Koldun is a power that can only be taken by Tzimisce at CC.

A practice originating with one faction within the Tzimisce clan, Koldunism is by nature an animistic tradition that, the master kolduny claim, involves establishing a blood bond with the primal forces of nature itself. Traditional kolduny eschew the fleshcrafting arts, seeking to turn their command of Protean to a mastery of their lands and the natural world which transcends traditional ownership; a koldun makes a thrall of nature itself, borrowing from the elements to shape their body and abilities. In recent years, with more voivodes forced to abandon the independence of their isolated domains, knowledge of Koldunism has slowly begun to proliferate more widely, with other practitioners beginning to learn its arts – if they can convince a master koldun to teach them, which is not an easy task.

To unlock these abilities, kolduny must undergo lengthy periods of communion with the wilderness, seeking out loci of natural energy, places where the veins of the earth called leylines (or vena terrae by more traditional Blood Sorcerers) meet and branch. Such a branching confluence of energy is known as a furcus. Once a furcus has been located, the aspiring koldun must meet and best trials to link themselves to one of the four elements: fire, earth, water, or air. These trials can only be met under the guidance of an experienced master of Koldunic sorcery; it’s said that the new moon is the best time for such undertakings, but mastery of an element can be achieved at any phase. Some theorize the superstition regarding the new moon sprang originally from the fact that attacks by garou are less likely at this time.

Acquiring Koldunic Sorcery

The teacher must be a Mawla on the character’s sheet, a Koldun Mawla cannot teach Blood Sorcery outside of Koldun. Player Characters can teach this if they possess at least two separate elements as powers.

Koldun does not require level 1 Blood Sorcery to begin their training, but the power itself is still counted as Blood Sorcery and takes the slot for it. This is similar to how the Oblivion powers function between Hecata and Lasombra. For someone who wishes to forgo any Tremere/Banu Haqim Blood Sorcery training and be strictly Koldun, they do not gain a free ritual as Elemental Grasp is a level 2 ritual. To progress, they must have another lesson with the Mawla to learn a second element, and then they need to have one more lesson to learn Elemental Grasp.

Aspiring kolduny must spend at least four consecutive nights (four IRL weeks) in the wilderness under the direct tutelage and guidance of a master koldun to learn their elements. As part of this learning process, the master koldun will first require their student to seek out a furcus in a wild and unpopulated place; once this place has been located, the teacher and student will retire there, hunting and finding shelter from the day as needed, and undertaking meditation and study together. This process will involve Survival rolls, Wits + Survival diff 3 to find shelter, in addition to any Farmer hunting rolls needed for hunger acquired during the process; and one Intelligence + Occult roll per night, difficulty 2.

On the final night, after their Occult roll has succeeded, the aspiring koldun opens a vein (taking 1 Agg Damage in the process) and plunges their bleeding arm into their chosen element, establishing the blood bond with the element which makes the practice of koldunic sorcery possible. (Fire kolduny take additional Agg damage at this point in the process, and must test for Rötschreck.) They unlock the Level 1 Blood Sorcery Discipline Koldunic Sorcery (element) and choose their elemental thrall at this time. Sanguine is not needed to purchase this one, due to the amount of time in the woods needed.

This power may be purchased up to four times, if the koldun wishes to make thralls of all four elements.

Powers of Koldunism

Koldunic Sorcery pg. 61

Cost: Stays the same (One Rouse Check, and some Aggravated Health damage.)(You cannot mitigate the agg cost of Koldun)

System: Limit 3 rouses – 500 meters limit (2 city blocks)

Duration: Stay as written, it is the player’s own choice to risk

Unusable with Horrid Form, the agg damage cannot be mitigated and is not halved.

The range of your power counts where you activated it as your epicenter, the user must remain near the center of where it was initially activated. You can sense all of the chosen elements in range as viable spots to spy from. Choose a specific spot where you sense the element to spy from as if you are standing there. You may toss your mind to another place in range you sense more of that element.  Koldunic Sorcery can perceive mystically-hidden beings such as Obfuscated vampires with a successful contest of Resolve + Blood Sorcery against Wits or Resolve + Obfuscate (or other relevant supernatural Trait).

You can activate more than one element but you have to pay the cost of health and rouse again for each.

Does not stack with Heightened Senses.

Perception of elements

Fire: Open visible flame, actively burning flames, or smoldering materials. (Fireplaces, Gas Stove that are on, Cigarettes, etc)

Water: Water in it’s pure state that originates from rainfall, plumbing, or open bodies of water. Water contained in non-transparent vessels (such as pipes) do not benefit from sight or smell, but can hear.

Earth: Soil, rock, and stone in enough quantity such as a small potted plant. Modern building materials or man-made or manipulated objects do not apply such as pavement, bricks, countertops or cement.

Air: When outside: Active wind. When inside: A window or other object must be on or opened to allow significant air movement. Stale or stagnant air does not apply.

Keep in mind that being hit during rituals means that it ends, any attempts to dodge breaks the concentration.

Chained Rituals are banned. Rituals cannot be held onto and prepped beforehand, once the timer is done, it must be used.

Elemental Grasp pg. 62

Stays the same with the clarifications as listed. The element must be active and present during the ritual casting awakening of an element and it’s bonus is removed. Fire still only gives Superficial damage, it’s the effects of the hampering not the element itself. The element does not directly hit the target with this power, it’s an indirect power and hit.

Elemental Shelter pg. 66

This power does not allow you to move, you meld in and out in the same spot. If torpor is entered, they unmeld and are now a corpse there, wherever that is buried or not.

Elemental Attack pg. 71

This has been lowered to a level 4 Ritual. The element must be active and present during the ritual casting awakening of an element and its bonus is removed. A critical does not attack everyone.