Post by Phsycodelic on Nov 14, 2016 23:39:36 GMT
Obtenebration
Lasombra
Lasombra
Regardless, the effects of Obtenebration are terrifying, as waves of darkness roil out from the Cainite, enveloping those in their path like an infernal wave. As Obtenebration is mostly known as a Sabbat Discipline, any Camarilla vampire caught using the power had better have a damned good explanation.
Note: Vampires using Obtenebration can see through the darkness they control, though other vampires (even those that also have Obtenebration) cannot. Dreadful tales of rival Lasombra struggling to blind and smother each other with the same wisps of darkness circulate among young members of the Clan, though no elders have come forth to substantiate these claims.
[ 1 ] Shadow Play ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 188 )
This power grants the vampire limited control over shadows and other ambient darkness. Though the vampire cannot truly "create" darkness, she can overlap and stretch existing shadows, creating patches of gloom. This power also allows Kindred to separate shadows from their casting bodies and even shape darkness into the shadows of things that are not there. Once a Kindred takes control of darkness or shadow, it gains a mystical tangibility. By varying accounts cold or hellishly hot and cloying, the darkness may be used to aggravate or even smother victims. Certain callous Lasombra claim to have choked mortals to death with their own shadows.
System: This power requires no roll, but a blood point must be spent to activate it. Shadow Play lasts for one scene and requires no active concentration. Kindred cloaking themselves in shadow gain an extra die in their Stealth dice pools and add one to the difficulties of ranged weapon attacks against them. Vampires who use the darkness to make themselves more terrifying add one die to Intimidation dice pools. Opponents plagued by flapping shadows and strangling darkness subtract one die from all Stamina dice pools (including soak). Mortals, ghouls, and other air-breathers reduced to zero Stamina by strangling shadows begin to asphyxiate; vampires lose all appropriate dice but are otherwise unaffected. Only one target or subject may be affected by this power at any given time, though some modicum of concealment is offered to a relatively motionless group. The unnatural appearance of this power proves extremely disconcerting to mortals and animals (and, at the Storyteller's discretion, Kindred who have never seen it before). Whenever this power is invoked within a mortal's vicinity, that individual must make a Courage roll (difficulty 8) or suffer a one-die penalty to all dice pools for the remainder of the scene, due to fear of the monstrous shadows.
[ 2 ] Shroud Of Night ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 189 )
The vampire can create a cloud of inky blackness. The cloud completely obscures light and even sound to some extent. Those who have been trapped within it (and survived) describe the cloud as viscous and unnerving. This physical manifestation lends credence to those Lasombra who claim that their darkness is something other than mere shadow. The tenebrous cloud may even move, if the creating Kindred wishes, though this requires complete concentration.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Occult (difficulty 7). Success on the roll generates darkness roughly 10 feet (three meters) in diameter, though the amorous cloud constantly shifts and undulates, sometimes even extending shadowy tendrils. Each additional success doubles the diameter of the cloud (though the vampire may voluntarily reduce the area she wishes to cover). The cloud may be invoked at a distance of up to 50 yards/meters, though creating darkness outside the vampire's line of sight adds two to the difficulty of the roll and requires a blood point's expenditure. The tarry mass actually extinguishes light sources it engulfs (with the exception of fire), and muffles sounds until they are indistinguishable. Those within the cloud lose all sense of sight and feel as though they've been immersed in pitch. Sound also warps and distorts within the cloud, making it nearly impossible to accomplish anything (+2 difficulty, as per Blind Fighting). Even those possessed of Heightened Senses, Eyes of the Beast, Tongue of the Asp, and similar powers suffer the penalty for blindness due to the unnatural darkness. Additionally, being surrounded by the Shroud of Night reduces Stamina-based dice pools by two dice, as the murk smothers and agitates the victims. This effect is not cumulative with Shadow Play, although targets asphyxiate as per Shadow Play if they reach 0 Stamina; more than one unfortunate mortal has "drowned" in darkness. Mortals and animals surrounded by the Shroud of Night must make Courage rolls per Shadow Play, above, or panic and flee.
[ 3 ] Arms Of The Abyss ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 189 )
Refining his control over darkness, the Kindred can create prehensile tentacles that emerge from patches of dim lighting. These tentacles may grasp, restrain, and constrict foes.
