The Bonsam claim heritage from a hunter possessed by a darkness from a time before the light. It is impossible to trace the veracity of this statement, but the Discipline of Abombwe certainly taps into both primal darkness and predatory prowess.
• Predator’s Communion[]
The Laibon is the greatest predator in his territory and senses whenever a potential ally or rival is nearby.
System: Spend a blood point. For the rest of the scene, the Laibon can sense predators in the area, including vampires, shapeshifters, ghosts, predatory animals, mortals, and ghouls with a Road rating of 4 or less. To pinpoint the location or find a hidden creature, the player rolls Perception + Survival (difficulty 6, modified by the strength of the predator as determined by the Storyteller; stronger predators are generally easier to detect).
•• Invoking the Predator[]
Sculpting the malleable darkness inside him and pushing it outward, the Laibon can copy aspects of predatory animals.
System: This transformation takes one turn and requires one blood point. The character might grow claws that inflict Strength +1 lethal damage or a tail for balance. Most transformations are automatic, but particularly exotic ones such as poison glands require an Intelligence + Survival roll (difficulty 7). A botch results in a successful transformation, but adds cosmetic changes such as scales or stripes. This power does not suspend the laws of physics; the Laibon cannot create wings or spider webbing strong enough to carry his weight.
••• Unseen Hibernation[]
The Laibon makes his lair inside natural formations, plants, or earth by melting into the darkness hidden under their surface. A natural object significantly altered or sculpted by man is not suitable for this power; a wooden hut cannot be used, but a tree with carvings on it might do.
System: The player spends a blood point. Unseen Hibernation is automatic and takes a turn to complete. The character falls into a consciousness one step above torpor during this time and his player must make a Road roll (difficulty 6) for the character to rouse prematurely.
The difficulty of rolls to locate the character increase by two. Astral individuals cannot affect him directly, instead meeting with writhing darkness as their hands pass through him.
Violence upon the submerged vampire expels him from the object in a blinding spray (everyone near the vampire, and the vampire are at +2 difficulty on Perception for the turn). The vampire subtracts two from his Initiative for the first turn upon expulsion, but may act normally after that.
•••• Power from Darkness[]
The Laibon lets darkness flow out and over him like black, clotted blood that clings to his body. This grants him power and special abilities even as the light repels it.
System: This power costs two blood points and is automatic. One transformation may be active at a time, lasting for a scene, during which resisting Rötschreck is at +1 difficulty.
- Examples of use are listed below, but players and Storytellers are encouraged to come up with their own changes: Hands – Punches inflict Strength +1 aggravated damage.
- Head – Gain the ability to see perfectly in normal darkness and a -2 difficulty for seeing in supernatural darkness. Spit a toxin by rolling Dexterity + Athletics (difficulty 7) that paralyzes any enemy’s limbs it touches unless the target succeeds at a Stamina roll (difficulty 7).
- Torso – Sprout four spider legs which allow for one additional attack as part of a multiple action in a turn. Climb actions automatically succeed, and attempts to escape by running are at -2 difficulty.
- Legs – Kicks inflicts aggravated damage. Leap up to 10 times the normal jumping distance and receive -1 difficulty to landing safely after a fall or jump.
- Throat – Emit a primordial roar. Mortals and ghouls must succeed at a Courage roll (difficulty 9) or flee, whilst supernatural beings must succeed at a Courage roll (difficulty 8) or become weak with terror (all dice pools reduced by half, rounded up).
••••• Predator’s Transformation[]
The Laibon slays a predator and consumes a part of it, be it heart, liver, flesh, or blood. He then becomes that creature as his vitae fully absorbs its essence.
System: The player spends one blood point and rolls Stamina + Survival (difficulty 7). If successful, the Laibon physically transforms into the creature. The creature must be predatory in nature and at least the size of a cat. Humans and supernatural beings may be duplicated, but this does not include powers. Predator’s Transformation lasts until sunrise or the Laibon ends the power.
A Laibon may duplicate a previous transformation without consuming another creature. This requires a Stamina + Survival roll (difficulty 10) with difficulty reduced by one for each time he has killed and transformed into a creature of that type, to a minimum difficulty of 6. With mortals, vampires, and other humanoids, the Laibon takes on an average appearance for his victim’s ethnic group, unless the player succeeds on the roll at difficulty 9, in which case the previous transformation is perfectly duplicated.
••••• • Incarnate Darkness[]
Emulating the horror that created his lineage, the Bonsam becomes a mass of darkness, writhing and turning as it tries to emulate predators not known to man. In this form, the Laibon becomes the ultimate hunter: both deadly and unseen.
System: This power costs three blood points, but requires no roll, as the Laibon’s blood bursts from his skin and transforms him into roiling darkness. The vampire may take on one of three basic shapes: winged (allowing for flight at 25 mph/40 kph), insectoid (burrowing through earth and rock, and granting automatic success on climb rolls) or brutish (all brawling damage increased by +1 lethal). In addition, his Physical Attributes each increase by three dots, while all Social Attributes drop to zero (however, the vampire may substitute Strength for a Social Attribute for purposes of intimidation). The Laibon becomes the perfect stalker, decreasing the difficulty for all of the Laibon’s Perception and Stealth rolls by two. His claws and teeth inflict Strength +2 aggravated damage and inject the victim with an inky poison that causes one level of damage per turn in living victims until the toxin is nullified.