Forsaken
My name is Sylvia White and I am here to educate you all today. . .
I am 200 years old. Once, I was much younger, and during much of that short life, a prostitute. When I took men to my room, I murdered them with a garrote and took their finery. I wasn't one of those strumpets you’d see on the side of the road with too much rouge and plump legs who would take any man off the street — I was made for much finer company, because much finer company carried around more pounds. On November 16, 1854, an enraged widow found me in my room and shot me to death with a laughably small pistol. Now, through the will of Phage, I am returned to the world and to flesh.
I am also Rebecca Galway, unfortunately. Up until a year ago, i was a menial clerk at a jewelry store in Orlando, Florida. I was 23 years old, blonde, with a hideous boyfriend and absent parents. One year ago, Rebecca life ended as Sylvia’s began again. I am a forsaken, some humans like to call us vampires, but it is not quite the same. We forsaken are human hosts that the souls of “evil” people have invaded. This possession technically slays the host creating a new creature that is neither fully dead nor fully alive. this new existence grants us many boons: physical enhancement, resilience and supernatural powers over shadows and minds. Yet this power comes with prices. We cannot abide the sun’s light, but our chief weakness is the hunger: we must consume blood, magical energy or Rare meat to survive, it varies from forsaken to forsaken.
A FUSION OF SOULS
I know from Rebecca Galways’s memory that horror films and books have been portraying “vampires” for hundreds of years now. However, we, the Forsaken of Phage, are different from bloodsucking undead monstrosities that fiction depicts. The word “vampire” is simply a 'best fit' to describe what we are. While share many characteristics of the classic vampire — some of us do drink blood and are technically undead monstrosities — we differ because we are an amalgam of two souls in one body. We are unique. Only another forsaken understand what it feels like to have two souls in one body.The rest of you . . . well. Imagine what it would be like to be dead for 150 years, then suddenly return to life — when you never imagined such were possible. You might have questions about the afterlife, but I can’t provide the answers. I have a soul that transcends worlds, but while I am in this world, i know only this world. All that I remember about the other world is that my time there was interminable and unpleasant and bodiless. You cannot imagine feels like to be flesh again, to have a human body. And I am lucky, an athletic, young body that men find desirable — so my old skills remain useful
Ah, I thank the great god phage for clothing me again in muscle and skin. but i certainly do not obey his “commands,” but every day I am grateful to him.
In most cases, the invading spirit — the dead soul sent released from the clutches of death — is in complete control host’s soul is completely subsumed, leaving the invading soul the only resident of a new body. What happens to the host’s soul I neither know nor care. I suspect it’s still inside somewhere — suffering, I hope, so that it experiences some dim version of the Hell that we experienced for centuries — because other Forsaken have told me they feel strange modern urges at times. perhaps that buried soul stirs, scratching at its coffin within our minds.
In some cases, however, the host's soul retains some control over the body, such Forsaken exist as a combination of two personalities. usually one or the other soul and personality is dominant but the traits memories emotions and ideas of the dominated often intrude into the dominator's syche. I am such a case, i suppose though id like to think rebecca has no power over me. my soul Syliva, is dominant, but flashes of rebecca come through. i remember incidents at school and at the jewelry store. i have a tendency to twist my hair around my finger, and that is hers, not mine.
In a Few Forsaken - VERY FEW - the host's spirit completely subjugates the intruding dead soul. its hard for me to understand what this must be like. your're a normal person, a husband, an accountant, a tennis player, or what-have-you, and then ... you change. you die, but you remain alive. you're still you, but you have fearsome powers and a urge consume to create vitae.
I hope this clears a few things up for you all.
The Forsaken are a byproduct of an experiment , and a necessary one at that. Created by Phage Enil during his attempts to disconnect the negative energy plane from the material, he quickly discovered that the deed was not possible, apparently without a trickle of negative energy leaving the plane the place would eventually spill over into the material plane with disastrous consequences, normally this trickle of energy is maintained by undead moving about the material plane, but as the numbers of undead in this realm are limited due to necromancy's rarity the god of the underworld needed another solution, so it decided to create a negative energy based living creature, after many attempts it realized it couldn't create life and sought another means of creating its new race, only a handful were successful but It found that imprinting a soul that was still dead (Negative energy based) in a positive energy based living being, that the creature emulated some undead traits while still being alive, they also displayed a immense hatred for true undead.
Names
As most Forsaken are human, these tend to be human names. If a Forsaken cannot remember their name, they may make up a suitable name or read one from a headstone.
Some invent surnames that imply their desire to eradicate true undead.
Male names: base race first names
Female names: base race first names
Family names: Dartfall, Blacksling, Ghoulhunter, Blastlich
Forsaken Healing
A living creature that is lethally hurt may become disabled or dying. During this time, aid or good luck can return the creature back to health and eventually full strength. Undead are not so fortunate. What would disable or render unconscious a living creature destroys an undead creature beyond recall. (In game terms, when an undead is reduced to 0 hit points or less, it is permanently destroyed.) No aid, magical or mundane, is sufficient to restore the undead to its previous state of animation. Since they are already dead, undead that are destroyed cannot be returned to existence through raise dead or reincarnate. Resurrection and true resurrection can affected undead, but these spells turn undead back into the living creatures they were before they became undead.
Only undead with Intelligence scores can recover lost hit points, usually through necromantic healing (see below) or through the application of negative energy. An undead with the fast healing ability does not require an Intelligence score to benefit from that ability.
Forsaken Vitae Healing
On the other hand Forsaken have the option of spending Vitae to heal wounds on her own; however simple rest accomplishes nothing other then replenishing their control reserves. Spending one Vitae heals 1 HP (per 2 Hit Die) of damage or 1 point of ability damage from a single ability. Spending two Vitae heals one point of ability drain. A severely injured forsaken may have to feed several times in order to generate enough Vitae to heal herself.
Note: A forsaken can consume stored Vitae heal herself in this way while unconscious.
Forsaken Diet and Metabolism
Diet Dependent:
Some undead must feed on the living to retain either their mobility or some of their other abilities. The link to the Negative Energy Plane for undead of these sort grows increasingly tenuous the longer they are denied the necessary food. At some point, their mobility or one or more specific abilities are suppressed until they can feed again. However, no matter how enervated by lack of feeding, undead cannot be starved to the point of permanent deanimation.
A fresh infusion of their preferred food can always bring them back to their full abilities. Most diet-dependent undead can go for 3d6 months before losing all mobility. If a player controls an undead with a diet-dependent existence, use the Variant Rule: Handling Undead Hunger sidebar on this page.
RULE: HANDLING UNDEAD HUNGER
This variant rule is best applied to undead player characters that are diet dependent or have inescapable cravings. These rules work less well for undead that spend years or more locked away in tombs before getting a chance to feed.
However, the DM may decide to use these rules on a case-by-case basis for NPC or monster undead as well. The hunger felt by an undead with the need for sustenance is akin to an addiction. Like living creatures with an extreme craving for some chemical substance, hungry undead are prone to erratic, violent, and sometimes self-destructive behavior if they are denied their preferred morsels.
Hunger Type Satiation Will DC Damage
Inescapable craving 1 day 25 1d6 Wis
Diet dependent 3 days 15 2d4 Wis
Blood Drain
A forsaken can suck blood from a living victim with its fangs [or hand-feeding orifice] by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains blood, dealing 1d4 point of Constitution drain each round. On each such successful drain attack, the forsaken gains vitae of the same amount.
or
Chakra Drain
A forsaken can suck chakra energy from a living victim with its fangs [or hand-feeding orifice] by making a successful grapple check. If it pins the foe, it drains spiritual energy from the victim, dealing 8d5 points of Chakra pool damage each round. On each such successful drain attack, the forsaken gains +1 vitae per 10 points of chakra drained this way, rounded up.
Damage: An undead’s need to feed is like a mental spike
boring into its awareness, dealing the indicated damage each
day unless the undead succeeds on the saving throw or feeds.
