WoD Vampires Guide: Prt B

In the last part of the guide, I told you about the myths and facts, the traditions, the clans, and the bloodlines. Today, I will finish up the basic guide, by explaining the Covenants and the basic core powers of the vampire society.


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COVENANTS: At the core of their being, Vampires are solitary creatures. However, there are cases where they share a common interest in mind. These vampires are known to work together to accomplish this goal. These groups, when gaining signifcant power, are called Covenants. There are many covenants out there, but I will explain the ones that are detailed in the core rule book for Vampire Requiem.


The Unaligned: Not a true covenant, the Unaligned are only considered a faction in the sense that they share similar beliefs. The Unaligned swear no fealty to any form of government, either because they can't make up their minds, or they see no difference from one hierarchy to the next. They live by their own rules, but most are not stupid enough to openly rebel against a whole covenant simply because of a difference of opinion. Being one of the Unaligned provides a degree of freedom, for the vampire in question does not have an overbearing superior giving them orders, aside from the ruling vampire in the area, such as the Prince, however, it also has a great weakness. Loners they may be, the Covenant vampires still protect their interests and secrets, and often at times, those within a Covenant have back up and contacts they can rely on if they get into trouble. The Unaligned are completely neutral, and as a result, they have no backup other than what they can personally scrounge up with bribes or intimidation. Only the most resourceful and alert vampires can survive for long periods of time as one of the Unaligned, most either cave in and join a real Covenant, or are slain when they get into trouble they can't slip out of.


Invictus: For those who have played the old WoD, the Invictus are the new version of the Camarilla, a pyramid scheme of powerful elders building upon political warfare to establish ever greater levels of financial and governmental power. Nicknamed the First Estate, The Invictus publicly claim they are the oldest of the covenants, regardless if there is physical evidence to support their claims. Only the highest ranks of the Invictus have any true power, the rest are just pawns being played for their superior's grand schemes. Out of all the covenants, the Invictus are the most heavily protective of the 3 traditions, and they constantly boast that all vampires need their guidance whether they want it or not, and to outsiders, they pose as the protective, overbearing parent who's strict discipline only has their child's best interests at heart. To many younger vampires, they seem like tyrants and "The Corporations" using their vast wealth and political power to oppress the little people. To elders, they are are a path to power in both the vampire and even some level of mortal society. Indeed, many within the higher ranks of the covenant are in charge of major businesses that mortals utilize, raking in millions of dollars for the undead. For obvious reasons, this covenant is very popular with the Ventrue clan, who rise through its ranks faster than any other members. To survive as one of the Invictus, a vampire needs a keen understanding of politics and corporate espionage. Trust is pretty much non existent among their ranks, each member constantly trying to earn more prestige or expose the dirty secrets of their rival for a chance to be invited into the inner circle and enjoy a nice, relaxing eternity of wealth, power, and a constant supply of minions duped into being cannon fodder.


Carthian Movement: For those who have played the old WoD, the Carthians are the new version of the Anarchs. The covenant is mostly comprised of young, niave vampires with only a fraction of elders still remaining in its organization. The Carthians seek to go against the very nature of what vampires are, by creating an equality society where all vampires have a say in the government. Electing their leaders into office and voting on decisions, instead of the oldest and most powerful calling all the shots. Over time, most of their members grow up and realize that equality is for humans, not monsters, and they eventually splinter off to join other factions more suited to their nature. Every so often, however, there does pop up an elder who refuses to acknowledge they are a solitary creature of evil, and clings to their past life of democracy and freedom of speech. Despite the fact most Carthians eventually leave the covenant, it is quite likely that vampire society would not be able to function without its existence. The Carthians actually listen to the ideas and propositions of younger vampires, while other covenants would shrug them off as being childish and inexperienced. More than any other covenant, the Carthian Movement is willing to accept change and progress in society. Were it not for these values, vampires would eventually become so out of date, even the most charismatic of their numbers could not successfully blend in with human society. It is thanks to the new generations that the stagnant elders are able to keep up with the progress of the world, even though they would rarely admit this openly.


