backThaumaturgy Path: Earthen Mastery
Earthen Mastery will one day evolve into the Tremere's Elemental Mastery, a bizarre amalgam of the Scholar's ages of accumulated learning that would give your average Capadocian a coronary. Earthen Mastery call upon the cubic element, earth itself. Earth is the heaviest element and the most resilient. This path draws on those properties of earth to empower the wielder. Earth embodies solidness, and hence the tactile nature of objects. Because of this the Thaumaturge must be in physical contact with earth, stone, or metal for these powers to work. Even earthen products, such as pottery, may be effected. The ground floor of most buildings is earth or stone, as are roman roads, but the user must not be wearing sandals, his or her feet must be on the ground. Similarly, touching the blade of a sword will allow the caster to use these powers, but not the hilt as it is wrapped in cloth or leather. Because of this limitation many Capadocians who use this path wear gold jewelery or silver bands.
o Immovable Self
By planting both feet firmly on earth, stone, or metal the caster can resist practically any force. In a similar fashion, an earth, stone or metal object can be held securely in the caster's hand. As usual, no other material can intervene between the caster and object he is gripping, be it a sword or the earth itself. The caster is not immune to damage, if trampled by an elephant he or she will likely suffer grievous wounds, though they will remain upright. This power lasts until the caster voluntarily drops the object, changes his or her grip (if the power is used on the hands) or moves at all (if the power is used on the feet). Each success on the activation roll grants two dice to resist movement or dropping.
oo Earthen Tongues
The caster can speak to any earth, stone, or metal object. This can range from a metal door knob to a simple rock. The caster must remain touching the object for the duration of the power's use. These objects have no visual or olfactory senses, but will know if they are touched, if they experienced unusual heat or cold, and it may hear sounds around it. A high number of successes on the activation roll might cause a door latch to describe the cool delicate fingers of the hand that opened the door two weeks ago as well as the words of the woman who opened the door. Fewer successes would likely only reveal the coolness of the touch, indicating a vampire's involvement. Fewer still and the door latch would not be able to remember back far enough, but would remember the warm calloused hands of the servant who uses the door regularly and the songs he sings while working. These conversations can take some time, as much as an hour to talk to a particularly large and old rock.
ooo Immovable Other
While in some situations being immovable can be a boon, in others it can be a bane. This power can root an opponent to the earth, or affix some earth, stone, or metal to their flesh. The target does not have to be directly touching, they can be effected if wearing sandals, but not if on a wooden floor over earth, or if riding a horse. The caster must be directly touching earth, stone, or metal while the power is being used, though it need not be the same bit of earth that is being effected. The caster must also be able to see the target for the duration of the power. The number of successes on the activation roll debilitates the target in two fashions. All the target's physical actions are at a dice penalty equal to half the number of successes, rounded down. All of the target's attempts to move are at a dice penalty of the number of successes. To move at all the target must roll Strength + Athletics (remember the penalty for movement) at a difficulty of 4, each success allows the target to move 5 feet in one action. The target can always spend willpower for one automatic success, even if penalties have reduced their dice pool to zero. The target's companions can negate the effect of the caster's number of successes on a one for one basis by rolling Str + Athletics, diff 6. This represents pulling or pushing the target along. Anything that breaks the target's connection to the ground will stop this effect. Of course, most targets will not this unless they have Capadocian Clan Lore at level 2.
oooo Animate the Unmoving
Earth, stone or metal objects effected by this power can move under the caster's control. Solid objects gain some degree of flexibility, a sword might bend to strike its owner or a stone road could break open to trip an opponent. Other objects can gain some mobility by moving themselves. A stone table could walk, and a stone statue could be fully animate. Each success on the activation roll allows the caster to control one object so long as he or she is touching earth, stone, or metal and the object is in, and remains, within sight. The earth buckling underfoot might impose a three die penalty to the target's actions. A sword might do three dice of lethal damage to its wielder. Metal armor would do six dice of lethal damage to its wearer.
