{"id":"vampire/power/discipline/awakening-of-the-steel","type":"power","system":"discipline","line":"vampire","name":"Awakening of the Steel","sources":[{"source":"V20","page":448,"folio":440}],"entries":["Although combat mastery is hardly the sorcerer caste’s primary goal, they have a long tradition of standing ready to defend themselves and, if need be, assisting the warrior caste on the battlefield. Awakening of the Steel is one legacy of this preparedness, a path that some say began with the alchemists who studied in the forges of Toledo and Damascus. This set of techniques focuses on the symbolism of the sword as the ultimate extension of a trained warrior’s body, drawing on the myths that various warrior traditions attached to their swords and daggers: European Crusaders and their blessed blades, the kris of Indonesian Pentjak-Silat practitioners, and Indian Ghurkas and their kukri knives, among others. The practitioner of Awakening of the Steel focuses on this symbolism as he uses the power of his blood to enhance his weapon and his skill.","A student of Awakening of the Steel finds that a keen understanding of both the form and the function of a blade is necessary for full mastery of this path. A character must have a level of either Melee or Crafts Ability equal to his level in Awakening of the Steel. Those who practice this path also find that its lessons are tightly focused, perhaps to the point of overspecialization. The path is at its most effective with swords and knives, and the wielder can only extend its effects to other edged weapons. Any attempt to use a technique of this path on another edged weapon is at +1 difficulty."],"_links":{"self":"/api/v1/records/vampire/power/discipline/awakening-of-the-steel","html":"/records/vampire/power/discipline/awakening-of-the-steel","parent":"/api/v1/records/vampire/power/discipline/assamite-sorcery","children":"/api/v1/records/vampire/power/discipline/awakening-of-the-steel/children","sources":[{"abbr":"V20","page":448,"folio":448,"title":"Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition"}]},"_db":{"title":"Awakening of the Steel","props":[],"parent_id":"vampire/power/discipline/assamite-sorcery","level":null,"category":null,"summary":"Although combat mastery is hardly the sorcerer caste’s primary goal, they have a long tradition of standing ready to defend themselves and, if need be, assisting the warrior caste on the battlefield. ","tags":[],"children":[{"id":"vampire/power/discipline_power/confer-with-the-blade","type":"power","system":"discipline_power","line":"vampire","name":"Confer with the Blade","title":"Confer with the Blade","parent_id":"vampire/power/discipline/awakening-of-the-steel","level":1,"category":null,"summary":"Although few Assamites claim to have actually spoken to a weapon’s soul, blacksmiths and warriors alike have ascribed spiritual qualities to hand-forged blades for centuries. Practitioners of Auspex a","sources":"V20"},{"id":"vampire/power/discipline_power/grasp-of-the-mountain","type":"power","system":"discipline_power","line":"vampire","name":"Grasp of the Mountain","title":"Grasp of the Mountain","parent_id":"vampire/power/discipline/awakening-of-the-steel","level":2,"category":null,"summary":"The best scimitar in all creation does its owner no good if it’s lying five yards away from him. Grasp of the Mountain strengthens the spiritual bond between the sword and the swordsman in order to re","sources":"V20"},{"id":"vampire/power/discipline_power/pierce-steels-skin","type":"power","system":"discipline_power","line":"vampire","name":"Pierce Steel’s Skin","title":"Pierce Steel’s Skin","parent_id":"vampire/power/discipline/awakening-of-the-steel","level":3,"category":null,"summary":"At this level of understanding, the sorcerer can command his blade with such precision that he can strike at an opponent’s physical protection rather than his body. The sword transfers its full fury t","sources":"V20"},{"id":"vampire/power/discipline_power/razors-shield","type":"power","system":"discipline_power","line":"vampire","name":"Razor’s Shield","title":"Razor’s Shield","parent_id":"vampire/power/discipline/awakening-of-the-steel","level":4,"category":null,"summary":"Many swordsmen hold that the duel is the ultimate test of the warrior because it places all opponents on an equal footing: Death is only three feet of steel away, and only the skill of the combatants ","sources":"V20"},{"id":"vampire/power/discipline_power/strike-at-the-true-flesh","type":"power","system":"discipline_power","line":"vampire","name":"Strike at the True Flesh","title":"Strike at the True Flesh","parent_id":"vampire/power/discipline/awakening-of-the-steel","level":5,"category":null,"summary":"Although pacifists may find other uses for blades, a warrior knows that swords were created for one purpose: to carve an enemy’s flesh into bloody ruin. Strike at the True Flesh invokes the very essen","sources":"V20"}]}}