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.
The paths of Spirit Manipulation and the Path of the Velvet Shadow form the other two Dur-An-Ki Paths that created a trinity of mastery over the spiritual. Where as Necromancy deals with the Soul and Death; these three paths form the core of mastery over the Spiritual and the Divine. The path of Aether Crafting allows an Ashipu to manipulate the very spiritual essence of the creatures that inhabit the divine world. With mastery over very essence of spirits, an ashipu gains insight into the very essence of themselves and others. As with all forms of paths related to dealing with the Umbra and Spirits it is extremely dangerous to Kindred. Most spirits of the Middle Umbra are outright hostile to vampires and only those of the Wyrm willingly work with them. The spirit broods of the High Umbra however, are far more likely to work with Kindred, though it is by no means safe. Every spirit has its own personality and agenda that a Kindred must attend with.
•Naming
The first step an ashipu who seeks to master Aether Crafting learns is to know what he is exactly dealing with. By concentrating for a moment an ashipu can look at a spirit and immediately know its name. While the name itself grants no power over the creature or innate knowledge about it; it does allow the Ashipu to then research using that name more information on that Spirit. Only by truly knowing who you are dealing with can an Ashipu hope to ever become master of the ethereal.
System: The character spends one blood trait and for the next scene or an hour through a Mental Challenge against any spirit retested with Occult to gain its name. This is not the Spirit’s True name, but the name by witch it goes by.
••Divinity of Vitae
Most spirits won’t naturally work with Kindred. They have no spiritual essence to offer or bargain with that might interest a spirit. An ashipu with this power has learned to tap into the divinity of their own blood and extract the spiritual essence from the blood they take from the living. By concentrating for a moment the ashipu can draw forth this spiritual essence and offer it to spirits in hopes of forming covenants with them.
System: After spending one blood trait to activate this power, the character may then for the next scene or an hour spend 1 blood trait to transform it into an Essence trait that can be given to a spirit.
•••Simulacrum
At this level of mastery of Aether Crafting an Ashipu can now move beyond simply placing a Spirit within an object to craft a fetish. They can now force a spirit into a properly prepared vessel to possess and exist in the material world. Firth the Ashipu must craft a stone statue symbolic of the spirit they are attempting to bind into it. This can vary wildly from spirit to spirit. The more effort placed into crafting the Simulacrum though the more appealing it is to the spirit. Indeed, many spirits would leap at the chance to exist in the material plane. Once crafted the spirit is then forced and bonded into the Simulacrum. Thereafter for a time the asipu has a powerful guardian and ally in service to them. There is no mistaking the Simulacrum as anything other then supernatural. There are rumors of ancient Simulacrum that stand over 20 feet tall made of stone that have existed in service for centuries unwilling to leave their new body and form on the material world.
System: The character spends one blood trait and one willpower trait to place a spirit into a prepared vessel. For each willpower trait spent at the time of casting determines the length of how long the Simulacrum lasts. The Simulacrum has the same personality as the possessing spirit but is bound to the service of the caster. A Simulacrum has the following statistics:
Physical: Brawny 4, Dexterous 3, Resilient 5
Mental: Clever 4, Disciplined 4, Observant 4
Social: Charismatic 3, Beguiling 4, Intimidating 5
Abilities: Brawl 3, Occult 3, Survival 3, Awareness 2, Alertness 1, Intimidation 2
Powers: Armor, Blast, Tracking, Incite Frenzy
Willpower: 7
Essence: 40
Rage: 5
Gnosis: 3
Willpower Spent - Duration
1 - One Day
2 - Three Days
3 - One Week
4 - One Month
5 - 6 Months
••••Divine Awakening
An ashipu who learns to master the Aether of the spiritual world also learns how to manipulate it in themselves. Everyone and everything has a soul and a psyche. The spiritual essence deals with the enlightenment of the mind. With this art an ashipu can pull that very same psyche from an individual and caster into the Astral Realm. For a time the victim remains helpless trapped outside their very body. Their body itself and empty shell very appealing to any spirit nearby who might wish for a vessel for possession.
