Animalism

Vampire: The Masquerade (first edition):

• Song of the Beast:
Most animals are not intelligent enough to carry on a lengthy discourse on any
subject, but some Vampires can attempt a limited form of communication with them.
Such communication takes place mentally -there is no need for a Vampire to "meow" or
"bark" to communicate her ideas to an animal. The character needs only to look into the
animal's eyes to initiate the conversation. Eye contact must be maintained throughout. If
it is broken, then eye contact will have to be re-established in order to speak with an
animal once again.
A Vampire may communicate in this fashion with almost any sort of animal.
Creatures without obvious eyes or that do not see (e.g. starfish or bats) and lower life
forms (e.g. insects) may not be the subject of this Discipline. Of course, there is no
guarantee that an animal will either desire to talk with a character or even deal honestly
with that character.
Depending on the nature of the character's Beast within, the approach of the
conversation with the animal will differ -it is not completely up to the character to decide,
but is perhaps consistent with the character's Nature. The approach taken might be that
of intimidation, teasing, cajoling, rationality, emotional pleading, or practically anything.
Have the player roleplay through it, but make sure that they understand that they are not
simply playing themselves, but the Beast-within.
The player should roll Intelligence + Animal Ken (or any other appropriate socially
oriented traits that correspond with the Beast of the character) to determine the level at
which they can communicate with an animal (difficulty is normally 6). Only one roll may be
made per animal. If eye contact is broken and later re-established, then the player must
roll again, but the degree of communication cannot be any deeper than the first result
(however, the level could end up being less). Only after a Vampire's Animalism rating has
increased may she roll without restriction to communicate with the same animal.
1 success - May understand the animal's basic motives (e.g. wants food).
2 successes - May talk "baby-talk" with the animal.
3 successes - Basic communication is possible and the character can expect
responses to straight-forward questions.
4 successes - Complete communication up to the animal's potential is possible.
5 successes - Complete communication with the full trust of the animal. It will not
mislead the character.
 •• Call of the Wild:
The essence of the animal has grown strong enough in you that animals will respond
when you call. Therefore, you can summon nearly any type of animal to you, and nearly
every type of that particular animal will respond and arrive as quickly as they can. Your
summons may be very complicated, though the Storyteller will assign a higher difficulty if
you get too carried away. For instance, you could simply call all the rats that hear your
plea, or you might ask for one rat in particular or for all rats with white fur. However, in
one summons you may not call animals of different species.
Only one summons may be active at a time and there is no way to cancel a call after
it has been made. So the Vampire had better do it and get it right the first time.
Animals called in this way are under no obligation to heed the commands of the
caller, unless the Vampire has Animalism 3, in which case they may be directed as a group
by very simple instruction. If the caller does not possess an Animalism Discipline of3, the
animals will tend to avoid the caller and at least not harm her.
Roll Charm +Survival to determine how well your call is received by the intended
targets (difficulty is normally 6) and consult the table below. In each case, conditions for
an animal to respond and the distance that it will travel are listed. The distances listed are
for city/wilderness.
1 success - One of the animals described that are within 1 city block! a half mile will
respond, unless they have an owner (e.g. a dog would not leave its master).
2 successes - Only about a quarter of the animals described that are within 2 city
blocks/l mile will respond, unless it would be life-threatening to do so.
3 successes - About half of the animals described that are within 5 city blocks/ 5
miles will respond, unless it would be life threatening to do so.
4 successes - A majority of the animals described that are within a half mile/ 7 miles
will respond, unless it would be life threatening to do so.
5 successes - All animals described that are within 1 mile/l0 miles will respond, even
if it is dangerous to do so.
••• Sweet Whispers:
You are able to convince animals to do a "favor" for you, even if it might endanger
them. Essentially, you are able to issue complex commands to a single animal once you
establish eye contact. The animal will follow the commands to the best of its ability.
However, the command must be couched in terms of a request, and the animal must be
coaxed into it. The "favor" cannot be too complex for the intellect of the animal to
comprehend. For instance, a mouse would be incapable of distinguishing between people,
while the color blind dog could not be told to bite the woman with the red hair. No animal
would know how to attack the person "who strikes me with the intent to harm."
However, these commands can be deeply implanted, so that they will affect the
animal for some time. For instance, you could instruct a cat to come and get you when
anyone enters the cellar, and the cat will continue to do so for some time (but not forever;
eventually it will forget).
Have the player roll Wits + Animal Ken against a difficulty of 6. Circumstances may
call for the difficulty to be changed, e.g. the Vampire owned the dog as a mortal. Refer to
the table below for the amount of control that is established.
1 success - The animal at least paused to consider the command. It will heed the
command if it's in the animal's best interest.
2 successes - The animal will probably do as the Vampire commands, but may expect
a " treat" or other reward in return.
3 successes - The animal will do as instructed, unless the command goes against the
nature of the beast.
4 successes - The animal will heed the command unless doing so would unduly
threaten its life. A dog would attack a man, but not if the mortal was carrying a gun
in plain sight.
5 successes - The animal will blindly follow any command.
•••• Sharing of Spirits:
By staring into the eyes of an animal, you may allow your spirit or conscious mind to
move within the animal. This allows you to control the actions of the animal as if you
were the animal. If the possession is successful, then there is nothing the animal
may do to prevent your control until your time limit has expired (see below). The
character's body remains motionless during this time, exactly as if the character
were in Torpor. You may not use any of your other Disciplines while in the body of
an animal.
While in the animal's body, the character acts just like that animal-the spirit is pure,
but it is clouded with the needs and impulses of the animal body.
Sometimes after prolonged periods of time inside the mind of a particular animal, a
Vampire will begin to think like an animal, even after the connection has been
broken. The player behaves like the animal she was, retaining many of its instincts
for a time. This will continue, until she uses 7 Willpower points to resist and
overcome the effects.
At the end of any particular exciting incident, the player should roll Wits + Empathy
to retain her own mind. Failure indicates that the Vampire must immediately release
the animal and return to her own body or be forced to roll every tum to remain
sane. A failure then is like botching the first roll. A botch on the roll indicates that
the Vampire returns to her own body and enters Frenzy.
Note that by employing this power, it is possible for a Vampire to travel about
during the day, albeit in the body of an animal. However, you must be awake to do
so, and therefore must successfully make an Awake roll.
Successes Possession
1 success - up to one hour
2 successes - up to six hours
3 successes - up to one day
4 successes - up to one week
5 successes – indefinitely
••••• The roving Beast:
When a Vampire achieves this level in Animalism, she has attained an indisputable
understanding of the mysteries of humankind's wild cousins. Armed with this
knowledge, a Vampire is better able to deal with the Beast within herself. While this
Beast is too powerful to control, at a rating of 5 Animalism, the Vampire may be able
to transfer the feral urges when they begin to overwhelm her.
Essentially, this amounts to forcing Frenzy upon another animal, man, or Vampire
when the Vampire with the ability begins to enter Frenzy. The recipient of this vast,
savage energy may only be something that is fit for the burden. All wild animals,
men and Vampires with a Humanity of less than 7 are suitable victims. Higher
Humanity beings are simply not wild enough to have this Beast forced upon them.
The creature actually has the Beast of an outsider within them, thus the personality
of the character will be apparent in the nature of the Frenzy that the target
undergoes. The Frenzy will progress just as if it were the original character
undergoing it. If the Vampire leaves before the Frenzy is over, she will lose her
Beast, perhaps even permanently. While she will no longer go into Frenzies, she will
not be able to use, gain or regain Willpower and will become increasingly lethargic.
To recover the Beast, the character must find the person who now possesses it (who
probably won't be enjoying herself much) and re-trap the Beast. She must behave
and act in ways that will make the Beast want to return since, unfortunately, the
Beast does not always wish to return.
The player should roll Manipulation + Animal Ken to see if the attempt to transfer
the Beast to another person is successful. The player must announce the victim of
the transfer prior to rolling. Refer to the table for the results.
1 success
You successfully unleash the Beast, but in your crazed state, you release it upon a
person or animal in sight that you know well (i.e. a friend or currently controlled
animal).
2 successes
You are successful, but stunned by the effort and may not act at all in the following
tum.
3 successes You are successful.
4 successes
You are successful. In fact, if your target is unsuitable by virtue of having high
Humanity, you sense it early and may spend a Willpower to switch your target to the
being nearest your original mark.
5 successes
Your attempt was an extreme success. In fact, even if your chosen target is invalid by
virtue of having too high a Humanity, you instinctively chose the nearest acceptable
target.
If the attempt fails, or if the Vampire tries to transfer the Beast to an unsuitable
(high Humanity) victim, then the Frenzy the Vampire is experiencing will multiply in
intensity. When the Vampire relaxes in expectation of relieving herself of the savage
desires of the Beast, the Beast takes that opportunity to dig deeper. The Frenzy will
last at least twice as long and be twice as hard to shrug off.
A botch on this roll is even more catastrophic. The heightened Frenzy of the Vampire
is so extreme that not even Willpower points will be effective in curbing its duration
or effects.
Vampires with a Humanity greater than 8 should not be allowed to use this facet of
the Animalism Discipline without rolling for Humanity loss.
One major drawback of using this power of the Animalism Discipline often is that the
Vampire begins to rely on it as a defensive mechanism. If in the Storyteller's opinion,
a character uses this power often, then he may require a Self-Control roll of the
player of the Vampire may cause the Beast to rove even if such is not desired. In
such cases, the target is normally whoever is closest.
 Vampire: The Masquerade, revised edition:
• Feral Whispers:
This power is the basis from which all other Animalism abilities grow. The vampire
creates an empathic connection with a beast, thereby allowing him to communicate or
issue simple commands. The Kindred locks eyes with the animal, transmitting his desires
through sheer force of will. Although it isn’t necessary to actually “speak” in chirps, hisses
or barks, some vampires find that doing so helps strengthen the connection with the
animal. Eye contact must be maintained the entire time; if it’s broken, the Kindred must
look into the beast’s eyes once again to regain contact.
Since Feral Whispers requires eye contact, animals that cannot see are not affected.
Further, the simpler the creature, the more difficult it becomes to connect with the
animal’s Beast. Mammals, predatory birds and larger reptiles are relatively easy to
communicate with. Insects, invertebrates and most fish (with the possible exception of
larger ones like sharks) are just too simple, their Beasts too weak, to connect with.
Feral Whispers provides no guarantees that an animal will want to deal with the
vampire, nor does it ensure that the animal will pursue any requests the vampire makes of
it. Still, it does at least make the creature better disposed toward the Kindred. The manner
in which the vampire presents his desires to the animal often depends on the type of
creature. A Kindred can probably cow smaller beasts into heeding commands, but he’s
better off couching orders for large predators in terms of requests.
If the vampire successfully uses the power, the animal performs the command to
the best of its ability and intellect. Only the very brightest creatures understand truly
complex directives (orders dealing with conditional situations or requiring abstract logic).
Commands that the animal does understand remain deeply implanted, however, and may
affect it for some time.
System: No roll is necessary to talk with an animal, but the character must establish
eye contact first. Issuing commands requires a Manipulation + Animal Ken roll. The
difficulty depends on the creature: Predatory mammals (wolves, cats,
insectivorous/vampire bats) are difficulty 6, other mammals and predatory birds (rats,
owls) are difficulty 7, other birds and reptiles (pigeons, snakes) are difficulty 8. This
difficulty is reduced by one if the character speaks to the animal in its “native tongue,”
and can be adjusted further by circumstances and roleplaying skill (we highly recommend
that all communication between characters and animals be roleplayed).
The number of successes the player achieves dictates how strongly the character’s
command affects the animal. One success is sufficient to have a cat follow someone and
lead the character to the same location, three successes are enough to have a raven spy
on a target for weeks, and five successes ensure that a grizzly ferociously guards the
entrance to the character’s wilderness haven for some months.
The character’s Nature plays a large part in how he approaches these conversations.
The character might try intimidation, teasing, cajoling, rationality or emotional pleading.
The player should understand that he does not simply play his character in these
situations, but the Beast Within as well.
•• Beckoning:
The vampire’s connection to the Beast grows strong enough that he may call out in
the voice of a specific type of animal - howling like a wolf, cawing like a raven, etc. This call
mystically summons creatures of the chosen type. Since each type of animal has a
different call, Beckoning works for only a single species at a time.
All such animals within earshot are summoned, but may choose individually whether
or not to respond. While the vampire has no control over the beasts who answer, the
animal who do are favorably disposed toward him and are at least willing to listen to the
Kindred’s request.
System: The player rolls Charisma + Survival (difficulty 6 to determine the response
to the character’s call; consult the table below. Only animals that can hear the cry will
respond. If the Storyteller decides no animals of that type are within earshot, the
summons goes unanswered.
The call can be as specific as the player desires. A character could call for all bats in
the area, for only the male bats nearby, for only the albino bat with the notched ear he
saw the other night.
1 success - A single animal responds.
2 successes - One-quarter of the animals within earshot respond.
3 successes - Half of the animals respond.
4 successes - Most of the animals respond.
5 successes - All of the animals respond.
••• Quell the Beast:
As the supreme predators of the natural world, Kindred are highly attuned to the
bestial nature that dwells within every mortal heart. A vampire who develops this power
may assert his will over a mortal (animal or human) subject, subduing the Beast within
her. This quenches all powerful, assertive emotions - hope, fury, inspiration - within the
target. The Kindred must either touch his subject or stare into her eyes to channel his will
effectively.
 Mortals who lack the fire of their inner Beasts are quite tractable, reacting to even
stressful situations with indifference. Even the most courageous or maddened mortal
becomes apathetic and listless, while an especially sensitive individual may suffer from a
phobic derangement while under the power’s influence.
Different clans evoke this power in different ways, although the effect itself is
identical. Tzimisce call it Cowing the Beast since they force the mortal ‘s weaker spirit to
cower in fear before the Kindred’s own inner Beast. Nosferatu refer to it as Song of
Serenity, since they soothe the subject’s Beast into a state of utter complacency, thus
allowing them to feed freely. Gangrel Know the power as Quell the Beast, and force the
mortal spirit into a state of fear or apathy as befits the individual vampire’s nature.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Intimidation if forcing out the Beast through
fear, Manipulation + Empathy if soothing it into complacency. The roll is made versus
difficulty 7 in either case. This is an extended action requiring as many total successes as
the target has Willpower. Failure indicates that the player must start over from the
beginning, while a botch indicates that the vampire may never again affect that subject’s
Beast.
When a mortal’s Beast is cowed or soothed, she can no longer use or regain
Willpower. She ceases all struggles, whether mental or physical. She doesn’t even defend
herself if assaulted, though the Storyteller may allow a Willpower roll if the mortal’s life is
threatened. To recover from this power, the mortal rolls Willpower (difficulty 6) once per
day until she accumulates enough successes to equal the vampire’s Willpower. Kindred
themselves cannot be affected by this power.
•••• Subsume the Spirit:
By locking his gaze with that of a beast, the vampire may psychically possess the
animal. Some older Kindred believe that since animals have no souls, only spirits, the
vampire can move his own soul into the animal’s body. Most younger vampires think it is a
matter of transferring one’s consciousness into the animal’s mind. In either case, it’s
agreed that the beast’s weaker spirit (or mind) is pushed aside by the Kindred’s own
consciousness. The vampire’s body falls into a motionless state akin to torpor while his
mind takes control of the animal’s actions, remaining this way until the Kindred’s
consciousness returns.
Tzimisce seldom use this power, considering it debasing to enter the body of a lesser
creature. When they do stoop to using it, they possess only predators. Conversely,
Gangrel revel in connecting to the natural world in this fundamental way. They delight in
sampling different animals’ natures.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Animal Ken (difficulty 8) as the character
looks into the animal’s eyes (only beasts with eyes can be possessed). The number of
successes obtained determines how thoroughly the character overrides the animal’s spirit.
Fewer than three successes mean the character must use Willpower points to take any
action that directly violates the instincts of the animal in question. With fewer than five
successes, the possessing character behaves much like the animal -his soul is clouded with
needs and impulses from the animal’s spirit and body. Multiple successes allow the
character to utilize some mental Disciplines while possessing the animal, as noted on the
chart below.
1 success - Cannot use Disciplines
2 successes - Can use Auspex
3 successes - Can also use Presence
4 successes - Can also use Dementation, Dominate
5 successes - Can also use Chimerstry, Necromancy, Thaumaturgy
This power entwines the character’s consciousness closely with the animal’s spirit,
so much so that the character may continue to think and feel like that animal even after
breaking the connection. This effect continues until the character spends a total of seven
Willpower points to resist and finally overcome the animal nature. This should be
roleplayed, although to a lessening degree as Willpower is spent.
At the end of any particularly exciting incident during possession, the player rolls
Wits + Empathy (difficulty 8) for the character to retain his own mind. Failure indicates
that the character’s mind returns to his own body, but still thinks in purely animalistic
terms. A botch sends the character into frenzy upon returning to his own body.
The character may travel as far from his body as he is physically able while
possessing the animal. The character retains no conscious connection with his vampire
body during this time, though. The vampire may also venture out during the day, albeit in
the animal’s body. However, the character’s own body must be awake to do so, requiring
a successful roll to remain awake. If the character leaves the animal’s body (by choice, if
his body falls asleep, after sustaining significant injury), the vampire’s consciousness
returns to his physical form instantaneously.
Although the vampire has no conscious link to his body while possessing the animal,
he does form a sympathetic bond. Anything the animal feels, the vampire also
experiences, from pleasure to pain. In fact, any damage the animal’s body sustains is also
applied to the character’s body, although the Kindred may soak as normal. If the animal
dies before the vampire’s soul can flee from the body, the character’s body falls into
torpor. Presumably this is in sympathetic response to the massive trauma of death,
although some Kindred believe that the vampire’s soul is cast adrift during this time and
must find its way back to the body.
 •••• Drawing Out the Beast:
At this level of Animalism, the Kindred has a keen understanding of the Beast
Within. Whenever this predator spirit threatens to overwhelm the vampire’s soul and
send him into frenzy, he may instead release his feral urges upon another creature. The
recipient of the vampire’s Beast is instantly overcome by frenzy. This is an unnatural
frenzy, however, as the victim is channeling the Kindred’s own fury. As such, the vampire’s
own behavior, expressions and even speech patterns are evident in the subject’s savage
actions.
Gangrel and Tzimisce are especially fond of loosing their Beasts on others. Gangrel
do so to stir their ghouls into inspired heights of savagery during combat. Tzimisce care
less for who receives their Beast than they do for retaining their own composure.
System: The vampire must be in frenzy or close to it to use this power. The player
must announce his preferred target (since it must be someone within sight, Drawing Out
the Beast cannot be used if the vampire is alone), then roll Manipulation + Self- Control
(difficulty 8). Refer to the table below for the results:
1 success The character transfers the Beast, but unleashes it upon a random
individual.
2 successes The character is stunned by the effort and may not act next turn, but
transfers the Beast successfully.
3 successes The character transfers the Beast successfully.
If the attempt fails, the intensity of the frenzy actually increases. As the character
relaxes in expectation of relieving his savage urges, the Beast takes that opportunity to dig
deeper. In this case, the frenzy lasts twice as long as normal and is twice as difficult to
shrug off; its severity also increases exponentially. Botching this roll is even more
catastrophic; the heightened frenzy grows so extreme that not even expending Willpower
curbs its duration or effects. The character is a hapless victim to the terrible fury of his
Beast.
If the character leaves the target’s presence before the frenzy expends itself, the
vampire loses his Beast, perhaps permanently. While no longer vulnerable to frenzy, the
character cannot use or regain Willpower and becomes increasingly lethargic. To recover
the Beast, he must find the person who now possesses it (who likely isn’t enjoying herself
very much) and re-trap the Beast. The most effective way to do so is to behave in ways
that make the Beast want to return -however, this isn’t a guarantee that it will wish to do
so. Alternatively, the character can simply kill the host (thus causing the Beast to return to
the vampire immediately), but such an act costs at least one point of Humanity.

