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The Green Path
A favorite of ecologically minded Tremere, the Green Path concentrates on controlling and understanding nature. Anything more complex than an algae bloom can theoretically be controlled by this power, from ordinary potted plants to the sprawling vastness of the rain forest. While many Tremere consider its practitioners to be merely eccentric tree-huggers, the Green Path is still as subtle and powerful as nature itself. The Green Path probably originated from the Order of the Naturists, an old Druidic sect within Clan Tremere. Many practitioners are members of the order or at least mentored by one. According to Tremere history, the path is largely based on the magics formerly practiced by House Diedne, an order of mortal mages destroyed by the Tremere during the Dark Ages.
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basic green path |
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Herbal Wisdom |
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Merely by touching a plant, you may communicate with its spirit. The exact nature of the spirit depends largely on the plant in question - ancient trees may be extremely wise (if rather cryptic), whereas ordinary crabgrass tends to have far less insight to offer (but might still reveal the face of the last person who trod upon it). You must touch the plant you wish to communicate with and activate the power. You may ask a single question and expect an answer, which may or may not be helpful but will always be true. To learn more details, make a Static Mental Challenge against the Storyteller; with success, the spirit will divulge more detailed information, if it can. The exact details of the answer are left to the Storyteller. |
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Speed the Season's Passing |
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With this power, you can cause a flower to grow from a seed to full bloom in mere minutes, or an entire tree to spring up overnight. Alternately, you may cause a plant to die and decay, grass to wither or stakes to crumble with but a touch. You must touch the target plant and activate the power; the plant's growth or death, depending on your intent, will be greatly accelerated. For an almost instant effect, spend a Willpower Trait to cause a plant to spring from a seed or a tree to sprout fruit in minutes - or start decaying almost instantly. In combat, the expenditure of a Willpower Trait causes a stake or other wooden weapon to crumble into dust. However, you cannot use this power if you become staked. |
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intermediate green path |
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Dance of Vines |
You can now animate a mass of vegetation up to your own size, either for utilitarian or combat purposes. Vines can strangle opponents, trees may move to allow faster passage through a thick forest (and bend again to block the passage of pursuers), roots may trip unwelcome visitors, and so forth. The target plant must be within your line of sight. You spend a Willpower Trait and concentrate on the target plant. The target must have a mass that is less than or equal to your own. The plants stay active for as many rounds equal to half your permanent Mental Traits (round down), and are under your complete control. They are considered to have Physical Traits equal to your current Willpower rating, and a Brawl rating one lower than your own (thus, if you only have Brawl 1, then the plant has no Brawl). Generally speaking, plants do two bashing levels of damage - this can be modified, depending on the plant. They tend to be best at tripping or tying down opponents, although some enterprising Warlocks have used rowan saplings in their havens to stake unwary intruders. Plants cannot uproot themselves and start running around: Even at their most energetic, your plants cannot walk under this power. But a tree's deep roots can extend for some distance, and who's to say how much damage 150 pounds of kudzu can do?
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Verdant Haven |
With this power, you may construct a shelter out of a sufficient amount of plant matter. The shelter not only provides protection from the elements, it also protects you against sunlight and attack. It also creates a mystical barrier that keeps anyone you wish to exclude from entering. A Verdant Haven appears as a six-foot-tall hemisphere of interlocked branches, leaves and vines with no discernible opening. Even to a casual observer, it appears to be an unnatural construction. Some claim that Verdant Havens have supernatural healing properties, but no Kindred who has spent time in one has reported such benefits. You must be in a heavily vegetated area for this power to work. Upon activating this power, the Verdant Haven springs up around you over the course of three turns. Once the haven is sealed, anyone wishing to enter the haven without your permission must make a Mental Challenge against you - you gain two extra Traits that can be used in this challenge only. Unless the unwelcome guest wins the challenge, she cannot enter. All attacks against the haven itself are handled in the same fashion. The haven lasts until the next sunset, or until you dispel it or leave. Sunlight does not penetrate the haven unless it has been physically breached.
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advanced green path |
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Awaken the Forest Giants |
One of the most impressive applications of Thaumaturgy known to the Tremere, this power allows you to awaken the very trees of the forest, causing them to stretch their limbs, pull their roots out of the ground and walk with steps that make the earth shake. They are not nearly as versatile as spirits that have been summoned into existence, but their awesome strength and resilience more than makes up for that. You must touch the tree you wish to animate, spend a Willpower Trait and concentrate on the target. You must then spend a Blood Trait for every two turns you wish the tree to remain active. (Thus, spending two Blood Traits means the tree will remain active for four turns.) Once this time expires, the tree stops moving and puts down roots wherever it is at the moment. The tree cannot be animated again for the rest of the night. While animated, the tree follows your verbal commands as well as it can. An animated tree has 10 Physical Traits plus twice as many Traits as your Occult rating, and a Brawl rating equal to your own. It is immune to bashing damage, and because of its size, all non-aggravated lethal damage is halved (round up). Its health levels depend on its size; an average tree has five or six health levels. A tree that ceases to be animated immediately takes root wherever it is. Even if it is on concrete, its roots will punch through whatever it is standing on at the moment until it finds earth and water underneath - thus, it is not impossible to plant a row of maples in the middle of a busy city street. Obviously, using this power to commit such an obvious breach of the Masquerade is a good way to ensure that the mistake will not be repeated.
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