Serpentitis

By Tyree Quincan Kimber (caius@ksu.ksu.edu)

Description

Not to be confused with Serpentis. Believed to have originally come from an Egyptian Toreador who was enraged at not having been Embraced a Setite, this "discipline" operates more like a Derangement which causes those posessing it to actually believe that they are Setites! Most commonly posessed by Malkavians, a few Toreador and anyone whose just been in the field too long fighting the Setites. While its bearers are undoubtably weird, those afflicted by Serpentitis do acquire some interesting benefits...

* You are Getting Sleeepy. Veeerrryy Sleeepyy...

The character acquires the strange golden eyes of a Setite, but none of the power. Nevertheless, the vampire believes that he is affecting people's minds and can never be convinced otherwise. Sometimes, he just might get people to believe him.

System: By rolling Man.+Intimidation at difficulty 9 as an extended action, the character may convince others that they are being affected by first level Serpentis, causing them to act accordingly. The number of successes equals the victim's Intelligence. This power will never work on Setites or anyone possessed of true Serpentis and anyone affected will realize that he has been duped a few seconds after the character leaves his sight, rendering him immune to that character permanantly. Nevertheless, the poor Serpentitis sufferer will keep on trying...

** Alfalfa!

Your tongue can grow to 18" just like a Setite's, but it is not forked and cannot cause damage. However, by rolling Dex.+Brawl the Serpentitis freak can lick another character, draining one point of blood and severely grossing them out.

System: Any character licked by the tongue must make a Self-Control check or be too grossed out to do anything for the remainder of the round other than stand there and wipe saliva off themselves and make disgusted faces.

*** Form Of A Serpent, Any Serpent

By activating this power the character can transform herself into a harmless garter snake. Unfortunately, the character will nonetheless believe herself to be a poisonous cobra and will act accordingly.

System: As for the equivalent Serpentis power, Form of the Serpent.

**** Numbify

: The character enters a state where he believes that he is impervious to anything. He isn't. The character still takes damage in this state, but is not aware of it and suffers no penalties from wounds unless they are from fire or sunlight, which the character can still perceive.

System: Expenditure of one Blood Point. Characters in this state tend to run around screaming about how they are invincible (ala the Black Knight from Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail.)

***** Heart Removal. I'm Not Kidding!

At this level the character's Serpentitis enters its most debilitating phase. The character steadfastly and unshakably believes that her heart has been removed and that she is stakeproof (C'mon! Stake me! Do it, man! I dare ya!) Not even being staked will change their mind about this. If she is staked, she will believe that someone has discovered her heart's hiding place and will become obssessed with "finding" it again.

System: n/a. However, the character does recieve a +1 to dice to resist Rotshcreck. After all, it's not like anything can hurt him...

Levels 6-10

There are none. Serpentitis is a recent Discipline and so far none of its practitioners have lived long enough to raise their Generation high enough to create new powers. In the long run, it's probably better for them that way.