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Vampire The Masquerade Second Edition: Players Guide
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THE VAMPIRE
PLAYERS GUIDE
Second Edition
The Sourcebook for Players of Vampire
© 1993 by White Wolf. All rights reserved. Reproduction without written permission of the publisher is expressly denied,
except for the purpose of reviews. Vampire: The Masquerade, Gothic-Punk, Brujah, Toreador, Nosferatu, Gangrel,
Tremere, Ventrue, Malkavian, Assamite, Followers of Set, Giovanni, Ravnos, Lasombra, Tzimisce, Sabbat, Anarch,
Camarilla, The Kindred, Neonate, Caitiff, Ancilla, Methuselah, Antediluvian, Primogen, Elysium, The Traditions,
Progeny, Inconnu, Justicar, Conclave, Arcanum, Society of Leopold, Book of Nod, The Beast Within, Diablerie, Gehenna,
The Jyhad, The Riddle, and The Anarch Cookbook are all trademarks and copyrights of White Wolf.
The mention of or reference to any companies or products in these pages is not a challenge to the trademarks or
copyrights concerned.
Due to the mature themes presented within, reader discretion is advised.
Credits:
Written by: Andrew Greenberg, Daniel Greenberg, Mark Rein*Hagen, Graeme Davis, Bill Bridges, Ryk Strong
Teeuwyn, Robert Hatch, Steve Brown, J. Morrison, Frank Frey, Aaron Voss, Travis Williams, Josh Timbrook, Dustin
Browder, Steve Crow, Sam Chupp, William Spencer-Hale Lyndi Hathaway, Stewart Wieck
Developed by: Andrew Greenberg
Edited by: Robert Hatch
Art Director: Richard Thomas
Layout and Typesetting: Sam Chupp
Art: Jesper Myrfors, Joshua Gabriel Timbrook, E. Allen Smith, Robert MacNeil, Larry Snelly, Ken Meyer, Jr., John
Bridges, Steve Casper, Tim Bradstreet
Front Cover: Clyde Caldwell
Back Cover: Chris McDonough
Special Thanks to:
Mark "Headman" Rein*Hagen, for whatever it is he has on his head today.
Stewart "Team #12" Wieck, for sending more and more victims to the Blood Pit.
Andrew "Hack, Hack, Hack" Greenberg, for what he had to do to get this book done.
Ken "Custody" Cliffe, for earning $20 (and a head ache) the legal way.
Josh "Deluge" Timbrook, for going to the Pablo Picasso school of cranking out the hits.
Wes "By Northwes" Harris, for doing the company swing of the Pacific Northwest.
Rob "Buried Alive" Hatch, for having a chance to get out of the Crypt and turning it down.
René "Past Her Prime" Lilly, for getting engaged and not getting hit on.
Travis "Key Master" Williams, for being the voice of responsibility and the hand of debauchery.
Richard "Shanghaied" Thomas, for finding something else to do with his computer.
Sam "Nodding Off" Chupp, for getting the keenest insight into that fabled Book.
Chris "Travolta" McDonough, for his musical taste- or lack thereof.
Vampire The Masquerade Second Edition: Players Guide
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William "Virtual Adept" Hale, for finally getting his laptop foci.
Bill "Get Your Bras, Girls" Bridges, for his shopping (ms)adventures.
Benjamin "Pete Brady" Monk, Jr., for looking just like that whiny brat.
Lyndi "Pretty in Black" Hathaway, for getting rice thrown at her now -married head.
Michelle "Worshipping Porcelain" Prahler, for her introduction to White Wolf partying.
Stephan "How Many Nose Rings?" Wieck, for his introduction to White Wolf partiers
Special, Special Thanks to the Gun Corral and Brock's Army/Navy Surplus for the assist on
Dragonsbreath.
THE VAMPIRE
PLAYERS GUIDE
Chapter One: Character Creation...........................7
Chapter Two: The Expanded Character...............37
Chapter Three: The Society of the Damned.........95
Chapter Four: Roleplaying................................155
Chapter Five: Equipment...................................169
Index.................................................................201
Vampire The Masquerade Second Edition: Players Guide
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Preface
The essence of Vampire lies in the u ndead characters,
those doomed symbols of both good and evil. Powerful
beyond human comparison, yet damned with tragic defects
of epic proportions, each vampire is a unique reflection of
its creator, and as such bears only limited resemblance to
other Kindred. The soul of a vampire is its individuality.
This means we should not neglect any opportunity to
make each character even more unique. The Vampire
Players Guide is a compilation of new information, rules
and ideas aimed at making your creation the most
interesting character it can possibly be. This book includes
copious amounts of rules and background material
relevant to the role of the player. It also contains advice for
all types of players, including suggestions ranging from
how to survive as a vampire to how to spice up your
roleplaying experience.
A large amount of emphasis has been placed on
demonstrating some of the different ways in which you can
play Vampire. Each section of this book suggests a
different style of play. Only some of these will be
appropriate for your chronicle. Merits and Flaws enhance
the roleplaying possibilities inherent in the game; new
clans, Traits and Disciplines help bring character concepts
to life; and expanded equipment lists allow for everything
from mortar fire to ghoul Chihuahuas.
Chapter One:
Creation
There will be a time to murder and create.
-T. S. Eliot, "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
Character creation can be as simple or as complex as the
troupe wants it to be. If someone does not want to do any
work, he can simply use the sample characters from the
rulebook.. On the other hand, if he wants to flesh out his
own vision, then he can use these rules, add in the new
Archetypes, further define the character with Merits and
Flaws or even have the character follow one of the Paths of
Enlightenment. Finally, if he really wants a stretch, rules
are provided for those who want to play mortals.
This chapter assumes that all the normal rules for
character creation still apply. What follows only adds more
dimensions to the process. Everything below is optional, so
players and Storytellers should not feel any pressure to use
these rules if they do not suit their style of play.
Players should make sure that the Storyteller allows these
options in the chronicle befor e creating characters based
around these options. Each chronicle is individual and
unique, so there is no telling what restrictions or changes
the Storyteller has in mind. There is no right or wrong way,
only ways that work for everyone concerned.
Merits and Flaws
Merits and Flaws are two new classes of Traits. Merits
provide the character with an advantage, while Flaws give
the character a disadvantage. Merits and Flaws allow you
to describe your character in more detail than that
provided by the basic character creation process, but these
new rules are optional. If you do not take Merits and Flaws
for your character, you will not suffer; your character is
simply different from who she might otherwise be.
When you create a character in Vampire, you are giv en 15
'freebie' points to assign to whatever Traits you like in
order to give your character the finishing touches that
make her unique. The optional system of Merits and Flaws
expands on this idea, and further allows you to personalize
your character.
Merits may only be bought with freebie points. Flaws give
you extra freebie points to spend on Merits or anything
else. You can purchase as many Merits as you wish, up to
the full amount of your freebie points ( though that would
leave you weak in your other areas). Each Merit has a
different cost, which is described in terms of freebie points
- if you wish to take it you must spend that number of
freebie points.
Each Flaw you purchase gives you additional freebie
points. The amount gained is listed with the Flaw. Thus,
buying Flaws can allow you to buy more Merits. For
instance, the Flaw "Light-Sensitive" gives you five
additional freebie points, while the Merit "Daredevil" costs
three freebie points. However, you can only take up to
seven points of Flaws (which makes it impossible for any
character to have or speed more than 22 freebie points).
Additionally, Merits and Flaws can only be bought when
the character is first generated (unless the Storyteller
makes an exception for someone who missed the
opportunity earlier).
In some chronicles, especially those in which horror is
emphasized, Merits and Flaws may not be permitted, or
may be restricted in some way. Make sure you have the
Storyteller's permission before you start using these Traits.
Keep in mind that this system was not created to allow you
to "minimax." It was designed to let you create a more fully
realized character. The more you misuse the Merits and
Flaws to create a super -character, the less likely it is that
you will be allowed to take them w hen you design your
next character.
Psychological
These Merits and Flaws deal with the psychological
makeup of your character, and may describe ideals,
motivations or pathologies. Some psychological Flaws can
be temporarily ignored by spending a Willpower point, and
are so noted. If you possess such a Flaw and do not
roleplay it when the Storyteller thinks you should, then she
may tell you that you have spent a point of Willpower for
the effort. Flaws cannot be conveniently ignored.
Code of Honor: (1 pt Merit)
You have a personal code of ethics to which you strictly
adhere. Even when you are in frenzy, you will attempt to
obey it (and thus get three extra dice to your Self-Control
rolls when in danger of violating your code). You can
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automatically resist most temptations that would bring you
in conflict with your code. When battling supernatural
persuasion that would make you violate your code, you
either gain three extra dice to resist supernatural
persuasions, or the opponent's difficulties are increased by
two (Storyteller's choice). You must construct your own
personal code of honor in as much detail as you can,
outlining the general rules of conduct by which you abide.
Higher Purpose: (1 pt Merit)
You have a goal that drives and directs you in every thing.
You do not concern yourself with petty matters and casual
concerns, because your higher purpose is everything
Though you may sometimes be driven by this purpose and
find yourself forced to behave in ways contrary to the need
of personal survival, it can also grant you great persona
strength. You gain two extra dice on all rolls that have
anything to do with this higher purpose. You need to
decide what your higher purpose is. Make sure you talk it
over with the Storyteller first. (If you have the Flaw
Driving Goal below you cannot take this Merit )
Berserker: (2 pt Merit)
The Beast is in you, but you know how to direct and make
use of it. You have the capacity to frenzy at will, and are
thus able to ignore your wound penalties. However, you
must pay the consequences of your actions while in frenzy
just as you normally would. Your chance of entering an
unwilling frenzy is also unaffected.
Dual Nature: (2 pt Merit)
You have two distinct Natures, both of which have an
influence on your personality and behavior. When you pick
these Natures, be careful to choose Archetypes that are
somewhat compatible. Dual Nature does not mean
schizophrenia (that is a Derangement). This Merit allows
you to regain Willpower using both Natures. You may still
choose a Demeanor, and it can be as different from the
character' Natures as the player desires.
Compulsion: (1 pt Flaw)
You have a psychological compulsion of some sort which
can cause you a number of different problems. You
compulsion may be for cleanliness, perfection, br agging
stealing, gaming, exaggeration or just talking. A
compulsion can be temporarily avoided at the cost of a
Willpower point,. but is in effect at all other times.
Dark Secret: (1 pt Flaw)
You have some sort of secret that, if uncovered, would be
of immense embarrassment to you and would make you a
pariah in the Kindred community. This can be anything
from having murdered an elder to having once been a
member of the Sabbat. While this secret weighs on you
mind at all times, it will only surface in occasi onal stories
Otherwise. it will begin to lose its impact.
Intolerance: (1 pt Flaw)
You have an unreasoning dislike of a certain thing. This
may be an animal, a class of person, a color, a situation, or
just about anything at all. The difficulties of all dice roll
involving the subject are increased by two. Note that some
dislikes may be too trivial to be reflected here-a dislike of
White Wolf Magazine or tissue paper, for instance, will
have little effect on play in most chronicles. The Storyteller
is the final arbiter on what you can pick to dislike.
Nightmares: ( 1 pt Flaw)
You experience horrendous nightmares (daymares?) every
time you sleep, and memories of them haunt you during
your waking hours. Sometimes the nightmares are so bad
they cause you to lose one die on all your actions for the
next night (Storyteller's discretion). Some of the
nightmares may be so intense that you mistake them for
reality. A crafty Storyteller will be quick to take advantage
of this.
Phobia (Mild): (1 pt Flaw)
You have an overpowering fear of something. You
instinctively and illogically retreat from and avoid the
object of your fear. Common objects of phobias include
certain animals, insects, crowds, open spaces, confined
spaces and heights. You must make a Courage roll
whenever you encounter the object of your fear. The
difficulty of this roll is determined by the Storyteller. If you
fail the roll, you must retreat from the object.
Prey Exclusion: ( 1 pt Flaw)
You refuse to hunt a certain class of prey. For instance an
animal-lover might decide to hunt only humans, or a
character might decide to spare a class of person she
particularly admires: police, teachers, medical
professionals, clergy, peace activists and so on. You are
disturbed when others feed from this type of prey , and
could possibly enter a frenzy (Storyteller's discretion). If
you accidentally feed upon this class of prey yourself, you
will automatically frenzy and will need to make a roll for
Humanity loss (difficulty 8 or greater). Note: This is not as
restrictive as the Ventrue limitation, which limits a
vampire to a certain class of prey (therefore Ventrue
cannot take this Flaw).
Overconfident: ( 1 pt Flaw)
You have an exaggerated and unshakable opinion of your
own worth and capabilities-you never hesitate to trust your
abilities, even in situations where you risk defeat. Because
your abilities may not be enough, such overconfidence can
be very dangerous. When you do fail, you quickly find
someone or something else to blame. If you are convincing
enough, you can infect others with your overconfidence.
Shy: ( 1 pt Flaw)
You are distinctly ill at ease when dealing with people and
try to avoid social situations whenever possible. The
difficulties of all rolls concerned with social dealings are
increased by one; the difficulties of any rolls made while
you are the center of attention are increased by two. Don't
expect such a character to make a public speech.
Soft-Hearted: ( 1 pt Flaw)
You cannot stand to watch others suffer -not necessarily
because you care about what happens to them, but simply
because you dislike the intensity of emotion. If you are the
direct cause of suffering, and you witness it, you will
experience nights of nausea and days of sleepless grief. You
avoid situations where you might have to witness suffering
and will do anything you can to protect others from it
Whenever you must witness suffering, difficulties of all
rolls are increased by two for the next hour.
Speech Impediment: (1 pt Flaw)
You have a stammer or some other speech impediment
which hampers verbal communication. The difficulties of
all relevant rolls are increased by two. Do not feel obliged
to roleplay this impediment all the time, but in times of
duress or when dealing with outsiders, you should attempt
to simulate it.
