Condensing Disciplines

Hi-dee Ho, it's been a while since I've written anything "Alien Vampire" on this blog.  Anywho, today I'll revisit the reasoning behind selection of ten Disciplines and which ones to use.

First edition has just ten disciplines.  With the introduction of other clans, they began adding new Disciplines, but generally, these either weren't core to the concept of vampires, or else they could be easily folded into other Disciplines, or could be replicated through the use of devotions, which they started developing in Revised edition as combo Disciplines and developed into a full blown system of Devotions in Requiem.  

Vicissitude shares the common theme of shapeshifting with Protean, but also has some egregious factors that can easily be jettisoned, and the rest can be folded in with Protean, giving a more vibrant and variable Protean by using an expanded set of specialties, much like those introduced for Haven of Soil in Requiem.

Chimerstry, as a set of illusion abilities, could be a conceptual extension of Obfuscate, which has minor illusion powers anyway.  Alternately, they could be extensions of Presence and/or Dominate.

Quietus, with the exception of its name sake first level power is essentially similar in character the path of blood, and can be folded into it, as well as other blood based rituals.

Necromancy  has some obvious connections with Thaumaturgy, except that the version of Thaumaturgy I'm using is focused on psychokinetics.  The expanded version of Necromancy found in later versions of Masquerade has a lot of duplicated effects just to fill out levels, which could be condensed.  Mostly the Discipline could be covered by Devotions fashioned from Auspex (as a connection with spirits) and Dominate (to control them) and possibly some physical disciplines for the purpose of actually binding spirits or harming them "physically".

Given the spiritual leanings of Requiem Obtenebration, some necromantic powers could be extended from it as well.

Obtenebration and Obfuscate

Finally, there is Obtenebration, which is a singularly appropriate shadowy discipline for vampires.  It thematically crosses with Obfuscate, and in first edition, there was less to distinguish them.  The crucial distinction is that Obfuscate essentially an area mind control power of a limited sort, whereas Obtenebration, especially as advanced in later editions of Masquerade and in Requiem, has more of a weird supernatural connection to extradimensional forces.  Because there are already mind control and crowd influencing disciplines, it is trivial to make devotions from those, allowing the much more thematic and inspiring Obtenebration to take the ten spot of dark shadowy discipline.  While I'm reasonably sure on how to assemble it from various versions, I'm not sure how to explain it in terms of the relatively "preternatural" (vs outright supernatural) format that I'm shooting for.  Possibly it could be cast as some very particular variety of shapeshifting and psychokinesis, or even an actual connection with a shadowy plane, perhaps where ghosts dwell, or the same region through which psychic projections travel.  Given that this is *the* discipline of mystery, it is probably reasonable to leave it somewhat more mysterious than others.

So the consequence of Substituting Obtenebration (henceforth Tenebrus) for Obfuscate is that, assuming the three Discipline per clan/bloodline model, Tenebrus is thematically applicable to some, such as the Nosferatu, who are more spooky and creepy and less to others, such as Malkavians, who would benefit more from a trickster methodology, possibly their new stack would become Auspex, Dominate and Betiare.

Which brings me to the last point for this post.

Animalism and Nightmare = Bêtiare

Animalism in its Masquerade form dealt somewhat with the Beast as well as animals.  In Requiem, the Beast manipulating aspect got all shunted into the top level, however Nightmare sprang up, took the scary aspect away from Majesty, and added some vaguely Dementation like levels, ultimately all relating back to revealing the Beast to produce fear effects.  Both fear effects and Animal effects are somewhat thin to spread over the course of an entire Discipline.  The commonality is of course the Beast, and the elegant solution is Bêtiare generally dealing with the Beast to various ends.  First we take the inappropriately placed Aspect of the Beast from Requiem Protean and give it some actual mechanics, followed by a Dread Gaze effect, followed by talking to animals, summoning animals and finally directly controlling the Beast.  Other effects related to animals, fear or the Beast can be generated by Devotions, and voila, you get a discipline which involves dealing with the beast, being beastly, communing with beasts, Bêtiare.  This is especially suitable for the Nosferatu as it covers both "being scary" and their more classical role as masters of animals.

