Jahn's Guide to Cruac

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Contents

Disclaimer

The following guide is strictly opinion, covering what I consider to be the optimal practices around using Cruac. This is the second iteration of this guide, the first got eaten by the wiki changeover and needed an update to tabletop mechanics in any case. The original iteration of this page was pilfered by a foul fiend who has yet to provide his promised gift for doing so, though as he preserved the concept/template it is somewhat forgiven.

Note about Content

Please do not add to or delete content from this page. This is Jahn's guide to Cruac. Feel free to hit me up with ideas and feedback though, that's what the talk page is for :-)

Overview

What is Cruac?

Cruac is the Covenant advantage of the Circle of the Crone. It costs a vitae/blood to use, and requires an action or actions.

Bah, Theban is better than Cruac!

False. Theban is more direct and has more clear combat powers, but Cruac offers a superior toolbox and can be applied with greater creative thinking (More on this later).

In Particular:

• Theban costs Willpower. Willpower is far more limited harder to replace than Vitae.
• Theban has specific item requirements for their ritual casting. Few things are more hilarious than a Theban sorcerer casting Prisoner of Denial (Offering is to burn an image of the target) and frenzying away.
• Cruac can help you a myriad ways outside of game, both before it and during downtime. Theban rarely does such.

Those interested in Theban more should visit Corey's Guide to Theban, and then be devoured for being Heretics.

What's this sodding casting thing?

Casting Cruac is an extended draw. That means you spend a point of blood to start casting. You keep casting until you:

A - Succeed (Yay!)

B - Stop casting (Um... ok...)

C - You get interrupted (Noooo!)

You need to get as many successes as the level of a ritual.

For instance, to cast Drops of Destiny, a level 1 ritual, you need a total of 1 success. For Maw of the Crone, a level 5 ritual, you need a total of 5 successes.

If you don't have enough successes on your first action, then next turn you can choose to continue casting and have another draw, until the above A, B or C occurs.

So... how many successes did I get?

Some rituals, not all, give a better bonus the more successes you get. The amount of successes is counted from your final draw, not the total of your extended action!!!

Examples are:

Boris attempts to cast Sacrifice of Odin, a level 4 ritual.

On his first turn, he rolls average, and gets 2 successes. As a level 4 ritual, that's not enough.

The next turn, he rolls again, and gets 2 success. Never the less, that adds up to 4, enough total successes for the ritual required.

Note that it is best to have a high enough pull to succeed on your first roll.

Cruac Optimisation

Each dot of Cruac gives you access to all the rituals at that level, ergo you want the levels with the most effective rituals. Like Theban, there are two main "exit points" for Cruac that optimise xp expenditure, and they both affect sheet creation or where you sink your ingame xp.

The first exit point is at level two (2). I am of the view that every Crone should buy up to Cruac 2, as the cost is not exhorbiatant and this level has some of the best rituals.

The second point is sadly all the way up at five (5). Three (3) and four (4) aren't a waste, but the gains are limited, particularly if you don't aspire to get to the highest level.

Cruac rituals fall into two camps, the first only requires enough successes to pass the ritual or are cast when you are not in a hurry, the second is reliant on high successes for best effect. You cna build to the former and have a modest Cruac pull, or you can go for the second which requires some stacking.

Boosting Your Cruac Draw

A number of factors affect your ability to use Cruac, as covered below.

Cruac: Expensive and required. Either maximise it, or stop at the first break point, as covered above.

Manipulation: The second most expensive stat, but dependent on your clan can have great synergies (as expanded on below in “Clan / Bloodline Synergies with Cruac”)

Occult: The cheapest of the three required stats. It is the cheapest to buy if you need to hit the damage cap, but that is extremely rare for Cruac rituals.

That damn Chicago ritual: Check book for name of Cruac boosting rite

Willpower: A strength of Cruac is that willpower can be spent freely. If you have a success required Cruac build, use the hell out of it.

Merit - Altar: Altar is a cheap merit from the Crone book. It boosts Cruac draws, but you essentially have to be at your haven. It is ideal for the dabbler Cruac user or someone willing to be inconvenienced to maximised their Cruac draw.

