Custom Sabbat Ritae
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.
Marks of the Heavens
The Assamite Sorcerers may be the scariest of there clan. It is just something no one ever realizes. Once the Mark of Caine ritae resurfaced in the Assamite clan, a sorcerer decided to find a way to mark her own caste achievements. Allowing the Dragons to show their skills and ability to ascend into the heavens and return with gifts of magic. You must be an Assamite Sorcerer or possess Dur An Ki out of clan/caste to use this ritae.
Every path of Dur An Ki the person this ritae is caste on shows as a dark blue tribal 5 pointed star (Coord Approval). For each level of the path they master a point will turn silver, with the whole star silver after they pinnacle a path.
These marks are not for ranking purposes in the Clan. They are for intimidation. Having a visual reminded to just how dangers the sorcerer can actually be.
These marks have 2 purposes. First, for every 3 full silver stars the Dur An Ki use gains a +1 trait bonus for all Dur An Ki challenges(max of 5). Second, for every full silver star an Assamite sorcerer has over another Dur An Ki user gives them a +1 trait on any non combat social interaction with the Dur An Ki user(max of 5). As they have shown their mastery of Dur An Ki is more potent. This will also affect any non Dur An Ki user who knows what the stars mean. Sorcerers must be showing their own marks to compare for the social traits. Otherwise they count as a non Dur An Ki user with no stars.
All Assamites and Dur An Ki users can recognize and know the meanings of the marks. Anyone else requires Assamite Anti lore 3 or higher. These marks are permeant and cannot be removed. Once the ritae is caste marks will appear and change as you get granted more paths or master levels. These marks start at the wrist and will continue to climb higher up the body. If you run out of room your stars will adjust themselves to force your most recent path to be the highest on your person.
Description: Grants a 1 time retest when resisting mind altering effects
System: Castor prays for Caines favor and support of the participants. Upon completion
participants receive 1 retest for the night when resisting Dominate or other mind altering effect.
Casting time: 1 hour
This Ritus is akin to the Catholic Church's normal mass. However instead, it is solely for Cainites. Sabbat gather in a Catholic Church (usually cleared of all non Sabbat before hand). There, the Preacher reads Sermons, Tales, and other Noddist lore to his Brothers and Sisters. The goal of the Ritus is to help the Order of St. Blaise gain more acceptance with the rest of the Sabbat and uplift their mass. However, the truth is that the Ritus holds another purpose. While the Midnight Mass appears to be a Social gathering of Cainites to discuss the religion of the sect, the Order also uses it as a method to scout out heretics. After a Midnight Mass, the Order gains a number of bonus traits on all challenges to determine if someone is a heretic equal to the casting priests path rating. This effect lasts for one month.
The Sabbat of New York, in particular the covens, are fanatical about their love for their city. Priests of New York have developed this ritae to bolster the convictions of the sect within New York in times of need or celebration. The priest gives a speech about both the Sabbat and New York city with fiery conviction. Additionally the priest hands out a special concoction of blood that is flammable. They ignite the blood and consume it as the end of the speech as it is in flames.
System: This ritae may only be performed for members of the Sabbat who call New York their home. Once performed, for the next scene or an hour, the vampire gains 2 attribute traits of their choice which must be chosen at the time of performing this ritae and may not be changed. These traits may go over generational maximums, but not passed max trait bid rules. Additionally this ritae may not be stacked. The priest performing this ritae must drink flaming blood. To do so the priest must either pass a Courage 5 challenge or spend 1 level of the fire eating ability to automatically succeed.
System: Converted from the Order of St. Blaise and Inquisition Ritae Exorcism. Adapted from Catholic practices as a basis for power to fuel the rites and ideas of the Shinto practice of Ofuda, or prayer paper that can be used to banish or ward off an evil spirit. Based primarily on the religious practices of the Shugendō sect of Shingon Buddhism, the would be “exorcist” performs the standard religious rites and asks for the blessings of caine. First the priest must learn the name of the “Demon” (Demons in this case means malevolent spirit. Aka Wyrm Spirits, Djinn, and spirit “demons”) to write upon the piece of holy paper. Once this is done, the priest must confront the spirit and place the sacred Ofuda upon its head. The Priest engages the spirit in a contested Willpower Challenge. The Priest needs to defeat the “Demon” in a number of challenges equal to the possessing Gnosis Score. The priest may only perform test one per Ofuda placed upon the demon or its vessel, meaning to fully banish the spirit might require several nights of interaction and several Ofuda to be placed upon their heads over a course of time. Upon a possessed host a successful use of Ofuda causes it to separate from its host and manifest to be further dealt with. Once manifested or is a manifested “demon” without a host, an Ofuda use will banish it back to its home realm and be unable to return for a year and a day. Should the priest lose, there is always a chance the spirit or demon may take them over instead. This ritae has no power or effect on Fallen. It only effects Umbral Spirits.
