Among the myriad factions and bloodlines of the
Ordo Dracul, few represent the motives of the
Covenant as strongly as the Tzimisce. Even other
Dragons grow uneasy around these eerie Kindred, and
the bloodline’s nickname of “Fiends” was given to them
in nights past by horrified Kindred of other lines. The
Tzimisce’s signature Discipline of Vicissitude is the
subject of particular dread; tales speak of crippling
disfigurements inflicted on a whim, of ghastly
“experiments” and tortures refined beyond human – or
vampiric – comprehension or endurance.
This fearsome reputation often seems unwarranted at
first. Many Tzimisce are reserved and perspicacious
beings, a far cry from the howling monsters many would
believe them to be. Most Tzimisce appear as rational
creatures, formidably intelligent, possessed of an
inquisitive and scientific bent, and unstintingly gracious
of guests.
Kindred who treat with the Tzimisce, though, realize
that the Fiends’ human traits are the merest veneer over
something…else. For nearly two millennia the Fiends
have explored and refined their understanding of the
vampiric condition, bending their bodies and thoughts
into new and alien patterns. And should it prove
necessary, enlightening or simply enjoyable, many
Tzimisce do not hesitate to bend their victims in similar
fashion. While younger Fiends might be described as
merciless or sadistic, elders of the line simply fail to
comprehend mercy or suffering – or perhaps the do
comprehend, but no longer consider those emotion
relevant.
It is said that the origins of the Tzimisce date back to
the fall of the kingdom of Dacia, nearly two thousand
years ago. The first is believed to have been the king of
Dacia, Decebalus, who was a proud ruler, but the
puppet of a powerful Vantrue.
The story goes that Decebalus’ army was defeated.
Hunted and surrounded by Roman detachments,
Decebalus fled with his master and his master’s two
most favored childer. They fled for weeks, but their luck
finally ran out. Fleeing the Romans, Decebalus’ master
was forced to grant him the Embrace so that the
limitations of his mortal form would not slow their
escape.
While Decebalus had long wanted the gift of
undeath, he had wanted to prepare for it. He
understood that the vampiric form was unchanging,
thus he had wanted time to prepare his body for
immortality.
Despite his vanity however, he had let the life of a
king spoil him. He had grown fat and lazy. And at the
time of his Embrace, he was unshaven and his face was
scarred from a wound he received while on the run.
In the end, Decebalus and his master managed to
escape to freedom. But life eternal was not as Decebalus
had imagined it. He had lost all of the power and glory
he knew as a mortal, and worst of all he would forever
be fat, scarred, and unshaven. It was this self hatred that
eventually drove him to frenzy and commit diablerie
upon his master.
In the centuries to come, Decebalus studies the
vampiric form, its strengths and weaknesses. He joined
the Ordo Dracul when it was still in its infancy and
helped to develop the foundation of the Coils still
practiced in modern nights. But for all his success, the
ability to change the vampiric form eluded him. Why
could nearly every aspect of the vampiric condition be
changed or overcome, but he must return to the same
state each night before waking?
Eventually, during a dispute over ownership of a pair
of Dragon Lines, Decebalus came to know a mortal
sorcerer who displayed an interest in helping him. With
the aid of the sorcerer, Decebalus and his childer set
about performing a number of experiments in an effort
to secretly develop a new Coil.
They were beginning to show some progress when,
during one of the rituals, the sorcerer lost control of his
spells. From the darkness between worlds, a
manifestation of the Abyss emerged and fused itself to
Decebalus, who had been the focus of this particular
ritual. How it happened is not clear, but the alien spirit
became bound to Decebalus, infecting his vitae like an
abyssal disease.
In time, Decebalus learned that he could not only
control his own body in ways he’d never imagined, but
could also manipulate the flesh and bone of others.
Over the centuries, Decebalus perfected his fleshcrafting
arts, founding the Discipline now known as Vicissitude.
Though it started as one of the Coils of the Dragon, it
evolved into something more.
Like all members of the Ordo Dracul, Tzimisce seek
to better themselves. They search for the perfect form,
altering themselves in strange and disturbing ways.
Many study the traditional Coils as well as Vicissitude,
hoping that a merger of the two studies will yield
something truly revolutionary.
The Tzimisce often serve the Order as scholars,
advisors, and something akin to priests. In fact, many of
the Order’s modern practices originated from Tzimisce
teachings. By exploring the possibilities and limits of
vampirism, the clan hopes to discover the greater
purpose of the Kindred as a whole. If this means the
wholesale destruction of archaic elders, the razing of the
other Covenants, and the vivisection of millions of kine
victims, well, all experiments have their consequences.
