Impede the Gifts of Cain

Level 7.

Developed for use by Quaesitors facing superior numbers of Kindred, Impede the Gifts of Caine allows the thaumaturge to temporarily dampen the use of Disciplines in her immediate area. The focus of the ritual can be any item between the size of a baseball and that of a small suitcase, though it must be of relatively sturdy construction. The item must be bathed in six points worth of vitae that must come from at least two different thaumaturges (though only one need know the ritual). Discipline use in this area is substantially more difficult. The effect lasts for as long as the device is active.
System: Casting the ritual costs a blood point in addition to those in which the focus must be submerged, and requires a full hour of casting. The item is set briefly aflame (if the ritual succeeds, the damage to the item fades), and must be extinguished by the bare hand of the thaumaturge causing one level of aggravated damage, as well as a Courage roll to avoid Rotschreck). When activated, the device creates an area of power one hundred feet in diameter, centered on the item. Once active, the difficulty of all rolls to invoke or use Disciplines in the area of the device is increased by the number of successes the caster achieved on her casting roll. Disciplines that do not require rolls to activate are unaffected. This power cannot raise difficulties higher than 10. Kindred of a lower generation than the caster remain unaffected, but the caster herself is affected if she steps inside the area. The item functions until "turned off' or until dawn. In either case, once deactivated it becomes nonmagical and cannot be reused.