System: The player spends a blood point and makes a simple (never extended) Manipulation + Occult roll (difficulty 7); each success enables the creation of a single tentacle. Each tentacle is six feet (two meters) long and possesses Strength and Dexterity ratings equal to the invoking vampire's Obtenebration Trait - Potence and Celerity dots are added to these Strength and Dexterity ratings, respectively. If the vampire chooses, she may spend a blood point either to increase a single tentacle's Strength or Dexterity by one or to extend its length by another six feet or two meters. Each tentacle has four health levels, is affected by fire and sunlight as if it were a vampire, and soaks bashing and lethal damage using the vampire's Stamina + Fortitude. Aggravated damage may not be soaked. Tentacles may constrict foes, inflicting (Strength +1) lethal damage per turn. Breaking the grasp of a tentacle requires the victim to win a resisted Strength roll against the tentacle (difficulty 6 for each). However, tentacles cannot be used for any kind of manipulation, such as typing or driving. All tentacles need not emanate from the same source - so long as there are multiple patches of suitable darkness, there are sources for the Arms of the Abyss. Controlling the tentacles does not require complete concentration; if the Kindred is not incapacitated or in tor, she may control tentacles while carrying out other actions.
[ 4 ] Black Metamoosis ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 189 )
The Cainite calls upon his inner darkness and infuses himself with it, becoming a monstrous hybrid of matter and shadow. His body becomes mottled with spots of tenebrous shade, and wispy tentacles extrude from his torso and abdomen. Though still humanoid, the vampire takes on an almost demonic appearance, as the darkness within him bubbles to the surface.
System: The player spends two blood points and makes a Manipulation + Courage roll (difficulty 7) - vampires of lower Generation may have to take two turns to make the transition. Failure indicates the vampire cannot undergo the Black Metamoosis (though he spends the blood points nonetheless). A botch inflicts two unsoakable health levels of lethal damage on the vampire as darkness ravages his undead body. While under the effects of the Black Metamoosis, the vampire possesses four tentacles similar to those evoked via Arms of the Abyss (though their Strength and Dexterity ratings are equal to the vampire's own Attributes, including dice from Celerity and Potence). These tentacles, combined with the bands of darkness all over the Kindred's body, subtract two dice from the Stamina and soak dice pools of opponents physically touched in combat, for as long as the vampire remains in contact with the victim. This is not cumulative with other powers in Obtenebration, although targets can asphyxiate at Stamina 0, as per Shadow Play. The vampire may make an additional attack without penalty by using the tentacles (for a total of two attacks, not one additional attack per tentacle). Additionally, the vampire can sense his surroundings fully even in pitch darkness. The vampire's head and extremities sometimes appear to fade away into nothingness, while at other times they seem swathed in otherworldly darkness. This, combined with the wriggling tentacles writhing from his body, creates an unsettling sight. Mortals, animals, and other creatures not accustomed to this sort of display must make Courage rolls (difficulty 8) or succumb to a panic that amounts to Rötschreck (though it is inspired by the darkness rather than fire). Many Kindred cultivate this devilish aspect, and the Black Metamoosis adds three dice to the invoking Kindred's Intimidation dice pools.
[ 4 ] Nightshades ( XXX - Page X )
The Lasombra may create illusions crafted from shadow, perhaps summoning dark spirits or reflections of Ahriman. Although the images are only made of inky blackness, and therefore would not be realistic in the light of day, vampires rarely work in such environments anyway, so they can easily craft illusions that are quire believable under a night sky. The illusions are typically human-size and shaped, but with sufficient with skill, one might make larger illusions or a whirling nightmare of shadows and chaos.
System: The player rolls Wits + Occult (difficulty 7). Each success lets the vampire create one human-sized illusion; multiple successes can be combined to make a single illusion that is much larger than a human. Victims of these illusions must make Perception + Alertness rolls (difficulty 9) to deduce that they are not real.
The vampire can also use Nightshades to fill an area with a cloud of shadowy madness, a reflection of the dark half itself. The players of those in the area who don't have Obtenebration reduce their Initiative scores by three and take a two-dice penalty to all dice pools. The vampire can fill an area up to 10 yards in diameter per success with Nightshades in this fashion.
[ 5 ] Tenebrous Form ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 190 )
At this level, the Kindred's mastery of darkness is so extensive that she may physically become it. Upon activation of this power, the vampire becomes an inky, amoeboid patch of shadow. Vampires in this form are practically invulnerable and may slither through cracks and crevices. In addition, the shadow-vampire gains the ability to see in natural darkness.
