Custom Blood Magic: Ritual
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.
Description: Sometimes the chains of the Aeons reach so deep that they are almost insurmountable, shackling even the mystic essences of the soul such as the akh and sekhem. This long and horrific sorcerous surgery, relying on the principles learned by Heart of Darkness and fundamental principles of other rituals, particularly Emancipation of the Ka, inverts malignant energies influencing a vampire—and only a vampire can survive this process—to undermine and erode even terribly potent shackles on the subject’s will. It is even possible to completely remove the lingering remnants of certain powerful chains if they have been sufficiently weakened. The lector-priest must have the subject somewhere they can perform the ritual securely, as it requires six uninterrupted hours of thanatological surgery.
The lector-priest must have specially-prepared canopic jars, with the four Sons of Horus inscribed on the jars in the opposite directions (Amset on the north jar, Khebsemuf on the east, and so on). The inscriptions are necessary as the lector-priest engages in a further blasphemous subversion and creates lids for each jar with the head of the sha, or Set-animal, instead of the four Sons of Horus. A mixture of tainted perfumes and the target’s vitae is poured into each jar so the organs may be submerged.
The lector-priest opens the body cavity of the subject and isolates the major arteries and veins of the stomach, intestines, lungs, liver, and gall bladder with delicate clamps made of gemstones for the arteries (turquoise, lapis lazuli, carnelian, obsidian) and metals for the veins (silver, tin, iron, bronze – never gold, for gold is the flesh of Ra). After each organ has been isolated from the circulatory system with these clamps, they are surgically removed and placed into the appropriate (by direction, not deity) canopic jars. Over the course of the ritual, they mix with the brews in their jars and dissolve into a kind of sludge. This sludge is poured back into the body cavity and it is sealed. The sludge then diffuses through the body, crawling its way towards the heart (or chest cavity) and brain, where it will dissolve into the flesh of the subject and disrupt the energies of other supernatural influences.
This entire process is deeply agonizing and can potentially kill a subject if they were already seriously injured, but if they have the strength of mind and will to endure it, even monumentally powerful tools used by the Aeons and their agents can be weakened or overthrown.
System: This ritual causes four unsoakable Aggravated wounds and the subject’s subconscious (i.e. the player’s choice) must be willing to receive the benefits of this ritual or it will not work. This is represented by the subject spending a permanent Willpower. This ritual can alleviate madness, subvert oaths, and even more break potent supernatural influences on the subject, including reducing a blood bond by one step or a Vinculum rating by three, potentially removing these bonds entirely if they were low enough. This ritual can even free the subject from the influence of Elder powers (Chain the Psyche, Obedience, etc.).
The animal fathers of Africa honor the king of cats and mankind too heeds their presence. The caster makes an offering to the ghost of the lions and then braids into his or her own hair a lock of a lion's mane that they have removed themselves for this ritual. Displaying it openly, the caster is granted the lion’s favor of the noble beast’s commanding presence.
This intermediate ritual allows you an extra social trait for the remainder of the evening.
The components are the hair from a lion's mane that you harvested and your own hair braided together. This could be a braid in your hair or hung around your neck, but this must be visible for the favor of the spirits to be granted. The ritual requires a trait of blood to be sacrificed in respect of the spirits; the blood need not be kindred, indeed wildebeest is preferred. Also note that the lion providing the hair need not be alive at the time of casting, but the beast must be respected and as such not kept in storage or as a captive. The trait granted is Commanding, and it remains the discretion of the storytellers if the favor of the Lion's Pride is granted. The Lion’s Favor can be judged with a static social test, difficulty 8 or ST discretion.
Casting time: 1 hour
Cost: 1 Willpower point + 1 blood point for each influence moved.
"Where there's fame, there are eyes. Where there are eyes, there's power."
Description:
Inspired by the ancient Expedited Papers ritual, this modern version was developed for mages connected to global and digital structures. Instead of traditional bureaucratic documents, the ritual anchors itself in highly visible international NGOs, using their networks and reputation to generate "living paths" of influence between cities and countries.
By activating this ritual, the Tremere can transfer, borrow, or use Influence linked to the NGO without the use of Fame. The NGO functions as a symbolic anchor, a living body of public reputation that makes spiritual roles dynamic, flexible, and transitory.
Components: A printed or digital dossier with seals from the NGO involved, a lit candle with black wax (or digitally symbolized by a flashing light on a dark screen), and a symbol of the destination location (a currency from the country, soil, a local newspaper, or even a geographic IP address).
Effect: Allows you to temporarily transfer/borrow/use up to 3 types of Influence from one location to another for one night.
The destination must be within the network of the symbolic NGO used in the ritual, and its use is equivalent to the fame level of the magi linked to the NGO.
Additional Notes:
If a Tremere dies, their Influence points automatically go to a Magi in their city, also linked to the NGO.
The affiliated NGO can also assist those who wish to return to humanity/reclaim humanity or simply want to engage with mortals. To do this, the ST must use the NGO's practical area of activity to interact with Magi (since helping others is a virtue).