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Low Self-lmage: (2 pt Flaw)
You lack self-confidence and don't believe in yourself You
have two fewer dice in situations where you don't expect to
succeed (at the Storyteller's discretion, though the penalty
might be limited to one die if you help the Storyteller by
pointing out times when this Flaw might affect you ). At
the Storyteller's option, you may be required to make
Willpower rolls to do things that require self confidence, or
even to use a Willpower point when others would not be
obliged to do so.
Short Fuse: (2 pt Flaw)
You are easily angered. The difficulties of rolls to avoid
frenzy are always two less, no matter how you were
provoked. This is a dangerous Flaw; don't choose it
without careful thought
Territorial: (2 pt Flaw)
You are extremely territorial. You do not like to leave your
territory, nor do you like to have strangers enter it. In fact,
you get so nervous and disoriented while outside your
territory that the difficulties of all your rolls are increased
by one. In addition, you must make a frenzy roll when
other vampires enter your territory, unless they obtain
your permission to pass through.
Vengeance: (2 pt Flaw)
You have a score to settle. This score may be from either
your mortal or vampiric days. Either way, you are obsessed
with wreaking ven geance on an individual (or perhaps an
entire group), and make revenge your first priority in all
situations. The need for vengeance can only be overcome
by spending Willpower points, and even then it only
temporarily subsides. Someday you may have your
revenge, but the Storyteller won't make it easy.
Driving Goal: (3 pt Flaw)
You have a personal goal, which sometimes compel and
directs you in startling ways. The goal is always limitless in
depth, and you can never truly achieve it. It could be to
eradicate the Sabbat or achieve Golconda.. Because you
must work toward your goal throughout the chronicle
(though you can avoid it for short periods by spending
Willpower), it will get you into trouble and may jeopardize
other actions. Choose your driving goal carefully, as it will
direct and focus everything your character does.
Hatred: (3 pt Flaw)
You have an unreasoning hatred of a certain thing. This
hate is total and largely uncontrollable. You may hate
species of animal, a class of person, a color, a situationanything.
You must make a frenzy roll whenever faced with
the object of your hatred. You constantly pursue
opportunities to harm the hated object or to gain Dower
over it.
Phobia (Severe): (3 pt Flaw)
You have an overpowering fear of something. Common
objects of fear include certain animals, insects, crowds,
open spaces, confined spaces, heights, and so on. You must
make a Courage roll not to enter Rotschreck when faced
with the object of your fear. The difficulty depends on the
circumstances. If you fa il the roll, you must retreat in
terror from the object of fear. If you score fewer than three
successes, you will not approach it. The Storyteller has
final say over which phobias are allowed in a chronicle.
Mental
These Merits and Flaws deal with the m ind: its strengths
weaknesses and special capacities.
Common Sense: (1 pt Merit)
You have a significant amount of practical, everyday
wisdom. Whenever you are about to do something contrary
to common sense, the Storyteller should alert you to how,
your potential action might violate practicality. This is an
ideal Merit if you are a novice player because it allows you
to receive advice from the Storyteller concerning what you
can and cannot do, and (even more importantly) what you
should and should not do.
Concentration: (1 pt Merit)
You have the ability to focus your mind and shut out any
distractions or annoyances. Any penalty to a difficulty or
Dice Pool arising from a distraction or other inauspicious
circumstance is limited to two, though no extra benefits are
gained if only one penalty die is imposed.
Lightning Calculator: (1 pt Merit)
You have a natural affinity with numbers and a talent for
mental arithmetic, making you a natural when working
with computers or betting at the racetracks. The difficulties
of all relevant rolls are decreased by two. Another possible
use for this ability, assuming you have numbers on which
to base your conclusions, is the ability to calculate the
difficulty of certain tasks. In appropriate situations, you
may ask the Story teller the difficulty rating of a task you
are about to perform.
Time Sense: ( 1 pt Merit)
You have an innate sense of time and are able to estimate
the passage of time accurately without using a watch or
other mechanical device. You can accomplish this whether
you are concentrating or not. You can estimate the time of
day to within a minute or two, and the passage of time with
the same accuracy.
Eidetic Memory: (2 pt Merit)
You can remember things seen and heard with perfect
detail. By gaining at least one success on an Intelligence +
Alertness roll, you can recall any desired sight or sound
accurately, even if you heard it or glanced at it only once
(though the difficulty of such a feat would be high). Five
successes enable you to recall an event perfectly: the
Storyteller relates to you exactly what was seen or heard.
Light Sleeper: (2 pt Merit)
You can awaken instantly at any sign of trouble or danger,
and do so without any sleepiness or hesitation. The rules
regarding how Humanity restricts the number of dice
usable during the day are waived.
Calm Heart: (3 pt Merit)
You are naturally calm and well-composed, and do not
easily fly off the handle. Raise the difficulties of all your
frenzy rolls by two, no matter how the incident is
provoked.
Iron Will: (3 pt Merit)
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When you are determined and your mind is set, nothing
can thwart you from your goals. You cannot be Dominated,
nor can your mind be affected in any way by spells or
rituals. However, the Storyteller may require you to spend
Willpower points when extremely potent powers are
directed at you.
Self-Confident: (5 pt Merit)
When you spend a point of Willpower to gain an automatic
success, your self-confidence may allow you to gain the
benefit of that expenditure without actually losing the
Willpower point. You do not lose the point when you spend
it, unless you end the roll with only one success, i.e. you do
not gain any additional successes from the dice you roll.
This Merit may only be used when you need confidence
in your abilities in order to succeed. This means you can
use it only when the difficulty of your roll is six or higher.
You may spend Willpower at other times; however, if the
difficulty is five or less, the Willpower will be spent no
matter what you roll.
Deep Sleeper: (1 pt Flaw)
When you sleep, it is very difficult for you to awaken. Raise
the difficulty by two on any such roll, and roleplay how you
never seem to be on time when you have an appointment
early in the evening.
Amnesia: (2 pt Flaw)
You are unable to remember anything about your past,
yourself or your family. Your life is a blank slate. However,
your past may someday come back to haunt you. (You can,
if you wish, take up to five points of other Flaws without
specifying what they are, and leave it to the Storyteller t o
detail them. Over the course of the chronicle, you and your
character will slowly discover them.)
Confused: (2 pt Flaw)
You are often confused, and the world seems to be a very
distorted and twisted place. Sometimes you are simply
unable to make sense of things. You need to roleplay this
behavior all the time to a small degree, but your confusion
becomes especially strong whenever stimuli surround you
(such as when a number of different people talk all at once,
or you enter a nightclub with loud pounding music). You
may spend Willpower to override the effects of your
confusion, but only temporarily.
Weak-Willed: (2 pt Flaw)
You are highly susceptible to Dominate and intimidation
by others; you are, in fact, unable to use your Willpower
freely. You can employ your Willpower only when survival
is at stake or it is appropriate to your Nature.
Absent-Minded: (3 pt Flaw)
This Flaw may not be taken with the Merit Concentration.
Though you do not forget such things as Knowledges or
Skills, you do forget names, addresses, and when you last
ate. In order to remember anything more than your own
name and the location of your haven, you need to make a
Wits roll or, as a last resort, spend a Willpower point.
Awareness
These Merits and Flaws involve perception, or the lack
thereof.
Acute Hearing: (1 pt Merit)
You have exceptionally sharp hearing, even for a vampire.
The difficulties of all dice roll that relate to hearing (e.g.
Perception + Alertness to hear a faint noise, or Perception
+ Linguistics to overhear a conv ersation in a foreign
language) are decreased by two. Combined with
Heightened Senses (Level One Auspex), this Merit can
provide superhuman hearing acuity.
Acute Sense of Smell: (1 pt Merit)
You have an exceptionally keen sense of smell. The
difficulties of all dice rolls that relate to smell (e.g.,
Intelligence + Occult to identify a ritual incense) are
reduced by two. Combined with Heightened Senses (Level
One Auspex), this Merit can provide superhuman olfactory
acuity.
Acute Sense of Taste: (1 pt Merit)
You have an exceptionally keen sense of taste. The
difficulties of all dice rolls that relate to taste (e.g.,
Perception + Medicine to spot the taint of poison in blood
or another substance ) are reduced by two. You are able to
make precise distinctions in taste. Combined with
Heightened Senses (Level One Auspex), this Merit can
provide superhuman taste acuity.
Acute Vision: (1 pt Merit)
You have exceptionally keen eyesight. The difficulties of all
dice rolls that relate to vision (e.g., a Perception roll to spot
a clue, or Perception + Alertness to see the shadow of an
approaching attacker) are reduced by one. Combined with
Heightened Senses (Level One Auspex), this Merit can
provide superhuman visual acuity.
Color Blindness: (1 pt Flaw)
You can only see in black and white. Color means nothing
to you, though you are sensitive to color density, which you
perceive as shades of gray. This makes it impossible to use
the Level Two Auspex power of Aura Perception. Note:
color blindness actually indicates an inability to distinguish
between two colors, but we fudged a bit for the sake of
brevity.
Hard of Hearing: (1 pt Flaw)
Your hearing is defective. The difficulties of all dice rolls
related to hearing are increased by two. You may not take
Acute Hearing if you take this Flaw.
Bad Sight: (2 pt Flaw)
Your sight is defective. The difficulties of all dice rolls
related to vision are increased by two. This Flaw is neither
nearsightedness nor farsightedness; it is a minor form of
blindness, and is not correctable. You m ay not take Acute
Vision if you take this Flaw.
One Eye: (2 pt Flaw)
You have one eye - choose which, or determine randomly
during character creation. You have no peripheral vision
on your blind side, and two fewer dice are rolled for any
feat requiring depth perception. This includes missile
combat.
Deaf: (4 pt Flaw)
You cannot hear sound, and automatically fail any rolls
that require hearing.
Blind: (6 pt Flaw)
You automatically fail all dice rolls involving vision. You
cannot see-the world of color and light is lost to you.
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Aptitudes
These Merits and Flaws establish special capacities and
abilities for your character, or modify the effects and
powers of your character's other Traits.
Ambidextrous: (1 pt Merit)
You have a high degree of off-hand dexterity and can
perform tasks with the 'wrong' hand at no penalty. The
normal penalty for using both hands at once to perform
different tasks (e.g. fighting with a weapon in each hand) is
plus one difficulty for the 'right' hand and plus three
difficulty for the other hand.
Computer Aptitude: (1 pt Merit)
You have a natural affinity with computers, so the
difficulties of all rolls to repair, construct or operate them
are two less.
Crack Driver: (1 pt Merit)
You have a natural affinity with driving motorized wheeled
vehicles, such as cars, 18-wheelers and even tractors. The
difficulties of all rolls requiring risky or especially difficult
driving maneuvers are two less.
Eat Food: (1 pt Merit)
You have the capacity to eat food. It's an ability you
developed at an early point in your undead existence, or
perhaps it has been a latent ability all along. This is
considered disgusting by other Kindred, but can be of great
assistance in maintaining the Masquerade.
Mechanical Aptitude: (1 pt Merit)
You are naturally adept with all kinds of mechanical
devices (note that this aptitude does not extend to
electronic devices such as computers). The difficulties of all
dice rolls to understand, repair or operate any kind of
mechanical device are two less. However, this Merit
doesn't help you drive any sort of vehicle.
Pitiable: (1 pt Merit)
There is something about you that others pity. This causes
them to care for you as if you were a Child (see the
Archetypes section). Some Natures will not be affected by
this Merit (Autocrat, Deviant, Fanatic, Sycophant), and
some Demeanors may pretend they are not. You need to
decide what it is about you that attracts such pity, and how
much (or how little) you like it.
Natural Linguist: (2 pt Merit)
You have a flair for languages. This Merit does not allow
you to learn more languages than are permitted by your
Linguistics score, but you may add three dice to any Dice
Pool involving languages, both written and spoken.
Daredevil: (3 pt Merit)
You are good at taking risks, and are even better at
surviving them. All difficulties are one less whenever you
try something particularly dangerous, and you can ignore
one botch result when you roll "ones" on such actions (you
can cancel a single "one" that is rolled, as if you had an
extra success ).
Fast Learner: (3 pt Merit)
You learn very quickly, and pick up on new things faster
than most do. You gain one extra experience point at the
conclusion of each story (not each game session).
Jack-Of-AII-Trades: (5 pt Merit)
You have a large pool of miscellaneous skills and
knowledge obtained through your extensive travels, the
jobs you've held, or just all-around know -how. You
automatically have one dot in all Skill and Knowledge Dice
Pools. This is an illusory level, used only to simulate a wide
range of abilities. If the character trains or spends
experience in the Skill or Knowledge, he must first buy one
dot, then two, etc. as if he had no dot in it.
Illiterate: (1 pt Flaw)
Through lack of education or as the result of a condition
like dyslexia, you are unable to read or write.
Inept: (5 pt Flaw)
You are not attuned to your natural aptitudes, and
therefore have five fewer points to spend on your Talents
(so the greatest number of points you can spend on your
Talents at the beginning of play would be eight, and t he
fewest would be zero). Of course, you can still spend
freebie points to buy Talents. However, at the beginning of
the game, you cannot have more than three dots in any
Talent.
Uneducated: (5 pt Flaw)
As Inept, above, but dealing with Knowledge Abilities.
Unskilled: (5 pt Flaw)
As Inept, above, but dealing with Skill Abilities.
Supernatural
These Merits and Flaws are different kinds of supernatural
benefits or detriments. They are highly abnormal, and not
at all common. Because of the potential of these particular
Traits, and the liberal way in which they deal with the
"laws of reality," the Storyteller may not allow you to
choose from this category - ask before you choose one.
Furthermore, you should not select such Traits unless they
firmly fit your character concept, and you can explain why
your character possesses them. In general, we do not
recommend that anyone have more than one or two
supernatural Merits or Flaws - they should be strictly
controlled by the Storyteller.
Inoffensive to Animals: (1 pt Merit)
