DarkThaumaturgy differs from "traditional" Thaumaturgy in that it is not a creation of Clan Tremere, and in that it draws on infernal power as much as it does the Blood. It is not "interchangeable" with normal Thaumaturgy; a character wishing to use these Paths must possess Dark Thaumaturgy, while a character who wishes to learn "normal" Paths must possess knowledge of normal Thaumaturgy.

Acquiring and improving levels of Dark Thaumaturgy and its Paths and Rituals demands a Supplicium of the student; success indicates that the new level is learned, while failure continues the character's inexorable slide into damnation.

Dark Thaumaturgy is practiced in the same manner as regular thaumaturgy is (detailed in Dark Ages, page 164). Each time one of these infernal powers is invoked, a Blood Point must be spent and a Willpower roll is made against a difficulty of the power's level + 3. A failure on the roll indicates that the magic fails. A botch indicates that a permanent Willpower point is lost, though the Storyteller may also wish to confront the Dark Thaumaturgist with a visitor from the nether world....
 

It is said that this Path was developed by Set himself as a gift to his childer. If so, they have made sure to spread it.

BASIC
LEVEL 1  Night's Terror

The Infernalist can strike fear into opponents by reaching into the depths of their souls and pulling forth images of personal damnation. Even the strongest mortal can be cowed by this power.

System:  Successes gained are subtracted from all the target's Dice Pools until the target can shake off the power's effects with a successful Road roll (difficulty 6), which may be attempted once per night. Vampires and other supernatural creatures may be driven into frenzy by this power; if the roll to shake off the effects is botched, the character frenzies, tormented by his own inner demons.

LEVEL 2  Poison Heart

Infernalists believe that all beings have dark sides. With this power, an infernalist may bring such darkness to the surface. The Dark Thaumaturgist may cause a victim to act on her dark impulses by meeting the victim's eyes and whispering a temptation.

System: The number of successes gained indicates the strength of the evil impulse. This power may be used on a Cainite, but it costs a Willpower point to do so. The target may resist with a successful Road roll (difficulty equal to the Dark Thaumaturgist's Willpower).

INTERMEDIATE
LEVEL 3  Fool the Heart's Eye

The Infernalist can assume the image of a victim's loved one by reaching out with his thoughts. This power is used to plot betrayal and bring about corruption.

System:  Successes gained indicate the verisimilitude of the impersonation: One success yields a rough impression, while five successes result in a completely convincing simulacrum.

LEVEL 4  Name the Crime

The Infernalist suggests a sin to the target. This sin may consist of a single evil act, or a general attitude. Unless the target is very strong willed, he is unable to prevent himself from acting on the suggestion.

System:  Successes gained determine the duration of the urge to commit sin. By spending a Willpower point, the victim may roll his permanent Willpower (difficulty 6) to resist this urge; successful resistance requires more successes than the Infernalist gained.

1 success One Turn
2 successes One hour
3 successes One Night
4 successes One Week
5 successes One month

ADVANCED
LEVEL 5  Unleash the Dark Soul

No longer content to merely manipulate, the Dark Thaumaturgist with this power the may rip the shadow from a living mortal and imbue it with temporary, physical presence. The mortal is destroyed by the experience, and a diabolic servant is gained for one night.

System: To use this power the character must slay the mortal victim and project the remnant of the victim's anima into her shadow. The mortal's heartblood provides the animating force for the shadow wraith, which is under the vampire's control. The shadow wraith is a nearly invisible servant that can spy on enemies, pass through material objects and communicate mentally with its creator over any distance. The shadow wraith fades with the next day's dawn.

Those Lasombra who are familiar with this power are unsettled by its similarity to their own shadowy Discipline, Obtenebration.

This Dark Thaumaturgy Path was created to pry secrets from demons and mortals alike. Demons are often unwilling to teach it for that reason. Parts of this Path were taken from the magic of pagan oracles, and there is a pagan version of it known as Video Pellis.

This Path will fade into obscurity in the late 16th century, though it will re-emerge as the Path of Secret Knowledge, under the guidance of Sabbat infernalists. The "Path of Evil Revelations," as practiced by the Sabbat, is a corruption of Video Nefas' tenets, whether by intent or the ravages of time. By the 20th century, the Path of Evil Revelations has very little to do with Video Nefas.

BASIC
LEVEL 1  See The Unseen

The Infernalist can gaze into the spirit world.

System:  No roll is necessary, and the Infernalist can see all nearby spirits, including demons and wraiths, as if they were physically manifest. Due to the mental concentration that this power demands, all difficulties are at + 1 while gazing into the shadow world.