System: The transformation costs three blood points (which may need to occur over three turns, depending on the vampire's Generation). The vampire is immune to physical attacks while in the tenebrous form (though she still takes aggravated damage from fire and sunlight), but may not herself physically attack. She may, however, envelop and ooze over others, affecting them in the same manner as a Shroud of Night, in addition to using mental Disciplines. Vampires in Tenebrous Form may even slither up walls and across ceilings or "drip" darkness upward - they have no mass and are thus unaffected by gravity. Rötschreck difficulties from fire and sunlight do increase by one for vampires in this form, as the light is even more painful to their shadowy bodies. Mortals (and others not used to such displays) who witness the vampire transform into unholy shadow require Courage rolls (difficulty 8) in order to avoid the debilitating terror described under Black Metamoosis.
[ 6 ] Aegis Of Shadows ( XXX - Page X )
This power has seen much use during the shadow Reconquista. It allows the wielder to garb herself in armor made of semisolid shadow. This armor generally takes the form of highly articulated and ornate knight’s armor, though styles vary from one Lasombra to another. The one constant is that the armor covers the entire body. The use of this power clearly marks the user as something sinister and unholy and causes most normal mortals to flee in terror.
System: The player spends 2 blood points and rolls Manipulation + Occult (difficulty 7). Each success on the roll translates into one level of armor, which can be used to soak bashing, lethal and aggravated damage that does not stem from fire or sunlight (unless Fortify Against Ahura Mazda is used). In addition, the character gains three dice to any Intimidation pool. Normal mortals and animals flee before the character. Exceptionally strong-willed mortals and ghouls may roll Courage (difficulty of the character’s (modified) Charisma + Intimidation) in order not to flee.
If the player botches the roll to form the Aegis of Shadows, the character is infected by the shadow-stuff of the Abyss. She suffers three unsoakable aggravated health levels of damage as darkness erupts from her body in writhing tendrils.
[ 6 ] Enter The Abyss ( XXX - Page X )
The vampire has such find control over the darkness that he may become it briefly and reform himself from other darkness close by. The vampire may Shadowstep through walls, floors and even mystical barriers. The Cainite simply steps "into" a shadow and re-emerges from another shadow a short distance away.
System: The player rolls Dexterity + Occult, and on a successful roll, the character may emerge from another shadow no more than 50 feet away. Failing the roll means simply that the character cannot step through the shadow-realm, while a botch signifies the character has become trapped between shadows (which fiendish Storytellers should have a heyday with). Pulling another individual through the shadow requires a Strength + Occult roll, with consequences for failure similar to failing by oneself.
[ 6 ] Eyes Of The Night ( XXX - Page X )
The vampire is able to see anything that goes on within the dark force created by any other use of this Discipline. Thus, the vampire could evoke the Shroud of Night (Level Two) in another room and clairvoyantly scan the area within. The vampire also automatically receives the Protean power Eyes of the Beast. Finally, as long as the vampire is not in a well-lit area, she may view her surroundings from anywhere within 50 feet of her own body just by closing her eyes and concentrating.
[ 6 ] Shadow Perspective ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 124 )
Prerequisites: Lasombra
Using this ability, the vampire can potentially observe anything done near the shadows. She shifts her perception from the shadows she is standing in to a nearby shadow. She can choose to shift any or all of her senses across to that area as if she were actually standing there. Should she move all her senses, it will be as if she is standing in the other shadow, but she would not even feel an attack made on her own body.
System: The vampire must be in line of sight to the shadow she wishes to shift her perception to, and spend a blood point for each sense she moves. She may only shift her sensory perceptions (touch, taste, sight, smell, or hearing), and cannot affect the area with any other powers she cannot already use from where she is currently standing. However, by shifting sight she can change her options for any line-of-sight effects. She must stand in shadow for the power to work, and there must be shadow at the area she shifts her perceptions to.
She may attempt to shift perception to an area she cannot see but knows very well. If she does so, she must also make a Perception + Awareness roll (difficulty 9) to succeed. If there are no shadows at the area in question, the power will not work, but the blood points are still spent.
