Discipline: Thanatosis

## **Lvl 1**

### **Cadaverous Body**

The Vampire's body takes on traits of a rotting corpse, causing all inner-organs, other than the heart, to atrophy, and giving them a thinner frame with a sickly pallor, while also intrinsically altering their Vampiric state in some ways. This Discipline allows the Vampire to mold their own rotting flesh into subcutaneous pockets, allowing them to store objects in way similar to a kangaroo's pouch, and also allows them to consume remnant vitae that lingers in corpses.

**Cost**: Free
**Dice Pools**: Thanatosis + Zombie Vissage (Flaw); Difficulty 1
**System**: The Vampire gains **⬤⬤ Flaw**: Zombie Anatomy, which is also treated as an Attribute for certain **Thanatosis** rolls. Some other powers in **Thanatosis** increase the severity of Zombie Anatomy. Using the **Blush of Life** removes up to 3 rating from Zombie Anatomy.
To create a pocket in which to store objects, the Vampire takes a moment to open their rotting flesh and fatty tissues to create it. Roll Thanatosis + Zombie Anatomy against a difficulty of 1. Small objects such as a wallet, keys, or a very small gun are easily hidden and are much less noticeable, larger or heavier objects are more difficult to place within the body, increasing the difficulty of the roll. On a success the object is hidden inside the body, but can be detected if the Vampire is examined (Such as a guard patting them down,) on a critical success the object is perfectly hidden, on a failure the object is easily noticeable t all times.
As long as **Zombie Anatomy** is maintained, it confers the following:
* Can consume bones to remove Hunger. Consuming 20lbs of bones, roughly the equivalent of a full adult human skeleton, will remove Hunger equal to half (rounded up) to **Zombie Anatomy'**s rating.
* Internal organs are atrophied to shriveled husks, giving the ability to store almost anything inside without being easily noticed.
* Feels no pain.
* Add **Zombie Anatomy** rating to Intimidation Dice Pools.
* Penalty equal **Zombie Anatomy'**s Severity to all relevant Social Dice Pools.
* As **Zombie Anatomy'**s severity increases, the Vampire's internal organs continue to wither and atrophy, until they take on a more skeletal appearance.

**Duration**: Passive. Pockets last until undone.

## **Lvl 2**

### **Death Masque**

An ancient and strange ability, that allows the Vampire to assume the apparent look of someone that has died with a simple touch.

**Cost**: Rouse Check
**Dice Pools**: Thanatosis + Subterfuge vs Wits + Awareness
**System**: Your rotting countenance allows a certain degree of malleability when used in tandem with the strange power of your blood. By touching a human corpse flesh-to-flesh and making a Rouse Check, the user can assume the appearance of that corpse. **Blush of Life** will restore the user's appearance to a publicly acceptable state, though if the corpse is too rotten it may not be enough. When someone attempts to see through your disguise, roll Thanatosis + Subterfuge or Intimidate (Whichever is applicable,) vs Wits + Awareness, on a Win the user can explain away the disguise well enough, but they may question further if the user does something suspicious. On a Critical Win, they believe your disguise or lie wholly and will question it no further.
A number of "appearances" equal to the user's Thanatosis can be "stored". Appearances that have a significant difference in ability from the user may confer a slight bonus or penalty to stats, i.e. transforming into an Olympic athlete may increase Athletics by 1, but transforming into a child may reduce Strength by 1.
**Duration**: Until sunrise, or ended

### **Putrefaction**

The Vampire can, with a touch, cause flesh to quickly rot. Hair falls out, teeth loosen, flesh rots, and fungus begins to grow on the skin. Works on both living and undead.

**Cost**: Rouse Check
**Dice Pools**: Thanatosis + Zombie Anatomy vs Stamina + Fortitude (If Available)
**System**: Zombie Anatomy's severity is increased by 1.
Requires the Vampire to physically touch, flesh-to-flesh, with the intended victim. In combat this must be done by first grappling (Strength + Brawl), if surprising the victim, add Stealth to this Dice Pool.
On successively touching the target, the Vampire then performs the required roll. **Putrefaction** deals damage and inflicts Rotting. Superficial damage dealt and Flaw severity are both equal the margin of Success. On a Critical Success, **Putrefaction** deals at least 1 of is damage as **Aggravated Damage ()**.
Rotting confers a penalty to all dice rolls in relevant social interactions by an amount equal to its value. Vampires can make a Rouse Check, then roll Stamina with Difficulty equal to Rotting's current value to remove one point from Rotting. Otherwise it will be removed upon waking the next night.
**Duration**: Until healed.

