Bleeding the Tarantula
(Level-Four Crúac Ritual)
This bizarre ritual creates a Guardian that watches over a vampire as he sleeps — an undead, spidery homunculus with fangs dripping bloody venom. To perform the ritual, the Acolyte must surrender a portion of her Vitae to create her Guardian’s physical form. The ritual creates a large, crimson spider resembling a tarantula that guards her Haven as she rests for the day. The creature has the following traits.
Attributes: Intelligence 0, Wits 1, Resolve 1, Strength 1, Dexterity 4, Stamina 1, Presence 0, Manipulation 0, Composure 1
Skills: Athletics 2, Stealth (Hiding in Plain Sight) 4, Survival 1
Willpower: 2
Initiative: 5
Defense: 4
Speed: 8 (species factor 3)
Size: 1
Weapons/Attacks:
Type: Bite
Damage: 1 (L) and poison
Dice Pool: Successes of the invocation roll
Health: 2
The blood-spider’s unnaturally powerful fangs also contain a preternatural venom, a corrupted Vitae that affects mortals and Kindred alike. Against mortals, it makes attacks with a number of dice equal to the invocation roll’s successes (usually four, given that this is a •••• ritual, but extra successes on the activation roll do count), inflicting lethal damage. In other words, don’t roll the spider’s Strength + Brawl — use a dice pool of the successes achieved upon activation. Attacks staged against Kindred are resolved in the same way, except each success rolled taints one Vitae in the victim, making that Vitae useless (remove it from the Vitae pool; it nauseates the Kindred but not to the degree of impeding any dice pools).
The blood-spider is absolutely loyal to its master, and enjoys a form of blood sympathy with her. If the blood-spider is injured or destroyed, the Acolyte senses it automatically. No Wits roll is required to check if the character can detect trouble while she sleeps, but a Humanity roll is still required to awaken. The spider cannot be frightened off or repelled by mundane forces or threats, and the ritual’s invocation successes are added to its Resistance traits against Disciplines or magical powers that might drive it off or take control of it. It stays animated and on guard until sunset, at which point it breaks down into a puddle of clotted and rotting blood.
Attributes: Intelligence 0, Wits 1, Resolve 1, Strength 1, Dexterity 4, Stamina 1, Presence 0, Manipulation 0, Composure 1
Skills: Athletics 2, Stealth (Hiding in Plain Sight) 4, Survival 1
Willpower: 2
Initiative: 5
Defense: 4
Speed: 8 (species factor 3)
Size: 1
Weapons/Attacks:
Type: Bite
Damage: 1 (L) and poison
Dice Pool: Successes of the invocation roll
Health: 2
The blood-spider’s unnaturally powerful fangs also contain a preternatural venom, a corrupted Vitae that affects mortals and Kindred alike. Against mortals, it makes attacks with a number of dice equal to the invocation roll’s successes (usually four, given that this is a •••• ritual, but extra successes on the activation roll do count), inflicting lethal damage. In other words, don’t roll the spider’s Strength + Brawl — use a dice pool of the successes achieved upon activation. Attacks staged against Kindred are resolved in the same way, except each success rolled taints one Vitae in the victim, making that Vitae useless (remove it from the Vitae pool; it nauseates the Kindred but not to the degree of impeding any dice pools).
The blood-spider is absolutely loyal to its master, and enjoys a form of blood sympathy with her. If the blood-spider is injured or destroyed, the Acolyte senses it automatically. No Wits roll is required to check if the character can detect trouble while she sleeps, but a Humanity roll is still required to awaken. The spider cannot be frightened off or repelled by mundane forces or threats, and the ritual’s invocation successes are added to its Resistance traits against Disciplines or magical powers that might drive it off or take control of it. It stays animated and on guard until sunset, at which point it breaks down into a puddle of clotted and rotting blood.
Related Discipline
Level
4