Animals do not fear or distrust you the way they do most of
the Kindred. They treat you as they would any mortal and
do not shy from your touch.
True Love: (1 pt Merit)
You have discovered, but may have lost (at least
temporarily) a true love. Nonet heless, this love provides
joy in a torrid existence usually devoid of such enlightened
emotions. Whenever you are suffering, in danger or
dejected, the thought of your true love is enough to give
you the strength to persevere. In game terms, this love
allows you to succeed automatically on any Willpower roll,
but only when you are actively striving to protect or come
closer to your true love. Also, the power of your love may
be powerful enough to protect you from other supernatural
forces (Storyteller's discretion). However, your true love
may also be a hindrance, and require aid (or even rescue)
from time to time. Be forewarned: this is a most exacting
Merit to play over the course of a chronicle.
Medium: (2 pt Merit)
You possess the natural affinity to sense and hear spirits,
ghosts and shades. Though you cannot see them, you feel
their presence and are able to speak with them when they
are in the vicinity. It is even possible for you to summon
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them (through pleading and cajoling) to your presence.
Spirits will not simply aid you or give you advice gratis -
they will always want something in return.
Danger Sense: (2 pt Merit)
You have a sixth sense that warns you of danger. When you
are in danger, the Storyteller should make a secret roll
against your Perception + Alertness; the difficulty depends
on the remoteness of the danger. If the roll succeeds, the
Storyteller tells you that you have a sense of foreboding.
Multiple successes may refine the feeling and give an indication
of direction, distance or nature. This Merit is more
reliable and specific than the Level One Auspex power; the
two can be combined to create an even more potent
warning system.
Faerie Affinity: (2 pt Merit)
Your presence does not frighten faeries; indeed, it attracts
them, and you a re naturally attuned to their ways. You are
able, unlike most Kindred, to enter Arcadia, the mystical
kingdom of the faeries, provided you find an entrance.
Magic Resistance: (2 pt Merit)
You have an inherent resistance to the rituals of the
Tremere and the spells of the mages of other creeds and
orders. Although you may never learn the Discipline of
Thaumaturgy, the difficulties of all such spells and rituals
are two greater when directed at you. Note: this includes
all spells, beneficial and malign alike!
Occult Library: (2 pt Merit)
You possess a library of occult materials, which may
include at least one version of the Book of Nod. You are not
necessarily familiar with the contents of these volumes of
knowledge ( that is a function of your Abilities), but in time
of need your library can be an invaluable source for
research.
Spirit Mentor: (3 pt Merit)
You have a ghostly companion and guide. This spirit is able
to employ a number of minor powers when it really
struggles to exert itself (see Haunted, below ), but for the
most part its benefit to you is through the advice it can
give. This ghost is the incorporeal spirit of someone who
was once living, perhaps even someone particularly famous
or wise. The Storyteller will create the ghost character, but
will not reveal to you its full powers and potencies.
Unbondable: (3 pt Merit)
You are immune to being Blood Bound. No matter how
much blood you drink from other vampires, you will never
be Bound to them.
Werewolf Companion: (3 pt Merit)
You have a friend and ally who just happens to be a
werewolf. Though you may call upon this being in time of
need, it also has the right to call upon you (after all, you are
friends). However, neither your kind nor its appreciate
such a relationship, and your respective societies will
punish both of you if your friendship is discovered.
Arranging for meeting places and methods of
communication will be difficult. The Storyteller will create
the werewolf character, but will not reveal to you its full
powers and potencies.
Luck: (3 pt Merit)
You were born lucky - or else the Devil looks after his own.
Either way, you can repeat three failed rolls per story. Only
one repeat attempt may be made on any single roll.
Destiny: (4 pt Merit)
You have a great destiny, though you may well not realize
it. Your destiny will become more and more apparent as
the chronicle continues. Prophecies and dreams guide your
way, and grant you clues to your ultimate goal. The sense
of direction and security granted by this feeling of destiny
helps you overcome fear, depression and discouragement
caused by anything not relevant to your destiny. Until your
destiny is fulfilled, you may suffer setbacks, but nothing
will thwart you permanently. How this is played is up to
the Storyteller.
Charmed Existence: (5 pt Merit)
Your unlife is somehow protected, and you do not face the
perils that others must. It could be that you are simply
lucky. Whatever the reason, you may ignore a single "one"
on every roll you make. This makes it far less likely that
you will ever botch, and grants you more successes than
others obtain.
Guardian Angel: (6 pt Merit)
Someone or something watches over you and protects you
from harm. You have no idea who or what it is, but you
have an idea that someone is looking out for you. In times
of great need you may be supernaturally protected.
However, one can never count upon a guardian angel. The
Storyteller must decide why you are being watched over,
and by what (not necessarily an angel, despite the name).
True Faith: (7 pt Merit)
You have a deep-seated faith in and love for God, or
whatever name you choose to call the Almighty. Perhaps
your faith came to you before your Embrace, and was
strong enough to survive even this test; or, incredibly
enough, the adversity you have experienced in your current
condition has brought out what is best in you. You begin
the game with one point of Faith (a Trait with a range of 1 -
10). Your Faith provides you with an inner strength and
comfort that continues to support you when all else betrays
you. Your Faith adds to all Willpower and Virtue rolls. The
exact supernatural effects of Faith, if any, are completely
up to the Storyteller (though it will typically have the effect
of repelling Kindred). It will certainly vary from person to
person, and will almost nev er be obvious - some of the
most saintly people have never performed a miracle
greater than managing to touch an injured soul. The nature
of any miracles you do perform will usually be tied to your
own Nature, and you may never realize that you have been
aided by a force beyond yourself.
You must have a Humanity of 10 in order to choose this
Merit, and if it ever drops below nine, you lose all Faith
points and may only recover them through extensive
penitence and work (and only when your Humanity is
again 10). No one may start the game with more than one
Faith point. Additional points are only awarded at the
Storyteller's discretion.
Cursed: ( 1-5 pt Flaw)
You have been cursed by someone or something with
supernatural or magical powers. This curse is specific and
detailed, it cannot be dispelled without extreme effort, and
it can be life-threatening. Some examples follow:
If you pass on a secret that was told to you, your betrayal
will later harm you in some way. (1 pt)
You stutter uncontrollably when you try to describe what
you have seen or heard. (2 pt)
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Tools often break or malfunction when you attempt to use
them. (3 pt)
You are doomed to make enemies of those to whom you
become most attached (so whatever you do, don't get too
close to the other character s! ). (4 pt)
Every one of your accomplishments or achievements will
eventually, inevitably, become soiled and fail in some way.
(5 pt)
Taint of Corruption: (1 pt Flaw)
Plants wither when you approach, and will die if you touch
them. It is rumored that Caine himself possesses this Flaw.
Repulsed by Garlic: (1 pt Flaw)
You cannot abide the smell of garlic, and the smallest taint
of its scent will drive you from a room. The full force of its
pungent odor will bring bloody tears to your face and
render you nearly blind, while its touch can cause boils and
even open wounds.
Magic Susceptibility: (2 pt Flaw)
You are susceptible to the magical rituals of the Tremere,
as well as to spells of mages of other creeds and orders.
The difficulty to cast a spell upon you is two less, and all
spells cast have twice normal effect on you.
Repelled by Crosses: (3 pt Flaw)
You are repelled by the sight of ordinary crosses ( just as if
they were holy). Kindred who were of the Church prior to
their Embrace are the ones most likely to possess this
Flaw; they perceive that their new form is a judgment from
God.
Can't Cross Running Water: (3 pt Flaw)
You cannot cross running water unless you are at least 50
feet above it. "Running water" is any body of water more
than two feet wide in any direction and not completely
stagnant. A Kindred with this Flaw obviously believes too
much in old wives' tales.
Haunted: (3 pt Flaw)
You are haunted by a ghost that only you (and Mediums)
can see and hear. It actively dislikes you and enjoys making
y our life miserable by insulting, berating and distracting
you - especially when you need to keep your cool. It also
has a number of minor powers it can use against you (once
per story for each power): hide small objects; bring a
"chill" over others, making them very ill at ease with you;
cause a loud buzzing in your ear or the ears of others; move
a small object such as a knife or pen; break a fragile item
such as a bottle or mirror; trip you; or make eerie noises
such as chains rattling. Yelling at the ghost can sometimes
drive it away, but it will confuse those who are around you.
The Storyteller will likely personify the ghost in order to
make things all the more frustrating for you.
Dark Fate: (5 pt Flaw)
You are doomed to experience a most horrible demise or,
worse, suffer eternal agony. No matter what you do,
someday you will be out of the picture. In the end, all your
efforts, your struggles, and your dreams will come to
naught. Your fate is certain and there is nothing you can do
about it. Even more g hastly, you have partial knowledge of
this, for you occasionally have visions of your fate - and
they are most disturbing. The malaise these visions inspire
in you can only be overcome through the use of Willpower,
and will return after each vision. At som e point in the
chronicle, you will indeed face your fate, but when and how
is completely up to the Storyteller. Though you can't do
anything about your fate, you can still attempt to reach
some goal before it occurs, or at least try to make sure that
your friends are not destroyed as well. This is a difficult
Flaw to roleplay; though it may seem as if it takes away all
free will, we have found that, ironically, it grants freedom.
Light-Sensitive: (5 pt Flaw)
You are even more sensitive to sunlight than other
vampires are. Sunlight causes double normal damage, and
even moonlight (which is, after all, the reflected light of the
sun) harms you. Indeed, even bright lights can be painful,
but that pain can be mitigated by wearing sunglasses.
When the moon is shining, the light it casts will cause
wounds in the same way sunlight does for normal
individuals. However, the wounds caused by the moon are
not aggravated, and can be healed normally. Remember,
even on nights when the moon is full, it may have already
set when you venture outside, or be obscured by the
clouds.
Kindred Ties
These Merits and Flaws deal with the place, position and
status of a character within vampiric society.
Boon: ( 1-3 pt Merit)
An elder owes you a favor because of something either you
or your sire once did for him. The extent of the boon owed
to you depends on how many points you spend. One point
would indicate a relatively minor boon, while three points
would indicate that the elder probably owes you his unlife.
See the rules on Prestation (in Chapter Four) for more
information.
Prestigious Sire: (1 pt Merit)
Your Sire had or has great Status in the Camarilla, and this
has accorded you a peculiar honor. Most treat you
respectfully as a result, while some have only contempt for
you, believing you to be nothing compared to them. This
prestige could greatly aid you when dealing with elders
acquainted with your sire. Indeed, your sire's contacts may
actually approach you at some point offering aid. Though
your sire may no longer have contact with you, the simple
fact of your ancestry has marked you forever.
Special Gift: ( 1-3 pt Merit)
Your sire gave you a valuable gift after the Embrace. The
Storyteller should create something suitable or choose one
item from the Mystical Items list to give to you (though
you can 'suggest' something). The Storyteller will decide
how much a particular item is worth.
Reputation: (2 pt Merit)
You have a good reputation among the Kindred of your
chosen city. This may be your own reputation, or it may be
derived from your sire. Add three dice to all Dice Pools for
social dealings with the city's Kindred. A character with
this Merit may not take the Flaw of Notoriety.
Clan Friendship: (3 pt Merit)
For any number of different reasons ó appearance,
bearing, background or demeanor ó something about you
appeals to members of a clan other than your own (your
choice ). The difficulties of all rolls related to social
dealings with members of this clan are two less. This can
be a two-edged sword; you are also marked by others as a
sympathizer with that clan, whether you like it (or deny it!
) or not.
Pawn: (3 pt Merit)
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You can manipulate and have some control over another
vampire ó one of higher generation than you. Your hold
was likely formed through Blood Bond, but can also
come from a variety of other sources, such as blackmail,
bribes or threats ó you make it up. The pawn does not
necessarily know that it is being controlled.
Enemy: ( 1-5 pt Flaw)
You have an enemy, or perhaps a group of enemies, who
seek to harm you. The v alue of the Flaw determines how
powerful these enemies are. The most powerful enemies
(Methuselahs or Archmages) would be five-point Flaws,
while someone nearer to your own power would be worth
only one point. You must decide who your enemy is and
how you became enemies in the first place.
Infamous Sire: (1 pt Flaw)
Your sire was, and perhaps still is, distrusted and disliked
by many of the Kindred in the city. As a result, you are
distrusted and disliked as well. This is a heavy load, and
one not easily sh ed.
Insane Sire: (1 pt Flaw)
Your sire has completely lost his grip on reality, and has
become dangerously insane. Any wrong committed by your
sire may affect your standing, and some of your sire's
dangerous schemes may somehow involve you. Because
their sires are already assumed to be insane, Malkavians
cannot take this Flaw.
Mistaken Identity: (1 pt Flaw)
You look similar to another Kindred, and are mistaken for
her, much to your chagrin. This individual's allies will
approach you and tell you things you do not want to hear,
her enemies will attempt to do away with you, and others
will treat you in odd ways. Ultimately you might be able to
sort out things, but it will take tremendous effort.
Sire's Resentment: (1 pt Flaw)
Your sire dislikes you and wishes you ill. Given the smallest
opportunity, your sire will seek to do you harm, and may
even attack you if provoked. Your sire's friends will also
work against you, and many elders will thus resent you.
Twisted Upbringing: (1 pt Flaw)
Your sire was quite malevolent and taught you all the
wrong things about Kindred society. All your beliefs about
how vampires interact are wrong, and your faulty beliefs
are likely to get you into a great deal of trouble. Over time,
after many hard lessons, you can overcome this bad start