Vampire: The Masquerade (second edition):

 • Sweet Whispers:
While most animals are hardly intelligent enough to carry on a lengthy discourse on
any subject, with this Discipline you can attempt a limited form of empathic
communication and can make specific requests of creatures. Such intercourse takes place
mentally - there is no need for you to hiss or bark to communicate your ideas to an
animal. You need only look into the animal's eyes to initiate the conversation. Eye contact
must be maintained throughout. If it is broken, you will have to reestablish eye contact in
order to speak with the animal once again. Of course, there is no guarantee that a given
animal will either desire to talk at all or deal honestly if it does.
After establishing eye contact, you are able to issue complex commands to a single
animal, which it will follow to the best of its ability. However, the command must be
couched in terms of a request, and the animal must be coaxed into it (in other words, you
need to roleplay through it).
The "favor" cannot be too complex for the intellect of the animal to comprehend.
For instance, a mouse would be incapable of distinguishing between people, while a dog
wouldn't know what a phone is. Certainly no animal could be told to attack the person
"who strikes me with the intent to harm."
These commands can be deeply implanted, however, so that they will affect the
animal for some time. For instance, you could instruct a cat to come and get you when
anyone enters the cellar, and the cat will continue to do so for days or even weeks.
System: No roll is necessary to talk with an animal, but the player must make a
Manipulation + Animal Ken roll to get it to do favors (difficulty 6). This difficulty can be
adjusted by circumstances and roleplaying skill. Depending on the nature of the
character's inner soul, the approach of the conversation with the animal will differ –it is
not completely up to the player to decide, and depends heavily on the character's Nature.
The approach taken might be that of intimidation, teasing, cajoling, rationality, emotional
pleading or practically anything. Interactions must be roleplayed through, but the player
should understand that he does not simply play the character, but the Beast within
instead.
•• The Beckoning:
The essence of the animal has grown strong in you, and now animals respond when
you call to them. You are now able to summon nearly any species of animal, drawing them
to you. The character must actually sing in the voice of the animals to be summoned -
howling like a wolf or squawking like a bird.
The primary limitation is that you may not call animals of different species. Only one
summons may be active at a time and there is no way to cancel a call after it has been
made. Thus, you had better get it right the first time.
 Animals called in this way are under no immediate obligation to heed your
commands, though they are often friendly and inquisitive with regard to your call.
System: The player must roll Charisma + Survival to determine how well the call is
received by the intended targets (difficulty is normally 6) and consult the table below. The
only animals that might respond are those within hearing distance of the song. The
summons may be very complicated, though the Storyteller will assign a higher difficulty if
the player gets too carried away. For instance, a vampire could simply call out all the rats
of the sewers (difficulty 6), all rats with white fur (difficulty 7), or even summon the
specific rat that had the audacity to bite her (difficulty 8).
1 success - One animal responds
2 successes - A quarter of the animals who hear The Beckoning respond
3 successes - Half of the animals respond
4 successes - Most of the animals respond
5 successes - All of the animals respond
••• Song of Serenity:
This power allows you to expel the savagery from an animal or mortal, causing the
target to become passive and listless. Simply by touching the individual you wish to affect
and singing a song of comfort and solace to the Beast within, you can take from him that
which gives him the fire of individuality and creativity.
When the Beast has been removed from an individual, he loses the will to fight or
struggle. He cannot use or regain Willpower, nor can he resist any sort of attack upon him.
Kindred are immune to this power.
Mortals and creatures who lack a Beast are prone to accept nearly anything which
occurs to them in this state as completely normal and natural, evincing no reaction to it.
Later they might wonder why they had no reaction, but often they avoid thinking about
the situation at all.
System: The player must roll Manipulation + Empathy (difficulty 7) and must collect
as many successes as the target has Willpower (five for most animals). This is an extended
roll. Any failure indicates that the vampire must start over from the beginning, while any
botch indicates that he will never again be able to steal that creature's Beast.
•••• Sharing the Spirits:
By staring into the eyes of an animal, your spirit or conscious mind moves within the
animal and possesses it. This allows you to control the actions of the animal as if you were
that animal. Your body becomes unconscious and remains motionless during this time,
exactly as if you were in torpor.
System: The player must roll Charisma + Animal Ken (difficulty 8) as the character
looks into the animal's eyes (only animals with eyes can be possessed). The number of
successes obtained determines the free will and powers the character still retains while
possessing the animal. Less than three successes mean the player must use Willpower
points to take any action which directly violates the instincts of the animal in question.
1 success - Cannot use Disciplines
2 successes - Can use Auspex
3 successes - Can also use Presence
4 successes - Can also use Dominate
5 successes - Can also use Thaumaturgy
The character will behave much like the animal if less than five successes are
obtained - her spirit is clouded with the needs and impulses of the animal body.
Sometimes she will begin to think and feel like that animal, even after the connection has
been broken. The player behaves like the animal she was, retaining many of its instincts
for a time. This will continue until seven Willpower points are spent to resist and
overcome specific effects.
At the end of any particularly exciting incident, the player should roll Wits + Empathy
(difficulty 8) for the character to retain her own mind. Failure indicates that the
character's mind returns to her own body, but still thinks in purely animal terms. A botch
sends the character into a frenzy.
When employing this power, it is possible for a vampire to travel about during the
day, albeit in the body of an animal. However, she must be awake to do so, and therefore
the player must successfully make a roll to stay awake.
••••• Drawing out the beast:
You have attained a deep understanding of the mysteries of man's wild cousins.
Armed with this knowledge, you are better able to deal with the Beast within. When the
Beast becomes too powerful to control, you can transfer the feral urges to another
creature.
Effectively, you induce frenzy in another animal, man or vampire as a means of
avoiding it yourself. The recipient of this vast, savage energy must be something that is fit
for the burden; only beings with a Humanity score of 7 or less are wild enough to provide
a home for your Beast. This unfortunate creature actually receives your Beast, and thus
your personality will be apparent in the nature of the frenzy the victim undergoes. The
frenzy will progress just as if you were the creature in that state.
System: To use this power, the vampire must be in frenzy, or close to it, and roll
Manipulation + Animal Ken (difficulty 8). The player needs to announce his preferred
target prior to rolling. It must be someone within eyesight. Refer to the table for the
results:
1 success - The character transfers the Beast, but releases it upon a friend
2 successes - The character is stunned by the effort and may not act next turn, but
transfers the Beast.
3 successes - The character is completely successful.
If the attempt fails, the intensity of the frenzy actually increases, for as the character
relaxes in expectation of relieving himself of the savage desires of the Beast, the Beast
takes that opportunity to dig deeper. The frenzy will last at twice as long and be twice as
hard to shrug off; it will also be many times more severe than normal. A botch on this roll
is even more catastrophic. The heightened frenzy is so extreme that not even the
expenditure of Willpower points will effectively curb its duration or effects.
If the character leaves the target's presence before the frenzy concludes, he will lose
his Beast, perhaps permanently. While no longer vulnerable to frenzy, the character will
not be able to use or regain Willpower and will become increasingly lethargic. To recover
the Beast, he must find the person who now possesses it (who probably won't be enjoying
herself much) and re-trap the Beast. He must behave in ways that will make the Beast
want to return since, unfortunately, the Beast does not always wish to do so.

Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook

• Feral Speech:
This power allows the Cainite to hark back to the days before the fall of Babel, when
all speech was one Although he cannot use this ability to communicate with humans or
Cainites who do not speak his language, he can communicate with animals, be they wild
or domesticated. The vampire needs only to look into the creature’s eyes for a moment,
and he briefly gains facility with that animal’s native speech. The two communicate in the
animal’s tongue — a vampire speaking to a horse must whinny, one talking to a wolf might
bark or howl and so on. (The animal replies in kind, of course.) According to rumor, the
Nosferatu can communicate with animals without making a sound, but they must
concentrate solely on the creature in question, and they cannot lose eye contact for even
a moment.
 The use of Feral Speech does not predispose an animal to react in a friendly fashion
toward the vampire. Keep in mind that animals that have not been made ghouls tend to
react poorly to supernatural predators of the night. The character can bully small
creatures such as squirrels or rabbits easily, but raptors and swift, independently minded
animals do their best to escape from such a situation. Larger creatures require some
negotiations to get any useful information.
This ability does not grant the animal in question any unusual information. The
Storyteller should determine a rough level of intelligence for the animal, and use that and
the creature’s known behaviors as a base for roleplay. Remember that few animals can
count or read, and humans mostly all look alike to them. The character may be able to
convince animals to do him favors if he is sufficiently impressive to them. If such is the
case, the beasts do their best to perform such favors.
System: No expenditure or die roll is necessary to activate this power, but the
character must spend one turn getting the animal’s attention and looking into its eyes in
order to key his own Beast to the creature’s language. Roll Manipulation + Animal Ken to
get favors or useful information out of an animal. The difficulty is 6, unless modified up or
down for circumstances. Each success gleans one favor or one useful piece of information;
five successes gets the character roughly anything he needs, within reason. The style by
which the character gets what he wants depends in part on his road and Nature, but
primarily on the roleplaying between the player and Storyteller.
•• Noah’s Call:
This ability — named by those Cainites who believe that Noah called on all the wild
creatures to come to his ark before the flood — allows a character to call out a summons
for a particular kind of creature. In order to use Noah’s Call on a particular kind of animal,
the vampire must already have used Feral Speech on an animal of that species in the past.
The Cainite then uses his sublimated memories of that “language” to cry out audibly and
summon as much of the local population of that animal as he can. Not all of those
creatures definitely come to the character’s assistance, but those that do aid the character
as best they can. The character can call a somewhat broad group of animals — all those of
a single species, by modern parlance — or he can be more precise. He could try to
summon all dogs in an area, or all female red-tailed hawks between the ages of one and
three years inclusive. Obviously, the former summons brings more creatures and the
latter might not bring any at all.
System: Roll Charisma + Survival (difficulty6) to use this ability. Consult the table to
see how many creatures succumb to the character’s power. Note that if, for instance, only
one animal meets the character’s criteria within range of hearing, then one or two
successes will not summon it. The power works out to the limit of hearing — which can
vary from beast to beast. A wolf might be able to hear a summons howl as far as four
miles away, while a groundhog had better be within a half-mile. When in doubt, the
Storyteller should roll Perception + Awareness for a sample member of the species. Every
success extends the range by half a mile.