System: You must expend a Willpower Trait (in addition to the Blood Trait) and engage your Target in a Mental Challenge retested with Awareness. If you succeed the target's consciousness is forced into the Astral Realm as per Astral Projection. Even if the target does not have the power Astral Projection, this power still works. The powers targets the victim's consciousness, i.e. their pysche. They will remain in the Astral Realm for a scene or an hour. If however the target does possess the power of Astral Projection they may return to their body after three seconds of being forced out, or if in combat would be the next round on normal actions. If the target does not possess the discipline of Astral Projection, the user must spend an Additional Willpower trait on this power.
(Edit 04/28/20)
•••••Divine Weapons
The final mastery of the Path of Aether Crafting allows the Ashipu to create ethereal weapons from aether itself and manifested by one’s own will. Such weapons can take nearly any form; though regardless of what weapon is summoned it is rather obvious they are not real weapons. Such weapons are made of energy and glow with bright blue light about them. Enemies struck by such weapons are not harmed physically. Rather it is their very being as a person that is cut and harmed in attacks with them.
System: To activate this power the character spends 1 blood trait and 1 willpower trait to manifest a physic mystical weapon. These weapons have the game statistics that are provided for weapons in the Laws of the Night MET books. However, these weapons do not do physical damage to a target. Rather damage done by these weapons removes temporary willpower traits from a target instead of physical damage. As these weapons targets a victims will rather than their bodies armor, damage reduction, and supernatural resilience such as fortitude offer no protection from such attacks. Additionally you may use this power when using Astral Projecting as well. Weapons created by this power may not be enhanced or augmented in any way. They will always do the base damage of the crafted weapon using the stats in Laws of the Night Revised. Additionally only the caster may use these weapons, and cannot be wielded by anyone else. These weapons lasts a scene or an hour.
Developed by a Victorian Ashipu the Dur-An-Ki path of Tasseography is developed from the lost divination art of Tea Reading. Once popular during the Victorian age, the art of Tasseogrpahy was used by mystics the world around to divine the future, past, and fate of a person. After a cup of tea has been poured, without using a tea strainer, the tea is drunk or poured away. The cup should then be shaken well and any remaining liquid drained off in the saucer. The diviner now looks at the pattern of tea leaves in the cup and allows the imagination to play around with the shapes suggested by them. They might look like a letter, a heart shape, or a ring. These shapes are then interpreted intuitively or by means of a fairly standard system of symbolism, such as: snake (enmity or falsehood), spade (good fortune through industry), mountain (journey of hindrance), or house (change, success). It is traditional to read a cup from the present to the future by starting along the rim at the handle of the cup and following the symbols downward in a spiral manner, until the bottom is reached, which symbolizes the far future. Most readers see images only in the dark tea leaves against a white or neutral background; some will also read the reverse images formed by seeing the symbols that form in the white negative spaces, with a clump of dark leaves forming the background. Tonight a few ashipu still practice this path of Dur-An-Ki as a means of true divination and fortune telling. Though rarely practice the insights and visions the path provides the ashipu are indeed very accurate, which can both be a blessing and curse.
•The Magician
The first step a mystic using Tasseogrpahy must master is the ability to read into one’s past. Only by learning of important events in their past can they hope to divine their future. First the ashipu must perform the appropriate tea ceremony to be able to read the leaves. Once they do they begin to look for patterns and symbols the leaves have made. After focusing on this for a time the ashipu will gain flashes of insight and visions in the most important events of a persons life. They appear almost as still images but come in great detail to the caster who can then start to unravel the past of the person he is performing the reading for.
System: Engage your target in a Mental Challenge retested with Enigmas. If you succeed you may gain one important detail about their lives. Traumatic events such as Embrace, Murder, etc are revealed to the caster. Each time the caster wishes to discern another important event on their target they must engage them in a new challenge and activation of this power. The details of these events are always given to the caster in the form of visions though they are rather clear and precise.
••The High Priestess
Having mastered the ability to read a person’s past in the leaves, the next step is the ashipu must learn how to divine the future for a person. Again the ritual tea reading is performed, however this time they focus instead of the patterns of leaves that determine a future instead of a past. Much like before these insights come in the form of visions. With these visions the ashipu can hope to guide the person to better and brighter future, or warn them of impending danger.
