VAMPIRES

THE CHILDREN OF CAINE

ANIMALISM

The Beast resides within all creatures, from scuttling cockroaches to scabrous rats up through untamed wolves and even powerful Kindred elders. Animalism allows the vampire to amplify his intensely primordial nature. He can not only communicate with animals, but can also force his will upon them, directing such beasts to do as he commands. As the vampire grows in power, he can even control the Beast within mortals and other supernaturals.

Beasts grow distinctly agitated in the presence of a vampire who lacks this Discipline or Animal Ken, often to the point of attacking or running from the vampire. In contrast, vampires possessing Animalism exude a dominant vibe to lower creatures, which attracts them.

LEVEL 1

◉ Sense the Beast

The vampire can sense the Beast present in mortals, vampires, and other supernaturals, gaining a sense of their nature, hunger, and hostility.

System:

Resisted Action

Roll Perception + Animalism vs Empathy + Composure

A win allows the user to sense the level of hostility in a target (whether the person is prepared to do harm or even determined to cause it) and determine whether they harbor a supernatural Beast, marking them as a vampire or werewolf.

◉ Feral Whispers

The vampire can commune with the beasts of the wild and the city. Feral Whispers allows two-way communication with animals. Depending on the vampire’s skill, they can even persuade animals to perform services; like humans, animals seldom agree to things that go against their nature or endanger them.
Vampires can also use Feral Whispers to summon a chosen type of animal in the area. Summoned animals listen to the summoner, but scatter or attack if endangered.

System:

Normal Action

Roll Manipulation + Animalism, Difficulty 12

Vampire may use this for communication as well as persuasion to get animal to follow someone or to defend someone or something with their life on a line.

Vampire may also call out to a certain animal in the area, however be mindful of where you at, such as calling bear in the city wont work.

Upon 1 success 1 animal shows up, and with 4+ successes a pack will show up.

NOTE: The summoning and convincing an animal to do something are two separate actions and because of that can't be done in same turn. Because of that this power is unusable in combat.

For Animal Stats Click: BESTIARY

When using the minions you emote for them in your own post and then roll action for yourself and then your summoned minions.

NOTE: Only Animals can be summoned with this ability, not other entries in the Bestiary.

LEVEL 2

◉◉ Bond Famulus

When Blood Bonding an animal, the vampire can make it a famulus, forming a mental link with it and facilitating the use of other Animalism powers. While this power alone does not allow two-way communication with the animal, it can follow simple verbal instructions such as “stay” and “come here." It attacks in defense of itself and its master but cannot otherwise be persuaded to fight something it would not normally attack.

System:

Passive

This power is essentially a way of getting a pet. You may chose an animal or reptile from BESTIARY and take them as your pet through ghouling them. Not only the pet will carry out any command without need to use Feral Whisper but it is also impossible to ghoul an animal without having this power.

Ghouling an animal gives them these bonuses (Added to original stats which may be found in BESTIARY):

+2 to attack/defense rolls
+2 HP

Note: You can have maximum of 2 familiars. (Can't be of the same type and must be non supernatural animals COMMON and NATIVE to Louisiana, domestic animals such as Cat's and Dogs are permitted, but more exotic pets such as Tigers are not. Also be aware animal control will immediately be dispatched for wild bears or alligators in the city or suburbs. In such cases the animals will be permanently destroyed after they have been used in a scene in these settings. Bears and Alligators loose in the suburbs or city cause panic in the mortal population and the authorities would 100% be called to deal with them.)

◉◉ Unliving Hive

Allows vampire to ghoul insects and even house them on their body, be it inside of their mouth or pockets or even folds on their skin. When kindred decides to unleash the hive to cause havoc.

System:

Passive

Vampire may unleash the hive of the insects at any time, which will be very unnerving to most as well as get in a way. The hive has 5 HP and may not cause any damage however when they swarm someone that person suffers -2 penalty to all Physical and Perception rolls. The swarmed target may take an action to attack the hive, this does not need a roll and will do 1 damage each time, which will take 5 turns to dipurse the hive. If the swarmed target attacks the hive with fire then they deal 3 damage per turn to it, so it takes 2 turns to dispurse the hive.

