Thanatosis 
This Discipline is an exclusive development of the Samedi bloodline, and it is tied intrinsically to the Stiffs' identity and history. Although Thanatosis appears to deal closely with death and the energies of decay, no Giovanni have ever claimed mastery of this power. The clan would undoubtedly be most interested in learning this Discipline. However, the Giovanni view the Samedi with distrust and loathing, while the Samedi take on the Giovanni is usually expressed by muttering a curse on the clan and spitting blood. Thus, the possibility of an exchange of information approaches nil.
Hags' WrinklesThe character can expand or contract her skin and the outer layer of fatty tissue that underlies it. This can be used to change the character's general appearance or to create pockets like a kangaroo's pouch for the concealment of small objects. This power is most effective when used by characters whose skin condition is already deteriorating, as additional distortion is less likely to be visible. If a character other than a Samedi or Nosferatu uses this power, large wrinkles or bulges may be readily visible in her skin.
System:This power requires one turn to shape the wrinkles and the expenditure of a blood point. If the power is used to distort a character's features it lasts for 1 hour multiplied by the characters Disguise + Blood spent. If the character is attempting to hide a small object (a wallet, a letter, a small pistol), the duration is the same, but all checks made to see if the object is detected (for example, a pat-down search or a security guard's visual inspection) are at +2 difficulty.
PutrefactionThis power allows the character to cause supernaturally rapid decomposition in a living or undead target. The victim loses skin and hair, teeth loosen, blisters and cysts appear, and fungus develops. Needless to say, the psychological impact of this power can be as devastating as the physical.
System:This power first requires that the character touch his intended target. The player then check wills and spends 5 blood points. Success inflicts one health level of damage or aggravated on the target and alters the victim's Appearance. This Appearance loss returns to vampires by the end of the night, but is permanent for mortals (though plastic surgery can correct mortals' physical disfigure merit). If a mortal suffers three or more health levels of damage from repeated uses of this power in one hour, gangrene or other ailments may occur.
This power can also be used on plants, in which case the target becomes blighted and withered. It cannot, however, be used on inanimate objects such as cars or wooden stakes.
Ashes To AshesAshes to Ashes allows the character to transform herself into a thick, sticky powder, about a double handful in volume (what would be left after a cremation). The character takes no damage from sunlight or flames while in this form, and most physical attacks are ineffectual. However, the character is only dimly cognizant of her surroundings while in ash form, and separation of the ashes can prove catastrophic when the Samedi tries to reform. System:The transformation to ashes requires one minute and the expenditure of two blood points. While the character is in ash form, the player must make a choice any scene in which she wishes her character to be aware of her surroundings. Reforming from the heap of ashes takes one minute. If the character is in a confined space (such as an urn), she explodes from it in a suitably dramatic manner as she brings herself back to full size.
If a Samedi is scattered while in this form, one health level and one blood point are lost for each tenth (roughly) of the character that has been dissipated. Five blood points are required to heal each health level lost in this manner. At the Storyteller's discretion, the Samedi may be missing limbs or vital organs (though never the head or the heart) until the missing health levels are healed.
Withering Many vampires, accustomed to their forms remaining ageless, have been aghast to discover the effects of this power. Withering allows the Samedi to shrink and warp a victim's limbs, rendering them immobile and causing extreme pain. Some particularly vicious Samedi take shrunken parts of their opponents as trophies or for use in ritual magic.
System:The Samedi must touch the limb he intends to shrivel. The player spends 4 blood points and has to contest double the victims hitpoints verses willpower. If the victim wins she takes one health level of damage, which may be soaked normally, but is otherwise unaffected. (If the Withering attempt is successful, the subject suffers no health level of damage, but rather the withering of the limb itself.) The effects of Withering fade after one night if a vampire or other supernatural creature is the victim, but mortals (including mages) are permanently afflicted unless some type of supernatural healing is used.
If this power is used on an arm or leg, the limb instantly becomes useless. If this power is used on an opponent's head, mortal victims die instantly, Kindred lose two points from all Mental Attributes while their heads are shrunken and are unable to use any Disciplines except Celerity, Potence, and Fortitude. Multiple uses of this power on the same appendage have no additional effect.
NecrosisAlthough its effects appear similar to those of Putrefaction, the impact of Necrosis on affected characters is much greater. Necrosis causes living (or undead) tissue to decompose and slough off, exposing bones and organs and leaving the victim open to infection.
System:The Samedi must make contact with the victim. The player spends five blood. The victim takes a number of health levels of lethal damage equal to the number of extra blood spent and suffers additional effects as listed below.
