Sanguine Sands
Fourth Level Rituals
• • • • Animated Weapon • • • •
Casting Time: 1 week
Duration: Permanent
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: A weapon, skin of a scavenger animal
Visible Effects: See description
The caster binds the skin around the weapon in wax-sealed nightshade twine. When the confine is torn off, the weapon springs to life and will attack anything its controller commands it
• • • • Blood Certámen • • • •
Casting Time: See Below
Duration: See below
Requirements: See Below
Components: Se Bellow
Visible Effects: See description
While most modern Tremere apprentices see Thaumaturgy as a distinct property of their blood, some aged Tremere who survived the Long Night remember nights as mortal wizards. The clan's very foundation rests upon the traditions of those wizards. The clan's very foundation rests upon the traditions on those wizards - tribunals, apprenticeships, the Tremere Oath; all stem from the organization that the Tremere abandoned in their plummet into damnation. Among those early practices was one magical rite used to settle disputes.
Even though the Tremere traded their mortal sorcery for blood magic, they managed to find ways to turn their old practices into their undead state, and the ritual of certamen made that transition as well. Certamen exists as one of the oldest forms of dispute resolution between wizards, or so the elder Tremere say. In the modern nights, certamen takes a decidedly sinister form, and remains in the hands of very few Tremere. Indeed, perhaps only a half-dozen Tremere below the rank of regent know the ritual itself, and a handful more remain aware of it's existence.
Still, it's use remains protected by ancient tradition, and a Tremere without other recourse can, if he is even aware of it, call for certamen to settle a quarrel. One pontifex supposedly favors certamen as a traditional measure and a hallmark of a true and loyal Tremere - and correspondingly evidences terrifying skill with the practice. The rite of certamen opens with a formal declaration of challenge, though that does not constitute part of the actual ritual. The rite itself sees the contenders in a circle of blood or vitreous humor, where by technique and form - the power to harness Thaumaturgy - they shall settle the matter.
A circle 10 paces across marks the boundaries of the competition, while each participant stands in an interior circle two paces wide and faces the opponent. The interior circles' outer edges just touch upon the inner ring of the large circle, so the competitors stand just a short distance apart. The participants state their terms immediately upon entering the circle, challenger declaring what he stands to gain and defender declaring three limits upon the forms of the combat. Each one intones the ritual for certamen; when both complete it, the test of blood begins, to end only in death, submission or the judgment of the presiding arbiter.
By tradition, each participant brings a second, who makes announcement of this contender and handles offices such as holding the participant's trappings or ritual accoutrements. The seconds stand behind and to the right of their participants. A (supposedly) neutral party arbitrates, and may end the certamen at his discretion; he can, for instance, intervene or prevent a prodigious apprentice from destroying a regent. The arbiter determines or ratifies the victor, and also overrules the apparent victor in rare cases of cheating (though technically, the only way to "cheat" at certamen is to bring in magical artifacts or excess blood without announcing their presence to the arbiter and opponent). The arbiter also determines whether a given certamen contest has a definitive result. Should, say, one contender simply use Movement of Mind to force the other out of the ring a few seconds into the contest, or should both participants exhaust their stores of vitae without a clear victor, the arbiter may declare the matter inconclusive or a draw.
Certamen allows a thaumaturge to extend his usual path effects into more symbolic and devastating forms. Fire magics become incendiary great swords or demonic flamebolts; spirit minions become translucent, armed legionnaires; weather sorcery takes on a viciously turgid aspect. Onlookers watch as the two Tremere contend with the mightiest blood magic at their disposal. Ultimately one must give way or be slain. Each participant holds comparable amounts of power, while the ritual causes Thaumaturgy cast by the two to evidence mystic traces and patterns that allow onlookers to tell what's happening and even give the participants some ability to defend against the opponent's attacks. Victory goes to the finesse and broad knowledge, not to raw power. Should a participant frenzy, his second ( and any attending guards) must put him down immediately; he loses the contest.