LEVEL 3

◉◉◉ Quell The Beast

By locking eyes with a target, the vampire cows their inner Beast into temporary slumber. Mortals affected thus become apathetic, unable to take any actions other than to stay alive, while vampires’ bestial urges temporarily abate, for better or worse.

System:

Resisted Action

COSTS 1 BLOOD POINT

Roll Resolve + Animalism vs Resolve + Composure

A win against a mortal target not only calms them down but puts them in state of lethargy. All of the aggression stops and they suffer -3 to Resolve rolls for the rest of the scene.

A win against a vampire prevents the target from performing Blood Surges as well as ends frenzy. This lasts for number of turns equal to amount of successes scored.

◉◉◉ Raise The Familiar

True beasts cannot be Embraced. They have never had the necessary Humanity. With this power, though, the vampire can complete the process halfway. By feeding a drained animal some of her Vitae, a vampire can infuse it with a fragment of the Kindred’s twilight life. It looks as it did when it died. If it was wounded in death, it retains signs of the injuries, but its body functions fully.

System:

Passive

The raised creature gains a semblance of intelligence and a certain low cunning, enough to follow complex orders that most animals could not understand and to interpret the spirit of commands rather than the letter. The familiar gets +2 to Stamina.
The Vitae burning within the animal’s dead veins forges a sympathetic link between it and the vampire. The vampire can use Feral Whispers on her familiar at any time, over any distance, communicating silently or issuing commands at any range.

LEVEL 4

◉◉◉◉ Subsume The Spirit

The vampire can completely transfer its mind into the body of an animal. They can control the animal and use its senses freely, even during the day should they manage to stay awake. While doing this, the vampire’s body lies immobile as if in torpor.

System:

Normal Action

Roll Resolve + Animalism, Difficulty 10

COSTS 1 BLOOD POINT

Duration: 1 Day

The character may travel as far from his own physical body as he chooses while possessing the animal. Any damage to vampires real body breaks the link and returns them to their body. They are also sent back if the animal that they posses dies, this however is shocking and gives the user 1 aggravated damage.

Vampire may use powers of Auspex, Obfuscate, Presence, Obtenebration. Dominate powers may be used as well if kindred have an ability to convey their commands through special power of Telepathic command.

◉◉◉◉ Bestial Presence

Using this power, the vampire summons up a little of the Beast in each nearby vampire and gives it form. This gestalt entity becomes a brooding animal presence that follows the vampire like a companion.

System:

Free Action

COSTS 1 BLOOD POINT

Duration: A Scene

The brooding presence of the companion puts all nearby vampires on edge. They feel their own Beast watching and whispering to them. While the companion is present, all vampires (except the summoner) in its immediate vicinity suffer -2 penalty on their frenzy resist rolls.

LEVEL 5

◉◉◉◉◉ King Of The Beasts

The power the vampire holds over beasts is now great enough to command flocks and packs as if they were extensions of their own body. At a gesture, animals lay down their lives by the dozens, even hundreds, to appease their master.

System:

Passive

This is an upgrade to Bond Famulus, turning one pet into a pack that is at your whim.

◉◉◉◉◉ Drawing Out The Beast

At this level of Animalism, the Kindred has a keen understanding of the Beast Within, and is able to release his feral urges upon another mortal or vampire. The recipient of the vampire's Beast is instantly overcome by frenzy. Gangrel and Tzimisce are especially fond of unleashing their Beasts onto others. Gangrel do so to stir their ghouls into inspired heights of savagery during combat. Tzimisce care less about who receives their Beast than retaining their own composure.

System:

Resisted Action

Roll Resolve + Animalism vs Resolve + Composure

COSTS 1 BLOOD POINT

If the user fails, they enter frenzy as though they had failed the Willpower roll. On a win, the target experiences that frenzy instead of the user.

=========================[GENERATION 7 ONLY]=========================

Generation 7 characters who have achieved ranks 1-thru 5 in this discipline may purchase ONE of the following disciplines below. The character may buy all level 6 ranks providing it is an IN CLAN discipline.

◉◉◉◉◉ ◉ Animal Succulence

Most vampires find the blood of animals flat, tasteless, and lacking in nutritional value. Some Gangrel and Nosferatu, however, have refined their understanding of the spirits of such "lesser prey" to the point that they are able to draw much more sustenance from beasts than normal Kindred can. This power does not allow an elder to subsist solely on the blood of animals, but it does allow him to go for extended periods of time without taking vitae from humans or other Kindred.