Lancea Sanctum: Founded by Longinus himself, who claimed that upon piercing Christ's side with the spear, a drop of blood fell into his lips, and he was transformed into a vampire instantly to prove Christ's divinity. One might wonder what possible logic would lead to this conclusion, but regardless, the Lancea Sanctum have become a sect of Christian vampires who follow the testament of Longinus as their holy bible. Nicknamed the Sanctified, The Lancea Sanctum believes that vampires have a place in God's plan and that they should not shy away from what they are. They do not go on violent rampages or kill humans for fun, but they feel as little remorse for the loss of human life, as a human might feel for a cow being cut up into stake. To them, mortals are simply food or potential recruits, no further compassion need be given to their kind. In their eyes, trying to establish power among the human community, or hold onto the life they have lost is a sin among the vampires. In territories where the Lancea Sanctum is the minority, they have been known to play off as the spiritual advisers, seeking to help with matters of faith or crises by guiding the confused and scared vampires in their time of need. In territories where they are the majority, their true fanaticism is revealed. They are not afraid to launch inquisitions or even go on an actual crusade if they feel their power is threatened. The most terrifying power that the Lancea Sanctum possess, however, is their signature discipline of Theban Sorcery. This biblical magic, allows them to invoke twisted versions of miracles and plagues, most of which are from the old testament. How the so called "damned" managed to harness the power of Christian saints and prophets is as intriguing as it is disturbing. Could the tales of the bible actually be founded on vampiric encounters, or have the Lancea Sanctum discovered the ultimate form of sacrilege possible?


Circle of the Crone: As mentioned before, no mortal mage has ever been successfully embraced and managed to retain their former magical powers. But through experimentation with their own supernatural bodies, they have invented new magic. Nicknamed Pagans, The Circle of the Crone are vampiric witches and warlocks who use the blood magic known as Cruac, a form of vampiric witchcraft that sacrifices blood in exchange for performing its spells. In fact, some of its higher level spells actually require self mutilation, such as removing various body parts! Luckily, vampires can regenerate, but it is still quite painful. The Circle of the Crone believe in a tale that the mortal world was once a desolate wasteland while the gods lived in paradise. One goddess, known simply as The Crone, took pity upon mortals and brought life and prosperity to their world. In addition, she began to increase her own godly powers by consuming the blood of the living and feeding on their essence. When it was discovered what she had done, the gods cast her out, banishing her to the mortal world. The Circle of the Crone believe they are the descendants of that goddess, emulating her thirst for blood, and tapping into a portion of her otherworldly power. They highly admire the power of creation and destruction, and lament on how vampires are stagnant, unchanging monsters of death. To make up for the death they unleash, many within the covenant have recreational hobbies such as gardening or fine arts, hoping that creating something beautiful and nurturing, they can offset their destructive impulses. For obvious reasons, the Circle of the Crone are on very bad terms with the Lancea Sanctum, who consider them to be heathens and blasphemers. Only in dire emergencies would they ever willingly agree to work together, due to conflicting religious issues.


Ordo Dracul: If you believe the tales, the Ordo Dracul claim they were founded by Dracula, himself. The nicknamed Dragons are vampiric philosophers who believe that nothing in this world is permanent, not even vampirism. Through intense study and enlightenment, they hope to transcend into an evolved state of being, one that has all the strengths of a vampire, but none of its weaknesses. No member of their order has ever successfully achieved this state, but their signature discipline known as the Coils of the Dragon serve as the first steps on the road to evolution. The Ordo Dracul are nomadic, constantly migrating to follow the trail of mystical sources of power called Lay lines. Because these fonts of power migrate every few years or so, establishing a powerful base of operations is very difficult, and as such, the Ordo Dracul cares quite little about money or politics, their only interests are in achieving enlightenment and transcendence. Acolytes who are recruited into the order are chosen based on their minds, not their prowess in battle or politics. Students are prized if they show an open mind and a capacity to learn. Those who prove too difficult to teach are simply dropped from the program at their mentor's whim. The Ordo Dracul is a popular covenant among both fledglings and elders alike. Fledglings seeking to cure their undead condition, and elders hoping to acquire even further power for themselves by transcending their limits.


Seven: Probably one of the more shocking of the covenants, Seven is an order of vampires who are fanatically devoted to driving all other vampires to extinction. Their name comes from their tendency to leave behind the roman numeral VII at the scene of some of their most serious acts or crimes. Disturbingly enough, Seven seems to be unclear as to its own origin and purpose. Agents who have been captured have been unable to recall their reason behind hunting their own kind even under the stress of mystical interrogation. What can be gleamed from them is merely theories and broken images. Apparently, Seven are the agents of vengeance for a long forgotten king who was betrayed by the vampire people. They believe that by slaying all other vampires, they will regain their kingdom, but the details on this are sketchy. Some claim their kingdom will literally rise from the ruins, others are religious and believe the kingdom refers to heaven, and that Seven are literally chosen by god himself to cleanse the taint of the undead from the world. Seven may be fanatical, but they are by no means stupid. They know that mortals see no difference between them and the creatures they hunt. As such, carefully planned assassinations are their preferred method of killing, although they have been known to wage direct warfare on some occasions, attacking other vampires on sight if they have the power and the cover story to get away with it.


