Fortitude

Fortitude
Pronounce	FÔR-də-t(y)o͞od
Nicknames	Bricking Up, Stone Flesh, Resistentia
Clans	Gangrel, Hecata, Ravnos, Salubri (V5), Ventrue
Bloodlines	Akunanse, Blood Brothers, Cappadocians, Daughters of Cacophony, Gargoyles, Harbingers of Ashur, Harbingers of Skulls, Impundulu, Ishtarri, Kinyonyi, Lamia Mla Watu, Nkulu Zao, Salubri (V20), Samedi

Fortitude is a Discipline that grants Kindred unearthly toughness, even to the point of resisting fire and sunlight.

Overview

Fortitude grants the Cainite the ability to resist all kinds of damage, however it fulfills its part of God's curse in that it bred arrogance and overconfidence. Sometimes, Cainite masters of Fortitude become convinced of their own indestructibility to the point that they disregard even mortal danger, as their survival instincts slowly atrophy.

Normally Fortitude does not need to be activated, and each dot is added to all soak rolls. Even Risen wraiths may also acquire this Discipline with the right training.

Like Auspex, Fortitude is particularly common among the vampiric bloodlines.

Official Abilities

In classic versions of Vampire prior to the Fifth Edition, there are no individual powers for Fortitude until level 6. At that point, characters may choose to gain additional Fortitude soak dice or learn a unique power. Included below are the official powers described in supplements for Vampire: The Masquerade and Dark Ages: Vampire. Sources are described below in the order they were printed.

Standard Powers (V5)

• ​
  • Resilience: The vampire can add their Fortitude rating to their Health total.
  • Unswayable Mind: The vampire can add their Fortitude rating to dice rolls to resist manipulation and coercion.
• ​
  • Toughness: The vampire can subtract Fortitude rating from all Superficial damage sustained.
  • Enduring Beasts: The vampire can extend their Fortitude powers to animals under the effect of their Animalism. Amalgam: Animalism 1.
  • Obdurate: By shoring up their physical hardiness with vampiric Potence, the Kindred may maintain a steady footing when struck by a massive force. Amalgam: Potence 2
• ​ ​
  • Defy Bane: The vampire can downgrade Aggravated damage into Superficial damage.
  • Fortify the Inner Facade: The vampire can use their Fortitude to resist the Auspex powers of Scry Soul and Telepathy.
  • Seal the Beast's Maw: The vampire can ignore the effects of their Hunger for a scene, at the risk of becoming frenzied.
  • Valeren: Projects Fortitude outwardly, willing the vampire's Blood to mend another vampire's injuries. Amalgam: Auspex 1.
• ​ ​
  • Draught of Endurance: The vampire can bestow their Fortitude abilities onto those who drink their blood. 
  • Shatter: The vampire becomes so tough, that they repel close combat blows, to the point where weapons break and bones shatter. Requirement: ​ Toughness.
• ​ ​
  • Flesh of Marble: The vampire can ignore the first source of damage each turn, including Fire but not Sunlight. 
  • Prowess from Pain: The vampire can ignore penalties to dice pools from injury. 

Advanced Powers

• ​  ​ ​^[1]​
  • Alabastard: Ignore damage penalties
  • Armor of Vitality/Personal Armor/The Knight's Bane: Weapons that hit you may break
  • Curse the Laurel: Slowly move your heart while staked to stop being paralyzed
  • Sensory Shield: Protect your mind from sensory overload and suffer less wound penalties
  • Stand Against All Foes: Cannot be moved from your spot by any force
• ​​ ​ ​​ ^[2]​
  • Armor of Kings: Weapons that hit you may break, doing no damage
  • Curse the Laurel: Slowly move stakes from your heart
  • Resilient Mind: Your mind sheds derangements and animalistic quirks while becoming resistant to mind-altering powers
  • Shared Strength: Grant your supernatural resilience to another
• ​ ​​ ​ ^[3]​
  • Adamantine: Weapons that hit you may break, doing no damage
  • Eternal Vigilance: Remain awake during the day almost at full strength
  • King of the Mountain: Take no actions but fully blocking attacks, breaking weapons that you stop
  • Repair the Undead Flesh: Heal aggravated damage without need of rest
  • Armored Flesh: Suffer no damage outside of combat, and block attacks with your bare hands.
• ​ ​ ​​​^[4]​
  • Arm of Prometheus: Make one of your limbs completely indestructible for 10 minutes
• ​   ^[5]
  • Plot Device

Gallery

Fortitude VTES card. Art by Ron Spencer

VTES Cards

6 Dots

Armor of Vitality. Art by Eric Lofgren

7 Dots

Bestow Vigor. Art by Imaginary Friends Studios

Resilient Mind. Art by Matthew Mitchell

Shared Strength. Art by Newel Anderson

8 Dots

King of the Mountain. Art by Brian LeBlanc

Repair the Undead Flesh. Art by Efrem Palacios

References

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^  Level 1

Fortitude	Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Resilience	Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Corebook	Pg. 258
Unswayable Mind	Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Corebook	Pg. 258

^  Level 2

Toughness	Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Corebook	Pg. 258
Enduring Beasts	Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Corebook	Pg. 258-259
Obdurate	Winter's Teeth No. 1 issue #3 Supplemental Material	pg. 3
Valeren	Vampire: The Masquerade Companion	Pg. 25

^  Level 3

Defy Bane	Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Corebook	Pg. 259
Fortify the Inner Facade	Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Corebook	Pg. 259
Seal the Beast's Maw	Forbidden Religions	Pg. 44

^  Level 4

Draught of Endurance	Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Corebook	Pg. 259
Shatter	Cults of the Blood Gods	Pg. 104-105

^  Level 5

Flesh of Marble	Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Corebook	Pg. 259-260
Prowess from Pain	Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition Corebook	Pg. 260

^  Level 6

Armor of Vitality	Dark Ages Companion	Pg. 84
Personal Armor	Guide to the Camarilla	Pg. 90
The Knight’s Bane	Vampire: The Dark Ages 20th Anniversary Edition	Pg. 221
Sensory Shield	Clanbook: Gangrel Revised	Pg. 64
Stand Against All Foes	Players Guide to High Clans	Pg. 155
Personal Armor	Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition	Pg. 159
Alabastard	Anarchs Unbound	Pg. 110
Curse the Laurel	Lore of the Clans	Pg. 262
Imperviousness	Laws of Elysium	Pg. 64
Invulnerability	Laws of Elysium	Pg. 64

^  Level 7

Bestow Vigor	Dark Ages Companion	Pg. 84
Shared Strength	Guide to the Camarilla	Pg. 91
Curse the Laurel	Clanbook: Ventrue Revised	Pg. 76
Resilient Mind	Clanbook: Gangrel Revised	Pg. 65
Armor of Kings	Players Guide to High Clans	Pg. 155
Shared Strength	Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition	Pg. 159
The Blessing of Vitality	Vampire: The Dark Ages 20th Anniversary Edition	Pg. 221

^  Level 8

Eternal Vigilance	Dark Ages Companion	Pg. 84
Adamantine	Guide to the Camarilla	Pg. 91
King of the Mountain	Clanbook: Gangrel Revised	Pg. 66
Repair the Undead Flesh	Players Guide to High Clans	Pg. 156
Adamantine	Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition	Pg. 159
Armored Flesh	Vampire: The Dark Ages 20th Anniversary Edition	Pg. 222

^  Level 9

Arm of Prometheus

Players Guide to High Clans

Pg. 156

^  Level 10

Plot Device

Gehenna

Pg. 182