Level Two Rituals
The Open Passage: By spending a point of blood and taking an hour to trace an intricate pattern, the vampire can cause a barrier to become insubstantial. This will allow anyone to pass through it during the next turn without affecting the individual or the barrier. For instance, if a character cast Open Passage on a cell wall, she (and anyone else) would be ableto walk through the wall for the next turn, but the wall would still retain its ability to hold up the ceiling, as well as any posters taped to it, and it would continue to look like a normal wall.
Blood Walk: This ritual allows the caster to trace the lineage of another Kindred. It takes a full three hours and a blood point of the subject to be traced. While the caster is in a deep trance, the blood must be tasted, giving the caster knowledge of not only of the Vampire’s immediate Sire, but of successively older generations (a roll of Perception + Empathy, difficulty 6 is required, each success indicating a further generation discovered). Also, the caster automatically knows of any blood bonds the subject may have; Regnant or Thrall. Specific knowledge of each Vampire is obtained, including their true name, personality, and relation to the subject.
Ward Versus Ghouls: This ritual creates a mystic symbol that appears on an object that will protect it from ghouls and transform it into a potent weapon that can be used against them. The caster must use a point of mortal blood, which is poured onto the object to be empowered - usually a small piece of treated parchment, a coin, or some other small object. In ten hours, the ritual is complete and the strange symbol appears, emblazoned on the object. Any ghoul who touches it will sustain a burning jolt (causing three dice of damage, at a difficulty of the ghouls Stamina + Fortitude). As long as the ward is touching the ghoul, he will repeatedly take this damage, and once a ghoul has touched the ward, he must spend a Willpower point to touch it again. The warded object can be placed on an unbroken circle of any consistency and no ghoul will be able to cross into (or out of) the circle. One of the restrictions of the ritual is that the mystic symbol only wards one object. An example of this is when a Warlock places a ward on the side of a car; the ward would effect that panel of the door or fender and not the whole car. A final note: wards can be placed on bullets, but this should be done only to small caliber weapons (about .22 is a safe bet) so as to better the chance of the bullet not passing through the body (remaining in is the only way they will be able to do extra damage). Even then, the ward symbol will probably be destroyed when the bullet is fired because firing usually distorts the shape of the slug. In effect, a character must make at least five successes on her Firearms roll for the ward to survive and to be of use.
Donning The Mask of Shadows: This ritual enables the user to move about in a semi-visible shadow state that is perfect for night stalking. After a twenty minute chant, the caster can only be seen with an Intelligence + Alertness against the caster’s Wits +Stealth. Auspex one reduces the difficulty of a person’s chance to see the shady Warlock by three, and animals can automatically sense her. The ritual lasts the same number of hours as the number of successes in a Willpower roll.
Principle Focus of Vitae Infusion: This causes an object of the caster’s choosing to corporeally alter in order to be infused with a point of his blood. The object must be of a size that the Vampire can easily hold it in both hands, but can be as small as a pea. Of course, one of the caster’s own blood points must be used, and it takes four full hours to complete the proper series of incantations. Afterward, the object takes on a slightly more ruddy hue and is oddly slick to the touch. At any time when he is touching it, the Warlock who infused the object may release it from it’s enchantment, causing it to begin disintegrating. In moments the object completely breaks down to an often disproportionate puddle of blood (the same blood that went in), which can then be used in many ways. The best use of such a pea is to swallow it before allowing it to begin decomposition. Such an "infused focus" can be made for another kindred, she simply must be present at the initial ritual (the blood point must still be the caster’s). Many Tremere wear several pieces of infused jewelry as a safety measure.
Mourning Life Curse: This is a way to coax Vitae from a vessel without having to injure them in anyway. The one hour ritual is performed ahead of time (it involves ingesting a small vial of crocodile blood), but is not completed. The spell is activated when the caster whispers the final power word in a hapless mortal’s ear (the mortal needn’t be predetermined), causing them to begin crying tears of blood. Once it is done, the victim has no defense against the curse -- they continue to cry until the caster loses sight of or removes his gaze from the subject. The effect is not very painful but is often quite traumatic, sleeping vessel will not necessarily awake because of it. The process is low so it takes about five minutes to collect one blood point by this method. The only after-effect is slightly swelled capillaries around the subject’s eyes, along with the normal effects of blood loss.
