Thin-Blood Alchemy

See Thin-Blood Alchemy on the White Wolf Wiki.

Thin-Blood Alchemy
Nicknames	Cooking, Home Brew, the Craft, Mashup
Clans	any (Thin-Blooded)

Thin-Blood Alchemy is a newly developed Discipline pioneered by those with the thinnest blood. Caitiff and thin-bloods alike have discovered how to use their vitae as a catalyst, merging the ancient principles of alchemy with the modern influences of street drug culture and cocktail experimentation. Whether uncovered through instinct or in the pages of decaying medieval texts, Thin-Blood Alchemy may become the defining art of the next millennium. By blending their vitae with various substances, alchemists can replicate a wide array of powers from other Disciplines—and even unlock unique abilities.

Rumors swirl about elixirs that allow thin-bloods to walk in sunlight, commune with antediluvians, or achieve the legendary state of Golconda. For now, however, most alchemists operate in the shadows, avoiding the scrutiny of the Courts. Many elders regard this new Discipline as little more than a diluted form of diablerie. With the art still in its infancy, thin-bloods have only scratched the surface of its potential, leaving countless formulas and untapped powers waiting to be discovered.

Mechanics

Requirements

To learn Thin-Blood Alchemy, a character must be of 14th generation or higher, with the Thin-Blooded merit. Every Thin-Blooded character is inherently a Caitiff regardless of clan in BNS. A character meeting these requirements may take the Thin-Blood Alchemy merit at character creation.

If an existing character meets these requirements and wishes to learn Thin-Blood Alchemy, they may be taught by another Thin-Blooded character who already has Thin-Blood Alchemy training. This follows the standard teaching rules (making this the one Discipline they can have 5 dots in as a Thin-Blood), excluding the sharing of blood, as the potential already exists and they are instead being instructed in the usage of it.

Basics

Thin-Blood Alchemy is a two step practice: distillation of a blood concoction using the proper formula, then activation of said brew by drinking it and channeling its power. All potions require the addition of the alchemist’s own vitae, along with additional ingredients varying by formula.

To create a potion, an alchemist combines the ingredients along with their own vitae in a still of their own design, bringing them to a heated mix and distilling the potions. This requires a number of Downtime Actions to do depending on the formula being created (minimum 1 if not stated).

Each downtime action spent brewing a single formula returns a number of potions equal to the alchemist's dots in Thin-Blood Alchemy. This is called a batch, and each batch only costs the required amount of items or ingredients. Higher dots resulting in a higher return for the same cost is a reflection of the alchemist being more skilled and therefore more efficient in their cooks.

Usage

An alchemist may only be under the effects of one potion at a time. Consuming a second potion immediately ends the effects of any other existing potion. Consuming a potion requires the use of a Standard Action, but the new powers cannot be used on the same turn. On the turn that you drink a potion, you have no potion powers or effects active for that turn.

The amount of the alchemist's vitae required to brew potions is one to one with the dots in Thin-Blood Alchemy to create the potion, as well as the same amount from another kindred if the ingredients require it. A 4 dot Alchemy potion requires 4 dots worth of vitae of the alchemist, and another 4 dots if required of another kindred. This will subtract from the character's blood pool before entering the next game. This can be offset by using herd, each dot of herd giving a single blood point to represent rushed feeding.

Interactions

Shifters

Any shifter who ingests a Thin-Blood Alchemy potion experiences no effects of the potion, and instead experiences the effects of drinking kindred vitae. For the next 24 hours after a shifter drinks a potion, they begin each combat with 1 additional point of Rage, cumulative with any other bonuses the shifter may possess, and their Wyrm Taint also increases by one stage.

This Wyrm Taint fades on its own, provided the shifter is not exposed to additional sources of Wyrm Taint, after two weeks or one game session. This level of Wyrm Taint cannot be removed earlier by other means, such as the Rite of Cleansing or Gift: Circle of Gaia's Cleansing.

If the potion contains the blood of a kindred who was on a Path of Enlightenment other than the Path of Humanity, or Path of the Feral Heart, the Wyrm Taint acquired by drinking this potion does not automatically fade over time, and must be removed through standard means after the two weeks or one game session is up.

A potion does not instill the effects of a Blood Bond, as the Blood Bond in the vitae is destroyed during the brewing process.

Fae and Changeling

Any Fae or Changeling that ingests a Thin-Blood Alchemy potion immediately gains 2 points of Ennui and experiences no other effects from the potion. The potions do not instill a Blood Bond, as the Bond in the vitae is destroyed during the brewing process.

Recipes

Level 1

• Force Bolt

Ingredients: A Powdered Magnet, Nylon Fibers (1 dot of Resources)

Effect:

The user gains the ability to use the first level of the Movement of the Mind Thaumaturgy. They cannot use the Focus associated with this power.

Duration: 3 Turns.

New Merits

Potion Master Alchemy (1pts)

You must have the Thin-Blooded Flaw and Thin-Blooded Alchemy to take this Merit.

You have delved deeply into the theory, design, and art of alchemical potions, and you have mastered them. You can purchase twice as many Alchemical potions as you possess dots in Thin-Blood Alchemy as described in MET: VTM, Chapter Four: Disciplines. You may only purchase this merit once. This merit is an exception to the restriction on more than one clan merit of the same cost.

Day Drinker (2pts)

You must have the Thin-Blooded Flaw to take this Merit.

While in sunlight your health pool is halved (rounded up), but you are immune to sunlight damage and do not need to check for Fear Frenzy while in it. However, you also lose access to all your kindred abilities while in sunlight, including all your disciplines, techniques and supernatural abilities gained by merits.

You still suffer from vampiric hunger and must sleep and feed as usual.

Lifelike (2pts)

You must have the Thin-Blooded Flaw to take this Merit.

