Post by Phsycodelic on Nov 15, 2016 1:03:29 GMT
Quietus
Assamites
Assamites
[ 1 ] Silence Of Death ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 203 )
Many Assamites claim never to have heard their targets' death screams. Silence of Death imbues the vampire with a mystical silence that radiates from her body, muting all noise within a certain vicinity. No sound occurs inside this zone, though sounds originating outside the area of effect may be heard by anyone in it. Rumors abound of certain skilled Assamite viziers who have the ability to silence a location rather than a circumference that follows them, but no proof of this has been forthcoming.
System: This power (which costs one blood point to activate) maintains a 20-foot (6-meter) radius of utter stillness around the Kindred for one hour.
[ 1 ] Silence Of Death { Sorcerer } ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 26 )
Prerequisite: Assamite Sorcerer
This is an alternate version of Silence Of Death available to the sorcerer caste - only the modifications to the powers listed in V20 are presented here. The player of a sorcerer character must decide when purchasing the individual power whether to take the traditional version associated with the warriors or the caste-specific version.
Despite no one being able to hear her, the sorcerer can still speak. While this may seem a meaningless distinction, many applications of Assamite Sorcery require verbal incantations, which this power allows the sorcerer to use without drawing attention to herself.
[ 1 ] Silence Of Death { Vizier } ( Lore Of The Clans - Page xxx )
Prerequisite: Assamite Vizier
This is an alternate version of Silence Of Death available to the vizier caste - only the modifications to the powers listed in V20 are presented here. The player of a vizier character must decide when purchasing the individual power whether to take the traditional version associated with the warriors or the caste-specific version.
Once the zone of silence is activated, the vizier can decide whom, if anyone, can hear him when he speaks. Thus, while the power is active, he can allow one or more people to hear him while no one else can. More importantly, he can deliver instructions backed by Presence or Dominate without anyone else noticing.
[ 2 ] Scoon's Touch ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 203 )
By changing the properties of her blood, a vampire may create powerful venom that strips her prey of his resilience. This power is greatly feared by other Kindred, and all manner of hideous tales concerning methods of delivery circulate among trembling coteries. Kindred with Quietus are known to deliver the poison by coating their weapons with it, blighting their opponents with a touch, or spitting it like a cobra. An apocryphal account speaks of a proud Prince who discovered an Assamite plotting her exsanguination and began to diablerize her would-be assassin. Halfway through the act, she learned that she had ingested a dire quantity of tainted blood and was then unable to resist the weakened hashashiyyin's renewed attack.
System: To convert a bit of her blood to poison, the Kindred's player spends at least one blood point and rolls Willpower (difficulty 6). If this roll is successful, and the vampire successfully hits (but not necessarily damages) her opponent, the target loses a number of Stamina points equal to the number of blood points converted into poison - vampires attempting to drink the blood of the Kindred with Scoon's Touch are automatically considered to be "successfully hit." The victim may resist the poison with a Stamina + Fortitude roll (difficulty 6); successes achieved on the resistance roll subtract from the vampire's successes. The maximum number of blood points a Kindred may convert at any one time is equal to her Stamina. The number of successes scored indicates the duration of the Stamina loss. If a mortal's Stamina falls to zero through use of Scoon's Touch, she becomes terminally ill and loses any immunity to diseases, her body succumbing to sickness within the year unless she somehow manages to increase her Stamina again. If a Kindred's Stamina falls to zero, the vampire enters tor and remains that way until one of her Stamina points returns. If a Kindred is permanently reduced to zero Stamina, she may recover from tor only through mystical means. To afflict someone with the poison, the Cainite must touch her target's flesh or hit him with something that carries the venom. Many Assamites lubricate their weapons with the excretion, while others pool the toxin in their hands (or fleck their lips with the poison, for a "kiss of death") and press it to their opponents. Weapons so envenomed must be of the melee variety - arrows, sling stones, bullets, thrown weapons, and the like cannot carry enough of the stuff to do damage, or it drips off in flight. Players whose vampires wish to spit at their targets must make a Stamina + Athletics roll (difficulty 6). No more than two blood points' worth of poison may be expectorated, and a Kindred may spit a distance of 10 feet (3 meters) for each point of Strength (and Potence) the character possesses. Vampires with Quietus are immune to their own poison, but not the blood-venom of other Kindred with this power.
Successes | Duration |
1 | One turn. |
2 | One hour. |
3 | One day. |
4 | One month. |
5 | Permanently (though Stamina may be bought back up with experience). |
[ 2 ] Ishtar's Touch { Vizier } ( Lore Of The Clans - Page xxx )
Prerequisite: Assamite Vizier
This is an alternate version of Scoon's Touch available to the vizier caste - only the modifications to the powers listed in V20 are presented here. The player of a vizier or sorcerer character must decide when purchasing the individual power whether to take the traditional version associated with the warriors or the caste-specific version.
The vizier version of Scoon's Touch is Ishtar's Touch. Instead of yielding a deadly poison, this power converts the vizier's blood into a touch-activated narcotic that puts the victim into an inebriated state under which he is more vulnerable to Presence, Dominate, and even mundane Social manipulation.
The vizier's player must spend a variable number of blood points (up to their Generation maximum) and roll Willpower, (difficulty 6). If the roll succeeds and the vizier touches the target's exposed skin, the tainted blood passes into the target's blood stream through the skin. The target must then roll Stamina + Fortitude (difficulty 6) - each success subtracts from the successes rolled for the vizier. If any of the vizier's successes remain, the power takes effect.
