Mortal True Faith
True Faith is a power held by the truly devout. With True Faith, for example, a brandished cross can have an effect on a Vampire, Fallen, Mage, Werewolf, Wraith or Changeling instead of being merely an empty symbol of the creed. Faith can come from many different beliefs, such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism, and even virtuous pagans can resist the lure of darkness if their faith is true.
Overview
This characteristic is not necessarily increased through experience. Certainly, it may rise as a result of a person’s experience, but it is more vital than that, more a measure of conviction and strength of mind. Nor is necessarily something that comes from outside the individual, from some God or angel. Whether or not their beliefs are correct, these people believe so unwaveringly that their own conviction protects them[1].
Some Mages however, theorize that True Faith is really something that may have a an external source, which is Channeled by will , the nature of such source varying from each faithful. According to this theory, although a Celestial Chorister and a Nephandi may both have Faith, the source from which they channel would be distinct.
True Faith Ratings
In Vampire: the Masquerade, the Faith Trait has a rating of 1 to 5. Exactly what protection is afforded to the individual by the Trait depends on this rating, as described below. In theory, a mortal might have a Faith rating of greater than 5, but these people are one in a billion — the sort of people who are venerated as saints. They are unlikely to enter a chronicle, but their powers would be enormous.
- - Any character with Faith may attempt to ward off vampires by brandishing a holy symbol or uttering prayers. The person rolls Faith against a difficulty equal to the vampire’s current Willpower points. The number of successes indicates the number of steps backward the vampire is forced to take. If no successes are scored, the vampire need not step back but may not advance. A botch indicates that the vampire may advance unhindered. Further, if the cross, Bible, or other holy symbol is placed against the vampire’s body, each success causes an aggravated health level of damage, burning into the flesh.
- - A mortal with a Faith rating of 2 or more may resist Dominate and similar vampiric mind-control powers by spending Willpower (one point protects for a few turns).
- - A person with a Faith of 3 or more may be able to sense the presence of a vampire, and can purchase the Awareness Skill. She need not consciously try to sense a vampire’s presence, but must be in peaceful, quiet surroundings — perhaps alone in thought, praying, reading the Torah, meditating on the Bible, etc. The person will not sense the vampire’s presence if she is preoccupied (e.g., arguing) or in a crowded, noisy place (jostled by a mob, in the midst of a raucous banquet, etc.). This ability is not infallible; the Storyteller should let the person sense the vampire only when it is dramatically convenient, or only after a successful Awareness roll. Note that the person cannot know exactly what she senses through her Faith; all that she will know is that something unclean or evil is nearby.
- - The mortal may not be turned into a ghoul, and is immune to any mind-altering Disciplines such as Dominate, Presence, and Obfuscate.
- - The person is so pure, so holy, that she can fill a vampire with self-loathing, disgust, terror, and even physical pain. Any vampire hearing the person pray, preach, or recite psalms, or who is touched by the faithful, may be forced to flee immediately. A vampire who is unable to flee is reduced to a gibbering wreck, flailing on the floor and screaming, sobbing, or begging forgiveness. To avoid fleeing, the vampire must either expend one Willpower point per turn or make a Stamina roll each turn (difficulty of 5 + her own Intelligence) — the higher the vampire’s Intelligence, the higher the difficulty, as the more tortured and guilty she feels.
Remember that Faith represents a person’s total commitment to her beliefs. That person will act accordingly. Those with high Faith ratings may seem fanatical, even insane to those not of their religion.
Effects
True Faith is a special Trait that only a few people in the World of Darkness possess. While many mortals are more or less devoted to a belief in some form of higher being or purpose, only a small number have the burning zeal, the profound conviction that can protect them against supernatural creatures like vampires.
Mortals
Mortals with True Faith are sometimes, but not necessarily, Hunters (not necessarily the Imbued hunters of Hunter: The Reckoning or the Shih, the demon hunters of Asia). It also allows an individual to use a number of miracles. Members of the Society of Leopold (the modern face of the Inquisition) are so well trained in using True Faith as a weapon that some of them can destroy nearly any supernatural entity they encounter.
Vampires
As unholy creatures and abominations in the eyes of God, True Faith has been known to repel, stun, and even injure vampires. If someone with True Faith, such as a priest, were to touch a vampire's flesh, the vampire would recoil in pain as the touch would scorch their cursed skin.
There is actually one easy way for a vampire to detect a person with a Faith rating, other than bitter experience — the use of Aura Perception can find it. A mortal with Faith has her aura permanently altered so that she has a silver or gold “halo” around her body. The strength of the Faith determines the brightness of the halo.
Some very rare Kindred have True Faith. It is the case of Cardinal Ambrosio Luis Monçada, Anatole, Ferox and a few Nosferatu.
Werewolves
True Faith forces werewolves to revert to human form.
Mages
True Faith disrupts magical attacks.
Wraiths
Wraiths are so susceptible to it that even a person without True Faith can exorcise them out of a person or a place and ward the area against further entry.
