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.
At first glance this ritae bears a very strong resemblance to the Vaulderie. Each member of the pack (min of two) adds a small portion of their blood (the total must be at least a trait) to a chalice using a ceremonial chalice, and cutting tool. The priest then speaks an incantation over the vessel. The ghoul (or would be ghoul) is then given the chalice to drink from. If they refuse to drink the priest will tell them to drink once, if they still refuse they will most likely become the victim of the pack’s next blood feast. In heavily ritualistic packs this ritae is often used to give ghouls their monthly feedings.
Mechanics: This ritae allows a mortal to be blood bound to more then one cainite at a time. It will not break existing blood bounds, but it can be used to give a mortal more then one full three-step blood bound. The mortal who drinks from the chalice will be bound one more step (Max 3 of course) to each cainite who contributed blood to the chalice.
At first glance this ritae bears a very strong resemblance to the Vaulderie. Each member of the pack (min of two) adds a small portion of their blood (the total must be at least a trait) to a chalice using a ceremonial chalice, and cutting tool. The priest then speaks an incantation over the vessel. The ghoul (or would be ghoul) is then given the chalice to drink from. If they refuse to drink the priest will tell them to drink once, if they still refuse they will most likely become the victim of the pack’s next blood feast. In heavily ritualistic packs this ritae is often used to give ghouls their monthly feedings.
Mechanics: This ritae allows a mortal to be blood bound to more then one cainite at a time. It will not break existing blood bounds, but it can be used to give a mortal more then one full three-step blood bound. The mortal who drinks from the chalice will be bound one more step (Max 3 of course) to each cainite who contributed blood to the chalice.
The Sabbat makes great use of religious fervor, and such, has a need for sacred places of worship. Small or nomadic groups create personal locations for pack Ignoblis, and the various dioceses may dedicate specific sites for larger Ritae. A Black Cathedral focuses magic like a prism, allowing priests to perform larger and more powerful Ritae. Black Cathedrals are permanent monuments to the strength and faith of the Sect. The Blood Bath to invest a Regent is a massive and unique rite, and can only be performed in a Black Cathedral. The raising of such a Cathedral is a rare and much-celebrated event. Three currently exist: one in Mexico City, one in Montreal, and one in Bucharest.
System: The actual effort to construct a Black Temple should require time and the effort of several characters to accomplish. It is a major event for the Sabbat when a Black Temple is raised. When completed and properly consecrated the priest performing this ritae spends 1 Permanent Willpower Trait to finish the ritae. For gameplay purposes, regain a point of temporary Willpower for every hour spent in this location, up to your permanent rating. Also, the Black Temple serves as a protection against enemies that may be threatening the character. No supernatural enemy of the Sabbat may set foot inside this sanctuary, though this does not mean mortal agents of the enemy in question could not be directed to do so.
Mechanics: The difficulty of the Ritual is equal to to the number of participants. Only those who have a vaulderie rating to the Priest may reap the benefit of this ritual. If the leading Priest is successful, each participant gains one free retest (a Faith and Fire retest) on one test for the goal that the Ritualist has set forth. This retest takes the place of a normal ability retest. This Ritual can only be active once, and only once in a 24 hour period. If the speech is not inspiring, or there is chaos caused during the speech, the Priest may spend a leadership or expression ability in order to keep the Ritual going. Otherwise, it fails.
Akin to other ignoblis, this Rite is and foremost a speech. However rather than extoll Caine's wisdom and strength alone, the Cainite must state the goal of the gathered mass of Sabbat, and how each Cainite will lend their aid in the upcoming task. While each individual need not be named, the Ritualist must still speak of their pack and what they will do specifically. It is only by exciting the gathered Sabbat, but inciting them, by calling out to the shared Vitae in all their veins, that this Ritual is effective. This makes this a fitting Ritual to follow up a Vaulderie. At the end, the leading Priest must call out to the Dark Father, asking for his blessing, for his fervor, in order to complete the Ritual.
Mechanics: The difficulty of the Ritual is equal to to the number of participants. Only those who have a vaulderie rating to the Priest may reap the benefit of this ritual. If the leading Priest is successful, each participant gains one free retest (a Faith and Fire retest) on one test for the goal that the Ritualist has set forth. This retest takes the place of a normal ability retest. This Ritual can only be active once, and only once in a 24 hour period. If the speech is not inspiring, or there is chaos caused during the speech, the Priest may spend a leadership or expression ability in order to keep the Ritual going. Otherwise, it fails.
The central and most important ritae of the Daughter of the Dark Father allows them to commune directly with Caine (so they believe). The Daughter offers a sacrifice upon the altar of caine while reciting passages of the book of nod. This ritae can take hours to perform and even then they do not always hear from Caine. However, Caine will sometimes manifest to them in a voice speaking a single sentence or a false of vision. In this ritae the sisters consider themselves truly blessed by the Dark Fathers.
System: This ritae is largely for Role-Play purposes, but the Storyteller can send the character flashes of vision or insight from “Caine”. What form these visions or words come from are decided entirely by the Storyteller.
