Dark Thaumaturgy is the infernally powered Discipline similar to regular Thaumaturgy, though they are entirely independent of each other. The most frightening aspect of Dark Thaumaturgy is that anyone can learn it once they have made a deal with the Devil the power is not limited to the Baali.
Dark Thaumaturgy differs from "traditional" Thaumaturgy in that it is not a creation of Clan Tremere, and in that it draws on infernal power as much as it does the Blood. It is not "interchangeable" with normal Thaumaturgy; a character wishing to use these Paths must possess Dark Thaumaturgy, while a character who wishes to learn "normal" Paths must possess knowledge of normal Thaumaturgy.
Acquiring and improving levels of Dark Thaumaturgy and its Paths and Rituals demands a Supplicium of the student; success indicates that the new level is learned, while failure continues the character's inexorable slide into damnation.
DARK THAUMATURGY PATHS
Dark Thaumaturgy is practiced in the same manner as regular thaumaturgy is (detailed in Dark Ages, page 164). Each time one of these infernal powers is invoked, a Blood Point must be spent and a Willpower roll is made against a difficulty of the power's level + 3. A failure on the roll indicates that the magic fails. A botch indicates that a permanent Willpower point is lost, though the Storyteller may also wish to confront the Dark Thaumaturgist with a visitor from the nether world....
Rego Venalis - PATH OF CORRUPTION
It is said that this Path was developed by Set himself as a gift to his childer. If so, they have made sure to spread it.
Level 1 - Night's Terror
The Infernalist can strike fear into opponents by reaching into the depths of their souls and pulling forth images of personal damnation. Even the strongest mortal can be cowed by this power.
System: Successes gained are subtracted from all the target's Dice Pools until the target can shake off the power's effects with a successful Road roll (difficulty 6), which may be attempted once per night. Vampires and other supernatural creatures may be driven into frenzy by this power; if the roll to shake off the effects is botched, the character frenzies, tormented by his own inner demons.
Level 2 - Poison Heart
Infernalists believe that all beings have dark sides. With this power, an infernalist may bring such darkness to the surface. The Dark Thaumaturgist may cause a victim to act on her dark impulses by meeting the victim's eyes and whispering a temptation.
System: The number of successes gained indicates the strength of the evil impulse. This power may be used on a Cainite, but it costs a Willpower point to do so. The target may resist with a successful Road roll (difficulty equal to the Dark Thaumaturgist's Willpower).
Level Three - Fool the Heart's Eye
The Infernalist can assume the image of a victim's loved one by reaching out with his thoughts. This power is used to plot betrayal and bring about corruption.
System: Successes gained indicate the verisimilitude of the impersonation: One success yields a rough impression, while five successes result in a completely convincing simulacrum.
Level 4 - Name the Crime
The Infernalist suggests a sin to the target. This sin may consist of a single evil act, or a general attitude. Unless the target is very strong willed, he is unable to prevent himself from acting on the suggestion.
System: Successes gained determine the duration of the urge to commit sin. By spending a Willpower point, the victim may roll his permanent Willpower (difficulty 6) to resist this urge; successful resistance requires more successes than the Infernalist gained.
1 success One Turn
2 successes One hour
3 successes One Night
4 successes One Week
5 successes One month
Level 5 - Unleash he Dark Soul
No longer content to merely manipulate, the Dark Thaumaturgist with this power the may rip the shadow from a living mortal and imbue it with temporary, physical presence. The mortal is destroyed by the experience, and a diabolic servant is gained for one night.
System: To use this power the character must slay the mortal victim and project the remnant of the victim's anima into her shadow. The mortal's heartblood provides the animating force for the shadow wraith, which is under the vampire's control. The shadow wraith is a nearly invisible servant that can spy on enemies, pass through material objects and communicate mentally with its creator over any distance. The shadow wraith fades with the next day's dawn.
Those Lasombra who are familiar with this power are unsettled by its similarity to their own shadowy Discipline, Obtenebration.
VIDEO NEFAS - PATH OF EVIL REVELATIONS
This Dark Thaumaturgy Path was created to pry secrets from demons and mortals alike. Demons are often unwilling to teach it for that reason. Parts of this Path were taken from the magic of pagan oracles, and there is a pagan version of it known as Video Pellis.
This Path will fade into obscurity in the late 1 6th century, though it will re emerge as the Path of Secret Knowledge, under the guidance of Sabbat infernalists. The "Path of Evil Revelations," as practiced by the Sabbat, is a corruption of Video Nefas' tenets, whether by intent or the ravages of time. By the 20th century, the Path of Evil Revelations has very little to do with Video Nefas.
Level 1 - See the Unseen
The Infernalist can gaze into the spirit world.
