•• Contortion
Many Freaks suffer from physical deformities involving misplaced, strangely oriented or unnaturally fl exible limbs, backs and digits. Contortion allows a Freak to either further enhance these deformities where they already exist or create them where they do not.
Effect
Dramatic Failure: The Freak actually succeeds in contorting her physique, but the resulting confi guration of limbs, bones and so on is not what she anticipated. Instead, her body is contorted in a way that is excruciatingly painful, so much so that she suffers two points of bashing damage that cannot be healed until the following evening, when the effects of this disastrous transformation have vanished. In addition to the actual damage, Storytellers should feel free to afflict the Freak with other appropriate penalties that might reflect the nature of the horrid physical warping.
Failure: The Freak fails to effectively contort herself, for better or worse.
Success: The Freak is able to make a signifi cant alteration to one part of her body that involves the bones and muscles, so as to allow the body to be fl exed in a way that was previously impossible. The Freak experiences no discomfort, and the alteration remains until the Freak desires it to end or the sun rises, whichever comes fi rst. Examples include a Freak who can bend her knees in any direction (the better to achieve a certain stance for a better view), one who can touch her elbows behind her back (the better to fit into a narrow gap) and one who can flip her legs over her head (the better to hide somewhere small).
Exceptional Success: The Contortion is so complete that the Freak is able to repeat this specific contortion at will (no roll or Vitae expenditure required) for a number of nights equal to the number of successes.
Failure: The Freak fails to effectively contort herself, for better or worse.
Success: The Freak is able to make a signifi cant alteration to one part of her body that involves the bones and muscles, so as to allow the body to be fl exed in a way that was previously impossible. The Freak experiences no discomfort, and the alteration remains until the Freak desires it to end or the sun rises, whichever comes fi rst. Examples include a Freak who can bend her knees in any direction (the better to achieve a certain stance for a better view), one who can touch her elbows behind her back (the better to fit into a narrow gap) and one who can flip her legs over her head (the better to hide somewhere small).
Exceptional Success: The Contortion is so complete that the Freak is able to repeat this specific contortion at will (no roll or Vitae expenditure required) for a number of nights equal to the number of successes.
Material Components
Cost: 1 Vitae
Gestures & Ritual
Dice Pool: Strength + Athletics + The Show
Related Discipline
Effect Casting Time
Instant
Level
2
Applied Restriction
In no case can Contortion be used in a corrective way or in a way that provides the Freak remedy of the burden of her unique weakness.
Modifier | Situation
+2 | The Contortion involves range of motion already capable by the body (bending forward at the waist, touching elbows behind back).
–2 | The Contortion involves range of motion to which the body isn’t adapted (backwardbending knees) or that actively requires break ing bones, tearing ligaments and so on (folding one’s ribcage in half, tremendously distending one’s jaw).
Modifier | Situation
+2 | The Contortion involves range of motion already capable by the body (bending forward at the waist, touching elbows behind back).
–2 | The Contortion involves range of motion to which the body isn’t adapted (backwardbending knees) or that actively requires break ing bones, tearing ligaments and so on (folding one’s ribcage in half, tremendously distending one’s jaw).