Theban Sorcery

Theban Sorcery is the vampiric art of producing dark rituals resembling biblical miracles. The Lancea Sanctum is strongly against teaching Theban Sorcery to those who have not both joined the covenant and also proved themselves worthy; in terms of gameplay, this means that you cannot learn Theban Sorcery until you have taken at least one dot in Covenant Status with the Lancea Sanctum. In Roman times, Theban Sorcery existed as it does today, and was restricted to members of the Lancea et Sanctum.

Theban Sorcery is a ritual discipline, with more than one ritual per dot; each level may be purchased at 7x New Dots experience, which allows the player access to one ritual from that level. New rituals may be learned if you have already purchased the level of the desired ritual, and have a cost of 2x New Dots.

All Theban Sorcery rituals, regardless of level or effect, have a cost of 1 Willpower.

Theban Sorcery Rituals

Rituals are organized by number of dots needed to take them; the book in which they are detailed is at the end in parentheses.

• One-Dot Rituals

• Blood Scourge - Creates a whip of Vitae which can be used as a dangerous weapon, dealing lethal damage to those it strikes. (Core Rulebook, p146)
• Celibacy - Grants a mortal protection against the unearthly pleasure they face when being drained of their blood. (Lancea Sanctum, p194)
• Crown of Thorns - Temporarily forms a disfiguring crown upon an offender's head, causing them social penalties. (Lancea Sanctum, p194)
• Hauberk of Blood - Sets up automatic healing of a target through a point of empowered Vitae, to be placed on the target. (Lancea Sanctum, p194)
• Messenger's Mark - Produces an irremovable lance-shaped tattoo, which quickly identifies a person as a member of the Sanctified. (Nomads, p94)
• Paladin's Absolution - Adds extra dice to a humanity roll if the sin was committed for the good of the Lancea Sanctum. (Coteries, p127)
• Sinner Song - Coerces someone to confess to their most recent sin. (Lancea Sanctum, p196)
• The Angel's Touch - Causes a section of a human's flesh to become immune to the sealing power of the Kiss. (Requiem for Rome, p117)
• Theban Inscription - Creates an indelible mark of any kind desired onto an object. (Lancea Sanctum, p196)
• Vitae Reliquary - Allows Vitae to be stored until a time when it would be most needed, in a small handheld object. (Core Rulebook, p146)

•• Two-Dot Rituals

• Bird of Sin - Draws an insubstantial bird out from the target, symbolizing their sins, which proceeds to attack them. (Lancea Sanctum, p196)
• Curse of Babel - Prevents a target from saying anything. (Core Rulebook, p146)
• Damned Radiance - The user sparkles furiously, increasing his Presence in a distressing yet evocative way. (Lancea Sanctum, p197)
• Forbiddance of Blood - Locks the disciplines of a ghoul under Vinculum to the caster. (Ghouls, p37)
• Liar's Plague - If the affected attempts to tell a lie, locusts will come out of his mouth. (Core Rulebook, p147)
• Lightning Rod - Produces an object that captures the sleeping dreams and regrets of Kindred, allowing them to regain extra Willpower from daysleep. (Ancient Mysteries, p71)
• Prison of Denial - Prevents the target from seeing, speaking of or to, or thinking of a certain person. (Lancea Sanctum, p197)
• Resistance of Discipline (banned) - Allows another player to make a second resistance roll against a discipline that causes a contested action. (Lancea Sanctum, p197)
• Sanctity - Protects a room, and blocks it away from other rooms nearby. (Lancea Sanctum, p197)
• Sanguine Exaltation - Allows Vitae to be sacrificed in order to increase the effect of Theban Sorcery rituals. (WoD: Chicago, p119)
• Trap of Slumber - A mortal or ghoul who attempts to disturb a vampire while she is sleeping will also fall asleep. (WoD: Chicago, p119)
• Wings of the Seraph - Increases the user's speed as a function of their level in Theban Sorcery. (Nomads, p94)

