Post by Phsycodelic on Nov 14, 2016 23:56:45 GMT
Potence
Brujah, Giovanni, Lasombra, Nosferatu
Brujah, Giovanni, Lasombra, Nosferatu
The Brujah, Giovanni, Lasombra, and Nosferatu are naturally gifted with this Discipline, but members of other Clans often make a point to find someone who can teach them the awesome power of Potence.
While flesh and blood have their limits, undead sinews and vitae have a bit more latitude when it comes to feats of strength. Vampires who are close to Caine in descent are sometimes capable of strength-based maneuvers that awe even other vampires. A product of blood and will as much as of muscle and bone, mastery of Potence gives a vampire the ability to do far more than just lift progressively heavier objects - if the vampire himself is willing to learn an alternate way.
Advanced Potence powers can be purchased in the same fashion as advanced Celerity or Fortitude powers: A character can choose to learn an alternate power instead of advancing along the Discipline's normal progression, and can later go back and re-purchase what he's missed.
[ 1 - 5 ] Potence Levels 1 - 5 ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 192 )
System: Each dot that the vampire has in Potence adds one die to all Strength-related dice rolls. Further, the player can spend one blood point and change his Potence dice into an equal number of automatic successes to all Strength-related rolls for the turn. In melee and brawling combat, successes from Potence (either rolled or automatic) are applied to the damage roll results.
[ 6 ] Imprint ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 192 )
A vampire with extensive knowledge of Potence can squeeze very, very hard. As a matter of fact, she can squeeze (or press, or push) so hard that she can leave an imprint of her fingers or hand in any hard surface up to and including solid steel. A use of Imprint can simply serve as a threat, or it can be used, for example, to dig handholds into sheer surfaces for puses of climbing.
System: Imprint requires a point of blood to activate. The power remains active for the duration of a scene. The depth of the imprint the vampire creates with Imprint is up to the Storyteller - decisions should take into account how much force the vampire can bring to bear, the toughness of the material, and its thickness. If the object the vampire grasps is thin enough, at the Storyteller's discretion, the vampire might simply be able to push through it (in the case of a wall) or tear it off (in the case of a spear or pipe).
[ 6 ] Master Of The Forge ( XXX - Page X )
Master of the Forge allows the user to make metalwork, generally weapons, of masterful quality by striking the metal with immense, focused force. The power is well known in places like Milan and Damascus, with the Damascene Brujah Wafid al-'Asim ibn Suleiman acknowledged as the foremost master, and a Cainite with this power can command top prices for his work, in money or favors. It is rumored that such luminaries as Lord Jürgen of Magdeburg, Lucita of Aragon and Nastasio the Galician all wield blades made with this power.
System: The player makes a standard roll to forge a weapon (Intelligence + Crafts; difficulty varies according to the kind of weapon being made: 5 for a mace, 6 for an axe, 7 for a sword), though special, reinforced tools are needed when such strength is used. Depending on the type of weapon, the effects vary:
(A): Any edged weapon, such as a sword or ax, has its damage increased by one. This also applies to spears, but not to arrows, as arrowheads are too small to benefit from this power.
(B): Any bladed weapon, such as a dagger, is imbued with exceptional durability and will not break when used by someone with great strength. This also applies to the metal chains of morning stars. Hafted weapons, such as maces and axes, can be specially reinforced with this power by adding metal reinforcements to the haft, though this adds considerably to the time needed to forge the weapon.
(C): Exceptional tools can also be made, such an extra-sharp scythes or hammers that won’t break, though most Cainites consider this application beneath them.
[ 6 ] Relentless Pursuit ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 49 )
Prerequisites: Brujah
This power is an improvement on the Combination power of Leaps and Bounds. Relentless Pursuit can be used along with Leaps and Bounds.
System: There is no cost to use this power, which is always active. The Brujah doubles the number of automatic successes granted by Potence when applying them to jump rolls. A Dexterity + Athletics roll is required to make sure the character lands safely.
[ 6 ] The Fist Of Caine ( XXX - Page X )
The vampire fefines control of his strength to the point where he may project it from a distance. The master of Potence delivers a devastating blow, gaining all the benefits of his enhanced vampiric strength while yards from his target.
System: The vampire may engage in brawling combat up to a number of yards away from her target equal to her Potence. The player must still roll to hit, but with modifiers that would normally apply to a ranged attack. The damage from such an attack equals the vampire's Potence, though this damage is not considered automatic (as Potence normally is) and must be rolled.