While the effect lasts, the target is unable to spend Willpower to resist mental or social manipulation by the vizier, and the difficulties for all rolls by the vizier for such manipulation (whether natural or supernatural) are reduced by the number of blood points spent, to a minimum of 4. This effect only lasts while the target remains in the vizier's presence, after which he will come to his senses. However, if the vizier returns to the victim's presence, she will automatically fall back into her addled state. This debility lasts for a duration determined by the vizier's successes as follows.
Successes | Duration |
1 | One turn. |
2 | One hour. |
3 | One day. |
4 | One month. |
5 | One year. |
[ 2 ] Scorpion's Curse { Sorcerer } ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 26 )
Prerequisite: Assamite Sorcerer
This is an alternate version of Scorpion's Touch available to the sorcerer caste - only the modifications to the powers listed in V20 are presented here. The player of a sorcerer character must decide when purchasing the individual power whether to take the traditional version associated with the warriors or the caste-specific version.
The sorcerer version of Scorpion's Touch is Scorpion's Curse. It allows the sorcerer to place a ward on a solid surface such as a door, a section of floor, or even a small object such as a box or a letter. The sorcerer may ward any object or area up to her Intelligence dots in square yards/meters. A few seconds after the power is activated, the blood ward fades and can only be spotted with a Perception + Awareness roll (difficulty 9) or a Perception + Investigation roll (difficulty 7). The ward lasts for a number of days equal to her Occult dots before dissipating, but while it lasts, anyone who touches the affected area or item is targeted by the Discipline just as though a warrior using Scorpion's Touch had successfully touched him. The sorcerer immediately rolls and can spend blood, as per Scorpion's Touch.
[ 3 ] Dagon's Call ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 204 )
This terrible power allows a vampire to drown her target in his own blood. By concentrating, the Kindred bursts her target's blood vessels and fills his lungs with vitae that strangles him from within. The blood actually constricts the target's body from the inside as it floods through his system; thus, it works even on unbreathing Kindred. Until the target collapses in agony or death throes, this power has no visible effect, and many Kindred like it because it leaves no trace of their presence.
System: The vampire must touch her target prior to using Dagon's Call. Within an hour thereafter, the vampire may issue the call, though she need not be in the presence or even in the line of sight of her target. Invoking the power costs one Willpower point. The Kindred's player makes a contested Stamina roll against the target's Stamina; the difficulty of each roll is equal to the opponent's permanent Willpower rating. The number of successes the vampire using Dagon's Call achieves is the amount of lethal damage, in health levels, the victim suffers. For an additional point of Willpower spent in the next turn, the vampire may continue using Dagon's Call by engaging in another contested Stamina roll. So long as the Kindred's player continues to spend Willpower, the character may continue rending her opponent from within.
[ 3 ] Dagon's Call { Sorcerer / Vizier } ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 27 )
Prerequisite: Assamite Sorcerer or Vizier
This is an alternate version of Dagon's Call available to the sorcerer caste - only the modifications to the powers listed in V20 are presented here. The player of a vizier or sorcerer character must decide when purchasing the individual power whether to take the traditional version associated with the warriors or the caste-specific version.
The sorcerer and vizier equivalents for Dagon's Call both work the same. Instead of ravaging the target's body, the Assamite harrows the mind.
Mechanically, this power works the same as the warrior version except as follows: First, the roll is the Assamite's Manipulation versus the target's Intelligence. The difficulty for both rolls is the other's permanent Willpower. Second, instead of inflicting lethal damage, each net success for the Assamite strips the target of temporary Willpower. If the Assamite spends a Willpower point and continues to roll even after the target has lost all her temporary Willpower, additional successes strip the target of one dot of permanent Willpower. This represents the most damage that this power can inflict in a single night regardless of successes, but a target who has lost all of her Willpower dots through use of Dagon's Call on successive nights is reduced to a mindless husk.
As with the warrior version, the Assamite need not be within the target's presence to trigger this attack.
[ 4 ] Baal's Caress ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 204 )
The penultimate use of blood as a weapon (short of diablerie itself), Baal's Caress allows the Kindred to transmute her blood into a virulent ichor that destroys any living or undead flesh it touches. In nights of yore, when Assamites led the charges of Saracen legions, the Assassins were often seen licking their blades, slicing open their tongues and lubricating their weapons with this foul secretion. Baal's Caress may be used to augment any bladed weapon; everything from poisoned knives and swords to tainted fingernails and claws has been reported.
System: Baal's Caress does not increase the damage done by a given weapon, but that weapon inflicts aggravated damage rather than normal. No roll is necessary to activate this power, but one blood point is consumed per hit. For example, if a Cainite poisons his knife and strikes his opponent (even if he inflicts no damage), one blood point's worth of lubrication disappears. For this reason, many vampires choose to coat their weapons with a significant quantity of blood. If the vampire misses, no tainted blood is consumed.
[ 4 ] Baal's Caress { Sorcerer } ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 27 )
Prerequisite: Assamite Sorcerer
This is an alternate version of Baal's Caress available to the sorcerer caste - only the modifications to the powers listed in V20 are presented here. The player of a vizier or sorcerer character must decide when purchasing the individual power whether to take the traditional version associated with the warriors or the caste-specific version.
The sorcerer version of Baal's Caress is less useful for slaying enemies than for smiting demons. With this power, the sorcerer can spend one point of blood that he smears across his eyes. For the rest of the scene, the sorcerer can perceive dematerialized spirits and similar creatures as if they were material. If he spends additional points of blood to coat a melee weapon such as a dagger or sword, that weapon can strike such targets and harm them normally despite their intangibility.
[ 4 ] Baal's Caress { Vizier } ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 27 )
Prerequisite: Assamite Vizier
This is an alternate version of Baal's Caress available to the vizier caste - only the modifications to the powers listed in V20 are presented here. The player of a vizier or sorcerer character must decide when purchasing the individual power whether to take the traditional version associated with the warriors or the caste-specific version.
