Ghost Flame Shintai

The Ghost-Flame Shintai, the Fire element analog, allows its practitioners to evoke the “shade-time flame”: Raw Chi energy from the spirit worlds. This energy manifests as an unearthly fire, which radiates from the vampires eyes, mouth, hands or entire body.

There are two types of Ghost-flame: The scorching yang flame and the icy Yin flame. Yang flame burns red, blue, purple or other bright shades; Yin flame burns black, white, ice-blue or other lunar hues. Masters of this shintai may utilize either, making this Discipline one of the most versatile and deadly.

Practitioners of Ghost-Flame are scattered throughout the Middle Kingdom, though there are relatively few in any given area. It is most prevalent in Japan; several Japanese vampire-warriors have mastered the Hima form. To access the energy, a vampire learns to handle the searing pain involved in channeling the Chi energy though her body. Many practitioners bear permanent burn scars, testaments to mistakes made in training.

The vampire's eyes and mouth blaze with eerie Chi energy, which manifests as flame of the appropriate (Yin or Yang) color. When the vampire speaks, flames lick from her mouth. This power is exceedingly unnerving; most animals and many mortals flee when confronted by a vampire wielding Goblin Face.

System: No roll or Chi expenditure is needed, but it takes one turn of concentration to evoke the power. The vampire can see in pitch darkness, and her bite inflicts an extra die of damage.

The vampire can conjure a piece of her Chi and send it forth from her body as Ghost-flame. At this level, the flame is not concentrated enough to burn, but does sting or chill. All sorts of interesting effects are possible: Lights, shapes, even pyrotechnic sparks. Skilled Ghost-Flame practitioners often entertain Kuei-jin courts during their few moments of levity.

System: The vampire spends a point of Yin or Yang Chi, which blazes forth from her body in the form of Ghost-flame. The most common use of this power is the creation of floating lights under the caster's mental control. As noted above, yang lights tend to be brighter and more colorful than Yin lights. A Chi point's worth of light can be a huge “lantern,” three feet in diameter, or it can be several smaller lights hovering and whirling about each other.

Yang flame can be released as stinging sparks (Dexterity + Yang roll to target, use appropriate firearms penalties). Yang sparks explode and burst like firecrackers. If a creature hit by them fails to score more successes on a Stamina + Alertness roll than the wielder scored on the attack roll, the victim is blinded for one turn. If hit by the sparks, a Western Kindred must make a Rotschreck roll; so must a Kuei-jin whose Yang rating is less than that of the flame-wielder.

Yin sparks also flare and explode. They do not blind, but might scare away spirits and ghosts (the vampire rolls Yin versus a difficulty of the spirit's Willpower; each success causes the spirit to retreat for a turn).

The vampire develops more precise control over the flame emitted. He may emit larger quantities of flame and may configure the flame into all manner of complex shapes. These constructs are obviously of luminous spirit matter, but can comprise many colors; in the hands of an expert, Ghost-flame constructs can be useful illusions.

System: The vampire spends a point of Chi to emit a luminous, approximately human-sized mass of Ghost-flame. He may then make a Dexterity + Crafts (Ghost-Flame) roll to shape the flame into its desired form (difficulty assigned by the Storyteller, depending on the complexity of the shape). The vampire may mentally direct the construct anywhere within 500 feet of his current position.

The construct is phosphorescent and luminous. Spirits who see it may well be fooled into thinking the construct is another spirit, and creatures such as Kindred may have no idea what the thing is, but Eastern shen are unlikely to be fooled. Still, the construct can prove a functional distraction.

If a Ghost-flame construct comes into contact with a material being, the construct flares up, self-destructing and removing a point of its opponents Chi (opposite type of Chi versus that used in the construct thus, a Yin construct coming into contact with a mortal flares up, removing one of the mortal's Yang points). When used against other shen, the construct consumes one point of the victim's Gnosis, Quintessence, Glamour of Blood points, as appropriate. Ghost-Flame constructs severely sting beings they touch, but inflict no actual damage. Still a creature suddenly touched by Ghost-flame must make a Willpower roll or recoil in shock and lose the ability to act next turn. Such consequences can be very dangerous if, for example, the victim is climbing a wall or walking a narrow ledge at the time.

Yin-flame is icy and “burns” a victim's soul. Yin-flame inflicts Chi damage against spirits (Yin or Yang spirits), provided the vampire can see them. Against material beings, Yin-flame destroys temporary Willpower (the victim may use permanent Willpower, difficulty 6, to soak).

With this spectacular power, the vampire can ignite her entire body, thus surrounding it in a corona of Chi fire. Kuei-jin cal this effect “the little sun,” an apt name for what is surely one of the Cathayan’ most deadly combat arts.

