成功数/个 | 持续时间 |
1 | 1晚 |
2 | 3晚 |
3 | 1周 |
4 | 1月 |
5 | 1年 |
6+ | 永久(或直到被祝福移除) |
成功数/个 | 持续时间 |
1 | 1晚 |
2 | 3晚 |
3 | 1周 |
4 | 1月 |
5 | 1年 |
6+ | 永久(或直到被祝福移除) |
成功数/个 | 持续时间 |
1 | 1幕 |
2 | 1晚 |
3 | 2晚 |
4 | 4晚 |
5 | 1周 |
6+ | 永久(或直到被祝福移除) |
道艺等级 | 召唤恶魔 |
● | 杂碎恶魔(属性4/3/2,技能3/2/1,意志点3,健康等级4) |
●● | 疯狂恶魔(属性5/4/3,技能4/3/2,意志点4,健康等级6,血量点5,2点异能,1点必须投疯狂术) |
●●● | 欲望恶魔(属性6/5/4,技能5/4/3,意志点6,健康等级7,血量点6,4点异能,2点必须投威仪术) |
●●●● | 杀戮恶魔(属性7/6/5,技能6/5/4,意志点7,健康等级8,血量点7,6点异能,3点必须投坚韧术) |
●●●●● | 具名恶魔(属性8/7/6,技能7/6/5,意志点8,健康等级10,血量点10,8点异能,随意分配,但单项异能不过6) |
成功数/个 | 控制程度 |
1 | 被束缚在圈内1晚,只听从术士 |
2 | 被束缚在圈内1晚,会听从附近的任何人,并回答简单问题 |
3 | 被束缚在术士目光可及处1晚。相当顺从,会准确回答复杂问题 |
4 | 被束缚在术士目光可及处1晚。被迫以简单任务服侍术士 |
5 | 能离开术士视线执行邪恶任务。心甘情愿顺从术士命令1晚 |
6+ | 召唤高1级的恶魔,控制程度同4。等级上限为具名恶魔 |
失败 | 召唤无效。需再次献祭尝试 |
道艺等级 | 火焰说明 |
● | 火星(吸收难度3,1个等级伤害/个回合) |
●● | 炉火(吸收难度4,2个等级伤害/个回合) |
●●● | 喷灯(吸收难度5,3个等级伤害/个回合) |
●●●● | 喷射器(吸收难度7,4个等级伤害/个回合) |
●●●●● | 大火(吸收难度9,5个等级伤害/个回合) |
成功数/个 | 持续时间 |
1 | 1周 |
2 | 5天 |
3 | 4天 |
4 | 2天 |
5 | 1天 |
成功数/个 | 持续时间 |
1 | 1回合 |
2 | 5回合 |
3 | 1小时 |
4 | 1晚 |
5 | 2晚 |
成功数/个 | 持续时间 |
1 | 1回合 |
2 | 5回合 |
3 | 半小时 |
4 | 1小时 |
5 | 1晚 |
道艺等级 | 效果 |
● | 每休息1天回复3点 |
●● | 每休息1天回复2点 |
●●● | 每休息1天回复1点 |
●●●● | 每休息1周回复1点 |
●●●●● | 每休息2周回复1点 |
Description
No sacrifice is meaningless. Each one serves your master’s purpose. Ultimately, you will be left alone. With nothing left to give, you will finally become his flawless, unquestioning tool. I beg you to consider carefully your destination before taking further steps.
— Ankhesenaten, Follower of Set and execrator of the Lisbon infernalists
The study of blood magic is by no means a pure act. The sorcerer caste of Clan Assamite, the Witches of Echidna descended from the Followers of Set, and even the nascent Tremere understand the scholarly pursuit of dominion over life, the rules set down by God or gods, and basic manipulation of the blood are all impure. Many safeguards must be upheld to prevent the practitioners’ descent into spiritual decay.
Those studying Dark Thaumaturgy suffer no such compunction. Assamites murmur of a time when Dark Thaumaturgy was the province only of one of their eldest — a great beast named Ur-Shulgi, who fell torpid after probing too deeply into the dark recesses of forbidden sorcery — though these nights an increasing number of vampires attempt manipulations of the Discipline, consorting with demons of all breeds to gain a foothold on the ladder to power.
