Dark Thaumaturgy Rituals

Dark Thaumaturgy Rituals, Wards and Pacts

The following are just a few of the possible Dark Thaumaturgic rituals. Those skilled in this Discipline may create rituals, but most rituals are ancient secrets, passed from one Infernalist to another. Statistics for the demons listed in the rituals below are included in the Bestiary section of this sourcebook.

Level One

Aport Object This ritual allows the practitioner to magically enchant an object. The next time the Infernalist desires the object in her hand, all she has to do is speak a magic word and the object appears.

Spectral Mask This ritual covers the caster's face with a magical mist. The mist takes the image of some horribly demonic creature, causing all those seeing it to make a Courage (or Morale) roll (difficulty 6) to resist running in fear. If using Werewolf: The Apocalypse, the Storyteller can use the Delirium chart to determine how the mask affects viewers.

The Knotted Cord

This Ritual has saved many an infernalist from trial and execution, by silencing accusers.

System: The infernalist must knot a length of rope while reciting the name of whomever she wishes to silence. Unless the target beats the infernalist in an opposed Willpower roll, he is unable to denounce her.

Bind the Familiar

This Ritual calls and binds a familiar to the infernalist.

System: This hour long ritual calls up a minor imp that possesses an animal's body and serves the infernalist faithfully.

Level Two

Haunting Memories

Through this ritual, the practitio ner creates painful images and transfers them to the next person touched. The victim will be haunted by these reoccurs ring, demoralizing images for weeks. During this time, the victim will feel somewhat guilty and saddened, but never know exactly why.

Sign of the Moon

This ritual makes the claw and fang attacks of lupines less effective. For one night, the Infernalist will not take aggravated wounds from lupine attacks but will take aggravated wounds from silver.

Summon Grantel

This ritual allows the vampire to summon Grantel, the Mandragora. There is no binding or dismissal rituals for this creature, because the creature is the servant of a much greater demon. While there are binding and dismissal rituals inscribed in many tomes, all are fake. For this reason, once Grantel is summoned, it is hard to get rid of him.

Bring Forth the Hell Beast

Through the use of this Ritual, an infernalist may infuse an animal with corruption and rage. The beast becomes twisted and evil, seeking to wreak the Devil's own havoc on humanity.

System: An infernalist who knows this ritual merely needs to lay his hands on any beast and thereby infuse it with a little of his blood ( one Blood Point). The animal flies into a rage and attempts to kill anyone and anything it encounters, until slain. This trace of infernal taint provides increased strength (Potence 1), and the animal becomes so frenzied that it feels no pain (is not affected by wound penalties).

Warding Circle

This Ritual prepares an area for infernal magics by creating a protective circle to defend the infernalist from a demon's anger.

System: The warding circle is a complicated diagram of astrological symbols that has to be drawn with special chalks while an incantation is intoned. The infernalist can either create a temporary warding circle, which takes 30 minutes to complete, or makes a permanent circle, which takes several nights. Once the circle is completed, the infernalist must stand inside it and activate the ritual magic with a prepared phrase or prayer. So long as the infernalist remains within the enchanted space, she is protected from any attack by an infernal creature unless the creature can beat her in a resisted Willpower test.

Botching the roll to enact this Ritual can be fatal and damning. A botched Warding Circle offers no protection at all, though the infernalist will believe that her ward is sound.

Level Three

Sign of the Wraith This ritual makes the Infernalist immune to the attacks of all spirits for a period of 13 minutes, though she cannot effect them for the same period. By remaining absolutely motionless, the Infernalist may extend its duration threefold. Movement after the first 13 minutes automatically dissolves the protection.

Summon Tivilio

This ritual summons Tivilio, the Injurer of Cats. Of course, a cat must be given in sacrifice. Like most demons, Tivilio is evil and tricky; despite its limited power, it is vile and cunning.

Turn to Toad This ritual turns the practitioner or another individual into a toad. If the Infernalist uses the ritual on herself, she may change back at any time. If used on someone else, the spell will wear off in 12 days, minus one day per Willpower point the victim possessed at the time of the transformation.

Blood Imp

This strange Ritual allows the infernalist to distill an obedient homunculus from his own blood. The homunculus assumes the form of a small animal, often a j ackdaw or monkey, and can be used as a spy or thief.

System: The Blood Imp is created from vitae and shaped by the magic of the ritual. It has a Strength Attribute (for carrying things only) equal to the Blood Points spent on its creation, and Health Levels equal to the number of successes gained on the die roll. It has no combat abilities ( though it may serve as a distraction) and lasts for one night. Its method of locomotion is based on its animal form (jackdaws can fly, monkeys climb, etc.).

