Thaumaturgy Rituals Level 5

[Phsycodelic]

Thaumaturgy Rituals Level 5

Tremere

Rituals are Thaumaturgical formulas, meticulously researched and prepared, that create powerful magical effects. Rituals are less versatile than paths, as their effects are singular and straightforward, but they are better suited to specific ends.

All thaumaturges have the ability to use rituals, though each individual ritual must be learned separately. By acquainting herself with the arcane practice of blood magic, the caster gains the capacity to manipulate these focused effects.

Thaumaturgical rituals are rated from 1 to 5, each level corresponding to both the level of mastery of Thaumaturgy the would-be caster must possess and the relative power of the ritual itself. Unless stated otherwise, a ritual requires five minutes per level to cast.

Casting rituals requires a successful Intelligence + Occult roll, for which the difficulty equals 3 + the level of the ritual (maximum 9). Only one success is required for a ritual to work, though certain spells may require more successes or have variable effects based on how well the caster's roll goes. Should a roll to activate a ritual fail, the Storyteller is encouraged to create strange occurrences or side effects, or even make it appear that the ritual was successful, only to reveal its failure at a later time. A botched ritual roll may even indicate a catastrophic failure or summon an ill-tempered demon.

Rituals sometimes require special ingredients or reagents to work - these are noted in each ritual's description. Common components include herbs, animal bones, ceremonial items, feathers, eye of newt, tongue of toad, etc. Acquiring magical components for a powerful ritual may form the basis for an entire story.

At the first level of Thaumaturgy, the vampire automatically gains a single Level One ritual. To learn further rituals, the thaumaturge must find someone to teach him, or learn the ritual from a scroll, tome, or other archive. Learning a new ritual can take anywhere from a few nights (Level One ritual) to months or years (Level Five ritual). Some mystics have studied individual rituals for decades, or even centuries.

[ 5 ] A Curse Upon Thy House ( XXX - Page X )

This affects not only a person upon whom it was cast, but his entire progeny and brood also. The caster rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty 8). One success is needed, but for every success thereafter, one other vampire is affected (beginning with the closest to the target). Each Willpower point spent likewise affects another vampire. They will all have the Dark Fate Flaw until the head of the house (the target) atones for the crime done to the curser. If the curser was an anarch, and the target was the prince, then the prince must somehow pay reparation to the anarch's memory. A "good deed" must be done to overcome the curse, or else all the brood are affected. If the target dies, then the next one who was affected by the curse takes on the responsibility of reparation.

[ 5 ] Abandon The Fetters ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 154 )

Created by Clan Tremere during the Anarch Revolt, Abandon the Fetters shatters the blood bond between master and thrall through a grueling, excruciating process that lasts an entire night. The thaumaturge forms a bond to the thrall and master by mixing a concoction made from blood from all three of them and placing it in a glass container. Next, the caster must exsanguinate and excoriate the thrall. The exact method is determined by the ritualist's individual style: some prefer mortification with a whip, while others might apply brands. Once the subject is almost dead, the caster shatters the glass container, spilling the blood to the ground and snapping the thread of the bond. The mixture of blood evaporates in a hissing, scalding steam, and the subject is freed.

Some princes forbid the practice of this ritual in their domains, believing that it could be a threat to the Second Tradition for a thaumaturge to undo one of their punishments.

System: The thaumaturge must have one point of blood each from himself, the thrall, and the subject's master. (If the caster happens to be the subject or regnant, no additional blood is needed.) The excoriation causes three levels of unsoakable aggravated damage to the subject as flesh is flayed or burned away. The final venomous steam inflicts an additional level of unsoakable aggravated damage on both the caster and the subject. The subject loses a permanent point of Willpower, but if the ritual succeeds, the blood bond dissipates immediately. However, this offers no protection against the formation of another, later bond. Abandon the Fetters may not be used to break the vinculum of a Vaulderie or the effects of the Thaumaturgy ritual called Transubstantiation of Seven.

[ 5 ] Asymmetrical Reproduction ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 109 )

Each clone is the precise replication of a mortal, ghoul, or vampiric individual. The clone is created on a template of DNA and psychic impressions taken from that individual through study and the use of stolen genetic material. This clone is perfect, and emotionally pliable for a time - but over the course of a few days to weeks, subtle imperfections begin to creep into the programming, eventually driving the clone insane. If the clone is not destroyed by this time, it will go murderously rogue, attempting to eradicate its original (the individual whom it is a copy of) and destroy its creator.

System: This ritual takes three nights to complete, and the caster must possess some amount of the target's genetic material (such as skin cells or a hair), which is destroyed in the casting. The clone created by this ritual is a perfect, but living, duplicate of its target in every way, including all appropriate Merits, Disciplines, and personality traits, but only possesses the most rudimentary memories of the individual it is replicating. Over the course of the next seven days, the clone's psychology becomes more and more psychotic, and its Disciplines or other powers (as appropriate) become wildly unstable, until it becomes almost entirely unrecognizable from their original state. If allowed to survive, at some point after the seventh night, the clone will go on a violent murder spree - ending only in its death, preferably after the death of the individual it was created to replicate.

Although the clone is a living creature (and must eat, sleep, and breathe), if it is a replication of a vampire, it appears to be a vampire to all ordinary and supernatural means of detection.

[ 5 ] At Our Command It Breathes ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 103 )

The Tremere ceased making Gargoyles after the Slaves revolt, and, as part of the Camarilla negotiations, promise never to revive the technique. This horrific ritual creates a Gargoyle from the dismembered parts of slain Cainites, and is the process through which the first of that line came into being.

To enact this ritual, the caster must prepare at least two other vampires (of the Nosferatu, Tzimisce, or Gangrel Clans) for at least a full turn of the moon, feeding them a very small amount of cursed and defiled blood, and starving them to within an inch of wassail. These individuals are tortured nightly, and various humiliations and physical horrors inflicted upon them, to break their sanity and weaken their bodies.

