Nepenthe
The name of this Discipline refers to an opium-and-alcohol mixture given to Helen of Troy by an Egyptian queen. The drink was said to lull all pain and anger, and bring forgetfulness of every sorrow. Although Anvari use of this Discipline may predate the time of Helen, the bloodline could have used this name for over a millennium.
The Discipline arises from the bloodline’s familiarity and close association with opium and other narcotics. Through it, an Anvari can manipulate the very nature of a subject’s blood, inducing euphoria, desire and even debilitating pain — despite the connotations of the Discipline’s name. A common use of Nepenthe is to set mortals on the path to narcotics Addiction, providing a Pusher with both a suitable vessel and a contact she can blackmail or coerce.
Not surprisingly, Nepenthe is more effective against mortals than Kindred. Perhaps this is due to the subtle differences in Kindred and mortal blood, or because vampires have more control over their own bodies in many ways, or because one is still alive and the other is dead. Regardless of the reason, nearly all of the Discipline’s effects are contested, allowing a vampire’s Blood Potency to provide him with an often-decisive advantage.
A mortal can resist the effects of certain Nepenthe powers for a turn with the expenditure of a Willpower point and a successful Stamina roll (the Willpower point does not add three dice to this roll). The roll is reflexive. If it fails, the Willpower point is spent and the mortal remains under the effects of the power. If it is successful, the victim can act normally for one turn with no modifiers to traits or dice pools. A vampire with a higher Blood Potency than the Anvari using Nepenthe can resist a specific power for the remainder of the scene with a Willpower point and a successful roll.
The Discipline arises from the bloodline’s familiarity and close association with opium and other narcotics. Through it, an Anvari can manipulate the very nature of a subject’s blood, inducing euphoria, desire and even debilitating pain — despite the connotations of the Discipline’s name. A common use of Nepenthe is to set mortals on the path to narcotics Addiction, providing a Pusher with both a suitable vessel and a contact she can blackmail or coerce.
Not surprisingly, Nepenthe is more effective against mortals than Kindred. Perhaps this is due to the subtle differences in Kindred and mortal blood, or because vampires have more control over their own bodies in many ways, or because one is still alive and the other is dead. Regardless of the reason, nearly all of the Discipline’s effects are contested, allowing a vampire’s Blood Potency to provide him with an often-decisive advantage.
A mortal can resist the effects of certain Nepenthe powers for a turn with the expenditure of a Willpower point and a successful Stamina roll (the Willpower point does not add three dice to this roll). The roll is reflexive. If it fails, the Willpower point is spent and the mortal remains under the effects of the power. If it is successful, the victim can act normally for one turn with no modifiers to traits or dice pools. A vampire with a higher Blood Potency than the Anvari using Nepenthe can resist a specific power for the remainder of the scene with a Willpower point and a successful roll.
Related Ethnicities