Animalismo
A vampire’s Beast is not just a facet of her predatory nature, but a predator in and of itself — and it’s at the top of the food chain. A vampire can slip the leash of her Beast just a little to overpower weaker animals, forcing her will on them. Most Animalism powers affect predators and scavenging animals. In a city, the Kindred can call on feral cats and dogs, pigeons and crows, foxes, and more rats than anyone wants to think about. Rural vampires can summon bats, wolves, mountain lions, and even bears — any animal that feasts on the flesh of another.
Susurros Salvajes •
El vampiro debe hacerse entender a aquellos a los que quiere liderar. Es así tanto con bestias como con hombres. Un vampiro usando Susurros Salvajes sobreviene las reacciones típicas de los animales y se hace entender. Puede preguntarle preguntas a una criatura y esta debe responder lo mejor que pueda, y con empujar un poco más, puede hacerle que obedezca. Un vampiro listo puede usar cuervos y urracas para espiar a sus víctimas desde el aire, o decirle a los mastines de un gangster que acaben con su dueño.
El vampiro habla con el animal, ya sea usando palabras humanas o, más frecuentemente, haciendo sonidos animales propios. Puede liderar un grupo de animales, como una bandada de pájaros o un grupo de ratas, siempre y cuando esté lo suficientemente cerca de los animales como para que le escuchen y le puedan ver.
Coste: Ninguno
Reservas de Dados: Manipulación + Trato con Animales + Animalismo
Acción: Instantánea
Duración: Una escena, el comando dura hasta una noche.
Resultados de la Tirada
Fallo Dramático: El animal no entiende lo que quiere decirle el vampiro, dándole información falsa cuando pregunta, u obedeciendo una versión muy cambiada de la orden que le dio el vampiro.
Fallo: Los animales le temen a la Bestia, huyendo de un depredador superior.
Éxito: El vampiro logra comunicarse con un animal, preguntándole lo que ha percibido. Muchos animales pueden recordar lo que ha pasado durante la última noche. Los animales relatan lo que se han encontrado a través de sus propias percepciones --Los perros responden en términos de olores y ruidos, mientras que los pájaros relatan lo que vieron. El vampiro también puede darle a la víctima una simple orden, equivalente a algo que el animal pudiera hacer por sí mismo, como "atácale", "síguela y luego vuelve aquí" o "muerde estos cables". La orden no suele durar más de una noche, pero el vampiro puede añadir alguna contingencia como forzar a la bestia a esconderse bajo el suelo si le detectan o volver al vampiro cuando la orden se haya completado.
Éxito Excepcional: El animal es increíblemente obediente hacia el vampiro, improvisando para seguir el espíritu de la orden del vástago.
Levantar al Familiar ••
Las bestias verdaderas no pueden ser Abrazadas. Nunca tienen la Humanidad necesaria. Con este poder, por el contrario, el vampiro puede completar el proceso hasta la mitad. Alimentando a un animal seco algo de su Vitae, el vampiro puede infusionar al animal con un fragmento de la vida crepuscular del vástago. Se ve igual que cuando murió, aunque si es apropiado puede ganar colmillos retráctiles, como un vampiro. Pero los colmillos son una mentira --su verdadera tragedia es que no puede transformar sangre en Vitae. Si fuera herido de muerte, mantiene las cicatrices de las heridas, pero su cuerpo funciona perfectamente. Un coyote aplastado por un SUV tendría una marca de los neumáticos, pero no tendría ningún hueso roto, y un cuervo con un ala rota tendría el hueso sobresaliéndole del ala, pero podría seguir volando.
El animal no actúa como si fuese normal -- no caza comida y tampoco le asustan los sonidos altos. Duerme durante el día, pero se vuelve activo por la noche. Un humano observando dicho animal podría deducir que algo va mal, pero solo las heridas más graves le darían la excusa para investigar la situación más a fondo.
Coste: 1 Vitae
Prerrequisito: Darle 1 Vitae al cadáver (incluido en el coste).
