Theban Sorcery

**Prerequisite**: Status: Lancea Sanctum

**Linked Themes**: Divination and Transmutation

**Motifs**: Judgemental, Holy, Deliberate

**Sacrifice**: Theban Sorcery costs 1 Willpower and require an offering.

* Buying your first dot of Theban Sorcery grants a dot each in Divination and Transmutation, as well as a dot in your choice of the other three themes.
* Every time you buy a dot in Theban Sorcery, a free dot is gained in a Theme that you already know.
* Themes may be bought independent of their Ritual Discipline.
* Themes cannot be higher than the level of their Ritual Discipline.
* Buying a new level of Theban Sorcery grants you a free ritual. The ritual must correspond to the dot of Theme gained when buying up the Discipline.
* Buying a new dot of Theme also grants you a free ritual. The ritual corresponds to the new dot of Theme that you bought.
* Rituals may be bought independently.
* Rituals have a prerequisite of all the Themes involved.

## **The Roll**

Extended.

 **Transmutation** | Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

### **Modifiers**

Downtime can be converted to modifiers for this roll. It represents the ritualist spending time to prepare for the ritual.

 2 Dt
 3 Dt

**Other Modifiers**

 0
 -1 to -3
 0 to +3

### **Target number of Successes**

Calculated by:

Theme dots + Area of Effect + Duration + Number of Targets + Potency + Range + Size of Target

Click here for the chart.

## **Rituals**

### **Level 1**

#### **Blandishment of Sin**

Themes: Destruction 1

Activation roll: Wits + Intimidation + Destruction vs. Resolve + Blood Potency

Sacrament: A piece of paper with the subject's name written on it.

Upgrades the next bashing wound to lethal.

#### **Blood Scourge**

Themes: Transmutation 1, Destruction 1

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: 1 Vitae

Creates a 0L whip. The weapons rating can be increased by Potency.

#### **Celibacy**

Themes: Protection 1

Activation roll: Resolve + Stealth + Protection

Sacrament: The subject's sweat

Subject gains a bonus to their Resolve + Composure roll to resist the Kiss equal to the ritual's Potency.

#### **Crown of Thorns**

Themes: Transmutation 1

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation - *Target's Stamina*

Sacrament: A thorny twig or branch swallowed by the ritualist.

The bony thorns cause 2 points of bashing damage, and apply a Social penalty equal to the ritual's Potency.

#### **Hauberk of Blood**

Themes: Protection 1

Activation roll: Resolve + Stealth + Protection

Sacrament: Vitae. The amount of Vitae spent is the same as the ritual's Potency.

Protects from physical damage, including fire. One Vitae counters one or two points of bashing damage or one point of lethal damage. 5 Vitae counters one point of aggravated damage.

#### **Messenger's Mark**

Themes: Creation 1

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: A shaft made of rowan wood

Creates the mark of a spear on a Legate's chest, which can be shown or hidden by the Legate at will.

#### **Paladin's Absolution**

Themes: Protection 1

Activation roll: Resolve + Stealth + Protection

Sacrament: An icon or image of the people to be harmed by the subject's actions.

Grants the subject bonus dice on a degeneration roll equal to the ritual's Potency. The ritual must be completed before the action is carried out.

#### **Sinner Song**

Themes: Divination 1

Activation roll: Resolve + Investigation + Divination - *Target's Resolve*

Sacrament: An article belonging to the subject, traditionally associated with a vice.

Compels the subject to reveal their latest sin worthy of a degeneration roll.

#### **Theban Inscription**

Themes: Creation 1

Activation roll: Wits + Expression + Creation

Sacrament: The mark in question drawn somewhere, such as on a piece of paper.

Leaves a mark on a surface which can be deciphered with an Intelligence + Academics, Wits + Academics, or Wits + Occult roll of the ritualist's choosing, penalised by the ritualist's Intelligence. The ritualist must know of the exact physical location on which the mark is being placed ('the front door of Vlad's Haven' won't work, but 'the front door of Vlad's Haven on 3 Main Street, Fangsville, above the stone steps and next to the knocker resembling a skull' will). Or, the ritualist can just be physically present at the location. Having your eyes on the spot or touching the spot counts as "knowing".