LEVEL 2  Learn the Heart's Pain

The Infernalist looks into someone's heart and determines what grieves him the most. This is useful in deciding how to destroy a foe.

System:  The successes gained indicate how much knowledge reveals itself to the infernalist; one success reveals whether or not the target feels guilt, while five successes reveal specific details of sins, enemies and failings.

INTERMEDIATE
LEVEL 3  Seize the Moment

The infernalist may reach into the mind of his victim and draw forth his memories and thoughts.

System:  For each success gained, the infernalist may pull forth one specific memory. For example, to learn the plans of a local bishop, the infernalist Seizes the Moment. He gains three successes and discovers the bishop's immediate plans, what troops he has available, and whether he knows anything of the infernalist's existence.

LEVEL 4  Casting the Bones

This power allows the infernalist to part the mists of time and gaze into the future. To use this power, the infernalist must carve runestones from the bones of a sentient being (a new set of bones is required each time this power is used).

System:  The successes gained indicate how far into the future the infernalist may look to find an answer to her question.

1 success Only the immediate future can be seen
2 successes Up to a week
3 successes A lunar month
4 successes A season
5 successes A year

The future is not fixed, so the infernalist's vision may be inaccurate it merely shows the likeliest course of events and so is more accurate when dealing with large groups (for example, "Will the crusaders recapture Jerusalem?") than with individuals.

ADVANCED
LEVEL 5  Recall the Bloody Deed
The infernalist raises a spectre of vengeance to uncover past misdeeds. This power may only be used in a place where blood has been shed in anger.

System:  If the roll is successful, the infernalist gives physical form to a minor demon (use the statistics for Custodes from Chapter Seven) which appears as the victim of the violence, and bears the victim's wounds. This demon has the power to track "its" murderer across land and sea to avenge itself. The only constraint on this pursuit is the number of successes gained by the infernalist: each success allows the demon to continue the pursuit for one day and night.

Though the Baali created this dark magic, the masters of Rego Dolor are infernalists of Clan Tzimisce who use it to enforce discipline among their twisted creations.

BASIC
LEVEL 1  Strike the Broken Limb

With this power, the infernalist may reopen an old wound in the target if he can touch her.

System:  If the infernalist successfully touches his target, he inflicts one Health Level per success rolled; this damage can be soaked. This wound appears as an older one that has reopened.

LEVEL 2  Phantom

The infernalist can wrack an opponent's body with pain.

System:  The target suffers the penalties of lost Health Levels, without actually losing those Health Levels. The successes rolled to use this power determine the Health Levels "lost." These phantom wounds can even knock a foe unconscious, if the foe suffers enough of them to bring her to Incapacitated. Vampires and other supernatural creatures can resist the infernalist's roll by rolling Willpower as if soaking. Any supernatural healing ( spending Blood Points or regeneration) removes imposed penalties as if they were wounds, at a rate of one phantom wound per Health Level. The effects of this power last until the end of the scene.

INTERMEDIATE
LEVEL 3  Curse the Senses

The infernalist can attack a victim's senses, rendering him blind, deaf and dumb.

System:  Each success gained temporarily deprives the victim of one of his senses; sight is generally the first to go. This effect lasts for one scene, though a vampire so afflicted can spend a Blood Point to restore each lost sense. A variation of this power allows the infernalist to numb the target's sense of pain, reducing wound penalties by the number of successes gained (someone under the effects of this power may not even know he is being wounded).

LEVEL 4  Feed the Corruption

The infernalist calls upon minor imps and demons to infect the victim's flesh. Flies bite at her and maggots grow in soft tissue.

System:  For each success the infernalist gains, vermin grow in the victim's flesh for one day. (If two successes are gained, the victim is afflicted for two days.) For each day of infection, the victim suffers one Health Level of damage from the biting flies, and the burrowing maggots inflict a number of Health Levels equal to the number of days that the process has continued (on the third day the victim suffers one Health Level from the flies and three from the corruption). This damage may not be soaked, and mortals are likely to be consumed, dying in agony. Vampires are able to heal the damage with Blood Points, but the corruption does not end until it has run its course.

ADVANCED
LEVEL 5  Eternal Torment
This power inflicts wounds that cannot be healed by normal means.

