D-G of Combos

Dark Steal - Obtenebration 3, Potence 3 18 Experience Points to learn

Where Arms of Ahriman normally allows a Lasombra to summon forth a tentacle of pure shadow to assault his foes, this bastardized power grants those psuedopods of darkness greater strength and endurance. Cainites used to dealing with the normal manifestation of this power may find themselves fatally suprised by the use of Dark Steel instead.

System: Using Dark Steel requires a Manipulation + Occult roll (diff 7) and the expenditure of two Blood points. Each success summons forth one tentacle, which then appears from a nearby shadow (under a piece of furniture, from within the summoning vampire's cloak, etc.). The tentacles are all eight feet long and have Strength and Dexterity ratings equivalent to twice the vampire's Obtenebration rating. Furthermore, the vampire can expend a Blood Point, "feeding" it to the tentacles; for each point thus spent, the tentacle' ratings increase by one. A Dark Steel tentacle does Strength +2 crushing damage, has six Health Levels, and takes damage from fire and sunlight in addition to normal attacks.


Denial of Aphrodite's Favor - Dominate 3 , Fortitude 3 Ventrue Only 20 Experience Points to learn

Developed centuries ago, this power protects the Ventrue from the skills at which they and the Toreador excel. While the power of Presence may be more subtle than those of Dominate, they are no less effective. Denial of Aphrodite's Favor allows the Ventrue to protect herself from emotional manipulation with the same efficacy that her Generation affords her against Dominate. This power is for Black Hand members only.

System: Once learned, this power negates the effects of Presence Levels One through Three used by any Kindred of higher Generation than the Kindred who uses this power. Thus, a Ninth-Generation Ventrue would be unaffected by a 12-Generation vampire attempting to use Dread Gaze on her.


Doubletalk - Auspex 2 , Celerity 1 , Obfuscate 1 10 Experience Points to learn

Doubletalk is a trick that's been passed around among the Toreador for centuries if not millennia. As vampire powers go, it's not as impressive as calling upon unholy strength or turning into fog, but it has its uses. When a Toreador used Doubletalk, she speaks a full sentence very quickly and softly, between the words spoken normally. To most listeners, it can sound like a normal conversational placeholder, like "uh" or "er" or "hmmm." Someone familiar with this power and knows what to listen for can hear the spoken, hidden sentence. True masters of this power can compress entire soliloquies into a single grunt. This is not one of the great, deep secrets of the clan: Some Tremere and Malkavians have also mastered the technique and can listen in or take part in the conversation themselves. Nonetheless, it is quite useful to be able to have a secret conversation that seems completely innocuous to outsiders.

System: When a character listens for dense speaking, the player rolls Perception + Subterfuge (difficulty 5). If the roll succeeds, the character may hear what was said. (This difficulty may be modified for circumstances — it's more difficult over the phone or in a noisy area.) A failure means the character heard nothing; a botch means she completely misinterpreted what was said. When a character speaks, the player rolls Intelligence + Expres​sion(difficulty 6). If the roll succeeds, the character can seamlessly insert a dense phrase into her conversation. A failure means the character can't be understood. A botch means the character accidentally spoke her phrase aloud and at normal speed.


Elemental Stoicism - Fortitude 8 , Obfuscate 4 40 Experience Points to learn

Although no vampire can resist the sun's light indefinitely, those Elders who have mastered the powers of Fortitude to this advances degree can stave off death for a few crucial moments. Elemental Stoicism also offers some degree of protection against fire.

System: This power is involuntary and cannot be turned off. Every hour that the character is exposed to fire or sunlight, the player must spend one Blood Point. All damage inflicted on the vampire by fire or sunlight during that hour is changed from aggravated to non-aggravated lethal damage and may be soaked as such. This Blood Point use does not count against the character's maximum expenditure per turn. A character whose Blood Pool is emptied by this power falls into Torpor immediately and begins taking damage normally if she is still in contact with the damage source. This power does not protect the vampire's clothing or belongings against such damage — she may be able to walk through a burning building, but she'll most likely walk out of it wearing nothing but ashes.