Successes - Response
Botch - A random fraction of the creatures responds, but are hostile to the character
Failure - No response; you may try again
1 success - One animal responds
2 successes - One-quarter of the animals within range respond
3 successes - Half the animals within range respond
4 successes - Three-quarters of the animals within range respond
5+ successes - All animals within range respond
••• Cowing the Beast:
The wildest rage of human or animal pales beside the unholy, God-cursed Beast of
the Children of Caine. A Cainite with Cowing the Beast can use that fact to his advantage.
He has little difficulty causing the heart of man or animal to grow faint at the very sight of
him. With a modicum of effort, he can cause an opponent to run shrieking into the
distance or collapse into a gibbering heap.
If the target suffers from fear-driven derangements, she is likely to succumb to
them, as the sight of a vampire using Cowing the Beast drives the Discipline’s target into
paroxysms of terror. Nosferatu and some Gangrel pass the secret of using this ability to
soothe an opponent’s Beast, rather than dominate it. Those who do so refer to the ability
as Song of Serenity. (To learn this Song of Serenity effect, the character must simply find a
teacher and spend a few nights learning it. It is an effect inherent to Cowing the Beast that
many Cainites simply do not realize they can unlock. There’s no additional experience
cost.)
As with many aspects of a Cainite’s existence, the use of Cowing the Beast involves a
harrowing loss of control to the vampire’s own Beast, if only for an instant. The character
cuts loose for a moment, letting his Beast terrify his target’s inner animal nature. Those
Cainites who are not on the Road of the Beast are likely to be rather unsettled by this
display themselves, as their rational natures must momentarily give way to a rush of
power and hatred.
 System: When the character uses Cowing the Beast, the player should roll
Manipulation + Intimidation (or Manipulation + Empathy, if using the Song of Serenity
variant), at a difficulty of 7. This action is exclusive. The character cannot engage in
combat, run, or create works of art while activating the Discipline. The character must
earn a number of successes equal to the target’s Willpower. If doing so takes more than
one turn, then the Discipline becomes an extended test, and it succeeds as soon as the
character collects that many successes. Failure means that the character loses all collected
successes. A botch means that the target’s Beast is forever beyond the character’s control.
A successfully cowed mortal or animal is so intimidated that she cannot engage in
any form of struggle and may even refuse to move unless the Cainite orders her to do so.
The victim will not even defend herself unless her player makes a Willpower roll. The
player of a cowed character cannot spend or regain Willpower. She should roll Willpower
(difficulty 6) every night until she accumulates as many successes as the vampire’s
Willpower. The effect then lifts. The Song of Serenity has the same game system effects,
but it makes its victim utterly listless.
Cainites’ Beasts cannot be cowed with this ability, but the Storyteller may permit
characters to use the Song of Serenity variant to pull a vampire out of a frenzy. Should the
character earn three or more successes, the frenzied target may attempt to pull herself
out of the frenzy, using the same difficulty as the stimulus that pushed her into it.
•••• Ride the Wild Mind:
Cainites who know Ride the Wild Mind are able to dislodge their own souls from
their bodies and seat them in the bodies of wild animals. Since animals have no souls, by
any reasonable definition (including the Christian one of the time), the Cainite commits no
sin by resting his own in the creature’s body for a short time. While possessing an animal
in this fashion, the vampire controls the beast’s every move and reaction.
The character must stare for a moment into the animal’s eyes before possessing it.
His body then drops into a torpid stupor as his soul drifts out of his body and into the
animal’s. The character may remain in the host animal for as long as he likes, but his body
still loses blood at its normal rate while he does so. Those using Ride the Wild Mind are
prone to adapt some of their host animal’s behaviors when they emerge from the
possession. Many Tzimisce sculpt dogs or wolves into hideous war-ghouls and then
possess them with Ride the Wild Mind, giving themselves command of a frightening
monster during a battle while leaving their bodies safe at home. Some superstitious
Gangrel and Ravnos believe that a piece of their soul remains in the animal when they
leave it, so they make a point of consuming the animal’s blood when the ride is done.
Cainites who miss their living days exult in the freedom and power of Ride the Wild
Mind, as it brings a strong sensation of life along with it. Those who no longer miss their
living days — particularly those not on the Road of Humanity, or who have low scores in
that road — find the power’s use to be disconcerting. Once again, the vampire can feel
“his” heart beating, he suffers from mundane hunger, and sweats and produces filth all on
his own. These sensations are long absent even in the ancilla.
System: Roll Charisma + Animal Ken (difficulty 8) while the character looks into the
animal’s eyes for a turn. The character cannot possess worms or other creatures without
eyes, as they have no easy passage for the soul. The animal must also be a living creature
of flesh and blood to be possessed. The Cainite cannot ride a demon (even a familiar in
animal form) or a ghost. One success allows the character to just barely take over the
animal’s body; multiple successes give him greater access to his Disciplines, per the
following table:
Successes - Result
Botch - Roll to resist Rötschreck as the character’s Beast is overwhelmed by the
animal’s nature.
Failure - Cannot possess; try again next turn
1 success - Possess the animal, but cannot use any Disciplines*
2 successes - Can use Auspex*
3 successes - Can also use Presence*
4 successes - Can also use Dominate, Dementation
5 successes - Can also use Thaumaturgy and Mortis (paths only), Chimerstry
Results marked with an asterisk (*) also require the character to spend Willpower to
take any action that the Storyteller deems out of line with the animal’s base instincts.
While using Ride the Wild Mind, the character may walk around as the animal in the
sunlight without suffering any ill effects, although he must make a Road roll to remain
conscious, just as he would in his own body.
When the character leaves the animal’s body to return to his own, the player must
roll Wits + Empathy (difficulty 8) and score as many successes as days the character spent
within the creature (minimum of one). If the player fails this roll, the character spends the
same number of days in a purely animalistic mindset, obeying the urges and instincts of
the creature whose body he just left. Should he botch, the vampire frenzies and then
drops into the animalistic mindset just described.
Whether the player succeeds or fails at that roll, the vampire is stuck thinking in the
creature’s ways for some time. The character must spend seven Willpower points or seven
days (or some combination of the two) to get over the effects of having used this power.
Until that time has passed, the character reflexively reacts as his old host did. A vampire
who spent time in the body of a wolf may growl at unexpected visitors, kowtow
excessively to princes and others of acknowledged higher status and so on. Many Gangrel
use this side effect of Ride the Wild Mind to their advantage, possessing a wolverine for
extra ferocity or a squirrel to get themselves in the habit of storing goodies away for
wintertime.
Should the animal die while being ridden in this fashion, the character’s psyche
returns to his body. When it does, it may be slightly traumatized, an effect that has no
game mechanics but which the player is encouraged to roleplay out.
••••• Drawing Out the Beast:
Cainites with this ability are so familiar with the vagaries of animals’ instinctive
reactions that they can even read the reactions of their own Beasts. What’s more, as the
vampire’s Beast becomes more aroused, he gains the ability to send it out into another
being, rather than allowing his own spirit to be overwhelmed by the blood rage.
The target of the Cainite’s Beast is immediately overwhelmed by a frenzy, and
during that frenzy, he acts precisely as the Discipline’s user does when in frenzy, right
down to the occasional murderous turn of phrase. Those who know the vampire might
recognize their friend’s Beast in another, but such a thing is quite rare.
The Gangrel use this power to enable their ghouls and children to act as terrible
proxies in time of battle, while the Ravnos use it to torment individuals who present
themselves as beacons of righteousness. The Tzimisce use Drawing out the Beast to wreak
dreadful havoc on an opposing voivode’s holdings before bringing their full force to bear,
while the Nosferatu prefer to use the ability to humiliate other vampires whom they feel
need to be taken down a peg.
System: The character must be in a frenzy or near one — that is to say, exposed to a
possible source of frenzy and engaged in a test of Self-Control or Instinct to resist or ride
it. To use the ability, announce a target to whom your character has line of sight and then
roll Manipulation + Animal Ken (difficulty 8). At least two successes are required on this
roll to achieve the desired effect.
Successes Result
Botch - Enter a tremendously dangerous frenzy, from which even Willpower
expenditure cannot rescue you.
Failure - Enter a terrible frenzy, that lasts twice as long and requires twice as many
successes to shrug off as normal.
1 success - Accidentally release your Beast upon a friend.
2 successes - Transfer your Beast successfully, but you are stunned, and lose your
next turn to inaction while you recover.
 3+ successes - Transfer your Beast successfully.
If the target leaves the character’s immediate vicinity before the frenzy ends (or vice
versa) the character risks losing his Beast permanently, as it remains with the victim. The
vampire’s Beast often likes “living” inside other beings, and it is loath to return to the
vampire it knows so well after having a taste of freedom. Should the character lose his
Beast, even temporarily, he becomes lethargic, sleeping late in the evenings and needing
to spend Willpower to perform even such tasks as feeding.
To recover his Beast, the character must first find its carrier — who is probably not
having an easy time of things, especially if he is mortal — and then coax his Beast back to
his body. To do so, the character must act in ways that would lure a ravenous, frenzy-
yielding Vampiric monster toward him. The Storyteller should make sure to play this scene
up for all it’s worth. In the tragic event that the Beast-carrier dies, the vampire’s player
makes an Instinct roll against a difficulty of 9. Even one success returns the Beast to its
owner, but a failure means the vampire has lost his Beast forever. The shock of the Beast’s
death cry immediately sends the vampire into torpor.
•••••• Quell the Herd
This power works similarly to Cowing the Beast, save that the Cainite using it
subdues the passion and individuality of a whole group of mortals or animals
simultaneously with the power of his own Beast. It does not work against Cainites, though
it does affect ghouls. As many as 20 targets may be affected by this ability at once, as long
as all involved can see the character.
System: Roll Strength + Intimidation (difficulty 7). This is an extended test: You must
accumulate as many successes as your target has temporary Willpower. You cow any
target whose Willpower you exceed with successes — as soon as you have rolled 5
successes, all targets with a Willpower of 5 or less are subdued. Failing your roll means
that you have to begin accumulating successes again from 0, but your victims do not
become free. A botch not only sets your victims free of the quelling, but sends them into a
frenzy, howling for your blood.
Those cowed with Quell the Herd behave and free themselves in the same manner
as those affected by Cowing the Beast.

Vampire: The dark Ages Rulebook:

•Feral Speech:
God’s gift of speech was not reserved for humans alone. Feral Speech allows a
Cainite limited communication with animals, allowing for specific requests of creatures. To
invoke this power, the Cainite must look into the animal’s eyes. Once contact has been
made, the vampire may issue the creature commands by speaking in its tongue, whether
in chirps, hisses or barks. Some Nosferatu are said to be able to give orders silently, but
they must maintain eye contact with the animal throughout the conversation and must
reestablish contact to give the animal any new instructions.
Feral Speech provides no guarantees that an animal will want to deal with the
vampire, but the animal usually becomes better disposed toward her. Smaller animals
may be cowed into accepting commands, while orders for large predators are better
couched in terms of requests. It is highly recommended that all communication be
roleplayed.
If communication is effective, the animal tries to perform the command to the best
of its ability and intellect. Highly complex commands (like anything with conditional logic)
are lost on all but very brightest animals. Commands are deeply implanted, though, and
may affect the animal for some time.
System: No roll is necessary to talk with an animal, but the player must make a
Manipulation + Animal Ken roll (difficulty 6) to get it to do favors. This difficulty can be
adjusted by circumstances and roleplaying skills. The character’s approach to the
conversation depends heavily on his Nature. The character might try intimidation, teasing,
cajoling, rationality or emotional pleading. The player should understand that he does not
simply play his character, but the beast within as well.
•• Noah’s call:
This power allows the Cainite to cry out in the voice of a specific type of animal. All
such animals within earshot are summoned, but may choose whether or not to respond.
Those that do will not necessarily provide immediate assistance to the vampire. However,
they are favorably disposed towards the Cainite, and most offer assistance.
The few Cainites who cling zealously to their Christian Beliefs and who achieve
mastery of animalism liken this power to that of Noah, who called to him two of all
creatures and shepherded them into the ark.
System: The player must roll Charisma + Survival (difficulty 6) to determine the
response to the call. Consult the table below. The only animals that might respond are
those that hear the call.
At the player’s discretion, the call can be targeted to even more specific groups of
animals. For example, a vampire could call for all gray-furred wolves in the area, for only a
certain wolf pack or for only the alpha male of the wolf pack.
1 Success – One animal responds.
2 Successes – A quarter of the animals within earshot respond.
3 Successes – Half of the animals respond.
 4 Successes – Most of the animals respond.
5 Successes – All of the animals respond.
••• Cowing the Beast:
Cainites are the supreme predators of the natural world. Many Cainites believe that
within each of them lies the spirit of a ravenous Beast, similar to but also superior to the
Beast that lies in every mortal heart. With this power, a Cainite may touch any mortal
human or beast and for a brief moment connect their bestial spirits. This brief contact is
enough to make the subject’s Beast cower before the Cainite’s.
The subject loses all courage, hope and inspiration. The most courageous mortals
simply become apathetic and depressive, while sensitive ones may suffer from phobic
Derangements while under the power’s influence.
Christians among the Nosferatu purport that this power was manifested by Daniel
when he was into a den of ferocious lions in ancient Babylon and emerged unscathed the
next day. Most religiously orthodox Cainites, like these Nosferatu, believe this power will
not take effect if they have recently been unfaithful to their beliefs. Conversely, Tzimisce
simply see the power as further evidence of their superiority over lesser beasts. Ravnos
don’t particularly care where the power comes from, but find it useful to calm the mortals
they have just thieved. Gangrel and some Nosferatu are said to use a similar power that
soothes the subject’s Beast into a state of utter complacency rather than oppressing it
through fear. This power functions identically to Cowing the Beast, but it is known as Song
of Serenity.
System: The player must roll Manipulation + Intimidation (or Empathy if using the
soothing Song of Serenity) at difficulty 7. It is an extended action and the player must
collect as many successes as the target has willpower (5 for most animals). Any failure
indicates that the vampire must start over from the beginning, while any botch indicates
that he is never again able to affect that subject’s Beast.
When a mortal’s Beast is cowed or soothed, he can no longer use or regain
Willpower. He ceases all struggles, whether mental or physical. He cannot even defend
himself if assaulted, though the storyteller may allow a Willpower roll if the mortal’s life is
threatened. To recover from this power, the mortal may roll Willpower (difficulty 6) once
per day until he accumulates enough successes to equal the Cainite’s Willpower. Cainites
themselves cannot be affected by this power.
•••• Ride the Wild Mind:
In the Dark Ages, religious doctrine asserts that animals have no souls, only spirits.
Using this power, Cainites believe they are able to fill that vacancy by moving their own
souls into the bodies of animals. By staring into the eyes of an animal, the vampire can
move her anima – her conscious mind – into the animal and possess it. The vampire’s
body falls into a motionless state like torpor, but her mind takes control of the animal’s
actions.
Tzimisce seldom use this power, considering it debasing to enter the body of a lesser
creature. When they do so, they only possess predators. Ravnos make a habit of killing
and sucking the vitae from animals after the possession, for fear that their souls will be
retained in the animals.
System: The player must roll Charisma + Animal Ken (difficulty 8) as the character
looks into the animal’s eyes (only animals with eyes can be possessed). The number of
successes obtained determines how thoroughly the character’s soul overrides the spirit of
the animal. Multiple successes allow the character to utilize some mental Disciplines while
possessing the animal. Fewer than three successes means the player must use Willpower
points to take any action that directly violates the instincts of the animal in question.
1 Success – Cannot use Disciplines.
2 Successes – Can use Auspex.
3 Successes – Can also use Presence.
4 Successes – Can also use Dominate, Dementation.
5 Successes – Can also use Thaumaturgy, Chimerstry.
The possessing character behaves much like the animal if fewer than five successes
are obtained – her soul is clouded with needs and impulses from the animal’s spirit and
body. Because the character’s soul and the spirit of the animal become so entwined, the
character may continue to think and feel like the animal, even after connection has been
broken. This should be roleplayed. The effect continues until a total of seven Willpower
points are spend to resist and overcome the animal’s nature.
At the end of any particularly exiting incident during possession, the player should
roll Wits + Empathy (difficulty 8) for the character to retain his own mind. Failure indicates
that the character’s mind returns to her own body, but still thinks in pure animalistic
terms. A botch sends the character into frenzy upon returning to her own body.
When employing this power, it is possible for a vampire to travel about during the
day, albeit in the body of an animal. However, her body must be awake to do so, and
therefore the player must successfully make a roll to stay awake.
••••• Drawing Out the beast:
At this level of animalism, the Cainite has a keen understanding of the beast within.
Whenever the predator spirit threatens to overwhelm the vampire’s soul and send her
into frenzy, she may instead fling the spirit of the Beast out of her body and into
another’s. The recipient of the Beast’s raging spirit is instantly overcome by frenzy. Since
the victim receives the Cainite’s own spirit, the behavior and expressions of the Cainite are
evident in the victim’s frenzied actions. Facial expressions, body language and even
changes in vocal inflection mirror the Cainite’s own.
Gangrel are especially fond of passing their Beasts onto their ghouls during combat.
Autarkis Gangrel have been known to send bands of their ghouls sweeping through
hamlets in frenzied fervor while their masters follow to feast upon the destruction. By the
time the hamlet’s protectors can arrive, both madmen and monsters have escaped into
the night.
System: To use this power, the vampire must be in frenzy, or close to it, and the
player must roll Manipulation + Animal Ken (difficulty 8). The player needs to announce
his preferred target prior to rolling; it must be someone within sight. Refer to the table for
the results:
1 Success – The character transfers the beast, but releases it upon a friend.
2 Successes – The character is stunned by the effort and may not act next turn, but
transfers the beast.
3 Successes – The character is completely successful.
If the attempt fails, the intensity of the frenzy actually increases; as the character
relaxes in expectation of relieving himself of savage desires, the Beast takes that
opportunity to dig deeper. The frenzy lasts twice as long and it is twice as difficult to shrug
off; it is also many more times more severe than normal. A botch on this roll is even more
catastrophic. The heightened frenzy is so extreme that not even expending Willpower
effectively curbs its duration or effects.
If the character leaves the target’s presence before the frenzy concludes, he loses
his Beast, perhaps permanently. While no longer vulnerable to frenzy, the character is not
able to use or regain Willpower and becomes increasingly lethargic. To recover the beast,
he must find the person who now possesses it (who probably isn’t enjoying herself very
much) and re-trap the Beast. He must behave in ways that make the Beast want to return;
the Beast does not always wish to do so.
••••• • Quickened Unity:
With this power, a vampire may touch an animal and link the spirit of his own Beast
to the spirit of the animal. Once the two are linked, the Cainite can pull the thoughts,
memories and experiences, mentally re-living the animal’s past. The longer the vampire
maintains the link, the more information he can gather. However, if the link is maintained
too long, the vampire may become confused as to which memories are his own and which
are the animal’s.
 Cainites use this power for all manner of purposes. For example, wild stags know the
lay of the surrounding forest, war horses remember how various battles fared, and rats
know all the crawlways into a castle and what lies below that castle.
System: use of this power requires a Perception + Animal Ken roll (difficulty 6). Each
turn after the first spent in this melded state requires the character to spend a Willpower
point. It usually takes two turns to locate and extract a precise memory, and about five
turns to share spirits completely.

