Thin-Blood Alchemy: Difference between revisions

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''<small>At level 2, the Alchemist can develop formulae to counterfeit level 1 powers of other [[Disciplines]]. Each of these formulae take at least a week to research.</small>''
''<small>At level 2, the Alchemist can develop formulae to counterfeit level 1 powers of other [[Disciplines]]. Each of these formulae take at least a week to research.</small>''
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== BLOOD OF MANDAGLOIRE ==
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'''Thin-Blood Alchemy''' ••
''This concoction can taint an entire herd, but must be imbibed by the victims within a few hours of being distilled.''
'''Activation Cost:''' One Rouse Check
'''Ingredients:''' The Alchemist’s Blood, melancholic human blood, ketamine or Thorazine, melted human fat, verdigris
'''System:''' After taking this concoction the herd takes on a melancholic Resonance and becomes sluggish and unresponsive. Any vampire feeding off of them while they’re in this state must make a Composure + Resolve roll against a Difficulty equal to the cooker’s Alchemy or fall into a dreamless sleep for an hour. Aggressive shaking or slapping gives the vampire another roll to resist the stupor, while inflicting a wound awakens them immediately though the melancholy Resonance lingers.
'''Duration:''' This formula stays active in the herd’s blood for three nights after dosing.
<div style='text-align: right;'>
''<sub>Second Inquisition, pg. 46</sub>''
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== RED'S FLAMIN' HOT SAUCE ==
== FRIENDS LIST ==
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<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:568px;">
'''Thin-Blood Alchemy''' ••
'''Thin-Blood Alchemy''' ••




''This formula, discovered by accident, turns any amount of spilled or drawn blood or vitae into a dangerous accelerant. This concoction is capable of turning blood-bags into Molotov cocktails, and an otherwise enticing feeding opportunity into a potential death traps.''
''This formula allows the alchemist to see the connections between mortals and Kindred. This shows as a thin, silver thread that connects between them, giving the alchemist an idea of whom a mortal may have a connection to.''
 
 
'''Ingredients:''' The alchemist’s Blood, phlegmatic blood, the eyes of a whippoorwill or owl or other nocturnal bird, and a silver thread.
 
 
'''Activation Cost:''' One Rouse Check
 
'''Dice Pools:''' Intelligence + Alchemy




'''Ingredients:''' The alchemist's blood, choleric human blood, 2 mL of canola oil, a dash of lemon juice, cayenne seasoning.
'''System:''' Upon activating this power, the alchemist makes an Intelligence + Alchemy test to see a thin, silver thread connecting a mortal to a vampire they have some sort of connection with. (Obviously, no thread is shown if the mortal isn’t connected to Kindred.) If the vampire is not physically close the alchemist can follow the thread.




'''System:''' Contrary to most formulas, this formula is not imbibed by the user, but added to inert or spilled blood. Adding it to any amount of human blood, or vampiric vitae, creates a heavily flammable slurry. While this does not automatically cause the blood to combust, any introduction of flame to the spilled blood creates a slow-burning, yet powerful, inferno. This fire cannot be extinguished for the duration of the effect, though fires spreading from it can. For each success gained from the distillation roll, the alchemist creates one usage of this power.
Stronger connections require fewer successes to see – a ghoul might only require one success, but a distant contact or ally up to five. A mortal with multiple vampire relationships displays the strongest thread first, but the alchemist can see all of them with enough successes.




'''Duration:''' The formulas are preserved until used. The blood-fires last for an entire scene, or potentially longer, depending on the fire's surroundings.
'''Duration:''' One scene


<div style='text-align: right;'>
<div style='text-align: right;'>
''<sub>Winter's Teeth, vol. 2</sub>''
''<sub>Players Guide, pg. 104</sub>''
</div></div>
</div></div>


<br>
<br>


== BLOOD OF MANDAGLOIRE ==
== MIRROR OF TRUST ==
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:568px;">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:568px;">
'''Thin-Blood Alchemy''' ••
'''Thin-Blood Alchemy''' ••




''This concoction can taint an entire herd, but must be imbibed by the victims within a few hours of being distilled.''
''This mixture, when imbibed by the Alchemist, makes them compelling and attractive, overwhelming other blankbodies’ self-control and encouraging them to speak honestly and frankly, especially in response to direct questions.''




