The Beast resides within all creatures, from scuttling cockroaches to scabrous rats up through untamed wolves and even powerful Kindred elders. Animalism allows the vampire to amplify their intensely primordial nature. They can not only communicate with animals, but can also force their will upon them, directing such beasts to do as they command. As the vampire grows in power, they can even control the Beast within mortals and other supernaturals.
Beasts grow distinctly agitated in the presence of a vampire who lacks this Discipline or the Skill of Animal Ken, often to the point of attacking or running from the vampire. In contrast, vampires possessing Animalism exude a dominant vibe to lower creatures, which attracts them.
Animalism is commonly found with vampires of the Gangrel and Nosferatu clans. Manipulation and Charisma are important for the use of Animalism powers; the stronger the vampire’s personality, the more influence ze has over animals.
Storytelling Animals
It can be difficult for the Storyteller to use animals as something more than a plot device whenever a character tries to communicate with them. It’s easy to fall back on monosyllabic speech and easily led creatures in order to get the story moving along. And indeed, animals are simpler than humans — they focus on the present and are directed by instincts instead of complex goals and elaborate schemes. However, simple doesn’t necessarily mean stupid; animals need cunning and perception to survive, and both can be of great use to a vampire master. Storytellers can make animals dynamic, interesting characters that bring a lot to the chronicle, or they can quickly gloss over the finer points of their characterization to get back to the more pressing conflicts in the chronicle.
Source: V20 Core
This power is the basis from which all other Animalism abilities grow. The vampire creates an empathic connection with a beast, thereby allowing zir to communicate or issue simple commands. The Kindred locks eyes with the animal, transmitting zir desires through sheer force of will. Although it isn’t necessary to actually “speak” in chirps, hisses, or barks, some vampires find that doing so helps strengthen the connection with the animal. Eye contact must be maintained the entire time; if it’s broken, the Kindred must re-establish contact to continue communication.
The simpler the creature, the more difficult it becomes to connect with the animal’s Beast. Mammals, predatory birds, and larger reptiles are relatively easy to communicate with. Insects, invertebrates, and most fish are just too simple to connect with.
Feral Whispers provides no guarantees that an animal will want to deal with the vampire, nor does it ensure that the animal will pursue any requests the vampire makes of it. Still, it does at least make the creature better disposed toward the Kindred. The manner in which the vampire presents their desires to the animal often depends on the type of creature. A Kindred can often bully smaller beasts into heeding commands, but ze’s better off couching orders for large predators as requests.
If the vampire successfully uses the power, the animal performs the command to the best of its ability and intellect. Only the very brightest creatures understand truly complex directives (orders dealing with conditional situations or requiring abstract logic). Commands that the animal does understand remain deeply implanted, however, and guide its behavior for some time.
System: No roll is necessary to talk with an animal, but the character must establish eye contact first. Issuing commands requires a Manipulation + Animal Ken roll. The Difficulty depends on the creature: Predatory mammals (wolves, cats, vampire bats) are Difficulty 6, other mammals and predatory birds (rats, owls) are Difficulty 7, and other birds and reptiles (pigeons, snakes) are Difficulty 8. This Difficulty is reduced by 1 if the character speaks to the animal in its “native tongue,” and can be adjusted further by circumstances and roleplaying skill (it is highly recommended that all communication between characters and animals be roleplayed).
The number of successes the player achieves dictates how strongly the character’s command affects the animal. 1 success is sufficient to have a cat follow an individual and lead the character to the same location, 3 successes are enough to have a raven spy on a target for weeks, and 5 successes ensure that a grizzly ferociously guards the entrance to the character’s wilderness haven for some months.
The character’s Nature plays a large part in how they approach these conversations. The character might try intimidating, teasing, cajoling, or rationalizing. The player should understand that ze does not simply play zir character in these situations, but the Beast Within as well.
