Level Five

Barred Haven †

Requires one Blood Point of the caster's to be sprinkled on [each point of entry to a room,] all doors, windows etc. The ritual requires 1 hour to cast and prevents others from locating the protected area, as well as sealing the doors and windows against those who do manage to penetrate the cloak. [The room is protected similarly to Obfuscate, but any physical breach of the chamber breaks the ritual.]

If the character knows the room is there [from information, or knowing the room], she gets a roll equal to her Perception+Occult to find the entry, diff is 11 - her Auspex score. At least 3 successes must be gained to locate it. If a mortal is looking, substitute appropriate Psychic Numina. The ritual lasts until the following sunrise or sunset.

Corruption of the Moon Path §

(See "Weave the Blood Moon Path", Seventh Level.) This corrupts a Moon Path, opened with "Walk the Moon Path", by spreading ten points of vampiric Vitae spread along its length. No roll required, but walking lupine Moon Paths is extremely dangerous!

Desire of the Soul Made Flesh †

This 1 hour Ritual transforms the subject into the form matching her deepest heart's desire. It will not cure vampirism, however it will 'cure' a Nosferatu or Gargoyle. [Effect lasts until sunrise, and the subject must make a Willpower roll. Difficulty depends on the ST's assessment of the depth of the desire - 6 for strong wish, higher if only for cynical reasons, lower if through a strong emotional need.]

Disrupt Thaumaturgy †§

This 1 hour Ritual disrupts the affects of any Magic or Thaumaturgy in the area until the next sunrise. It also prevents new affects from starting. The area is within a circle inscribed by the caster during the ritual. [Requires very complex mathematical formulae requiring a Int+Science roll, diff 7.] If any part of it is scuffed or damaged, the ritual is broken. A permanent circle can be inscribed by engraving the sigils and such into the floor, [best accomplished with synthetic materials such as plastics etc.]

[Protection from magic influence includes attempts to damage or find the thaumaturge from afar, and is accomplished by creating a Sphere of Reason within the circle which negates Magick. Number of successes in Int+Sci cancels number of magic successes against the cirlce. Some Tremere elders make special safe zones within their havens using this. Those with Faith can inscribe religous tracts in the circle, and their Faith rating is rolled.]

Dragon Servant §

Identical to "Soul of the Homunculus", except that a small dragonet is created out of the thaumaturge's body. The dragonet is about 2½ feet long, black, mottled and scaley, and bearing similar characteristics to the owner. It has large wings and is capable of breathing a plume of chemical flame. Range: four feet. System: Wits+(dragon Dex: 3) roll, Diff 7. Damage: aggravated chemical burns, soakable.

Escape to a Cherished Haven §

Using similar principles as "Escape to a True Friend", this ritual allows the caster to escape to a well-used haven in times of danger.

System: 1-night ritual. Caster must take a lump of pure chalk from a living rockface (and this is highly dependant on local geology!), and infuse it slowly with five points of vitae. A complex arcane pictogram circle must be drawn exactly [Int+Occult Diff 8, 3 succ] on an area of bare unbroken floor in the chosen haven. This haven must have been slept in by the caster for at least 40 nights. A two-hour ritual then energises the pictogram as a portal [Int+Occ Diff 6].

Use: When the caster wishes to escape, she must draw a door on an area of bare wall with the symbol for 'flee' in the centre, with the same lump of chalk. When the symbol is touched the caster seems to pass through the door, appearing in the circle in the Haven. Great care must be taken, for while the caster is dematerialising she may be followed by anyone behind her, until the last part of her body disappears. However, only the caster may open the portal.

Note: The caster can make several "Escapes", lasting as long as the lump of chalk remains. As the pictogram design is very complex, a lump which is easy to carry will therefore last for about five escapes. The pictogram in the haven must then be erased and started afresh.

Eye of Seeing *

During this 2-hour ritual the caster must remove one of his eyes (1 unsoakable health level of aggravated damage) which is magically absorbed into the the flat surface the ritual is performed upon. Various dedication rites are then performed creating a mystical link between the caster and his eye. The caster can see what his eye would normally see by concentrating for a round [during which he must close his eyes and become unaware of his surroundings]. The caster can only see Obfuscated characters if his Auspex is high enough.

When activated the eye glows dimly (but see below) and can only be damaged by fire (which destroys it) causing one health level of damage to the caster which cannot be soaked (but can be healed with blood in the normal way). It takes one complete round to break the link but if the caster wants to break it quickly then she must roll Wits+Alertness (diff 7). Failure results in the effects outlined above and a botch results in the loss of three health levels of damage and a crippling headache -2 Dice for the rest of the night.

The caster can use Obfucate to hide the eye and its glow. Also, Dominate can be used with Astral Projection to manipulate anyone who looks directly at the eye.