Belial's Brood: For those who have played the old WoD, Belial's Brood are the new version of the Sabbat. They care absolutely nothing about the 3 traditions, and glorify their supernatural nature, openly displaying it to mortals. Belial's Brood are demon worshipers who believe that vampires are devils in disguise, or literally demons escaped from the pits. They believe vampires should be the beast incarnate upon the mortal plane and as a result, they have extremely low humanity, if any at all. When they arrive in town, it usually results in a break out of pure hell. Bodies strung up from street lamps, overturned cars crushing families inside, buildings collapsing under explosions and other mass forms of panic. The entire covenant is an extreme risk to the masquerade, and as a result, every member of the brood is considered a "kill on sight" order. Shockingly enough, even when the more sane minded vampires have completely purged the brood within a given territory, they always return in force several years or decades later. Nobody knows exactly where their main base of operations is, or how they manage to recruit so many reinforcements.

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Disciplines: The supernatural powers of the vampire that draw fuel from their own blood. Theoretically speaking, a vampire can achieve omnipotence, as there are dozens, maybe even hundreds of different types of disciplines out there, each having various forms and uses. All new vampires start off learning 3 Disciplines, at least 2 of these being from their clan's specialties. They can presumably learn every discipline on record, but this is extremely difficult, as they require an instructor, or intense study and practice. Most vampires choose to cap out at 5 disciplines, enough to grant them a vast arsenal, but small enough that they aren't driven insane by the constant study and training. All disciplines have 5 stages of mastery, with 1 being novices, and 5 being masters. Each of the 5 clans has 1 signature discipline of theirs, which is twice as difficult for outsiders to learn, but not completely impossible. However, many bloodlines have actually discovered the secret to specializing in another clan's signature power, making it easier to learn, and some bloodlines have even created a brand new signature discipline. This section will describe the "Core Disciplines" which are the basic abilities of the 5 clans, and the Covenants.


Vigor: A physical discipline that bestows supernatural strength to the user's body. This can also bestow super jumping capacity thanks to the augmented leg strength. Vigor has only one basic use, increasing the user's physical strength, which increases in potency as it is mastered.


Resilience: The physical body of a vampire is already very difficult to kill by human standards, but those with the power of Resilience can be almost indestructible. Resilience is the power of supernatural fortitude and is so effective, it can even lessen the impact of supernatural damage that is normally effective against vampires! Resilience has only one basic mastery, increasing the vampire's ability to absorb damage, which grows more potent as it is mastered.

Celerity: There are many legends that speak of vampires simply vanishing from sight, or appearing to be in two places at once. These tales are sadly, exaggerated, but with the power of Celerity, the vampire can move at speeds no mere human can hope to match. Enhancing not just their movement speed, but also their close combat potential, Celerity is excellent for both in and out of battle. It has only one basic effect that increases in potency as it is mastered. Those who have high training in Celerity have been known to outrun speeding vehicles, their bodies becoming a blur of motion as they can cross several dozen yards in a second, or dispatch a whole group of enemies before they can even prepare the first strike.

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Nightmare: The power to manipulate fear may sound like its only effective against mortals. After all, what do the supernatural have to fear if they have powers of their own? Nightmare is no mere parlor trick of spooking your enemies into fleeing, it taps into a primal, ancestral fear within the very souls of its victims. It, in effect, causes them to experience the same terror that their ancestors did long ago when people still believed sacrificing their own children would appease the moon, or whatever superstitions they practiced. Both mortal and supernatural creatures are susceptible to its power, making its signature masters, the Nosferatu, a force to be reckoned with. Nightmare has 5 different abilities in its mastery list.

Level 1 - The vampire is able to show their victim the true stains that undeath has left upon their face. Such a display usually comes with the baring of fangs, and releasing of a predatory growl or hiss. The victim is alerted to the fact that the creature before them is a blood thirsty monster, not a simple killer, and can force them to flee in terror, or quake in fear while in the vampire's presence.

Level 2 - The vampire is able to radiate an aura of dread that instils a rising fear in the hearts of those within range of its power. Those who are within the vicinity get a creeping chill down their spine, while those looking directly at the vampire may find themselves unable to remain still as anxiety or paranoia begins to sink into them. It can force a victim to become terrified enough to be incapable of defending themselves, such as making a mortal easier to feed upon.

Level 3 - By locking gazes with the victim, the vampire is able to give them a glimpse into the true nature of the Beast and invoke within them, a primeval terror as they forgo any sense of reasoning. Those affected by this power are either rendered paralyzed with fear, unable to take action beyond defending themselves if they are attacked. Or they will utilize everything in their power to flee the vampire's presence as quickly as possible, even going so far as to attack their own friends and loved ones if they get in the way of their escape attempt.

