The Baal

The Baal....
The Discipline of the Resurrection of the Demon as practiced by the Baali of Chicago.

Level One

Pierce the Gloom: The Baal may see through shadows and pierce the gloom of night. This allows the Baal to see in all forms of normal darkness, and suffer only 1/2 the modifiers for magical and supernatural darkness. In the advent of the second case, the Baal must spend one blood per combat scene. The eyes of the Baal glow a deep dark red, and in bright light there is an outline of utter blackness around the corneas.

Level Two

Claws of the Beast: By expending one blood, the Baal may transform her hands into razor sharp, 9 inch long taloned claws that glisten with a black shine. The claws do aggravated damage (Str+2), and upon a successful hit where the Baal gets three or more overall successes to hit (after dodge, if any)- the Baal may drink from the vessel in lieu of causing aggravated damage (the claws of the Beast having sunk into a major artery)- at the norm of three blood per action of the Baal. The vessel must score more success in a resisted strength roll to break free (vessel must soak one agg as the claws come free).

Level Three

Howl of the Beast: in this state, the Baal howls into the night; causing those who first hear to quake in fear. The Baal rolls Manipulation + Empathy [TN is each Willpower of the group. All who can hear the Howl do, and it is supernatural in origin. The Baal rolls once, and counts the amount of successes scored for each target. No successes means that the specific target was unaffected this time]. Each success is a cumulative +1 to the difficulty of that target to make all actions (hit and damage). The Howl lasts for as long as the Baal can be seen, felt, etc. by the targets. The affects of the Howl can be countered if the target uses Willpower to buy successes against the Baal’s Man+Emp roll.

Level Four

Mark of the Beast: by uttering a word and gesturing at the target, the Baal in this form may brand a mark of his or her choosing (usually ancient in origin) upon a subject. This mark is as large as the Baal's hand width, and the target must soak one agg at Fortitude [9] to resist. Upon branding, all attempts to resist damage (normal and agg) are raised by one (tn=7 to soak, or +1 for specific damages), and the Baal may torment the subject in his or her sleep. The Baal will always know where the mark is, and there is no known way to remove it, save perhaps destroying the one who created it. Each Baal can have only one mark on one target, and a target may have only one such mark on it; six Baal can't mark one subject. The Ball rolls a resisted Willpower test, and if successful; must immediately spend one Willpower point to make the mark.

Level Five

Form of the Beast: In this form, the full horror of the Baal's Dark Lords comes into being- as with the utterance of a thought, the Baal transforms herself into a 8' tall Demon Minion. The Claws of the Beast appear as the Baal grows in a massive, one action blood bursting wrenching sound; and takes the form of a grotesque leering dark red skinned Demon. The legs of the Beast are bent backwards (see Pan, Deity), and the form is muscular and large. Strong arms end in the Claws, and pulsing black veins ripple along the body of the Beast. Each Baal has a slightly different appearance in this form, and displayed upon the forehead of the Beast is that particular Baal's Mark of the Beast. It is rumored that the Form of the Beast has some conjunction to the Pander's Vicissitude Discipline- but that is unlikely due to the nature of the Souleater 'Disease' and the specific form of a Souleater as per Horrid Form (see Player's Guide to the Sabbat, Vicissitude). The transformation takes one full action, and requires three blood (as usual for full body transformations). The Baal gains double the amount of successes generated for an intimidation roll, and Strength, Stamina and Perception increase by five dice. In this form, the Baal need only resist half of the damage done to her; the rest is absorbed by the Beast. No armor or clothing can be worn by the Beast in this form. This form lasts until the Baal is struck by sunlight, or discontinues this power. Frenzy checks while in the Form of the Beast are resisted with a +2 penalty- as the Beast seeks constant destruction of this world. Most Baal in Beast form due so only as a last resort- although several Cabals are formed of many Baal who take this form for rituals and sacrifices to their Dark Lords.

Elder Powers of the Baal Discipline:

Level Six

Vessel of the Beast: At this level, the bondage to the Dark Lords Below becomes stronger. The Baal may choose to enact the Vessel of the Beast at any time, but almost all do so at a ceremony of their Cabal (A Cabal in this sense is a small formed group of Baali). The Baal burns three blood and one Willpower point (permanently for the Willpower), and opens herself to the will of the Beast. The powers of Below pour into the Vessel; and the Baal gains one merit of her choosing that the Beast gives to her. In return, the Beast takes a part of the Essence of the Vessel- the greater the merit, the more the Beast takes. A heart, limb, part of the brain, body mass; etc. is removed from the Vessel. Consult with your ST for a deal.

Nature of the Beast: The Baal screams into the night air, and all those in the Baal's area who hear the scream must resist the Blood Frenzy. The Baal rolls Willpower [7], and each success is counted. Each Target, be it man, woman, mortal or supernatural, animal and undead, mummy or what have you (even Ghoul BIRDS!) must roll Frenzy and get more successes then the Baal did in the Willpower rolls. Mortals riot, animals attack. flocks of birds seek quiet coastal towns and mob innocent citizens, sharks attack, Vampires Frenzy (as Lust for Blood) until they drink their fill, et.al. This costs one blood to use, and can only be done once per combat scene; the Baal needs to rest her voice.

Curse of the Beast: The Baal talks to the subject, and rolls opposed Path of Evil Revelations vs. targets Humanity (or Path, etc.). As the Baal converses with the future Vessel, she opens a pathway from her corrupt Beast filled heart to the Vessel. If the target looses, the Beast in the Baal transfers via the pathway to the Target. The victims Humanity or Path drops to zero (or negative 10 if that sounds better), and the Beast now controls the character. Mortals and Supernaturals under the influence of the Beast act in the worst possible, most violently dynamic ways- as their hidden, repressed Evil ways surface in the most horrible ways. The Baal expends one Willpower point, and can only use this against one person per scene. Vessels that are under this influence do not act rationally, and become more susceptible to the Beast. Repeated uses of this power against a particular individual will reduce that persons ability to regain Humanity or Path, as per the ST discretion.