[ 6 ] Shadowstep ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 191 )
The vampire has such fine control over the darkness that he may become it briefly and reform himself from other darkness close by. The vampire may Shadowstep through walls, floors, and even mystical barriers. The Cainite simply steps "into" a shadow and re-emerges from another shadow a short distance away (or next to the barrier, if there is no shadow on the other side).
System: The player rolls Dexterity + Occult, and on a successful roll, the character may emerge from another shadow no more than 50 feet (or 15 meters) away. Failing the roll means simply that the character cannot step through the shadow-realm, while a botch signifies the character has become trapped between shadows (which fiendish Storytellers should have a heyday with). Pulling another individual through the shadow requires a Strength + Occult roll, with consequences for failure similar to failing by oneself.
[ 6 ] The Darkness Within ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 191 )
This power allows the Cainite to call forth the darkness contained in her black soul. This enormous, turbulent shadow vomits from the vampire's mouth, though some vampires are said to cut themselves and let the blackness seep from their veins. The shadow-cloud engulfs a chosen target, burning it with a soul-scarring chill and siphoning its blood away in torrents.
System: The player makes a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) and spends a blood point. The resulting shadow envelops the target and, though it does not physically harm the victim, it may strike terror into him. Individuals observing the Darkness Within, whether as targets or onlookers, may suffer from the terror described under Black Metamoosis, unless they are already familiar with the Kindred's power. Individuals touched by The Darkness Within lose one point of blood per turn, though targets may resist this effect by succeeding on a Stamina roll (difficulty 6) each turn the target remains in contact with the cloud. The Cainite invoking The Darkness Within must devote all her attention to maintaining the cloud. If the vampire is attacked, the darkness immediately returns to her through whatever orifice it originated. The Cainite can summon the darkness back at any time, gaining a number of blood points equal to one-half the number the shadow siphoned from its victims (round up). Taking blood from another in this fashion is similar to drinking from that vampire, and blood bonds may result. Additionally, the Darkness Within may take blood from only one individual per turn, though it may be in contact with many.
[ 7 ] Fortify Against Ahura Mazda ( XXX - Page X )
Normally, sunlight destroys the darkness created by Obtenebration with the merest touch. A single ray of light can ruin even the most well conjured Nocturne, and a Lasombra assaulted in her haven during the day cannot use Arms of Ahriman to reach her enemies standing outside. This power, seen by Abyss Mystics to be the first step on the way to true mastery of Obtenebration, allows the user to strengthen her darkness against the light of the sun. This power takes its name from the Zoroastrian god of light and fire, the opposite of Ahriman.
System: When the character invokes another Obtenebration power, the player spends 3 blood points in addition to whatever cost the power in question has and rolls Stamina + Occult (difficulty 7). Each success translates to one turn in which that Obtenebration power is unaffected by sunlight. The duration of Fortify Against Ahura Mazda cannot be extended by the use of additional blood points.
[ 7 ] Shadow Lair ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 124 )
Prerequisites: Lasombra
This power is an advancement on Shadowstep, effectively allowing the vampire to pause mid-step. She enters a dark realm outside existence, where she is unaware of what might be occurring in the real world. Just as nothing can see the vampire here, she also can't see anything outside the void.
System: Using Shadowstep the vampire enters the shadows, but may spend a blood point to delay her exit for up to an hour. At the end of that hour, she may spend another blood point to remain for another hour or return to the real world. If she returns to the world in a different shadow, she must make a Dexterity + Occult roll as with Shadowstep, but there is no roll if she returns to where she entered. The vampire can take others into shadow in the same way as Shadowstep, as long as they are willing. They do not need spend any blood points, but if they lose contact with the vampire, they are lost in shadow forever.
[ 7 ] Shadow Twin ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 191 )
The vampire's control over darkness has progressed to such a degree that he may bestow upon it a limited degree of sentience. By animating his own shadow or that of another, the Cainite can actually "free" the shadow cast by light. While this power is active, the subject casts no shadow, as it has left to pursue the vampire's commands. This power can unnerve mortals and even a few inexperienced vampires. The Kindred wielding Obtenebration commands the individual's shadow; some vampires report having seen mortals literally scared to death, as their shadows leapt away to taunt or menace them.
