Developed by a Tremere Kabbalah scholar, this little-known path of Thaumaturgy has been around for a few centuries and remains in practice by a select few. Practitioners of the Focused Mind greatly enhance their mental alacrity and readiness, allowing better comprehension of problems and situations. Thaumaturges, already disciplined of mind, become frightfully powerful in the realm of the cerebral when mastering this path.
• Readiness
Using Readiness makes the caster able to gain a quicker understanding on a predicament. Enhanced lucidity enlightens the caster, allowing better reactions to changing situations and increased cleverness.
This power is only usable on the thaumaturge himself. Every success on the activation roll adds one die to a special dice pool for the remainder of the scene. These dice may be used on any Wits-related rolls or actions that the magus performs during this turn. Alternatively, each die removed from the dice pool adds one to the caster's initiative rating. Readiness can only be invoked once per scene.
•• Centering
By invoking this power, the thaumaturge causes a sudden, intense calmness in the subject by whispering soothing words to her. While under this serenity, the target is able to better focus on tasks at hand, ignoring distractions and annoyances, including grave bodily harm. Magi in fear of frenzy often use this power on themselves to achieve a state of tranquility, as emotions are stifled.
This power is usable on any single subject within earshot of the thaumaturge and lasts for one turn per dot of Thaumaturgy the caster has. During this period the target is unaffected by environmental that reduces his dice pools. This includes wound penalties, situational modifiers (environmental factors, high wind, distractions, cover) and Disciplines but not from defense. In addition, due to the unnatural serenity that this power bestows, the target receives two additional dice in all attempts to avoid or break frenzy. Lupines may even be calmed from their murderous rampages if five or more successes are scored on the activation roll.
••• One Tracked Mind
By extending his powers to other individuals, the thaumaturge is able to fixate the subject on one action. This single-mindedness of the target is such that they ignore everything else that occurs around them. Guards are easily distracted with this power, as their attention becomes fixated elsewhere, and research becomes a dedicated, focused task. Use of this power is sometimes colloquially referred to as "railroading someone."
This power may affect any single target can hear the thaumaturge. The blood mage rolls the standard Thaumaturgy activation roll, minus the higher of the targets Composure or Supernatural Tolerance.
Successful invocation will cause the target to doggedly continue the last action he attempted again and again. He will continue to run, continue to dodge, continue to attack a certain target, continue to pick a certain lock. If the this would put him in danger the target may spend an instant action and roll Resolve + Supernatural Tolerance penalized by the blood mages Thaumaturgy rating to free himself for the scene.
When used in combat one track mind lasts as long as the Blood Mages dots in Thaumaturgy, if used outside of combat it lasts for the scene.
•••• Dual Thought
With the rigors of concentration required to learn Thaumaturgy, many Tremere are able to take quick and complete control of a situation. With this power, the thaumaturge is able to divide his attention to two completely separate tasks without problems. As One-Tracked Mind forces the subject's attention into a single objective, Dual Thought expands the thaumaturge's concentration to the point that focus upon two goals is possible.
Successful use of Dual Thought allows the caster to take an extra action during his turn. This is restricted to mental actions, be it the use of Disciplines such as the use of Auspex or Thaumaturgy, or the contemplation of some problem. If the character is using both actions to solve a problem, he has two separate dice pools to draw from. These two actions happen at the same time, as determined by the initiative rating of the character.
In additional to the Vitae cost, Dual thought costs a Willpower point and lasts a number of turns equal to the Blood Magicians Thaumaturgy rating.
••••• Perfect Clarity
Perfect Clarity brings about a Zen-like moment of unimpeded insight for the thaumaturge. Pure focus is achieved, thought and action become one, and complete serenity of mind descends upon the Kindred magus. This lucidity protects the thaumaturge from influences both internal and external; even the Beast within is unable to rage forth. Some practitioners have likened use of this power with the state of Golconda (theoretically, of course), but the upper Tremere hierarchy denies this rumor as much as they deride the existence Golconda itself.
This power lasts for the duration of one scene. For this period the thaumaturge gains two dice to all actions. The Kindred is immune to frenzy and Rotschreck from all sources, even by supernatural means. Finally, any means to control or influence the thaumaturge suffer a -2 dice penalty, including the powers of Presence and Dominate.
In Addition to the Vitae cost, Perfect Clarity requires the expenditure of a Willpower Point.