Common among the Baali, Tremere novices lacking a firm mentor, and the descendants of Assamites and Brujah present in Carthage, Dark Thaumaturgy is a forbidden fruit. The power gained through its practice is swift, yet each Path bears a price. To learn any aspect of Dark Thaumaturgy, the vampire requires consort with a demon. Some Paths require physical congress with an unholy creature, where others require enforced servitude to a fiend’s whims. Even worse are the Paths bearing the toll of sacrifice. Not limited to the sacrifice of a deserving foe, or even a pure and innocent child — these routes to power demand the murder of the blood magician’s loved ones and trusted associates.
The Setites despise Dark Thaumaturgy. As a clan devoted to their cults, families, and worshipers, they give would-be thaumaturgists advice on what deal may be good or bad. Serpents excel in earning the trust of other Cainites, though their counter-deals are said to carry as many conditions as those with demons.
System: Dark Thaumaturgy powers incur the same costs and require the same rolls as normal Thaumaturgy (see V20 Dark Ages p. 297). Each Path of Dark Thaumaturgy afflicts its user with a price. Each price is different, though the effects worsen with increased levels in each Path. All targeted Dark Thaumaturgy Path effects may be resisted with a Willpower roll (difficulty 6, plus the infernalist’s Dark Thaumaturgy rating, to a maximum of 9).
Die Heriroschaft Des Wyrm (Tyranny of the Wyrm)
You ask me what people are more likely to be diabolists and murderers. I assure you; anyone can be a diabolist and a murderer.
— Harold the Zettler, Malkavian engraver, and scholar of Banes
Die Heriroschaft des Wyrm is a recent Path, first practiced by a line of Malkavian thaumaturgists in the region of Hesse, within the Fiefdoms of the Black Cross. Said to be mentored by babbling demons in service to a three-headed dragon, the neophyte blood magicians soon embraced infernalism with aims of overtaking the embryonic Tremere, and assisting Salubri allies in their retribution against the Usurpers. Tragically, the price of dealing with the unholy soon swept the Malkavians away from their intended course.
A Malkavian engraver, or “zettler,” as called by the native people of Hesse, betrayed his entire bloodline in sacrifice to the dragon. In exchange he gained full knowledge of the Tyranny of the Wyrm, and gifts allowing him powers beyond his neonate years. The zettler’s recent disappearance, and other Cainites’ subsequent discovery of his perfectly preserved scrolls detailing the Path, has led to a boutade of intrepid infernalists arising in the area.
Price: Like the Clan responsible for its creation, Die Heriroschaft des Wyrm is unstable. Should a victim realize he’s being affected through forewarning or evidence of the infernalist’s intent, he may make a Wits + Occult roll (difficulty equal to the infernalist’s permanent Willpower, requiring as many successes as the infernalist has points in Dark Thaumaturgy). His success causes the power’s effects to rebound onto the infernalist. A botch on any Die Heriroschaft des Wyrm roll also causes the effects to afflict the infernalist.
A blessing from someone with True Faith will remove any ill effects caused by this Discipline. The infernalist’s death does not remove these effects, as in her stead, demons will perpetuate the various curses and pains.
● Malfean infection
Through use of Malfean Infection, the infernalist desecrates a holy individual, eroding his True Faith without the victim even knowing the power is taking effect.
System: The infernalist must know the name of her target, and paint an eye on her palm in vitae. For each success on the Discipline use, the victim loses any powers associated with his True Faith for a number of nights:
Successes Duration 1 One night 2 Three nights 3 One week 4 One month 5 One year 6+ Permanent (or until removed via a blessing)
If reflected back on the infernalist due to a botched roll or the victim successfully combating the effect with a Wits + Occult roll, the Malfean Infection prevents Dark Thaumaturgy’s use for a number of nights corresponding to the number of successes, as stated above. This limitation can be removed through a new subservient deal with a demon.
●● Bane to the Soul
The Malkavians who forged Die Heriroschaft des Wyrm communed with spiritual demons called “Banes,” which they successfully discovered could be summoned and attached to the souls of their enemies. By grafting a Bane onto a foe, they discovered the victim would be inclined to act on all her worst impulses.