Merit - Necropolis:

Taurobolium: The bloodline Discipline of the Galloi boosts Cruac draws, but a Galloi cannot use the discipline on themselves if there's two of you or you have a buddy, be their best buddy!

Clan / Bloodline Synergies with Cruac

Several Clans, and their Bloodlines, have great synergy with Cruac. Any such affiliation utilising a power that employs either Manipulation or Occult in its draws happily doubles up.

• Clan Nosferatu - Can benefit from the Necroplis merit mentioned above, can become Galloi (See below). Nightmare also has multiple powers that run off Manipulation.

• Clan Daeva - Free dot of Manipulation, Majesty synergy.

• Bloodline Galloi - An odd case, in that their unique dicscipline is great on a Cruac user but cannot be employed on themselves.

Appropriate Rituals for you!

This does not cover all rituals.

I've mentioned in the notes column if you should "pre-cast" rituals at game start.

Level One

Ritual Level	Ritual Name	Rough Synopsis	Notes
1	Blood Scourge	Creates a whip of vitae which has a weapon bonus equal to your Cruac dots, inflicts lethal, and lasts for activation successes in turns.	Below average ritual - only handy if you are a weaponry build and happen to be without a weapon. Skippable due to limited time duration.
1	Celibacy	Makes a human immune, or more resistant, to the "kiss".	FLUFF
1	Crown of Thorns	Bony thorns grow from a targets skull, giving 2 bashing and –5 penalty on Social actions. –2 penalty on Social actions if the damage is healed.	Good ritual - due mainly to the negative it imposes. It has been suggested this drops Cruac, Majesty and Nightmare pools. Consult your VST.
1	Hauberk of Blood	For each activation success, can cover yourself (or another) in points of Vitae that auto-heal damage.	Mandatory! A nice buffer for those first lots of damage, meaning you can spend blood for stats or powers, instead of healing, to gain the upper hand. PRECAST
1	Messenger's Mark	Creates a spear-shaped mark on someone's chest	FLUFF
1	Paladin's Absolution	Activation successes grant a bonus on a Humanity roll to avoid a derangement	Below average at best - specifically because its for a derangement roll AFTER the humanity has been lost.
1	Sinner Song	Compels a subject to reveal her most recent sin	Good ritual - worth considering, and works well with Majesty or Liars Plague.
1	The Angel's Touch	Causes a section of a human's flesh to become immune to the sealing power of the Kiss	FLUFF - much like the Celibacy ritual
1	Cruac Inscription	Can leave a mark - be it words or a symbol - in virtually any surface	FLUFF - Niche ritual
1	Vitae Reliquary	Stores an amount of Vitae in an ordinary object that can be carried in one hand.	Mandatory! Carry additional blood and surprisingly versatile (if you think laterally). PRECAST during downtime