So TTFN, more about Disciplines next time.

Thaumaturgy, Part I

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.

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.

The Traditions

I seem to be having a thing with sevens in this re-imagining of the world of darkness.  Seven Clans, Seven non-physical disciplines, and now seven Traditions.  I liked the six traditions of Masquerade, even if they were a bit redundant, and I liked how the 3 Traditions of Requiem were tied to specific vampire weaknesses.  Also, Elysium has always been remarkably important in the literature, but dashedly hard to support in an actual game, so I've decided to toss that in there too.  What I've come up with is Seven Traditions that are a mix of Masquerade and Requiem + Elysium with specific attached weaknesses.
Because of the supernatural implications of these Traditions, they extend across all political boundaries, though different sects/covenants treat them differently.

Masquerade - Do not reveal your true nature to those not of the Blood.  Doing so forfeits your claim to the blood.

I should pause here to note that in this particular setting, vampires have revealed their existence to the world, much as described in TrueBlood/Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, or in the Anita Blake series by Laurel K. Hamilton.  However, they have done this only in the barest sense, which is to say that they more or less claim to be humans with an affliction that lowers their metabolic rate, requires them to drink blood, and have mild problems with sunlight, slowed aging, among other vague symptoms.  What they have not revealed are bloodlines, the extent of their powers, their various secret societies (Sects and Covenants), or the extent of their longevity. I haven't yet worked out how their feeding is presented.  Trueblood has synthetic blood, Anita Blake does not, but has particular legal limits on feeding (not that all vampires follow those).

For those on the side of this revelation, the Masquerade is used to enforce the idea of not demonstrating the extent of their nature beyond this.  Naturally, there are also those who feel going this far is blasphemous, and they tend to remain hidden, either that they are vampires or out of mortal sight entirely.  Naturally, since vampires have been revealed, this makes it more difficult for vampires who do not wish to reveal any of their nature to remain hidden.

The Lost Reflection - Kindred experience odd distortions with their reflection, and with their image captured on film or camera.  This varies with both Blood Potency and Humanity.  As long as Humanity is higher, it will show as a smudge, or mild occlusion.  When Blood Potency eclipses Humanity, blurred and half formed monstrous shapes occasionally appear, especially when disciplines are used, which can result in the classic horror scene of someone looking into a mirror and seeing a monster standing behind them, and whipping around to see nothing (the vampire is invisible).  This otherwise operates as in Requiem and the vampire can spend willpower in various ways to mitigate its effects.  Thus vampires tend to avoid mirrors and cameras unless they are distinctly prepared for them.


Domain - Thy Domain is thine own concern.  All others owe thee respect while in it.  None may challenge thy word while in thy domain.

Predator's Taint - This essentially operates the same as in Requiem, with two notable alterations.  First, the discipline Aspect of the Predator has been altered and moved to the Bêtiare Discipline, and now it essentially adds the character's Bêtiare rating into the comparison.  Second, if there isn't a Domain Merit somewhere, I'll be devising one, and it will also be available to add to the comparison (though probably only the higher of the two will add), essentially amping up its territorial value.


Progeny - Sire another at the peril of both yourself and your progeny.  If you create a childe, the weight is your own to bear.

Amaranth - as describe previously under Amaranth, creating a childe requires spending a permanent Willpower Dot and expends your top level of Blood Potency, or free Blood Potency Points you may have accumulated.  This is both a weakness and a boon, as it weakens the sire, but can also be used to stave off the growth of Blood Potency.


Accounting - Those thou create are thine own children.  Until thy Progeny shall be Released, though shall command them in all things.  Their sins are thine to endure.

Sires are expected to house and direct their childer until they are released.  Childer cannot acquire the Domain Merit until they have been released or the sire dies.  I'm also considering throwing in some special relationship with mental/social disciplines involving unreleased childer, which may also somehow play into the functioning of the Tremere hierarchy.


