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.
The first ritae were developed by the Tzimisce who used their ancient magics to create them in the early nights of the Anarch revolt. Pulling upon the ties between Blood Magic and Ritae itself a priest can transfer some of their own power to their packmates for a limited time. This ritae is performed in conjunction with the Vaulderie and the priest also performs whatever normal ritual casting steps are used to empower their blood magic. Whips of arcane blood magic energy can be seen transferring from the priest into the Vaulderie chalice when this ritae is completed.
System: Once per month when the Pack Priest performs the Vaulderie, they can place a beneficial Blood Magical Ritual they know upon the entire Pack. This ritae only functions on Packmates of the Packpriest themselves, and no other members of the Sabbat. Additionally, the pack priest performing this ritae may only gift one blood magic ritual, that they themselves possess, to the packmate/s recipient/s; and this ritae may not be cast multiple times in a month. This ritual may not be modified by other rituals, and will last is normal duration and no longer as per its write up. Finally the pack priest may only bestow the benefits of a Blood Magic ritual they possess to a packmate based on the following vinculum chart:
Basic Rituals: Vinculum Rating 2 or higher
Intermediate Rituals: Vinculum Rating 4 or higher
Advanced Rituals: Vinculum Rating 6 or higher
The ritae is meant to help the cainite mind and the beast understand how each will react under a given situation. The priest guides their packmate in an hour-long meditation, walking them through a series of imaginary events that ultimately cause the cainite to enter a controlled fenzy. The events described by the priest will place the cainite in situation of personal challenge they are currently ging through or are likely to face in the future.
Mechanics: The subject of the ritae spends a temporary willpower and enters into a controlled frenzy. For the remainder of the night they are plus two on all instincts challenges.
In this ritae the priest serves as the moderator in a debate between two cainites. The topic of discussion may be focused on the particular meaning of a passage from the book of nod, the location of some hidden artifact, the fundamental quality of some aspect of the vampiric form, or any other topic the noddist may find stimulating and worthy of debate and study. Should a participant resort to ad hominid or physical attacks against their opponent the priest ends the debate typically declaring the subject of the attack the victor.
System: At the successful completion of the ritae, and the training/sparring concludes, all participants regain traits/items spent during this training/sparring session. This includes temporary willpower, attributes, abilities, health levels, all uses of Aegis, and items such as bullets or throwing daggers. Vitae expended is still spent. Any disruption of the ritae will cause the ritae to fail, and all benefits negated. Presiding priest must decide at time of performing the ritae what is expected of participants, drawing the line between acceptable and unacceptable conduct.
"The Eye closes. The Sword turns. The Watch shall no longer see you."
Overview:
This rite is used when a member of the Inquisition is judged:
Unworthy, through repeated failure, disgrace, weakness, or breach of trust.
But not heretical or corrupted enough to justify Final Death.
And not penitent or capable enough to reclaim their position through the Rite of the Shadow’s Release.
It is the final and irreversible severing from the Inquisition.
Only the Grand Inquisitor or equivalent authority can overturn it — and even that is nearly unheard of.
Participants:
The Accused, stripped of regalia or symbols.
The Grand Inquisitor.
At least five Witnesses of the Inquisition.
A Shadowbearer — one who carries the Flame or Relic of the Watch. (This is just a Watch Inquisitor carrying a symbolic blade of the Watch)
The Ritae:
The Gathering in Silence
The Inquisitorial circle gathers at the hour of deepest night.
No words are spoken until the rite begins.
The Accused stands at the center, unbound, but surrounded by the Circle.
The Reading of Judgment
The Watch Inquisitor steps forward and reads aloud a brief but damning record:
“[Name], formerly sworn to the Inquisition ,you were entrusted with sight, silence, and the flame. You have faltered in ways that shadow the Inquisition. You are judged unworthy to continue in our service.”
The Breaking of the Vow
A consecrated black cord or chain, symbolic of Inquisitorial loyalty, is brought forth.
It is tied around the Accused’s wrists — and then cut cleanly by the Shadowbearer, using a sanctified obsidian blade or reliquary dagger.