[ 6 ] The Gentle Rebuke ( XXX - Page X )
Facetiously named, this power allows the Kindred to physically knock another character away from herself which the slightest of touches. Although this power does no damage in and of itself, is use is quite humbling, and certainly, to be hurled away from an elder in social setting has its embarrassing repercussions. Some Kindred who use this power do so surreptitiously, touching their victims and sending them reeling across the room. Others use this power as not-so-subtle display of their might giving their victim as casual slap that has overwhelming results.
System: The player spends a Blood Point and the character must physically touch her target (which may require a Dexterity + Brawl roll in certain situations). The character on the receiving end of this power is immediately thrown a number of yards equal to the invoking character's Potence rating. The results of this vary by situation, and are left to the Storyteller - a character hurled into a wall may well sustain damage, while a character tossed haphazardly away might have to succeed on Dexterity roll (difficulty 6) to remain standing.
[ 7 ] Immovable Object ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 124 )
Prerequisites: Lasombra
The vampire's strength is such that her force of will alone is enough to make her an immovable object, whether or not she has something to hold on to. She can lock herself in place, clinging onto where she stands with the power of her mind. Using this ability, she can resist any attempt to shift her by telekinesis or physical strength. She digs in, holding herself in place with her will alone.
System: If the vampire spends a Willpower point and is standing on a solid surface, she cannot be moved. She might be hit by a truck or a train and not budge an inch (although she will take some hefty damage!). The only way to move her is to destroy the surface she is standing on. This will work if she is on a bridge, but blasting the ground will just leave her standing at the bottom of a crater.
[ 7 ] Earthshock ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 193 )
According to some pundits, Potence is merely the art of hitting something very hard. But what do you do when your target is too far away to hit directly? The answer is, if you're sufficiently talented with the Discipline, to employ Earthshock. On its simplest level, Earthshock is the ability to hit the ground at point A, and subsequently have the force of the blow emerge from the ground at point B.
System: The use of Earthshock requires the expenditure of two blood points, as well as a normal Dexterity + Brawl roll. The vampire punches or stamps on the ground, and, if the attack is a success, the force of the blow emerges from the ground as a geyser of stone and earth directly underneath the target. The attack can be dodged at a +2 difficulty. Earthshock's range is 10 feet or three meters for every level of Potence the vampire has, up to the limits of visibility. A failure on the attack roll means that the strike goes errant and is liable to explode anywhere within range; a botch means that the vampire pulverizes the ground beneath him and may well bury himself in the process.
[ 7 ] Fist Of The Titans ( XXX - Page X )
With this power, a Cainite may either disdainfully push away an opponent or, with a little more effort, send her flying away with a powerful blow. First of the Titans can be used both as an attack in itself, with a seemingly gentle push, as well as in combination with a normal attack, though it is easier to focus the force when using the power on its own.
System: In order to simply push an opponent away, the character must shove the target, possibly requiring a Dexterity + Brawl roll to hit. The player then rolls Strength + Athletics, with a difficulty of the target’s Stamina + Athletics (unmodified by Fortitude, maximum difficulty 9). Each success sends the target backward one yard and she is automatically knocked to the ground at the end. Should the victim hit something (or someone), both she and it take damage as if she had fallen the same distance.
Using Fist of the Titans as part of a melee attack requires the use of a blood point as the weapon connects. The target is hurled back one foot for every health level of damage inflicted by the blow, before soak is rolled, +2 feet if the attack was with a bashing or smashing weapon and –2 if it was piercing, hacking or slashing. The target must roll Dexterity + Athletics to remain standing. Hitting an obstacle is handled as above.
[ 7 ] The Forger's Hammer ( XXX - Page X )
The Brujah can use their supernatural strength to forge weapons of exceptional quality. While humans must use the hammer and anvil, ancient Brujah can shape metal with their hands. In doing so, they imbue weapons with some of their own mystical strength. Over time this technique has fallen into disuse as humanity has made greater technical advances in metallurgy. The weapons of the ancients, however, are rare and valuable items.
System: The Brujah who wishes to create a weapon must first acquire the proper materials. The forging of the blade involves the most effort, but the mounting and dressing of the weapon takes as much time and skill. When forging the blade, the vampire beats the metal with her bare hands, shaping the material into the weapon of her choice. The player must succeed in a Strength + Crafts roll (difficulty 8). For every two successes, the weapon causes an additional die of damage (maximum of +3). The weapon is also incredibly resistant and can withstand heavy blows, and remains sharp with little upkeep. The weapons cause aggravated wounds.
[ 8 ] Flick ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 193 )
It is a truism that "the great ones always make it look easy." In the case of Flick, that saying stops being a truism and becomes literal truth. With this power, a master of Potence can make the slightest gesture - a wave, a snap of the fingers, the toss of a ball - and have it unleash the full, devastating impact of a deadon strike. The attack can come without warning, limiting the target's ability to dodge or anticipate; this makes Flick one of the most feared applications of Potence.
