Thaumaturgy & Necromancy
A great many new paths and rituals were published for Thauaturgy in various White Wolf supplements, from paths of Weather Control to the dark arts thought only by the demons. Necromancy also went through an overhaul after the first publication of the Giovanni, being split into various paths. It makes more sense now to treat the discipline as a school of magic, much as VtM treated Thuamaturgy.
This Path could only have been created by the Sabbat - it is a purely martial set of spells, designed to aid the sect's War Parties during a Siege. As a result of this aim, the rituals are minimal, to better allow casting to be done "on the go".
A relatively simple spell, this requires very little in the way of ritual. The Thamuaturgist must only give a battle cry to activate it, and then roll. (Some vampires have been known to paint their faces or slice themselves open to invoke it either.) A success adds 2 to the casters Courage, and 2 to Will for the purposes of resisting hostile effects (Fright Checks, Intimidation, etc.) This spell may not be cast multiple times to increase it's effects - it is non-cumulative.
���Duration: 10 minutes per point of success.
���Cost: 0.
���Prequisites: Magery.
Requiring no ritual at all, the Thaumaturge casts this spell only in the heart of combat, calling on their blood to make a strike for them. Instead of rolling to attack as normal, the vampire rolls against his skill in this spell - if he succeeds, then so does the strike, though it may still be dodged or parried. The strike does damage as normal, should it be unhampered. This may only be used once per round, regardless of the number of attacks the caster may usually make.
(N.B. - This spell proved very awkward to translate, and I am not entirely happy with it. Anyone who could make a recommendation for how it could be improved is implored to do so.)
���Duration: Instantaneous.
���Cost: 1.
���Prequisites: War Cry.
���Duration:
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���Prequisites: Strike True
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���Prequisites: Wind Dance
���Duration:
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���Prequisites: Fearless Heart
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���Prequisites: Magery
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���Prequisites: Zillah's Litany
���Duration:
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���Prequisites: The Crone's Pride
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���Prequisites: Feast of Ashes
���Duration:
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���Prequisites: Uriel's Disfavor
| Blood Rush (Sabbat) |
Regular |
���Duration: 1 hour.
���Cost:
���Time to Cast: 1 second.
���Prequisites:
| Dominoe of Life (Sabbat) |
Regular |
���Duration: 1 night.
���Cost:
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���Prequisites:
| Illuminate Trail of Prey (Sabbat) |
Regular |
���Duration: 1 night.
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| Widow's Spite (Sabbat) |
Regular |
���Duration: Instantaneous
���Cost:
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| Eyes of the Night Hawk (Sabbat) |
Special |
���Duration: Until the next dawn.
���Cost:
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���Prequisites:
| Machine Blitz (Sabbat) |
Area |
���Duration: As long as the caster concentrates.
���Cost:
���Time to Cast: 1 second.
���Prequisites:
| Recure of the Homeland (Sabbat) |
Enchantment |
���Duration: Instantaneous
���Cost:
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| Clinging of the Insect (Sabbat) |
Special |
���Duration: 10 minutes per point of success, or until the spider is spat out.
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| Mirror of Second Sight (Sabbat) |
Enchantment |
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| Firewalker (Sabbat) |
Regular |
���Duration: 1 hour.
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| Paper Flesh (Sabbat) |
Regular |
���Duration: 1 night.
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���Prequisites:
| Scent of the Garou's Passing (Tremere) |
Information |
A useful rite, this requires but a brief ritual consisting of mixing together a strange herbal concoction containing milkweed, wolfsbane and a few other odious materials. The vampire deeply inhales the resultant vapours, and thence gains the ability to detect werewolves ("Garou") by scent. The thaumaturgist must actually be able to smell a target to determine if they are a werewolf or not, and even then must make an Alertness or Acute Taste & Smell roll. Success on this roll by more than five points allows particular Garou to be identified. This spell works regardless of the form the werewolf is in, although for several of those forms this spell is somewhat unnecessary.