System: The caster must engage their target in a Mental Challenge retested with Enigmas. If they succeed they may discern one future event that will occur to the character. Again, this information comes in the form of visions to the caster which he must then relate. In addition, those effected by this power gain one Fate retest they may use in any single challenge for the remainder of the night.
•••The Lovers
Sometime a person seeking a Tea Reading is looking for a specific person or object they have lost. With this art the Ashipu can focus on the patterns of the tea leaves and help locate either a person or an object. To find a person is far more difficult than an object. The ashipu must either be intimately familiar with the person or have an object of theirs they held of some importance as a focus to locate them.
System: The caster engages in a Static Mental Challenge difficulty 9 retested with Enigmas. This spell allows you to determine the approximate location of a nearby object or person. This takes the form of a subconscious tug leading the caster to what they seek. In the case of a specific person, you must either know the subject intimately or have an item closely associated with them.
••••Death
Using the art of Tea Leaf reading the ashipu may now view entire past events as if he had been there. First he must travel to the desired location where the event occurred. After doing so he may perform the tea leaf reading. With any luck the ashipu can receive visions of the events he seeks as if he had been in the room itself when they occurred.
System: The caster engages in a Static Mental challenge difficulty 9 retested with Enigmas. Should they succeed the caster may view an event of the past as if they had actually been there. They must state what event they wish to view and cast the spell. Though they view the events they may not interact with them or use any other powers in the scene they are viewing.
•••••The Devil
The final mastery of Tasseogrpahy allows an Ashipu to call out specific events for wither the betterment of determent of the person receiving the reading. The ashipu must read aloud the fate they have foreseen in the leaves to the person getting the reading. Wither or not the fate is true or the ashipu is manipulating fate itself is unclear. Many practitioners believe they are simply reading out what has already been foretold. There after the person receiving the reading is either blessed or cursed until such time as the ashipu read otherwise in the leaves.
System: Engage your target in a contested Mental Challenge retested with Enigmas. If you succeed you must spend 1 permanent Willpower to use this power. Once enacted the user may choose either to curse the target giving them the Dark Fate flaw which may not be bought off until the caster ends the effect or bless the target allowing them to purchase the merit Destined for Greatness.
TRICKS OF THE LOA
With this power the user is able to cause the Target to slip into a trance; gaining the derangement Fugue. The thaumaturge must spend a blood and defeat the victim in a mental challenge in order to afflict them with the Fugue Dance. During their trance the person will experience vivid dreams about spirits and the future as though the Loa had spoken to them, while their body dances about wildly.
Supernatural creatures are immune to this power’s effect.
Fugue Death (basic)
The user of this power is able to cause a Target they have touched to appear to be dead. The target of this power will slip into a deep coma that will appear much like death except to the well trained eye. While in this coma, the target experiences dreams and visions as though they were possessed by the Loa. In this state, the target must bid an additional trait to defend against possessing spirits.
Supernatural creatures are immune to this power’s effect.
Steal the Eyes (int.)
By spending a blood and enacting this power, the thaumaturge robs a nearby wraith of their sight peering across the Shroud to see into the Shadow Lands. Just as the restless dead have difficulty seeing into the physical world, so to do those who would steal their gifts. While looking into the Shadow Lands, you must bid two additional Traits on all challenges. The thaumaturge can switch his sight back to the normal world by expending an action.
Snakes in the Belly (int.)
By spending a blood and defeating his target in a mental challenge, the thaumaturge causes his victim to feel as if they have snakes in their stomach trying to eat their way out. This agonizing distraction forces the victim to bid an additional Trait on all challenges.
Perish (adv.)
His mastery of the Tricks of the Loa allows the thaumaturge to tear asunder the fabric separating the lands of the dead and the living. By spending a blood and succeeding in a static mental challenge against the difficulty of the local Shroud, the thaumaturge immediately fades from one plane and emerges on the other.
Zoroastrian beliefs emphasize walking the dark path of Angra Mainyu in order to more fully appreciate and give value to the decision to turn back to the path of Ahura Mazda. This path was developed to represent and give acknowledgement to methods of Angra Mainyu that can be turned to good purpose. This path requires the normal expenditure of blood and retests with the Occult Ability.
