Abyssal Alchemy

Higher Awareness – Abyssal Alchemy still preserves some similarities with Alchemy’s elevated goals, and Mystics are able to open the doors of perception to the worlds beyond the mundane. Assume there is a Ritual Preparation that copies other Discipline’s powers that might expand the Mystic’s perception. The level of such Rituals is equal to the power being copied plus one. As such, the Preparations that would enable a Mystic to see into the Lands of the Dead (Sepulcher Path Level 1), to see in the dark (Protean Level 1), or to enhance the senses (Auspex Level 1) are Level Two Rituals. A Preparation that lets mystics see auras (Auspex Level 2) would be a Level Three Ritual, and one that allows a mystic to travel to the spirit world (Auspex 5) would be a Level Six Ritual. Such effects are more Alchemical than Abyssal Alchemy properly, and a Storyteller may disallow any use of such rituals, or demand that exotic materials are necessary to these Preparations. Examples of such materials would be the ashes of a destroyed Abyss Mystic to create a Preparation that permits perception of the Underworld, and the blood of a saint that has been tempted and corrupted by the Alchemist to complete a formula that allows spiritual travel.

Botching an Abyssal Alchemy roll causes one health level of unsoakable aggravated damage per level of the ritual being cast, as a combination of chemical fire and angry darkness engulf the Mystic. The Abyssal Laboratory also takes damage, requiring further resources investments to bring it back to functionality. Raise the Resources level necessary to cast a ritual by +1 for the next number of Preparations equal to the health levels caused on the explosion.

There are a number of prerequisites which must be met for a mystic to learn Abyssal Alchemy.

AlchemyKnowledge: At a Storyteller’s discretion, to cast these rituals an Abyss Mystic must have the Occultism specialty Alchemy in addition to the Abyss Mysticism specialty, or increase the difficulty of the roll by +1 – or even be completely unable to cast Abyssal Alchemy rituals.

Obtenebration Knowledge: Shadows called forth with Obtenebration are used as raw materials for all Abyssal Alchemy formulas, and a connection between these shadows and the Abyssal Alchemist is an important metaphysical aspect of the process. An Abyss Alchemist must know Obtenebration at level 3 or higher to cast any of these rituals, being able to give physical substance to darkness. Summoning a special version of a Sphere of Darkness (see page XX) is a step of every Preparation Ritual, which involves the substance of the Sphere being distilled, decanted or condensed in conjunction with dangerous chemical substances.

Abyssal Laboratory: A Preparation Ritual can only be cast within a specially prepared Abyssal Laboratory. Abyssal Alchemy formulas require ingredients that, although mundane, are costly. A fully equipped Abyssal Laboratory consumes resources to maintain, and an Abyssal Alchemist cannot easily cast a Preparation Ritual at a higher level than the character’s Resources Background (or the Allies or Mentor Backgrounds at similar levels representing those that would be willing to provide the resources). If this condition is not met, the casting difficulty increases by +1.

Casting Time: Casting a Ritual of Darkness as an Abyssal Alchemy ritual takes 6 hours (or 12hrs? or 1 day? or 1 week?) per ritual level, involving preparation of ingredients, readying the laboratory and waiting for reagents to decant, suffer sedimentation or become a mixture, etc; besides actual laboratory work.

