Starting Skills List (IMPORTANT)

[VoxHumana]

As stated in the character creation rules, when creating your character you may choose three spells or skills for him or her to use. If your character is human, he or she may choose a path of magic that they wish to follow: sigil, blood, or spellweaving, and then choose three spells from that branch of magic. If he or she is a supernatural, then the character may choose from three skills which are a part of their race. To follow in this thread will be lists of the starting skills for each supernatural race. The starting spells for each branch of magic can be found in a separate thread, here. (to be linked soon) Please make sure to check this thread before and while creating your supernatural characters, as the information it contains is very important. Without further adieu then:

[VoxHumana]

Vampire Skills

• Transfixing Stare - Via the use of this skill, a vampire can "transfix" or temporarily paralyze a target by maintaining full and complete eye contact. While under the influence of transfixing stare, the target is unable to move or speak. A person with particularly strong willpower *can* break him or herself free from this ability but must directly grapple with the willpower of the vampire in question in order to do so. This ability can be maintained as long as desired. However, in order for it to be effective, the vampire using the skill MUST maintain complete eye contact and focus. If either is broken, the skill will fail.
• Allure - This is a passive skill which is always active on the vampire that owns it. The skill effects the way that anyone looking upon the vampire will perceive him or her, causing the vampire to appear innately physically attractive to all that see him or her. This is used primarily as a disarming or persuasion technique, to make the vampire appear appealing and harmless to potential prey. This skill works equally on all races, whether the target is human, another vampire, or another supernatural.
• Persuasion - This is a skill which allows a vampire to supernaturally persuade or coerce a target into doing what they wish. In general, each vampire uses this skill in a different way, each via one of the five senses. The two most common senses are through touch (physical contact) and sound (singing or speech). Like with Transfixing Stare, a target with particularly strong will power *can* resist this ability, but as Persuasion is a stronger ability, it is much more difficult for them to do so. In order for an order or coercion made through this skill to be effective, the vampire must maintain whatever means by which they persuade until the command has been given. For example, a vampire who persuades through touch would have to maintain physical contact with their target the entire time they were giving an order to them in order for it to be effective. In addition, the more extreme the command in question is, the easier it is for the target to resist.
• Rejuvenating Drink - This is a skill which allows a vampire to further enhance the benefits of doing what comes most naturally: drinking blood. Under normal circumstances, drinking blood is merely what is required to nurture and sustain a vampire, and keep them strong. However, with this skill, a further benefit is added, allowing the vampire to use the blood he or she drinks to actually heal themselves. The potency of the effects of this skill depends on the source from which it is taken. Human blood is most potent, allowing quick healing in minutes, sometimes seconds. Lycan blood is the next most effective, followed by zoanthrope blood. As is normally the case, a vampire gains absolutely no benefits by drinking the blood of another vampire. While this skill can be used to heal cuts, stabs, and many other kinds of physical injury, it can not heal fatal wounds. This means that such injuries as a stake through the heart or a wound from an iron bullet can not be healed using this skill.
• Heart Cocoon - This skill allows the vampire possessing it to temporarily protect their most vital area: the heart. It is widely known that the most effective way to kill a vampire is to drive a stake of iron or wood through his or her heart. This skill allows the vampire that has it to grow a temporary armor of bone-like material around their heart. This armor is sufficient to prevent most enemies from manually impaling the vampire with a stake. Though it can be pierced by guns or overwhelming force, this skill forces an opponent to find a more inventive, and therefore more difficult, method of dispatching the vampire in question. It is however very temporary, lasting no more than a couple of minutes before dissipating. Once a vampire has used this skill once, they must wait 24 hours before being able to utilize it again.
• False Pulse - The opposite of playing dead, this skill gives the vampire that wields it the ability to fake life. Via the use of this skill, a vampire can produce in him or herself a false pulse. The pulse is felt as strong and healthy, which makes it easy to fool all but the most attentive person into believing that the vampire is in fact a living human being. The pulse can be maintained as long as the vampire desires, but requires energy to keep going and can potentially tire him or her out if used for too long. In addition, although the false pulse is a good fake, it does not simulate any other vital signs. For example, if a vampire using false pulse were given an electrocardiogram, their heart would appear as still and lifeless as ever.
• Sonic Shout - A sort of offensive echolocation ability, a vampire with skill can produce a brief but powerful sonic shout, high enough in pitch to shatter glass instantly. This shout, when directed at a human being, can cause temporary deafness, as well as disorientation and even some internal damage if used at very close range. When directed at a supernatural it is even more effective due to the enhanced senses, in this case hearing, that all possess. The scream can be maintained for only a few seconds, and uses up a lot of energy very quickly. Overuse of this ability can cause fatigue, the need to consume blood immediately, and paralyses of the vocal cords.
• Shadow Walking - This ability allows a Vampire to temporarily meld with the shadows in the surrounding environment, allowing him or her to easily slip out of sight. As this ability does not create true invisibility but rather camouflage, it is not perfect, and can be seen through by anyone who is very perceptive or trained for such things. However, combined with natural vampire quickness and stealth, it can be a valuable tool. An interesting fact to note is that Shadow Walking is not affected by such spells as the revealing glyph. As the vampire is not invisible, they will not be revealed by spells which are made to reveal invisible things.
• Memory Drain - This skill is a form of limited psychometry which is connected to the drinking of blood. A vampire with this skill has the ability to read and absorb the memories of anyone who's blood they drink. This is both a blessing and a curse, as it can potentially grant them wisdom and insight beyond their years, but it also humanizes their prey. Depending on the amount they drink, a vampire with this ability can sift through nearly all of a person's memories up till the immediate present. However, it requires practice and great willpower to do so, because the emotions attached to those memories are forced into the vampire's own mind upon consumption of blood. Important to note is that this ability is always active, meaning *every* time a vampire with this ability drinks blood, they absorb the memories of the person they drink from. This means that they must quickly learn to control and suppress this power as needed, else they will go mad; not drinking blood is not an option after all.
• Paralyzing Bite - Vampires with this skill have an added offensive option when biting a target. They can choose to either drink the target's blood, or (if they can control themselves) inject a toxin into their target through their fangs. This toxin, once in the target's system, causes temporarily paralysis of both muscles and vocal cords, effectively immobilizing and silencing their target. The toxin also causes immense pain to its target to completely take them out of action. The toxin can not kill, and works its way out of the target's system in a few hours. However it is perfect for capture or immobilization in a pinch. Important to note is that a target can not do both, in other words drink and then poison or poison and then drink. Once the toxin has been injected into the target's bloodstream, their blood is no longer safe for the vampire to drink until the toxin has worked its way out of the victim's system.. And once they have decided to drink, the glands that produce the toxin cease to function for a short time. Though incredibly useful, vampires must be careful not to overuse this power, as it begins to cause extreme pain and flu-like symptoms if used too often.

