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Revision as of 16:18, 23 June 2022
BLOOD SORCERY
Thaumaturgy | Quietus | Koldunism | Akhu | Nahuallotl | Sadhana
The Tremere maintain that Blood Sorcery, or “Thaumaturgy” as they call it, was their invention. To hear the Banu Haqim give their version, “Quietus” was their blood right long before the Tremere became vampires. Other clans make the same statements. While its origins are murky, the dreaded nature of Blood Sorcery is not. Few Kindred trust the wielders of a power that can manipulate the vitae in their veins and turn Blood into poison.
Unlike other Disciplines, which could be described as advancing organically through the victims chosen by the vampire, practitioners of Blood Sorcery require teachers. The Tremere once relied on their pyramidic clan hierarchy to arrange tutelage for neonate apprentices, while the Banu Haqim stress the sire-childe relationship as being the best form of mentorship. These nights, many a Child of Haqim washes up in Europe or America far from their sire, and with the Pyramid broken Tremere neonates frantically search through moldy tomes and palimpsests for scraps of true lore. Genuine masters of this Discipline develop their own Rituals, though many guard them from others, revelling in the mystery surrounding their unknown cache of abilities. To practice Blood Sorcery is to twist one’s own Blood into submission. Any form of this power reminds a vampire that they’re far from human, as no mortal could wield magic in this way.
CHARACTERISTICS
- Type: Sorcery
- Masquerade Threat: Low - High.
The individual appearance of the powers and Rituals in Blood Sorcery varies as widely as their effects.
- Blood Resonance: Sanguine.
Although not inherent in the Blood itself, Blood Sorcery responds eagerly to blood from human occultists, sorcerers, and cult leaders, as well as hemophiles and bibliophiles.
Blood Sorcery is a special Discipline in that it both confers powers, like other Disciplines, and also unlocks the ability to perform Rituals up to and including the level the user holds in the Discipline. Ghouls of Blood Sorcerers or thin-bloods drinking from Sanguine temperaments gain temporary access to the Discipline powers, but not to Rituals. Its regular powers seem comparatively weak, but the versatility of the Rituals more than compensates, assuming the user can learn them. At character creation, a player can choose one Level 1 ritual if they have at least one dot in Blood Sorcery. Characters can buy new rituals at the cost of the ritual’s level x 3 experience points. Learning new Rituals during play requires both experience and time. Expect a Ritual to take at least the square of its rating in weeks to learn.
RITUALS
Unless otherwise noted, performing a ritual requires a Rouse Check, five minutes per level to cast, and a winning Intelligence + Blood Sorcery test (Difficulty = Ritual level + 1). Rituals usually require additional ingredients, though some need only the uninterrupted concentration of the user, and often involve the mingling of Blood with ingredients chosen according to the principles of sympathetic magic or alchemy. Unless otherwise stated the caster can only perform beneficial rituals on themselves.
Wards:
The Tremere employ Wards extensively, basing them on their Hermetic traditional sigils. Banu Haqim Wards usually involve gematriac or abjadic writing, rather than occult symbols, but the methodology remains the same in both cases. Wards consist of a glyph or line of script keyed to repel a single type of supernatural, called “the trespasser” in these rules. When touched, they cause something like an electric shock to the trespasser’s mind and body, imparting both physical burns and a sudden bout of sheer terror. The ward does not work on forced contact – a warded sword will not trigger the ward when striking a trespasser, but it will if a trespasser tries to pick it up.
Wards can only cover a space about a meter across: for example, a caster cannot ward a whole car, but they can ward a steering wheel.
Do not make the Ritual roll until the first time the trespasser touches the Ward, triggering its effect. Gloves or other garments offer no protection. If the caster wins the Ritual test, the victim suffers one point of Aggravated Health damage. On a critical win, damage for this Ward is three points of Aggravated damage. The caster does not need to make the Ritual roll for each trespasser touching the Ward, only the first. Anyone affected who wants to touch the warded object again must spend a point of Willpower and then win a Stamina + Resolve test (Difficulty 4, or 7 for a critical-success Ward) to make the attempt.