The viziers are rarely as eager to slay their opponents as the warriors are. Subjugation is much more desirable. The vizier may coat a weapon with her vitae just as the warrior does with her version of this power. However, on a successful strike, the blow does not inflict any damage at all. Instead, success on the damage roll causes the target to lose a point of temporary Willpower. More importantly, if the target loses all of his temporary Willpower by Baal's Caress, he temporarily becomes fully blood-bonded to the vizier. This effect only lasts for a single scene, but during that time, the target responds to the vizier as if he had drunk the vizier's blood three times. If the target is already bound to another vampire, he may roll Willpower (difficulty 7) to resist commands from the vizier that conflict with the wishes of his regnant as he understands them.
Ironically, Tremere, due to their Clan weakness, are particularly vulnerable to this power, and will remain under the effect of the temporary blood bond for the remainder of the night rather than a scene.
[ 5 ] Blood Essence ( XXX - Page X )
Masters of Quietus have control over supernatural properties of vampiric vitae that is terrifying to behold. Blood Essence demonstrates some of the most frightening aspects of this control since it clearly illustrates that he who controls the blood has access to the unlife of the vampire. With this power an Assamite can distil the unholy life force of a vampire and extract it as a thick, blackish blood. This process is deadly to the victim and very similar to diablerie. Indeed, the distilled essence truly is what Cainites refer to as the "heart's-blood," the potent vitae that contains all of the vampire's power and self. Once extracted, this mere cupful of blackish liquid contains all the destroyed vampire's essence, and anyone who consumes it effectively diablerizes the victim.
Blood Essence is an important part of many rituals among the Children of Haqim. Warriors extract the heart's=blood of the victims felled in battle and bring it back to their elders or even to hidden Alamut itself. They then either consume the essence themselves or present it to an honored teacher. The growing blood addiction among Assamite warriors has unfortunately undermined this practice. Assamite sorcerers and viziers are said to have many uses for the heart's-blood, using it to peel back the layers of a victim's long existence year by year. The essence is also a key component in religious observances among followers of the Path of Blood.
System: The process of distilling the Blood Essence is very similar to diablerie itself. The vampire drains all his victim's blood through whatever means are available, and then must drain the heart's-blood. Instead of sucking it out through brute force, however, the vampire uses Quietus to distill the potent vitae. The vampire's player does not make the extended Strength roll of diablerie. Instead, he makes an extended Willpower roll (difficulty 9) that functions like the Strength roll, causing an unsoakable level of aggravated damage per success. Failure means that the vampire must pause to distill the essence but can continued next turn. A botch means the effort fails (though the vampire may then proceed to attempt traditional diablerie). As in diablerie, the victim remains alert during the entire process and cannot fight back. Once all health levels are gone, the victim is destroyed and his essence is fully drained (usually into a chalice of some sort).
The distilled heart's-blood remains liquid and fresh for a number of nights equal to the Quietus master's Willpower. After that time, it becomes caked and dry, losing its potency. Anyone drinking the heart's-blood while it is still fresh gains all the benefits and potential pitfalls of having successfully diablerized the victim, such as lowered generation.
[ 5 ] Taste Of Death ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 205 )
A refinement of Baal's Caress, Taste of Death allows the Cainite to spit caustic blood at her target. The blood coughed forth with this power burns flesh and corrodes bone; some vampires have been reported to vomit voluminous streams of vitae that reduce their targets to heaps of sludge.
System: The vampire may spit up to 10 feet (3 meters) for each dot of Strength and Potence he possesses. Hitting the target requires a Stamina + Athletics roll (difficulty 6). Each blood point spewed at the target inflicts two dice of aggravated damage, and there is no limit (other than the vampire's capacity and per-turn expenditure maximum) to the quantity of blood with which a target may be deluged.
[ 5 ] Taste Of Bliss { Vizier } ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 28 )
Prerequisite: Assamite Vizier
This is an alternate version of Taste Of Death available to the vizier caste - only the modifications to the powers listed in V20 are presented here. The player of a vizier or sorcerer character must decide when purchasing the individual power whether to take the traditional version associated with the warriors or the caste-specific version.
Unlike the distasteful and caustic version of this power used by the warriors, the vizier equivalent is Taste of Bliss. Instead of spitting out a deadly acid, the vizier softly exhales a fine reddish mist towards the target. The vizier may target someone up to 10 feet (3 meters) away per dot of Strength and Potence he possesses. Hitting the target requires a Stamina + Athletics roll, (difficulty 6). If the attack hits, the vizier's player rolls two dice per blood point spent, and the difficulty is the target's current Willpower. Each success strips the target of one point of temporary Willpower, and if the target loses all of her Willpower, she treats the vizier as if she has a full blood bond to him until the sun rises. Moreover, if the attack succeeds in causing the target to lose even one point of Willpower, treat the attack as if the target had actually consumed a point of blood for normal blood bonding puses.
[ 5 ] Taste Of Death { Sorcerer } ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 27 )
Prerequisite: Assamite Sorcerer
This is an alternate version of Taste Of Death available to the sorcerer caste - only the modifications to the powers listed in V20 are presented here. The player of a vizier or sorcerer character must decide when purchasing the individual power whether to take the traditional version associated with the warriors or the caste-specific version.
The sorcerer equivalent to Taste of Death works exactly the same as the warrior equivalent, except that the attack only targets dematerialized spirits and the like as if they were solid. This is if the sorcerer has already used Baal's Caress to make himself capable of perceiving such beings.