After the subjects are prepared, they are staked, and brought into a prepared room where this ritual is begun. Over the next few nights, the victims' limbs are cut from their bodies (the ritual prevents the parts from falling to dust). The ritualist sews the two (or more) vampiric corpses together into a single vaguely-humanoid shape, and then wraps the resultant form (and all extra parts) within the stretched womb of a deer or horse. The bodies must remain undisturbed in this sac for a period of three months, while the thaumaturge periodically visits and performs various incantations. If the thaumaturge misses even a night of these incantations, the ritual is increasingly likely to fail - if it does, the fetal Gargoyle dies, and the creature cannot be revived. If the thaumaturge is successful, at the end of the three months a newborn Gargoyle will force its way out of the thick sac of flesh.

System: The blood cost of this ritual is 5 points for each Cainite used in the Gargoyle's manufacture. After three months of casting, on the final night of the ritual, the thaumaturge must make a roll as the fetal sac is cut open. The roll is Intelligence + Occult (difficulty 9, but the roll requires three successes). Subtract one die for every night the thaumaturge did not perform her incantations. A single success allows the creation of a Gargoyle (if this is a player character, it must be built according to the standard character creation rules). Attempted use of this ritual, whether successful or not, removes a single point of morality from the user's morality total. No matter what path a character espouses, this ritual (and the activities required to perform it) is deeply and utterly abhorrent. Gargoyles created with this ritual are infertile, and cannot Embrace.

[ 5 ] Blood Contract ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 239 )

This ritual creates an unbreakable agreement between the two parties who sign it. The contract must be written in the caster's blood and signed in the blood of whoever applies their name to the document. This ritual takes three nights to enact fully, after which both parties are compelled to fulfill the terms of the contract.

System: This ritual is best handled by the Storyteller, who may bring those who sign the blood contract into compliance by whatever means necessary (it is not unknown for demons to materialize and enforce adherence to certain blood contracts). The only way to terminate the ritual is to complete the terms of the contract or to burn the document itself - attempts to add a clause forbidding burning the contract have resulted in the contract spontaneously combusting upon completion of the ritual. One blood point is consumed in the creation of the document, and an additional blood point is consumed by those who sign it.

[ 5 ] Cobra's Favor ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 154 )

During the war between the fledgling Camarilla and Clan Assamite, there were a vast number of casualties. The Tremere created this ritual as a precaution against being diablerized by their many enemies, especially the Assamites, who seemed to delight in targeting the Warlocks. Some historians have speculated that Cobra's Favor was the first of many thaumaturgical experiments that eventually lead to the ritual that cursed the Assamites at the signing of the Treaty of Tyre.

Cobra's Favor manipulates the vitae of the caster, causing it to burn with a toxin that causes horrific damage to anything that consumes it. The ritual requires an herbal poultice and the venom of a snake to be mixed with some of the thaumaturge's blood.

System: By spilling one point of blood into a prepared container and combining it with the necessary herbs and poison, the thaumaturge recites an incantation, willing her magic into the concoction until it turns jet black. The caster must ingest the elixir for the ritual to take effect, suffering one level of unsoakable aggravated damage in the process. Afterwards, for the next week, anything that consumes the blood of the caster suffers a level of aggravated damage per point ingested. Each additional success on the activation roll extends the duration of the ritual by an additional week.

[ 5 ] Court Of Hallowed Truth ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 155 )

House and Clan Tremere have long utilized this ritual for tribunals and internal matters. Recent nights have seen a number of Princes call upon Tremere to use the ritual within their political halls in exchange for favors. Casting this ritual is an expensive and lengthy process, but there are always those willing to pay the price for the added assurance. Unbiased testimony and blatant truth become standard within the court, and many connivers and liars have betrayed their own plans under the effects of this power.

To cast this ritual, the thaumaturge must place a skull and a pair of crossed bones upon every entry to the room, including windows. Once the court is assembled, the caster must then spend a point of blood at each of the entries into the room to symbolically seal the room from falsehoods. This ritual can be quite costly if the ritual is cast in a large room with multiple entrances and windows.

Several Princes have come to rely too much on this ritual, much to their undoing, as either the Prince becomes preposterously indebted to the Tremere or other Kindred resent her heavy-handed tactics and refuse to attend meetings. This power invariably erodes the power of Princes who rely on it, though some are too shortsighted to understand this.

System: Once the ritual is complete, all who enter the room are bound to abide by the truth-telling edict it enforces. No falsehood may be spoken, and direct questions from the presiding judge or power are answered candidly with no omissions or deceit. The magic persists within the room for the length of one week. Each additional success on the activation roll extends the duration of the ritual by an additional week.

[ 5 ] Curse of Clytaemnestra ( XXX - Page X )

This ritual allows the caster to destroy one person by rapidly aging his physical form until he decays to nothing. The caster must have a personal possession of the target as well as some of his blood. The ritual takes a full day to cast and, once finished, the target resists with Stamina and Fortitude against a difficulty determined by the number of Blood Points the caster expended during the ritual. Three successes are required to keep the target alive and even then the target is considered Crippled, though only temporarily. The spell only affects men and invariably costs the caster Humanity. This ritual is the creation of Carna, who uses it to destroy the lovers who "betray" her.

[ 5 ] Dominion ( XXX - Page X )

This ritual makes a highly effective defense. It requires three hours to set up, but it lasts for an entire week. The ritual is cast upon a specific location no larger than 500 cubic feet. The ritual prevents all uses of Animalism, Auspex, Domination and Presence performed by anyone except the caster within its bounds. In order for the ritual to remain effective, a seal made of iron must be embedded over all doors within the area affected by the Dominion. If even a single seal is marred or pulled out, the ritual is dispelled.