Hospitality - Honor one another's Domain.  When though comest to a foreign city, thou shall present thyself to the one who ruleth there.  Without the word of acceptance, though art nothing.

Invitation - This one has been used a lot in film lately, and to good effect, as well as being one of the classical weaknesses that is often overlooked in games.  In this setting, the tradition of Hospitality has arisen from the limitation of the Invitation.  A vampire can enter anywhere, but cannot use his powers on someone in a mortal residence unless he has been invited by a resident of that dwelling.  Obviously this rules out various kinds of mind control and Auspex, but also prevents the use of physical disciplines if directed against mortals, particularly any bonuses they might provide to affect the mortals.  I haven't quite decided about how Thaumaturgy, Protean and Tenebrus should apply, but mostly they shouldn't be usable to directly attack or manipulate inhabitants.

This does not stop him from using those powers at the door to obtain an invitation, for example via Dominate or Presence, but does essentially require their acquiescence at the time of entry or some time prior.  An open ended "come over some time" counts as a freestanding invitation.  Once invited, he can be disinvited, but this doesn't take effect until after he has left the residence.  This also only applies to private, inhabited mortal residences.  Public space are not affected, nor are abandoned or unoccupied houses or apartments.  Another exception is if the vampire somehow owns the building, or if his haven is somehow inside the residence.  A haven in the basement of a house would exempt him, but a haven in the basement of an apartment building wouldn't necessarily allow access to the inhabited apartments.


Destruction - Thou art forbidden to destroy another of thy kind.  If you violate this commandment, the Beast calls to your own Blood.

Amaranth - Essentially the loss of humanity that comes from Diablerie.  However, to varying degrees, it is also forbidden to even kill another vampire without general sanction, whether this is by decree of the Prince or via large scale consensus.  Usually it is only considered acceptable to kill a kindred that has unlawfully killed another, or who has otherwise heinously broken the Traditions.  If a blood-hunt is called, it is generally considered acceptable to commit Amaranth on the hunted.  In this setting that may be undertaken by multiple individuals, following the system previously mentioned, and this tends to kill the target faster.  The order of draining will generally depend on initiative.


Elysium - The Halls of Elysium are sacred, no violence is to be committed there.

This basically uses the Fourth Tradition rules on page 21-22 of MET Requiem.  A willpower must be spent to enact overt violence, and a Willpower Dot must be spent to attempt to kill or Diablerize another kindred.


Note to all:  I realize this isn't the most refined presentation of this material and it may at points seem somewhat kludgy.   What I'm doing here is working out the system and presenting my ideas as I do it, though some I've previously worked on that will eventually be presented.

Some General Vampire Features

Generally, I'm following the basic vampire functions as outlined in Requiem, including healing, vinculum, diablerie, addiction, etc., but I'm altering a few of them for both reasons of fitting with the Masquerade world and for aesthetic preferences.

Blood Potency and Generation
    Blood Potency is referred to as Beast.
    From a character development stance, Blood Potency is superior.  Also, while the Cain Myth might have some sway as a prevailing mythology, it probably wont be the real story.  Also, Generation was always overpowered for a background.  If both are to be implemented, I would use Generation as an indicator of lineage, and possibly as a status like bonus to social challenge with other vampires.  Generally this would not stack with other status bonuses; only the highest relevant status bonus would prevail.
    (Optional) The other effect it would have is to be a limiting factor on Blood Potency, so your spanking new 8th gen neonate doesn't just start out extra powerful, but has the potential of becoming so.  In this case, each level in generation indicates how many extra levels of Blood Potency the character can gain.  If the character diablerizes, he would potentially gain Blood Potency as normal, but would gain generation up to the level of the victim.
   
