Vampire the Requiem - New Devotions

New Devotions

by Julia Allis (http://www.bluesrat.com/)

Armored in Sunlight

Clouding the Soul

Coil of Banes 3, Resilience 2 Action: Reflexive Cost: 1 Vitae Experience Cost: 15 With this power the Kindred is able to operate in full daylight for a relatively short time without fear of death.

Auspex 2, Obfuscate 2 Action: Reflexive Cost: 1 Willpower Experience cost: 12 The character knows who searches her soul and is able to efficiently blur and mask it.

System: Each turn that this power operates, the Kindred stages down damage taken from sunlight by one step. Aggravated becomes Lethal, while Bashing causes no damage whatsoever. The vampire must choose between this devotion or Resilience to deal with aggravated damage from sunlight. Once Resilience has been activated, this devotion cannot operate for the remainder of the scene.

System: If anyone uses Aura Perception on the character, she will know someone is scanning her soul. She may also resist this much more efficiently and may add three additional dice to resist.

Bloody Fists

Coil of Vessels 2, Vigor 2 Action: Reflexive Cost: 1 Vitae Experience cost: 12 With this power, a Dragon transforms his fists (or less often, feet) into dripping, gruesome receptacles for blood. When the Dragon uses Touch of Death, she may also drain blood when making brawling attacks. Each strike causes the victim’s body to erupt in a shower of blood, which the Dragon can transfer through her skin and utilize. System: Each time the Dragon makes a successful Brawl attack against an opponent, and the Dragon’s fist touches the opponent’s skin, the Dragon may drain one Vitae from the target in addition to the damage dealt from the attack. This counts as the vampire’s one Vitae for the turn. If the vampire doesn’t touch the opponent’s skin (in the case of him being heavily clothed or armored), this power has no effect.

Chameleon

Protean 2, Obfuscate 1 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Vitae Experience Cost: 9 The vampire can touch any non-metal substance and spend one Vitae to take on the appearance of that material. This grants superb camouflage. If staying still against a backdrop of that material, he can remain effectively invisible to normal senses (make a Stealth roll to avoid being noticed with Enhanced Senses; Aura Sight will notice your aura normally). If moving up to a normal walking pace, gain a +3 dice bonus to your Stealth rolls. Moving faster than that gives away the camouflage and nullifies the power. Otherwise, this power lasts for a scene.

Command the Inner Voice Auspex 4, Dominate 3 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Willpower Experience Cost: 21 The Kindred’s command of his powers increases enough that he may form a link with any mortal he has been in contact with before. He may then use his other Disciplines upon the mortal as if the mortal were directly before him. Effectively, the vampire’s thoughts become thoughts in the back of the subject’s head, and his connection allows his supernatural will to affect the subject as if he were in his presence. System: To activate, spend a Willpower point, and roll Intelligence + Persuasion + Auspex - subject’s Resolve. With a successful use of this devotion, the Kindred forges a mental link with a mortal he is familiar with. He need not know the subject’s name if he has a clear mental image of him. For the remainder of the scene, the Kindred can employ one-way communication with the target (he can mentally speak to the target; the target can’t speak back). The Kindred may also use any other Disciplines he possesses upon the subject as if he enjoyed eye contact with him.

Command the Racing Heart

Celerity 3, Dominate 4 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Vitae, 1 Willpower Experience Cost: 21 A two-edged sword, Command the Racing Heart allows a Kindred to implant a subconscious command in the mind and body of the target, touching them with some of the sanguine speed of Celerity, and speeding up their perceptions and metabolism. System: The Kindred spends 2 Vitae and a Willpower to activate the Devotion, then rolls Wits + Subterfuge + Dominate against the target’s Resolve + Blood Potency. If successful, the target finds the world thrown slightly out of focus (-1 percep-

tion), but enjoys the effects of 1 dot of Celerity (note this is not cumulative with any Celerity the target already possesses). The subject’s metabolism is also greatly increased. A mortal who experiences this power becomes extraordinarily hungry. When the Devotion wears off, he needs some kind of food immediately, or else he must roll Stamina to avoid passing out from low blood sugar. Using this power on a diabetic could have catastrophic consequences. A victim who is a vampire finds that any blood expenditures incur a +1 Vitae cost. The effects of Command the Racing Heart last just as activated Celerity does.

