Thaumaturgy

Thaumaturgy is the Tremere’s proprietary Discipline — not an innate supernatural gift like Celerity or Fortitude, but a structured magical system built by the clan’s founder Tremere by cannibalizing the practices of multiple occult traditions. It is organized into Paths (active magical applications) and Rituals (slower-working ceremonial magic).

Structure: Unlike other Disciplines, Thaumaturgy advances along multiple Paths. A character always has a Primary Path at their full Thaumaturgy rating; additional Paths are learned as secondary practices at lower levels. Rituals are learned separately and require time and in-game practice to acquire.

Primary Path: The Blood Path is traditionally the Tremere’s primary Path and the entry point for all Thaumaturgy training. Other Paths require the caster to have at least as many dots in their Primary Path as in any secondary Path.

Roll: Intelligence + Occult (most powers) or Willpower (rituals). Difficulty varies by power.

The Path of Blood

The universal entry point for Thaumaturgy. Manipulation of vitae inside and outside the body.

● A Taste for Blood

Pool: Perception + Occult, difficulty 4

Analyze a blood sample. From a single taste, determine:

• Approximate Generation of the source vampire (within 3 Generations)
• Whether the source is a vampire, ghoul, or mortal
• Rough emotional state at time of collection
• Whether the source has recently fed, starved, or is in Wassail

●● Blood Rage

Cost: 1 Blood Point | Pool: Manipulation + Occult vs target’s Stamina | Duration: Sustained

Force a target to spend their own Blood Points involuntarily. Each success forces the target to spend 1 Blood Point. The target cannot control how the blood is spent — the caster can direct it toward specific physical changes (healing, Disciplines, physical attribute boosts) or simply waste it.

Against low-Generation vampires near their Blood Pool maximum, this is limited in effect. Against hungry vampires, forcing additional blood expenditure can send them into Frenzy.

●●● Blood of Potency

Cost: 1 Willpower | Pool: Manipulation + Occult, difficulty 6 | Duration: Variable

Temporarily increase the effective potency of the vampire’s blood — treat their Generation as up to 3 Generations lower for one scene per success. This affects blood expenditure rates, the ability to create blood bonds more easily, and the power of blood-based Disciplines. At 5 successes, the effect lasts until sunrise.

●●●● Theft of Vitae

Cost: None | Pool: Thaumaturgy rating + Occult vs target’s Stamina + Fortitude | Duration: Instant

Drain blood from a target at range — the vampire need only make eye contact and gesture. Draws 1 Blood Point per success from the target directly into the caster. Range: line of sight.

Against vampires: also forces a Self-Control roll if they drop below half their Blood Pool from this drain.

●●●●● Cauldron of Blood

Cost: 1 Willpower | Pool: Manipulation + Occult vs target’s Stamina | Duration: Instant

Boil the blood inside a target’s body. Each success deals 1 Aggravated damage — the blood literally boils through the target’s tissue. Against mortals, 3 successes is usually fatal. Against vampires, this is one of the most devastating single-turn attack options in the game.

The Lure of Flames

Pyrokinesis. Creation and control of supernatural fire.

Damage type: All Lure of Flames damage is fire damage (Aggravated).
Soak: Targets soak with Stamina + Fortitude. Vampires without Fortitude cannot soak fire damage.

Movement of the Mind

Telekinesis.

Roll: Manipulation + Occult, difficulty 5–8 depending on precision/weight.

The Path of Conjuring

Summoning physical objects from nothing.

Hands of Destruction

Entropy and decay at touch.

Neptune’s Might

Water control.

Elemental Mastery

Command over elemental earth and stone.

Path of the Focused Mind

Heighten concentration and mental clarity to superhuman levels.

Roll: Standard Thaumaturgy activation.

Path of the Levinbolt

Manipulation of electricity — shutting down devices, delivering lethal shock.

Roll: Standard Thaumaturgy activation.

Path of Spirit Manipulation

Communication with and command over disembodied spirits.

Roll: Standard Thaumaturgy activation.

Sympathetic Magic

Thaumaturgy targeting remote subjects uses sympathetic connections to reduce difficulty.

Connection strength (difficulty modifier):

Thaumaturgy Rituals

Rituals are slower versions of Thaumaturgy that require preparation time but can produce effects beyond what the active Paths allow. They are learned individually, not gained with dot progression.

