THE WAY OF EARTH

Ancient koldun hospodar rulers once claimed sovereignty over the lands of Eastern Europe, manipulating the magically rich chernozem - "black earth" - to invoke their power and instill fear in their boyars and peasants. Now, the young koldun of the Sabbat beckon the spirits of the Western soil and derive their powers of the Way of Earth from natural surroundings. When a koldun employs a power of this way, his eyes change color to walnut brown and his skin ripples with small patches of stone.

1 - SOIL SILHOUETTE

A koldun invoking this power has the ability to command dirt to rise up from the ground and crawl up the legs of an individual. The soil rises up very quickly and, as it passes above a victim's knees, renders him immobile.

System:
Success on the activation roll causes the dirt anywhere within a 1 00-foot radius of the invoker to roil and crawl up a victim's legs; the dirt ends its ascent about halfway between the knees and hips. Unless the subject can score five successes on a Strength + Survival roll (difficulty 6), he remains trapped in place by the Soil Silhouette for a number of turns equal to twice the successes the player scored on the activation roll.

2 - UNEARTHLY STAMINA

A koldun invoking this power temporarily borrows the earth's resilience, lending him stamina. Some elder T remere of Eastern Europe reminisce on the frightening capacity for pain their rival koldun could withstand when invoking Unearthly Stamina. Sabbat koldun often use this pow ex to prove their mettle during theritae.

System:
After spending a Willpower point and making a successful Stamina + Koldunism roll (difficulty 6), the player may add two temporary Stamina dice when soaking damage. These can be included in soaking aggravated damage. This effect lasts for one scene.

3 - SOIL OF DEATH

By invoking Soil of Death, a koldun commands roots to rise from the ground and drag a target below the soil, incapacitating him. Once buried up to his neck, a victim finds it increasingly difficult to breathe as he feels the weight of the earth crushing his chest.

System:
Roots issue forth from the ground and wrap themselves around the legs, ankles and waist of a victim, pulling him underneath the earth. For every success a player scores on a Stamina + Koldunism roll (difficulty 7), the victim remains trapped underground for one turn. Mortals and ghouls will have a very difficult time breathing due to the prolonged pressure from compact earth, and must make a Stamina roll ( difficulty 7) or suffer one level of lethal damage for every turn they spend entombed in the earth.

4 - ROOT OF VITALITY

Many healers believed that burying a person in the ground would allow the rich soil to purge him of his ailments. This power allows the koldun to draw any person into the ground up to the neck to heal grievous wounds.

System:
With the expenditure of a Willpower point, the koldun commands the soil to pull a person down into the ground in order to heal her wounds. A character must remain underground for one turn per health level he heals. All damage a character suffers can heal in this manner including aggravated wounds, though the injured party must spend a blood point per aggravated wound level that he desires to heal (assuming the wounded character may do so). During this time of healing, the subject is helpless and unable to perform any other actions.


5 - DRACULA'S RESTLESS SOUL

Peasants whisper silent prayers to protect themselves from the unusual tremors that sometimes shake the Carpathian Mountains, which they believe to be the spirit of Dracula waking from centuries of slumber.
In truth, this odd seismic activity is the result of koldun calling upon the dormant wrath of the blighted land. When invoking this power, a koldun creates a large earth tremor capable of shaking the foundations of a city block.

System:
With the expenditure of a Willpower point and a successful Stamina + Koldunism roll (difficulty 9), a player enables her character to cause the earth to shake violently. Each success she scores increases the radius of the quake; victims within the area of effect suffer 10 dice of lethal damage. Cars, R V sand small houses suffer substantial damage and, at the Storyteller's discretion, may be destroyed altogether.
Buildings three stories and higher, such as apartment complexes and office buildings may sustain some structural damage, but this supernatural tremor is not strong enough to cause them to crumble and fall. This tremor lasts for one turn.

THE WAY OF WIND

A second avenue of Koldunic Sorcery , the Way of Wind was once manipulated by Tzimisce lords to protect their Eastern European lands. Invoking these powers granted them the ability to control the element of crivat to suit their whims and master the air they once breathed in their mortal days. People of Eastern Europe, especially in Romania, name these types of unnatural winds the koldun manipulate - people of the west call the winds Austru, or the Black Winds, while residents of the south name them the Great Winds or the baltaret.

