Of all the foul things in the world, all the evil and reprehensible denizens and terrible deeds, the worst are those monstrosities that date back to the beginning of time. These creatures were the fomenters of original evil: they dared to make war on God.
Some theologians assert that demons are mere spirits, some sort of ephemeral entity, or perhaps powerful specters of the Shadowlands. Supernatural societies have their own explanations, based on a host of legends and superstition. Sometimes, they discover an entity is nothing more than that: a story. But other times, they deal with a creature that is exactly what it purports to be: a fallen creation of the divine.
True demons are treasonous, treacherous, ravaging monstrosities with no empathy or humane understanding. These arrogant spirits were condemned and locked away at the beginning of time. The mere existence of a demon is an abomination, and Hell’s inhalation tugs constantly at their foul spirits, trying to pull them away from the mortal world.
Demons need worship in order to survive. To gain it, these creatures will corrupt and destroy anything in their path — even one another. They seek power, and a demon will ravage the souls of mortals and supernatural beings alike to get it.
The Fallen?
Past fans may be wondering if this material ties into previous games, such as Demon: The Fallen. The answer is... maybe. Very few (if any) Kindred understand the nuances of the War of Heaven, and it would be difficult for them to tell apart one of the Fallen from a twisted nature spirit or even a particularly powerful Spectre. Instead, we decided to present demons as infernalist Kindred understand them to be, not as demons truly are. It’s very likely that the creatures they understand to be demons are lying to them. Some, all, or none of it may be true for your chronicle.
Infernalism is thriving in the twenty-first century. Evil is spreading, and acts of violence and terrorism empower these dark entities and feed their hunger. The mortal populace no longer believes as it once did, weakening all creatures of faith and allowing demonic entities to more easily make bargains with the blithely unaware. Modern infernalists no longer wear black cloaks or scream about Lucifer as they murder babies in a Thulsa Doom-style temple. They look, act, and blend in seamlessly with the crowd.
“Infernalist” is a generic term, applied on a broad scale by those with limited understanding. Technically, an infernalist is anyone who studies, worships, or willingly interacts with demons. In the Dark Ages, true scholars and enemies of the infernal classified these mortal demonists so that they could better understand (and destroy) each type.
A Demonologist studies demons and demonic powers. Typically, such an individual is interested in the theoretical, spiritual or intellectual science involved. A Demonologist does not necessarily practice magic, has no demonic Investments or bargains, and may not have any intention to summon or interact with a demon. However, it takes only a slight change of perspective for a researcher to become an active practitioner. The temptation of such abilities can be overwhelming. No matter what rationale a Demonologist uses to justify their study, collecting information and tracking down information is an easy jumping-off point for active diabolism. Many of those who first learn Demonology in order to “identify and fight the infernal” eventually fall to its lures.
A second type of infernalist is known as a thrall. A thrall is anyone who makes a pact with a demon, whether as a single exchange of power or as part of becoming a long-term servitor. A thrall does not necessarily have any great knowledge of Demonology. Ze might have learned a demon’s true name by chance, or received the aid of a true diabolist without understanding how the practice functions. Such an individual might relish the bargain they’ve made, or they might fear the demon with whom they have had congress. Either way, they are trapped; all demonic bargains are permanent and cannot be undone. Because they are already damned, a thrall often slides further into the infernal as time goes by. Drawn again and again by the lure of greater power, the thrall simply decides ze has nothing left to lose.
Diabolists are the third, and most dangerous type of infernal practitioner. Knowledgeable, cunning, and ruthless, a diabolist actively chooses to summon demons in an attempt to control (or worship) them. Most diabolists have a wide breadth of information about Demonology, but some are specialists, trained and dedicated in the worship and summoning of one specific demonic entity. A practicing diabolist is powerful, with great knowledge of Dark Thaumaturgy and usually some Investments on the side. These individuals are also connected to the system. They can feed the demon souls other than their own to maintain power, and by converting others to the demon’s cause, they gain favor — and even greater reward.
Blasphemous Volumes
Tomes of true blasphemy and diabolism are extremely rare. Snippets of such information might appear here and there in other codices, and someone seeking to call up a demon will almost certainly find a way, but real information is costly and jealously guarded. Storytellers should be careful to keep access to (or even knowledge of) these books extraordinarily limited, in order to add mystery and reinforce the high cost for such information.
The most infamous Demonology text is the Gospel of the Consoler, also called the Gospel of Menahem. This document casts Lucifer and the demons of Hell as enlightened angels who have sacrificed themselves to educate and uplift humanity. It contains several of the most ancient and powerful demonic names, as well as general rituals of summoning.
Another famous diabolic codex is the Book of Thoth. Ancient Egyptian myth describes its spells as offering ultimate control over life and death. Some believe this book describes cycles of existence, a litany of aeons that rose and fell before recorded history. Setites add that these dead worlds still exist, as do their rulers, but only a fool or a madman would call on such malign and primordial powers.
Dreams of Angra Mainyu is the journal of the first High Priest of Ba’al, and as such, is highly revered by the Baali. This codex details their most savage rituals and ends with a dark and revelatory prophecy of the infernal rising to devour the world.
Lastly, some Demonologists study a heretical version of the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit which dates back to ancient Carthage. The version treasured by diabolists was a copy of the original biblical text, heavily commented upon in writing by both Troile and her lover, Moloch. This version contains ancient infernal lore about clans, and many closely-guarded secrets about life in their ancient city. Brujah scholars loudly claim that the book is an elaborate fake, but it continues to surface through the centuries.
What tempts a vampire, who has the blood of Caine flowing in zir veins, to join the ranks of the infernal? Vampires are already immortal, they have the ability to make others so, and they possess phenomenal supernatural powers. Still, the more powerful a person becomes, the more they desire to have power. There are always others who have more: better Generation, higher influence, more useful Disciplines, or greater skill. Jealousy and envy are powerful motivators, especially in such a stagnant and oppressive society.
Infernal creatures are clever. They know that even a bad choice, if it is the only option, can be a temptation. Demons are absolutely willing to manipulate a vampire’s unlife, throwing them further and further into loss and desperation in order to get them into an indefensible position. Once zir unlife (or the thing ze loves most) hangs by a thread, even a humanist or honorable vampire can be turned to infernal service on the coin of self-sacrifice. In fact, those are the ones who most often fall.
It’s been said that Investments and Dark Thaumaturgy are for the slothful. Certainly, such powers are gained without the expense of time and study, and usually at little cost to their wielder. However, the true advantage to an infernalist is that such abilities are usually unexpected, and that their patron can break the rules of physics, culture, and even the laws of God. The key to understanding demons is to remember that they are not creatures of the mortal world. Demons are beings of pure spirit. Withered, foul, and corrupt spirit, perhaps, but pure spirit nonetheless. Demons are not bound by physical laws like gravity, nor are they injured by mundane weapons. The only mandate that governs these spirits is the binding of their shell — whether it’s the flesh of a mortal, the material of a talisman, or the earth and stone of a permanent locale.
When properly motivated, a demon can do astounding things. It can permanently increase a vampire’s Generation without the streaks of diablerie. It can bring someone back from the dead (or so it claims). It can pervert and twist another person’s will, or alter the fabric of time and space. Such things may be beyond the reach of a vampire, but these are the Archdukes of Hell. There are few things a supernatural creature in the World of Darkness can do that an Archduke could not mimic. A thrall or a diabolist might get a taste of power through their Investments, or by learning Dark Thaumaturgy, but a demon can subvert the very fabric of the world. And will gladly do so.
For a price.
Once an infernalist has decided to make a foedus (an ancient word that coincidentally means both “binding contract” and “obscenely loathsome”) with a demonic entity, who or what are they summoning up? If their desire is small, any minor demon could grant the wish. But if the infernalist seeks true power, they will almost certainly have to offer themselves to one of the Archdukes of Hell.
Belial the Warlord prospers among terrorist cells and suicide bombers. His abject hatred of all things drives him to horrific acts of revenge. He is a demon of pride, and tends to act through small cults, appreciating mortals with a capacity for destruction.
The second among the archdukes is Abbadon the Diseased, or Abbadon the Devourer. He is the lord of fleshly pleasures. Many of his followers trade their souls for noble purposes — often sacrificing themselves for another. There are no words for the torments the Devourer has created, and he alone among the Archdukes of Hell has devised a means to utterly annihilate an immortal soul. This is a power he guards jealously.
The beast known as Dagon goes by many other names, among them Vassago, Leviathan, and Behemoth. His reliquary rests in India, protected by generation after generation of fanatics. He is a demon of envy, a master of organization and hierarchy, who takes particular joy in seeing dreams and hopes turn to ash. Dagon is a subtle monster, specializing in offers of political and financial power.
Asmodai (or Asmodeus) has often dealt with vampires, and is spoken of at length in the heretical version of the Book of Tobit. His followers call him the wisest of the demonic dukes, and tell legends of his insight during the Angels’ War. He is commonly called “the Throned” or “the Beautiful.” He offers beauty, success, fame, and all the gifts of pride.
Azrael the Slayer is a cunning entity, and the most secretive of the Archdukes. He uses chicanery and lies to gain followers, tricking them into his service or convincing them to bet their souls on the outcome of a game of chance. Preferring a feminine form (though demons have no real gender), she has reportedly been destroyed on several occasions, only to rise again decades or centuries later. Azrael was the first to walk the continents of the West, encouraging the native cultures to games of sacrifice and bloody tribute.
Known Demonic Entities
The Archdukes of Hell are the most powerful and well-known demonic forces plaguing the earth, but they are by no means the only entities making infernal pacts for immortal souls. The following names have been linked to demonic worship. Some may be vampires masquerading as demons while others are purely mythical, but all have been associated with the worship of the infernal. These are not the “true names” of the demons, but merely the names by which these creatures are most commonly referred. Caveat emptor.
- Annunaki, She of Many Faces
- Apep the Serpent
- Azaneal the Priest
- Ba’al the Destroyer
- Ba’alat the Nymph
- Beelzebub, Lord of Flies
- Halaku the Anguished
- Lammasu the Betrayer
- Moloch of the Iron Fist
- Namtaru, Spreader of Plagues
- Neberu the Prophet
- Nergal the Diseased
- Nikanuuranu of Neberu
- Orobas the Glutton
- Rabisu the Vagabond
- Shahlieh, Mother of Enigma
- Shaitan, the Deceiver
- The Thousand Names, the Celestial
- Umvak the Swarm
Summoning a demon is a delicate process. Performing such an invocation incorrectly can destroy the caster — or cause them to end up as a demon’s newest toy. However, not all infernalists are Demonologists. Some are just desperate individuals with nowhere else to turn. How, then, does an unschooled individual call forth a creature of infernal powers?