System:  The infernalist opens bleeding and pustulant sores on her victim's body. For each success gained, one Health Level of aggravated wounds is inflicted. Mortals cannot soak this damage or heal the wounds, but supernatural beings can resist with Fortitude (or similar powers) and heal as with any other aggravated wounds. In addition, so long as the wounds remain, the target suffers an equal amount of normal, soakable damage each night as she sleeps (or each day, in the case of vampires), as the wounds fester. For example, an infernalist uses this power on the Brujah Gregor. Gregor suffers two Health Levels worth of aggravated damage, and will suffer two more, non aggravated Health Levels of damage (though he may soak these additional wounds) each night until the initial wounds heal.

This may be the oldest of all the Paths. It dates back to pagan times preceding civilization, when the spirit world was closer to the physical world. Though many ancient vampires know this Path's secrets, infernalists have turned it to its most potent use the raising of Hell itself. A demon who answers the infernalist's call may remain on Earth until the sun rises or until it hears church bells.

The older, pagan version of this Path is called Rego Mentem and allows the summoning of the spirits of nature rather than infernal creatures.

System:  This Path has two powers. The first allows damage to be inflicted upon any spirit (demonic or otherwise) through ritual incantation (the player rolls Path rating as a damage Dice Pool against the target; this damage is resisted with Willpower rather than Stamina). The damaging powers of this Path take place immediately upon their use, and only require a few spoken words to enact.

Secondly, this Path allows the infernalist to summon beings from the spirit world. Rego Manes rating determines the power of a summoned demon:

Insignificant (Attributes 4/3/2, Abilities 3/ 2/1, no Disciplines)

Least (Attributes 5/4/3, Abilities 4/3/2, two points of Disciplines and/or Investments)

Lesser (Attributes 6/5/4, Abilities 5/4/3, four points of Disciplines and/or Investments) Minor (Attributes 7/6/5, Abilities 6/5/4, six points of Disciplines and/or Investments ) Specific demon (such as those presented in Chapter Seven), who demands sacrifices and serves only if it is in his interests.\

The number of successes gained determines how much control the infernalist has over what he calls up:

1 success The demon attends, but listens to the infernalist only if it can benefit. It may leave at will.

2 successes The demon arrives and listens to requests, and answers simple questions.

3 successes The demon is well disposed toward the infernalist, and answers questions withsome accuracy.

4 successes  The demon is willing to serve the infernalist on simple tasks.

5 successes  The demon is pleased with the summoning and serves the infernalist faithfully for the 5 sucesses night.

Failure:  The ritual is wasted and cannot be attempted again that night.

Botch:  The demon is angered by the infernalist's clumsy attempts, and attacks.

Infernalist have used this Path to corrupt many a soul. Some victims become dependent upon the Infernalist for the effects of this power. The effects are like a drug, sapping the will of the user over time. After an individual has experienced nthis power once, he will seek it out again and again. A victim must roll Self Control or Instincts (difficulty of 6) to resist another chance to experience the effects. After each subsequent subjection to this power, the difficulty increases by one, with a maximum of 9. This Path is extremely effective, garnering pleasure addicts who will serve the Infernalist just for a fix.

BASIC
LEVEL 1  Ecstacy
This power creates intense pleasure in an individual, kine or Kindred, simply through skin to skin contact with the Infernalist who spends a Blood Point.

System:  The victim will feel this pleasure as long as the Infernalist maintains contact and must make a Self Control roll (difficulty 6) to do anything but enjoy himself. This power may be used for any length of time; however, if contact is broken, it requires another Blood Point to reestablish Ecstasy.

LEVEL 2  Overstimulation
This power is a strengthened version of Ecstasy. It is so effective that some victims perceive it as painful, and they might be knocked unconscious by the pleasure.

System:  The victim must spend Willpower to take any action, and then must make a Self Control roll as described in Ecstasy. Failure means the character has lost consciousness from resisting the pleasure.

INTERMEDIATE
LEVEL 3  The Wave of Pleasure
The Infernalist can cause pleasure in more than one victim, and no longer requires skin contact. She merely has to make eye contact with each victim. Once established, The Wave of Pleasure lasts as long as that particular target is in sight and as long as the Infernalist concentrates on maintaining it.

System:  The actual effects are the same as Ecstasy. Contact can be made with only one person per turn and requires one Blood Point each, but as many contacts can be made as the Infernalist desires.

LEVEL 4  Writhing Delights
With but a touch, the Infernalist can send a victim into spasms of pleasure, leave him lying on the ground shaking and squirming uncontrollably for hours.