An undead immediately gains back all of the ability damage it
has taken if it manages to feed.
As the undead goes longer and longer without feeding, potentially losing Wisdom all the while, the undead grows increasingly unbalanced. It mulls over plans that would allow it to feed— plans it would likely consider too risky were it completely sane. When the undead reaches 0 Wisdom, it retains no volition of its own, no judgment to deter it from seeking its preferred morsel, even if the undead’s utter destruction seems likely thereafter. (A player character who reaches 0 Wisdom from a failure to feed is temporarily remanded to the DM, who plays the undead as a
ravening beast until the character has fed.) An intelligent undead sometimes plans for this eventuality, even arranging to have itself locked away in a self-constructed vault from which it is unable to escape. It will stay there until a prearranged third party provides the undead with its preferred morsel (presumably in a fashion that does not endanger the third party, though accidents do happen).
VITAE
When a forsaken feeds on matter to fulfill its undead hunger (Blood,Chakra or Rare Meat, Carrion eater not available for PCs) , within seconds it transforms into a supernatural substance called Vitae. Vitae looks, smells and flows like natural blood, but is charged with supernatural power, a balance of negative and positive energy, Real vampires create Black Vitae. If Vitae leaves a Forsaken’s body and is exposed to air, the Vitae reverts to normal blood within a few minutes.
(Scientific analysis on reverted Vitae reveals it to be a mixture of blood from many sources, with some of the cells broken down.)
Some vampires and mages know how to preserve Vitae outside the body, and even reverted Vitae retains a mystical connection
to its Forsaken.
Forsaken use Vitae to maintain their altered existence and to fuel their supernatural powers.
When a Forsaken uses Vitae, it physically affects him in a slight way — he grows paler, his skin tightens or he seems to shrink or wither, looking less alive.
Feeding on the blood/chakra or eating meats in a uncooked state to collect vitae allows a forsaken to maintain
a normal appearance, though “normal” varies from one to another.
Spending Vitae, for whatever purpose, does not take an action. Certain Disciplines take a standard action to activate
and require the forsaken to spend a point of Vitae, but the expenditure of Vitae takes no time in itself and the forsaken can
do it even on someone else’s turn.
Maximum Vitae: Forsaken can store Vitae in her body equal to 10 plus her Constitution modifier; if she gains excess Vitae, it is wasted.
Starting Vitae: Forsaken start with their maximum amount
of Vitae (10 + Con modifier).
Vitae per Round: Forsaken can spend one Vitae per round, no matter what effect(s) they want to achieve.
A Forsaken can take the Blood Potency Discipline to improve this rate.
Forsaken can use Vitae for several effects. (Information on blood addiction and Vinculums appears first, as the other Vitae
effects rely on it; other effects appear in alphabetical order.)
VITAE ADDICTION
Vitae may look and smell like blood, but Vitae certainly doesn’t taste like blood — stolen life is the ultimate forbidden
fruit, the sweetest taste that any human or forsaken has ever experienced. It is also incredibly addictive.
Every time a creature drinks a forsaken’s blood, the drinker must make a Will save (DC 10 + the forsaken’s Constitution
modifier). If he fails, he is one step closer to blood addiction and takes a –4 penalty on future saves against this addiction. When
the penalty reaches –20, the drinker is addicted and no longer
wants to resist the thirst for Vitae.
Addicted humans occasionally become obsessed with drinking normal blood, though it gives them no benefit and does not
slake the thirst. They often grow obsessively dependent on the forsaken who supplies their addiction, willing to do anything
for another fix. Addicted Forsaken may become so desperate as to wound themselves and lick their own Vitae (this act does
not diminish their supply, and it only reinforces the addiction). Some turn to preying on other forsaken.
A creature who makes his Will save resists the temptation and reduces his penalty by 4 (from –16 to –12, for example). If
an addicted creature reduces his penalty to 0 in this way, he is no longer addicted. Likewise, each month in which the creature
does not taste Vitae reduces the penalty by 4.
Some extremely powerful forsaken can gain sustenance only by drinking the blood of other forsaken, but they do not
become addicted to it like lesser creatures.
ESTABLISH VINCULUM
Drinking a particular forsaken’s blood three times creates an emotional bond between the drinker and the forsaken. This bond, called the Vinculum, which means “blood bond” or “blood oath,” gives the forsaken power over the drinker. The forsaken who creates the bond is called the regnant, and the drinker is the thrall. The thrall cannot make a save to avoid this bond. Each drink requires the forsaken to spend at least one Vitae.
The Vinculum is an emotional devotion; it is like love but mechanical and hollow, yet stronger than any bond created with Genjutsu or psionic control — neither sorts of disciplines can overpower the regnant’s power over his thrall.
Likewise, a creature can be thrall to only one vampire at a time; the blood bond prevents any others from forming. Normally forsaken use this bond on humans or animals,
but they can also bond other forsaken and some other supernatural creatures. Most forsaken refuse to become thralls to each other, as they fear this kind of slavery, but especially close forsaken may form a blood bond with each other as a sign of friendship or to prevent others from enthralling them.
Commanding your thrall is easy; you gain a +4 bonus on all social skills (such as Diplomacy or Intimidate) to influence or manipulate your thrall, and the thrall takes a –4 penalty on saves to resist your commands — including those from supernatural abilities. The thrall gains a +4 bonus on saves to resist commands from others if those commands would cause you direct or indirect harm (including harm through inaction on the thrall’s part), and opponents take a –4 penalty on social skills to encourage
the thrall to perform such actions. If you are thrall to another creature, your thrall’s behavior extends toward your regnant to a lesser extent (+2 and –2 instead of +4 and –4). If one year passes from the last time a non-forsaken thrall drank his regnant’s Vitae, the bond ends, this duration may be shorter for high-metabolism species like salarians. The blood bond probably lasts longer for forsaken, though not enough time has passed since the appearance of the species to find out its duration. Heavy abuse and mistreatment can turn a thrall against his regnant, which usually results in the thrall performing a murderous assault and then going mad.
Killing a regnant ends his Vinculums immediately. Celestials,Demons, fae and the lupine race cannot become thralls.
Spellcasters(those possessing a caster class) can become thralls, but they must drink Vitae six times instead of three.
CREATE GHOULS
A Forsaken can feed a human or animal her Vitae to create a servant with limited vampiric powers. This creature is called a ghoul.
The act of creating a ghoul is intentional (it never happens by accident).
Though a ghoul feeds on Vitae, a ghoul is not necessarily a thrall, nor are all thralls automatically ghouls.
To create a ghoul, a forsaken must deliberately feed the target one Vitae and expend one additional Vitae to channel supernatural energy into her new ghoul. The target immediately becomes a ghoul.
Upon becoming a ghoul, a creature immediately gains the Positive bonus of the clan that created it Daeva: +2 Charisma, Eletum: +1 any, etc.
and access to the Nei power: Physical ability Boost.
Ghouls do not age. As long as any Forsaken repeats the ghoul ritual (feeding one Vitae and spending one more) every month, the ghoul remains a ghoul,
If a month passes since the last ritual, he is no longer a ghoul. His apparent age catches up to his true age at a rate of one year per day beyond the missed ritual. (In theory, a mortal whose lifespan has been unnaturally extended with ghouldom would rapidly age and die if deprived in this way.)
Animals can become ghouls, but their intelligence limits their effectiveness. Because of this limitation, animal ghouls are rare.
Celestials,Demons, fae and the lupine race cannot become ghouls.
Spellcasters(those possessing a caster class) can become ghouls, but all Vitae costs are doubled for their creation and maintenance.
Forsaken Creating a Forsaken
Creating a Forsaken
“Forsaken” is an inherited template that can be added to most standard humanoids (referred to hereafter as the “base creature”). The creature’s type changes to “Forsaken.” Definition of standard races: original DnD races, Humans, Elves,Halflings,Dwarves, exceptions approved by DM only based on Lore.