System: No roll is necessary, and the Infernalist can see all nearby spirits, including demons and wraiths, as if they were physically manifest. Due to the mental concentration that this power demands, all difficulties are at + 1 while gazing into the shadow world.
Levle 2 - Learn the Heart's Pain
The Infernalist looks into someone's heart and determines what grieves him the most. This is useful in deciding how to destroy a foe.
System: The successes gained indicate how much knowledge reveals itself to the infernalist; one success reveals whether or not the target feels guilt, while five successes reveal specific details of sins, enemies and failings.
Level 3 - Seize the Moment
The infernalist may reach into the mind of his victim and draw forth his memories and thoughts.
System: For each success gained, the infernalist may pull forth one specific memory. For example, to learn the plans of a local bishop, the infernalist Seizes the Moment. He gains three successes and discovers the bishop's immediate plans, what troops he has available, and whether he knows anything of the infernalist's existence.
Level 4 - Casting the Bones
This power allows the infernalist to part the mists of time and gaze into the future. To use this power, the infernalist must carve runestones from the bones of a sentient being (a new set of bones is required each time this power is used).
System: The successes gained indicate how far into the future the infernalist may look to find an answer to her question.
1 success Only the immediate future can be seen
2 successes Up to a week
3 successes A lunar month
4 successes A season
5 successes A year
The future is not fixed, so the infernalist's vision may be inaccurate it merely shows the likeliest course of events and so is more accurate when dealing with large groups (for example, "Will the crusaders recapture Jerusalem?") than with individuals.
Level 5 - Recall the Bloody Deed
The infernalist raises a spectre of vengeance to uncover past misdeeds. This power may only be used in a place where blood has been shed in anger.
System: If the roll is successful, the infernalist gives physical form to a minor demon (use the statistics for Custodes from Chapter Seven) which appears as the victim of the violence, and bears the victim's wounds. This demon has the power to track "its" murderer across land and sea to avenge itself. The only constraint on this pursuit is the number of successes gained by the infernalist: each success allows the demon to continue the pursuit for one day and night.
REGO DOLOR - PATH OF PAIN
Though the Baali created this dark magic, the masters of Rego Dolor are infernalists of Clan Tzimisce who use it to enforce discipline among their twisted creations.
Level 1 - Strike the Broken Limb
With this power, the infernalist may reopen an old wound in the target if he can touch her.
System: If the infernalist successfully touches his target, he inflicts one Health Level per success rolled; this damage can be soaked. This wound appears as an older one that has reopened.
Level 2 - Phantom
The infernalist can wrack an opponent's body with pain.
System: The target suffers the penalties of lost Health Levels, without actually losing those Health Levels. The successes rolled to use this power determine the Health Levels "lost." These phantom wounds can even knock a foe unconscious, if the foe suffers enough of them to bring her to Incapacitated. Vampires and other supernatural creatures can resist the infernalist's roll by rolling Willpower as if soaking. Any supernatural healing ( spending Blood Points or regeneration) removes imposed penalties as if they were wounds, at a rate of one phantom wound per Health Level. The effects of this power last until the end of the scene.
Level 3 - Curse the Senses
The infernalist can attack a victim's senses, rendering him blind, deaf and dumb.
System: Each success gained temporarily deprives the victim of one of his senses; sight is generally the first to go. This effect lasts for one scene, though a vampire so afflicted can spend a Blood Point to restore each lost sense. A variation of this power allows the infernalist to numb the target's sense of pain, reducing wound penalties by the number of successes gained (someone under the effects of this power may not even know he is being wounded).
Level 4 - Feed the Corruption
The infernalist calls upon minor imps and demons to infect the victim's flesh. Flies bite at her and maggots grow in soft tissue.
System: For each success the infernalist gains, vermin grow in the victim's flesh for one day. (If two successes are gained, the victim is afflicted for two days.) For each day of infection, the victim suffers one Health Level of damage from the biting flies, and the burrowing maggots inflict a number of Health Levels equal to the number of days that the process has continued (on the third day the victim suffers one Health Level from the flies and three from the corruption). This damage may not be soaked, and mortals are likely to be consumed, dying in agony. Vampires are able to heal the damage with Blood Points, but the corruption does not end until it has run its course.
Level 5 - Eternal Torment
This power inflicts wounds that cannot be healed by normal means.
System: The infernalist opens bleeding and pustulant sores on her victim's body. For each success gained, one Health Level of aggravated wounds is inflicted. Mortals cannot soak this damage or heal the wounds, but supernatural beings can resist with Fortitude (or similar powers) and heal as with any other aggravated wounds. In addition, so long as the wounds remain, the target suffers an equal amount of normal, soakable damage each night as she sleeps (or each day, in the case of vampires), as the wounds fester. For example, an infernalist uses this power on the Brujah Gregor. Gregor suffers two Health Levels worth of aggravated damage, and will suffer two more, non aggravated Health Levels of damage (though he may soak these additional wounds) each night until the initial wounds heal.