Fire's Loving Kiss †

1 hr. Ritual. This ritual requires a brazier filled with coals, one of which the Kindred must swallow at the end. This requires a Self Control roll with a target of 8. Afterward, the Kindred will be immune to the effects of normal fire for Fortitude hours. Normal fire does not include white phosphorous or that generated by Disciplines, Gifts, or Magick.

Golem Minion §

Fabled creation of Jewish cabbalists, this is a mindless creature of mud, bone and blood which will obey your will. System: three-day ritual, requires earth, a dead bone skeleton (any of appropriate size), five points of vitae and a quantity of human blood. Bones are arranged over a mound of earth, and encrusted with occult symbols, inscribed with kindred Vitae (min 1 BP) .

Flesh is moulded out of earth and human blood (often up to ten points for a full-sized human replica, more if larger, less if smaller), and the creature awakes with the sprinkling of vitae over it.

The creature must be given a name, which is used to order it to follow very simple instructions. Such creatures are very strong, up to 10 strength, but are clumsy, mindless and slow. They are not harmed by weapons but can be damaged, the only easy way to destroy them is to dissolve them in water. They must also be regularly maintained with fresh earth and blood.

Host of Unearthly Grandeur §

Very powerful ritual used especially by Tremere Regents and Princes found of impressing neonates. It represents a permanent illusion of a grand reception area, limited only by the caster's imagination - from a vast Babylonian palace to the majesty of a Imperial throne room, with hordes of slaves and servants in attendance. The image is very impressive, and any moves made against the Caster are increased in Difficulty by two unless Willpower is spent (lasting the scene).

All Viewers must pass a concealed Percep+Occult roll to see through it - Diff 9, modified down if the illusion is highly implausible (eg an Egyptian river-palace in the middle of Birmingham). Successes: 1 - illusions seem solid but the hand passes through them; 2 - the illusion is slightly ghostly and unreal; 3 - the Viewer can see through the illusion to the actual surroundings beneath. Any more and the illusion disappears. Otherwise, the Viewer believes the illusion is real and solid. Any injury inflicted by illusory objects, or upon objects by the Viewer, requires a Willpower roll from the caster, Diff 6, successes cancel out Viewer's action successes. eg. A neonate is restrained by illusory guards - Caster must make Willpower successes equivalent to Dex+Ath or Strength rolls of the neonate. If the Caster succeeds, the 'guards' can restrain the neonate and even throw her out. Similarly, injuries successfully inflicted seem real, but disappear outside. The physical effects only act on those within the boundary of the room, so that 'guards' cannot prevent a person from entering.

Illusion is created with a night-long ritual, cast within a solidly sealed room, diff Manip+Occult, diff 8, 3 succ. Its boundaries should be sprinkled with an unbroken line of gold dust, and a precious jewel set at every corner (minimum of four, if in a round room for example). The Caster must meditate on how the Grandeur presents itself, using as a focus a richly decorous object (ornament, sceptre, item of jewellery, no larger than 2 feet cubed). During the Grandeur, this Focus must be in plain view with the room. If at any time it is broken or removed, the Grandeur breaks permanently. Note also that the Grandeur only operates when the Caster is present within the room.

Only objects within the room when the ritual was cast are concealed, and Viewers interact with similarly to if Obfuscate was used. Anything carried in after, and anything living or undead, will be seen normally. If the Caster wishes to bring any objects otherwise in the room into view, she must place a runic "False Vision" symbol on it.

Shroud of the Mind's Eye §

Conceals an object as with Obfuscate "Vanish from Mind's Eye". The ritual requires a large spider's web, picked as the first rays of dawn fall upon it. The 3 hour-long ritual requires pain-stakingly infusing the web strands with 1 blood point, then creating a central seal into which the spider is impressed.

When affixed to any stationary solid object, it becomes Obfuscated, until it is (a) perceived by one with a higher Auspex than the Caster's Thaumaturgy, who deliberately examines the area, or (b) it is physically disturbed. Although, as with Obfuscate, individuals will avoid disturbing the object, any movement will reveal it. If by accident it is disturbed - eg. if it is on a table which is moved, or buried in a patch of ground disturbed by a digger, or moved by something falling on it, the effect will be broken to the immediate observers. It therefore cannot be used to conceal sentient beings, unless they are for example within a box. It is said that some Elders sleep away the ages this way.

Walk to Herd †

This must be prepared in advance, in a fashion similar to "Escape to a True Friend", but the Kindred goes instead to one of his Herd. [Roll Int+Empathy Diff 8 - two successes is nearest herd member, three gives a chosen member.]

Ward of Rotschreck †

This Ward is identical to the Ward vs. Kindred, with one addition. Any Kindred who come into contact with it must make a Courage (8) roll or flee in Rotschreck.

 

§ - Order of Draco Ritual, by (c) Robert D How, 1998

† - by Deird're Brookes

* - by Cameron Blackwood