Before the Flood:Cattiveria Devotions

Mortician's Appraisal (Auspex ●●)

The Sangiovanni exploits her unique bond with death to analyze a corpse at a single glance. The signature use of this power involves looking deeply into the eyes of the corpse, and seeing the last image the deceased ever saw, burned into the retinas. This may be used only once per scene per corpse.

• Cost: None.
• Dice Pool: Wits + Medicine + Auspex
• Action: Instant

Dramatic Failure: The player asks a question as though he had rolled a success. The Storyteller should give false or misleading information.

Failure: The corpse remains silent. No further attempt may be made to examine it in this scene.

Success: The corpse yields up its secrets. The player may ask one question per success, including appropriate questions from the Auspex lists.

Exceptional Success: The Sangiovanni gains a +1 bonus to all subsequent rolls when applied to this corpse, which includes mundane medicine rolls, further uses of necromancy, crafting, etc.

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Ectoplasmic Manifestation (Vigor ●)

The root of the Sangiovanni’s power lies within the blood and flesh of their body. Something unique to this line allows the Necromancer to convert the concentrated life of Vitae into the death energy of Plasm.

• Cost: 1 Vitae per Plasm
• Action: Reflexive

At the cost of one Vitae per one unit of Plasm, the Sangiovanni can produce the death-energy laden substance that is necessary to fuel their rituals. This Plasm, which is a thick, syrupy, dark liquid that exudes smoky vapors from it, must come out of the Sangiovanni physically, usually through an orifice (such as the mouth) or through a cut to the flesh. Cutting open flesh to release Plasm turns this power into an instant action. The Sangiovanni can spend as much Vitae as their Blood Potency allows as an instant action.

Once out, the Plasm will immediately start to decay. If it is not used, it will be gone entirely in a few short minutes. The Sangiovanni cannot store Plasm.

Sangiovanni who unlock this ability within their blood also intuitively learn to work with Plasm. At its most basic, the Sangiovanni can apply Plasm to the eyes of kindred as an instant action, one Plasm per vampire, and grant that vampire the ability to see ghosts concealed in Twilight. Likewise, corpses (vampires included) will gain a strange black shimmer. This effect lasts for ten minutes per Blood Potency of the Sangiovanni.

Additionally, some Necromancers have learned that Plasm is a valuable means of bartering with ghosts (and a few other entities). While this power offers no means to compel a ghost to do anything at all, there are many that would trade favors and information for Plasm. Plasm is converted to death-attuned Essence and consumed by the ghost.

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Ectoplasmic Infusion (Vigor ●●)

The energy of the dead can be used to heal the dead, just as life can heal the living. The Sangiovanni have learned to use the Plasm they create to heal the undead.

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Shuffling Porter (Auspex ●●, Vigor ●●)

Through working with Plasm, the Sangiovanni learns to will the death-energy into a corpse (or piece of a corpse) and animate it. The Sangiovanni sprinkles, spreads, or spills Plasm over a corpse and channels the strength and energies of their bloodline, willing the creature to life.

• Cost: 2 Plasm
• Roll: Intelligence + Occult + Vigor
• Action: Instant

Dramatic Failure: The dead tissue violently rejects the Plasm, bubbling and blistering in a hideously unnatural way. The scent of death and rot is enough to permeate an entire apartment building.

Failure: The Plasm fails to take, and the corpse remains lifeless.

Success: The corpse arises, ready to serve its master.

A Shuffling Porter is treated as a 1-dot Retainer, with a speed of 2 and a number of health boxes equal to the successes rolled. The one zombie’s chosen ‘field’ (per the Retainer merit) is chosen by the Necromancer upon raising the zombie. Each sunrise, the Shuffling Porter loses one health box as it begins to rot. As the last health box is consumed, the decaying heap of bone and flesh collapses. The animated corpse suffers no wound penalties, does not require sleep, and never tires.

Zombies have no ability to heal themselves once damaged (though can be healed with Plasm). Health boxes lost to decay cannot be healed.

The zombie possesses no mental capacities, save the ability to follow simple commands. Porters can be ordered to “guard”, and will attack intruders on sight, but giving a list of individuals they are not to attack is too complex. If an order is too vague the zombie will simply stop, and not attempt any action.

Exceptional Success: As success, save the zombie loses one health box every other night.

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The Predator's Bequest (Auspex ●●●, Vigor ●●●)

Once the Necromancer has raised a zombie, it is possible for him or her to infuse more of their own power into the walking corpse, not unlike one might do with a ghoul. The Necromancer spills their own vitae and pushes their will into the Shuffling Porter, and in doing so creates a much more useful servant.