## **Lvl 3**

### **Ashes to Ashes**

The Vampire collapses into a pile of thick, sticky, white powder. While in this form the Vampire is only dimly conscious, but is immune to more forms of damage, including **Fire** and **Sunlight**, making it a powerful evasion tool. However, if the ashes are scattered too far, the Vampire may never be able to reform.

**Cost**: 2 Rouse Checks. 1 to change, and 1 to change back.
**Dice Pools**: None.
**System**: The Vampire forms into a pile of nearly invulnerable ash-like powder. Whenever the Vampire wishes to be aware of their surroundings while in this form, they must make an Awareness + Thanatosis roll against a difficulty of 7. The Vampire cannot use any Disciplines while in this form, or perform any other actions.
Grants immunity to most forms of damage, with the only threat being a scattering of the Ashes. If the ashes are scattered, the Vampire will reform with **Aggravated Damage ()**, possibly missing limbs. The heart and head will always reform at the expense of other body parts.
The Vampire can sleep during the day while in this form, and even enter Torpor, effectively allowing them to rest in extremely safe spots.
**Duration**: Until reformed.

### **Wither**

The Vampire can instantly rot a victim's limb, rendering it completely useless. This power works exceptionally well on Kindred.

**Cost**: Rouse Check + 1 Willpower
**Dice Pools**: Thanatosis + Zombie Anatomy vs Stamina + Fortitude (If Available)
**Prerequisite**: **Putrefaction**
**System**: Zombie Anatomy's severity is increased by 1.
Uses the same system as **Putrefaction** unless otherwise noted.
On a margin of three successes or greater, the Vampire can choose to rot the entirety of the touched limb, making it dead and useless. On a lesser margin, it merely acts as **Putrefaction** would.
When succeeding on a Kindred victim, who views their body as immortal and unrotting, they will be utterly horrified and have to make a Rouse Check, and then a Composure + Resolve roll, with a difficulty equal to the Vampire's Thanatosis, or spend a point of Willpower, before they can immediately take an aggressive action. Each subsequent use on the same Vampire victim lowers the Difficulty of the roll by 1, but the victim will still be forced to Rouse Check.
Vampires will fully restore the limb upon waking the next night, and remove the associated **Rotting** flaw. Mortals will generally have to have the limb amputated.
**Duration**: Until healed.

### **Corpse Explosion**

**Amalgam:** **Blood Sorcery 1**

Will dead flesh to violently explode in an intended cone of effect, similar to a blast from a shotgun, or in more severe cases, a directed claymore mine.

**Cost**: Rouse Check
**Dice Pools**: Thanatosis + Wits; Difficulty 1 or Thanatosis + Composure
**System**: The user picks a corpse within a number of yards of them equal to their Thanatosis, then performs a Rouse Check and rolls Thanatosis + Wits; Difficulty 1. On a success the corpse explodes in a cone of gore in the user's desired direction, dealing Superficial Damage equal ti the margin of success, plus half the corpse's health (use this page to help decide how much health an animal corpse adds), rounded up. The user may then divide this damage as they choose among all targets in the cone of effect. Damage is reduced by 1 for every 2 yards a target is away from the **Corpse Explosion**.
Mortals take this as **Aggravated Damage ()**. This explosion can be Dodged as a typical ranged attack, but suffers a 1 penalty to Dice Pool attempts to do so, as it's a cone of effect, rather than a directed bullet.
**Example**: *Dani see four Ghouls inspecting a Guard Dog that was just killed. He makes a Rouse Check and rolls Thanatosis + Wits against Difficulty 1 and gets a 4, exploding the Guard Dog. The Margin of success is 3 and the Guard Dog's Health Stat increases it by another 3, for a total of 6 damage. There are four targets in range of the direction of the explosion's cone of effect, but Dani wants to injure the guard with the shotgun more than the others, and divides the 6 total damage to deal 4 to that target, and 1 to two others, leaving the last target unharmed. All damaged Ghouls take this as **Aggravated Damage ()**, and it is not reduced.*
While Zombie Anatomy is maintained, the user can also "explode" parts of their own body to deal damage as well by rolling Thanatosis + Composure with no added difficulty, and requiring no Rouse Check. Detonating the user's own flesh causes them to take 1 **Aggravated Damage ()**, but in turn does a least 1 **Aggravated Damage ()** to anyone damaged. This can also be used to "explode" objects hidden within the user by **Cadaverous Body** outwards, when this is done, increase the damage appropriately. i.e. exploding a knife out of the body might add 2 damage to the attack as it lodges itself into a victim.