[ 6 ] Blood Sweat ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 205 )
Although vampires do not have functioning sebaceous glands, they are still capable of sweating at times of extreme stress. This "sweat" is actually a thin sheen of blood on the Cainite's forehead and palms. Most Kindred see blood sweat as an admission of fear or guilt. The vampire who has mastered Blood Sweat is capable of inducing these feelings in a subject to a preternatural degree. The victim experiences a torrential outpouring of vitae if he harbors the tiniest shred of remorse for any action he has ever undertaken.
System: The character must be within line of sight of the subject and spend three turns concentrating. The player spends a Willpower point and rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty equal to the target's current Willpower points). The target loses one blood point per success. Mortals sustain injury as if they had lost blood from being fed upon. The target actually "sweats out" the lost blood in a sudden rush of sanguinary perspiration that soaks his clothes. Large amounts may even form puddles at his feet. Blood lost through this process is considered dead, inert mortal blood, and provides minimal nutrition (half normal) for Cainites desperate enough to lick it up from the floor or wring it out of towels. It provides no sustenance for the individual from whom it emerged. In addition to the blood loss, the victim is overcome by a sense of remorse and guilt for his past transgressions (if he has a strong conscience) or an overwhelming compulsion to brag (if he is of sufficiently coarse moral character). The severity of this impulse depends on the number of successes rolled: One success could cause a slight twinge of conscience, while five successes may result in the subject breaking down and pouring out a full confession of his crimes. This effect is more story-oriented than mechanical, and the Storyteller is the final authority on what the victim feels compelled to confess or boast. Note that this power's existence is not widely known. Vampires and mortals alike tend to shrink away from someone who begins spontaneously sweating blood, and experiencing such an affliction may panic even the staunchest individual.
[ 6 ] Purification ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 207 )
Although most mortal cultures affix negative connotations to the spilling of blood, most Assamites - indeed, most vampires - have quite the opposite reaction to it. For them, blood is an unlife-affirming and reinvigorating substance. Purification works on this principle, using the power of vitae to cleanse and restore. Rather than purging foreign taints from the body, Purification allows its wielder to cleanse other individuals' minds and souls of stains, including those left by the mind control of other Kindred. The vampire using this power expels his own blood through his skin and allows it to soak through his subject, slowly dissipating. As it does so, it carries away spiritual impurities and outside influences.
System: The character touches the forehead of her intended subject, and both parties spend a minimum of five minutes in deep concentration. The player spends a number of blood points equal to the subject's permanent Willpower. The subject rolls Willpower once for every external supernatural influence (a vampiric Discipline, usually) to which his mind has been subjected. The difficulty equals the level of the power in question +4 (or a difficulty of 7 if the power level is unknown, such as one used by a different kind of supernatural creature). A success nullifies that effect. Purification has its limits. It can remove directly intrusive influences such as Dominate-implanted commands, Dementation-generated derangements, or the imperatives caused by elder vampires' Presence. It cannot dispel influences that are transmitted by blood, including a blood bond or the dispositions imparted by one's Clan or bloodline, nor can it erase those caused by purely mundane techniques such as persuasion, hypnosis, or brainwashing, or genuine emotional states such as love and hate. It can remove mind-altering blood magic effects, but either the character wielding Purification or the power's beneficiary must have a level of Thaumaturgy equal to or greater than that with which the effect was placed. A character cannot use Purification on herself.
[ 6 ] Quicken The Mortal's Blood ( XXX - Page X )
An Assamite at this level has developed an exceptional degree of control over the vitae he consumes. Even the smallest amount of blood can sustain him. Although this power does not reduce the vampire's need for vitae, it helps fulfill his needs much more quickly.
System: After drinking from a vessel or otherwise imbuing mortal blood, a vampire can double the effectiveness of each Blood Point. The player rolls Stamina + Occult (difficulty 6). Each success enables the vampire to convert one Blood Point into two. The normal limitations for Blood Pool still apply, but the vampire requires less blood from her victims.
[ 6 ] Rapturous Touch ( XXX - Page X )
With this level of mastery over blood, an Assamite is able to absorb blood through the skin anywhere on her body, as long as she is in contact either with the blood itself or, in the case of blood in a body, an uncovered part of that body. Usually, this power is used to surreptitiously drain blood from a vessel, but it can also be used as an attack during a grapple. It can also be used to save face - a starving Assamite faced with a pool of blood on the floor may drink it simply by placing his palm in it (or his foot, should he be barefooted, rather than licking it up.
System: The power is always in effect once learned. Any part of the Assamite's body may absorb blood as if the Assamite were drinking it, with all the risks that it entails (blood bond, poisoning, etc). However, the effects of the Kiss are lessened when this method of feeding is used. Mortals may resist as if they were vampires, and vampires resist at difficulty 6. Also, the Assamite may drink only two blood points per round, not three.
[ 6 ] Ripples Of The Heart ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 206 )
According to Assamite lore, this technique originated with a Byzantine scholar who wanted to protect his herd from the thirst of other Cainites. Ripples of the Heart allows a Cainite to leave emotions within the bloodstream of any mortal from whom he feeds. Any other vampire who subsequently drinks from that mortal experiences those emotions as if they were his own.
System: The character drinks at least one blood point from the subject mortal then spends a minute in physical contact with the subject while concentrating on the emotion he wishes to leave in her blood. The player spends a point of Willpower and rolls Charisma + Empathy (difficulty 7 under normal circumstances, 5 if the subject is currently experiencing the intended emotion, 9 if he is currently experiencing a strong opposite emotion). The subject's blood carries the weight of the intended emotion for one lunar month per success rolled. A mortal's blood can only carry one emotion at a time. Subsequent attempts to use Ripples of the Heart on the same individual have no effect until the previous application has worn off.
