Mortis Discipline

This Discipline was developed by the Cappadocians in an attempt to uncover the secrets of death. It seeks to explore
many aspects of death, from outright cheating it, to causing it with a single touch. Rumor has it that masters of Mortis are
able to defy death itself. Practitioners of Mortis are often consumed with the aspects of death and the afterlife (i.e., The
Road of the Bones and the modern Sabbat-followed Path of Death and the Soul ). In Modern-day Vampire, the
likeliest practicioners can be found amongst the elder Giovanni and certain rare members of Old Clan Tzimisce. 

Level One - Masque of Death 

This power allows the vampire or a chosen subject to assume a visage of death. Flesh becomes taut and sallow, and joints
grow rigid and stiff. Assuming the appearance of a corpse can be quite useful- if a hunter searches a mortuary for a
vampire, he would be likely to ignore one under the effects of this power. The Discipline may also be used as a dreadful
curse, causing a being to appear as the walking dead. 

System: The character assuming the form must simply spend a Blood Point. If attempting to use the power on another, the
intended victim must be touched, a Blood Point spent, and the player must make a Stamina + Medicine roll (difficulty:
target's Stamina +3). The effects of the power last until the next dawn or dusk. Characters under the influence of this
power subtract two from their Dexterity and Appearance ratings (minimum of 1). A vampire affected by this power may
spend two Blood Points to remove its effects. 

Level Two - Blight 

This power allows the character to cause rapid aging to an opponent. The victim begins to suffer the effects of old age;
skin becomes pallid and thin, bones become brittle, and the victim may even experience advanced stages of arthritis or
other ailments of the elderly. 

System: This power requires the character to touch her opponent. The player must then score a number of successes on a
Manipulation + Medicine roll (difficulty equals the opponent's Willpower) and expend one point of Willpower. Use of this
ability causes the victim to suffer the effects of extreme old age (subtract three from all Physical Attributes, down to a
minimum of 1). Cainites are affected by this power just as are mortals; it is as if they were Embraced at a later age, though
blood can still be spent to increase Attributes. A mortal who undertakes strenuous activity while under the effects of this
power risk heart failure. For each turn the mortal maintains such activity, she must make a Stamina roll (difficulty 6), or
suffer a heart attack. The effects of this power last until the following dawn or dusk. 

Level Three - Awaken 

A character who possesses this power can pry oneself from torpor's grip. The character can awaken himself or another
vampire from torpor. 

System: By expending two Willpower, the character can attempt to awaken themself or another vampire from torpor. The
character must then roll his permanent Willpower (difficulty is 10 minus target's Via). Thus, the difficulty to awaken a
person with a Via of 6 would be 4. If attempting to awaken another vampire, the character must touch the vampire she
intends to awaken. If the subject of the this power was driven into torpor due to blood loss, she awakens with one Blood
Point. 

Level Four - Death's Whisper 

For a brief time the character sloughs off Caine's curse. While the character is under the influence of this power she is
unaffected by any of the traditional banes against vampires. The body is not burned by sunlight, and holy water does no
harm. However, the body becomes nothing more than a corpse. A character is staked through the heart while under this
power is still paralysed once the power's effects wear off. This state is beyond that of even torpor; the character cannot
use Disciplines of any kind, and is unaware of anything that transpires around her. For the duration of the power, she is
truly dead. She also doesn't experience the loss of blood normally associated with the process of torpor. 

System: There is no cost to assume this form, though the character must expend two blood points to awaken. While the
character is in this form, she may take no actions whatsoever, and even mental Disciplines may not be used. 

Level Five -Black Death 

By touching an individual, the character can cause the victim to experience an early death (or, in the case of vampires,
enter torpor). The victim, if mortal, begins to exhibit signs of plague; sunken and blackened eyes, swollen lymphs and a
sickly pallor of the skin. Within one day, all bodily functions cease. Cainite targets of this power enter torpor immediately. 

System: The vampire must touch the intended victim, and the player must roll Stamina + Occult (difficulty is target's
Willpower) and expend two Willpower. Success indicates that the vampire has caused his target to expire (or go into
torpor). 

Level Six - Vigor Mortis 

By feeding a corpse some his blood, the Cainite may reanimate the body, creating an undead servant that serves its master
until it falls completely into decay. This walking corpse cannot talk (though some have been known to utters low moan),
but is servant to its creator through the Blood Oath. 

System: In order to reanimate a corpse, the character must feed it three Blood Points. As soon as the first drop falls onto
its lips, the corpse animates and begins to drink of its own accord. This can be a dangerous time for the Cainite, as some
corpses have been known to continue feeding after the initial Blood Points have been taken. A zombie created in the
method has the same Physical Attributes as the original person, and the body appears as it did at the time of creation.
These creatures do possess some degree of intelligence (lower all mental Attributes by one ), but are so overwhelmed by
the bond to their masters that they seldom exhibit free thought. They possess three extra Health Levels,do not suffer
wound penalties, and are destroyed when they reach Incapacitated. These automatons crumble to dust on the third sunrise
after their creation. The duration of their existence can be extended by feeding the creatures more blood at the time of
creation-they remain in existence for one addition day for each additional Blood Point spent.