Sense the Unseen (Auspex 1) can detect a Ward with a contest of Intelligence + Auspex vs the caster’s Intelligence + Blood Sorcery.
Warding Circles:
A Warding circle resembles a regular Ward, painted on the ground or floor. It requires three times the ritual ingredients of a regular Ward of the same type. Knowledge of one Ward does not convey knowledge of its corresponding Warding circle, or vice versa. Trespassers who attempt to cross a Warding circle suffer its effect. Unless the caster inscribes the Warding circle “pointing inward” around the trespasser in the first place, it does not block attempts to leave the circle.
Its rules differ from regular Wards in a few respects: It costs three Rouse Checks worth of Blood to paint the circle and pentacles, which can cover up to a three-meter radius. It takes one full night to cast and a Ritual roll made at the time (at +2 to Difficulty) if the caster wants it to last a year and a day; otherwise it dissipates at dawn.
When the trespasser attempts to cross the circle, roll a contest of Intelligence + Blood Sorcery vs the trespasser’s Willpower. (If the Storyteller or player wrote down the result of the original Ritual roll used to cast a year-long Warding circle, they can use that result here.) If the Warding circle fails, the trespasser can enter it. If the caster wins, the trespasser takes three points of Superficial Health damage (three points of Aggravated damage on a critical win) and cannot enter. The trespasser must spend a point of Willpower to attempt to enter the circle again. If the trespasser wins the contest, enters the circle and leaves it again, they must repeat their half of the contest (the caster’s initial result remains) to re-enter it.
BOTTLED VOICE
Blood Sorcery •••
The vampire steals a victim's voice and traps it in a sealed bottle.
Ingredients: A glass bottle, a tallow seal, the caster's vitae.
Process: The caster's vitae is used to line the rim of the bottle. The glass bottle is then pressed to a victim's lips while the caster speaks an incantation binding their voice. The bottle is then sealed with tallow and usually marked with the victim's name or initials.
System: If the ritual is successful the victim remains mute for as long as the vampire has the sealed bottle in their possession. If the seal or bottle are ever damaged, the victim's voice is restored. Opening the bottle quickly enough to "inhale" the contents allows for the stolen voice to be used as if it were your own for one scene.
Vampires and other supernatural creatures can have their voices bottled but they must either willingly submit to the ritual or the caster must restrain the victim throughout the rite and then score a critical win on the ritual test.
The Black Hand, pg. 90
ZILLAH'S TEARS
Blood Sorcery •••
Elders whisper of the Lost Tribe, who would pilgrimage into the Ur desert to drink of the Weeping Stone. Those who tasted the stone's bloody tears would experience a transcendance of intense remorse for the sins they had committed. This ritual attempts to recreate that experience.
Ingredients: Tears of true grief, bloody spittle from the caster.
Process: The caster mixes the tears and spittle. Their target must imbibe it.
System: The caster makes a Ritual roll vs Resolve + Composure. If successful, the target remembers their greatest sin (their player’s choice, subject to Storyteller’s approval) and feels intense remorse — even if they normally wouldn’t, or are incapable of feeling remorseful. Every action they take to make amends gains two bonus dice, while all other tests lose two dice. This lasts the remainder of the night.
Homebrew Content, pg. XX
LEVEL 4
DEFENSE OF THE SACRED HAVEN
Blood Sorcery ••••
The performer of this powerful ritual can ward their haven against the sun itself, protecting their resting place from penetration by its destructive rays as a mystical darkness blankets the area.
Ingredients: Nothing but the Blood of the caster.
Process: The caster inscribes a number of sigils and glyphs on and around the area to be protected. They must take special care on windows and doorways, but may even ward an open doorway if the area is indoors. The ritual wards gray or liminal areas, such as ruins, at the Storyteller's discretion.