When a koldun invokes a power of this way, his eyes change color to sky blue and gusts of wind breeze all about him.

1 - WINDS OF GUILT

Ancient koldun hospodars invoked Winds of Guilt as a means of ensuring loyalty in their boyars without the need of a blood bond. This power caused a wind to gust around these boyars that sounded to them like whispering voices, telling of the horrors that would befall them and their families should they betray their voivode. These voices would slowly warp the minds of these men, and only when this sorcery waned would they regain their coherence. Afterward, the boyars were so afraid of the consequences of betrayal that their loyalty to their master was unswerving. Koldun of the Sabbat enjoy invoking this power during ritae before feeding, reveling in the mixture of adrenaline in the blood of a vessel stricken with terror.

System:
With a successful Perception + Koldunism roll (difficulty 5), a koldun invokes mystical winds that plague a victim. The target is convinced that he hears voices whispering ofhis most evil deeds ( Storytellers are encouraged to improvise on the content the whispers a victim hears). When in the presence of the koldun, targets lose two dots of Courage ( to a minimum of one). Each success the koldun's player scores increases the duration of this power.

2 - BITING WINDS

The koldun creators of this power attempted to invoke a wind as chill as the air atop the Carpathian Fagrash Mountains. They noted the pain their victims endured as their bodies' temperatures dropped until the very blood froze in their veins. A koldun invoking this power had a much easier time of ridding his land of undesirables by plaguing them with bone-chilling gusts.

Modern Sabbat koldun invoking this wind sometimes refer to its effect on victims as the "meat locker." A koldun invoking Biting Winds causes a very cold breeze to swirl around in an area ofhis choosing. As the wind increases in speed, the wind chill factor drops the temperature until anyone within the affected area find it too uncomfortable to remain.

System:
After the player spends a Willpower point and rolls Perception + Koldunism (difficulty 6), the character summons forth a freezing cold wind. When Biting Winds first takes effect, a cool breeze blows in a 100-yard radius. Little by little, the winds gust faster and much colder. This continues until the wind blasts a stabbing chill difficult for anyone to tolerate. Those affected lose two dice from Dexterity dice pools and are reduced to half movement. Anyone attempting to enter this area must first spend a Willpower point and suffer a (soakable) level of bashing damage from the extreme cold.

3 - WINDS OF LETHARGY

Although these winds do not induce immediate sleep in a victim, prolonged exposure to this supernatural gale causes extreme exhaustion and fatigued movement. Targets caught in Winds of Lethargy smell a bittersweet smoke in the air. Individuals also claim that the wind feels like many intangible hands persistently rubbing their muscles to relaxation.

System:
The player rolls Perception + Koldunism (difficulty 7) and spends a point ofWillpower . If the roll is successful, the koldun creates a wind that induces extreme lethargy within a 200-foot radius, remaining for two turns per success he scores on the invocation roll. People caught in this gust of air must make a Stamina + Survival roll (difficulty 8) or are reduced to halving all dice pools that involve physical actions (actions such as breathing and blinking are innate and, therefore unaffected, though the Storyteller should emphasize their laboriousness). Additionally, this fatigue reduces the movement rate of its victims by half for one full scene.

4 - TRAVELING THE WINDS

A koldun employing this power moves at incredible speeds by riding along the winds. The voivodes of nights past often appeared in each of their boyars' homes and to the villages of their lands, instilling fear in the peasants and terrorizing them to fealty. Koldun undertaking these outings could travel to most, if not all of their boyars and villages in a single night's time. During the Dark Ages, peasants under the rule of a koldun rarely rebelled against their master, fearing a personal appearance and, as a result, his swift punishing wrath. A koldun's body becomes almost ethereal while he moves along the wind, disappearing into a blurry outline of his physical self and re-materializing in a similar fashion.

