LAiA - Thaumaturgy
Thaumaturgy

Disclaimer

Parts of this Disicpline have been changed for use in LAIA. If you’re using this site as a reference for a different game, please check with your Storyteller or consult your core rulebook!

Thaumaturgy encompasses blood magic and other sorcerous arts available to Kindred. The Tremere Clan is best known for their possession (and jealous hoarding) of this Discipline. The Tremere created Thaumaturgy by combining mortal wizardry with the power of vampiric vitae, and as a result it is a versatile and powerful Discipline. Although there are whispers of the existence of Tremere antitribu in the Sabbat, other Clans in the Sword of Caine have also researched and developed access to such mystical might. Nevertheless, the Tremere of the Camarilla remain this Discipline’s masters.

Like Necromancy, the practice of Thaumaturgy is divided into paths and rituals. Thaumaturgical paths are applications of the vampire’s knowledge of blood magic, allowing her to create effects on a whim. Rituals are more formulaic in nature, most akin to ancient magical “spells.” Because so many different paths and rituals are available to the arcane Tremere, one never knows what to expect when confronted with a practitioner of this Discipline.

Many Kindred fear crossing the practitioners of Thaumaturgy. It is a very potent and mutable Discipline, and almost anything the Kindred wishes may be accomplished through its magic.

Thaumaturgy At Character Creation

When making a Tremere…

  • Select their main path, the path associated with their Thaumaturgy rating. This does not have to be the Path of Blood.
  • Raise their Thaumaturgy rating to the desired starting level, through initial Discipline dots, freebies, or XP.
    • Secondary paths can be purchased at 3 freebies per dot or XP, provided they’re eligible.
  • Select rituals with a combination of levels that equals their final Thaumaturgy rating, not including any additional paths.
    • A Tremere that begins with Thaumaturgy 3 can take one level 3 ritual, three level 1 rituals, or one level 1 ritual and one level 2 ritual.
    • Additional rituals cannot be bought at character creation.
Thaumaturgical Paths
Paths define the types of magic a vampire can perform. A vampire typically learns his primary path from his sire, though it is not unknown for some vampires to study under many different tutors.

As mentioned before, the first path a character learns is considered her primary path and increases automatically as the character advances in the Discipline itself. Secondary paths may be learned once the character has acquired two or more dots in her primary path, and they must be raised separately with experience points. Furthermore, a character’s rating in her primary path must always be at least one dot higher than any of her secondary paths until she has mastered her primary path. Once the character has achieved the fifth level of her primary path, secondary paths may be increased to that level.

Each time the character invokes one of the powers of a Thaumaturgical path, the thaumaturge’s player must spend a blood point and make a Willpower roll against a difficulty equal to the power’s level +3. Only one success is required to invoke a path’s effect — path levels, not successes, govern the power of blood magic. Failure on this roll indicates that the magic fails. A botch causes some kind of loss or catastrophic backfire, such as losing a Willpower point (or dot!), spontaneous combustion, or accidentally letting a living statue run rampant. Thaumaturgy is an unforgiving art.

Below are the paths available for play in LA in Anarchy. Note that not all of these are going to be easily accessible to a normal Tremere, especially one who was among the Camarilla.