Casting: The caster spends the listed time, succeeds at an extended Willpower roll (or Intelligence + Occult), and expends materials.

Level 1 Rituals (1 turn to perform)

Blood into Water — Transmute all spilled blood within 5 feet/success into water. Immediate, unsoakable.

Blood Mastery — Force a mortal to re-swallow the vampire’s blood if they try to spit it out; prevents accidental blood bond escape.

Communicate with Kindred Sire — Establish telepathic contact with the caster’s sire over any distance. Duration: 10 minutes.

Defense of the Sacred Haven — Ward a room against supernatural entry; any undead entering must succeed at a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) or be compelled to leave.

Deflection of the Wooden Doom — The next successful staking attempt against the caster automatically fails. One use.

Devil’s Touch — Mark a mortal; any social contact they have with others goes poorly (Social rolls at +2 difficulty). Lasts one week.

Engaging the Vessel of Transference — Transfer blood from one container to another at a distance.

Illuminate the Trail of Prey — Track a specific target for 24 hours per success; provides compass-direction to target.

Impressive Aura — Add 2 successes to the caster’s next Social roll.

Learning the Mind Enslaved — Read the surface thoughts of a conditioned (Dominated) subject without activating Dominate.

Wake with Evening’s Freshness — Auto-wake at sunset regardless of damage; add 2 dice to Alertness rolls on awakening.

Level 2 Rituals (5 minutes to perform)

Blood Walk — Read the vampiric lineage of a target; trace their sire chain back up to 7 generations.

Eyes of Babel — Caster plucks out and consumes their own eyes (horrific). Gain ability to understand any language spoken or written. Duration 1 week/success. Eyes regenerate normally.

Seal Egress — Mystically seal every entrance to a room. Duration decades/success. Supernaturals may force entry with sufficient Willpower or Strength.

Donning the Mask of Shadows — Apply Obfuscate-equivalent concealment to a location or object, not a person.

Encrypt Missive — Write a message only a specific reader can decipher.

Extinguish — Snuff all normal and supernatural flames in a large area.

Eyes of the Night Hawk — See through the eyes of an animal familiar for up to one night.

Fires of the Inferno — Minor fire ward on an object; anyone touching it takes 2 Aggravated damage.

Machine Blitz — Cause all electronic devices within 20 yards to malfunction for the scene.

Ward Versus Ghouls — Create a ward that burns ghouls (2 Aggravated) on crossing.

Level 3 Rituals (30 minutes to perform)

A Servant’s Wages — Detect all Dominate, Presence, or blood bond effects currently active on a subject.

Amulet of Mnemosyne — Preserve an object from the effects of time, use, and decay. Duration indefinite while ritual is active.

Incorporeal Passage — Walk through a single solid object (one pass, not sustained).

Pavis of Foul Presence — Reverse Presence effects against the caster for the night; any Presence used against the caster is reflected back at the sender.

Principal Focus of Vitae Infusion — Imbue an object with blood points that can be accessed later.

Ward Versus Kindred — Ward that inflicts 3 Aggravated on any vampire crossing without permission.

Level 4 Rituals (1 hour to perform)

Bone of Lies — Create a physical talisman; anyone holding it while trying to lie takes 1 Lethal per lie. Lasts 12 lies.

Court of Hallowed Truth — Place a skull and crossed bones at each entrance (cost: 1 BP per entrance). No lie may be spoken within the room. Duration 1 week/success. Highly valued as a political ritual for meetings and negotiations.

Innocence of the Child’s Heart — The target’s aura appears completely innocent to Aura Perception for one night.

Rutor’s Hands — Animate a severed hand; it can follow simple commands and deal 1 Lethal damage per attack.

Theft of the Muse — Steal a mortal’s creative drive, skill, or expertise; caster gains 3 dice in that ability for one month while target loses them.

Level 5 Rituals (up to one night to perform)

Blood Contract — Both parties sign in blood; if either violates the terms, they suffer 1 Aggravated per day until making right. Breaking the terms catastrophically may destroy the violator entirely.

Escape to a True Friend — If destroyed, the vampire’s consciousness flees to a prepared body within Willpower rating in miles.

Enchant Talisman — Create a permanent magical object requiring weeks of preparation and a permanent Willpower loss.