System: The infernalist must hold an item or article once touched by her target, and drip vitae upon it. A demonic Bane will attach to the target’s soul on a success, increasing the difficulty of Virtue tests by +2 (to a maximum of 9). Each success determines how long the Bane remains:
Successes Duration 1 One night 2 Three nights 3 One week 4 One month 5 One year 6+ Permanent (or until removed via a blessing)
●●● Dissonant Miserere
Through chanting, incantation, and inspired clack, the infernalist penetrates her victim’s mind with the endless toiling noise of her ravings. The cacophony of a Dissonant Miserere persists night after night, planting a seed in the victim’s mind that sanctuary may only be found by calling upon a demon of madness, who might remove the babble. The power acts as a doorway for such a demon, waiting to strike when the victim is at his weakest. The victim must beg for the demon to step through in order for this to happen.
System: The infernalist must possess a piece of the victim’s skin, hair, or a nail, and soak it in vitae. The Wyrm’s screaming mouths enter the victim’s mind, increasing the difficulty of all Willpower tests and any test requiring concentration by one point per success rolled (to a maximum of difficulty 9), and removes a temporary Willpower point from the victim each night it remains.
The effect is permanent, until the victim receives a blessing or calls upon a madness demon to relieve him of this pain. If the latter occurs, the demon — a shrieking creature without tangible form — will offer the victim a reprieve in exchange for a service. The nature of this service depends on how weak-willed the demon believes the victim is at this point (and is determined by the Storyteller), but typical requests include the murder of an innocent, the divestment of all worldly goods, or a sacrifice of vitae to the infernalist.
●●●● Feed the Wyrm
By drinking the blood of his victim, the infernalist creates a sympathetic link between his demonic masters and the targeted vampire. This link causes agony, and sometimes even death, as the infernalist’s magic twists and mutates the victim’s body. A reprieve is only available if the sufferer agrees to serve the Wyrm with foul future deeds.
System: The infernalist must possess a portion (one blood point) of the victim’s blood, mix his vitae with it, and drink the concoction. This may form a blood bond, if the blood is that of another vampire. Once the blood is swallowed, a successful roll inflicts one level of aggravated damage per success. This damage may be soaked with Fortitude. The victim’s body contorts with pain and manifests inhuman growths, reducing her Appearance rating by two dots. The Appearance loss is cumulative if this power is used more than once.
The victim may only recover her Appearance rating by agreeing to serve the Wyrm. If she does so, an urge demon of vanity appears in a reflective surface and demands a sacrifice, the severity of which is determined by how great a loss of beauty has occurred. Sacrifices may entail ripping the smile from a newborn’s face, slaying a dozen virgins, or the victim allowing a Maeljin to permanently inhabit her soul.
●●●●● House the MaelJin
According to the Malkavian thaumaturgists who founded this Path, the Maeljin are among the most powerful and wise of demons. These incarnations of vice, filth, and immorality are masters of Banes and extra-dimensional demigods. House the Maeljin allows the infernalist to play host to one of the Maeljin, at the expense of a dire sacrifice. The power benefits for hosting a Maeljin are numerous. The moral toll it takes is immense.
System: The infernalist must murder a mortal or vampire with whom they hold a close relationship. If the victim is a vampire, the infernalist must perform diablerie on his prey. A successful roll manifests one of the Maeljin in the body of the infernalist. Each success determines how long the Maeljin remains:
Successes Duration 1 One scene 2 One night 3 Two nights 4 Four nights 5 One week 6+ Permanent (or until removed via a blessing)
If the Maeljin remains permanently, the vampire runs the risk of losing all control to the demon inside them. It then becomes a race to achieve purification before the Maeljin can exert absolute dominance.
The natures of the various Maeljin differ. As beings of elemental unholiness, they represent abstract sins, such as shame, loss, anger, and a multitude of further intangible concepts. Maeljin all empower their host with six points to spread among Attributes (no Attribute may gain more than two), six points to spread among Abilities, and six points to spread among Disciplines (no Discipline may gain more than two). The Storyteller decides where these points are allocated on the character sheet.
