Vitanimae

By Mazer Priest (cymmerian@hotmail.com) for the Burning Men and the Children of the Mind

Description

The Discipline of the Blood, Vitanimae allows a vampire increased flexibility and utility of the vitae in her system. Though previously known only to the Burning Men, Vitanimae has recently made its way into the hands of the Children of the Mind.

Similar to Thaumaturgy and thaumaturge, any vampire who knows the secrets of Vitanimae may be known as a Vitanimus.

* Concentration

Similar to vampires of lower Generations, the Vitanimus concentrates her blood, allowing for a larger blood pool. Each level in the Vitanimae adds one to the maximum blood pool of the character, with an additional two at the purchase of this power. This allows a 13th Generation vampire 13 blood points with only one level of Vitanimae. If the Generation of the vampire decreases, the blood pool increases correspondingly, with the extra blood points bestowed by this power added onto it afterwards.

** Proficient Digestion

The vampire can digest blood more smoothly and efficiently into vitae, gaining an extra blood point for every blood point imbibed. Combined with the Efficient Digestion Merit, this translates into three points of vitae per blood point imbibed. This power is cumulative with Pastoralis' Loaves and Fishes, meaning a vampire so lucky would gain four blood points per blood per imbibed, or six if he also had Efficient Digestion.

*** Knitting

By learning the patterns of the body, the Vitanimus is better able to heal wounds. For every blood point spent, the vampire heals three wound levels, or two if the vampire has Fortitude; the stitching of Fortified flesh is much more intricate and less easily knitted back together. Note that a vampire must spend an action to gain this healing advantage unless he makes a Stamina + Occult roll vs. 7 (8 for Fortitude). Each success on such a roll heals one health level, though no more than normal may be healed. Failure means the blood is wasted; a botch can make the damage aggravated.

**** Feeding the Fire

The Vitanimus gains better control over the utility of the blood, able to spend one more blood per turn than usual for her Generation.

***** Mantle of Atlas

The Vitanimus gains the ability to increase almost any trait (Attribute, Ability, Discipline, Virtue, etc.) one dot higher than normal for her Generation, though this cannot yield an effect of more than level eight. Such strength is achievable only through true Generation or Golconda.

***** Strengthening the Blood

The Vitanimus can thicken her blood, lowering her effective Generation by one. She gains all advantages thereof, including increased Blood Pool, possibly higher Trait scores and blood per turn, and resistance to Dominate.

Any vampires she sires, however, will come out at the normal Generation, as if she did not have this power. Likewise will any vampire diablerizing her be somewhat disappointed. Ghouls, however, treat her blood as potent as any blood from "the real thing."

There are no Vitanimii known to have ever been lowered even to the 4th Generation, let alone the 2nd or 1st, so the effect of such an unlikely event is unknown. It is rumored that this effect cannot lower a vampire below the 5th Generation; the truth of this remains to be found.

***** * Blood of Might

The thickening of the blood in this case does not result in a lowered Generation, but rather a more potent Blood Bond. Though the Blood Bond itself is no stronger, it requires but two drinks, with the first giving an effect somewhat similar to the usual second drink. For one with the Strong Blood Merit -- which ordinarily yields a Blood Bond in but two drinks -- only one drink is required.

***** * Delayed Diablerie

The Vitanimus may diablerize a vampire up to one hour after the vampire's passing, provided the Vitanimus has at least three blood points of the victim's vitae. This also requires the consumption of the victim's heart.

***** ** Blood Spear

The Vitanimus can mold her blood into a physical weapon which can be flung from her blood stream at will (Dexterity + Firearms). Such a weapon deals two dice of damage per blood point spent. Such damage is lethal but not aggravated, though the Vitanimus may make it bashing at a whim. In either case, the attack does one non-soakable health level of damage to the Vitanimus, though this may be healed as per normal.

***** *** Thickened Blood

With his blood so thickened, the Vitanimus gains no ill effects (vampires don't have hernias or heart attacks). Instead, his Fortitude is augmented, yielding automatic successes to physical damage (not sunlight/fire/chemicals). This power is useless without Fortitude.

***** *** True Blood

The Vitanimus lowers her Generation by one more Generation, though this (probably) cannot bring her lower than 5th Generation. Unlike Strengthening the Blood, this power lowers the vampire's Generation entirely, meaning all the details of diablerie and Siring are changed just a bit. Also, if one also has Strengthening the Blood, its effect likewise becomes "true" Generation.