Flesh of the Corpse

Resilience 3, Protean 1 Action: Reflexive Cost: 1 Vitae per Scene (2 Vitae per scene with Resilience) Experience cost: 12 Special: Resilience must be active to activate this Devotion. You may harden your senses and steel your necrotic flesh against the rigors of combat and pain. Though your skin becomes scabrous and sickly hued while this power is in effect, many find the benefits worth the sidelong scowls of their comrades. System: You receive an armor rating of 1/1 that stacks with conventional armor. Also while this power is activated you receive a -2 penalty to all Social rolls and rolls that require a sense of touch.

Foul Humours

Coil of Vessels 1, Resilience 1 Action: Reflexive Cost: none Experience cost: 6 The Dragon employing Feast of the Body may feed off of any part of the victim’s body--bones, excreta, hair, and other unsavory things--as though they were blood. A Dragon may only consume a maximum number of Vitae equal to his or her Resilience rating each scene by this method, as the vampiric body struggles to turn the foul matter into something usable.

Hands of a Killer

Vigor 2, Auspex 1 Action: Reflexive Cost: 1 Vitae per round Experience cost: 9 System: Hands of a Killer is active for one round or three seconds, during this time the character inflicts Lethal damage instead of Bashing with any successful Brawling strike.

Heart’s Fear Auspex 2, Nightmare 4 Action: Reflexive Cost: 1 Willpower Experience cost: 18

The character draws forth the target’s greatest fear by the awesome combination of Nightmare and Auspex. The target is unknowing of them, but the character learns what the targets greatest fear is. System: Roll Composure + Empathy + Nightmare against the targets Composure + Blood Potency. Success indicates that the character learns the targets greatest fear.

Hidden Message

Auspex 4, Dominate 3 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Willpower Experience Cost: 21 A Vampire with this power not only deletes a part of the subject’s memory but implants another one in return. This memory is unavailable to the victim but anyone that has received the proper activation method can release the memory. Activation can be triggered by a number of things, but it is always something that addresses at least one of the senses of the unknowing messenger. A set of pictures, a phrase said to him or her, arriving at a certain destination with a certain looks or even smell, seeing a certain person etc. Note that if you are not careful with selecting the trigger it could make for odd situations. For instance, seeing the person on a billboard (for some reason) will result in the messenger talking to the billboard. The message can also be anything from a statement the messenger suddenly speaks out to images the person on the receiving side needs to read using Telepathy. System: This power costs a Willpower to implant the message above anything needed for its component powers (more Willpower in case of very large messages, if the Storyteller wants to). The rest works like Dominate 3 and/or Auspex 4. The subject remembers the message for a number of days equal to his/her Intelligence rating. Another Willpower can be spent to make the message disappear after the first time it is activated.

Ignorant Illness Cachexy 2, Dominate 3 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Vitae Experience Cost: 15 With this power, the Kindred’s infected Vitae is imbued with a potent compulsion: The victim, henceforth, exists in a state of utter denial regarding his illness. He or she will conceal symptoms and go about his or her daily business as usual, even entering a fugue state of blissful ignorance should her symptoms grow to a degree where hiding them is not possible. She will belittle even the most convincing evidence, brushing off the heavy words of medical professionals with ‘Oh, I really do feel fine, it’s just a nosebleed’. This, naturally, facilitates the spread of the infection. The compulsion does not pass to others who are infected by the original carrier.

Lamb’s Breath

Coil of Vessels 3, Obfuscate 1 Action: Reflexive Cost: none Experience cost: 12 When using the Dragon’s Breath tier of the Coil of Vessels, the Dragon can attempt to mask the trail of mist produced by the power, thereby effectively making his or her assault invisible. Breath is still transferred, but none except the keenest eyes can see it. System: Roll Composure + Stealth + Obfuscate. To determine success, see Touch of Shadows, p. 135.

Lingering Aversion

Auspex 4, Nightmare 4 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Willpower Experience Cost: 24 The character can inflict a phobia of her/his choice on the victim, or intensify an existing one, for the rest of the night. Roll Resolve + Empathy + Nightmare vs. the target’s Resolve + Blood Potency.

Master of the Pack

Animalism 5, Auspex 4 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Willpower Experience Cost: 27 This powerful devotion allows a master of both Animalism and Auspex to control multiple animals at a time. Animals are called and controlled as normal except that calls and commands are telepathic and reach multiple targets. Roll Animalism + Presence + Animal Ken. For each success, you can command two animals. All the animals must be of the same type.