Similarly, stepping from the inner circle immediately results in forfeiture. Completion of the ritual does not mystically bind either participant to it's terms, but failure to adhere to one's own agreed upon certamen carries grave weight with nearly every Tremere, and may well lead to condemnation as a rogue ( assuming that the oathbreaker survived the experience). Of course, in the Final Nights certamen exists more as a curiosity than as a common practice. Some few Tremere do use it, but certamen is never frequent nor lightly invoked. A Tremere can decline a challenge of certamen, though doing so usually entails a loss of face among the more traditional members of the clan. Successful certamen garners some small amount of prestige among the few who still consider it an art, but its use remains restricted to personal disputes.
A Tremere cannot use certamen to force a superior to give him rank or to show off his thaumaturgical might, but he could use the rite to legitimately dispose a superior with whom he had a personal grievance or to force a peer to stop interfering in his affairs. Similarly, a higher ranking Tremere may step in as an arbiter, and an dour pontifex may very well step the whole process before it begins. And, of course if the battle results in death, why then someone more competent than the loser must step forward to take over the late kindred's assets and duties. To this night, very few members of the other clans have even heard of certamen. Elder Tremere intend to keep it that way.
System: Certamen ultimately serves a simple game mechanical purpose: the two (always and only two.) Tremere involved in certamen may expend exactly two blood points per turn, regardless of generation. Furthermore, at a cost of one blood point, a player may make a Willpower roll against the opponent's Thaumaturgy roll, with the difficulty being the opposite character's Thaumaturgy. This acts as a normal resisted roll, canceling out the opponent's successes. Because certamen highlights all the thaumaturgical actions, the player can roll Intelligence + Occult (difficulty varies by power) to recognize most incoming thaumaturgical effects and decide whether or not to defend against or respond to them, as if using the poer Thaumaturgical Sight. This allows participants to invoke potent Thaumaturgy and to defend more ably against incoming attacks. The certamen ritual imposes these modifiers only so long as both participants remain in their respective circles.
• • • • Bone of Lies • • • •
Casting Time: 4 Hours
Duration: Permanent
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: Kindred Blood; the bone of a mortal who died over 200 years ago
Visible Effects: See description
The Thaumaturgist can enchant a mortal bone to ascertain if the holder is telling the truth or not. The bone must be at least 200 years old, from a mortal who has never tasted Kindred blood. This ritual takes four hours to perform, and the bone must be bathed in and absorb the Kindred Blood. Thereafter, each time someone bearing the bone lies, it will visibly darken. The bone may be used ten times before it turns ebony and is rendered useless.
• • • • Bottled Voice • • • •
Casting Time: 1 week
Duration: Permanent
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: Prepared bottle and wax
Visible Effects: See description
This ritual involves reciting an incantation, and sealing a specially prepared bottle with wax. The vampire may steal a target’s capacity to speak, and put it into a bottle, where it will remain until it is opened or broken.
• • • • Candle of Haunting • • • •
Casting Time: 30 minutes
Duration: Until Candle is burnt fully
Requirements: Occult ability 2; Latin
Components: A candle made from cemetery dirt and the bones and brain of a dead man, an item of the target
Visible Effects: See description
The caster holds the ignited candle and the item in his hands and incantates. Poltergeist-like activity will plague the victim
• • • • Consecration of the Sanctum • • • •
Casting Time: 1 month
Duration: Permanent
Requirements: Occult ability 2; Latin
Components: A mixture of vitae, gold dust and herbs
Visible Effects: See description
The boundaries of the area are painted with the mixture over the course of a month. Thaumaturgy becomes easier to cast in the area, while, incidently, unhermetic magic becomes more difficult
• • • • The Curse Belated • • • •
Casting Time: 30 minutes
Duration: Permanent
Requirements: Occult ability 2; Latin
Components: A ghoul
Visible Effects: See description
The caster feeds her ghoul a point of their own ensorcelled blood, then brands the ghoul with a sigil representing themself. For as long as this ritual remains in effect, the caster reduces their maximum blood pool by one.