It is difficult to find a teacher of Demonology. Those who study demon lore for dark purposes do not wish to be found, and those who use it to root out and combat demons are too cautious to teach such knowledge. It’s easier to find a teacher for non-infernal Paths of Thaumaturgy, and far less dangerous — but a Thaumaturge cannot achieve the things a demon can offer. A vampire seeking to make a literal “deal with the devil” must discover the true name of a demon, and then perform a summoning (and binding) ritual. A demon’s true name is far more than the appellation which mortals use to refer to the creature. It is a long, complex series of syllables best compared to a verbal DNA strand rather than an intelligible language. If a diabolist has only a portion of a demon’s true name (or if any of xyr verbalization is incorrect), the summoning spell will end disastrously.
Names such as “Belial” and “Abbadon” are the Celestial names, not the True names of these creatures. Celestial names hold enough significance to attract a demon’s attention, or to pressure that entity into responding. True names can compel a demon to act, even against its will.
When a demon is summoned, it appears as a spiritual being within the binding circle. The creature may take on a the form of a pillar of fire, an ethereal monstrosity, a cold reflection of the caster’s own face, foul curl of sulfurous smoke, a transparent image of someone from the summoner’s past, or some other disturbing non-physical manifestation. In this form, it tests the edges of the circle and struggles against the caster’s will.
Once the entity is satisfied that it cannot escape, the demon will take physical form in order to more easily communicate with its supplicant. This form may be of any appearance, from a horrific monster to the visage of the summoner’s true love. It often shifts and changes as the demon speaks, testing the summoner’s concentration and learning xyr psychology while the two barter.
A demon can stay in the physical world for only a short while. If not bound to a host, it must return to Hell. A human body will do for a while, but demons are a staggering concentration of blasphemous energy, and a fleshly host burns quickly under such trauma. After 2 or 3 days, such a host is destroyed and the demon returns to Hell. This does allow a demon time to tutor a supplicant in Dark Thaumaturgy, though, or to perform a physical service required by a foedus. While it might seem that a vampiric body would be a more suitable residence (as they are sturdier than a mere human), demons don’t like to possess vampires. The blood of Caine seethes with holy poison, carrying the lingering effects of a curse imposed by God. Inhabiting a vampire is like being surrounded by active vestiges of faith. Such inhabitation is extremely awkward and uncomfortable for the demon.
A demonic spirit can remain in the physical realm for a longer period of time if housed within a physical talisman. The item must be specifically made of rare materials which are precious and significant to the demon, and engraved with portions of the demon’s true name as well as magical inscriptions of binding and strengthening. In such an object, a demon can remain almost permanently — at least, until the talisman is destroyed.
The last means of binding a demon is to tie it to a location. By desecrating a lake, a building, a copse of trees, or some other area through bloody and blasphemous ritual, an infernalist can curse the location and affix a demon’s spirit into the fabric of the world. This is hugely difficult, but also tremendously powerful. A single hunter with True Faith could destroy a mortal possessed by a demon, and a band of dedicated inquisitors might pose a threat to a talisman, but it would take an army of sanctified combatants to force a location-bound demon back to Hell.
Once a petitioner and a demon are face to face, the individual wishing to make a bargain must begin the negotiation. Demons prefer to deal in mortal souls: the currency of Hell and the source of a demon’s eternal power. They will accept offerings of blood, suffering, wealth, or forbidden knowledge, but there is a point in any negotiation where a demon demands ultimate satisfaction.
Most arrangements between demons and their thralls are just that: arrangements. The demon promises one thing, the thrall promises another, and between them they strike a deal. Not everything has to be signed in blood or involve the direct exchange of a soul. So long as the demon is gaining some amount of power in the arrangement, they’re extraordinarily willing to help — especially if such “help” will eventually encourage the petitioner toward a more permanent deal.
An arrangement can take one of three basic forms: bartered services, empowerment, or true foedus. Bargains are simple verbal deals; either side may wriggle out of them if willing to suffer the wrath of the other. Empowerments typically involve a single exchange from both sides; usually a portion of the petitioner’s soul in exchange for one manifested alteration of reality, or a single permanent demonic Investment. The demon does as requested, takes its payment, and the deal is over. Neither side can break such a deal. The demon cannot take back what has been given, nor restore the world to its original state — unless both sides engage in a second deal to that effect. This usually requires a contract signed in blood, an oath, or some other supernaturally enforced arrangement. Even if the individual never again practices diabolism, xe has given a portion of xyr soul to the demon, and it may contact xem, visit xem, or utilize xyr senses at any time, even if it cannot exercise control.
A foedus, also known as a True Pact, requires the dedication of an individual’s entire soul. Typically this also involves the worship of an Archduke (or enough power to command and control a lesser demon). These pacts are an ongoing partnership between the petitioner and the demonic entity, or a permanent transfer of power. The petitioner must continue to fulfill a role for the demon’s benefit. This may include forbiddance (such as an inability to step onto holy ground, or speak Christ’s name) or active service (sacrifice, conversion of others, or some other repeated offering). For its part, the demon must continue to empower the petitioner. This is the secret of Dark Thaumaturgy: rather than the vampire utilizing magic inherent in xyr blood, xe calls out to the demon and it allows xem to utilize its infernal energy. If the petitioner breaks the foedus, or does not fulfill every detail of the ongoing bans or services, xyr infernal master will rise up and devour xem with rabid glee. If that occurs, no powers, spells, or weapons wielded by the petitioner will harm the demon; the breach of the oath has rendered the entity invulnerable to the struggles of its thrall.
The moment an individual agrees to a bargain, xe is marked as that demon’s thrall. Xyr spirit invisibly holds the sigil of xyr demonic master — a sigil that becomes visible on xyr aura only when xe utilizes the powers of the infernal. At any time other than when xe is actively using xyr demonic gifts, the mark is unnoticeable, even to aura-perceiving powers, though it may be detected by certain extraordinary levels of Auspex such as Karmic Sight.
Vampiric Souls
In order to forge a foedus with a demon, an individual must possess a soul, sentience, and free will. This leads to another issue: do vampires have souls? Although no one knows the true disposition of a vampiric soul, it has been proven that vampires can perform summoning rituals, they can bargain with demons, and they can make pacts involving the sale of their soul. Demons, it seems, are willing to take the risk.
If a vampire is already damned by xyr nature as a member of the undead, how can xe bargain with something xe doesn’t control? In reality, there’s a difference between a soul being damned, and a soul being claimed by a demon. A demon is interested in harvesting as many souls as possible in order to empower itself, even — perhaps especially — if those souls were headed to Hell anyway.
The way a demon sees it, the only thing better than a cookie is a cookie you steal from someone else.
As creatures of hate and torment, demons twist, defile, and damage life itself. A demon can cause an earthquake, but sculpting stone into something beautiful is difficult. A demon can heal a mortal’s injuries, but such healing requires something like the sacrifice of an innocent child.
Once an individual makes any kind of bargain with a demon, xe has become a thrall. Xyr demonic master can contact xem, sense xyr location, or perceive the world through xyr senses at any time, without even asking. Such an individual’s soul is marked by the demon, even if the sigil is invisible (unless the thrall uses xyr infernal powers). Typically, thralldom is followed by corruption, and every vice possessed by the thrall begins to overflow. These drives become more and more difficult to resist, manifesting as constant urges that will eventually overcome the thrall and drive xem into full diabolism. Each time xe succumbs to xyr vices, the thrall’s soul becomes slightly more corrupted (and if a vampire, xyr Beast grows stronger as xyr Humanity fails). No matter what a demon says, or how small the deal an individual makes, piece by piece, the demon gains power. The only way to maintain control of one’s soul is to feed the demon someone else, instead.
An infernalist’s aura usually looks no different than that of any other vampire (or mortal, as the case may be). However, when a thrall uses an infernal power of any kind, xyr aura palpably changes; anyone with mystic senses (Disciplines and demonic gifts, as well as Awareness) can tell that dark forces are at work. Even normally non-sensitive mortals feel deep chills.
Profits of Hell
While the creatures granting these powers are unabashedly evil, infernalists don’t necessarily need to be. There are many arguments a vampire can make about exceptions, or how their actions served a greater good. Still, when it comes down to it, excuses don’t matter. You made the deal. You pay the price.
Once a bargain’s been struck, there’s no going back. Nothing can purge the stain of infernalism from a creature’s soul. Working against the constraints of a bargain is a ticket to a very, very short existence, and won’t redeem your soul. As an infernalist, you do have a choice; it’s just a choice between “serve your evil master” or “die in tremendous pain.”
Therefore, Storytellers should use these contracts sparingly in their chronicles. Characters in league with the infernal have signed up for the short road to PC retirement or death, and it’s almost impossible to find a way out, — other than to kill the demon that holds your contract. Characters with infernal powers can occasionally make for interesting Faustian dilemmas, but more often, they’re better suited as antagonists.
New Expert Knowledge: Demonolgy
Although the Theology and Occult Abilities can reflect esoteric or theoretical knowledge about demons, knowing demonic secrets or how to summon the infernal requires a character to possess Demonology. Institutions such as the Catholic Church or the Sabbat Inquisition restrict circulation of this knowledge, but demons and their thralls actively encourage it, doing everything they can to make sure that censored versions of these secrets can be found on the Internet, in college libraries, and scrawled on the walls of nightclub bathrooms.
This ritual is not Thaumaturgical, and can be performed by anyone, mortal or Kindred. Creating a summoning or binding ritual requires the Celestial Name or True Name of the demon. Further, the diabolist must succeed in lengthy calculations and mystical rites that can take months to perform. While a demon is bound in a summoning ritual, the diabolist may make further bargains, invest the demon into a talisman, or otherwise perform infernal acts.
System: The player makes an extended Intelligence + Demonology roll for every week of research, and must accumulate a number of successes equal to the demon’s Willpower. A bound demon must obey the diabolist’s requests to the letter for 1 day, but may deliberately twist the wording of such requests to its own ends. If the summoner botches this roll, the results are catastrophic. This can result in the caster’s instant death, or worse — the spell could summon the demon but fail to bind it. Historical plagues, infernal curses, and the release of powerful, evil souls are but a few of the possibilities.
Investments and gifts are singular bargains made with a demon. They do not require long-term service or interaction, but they do require an overtly evil act in order to seal the bargain. This act is usually specified by the demon during its negotiation. Once it has been performed by the petitioner, the bargain is complete. This act will always require a Humanity roll.
Demons do not have to bargain for Investments. They can also perform actions that rend the very fabric of reality and even rewrite history, though such things are more costly. Particularly powerful demons can change a past event, rewriting time. They can grant a one-time benefit, such as the ability to be mortal for a day, or walk in the sun for a week. They can search the pits of Hell for the spirit of a loved one, and resurrect that individual into the body of another being (usually a sacrificial mortal vessel). They can even offer true knowledge that is outside the reach of the mortal world, such as the location of a sleeping Methuselah or a vision of ancient Enoch. Whatever you wish for, they can provide… or make you think they can.