    I'd also make a few other changes in Blood Potency.  For ease of reference, I will introduce a unit called Blood Potency Points (BPP).  Rather than gaining one blood potency every 50 years, a character instead gains a BPP every 25 years.  Also, when purchasing with experience, it is possible to purchase BPP at a rate of 8 XP each, allowing them to round out existing BPP to reach the next Blood Potency level.  Once current BPP = Current BP + 1, they are converted to the next level of Blood Potency.  When a character goes into Torpor, he stops gaining them (Optional: they are lost at the same rate during Torpor, but only lower BP once he has lost BPP equal to current BP).  This system also allows more interesting rules for Amaranth, which are somewhat inspired by Ricean vampires.

Amaranth
    Broadly speaking, Amaranth is a donation of Blood Potency (tabulated by BPP) from one kindred to another, whether voluntarily or forcibly, and covers both Embrace and Diablerie.  For Amaranth to occur, the donor must spend 1 Permanent Willpower Point to unlock his top level of Blood potency, which produces a number of BPP equal to that Blood Potency level, and reduces the Donor's BP by one.  The donor can do this voluntarily, in which case it is referred to as the Embrace.  This is how creating new vampires works, and it is possible for the new childe of a sufficiently powerful sire to consequently start at higher than BP 1, should the Storyteller desire, or should the Player build his character that way. If the optional Generation rule is used, this also brings the recipient's Generation (or allows the character to buy it up to) one less than the donor's Generation level.  This can also be done for existing vampires, allowing them to incorporate them with their own existing BP, potentially raising both Blood Potency and Generation.  This is also a possible method for changing bloodlines.

Diablerie
    Diablerie is forcible Amaranth.  Each round an attacker attempts Diablerie, he must spend a temporary Willpower point and make a Stamina + Resolve roll (after having drained all of the victim's vitae). Once he achieves successes equal to the victim's Permanent Willpower, he forces the victim to spend a Permanent Willpower and converts the victim's top Blood Potency level into an equal amount of BPP.  These, plus any free amounts of BPP the victim may have had, are now converted to the attacker, allowing him to increase Blood Potency and also endowing him with Diablerie streaks, and subjecting him to possible addiction effects.  If the victim was of higher Generation, one level of Generation is transferred to the attacker.  This continues until the attacker stops, runs out of temporary Willpower points, or the victims runs out of Blood Potency or Permanent Willpower (either of which causes him to ash immediately).
    Thus, in this system, it is possible to gain Blood Potency by Diablerizing individuals of lower Blood Potency.  It is also possible that a victim may survive Diablerie, though undoubtedly such a victim would eventually seek retribution.  Diablerie veins last for a number of years equal to the number of Blood Potency levels forcibly unlocked.  Also, since the process is incremental, the attacker checks for Humanity loss for each Blood Potency unlocked, until he loses one.


Vampire Weaknesses
    Generally, vampire weaknesses are the same as in Requiem, with a few exceptions.
Sunlight
    Vampires don't take damage from sunlight (Unless they practice Tenebrus).  Instead they take a penalty equal to the damage designated by the sunlight tables in the damage, health and healing chapter, and they also don't enter Rotschreck from it.  They are still affected by Daytime in the same fashion.  Vampires with Tenebrus taking bashing damage according to the sunlight tables, but no more than Tenebrus -1 per round.  This counts as burning damage, and may elicit frenzy or rotschreck on account.

Other weaknesses and limitations are associated with the Traditions, which I will describe in detail later.  Briefly though, here they are:

Masquerade - reflection issues
Domain - Predator's taint
Progeny - as described in the Amaranth section above
Accounting - childer cannot acquire domain
Hospitality - invitation limitation
Amaranth - as described in the Amaranth section above
Elysium - it is difficult to engage in violence in Elysium

More next time.

Clans, Bloodlines

I ultimately decided clans should be based around possession of a particular Disicpline, not unlike Requiem.  However, unlike Requiem, each Discipline (except the physicals, which are considered universal) gets a Clan, and only one Disicpline defines a clan.  Generally, I wanted to go with the basic seven, but they need to be paired with my modified disciplines, which requires a couple of changes.  Fortunately, I also found the Tzimisce and Lasombra as compelling stand-alone concepts, perhaps more so than the Brujah and Gangrel.  So I switched those out, oh, and I also decided to generally use what I consider a niftier name-set.  This also associates a weakness with each Discipline, and I decided that there would be a greater and lesser version of these.  The greater version affects the clan that inherits it, and the lesser affects those who learn it.  This might come down to more of a primary and secondary effect, which would cause the native clans to have both, and those who otherwise learn the discipline would only get the secondary.