The Player’s Guide (1st edition)

••••• • Species Speech:
When using Song of the Beast, the character can only communicate with one animal
at a time and must maintain eye contact for the entirety of the interaction. Species
Speech allows the character to communicate with an entire group of creatures at once. A
single success on a roll of Charisma + Animal Ken (difficulty of 8) indicates the character
has established a level of communication similar to the one obtained through Song of the
Beast.
1 success - May understand the animals’ group dynamics (herd leader, basic
motivations, etc.)
2 successes - May talk "baby-talk" with the animals
3 successes - Basic communication is possible and the character can expect
responses to straight-forward questions.
4 successes - Complete communication up to the animals' potential is possible.
5 successes - Complete communication up to the animals' potential is possible.
Complete communication with the full trust of the animals. They will not mislead the
character.
The character can only address one species at a time (i.e., she could talk to rats but
not mice at the same time) and they must all be within ear-shot. Should she be
interrupted by anything other than the group being communicated with, or voluntarily
stop her sermon during this time, she will have to roll to reestablish contact with her
former listeners, some of whom may well have run off by that time.
••••• • Shepherd’s Innocence:
While not all animals run away at the slightest approach from a Vampire, the
relations between Kindred and most animals are far from the best. Dogs tend to bark in
their presence, cats leave the room and horses will often throw them. On the other hand,
animals find those Undead with Shepherd's Innocence not only inoffensive but extremely
attractive. By using this power (Charisma + Animal Ken with the difficulty determined by
emotional state of the animal), a character can quickly calm a charging lion, gain the trust
of growling guard dogs and ride happily on the back of a wild elephant. If enough
successes are obtained, the character may attempt nearly any sort of activity with the
creature, supernatural or otherwise (this makes feeding from them absurdly simple).
••••• • Animal Succulence:
The hunt for blood is one of the defining factors of a Vampire's existence. When first
Embraced, many Kindred try to limit their feeding to non-sentient beasts, hoping to thus
preserve their fast-fading Humanity. Most quickly find this mode of existence unsatisfying,
and soon use nothing but humans for their Vessels.
Those with mastery of Animal Succulence, however, find animal Vitae to be
exceptionally nourishing. One of the few powers which does not require a roll, Animal
Succulence allows a character to effectively double the Blood Pool size of an animal. Thus
a cow would have 10 Blood Points for a character to drink. Note that this power is not
transferable, and the cow would still only be worth five Blood Points to any other
character.
••••• • Shared Soul:
This power allows the character to momentarily share experiences with anyone
animal he can touch. While both beings maintain both freedom of thought and action,
everything they sense, the emotions they feel and even their hopes and fears are felt by
the other. Moreover, the memories of each are shared, and if enough time is spent in this
state, both will know everything about the other (of course, much of one's experience will
make no sense to the other, and may even cause temporary confusion once the
experience is over).
Use of this Discipline requires a Perception + Animal Ken roll against a target of 6.
Every turn after the first in this joint state requires the character to spend a Willpower
point. It usually takes two turns to locate and extract a precise memory, and about five
turns to completely share souls.
••••• •• Conquer the Beast:
Those Kindred with the Animalism Discipline often have a greater understanding of
the Beast within than do other Vampires, and those with the ability to Conquer the Beast
seem to have the best understanding of all. With this power, the character can not only
enter Frenzy at will, but maintain complete control throughout.
While the character no longer requires potentially deadly stimulus to enter this
state, she must make a straight Willpower roll against a target of 7 to Frenzy. For every
turn the character maintains this state, she must spend one Willpower point When she
runs out of Willpower, the Frenzy ends. The character can end it sooner if desired.
A failure on the targeting roll indicates Frenzy was not achieved, while a botch
means Frenzy was entered but the character has no control over it and may not attempt
to ride it in the normal fashion. More botches mean there is potential for Derangements
(Storyteller's option).
••••• •• Master’s Voice:
Like Species Speech, but the character can communicate with all animals within
range of his voice no matter what their type. The difficulty and levels of success are the
same as those with Species Speech, and the same interruptions will stop this power as
well.
••••• ••• Twin Spirits:
Similar to the fifth-level power Sharing of Spirits, this power allows the character to
take complete control of an animal as though he were inside it While he controls the
animal, however, he can also move about freely in his own form. Taking control of the
animal requires a Manipulation + Intimidation roll, and the number of successes
determine the amount of time the character can maintain this split personality.
1 Success - up to one hour.
2 Successes - up to six hours.
3 Successes - up to one day.
4 Successes - up to one week.
5 Successes – indefinitely.
Since the character maintains his own form while controlling the animal, he does not
have to worry about taking on the animal's characteristics after the connection is broken.
Since the character is maintaining two different forms, however, he does suffer
distractions from the competing sensory input. In effect, the difficulty level of any roll he
must make while controlling both forms is raised by one.
••••• ••• Mass Summons:
This power allows the character to summon all animals around to her. While this
does not place them under her control, the use of other Animalism abilities should be
enough to ensure their aid. Even if this is not the case, the summoned animals will be
unlikely to hurt the summoner. Additionally, the summoner can, if she desires, specify the
types of animals she wants to respond, thus calling dogs and rats, but no cats.
 Summoning these animals requires a Manipulation + Leadership roll against a
difficulty of 7. Every success means a wider area has been affected. The distances are
divided up depending on whether the summons is made in a city or wilderness area.
1 Success - All summoned animals within one city block/half mile respond unless
there is something actively preventing it (i.e., a dog's master says stay) or it is a
ghoul.
2 Successes - All summoned animals within two blocks/one mile respond unless it
would be life threatening to do so or the animal is a ghoul.
3 Successes - All summoned animals within five blocks/five miles respond unless it
would be life threatening to do so or the animal is a ghoul.
4 Successes - All summoned animals within a half mile/seven miles respond unless it
would be life threatening to do so.
5 Successes - All summoned animals within 1 mile/10 miles respond.
••••• •••• Flesh Bond:
By the time a Vampire can develop this level of Animalism, they have formed an
extraordinary bond with the "lower" creatures. Thus they can actually mesh their physical
form with those of non-sentient beasts. With a roll of Stamina + Animal Ken (difficulty 7),
the character can actually suck smaller animals into his very being and release them again
at will. Each creature thus held uses up one of the character's blood points for every five
points in its blood pool. Thus a character can bond with 10 rats (at 1/2 a blood point each)
at a cost of one of his own blood points. This point of his blood pool will not be available
for storing blood again until the character releases the animals.
While the character cannot physically absorb larger creatures, he can meld his body
with theirs on a Stamina + Empathy roll (difficulty 7) at a cost of one Blood Point. Thus, he
can slide his body into that of a charging Kodiak Bear and move around during the day
within it. Those with Auspex can make a roll to see if they notice anything un usual about
a character or animal that has "riders." Note that the character has no control over the
animal in this state unless he has also used Shared Spirits on it and has it currently under
his control.
••••• ••••• Army of Beasts:
Not only can the character summon all the creatures within a certain area, but she
becomes one with each of them. While her body remains stationary, she takes control of
each animal summoned as though she were that animal. In effect she becomes both
General and Soldier, seeing through the eyes of whatever horde of creatures she has
called up, but requiring no special concentration to control them - they are her and she is
them. The area of animals she controls is defined by the number of successes rolled on a
Leadership + Survival roll. One success means the character can summon all animals
within one mile. Each additional success doubles the previous level. Thus with five
successes the character can summon and become all animals within sixteen miles.

The Player’s Guide (2st edition)

••••• • Species Speech:
When using Sweet Whispers, the character can only communicate with one animal
at a time and must maintain eye contact for the entirety of the interaction. Species
Speech allows the character to communicate simultaneously with an entire group of
creatures. The character can only address one species at a time (i.e., if she speaks to rats
she may not speak to mice at the same time), and all the animals to be addressed must be
within earshot. Should the character be interrupted by anything other than the group with
which she is communicating, or should she voluntarily stop her sermon during this time,
she will have to roll to reestablish contact with her former listeners. Some of the animals,
particularly those of a timid species, may well run off in the interim.
System: A single success on a roll of Charisma + Animal Ken (difficulty 8) indicates
the character has established a level of communication similar to the one obtained
through Sweet Whispers.
••••• • Shepherd’s Innocence:
While not all animals run away at a vampire's approach, the relations between
Kindred and most creatures are far from the best. Dogs tend to bark in their presence,
cats leave the room and horses often throw them. On the other hand, animals find those
undead with Shepherd's Innocence not only inoffensive but extremely attractive.
System: With a roll of Charisma + Animal Ken (difficulty determined by the
emotional state of the animal(s)), a character can quickly calm a charging lion, gain the
trust of growling guard dogs and ride happily on the back of a wild elephant. If enough
successes are obtained, the character may attempt nearly any sort of activity with the
creature(s) (this makes feeding from it absurdly simple).
••••• • Animal Succulence:
The hunt for blood is one of the defining factors of a vampire's existence. When first
Embraced, many Kindred try to limit their feeding to beasts, hoping thus to preserve their
swiftly fading Humanity. Most quickly find this mode of existence unsatisfactory, and soon
use nothing but humans for their vessels. Those Kindred who master the power of Animal
Succulence, however, find animal vitae to be exceptionally nourishing.
System: This is one of the few powers that do not require a roll. Animal Succulence
effectively allows a character to double the Blood Pool size of an animal. Thus a cow
would have 10 Blood Points for a character to drink. Note that this power is not
transferable, and the cow would still be worth a mere five Blood Points to any other
character.
••••• • Shared Soul:
This power allows the character momentarily to share experiences with any one
animal he can touch. While both beings maintain freedom of thought and action, each
participant's perceptions, emotions, and even hopes and fears are felt by the other.
Memories are likewise shared. If enough time is spent in this state, each participant will
know everything about the other (of course, much of one participant's experience will
make no sense to the other, and may even cause temporary confusion once the
experience is over).
System: Use of this power requires a Perception + Animal Ken roll (difficulty 6). Each
turn after the first spent in this melded state requires the character to spend a Willpower
point. It usually takes two turns to locate and extract a precise memory, and about five
turns to share souls completely.
••••• •• Conquer the Beast:
Those Kindred with the Animalism Discipline often have a greater understanding of
the Beast within than do other vampires, and those with the ability to Conquer the Beast
seem to have the best understanding of all. With this power, the character can not only
enter frenzy at will, but maintain complete control throughout.
System: While the character no longer requires a potentially deadly stimulus to
enter this state, she must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) to frenzy. A Willpower point
must be spent every turn the character wishes to maintain the frenzied state. When she
runs out of Willpower, the frenzy ends. The character can end a frenzy sooner if desired.
A failure on the Willpower roll indicates frenzy was not achieved; a botch means the
character flies into an uncontrolled frenzy.
••••• •• Master’s Voice:
Like Species Speech, but the character can communicate with all animals within
range of his voice, regardless of their species.
System: The difficulty and levels of success are identical to those of Species Speech,
and the same interruptions will cancel this power.
••••• ••• Twin Spirits:
Similar to the fourth-level power Sharing of Spirits, this power allows the character
to take complete control of an animal as though he were inside it. While he controls the
animal, however, he can also move about freely in his own form.
 System: Taking control of the animal requires a Manipulation + Intimidation roll
(difficulty 6); the number of successes determines the amount of time the character can
maintain this split personality.
1 success - up to one hour.
2 successes - up to six hours.
3 successes - up to one day.
4 successes - up to one week.
5 successes – indefinitely.
Because the character maintains his own form while controlling the animal, he does
not have to worry about assuming the animal's characteristics after the connection is
broken. The character is maintaining two different forms, however, and suffers
distractions from the competing sensory input. In effect, the difficulty levels of all rolls he
must make while controlling both forms are raised by one.
••••• ••• Mass Summon:
This power allows the character to summon all the animals in the vicinity. While this
power does not place the animals under her control, the use of other Animalism powers
should be enough to ensure their aid. Even if this is not the case, the summoned animals
are unlikely to attack the summoner. Additionally, the summoner can, if she desires,
specify the types of animals she wants to respond – thus calling dogs and rats, but no cats.
System: Using this power requires a Manipulation + Leadership roll (difficulty 7).
Each success allows the user to affect a wider area. There are two sets of distances listed;
the former should be used when the vampire employs this power in a city, while the latter
should be used when the vampire makes the call in a wilderness area.
1 success - All summoned animals within one city block/half mile respond unless
something actively prevents them from so doing (i.e., a dog's master says stay). Ghoul
animals do not respond.
2 successes - All summoned animals within two blocks/one mile respond unless it
would be life threatening to do so. Ghoul animals do not respond.
3 successes - All summoned animals within five blocks/five miles respond unless it
would be life threatening to do so. Ghoul animals do not respond.
4 successes - All summoned animals within a half mile/seven miles respond unless it
would be life threatening to do so. At this Level of success, even ghoul animals answer the
summons.
5 successes - All summoned animals within one mile/10 miles respond.
 ••••• •••• Flesh Bond:
A vampire who develops this level of Animalism has formed an extraordinary bond
with the "lower" creatures. Thus, he can actually merge his physical form with that of an
animal.
System: With a roll of Stamina + Animal Ken (difficulty 7), the character can actually
absorb smaller animals into his very being. He may release the animals at will. Each
creature thus absorbed forces the character to spend one of his Blood Points for every five
points in the animal's Blood Pool. A character can thus bond with 10 rats (each of which is
worth 1/2 a Blood Point) by spending one of his own Blood Points. This point of his Blood
Pool may not be used to store blood until the character releases the animals.
While the character cannot physically absorb a larger creature, he can meld his body
with such a creature by making a successful Stamina + Empathy roll (difficulty 7) and
spending one Blood Point. Thus, he can merge his body into that of a charging Kodiak bear
and move around during the day within it. Note that the character has no control over the
animal with which he has merged unless he has also used Sharing of Spirits upon it.
Those Kindred who successfully use the Auspex power of Aura Perception upon a
character or creature who has "riders" will notice an unusual tinge to the subject's aura.
••••• ••••• Army of Beasts:
This power enables the character to summon all the creatures within a certain area,
and to become one with all of them. While her body remains stationary, she takes control
of each animal summoned as though she were that animal. In effect she becomes both
general and soldier, seeing through the eyes of whatever horde of creatures she has
called. No special concentration is required to control the animals - they are she and she is
they.
System: This power's area of effect is defined by the number of successes scored on
a Leadership + Survival roll (difficulty 6). One success means the character can summon all
animals within one mile. Each additional success doubles the previous level. Thus, with
five successes the character can summon and become all animals within 16 miles.

