Samedi/HoSk ideas

Note: it's easier to show example artwork than describe, so I felt that I should include 'example artwork' links. These are, however, neither recommendations nor intended to infringe the artist's copyright or intellectual property in any way. There's some amazing artist's (and their artwork) out there though.

‘Corrupt the Flesh’
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: 0 blood
Requirement: Thanatosis
Goal: Improve current Thanatosis combat cards, with a press so that there’s more chance of using them.
Card text
Only usable before strikes are chosen. A minion can play only one Corrupt the Flesh each combat.
[thn] This round, damage-dealing Thanatosis strikes made by this minion inflict +1 damage.
[THN] As above but for this combat, and this minion gains an optional press (only usable this round).
Flavour text
No room.
Art notes
Point of View shot: a necrotic infection, oozing pus from the wounds, making its way up the arm of victim.
World of Darkness reference
Thanatosis and Mortis are extremely similar, if one from a pale clan that has notionally been dead for 800 years while the other is a rotting zombie-vampire clan that has only surfaced in the last 250 years (however, some Cappadocians appear as Samedi, such as Troglodytia).
The title of this card can therefore be found here.
How does this card address a compelling game need?
Most Thanatosis strike cards inflict hand damage, and have an effect that is normally difficult to capitalise on until after strike resolution (e.g. Putrefaction and Withering). Withering, Press, Compress has been a highly unreliable combat strategy in my local games, and due to the amounts of Flak Jackets or Guardian Angels, it’s difficult to inflict damage when hitting for 1 damage. Then you need a Press card if you’ve not got out or have already used Mob Connections etc. Additionally, not every player has access to Target cards and they have their drawbacks (and one to two combat cards can be discarded to cancel them). Given that Thanatosis is a discipline that is touch (rather than hand strength) based, and perceived as a longer-term effect, I did originally think about reducing the opponents hand strength, or they burning one blood during the press step, but throughout the testing I made notes several times about needing presses – although perhaps that is specific to my local game. The test deck used Unflinching Persistence for manoeuvres, while Indomitability/Hidden Strength and Fade from View were used for the presses, although they were rare as they either repeated the function of Unflinching Persistence or could only be used for Pressing to continue (superior Fade from View). As I mentioned, Mob Connections was of course another source, but only supplies one press per turn and is a rather common Master Card in my local game (and easy to burn).
So a proposed solution for Thanatosis users is for a ‘pump’ card that increases Thanatosis damage by one (dependant on a Thanatosis strike card being played) and includes a press to enable the player to capitalise on the effect. This is also a nice ‘middle’ combo between the ‘1 damage’ Thanatosis strike cards and the three aggravated damage of Compress (which personally I find very disappointing because it’s not a hand strike). ‘Corrupt the Flesh’ sounds like a small-but-lingering/growing effect, hence this idea. In my mind, the press is usable because the opposing minion is slowed-down by pain, making it easier to run after (or away from) them.
How does this card reinforce a strength of the clan/discipline?
I believe that that the current Thanatosis strike cards should deal more damage in addition to their ‘nasty effects’ to better simulate their mercenary assassin reputation.
How does this card reinforce a weakness of the clan/discipline?
The card itself only gives a single press once per combat. It relies on boosting other Thanatosis strikes (which are also close-range only).
How does this card reinforce the clan's/discipline's theme?
Thanatosis/Mortis’ ability to destroy flesh both mortal and immortal (and therefore kill/torpor). The power levels has fluctuated over the years and releases of the core books.
How does this card mitigate a weakness of the clan/discipline?
As the clan do not have a method of additional strikes (although some Samedi do learn Celerity), pressing is therefore the only viable method of striking more than once in a combat (assuming combat hasn’t gone badly for the minion). By focusing on damage pump and a press at superior, this becomes, to me at least, a useful card for Thanatosis combat decks.
Should all clans and disciplines have access to all the same effects? A subset of effects (e.g. hunting grounds, stealth, etc.)?
Many do. Potence has numerous pump and press cards, Thaumaturgy has Blood Rage for pumped hand damage, Necromancy has Dead Hand, and Serpentis has Cobra Fangs.
Does the card mimic an existing card? If so, what are the differences and how do they affect
It is a combination of the above cards, but the pump is entirely dependent on the next Thanatosis strike card played.
Did you play-test the card in a real game. Was it fun for you? Was it fun for the other players?
Yes. Yes – made Withering and Putrefaction more usable in combat situations (it wasn’t a torpedo deck using Unflinching Persistence, Dust to Dust and Groaning Corpses – yay for innovation!). Not played by other players as yet.
What kind of effect do you think it will have on the META game? Is the result desirable? Ask your play testers.
Players more likely to dodge the cards rather than go ‘Meh’ and simply burn the Withering/Putrefaction cards off their minion during their next untap phase while their armour prevented the damage.
Example artwork: sometimesalicefx.deviantart.com/art/Decaying-Arm-II-397333914