As examples of how a possessing Maeljin may empower its host, a Maeljin of Lust might allocate six points across Social Attributes, place three points in Performance and another three in Expression, with two points going to Presence, two more to Dominate, and the final two on Daimonion. A Maeljin of Lies may allocate two points to Manipulation, two to Intelligence, and two to Dexterity, with six points spread among coercive Abilities. The final six might be allocated to Obfuscate, Presence, and Chimerstry.
An inhabiting Maeljin allows its host to practice the powers it has bestowed freely. It wants the host empowered and terrible. However, occasionally it will attempt to sway or outright control its host into acting in ways favorable to its alien agenda. In such cases, the vampire must make an Instinct/Self-Control roll (difficulty 8) to not act in the way the Maeljin wishes. The Storyteller determines the Maeljin’s wishes. It may attempt to exert control once a night.
As the Maeljin approaches the conclusion of its inhabitation, it seeks to consume the host by driving him into an act of self-destruction. The Maeljin can only attempt this once, but to resist throwing himself onto a pyre, greeting the sun, or walking into a sanctified building, the vampire must succeed on a Courage roll (difficulty 9). If his coterie attempts to restrain him, he immediately falls to frenzy. The Maeljin will depart peacefully if unsuccessful in its attempt to claim the entire soul of its host.
Rego Calatio (Rule of Summoning)
God punishes us for everything. Open yourself, and let the devil inside!
— Ahab the Traitor, infernalist Salubri of the wilds
The formation of the Rego Calatio dates back to an era before records were scribed in ink. The creators of this Path are unknown and unnamed, their researches engraved in stone or daubed in blood on hides and bones. The Path is dedicated to the summoning and binding of demons. In recent centuries, these demons have begun to appear in forms expected and feared by mortals, manifesting as caricatures of greed, lust, sloth, and wrath. In times past, they were as likely to appear as pillars of roiling smoke, the weeping of children, or the stench of rot. The demons contacted by Rego Calatio are not bound to any set form, and may appear however they wish.
Summoners of demons are daring. Demons know that by appearing physically, they are weakened, but can easily dominate and destroy summoners lacking sufficient wherewithal to control them. Many demons are pleased to serve under magical binding, as they’re likely to be asked to perpetrate something they’d do if free anyway; but most demons will resist attempts at control on principle. A demon summoned by Rego Calatio remains on Earth until the sun rises, or it hears church bells.
Price: The unholy nature of Rego Calatio is such that any area in which it’s practiced becomes spoiled; the people become sick, and the livestock malformed. Use of Rego Calatio produces a necromantic sequela (see p. 52) based on its level. The practitioner suffers horrific nightmares across a number of nights equal to the successes rolled in summoning. These nightmares force the infernalist to lose two blood points upon waking, instead of the normal one, and a Willpower roll is required (difficulty 7), otherwise two temporary Willpower are also lost. A botch on this roll causes an appropriate Derangement to wrack the infernalist for twice the duration of her summoning-induced nightmares.
System: Each level of this Discipline requires the sacrifice of another being’s life, the majority of demons requiring the death of an innocent in a circle of bloodied bones. If a named demon is being summoned, their name must be painted in the summoner’s vitae on a rock in the center of the circle. The infernalist must expend Willpower points equal to the level of Rego Calatio activated, otherwise the summoned demon is free and will either ignore or attack its summoner. Demons can soak all types of damage with their Stamina, unless that damage is caused by someone with True Faith.
Path Levels Demons ● Petty Demon (Attributes 4/3/2, Abilities 3/2/1, Willpower 3, Health 4) ●● Madness Demon (Attributes 5/4/3, Abilities 4/3/2, Willpower 4, Health 6, Blood Points 5, two points of Disciplines, one of which must be Dementation) ●●● Passion Demon (Attributes 6/5/4, Abilities 5/4/3, Willpower 6, Health 7, Blood Points 6, four points of Disciplines, two of which must be Presence) ●●●● Murderous Demon (Attributes 7/6/5, Abilities 6/5/4, Willpower 7, Health 8, Blood Points 7, six points of Disciplines, three of which must be Potence) ●●●●● Named Demon (Attributes 8/7/6, Abilities 7/6/5, Willpower 9, Health 10, Blood Points 10, eight points of Disciplines, allocated wherever the infernalist chooses with a maximum of six points in a single Discipline)
The number of successes rolled determines how much control the infernalist has over his summoned demon:
Successes Control 1 The demon is bound to the circle for a night, and will only listen to the infernalist. 2 The demon is bound to the circle for a night, and will listen to anyone in its proximity, answering simple questions. 3 The demon is bound to remaining within eyeshot of the infernalist for a night. It is well disposed and will answer complicated questions accurately. 4 The demon is bound to remaining within eyeshot of the infernalist for a night. It is forced to serve the infernalist in simple tasks. 5 The demon is able to leave the infernalist’s sight and do his dark bidding. It willingly submits to the infernalist’s decrees for the night’s duration. 6+ A demon one grade higher than intended is summoned, and treated as if summoned with 4 successes. The maximum grade is the Named Demon. Failure The summoning does not occur. It may be retried with a new sacrifice.
