Road of the Beast (Disciplines, Merits and Flaws)

Road of The Beast or Via Bestiae
Sobriquet: Apostates or Ferals

Aura: Menace, The beast is welcome in the Ferals skin, and it shows not only in the penetration of her state, but in the flickering reflection of her soul.

Hunters follow the Via Preadator or Path of the Hunter
Nomads follow the Via Erronis or the Path of the Nomad or the Path of Journeys (Also Tariq El-Bedouin)
Savages follow the Via Feritas or the Path of the Savage or Path of Liberation
Grey Hunters follow Via Venator Umbra or Path of the Grey Hunter
Barbarians follow Via Yasaq or the Road of the Yasa - Only known by the Anda Bloodline
The Slain follow Via Einherjar or the Road of the Slain - Only known by Norse Vampires who follow the All-Father.

New Disciplines –
Regardless of clan all Ferals consider the following techniques highly valuable and will kill any non-Feral, and their teacher on sight should they discover they have access to these techniques.

Ennoia’s Mastery: Animalism 1, Protean 3 XP Cost 21
Supposedly, Ennoia could take the shape of any beast she desired. This power, while not so dramatic as that, allows Cainites to borrow characteristics from various creatures to adapt her body to her environment, claws grow long to assist tree-climbing, skin or fur changes color or texture to aid camouflage and so on. This power allows Cainites to become, in effect, the perfect hunter in whatever environment she finds herself in. This power is much favored by followers of the Path of the Hunter, for it allows them to stalk more varied types of prey.
Make a mental challenge (retest survival) Success allows one feature to be changed. Spending additional mental traits allows for extra changes on a one for one basis, with no more than four changes permitted on a single subject. Some suggested changes Claws: Inflict an additional level of aggravated damage and curve to allow a two trait bonus on climb challenges Eyes: Gain two bonus traits on challenges to spot moving targets and suffer a one-trait penalty on hidden or camouflaged targets that remain still. Feet/Hands: Flatten and spread to negate all penalties to movement in soft surfaces (snow, swamps, sand) and gain a two trait bonus to keep your footing on ice or other treacherous surfaces. These features may be combined with other powers (which require the usual expenditures and challenges)

Test the Road: Animalism 3, Auspex 2
This power is chiefly used by Wardens to test the sincerity of pilgrims who wish to visit Feral holy sites. Some Lore keepers also employ it to check the veracity of Cainites who approach them wishing to be taught the lore of the Road of the Beast. The Feral begins asking the suspect Cainite a series of questions about the Beast or asks them to begin hunting. The nature of the test is not really important. The Feral is actually watching the way the other Cainite speaks and acts to see if the Beast is truly just below the surface, guiding her actions. Make a mental challenge success determines whether or not the target is indeed a fellow Feral. On a loss, make a second simple test, if the user loses this test, the target appears to be a senior follow of the road of the beast. Spend additional Mental Traits for the following 1 trait to learn if the subject is hostile to the road of the beast, 2 traits to learn what path the subject follows, 3 traits to find out the subject’s road rating. This power does not allow you to learn what road the target actually follows if she is not a Feral.

Revoke the Gift of Adam: Animalism 4, Protean 4 XP Cost 28
God create Adam in his own image and gave him dominion over animals, or so Genesis says. The Ferals, however, know how fickle God can be. This bizarre power is sometimes used by Ferals who have no interest in diablerie, but who wish for a hunt more challenging than chasing animals, and more satisfying than chasing a terrified mortal. It allows the Feral to transform a mortal into an appropriate beast to be hunted. The mortal retains none of his conscious memories or personality, but he does keep his intellect. This allows a human who has been transformed into a stag, for example, to use his horns to shift a lever, push a cart and so on. Ferals who make use of this power claim that it allows them to experience the greatest hunt of all. It remains controversial however, even among followers of the path of the hunter, some of whom regard such manipulation of the natural order as the worst kind o blasphemy.
A mortal target must be subdued and fed at least two traits of blood, the caster then touches the parts to be transformed. The ritual takes five minutes to complete, at which time the mortal transforms as his beast comes to the surface. If the target is fed more blood, he gains greater body mass. 1 trait per 10% increase in mass., Packs can pool their blood for this transformation, yet only the leader need know how to enact this ritual. The new animal has no human understanding or memories, but it still possesses the mental traits it had as a human and will use them to their fullest extent to avoid its pursuers. At the end of the night, the mortal reverts to his normal form, completely with his memories of the night’s activities. Lupines and others who intimately familiar with the behavior of prey animals will know there is something wrong with victim.