Guide to the Camarilla:

••••• • Animal Succulence:
Most vampires find the blood of animals flat, tasteless and lacking in nutritional
value. Some Gangrel and Nosferatu, however, have refined their understanding of the
spirits of such "lesser prey" to the point that they are able to draw much more sustenance
from beasts than normal Kindred can. This power does not allow an elder to subsist solely
on the blood of animals, but it does allow him to go for extended periods of time without
taking vitae from humans or other Kindred.
System: No roll is needed; once learned, this power is always in effect. Animal
Succulence allows a character to count each blood point drawn from an animal as two in
her blood pool. This does not increase the size of the vampire's blood pool, just the
nutritional value of animal blood. Animal Succulence does not allow a character to
completely ignore his craving for the blood of "higher" prey; in fact, it heightens his desire
for "real food." Every three times (rounded down) the character drinks from an animal, a
cumulative +1 difficulty is applied to the next Self-Control roll the player makes when the
character is confronted with the possibility of dining on human or Kindred blood. Animal
Succulence does not increase the blood point value of other supernatural creatures
(Gangrel, mages, pookas, were creatures) who have taken animal forms.
••••• • Shared Soul:
This power allows a character to probe the mind of any one animal within reach.
Shared Soul can be very disconcerting to both parties involved, as each participant is
completely immersed in the thoughts and emotions of the other. With enough effort or
time, each participant can gain a complete understanding of the other's mind. Shared Soul
is most often used to extract an animal's memories of a specific event, but some Gangrel
use this power as a tool in the search for enlightenment, feeling they come to a better
understanding of their own Beasts through rapport with tn1e beasts. Too close of a bond,
however, can leave the two souls entangled after the sharing ends, causing the vampire to
adopt mannerisms, behavior patterns or even ethics (or lack thereof) similar to the of the
animal.
System: The character touches the intended subject creature, and the player rolls
Perception + Animal Ken (difficulty 6). The player spends a Willpower point for every turn
past the first that contact is maintained. Locating a specific memory rakes six turns, minus
one turn for every success on the roll. A complete bond takes 10 turns, minus one turn for
every success on the roll. A botch on this roll may, at the Storyteller's discretion, send the
vampire into a frenzy or give the character a derangement related to the behavior
patterns of the animal (extreme cowardice if the vampire contacted the soul of a mouse,
bloodlust if the subject was a rabid dog, and so forth).
••••• • Species Speech:
The basic power Sweet Whispers (Animalism 1) allows a character to communicate
with only one animal at a time. With Species Speech, a character can enter into psychic
communion with all creatures of a certain spec1~ that arc present. Species Speech is most
often used after an application of The Beckoning (Animalism 2), which draws a crowd of
likely subjects.
 System: The player rolls Manipulation + Animal Ken (difficulty 7) to establish contact
with the targeted group of animals. Once the character establishes contact, the player
makes a second roll to issue commands. There is no practical upper limit on the number of
animals that can be commanded with this power, although all of the intended subjects
must be in the vampire's immediate vicinity. Only one species of animal can be
commanded at a time; thus, if a character is standing in the middle of the reptile house at
the zoo, she could command all of the Komodo dragons, a II of the boa constrictors or all
of the skinks, but she could not simultaneously give orders to every reptile or snake
present. Species Speech functions much like Sweet Whispers in all other respects.
(Note: Players who get rex) wrapped up in the species difference between northern
diamondback rattlesnakes and south eastern diamondback rattlesnakes need to relax and
let the point go. At Storyteller discretion, the expenditure of an additional Willpower point
allows the character's commands to extend to members of a similar species to the one
initially commanded).
••••• •• Conquer the Beast:
Masters of Animalism have a much greater understanding of both beasts in general
and the Beast in particular. Those who have developed this power can master their own
Beasts to a degree impossible for lesser Kindred to attain. Conquer the Beast allows the
vampire both to control her frenzies and also to enter them at will. Some elders say that
the development of this power is one of the first steps on the road to Golconda.
System: The character can enter frenzy at will. The player rolls Willpower (difficulty
7). Success sends the character into a controlled frenzy. He can choose his targets at will,
but gains limited Dominate and wound penalty resistance and Rotschreck immunity as per
the normal frenzy rules. A botch on the roll sends the vampire into an uncontrolled frenzy
which Conquer the Beast may not be used to end.
The player may also roll Willpower (difficulty 9) to enable the character to control an
involuntary frenzy. In this case, a Willpower point must be spent for every turn that the
vampire remains in frenzy. The player may make Self-Control rolls as normal to end a
frenzy, but if the vampire runs out of Willpower points before the frenzy ends, he drops
into an uncontrolled frenzy again. A botch on the Willpower roll raises the difficulty of the
vampire's Self-Control rolls by two and renders Conquer the Beast unusable for the
remainder of the night.
••••• ••• Taunt the Caged Beast:
Some Kindred are so attuned to the Beast that they can unleash it in another
individual at will. Vampires who have developed this power are able to send adversaries
into frenzy with a finger's touch and the resultant, momentary contact with the victim's
Beast. The physical contact allows the vampire's own Beast to reach out and awaken that
of the victim, enraging it by threatening its spiritual territory.
System: The character touches the target. The player spends a Willpower point and
rolls Manipulation+ Empathy (difficulty 7). The victim makes a Self-Control roll (difficulty 5
+the number of successes); failure results in an immediate frenzy, with standard rules
applying. A botch causes the character to unleash his own Beast and frenzy instead. This
power may be used on those individuals who are normally incapable of frenzy, sending
ordinary humans into murderous rages worthy of the blood thirstiest Brujah berserker.
••••• •••• Unchain the Beast:
The self-destructive nature of Cainites can be turned against them by an elder who
possesses this formidable power. With a glance, the vampire can awaken the Beasts of her
enemies, causing physical injury and excruciating agony as the victim's own violent
impulses manifest in physical form to tear him apart from within. A target of this power
erupts into a fountain of blood and gore as claw and bite wounds from an invisible source
spontaneously tear his flesh asunder.
System: The character makes eye contact with the intended victim. The player
spends three blood points and rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty of the victim’s
Self-Control+ 4). Each success inflicts one health level of lethal damage, which can be
soaked normally. A botch inflicts one health level of lethal damage on the character for
each "1" rolled. This damage can also be soaked normally.

Veil of Night:
••••• • Tainted Oasis:
Elders of Bay’s Mutasharid, the highly predatory Nosferatu of the Islamic world, use
a variety of animals to aid them in their hunting and in relying messages. The most loyal of
these are oath bound ghouls, but these monsters have also learned of ways to taint
natural oasis to evoke strength and loyalty in the animals who feed there. By mixing their
vitae with the precious desert waters, these vampires breed servants among all the
creatures who drink there. Although the blood creates some loyalty, it is no enough to
create a true blood oath or turn a mortal into a ghoul.
System: The vampire taints the drinking water with the equivalent of six points of
blood. The player rolls Manipulation + Animal Ken (difficulty 5). Each success taints the
spring for one lunar month. Failure have no special effect, but a botch indicates that
something in the oasis is especially resistant to the vampire’s blood. Assuming success,
animals who feed there regularly during the affected time grow unnaturally strong and
more loyal to the vampire whose blood they are imbibing. The storyteller can represent
this in a variety of ways, but increasing the animal’s Strength and Stamina attributes by
one dot each and lowering all the player’s Animalism and Animal Ken (when dealing with
affected beasts) by two is a good start. Prolonged feeding at a tainted pool also passes
some of the Cainite’s predatory nature, though. The Storyteller can portray predators
thinning the local herd needlessly and herbivores in constant challenges for herd
dominance. The Storyteller can also judge that the effect fades more quickly or that more
blood is needed in the case of especially large oases.

Players Guide to Low Clans:

••••• • Pact with Animals:
This power allows the wielder to borrow the powers of an animal that she feeds
from. It can grant her the strength of the bear, the eyes of the hawk, the wisdom of the
owl or the poison bite of the serpent. This power is likely to manifest in elder Gangrel, as
they tend to have the strongest connection to animals.
System: Pact with Animals requires that the character drinks at least one blood point
from the type of animal from which she wants to borrow a power. In the case of small
animals, this may require more than one source. As the blood is consumed, the player
spends a point of Willpower. Part with Animals lasts for the rest of the night. As the power
fades just before sunrise, the player must roll the character’s Road rating (difficulty 6). If
the roll fails, the influence of the animal does not fade entirely; the next night, the
character affected by the animal’s mindset as with Ride the Wild Mind.
The power gained from an animal is usually equal to a Discipline power of level 1 or
2 (like Auspex1, Heightened Senses, or Protean 2, Talons of the Beast); in addition, it adds
two dots to an Attribute or three dots to an Ability. The character also takes on mythical
aspects of the animal. Someone drinking from an owl would become wiser, while
someone drinking from a snake would slip towards an evil disposition.
••••• •• Send the Eighth Plague:
This is one of the most destructive powers among any of the Disciplines. Na ancient
Gangrel called Valentinian demonstrated its immense potential for ruination shortly after
the Forth Crusade. Angry with Italian Cainites intruding upon his lands, he called upon his
mastery of Animalism and brought starvation down on an entire trading town. Send the
Eighth Plague can lay waste to villages, towns and entire baronies, for it calls upon rats,
mice, locusts and other pests to gather and plague a target of the wielder’s choosing. In
the Dark Medieval, where every harvest is a gamble, the mere threat of this power can
intimidate Cainite princes and lords, who would rather not see the source of blood to
starve to death.
System: The character must sit in quiet meditation somewhere in the area she
wishes to Plague for at least half an hour. Then, the characters slash her hands opens and
bleeds into the soil while the player spends ten blood points and roll Charisma + Animal
Ken (difficulty 6). The number of successes must be divided between time and area of
effect, as shown below:
1 success – A single field/24 hours
2 Successes – Two nearby fields/3 days.
3 Successes – All the fields of a village/A week.
4 Successes – All the fields of several villages/A moon.
5 Successes – All the fields of a large swath of land/3 months.
The vermin eat everything they can find, gnawing their way into larders and
stripping fields of crops. While a duration of 24 hours is tolerable and three days is
survivable, anything beyond that is a catastrophe; dedicated extermination is required to
save stored food and crops.
••••• ••• Unchain the Ferocious Beast:
All Cainites know of the terrible power of the Beast and of what havoc it can wreak if
let loose. With Unchain the Ferocious Beast, a master of Animalism can do just that,
letting the Beast run amok in the body that it inhabits, inflicting terrible damage. The
target of this power erupts with wounds that look like they have come from some dire
beast; anyone looking at the target is horrified to witness such ravages.
System: Unchain the Ferocious Beast requires eye contact. It works on ghouls and
Cainites; it also affects Lupines, using the rage and anger of those savage warriors against
them. The player spends three blood points and rolls manipulation + Intimidation, with a
difficulty equal to the target Self-Control/Instinct + 4 (for Lupines, who have better control
of their Beasts, the difficulty is Willpower + 3, maximum 10). Each success translates into a
level of aggravated damage. Botching this roll turns the user’s own Beast against him,
inflicting one aggravated damage health level of damage per 1 rolled.
••••• •••• Free the Beast Within:
The Beast is a fearsome enemy, but for the true masters of Animalism, it can be a
powerful ally as well. When using Free the Beast Within, a Cainite enters into a pact with
her Beast, releasing it from its prison in the vampire’s mind in return for some powerful
benefits. This power is not invoked lightly, for the Beast never wants to be put back into
its cell.
System: The character concentrates for one turn and the player spends one point of
Willpower (this power can be activated as the character enters frenzy, at the same cost).
The player then rolls Road (difficulty 10 – Self Control/Instinct). If the roll fails, the
character enters a normal frenzy. If the roll is botched, the character is taken over by her
Beast and enters frenzy as usual, save that frenzy does not end until the character is
subdued or subjected to a power designed to cow or control the Beast. If the roll is
successful, the character enters a controlled frenzy. The character ignores all wound
penalties and any mind- or emotion –influencing Disciplines up to level 8 (any such powers
at level 8 or higher suffer a +3 difficulty). The character projects an aura of menace that
reduces the difficulty of all Intimidation rolls by 2. Finally, the Beast sharpens the
character’s awareness; she not only receives all the benefits of Heightened Senses, but
also three dice to all Alertness dice pools and all Survival dice pools based on Perception
(such as tracking). However, the player must spend a Willpower for the character to take
any non-aggressive action (Storyteller’s discretion), and canceling Free the Beast Within
requires an extended Instincts/Self-Control roll, difficulty 8, with six successes required
(one roll per turn).
If a Cainite possesses both this power and the Protean power Shape of the Inner
Beast, she can combine the two, allowing her some control over the shape of her Beast
when it is given physical form. She applies all the modifiers from Shape of the Inner Beast,
but retains control over her own actions and neither loses Willpower nor risks a
derangement.

Lair of the Hidden:

••••• • Beast Walk:
This power builds upon Animalism level four, Subsume the Spirit. Through this
power, Bufo the Toad casts his mind into the animal’s body. More than that, however, he
can jump from that first animal to another animal, then a third, a fourth, and so on
indefinitely, while his torpid body remains at the castle. Given time and a bit of luck, Bufo
can mentally travel around the world.
System: Initially, the Storyteller rolls Bufo’s Manipulation + Animal Ken (difficulty 8)
as the Nosferatu looks into the target animal’s eyes. As with Subsume the Spirit, the
number of successes rolled determines how thoroughly Bufo overrides the animal’s
spirits. The Storyteller must roll at least three successes for Bufo to send his mind skipping
from animal to animal. Fewer than three successes mean that Bufo must expend
Willpower to take any action contrary to the animal’s normal instincts, while the
Nosferatu needs five successes to resist the animal’s instincts completely. The number of
successes from this roll also determines what Disciplines Bufo can use while possessing
animal bodies, exactly as per Subsume the Spirit.
Once Bufo frees his mind from his body, he can jump to another animal’s body if his
current host can look in its eyes. The usual range for this is about 20 feet. Although the
Storyteller re-rolls the Nosferatu’s Manipulation + Animal Ken for each jump, this
determines the extent of Bufo’s possession and what Disciplines he can use. Only a
botched roll breaks the chain of possessions and sends the Nosferatu’s mind hurtling back
to his body and an immediate frenzy. If the roll fails, Bufo merely cannot possess that
particular animal and must look for another host.
Beast Walk also surpasses Subsume the Spirit in that Bufo can possess an animal’s
body by day without the need for his own body to stay awake. Instead, the Nosferatu’s
body is in torpor for the duration of the Beast Walk. He wakes up as soon as he ends the
possession (or at least the next nightfall at Hunedoara). As with Subsume the Spirit, if the
possessed animal dies, Bufo enters full torpor, with duration set by his Humanity rating.

