Animalism

Description:

Perhaps the vampire has more in common with animal than human. A dangerous set of instincts drive them, and it takes a lot for them to withhold the urge to just lash out.. Much like a wild dog on a chain, a vampire’s Beast will never truly be tamed. Some Kindred find a way of becoming one with their Beasts. Those who do are the masters of Animalism. Some accompany the use of this power with howls, snarls, and roars, or communicate with animals in the animal’s “language,” though this is an affectation and not a necessity. The Animalism Discipline sees much use among vampires who struggle to fit in or have no taste for living among mortals. Often classed as one of Caine’s gifts of utility, allowing a vampire to thrive on unrefined blood or form companionship with non-sapient beings, it is also a devastating weapon against vampires who cling to their towers, and against inquisitors who suspect their enemies will only come on two legs. A swarm of blood-hungry rats invading a Kindred’s penthouse haven, the Animalism proficient vampire who cows the Sheriff’s Beast in Elysium, or the beady-eyed raven that spies on a Society of St. Leopold chapter all serve to strengthen Animalism practitioners, and weaken their foes.

Characteristics:

By default Animalism powers involving animals can only be used on vertebrates. Additionally, any use of the ability on herbivores adds one to the Difficulty of skill rolls involved.

Type
Mental

Masquerade threat
Low to medium. 
While talking to animals might seem eccentric, only the most violent applications of the Discipline elicit more than a few raised eyebrows.

Blood Resonance
Animal blood, preferably feral.

Powers - Level 1:

Name & Requirements	Description & Cost	Dice Pools	System	Duration
Vampire the Masquerade: Core Rulebook
Bond Famulus	When Blood Bonding an animal, the vampire can make it a famulus, forming a mental link with it and facilitating the use of other Animalism powers. While this power alone does not allow two-way communication with the animal, it can follow simple verbal instructions such as “stay” and “come here. It attacks in defence of itself and its master but cannot otherwise be persuaded to fight something it would not normally attack. Cost: The animal must be fed the user’s Blood on three separate nights, each of which requires a Rouse Check by the user. The amount of Blood needed to sustain the ghoul-state of the animal after this is negligible. Players starting with this power have completed this process and can chose a famulus for free.	Charisma + Animal Ken	Without the use of Feral Whispers, below, giving commands to the animal requires a Charisma + Animal Ken roll (Difficulty 2); increase Difficulty for more complex orders. A vampire can only have one famulus, but can get a new one if the current one dies. A vampire can use Feral Whispers (Animalism 2) and Subsume the Spirit (Animalism 4) on their famulus for free.	Only death releases a famulus once bound. As long as it receives vampire Blood on a regular basis, the famulus does not age.
Sense the Beast	The vampire can sense the Beast present in mortals, vampires, and other supernatural's, gaining a sense of their nature, hunger, and hostility. Cost: Free	Resolve + Animalism vs Composure + Subterfuge	Roll Resolve + Animalism vs Composure + Subterfuge. A win allows the user to sense the level of hostility in a target (whether the person is prepared to do harm or even determined to cause it) and determine whether they harbour a supernatural Beast, marking them as a vampire or werewolf. On a win, a critical gives the user information on the exact type of creature, as well as their Hunger or Rage level. This power can be used both actively and passively, warning the user of aggressive intent in their immediate vicinity.	Only death releases a famulus once bound. As long as it receives vampire Blood on a regular basis, the famulus does not age.

Powers - Level 2:

Name & Requirements	Description & Cost	Dice Pools	System	Duration
Vampire the Masquerade: Core Rulebook
Feral Whispers	The vampire can commune with the beasts of the wild and the city. Feral Whispers allows two-way communication with animals. A cat might not be interested in debating Matisse’s use of colour but happily discusses the lack of prey around the brownstone building across the street. Depending on the vampire’s skill, they can even persuade animals to perform services; like humans, animals seldom agree to things that go against their nature or endanger them. Vampires can also use Feral Whispers to summon a chosen type of animal (see Animalism limitations above) but the animals must be present to answer. Nothing prevents a vampire trying to summon an orca in Central Park, but success seems unlikely. Summoned animals listen to the summoner, but scatter or attack if endangered. Cost: One Rouse Check per type of animal chosen for the scene. Allows one summoning and unlimited communication. Free when used on famulus.	Manipulation + Animalism,Animalism Or Charisma + Animalism	Simple communication requires no dice pool test. Persuading an animal to perform a service requires a Manipulation + Animalism roll; the Difficulty depends on the task required. Having a bird keep an eye out for anyone entering the park at night is Difficulty 3, while ordering any animal to defend a place with their lives is Difficulty 6. Summoning animals uses a Charisma + Animalism roll; Difficulty depends on the scar-city of the animals summoned. The number of animals summoned depend on the margin on the test; a critical win summons most, if not all, animals of the type in the area	One Scene

Powers - Level 3:

Name & Requirements	Description & Cost	Dice Pools	System	Duration
Vampire the Masquerade: Core Rulebook
Animal Succulence	The vampire can slake additional Hunger by feeding on animals. In addition, the vampire can consume its famulus, gaining nourishment far beyond what would be gained from an animal of similar stature and absorbing a sliver of its primary trait. Cost: Free	N/A	Feeding from animals slakes 1 additional Hunger, and the vampire counts their Blood Potency as two levels lower in regards to penalties to slaking Hunger from animal blood. Consuming one's famulus slakes 4 Hunger, regardless of animal size. This act can never remove the final Hunger die. In addition, consuming one's famulus increases the vampire’s Attribute most associated with that animal (as determined by the Storyteller) by two dots. Consuming a cat might raise Dexterity or Composure; consuming a dog might raise Charisma or Resolve. Storytellers may vary the reward from famulus consumption: draining an owl might raise the Attribute in any perception pool by two dots, or in pools involving wise decision making. The bonus lasts until the vampire’s next feeding or until their Hunger reaches 5.	Passive
Quell the Beast	By locking eyes with a target, the vampire cows their inner Beast into temporary slumber. Mortals affected thus become apathetic, unable to take any actions other than to stay alive, while vampires’ bestial urges temporarily abate, for better or worse. Cost: One Rouse Check	Charisma + Animalism  vs  Stamina + Resolve	Roll Charisma + Animalism vs Stamina + Resolve. A win against a mortal target incapacitates them for that scene, instilling severe lethargy. They act only to preserve themselves, not against the user or anyone else. A win against a vampire prevents the target from performing Blood Surges. While their Beast is quelled, vampires do not score messy critical's. Against vampires, this power lasts a turn plus a number of turns equal to the win margin on the contest. A critical win against a vampire target also ends their frenzy.	One scene, or a number of turns equal to the test margin plus one.
Unliving Hive Requires: Obfuscate 2	Most often seen amongst the Nosferatu, this unnerving power allows the user to extend their animal influence to swarms of insects such as flies or roaches. Certain vampires even go so far as to adopt swarms as famuli, giving them a permanent home within the folds and orifices of their malformed flesh. Cost: No additional cost	N/A	This power extends all powers previously restricted to vertebrates to insect swarms, treating a swarm as a single creature. The vampire can bind the swarm as a famulus, and some even give it the ability to nest inside the cavities of their body. This hides the swarm from sight while allowing it to nurse the minute amounts of Blood needed to sustain it indefinitely. While nested, the swarm is undetectable by anything less than X-rays. Swarms do little damage in combat. They have Health 5 and a pool of 8 dice to resist attacks. Swarms take Superficial damage from Brawl; flame and insecticide cause Aggravated damage. Vampires can use swarms for spying, as distractions (resulting in a two-dice penalty on any roll for a single swarmed individual), or to intimidate mortals (add between one and three dice to Intimidation pools, depending on the type of insect and the victim’s phobias). Players and Storytellers can doubtlessly come up with even more creative uses of this power.	Passive

Powers - Level 4:

Name & Requirements	Description & Cost	Dice Pools	System	Duration
Vampire the Masquerade: Core Rulebook
Subsume the Spirit	The vampire can completely transfer its mind into the body of an animal. They can control the animal and use its senses freely, even during the day should they manage to stay awake. While doing this, the vampire’s body lies immobile as if in torpor. Cost: One Rouse Check. Free if used on famulus.	Manipulation + Animalism	Make a Manipulation + Animalism test; Difficulty 4. On a win, the vampire can inhabit the animal’s body for one scene. On a critical win, the vampire can inhabit the animal indefinitely. Extending this possession into the daylight hours requires the vampire to stay awake (p. 219); seeing the sun requires a test for fear frenzy though the sunlight does not damage the animal being ridden. The user remains oblivious to their original body, but harm to it pulls them out of the trance and releases the animal. Death of the possessed animal also ends the trance, and the vampire takes a point of Aggravated Willpower damage from the shock.	A scene / indefinitely (see above)

Powers - Level 5:

Name & Requirements	Description & Cost	Dice Pools	System	Duration
Vampire the Masquerade: Core Rulebook
Animal Dominion	The power the vampire holds over beasts is now great enough to command flocks and packs as if they were extensions of their own body. At a gesture, animals lay down their lives by the dozens, even hundreds, to appease their master. Cost: Two Rouse Checks	Charisma + Animalism	Chose a type of animal and make a Charisma + Animalism roll with a Difficulty depending on the nature of the animals and the order given. Getting a flock of crows to disperse and look for a specific individual (given some means of identifying their target) is relatively easy (Difficulty 3), but getting a pack of dogs to give their lives in a suicidal attack on another vampire is more of a challenge (Difficulty 5). The power does not allow the user to summon animals, but compels those already present to obey. The vampire can command the animals to return after completing their task, if they have means to do so.	A single scene or until the directive is fulfilled, whichever is shortest.
Drawing Out the Beast	The vampire can project their Beast at the moment of terror or fury frenzy, transferring it into a nearby subject, either mortal or vampire. That person immediately experiences the frenzy instead, going on a merciless rampage or fleeing in terror depending on the trigger. Cost: One Rouse Check	Wits + Animalism  vs Composure + Resolve	Instead of the Willpower roll to resist a terror or fury frenzy, roll Wits + Animalism vs Composure + Resolve of the target. If the user fails, they enter frenzy as though they had failed the Willpower roll. On a win, the target experiences that frenzy instead of the user. Later stimuli can still provoke frenzy in the user, but they can use this power as long as they can make Rouse Checks and further targets remain available. This power cannot transfer a hunger frenzy.	Frenzy duration (see p. 220)