���Duration: 10 minutes per point of success.
���Cost: 1.
���Time to Cast: 5 minutes.
���Prequisites: Magery 1.
| The Open Passage (Tremere) |
Special |
���Duration: 5 seconds.
���Cost: 2.
���Time to Cast: 1 hour.
���Prequisites: Magery 1.
| Rutor's Hands (Tremere) |
Special |
���Duration: Permanent.
���Cost: 3.
���Time to Cast: 1 hour.
���Prequisites: Magery 1.
| Soul of the Homunculi (Tremere) |
? |
���Duration: Permanent.
���Cost:
���Time to Cast: Weeks to Months.
���Prequisites: Magery 2.
| Umbral Walk (Tremere) |
Regular |
���Duration: Until the Umbra is left.
���Cost:
���Time to Cast:
���Prequisites:
Dark Thaumaturgy works in exactly the same way as normal Thaumaturgy, with one very important difference - it can only be learned from demons. Other than this, it's not even a separate discipline. It is learned as regular Thaumaturgy, though obviously some considerable amount of roleplaying is required to find a tutor. That and you have to fork over your soul to Hell. Generally speaking, any vampire learning Dark Thaumaturgy gets the Secret: Infernalist disadvantage, worth -20 points, as you'll be killed if anyone finds out about it. This does not give the character extra CPs, simply reduce the points total of the character to balance the new disadvantage.
| The Fires of the Inferno |
? |
One spell known at various levels.
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���Prequisites: Magery 1
���Duration:
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���Prequisites: Magery.
���Duration:
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���Prequisites: Induce Fear.
���Duration:
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���Prequisites: Spook.
���Duration:
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���Prequisites: Terrorize.
���Duration:
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���Prequisites: Fear-Plague.
| The Taking of the Spirit |
? |
One spell known at various levels.
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| Bind the Interloper |
Regular |
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| Call Forth the Host |
Special |
���Duration:
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���Duration: One Question's length
���Cost:
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���Prequisites:
���Duration: Variable, see above.
���Cost:
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| Plagues Secret Domain |
Regular |
���Duration: 1 day per point of success, less 2 (min 1 day).
���Cost:
���Time to Cast:
���Prequisites:
���Duration: Permanent until broken.
���Cost:
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���Prequisites:
���Duration:A number of hours equal to half the targets Normal Will (round down).
���Cost:
���Time to Cast: 24 hours.
���Prequisites:
In a similar fashion to Thaumaturgy, later editions of Vampire split Necromancy up into various paths, practiced by different clans and bloodlines, including the Giovanni, Samedi, Harbingers of Skulls, Nagaraja, and occasionally the Kiasyd.
���Duration:
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The Mortuus Path is the creation of the Harbingers of Skulls who claim to have learned Necromancy during their entrapment in the Underworld. Certainly, they have not studied it under the Giovanni, though it is rumoured that they have some form of connection with the Samedi.
| Reaper's Shroud |
Regular; Resisted by HT |
The target of this spell, be that the Cainite casting it or another, takes on the semblance of death. The skin turn pale and sallow, and draws tight across the bones, eyes sink into the skull, and joints seize up. Appearance is reduced two levels (to a minimum of Ugly), and all Dexterity based roll are made at a penalty of 3, as the body becomes rigid. Obviously, Nosferatu, Samedi and Harbingers of Skulls are unaffected by the former modifiers, though they still suffer from the second. This power can have a beneficial use when someone needs to appear dead. To inflict this state upon themself, the caster must spend 2 Blood Points, but need not roll. To cast it upon another, 1 Blood Point must be spent and a roll made. It can be resisted by rolling under Health. Once the duration has been passed, it takes an hour for the withered individual to slowly return to their former state.
���Duration: The next dawn/dusk.
���Cost: As detailed above.