Using this power cannot force an animal to do something against its nature, or to force a creature to risk its life. While the aforementioned grizzly would stand guard to the vampire’s haven and even fight for it, it would not do so against obviously superior numbers or something overwhelmingly supernatural. A predatory bird might be convinced to harry a target, but would definitely not hold ground. A docile dog or skittish cat would have no problem with reporting something it had seen, but it wouldn’t enter combat unless given no other option — though it would likely agree to stand and fight and then flee at the first opportunity, if a harsh Kindred demanded it.
Source: V20 Core
The vampire’s connection to the Beast grows strong enough that ze may call out in the voice of a specific type of animal — howling like a wolf, shrilling like a raven, etc. This call mystically summons creatures of the chosen type. Since each type of animal has a different call, Beckoning works for only a single species at a time.
All such animals within earshot are summoned, and some percentage of them will heed the Beckoning if it is successful. While the vampire has no further control over the beasts who answer, the animals who do are favorably disposed toward them and are at least willing to listen to the Kindred’s concerns. (The vampire can then use Feral Whispers on individual animals to command them, which may be at a decreased Difficulty at the Storyteller’s discretion.)
System: The player rolls Charisma + Survival (Difficulty 6) to determine the response to the character’s call; consult the table below. Only animals that can hear the cry will respond. If the Storyteller decides no animals of that type are within earshot, the summons goes unanswered.
The call can be as specific as the player desires. A character could call for all bats in the area, for only the male bats nearby, or for only the albino bat with the notched ear they saw the other night.
| Successes | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | A single animal responds |
| 2 | One-quarter of the animals within earshot respond |
| 3 | Half of the animals respond |
| 4 | Most of the animals respond |
| 5+ | All of the animals respond |
Source: V20 Core
As the supreme predators of the natural world, Kindred are highly attuned to the bestial nature that dwells within every mortal heart. A vampire who develops this power may assert zir will over a mortal (animal or human) subject, subduing the Beast within xem. This quenches all powerful, strong emotions — hope, fury, love, fear — within the target. The Kindred must either touch zir subject or stare into xyr eyes to channel zir will effectively.
Mortals who lack the fire of their inner Beasts are quite tractable, reacting to even stressful situations with indifference. Even the most courageous or maddened mortal becomes apathetic and listless, while an especially sensitive individual may suffer from a phobic Derangement while under the power’s influence.
Different clans evoke this power in different ways, though the effect itself is identical. Tzimisce call it Cowing the Beast, since they force the mortal’s weaker spirit to shrivel in fear before the Kindred’s own inner Beast. Nosferatu refer to it as Song of Serenity, since they soothe the subject’s Beast into a state of utter complacency, thus allowing them to feed freely. Gangrel know the power as Quell the Beast, and force the mortal spirit into a state of fear or apathy as befits the individual vampire’s nature.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Intimidation if forcing down the Beast through fear, or Manipulation + Empathy if soothing it into complacency. The Difficulty of the roll is 7 in either case. This is an extended action requiring as many total successes as the target has Willpower. Failure indicates that the player must start over from the beginning, while a botch indicates that the vampire may not affect that subject’s Beast for the remainder of the scene.
When a mortal’s Beast is cowed or soothed, xe can no longer use or regain Willpower. Xe ceases all struggles, whether mental or physical. Xe doesn’t even defend xemself if assaulted, though the Storyteller may allow a Willpower roll if the mortal believes xyr life is truly threatened. To recover from this power, the mortal’s player rolls Willpower (Difficulty 6) once per day until xe accumulates enough successes to equal the vampire’s Willpower. Kindred cannot be affected by this power.
Though a vampire’s Beast cannot be cowed with this ability, the Storyteller may allow characters to use the “soothing” variation of this power to pull a vampire out of frenzy. With 3 or more successes, the frenzying vampire may roll again to pull zirself out of frenzy, using the same Difficulty as the stimulus that caused the frenzy originally.
Source: V20 Core
By locking zir gaze with that of an animal, the vampire may mentally possess the creature. Some elders believe that since animals don’t have souls but spirits, the vampire can move zir own soul into the animal’s body. Many younger vampires think it a matter of transferring one’s consciousness into the animal’s mind. In either case, it’s agreed that the beast’s weaker spirit (or mind) is pushed aside by the Kindred’s own consciousness. The vampire’s body falls into a motionless state akin to torpor while zir mind takes control of the animal’s actions, remaining this way until the Kindred’s consciousness returns.