Setite Sorcery: Milk of Set(Blood Magic: Secrets of Thaumaturgy, p.117)
This entry is a catch-all for a range of rituas to numerous to mention, though many Setites have their own names for concotions ceated in this fashion. In each the Setite creates a salve or unguent with magical properties. The exact details of the ritual and ingredients of the salve vary depending on the desired effect.
Each effect must be learned as a separate ritual. When he wants his character to gain a new ritual, the player specifies a desired effect; the Storyteller determines its level, according to her judgment of the unguent's effectiveness as compared to other ritual effects. She should rule out any effect that too closely resembles an existing path or ritual from any tradition, unless the effect is a common one already available to a number of Disciplines. Effects must change their targets for the worse, or alter them so that they serve a new purpose. It takes one week per level to produce a single dose of salve or unguent. It stays potent for a number of weeks equal to the player's success, and then becomes useless.
Here are some common manifestations of Milk of Set:
Effect (Level)
Add to gas tank of vehicle, so that it goes where Setite wants, not where driver steers it (Lvl 3)
Alter the lock so that it conforms to a key the Setite owns (Lvl 1)
Burn throuh steel or concrete (Lvl 2)
Make drug more addictive (Lvl 1)
Make hollow replica of object coated in salve (Varies by object size)
Melt flesh on contact (1 per two health levels of damage dealt)
Salve slithers along the ground in sluglike manner, following trail of specified individual (Lvl 2)
Seek out a computer and maliciously alter contents of its hard drive (Lvl 1)

Abyssal Alchemy Ritual Casting

Abyssal Alchemy is actually a method of casting Rituals of Darkness, sacrificing expediency and speed in favor of a more controlled environment which Abyssal Alchemists argue are safer than ritualistic summoning, because they usually exempt the caster from the worst physical side-effects of dealing with the Abyss.

Most Rituals of Darkness can be cast as an Abyss Alchemy ritual, known as formula (pl. formulae), which produces either an apparently inert shadowy liquid concoction, a black powder or a smoke-like essence, stored in crystal vials that can then be opened or broken to activate the intended power or initiate the expected effect, either by the Alchemist or a lackey. Thus, the potential for storing effects and having them on hand for an immediate release when needed is another perceived advantage of Abyssal Alchemy.

Obtenebration powers can also be cast as if they were Rituals of Darkness through Abyssal Alchemy, which makes the practice even more versatile. A mystic can work on a formula that distill an Obtenebration power and condense it within darkness given substance, storing it for later use. A mystic can create an infusion with any Obtenebration power known by him or her, which can be later activated at any time by anyone. When the vial is shattered, these substances expand at an alarming rate and take the shape of the Obtenebration power condensed within.

Requirements

Alchemy Knowledge: An Abyss Mystic must have the Occultism specialty Alchemy in addition to the Abyss Mysticism specialty. Also, each version of a Ritual of Darkness or Obtenebration power cast as an Abyssal Alchemy formula must be learned as a new ritual of the same level.

Obtenebration Knowledge: Shadows called forth with Obtenebration are used as raw materials for all Abyssal Alchemy formulas, and a connection between these shadows and the Abyssal Alchemist is an important metaphysical aspect of the process. An Abyss Alchemist must know Obtenebration at level 3 or higher to cast any of these rituals, being able to give physical substance to darkness. Summoning a special version of a Sphere of Darkness (see page XX) is a step of every Preparation Ritual, which involves the substance of the Sphere being distilled, decanted or condensed in conjunction with dangerous chemical substances.

Abyssal Laboratory: A Preparation Ritual can only be cast within a specially prepared Abyssal Laboratory. Abyssal Alchemy formulae require special ingredients that, although mundane, are costly. A fully equipped Abyssal Laboratory consumes resources to maintain, and an Abyssal Alchemist cannot easily cast a Preparation Ritual at a higher level than the character’s Resources Background (or the Allies or Mentor Backgrounds at similar levels representing those that would be willing to provide the resources). If this condition is not met, the casting difficulty increases by +1.

Exemption from physical side-effects: If practiced under its strict conditions, Abyssal Alchemy is indeed safer than usual castings of Rituals of Darkness, and is thus preferred by many Mystics that would rather keep their knowledge of Abyss Mysticism a secret. A caster does not suffer from physical side effects unless a botch is rolled, in which case any Abyssal Alchemy casting can leave the Mystic horribly marred.

