by Damien Moore aka. Sean O'Connell (23 Jun 94)
Elementalism is the discipline of knowing the world. As the user progresses in its power, they begin to gain a greater and greater grasp of how the world is put together, and how to manipulate its various aspects. It is the unique discipline of the True Brujahs.
It is in many ways much like Thaumaturgy, in that it has many seperate divisions of the actual discipline. The differences are, how- ever, profound. Elementalism has no rituals, no rites as part of its makeup. It relies not on using outside power to make an effect, but on the user knowing the way of the world in order to effect it.
The seperate areas of Elementalism, known as The Ways, must be progressed in a particular order, each branch of knowledge providing a basis for learning the remaining branches. There is no way in which personal preference can allow a practicer to advance in a higher Way without having some grasp in the lesser Ways.
In game terms, the posessor of Elementalism must first advance to at least the third level in any Way before they may start on the next Way.
[For instance, a beginning Kindred user of elementalism has 1 point in Elementalism, and 1 point in the Way of Earth. She must learn 2 more points of the Way of Earth (still with 1 point of Elementalism) before she may spend experience to buy another point of Elementalism, at which point she also gains a point in the Way of Air.]
[1] Earth Sense: By laying her hands on rock, stone or earth, the Kindred using this ability gains the ability to percieve the surrounding area from the point of view of the earth with which they are connected. They can perceive buried or hidden objects, whether within the stone, or very closeby to that stone. For instance, the Kindred could sense the buried coffin underneath him, or the assailant hiding behind the corner or the concrete building, or the wiring behind the concrete wall. It has been said that Vampires with this ability may even sense the location of earth- melded Kindred. This power is limited to current information, it cannot be used to pertain information from the past.
System: By making a Perception + Earth roll, they may gain the sensory input from the stone around them.
| Successes | Range |
|---|---|
| 1 | Within 1 metre |
| 2 | Within 5 metres |
| 3 | Within 10 metres |
| 4 | Within 50 metres |
| 5 | Within 100 metres |
In addition to the success-range limits, the earthen material being read must be contiguous. Ie: if using a concrete building, just the building may be read, not the surrounding footpath, etc. If reading a boulder, then the earth surrounding the boulder is not included in the effect.
On Per + Earth roll (diff 9), an earthmelded Kindred may be sensed (but not affected in any way).
[2] Manipulate Earth: The Cainites who have progressed to this level of knowledge in the Way of Earth gain the ability to morph earth and stone to their will. They may command it to warp or move in any one way, directed only by their minds - no physical touch is necessary, although the object being so altered must be within sight, or otherwise sensed.
They may cause a rock to melt and run like water, pits to open up in front of their enemies, or command the marble top of a tomb to flow out of the way to give them a temporary Haven. (Of course they need to move it back again before sunnup).
System: By spending a bloodpoint, the vampire using this ability may command stone or earth to alter in shape in any way. They cannot destroy or create the earth.
To determine how successful the effect is, the Kindred must roll Intelligence + Earth (diff 6 for natural stones, diff 8 for man-made substances).
| Successes | Area of effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Approximately a cubic meter |
| 2 | Closet worth |
| 3 | Room worth |
| 4 | Factory worth |
| 5 | Most of a mountain. |
[3] Create Earth: Upon achieving this level of knowledge in the Way of Earth, the Kindred may create natural earth and stone as they dictate, in any shape or anywhere within sight.
They may see the location that they wish to create the earth, and it must rest upon something solid, ie its not possible to create rocks in mid- air. It is however possible to create the stone around an object, or even a person.
It is not possible to create stone other than granite, or similarly natural stones. Gemstones cannot be created.
System: The Vampire using this ability must spend one bloodpoint to invoke this power. In addition to this, they must decide _ahead_ of rolling for successes how much earth they wish to create. If not enough sucesses are gaining, then nothing happens at all. Excess sucesses also have no extra effect.
A roll of Intelligence + Earth against difficulty 6 is made.
| Successes | Area of effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Approximately a large bucketload |
| 2 | Approximately one cubic metre |
| 3 | 2 cubic metres |
| 4 | 5 cubic metres |
| 5 | 10 cubic metres |
| 6 | 50 cubic metres |
[4] Earthmeld: This ability is effectively identical to the third level of the Protean Discipline. It takes, as for those with Protean, one bloodpoint to sink into the earth, and one to rise up and out.
In addition, once achieving this level of the discipline, the Vampire may affect not only natural stone and earth, but may affect other solid matter, such as glass, steel and ashphelt. Exactly what can and cannot be affected is upto the individual ST.
[5] Summon Earth Elemental: By concentrating upon a large sample of earth or stone, the Cainite evoking this power may summon an elemental spirit to the sample in order to animate it. This spirit takes upon a vaguely humanoid form, and may not be friendly to the invoker.
The elemental may be commanded by the Kindred to perform simple tasks, such as lifting and carrying objects.
