Obtenebration

[Hematite]

Obtenebration [V20 188]

The Lasombra are hesitant to teach this discipline, even in the Sabbat. They will, usually to their packs, but a character with Obtenebration can assume that somewhere there is a Friend of the Night keeping an eye on him. The Lasombra are particularly nervous about anyone outside of their clan developing the further mysteries of Abyss Mysticism and so make a point to keep the number of Cainites with Obtenebration manageable. Non-Lasombra characters who begin play with Obtenebration should note where and how they obtained this discipline.

Your voice may carry through Obtenebration under your command, transmitted psychically trough the void. This means that those in Tenebrous Form my speak to another if they slither into personal contact with them, and that the creator of Shroud of Night can speak to a blinded crowd intelligibly, and understand the responses, though no one else can understand the noises of others trapped within. Similarly the user of any given Obtenebration effect takes none of the associated penalties for exposure to it, however all others, friend or foe, suffer the penalties.

Uses of Obtenebration seen by mortals at anything but extremely long range is always an obvious breach of the masquerade.

The Stamina and soak penalties from different powers of Obtenebration are never cumulative. For instance, a penalty inflicted by Arms of the Abyss does not combine with a penalty inflicted by Black Metamorphosis for the same reason.

The penalties caused by Obtenebration to Stamina and the penalties to soak rolls are not cumulative. However, since the penalties note Stamina and Soak difficulty, the penalties apply to all soak rolls, even those not involving Stamina such as soaking Aggravated damage with Fortitude alone.

Unlike most disciplines, the power of Obtenebration does not stem from the blood of Caine, but rather from a far more dangerous and uncontrolled force. The Abyss from which the Obtenebration-user draws its energy is something very few claim to understand, and no one fully understands. The Lasombra are, at best, attempting to leash a rabid wolf when they use Obtenebration, and giving the wolf far more lead when they use Abyss Mysticism. To reflect the barely understood and semi-uncontrolled nature of this discipline, the Storyteller reserves all right to have Obtenebration effects do strange things on occasion, beyond the control of the user. In addition, Obtenebration botches are particularly bad, often giving permanent flaws or even trapping the character in the Abyss. Obtenebration is dangerous to use…You have been warned.

For the purposes of cosmology, the Abyss is Oblivion and is also the Void. The Abyss is NOT Hell, nor is the “abyss” referred to in Demon: The Fallen as the realm where the demons were trapped the same thing as The Abyss from which Obtenebration is drawn. The Abyss is leaking into every realm in the cosmology, and as such Obtenebration may be used without penalty in any Umbral or Underworld realm.

Obtenebration cannot be seen through by the Vampire controlling it. Blindness persists on both sides.


Obtenebration 1: Shadow Play [V20 188]

This power does not cost blood to use.

Only one type of bonus from this power may be applied at a time. So a character can have an extra die to Stealth OR an extra die to Intimidation OR cause a penalty to ranged attacks against them OR reduce an enemy’s Soak Pools by one. It takes a mental action to switch between effects.

In addition to the effects described, Shadow Play may also be used to reduce mundane darkness penalties by shifting ambient shadows out of the way. This reduces any penalties for mundane darkness by 1.

Only one patch of shadow at a time may be affected by this power, and when not being actively manipulated slowly relaxes back to its original position.

Only the most obvious use of this power is a problem in front of mortals. Most of its effects are small enough that mortals will shrug it off as tricks of the light or a sudden chill. However creepy and wrong they feel, there is nothing substantially supernatural they can hang their hat on if the user is careful. Particularly obvious uses, such as deliberately taking control of a shadow and causing it to contort in impossible ways or making a man’s own shadow leap up and appear to try to strangle him will cause problems as expected.

This power takes no roll to use normally, though for particularly complicated or intricate effects, the Storyteller may call for a Manipulation + Occult roll at difficulty 6.

This power cannot grant any direct numerical bonus to a group, however it can create an area of sufficient concealment for a small, close together group (no more than 4) to attempt Stealth rolls.

Use of this power can create the necessary cover needed for the use of Obfuscate 1: Cloak of Shadows.

Using this power to move a shadow allows the user to move a single patch of shadow up to a number of yards equal to his Manipulation + Occult + Obtenebration as a mental action.


Obtenebration 2: Shroud of Night [V20 188]

This power costs a blood point to use.

Invoking a Shroud of Night outside of the user’s line of sight does not cost additional blood. Instead it costs a Willpower point and the roll is made at +2 difficulty.

Sunlight disperses an obten bubble at the rate of successes equal to the damage it deals to a vampire per round. If this is from outside the Shroud, the Shroud shrinks until it disappears. If this is inside, the Shroud starts to evaporate from the origin point. If you cap your Shroud's size, its successes are considered the capped successes, no matter what you rolled.