The inhabitants of Hell
Before you I stand naked; shorn of race, gender, title, age, and identity. Be birthed through me, so I might be reborn.
— Zoroastrian summoning chant
Hell takes many forms. Many faiths lack a codified concept of Hell as a plane, or punishing form of afterlife, but mortals and vampires alike can imagine a spiritual torment awaiting them in the event of transgressions against their fellow beings, betters, and gods.
Necromancy handles the coaxing of departed souls, though the essence of beings utterly rotten in spirit and deed takes an almost elemental form, not beholden to the abilities of Cappadocians and their fellows. Such malicious spirits - sometimes named as negative coalescences, afterdeeds, or Banes - manifest with the beckoning powers of Dark Thaumaturgy Paths and Rituals.
Demons exist in a place mortals sometimes name Hell, dwelling across varied strata of spiritual and material existence. While some entities tell of a plane of fire, ash, and blood in which they suffer for eternity until their calling by infernalists, other monsters - also naming themselves as demons - claim their homes as gulfs of void, mountainous peaks of ice, the space between memories, the shadows behind the door, and the ill will of jealous men. In short, demons are many and varied, and not all fit the criteria of an Abrahamic devil. All are subject to summoning, by one means or another, and all exact some kind of price for their services.
Jollux, Petty Demon
A demon standing a meter (1 yard) tall, and equal length wide - the Jollux is a milk-pale entity resembling an ectomorphic box, or blob, with stump-like limbs and sharpened coins for teeth. Representative of petty greed and theft, the Jollux enjoys making mortals go hungry by sneaking into their larders and devouring all dried foods kept for the winter, before disappearing into the night.
The Jollux is a weak combatant, but bears an animal cunning it puts to use in mischief and humiliation. When given the correct sacrifice, a Jollux may advise a vampire on how best to embarrass a foe or drive another Cainite to frenzy.
Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 1, Stamina 1, Charisma 0, Manipulation 2, Appearance 0, Perception 1, Intelligence 1, Wits 2
Abilities: Empathy 2, Legerdemain 1, Stealth 2, Investigation 1
Willpower: 3
Health: 4
Shp’murrl Tsong, Madness Demon
This demon rarely appears in any tangible way, preferring a roiling form of yellow mist layered with blinking, undulating eyes wreathed in lips, and pulsating veins. The eyes mewl and chitter, and react with awareness to entreaties and threats.
Shp’murrl Tsong is often summoned to act as a disturbance, whether as an instant effect or over a lengthy period. The demon can reside in the walls and roof of a house, inducing a form of mania in the resident. It also holds the ability to bite its foes, though this is a last recourse. The demon prefers to flee when faced with violence.
Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 1, Stamina 1, Charisma 1, Manipulation 4, Appearance 0, Perception 2, Intelligence 1, Wits 1
Abilities: Brawl 1, Empathy 3, Intimidation 1, Stealth 3, Medicine 2, Occult 2
Disciplines: Dementation 1, Obfuscate 1
Willpower: 4
Health: 6
Notes: The Shp’murrl Tsong commonly has a reserve of five blood points.
Tuqburni, Passion Demon
The Tuqburni appears as an intensely alien being of an unspecified gender, driven to provoking a disturbing sexual reaction from its victims. It’s commonly seen stalking the domains of Assamites and Setites. Often clad in very little but for scars in the place of its nipples, genitals, and anus, the nocturnal Tuqburni creeps into the homes of virgins and faithful spouses, stealing their innocence through physical and emotional assaults.