1 Blood No additional effects 2 Blood Lose Appearance 3 Blood Lose Appearance and one point of Dexterity 4 Blood Lose Appearance, one point of Dexterity, and Strength 5+ Blood Lose all Appearance and one each of Dexterity and Strength
Attributes lost in this manner are regained when all damage from the Necrosis attack is healed. If a victim is reduced to zero Strength or Dexterity, he is unable to move except for weak flailing and crawling but may still use Disciplines and spend blood points normally.
Thantosis Extended
Creeping Infection Level Six
Putrefaction, Withering and Necrosis normally take effect instantly. Some elder Samedi have developed such control over these powers that they can delay the eruption of infections and spontaneous decomposition until they are well away from their victims. Mercenary Stiffs are suspected to apply this power with a handshake to give themselves insurance in the event that a "partner" refuses to honour a deal.
System:The player must successfully use Putrefaction, Withering or Necrosis, as above, and may delay the effect for a number of months equal to the Samedi's Strength. The player may spend a blood point at any time during this period in order to activate the dormant power. If the Creeping Infection is not used before the end of its duration, it fades away with no effect.
Dust to Dust Level Seven
This power allows a character in ash form (see Ashes to Ashes, above) to maintain both cohesion and consciousness, as well allowing him limited movement. While adopting the form of a pile of dust may not seem to be a wise tactical decision, enough elder Samedi have found creative uses for this power that it is still taught.
System:While a pile of ash, the Samedi remains fully conscious and may use any Discipline powers that being a pile of dust would permit (Command the Wearied Mind, for instance, is rather difficult to employ without eyes, but Majesty will make the pile of dust very impressive and no maid in her right mind would dare sweep it up). The character cannot be blown apart by high winds, and any deliberate attempt to separate the pile of ash may be resisted with the character's combined Strength, Stamina, Potence and Fortitude. The character may move voluntarily at a speed no higher than that at which a pile of normal dust would be blown by the wind, even if he is indoors. He does not have to move in the direction of the prevailing air currents, and may "flatten" himself by spreading his ashes thinly so as to slip under doors and through cracks. This power functions like Ashes to Ashes in all other respects.
Putrescent Servitude Level Eight
Although the Samedi are not the only Kindred who are responsible for the creation of zombies, this power allows them to both raise the bodies of the recently dead and enslave mortals who are still alive. Corpses animated through this power appear as they did at the time they were raised, which is to say, pale and decayed. Mortals affected by this power gain much the same appearance, although they are generally more intact than their formerly corpse counterparts. Zombies created through this power are unable to speak, think with cognisance, or move at more than a slow trot, but are extremely strong and resilient.
System:The first application of this power allows the Samedi to feed some of her blood to a recently dead corpse (maximum time since death equal to the 2 x Samedi's Blood pool in days) in order to animate it. Three blood points must be spent to bring the corpse back to a semblance of life. A reanimated corpse has the same Physical Attributes as it did in life. It is capable of limited reasoning (reduce all Mental Attributes by one), but free thought is beyond it and the only person it can clearly understand is its master or an individual who its master has directed it to obey. Reanimated corpses possess two levels of Fortitude and three extra health levels. They suffer no penalties from wounds until they lose their last health level, at which point they collapse and cannot be reanimated again.
A reanimated corpse crumbles to dust at the third sunrise after its creation. Its "lifespan" can be extended by feeding it more blood when it is created - one blood point per extra night.
This power can also be used on a mortal. The Samedi creates a ghoul in the normal fashion, by feeding the subject one blood point. The players do a willpower check. If the vampire wins she is able to turn the mortal into a zombie. The mortal loses all free will, becoming completely subjugated to the Samedi's command. The mortal may try to break free once per night by rolling his permanent By a humanity + willpower check (difficulty of the Samedi's Thanatosis + Leadership). If the mortal frees himself, he is still considered a ghoul but regains his free will and normal Mental and Social Attributes (see below). A mortal who fail this becomes blood bound to the Samedi may never again attempt to break free.
A mortal under the influence of Putrescent Servitude becomes pale and corpselike. He loses one point from all Social and Mental actions. He gains three extra health levels and takes no penalties from injuries until he reaches 0, at which point he collapses. One more wound will kill him once he reaches this point. The mortal also gains one level of Potence, as a normal ghoul would, and has the potential to learn other Disciplines if the Samedi feels inclined to teach him.
A ghoul zombie who goes a month without vampiric blood loses all benefits of being a ghoul, as would normally occur. He also loses all effects of this power and regains his free will, though he may still be blood bound to his master.