(the Storyteller will tell you when). But until then, you will
continue to believe what you were first told, no matter how
others try to "trick" you into thinking otherwise.
Clan Enmity: (2 pt Flaw)
For some reason, something about you inspires contempt
or hatred in members of a clan other than your own. There
is a two-dice penalty to all rolls for social dealings with
members of this other clan. Select the 'enemy' clan
randomly or choose.
Diabolic Sire: (2 pt Flaw)
Your sire is engaged in acts that could cause a tremendous
uproar in the Camarilla. She could be wantonly breaking
the Masquerade, or hunting down the elders of the city and
feasting on their blood. Archons are likely to come to you
in order to discover your sire's whereabouts, and they may
not believe you if you tell them you do not know.
Notoriety: (3 pt Flaw)
You have a bad reputation among the Kindred of your
chosen city. This may be your own reputation, or it may be
derived from your sire. There is a two-dice penalty to all
dice rolls for social dealings with the city's Kindred. A
character with this Flaw may not take the Merit of
Reputation.
Mortal Society
These Merits and Flaws deal with the influence, power and
station of a character within mortal society. Some of them
correspond very closely to certain Background Traits (such
as Resources, Contacts, and Influence), while others
simply elaborate and expand upon them. The Backgrounds
give you more creative freedom, while the Merits provide
you with exact details of what you possess.
Judicial Ties: (2 pt Merit)
You have both influence over and contacts in the justice
system. You know most of the judges as well as the
attorneys in the prosecutor's department, and can affect
the progress of various cases and trials with limited
difficulty. Though it is difficult to intervene in a case, you
can influence it in one direction or another. These ties can
also make it easy to acquire search warrants.
Mansion: (2 pt Merit)
You own a large mansion ó a home with 25 or more rooms
ó as well as the surrounding estate. The servants, if you
have any, are provided for if you choose this Merit, though
they cannot be used as Herd or Retainers unless you
purchase the appropriate Background. The mansion is
assumed to have the most current electronic security
available, as well as a fence around the perimeter. While
the mansion can be in as poor or as good shape as you
wish, the more inhabited it appears to be, the more
attention it will garner. A ghost house won't attract IRS
audits.
Media Ties: (2 pt Merit)
You have both influence over and contacts in the local
media. You can suppress and create news stories (though
not always with 100 percent efficiency; journalists are an
unruly bunch) and you have access to the files and gossip
of the staffs of newspapers and TV stations.
Nightclub: (2 pt Merit)
You own a moderate-sized nightclub, perhaps one of the
hottest nightspots in the city. This club brings in enough
money to support you in moderate luxury ($1000 a month,
but it can grow), but more important than the money is the
prestige. You may use the nightclub as your haven, or you
may simply hang out there. The name of the nightclub, its
style, design, and its regular patrons are all up to you.
Variations on this theme could include: a restaurant,
theater, com edy club, sports arena or retail store.
Church Ties: (3 pt Merit)
You have influence and contacts in some local churches,
and have the means to create protest rallies and raise
money. The more you use your ties, of course, the greater
your risk of being found out.
Corporate Ties: (3 pt Merit)
You have both influence over and contacts in the local
corporate community. You understand the dynamics of
money in the city and have links with all the major players.
In times of need, you can cause all sorts of financial
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mayhem, and can raise considerable amounts of money (in
the form of loans) in a very short period of time.
Police Ties: (3 pt Merit)
You have both influence over and contacts in the local
police department. You can, with a single phone call, cause
an APB to be issued. However, the more often you use your
ties with the police department, the weaker they become,
and the more attention you attract toward yourself. Your
influence is not solid (that can be achieved only through
game play), and can let you down at times.
Political Ties: (3 pt Merit)
You have both influence over and contacts among the
politicians and bureaucrats of the city. In times of need,
you can shut off the power and water to a building or
neighborhood, and can unleash many different means of
harassment against your enemies. The more you use your
political ties, the weaker they become. Total control can
only be achieved through game play.
Underworld Ties: (3 pt Merit)
You have both influence over and contacts in the local
Mafia and organized street gangs. This provides you with
limited access to large numbers of "soldiers," as well as
extensive links to the underworld of crime. The more often
you use your ties with the criminal element, the weaker
they grow.
Corporation CEO: (5 pt Merit)
You have a particular influence and sway over a major
corporation and associated companies, just as if you were
its chief executive officer. Indeed, you may have owned this
company before your Embrace, and retained your control.
Through this corporation, you know much that takes place
in the corporate community, and have the means to wage
economic warfare. This Merit provides you with some
informal Contacts and Resources, the exact extent of which
are determined by the Storyteller.
Anachronism: (2 pt Flaw)
You have been a vampire for some time, and are unable (or
unwilling) to keep up with the changing times. An
Intelligence roll is needed whenever you have to deal with
something from a later period than your own breathing
days. If the roll is failed, total t he net failures and use this
total as a negative modifier to your attempts. Example:
Osric, a fifth-century Goth by birth, has this Flaw and is
attempting to deal with a computer. His Intelligence roll
results in two net failures. Osric now has a two-dice
penalty when determining the outcome of his attempt to
make the infernal machine cooperate. Note that characters
with this Flaw will generally have been vampires for longer
than the 50 years suggested in Vampire, so Storytellers
should decide whether or not to allow this Flaw in their
chronicles.
Ward: (3 pt Flaw)
You are devoted to the protection of a mortal. You may
describe your ward, though the Storyteller will actually
create her. This character may be a friend or relative from
your pre-Embrace days, or simply a mortal you admire and
consider important. Wards have a way of getting caught up
in the action of stories, and are frequent targets of a
character's enemies.
Hunted: (4 pt Flaw)
You are pursued by a fanatical witch-hunter who believes
you are a dangerous, vile beast inimical to humanity
(perhaps you are). All those with whom you associate may
be hunted by the same individual as well. Though this
hunter seeks to destroy all vampires, something about you
drives the passion of this killer.
Physical
These Merits and Flaws deal with your health and physical
makeup.
Double-Jointed: (1 pt Merit)
You are unusually supple. Reduce the difficulty of any
Dexterity roll involving body flexibility by two. Squeezing
through a tiny space is one example of a use for this Merit.
Baby Face: (2 pt Merit)
You look more human than other vampires, enabling you
to fit in the human world much more easily. Your skin is
pink, you never really stopped breathing (even though you
don't need to), and even sneezing comes naturally. You can
make your heart beat as long as you have at least one Blood
Point. This Merit cannot be taken by Nosferatu.
Misplaced Heart: (2 pt Merit)
Your heart has actually moved within your body, though no
more than two feet from its original position nea r the
middle of your chest. Those who attempt to stake you find
it very difficult to find the right location (which should be
your most tightly guarded secret).
Efficient Digestion: (3 pt Merit)
You are able to draw more than the usual amount of
nourishment from blood. Every two Blood Points ingested
increase your Blood Pool by three. Round down so leftover
'halves' are ignored. For instance, taking four Blood Points
raises the Blood Pool by six, and so does taking five Blood
Points.
Huge Size: (4 pt Merit)
You are abnormally large in size, possibly over seven feet
tall and 400 pounds in weight. You therefore have one
additional Health Level, and are able to suffer more harm
before you are incapacitated. Treat this extra Level as an
extra Hurt Level, with no penalties to rolls.
Allergic: ( 1-3 pt Flaw)
You are allergic to some substance, in a manner not unlike
mortal allergies. However, you do not get hives or sneeze,
but are actually incapacitated by your reaction. If the
substance was in the blood you drank, the reaction will be
very strong, though touch alone is enough to disturb you. If
it was in the blood, you will have five fewer dice on all your
Dice Pools for 10 minutes - if you just touched it, the
penalty is reduced to two dice. Choose from the list below
or make up the substance to which you are allergic.
· Plastic: 1 pt
· Alcohol: 2 pt
· Illegal Drugs: 2 pt
· Metal: 3 pt
Short: (1 pt Flaw)
You are well below average height, and have trouble seeing
over high objects and moving quickly. You suffer a twodice
penalty to all pursuit rolls, and you and the Storyteller
should make sure your height is taken into account in all
situations. In some circumstances, this will give you a
concealment bonus.
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Disfigured: (2 pt Flaw)
A hideous disfigurement makes you ugly and easy to notice
as well as remember. You therefore have a zero
Appearance, much like the Nosferatu (who cannot take this
Flaw).
Selective Digestion: (2 pt Flaw)
You can digest only certain types of blood. You can choose
whether you can drink only cold blood (the blood of a dead
person), blood with the taste of fear (found in blood only in
moments of terror), or blood with the taste of joy, or
perhaps only certain types (A, O, etc.) of blood. This Flaw
may not be taken by Ventrue characters, since they already
have something like it through their clan weakness
Child: (3 pt Flaw)
You were a small child at the time of the Embrace.
Although time and experience may have changed your
outlook, you are stuck with a child's body. You have the
Short Flaw (see above), and you find it difficult to be taken
seriously by others (two-dice penalty to all relevant rolls).
Because you have never before experienced any sort of
transformation change (never having undergone the
experience of puberty), you are ill suited to w ithstanding
the demands of the Hunger (the difficulties of all such rolls
are one greater). Additionally, certain clubs may not admit
you, because you are "underage."
Deformity: (3 pt Flaw)
You have some kind of deformity - a misshapen limb, a
hunchback or whatever - which affects your interactions
with others and may inconvenience you physically. The
difficulties of all dice rolls related to physical appearance
are raised by two. Your deformity will also raise the
difficulty of some Dexterity rolls by two, depending on the
type of deformity you possess.
Lame: (3 pt Flaw)
Your legs are injured or otherwise prevented from working
effectively. You suffer a two-dice penalty to all dice rolls
related to movement. A character may not take this Flaw
along with the Merit Double-Jointed.
Monstrous: (3 pt Flaw)
There is something wholly monstrous about you,
something that makes you even more hideous than a
Nosferatu. You scarcely look human, but the manner in
which you
differ is up to you. Perhaps you have grown scales or warts
all over your body, or perhaps the scream you issued when
you died has been permanently frozen on your face. Not
only is your Appearance a zero, but you make even the
Nosferatu uneasy. Nosferatu may take this Flaw, but only
gain one point for it.
One Arm: (3 pt Flaw)
You have only one arm - choose which, or determine
randomly at character creation. This happened before the
Embrace. It is assumed that you are accustomed to using
your remaining hand, so you suffer no off-hand penalty.
However, you do suffer a two-dice penalty to any Dice Pool
where two hands would normally be needed to perform a
task. A character may not take this Flaw along with the
Merit Ambidextrous.
Permanent Wound: (3 pt Flaw)
You suffered injuries during the Embrace, which your sire
did nothing to repair. You start each night at the Wounded
Health Level. This can be healed like normal damage, but
each evening, after sleep, your wounds always return.
Mute: (4 pt Flaw)
Your vocal apparatus does not function, and you cannot
speak at all. You can communicate through other means -
typically writing or signing.
Thin-Blooded: (4 pt Flaw)
You have weak blood, and are unable to use it for anything
but sustaining yourself from night to night and healing
your wounds. Blood cannot be used to add to your Physical
Attributes, to fuel blood Disciplines, or to create a Blood
Bond. Moreover, you will not always be able to create a
vampire. Half the time the Embrace will simply not work.
Paraplegic: (6 pt Flaw)
You can hardly move without assistance, such as a pair of
crutches or a wheelchair. Even then it can be painful and
cumbersome to do so. The Storyteller and you should take
care to roleplay this Flaw correctly, no matter how difficult
it makes things. A character may not take this Flaw along
with the Merit of Double-Jointed.
Archetypes
The following new Archetypes may be added to those in the
Vampire rulebook if desired. Before you choose one of
these as your Nature or Demeanor, get your Storyteller's
permission.
Autocrat
You must have complete control of the situation, complete
control over those around you and as much control over
fate as you possible can. Control is the only thing you
understand; it is what you worship. Authority is what you
desire, and it is what you gain when you have control. The
more authority you have, the more control you gain. One
hand feeds the other. Others may consider you
domineering, but they just aren't up for the job - you are
the only one who can do it.
- Regain one point of Willpower whenever you achieve
com plete control over a situation involving other
individuals.
Autist
You hide your secrets from others. Even more importantly,
you hide your true self. Anyone who understands you can
hurt you, so no one must ever see the real you, or even
come close. Give away as little of yourself as possible -
adopt a false personality if you like - but just make sure no
one discovers the truth about you. Knowledge is power,
and those who know you can do anything they like to you.
- Regain one Willpower point whenever another character
confesses he is unable to understand you, or whenever
someone makes a false assumption about you that gives
you an advantage.
Avant-Garde
You must always be in the forefront - always the first with a
piece of news, a dance or fashion trend, or a discovery in
the arts. Nothing pains you more than hearing news
secondhand, or someone else telling you about a hot new
band. New discoveries are your life, and you devote a great
deal of time and effort to keeping up with things. After all,
if you're n ot in the forefront, you're nowhere.
- Regain one Willpower point whenever you are first with a
piece of news or some other significant discovery.
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13
Cavalier
You are as bold, intrepid, valiant and fearless as you need
to be to complete your duty. You are the hero who tries to
live up to glorious ideals and codes of justice. By protecting
that which is good, you seek to preserve the society that
made you what you are. If your Nature is Cavalier, and
your Humanity ever falls below four, you have to choose a