'''Activation Cost:''' One Rouse Check
'''Activation Cost:''' One Rouse Check


'''Ingredients:''' The Alchemist’s Blood, melancholic human blood, ketamine or Thorazine, melted human fat, verdigris
'''Ingredients:''' The Alchemist’s Blood, sanguine human blood, truth serum, a white chrysanthemum taken from a grave.




'''System:''' After taking this concoction the herd takes on a melancholic Resonance and becomes sluggish and unresponsive. Any vampire feeding off of them while they’re in this state must make a Composure + Resolve roll against a Difficulty equal to the cooker’s Alchemy or fall into a dreamless sleep for an hour. Aggressive shaking or slapping gives the vampire another roll to resist the stupor, while inflicting a wound awakens them immediately though the melancholy Resonance lingers.
'''System:''' The Alchemist has 3 extra dice on Persuasion or Intimidation rolls to make another person or blankbody be honest with them.




'''Duration:''' This formula stays active in the herd’s blood for three nights after dosing.
'''Duration:''' One hour


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<br>
<br>


== MIRROR OF TRUST ==
== RED'S FLAMIN' HOT SAUCE ==
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:568px;">
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="width:568px;">
'''Thin-Blood Alchemy''' ••
'''Thin-Blood Alchemy''' ••




''This mixture, when imbibed by the Alchemist, makes them compelling and attractive, overwhelming other blankbodies’ self-control and encouraging them to speak honestly and frankly, especially in response to direct questions.''
''This formula, discovered by accident, turns any amount of spilled or drawn blood or vitae into a dangerous accelerant. This concoction is capable of turning blood-bags into Molotov cocktails, and an otherwise enticing feeding opportunity into a potential death traps.''




'''Activation Cost:''' One Rouse Check
'''Ingredients:''' The alchemist's blood, choleric human blood, 2 mL of canola oil, a dash of lemon juice, cayenne seasoning.


'''Ingredients:''' The Alchemist’s Blood, sanguine human blood, truth serum, a white chrysanthemum taken from a grave.


'''System:''' Contrary to most formulas, this formula is not imbibed by the user, but added to inert or spilled blood. Adding it to any amount of human blood, or vampiric vitae, creates a heavily flammable slurry. While this does not automatically cause the blood to combust, any introduction of flame to the spilled blood creates a slow-burning, yet powerful, inferno. This fire cannot be extinguished for the duration of the effect, though fires spreading from it can. For each success gained from the distillation roll, the alchemist creates one usage of this power.


'''System:''' The Alchemist has 3 extra dice on Persuasion or Intimidation rolls to make another person or blankbody be honest with them.


 
'''Duration:''' The formulas are preserved until used. The blood-fires last for an entire scene, or potentially longer, depending on the fire's surroundings.
'''Duration:''' One hour


<div style='text-align: right;'>
<div style='text-align: right;'>
''<sub>Second Inquisition, pg. 46</sub>''
''<sub>Winter's Teeth, vol. 2</sub>''
</div></div>
</div></div>



Revision as of 17:36, 4 April 2023


THIN-BLOOD ALCHEMY

Cooking | Homebrew | The Craft | Mash | Kineticism


The thin Blood of the latest generations holds barely any power of its own. But certain thin-bloods have learned to use it as a catalyst, awakening the latent power in everything from human trauma to gasoline. Born of the street drug scene and cocktail culture as much as it w as uncovered by instinct or in moldering medieval texts, thin-blood Alchemy may be the defining art of the next-millennium lick. By blending strongly resonant human blood, and sometimes other substances, with their own vitae, Alchemists can counterfeit a wide range of powers from other Disciplines – and some unique powers of their own. Rumors already abound of specific elixirs that grant the ability to walk in sunlight, commune with Antediluvians, or achieve Golconda. But for now, the street-level cookers have all they can do to stay out of the Court’s sight – plenty of elders consider Alchemy nothing but watered-down diablerie.


Alchemy can counterfeit some Blood Sorcery powers (those that affect the caster’s Blood), but not Rituals. The Storyteller can rule any other power off-limits to Alchemy if they worry about game balance or the plausibility of the fiction – and reverse themselves later if they wish, or hint at unique recipes developed in Switzerland or hidden in a Cairo library. The Discipline is young, and thin-bloods have hardly explored every possible working or tasted every possible cocktail.




CHARACTERISTICS


Discipline thin-blood-alchemy.png
  • Type: Alchemy
  • Masquerade Threat:
    Varies as widely as the powers it counterfeits and the method used.
  • Blood Resonance:
    Required for each formula and varies accordingly.