Mnemonic Block

Dominate 4, Auspex 4, Obfuscate 2 Action: Contested and Extended (20 successes, each roll represents one week of work) Cost: Willpower, special (see below) Experience Cost: 30 This intense devotion allows the user to effectively portion off areas of the subject’s consciousness, allowing him to store memories, information, and even whole personalities in areas not readily accessible by even the subject. Though it is extremely powerful, this devotion represents a great investiture of time and effort, as the Kindred is effectively attempting to reprogram a portion of the victim’s mind. System: As an extended action, roll Wits + Subterfuge + Dominate vs. Resolve + Blood Potency (even if subject is willing). Each time a roll is made (once per week), the user and the subject must each expend 1 point of Willpower. This is reflexive and cannot be avoided. When making the roll to activate the power, the user may choose to expend another point of Willpower, to gain three dice as usual. If the user does

spend this Willpower, the subject reflexively spends another Willpower point to gain three dice on the contested roll. If, and only if, the subject is willing, he may choose not to spend the second Willpower point. The contested, extended roll continues until either the user or the subject gains 20 successes. If the user attains 20 successes before the subject, then the power works. If the subjects attains 20 successes first, the power fails and is unusable against the subject until the user gains another point in Blood Potency. If successful, the user creates an area of the subject’s mind that is normally not accessible. Certain thought patterns, memories, facts, even distinct personalities, can be stored in this area, and are effectively “cut-off” from any access. Masters of this devotion typically implant a command word or phrase or situation that will “unlock” the area of the mind, effectively creating an undetectable “Manchurian Candidate.” Other users go further, installing other words, phrases, or situations that “relock” the area, allowing the subject to be perfect spy or information courier. Willing subjects are often given access to these triggers, allowing them to “lock” and “unlock” those areas of the mind, and in some cases, even transfer memories in and out of the area. For situations involving interrogation, memories and such that are blocked off is effectively non-existent. Even users of the Telepathy power of Auspex or Possession power of Dominate must make a Wits + Resolve + Auspex/Dominate roll (extended action, 10 successes) to determine that something is amiss. Only other users of this devotion can effectively undo the damage, using the system as normal, with success resulting in the undoing of the power. A frightening report about the use of this Devotion has circulated. A subject of this devotion was being used as a spy, but was caught. Before questioning, he apparently used his knowledge of the command words to unlock the area of his mind, transferred his entire memory into it, then relocked it, effectively turning him into a drooling vegetable.

Obedient Audience

Animalism 3, Majesty 2 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Vitae per scene Experience cost: 15 With the combined effort of Animalism and Majesty the character is able to speak with multiple animals at the same time, whereas she was only able to speak with one animal at a time with Animalism alone. A quick glance is all it takes to speak with a crowd of animals. System: The character rolls her Manipulation + Animal Ken + Animalism. Use the chart under Majesty 2 to see how many animals she can successfully speak with.

Possessed Carrier

Dominate 5, Cachexy 4 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Willpower and special Experience Cost: 27

This ability can only be used on a ghoul who possesses some disease in his system. This ability works like the ability Possession, except that the user can use Plague-bearer while possessing the ghoul.

distance, you may reduce the distance you fall (for damage purposes) by 10 feet per level of vigor you possess.

Quicker than the Eye

Protean 4, Resilience 3 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Vitae Experience cost: 21 Sometimes, a Kindred needs more than Celerity in order to effectively defend himself. Or, in the case of the inceptor of this devotions (a Gangrel), mastering Celerity isn’t as natural as combining Protean and Resilience. In those cases, this Devotion, which allows its user to transform his skin into really thick, protective animal hide, can be a (un)lifesaver. System: The character’s skin transforms into animal hide/scales, which resembles any of his animal forms skins. This hide is preternaturally strong and resilient, granting the character an Armor Rating (both against normal and Firearms attacks) equal to his Protean or Resilience, whichever is lower. The transformation lasts a whole scene, after which the character sheds his animal skin, revealing his normal skin under it. Needless to say, the use of this Devotion is generally a breach of the Masquerade (excluding occasions such as Halloween or Mardi Gras). Special: This power involves no roll to invoke, but growing the Skin of the Beast requires a character’s action in the turn. This process can be shortened with the Instantaneous Transformation Devotion.

Auspex 1, Celerity 3 Action: Reflexive Cost: 1 Vitae Experience cost: 14 System: While active, Quicker than the Eye allows a character to apply his full Defense score against Firearms attacks. He may Dodge those attacks, and even “parry” them with a Weaponry Dodge, although in most cases the weapon will be ruined afterwards. Quicker than the Eye lasts for the duration of a scene. Special: In order to learn Quicker than the Eye, a character must have the Quicken Sight Devotion.

