Spiritus Ahrimane Only

Spiritus is a discipline that is unique to the Ahrimanes. Its powers stem from the ritual that transforms them and without undergoing this ritual, no vampire can learn the discipline.

* Speak with Spirits

Roll: Wits + Occult, difficulty 6
The vampire may telepathically communicate with any spirits in her vicinity for one turn per success. Note that the spirits are not obligated to communicate back. although most spirits view Ahrimanes more favourably than many other vampires. Viewing spirits requires a Perception + Occult roll, difficulty of the local Gauntlet.


** Summon Spirit Beasts

Roll: Charisma + Animal Ken, difficulty 7
The vampire can summon the spirit of a dead animal, which will obey her telepathic commands. The difficulty of this roll may be decreased if the Ahrimane possess and appropriate Material Correspondence for the spirit (basically an item appropriate to the spirits nature, or something like bones, feathers or a tooth of the animal in question. The location also matters, if the animal being called is local to the region it will be easier to summon the spirits, if they come from the other side of the world, or a very different habitat it will be tougher. Use common sense, a rat will be easy to summon it a city, but it will be difficult to summon a polar bear in the desert.
This spirit has a physical form, and the same number of Health levels as when it was alive. When incapacitated, it becomes incorporeal.

Successes & Duration
*1 Success  - One Turn
*2 Successes - Five Turns
*3 Successes -  One Hour
*4 Successes  - One Night
*5 Successes  - One Week


*** Aspect of the Beast

Roll: Manipulation + Occult, difficulty 7
By spending a blood point, the vampire may call on a spirit of an animal to give her an ability of that animal, for one turn per success. Possible powers can include the following:

*Bear -Strength is increased by 2

*Beaver -The vampire can bite through nearly anything

*Chameleon -The vampire can adopt the colors of her surroundings, adding five dice to Stealth pools if she moves slowly

*Cougar - Courage rolls at difficulty -1

*Cricket - The vampire can make loud chirps that can temporarily deafen others

*Falcon - The vampire can see great distances

*Hare - Perception rolls involving hearing are made at difficulty -2

*Hound - The vampire can smell more keenly, and may track by smell with a roll of Perception + Survival, difficulty determined by Storyteller whim

*Leapfrog - The vampire can jump three times her normal height or distance

*Serpent - The vampire can bite a victim, who suffers two dice of damage per turn, until cured, or the vampire’s power ends

*Squirrel - Athletics rolls involving balance are rolled at difficulty -2

*Stag - The vampire can run twice her normal speed
This list is by no means complete, the vampire is free to call upon other animal spirits.


**** Engling Fury

Roll: Manipulation + Intimidation, difficulty 8
The vampire can feed off of animal spirits, gaining one willpower point per success. This power destroys an animal spirit each time it is used. The Ahrimane then has a choice she can either take the power from the spirit straight away, or she can honour the spirit with a hunt. If the Ahrimane chooses to simply force the energy from the spirit, then it dissipates immediately before even materialising. If she chooses to hunt it then it will materialise as an animal, and the Ahrimane will have to pursue, catch and kill it. At which point she must then say a small prayer of thanks to the spirit.

Each use of this power destroys the spirit. Obviously this can damage the Ahrimanes reputation in the spirit world. Summoning a spirit to hunt requires a Charisma + Occult roll (difficulty at
which point the spirit will materialise. The player will then have to make whatever rolls the Storyteller thinks are appropriate to hunt and catch then animal, depending upon terrain she must hunt it through. If the hunt is successfully completed then the Ahrimane must say the prayer of thanks. If this is done the spirit will reform elsewhere afterwards. Note that knowledge of the Discipline does not automatically grant knowledge of how to perform the hunt and prayer. The Storyteller may require this to be learnt as a ritus, as so require the character to have at least a point in Rituals.


***** The Wild Form
The Ahrimane has the power to channel spiritual energies to fuel a physical transformation, taking on a larger and tougher feral state and granting her special physical powers. She also takes ona more catlike appearance, and animals react poorly to this shape. The exact appearance can vary, some Ahrimanes just grow bulkier, acquire a thin layer of fur and look rather more feline, while others turn into a full blown Cat-woman. Unlike Protean, the transformation does nor effect the Ahrimane’s clothing or items she carries, clothes are simply shredded.

System: The change is automatic, happening whenever the Ahrimane wishes it, raising the vampire's Strength by 3, and Dexterity by 2. Stamina also increases by 2, and can be used to soak Aggravated damage from physical attacks. Appearance goes to 0 and Manipulation is reduced by 3, however Strength can be used instead for Intimidation rolls. The vampire's claws and fangs cause an extra die of damage, she no longer needs to hold, tackle or clinch before biting, and her claws are  retractable like a cat’s. Both fangs and claws do Aggravated damage. Smelling, hearing, and night vision improve to roughly twice normal (double Perception dice for appropriate rolls). Finally all rolls for interacting with animals are at +2 difficulty.