Magic

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'''Q:''' ''What is the basis for the Humanity restriction for Cruac?''
'''Q:''' ''What is the basis for the Humanity restriction for Cruac?''
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'''A:''' ....
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'''A:''' Because Cruac is an old dark form of magic. It is ancient blood rites, often conducted with sacrifices, willing or otherwise. An experienced practicioner of Cruac must be comfortable with the though of using another's blood for their own personal gain. Generally if you're using high levels of Cruac, the humanity restriction isn't a problem for you anyway.
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== Cannon Rites ==
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== Canon Rites ==
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Any ritual without a sourcebook listed can be found in the ''Mind's Eye Theatre'' version of '''Vampire: The Requiem'''.
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== Level One ==
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=== Level • ===
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'''PANGS OF PROSERPINA'''
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====PANGS OF PROSERPINA ====
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The sorcerer causes feelings of intense hunger in a subject, who must be within sight. The afflicted subject feels the desire to eat or feed. Activation involves a contested draw against the subject’s Composure + Blood Potency, and resistance is reflexive. If the performer gets the most successes, the victim avails himself of any sustenance available. A mortal even eats raw meat, though he doesn’t resort to such dire acts as cannibalism or drinking blood. Kindred might attack nearby vessels or even fellow vampires if their hunger is severe enough to make them frenzy. Even after he eats or feeds, a subject’s rapacity does not subside until the effects of the ritual pass. (Vampires affected by this ritual are considered “starving” for the purposes of resisting frenzy; see p. 255.)
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The sorcerer causes feelings of intense hunger in a subject, who must be within sight. The afflicted subject feels the desire to eat or feed. A mortal even eats raw meat, though he doesn’t resort to such dire acts as cannibalism or drinking blood. Kindred might attack nearby vessels or even fellow vampires if their hunger is severe enough to make them frenzy. Even after he eats or feeds, a subject’s rapacity does not subside until the effects of the ritual pass. (Vampires affected by this ritual are considered “starving” for the purposes of resisting frenzy; see p. 255.)
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====RIGOR MORTIS ====
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'''RIGOR MORTIS'''
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With the power of this ritual, a vampire may temporarily interrupt the reanimating effect of vampiric Vitae, impairing a Kindred’s movements as the stiffening of muscles common to dead bodies takes hold.  Rigor Mortis is useless against mortals, ghouls, Lupines, mages and most other beings, since they don’t depend on the power of vampiric Vitae to animate their bodies.
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With the power of this ritual, a vampire may temporarily interrupt the reanimating effect of vampiric Vitae, impairing a Kindred’s movements as the stiffening of muscles common to dead bodies takes hold. The number of successes garnered on the Crúac draw determines the number of points by which the victim’s next Physical test pool is penalized. This applies only to test pools for actions, and does not affect Physical resistances. Rigor Mortis is useless against mortals, ghouls, Lupines, mages and most other beings, since they don’t depend on the power of vampiric Vitae to animate their bodies. A vampire may only be affected by the effects of one Rigor Mortis ritual at any given time. The draw to activate this power is penalized by the subject’s Composure.
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====BALANCING THE FOUR HUMORS (''Nomads pg 93'')====
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The Kindred are largely immune to the dangers of temperature, pressure and other conditions that would kill or cripple mortals. A vampire can still be affected by the most extreme conditions, though, such as arctic cold.  This minor ritual maintains a balance within a vampire’s Vitae, never allowing it to become too hot, cold, compressed or otherwise hampered by the external world.
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'''Balancing the Four Humors''' (Nomads pg 93)
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====BLOOD WITNESS (''Coteries pg 84'')====
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The Kindred are largely immune to the dangers of temperature, pressure and other conditions that would kill or cripple mortals. A vampire can still be affected by the most extreme conditions, though, such as arctic cold.  This minor ritual maintains a balance within a vampire’s Vitae, never allowing it to become too hot, cold, compressed or otherwise hampered by the external world.  Under the ritual’s Protection, the vampire suffers no dice-pool penalties due to climactic conditions or extremes.  This benefit does not extend to conditions that would actually cause injury or damage, such as sunlight. Nor does it eliminate wound penalties. The ritual’s effect lasts until the next sunrise.
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With the presence and power of her own Vitae, a ritualist can observe what happens in the vicinity of blood she leaves behind during the performance of this ritual.