Fenris' Talons - Fortitude 2, Protean 2 10 Experience Points to learn

The Gangrel are known for their hunting skills and unmatched savagery in battle. Vampires who master this technique can grow massive six-inch claws instead of the smaller talons normally created by use of Protean's second power.

System: At the player's option uses of Talons of the Beast (Protean 2) may result in Claws that do Strength + 3 aggravated damage. These claws impose a two die penalty on all manual dexterity rolls requiring fine manipulation. This power is permanent and gives the player the option to use the normal Talons of the Beast or Fenris' Talons interchangeably.


Feral Imbuing - Animalism 4, Potence 2 12 Expireince Points to learn

With this power a vampire may share his strength with a beast in his line of sight. Few sights are as disturbing as a bloated rat chewing tunnels through solid stone.

System: The vampire selects an animal in his line of sight and the player rolls Strength + Animal Ken (diff 6). The vampire may transfer as many levels of Potence as the number of successes rolled. The player does not have to use all the successes and can not transfer levels of Potence he does not have. For the duration of the transfer the vampire's Potence rating is reduced by the number of levels transfered. The power ends when the vampire wills it to, a reflexive action which does not require the presence of the animal.


Flesh of Wind and Water - Celerity 2 , vicissitude 3[b] 16 Experience Points to learn

Under normal conditions, a Tzimisce (or other user of vicissitude) who seeks to reshape his own form must take the time to mold his features and limbs into the desired shape. This makes it difficult to adapt to changing situations, such as the chaos of combat or the need for sudden disguise. Flesh of Wind and Water (so named because of the rippling effect seen in the fleshs it operates) allows the Tzimisce to make those alterations allowed by the first three levels of Vicissitude almost instantly (each use of the power takes but a single turn) without the need to physically sculpt the alterations. This power can be used on the Cainite wielding the power only; if he wishes to alter someone else, he must do so at the normal rate and with the normal methods. This power is unknown outside the Sabbat.

[b]System:[b] The player spends two Blood Points each time this power is invoked, and must make all standard rolls required for the use of Vicissitude. He may use only a single Vicissitude power per use of Flesh of Wind and Water. Thus, if he wanted to use both Fleshcraft and Bonecraft on himself, he would have to use Flesh of Wind and Water twice, requiring a total of four Blood Points, two rolls, and two turns.


[b]Flesh Wound - Fortitude 2 , Obfuscate 3 15 Experience Points to learn

This disturbing ability among City Gangrel of all Generations, regardless of the fact that Fortitude is no longer a Clan Discipline for them. Using this power, the Gangrel gives the appearance of taking no damage from taking attacks that hurt like hell. In reality, it does hurt like hell, but the Gangrel maintains a facade of invulnerability that can do much to unnerve opponents. Particularly canny vampires may convince foes that they are, in fact, immune to bullets. Using this power in any of the Sabbat's ritae, however, is asking for a beating or worse if the pack priest finds out.

System: The player spends one Blood Point to activate this ability. For the duration of the scene, the Gangrel appears as she did when this power was activated; any wounds or scars already present remain visible. The visible effects of any further damage are mystically omitted from the vampire's appearance — both the wounds themselves, and any logical results, such as limping or leaking blood. This power ends abruptly if the Gangrel reaches the incapacitated health level, or is staked. In addition to seeming unstoppable, the Gangrel character receives a -2 difficulty to any Subterfuge-oriented rolls concerning her Physical capabilities.


Forced March - Celerity 2 , Fortitude 2 Assimites Only 12 experience points to learn

This focused application of superhuman speed and endurance has gradually fallen out of favor in the modern era, as aircraft and automobiles bridge distances in a single night that would take a man on foot a week or more to traverse. Still, in the desert nations that the Clan claims as its center of power, modern transportation is neither available on a regular basis nor reliable when its present. Many Elder Cainites also prefer their own two feet to any noisy, reeking mechanical contraption, so Forced March still finds use.