Some haughty Tzimisce eschew this power, considering it debasing to enter the body of a lesser creature. When they do stoop to using it, they possess only predators. Conversely, Gangrel revel in connecting to the natural world in this way. They delight in sampling different animals’ natures.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Animal Ken (Difficulty 8) as the character looks into the animal’s eyes. The number of successes allows the character to employ some mental Disciplines while possessing the animal, as noted below.
| Successes | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cannot use Disciplines |
| 2 | Can use Auspex and other sensory powers |
| 3 | Can also use Presence and other powers of emotional manipulation |
| 4 | Can also use Dementation, Dominate, and other powers of mental manipulation |
| 5+ | Can also use Chimerstry, Necromancy, Thaumaturgy, and other mystical powers |
This power entwines the character’s consciousness closely with the animal’s spirit, so much so that the character may continue to think and feel like that animal even after breaking the connection. This effect continues until the character spends a total of 7 nights or 3 Willpower points to resist and finally overcome the animal nature. This should be roleplayed, though the character will be affected to a lesser degree if the player chooses to spend Willpower.
At the end of any particularly exciting incident during possession, the player rolls Wits + Empathy (Difficulty 8) for the character to retain zir own mind. Failure indicates that the character’s mind returns to zir own body, but still thinks in purely animalistic terms. A botch returns the character to zir body, and also sends zir into frenzy.
The character may travel as far from zir own physical body as they choose while possessing the animal. The character retains no conscious connection with zir vampire body during this time, though. The vampire may also venture out during the day, albeit in the animal’s body. However, the character’s own body must be awake to do so, requiring a successful roll to remain awake. If the character leaves the animal’s body (by choice, if their body falls asleep, or after sustaining significant injury), the vampire’s consciousness returns to zir physical form instantaneously.
Although the vampire has no conscious link to zir body while possessing the animal, they do form a sympathetic bond. Anything the animal feels, the vampire also experiences, from pleasure to pain. In fact, any damage the animal’s body sustains is also applied to the character’s body, though the Kindred body may soak as normal. If the animal dies before the vampire’s soul can flee from the body, the character’s body falls into torpor. Presumably this is in sympathetic response to the massive trauma of death, but some Kindred believe that the vampire’s soul is cast adrift during this time and must find its way back to the body.
Source: V20 Core
At this level of Animalism, the Kindred has a keen understanding of the Beast Within, and is able to release zir feral urges upon another mortal or vampire. The recipient of the vampire’s Beast is instantly overcome by frenzy. This is an unnatural frenzy, however, as the victim is channeling the Kindred’s own fury. As such, the vampire’s own behavior, expressions, and even speech patterns are evident in the subject’s savage actions.
Gangrel and Tzimisce are especially fond of unleashing their Beasts onto others. Gangrel do so to stir their ghouls into inspired heights of savagery during combat. Tzimisce care less about who receives their Beast than retaining their own composure.
System: The player must announce zir preferred target (since it must be someone within sight, Drawing Out the Beast cannot be used if the vampire is alone), then roll Manipulation + Self-Control/Instinct (Difficulty 8). Refer to the table below for the results:
| Successes | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | The character transfers the Beast, but unleashes it upon a random individual |
| 2 | The character is stunned by the effort and may not act next turn, but transfers the Beast successfully Alternatively, the character may act normally during the turn, but must spend a Willpower point or suffer a single level of Lethal damage |
| 3+ | The character transfers the Beast successfully |
If the attempt fails, the character zirself immediately enters frenzy. As the character relaxes in expectation of relieving their savage urges, the Beast takes that opportunity to dig deeper. In this case, the frenzy lasts twice as long as normal and is twice as difficult to shrug off; its severity also increases exponentially. Botching this roll is even more catastrophic; the heightened frenzy grows so extreme that not even expending Willpower curbs its duration or effects. The character is a hapless victim to the terrible fury of their Beast, and may well hurl zirself into a savage, flesh-rending rampage that leaves the Masquerade (and unfortunate nearby onlookers) in tatters.