System: Adding a drop of the caster's blood and a single drop of black ink to a crucible containing burning heliotrope incense, the caster gains additional ability to obscure her influence manipulations. The thaumaturge generates one additional free Stealth influence action when this ritual is cast.
Advanced
The power of thaumaturgical rituals is tempered by the fixed nature of their effects. This ritual allows a determined adept to make a slight change in a ritual’s effect in exchange for a drastic increase in the effort required.
System: Allows the thaumaturge to change a single word in a ritual write up. Affected rituals are cast as though advanced and the normal expenditures are doubled.
Note: The Storyteller is the final arbiter of what effects will and will not be permitted in their game. Additionally, Storytellers should are encouraged to adjust the expenditures as they deem appropriate.
Malicious Viscous (Advanced - 5)
This ritual uses the Bahari’s natural affinity to their Garden. The user of this ritual uses sap from the trees from their garden as a component. When the user wishes to release the sap, all they need to do is throw the sap, requiring a Physical challenge (retested with Athletics), upon contact it releases the ritual upon the target. The victim becomes enveloped by sap wrapping around them, forcing them to become immobilized. The victim may try to move, but the sap is too strong to break unless the victim can make a physical challenge (retest: brawl) against the Lilin’s mental traits (retest: occult). On success, the victim can pry their arms and legs free, and on a fail they continue to remain enveloped. This ritual lasts for a scene/hour before dissipating.
Advanced Ritual (Pillars, Sadhana, or Geomancy) ((Also was coverent to Hacktivism))
The penultimate power of the underground was the ability to reach into other realms they shouldn’t, and tap into power they truly can never master. This ritual allows the user to reach into Hell itself, and pull out an imp under their control. As part of this ritual, the user must sacrifice a sentient being, passing their soul into hell in exchange for their bound servant. This power is a plot reward, and may not be taught.
System: This ritual allows the user to sacrifice a sentient being, and gain the following bound familiar:
15 traits (to be spread across all three categories)
5 abilities
4 Willpower
6 Dark Thaumaturgy powers up to 1st intermediate
All other clans fear the Baali. Out of ignorance, envy of Baali power or simple irrational fear, the result is the same: First Tribe children must learn from an early age to be discreet and walk in the shadows without attracting attention. Therefore, knowing how to go unnoticed or, mainly, make the other clans think that the Baali is like one of them, becomes a fundamental task for the safety and survival of the First Tribe's children.
Thus, with this ritual developed for that purpose, a Baali is able to go far beyond a simple illusion, or a lie. The Baali is able to absorb a vampire's essence, virtually becoming the clan to which the vampire belonged. No detection power, ability, Merit, or the like, of a level lower than 6, is capable of detecting the Baali blood in the vampire using the ritual, or determining its origin.
The ritual involves the sacrifice of a vampire of any clan (the clan that the Baali wishes to disguise himself as). The victim must be taken to the Baali's Well of Sacrifice, where he will have his heart ritualistically removed, and then his blood will be drained and placed in a container with unholy inscriptions, mixed with the Baali's blood. While performing a dark prayer, the Baali will first drink the blood from the heart (equivalent to 1 Blood Point) and then bathe with the blood from the container. Finally, while being blessed by the darkness, the Baali will cut off the vampire's head and rub it against his body.
The ritual also requires, in addition to spending at least 2 blood points (which will be in the container), and at least 1 Willpower Point. Each point of Willpower spent by Baali will increase the duration time by 1 month (or the time between 2 game sessions).
When the Baali has finished performing the ritual, he begins to undergo some transformations that help him to impersonate a member of the clan of the victim who was sacrificed. Between these transformations, the Baali gains the victim's clan weakness (the exception is the Malkavian weakness. If the Baali already has a derangement, he will not gain another one, but he cannot eliminate his derangement with XP points while impersonating a Malkavian).
Mark of Ereshkigal (Basic Abyss Mysticism Ritual)
The priestesses of Ereshkighal are taught the most ancient spells of Abyss Mysticism and the ability to banish or command any creature from the Abyss who might dear to challenge their might. The Abyss Mystic must carve an effigy tin the form of Ereshkigal; the first Abyss Mystic. This effigy must be hand carved from obsidian and bathed in the blood of the Mystic. The size of such effigies can range from the size of one’s hand to massive statues. After which the effigy becomes a Talisman capable of banishing the denizens of the Abyss back to their native realm.
System: To create a Talisman requires the expenditure of a willpower point. A caster may only have a number of Talisman’s active equal to their permanent willpower rating. Abyss Spirits who are touched with the Talisman must make a contested willpower challenge against the caster. If the Abyss Spirit fails it is banished back to the Abyss for a month. If a vampire is currently being possessed by an Abyss Spirit; this will banish the Abyss Spirit within them and end its effects. Only the caster may use the Talisman. Once used, the Talisman is used up and another must be created.
Side Effect: None