���Prequisites: Magery.
| Blight |
Regular; Resisted by HT |
This spell causes the target to age terribly, suffering all the effects of normal old age - brittle bones, dry and thick skin, various pains, etc. This even effects other Cainites. The Necromancer must touch her victim to cast this spell; once it takes effect the target visibly ages within seconds. St, Dx and Ht are all reduced by 5, and Appearance drops by one level, to a minimum of Normal.
���Duration: The next dawn/dusk.
���Cost: 2.
���Prequisites: Reaper's Shroud.
Knowledge of the ways of the dead allows the Necromancer to wrench himself free of death's slumber, or to do the same for another Cainite. In effect, this means that Torpor can be overcome far more quickly than might be otherwise possible. Obviously, when using this power on oneself, no ritual is required, or indeed possible. The roll is made with a penalty equal to half the difference between the targets Humanity or Path rating and 20 ([20-Path]/2), and on a success the target wakes from their Torpor with no ill effects. Should the target have entered Torpor through blood loss, then they awaken with 1 Blood Point in their Pool. For this power to be used on another, physical contact must be made.
���Duration: Permanent.
���Cost: 4.
���Prequisites: Blight.
This allows a Cainite to cheat the Curse of Caine, if only briefly, by truly dying for a time. Once the spell is cast, the Necromancer becomes a mundane corpse, unaffected by sunlight, holy water, etc. The Cainites Blood Pool remains untouched within the body all this time, only being spent when the vampire wishes to rise, which costs 2 Blood Points. The corpse-vampire is unaware of it's surroundings all the while, until it chooses to awaken, and can use no disciplines while in this form, including Fortitude.
���Duration: Caster's choice.
���Cost: 0, but see above.
���Prequisites: Resume the Coil.
| Mercy for Seth |
Special; Resisted by Will |
Perhaps the title of this power is meant to be ironic, or perhaps the Harbingers of Skulls really do feel that death is the only true mercy for a child of Seth (a human); we may never know. In any case, this spell infects a mortal with a virulant plague, akin to those which ravaged Europe during the 11th through 15th centuries. Within 24 hours the victim has developed weeping sores, swollen nodes and blackened extremeties, and then dies painfully. Should a vampire be infected, then they become sickly and enter Torpor within the duration. Physical contact and the expenditure of 1 Blood Point, along with a succesful roll, is required to infect a victim with the plague.
���Duration: 24 hours - until death.
���Cost: 2, and see above.
���Prequisites: True Death.
This Path, formerly known as Nihilistics is the creation of the strange bloodline known as the Nagaraja. It's focus is on the nature of the Underworld, and in particular on the corrosive power of Oblivion, the nothingness feared by all Wraiths.
(This conversion may be quite far removed from the Vampire the Masquerade source material, as it was based on the rules presented for Vitreous Necromancy in Minds Eye Theatre)
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���Prequisites: Magery.
���Duration:
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���Prequisites: Eyes of the Dead.
���Duration:
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���Prequisites: Hour of Death.
���Duration:
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���Prequisites: Soul Judgement.
���Duration:
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���Prequisites: Breath of Thanatos.
| Eldritch Beacon (Sabbat) |
Enchantment |
���Duration: 1 hour per point of success.
���Cost:
���Time to Cast: 15 minutes.
���Prequisites: Magery 1.
���Duration: Until the next dawn.
���Cost:
���Time to Cast: 1 hour.
���Prequisites:
| Din of the Damned (Sabbat) |
Area |
���Duration: Until the next dawn.
���Cost:
���Time to Cast: 30 minutes.
���Prequisites:
| Peek past the Shroud (Sabbat) |
Enchantment |
���Duration:
���Cost:
���Time to Cast: 1 hour.
���Prequisites:
| Chill of Oblivion (Sabbat) |
Regular |
���Duration: 1 night per point of success.
���Cost:
���Time to Cast: 12 hours, less 1 hour per point of success.
���Prequisites:
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