Transmutation

Thaumaturges practicing the art of Alchemy can manipulate the forms of solids, liquids and gases. Guns and knives melt into pools of metal, wood petrifies and becomes brittle, and common boundaries such as walls and doors transmute to vapor. The laws of chemistry do not bind Warlocks employing the powers of transmutation, as materials shift their state regardless of their temperature. Effects similar to those achieved by true alchemy can be achieved by using the Path of Transmutation. This path is looked upon somewhat unfavorably among the Tremere, as it reflects a “quick and dirty” effect rather than true mastery of alchemical transmutation. * Fortify the Solid Form By fortifying a solid object, a magus increases the strength and integrity of an item. A thaumaturge mystically transmutes a feather to become a crude blunt object, pencils become makeshift stakes, and a car becomes as tough as a tank. System: This power increases the offensive and defensive capabilities of an object. For each success the player scores, an object will absorb one health level of damage. Similarly, a thaumaturge wielding the same object offensively will inflict one extra die of damage per two successes the player scores on the activation roll. In either case, an object may absorb or inflict a maximum of five health levels or dice of damage, respectively. The effects of fortifying an object last for one scene, and must either be offensive or defensive - the Platonic ideal of attack is not the same as for defense. Note: This power cannot be used to increase the structure of a living creature. However, a thaumaturge may use Fortify the Solid Form in conjunction with the Level Two power Crystallize the Liquid Form to make a very solid piece of ice, molten metal, etc. ** Crystalize the Liquid Form Tremere designed this power to prevent other Kindred from taking vitae. This can also be used to solidify water and molten metal. Liquids within living bodies may not be altered, though blood exiting the body may be solidified. Kindred may not consume solidified blood. System: For every success the player scores on the Willpower roll, the vampire may transform one blood point (or about two pints of a liquid) into solid form for a scene. This substance will not change in temperature; solidified molten steel still burns and melts other material. The liquid must be within the thaumaturge’s line of sight. *** Liquefy the Solid Form A thaumaturge may “melt” solid objects and leave them in a liquid-like state. By employing this power, attackers could find their weapons in small pools at their feet. Stakes rot away at a rapid pace, and blades corrode into soft, nondescript puddles. Some wily thaumaturges might even transmute bullets before they impact an intended target. System: The thaumaturge may transform an object within his line of sight. When the object reforms from a liquid, it will likely assume a deformed state and be rendered useless. A transformed object remains in a liquid state for one scene, after which it resumes its original shape (which many thaumaturges claim is a recent improvement over an older, more dated version of this power). The size of the object that may be changed depends upon the success of the player’s roll. One success A lighter Two successes A telephone Three successes A computer Four successes An automobile Five successes A bus **** Gaol When a Warlock invokes this power, he solidifies the air into an opaque, indestructible object. A crude shimmering prism forms around a victim’s body, encasing him within unbreakable material. Doorways become impenetrable boundaries as the air between a doorjamb condenses to a resilient barrier. System: A Warlock may solidify the air within 50 yards of his person. One success on a Willpower roll solidifies an amount of air equivalent to a brick where five successes will form a solid block of air that can encompass a telephone booth. Once the air condenses, it becomes completely indestructible; this effect lasts for one scene. Victims trapped within the solid air will not be able to break through this barrier (not even with Potence), though mortals will not suffocate. The oxygen within the block is breathable, though liquid-like. These victims will experience an uncomfortable sensation in their lungs from the alien dependency on the oxygenated fluid, and they may reject it altogether. When the effect of Gaol expires, the barrier around the subject dissipates into its original gaseous state. The oxygen within the target’s lungs, however, will remain a fluid and, though breathable, must be purged from the body - coughed out - before it can transmute back into a gas. ***** Ghost Wall After attaining this level of mastery, a thaumaturge finds herself no longer hindered by common barriers such as walls and rock formations. With but a thought, solid objects shift to a vaporous state and may be traversed with little difficulty. The Warlock passes beyond walls, as they are insubstantial and will not obstruct his movement. Targets fall through a gaseous floor, and vaporous parachutes are useless in slowing the travel speed of a skydiver. System: A thaumaturge may make vaporous any nonliving body within his line of sight. For every success he scores on his Willpower roll, a larger amount of material transmutes in this manner. It takes a single success to transmute a laptop computer into vapor, while it takes five successes to transmute a city bus. A transmuted object loses its shape and becomes transparent. This effect lasts for one scene, after which the object in question reforms as if nothing had ever happened. Needless to say, this is an outrageous breach of the Masquerade if any inappropriate eyes observe it. Should a victim occupy the same space as the object after this power expires, he suffers a number of unsoakable health levels of aggravated damage the Storyteller determines appropriate to the circumstance. For example, a rock reforming within a body might inflict a single level of damage, where a person trapped within a wall should suffer at least five levels of damage. Objects that reform partially within another object will remain this way until physically removed, or invoked to be vaporous again.