Reserva de Dados: Ninguna
Acción: Instantánea
Duración: (Potencia de Sangre x Aguante del Animal) noches
El vampiro le da 1 punto de Vitae al cadáver de un animal. El animal vuelve con un semblante de vida un número de noches igual a (Potencia de Sangre x Aguante del animal). Una vez que ha despertado a la bestia, el vampiro puede darle más Vitae. Cada punto asegura la existencia continuada del animal como si el vampiro le hubiese levantado de nuevo.
La criatura levantada gana un semblante de inteligencia y cierta picaría mínima, lo justo como para seguir órdenes complejas que otros animales no entendería, y para entender el espíritu de una orden en vez de solo la letra. Trata al familiar como si tuviera 1 punto en Inteligencia.
Lleno de Vitae, el familiar recibe daño contundente como si fuera un vampiro y no puede caer inconsciente ni desangrarse. El animal no se descompone.
La Vitae que vive dentro de las venas muertas del animal crea un enlace simpático entre este y el vampiro. El vampiro puede usar Susurros Salvajes con su familiar en cualquier momento, a través de cualquier distancia y comunicándose en silencio o dándole órdenes a cualquier rango. Aunque debe seguir tirando para ver si su familiar interpreta bien su orden, el animal no se resiste.
Summon the Hunt •••
The vampire infuses some of her Vitae with the essence of her prey, making it irresistible to other predators and scavenging beasts. Wherever she spills her blood — on the ground, over an object, or even splashing it on another person— the animals she calls will try to consume it. Her blood only loses potency once the summoned animals destroy whatever she poured it over or once the sun rises, at which point the Vitae burns away as though it were never present. She can focus her Beast’s call on one kind of creature, for example summoning just birds or rats. Prey animals in the affected area rightly shy away, afraid of the power of a vampire’s Beast.
Cost: 2 Vitae
Requirement: Spill 1 Vitae upon the target (included in cost).
Dice Pool: Presence + Animal Ken + Animalism
Action: Instant
Duration: One night, or until the item marked with blood is destroyed.
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The animals follow the Beast’s call, but lash out against the vampire in fear.
Failure: Animals within the Discipline’s range feel their normal fear of the Kindred and stay well away.
Success: The vampire chooses when spilling the Vitae whether to summon all predators and scavengers, or whether to restrict herself to one kind of animal. All animals that match her request within (successes) city blocks in the city, or (successes * 100) yards (successes * 90 meters) in the country respond to her call. Once they taste the spilled Vitae, the vampire can imprint a command as though she had used Feral Whispers on the animal. All animals receive the same command, but it persists even while the vampire slumbers; the animals follow her command for one night per success.
Exceptional Success: Animals that taste the vampire’s blood follow her command with single-minded zeal. They do not stop to eat or sleep, deriving sustenance from the taste of Vitae alone.
Feral Infection ••••
The vampire floods the area with her predatory aura, infecting everything around her with the ravings of her Beast. The scent of her blood inspires rage in animals, and can drive men mad, especially those who have recently touched her blood. Other Kindred witnessing the effects of Feral Infection recognize the Beast unchained, likening the victims’ actions to their own moments of frenzy. The vampire using this Discipline can exert a measure of control over her victims’ madness, focusing her own Beast against some victim she wants to crush, or a goal she wants to conquer.
Cost: 2 Vitae
Requirement: Spill 1 Vitae upon the ground (included in
cost).
Dice Pool: Presence + Intimidation + Animalism
Action: Instant
Duration: Scene
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The vampire loses hold of her Beast, and it smashes past her. She is provoked to frenzy, though with a –2 die modifier on the roll to resist.
Failure: Affected animals display odd behavior — chasing their tails, or attacking their own limbs — but nothing drives them into a rage.
