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.
Taking 10 minutes to consecrate themselves by pouring mortal blood over their crescent tattoo, the agent immediately gains an awareness of any and all active black hand ritae around him for the rest of the night within his willpower x10 in feet.
When in range, the agent is given a static mental challenge versus 5 traits; retest Black Hand Knowledge.
Several packs have variations of this ritae all of which are principally focused on dedicating the pack to some set of guiding principles and rewarding those who live up to them. Performing this ritae for a pack member often corresponds with them being awarded the Proven status trait.
The following is an example of this ritae as performed by its originators the Brass Ring.
Members of the Brass Ring are known to carry on their person a brass ring. But what is not as commonly known is that not every member of the pack is even entitled to one. The brass ring is reserved for those cainites who time and time again have proven to live by the pack’s tenants of, resilience in the face of adversity, living life to the fullest and dedication to the Path of Caine.
The ritae begins with the pack priest making a mold of their brass ring. While this is going on the rest of the pack sets to work on building a bonfire that will get hot enough to melt brass. The pack priest them consecrates a vaulderie in a crucible. After the vaulderie has been shared the priest takes raw brass adds it to whatever vitae remains in the crucible. He then takes the crucible and places it in the flames. As the fire burns and the brass melts the pack engages in a fire dance. Once the brass has completely melted down the pack gathers and watches while the priest pours it into the mold. Each pack member gives a blessing to or recounts a story of how the member being honored proved them self. The next night, after the ring is cooled, it becomes the focus of a game of instinct, in which the pack member being honored must find and retrieve their brass ring.
Despite their claims all cainites know in the back of their minds that they are not truly immortal. Within the Sabbat especially the final death of a comrade is a fact of life. For those left behind the sudden loose of a brother can be devastating as the bonds of the viculum crumble.
The pack of the fallen Sabbat gathers to give their final thanks to their fallen brother. Photos of or objects belonging to the cainite are spread about to help the survivors stay connected to their brother. The presiding priest will often give a sermon of Caine followed by all preset sharing the vauldri in honor of the fallen. In some cases the ashes of the fallen are placed in the consecrated chalice.
The Last Supper
The Sabbat has had a long and marred history with the demonic. Two separate Inquisitions and several hundred years of pursuit have done nothing to wipe away the stain on existence that is these foul beasts wandering the far reaches of Hell and beyond. In a rite very similar to the Christian practice of the Eucharist, the priest sanctifies a piece of bread or some sort of other small food, and bestows it upon the participants in the name of Caine. By the power of the rite, a vampire can consume this food with no ill effects, and go forth against the demonic, bolstered by the blessings of Caine. System: If successfully performed, the imbibing of the bread does not cause the vampire to immediately attempt to vomit it back up, nor do they have do so to within an hour as with the Eat Food merit. The rite causes the food to transubstantiate upon ingestion, though the ritual challenge is thrown before the consumption of the bread, so a failed ritus may well end more disgustingly than most. A successful ritae also endows each participant with the ability to cancel any one retest used against them by the agents of Hell for the remainder of the evening, regardless of source. They need only invoke this blessing, and the demon's or infernalist's retest is considered blocked. The Last Supper is meant to be performed before known or expected demonic conflicts, and it is considered an abuse of the ritae to simply perform it every evening as a defense against uncertain demonic threats.
System: Each member spills a point of blood into a vessel that has been blessed by a priest and used for vauldrie. each names the other members of the pack as the blood mixes together. The blood is then ingested, but rather than creating a stronger blood bond the blood acts as a homing signal leading the members of the pack to one that has been lost to them. The Test to invoke the link between pack mates is Mental Vs 15 But as you are grow your connection to each other this lessens the requirement ( -1 For every level of viniculum rating you possess to the one you intend to locate)
Breaking the Ritual: Should a member decide their path no longer lay with the pack they may make a Willpower challenge Vs. 5 (+1 per level of the highest Viniculum rating in the pack) to break this bond to each other.
