Potence

All vampires are capable of prenatural strength by human standards, simply through the use of bloods. With Potence, though, this strength extends far beyond such measures. The inhuman might of Potence is sufficient to allow a vampire to break bones, shatter stone, and even heft and destroy heavy or resiliant objects. Vampires using Potence in battle are fearsome indeed, delivering telling blows that fell even their undead adversaries.
Most uses of Potence above the Basic levels are considered a breach of the Masquerade among Camarilla Kindred.
The Potence Discipline is most commonly known by the Brujah, Giovanni, Lasombra and Nosferatu clans, all of whom prixe physical strength and prowess. As Potence is a highly useful capability and requires little effort on the part of the vampire in question, many Cainites seek out tutors in this Discipline.
The Potence Discipline, as a physically augmenting Discipline, does not use any Ability for retests other than the Ability commonly associated with whatever task is at hand. That is, when striking someone while using Potence, one should use the normal Brawl ability for retesting.

LEVEL 1
Prowess

You have unearthed a level of strength unusual even in Vampires. Where others would flag and fail, you redouble your efforts. Your mighty blows land with a force that kills even the hardiest of mortals. With Prowess all of your unarmed or clubbing attacks inflict lethal damage instead of bashing damage, if you so desire. Furthermore, once per game session you may recoup your lost strength restoring all used Physical Traits of Brawny, Ferociouz, Stalwart, Tough and Wiry. You must restore all of them at once---if you have some Traits of the appropriate type unused when you invoke Prowess, you cannot restore them later. Using Prowess costs nothing and it does not count az an action; it may be done at any time.

LEVEL 2
Might

Your strength daunts even other Cainites. Few would dare to cross you in a test of physical power. You are far more likely than the average Vampire to succeed in challenges of strength. With Might, you may make a single retest on any challenge of sheer physical strength. Thus if you are grappling, picking up a heavy object or breaking somthing, you can use Might as a retest. Once you invoke Might, it is the last test of the challenge; no futher retests are allowed. Might costs nothing to use. You may use Might even if your opponent attempts to evade your strength. Your power is so startling that even an opponent who attempts to outlast you with stamina or to dodge you with quickness can be overcome, as long as you rely solely on your strength. Doing so gneerally requires you to bid a strength-related Trait, such az the types of Traits restorable with Prowess. Obviously, if you cannot exert your Might, you cannot make this retest---thus, you cannot use Might at range, with a thrown object (requiring speed and accuracy). You could use Might while trying to grab at a dodging opponent, but not when picking up and throwing a heavy object.


LEVEL 3
Vigor

Your Vampiric strength is truly monumental. You can heft hundreds of pounds with ease, deliver enough force to crush bones in a single blow and hammer down any opponent of lesser strength. When you possess Vigor, you may use the Bomb in challenges of strength. The Bomb is a closed fist with the thumb sticking up. The Bomb defeats Rock and Paper, ties with other Bombs and loses to Scissors (the fuse is cut). You are not required to use the Bomb, but you must always state before a Physical Challenge that you are capable of doing so. Using Vigor costs nothing. Your use of Vigor requires you to use only your strength; your opponent may try to defend with Stamina or Speed, but his doing so does not prevent you from using The Bomb.

LEVEL 4
Intensity

Your titanic strength never fails you. Unless sorely pressed or wounded, you can continue incredible feats indefinitely. Whenever you enter a challenge of strength, you may use Potence as your bid Trait. This Trait does not count toward totals when resolving ties or overbids, but it can never be lost; thus you may continuously use Potence in successive tests of strength. Only if you are forced to risk multiple Traits---such as due to wonds or Negative Traits---do you risk losing any of your other Physical Traits. If you run out of Physical Traits, you cannot use this Discipline. Once you have been completely exhausted, you can no longer enter challenges.


LEVEL 5
Puissance

No mortal can match you, and even Vampires tremble at your touch. The strength of your dead limbs is truly monumental, crushing anything that stands before you. With Puissance, you win all ties of in tests of strength automatically. You need not compare Traits at all, unless some other factor would cause you to lose ties (such as wounds) or give the opponent the ability to win all ties as well (such as Fleetness). Furthermore, your incredible strikes inflict an additional health level of damage in combat. This bonus applies to any attack in whch your strength is a factor---unarmed combat or combat with melee weapons. However, use of this incredible strength almost certainly breaks weapons that are not specially designed to stand it.