Libellus Sanguinis I – Masters of the State:

••••• • Vrykolas:
Drawing on his unholy connection to the beasts of the wilds, the Fiend drinks the
blood of a ferocious animal – a wolf, bear, boar, or what have you. Immediately after the
draining, a metamorphosis occurs: The Tzimisce takes on some of the features of the
beast, becoming a hybrid monster. Fiends often use this power in combination with
Assume the Zulo Shape and Chiropteran Marauder, especially when making war on
Lupines.
System: The Tzimisce drains all the blood from an animal. Over the next three turns, the
Tzimisce sprouts fur, tusks, claws, horns, and other assorted weaponry (the precise
accouterments depends on the animal killed). Generally speaking, the Fiend gains +1 to
soak dice, claws inflicting Str +2 aggravated damage, and a bite inflicting Str +1 to Str +3
aggravated damage 9again, depending on the creature killed). All Social Traits drop to
zero.
This power costs two blood points to activate. The Tzimisce must have a Vicissitude
score of 3 or greater to use this power.

Libellus Sanguinis IV – Thieves in the Night:

••••• • Gap of Ages:
This gift is an advanced kin to Feral Speech and exerts such great conditioning upon
natural beasts that the effects are passed down through the generations. Affected animals
and their descendants roam the wilds of Europe with a singular intent or thought burned
into their minds and very being. Often times these creatures are simple guides with
instructions to lead travelers of a certain “smell” (Nosferatu, in this case) along a specific
path. Not all commands are altruistic, however. Some animals readily fight clearly superior
foes because a vampire commanded their great-grandmother to protect a domain.
System: Like Feral Speech, Gap of Ages allows characters to command animals.
Talking to them requires no roll, but to condition the creature and its descendants, the
player must succeed in a Manipulation + Animal Ken roll (difficulty 7). Thereafter,
depending on the number of successes (see below), this beast and its offspring obey.
Again, because the animal is simple, the commands must be as well, “Bring others who
smell like me through this path” or “attack anyone who smells dead but continues
walking” are viable orders. Conditioning can be broken if another vampire uses this
Discipline to issue new instructions. In either case, Gap of Ages does not affect the
already-born offspring of newly commanded animals.
1 Success – Two generations (the conditioned animal and its immediate progeny).
2 Successes – Three generations.
3 Successes – Four generations.
4 Successes – Five generations.
5+ Successes – This family-line is eternally bound.

Clanbook: Nosferatu:
••••• • Song in the Dark:
In the millennia underground, the Nosferatu have ranged deep and wide. In so
doing, they have encountered an array of other underground dwellers, many of which
remain unknown to mortal science.
Song in the Dark is superficially similar to the Level Two Animalism Power The
Beckoning, but this power enables contact with the monstrous denizens of the
underworld. The nature and power of these creatures are up to the Storyteller; some
legendary beasts are rumored to be larger than blue whales.
System: The Nosferatu must be underground or on the surface above or near some
sort of underground cavern area. She must then make a Charisma + Survival roll (difficulty
8). If successful, and if there is an appropriate creature in the vicinity (storyteller’s
discretion), something will answer the call. The creature is not under the Nosferatu’s
direct control, but is generally not hostile toward the caller, or at least is more likely to
devour the Nosferatu’s enemies. More successes summon additional creatures or more
powerful ones. A botch often calls a hostile creature, or even (if the legend is to be
believed) alerts a Nictuku to the Nosferatu’s presence.
Clanbook: Nosferatu (Revised):
••••• • Song in the Dark:
Before the clan could hide in labyrinths buried beneath the cities of men, Ancients
relied upon vast caves and caverns for their survival. The most powerful Methuselahs
didn’t limit themselves to the few that existed — they created new ones. Loremasters tell
tales of vast creatures underground, forgotten things from the early days of the world,
monsters that Nosferatu himself could not destroy. Giants in the earth, these atavisms
sluggishly tunnel and crawl countless miles beneath the surface world. Although cynical
and scientific Nosferatu (autarkis or otherwise) deny the existence of such creatures,
human scientists cannot fully predict the occurrence of earthquakes and similar
subterranean events.
Some Nosferatu occultists claim that only Nosferatu Methuselahs are potent enough
to draw upon this power. A few insist that mighty vampires employ this Discipline to
create sinkholes, collapse unstable sewer tunnels or open up vast caverns in rural areas
desperately essential to their descendants. The most outrageous stories concern entire
ecosystems based around massive chthonic worms, subterranean leviathans or other
burrowers beneath the Earth’s crust. Whether this supernatural power (if it exists at all)
involves summoning these creatures or merely shifting vast amounts of earth with the
power of the mind remains a point of conjecture. Your Storyteller must decide.
System: If these creatures exist, then Nosferatu Ancients can control them
somewhat sparingly. A Nosferatu Methuselah should theoretically be able to summon and
command a creature once each year for every five points of Willpower (or five Willpower
Traits) he possesses. First, the vampire burns these temporary points (or Traits) for a
period of at least one month; he cannot regain them until this time has elapsed. The size
of the subterranean disturbance depends on a Charisma + Survival roll; the difficulty
depends on how rural the chosen location is. (An uninhabited plot of land in the midst of
the Sahara would be difficulty 6; downtown Manhattan is difficulty 10.) Storytellers may
choose to forego game mechanics where Methuselahs are concerned, of course, and just
pass around newspaper clippings of recent massive earthquakes throughout the world.

Clanbook: Tzimisce:
••••• • Tier of Souls:
A vampire with this power gains more than mere sustenance from the blood she
drinks. She also gains insight into and even abilities from the donor. Moreover, if the being
from which the vampire drinks has recently fed, she may gain similar awareness of that
creature. If that creature had also recently eaten before being consumed, the vampire
may likewise acquire the powers of that victim, and so on. (Renfield wasn’t so crazy after
all…).
System: The vampire must drink the blood of her prey and make a Perception +
Animal Ken roll (difficulty 7). Each success allows either a memory or an Ability to be
accessed; Alternatively, three successes can be “converted” into one of the victim’s
Disciplines, Attributes or innate powers. The vampire may choose one of the victim’s
Traits or may select from anything that the victim (or victim’s victim, etc.) has eaten in the
past 24 hours. The effects last until the vampire expends the creature’s blood points. Only
one “tier” can be maintained at a time.
 Clanbook: Tzimisce (Revised):
••••• • Eyes of the Szlachta:
Any Fiend who’s been around for a while knows how to possess a lowly beast, but a
few can ride any ghoul who shares their blood. By locking eyes with the ghoul (and yes,
both parties must have eyes), the Fiend can transfer his soul into the creature, while his
body falls into a state resembling torpor. Although some Tzimisce consider such intimate
contact with their servants distasteful, sometimes it’s necessary to calm a rampaging
vozhd in a disposable vessel or to “fleshride” a ghoul who can speak and open doors.
System: Use the system for the Animalism 4 power Subsume the Spirit:
1 Success - Simple Possession.
2 Successes - Can use Auspex.
3 Successes - Can also use Animalism and Dominate.
4 Successes - Can also use Vicissitude.
5 Successes - Can also use Koldunic Sorcery, Necromancy
and Thaumaturgy.

Clanbook: Ravnos:
••••• • Deep Song:
The origins of this power are unknown, but Gitano Ravnos have claimed
responsibility for its creation. Similar to Song of Serenity, this power allows a vampire to
influence the moods of his listeners by singing to them. However, at this level, any desired
emotion may be produced; through the words of the song, a Ravnos may attempt to sway
the passions of his audience. People affected by a Deep Song are often easily manipulated
by the singer: if filled with love or regret, they can be fleeced of their money, and if filled
with anger or hate, they can be provoked into violence, or even incited to riot.
System: The Ravnos rolls Manipulation + Music against a difficulty of the target’s
willpower. Three successes are required to alter the listener’s emotional state as desired.
On a botch, the target manifests the desired emotion, but focused it exclusively on the
singer. The target of the song never clearly remembers its true power, recalling only that
she was deeply moved by the performance. The effects of the Deep Song last for roughly
one hour or, in the case of a botch, the remainder of the night.

Clanbook: Gangrel (revised):

••••• • Quell the Herd:
 This power functions along the same lines as Quell the Beast — the Gangrel asserts
her will over mortal animals (or humans), subduing their Beasts with the terrifying power
of her own. Passionate, powerful emotions, or even simple attempts to assert individuality
or will are squelched, rendering those affected apathetic and lethargic for the duration.
Multiple targets may be affected; the only requirement is that the individuals must be
able to see or hear the Gangrel. It may be necessary in some extreme situations to get the
targets’ attention, but that is not likely to be difficult for a monster of this power.
System: The player rolls Strength + Intimidation (difficulty 7) — the Gangrel always
forces the Beast into submission through fear. This is an extended action requiring as
many total successes as the target has Willpower (each individual target is cowed as soon
as his Willpower is reached). The Gangrel may subdue twice her Willpower rating in
animals and/or humans. If the crowd, herd or pack is too large for the vampire to subdue
them all, the individuals with the lowest Willpower scores are necessarily affected first.
Failure on any roll in the sequence means that the vampire must re-accumulate successes,
but those individuals already subdued remain so. A botch on any roll in the sequence
means that the previously subdued creatures seethe violently into frenzy — they
immediately attack the Gangrel who tried to knuckle them under, or anything that stands
in the way.
When a mortal’s beast is cowed, he can no longer use or regain Willpower. He
ceases all mental and physical struggles, not even defending himself if assaulted (the
Storyteller may allow a Willpower roll if the mortal’s life is threatened). To recover from
this power, the animal or human rolls Willpower (difficulty 6) once per day until he
accumulates enough successes to equal the Gangrel’s Willpower. Kindred are not affected
by this power, generally, but their ghoul retainers are.
••••• •• Stampede:
A deep, innate knowledge of animal instinct allows the Gangrel to trigger a very
specific fear in his victims — an unthinking panic that pushes hundreds of creatures into
headlong flight. This ability only works on large groups of people; too few, and the
aggregate fear will not be enough to override sensible plans of action. Also, the crowd or
herd must be already agitated by some mundane occurrence, such as the smell of a large
predator, a lost football game by the home team or a shortage of this year’s fad toy during
prime shopping season. (The Gangrel may cause the “mundane” situation — by being the
large predator, influencing the outcome of the soccer match, or waylaying the toys — but
this is not necessary or even wise.) Once this power takes hold, its victims will flee until
they escape the vampire’s influence or until they are rendered unable to run.
System: This power must be activated within sight of a crowd of roughly 50 agitated
mortals (the Storyteller may allow this power to be used on smaller groups of really
pissed-off mortals). The player rolls Stamina + Animal Ken (difficulty 7). The resulting
waves of terror roll 50 yards in all directions from the Gangrel for each success achieved.
Any unsettled mortal within this radius will immediately flee toward the nearest escape or
exit unless the Gangrel chooses to direct the Stampede by force of will. The vampire may
set a direction or path for the fleeing multitudes, but may not change or alter it once the
flight has begun. Members of the Stampede will ignore many potential sources of danger,
such as running into the road or through a firing range, but will not take obviously suicidal
actions like leaping off tall cliffs or skyscrapers. In some cases, however, the crazed mob
will not see potential danger in time — or be forced into it anyway by the pressure of the
crowd behind them.
Mortals who were not initially affected may be caught up physically or emotionally
in the tide, as the Gangrel’s projected Beast wreaks havoc for a scene unless he chooses to
end the madness earlier. Upon leaving the affected area, mortals may recover their senses
and stop their mad rush. If the area is bottlenecked, however, such as a long hallway or
valley, the mortals may opt to continue fleeing rather than be trampled. It is worth noting
that this power can go awry, even without a rolled botch — the power of hundreds of
Beasts, even those of mortals, can be too much for the vampire to control. Animals
pushed too hard may frenzy, and people have a disturbing tendency to riot.
••••• ••• Crimson Fury:
This power is the subject of much rumor and conjecture, as it has very little visible
effect. Upon reaching this level of mastery, the Gangrel may choose to allow his Beast to
roam freely through his veins. His blood causes frenzy in mortals and vampires who taste
it. Should a diablerist successfully consume the Gangrel’s soul, she may well meet a grisly
end as the Gangrel’s Beast eats her away from the inside.
System: This power is activated once, when the Gangrel learns it. It cannot be
turned off. The smallest taste of the vampire’s vitae causes agitation in the taster, who
must make a Self-Control roll (difficulty 7) or frenzy immediately. This applies to newly
created childer, ghouls, attackers who bite and any vampires who would drink from the
Gangrel. This is the equivalent of a warning shot for would-be diablerists. Should the
attacker resist the urge to frenzy, she may continue to drink as normal, but the
supernatural agitation she experiences should be a clear sign that something is unusual
about this vitae. If the attacker succumbs to the frenzy, she must spend a Willpower point
for each turn she continues to drink.
Should the diablerist be successful, she immediately suffers a +2 difficulty on all
frenzy rolls for a duration determined by the Storyteller. She must also make an opposed
Willpower roll against her victim’s Beast (which has the same Willpower rating that the
now-deceased vampire had). The loser of this contest forfeits one permanent Willpower
point. This contest takes place every month for the first year past the diablerie and once a
year thereafter. As the diablerist loses Willpower, she becomes more feral and impulsive
(this should be roleplayed, and the Storyteller should feel free to require frequent Self-
Control rolls from the diablerist’s player). If the diablerist loses her last Willpower point,
she becomes a crazed, bestial monster (and a Storyteller character). If the invading Beast
loses its last Willpower point, it becomes quiescent, ceding victory to the diablerist. The
evidence of diablerie in the perpetrator’s aura persists until the Beast is subdued.
Humanity or Path rating loss may result from the actions the “possessed” diablerist
takes, but they are not lost as a direct result of this power.
Gangrel legends suggest that some incredibly powerful “victims” of diablerie have
eaten their way through their attackers, consuming the diablerist’s soul in turn, and then
taken over the new body. This is not the normal result of this power, but the rumors do
circulate...
••••• •••• Eyes of the Forest:
This awe-inspiring power is at the root of many folk tales about brooding forests and
forbidding mountains. The vampire inters herself in the ground of her chosen domain,
spreading her physical and spiritual self through the area. Unlike a vampire using Earth
Meld, the Gangrel cannot be simply dug out of the ground. The animals and even insects
within the area serve as the Gangrel’s eyes and ears, providing her with an intimate
knowledge of the nighttime goings-on of her domain.
System: This power costs six blood points to activate and it lasts as long as the
Gangrel wishes to remain beneath her domain. The area itself should be relatively well-
defined geographically, although it can be quite large: a mountain or valley, an isolated
wood, a plateau. The vampire sees and hears everything within the enclosed area through
the animals and insects that inhabit it. Additionally, the Gangrel may use mental
Disciplines that do not require physical or eye contact to initiate. While the power is
active, it is impossible to attack the Gangrel directly. Significant damage to her domain,
however — fires, strip mining, explosives, chemical contaminants — will also damage the
vampire, and are likely to drive her from the ground.
The area under the Gangrel’s influence reflects the vampire’s nature. Even the most
cheerful wood during daylight becomes a place of terror for mere mortals when the sun
sets.
Should two masters of Animalism somehow “claim” the same area, the Cainite with
the greatest Willpower achieves success. This may result in an established Kindred being
forced to rise and flee the area, or it might rouse the other Kindred on a quest for
vengeance on the trespasser.

Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition:

• Feral Whispers:
 This power is the basis from which all other Animalism abilities grow. The vampire
creates an empathic connection with a beast, thereby allowing him to communicate or
issue simple commands. The Kindred locks eyes with the animal, transmitting his desires
through sheer force of will. Although it isn’t necessary to actually “speak” in chirps, hisses,
or barks, some vampires find that doing so helps strengthen the connection with the
animal. Eye contact must be maintained the entire time; if it’s broken, the Kindred must
re-establish contact to continue communication.
The simpler the creature, the more difficult it becomes to connect with the animal’s
Beast. Mammals, predatory birds, and larger reptiles are relatively easy to communicate
with. Insects, invertebrates, and most fish are just too simple to connect with.
Feral Whispers provides no guarantees that an animal will want to deal with the
vampire, nor does it ensure that the animal will pursue any requests the vampire makes of
it. Still, it does at least make the creature better disposed toward the Kindred. The manner
in which the vampire presents his desires to the animal often depends on the type of
creature. A Kindred can often bully smaller beasts into heeding commands, but he’s better
off couching orders for large predators as requests.
If the vampire successfully uses the power, the animal performs the command to
the best of its ability and intellect. Only the very brightest creatures understand truly
complex directives (orders dealing with conditional situations or requiring abstract logic).
Commands that the animal does understand remain deeply implanted, however, and
guide its behavior for some time.
System: No roll is necessary to talk with an animal, but the character must establish
eye contact first. Issuing commands requires a Manipulation + Animal Ken roll. The
difficulty depends on the creature: Predatory mammals (wolves, cats, vampire bats) are
difficulty 6, other mammals and predatory birds (rats, owls) are difficulty 7, and other
birds and reptiles (pigeons, snakes) are difficulty 8. This difficulty is reduced by one if the
character speaks to the animal in its “native tongue,” and can be adjusted further by
circumstances and roleplaying skill (we highly recommend that all communication
between characters and animals be roleplayed).
The number of successes the player achieves dictates how strongly the character’s
command affects the animal. One success is sufficient to have a cat follow an individual
and lead the character to the same location, three successes are enough to have a raven
spy on a target for weeks, and five successes ensure that a grizzly ferociously guards the
entrance to the character’s wilderness haven for some months.
The character’s Nature plays a large part in how he approaches these conversations.
The character might try intimidating, teasing, cajoling, or rationalizing. The player should
understand that he does not simply play his character in these situations, but the Beast
Within as well.
 Using this power cannot force an animal to do something against its nature, or to
force a creature to risk its life. While the aforementioned grizzly would stand guard to the
vampire’s haven and even fight for it, it would not do so against obviously superior
numbers or something overwhelmingly supernatural. A predatory bird might be convinced
to harry a target, but would definitely not hold ground. A docile dog or skittish cat would
have no problem with reporting something it had seen, but it wouldn’t enter combat
unless given no other option — though it would likely agree to stand and fight and then
flee at the first opportunity, if a harsh Kindred demanded it.
•• Beckoning:
The vampire’s connection to the Beast grows strong enough that he may call out in
the voice of a specific type of animal — howling like a wolf, shrilling like a raven, etc. This
call mystically summons creatures of the chosen type. Since each type of animal has a
different call, Beckoning works for only a single species at a time.
All such animals within earshot are summoned, and some percentage of them will
heed the Beckoning if it is successful. While the vampire has no further control over the
beasts who answer, the animals who do are favorably disposed toward him and are at
least willing to listen to the Kindred’s concerns. (The vampire can then use Feral Whispers
on individual animals to command them, which may be at a decreased difficulty at
Storyteller discretion.)
System: The player rolls Charisma + Survival (difficulty 6) to determine the response
to the character’s call; consult the table below. Only animals that can hear the cry will
respond. If the Storyteller decides no animals of that type are within earshot, the
summons goes unanswered. The call can be as specific as the player desires. A character
could call for all bats in the area, for only the male bats nearby, or for only the albino bat
with the notched ear he saw the other night.
Successes - Result
1 success - A single animal responds.
2 successes - One-quarter of the animals within earshot respond.
3 successes - Half of the animals respond.
4 successes - Most of the animals respond.
5 successes - All of the animals respond.
••• Quell the Beast:
As the supreme predators of the natural world, Kindred are highly attuned to the
bestial nature that dwells within every mortal heart. A vampire who develops this power
may assert his will over a mortal (animal or human) subject, subduing the Beast within
her. This quenches all powerful, strong emotions — hope, fury, love, fear — within the
target. The Kindred must either touch his subject or stare into her eyes to channel his will
effectively.
Mortals who lack the fire of their inner Beasts are quite tractable, reacting to even
stressful situations with indifference. Even the most courageous or maddened mortal
becomes apathetic and listless, while an especially sensitive individual may suffer from a
phobic derangement while under the power’s influence.
Different Clans evoke this power in different ways, though the effect itself is
identical. Tzimisce call it Cowing the Beast, since they force the mortal’s weaker spirit to
shrivel in fear before the Kindred’s own inner Beast. Nosferatu refer to it as Song of
Serenity, since they soothe the subject’s Beast into a state of utter complacency, thus
allowing them to feed freely. Gangrel know the power as Quell the Beast, and force the
mortal spirit into a state of fear or apathy as befits the individual vampire’s nature.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Intimidation if forcing down the Beast
through fear, or Manipulation + Empathy if soothing it into complacency. The difficulty of
the roll is 7 in either case. This is an extended action requiring as many total successes as
the target has Willpower. Failure indicates that the player must start over from the
beginning, while a botch indicates that the vampire may not affect that subject’s Beast for
the remainder of the scene.
When a mortal’s Beast is cowed or soothed, she can no longer use or regain
Willpower. She ceases all struggles, whether mental or physical. She doesn’t even defend
herself if assaulted, though the Storyteller may allow a Willpower roll if the mortal
believes her life is truly threatened. To recover from this power, the mortal’s player rolls
Willpower (difficulty 6) once per day until she accumulates enough successes to equal the
vampire’s Willpower. Kindred cannot be affected by this power.
Though a vampire’s Beast cannot be cowed with this ability, the Storyteller may
allow characters to use the “soothing” variation of this power to pull a vampire out of
frenzy. With three or more successes, the frenzying vampire may roll again to pull herself
out of frenzy, using the same difficulty as the stimulus that caused the frenzy originally.
•••• Subsume the Spirit:
By locking his gaze with that of an animal, the vampire may mentally possess the
creature. Some elders believe that since animals don’t have souls but spirits, the vampire
can move his own soul into the animal’s body. Many younger vampires think it a matter of
transferring one’s consciousness into the animal’s mind. In either case, it’s agreed that the
beast’s weaker spirit (or mind) is pushed aside by the Kindred’s own consciousness. The
vampire’s body falls into a motionless state akin to torpor while his mind takes control of
the animal’s actions, remaining this way until the Kindred’s consciousness returns.
 Some haughty Tzimisce eschew this power, considering it debasing to enter the
body of a lesser creature. When they do stoop to using it, they possess only predators.
Conversely, Gangrel revel in connecting to the natural world in this way. They delight in
sampling different animals’ natures.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Animal Ken (difficulty 8) as the character
looks into the animal’s eyes. The number of successes allows the character to employ
some mental Disciplines while possessing the animal, as noted below.
Successes - Result
1 success - Cannot use Disciplines
2 successes - Can use Auspex and other sensory powers
3 successes - Can also use Presence and other powers of emotional manipulation
4 successes -Can also use Dementation, Dominate, and other powers of mental
manipulation
5 successes - Can also use Chimerstry, Necromancy, Thaumaturgy, and other
mystical powers
This power entwines the character’s consciousness closely with the animal’s spirit,
so much so that the character may continue to think and feel like that animal even after
breaking the connection. This effect continues until the character spends a total of seven
nights or three Willpower points to resist and finally overcome the animal nature. This
should be roleplayed, though the character will be affected to a lesser degree if the player
chooses to spend Willpower.
At the end of any particularly exciting incident during possession, the player rolls
Wits + Empathy (difficulty 8) for the character to retain his own mind. Failure indicates
that the character’s mind returns to his own body, but still thinks in purely animalistic
terms. A botch returns the character to his body, and also sends him into frenzy.
The character may travel as far from his own physical body as he chooses while
possessing the animal. The character retains no conscious connection with his vampire
body during this time, though. The vampire may also venture out during the day, albeit in
the animal’s body. However, the character’s own body must be awake to do so, requiring
a successful roll to remain awake. If the character leaves the animal’s body (by choice, if
his body falls asleep, or after sustaining significant injury), the vampire’s consciousness
returns to his physical form instantaneously.
Although the vampire has no conscious link to his body while possessing the animal,
he does form a sympathetic bond. Anything the animal feels, the vampire also
experiences, from pleasure to pain. In fact, any damage the animal’s body sustains is also
applied to the character’s body, though the Kindred body may soak as normal. If the
animal dies before the vampire’s soul can flee from the body, the character’s body falls
into torpor. Presumably this is in sympathetic response to the massive trauma of death,
but some Kindred believe that the vampire’s soul is cast adrift during this time and must
find its way back to the body.
••••• Drawing Out the Beast:
At this level of Animalism, the Kindred has a keen understanding of the Beast
Within, and is able to release his feral urges upon another mortal or vampire. The
recipient of the vampire’s Beast is instantly overcome by frenzy. This is an unnatural
frenzy, however, as the victim is channeling the Kindred’s own fury. As such, the vampire’s
own behavior, expressions, and even speech patterns are evident in the subject’s savage
actions.
Gangrel and Tzimisce are especially fond of unleashing their Beasts onto others.
Gangrel do so to stir their ghouls into inspired heights of savagery during combat. Tzimisce
care less about who receives their Beast than retaining their own composure.
System: The player must announce his preferred target (since it must be someone
within sight, Drawing Out the Beast cannot be used if the vampire is alone), then roll
Manipulation + Self-Control/Instinct (difficulty 8). Refer to the table below for the results:
Successes - Result
1 success - The character transfers the Beast, but unleashes it upon a random
individual.
2 successes - The character is stunned by the effort and may not act next turn, but
transfers the Beast successfully. Alternatively, the character may act normally during
the turn, but must spend a Willpower point or suffer a single level of lethal damage.
3+ successes - The character transfers the Beast successfully.
If the attempt fails, the character himself immediately enters frenzy. As the
character relaxes in expectation of relieving his savage urges, the Beast takes that
opportunity to dig deeper. In this case, the frenzy lasts twice as long as normal and is
twice as difficult to shrug off; its severity also increases exponentially. Botching this roll is
even more catastrophic; the heightened frenzy grows so extreme that not even expending
Willpower curbs its duration or effects. The character is a hapless victim to the terrible
fury of his Beast, and may well hurl herself into a savage, flesh-rending rampage that
leaves the Masquerade (and unfortunate nearby onlookers) in tatters.
If the character leaves the target’s presence before the frenzy expends itself, the
vampire loses his Beast, perhaps permanently. While no longer vulnerable to frenzy, the
character cannot use or regain Willpower and becomes increasingly lethargic. To recover
the Beast, he must find the person who now possesses it (who likely isn’t enjoying herself
very much) and coax the Beast into its proper vessel. The most effective way to do so is to
behave in ways that make the Beast want to return — however, this isn’t a guarantee that
it will wish to do so. Alternatively, the character can simply kill the host (thus causing the
Beast to return to the vampire immediately).
••••• • Animal Succulence:
Most vampires find the blood of animals flat, tasteless, and lacking in nutritional
value. Some Gangrel and Nosferatu, however, have refined their understanding of the
spirits of such “lesser prey” to the point that they are able to draw much more sustenance
from beasts than normal Kindred can. This power does not allow an elder to subsist solely
on the blood of animals, but it does allow him to go for extended periods of time without
taking vitae from humans or other Kindred.
System: No roll is needed; once learned, this power is always in effect. Animal
Succulence allows a character to count each blood point drawn from an animal as two in
her blood pool. This does not increase the size of the vampire’s blood pool, just the
nutritional value of animal blood.
Animal Succulence does not allow a character to completely ignore his craving for
the blood of “higher” prey; in fact, it heightens his desire for “real food.” Every three times
(rounded down) the character drinks from an animal, a cumulative +1 difficulty is applied
to the next Self-Control/Instinct roll the player makes when the character is confronted
with the possibility of dining on human or Kindred blood.
Animal Succulence does not increase the blood point value of the blood of other
supernatural creatures (Gangrel, werecreatures, and so on) who have taken animal forms,
nor does it change the vampire’s feeding preferences (such as the Ventrue have).
••••• • Shared Soul:
This power allows a character to probe the mind of any one animal she touches.
Shared Soul can be very disconcerting to both parties involved, as each participant is
completely immersed in the thoughts and emotions of the other. With enough effort or
time, each participant can gain a complete understanding of the other’s mind. Shared Soul
is most often used to extract an animal’s memories of a specific event, but some Gangrel
use this power as a tool in the search for enlightenment, feeling they come to a better
understanding of their own Beasts through rapport with true beasts. Too close of a bond,
however, can leave the two souls entangled after the sharing ends, causing the vampire to
adopt mannerisms, behavior patterns, or even ethics (or lack thereof) similar to those of
the animal.
System: The character touches the intended subject creature, and the player rolls
Perception + Animal Ken (difficulty 6). The player spends a Willpower point for every turn
past the first that contact is maintained. Locating a specific memory takes six turns, minus
one turn for every success on the roll. A complete bond takes 10 turns, minus one turn for
every success on the roll. A botch on this roll may, at the Storyteller’s discretion, send the
vampire into a frenzy or give the character a derangement related to the behavior
patterns of the animal (extreme cowardice if the vampire contacted the soul of mouse,
bloodlust if the subject was a rabid dog, and so forth).
••••• • Species Speech:
The basic power Feral Whispers (Animalism 1) allows character to communicate
with only one animal at a time. With Species Speech, a character can enter into psychic
communion with all creatures of a certain species that are present. Species Speech is most
often used after an application of The Beckoning (Animalism 2), which can draw a crowd
of likely subjects.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Animal Ken (difficulty 7) to establish contact
with the targeted group of animals. Once the character establishes contact, the player
makes a second roll to issue commands. There is no practical upper limit on the number of
animals that can be commanded with this power, although all of the intended subjects
must be in the vampire’s immediate vicinity. Only one species of animal can be
commanded at a time; thus, if a character is standing in the middle of the reptile house at
the zoo, she could command all of the Komodo dragons, all of the boa constrictors, or all
of the skinks, but she could not simultaneously give orders to every reptile or snake
present. Species Speech functions much like Feral Whispers in all other respects.
Note: Players (and Storytellers) shouldn’t get too wrapped up in species differences
like northern diamondback rattlesnakes and south-eastern diamondback rattlesnakes. At
Storyteller discretion, the expenditure of an additional Willpower point allows the
character’s commands to extend to members of a similar species to the one initially
commanded.
••••• •• Conquer the Beast:
Masters of Animalism have a much greater understanding of both beasts in general
and the Beast in particular. Those who have developed this power can master their own
Beasts to a degree impossible for lesser Kindred to attain. Conquer the Beast allows the
vampire both to control her frenzies and to enter them at will. Some elders say that the
development of this power is one of the first steps on the road to Golconda.
System: The character can enter frenzy at will. The player rolls Willpower (difficulty
7). Success sends the character into a controlled frenzy. He can choose his targets at will,
but gains limited Dominate and wound penalty resistance and Rötschreck immunity as per
the normal frenzy rules. A botch on the roll sends the vampire into an uncontrolled frenzy
which Conquer the Beast may not be used to end.
 The player may also roll Willpower (difficulty 9) to enable the character to control an
involuntary frenzy. In this case, a Willpower point must be spent for every turn that the
vampire remains in frenzy. The player may make Self-Control/Instinct rolls as normal to
end a frenzy, but if the vampire runs out of Willpower points before the frenzy ends, he
drops into an uncontrolled frenzy again. A botch on the Willpower roll raises the difficulty
of the vampire’s Self-Control/Instinct rolls by two and renders Conquer the Beast
unusable for the remainder of the night.
••••• ••• Taunt the Caged Beast:
Some Kindred are so attuned to the Beast that they can unleash it in another
individual at will. Vampires who have developed this power are able to send adversaries
into frenzy with a finger’s touch and the resultant momentary contact with the victim’s
Beast. The physical contact allows the vampire’s own Beast to reach out and awaken that
of the victim, enraging it by threatening its territory.
System: The character touches the target. The player spends a Willpower point and
rolls Manipulation + Empathy (difficulty 7). The victim makes a Self-Control/Instinct roll
(difficulty 5 + the number of successes); failure results in an immediate frenzy. A botch
causes the character to unleash his own Beast and frenzy instead. This power maybe used
on those individuals who are normally incapable of frenzy, sending ordinary humans into
murderous rages worthy of the most bloodthirsty Brujah berserker.
••••• •••• Unchain the Beast:
The self-destructive nature of Cainites can be turned against them by an elder who
possesses this formidable power. With a glance, the vampire can awaken the Beasts of her
enemies, causing physical injury and excruciating agony as the victim’s own violent
impulses manifest in physical form to tear him apart from within. A target of this power
erupts into a fountain of blood and gore as claw and bite wounds from an invisible source
spontaneously tear his flesh asunder.
System: The character makes eye contact with the intended victim. The player
spends three blood points and rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty of the victim’s
Self-Control/Instinct + 4). Each success inflicts one health level of aggravated damage,
which can be soaked normally. A botch inflicts one health level of lethal damage to the
invoking character for each “1” rolled. This damage can also be soaked normally.