System:
A koldun journeys along the currents of the wind after the player spends a Willpower point and successfully rolls Perception + Koldunism ( difficulty 8). With a successful invocation of this power, a koldun's body blurs in a gust of wind, moving through the air at 250 mph, though not directly affecting how fast the wind blows. This effect must be invoked outdoors; though he can avoid all obstacles outside, the koldun lacks the control to maneuver through a building of any kind and risks slamming into walls, doors and people at this high speed. This power lasts for one scene, after which the koldun re-materializes at his destination from his blurry shape back to his normal physical self.

5 - BODY OF ZEPHYR

A koldun dissolving into Body ofZephyr blends into the air, maneuvering through the smallest of cracks. The koldun ' s body retains its basic shape, though it is too ephemeral and transparent for onlookers to make out any physical details.

System:
It takes a full turn for a koldun to invoke this transformation, after a successful Perception + Koldunism roll (difficulty 9) and the expenditure of a point of Willpower. In Body of Zephyr, akoldun moves at double his movement, though he cannot take any physical actions. Other powers of the Way ofWind may be used in conjunction with Body of Zephyr by spending an additional Willpower point at their activation; no other Discipline powers may be manipulated while in this form. A koldun may remain in this transformed state indefinitely, though he can return to his original form after one full turn of concentration.

THE WAY OF WATER

This way was practiced primarily among koldun with havens near some sort of water source, from the Plain Lakes to the Black Sea. With their powers, these koldun confounded many Turkish invasion attempts along the Danube River, sinking their ships and drowning them under mystical riptides. When employing the powers of this way, a koldun ' s eyes change color to vivid, almost glowing aquamarine.

1 - POOLS OF ILLUSION

Travelers have told tales of receiving warnings of future events, cries for help and even divine intervention from spirits that manifested themselves from a water source. Water spirits have been recounted the world over, from river cannibals to the lovely mermaids and lorelei that beckoned men to watery deaths. Even King Arthur received his prized sword Excalibur from such a spirit of water, known as the Lady of the Lake.

At this beginning level of the Way of Water, a koldun has the ability to create a three-dimensional illusion along the surface of a water source. Koldun during the modern nights sometimes invoke this power of illusion to prey on the superstitions of the mortal world.

System:
The player makes a Wits + Koldunism roll ( difficulty 5) in order to create an illusion of her choosing. The illusion can speak and walk, but it is intangible and cannot leave the boundaries of water. This phantom image lasts for several seconds, after which it will slowly dissipate.

2 - WATERY SOLACE

Should a koldun desperately need shelter, from enemies or the rising sun, she may opt to sink below the cool, dark, protective waters. As the vampire walks into a source of water, she sinks below its surface, protected by the magic of the liquid. Though akoldun can immerse herself into nearly all water sources, she cannot move around within it; water currents mystically avoid the koldun's dead body at her original interring point.

System:
Unlike most powers of Koldunic Sorcery, this power does not require the expenditure of a Willpower point; the player must accumulate two successes on her Wits + Koldunism roll (difficulty 6) to successfully submerge the character in the water. The amount of water must be at least a foot in depth and as large as her body for a koldun to rest there. This power acts like the Protean Discipline power of Earth Meld; after invoking Watery Solace, a vampire is completely concealed from the rays of the sun. Those looking straight down into the water where a koldun melds may make a Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty 8). On a successful roll, they catch a glimpse of the slumbering koldun and can attempt to attack or rouse her .

3 - WATER WALK

No longer bound by the laws of physics, a koldun has the ability to walk along the fluid surface of water. So long as she invokes this power, the vampire may walk the water's surface as if it is as solid as earth.

System:
The koldun may walk across the surface of water for a number of scenes equal to the number of successes the player scores on a Wits + Koldunism roll ( difficulty 7) . This does not prevent the creatures of the seas or lakes ( or any body of water the koldun traverses ) from interacting with her. The Storyteller may find it appropriate to have dolphins torment her, or a hungry shark could surprise the vampire and take a bite at her from beneath. It is also possible that the koldun will be spotted by individuals in boats, fishermen or even people swimming in her general vicinity.

4 - WATERY MINIONS

The koldun of the Middles Ages often invoked these minions from the moats surrounding their castles to deter the marauding Turks. These servants are comprised completely of water, ascending from a watery source. Once primed by this power, the minions follow only very simple instructions from the koldun, though they do so without hesitation. Some of the Turks surviving raids on a koldun's keep told stories of weirds, dragons and dire wolves roaming around the armalisti castles.