LEVEL 6
Imprint

Some subtle applications of Potence exist; Imprint isn't one of them. While anyone with Potence can exert tremendous pressure on object, a vampire with Imprint can literally crush steel with her bare hands. Imprint makes for excellent intimidation. Alternatively, it can be used to create handholds when climbing, and it goes without saying that if applied to someone's throat, the results are extremely nasty.
Spending a Blood Trait activates the power for the entire scene. You can now crush very tough objects with your hands or leave an imprint of your hands in them- for example, you will have no trouble pushing your hand into a wall or squeezing a steel pipe out of shape. If there is confusion as to whether or not the vampire can crush a cetain object, the Storyteller always has final say in the matter.
If used against another vampire, he attack inflicts one additional health level of damage. Said damage is considered to be lethal.

LEVEL 7
Earthshock

Earthshock proves that there is more to Potence than just hitting something until it stops moving. With Earthshock, you may redirect your strength- you strike (or stomp, depending on personal preference) the ground, and the force of the blow explodes up from the ground some distance away, directly below your opponent.
To use this power, spend a Blood Trait and make a Physical Challenege against your opponent. Id successful, the ground directly underneath the target explodes in a geyser of stone, rock, and dirt (or, if indoors, wood, concrete and plubing), inflicting three levels of lethal damage as sharp shards of debris rip into the target.
If used against a car, the car will be disabled unless it is specifically armoured. The power may be used indoors, but the results are far more spectacular- not only will there be a gaping hole on the floor, but the resulting shower of floor materials will break nearby windows and cause other damage to the surroundings. If there is another floor or a basement below the target, she must make a Static Physical Challenge against Six Traits to remain on the same floor or fall through the resulting hole. This may also happen outdoors if someone happens to be standing on directly on top of a sewer pipe, on a bridge, and so forth. A good rule of thumb is that if there is less than a foot and a half of concrete, earth, or whatever, it means that there will be a large hole if Earthshock is used there.
The attack has a range of 10 feet per level of Potence, meaning that you will always have a static basic range of 60 ft, if not more, as long as your trget is in line of sight.


LEVEL 8
Flick

Subtle in use if not in effect, Flick is a frightening power. With Flick you can use the slightest of gestures to deliver truly devastating attacks. You know how to apply your full strength in the tiniest movements. You can simply snap your fingers and watch your opponent smash through the window or shrug calmly and break the bones of the unsuspecting vampire standing behind you.
You must spend a Blood Trait every time you use this power. If the target is aware of the attack, you must succeed in a normal in a normal Physical Challenge against her. However, since it is extremely hard to dodge something that you don't see coming, the target must bid three extra Traits for the challenge. If the target is unaware of the attack and there is physical contact, (for example, if you shake his hand or touch him on the shoulder in a normal social situation) no challenge needs to be made.
You may hit anything you see with this power, and don't ned to actually touch anyone or anything (but you must always make some kind of a gesture in the direction of the intended target). Indeed, few may realize that you're responsible for laying such waste to everything in the vicinity if you're simply standing around and making small gestures. With a win on a Static Mental Challenge (difficulty 10 Traits, 15 if the area is dark and the character attempting the detection has no way of seeing in the dark), someone will notice the timing of your motions to the destruction.
Flick does whatever damage you would normally do in hand-to-hand combat, including all bonuses. You may also use other levels of Potence, such as Earthshock, in conjunction with Flick.

Level 9
Destruction:

This is where pure, raw strength begins. A vampire who has reached this level of mastery can literally destroy an entire building with her strength alone; nothing can stand in her way.
You spend three Blood Traits; for the remainder of the scene, your strength is simply monumental. If you strike something, you inflict three additional levels of lethal damage; your punches are powerful enough to pulverize bones. Where others use baseball bats or swords, you use telephone poles, pieces of concrete ripped off the walls, or even cars. Such weapons give you an additional six Traits to bid in challenges, and cause an additional two levels of lethal damage (though the Storyteller is free to modify the specifics of such weaponns).
Other feats of strength are also possible, ranging from punching holes through ships' hulls to ripping cars in half and lifting entire busloads of people in the air. The Soryteller should feel free to call for the Static Physical Challenges where appropriate.
Should you strike a mortal or a ghoul, they will die immediately if the strike connects- no human (or even relatively human) body can withstand such punishment. You may, of course, attempt to pull the punch.

Taken from Laws of the night, Camarilla Guide

 

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