The Clans:
These aren't necessarily "final" just current ideas.

Arikel - Majesty
    Primary weakness: Fascination - basically as the Toreador disadvantage, specifically Requiem version.
         If rolling Resolve, must gain successes equal to Majesty level.
    Secondary: Obsession - as the Assamite Vizier weakness (Possibly reverse these).

Nosferatu - Bêtiare
    Primary: Monstrosity - inverse of striking presence, -2 on appearance related social rolls, also the Nosferatu disadvantage from Requiem.
    Secondary: Beastliness Bêtiare level adds to Beast/Blood Potency rating for purposes of comparing it to Humanity.  The character also acts as if his Humanity is 10 minus Bêtiare (or his actual Humanity if it is lower) for purposes of gauging pools for interacting with mortals.

Malakh - Auspex
    Primary: Seen too much - Malakh have an inherent mental instability caused by their supernatural insight, and all begin with one incurable derangement.  Any result aside from Success is likely to set off the derangement some time that night.  Operates as the Malkovian weakness from Requiem, substituting Auspex for Dominate.
    Secondary: Forbidden knowledge.  Those with auspex are more likely to acquire derangements when suffering humanity loss. This operates as the Ventrue weakness from Requiem.

Veddartha - Dominate
    Primary: Inhumane  - On a degeneration check, they are -2 to the roll, just like the Julii.
    Secondary: Humanity and Empathy cost extra XP equal to dominate at each level.

Khaibit - Tenebrus
    Primary: ?? - possibly the reflection thing, unless that is used as a general vampire property
    Secondary: Fleeting Shadows: Other vampires are impeded by daytime and sunlight.  Khaibit, having brought forth their shadowy nature, are harmed by it.  The penalty normally taken by other vampires (which is actually the amount of damage they would take per round in either Requiem or Masquerade) is taken as bashing damage when exposed to sunlight.  Additionally, they experience Rotschreck from Sunlight as well as fire (other vampires in my version of the game do not Rotschreck at sunlight)


Tzimisce - Protean - bestial features
    Primary:   Possibly the standard Tzimisce disadvantage.
    Secondary: Bestial Features. Each frenzy evokes a beastial feature or behaviour from their regular repertoire for a number of nights equal to Protean.  Upon losing humanity, they must check for physical degeneration or else permanently gain a bestial feature.  These features can be temporarily removed through use of protean, but generally return after a scene.


Tismanu - Thaumaturgy
   Primary: Sigil.  Thaumaturgy creates a metaphysical bond between master and pupil equivalent to the Blood Bond, though it doesn't replace the blood bond.  For Tismanu, the Sire always counts as the teacher.  For others, the initial teacher counts, though he gains a level 1 bond to any subsequent teachers.
    Secondary: As the Assamite Sorceror Disadvantage. (possibly reverse these)


Bloodlines

Clan defines the character's primary Discipline and weaknesses.  Typically, a character may choose one Physical discipline as part of his personal repertoire as well as one other discipline, which may be another physical discipline, or one of the remaining six disciplines.  This is where bloodlines come in.  Bloodlines are established lineages that bear consistent disciplines.

Major Bloodlines here are equivalent to Clans of Masquerade, and Minor Bloodlines equivalent to Bloodlines in Masquerade.  Each of these bears the cultural associations normally found in the Masquerade version, but are in certain ways acknowledged to be of the same overarching clan.  It is also known that certain minor bloodlines came from certain major bloodlines, while others arose independently.

