Gargoyle Rituals

Gargoyle Rituals

Gargoyles cant cast thaumaturgy or any form of Blood magic because Gargoyles ARE magic. They are weapons designed to destroy and watch enemies of clan Tremere. Prior to the first great Gargoyle exodus led by the Mother of Gargoyles, Virsitania, and later the agreement between the Tremere, the Gangrel and the Nosferatu to cease production of Gargoyles, there was a great deal of interest in testing the limits of what one could do with a gargoyle.

Gargoyle rituals were one of the fruits of this research. While a Gargoyle cannot use Magic in its spoken form, they can use magic that is inscribed upon their bodies. When a Caster has achieved the max level of blood sorcery, they can tattoo/chisel the tenets of that magic upon the caster, creating a tattoo that can hold a repository of blood. The caster can then fill the created reservoir with their vitae which will seal the blood into a tattoo-like form. At any time, the Gargoyle can expend that blood to power the ritual effect of that blood magic, listed below. Once the effect finishes the blood is expended and must be refilled with the blood of a kindred who has a blood sorcery in-clan, or the blood of a Nosferatu before they can activate it again.

After Virsitania left the clan such research was viewed with skepticism, as giving the Gargoyles more capabilities made them more dangerous not just to enemies of house Tremere but also to the house itself. Then when the creation of Gargoyles was “outlawed” by treaty with the Gangrel and Nosferatu, most of the Tremere saw their precious stockpile of stone soldiers as too valuable to risk in experimentation.

In recent nights, the free gargoyles have re-discovered some of this research and have begun experimenting on themselves with the help of fledgling anarch sorcerers or the few Tremere anarchs. Some view it as a way to advance their species, while others just view it as another source of power. Some Gargoyles have reported becoming addicted to getting the tattoos, as they say, it fills them with a sensation better than feeding.

Mechanics.

Buying a Gargoyle ritual requires an action spend by someone with the required path at 5. The caster will also have to make a Dif 4 (20 traits- 4 retests) Occult check. Each time the Gargoyle uses the Ritual they will need to refill their reservoir with the blood of a Caster. (Free action as long as you tell us where you are getting the blood from) You can also do it during a game just talk to a staffer and tell us where you are getting blood from. If it's a player, they need to tell us too. ( Blood used for this becomes the Gargoyles and no longer serves as a link to the caster.)

A gargoyle can have a number of Gargoyle rituals equal to their level of Fortitude. It is possible for a Gargoyle to hold more... But they risk the stability of their body with each additional ritual that is inscribed upon their flesh.

Gargoyle Rituals cost 5 exp per.

It is possible to inscribe any path into a Gargoyle. However, the effect of many are unknown. (These can be researched or just inscribed randomly) Many Gargoyle rituals do not take action to activate. The ones that do will say so.

Known Gargoyle Rituals

Path of Blood:

Blood Potency: Works just like the Thaum of the same name

Lure of Flames:

Body of Flame: The Gargoyle ignites their body, converting a level of their unarmed damage into Ag and dealing 2 ag to anyone who grapples them or who they grapple. They also take one ag each round ( Soakable). This ritual does not take action to activate but always stays active for 10 rounds unless extinguish is used. If the gargoyle grapples a target, they must make a dif 5 rotshrek test. Just being in their presence is dif 3

Elemental Mastery:

Stone Heart The Gargoyle’s heart is empowered with the strength of stone. All staking tests require one additional success for the scene. They can dismiss the ritual reflexively to automatically resist a successful staking.

Hand of Destruction:

Right Hand of Doom: The gargoyle can activate this ritual during an unarmed attack (Before making the check) to increase the damage by three lethal for a single attack. This attack must be performed with the right hand for some unknown reason. The damage cap of this attack is increased to 7.

Hearth Path:

Master of the House: The gargoyle may teleport to any room in a building so long as that building has a Hearth path power active on it.

Movement of the Mind:

Barrier: The Gargoyle can activate a barrier that works just like the level 5 movement of the mind power.

Neptunes Might:

As above, So Below: The gargoyle can move his flight speed underwater for a scene. In addition while fully submerged underwater the gargoyle gains +2 traits.

Path of Mars:

Battle Cry: The Gargoyle gains 2 physical traits for the scene. this will stack with Casting of Path of mars.

Weather control:

Storm: The Gargoyle can summon a Lightning storm and automatically soaks any damage caused by electricity for the scene. This stacks with fortitude. ( Each round for 5 rounds, the Gargoyle can make a lightning bolt attack, as per Weather control, but only 2Ag, reflexively during the Helper action.)

Levinbolt:

Mjolnir: The Gargoyle covers their hands in electricity, dealing an extra level of damage with all unarmed and melee attacks for a scene. This power is not dismissable, making it hard for the gargoyle to interact with electronics once activated.

Spirit Manipulation

Garou Warder: The Gargoyle can step into the middle umbra so long as they are on a Node. They can exit so long as they do so from where they stepped through, within the same night. Should the sun rise while they are in the middle umbra they are stuck until they can find a way free.

Gargoyles and Koldunism, Setite Sorcery, Dur An Ki, Sadhana, Dark Thaum, and Anarch Sorcery,

Most of these rituals have only ever been performed using Hermetic Thaumaturgy, however, there is nothing saying one can’t use a different casting style. Hermetic Rituals are clean, purposefully so, and devoid of additional extra-dimensional energies. This is not true of other casting styles. Rituals created using these other magic could cause changes in the Gargoyle's physiology and personality.

Examples:

Way of Fire: Works as per Lure of Flames except. The damage increases to 3Ag and the Gargoyle takes a -1 on all self control checks for the remainder of the night after using.

Sadhana: Chimystery: Allows the Gargoyle use of a single CRavnos Clan advantage for the scene, After use the gargoyle becomes vulnerable to icons of faith and must make a fear frenzy when in the presence of one.

Dur An Ki: Quietus: the Gargoyle may activate this power to increase their traits by 3 for the purposes of stealth using Visceratika. After using, the Garygoyle cannot speak above a whisper for the evening.

Gargoyles and Nodes/ Umbral realms:

Gargoyles ARE magic. Thus they are more susceptible to the spirit world than normal kindred. The mutagenic properties of the blood can cause changes to the Gargoyle should they spend too much time on a node. The Tremere have encountered and documented such occurrences. Three of the most famous Gargoyles who have seen their bodies morphed are the sabbat Gargoyle, The Black Angel of Jacksonville, the Autarkis Red-Lister Ferox, and the Assamite convert known as Afarit who operates in the middle east.