Level 4 - Leaving the victim's physical body unharmed, this level of mastery strikes the victim's mind and can possibly shatter it completely. The vampire invokes the illusion of their victim's greatest fear in an effort to drive them mad, leaving them as a shivering heap upon the floor as they slip into a catatonic state.

Level 5 - This is it, the vampire can invoke a terror so powerful, it quite literally scares a victim to death. With the use of this power, the vampire is able to outright slay a victim from pure terror, or cause physical damage to their body from the shock to their system. There are even reported cases where victims have prematurely aged several years, the terror being so great, it actually shortens the victim's life span upon exposure!

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Protean: There are many legends of vampires being able to change their shape which have sadly been fleshed out in modern media. Much to the horror of those who encounter a vampire, however, these legends are very much true. Protean allows the vampire to adapt to nearly any environment both in and out of battle by assuming a variety of different forms. Its signature masters, the Gangrel have often employed its power out in the wilds to enhance their supernatural survival capacity. Protean has 5 different abilities in its mastery list.

Level 1 - whenever two vampires meet each other for the first time, there is a risk they will go into a rage or fear frenzy depending on who is more powerful. With this stage of mastery, the vampire is immune to this risk, allowing to meet new vampires on a more peaceful note.

Level 2 - Crucial for finding shelter from the sun when out in the open wilds. At this stage of mastery, the vampire is able to fuse themselves with earthly elements. Initially starting off with just soil, they can learn new elements such as stone, water, wood, and even metal. While fused with the element, the vampire is able to survive in sunlight, and is nearly immortal unless the section they are fused with is destroyed. If the territory is thin enough, the vampire may be able to travel through walls, floors, and cielings, but otherwise, they are immobile in this form, until they deactivate the power, at which point, they will emerge again as flesh and blood.

Level 3 - The vampire is able to transform their hands and feet into a set of supernatural claws. The style of these claws can vary according to the individual, from simply extended nails, to full on animal appendages. The claws deal supernatural damage, making their wounds much harder to regenerate even by supernatural beings. The claws are also strong enough to augment the vampire's climbing abilities, enabling them to scale difficult surfaces, and even cling to walls and ceilings!

Level 4 - The vampire has learned how to transform into non magical beasts. Initially, they learn to transform into either a bat or  a wolf, but further study can open additional animal species, such as rats, snakes, spiders, and so on. While in animal form, the vampire may utilize some of their more basic disciplines that do not require speech or complicated body gestures. For example, turning into a wolf, they could still invoke the power of Vigor, Celerity, or Resilience to make their animal body even more powerful. They could not, however, attempt to control a human while in wolf form by locking gazes and using Dominate, which requires spoken orders their canine bodies are unable to form.

Level 5 - The vampire can become almost indestructible by transforming into a cloud of sentient mist. In this form, the vampire can fly and pass through most obstacles, but is incapable of attacking until they resume their physical form. While in this Mist Form, the vampire is immune to all manner of regular, physical attacks. Supernatural attacks, however, can still harm them. Their misty form is held together through mystical forces and not even gale force winds can disperse them, although it can blow them off course for a time. While in mist form, the vampire is able to utilize any discipline they possess that does not require a physical body to perform, enabling them to utilize certain mystical attacks, even while they are physically incapable of striking.

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Dominate: The power over the minds of others is an iconic trait of the vampire lore. Dominate enables the user to subjugate the victim's will with hypnotic capabilities, turning them into an obedient thrall, although the strong willed may be able to resist it, this becomes increasingly more difficult to do so, depending on what level of mastery they are facing. Its signature masters, the Ventrue often utilize this power to increase their rank in society and do away with lesser opposition. Dominate has 5 stages of mastery, most of which require locking gazes.

Level 1 - By locking gazes, the vampire issues a single word of command which victims who are too weak willed to resist will immediately begin to follow to the best of their abilities. Because the command is restricted to only a single word, the orders are incredibly primitive, but can still be useful such as commanding a victim to "Sleep" or "Silence" themselves.

Level 2 - The vampire is able to transplant hypnotic suggestions into a victim's mind, creating false thoughts that they believe are their own. This power isn't fool proof, of course, and physically dangerous suggestions or those which are outright against their personality have a much greater risk of being identified as some form of otherwordly force guiding their actions.

Level 3 - This power can be a useful scalpal, or a devestating chain saw to the minds of their victims. A vampire with level 3 Dominate is able to delve into the minds of their victims and remove or rewrite memories at the user's discretion. It is far more common to only alter recent memories, often to cover up any mistakes the vampire might have made, such as with a breach of the Masquerade. It is theoretically possible to completely blank someone's mind and reprogram a new life or personality, but constructing a life time of memories in the span of a few minutes is extremely difficult and almost always results poorly.