System: The player spends a blood point and makes a Willpower roll (difficulty 8). If the roll succeeds, the shadow springs to unholy freedom for one hour per success (though it disappears at sunrise regardless of how many successes the vampire had). The Shadow Twin has Attribute and Ability ratings equal to half those of its parent body; they won't do much talking or thinking, so Mental and Social Traits don't matter much, though Wits may come into play. Additionally, the Shadow Twin has an Obtenebration score equal to one-half of that of the vampire who animated it (rounded down). Mortals and vampires unused to Obtenebration require a Courage roll upon witnessing this, as per Shadow Play. The twin may separate itself from the parent and travel up to 50 feet or 15 meters away, crawling through crevices or sliding up walls. It may attack and be attacked, though it takes and does only half damage (again, round down). Flame and supernatural attacks (such as vampire fangs, mystical powers, etc.) do full damage. If the Shadow Twin is killed, its parent loses half her Willpower points and must roll to avoid Rötschreck (difficulty 9).
[ 8 ] Dark Hunter ( XXX - Page X )
A Dark Hunter is a shadowy duplicate of the summoning vampire himself. A simulacrum made entirely of shadow, the Dark Hunter appears as a shadowy silhouette of the vampire, right down to the weapons, clothes and so forth. (Unique items will be duplicated in form, though they do not function.) Indeed, at a distance, the Dark Hunger may well be mistaken for its master.
A summoned Dark Hunter will do nothing until given a quarry. Once the target has been assigned, however, the Dark Hunter is relentless in stalking him, never resting (except during hours of daylight) until the chase is finished. However, that doesn't mean that the Hunter is stupid or self-destructive; single-minded does not necessarily mean simpleminded.
Depending upon instruction, a Dark Hunter can seek to either subdue or slay its target; in the former case, it will automatically bring the victim back to its master by whatever means available. Contrary to rumor, the Hunter cannot vanish into shadow and transport itself "home"; it must cover every foot of ground between it and its master. Once the Hunter's mission is accomplished, however, it vanishes instantly, returning to whatever dark realm from which it came.
System: To summon a Dark Hunter, the player rolls Stamina + Leadership (difficulty 8), "feeds" the newly summoned shadow 5 Blood Points and invests a point of Willpower to give the creature some permanence. However, the creature will not act until given a target and instructions. To fix a target within a Dark Hunter's mind, the summoning vampire must give something of the quarry's to the Hunter so that it can gain the "spiritual signature" of the one being hunted. Once that is done, the Hunter sets off at once.
A Dark Hunter possesses the same Attributes as the vampire who created it, down to Willpower. However, the Hunter's use of Disciplines is limited to Unseen Presence only. Still, in most cases that is more than enough.
Like Night Shades, Dark Hunters take damage normally, as well as from fire and sunlight. A Dark Hunter supposedly can speak (in the voice of its vampiric creator), but there are none alive today who can testify to that fact.
[ 8 ] Inner Darkness ( XXX - Page X )
Up to this point, all manifestations of Obtenebration are outward. When a Lasombra reaches this level of mastery, however, she is able to summon the darkness of Obtenebration into herself. Doing so is extremely difficult, and not without a certain element of risk, but the benefits are considerable.
System: In order to summon the Inner Darkness, the character must meditate for 10 minutes. The player must spend 3 blood points and roll Manipulation + Occult (difficulty 7). If the roll succeeds, the player must then spend a Willpower point and roll Willpower (difficulty 9). Inner Darkness lasts until sunrise, though it can be dispelled earlier with another Willpower roll, this one at difficulty 7. When Inner Darkness is in effect, the character’s eyes become orbs of darkness, but this is the only visible sign of the power.
A vampire who has activated Inner Darkness may invoke Shadow Play (Obtenebration 1) at any time without spending blood. She also gains three dice to all Obtenebration dice pools. She can see through natural or supernatural darkness at no penalty, including Obtenebration effects up to level 7. If anyone wounds her with a weapon that breaks the skin, the darkness lashes out against the attacker with the same Traits and effects as an Arm of Ahriman summoned by the character. It attacks once and then retreats back into the character. Anyone trying to drink the blood of the character finds herself being infused with the darkness, which ravages the person’s body, inflicting three dice of aggravated damage per blood point imbibed. This damage can be soaked only by Fortitude. Finally, the darkness within makes the character unnaturally calm. All Self-Control/Instinct or Courage rolls, as well as Willpower rolls made to remain unshaken, are at –2 difficulty, and any uses of Presence against the character incur a +2 difficulty.