Calling the Restless Spirit: allows the caster to speak with someone who has died. Requires an Intelligence + Thaumaturgy roll against the targets Willpower with the caster needing two successes. Must be cast within 10 ft of the dead person’s corpse. If caster attempts communication with a ghost, she doesn’t have to be near the body, but must be near where the ghost haunts. This spell does not affect Vampires until after they have been destroyed.
Craft Bloodstone (Sabbat): The Thaumaturgist using this ritual can make a small magical device called a Bloodstone empowered by a Vampire’s own blood. Cast on a real Bloodstone, it allows the vampire to always know the exact location of the Bloodstone, no matter where it is. In many ways it is a mystical homing beacon. The Bloodstone provides only mental information, in a non-visual way. Thus, even though the Vampire knows where the Bloodstone is, he cannot see it. The uses of the Bloodstone are innumerable. It can be used to track new recruits, enemies, ghoul slaves, other pack members, etc. The Bloodstone’s powers wane only after a century or more of use (some have lasted more than 500 years).
The ritual for the creation of a Bloodstone takes several nights to perform. First, a suitable stone must be found and left in a container filled with at least three Blood Points of the vampire’s own vitae. On each of those three nights, a special invocation is said over the container and the Bloodstone ingests one Blood Point. As each Blood Point disappears the blood in the container becomes more and more like water on the third night, when the Thaumaturgist removes it, it is completely clear. The stone will have an unnatural perception and depth of color.
(Sabbat): This ritual allows a vampire to see through the eyes of a bird and hear through its ears. The bird chosen must be touched by the vampire when the ritual is cast. The vampire is able to mentally control where the bird travels for the duration of the ritual. The bird cannot be commanded to perform any action other than flight.
The vampire must close her eyes in order to see through those of the bird. This ritual requires "magic birdseed". The birdseed is typical birdseed, but is soaked in a solution of black cohosh root, hemlock bark, heartsease and other bizarre ingredients. The bird must be fed the "magic birdseed" for the ritual to work. Most birds will not turn down the magic seeds.
(Sabbat): The vampire makes machines go haywire with this ritual. It takes effect instantly and lasts as long as the vampire concentrates on it. The ritual causes machines of any sort, including appliances, weapons, power tools, plumbing, electronics, etc. To animate to a certain degree, even to the point of attacking whomever the vampire desires. The ritual is much more effective when using cars, huge machines, or weapons.
The machines are not capable of full animation, but may perform any actions similar to those they are normally capable of. For example, a cassette player could spit out the cassette, spew tape everywhere, fall over, turn on, turn off, and change volume. It could not slide over and hit a person or eject a tape with enough force to hurt someone. The exact effects should be left up to the Storyteller.
- Power of the Invisible Flame
(Sabbat): This simple ritual allows a vampire skilled in the Thaumaturgic path known as Lure of the Flames to create invisible fires. The flames are just as real, however, and while they cannot be seen, they can be felt. The ritual lasts one full night. There are no material components required for this ritual, but the vampire must cast the ritual around a fire of at least torch size.
Recure of the Homeland
(Sabbat): The vampire can draw upon the soil of her homeland to heal any aggravated wounds she may have. The Thaumaturgist must have at least a handful of dirt from the city or town of her birth. She then places an enchantment upon it so it will heal her at a later time. One handful heals aggravated wound, and only one handful can be used each night.
Any amount of soil may be enchanted over a period of time, but this ritual can only be cast once per night. It takes one day for the soil to heal the wound. The soil turns gray and chalky after it works its magic, and cannot be used again.