Level 4 - At first glance, this power seems useless, and in the short term uses, it is. However, long term exposure within the same subject can make this power far more effective. At level 4 Dominate, the vampire is able to condition a victim's mind to be more susceptible to further commands on the vampire's part. Its use is subtle, merely common suggestions or advice that over time, begins to sound more and more like good ideas to the victim. Eventually, the vampire may not even need to use Dominate to compel them to follow orders. Unfortunately, the more this conditioning power is used, the less and less free will the victim is able to maintain. If the vampire does not stop using it, a victim will eventually be reduced to a mindless shell, incapable of taking any kind of action not specifically ordered by their master. The conditioning appears to be permanent in effect, so even if its use is halted, the victim will still find disobeying the vampire more difficult in the future. Most vampires with this level will subvert a victim to the point where they are easy to control, but retain enough of their minds to have access to the skills that made them useful.

Level 5 - The vampire has the power to possess a human victim upon locking gaze. While possessing a mortal, the vampire is able to partake of mortal foods, and survive in sunlight, although remaining conscious is difficult. This power is addicting, and many times the vampires have become so enthralled by the feeling of being alive, they have forgotten what they truly are, and seek to remain forever in their new body. A vampire is able to instantly return to their real body from anywhere in the world with a simple willing of it to happen. The vampire's real body falls into a death-like coma and if it is destroyed or falls into Torpor, the vampire's spirit may remain inside their host until the next sunrise, at which point, their spirit automatically returns to their body, or fades into oblivion. The possessed victim is aware of their actions only in a hazy, dream-like state and won't remember much of their possession unless it was long term.

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Auspex: Vampires are predators and the capacity for heightened physical senses is another iconic trait of theirs. But Auspex offers so much more than this, originally starting off with simply enhancing the 5 bodily senses, Auspex quickly escalates to open the path to a 6th sense, allowing its users to percieve things even their fellow supernaturals may be otherwise unaware of. Its no wonder this discipline's signature masters, the Mekhet seem to know so much. Auspex has 5 stages of mastery.

Level 1 - The vampire is capable of increasing all, or just a specific selection of his 5 bodily senses to twice their normal potency. They can hear and see twice as far and accutely, taste and smell become sharper, and they become twice as sensitive to touch. Unfortunately, their senses run the risk of being overloaded if they use this power at the wrong time, such as in a brightly lit area, or near booming noises.

Level 2 - Like a living mood ring, the vampire has gained the ability to see the spiritual auras of other beings, which change colors depending upon their emotions. It can take some practice to memorize what each color means, for there are about 32 different colored auras and some supernatural creatures have auras that function differently. The aura of a Diablerist has black veins in it, as long as they have comitted the deed within the past 10 years. The aura of a frenzied vampire is rapidly shifting and rippling colors, the aura of a vampire is paler than normal, the aura of a shapeshifter is intensely vibrant, the aura of a ghost is splotchy and intermittent, the aura of magical activity, or a magic user has a myriad of sparkling effects.

Level 3 - Congratulations, you're a psychic detective! With this stage of mastery, the vampire is able to touch an object and gleam insight into its recent use including the last person to use it, what it was used for, and several minutes of the user while the item was in their possession. If the item had a long time owner who had a strong enough attachment to the object, however, these readings can be disrupted if it was last used by a stranger, as its actual owner has left a stronger psychic impression over the years.

Level 4 - At this stage of mastery, the vampire has acquired the power of telepathy, able to link their consciousness with another individual and speak mind to mind. This power can be used for something as simple as communication, but in the hands of a creative master, it can be an extremely powerful weapon for politics and black mail. The subject is not automatically alerted that someone is within their mind unless the vampire makes their intrusion known, or they have supernatural protection to alert them. In skilled hands, the vampire can explore parts of the subject's mind, discovering secrets they may otherwise not wish to reveal. Exploring their conscious thoughts is much less risky than delving into their subconscious, however, and it can become harder to remain undetected if such deep intrusion is performed. Although initial eye contact is necessary to activate this power, it is not required to maintain it, and as long as the subject remains within sight of the user, the link can be maintained. This means Telepathy is used more for interrogations, or private conversations, not coordinating a squad on the battlefield.