‘Dissolve the Flesh’
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: 1 blood.
Discipline: Thanatosis
Goal: A real Thanatosis hand strike.
Card text
[thn] Strike: hand damage, aggravated.
[THN] Strike: strength +1 aggravated damage. If any damage from this strike is successfully inflicted on an opposing ally, burn that ally at the end of the action.
Flavour text
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! - William Shakespeare.
Art notes
The title suggests a fairly graphic scene, of a gripped limb reduced to little but their base components.
World of Darkness reference
Thanatosis and Mortis are extremely similar, if one from a pale clan that has notionally been dead for 800 years while the other is a rotting zombie-vampire clan that has only surfaced in the last 250 years (however, some Cappadocians appear as Samedi, such as Troglodytia).
The title of this card can therefore be found here .
How does this card address a compelling game need?
Through Thanatosis, Samedi should be able to kill any mortal pretty easily. They should also be able to cause significant damage to supernatural beings (although arguably not as permanent as Vicissitude) that requires significant healing. This suggested a hand strike although it is difficult to know whether it should be higher normal damage but unpreventable by Fortitude, or making it more like an aggravated Dead Hand. Making the aggravated damage unpreventable like Mayaparisatya felt too powerful however (and the card needs to be one blood maximum). Sort of like a combination of Mercy for Seth, Cobra Fangs and Blood Rage. This card is the result.
Note that the “burn the ally” is effective against Wraith allies, although it can be prevented by various equipment and other (though lesser-seen) discipline cards such as Necromancy’s Chill of Oblivion or Chimerstry’s Apparition.
Nastier two-card combos remain: Dead Hand and Bone Spur (given a normal vampire with superior Necromancy and basic Protean*) can inflict 2 agg that cannot be prevented by Fortitude, but the opposing minion can play Skin of Night to simply convert the damage to 2 normal damage.
*I have a ‘smack down minions and bleed’ Giovanni combat deck that uses this combo (with Homunculus) rather effectively.
How does this card reinforce a strength of the clan/discipline?
Effective close-range touch-based card, killing mortal allies and potentially torporing vampires.
How does this card reinforce a weakness of the clan/discipline?
Opposing minion can S:CE, dodge etc. Armour/Guardian Angle/inbuilt prevention can ignore the damage.
How does this card reinforce the clan's/discipline's theme?
Close-range touch-based pain. If they can grab a hold of the opposing minion. Playing Immortal Grapple should be a really bad idea when in combat with a Samedi – this card represents one good reason why (especially if pumped using ‘Corrupt the Flesh).
This single card would significantly help repair the Samedi assassin image, in my honest opinion. Compress is usually a terrible card because you can’t play it in being Immortal Grapple’d and it costs twice as much.
How does this card mitigate a weakness of the clan/discipline?
Currently the only way to inflict aggravated damage using Thanatosis is by playing Compress, which is way over the top - and not a hand strike as per LSJ’s definition (“Hand Strike: any non-ranged, non-weapon strike that deals damage based on the striking minion's strength, or any minion's non-ranged damage-dealing innate strike. [LSJ 19970224]”)
Basically, this mitigates the current weakness of only one aggravated damage Thanatosis card by introducing a second, slightly lower-powered one.
Should all clans and disciplines have access to all the same effects? A subset of effects (e.g. hunting grounds, stealth, etc.)?
Turning combat damage into aggravated damage is available to most combat-orientated disciplines.
Does the card mimic an existing card? If so, what are the differences and how do they affect
Cobra Fangs, but one aggravated damage (still preventable by several means) rather than straight to torpor, although the end effect is similar.
Did you play-test the card in a real game. Was it fun for you? Was it fun for the other players?
Yes. Yes. Latest version not played by others yet.
What kind of effect do you think it will have on the META game? Is the result desirable? Ask your play testers.
Enables an aggro-poke deck design. Different enough from Protean cards though while being Samedi-flavoured.
Example artwork: clintcearley.deviantart.com/art/Bone-to-Ash-MTG-281165124 (Yeah, I know it's MTG ;-) Great artwork).