This rite has only one use. It may only be performed in tandem with a Monomacy and allows all spectators to view the holy combat to its fullest. Allowing spectators (not participants) to view the battle in its entirety no matter the method of concealment. This does not break mask of 1000 or other such powers, it simply allows you to maintain a line of sight and grasp of the actual events within the Monomacy. Allowing the presiding priest to better judge the events and that the conditions set are followed. It is important to note that the participants are still prone to their normal effects within the monomacy, as well as this does not count as line of sight for the purposes of activating powers for the observers.
Should someone use Obfuscate 2 somehow within the monomacy as an example. They may still do so if the other participant can't see them but observers can.
System: In the recreation of the ancient Mithrac rite the child of caine follows the ancient steps to receive the blessing of the spirit of Mithras in the coming times. The priest must first secure a bull that is adorned ceremonially and then blessed. It is then lead to a place that is used only for this ritual as the receiver enters adorned in robes. The bull is placed on a higher level standing over a grate as the recipient strips from his robe and enters below. The priest then begins the ceremony as the recipient kneels below and begins to pray. As the incense burns and when the time feels right the priest slits the bull’s throat as the blood pours below onto the recipient. The recipient is considered blessed for the next month as Mithras watches over them. This ritual is mostly for pure role playing benefits, though a Storyteller may feel free to allow the recipient for the next month a free retest on a random event that has gone bad for the character.
Name: Thunderdome
Created by: Venom and Sons of Caine of Milwaukee: Black Crusade
Description: Sometimes the bonds of Sword members from different packs go beyond those gained through the Vaulderie. Through time tested support and backing of each other, the pack members of the Sons of Caine and Venom have created a ritae to further prove their trust and devotion to the other’s cause. Through the trust and familiarity, members of both packs are stronger when fighting alongside each other. In preparation of this rite, members of both packs will go and steal motorcycles from the surrounding area as the Sons of Caine members value their personal bikes too highly to include them in this destructive ritae. To perform this rite, attending priests from both packs must know the ritae. The performing priests pool the names of their pack mates into two separate bowls, or helmets if you are so inclined, and teams of two are drawn at random. After teams are drawn and a bracket is made, the members of the Sons of Caine will mount their bikes and their accompanying teammate from Venom will grab a long bludgeoning instrument. A dangerous game that is a mix between chicken and a joust commences as members of Venom attempt to knock the opposing bike over or the opposing team members off while the Sons of Caine member attempts to keep their bike upright and moving. There are very few rules to this event other than that playing dirty is encouraged. When only one team’s bike is left standing a bonfire is started, usually with the now demolished motorcycles and members of both packs party and revel in their accomplishments or lack thereof depending on the events played out during the tournament.
Mechanics: For the rest of the night, when a member of the pack Venom and a member of the pack Sons of Caine, that have both taken part in this ritae are engaged on the same opposing target they are considered to be up one trait on all challenges against their designated target. Switching targets has no effect as long is at least one member of the other pack engaging the target in some way.
The chosen spend much of their free time training for their upcoming missions or keeping their skills sharp. However, in order for a Cainite to go all out, as it we're, requires a great expense of resources. As a result, few members of the Chosen choose to use their full range of skills when in training; as they may be called to act at any moment. To counter this glad, the Ritae of the Training Mission was developed for that exact purpose. Adapted from the Ignoblis Ritae Test of Might a priest can now channel their faith and blessings to the Dark Father in helping his fellow brothers and sisters in being restored after they complete their training. The priest must set forth first what the particular training exercise is before enacting this Ritae and also usually follows with several other Ritae practices by the Black Hand. There after the Chosen undergoing the Training need to no longer feae wasting precious resources in training; when they might need them at any moment.
System: Once the Training Mission ritus is complete all used Attribute Traits, Ability Traits, and Willpower Traits (both Permanent and Temporary) return to all the characters that participated in the Ritae as if they had never used them in the first place. This Ritae may only be used for the actual training missions, not actual operations or missions for the Black Hand, and may not be used in any other instance.