A Shroud of Night is not summoned in a perfect sphere. The dimensions given are rough at best and undulate and shift of their own accord. The radius of the sphere is approximately 5 yards, doubling exponentially with each additional success. This radius extends out in all directions from the central point and is not stopped by any physical barrier.

A Shroud of Night may be summoned outside of the user’s line of sight (as long as it is still within the range limit of 50 yards) at +2 difficulty with the expenditure of a Willpower point. This may be done even if the user does not know what is in the area in which he is summoning the Shroud. He simply must declare that he is summoning a Shroud of night, for example, “37 yards that direction”. The chosen destination sets the initial central point of the Shroud, from which the effects radiate outward.

A Shroud of Night may be moved a number of yards equal to the user’s Manipulation + Occult + Obtenebration rating each round. This takes a mental action. Characters with the Concentration merit may move a Shroud of Night on their Initiative without taking a mental action to do so.

The effects of being within a Shroud of Night are as follows:
• -5 to effective Perception Score. If reduced to 0, no Perception rolls may be made.
• Blind as per the Blind Flaw and Blind Fighting Complication (+2 difficulty to all actions, No ranged attacks may be made).
• Deaf as per the Deaf Flaw to anyone but the Obtenebration user (+3 difficulty to Perception rolls).
• Movement speed reduced by half.

For each dot of Auspex he possesses, a victim trapped within a Shroud of Night reduces the Perception penalty by 1 (to a minimum of 2). A victim who possesses the second level of Serpentis, Tongue of the Asp, reduces the penalty by 2 (again to a minimum of 2). This is in addition to all normal effects of these disciplines. Protean 1, Eyes of the Beast, does not assist in piercing a Shroud of Night as the darkness is nothing natural, closer to being immersed in pitch. Likewise the merit Darksight has no effect on a Shroud of Night, appearing to the user as a globe of impenetrable white instead of black. Other effects that allow a character to function better while Blind may be applied at the Storyteller’s discretion, though this discretion should be used extremely sparingly.

Shroud of Night completely muffles all light. All light sources other than fire are completely snuffed out (flashlights cease to function, bulbs burn out, etc.) and fire is so muffled that its light cannot be seen even an inch away (though it is not extinguished and can still be felt.

Finding one’s way out of a Shroud of Night is extremely difficult. While in one, there is a feeling of being immersed in pitch while suffering near complete sensory deprivation. To attempt to locate anything further away than arms’ reach within a Shroud of Night, including an exit, requires a reflexive Wits + Alertness roll at difficulty 9. Failure on this roll means that the character spends the action hopelessly turned around, unable to find her target.

Breathing creatures with Stamina 2 or less begin to asphyxiate in a Shroud of Night. They will die after about one minute per dot of Stamina they naturally possess if they cannot escape. Breathing creatures with Stamina 3 or more can draw enough oxygen into their lungs through the murk to survive.

Curiously, the Auspex power Aura Perception can be used within a Shroud of Night (at all appropriate penalties for the Shroud) to provide some sense of direction. Actively using this power provides a clear sense of the locations of all creatures with auras within the Shroud. This is not enough to negate the Shroud’s penalties, but it does remove the requirement of the Wits + Alertness roll to find a target if that target is a being with an aura being viewed, and allows ranged attacks to be made. Maintaining this power in combat is considered a mental action each turn.

This power is often invoked instinctually during Frenzy or Rotschreck.


Obtenebration 3: Arms of the Abyss [V20 189]

Shadows used to create Arms of the Abyss must be within the vampire's line of sight.

When a new activation roll is made, all existing tentacles disappear back into the shadows which spawned them and new tentacles emerge.

While the tentacles do not take concentration to control, they do not act independently and if the vampire is no longer present or cannot see the scene, they cannot control the tentacles.

While the tentacles may grasp weapons, they are not really capable of the fine motor manipulation necessary to wield them effectively. A tentacle attempting to wield a weapon performs all combat actions at +3 difficulty. The same penalty applies to any other action taken by a tentacle that requires any degree of fine manipulation (driving a car for example). Taking any action with a tentacle that requires fine manipulation requires the user’s concentration which takes a mental action per turn to control all of the tentacles (one mental action, not one mental action per tentacle).

Arms of the Abyss have Strength and Dexterity ratings equal to the summoner’s Obtenebration 

Tentacles soak all damage with their summoner’s Stamina + Fortitude only. They cannot soak aggravated damage of any kind. In addition, they take an additional level of aggravated damage from any source of fire or sunlight.

Tentacles may not split their actions.

Attack rolls with Arms of the Abyss make use of the summoner’s Brawl Ability, or any other relevant Abilities to the desired action, added to the Strength or Dexterity of the tentacle.

