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.
| 1 success | One Structure |
| 2 successes | Five Structures |
| 3 successes | A Residential Street |
| 4 successes | Half a city block |
| 5 successes | A full city block |