Have Your Say: Vampiric Abilities – Carrion Arts Part 3: Communal

Note: This post concerns 'Harrowed World: Portents In Red'.

Harrowed World Portents In Red

With the Cognate Carrion Arts covered in Part 2, it’s time to move beyond the powers tied to your vampiric bloodline.

Communal Carrion Arts are abilities that any vampire can learn, regardless of the Legacy they belong to. Under the current design, you will be able to choose up to three Communal Carrion Arts during character creation, allowing for far greater freedom in shaping your vampire’s strengths and playstyle.

If you haven’t already, we recommend reading Part 1 and Part 2 before continuing.

At this stage, the core identities and themes behind each Carrion Art are firmly established, along with their place within the setting. However, the individual Artifices within them are still evolving as development continues.

That means many details remain flexible. Artifices effects, mechanics, progression, and even some names may change over time as we refine the system.

What matters most right now is the overall thematic identity behind each Carrion Art, and whether those ideas feel compelling, distinct, and worthy of the world they belong to.

We want your feedback to help guide that process. Tell us what stands out, what feels powerful or memorable, and where you think things could be pushed further as we continue developing these systems.

Cruentus

Vampires are in a way bond to blood, it’s only natural given their need to consume it. It is possible for them to tap into this innate connection and force blood to conform to their will.

Cruentus allows you to directly manipulate blood.

The CruentusArtifices are currently planned to be:

• Blood of my Body: Let out a small amount of blood which can be controlled, able to attack targets or do other tasks.

• Blood of my Enemy: Cause the blood of a target to leave their body and be consumed by you, killing the victim.

• Craft the Blood: Craft your blood into projectiles that you instantly throw at a target.

Obcasus

Vampires walk the line between life and death. This is not simply colourful language or metaphor. While vampires are not spiritual by nature, they can exploit their connection to the physical side of mortality.

Obcasus allows you to manipulate the forces of death, at least to a limited degree.

The Obcasus Artifices are currently planned to be:

• Ashes to Ashes: Age a person to death until their body turns to ash.

• Fear the Reaper: Push a person to the brink of death but then pull them back just before you kill them, giving them a near death experience, that weakens and scares them.

• Merchant of Death: Mark someone so that anyone they come into contact with dies.

Hegemony

Hegemony grants you the ability to manipulate and control lesser minds.

The Hegemony Artifices are currently planned to be:

• Mantle of Terror: Instil fear in others, making them run away and cower. Can be used to buff Dread in dialogue with a cost of blood.

• Enthralment: Use of a vampire’s innate desirability and allure to twist the will of your targets. Can be used to buff Allure in dialogue with a cost of blood.

• Doxy by Proxy: Actively take control over your own doxy as if possessing it. A doxy is a vampire’s human servant.

Sensus

While vampires already have better senses than humans, Sensus allows you to expand your supernatural senses even further.

The Sensus Artifices are currently planned to be:

• Pulsus: Vampiric vision and enhanced hearing that allows you to sense who and what is around you, being able to tell the difference between vampire, human, other supernatural creature and animal.

• Oculos: Allows you to see the line of sight of those around you, allowing you to great avoid detection and to detect cameras easier.

• Intra: Allows you to have a greater sense of how things fit together, temporarily improving your ability to gain unauthorised access to buildings and computer systems.

Imago

A long-standing myth is vampires cannot be seen in reflections. The truth is some Vetostryx are able to control how they are seen, or choose not to be seen at all, whether that’s in mirrors, recorded media or by the naked eye.

Imago allows you to change how you are perceived or allows you to not to be perceived at all.

The Imago Artifices are currently planned to be:

• Incognita: Appear invisible to those around you.

• Fit Right In: Temporarily make it look like you belong somewhere you don’t, allowing you to say walk past enemies and guards.

• Mortal Mask: Appear human to a Beholder temporarily.

Motility

Motility grants you supernatural movement, not simply speed but also the ability to scale walls.

The Motility Artifices are currently planned to be:

• Undead Grace: Walk on walls/ceiling. Sub Rosa violation but can be used in combat.

• Airy Creep: Crawl on walls/ceiling. Not considered a Sub Rosa violation, since it’s mistaken for parkour unless seen crawling on the ceiling. It can however attract the ire of police, guards and Beholders, and cannot be used for combat.

• Swift Steps: Supernatural speed. Sub Rosa violation.

Salvos

Survival is the ultimate goal of every lifeform, from the smallest bacteria to the largest sea creature. Vampires are no different and most will do anything to survive. Sometimes it’s as simple as a hardy shield and brute force.

Salvos bestows you with supernatural strength and resilience in the face of all those that would oppose you.

The Salvos Artifices are currently planned to be:

• Steel the Body: Supernatural strength.

• Fortify the Flesh: Supernatural resilience.

• Perfect the Form: Supernatural dexterity.

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