••••• Drawing in the Devil
This power is frightening to those Kindred who know even a little of the spirit world. The vampire invites a spirit into her cold flesh to form an unholy synthesis, something not Man, not Beast and not spirit. This is a dangerous proposition for both entities, because it gives each a measure of control over the power that results. The body remains that of the vampire, with access to all the vampire’s Vitae and Disciplines (and weaknesses), but it gains some features that reflect the spirit. Joining with a flame-spirit (which would be a terrifically bad idea) would redden the vampire’s hair, lend some heat to the body’s flesh and occasionally leave the faintest smoke contrails. Spirits of less physical things are less obvious: taking in a greed-spirit might change the vampire’s eye-color to green.
While sharing one form, the vampire and spirit act as one. They both perceive everything the body perceives, and their wills are assumed to be aligned. The two take only a single action (as normal for a character) on any given combat turn. Anything one wishes to do that the other does not oppose is done. For example, a spirit who wishes to breathe in and smell the local aroma through the vampire’s nose may do so, as long as the vampire doesn’t want to keep from breathing. When there is a conflict, the character rolls Resolve + Composure + Blood Potency in contest against the spirit’s Power + Finesse. The victor determines the action for that turn. Should the two tie,the body hesitates under its uncertain control and takes no action for the turn. This delay occurs even if the contested action would normally be reflexive (like inhaling). This is one of many reasons it is vastly important for a vampire and spirit to work out their goals ahead of time.
Just as the synthesis can use any of the vampire’s abilities and Disciplines as normal, so can it use most of the spirit’s Numina. Any Numen that does not require the spirit to be ephemeral (as Claim or Possession do). The spirit also cannot use Discorporate or other Numina that would separate it from the merged form until the vampire releases it or it forces its way out. Regardless, the merged entity can only take one action per turn; i.e., the entity cannot use a Numen and shoot someone at the same time.
While sharing one form, the vampire and spirit act as one. They both perceive everything the body perceives, and their wills are assumed to be aligned. The two take only a single action (as normal for a character) on any given combat turn. Anything one wishes to do that the other does not oppose is done. For example, a spirit who wishes to breathe in and smell the local aroma through the vampire’s nose may do so, as long as the vampire doesn’t want to keep from breathing. When there is a conflict, the character rolls Resolve + Composure + Blood Potency in contest against the spirit’s Power + Finesse. The victor determines the action for that turn. Should the two tie,the body hesitates under its uncertain control and takes no action for the turn. This delay occurs even if the contested action would normally be reflexive (like inhaling). This is one of many reasons it is vastly important for a vampire and spirit to work out their goals ahead of time.
Just as the synthesis can use any of the vampire’s abilities and Disciplines as normal, so can it use most of the spirit’s Numina. Any Numen that does not require the spirit to be ephemeral (as Claim or Possession do). The spirit also cannot use Discorporate or other Numina that would separate it from the merged form until the vampire releases it or it forces its way out. Regardless, the merged entity can only take one action per turn; i.e., the entity cannot use a Numen and shoot someone at the same time.
Effect
Dramatic Failure: The roll fails. The Beast refuses to join with the spirit, and the synthesis fails. The character and the spirit both suffer one point of lethal damage (to their flesh and Corpus, respectively) and may not try again until the next night.
Failure: No successes accumulate.
Success: Successes accumulate. If the character reaches the required number of successes, he has coaxed his body and Beast to accept and merge with the spiritual energies. For every three dots the spirit has in Power, the synthesis adds one dot to one of the character’s Power traits (Intelligence, Strength, Presence) of her choice. The same goes for every three dots the spirit has in its Finesse and Resistance traits.
The synthesis ends when both vampire and spirit agree to go their separate ways. The vampire may attempt to eject the spirit before the spirit is willing with a Resolve + Composure roll, contested by the spirit’s Power + Resistance. The spirit may attempt to escape the synthesis without the vampire’s agreement with a Power + Finesse roll, contested by the vampire’s Resolve + Composure. In either case, the inner conflict takes one instant action; the vampire may add her Blood Potency to her roll by spending one Vitae, and the spirit may add two dice to the roll for each point of Essence it spends.
Exceptional Success: Many successes accumulate.
Failure: No successes accumulate.
Success: Successes accumulate. If the character reaches the required number of successes, he has coaxed his body and Beast to accept and merge with the spiritual energies. For every three dots the spirit has in Power, the synthesis adds one dot to one of the character’s Power traits (Intelligence, Strength, Presence) of her choice. The same goes for every three dots the spirit has in its Finesse and Resistance traits.
The synthesis ends when both vampire and spirit agree to go their separate ways. The vampire may attempt to eject the spirit before the spirit is willing with a Resolve + Composure roll, contested by the spirit’s Power + Resistance. The spirit may attempt to escape the synthesis without the vampire’s agreement with a Power + Finesse roll, contested by the vampire’s Resolve + Composure. In either case, the inner conflict takes one instant action; the vampire may add her Blood Potency to her roll by spending one Vitae, and the spirit may add two dice to the roll for each point of Essence it spends.
Exceptional Success: Many successes accumulate.
Material Components
Cost: 1 Vitae (the spirit must spend one Essence)
Gestures & Ritual
Dice Pool: Presence + Persuasion + Blood Tenebrous
Related Discipline
Effect Casting Time
Extended (five successes per spirit’s Rank; each roll represents one minute of meditation)
Level
5