System: The process takes an hour or more, depending on the state or the area to be warded. The area can be no larger than a circle with a six-meter radius. The ritual automatically fails if the caster steps out of the area at any time after the warding is complete. The caster makes the Ritual roll once the sun rises. On a Win, shadow blankets the area, closing off any view of the outside but also preventing any sun damage to the vampires within. On a critical win, those inside can spy the outside world dimly. The Ritual lasts through an entire day unless ended by the caster stepping outside the area.
Core Book, pg. 279
EYES OF THE NIGHTHAWK
Blood Sorcery ••••
Related to the primitive powers of Animalism, this Ritual allows the caster to possess a carnivorous fowl, usually a raven or a bird of prey, directing its flight and seeing through its eyes. Parrots and mynahs, not being carnivores, cannot be used in this Ritual. Some Tremere spent years training crows or ravens to speak before using them as nighthawks; with the Pyramid disrupted, fewer Warlocks have the spare time now.
Ingredients: The eyes of the bird used, taken at the conclusion of the Ritual.
Process: The caster feeds their Blood to the bird and enters a trance.
System: On a winning Ritual roll the caster can control the bird and see through its eyes. On a critical win, the bird can perform simple actions under control, such as picking up objects or manipulating keys or dials. The caster can use most nonphysical Disciplines through the bird, even Dominate assuming the caster has Telepathy or some other way to communicate with targets non-verbally. There is no limit to the range the bird can fly, though unless the caster plucks the eyes out of the bird at the end of the night they themselves suffer blindness for three nights to come.
Core Book, pg. 280
INCORPOREAL PASSAGE
Blood Sorcery ••••
The caster assumes an incorporeal state, not unlike a ghost, able to freely pass through objects and rendered totally immune to physical damage. They cannot interact physically with the material world except by sight and speech.
Ingredients: A mirror.
Process: The caster spills their Blood on the mirror, chanting, and then breaks it.
System: Make a Ritual roll. If the roll is a win, the caster assumes an incorporeal form as long as they hold a shard of the broken mirror. While incorporeal, the caster remains immune to everything except fire, sunlight, and arcane weapons and rituals capable of damaging spirits. The caster can still be seen and heard but cannot interact physically with anything or anyone. They cannot Rouse the Blood while incorporeal. Incorporeal casters have no access to any spirit realm; the ritual does not make them wraiths or spirits. The caster can walk through walls and other objects but must do so in a straight line; they cannot change direction while inside solid matter. This Ritual lasts for one scene or until the caster drops the shard. Returning to the material while inside solid matter can result in anything from destruction to entombment to minor inconvenience; the Storyteller decides the precise outcome.
Core Book, pg. 280
WARD AGAINST CAINITES
Blood Sorcery ••••
This Ritual wards an item against all vampires except the caster. Any attempt by them to touch the item triggers the effect. However, a vampire examining the Ward with Auspex can read the name of the caster in it with a successful contest of Intelligence + Auspex vs. the caster’s Intelligence + Blood Sorcery. This ward uses the standard rules for Wards.
Ingredients: Ash warm from a still-burning fire; casters risk terror frenzy, and cannot inscribe this Ward that night if they succumb to it.
Core Book, pg. 280
WARDING CIRCLE AGAINST LUPINES
Blood Sorcery ••••
This ward uses the standard rules for Warding circles.
Ingredients: The caster draws the Warding circle with a silver knife dipped in wolfsbane and Blood.
Core Book, pg. 280
INNOCENCE OF THE CHILD'S HEART
Blood Sorcery ••••
Developed by Nicolai himself, this ritual allows the caster to conceal their Kindred aura from users of Auspex.
Ingredients: A toy belonging to a mortal child.
Process: The caster must acquire the toy of an innocent mortal child and use the ritual to mystically infuse it with the power of their Kindred vitae, drawing the child’s innocence into their aura. The caster must then carry the toy on their person to mask themselves from the powers of Auspex.