The tentacles are able to perform their Constrict attack as a special Clinch maneuver. This clinch does Strength+1 Lethal damage.

The roll to break the hold of an Arm of the Abyss is a resisted Strength + Brawl roll, as with breaking any other Hold or Clinch. This overrides the statement that it is a resisted Strength roll to break the hold of a tentacle.

Multiple Arms of the Abyss count as individual attackers for the purposes of Multiple Opponent penalties.

If used to make simple bludgeoning attacks, the tentacles inflict Strength +1 Bashing damage.

If a subject is the target of a successful Hold or Clinch maneuver with the tentacles, and the summoner is within range, he may initiate a Bite maneuver on the victim in the same round.

Tentacles are only mobile if the patch of shadow they emanate from is mobile. Otherwise, they remain rooted to the spot they are summoned. The summoner may use Shadow Play to move a patch of Shadow containing Arms of the Abyss if he wishes as a mental action.

The user may spend blood to enhance the initial tentacles, as long as they do not spend more than they would have been limited by at the time of casting, based on generational limit on blood expenditures.

The tentacle can stretch, distend, even crush itself into a flat sheet over a square foot, become a fan, a set of fibers, or any other construct that can be roughly created with the same amount of mass.

The summoner may spend 1 blood per tentacle to get faint sensory impressions of the tentacle's experience in touch, taste, temperature and pressure, (but not sight, sound or smell) and use it to explore.

This power is often used instinctually during a Frenzy.


Obtenebration 4: Black Metamorphosis [V20 189]

The transformation always takes a minimum of one full round to complete, the effects gained on the user’s Initiative at the beginning of the subsequent round.

This power does not require a mental action to activate, only blood expenditures.

Like Arms of the Abyss, the extra tentacles granted by this power are not capable of fine manipulation so cannot be effectively equipped with weapons of any kind, however, they may be used for more than just attacking, such as climbing, holding or carrying things that may require more "hands" to carry, or other such actions, though any action that requires finesse is performed at +3 difficulty as per Arms of Ahriman.

This power grants the ability to see through all natural darkness.

The exact cosmetics of Black Metamorphosis are unique to the user and no two Black Metamorphosis forms are the same, even sire to childe.

If a subject is the target of a successful Hold or Clinch maneuver with the tentacles, the user may initiate a Bite maneuver on the victim in the same round.

Blood may be spent to extend these tentacles as per Arms of the Abyss. A single blood point extends all 4 tentacles by 6 feet. Blood may not be spent to boost their attributes (since they use the vampire’s own attributes in this form).


Obtenebration 4: Nightshades [DAV 200]

This power is an older technique of Obtenebration practiced before the Anarch Revolt. This will be the default 4th level power of Obtenebration for any Lasombra more than 500 years embraced. For all other Lasombra, learning this power requires instruction, though it is purchased at the cost of an in-clan discipline. For older Lasombra who default to this power, Black Metamorphosis may be learned as an alternate power requiring a teacher, though bought at in-clan discipline costs.

Each success allows for an approximately human-sized patch of material from which to create an illusion. This may be combined or divided as the Lasombra desires.

Piercing these illusions requires the observer score more successes on a Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty 7) than the user scored on this power’s activation. This roll is not automatic for those who see the illusions at a distance. For those who get the opportunity to observe the illusion closely (no more than 2 yards/meters away) the roll is automatic and made at -2 difficulty.

The illusions may take any form or shape the user desires, though they cannot mimic bright colours at all.

The illusions are visual only and cannot create sound of any kind, nor do they have any physical substance.

Controlling the movement of all summoned illusions requires active concentration on the part of the user (one mental action per turn for all summoned illusions). Characters with the Concentration merit may control their illusions without the need for active concentration.

If used to summon shadowy madness, this does not take active concentration. This penalty does stack with those from other Obtenebration effects.


Obtenebration 5: Tenebrous Form [V20 190]

The transformation always takes a minimum of one full round to complete, the effects gained on the user’s Initiative at the beginning of the subsequent round.

This power does not require a mental action to activate, only blood expenditures.

This power cannot stack with the effects of any other transformation power.

This power transforms the Lasombra into a patch of inky blackness approximately 2 yards/meters in radius. The user may stretch and contort this form however he desires, though it will never appear normal.

Tenebrous Form can float upward at the user’s normal speed. It can also squeeze through tiny cracks, moving through any seal that is not completely airtight, and even move through light permeable substances like clear glass.

In dark surroundings, vampires in this form gain -3 difficulty on Stealth rolls as they literally fade into the shadows.

The Courage rolls for this power are required for anyone unused to Obtenebration witnessing the user take any action while in this form, not merely the act of transformation.