Limitations: Although in the hands of those with time and resources and the cunning to anticipate the unexpected Abyssal Alchemy can be a potent weapon, it has its limitations. Knowing how much and which effects to store is very important for an Abyssal Alchemist. A vampire can only have a number of prepared alchemical rituals equal to his or her Obtenebration rating.

Risks: The inherent dangers of Abyssal Alchemy remain on the spectacularly destructive results of its botches. Botching an Abyssal Alchemy roll causes one health level of unsoakable aggravated damage per level of the ritual being cast, as a combination of alchemical fire and angry darkness engulf the Mystic. The Abyssal Laboratory also takes damage, requiring further resources investment to bring it back to functionality. Raise the Resources level necessary to cast a ritual by +1 for the next number of castings equal to the health levels caused on the explosion. Each time an Abyssal Alchemy casting is botched the caster also gains a physical Flaw related to the Abyss, as the caster’s flesh develops a shadow infestation.

Cost: Abyssal Alchemy formulas almost always include Cainite vitae as a primary ingredient. All Preparations require one Blood Point. Every other cost of a ritual or Obtenebration power must also be paid when casting in the Abyssal Alchemy method.

Roll: the Abyss Mystic rolls Intelligence + Occultism as normal, the difficulty being the Ritual of Darkness or Obtenebration power level + 3. Only one roll is made for a given casting.

Casting Time: Abyssal Alchemy consumes long hours of arduous laboratory work. Rituals take one week to cast per level.

Successes: It is usually important to record the amount of successes scored on an Abyssal Alchemy ritual. An Abyss Mystic can determine the amount of Abyssal influence condensed in a given ritual’s results with an hour of laboratory work, and a successful roll of Intelligence + Occult (difficulty 6). Weak results can thus be discarded, although the time spent on their preparation is forever lost.