Disciplines
While the basic Vampire rules only allow players to create
characters of eighth generation or higher, the evil of
diablerie gives characters the opportunity to usurp the
power of their elders. Though most vampires, be they
neonates or ancillae, have little chance (or need) to obtain
levels of power beyond the five included in the Vampire
rulebook, the mere possibility of reducing one's generation
means that eventually someone, somewhere, will increase
a Discipline to sixth level or higher.
Furthermore, some Storytellers may run chronicles in
which players may create elder vampires as characters.
Such characters would certainly have access to sixth-,
seventh-, or perhaps even eighth-level Disciplines.
Higher levels in Disciplines differ greatly from lower levels.
The first five levels of a given Discipline are standardized
for all vampires who possess that Discipline. As a Kindred
becomes powerful enough to supersede these rankings,
however, her Disciplines begin to reflect her own inner
nature. Thus, a character capable of a chieving Levels Six to
10 has a variety of Abilities available to her at each level.
When she gains the experience necessary to obtain a new
Discipline level, she may choose any power of that level she
feels best fits her, or may invent an entirely new pow er
suited to her specific nature.
As characters continue to progress in their Disciplines,
they may choose any power of the level they are achieving
or lower. Thus, when the fifth-generation Nosferatu
Petrodon, with six levels of Obfuscate, gains an additional
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41
30 experience points, he may choose any of the sixth- or
seventh-level Obfuscate powers, or he may develop one of
his own more suited to his inner being. However, when he
gets 35 more points, he can develop either a sixth-,
seventh, or eighth-level power. He cannot spend just 30
points to continue to buy sixth-level powers.
There is something of a sadistic side to all this. In most
chronicles, no player will ever gain a 10th-level Discipline,
yet we list the 10th-level powers for all the Disciplines. We
want players to be aware of what their characters might be
going up against. Their characters are indeed creatures of
considerable power, but the elders are even more powerful,
and that fact the players must never forget.
These high-level powers are extremely potent, and as their
levels increase they grow even more grossly obscene.
However, those of the low generations are virtual
demigods, so these powers are not out of line. Only a very
few individuals in the world have Dominate 10, and you do
not want to meet one who does.
As mentioned above, these are not all of the higher powers
available. Indeed, the number of different Level Six+
powers is limited only by the number of individuals who
have reached such levels of power. As a player, do not
assume you will see these particular powers in use by characters
whom you meet, as your Storyteller will more than
likely invent new powers for each character. Thus, there is
little advantage in knowing what powers your enemies may
possess - but much frustration, as it will take you a long
time to attain Level Six in any Discipline, if you ever do.
Note that high levels of the physical Disciplines (Celerity,
Fortitude and Potence) do not impart particular new
benefits. Ten automatic successes added to one's Strength
rolls is easily benefit enough.
Animalism
Level Six
Species Speech
When using Sweet Whispers, the character can only
communicate with one animal at a time and must maintain
eye contact for the entirety of the interaction. Species
Speech allows the character to communicate
simultaneously with an entire group of creatures. The
character can only address one species at a time (i.e., if she
speaks to rats she may not speak to mice at the same time),
and all the animals to be addressed must be within earshot.
Should the character be interrupted by anything other than
the group with which she is communicating, or should she
voluntarily stop her sermon during this time, she will have
to roll to reestablish contact with her former listeners.
Some of the animals, particularly those of a timid species,
may well run off in the interim.
System: A single success on a roll of Charisma + Animal
Ken ( difficulty 8 ) indicates the character has established a
level of communication similar to the one obtained
through Sweet Whispers.
Shepherd's Innocence
While not all animals run away at a vampire's approach,
the relations between Kindred and most creatures are far
from the best. Dogs tend to bark in their presence, cats
leave the room and horses often throw them. On the other
hand, animals find those undead with Shepherd's
Innocence not only inoffensive but extremely attractive.
System: With a roll of Charisma + Animal Ken (difficulty
determined by the emotional state of the animal(s)), a
character can quickly calm a charging lion, gain the trust of
growling guard dogs and ride happily on the back of a wild
elephant. If enough successes are obtained, the character
may attempt nearly any sort of activity with the creature(s)
(this makes feeding from it absurdly simple).
Animal Succulence
The hunt for blood is one of the defining factors of a
vampire's existence. When first Embraced, many Kindred
try to limit their feeding to beasts, hoping thus to preserve
their swiftly fading Humanity. Most quickly find this mode
of existence unsatisfactory, and soon use nothing but
humans for their vessels. Those Kindred who master the
power of Animal Succulence, however, find animal vitae to
be exceptionally nourishing.
System: This is one of the few powers that do not require
a roll. Animal Succulence effectively allows a character to
double the Blood Pool size of an animal. Thus a cow would
have 10 Blood Points for a character to drink. Note that
this power is not transferable, and the cow would still be
worth a mere five Blood Points to any other character.
Shared Soul
This power allows the character momentarily to share
experiences with any one animal he can touch. While both
beings maintain freedom of thought and action, each
participant's perceptions, emotions, and even hopes and
fears are felt by the other. Memories are likewise shared. If
enough time is spent in this state, each participant will
know everything about the other (of course, much of one
participant's experience will make no sense to the other,
and may even cause temporary confusion once the
experience is over).
System: Use of this power requires a Perception + Animal
Ken roll (difficulty 6 ). Each turn after the first spent in this
melded state requires the character to spend a Willpower
point. It usually takes two turns to locate and extract a
precise memory, and about five turns to share souls
completely.
Level Seven
Conquer the Beast
Those Kindred with the Animalism Discipline often have a
greater understanding of the Beast within than do other
vampires, and those with the ability to Conquer the Beast
seem to have the best understanding of all. With this
power, the character can not only enter frenzy at will, but
maintain complete control throughout.
System: While the character no longer requires a
potentially deadly stimulu s to enter this state, she must
make a Willpower roll (difficulty 7 ) to frenzy. A Willpower
point must be spent every turn the character wishes to
maintain the frenzied state. When she runs out of
Willpower, the frenzy ends. The character can end a frenzy
sooner if desired.
A failure on the Willpower roll indicates frenzy was not
achieved; a botch means the character flies into an
uncontrolled frenzy.
Master's Voice
Like Species Speech, but the character can communicate
with all animals within range of his voice, regardless of
their species.
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42
System: The difficulty and levels of success are identical
to those of Species Speech, and the same interruptions will
cancel this power.
Level Eight
Twin Spirits
Similar to the fourth-level power Sharing of Spirits, t his
power allows the character to take complete control of an
animal as though he were inside it. While he controls the
animal, however, he can also move about freely in his own
form.
System: Taking control of the animal requires a
Manipulation + Intimidation roll (difficulty 6); the number
of successes determines the amount of time the character
can maintain this split personality.
1 success..................up to one hour
2 successes...............up to six hours
3 successes...............up to one day
4 successes...............up to one week
5 successes...............indefinitely
Because the character maintains his own form while
controlling the animal, he does not have to worry about
assuming the animal's characteristics after the connection
is broken. The character is maintaining two different
forms, however, and suffers distractions from the
competing sensory input. In effect, the difficulty levels of
all rolls he must make while controlling both forms are
raised by one.
Mass Summons
This power allows the character to summon all the animals
in the vicinity. While this power does not place the animals
under her control, the use of other Animalism powers
should be enough to ensure their aid. Even if this is not the
case, the summoned animals are unlikely t o attack the
summoner. Additionally, the summoner can, if she desires,
specify the types of animals she wants to respond - thus
calling dogs and rats, but no cats.
System: Using this power requires a Manipulation +
Leadership roll (difficulty 7 ). Each success allows the user
to affect a wider area. There are two sets of distances listed;
the former should be used when the vampire employs this
power in a city, while the latter should be used when the
vampire makes the call in a wilderness area.
1 success.................... All summoned animals within one
city block/half mile respond unless something actively
prevents them from so doing (i.e., a dog's master says
stay). Ghoul animals do not respond.
2 successes.................All summoned animals within two
blocks/one mile respond unless it would be lifethreatening
to do so. Ghoul animals do not respond.
3 successes.................All summoned animals within five
blocks/five miles respond unless it would be lifethreatening
to do so. Ghoul animals do not respond.
4 successes.................All summoned animals within a half
mile/seven miles respond unless it would be lifethreatening
to do so. At this Ievel of success, even ghoul
animals answer the summons.
5 successes.................All summoned animals within one
mile/10 miles respond.
Level Nine
Flesh Bond
A vampire who develops this level of Animalism has
formed an extraordinary bond with the "lower" creatures.
Thus, he can actually merge his physical form with that of
an animal.
System: With a roll of Stamina + Animal Ken (difficulty 7),
the character can actually absorb smaller animals into his
very being. He may release the animals at will. Each
creature thus absorbed forces the character to spend one of
his Blood Points for every five points in the animal's Blood
Pool. A character can thus bond with 10 rats ( each of
which is worth 1/2 a Blood Point) by spending one of his
own Blood Points. This point of his Blood Pool may not be
used to store blood until the character releases the
animals.
While the character cannot physically absorb a larger
creature, he can meld his body with such a creature by
making a successful Stamina + Empathy roll (difficulty 7)
and spending one Blood Point. Thus, he can merge his
body into that of a charging Kodiak bear and move around
during the day within it. Note that the character has no
control over the animal with which he has merged unless
he has also used Sharing of Spirits upon it.
Those Kindred who successfully use the Auspex power of
Aura Perception upon a character or creature who has
"riders" will notice an unusual tinge to the subject's aura.
Level Ten
Army of Beasts
This power enables the character to summon all the
creatures within a certain area, and to become one with all
of them. While her body remains stationary, she takes
control of each animal summoned as though she were that
animal. In effect she becomes both general and soldier,
seeing through the eyes of whatever horde of creatures she
has called. No special concentration is required to control
the animals - they are she and she is they.
System: This power's area of effect is defined by the
number of successes scored on a Leadership + Survival roll
(difficulty 6). One success means the character can
summon all animals within one mile. Each additional
success doubles the previous level. Thus, with five
successes the character can summon and become all
animals within 16 miles.
Auspex
Level Six
Telepathic Communication
While normal Telepathy only allows a character to "read" a
subject's mind, Telepathic Com munication allows her to
read a subject's mind, telepathically converse with the
subject, and transmit images, emotions and sensory input
to anyone she can see.
System: This form of communication normally re- quires
the character to make a Charisma + Empathy roll
(difficulty of the target's current Willpower). If the target of
the communication is willing, he can voluntarily waive his
resistance and allow the character to employ this power
without a roll.
Clairvoyance
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43
The character can see and hear distant events without the
need for Psychic Projection. This power activates in a
virtually instantaneous fashion - like turning on a
television - and the character need only concentrate on a
familiar place or person to see and hear all that goes on in
the vicinity of that place or person.
System: The player must make a Perception + Empathy
roll (difficulty 6) to 'tune in' successfully. The character
may also use other Auspex powers in conjunction with
Clairvoyance. Thus a character could look into a forest
clearing and then read the aura of the werewolf hiding
there. Each power is adjudicated separately, and must be
rolled separately as well.
The Dreaming
A character with this power remains aware of events
around him while he is asleep or in torpor. These
perceptions take the form of dreams; such dreams are
filled with images of things that might affect the character,
but they are often hard to interpret. The only distance limit
for this power is at the Storyteller's discretion. The
character may potentially dream a bout any event that
might have a serious impact on his existence.
System: This power should usually be arbitrated by the
Storyteller but, if she likes, she can have the player make
Wits + Empathy rolls (difficulty 7 ) in order for the
character to envision specific images and events.
Eagle's Sight
This is a less selective form of Clairvoyance. The character
can mentally scan a wide area as if he were airborne,
allowing him to make very rapid searches or view very
large areas. If the character also has Clairvoyance, he may
'zoom in' on a particular location.
System: The area covered is about 16 square miles (a
radius of about two miles), and the apparent altitude is
around 250 feet. It is not possible to look through solid
objects using this power.
Prediction
This is the power to predict what people will say and
sometimes do next. The character's remarkable insight into
others' thoughts often allows her to counter an opponent's
next move before it is even accomplished.
System: By spending a Blood Point and making a
Perception + Empathy roll (difficulty of the target's current
Willpower), the character can determine what a specific
target will say next. With three successes, the character can
also determine the other's next actions. Each success
scored temporarily adds one die to all Social rolls made by
the character against the target. Three or more successes
subtract dice from the target's Dice Pool for any actions
made against the character (one die is subtracted per
success above two).
Sense Emotion
This power enables a character to extend her Level Two
power of Aura Perception over a 10-foot radius. The
character can sense the emotions of as many people as she
desires (within the area of effect). The general mood,
motivations and temperament of the crowd can be felt; the
character may also gain a sense of the crowd's likely future
direction and actions. Most importantly, the emotional
nexus of the crowd, and its chief instigators and leaders,
may be identified by this power.
System: A Perception + Empathy roll (difficulty 7) is
necessary to use this power.
Level Seven
Soul Scan
The character can discover the location of anyone he
knows, wherever the target may be in the world.
System: The character must successfully roll Perception +
Investigation (difficulty 6, or 8 if the quarry possesses
Obfuscate).
Spirit Link
With Spirit Link, the character can engage in telepathic
communication with a number of people. Everyone thus
engaged can communicate at leisure with all the others in
the Spirit Link. Each individu al in the link can hear what
anyone else says. This power may not be used to read
minds.
System: Each success on a Wits + Etiquette roll (difficulty
6) allows one more person to be "hooked up."
Level Eight
Psychic Assault
This aggressive form of Telepathy allows the character to
force her way into the subject's mind and use telepathic
force to cause actual damage.
System: The telepath must roll Manipulation +
Intimidation (difficulty Cool