#### **Tempter's Eye**

Themes: Divination 1

Activation roll: Resolve + Investigation + Divination

Sacrament: A tarnished silver coin with the subject's name scratched on it with an iron nail.

Learn of a mortal subject's Vice.

#### **Vitae Reliquary**

Themes: Transmutation 1

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: The object used to store Vitae, less than size 3

Stores Vitae in an object up to the ritual's Potency. The blood still produces Vinculum and blood addiction.

### **Level 2**

#### **Bird of Sin**

Themes: Creation 2, Transmutation 1, Destruction 1

Activation roll: Wits + Expression + Creation

Sacrament: A feather at least four inches long.

The bird attacks with a dice pool of (10 - subject's Integrity/Humanity). The base weapons rating is 0B, which may be increased with the ritual's Potency. The subject's Defense is ignored.

#### **Curse of Babel**

Themes: Transmutation 2

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation - *Target's Resolve*

Sacrament: An animal or person's tongue.

Subject expresses nonsense or gibberish whenever they try to communicate.

#### **Damned Radiance**

Themes: Transmutation 2

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: A mask.

Adds dots in the ritual's Potency to any Presence rolls. Take the same penalty to any rolls requiring subtlety or secrecy.

#### **Dust to Dust**

Themes: Transmutation 2

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: A few drops of myrrh-scented oil.

Transforms a corpse into mundane garbage—composting plant matter or food waste.

#### **Liar's Plague**

Themes: Creation 2, Divination 2

Activation roll: Wits + Expression + Creation vs. *Resolve + Blood Potency*

Sacrament: An insect's carapace.

Beetles swarm out of a target's mouth whenever they speak a lie.

#### **Prison of Denial**

Themes: Protection 2, Transmutation 1

Activation roll: Resolve + Stealth + Protection - *Targer's Resolve*

Sacrament: An image or unique possession of the exile.

The subject cannot communicate with, look at, or speak of a specific person, who is called the exile. An exceptional success can literally blind the subject when the exile enters the room.

#### **Resistance of Discipline**

Themes: Protection 2

Activation roll: Resolve + Stealth + Protection

Sacrament: Any Judeo-Christian or Islamic holy symbol.

The subject can reroll a contested roll to resist a Discipline.

#### **Sanctity**

Themes: Transmutation 2

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: A decorative object such as a tapestry or carpet, or an item symbolizing the action to be blessed, such as a sword.

The room grants bonus dice to one of these skills; Academics, Empathy, Intimidation, Occult, and Persuasion, equal to the ritual's Potency.

#### **Sanguine Exaltation**

Themes: Transmutation 2

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: A pearl.

Enchants an object with a pearl on it to add bonus dice to a Theban Sorcery roll, equal to the ritual's Potency.

#### **Thief's Mark**

Themes: Divination 2, Transmutation 1

Activation roll: Resolve + Investigation + Divination

Sacrament: A hollow glass imitation of the stolen object filled with black ink.

Learns the location of a stolen object. The thief is marked by red, peeling blisters on the skin of their face.

#### **Trap of Slumber**

Themes: Protection 2, Transmutation 1

Activation roll: Resolve + Stealth + Protection

Sacrament: A crumb of discharged eye matter—what ritualists call “sleep sand”—from a living mortal.

When a mortal or ghoul approaches a sleeping Kindred within three yards, make a roll of Resolve + Stamina - *Kindred's Composure and Blood Potency*. If the roll fails, the mortal falls asleep. The mortal only wakes when the Kindred wakes, and can sleep indefinitely if the Kindred is in torpor. This ritual can "stack"; multiple instances of this ritual affect subsequent mortals to approach the Kindred.

### **Level 3**

#### **Aversion**

Themes: Transmutation 3, Divination 2

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: A lock of the target's hair crushed and mixed together with lye flakes.

The target is prohibited from acting in a certain way. If she tries, she suffers wracking pain and a dice penalty equal to the Ritual's Potency.

