ABOMBWE

Abombwe
The Bonsam claim heritage from a hunter possessed by
a darkness from a time before the light. It is impossible
to trace the veracity of this statement, but the Discipline
of Abombwe certainly taps into both primal darkness and
predatory prowess.

• Predator’s Communion
The Laibon is the greatest predator in his territory
and senses whenever a potential ally or rival is nearby.
System: Spend a blood point. For the rest of the
scene, the Laibon can sense predators in the area, including
vampires, shapeshifters, ghosts, predatory animals,
mortals, and ghouls with a Road rating of 4 or less. To
pinpoint the location or find a hidden creature, the player
rolls Perception + Survival (difficulty 6, modified by the
strength of the predator as determined by the Storyteller;
stronger predators are generally easier to detect).

•• Invoking the Predator
Sculpting the malleable darkness inside him and
pushing it outward, the Laibon can copy aspects of predatory
animals.
System: This transformation takes one turn and
requires one blood point. The character might grow
claws that inflict Strength +1 lethal damage or a tail
for balance. Most transformations are automatic, but
particularly exotic ones such as poison glands require an
Intelligence + Survival roll (difficulty 7). A botch results
in a successful transformation, but adds cosmetic changes
such as scales or stripes. This power does not suspend the
laws of physics; the Laibon cannot create wings or spider
webbing strong enough to carry his weight.

••• Unseen Hibernation
The Laibon makes his lair inside natural formations,
plants, or earth by melting into the darkness hidden under
their surface. A natural object significantly altered or
sculpted by man is not suitable for this power; a wooden
hut cannot be used, but a tree with carvings on it might do.
System: The player spends a blood point. Unseen
Hibernation is automatic and takes a turn to complete.
The character falls into a consciousness one step above
torpor during this time and his player must make a Road
roll (difficulty 6) for the character to rouse prematurely.
The difficulty of rolls to locate the character increase
by two. Astral individuals cannot affect him directly,
instead meeting with writhing darkness as their hands
pass through him.
Violence upon the submerged vampire expels him
from the object in a blinding spray (everyone near the
vampire, and the vampire are at +2 difficulty on Perception
for the turn). The vampire subtracts two from his
Initiative for the first turn upon expulsion, but may act
normally after that.

•••• Power from Darkness
The Laibon lets darkness flow out and over him
like black, clotted blood that clings to his body. This
grants him power and special abilities even as the light
repels it.
System: This power costs two blood points and is
automatic. One transformation may be active at a time,
lasting for a scene, during which resisting Rötschreck is at
+1 difficulty.
Examples of use are listed below, but players and Storytellers
are encouraged to come up with their own changes:
Hands – Punches inflict Strength +1 aggravated
damage.
Head – Gain the ability to see perfectly in normal darkness
and a -2 difficulty for seeing in supernatural darkness.
Spit a toxin by rolling Dexterity + Athletics (difficulty 7)
that paralyzes any enemy’s limbs it touches unless the target
succeeds at a Stamina roll (difficulty 7).
Torso – Sprout four spider legs which allow for one
additional attack as part of a multiple action in a turn. Climb
actions automatically succeed, and attempts to escape by
running are at -2 difficulty.
Legs – Kicks inflicts aggravated damage. Leap up to 10
times the normal jumping distance and receive -1 difficulty
to landing safely after a fall or jump.
Throat – Emit a primordial roar. Mortals and ghouls
must succeed at a Courage roll (difficulty 9) or flee, whilst
supernatural beings must succeed at a Courage roll (difficulty
8) or become weak with terror (all dice pools reduced by
half, rounded up).

••••• Predator’s Transformation
The Laibon slays a predator and consumes a part of
it, be it heart, liver, flesh, or blood. He then becomes that
creature as his vitae fully absorbs its essence.
System: The player spends one blood point and rolls
Stamina + Survival (difficulty 7). If successful, the Laibon
physically transforms into the creature. The creature must
be predatory in nature and at least the size of a cat. Humans
and supernatural beings may be duplicated, but this does
not include powers. Predator’s Transformation lasts until
sunrise or the Laibon ends the power.
A Laibon may duplicate a previous transformation without
consuming another creature. This requires a Stamina
+ Survival roll (difficulty 10) with difficulty reduced by one
for each time he has killed and transformed into a creature
of that type, to a minimum difficulty of 6. With mortals,
vampires, and other humanoids, the Laibon takes on an
average appearance for his victim’s ethnic group, unless the
player succeeds on the roll at difficulty 9, in which case the
previous transformation is perfectly duplicated.

••••• • Incarnate Darkness
Emulating the horror that created his lineage, the
Bonsam becomes a mass of darkness, writhing and turning
as it tries to emulate predators not known to man. In
this form, the Laibon becomes the ultimate hunter: both
deadly and unseen.
System: This power costs three blood points, but
requires no roll, as the Laibon’s blood bursts from his skin
and transforms him into roiling darkness. The vampire
may take on one of three basic shapes: winged (allowing
for flight at 25 mph/40 kph), insectoid (burrowing
through earth and rock, and granting automatic success
on climb rolls) or brutish (all brawling damage increased
by +1 lethal). In addition, his Physical Attributes each
increase by three dots, while all Social Attributes drop to
zero (however, the vampire may substitute Strength for a
Social Attribute for purposes of intimidation). The Laibon
becomes the perfect stalker, decreasing the difficulty for
all of the Laibon’s Perception and Stealth rolls by two. His
claws and teeth inflict Strength +2 aggravated damage
and inject the victim with an inky poison that causes one
level of damage per turn in living victims (see poisons, p.
360) until the toxin is nullified.