Second-Story Work (Level One) — Breaking and entering is a signature skill of accomplished thieves. System: This power allows the Ashipu to compel a door, latch, or other mechanism to lock or unlock itself, and to open or close itself. If the portal is sealed in some supernatural fashion, the sorcerer must first succeed in a Static Mental Challenge against the Mental Traits of the protection’s creator.
Stir to Silence (Level Two) — Blaring alarms and barking dogs are the bane of any pilferer. System: The caster can render any object or subject incapable of generating sound. This extends beyond direct noise. Objects will not clatter if dropped on a hard surface, and even a rock thrown through a window by someone affected by Silence will not make a sound (while a target can still speak, their voice is simply unheard). The sorcerer makes a Static Mental Challenge to affect objects, or a Contested Mental Challenge to affect any living or unliving creature. This enforced silence lasts for a single scene or hour, unless ended early by the caster.
Rogue’s Gallery (Level Three) — The quality of a disguise and the ability to apply one on the fly can make or break a heist. System: The sorcerer can cause any object or collection of associated objects (such as a suit of clothes or a pile of coins) to appear to be some other object of roughly similar size. Only the appearance of the object changes, not its function. This power can not affect objects any larger than a medium sized car, and lasts for the duration of a single scene or hour unless the Ashipu ends the effect early. Those using Heightened Senses to investigate any discrepancies with such a disguised object may do so with a successful Mental Challenge against the caster.
One Size Fits All (Level Four) — When it comes to larceny, size does not need to be an insurmountable obstacle for a sorcerer with this path. System: The Ashipu can cause an object to shrink to up to one tenth the object’s original dimensions and weight over the course of a full turn of concentration. Any inanimate object can be subjected to this power, even mystical items, however parts of objects cannot be independently diminished while still attached. Any sentient creatures that would be directly harmed by the reduction of an object are instead displaced to the nearest safe area. This power affects objects conceptually (for example, an empty sack can be shrunken just as easily as a full sack with all its contents, presuming those contents are entirely inanimate). The sorcerer may undo this reduction at any time, returning an item to it's normal size at the end of the round.
Invoke Duplicity (Level Five) — The first rule of thievery is: Don’t draw attention to yourself. System: Make a Static Mental Challenge against a target, then make all necessary challenges to pickpocket an item from them or place an item on their person. If the initial Static Challenge is successful, the target does not notice or acknowledge the interaction. If performed from supernatural stealth (such as Obfuscate) the successful static challenge prevents the stealth from being broken on interaction.
Spirit Thaumaturgy
Failures in Spirit Thaumaturgy are not recommended; the spirit of a botched summoning may turn out to be a Specter or may decide to follow the vampire around for a while to harass the vampire or worse.
Basic
Evil Eye
You can summon a wraith to harass a victim for a duration of time determined by a number of Mental Traits expended into the challenge. You must defeat the victim in a Mental Challenge. If you are successful, the victim must bid two extra Traits in any challenges for 10 minutes. You may extend the duration of harassment at the cost of one Mental Trait per five minutes.
Spirit Eyes
You may attempt to see and communicate with wraiths in the area. A successful Mental Challenge versus the wraith is required before you are able to see or communicate with it. You may communicate with the ghost for five minutes for every Mental Trait you expend.
Intermediate
Spirit Slave
This power allows you to master a summoned wraith. To use this power, you must win a Mental Challenge against the wraith. If you win the test, the wraith is bound to remain and answer any questions you like, or perform any one task you require. If unwilling, the wraith might opt to perform the task poorly. An additional use of this power can force a recently dead wraith into permanently haunting the present location. This effect requires a successful Mental Challenge against the target. However, this effect can (at the Storyteller’s discretion) eventually wear off.
Sight of the Dead per Packet
Allows the caster to see and hear wraiths for x hours where x is the number of blood traits spent upon casting.
System: The caster must obtain dirt from a freshly dug grave. While mixing in x blood traits, the thaumaturgist must read backwards from the Bible (“Ashes to Ashes…”). He then must smear the dirt/blood mixture behind his ears, and on his eye lids.
Variant from Springfield as approved by Joe:
Allows the caster or those they perform the ritual on to see and hear wraiths for x hours where x is the number of blood traits spent by recipient upon casting.
