Arachnos

By Feryn, for the Atargia bloodline. Also, a discipline of the Ch'i Chu bloodline.

* Wall Walker

For the cost of 1 Blood Point per scene, the Kindred can cling to any surface which is not oiled, is made of loose pebbles, etc, as per the level three Thaumaturgical ritual "Clinging of the Insect."

** Talons of the Ancients

With this ability, the kindred in question can "pop his claws," just as in Protean 2; however, these 1" claws are hooked talons, suitable more for climbing and cutting web-strands than combat. However, if used in Combat, they inflict Str+1 dam, dif 6, and damage is aggravated. Extending and retracting the claws requires the expenditure of a blood point.

*** Spinnerets

At the third level of Arachnos, the Kindred is capable of spinning tough, sheer, 1/2" thick strands of webbing from spinnerets in the forearms. These webs can be used to encapsulate objects, set snares, or lower the kindred from great heights safely. It has an extremely high tensile strength, (a single strand can support over 500 pounds) and is extremely sticky (equivalent to Str 8, modified by the texture of the surface it is adhered to). If set as a snare, victims must roll Perception and Alertness, difficulty 7 (modified by lighting conditions) to detect the webs before they touch them. The strands have 6 soak dice, and three health levels. They are not particularly subject to fire, but sunlight will burn them away in seconds.

Firing the webs as a climbing line or weapon requires a Dex+"Web Spinning" roll, difficulty calculated as per thrown weapons, and damage as per a bola. Maximum range of a web-shot is Strx10 yards.

For each Blood Point spent, the Kindred can create enough webbing to fill 40 square feet, or lower one's self 300 feet. However, producing this amount of webbing takes an entire action.

Atargia are immune to the adhesive aspect of the webbing, and can easily sever their own webbing with their claws if need be.

**** Venomous Touch

Upon successfully wounding an opponent, the kindred may spend 1 blood point to inject a powerful paralytic venom into the subject. This venom is powerful enough to effect even Garou and Kindred, and is almost certainly fatal to Humans. Once the Blood Point is spent, the Kindred may roll Strength and Medicine (Potence counts as Automatic Successes), difficulty of 8. Each success on this roll reduces the number of dice the victim may roll on all subsequent actions. The venom can be counteracted by a Stamina and Fortitude roll, also difficulty 8. Each action the victim takes for the entire round, including celerity actions, is affected cumulatively, and the anti-venom roll must be made for each attempted action. The venom remains in the system of the target for (14-generation of the attacking Kindred) turns, and the effects are cumulative per action taken. Once the venom has completely incapacitated the victim, it begins to break down the body, inflicting health levels, soakable as per normal. These wounds are aggravated.

The key to not perishing quickly when hit with this venom is to lie still. The more one acts, the quicker the poison works through the system. This venom can be introduced into the victim either by a bite attack or by using claws.

***** Skin of the Forefathers

With this level of proficiency, the Kindred creates a permanent chitinous carapace or exoskeleton, which covers the entire body. This carapace is rather obvious, being a shiny midnight blue/black full-body shell, accented with reds, purples and occasionally greens. As such, the Kindred's appearance is reduced to 0 while the carapace is active. This carapace is permanent, though it can be "suppressed" with a willpower roll (dif 8) and a Blood point. Each success on this roll indicates that the Kindred can suppress the Exoskeleton for 1 hour. This is an aspect most often used when the Kindred in question is hiding his identity and Obfuscate is not practical.

Dexterity is reduced by 2 while the armor is active. This armor is resistant to many attacks, and provides certain additional abilities. The following abilities are gained while the armor is active:

1) The kindred gains 4 soak dice to be used as Fortitude while the carapace is active.

2) fine, delicate hairs cover most of the body, providing a motion-detection ability. The kindred rolls Perception and Alertness, difficulty 8. Each success on this roll gives the Cainite one additional die to roll for initiative for the remainder of the scene. In addition, each success reduces the number of dice lost due to acting blinded by one.

3) The talons that the Kindred gained at L2 Arachnos increase in size and damage to Str+2, without modifying the difficulty. The claws remain retractable as per L2.

4) The Vampire grows four additional limbs in the form of two additional arms per side. Additional arms give the character the ability to make multiple attacks per turn without splitting dice pools, just like Fomor (see W:tA, first Ed, pg 246). Each additional pair of limbs may be equipped with claws and spinnerets, though each additional pair of talons and/or spinnerets must be purchased separately (i.e., 3 sets of spinnerets and 2 sets of claws would cost 5 Blood Points to enable).

****** Weaver of the Fates

At this level of proficiency, the Kindred is capable of spinning webs so intricate that they affect the fates themselves. In order to weave the web effectively, the Kindred requires an item of significance to the person to be effected, and can only affect the person it was designed for. Several types of Web may be constructed, though a maximum of 2 webs may be applied to the same being. Spinning the Web of Fates requires a 10' by 10' area, and a Manipulation + Web Spinning roll, difficulty depending on the Web type.

While the web is intact, the effects remain, and if the object linking the Web to the Target is removed, the effect is canceled. Spinning the Web requires (11-Successes on the Creation roll) in hours to create, and if interrupted, the web collapses into a worthless heap. Destroying a Web requires inflicting 10 wound levels to it, and each type of Web has a number of Soak Dice equal to the current willpower of the Kindred weaving it. Examples of Web of Fate types are as follows:

1) The Weaver's Bane: For each success on the creation roll, the target receives one additional botch on all rolls involving a particular Attribute.

2) The Weaver's Blessing: For each success on the creation roll, the target receives one additional success on any roll involving a particular Attribute, for the purposes of counteracting rolled or accumulated Botches.

3) Weakness of Will: For every two success (round down) on the creation roll, the victim of this Web of Fate is one lower difficulty for purposes of Presence, Dominate, or other mind-effecting disciplines or magic.

4) Strength of Will: As above, but successes increase the difficulty of said effects.

5) Web of Translocation: This Web must be made in pairs, and is the only type of Web of Fate that affects anyone in contact with it. By spending a willpower point while situated in the center of the Web, the individual using the web is instantly transported to the second web of the set. If one of the pair of Webs is damaged, the transportation will not be activated. Each success indicates the maximum distance between the webs according to the following table:

Successes	Distance
1	5 miles
2	25 miles
3	100 miles
4	1000 miles
5	anywhere on the planet
6 or more	Anywhere the Kindred has been.

6) Web of the Umbral Lords: Each success on the creation roll allows the user/target to roll one die against the Gauntlet of her current location for the purposes of side stepping, as well as acting as a maximum number of dice she can roll while in the Umbra. If the Web is destroyed while the User is in the Umbra, she is immediately torn from the Umbra, and suffers a number of aggravated wounds equal to the Gauntlet of the area she emerges in.

7) Web of the Terror of the Disciple: The number of successes on the creation roll equals the difficulty modifier for all actions taken against the target of the Web while he remains in the center of the Web, similar in effect and scope as Majesty.