to increase a single tentacle’s physical attributes by two for a turn or to extend its length by another two yards (six feet). The tentacles have no armor, but have a Defense rating of one. They can suffer damage equal to the vampire’s Composure before dissipating. One point of damage from fire or sunlight destroys a tentacle.

An additional reflexive action must be used for the cainite to instruct the tentacles to attack or grapple targets that she wishes, without specified targets (like if they are not given orders or if their target escapes) from the vampire the tentacles will lash out at anyone within range other than the summoner, they lash out and attack any target within range. They attack living targets in preference to unliving ones. The dice pool for the grapple or brawl attacks is the tentacle’s Strength + the cainites Occult – target’s Defense and if attacking (not grappling) the tentacles act as weapons with a 1 weapon damage bonus (bashing damage). Tentacles cannot be used for any kind of manipulation, such as typing or driving.

The tentacles must be summoned from darkness, but not necessarily the same patch of darkness. However the darkness must be within 10 yards of the vampire and within sight. On the turn that the tentacles appear they do not act save to flail madly, on the next turn they begin to attack the cainites specified targets or random beings nearby if no targets were specified.

The cainite can use the activated abilities of Celerity, Potence, or Fortitude through her tentacles as though they were a part of her own body. However fortitude used in this way can never be used to soak damage from Fire or Sunlight.

Arms of the Abyss cannot be invoked multiple times by the same user. If this discipline is used while still active all tentacled summoned by the old activation disappear.

•••• Nightshades:

This ability allows Cainites to craft lifelike images and illusions out of darkness that are nearly indistinguishable from reality. The created illusions are still shadows, and last only so long as your character concentrates on them. They can create silhouettes and shades, but are quickly rendered unbelievable in any strong lighting.

Cost: —

Dice Pool: Wits + Occult + Obtenebration

Action: Instant

Duration: Scene

Dramatic Failure: The darkness eats at the vampire’s flesh, inflicting two points of aggravated damage.

Failure: The darkness of the Abyss fails to manifest.

Success: The illusions or area of primordial darkness manifest.

Exceptional Success: An exceptional success for the illusions are their own reward. When summoning the Primordial visions of abyssal Chaos an exceptional sucesses increases the penalties by one each.

For each success, the character may create one image that the size of a human or smaller, or they may pool their successes to create one very large illusion. Characters who see these illusions must pass a Wits + Composure roll which is penalized by the cainites successes on the Nightshades roll to see through the illusion.

Alternately, the caster may fill an area up to 10 yards/meters per success with primordial visions of chaos, dark reflections of the Abyss and its denizens. This breach of the Abyss causes fear in all who behold it. Characters without Obtenebration have all dice pools reduced by two and their Initiative reduced by three.

••••• Tenebrous Form:

At this level, the Kindred's mastery of darkness is so extensive that she may physically become it. Upon activation of this power, the vampire becomes an inky, amoeboid patch of shadow. Vampires in this form are practically invulnerable and may slither through cracks and crevices. In addition, the shadow-vampire gains the ability to see in natural darkness.

Cost: 3 Vitae

Dice Pool: —

Action: Instant

Duration: Scene

The transformation costs three blood points (which may need to occur over three turns, depending on the vampire’s Generation). The vampire is immune to physical attacks while in the tenebrous form (though she still takes aggravated damage from fie and sunlight), but may not herself physically attack. She may, however, envelop and ooze over others, affecting them in the same manner as a Shroud of Night, in addition to using mental Disciplines. Vampires in Tenebrous Form may even slither up walls and across ceilings or “drip” darkness upward — they have no mass and are thus unaffected by gravity. The character still suffers damage normally from fire and sunlight, and resisting Rötschreck from these sources requires one additional success.

Mortals, animals, and other creatures not accustomed to this sort of display who have never seen the Black Metamorphosis must succeed on a Resolve + Composure roll or flee (Kindred enter Rötschreck).