Scorpion’s Sting

Celerity 3, Auspex 3 Action: Reflexive Cost: Special Experience Cost: 18 This is the power to concentrate speed and accuracy in one powerful attack. Instead of using Celerity to aid in defense during battle, a vampire can choose to use this power to increase her offensive capability. System:The Kindred moves so quickly that his opponent has difficulties defending against his attack. The opponent’s Defense is decreased by 1 die for each Vitae spent. Celerity cannot be used while this power is active.

Serene Anathema

Coil of Banes 3, Resilience 5 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Vitae Experience Cost: 50 System: The vampire may spend a point of Vitae to resist Fear Frenzy due to fire or sunlight for the remainder of the scene. The vampire may also spend a point of Vitae (separately from the above expenditure) to downgrade all damage suffered from sunlight or fire to lethal for the next turn. This effect must be renewed each turn, reflexively, by spending additional Vitae.

Shadow Fall

Vigor 1, Obfuscate 3 Action: Reflexive Cost: 1 Vitae Experience cost: 12 As you leap across a chasm or descend towards the ground from high above, the fluid movements and vampiric nature blurs you out and creates minimal noise. System: Your stealth rolls are never penalized due to falling or leaping. When you actively jump down a potentially dangerous

Skin of the Beast

Spider’s Walk

Protean 2, Vigor 2 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Vitae per scene Experience cost: 10 Many tales tell of Kindred walking in places no man should be able to reach. Many of them surely got there by hidden pathways, but some may use their bond with all things to cling to almost any surface, literally walking up walls, even clinging to ceilings. System: With a successful Strength + Athletics + Protean roll, the Vampire can walk up walls without using his hands, just as he could walk on even ground. With an exceptional success, he can even cling to and walk on ceilings as if standing on the ground. Note that this power only works with surfaces made from materials the character can meld with via Protean 2.

Telepathic Conditioning

Auspex 4, Dominate 4 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Willpower Experience Cost: 24 This power expands the use of Conditioning to the next level. Using this power works identically to standard Condition-

ing (including the eye contact) but uses Telepathy to get the job done. The true power of this Devotion lies in the result. Conditioned subjects can receive instructions through Telepathy, making a willing drone react to commands that nobody can hear. A Vampire can issue commands as long as he/she can see the conditioned victim. It costs a Willpower at the first command to open a connection that allows the victim to remain open to addition commands. This connection remains intact for the rest of the scene as or until the victim is out of view, whichever comes first. Bonuses and penalties: Eye contact: +1 See the victim through mirrors: -1 per mirror Harsh weather limiting sight: -1 to -3 Binoculars needed: -2 Through electronic surveillance or a web cam: -3 Through a blinded window: -5

Trained Beast

Animalism 5, Dominate 3 Cost: 1 Willpower Action: Instant Experience Cost: 24 The vampire is able to influence the Frenzy of any Kindred she has previously affected with Leash the Beast. System:Roll Manipulate + Persuasion + Animalism, contested by the target’s roll of Resolve + Composure. Note that the usual Frenzy bonus to resist mind-influencing Disciplines does not apply. Success allows the vampire to direct the target’s Frenzy as if the target herself had spent a Willpower point to influence her own frenzy.

Voice of the Alpha

Animalism 1, Dominate 1 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Vitae Experience Cost: 6 Feral Whispers allows communication, The Call summons, but short of possession or Vinculum, there is no way to command the obedience of lesser beasts. This power, forged by a Gangrel exotic animal collector, surpassed that limitation. This functionally works the same as Command, except that it works on all beasts.

Window to the Soul

Dominate 4, Auspex 2 Action: Contested, resistance is reflexive Cost: 1 Vitae Experience Cost: 18 This devotion, created by the Malkovian bloodline, enables a Kindred to stare into the eyes of another Kindred or mortal and pierce into his or her mind, pouring in a part of the Lunatics’ curse. Others may learn this Devotion as well, though they must have a Derangement.

System:Roll Dominate + Auspex + Manipulation versus target’s Resolve + Composure. If successful, the aggressor looks into his or her victim’s eyes with a memorable and terrifying gaze, and instantly inflicts upon the victim a derangement. Multiple, repeated uses of this devotion can crush or wear down a victim and drive him or her to permanent madness.