Paper Flesh — A target becomes extremely vulnerable to fire (double damage) but immune to all other physical damage for one night.

Abandon the Fetters — Break a blood bond. The excoriation process inflicts 3 unsoakable Aggravated damage on the caster; the final act costs both caster and subject 1 additional Aggravated. Subject loses 1 permanent Willpower. Cannot break the Vaulderie Vinculum or Transubstantiation bonds.

Cobra’s Favor — Caster’s blood becomes toxic. Cost: 1 BP + herbal preparation + snake venom. Anything ingesting the caster’s blood suffers 1 Aggravated per point consumed. Duration 1 week/success.

Nectar of the Bitter Rose — Allows up to 6 vampires to share a single act of diablerie. Requires 1 hour of ritual to mystically separate the victim’s soul aspects before Final Death. All participants may attempt to claim diablerie benefits.

Severed Hand — Permanently prevent a severed body part from regenerating. Full-night ritual with alchemical treatment of the wound. Applicable to hands, eyes, fingers, tongues, and similar extremities.

Stone of the True Form — Force target into their natural form (dispels Vicissitude, Protean shapes, etc.). Sustained contact with the stone required. Contested Stamina roll to maintain each turn. Shatter the stone to end the effect.

Mastery of the Mortal Shell

Control the physical workings of flesh — developed to fight Tzimisce and Gangrel, later used to enforce Gargoyle subservience.

Activation: Touch required for levels 1–3 (Dex + Brawl to make contact if not guaranteed). Levels 4–5 require only line of sight. Duration: successes in turns. Only one active power per victim at a time; new activation replaces old.

Anarch Thaumaturgy Rituals

Rituals developed by Anarch sorcerers, often cruder in method but cheaper in components. Available to any Tremere or blood sorcerer with access to the Anarch underground.

Level 1

Flatline — Make a mortal appear dead — no pulse, no breath fog, indistinguishable from a corpse. Requires a small dead animal placed in the target’s real home. Duration until the following morning. Once per month per target. Cannot affect supernaturals.

Level 2

Iron Body — Fortify a vampire against environmental hazards. Spent shell casing soaked in 1 BP from the beneficiary. Target can soak fire and sunlight damage with normal Stamina (does not stack with Fortitude). Duration 1 hour/success.

Level 3

Hell’s Calling — Trigger Rötschreck in a remote target. Requires a sympathetic link (personal possession). Place the item in a rusty hubcap, douse in gasoline, meditate 30 minutes chanting while the item burns. Target must make a fear frenzy roll (difficulty varies by relationship to fire). Can resist with Willpower.

Level 4

Ward versus Vitae — Draw a warding sigil in the caster’s own vitae. Affects Kindred of lower Generation only. Any vampire crossing the ward takes 2 dice Lethal on first contact. Subsequent crossings require a Willpower roll (diff 7) or a WP spend to attempt.

Extended Ritual List (Rites of the Blood)

Additional rituals recovered from expanded Tremere research. These are the primary new additions beyond the V20 core set.

Level 1 Rituals

Brand — Permanently fix a tattoo or post-Embrace body modification. Caster spreads molten silver over the tattooed area; inflicts 1 Aggravated to that area (heals normally; tattoo remains). Ink must have been applied within 1 hour. Self-Control roll may be required to hold still. Particularly popular among Anarch neonates.

Chime of Unseen Spirits — Craft a metal chime from the wedding rings of three dead women, melted down and chanted over for one evening (each bride named once per hour). Once hung in a room, chimes softly whenever an unseen spirit, ghost, or devil is within 30 feet. Does not ring from wind or handling. Functions for 1 year before recasting.

Impressive Visage — Wash face with a point of virgin blood and place dried mint in shoe. Caster gains +2 dice on all Appearance-related rolls. Lasts 1 hour per success.

Learning the Mind Enslumbered — Place a coin over the eye of a torpid Kindred (or in its ashes). After 30 minutes, hear a ghostly message in the victim’s voice naming who she believes torpored or killed her. Not guaranteed accurate if the culprit was disguised. Only works on Kindred.

Purify Blood — Stir blood decanted into a container with ash and crushed ginger while chanting. Cleanses poison, disease, and foreign substances from up to 1 blood point. Does not work on blood still inside a creature. Does not change potency (bond potential intact). Cannot counter Vaulderie or Discipline-altered blood (Quietus, Vicissitude). Rotten blood also dissolves.

