•• Haven of Soil
The vampire who has achieved this much-prized level of mastery over Protean has learned how to meld his form with that of any natural substance. One can blend his form only with simple soil at first, but with time and experience he can eventually learn how to conjoin with other elements. While so interred, the character is immune to threat of harm from the sun’s rays, or to any physical attack as his corporeal form is actually merged with that of the substance itself. Some Gangrel rely on this ability while traveling from domain to domain, as its power gives them the ultimate freedom to do so.
This style of rest is the method of choice for many Kindred who must enter torpor. Whiling away the decades in a largely protected state, free from risk of detection or Final Death, is an attractive prospect. While such a character cannot be dug up, any significant disturbance to the area in which he resides alerts the vampire to the presence of intruders, though not necessarily to the details of their intrusion. If enough damage is done to the sleeping Kindred’s resting place, he returns immediately to corporeal form (and full wakefulness) in a shower of whatever substance he had taken for his haven.
This style of rest is the method of choice for many Kindred who must enter torpor. Whiling away the decades in a largely protected state, free from risk of detection or Final Death, is an attractive prospect. While such a character cannot be dug up, any significant disturbance to the area in which he resides alerts the vampire to the presence of intruders, though not necessarily to the details of their intrusion. If enough damage is done to the sleeping Kindred’s resting place, he returns immediately to corporeal form (and full wakefulness) in a shower of whatever substance he had taken for his haven.
Material Components
Cost: 1 Vitae
Gestures & Ritual
Dice Pool: No roll is necessary. Becoming one with a natural substance is automatic and takes a character’s action in a turn to complete. While in this state, the character’s consciousness hovers slightly above the torpor level (unless the vampire is both in torpor and in this state, in which case he is unaware), making perception of his surroundings distant at best. A player must succeed in a Humanity roll in order for his character to be aware of the presence of others in or around his place of rest (barring significant alteration to the vampire’s haven, of course, in which case he becomes aware automatically).
Since the character is literally part of the earth, all attempts at locating him (via his scent, his aura or even through mystical methods of tracking) suffer a -3 penalty to their dice pools. Indeed, a searcher is likely to be confounded a bit even if he is successful. No attack can harm the interred vampire while he is in this state; a significant disruption of his surroundings can only cause him to resurface.
When this power is first acquired, the character can meld his form only with natural earth or soil. If any other substance— including asphalt, wood or concrete — lies in the way between the vampire and natural ground, he cannot activate this power. (He must dig his way to natural soil or else find a way to stand thereupon.) With the expenditure of an additional three experience points, however, the vampire can select another natural substance from the following list: wood, water, natural stone or processed stone. “Processed stone” includes varieties of prepared surfacing materials such as concrete and asphalt. He can now meld into soil and this extra substance with equal ease. Thus, if his player spends 12 experience points, a vampire can rest in all five materials — virtually anywhere. Note that there must still be enough of a substance to accommodate the vampire’s form in roughly his natural Size. (A large tree trunk might suffice, but a small branch does not.) Those who meld with water leave a barely visible, humanoid-shaped outline just below the surface, but are otherwise just as protected and concealed as though they were inside soil.
Since the character is literally part of the earth, all attempts at locating him (via his scent, his aura or even through mystical methods of tracking) suffer a -3 penalty to their dice pools. Indeed, a searcher is likely to be confounded a bit even if he is successful. No attack can harm the interred vampire while he is in this state; a significant disruption of his surroundings can only cause him to resurface.
When this power is first acquired, the character can meld his form only with natural earth or soil. If any other substance— including asphalt, wood or concrete — lies in the way between the vampire and natural ground, he cannot activate this power. (He must dig his way to natural soil or else find a way to stand thereupon.) With the expenditure of an additional three experience points, however, the vampire can select another natural substance from the following list: wood, water, natural stone or processed stone. “Processed stone” includes varieties of prepared surfacing materials such as concrete and asphalt. He can now meld into soil and this extra substance with equal ease. Thus, if his player spends 12 experience points, a vampire can rest in all five materials — virtually anywhere. Note that there must still be enough of a substance to accommodate the vampire’s form in roughly his natural Size. (A large tree trunk might suffice, but a small branch does not.) Those who meld with water leave a barely visible, humanoid-shaped outline just below the surface, but are otherwise just as protected and concealed as though they were inside soil.
Related Discipline
Effect Casting Time
Instant