Whilst this ritual is in effect, should the ghoul be killed, the stored vitae within the ghoul’s body will resurrect them, embracing them. The ghoul becomes a full-fledged vampire, the sigil disappears from their body and the ‘invested’ blood point becomes available to them, making the caster aware that their ghoul has died, then been reborn.
• • • • Drawing upon the Bound • • • •
Casting Time: 7-9 hours
Duration: Permanent
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: Vial of Ghoul blood
Visible Effects: None
When carrying a vial of the blood of one’s thrall, the vampire may use any disciplines possessed by her thrall, who may not use them if the vampire is using them. The thrall must be bound directly to the vampire; the Vinculum does not count.
• • • • Firewalker • • • •
Casting Time: Twenty minutes
Duration: One hour
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: A small thaumaturgical circle, traced in coal or ash
Visible Effects: None
The Thaumaturgist traces a small thaumaturgical circle. At the climax of the ritual they must cut-off one of their own fingers, or the finger of the person they are affecting with the ritual. This is not enough to inflict a level of damage.
For the duration of the ritual the subject has the equivalent of Fortitude 3 for the purposes of resisting aggravated damage from fire only. A character who possesses Fortitude already, instead increases their level in Fortitude by 3 for the purposes of resisting fire damage. If this takes their Fortitude over a rating of 5, for every point over 5, they may reduce a point of aggravated damage to nothing.
This ritual is proscribed within clan Tremere’s ranks and to be found with knowledge of it would invite censure. A lower level version is commonly known to exist amongst the ranks of Sabbat Thaumaturges.
• • • • Furtitive Integument • • • •
Casting Time: one to three months
Duration: Permanent
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: Laboratory tools blessed by a spirit of flesh, skin, a wire frame
Visible Effects: None
The caster spreads the skin with a hot iron on the wire frame into a quasi-human form and summons a spirit of illusion to inhabit it Crafts a velluma, a special type of gargoyle.
• • • • Heart of Stone • • • •
Casting Time: 7-9 hours
Duration: Permanent
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: See description
Visible Effects: None
By casting this ritual the caster causes her heart to become solid stone - completely "stakeproof". It is said that Tremere who regularly perform this ritual become emotionless automatons, without a shred of conscience or humanity.
The caster must mould a three-inch-high, two-meter-wide earthen circle on a stone surface (solid stone is preferred, flagstone is acceptable) and must then lie naked on their back in the centre. A candle is placed directly above their heart, and allowed to burn until the wick is gone and the flame is smothered by the candle's wax. The wax melts all over the caster's chest, causing one aggravated wound, which can be soaked with Fortitude. The ritual takes seven to nine hours to complete, but its effects last as long as the caster wishes.
While under this ritual's effects, the caster suffers the following advantages and limitations: The caster cannot be staked and counts as having spent Willpower to resist Presence and other (ST discretion) supernatural powers that manipulate their emotions. They bid half traits on any non-intimidatory aggressive social challenges and if their level in the Expression or Subterfuge abilities is reduced to zero. Finally, if they commit an act that would require them to test to see if they lost humanity, the sin level counts as two levels lower for the purposes of determining the outcome of the challenge (or if they receive a challenge at all)
• • • • Haunting • • • •
Casting Time: 20 minutes
Duration: See Below
Requirements: Occult ability 2; Spirit Lore
Components: None
Visible Effects: See Below
Roll: Charisma + Spirit Lore, difficulty 7
The vampire may summon a spirit, who will try to scare a mortal. How long the spirit stays, and continues to try to scare the mortal, is determined as follows:
1 suc. one hour.
2 suc. one night.
3 suc. one week.
4 suc. one month.
5 suc. one year.