#### **Bastard's Line**

Themes: Divination 3

Activation roll: Resolve + Investigation + Divination

Sacrament: A personal item owned by the subject in life and was present at the Embrace.

Allows the sorcerer to see a vision of a subject's Embrace and identify their Sire. Wits + Composure rolls may be made to pick out particularly obscure details.

#### **Blood Fire**

Themes: Destruction 3, Transmutation 2

Activation roll: Wits + Intimidation + Destruction

Sacrament: A burning object, at least as large and intense as a torch

It is not real fire that spills from the sorcerer's veins, but rather the "Judgemental" aspect of Theban Sorcery given form, which often resembles hellfire. The "fire" may look different depending on the nature of the sorcerer and their interpretation of the motif. One sorcerer can have "fire" that glows brightly white, while another produces black flames that seem to absorb light rather than give it.

The fire activates when the sorcerer is inflicted with a lethal or aggravated wound in a close combat attack. It reflexively deals lethal damage to the attacker equal to the ritual's Potency. The fire is imperceptible to anyone other than the attacker.

#### **Lash Beyond Death**

Themes: Transmutation 3, Protection 3

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation - *Target's Resolve (if unwilling)*

Sacrament: Flesh from the subject, represented by 1 lethal damage

The subject can carry out an action that takes one turn immediately after entering torpor or Final Death.

#### **Legionnaire's Blessing**

Themes: Transmutation 3, Destruction 2

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: The blessed weapon is weakened. Once the effects of the spell wear off, the weapon's damage rating decreases by one. Subsequent uses of the spell gradually destroy the weapon.

Increase the damage rating of a melee or thrown weapon by the ritual's Potency.

#### **Malediction of Despair**

Themes: Transmutation 3, Divination 2

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation vs. *Resolve + Blood Potency*

Sacrament: A lock of hair from the subject.

The victim suffers penalty to a specific action equal to the ritual's Potency.

#### **Pharoah's Paces**

Themes: Transmutation 3, Protection 3

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: An article of gold, jade, or sapphire jewelry.

Prohibits others from touching or looking at the sorcerer, or coming within nine paces of him. Characters can resist this in an extended action, by making a Resolve + Composure roll and spending a Willpower for each turn of the roll. The target number of successes is equal to the successes scored on the ritual's activation roll.

The sorcerer breaks the spell for anyone he touches or makes eye contact with. Characters who have broken the spell is immune to its effects for the rest of the scene.

#### **Scrivener's Eye**

Themes: Divination 3

Activation roll: Resolve + Investigation + Divination

Sacrament: A scrap of age-yellowed paper.

The subject can recall large quantities of information without an Intelligence roll. After the Duration of the ritual, the memories are completely lost.

#### **Torment**

Themes: Destruction 3

Activation roll: Wits + Intimidation + Destruction

Sacrament: A representation of the subject slowly and methodically destroyed over the course of the ritual.

The subject loses points of Resolve equal to the ritual's Potency to a minimum of one. Any remaining Potency then removes Willpower dots.

#### **Vision of the Will**

Themes: Transmutation 3, Divination 2

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: The object to be infused with the vision, which can be no larger than a human skull.

Infuses an object with a vision, which can be used to impart information or perform a Social action on the viewer (using skills such as Expression, Intimidation, or Persuasion). If performing a Social action, the object uses the ritualist's dice pool. The roll is contested by Resolve + Composure.

#### **Wolf in Child's Clothing**

Themes: Transmutation 3

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: A small portion of the subject's body, such as a finger.

The ritualist takes on the subject's blood ties and Auras.

### **Level 4**

#### **Blandishment of Sin**

Themes: Destruction 4

Activation roll: Wits + Intimidation + Destruction

Sacrament: A piece of paper with the subject's name written on it.

Upgrades the next lethal wound to aggravated.

#### **Break the Chain**

Themes: Destruction 4, Transmutation 4
Activation roll: Wits + Intimidation + Destruction

Sacrament: A gold chain broken with the links scattered over an image of the subject's master.

The ghoul loses Vitae equal to the ritual's Potency. For the Duration of the ritual, Vinculum and blood addiction is suppressed.