Level Two

Ritual Level	Ritual Name	Rough Synopsis	Notes
2	Bird of Sin	Attacks a target for bashing with a phantasmal bird, one turn per activation success. The birds attack pool is 10 - targets Humanity and ignores Defence.	Average ritual - fine against low humanity enemies (such as crone), but the chance to dispel the ritual makes it skippable
2	Curse of Babel	Leaves a victim speaking in tongues, unable to communicate. Even with written word.	Average ritual - Does what it does well, but situational. Ideal for whacking Dominate heavy (but non-possessing) Ventrue. A widely known Lancea Sanctum ability, so your unlikley to get away with just using it willy-nilly at court to counter someones Dominate.
2	Damned Radiance	Adds dots in Cruac Sorcery to all dice pools involving overt use of Presence	Good ritual - if you're a Daeva. Fantastic for stacking with Majesty
2	Liar's Plague	If the target lies over the course of the scene, beetles swarm from their mouth	Good ritual - an iconic Lancea Sanctum ability and the go to ability for spotting lies. Decidedly NOT foolproof.
2	Lightning Rod	Produces an object that captures the sleeping dreams and regrets of Kindred, regaining extra Willpower from daysleep.	Above average ritual - but only if your going to be Cruac heavy. More Willpower is always good!
2	Prison of Denial	Target of this curse is forbidden to communicate with, look at or speak of another particular person (called the exile)	Mandatory! Obfuscate that can't be pierced by Auspex? Yes please! Uses of this ritual are wide and varied.
2	Resistance of Discipline	Gives yourself, or someone who can hear your voice, a retest on any power resisted with a contested action	Mandatory! Retests for you and your friends? Hells yes!
2	Sanctity	Infuses a single room with a bonus equal to dots in Cruac. Skills affected: Academics, Empathy, Intimidation, Occult and Persuasion	Mandatory! Note the academics buff - meaning you can affectively buff any pre-cast Cruac ritual along with the "Sanguine Exaltation" ritual. Empathy/Intimidation/Persuasion buffs for those Daeva, Nosferatu and Ventrue out there. PRECAST for precasting rituals
2	Sanguine Exaltation	Focuses occult power into a vessel that gives +2 to one Cruac roll. The object can be used by any Sanctified ritualist.	Mandatory! A simple and cheap +2 to Cruac draws, which you can give to other Cruac casters. Great buff in concert with the "Sanctity" ritual. PRECAST during downtime
2	Trap of Slumber	The first mortal to approach the subject while the ritual is active may fall asleep, and cannot be awakened.	Below average ritual - only handy if you fear immediate daylight ambush by very few and under-prepared assailants
2	Wings of the Seraph	This ritual adds a number to the sorcerer’s Speed equal to his Cruac Sorcery dots, for each success rolled	Average ritual - can (and should) be pre-cast. Good for those that don't have celerity. PRECAST

Level Three

Ritual Level	Ritual Name	Rough Synopsis	Notes
3	Blandishment of Sin	The target has his next wound upgraded in damage scale (ie. bashing to lethal, or lethal to aggravated)	Good ritual - another iconic ability, mainly for support characters, but worth picking up for most practitioners.
3	Blessing of Judas Thomas	Allows whoever it is cast on to quickly become acquainted with new surroundings, even if they are very different.	FLUFF - but potentially handy if your a diplomatic type
3	Blood Fire	A foe that deals lethal/aggravated damage to the caster in close range is burned for activation successes in lethal, with a duration of hits per dots in Cruac. Any armour worn subtracts from the damage.	Mandatory! A huge disincentive for people to stab Lancea Sanctum. Note that armour affects this rituals potential though, but that its successes are NOT capped by the damage cap. For example, if you get 8 successes that will allow you to exceed armour 5 and still do 3 lethal. PRECAST
3	Lash Beyond Death	Allows the subject to take a single action immediately after entering torpor or being dealt Final Death	Good ritual - and only not rated as mandatory since one person can apply it to others. Every Lancea Sanctum should have this ritual applied to them! PRECAST
3	Legionnaire's Blessing	Increases the damage rating of a weapon by the sorcerer’s dots in Cruac. Bonus applies to a number of attacks equal to the activation successes.	Mandatory! Huge potential damage increase to weapons, for you and your friends. Reason why Blood Scourge is mainly redundant. PRECAST
3	Malediction of Despair	Curses the targets next action, that your specify, to be a chance draw	Average ritual - great potential, but the logistics of obtaining the offering make it difficult to use with regularity
3	Micah's Hope	When faced with one's demise as a result of one's faith, become empowered with additional Presence and ignore wound penalties	FLUFF - get the merit iron stamina if you want to ignore wound penalties
3	Pharaoh's Paces	No-one can look at or touch the caster, and must stay at nine paces. Resisted by spending WIllpower and drawing extended actions, which must equal the activation successes to beat the ritual. Resisting characters CAN ONLY move their Speed.	Above average ritual - great for allowing an escape, or for prep time in an ambush combat
3	Sanguine Clarity	A suffusion of Vitae in a vampire entering torpor allows it to retain a slightly higher amount of memories from before the sleep	FLUFF
3	Scrivener's Eye	Allows the eiditic memory merit for months per intelligence dot	FLUFF - buy the eiditic memory merit... its permanent.
3	Vision of the Will	Infuses an object with an intense psychic vision of your design. Whoever next touches the object receives this vision. Note: a person must actively touch the object, not just be touched by it.	Average ritual - handy ritual, and useful for messages, subterfuge or misdirection
3	Whispers through Time	Places a memory along with Vitae into a reliquary, allowing both to be retrieved at a later time.	FLUFF - but potentially useful in conjunction with Forgetful Mind