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== Level Two ==
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=== Level •• ===
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'''CHEVAL'''
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====CHEVAL ====
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This ritual allows the performer to “ride the senses” of his subject. The subject must be within direct sight when the ritual is performed, but the subject can stray from the caster to any distance thereafter. At any time he wishes for the duration of the effect, the performer may see or hear through the eyes or ears of his subject. No other senses can be substituted — if the subject is blind or deaf or both, all “riding” yields is blackness and/or silence. A subject so “ridden” is unaware that his senses also report to another.  While riding another’s senses, the ritualist
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This ritual allows the performer to “ride the senses” of his subject.
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is only dimly aware of her own body, which falls into on a trance-like state. She is unaware of minor environmental stimuli affecting her own body (such as an insect crawling across her skin or drops of water falling on her head), but more aggressive actions perpetrated against her body such as moving it more than a few inches or attacking it immediately draw her consciousness back to it. This ritual remains in effect for one night per success on the invocation draw, though the caster may end the ritual at any time. The performer can therefore indulge in a subject’s senses and return to her own body as often as she likes throughout the rite’s duration. Generally speaking, the ritualist may leave behind a note indicating where her body is and directing would-be assailants to seek her out, and then follow the target of the ritual while adopting an out-of-game pose to indicate that she is not actually there. The draw to activate this power is penalized by the subject’s Composure.
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====THE HYDRA’S VITAE====
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'''THE HYDRA’S VITAE'''
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By invoking this ritual, the performer protects himself from would-be diablerists and from those who would otherwise feast upon his blood. This ritual transforms the sorcerer’s Vitae into a kind of poison.
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By invoking this ritual, the performer protects himself from would-be diablerists and from those who would otherwise feast upon his blood. This ritual transforms the sorcerer’s Vitae into a kind of poison. Kindred who drink it suffer one point of lethal damage for every Vitae consumed; mortals who imbibe suffer two points of lethal damage for each Vitae. When a Kindred consumes a quantity of venomous Vitae, she earns no nourishment from it.  Vitae altered by this ritual is poisonous only so long as it’s in the performer’s body (or until the next sunrise). If the Vitae leaves, it becomes as any other Vitae spilled from a Kindred’s body. Thus, it cannot be used to create poisoned weapons, and if one consumes the Vitae from a container after it leaves the body, it is simply normal, non-poisonous Vitae.
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====THE HELIOLATER'S WARNING (''Nomads pg 93'')====
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Nothing is more dangerous to a vampire roaming the world than the burning kiss of sunlight.  A temporary haven is never truly safe, not when a single hole in a wall can let in the sun, or an invading witch hunter can tear away a protective curtain. While this ritual cannot guarantee any kind of safety, it can give a vampire an extra moment of grace when disaster strikes, perhaps allowing her a chance to scramble to safety.
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'''The Heliolater’s Warning''' (Nomads pg 93)
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====BARRIER OF BLOOD (''Coteries pg 84'')====
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Nothing is more dangerous to a vampire roaming the world than the burning kiss of sunlight.  A temporary haven is never truly safe, not when a single hole in a wall can let in the sun, or an invading witch hunter can tear away a protective curtain. While this ritual cannot guarantee any kind of safety, it can give a vampire an extra moment of grace when disaster strikes, perhaps allowing her a chance to scramble to safety.  Her Vitae becomes preternaturally sensitive to changes in surrounding light levels, and pounds quickly through her veins should she be forced to wake during the day.
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This defensive ritual is used to mark an Acolyte’s territory and prevent entry by unwanted Kindred.  To perform this ritual, the character draws lines of his Vitae across doorways, underneath windows or anywhere else she wishes to ward.
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The successes achieved on the invocation roll are added to any Wits roll made to wake during the day, as long as the circumstances involve exposure to sunlight.  A ghoul sneaking into the vampire’s haven and stealing documents doesn’t trigger the benefit, but if the ghoul then attempts to let in the light, the bonus is added to your Wits pool (+ Auspex dots, if any).  The bonus dice are also added to the Humanity roll to determine how long the vampire can remain active upon waking.  The effects of the ritual last until the next sunset, even if the caster is forced to wake several times during the day.