System:  After touching the victim, the character rolls Charisma + Subterfuge (difficulty of the target's Willpower). For an amount of time depending on the number of successes, the victim can do nothing more than writhe on the ground:

2 Successes Five Minutes
3 Successes Thirty Minutes
4 Successes One Hour
5 Successes One Night

ADVANCED
LEVEL 5  The Flow of a Thoudand Embraces
This power severely injures a victim, causing extreme shock to her nervous system.

System:  The vampire must touch the victim and spend a Blood Point and a point of Willpower. If the victim is a human, she suffers seven levels of damage, minus one for every success on a Stamina + Athletics roll (difficulty 7). Vampires make the same roll, but suffer no damage. Instead, failure sends them into torpor for as long as their Humanity mandates. If they succeed, they must still make Self Control rolls (difficulty 7) or go into Rotschreck.

One of the most gruesome Paths, the Hands of Destruction provide Infernalists with powerful offensive abilities. The Hands of Destruction center around entropy and decay in one form or another.

BASIC
LEVEL 1  Decay
This power ages an inanimate object, causing it to rust, break down or begin to corrode.

System:  Every minute the Thaumaturgist touches an object and spends a Blood Point, the object ages 10 years. The Storyteller can then decide what sort of awful effects this can have.

LEVEL 2  Gnarl Wood
This power warps and bends any wooden object the Infernalist sees. The wood is otherwise undamaged.

System:  For every Blood Point spent, 50 pounds of an object may be bent. This power may be used on any wooden object the Infernalist can see, so it is possible to bend all the hunter's wooden stakes in no time.

INTERMEDIATE
LEVEL 3  Acidic Touch
This power allows the Infernalist to produce a horrid secretion from anywhere on her body. It is capable of burning through wood and metal like a strong acid. It causes terrible chemical burns to anyone touched.

System:  One Blood Point produces enough acid to burn through a piece of quarter inch steel plate in three seconds or enough for one attack. The acid causes any damage from a hand to hand attack to be aggravated, though the Infernalist must spend a Blood Point each turn she wants to use this power.

LEVEL 4  Atrophy
This power sucks the life from a victim's arm or leg, causing it to become a shrunken husk of bone, skin, and little more. The effects are instantaneous and, in mortals, irreversible. System: The victim receives one chance to resist the effects by rolling three successes on a Stamina + Athletics roll (difficulty the roll means the arm is arm crippled. If one success is rolled, then all difficulties involving use of the arm are increased by two; if two successes are rolled, those difficulties increase by one. Vampires can cure the arm by spending five Blood Points on it through the course of a night.

ADVANCED
LEVEL 5  Turn to Dust
This awesome power ages a human victim so rapidly that he turns to dust in the Infernalist hands. The Infernalist rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty of the victim's Humanity); every success ages the victim by 10 years.

This Path of Dark Thaumaturgy relates to manipulating a form of energy found only in Hades. The energy looks very much like fire, but it is supernatural fire and can affect those with protection from normal flames.

The following information relates how much damage the hellfire inflicts. The higher the level of the practitioner, the hotter the flames. Flames bum for half damage (round down) every turn after the first until extinguished if its target is combustible (vampires are just as combustible as humans) and cause aggravated wounds. Hellfire can be put out in the same way as normal flames. Hellfire appears in many different colors, not just red.

Level 1--One die of damage
Level 2--Two dice of damage
Level 3--Four dice of damage
Level 4--Six dice of damage
Level 5--Eight dice of damage

This Path focuses on the use of filth and disease as a weapon. An Infernalist skilled in this Path is immune to her own effects, but is not immune to other illnesses affecting vampires.

BASIC
LEVEL 1  Sickness
This power means an Infernalist's very touch causes illness. The effects vary, but usually include some of the following: fever, cold chills, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, nausea, muscle cramps, watery eyes, open sores and stiffness in the joints. This power only effects mortals.

System:  The exact nature of the infection varies from victim to victim, but the number of effects equals the number of successes the vampire haven a Strength + Intimidation roll (difficulty of the victim's Stamina + Athletics). The sick individual subtracts one point from each of his three Physical Attributes for each effect. Thus, a character suffering from four illnesses would have to subtract four points from Strength, Dexterity and Stamina. If any is reduced to zero, the victim must remain bedridden until recovered. A character will suffer the effects for one day per success by the Infernalist, but will regain one point in each Attribute per day.

LEVEL 2  Vampire Sickness
This power allows the Infernalist to create the same effect as Sickness but in vampires. Vampire victims suffer fevers, cold chills, blood vomiting, headaches, nausea, muscle cramps, bloody eyes, open sores and stiffness of the joints. Otherwise, the effects and the functions are the same as those for mortals.