‘Mummia’
Cardtype: Combat
Cost: 0 blood
Requirement(s): Thanatosis or Fortitude
Goal: Defensive combat card.
Card text
[for] Prevent 1 damage.
[thn] Prevent 2 non-aggravated damage from the opponent's strikes this round.
[THN] As above, and this vampire treats up to two aggravated damage as normal damage this round.
Flavour text
No room.
Art notes
Either a ‘wet’ looking zombie-Samedi, or a leathery-skinned mummy-Samedi.
World of Darkness reference
Beyond a mention of the leathery skin in the MET 3rd ed book description of Samedi, none. Mummia is, as far as I know, effectively the process and chemicals used in mummification. However, given that the Victorians found mummies to be excellent tinderwood, perhaps this is not the best name as it is at odds with the designed effects.
How does this card address a compelling game need?
The thinking behind this card was about the supposed resilience of Samedi. This was designed as a low-power but versatile solution. By preventing two non-agg from the opposing minion’s strikes and converting any other two agg damage down to normal damage in a round (and just preventing one damage if the situation doesn’t allow the use of the Thanatosis levels), this is an effective card in my local game. It would fit well in a Samedi deck with a few Skin of Nights and Armours of Vitality for additional flexibility.
Reflecting on the card, while it was developed before ‘Dissolve the Flesh’, it is actually the antithesis of that card: it is a non-Fortitude card capable of preventing strike damage and/or converting aggravated damage to normal! (Although obviously both effects can’t be used together).
How does this card reinforce a strength of the clan/discipline?
Zombies are usually hard to kill unless shot in the head. I’ve argued before that those with a keen understanding of the secrets of death and unlife should be slightly harder to put down. While I would rank this ‘last’ in the series I’ve offered up here, this is a good representation, I think.
How does this card reinforce a weakness of the clan/discipline?
It’s not as powerful as a full-fat Fortitude card, but flexible, and is primarily desired to reduce gun damage.
How does this card reinforce the clan's/discipline's theme?
Well, it’s a flexible method of reducing combat damage for Thanatosis-users (who are essentially only Samedi) due to their rotting skin.
As a bonus, gives them a way of preventing some/all of an “unpreventable by Fortitude” strike, should it be in hand.
How does this card mitigate a weakness of the clan/discipline?
Would be useful for the Samedi who have superior Thanatosis but basic Fortitude in the early game (most Samedi tend to either have superior Obfuscate or superior Fortitude – having all in-clan disciplines at superior is quite rare).
Should all clans and disciplines have access to all the same effects? A subset of effects (e.g. hunting grounds, stealth, etc.)?
Many clans/disciplines already do. Celerity has Sideslip, while various cards like Blood Rage ignores the opposing minions (weapon) strikes this round, which is even more powerful than this card. If we assume that the opposing minion is a vampire using Blur with a Bastard Sword for two damage a strike, then Blood Rage prevents six damage. Dementation has a very similar card called Personal Scourge. Protean has Flesh of Marble. Chimerstry has Apparition which prevents two damage (aggravated or normal, from opposing minion or environmental) every round of combat (though that costs a blood). Vicissitude has Horrid Form.
Does the card mimic an existing card? If so, what are the differences and how do they affect
The basic power of the Fortitude card Soak and, to a certain extent, Leathery Hide. However, it only prevents a maximum of two normal damage from the opposing minions’ strikes (hand, melee weapon or gun). It is also a bit like Skin of Night, but limited in the amount it can convert (and cannot prevent the converted damage).
Did you play-test the card in a real game. Was it fun for you? Was it fun for the other players?
Yes. It was versatile and useful. Not been played by others.
What kind of effect do you think it will have on the META game? Is the result desirable? Ask your play testers.
Is largely a non-Fortitude damage prevention card. It would replace my Skin of Rocks in my current Samedi decks.
Example artwork: wanted3.deviantart.com/art/mani-di-mummia-33264836