Each of the following Investments costs 3 experience points, and requires a separate compact with a demon. These represent the oaths that the character has made to xyr demonic master, turning xem into the demon’s thrall. Storytellers should feel free to invent their own demonic Investments, as appropriate to their chronicles. Characters may not have more Investments than their Willpower.
These are the mysteries of the Baali, black arts torn whole and beating from the sorcerer-kings of ancient cultures and prehistoric civilizations, incoherent memories passed from tome to tongue, hearkening to times of oblivion. They are sibilant secrets in which all begins to end and begin again. With every new night and novice brought into the circle, the telling grows shorter.
A real mark always convinces zirself. The most dangerous Baali aren’t the ones that use extortion, threats, or over displays of power; the most dangerous Demons simply know how to talk their victims into cutting their own throats. This power allows the Baali to find a target’s particular vice.
System: The player rolls Perception + Empathy against living or undead beings; the Difficulty is equal to the subject’s [Self-Control/Instinct + 4]. If successful, the Baali can sense the subject’s greatest weakness. The significance of this information is dictated by the degree of success: 1 success might determine a low Virtue, weak Willpower, or a poorly defended avenue of approach, while 2 might yield a closely guarded secret or conversational misstep. 3 or more yields a central Derangement or formative trauma from the subject’s past.
Once the Baali has mastered reading a subject’s darkest secrets, xe can reach into the victim’s mind and twist what xe finds there. The shock of feeling one’s most deeply held beliefs and darkest fears manipulated can send the victim into catatonia or fits of panic.
System: The Baali must first employ Sense the Sin (above) or use some other method to discern the tragic flaw of the target. Xe must then speak to the target, playing upon zir inadequacies and the inescapable consequences of zir shortcomings. A successful Wits + Intimidation roll (Difficulty of the [subject’s Courage + 4]) drives the victim into fits of terror (1 success), mindless panic-borne flight similar to Rötschreck (2 successes), or even unconsciousness (3 or more successes). All effects last for the remainder of the scene. Kindred targets may resist with a Courage roll (Difficulty equal to the Baali’s Willpower) — they are accustomed to dealing with their Beasts. If the Kindred target garners more successes than the Baali did on xyr original roll, ze resists the power completely.
Not all of the Baali’s powers are designed for manipulation and subtlety. The Demons can also call up the fire from the realms of their infernal patrons, hurling it at their enemies in exultation of the Outer Dark. This fire spreads and burns normally, but at the moment of creation it is black and cold, as though drawn from a place where terrestrial physics do not apply.
System: The player spends a blood point. This creates a bolt of black flame that inflicts 1 die of Aggravated damage; more blood points may be spent to increase the size and damage of the flame. Such fires are fleeting and dissipate at the end of the turn, unless the Baali continues to spend blood points on Conflagration over several turns, gradually creating a larger flame. The player also rolls Dexterity + Occult (Difficulty 6) to hit zir target, who may dodge as normal. Vampires confronted with this black fire make Rötschreck tests as if confronted with a similar quantity of normal flame.
With this power, the Baali combines xyr ability to read the psyche of a victim with the ability to summon up matter from the Outer Dark. Psychomachia pits a victim against the most dangerous, shameful parts of zir own subconscious.
System: The vampire, after learning the target’s tragic flaw (such as after using Sense the Sin, above), forces the subject to roll zir lowest Virtue (Difficulty 6). Failing this roll pits the target against an apparition summoned from zir darker self, perceptible to the subject only. The target may see or feel zir abusive father, a long-dead lover, a childhood bogeyman, or (for Kindred victims) even the Beast itself. A botch indicates the target has been overwhelmed and frenzies — or, worse, becomes possessed by zir inner demons.
This imaginary antagonist may be wholly narrated, or assigned Traits equivalent or slightly inferior to the victim’s, at the Storyteller’s discretion. All injuries sustained by the target in such an encounter are illusory (substitute catatonia or torpor for death as appropriate) and vanish upon the phantasm’s defeat or the Baali’s loss of concentration.
The Baali levies a curse upon the victim. The more skillful in xyr dark studies the Baali has become, the more dire the curse is likely to be. Legend states that some Baali can wield curses so foul that the victims attempt suicide after a single night — only to find that they can no longer die.
System: An Intelligence + Occult roll (Difficulty equal to the subject’s Willpower) dictates the length and severity of the curse. Successes must be split between both these effects, as per the table below.
The player must split successes between effect and duration — curses with 0 successes allotted to duration last for 1 night. For example, if the Baali’s player rolls 4 successes, xe can inflict a 2-success curse for 1 month, a 3-success curse for up to a week, or a 4-success curse for 1 night. At any time, the Baali may choose to end the curse. Storytellers should feel free to invent creative or story-appropriate curses.
| Successes | Duration | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Up to 1 week | “No voice shall be lent your lying tongue.” — All Subterfuge rolls suffer a +3 Difficulty. |
| 2 | 1 month | “Sicken and wither, infidel... a babe’s weakness upon you.” — All Strength rolls suffer a +2 Difficulty, or the vampire cannot use blood to boost Strength. |
| 3 | 1 year | “Reap this bitter harvest — may your closest friends turn foe.” — The character’s friends do not trust them. This can have any number of mechanical effects (higher Difficulty on Social rolls, friends might be more prone to frenzy around the character) at the Storyteller’s discretion. |
| 4 | 10 years | “Barren be thy seed and the loins of all your line.” — The character becomes sterile or barren, or (if Kindred) cannot Embrace childer or create ghouls. |
| 5+ | Permanent | “The mark of doom — all you touch must fail.” — Simple failures are considered botches while the curse is in effect. |
The Baali makes a Devil’s bargain and takes the unholy nature of xyr masters into xyr own being. This warps xyr body both to xyr detriment and benefit. A truly dedicated Demon might make numerous such pacts, growing more grotesque and more powerful each time.
System: The most typical manifestation of this power incorporates immunity to the damaging effects of fire, though other equivalently-powered assets may be available at the Storyteller’s option. Most of these tributes take the form of left-handed “gifts” with unforeseen consequences (a telltale bronze tint to flame-resistant flesh, a vestigial set of wings, visible talons or horns that cannot be concealed, etc.). This Discipline may be purchased more than once at greater cost to body and soul. (The current shaitan is said to have been so gnarled and twisted by the Masters as to be no longer even remotely mistakable for human.)
Note that 3 of the banes particular to the Baali — piety, vulnerability to sunlight, and dependency on blood for sustenance — may not be overcome by this Discipline under any circumstances. In the end, it is up to the Storyteller’s discretion what the Baali can or cannot withstand.
While most Baali are Embraced in the traditional fashion, at other times, it is the choice of a vampire who wants to leave their blood-tied clan for the Baali’s greener pastures. The ritual of Re-Embracing is not a complicated one, but does require a willingness to endure a tortuous realignment of one’s soul, or whatever Kindred have left of one.
When The Re-Embrace is invoked, the sire takes zir would-be childer by the throat and bleeds xem into 4 bowls inscribed with ancient and demonic runes. This is to remove that which dictates xyr current state of being, very similar to a normal Embrace. The sire then fills another 4 bowls with zir own blood, surrounding the childer with them in alternating order. As the initiate lies on the ground, bleeding and reaching ever closer to xyr Final Death, the sire calls forth a soul fragment of the bloodline’s most powerful demon, Namtaru, and combines it with the childer’s soul to corrupt it and draw their spirit closer to that of a Baali. This process can take hours to complete.
If this part of the ritual is completed with finesse and meticulous attention, the childer may just make it out alive. All of the blood in the surrounding bowls flies into the air, entering the childer’s mouth, mixing and merging with their new soul in an explosion of dark energy. When xe awakes, xe is now of the Baali bloodline, blasphemous in xyr glory.
System: The player spends 2 Willpower, and then rolls Manipulation + Occult (Difficulty 8) against the target’s Willpower (Difficulty 7). If the childer is of a lower Generation than the new sire, xe receives a +1 dice bonus, as xyr soul is extra resistant to the change. Leftover successes are then compared to the effects below.
| Successes | Result |
|---|---|
| 0 | No effect; the childer writhes in pain until they meet Final Death. |
| 1 | While the transformation is complete, the childer will forever appear with an aura of one who has committed diablerie. |
| 2 | The process transforms the childer’s soul, but xyr undead body could not retain much of its power. Xe loses 1 dot of a Discipline xe knows. |
| 3 | The childer is so overcome with Namtaru’s soul, that xe enters torpor for [10 – childer’s Stamina] days. Once xe awakens, xe has joined the ranks of the Baali. |
| 4 | The ritual is a complete success, with no negative impact on the character. |
| 5+ | Not only is xe transformed, but the childer’s body and soul embrace their new life as a Baali. The childer receives Daimoinon 1 for free. |
Using the same skill that allows for calling up demon-fire, the Baali can call a minion of xyr masters to Earth. Although the names assigned to them differ (angel, demon, daeva, djinn, efreet, malakim, shedim, and countless others), the end results are the same. This being is under the Baali’s control, at least for a short time after being summoned. Yet scholars who have studied the blasphemous rite by which this Discipline is enacted note that no provision is made for banishing the Herald.
System: To summon a Herald of Topheth, the Demon must spend at least 3 blood points and perform an infernal ceremony. Heralds of Topheth have the following stats: Attributes 10/7/3, Abilities (15 points worth), Willpower 8, Disciplines (10 points worth), Fortitude of at least 3, and the capacity to heal 1 health level at least every other round. Storytellers should feel free to alter these guidelines based on the power level of the troupe and the form the Herald takes. Though most celestial beings chafe at the notion of wearing a single shape, many adopt those common to myth and legend; preternatural succubi or angels, reptilian horrors, and bat-winged monsters are among the most often seen.
The most damaging disease is human sin. Pandora learned it to her detriment, as did the ungrateful and impolite denizens of Sodom. The Baali, of course, revel in the slow decay of human settlements, and Methuselahs of the bloodline learn to infect a mortal community with jealousy, slander, hate, and bigotry. Crime and violence soar, petty angers give rise to seething hatreds, and local economies take a downward spiral. Marriages end over trivial quarrels and the world becomes a nastier place in general. In the history of the Baali, entire towns and villages have been temporarily enslaved to an infernal master’s will.
