Post by Hematite on Jul 4, 2014 13:12:09 GMT
Abombwe
The idea that the Laibon are a single bloodline practicing this discipline was a mistaken idea from when Africa was largely unexplored territory. It has now been firmly discovered that the Laibon are an entire new sect of vampires, though with some strange differences. Emerald Coven Chronicles considers the book Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom to be canon and uses that version of this discipline as a baseline. The Laibon bloodline as presented in the Dark Ages Storyteller’s Companion does not exist. Where modifications are needed for Western Cainites to learn it, those modifications are included in the clarifications below.
This discipline is unique to the Akunanse Legacy of Laibon. While they will trade it, this discipline is VERY rarely seen outside of the Ebony Kingdoms. Characters should have a very good reason for knowing this discipline.
In some cases, new powers were developed by accident when the arts of Abombwe were first attempted to be taught to Western Cainites. No one is quite sure why the discipline mutated in the way it did, however this is part of the reason that Western Cainites have so many misconceptions of the Laibon. In either case, these alternate levels can now be learned by either Laibon or Western Cainites, though of course Western Cainites will need to find a teacher as none of them have an innate affinity for Abombwe.
Abombwe 1: Predator’s Communion [KotEK 97]
The difficulty of the roll to pinpoint a Beast is modified by the strength of the Beast. For Cainites, it is a difficulty equal to their Path Rating. For Laibon it is equal to 10 minus their Orun score. For Shifters it is equal to 10 minus their Rage score. For Wraiths it is equal to 10 minus their permanent Angst. For Kuei-Jin it is equal to 10 minus their P’o score. Ghouls are a flat difficulty 7 and mortals are a flat difficulty 9. Mortals and Ghouls may only be detected if they have a Path rating of 4 or less.
If this power is active, the Akunanse does not need to actively search for Beasts. The Storyteller should inform him of any Beasts that come into his vicinity while this power is active.
Abombwe 2: Invoking the Beast [KotEK 98]
This is a transformation discipline and is considered a Partial and Compatible Transformation. See the Transformation Disciplines clarification page for specifics.
Other than claws, the Laibon may create nearly any animal feature within himself. If looking for ideas, the positive animal feature section of the Gangrel clanbook provides some appropriate examples. Each use of this power should provide some mechanical benefit, though this should never exceed a bonus of 2 dice to any one type of roll. All specific uses of this power must be pre-approved by the Storyteller before they can be used in game.
The vampire using this power is still subject to the laws of physics. As such, any wings likely to function as anything more than a glider would need to be absurdly large and too cumbersome for the vampire’s muscles to lift without a great deal of Potence.
This power requires the Intelligence + Survival roll at difficulty 7 to manifest any feature that the Laibon has not successfully manifested before, as well as any feature that is more complex than a set of claws (e.g. anything with moving parts or separate components such as a poison gland).
No use of this power will cause or deal aggravated damage.
Abombwe 2: Taming the Beast [DASC 36]
This is an alternate power that first manifested when European Cainites attempted to learn the arts of Abombwe from Laibon. No Laibon has ever naturally manifested this power, however it has been shared back into the Ebony Kingdom and successfully taught.
When a Western Cainite attempts to learn the second level of Abombwe, he must make a WoD check. If he tests up, he learns Invoking the Beast. If he tests even, he learns whichever power is being taught to him. If he tests down, he learns this power. No one knows quite why this happens, but it appears to be some kind of incompatibility in the blood. Akunanse learning the Abombwe will always manifest Invoking the Beast, but may be taught this power by another as an alternate level at in-clan costs as normal. Laibon learning Abombwe out of clan will always learn the power being taught them as normal.
This power requires the user take no actions, including defensive or reflexive actions and bonus actions for a full turn before rolling.
This power grants a floating pool of bonus dice that may be added to any physical dice pools in the scene. Once dice are used from the pool they are gone.
This power cannot stack with itself. If activated multiple times, the new bonus dice gained replace any remaining in the pool (even if there are more in the pool at the time).
Immediately upon activating this power, the user must roll for frenzy at difficulty 6. The target of this frenzy will be whomever is nearest at the time the power is activated. Whether or not the user frenzies has no impact on the bonuses gained from the power’s activation. The frenzy roll is made in the same turn as the user rolls to gain the bonus dice, not in the turn of doing nothing.
Abombwe 3: Unseen Hibernation [KotEK 98]
This power functions exactly as Earth Meld, save that the Laibon may choose any natural formation large enough to physically contain her form. This includes all clarifications to Earth Meld. See Protean Clarifications for details.
