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The Discipline Mortis is rooted in the control and manipulation of death. More specifically, Mortis is a form of blood magic dealing with corpses and their conditions after death. The Cappadocian clan are the only Kindred to possess the natural affinities for this Discipline. It is said to have been given to the clan Elders by Cappadocius himself.

Cappadocians believe that when a person dies the soul leaves the body, but an echo of the soul remains. This echo, along with the flesh of the dead, can be manipulated in many ways. Mortis, like the Tremere Discipline Thaumaturgy, is separated into different paths and contains rituals. However, this is only true of the Dark Ages: Vampire version; in the first edition (Vampire: The Dark Ages), Mortis was a more traditionally-styled Discipline.

The Lamia bloodline of Cappadocians have their own proprietary path of Mortis called the Path of Four Humours, while the recently-Embraced Giovanni family has brought their own paths, Nigrimancy and the Path of Haunting.

In the Final Nights Mortis evolves into the Samedi discipline of Thanatosis, while the path of Nigrimancy becomes the Giovanni blood magic paths of Necromancy.

Caitiffs are also given the option of taking this as a Discipline, although most Storytellers look down upon the clan exclusive disciplines as a choice.

Standard Paths and Abilities[]

Grave's Decay[]

  • Menu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Destroy the Husk - Turns a corpse into a pile of ashes.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Rigor Mortis - Allows the Kindred to cause rigor mortis in mortal or undead bodies.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Wither - Allows the Kindred to cripple an opponent's limb whether they are undead or mortal. The muscles shrivel up, the bones get brittle, the skin peels, etc.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bullet Corrupt the Undead Flesh - This ability causes the victim to be stricken with a horrible plague. Mortal victims of this ability are highly contagious and easily spread the disease to other mortals and to vampires if their blood is taken. Kindred have a harder time spreading the disease but are affected by the weakness it causes all the same.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Dissolve the Flesh - An expansion upon the level one ability, this ability allows the Kindred to turn vampiric flesh to ash.

Corpse in the Monster[]

  • Menu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Masque of Death - Allows the Kindred to turn his/her body into a corpse-like state.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Cold of the Grave - The Kindred enters a state of death where in they can temporarily feel no emotional or physical pain.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Curse of Life - The user causes a vampire to feel destructive aspects of his/her previous life, such as hunger, thirst, etc.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bullet Gift of the Corpse - Although it lasts for only a brief period of time, this ability removes the inherent weaknesses of a vampire, such as vulnerability to sunlight, fire, etc.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Gift of Life - This ability transforms the Kindred into an assemblance of their former self. They lose their vampire weaknesses and gain the ability to eat, drink, etc.

Cadaverous Animation[]

  • Menu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Trace of Life - The Kindred can cause mild traits of life in a corpse, such as twitching.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Call the Homuncular Servant - Allows the Kindred to cause a small, mobile piece of a corpse (like a hand) to reanimate and move about.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Raise the Corpse to Service - Allows the Kindred to reanimate a corpse into his/her bidding, although it cannot attack or do other complex tasks.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bullet Call the Athanatos - Transforms a corpse into an undead warrior that the vampire may have trouble controlling.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Muster a Corpse Army - An expansion on Call the Athanatos, this ability summons a number of corpse warriors that might be controlled by the vampire's willpower.

Bloodline and Specialty Paths and Abilities[]

Giovanni[]

Nigrimancy[]

  • Menu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Witness of Death - A Giovanni can see ghosts as transparent, immaterial souls.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Summon Soul - A Giovanni may use their blood and speak the name of a ghost to summon them.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Compel the Shade - Allows a Giovanni command over a spirit's actions.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bullet Fetter the Dead - A spirit is imprisoned in an object or area by a Giovanni.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Usurer's Scales - A Giovanni can give their blood to improve a ghost's essence or drain a spirit of their energy to replenish themselves.

Path of Haunting[]

  • Menu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Morbid Fascination - A Giovanni causes a target to become obsessed with death.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Summon Wisp - A Giovanni can create distracting lights reminiscent of will-o-the-wisps.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Harrowing - A target is wracked with nightmares of their future death.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bullet Phantasms - A Giovanni can create nightmarish visions using the essence of the dead.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Torment - A Giovanni can summon ghosts to haunt a target.