[ 5 ] Enchant Talisman ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 239 )

This ritual is the first taught to most Tremere once they have attained mastery of their first path. Create Talisman allows the caster to enchant a personal magical item (the fabled wizard's staff) to act as an amplifier for her will and thaumaturgical might. Many talismans are laden with additional rituals (such as every ward known to the caster). The physical appearance of a talisman varies, but it must be a rigid object close to a yard or a meter long. Swords and walking sticks are the most common talismans, but some innovative or eccentric thaumaturges have enchanted violins, shotguns, pool cues, and classroom pointers.

System: This ritual requires six hours per night for one complete cycle of the moon, beginning and ending on the new moon. Over this time, the vampire carefully prepares her talisman, carving it with Hermetic runes that signify her true name and the sum total of her thaumaturgical knowledge. The player spends one blood point per night and makes an extended roll of Intelligence + Occult (difficulty 8), one roll per week. If a night's work is missed or if the four rolls do not accumulate at least 20 net successes, the talisman is ruined and the process must be begun again. A completed talisman gives the caster several advantages. When the character is holding the talisman, the difficulty of all magic that targets her is increased by one. The player receives two extra dice when rolling for uses of the character's primary path and one extra die when rolling for the character's ritual castings. If the talisman is used as a weapon, it gives the player an additional die to roll to hit. If the thaumaturge is separated from her talisman, a successful Perception + Occult roll (difficulty 7) gives her its location. If a talisman is in the possession of another individual, it gives that individual three additional dice to roll when using any form of magic against the talisman's owner. At the Storyteller's discretion, rituals that target the caster and use her talisman as a physical component may have greatly increased effects. A thaumaturge may only have one talisman at a time. Ownership of a talisman may not be transferred - each individual must create her own.

[ 5 ] Escape To A True Friend ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 239 )

Escape to a True Friend allows the caster to travel to the person whose friendship and trust she most values. The ritual has a physical component of a yard-wide/meter-wide circle charred into the bare ground or floor. The caster may step into the circle at any time and speak the true name of her friend. She is instantly transported to that individual, wherever he may be at the moment. She does not appear directly in front of him, but materializes in a location within a few minutes' walk that is out of sight of any observer. The circle may be reused indefinitely, as long as it is unmarred.

System: This ritual takes six hours a night for six nights to cast, reduced by one night for every two successes. Each night requires the sacrifice of three of the caster's own blood points, which are poured into the circle. Once the circle is complete, the transport may be attempted at any time. The caster may take one other individual with her when she travels, or a maximum amount of "cargo" equal to her own weight.

[ 5 ] Eyes Of The Beast ( XXX - Page X )

The vampire is able to mystically see through the eyes of an animal for 24 hours. The animal must be chosen and touched on the head by the vampire for this ritual to take effect. The vampire will then see whatever the animal sees, but will have no control over what the animal looks at or does. The vampire must close his own eyes in order to see what the animal sees. This is a particularly useful power when using the animal to keep watch over the vampire's haven.

[ 5 ] Ghost In The System ( XXX - Page X )

With society becoming more dependant upon information and computer files, archaic elders needed something to maintain their places in society. In earlier nights, a Kindred could easily fake his death or move on to a different part of the country, but tonight identities are kept on ubiquitous file through the electronic data and paper trails. This ritual bypasses the normal channels for these identities, causing old computer and hardcopy files to disappear and new files to spring up. Like a ghost, the thaumaturge disappears and comes back in a new form. This ritual is technomantic in nature, and many vampires thoroughly disapprove of it, preferring to remain anonymous than change to conform with the rules of the modern nights. Invoking this ritual requires the caster to melt a pile of sand into glass and suspend an ant within the cooling silicon.

System: This ritual takes an entire week to perform, with breaks from the chanting and ceremony only in the form of sleep each day. A botch on the activation results in a complete corruption of all fi les dealing with the Cainite, to the point that a major government agency takes active interest in the anomalous activities. A failure results in problems for a few months before everything is arranged correctly - "We're sorry, sir, but the files says that you are dead; we'll take care of this mistake right away." It effectively creates a series of false records that allow the vampire to observe modern citizenship, including driver's license numbers for licenses that do not exist, false birth certificates, Social Security numbers, etc.

[ 5 ] Haunting Breeze ( XXX - Page X )

The Thaumaturgist can summon a light, supernatural wind which serves more to frighten than to harm. It is chilling, and those who listen can hear the warnings, curses, screams and laughter of the dead carried on it. Those who look closely can see the shapes of people swirling about in the wind. The wind can even be summoned inside an enclosed area. The wind increases the difficulty of Perception rolls by 2 and all other rolls by 1. In addition, all mortals subjected to the wind, which covers the entire area within the Thaumaturgist's sight, must make a Courage roll (difficulty 5) or else they will run away in fear.

[ 5 ] Lion Heart ( XXX - Page X )

The vampire using this ritual may temporarily increase her abilities as a warrior. The ritual grants the vampire two points of Strength, one point of Dexterity, and one point of Stamina. The vampire's Courage or Morale is also increased by three points. Even beyond this, the vampire gains two extra points in her Brawl and Leadership Talents. The effects of this ritual lasts for 20 minutes. The vampire using this ritual must rest within two hours after this ritual ends or she will begin to lose Health Levels at a rate of one every 10 minutes until she rests. This can be a very dangerous ritual to cast, but its effects are incredible.

[ 5 ] Mark Of The Beast ( XXX - Page X )

This is an ancient ritual, created when the world was young. The target goes through a painful transformation, at the end of which he arises with the Beast upon his face – his visage shifted to one horrible to gaze upon. He will resemble the Nosferatu; his Appearance will be reduced to zero. Nosferatu and Gargoyle are immune to this curse. The caster rolls Willpower (difficulty the target's Wits + Empathy (maximum 10]). The only chance for a cure is if the target falls in love: not infatuation or desire, but true love - love for which he would die the Final Death. If this love is returned, the target will change back into his true form. The Storyteller should roleplay this out in a story. Falling in love is also one of the things that can restore lost Humanitas to a vampire.