[VoxHumana]

Lycanthrope Skills

• Eye of the Hunter - This is an ability which is used to augment the natural hunting ability that all of the Lycanthrope race posses. Upon activation of this skill, the Lycan in question gains thermal vision, as well as the ability to see signs left recently by prey. These signs include hand and footprints, as well as olfactory trails, which allows them to visually follow scents which may have become too faint to detect via smell. This skill can remain active as long as the Lycan in question desires, but does have a downfall. Upon deactivation of the skill, all of his or her senses are weakened; reduced to normal human levels, which is quite a drop. The only sense remaining at a super natural level is smell. The length of this weakening of the senses is dependent on how long the skill was active.
• Partial Transformation - A Lycan with this ability has, at least in part, gained the ability to control the transformation from man to the bestial werewolf. Although they still do not have the ability to stop themselves from transforming into the raging beast under the full moon, they can manifest some of the werewolf's traits while still in their human form. Utilizing this skill allows the Lycan in question to summon the claws and fangs that they possess while transformed, and use them while still human. This gives them an edge in combat, allowing them to rip and tear through their enemies with ease. However, there are downsides to this ability. Firstly, the user suffers intense pain upon manifesting and retracting their claws and fangs. The pain on retraction of these parts increases based on how long they've been manifested. In addition, as the user keeps these parts manifested, the bestial part of them slowly begins to take over. They gradually lose their reasoning ability and sanity, and if the ability is kept on too long, they can lose their human mentality completely. This puts not only their allies in danger, but themselves, as they do not have the size and additionally enhanced traits afforded to them by a full transformation.
• Alpha Dominance: Level I - This is essentially the ability to forcibly assert dominance over other Lycans. At this low level however, this skill only causes a feeling of trust and a sort of innate bond between the Lycan using it and the one they use it on, can only be used on one other Lycan at a time, and is not permanent, lasting only as long as long as the Lycan using the skill is physically present. Through the use of this skill however, it is easier to work as a team and coordinate, even creating a sort of mental link between the user and the bonded Lycan. With development, further levels of this power can be gained, moving the Lycan in question towards being able to form permanent bonds with multiple Lycans and eventually lead a pack of his or her own.
• Fearsome Howl - This skill allows a Lycan to use his or her howl as a weapon. This particular skill is useable both while human and while transformed into Lupine form, but is far more effective when used in the latter. The user emits a powerful howl, loud enough to be heard from some distance away. When used in human form, the howl causes disorientation and a feeling of fear and anxiety, which can be used to disarm opponents or distract them long enough to initiate an attack. When used in Lupine form, this howl is sufficient to inflict panic in most targets, causing them to flee in fear or be rendered paralyzed. This ability typically does not work on vampires, most of whom possess an extraodinarily powerful will. Overuse of this ability causes fatigue and weakness, as well as vocal cord paralysis. In Lupine form it can drain the Lycan's strength quickly, causing them to revert back to human form prematurely.
• Canine Dominance - This is the ability to, especially when in Lupine form, command and communicate with any species of animal which is canine. This includes such animals as wolves, coyotes, and even domesticated dogs. As Lycans are essentially the highest form of canine, they can use this ability to assert their dominance over any and all members of this animal family. This influence is stronger when asserted while in Lupine form, and can be exerted over multiple animals at one time. Interesting to note is that this ability supersedes the zoanthrope Animal Command ability, since Lycans automatically take precedent. This ability can even be extended to influence Zoanthropes whose animal nature is canine, though of course forcing complete obedience is nigh impossible.
• Clarity - Under normal circumstances, when a Lycan transforms into their Lupine form they lose their human side, meaning that they also lose their reasoning ability and much of their intelligence. Lycans with this ability can, for a short time, delay this complete loss of reason. For the first thirty minutes of their Lupine transformation under the full moon, he or she is able to retain their human mind. This allows them to hold on to their reasoning and thinking ability, making them far more dangerous while transformed during this period. This is a passive skill, which activates immediately upon each of a Lycan's forced transformations into Lycan form. As a downside, Lycans with this skill suffer from a condition known as "shift coma." This causes them to enter a temporary comatose state upon the end of their transformation as their body shifts back to human, due to the strain put upon their mind from resisting their bestial instincts for this extended period.