System:  This power works like Sickness, but the victim can add Fortitude to the difficulty level.

INTERMEDIATE
LEVEL 3  The Swarming
This power is similar to Animalism, allowing the Infernalist to summon all insects within 200 feet. In urban areas, roaches are the most numerous. The Infernalist can command the insects to perform simple tasks, such as invade an area, eat all food nearby, crawl down into things, climb all over people, bite and sting everyone but the Infernalist, etc.

System:  The insects will stay in an area for an amount of time depending on a Charisma + Animal Ken roll (diffi culty 6), though the Thaumaturgist can dismiss them at any time:

1 Success One Turn
2 Successes 5 Minutes
3 Successes 30 Mins
4 Successes 1 Hour
5 Successes 1 Night

This Path of Phobos is the Path of Fear. This Dark Path allows Infernalists to manipulate the fears of their victims as a weapon. Almost everyone has fears, but there are a rare few who have conquered them and are unaffected by this power. Those with Faith are likewise unaffected by the powers of this Path.

BASIC
LEVEL 1  Induce Fear
The Infernalist with this power causes a victim to feel as if she is being watched and stalked.

System:  The Infernalist can use this power on any target he can see. It requires a Manipulation + Empathy roll (cliff culty of the target's Courage or Morale + 3). The victim must make a Courage or Morale roll (difficulty 5 + the number of successes the Infernalist rolled) to take any action against him.

LEVEL 2  Spook
Using this power, the Infernalist causes her victims to feel an overwhelming sense of dread. They feel something terrible is about to happen to them unless they get away quickly.

System:  Mortal victims must make a successful Courage or Morale roll (difficulty 7) to keep from running away. Vampire victims must do the same but, if they fail their roll, they suffer Rotschreck.

INTERMEDIATE
LEVEL 3  Terrorize
This power lets the Infernalist draw a fear from the victim's mind and present it to him. The victim will see or feel whatever it is he fears the most. If he fears snakes, he sees big, slimy snakes slithering around a corner just ahead of him and constantly hears rattlesnakes behind him. To the victim, the effects seem completely real, though they are illusions.

System:  The vampire must roll Perception + Intimidation (difficulty of the target's Self Control + 3 ) to see how long the affects last; it will also end if the vampire cannot see the victim.

1 Success One Turn
2 Successes 5 Minutes
3 Successes 30 Minutes
4 Successes 1 Hour
5 Successes 1 Night

The Storyteller will then require Courage rolls (generally against a difficulty of 6 or 7) to allow the character to make any action.

LEVEL 4  Immersion
This power allows the Infernalist to call on the victim's most deep rooted fear and force her to deal with it, face to face. The power functions similar to Terrorize, but rather than placing signs of the fear all around the victim, the victim is immersed in the source of the fear. A person afraid of snakes becomes wrapped up to her neck in pythons.

System:  This power works like Terrorize, but the victim must make her Courage rolls against a difficulty of 8, and the effect lasts even when the vampire cannot see the victim.

ADVANCED
LEVEL 5  Leech of Fear
This power allows the Infernalist to temporarily feed on fear as though it were blood. Many Infernalist claim this experience is infinitely preferable to the Kiss.

System:  As long as the Infernalist maintains this power, he gains Blood Points from the fear of others. Every time someone he can see fails a Courage or Willpower roll, the character gains one point of vitae. Note that the other powers on this path will not contribute to this feeding. A Manipulation + Empathy roll (difficulty 8) determines how long this power will last:

1 Success One Turn
2 Successes Three Turns
3 Successes Five Minutes
4 Successes 30 Mins
5 Successes 1 Hour

Some Infernalist consider this the most powerful and difficult of Dark Thaumaturgical Paths. Storytellers may wish to leave this Path out of the game if they feel it will be too disruptive. This Path allows the practitioner to glimpse knowledge and secrets he should not be privy to.

BASIC
LEVEL 1  Whispers
The Infernalist with this power can spontaneously sum mon common knowledge on an individual from the back of her own mind, even if she has never met that individual before. This information includes name, occupation, age, interests, where he lives, and if he has any family. It takes almost no time for the vampire to discover this information.

System:  The vampire must make eye contact with the person, and the victim can be no more than five feet away. It requires the Infernalist make a Perception + Empathy roll (difficulty of the target's Willpower). This power does not work on any supernatural beings, including ghouls.