Sanguineous Phial — Bury an earthenware container for two nights, unearth it, crumble dried ash leaf inside, chant. Pour blood in and seal with tallow. Blood remains fresh indefinitely until seal is broken; then spoils normally. Breaking the vessel causes immediate spoilage. Can be reused if ritual is recast. Maintains Kindred vitae as a valid sympathetic link.

Sense the Mystical — Chant over a ritually prepared candle and light it. For 1 hour per success, all sources of blood magic within the candle’s light radius glitter visibly to everyone present. Detects Thaumaturgy, Necromancy, and similar blood magic; does not distinguish between types and does not detect standard Disciplines.

Sigil of Authority — Cut a 3-inch or larger design into a willing subject’s flesh using a silver-tipped blade. The design must represent the authority of the office being conveyed. Caster spends an evening with the Sigil Investor and the Sigil Bearer; Sigil Bearer swears an oath to the office. Once activated, all present instinctively know the Bearer represents the Investor’s office. To invoke: Bearer exposes sigil and spends 1 WP. All vampires beholden to that office must make Self-Control (diff 8) or suffer −3 dice on Social rolls for 15 minutes. Duration 1 year per success; can be renewed by re-swearing. Investor can revoke at any time by spending 1 WP — former Bearer suffers 1 Aggravated as the sigil burns away.

Level 2 Rituals (Rites of the Blood additions)

Craft Bloodstone — Place a small pebble in a vial of 3 blood points from any source. Recite an invocation once per night for 3 nights; pebble absorbs 1 BP per night and the fluid clears. Caster then knows the precise direction and general distance of the stone at all times. Create up to permanent Willpower rating in Bloodstones. If obfuscated, caster can track to the general area before the link blurs. Destruction of the stone severs the link immediately (distracting backlash, not damaging).

Eyes of Babel — Find someone who knows the target language and bind them in chains. During casting, pluck out the victim’s tongue and one eye (both required) and consume them. Caster can now speak, read, and write the target language for 1 week per success. At ritual’s end, caster vomits the flesh. Permanently maims any mortal. Degeneration roll likely required.

Extinguish — Recite incantation and pinch out a candle while spitting on the floor. For the rest of the night, caster may speak a single magical syllable to automatically extinguish any single fire up to bonfire size. Uses equal to successes. May trigger Rötschreck check.

Illusion of Peaceful Death — Dust a corpse with a pristine feather soaked in blood of a man who died peacefully, while chanting the ritual phrase. Body appears to have died naturally. Does not add blood but conceals how much is missing (body must retain at least half original blood volume). Increases difficulty of investigation abilities/powers used on the corpse by 1 per success.

The Jinx — Meditate for 10 minutes on hatred toward target while burning a sympathetically linked object (hair, possession; see Principle of Identity). Each success causes 1 automatic failure on the target’s next roll. 4 successes = 4 failures. Does not cause botches; converts any failure to simple failure. Against contested or extended actions, counts against successes until exhausted. Expires by sunrise if unused.

Oinos of Dionysus — Mix at least 1 BP of caster’s blood with wine and spices over the course of the ritual. Must be ingested to take effect. Mortals who drink must succeed at Willpower (diff 8) or be overcome by lethargy for 1 hour per success; vague pleasant memories, no recall of the night. Resist: Stamina roll (diff 8), 3+ successes. Vampires and supernaturals unaffected. Vampires who feed from an oinos-tainted mortal feel a mild artificial happiness (flush out with 1 BP spend).

Preserve — Coat item with caster’s blood over the course of a night while chanting. Each success extends mystical preservation by 1 decade. Protects worked minerals and natural materials (not plastics or artificial compounds) from time and wear. Does not make the item invulnerable — purposeful damage still destroys it. Blood is absorbed; no sympathetic link created.

Seal Egress — Spread 1 BP on all four walls of a room, chant for 1 hour. Each success extends duration by 1 decade. Mystically seals all entrances; materials from surrounding walls physically close over openings, airtight. Blocks Incorporeal Passage and Spectral Body. Does not strengthen the walls themselves — brute force can still breach. Ghosts and immaterial spirits may pass freely.