This demon is known to drive mortals into supplication despite the ghastly appearance marring its body. It copulates with its targets in private, who are never able to explain how exactly the Tuqburni consummated the acts attributed to it.
Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 1, Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance 1, Perception 1, Intelligence 2, Wits 1
Abilities: Empathy 3, Subterfuge 2, Performance 1, Melee 2, Medicine 4 Disciplines: Auspex 1, Celerity 1, Presence 2
Willpower: 6
Health: 7
Notes: The Tuqburni commonly has a reserve of six blood points.
Sacristan, Murderous Demon
The sacristan demons are only called upon when bloodshed is required. Monstrous to behold - flesh pierced with jagged pieces of metal and bone, and bearing awful weapons both serrated and dripping with venom - the sacristan possess few redeeming features. They grin impossibly wide as they cut up victims and flay them slowly, ensuring a pained death in which the dying beg for mercy. This is only granted in exchange for their souls.
Sacristan are commonly clad in the robes of a local priesthood, though they are not demons present in any existing religion’s history. They gleefully rush into combat, savoring every drop of blood they spill.
Attributes: Strength 2, Dexterity 3, Stamina 2, Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 0, Perception 2, Intelligence 1, Wits 2
Abilities: Alertness 2, Athletics 3, Intimidation 1, Melee 4, Stealth 2, Medicine 2, Theology 2
Disciplines: Celerity 3, Potence 3
Willpower: 7
Health: 8
Notes: The sacristan commonly have a reserve of seven blood points.
Marquis Decarabia, Named Demon
Decarabia refers to himself as the Great Marquis of the Christian Hell, though he is undoubtedly more venerable than that faith. The demon claims to lead legions of diabolic minions, and to understand the secrets of poisons and alchemy. He has mastered the ability to shift form between humanoid, a flock of birds, and a pentagram tattoo on the skin of his summoner.
When appearing as a humanoid, the Marquis’s brown skin radiates a sick, grey mist. He stands tall and broad like a woodsman, hefting a great, bloody axe over his shoulder. Across his face, the Marquis wears a bone visor comprised of the fingers of a dozen children. He speaks with a rich accent, fluent in every language and happy to converse about any subject.
According to the Marquis, he escaped a labyrinth in which thousands of his kind are held. The veracity of this claim is hotly disputed and researched by infernalists, many of whom have been led to Hell by the Marquis in search of his peers. No infernalists who accompany the demon return to the world of the living.
Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2, Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2, Perception 2, Intelligence 4, Wits 2
Abilities: Alertness 1, Athletics 1, Intimidation 2, Leadership 2, Subterfuge 1, Etiquette 3, Melee 2, Academics 1, Occult 2, Theology 3
Disciplines: Dominate 3, Flight 3, Potence 2
Willpower: 9
Health: 10
Notes: The Marquis commonly has a reserve of ten blood points.
(Attributes 8/7/6, Abilities 7/6/5, Willpower 9, Health 10, Blood Points 10, eight points of Disciplines, allocated wherever the infernalist chooses with a maximum of six points in a single Discipline)
The Fires of the Inferno
Practitioners of the Fires of the Inferno may summon forth balefire that springs forth from her hands in jets or globes. Many believe that this malignant green flame is conjured from the very depths of Hades. Being burned by these fires is to taste the agonies that await them in Hell. Witnessing the conjuring of the Fires of Inferno allows anyone with mystical senses to know the source is infernal. Balefire is greatly feared, as fire is one of the surest ways to bring Final Death to a vampire.
System: The number of successes determines how accurately the vampire places the flame in his desired location (declared before the roll is made). Individual descriptions are not provided for each level of this path - fire is fire, after all (and can potentially cause frenzy in other vampires witnessing it). The chart below describes the path level required to generate a specific amount of flame. To soak the damage at all, a vampire must have the Fortitude Discipline.
Fire under the caster’s control does not harm the vampire or cause him to frenzy, but fires started as a result of the unnatural flame affect the thaumaturge normally.