Level 5 - The vampire has gained the power of astral projection, they are able to transmit their bodily senses of sight and sound outside in a completely undetectable, ghostly state. In this form, the vampire's spirit is able to fly and pass through solid matter. It is impervious to harm and can not be detected by any means. However, it also can not interact with the physical world beyond spying. A vampire can listen in on an otherwise private conversation, but not phase through the wall and carry off a top secret document. The vampire is able to return to their physical body from anywhere in the world instantly simply by willing it. If the vampire's body is destroyed or falls into torpor, the vampire's spirit may remain in the world until the next sunrise, at which point, it either fades into oblivion, or is automatically transmitted back into its body.

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Majesty: Modern media has turned vampires into seductive, alluring, and charismatic beings, completely different from the creatures of horror the truly are. Sadly to say, with the power of Majesty, the vampire can invoke that very popularity. Majesty grants the vampire supernatural charisma and the ability to sway the emotions of friend and foe alike. It is not true mind control, but its effects both in and out of battle can be tremendously effective for getting your way. Its signature masters, the Daeva often use it for fooling their prey, and swaying their enemies, and it is considered a rival disicpline to the Ventrue's Dominate. Majesty has 5 stages of mastery.

Level 1 - The vampire is able to radiate an aura of charm that inspires awe into those effected by it. Even their worst jokes or tricks may seem amusing,  and enemies may be willing to listen to what the vampire has to say and take actual consideration into their argument, rather than dismiss it outright. Simply put, it allows the vampire to become the "life" of the party, grabbing the attention of those within the vicinity.

Level 2 - The vampire is able to cause victims to give up some of their more closely guarded secrets, by radiating an aura of trust and friendship. Victims effected by the power will perceive the vampire as a trusted friend who they can share their more darker or embaressing secrets with. It can take a bit of persuasion to get the victim to actually open up and reveal, as it would seem strange if the vampire flat out demanded "So tell me about killing your wife!" but it still makes it far easier to retrieve such details than regular questioning.

Level 3 - The vampire is able to warp the emotions of their victim and make them a willing servant to the user of this power. They still retain their sense of free will and identity, but they are convinced that any commands they follow are of their own volition, rather than having their minds forced into obeying. Still, there are risks, some orders may be blatantly obvious for being against the victim's desires, such as ordering them to life threatening situation, or orders that go against their personalities, like commanding an animal right's activist to blow up a veternarian hospital. They could, however, convince such an activist to at least try eating meat for a change, instead of preaching about the virtues of being a vegetarian.

Level 4 - With this power, the vampire has the ability to "summon" a victim to their location from seemingly anywhere in the world with a psychic command. The victim in question will take the fastest possible route to the vampire's location until they either arrive, or the sun rises which will immediately break the compulsion. Victims of this summoning power have a compulsive feeling that the vampire needs their assistance right away, and they have a subconscious knowledge on where the vampire is located, so even if they have no form of verbal or visual communication during the trip, the victim is able to track them down. Because the power only works until sunrise, it is impractical and maybe even impossible to summon a victim from halfway across the world, but summoning someone on the other side of the city is much more useful and advised.

Level 5 - The vampire becomes sovereign of the area while this power is activated. Even the most hated of enemies will show respect in the user's presence. The idea of raising one's voice against them seems unthinkable, fans or consorts might find themselves falling in love with the user. Close minded politicians and protestors will find their stance on various issues crumbling in favor of the vampire's conflicting theories or beliefs on the subject. This level of mastery is named Sovereignity for a good reason, as long as it remains active, the vampire is king among those within range of its effects. At least to a certain degree, they will certainly gain a tremendous amount of charismatic charm and respect, but like any form of Majesty, this is not full blown mind control, and there are some orders that just can't be given, like going against the orders of a high ranking superior, like the Prince. It can, however, in the hands of a cunning leader, incite a revolution against the current regime, which is just as dangerous as simply forcing someone to disobey a direct order.

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Animalism: Most vampires are hated by animals which either flee or attack on sight. With the power of Animalism, however, the vampire is able to supernaturally control beasts within the radius of their power in various ways. At higher stages of mastery, Animalism opens the path to more spiritual performances. Animalism has 5 stages of mastery.

Level 1 - This skill is the foundation upon which all other levels of Animalism are based. The vampire has gained the ability to understand and communicate with the lesser creatures. The vampire can verbally mimic just about any animal species, and comprehend what they wish to say. Of course, the animals are still only simple beasts, and likely have very poor knowledge about complicated topics the vampire may wish to discus. To utilize this power, the vampire and beast must meet each other's gaze, upon which, a psychic link is formed between the two. After connection is established, the vampire may choose to speak to the animal in its native sounds, but this practice is considered vulgar by the more civilized vampires. They may also communicate in an actual, human language, which the animal will still be able to understand, due to the bond. Animals that are blind or have no eyes are immune to this level, since it requires eye contact to initiate.