Such experimentation takes a lot of time, and many
find they could use a helping hand…or tentacle. The
Tzimisce are fond of servants, most especially ghouls.
Many of the Fiends use their powers to create servants
far removed from the mortal stock they
came from. Ghouls are often
granted bone spurs, plating,
distended jaws and any number of
other “perfections” to make them
more suitable to the task their masters
demands they perform. Inevitably such
servants go mad from the
mistreatments they endure,
after which they are
discarded and replaced.
Parent Clan: Ventrue
Nickname: Fiends
Covenant: The
Fiends are found
almost exclusively
within the Ordo
Dracul. As a whole,
the Order matches the
philosophies of the
Fiends perfectly, and
Tzimisce are very picky
about who they Embrace. If a mortal
cares nothing about evolving into
something superior, then perhaps they
would simply make a more suitable servant,
or just a quick snack. Because of this, rare is
the Tzimisce created that doesn’t already favor
the philosophies and tenants of the Ordo
Dracul.
The rare Tzimisce that doesn’t belong to the
Order is most likely going to gravitate to the Invictus
or possibly the Circle of the Crone. Most Tzimisce like
to keep their pets, and such thinking is most unpopular
among the Carthians. And there are few things the
Tzimisce do that the Lancae Sanctum don’t find
heretical.
Appearance: As masters of the Vicissitude Discipline,
Tzimisce often have striking appearances – whether
strikingly beautiful or strikingly grotesque depends on
the whim of the Fiend in question. Younger Tzimisce,
seeking to explore their inhuman natures, perform all
manner of body modifications on themselves. Their
elders, though, often effect flawless, symmetrical forms;
the body is merely a passing useful machine, after all.
Tzimisce faces often resemble masks of blank perfection,
and the Fiends typically laugh little, though some have
been known to chuckle during particularly elaborate
experiments.
Haven: Tzimisce are exceedingly private beings,
placing great value on the sanctity of the haven. In fact,
the bloodline has an entire series of elaborate protocols
based around hospitality. Guests invited into a Fiend’s
haven are protected with the host’s unlife; trespassers
are pursued to the ends of the Earth and punished in
some gruesome and lingering fashion. Surprisingly,
Tzimisce havens, or “manses”, are not necessarily
comfortable or well kept. The amenities of mortals
matter little to the Fiends.
Background: Tzimisce are very careful about who
they Embrace. Many feel choice of childer reflects on
the sire. Thus Fiends choose only those mortals who
they feel have the capacity to improve the bloodline as a
whole. “Brilliance” and “insight” are particularly prized;
whether the potential progeny’s brilliance and insight
manifest in scientific theory or serial murder is a trifling
distinction.
Character Creation: Mental attributes are most prized
among the Tzimisce. Although descended from a
background of nobility, the typical Fiend is
unconcerned with petty social interplay; thus Social
Attributes are rarely primary. Tzimisce often have Status
(Ordo Dracul), Resources and Retainers (ghouls).
Bloodline Disciplines: Animalism, Auspex,
Dominate, Vicissitude
Weakness: Tzimisce are very territorial creatures,
maintaining a particular haven and guarding it
ferociously.
In addition to the normal weakness of the Ventrue
clan, Tzimisce characters must roll to avoid frenzy (5
successes needed) whenever someone enters their haven
uninvited. In addition, they strongly respect the territory
of others. Tzimisce must spend a Willpower point to
enter another’s home or territory without an invitation,
be it a Kindred’s haven or a mortal’s home.
Vicissitude
Vicissitude is the signature power of the Tzimisce and
is almost unknown outside the bloodline. Similar in
some aspects to Protean, Vicissitude allows the Fiends to
shape and sculpt their own or others’ flesh and bone.
Then a Tzimisce uses Vicissitude to alter mortals or
ghouls, the effects of the power are permanent. If used
on a vampire of the same or higher blood potency, the
victim may heal the effects. If Vicissitude is used to deal
damage, the effects are reversed as the damage is healed.
If it is used to make alterations to the victim, the victim
heals the change as if he suffered one point of lethal
damage for every success the Vicissitude user got on his
activation roll.
Victims of lower blood potency can heal the effects of
Vicissitude as well, but they must heal it as if it were
aggravated damage. Though actual damage inflicted
with Vicissitude based attacks (such as from bone spikes
or blades) are always bashing or lethal, for low blood
potency vampires, healing body alterations can be
especially difficult.
