Spirit of the Warrior

By Jason Levine (pkitty@cris.com)

Description

While Tremere are not notorious for their prowess in physical combat (most prefer to stay in the back, working their magicks), this path has been developed by the Assamites, as well various combative Tremere.

* Combat Awareness

The character becomes supernaturally alert and aware in combat, acting more swiftly than others and becoming nearly impossible to surprise.

System: No roll is required to activate this power. While on, the character automatically gets the highest initiative in combat (if multiple vampires are using this power, roll Wits + Alertness to see which one acts first). In addition, he can sense sneak attacks or enemies behind him with a Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty depends on how close and immediate the danger is, from 5 to 8; vampires using Unseen Presence roll Wits + Stealth, subtracting their successes). Leaving this power on for extended periods becomes stressful; the twinges of warning from potential hazards become distracting, and paranoia starts to set in. For every half-hour the power is left on when not in combat, the character suffers a -1 die penalty to his dice pools. In combat, this penalty is eliminated, but after combat, the penalty returns until it has been left off for as long as it was left on.

** Warrior's Persistance

The character can shrug off the most grievous wounds, fighting on as if uninjured.

System: By spending a Willpower point, the character can roll against Stamina + Survival (difficulty equal to damage levels taken, plus 2). Each success allows the vampire to ignore all wound penalties, up to Crippled, for one turn. Incapacitated vampires can move, and even fight, but are at a -5 penalty to their dice pools. This power can be maintained, for the full original duration, by spending another point of Willpower.

*** Blood Armor

The character can coat his body with his own blood, which protects him like armor. While so armored, the character's skin takes on a ruddy tone.

System: For each blood point used to coat the body, the char acter gains one level of Fortitude. It takes approximately one minute to cover the body. The maximum number of blood points that can be so used at once is equal to his level in this path. Every time this Fortitude is used to soak damage (successful or not), one level is lost.

**** Strength of Will

By channeling his force of will, the character can become faster, stronger, and hardier.

System: The vampire must spend a blood point and make a Willpower roll (difficulty 6). He then uses the successes to raise his physical attributes (as if they were spent blood) and to create a duration in turns. This is cumulative with spending blood. A botch on the Willpower roll halves the vampire's physical attributes for the remainder of the scene, from the strain.

***** Form of the Predator

The character becomes an inhuman killing machine, optimized for combat. This form is reptilian and mute, and constantly changes color to match the background.

System: The character must spend a blood point. The transfor mation takes three turns; the Storyteller may allow the character to spend three blood points to transform in one turn. This form grants the following benefits: Potence 3 (characters with Potence add 2 dots), Fortitude 3 (characters with Fortitude add 2 dots), 3 dots added to Dexterity, and claws that do aggravated damage. The form's eyes are eerie and terrifying; anyone meeting their gaze must make a Courage roll (difficulty 8 for kine, 6 for Kindred) or be frozen in place. The form is a silent chameleon, adding two dice to any stealth attempt, and raising the diffi culty to see or hear it by two. This form is mute, however, making communication or Dominate impossible. All social attributes are dropped to zero, and no Thaumaturgy can be used.