System: Invoking this ability is quite trying to the Kindred attempting it. In addition to spending a bloodpoint, she must also spend a Willpower point to summon the spirit.
Each time the Kindred gives a command to the elemental, they must roll their willpower at a difficulty of 7. Only one sucess is needed for the command to be obeyed. Problems occur when the roll is failed or botched.
If he merely fails the roll, then they must immediately make another roll to regain control (willpower, difficulty 8, three sucesses needed). If this is failed then the spirit breaks free of the Kindred's control.
If the command-willpower roll is botched, then the Kindred suffers an immediate loss of 1 permanent willpower (as is usual for willpower rolls), and the spirit immediately breaks free.
What happens when an elemental spirit breaks free is up to the ST. It may simply leave the physical form it was ordered into and depart, it may attack the Kindred, it may wander off in its physical form.
(Earth Elemental: Str 6, Dex 2, Sta 6)
[6] Stoneform: The Kindred invoking this power immediately transforms himself into a natural piece of stone. The exact shape of the transformed Kindred is a matter of choice when they use the ability - however they are limited to a maximum increase in size of 20%.
The Vampire may take on the appearance of a natural boulder, or of a statue, or even of a stone wall (albeit a small one)and once assuming this shape the Kindred is immune to fire and sunlight, as well as being staked. They are however immobile unless they transform to flesh and are vunerable to being smashed as would be a normal stone object.
A Kindred in this state may sense her surroundings using any sensory abilities she may have, including Earth Sense and Auspex.
System: Invoking this power requires the expediture of a single blood point, whether to become stone or to become flesh. Once in this shape they cannot move without transforming back to flesh (very painful in sunlight). This includes the spending of bloodpoints, other than the one necessary to revert to their "natural" shape.
In order to mimic a particular object, they must make a Manipulation + Subterfuge (why? who knows. If you can think of a better one...), and the accuracy of the copy is dependant on the number of sucesses (use the sucess table for obfuscate or vissisitude).
Once in the Stoneform, the vampire's Stamina is raised by 3 extra dice for soaking purposes.
[7] Earthform:
[1] Descent of the Feather: This first ability to manipulate the Way of Air manifests itself to give the vampire using it the ability to slow a fall by force of will. They can prevent themselves from suffering damage from all but the most long of falls.
System: The Kindred must roll their willpower, at a difficulty of 6. Each success they achieve on this roll negates one health level of damage. (Slows their fall so as to effect this.)
[2] Resist the Calling of the Earth: This ability is an extension of the Kindred's current knowledge of the element of air. Rather than simply slow their fall, they may now nullify any downward descent, bouyed up by the air itself.
Using this part of the discipline, the vampire may step off the side of a building and simply float in midair, or activate their power and draw their legs up to float in lotus.
Given enough ability, the Cainite may change their weight, or slowly rise into the air rather than hovering.
System: The player rolls willpower against a difficulty of 6. The degree of effect is dependant on the sucesses gained.
| Successes | Area of effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Simple hovering is possible. The Kindred may either float, or behave as normal. |
| 2 | Subtle changes in weight are possible for users of this discipline, as long as they lessen the Kindred's true weight. At this many sucesses, they may null their entire weight, and kick off from an object to move around. |
| 3+ | In addition to the above effects, the vampire may also ride slowly, as the air itself lifts them. The rate of speed at which they may rise is dep. on the number of sucesses. 3 sucesses allows a speed of 5 feet per turn, plus 5 feet per turn for every additional sucess. |
[3] Calling of the Heavens: Upon achieving this level of the Way of Air, the Cainite may use it to take to the air in any direction that they wish. They are supported by the air itself, and may guide their direction and speed by force of will.
System: The player makes a willpower roll. Sucess indicates they have achieved flight, the number of sucesses determines their maximum speed (10 feet per turn, per sucess).
[4] Become the Breath: This ability is extremely similar to that of the Protean ability of earthmeld, except that it allows the user to meld with the very air itself. The Kindred is not visible, and cannot be damaged or sensed in any way. Neither may they take any action themselves. They may sense very dimly anything which occurs in their area.
System: The use of this discipline is extremely difficult, even to those who have progressed this far in the Way of Air. In addition to spending a bloodpoint to enter or exit the melded state, they must also spend a WP point to enter the state.
[5] Call the Gale:
[6] Summon Air Elemental:
[The remaining Way's have not been detailed, as they haven't come into play yet. These are the current ideas for them as it stands.]
Path of Neptune or Aquas for Gaerini.
[1] Fire Sense:
[2] Manipulate Fire:
[3] Create Fire:
[4] Multitude Forms:
[5] Summmon Fire Elemental:
Obtenebration or the Path of Shadows someone was working on
[The snippet on the "True Brujah" from CB: Brujah inspired the following Way... perhaps the "female Cainite" talked about was Brujah herself.]
[1] Sense the Flowing Sands:
[2] Glance the Morning Flow:
[3] Past Life:
[4] Stutter the Flow:
[5] Loop the Flow:
Tellurian thingie from CbN2?