System: Successes garnered on an Intelligence + Occult (Difficulty 9) roll must be divided between the intensity and the area of the desired effect — at least 2 successes are needed to cover both area and effect. Sufficiently high degrees of Auspex or powers that detect demons may be able to pick up on this vague, malevolent aura; otherwise they will simply assume that times have taken a dire change for the worse.
| Successes | Area | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Immediate vicinity | Ill-tempered/out-of-sorts behavior |
| 2 | An office complex | Civil/domestic unrest, prejudice |
| 3 | A city block | Angry (even riotous) dissent |
| 4 | A stadium or apartment complex | Bar brawls, hate crimes, blood in the streets |
| 5+ | An entire city | A throng of bloodthirsty single-minded Philistines |
This Discipline is largely theoretical. Baali have, in the past, boasted that their most powerful elders know a ritual that can tear a rift to the Outer Dark and allow the creatures that dwell there into our world. Occasionally, a vampire destroys a Baali and sees the beginnings of such a ritual carved on a wall or tattooed onto a minion’s flesh. But even among the Kindred who know of the Baali and what they are capable of, the ability to Call the Great Beast doesn’t meet with much credence. This isn’t because the Kindred don’t think it’s possible, but because they realize that if a Demon ever succeeded in using it, there wouldn’t be much to be done anyway.
System: The preparatory ritual requires a tremendous investment of time and sacrifice; veiled allusions such as “fivescore souls, plucked clean and whole” and “when three times sets the hooded sun” indicate a selective sacrificial rite spanning days, nights, and dozens of victims. (Deviation or imperfection in this litany may well have unforeseen consequences, ranging from simple failure to unwelcome demonic attention.)
At this point, the high priest expends all of xyr permanent Willpower and releases xyr consciousness in a desperate attempt to breach the gulf Beyond, becoming an empty vessel for whatever will most effectively end the world as your chronicle knows it. You’re the Storyteller — what would the Devil do to your world?
(Call the Great Beast has two main functions in the chronicle. It’s either a plot device that the characters must work to prevent, or a means to change the world of Vampire into a demon-infested apocalypse. Either is useful, but it’s not the sort of power that a vampire just pulls out casually.)
Dark Thaumaturgy is expressly defined as “sorcery taught by demons.” As such, Dark Thaumaturgy is absolutely, unashamedly, viciously evil. Other items also fall into this realm. The Baali Discipline of Daimoinon, which requires the user to call out demonic names and speak infernal blessings, is infernal and corrupts the user’s soul with each use. All of these powers require a point of morality loss when they are first used, and continuing tests against a character’s Conscience each time they are used after the first — unless the user of such powers has traded xyr morality for the Path of Evil Revelations.
Dark Thaumaturgy has levels and paths, just like Thaumaturgy. The mechanical difference between Thaumaturgy and Dark Thaumaturgy is relatively moot — Paths and rituals still create the same effects. However, Dark Thaumaturgy comes with a price. Traffic with the Devil’s minions permanently scars the soul, and the taint of infernalism manifests in the Dark Thaumaturge’s aura. Before long, the unmistakable marks of the Devil’s favor may even appear physically, as a wart on the nose, a “witch’s claw” behind the ear or even (among the most Damned of the Damned) withered limbs, freakish scars, horns or cloven hoofs! Needless to say, once these visible traits appear, the Inquisition is sure to follow close behind, hastening the infernalist to deliver xyr soul to whatever dark power has claimed it.
Again, Dark Thaumaturgy is simply Thaumaturgy learned from demons — there is no separate Dark Thaumaturgy Trait. Demons may teach any of the “normal” Paths and rituals of Thaumaturgy, but a few powers may only be learned with demonic tutelage. Increasing Path and Thaumaturgy Traits is less difficult when dealing with the minions of Hell, but that ease is more than compensated for by the ruthless pursuit and persecution the infernalist faces when (not if) xyr unholy leanings come to the fore. (Buying Thaumaturgy as a “New Discipline” with demonic instruction costs only 8 experience points. New Paths cost only 5 points. Increasing a Thaumaturgy Trait with infernal assistance costs the [current rating x 5] experience points, while increasing a Path rating costs the [current rating x 3] points.)
Like normal Thaumaturgy Paths, Dark Thaumaturgy Paths require a Willpower roll (Difficulty equal to the [power’s level + 3]) and the expenditure of a blood point. Only 1 success is necessary to invoke these powers, unless otherwise noted. Failure on this roll signifies that the effect fails, while a botch costs the Dark Thaumaturge a permanent point of Willpower.
Practitioners of the Fires of the Inferno may summon forth “balefire” that springs forth from their hands in jets or globes. Many believe that this malignant green flame is conjured from the very depths of Hades. Being burned by these fires is to taste the agonies that await them in Hell. Witnessing the conjuring of the Fires of the Inferno allows anyone with mystical senses to know the source is infernal. This balefire is supernatural fire, and it affects those with protection from mundane flames normally.
Balefire is not subtle. The sickly, green flame springs from the conjurer’s hand in jets or globes, its sole purpose to damage opponents. Unlike the Lure of Flames, Fires of the Inferno are not intended for fine or discrete purposes. Balefire is greatly feared, as fire is one of the surest ways to bring Final Death to a vampire.
System: The number of successes determines how accurately the vampire places the flame in xyr desired location (declared before the roll is made). Individual descriptions are not provided for each level of this path — fire is fire, after all (and can potentially cause frenzy in other vampires witnessing it). The chart below describes the path level required to generate a specific amount of flame. To soak the damage at all, a vampire must have the Fortitude Discipline.
Fire under the caster’s control does not harm the vampire or cause them to frenzy, but fires started as a result of the unnatural flame affect the Thaumaturge normally.
| ●○○○○ | Lighter (Difficulty 3 to soak, 1 health level of Aggravated damage/turn) |
| ●●○○○ | Stovetop (Difficulty 4 to soak, 2 health level of Aggravated damage/turn) |
| ●●●○○ | Blowtorch (Difficulty 5 to soak, 3 health levels of Aggravated damage/turn) |
| ●●●●○ | Flamethrower (Difficulty 7 to soak, 2 health levels of Aggravated damage/turn) |
| ●●●●● | Conflagration (Difficulty 9 to soak, 3 health levels of Aggravated damage/turn) |
Physical discomfort fuels this Path: In the right hands, the Path of Pain can flay flesh from the body, shatter bones and rupture internal organs with a single look or word. Infernalists who practice this Path derive as much pleasure from inflicting pain as their victims suffer. However, pain is also an opiate — an addiction that requires the Thaumaturge to subject xemself to intense torture and agony. Only by reaching the depths and depredations of sadomasochism can a thaumaturge unlock the true potential of this wicked art. Ritual scarring and maiming is common among practitioners of the Path of Pain, who often walk a fine line between self-mutilation and self-destruction.
Broken bones, torture and ritualistic scarring are all a source of delight for many on the Path of Pain. Thaumaturges studying this path must first learn how to control and resist their instincts to avoid pain. Once mastered, the Numbing allows the infernalist to explore the limits of pain without becoming weakened or incapacitated by it. However, overriding the Beast’s instincts to avoid pain has caused many Dark Thaumaturges to destroy themselves — literally reducing their bodies to ashes.
System:For each success scored on the Willpower roll, the Thaumaturge can ignore the dice pool and movement penalty for 1 health level of damage. This effect lasts for a scene. The Numbing does not work with wound penalties incurred from Aggravated damage.
A Thaumaturge on the Path of Pain can flood xyr target with sensations of pain without having to actually wound zir. Although the injuries are not real, the pain is. With a simple touch, the Thaumaturge can send xyr victim reeling in agony to the point of rendering zir unconscious or even comatose due to shock.
System: The practitioner needs to touch xyr target in order to use this power (possibly requiring a Brawl roll, at the Storyteller’s discretion). If the character does so, the player can roll Willpower and spend a blood point as normal. For every success, the target suffers the dice pool penalty associated with losing the equivalent number of health levels (starting with Hurt, not Bruised), but ze doesn’t suffer actual damage. When used against mortals, nothing can be done to stop the pain. If the target reaches Incapacitated, ze falls unconscious. Vampires and other supernatural creatures can try to resist by rolling Willpower. Each success on this roll cancels 1 of the Thaumaturge’s successes. A vampire may be Incapacitated by this pain, but it will not force zir into torpor. Furthermore, a point of blood heals 1 level of Anguish “damage.” The effects of Anguish last for a scene otherwise.
At this level, the Thaumaturge can break bones and rupture organs, crippling xyr victim. The resulting cacophony of compound fractures and bursting organs are, more often than not, the last sounds the victim ever hears.
System: The Thaumaturge can use this power on any 1 target within eyesight. To invoke Shattering, xe must sacrifice a health level in order to channel the pain to the target. Once xe does so, a point of blood and a successful Willpower roll complete the process. For each success, the Thaumaturge inflicts a health level of Lethal damage that cannot be soaked. Vampires can roll Willpower to resist the effects of the Shattering; each success on the victim’s Willpower roll negates 1 success of the Thaumaturge. Additionally, creatures with the ability to do so (Kindred, ghouls, etc.) may spend blood points to heal the damage as normal.
This terrifying power allows the Thaumaturge to create hooked tendrils out of xyr target’s own blood that course through zir veins and rip zir to shreds. In some extreme cases of this power’s use, the blood-barbs actually burst the victim’s flesh, ending zir life in a gory display.
System: In addition to the blood point expenditure and Willpower roll, this power may require the Thaumaturge to wound xemself to create the blood chains. For each health level of Bashing damage that the Thaumaturge inflicts on xemself (minimum 1), the player can add 1 to the total number of successes from the Willpower roll. This total is then applied as Lethal damage to the victim, as the blood tendrils bite into and rend the hapless victim asunder from within. Mortals cannot soak Agony Within damage, and vampires may use only Fortitude. However, the target is allowed a Willpower roll with a Difficulty equal to [6 + the number of health levels that the Thaumaturge inflicted upon xemself (maximum 10)]. For every 2 successes on the Willpower roll (round down), reduce the damage of Agony Within by 1.
The ultimate expression of pain known to practitioners of the Path of Pain, Hundred Deaths lacerates the victim with countless deep cuts that constantly heal and reopen. The pain drives the victim insane before killing zir outright.
System: Hundred Deaths requires the Thaumaturge to inflict upon xemself a single Aggravated wound, achieved by the player succeeding a Willpower roll (Difficulty 6) first. If successful, the player can then roll Willpower and spend a blood point to evoke Hundred Deaths. Each success inflicts 1 health level of Aggravated damage on the target, which can be soaked only with Fortitude. The pain debilitates the target completely, rendering zir shocked by pain and unable to do anything, including heal zirself, without the expenditure of a Willpower point. If the victim does not receive medical attention or some form of supernatural healing, ze will suffer an additional health level of Lethal damage every night for each unhealed level of Aggravated damage that remains.
While hate may bring a Thaumaturge to the Path of Pain and pride to the Path of the Unspoken, nihilism brings the desperate and forsaken to the Path of Pestilence. A subconscious desire to destroy everything, even themselves, drives the practitioners of this art to revere all that is vile and corrupt. Beneath the filth and decay, the practitioners of the Path of Pestilence long for the final kiss of death, but they are often too craven to end their own existences. Instead, they satisfy their urge by inflicting pain and suffering on others — killing them through wasting diseases, plagues and cancers born from the Thaumaturge’s own self-loathing and misery.
