Potence

The Blood's raw might. Vampires with Potence strike harder, leap farther, and crush what mortal hands merely hold. Powers activate per the mechanics on the Disciplines page; the contested and reaction rolls below carry their own tables, ready to play as-is.

Level 1

Lethal Body

The vampire's bare hands cause horrendous damage to mortals, tearing skin and breaking bones with bare fingers.

Cost: Free. No roll.

System: Your unarmed attacks may, at your choice, deal Aggravated damage to mortals. In addition, your unarmed attacks treat the target's armor as one Armor Type lighter per Potence Level (minimum AT 1) VTMIgnores one level of armor per Potence level (VTM p. 264).

Duration: Passive.

Soaring Leap

Unholy strength in more than arms and fists: the vampire leaps far higher and farther than any mortal.

Cost: Free. No roll.

System: You can jump 3 m (10') per Potence Level vertically and 5 m (~15') per Potence Level horizontally, with no run-up needed.

Duration: Passive.

Level 2

Prowess

Vampires with Potence gain far greater strength from their Blood than those who lack it.

Cost: One Rouse CheckVTM concept to make a single d10 check whether hunger is gained. No roll.

System: While active, when an unarmed attack hits, add \({10}\times{Potence Level}\) to the roll when reading the attack table (damage only — not to hit determination), and likewise \({10}\times{ceil(\frac{Potence Level}{2})}\) for melee attacks. Feats of Strength maneuvers gain \({10}\times{Potence Level}\) outright.

Ex: With Potence 2, a hit that reads 112 on the unarmed attack table is read as 132 instead; melee reads +10 higher; feats of Strength roll at +20. Lasts until the scene ends.

Level 3

Brutal Feed

The "Savage Kiss": unholy strength turned to feeding. In mere seconds the attacker swallows torrents of blood while mauling the victim — efficient, if messy, and favored in the heat of battle where mangled remains can be disguised.

Cost: Free.

System: You can drain a human completely in seconds — usually a single turn. In combat, Brutal Feed follows immediately after a successful bite attack (the bite rules on Combat): the victim first takes the bite's table damage, then in that same turn up to your Potence Level in automatically successful feeding actions (halved, rounded down, against vampires). Each point of HungerVTM need for blood sustenance slaked bursts vessels and ruptures organs: \(10 + 1d10\)aggravated concussion hits to a mortal victim — against a vampire's dead organs the same hits are superficial. Armor does not protect against the feed (the wounds are internal), though it protects against the bite itself as normal. The Storyteller may rule such mutilation-killing warrants StainsVTM: If a character violates her Tenets or Beliefs they may gain Stains to their Humanity.

Duration: One feeding.

Spark of Rage

Combining Potence and Presence, the vampire incites anger and even frenzy in onlookers as easily as awe or dread. Take care not to rile an angry mob onto yourself.

Amalgam: Requires Presence at Level 3 (ranks 13+).

Cost: One Rouse CheckVTM concept to make a single d10 check whether hunger is gained.

Pools: Empathy + Potence vs Self Discipline + Reasoning VTMManipulation + Potence vs Composure + Intelligence (VTM p. 265)

System: While active, add \({10}\times{Potence Level}\) to any roll to rile or incite a person or crowd to violence. You may also target another vampire directly with the contest below — on a win, the victim must test against fury frenzy.

Duration: One scene.

Resistance (the victim rolls first, as the passive side):

\(Resistance = d100_{OE} + 40 + {2}\times{(SD_{bonus} + Re_{bonus})} + BP\)BPBP is the Blood Potency power bonus: +5 per point of Blood Potency — for example +5 at BP 1 and +30 at BP 6. In a victim’s Resistance formula, use the victim’s own.

Uncanny Grip

Focusing unnatural strength into fingers and toes, the vampire grips and burrows into almost any surface — climbing and even hanging unsupported from walls and ceilings. This is brute force, not adhesion: the surface bears telltale scarring afterward.

Cost: One Rouse CheckVTM concept to make a single d10 check whether hunger is gained.

System: You automatically succeed on any climbing roll against a non-metallic surface (softer metals like copper cladding at the Storyteller's discretion; thin glass may shatter under the stress). You can hang from a wall or ceiling for up to a scene — by the feet only if barefoot. The climb leaves obvious tracks: spotting them is a Tracking maneuver at Light (+10) VTMIntelligence + Investigation at Difficulty 2 (VTM p. 265); on glass, no roll is needed.

Duration: One scene.

Level 4

Draught of Might

The vampire's Blood becomes saturated with Potence, conveying a part of that power to anyone who drinks of it.

Cost: One Rouse CheckVTM concept to make a single d10 check whether hunger is gained.

System: Drinking a Rouse Check's worth of Blood directly from you gifts the drinker temporary Potence at half your Level (rounded down), including its powers up to that Level. Where a gifted power needs the Discipline skill, use the minimum skill bonus of that Level (Level 1: +3, 2: +18, 3: +36, 4: +58, 5: +82).

Duration: One night; for vampire drinkers, until their next feeding or reaching HungerVTM need for blood sustenance 5.

Level 5

Earthshock

Strength as an elemental force: the vampire slams fist or foot into the ground, throwing everyone nearby off their feet. Use carefully, lest you literally bring the house down on yourself.

Cost: Two RouseRouse the blood for supernatural usage checks. Once per scene.

System: No roll is needed to create the shockwave — the ground is hard to miss. Everyone within 5 m (~15') reacts with the maneuver below. The collateral damage is significant: earth cracks, furniture breaks, mirrors shatter — and on anything but the ground floor, the floor itself may give way and drop everyone a story down.

Duration: One use.

Fist of Caine

The vampire's bare hands inflict injuries lethal to mortals and vampires alike: dismembering, impaling, decapitating — even ripping the heart from a chest.

Cost: One Rouse CheckVTM concept to make a single d10 check whether hunger is gained.

System: For one scene your unarmed attacks deal Aggravated damage to mortals and supernaturals alike. Against Kindred that means full-value resolution instead of the Small-attack reduction, per the aggravated-damage rule (Core Concepts).

Duration: One scene.