Botching the summoning roll has the same effect as botching the roll to summon the Aegis of Shadows, above. Failing the roll to control the darkness means it runs amok. The character suffers damage as with Aegis of Shadows, above. In addition, she becomes the center of a patch of darkness 30 feet in diameter that not even she can see through, and four Arms of Ahriman lash out from her to attack the nearest targets. Botching the control roll is worse yet - the character’s undead body is taken over by something from the Abyss. This is usually a sinister and demonic creature of shadow, and its agenda usually revolves around releasing more creatures from the Abyss, as well as causing suffering and destruction. The character remains possessed for 11 weeks minus her permanent Willpower.
[ 8 ] Night Shades ( XXX - Page X )
The Cainite has gained such power over Obtenebration's dark energies that he may summon creatures made of shadow itself. There is much debate as to the true nature of these night shades. Some claim they are damned souls brought back to the land of the living. Others state they are animated darkness. Still others think of them as extensions of the vampire's own black spirit. A few Cainites have pointed out that these may all be one and the same...
System: The player must spend one Willpower and five Blood Points to invoke Night Shade (so if three of the creatures are summoned, the player must play three Willpower and 15 Blood Points). The vampire drips the blood into his own shadow, creating a doorway through which the Night Shade enters this world. The shade can only emerge from the character's own shadow but may move about freely thereafter. Once created, the shade is ready to serve the Cainte.
The Lasombra may call up to three of these tenebrous forms at any time. While weapons strike them as effectively as if they were mortal, they suffer no wound penalties from such blows (although the shades dissipate if their Health Level drops to Incapacitated). The Night Shade's dark form posses some sort of awareness, as they are able to carry out their summoner's verbal directions and even act independently when required to. Barring their untimely destruction, the shades do the vampire's bidding for the remainder of that night, and vanishes at dawn.
Specific information on Night Shades are listed below.
Physical: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3
Social: Charisma 0, Manipulation 0, Appearance 0
Mental: Perception 4, Intelligence 1, Wits 5
Virtues: Conviction 0, Instinct 0, Courage 5
Talents: Athletics 1, Brawl 3, Dodge 1
Skills: Stealth 8
Knowledges: None
Disciplines: Obtenebration 3. A night Shade is considered to be in Tenebrous Form at all times, though it may attack and be injured by mundane means.
Blood Pool: 0
Willpower: 5
Other Information: A Night Shade senses things in ways that mortals cannot comprehend. It is not blinded by the light (although flame injures it as does any other attack), and it is not affected by illusions or by darkness, natural or unnatural. The Night Shade's deathly-cold touch does aggravated damage. Finally, the Night Shade need not spend Blood Points to use its Disciplines.
[ 8 ] Oubliette ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 192 )
By creating a "chamber" of pure darkness, the Cainite may entrap or smother her enemies. No air exists in this shadow-trap, and mortals suffocate within its chilling void. Even vampires have little recourse once trapped - they may leave only at their captor's whim. The Oubliette appears as a dense patch of shadow, unaffected by ambient light around it.
System: The vampire spends a blood point, but no roll is necessary to create the Oubliette. To actually create the Oubliette around someone requires a contested Wits + Larceny roll against the target's Dexterity + Occult (difficulty 7 for both rolls). Mortals suffocate within a number of minutes equal to their Stamina (though the Lasombra may choose to leave their heads exposed or trap a quantity of air inside as well), while vampires are simply suspended impotently in darkness and may not use Disciplines or take other actions. The Oubliette vanishes instantly when touched by sunlight - which has left more than one vampire exposed to the sun's unforgiving rays - or when the Kindred chooses to relax it. A vampire may maintain only one Oubliette at a time (which can only contain one target at a time), which leads some Cainite philosophers to argue that it is a prison created from the vampire's very soul.
[ 8 ] Shadow Watchtower ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 124 )
Prerequisites: Lasombra
Using this ability, the vampire can merge so fully with the shadow she becomes part of it. While standing in shadow she seems to dissolve, vanishing into the darkness. While merged in the shadow she is almost indestructible, and can see everything going on around her as if she were standing there.