System:
The player spends a point of Willpower. For every success he scores on a Wits + Koldunism roll (difficulty 8), one Watery Minion rises from its source and forms into any shape the koldun desires. The Storyteller determines appropriate Traits as well as the number ofhealth levels for these minions if they have the ability to attack and defend. As they are composed of water, bashing damage does not slow the minions, though firerelated attacks gain an extra two dice to damage. All of these Watery Minions last for one night.

5 - DOOM TIDES

Many Turkish ships lie below the Black Sea, destroyed by mighty whirlpools invoked by koldun. Victims fight to keep themselves afloat or else find themselves sucked into whirling tides, suffocating until they can swim free from this vortex. Some of tonight's koldun entertain themselves by creating swirling riptides in pools to surprise late-night swimmers.

System:
The player spends a Willpower point and rolls Wits + Koldunism (difficulty 9) to create a whirlpool. For every success she scores, the width of this maelstrom increases by 10 feet. Doom Tides have abase Strength15; this Strength increases by increments of five for each success the koldun scores beyond the activation roll. Victims must make a Strength + Survival roll (difficulty 8; Potence adds successes) in order to pull free from the riptide. This effect remains for one scene.

THE WAY OF FIRE

Ancient koldun created the Way of Fire by first manipulating the molten magma that exploded from volcanoes found throughout Eastern Europe. Then they evolved their control over the fiery liquid earth to the point of invoking their own unique effects that would not necessarily occur during volcanic activity. Koldun who possess the powers of the Way of Fire in the modern nights are feared simply for their capacity to destroy so much in a short amount of time, just as a volcano can eliminate life on entire islands within a day. When invoking any of the powers of this way, a koldun' s eyes glow a feverish orange.

Note: At the Storyteller's discretion, Kindred observing these powers in use may be overtaken by Rotschreck ( with the exception of the koldun, ofcourse).

1 - SHATTER

In a small demonstration of power that is inherent of the Way, a koldun invokes the air about an object to increase in temperature until the object combusts.

System:
The player makes a Manipulation + Koldunism roll (difficulty 5) and spends a Willpower point. The koldun must have a target object in his line of sight before he can cause it to Shatter. Once this power is invoked, the heat around the target object intensifies until the object spontaneously combusts.

The Storyteller may make a soak roll for the object to see if it does in fact Shatter ( determined by the size or quality of an object: three dice for a small or shoddy I object, five for an average-sized object and seven dice for a large or well-crafted object. Anything the size of a car cannot Shatter, as it is much too large). The object must accumulate five successes over three soak rolls (difficulty 5), or it will shatter. This power cannot be used on living beings or Kindred.

2 - ROUSE THE MOLTEN ROCK

The koldun can now cause magma to bubble up from the earth's core and slowly ooze its way along the ground. Although there is not a substantial amount of lava present, the magma burns through nearly everything it comes in contact with. The molten fires slowly work their way along tree trunks, spread from bottom to top floor of a house and may even eat through a metal door.

System:
Only enough magma to fill a bathtub boils up through the ground, though it causes a victim to suffer three health levels of aggravated damage. Each success the player scores on the Manipulation + Koldunism roll ( difficulty 6) keeps the lava superheated for one turn. It oozes along the ground in any direction the koldun desires, but at a slow-as-molasses rate. When the duration of this power expires, the magma instantly cools, creating a small slab of solid rock.

3 - GATES OF MAGMA

The koldun invokes molten rock to bubble up from the ground in a circular ring, 10 feet high. The flow of lava is constant, creating a makeshift wall of superheated rock around the koldun. So long as this power remains in effect, it is nearly impossible for individuals to traverse the Gates of Magma without causing themselves severe bodily harm. It takes mighty resolve for a person to even approach the wall, as it gives offheat that causes grievous burns.

System:
For every success the player scores on the Manipulation + Koldunism roll ( difficulty 7) , the seething hot lava will continue to surround his person for two turns. Individuals who attempt to penetrate the Gates of Magma must first make a Courage roll (difficulty 8).