[ 5 ] Mirror Of Blood ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 104 )

This legendary ritual is used to create entire packs of Blood Brothers, forging them from mortal flesh and Cainite vitae completely outside of the Embrace. Some Cainites consider Mirror of Blood to be a heresy against the vampiric condition. Others refer to it as the pinnacle of unified magical research and experimentation. Nevertheless, all agree: It is dangerous, in the extreme.

The Tzimisce and the Tremere antitribu of the Sabbat created this ritual together, after centuries of trial and error. It is incredibly difficult to master and extremely delicate to carry out. To enact this ritual, the caster must capture ten children less than seven years old. These children may be of any race or sex, but they must all be of the same blood type and have no diseases or genetic imperfections of any sort.

All of the children are ghouled to the same vampire. This vampire is generally a patsy of some sort; either a newly created and disposable childe, or a captive from some other sect. For the next three months, the children are alternately pampered by their domitor and tortured by the ritualist, shaped night by night into perfect replicas of one another. The torments, as well as the delights, escalate rapidly, until by the end of the three months, the children have broken minds and equally deteriorated bodies. In this state, they psychologically transfer their self-will to their domitor, offering an implicit, soul-deep trust. It is at that point that they are made to watch that domitor die at the hands of their tormentors - and then allowed to slaughter their domitor during the final night of the ritual. With a final, twisted application of spells both Hermetic and elemental, the children are murdered, their minds are merged and their memories shared, and then they are brought back from the dead by the power of the ritual. The bond they share - their domitor's original blood-bond, now amplified and twisted into something far greater - establishes the permanent and unalterable unity of a new pack of perfectly identical Blood Brothers.

System: The blood cost of this ritual is 3 points for each child to be transformed into a Blood Brother. After three months of casting, on the final night of the ritual, the thaumaturge must make ten rolls - one for each child involved in the ritual. These rolls are made with Intelligence + Occult (difficulty 9). If the thaumaturge achieves at least one success on a roll, that child survives. If two or fewer children survive the process, the entire ritual is a failure, and all of the children die. If three or more of the original ten children survive, the ritual is a success. The number of children who survive are the numbers of Blood Brothers in the new, unified pack.

Attempted use of this ritual, whether successful or not, removes a single point of morality from the user's morality total if they are on Humanity. Other paths (particularly those which eschew killing) may require a similar (or greater) morality loss. Blood Brothers created with this ritual are infertile, and cannot Embrace.

[ 5 ] Mirror Prison ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 29 )

The thaumaturge using this ritual possesses the ability to create a modest prison cell in the astral plane anchored to a specially prepared silver mirror. The caster may then open the mirror portal to the prison cell with a verbal incantation and physically deposit an incapacitated prisoner.

Some thaumaturges use this ritual to create a private space to meditate without distractions.

System: The thaumaturge must polish a silver mirror with a point of her blood and the tears of an innocent child. The thaumaturge must expend a point of Willpower that is permanently absorbed by the mirror.

Once created, the thaumaturge may open a portal through the glass by touching it with a point of her blood. The opening to the mirror prison lasts as long as desired by the caster. Incapacitated prisoners may be passed through with no difficulty, but an unwilling target requires an opposed Strength roll to force the victim through the portal.

Escaping the mirror requires the prisoner to defeat the caster in an opposed Willpower roll with a difficulty of 8. A prisoner may only attempt to escape in this fashion once every thirty days. The cell can comfortably contain up to three individuals. A person inside may not be scried for or be the target of Clairvoyance (or similar powers, at Storyteller discretion). The prisoner needs neither sustenance nor sleep, as she remains untouched by the passage of time.

Should the mirror be destroyed or the thaumaturge wish to cancel the ritual, the stored Willpower point will return to her and any prisoners will instantly be released.

If the caster spends a point of blood and touches the mirror, she can increase or decrease the opaqueness of the glass, allowing the prisoner to see outside of her prison as she wills. If the mirror is clear, the prisoner can appear in the mirror as a floating head to communicate.

[ 5 ] Mindcrawler ( XXX - Page X )

The vampire employing this ritual creates a magical force in a victim's head which causes the victim to slowly lose his mind. The effects are dreadful and extremely effective. The Thaumaturgist simply places her hand on the victim's head for this ritual to take effect. The victim will feel only a minor burning sensation.

Over a period of one week, the victim begins losing his Mental Attributes. The first day the victim loses one point of Perception, the second day one point of Intelligence, the third day one point of Wits. The cycle repeats on the fourth day, with the victim losing another point of Perception, and so on for each day, following the same sequence until the victim's Mental Attributes are all reduced to one. The Mindcrawler then ceases.
The victim may rebuild his Mental Attributes at a rate of one point per week, applied to whatever Mental Attribute the victim decides to work on rebuilding. The material component for this ritual is a small tick dyed red and painted with a mystical symbol. The tick is then crushed and applied to the head of the victim.

[ 5 ] Nectar Of The Bitter Rose ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 155 )

A secret known only to the elder Tremere and vile diablerists, Nectar of the Bitter Rose breaks the usual constraints of diablerie, allowing multiple vampires to share in the fruits of a victim's power. This ritual is considered a dark stain from the Tremere's past, and evidence of any knowledge of this ritual would be cause for scandal in the Camarilla.

System: The thaumaturge must restrain the victim in some fashion while casting this hour-long ritual over him. She must chant the proper incantations while her coterie of would-be diablerists taunt the victim over his impending doom. While distracted, the caster mystically identifies different aspects of the soul and symbolically separates them from the whole by draining the target of vitae in small batches.

At the ritual's completion, the caster and up to five vampires may attempt to gain the benefits of diablerizing the subject. Each would-be diablerist must make a separate challenge to claim the dark prize. Nectar of the Bitter Rose does not allow a vampire to gain benefits from diablerizing a victim of weaker or lesser generation - it simply lets multiple people share in a diablerie.

