I'm jumping the gun a bit in talking about Thaumaturgy, but its one of the Disciplines I think has been most mishandled and disparaged in Masquerade, in part because it basically got out of control with paths and various different kinds of vampiric magic. I liked the general style of it from 1st edition, even though it was rules light. My goal here is to limit it, systematize it, and incorporate it with Requiem vampire magics so that it is all one thing that may be more generally accessed by kindred under the proper circumstances.
Because it is such a huge topic, I'll probably spend three or more posts on it. In this post I'll cover its metaphysical underpinnings, limitations, and general learning methods. Another post will cover core Paths, with possible other paths on a later post. Another post will cover Coils, and possibly other Ordo things, and another post may cover some kind of restructuring/listing of available rituals.
Thaumaturgy, Part I
Of the ten standard Disciplines, Thaumaturgy encompasses kindred talents with psychokinesis, mental control over the material. Though it seems in some ways like magic, and is often treated as such, in keeping with my general "Alien Vampire" theme, it is actually more preternatural/psychic/psionic in nature. In general, its effects are limited to they physical. There are several other disciplines that produce psychic effects, and dealings with spirits will usually be limited to devotions involving Auspex and Tenebrus. Physical enhancement is the domain of the physical Disciplines, and physical transformation is the domain of Protean. In short, Thaumaturgy here is not the "replicate every other discipline" Discipline. It is the mind over matter discipline, which will result in limitation to particular kinds of paths, and particular rituals.
Two very specific and notable exceptions are rituals and powers dealing with blood, and especially vampire-related properties of blood. This is because blood is special and particular to vampires, and its management probably can't be easily covered by a more ordinary Discipline. The other thing is coils, and that is because they are an odd and introspective form of magic absent from Masquerade, but very much filling an important spot, and they lay on a border between physical and metaphysical control. As previously mentioned, this subject will get its own entry.
Divisions of Thaumaturgy
Broadly, Thaumaturgy is divided into Paths and Rituals. This is retained from Masquerade and will be re-implemented with Requiem rules. It is further divided by covenant. Each of the Covenant specific forms of "sorcery" are subdivisions of Thaumaturgy, taught according to the traditions of those Covenants. So Theban Sorcery, Cruac, Coils of the Dragon and Invictus Oaths. There are other segments of magic type disciplines, such as those of the Architects of the Monolith and the Shadow Cults of the Mekhet that may qualify as separate divisions of rituals as well.
Learning Thaumaturgy
The basic Discipline of Thaumaturgy is purchased as any other Discipline, costing 5x new level if in-Clan and 7x new level if out of Clan. This represents the character's general facility with psychokinetic powers. Rituals are learned as Merits of the level of the Ritual, and Paths are learned as progressive Merits, which must be purchased at each level, before purchasing the subsequent level. Paths represent general facility with specific kinds of psychokinetic activity, while Rituals are essentially psychic recipes for performing very specific actions. A character cannot learn any Ritual or Path at a level higher than his present Thaumaturgy rating.
There are three basic methods of progression when learning Thaumaturgy. When it is learned from a Covenant, the character typically gains a free Ritual at each new level of Thaumaturgy. In this case, the character is also being schooled in a very specific mode of thought about how Thaumaturgy works, and cannot learn rituals of other "schools". In order to learn a different variety, the character must be trained by a practitioner of that style, and purchase it as an alternate version for 3 XP. (Optionally, Thaumaturgic Style can be treated as its own progressive Merit, with the native method counting as the first level, and each additional style counting as a higher level Merit, becoming progressively harder to obtain, though training from an X Style practitioner is still necessary).
The second method involves learning a specific Path in Tandem with the basic Thaumaturgy rating. In this case, he gains a level of the Path each time he advances Thaumaturgy at no extra cost. This method is most often done by particular bloodlines that have Thaumaturgy as part of their composition for very specific reasons. In this case, the Kindred has the capacity to learn Rituals and other Paths, but must either have a teacher, or must engage in Occult research, usually for each Ritual or each level of a Path. This is an extended action, usually Lengthy (1 hour per test), Consuming (1 day per test), or Exhausting (1 week or month per test). The target number of successes is 5 x level of the Merit studied. Generally the character must have access to study materials, like a mundane library, and the Occult Library Merit can of course add to rolls. Generally the character can only make (Intelligence + Occult) rolls towards learning a particular Ritual or Path level. If he fails, he can't try again until one of those traits has been increased.
The third method, that most employed by the Tremere, and other sorcerous bloodlines, is to essentially learn a new variety at each level. This is the classic Tremere progression. At the first level, the kindred learns a level 1 ritual. This is usually highly idiosyncratic, which is one of the markers of the Tremere Thaumaturgy Style. While their rituals might imitate the effects of any other style, they are very much not that Style to anyone familiar with it. Further, each Tremere has his own distinguishable style, though Tremere are able to trade Rituals among themselves.
Upon learning the Second and each subsequent level of Thaumaturgy, a Tremere, or similar sorceror, learns the first level of a Path. Tremere typically select from among Sanguinus (Path of Blood), Telekinesis, Pyrokinesis, or Tempestus (Weather Control), though there are other Paths. The character may subsequently learn additional Rituals from study or teachers, and can advance Paths that he has already started, though of course nothing can be learned beyond his level of Thaumaturgy. Tremere may learn additional Paths via the Research method, or from teachers,
Using Thaumaturgy
Casting a Ritual follows the method prescribed by the particular form of Thaumaturgy, though if a Tremere is casting it, he generally uses Intelligence + Occult + Thaumaturgy as the roll, spending the appropriate Vitae or Willpower. For Paths, the roll is Intelligence + <Path> + Thaumaturgy, as proficiency in the Path covers the skill component. Paths are somewhat based on psychic abilities from Second Sight, so as a result of that research, in order to limit Thaumaturgy somewhat to those who are serious about it, characters can only use Thaumaturgy powers, including Rituals and Path powers at a level less than or equal to Resolve. A character can have a Path rating higher than this, and use it in his skill roll. This will be revisited later and clarified.
For now, that's the end of Thaumaturgy Part I.
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