Abyssal Alchemy
Level ??? Ritual – (Player's Guide, 2nd Edition, p. ?34?)
Records of the origins of this profane art have been deliberately erased, although it makes sense to believe that it might have developed among Lasombra of the Peninsula Iberia, where Moorish knowledge of the Ancient World’s mysteries flourished among the Keepers. The story of Abyssal Alchemy might thus be associated to the Reconquista and Clan Lasombra role’s in it. The practice might as well be more ancient, however. Alchemy was practiced in ancient Egypt, the fabled land of Kem which gave Al-Kem-y its name. As much as with its sacred sister, the origins of Abyssal Alchemy are lost among the many cultures and peoples that contributed to its emergence. But the fact remains that Abyssal Alchemists’ practice is a sinister version of Alchemy. Learning Abyssal Alchemy demands commitment and a profound understanding of mystic principles, and the dangers inherent to the practice have led innumerable Mystics to Final Deaths on conflagrations of chemical fires and darkness.
System: Abyssal Alchemy is a collection of discrete rituals under a common theme, varying in level according to how powerful their effects are. They must be learned and cast individually. An Abyssal Alchemy formula is called a Preparation. There are a number of prerequisites which must be met for a mystic to learn Abyssal Alchemy.
Alchemy Knowledge: At a Storyteller’s discretion, to cast these rituals an Abyss Mystic must have the Occultism specialty Alchemy in addition to the Abyss Mysticism specialty, or increase the difficulty of the roll by +1 – or even be completely unable to cast Abyssal Alchemy rituals.
Obtenebration Knowledge: Shadows called forth with Obtenebration are used as raw materials for all Abyssal Alchemy formulas, and a connection between these shadows and the Abyssal Alchemist is an important metaphysical aspect of the process. An Abyss Alchemist must know Obtenebration at level 3 or higher to cast any of these rituals, being able to give physical substance to darkness. Summoning a special version of a Sphere of Darkness (see page XX) is a step of every Preparation Ritual, which involves the substance of the Sphere being distilled, decanted or condensed in conjunction with dangerous chemical substances.
Abyssal Laboratory: A Preparation Ritual can only be cast within a specially prepared Abyssal Laboratory. Abyssal Alchemy formulas require ingredients that, although mundane, are costly. A fully equipped Abyssal Laboratory consumes resources to maintain, and an Abyssal Alchemist cannot easily cast a Preparation Ritual at a higher level than the character’s Resources Background (or the Allies or Mentor Backgrounds at similar levels representing those that would be willing to provide the resources). If this condition is not met, the casting difficulty increases by +1.
Alchemy Preparations
Cost: Abyssal Alchemy formulas almost always include Cainite vitae as a primary ingredient. All Preparations require one Blood Point.
Roll: the Abyss Mystic rolls Intelligence + Occultism as normal. The results of the casting roll must be used to determine a Preparation’s characteristics, as follows.
Quantity: as a standard, each success creates a dose of the intended Preparation.
Casting Time: Abyssal Alchemy consumes long hours of arduous laboratory work. Standard Preparation Rituals take one hour to cast per level. Each success spent on casting time takes away half an hour. Two successes spent on a level 4 ritual that would usually take four hours would make it take three hours to cast instead. A number of successes can be spent this way equal to a ritual’s level. Thus, the minimum casting time for a ritual is half the usual amount of time it would normally take.
Permanence: as a standard each Preparation lasts for a night, plus one night per success applied to its duration. Three successes applied to Permanence yields a Preparation that lasts four nights. (A Storyteller may allow the character to spend one Willpower point in order for each success spent on Permanence to increase its duration for a month).
Persistence: the effects of an Abyssal Preparation last for a scene as a standard, unless successes are spent to increase it. One success increases the effectiveness of a Preparation from the moment it is used until the next sunrise or sunset. Each further success spent on Persistence increases that amount until the following sunrise or sunset.
Botches: Botching an Abyssal Alchemy roll causes one health level of unsoakable aggravated damage per level of the ritual being cast, as a combination of chemical fire and angry darkness engulf the Mystic. The Abyssal Laboratory also takes damage, requiring further resources investments to bring it back to functionality. Raise the Resources level necessary to cast a ritual by +1 for the next number of Preparations equal to the health levels caused on the explosion.
Known Preparations
Poisons – Abyssal Alchemy’s most traditional formulas are poisons distilled from Obtenebration-conjured darkness, transmuted into ink-like potions and salves, ebony-black powders, and smoke-like essences. They usually also require other substances, such as mercury and natural poisons.
System: An Abyssal Venom causes one health level of lethal damage per its ritual level, applied at the same turn the poison comes into contact with the subject. Abyssal Venom Resistance, Potency and Persistence: A subject may resist damage from an Abyssal Venom with a Stamina (+ Fortitude, if any) roll, with a difficulty equal the Venom’s level +3. Each success soaks one health level of damage. However, an Abyssal Alchemist may create particularly potent versions of an Abyssal Venom by dedicating successes to its Potency. In this case, each success spent on the Preparation’s Potency cancels one success scored by the victim on the resistance roll. Abyssal Venoms’ effects can have their Persistence extended as well, which makes them extremely dangerous. For each success dedicated to its Permanence the Venom causes its damage again at the next sunset or sunrise. For instance, a Venom extended with two successes and ingested in the middle of a night causes damage when is taken, at the end of that night and at the beginning of the next. The victim can soak this roll again each time