[ 5 ] Night Of The Red Heart ( XXX - Page X )

Neonates whisper that Tremere elders can utterly destroy their enemies with but a sample of vitae. Although little is ever that simple, some truth lies behind the dread rumor. With Night of the Red Heart, a thaumaturge can send his enemies shrieking in terror, slay them outright or force a confrontation.

The thaumaturge needs only a quantitative sample of the victim's blood. Over the course of an entire night, the caster chants the syllables of the ritual continuously. After the first iteration of the ritual (which takes about 10 minutes), the victim suddenly feels a foreboding sense of dread. Whenever the subject faces the caster, he realized that a ritual is in progress to slay him - and that he must either escape its power, or else find and interrupt the caster by following the preternatural knowledge imparted. Once the ritual ends at sunrise, if the victim is within its range, he spectacularly crumbles to ash in a matter of seconds.

In addition to the victim's blood, the caster must have an effigy of the victim that he has carved himself from bone, rotten wood harvested at midnight or stone from the grave of a faithful priest's headstone.

System: Although extremely potent, Night of the Red Heart is not an all-powerful ritual. Chances are, as soon as it begins, the victim will either flee the city or else hunt down the caster. Because there are no holds barred - death or failure - this likely means that the victim will not stop until he can destroy the thaumaturge. Should the caster manage to complete the ritual with a full point of the victim's blood, though, the hapless subject immediately collapses to Final Death.

The player rolls for the ritual's success as soon as casting begins - if the roll fails, then the ritual will not work and the victim will feel nothing (although the caster doesn't necessarily know this.) The player must also spend one Willpower point to continue the casting for the duration of the entire night, and if the ritual is stopped or interrupted in any way, it fails.
Night of the Red Heart has a limited range. Popular lore holds that the rite works "for seven leagues beyond the accursed's haven"; scientific thaumaturges credit the rite with a range of 30 to 35 miles. Regardless, the subject can immediately tell if he has managed to escape the ritual's range, because the sense of dread vanishes - but if he returns while the ritual remains in progress, he once again comes under its influence. Note that although the subject can tell if he manages to escape the ritual's range, the caster does not know this; it's possible to cast Night of the Red Heart upon someone who's not in range, without knowing that the ritual will fail.

[ 5 ] One Mind Of The Covens ( XXX - Page X )

This is a very exclusive ritual used by the Regent of a given chantry during a simultaneous communication with his equivalents across the world. He must engage in an hour-long chant and stare into a silver mirror to cast this ritual successfully. This ritual is one of the main reasons that the Tremere clan is so controlled and organized - it allows elders to demand current information concerning the progress of all its members' schemes.

[ 5 ] Paper Flesh ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 240 )

This dreadful ritual enfeebles the subject, making her skin brittle and weak. Humors rise to the surface and flesh tightens around bones and scales away at the slightest touch. Used against physically tough opponents, this ritual strips away the inherent resilience of the vampiric body, leaving it a fragile, dry husk. The thaumaturge must inscribe his subject's true name (which is much harder to discern for elders than it is for young vampires) on a piece of paper, which he uses to cut himself and then burns to cinders.

System: This ritual causes the subject's Stamina and Fortitude (if any) to drop to 1 each. For every Generation below Eighth, the subject retains one extra point of Stamina or Fortitude (keeping Fortitude first, though she may not exceed her original scores). For example, a vampire of the Fourth Generation with Fortitude targeted by Paper Flesh would drop to a Stamina + Fortitude score of 6 (assuming the score was 6 or more to begin with). This ritual lasts one night.

[ 5 ] Sanctuary ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 29 )

In the 18th century, a religious-minded Tremere developed this ritual, which allowed him to consecrate a protected space and then extend a certain amount of its sanctuary to those that inhabit it with her. The thaumaturge casting this ritual must first find and acquire a building that has not been tainted with violence of any kind (or not in the past fifty years, if it is older than fifty years). Next, she must build a shrine at the metaphoric center of the building that all who visit must be able to see. The exact nature of the shrine depends upon the faith of the caster. Said shrine need not be of a religious faith, but it must represent a concept in which that the thaumaturge places her own faith and belief.

Finally, the thaumaturge must consecrate the building via a sacrifice of her blood and will over three nights.

System: To complete this ritual, the thaumaturge must invest a permanent point of Willpower into the consecration of the targeted building at the end of the three-night ritual. Once completed, the shroud of sanctuary completely envelops the boundaries of the targeted building. All souls, living or otherwise, that are not specifically invited by the caster cannot enter the building. Further, those inside the building are protected against all uses of Animalism, Auspex, Dominate, Dementation, and Presence (and related Disciplines, at Storyteller discretion).

However, this protection does not come without a price. The shroud of sanctuary only lasts as long as the grounds remain consecrated. Any acts of violence committed within the building will immediately taint it, making it impossible to benefit again from Sanctuary. Should the ritual be broken, the caster will immediately become aware of this, as the Willpower point invested into the building reverts back to her.

If the building remains consecrated, the magic of this ritual continues for one year per success from the activation roll. Afterward, the caster must either reinvest the Willpower point or allow the sanctuary to dissipate.

[ 5 ] Sculpting The Perfect Servant ( XXX - Page X )

Intrigued by the manner in which the Fiends bred their revenant servants and, improvising on those methods, a powerful European thaumaturge ritualized the ability to enroll an individual's service even before the child had been born. By manipulating an unborn fetus in the womb of a pregnant woman, a magus has the ability to grant exceptional aptitudes and attributes that develop in the child. These Warlocks may also be exceedingly cruel, cursing these innocents with scars and defects. This technique of creating ghouls was founded to increase the abilities of their ghouls, as well as the service of the mother. Children affected by Sculpting of the Perfect Servant, though possibly growing up normally, always feel a supernatural connection to the magus. To use this ritual, the caster must rend a stillborn baby in half and allow its blood to flow over the belly of the pregnant mother.