Any vampire who drinks from a vessel under the effects of Ripples of the Heart must succeed in a Self-Control/Instinct roll (difficulty of the mortal's current Willpower points) as soon as she swallows the first blood point. If she fails this roll, the vitae-borne emotion immediately overtakes her. The strength of the emotion depends on how many blood points she drinks. One blood point results in a momentary mood swing, two causes a significant shift in demeanor, and three or more generates a complete change in emotional state. Depending on the circumstances and the precise emotion, the effects of this may be spectacular or catastrophic. A vampire overtaken by romantic passion may temporarily believe she is in love with the mortal (or any other convenient bystander). One who drinks from a hate-infused vessel may rend her prey to shreds, and one who takes a draught of a mortal touched with fear may run away screaming. The vampire remains subject to the emotion for a number of hours equal to the mortal's permanent Willpower, though she is still subject to other feelings after the initial rush of sensation.
The mortal who is under the effects of Ripples of the Heart is unaware of the power's effects on him, though he is slightly predisposed toward the emotion in question while the power is in effect. The vampire who used Ripples Of The Heart on a mortal is immune to any of its effects he places on targets through the use of this power.
[ 6 ] Selective Silence ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 206 )
Although Silence of Death is an effective tool for the battlefield and the court alike, it is indiscriminate in its effects. The assassin who uses it in preparation for firing a shotgun also silences the radio over which her comrades might warn her of an oncoming guard. The courtier who suppresses a room full of dissenting voices is likewise unable to speak her own mind. Selective Silence allows the skilled Cainite to overcome these limitations by silencing only those individuals or objects that she wants to silence. When using this power, most individuals exhale a thin mist of blood that clings to the selected subjects, gradually evaporating as Selective Silence's effects fade. Some vampires also use a similar technique when invoking Silence of Death, in which case the mist surrounds them and moves with them.
System: The player spends two blood points and rolls Stamina + Stealth (difficulty 7). Each success allows for one individual or object that the character can silence with this use of the power. Each subject must be within 20 yards or meters of the character. Objects larger than a man count as more than one subject: A heavy machine gun counts as two, a car as three, and a small aircraft as five. Objects larger than a private jet or creatures larger than an elephant cannot be silenced through the use of this power. Each subject is completely silenced for a number of minutes equal to the character's permanent Willpower. Nothing it does generates sound, though the secondary effects of its actions will do so normally. For example, a gun silenced with this power will not produce an audible explosion when fired, but its bullets still make noise as they break the sound barrier. A silenced victim can scream all he likes and not make a sound, but may be able to summon help by smashing a window.
[ 7 ] Baal's Bloody Talons ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 207 )
The toxin generated by Baal's Caress is not enough to significantly harm some truly fearsome foes. This progressive development of that lesser technique allows its user to envenom his weapon with a blood-based poison so potent that it corrodes the very weapon that bears it, eating away at the strongest metal in a minute or less. However, its effects on its victims are spectacular enough to make the loss of even the most treasured blades worthwhile. This power's effects are of very limited duration, as the substance it creates will quickly evaporate away.
System: The character coats an edged weapon with her own blood, as per Baal's Caress. The player spends one or more blood points and rolls Willpower (difficulty 7). The weapon now does aggravated damage. It also gains a number of additional damage dice equal to the number of successes rolled plus the number of blood points spent. These extra dice fade at a rate of one per turn as the poison dissipates, drips off, and reacts with the weapon's material. Once the extra damage dice are all gone, the weapon's base damage dice begin to fade at the same rate. The weapon breaks if used when its base damage is reduced to the wielder's Strength or less. The only weapons that can resist this corrosion are those created with a supernatural power of a level equal to or greater than the character's Quietus rating, though even this is subject to the Storyteller's discretion. Baal's Bloody Talons is subject to the same limitations as Baal's Caress, except the limit on the number of successful strikes that do aggravated damage. A weapon affected by Baal's Bloody Talons does aggravated damage with every successful attack until it is destroyed. At the Storyteller's discretion, the character may use the venom this power produces for other puses, such as burning through a padlock or destroying an incriminating tape. He may not, however, store this poison for later use - even if a container proves resistant to it, the substance becomes inert within a few minutes of leaving its creator's body.
[ 7 ] Blood Of The Cobra ( XXX - Page X )
This power enables the character to use any other Quietus power, such as Scorpion's Touch or Dagon's Call, without the need for physical contact. Instead, the character need only spit blood at the target. This attack has a range of 10 feet for every point of the character's Strength + Potence, and requires a Dexterity + Perception roll to hit. The character may aim if desired.
[ 7 ] Dam The Heart's River ( XXX - Page X )
Assamites who reach this level of Quietus become masters at controlling the flow of blood in an undead body. While Dam the Heart's River is most normally used to deny an enemy access to her blood (hence the name), it can also be used to force a victim to spend blood, depleting her store and possibly pushing her into a hunger frenzy. This last application can be quite a potent tool to use against an unsuspecting target, who can be driven into a frenzy at the most inopportune moments (say, at the prince's court).
Dam the Heart's River can also be used, with much reduced effect, on mortals.
System: This power requires first that the Assamite establish skin-to-skin contact with the target (possibly requiring a Dexterity + Brawl roll). She can then either choose to invoke the power immediately, or delay it by spending a number of Willpower points. This power can be delayed for up to one hour per point of Willpower and then invoked at any time within that interval, as long as the Assamite can see her target (all Willpower points spent to delay the onset remain spent no matter how short the interval may be). In order to activate this power, the player rolls Stamina + Medicine (difficulty of the target's Stamina + 3, maximum 9), and spends a Willpower point. If successful, Dam the Heart's River lasts for a minimum number of turns equal the Assamite's unmodified Stamina, plus one turn per success. While this power is in effect, the Assamite has total control over the target's blood expenditure (subject to the target's normal generation limitations), and she can prevent the target from spending any blood at all. The Assamite instinctively knows whether or not the target possesses any Disciplines that requires blood expenditure, and can forcibly activate such Disciplines.