••• Three-Dot Rituals

• Blandishment of Sin - The next time the target takes damage, it is upgraded by one order; bashing to lethal, lethal to aggravated. (Core Rulebook, p147)
• Blood Fire (banned) - Blood that spills out of the caster becomes holy fire, dealing damage to the assailant. (Lancea Sanctum, p197)
• Lash Beyond Death - The user may take one additional action immediately after being sent into torpor or Final Death. (Lancea Sanctum, p198)
• Legionnaire's Blessing (banned) - Blesses a weapon, allowing it to deal additional damage based on the power of the Theban Sorceror. (Lancea Sanctum, p198)
• Malediction of Despair - Curses a subject, requiring them to make a chance roll the next time they attempt a specified action. (Core Rulebook, p147)
• Micah's Hope - When faced with one's demise as a result of one's faith, the user becomes empowered with additional Presence, and can ignore wound penalties. (Requiem for Rome, p117)
• Pharaoh's Paces (banned) - The caster may not be touched, looked at, or have anyone come near him, as though he were as sacred as the ancient Pharaohs. (Lancea Sanctum, p198)
• Sanguine Clarity - A suffusion of Vitae in a vampire entering torpor allows it to retain a slightly higher amount of memories from before the sleep. (Ancient Mysteries, p72)
• Scrivener's Eye - Allows for the user to quickly read and understand large amounts of written information with perfect accuracy. (Nomads, p94)
• The Blessing of Judas Thomas - Allows whoever it is cast on to quickly become acquainted with new surroundings, even if they are very different. (Fall of the Camarilla, p178)
• Vision of the Will (banned) - An object is imbued with a vivid vision, seen by the next person to touch it, as determined by the caster. (Lancea Sanctum, p199)
• Whispers Through Time - Places a memory along with Vitae into a reliquary, allowing both to be retrieved at a later time. (Ancient Mysteries, p72)

•••• Four-Dot Rituals

• Call of Amoniel (banned) - Allows the user to choose exactly when they plan to awaken from their daysleep on the following evening. (Lancea Sanctum, p199)
• Display of the Beast (banned) - The user distorts his image into a representation of the Beast, causing distress to any nearby. (Lancea Sanctum, p200)
• Gift of Lazarus - Restores some life to a deceased target, turning them into a quickly decomposing zombie. (Core Rulebook, p147)
• Mark of the Damned - Produces a mark made of Vitae that prevents outside forces from entering a Haven. (Lancea Sanctum, p200)
• Purifying Light - Mystically empowers a light source to allow it to expel possessing spirits. (Fall of the Camarilla, p170)
• Sacred Haven - Transforms an enclosed area into a well-protected sanctuary against things that might be outside. (Nomads, p95)
• Song of the Prey - Lures mortals to the the caster, allowing for them to hunt Vitae more efficiently. (Lancea Sanctum, p201)
• Spear of Faith (banned) - Allows the caster to use the strength of his faith as a lethal weapon. (Lancea Sanctum, p201)
• Stigmata - Causes Vitae loss or lethal damage emanating from the five wounds of Christ. (Core Rulebook, p147)
• The Invisible - Causes the user to vanish completely, and sends them into torpor; they cannot be affected by mortal methods until awakened. (Ancient Mysteries, p72)

••••• Five-Dot Rituals

• Damned's Day (banned) - Blots out the sun, reducing its effects from aggravated damage to lethal. (Lancea Sanctum, p201)
• Fires of Vengeance - Transubstantiates sin into flame, causing more damage the lower the target's Morality has fallen. (Lancea Sanctum, p202)
• Imprecation of Sin (banned) - Destroys the beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, imbuing it with sin, making it ruined and uninhabitable. (Lancea Sanctum, p203)
• Night of Hell - Sends a sleeping or torpid target into an unimaginably long and hellish nightmare, cursing them with a derangement. (Lancea Sanctum, p204)
• Piece of Mind - The mind of someone who is fully at peace is devoured, allowing for a peaceful torpor without the Fog of Eternity. (Ancient Mysteries, p72)
• Rain of Blood - Causes a terrifying rain of pure Vitae that causes lethal damage to any caught in it the caster wishes to harm. (Lancea Sanctum, p204)
• The Martyr's Miracle - Sacrifices one's life in order to provide temporary protection from fire and sunlight. (Requiem for Rome, p117)
• Transubstantiation - Turns any one substance into the same amount of another. (Core Rulebook, p148)
• Wrathful Judgement - For each point of Willpower the caster spends, a point of the target's Vitae catches aflame, dealing aggravated damage. (Core Rulebook, p148)

References

• Vampire the Requiem (Core Rulebook): pp. 145-148
• Nomads (VtR): pp. 94-95
• Coteries (VtR): p. 127
• Nomads (VtR): pp. 94-95
• Ghouls (VtR): p. 37
• World of Darkness: Chicago: p. 119
• Lancea Sanctum (VtR): pp. 194-204
• Requiem for Rome (VtR): p. 117
• Fall of the Camarilla (VtR): pp. 170, 178
• Ancient Mysteries (VtR): pp. 71-73