The spirit will try to scare her victim with effects of Pandemonium, Phantasm, or Outrage, of levels between 3 and 5. Standard rules for Fog are applied as the Storyteller sees fit. If only Vampire rules are available, the spirit rolls Charisma + Intimidation + a few extra dice (Storyteller’s discretion), difficulty Stamina + Courage, with effects determined as follows:
1 suc. The victim is scared.
2 suc. The victim is scared beyond any capacity for action for minutes to hours.
3 suc. The victim faints.
4 suc. The victim goes into shock, and really needs to see a shrink.
5 suc. The victim rolls Stamina + Self-Control, difficulty 8. If the roll is failed, she dies of heart failure. If she survives, having her hair turn white is a distinct possibility.
• • • • Infirm Inert • • • •
Casting Time: 20 minutes
Duration: Until sunrise or until used. Also, see description
Requirements: Occult ability 2; Latin
Components: A draught of laudanum, consumed
Visible Effects: The victim’s ability to heal is impeded
This ritual creates a skin contact poison, that must be used before sunrise. The caster must drink a draught of laudanum, then anoint their own hands with their own poisoned blood. They are immune to it’s effects.
The poison must be applied to a victim via skin to skin contact, either through deft social maneuvering, trickery or overt physical grabbing. The poison works only once
A ghoul or vampire affected by the poison finds themself unable to spend blood to heal wounds. They may ignore this effect for a round, by spending a Willpower.
• • • • Infernal Compact • • • •
Casting Time: 1 week to prepare and cast
Duration: Varies
Requirements: Occult ability 2; Latin; Demon Lore
Components: A summoning circle made out from a paste mixed from a child's heart and the grave soil of a heretic
Visible Effects: None
Summons a powerful demon. The demon must remain in the summoner's presence. The demon is not subserviant to the summoner. Its only purpose is to bargain. The summoner trades a portion of his soul, or makes some other favorable pact with the demon, in exchange for power.
• • • • Innocence of the Child’s Heart • • • •
Casting Time: 20 minutes
Duration: Three months
Requirements: Occult ability 2; Latin
Components: See description
Visible Effects: None
To complete this vile ritual, the caster must ritually sacrifice a mortal child and harvest their heart, then bathe one of the child’s beloved toys in the heartsblood. The toy will soak up the blood, appearing clean and pristine as the day it was manufactured.
As long as the caster carries the toy upon their person, their aura reveals them to be a calm human; without the capability to perform magic; who is under no mind controlling effects; who is humanity 10; with the nature of child, who has never committed diablarie. To anyone describing it, their aura is pure white, untainted.
• • • • Invisible Chains of Binding • • • •
Casting Time: 30 minutes
Duration: Until the next sunrise
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: bold gestures, incantating
Visible Effects: None
Binds up to four victims simultaneously with invisible, intangible chains. These chains may be broken with a strength roll.
• • • • Keening of the Banshee • • • •
Casting Time: 30 minutes
Duration: Permanence
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: None
Visible Effects: See Below
The caster screams. The nearest victim's hair turns white and (if mortal) he ages 1-10 years.
• • • • Mark of Amaranth • • • •
Casting Time: 30 minutes
Duration: Until the next sunrise
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: A personal possession of the victim, another Kindred
Visible Effects: None
This despicable ritual is used to incriminate innocent Kindred over the years. The caster must steal a personal possession of the victim, conduct the ritual over that item and then be holding or use the item to kill another Kindred. The object must then be placed in the body of the murdered Kindred, before they crumble to ash.
The victim of this ritual will then appear, to all forms of divination and detection, to have diablarised the unfortunate fatality. This effect lasts for as long as if the victim had diablarised that individual.
This ritual is proscribed within clan Tremere’s ranks and to be found with knowledge of it would invite censure.
• • • • Mirror Walk • • • •
Casting Time: Three nights / 15 seconds
Duration: Permanent
Requirements: Occult ability 2; Latin
Components: Two identical mirrors, at least as tall as the caster
Visible Effects: See description
The thaumaturge permanently enchants two mirrors.