System: The caster must obtain dirt from a freshly dug grave. While mixing in x blood traits, the thaumaturgist must read backwards from the Bible (“Ashes to Ashes…”). He then must smear the dirt/blood mixture behind his or the recipients ears, and on their eye lids. The recipients, while this is being cast spend 1 blood trait for each hour they wish this ritual to remain active. It can be performed as a group, but the caster may not have more participants than they have levels of Occult for each casting. Casting takes fifteen minutes
All levels are purchased as normal for Thaumaturgy as an In-Clan.
Basic - Static Cancellation
The first level of this path allows the user to focus on a single source of sound while simultaneous ignoring other waves. This allows her to hear whispers while in a noisy club and to ignore the disorientating affects caused by the “Bang” half of a flash-bang.
Any penalties associated with loud noises or lose of hearing due to overexposure are negated.
This power requires one blood to activate for the next scene/hour.
Basic - Reverberation
The second level of this path teaches the caster to create a personal ward against sound based attacks.
By spending a blood, the caster can activate this magical ward for the scene. While active the caster is
consider 2 traits up against all sound based effects.
These include but are not limited to Dominate (If they are not in telepathy), Keening, Melopalmanie, and Voice of Madness.
Intermediate – Sonar Sense
Many creatures learn to adapt to the dark and learn to use sound as an alternative to sight.
Through the use of this power a Thaumaturgy can magically enhance his sense of hearing at the cost of his sense of sight.
By exerting themselves (by spending a blood and a will) the caster is able to alter his perception for a number of rounds equal to their levels in Via de Sonas.
While so attuned, the caster can perform an action similar to echo location.
This will allow him or her to identify the where a bouts of other individuals or objects. During this time the caster is considered to have “line of sight” on things within 30ft, unless they are behind a sound proof barrier or a wall at least 6” thick. (Most walls meet this requirement.)
* Effects requiring eye contact still require normal eye contact. While under the effects of this power, thaumaturgy and other powers which requires line of sight may be used.
* Effects like Shroud of Night which dampen sound apply a -2 penalty to the caster.
* Zones of Quietus, Silence of Death, appear to the caster as areas of complete darkness preventing the use of powers that require line of sight. Targeting individuals in this area are done at a -2 penalty and grant the defender a free “darkness” retest.
Intermediate – Tonare Applaudere
By striking her hands together a warlock can produce a deafening boom that can bring pain and discomfort to those around her.
Upon using this power the caster engages in a mental vs. physical challenge against all individuals within 15 ft. Defenders must bid a Stamina trait in this challenge. The caster must risk one trait per person up to a maximum of five traits.
If the caster succeeds the target is disoriented for one round and may not take any action unless they spend a willpower trait to do so.
Additionally, the target is deafened for 5 rounds taking all associated penalties and benefits of this affliction. *Tonare Applaudere will not work against a deaf target.
Advanced – Tonal efficiency
At this level of knowledge the thaumaturge has learned to concentrate sound waves and amplify them to extreme measures.
By striking her tuning fork and focusing her energy (by expending a blood) she can use sound to agitate their very cells of her target. For three rounds (starting in the current round) the caster engages the target in a mental vs. physical (stamina) challenge.
*Success in the first turn, results in the target taking 2 level of bashing damage.
**Success during the second round results in the target taking 2 levels of lethal damage.
*** Success during the third round results in the target taking 2 levels of aggravated damage as the subjects cells become so agitated with energy that they begin to rupture. Success during any round by the defender only negates the damage assigned for that round.
Use of this spell on a mortal is deadly as their skin and organs begin to rupture with thousands of microscopic cists.
Incorporeal creatures like wraiths, spirits, and vampires in mist form are immune to the affects of this spell.
Since the thaumaturge must imbue sound waves at the beginning of the spell with their full potential of energy the caster need only have visual contact with the intended target during the initial casting.
Only concentration is required to maintain the spell after casting.
Earth Dowsing(basic) – The Caster extends his consciousness to the ground surrounding him. He can get a geological survey of material that is hidden beneath his feet. Mechanics – The Caster can view the contents of the ground a radius of 5 feet per dot of occult they possess. Expend a blood trait, the depth is 1 feet per mental trait the caster possesses at time of casting. This will give the caster a general idea of the substances below the ground (i.e. minerals, metals, sediment composition, organic material). Further challenges for more information can be made through use of appropriate abilities (i.e. science (geology), science (metallurgy), ect.)