#### **Call of Amoniel**

Themes: Protection 4, Divination 2

Activation roll: Resolve + Stealth + Protection

Sacrament: A white bird, alive or dead.

The sorcerer can awaken in the day when her sleep is disturbed, in response to stimuli in her building or immediate region. Once awake, the sorcerer may remain awake all day without an extended action. A Vitae is still spent to carry on into the night.

While awake in the day, the vampire's daytime dice pool can be capped by the ritual's Potency x 2 instead of their Humanity.

#### **Display of the Beast**

Themes: Transmutation 4
Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation - *Target's Stamina*

Sacrament: The skull of a dead mortal.

Causes a Kindred subject to become an exaggerated display of the Beast. Kindred onlookers must roll to resist fear frenzy. Mortals and ghouls immediately flee, and any non-reflexive action is penalised by the ritual's Potency. Mortals immediately lose a point of Willpower upon seeing the Display. Mortals and ghouls must spend a point of Willpower to attack the subject.

#### **Gift of Lazarus**

Themes: Transmutation 4

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: A communion wafer placed under the dead person's tongue.

Reanimates a corpse. Initially, the zombie has access to its former skills but no willpower. For every day that the creature is dead prior to the invocation, and for every day that the zombie remains animated, subtract a dot from an Attribute in each of the Mental, Physical, and Social categories. When an Attribute is reduced to zero, any rolls involving that trait fail automatically. The zombie can suffer bashing, lethal, and aggravated damage, and is destroyed when its rightmost Health box is filled with aggravated damage.

#### **Lord's Chalice**

Themes: Protection 4, Divination 2

Activation roll: Resolve + Stealth + Protection

Sacrament: A chalice.

Anyone drinking Vitae from the chalice does not form a stage of Vinculum or test for blood addiction. The blood gives a bitter taste if the drinker is unaware of the donor.

#### **Mark of the Damned**

Themes: Protection 4, Divination 3

Activation roll: Resolve + Stealth + Protection

Sacrament: Vitae equal to the Haven's Size.

Anyone who enters the Haven intending to harm the vampire suffers lethal damage equal to the ritual's Potency. A trespasser aware of the ritual can attempt to hide his intentions with a roll of Resolve + Subterfuge – Theban Sorcery. Visitors who do not intend harm may enter, though they can still be wounded if violent intentions develop
once they're inside.

#### **Sacred Haven**

Themes: Protection 4

Activation roll: Resolve + Stealth + Protection

Sacrament: A pinch of crushed obsidian.

Protects a room from the sun.

#### **Song of the Prey**

Themes: Transmutation 4

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: A living, thorn-bearing tree, bush or flower.

The sorcerer plants a tree which attracts wandering mortals. The Vitae that can be gained from this ritual equals the ritual's Potency. Feeding using this ritual costs 1 Dt. When using this ritual, please contact a member of staff so that your sheet and the feeding pool can be adjusted.

#### **Spear of Faith**

Themes: Destruction 4

Activation roll: Wits + Intimidation + Destruction - *Target's Highest Stamina*

Sacrament: A metal pendant or idol in the shape of a crucifix or spear.

Deals lethal damage equal to the ritual's Potency to a series of targets. The victim closest to the sorcerer suffers the full damage, the next victim suffers one point of damage less than the first, and so on. This damage ignores Defense and Armor.

#### **Stigmata**

Themes: Destruction 4

Activation roll: Wits + Intimidation + Destruction - *Target's Stamina*

Sacrament: A crucifix.

Causes the victim to bleed from the wrists, feet, and side, the traditional five wounds of Christ. Mortals suffer lethal damage equal to the ritual's Potency. Kindred lose Vitae equal to the ritual's Potency, and suffer lethal damage once they run out of Vitae.

### **Level 5**

#### **Damned's Day**

Themes: Protection 5

Activation roll: Resolve + Stealth + Protection

Sacrament: The vampire's own flesh as he completes the ritual in the sun. A minimum of 1 aggravated damage must be suffered.