Once enchanted, the thamaturge may stand in front of either mirror and recite a mystical passage of at least fifteen seconds in length causing the surface to shimmer. After which, the thaumaturge may step through one mirror and appear from the other, regardless of the distance between the two.
• • • • Preservation of the Sanguine Heart • • • •
Casting Time: 15 minutes
Duration: Three days
Requirements: Occult ability 2
Components: A drop of Mercury
Visible Effects: None
Created by clan Tremere to protect their Archons and Sheriffs from the powers of the blood bond, Preservation provides some protection, albeit at a cost.
The caster anoints the subject with a blood point, then passes her a prepared chalice with a small amount of molten mercury. The subject drinks the mercury, suffering an aggravated wound in the process, that cannot be reduced through Fortitude.
Afterward the subject is protected from the vaulderie and the blood bond for a period of three days, on the condition that the caster maintains the ritual; that they do not heal the aggravated wound. Additionally, the price for such protection is that they cannot gain any sustenance from feeding during this period. Any blood is consumed without effect, unless they choose to voluntarily end the ritual.
This ritual is proscribed within clan Tremere’s ranks and to be found with knowledge and not be an Archon would invite censure.
• • • • Protean Curse • • • •
Casting Time: 15 minutes
Duration: One night or until broken by caster
Requirements: Occult ability 2; Latin
Components: A vial of blood from a rabid bat
Visible Effects: See Below
Turns the subject into a bat, as though the fourth level of the Protean Discipline had been cast on him. The subject will remain a bat until the ritual is cast on him again. This affects both Kindred and kine.
• • • • Puissant Shield • • • •
Casting Time: 15 minutes
Duration: 1 night
Requirements: Occult ability 2; Latin
Components: Cowhide
Visible Effects: None
creates a kinetic shield which deflects all inanimate projectiles away from the caster
• • • • Rend the Mind • • • •
Casting Time: 15 minutes
Duration: One time
Requirements: Occult ability 2;
Components: The brain of a rabid animal
Visible Effects: None
allows the caster to unleash a single psychic assault ((not to be confused with the Discipline "Psychic Assault")) on any one given target that the Kindred sees
• • • • Rending Sweeting Earth • • • •
Casting Time: 15 minutes
Duration: One time
Requirements: Occult ability 2; Known location of resting vampire
Components: A leather whip
Visible Effects: None
Opens a 10x10 ft. chasm leading to the subterranean resting place of a Kindred in an Earth Melded state. The ritual automatically awakens the target Cainite if he is asleep, unless she is in torpor.
• • • • Respect of Animals • • • •
Casting Time: 15 minutes
Duration: 4 hours
Requirements: Occult ability 2;
Components: None
Visible Effects: None
The vampire will not be considered as a meal, sprayed, mutilated, or otherwise outraged by any animal she meets. Lasts four hours.
• • • • Return of the Heart • • • •
Casting Time: 15 minutes
Duration: An hour
Requirements: Occult ability 2; Latin
Components: The target’s true name; 1 point of the target’s blood used to anoint the subject at the climax of the ritual
Visible Effects: None
This ritual must be cast on a subject within line of sight, either voluntarily, by restraint, or by subterfuge. Upon the ritual’s completion, the victim becomes governed by the path of Humanity (f they are not already) as if they had a humanity rating of 9. Whilst this does not impart a humanity an actual humanity of 9 on the victim, they are often overwhelmed by their own damnation. Furthermore, for the duration of the ritual, if they continue to act as the monster they were before, they risk degenerating rapidly, any lost ‘humanity’ being stripped from their rating after the ritual ends. A vampire of humanity 10 cannot be affected by this ritual.
• • • • Scry • • • •
Casting Time: 15 minutes
Duration: Concentration
Requirements: Occult ability 2; Latin
Components: A bowl of purified spring water mixed with a drop of owl’s blood; See description
Visible Effects: None
The caster must prepare the bowl of water and owl’s blood according to the ritual specifications, then concentrate on either a person or location.