Level 2 - The vampire is able to issue simply commands to a beast, which they will obey to the best of their abilities, or until sunrise, whichever is accomplished first. The animal's intelligence is still that of a beast, so they won't be able to do anything really difficult such as "Disarm  the electronic locks, code 32158" on a security panel. But they could be ordered to "Chew through the wires" to destroy the electrical work on the console.

Level 3 - The vampire releases a loud, animalistic cry that will hypnotically draw all beasts of a particular species within range of its power to the vampire's location. The beasts must be able to hear the cry, so those who are deaf, or within sound protected locations are immune. It should be noted that this merely attracts the beasts, it does not subert them, and so the vampire must work quickly to control them, lest they accidentally summon a pack to turn against them. The range of this ability can work anywhere from as low as 100, to as far as 700 yards, depending upon how lucky or skilled the vampire is with its use.

Level 4 - By locking gazes with an animal, the vampire is able to transmit their own spirit into its body, assuming the consciousness within the living beast. This ability is so addicting, many vampires have actually forgotten what they truly are and sought to live the rest of their lives as a wild animal. While inside the beast, the vampire's real body falls into a death-like coma. The vampire's spirit is able to survive in sunlight, although it is still very difficult to remain conscious, and they can partake of mortal foods. Their body is an ordinary, mortal beast, with the mind of a vampire controlling it. The vampire is able to return to their real body from anywhere in the world, the transition will happen instantaneously, as if teleporting. If the vampire's real body is slain or falls into Torpor because of excessive damage or starvation, their consciousness can remain inside the beast until the next sunrise, at which point, the power wears off, and their spirit is forced out, fading into oblivion in the event of death, or automatically returns to their body in the vent of Torpor.

Level 5 - useless against any other creature besides a fellow vampire, level 5 Animalism is one of the most terrifying abilities a vampire can wield against their fellow undead. It allows them to control the metaphorical inner Beast within another vampire's soul, either calming or forcing a Frenzy to occur. With a mere locking of their gaze, the vampire can send a rival into a monstrous rage or hunger, forcing them to reveal their true nature to anyone unfortunate enough to be within the area, or they can suppress the monstrous rages, fears, and appetites of their allies so that the Man can wrestle control from the Beast. It is a power that can preserve a fellow vampire for another night, or completely destroy them in an instant, depending on where, when, and how its power is invoked.

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Obfuscate: The power to remain undetected is vital for a vampire in these modern nights, but with the power of Obfuscate, a vampire can be nearly impossible to track down unless they specifically want to be located. Obfuscate is the power of supernatural disguise and stealth, allowing the vampire to quite literally hide in plain sight without being detected. Handy for when a Nosferatu wants to lurk among the crowd, or the Mekhet want to spy up close. Obfuscate has 5 stages of mastery.

Level 1 - The vampire is able to render small (able to fit in their hand) objects he is carrying to be undetectable to others. They will be unable to see it and often won't be able to feel it if they touch it. Unless the investigator is specifically searching for that particular item, any searching of the vampire's person will fail to locate the item.

Level 2 - The vampire is able to hide some of the stains of undeath upon their being. Their skin seems less pale, they do not leer at their peers with a predatory gaze, he doesn't immediately alert other vampires to his supernatural nature upon laying eyes on him, and he may even be capable of hiding his fangs.

Level 3 - The vampire is able to fade from sight, becoming invisible to normal methods of sight. This power is best invoked out of sight, for witnesses might become alarmed if they see someone just vanish into thin air. This power is deactivated automatically if the vampire does something to draw attention to themselves, such as attack, smash objecgts, or shouting. In addition while this power is activated, it radiates a hypnotic, subconscious effect to those around them. Pedestrians just happen to sidestep out of the vampire's way without realizing they've done so, while quiet sounds such as whispering or soft foot steps may be ignored by those within earshot, even if they step upon squeaky floorboards.

Level 4 -The vampire is able to assume the illusionary disguise of the person their victim most expects to see within that location or situation. Unfortunately, this is easily the most risky and difficult power of Obfuscate to utilize, because the vampire has no way of knowing who they are supposed to be until their victim identifies them. As a result, this power can backfire horribly in the hands of a novice, unless considerable research is done on the subject's peers.

Level 5 - The same effect as Level 3, except the vampire is now capable of shrouding not just themselves, but their allies as well. The vampire can hide up to 5 other people, making a total of 6 concealed allies including themself. However, allies must remain within sight of the vampire performing this level of mastery, which means the vampire must usually be at the back of the group, or in a high location where they can keep watch over the whole group at once.