System: Forced March may be used whenever the character is moving on foot for a protracted period of time. In effect, it allows continuous rapid movement without the devastatingly exhausting effects of combat Celerity use. At the beginning of each hour of steady travel, the player spends a number of Blood Points equal to the character's Celerity rating. The character's overland movement rate (normal human movement rate over most relatively flat terrain can be assumed to be 4 miles per hour, reduced by rough ground or poor weather) is multiplied by her Celerity rating. This bonus remains in effect only so long as the character is constantly moving, with no more than a minute's pause each hour — anything longer than dropping off a letter makes her lose momentum. Forced March may be used for a maximum number of hours each night equal to the character's Fortitude rating. It is of absolutely no benefit in combat situations.


Give 'Em Hell - Fortitude 1 or Potence 1 , Presence 3 12 Experience Points to learn

Champions of the Anarch cause have the power to motivate their fellows when push comes to shove and the only choice left is violent action. This power allows a Kindred to stir her allies with valor and courage in the most desperate of situations, rallying them to fight. The Anarch stands and cuts an imposing figure on the battlefield and bolsters the bravery of those following him.

System: The player must be visible to those she wishes to affect, and he chooses who receives the benefit of her display of heroism. Based on which physical Discipline she used as the basis of this power, (Fortitude or Potence), the character makes a display of her greatness in combat. For example, if she used Potence as the basis of this power, she might toss aside a barricade intended to block attackers. If she used Fortitude, he might shrug off what looks like a crippling blow. Thereafter, the characters she selected the power upon gain extra dice to any roll involving Courage or otherwise defending against a fear or demoralization effect (the Storyteller is the final arbiter here). In some cases, this power has even incited Anarchs to acts of kamikaze sacrifice, throwing themselves boldly into the heroin's cause. The player rolls Charisma + Leadership (difficulty 7), with each success enabling up to three characters (as well as the user herself, if he wishes) to enjoy the bonus. Note, however, that the character invoking the power chooses who it affects. Cynics whisper that traitors to the cause have used this power to embolden the Anarchs' foes just before abandoning the cause and hanging the Anarchs out to dry.


Guardian Vigil - Auspex 1 , Celerity 1 , Fortitude 1 15 Experience Points to learn.

Developed by Anarchs posted as guards, this power allows a Kindred to maintain an aware but trancelike state of readiness, in which she's poised like a cat to react to the first sign of imminent danger.

System: The player spends a Blood Point. For the duration of the night, the character cannot be surprised by conventional means as long as she stays in one place (not traversing an area longer than a few footsteps). In game terms, the character is considered to automatically have initiative for a single turn if someone acts against her or does something that she can perceive and attempt to stop. For example a character might dodge a bullet almost before her attacker fires, or she could move to intercept an intruder just as the intruder starts to dash past. The upshot is that the character becomes aware that something is about to happen to her and reacts just in time to do something about it. Supernatural effects that would cloak or otherwise protect the potential transgressor must be of a higher level than that of any prerequisite Disciplines levels that make up of this power. That is, a character attempting to sneak past the Anarch must have an Obfuscate of level two or higher. The vigil also forestalls mundane means as well. An attempt to move using Stealth is susceptible regardless of how many dots the other character has. The action taken against the character must also affect her directly and immediately for this power to prove of any value. A sniper would find himself foiled if he tried to shoot the character, but a camera planted in the building during the day and activated remotely at night would have no chance of being detected under the use of this power. Note that this power lasts for a single turn and then expires. Therefore, if a combat occurs, the character using this power has the benefit of initiative for only the first turn, then she must act as normal thereafter. A character may activate this power as many times as she wishes in the same night, but each activate works only for one immediate threat. A character cannot "stack" turns of guaranteed initiative.