by Abe Dashiell
This Discipline was developed by the 5th of Kevin and is primarily known by the elders of the family. Grunts have always been able to use some of these powers (notably the level 5 skill), but they were able to use them more efficiently when developed into a Discipline. It is not known outside the Brothers Grunt.
[1] Grunt's Luck: This Gruntitude ability is possessed by nearly all Grunts. In some ways it is more powerful than the other Gruntitude levels, most Grunts learn it quickly nevertheless. Essentially, it allows a Grunt to get out of seemingly impossible situations. For example, one Grunt escaped from prison with only a toothbrush as a weapon -- the guards all just happened to be extremely afraid of having their teeth cleaned. Note that this power is of absolutely no use in most combats, though it might help if the Grunt was facing a vastly more powerful opponent. The escape will usually take on the form of a wildly improbable event that somehow allows the Grunt to escape.
System: Note that this ability does not guarantee the Grunt gets away from the situation unscathed. It also should not be called into play more than than once a game session, or even, if the lucky event was particularly wild, more than once a story. The exact form the Luck takes is entirely up the the Storyteller.
[2] Obfugrunt: An obfuscate-like power, this allows the Grunt to interact with mundane society without attracting undue attention. This power is not the equal to Mask of a Thousand Faces, however, and does not actually change the Grunt's perceived appearance. What it does do is prevent people from reacting as if they had seen a monster. If questioned about the Grunt, they will describe him accurately and even remark that he was a little odd looking, but they will not think he was extremely unusual.
System: This power generally only works on the Unawakened. To understand that the Grunt is indeed very much out of the ordinary, they must make a successful perception+empathy roll against difficulty 8.
[3] The Long Distance Grunt: This power allows a Grunt to contact any other Grunt and telepathically speak to him. The Grunt may even include a telepathic prod to influence the actions of the receiving Grunt. This power has been used numerous times to get the questing Grunts back on their track to find Perry.
System: The power is automatic if the receiving Grunt is not resisting. Otherwise, it requires a Willpower roll with the difficulty being the target Grunt's willpower. If a suggestion is included, the receivng Grunt can ignore it by making a successful resisted willpower roll.
[4] The Call of the Grunt: A Grunt possessing this ability is able to call out to all the Grunts of the world. The Grunt stands on a high, isolated place and makes the characteristic cry, "Wah Ooo Ooo Ooo!" It may require several hours or even days of calling to insure that all the Grunts get the message, with longer periods required for more involved messages. Note that the Call does not obligate the Grunts to any action, but they will be aware of the Caller's situation and will react accordingly. The 5th of Kevin used this ability to call the Grunts to the Monastery.
System: Roll Charisma+Leadership, with the number of successes determining how successful the call is. The exact effects should be left up to the Storyteller and will be influenced by how long the Grunt Calls, the subject of the message, how far away the nearest Grunt is, etc.
[5] The Exalted Gruntus Primus Maximus: This ability initiates the transformation from Grunt to Maximus. Very few Grunts have actually reached this level of ability and fewer still have chosen to use it. This power can only be used once, and once started, it can never be reversed. The Grunt will begin a long and painful transformation that never truly ends. First, the Grunt gains the ability to levitate. Note that this does not confer powered flight, but rather allows for floating on the breeze like a hot air balloon. The proto-Maximus grows larger, until after a few years, it is no longer able to land. It will never stop growing and as the years wear on, it will grow more incubation patches. The embryonic Grunts grow underneath these mounds of flesh and are jetisoned when they are ready to be birthed. The mind of the Maximus also changes, growing more alien and distant over the years. By the time it is producing young, which takes many years of growth, the Maximus has virtually no contact with the "real" world. The Maximus may live for hundreds, even thousands, of years; the "Exalted Gruntus Primus Maximus" that lives beneath the monastery, is the same one that birthed the 5th of Kevin himself. However, no new Maximi have been created in several hundred years.
System: The Maximus gains a point of strength of stamina and loses a point in dexterity and manipulation every five years. After the Maximus gains a 10 in an attribute, it increases at a rate of one every hundred years. Once the Maximus has reached a 0 dexterity, it can no longer move on the ground. Once it has a 0 manipulation, its mind has been come so alien that it cannot relate with creatures other than Oracles, vampires who have reached Golconda, Incarna, etc.