So, for example: If a vampire with blood potency of 1 were
attacked by a Tzimisce with blood potency 3 who attacked
with bone claws, he would suffer normal lethal damage.
However, if the same Tzimisce managed to get a hold of his
victim and used Vicissitude to bend the unfortunate vampires
elbow backwards, the low blood point vampire would need to
heal the disfigurement in the same manner as aggravated
damage. So if the Tzimisce got 4 successes to cause the
disfigurement, the afflicted vampire would have to spend
enough blood to heal 4 points of aggravated damage, even
though he wouldn’t actually have suffered any Health loss
from the attack.
Note that while this Discipline permits powerful and
horrific effects, the wielder must obtain skin-to-skin
contact and must often physically sculpt the desired
result. At lower levels, this even applies to the use of the
power on oneself. Tzimisce skilled in Vicissitude are
often inhumanly beautiful; those less skilled are simply
inhuman.
• Malleable Visage
A vampire with this power may alter her own body:
height, build, voice, facial features, skin tone, hair
length, eye color, etc. Such changes are cosmetic and
minor in scope – no more than a foot of height gained
or lost, for example.
With only one level of Vicissitude, the vampire must
physically mold the alteration, literally shaping his flesh
into the desired result. This is an extended action.
Upon gaining a second level of Vicissitude, these
changes can be performed at will as an instant action.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Dexterity + Crafts +Vicissitude
Action: Instant or Extended, (1+ successes, based on the
detail and complexity of the change; each roll represents
ten minutes of physical manipulation) Instant at two
levels of Vicissitude.
Roll Results
Dramatic failure: The character becomes hideously
disfigured and has difficulty restoring his form.
Correcting the mistake requires five successes on
another Malleable Visage use, or it can be healed as if
the user had suffered two points of aggravated damage.
Failure: The vampire has difficulty achieving the
desired shape and reverts to the same shape he had
before using this power.
Success: The character’s features change as desired.
The number of successes required, (or in the case of an
instant action, the penalty) to make the change depends
on what the vampire is trying to achieve.
To make the change permanent, the vampire must
spend a Willpower dot. Otherwise his body will revert to
its natural shape while sleeping the following day.
Exceptional Success: The change can be made
permanent with the expenditure of a Willpower point
instead of a dot.
Suggested Modifiers
# of Successes Required/
Intended Change Instant Action Modifier
Change Eye Color 3/-1
Change Hair Color/Length 4/-2
Change skin tone 5/-3
Duplicate a face or voice 5/-3
Add 6” to height (Max 1’) 6/-4
Shift 10% of Body Weight 7/-5
Shift 40% of Body Weight 8/-6
Gain the Striking Looks •• Merit 10/-8
Gain the Striking Looks •••• Merit 15/-12
•• Flesh Craft
This power is similar to Malleable Visage, above, but
allows the vampire to perform drastic, grotesque
alterations on himself and other creatures. Tzimisce
often use this power to transform their servitors into
monstrous guardians, the better to frighten foes. Only
flesh (skin, muscle, fat and cartilage, but not bone) may
be transformed.
Like Malleable Visage, flesh craft requires physical
contact with the chosen victim. Even when used on
oneself, the vampire must sculpt the flesh by hand to get
the desired result.
When used on another, the victim must either be
immobile (or otherwise helpless) or grappled.
The vampire may also elect to use this power
(extended action only) on himself or others to move
clumps of skin and muscle tissue, thus providing
additional padding where needed. For each success
scored, the vampire may reduce his Strength or Stamina
by one and gain a point of Armor (that works against
bashing damage only).
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Dexterity + Crafts +Vicissitude
Action: Instant or Extended, (1+ successes, based on the
detail and complexity of the change; each roll represents
one hour of physical manipulation). Note that any sort
of precise work on another will almost certainly require
and extended action.
Roll Results
Dramatic failure: When used on oneself, the user
becomes hideously disfigured and has difficulty
restoring his form. Correcting the mistake requires ten
successes on another Flesh Craft use, or it can be healed
as if the user had suffered four points of aggravated
damage.
If used on another, the vampire’s own hand is
changed instead of the victim. Correcting the mistake
requires five successes on another Flesh Craft use, or it
can be healed as if the user had suffered two points of
aggravated damage.
Failure: The vampire has difficulty achieving the
desired shape and reverts to the same shape he had
before using this power.
If used on another, the victims form remains
unchanged.
