The Court of the Ebon Flame
Sacred Arts
Learning Disciplines
The Disciplines of the Hungry Dead are varied and versatile, powerful Arts. The Cathayans are not limited to Clan Disciplines. However, these esoteric fields of study absolutely demand a tutor -- or at least a very informative, genuine text. Only Demon Arts can be developed without a fellow Kuei-jin willing to pass on his secrets. In that case, the vampire is usually tutored by his own P’o -- or sometimes powerful Banes.
For the vampires of the Court of the Ebon Flame, they have access to a number of learned mandarins from which a wide number of Disciplines may be learned. The Court’s library also holds a few texts on these Arts (though the Yamahasu Pagoda library does not).
Discipline Costs
Kindred of the East lists the cost of all Disciplines as CR (current rating) x8. This is the same as mage Spheres and it is totally unnecessary. For starters, Kuei-jin Disciplines pale in comparison to versatility and power to Spheres.
Furthermore, Kuei-jin Disciplines are not more powerful than Cainite ones. Kuei-jin Disciplines are more versatile overall than Cainite Disciplines. Their apparent raw power are balanced out by a number of factors, including the fact that their Arts tend to cost more Chi than Cainite Disciplines cost in Blood. Kuei-jin Chi pools are smaller than Cainite Bloodpools. Furthermore, the more physical Disciplines: Cainite Disciplines are dirt-cheap and lightning-quick to enact. Kuei-jin Disciplines tend to need time to “build” (and if you think a Brujah with Celerity and Potence 3 is going to stand around while a Kuei-jin takes 3 turns to assume his demon form, think twice). Furthermore, the more physical Arts cost Demon Chi, which is much more finite than normal Chi…or Bloodpools. In short, Kuei-jin Disciplines are certainly different than Cainite powers, but no more stronger. They balance out. Consequently, there is no excuse to charge higher experience point costs.
Therefore, in the CoLA game, the following XP costs will apply to Disciplines. These varied costs will apply as follows.
Each of the five Dharma possess two Disciplines that can be considered “house specialties”. These Arts tend to be so widely practiced by followers of that Dharma that learning them is almost part of the process of learning one’s Dharma. Because of this easy access to mentorship, “Dharma Disciplines” will cost the cheapest. (Heretic Dharmas do not have this advantage due to lack of elder guidance and/or compounded Virtue balances.)
Dharma Disciplines
- Way of the Resplendent Crane: Blood Shintai, Obligation
- Howl of the Devil Tiger: Ghost-Flame Shintai, Demon Shintai
- Song of the Shadow: Bone Shintai, Yin Prana
- Dance of the Thrashing Dragon: Flesh Shintai, Yang Prana
- Path of the Thousand Whispers: Jade Shintai, Equilibrium
Dharma Disciplines cost CRx5.
All Demon Arts (except Demon Shintai for the Howl of the Devil Tiger) cost CRx6.
All other Disciplines cost CRx7.