Level Four

Ritual Level	Ritual Name	Offering	Rough Synopsis	Notes
4	Call of Amoniel	A white bird	Allows the sorcerer to successfully awaken any time during the following day, may remain awake all day without an extended action.	Average ritual - great if you are expecting daytime ambush, just highly situational
4	Display of the Beast	A human skull	Turns caster or someone of his choosing into a manifestation of the beast. Kindred make an extended action to resist fear frenzy. Non-reflexive actions suffer a penalty equal to Cruac dots. Must at least equal activation successes to resist frenzy. Mortals/ghouls must spend their turns fleeing.	Above average ritual - great for ambushes, especially ghoul hit-squads. The negative to non-reflexive actions is lovely.
4	Gift of Lazarus	...	Reanimates the dead, giving you a zombie for a week or two	Average ritual - fine if you want some temporary zombie henchmen, and your not a Sangiovanni
4	Mark of the Damned	Vitae used in the ritual	Can ward a haven against those who would trespass AND do harm to sleeping vampires. Trespasser intending to do harm take activation successes in lethal.	Below average ritual - A haven can only be affected by one Mark of the Damned, so a few lethal is not going to deter a daytime ambush. Further, this ritual can be circumvented by manchurian Dominate commands
4	Purifying Light	...	Mystically empowers a light source to allow it to expel possessing spirits. This ritual specifically also affect the Strix.	Above average ritual - though situational. Especially good to deal with Spirit Cruac crones or any Stryx plots that come your way
4	Sacred Haven	Crushed obsidian	Mystically prevents sunlight from entering a room area for a single day	Above average ritual - great ritual to have for emergency daytime havens
4	Song of the Prey	A living, thorn bearing tree	Causes subjects to approach the tree, sit down and enter a meditative trance. The vampire may then feed without disturbing the subject.	Above average ritual - great for those Kindred who want lots of easy Vitae. Saleable service to other covenants.
4	Spear of Faith	Metal spear pendant	Can attack a number of subjects equal to caster’s Cruac dots with lethal damage, starting at equal to activation successes, and reducing by one per target. Targets can only be affected by one Spear of Faith per scene	Above average ritual - A great opener to any combat, particularly if you snipe it from range. [/wiki/index.php?title=Cardinal_Valeron_Mayne_Belotto My former Cardinal's] signature move.
4	Stigmata	A Crucifix	Cause a target to bleed from the wrists, feet and side. Kindred lose one Vitae each turn. The duration of the ritual is activation successes in rounds.	Average ritual - Relatively underpowered, UNLESS taken in concert by numerous casters. Once 3 casters hit the same person with this ritual, then it gets good!