The forsaken Curse increases the physical or mental state of the victim,
however being closer to the state of death makes them more vulnerable to some fortitude based attacks.
She gains low-light vision, plus a +1 racial bonus on Perception checks & it Scales, and is increased by +1 every 10 levels +2 Resistance to Turning/Rebuking.
Skill Modifiers: +2 to Acrobatics, Chakra Control and Stealth
The Forsaken have an innate sense of how best to defend themselves against their potential enemies.+2 dodge bonus to Defense against creatures of the Undead type that is increased by +1 every 10 levels
+1 Discipline Feat or Metamagic Feat.
Forsaken have damage reduction based on their level1-13 1/Laconia 28-41 4/Laconia14-27 2/Laconia 42-50 6/Laconia
In Distant Realms;Laconia contains Silver-like properties, bypassing Forsaken damage reduction.
Diseases and Poisons:A Deadsoul creature gains a +1 racial bonus on saves against poisons and diseases, and is increased by +1 every 10 levels
There is a chance they could become a carrier of the substance, most Forsaken take steps to purge themselves of such things,mindless undead could carry dozens of diseases and is a significant health risk to adventurers.
Medical Classification changes to: Group X-a (Negative Energy)
+2 to Yin and Yang Chakra.
Varied Defects: Forsaken Defects always exist, however on occasion they do vary from forsaken to forsaken, this could be due to the virus that created them trying to imitate the various forms of undead in the living, a forsaken can default to the standard vampiric template or attempt a more random set of defects( Eletum template can default to the lich Qualities):
Lethargy
Sun Sleeper <-> Moon Sleeper
Most forsaken Sleep During the day,the sun weakening them on rare occasions a forsaken is hindered by the moon instead and they seem
to exist on the same cycle as most of the living races, sleeping during the night and moving about during the day
1d20, on a 10+ you are one of the rare and coveted Moon Sleepers
Burn Damage Source
Sun <-> Moon
Forsaken are sensitive to various spectrum of energy that are produced naturally by stars, occasionally a forsaken will resist the direct burn of the sun,
only to be weakened by the reflected light off the moon during the evening hours/
1d20, on a 10+ you are immune to solar damage during the day only to be afflicted by at night due to lunar reflection.
Vitae Source
Vampiric | Lich
what the forsaken drain differs on occasion, most forsaken drain blood(HP) to create their vitae,
but a group of more magical forsaken have changed over the years and they consume the chakra of a creature instead
1d20 15+ you are a lich like forsaken, draining chakra instead of hitpoints
Drain type
Vampiric | Lich
While most forsaken possess the vampiric method of feeding, some of them feed via touch attack, a small mouth like opening appearing in the palm of their hand
1d20, on a 15+ you are one of disturbing hand feeders
Forsaken Attributes and Defects
Standard Attributes:
Not Truly Dead:
Forsaken have a Constitution score, As a unnatural fusion of a living person and a dead soul. This combination causes lethargy and fatigue in the body during daylight hours, and most forsaken sleep this timeaway in a state resembling death. Overcoming this supernatural sleep requires the expenditure of one Vitae, regardless of what time the forsaken fell asleep or wants to wake. Morning, noon, sundown or midnight,waking always costs one Vitae.
Death's Mark (Su)
Forsaken emit a faint aura of undeath which is detectable by a detect undead spell. Although they themselves are not undead and will not appear undead according to the spell, such a spell continually registers that undead are nearby when a Forsaken is in its effect radius.
Dark Crown (Ex):
The Forsaken has a fledgling connection with the realms of the dead. It ceases aging immediately (after the transformation, if a naturally occurring forsaken via reproduction the dark crown only kicks in after they have matured to the proper age (Equivalent age 18 human years, base race dependant); current aging penalties remain, though no further penalties will accrue. They become resistant to fatigue and exhaustion effects.
Further, it gains a +5 bonus to Fortitude saves to resist the effects of hunger and thirst (food and Drink, not undead hungers), and a +10 bonus to Constitution checks in order to hold its breath past the initial time period.
Seen as Dead:
Mindless undead see you as undead, intelligent undead know better however...
Standard Defects:
Healing Magic Inhibited:
Forsaken are frozen between the state of life and undeath as a result there is a 50% chance they can be healed or damaged by both negative and positive energy depending on 'which side of the line' the spirit is on when the spell contacts the forsaken, Forsaken Spellcasters can predict 'which side of the line' the target is on and always succeeds on healing or harming another forsaken.
Immune to Technological Healing
- technological healing can reattach body parts but does not restore any hitpoints as technological healing cannot repair "negative energy hitpoints" the body itself is composed of positive energy held by a negative energy matrix so reattachment is possible. re-attaching limbs in this manner does make it easier for the forsaken to regenerate from its injuries.
Predator’s Taint:
Forsaken recognize other Forsaken. They do not automatically know the other Forsaken’s clan or abilities. A Forsaken knows if another forsaken is weaker than herself (two or more levels below), stronger (two or more levels above) or about at about the same level of power.
Some forsaken learn how to hide from this sense. Most forsaken are uneasy around unfamiliar forsaken, not sure if the other one is a rival for food or might reveal his secret forsaken nature. Normally, this ability works on sight, but in some circumstances a forsaken may detect the scent of another or sense her by touch in the darkness.
Daeva
The Daeva are hedonistic spirits who revel in the pleasures of their regained flesh. many belong to this clan, and I and my fellow Forsaken take great joy in experiencing bodies again. We do so in any way we can — we eat, we drink, we dance, we fuck. And people want us. There’s something alluring about a Daeva Forsaken, even those who are sadistic and brutal. Prey comes to us.
Daeva are seductive, charming and sensual.
Daeva: +2 Charisma, –2 penalty on Will saves.
Eletum
The Eletum are the Soldiers and Priests of the Forsaken creator god, during the day(or night if inverted) they appear as a normal forsaken or living being, however on the light of the moon striking their flesh the 'illusion' dissipates and their true skeletal form is visible for all to see. This is an Alternate form, using rules similar to transformation jutsu or shape change.
The Penalty for Associating with this race via another race is doubled
(-8 Charisma penalty when negotiating with other races, in Skeletal state or if the Individual is aware of your skeletal state)
The Boon in Skeletal state is you receive DR as if you were a skeleton (Physical Damage Reduction 5/Bypass: bludgeoning)
4 Times per day the Eletum can use 'Skeletal Transformation' switch to and from skeletal state in combat.
(2 times to invoke it, 2 times to return to regular state, which does not function if they are being revealed by the sun or moon.)
(Eletum get free alternate shape change due to Environmental conditions, you can add additional triggers in the defects section)
Eletum are a disturbing sight indeed, however they are unusually wise and hard to kill when transformed
Eletum: +2 Wisdom, –2 penalty on Fortitude saves.
Gangrel
Gangrel are the most bestial of Forsaken, focusing on the animalistic and irrational side of humans. Many Gangrel ignore their Previous lives completely, while some delight in destroying those lives. Then, the Gangrel feels free from its ties to the mortal world.
Gangrel are brutal, primal and direct.
Gangrel: +2 Constitution, –2 Intelligence
Mekhet
The Mekhet are secretive creatures that cling to the shadows and keep low profiles. Darkness is their home, and they know that their enemies cannot locate them and their prey cannot protect themselves if the Mekhet remain unknown. Mekhet are some of the best spies among Forsaken, gripping their secrecy with stealth, guile, multiple identities, front men, middle men, webs of contacts and similar strategies.
Mekhet are secretive, stealthy, patient and cunning.
Mekhet: +2 Dexterity, –2 Charisma.
Nosferatu
Nosferatu are hideous creatures that hardly resemble the people they once were. Unlike other Forsaken, Nosferatu don’t look like the host bodies — Nosferatu hardly look human at all. They are deformed into some monstrous shape, something despicable that makes humans think the Nosferatu are the victims of horrible diseases.
Nosferatu souls are true monsters: the child-rapists who hide in closets, the cannibals who serve flesh to their friends, the torturers who play psychological games with their victims by slaying all those close to him. Even other Forsaken fear Nosferatu.
