Custom Blood Magic: Path
Some chronicles allow for their players to develop customized powers for their characters. The following is a compilation of player created custom content in OWBN. At this time, custom content that is created and/or used by vampire PC's is required to be listed.
This path duplicates some of the legends of the Jewish faith. Namely the creation myths of Golem’s. As the caster gains proficiency they can animate larger and more complex golem’s, allowing them to have different capabilities. Statue’s must be created in advance, they are not created by the path, however, as long as they have not been destroyed the same statue can be reanimated repeatedly by the path user. Any damage to statues that has not been repaired between path usages is not repaired by the path itself. None of the animations of this path have mentals or socials, and they cannot be affected by Dominate, Animalism, Presence, and similar powers because of this. Also, they tend to take orders quite literally because of the lack of mentals. As these are animated objects, rather than creatures, powers affect them as objects. Powers that affect creatures cannot be used on them, but powers that affect objects can. Anything that affects both creatures and objects will work on them as well. Most golem’s are made from traditional materials like clay and mud. Alternate materials may be utilized, but will only affect physical traits and health levels, not grant additional powers or capabilities. Example alternate materials are listed below.
Mechanics:
The path shows traditional clay/mud golems for reference.
Stone receives an additional +2 physical traits and +1 health level, but loses speed, moving at only 2 steps/action
Metal receives an additional +4 physical traits and +2 health levels, but loses even more speed, moving only 1 step/action
Pottery receives a loss of 1 physical trait and 1 health level, but being so much lighter it also moves faster, at 4 steps/action.
Alternate materials not listed here can adjust health levels and physical traits, at ST discretion.
Level 1: At this level the thaumaturge can only animate small constructs, truly tiny things the size of a Homunculus perhaps. The animation lasts a maximum of seven days.
Creatures this small have a total of 4 Physical traits, 3 health levels (Healthy, Bruised, Incapacitated), and a total of 4 abilities. No abilities may require thought, only instinctual things like melee, brawl, dodge, and similar “skills” may be selected.
Cost: 1 blood, 1 action
Level 2: At this level slightly larger statues can be animated, such as cats, small dogs, and things like komodo dragons or iguana’s. The animations still only last a maximum of seven days.
Creatures this size have a total of 6 physical traits, five health levels (Healthy, Healthy, Bruised, Wounded, Incapacitated), and a total of 6 abilities, with the same restrictions as Level 1, and the added restriction that no single ability may have more than five dots.
Cost: 1 blood, 1 action
Level 3: At this level the thaumaturge may animate human sized statues. This includes animals of similar size, such as large dogs, wild cats, wolves, and small bears. All animations may last up to a full month once the thaumaturge reaches this level, and this increased duration applies to all lower levels as well. At this level capabilities are available as well, including flying, increased damage capabilities, water proofing, and similar abilities. All levels can be gifted with such capabilities, allowing for small flying birds with the lower levels of this power, for example.
Creatures this size have a total of 8 physical traits, seven health levels (same as normal human/vampire), and a total of 10 abilities, with the same restrictions as previous levels.
Cost: 2 blood, 1 action
Level 4: At this level the thaumaturge learns to animate the largest statues this path can handle, including things the size of a Grizzly bear, Rhinoceros, Giraffe, or great white shark. Creatures this size have 10 physical traits, nine health levels (normal human plus 1 healthy and 2 bruised), and a total of 14 abilities, with previous restrictions still in place.
Cost: 2 blood, 1 action
Level 5: At the pinnacle of this path the thaumaturge gains additional abilities for all levels of the path. All animations can last for a maximum of six months, and may now be granted a second capability that stacks with the first capability, or compliments it. Flying and armor, or two levels of armor, or two flying traits for faster flight are all possibilities. At this level the thaumaturge truly masters their animations, and such statues gain physical traits equal to 10+2* their occult rating or the crafts level of the statue, whichever is higher. The animations receive 12 health levels (see level 4, +1 healthy and +1 bruised). The statues also receive a total of 20 abilities points, with a maximum of 5 in any given ability, and no abilities that require mentals or socials to perform being allowed.
Cost: 3 blood, 2 actions (2 turns, or with dual thought, 1 turn)