Whispers of the Ghost — While astrally projecting (requires Astral Projection), grip the ear of a still-living creature in the physical body’s left hand. Caster can speak to anyone encountered on the astral plane from within her Psychic Projection form as faint whispering. Spend 1 WP to manifest visually (cancels the ritual). If the ear’s donor dies, the ritual ends immediately.

Level 3 Rituals (Rites of the Blood additions)

Amulet of Mnemosyne — Forge a brass amulet and soak it in caster’s blood, rest it on a truth-representing object, have subject prick lips and kiss the amulet while whispering her secret. Secret is completely removed from subject’s mind; memories are rewritten by the magic (neither party controls how). Secret is restored if the amulet is destroyed. A rival thaumaturge may attempt to read the secret with an opposed Willpower roll. Subject has no awareness the secret exists and may act against her own interests without knowing why.

Bottled Voice — Immobilize victim (staking or binding required). Place crystal bottle over victim’s heart while chanting. Seal the bottle with wax. Each Willpower point the victim possesses extends casting time by 15 minutes. Once complete, victim cannot speak or make any verbal sound until the seal or bottle is broken. Death of the caster does not break the curse. Disciplines requiring speech (Dominate, Presence, rituals with verbal components) become unusable.

Dante’s Urban Legend — Recreate a popular urban legend on the property to be protected (e.g., re-enact the hook-man legend). Sacrifice 1 BP at each entrance. Duration 1 decade + 1 year per additional success. Mortals feel disturbed by the location and create excuses to avoid it. Strong-willed mortals roll Willpower (diff 8) to enter; failure = avoidance. Technology and cameras are unaffected. May attract hunters or supernatural attention if overused; may count as minor Masquerade breach.

Inscription — Write an abbreviated form of any 1st or 2nd level ritual onto a page using caster’s blood as ink. Reader can recast the ritual without Thaumaturgy knowledge, using normal components and time + Intelligence + Occult roll. Costs 2 BP; caster’s blood pool maximum is reduced by 1 until the inscription is used. After use, inscription turns to ash. Only works with the original document (scanning or copying does not preserve the magic). Inscribed blood can be used as a sympathetic link by enemies — use Encrypt Missive to protect.

Rutor’s Hands — Caster cuts off one hand and plucks out one eye (5 unsoakable Aggravated damage). Once healed, body parts regenerate but the severed hand and eye become a scuttling homunculus — eye on the back of the hand, acts as spy. 2 Physical Attribute dots and 2 Perception dots; 1 health level. Caster mentally directs it while conscious. Requires 1 BP per week; starves to dust without it. Destroyed by sunlight or fire.

Soul of the Homunculus — Spend several hours mixing caster’s blood, oil, denuded bone, and tissue. Add 6 BP and simmer 3 nights. A tiny humanoid creature emerges and serves as spy and lab assistant. Has 2 health levels and 2 dots in each Physical Attribute. Moves only when willed by creator. Can carry small objects, push switches, eavesdrop. Develops personality over time. Damaged by sunlight and fire. Caster may have only 1 at a time. The homunculus is not an arcane connection to its creator.

Translocation of the Vessel — Attune a hand-sized object by soaking it in 1 BP over an evening. Draw a salt-and-blood circle around the object. Object can now be teleported to caster’s hand by name from any distance. Sever the link by spending 1 WP or by breaking the vessel. Appears in caster’s hand with shimmering black light.

Level 4 Rituals (Rites of the Blood additions)

The Curse Belated — Prepare a brand with caster’s sigil. Feed ghoul 1 BP while chanting, then brand the sigil on the ghoul’s body. Caster loses 1 permanent blood pool point. If the ghoul’s heart stops, stored vitae activates and resurrects her as a full vampire. Sigil disappears; lost BP slot unlocks. Caster immediately knows the ritual triggered. Original casters: Assamites and Followers of Set; adapted by Tremere.

Infirm Inert — Imbibe a small quantity of laudanum-laced blood, meditate 20 minutes, expel a drop of blood into the palm. The next Kindred touched before dawn has her blood healing suspended. Victim can spend 1 WP per turn to ignore the effect for that turn. When the ritual expires, all healing resumes. Each success adds 1 night of effectiveness. Countered by Purity of the Flesh.