Path Levels Flame ● Lighter (difficulty 3 to soak, one health level of damage/turn) ●● Stovetop (difficulty 4 to soak, two health levels of damage/turn) ●●● Blowtorch (difficulty 5 to soak, three health levels of damage/turn) ●●●● Flame-thrower (difficulty 7 to soak, four health levels of damage/turn) ●●●●● Conflagration (difficulty 9 to soak, five health levels of damage/turn)
The Path of Phobos
Infernalists know the power of fear and the leverage of desperation. Practitioners of this path mystically tap into the depths of their victims’ psyches, prying the terrors from their minds and making them appear real. Sophisticated Sabbat infernalists prefer this path, as they enjoy the sublime effects of using the subjects’ own fears against them rather than vulgar, brutal displays of fire and demonic servants.
Infernalists that inflict nightmares upon others risk consuming the horrible memories that have leached from their victims, only to relive them later. Storytellers should force a Manipulation + Empathy roll (difficulty 7) on any character that utilizes the Path of Phobos more than once in a given story.
Each evening while reliving the nightmares of her victims, she will wake soaked with blood; effectively costing an extra point of blood to wake due to the lack of sound sleep. Such is the price of hellish insight. The number of successes indicates how long the character must cope with the sea of stolen terrors rampaging in her mind.
Successes Duration 1 One Week 2 Five Days 3 Four Days 4 Two Days 5 One Day
● Induce Fear
The infernalist harnesses the power of Hell to twist the mind of her victim, leaving her to feel paranoid. Subtle shapes and shadows shimmer at the edge of the victim’s vision, tormenting her by lurking just beyond her range of sight.
System: The infernalist may target any subject within her line of sight. She must concentrate, gesture towards the victim, and chant the proper invocation to Hell. Should she succeed, the victim becomes noticeably upset and preoccupied, which should be role-played. To resist, the victim must make a Courage roll (difficulty 4 + the number of successes achieved on the activation roll, to a maximum of 9) to take any action other than looking for the imagined stalker.
All of the victim’s dice pools for the duration of this power are automatically reduced by one. The duration of this power is limited by the number of successes achieved on the activation role:
Successes Duration 1 One Turn 2 Five Turns 3 One Hour 4 One Night 5 Two Nights
●● Spook
This power transforms suspicion to dread, as the flitting shadows become frightening threats. The victim senses something terrible is about to happen to him unless he immediately flees the area. He might imagine she sees the flash of a gun barrel or hears the clicking of hard-soled shoes on the pavement just behind her. He might even believe she smells her pursuer’s sweat or feels his damp breath on the back of her neck.
System: The infernalist must see her victim and whisper a prayer to Hell for this power to work. The nagging sense of discomfort in the back of the character’s mind becomes more tangible. Mortals must make a successful Courage roll (difficulty 7) to keep from fleeing the area in terror. Vampires must make the same roll, but if they fail they enter Rötschreck.
●●● Terrorize
The infernalist can draw out his victim’s fear and present her with it. The victim sees that which terrifies her the most. If she fears spiders, she may imagine spider webs brushing her face and hands as thousands of illusory arachnids scuttle across her flesh. She may hear them skittering across the floor or clicking their horrid chelicerae. To the victim, the effects seem very real, though they are simply illusions and invisible to onlookers.
System: The infernalist must concentrate for a moment and then gesture towards her victim. Should she succeed, the terrorized subject must succeed in a Courage roll (difficulty 7) to shake off her fear in order to act. Otherwise she simply cowers, feebly hiding from her imagined object of terror. Botching this Courage roll results in a derangement, preferably suited to the fear visiting the victim.
The duration of this power is limited by the number of successes achieved on the activation role:
Successes Duration 1 One Turn 2 Five Turns 3 30 Minutes 4 One Hour 5 One Night
●●●● Fear Plague
The infernalist can now taste her victim’s most deeprooted fear. She can force her subject to plunge deep into this phobia every waking moment. A person afraid of drowning would feel the air thicken and coagulate in his throat and lungs until he cannot take a breath, while a person afraid of vampires may see fanged nemeses in his coworkers or lurking behind every corner. Eventually, the victim becomes so exhausted that he is unable rise and face a new night of swarming horrors.
System: The infernalist must see and then loudly curse her victim for this terrible power to take effect. Once cursed, this power lasts for a week. The victim is constantly harassed by his fear every moment. For the duration of this power, all Willpower rolls are made as though the character’s permanent rating is three lower than normal (to a minimum of 1).