‘Poisoning the Wellspring’
Cardtype: Action/combat
Cost: 1 blood.
Requirement(s): Obfuscate and Thanatosis.
Goal: A real spy’s work is sabotaging or destroying the resources of the enemy. Only idiots rush in – sneakier foe systematically weaken the enemy first, then go for the kill.
No good bleeding for three if your prey can make that back up in a single turn, so this is a way a way of stripping a prey’s resources.
Card text
[obf][thn] Burn a blood-gain location at +1 stealth.
[OBF][THN] Only usable at close range at the end of a round of combat in which this vampire inflicted damage on the opposing vampire. Not usable by a vampire going to torpor. Burn a Blood Doll or Vessel card on the opposing vampire. Their controller may pay the original cost plus a pool to cancel this effect.
Notes:
Original said “A Hunting Ground or other location” but that made the card too flexible: KRCG Radios could be burnt. “A Hunting ground or other blood gain location” is essentially tautological, hence this slightly strange wording to target Hunting Grounds as well as Palatial Estate, The Rack etc. For superior, touch is important for Thanatosis, so obviously can’t be used if the opposing vampire dodges or S:CE.
Flavour text
N/A
Art notes
Bottles of chemicals.
World of Darkness reference
None. But given their sneaky nature, and not-brilliant at combat compared to the Assamites/Giovanni, this is how I’d use a knowledge of poisons and lingering infection.
How does this card reinforce a strength of the clan/discipline?
Necromancy/Thanatosis has a knowledge of alchemy and poisons (live zombies etc). Much like the Assamite’s Poison the Well of Life, this card looks to destroy blood gain locations (The Rack, Palatial Estate, Hunting Grounds) at inferior, and asset strip at superior by getting rid of the blood transfer cards, or passively bleeding for one (Blood Doll) or two (Vessel) if the victim’s controller wants to keep the card (in game terms, resources spent getting them patched up by a doctor or ghouling them until they heal).
How does this card reinforce a weakness of the clan/discipline?
Costs blood as it requires Thanatosis. At superior, requires touch.
How does this card reinforce the clan's/discipline's theme?
Yes. Sneaky assassins that can come at you sideways, using their intelligence over brawn.
How does this card mitigate a weakness of the clan/discipline?
N/A
Should all clans and disciplines have access to all the same effects? A subset of effects (e.g. hunting grounds, stealth, etc.)?
No, this was to better show the Samedi as a practical death-bringing clan, a mix of the Giovanni and Assamites, really.
Does the card mimic an existing card? If so, what are the differences and how do they affect the way the card interacts with the game?
As mentioned, Poison the Well of Life. The former costs less blood but only targets hunting grounds (e.g. not Palatial Estate, The Rack). The superior ability is balanced by allowing the opposing minion’s controller to retain the card at the cost of a pool plus the original cost (1-2 pool).
Did you play-test the card in a real game. Was it fun for you? Was it fun for the other players?
Yes, yes. Gave the Samedi something ‘extra’ to do. It worried other players 
What kind of effect do you think it will have on the META game? Is the result desirable? Ask your play testers.
Encourages more table interaction, suited the slightly ‘strange’ Samedi theme. The decks in my local group tend to have one to two Hunting Grounds, four Blood Dolls, a few Procurers, two Vessels, and perhaps Palatial Estate/The Rack. Bleeding for a few pool each turn can’t keep up with blood gain. Three of these in a deck helped.
Example artwork: lantret.deviantart.com/art/Pharmacy-bottles-483289224

Finishing on my personal favourite....