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== Level Three ==
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=== Level •••===
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'''DEFLECTION OF WOODEN DOOM'''
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====DEFLECTION OF WOODEN DOOM====
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The performer invokes a mystic protection against attempts to impale her heart with a stake. If the ritual succeeds, any attempt to stake the vampire fails for the duration of the spell. Stakes used in this manner rot or disintegrate as wielders attempt to use them against the performer, leaving no useful pieces behind. An attempt to stake the Kindred in question must be made for this ritual to take effect. (It does not simply rot all stakes and would-be stakes in her presence.) This power cannot be invoked to protect others; it works only on the sorcerer herself. This ritual fades at sundown of the subsequent night, though it may be invoked again immediately thereafter.
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The performer invokes a mystic protection against attempts to impale her heart with a stake. This power cannot be invoked to protect others; it works only on the sorcerer herself.
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====TOUCH OF THE MORRIGAN==== 
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The caster performs this ritual and channels his righteous ire into a tangible force.  His mere touch becomes a direct conduit to bring pain upon another.  At the caster's will, once the ritual is complete, he may touch one being and cause great harm as the victim's flesh begins to blacken and shrivel.
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'''TOUCH OF THE MORRIGAN'''
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====SONG OF THE BLOOD (''Nomads pg 93'')====
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The caster performs this ritual (Manipulation + Occult + Crúac is drawn) and channels his righteous ire into a tangible force. If the performance draw is successful, the user’s mere touch becomes deadly. The sorcerer must then touch a subject with his open palm. (See “Touching an Opponent,” p.217 of the Mind’s Eye Theatre rulebook.) Contact inflicts an amount of lethal damage equal to the number of successes gained on the activation draw. (The power cannot be delivered through a punch or other unarmed close-combat attack.) This harm can be delivered only once per performance of the ritual, and this rite lasts for one hour for every success drawn. If that period of time passes without a touch being made, the power fades. The mark made by contact is physically manifest in accordance with its severity. A Touch of the Morrigan that inflicts one point of damage looks like a minor scar or livid bruise, while one that delivers five points of damage leaves the subject almost entirely blackened and charred looking. The visible injury fades as the damage is healed. This power affects only vampires, ghouls and other supernatural creatures. It seems that Kindred cannot inflict their viciousness on mortals in this manner. At the Storyteller’s discretion, victims of particularly powerful uses of this rite may acquire penalties to relevant appearance-related draws until the damage is healed or be forced to adopt appropriate makeup or description tags to simulate their ravaged looks.
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On the road, a vampire risks not just danger but anonymity- if she dies at the hands of her enemies, far from her allies and blood “family,” no one may ever know her fate or be able to take revenge. This ritual mitigates some of that danger.
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====FLOWER OF DEMETER (''Coteries pg 85'')====
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== Level Four ==
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Knowledge of this ritual has been passed down from the most ancient vampires, according to those Acolytes who use and teach this horticultural rite.  With it, a character grows a unique species of red lily said to have been brought back from Hades by Persephone.  This flower grows only in mortal blood- which must be supplied in total at the start of the ritual- but is traditionally grown from a human corpse.  The plant itself is inspiring to Kindred in an intangible, mystical way for as long as at least a single blossom remains on its stalk. This inspirational power is said to be the echo of Demeter’s springtime joy.  A vampire who swallows a Flower of Demeter experiences the blush of life until the next sunrise.
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'''BLOOD PRICE'''
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=== Level •••• ===
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The sorcerer mystically claims one third of the Vitae that a subject imbibes. The subject must be within sight when this ritual is performed. Every time the subject feeds, a third of the Vitae he consumes is denied him and transfers invisibly to the sorcerer, regardless of either vampire’s location. (In other words, every third point of Vitae consumed is passed to the caster.) This Vitae is always “neutral,” which is to say that the feeding Kindred does not subject the sorcerer to a Vinculum in this manner, and neither does feeding from a third-party vampire apply any blood bonds to the sorcerer (though it certainly does to the feeding vampire). The effects of this ritual expire after one feeding or the next sunrise, whichever comes first.  A contested draw is made to activate this power, pitting the sorcerer’s Manipulation + Occult + Crúac versus the subject’s Composure + Blood Potency, and this resistance is reflexive. If the most successes are drawn for the caster, the subject has no idea where some of the Vitae he consumes disappears to, yet he knows that he goes slightly undernourished.