●●●●● Leech of Fear
This power enables the infernalist to temporarily feed on fear as though it was blood. This experience gives a euphoric high stronger than conventional feeding, but it is a dangerous practice if used too frequently. The infernalist converts the pure emotional charge drawn from the victim’s terror into a mystical substitute for vitae.
System: As long as she has her subject in sight, the infernalist may attempt to gain sustenance from any fear that the victim might be currently suffering. Naturally, the victim must have cause to be afraid of something or someone while the infernalist practices this power. These fears may not be caused by other applications of this path.
The number of successes achieved on the activation roll determines the number of points transmuted into the infernalist’s “fear pool.” Each point in this “fear pool” may be spent exactly like a blood point, beyond normal Generation limits. However, this extra source of power must be utilized before sunrise or it will disappear.
In addition to the lost Willpower point, a botch means that the infernalist gets no “fear pool” from the victim, and cannot use the power on that victim again for 24 hours.
The Taking of the Spirit
By calling upon the power of Hell, this path allows the infernalist to strip away the temporary Willpower of her victim, leaving an almost soulless automaton ready to serve the infernalist without question. Some fiendish vampires have built entire legions of servants for themselves with this power. This fearsome path works on vampires and kine alike.
System: The infernalist loudly calls forth the legions of Hell to steal away the spirit of her target and then touches her target. Depending upon the circumstances, the Storyteller may require a successful Dexterity + Brawl roll for the thaumaturge to make contact with the intended victim. Once contact is made, the infernalist must engage in a contested Willpower roll against the subject (difficulty 8).
If the victim accumulates more successes on this contested Willpower roll before being reduced to zero Willpower, he resists the powers of Hell. In addition, the suffering he endured hardens his mind, and this infernal path may not be used against him again a full year.
If the victim is reduced to zero Willpower, he must do the vampire’s bidding, not speaking, staring blankly forward, in a state much like a zombie until he has regained one dot of Willpower, as per the chart below.
If the infernalist is killed, the victim regains all of his lost Willpower immediately.
A botch on the part of the infernalist has unique results: He loses a number of temporary Willpower points that corresponds with his mastery of said path. These Willpower points return at a rate of one per night. If all points are lost, he may come under the control of otherworldly forces.
The Willpower siphoned by this power returns at a rate determined by the infernalist’s rating in the path:
Path Levels Effects ● Return of 3 Willpower points per day’s rest ●● Return of 2 Willpower points per day’s rest ●●● Return of 1 Willpower point per day’s rest ●●●● Return of 1 Willpower point per week’s rest ●●●●● Return of 1 Willpower point per two week’s rest
恶火和奇术:火之道(Tremere)很像,但是威力更大,火之道的传说就是从地狱恶魔传来的,没准是真的,威力减小版。
此道研习者可召唤磷火,火焰于手上形成,喷出或成球形。许多人认为这邪恶的绿火唤自冥府深处。被其烧灼就是在品尝地狱中等待着他们的苦痛。目睹恶火生成会让任何有超自然感知的人知晓其来源是邪恶。此磷火被深深恐惧,因为火焰是令血族终亡的最可靠方式。
系统:成功数个数决定放置火焰于希望位置的准确度(投掷前说明位置)。此道并无每级的单独说明——火毕竟就是火(而且可能导致其他目睹的血族狂乱)。下表描述了生成特定数量火焰的所需等级。要完全吸收必须有坚韧术。
处于术士控制下的火焰不会伤害或引发其狂乱。但不自然火焰引发的着火照常影响他。
道艺等级 火焰说明 ● 火星(吸收难度3,1个等级伤害/个回合) ● ● 炉火(吸收难度4,2个等级伤害/个回合) ● ● ● 喷灯(吸收难度5,3个等级伤害/个回合) ● ● ● ● 喷射器(吸收难度7,4个等级伤害/个回合) ● ● ● ● ● 大火(吸收难度9,5个等级伤害/个回合)
火之道主要是血族内战大优啦,静态魔法里的地狱火之道输出其实更高主要是红惧嘛,静态魔法是指那本书啊?