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Level 5 Rituals
Rituals are Thaumaturgical
formulas, meticulously researched and prepared, that create powerful magical
effects. Rituals are less versatile than paths, as their effects are singular
and straightforward, but they are better suited toward specific ends.
All thaumaturges have the
ability to use the rituals, though each individual ritual must be learned
separately. By acquainting herself with the arcane practice of blood magic;
the thaumaturge gains the capacity to manipulate these focused effects.
Thaumaturgical rituals
are rated from 1 to 5, each level corresponding to both the level of mastery
of Thaumaturgy the would-be caster must possess and the relative power
of the ritual itself. Unless stated otherwise, a ritual requires five minutes
per level to cast. For example, Jean Claude the Tremere wishes to cast
Ward Versus Ghouls, a Level Two Ritual. Invoking this ritual requires 10
minutes, and Jean Claude must know Thaumaturgy at 2 or greater.
Casting rituals requires
a successful Intelligence + Occult roll, for which the difficulty equals
3 + the level of the ritual (maximum of 9). Only one success is required
for a ritual to work, though certain spells may require more successes
or have variable effects based on how well the caster's roll goes. Thus
uncertainly of effect is a recent development; Tremere ecuted them successfully.
Many thaumaturges fear that the movements of awakening Antediluvians have
caused imbalance in the flow of magic, making the success of rituals more
precarious than in previous nights. Should a roll to activate a ritual
fail, the Storyteller is encouraged to create strange occurrences or side
effects, or even make it appear that the ritual was successful, only to
reveal its failure at a later time. A botched ritual roll may even indicate
a catastrophic failure or summon an ill-tempered demon.
Rituals sometimes require
special ingredients or reagents to work -- these are noted in each ritual's
description. Common components include herbs, animal bones, ceremonial
items, feathers, eye of newt, tongue of toad, etc. Acquiring magical components
for a powerful ritual may form the basis for an entire story.
At the first level of Thaumaturgy,
the vampire automatically gains a single Level One ritual. To learn further
rituals, the thaumaturge must find someone to teach him, or learn the ritual
from a scroll, tome or other archive. Learning a new ritual can take anywhere
from a few nights (Level One ritual) to months or years (Level Five ritual).
Some dread Warlocks have studied individual rituals for decades, or even
centuries. Precisely what these rituals do is unknown, but their effects
are surely grave.
BLOOD CONTRACT
This ritual creates an unbreakable agreement between the two parties who sign it The contract must he written in the caster's blood and signed in the blood of whoever applies their name to the document This ritual takes three nights to enact fully after which both parties are compelled to fulfill the terms of the contract
System: This ritual is best handled by the Storyteller who may bring those who sign the blood contract into compliance by whatever means necessary (it is not unknown for demons to materialize and enforce adherence to certain blood contracts) The only way to terminate the ritual is to complete the terms of the contract or to burn the document itself One blood point is consumed in the creation of the document and an additional blood point is consumed by those who sign it