By Michael Robbins (your_raven@hotmail.com) for the Bloodshades bloodline.
System: Roll Willpower (Difficulty 8), the resulting successes equalling the extra soak dice the Cossack gets. Each use of this power lasts for one scene and costs 1 blood. Note that the resulting energy turns the skin of the Cossack pure black everywhere except the hands, head, and neck. This also means that any attacks to those specific areas do not grant the Cossack the extra dice. The power is also ended prematurely by contact with light brighter than a cande or torch. Thus most Cossacks wear clothes that cover the areas that will be infused with darkness.
System: There is no blood cost or roll to activate the power. The Cossack can simply always see no matter the lighting conditions. A favored tactic for Cossack attack squads is to attack the lights of the enemy first to grant them a large advantage.
System: The vampire rolls Willpower (Difficulty 6), the resulting success being the damage dice the weapon will do in addition to the vampire's strength. The weapon can take any shape the Cossack desires, but is always a melee weapon. The damage done is not aggravated. The favored weapon of the Cossack is a saber and many learn a specialization in it after the Embrace. This power costs 1 blood to activate and lasts for a scene.
System: Whenever the Storyteller deems that someone approaching the vampire is an enemy, make a secret test for the character. Charisma is used, since if the character isn't nice to the spirits they will not help him. The Difficulty is 8, but one success grants the warning. It is important that the power only responds to those the vampire thinks of as an enemy. If his best friend is coming to Diablerize him and he doesn't suspect it, there will be no warning. Of course some vampires are so paranoid that anyone approaching would trigger the power. Who said paranoia doesn't pay?
System: Same as last level's check but the Difficulty is now 10 (the spirits really don't like manifesting in the material world). If the test succeeds the spirits will appear as large shadow hounds that will attack the foe. Each opponent that tries to get near the vampire will be visited by two Shadowhounds and when the opponent is killed, knocked unconscious, or runs away the dogs leave. Each dog that appears will take three blood from the vampire, which do not count against the vampire's limited blood expenditure per round. The vampire does have the option of paying for the spirits' services or not. If he doesn't want to pay the blood they simply don't arrive. If any dog dies in a fight then the other dog he appeared will with disappear as well.
Shadowhound: Str: 4 Dex: 2 Sta: 4 Cha: 4 Man: 2 App: 2 Per: 6 Int: 1 Wit: 3 Talents: Brawl 3, Dodge 3, Athletics 1 Skills: Stealth 4 Attack Dice: 5 Damage Dice: 6 (non-aggravated) Soak Dice: 5 Will: 6 Health: OK, OK, OK, OK, Banished
System: The vampire spends 3 blood to change in one round, or 1 per round for three rounds. The body and clothing of the vampire becomes composed entirely of semi-morphous darkness. He gets +3 to Dex, which can exceed the normal human max of 5 in physical attributes. He gets +5 dice to soak, but cannot use Darkforge 1 at this time. The weapons he makes with Darkforge 3 now seem to come out of his body and do aggravated wounds at this point. He also gets +6 Dice to any stealth tests that would logically be helped by being almost invisible in darkness. Finally, this body is not changed back to normal by light sources like Darkforge 1. However, the body is not liquid enough to fit through cracks or even through bars of a door. In any situation where a normal person could get through with difficulty or maybe just miss fitting, the Darkform can fit. The vampire now takes double damage from sunlight in this form and light of a fire is especially hard on the Darkform, raising all Rotschreck Difficulties by 2.