‘The Spiteful Dead’
Cardtype: Combo bleed modifier.
Cost: 1 blood.
Capacity: N/A
Requirement(s): Necromancy and Thanatosis.
Goal: Leverage zombies/wraiths for nasty stuff.
Card text
[nec][thn] +1 bleed. You cannot play another modifier to increase this bleed.
[NEC][THN] As above. If you successfully bleed, burn a blood or life from one of their ready minions. This acting vampire gains a blood.
Notes:
One blood and two disciplines for +1 bleed that cannot be further pumped seems expensive – therefore wondered if this requires 'a little more', e.g. the inferior makes wraith-retainer-based intercept unusable during the action, or (perhaps too powerfully) those without Necromancy have -1 intercept for the action.
Flavour text
"Dead man do tell tales" - The Baron.
Art notes
Was thinking of a wraith or zombie – a soul killed by the actions of your prey, whom assists in destroying their resources as revenge.
World of Darkness reference
This card was developed more from LARP experience than any sourcebook.
How does this card reinforce a strength of the clan/discipline?
Use of zombies/wraiths as spies; information gathering and exploitation.
How does this card reinforce a weakness of the clan/discipline?
As it is, it shows that Necromancy/Thanatosis are expensive disciplines that require blood. Not all Samedi have access to both superior disciplines.
How does this card reinforce the clan's/discipline's theme?
Use of zombies/wraiths as spies; information gathering and exploitation; slightly unusual cards.
How does this card mitigate a weakness of the clan/discipline?
A bleed card! It might be for one but that doubles most Samedi bleeds.
Should all clans and disciplines have access to all the same effects? A subset of effects (e.g. hunting grounds, stealth, etc.)?
I think I can say that every discipline has a bleed based card except Necromancy and Thanatosis (Creeping Inflection is not a straightforward bleed boost, Trochomancy is a great card but also requires Auspex).
Does the card mimic an existing card? If so, what are the differences and how do they affect the way the card interacts with the game?
“+1 bleed” is rather generic. Jar the Soul taps any ready minion and burns a blood, but it is at stealth and doesn’t cost an initial blood.
Did you play-test the card in a real game. Was it fun for you? Was it fun for the other players?
Yes. It was effective in boosting bleeds using The Baron to three to get around defence-through-reducing-bleeds decks as a bleed for two was mostly expected. Many Procurers have died during test games – could be a good combo with Daemonic Possession.
What kind of effect do you think it will have on the META game? Is the result desirable? Ask your play testers.
Again this might be more a reflection of my local games, but Procurers are very common and just killing them off with this card is an interesting alternative strategy to simply using Putrescent Servitude to steal them.
Example artwork: hesv.deviantart.com/art/zombie-29667740

Few notes on the vampires. Personally, I think that Lithrac should get the discpline card driectly on him instead of it going to your hand since your paying an extra pool for it already anyway.

Also the way you have written the text on Mamam would make the merged version to still have only 1 vote, not 2 like you described in the text since both the basic and advanced votes are classified as titles, and a vampire can have only one title. You should change at least one of them to be 'gains an additional vote' instead of a title, similar to for example Genevieve's special, then they would stack to give her 2 votes when merged which seemed to be intention.

Thanks for having a look and the feedback, Klaital. Amazing - six of us didn't spot that on Maman.

Lambach (Advanced) seems the most appropriate template.

‘Maman Brigitte (Advanced)’
Clan: Samedi
Basic/Ad: Advanced
Cap: 9
Group: 4
Disciplines: FOR, NEC, OBF, THN
Special(s):
Advanced, Independent. 1 vote (titled). May prevent 1 damage each combat. [MER] Maman has 2 votes (titled). During your untap phase, if Maman is ready, you may move a blood from the blood bank to any other Samedi you control.

Regarding Lithrac (Advanced), whether to directly place the card directly on him was the subject of great debate. You might note that Lithrac (Advanced) has already gained basic Celerity to reflect the character sheet found in Archons and Templars. It was eventually decided that the additional unblockable and automatic (upon pool payment) 'search for any Master: Discipline card anywhere you control (which includes the Ash heap) and place it in your hand' was sufficiently powerful (it is assumed that the player would upgrade Lithrac to superior Celerity, Fortitude, Thanatosis but it is not limited to these disciplines, nor is it limited to placing the M:D card on him). Quite how many extra 'points' a merged Vampire is worth doesn't seem to be easily defined - while a merged Karsh gains 3 votes and +1 intercept, it also reflect that you've spent 11 pool and 14 transfer on him. Merging Lithrac is 6 pool and 9 transfers, and that merged 'built-in rush anyone ability (at +1 stealth)' is good. Of course, maybe we're just a bit more conservative. Maybe restricting it to the following would play better (assuming the Thanatosis Master Discipline card was available):

‘Lithrac, Archon’
Clan: Samedi
Basic/Ad: Advanced.
Cap: 5
Group: 2
Disciplines: cel, for, thn, OBF
Special(s):
Camarilla: When you move Lithrac from your uncontrolled region to your ready region, you may pay a pool to search your library (shuffle afterwards) or ash heap for a Fortitude or Thanatosis Master: Discipline card and place it on him.
[merged] May enter combat with any minion as a action.


I think we're likely to have a game night soon, so I'll post the latest version of the Harbinger cards soon afterwards.