All formulae require vitae from the Alchemist and human blood of the correct Resonance. The Resonant human blood can be stored in a blood bag, or in a Starbucks to-go cup for that matter. The specific amount needed depends on the degree of the donor’s Resonance and on the Storyteller’s whim.


In these rules, “power level” always refers to the level of Alchemy involved, not the level of the power counterfeited with the formula.


All formulae have a cost to distill, and then the cost to activate. The distillation cost reflects the fact that all formulae include the Alchemist’s own vitae: A single Rouse Check. Activation cost for a formula is the same as using the power normally: free, or some number of additional Rouse Checks.


Alchemy-chart.jpg

Once activated, the Alchemist makes a distillation roll to determine how effective the particular mixture was. Each version of Alchemy builds a different dice pool for the distillation roll. The more successes, the more effective the mixture.


Some powers require their own dice rolls to take effect, or to measure the degree of success. The Alchemist makes those rolls where needed, substituting their rating in Thin-Blood Alchemy for the specific Discipline rating where relevant.


To learn a new formula requires research time, whether the Alchemist spends it poring through libraries or in meditation or on tasting expeditions or performing laboratory experimentation. Players should write down which formulae their character already knows, and any special ingredients it requires. A character receives a formula for free for each dot in Thin-Blood Alchemy and can purchase additional formulae with experience and experimentation.



DISTILLATION METHODS


When the first dot in Thin-Blood Alchemy is gained, the Alchemist chooses their method. This is the way they perform their distillation. Learning a different method means starting from scratch, essentially counting it as a separate Discipline. In this case, formulae for one method do not apply to other methods known, and the same formula must be learnt separately for each method.


  • Athanor Corporis: The Alchemist uses their own body as the athanor, or alchemical furnace. This might be a bio-feedback routine, the result of an initial elixir consumed at initiation, or simply intuitive understanding of how resonances interact. Ingredients usually consist of different types of resonance mixes, requiring the Alchemist to sample the blood of multiple victims to get just the right blend.

    The Alchemist drinks the different types of resonant blood required and the process is performed within their veins with a distillation roll of Stamina + Alchemy, together with a Rouse Check.

    Only one power can be active at a time, and a new power must be distilled before it can be activated. This usually takes at least three turns of concentration, during which the Alchemist can do nothing else.


  • Calcinatio: The Alchemist uses the body of a human as the athanor, adjusting their biophysical state by means of emotional pressure and spoken incantations. (Some practitioners of Calcinatio use drugs on their subjects instead.) The Alchemist then feeds their Blood to the chosen human, paying the distillation cost, and makes the distillation roll with Manipulation + Alchemy.

    The human’s entire body distills the formula. The Alchemist then drinks their blood to use the power (required Hunger slaked equals power level minus 1).

    The Alchemist can only distill one power per victim, though the victim retains the formula within them as long as they’re kept in the same emotional state; each power takes as long to activate as it takes to drain that quantity of blood (p. 212).


  • Fixatio: Lacking the physical or social predilections of the other methods, the Alchemist uses a conventional athanor such as a kiln, a metalworking furnace, a meth cooker, a repurposed propane tank, or the like. This method most resembles “classical” alchemy: the Alchemist pours their Blood as well as inert, usually rare, ingredients into the athanor, pays the distillation cost, and distills them inside it with an Intelligence + Alchemy roll.

    The resulting formulae are fixed, meaning that the Alchemist can carry them around on their person and imbibe them to activate their power. (Roll the distillation roll upon consumption, not upon production.) However, without a laboratory, they cannot make any more – at most, they might be able to “one-pot” a weak (Level 3 or less) formula using a pressure-cooker or other field expedient. Using such unsuitable equipment reduces the distillation dice pool by 2 dice.

    The Alchemist can carry a number of fixed formulae (of any level) equal to their Wits or Dexterity – keeping the vials safe, stable, hidden, and leakproof is not a trivial task. (The Storyteller can decide if each vial takes up the space of a syringe, a can of Red Bull, or a thermos.) The Alchemist can store a number of fixed formulae (of any level) equal to twice the sum of Alchemy plus their dots in Haven: a refrigerator is almost a necessity. Fixed does not necessarily mean shelf stable, after all.

    The Alchemist can activate one power per turn.