Nosferatu are monstrous, strong and terrifying.
Nosferatu: +2 Strength, –2 Charisma.
Venture
VENTRUE
Ventrue are domineering spirits interested in power. These Forsaken revel in their supernatural abilities. They flaunt these
powers over humans and animals, forcing them to bend knee or be broken. Ventrue usually abilities that affect minds, making them more pliable or open to the Ventrue’s sometimes unsubtle charms. They have a presence that makes all eyes lock to them, and they smile and play this attention to their advantage. Ventrue excel at political power play, and many are more interested in accruing followers and rising in the ranks of Forsaken hierarchy then in other pursuits.
Ventrue are regal, commanding and dominating.
Ventrue: +2 Intelligence , –2 Wisdom.
Disciplines are the strange, supernatural powers that forsaken possess. Using a Discipline is a supernatural ability (as opposed to an extraordinary or spell-like ability), and so does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Discipline descriptions are similar to feat descriptions, except Discipline descriptions include the following information.
Action: What type of action (such as free, move or standard) the Discipline constitutes.
Cost: How much Vitae the Discipline costs.
Duration: How long the Discipline lasts.
Discipline Conversion:
Disciplines are feats that only Forsaken Possess, any time a Forsaken can choose a feat as a result of leveling or a restriction-less bonus feat they can gain a discipline instead.
Effect: A Forsaken can Convert any Generalized Bonus feat slot received from leveling up,Traits & defect slots, etc into a Discipline slot.
Manipulate: Disciplines allow you some control over other intelligent beings.
Where appropriate, the save DC against manipulate Disciplines is 10 + your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier. Will work only on creatures with sentient minds, not on animals. Manipulate Disciplines cannot make a target directly harm himself, so obviously suicidal orders have no effect. A Manipulated creature (manipulated with any Manipulate Discipline) may later realize what happened to her; while she may not realize she was under mental control, she may wonder why she performed that activity.
Nightmare
These Disciplines cause fear and insanity in intelligent creatures. Where appropriate, the save DC against Nightmare Disciplines is 10 + your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier.
Blood Potency [None]
Your Vitae is especially potent and concentrated, and you are skilled at using it.
Benefit: Your maximum Vitae increases by 10, and the number of Vitae you can spend per round increases by 1.
Special: You may take this Discipline up to three times. Its effects stack. If you take this Discipline twice, you must satisfy your hunger 2 times a day instead of the default 1 If you take this Discipline three times,you must satisfy your hunger 3 times a day instead of the 2 from Blood Potency Rank 2. If you take the Discipline three times, you are no longer subject to Vitae’s addictive qualities
Each Discipline (except Blood Potency) has a bold entry referring to a clan, such as “Gangrel or Ventrue.” Those of that clan gains the listed benefit. This benefit may be a decreased cost, increased effect or some other advantage. Each clan has a natural affinity for a Discipline groups, and this benefit represents that affinity, Each character may also Have one affinity outside of the clans, Obfuscate or Manipulate (1d2), but occasionally a forsaken is the product of two clans and has those two affinities instead.
Animalism [Ventrue]
Benefit: You make eye contact with an animal, creatingan empathic bond with it and allowing mutual understanding.You must maintain eye contact or a constant vocal dialogue(of words or sounds appropriate to the animal), but the bondotherwise lasts as long as you concentrate. This ability worksautomatically on passive or friendly animals. A hostile animalrequires you to make a check to infl uence it. You roll 1d20 +your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifi er (or make a Diplomacycheck, if you have the Way with Animals feat); if you fail youmay try again next round.
The information you send to or receive from the animalis colored by its intelligence and level of awareness. A cat maybe able to explain that many humans scared it out of a nearbybuilding but may not be able to recognize if one of them waswearing a baseball cap or have any real concept of numbers. Theanimal may help you if it is inclined to do so or understands thatyou will reward it for doing so (or harm it for not doing so), butmost wild creatures are reluctant helpers.
Because this Discipline requires eye contact, you cannot useFeral Whispers on more than one animal at once.
Ventrue: You gain a +4 bonus on your check to influence a hostile animal.
Action: StandardCost: 1 VitaeDuration: Concentration
Call of the Wild [Animalism]You can call a kind of animal to you as long as it is in range of your voice.
Prerequisite: Level 4Benefi t: You call out in sounds appropriate to a kind ofanimal (such as wolves or sparrows) to compel animals of thatkind to immediately move toward you to the best of their ability.Called animals use the fastest route available to reach you.The animal must hear your voice, so deafened animals or thosein soundproofed rooms do not respond. The animals are notunder your control but are friendly toward you and receptiveto your powers.
The number of creatures that arrive depends on your locationand the type of creature you summon; hundreds of rats mayrespond in a city, but you may get only a few dogs from the samelocation. Unless driven away, the animals remain for at least oneminute and act normally for the situation (for example, dogschase cats, rats crawl on things and so on, but all tend to runfrom fi re or loud noises).
Ventrue: You may use Obedience (if you have it) on any one of the animals as a free action.
Action: StandardCost: 2 VitaeDuration: 1 minute
Subsume the Lesser Spirit [Animalism]
You can mentally take over the body of an animal and use it as your own.
Prerequisites: Feral Whispers, Obedience, level 8
Benefit: You make eye contact and psychically enteran animal’s body, temporarily leaving yours behind. Theanimal’s body is under your complete control; your ownbody appears to be nothing more than a lifeless corpse.You keep your Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, level,base attack bonus, base save bonuses and skill ranks, andother abilities that are purely mental (such as resistanceto mind-affecting abilities). The body retains its Strength,Dexterity, Constitution, hit points and natural abilities(natural weapons, modes of breathing and movement andso forth). A body with extra limbs does not allow you tomake more attacks (or more advantageous two-weaponattacks) than normal. You can’t activate the body’s extraordinaryor supernatural abilities.
The animal gets a Will save to resist this ability (DC 10 +your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifi er); the animal takes a –4penalty if it is a predator. While in the animal’s body, you can useany Animalism Discipline. If the possessed animal rolled a 1 onits Will save, you may also use Auspex and Majesty Disciplineswhile possessing the animal.
While possessing the animal, you can travel safely duringthe day, though you must still spend one Vitae as normal toremain awake during the day. Damage to the animal, includingability damage and ability drain, also affects your body (youtake the same amount of damage the body does). If the animalis killed, you are forced back to your body, reduced to –1 hitpoint and knocked unconscious.
You may end the possession at any time, returning to yourbody instantly, but can continue the possession indefi nitely(though you cannot feed as an animal and you must continueto spend Vitae to awaken as normal, so extended stays leaveyour body depleted).
Ventrue: You may use this ability on an animalin your line of sight without requiring eye contact.
Action: StandardCost: 2 VitaeDuration: Until you end it
Obedience [Animalism]You can empathically command one animal to perform a task.
Prerequisite: Feral Whispers
Benefi t: You make eye contact with an animal, allowing youto telepathically convey a command to it and tell it exactly whatyou want it to do. The animal obeys to the best of its ability, butthe animal’s intelligence and nature may cause it to interpretyour command in unusual ways.
Once you give the order, the animal carries it out, assumingit can be completed before sunrise. At sunrise, the compulsionends, regardless of whether or not the task is fi nished. The animalgets a Will save (the DC is your Hit Dice + your Charismabonus) to resist any order to act against its nature or to obviouslycause itself harm.
Because this Discipline requires eye contact, you cannotcommand more than one animal at once, but you can commandmultiple animals in sequence and have them act at thesame time.
Ventrue: You may command up to two animals at once if you give them the same order.Action: StandardCost: 1 VitaeDuration: Until the order is completed or sunrise, whichever comes fi rst
Leashing the Beast [Animalism]You can cause or suppress a feral rage in yourself or another creature.Prerequisite: Level 10
Benefi t: You fly into a rage, temporarily gaining a +4 bonusto Strength, a +4 bonus to Constitution and a +2 morale bonuson Will saves. (The extra hit points from the Constitutionincrease are not lost fi rst the way temporary hit points are.)While raging, you cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity- orIntelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist,Intimidate and Ride), the Concentration skill, Disciplines orany abilities that require patience or concentration. You can useany feat except Combat Expertise.