If the character leaves the target’s presence before the frenzy expends itself, the vampire loses zir Beast, perhaps permanently. While no longer vulnerable to frenzy, the character cannot use or regain Willpower and becomes increasingly lethargic. To recover the Beast, ze must find the person who now possesses it (who likely isn’t enjoying xemself very much) and coax the Beast into its proper vessel. The most effective way to do so is to behave in ways that make the Beast want to return — however, this isn’t a guarantee that it will wish to do so. Alternatively, the character can simply kill the host (thus causing the Beast to return to the vampire immediately).
Source: V20 Core
Most vampires find the blood of animals flat, tasteless, and lacking in nutritional value. Some Gangrel and Nosferatu, however, have refined their understanding of the spirits of such “lesser prey” to the point that they are able to draw much more sustenance from beasts than normal Kindred can. This power does not allow an elder to subsist solely on the blood of animals, but it does allow zir to go for extended periods of time without taking vitae from humans or other Kindred.
System: No roll is needed; once learned, this power is always in effect. Animal Succulence allows a character to count each blood point drawn from an animal as 2 in zir blood pool. This does not increase the size of the vampire’s blood pool, just the nutritional value of animal blood.
Animal Succulence does not allow a character to completely ignore zir craving for the blood of “higher” prey; in fact, it heightens zir desire for “real food.” Every 3 times (rounded down) the character drinks from an animal, a cumulative +1 Difficulty is applied to the next Self-Control/Instinct roll the player makes when the character is confronted with the possibility of dining on human or Kindred blood.
Animal Succulence does not increase the blood point value of the blood of other supernatural creatures (Gangrel, werecreatures, and so on) who have taken animal forms, nor does it change the vampire’s feeding preferences (such as the Ventrue have).
Source: Lore of the Clans (Tzimisce)
Many Fiends can possess the lowly beasts of the wild, but some few can ride any ghoul who shares their blood. By locking eyes with their ghoul, the Fiend can transfer their soul into the creature. Although some Tzimisce consider such intimate contact with their servants distasteful, sometimes it is necessary to calm a rampaging vozhd in a disposable vessel. More than one Fiend has faked their death in the body of a cleverly fleshcrafted ghoul.
System: This power functions as Subsume the Spirit.
Source: Beckett’s Vampire Folio Omnibus (STV)
An extension of Beckoning, this power allows the user to summon a horde of crawling, chitinous vermin to do zir bidding. The insects (or spiders, rodents, crustaceans, etc.) swarm enemies, burying them beneath a biting, scratching, stinging tide that can torment, mutilate, or even kill.
System: The user spends 1 blood point and spends zir action to roll Charisma + Animal Ken (Difficulty 7) each round ze maintains Fourth Plague. During the first turn it is used, nothing happens (the horde is still arriving). At the start of the next round, the insects arrive. All enemies within 10 yards per level of Animalism suffer a penalty to their actions equal to the last number of successes rolled for Fourth Plague. In each round after the first, the user may also inflict a number of levels of Lethal damage equal to the successes rolled, divided any way ze sees fit.
Source: V3/Revised Dark Ages Players Guide to the Low Clans
This power allows the wielder to borrow the powers of an animal that ze feeds from. It can grant zir the strength of the bear, the eyes of the hawk, the wisdom of the owl, or the poison bite of the serpent. This power is likely to manifest in elder Gangrel, as they tend to have the strongest connection to animals.
System: Pact with Animals requires that the character drink at least 1 blood point from the type of animal from which ze wants to borrow a power. In the case of small animals, such as rats, this may require more than 1 source. As the blood is consumed, the player spends a point of Willpower. Pact with Animals lasts for the rest of the night. As the power fades just before sunrise, the player must roll the character’s Humanity/Path rating (Difficulty 6). If the roll fails, the influence of the animal does not fade entirely; the next night, the character is affected by the animal’s mindset as with Subsume the Spirit.