Abombwe 3: Whistling Up the Beast [DASC 36]
This is an alternate power that first manifested when European Cainites attempted to learn the arts of Abombwe from Laibon. No Laibon has ever naturally manifested this power, however it has been shared back into the Ebony Kingdom and successfully taught.
When a Western Cainite attempts to learn the third level of Abombwe, he must make a WoD check. If he tests up, he learns Unseen Hibernation. If he tests even, he learns whichever power is being taught to him. If he tests down, he learns this power. No one knows quite why this happens, but it appears to be some kind of incompatibility in the blood. Akunanse learning the Abombwe will always manifest Unseen Hibernation, but may be taught this power by another as an alternate level at in-clan costs as normal. Laibon learning Abombwe out of clan will always learn the power being taught them as normal.
This power requires a full turn of singing or whistling, requiring a Manipulation + Expression roll at difficulty 7. The target must be able to hear the user or this power has no effect. On the target’s initiative the turn after the user starts singing or whistling, he must make a Courage roll at difficulty 7. If he scores more successes than the user, he is only uneasy, suffering a one die penalty to all actions for the remainder of the scene. If he fails to acquire more successes than the user, he must retreat from the scene and not approach the user again for the remainder of the scene. If the target botches, he must flee the user at all haste using any and all abilities at his disposal to run.
If the user wishes instead to whistle up her own Beast, success on the roll immediately sends her into frenzy, which may be guided as normal for an Instinct character, but may not be prevented with Self-Control.
Abombwe 4: Devil-Channel [KotEK 98]
This is not considered a transformation power. The power takes an action to activate as normal, and smearing the blood on the chosen body part is part of that activation.
Hands
This affects all brawl maneuvers that use the hands to cause damage, including clinch and hold as well as strike. This can only be used if the hands are bare.
Head
The Laibon may spit the poison up to 3 yards/meters per dot of strength and Potence he possesses.
The poison can paralyze any limb it hits for the remainder of the scene. The victim must score more successes than the Laibon scored on the Dexterity + Athletics roll on a Stamina + Fortitude roll at difficulty 7 to resist the effect, though the Laibon’s successes on the Dexterity + Athletics roll may also be negated by a Dodge roll as normal before the reflexive resistance roll. The poison does not have sufficient power to do anything if targeted at any body part other than a limb.
The bonuses to seeing in supernatural darkness still do not apply to Obtenebration which is more than mere darkness. Treat this as Protean 1, Eyes of the Beast for all clarification purposes.
Back
This power grants an additional two actions per turn that can only be spent to activate the Brawl maneuvers of Hold, Clinch or Strike using the spider legs. If used to attack, the legs deal Strength in Lethal damage.
As there are no “checks to escape by running”, this power also doubles the users running speed if he scuttles along the ground using the legs to aid in movement.
Legs
The aggravated damage only applies to the Kick maneuver. This only works if the user has his feet bare.
Throat
Failing the Courage roll halves the dice pools of any supernatural creature for the scene.
This power does not stack with itself, however succeeding against it once does not render the character immune for the scene, so the Laibon may try again and again if he wishes.
Roaring is considered a physical action and thus may be done in Celerity actions.
Abombwe 5: Predator’s Transformation [KotEK 99]
Treat this power as if using Protean 4 combined with the Gift of Proteus merit, save that the Laibon does not need to buy each new form with experience points. For each new form, the player should select fight or flight and assign the bonus stat points accordingly.
If used to duplicate the form of a human or supernatural creature, do not use the system for Protean. Instead replace all of the user’s own Physical Attributes with those of the slain creature. This does not grant any of the supernatural qualities of the slain individual (including transformation from slaying a shifter).
As Cainites do not have an Orun score to roll, replace the Orun roll mentioned in this power with a Manipulation + Survival roll.
Abombwe 6: Predator’s Mastery [DASC 38]
This power dominates the Beast of its target, not the conscious mind. It forces the victim into a bestial form of servitude, similar to a frenzy state. The Beast cannot be commanded to follow particularly peaceful or convoluted tasks. All actions the Laibon commands must be appropriate actions that could be taken in a frenzy.
The relative power is an impossible thing to adjudicate in a LARP. As such, this will measure the comparative strength of the Beasts of both the user and the target. For Laibon this is their Orun score. For Cainites it is the inverse of their Path Rating. For Kuei-Jin it is their P’o score. For Wraiths it is their permanent Angst. For Shifters it is their Rage score. Apply this scale to determine whose Beast is stronger and modify the difficulties appropriately as mentioned in the power.
This power is resisted by a roll of Self-Control/Instinct + Courage for Cainites, Orun for Laibon, P’o for Kuei-Jin, Angst for Wraiths, and Rage for Shifters. Humans may not resist.