A fi t of rage lasts for one minute. You may prematurelyend your rage by spending one Vitae; otherwise, you continueto attack any creature within reach, even allies.As a standard action, you may invoke this rage in anothercreature within line of sight. The target gets a Will save toresist (DC 10 + your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifi er). Thetarget’s rage continues for the full duration unless the target hasthis Discipline (and may therefore end its rage) or someone elseintervenes with supernatural powers.You may use this Discipline to end a state of fear or ragein yourself. As a standard action, you may remove fear or ragefrom another creature within line of sight. Such a creature canresist with a Will save if it desires.
Ventrue: You may end your rage without spending Vitae.
Action: Free (affect yourself) or standard (affect another creature)Cost: 2 VitaeDuration: 1 minute (rage) or instantaneous (ending fearor rage)
Auspex [Mekhet]
While your senses are heightened, you are vulnerable to attackson those senses, taking a –4 penalty on saves to resist such attacks andsuffering whatever additional effect the attack has against vulnerablecreatures. You may selectively amplify only some of your senses (insteadof all of them at once) to reduce the number of possible sources.Adjusting which senses are magnifi ed is a free action.
Mekhet: The bonus on Listen, Search and Spot checks is +8 rather than +5.Action: FreeCost: 1 VitaeDuration: Concentration
The Spirit’s Touch [Auspex]You can sense the psychic impressions left on objects.Prerequisites: Aura Perception, Heightened SensesBenefi t: By handling an object and entering a light trance,you pick up psychic impressions from the object in the formof mental images or rapid sensations. Most impressions comefrom the last person to have handled the object, but two circumstancesoverrule this. First, a long-time owner or user ofthe object leaves a stronger impression than a more recent butshorter use by someone else. Second, experiences associated withstrong emotion leave more signifi cant psychic “fi ngerprints,”overriding those from more casual use. Some items have so manyhandlers or insignifi cant attachment that they give muddledimages or none at all.The typical impression you receive is the owner’s identity or astrong memory associated with the object. The sensations are usuallyvisual and exact identifi cation is not guaranteed; you may perceive “ablond man in a business suit and red tie” rather than “Jack Hartmanof Hartman Law Partners,” though mundane clues on the object mayallow you to identify him (such as a monogrammed briefcase or adependingon the intensity and relevance of the psychic impression.You can use this ability on a creature to witness its most recentdramatic, tense or passionate act. You must touch the target,and it receives a Will save to resist (DC 10 + your Hit Dice + yourWisdom modifi er). Especially intense and recent impressionsmay give the target a penalty to its save at the GM’s discretion.You perceive the events from the target’s viewpoint.Mekhet: You may delve deeper into an object’s or creature’simpressions, receiving a second image or vision that is weakerthan the fi rst.Action: Full roundCost: 1 VitaeDuration: ConcentrationTwilight Projection [Auspex]You can leave your body in an invisible ghostlike form and fly anywhere in the world.Prerequisite: Heightened Senses, level 12
Benefit: You project your senses out of your physical body,creating an astral form or ghost body. In this form, you areinvisible and invulnerable but cannot physically interact withthe world. You may travel anywhere in moments, includingunderground or miles into the air (though not beyond the orbitof the moon or to another dimension). If you encounter anothervampire using this ability or a supernatural creature with a similarpower, you can see and communicate with each other as if youwere in the real world, but you cannot harm each other in anyway. You cannot use Disciplines or other supernatural abilitieswhen in the ghost body.Your projection looks like you but is naked and has no possessions.Supernatural objects with strong ties to souls may havea residual manifestation if you project while carrying them, butthis manifestation is cosmetic, and the objects have no abilitiesin projected form.You are invisible to most creatures and can be detected as aninvisible creature by supernatural methods (see Chapter 7: Playingthe Game, “Special Abilities,” Invisibility). Children, animalsand the mentally ill or defi cient may be able to see you, as maya vampire using Aura Perception or Heightened Senses.While your consciousness roams, your physical body liesinert and lifeless as a corpse. While projected, you do not knowwhat is happening to or near your body. If your body is reducedto –1 hit point or below, your projection immediately returnsto your body. Your body spends one Vitae at sundown even ifyour consciousness is not within your body.Certain supernatural effects may bar your projection fromreturning to your body or take over your body while your projectionis absent, preventing you from using your body. Each fullday that you are denied your body against your will reduces yourCharisma by two points; when your Charisma reaches 0, yourprojection fades into oblivion, and you die.Mekhet: Your projected form may appear naked or clothedas your body currently is. By spending one Vitae, you can makeyourself visible to a single creature for up to one minute, thoughthis does not allow you to communicate verbally or telepathically(though you can still gesture or even use sign language).Action: FreeCost: 2 VitaeDuration: Until you end it
Majesty [Daeva]
Awe [Majesty]
You become more charismatic and magnetic.
Benefit:
You amplify your personality to more easily influence other people. You gain a +5 bonus on social skills (such as most uses of Diplomacy and Gather Information) made to influence or deter others. This Discipline affects everyone who can see you. It does not work through photos, video or other artificial visual means.
Even after the effect ends, targets remember their enhanced feelings toward you and are inclined to tailor their future reactions accordingly. (You don’t get additional bonuses, but someone who liked you previously doesn’t turn against you when you’re not around.)
Local disturbances and concerns of safety end the effect for nearby targets. (They may be listening with rapt attention but someone drawing a gun on them has a higher priority.)
Targets get a Will save to resist this ability (DC 10 + your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier). When dealing with large numbers of normal humans, make one skill roll with a penalty (–4 for 10, –8 for 20, –12 for 50, –16 for 100 or more) rather than individual rolls.
Daeva: Targets take a –4 penalty to resist this Discipline.
Action: Free
Cost: 1 Vitae
Duration: 1 minute
Entrancement [Majesty]
You warp a person’s emotional state, making her your willing servant.
Prerequisite: Awe, level 6
Benefit:
You alter a person’s affections toward you, making her admire, trust, love and protective toward you as if you were her best friend or lover. She believes these feelings come from herself and cannot be convinced otherwise.
When the effect ends, the target feels displaced and confused (similar to ending a relationship with a lover), leading to mixed feelings; re-Entrancing her is difficult. The target does not feel ill will toward you, she just comes to the conclusion that she no longer feels “that way” about you anymore.
The target gets a Will save to resist this ability (DC 10+ your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier). Entrancement normally lasts about an hour, but if the target rolls a 1 on her save, the Entrancement lasts for at least a week. She has a +5 bonus on her save if you have successfully used this ability on her within the past week.
Daeva: The target takes a –4 penalty to resist this Discipline.
Action: Standard
Cost: 2 Vitae
Duration: 1 hour (possibly longer)
Summoning [Majesty]
You send a magical call to the target, who tries to get to you as soon as possible.
Prerequisite: Awe, level 10
Benefit: You reach out to anyone who knows you and magically urge him to attend your presence immediately. The call can reach anyone in the world, though a distant target takes longer to get to you. The target takes the most direct route to you and knows where to go even if you change locations (similar to a psychic directional sense), though he doesn’t necessarily know the final destination. The target knows who summons him but not why. He may pause to make arrangements before departing (such as calling in sick to work) but otherwise travels as fast as reasonably possible — he is no single-minded drone willing to drive 100 miles per hour through city streets to get to you. If he has the means to contact you (such as your phone number), he may do so.
The effect of the summoning fades at sunrise, as does the subject’s awareness of your direction. If you want the subject to continue beyond sunrise, you need to use this ability again (though a target inclined to help you may continue on his own volition during daylight hours). If the subject does not wish to go to you, he may use the daylight hours to get farther from you.