Description: This Ritae aims, along with Vaulderie, to seal Cainites' commitment to their group for a purpose of unity and loyalty. In this Ritae each member of a nascent pack assumes his commitment to others through a self-proclaimed role.
Sermon: “Cain, cursed and exiled from Eden, found himself alone, lost in the dark, afraid, without light and without anyone. Helpless and lost he wandered, as do many of us as they tread the Path of the sword alone; forgotten, dying without having companions to remind them and tell their stories.
“And then the Black Father found who would guide him, just as our priest guides us, and protects him, just as we meet our comrades. Just as Cain was given food for his hunger, clothing to warm him, and comfort to his grief.”
Ceremony: The Priest then lights a ritually prepared pyre, he will receive blood from the back members – not enough to kill the flames, but as symbolism of their commitment – and claim those of the pack to make their vows, starting with the pack Ductus:
As the Ductus of this pack I offer "X", to "Y" [and deposits the item in the pyre], so”…”;
As the Priest of this pack I offer "A", to "B" [and deposits the item on the pyre], so”…”;
As the Abbot of this pack I offer "T", to "Z" [and places the item on the pyre], so”…”;
As the a brother of this pack I offer "B", to "C" [and places the item on the pile], so”…”;
As the a brother of this pack I offer "D", to "E" (and so on) [and deposits the item on the pyre].”
This will follow until all the packmates put items and make their vows, like the Vaulderie, the pyre should react to the offerings in some way while consuming the materials placed on it.
System: As the Merit: Code of Honor (LotN: Revised Edition, page 116), the manifest destiny of each member of the newborn pack gives its members a retest, either social or mental, in situations that would lead the Cainite to break their votes. The effects of this ritual endure until the member of the pack is tested or a week, whichever comes first.
Ignoblis Ritae — Pack Link
The Sabbat refer to their base organizational units as Packs, and much like the feral monsters that name seeks to drawn upon, many Cainites have found that communication is the key to any victory. After centuries of struggle with linking together Auspex into makeshift daisy chains, the Sect's fanaticism has finally developed a method approaching true pack-mindedness.
System: A group of Cainites seeking to benefit from this ritae must all have a Viniculum to one another. There are many alternative methods of performing this ritae, but that stipulation is absolute. The Cainites involved each drink from a concoction similar to the Vaulderie, but which includes pieces of hair, fingernails, graveyard soil, and of course their blood. Despite the similarities to the Vaulderie, this does not impart a Viniculum, but until the next sunrise they become capable of a form of mental communication similar to that of the Auspex power Telepathy, save that they cannot probe one another's minds, only willingly communicate thoughts, ideas, and images.
System: While the Vaulderie adds bonds to the Sect, it does not always cool tempers. As diplomacy may sometimes serve as a better medium than violence, this ritual was created. The caster takes a small blade, like a needle, and pricks the palm of each person who is going to take part of the ritual. Each drop of blood must be caught in a bowl, and then burned like incense. After speaking the words, "We are all equal in this pain, therefore we all come to this table equally to speak" and having everyone repeat them, for the next scene or hour, everyone who took part in the Rite would be considered up one Self Control or Instinct Trait, or one Trait up for controlling a frenzy. This bonus does count towards the trait total against a source for Frenzy - if with the bonus they double the stimulus rating they need not test. However, if a participant commits an act of violence, including use of quieter powers such as dominate but not defensive uses of presence, then they immediately lose the benefits of the Rite and the smoke from the burnt blood rests upon them to mark them as the betrayer of the Ritus.
While the Vaulderie adds bonds to the Sect, it does not always cool tempers. As diplomacy may sometimes serve as a better medium than violence, this ritual was created. The caster takes a small blade, like a needle, and pricks the palm of each person who is going to take part of the ritual. Each drop of blood must be caught in a bowl, and then burned like incense. After speaking the words, "We are all equal in this pain, therefore we all come to this table equally to speak" and having everyone repeat them, for the next scene or hour, everyone who took part in the Rite would be considered up one Self Control or Instinct Trait, or one Trait up for controlling a frenzy. This bonus does count towards the trait total against a source for Frenzy - if with the bonus they double the stimulus rating they need not test. However, if a participant commits an act of violence, including use of quieter powers such as dominate but not defensive uses of presence, then they immediately lose the benefits of the Rite and the smoke from the burnt blood rests upon them to mark them as the betrayer of the Ritus.