System: The caster makes a Rouse Check and makes their Ritual test. Upon success, the caster’s aura is altered to make them appear mortal, with any stains of diablerie rendered invisible. Auspex users employing Scry the Soul on the caster will perceive their aura as mortal until the effects of the ritual dissipate, unless they make a contested roll between their Intelligence + Auspex versus the caster’s Intelligence + Blood Sorcery + four dice. The ritual lasts one night unless the ritual test is made at +2 to difficulty which extends it until the end of the story. A Critical Win doubles the ritual’s duration. Note that there is no recorded instance of Nicolai sharing this ritual with his fellow Tremere and can only be learned by capturing Nicolai’s notes or via other method of the Storyteller’s determination.
Chicago by Night, pg. 172
RENDING THE SWEET EARTH
Blood Sorcery ••••
This ritual rends the earth to reveal a vampire concealed
by Protean.
Ingredients: A leather whip, Kindred vitae.
Process: The caster locates the exact spot a user of Protean sank into the earth using Earth Meld. They then slit their palm, smearing vitae on the point of entry and repeatedly strike the ground with a leather whip.
System: The caster makes a Rouse Check and a ritual test. Upon success, a 10-foot by 10-foot chasm opens, leading to the subterranean resting place of a vampire in an Earth Melded state. The ritual automatically awakens the target vampire if they are asleep, but will not do so if they are in torpor. A Critical Win opens the chasm without waking the target.
Chicago by Night, pg. 173
PROTEAN CURSE
Blood Sorcery ••••
This ritual transforms the target into a bat similar to the level four Protean ability, Metamorphosis.
Ingredients: A vial of rabid vampire bat blood, Kindred vitae acquired from a vampire with the Protean Discipline, and a string-suspended puppet crafted from bat bones.
Process: The target must drink a vial of blood from a rabid vampire bat, mixed with Kindred vitae while the caster puppeteers the bone marionette.
System: The caster produces two Rouse Checks’ worth of their blood, with the blood of a rabid vampire bat and gives it to the target to drink. The ritual is cast, and upon a successful ritual roll, the target is transformed into a bat per the Metamorphosis ability of the Protean Discipline. The target may elect to resist this transformation with a Stamina + Occult roll. If the target rolls more successes than the ritual’s practitioner, they prevent the transformation, while their Total Failure can leave them in a horrifically deformed, half-human, half-bat state. The half-bat creature gains +2 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Stamina, and +1 Presence up to a maximum of 5, but cannot communicate verbally, reduces its Manipulation to 0, and takes 1 aggravated Health damage for every turn exposed to bright light, artificial or otherwise. The ritual can be cast on both Kindred and humans and lasts for a full evening or until the caster dispels the ritual via a successful ritual test. The duration of Protean Curse can be extended by making a Rouse Check and a successful ritual roll at the beginning of each night the caster wants to maintain the ritual. A Critical Win for the practitioner doubles the duration of Protean Curse. The caster cannot use this Ritual on themselves.
Chicago by Night, pg. 173
CREATIO IGNIS
Blood Sorcery ••••
The caster of this Ritual diverts hungry flame from their flesh, using an enchanted coating of vitae like a buffer and can set items and people alight using the fire. This Ritual is a phenomenal breach of the Masquerade as the power is entirely visible and can cause intense environmental feedback, not to mention the bloody coating of the caster’s hands before activation.
Ingredients: Sufficient vitae from any vampire to coat the caster’s arms up to the elbows, a source of flame.
Process: The vampire immerses their arms in the blood and withstands the urge to feed or frenzy. After extracting their arms, exposure to flame will ignite the vitae rather than the vampire it coats. The vampire can then go on to set targets alight using the fire on their skin.
System: If the user is at Hunger 4 or more, make a hunger frenzy test at Difficulty 3 to avoid draining the ingredients. At any point during the night they may expose the vitae to fire and make a Ritual roll. A win ignites flames on the vampire’s hands and arms, which in a spectacular display provoke a terror frenzy test, Difficulty 2, in all nearby vampires except the caster. They may touch others with Dexterity + Brawl in physical combat to inflict two Aggravated Health damage. Entering a grapple ignites the other person’s clothes, continuing the damage each turn until a Composure + Survival roll, Difficulty 3, is won to end the burn. The caster is only resistant to flame on their arms, and will burn as usual elsewhere. The fiery arms extinguish when the caster wills it or when the scene ends.
