Disciplines, Physical Disciplines

Disciplines

As I mentioned under the Bloodlines post, Disciplines come with a disadvantage. At this moment, my thinking is that each Discipline (aside from physicals) will have its own weakness, and each Clan/bloodline (for which I will likely provide an alternate setup at some point in the future) will have a distinctive weakness as well.

Since Disciplines, apart from basic vampiric properties, are the main thing that distinguishes vampires from ordinary people, I've already spent a bit of work on these, mostly in recomposing them to reduce redundancies and converting certain powers into devotions, particularly certain effects that I've removed from the basic Discipline (whether from Masquerade or Requiem version), as well as the Elder Disciplines from Masquerade, except where they are redundant or have been covered by the functions of other Disciplines.  Of course, I'm generally using Requiem rules, so they will all be in Requiem format.  I'm also going to try to avoid replicating canon verbiage except where it needs to be altered to explain my rules version.  However, I've already written a lot of the discipline descriptions, and much of these posts will just be cutting and pasting from that with some prefatory description and a little editing.

Also, any non-core Discipline now becomes a series of Devotions if retained at all.  Several Masquerade Disciplines Merit at least partial conversion, where not folded into standard Disciplines.  If one wanted to use Requiem Bloodlines, they would need to convert any special disciplines into Devotions (possibly condensing to a fewer number of powers) and then assign the Bloodline Core Disciplines according to general bloodline construction, which I will revisit later, being especially careful to include Disciplines on which those Devotions might be based.

Devotions
I'm probably not going to go through any significant number of canon devotions any time soon, but briefly speaking, these would be the prevailing conversion rules. Some Devotions are based on specific Discipline powers, while others are based on an arbitrary level of the Discipline.  Those based on general ratings remain the same, with Animalism and Nightmare  replaced by Bêtiare and Obfuscate and Obtenebration replaced by Tenebrus, with some exceptions.  Devotions based on specific powers are re-calculated in cost if the target power has been moved.  If that power is now a Devotion, it becomes a prerequisite.

Example:  Dread is now a Devotion based on level 2 Bêtiare "Dread Gaze" equivalent and level 1 Majesty "Awe".  Churchtower Gaze, for example, is based on Dread and the second level of Majesty (originally Revelation).  Since I am likely trading revelation for Magnetism, a directed attraction power, it makes sense to retain Majesty 2 as a source Discipline.  Also, since Dread is now a devotion based on Bêtiare 2, it becomes a prerequisite, and Bêtiare 2 becomes the other source Discipline.  Since it is still two and two, the XP cost needn't change.

One additional note.  Unlike regular Requiem Devotion rules, Devotions aren't required to have a cost, particularly if they are purely psychic in nature.  Generally costs are only required for Devotions with physical effects or with very powerful effects.

Physical Disciplines

What is great about Physical Disciplines in Masquerade is that they are either always on or else 'reflexively' activated. What sucks about them is that they are a bit over powered, possibly excepting Fortitude. The Requiem set are a little more moderate in implementation, but the spending blood to activate for a scene thing is kinda silly, particularly for Resilience. So what I've done is tried to balance them out by giving each one an 'always on' effect, and then some reflexive Vitae expenditure powers with a bit more oomph.

Physical Disciplines can be learned without a teacher by any Kindred. Most Kindred have at least one Physical Discipline in their repertoire, which allows it to be purchased at in-Clan cost. Physical Disciplines cannot be purchased to a level higher than the corresponding Physical Attribute or the Kindred's Blood Potency, whichever is higher.

Physical Disciplines do not have any special weaknesses associated with them as the potentially prohibitive Vitae costs are a sufficiently limiting factor.


Celerity

Alacrity - Each level of Celerity is added to Initiative, Defense and Dexterity rolls, and speed calculations based on Dexterity. The Defense bonus is applied to all incoming attacks.

Quickness - The Kindred may gain an additional action after his initial action in any round by reflexively spending one Vitae for each extra action, up to the kindred's Celerity rating. These may be used as a move or Instant physical action, but not as a mental or social action, and only one may be used per Initiative tick. Additionally, for each extra action gained, the character loses one from his Celerity based Defense and Dexterity bonuses for the remainder of the round. These extra actions may be gained ad hoc as the character needs them over the course of the round.


Resilience

Endurance - Each level of Resilience adds to Stamina for the purpose of both rolls and determining Health levels. The Kindred's wound penalties are also reduced by his level of Resilience.

Mettle - Resilience further augments the healing powers of Vitae. By reflexively spending a Vitae, the Kindred reduces the severity of a number of wound levels equal to the character's Resilience level, usually starting with the most severe, though the choice is up to the Kindred. Aggravated become lethal, lethal become bashing, and bashing vanish. This may only be done once per round, but the Kindred can also heal with Vitae normally.


Vigor

Prowess - Each level of Vigor adds to strength related rolls and speed calculations based on strength.

Bound - The kindred can reflexively spend one Vitae to perform an amazing jump. The jump is calculated as normal, but Vigor is added to the number of feet jumped per success. So his pool is Strength + Vigor + Athletics + equipment bonus, allowing him to jump (Vigor +1) x successes in feet up or (Vigor + 2) x successes in feet across. A running jump, he jumps Size + (Vigor + 4) x success feet across.

Might - One Vitae can be reflexively spent to increase the severity of one attack by one (Bruised to Lethal or Lethal to aggravated). Note that using an ordinary melee weapon to cause aggravated damage causes damage to the object as well, and any successes that exceed its Durability cause it Structure damage.

Puissance - The Kindred can also convert his bonus dice into automatic successes for one action by reflexively spending a Vitae. This can be used on an attack, for a feat of strength, or even in combination with a Vigorous Bound, if the Kindred can spend enough Vitae.