System: While it takes only a moment to curse or damage a child, a caster who expends the time and energy in blessing (which requires five hours every week until the pregnant mother comes to term, starting in the first three months of the pregnancy) will reap the benefits. This results in the baby possessing exceptional Attributes (three or sometimes four points per Trait, rather than the usual two points most mortals have) and gaining an extended life span (usually living for about 100-120 years). Unfortunately despite being strong, handsome and healthy, these mortals are also cursed by a lack of moral development; their Humanity can never be raised above 6. For every curse inflicted on the unborn child, one common deformity may be created as well, to bind the child to the magus.

Note: The full effects of this ritual are solely up to the Storyteller, as such manipulation of humanity can have a drastic effect on game balance.

[ 5 ] Severed Hand ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 155 )

The Amr of Clan Assamite created this ritual as a means of showing mercy to criminals that deserved punishment, but not the Final Death. Severed Hand allows the thaumaturge to permanently sever a part of a restrained Kindred's body in such a fashion as to prevent the vampire from ever regenerating the lost body part. Although the hand is typically the most common appendage removed, this ritual can affect eyes, fingers, tongues, and other body parts.

The most important component is the severed anatomy of the subject, which is why this ritual is almost always performed at the maiming. The Tremere stole the secrets of this ritual and then removed references to the veneration of Haqim. Clan Assamite was quite surprised to learn that Camarilla had adopted the same practices in their courts.

System: This ritual takes an entire night to perform, during which time the wound is treated with different alchemical compounds to prevent the regeneration process. Although the health levels can heal in the normal way, the severed body part is unable to be restored to its former condition without magical healing (such as Obeah).

[ 5 ] Shadowland Passage ( XXX - Page X )

The vampire can physically pass into any location of the Shadowlands, provided that she has been in that location before. This requires that the vampire symbolically "kill" herself by plunging a specially prepared dagger into her heart (doing at least 2 wound levels) and falling into a body of water deep enough to cover her. The dagger must be made from the purest silver, and the hilt must have at least one vampire fang worked into its construction. When she returns from the Shadowlands, she will reappear in the water. Members of the Black Hand use this ritual to get to Enoch.

[ 5 ] Spirit Of Torment ( XXX - Page X )

This ritual allows a vampire to summon a spirit capable of making physical contact with those in the real world. The vampire may command the spirit to attack another being. The spirit will fight for the vampire as long as it is not in any personal danger. The spirit will stay only for a limited time; if it suffers any wounds while in a physical form, it will automatically leave. Other wise, the length of time it remains is based upon the number of successes the vampire rolls using his own Manipulation + Occult (or Spirit Lore).

Successes	Effect
1	One turn.
2	One hour.
3	One night.
4	Three nights.
5	One week.

The spirit looks hideously inhuman and has the following statistics:

Physical: 13 points divided among the three.
Social: 3 points divided among the three.
Mental: 7 points divided among the three.
Virtues: Conscience 0, Self-Control 1, Courage 4.
Talents: Brawl 4, Empathy 3, Intimidate 3.
Skills: Stealth 3.
Knowledge: Occult 1, Spirit Lore 2.
Disciplines (equivalents): Auspex 2, Fright 3 (adds one die per level to any attempt to frighten), Obfuscate 5, Potence 1, Spirit Sight, and Manifestation (allows the spirit to assume a physical form; the spirit can remain in physical form for one turn for every Willpower point expended)
Humanity: 0
Willpower: 7

[ 5 ] Stone Of The True Form ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 156 )

Stone of the True Form requires a small stone that is perfectly spherical. The caster must carefully coat it with a mixture made from a point of her blood and other eldritch compounds. Once the ritual is completed, the stone serves as an anchor to metaphorically connect the material world with Plato's world of idealized forms. If the thaumaturge has the will, she can force others to assume their natural shape.

With a single touch of the stone, the caster may engage the target into a contest of will to force them to assume their natural form. A thaumaturge might use a Stone of the True Form on an Obfuscated Nosferatu, force a grotesque Tzimisce into a humanoid form, or even trap an enraged werewolf in its mortal form.

System: Over the course of one night, the thaumaturge must cast this ritual on a small round stone such as a marble. Afterwards, the cast may use this stone as a trigger to engage her target in a contested Willpower roll (difficulty of each other's Stamina). If the caster wins by even one success, the subject will immediately shift to her natural form for a single turn. Every success above and beyond the first success extends the number of turns a target is unable to assume a shape other than her original form. If the stone is shattered, the victim is now free to change shape no matter how many turns left remain on her term in her original form.

[ 5 ] Stone Slumber ( XXX - Page X )

This ritual protects a sleeping vampire by turning her into solid stone. The caster must smear her entire body with the blood from a 12-hour-old corpse and stand completely still in an open area facing east. When the first rays of the rising sun strike her, the vampire's body turns to stone. In this form, the Kindred is completely protected from all forms of physical damage and most types of flame (including sunlight) and heat, unless the heat would be strong enough to melt rock (as with a lava flow or other disaster). Telepathy and other mental Disciplines are also useless, as the thaumaturge's mind is dormant.

System: The caster must begin this ritual exactly one hour before sunrise. If the timing is not exactly right, the ritual will not work and the caster suffers aggravated damage from the light of the sun, as normal. The ritual lasts until 10 minutes after the following sunset. During this period, the Kindred is completely oblivious to her surroundings and cannot wake up. In addition, waking up the next evening costs an additional blood point.

[ 5 ] The Verdant Blade ( XXX - Page X )

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

System: The caster must expend a blood point when making his Intelligence + Occult roll, and must spill a second blood point into the vat with the items described above. The chanting that follows takes 25 minutes. If the roll is botched, the weapon is not enchanted and will shatter on impact. The item or weapon must still be large enough to use as a stake (a large knife or a sword will work, but a pen will not). The ritual does not make the actual staking process any easier, and the weapon is not considered enchanted in any other respect.