Increase the vampire's Humanity and decrease the vampire's Blood Potency for the purposes of calculating sun damage. Alter both stats by the ritual's Potency. For each roll made to complete the ritual, the sky spends an hour darkening.

#### **Fires of Vengeance**

Themes: Destruction 5, Divination 3

Activation roll: Wits + Intimidation + Destruction

Sacrament: The sorcerer's Humanity automatically drops by 1.

Punishes sinners with “flames” that cause lethal damage with a dicepool of (10 – subject's Integrity/Humanity). Each turn, he subject resists with a roll of Resolve + Stamina, and takes no damage if they succeed. The sorcerer declares a type of sinner (“Murderers!”) and can affect as many as he chooses.

Again, blood sorcery has no control over fire. The "flames" produced are entirely metaphysical in nature, produce no heat and do not induce fear frenzy, and deal lethal instead of aggravated damage. Subjects and onlookers can tell that they're not real flames, though that hardly matters when you're actively being burned into a crisp.

#### **Imprecation of Sin**

Themes: Transmutation 5

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation - *building's size if it were a Haven*

Sacrament: A ceremonial cross, spear or other symbolic representation. The offering must have a Size at least equal to the dots the space would have if it were a Haven.

A building is desecrated and imbued with a Vice. The Vice is always one of the seven deadly sins; Lust, Pride, Greed, Envy, Wrath, Gluttony, or Sloth. Characters in the building acquire the building's Vice alongside their own (Vice/Virtue or Mask/Dirge). If they don't manage to gain Willpower from the Vice while there, the Vice stays with them after they leave and is only gone when they gain Willpower from it.

#### **Night of Hell**

Themes: Transmutation 5, Destruction 4

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation - *Target's Resolve*

Sacrament: Blood or hair from the victim.

Due to the nightmare, the victim loses all her Willpower and gains a Condition (*Broken, Fugue, Madness*, etc.). The victim doesn't wake for the Duration of the ritual, until they suffer lethal damage. When awakened, Kindred immediately check for fear frenzy.

#### **Rain of Blood**

Themes: Transmutation 5, Destruction 4

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation

Sacrament: A single Vitae.

The Rain of Blood inflicts lethal damage per turn equal to Potency, in a given area and affecting only those the sorcerer wishes to harm. No armour or Defense short of complete cover can stop the damage. Living victims will have to make a Resolve + Composure roll, and suffer -4 to all non-reflexive actions if they fail.

#### **The Blackened Hand**

Themes: Protection 5

Activation roll: Resolve + Stealth + Protection

Sacrament: The left hand of the subject.

Fire damage is transferred to the subject's amputated hand, which has "Health" equal to the ritual's Potency. The subject cannot regrow their left hand for the Duration of the ritual.

#### **Transubstantiation**

Themes: Transmutation 5

Activation roll: Intelligence + Science + Transmutation vs. Stamina + Blood Potency

Sacrament: A drop of liquid gold.

Turns something or someone into something else. Only works on subjects equal or smaller in size than the caster.

#### **Seek the Sleeping Lord**

Themes: Divination 5

Activation roll: Resolve + Investigation + Divination

Sacrament: Fangs removed from a vampire at least a century in age.

The ritualist can identify the location of torpid vampires.

#### **Wrathful Judgment**

Themes: Destruction 5

Activation roll: Wits + Intimidation + Destruction - *Target's Stamina*

Sacrament: One of the casting vampire's eyes or hands. The Kindred suffers two points of lethal damage.

Spend Willpower per Potency of the ritual. Each Potency deals one aggravated damage and consumes one Vitae from the Kindred target. This ritual works on ghouls but not mortals or other supernatural beings.

The sorcerer's Judgement manifests as an unearthly burst of light and energy. It can take the form of a bolt of lightning from the sky, a giant beam of bright, white light, or pale, unnatural flames that emit no heat. The sorcerer cannot produce real fire; a pale shadow of an imitation is the best he can do.

Sources: *Vampire: the Requiem, Blood and Smoke: the Strix Chronicles, Blood Sorcery, Lancea Sanctum, Coteries, Nomads, World of Darkness: Chicago*