(Sabbat): This ritual lets the caster slow down any specific foe. The harder the victim tries to run, the slower she becomes. During the first turn she moves at half her normal speed. If she tries to speed up, she slows to one-quarter her normal speed. Eventually, she slows to the point that she cannot move faster than walking speed. This ritual is often used to catch tricky prey or terrify an opponent. The vampire is often able to walk while the victim is trying to run, and still catch up with her. The material component of this ritual is a small cube of dried mud, perfectly square on all sides.
Summon Guardian Spirit
(Sabbat): This power allows the vampire to summon a spirit for the express service of guarding him. The spirit aids the vampire in no way except to alert him to danger. Vampires often summon spirits to fill this duty while they sleep. The vampire is able to see the spirit summoned, but the spirit may not speak. In addition, the spirit will only be visible to the vampire during times of danger. Though the spirit cannot speak, it may communicate by ringing a bell, knocking on the bed, etc. The spirit serves the vampire for 24 hours.
Impassable Trail
(Sabbat): The vampire can travel through even the densest woods without leaving any sign of passing. The vampire will still leave a trail for vampires or Lupines with powerful olfactory senses, but this will be all. The ritual requires the vampire to wrap her feet in soft deerskin, and lasts for one night.
Blood Call
(Sabbat): This ritual creates a limited psychic link between two willing characters. If either character is destroyed, the other will know instantly and will have a clear but fleeting vision of the manner of the character’s demise -- for instance, whether the character fell honorably in the performance of a contract, or was fatally tricked or betrayed. The ritual costs each participant two Blood Points (though only one of them need actually know the ritual), and takes an hour to complete.
Black Water
(Black Hand): The Thaumaturgist can pour a special pitch-black oil into a pool of water, thus turning the water solid black. The black water cannot be seen through from the surface, but it has no other effect. The surface of the water will remain black until the effect is dispelled, the water evaporates or the black water is diluted with a large enough amount of normal water. Ancient Thaumaturgists used this ritual to blacken the water of their moats or pools so their underwater guardians could not be seen.
One pint of oil covers a small swimming pool-size area. The oil will last for a week, but a large amount can be prepared at one time.
- The Veils of Kirophet
: This ritual causes a dark, roiling mist to obscure a given area, while at the same time allowing the caster to see through it as if it were not there -- in effect, everyone within the area except the caster is physically blinded (anyone with Auspex, however, can attempt a Perception + Alertness roll [difficulty 7]). The ritual requires an Intelligence + Intimidation roll (difficulty 7). On a botch, the caster is both blinded and disoriented with the same effect as that listed next to four successes, below.
- Shapes appear dark and fuzzy to the target’s vision, and the target can only see figures that are standing two feet away.
- The target literally can only see what is under his nose.
- The target cannot see at all.
- The target cannot see and suffers from minor disorientation (-1 to all Wits and Orienteering rolls).
- The target cannot see and suffers from major disorientation (-3 to all Wits and Orienteering rolls).
(Anarch): This is a testing ritual, usually performed on new neonate members to make sure they are not working for the prince. The caster cuts his palm, and does the same to the young neonate. They then clasp hands, mixing their blood while the caster stares into the eyes of the neonate, searching for any mystical sign of the prince’s blood or power. He rolls Perception + Intimidation (difficulty of the neonate’s Willpower). Any successes reveal if the neonate is Blood Bound or under the control of a vampire’s Discipline. The anarchs will usually refuse to accept anyone who tests positive to this ritual, unless she has a damn good explanation.
Learning the Mind Enslumbered: This ritual has several requirements. First, the subject must be asleep or unconscious; drugged is fine. Second, a circle about two feet in diameter must be drawn on level ground with the subject’s blood. Third, the caster must bake two small cakes with barley, olive oil, and the caster’s blood. These cakes must be placed in each person’s mouth, under the tongue, and left there throughout the ritual. After a short incantation, both the subject and the caster must lay on the ground, with their heads in the circle and touching. As the caster enters a semi-conscious trance, he can probe the subject’s mind and get almost any information that the subject has experienced, known, or thought. A simple Perception + Empathy roll (difficulty five0 is required to learn any single fact. The number of successes explains the degree of clarity of the fact. A botch indicates the fact can never be known through the ritual.
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