Countermagic
This is less a path than it is a separate Discipline, as the power to resist Thaumaturgy can be taught independently of Thaumaturgy, even tot hose Kindred who are incapable of mastering even the simplest ritual. However, the techniques of Thaumaturgical Countermagic are not officially taught outside Clan Tremere, for obvious reasons. Any non-Tremere who displays the ability to resist Thaumaturgy quickly becomes the subject of potentially fatal scrutiny from the entirety of Clan Tremere.
System: Thamaturgical Contermagic is treated as a separate Discipline. It cannot be taken as a character's primary path, and a rating in it does not allow the character to perform rituals. The use of Thaumaturgical Countermagic is treated as a free action in combat and does not require a split dice pool. To oppose a Thaumaturgy power or ritual, a character must have a Thaumaturgical Countermagic rating equal to or greater than the rating of that power or ritual (which means that rituals of Level Six or greater cannot ever be countered with this power). The player spends a blood point a and rolls the number of dice indicated by the character's Thaumaturgical Countermagic rating (difficulty equal to the difficulty of the power in use). Each success cancels one of the opposing thaumaturge's successes.
Thaumaturgical Countermagic can only be used against Tremere Thaumaturgy at full effectiveness. It works with halved dice pools against non-Tremere blood magic and mortal "hedge wizardry," and is completely ineffective against non-vampiric magics and powers.
Thaumaturgical Countermagic can be learned by characters who are unable to learn Thaumaturgy (e.g. those with the Merit Magic Resistance). Any non-Tremere character with a rating in this power automatically gains the Flaw Clan Enmity (Tremere), receiving no freebie points for it. This power cannot be taken during character creation and cannot be spontaneously developed. It costs the same as any other non-clan Discipline to learn.
1) Two dice of countermagic. The character can attempt to cancel only those powers and rituals that directly affect him and his garments.
2) Four dice of countermagic.
3) Six dice of countermagic. The character can attempt to cancel a Thaumaturgy power that affects anyone or anything in physical contact with him.
4) Eight dice of countermagic.
5) Ten dice of countermagic. The character can now attempt to cancel a power or ritual that targets anything within a radius equal to his willpower in yards, or one that is being used or performed within that same radius.
Errata: Based on past rulings, Countermagic DOES take an action, just as every other use of power does. The action may be taken reflexively, but must be a mental action.
Second Errata: A clarification is necessary as to what Thaumaturgical Countermagic can affect: It works at normal against Thaumaturgy as practised by the Tremere or Assamites (or other vampiric sorcerers who have learned based on Hermetic traditions). It works at half potency against ALL OTHER NON-TRUE MAGIC. This includes Koldinism, Settite Sorcery, Necromancy, Infernal magics, mortal "hedge magic," and the "hedge magics" of other supernatural beings. It does not affect the True Magick of the Mages, Disciplines, Gifts, Arcanoi, or the "natural" gifts of any other supernatural species.