The only form of physical attack that can affect a vampire in this form is fire.

Vampires in this form are even more vulnerable to sunlight and fire than usual. In addition to the increased difficulty to Rotschreck, vampires in Tenebrous form suffer an additional level of damage from any source of fire or sunlight each turn.

As a vampire in Tenebrous Form has no physical substance, he may not take the usual physical action to put himself out while on fire. However similarly, the fire has no physical form to cling to, allowing the Tenebrous vampire to simply move out of the burning area if he is able.


Obtenebration 6: Aegis of Shadows [PGttHC 156]

This armour always appears freakish and unnatural. While it is not necessarily something that will cause the Masquerade to shatter, it will likely send any mortal witnesses home with tales of the devil in shadows.

This power stacks with the armour effects of the Combination Disciplines Armory of the Abyss and Armor of Darkness. Each must be activated separately.


Obtenebration 6: Call the Lamprey [PGttS 110]

This is a previous version of the power The Darkness Within (Vampire the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition p. 191). Emerald Coven Chronicles uses that version of the power. See it’s clarifications below.


Obtenebration 6: The Darkness Within [V20 191]

This power does require a mental action each turn to maintain.

The cloud of darkness summoned by this power emanates from the chosen orifice of the user and extends in a 90 degree cone approximately 2 yards/meters per success.

The effect of this power is substantially changed. The darkness drains a number of blood points from the victim each round equal to the successes scored on the activation roll. The target may resist with a Stamina roll at difficulty 6, each success reducing the number of blood points lost by 1.

The cloud of darkness does not envelop its victims completely as per a Shroud of Night, and as such, no additional penalties are inflicted to those enveloped.

The user may drink from any victim touched by the cloud each turn, though only one per turn.

Each turn the cloud drinks from a victim, that victim must make a Courage roll at difficulty 8 to resist a twisted version of the Kiss. Failure on this roll leaves the victim in quivering terror, unable to take any action for the duration of the turn.

If the user of this power is attacked, suffers damage, he must make a Wits + Alertness roll at a difficulty of 3 + the number of health levels taken. Failure immediately ends this effect.

When the user ends this effect (voluntarily or involuntarily) he immediately gains a number of blood points equal to half the total amount drained by the cloud (round up). Any blood gained in excess of his generational maximum is lost to the Abyss.

This power may be used in Tenebrous Form.


Obtenebration 6: Darksome Embrace [DAC 86]

This is a previous version of the power The Darkness Within (Vampire the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition p. 191). Emerald Coven Chronicles uses that version of the power. See it’s clarifications above.


Obtenebration 6: Eyes of the Night [PGttS 110]

This power allows the user to see and hear perfectly anywhere that he maintains an active Obtenebration or Abyss Mysticism effect.

This power does not actually grant the user the power of Protean 1. It allows the user to see in all natural darkness. Once gained, this part of the power is constantly in effect.

When viewing a distant location, the vampire is at +2 difficulty on all actions at her own location from the distraction of split perceptions. The Concentration merit reduces this difficulty to +1.

This power allows the user to see through the “eyes” of any summoned Abyssal entities summoned with Abyss Mysticism.

The user may not use any powers through this form of Clairvoyance, though the passive benefit of Auspex applies, as does the ability to utilize Seeing the Unseen.

It is a mental action to switch between locations viewed.

When viewing locations within 50 feet of her body, as per the secondary use of this power, if this area is divided into multiple rooms or sections that cannot be viewed from the vampire’s own position, only one section may be viewed at once.


Obtenebration 6: Shadowstep [V20 191]

The user may not step into his own shadow to use this power.


The umbra has no shadows, and a manifested person (as if through astral) cannot use this to pull another through with him. The effect would immediately result in a loss of the other.

Despite any rulings on teleport bypassing or not bypassing a ward, this power can pass mystical barriers.


Botching this power is always especially horrible, even for Obtenebration effects. The specifics are left to ST discretion but should always result in either a permanent flaw of some kind, something very nasty (on the scale of a Hungry Shade or worse) coming through the portal uncontrolled, or becoming trapped in the Abyss, possibly irrevocably. You have been warned.



Pulling a person or object through is a Physical action (though it is done as part of the same mental action as opening the portal and does not require split dice pools). As such it cannot be done while the character is in Tenebrous Form. You cannot pull an unwilling traveler with you.


The vampire may only pull one person or object through at a time.



Just as the vampire may pull objects through, he may also send other people or objects the other direction as well without him going personally.



Obtenebration 6: Walk the Abyss [DAV 201]

This is a previous version of the power Shadowstep (Vampire the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition p. 191). Emerald Coven Chronicles uses that version of the power. See it’s clarifications above.