The power gained from an animal is usually equal to a Discipline power of level 1 or 2, like Heightened Senses (Auspex 1) or Feral Claws (Protean 2); in addition, it adds 2 dots to a related Attribute or 3 dots to a related Ability. The character also takes on mythical aspects of the animal. Someone drinking from an owl would become wiser, while someone drinking from a snake would slip toward a sneaky disposition.
Sample animal powers include:
Source: V3/Revised Clanbook Gangrel
This power functions along the same lines as Quell the Beast — the Gangrel asserts zir will over mortal animals (or humans), subduing their Beasts with the terrifying power of zir own. Passionate, powerful emotions, or even simple attempts to assert individuality or will are squelched, rendering those affected apathetic and lethargic for the duration. Multiple targets may be affected; the only requirement is that the individuals must be able to see or hear the Gangrel. It may be necessary in some extreme situations to get the targets’ attention, but that is not likely to be difficult for a monster of this power.
System: The player rolls Strength + Intimidation (Difficulty 7) — the Gangrel always forces the Beast into submission through fear. This is an extended action requiring as many total successes as the target has Willpower (each individual target is cowed as soon as xyr Willpower is reached). The Gangrel may subdue twice zir Willpower rating in animals and/or humans. If the crowd, herd, or pack is too large for the vampire to subdue them all, the individuals with the lowest Willpower scores are affected first. Failure on any roll in the sequence means that the vampire must re-accumulate successes, but those individuals already subdued remain so. A botch on any roll in the sequence means that the previously subdued creatures seethe violently into frenzy — they immediately attack the Gangrel who tried to knuckle them under, or anything that stands in the way.
When a mortal’s beast is cowed, xe can no longer use or regain Willpower. Xe ceases all mental and physical struggles, not even defending xemself if assaulted (the Storyteller may allow a Willpower roll if the mortal’s life is threatened). To recover from this power, the animal or human rolls Willpower (Difficulty 6) once per day until xe accumulates enough successes to equal the Gangrel’s Willpower. Kindred are not affected by this power, generally, but their ghoul retainers are.
Source: V20 Core
This power allows a character to probe the mind of any 1 animal ze touches. Shared Soul can be very disconcerting to both parties involved, as each participant is completely immersed in the thoughts and emotions of the other. With enough effort or time, each participant can gain a complete understanding of the other’s mind. Shared Soul is most often used to extract an animal’s memories of a specific event, but some Gangrel use this power as a tool in the search for enlightenment, feeling they come to a better understanding of their own Beasts through rapport with true beasts. Too close of a bond, however, can leave the two souls entangled after the sharing ends, causing the vampire to adopt mannerisms, behavior patterns, or even ethics (or lack thereof) similar to those of the animal.
System: The character touches the intended subject creature, and the player rolls Perception + Animal Ken (Difficulty 6). The player spends a Willpower point for every turn past the first that contact is maintained. Locating a specific memory takes 6 turns — 1 turn for every success on the roll. A complete bond takes 10 turns — 1 turn for every success on the roll. A botch on this roll may, at the Storyteller’s discretion, send the vampire into a frenzy or give the character a Derangement related to the behavior patterns of the animal (extreme cowardice if the vampire contacted the soul of mouse, bloodlust if the subject was a rabid dog, and so forth).
Source: V3/Revised Clanbook Nosferatu
Before the clan could hide in labyrinths buried beneath the cities of men, Ancients relied upon vast caves and caverns for their survival. The most powerful Methuselahs didn’t limit themselves to the few that existed — they created new ones. Loremasters tell tales of vast creatures underground, forgotten things from the early days of the world, monsters that Absimiliard himself could not destroy. Giants in the earth, these atavisms sluggishly tunnel and crawl countless miles beneath the surface world. Although cynical and scientific Nosferatu (Autarkis or otherwise) deny the existence of such creatures, human scientists cannot fully predict the occurrence of earthquakes and similar subterranean events.
