Protean

Through this discipline, the character can change their physical form through their control over the Beast and their own blood. Clan Gangrel, the Ministry, and the Tzimisce all practice their own variations of the discipline, but the Ministry tends to focus on more serpent-like transformations, often calling the discipline Serpentis, while the Tzimisce call their macabre sculpting of flesh and bone Vicissitude.

A user of the discipline can fold their claws into weapons, hypnotize with a glance, or even dissolve their physical form entirely.

The discipline is very rare outside of those clans that have a natural talent for it. Both Gangrel, Ministry and Tzimisce consider it taboo, for various reasons, to teach Protean to outsiders.

Level 1

Feral weapons

The character makes their natural weapons monstrous and more dangerous than even the most well-honed sword. The most common use is for the nails to grow into claws, but there are also variants which mean that, for example, the teeth grow out like those of a giant snake.

Cost: None

System: The player activates the power by saying "protean" and curling their fingers, showing their teeth, or other natural weapon. The character's claws or teeth count as a weapon that gives +2 to AV and deals aggravated damage.

Malleable visage (requires Dominate 1)

Like a sculptor molding clay, the character can change their own appearance, at least to a certain extent. They can easily resculpt facial features, change skin, hair, eye color or make small modifications in height and weight. The appearance must still be within what is considered human, but the power is well used by the Tzimisce to adapt their appearance to each clan member's preference or simply change faces to confuse other kindred or shake off the Second Inquisition.

Cost: None

System: The power takes a few hours to apply and requires a mirror so that the character can see what they are doing. It is therefore applied before the larp and any changes must be represented with makeup, special effects or the like. If the character modifies their appearance to look more attractive, they get +1 to social hunting in the interlude. If they change appearance completely, they can ignore the effects of a masquerade crime as long as witnesses was the only evidence the character left behind.

Eye of the serpent (requires Presence 1)

The character's eyes become slit like those of a snake and have the ability to paralyze potential victims that meet the character's gaze. Humans can be hypnotized without much effort, but a vampire is a bit more difficult.

Cost: None

System: The character meets the victim's gaze and says "eyes of the serpent", the victim is then paralyzed and cannot move. It is possible to speak, but not scream, but the victim cannot physically move. The effect lasts as long as the character maintains eye contact and focuses on the victim. If the contact is broken, the effect also ceases. Only one person can be paralyzed at a time. The power does not require a mental duel if used on humans, ghouls, or animals.

Level 2

Bestial form(requires Feral weapons)

Through their control over their body, the character draws some strength from the Beast and assumes a somewhat more primitive form to increase their mental and physical strength. The character's features become more animalistic compared to before. A gangrel's animal traits become more prominent, but characters from other clans who use the power are also affected. Teeth become longer and sharper, nails grow out, the character's features become coarser and more primitive and he communicates more curtly and with occasional growls. The form is effectively a controlled frenzy, but one where the character themselves is in full control at all times.

Cost: Hunger +1

System: The character gains +2 in AV and MV while the form is active and can, if they wish, activate Feral Weapons at no extra cost in hunger. However, the beast's influence makes activating mental disciplines more difficult, and the character suffers -4 MV when using disciplines that require concentration, focus, or verbal commands. However, the same penalty does not apply when they resist effects from such disciplines. Control or not, however, the condition is a form of frenzy and the beast is constantly closer to the surface. The character's hunger counts as one level higher to determine how hard it is to resist frenzy. Bestial form does not grant the gangrel another animal trait, as long as it does not escalate into an actual frenzy.

Vicissitude (requires Dominate 2 and Malleable visage)

The character has further advanced their macabre craft and can reshape their body on more than a superficial level. Flesh, bone and muscle can now be sculpted to provide more tangible benefits and the character is less limited in how they can sculpt their appearance.

Cost: +1 hunger

System: Just like Malleable visage, Vicissitude takes time to apply, so any changes are created before the larp and must be represented with make-up, makeup, special effects or the like. The character can make one change per level in Protean. Each change can be applied to any of the following:

Enhancement: The character hardens bones into armor, redistributes fat, or some other effect that makes him stronger, faster, or more durable in battle. Each change spent here gives +1 AV.

Weapons: The character creates natural weapons. This can be anything from claws, blades of bone or horns. The weapons give +2 AV, but unlike Feral weapons, they cannot be folded.

In addition to the changes, the character is no longer limited in that Malleable visage must look human and can make their appearance as human or inhuman as they wish.

Changes are permanent until the power is used again to change them, or they can be healed in the same way as aggravated damage.

Tongue of the Asp (requires Eyes of the Serpent)

An ability very rarely seen outside the Ministry. The character parts their tongue like a snake and gives their voice a hypnotic, compelling tone. Other voice-activated powers become much more difficult to resist and the character's lies more difficult to detect.

Cost: Hunger +1

System: Once activated, the power is active for one hour or until the character chooses to end it, whichever comes first. While active, the character gains a bonus equal to his level in Protean on MV when using powers from Dominate and Presence. They also get the same bonus on MV to resist powers that detect lies or untruths.

Level 3

Mist form

The character dissolves their physical form and takes on a form very similar to fog. They can float slowly, enter spaces that would otherwise be too small, and are practically invulnerable to all attacks, but cannot attack themselves either. Indoors, the fog is very obvious, but outdoors on a foggy night, the character is practically indistinguishable from the surroundings.

Cost: Hunger +1

System: The player crosses both hands over their chest and says "mist form". It takes about 30 seconds to assume the form and any attacks during that time will cancel the transformation. They can move like mist at the same speed as they walk and are immune to all damage that does not come from fire or sunlight. They cannot attack themselves or use any disciplines other than Auspex. The character is not invisible and in situations where fog would be unnatural, others will also react with suspicion.

Fleshcrafting (requires Vicissitude)

The character is now so skilled that they can reshape the flesh and bones of others, not just themselves. Their craft is somewhat more limited when working on other people whose bodies are not as familiar as the character's own, but they can perform a number of modifications on other kindred, humans or animals, with or against their will. The Tzimisce have by now learned that this power cannot be used to make the Nosferatu human again. The Clan Curse always takes hold no matter how extensive the intervention, and many Nosferatu also take such offers as outright insults.

Cost: +1 hunger

System: The character can use Malleable visage and Vicissitude on other kindred, animals or humans, but is limited to only one change as long as the recipient is not one of the character's ghouls, who can handle two. In addition to the changes from Vicissitude, the character can apply new changes to other people:

Armor: The character forms bones for more effective protection around sensitive organs, joints, and the like. The change has no effect on kindred, but humans, ghouls, and thinbloods can downgrade the first damage they take from the weapon per day from aggravated damage to normal as long as the weapon would not also deal aggravated damage to kindreds.

Fleshcrafting is excruciatingly painful to undergo, and a victim must either be stunned, paralyzed, chained, impaled, or otherwise immobilized during the procedure. It is impossible to use the power to remove the effects of a clan curse that affects another person's appearance (such as Nosferatu or Gangrel). In that case, the victim's deformities will painfully return within half an hour.