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Path of Spirit Manipulation
Not to be confused with, or even derived from, the ancient Path of Spirit Thaumaturgy, Spirit Manipulation is actually a somewhat recent innovation for the Tremere. This path was invented to replace the old rituals created by the clan when they were still mortal wizards. Its purpose is to force spirits into situations and actions that would normally be anathema for them. Spirit Manipulation mimics many effects that can be created by Lupines and certain shamanic mages, but it takes a completely different approach - instead of making a sort of an agreement with the spirit in question, the thaumaturge forces the spirit into a grotesque mockery of its normal behavior. It's a dangerous practice, though; a mistake may result in the spirit's full wrath against the caster. Whenever a practitioner loses a challenge while working with a spirit, he must make a Simple Test. If he loses the test, the spirit attacks.
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basic spirit manipulation |
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Hermetic Sight |
With this power you can perceive the spirit world, allowing you to gaze deeply into it, or perceive nearby spirits as a hazy overlay on the material world. This power does not allow you to see into the lands of the dead or into the realms of the fae.
You may activate this power at will and automatically see any spirits close by. If you wish to gaze into the spirit realm itself, you must spend a Mental Trait; you may then see into the spirit realm for the duration of the scene. While looking into the spirit realm, you must bid an additional two Traits on any challenges in the physical world due to the difficulties caused by divided perceptions. You may terminate this power at any time.
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Astral Cant |
Most spirits don't speak English, at least not on their home turf. Some can't, but many more simply refuse to do so. With this power you can understand and communicate in the spirits' own languages. Spending a Willpower Trait activates this power for the remainder of the scene. As long as the power is active, you may converse with spirits in their own language and understand their responses.
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intermediate spirit manipulation |
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Voice of Command |
This is perhaps the most dangerous power a practitioner of Spirit Manipulation has at her disposal - failure here may well mean a painful death when subjected to the attack of an enraged spirit. This power allows you to give orders to a spirit, compelling it to heed your bidding whether or not it desires to do so. To use this power, spend a Willpower Trait and make a Mental Challenge against the spirit. With success, the spirit must obey whatever command you give, as long as it doesn't endanger the spirit's well-being or conflict with its morals. By spending another Willpower Trait before making the challenge, you may force the spirit into doing something that may hurt the spirit or greatly violate its ethics. To force the spirit into a possibly suicidal action, you must make another Mental Challenge against the spirit; success means the spirit will obey, but will likely be seething with rage at this point. It should be kept in mind that spirits commanded in this manner are fully aware of the fact that they are being forced into something against their will, and they may well seek revenge at a later time. A spirit issued a command above and beyond what it was compelled to do may "agree" to the command, but never follow through, leaving its erstwhile master in a potentially fatal situation.
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Entrap Ephemera |
With this power, you may bind a spirit into an object. This can be done in order to imprison the spirit, but it's more often performed in order to create a fetish, an artifact that channels a portion of the spirit's power through it to affect the physical world. Fetishes created in this manner are rather fickle at best and may fail at inopportune moments, as the spirits within will do anything in their power to escape or at least thwart their captors. The actual details of the fetish depend greatly on the details of the spirit and the item in question. For example, a spirit of pain may turn a simple whip into a terrifying weapon, whereas a spirit of sharpness may cause a sword to cut deep and cause aggravated damage. This is in no way limited to weapons; a spirit of speed bound to a car may result in an extremely fast vehicle, and a spirit of investigation bound into a pair of binoculars may result in a spectacularly clear picture. It is impossible to provide game mechanics that will cover all of the possibilities; instead, they should be worked out with the Storyteller. A fetish created in this fashion is activated by spending a Willpower Trait and making a Simple Test. On a loss, you must make another Simple Test. On a second loss, the fetish fails to function properly, and you must make a third Simple Test. If that test is lost as well, the physical component of the fetish will be destroyed, and the spirit will be freed. For more information regarding fetish powers, refer to Laws of the Wild. The Storyteller is always the final authority in determining the powers of and mechanics of a fetish created through use of this power.
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advanced spirit manipulation |
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Duality |
The height of spiritual transactions, you can now fully interact with the realm of the spirits. When you activate this power, you exist on both planes simultaneously. You can pick up objects in the material world and place them in the spirit world or vice versa. The beings and landscapes of both worlds are solid to you, and you may interact with them as you please. You can even use Thaumaturgy and other Disciplines in either world. Still, it's not a walk in the park - a journey such as this is not without its dangers, and a single mistake may leave you trapped in the spirit realms with no way home. Several incautious travelers have starved into torpor in the spirit realm - there is no blood to be had among the spirits, after all. Duality may only be used while you are in the physical world. Note that while this power is in effect, you are vulnerable to attacks from both worlds. You are considered to be in the physical world, as far as basic physics and common sense are concerned - for example, if there's a road in the physical world that leads over a chasm in the spirit world, you may walk across the chasm just fine. To activate this power, spend a Willpower Trait and make a Static Mental Challenge. If successful, you enter the spirit world without leaving the physical world. Before going further, make a Simple Test. If you lose, repeat the test - a second loss means there was a backlash and you were ripped out of the physical world and thrown into the spirit world. Whether or not there is a way back to the physical realm is up to the Storyteller. If the entrance was successful, and you're not trapped in the spirit realms, you now determine how long you can remain. Make Simple Tests until you lose - the number of tests won determines the duration of the effect. After the power has been activated, you must bid two additional Traits on all challenges as long as Duality remains active; perceiving two realms can be distracting, making even routine tasks an exercise in concentration.
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