Some Nosferatu occultists claim that only Nosferatu Methuselahs are potent enough to draw upon this power. A few insist that mighty vampires employ this Discipline to create sinkholes, collapse unstable sewer tunnels or open up vast caverns in rural areas desperately essential to their descendants. The most outrageous stories concern entire ecosystems based around massive chthonic worms, subterranean leviathans or other burrowers beneath the Earth’s crust. Whether this supernatural power (if it exists at all) involves summoning these creatures or merely shifting vast amounts of earth with the power of the mind remains a point of conjecture (read: it’s up to the Storyteller’s discretion).
System: If these creatures exist, then Nosferatu Ancients can control them somewhat sparingly. A Nosferatu Methuselah should theoretically be able to summon and command a creature once each year for every 5 points of Willpower ze possesses. First, the vampire burns these temporary points for a period of at least 1 month; ze cannot regain them until this time has elapsed. The size of the subterranean disturbance depends on a Charisma + Survival roll; the Difficulty depends on how rural the chosen location is. (An uninhabited plot of land in the midst of the Sahara would be Difficulty 6; downtown Manhattan is Difficulty 10.) Storytellers may choose to forego game mechanics where Methuselahs are concerned, of course, and just pass around newspaper clippings of recent massive earthquakes throughout the world.
Source: V20 Core
The basic power Feral Whispers (Animalism 1) allows characters to communicate with only 1 animal at a time. With Species Speech, a character can enter into psychic communion with all creatures of a certain species that are present. Species Speech is most often used after an application of Beckoning (Animalism 2), which can draw a crowd of likely subjects.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Animal Ken (Difficulty 7) to establish contact with the targeted group of animals. Once the character establishes contact, the player makes a second roll to issue commands. There is no practical upper limit on the number of animals that can be commanded with this power, although all of the intended subjects must be in the vampire’s immediate vicinity. Only 1 species of animal can be commanded at a time; thus, if a character is standing in the middle of the reptile house at the zoo, ze could command all of the Komodo dragons, all of the boa constrictors, or all of the skinks, but ze could not simultaneously give orders to every reptile or snake present. Species Speech functions much like Feral Whispers in all other respects.
Note: Players (and Storytellers) shouldn’t get too wrapped up in species differences like northern diamondback rattlesnakes and south-eastern diamondback rattlesnakes. At the Storyteller’s discretion, the expenditure of an additional Willpower point allows the character’s commands to extend to members of a similar species to the one initially commanded.
Source: V20 Core
Masters of Animalism have a much greater understanding of both beasts in general and the Beast in particular. Those who have developed this power can master their own Beasts to a degree impossible for lesser Kindred to attain. Conquer the Beast allows the vampire both to control zir frenzies and to enter them at will. Some elders say that the development of this power is one of the first steps on the road to Golconda.
System: The character can enter frenzy at will. The player rolls Willpower (Difficulty 7). Success sends the character into a controlled frenzy. Ze can choose zir targets at will, but gains limited Dominate and wound penalty resistance and Rötschreck immunity as per the normal frenzy rules. A botch on the roll sends the vampire into an uncontrolled frenzy which Conquer the Beast may not be used to end.
The player may also roll Willpower (Difficulty 9) to enable the character to control an involuntary frenzy. In this case, a Willpower point must be spent for every turn that the vampire remains in frenzy. The player may make Self-Control/Instinct rolls as normal to end a frenzy, but if the vampire runs out of Willpower points before the frenzy ends, ze drops into an uncontrolled frenzy again. A botch on the Willpower roll raises the Difficulty of the vampire’s Self-Control/Instinct rolls by 2 and renders Conquer the Beast unusable for the remainder of the night.
Source: V3/Revised Clanbook Gangrel
A deep, innate knowledge of animal instinct allows the Gangrel to trigger a very specific fear in zir victims — a unthinking panic that pushes hundreds of creatures into headlong flight. This ability only works on large groups of people; too few, and the aggregate fear will not be enough to override sensible plans of action. Also, the crowd or herd must be already agitated by some mundane occurrence, such as the smell of a large predator, a lost football game by the home team or a shortage of this year’s fad toy during prime shopping season. (The Gangrel may cause the “mundane” situation — by being the large predator, influencing the outcome of the soccer match, or waylaying the toys — but this is not necessary or even wise.) Once this power takes hold, its victims will flee until they escape the vampire’s influence or until they are rendered unable to run.