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====BLOOD PRICE====
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The sorcerer mystically claims one third of the Vitae that a subject imbibes.
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'''WILLFUL VITAE'''
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====WILLFUL VITAE====
The performer makes herself immune to the Vinculum and blood addiction when another
The performer makes herself immune to the Vinculum and blood addiction when another
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Kindred’s Vitae is consumed. After this ritual is performed, if another vampire’s blood is imbibed in the same night, no step is taken toward a Vinculum with the provider of the blood, and no addiction to blood forms for the character. Of course, the blood donor has no idea that the recipient is immune. The ritual cannot be performed on another vampire, only on the caster’s self. The ritual does not countermand or alleviate any existing Vinculum to which the caster is already subject.
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Kindred’s Vitae is consumed.
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====BLEEDING THE TARANTULA (''Nomads pg 93'')====
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This bizarre ritual creates a guardian that watches over a vampire as he sleeps- an undead, spidery homunculus with fangs dripping bloody venom.
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== Level Five ==
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=== Level •••••===
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====BLOOD BLIGHT====
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'''BLOOD BLIGHT'''
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This potent ritual taints the blood of its target, whether mortal or vampire.
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This potent ritual taints the blood of its target, whether mortal or vampire. Draw Manipulation
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====FEEDING THE CRONE====
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+ Occult + Crúac in a contested action against the target’s Stamina + Blood Potency (resistance is reflexive). If the draw for the caster gets the most successes, that number of successes is inflicted as lethal damage to a mortal target. A vampire target immediately loses the equivalent of Vitae in his system and could be subject to frenzy as a result. Indeed, a vampiric victim might be forced into torpor. The caster must be able to see the intended victim when the ritual is performed.
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 +
When the performer calls upon the power of the Crone herself (by whatever name is used), the vampire’s mouth transforms into a maw of wicked, gnashing teeth. Making it easier to bite a victim but not feed from them.
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'''FEEDING THE CRONE'''  
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====CURSE OF AHASVERUS (''Nomads pg 93'')====
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When the performer calls upon the power of the Crone herself (by whatever name is used), and a Vitae is spent, the vampire’s mouth transforms into a maw of wicked, gnashing teeth. The vampire need not perform a grapple attack in order to bite a victim; the attack is made directly. The number of successes achieved on the ritual’s activation draw is added as a bonus to attack draws, and aggravated damage is inflicted. In addition, these teeth are so vicious that feeding cannot occur when they are borne; too much blood is wasted in the gory slaughter to get any real nourishment. Feeding the Crone remains in effect until another Vitae is spent to revoke the change, or until sunrise. In addition, appropriate makeup or a highly visible description tag should be worn to alert others to the use of this ritual, as it cannot be concealed from even casual inspection. Feeding the Crone cannot be used in combination with any Fighting Styles and the character does not receive bonuses from any weapons held as this is a brawling attack.
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In the hands of blood sorcerers, this curse is a personal and dangerous blight, for it can turn a respected member of a domain into an outcast, forced to flee for his unlife.
== Custom Rites ==
== Custom Rites ==
* '''[[Creating your own Ritual]]'''
* '''[[Creating your own Ritual]]'''
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== Cannon Devotions ==
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== Canon Devotions ==
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'''ARCANE SIGHT''' (AUSPEX ••, CRUAC •)
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==='''ARCANE SIGHT''' (AUSPEX ••, CRUAC •)===
Those who know this Devotion have learned how to expand their mystical sight by incorporating rudiments of blood magic. Kindred with this power can use their Auspex to scrutinize the auras of objects, as well as people, and may glean information from the eddies of power that whorl through the world.
Those who know this Devotion have learned how to expand their mystical sight by incorporating rudiments of blood magic. Kindred with this power can use their Auspex to scrutinize the auras of objects, as well as people, and may glean information from the eddies of power that whorl through the world.
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'''Cost''': 1 Vitae per scene
 