There may also be minor Lineages, which are essentially player or storyteller created bloodlines that have continuity.  These may exist within a Major or Minor Bloodline, in which case they have the same properties as that bloodline and are simply a role-playing tool, or they may exist outside known Bloodlines, but have their own continuity of Disciplines.  These lineages will likely be looked down upon relative to members of established bloodlines.

Last of all are Caitiff, who still belong to a clan, and may or may not have been spawned by a particular lineage or Bloodline, but for some reason don't carry the traditional disciplines of that lineage.  Though they may still claim a clan, and possibly their parent bloodline may speak for them politically, they are generally considered mongrels.  It should be noted that there are several lineages in different clans that are lineages in the sense of sire/childe relationships, and that don't carry disciplines from generation to generation, but nonetheless maintain a cultural/political continuity.  The Panders could be regarded as one such lineage.


To-Do about Bloodlines

Since there are no specialty disciplines, Clans and Bloodlines that bear such from Masquerade will instead have standard disciplines with some additional Devotions set to replace and/or emulate all or part of those specialty disciplines.  These will generally be somewhat proprietary to those bloodlines.  Where possible, these will be drawn from existing Devotions and Discipline powers (preferably from requiem, though hybridized where necessary).  Additionally, I may implement bloodline weaknesses and advantages, as an added incentive.  In this case, I may cut down the Clan/Discipline weaknesses and use the other Weaknesses for particular Bloodlines.

OK, found the entry on this topic I had already written.  Here it is below.  Consider both segments.  They vary somewhat in details.  I'll more likely go with the naming system below, but I went into more details about some things above and a little more technical below.  I'll reconcile those at some point.



Bloodlines

Clans are defined on the basis of intuitive mastery of a particular discipline and the natural side effects of this.  The Seven Disciplines are divided into roughly three categories, psychic, which involve affecting the minds of others by extending one's own mental presence in some way, physical, involving manipulating the kindred's body in some way, and psychokinetic, which involves extending the kindred's psychokinetic power over his own body to the surrounding environment.  Also, a mix of these methods.  Upon transformation, a Kindred intuitively grasps the opening abilities of his own clan's Discipline, one of the physical Disciplines, and one other Discipline (which could be another physical Discipline).

So apart from Clan Discipline, a player chooses (i.e. the character's proclivities determine) what other disciplines he has.  So each Clan has 24 (3 x 8) (168 total) variations, all of which will appear at some time or another.  In this context, a bloodline can simply refer to a lineage, though sometimes it refers to a lineage in which the bloodline founder's choices overbear those of his descendants, in which case they simply all have the same set of disciplines and flaws.  Physiologically and Supernaturally, this doesn't distinguish members of the bloodline from other members of the Clan who happen to have the same combination of Disciplines, however, historically and socially, a bloodline may have the advantage of solidarity and a similar mindset, and offspring of the lineage that cease exhibiting those characteristics, whether from distance or from the individuals own strength, tend not to be treated as members of that bloodline, though they are still members of the same clan.


Clan in this sense is treated much as Clans in Requiem are treated, essentially as the broadest form of relationship.
However, Bloodlines are more like Clans from Masquerade, and several of the Masquerade Clans are here represented as bloodlines.
Bloodlines are a matter of both lineage and culture, and generally only one of that lineage who also participates in the culture of that Bloodline will be considered a member.  In rare instances, an individual of the same clan that has the same Discipline set and also forms a close alliance with members of the bloodline might be inducted into it.  Typically members of other clans with the same discipline set will not be, nor will individuals with significantly difference discipline sets.