A Forsaken with sun weakness under this Discipline’s effect makes normal plans to avoid the coming day.
The target gets a Will save to resist this ability (DC 10 + your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier). The target gets a +4 bonus on his save if he is your enemy, a +4 bonus if he is more than 500 miles away and a +4 bonus if he has urgent business that answering the summons would ruin. If the target rolls a 1 on his save, the effect persists even through daylight (including the direction sense) and you do not need to reinstate the Summoning each sundown (though affected Forsaken still avoid the daylight).
Daeva: The target takes a –4 penalty to resist this Discipline.
Action: Standard
Cost: 2 Vitae
Duration: Until sunrise (perhaps longer)
Manipulate [None]
Command [Manipulate]
You can force your will on another person, compelling him to obey a one-word command.
Benefit:
You make eye contact with a person and issue a one-word command that he must obey instantly unless he makes
a Will save. The command must be clear and straightforward— freeze, jump, run, stop, fall, blink and so on. If the command
is ambiguous or confusing, the target may respond slowly or perform the task poorly. The target always interprets the command
in his own best interest. For example, if you command a man on a rooftop ledge to “jump,” he jumps in place or onto the roof
rather than to his death. “Sleep” or other commands that leave the target helpless are effective only if the target believes he is
not in any mortal danger, and work for only one round. If the command is something that can be carried out for some
time (such as wait, eat or guard), the target complies for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum one round).
You may use the command in a sentence so as to disguise the use of this ability, though you must still stress that word so
the target knows which command to obey, and those familiar with this Discipline may recognize this tactic.
This Discipline does not grant mental communication or guarantee comprehension. Commands must be verbal, though in
some cases a gesture and eye movement may be suffi cient (such as “come”). You cannot compel a target to obey if she cannot understand you, whether because of a language problem, an inability to hear or an inexplicable command. Because this Discipline requires eye contact, you can use Command on only one creature at a time. A target may announce on his turn that he is avoiding your gaze; doing so means for the next round he has a 50% chance of not needing to make a save against this Discipline, but you have 20% concealment against him (because he cannot focus his entire attention on you). Also, on his turn, a creature can shut his eyes, turn his back to you or some similar action that prevents all eye contact; doing so means you have no chance to affect him with this Discipline, but you have 50% concealment against him (because he is blind to your location).
Affinity: The target takes a –4 penalty to resist your command.
Action: Standard
Cost: 1 Vitae
Duration: Until you end it
Mesmerize [Manipulate]
Similar to a hypnotist, you can implant a suggestion or task
in a person’s mind.
Prerequisite: Command
Benefit: You make eye contact with a person and implant a suggestion in his mind. The suggestion may be immediate (“walk over here and unlock this door”), extended (“follow this man, take notes on his actions, and report back to me at the end of the month”) or triggered (“when the man with the blue suit and red tie enters the room, spill your drink on him”). Impossible tasks (“count all the grains of sand on this beach”) automatically fail. The target gets a Will save to resist. He gets another save if performing the task puts him in danger or forces him to compromise his moral code.
Only one suggestion can be in effect at a time. A second suggestion from you automatically overrides the fi rst. A suggestion
from another vampire (or other supernatural force) requires the target to save against both commands; if he fails the other vampire’s save but makes yours, he abandons your task to work on the other’s, but otherwise he ignores the other vampire’s suggestion to work on yours.
Affinity: The target takes a –4 penalty to resist your suggestion.
Action: Standard
Cost: 1 Vitae
Duration: Until the task ends
The Forgetful Mind [Manipulate]
You can alter or erase a target’s memories.
Prerequisites: Command, Mesmerize
Benefi t: You make eye contact and speak to a person, acting
similarly to a hypnotist, asking questions to draw forth memories
and describing in detail the changes you wish to make in those
memories. Simple alterations such as blurring a recent memory
(as when you fed upon the target) are easy, while more complicated
alterations (such as a complete reconstruction of the
target’s personality) require extended time and more work.
The target’s mind struggles against an implanted memory,
though realistic details make it more likely to take root. For
example, if you feed on a businessman in a parking lot and
then implant the false memory of “you had a bad day and drove
home” to cover your presence, the memory is not likely to hold
up to scrutiny, but a carefully described memory (including
details about why the day was bad, what traffi c was like and an
overplayed song on the radio) is more stable. The target gets
a DC modifi er from +4 (diffi cult) to –4 (easy) based on the
plausibility of the changes.
Clumsy users may simply sift through the target’s responses
and erase certain parts, but this leaves gaps that the target may
attempt to resolve when he discovers them. Erased memories
may haunt the target in dreams or fl ashbacks, particularly if they
were vivid. After months or years of therapy and investigation,
even detailed false memories may break down.
You can also use this Discipline to determine if someone’s
memory has been altered. Make a Search check (the DC equals
the Will save DC of the altered memory). For example, a vampire
implants a very plausible memory (DC 20); for you to notice it,
you must make a DC 20 Search check while using The Forgetful
Mind. Once you recognize it, you can use this Discipline
to restore the original memories using the same procedure as
planting false ones, but the DC decreases by –4.
You must concentrate to use this ability. The process lasts
as long as you take to describe the new or restored memories. As
with hypnotism, the target must be relaxed and comfortable for
this to work. At the start, you must have eye contact, but once
the effect is established you need only speak to the target. The
target must be able to understand you.
Because this Discipline requires eye contact to initiate, you can
only use The Familiar Mind on one creature at a time. A target may
avoid your gaze as described in the Command Discipline.
Affinity: The target takes a –4 penalty to resist your alterations.
Action: Standard (plus the time to describe the altered
memory)
Cost: 1 Vitae
Duration: Instantaneous
Conditioning [Manipulate]
You can break down a target’s mental barriers against you
and strengthen them against others.
Prerequisites:
Command, Mesmerize, level 10
Benefit:
Over time you can erode a target’s will, making
her more susceptible to your mental control and resistant
to that of others. Conditioning is a slow process, requiring
an hour of contact each day for a week. At the end of each
week, the target makes a Will save to resist the Conditioning.
Each week of successful Conditioning gives the target a
–1 penalty to save against any of your Dominate Disciplines,
to a maximum penalty of –8. Once the target’s penalty
reaches –4, you no longer need to make eye contact to use
Manipulate Disciplines against her (though giving orders
through artificial or impersonal means, such as a phone,
gives the target a +4 bonus to resist). Conditioned targets
are resistant to the mental control of other creatures, and
Conditioned targets gain a bonus on Will saves against
such effects. The bonus is equal to the penalty they have
against your control.
Conditioned targets lose much of their ability to think for
themselves, as your will blots out much of their personalities.
Severely conditioned targets are little more than robots, with
no initiative or ability to carry out orders except in the most
literal fashion.
Each week of Conditioning costs one Vitae. You can Condition
multiple targets per week as long as you are able to give
them each at least an hour of attention every day.
Separation from you tends to erode Conditioning. If one
week times the current save penalty passes without the target
having contact with you, the penalty drops by 1 (eight weeks
at –8 to get to –7, seven weeks at –7 to get to –6 and so on).
Another vampire cannot Condition a target until its current
conditioning is gone.
Affinity: A Conditioned subject’s penalty against your
Manipulate Disciplines is –2 worse than normal and +2 better
against those of other vampires, to a maximum of –8/+8.
Action: Standard (to begin the process)
Cost: 2 Vitae
Duration: Instantaneous
Nightmare [Nosferatu + Eletum]
Dread [Nightmare]
You surround yourself with an aura of dread, unease and
paranoia.
Prerequisite: Level 4
Benefit: You can exude a supernatural aura of uncertainty,
fear and paranoia. The radius of this aura is 10 feet plus 10 feet
per point of your Charisma bonus. The aura remains as long as
you concentrate but ends if you attack. Creatures do not need to
see you for the aura to affect them, and Dread affects all creatures
in range except yourself.