If used against mortals, Dam the Heart's River simply induces symptoms similar to very low blood pressure: dizziness, lethargy and reduced stamina. The target loses one die from both Dexterity and Strength, as well as all Stamina dice pools connected with endurance.
[ 7 ] Hinder The Cainite Vitae ( XXX - Page X )
The assassin uses this power to prevent her prey from utilizing a portion of his supernatural blood. The wretch affected by this power slowly loses the ability to heal wounds, use blood-based Disciplines or increase Physical Attributes. These powers, no matter how advanced they may be, become essentially useless.
System: The Assamite using this power must touch her prey. The player spends three Blood Points and rolls Willpower (difficulty equal to the target's Stamina + Fortitude). If successful, the target becomes unable to use a number of Blood Points equal to the successes gained on the roll. The number of successes also equals the number of turns for which the effect lasts. When used repeatedly, this power cripples its subject. This power affects ghouls, but has no effect on mortals.
[ 7 ] Leech ( XXX - Page X )
The character no longer needs to bite a target to drink its blood. If the vampire can make skin contact with the target, she may osmotically take vitae from that target. This power leaves no marks where skin contact was made.
System: The Kindred may drain a number of Blood Points per round equal to her Stamina. A Willpower point must be spent to activate the power.
[ 7 ] Poison The Well Of Life ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 207 )
Beyond leaving emotional traces in a subject's blood, the master of this Quietus power can now taint that same vitae, making it into a deadly poison for any other Cainite who drinks from that mortal. Some vampires use Poison the Well of Life to guard their own herds against "poachers" or to ward specific vessels against indiscriminate feeding. Others have been known to employ it as a subtle trap for other vampires, turning herds against their owners.
System: The character touches the mortal he wishes to taint and smears a streak of his own vitae on the victim's skin. The player spends three blood points and rolls Stamina + Occult (difficulty 7). For a number of months equal to the number of successes, any other vampire who drinks that mortal's blood sustains two health levels of aggravated damage for every blood point imbibed. This damage manifests as a combination of acid burns and something akin to toxic shock.While a mortal is poisonous to vampires, his body's alchemical balance is slightly altered toward toxicity. He gains two extra points of Stamina for the puses of resisting the effects and damage of poisons and acids. However, his bodily excretions, especially his sweat, are slightly more noxious than normal. He suffers a one-die penalty to all Social dice pools if whomever he chooses to interact with has a particularly sensitive nose and is close enough to smell him.
[ 7 ] Thin Blood ( XXX - Page X )
By spending Blood Points and touching an opponent with a blood-stained hand, the character can weaken the opponent's blood so that it cannot be used to heal wounds. This requires physical contact plus a successful Manipulation + Medicine roll (difficulty of the opponent's Stamina + 3). The number of successes gained on the roll determines how long the effect lasts.
Successes | Duration |
1 | One turn. |
2 | One hour. |
3 | One day. |
4 | One month. |
5 | One year. |
6 | One decade. |
7 | One century. |
8+ | One millenium. |
[ 8 ] Blood Awakening ( XXX - Page X )
Some vampires speak of the feelings the "taste" in the blood of mortals. Assamites know of this residual life essence and can awaken the echo of mortality in each drop of blood. These Cainites draw impressions from their victims long after those victims have expired.
Blood Awakening has two different but related effects. The first allows the Assamite to manipulate the blood in her own body and receive impressions of a mortal victim's life. Essentially, the Assamite can communicate with the blood in her body. The second effect allows the Assamite to awaken the blood within another Cainite. This power is used to unbalance the intended Cainite with false images and feelings.
System: For a vampire to awaken the mortal blood in her body, the player must roll Perception + Empathy (difficulty 7). The number of successes determines the clarity of the sensations. The "echo" within the mortal's blood gives the Assamite impressions of things the mortal know. The images may warn of danger in a certain area, or show visions of the mortals death. Essentially, anything the mortal knew of felt presents itself to the vampire. The Cainite has no control over the visions and may not be able to understand them clearly. Skilled Assamites, however, can sort through distractions and read messages written in blood.
Awakening blood in another vampire uses the same system, but has a slightly different effect. Unless the vampire has experienced this Discipline before, the awakening might confuse and disorient her. As mortal memories manifest, the vampire may lose track of reality. A successful Intelligence + Alertness (difficulty 7) is required to avoid becoming confused. If the victim receives more successes than the Assamite achieves, she can discern reality from the sanguine memories swimming through her dead veins.
[ 8 ] Blood Clot ( XXX - Page X )
After touching the target with a blood - covered palm (and thus using one Blood Point), the character can cause the target's blood to clot inside his body. The target must actually cut himself open and bleed in order to get rid of the "bad blood," which is now useless to him. This effect is cumulative, so the character can continue to clot the target's blood on successive turns.
System: The character must roll his Manipulation + Medicine (difficulty equal to the target's current Blood Points, to a maximum of 10). Each success clots one of the target's Blood Points, rendering it unusable. The character need not attempt to clot all the target's blood at once, and can clot as little as one Blood Point per turn (as long as at least one success is obtained).
Note: using this power on a human to clot more than one Blood Point causes her to suffer a stroke.