[ 5 ] Thirst Unquenchable ( XXX - Page X )

The vampire creates a thirst that cannot be quenched within another vampire. Only half the vitae the victim consumes for the rest of the night will actually replenish the vampire. The victim is more likely to frenzy as well (difficulties are increased by two). The material component is a handful of salt.

[ 5 ] Transform The Skin To Stone ( XXX - Page X )

The resiliency of the Gargoyles is quickly becoming legendary among Cainites. In addition to their already formidable Fortitude, some Gargoyles have been granted an even greater ability to shrug off not only damage from mortal weapons, but damage from fire as well.

System: A Gargoyle must be of at least eighth generation to benefit from this ritual. The Gargoyle must drink the carefully prepared vitae of several Gangrel (at least three different Gangrel from which a combined total of 10 Blood Points must be consumed) during the ritual, and the Tremere must expend a point of Willpower. At the end of the night, the Gargoyle will henceforth be able to add one of his Stamina for resisting wounds, take one fewer point of wound penalties, and halve all damage received from fire. This ritual is not without risk to the Tremere, though. The Tremere must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 10). If even one success is gained, the ritual is permanent. If no successes or botches are rolled, the ritual lasts until the next equinox or solstice. If the end result is a botch, the Tremere loses one point of Willpower permanently (although the Gargoyle still benefits from the ritual, as if no successors (sic) or botches had been rolled).

[ 5 ] Umbral Walk ( XXX - Page X )

There are innumerable planes of existence. The astral plane, where creatures with astral projection walk, is know to many Kindred. Tremere have also learned to enter the land of eternal night, known as the Umbra, although this is hardly a safe place for them. Entering the Umbra requires the sacrifice of an intelligent being. the success of the vampires' ritual also depends on the magnitude of the being's supernatural power. The vampire can also bring others into the Umbra, though each person brought along requires a separate sacrifice. The Tremere appears in the Umbra naked, though any magical items she may have come along. For more information on the Umbra, see Werewolf: The Apocalypse.

[ 5 ] Vires Acquirit Eundo ( XXX - Page X )

This is simply a way of extending the effect of another ritual. The caster recites an elaborate incantation, then breaks an hourglass and casts the sand over a green flame while performing the other ritual. The only disadvantage to using this ritual is that it has different effects depending on what the caster uses it with.

System: The Storyteller has the final decision on the effects of this ritual. Generally, it adds time or potency to another ritual in order to extend its duration or prolong its effect. The efficiency with which it does so depends on the number of successes on the caster's roll.

[ 5 ] Ward Versus Demons ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 240 ) OR ( Dread Names: Red List - Page 101 )

Wary Tremere created this ritual to protect themselves from demons (including those summoned or given physical form via Thaumaturgy Paths such as Elemental Mastery). By invoking this ritual, the caster creates a glyph that causes great pain to any demons who come in contact with it. The Kindred pours a vial of holy water over the object he wishes to ward (a piece of parchment, a coin, a doorknob, etc.), and recites the incantation, which takes 10 minutes. In 10 hours, the magical ward is complete, and will inflict excruciating pain on any spirit unfortunate enough to touch the warded object.

System: Demons who touch warded objects suffer three dice of lethal damage. This damage occurs again if the demon touches the object further; indeed, a demon who consciously wishes to touch a warded object must spend a point of Willpower to do so. This ritual wards only one object - if inscribed on the side of a car, the ward affects only that door or fender, not the whole car. Wards may be placed on weapons, even bullets, though this usually works best on small-caliber weapons. Bullets often warp upon firing, however, and for a ward to remain intact on a fired round, the player needs five successes on the Firearms roll.

[ 5 ] Ward Versus Ghosts ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 240 )

Wary Tremere created this ritual to protect themselves from ghosts (including those summoned or given physical form via Thaumaturgy Paths such as Elemental Mastery). By invoking this ritual, the caster creates a glyph that causes great pain to any ghosts who come in contact with it. The Kindred pours a handful of powdered marble from a tombstone over the object he wishes to ward (a piece of parchment, a coin, a doorknob, etc.), and recites the incantation, which takes 10 minutes. In 10 hours, the magical ward is complete, and will inflict excruciating pain on any spirit unfortunate enough to touch the warded object.

System: Ghosts who touch warded objects suffer three dice of lethal damage. This damage occurs again if the ghost touches the object further; indeed, a ghost who consciously wishes to touch a warded object must spend a point of Willpower to do so. This ritual wards only one object - if inscribed on the side of a car, the ward affects only that door or fender, not the whole car. Wards may be placed on weapons, even bullets, though this usually works best on small-caliber weapons. Bullets often warp upon firing, however, and for a ward to remain intact on a fired round, the player needs five successes on the Firearms roll.

[ 5 ] Ward Versus Spirits ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 240 )

Wary Tremere created this ritual to protect themselves from spirits (including those summoned or given physical form via Thaumaturgy Paths such as Elemental Mastery). By invoking this ritual, the caster creates a glyph that causes great pain to any spirits who come in contact with it. The Kindred pours a handful of pure sea salt over the object he wishes to ward (a piece of parchment, a coin, a doorknob, etc.), and recites the incantation, which takes 10 minutes. In 10 hours, the magical ward is complete, and will inflict excruciating pain on any spirit unfortunate enough to touch the warded object.

System: Spirits who touch warded objects suffer three dice of lethal damage. This damage occurs again if the spirit touches the object further; indeed, a spirit who consciously wishes to touch a warded object must spend a point of Willpower to do so. This ritual wards only one object - if inscribed on the side of a car, the ward affects only that door or fender, not the whole car. Wards may be placed on weapons, even bullets, though this usually works best on small-caliber weapons. Bullets often warp upon firing, however, and for a ward to remain intact on a fired round, the player needs five successes on the Firearms roll.