• Mental Fortress - In general, most Lycans do not have especially strong willpower of their own. This is because their minds are constantly split in two, divided between their human and bestial side. This makes them more vulnerable in general to suggestion and skills which involve persuasion, psychic domination, and the like. However, Lycans with this ability can in fact use their divided mental state as a defense against skills of this type. A Lycan using mental fortress can actually shield their human mind with the raw impulse and emotion present in their bestial half. In a contest of wills or when fighting against psychic abilities of any kind, they are able to overwhelm their opponent with sheer force, locking down their minds and preventing their enemy from getting a foothold. However, a Lycan must be very careful in making sure that they quickly overwhelm their enemy and break free, for the longer this ability is used, the more their bestial nature comes to the fore. If used carelessly or for too long of an extended period, they can lose grip on their sanity, causing them to go berserk.
• Facial Reconstruction - This is another skill which utilizes a measure of control over the transformation from man to beast. Some Lycans, rather than being able to harness a partial transformation to form claws and fangs, can actually use their shifting ability to change their appearance. By forcibly moving the bones and flesh of their face, a Lycan with this ability can change the structure of their face, making themselves appear older or younger, or making themselves look different all together. The transformation is only partial at best, since they must still work with the physical features that they are born with. However, it is sufficient that they could be misconstrued as a relative, perhaps a sibling or cousin. Though not enough to change their identity entirely, it can serve to hide them like camouflage or escape a pursuer. One important thing to note about this ability is that it is not permanent, lasting an hour or two at best. Another is that the reconstruction causes immense pain, which grows stronger the longer the user's face is changed.
• Silent Strider - One of the few abilities that applies to a Lycan only in his or her transformed Lupine state, this skill is one that grants something to make one an even more deadly hunter: stealth. A Lycan with this ability, when transformed, makes almost no sound when walking. Their footsteps are near silent even by the standards of other Lycans with their enhanced sense of hearing. In addition, a Lycan with this skill will not sink into his or her environment, for example snow or mud, and therefore leaves no footprints. Through this, a Lycan becomes a shadow. Hard to track, hard to see coming, and harder still to escape. It is important to note however that this ability does not change the *nature* of the Lycan who has it. What this means is that the Lycan in question is still a beast, and therefore can easily be coerced into not behaving stealthily or with caution. This skill is most useful when the Lycan using it is in a pack, and able to be ordered by an Alpha, as the ability to carry out maneuvers quickly and silently is invaluable.
• Ancestral Memory - Similar to the concept of genetic memory, this skill references certain Lycans' ability to connect with some of the memories and experiences of past generations of their kind. Lycans with this skill often have the term "old soul" applied to them. Usually through dreams or through a process similar to tactile psychometry (reading of an item's past by touching it), they can see, feel and in general experience the memories of any Lycan within their ancestral line. The concept of an ancestral line refers to the Lycan who passed the curse on to them, known in Lycan culture as their "Bearer," the Lycan who passed the curse onto their Bearer, and so on down through the generations. Depending on what the memories of their "ancestors" entail, this ability can grant such things as an enhanced ability to adapt in combat, wisdom beyond years, and even a measure of foreknowledge on certain subjects. However, Lycans with ancestral memory are also, in a sense, cursed. They are forced to experience the memories of their ancestors in one form or another almost constantly, and thus often lack a sense of self-identity, some even experiencing a form of multiple personality disorder. It is easy for one with this skill to lose themselves, and become what is known as a "Lost One;" or a Lycan who is naught but a shell, a resting place for the memories of those long gone.