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'''Test Pool''': Wits + Occult + Auspex
 
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'''Action''': Instant
 
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Rather than sensing patterns of emotions as with Aura Perception, the user sees the ebb and flow of magical power. A Kindred possessing this Devotion can learn a variety of information, including the following: whether an object (or person) has any magic of its own or is currently under enchantment; whether the magic comes from the object or creature directly or from an external source; the nature of the magic (beneficial, harmful, illusory); even detailed information
 
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as to the type and level of magic employed. Scrutinized individuals who are capable of any sort of magic (vampiric or otherwise) always glow with sparkling crackles of energy.  Although this Devotion does identify sources of magic or items possessed of enchantments, it does not reveal magic effects in action (such as a magical fireball or an illusion). Each success on the activation draw yields one piece of information from the list above about the magic in question. If use of this Devotion becomes reasonably common, the Storytelling staff may even place task cards labeled “Arcane Sight” on important items or locations, which can only be attempted by characters with this Devotion.
 
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This power costs 10 experience points to learn.
 
== Custom Devotions ==
== Custom Devotions ==

Current revision as of 21:30, 29 April 2006

The Circle of the Crone thrives on its use of the blood magic called Cruac. Here is the place to add questions and answers to the Cruac FAQ, share custom or common rites and devotion as well as other information.

Contents

Cruac Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the basis for the Humanity restriction for Cruac?

A: Because Cruac is an old dark form of magic. It is ancient blood rites, often conducted with sacrifices, willing or otherwise. An experienced practicioner of Cruac must be comfortable with the though of using another's blood for their own personal gain. Generally if you're using high levels of Cruac, the humanity restriction isn't a problem for you anyway.

Canon Rites

Any ritual without a sourcebook listed can be found in the Mind's Eye Theatre version of Vampire: The Requiem.

Level •

PANGS OF PROSERPINA

The sorcerer causes feelings of intense hunger in a subject, who must be within sight. The afflicted subject feels the desire to eat or feed. A mortal even eats raw meat, though he doesn’t resort to such dire acts as cannibalism or drinking blood. Kindred might attack nearby vessels or even fellow vampires if their hunger is severe enough to make them frenzy. Even after he eats or feeds, a subject’s rapacity does not subside until the effects of the ritual pass. (Vampires affected by this ritual are considered “starving” for the purposes of resisting frenzy; see p. 255.)

RIGOR MORTIS

With the power of this ritual, a vampire may temporarily interrupt the reanimating effect of vampiric Vitae, impairing a Kindred’s movements as the stiffening of muscles common to dead bodies takes hold. Rigor Mortis is useless against mortals, ghouls, Lupines, mages and most other beings, since they don’t depend on the power of vampiric Vitae to animate their bodies.

BALANCING THE FOUR HUMORS (Nomads pg 93)

The Kindred are largely immune to the dangers of temperature, pressure and other conditions that would kill or cripple mortals. A vampire can still be affected by the most extreme conditions, though, such as arctic cold. This minor ritual maintains a balance within a vampire’s Vitae, never allowing it to become too hot, cold, compressed or otherwise hampered by the external world.

