Custom Combination Discipline / Technique

Requires: Leaps and Bounds

Flash Step is a refinement of the combination Discipline 'Leaps and Bounds', and allows the user to cover large distances in the blink of an eye.

To activate Flash Step requires the expenditure of 1 Blood, and lasts for the scene or hour. During that time, when the user moves using 'Leaps and Bounds', they can expend a temporary physical trait to travel the distance jumped instantly without taking an action.  This expenditure and movement can only occur once per action taken.

From an outside perspective the user of Flash Step seems to disappear in one location and appear instantly in the other, with their movement between the two points happening faster than can be observed with the naked eye. Others operating at equivalent supernatural speed, or using abilities intended to perceive/interact with supernatural speed, can perceive the user's movements, and can attempt to interact with them during that movement normally.

Use of Flash Step repeatedly is dangerously taxing on the body, however, as even undead tendons and muscles are strained past their limits.  For each scene where Flash Step is activated, the user gains a cumulative 'Lame' negative physical trait that lasts for the rest of the evening.  If the user ever gains more 'Lame' negative traits than they possess Dexterity-based physical traits, the number of steps they can take are halved for the night, and this power cannot be activated further for the night.

System:  You may use all of your Visceratika powers that interact with the environment within any structures no matter the material it is made of. To use these powers you must spend an additional trait of blood per activation of the specific Visceratika power. 

[[The Visceratika powers this can be used with: Scry the Hearthstone (Basic), Bond With the Mountain (Intermediate), Flow Within the Mountain (Advanced), Various Elder and above Visceratika Powers.]]

Cost: 10 exp

Throughout clan history, the Toreador have been gifted with great speed and enhanced senses. Through practice and training, a Toreador named Juno, known for his zealotry to the clan and combat ingenuity sought to combine the clans gifts. Through the practiced focus of the senses, this allows a Toreador to select a single opponent in combat and read their every move. This give the rose a superior advantage in reflexes, both evading and slipping through a foes defense. So focused does the user become on that opponent however, that they are less alert to any others in combat around them.

Artistically, this ability can also be used in certain types of performance or dance where it might be important to impress a single target of the audience. (In this usage it would grant a +1 to the performance ability against that target alone).

MET Rules: This ability costs one temporary willpower to activate and lasts for the scene or one hour. At the beginning of a combat round, a target must be chosen. The user gains three Physical Traits quick against the declared target. However, the user is down one trait against all other opponent's physical challenges that round. Only at the beginning of a new combat round can the target be switched. An additional temporary willpower expenditure is required each time the target is switched.

Used in an artistic performance or dance, it is ST discretion whether this would be appropriate or not. For example a stripper on a pole would work well, but not an orator giving a speech. If applicable, it grants an additional virtual level to the performance on that target only. The performance level may not cross above generational maximum. ( i.e. If normally it is danced with a performance level of three, that target perceives it as a four.)

Tremere Only Combination Discipline, must have a Binding Agreement with the Tremere Coordinator's office to have this combination discipline (or it can be covered as part of an existing Binding Agreement if in certain Tremere Secret Societies).

Requirements:
Hermetic Thaumaturgy Path - Movement of the Mind x5 (Tremere version only)
Hermetic Thaumaturgy Path - Mastery of the Mortal Shell x5 (Tremere version only)

Cost: 18 exp

This combination is a carefully guarded secret of House and Clan, only utilized by those who have approval from the Inner Council of Seven themselves. Of course, should a Tremere misuse this power or attempt to teach without permission, the Inner Council of Seven can and will execute their own sense of consequences upon the magi.

The user must declare a target that is within line of sight, make a grip-like gesture with one or both hands, and spend a single blood and temporary willpower to activate. Once activated, the user makes a contested Mental (User’s) vs Physical (target’s Stamina) challenge against the target. If successful, the target lifts into the air and is crushed (potentially to death).

At the start of each round thereafter, the target may make a contested Physical (Target’s Stamina) vs. Mental (User’s) challenge against the user to break free of the hold. For each round of being crushed, the target takes 2 lethal damage (soakable with Fortitude) and is completely unable to speak, breathe or move.

This requires the full focus of the user unless Dual Thought was activated prior to this power being used. The victim is unable to speak for the remainder of the scene or hour once affected by this power as their throat and lungs are forcibly crushed. This power prevents blood magic that requires a spoken component from being cast by the target for the scene or hour. As the target is also immobilized while being crushed, they are unable to use any powers or items that would require bodily movement or hand gestures. The target is also unable to utilize any physical disciplines or actions while under the effects of this power (excluding Fortitude for the use of damage reduction). If the target does not have any Fortitude, they are unable to resist the use of this power upon them. If the target is able to shift to a non-corporeal form (mist/fog/blood/etc), they may escape from this power, but are still affected by the loss of speech as written.