, which is resisted by the target's
Willpower (difficulty also Cool

. The r esult depends on the
number of net successes the character scores over the
successes of the target.
Botch....................The target becomes immune to the
character's Psychic Assault for the remainder of the night.
Failure..................The target is unharmed, and may make a
Perception + Occult roll (difficulty 6 ) to realize that a
psychic attack has taken place.
1 success..............The target is shaken but physically
unharmed. The target loses one Willpower point and may,
at the Storyteller's opt ion, need to make a Courage check.
If Willpower is reduced to zero, the target is rendered
unconscious.
2 successes...........The target is badly frightened; he loses
three Willpower points and must make a Courage check
(difficulty equal to the character's Auspex score). If
Willpower is reduced to zero, the target is rendered
unconscious.
3 successes............The target loses six Willpower points
and must make a Courage check (difficulty equal to the
character's Auspex score ). If Willpower is reduced to zero,
the target is rendered unconscious and awakens with a
Derangement.
4 successes............The target loses all Willpower points,
lapses into unconsciousness and gains a Derangement. The
target's maximum Willpower score is halved permanently.
5 successes............The target must make a Willpower roll
(difficulty 7) or die; if the check is successful, treat the
result as that obtained with four successes.
This power cannot affect vampires unless a Willpower
point is spent.
Omniscience
The character immediately gains an absolute
understanding of the personalities and identities of all
those around him. The character understands others as
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44
well as they understand themselves (at least in the
moment).
System: On a Perception + Empathy roll (difficulty 6), the
character understands emotions, hopes, fears, the true
nature of individuals (Kindred, kine, werewolf, mage,
potential mage, etc.), the presence and type of spirits, and
anything else the Storyteller decides he should know. The
limits of this extraordinary power can only be determined
by the Storyteller, who should base the information gained
on the number of successes that are obtained (five or more
successes provide complete and fully accurate information;
fewer successes provide information of correspondingly
less detail and accuracy). Obfuscate can block the working
of this power; anyone with Obfuscate of equal or greater
level than the character's Auspex is automatically immune
to Omniscience.
The range of this power is typically line-of-sight, but the
Storyteller may alter this as she sees fit.
Level Nine
Precognition
This power allows a vampire to see through time as well as
space. The information gained is usually fairly hazy, and is
not self-explanatory. The character simply gains an insight
about what might occur in a specific place at a specific
time. Keep in mind that this power is not exact.
Precognition does not actually enable one to read the
future; it instead enables one to identify what might
happen if all the current circumstances do not change.
Despite its limitations, this power can provide excellent
guidance on where to focus one's actions, for it describes
what factors will be of significance in the future.
System: By successfully rolling Intelligence + Alertness
(difficulty Cool

, the vampire can see her current place of
residence, or a place she knows, as it will be in the future
provided no vampire or other supernatural entity (or a
mortal controlled by such) takes direct action to alter that
future (some exceptional mortals may also be able to
change things). The number of successes rolled determines
the distance into the future that the vampire can look.
1 success................one hour
2 successes.............one day
3 successes.............one week
4 successes.............one month
5 successes.............one year
As with all rolls, more successes enable greater perception
at the Storyteller's discretion.
Level Ten
Pulse of the Canaille
This is a more powerful variation of the earlier
Precognition power. Pulse of the Canaille not only allows
the character to sense what will happen in a certain place
and time, but enables the character to sense the current
moods, trends, attitudes and directions in which entire
groups of mortals are heading. This power also enables the
character to sense who influences or controls the affected
mortals, and to identify these secret masters.
System: The character must make a Humanity roll; the
difficulty depends on the size of the group being studied.
Difficulty 6.................Organization
Difficulty 7.................City
Difficulty 8.................Region
Difficulty 9.................Country
Difficulty 10...............Entire world
The number of successes obtained indicates how much is
known, and may also show how tightly and in what ways
the humans are controlled. If they are influenced by more
than one supernatural creature, the character discerns all
appropriate puppeteers.
1 success.................You sense the mood and attitudes of
the mortals.
2 successes..............You also sense the mortars' future and
potential.
3 successes..............You know the extent to which the
mortals are controlled.
4 successes..............You sense the aura of the being(s) that
controls them.
5 successes..............You know who controls them, and why.
Dominate
Level Six
Obedience
The character may use the other powers of Dominate
without the necessity of eye contact. A touch is all that is
required, and even that does not necessarily have to be
maintained (as long as the Dominate use does not last
more than a single conversation).
System: Skin-to-skin contact is not required; touching the
target's clothing or anything else directly in contact with
the target is equally effective.
Loyalty
Those whom the character has Dominated are made
resistant to Dominate attempts by others.
System: Add five dice to a victim's Willpower Dice Pool
for the purpose of resisting Dominate attempts by anyone
other than the Kindred who originally implanted the
Loyalty.
Rationale
Those whom the character Dominates are convinced their
actions are entirely their own, and are right and proper
under the circumstances. The character may still choose
that a victim be aware of the Dominate use, if so desired.
System: This requires a successful Manipulation +
Subterfuge roll (difficulty equals the target's Wits + Self-
Control). The effects of this power depend on the number
of successes obtained.
1 success..................The target will not believe that he has
been Dominated - at least at first.
2 successes...............The target believes that his actions are
his own, but will begin to suspect something after time has
gone by.
3 successes...............The target will insist his actions were
entirely his own, but can be talked out of it, given time.
4 successes...............The target is con vinced that every
action he has taken was under his own volition, and can
only be talked out of it if shown absolute and convincing
evidence.
5 successes...............Nothing can convince the target that
he has been Dominated, no matter what evidence is
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45
presented. The target will become enraged if the point is
pressed too far.
Tranquillity
This is a subtle power, unlike other forms of Dominate.
Only a few Kindred possess it, and your Storyteller may
decide to restrict access to it. A character with this power
may calm a vampire who is in frenzy without forcing the
vampire to lose Willpower.
System: The character makes a Willpower roll (difficulty
9). The frenzied Kindred may involuntarily assist, lowering
the character's difficulty by one for every success she
scores on a Humanity roll (difficulty 7 ). Three successes
on the Willpower roll mean the frenzy is overcome
completely, while a botch causes the target to attack the
character who was trying to calm her. The power can only
be attempted once per frenzy .
Level Seven
Mob Rule
This power allows the character to attempt to Dominate
more than one person at a time. For every extra success
over the amount needed to Dominate the first victim, the
character can Dominate one other person. This power does
not require eye contact after the first target has been
Dominated.
System: The first victim must be the one who is most
difficult to Dominate; if he cannot be affected, no others
can.
Level Eight
Far Mastery
This power resembles the Level Six power of Obedience,
but even touch is no longer necessary, provided the
character knows the location of the person to be
Dominated. This power allows a vampire to use any
Dominate power from any distance.
System: The subject must be known to the vampire, and a
roll of Perception + Empathy (difficulty 6) must be made to
establish contact. The use of Dominate may then proceed
as though the two were in eye contact. This power cannot
affect vampires unless a Willpower point is spent.
Level Nine
Best Intentions
Someone Dominated through Best Intentions requires no
specific commands. Instead, the target will always act in
the character's best interests until the Dominate is broken.
This power roughly duplicates the effects of a Blood Bond.
It differs in that the Dominated individual does not have to
guess what the controller wants him to do in specific
situations - he knows.
System: Successful use of Best Intentions requires a
Charisma + Intimidation roll (difficulty of the target's
Willpower). The hold is broken when the target either
gains a permanent point of Willpower or gains a point of
Humanity.
Level Ten
Puppet Master
The character is able to Dominate another so completely
that the victim will act as if he is the character, taking
actions just as the character would. He has in fact become
the Dominator, and his personality has been infused with
that of his master. A link is maintained between the two;
thus, the puppet is intuitively aware of what the master
needs and desires.
System: A Charisma + Empathy roll must be made
(difficulty of the target's Willpower + 2 [maximum 10]).
The number of successes indicates how completely the
target has subsumed the Puppet Master's personality into
his own. This power can be attempted only once per year
on a single individual.
1 success...................Confusion reigns, but on occasion the
puppet will take an action as the master would have him
do.
2 successes................Schizophrenic; the victim's
personality is half his own and half that of the master (and
very confused).
3 successes................Save for occasional (but severe )
lapses, the victim thinks as the master would.
4 successes................The victim consistently (but not
always) behaves and thinks as the master would
5 successes................The mastery is complete - it is as if
there are two> of them. The player can, in fact, play both
characters as if they are one.
Obfuscate
Many of these Obfuscate powers can be seen through by
vampires with Auspex even if mortals cannot. Only those
vampires with Auspex ratings equal to or greater than the
level of Obfuscate have any chance to do so. Those who are
so fortunate must make a resisted roll using appropriate
Traits (as determined by the Storyteller).
Level Six
Mind Blank
The character is able to conceal her mind as well as her
body.
System: On a successful roll of Intelligence + Subterfuge
(difficulty 7), the vampire becomes completely impervious
to any sort of telepathic contact (see Auspex above and in
the Vampire rulebook). The Blank may be overcome if the
telepath successfully opposes the vampire's initial Mind
Blank roll with a roll of Perception + Empathy (difficulty
9). Even if the telepath manages to penetrate the Mind
Blank, he may use no more dice for his Auspex than the
number of additional successes he scored during the
penetration.
Conceal
The character may conceal an inanimate object up to the
size of a house. Concealing an object such as a crate, casket
or truck also conceals its contents. A concealed object may
be discovered by accident if someone walks into it.
System: The character must be touching the object or be
within 30 feet of it, and it must have some emotional
attachment to her. The object is concealed as if by the
power of Unseen Presence from the Vampire rulebook.
Soul Mask
Even if a character employ s Mask of a Thousand Faces,
Aura Perception can allow a Kindred to tear right through
a character's disguise and see the character's true self. With
Soul Mask, however, the character can choose an aura to
hide his own. He can conceal his vampiric nature, m ake
Vampire The Masquerade Second Edition: Players Guide
46
himself seem completely innocent or appear to be
completely vile.
System: The vampire can only choose one color to mask
his true aura unless he again buys Soul Mask at a later
level. Thus, with six levels of Obfuscate the character could
change his aura to blue-white (and only blue-white). With
seven levels he could make his aura blue-white or pitch
black.
Level Seven
Cache
This power allows a character to maintain any other
Obfuscate power while absent.
System: The character must be present to conceal people,
places or objects in the first place, but can then leave
without the concealment being dropped.
Cloak
Just as Mind Blank allows a character to hide her psyche,
so does Cloak allow her to conceal her aura from those
using Auspex powers to search for her.
System: The searcher must score more successes on a
Perception + Empathy roll (difficulty Cool

than the concealer
scores on a Wits + Subterfuge roll (difficulty 6) in order to
detect her. If the character is detected, her aura can he
read normally.
Level Eight
Old Friends
The character can cause another to believe the character is
someone different - someone the viewer would like to see.
Not only will the viewer accept the character's presence,
but he will likely divulge information he otherwise would
not and will generally treat the character with a great deal
of warmth.
System: This power requires a Manipulation + Acting roll
(difficulty of the target's Perception + Alertness [maximum
10]). The more successes, the more complete the
deception.
Level Nine
Create Name
Not only does the character using this power appear to be
someone else, but he virtually becomes a new person. He
creates an entire new mindset and aura, thus allowing
himself to masquerade in near-total safety. Telepaths
reading his mind will read that of the assumed identity
unless six successes are obtained, and aura readers will see
the false aura unless they also roll six successes.
Level Ten
Memory's Fading Glimpse
With this power, a vampire can erase all traces of her
existence from the annals of time and mind, leaving
absolutely no evidence that she ever existed - everyone
simply forgets about her. Once this power is taken, the
character simply disappears from living memory; not even
her friends or family remember her. The effect is automatic
and complete, affecting everyone in the world (except for
those with 10 Auspex, or its magical equivalent). The
character is not invisible, but is simply not recognized and
not remembered.
Though written references to the character do not vanish
and videotapes of the character do not go blank, all who
read the references or see the images will hypnotically
overlook them (though years and years later the images
and words may return to their consciousness).
System: When the character meets someone who once
knew her, she must roll Manipulation + Stealth (difficulty
Cool