Innocence of the Child’s Heart — Ritually sacrifice a mortal child; harvest her heart. Dip a beloved toy that belonged to the child in the heart’s blood (toy absorbs all blood completely). As long as caster carries the toy, aura appears pure white to Aura Perception — untainted by vampirism. Duration 1 week + 1 week per success. Mandatory Humanity degeneration check; automatic minimum 1 dot Humanity loss.

Mirror Walk — Craft two identical silver mirrors of equal size. Soak both in 2 BP total. Chant over them for 3 nights to create a resonance link. Caster may open a magical gate between them by standing before either and speaking a mystical password — takes 3 turns to open. Gate closes after 2 turns. Caster may bring 1 passenger. Mirrors must remain within 1 mile of each other. Passenger or caster delayed past 2 turns may become trapped between realms.

Preservation of the Sanguine Heart — Anoint target’s forehead with 1 BP; have target drink mercury from a chalice (1 Aggravated unsoakable to target’s internal organs). Target is magically protected against blood bonding and Vaulderie effects for 1 day per success. However, while active, the target cannot receive sustenance from blood at all without willingly canceling the ritual.

Scry — Craft a wide silver bowl; fill with purified spring water mixed with a drop of owl’s blood. Concentrate for 1 minute on the target, then gaze into the bowl. If successful, see and hear everything around the target as if personally present for 1 hour per success. Cannot be redirected to a different location mid-ritual. Caster cannot use Auspex, Thaumaturgy, or similar mental Disciplines while scrying. Requires sympathetic connection (see Principle of Identity) or sufficient familiarity with target location.

Stolen Kisses — Carry a witch’s kiss (thistle steeped in vampire blood) on the caster’s person. Caster makes a small incision where contact will be made; wound knits shut, then opens into a mystical orifice. When pressed against a vessel’s flesh, drains 1 BP every other turn as long as contact persists. Victim is not initially aware blood is being taken. After 2 BP drained: victim feels woozy. After 5 BP: blackout from blood loss. Does not cause vampiric ecstasy. Active for 1 night.

Summon the Blood Imp — Stitch together fresh (within 3 days) corpses of animals and humans into a humanoid creation. Add 6 points of Tremere vitae, simmer 3 nights. The blood imp emerges with an empathic link to its creator, acting on inferred desires rather than explicit commands. Cruel casters get cruel imps; solemn casters get subtle ones. Imps love their master, destroy themselves to protect her if necessary, can fight (poorly), carry small objects, and spy. Must be fed vitae and flesh regularly. Destroyed by sunlight, fire, or immersion in sanctified water.

Track Transgressor — Locate a site where Thaumaturgy was cast within the past 24 hours. Spill 1 BP while chanting. Bloody footprints visible only to the caster appear and lead to the transgressor. Caster can flawlessly track the exact path until dawn. Only tracks Thaumaturgy and related rituals (not Necromancy or other magic).

Transubstantiation of Seven — Caster fills a large chalice with her own blood and intones the ritual syllables. Neonate drinks the entire contents; as it spreads through her system, it mystically transforms into the blood of the Council of Seven. This moves the neonate one step toward a full bond to the Council without requiring the Council’s actual vitae to be drained. The transformed blood counts as the neonate’s own vitae if later drained — it cannot be stolen as the Council’s blood. May theoretically be used on older Tremere or ghouls; ineffective on 14th–15th Generation vampires and revenants.

Unweave Ritual — Identify the specific ritual afflicting the caster (automatic if known; otherwise Intelligence + Occult, diff 4 + ritual level). Secure a component that would be used in the offending ritual, then destroy it. Each success subtracts from the original caster’s successes. Remove all successes and the ritual ends immediately. Only rituals with an ongoing duration can be unwoven. A caster can only unweave rituals on herself.

Vigil of the Stone Guardian — Find or create a door-knocker (with eyes and a mouth). Soak in caster’s blood over 3 nights. Hang on the door or gate; perform ritual. Guardian bonds to the door and cannot be removed without destruction. Caster can remotely possess the guardian by spending 1 BP: see through its eye, speak through its mouth. By spending 1 WP, caster may invoke the first 2 levels of Dominate, Presence, or Dementation through the guardian to repel intruders. Guardian cannot physically attack or block entry. Costs 1 BP per night to maintain; sleeps if unfed (reactivate with 1 BP).