BLOOD WITNESS (Coteries pg 84)

With the presence and power of her own Vitae, a ritualist can observe what happens in the vicinity of blood she leaves behind during the performance of this ritual.

Level ••

CHEVAL

This ritual allows the performer to “ride the senses” of his subject.

THE HYDRA’S VITAE

By invoking this ritual, the performer protects himself from would-be diablerists and from those who would otherwise feast upon his blood. This ritual transforms the sorcerer’s Vitae into a kind of poison.

THE HELIOLATER'S WARNING (Nomads pg 93)

Nothing is more dangerous to a vampire roaming the world than the burning kiss of sunlight. A temporary haven is never truly safe, not when a single hole in a wall can let in the sun, or an invading witch hunter can tear away a protective curtain. While this ritual cannot guarantee any kind of safety, it can give a vampire an extra moment of grace when disaster strikes, perhaps allowing her a chance to scramble to safety.

BARRIER OF BLOOD (Coteries pg 84)

This defensive ritual is used to mark an Acolyte’s territory and prevent entry by unwanted Kindred. To perform this ritual, the character draws lines of his Vitae across doorways, underneath windows or anywhere else she wishes to ward.

Level •••

DEFLECTION OF WOODEN DOOM

The performer invokes a mystic protection against attempts to impale her heart with a stake. This power cannot be invoked to protect others; it works only on the sorcerer herself.

TOUCH OF THE MORRIGAN

The caster performs this ritual and channels his righteous ire into a tangible force. His mere touch becomes a direct conduit to bring pain upon another. At the caster's will, once the ritual is complete, he may touch one being and cause great harm as the victim's flesh begins to blacken and shrivel.

SONG OF THE BLOOD (Nomads pg 93)

On the road, a vampire risks not just danger but anonymity- if she dies at the hands of her enemies, far from her allies and blood “family,” no one may ever know her fate or be able to take revenge. This ritual mitigates some of that danger.

FLOWER OF DEMETER (Coteries pg 85)

Knowledge of this ritual has been passed down from the most ancient vampires, according to those Acolytes who use and teach this horticultural rite. With it, a character grows a unique species of red lily said to have been brought back from Hades by Persephone. This flower grows only in mortal blood- which must be supplied in total at the start of the ritual- but is traditionally grown from a human corpse. The plant itself is inspiring to Kindred in an intangible, mystical way for as long as at least a single blossom remains on its stalk. This inspirational power is said to be the echo of Demeter’s springtime joy. A vampire who swallows a Flower of Demeter experiences the blush of life until the next sunrise.

Level ••••

BLOOD PRICE

The sorcerer mystically claims one third of the Vitae that a subject imbibes.

WILLFUL VITAE

The performer makes herself immune to the Vinculum and blood addiction when another Kindred’s Vitae is consumed.

BLEEDING THE TARANTULA (Nomads pg 93)

This bizarre ritual creates a guardian that watches over a vampire as he sleeps- an undead, spidery homunculus with fangs dripping bloody venom.

Level •••••

BLOOD BLIGHT

This potent ritual taints the blood of its target, whether mortal or vampire.

FEEDING THE CRONE

When the performer calls upon the power of the Crone herself (by whatever name is used), the vampire’s mouth transforms into a maw of wicked, gnashing teeth. Making it easier to bite a victim but not feed from them.

CURSE OF AHASVERUS (Nomads pg 93)

In the hands of blood sorcerers, this curse is a personal and dangerous blight, for it can turn a respected member of a domain into an outcast, forced to flee for his unlife.

Custom Rites

Canon Devotions

ARCANE SIGHT (AUSPEX ••, CRUAC •)

Those who know this Devotion have learned how to expand their mystical sight by incorporating rudiments of blood magic. Kindred with this power can use their Auspex to scrutinize the auras of objects, as well as people, and may glean information from the eddies of power that whorl through the world.

Custom Devotions

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