Description: This Ignoblis Ritae was developed for Packs that need to be focused on accomplishing duties, it can be a Game of Instinct or high staked missions for the Sect. Like the Ritae’s developer, Lex, the purpose of the rite is to bring unity to the Pack members in order to avoid dissidence that may bring weakens or compromise the upcoming challenge, so he uses the Vaulderie as basis for this ritae.
Purpose: The Ritae intends to prevent dissidents and will reinforce the focus on a goal. Through a swear of accomplishment the Priest bind the pack mates together with a sanctified tape or robe that has been sunk on a prepared blood as the Vaulderie, once it’s bound to the only purpose of a given duty.
Effects:
Then, if the pack member tries to dissent or break the tie the blood inside will burn in the other’s ties; if the mission is accomplishing the tie will rotten and break automatically;
Those using the tie has proper focus to accomplish the mission that’s was the objective of the swearing (see “System” below);
The potency of the Vitae destroys the fabric at the end of the weak, because it’s designed to the sole purpose of a mission (all preparation precedes the final action itself);
The participants must already have Vaulderied together, thus setting the base of the unification;
The betrayal will consume the rope and the Ignoblis is broken, this because, if it’s a traitor, the entire mission is compromised (and the assembled have major problems to deal with).
System: As Concentration (LotN – Revised Edition, p. 116); you can shut down distraction and annoyances that could hinder others, whenever penalty Traits are assigned for some outside phenomenon (harsh lightning, rain, loud noise etc.) you suffer none of the penalty.
Camarilla Propaganda supports that Sabbat is a mindless horde of vampire monsters who will take large groups of people, embrace them, and bury them alive. This is largely incorrect to how the Sabbat actually makes new members of the sect. However, in times of war the Sabbat will in fact mass embrace humans as a tactic. This ritual was created to support that practice. By burying the newly embraced mortal “alive” and forcing them to dig themselves up it strips away their humanity and makes them more likely to kill when needed. These new vampires are known as False Sabbat and still must earn their creation rites. Though those that do often have an easier time transitioning to the Sabbat’s paths of enlightenment.
System: Characters who embraced using the burial rites must through a Simple Challenge for each level of Humanity they have (this may reduce them to a minimum of 1 Humanity but not lower). On a loss, they permanently lose a level of Humanity. However, when and if the characters attempts to go onto a Path of Enlightenment; the character gains a free retest on challenged to transition to their new Morality. This retest only applies to a transition from Humanity onto a Path of Enlightenment.
This secret Ritae is known only by the Sabbat Regent themselves. It has rarely been used or offered in any one’s recent memory, as such this Sabbat Ritae has become only myth and legend to the rank and file of the sword of caine. In the most dire of times, the Regent may elect a single Champion of Caine to come forward to undergo this ritae. Those chosen undergo a month long ritual overseen by the Regent and his personal Prisci. The chosen cainite is anointed in holy sabbat Relics, Blood, and his entire body it tattooed with the Litany of Blood. After the Ritae’s completion, the best weapons and armor the Sabbat can provide as given to this Saint and they are sent off into battle. In this, their last battle, Caine’s chosen Saint will not die until their enemy is defeated. However, regardless of the outcome of the fight, when it is over, the Saint of Caine meets final death as a result of this ritae.
System: Once the chosen Sabbat character undergoes this ritae, it cannot by any means be undone. Immediately after the performance of this power; this allows her to ignore all wound penalties, including Incapacitated and Torpor, for the scene. In other words, only decapitation, total destruction of the vampire’s form (as determined by the Storyteller), or true sunlight during the day will prevent a Cainite with this power from continuing to act—anything less and she will continue to fight on, although her eventual fate will still likely be quite dire.. Finally, no matter, after the scene or hour ends the character under this ritae dies. There is no way around this allowed by any means. This is a character GNC. Only one Sabbat character may be under the effects of this ritae in a single battle at a time. This ritae may not be used against another player character. It may only be used against NPCs.
In Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhism, Tantra is believed to be the path to Enlightenment, a focus of mind found through meditation, whether physical or mental. The highest forms of Tantra transforms sensual pleasure to a form of meditation. The Cakrasamvara Tantra (or “the Wheel of Great Bliss”, the quintessential of the “Mother” or physical Tantras of this class, takes the act of sex and the pleasure derived from it as the focal point of meditation. By focusing on the pleasure in the act of sex, participants achieve clarity of mind and an experience close to Nirvana. This ritual takes these principles and puts them into practice for Cainites. The priest first finds a partner who must be willing before proceeding in engaging in sexual activity which must also culminate in sexual union. They must engage in this activity for no less than half an hour. Due to the mystical nature of ritae, the participants experience sex as mortals would, their dead flesh able to experience physical pleasure again, regardless of whether they walk a Path of Enlightenment or not. Participants focus their minds and attention on this pleasure and, at the point of orgasm, experience a clarity of mind so powerful that they enter into a state of supreme calm. For the remainder of the night, participants in this ritual are +1 to all Self-Control or Instinct Challenges.