Extract(Basic) – The Caster can now summon the ground to give forth her bounty. With the knowledge of what is underground, they can pull it to the surface. Mechanics – The Caster can cause the earth to roil and bring an object to the surface. They must expend a blood which will then bring forth any object to the surface. They can lift 20 pounds and may expend extra mental traits for an additional 10 pounds per mental trait. The process of it coming to the surface can take some time, depending on its depth and mass. Kindred using Earth Meld cannot be extracted.
Earth Tomb(intermediate) – The Caster causes the earth to rise up and encapsulate a target. This can be used offensively to trap enemies, or defensively to protect the caster. Mechanics – Expend a blood and willpower. Tomb gains 2 health levels for each dot of occult the caster possess. If used against an opponent, the caster must make a mental challenge versus the opponent’s physical traits to encapsulate the opponent. The effects last until the caster dismiss the tomb or it is destroyed. Those trapped within or those wanting to get at those within can attempt to break through by making a physical challenge against the caster’s static mental traits. Mortals can asphyxiate over time, and fire damage is halved. Tomb occupies a radius of ten feet from the caster or victim, and rises in a dome maximum height of 7 feet at apex.
Vulcan’s Armor(intermediate) – The Caster summons the earth around his body to give him more protection. Mechanics – Expend a blood and willpower to cause the earth to form a protective layer over your body. Treat as body armor with four additional health levels, adds a heavy negative physical trait. The Armor last for a scene or an hour, or until dismissed or destroyed. This power can only be used on the caster.
Vulcan’s Hammer (advanced) – By invoking Vulcan’s name in prayer; the Caster summons the master smith’s hammer. Vulcan’s Hammer is a Warhammer, obsidian black with veins of magma running through it. The Caster pulls it from the ground. This hammer can be used to create or destroy. Mechanics – Expend a blood and mental traits, and make a static mental challenge base difficulty 8 traits plus the number of mental traits spent, maximum of 5 mental traits can be spent (minimum of 1 must be spent). The number of mental traits spent determines its stats. 13 traits: one handed hammer with mental traits spent being the number of traits the weapon has and does 1 lethal and has Spark. 45 traits: two handed hammer with mental traits spent being the number of traits the weapon has and does 2 lethal and has Spark. Spark: Upon successful hit, make a simple challenge (win or lose). On a win a flash of fire is created dealing an additional 1 aggravated damage. This may cause a Rotschreck test. On a loss, the weapon just releases sparks from striking the victim. The Hammer can also be used in forging; the cast is two traits up in all smithing related challenges. The Hammer last for a scene or hour, or until dismissed. This power can only be used by the caster and the hammer once summoned cannot be alter in anyway.
Walk of Shamash
This path was developed honoring the Babylonian diety Shamash. Being the god of travelers and messengers, this path focuses on getting people and objects from one place to the other. When sending or traveling using this path, the destination must be to a known place or a willing recipient. This path requires the normal expenditure of blood and is retested with the Occult ability.
Basic
Messenger: This power allows the user to send a small object to a willing person or a known location. The item must be relatively small in size, being able to be held in one or two hands. The item appears either in the recipient’s hands, if possible, or within arm’s reach if the hands are full. The user must succeed at a static Mental challenge, with the difficulty set by the ST depending on distance from the user. If recipient is within line of sight, there is no challenge needed.
Travelers Speed: By using this power, the sorcerer is able to speed up his movement speed substantially. While in effect, the user is granted 3 additional steps per action. This power lasts for the duration of the scene.
Intermediate
Jaunt: By calling upon Shamash’s affinity for travelling, the user is now able to make small leaps between locations. This ability allows the user to teleport from his current location and appear anywhere he is familiar with, up to a distance of 500 yards. The user must succeed at a static challenge, with the difficulty being determined by how familiar he is with the destination. If the user is able to see his destination, then no challenge is required.
Recall: Upon reaching this level of mastery, the practitioner is now able to call specifically marked items to himself over any distance. These items are marked by using this power while holding the item in question, costing the normal amount for enacting the magic. Once marked, the item can be left where ever the caster wishes. Upon using this power to retrieve the item, the caster must picture the item he wishes to call. Each item may be called once before it needs to be marked again. The item may be summoned even if it is in the possession of another, but may not be retrieved across planes.