[ 8 ] Blood Curse ( XXX - Page X )
By spending a Blood Point and touching an opponent, the character makes the opponent's blood thin and weak. The opponent can no longer heal aggravated wounds at all, and two Blood Points are required to heal one health level of non-aggravated damage. Furthermore, the character may no longer make ghouls, Embrace progeny or Blood Bond other Kindred. In addition to physical contact this power requires the character to roll Charisma + Occult against the opponent's Stamina + 3. The number of successes gained on the roll determines how long the effect lasts.
Successes | Duration |
1 | One turn. |
2 | One hour. |
3 | One day. |
4 | One month. |
5 | One year. |
6 | One decade. |
7 | One century. |
8+ | One millenium. |
[ 8 ] Blood Of Destruction ( XXX - Page X )
Some Assamites have attained such a degree of control over their own blood that they may turn it into a virulent, destructive, acid-like venom that eats through flesh, bone, metal and glass with ease. When Blood of Destruction is in effect, anyone attacking the Assamite risks damage to herself or her weapon from the splattered blood. Anyone drinking from the Assamite is likely to be dead before she realizes her mistake. The user may also poison his own weapons, allowing them to inflict horrible damage for a short while.
System: In order to activate Blood of Destruction, the player spends a point of blood. All vitae in the character's system then becomes highly virulent and acidic venom, though it looks and smells normal. The venom does not hurt the Assamite himself in any way. Anyone attacking the Assamite with a slashing or piercing weapon that inflicts at least one health level of damage loses her weapon at the end of the turn, as the venom corrodes away metal and wood. Especially well made weapons (five or more successes in forging them) last one more turn, while weapons created with powers such as the Potence power Master of the Forge last for three turns. In addition, an attacker might be splattered with the venomous blood. The attacker's player makes a reflexive Dexterity + Dodge roll, difficulty 6 (modified for the length of the weapon at the storyteller's discretion); she must achieve at least as many successes as she inflicted health levels of damage to the Assamite. If the roll fails, the attacker suffers two levels of aggravated damage. Anyone attacking the Assamite with a natural weapon that breaks the skin (such as Protean 2, Feral Claws, or Serpentis 2, The Tongue of the Asp) suffers two aggravated health levels of damage automatically, and must then dodge as above. Should someone drink the Assamite's blood, she suffers three unsoakable aggravated health levels of damage per blood point consumed.
The Assamite may use this venomous blood offensively in three different ways. First, she may bite her own tongue or cheek and spit blood at her opponent, with a range of 3 feet per point of Strength (plus Potence, if applicable), rolling Dexterity + Athletics to hit as if with a thrown weapon. This attack costs two blood points and inflicts three levels of aggravated damage, with no bonus for additional successes. Second, she may slash her hands and touch an opponent, inflicting one aggravated health level of damage. If the target is wearing a shield or armor, the blood first destroys the shield or armor; would or leather is destroyed in one turn, metal in two, with bonuses for craftsmanship as stated above. The application of the power requires the expenditure of one blood point. Third, she may spend a round to carefully apply a thin layer of the venomous blood (one point's worth) to a slashing or piercing weapon. The weapon then inflicts an additional die of damage. All damage from the weapon is considered aggravated, but the weapon loses one die from its damage pool per turn after the first. Once the weapon drops to Strength - 2 damage (including the bonus from Blood of Destruction), it breaks and disintegrates.
Outside of combat, Blood Of Destruction can be used to open doors, get rid of evidence, torture a prisoner, etc.
Blood Of Destruction lasts for a scene. Damage inflicted with Blood of Destruction can only be soaked with Fortitude.
[ 8 ] Songs Of Distant Vitae ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 208 )
Blood magic practitioners and individuals skilled at Auspex have long known that vitae can carry residual impressions of emotion and personality. This power invokes those impressions to overwhelm its victim with "remembered" images and sensations drawn from the vessels who held that blood before the vampire fed from them. Particularly strong-willed or hardened subjects may shrug off these visions as daydreams, but those who are less self-possessed can be permanently changed by the experience. A side effect of the use of this power is the partial destruction of the vitae from which the images are drawn. Some viziers theorize that this is the result of motes of the vessels' consciousness making an effort to escape their usurper.
System: The character touches his target and spends a turn in concentration. The player spends four blood points and rolls Wits + Intimidation in a contested roll against the victim's permanent Willpower (difficulty 7). If the target has committed diablerie within a number of nights equal to the character's Perception, the attacker gains one automatic success. The result depends on the number of net successes the attacker rolls. Note that in all invocations of this power, the sensations that the subject relives are expressly negative and terrifying - for example, he experiences none of the pleasure that would normally accompany the Kiss when he flashes back to such an event. In addition to the effects listed below, the subject of a successful attack loses a number of blood points equal to the number of successes rolled. This vitae oozes from his body in warm red trickles that do no damage but are certain to terrify onlookers.