Success: The victim or character’s body changes as
desired. The number of successes required, (or in the
case of an instant action, the penalty) to make the
change depends on what the vampire is trying to
achieve.
To make the change permanent on himself, the
vampire must spend a Willpower dot. Otherwise his
body will revert to its natural shape while sleeping the
following day.
Exceptional Success: A change to oneself can be
made permanent with the expenditure of a Willpower
point instead of a dot.
When used on another, the effects apply to the victim
as if the flesh crafter had higher blood potency than the
victim, even if he does not.
Suggested Modifiers
# of Successes Required/
Intended Change Instant Action Modifier
Crude “yank-and-tuck” 1/-0
Shift 10% of Body Weight (on another) 3(4)/N
Shift 40% of Body Weight (on another) 5(6)/N
Gain/Grant the Striking Looks •• Merit 8(10)/N
Gain/Grant the Striking Looks •••• Merit 10(15)/N
••• Bone Craft
This terrible power allows a vampire to manipulate
bone in the same manner that flesh is shaped. In
conjunction with Flesh craft, above, this power enables
a Vicissitude practitioner to deform a victim (or himself)
beyond recognition. This power should be used in
conjunction with the flesh-shaping arts, unless the
vampire wants to inflict injury on the victim (see below).
When used on another, the victim must either be
immobile (or otherwise helpless) or grappled.
The vampire may also elect to use this power
(extended action only) on himself or others to move and
reshape bones, thus providing additional structural
support where needed. For each success scored, the
vampire may reduce his Dexterity or Stamina by one
and gain a point of Armor.
Weapons created from the body always deal lethal or
bashing damage. Vicissitude does not call upon the
vampiric Beast for its power, thus unlike Claws of the
Wild (Protean•••), these weapons do not deal
Aggravated damage.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Strength + Crafts +Vicissitude
Action: Instant or Extended, (1+ successes, based on the
detail and complexity of the change; each roll represents
one hour of physical manipulation). Note that any sort
of precise work on another will almost certainly require
and extended action.
Roll Results
Dramatic failure: When used on oneself, the user
becomes hideously disfigured and has difficulty
restoring his form. Correcting the mistake requires ten
successes on another Bone Craft use, or it can be healed
as if the user had suffered four points of aggravated
damage. In addition, the character’s Dexterity is reduced
by one until the change is healed.
If used on another, the vampire’s own hand bones are
changed instead of the victim. Correcting the mistake
requires five successes on another Bone Craft use, or it
can be healed as if the user had suffered two points of
aggravated damage. In addition, the hand is rendered
useless until the change is healed.
Failure: The vampire has difficulty achieving the
desired shape and reverts to the same shape he had
before using this power.
If used on another, the victims form remains
unchanged.
Success: The victim or character’s skeletal structure
changes as desired. The number of successes required,
(or in the case of an instant action, the penalty) to make
the change depends on what the vampire is trying to
achieve.
To make the change permanent on himself, the
vampire must spend a Willpower dot. Otherwise his
body will revert to its natural shape while sleeping the
following day.
If used without Flesh Craft, this power can cause
damage to the victim as the flesh reps and stretches
around the deformed bones. Each success gained inflicts
one point of lethal damage, resisted by the victim’s
Stamina. As with all Vicissitude applications however,
the victim must first be helpless or grappled.
Exceptional Success: A change to oneself can be
made permanent with the expenditure of a Willpower
point instead of a dot.
When used on another, the effects apply to the victim
as if the bone crafter had higher blood potency than the
victim, even if he does not.
Suggested Modifiers
# of Successes Required/
Intended Change Instant Action Modifier
Cripple Limb 1/-3*
Reduce Victim’s Physical Attribute by 1 2/-4
Make Joint Work in both Directions 2/-4
Gain Bone Claws (+1 Damage) 2/N
Gain Arm Blade (+2 Damage) 4/N
Gain Body Spikes (+1 Damage when Grappling) 6/N
Gain Improved Bite (+2 Damage with Bite) 8/N
When granting these modifications to another,
increase the number of requires successes by 2.
* This type of change is contested by the victim’s
Stamina.
•••• Body Craft
This power represents near mastery of the flesh and
bone shaping arts. At this level, the vampire has
developed an instinctive understanding of his own
body, and can make changes to it much faster and much
more accurately.
With Body Sculpt, the vampire need no longer
physically sculpt his own flesh and bone. He can instead
simply will his form to change in ways that would be
nearly impossible to do by hand.