System: Flick costs a point of blood, and requires a Dexterity + Brawl roll (difficulty 6). The vampire must also make some sort of gesture directing the blow. What the gesture is remains up to the player - anything from a snap of the fingers to a blown kiss has worked in the past. Flick's range is equal to the limit of the Kindred's perception, and the blow struck does damage equal to a normal punch (including all bonuses).
[ 8 ] Lend The Supernatural Vigor ( XXX - Page X )
When a Cainite reaches this level of Potence, she can master it to the point of granting some of her immense strength to others. Rumors abound of Lasombra warrior-ghouls capable of cutting their enemies in half with single swipes.
System: The character concentrates for an hour, focusing her strength. The player spends a number of blood points equal to how much of the character’s Potence is to be distributed and then rolls Willpower (difficulty 6). If successful, these blood points pour from the hands of the character, usually into some vessel or the mouth of a waiting servant. Each blood point is "charged" with one point of the character’s Potence. Anyone drinking it gains, in addition to the normal effects of consuming the vitae, one dot of Potence per point of blood consumed (which adds to any Potence the target may have already), subject to normal generational maximum. This power lasts for a number of nights equal to the successes on the Willpower roll.
Lend the Supernatural Vigor has two limitations. First, the user cannot grant more Potence than her own rating in "standard" Potence (that is, if the character has seven dots of Potence used for automatic successes and her eighth level is Lend the Supernatural Vigor, she cannot grant more than 7 levels of Potence). Second, the character loses the Potence granted to others until the power expires. This has no effect on special Potence powers, but it does limit the number of automatic successes.
Mortals, including animals, empowered by Lend the Supernatural Vigor frequently overexert themselves. If they botch any Strength roll before adding Potence, they suffer a number of bashing health levels equal to their augmented Potence.
[ 8 ] Touch Of Pain ( XXX - Page X )
A Cainite with this level of ability no longer needs to swing clumsily at her opponents in order to cause damage. The vampire utilizes the full force of her strength with but a touch. Vampiric strength mystically focuses through contact, and can destroy the target instantly.
Rumors tell that an elder Assamite developed this technique and used it to destroy a band of Brujah intent on diablerie.
System: Through concentration and the expenditure of a Blood Point, the vampire can project the full force of her strength against a specified target. If the target is an inanimate object, it cannot resist the force of the blow. Living beings, including vampires, may soak the damage of normal. In either case, the damage levels equals to vampire's Potence. Such blows can destroy wooden doors or even crumble stone walls. Genteel Brujah can cripple rivals with a handshake - never breaching etiquette by raising their fist in anger.
[ 9 ] Might Of The Heroes ( XXX - Page X )
History and mythology are full of heroes and gods capable of astounding feats of strength, such as Hercules, Thor, Atlas and Samson. Cainites often believe themselves on par with the heroes and demigods of legend. With this power, a vampire is able to perform some incredible acts of pure physical power.
System: Might of the Heroes grant a number of abilities that are always in effect. First, the character’s unarmed attacks strike with such force that they inflict lethal damage and the character has no risk of injuring himself from striking hard objects (so a Cainite with this power and no Fortitude can smash his fist into solid rock repeatedly and not even skin his knuckles). In effect, the character is able to destroy just about anything given enough time. This also means that the character is immune to powers that injure him when he strikes his opponent, such as the Fortitude power Armor of Kings.
Second, the muscles of the character’s legs can absorb the shock of a fall of any length - as long as the character lands on his feet, he takes no damage (generally, a roll of Dexterity + Athletics, difficulty 4, is enough to ensure such a landing).
Third, the difficulty of a Feat of Strength is reduced to 6, making it even easier for the character to lift immensely heavy objects, and the increased Strength lasts for an entire scene, though it applies only to lifting and throwing. Still, this allows the character to use tree trunks as clubs (these generally inflict Strength +6 Bashing and are so large that they cannot be dodged and can strike more than one opponent at a time) and toss boulders like a catapult.
In addition to this, the character can actually strike so hard that the force of the blow travels through the air, hitting a target yards away. In order to do this, the player spends a point of blood and makes a normal attack roll for a punch or kick. The target cannot dodge unless she knows what the character is attempting - for example, if he’s just seen the character using this ability on another - and even then, the dodge difficulty is 9. The punch or kick inflicts normal damage for the character (Strength lethal for a punch, Strength +1 lethal for a kick), but loses one die of damage for each yard beyond the first that it has to travel.
