Speed of Thought
By Robert "the Dragon" Detter (dragonva@aol.com)
Description
Speed of Thought is a movement Discipline, created by the Caitiff Vampire. It increases the amount of basic movement* a Vampire is capable of. It also enhances reaction times so that the Kindred practicing Speed can still act in spite of moving so much faster than normal. Every level adds to Dexterity when it is being used, but only by the amount specified in each level (the increase in Dexterity is not cumulative from level to level). The Dexterity increase is figured in before movement allowance is modified by that level of Discipline. When a Willpower check is called for, the Vampire must get at least 3 successes to invoke the power in question.
* Run like the Wind
Increases basic movement allowance by 2 times, ie: walking becomes 14 yards per action instead of 7 yards. Jogging becomes 24 yards + (2 x Dex) and running becomes 40 yards + 2 x (3 x Dex). Dexterity is also increased by 1 dot while this power is on.
** Answering Air's Call
Like Run like the Wind, only now the Vampire can fly at the same speed at which she could walk, though she cannot "jog", nor "run" while flying. The vampire must make a Willpower to roll, dificulty 6, to fly. Dexterity increases by 1 dot (not cumulative with the increase for Run like the Wind).
*** Swift Feet
Increases movement by 3 times basic. Walking now becomes 21 yards per action, jogging is 36 yards + (3 x Dex), and running is 60 yards + 3 x (3 x Dex). Dexterity now increases by 2 dots while using this Discipline.
**** Leave Earth's Embrace
Flight now increases to a maximum of equal to Swift Feet's jogging speed of 36 yards + Dexterity. Again, Dexterity does not increase by more than the 2 dots. A Willpower check must be made at difficulty 7 to leave the ground.
***** Thought's Fleet Foot
The Vampire is now capable of moving 4 times faster than an unenhanced Kindred or mortal. Walking increases to 28 yards per action, jogging becomes 48 yards + (4 x Dex), and runs swiftly at 80 yards + 4 x (3 x Dex). Dexterity is now increased by 3 dots when using this level of the Discipline.
****** Thought's Flight
The Kindred can now fly at up to the same running speed as Thought's Fleet Foot, ie: 80 yards + 4 x (3 x Dex) per action. Dexterity is increased by 3 dots while this Discipline is active. Roll Willpower vs. a difficulty of 8 to fly at this speed.
******* Moving without Movement
The Kindred is now so fast, that when she moves it seems as if she disappears from one spot to reappear at another within line-of-sight instantly. She is still moving thru the space as if she is walking, but moves so fast it seems as if she is at her destination without moving at all. (The effect is as if the Kindred is using a limited line-of-sight teleport. She must be able to see her target destination when she moves.) Dexterity is increased by 4 dots when this power is invoked, only for while the Kindred is moving. Roll Willpower at a difficulty of 8 to invoke this power. (Roll Dexterity + Athletics to avoid running into anything when moving, difficulty is determined by how crowded the area is. Empty city street is diff. 4, crowded night-club could be as much as diff. 8 or more, unless the Vampire does not care about knocking people and tables out of his way.)
******** Line of Sight
The Kindred can now move from one point to another within sight without moving physically through the intervening space. Her movement has now become a real Teleport, and no longer has to worry about obstacles in her path. Roll Willpower at an 8 difficulty to invoke this power, and spend 1 Blood Point to activate. There is no Dexterity increase with this level of the Discipline.
********* Teleport
The user of this level of Power can now teleport to any familiar location that she has memorized. This takes a Willpower roll, difficulty 8 with at least 3 successes, and 3 Blood points.
********** Speed of Thought
A Vampire can now go anywhere in the world, without having been there first. She must still be able to "see" her destination, using Claivoyance or some other Power that will allow her to see the location, use map coordinates, or someone else's description of the location. In order to invoke this ability, the Kindred must make a Willpower roll at difficulty 8, get 5 successes, and spend 5 Blood Points. Any less than 5 successes and the Vampire has misjudged her point of landing and gets a point of normal damage for each point she missed the Willpower roll by. If she botches the roll, she ends up partially mixed with some element of her destination, taking 5 levels of aggravated damage soakable only by Fortitude, and only another Teleport will remove her from her predicament.
*See VTM 2nd ed., page 211 "Taking Actions", "Moving" section for basic movement allowances. Walking is 7 yards per action, Jogging is 12 yards + Dexterity, and Running is 20 yards + (3 x Dexterity).