LEVEL 2  Secrets in the Dark
Very similar to Whispers, this power allows the Infernalist to gather a little more knowledge about the victim, including names of family members, their phone numbers, where they work, and what they enjoy and hate doing.

System:  This power also requires a Perception + Empathy roll (difficulty of the target's Willpower + 1), but allows the Infernalist to take information from supernatural creatures. It will not reveal deeply held secrets, such as the fact that someone who follows the Masquerade is a vampire.

INTERMEDIATE
LEVEL 3  The Hidden
This power grants the Infernalist very private information about an individual. She will know one minor secret the individual is trying to hide from everyone. She will know the name of one person the individual claims to like, but actually dislikes. She will know the name of the last person he was intimate with. She can also learn the individual's strongest desire.

System:  This power also requires a Perception + Empa thy roll (difficulty of the target's Willpower + 2), but it takes an entire turn.

LEVEL 4  Dark Prophecy
The Infernalist can tell the future, but these prophecies always focus on the darkest possibilities. Information gleaned is cryptic at best, and it is certainly possible that the future will change.

System:  The Infernalist rolls Wits + Investigation (difficulty 8). The resulting information should always be mysterious, but the Storyteller can make it clearer with more successes. One success will give the Infernalist a vision that will be next to incomprehensible.

ADVANCED
LEVEL 5  Unlock the Heart of Mystery
The Infernalist with this power holds a tremendous weapon. With it, he can uncover any knowledge lost to the world. The locations of hidden treasures, the secret names of demons, or the hiding places of powerful beings all become apparent.

System:  This power requires a Perception roll (difficulty set by the Storyteller, but usually at least 9) and will only uncover those mysteries known by no mortals or vampires.

The Path of Torture is just what its name implies. This Path concerns pain and only pain. Many who practice this Path also practice the Chains of Pleasure. Infernalist with these powers are the most ruthless executioners and torturers.

BASIC
LEVEL 1  Hurt
The Infernalist causes pain in a mortal through skin contact. The effects lasts as long as the vampire maintains contact with the victim. This pain is terribly strong and sometimes used during interrogations. The vampire has the option of specifying the exact nature of the pain sharp,, piercing pain; extreme nausea; tickling; muscle cramps; etc. —and whether it will affect the victim's entire body or just a particular part.

System:  After touching the victim, the Infernalist rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty 6) while the target rolls Stamina + Courage (difficulty 6). Every extra success the Infernalist rolls causes the target to lose that many dice from any pools and to suffer extreme pain.

LEVEL 2  Hunger
This power allows the Infernalist to cause pain in vampires. Contact must be made with the victim for this power to function, and the victim feels as if she is starving, having almost no blood in her body. She will double over due to the sharp pains.

System:  This power works in the same way as Hurt, except that most Sabbat resist with Morale instead of courage.

INTERMEDIATE
LEVEL 3  Torment
This power affects both mortals and supernatural beings equally. The Infernalist causes tremendous pain in the vic tim, eventually causing mortals to pass out and Kindred to enter torpor.

System:  The Infernalist makes skin contact and rolls Strength + Torture (difficulty 6). Victims resist with Stamina + Athletics (difficulty 6). Mortals beaten by this roll pass out, and vampires enter a form or torpor. The length of this unconsciousness is based on the number of additional successes the thaumaturgist rolled:

1 Success One Turn
2 Successes Five Minutes
3 Successes Thirty Minutes
4 Successes One Hour
5 Successes One Night

LEVEL 4  Agony
This is the same as Torment, but victims feels great pain throughout the period of unconsciousness. They writhe on the floor, eyes closed and a scream frozen on their lips.

System:  This follows the same system as Torment, but the victim also suffers damage equal to the number of extra successes the Infernalist rolled. This damage can be soaked.

ADVANCED
LEVEL 5  Pangs of Hell
Far worse than Agony, the Pangs of Hell can kill mortals and send vampires into torpor for years. The thaumaturgist actually taps into the depths of Hades to cause this pain. Often only death or destruction can end the pain these sufferers feel.

System:  The Infernalist touches the target and rolls Intelligence + Demon Lore (difficulty 6), and the victim resists with a Humanity or Path of Enlightenment roll (diffi culty 6). Every additional success the Infernalist rolls causes the victim to be incapacitated by pain for one turn and take an aggravated level of damage.

The following are just a few of the possible Dark Thaumaturgic rituals. Those skilled in this Discipline may create rituals, but most rituals are ancient secrets, passed from one Infernalist to another. Statistics for the demons listed in the rituals below are included in the Bestiary section of this sourcebook.