## **Lvl 4**

### **Dust to Dust**

The Vampire maintains awareness while in Ash Form, and can perform non-physical Disciplines. Requires **Ashes to Ashes**.

**Cost**: 2 Rouse Checks. 1 to change, and 1 to change back.
**Dice Pools**: None.
**Prerequisite**: **Ashes to Ashes**
**System**: Uses the same system as **Ashes to Ashes** unless otherwise noted.
While a pile of ash, the Vampire no longer needs to make any checks, and is aware of their surroundings at all times. They also cannot be blown away or separated without considerable force, in such an instance the Vampire rolls Strength + Stamina + Thanatosis + Fortitude + Potence against an appropriate difficulty.
The Vampire also gains the ability to move while in Ash Form, at a speed no greater than two miles per hour, and can change their general shape to fit under doors or more easily hide behind objects.
**Duration**: Until reformed.

### **Creeping Infection**

Allows the Vampire to delay the effects of **Putrefaction**, **Wither**, and **Necrosis**, causing it to occur at some point after the initial touch.

**Cost**: Same as chosen Discipline.
**Dice Pools**: Same as chosen Discipline.
**Prerequisite**: **Putrefaction**
**System**: Zombie Anatomy's severity is increased by 1.
Upon successfully touching a victim, the Vampire can then delay the effects of the chosen Discipline by a number of months equal to their **Thanatosis**. At any point the Vampire can Rouse to instantly activate or remove the effect. Otherwise it will automatically occur when the chosen duration ends.
Multiple applications of **Creeping Infection** can be put on a single victim.
**Duration**: Variable.

## **Lvl 5**

### **Ashen One**

Through mastery of **Ashes to Ashes**, the Vampire gains additional abilities both in and outside of the Ash Form, gaining the ability to transform parts of their body into ash.

**Cost**: None.
**Dice Pools**: None.
**Prerequisite**: **Ashes to Ashes**
**System**: Reduces the number of required rouse checks to activate **Ashes to Ashes** to 1, and at any time the Vampire can transform parts of their body into ash that they can control. If used to avoid damage, add Thanatosis in place of Athletics to dodge attempts.
While in Ash Form, the Vampire gains the following additional traits:
* After transforming, the first Rouse Check the Vampire makes will always be a success.
* Can now Rouse to heal damage while transformed.
* Upon leaving Ash Form, the Vampire heals 1 Superficial Damage.
* Can flow a corpse, and can then control it as if it were their own body. If the corpse is too heavily damage, your Ash Form will begin to pour out and you will lose control of the body.
* Can now perform certain physical Disciplines while in Ashe Form, ie. **Putrefaction**, and if possessing a Corpse, they can use all Disciplines through that corpse as if it were their own body.

**Duration**: Passive.

### **Necrosis**

The total mastery of **Putrefaction** bolsters it to horrifying strength, allowing a Vampire to rot a living person to a carcass with a mere touch.

**Cost**: Rouse Check
**Dice Pools**: Thanatosis + Zombie Anatomy vs Stamina + Fortitude (If Available)
**Prerequisite**: **Putrefaction**
**System**: Zombie Anatomy's severity is increased by 1.
Uses the same system as **Putrefaction** unless otherwise noted.
On a success, all damage dealt by **Putrefaction** is dealt as **Aggravated Damage ()**. Doubles the number of limbs rotted by **Wither**. On a margin of 6 or more successes, the victim is horribly crippled by rot. Mortals will generally rot to a putrid skeleton, and Vampires will have their Strength and Dexterity reduced to 0, effectively paralyzing them until they can heal.
**Duration**: Until healed.