[ 5 ] Warding Circle Versus Demons ( XXX - Page X )

This ritual is enacted in a manner similar to that of Ward versus Demons, but creates a circle centered on the caster into which a Demon cannot pass without being damaged. The circle can be made as large and as permanent as the caster desires, as long as she is willing to pay the necessary price. Many Tremere chantries and havens are protected by this and other Warding Circle rituals.

System: Warding circle versus Demons behaves exactly as does Warding Circle versus Ghouls, but it affects Demons rather than ghouls. Warding Circle versus Demons requires three vials of holy water.

[ 5 ] Warding Circle Versus Ghosts ( XXX - Page X )

This ritual is enacted in a manner similar to that of Ward versus Ghosts, but creates a circle centered on the caster into which a Ghost cannot pass without being damaged. The circle can be made as large and as permanent as the caster desires, as long as she is willing to pay the necessary price. Many Tremere chantries and havens are protected by this and other Warding Circle rituals.

System: Warding circle versus Ghosts behaves exactly as does Warding Circle versus Ghouls, but it affects Ghosts rather than ghouls. Warding Circle versus Ghosts requires three handfuls of powdered marble from a tombstone.

[ 5 ] Warding Circle Versus Spirits ( XXX - Page X )

This ritual is enacted in a manner similar to that of Ward versus Spirits, but creates a circle centered on the caster into which a Spirit cannot pass without being damaged. The circle can be made as large and as permanent as the caster desires, as long as she is willing to pay the necessary price. Many Tremere chantries and havens are protected by this and other Warding Circle rituals.

System: Warding circle versus Spirits behaves exactly as does Warding Circle versus Ghouls, but it affects Spirits rather than ghouls. Warding Circle versus Spirits requires three handfuls of pure sea salt.

[ 5 ] Warding Circle Versus Technology ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 102 )

Prerequisite: Inconnu

Although they have a great mastery of lore and Kindred physiology, most Inconnu are not modernists. This ritual was designed by William Howard Lexington III to protect himself and his fellow Inconnu from recently-Embraced neonates and hunters using technological weapons. This ritual creates a circle of magic centered on the caster, into which technology (i.e. any machine more complex or advanced than a crossbow) cannot pass without shattering or becoming defunct. This circle can be made as large and as permanent as the caster desires, as long as she is willing to pay the necessary price.

System: The ritual requires three points of mortal blood from individuals with at least an intelligence of 3. The caster determines the size of the warding circle when it is cast; the default radius is 10 feet/3 meters, and every 10-foot/3-meter increase raises the difficulty by one (one additional success is required for every increase past the number necessary to raise the difficulty to 9). The player spends one blood point for every 10 feet/3 meters of radius, and rolls. The ritual takes the normal casting time if it is to be short-term (lasting for the rest of the night) or one night if it is to be long-term (lasting a year and a day).

Once the warding circle is established, it glows a faint coppery-orange, too faint to be seen in normal light, but notable in dim lighting conditions or natural darkness. A successful Intelligence + Occult roll (difficulty 8) identifies this as a warding circle. If technology crosses into the circle, the possessor of that technology must roll more successes on a Willpower roll (difficulty equal to the caster's Thaumaturgy rating + 3) than the caster rolled when establishing the ward. Failure indicates that the ward causes all such technology on the individual to be irrevocably destroyed; data cannot be retrieved at a later date, and all parts of the item shatter. If the technology leaves the circle and later enters it again, the possessor must repeat this roll.

[ 5 ] Way Of The Wendigo ( Rites Of The Blood - Page 30 )

The Wendigo is a malevolent flesh-eating spirit believed to possess humans that violate the taboo against cannibalism. Once tethered to a human form, the spirit is believed to corrupt the soul until its victim is little more than a beast.

This forbidden ritual was developed by an apprentice Tremere that survived an assault on her chantry shortly before the American Revolution. Badly wounded and depleted to the point of exhaustion, she slipped away to the Great Lakes where she drank from the people that fished and lived there until she began to ritually consume the flesh of her victims. The unknown apprentice noticed that the practice healed her wounds and soothed her will.

The Way of the Wendigo encourages the thaumaturge to sacrifice not only her own blood, but living flesh to recharge herself from the life essence of her victim. Dark magic such as this always comes at a price to the soul. The Beast grows stronger when fed, and those that follow the Way of the Wendigo are no exception. It is said that the original Tremere that created this ritual fell to her Beast.

System: The thaumaturge seeks out a victim that she believes is an example of a virtue that she admires, such as intelligence, purity, or reverence. She must anoint the sacrifice with oil, sage, and ash during an hour long ritual. At the climax of the ritual, the caster murders the victim with the thigh bone of a hanged man and then consumes his flesh.

Consumption of the flesh allows the thaumaturge to absorb the victim's essence to replenish the needs of her undead body and will. She will feel a rush of drowsiness and will be at -1 to all dice pools for the next hour. However, every ten minutes that the thaumaturge rests, she will regain a point of Willpower and one health level. At the end of the night, if the thaumaturge does not possess the merit Eat Food, she is forced to vomit up the excess flesh.

This is a horrific ritual where the sacrifice must knowingly endure the knowledge that he is going to die and then be consumed. Such a heinous action takes a toll on the humanity of the thaumaturge, as her mind is flooded with flashes of the victim's life and experiences the agony of her death. The use of this ritual automatically strips a minimum of one Humanity dot from the character's Humanity rating (to a minimum of 2). Additionally, the Storyteller might require a Conscience roll (difficulty 8). Failure means the loss of an additional Humanity point (which can fall below 2), while a botch could well mean the loss of even more.

The use of this ritual requires a Self-Control roll (difficulty 8). Failure means that the thaumaturge has gained the permanent Addiction (Human Flesh) Flaw.