If successful, they can continue to approach the heated barrier but suffer one health level of lethal damage - or aggravated damage if they are Kindred. Failure to succeed on this Courage roll translates into the mind succumbing to its instinctual defense of self-preservation; a second attempt to penetrate through the barrier requires the additional expenditure of a Willpower point. Anyone physically touching the Gates of Magma suffers three health levels (not dice) of aggravated damage.

4 - HEAT WAVE

The koldun acts as a conduit for steam geysers and evokes a blast of dehydrating air, withering and desiccating an opponent.

System:
The player spends a Willpower point and rolls Manipulation + Koldunism (difficulty 8). The vampire calls up hydrogen sulfide from the Earth's mantle and blasts a target. Mortal victims suffer five health levels of lethal damage as their bodies dehydrate.

Vampires react similarly and also suffer five health levels of lethal damage, which they may soak. Kindred also lose five blood points that evaporate from the body (regardless of their soak roll), resulting from the extreme heat of this gas. Note that this may send some Kindred into frenzy or torpor .

5 - VOLCANIC BLAST

At this mastery level of the Way of Fire, a koldun commands lava to explode from the ground in a huge stream. The molten rock sprays in a large arc, then moves in small rivers in every direction, burning, melting and destroying most everything in its path. Cars melt in these rivers, trees catch fire and burn to the ground, and houses erupt into flaming infernos in the wake of devastation.

System:
This power is not subtle. Lava erupts 20 feet into the air from underground with the expenditure of a Willpower point and a successful Manipulation + Koldunism roll (difficulty 9). For every success the player scores, the lava continues to explode from underground and move in rivers in all directions for one turn.

Anything coming in contact with this molten rock suffers three levels of aggravated damage per turn ( soakable only with Fortitude) . Storytellers must decide how long objects remain intact after coming in contact with the lava before they ignite or dissolve. Once this power expires, the lava will cease its eruption and all of the magma will quickly cool, trapping objects remaining within the river stream in a thin sheet of rock.

THE WAY OF THE SPIRIT

There resides a single force, an essence, that encompasses all things in nature. The ancient koldun manipulating this way mystically tapped into this essence and, as a result, they gained insight and minor control over their surroundings. Oftentimes, the koldun wielded this way in conjunction with other powers of Koldunic Sorcery . Many also protected themselves by invoking this way before entering their havens, to pre-empt attempts on their unlives. Tonight's koldun invoking the Way of the Spirit procure a similar outcome as their ancient predecessors, creating a bond between themselves and the spirit of the land.

System:
The player spends one Willpower point, then rolls her Charisma + Koldunism ( difficulty 4 + the level of the desired effect; see below) to activate the powers of this way. These powers last for one scene per success the player scores. The chart below describes how far away from her person a koldun can "feel" out intruders or hostile spirits according to her power level.

A koldun can invoke other powers of Koldunic Sorcery that she knows in conjunction with the Way of the Spirit, though only at a lesser or equal power level at which she knows the Way of the Spirit. For example, a koldun may invoke Level One through Three powers ofWay ofWater in conjunction with the powers ofWay of the Spirit if she knows the Way of the Spirit at Level Three.

This power also confounds use of the Discipline of Obfuscate.

1 - Level

"See" everything within a 50-foot radius

2 - Level

"See" everything within 100 yards

3 - Level

"See" everything within a quarter-mile

4 - Level

"See" everything within a mile

5 - Level

"See" everything within five miles

THE WAY OF SORROW

From Kruchina, a goddess of mourning depicted as a perpetually weeping woman, to Likho Odnoglazoye, the emaciated one-eyed hag who represented privation and suffering, the pantheons of Eastern Europe brim with deities overseeing starvation, misery, misfortune, bitterness and death.

Whether the gods hear their names or the spirits merely attend their mention, a koldun who understands the obscure Way of Sorrow can invoke the most dismal powers of the divine. This way pays no heed to gods of revelry or plenty, only those whose attentions promise tragedy.

Like the Way of Fire, the Way of Sorrow is governed by the koldun's Manipulation, but the difficulty for each of the powers is the victim's permanent Willpower rather than the usual 4 + the level of the power. In addition, a victim may spend a point of Willpower to overcome a particular effect of this way but is still vulnerable to subsequent uses of the Discipline.

