18 XP
The vampire’s mouth becomes an awful nest of fangs, each many inches long. The jaw’s muscles grow tight, corded with bone-snapping tension. But it’s not just the ferocity of the bite that matters here—it’s what happens after to those whose flesh and blood is punctured by such grotesque, foul teeth.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Strength + Brawl + Protean – Defense where appropriate
Action: Instant
The roll counts as an attack roll made by the vampire using this Devotion. Successes on the roll translate as aggravated damage—so, if the vampire gains five successes, then the victim suffers a terrible bite wound equivalent to 5 points of aggravated damage.
That is not all of the horror conferred by this bite, however. While the wound itself is immediately infected, that’s purely physical. A successful attack also invokes a deep-seated spiritual infection.
Those bitten by this Devotion feel weak and worthless afterward, as if all that’s good and holy in the world has truly left them behind. They feel the absence of God and light strongly. They are certain to feel truly bottom-of-the-barrel wretched.
For a number of days equal to the Blood Potency of the vampire casting this Devotion, the bite victim suffers a penalty to all Mental and Social rolls. This penalty is equal to the Devotion user’s dots in the Nightmare Discipline.
Vampires have a bit of inbuilt protection against this, however—at the time of a bite, a vampire’s player may roll that character’s Blood Potency. Successes on that roll reduce the penalty (to a minimum of –1, as it can never be completely countermanded). Humans gain no such chance to combat the deep grief and sense of worthlessness. It is then, no wonder that those mortals bitten in such a way often kill themselves soon after, or beg to join the ranks of the hideous undead.