The Grand Inquisitor or Watch Inquisitor intones: “Your oath is broken. The Eye no longer sees you. The Flame no longer shields you.”
The Casting of Ash: Each Witness steps forward and casts a pinch of ash or dust at the Accused — this symbolizes that their name is no longer preserved in the sacred record of the Inquisition. The final handful comes from a Watch Inquisitor or the Grand Inquisitor, who says: “Go now, empty. You may yet serve the Sword — but you will never again stand within the Inquisition.”
The Turning of the Circle
The Circle turns their backs on the Accused for the duration of thirteen heartbeats.
The Accused is expected to walk away in silence — if they speak, plead, or protest, they may be struck down or declared heretic on the spot.
Consequences of this Ritae:
The character may not rejoin the Inquisition under normal means.
All Inquisition-specific powers are removed (either through ritual or political enforcement).
Their name is struck from the Inquisition’s internal records.
Sabbat Priests or Packs may still accept them, but many will never fully trust them again.
Any attempt to use Inquisition secrets or authority afterward may be met with lethal response.
Special Variation: The Flame is Denied
For particularly egregious but not deadly offenses, the Watch may refuse to return the Accused’s tongue, if previously removed during penance. This creates a permanent mark of exile — a mute former Inquisitor, allowed to live, but no longer allowed to speak in the Inquisition's name.
"Pain refines. Shame educates. Blood remembers."
Overview: The Circle of Contempt is an Inquisitorial Ritae of public contrition, physical judgement, and spiritual reinforcement.
It is used for:
Punishment of those who have failed in duty (but are not yet worthy of full penance).
Correction of internal arrogance, disobedience, or incompetence.
Resolving grievances between Inquisitors through sanctioned violence.
Forging deeper bonds through shared trial and brutal honesty.
This rite is supervised by a Watch Inquisitor. It is non-lethal unless otherwise escalated through Rite of Judgment or Formal Challenge (see below).
Participants:
The Accused — the one whose actions require atonement or correction.
The Circle — fellow Inquisitors present, all of whom must participate.
The Witness — the overseeing Watch Inquisitor
The Ritae:
The Accused kneels within a circle inscribed in ash, vitae, and salt — symbolic of shadow, blood, and purity.
The Watch Inquisitor begins the rite by declaring:
"Let blood remember. Let contempt be made holy."
Each member of the Circle approaches, one by one, and does the following:
Delivers a single blow to the Accused — with unrestrained force, empowered by Potence (up to puissance) if desired.
Speaks a single statement aloud, naming:
The failure or offense committed.
How the Accused may correct it.
(Optional): A reminder of what they once respected in the Accused.
The Accused must remain kneeling and silent, except to thank each Inquisitor after the blow, regardless of pain or injury.
After all have struck, the Watch Inquisitor steps forward and offers the final word:
"Let the Circle close, and contempt become clarity. Rise, if you still believe yourself worthy."
The Accused may then rise — if they do so without frenzy, without shame, and without vengeance, they are considered cleansed in the eyes of the Watch.
Optional Variation: Trial of Equals
If the offender disputes their failure or accuses another of similar wrongdoing, the Circle may be set aside for a formal duel under the rite.
Both parties declare grievances.
Combat is sanctioned within a symbolic arena (chalk or blood circle).
First to Torpor or incapacitation yields.
Witness decides if contrition or pardon is due.
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.
"And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.” Genesis 4:15.
During the time of the inquisition when the faith of men was stronger Sabbat vampires would fine themselves facing off against mortals yielding weapons imbued with faith. This posed a serious threat to the inhuman monsters of the young Sabbat. To combat this the early priests crafted a ritae to allowed them to draw upon the mark god placed upon their progenitor for protection.
System: Cainites on Humanity can not perform this ritae, but they can be the recipient of its effects. The pack priest leads their pack in an appropriate Sermon of Caine and then anoints each member of the pack with the “Mark of Caine”. Until the end of the next scene the marked cainites gain three bonus traits on all challenges to resit True Faith and Theurgy. Additionally, items blessed with True Faith do gain the benefits of the blessing against the marked cainites.
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.