Any creature within the aura becomes shaken. On your turn
the round after they enter the aura, they must make Will saves
(DC 10 + your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifi er) or become
frightened and flee for 2d6 rounds; otherwise, they remain
shaken but can remain within the aura. A creature that rolls a
1 on its save is panicked rather than frightened.
Nosferatu: Targets take a –4 penalty to resist this Discipline.
Action: Free
Cost: 2 Vitae
Duration: Concentration or until you attack
Monstrous Countenance [Nightmare]
You take on a horrific appearance to scare someone.
Benefit: You bare your fangs, make a threatening noise and
gain a horrifying visage. Any creature viewing you must make
a Will save (DC 10 + your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier)
or be frightened for a number of rounds equal to 1 + your Charisma
modifier. The target gets another save every round after
the first to stop fleeing but still refuses to come within sight of
you for the duration.
The viewers must have line of sight to you; seeing you in
a mirror, photo or television is no more frightening than any
other “special effect.” You may resume your normal appearance
as a free action, though this does not cause those already affected
to recover.
Nosferatu: Targets take a –4 penalty to resist this Discipline.
Action: Free
Cost: 1 Vitae
Duration: Until you end it
Eye of the Beast [Nightmare]
Your gaze carries the weight of the horrors beyond death,
rendering an opponent helpless with fear.
Prerequisites: Dread, Monstrous Countenance, level 6
Benefi t: You stare into the eyes of a creature, revealing to
it a vision of some unnamable horror or torment from beyond
the grave. The target must make a Will save (DC 10 + your Hit
Dice + your Charisma modifi er) or become cowering, remaining
in place as long as you are present; if attacked, the creature is
panicked and fl ees for 2d6 rounds. A creature that rolls a 1 on
its save is helpless rather than cowering and can do nothing (not
even flee) as long as you are present, even if attacked.
Nosferatu: The target takes a –4 penalty to resist this
Discipline.
Action: Free
Cost: 2 Vitae
Duration: As long as you remain present, or 2d6 rounds
Mortal Fear [Nightmare]
You use fear as a weapon, stabbing your prey’s heart
and mind.
Prerequisites: Dread, Eye of the Beast, Monstrous Countenance,
level 12
Benefi t: You trigger the target’s most primal fears. You engage
the reptile part of his brain, fl ooding his body with erratic
nerve impulses, adrenaline and coagulated supernatural terror.
These factors combine to cause a horrible shock: the target ages
prematurely, his hair turns white and he may even have a heart
attack and die from the strain on his body.
This Discipline deals 5d6 points of damage (this
damage bypasses physical defenses and damage reduction
does not affect it); the target may make a Will save for
half damage (DC 10 + your Hit Dice + your Charisma
modifier). If he rolls a 1 on his save, he also takes two
points of Constitution damage and two points of Wisdom
damage.
The target must be able to see you for this Discipline to
work, though seeing your silhouette or just your face is suffi cient.
You can use Mortal Fear on a particular target only once every 10
minutes. Even if multiple witnesses are present, this Discipline
affects only one target; all others see you staring intently but
suffer no adverse reactions.
You can use this Discipline only once per round.
Nosferatu: Targets take a –4 penalty to resist this
Discipline.
Action: Free
Cost: 2 Vitae
Duration: Instantaneous
Shatter the Mind [Nightmare]
Your confront a person with her greatest fear, temporarily
driving her insane.
Prerequisites: Dread, Eye of the Beast, Monstrous Countenance,
level 10
Benefi t: You awaken the target’s thoughts to the most
horrifi c thing she can imagine, turning her subconscious mind
against the conscious. The target imagines her greatest fear
coming to pass at that moment, no matter how implausible or
nonsensical that fear may be (such as drowning on a city sidewalk).
The target must see you, but you do not need to make
eye contact.
The target must make a Will save (DC 10 + your Hit Dice
+ your Charisma modifi er) or be dazed for one round and gain a
mild derangement (psychological disorder; GM’s discretion) for
a number of weeks equal to your Charisma modifi er (minimum
1); if the target already has a derangement, the GM may instead
upgrade the derangement to a more severe form for the duration.
If the target rolls a 1 on her save, she falls unconscious for one
minute and when she wakes she has a severe derangement; this
condition does not wear off without therapy or supernatural
intervention.
Mild derangements include Bulimia, Depression, Fixation,
Inferiority Complex, Irrationality, Narcissism, Phobias and Suspicion.
Severe derangements include Anxiety, Hysteria, Manic
Depression, Megalomania, Melancholy, Multiple Personality
Disorder, Obsessive Compulsion, Paranoia and Schizophrenia.
You can use Shatter the Mind on a particular target only
once per day.
Nosferatu: Targets take a –4 penalty to resist this
Discipline.
Action: Free
Cost: 2 Vitae
Duration: Instantaneous (dazed) plus one week per point
of Charisma modifi er (derangement)
Č
Obfuscate [None]
Touch of Shadow [Obfuscate]
You can conceal small items in your grasp or on your person so that they are all but undetectable.
Benefi t: You conceal on your person an object of Diminutive
or smaller size. The item is undetectable even if it is in plain
sight (such as a pack of cigarettes held in your open palm).
Anyone trying to fi nd the concealed object must make a
Will save (DC 10 + your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifi er)
to fi nd the item. Furthermore, he must know exactly what he
is looking for (such as a pack of cigarettes, a knife, a pistol, a
bag of drugs and so on); a nonspecifi c search fails to turn up
anything.
Smaller objects increase the DC by +4 per size category,
larger ones decrease the DC by –4 per size category.
If you draw attention to the object (such as by pointing at
it or deliberately showing it to someone), the concealment ends.
A person who spots the object can point it out to others, giving
them a +4 bonus on their saves, but anyone who rolls a 1 on his
save cannot see the object despite all attempts.
As with Cloak of Shadow, this Discipline is a mental effect
rather than a physical one. Because the ability is nonphysical,
you cannot conceal an object and hide another object behind
the fi rst object; the other object is clearly visible.
Affinity: Creatures have a –4 penalty to resist
this Discipline.
Action: Free
Cost: 1 Vitae
Duration: 1 minute
Cloak of Night [Obfuscate]
You can fade from sight.
Prerequisite: Touch of Shadow, level 4
Benefi t: You fade to invisibility. Anyone in your presence
while you are invisible must make a Will save (DC 10 + your
Hit Dice + your Charisma modifi er) or ignores you as if you were
not there. If you leave a creature’s presence and return after a
minute or longer, he gets another save to detect you.
You may activate this Discipline once per round.
Mortals who see you vanish may panic or leave the area in
alarm, but most simply come up with a self-deceiving explanation
for your absence (“I glanced away, and he must have gone
out the door”). If the viewer is a human and rolls a 1 on his save,
he forgets that you were ever there. If the viewer is supernatural
and rolls a 1 on her save, she believes you slipped away while
she was distracted.
If you do something to attract attention to yourself (such as
shouting a warning, breaking a window or attacking), the effect
ends. Otherwise, the Discipline ends when you choose; it even
covers for acts that would inadvertently reveal you — crowds
subconsciously part to let you pass, listeners ignore you stepping
on a squeaky fl oorboard unless they have already pierced your
invisibility and so on.
This Discipline works by affecting the mind, not light or
other physical properties. For example, video cameras record
you normally, but the Discipline affects people looking at you
through security devices, and they can’t see you until they
review the tape out of your presence. Children, animals, the
mentally ill and the simple-minded can sometimes see through
this obfuscation. A vampire using Auspex can pierce the effect
if she beats you in an opposed Will save.
Mekhet or Nosferatu: Targets take a –4 penalty to resist
this Discipline.
Action: Free
Cost: 1 Vitae
Duration: Until you end it.
Cloak of the Gathering
[Obfuscate]
An expanded version of Cloak of Night, you can cause
yourself and other creatures to vanish from sight.
