Fortitude Revised (version 2)
By Vincent Sollars (bubba@falcon.cc.ukans.edu)
Author's Notes
Fortitude as it stands is a discipline that is less than illustrious. Sure a vamp needs it to survive throught the ages, but getting it is like taking medicine -- you don't really want to but you know it's for the best. It isn't even on par with Potence. Three levels of Fortitude won't even come close to protecting you from three levels of Potence. Well anyways, here is the system of fortitude I use in my chronicles for those that are interested. It comes from different sources as well as some original thoughts.
Description
Fortitude describes a type of supernatural toughness and vigor, which allows Kindred extra advantages in resisting the harm to which their kind is especially vulnerable. All vampires have a powerful constitution, and are able to shrug off the injury inflicted by guns and weapons of all sorts. However, most are very susceptible to sunlight and fire, and are easily harmed by them. Those with Fortitude are not easily bowed by even these elemental forces, and are even more resistant to "normal" injuries.System: Fortitude provides the ability to resist sunlight and fire to those who possess it. For each level of Fortitude a character possesses, he may roll one die to soak damage from fire and sunlight. Fortitude is also added to a character's ability to soak other wounds (each level of Fortitude adds to the number of dice in a character's soak pool).
* Muscle Rigidity
** Resilience
The control over your muscle firmness has increased considerably to the point that bullets from small caliber guns can actually lodge in your skin on occasion.System: The character now gains an added bruised damage level. This is the first damage level lost when wounded and heals as any other damage level.
*** Skeletal Vigor
With this power you have begun to be able to sense your inner body. It has allowed you to increase the solidity of your bones to a degree that makes them very difficult to break. This strengthening of your skeleton has made you even more resistant to injury.System: All soak roll difficulties are reduced by one, except those against fire and sunlight.
**** Inner Awareness
You have become more in tune with your inner body. Your skill in controlling its elasticity and firmness has increased noticeably. The ability to sense and control your body has allowed you to mend small wounds and reduce the severity of other wounds by merely concentrating on the process.System: Damage levels can now be mended without blood being expended. Roll Self-Control with a target number of 8 under stressful conditions such as combat while target number of 6 under normal circumstances. The character can roll once per wound received (only one wound level can be healed for each injury in this manner). Remaining wound levels must be healed with blood as normally. Aggravated wound levels caused by fire or sunlight may never be healed in this manner, while all others add +1 to the target number to heal.
***** Unity of the Body
With this power muscles and bones can fuse together and release instantly to absorb and distribute the strength of a blow throughout the body. At this point most non-military firearms will not even phase you.System: All soak roll difficulties are reduced by two, except those against fire and sunlight. This is not in addition to soak roll difficulty reduction by skeletal vigor, but replaces it.
****** Flesh of Marble
Once this power is taken, the character's skin becomes as hard as stone while losing none of its flexibility. It is nearly impossible to cut or stake the character without proper equipment or preparation.System: Ten successes are needed to stake the character in melee. The character suffers only half the normal damage from everything except fire and sunlight (in terms of total successes; round down). Thus, soak rolls are much easier to make (this replaces the bonuses to soak rolls from Skeletal Vigor and Unity of the Body).