A final note: Dealing with forgotten gods requires propriety, especially those who govern such bleak concerns. If invoked incorrectly, the Way of Sorrow turns on the koldun. On a botch, the Fiend suffers the effects of his own power as if she had scored five successes.

1 - THE FRUSTRATIONS OF NESTRECHA

Named for the goddess of grief and failure, this power allows the koldun to rob an opponent of his resolve. The koldun's stare saps the target's will to struggle. Although the victim is overcome with a resigned pessimism or feelings of defeat, he can still take action to resist the koldun, including combat, but only in a half -hearted or fearful way. He musters none ofhis usual passion or determination.

System:
The koldun's player spends a Willpower point. Roll the koldun's Manipulation + Koldunism (difficulty equal to the victim's Willpower). For one turn per success, her target's player can't spend Willpower points to activate Disciplines or gain automatic successes. In storytelling terms, the victim might also lack strong motivations or convictions for the power's duration ("What difference does it make?" or "I just don't care anymore"). For this power to be effective, the koldun must make eye contact with her victim.


2 - THE INSULTS OF KRIVDA

Any Fiend worthy of the name can spit out a telling insult. But with this power, Krivda - a goddess of hatred and bitterness - ensures that the remark offends, enraging the recipient. In the Tzimisce-Tremere conflicts of nights long past, koldun carried Krivda on their tongues, inciting their Usurper opponents to frenzy. They preferred to deal with angry fangs instead of calculated Thaumaturgy. This is a dangerous power to use, but it can unbalance a physically weak opponent who has access to powerful Disciplines or could be used to embarrass a Cainite by causing him to frenzy in public.

System:
After her player spends a Willpower point, the koldun insults the target in the most offensive and humiliating way she can conceive. The koldun's player rolls Manipulation + Koldunism (difficulty equal to the victim's Willpower). If the roll is successful, the target flies into an uncontrollable rage and assaults the koldun. If the target is a vampire, he must immediately roll to resist frenzy ( difficulty 5 + the number of successes on the activation roll).

3 - THE WEEPING OF KRUCHINA

The glare of a kolduncan make someone so miserable that they do nothing but cry. This power does more than spill a few tears - it causes hysterical bawling, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Some depressing notion overcomes the victim. Vampires might mourn their lost humanitas or the passing of lovers who died long ago. Sometimes the source is more nebulous koldun believe that it imparts the collected sorrow of their demesnes' sickened soil.

System:
The koldun's player spends a Willpower point and rolls the koldun's Manipulation + Koldunism (difficulty equal to the victim's Willpower) . For one turn per success, the target is overwhelmed by intense misery and cries uncontrollably. Actions that require concentration are impossible for the power's duration. Cainites lose a blood point each turn as copious amounts of vitae stream from their eyes.

4 - THE MISFORTUNE OF CHERNOGOLOV

With a declaration that a person is doomedor destined to fail, the koldun summons the atrention of Chernogolov - the silver-mustached god of misfortune - to her victim. Under Chernogolov's unlucky gaze, he is hindered in everything he does. If he fails, he does so spectacularly.

System:
The koldun's player spends a Willpower point and rolls the koldun's Manipulation + Koldunism (difficulty equal to the victim's Willpower). For one turn per success, the target automatically loses two successes on every roll he attempts. Botches experienced under the effects of the Misfortune of Chernogolov should be especially disastrous.

5 - THE STARVATION OF MARENA

By invoking the wife of Kupala, the koldun summons the cold and starvation that is the domain of Marena. A frosty gale blasts the victim and leaves him emaciated as if he had just survived the coldest of winters. The frostbitten and starving victim clings to (un)life, usually in no condition to contradict the koldun. The cold symbolizes of the passage of time in harsh conditions.

System:
The koldun's player spends a Willpower point and rolls her Manipulation + Koldunism (difficulty equal to the target's Willpower). For each success, the victim takes two levels of bashing damage that can be soaked normally. In addition to this damage, vampires lose one blood point for each of the koldun's successes- healthy prey was scarce in the Eastern European winter.