Level Five

Ritual Level	Ritual Name	Offering	Rough Synopsis	Notes
5	Damned's Day	Casters own flesh	Draws forth thick clouds to blot out the sun. This allow vampires to only suffer a lethal every minute, rather than aggravated every turn. Takes at least an hour for the clouds to form.	Below average ritual - thematically cool, but hardly ever going to be used… especially considering the effects are NOT immediate
5	Fires of Vengeance	Casters Humanity (yes, it costs a humanity)	The sorcerer proclaims a sin (eg. Murderers!), anyone guilty within sight takes lethal from spiritual flame. Damage pool is 10 minus targets Humanity, which may be resisted.	Average ritual - Expensive to use, but in a 8/3 system and a good base draw, this ritual is passable... though still skippable.
5	Imprecation of Sin	A Cross or Spear	Infuses an area with an aura of sin. Ruins a building and any equipment in it. Its resonates with a Vice of the casters choosing. Anyone in the building is treated as having two Vices.	Above average ritual - Situational. great for Haven invasions as it ruins defence/security measures. Simply fantastic if you can do it on the sly and watch a coterie tear themselves apart.
5	Night of Hell	Victims blood/hair	Gives a sleeping or Torpored victim terrible visions of hell. Target gains a severe derangement and loses all Willpower. Torpid victims do not wake until roused. If roused, they immediately roll for frenzy.	Above average ritual - Situational. Good at really boning people when they're down, but that's the problem - it doesn't help you get them down. The effects are pretty cool though.
5	Piece of Mind	...	The mind of someone who is fully at peace is devoured, allowing for a peaceful torpor without the Fog of Eternity. Use of this ritual is a sin at Humanity 1.	CAPITAL FLUFF
5	Rain of Blood	Vitae used in the ritual	The sky or ceiling rains blood that does a Lethal per turn, with the caster choosing who is harmed. Can impose –5 penalty on actions (living victims may take an additional -4). Armour or Defence don't help.	Mandatory! A lethal per round to all your enemies in range? Sounds good. Be aware that the -5 likely affects everyone in range.
5	The Martyr's Miracle	Casters life	Sacrifices one's life in order to provide temporary protection from fire and sunlight.	SUPER-DOOPER CAPITAL FLUFF-EXTRORDINAIRE
5	Transubstantiation	Liquid gold	Transform one substance or object into another, as long as its equal or smaller Size than the caster, which must be within reach. Supernatural creatures are unaffected by Transubstantiation.	Below average ritual - Can be handy, but the severe limitations on the ritual (especially that it can't be used against supernaturals) make it eminently skippable
5	Wrathful Judgement	Casters eye or hand, and lots of Willpower	Deal aggravated and burns away Vitae from a target, per Willpower spent in the ritual. Can be done anywhere in the same domain IF you have a targets personal object. Subject to damage cap, and can only be hit once per night with it.	Mandatory! Every Cruac 5 caster should have this. 5 Agg (or 6 if they're Mekhet) from range is nothing to sneeze at. The sheer dread and paranoia this power evokes makes it worth it.

[/wiki/index.php?title=Cardinal_Valeron_Mayne_Belotto Valeron's Draw]

This was the draw for Valeron at BP6:

:* Intelligence 4 + Academics 6 + Cruac 5 + Sanguine Exaltation 2 + Sanctity 5 = 22 base draw

People exiting at the first "exit point" of level 2 or 3 should, at minimum consider having a draw of:

:* Intelligence 3 + Academics 3 + Cruac 2 (or 3) + Sanguine Exaltation 2 = 10 (or 11)

People heading towards Cruac 5 should highly consider a draw similar to Valeron's.

Ultimate Cruac Monkey's

If you want to be the Cruac monkey with the Ultimate draw and damage cap, you will need:

• BP6;
• Nosferatu;
• Flaw - Swollen Skull;
• Intelligence 6;
• Academics 6;
• Composure 3, at minimum;
• Resolve 3, at minimum (for a minimum Willpower pool of 6);
• Willpower 7 (Extra xp may be need to spent here);
• Cruac 5; and
• Rituals Sanctity and Sanguine Exaltation.

That is a HUGE outlay though, and you'll need some friends to keep you alive when (and it will) shit goes down.

If you pursue this path, your Cruac Pool will be a disgusting:

• Intelligence 6 + Academics 6 + Swollen Skull 2 + Cruac 5 + Sanguine Exaltation 2 + Sanctity 5 = 26, with a damage cap of 6

Even if you enter play on BP5, Intelligence 5 and Academics 5 - your draw will still be 24.

The rationale behind the BP6 and the 6 dot stats is to increase your Damage cap. You do not have to push both Intelligence AND Academics to do this. If you wanted to push damage cap to 6, but save yourself a little xp (30xp), only buff Academics to 6 and be happy with a draw of 25.

As an example of the power - this build can do 6 agg to anyone, and 7 agg to a Mekhet. I confess that i do not know if the +2 from Swollen Skull counts towards damage cap. If so, this figure increases to 7 agg to anyone, and 8 agg to Mekhet.