Advanced
Pilgrimage: This ability works much like Jaunt, however the distance is much greater. The user is now able to move himself up to 100 miles from his beginning location. The difficulties for the enactment of this power are the same as Jaunt.
Way of Bliss - Way of Vajrayogini, the Essence of all Buddhas
Mantra: oṃ vajra berotzaniye hūṃ hūṃ phat svāhā
The basic concept of the Way of Bliss (or as Buddhist Kolduns call it, the Way of Vajrayogini) is a lesser known Buddhist practice most commonly associated with Vajrayana Buddhism, altered for the particular physiology and nature of Cainites with origins in a predominantly Tzimisce sect of Buddhist vampires in Sri Lanka and India. For practitioners of the Way of Bliss, to practice this way is to practice a so-called “Mother”-type Tantra, its focus being on the deity Vajrayogini, arguably the preeminent deity of Vajrayana Buddhism, the so-called “Essence of all Buddhas.” In this way, the Wayof Bliss is a pathway to enlightenment for the koldun, based in experiencing the bliss it is named for byway of tantra. To westerners, it might be considered a path to nirvana by way of “feeding one’s demons.” For the koldun and other fellow practitioners, it is a method of indulgence that is so intense that it brings forth the darkness within them as a piece of power and focus for enlightenment. Desire, thus, holds a wealth of treasures rather than hindrances, the focus given by flesh leading to a state ofhigher consciousness, the so-called “ultimate bliss” of Nirvana.
Note: Each level of this power requires the 1st basic level to be enacted before that certain level can be activated. Also, any violent or offensive action (aside from the use of this power) taken towards the target causes any and all effects of this power to cease, unless stated otherwise in the power. Defendants to this power may also expend a Willpower to shrug off the effects of a single level of this power for a single round. However, that does not make the target immune to further uses of this power.
Activation for all levels (unless otherwise noted) is 1 Blood Trait.
0 - Spark of Life
-> The basis of all desire is attraction and a practitioner of the Way of Bliss knows that fact to be the foundation of all that they do. This power is the spark of attraction, the spark to life that the koldun “imparts” in their vampiric would-be consort, a consort that will walk with them on the path to Nirvana. Once the spell is done, the koldun’s target might swear that they feel their heartbeat again, a heart that wants whomever gave them such a gift.
-> System: Spend 1 Blood and make a Social Challenge, retest Koldunism or Occult, against the target. The gain the mechanical effects of the merit “True Love” (for the koldun). If the target already has the True Love merit, it immediately switches to the koldun casting this power, rather than the original person of the target’s affections. This power lasts a scene or an hour, whichever is shorter.
00 - Wheel of Desire
-> Once the spark of attraction is made, a koldun with this gift may further fan the flames of her would-be lover’s desire with but a simple phrase. Upon hearing the words of love from the koldun, the “victim” truly believes her words and becomes so enraptured that they can find no other solace than to have the koldun.
-> System: Once the the first level “Spark of Life” has been successfully cast, spend 1 Blood and whisper an appropriate phrase or such to the target, making a Social Challenge, retest Koldunism or Occult. If successful, the target becomes entranced and may make no other action but to romantically pursue the koldun. This power ends when the target either feels that he/she has succeeded, when the koldun ends the power, the power ends due to an attack on the target, or at the end of a scene/hour (whichever is shortest).
000 - The Lovers’ Union
-> “Consummating” a relationship does not always entail copulation, particularly for vampires whose flesh do not necessarily feel as they did when they were mortal. However, a clever koldun and priest ofJarilo was known to hasten the flesh of all whom he touched. This power reflects that late koldun’s gifts, with roots far older and more Eastern, enabling the koldun to inflame the spark she has given to the target of her desires, giving life to flesh that had long forgotten the sensualness of touch and rendering such poignant and powerful experiences that her lover can do nothing but give in to desires he perhaps did not know he had.