Cults of the Blood Gods, pg. 67
MIRROR WALK
Blood Sorcery ••••
You create a portal in a nearby mirror and escape to another previously prepared mirror.
Ingredients: Two large mirrors and the ashes of a recently destroyed vampire.
Process: You eat some of the ashes while tracing your fingers along the surface of a large mirror. Once all but the last mouthful of ashes have been consumed, the mirror is ready to be called upon.
System: Eat the last mouthful of ashes while touching a different large mirror. This creates a portal between this mirror and the mirror you originally prepared with this ritual. You can see whatever is reflected in the original mirror when you open the portal. This link only lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1 + the margin of success you gained when casting this ritual. One vampire can step through the portal every round, instantly appearing in front of the specially prepared mirror. Mortals, ghouls, and vampires without a reflection cannot step through a mirror walk portal. The magic of this ritual is spent once the portal closes or if the ritually prepared mirror is significantly damaged before it is activated.
The Black Hand, pg. 91
LEVINBOLT
Blood Sorcery ••••
Prerequisite: Galvanic Ruination
This ritual allows for the caster to make a victim the target of bolts of electricity and lightning. When activated, electricity arcs from power outlets, electrical objects, wires, cables and may even call down lightning directly from the sky. While electricity doesn't generally affect Kindred, this can devastate groups of mortals.
Ingredients: Charged magnet, electricity, sanguine resonant blood
Process: The magnet is placed in a pool of blood while the electrical current is run through it. When the magnet has absorbed the blood, the ritual is complete. The magnet becomes a charred and melted lump of iron when the ritual has fully run its course.
System: The ritual is enacted, after which the magnet maintains its "charge" for the oddly specific next 1.21 hours.
The magnet must then be placed on the target, which may require a Dexterity + Athletics or Stealth roll, at which point the activation roll is made. Once activated the location of the magnet is irrelevant and they can still be struck if they dispose of it.
For the rest of the scene, the vampire can call upon bolts of electricity to strike the target with a Wits + Science roll. This can be dodged as normal and is treated as a Firearms attack. If the attack hits, the mortal must succeed in a Stamina + Composure roll, Difficulty 3, or be paralyzed for the rest of the scene, as well as taking margin in superficial damage.
While the ritual can only affect one target per turn, once the first target is paralyzed the vampire can cause electricity to arc from their primary target to other mortal targets with the same roll, but with -1 to their dice pool. When this happens, the primary target absorbs all the superficial damage.
Technology that can be short circuited is typically destroyed when it comes into contact with this amount of electricity. Vampires are unaffected, although it can of course destroy any technology they have on them.
| THE PATH OF LEVINBOLT... |
|---|
| Due to a historical lack of understanding of the principles of electricity, the Path of Levinbolt remained incredibly obscure until the birth of modern science. Though thaumaturges no longer have to wait until a convenient thunderstorm to charge their powers, the Path of Levinbolt is still rarely studied or taught. As such, it requires a specific teacher to learn.
|
Homebrew Content, pg. XX
LEVEL 5
ESCAPE TO TRUE SANCTUARY
Blood Sorcery •••••
By preparing two mystic circles in an arduous ritual the caster can instantly travel from one to the other. The journey is one-way, and the caster must designate one circle for departure while the “arrival” circle serves as an exit.
Ingredients: Two charred circles of approximately a meter in diameter.
Process: The caster burns the circles into the ground or floor with an open flame, then consecrates each circle. Consecration requires two hours of chanting per night and two Rouse Checks, for three consecutive nights. In total, this ritual takes twelve Rouse Checks worth of Blood from the caster.