Rego Manes - PATH OF SPIRIT
This may be the oldest of all the Paths. It dates back to pagan times preceding civilization, when the spirit world was closer to the physical world. Though many ancient vampires know this Path's secrets, infernalists have turned it to its most potent use the raising of Hell itself. A demon who answers the infernalist's call may remain on Earth until the sun rises or until it hears church bells.
The older, pagan version of this Path is called Rego Mentem and allows the summoning of the spirits of nature rather than infernal creatures.
System: This Path has two powers. The first allows damage to be inflicted upon any spirit (demonic or otherwise) through ritual incantation (the player rolls Path rating as a damage Dice Pool against the target; this damage is resisted with Willpower rather than Stamina). The damaging powers of this Path take place immediately upon their use, and only require a few spoken words to enact.
Secondly, this Path allows the infernalist to summon beings from the spirit world. Rego Manes rating determines the power of a summoned demon:
Insignificant (Attributes 4/3/2, Abilities 3/ 2/1, no Disciplines)
Least (Attributes 5/4/3, Abilities 4/3/2, two points of Disciplines and/or Investments)
Lesser (Attributes 6/5/4, Abilities 5/4/3, four points of Disciplines and/or Investments) Minor (Attributes 7/6/5, Abilities 6/5/4, six points of Disciplines and/or Investments ) Specific demon (such as those presented in Chapter Seven), who demands sacrifices and serves only if it is in his interests.\
The number of successes gained determines how much control the infernalist has over what he calls up:
1 success The demon attends, but listens to the infernalist only if it can benefit. It may leave at will.
2 successes The demon arrives and listens to requests, and answers simple questions.
3 successes The demon is well disposed toward the infernalist, and answers questions withsome accuracy.
4 successes The demon is willing to serve the infernalist on simple tasks.
5 successes The demon is pleased with the summoning and serves the infernalist faithfully for the 5 sucesses night.
Failure: The ritual is wasted and cannot be attempted again that night.
Botch: The demon is angered by the infernalist's clumsy attempts, and attacks.
Chains of Pleasure
Infernalist have used this Path to corrupt many a soul. Some victims become dependent upon the Infernalist for the effects of this power. The effects are like a drug, sapping the will of the user over time. After an individual has experienced nthis power once, he will seek it out again and again. A victim must roll Self Control or Instincts (difficulty of 6) to resist another chance to experience the effects. After each subsequent subjection to this power, the difficulty increases by one, with a maximum of 9. This Path is extremely effective, garnering pleasure addicts who will serve the Infernalist just for a fix.
Level 1 - Ecstasy
This power creates intense pleasure in an individual, kine or Kindred, simply through skin to skin contact with the Infernalist who spends a Blood Point.
System: The victim will feel this pleasure as long as the Infernalist maintains contact and must make a Self Control roll (difficulty 6) to do anything but enjoy himself. This power may be used for any length of time; however, if contact is broken, it requires another Blood Point to reestablish Ecstasy.
Level 2 - Overstimulation
This power is a strengthened version of Ecstasy. It is so effective that some victims perceive it as painful, and they might be knocked unconscious by the pleasure.
System: The victim must spend Willpower to take any action, and then must make a Self Control roll as described in Ecstasy. Failure means the character has lost consciousness from resisting the pleasure.
Level 3 - The Wave of Pleasure
The Infernalist can cause pleasure in more than one victim, and no longer requires skin contact. She merely has to make eye contact with each victim. Once established, The Wave of Pleasure lasts as long as that particular target is in sight and as long as the Infernalist concentrates on maintaining it.
System: The actual effects are the same as Ecstasy. Contact can be made with only one person per turn and requires one Blood Point each, but as many contacts can be made as the Infernalist desires.
Level 4 - Writhing Delights
With but a touch, the Infernalist can send a victim into spasms of pleasure, leave him lying on the ground shaking and squirming uncontrollably for hours.
System: After touching the victim, the character rolls Charisma + Subterfuge (difficulty of the target's Willpower). For an amount of time depending on the number of successes, the victim can do nothing more than writhe on the ground:
2 Successes Five Minutes
3 Successes Thirty Minutes
4 Successes One Hour
5 Successes One Night
Level 5 - The Flow of a Thousand Embraces
This power severely injures a victim, causing extreme shock to her nervous system.
System: The vampire must touch the victim and spend a Blood Point and a point of Willpower. If the victim is a human, she suffers seven levels of damage, minus one for every success on a Stamina + Athletics roll (difficulty 7). Vampires make the same roll, but suffer no damage. Instead, failure sends them into torpor for as long as their Humanity mandates. If they succeed, they must still make Self Control rolls (difficulty 7) or go into Rotschreck.
