Disciplines

This is less of a path than it is a separate Discipline, as the power to resist Thaumaturgy can be taught independently of Thaumaturgy, even to those Kindred who are incapable of mastering the simplest ritual. Though the techniques of Thaumaturgical Countermagic are not officially taught outside Clan Tremere, unofficial methods are likely to exist. Any non-Tremere who displays the ability to resist Thaumaturgy quickly becomes the subject of potentially fatal scrutiny from the entirety of Clan Tremere.

System: Thaumaturgical Countermagic is treated as a separate Discipline, although it uses the usual rules for Thaumaturgy (including experience costs and the fact that it is limited to only five levels). It cannot be taken as a character’s primary path, and a rating in it does not allow the character to perform rituals.

The use of Thaumaturgical Countermagic is treated as a free action in combat and does not require a split dice pool. To oppose a Thaumaturgy power or ritual, a character must have a Thaumaturgical Countermagic rating equal to or greater than the rating of that power

or ritual. The player spends a blood point and rolls the number of dice indicated by the character’s Thaumaturgical Countermagic rating (difficulty equal to the difficulty of the power in use). Each success cancels one of the opposing thaumaturge’s successes.

Thaumaturgical Countermagic is only at full effectiveness when used against Thaumaturgy. It works with halved dice pools against Necromancy and other mystical Disciplines, and is completely ineffective against non-vampiric magics and powers.

Thaumaturgical Countermagic can be learned by characters who are unable to learn Thaumaturgy (e.g., those with the Merit Magic Resistance). Any non-Tremere character with a rating in this power automatically gains the Flaw Clan Enmity (Tremere), receiv-ing no freebie points for it. This power cannot be taken during character creation and cannot be spontaneously developed. Whether the character has Thaumaturgy as an in-Clan power or not, it costs the same as any other non-Clan Discipline to learn.

• Two dice of countermagic. The character can attempt to cancel only those powers and rituals that directly affect him, his garments, and objects on his person.

•• Four dice of countermagic.

••• Six dice of countermagic. The character can attempt to cancel a Thaumaturgy power that affects anyone or anything in physical contact with him.

•••• Eight dice of countermagic.

••••• Ten dice of countermagic. The character can now attempt to cancel a power or ritual that targets anything within a radius equal to his Willpower in yards or meters, or one that is being used or performed within that same radius.