[VoxHumana]

Shade Skills

• Dread Presence - This is one of the skills which can only be used while a shade is in their ghostly state. Through the use of this ability, the Shade in question produces an aura of fear and dread which rolls off of them and "infects" the people around them that it comes into to contact with. Any human or supernatural caught in the range of this ability, usually a 2 to 3 meter radius, will be stricken by an intense feeling of terror and dismay, usually causing them to either run away screaming or become paralyzed. This ability is useful for creating distractions, or disarming a potentially dangerous target. It should be noted that skills such as mental fortress, which grant the user immense willpower, can be used to dispel the effects of this ability. It must also be recognized that like all abilities, continual use of this power drains a shade of energy. The interesting this is that while in the spirit realm, a shade can not die of loss of energy. However, in their weakened state, they are unlikely to be able to fight back should an Eldritch show itself, and they (being the Eldritch) are in turn attracted to weakened souls. The transition to the human world requires energy, and without a sufficient amount, the shade would be trapped in the spirit realm with nowhere to run.
  
• Ectoplasmic Charge - This ability, like Dread Presence, can only be used while a shade is in their ghostly state. Through the use of this ability the Shade is able to concentrate some of the ghostly energy that they possess while in the spirit realm, usually referred to as ectoplasmic energy, into a small blast of power. While this blast can not be used to directly harm human beings or supernaturals of the physical plane, these blasts can serve one of two uses. They CAN interact with inanimate objects, meaning they can be used to cause distractions or create obstacles. In addition, they play havoc with electrical systems, often causing most electronic devices to go haywire. In addition, these blasts seem to have an effect on Eldritch, though it is minimal and temporary. These blasts can be used to stun or halt an Eldritch for a short time, allowing a shade to escape or evade his or her pursuer. As with all abilities Shade's possess, this power drains energy from them, in this case exceedingly quickly. If overused, even against Eldritch, the Shade runs the risk of being trapped in the spirit realm with no way of escape or self preservation should more of the dire creatures come.
  