System: This power must be activated within sight of a crowd of roughly 50 agitated mortals (the Storyteller may allow this power to be used on smaller groups of really pissed-off mortals). The player rolls Stamina + Animal Ken (Difficulty 7). The resulting waves of terror roll 50 yards in all directions from the Gangrel for each success achieved. Any unsettled mortal within this radius will immediately flee toward the nearest escape or exit unless the Gangrel chooses to direct the Stampede by force of will. The vampire may set a direction or path for the fleeing multitudes, but may not change or alter it once the flight has begun. Members of the Stampede will ignore many potential sources of danger, such as running into the road or through a firing range, but will not take obviously suicidal actions like leaping off tall cliffs or skyscrapers. In some cases, however, the crazed mob will not see potential danger in time — or be forced into it anyway by the pressure of the crowd behind them.
Mortals who were not initially affected may be caught up physically or emotionally in the tide, as the Gangrel’s projected Beast wreaks havoc for a scene unless ze chooses to end the madness earlier. Upon leaving the affected area, mortals may recover their senses and stop their mad rush. If the area is bottlenecked, however, such as a long hallway or valley, the mortals may opt to continue fleeing rather than be trampled. It is worth noting that this power can go awry, even without a rolled botch — the power of hundreds of Beasts, even those of mortals, can be too much for the vampire to control. Animals pushed too hard may frenzy, and people have a disturbing tendency to riot.
Source: V3/Revised Clanbook Gangrel
This power is the subject of much rumor and conjecture, as it has very little visible effect. Upon reaching this level of mastery, the Gangrel may choose to allow zir Beast to roam freely through zir veins. Zir blood causes frenzy in mortals and vampires who taste it. Should a diablerist successfully consume the Gangrel’s soul, xe may well meet a grisly end as the Gangrel’s Beast eats xem away from the inside.
System: System: This power is activated once, when the Gangrel learns it. It cannot be turned off. The smallest taste of the vampire’s vitae causes agitation in the taster, who must make a Self-Control/Instinct roll (Difficulty 7) or frenzy immediately. This applies to newly created childer, ghouls, attackers who bite, and any vampires who would drink from the Gangrel. This is the equivalent of a warning shot for would-be diablerists. Should the attacker resist the urge to frenzy, xe may continue to drink as normal, but the supernatural agitation xe experiences should be a clear sign that something is unusual about this vitae. If the attacker succumbs to the frenzy, xe must spend a Willpower point for each turn xe continues to drink.
Should the diablerist be successful, xe immediately suffers a +2 Difficulty on all frenzy rolls for a duration determined by the Storyteller. Xe must also make an opposed Willpower roll against xyr victim’s Beast (which has the same Willpower rating that the now-deceased vampire had). The loser of this contest forfeits 1 permanent Willpower point. This contest takes place every month for the first year past the diablerie and once a year thereafter. As the diablerist loses Willpower, xe becomes more feral and impulsive (this should be roleplayed, and the Storyteller should feel free to require frequent Self-Control/Instinct rolls from the diablerist’s player). If the diablerist loses xyr last Willpower point, xe becomes a crazed, bestial monster (and a Storyteller character). If the invading Beast loses its last Willpower point, it becomes quiescent, ceding victory to the diablerist. The evidence of diablerie in the perpetrator’s aura persists until the Beast is subdued.
Humanity or Path rating loss may result from the actions the “possessed” diablerist takes, but they are not lost as a direct result of this power.
Gangrel legends suggest that some incredibly powerful “victims” of diablerie have eaten their way through their attackers, consuming the diablerist’s soul in turn, and then taking over the new body. This is not the normal result of this power, but the rumors do circulate...