System: Once the circles are complete the caster need but step into the one designated for departure and concentrate for a turn, making a Ritual roll. The caster makes the Ritual roll each time they attempt to travel, but can only make one attempt per scene. On a win the caster vanishes, reappearing in an instant in the middle of the exit circle. There is no limit to the distance between the two circles, but they must be inscribed on the ground or on the floor of a building, not on the floor of a vehicle. The caster can transport one person or an object or objects totaling roughly human mass with them. Damaging either circle ruins the ritual completely and renders both circles inert. A vampire can only have one pair of these circles functional at any given time.
Core Book, pg. 280
HEART OF STONE
Blood Sorcery •••••
Performing this ritual turns the caster’s unliving heart to stone. This makes them immune to stakes but also, through some fluke of sympathetic magic, completely remorseless and cold-hearted automatons totally unreceptive to emotional and social cues. Even more so than normal.
Ingredients: A stone slab and a wax candle drenched with the Blood of the caster.
Process: The caster lies on the stone slab with the candle on their chest letting it burn down to nothing over the course of a night. As the fir e reaches their chest, it causes one point of Aggravated damage and forces a terror frenzy roll: Difficulty 3. If the caster fails the frenzy roll, the ritual ends. If the caster does not enter frenzy, they make the Ritual roll. On a win the ritual completes; a critical win heals the candle-fire damage. The effect persists indefinitely, and should the caster wish to reverse the process they must repeat the ritual.
System: While under the effect of the ritual, the caster’s heart is literally made of stone. Stakes fail to penetrate it, breaking if forced. The caster also exhibits a complete emotional detachment, subtracting three dice from any Remorse rolls as well as active Social-related rolls, except for Intimidation and Dominate. The caster cannot employ Presence but gains three bonus dice to pools used to resist the effects of that Discipline.
Core Book, pg. 281
SHAFT OF BELATED DISSOLUTION
Blood Sorcery •••••
The Kindred fear few weapons as they fear the dreaded stake created by this ritual. Thought to be the origin of the myth regarding stakes as the ultimate tool for slaying vampires, the Shaft of Belated Dissolution not only seeks out the heart of the vampire it’s aimed at but actually causes Final Death when reaching its target. If need be, the Shaft works toward this goal as a splinter, inching its way through the target vampire’s body to reach its goal.
Ingredients: A stake carved of rowan wood, inscribed with baneful runes.
Process: The caster drenches the stake with two Rouse Checks worth of their Blood, while blackening it in an oak-wood fire while reading incantations over it. The ritual takes five hours to complete.
System: This stake confers a three-dice bonus to any pool on any attempt to stake a vampire, whether hammered in while the victim sleeps, wielded in melee, or fired from a crossbow. The caster need not wield the stake themselves. If the attack roll wins with a margin of five or better, the vampire withers to dust in a single turn as if consumed by an invisible fire. If the stake hits, but the roll has insufficient margin to pierce the heart, the stake breaks off in the wound, the tip burying itself as it slowly begins to inch its way toward the heart of the victim. Depending on where it struck this can take hours or nights, but unless extracted by medical or mystical means, Final Death is assured. To remove it surgically someone other than the victim needs to win a roll of Dexterity + Medicine, Difficulty 6, in a process that takes up to four hours. If no medical expertise can be found, someone can remove the splinter by severing the afflicted limb – unless the splinter has already reached the torso.
Core Book, pg. 281
WARDING CIRCLE AGAINST CAINITES
Blood Sorcery •••••
This ward uses the standard rules for Warding Circles.
Ingredients: The caster draws the Warding Circle with a rowan wand dipped in the mixture of ash from a still-burning fire and Blood.
Core Book, pg. 282
WEB OF HUNGER
Blood Sorcery •••••
Using a dagger as an implement, the sorcerer can steal the blood from their followers or victims.
Ingredients: A silver dagger, other ritual components.