• Overshadow - This ability is the source behind the myths that shades and other ghostly manifestations are capable of possessing the living. While they can truly not do this, a shade with this ability has the ability to implant an idea or a specific course of action into the mind of the person whom they target with this ability. That idea then lies dormant in the mind of the person until activated by the shade in question. Once this is done, the now overshadowed person will follow that course of action or be overtaken by the idea which the shade has implanted. While the idea can only be implanted while in human form, as physical contact is required, it can be *activated* in human or spirit form, allowing the shade to easily pick and choose when they want the command that they have implanted to take effect. It should be noted that the more complex the idea, and the longer between implantation and activation, the more energy is required from the shade. In addition, commands or ideas which are radical in nature or vastly against the character of the overshadowed person may not work as intended or may simply fail all together.
• Phantasm - Illusions. Shape ectoplasmic energy into quasi-real illusions. Due to the origin, these will all have a twisted, nightmarish quality to them, thus making the ability rather useless for disguise or hiding the true nature of the environment. This skill is mostly meant to shape horrific things out of plasmic material and use them to terrify, distract, or deter people. If the illusion is at all disturbed such as something passing through it, it is immediately identified as an illusion. Does not work well in a raining environment.
• Boneyard - By spreading their awareness over an area, a Shade is capable of projecting their senses to any point within that range, while also evoking certain haunting effects. When this ability is taken, choose one of the following "keys" to unlock with it:
  
          - Stillness: Able to make one person blind, deaf, or mute within the area, blend in with the darkness to hide more effectively, or make one person drop into a state of ennui. If a living being makes contact with said person as they are inflicted, the subject will be cured due to their life essences combining through touch, overwhelming the Shade’s ability. If contact is disconnected, then the affliction will continue as long as the Shade keeps its concentration. The amount of combined life-force to overcome the ability is determined by how powerful the Shade in question is. NOTE: If a person is affected by this they do NOT get to automatically know it is a shade that is affecting them unless they are well versed in Shades as an entity.
          - Stigmata: The energies of blood are powerful, ritualistic, and binding. Within the area, the Shade can see invisible entities, as well as other Shades and Eldritch in the area that are not physically manifested. They are able to ward an area within the ‘Boneyard’ as well, using it to either keep those entities out, or trap them within. The best way to dispel the barrier or so assault it directly with Cold Iron, or be able to break the connection with coarse salt in two spots to create a space for you to slip through, the larger the area created to escape, the more salt is required.
  
          - Passion: The Shade is able to pick up on the emotional psychic resonance of living people within the area of effect, as well as manipulate and sway those emotions as they see fit(Primarily NPC’s). They could intensify the anger boiling between people in a bar, set fear into the hearts of a town plaza, or afflict a park with euphoria that is intense enough to override other sensory stimuli. Especially potent forms of this Boneyard feed energy into the Shade based off of who gives in to the emotion they have set within a portion of the area.
  
          - Primeval: The wilds are the home of this Boneyard and the Shade that invokes it. While the city is a terrible place to find wilderness, in the few pockets that can be found, this becomes particularly potent. The Shade knows the location of all wildlife within the area, and can influence the creatures to do their bidding. At higher powers, this skill offers complete dominance of one or a few animals in the boundaries of the Boneyard.
  
          - Industrial: This Boneyard turns the Shade into a literal "ghost in the machine." Their influence spreads over the area and coats machinery in ethereal plasm, giving the character control over the mechanisms within. This begins as rudimentary effects: turning lights and appliances on or off, opening or closing doors, etc. As it builds in power, more intricate feats may be accomplished, like controlling a forklift or flat out possessing a security system. The older the technology, however, the easier it is to manipulate.
  
  Drawback: This ability claims the Shade's full attention. For the duration that they manifest this skill, they are inert (whether this is in their manifested or incorporeal state depends upon what state they were in before using it) and unable to do anything utilizing their actual body. If they take damage from any source, they are shunted back to themselves and likely terribly disoriented.
  