Once learned, the Path of Pestilence warps the minds and bodies of its practitioners. They become infatuated with decay and drawn to torment. Like carrion, they flock to places where despair reigns supreme, all too pleased to indulge in its agony. They forget everything that once brought them joy, able only to focus on their wasting desires. Their bodies, too, become hosts for different viruses and plagues. This telltale sign, known as the Rot, is near impossible to hide or disguise — further pushing the Thaumaturge underground.
Although xe is still only a student in the Path of Pestilence, the Thaumaturge with this power can make xyr victim succumb to symptoms that are common among many illnesses. With a simple touch, the victim can suddenly develop a fever, chills, internal bleeding, stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea and even open sores. The effects are never long lasting, but they are nonetheless debilitating and unpleasant to experience.
System: Illness requires the Thaumaturge to touch xyr victim. The player may then roll as normal, while the victim rolls Stamina + Survival against a target number equal to the Thaumaturge’s [Path of Pestilence rating + 3]. If the victim scores more success, Illness fails to take effect. However, if the Thaumaturge acquires more successes, each success subtracts 1 from one of the victim’s Physical Attributes or Appearance, at the Thaumaturge’s choice. If any Physical Attribute drops to below 0, the victim falls unconscious and remains bedridden. This power can affect vampires, but they can spend a blood point to nullify the effect of Illness. Each point of blood used reduces the Attribute penalty by 1.
Illness cannot be healed normally, but the victim recovers a point in each Attribute every 4 hours.
At this stage of understanding, the Thaumaturge can infect a victim’s wounds causing further injury and even death. With the right incantation, maggots will burrow deep into flesh, gangrene will set in and other complications arise from even the most incidental of cuts. Among mortals, Infection usually spells a death sentence — even with modern medical attention.
System: Evoking the right incantation (and succeeding at the appropriate Willpower roll as well as spending blood) allows the Thaumaturge to infect a normal wound. As long as the victim has suffered a wound recently (whether Bashing, Lethal, or Aggravated), the Thaumaturge can use Infection to cause an additional level of Aggravated damage per individual wound. Mortals cannot soak this damage, and only vampires with Fortitude can try to resist.
A Thaumaturge this far advanced in the Path of Pestilence is usually riddled with countless diseases and sores allowing xem to exhale a noxious gas from xyr mouth and pores. The resulting miasma affects all creatures that breathe, while vampires are blinded by it.
System: If the player spends the blood point and succeeds at xyr Willpower roll, the Thaumaturge exhales a cloud of diseased breath around xemself. The cloud lasts for a number of turns equal to the Thaumaturge’s Stamina rating and expands at a rate of 5 feet per turn. Players of characters caught in the miasma must roll Stamina (Difficulty 6). Those who succeed can do little except move out of the miasma cloud. If they fail, all difficulty ratings increase by 1 for each success scored on the casting Willpower roll for the duration of the turn. Furthermore, for every 2 successes the Thaumaturge rolled, those affected by Miasma suffer 1 health level of Bashing damage (round down). This damage can be soaked with Stamina. Vampires take no damage. Instead, they suffer the Difficulty penalty if they failed their Stamina roll.
This strange and unnerving power allows the Thaumaturge to take control of an organism riddled with disease. As long as the target is currently suffering from a viral or other infection — even something as innocuous as a common cold — the infernalist can command the host’s body as if it were xyr own. The Thaumaturge can use Parasitic Possession on any visible organism (anything from insects to large mammals), but is not restricted to living beings. With this power, the infernalist can literally raise the dead, animating the parasites inhabiting the carcasses.
System: Parasitic Possession has a number of distinct applications; however, all require the standard blood point and Willpower roll. Commonly, this power allows the Thaumaturge to take control of a victim’s body to perform an action of xyr choice. If used in this manner, each success translates into a single physical action that the victim must perform. The target can resist by spending a Willpower point to nullify one forced action. Dead “hosts” may not spend Willpower to resist, but Kindred may.
Alternatively, infernalists can use this power to summon and command pestilential insects and small vermin. Each success determines the size of the swarm called. However, the Thaumaturge can issue only simple commands such as attack, eat all food or bite.
| Successes | Size of Swarm |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 tiny animal (a rat), a few insects |
| 2 | 1 small animal (a raccoon), a small swarm (a 1-foot cube) |
| 3 | 1 medium-sized animal (a dog or wolf), a medium swarm (a 3-foot cube) |
| 4 | 1 large animal (a horse), a large swarm (a 5-foot cube) |
| 5+ | 1 massive animal (a bear), a veritable plague of insects |
Finally, the Thaumaturge can animate a single dead organism, as long as it is a host to insects or other parasites. Once animated, the Thaumaturge can issue a single, simple command, which the carcass follows until Parasitic Possession wears off. Successes determine how long the body remains animated:
| Successes | Time |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 turn |
| 2 | 5 minutes |
| 3 | 1 hour |
| 4 | 3 hours |
| 5+ | Until sunrise |
Mastery of the Path of Pestilence grants the Thaumaturge the ability to infect a target with any virulent disease. Once infected, the victim succumbs to the virus almost instantaneously, exhibiting all the symptoms and accompanying agony in a matter of minutes.
System: Vector is a devastating power. If successful, the Thaumaturge infects his target with a disease of xyr choice, which then plagues the victim for a duration dictated by the infernalist’s Willpower successes. Victims are allowed a Stamina roll (Difficulty 8) upon contracting the disease. Should they fail, they succumb to the accelerated effects of the disease, suffering a number of health levels of bashing damage equal to the Thaumaturge’s total successes, plus whatever the disease itself imposes upon the sufferer. For mortals, death is almost guaranteed with Vector.
The disease imparted by Vector has a supernatural duration, so it is unaffected by medicine or hospitalization, but medical science may allow characters to heal the damage they suffer from it. Healing Disciplines will abate health levels of damage, but not the disease itself unless the user of the healing effect knows that Discipline at a higher level than the Thaumaturge imparting the Vector.
| Successes | Duration |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 night |
| 2 | 1 month |
| 3 | 1 year |
| 4 | 7 years |
| 5+ | Permanent |
Players of Cainites may add Fortitude to their Stamina roll. Should their characters fail, they contract the symptoms of the disease for the duration of Vector, but instead of losing health levels, they lose blood points.
Finally, there is a chance than witnesses and those who come in contact with the victim may contract the disease in question and become carriers. Any living being within a 10-foot radius must roll Stamina (Difficulty 6) or contract the disease normally. Such “secondhand” infections are normal, and they may be healed and treated as such.
Infernalists know the power of fear and the leverage of desperation. Practitioners of this path mystically tap into the depths of their victims’ psyches, prying the terrors from their minds and making them appear real. Sophisticated Sabbat infernalists prefer this Path, as they enjoy the sublime effects of using the subjects’ own fears against them rather than vulgar, brutal displays of fire and demonic servants.
Infernalists that inflict nightmares upon others risk consuming the horrible memories that have leached from their victims, only to relive them later. Storytellers should force a Manipulation + Empathy roll (Difficulty 7) on any character that utilizes the Path of Phobos more than once in a given story.
Each evening while reliving the nightmares of xyr victims, xe will wake soaked with blood; effectively costing an extra point of blood to wake due to the lack of sound sleep. Such is the price of hellish insight. The number of successes indicates how long the character must cope with the sea of stolen terrors rampaging in xyr mind.
| Successes | Time |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 week |
| 2 | 5 days |
| 3 | 4 days |
| 4 | 2 days |
| 5+ | 1 day |
The infernalist harnesses the power of Hell to twist the mind of xyr victim, leading zir to feel paranoid. Subtle shapes and shadows shimmer at the edge of the victim’s vision, tormenting zir by lurking just beyond zir range of sight.
System: The infernalist may target any subject within xyr line of sight. Xe must concentrate, gesture towards the victim, and chant the proper invocation to Hell. Should xe succeed, the victim becomes noticeably upset and preoccupied, which should be roleplayed. To resist, the victim must make a Courage roll (Difficulty [4 + the number of successes achieved on the activation roll], to a maximum of 8) to take any action other than looking for the imagined stalker.
All of the victim’s dice pools for the duration of this power are automatically reduced by 1. The duration of this power is limited by the number of successes achieved on the activation roll:
| Successes | Duration |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 turn |
| 2 | 5 turns |
| 3 | 1 hour |
| 4 | 1 night |
| 5+ | 2 nights |
This power transforms suspicion to dread, as the flitting shadows become frightening threats. The victim senses something terrible is about to happen to zir unless ze immediately flees the area. Ze might imagine ze sees the flash of a gun barrel or hear the clicking of hard-soled shoes on the pavement just behind zir. Ze might even believe ze smells zir pursuer’s sweat or feel their damp breath on the back of zir neck.
System: The infernalist must see xyr victim and whisper a prayer to Hell for this power to work. The nagging sense of discomfort in the back of the character’s mind becomes more tangible. Mortals must make a successful Courage roll (Difficulty 7) to keep from fleeing the area in terror. Vampires must make the same roll, but if they fail they enter Rötschreck.
The infernalist can draw out xyr victim’s fear and present zir with it. The victim sees that which terrifies zir the most. If ze fears spiders, ze may imagine spider webs brushing zir face and hands as thousands of illusory arachnids scuttle across zir flesh. Ze may hear them skittering across the floor or clicking their horrid chelicerae. To the victim, the effects seem very real, though they are simply illusions and invisible to onlookers.
System: The infernalist must concentrate for a moment and then gesture towards xyr victim. Should xe succeed, the terrorized subject must succeed in a Courage roll (Difficulty 7) to shake off zir fear in order to act. Otherwise ze simply cowers, feebly hiding from zir imagined object of terror. Botching this Courage roll results in a Derangement, preferably suited to the fear visiting the victim.
The duration of this power is limited by the number of successes achieved on the activation roll:
| Successes | Duration |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 turn |
| 2 | 5 turns |
| 3 | 30 minutes |
| 4 | 1 hour |
| 5+ | 1 night |
The infernalist can now taste xyr victim’s most deep-rooted fear. Xe can force xyr subject to plunge deep into this phobia every waking moment. A person afraid of drowning would feel the air thicken and coagulate in zir throat and lungs until ze cannot take a breath, while a person afraid of vampires may see fanged nemeses in zir coworkers or lurking behind every corner. Eventually, the victim becomes so exhausted that ze is unable to rise and face a new night of swarming horrors.
System: The infernalist must see and then loudly curse xyr victim for this terrible power to take effect. Once cursed, this power lasts for a week. The victim is constantly harassed by zir fear every moment. For the duration of this power, all Willpower rolls are made as though the character’s permanent rating is 3 lower than normal (to a minimum of 1).