This power allows Flesh Craft and Bone Craft powers
to be used as instant actions and with greater effect. For
example, Armor created with this level of Vicissitude
can be gained as an instant action.
In addition to the benefits listed above, Body Sculpt
grants a +3 bonus to all Vicissitude rolls when using this
Discipline upon oneself.
Cost: 1 Vitae and 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Composure + Crafts +Vicissitude
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic failure: When used on oneself, the user
becomes hideously disfigured and has difficulty
restoring his form. Correcting the mistake requires ten
successes on another Bone Craft use, or it can be healed
as if the user had suffered six points of aggravated
damage. In addition, the character’s Dexterity, Strength,
and Stamina are all reduced by one until the change is
healed.
Failure: The vampire has difficulty achieving the
desired shape and reverts to the same shape he had
before using this power.
Success: The characters flesh and skeletal structure
changes as desired. The modifier to make the change
depends on what the vampire is trying to achieve.
To make the change permanent on himself, the
vampire must spend a Willpower dot. Otherwise his
body will revert to its natural shape while sleeping the
following day.
Exceptional Success: A change to oneself can be
made permanent with the expenditure of a Willpower
point instead of a dot.
Suggested Modifiers
Intended Change Instant Action Modifier
Shift 10% of Body Weight -1
Make Joint Work in both Directions -2
Gain Bone Claws (+1 Damage) -3
Gain Arm Blade (+2 Damage) -4
Shift 40% of Body Weight -5
Mimic Another’s Entire Body -6
Gain Body Spikes (+1 Damage when Grappling) -7
Gain Improved Bite (+2 Damage with Bite) -8
Gain the Striking Looks •• Merit -9
Gain the Striking Looks •••• Merit -10
••••• Horrid Form

The vampire uses his mastery of Vicissitude to take

the shape of a hideous monster; naturally, this provides
great advantages in combat. The vampire’s stature
increases to a full eight feet; the skin becomes sickly
grayish-black chitin; the arms end in razor sharp black
nails; and the face and head warp into something out of
a nightmare. A row of spines sprout from the vertebrae,
and the external carapace exudes foul-smelling grease.
Despite the Vicissitude practitioner’s ability to take
nearly any form, all who take the horrid form look
strangely similar. Some suspect this is the shape of the
Abyssal demon that infects their blood. Others of course
dismiss this theory as nonsense.
Cost: 2 Vitae and 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Composure + Crafts +Vicissitude, Bonus
from Body Craft does not apply.
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic failure: The change halts before complete.
The user ends up hideously disfigured and has difficulty
restoring his form. Correcting the mistake requires
twelve successes with Body Crafts, or it can be healed as
if the user had suffered eight points of aggravated
damage. In addition, the character’s Dexterity, Strength,
and Stamina are all reduced by two until the change is
healed.
Failure: The vampire has difficulty awakening the
Horrid Form and reverts to his normal form.
Success: The number of successes the vampire gets on
Learning Vicissitude
his activation roll can be distributed as bonus points of Because of the discipline’s unique origins,
Strength, Dexterity, or Stamina as the character sees fit. Vicissitude cannot be learned by vampires of other
In addition, the vampire automatically gains the bloodlines without having first tasted the blood of a
following modifications: Giant Merit, Bone Claws (+1 Tzimisce (or another vampire who has developed
Damage), Body Spikes (+1 Damage when Grappling), the discipline).
Improved Bite (+2 Damage with Bite), Armor 2/2.
At the end of the scene, the vampire reverts to his
normal form and must roll a degeneration check as
though he had committed a level four sin against his
Humanity.
Vampires who routinely give in to the creature within
find themselves become less and less human.
Exceptional Success: The vampire need not roll the
degeneration check at the end of the scene.
 turn and for two turns thereafter. A new Vitae
expenditure
and roll is required each time the vampire wishes to
reactivate the Devotion.
This power costs 15 experience points to learn.

Devotions
Body of Will
(Resilience •••, Vigor •)
Truly tough Kindred can call upon personal reserves of
will
to shore up their toughness in the face of adversity. By
means
of this Devotion, a vampire learns how to funnel his
strength
of will through his supernaturally altered form, allowing
him
to shrug off the deleterious effects of his wounds — for a
time.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Composure + Athletics + Resilience
Action: Reflexive
Each success gained on the activation roll allows the
character to ignore any current wound penalties, as well
as any penalties he acquires from new wounds, for one
turn. Therefore, if three successes are rolled, the
character
is wound-penalty-free for the duration of the existing