System:

No roll is needed; once learned, this power is always in effect. Animal Succulence allows a character to count each blood point drawn from an animal as two in her blood pool.

This does not increase the size of the vampire's blood pool, just the nutritional value of animal blood.

Animal Succulence does not allow a character to completely ignore his craving for the blood of "higher" prey; in fact, it heightens his desire for "real food."

Animal Succulence does not increase the blood point value of the blood of other supernatural creatures (Gangrel, were-creatures, and so on who have taken animal forms, nor does it change the vampire's feeding preferences (such as the Ventrue have).

◉◉◉◉◉ ◉ Shared Soul

This power allows a character to probe the mind of any one animal she touches. Shared Soul can be very disconcerting to both parties involved, as each participant is completely immersed in the thoughts and emotions of the other. With enough effort or time, each participant can gain a complete understanding of the other's mind. Shared Soul is most often used to extract an animal's memories of a specific event, but some Gangrel use this power as a tool in the search for enlightenment, feeling they come to a better understanding of their own Beasts through rapport with true beasts. Too close of a bond, however, can leave the two souls entangled after the sharing ends, causing the vampire to adopt mannerisms, behavior patterns, or even ethics (or lack thereof) similar to those of the animal.

System:

Normal Action

Touch Required

Roll Perception + Animalism ((Difficulty 10))

Locating a specific memory takes six turns, minus one turn for every success on the roll.

A complete bond takes 10 turns, minus one turn for every success on the roll.

A botch on this roll , sends the vampire into a frenzy or give the character a derangement related to the behavior patterns of the animal (extreme cowardice if the vampire contacted the soul of mouse, bloodlust if the subject was a rabid dog, and so forth).

◉◉◉◉◉ ◉ Quell the Herd

As Quell the Beast but on groups.

System:

Upgrade to level 3 Animalism, works exactly like Quell the Beast but on groups instead of individuals.

◉◉◉◉◉ ◉ Species Speech

The basic power Feral Whispers (Animalism 1) allows character to communicate with only one animal at a time. With Species Speech, a character can enter into psychic communion with all creatures of a certain species that are present. Species Speech is most often used after an application of The Beckoning (Animalism 2), which can draw a crowd of likely subjects.

System:

Free Action

Once the character establishes contact, the player makes a second roll to issue commands. There is no practical upper limit on the number of animals that can be commanded with this power, although all of the intended subjects must be in the vampire's immediate vicinity

Only one species of animal can be commanded at a time; thus, if a character is standing in the middle of the reptile house at the zoo, she could command all of the Komodo dragons, all of the boa constrictors, or all of the skinks, but she could not simultaneously give orders to every reptile or snake present. Species Speech functions much like Feral Whispers in all other respects. Note: Players (and Storytellers) shouldn't get too wrapped up in species differences like northern diamondback rattlesnakes and south-eastern diamondback rattlesnakes.

=========================[GENERATION 6 NPC ONLY]=========================

◉◉◉◉◉ ◉◉ Conquer The Beast

Masters of Animalism have a much greater understanding of both beasts in general and the Beast in particular. Those who have developed this power can master their own Beasts to a degree impossible for lesser Kindred to attain. Conquer the Beast allows the vampire both to control her frenzies and to enter them at will. Some elders say that the development of this power is one of the first steps on the road to Golconda.

System:

Normal Action

The character can enter frenzy at will.

The player rolls Resolve + Composure (Difficulty 10).

Success sends the character into a controlled frenzy, can stop it at any time. He can choose his targets at will, but gains limited Dominate and wound penalty resistance and Rötschreck immunity as per the normal frenzy rules. A botch on the roll sends the vampire into an uncontrolled frenzy which Conquer the Beast may not be used to end. The player may also roll Willpower (difficulty 18) to enable the character to control an involuntary frenzy, or simply try to break it in normal way.

◉◉◉◉◉ ◉◉ Master's Voice

As Species Speech, except speak to all animals regardless of species

System:

Works exactly like Feral Whisper but on all animals at once.