Successes | Result |
Botch | The attacker enters a flashback sequence in which he relives his last feeding from the vessel's point of view. If the player rolled three or more "1"s, the character acquires a permanent derangement related to feeding. |
Failure | The target is unharmed and immune to this power for a number of nights equal to his Willpower. |
1 | The target experiences a brief (10-second/3-turn) flashback sequence in which he relives his last feeding from the vessel's point of view. During this time, he is at +2 difficulty to all rolls. |
2 | The target experiences a brief montage (15 seconds/5 turns) of flashbacks during which his viewpoint flashes between various feedings from the vessels' points of view. During this time, he is at +3 difficulty to all rolls. Once the initial rush of sensation passes, he is unsettled and at +1 difficulty to all rolls until he succeeds on a Self-Control/Instinct roll (difficulty 8), which he may attempt once per scene. |
3 | The target experiences a composite memory, assembled by his own subconscious, of the terror that various vessels felt while being stalked and fed upon. He must succeed in a Courage roll (difficulty 8) or instantly enter Rötschreck. If he succeeds in this roll, he is still at +3 difficulty on all actions for the rest of the scene due to the distraction that his visions impose. |
4 | The target is stunned and completely unable to act for a number of turns equal to 8 - his Self-Control/Instinct as he is bombarded by a sequence of the most terrifying memories of his various vessels. Once this initial onslaught subsides, he must roll Courage (difficulty 9) or enter Rötschreck. If he fails this roll, he must roll Self-Control/Instinct (difficulty 8) or gain the Sanguinary Animism derangement. |
5 | The target is thrown into a nightmarish reenactment of the greatest fears of every individual upon whom he has ever fed. He must make a successful Self-Control/Instinct roll (difficulty 9) or fall into tor for (10 - the target's Stamina) nights, at the end of which he loses half his permanent Willpower and gains the derangement Sanguinary Animism. If he succeeds on the Self-Control/Instinct roll, he enters Rötschreck for the rest of the night, during which time his greatest fear is of his own image. At the end of the night, he must succeed at a Willpower roll (difficulty 9) or lose a permanent Willpower point and gain the derangement Sanguinary Animism. |
[ 9 ] Condemn The Sins Of The Father ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 209 )
Although the Second City's judges recognized that heritage does not equal guilt, they also encountered many situations in which a vampire's entire brood had committed the same crime. In such cases, the judges often decreed the same punishment for all transgressors. This technique, which modern viziers believe to have originated at that time, allows its wielder to administer such judgments. Through Condemn the Sins of the Father, a Cainite can apply lesser Quietus powers to an entire lineage.
System: After successfully using any lesser Quietus power on another vampire, the player spends a permanent Willpower point and 10 blood points and rolls Stamina + Occult. The difficulty of this roll is equal to four plus the number of Generations of the original target's descendants that the player wants to affect, up to a maximum difficulty of 10. If the roll succeeds, every descendant of the original target within the specified range of Generations suffers the same effects that the original target experienced, resisting with his own relevant Traits. The player may exempt a number of potential subjects from this effect equal to twice the character's Wits, but the character must know their faces or have tasted their vitae.
[ 9 ] Erosion ( XXX - Page X )
After touching the target with a blood -covered palm and spending five Blood Points, the character can immediately reduce the target's Strength, Dexterity and Stamina to zero. This will incapacitate the target as described earlier under Scorpion's Touch and Dagon's Call.
System: In order to succeed, the character must win a successful Willpower vs. Willpower opposed roll (difficulty 8) against the target. The target will only regain these points after the passing of a number of nights equal to the number of successes the character received.
[ 9 ] Mastery Of Vitae ( Homebrew - No Page )
An Assamite at this level has attained an unbelievable mastery of the vitae he or she consumes. For each blood point drained, from almost any source, the Kindred is able to replenish 3 blood points due to efficient processing. Vitae undergoing this transformation may not be affected by Mastery of Vitae again until one night has passed.
In order to learn this discipline, a Kindred must have first learned Quicken the Mortal's Blood.
System: After drinking from any vessel, a vampire can triple the effectiveness of each Blood Point. The player rolls Stamina + Occult (difficulty 6). The first success enables the vampire to convert one Blood Point into three; each additional success allows the Kindred to convert up to 2 more blood points into 3 each (ie. one blood point becomes three with 1 sucess, with the second success either 1 more blood point becomes three OR two more become 6). The normal limitations for Blood Pool still apply, but the vampire requires much less blood from her victims. The "inflated" blood is usually the first used by any Kindred, though in order to Blood Bond or Embrace, a "non-inflated" blood point must be spent. Any enhanced vitae remaining in a Kindred's system at dawn draws power from the Kindred in question and becomes a normal blood point, fully allowing Blood Bonds, Embrace or even further enhancement via Mastery of Vitae.
[ 9 ] Weaken The Blood Of The Ancients ( XXX - Page X )
This ultimate expression of the mastery of vampiric vitae that wielders of Quietus possess. With this power, an Assamite can strip away the potency of another vampire's blood, actually increasing her generation and pushing her further away from Caine. Doing so can be a terrible punishment, a lesson in humility or a weapon a weapon against an enemy.
System: In order to use Weaken the Blood of the Ancients on a Cainite, the Assamite's blood must first enter the target; usually the target drinks the blood or is pierced by a bloodied blade. After that the player and victim engage in a contested Willpower roll. The difficulty for the player is the victim's Humanity or Path rating, while the victim's difficulty is the Assamite's Willpower. For each success by which the Assamite beats her victim, that victim's effective generation is increased by one; with five net successes, a user would reduce a seventh generation Cainite to 12th generation. This effect lasts for a number of nights equal to (10 - the victim's Conviction/Conscience).
This power can normally only reduce a victim to 12th generation. Reducing a victim to 13th generation requires two successes beyond what was needed for 12th. Theoretically, with extreme effort (three successes more), a victim can be reduced to 14th generation, though few Assamites can imagine blood of Caine being so diluted.
When a Cainite is under the effect of this power, she loses access to all the benefits of her former generation, such as higher blood pool (excess blood is vomited up or leaks from the victim's skin and eyes; whom she can Dominate and be Dominated by; and possible increased blood spending, high-level Disciplines and Traits above 5. A victim reduced to 14th generation also acquires the Thin Blood Flaw.
[ 10 ] Immaculate Vitae ( XXX - Page X )
By using this Discipline to alter his blood, the character is able to Blood Bond drinkers to him even if they drink only one Blood Point of his vitae only once.
System: This Discipline will replace any previous Blood Bond with the newly forged one, but only if the new Regnant is of a lower generation than the first.