The Flesh of the Hunted: Road Rating 4 XP Cost 10
The flesh of the hunter allows any Cainite who eats it to take the form of the animal form which the flesh has been prepared. Once a carcass has been obtained, any Feral with a road rating of 4 or better may attempt to change it into the Flesh of the Hunted. Doing so requires a mental challenged diff 10. Each success creates one portion of the flesh, which must be consumed within two nights or it loses its power. The ritual uses up the entire carcass. The Cainite eats the flesh, the normal problems with consuming food do not apply, over the next five rounds the Cainite turns into the animal the flesh was taken from. The Cainite retains all of her mental faculties and Disciplines. (Some powers may not be usable in the new form.) The Cainite also retains all vampiric weaknesses. To resume her natural form, the Cainite must make a willpower challenge diff 7, on a loss the vampire loses a willpower and is stuck in this form until the next sunrise when she may make another attempt. If the Cainite is stuck in this form for the same amount of days as her permanent Willpower she loses her true nature and becomes an animal forever.

Merits and Flaws

Mind of the Prey 1pt. Merit
You are able to think like a hunted beast, which enables you to second-guess your prey and anticipate the moves that it will make. Gain two bonus traits for challenges relating to hunting animal prey in the wild. Gain a single bonus trait for hunting mortals. This merit gives no benefit when hunting Cainites.

Good Mimic 2 pt. Merit
You have studied the behavior of wolves or are simply a naturally good mimic of their behavior. Whenever you assume the form of a wolf using protean, you gain a bonus trait for animal ken or animalism challenges relating to attempts to blend in with a pack of wolves. Most times, they will think you’re one of the pack and give you little trouble. This merit will work with werewolves only when you’re in wolf form, and they will notice things that are wrong with you like lack of scent. Werewolf gifts that can scry supernatural creatures will pick you out.

Leader of the Pack 3pt. Merit
You have an aura of command about you, a raw forceful presence that others find difficult to ignore. Others turn to you as a leader in times of conflict or whenever physical action is reuired. Mortals instinctively submit to your leadership in times of stress and physical threat. Gain two bonus traits for challenges relating to leadership, intimidation, or etiquette during stressful situations or conflicts when mortals turn to you for help. Cainites are affected by this aura if they are of a worse generation than your character.

Scent of the Beast 3pt. Merit
Your body exudes the scent of a predator, and any Cainite who is able to follow a scent will identify you as a beast (such as a wolf or a bear, or perhaps a large hunting dog) rather than as a Cainite. Cainites using Auspex are able to accurately identify your true nature with a mental challenge (retest with survival) Animals treat you as a large predator rather than a Cainite, werewolves can spot you with little difficulty on their part.

Obsessed with the Hunt 2pt. Flaw
In conversation, you cannot help phrasing everything in terms of the hunt. You do not speak of rivals and enemies, you speak of prey. You do not speak of nations and coteries you speak of territories and packs. You suffer a one trait penalty on social interactions in a “polite” setting like court or Elysium. At ST discretion you may suffer other penalties in some situations.

Taste of the Kill 3pt. Flaw
You refuse to consume blood that does not come from a kill that either you or your pack has made directly. You cannot have food brought to you, and you cannot feed from the drugged, drunk, sleeping or helpless. You draw sustenance as much from the act of stalking and slaying your terrified prey as from the vitae itself. If you become hungry enough due to blood lack or inability to hunt (imprisoned or torpor) you may frenzy and slake your thirst on whatever is handy.
Face of the Beast 5 pt. Flaw
Like the Gangrel, you gain animal features when you frenzy as the Beast leaves its mark on your body. As per the Gangrel flaw. Gangrel may not take this Flaw.
Heart of the Beast 5pt Flaw
Like the Brujah, you have difficulty resisting frenzy. The Beast lies close to the surface in you, and frenzies are your usual reaction to stress, setbacks or other difficulties. Gain the Brujah clan flaw. Brujah may not take this Flaw.