To concentrate on a person, they must possess one of their personal possessions or a trait of the blood. They will be able to see and hear what is happening around the target as if they were with that person. They move with the person.
If the caster concentrates on a location it must be somewhere they have spent at least thirty minutes within the last lunar cycle. With a location, the caster cannot move from it, seeing and hearing the actions of those that come and go as if they were standing in it’s centre.
This ritual is proscribed within clan Tremere’s ranks and to be found with knowledge of it would invite censure.
• • • • Shadowgate • • • •
Casting Time: 20 minutes
Duration: Varies on return
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin; Shadowland knowledge
Components: powder made from coal and human ashes
Visible Effects: See description
This ritual involves a powder made from coal and human ashes (which can be made ahead of time), with which the vampire draws an X over each of her eyes, and stepping into a shadow. By performing it, the vampire can enter and exit the Shadowlands, and any objects she can carry are taken across the Shroud with her.
• • • • Soul of the Homunculus• • • •
Casting Time: Full Night
Duration: See Below
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: A piece of flesh from the caster
Visible Effects: See description
Tremere in need of assistants for their research work cannot always rely upon the loyalty of apprentices. But who can doubt the loyalty of one's own flesh? a homonculus is a tiny creature crafted out of the caster's blood and tissue, which acts as an extension of the caster's will. Crafting a homunculus takes several hours of uninterrupted work, and a thaumaturge can have only one homunculus at a time. the horrid little entity takes shape in a bubbling morass of oil, blood, denuded bone and chunks of the caster's body. At the conclusion of the ritual, the honunculus crawls from it's fatty birthing caul to serve its master. The homunculus can move about under its own power, and may be used as a spy or a means to fetch materials. Many types of homunculi exist; different thaumaturges create different sorts of beasts. The most common are flyers (which resemble tiny winged demons), grubs (which look like worms with their master's faces), and hoppers (small bald, implike entities with their casters' features reduced to miniature). The honunculus acts according to its master's orders, which may be issued nonverbally as long as the beast is in its creator's presence. Over time, some homunculi develop their own personalities and goals, and more than one unnerved Tremere has discovered his homunculus playing malicious pranks behind his back.
System: A homonculus has two health levels and two dots in each Physical Attribute. It works much like a limb of the creator - the homunculus only moves or acts if the caster so wills it. A homunculus cannot fight effectively, but it can push or carry objects, and can often hide or spy on locations unnoticed due to its small size. Though the homunculus is initially wholly loyal, its experiences may eventually (over years) cause it to form a personality of its own, often spawned from the worst qualities of its creator. Homunculi are damaged by sunlight and fire like Kindred. A homunculus, though created from the caster's flesh, is a separate physical entity and thus does not count as an arcane connection, nor do its bodily fluids count as its creator's blood. However, establishing a psychic connection to a homunculus instead projects into the consciousness of its controller. A homunculus must be fed one blood point each week or it will wither and die. Feeding may be an unsettling act to witness - some Tremere suckle them at their own breasts, acting on some undead parental urge, while others treat their imps derisively, holding their opened wrists far above the creature's head while forcing it to caper about for its sustenance.
• • • • Splinter Servant • • • •
Casting Time: 12 hours
Duration: See Below
Requirements: Occult 2; Craft
Components: A stake carved from a tree planted above a grave, wax, nightshade twine
Visible Effects: See description
Another ritual designed to enchant a stake; splinter servant is a progressive development of shaft of belated quiescence. The two rituals are mutually exclusive, which is fortunate for many, because a splinter servant of belated quiescence would be a truly terrifying weapon. A splinter servant consists of a stake carved from a tree, which has nourished itself on the dead, bound in wax sealed nightshade twine. When the binding is torn off, the splinter servant springs to life, animating itself and attacking whomever the wielder commands – or the wielder, if he is to slow in assigning a target. The servant splits itself into a roughly humanoid form and begins single mindedly trying to impale the targets heart. Its exertions tear it apart within a few minutes, but if it pierces the victim’s heart before it destroys itself, it is remarkably difficult to remove, as pieces tend to remain behind if the main portion is indelicately yanked out.