If you want the Cruac monkey with the greatest output, you will need:

• Ventrue;
• Bloodline - Icarian;
• Composure 5;
• Resolve 5;
• Bloodline Discipline - Constance 5;
• Cruac 3, at minimum; and
• Rituals Sanctity and Sanguine Exaltation.

Not as hefty outlay as the previous example, not as disgusting in offensive potential, but still nothing to be sneezed at.

That's a pool of 15 Willpower this build has access to. That's a lot of Hauberks of Blood, Legionnaire's Blessings and Blandishments of Sin that can be output.

Sample Builds

Best ritual at each level in italics.

Basic

This is essentially for those that want a little bit of useful Cruac.

The Basic Support Class - can easily stop at Level 2

:* Level One: Hauberk of Blood, Crown of Thorns

• Level Two: Prison of Denial, Sanguine Exaltation, Resistance of Discipline, Liars Plague, Bird of Sin, Sanctity
• Level Three: Legionnaires Blessing, Blood Fire, Blandishment of Sin, Lash beyond Death
• Plus the Veridical Tongue devotion

The Basic ranged sniper - can stop at Level 2

:* Level One: Crown of Thorns

• Level Two: Prison of Denial, Bird of Sin, Sanguine Exaltation, Sanctity
• Level Three: Blood Fire, Blandishment of Sin

The Basic self sufficient combatant - level 3 is where its at for you

:* Level One: Hauberk of Blood, Vitae Reliquary

• Level Two: Prison of Denial, Resistance of Discipline, Wings of the Seraph, Sanctity
• Level Three: Blood Fire, Legionnaires Blessing, Blandishment of Sin
• Plus any number of weaponry based Fighting Styles

The Buff-bot

Those that want to buff their chums with Cruac 5. Willpower maxxed to 10 should be highly considered. This is likely the most valuable build to a coterie (one of whom should have the merit: Inspiring).

• Level One: Hauberk of Blood, Vitae Reliquary, Paladin's Absolution
• Level Two: Sanctity, Sanguine Exaltation, Resistance of Discipline, Lightning Rod
• Level Three: Legionnaire's Blessing, Blandishment of Sin, Lash Beyond Death, Blood Fire (note: this is for yourself)
• Level Four: Song of the Prey, Spear of Faith
• Level Five: Rain of Blood, Wrathful Judgement

The Paranoid

Those that are paranoid and have Cruac 5.

• Level One: Sinners Song
• Level Two: Prison of Denial, Resistance of Discipline, Wings of the Seraph, Lightning Rod
• Level Three: Blood Fire, Pharaoh's Paces,
• Level Four: Call of Amonial, Display of Beast, Sacred Haven
• Level Five: Rain of Blood, Damned's Day

The Ranged Coterie of Three<

This is for a coterie of 3 Cruac casters. Bird of Sin and Stigmata can be hit multiple times per target, whilst Blandishment of Sin increases lethality.

• Level One: Vitae Reliquary
• Level Two: Prison of Denial, Sanguine Exaltation, Resistance of Discipline, Bird of Sin
• Level Three: Blood Fire, Blandishment of Sin, Pharaoh's Paces
• Level Four: Spear of Faith, Stigmata
• Level Five: Rain of Blood

The Warrior of God

Those that are the walking will of GOD!!!

• Level One: Hauberk of Blood, Vitae Reliquary
• Level Two: Prison of Denial, Damned Radiance, Sanguine Exaltation, Sanctity, Resistance of Discipline, Bird of Sin
• Level Three: Blood Fire, Blandishment of Sin, Lash Beyond Death, Legionnaire's Blessing
• Level Four: Spear of Faith, Stigmata, Display of Beast, Purifying Light
• Level Five: Rain of Blood, Wrathful Judgement, Night of Hell, Fires of Vengeance

Wrap up

As you can see with Cruac, the glut of really useful, good rituals occurs at levels 2 and 3. Levels 4 and 5 offer relatively few rituals worth their bang for their buck.

You'll note that Sanctity, Sanguine Exaltation, Prison of Denial and Blood Fire feature heavily throughout.

Hope you've enjoyed this, and that it helps your separate the gold from the FLUFF. Cheers.