You appear mortal in all ways. You have a heartbeat, can eat and enjoy food, and gain sustenance from it. You appear mortal in the most thorough of examinations, even supernatural ones.

You do not need to feed on blood to refill your blood pool, and regenerate one blood point per night. You are not required to sleep in the evening, and can maintain a normal mortal’s schedule. Sunlight still causes normal damage as outlined in the Thin-Blooded Flaw.

Alchemical Body (2pts)

You must have the Thin-Blooded Flaw and Thin Blood Alchemy to take this merit.

The alchemist uses their own body to brew their potions, consuming the ingredients instead. This allows them the additional way to distill the potions anywhere into their own blood, at twice the blood cost. The effects of this potion become part of your blood pool until expended, one drop of blood is equivalent to one potion worth brewed. Once these blood points are consumed or spent, they are gone, causing the potion to no longer persist in your blood. You may have someone drink your vitae in order to use the potion effects in replace of the effect of a Blood Bond.

This merit replaces the standard method of potion creation, requiring this to be used to create potions.

Ghoulic Brewing (2pts)

You must have the Thin-Blooded Flaw and Thin Blood Alchemy to take this merit.

The alchemist gains a method of using a ghoul’s body as a brewery to make potions, regulating their physical state through emotional pressure or verbal incantation. They must feed a ghoul the potion’s ingredients and maintain their biophysical health as it brews. When complete, they must feed the ghoul the required amount of vitae and then they may tap their blood for the potions via feeding or blood drawing.

Every Ghoul has 5 dots of mortal blood and 5 dots of vampiric blood from their ghouling in their veins. This potion leaves their blood when all the 5 dots of vampiric blood is consumed. Mortals only have 5 dots of non-vampiric blood in their veins.

Be aware the Thin-Blooded cannot Blood Bond without Catenating Blood or create nor sustain Ghouls at all, requiring this ghoul to be sourced from another Kindred.

This merit replaces the standard method of potion creation, requiring this to be used to create potions.

Herdic Brewing (2pts)

You must have the Thin-Blooded Flaw and Thin Blood Alchemy to take this merit.

The alchemist gains a method of using Herd as a brewery to make potions, regulating their physical state through emotional pressure or verbal incantation. They must feed a mortal represented by the herd background the potion’s ingredients and maintain their biophysical health as it brews. When complete, they must feed the mortal the required amount of vitae and then may tap their blood for the potions via bloodletting. An entire herd may only hold 1 potion at a time, with each dot of herd giving a single potion. Your herd cannot be fed on during the downtime of the brewing of these potions or lose its effects.

Using your Herd for brewing is a high risk for your Herd’s health. Narrators should roll a D10 for each dot of Herd, and must roll a crit for the survival of that dot. This follows standard threat level practices using Thin-Blood Alchemy as a mental discipline. (eg: Thin-Blood 5 grants Threat +2)

This merit replaces the standard method of potion creation, requiring this to be used to create potions.

A Way Out (3pts)

You must have the Thin-Blooded Flaw to take this Merit.

Straddling the line between mortal and monster, you have a choice. The Thin-Blooded typically may only escape their position through final death or diablerie, but you’ve heard of a third. You’ve heard of someone who knows of someone who’s great uncle has returned to the daylight, but it isn’t easy.

To attempt so, you must cling to your Humanity and keep it as high as possible, as you work to hunt down and kill your sire. You don’t know for certain if this will cure your curse or not, and this merit does not guarantee it, but it’s possible.

You start with 1 higher Humanity level than standard.

If you ever drop below 3 Humanity, or take a path, this merit is lost and cannot be regained.

Catenating Blood (3pts)

You must have the Thin-Blooded Flaw to take this Merit.

You can create Blood Bonds and perform the embrace as normal. Any embraced kindred is a Caitiff who also gains the Thin-Blooded flaw.

Potions made from Catenating Blood still do not inflict a Blood Bond.

Brightest Stars Burn Fastest (3pts)

You must have the Thin-Blooded Flaw to take this Merit.

You have learned to leverage your pseudo mortality in a way that “real” kindred would not conceive of. You are able to burn your own health levels to fuel your vampiric disciplines. You can intentionally give yourself an Aggravated Damage as you force your blood to bend to your will, harming you. For each Simple Action you spend to take an Aggravated Damage, you recover 2 Blood Points.

New Flaws

Mortal Frailty (3pts)

You must have the Thin-Blooded Flaw to take this Merit.

Your health and regeneration abilities are similar to that of a ghoul, causing Aggravated Damage to be extremely powerful against you, including death if your health tracker fills with normal damage.

Clan Curse (3pts)

You must have the Thin-Blooded Flaw to take this Merit.

As a Thin-Blooded, you are a Caitiff. However, for some reason you suffer from the curse of your sire’s clan in addition to the restrictions of being Caitiff.

Dead Flesh (3pts)

You must have the Thin-Blooded Flaw to take this Merit.

When you were embraced, your body didn’t stop rotting soon enough. You are in a constant state of putrefaction, emitting a smell to those who get too close, and any medical examination will immediately reveal you are a walking deceased corpse.

You suffer from a -2 penalty on any social interactions with a mortal. You cannot take this Flaw and the Lifelike Merit at the same time.

Branded Outcast (4pts)

You must have the Thin-Blooded Flaw to take this Merit.

You have been branded by the Sheriff or Scourge of a Camarilla domain you lived in previously. All Camarilla officers will recognize this brand as soon as they see it, and keep a special eye to make sure that you toe the line in their domain. Even officers of other sects will be wary of trusting you with this obvious brand if they have Camarilla lore.

On top of suffering a Greater Status Ban in the Camarilla as a known Thin-Blood by default, you also permanently carry the first level of the Warned status and cannot hold Boons over others.