-> System: Once the first level “Spark of Life” has been successfully cast, the koldun must spend 1 Blood and touch the target (possibly requiring a Physical Challenge), then engage in a Social Challenge, retest Koldunism or Occult. If successful, the target is overwhelmed by physical sensations caused by the koldun’s touch, as if his flesh were that of a mortal’s again. Any Social or Mental powers/actions that require concentration automatically fail so long as the Koldun remains in physical contact with the target. Note: any action that would break the target’s focus (e.g., physical provocation, theft of vitae, most offensive actions, etc.) also causes this power to fail.
0000 - Exultant Bliss
-> If a vampire were to point to the one act that most closely resembled their idea of bliss, there is nothing more intoxicating (nor pleasurable) than the Kiss. This knowledge is important to a koldun sorceress who practices the Way of Bliss, for they understand that the Kiss is necessary to the practices of those vampires who try to walk the path of Vajrayogini. The Kiss, then, is just as much a meditative focus as other sexual acts (such as copulation), if not more for its preternatural aspects. In the Exultant Bliss, the koldun reinforces these facts and heightens the ecstatic realization of the Kiss for both herself and her lover, all as another step towards the blessed gift of Nirvana.
-> System: Once the first level “Spark of Life” has been successfully cast, spend 1 Blood and make a Social Challenge against the target, retest Koldunism or Occult. If successful, the koldun may engage in a Physical Challenge (if required) to enact the Kiss. Mortals may not resist succumbing to the exquisite (even if subtly painful) ecstasy and vampires must make a Self-Control/Instinct Challenge, difficulty 4, or fall under the effects as well. Neither mortals nor vampires may expend a Willpower to resist the effects of the Kiss so long as this power is successful. (For more on the Kiss, see page 139of Vampire the Masquerade, Revised.)
00000 - Nirvana
-> The penultimate power of the Way of Bliss, the koldun enacting Nirvana wishes to instill in her lover with the very state of ultimate bliss that is said to come from perfect tantric unity. By invoking the name of Vajrayogini, a female Buddha and the preeminent Buddha in all tantric Buddhism, the koldun pushes her lover into a state supposedly close to Nirvana, creating for him a vision of perfect clarity and peace. Like the diamond yogini, it is as if he is made of diamonds and can no longer be harmed.
-> System: Before “Nirvana” can be used on a target, the target must first experience all four lower levels of Way of Bliss. Once he/she has done so, the koldun speaks the mantra of Vajrayogini, spends 1 Blood and enters into a Social Challenge against the target, retest Koldunism or Occult. If successful, the target enters into a trance-like state and becomes temporarily immune to frenzy and Rotschreck (even through supernatural means), and also automatically wins on ties when defending in Mental Challenges This power lasts 15 minutes or a scene (whichever is shorter).
-> NOTE: IF the koldun and her target engage in all levels of the Way of Bliss mutually and without force/coercion, whether covert or not, then the benefits (and detriments) of all five levels of Way of Blissconfer on BOTH the koldun casting the power and the one who is the target of the power.
1) SENSING - Sense nodes, ley lines, caerns, dragon nests, and other supernatural areas. Mental challenge to locate and gain relevant information on the location/type of area. ST will designate the difficulty of the challenge.
2) LESSER TRANSMUTATION - Transmute blood into another supernatural temper (gnosis, quintessence, etc.) in order to contribute appropriate power to a node/ley line/caern/dragon nest/place of power. Spend temp WP, convert 1 for 1. This power can only be used on locations, and cannot be used on items.
3) GREATER TRANSMUTATION - Transmute other supernatural substances into blood. Spend a temp WP, convert 1 for 1 with a maximum of three traits per use of the power.
4) DRINK OF THE WELL - Feed from a supernatural place of power (nodes, ley lines, etc.). Spend temp WP and fifteen minutes to attune to a location. Once attuned, a user can obtain up to five traits of blood. Attunement lasts for a number of days equal to the number of levels of this Way.
5) OPEN PORTAL - Open a two way portal to other realms while at a supernatural place of power. Spend Blood and temp WP. Mental challenge to reach desired realm, retest cosmology. ST will designate the difficulty of the challenge. Failure opens gate to random realm, ST discretion. Gate is open for one round. It is suggested that reachable Realms be typically limited to the Umbra, Shadowlands, and Abyss unless the ST deems others to be more appropriate.