Koldunic Sorcery: Way Of Earth

[Phsycodelic]

Koldunic Sorcery: Way Of Earth

Secret

The actual casting of Koldunic sorcery requires more than a clumsy exertion of will. Such magic demands perfection of form and mastery of the appropriate lore. The caster's player spends one blood point and rolls (Attribute) + Occult against a difficulty of the power's level + 3, with the specific Attribute listed for each path or "way." Vampires always use the base Attribute, ignoring any bonuses gained from blood expenditure or other Disciplines. All kolduns must select one of the ways as their primary path.

Attribute: Stamina

Capable of great destruction and great healing, the earth is the womb of life and the sepulcher of death. It drinks all blood violently spilled upon its soil, and so mirrors the vampire. It is by association with the earth as a source of strength that a koldun enacts his will.

Koldunic Sorcery botches cause the sorcerer to acquire a psychosomatic aversion to the holy symbols in a manner similar to the Flaw Repelled by Crosses. The difficulty to resist Rötschreck is equal to (4 + the user's sorcery rating). [Rites Of The Blood - Page 132]

Alternate System: For Storytellers that prefer an alternate method, the roll to activate a Koldunic Sorcery Path is now a Willpower roll with a difficulty equal to (3 + Path rating), and each such roll also requires the expenditure of one blood point. The roll to activate a Koldunic Sorcery ritual is Intelligence + Occult with a difficulty equal to 3 + the ritual rating. These rules supersede those in V20, but if you prefer the original rules, feel free to use whichever you like.

[ 1 ] Grasping Soil ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 448 )

A koldun invoking this power may command earth to rise in a spray of dirt and crawl up a victim-s legs. This power can only command soil, not stone, and may only target victims standing on the earth.

System: The koldun may direct any patch of earth within a 100-foot/30-meter radius to ensnare a target for two turns per success rolled. Animated dirt ascends and constricts midway between the victim's knees and hips, holding her fast unless her player scores five successes on Strength + Survival roll (difficulty 6). It is also possible to use this power as an attack, in which case the grasping earth crushes once and then releases. Used in this manner, each success on the casting inflicts one level of lethal damage. Such damage manifests as broken legs and crushed feet.

[ 2 ] Endurance Of Stone ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 448 )

Drawing the essence of earth into himself, a koldun may gain a measure of its preternatural resilience. Under the effects of this power, a vampire's skin resembles a horrid fusion of flesh and stone that cracks and flows impossibly with every movement.

System: A successful activation roll grants the koldun two extra dots of Stamina for the rest of the scene. These dots are considered part of the character's natural Stamina and may aid in any uses of that Attribute, including soak.

[ 3 ] Hungry Earth ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 448 )

Expanding on the power of Grasping Soil, a koldun may use this power to drag a victim into the earth. He need only gesture and the soil beneath his victim opens like the maw of a great beast. This power may ensnare any victim who stands upon the earth within 100 feet/30 meters of the koldun.

System: Like Grasping Soil, every success on the activation roll leaves the victim immobile for one turn. However, the difficulty of the Strength + Survival roll to break free increases to 8 and doing so still requires five successes. As the earth continues to shift and grasp while the power remains active, this roll must be made as a single (though repeatable) attempt rather than an extended test. In addition, beings trapped in the crushing pit suffer one level of lethal damage each turn. Beings capable of soaking this damage may do so, but at difficulty 7. At the end of the power's duration, the earth yawns once more to release the victim.

[ 4 ] Root Of Vitality ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 449 )

As with Hungry Earth, the koldun may direct the land to bury any target standing on the earth within a 100-foot/30-meter radius. Yet this power is far more benevolent in its intent, if no less disturbing in its manifestation. The soil ripples, parting and closing like some obscene womb as it draws the target a full yard beneath the surface. Living beings entombed in this fashion do not suffocate, as the enchanted soil pumps air from above in undulating breaths. Better still, the fertile essence of the earth presses upon her flesh and restores it to new health. Still, the process is highly disturbing and unnatural, especially as targets remain wholly aware in silent, helpless immobility for the full duration. It is possible for a koldun to heal himself with this power.

System: The player spends as many blood points as desired (which may require multiple turns depending on Generation) and makes the activation roll. Each success permits the earth to heal two levels of bashing damage or one level of lethal damage. Healing aggravated damage requires two successes per level. The total number of health levels that may be restored with each use of this power is the number of blood points invested or the number of successes on the activation roll, whichever is lower. Any blood points spent beyond the number of successes drain away to no effect. The actual healing process takes one turn per bashing level, one minute per lethal level, and one hour per aggravated level. Once the healing is complete or the power is interrupted through determined excavation, the earth expels the target back to the surface.

[ 5 ] Kupala's Fury ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 449 )

Mortals pray in fear when the mountains shake. They fear the wrath of the Old Gods, and rightfully so. This is not a power used lightly or capriciously, because it represents one of the greatest weapons available to Koldunic Sorcery.

System: This power requires a Willpower point in addition to the usual cost and activation roll. The koldun smites the earth with his fist, and his anger flows through the soil to any target in his line of sight. The quake erupts outward from that point, inflicting 10 dice of lethal damage on everything and everyone in the area of effect. Most wooden structures collapse entirely and even buildings of concrete and steel maygrow cracked and pitted with superficial damage from the shaking earth. This tremor lasts one turn and affects an area determined by the number of successes rolled. It is not possible to apply fewer successes than those rolled.

Successes	Area
1	One house or single storefront.
2	Five lesser structures or a small city block.
3	An entire side street or a large city block.
4	Multiple square blocks or a large structure (like a stadium).
5	An entire neighborhood or massive industrial complex.