• Serpentine Rapport
The fundamental power of the Gorgons opens the vampire’s intuition to the manners and mindset of serpents. Modern Kindred sometimes call this “unlocking the lizard brain.” This base, animal sensibility grants the vampire insight and affinities that improve her abilities with other Disciplines and Skills, all stemming from her rapport with and reverence for the serpentine mind.
Effect
The basic effect of this power simply augments the dice pools of other actions. In a way, this power might be considered a kind of universal Specialty in snakes of all sorts. This grants the vampire several general benefits:
- First, the Gorgon gains a +2 bonus on all Animal Ken dice pools involving snakes (except those used to activate other powers of Amphivena). If the Gorgon already has an Animal Ken Specialty in snakes, this power’s +2 bonus replaces it. This bonus applies to Animalism dice pools involving Animal Ken as well.
- The Gorgon is considered to have a “Snakes” Specialty in any suitable Skill in which she has dots of her own. For many Skills, this Specialty grants no real benefit (for example, a “Snakes” specialty in Politics is nonsense and “Snakes” are not a suitable Specialty for combat Skills). A “Snakes” Specialty in Survival, for example, can help a Gorgon locate snakes in the wild. The Storyteller is the final judge of when this “universal Specialty” applies.
- The Gorgon gains a +2 bonus on dice pools when using the Leashing the Beast Power (Animalism •••••) while she or her subject is in contact with a snake subject to (or created with) Serpentine Union (Amphivena ••).
- The Gorgon’s snake Ghouls gain a heightened, intuitive awareness of their supernatural state. They may use Vitae to heal themselves and augment Physical dice pools. Plus, the Gorgon’s snake Ghouls may learn and use Heightened Senses (Auspex •) and Aura Perception (Auspex ••) if their regnant can teach it to them; these are useful for Gorgons who use Subsume the Lesser Spirit (Animalism ••••) on their Ghouls.
Material Components
Cost: None
Gestures & Ritual
Dice Pool: This power requires no roll to activate and is considered always “on.”
Related Discipline
Effect Casting Time
N/A
Level
1