With sufficient Chi expenditure, the vampire can transform her entire body into Chi to become a round, glowing ball (Japanese Kuei-jin call it the hima). Such a display is terrifying, particularly for P’o-dominant vampire, who often manifests a leering, demonic face in the middle of the flame-ball.

System: The vampire spends three Chi points, three turns in concentration and one Willpower. The vampire's body ignites with Chi-fire of the type used to power the Discipline. The precise effects of the Chi aura depend on the type of Chi-flame generated.

While surrounded in Yang-flame, the vampire inflicts aggravated damage with any Brawl or Martial Arts attack. Anyone grappled by or touching the vampire takes three dice of aggravated damage per turn. Additionally, the vampire gains five soak dice usable against fire attacks. However, vampires surrounded in Yang-flame are walking bonfires, easily capable of igniting flammable materials or explosives.

While surrounded in Yin-flame, the vampire may attack spirit creatures with Brawl or Martial Arts maneuvers. Against spirit creatures, Yin-flame inflicts three dice of damage against Chi (or Corpus, if using Wraith: The Oblivion). Against material beings, Yin-flame inflicts three dice of damage against the victim's Willpower. However, fire attacks inflict an extra die of damage against vampires sheathed in Yin-flame.

While surrounded in either type of aura, the vampire can spend a point of Chi to “flare up” for a turn. While flaring, the vampire's aura inflicts six dice of damage for the turn, and all strikes inflict +2 damage. Furthermore, any being looking directly at the vampire must successfully roll Stamina + Alertness (difficulty 7) or be blinded for a turn (five turns if the victim botches).

If, upon activating the power, the vampire chooses to spend two Willpower points rather than one, the vampire's entire body turns to Ghost-flame, compacting into a sphere. This sphere-form has all the powers listed previously. Additionally, the sphere can flay at a speed of ([10 - local Wall] x 5) miles per hour. Finally, because the vampire is only semisolid, the difficulty of all attacks rolls against the vampire increases to 8. While in this form, the vampire has no hands and may not hold anything, but may bite normally.

While engulfed in the Chi aura, the vampire is vulnerable to attack from the opposite type of Ghost-flame. A Yin-flame attack against a vampire covered in Yang-flame, or a Yang-flame attack against a vampire covered in Yin-flame, inflicts an additional die of damage.