This power enables the infernalist to temporarily feed on fear as though it was blood. This experience gives a euphoric high stronger than conventional feeding, but it is a dangerous practice if used too frequently. The infernalist converts the pure emotional charge drawn from the victim’s terror into a mystical substitute for vitae.
System: As long as xe has xyr subject in sight, the infernalist may attempt to gain sustenance from any fear that the victim might be currently suffering. Naturally, the victim must have cause to be afraid of something or someone while the infernalist practices this power. These fears may not be caused by other applications of this Path.
The number of successes achieved on the activation roll determines the number of points transmuted into the infernalist’s “fear pool.” Each point in this “fear pool” may be spent exactly like a blood point, beyond normal Generation limits. However, this extra source of power must be utilized before sunrise or it will disappear.
In addition to the lost Willpower point, a botch means that the infernalist gets no “fear pool” from the victim, and cannot use the power on that victim again for 24 hours.
Perversion comes easily to vampires, being creatures of strong emotional echoes and stronger desires, but practitioners of the Path of Pleasure take decadence to unnatural depths. They are masters at infecting others with their own indulgence and manipulating their desires, fanning them into self-destructive infernos of depravity.
Forbidden pleasure, often fueled by obsession, guilt and self-loathing, is a gateway to corruption, a downward spiral that damns those who walk it. Making matters worse is the fact that everyone, from Setite temptresses to the local preacher, keeps forbidden desires hidden and locked deep within themselves. To the Thaumaturge, these desires become a tool with which to bend the will of others to their own needs — whether for the sake of pleasure, power or something less definable.
It is whispered that Toreador and Malkavian infernalists crafted the Path of Pleasure during the orgies of Rome, and that to this date, they gather in secret locations to indulge their wanton desires.
Side Effects
The Path of Pleasure has a drug-like effect on its victims. They may become addicted to its effects and seek out any opportunity to indulge in it again. Each time a Thaumaturge invokes any Path of Pleasure power successfully, the target’s player must roll Self-Control (Difficulty 6) after the effects of the power have passed. If the player fails the roll, the character develops the Obsessive-Compulsive Derangement for a number of weeks equal to the level rating of the power used. During this time, the victim will do nearly anything to experience the sensation again — which might not necessarily involve the use of the Discipline.
The Thaumaturge can make the target feel intense pleasure, tailoring the sensation from general sexual arousal to mimicking the euphoria of the strongest drug around. This power works regardless of the subject’s tastes, simulating any kink or fetish, or stimulating simpler, less complicated pleasures — whether the victim consents or not.
System: Ecstasy requires the Willpower roll only if the Thaumaturge uses this power on an unwilling target. Otherwise, physical contact and a blood point are all that are needed. Once ze is under the effects of Ecstasy, the victim is flooded with physical sensations so intense that ze must score more success on a Wits + Self-Control roll (Difficulty 7) than the Thaumaturge’s player’s Willpower roll to do anything except enjoy zirself. This power lasts as long as the Thaumaturge continues to touch the target. Once physical contact stops, the effect wears down over the course of a number of turns equal to [10 – the subject’s Willpower]. During this time, the victim exists in a mollified, sluggish state and suffers a +1 Difficulty to all actions.
Whatever sensation the Thaumaturge used becomes the focus of the Obsessive-Compulsive Derangement if the victim’s player fails zir Self-Control roll.
Intrusion functions much like Ecstasy; however, the Thaumaturge doesn’t need to touch the target. Xe can communicate the pleasure through telepathic means.
System: Intrusion can be used on any individual within eyesight of the Thaumaturge. If successful, the infernalist overwhelms the individual with a pleasurable physical sensation of xyr (the infernalist’s) choice. Because of the unexpected nature of the pleasure, the victim suffers 1 Bashing health level of damage for each success scored on the Willpower roll. Note that this Bashing damage isn’t “painful” as such. It reflects the subject being immediately overwhelmed by pleasure. Mortals cannot soak this damage, but vampires can resist with a Willpower roll (Difficulty 7) of their own. Each success negates 1 level of the Bashing damage.
In all other respects, this power works like Ecstasy, including Willpower and blood costs, as well as requiring a Wits + Self-Control roll (Difficulty 7) to ignore the pleasure long enough to take an action.
This orgasmic power allows the Thaumaturge to spread pleasure to other people in a chain. Each person that the infernalist touches becomes a vector for the chosen pleasure, “infecting” anyone with whom ze comes in contact.
System: The Daisy Chain works exactly like Ecstasy, however a Willpower roll is needed even if the target consents to its use. For each success, the Thaumaturge can spread the sensation to another target (at the rate of 1 per turn), who then experiences the same sensation. Furthermore, each target can affect another individual through touch (the new victim is allowed a Self-Control roll to resist). Daisy Chain functions only if the Thaumaturge remains within eyesight of the victims, or until a subject resists successfully, which also ends that particular vector’s “contagion.”
This insidious power allows the Thaumaturge to make an individual numb to physical sensations and even most emotions. While under the effect of Deadening, the victim can feel nothing including pain or pleasure. For all intents and purposes, ze is dead to any and all sensations. Ze exists as if in a daze, aware of being unable to feel anything and incapable of doing anything about it.
System: This power requires the standard blood point and Willpower roll. The target is allowed to resist by rolling Willpower (Difficulty equal to the Thaumaturge’s Manipulation + Empathy). If the Thaumaturge scores more successes, Deadening is successful. While ze is in this emotionally torpid state, the victim cannot spend Willpower points, and any Virtue roll is at a +2 Difficulty. The number of successes scored determines the duration of Deadening.
| Successes | Duration |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 turn |
| 2 | 1 hour |
| 3 | 1 day |
| 4 | 1 week |
| 5+ | 1 month |
With this power, the Thaumaturge can totally overwhelm a victim with pleasure until it renders zir catatonic, existing only in zir mind and unaware of zir immediate surroundings or even zir physical body.
System: To use this power, the victim must already be under the effects of Ecstasy. Once this criteria is met, the player makes another Willpower roll and spends an additional blood point. If this second roll is successful, the infernalist can flood the victim with pleasure until ze becomes comatose, zir mind entering a dream-like state where all ze experiences are visions and sensations of pleasure. To resist this power, the victim needs to score more successes on a Willpower roll (Difficulty 8) than the Thaumaturge scored upon invocation. Remember, though, that the target first makes a Self-Control roll as per the Ecstasy rules before this power even becomes a possibility.
For each night a victim is under the effect of this power, zir body takes a level of Bashing damage unless the victim is being treated at a hospital. Vampires can resist this damage with Stamina (and Fortitude). Successes determine the duration of this power.
| Successes | Duration |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 night |
| 2 | 3 nights |
| 3 | 1 week |
| 4 | 1 month |
| 5+ | 1 year |
Few Dark Thaumaturgy Paths, except perhaps the Path of the Unspoken, are so reviled as the Path of the Defiler. Under the auspice of this Path, a Thaumaturge can warp and taint others as easily as a gardener can make plants blossom or wither — even other infernalists loathe the corrupting influence of the Defilers. The Thaumaturge’s hatred and jealousy of the normalcy of others fuels this insidious and perverse school of Dark Thaumaturgy. Many infernalists come across the Path through a desire to see people debase themselves — not by perverting them through pleasure or suffering — but by tainting their own perceptions of themselves and all that they hold dear.
Many Inquisitors consider this Path to be a variation of the more traditional Path of Corruption, and they charge the now defunct Tremere antitribu with its creation. The fact that it continues to exist, and attract new practitioners even after the disappearance of the Sabbat Warlocks, suggests that more malignant forces are at work.
Defilers are adept social predators, able to surmise an individual’s passions and weakness by engaging in idle conversation. From a simple answer or a casual gesture, the Defiler can piece together a complete mental picture of the individual. The Thaumaturge can use this information to bring the victim under xyr sway.
System: Aside from the blood point and Willpower roll needed to evoke Call the Weakness, the Defiler must engage the victim in conversation. For each success, the Thaumaturge can ask the Storyteller a single question about the target, which then must be answered truthfully. Information that can be gleaned this way includes, but is not limited to, Nature and Demeanor, Willpower ratings, Derangements, blood bonds, and Virtues that the character observes — in effect, any single aspect of the character’s emotional or moral self.
Furthermore, each success adds 1 to the Thaumaturge’s dice pool when making any Social roll against the target. This aspect of Call the Weakness lasts for an entire scene.
With this power, the Defiler can plant the seed of doubt and self-loathing in an individual, slowly infecting the victim with shame and guilt. With a well-timed comment or action, the Thaumaturge can break the victim’s spirits, rendering zir hollow and empty. An artist will be ashamed of zir work, a priest’s faith will falter, and a Prince might lose all confidence. Once under the spell of Tainted, the victim becomes an easy tool for the defiler to bend to xyr own ends.
System: Tainted requires the Thaumaturge to first use Call the Weakness to discern the victim’s most cherished quality of zirself. This can be something tangible like a prized possession, or an intangible quality, like a Trait, Ability, or even a less quantifiable characteristic. The player then rolls as normal, and the target can resist with a Willpower roll (Difficulty equal to the Thaumaturge’s Manipulation + Subterfuge). If the Thaumaturge is successful, the victim must spend a point of Willpower to use or acknowledge the Trait or quality in question. For example, an artist will cease to paint, possibly pushing zir into depression, unless ze spends a Willpower point every time ze picks up a brush. Likewise, a priest’s sudden lack of faith might lead zir toward sin as zir moral resolve is stretched to the limit.
The duration of Tainted varies, based on the number of successes the Thaumaturge scored.
| Successes | Duration |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 scene |
| 2 | 1 night |
| 3 | 1 week |
| 4 | 1 month |
| 5+ | 1 year |
With this power, the Defiler not only taints an individual’s source of pride, but xe can cause drastic personality changes as well. Once under the effect of Degradation, the victim becomes a whole new person, unrecognizable to zir friends and family, and governed by strange obsessions and desires.
System: Degradation allows the Defiler to change a target’s Nature. Doing so has the immediate effect of altering the victim’s personality and how ze regains Willpower. Most infernalists choose a new Nature that is contradictory to the target’s old one, forcing the target to debase zirself in order to regain Willpower.
Alternatively, with Degradation, the Thaumaturge can infect the victim with a Derangement of the Defiler’s choice.
The number of successes rolled determines the duration of the Degradation.
| Successes | Duration |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 scene |
| 2 | 1 night |
| 3 | 1 week |
| 4 | 1 month |
| 5+ | 1 year |
Far more potent than Degradation, Poisoned Soul removes any moral or ethical inhibitions from an individual. Without the need to conform to social mores, victims of Poisoned Soul succumb to their most base and perverse desires, indulging in rape, murder, torture, and other heinous crimes to provoke any emotional response at all from zirself, much as a Kindred with low Humanity does. Poisoned Soul, like other Path of the Defiler powers, is subtle and insidious, even though the results seldom are.