LEVEL 1
Aport Object 
This ritual allows the practitioner to magically enchant an object. The next time the Infernalist desires the object in her hand, all she has to do is speak a magic word and the object appears.

Spectral Mask 
This ritual covers the caster's face with a magical mist. The mist takes the image of some horribly demonic creature, causing all those seeing it to make a Courage (or Morale) roll (difficulty 6) to resist running in fear. If using Werewolf: The Apocalypse, the Storyteller can use the Delirium chart to determine how the mask affects viewers.

The Knotted Cord
This Ritual has saved many an infernalist from trial and execution, by silencing accusers.

System:  The infernalist must knot a length of rope while reciting the name of whomever she wishes to silence. Unless the target beats the infernalist in an opposed Willpower roll, he is unable to denounce her.

Bind the Familiar
This Ritual calls and binds a familiar to the infernalist.

System:  This hour long ritual calls up a minor imp that possesses an animal's body and serves the infernalist faithfully.

LEVEL 2
Haunting Memories 
Through this ritual, the practitio ner creates painful images and transfers them to the next person touched. The victim will be haunted by these reoccurs ring, demoralizing images for weeks. During this time, the victim will feel somewhat guilty and saddened, but never know exactly why.

Sign of the Moon 
This ritual makes the claw and fang attacks of lupines less effective. For one night, the Infernalist will not take aggravated wounds from lupine attacks but will take aggravated wounds from silver.

Summon Grantel 
This ritual allows the vampire to summon Grantel, the Mandragora. There is no binding or dismissal rituals for this creature, because the creature is the servant of a much greater demon. While there are binding and dismissal rituals inscribed in many tomes, all are fake. For this reason, once Grantel is summoned, it is hard to get rid of him.

Bring Forth the Hell Beast
Through the use of this Ritual, an infernalist may infuse an animal with corruption and rage. The beast becomes twisted and evil, seeking to wreak the Devil's own havoc on humanity.

System:  An infernalist who knows this ritual merely needs to lay his hands on any beast and thereby infuse it with a little of his blood ( one Blood Point). The animal flies into a rage and attempts to kill anyone and anything it encounters, until slain. This trace of infernal taint provides increased strength (Potence 1), and the animal becomes so frenzied that it feels no pain (is not affected by wound penalties).

Warding Circle
This Ritual prepares an area for infernal magics by creating a protective circle to defend the infernalist from a demon's anger.

System:  The warding circle is a complicated diagram of astrological symbols that has to be drawn with special chalks while an incantation is intoned. The infernalist can either create a temporary warding circle, which takes 30 minutes to complete, or makes a permanent circle, which takes several nights. Once the circle is completed, the infernalist must stand inside it and activate the ritual magic with a prepared phrase or prayer. So long as the infernalist remains within the enchanted space, she is protected from any attack by an infernal creature unless the creature can beat her in a resisted Willpower test.

Botching the roll to enact this Ritual can be fatal and damning. A botched Warding Circle offers no protection at all, though the infernalist will believe that her ward is sound.

LEVEL 3
Sign of the Wraith
This ritual makes the Infernalist immune to the attacks of all spirits for a period of 13 minutes, though she cannot effect them for the same period. By remaining absolutely motionless, the Infernalist may extend its duration threefold. Movement after the first 13 minutes automatically dissolves the protection.

Summon Tivilio 
This ritual summons Tivilio, the Injurer of Cats. Of course, a cat must be given in sacrifice. Like most demons, Tivilio is evil and tricky; despite its limited power, it is vile and cunning.

Turn to Toad 
This ritual turns the practitioner or another individual into a toad. If the Infernalist uses the ritual on herself, she may change back at any time. If used on someone else, the spell will wear off in 12 days, minus one day per Willpower point the victim possessed at the time of the transformation.

Blood Imp
This strange Ritual allows the infernalist to distill an obedient homunculus from his own blood. The homunculus assumes the form of a small animal, often a j ackdaw or monkey, and can be used as a spy or thief.

System:  The Blood Imp is created from vitae and shaped by the magic of the ritual. It has a Strength Attribute (for carrying things only) equal to the Blood Points spent on its creation, and Health Levels equal to the number of successes gained on the die roll. It has no combat abilities ( though it may serve as a distraction) and lasts for one night. Its method of locomotion is based on its animal form (jackdaws can fly, monkeys climb, etc.).

Bloody Bones
This Ritual is cast over an area. The infernalist must bury a specially prepared bag of bones in the area of casting. Once this is done, the place is cursed plants wither and die, stillbirths are common, and tempers flare easily. The cause of the curse is a spirit that is bound into the bones.