	GHOST FLAME SHINTAI The Ghost-Flame Shintai, the Fire element analog, allows its practitioners to evoke the “shade-time flame”: Raw Chi energy from the spirit worlds. This energy manifests as an unearthly fire, which radiates from the vampires eyes, mouth, hands or entire body. There are two types of Ghost-flame: The scorching yang flame and the icy Yin flame. Yang flame burns red, blue, purple or other bright shades; Yin flame burns black, white, ice-blue or other lunar hues. Masters of this shintai may utilize either, making this Discipline one of the most versatile and deadly. Practitioners of Ghost-Flame are scattered throughout the Middle Kingdom, though there are relatively few in any given area. It is most prevalent in Japan; several Japanese vampire-warriors have mastered the Hima form. To access the energy, a vampire learns to handle the searing pain involved in channeling the Chi energy though her body. Many practitioners bear permanent burn scars, testaments to mistakes made in training. Chi Attunement: Stamina Goblin Face Level.1 The vampire's eyes and mouth blaze with eerie Chi energy, which manifests as flame of the appropriate (Yin or Yang) color. When the vampire speaks, flames lick from her mouth. This power is exceedingly unnerving; most animals and many mortals flee when confronted by a vampire wielding Goblin Face. System: No roll or Chi expenditure is needed, but it takes one turn of concentration to evoke the power. The vampire can see in pitch darkness, and her bite inflicts an extra die of damage. Goblin Spark Level.2 The vampire can conjure a piece of her Chi and send it forth from her body as Ghost-flame. At this level, the flame is not concentrated enough to burn, but does sting or chill. All sorts of interesting effects are possible: Lights, shapes, even pyrotechnic sparks. Skilled Ghost-Flame practitioners often entertain Kuei-jin courts during their few moments of levity. System: The vampire spends a point of Yin or Yang Chi, which blazes forth from her body in the form of Ghost-flame. The most common use of this power is the creation of floating lights under the caster's mental control. As noted above, yang lights tend to be brighter and more colorful than Yin lights. A Chi point's worth of light can be a huge “lantern,” three feet in diameter, or it can be several smaller lights hovering and whirling about each other. Yang flame can be released as stinging sparks (Dexterity + Yang roll to target, use appropriate firearms penalties). Yang sparks explode and burst like firecrackers. If a creature hit by them fails to score more successes on a Stamina + Alertness roll than the wielder scored on the attack roll, the victim is blinded for one turn. If hit by the sparks, a Western Kindred must make a Rotschreck roll; so must a Kuei-jin whose Yang rating is less than that of the flame-wielder. Yin sparks also flare and explode. They do not blind, but might scare away spirits and ghosts (the vampire rolls Yin versus a difficulty of the spirit's Willpower; each success causes the spirit to retreat for a turn). Goblin Shapes Level.3 The vampire develops more precise control over the flame emitted. He may emit larger quantities of flame and may configure the flame into all manner of complex shapes. These constructs are obviously of luminous spirit matter, but can comprise many colors; in the hands of an expert, Ghost-flame constructs can be useful illusions. System: The vampire spends a point of Chi to emit a luminous, approximately human-sized mass of Ghost-flame. He may then make a Dexterity + Crafts (Ghost-Flame) roll to shape the flame into its desired form (difficulty assigned by the Storyteller, depending on the complexity of the shape). The vampire may mentally direct the construct anywhere within 500 feet of his current position. The construct is phosphorescent and luminous. Spirits who see it may well be fooled into thinking the construct is another spirit, and creatures such as Kindred may have no idea what the thing is, but Eastern shen are unlikely to be fooled. Still, the construct can prove a functional distraction. If a Ghost-flame construct comes into contact with a material being, the construct flares up, self-destructing and removing a point of its opponents Chi (opposite type of Chi versus that used in the construct thus, a Yin construct coming into contact with a mortal flares up, removing one of the mortal's Yang points). When used against other shen, the construct consumes one point of the victim's Gnosis, Quintessence, Glamour of Blood points, as appropriate. Ghost-Flame constructs severely sting beings they touch, but inflict no actual damage. Still a creature suddenly touched by Ghost-flame must make a Willpower roll or recoil in shock and lose the ability to act next turn. Such consequences can be very dangerous if, for example, the victim is climbing a wall or walking a narrow ledge at the time. Goblin Scorch Level.4 The vampire becomes a living (well, undead) flame-thrower, breathing a gout of Yin or Yang flame, like the dragons of early Ages. System: The vampire faces her target, then spends a variable number of Chi points. For each Chi point spent, the attack inflicts three dice of damage. Yang-flame is blazing hot and inflicts fairly straightforward fire damage. This damage is aggravated. Yin-flame is icy and “burns” a victim's soul. Yin-flame inflicts Chi damage against spirits (Yin or Yang spirits), provided the vampire can see them. Against material beings, Yin-flame destroys temporary Willpower (the victim may use permanent Willpower, difficulty 6, to soak). Goblin Lantern Level.5 With this spectacular power, the vampire can ignite her entire body, thus surrounding it in a corona of Chi fire. Kuei-jin cal this effect “the little sun,” an apt name for what is surely one of the Cathayan’ most deadly combat arts. With sufficient Chi expenditure, the vampire can transform her entire body into Chi to become a round, glowing ball (Japanese Kuei-jin call it the hima). Such a display is terrifying, particularly for P’o-dominant vampire, who often manifests a leering, demonic face in the middle of the flame-ball. System: The vampire spends three Chi points, three turns in concentration and one Willpower. The vampire's body ignites with Chi-fire of the type used to power the Discipline. The precise effects of the Chi aura depend on the type of Chi-flame generated. While surrounded in Yang-flame, the vampire inflicts aggravated damage with any Brawl or Martial Arts attack. Anyone grappled by or touching the vampire takes three dice of aggravated damage per turn. Additionally, the vampire gains five soak dice usable against fire attacks. However, vampires surrounded in Yang-flame are walking bonfires, easily capable of igniting flammable materials or explosives. While surrounded in Yin-flame, the vampire may attack spirit creatures with Brawl or Martial Arts maneuvers. Against spirit creatures, Yin-flame inflicts three dice of damage against Chi (or Corpus, if using Wraith: The Oblivion). Against material beings, Yin-flame inflicts three dice of damage against the victim's Willpower. However, fire attacks inflict an extra die of damage against vampires sheathed in Yin-flame. While surrounded in either type of aura, the vampire can spend a point of Chi to “flare up” for a turn. While flaring, the vampire's aura inflicts six dice of damage for the turn, and all strikes inflict +2 damage. Furthermore, any being looking directly at the vampire must successfully roll Stamina + Alertness (difficulty 7) or be blinded for a turn (five turns if the victim botches). If, upon activating the power, the vampire chooses to spend two Willpower points rather than one, the vampire's entire body turns to Ghost-flame, compacting into a sphere. This sphere-form has all the powers listed previously. Additionally, the sphere can flay at a speed of ([10 - local Wall] x 5) miles per hour. Finally, because the vampire is only semisolid, the difficulty of all attacks rolls against the vampire increases to 8. While in this form, the vampire has no hands and may not hold anything, but may bite normally. While engulfed in the Chi aura, the vampire is vulnerable to attack from the opposite type of Ghost-flame. A Yin-flame attack against a vampire covered in Yang-flame, or a Yang-flame attack against a vampire covered in Yin-flame, inflicts an additional die of damage.