Lamia[]

Path of the Four Humours[]

This Path is the signature power of the Lamia bloodline, said to be a gift from Lilith herself. It was introduced in Players Guide to High Clans as a replacement for the Deimos discipline.

  • Menu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Whispers to the Soul - Releases a wisp of bilious humour into the ear of a victim to whisper nightmares to him as he sleeps or fearful imaginings when he is awake
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Kiss of the Dark Mother - Concoct a toxic substitute for saliva that makes a bite even more deadly
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Dark Humours - Secrete a tainted version of one of the four bodily humors that serve different functions depending on the humor invoked Phlegmatic: Induces lethargy in a victim. Melancholy: Induces visions of death. Sanguine: Induces excessive bleeding in a victim. Bilious: Becomes a deadly toxin.
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bullet Clutching the Shroud - Draw closer to death, toughening the unliving body, granting knowledge of coming death in nearby mortals and bestowing the ability to see the dead
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Black Breath - Expel a miasmic black cloud that chokes everyone around with malaise and depression

Official Abilities (Defunct)[]

Included below are the official powers described in supplements for Vampire: The Masquerade and Dark Ages: Vampire. Sources are described below in the order they were printed.

  • Menu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Masque of Death:[1] Causes an individual to resemble a walking corpse, temporarily
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Blight:[2] Causes all the ill-effects of advanced age and decrepitude in a target
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Awaken:[3] Awaken from torpor or help another vampire do so
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bullet Death's Whisper:[4] Become a true corpse, unaffected by the banes of vampirism
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Black Death:[5] Infects its target with a virulent plague that kills mortals or puts vampires into torpor
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Menu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet[6]
    • Animate Host: Raise a number of corpses for a short time to do the vampire's bidding
    • Reaper's Passing: Creates a "near death experience" in the subject of choice
    • Vigor Mortis: Force a recently dead corpse to become your ghoul
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet[7]
    • The Leper's Gait: Allows the Kindred to cripple an opponent's limb whether they are undead or mortal
    • Sense Death's Imminence: Detect sudden ebbs of life energy which occurs when things die
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet Plague Wind:[8] Summon a deadly wind that steals the life from everything in the area

References[]


^  Level 1

Masque of Death Vampire: The Dark Ages Pg. 152

^  Level 2

Blight Vampire: The Dark Ages Pg. 152

^  Level 3

Awaken Vampire: The Dark Ages Pg. 152

^  Level 4

Death's Whisper Vampire: The Dark Ages Pg. 152

^  Level 5

Black Death Vampire: The Dark Ages Pg. 153

^  Level 6

Vigor Mortis Vampire: The Dark Ages Pg. 153
Reaper's Passing Clanbook: Cappadocian Pg. 41
Animate Host Dark Ages Companion Pg. 84

^  Level 7

The Leper's Gait Clanbook: Cappadocian Pg. 41
Sense Death's Imminence Dark Ages Companion Pg. 84
Sense Death's Imminence Laws of Elysium Pg. 150

^  Level 8

Plague Wind Dark Ages Companion Pg. 85
Plague Wind Laws of Elysium Pg. 151
Vampire: The Masquerade Disciplines
Animalism · Auspex · Blood Sorcery · Celerity · Dominate · Fortitude · Obfuscate · Oblivion · Potence · Presence · Protean · Thin-Blood Alchemy
Amalgams Chimerstry · Dementation · Obeah · Serpentis · Valeren · Vicissitude
Legacy Abombwe · Bardo · Chimerstry · Daimonion · Deimos · Dementation · Flight · Kai · Kineticism · Maleficia · Melpominee · Mytherceria · Nihilistics · Obeah · Obtenebration · Quietus · Rift · Sanguinus · Serpentis · Spiritus · Striga · Temporis · Thanatosis · Valeren · Vicissitude · Visceratika
Legacy Blood Magic Abyss Mysticism · Akhu · Thaumaturgical Countermagic · Dur-An-Ki · Mortis · Nahuallotl · Voudoun Necromancy · Western Necromancy · Ogham · Sadhana · Sihr · Thaumaturgy · Dark Thaumaturgy · Sielanic Thaumaturgy · Assamite Sorcery · Anarch Sorcery · Koldunic Sorcery · Setite Sorcery · Wanga
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