Post by Phsycodelic on Nov 17, 2016 21:41:19 GMT
Thaumaturgy: The Father's Vengance ( The Ailing Jackal )
Assamites, Tremere
Assamites, Tremere
Like Necromancy, the practice of Thaumaturgy is divided into paths and rituals. Thaumaturgical paths are applications of the vampire's knowledge of blood magic, allowing her to create effects on a whim. Rituals are more formulaic in nature, most akin to ancient magical "spells." Because so many different paths and rituals are available to the arcane Tremere, one never knows what to expect when confronted with a practitioner of this Discipline.
When a character first learns Thaumaturgy, the player selects a path for the character. That path is considered the character's primary path, and she automatically receives one dot in it, as well as one Level One ritual. Thereafter, whenever the character increases her level in Thaumaturgy, her rating in the primary path increases by one as well. Additional rituals are learned separately, as part of a story; players need not pay experience points for their characters to learn rituals up to the level equal to their overall rating in Thaumaturgy, though they must find someone to teach the rituals in question. Path ratings never exceed 5, though the overall Thaumaturgy score may. If a character reaches a rating of 5 in her primary path and increases her Thaumaturgy score afterward, she may allocate her "free" path dot to a different path.
Many Kindred fear crossing the practitioners of Thaumaturgy. It is a very potent and mutable Discipline, and almost anything the Kindred wishes may be accomplished through its magic.
Paths define the types of magic a vampire can perform. A vampire typically learns his primary path from his sire, though it is not unknown for some vampires to study under many different tutors.
As mentioned before, the first path a character learns is considered her primary path and increases automatically as the character advances in the Discipline itself. Secondary paths may be learned once the character has acquired two or more dots in her primary path, and they must be raised separately with experience points. Furthermore, a character's rating in her primary path must always be at least one dot higher than any of her secondary paths until she has mastered her primary path. Once the character has achieved the fifth level of her primary path, secondary paths may be increased to that level.
Each time the character invokes one of the powers of a Thaumaturgical path, the thaumaturge's player must spend a blood point and make a Willpower roll against a difficulty equal to the power's level +3. Only one success is required to invoke a path's effect - path levels, not successes, govern the power of blood magic. Failure on this roll indicates that the magic fails. A botch causes some kind of loss or catastrophic backfire, such as losing a Willpower point (or dot!), spontaneous combustion, or accidentally letting a living statue run rampant. Thaumaturgy is an unforgiving art.
Various Sects and Clans have different access to each path, but unless the Storyteller decides otherwise, it is assumed the Tremere have some access to all of them. ("Having access" does not mean the same thing as "easily gained," especially within the Tremere power structure.) The paths start with one of the most common (The Path of Blood), and thereafter are presented in alphabetical order. (The unusual "path" of Thaumaturgical Countermagic is also presented, although it is considered a separate Discipline).
This path, based loosely on a powerful thaumaturge's interpretations of the Book of Nod, devotes itself to delivering justice to the race of Cainites. Each power supposedly has some precedent in the parables of the ancient book, and focuses on teaching the lessons of Caine via the power of blood magic. Use of this path is hotly debated in the Sabbat, as some consider it tantamount to claiming to hold Caine's right over all vampires oneself. Camarilla vampires don't have the same knowledge of the Book of Nod that the Sabbat do, but the path is not entirely unheard of in Tremere chantries.
The power of this path comes not only from the magic of blood, but also incantation of verses from the Book of Nod. For any of these powers to take effect, the caster must speak the actual condemnation. For example, to invoke the third-level power, the caster must state plainly to his target that she may eat only ashes. The subject must generally be able to hear the caster for these powers to take effect, though writing them and showing them to the subject will do.
These powers apply to vampires only. They do not affect mortals, ghouls, or any other supernatural creatures.
[ 1 ] Zillah's Litany ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 226 )
Zillah, the wife of Caine, unknowingly drank from her husband and sire three times, thus becoming bonded to him. This power reveals existing blood bonds and Vinculi to the thaumaturge.
System: If the subject has any blood bonds or Vinculi to other vampires, this power reveals them to the caster. Although the caster may not know the vampires in question, this power does reveal the names and gives rough psychic impressions of the individuals in question.
[ 2 ] The Crone's Pride ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 227 )
This power inflicts the curse of the crone, who bound Caine to her as he fled his wife's spurning. Hideously ugly, the crone had to resort to trickery to get others to help or serve her.
System: This power reduces the target's Appearance to zero. All Social rolls during this time generally fail, unless the character attempts to intimidate or browbeat the subject. This power lasts for one night.
[ 3 ] Feast Of Ashes ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 227 )
Primarily used against wanton or excessive vampires, this power temporarily removes a vampire's dependency on blood. While some would say this negates the Curse of Caine, it reduces the vampire to little more than a wretched scavenger, as he must consume literal ashes, though he gains little sustenance from them.
System: The victim of this power can no longer consume blood, vomiting it up as he would mortal food or drink. Instead, the victim can eat only ashes, and the "blood points" he gains from this may be used only to rise each night. Ashen "blood points" may not be used to power Disciplines, raise Attributes, or feed ghouls (though actual blood points in the character's body at the time this power is invoked may still be used for such). One blood point's worth of ash is roughly one pint or half-liter, and any ash will do - cigarette ash, campfire leftovers, or vampire corpses destroyed by fire or sunlight. This power lasts for one week.
[ 4 ] Uriel's Disfavor ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 227 )
This power invokes the darkness of the Angel of Death. All but the dimmest of light causes the subject excruciating pain, and some artificial forms of bright light may even damage the vampire. Uriel delivered God's curse on Caine, shielding him in the blackness of his wings.
System: The presence of any light makes the subject uncomfortable, and bright light of any kind - flashlights, headlights, etc. - inflict one health level of aggravated damage on the character for every turn he remains under its direct focus. Most vampires who suffer this curse elect to sleep for the duration, hiding away in the darkness of their havens until they can walk again among the living without pain. This power lasts for one week.
[ 5 ] Valediction ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 228 )
Many Sabbat rightfully fear this power, though very few have ever seen it used. It levies a punishment for breaking one of Caine's greatest commandments - the ban against diablerie. As most Sabbat attain their power and station through some measure of diablerie, they must reconcile their beliefs with the admonitions of Caine, and this power engenders a great sense of humility.
System: When this power takes effect, the subject immediately reverts to her original Generation. This change may entail losing points in certain Traits due to generational maximums. This power lasts for one week, after which any Traits reduced to higher-Generation maximums return to normal. It takes three turns to speak the full verse that implements this power's effects.
