by: Don Lara for Sanguinus Curae
In their efforts to purge Infernalist corruption from the face of the earth, a dedicated group of Tremere have developed a Path of Thaumaturgy to combat those that would serve the dark powers that threaten to corrupt the world.
Note: This Path can also be used as a Koldunic Path named "Salvation Ways," perhaps for use by the Sabbat Inquisition in their fight against dark powers. Consider: Koldunic sorcery concerns the elemental forces of nature. What is more elemental than "Good" vs. "Evil?"
With this basic level of skill, a Vampire can detect the presence of dark powers, or their taint, even in minute forms, wherever it might exist in his vicinity.
Player spends one blood point and rolls Perception + Occult, difficulty 6. If successful, the Vampire will see an "aura" of Infernalistic taint on anyone or anything within his line of sight that has been tainted. The aura appears as jagged red and black ripples.
If the Vampire wishes to sense if there is any Infernalism "outside" his line of sight, the player spends a blood point and makes the same roll, but the difficulty is now 8. If successful, like a compass, the Vampire can tell the general direction where Infernalistic taint lies, but can in no way pinpoint where it is. Sense Infernalism, once enacted, lasts for the scene or an hour, whichever comes first in tabletop terms. Infernalistic taint may infect persons, objects, places, or (obviously) the actual worshippers of dark powers (see the rules below concerning "Purification" for descriptions of how such taints may come to exist).
Player spends a blood trait and makes a static mental challenge against 6 traits. If successful, Vampire is able to see an aura of Infernalistic taint upon anyone or anything within his line of sight. This sight lasts for the scene or an hour, whichever comes first.
If the player wishes to attempt to Sense Infernalism outside his line of sight, he must spend a blood trait and make a static challenge against 8 traits. If successful, the Vampire can determine the vague direction of where Infernalism may lie, but can in no way pinpoint it.
With this power, a Thaumaturge may rid a person, place, or object of any collateral infernalistic taint it might possess. This power, however, has no effect on actual practitioners or worshippers of dark powers; only those individuals touched by darkness unwillingly, or unknowingly, may be cleansed.
Player spends one blood point and makes a Manipulation + Occult roll. The difficulty of any one cleansing depends on that which is to be purified:
A small object (no bigger than a breadbox): Difficulty 6
A large object: Difficulty 7
A small room (10' x 10'): Difficulty 7
A large room (50' x 50'+): Difficulty 8
A person: Difficulty 8
Collateral taint can be caused by many things: An object used in a dark ritual; a particular place being used to host dark rites, individuals, or powers; a person being present at, or the subject of, the use of dark powers, etc. These are just a few of the possibilities.
Player spends one blood trait. If attempting to purify an inanimate thing, like an object or room, player must make a static challenge against the number of traits described in this chart:
Small object/room: test against 4 traits
Large object/room: test against 6 traits
Against a person, however, the player must succeed in a mental challenge against the subject in order to succeed in cleansing him or her of the taint.
Invoking this level of skill, a Vampire may create what is essentially an Infernal null zone around himself that extends outward from the Vampire in a 6 foot radius. Anyone with infernalistic taint is struck with dread and fear if they attempt to breach the created zone.
Vampire spends one blood point and must concentrate on creating the null zone for one round. Once created, the zone lasts only as long as the Vampire remains stationary, or until he dispels the zone consciously.
Anyone possessing Infernalistic corruption that attempts to breach the zone must make, essentially, a roll against Rotschreck. Effects of this power on the Infernal have the same results as the sight of fire does to Vampires. The field itself causes no direct damage, but any tainted person or creature that breaches the field, and does not immediately flee, must make Courage rolls at the beginning of each following round, with the difficulty of resisting Rotschreck rising by 1 each time, as it becomes more and more of an effort to act within the null zone.
Power works exactly the same, except for the substitution of the MET Rotschreck system in place of Courage rolls.
Note: This power is not any sort of True Faith. It affects Infernalists ONLY.
With but a look in the eyes, a Vampire can turn an Infernalists lust for evil into a tangible pain from the "goodness" he inherently kills by his practices.
Vampire spends one blood point and must make steady eye contact with his target for at least one round. Player rolls Manipulation + Occult, difficulty 7. For each success, the target is inflicted with 1 level of lethal damage, as his dedication to evil is manifestly countered by a psychic assault of the opposing "good" he is attempting to destroy.
However, despite the number of successes, the target can only suffer as many levels of damage as he has points in his Path Rating. Therefore: Joe may get 6 successes in his Penance Stare roll, but Damien only has Path of Evil Revelations 4. Damien, therefore, only suffers 4 levels of lethal damage.
This attack cannot be dodged by any conventional means, but it can be soaked normally.
The player must spend one blood trait and make eye contact with the target. He then engages the target in a mental challenge. A success inflicts one level of lethal damage to the target for every point he has in his Path Rating. This attack cannot be dodged, but can be resisted and reduced by things like Fortitude normally.
Note: Yes, I gave this power the same name as that thing Ghost Rider does to sinners. But can you think of a better name for this power?
With this advanced skill, a Thaumaturge may use the power of the blood to compel an evil manifestation to return back to the dark void from whence it came.
Player must spend one blood point and concentrate for 3 rounds to use this advanced power. Player makes a Manipulation + Occult roll, the difficulty depends on what sort of entity he is attempting to banish:
Imp: Difficulty 6
Shade: Difficulty 7
Pit Lord: Difficulty 8
Lesser Demon: Difficulty 9
Greater Demon: Difficulty 10
Player spends one blood trait and must concentrate for 3 rounds to invoke this power. Player then must engage the entity in question in a challenge of his Mental traits versus the Demon's Social traits. Trait values for the various types of Demons are described in the MET "Guide to the Sabbat."