Free the Beast Within

Level Nine Animalism Power

The Beast is a fearsome enemy, but for the true masters of Animalism, it can be a powerful ally as well. When using Free the Beast Within, a Cainite enters into a pact with her Beast, releasing it from its prison in the vampire’s mind in return for some powerful benefits. This power is not invoked lightly, for the Beast never wants to be put back into its cell.

System: The character concentrates for one turn and spends one point of Willpower (this power can be activated as the character enters frenzy, at the same cost). The player then rolls Humanity/Path (difficulty 10 - Self-Control/Instinct). If the roll fails, the character enters a normal frenzy. If the roll is botched, the character is taken over by her Beast and enters frenzy as usual, save that the frenzy does not end until the character is either subdued or subjected to a power designed to cow or control the Beast. If the roll is successful, the character enters a controlled frenzy. The character ignores all wound penalties and any mind- or emotion-influencing Disciplines up to level 8 (any such powers at level 8 or higher suffer a +3 difficulty). They character projects an aura of menace that reduces the difficulty of all Intimidation rolls by 2. Finally, the Beast sharpens the character’s awareness; she not only receives all the benefits of Heightened Senses, but also three dice to all Alertness dice pools based on Perception (such as tracking). However, the player must spend a point of Willpower for the character to take any non-aggressive action (Storyteller’s discretion), and canceling Free the Beast Within requires an extended Instincts/Self-Control roll, difficulty 8, with six successes required (one roll per turn).

If the Cainite possesses both this power and the Protean power Shape of the Beast, she can combine the two, allowing her some control over the shape of her Beast when it is given physical form. She applies all the modifiers from Shape of the Inner Beast, but retains control over her own actions and neither loses Willpower nor risks a derangement.

Players Guide to Low Clans, Page 146