Asomatous
By Bryan Rendell (bryan@nod.zikzak.net)
Description
There are many human legends from Asia that tell of vampire ghosts: incorporeal spirits that feed on blood. It is quite likely that the Discipline of Asomatous is the root of these legends, for Asomatous is the power of the spirit form. Kindred, being dead, have some natural affinities with the spirits of the dead, and Asomatous enables its possessors to exercise power over their own forms, drawing on the spirit world to become spirit-like themselves.Asomatous is a Discipline found in the mysterious East, so should be exceedingly rare amongst western Kindred. Generally speaking, only ancient western Kindred will possess Asomatous.
* Whisper of Passing
The character is able to move in total silence, and to leave absolutely no physical trace of his passage. The character could walk over dead leaves without a sound, and through sand without disturbing a grain. The power can have an unnerving effect if witnessed. The character may walk through thick underbrush without causing a single leaf or twig to tremor. However, the character can only go where a normal mortal could conceivably go without actually hacking a way through. The character could not walk through a thick bramble patch, for example.System: The character must spend a single Blood Point to initiate the effect. The power lasts for a single scene.
** Spirit Vision
The character can view the world in an entirely new way. The world is now perceived in terms of the spiritual presence of objects. Inanimate objects are colourless and dark, living things are bright and colourful, and actual spirit presences made manifest (Kindred, Garou, Mages, materialised spirits, corporeal Wraiths, mystic items etc) are exceedingly distinct and sparkling.The vision is more than enough for the character to navigate around with. However, many details captured by normal sight are lost. Text cannot be read as it is indistinguishable from the material it is printed on; individuals cannot be recognised except at close range, and distant objects tend to blur into a featureless mass. The power is totally unaffected by light or its lack, and operates equally in total darkness or in blinding light. The powers of Obtenebration have a spiritual presence of their own, and will block the use of Spirit Vision normally if the opposing character's level of Obtenebration exceeds the character's Asomatous level. Any spiritual presence, whether from the Astral plane, the Umbra or the Shadowlands, is identifiable by the use of Spirit Vision, but only if it manifests in the physical world. The character has no ability to see anything that remains in the spirit realms.
System: Spirit Vision can be activated automatically, although it takes a full turn to do so.
*** Ghost Tread
Ghost Tread enables the character to move without impediment across the top of any solid or liquid. The character could run at full speed across rocky ground, mud, snow, thin ice or water. While the power is in operation, the character will not sink into liquid, and a character who is immersed in liquid can use Ghost Tread to "climb" to the surface, as though walking up stairs. While Ghost Tread allows the character to walk across any surface, it does not protect the character from what he is walking upon. The character can walk on molten lava, but will certainly still suffer for it.System: The character must spend a Blood Point to initiate the effect, which lasts for a scene.
**** Flight of the Soul
The character is now able to fly, and much more besides. The net effect of the power seems to be that the character can redirect and control the pull of gravity upon himself. The character can thus ignore gravity. He can fly, levitate, or walk straight up a wall, on to the ceiling and stand upside-down.System: The power activates automatically upon the expenditure of a Blood Point, and the effect lasts for a scene. The character can move at a maximum rate of twice his running speed.
***** Ghost Form
Ghost Form enables the character to transform his body into a strange ectoplasmic form. The character's appearance remains unchanged but he is no longer present to physical objects. Objects simply pass through the character, and the character may simply pass through objects. Thus bullets and stakes cannot harm the character, and he can walk through walls. The exception to this is living and spiritual objects. The character can still interact with the living and the undead while using Ghost Form, and vice versa. The character can still be punched or kicked (even though the boot doesn't hit him, the foot does) or clawed, and the character can feed from a living vessel. The character can also be hit by, and in turn manipulate, magical objects.Ghost Form renders the character effectively immune to the elements. Freezing temperatures, crushing pressures and howling winds pass straight through the character. Unfortunately, the character is still fully vulnerable to fire and sunlight while using Ghost Form.
System: The character must spend a Blood Points to activate Ghost Form. It takes three turns to complete the transformation (though the Storyteller may allow it to take place in only one turn with the expenditure of three Blood Points). The effect lasts until the character chooses to end it. The effect will automatically end when the character sleeps.