System:  The spirit bound into the bloody bones has influence over an area as large as a village. The area is cursed so long as the bones remain buried. Vampires can easily find the bag of bones with Heightened Senses; scattering the bones frees the spirit. While the curse is in effect all frenzy rolls are at + 1 difficulty, in addition to the effects imposed upon mortal life.

The Leadened Heart
An infernalist uses this Ritual to bind a target to the spot so that he cannot flee the fate in store for him.

System:  The infernalist must not only know the name of the target but must use some personal token (a piece of clothing, a lock of hair) to work the magic. After a 1 0 minute Ritual, the victim finds himself unable to flee the area, unless he can beat the infernalist's successes in a Willpower roll. Should the victim botch this roll, he grows paralyzed with fear and cannot act in any way until the magic expires. The Ritual's power ends either at cockcrow or if the victim's name is called out by a true love. This Ritual is not limited by any distance; as long as the infernalist has a personal token she may affect her subject. Luckily for that subject, the token is consumed each time this Ritual is enacted.

LEVEL 4
Bind Tivilio 
This ritual forces Tivilio to perform one task after it has been summoned. Once it completes the assigned duty, it is free to do as it pleases even remaining on Earth.

Summon Lucricia 
This ritual summons Lucricia the Succubus. Lucricia will be more than willing to please the caster because she corrupts in this manner.

Vile Swarm
Infernalist Nosferatu have learned many secrets in their deep catacombs. This Ritual allows entire swarms of vermin to be commanded and used on missions of destruction.

System:  The infernalist performs the Ritual to summon a horde of creatures (insects, bats or rats), and then feeds them her blood. These bound creatures swarm at the infernalist's command, overwhelming foes and destroying crops and property. As long as the infernalist concentrates, the swarm is disguised as if by Cloak the Gathering (such intense concentration requires the player to spend one Willpower point each hour). Hundreds, even thousands of creatures compose the swarm, and only fire or some other massive form of destruction can halt its rampage.

Lethean Chains
The infernalist may erase memories from his target by using a special potion, thereby concealing his evil actions.

System:  This Ritual allows the infernalist to distill a potion that causes the imbiber to forget all that happens for the space of one night in her amnesiac state the victim is easily led astray and can even be blamed for the crimes of the infernalist. The Ritual itself is simple, taking only a few minutes of preparation time; however, the potion's ingredients include the tears of a demon or water from an Underworld river, so are hard to obtain. Each preparation of the potion contains a number of doses equal to the infernalist's successes.

LEVEL 5
Dismiss Tivilio 
This ritual removes Tivilio from this world. The use of this ritual angers Tivilio, and it may seek retribution should it ever return.

The Inner Furnace 
This extremely potent ritual may only be used against humans. The ritual causes a single victim to self combust and bum to death in his own flames. The Infernalist must be able to see the victim and succeed in a Manipulation + Demon Lore roll (difficulty victim's Willpower). Every success causes a level of damage that may not be soaked.

Soul Leech 
The Infernalist with this power can draw souls out of the recently deceased with a successful Wits + Intimidation roll (difficulty of the soul's Willpower). The Infernalist cannot retain the souls, and drawing them out with this ritual destroys them while replenishing the Infernalist. Each soul thus absorbed gives the Infernalist five Blood Points and heals one wound. The Infernalist also receives a rush, stronger than any blood drinking could give. Souls go through complete agony during these few moments. They appear as vaporish clouds of swirling light wisping around the Infernalist, making terrible moaning sounds for the entire duration. The faces of the dead can be seen in the vapor.

The Hand Glory
This Ritual allow& the infernalist to put all the inhabitants of a building into a deep slumber.

System:  The infernalist must ritually prepare a hand cut from the corpse of a hanged man. By lighting the fingers of the hand and using it as a torch, the infernalist causes all the inhabitants of any place he enters to fall asleep ( if the infernalist enters a massive building such as a castle, only those in his immediate vicinity will sleep; those in distant parts of the structure are unaffected and are likely to notice the disturbance). Once those within slumber, the infernalist can move about freely.

Ward Versus Demons
This Ritual works in a manner similar to Ward Versus Ghouls (Level Two Ritual), but affects demons and other infernal creatures.

System:  The requirements of this Ritual are the same as those of Ward Versus Ghouls, except the required component is the blood of an innocent (non infernalists learn a variant of this Ritual that requires holy water).