Process: The sorcerer must succeed their Ritual Activation roll and do one Rouse check to successfully anoint the dagger in their blood, linking it to them. The ritualist must then use their dagger to draw blood from willing donors or victims, causing a minimum of one point of Superficial Damage. As long as the follower or victim and dagger remain below ground, they are linked.
System: Once per night, the holder of the dagger may choose to feed from all individuals linked to the dagger. The user slakes one point of Hunger per individual linked. Each Kindred victim has their own hunger raise by one, whereas mortal victims instead take one point of Aggravated Damage. This ritual cannot bring the user’s hunger below the minimum imposed by their Blood Potency unless a mortal dies from this effect. If an individual goes to the surface, they lose their link to the dagger and are no longer subject to this theft of blood. Likewise, if the dagger ever breaches the surface, the ritual’s effect ceases.
Fall of London, pg. 137
EDEN'S BOUNTY
Blood Sorcery •••••
This rare Ritual allows a vampire to drain blood and energy from any living creatures in the nearby area, allowing the caster to stave off Hunger without even having to bare their fangs.
Ingredients: A dead body, a living tree, one fresh apple, one rotten apple.
Process: The vampire lays a dead body at the foot of a tree and places the healthy apple in the corpse’s mouth, followed by the rotten apple into the vampire’s. If the apple does not fit in the corpse’s mouth, the caster may hammer it in, dislocate the jaw, or otherwise rend the throat open, so long as it fits. As the body rapidly merges with the tree’s roots and trunk, blood from mortals up to 1 mile/kilometer away drains into the earth and out through the rotten apple in the vampire’s mouth, sating Hunger.
System: The player makes a Ritual roll following the placement of the corpse and the apples. On a win, the vampire’s Hunger is slaked to one, despite any Blood Potency feeding penalties. On a critical win, the vampire’s Hunger is slaked to zero without killing. On a total failure, the vampire falls into a hunger frenzy. Depending on the number of kine in the Ritual area and the type of kine nearby, Stains may accrue; for example vampires with a Prey Exclusion may suffer Stains if this Ritual is used in an area heavily populated by their excluded class of mortal, whereas varied groups with more kine to draw from are less likely to bear an ethical cost.
A lot of blood is wasted with this Ritual, as all the mortals in the area lose a little blood to the earth, though the loss is not visible. For the remainder of the chapter, those kine suffer a one-die penalty to all Physical rolls and 1 Aggravated Health damage.
Cults of the Blood Gods, pg. 56
SIMULACRUM GATE
Blood Sorcery •••••
A time-consuming and elaborate Ritual, this colossal undertaking allows the construction of a distance-defying portal allowing multiple vampires to cross vast distances in mere moments. While only one instance is known so far, Blood-sorcerers of the Sabbat suspect that it is only a matter of time before they may construct more as means to perform devastating hit-and-run attacks in the heart of rival sects’ domains.
Ingredients: Anything required to build a copy of the target destination, including but not limited to sand, mortar, concrete, metal, and dirt. One vampire sacrifice and a number of mortal ones equal to the number of travelers.
Process: In order to function, the gate needs to be an exact copy of the target location, whether a building, cellar, attic, or some other location equipped with a physical structure that can be designated as a portal. This requires spies to spend weeks documenting the target location, smuggling examples of materials and taking countless pictures or making sketches of the place. Meanwhile, the replica is built and the area consecrated with blood – vast amounts of it. Preparing the portal requires at least one mortal sacrifice per intended traveler, their remains to be scattered about the simulacrum edifice. The final activation calls for a vampire sacrifice. If a suitable victim isn’t on hand, the lot probably falls to the vampire present who’s the least able to resist being forced into the role, though ritualists have proposed Embracing a mortal sacrifice for this purpose.
System: If the Ritual Test is successful, the gate allows the desired number of vampires passage outward, and an equal number – not necessarily the same individuals – to return. Until that number has been matched, the gate remains open indefinitely, though nothing reveals the target location as such. Mortals cannot use the gate; to them it appears as nothing more than a repulsive monument.
Sabbat Sect Book, pg. 51