Bloody Bones

This Ritual is cast over an area. The infernalist must bury a specially prepared bag of bones in the area of casting. Once this is done, the place is cursed plants wither and die, stillbirths are common, and tempers flare easily. The cause of the curse is a spirit that is bound into the bones.

System: The spirit bound into the bloody bones has influence over an area as large as a village. The area is cursed so long as the bones remain buried. Vampires can easily find the bag of bones with Heightened Senses; scattering the bones frees the spirit. While the curse is in effect all frenzy rolls are at + 1 difficulty, in addition to the effects imposed upon mortal life.

The Leadened Heart

An infernalist uses this Ritual to bind a target to the spot so that he cannot flee the fate in store for him.

System: The infernalist must not only know the name of the target but must use some personal token (a piece of clothing, a lock of hair) to work the magic. After a 1 0 minute Ritual, the victim finds himself unable to flee the area, unless he can beat the infernalist's successes in a Willpower roll. Should the victim botch this roll, he grows paralyzed with fear and cannot act in any way until the magic expires. The Ritual's power ends either at cockcrow or if the victim's name is called out by a true love. This Ritual is not limited by any distance; as long as the infernalist has a personal token she may affect her subject. Luckily for that subject, the token is consumed each time this Ritual is enacted.

Level Four

Bind Tivilio

This ritual forces Tivilio to perform one task after it has been summoned. Once it completes the assigned duty, it is free to do as it pleases even remaining on Earth.

Summon Lucricia

This ritual summons Lucricia the Succubus. Lucricia will be more than willing to please the caster because she corrupts in this manner.

Vile Swarm

Infernalist Nosferatu have learned many secrets in their deep catacombs. This Ritual allows entire swarms of vermin to be commanded and used on missions of destruction.

System: The infernalist performs the Ritual to summon a horde of creatures (insects, bats or rats), and then feeds them her blood. These bound creatures swarm at the infernalist's command, overwhelming foes and destroying crops and property. As long as the infernalist concentrates, the swarm is disguised as if by Cloak the Gathering (such intense concentration requires the player to spend one Willpower point each hour). Hundreds, even thousands of creatures compose the swarm, and only fire or some other massive form of destruction can halt its rampage.

Lethean Chains

The infernalist may erase memories from his target by using a special potion, thereby concealing his evil actions.

System: This Ritual allows the infernalist to distill a potion that causes the imbiber to forget all that happens for the space of one night in her amnesiac state the victim is easily led astray and can even be blamed for the crimes of the infernalist. The Ritual itself is simple, taking only a few minutes of preparation time; however, the potion's ingredients include the tears of a demon or water from an Underworld river, so are hard to obtain. Each preparation of the potion contains a number of doses equal to the infernalist's successes.

Level Five

Dismiss Tivilio

This ritual removes Tivilio from this world. The use of this ritual angers Tivilio, and it may seek retribution should it ever return.

The Inner Furnace

This extremely potent ritual may only be used against humans. The ritual causes a single victim to self combust and bum to death in his own flames. The Infernalist must be able to see the victim and succeed in a Manipulation + Demon Lore roll (difficulty victim's Willpower). Every success causes a level of damage that may not be soaked.

Soul Leech

The Infernalist with this power can draw souls out of the recently deceased with a successful Wits + Intimidation roll (difficulty of the soul's Willpower). The Infernalist cannot retain the souls, and drawing them out with this ritual destroys them while replenishing the Infernalist. Each soul thus absorbed gives the Infernalist five Blood Points and heals one wound. The Infernalist also receives a rush, stronger than any blood drinking could give. Souls go through complete agony during these few moments. They appear as vaporish clouds of swirling light wisping around the Infernalist, making terrible moaning sounds for the entire duration. The faces of the dead can be seen in the vapor.

The Hand Glory

This Ritual allow& the infernalist to put all the inhabitants of a building into a deep slumber.

System The infernalist must ritually prepare a hand cut from the corpse of a hanged man. By lighting the fingers of the hand and using it as a torch, the infernalist causes all the inhabitants of any place he enters to fall asleep ( if the infernalist enters a massive building such as a castle, only those in his immediate vicinity will sleep; those in distant parts of the structure are unaffected and are likely to notice the disturbance). Once those within slumber, the infernalist can move about freely.

Ward Versus Demons

This Ritual works in a manner similar to Ward Versus Ghouls (Level Two Ritual), but affects demons and other infernal creatures.

System: The requirements of this Ritual are the same as those of Ward Versus Ghouls, except the required component is the blood of an innocent (non infernalists learn a variant of this Ritual that requires holy water).