Higher Awareness – Abyssal Alchemy still preserves some similarities with Alchemy’s elevated goals, and Mystics are able to open the doors of perception to the worlds beyond the mundane.
System: Assume there is a Ritual Preparation that copies other Discipline’s powers that might expand the Mystic’s perception. The level of such Rituals is equal to the power being copied plus one. As such, the Preparations that would enable a Mystic to see into the Lands of the Dead (Ash Path Level 1) or to enhance the senses (Auspex Level 1) are Level Two Rituals. A Preparation that lets mystics see auras (Auspex Level 2) would be a Level Three Ritual, and one that allows a mystic to travel to the spirit world (Auspex Level 5) would be a Level Six Ritual. Such effects are more Alchemical than they belong to Abyssal Alchemy properly, and a Storyteller may disallow any use of such rituals, or demand that exotic materials are necessary to these Preparations. Examples of such materials would be the ashes of a destroyed Abyss Mystic to create a Preparation that permits perception of the Underworld, and the blood of a saint that has been tempted and corrupted by the Alchemist to complete a formula that allows spiritual travel.
Abyssal Infusions - The versatility of an Abyssal Alchemist is its ability to distill power from certain sources into Preparations created on laboratory. A mystic can work on formulas that distill a power’s source and condense it with darkness. More importantly, these Preparations can be stored for later use. A mystic can create a Preparation infused with any Obtenebration power known by him or her, which can be activated at any time by anyone. The usual form these Preparations take are that of vials with an apparently inert dark liquid or black essence. When the vial is shattered, these substances expand at an alarming rate and take the shape of the Obtenebration power condensed within. However, these powers have a lost their connection to the mystic who infused them, and act at their own volition attacking or otherwise affecting everyone nearby when released. The mystic cannot see through the darkness conjured by an Abyssal Infusion and has no control over the Arms of the Abyss summoned with this method – these tentacles of darkness will try to constrict any creature within their grasps.
System: These Preparation Rituals cost an additional Willpower point, and the ritual level required to create an Abyssal Infusion is equal to the Obtenebration power to be condensed + 2. Thus, an Arms of the Abyss Infusion is a level 5 ritual. All the costs for the power must be paid at the Preparation’s creation, as well as the normal roll made. This is in addition to the casting of the Preparation Ritual. The Storyteller should record the Obtenebration roll result, to determine the Abyssal Infusion effects when the vial is broken. A botch on either the Preparation Ritual or on the Obtenebration power roll should be handled as a more dangerous version of the Abyssal Alchemy botching consequences: darkness engulfs the mystic causing a number of aggravated health levels equal to the ritual level +1. A character can only have a number of Abyssal Infusions ready and functional equal to the vampire’s Obtenebration rating. As they are unable to control higher applications of Obtenebration which merge a vampire’s body with Abyssal darkness, mystics who foolishly create Abyssal Infusions of the Discipline’s higher levels automatically suffer damage as if the ritual had botched.
Discipline Infusion – an Abyssal Infusion can be created that condenses other Disciplines known by a mystic. However, these powers must manifest through the medium of shadows and darkness. Thus, the Obtenebration 2 power must be infused as well, and not all Disciplines application will work. The victim suffers the effects once engulfed by darkness, and sometimes even after. Powers which affect the mind, such as Dominate and Dementation, are usually easier to convey through Abyssal Infusions. Powerful Abyssal Alchemists can create Preparations that condense powers stolen from the blood of other vampires.
System: These Preparation Rituals cost two additional Willpower points (one for the Discipline power, other for the Obtenebration power) and one extra Blood Point. If the mystic is using his own knowledge of a Discipline, the Preparation Ritual level is equal to the power being condensed +3. The player should first infuse the Obtenebration power, as per Abyssal Infusion above. Then the secondary Discipline’s costs must be paid (if any), and the normal activation roll made. Record the successes for both powers to determine its effects, and treat any botch as per Abyssal Infusion. The limit for the number of these Preparations is cumulative with those for Abyssal Infusions.
If using a Discipline unknown to him, the ritual difficulty is increased by one and it requires five Blood Points from a vampire with sufficient mastery of the Discipline (the subject must know the power being infused). Costs remain the same, but roll only the Obtenebration power. Increase the difficulty of the Preparation Ritual by one, and use these successes to determine the secondary Discipline effects when the vial is broken. Treat any failure as an Abyssal Infusion botch, and assimilate the effects of the Discipline being condensed on the drawbacks suffered by the Abyssal Alchemist, above and beyond the aggravated damage usually caused by a botch on Abyssal Infusion Preparations.