Success: Any animal that can smell the vampire’s blood enters a state of feral rage. It lashes out, attacking the nearest victim without a thought for its own safety. Once the victim is unconscious or dead, the animal feeds on his flesh. If the vampire wishes, she can direct the mob of frenzied creatures towards a single target or goal. She can’t give complex instructions or a direct command, but can point out targets to attack or the direction to move in.
Humans and supernatural creatures must make a reflexive (Resolve + Composure – vampire’s successes) roll to resist the vampire’s predatory Aura. If the victim has touched or imbibed the vampire’s blood within the last night, they suffer a –3 die penalty. A failed roll puts the victim under the vampire’s command. Vampires and werewolves frenzy, their victims dictated by the Kindred who provoked them. Humans and other supernatural creatures fall into an atavistic state where they must attack the target, or move towards it if they can’t reach it. If the vampire does not set a command, her victims turn upon one another. A supernatural creature can spend a point of Willpower to ignore the vampire’s commands, though she remains frenzied.
Exceptional Success: Unleashing her Beast sates it temporarily. The vampire gains the Sated Condition (p. 305).
Lord of the Land •••••
The vampire marks her territory with Vitae, in much the same way that animals use urine or feces. She must encircle her territory in a ring of Vitae, claiming it as her own — assuming she has driven off any prior residents. When encircling the territory, she must walk the whole border. Some Kindred open wounds on their hands and arms and walk at a stately pace, dripping a slow stream of thick blood behind them. Others run wild, smearing blood and bodily fluids on surfaces like a feral beast.
Once she has established her territory, the vampire is privy to everything that happens within it. She can command animals, summon or banish people, and provoke other vampires to leave her lair. Most vampires establish their territory in small places, like a brownstone or small public garden. A powerful vampire might claim a whole public park or castle, but he must make sure that nothing interrupts his claim — more than one vampire has discovered that his territory is already claimed by an angry pack of werewolves halfway through claiming it.
Cost: 3-9 Vitae and 1 Willpower
Requirement: The vampire must walk a circuit around his new territory while marking it with Vitae. Three Vitae is enough to secure a small house or garden, six can secure a city block, while nine is enough to claim a castle. She must make sure that the area contains no other vampires; many Kindred prefer to evict all supernatural denizens. While the Discipline will still function if her territory contains werewolves or other monsters, they will suffer the effects — and will deduce that the vampire is to blame.
Dice Pool: None
Action: Instant
Duration: One week per dot of Blood Potency, longer if the vampire remains in his territory.
The vampire marks her territory. It remains empowered for at least one week per dot of Blood Potency, though the effects of this Discipline only end when the vampire leaves her territory after the duration. Rumors speak of ancient vampires lying in torpor whose territories remain active to this day.
A vampire’s territory scares off most creatures. Animals and wild beasts won’t enter, and will fight to escape if forced inside, unless otherwise affected by the vampire’s powers. Humans and supernatural creatures, including other vampires, must succeed at a reflexive Composure + Blood Potency roll to enter — or to stay in the area once it is created. Unless they roll an exceptional success, the feeling of overwhelming dread inflicts a –3 die penalty on all actions. For Kindred, simply being in another vampire’s territory is provocation to frenzy, and rolls to resist suffer a –2 die penalty. If a vampire explicitly invites someone into his territory — or uses Feral Whispers or Summon the Hunt in the case of animals — they do not suffer these penalties. Ghoul animals are also exempt.
When the vampire is within her territory, she can feel when a person or animal crosses into her territory; if an invader is a vampire, she knows his general Blood Potency. She always has a rough idea of where everyone is within her domain, and only supernatural means such as Disciplines can cut through her awareness — triggering a Clash of Wills. As the undisputed master of her territory, a frenzying creature cannot attack the vampire, nor may they spend Willpower to resist her commands delivered through Feral Infection. Any commands given by Feral Whispers last indefinitely, or until the animal leaves the vampire’s territory. Finally, the vampire can snatch the senses of any animal she has raised with Raise the Familiar within her territory, and use that animal to deliver commands using Feral Whispers to other creatures.