The bloodline known in modern nights simply as the Salubri is actually descendant of one half of the ancient Clan. In bygone nights, one might have spo- ken of “healer” and “warrior” Salubri. In the modern nights, the last vestiges of the warrior Salubri are the antitribu of the Clan, and practice their Discipline of Valeren (see p. 474). The rest of the bloodline know the Discipline of Obeah. This Discipline allows the Sa- lubri to judge and even improve a subject’s health. As the vampire grows more powerful, Obeah lets her heal a target’s soul directly. It is this power that forms the basis of the “soulsucker” charge that dogs the bloodline these nights.

This Discipline gives its practitioners a third eye in the center of the vampire’s forehead when the Kindred masters the second level of Obeah.

Rank 1 - Sense Vitality

With a touch, the Salubri can instantaneously read a target’s injuries. She may learn how much damage a target has incurred, and therefore make a guess at what must be done to save him. This power can also be used for diagnostic purposes — useful for a victim who can no longer speak.

System: The Salubri must touch the target to see how close to death she is. He must then make a Perception + Empathy roll (difficulty 7). One success on this roll identifies a subject as a mortal, vampire, ghoul, or other creature. Two successes reveal how many health levels of damage the subject has suffered. Three successes tell how full the subject’s blood pool is (if a vampire) or how many blood points she has left in her system (if a mortal or other blood-bearing form of life). Four successes reveal any diseases in the subject’s bloodstream. A player may opt to learn the information yielded by a lesser degree of success — for example, a player who accumulates three successes may learn whether or not a subject is a vampire as well as the contents of his blood pool.

Alternately, each success on this roll allows the player to ask the Storyteller one question about the subject’s health or health levels. “Was he drugged?” or “Are his wounds aggravated?” are valid questions, but “Did the Sabbat do this?” or “What did the Lupine who attacked him look like?” are not. The Salubri may use this power on herself if she has injuries but has somehow lost the memory of how the wounds were received.

Additionally, at the cost of one blood point, the Salubri may use Empathy for a roll instead of Medicine.

Rank 2 - Anesthetic Touch

The vampire can ease a target’s pain or place him into a deep, soothing sleep with nothing but a touch. This power is intended to heal the pain or succor the mind of willing targets, but the character can, with some effort, employ the power against someone who does not wish it.

System: If the subject is willing to undergo this process, the player spends a blood point and makes a Willpower roll (difficulty 6) to block the subject’s pain. This allows the subject to ignore all wound penalties for one turn per success. A second application of this power may be made once the first one has expired, at the cost of another blood point and another Willpow- er roll. If the subject is unwilling for some reason, the player must make a contested Willpower roll against the subject (difficulty 8).

To put a mortal to sleep, the same system applies. The mortal sleeps for five to 10 hours — whatever his normal sleep cycle is — and regains one temporary Willpower point upon awakening. He sleeps peace- fully and does not suffer nightmares or the effects of any derangements while asleep. He may be awakened normally (or violently).

Kindred, including the Salubri herself, are unaffected by this power — their corpselike bodies are too tied to death.

Rank 3 - Corpore Sano

The Salubri can heal wounds with a laying-on of hands. The subject feels a warm, tingling sensation over the affected areas as pain leaves the body and flesh knits. The vampire’s third eye opens during this process.

System: This power works on any living or undead creature, but the character must touch the actual in- jury (or the closest part of the victim’s body, in the case of internal injuries). Each health level to be healed re- quires the expenditure of one blood point and one turn of contact. Aggravated wounds may also be healed in this manner, but the vampire must spend two blood points instead of one for each aggravated health level.

Rank 4 - Shepherd’s Watch

The Salubri with this level of mastery of Obeah can create an invisible barrier between those under his care and those who would do them harm. The Salubri himself must stand among his charges as he generates this barrier; he cannot defend them from afar. Enemies armed with guns or other ranged weapons can still attack, but none may approach closer than a few paces.

System: The player spends two Willpower points. Erecting this barrier is a standard action, but maintain- ing it from turn to turn or dropping it is a reflexive action. The invisible barrier extends to about a 3-yard/ meter radius from the character, and no one outside that barrier may cross it while she maintains the power. Those within it at its creation may leave and return, however. The barrier moves with the Salubri. It can- not be maintained at a distance.

Those who wish to cross the barrier from the outside, whether friendly or hostile, must best the character in an extended, resisted Willpower roll (difficulty equals the opponent’s current Willpower for the Salubri, and the Salubri’s current Willpower for the opponent). The opponent may cross the barrier as soon as he accumulates three more net successes than the Salubri.

Rank 5 - Mens Sana

With this power, the Salubri can heal madness, qui- eting inner demons and bringing a soul to peace. In- deed, ancient stories of the Salubri state that Saulot used this power to bring sweet, if temporary, relief to his “brother” Malkav. Other, more recent stories claim that Saulot caused Malkav’s madness in the first place.

System:The player spends two blood points and rolls Intelligence + Empathy (difficulty 8). The use of Mens Sana takes at least 10 minutes of relatively un- interrupted conversation. Success cures the subject of one derangement of the Salubri player’s choice. This power cannot cure a Malkavian of his core derange- ment, though it alleviates its effects for the rest of the scene. A botch inflicts the same derangement on the Salubri for the rest of the scene. This power may not be used by the Salubri to cure her own derangements.