System: The ritual requires 12 hours to cast; -1 per success and the servant must be created as described above. When the binding is torn off, the character that is holding it must point it at the target and verbally command it to attack during the same turn. If this command is not given, the servant attacks the closest being, living or unliving, usually the unfortunate being who currently carries it. A splinter servant always aims for the heart. It has an attack dice pool of the casters wits + occult, a damage pool of the casters thaumaturgy rating, and a max move of 30 yds per turn. Note these are the values of the caster not the wielder. A servant cannot fly but can leap its full move per turn. Every action it takes is to attack or move toward its target; it cannot dodge or split its dice pool to perform multiple tasks. The servant makes normal stake attacks that aim for the heart (Diff 9) and its success is judged by the normal rules for staking. A splinter servant has 3 health levels, and attacks directed at it are made at +3 Diff due to its small size and spastic movement patterns. A splinter servant has an effective life of 5 combat turns per success rolled in its creation. If it has not impaled its victim by the last round of its life, the servant collapses into ordinary splinters. 3 successes on a dex roll (Diff 8) are required to remove a splinter servant from a victim’s heart without leaving behind shards of the stake.
• • • • Stolen Kisses • • • •
Casting Time: 20 minutes
Duration: Until sunrise
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: None
Visible Effects: See description
The caster makes a small incision on their body. Once the ritual is complete, the incision closes. When that part of the body is pressed against a target’s flesh it opens to create mystical orifice that drains a point of blood from the victim every other turn. The ‘kiss’ leaves no visible mark from feeding.
A victim of a stolen kiss does not feel the same ecstasy as when normally fed upon, but nor does it cause any pain. The victim is likely to feel woozy once a couple of blood points have left their system, and black out once five are gone. A kindred or ghoul victim will notice their blood draining instantly, and may act accordingly. The caster creates a blood imp servitor
• • • • Summon Blood Imp • • • •
Casting Time: 3 nights
Duration: Till killed
Requirements: Occult 2; Craft
Components: Pieces of dead parts of animals, inanimate objects, and human cadavers; a cauldron, Tremere blood
Visible Effects: See description
The caster stitches the body parts together and throws them into the cauldron, where the Tremere blood is added. The cauldonr is left to simmer for three nights.
• • • • Suspension of Incantation• • • •
Casting Time: 1 hour
Duration: PConditional on ritual
Requirements: Occult ability 2;
Components: Incantation and Path
Visible Effects: None
The caster chants a long series of incantations and activation clauses. The caster binds a Path Spell to activate under specific circumstances
• • • • Unweave Ritual • • • •
Casting Time: See Below
Duration: See Below
Requirements: Occult ability 2;
Components: See Below
Visible Effects: None
With the preponderance of cursing rituals among jealous Warlocks, it's only a matter of time until a Tremere labors under the effects of an enemy's magic. Whether it's another Tremere eager to discomfit a political adversary, or some non-Tremere thaumaturge looking for retribution, having Thaumaturgy turned around against it's supposed masters makes for a bitter aftertaste indeed. Once a Tremere manages to identify the enemy ritual under which he labors, it's possible to build a counter-sorcery to unweave it. Thaumaturges skilled in this magic learn general principals to confound other rituals, shrug off their effects or collapse them prematurely.