System: The player spends a blood point and rolls Willpower as normal. The victim may resist with a Conscience roll (Difficulty equal to the Thaumaturge’s Manipulation + Empathy). If successful, the victim resists. If the victim fails, every success that the infernalist scored reduces the victim’s Humanity rating by 1. The effect occurs at the rate of 1 Humanity point lost per night.
Furthermore, each night that the victim’s Humanity rating is affected, ze is compelled to perform 1 sin according to zir new Humanity rating unless ze spends a Willpower point. In addition, the target incurs any penalties associated with zir new, lower, Humanity score. If reduced to 0, the victim becomes a mindless beast for as long as Poisoned Soul remains in effect.
Poisoned Soul’s duration is based on the number of successes scored on the Thaumaturge’s Willpower roll.
| Successes | Duration |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 night |
| 2 | 3 nights |
| 3 | 1 week |
| 4 | 1 month |
| 5+ | 1 year |
This power also affects Kindred who follow Paths of Enlightenment.
The Thaumaturge can transform the target’s perversion, self-loathing and guilt into a physical cancer that either turns zir into a hideous mass of boils and sores or kills zir outright. The effect is disturbing to witness as the victim’s skin literally erupts with lacerations and ulcers that ooze a black, malignant ichor.
System: The Thaumaturge must catch the target engaging in some depraved act (as determined by zir Humanity/Path score). The player then spends a blood point and rolls Willpower as normal. For each success, the victim suffers a health level of Aggravated damage. Additionally, the victim cannot heal these wounds for a number of nights equal to the Thaumaturge’s successes.
Many Thaumaturges believe that the Path of the Unspoken is a legend, superstitious babble spawned from the absinthe-addled dreams of florid mortal poets. Even the Tremere denounce it, having found no substantial proof of its existence — at least, so the Warlocks claim. Mere mention of this Path often causes knowledgeable sorcerers to prick up their ears in many domains. Those who know the truth, however, know that the Path of the Unspoken is no legend.
With the vanishing of the Tremere antitribu, many considered the Path a dying one, practiced by only a few Thaumaturges deranged enough to walk down the road of heresy. However, a disturbing number of rumors involving the Path have surfaced in the last few years. Luckily (or unluckily), many of these infernalists have since been destroyed, not by fellow vampires, but by mortal witch-hunters.
The infernalist opens xemself to the raw power of entropy, and for a few seconds, xe can hear what can only be described as the voices of the unborn. Immediately, a chorus of childlike voices and screams flood the Thaumaturge, who can then discern warnings or glean information from the resulting cacophony.
System: The player rolls Willpower and spends a blood point. For each success, the player can decide to gain an answer to a single question, or receive a premonition of danger, or a combination of the two.
If used to gain information, the “voices” can articulate only rough answers of no more than 3 to 5 words (Storytellers are encouraged to be as vague as they wish), yet they do seem to be omniscient. Storytellers should also be cryptic, as the unborn have no real reason to care about the outcome of the living world’s problems.
If used for premonitions, Whispers of the Unborn lasts for a scene. During this time, the player can subtract 1 from the Difficulty of 1 roll for each success achieved.
Entering a trance-like state, the Thaumaturge can subconsciously scribe the contents of a written document — regardless of the language and without needing to see the original. As long as something is written down, whether on vellum or as magnetic data on a hard drive, there is no way of keeping it a secret from the infernalist.
System: For the Thaumaturge to enter the trance, xe first needs to know the source of the information xe wants to transcribe (the name of the book, author of a letter or file name is often enough) and the player must spend the blood point and roll Willpower. The copy is rarely exact, and unless the infernalist has some skill in forgery, the transcribed material will look nothing like the original. Even that isn’t enough in some cases, such as a handwritten version of a computer document.
The number of successes determines the accuracy of the transcript.
| Successes | Accuracy |
|---|---|
| 1 | Largely incomplete. Many sentences are missing, and some words are replaced with others of different meaning; 20 percent accurate to the original document. |
| 2 | Vaguely complete; 40 percent accurate. |
| 3 | Partially complete; 60 percent accurate. |
| 4 | Mostly complete; 80 percent accurate. |
| 5+ | Functional; 95 percent complete. |
This mysterious power allows the Thaumaturge to peer into anyone’s shadow and glean information about zir. As the saying goes, nobody knows one better than zir own shadow.
System: Evoking this power requires the usual blood point and Willpower roll. In addition, the Thaumaturge needs to be standing in the shadow of xyr intended victim. Any successes achieved on the Willpower roll allow the Thaumaturge to look into the target’s past, enabling xem to witness any actions or thoughts as if the infernalist was present. Xe will be unable to affect the outcome of the events, though.
The number of successes determines how far back in time the Thaumaturge can gaze.
| Successes | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | result |
| 2 | result |
| 3 | result |
| 4 | result |
| 5+ | result |
With Fragments of the Forgotten, the infernalist can transcribe information even if the source no longer exists, or was never written down. Entering a similar state to Scribing the Unknown, the infernalist can write fragments of the original Book of Nod, paint Da Vinci’s lost masterpieces or pen Shakespeare’s original copies of his plays.
Because these tattered memories are invariably incomplete, however, Hell has been known to “fill in the blanks” when it sees fit. As a result, no information this power generates should ever be completely trusted. Then again, if the person the infernalist reveals it to doesn’t know the source...
System: Fragments of the Forgotten works the same as Scribing the Unknown, except that the Thaumaturge can now transcribe to paper any written document even if it no longer exists. However, this power is nowhere near as precise as Scribing the Unknown. Although Fragments of the Forgotten allows the Thaumaturge to transcribe lost or destroyed documents, the hellish minions who provide the information ultimately taint the process. The final document, though close to the original, is also extremely subjective and not entirely accurate.
The number of successes on the roll determines how accurate the document is. The Storyteller should conduct this roll in secret — as the information no longer exists, even the Thaumaturge should have no idea what parts of it xe can trust and what xe can’t. Demons misdirect, occlude and outright lie about such things, even to infernalists. Also, Storytellers will obviously have to make some parts of this information up for themselves.
| Successes | Accuracy |
|---|---|
| 1 | Occasionally sensible garble; 5 percent accurate to original document. |
| 2 | Partially intelligible; 10 percent accurate. |
| 3 | Some parts form complete sentences; 15 percent accurate. |
| 4 | Rambling, but largely cogent; 25 percent accurate. |
| 5+ | A clever reader can spot the lies by context; 50 percent accurate. |
Alternatively, the Thaumaturge can use Fragments of the Forgotten to write down prophecies or premonitions about the future. If used in this manner, the prophecy gives the infernalist a vague impression of what might happen. The number of successes dictates how clear the prophecy is. The nature of the premonition is again left to the Storyteller’s discretion.
The few infernalists who have attained this level have the power to literally make people and things vanish from the collective subconscious. Although the Thaumaturge cannot destroy the target physically, xe can cause it to disappear from the mind’s eye. With Forsaken, the Thaumaturge alters people’s perceptions and memories about someone or something to the point that they seem to cease to exist without actually doing so.
System: Forsaken makes it nearly impossible to find, remember or even see the person or object in question. In addition to the normal mechanics for casting, the Thaumaturge’s player must spend permanent Willpower point and suffer a permanent loss of a health level, subsuming the person’s legacy into a suppurating wound. Once this power has been invoked, anyone wishing to interact with the target of Forsaken must first make a Perception + Occult (Difficulty [5 + 1 for each success the Thaumaturge scored]) to do so. If ze succeeds at this roll, ze can interact with the target of Forsaken as normal (such as have conversations, remember the subject’s location, etc.) for as many nights as ze scored success on the Perception + Occult roll. Once this time expires, the fugue of Forsaken returns.
If the Thaumaturge uses this power against inanimate objects such as paintings or sculptures, the objects become virtually impossible to find, even in plain sight. Books collect dust on library shelves, overlooked by everyone, including their owners, or they sit in huge warehouses never to be read again — or even unwittingly destroyed as needless junk.
If used against a person, Forsaken blurs people’s memories and perceptions so that all forget every meeting with the victim. The victim still exists, and ze can act as normal, but once out of sight, ze is forgotten. Even if the victim manages to remain in sight, ze is often overlooked and ignored. This effect might have obvious advantages, but they are outweighed by the drawbacks. While the Prince’s ghoul might overlook the target, so may the bus driver.
Forsaken remains in effect until the Thaumaturge is destroyed, chooses to end the effect or evokes this power on another target. If the Thaumaturge ends the effect, xe rises the next night with xyr original complement of health levels. The Thaumaturge can evoke Forsaken on only 1 target at any given time.
This may be the oldest of all the Paths. It dates back to pagan times preceding civilization, when the spirit world was closer to the physical world. Though many ancient vampires know this Path’s secrets, infernalists have turned it to its most potent use — the raising of Hell itself. A demon who answers the infernalist’s call may remain on Earth until the sun rises or it hears church bells.
The older, pagan version of this Path is called Rego Mentem and allows the summoning of the spirits of nature rather than infernal creatures.
System: This Path has two powers. The first allows damage to be inflicted upon any spirit (demonic or otherwise) through ritual incantation (the player rolls Rego Manes rating as a dice pool against the target; this damage is resisted with Willpower rather than Stamina). The damaging powers of this Path take place immediately upon their use, and only require a few spoken words to enact.
Secondly, this Path allows the infernalist to summon beings from the spirit world. Rego Manes rating determines the power of a summoned demon.
| ●○○○○ | Insignificant (Attributes 4/3/2, Abilities 3/2/1, no Disciplines) |
| ●●○○○ | Least (Attributes 5/4/3, Abilities 4/3/2, 2 points of Disciplines and/or Investments) |
| ●●●○○ | Lesser (Attributes 6/5/4, Abilities 5/4/3, 4 points of Disciplines and/or Investments) |
| ●●●●○ | Minor (Attributes 7/6/5, Abilities 6/5/4, 6 points of Disciplines and/or Investments) |
| ●●●●● | Specific demon, who demands sacrifices and serves only if it is in its interests. |
The number of successes gained determined how much control the infernalist has over what xe calls up:
| Successes | Control |
|---|---|
| Botch | The demon is angered by the infernalist’s clumsy attempts, and attacks. |
| Failure | The ritual is wasted and cannot be attempted again that night. |
| 1 | The demon attends, but listens to the infernalist only if it can benefit. It may leave at will. |
| 2 | The demon arrives and listens to requests, and answers simple questions. |
| 3 | The demon is well-disposed toward the infernalist, and answers questions with some accuracy. |
| 4 | The demon is willing to serve the infernalist on simple tasks. |
| 5+ | The demon is pleased with the summoning and serves the infernalist faithfully for the night. |
By calling upon the power of Hell, this Path allows the infernalist to strip away the temporary Willpower of xyr victim, leaving an almost soulless automaton ready to serve the infernalist without question. Some fiendish vampires have built entire legions of servants for themselves with this power. This fearsome Path works on vampires and kine alike.