Source: V20 Core
Some Kindred are so attuned to the Beast that they can unleash it in another individual at will. Vampires who have developed this power are able to send adversaries into frenzy with a finger’s touch and the resultant momentary contact with the victim’s Beast. The physical contact allows the vampire’s own Beast to reach out and awaken that of the victim, enraging it by threatening its territory.
System: The character touches the target. The player spends a Willpower point and rolls Manipulation + Empathy (Difficulty 7). The victim makes a Self-Control/Instinct roll (Difficulty [5 + the number of successes]); failure results in an immediate frenzy. A botch causes the character to unleash zir own Beast and frenzy instead. This power may be used on those individuals who are normally incapable of frenzy, sending ordinary humans into murderous rages worthy of the most bloodthirsty Brujah berserker.
Source: V3/Revised Clanbook Gangrel
This awe-inspiring power is at the root of many folk tales about brooding forests and forbidding mountains. The vampire inters zirself in the ground of zir chosen domain, spreading zir physical and spiritual self through the area. Unlike a vampire using Earth Meld, the Gangrel cannot be simply dug out of the ground. The animals and even insects within the area serve as the Gangrel’s eyes and ears, providing zir with an intimate knowledge of the nighttime goings-on of zir domain.
System: This power costs 6 blood points to activate and it lasts as long as the Gangrel wishes to remain beneath zir domain. The area itself should be relatively well-defined geographically, although it can be quite large: a mountain or valley, an isolated wood, a plateau. The vampire sees and hears everything within the enclosed area through the animals and insects that inhabit it. Additionally, the Gangrel may use mental Disciplines that do not require physical or eye contact to initiate. While the power is active, it is impossible to attack the Gangrel directly. Significant damage to zir domain, however — fires, strip mining, explosives, chemical contaminants — will also damage the vampire, and are likely to drive zir from the ground.
The area under the Gangrel’s influence reflects the vampire’s nature. Even the most cheerful wood during daylight becomes a place of terror for mere mortals when the sun sets.
Should two masters of Animalism somehow “claim” the same area, the Cainite with the greatest Willpower achieves success. This may result in an established Kindred being forced to rise and flee the area, or it might rouse the other Kindred on a quest for vengeance on the trespasser.
Source: Lore of the Clans (Tzimisce)
At this level of Animalism, the vampire develops an extraordinary bond with the “lower” creatures. Ze can now physically merge with animals, becoming one flesh.
System: With a roll of Stamina + Animal Ken (Difficulty 7), the character can absorb smaller animals into zir very being. Ze may release the animals at will. Each creature thus absorbed forces the character to spend 1 of zir blood points for every 5 points in the animal’s blood pool; a character can thus bond with 20 rats — each of which is worth 1/4 a blood point — by spending 1 of zir own blood points. The vampire cannot feed to regain any blood points spent in this manner until the character releases the animals. At any time, the character can ingest the absorbed creatures, acquiring their collective blood pool. The exsanguinated corpses of the animals are then spat out of the vampire’s body.
While the character cannot physically absorb a larger creature, ze can meld zir body with such a creature by making a successful Stamina + Animal Ken roll (Difficulty 7) and spending 1 blood point. Thus, ze can merge their body into that of a charging Kodiak bear and move around during the day within it. Note that the character has no control over the animal with which they have merged unless they have also used Subsume the Spirit upon it.
A successful use of the Aura Perception upon a character or creature who has “riders” will notice an unusual tinge to the subject’s aura.
Source: V20 Core
The self-destructive nature of Cainites can be turned against them by an elder who possesses this formidable power. With a glance, the vampire can awaken the Beasts of zir enemies, causing physical injury and excruciating agony as the victim’s own violent impulses manifest in physical form to tear xem apart from within. A target of this power erupts into a fountain of blood and gore as claw and bite wounds from an invisible source spontaneously tear xyr flesh asunder.
System: The character makes eye contact with the intended victim. The player spends 3 blood points and rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (Difficulty of the victim’s [Self-Control/Instinct + 4]). Each success inflicts 1 health level of Aggravated damage, which can be soaked normally. A botch inflicts 1 health level of Lethal damage to the invoking character for each 1 rolled. This damage can also be soaked normally.