ooooo Resilience of the Earth
This is the ultimate expression of the power of earth, both binding the caster to the earth and giving him or her great resistance to damage. The caster must be touching the earth directly to use this power, worn adornments or carried objects are insufficient. The caster has ten extra dice to avoid being moved or knocked over, in a similar fashion to Immovable Self. Additionally, and more importantly, the caster is almost immune to damage. Bashing damage is ignored completely. Lethal damage is soaked as if it were bashing. Fortitude rolls to soak aggravated damage are at a dice bonus equal to the number of successes on the activation roll for this power. If the vampire does not have Fortitude these bonus dice may be rolled alone. These bonus dice may not be used to soak fire or sunlight however, earth magic has no domain over fire. This power remains in effect as long as the caster is in contact with the earth. This limits the caster to a walking pace (20 feet per action) and means he or she can not ride a horse or enter into some buildings.
Example:
Our heroine is Exempla Gratia, a Capadocian with level 5 Earthen Mastery who faces off against against a legionnaire. The Capadocian has willpower 7 and all other stats at 2. She is wearing gold jewelery and so can use Earth Mastery without any problems. The legionnaire is a pretty impressive mortal, with 5 in all his physical Attributes and 3 in all Abilities. The meet just outside Arelate on the Via Domitia.
The legionnaire seems pissed and wants to push the Capadocian down. The Capadocian, being a cerebral woman, acts first and uses Immovable Self. She spends a blood point and rolls her 7 willpower against a difficulty of 5. She gets 5 successes. The legionnaire then tries to push her down, rolling Brawl + Str, 8 dice. The Capadocian rolls her Str + Brawl + twice the number of successes obtained, or 14 dice. She wins.
The legionnaire is a little annoyed at this, so he runs home to get his sword. Meanwhile the Capadocian attempts to figure out why the legionnaire pushed her in the first place, using Earthen Tongues on one of the rocks that makes up the road. She spends a blood point and rolls her willpower against a difficulty of 6. She gets 4 successes. After a half hour or so she is able to discern that the rock noticed the legionnaire singing drinking songs to himself as he paced back and forth along this stretch of road. From this she concludes that he as been drinking on patrol.
After a bit he comes back, this time with his sword. Not particularly wanting to get run through our Capadocian uses Immovable Other on him. She spends a blood point and rolls willpower at difficulty 7. She gets 3 successes. This means he can roll Str + Athletics – 3 dice at difficulty 4 to move. He rolls his 5 dice and gets 4 successes, allowing him to move 20 feet. Her her action the Capadocian can move 78 feet*, easily outdistancing the legionnaire. Frustrated, he throws his sword at her. To do this he rolls Dexterity + Athletics – 1 dice at difficulty 6 for a standard throwing attack. The -1 dice is half the number of successes she obtained, divided by two, and rounded down. He rolls his 7 dice and gets 4 successes, not quite enough to hit her with a thrown sword at a range of more than 50 feet. (Gladii aren't exactally designed for throwing).
She gets bored of this and ends the power voluntarily. As he charges at her she uses Animate the Unmoving. The Capadocian spends a blood point and rolls her willpower at a difficulty of 8, getting 2 successes. This means she can animate two objects. She chooses his armor and the ground under his feet. His armor twists and squeezes around him, doing 6 dice of lethal damage, which he can't soak. The ground buckles under his feet, making it much harder for him to run at her, giving a 3 dice penalty to his actions.
Somehow he survives all this and gets within range. He swings a fist at her as she calls upon the Resilience of the Earth. She spends a blood point and rolls her willpower at a difficulty of 9. She gets 1 success. His fist connects, but the bashing damage it would do does not effect her in the slightest because of the power. He then draws a dagger and stabs her in the stomach, doing 6 points of damage. She rolls her stamina of 2 to soak, only getting one success. But this lethal damage is treated as if it were bashing, so the net 5 points of damage is reduced to 2 points.
At this point Exempla Gratia gets bored, pumps her stats, and rips this guy's head off.
* See V:tM 3rd ed. page 200 for rules on movement.