Serpentis

Snake-body transformation and seduction. In-Clan for Followers of Set.

Serpentis is the Setite Discipline — a body of powers reflecting the covenant between the clan and Set, the Egyptian god of chaos, darkness, and the underworld. It blends physical transformation (snake features, venom) with spiritual manipulation (seduction, corruption, soul extraction). It is both a weapon and a sacrament.

Setite theology: The Followers of Set view Serpentis not as a tool but as a manifestation of Set’s blessing. Each power represents a gift from their absent god, kept alive through the blood. Using Serpentis is, for devout Setites, an act of worship.

Powers

● Eyes of the Serpent

Cost: None | Pool: Automatic | Duration: Sustained

The vampire’s eyes shift to vertical-slit snake pupils with golden or amber irises. Anyone meeting the vampire’s gaze must succeed at a Willpower roll (difficulty 9) or become completely still — rooted, staring, unable to act until the eye contact breaks.

Limitation: Does not work on blind targets or those who deliberately avoid eye contact. Breaking eye contact on either side ends the effect immediately.

●● The Tongue of the Asp

Cost: 1 Blood Point | Pool: Automatic | Duration: Until dismissed

The vampire’s tongue extends to 18 inches, black, forked. The tongue becomes a natural weapon:

  • Can strike as a ranged attack (range: tongue length) dealing 1 Aggravated damage
  • Can deliver any Serpentis touch-based power at tongue-range
  • Can taste poisons, blood resonance, supernatural residue from up to 10 feet away

●●● The Skin of the Adder

Cost: 1 Blood Point | Pool: Automatic | Duration: Scene

The vampire’s skin transforms: scales emerge, body elongates slightly, musculature shifts. Provides:

  • +1 Strength
  • +2 Dexterity
  • +3 Stamina (and soak dice)
  • The vampire can dislocate their jaw to bite with serpentine force
  • Limbs become sinuous enough to slip through spaces 6 inches in diameter

Appearance: Visibly inhuman. Social rolls at +2 difficulty with those who haven’t been conditioned to accept this form.

●●●● Form of the Cobra

Cost: 1 Blood Point | Pool: Automatic | Duration: Until the vampire reverts voluntarily

Full transformation into a large cobra (roughly 12 feet). The vampire retains their Intelligence and Wits and can use Disciplines, but physically operates as a snake:

  • Strength 3, Dexterity 5, Stamina 4
  • Natural bite deals Aggravated damage + lethal venom (mortal: Stamina roll difficulty 8 or lose 1 Health Level per turn for Stamina turns)
  • Can climb any surface, swim, fit through 4-inch openings
  • Human-scale opponents are instinctively afraid (Courage rolls to engage in melee)

●●●●● Heart of Darkness

Cost: 1 Willpower | Pool: Manipulation + Occult, difficulty 7 | Duration: Permanent storage

Extract the vampire’s own heart from their chest — painlessly, physically — and store it separately. This renders the vampire immune to staking (no heart to pierce) and immune to Frenzy from emotional triggers.

Vulnerability: The extracted heart must be stored safely. If found and destroyed, the vampire immediately enters torpor. If found and held, the holder has absolute leverage — the vampire cannot refuse commands while their heart is at risk.

Other vampires: With 3+ successes, this power can extract a willing vampire’s heart at their request.

Elder Powers

Cobra’s Breath (●●●●● ●)

Cost: 1 Blood Point | Pool: Stamina + Medicine, difficulty 7

Exhale a cloud of supernatural venom as a spray attack (cone, range 5 yards). Targets in the cloud make Stamina rolls (difficulty 8) or suffer:

  • Mortals: 1 Health Level per failure, repeated each turn they remain in the cloud
  • Vampires: the venom induces a temporary Blood Frenzy on 3+ failures

The Sleeper’s Kiss (●●●●● ●●)

Cost: 1 Willpower | Pool: Manipulation + Empathy vs target’s Willpower | Duration: Scene

Induce a state of total receptivity in the target — not sleep, not paralysis, but complete openness to suggestion. The target believes whatever they are told and agrees to whatever is proposed, completely and sincerely. Unlike Dominate, the target feels no commands — they simply agree, freely and willingly. When the power ends, they retain their formed beliefs and agreements as their own.

This is the Setite seduction weapon: not compelling, but converting.