Bogeyman in the Closet

Auspex 2, Obfuscate 1, Nightmare 2 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Vitae Experience Cost: 12 exp System: Roll Presence + Intimidation + Nightmare to cloak an object with an almost palpable aura of fear for a single person (who must be declared before the roll is made). For the remainder of the scene, the person will be in absolute terror of the object in question, be it a doorway, a chair, or a weapon. Imagining the worst possible outcome should he come in contact with the object, he will remain as far away as possible. The object in question may also be used as a threat during interrogation, adding an equipment bonus equal to the number of successes on the activation roll. If he wishes to make a move toward or interact with the enchanted item, the target must make a Composure + Presence roll, gaining at least as many successes as the original roll to activate the Devotion.

Deceptive Shade

Auspex 2, Obfuscate 3 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Willpower Experience Cost: 12 exp System: By activating this Devotion, you can control the shade, color and a few other aspects of your aura. Roll Presence + Obfuscate + Composure - number of things you want to alter. If you want to later change your aura again, you have to spend another point of willpower. The effect lasts for one night, or until turned off.

Forgetful Touch

Auspex 3, Obfuscate 2 Action: Instant Cost: 1 Vitae Experience Cost: 15 exp System: You can erase the auras and information from an object or location. Roll Empathy + Obfuscate + Presence - # of days since event. If you use it on a space, then 10 square feet can be affected per success. Information is erased in order from the most recent to the oldest events. Note that while this can be a very useful tool to keep information out of others’ hands, a clever use of Auspex can reveal that the object or place has been tampered with.

Paranoia

Nightmare 2, Obfuscate 2 Action: Reflexive Cost: 1 Willpower Experience Cost: 9 exp System: This Devotion focuses the power of Dread on a few specified characters as opposed to all present. When using Dread, instead of the normal dice pool, roll Composure + Presence - # of persons targeted.

System: The Kindred is able to hone his gifts of strength and speed into a single strike. When this devotion is activated, successes on a physical attack that would normally deal bashing damage (fists, clubs, and the like) get upgraded to lethal, on a ration of 1 for each point of Celerity the Kindred possesses. Thus, a vampire with 2 Vigor and 2 Celerity who does 4 bashing levels of damage with a punch can use Terminal Velocity to do 2 lethal and 2 bashing.

Shadow Silhouette

Whisper

Obfuscate 3, Celerity 3 Action: Reflexive Cost: 1 Vitae Experience Cost: 18 exp System: Add your rating in Obfuscate + Stealth – Opponent’s Auspex + Wits to your Defense. You can activate this power any time after you have activated Celerity (in the same round, if you can spend enough Vitae). It lasts up to a scene, as long as Celerity remains active. This devotion has a beneficial side effect: it can prevent uses of Celerity from becoming a breach of the Masquerade. Rather than moving like characters from the Matrix, the Kindred seems to wave his clothes and limbs in an indistinct fashion, appearing to move by ducking and weaving in and out of shadows. The user gets a bonus of +1 die if they’re wearing loose, dark, billowy clothes.

Subtle Force

Vigor 3, Celerity 1 Action: Reflexive Cost: 1 Vitae Experience Cost: 9 exp System: The user can use his Vigor + strength rating as if it were below his normal strength, delivering devastating attacks with casual gestures and moving heavy objects with seemingly little effort. You can make a surprise attack by casually poking an opponent and dealing your Vigor rating in damage (not vigor + strength, the attack doesn’t have a wind up) or pushing them back as per WOD rules for tossing and strength. Heavy objects weighing equal to or less than your Strength + Vigor rating appear to be moved effortlessly. This is really more a ‘for style’ devotion than anything, the idea being that even a vampire must strain when exerting all his strength. This devotion makes it look effortless by using the blood power of Vigor instead of normal muscles. While this can be a big breach of the masquerade, it can also aid in stealth if you want to casually walk off with a body in a suitcase or silently move a dresser in front of a bloodstain.

Terminal Velocity Vigor 2, Celerity 2 Action: Reflexive Cost: 1 Vitae Experience Cost: 10 exp

Obfuscate 2, Auspex 2 Action: Instant Cost: n/a Experience Cost: 6 exp Though Elysium is a location to get things done, meet contacts and check in with allies, it is difficult for Kindred not supremely talented in Auspex to pass messages unheard from one connection to another. This devotion is a simple trick to facilitate such secret communication. System: Roll Obfuscate + Manipulation + Subterfuge. The targets must be within conversation distance of each other. The use of this devotion can affect one sentence per success, which is hushed by Obfuscate and delivered into the ear of the target. The devotion does not allow for a response, so the recipient must find their own means if they wish to carry on a two way conversation. This devotion may be used while Obfuscated.