Prerequisites: Cloak of Night, Touch of Shadow, level 8
Benefi t: This Discipline works similarly to Cloak of Night,
except that you can hide up to fi ve other people at once. Each
person affected is subject to the rules of Cloak of Night (drawing
attention breaks the effect for them, and so on). If you break the
cloak, everyone you have hidden becomes visible.
Anyone you affect with this ability can see you and each other.
If they break line of sight with you, the effect ends for them.
Mekhet or Nosferatu: Targets take a –4 penalty to resist
this Discipline.
Action: Standard
Cost: 2 Vitae
Duration: 1 minute
Mask of Tranquility [Obfuscate]
You can mask the taint of undeath on your soul.
Prerequisite: Level 2
Benefit:
You conceal your Forsaken nature from all supernatural
forms of detection, causing others to perceive you as a
normal human. For example, other Forsaken do not automatically recognize you as a Forsaken with the Predator’s Taint; a Forsaken using Aura Perception shows your aura as strong and colorful as a human. This Discipline does not affect your ability to detect other Forsaken or prevent more overt means of detection— you do not bleed, sunlight burns you and so on. This ability is always active, though you may turn it on or
off as a free action. This is an all-or-nothing change; you cannot
have some aspects of Mask of Tranquility active and others not.
If someone is using Auspex or other active supernatural means
to detect that you are a Forsaken, make an opposed Will save; ifyou win, the other does not detect that you are a Forsaken
Affinity: You do not have to spend Vitae to
give yourself the semblance of life
Action: None (always active)
Cost: 1 Vitae
Duration: Instantaneous (always active)
The Familiar Stranger
[Obfuscate]
You fool onlookers into thinking you are a particular person
they are expecting to see.
Prerequisites: Mask of Tranquility, Touch of Shadow,
level 6
Benefit: You meddle with the target’s mind so she
believes that you are someone she expects under the current
circumstances. You do not decide who you “become”
and do not know who you have “become,” though the
target’s speech and reactions may allow you to figure it
out. As you have no insight to your assumed identity, it
is best to keep your contact with the subject brief — good
for bluffing your way past a security guard, not so good
for pretending to be someone’s spouse on an anniversary
date. The assumed identity may not even be a specific
individual — in some cases, a police officer or a homeless
person may be exactly whom the target expects to
see, and if the target knows you, she may even expect
to see you.
This Discipline is an adjustment to perceptions, not an actual
physical change. The ability normally lasts no longer than a minute,
but you can extend it another minute as a free action by spending
one Vitae. The target gets a Will save (DC 10 + your Hit Dice +
your Charisma modifi er) to resist the Discipline. If you know whom
she expects (for example, at a business lunch), she takes a –4 penalty
on her save. If she makes her save, any further attempt to use this
Discipline on her in the next 24 hours costs one Vitae.
You can use this ability on several creatures at once,
but you must focus on one target as the primary and use her
expectation as your guise; all observers who fail their saves
perceive you as that target does, even if they don’t know
whom the primary expects.
Affected targets get another save if they actually know the
person you “become” and you act contrary to that identity’s
normal behavior. A target who rolls a 1 on her save fully accepts
your guise even if you act contrary to it (she writes off
this behavior as joking, drunkenness or some other appropriate
explanation).
Mekhet or Nosferatu: Targets take a –4 penalty to resist
this Discipline.
Action: Free
Cost: 1 Vitae
Duration: 1 minute
Protean [Gangrel]
Aspect of the Predator [Protean]
You project a supernatural aura of ferocity that is intimidating
and conceals your weaknesses from other Forsaken.
Benefit:
This ability affects the Predator’s Taint that all
forsaken share. Other Forsaken perceive you as being at least as powerful as they are, even if you are actually weaker (though they may know otherwise from other sources).
You gain a +4 bonus on Intimidate checks.
Aspect of the Predator can be suppressed or reactivated it as a free action once per round.
Affinity:
While this Discipline is active, you may use the
Intimidate skill to demoralize an opponent as a free action
(instead of a standard action) once per round.
Action: free action
Cost: 1 Vitae
Duration: 1 hour
Claws of the Wild [Protean]
You can grow powerful talons on your hands, capable of
rending flesh and bone.
Prerequisite: Level 6
Benefi t: You grow strong claws on your hands (and feet,
if you so choose). These claws are natural weapons that each
deal 1d8 damage points of slashing damage. When the claws are out, you gain a +8 equipment bonus on Climb checks. You can retract or extend the claws as a free action.
The claws may resemble those of a real animal (wolf, tiger,
hawk) or something strange and unearthly.
Affinity: This ability costs 1 Vitae.
Action: Free
Cost: 2 Vitae (1 for Affinity)
Duration: 1 minute (10 rounds)
[Protean] Body of Spirit
You can turn into a chill mist that is nearly invulnerable.
Prerequisites:
Aspect of the Predator, Claws of the Wild,level 10
Benefit:
You transform yourself, your clothing and small items you carry into a cold mist that moves through force of will. As a mist, you fill a volume equal to a 10-foot-cube and can move along the ground at a speed of 20 feet. You gain Water and fire resistance 5. You are invulnerable to physical attacks, but supernatural attacks may still affect you if they do not rely on a physical form or mundane means. (For example, a spell that makes a blade of hard air cannot harm you, nor do Disciplines that require eye contact, because you have no eyes.) Sunlight weakness(if possessed) deals half damage to you. You cannot physically attack anyone (even another Forsaken using this ability) or manipulate any physical object, though you may use Disciplines that do not require a body. (Most Dominate Disciplines are useless because you cannot make eye contact.) Your senses are normal despite your lack of eyes and ears. You cannot speak, as you have no mouth. Your mist form is not thick enough to obscure vision. Portions of your misty form cannot be separated from you, and attempts to do so do not harm you. (An enemy cannot bottle a portion of your substance to make you miss a piece when you return to your normal form.) Strong winds can move you against your will if they exceed your movement speed, but they cannot disperse you.
Returning to your own form is a standard action
:Affinity
Your Speed in mist form is 30 feet. You may spend to make yourself opaque as thick fog (providing a 50% miss chance) or return to your normal thinly transparent state,as a free action.
Action: Standard
Cost: 1 Vitae
Duration: Until you return to your normal form
Haven of Soil [Protean]
You can physically merge with the earth, giving you a safe place to rest or hide, even from sunlight.
Prerequisite: Level 2
Benefit: You merge your body with any volume of soil that could normally hold your body. You must be able to make direct
contact with the soil (e.g., if the soil is under a wooden fl oor or a sidewalk you must fi rst break through this barrier). You are not
merely buried; your physical essence is distributed throughout the material. Digging does not discover you. You cannot be
harmed when merged this way, even by magic or sunlight. When merged, you are asleep. If enough of your confining
material is disturbed, it alerts you to the disturbance, wakes you and ejects you from your haven (usually in a shower of the
material). When you are merged, all attempts to locate you (even by scent or supernatural means) take a –10 penalty (or you gain a +10 bonus on your save to resist). Even if searchers find your general location, they still aren't able to find your body because it no longer exists as a discrete object.You decide the duration when you activate this Discipline, though a disturbance can wake you earlier, as described above. Emerging from your haven is a free action if you initiate it and does not require an action if emerging is in response to a disturbance. When you emerge, you must spend one Vitae to awaken (as if waking at
sundown). You emerge from the same direction you entered unless that direction is now blocked; for example, you cannot fuse with a stone wall and emerge on the other side.
Special: You can select this Discipline multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you select this Discipline again, you learn two other types of material into which you can merge. Available materials are wood, water, natural stone, processed stone (including asphalt) and metal; you cannot learn processed stone until you have learned natural stone, and cannot learn metal until you learn processed stone. In any case, the volume of the material must be as large as your body. If you meld with water, you leave a barely visible, humanoid-shaped outline just below the surface but are otherwise protected and concealed as with any other appropriate material.
Affinity: Each time you select this Discipline (including the first time), you may learn one additional medium that you
may use as a haven.
Action: Standard
Cost: 2 Vitae
Duration: Indefinite