. The number of successes obtained indicates how
successfully the character has "vanished."
1 success..................The target remembers that he once
knew you, but only remembers one ver y mundane thing
about you. How ever, that might be enough to active his
other memories if he contemplates you.
2 successes...............The target is sure that he knows you,
but knows nothing about you.
3 successes..............."Don't I know you?"
4 successes...............The target looks at you oddly, thinking
to himself, "There is something funny about her."
5 successes...............The target doesn't even see you, the
effect is still so strong.
The effects of this power, of course, mean no one else will
ever come after the character. A botch is something like a
beacon, for it sends a signal to anyone interested in the
character, letting the interested party easily track her
down.
Presence
Level Six
Love
Similar to Entrancement, only much more compelling, this
power duplicates the effects of Blood Bond for as long as
the target is in the presence of the character.
System: Successful use of this power requires a Charisma
+ Acting roll (difficulty of the target's Willpower). If
successful, the power allows the character an immense
amount of influence over the victim.
Rage
The vampire may induce feelings of irritation and hostility
in those around him. The slightest spark will generally be
enough to cause arguments and fights.
System: Use of this power requires a Manipulation +
Subterfuge roll (difficulty Cool

and affects a variable number
of targets depending cm the number of successes. All
vampires who are affected by this power must spend a
Willpower point or immediately fall into a frenzy. If the
character again rolls successfully, another Willpower point
must be spent each turn in the character's presence. The
only way to avoid the need to spend a Willpower point is to
leave the presence of the vampire.
1 success....................two people
2 successes................four people
3 successes.................eight people
4 successes.................20 people
5 successes.................everyone in the character's
immediate vicinity
Level Seven
Mind Numb
Vampire The Masquerade Second Edition: Players Guide
47
While Presence generally creates emotions in people, Mind
Numb actually removes them. When a character uses this
power, those around him lose whatever emotions they
were feeling, retaining only a dull numbness. They lose all
motivation or reason for action and tend to do nothing.
They do continue any rote tasks to which they have been
habituated, and even begin such tasks if left with nothing
else to do (thus they might begin to vacuum if that is what
they were doing a short time before). While this power
does not lower victims' Intelligence, they think about
nothing except whatever sensory input they are currently
receiving. They will not react to anything but simple and
immediate input (such as a hot object put in their hand)
because they feel nothing about it. They will not get angry
at someone who yells at them and will not become
frightened if put in danger.
System: Mind Numb requires a Manipulation +
Intimidation roll (difficulty Cool

; the number of successes
determines the number of individuals potentially affected
(see the chart below). The effect lasts as long as the
character remains in the targets' presence. Other vampires
may resist the effect of this power by rolling Willpower
(difficulty Cool

. If a target obtains more successes then the
user scored, that target is not affected.
1 success....................three people
2 successes.................six people
3 successes.................15 people
4 successes.................30 people
5 successes.................everyone in the character's
immediate vicinity
Mask Empathy
Like Mind Numb, Mask Empathy removes emotions
instead of creating them. However, where Mind Numb is a
bludgeon, Mask Empathy is a scalpel, delicately cutting
away at the ties between people. Essentially, it removes the
links between people in the character's vicinity by cutting
off emotional bonds. Lovers stop loving, friends care
nothing for one another and alliances fade like fog. People
begin to behave like completely autonomous units, without
any perception of or desire for community.
System: The character must make a Manipulation +
Subterfuge roll (difficulty Cool

; the number of successes
determines the number of individuals potentially affected
(see the chart below). Other vampires may resist the effect
of this power by rolling Willpower (difficulty Cool

. If a target
obtains more successes than the user received, that target
is not affected.
1 success....................one person
2 successes.................three people
3 successes.................six people
4 successes.................12 people
5 successes.................20 people
Level Eight
Invoke Frenzy
Like the sun or a flame, the character can send other
Kindred into frenzy at will.
System: The frenzy is initiated on a resisted roll of
Manipulation + Empathy (difficulty equal to the target's
Willpower) versus the target's Self-Control (difficulty of 7 ).
If the character wins, the target flies into a frenzy.
Level Nine
Heart of the City
A character with this level of Presence has become so
integral to the life of an urban area that she can affect the
emotions of all who call it home. The character can make
everyone in its confines feel one emotion of her choice
(irritation, love, trust, hate, etc.), though only in a subtle
manner. This power cannot, for example, cause the
residents of a city to turn upon one another in rage -
unless, perhaps, they were already in a state of great anger.
Tourists are much less affected than the city's residents.
Those with a close tie to the city, but living elsewhere, will
be almost as powerfully affected as current citizens.
System: The character must roll Charisma + Area
Knowledge of the city being affected (difficulty 10), and
must spend a Willpower point before making the roll. The
number of successes indicates how long the particular
emotion that the character has broadcast will be felt. The
character can end this effect at any time.
1 success....................one minute
2 successes.................10 minutes
3 successes.................one hour
4 successes.................one day
5 successes.................one week
Level Ten
Dream World
A character with this potent power can affect the dreams of
everyone in the world (though she can focus on one city, or
even on one individual if she so wishes). The character can
send symbols, themes, stories, images - anything she
wants, even nightmares.
System: Such a broadcast requires a successful Wits +
Etiquette roll (difficulty 9). The number of successes
indicates how profoundly people are affected by the dream.
1 success....................Don't necessarily remember the
dream, but it may affect them unconsciously.
2 successes.................They remember bits and pieces of the
dream.
3 successes.................It is firmly imbedded in their
imaginations, and parts of it emerge into consciousness
over the day.
4 successes.................They remember it a ll, and brood
upon it over the day.
5 successes.................Many of them wake up screaming,
and the entire dream is forever engraved in their brains.
Protean
Level Six
Flesh of Marble
Once this power is taken, the character's skin becomes as
hard as stone while losing none of its flexibility. It is nearly
impossible to cut or stake the character without proper
equipment or preparation.
System: Ten successes are needed to stake the character
in melee. The character suffers only half the normal
damage from everything except fire and sunlight (in terms
Vampire The Masquerade Second Edition: Players Guide
48
of total successes; round down). Thus, soak rolls are much
easier to make.
Earth Control
The character is no longer limited to melding with the
earth; she may now move through the earth as though she
were swimming in water.
System: The character must spend blood to enter the
earth just like she does when using Earth Meld, but can
stay in and move around, day or night. An underground
chase can be resolved by contested Strength + Athletics
rolls against a difficulty assigned by the Storyteller
depending on the consistency of the surrounding earth.
Level Seven
Homunculus
The character can create a three-inch-tall duplicate of
himself, drawing it from deep in his mouth. The
Homunculus lacks Disciplines, but is in all other respects
physically identical to its master. It is very loyal to its
creator, doing anything asked of it ( largely because it
wants to live, and can only live if regularly fed its master's
blood). Its personality is usually a warped version of the
character's own, and often expresses the most buried
aspects of the character's true nature. It communicates in a
small, pitiful voice, and is normally quite dutiful and
doting.
System: This power may only be employed once a day,
and the creature will on ly remain as long as it is fed one
Blood Point per hour (it can only hold three Blood Points
at a time). The creature is destroyed if it suffers two Health
Levels of aggravated wounds.
Form of the Ghost
This power enables the character to change into a for m
similar to Form of Mist, but this form lacks many of the
disadvantages of transforming to air. In the Form of the
Ghost, the character is still insubstantial, but she appears
no different from her regular form.
System: She can move as fast as she can in her regular
form but is unaffected by gravity, thus gaining a version of
flight. She does not require an opening to walk through
barriers, instead passing through solid objects as though
they were not there at all. Winds and storms have
absolutely no effect on this form.
Level Eight
Movement of the Slowed Body
With this power, the character can move even if he is in
torpor, has been staked, or is paralyzed.
System: This movement is exceptionally slow, and any
part of the body moved can only move at an inch per
minute. This should be enough to allow the character to
remove that annoying stake, though such an action would
take about half an hour.
Level Nine
Dual Form
Legends of vampires being in many places at once are
common, and may well be the result of a Kindred with the
Dual Form power. When using this power, a character can
split herself into two weaker forms, both of which act as
though they were the original (thus allowing the player to
control two identical characters).
System: Neither of the two forms is as strong as the
original, and all Physical and Mental Attributes are
reduced by one. Each form has half the Blood Pool of the
original and can spend half as many Blood Points per turn.
The two forms are not in contact with one another (unless
the character has an appropriate Auspex power), but are
intuitively linked - if one is in danger the other will know it.
This splitting of forms can be done more than once. It is
possible for there to be four versions of a vampire, or even
eight. However, the split cannot occur if the character
already has a zero in an Attribute (thus it is impossible for
Nosferatu to use this power).
The two forms can recombine provided they are touching.
The process itself takes only a few minutes, but can be
quite grisly to watch. The current Blood Pools of both are
combined to form the complete character's Blood Pool. If
the forms have spent a great deal of time apart from one
another, it is likely that the weaker of the two will not want
to recombine with the other as the weaker one always loses
whatever unique identity it possessed. Thus the more
powerful form may have to track the weaker one down and
force it to rejoin (a most bizarre circumstance).
Level Ten
Body of the Sun
With a great expenditure of vitae, the character can turn
his body into an invulnerable ball of fire, burning and
blinding all around him. While in this form, the character
cannot be hurt by anything physical - whatever is not
destroyed by the heat and flames passes safely through this
gaseous form. The character maintains her old form and
height, but her appearance is hazy and unclear.
System: By expending three Blood Points, the character
immediately assumes the Body of the Sun. Anyone or
anything touched by a Kindred in this shape reacts as
though it had been burned by a bonfire with the heat of a
chemical fire (difficulty 9, two Health Levels). Almost
anything around a character who assumes this form is
destined to be destroyed. Cainites, however, have a chance
to escape the deadly heat unless they are directly touched
by it. It is almost impossible to combat it, and Kindred find
it difficult even to look upon the character (if they do so for
more than a single turn they will be blinded for one hour).
A character in this form is completely resistant to any fire
of equal or lesser intensity, and even sunlight will only
affect the character if she botches a straight Stamina roll
(difficulty 6).
The character must spend two Blood Points per turn she
wishes to maintain this form.
Thaumaturgy
Thaumaturgy differ s from other Disciplines in a number of
ways, most notably the fact that none of the Paths have
more than five powers associated with them. Instead,
practitioners of Thaumaturgy can develop new Paths and
learn higher -level rituals as they gain Levels Six t o Ten.
Five of the more well-known Paths are described here.
Note: Paths only extend to the fifth level of power, and this
is widely assumed to be their upper limit, though only the
most senior Tremere would know for sure.
Path of Conjuring
The ability to create things out of thin air is a traditional
occult power, and those who practice the Path of Conjuring
can do much more than pull a rabbit out of a hat. These
Vampire The Masquerade Second Edition: Players Guide
49
conjured items differ from their real counterparts in a
number of ways - most notably their lack of defects. In
addition, each item lacks defining characteristics. For
instance, a wolf created via Power over Life will have
uniform patterns on its skin and a Mini-Uzi brought to
hand via Magic of the Smith will lack scratches, marks or
personalized additions.
Note that nothing larger or heavier than the conjuror can
be called into existence through this power, though the
Tremere are said to have rituals that allow this. Also, the
conjuror must have some familiarity with the object being
summoned, for it must be called out of her own memory. If
the conjuror has never seen anything more than a picture
of the thing to be conjured, the Storyteller should increase
the difficulty of the roll, while intimate knowledge
(conjuring one's husband) may well allow a decreased
difficulty.
* Summoning the Simple Form: The conjuror can
summon a simple inanimate object. The object cannot
have any moving parts and cannot be more complex than,
for example, a flint dagger, a wooden stake or a featureless
gold doubloon.
System: The conjurer must spend a Willpower point to
summon the object and another point each turn to keep it
from disappearing. The object's quality depends on an
Intelligence + (Appropriate Ability) roll (difficulty 6) - the
Ability in question may be Melee, Metalworking, Science,
etc. One success produces an odd-looking, brittle object;
five successes conjure one virtually indistinguishable from
the real thing - and maybe even a little stronger.
* * Permanency: The vampire can conjure an object
without a turn-by -turn expenditure of Willpower. This
object is real, and will not disappear after a certain period
of time - it is here to stay. Only simple objects, those
without moving parts, can be conjured in this fashion.
System: This costs the conjuror three Blood Points, and
the object's quality depends on an Intelligence +
(Appropriate Ability) roll (difficulty 6). Once success
indicates a flawed object; five successes summon a nearly
perfect one.
* * * Magic of the Smith: This power allows the conjuror
to create complex devices with movable parts. Guns, CD
players or almost anything else can be called up using
Magic of the Smith.
System: The cost to conjure something is five Blood
Points, and the object's quality and reliability depend on an
Intelligence + (Appropriate Ability) roll (difficulty 7). A
gun created with only one success may well jam or even
blow up in its creator's hand, while one made with five
successes will work just as well as the real thing.
* * * * Reverse Conjuration: This power allows the
vampire to attempt to dissolve someone else's conjuration.
System: This requires the vampire to spend twice as
much Willpower as the conjuror did to create the conjured
object. The vampire must also make a Willpower roll
(difficulty of the creator's Willpower at the time of
creation). To dispel a creation, the vampire must score a
number of successes equal to those the conjuror scored
upon creation; this can be done over a number of turns as
an extended roll.
* * * * * Power over Life: While true life is still beyond
the vampire's capability, this power enables her to create
simulacri of living creatures. The living beings thus
summoned lack free will, emotions or creativity, but will
intelligently follow the creator's instructions.
System: Creating a simulacrum requires an Intelligence +
(Empathy or Animal Ken) roll (difficulty Cool