Hands of Destruction
One of the most gruesome Paths, the Hands of Destruction provide Infernalists with powerful offensive abilities. The Hands of Destruction center around entropy and decay in one form or another.
Level 1 - Decay
This power ages an inanimate object, causing it to rust, break down or begin to corrode.
System: Every minute the Thaumaturgist touches an object and spends a Blood Point, the object ages 10 years. The Storyteller can then decide what sort of awful effects this can have.
Level 2 - Gnarl Wood
This power warps and bends any wooden object the Infernalist sees. The wood is otherwise undamaged.
System: For every Blood Point spent, 50 pounds of an object may be bent. This power may be used on any wooden object the Infernalist can see, so it is possible to bend all the hunter's wooden stakes in no time.
Level 3 - Acidic Touch
This power allows the Infernalist to produce a horrid secretion from anywhere on her body. It is capable of burning through wood and metal like a strong acid. It causes terrible chemical burns to anyone touched.
System: One Blood Point produces enough acid to burn through apiece of quarter inch steel plate in three seconds or enough for one attack. The acid causes any damage from a hand to hand attack to be aggravated, though the Infernalist must spend a Blood Point each turn she wants to use this power.
Level 4 - Atrophy
This power sucks the life from a victim's arm or leg, causing it to become a shrunken husk of bone, skin, and little more. The effects are instantaneous and, in mortals, irreversible. System: The victim receives one chance to resist the effects by rolling three successes on a Stamina + Athletics roll (difficulty the roll means the arm is arm crippled. If one success is rolled, then all difficulties involving use of the arm are increased by two; if two successes are rolled, those difficulties increase by one. Vampires can cure the arm by spending five Blood Points on it through the course of a night.
Level 5 - Turn to Dust
This awesome power ages a human victim so rapidly that he turns to dust in the Infernalist hands. The Infernalist rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty of the victim's Humanity); every success ages the victim by 10 years.
Fires of Inferno
This Path of Dark Thaumaturgy relates to manipulating a form of energy found only in Hades. The energy looks very much like fire, but it is supernatural fire and can affect those with protection from normal flames.
The following information relates how much damage the hellfire inflicts. The higher the level of the practitioner, the hotter the flames. Flames bum for half damage (round down) every turn after the first until extinguished if its target is combustible (vampires are just as combustible as humans) and cause aggravated wounds. Hellfire can be put out in the same way as normal flames. Hellfire appears in many different colors, not just red.
Level 1 - One die of damage
Level 2 - Two dice of damage
Level 3 - Four dice of damage
Level 4 - Six dice of damage
Level 5 - Eight dice of damage
Path of Pestilence
This Path focuses on the use of filth and disease as a weapon. An Infernalist skilled in this Path is immune to her own effects, but is not immune to other illnesses affecting vampires.
Level 1 - Sickness
This power means an Infernalist's very touch causes illness. The effects vary, but usually include some of the following: fever, cold chills, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, nausea, muscle cramps, watery eyes, open sores and stiffness in the joints. This power only effects mortals.
System: The exact nature of the infection varies from victim to victim, but the number of effects equals the number of successes the vampire haven a Strength + Intimidation roll (difficulty of the victim's Stamina + Athletics). The sick individual subtracts one point from each of his three Physical Attributes for each effect. Thus, a character suffering from four illnesses would have to subtract four points from Strength, Dexterity and Stamina. If any is reduced to zero, the victim must remain bedridden until recovered. A character will suffer the effects for one day per success by the Infernalist, but will regain one point in each Attribute per day.
Level 2 - Vampire Sickness
This power allows the Infernalist to create the same effect as Sickness but in vampires. Vampire victims suffer fevers, cold chills, blood vomiting, headaches, nausea, muscle cramps, bloody eyes, open sores and stiffness of the joints. Otherwise, the effects and the functions are the same as those for mortals.
System: This power works like Sickness, but the victim can add Fortitude to the difficulty level.
Level 3 - The Swarming
This power is similar to Animalism, allowing the Infernalist to summon all insects within 200 feet. In urban areas, roaches are the most numerous. The Infernalist can command the insects to perform simple tasks, such as invade an area, eat all food nearby, crawl down into things, climb all over people, bite and sting everyone but the Infernalist, etc.
System: The insects will stay in an area for an amount of time depending on a Charisma + Animal Ken roll (diffi culty 6), though the Thaumaturgist can dismiss them at any time:
1 Success One Turn
2 Successes 5 Minutes
3 Successes 30 Mins
4 Successes 1 Hour
5 Successes 1 Night