  Special: May be bought/taken multiple times, gaining a new "key" each time.
  
  
• Curse: This skill permits the Shade to bear down upon an individual with a grim and nasty presence that seems to turn things against them. While the range of this effect is up to the character, it may only bend a fairly specific force or thing against the target (for example, animals, fire, vehicles, love, anger, darkness, etc.). The effect of the curse is never overt or vulgar, but rather quiet and subtle. It does not cause a person to catch fire, but it certainly makes flames seem drawn to them. The target is not immediately blinded by impregnable darkness, but light seems dim and the shadows seem to stretch longer and deeper than they should. Love does not find it's way into the individual's life, but rather, finds it way out. The effects are rather nebulous, but the focus should always be somewhat specific ((narrowed down to one word?)), and should pertain to the nature of the Shade. Curses can be easily broken by stopping by the local church for a holy blessing.
• Shroud: Wrapping themselves in an ectoplasmic caul, the Shade can keep themselves largely hidden from detection, provided they have the energy and don't do anything to draw attention to themselves. In physical form, they become just another face in the crowd, just another guy on a bench, or just another woman on the bus. It's difficult to pay attention to them or make any note of them, and they are quickly dismissed and forgotten when not in sight. In their ethereal form, the Shade no longer registers as a soul or a human entity at all. They become, for all intents and purposes, nothing more than a phenomenon of a psychic or ectoplasmic nature. Eldritch will mostly overlook them, and to any detection spells or even the Stigmata Boneyard, they are nothing but a residual, plasmic imprint on the psychic fabric of the world.
• Moliate: Shapeshifting. By manipulating the plasmic material their bodies are comprised of, the Shade is able to achieve some variation to the parts of their bodies. This is usually used to manipulate the limbs into forms useful for a particular purpose (claws on the arms, for example, or legs jointed like something between a kangaroo and a rabbit), but it can apply to any part of the body. The transformation only lasts for a fairly short duration due to the unstable nature of the Shade's body, and only one transformation may be maintained at a time. With greater power, the character can transmute their form into a different solid material and alter the appearance much more intricately. The material must be a baser mineral like marble or granite, so no precious metals, and the Shade is not able to move while composed of this different material. However, they can sculpt their appearance to be nearly anything they can envision, but the general size must remain the same. This ability takes time to construct the body of the Shade into the desired item , it is by no means immediate.
• Usury: Shades with this skill are able to barter for extra energy to maintain the form they desire and give power to their skills. The unfortunate truth, however, is that there are only a few sources of their plasmic energy: other Shades, graveyards and cenotes, and the Eldritch, all three of which pose their own dangers. Shades, of course, tend to dislike having their power ripped from them, and will usually put up a hell of a fight to stop it from happening (this isn't a subtle thing, so there's no way to hide who is responsible). Graveyards and cenotes are safer in their own right, save for the vicious fury with which they are guarded by those who lay claim to them, as they are a limited resource, and feeding from them tends to draw the Eldritch like lost hikers to a fire in the woods. Lastly, Eldritch... well, do we really need to discuss the dangers of feeding from them? The one positive to this whole mess is that the exchange is not strictly one way; a Shade may use this to provide extra energy at the expense of their own, transferring their plasmic power to another. This tends to come with a high price, though.
• Gravehowl: With this skill, a Shade is able to beckon forth corpses from the earth, infusing them with unholy animation and urging them forth to do their bidding. At its least powerful, a single corpse rises to the surface and seeks the Shade out, awaiting further instruction. The animated undead is not particularly powerful, suffering the ages of rot and decay that the carcass has suffered and quickly falling apart as the necrotic energies wreak further havoc on the remaining tissues. As the Shade's power increases, the integrity of the undead is bolstered significantly instead, and more can be raised. Legends hold that a single Shade was able to raise the entirety of a graveyard and its catacombs, and the animate corpses were incredibly difficult to put down. A small amount of concentration is needed to change the undead’s command, such as a verbal command or taking the time to look directly at it and think the entire order in one’s mind. NOTE: Corpses need to be readily available to raise.

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