Vis Flow

By Deirdre Brooks (xenya@teleport.com)

Description

The thaumaturgist may use this path to manipulate and the fabric and flow of magic itself. It is difficult to find and learn. Vis Flow is primarily practiced by Tremere who were mages before the embrace, and generally only by those embraced in the early days of the Clan. Vis pawns are a unit of power, generally equivalent to Quintessence.

* Vis Sense

The caster is sensitive to nearby magical fluctuations.

System: With a successful, roll, the caster may detect the use of any supernatural power, the presence of Vis or a place of power (a caern or node). Determine range of effect below:

Successes	Range
1	Touch
2	Within a room
3	Within a building
4	Within a block
5	Within a mile

Note that the larger the radius, the less likely a specific source can be identified. This isn't like radar in that it will give a location. Rather, it's a sense that something nearby is magical. The caster may voluntarily restrict the range to avoid overload.

** Vis Channel

With this power, the thaumaturgist may stand in a place of power and use some of the energy to strengthen his own effects.

System: The caster may subtract one half the caern or node's rating from all uses of thaumaturgy for one turn per success, or for the purposes of casting one ritual, regardless of time needed.

*** Vis Tap

The thaumaturgist may now steal Quintessence (and related energies) directly from other sourcess. This is generally considered a hostile magical attack by most mages.

System: This may be used to steal Vis pawns (Quintessence, etc). Each success steals one point from the target. Each point may be used to reduce the difficulty of a Thaumaturgy roll on the next turn. Stolen Vis cannot be saved.

This power may also be used on mortals. Each success inflicts one health level of lethal damage, but has the above effect.

**** Vis Static

The thaumaturgist may now restrict or stop the flow of vis through a magical site and render magic more difficult on such ground.

System: The first success reduces the site's rating by one for one hour. Each additional success may be applied to further reduce the rating or extend the duration by another hour.

***** Vis Plunder

The vampire may now steal Quintessence directly from a node or caern. This practice will permanently weaken and eventually destroy any site it's used upon. Thaumaturgists who use this often will generally find themselves the victims of lupine or mage assassins.

System: Each success enables the vampire to steal one pawn of Vis from the power site. The vampire may store up to Willpower pawns within his own body, and spend up to three pawns to empower a thaumaturgical effect (path or ritual). This use will reduce the target number by one per pawn. Each five pawns stolen from the site will permanently lower the site's rating by one.