System: First, the caster must figure out what ritual currently afflicts him. This is probably automatic if he knows the ritual ( unless the caster has been very subtle or the subject is daft), but may require some research (and Intelligence + Occult rolls, at the ST discretion) otherwise. Next, the unweaving takes place. The caster must secure a component that would be used in the casting of the offending ritual, then destroy it in some fashion. His successes subtract from the successes scored by the original caster; if he manages to wipe away all of the successes, the offending ritual immediately ends, with all concomitant effects. Thus, a quick end to the Bind the Accusing Tongue would allow the Tremere to speak ill of his enemies again, but a premature end to a Blood Contract would painfully shove him into torpor, and a premature end to Night of the Red Heart would result in Final Death. Only rituals that have a duration can be unwoven. For instance, a Tremere who has thrown off a blood bond through Abandon the Fetters (below) is not constantly under the effects of that ritual - once the ritual is complete, the bond is gone and the ritual is done. However, a Tremere suffering from Steps of the Terrified would be considered under the duration of the ritual as long as it slowed his movement, so it could be unwoven. Note that a thaumaturge can only unweave a ritual on himself, not one on someone else. Also, a thaumaturge suffering from multiple rituals must unweave each one separately. Multiple unweavings can be accumulated against a ritual so long as the appropriate time and components can be acquired.
• • • • Vigil of the Stone Guardian • • • •
Casting Time: Three nights
Duration: Permanent
Requirements: Occult ability 2; French
Components: A stone door knocker, in the shape of a face
Visible Effects: None
To create a stone guardian, the thaumaturge must find (or create) an appropriate door knocker, which, as a minimum, must have both eyes and a mouth and be made of stone, then soak it in their blood for at least three nights. To complete the ritual they must then hang the door-knocker on the front door of their house, or gate to their estate, after which the door-knocker bonds with the door. Short of physical destruction, it cannot be removed.. The caster may only perform this ritual on their own haven. The Regent of a domain may also use it upon the domain’s chantry.
As long at they are within their haven, the caster may spend a point of blood to see and speak through their guardian. Furthermore, they may also use the first two levels of Dominate, Presence & Dementate through the guardian.
The guardian requires regular feeding, as if it were a ghoul. If it goes unfed for more than a month, it reverts to simple stone until fed once more.
• • • • Ward versus Kindred • • • •
Casting Time: 2 Hours
Duration: Permanent
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: Blood of the caster
Visible Effects: None
The caster can create an arcane sigil that will detrimentally affect Kindred. The ward can be placed on an unbroken and immobile circle or loop. Inscribing and enchanting the area requires a blood point from the caster, and the caster must permanently expend a Willpower Trait. If the symbol is somehow discovered and destroyed, the ward's magic is destroyed.
If a Kindred approaches the edge of this barrier (from within or without), they will feel very uncomfortable. If they should actually cross the barrier, the Kindred must make a challenge. On a loss they take four aggravated wounds, on a draw three and on a win two.
Alternatively, the ward can be placed on a melee weapon. If this is the case, the weapon’s damage becomes a base two aggravated when used against a Kindred.
If the caster wishes, individual Kindred can be excluded from either version of the ward if they are present at the casting and donate a blood trait to attune the ward to ignore them, but exclusions to a ward after it has been cast cannot be added later, instead requiring the ward to be destroyed and then recreated. The caster, by contributing their own blood, is always excluded from the effects of the ward.
A ward cannot be any larger than a medium size house.
• • • • Warding Circle versus Kindred • • • •
Casting Time: 2 Hours
Duration: Permanent
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: Blood of the caster
Visible Effects: None
The caster draws a circle made out of interconnected vitae glyphs around the area they want to ward. Vampires who attempt to cross the ward suffer intense pain and possibly death.
• • • • Ward versus Vitae • • • •
Casting Time: 2 Hours
Duration: Permanent
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: Blood of the caster
Visible Effects: None
The caster incantates while marking a material object with a glyph drawn out of vitae. Any vampire of lower Generation who touches the object feels intense pain.
• • • • Warding Circle versus Vitae • • • •
Casting Time: 2 Hours
Duration: Permanent
Requirements: Occult 2; Latin
Components: Blood of the caster
Visible Effects: None
The caster draws a circle made out of interconnected vitae glyphs around the area they want to ward. Vampires of lower Generation who attempt to cross the ward suffer intense pain and possibly death.