Level 5 Rituals (Rites of the Blood additions)

Abandon the Fetters — Requires 1 BP from caster, thrall, and the thrall’s regnant. Mix in a glass container. Spend an entire night ritually flaying or branding the thrall (excoriation). Near death, shatter the container; the mixed blood evaporates in scalding steam. The thrall suffers 3 unsoakable Aggravated from the excoriation; caster and thrall each suffer 1 additional unsoakable Aggravated from the steam. Thrall loses 1 permanent Willpower. If successful, blood bond dissipates immediately. Cannot break Vaulderie Vinculum or Transubstantiation of Seven bonds.

Cobra’s Favor — Mix 1 BP with herbal poultice and snake venom in a prepared container. Chant until the mixture turns jet black. Ingest the elixir (1 unsoakable Aggravated damage). For the next 1 week + 1 week per additional success, anything that consumes the caster’s blood suffers 1 Aggravated per point ingested.

Court of Hallowed Truth — Place a skull and crossed bones at every entrance to the room, including windows. Spend 1 BP at each entrance while sealing. Once assembled, no falsehood may be spoken within; direct questions from the judge must be answered candidly without omission or deceit. Duration 1 week + 1 additional week per success. Expensive in large rooms. Princes who rely on this ritual excessively erode their own credibility.

Mirror Prison — Polish a silver mirror with 1 BP and the tears of an innocent child. Invest 1 permanent Willpower into the mirror. Open the portal by touching the mirror with 1 BP; the opening lasts as long as desired. Incapacitated prisoners can be passed through freely; unwilling targets require an opposed Strength roll. Escape requires prisoner to defeat caster in opposed Willpower (diff 8) once every 30 days. Holds up to 3 individuals comfortably. Prisoners are untouched by time — need no food, no sleep. Cannot be scryed or targeted by Clairvoyance. If mirror is destroyed, prisoners are released and invested WP is returned.

Nectar of the Bitter Rose — Restrain the victim. Spend 1 hour chanting while would-be diablerists taunt the victim. Caster mystically identifies and separates different aspects of the victim’s soul, draining vitae in small batches. At ritual’s completion, caster and up to 5 vampires may each attempt to gain diablerie benefits. Does not allow diablerizing a weaker victim — only shares the fruits among multiple participants.

Sanctuary — Find a building untainted by violence (or not in 50 years if older). Build a shrine visible from all points within the building — representing a concept the caster holds faith in (need not be religious). Consecrate over 3 nights and invest 1 permanent Willpower. While active, all uninvited creatures (living or otherwise) cannot enter the building. Those inside are protected against Animalism, Auspex, Dominate, Dementation, and Presence. Any act of violence committed inside immediately and permanently taints the building — sanctuary cannot be re-established there. Duration 1 year per success; caster must reinvest WP or the effect ends.

Severed Hand — Spend an entire night treating a severed limb with alchemical compounds. Once complete, the severed body part cannot regenerate via normal vampire healing. Applicable to hands, eyes, fingers, tongues, and similar extremities. Only Obeah or equivalent magical healing can restore the lost part.

Stone of the True Form — Spend one night casting the ritual on a small, perfectly spherical stone. Coat with a mix of caster’s blood and eldritch compounds. The stone becomes a trigger: touching the target with the stone initiates a contested Willpower roll (each uses the other’s Stamina as difficulty). Even 1 net success forces target to assume her natural form for 1 turn. Additional successes extend duration. Effective against Obfuscated Nosferatu, Vicissitude-shaped Tzimisce, shapeshifted Lupines in other forms. Shattering the stone frees the target regardless of remaining turns.

Way of the Wendigo — Identify a victim exemplifying an admired virtue. Anoint with oil, sage, and ash during an hour-long ritual. At the climax, kill the victim with the thigh bone of a hanged man and consume the flesh. For the next night, caster rests at −1 all dice pools for 1 hour; then regains 1 WP and 1 health level every 10 minutes of rest. Must not possess the Eat Food merit or she vomits the flesh at end of night. Mandatory Humanity loss (minimum 1 dot automatically; possible additional loss from Conscience roll diff 8; botch may cause further loss). Self-Control roll (diff 8) required; failure = permanent Flaw: Addiction (Human Flesh).