, depending on
what is to he summoned, and the expenditure of 10 Blood
Points.
Even with Permanency, these creatures are too complex to
maintain for long. Every night they are kept in existence
they become a little more insubstantial, until by the end of
a month they have faded into nothingness.
Neptune's Might
Vampires generally have little to do with water, for they no
longer need to bathe or drink, but the liquid can still have a
great effect on them. In legends, water has often had a
restrictive effect on the Kindred, and certain
Thaumaturgists have duplicated some of these myths in
magic.
* Eyes of the Sea: This power allows the character to
view past events that have occurred around a standing
body of water as though he were that body of water.
System: The number of successes scored on a Perception
+ Occult roll (difficulty 7) determines how far into the past
the Thaumaturgist can look.
1 success..................one day
2 successes...............one week
3 successes...............one month
4 successes...............one year
5 successes...............10 years
A body of water can be anything from a lake to a puddle.
Obviously, oceans and rivers are not standing bodies.
* * Jail of Water: While this power must be used in the
presence of a substantial amount of water, it can bind
Kindred more effectively than steel chains. At the
Thaumaturgist's command, enough water leaps from its
resting place to cover the target completely, capturing
Kindred and possibly drowning mortals.
System: The character must make a Dexterity + Survival
roll (difficulty 6). The number of successes she scores is the
number of successes the trapped being must score on a
Strength roll (difficulty 8; Potence adds successes) to break
free. The target can only be held in one of these jails at a
time. The Thaumaturgist can dissolve it at will.
* * * Dehydrate: This path allows the character to inflict
wounds from a distance by pulling minute amounts of
water from the victim's body.
System: This power requires the character to make a
Willpower roll (difficulty Cool

; this roll is resisted by the
target's Stamina + Survival (difficulty 9). Each success
scored over the target's total number of successes causes
the target t o lose one Health Level. These wounds can be
healed normally. Vampires lose Blood Points instead of
Health Levels. The victim must also make a Courage roll
(difficulty of the number of successes the character scored
+ 3 ) to take any action the next turn. Failure means the
victim has been incapacitated by the pain.
* * * * Flowing Wall: One of the classic vampiric
weaknesses of legend was the inability to cross running
water. While this is only myth, those who can create the
Flowing Wall have learned to use water as a harrier to the
undead.
System: A standing body of water touched by the
Thaumaturgist becomes impassable to supernatural
creatures (vampires, werewolves, etc.) for one night,
provided the Thaumaturgist spends three Willpower points
Vampire The Masquerade Second Edition: Players Guide
50
and makes a successful Willpower roll (difficulty 6). To
break the barrier, an intruder must make a Strength +
Courage roll (difficulty 9). At least three successes are
required, and they cannot be accumulated. Note that the
Flowing Wall will also block its creator, though he can
remove it at will.
* * * * * Blood to Water: This power allows the vampire
to turn an opponent's blood to water with but a touch. This
process is generally fatal to mortals, and can prove a great
inconvenience to the undead as well.
System: To use this power, the Thaumaturgist must make
a Willpower roll (difficulty of the victim's Humanity + 3
[maximum 10] ). Each success converts a Blood Point to
water. This is almost immediately fatal to mortals. Besides
destroying a Kindred's vitae, such an a ttack inflicts wound
penalties to Dice Pools just as if the Kindred had actually
suffered an equivalent number of wounds. The water
evaporates after the vampire sleeps, but the blood d does
not return.
Spirit Thaumaturgy
This Path of Thaumaturgy involves u sing spirits to do one's
work; if one fails, however, the cost is not only a point of
Willpower, but also the enmity of the spirit. The Storyteller
should decide what type of spirit the would-be caster was
attempting to use, and then have it interfere with the
character's plans in the future.
This is the rarest Path among the nine given here and in
Vampire. It is generally found only in the most primitive
regions of the world. Many who know this Path learned its
rudiments while they were mortal, for contacting spirits
can be very hard for Kindred. There are also some Sabbat
who know this Path.
* Evil Eye: Bad luck seems to plague those who have been
cursed by the Evil Eye. In fact, spirits follow them around,
jinxing their every action.
System: The vampire makes a Manipulation +
Intimidation roll (difficulty of the victim's Humanity). The
number of successes equals the number of botches the
character can assign the victim at any point during the
scene. These botches can be assigned singularly or in
groups. The effects
only last one scene, and any unused botches are lost at the
end of the scene, but the Evil Eye can be cast again and
again on the same subject.
* * Spirit Eyes ("The Sight"): This power is very similar
to Aura Perception, but the character perceives spirits
instead of auras. He sees them in the forms they take: i.e.
fox spirits, faerie plant spirits, etc. This power enables the
Thaumaturgist to see ghosts.
System: The vampire must roll Perception + Occult
(difficulty of the target's Willpower). The more successes
he scores, the more information is revealed. The character
may speak with the spirits once he sees them.
* * * Spirit Slave: The character can demand a task of a
spirit. The spirit has to be in the caster's presence. The
spirit will perform the task demanded unless it is beyond
its powers. The recently dead can be forced by this power
into being ghosts and haunting a location. However, this
particular application will wear off after a while
(Storyteller's discretion). For permanent hauntings, see
Fetishes, below.
System: The character must succeed in a resisted
Willpower roll against the spirit (difficulty 6 for both). If,
after any turn, the character has zero cumulative successes,
the spirit is free to leave.
* * * * Fetishes: The character can force spirits to inhabit
objects, or fetishes, which she may then carry around with
her. Once a spirit is so imprisoned, the character may use
its powers any time she wants, without having to cast this
spell again. The caster can create ghosts by first using
Spirit Slave and then forcing the ghost into an object,
which she buries or hides at the location. Such
heartlessness will cause the caster an automatic Humanity
loss.
System: The character must score at least one success
against the spirit in a resisted Willpower roll (the difficulty
of each participant's roll is equal to her opponent's
Willpower). If, after any turn, the character has zero
cumulative successes, the spirit is free to leave.
* * * * * Journey: This spiritual projection is similar to
Psychic Projection, but the spirit remains within the
physical realm. The character's body remains in one place,
generally guarded by a fetish, while her spirit travels about.
The character can be trapped into fetishes when in this
state, and can potentially be controlled by any spirit spell.
Physical attacks have no effect on him. While the character
cannot use any physical Disciplines (Celerity, Fortitude,
Potence and Protean) while in this form, all the rest act
normally. The spirit form is generally visible unless the
character uses Obfuscate.
System: The character must spend one Willpower point
to Journey. The spirit can travel at speeds up to 500 miles
per hour and appears naked.
Elemental Mastery
Similar to Spirit Thaumaturgy, Elemental Mastery offers
the Kindred control over the souls of inanimate objects.
Often seen as control of the four elements (Air, Earth, Fire
and Water), this Path actually gives its followers the ability
to manipulate all forms of insensate objects.
* Elemental Strength: With this power, the
Elementalist can increase all his Physical Attributes
without the need for Blood Points.
System: The vampire spends two Willpower points to
increase Strength, Dexterity and Stamina by one dot each.
Each turn the heightened Attributes are maintained,
however, the vampire must spend another Willpower
point.
* * Wooden Tongues: While inanimate objects have
only a limited concern for what goes on around them,
Wooden Tongues allows a vampire to get at least the
impression of what an object has experienced. Such an
object's memory is limited and its feelings may be alien to
the character, but it can give information of extreme value.
System: This communication requires a Wits +
Linguistics roll (difficulty 7 ). The more successes are
scored, the more information is received.
* * * Animate the Unmoving: Chairs grab their
occupants, doors swing open and closed and guns leap out
of their owners' hands when this power is used. An object
cannot take actions impossible for its form (a door could
not pick someone up and carry her across the street), but
objects with legs can run, wooden stakes can twist out of
hands and statues can mimic human life.
System: Use of this power requires a Willpower roll
(difficulty 7) and the expenditure of a Willpower point.
Each such use makes one object within the character's line
of sight come to life. The object maintains this mobility for
Vampire The Masquerade Second Edition: Players Guide
51
as many turns as the character is willing to spend
Willpower.
* * * * Elemental Form: With this power, the character
can take the form of some inanimate object of equal size
and weight.
System: This requires a Stamina + Repair roll (difficulty
6) to see how accurate the change is. At least three success
are required to allow the character to use any senses or
Disciplines while in this form.
* * * * * Summon Elemental: Summon Elemental
allows the character to summon one of the traditional
elementals of myth and legend. Beings of water, earth, fire
and air appear within five feet of the character. There are
rumors that elementals other than the traditional four may
be summoned, such as electricity and even nuclear ones.
System: These beings require the presence of some
amount of their natural element to be invoked, and may or
may not follow their summoner's instructions. Summoning
an elemental requires a Manipulation + Science roll
(difficulty Cool

, while forcing an elemental to obey requires a
Charisma + Intimidation roll (difficulty 7).
Corruption
The power to manipulate and warp others' forms and
personalities can be looked upon as natural for the
Tremere. Indeed, it is said that one cannot be a true master
within the clan unless one has mastered this path, but then
many things are said about the Tremere. All of these
powers require that the target be within arm's reach.
* Contradict: The corrupter can make any individual say
or do the opposite of what he had originally intended - but
only in the moment. An arresting officer will let a prisoner
go, a marriage proposal will turn into a bitter denunciation
and a left turn will become a right t urn.
System: This requires a Manipulation + Subterfuge roll
(difficulty of the target's Willpower + 1 [maximum 10]).
* * Disfigurement: Just as One Thousand Faces allows a
character to change his own appearance, so does
Disfigurement allow a character to change someone else's
for a night. This power only changes facial appearance, and
the individual otherwise remains the same. Normally this
power is used to disfigure others, but it can actually be
used to make them look better (or simply different).
System: This requires a touch and an Intelligence +
Disguise roll (difficulty Cool

. It is very difficult to make the
victim look like someone else (such an action is difficulty
10).
* * * Change Mind: With this power, the vampire can
cause drastic changes in another's actions. A person
affected by this power can undergo extreme mood swings
in mere seconds.
System: The number of successes achieved on a
Manipulation + Empathy roll (difficulty of the target's
Willpower + 1 ) determines how long the character can
make the victim assume whatever Demeanor the character
desires.
1 success..............one turn
2 successes...........one day
3 successes...........one month
4 successes...........one year
5 successes...........Until some event occurs to make the
victim change Demeanor involuntarily.
* * * * Cripple: This power lets the corrupter effectively
turn the target into a paraplegic.
System: A vampire can paralyze someone from the waist
down with a successful Willpower roll (difficulty of the
target's Courage + 3). Note that Fortitude is also added to
the target number if the victim has that Discipline. The
effect lasts for a variable length of time according to the
number of successes rolled.
l success................one turn
2 successes............one day
3 successes............one month
4 successes............one year
5 successes............permanently
* * * * * Corrupt Soul: A more intense version of Change
Mind, Corrupt Soul can transform a person's very essence.
System: The number of successes achieved on a Charisma
+ Empathy roll (difficulty of the target's Willpower + 3)
determines how long the corrupter can make the victim
assume whatever Nature is desired.
1 success..............one turn
2 successes...........one day
3 successes...........one month