Vampire the Dark Ages 20th Anniversary:

• Whispers to the Wild:
Whispers to the Wild establishes a foundation upon which all other Animalism
powers build. The vampire’s Beast reaches out and touches an animal’s mind, facilitating
communication between the Cainite and the lesser creature. The vampire speaks or
imitates the animal’s native sounds, and the animal understands. The vampire
understands ideas the animal expresses. Additionally, the animal may follow the vampire’s
wishes, if the vampire makes a compelling command.
System: No roll is necessary to talk with an animal. However, the vampire must
make eye contact to initiate Whispers to the Wild. Once she’s established the power, she
does not need to maintain eye contact for the current scene.
Commanding an animal requires a Manipulation + Animal Ken roll. The difficulty
depends on the creature; more complex creatures, particularly predators, are more prone
to the vampire’s whims. Taking the animal’s shape with Protean or Animalism or speaking
to the animal using familiar sounds makes such commands easier. Highly dangerous
commands are much more difficult. Use the following chart to determine the difficulty.
Situation - Difficulty
Predatory mammal (wolves, cats, bats) 5
Other mammals and predatory birds (rats, owls) 6
Other birds and reptiles (doves, snakes) 7
No current eye contact +1
Using animal sounds -1
Currently taking the animal’s shape -2
Dangerous command +1
Deadly command +2
While animals may do dangerous or even potentially deadly tasks for the Cainite,
they will not commit directly suicidal tasks, nor will they violate their base biological
natures. Cowardly animals tasked with guard duty will not engage and combat an invader,
for example. They might run to their master and report the threat, however.
Successes determine the animal’s dedication to the cause. A single success will
ensure the animal’s compliance for the current scene. Three successes will guarantee a
regular task for a week or more. Five successes will command indefinite loyalty.
•• Call the Wild:
With this power, the Beast instills the vampire’s voice with a deep affinity for a given
animal. She howls, shrieks, caws, or otherwise imitates an animal noise. Any animal of the
chosen species within earshot are summoned to the vampire, and some will come,
depending on the vampire’s raw ability.
 Call the Wild only calls animals and makes them favorably disposed to the Cainite
who performs it. They will not attack, but will not inherently obey without application of
Whispers to the Wild. If the vampire was particularly successful in calling the beasts,
Whispers to the Wild may benefit from a decreased difficulty, at Storyteller discretion.
System: Name a type of animal. This can be highly specific or general; the Cainite
can call a species, a specific group (male wolves, for example), or a single, named animal
(the rat with which I spoke two nights ago). Roll Charisma + Survival (difficulty 6). Consult
the chart below for results.
Successes – Result
1 success - A single animal responds.
2 successes - One quarter of the animals respond.
3 successes - Half the animals respond.
4 successes - Most of the animals respond.
5 successes - All of the animals respond.
••• Song of Serenity:
As Animalism uses the Beast to communicate with animals, this extension of
Animalism allows the Beast to express influence over another Cainite’s Beast, or a mortal’s
very will to fight. Song of Serenity washes away all strong emotions, turning a victim
apathetic and listless.
System: Roll Manipulation + Intimidation if asserting dominance through fear, or
Manipulation + Empathy to sooth the victim into complacency. Both rolls are difficulty 7.
This is an extended action, requiring successes equal to the victim’s Willpower dots.
Failure negates all previously accumulated successes, and the vampire must start from
scratch. A botch renders the victim immune to the vampire’s Animalism for the scene.
When a mortal is cowed, he cannot gain or use Willpower. He will not act
proactively. He won’t even defend himself, unless his life is clearly threatened. In a life and
death situation, he can spend a point of Willpower in order to take actions in self-defense.
To recover, the player rolls Willpower (difficulty 6) daily until he’s rolled successes equal
to the vampire’s Willpower.
On vampires, the roll to shake the effects occurs every scene. Additionally, effective
use of this power allows a frenzying Cainite an additional roll to resist frenzy, identical to
their initial resistance roll. Vampires under Song of Serenity cannot be provoked to frenzy.
•••• Subsume the Spirit:
 By making eye contact, the vampire may force an animal’s higher functions aside
and possess the beast. The vampire’s body falls to a motionless state not unlike torpor,
while her consciousness becomes one with the animal’s husk.
System: The vampire must make eye contact with the animal. Roll Manipulation +
Animal Ken (difficulty 8). The successes allow the vampire access to some of her mental
Disciplines in the animal’s form.
Successes - Result
1 success - Cannot use Disciplines.
2 successes - Can use Auspex and sensory powers.
3 successes- Can use Presence and other emotional manipulation.
4 successes - Can use Dementation, Dominate, and mental manipulation.
5 successes - Can use Chimerstry, Necromancy, Thaumaturgy, and other mystical
powers.
After the effect ends, the vampire will display nervous ticks and other behaviors like
the animal for a number of nights equal to her activation successes. She may shake this
early with a point of Willpower. At any time, the vampire can snap back to her own body
from any distance, ending the power. The power does not end on its own. This allows the
vampire limited ability to act during the day. However, the vampire must still roll to
remain awake. If the vampire falls to slumber, the power ends. If the animal dies before
the vampire can end the power, she snaps back to her body and enters torpor.

••••• Unleash the Beast:

With this mastery of Animalism, the vampire’s Beast forces outward, forcing a
violent rampage in a mortal or Cainite victim. The vampire’s Beast rages within the victim,
thrusting him into a potent frenzy.
System: The vampire must establish eye contact to eject her Beast. Roll
Manipulation + Self-Control/Instinct (difficulty 8). Refer to the table for results:
Successes - Result
Failure - The vampire enters frenzy herself.
1 success - The Beast flees the vampire, instead infecting a random bystander.
2 successes - The vampire is stunned by the effort, and cannot act for the next turn
unless she spends a point of Willpower. She transfers her Beast successfully.
 3+ successes - The character transfers her Beast successfully.
If successful, the vampire’s Beast leaves her body and enters the victim. This is an
actual transference of the vampire’s Beast; if the victim leaves the vampire’s presence
before this unnatural frenzy ends, the vampire loses her Beast. While detached from her
Beast, she cannot use or regain Willpower. She cannot frenzy. If the victim is a Cainite, his
difficulty to resist frenzy increases by two. If the victim is mortal, he becomes prone to
frenzy as if he were Cainite.
If the Cainite finds the victim, she may be able to coax the Beast back by behaving in
ways that show her the superior host. This doesn’t inherently require a roll, but may at
Storyteller discretion. Favor roleplaying here, over rules. The character must convince the
Beast she’s a suitable host. Alternatively, she can kill the current host.
••••• • Animal Succulence:
Vampires usually find an animal’s blood lacking in sustenance. It tastes repulsive,
and it hardly nourishes undead veins. Some elder practitioners of Animalism, however,
have developed sufficient affinity for the blood of beasts that they can efficiently sustain
themselves from the wild. This doesn’t allow an elder to exist solely on animal blood, but
allows her to go longer without human or Cainite vitae.
System: No roll is needed; once learned, this power is always in effect. Each blood
point taken from an animal effectively becomes two.
This does not replace the Cainite need for human or vampire blood. Every three
times (rounded down) the vampire feasts on animals, the difficulty to all Self-
Control/Instinct rolls increases by one until she feeds from a human or vampire. This
effect is cumulative; for example, if she feeds from an animal seven times, her difficulty on
Self-Control/Instinct rolls increases by two.

••••• • The Twin Souls:

The Twin Souls allows the Cainite to share minds with an animal she touches. Both
she and the animal experience the other’s consciousness entirely, which can be
overwhelming for both parties. This allows the vampire to make ideal spies and allies.
Adherents on the Road of the Beast contemplate the animal soul in order to advance their
philosophies.
System: The vampire touches the animal. Roll Perception + Animal Ken, difficulty 6.
Maintaining the power requires one Willpower point per turn. Minor perceptions and
memories can be gleaned in a turn. Complex memories require three turns. A full,
permanent bond with the animal requires ten turns minus the successes rolled. Upon
making the full bond, the character must resist frenzy. If she falls to frenzy, she also loses
a point of her Road, as the animal instincts conquer her higher thought processes.
Once the full bond is established, the two share memories from that point forward.
While concentrating, the vampire may perceive through the animal’s senses from
anywhere in the world. The animal does not have high functions sufficient to do the same.
The difficulty to all Animalism powers the vampire uses against the animal decreases by
two. If the animal dies, the vampire suffers frenzy like she did upon forging the bond.
As a side effect, at Storyteller discretion, this power can justify the purchase of
certain Merits, or even reduce the cost of dots in Road of the Beast, using the animal as a
makeshift mentor. In this case, the successes on the roll determine the animal’s effective
Road of the Beast dots for the purposes of mentorship. The character must strike a full
bond first.
••••• • The Tongue of Beasts:
This power expands the gifts of Whispers to the Wild (Animalism 1). Instead of being
able to speak to a single animal, the vampire may speak to any and all animals without
establishing eye contact.
System: No roll is required. The character can choose one group of animals with
which to speak at any given time.
The inherent limitation is that she can only speak to one family of animals at a time.
For example, it might work on dogs and wolves, but not cats or bears at the same time.
Storyteller discretion defines what groups the vampire can communicate with at any given
time. These groups should be thematic and dramatic, less scientific.
••••• •• Beast Shard:
With Unleash the Beast, the vampire instills her Beast in a human or Cainite victim,
effectively losing it for a time. With Beast Shard, she can break apart her Beast into
smaller pieces, infecting multiple characters simultaneously. Characters infected with her
Beast are more susceptible to her Disciplines.
System: The character may use Unleash the Beast on multiple characters at a time,
and is not limited in further uses. Unlike Unleash the Beast, Beast Shard does not require
eye contact. Roll Charisma + Self-Control/Instinct, difficulty 5 + the number of targets. Use
Unleash the Beast’s success chart, but all targets are affected equally. The vampire may
choose to infect a victim with her Beast but not inspire frenzy. Cainite victims suffer +2
difficulty to all frenzy resistances. Human victims become prone to frenzy as if they were
Cainite. Additionally, the difficulty to all Discipline powers she uses on an affected
character decreases by one.
 The vampire may have a total number of infected characters equal to her
Generation Background dots. If she has that many concurrent victims, she suffers the
effects of losing her Beast, mentioned in Unleashing the Beast. To affect further
characters, she must first coax a shard of her Beast back, or kill a host.
••••• •• The Devil’s Claws:
With this level of mastery, the vampire’s power over her Beast becomes near
perfect. She can wield frenzy like a weapon, much like others may draw and sheath a
dagger.
System: Spend a point of Willpower reflexively to enter frenzy. No roll is required. To
end a frenzy, spend a point of Willpower and roll Instinct/Self-Control. The difficulty
depends on the current factors; calculate the difficulty as if the vampire were being
provoked to frenzy that very moment, with a minimum difficulty of 4.
••••• ••• The beast’s Quills:
With this power, the elder’s Beast stands at ready, prepared to lash out at anyone
that would assail it. The Beast infects attackers, particularly so if the vampire loses blood
in the attack.
System: Spend a blood point and roll Manipulation + Self-Control/Instinct (difficulty
8) to activate The Beast’s Quills for the scene, or until the vampire successfully transfers
her Beast through this power.
When the vampire takes a blow in brawling or melee combat, the Beast strikes out.
The effect is identical to Unleash the Beast, with successes equal to the vampire’s Beast’s
Quills activation successes. However, if the vampire suffered lethal damage after the soak
roll, her blood splashes on her attacker, tainting him with the Beast’s fury. The attacker’s
frenzy difficulty increases by two.
Note that under normal circumstances, this ability only works once per activation.
However, if the vampire also possesses Beast Shard, it may infect multiple opponents in
the same scene.
••••• •••• Plague of Beasts:
A Methuselah master of Animalism can bring about plagues of Biblical proportion.
Expanding on Call the Wild, the vampire summons forth animals to her. However, instead
of calling out in one animal’s tongue, the Beast itself cries out over miles or kilometers.
This summons every animal to swarm around the Cainite, causing utter bedlam.
System: Roll Charisma + Animal Ken (difficulty 8). Each success extends the radius
outward one mile/1.5 km from the vampire. All animals in the area immediately rush in to
follow the vampire’s bidding. However, with this raw quantity of animals, the vampire
may only roughly direct them to simple actions. Most commonly, this involves attacking a
target or ravaging a group. They will avoid targets at the vampire’s behest as well.
Each turn, more animals arrive to swarm. Begin building a dice pool, which increases
by two dice each turn. It continues to increase each turn, for a number of turns equal to
the vampire’s successes. Each turn, the swarm can make an attack roll against every
character in the vampire’s vicinity, less the vampire’s exempted targets. Use the
accumulated dice pool for these attacks. Their damage dice pool is three plus successes,
and they cause bashing damage.
Additionally, the difficulty for Perception rolls increases by two for any characters
within the swarm created by Plague of Beasts due to the chaos. Swarms are difficult to
displace. Often fire will hold them off. But a large swarm acts with relentless fervor against
anything that doesn’t present a clear danger to the whole.

V20: Lore of the Clans:

••••• •••• Flesh Bond:
At this level of Animalism, the vampire develops an extraordinary bond with the
“lower” creatures. She can now physically merge with animals, becoming one flesh.
System: With a roll of Stamina + Animal Ken (difficulty 7), the character can absorb
smaller animals into his very being. She may release the animals at will. Each creature thus
absorbed forces the character to spend one of his blood points for every five points in the
animal’s blood pool; a character can thus bond with 20 rats — each of which is worth 1/4
a blood point — by spending one of her own blood points. The vampire cannot feed to
regain any blood points spent in this manner until the character releases the animals. At
any time, the character can ingest the absorbed creatures, acquiring their collective blood
pool. The exsanguinated corpses of the animals are then spat out of the vampire’s body.
While the character cannot physically absorb a larger creature, she can meld his
body with such a creature by making a successful Stamina + Animal Ken roll (difficulty 7)
and spending one blood point. Thus, she can merge her body into that of a charging
Kodiak bear and move around during the day within it. Note that the character has no
control over the animal with which she has merged unless she has also used Subsume the
Spirit upon it.
A successful use the Aura Perception upon a character or creature who has “riders”
will notice an unusual tinge to the subject’s aura.