System: The infernalist loudly calls forth the legions of Hell to steal away the spirit of xyr target and then touches xyr target. Depending upon the circumstances, the Storyteller may require a successful Dexterity + Brawl roll for the Thaumaturge to make contact with the intended victim. Once contact is made, the infernalist must engage in a contested Willpower roll against the subject (Difficulty 8).
If the victim accumulates more successes on this contested Willpower roll before being reduced to 0 Willpower, ze resists the powers of Hell. In addition, the suffering ze endured hardens zir mind, and this infernal Path may not be used against zir again for a full year.
If the victim is reduced to 0 Willpower, ze must do the vampire’s bidding, not speaking, staring blankly forward, in a state much like a zombie until ze has regained 1 dot of Willpower, as per the chart below.
If the infernalist is killed, the victim regains all of zir lost Willpower immediately.
A botch on the part of the infernalist has unique results: xe loses a number of temporary Willpower points that corresponds with xyr mastery of said path. These Willpower points return at a rate of 1 per night. If all points are lost, xe may come under the control of otherworldly forces.
The Willpower siphoned by this power returns at a rate determined by the infernalist’s rating in the Path:
| ●○○○○ | Return 3 Willpower points per day’s rest |
| ●●○○○ | Return 2 Willpower points per day’s rest |
| ●●●○○ | Return 1 Willpower point per day’s rest |
| ●●●●○ | Return 1 Willpower point per week’s rest |
| ●●●●● | Return 1 Willpower point per 2 week’s rest |
All Thaumaturgy rituals have ratings. Dark Thaumaturgy rituals, while an infernal type of blood magic, follow many of the same rules as standard Thaumaturgy rituals. The ritual’s rating is the lowest level of Thaumaturgy (or Dark Thaumaturgy) a vampire must have before attempting to use it. For example, a vampire must have mastered the third level of Thaumaturgy as a basic requirement before performing the Felis Negrum ritual. Also, like other Thaumaturgy rituals, Dark Thaumaturgy rituals must be learned before they can be used. Generally, the higher the level of the ritual, the longer it takes to study it, though the aid of demons can speed up the process.
Dark Thaumaturgical rituals require a successful Intelligence + Occult roll, for which the Difficulty equals the [level of the ritual + 3] (to a maximum of 9). Only 1 success is required for a ritual to work, but some spells may require more successes or have variable effects based on how well the player rolled. Should this roll fail, the spell may simply have no effect, or the Storyteller may come up with an interesting side effect.
Should the player botch the roll, xyr vampire has failed the ritual in such a way that xe has incurred the wrath of xyr demonic lord. The effects of botching are at the discretion of the Storyteller, but they should be severe and have a long-term effect on the Corrupter. Maybe the vampire’s managed to anger a new denizen of Hell who tries to use xem to attack xyr demonic master. Or, perhaps the Corrupter has accidentally revealed xemself to be an infernalist to all vampires within a specific radius based on xyr location.
Unless mentioned otherwise, rituals require 5 minutes per level to cast.
The Curse of Oedipus completely blinds the vampire’s target. It requires the Thaumaturge to light a stick of heavy incense, the smoke from which is believed to mystically cloud the target’s vision.
System: This ritual blinds a single target. The caster does not need to see or be in the presence of the victim in order for it to work. The Thaumaturge does, however, have to know the target’s name and appearance. The Curse of Oedipus goes into effect for a number of hours equal to [5 - the target’s Stamina].
The caster entreats demons to answer xyr questions, revealing occult secrets or unraveling complex mysteries. Most demons are not omniscient, however, and this ritual’s effectiveness is limited by the demon’s knowledge. Video Nefas has no visible or discernible effect, which makes this a favorite amongst Corrupters. Vampires with Auspex might detect the shadowy outline of an imp or homunculus whispering into the Dark Thaumaturge’s ear. In order for this ritual to take effect, the caster must break a dried bone in half.
System: The number of successes accumulated on the roll determines the extent of the information the demon must reveal. The caster may ask only 1 question of the demon, but xe may cast this ritual as many times as xe wants.
| Successes | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Yes or no |
| 2 | A short sentence |
| 3 | A descriptive synopsis (3-4 sentences) |
| 4 | A complete answer |
| 5+ | An encyclopedic answer, which may include the topic’s history, interesting personages involved, or even apocryphal lore never before known to mortals or vampires. |
This ritual turns the Thaumaturge or another individual into a black cat. The Thaumaturge must burn the whisker of a black cat, or the skin of a white cat, and inscribe the subject’s name on a piece of glass in xyr own blood.
System: If the infernalist uses Felis Negrum on xemself, xe can change back into a vampire at will. If used on a ghoul, the spell lasts only 24 hours. If used on another vampire, the spell lasts for [12 nights - 1 per permanent point of Willpower the victim possessed at the time of the transformation].
A target may resist the effects of Felis Negrum either consciously or subconsciously, by winning a resisted roll against the Dark Thaumaturge’s Willpower. This ritual requires the caster to spend 1 blood point. The subject acquires all Traits — including Mental Attributes — of a cat for the duration of the transformation.
Plague’s Secret Domain causes the victim to become “sick at heart.” The subject loses interest in xyr regular activities or maintaining xyr personal appearance, and xe eventually sees no reason to continue xyr life or unlife, falling into torpor or chronic depression.
The infernalist must perform the ritual in front of a smoking censer, which ze extinguishes with freshly spilled mortal blood at the ritual’s completion.
System: The effect of this ritual lasts for 24 hours. For every success above 2, another day is added to the victim’s depression. Whilst the victim suffers from Plague’s Secret Domain, the Dark Thaumaturge may continue performing the ritual to add more time to their affliction. If the ritual continues for 10 days, the victim enters torpor if they are a vampire, and will commit suicide if they are mortal.
The infernalist who performs this ritual does not do so lightly, for it is much more difficult to undo Close the Ways than it is to call it down. While this curse does not necessarily kill a target, it does deluge zir with a tide of terrible misfortune. To perform the ritual, the caster extinguishes 14 flames with xyr bare hands, naming xyr intended victim with every doused flame.
System: A successfully cast ritual brings untold bad luck to the victim. This means that any success will cause an automatic botch to the victim’s rolls for a specified period of time. Treat this botch as a “ghost” 1 on die rolls, as if the victim always had an additional 1 turn up. Thus, if the subject rolled no successes but no 1s, ze would still botch, as the “ghost” 1 turned zir failure into a botch. Likewise, if the victim’s rolls garner any successes, subtract 1 for the “ghost” 1.
The duration of Close the Ways is as follows:
| Successes | Duration |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 night |
| 2 | 1 week |
| 3 | 1 month |
| 4 | 1 year |
| 5+ | 10 years |
The caster must sacrifice 2 points of permanent Willpower when enacting this ritual, to stave off the Rötschreck of the flames and to bring the curse down upon xyr victim’s head. This curse may be broken only by the Dark Thaumaturge invoking it, and to do so xe must cut off xyr own left hand and spend 2 more points of permanent Willpower.
Into the Inferno allows the caster to step into Hell itself. Why any Corrupter would want to willingly walk into the fiery inferno is unknown, but some captured infernalists have claimed there are great rewards for those who face their masters directly — including powerful profane artifacts and secret lore. To enact this ritual, the caster must wash an entire wall with the blood of child sacrifices; the wall then becomes a portal into Hell.
System: This ritual requires 24 hours to cast, during which the Dark Thaumaturge must remain fully awake. At the end of the ritual the portal will open, and it will remain so for a number of hours equal to the caster’s Willpower.
Though anyone may walk through the door into Hell, the denizens of Hell may not escape through this portal into the mortal world. They may, however, attempt to deny exit to any vampires who have invaded their realm of eternal torture.
For some Corrupters, it’s not enough to bring forth a demonic entity from the depths of Hell. Bind the Interloper allows a caster to force a demon that was summoned by another Dark Thaumaturge into xyr own servitude. This allows the new caster to command the demon as if xe summoned it xemself.
In order for the Dark Thaumaturge to snatch a demon from another infernalist, the caster must secretly negotiate with the demonic entity in order for it to effectively switch masters. Some tactics may include promising a bounty of souls to the demon as payment, creating a ritual that allows the caster to broadcast the demon’s true name, which is more powerful than many of its common names, or the sacrifice of a valuable object or commodity like the vampire’s blood that supersedes the original caster’s offering.
System: The ritual’s level varies depending on the potency of the entity being bound (see the table below). Bind the Interloper requires 10 minutes per level to perform, and Corrupters should expect that the original caster will likely vow to take revenge.
As with Call Forth the Host, the Dark Thaumaturge must know the demon’s name. However, the caster must achieve more successes on the roll than the original summoner accumulated when xe first summoned the demon. Should the binding succeed, the demon serves the Dark Thaumaturge for the remainder of its servitude period, without beginning a new one. This demon may also return to punish the Dark Thaumaturge for forcing it into servitude, and may even pit both summoners against one another.
A favored ritual amongst all Corrupters, Call Forth the Host draws a demon or tortured spirit from the Inferno into the earthly plane. The creature appears through the power of the ritual and follows the Thaumaturge’s instructions to the letter.
While this is a favored ritual, most demons resent being summoned and ordered around in this way. They may return later of their own volition to torment the would-be sorcerer, and always seek to subvert the Dark Thaumaturge’s commands by exploiting weaknesses in xyr instructions.
Demons take many forms, though they may generally disguise themselves to walk unnoticed among humankind. For this reason, the caster must know the precise, true name of the demon xe wishes to summon for this ritual to take effect.
System: This ritual requires 1 hour per level to perform. For example, summoning an imp takes only 1 hour, while summoning a shade takes 3. The summoned demon serves the Thaumaturge for a number of hours equal to [10 - the level of the ritual]. By way of example, an imp would serve the caster for 9 hours while a shade would serve for only 7.
During this period of servitude, the demon may not harm the caster, and it must follow xyr exact instructions in a literal fashion. When the duration of servitude expires, the demon vanishes in a puff of sulfur and returns to Hell. It may, however, return of its own accord later to even the score.
| Level | Type of Demon | Statistics |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imp, a mindless, slave demon. | Physical Attributes of 1, Intelligence 1 |
| 3 | Shade, a tormented soul. | Physical Attributes of 2, Mental Attributes of 2 |
| 5 | Pit Lord, a demonic sergeant-at-arms. | Physical Attributes of 3, Social and Mental Attributes of 2 |
| 7 | Lesser Demon Noble, a ruler of a territory in Hell. | All Attributes of 3 or greater. 10 to 12 points in various Disciplines. |
| 9 | Greater Demon. Not a wise choice to force into servitude... | All Attributes of 5 or greater, reaching godlike levels. A daunting array of Disciplines. |