System: This power is an advanced version of Tenebrous Form. Like Tenebrous Form, it takes three blood points to assume the form of the Shadow Watchtower, and there must be a nearby shadow to merge with. The vampire becomes part of the area, but can shift to another shadowed area if she desires. If she has no shadow to merge with or move to, she returns to her physical form. When merged, she becomes a true shadow and cannot be detected as anything but an indistinct shadow in the corner. She also takes no damage, normal or aggravated, from anything except sunlight (which is still aggravated damage)
[ 9 ] Ahriman's Demesne ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 192 )
This power allows the vampire to summon a darkness so oppressive that it extinguishes the light of life - or unlife - of any victim trapped within it. Ahriman's Demesne creates a 50-foot (or 15-meter) radius of void that issues from the Cainite's hand and takes away the bodies of those it claims when it vanishes. The overwhelming darkness destroys friend and foe alike, claiming anyone unfortunate enough to be within its circumference.
System: The player spends two points of Willpower and concentrates for three turns. During this time, the blackness billows out of the character's hand, growing to fill the area. At the end of the third turn, the player rolls Manipulation + Occult (difficulty 6). Everyone in the darkness' area suffers that many health levels of damage (aggravated, if the victims are vampires) outright - six successes yield six levels of damage, not six dice of damage. After Ahriman's Demesne does its damage, it collapses, taking with it the bodies of any who died when they came in contact with the dreadful shadow.
[ 9 ] Enter The Abyss ( XXX - Page X )
With this manifestation of Obtenebration, the user can physically enter the Abyss and stay there for as long as she wants. She can also exit from any shadow anywhere in the world, as long as she has seen her intended egress location. With additional effort, she may also bring another person along (willing or no) and possibly strand him in the Abyss.
System: The player rolls Strength + Occult (difficulty 7) for the character to enter the Abyss. The character may take a willing person along; this requires the player to spend a point of Willpower. If the vampire wants to take an unwilling victim with her, she must first establish a solid grasp on him (possibly requiring a roll to grapple). The player spends a point of Willpower and then enters into an opposed Willpower roll against the target (both rolls are difficulty 6).
The character may exit the Abyss at any time. Anyone taken along must be touching the character in order to exit. Stranding someone in the Abyss is said to be a favorite punishment of a certain Lasombra Methuselah. The user can exit anywhere she has previously seen (including places viewed only through Auspex), as long as a large enough shadow is present.
What exactly the Abyss is, how it is perceived and what lurks there is best left up to the Storyteller. It is a highly disturbing place, and anyone entering it for the first time should roll Courage + Obtenebration (difficulty 9). On a failure, a temporary derangement is inflicted. On a botch, the derangement is permanent. Staying in the Abyss for too long is not a good idea. Demonic creatures lurk in the Abyss and might decide to attack the character. In addition, the Abyss itself has an insidious influence upon those who stay there, and anyone spending too long in it might find himself becoming more and more obsessed with suffering and darkness.
[ 9 ] Tchernabog ( XXX - Page X )
Far more showy than necessary, this power's name derives from a Slavic word meaning "black god." It is a fitting title, as this art grants its wielder the ability to literally block out the sun.
By invoking this power, a Lasombra blots out the sky with darkness. The moon, the stars, even the sun - are all covered by an inky black shroud that stretches from horizon to horizon.
There are precisely three Lasombra who have demonstrated mastery of this power: Lasombra himself, Montano and a Magister of Greek heritage formerly known as Boukephos. These three steadfastly refuse to teach this art to any others, and those who press too hard for this knowledge run the risk of incurring the displeasure of these three elders.
System: The player spends two Willpower points for the Cainite. The effects of this power last precisely one hour, and which point the darkness fades away. The power of this veil of blackness are such that while it is in effect, a vampire can walk about at midday and not feel any ill effects from the sun. The darkness of Tchernabog is complete, and under its shadow even lanterns and torches seem dim and weak. Otherwise the darkness conforms to that summoned forth by the Obtenebration power Shroud of Night.
[ 10 ] Banishment ( XXX - Page X )
The vampire can remove his victim from this world and send him to the abyss from whence the darkness originates. None have ever escaped this doom on their own. What happens in the abyss is left to the Storyteller's fiendish imagination.
System: The victim has no control over the effect, but the length of time the victim is held depends on the number of successes the vampire makes on a Willpower roll (difficulty is the opponent's Humanity or Path rating).
Successes | Duration |
1 | One day. |
2 | One week. |
3 | One month. |
4 | One year. |
5 | Permanent, unless the victim can somehow escape. |
In the Gehenna supplement, this is the power for all level 10 Disciplines. Basically, it does whatever the Antediluvian in question needs to do with the Discipline in question.