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Cruac: The vampiric blood sorcery that is Cruac is a closely guarded secret among the Circle of the Crone covenant. Only trusted members are permitted to study its arts. Cruac, unlike most other disciplines, does not have 5 specific uses for its powers. Instead, it has a vast arsenal of various spells and rituals. The level of mastery in Cruac determines the maximum level of spell the student may learn. For example, level 1 Cruac allows the student to practice and learn any level 1 spell, while a level 3 Cruac allows for the study of any level 1-3 spells, and so on. Cruac requires a blood sacrifice for its rituals, often with simply offering a portion of the user's or that of their victim. However, there are higher ranking spell levels that require a much heavier price, often with the act of self mutilation. There are far too many abilities in the Cruac arsenal to list them all here.


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Theban Sorcery: The biblical magic of the Lancea Sanctum, Theban Sorcery enables members of this covenant to invoke plagues and miracles from Christian mythos, most of which are from the old testament, but some from the new have also been known to exist. Just as with Cruac, Theban Sorcery does not have a mere 5 spells, but a vast arsenal of rituals, and the level of mastery determines how far of advancement in spells that can be researched. Theban Sorcery often requires components and reagents for performing its spells, but most are not as painful as Cruac's requirement. There are far too many abilities in Theban Sorcery to list them all here.


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Coils of the Dragon: Although nobody has been able to achieve the true form of evolution that the Ordo Dracul seeks, the Coils of the Dragon serve as the beginning steps on the path to transcendence.  The Coils are split into 3 different paths of study, each one having 3 different ranks of mastery. The Coils of the Dragon are dedicated to helping vampires overcome their supernatural flaws while retaining their strengths. Each of the 3 paths does not completely neutralize their weaknesses, but it can greatly lessen the impact they have upon the student. The Coils of the Dragon are divided up into Banes, Blood, and Beast coils.

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Coil of Banes: There are two major banes that vampires suffer from. Sunlight, and Fire. While the Coil of Banes doesn't grant true immunity, it can lessen the impact of these weaknesses, making them more barable for the vampire to withstand.

Tier 1 - The vampire has an increased chance to resist a fear frenzy triggered by fire or sunlight, enabling them to better remain calm and think of an escape plan

Tier 2 - By using an act of willpower, the vampire is now able to remain conscious for an entire day without penalties, although they must still take precautions to avoid making contact with sunlight. This tier helps keep them from being a sitting duck when the sun comes up.

Tier 3 - At the time of twilight and dawn, sunlight caused only bashing, blunt force damage, instead of the searing fiery supernatural damage. When the sun has fully risen, however, its damage is as normal. This tier can be a tremendous help in survival if the vampire accidentally finds a lack of shelter in an emergency.

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Coil of Blood: The hunger for blood is the key drive that powers all vampires through the night, and many often lose themselves in their thirst. The Coil of Blood teaches the vampire to reign in control over their bloody cravings so that they require less and less blood to remain active. Still, no student has been able to fully negate their cravings.

Tier 1 -  Normally, vampires need blood in their system to reanimate themselves, or they fall into hibernation. With this tier of mastery, a vampire only requires a single drop of blood to reanimate them for several nights depending on how strong their resolve is This can greatly help if a vampire finds themselves starving and needs to conserve how much blood is in their system.

Tier 2 - No matter what level of blood potency the vampire possesses, they may draw sustenance from the blood of animals. Very useful if the vampire does not wish to endanger humans, or worse, fall into Diablerie as they get older and more powerful.

Tier 3 - For every 2 drops of blood the vampire drains from mortals, it provides the same sustenance as though it were 3 drops. In addition, feeding on the blood of fellow vampires and other supernatural creatures provides double the usual sustenance!

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Coil of the Beast: The Inner Beast is the greatest curse of Vampirism, no longer is the vampire's body merely their own, their soul has been splintered into two entities. The Coil of the Beast teaches its students how to better control their inner monster, so that its call is not as strong when they find themselves in compromizing situations. Yet no student had been able to completely subdue this mindless spirit for long.

Tier 1 - Through an act of willpower the vampire is to automatically resist a frenzy of any kind, instead of trying to use their resolve and composure to resist the beast's urges.

Tier 2 - The vampire now has an easier time when it comes to "Riding the Wave" in which they openly allow their beast to take over and use it as a weapon or tool in battle. With this tier, Riding the Wave no longer requires an act of willpower to be spent.

Tier 3 - This tier is powerful, though quite dangerous without efficient preparation. The vampire can willingly enter a frenzy for a full hour at any point in the night. After the full hour is up, the vampire becomes immune to any future Frenzies for the remainder of the night, the beast is too exhausted to take control a second time.