(Still Considering whether or not bloodlines have specific advantages/disadvantages)

Nergal - Animalism
Nosferatu - Animalism, Obtenebration, Potence
Brujah - Animalism, Protean, Potence   (Lost Boys style Brujah)

Malakh - Auspex
Malkav Auspex Dominate Obtenebration
Ashur (Cappadocian) - Auspex, Fortitude, Thaumaturgy
Tismanu (Salubri) - Auspex, Majesty, Fortitude

Veddartha - Dominate
Annanaku - Dominate Animalism Fortitude (i.e. Requiem style Ventrue)
Tzimisce - Dominate Animalism Auspex (Old Clan Tzimisce)

Daeva - Majesty
Arikel - Majesty, Auspex, Celerity
Ilyes - Majesty, Celerity, Potence (replacement for True Brujah)
Ventrue - Majesty, Dominate, Fortitude

Khaibit - Obtenebration
Mekhet - Tenebrus, Auspex, Celerity
Lasombra - Tenebrus, Dominate, Potence
Sutekh - Tenebrus, Majesty, Protean

Ennoia - Protean
Andeleon (Tzimisce) - Protean, Auspex Animalism ("New" Clan Tzimisce
Gangrel - Protean, Animalism, Fortitude
Barjot (City Gangrel) - Protean, Obtenebration, Celerity

Vedma - Thaumaturgy
Tremere - Thaumaturgy, Auspex, Dominate
Koldun - Thaumaturgy, Auspex, Animalism

I started modifying Vampire some time before Requiem appeared, but with the advent of Requiem, the process shifted gears.

The first thing that consumed my attention in this project was how to compose clans/bloodlines, including weaknesses, strengths and foundations.  I didn't like the four discipline + extra weakness composition of Requiem Bloodlines nor the five relatively flavorless Clans, and generally the Masquerade set of Clans was set as my standards for the clans to include, though the general standard for basic vampire metaphysics as well as the general Requiem rule set was also to be standard.  One big problem with Masque clans though is that they have highly variable weaknesses.  Also, in some versions of MET, clans have special bonuses they get, which were generally drawn from Background and Character creation sections of the TT clans as essentials that members of the clan should have.


I started writing about some of my early essays into alternate configurations but I wasn't "feeling it".  So I'll just jump right into my current line of development, which I refer to as "Alien Vampire".  In this particular conception, vampires are more biologically reconstructed humans with some psychic powers, rather than really being "magical".  This doesn't affect a whole lot of my decisions about the game system, mostly just my take on Thaumaturgy and Protean. Aside from this, I'm generally geared towards using Masquerade world features and Requiem rules. Without further ado, here are some of the basics of it.

I decided to go back to first edition Masquerade in a sense, and reduce Disciplines to the ten basics.  Originally these were Animalism, Auspex, Celerity, Dominate, Fortitude, Obfuscate, Presence, Potence, Protean and Thaumaturgy.  In Requiem, they became Animalism, Auspex, Celerity, Dominate, Majesty, Nightmare, Obfuscate, Protean, Resilience and Vigor, with magical things allocated to covenant specific sorceries.  While I'm ok with ditching all the Requiem Bloodline Disciplines as Disciplines (rather than as Devotions and such, where necessary), I want to make allowance for some of the special Disciplines of major clans in Masquerade.  Here's how:

Animalism deals with the Beast and Nightmare deals with fear, generally spawned from the beast, so I folded these together into Bêtiare, which is characterized as dealing with the beast.  Fundamental powers are kept as part of the Discipline, while others are kept as common Devotions.

All transformy powers are combined under the rubric of Protean, which is somewhat more flexible and expandable than the Requiem version of it.  Serpentis is easily a snake oriented use of Protean, and most of vicissitude is reflected in this version with the exception of the two powers used to affect others, which could be simulated by Devotions.

The three physicals will be some combination of old and new, but hold the same places.

Auspex stays more or less the same, as it always does.  Necromancy is divided into various Devotions, several of which stem from Auspex.

Dominate and Majesty get a little restructuring.

Obfuscate and Chimerstry are mostly subsumed by Devotions, though some of Obfuscate is merged with Obtenebration.  Obfuscates original characterization had a lot to do with shadows, and it seems redundant to have two "shadow" Disciplines.  These are now called Tenebrus.

Thaumaturgy becomes a basic psychokinetic discipline that is the basis for all ritual practices.  This is a big honkin' thing of its own.

Also generally, Elder powers, where still relevant, are reconfigured as Devotions.

Next time, discussion of clans, bloodlines and political units.