Page 178 - Hunter - The Vigil

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Action: Extended; each roll represents 10 minutes of Action: Instant.
prayer, chanting and breathing in incense. The Ascending Roll Results
One may roll a maximum number of times equal to his Stam- Dramatic Failure: The Ascending One is affected by a
ina + Elixir. Toxicity 5 lethal poison, which may be resisted by a contest-
Roll Results ed roll of Resolve + Stamina versus the poison’s Toxicity.
Dramatic Failure: The character slips into a deep coma Failure: The hunter is treated as though she had tak-
and cannot awaken until he earns five successes on an ex- en a potent (-3 to all Social rolls, no bonus to Strength or

tended Stamina + Resolve roll. Each roll represents one day Stamina) dose of cocaine.
of trying to wake. Success: For every success rolled on the activation,
Failure: No progress is made toward attaining the the Ascending One gains a +1 bonus to her Strength and
ecstatic state that allows spiritual travel. Should the As- Dexterity. These bonuses likewise increase Traits derived
cending One fail to accumulate the required successes be- from these two Attributes. In addition, the character’s
fore the roll limit runs out, he is affected as though he blood becomes a highly toxic poison that affects vampires
had consumed a potent (-3 to all dice pools and traits) and mortals alike. Any creature attempting to feed on the
hallucinogen. Ascending One’s blood suffers one automatic point of le-
Success: Progress is made toward leaving the body thal damage per point of damage inflicted by blood loss.
behind. The Attribute bonuses last for the remainder of the scene;
Exceptional Success: No additional effect beyond the the character’s blood remains toxic for 24 hours.
large number of successes. Exceptional Success: No additional effect beyond an
Incense of the Next World allows a hunter to com- extraordinary increase to Strength and Dexterity.
pletely free his consciousness from his physical form and
travel mentally to distant locations while leaving his body Mesmeric Vapors (•••••)
behind. It requires 10 successes to separate the soul from Society has always warned of the dangers of drugs.
the body; the Ascending One must breathe in the incense Whether strong drink, hashish, or pure Colombian coke,
for the entirety of the extended action. the manner in which they can alter perceptions has been
Once separated, the character can move around free- feared and cautioned against as far back as history has re-
ly, but he is intangible and invisible, existing in the state corded. Religions have railed against them, and govern-
called Twilight. He can be perceived through any appro- ments have tried to find ways to use them against their
priate means (such as an Endowment that allows a char- enemies. But where CIA-programmed LSD sleeper agents
acter to perceive Twilight beings). Other astral projectors are largely relegated to the realms of conspiracy theory
or other beings that exist in Twilight can perceive him web sites, the Ascending Ones have perfected an alchemi-
normally. cal compound so intoxicating it can literally reduce a hap-
Returning to his body requires an instant action and less victim to little more than a puppet.
a successful Wits + Composure roll. There is theoretically Mesmeric Vapors, in their un-smoked form, resemble
no limit to how long the character may remain in this as- loose tobacco of the type used in hand-rolled cigarettes.
trally projected state, but the normal rules for deprivation The scent is subtly sweeter, and often seems to hint at
apply (The World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 175). If the different aromas to different individuals. Because of the
hunter’s physical body is tampered with while he is “gone,” nature of its use, Mesmeric Vapors are rarely used as in-
he may sense the intrusion with a successful Intelligence cense; instead they are smoked like a pipe or a cigarette.
+ Composure roll. The character always feels actual pain The smoke given off by this compound is a pale golden
inflicted on his physical body, and may react as he sees fit. color, and it hangs with an unnatural heaviness in the air,
However, an astral projector’s physical body may be sub- remaining still even in a moderate breeze.
jected to a killing blow if the body is left unprotected (see Action: Contested (but see below); Stamina + Elixir
The World of Darkness Rulebook, p. 168). versus subject’s Stamina + Resolve
Roll Results
Blood of the Cobra (•••••) Dramatic Failure: The character is afflicted by a Tox-
The serpent has a long and colorful history of mythic icity 4 lethal poison. This poison may be resisted with a
symbolism. In various cultures, it has symbolized good and contested Stamina + Resolve roll subtracting the poison’s
evil, life and death, wisdom and deceit. In the mythology Toxicity. Anyone else who breathes in the smoke is simi-
of the Ascending Ones, vampires are frequently linked to larly affected.
serpentine imagery, and Ascending Ones who specialize in Failure: The hunter is affected as though he had
destroying vampires are often called Serpent Chasers. taken a potent (-3 to all dice pools and traits) dose of
The Blood of the Cobra is an exotic compound of cobra opium. Anyone else who breathes in the smoke is simi-
venom, hashish and a variety of other alchemical reagents larly affected.
brewed into a devastatingly toxic Elixir. It must be injected Success: The Ascending One breathes in the smoke
directly into the vein to have an effect; most hunters use of the Mesmeric Vapor and converts its toxins into a deep-
their inner arms for quick access during battle. ly psychotropic drug. In order to have an effect, this smoke

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