# [[50 True Faith|True Faith]] Many, perhaps most, mortals believe in a higher being or a greater reality, but only a few possess the Trait of True Faith. True Faith might reveal itself in evangelical zeal and fanaticism, calm conviction and profound sobriety, selfless love and warm generosity, or only appear in a true crisis. It does not seem to manifest more or less often among clergy than amongst lay mortals; the Order of St. Leopold attempts to recruit for it, but even they find it hard to predict or determine. $\quad$Western vampire legends describe the [[10 Lexicon of the Damned#^TheDamned|Damned]] recoiling from crucifixes, but True Faith manifests in all religions. A devout Jew wielding a Star of David, a pious Muslim holding up the Holy Qur’an, a faithful Hindu with an Aum symbol on their t-shirt: all might repel [[39 Vampires|vampires]] by True Faith. Even in the hands of a bishop a cross might be powerless if the holder does not possess this burning ardor. $\quad$The True Faith Trait appears in a rating from 1 to 5, like most [[23 Simple Tests#Traits|Traits]]. It cannot be bought with [[27 Experience and Improvement|experience points]], although horrifying experience may cause it to rise or erode. Each level of True Faith offers more protection against [[10 Lexicon of the Damned#^Kindred|Kindred]], as noted below. The ways of faith pose mysteries to mortals and to vampires; only the [[02 Roleplaying and Storytelling#The Storyteller|Storyteller]] knows precisely what happens in their game. • The character can attempt to ward off vampires by brandishing a holy symbol or uttering prayers. They roll [[32 Core Traits#Resolve|Resolve]] + True Faith in a [[24 Contests|contest]] against the vampire’s [[32 Core Traits#Willpower|Willpower]] [[23 Simple Tests#Pools|pool]]. If the vampire wins, it can advance unhindered. Each success by the faithful mortal forces the vampire to back up a step and avert their eyes; if the faithful touches the vampire with their symbol this scene, the vampire also takes one point of Aggravated [[25 Conflicts#Damage|damage]] per success, as the symbol sears their flesh. A [[23 Simple Tests#Dice Pool Results|critical success]] forces the vampire to flee and triggers a [[23 Simple Tests|test]] for [[46 The Blood#Frenzy|terror frenzy]] against a [[23 Simple Tests#Difficulties|Difficulty]] equal to the character’s True Faith. •• A mortal with a True Faith rating of 2 or more may resist [[57 Dominate|Dominate]] and similar vampiric mind-control powers by [[32 Core Traits#Spending Willpower|spending Willpower]] (1 point protects for a number of turns equal to their True Faith rating). ••• At this level or more, a faithful person can sense the presence of a vampire. The mechanics, if any, depend on the Storyteller and on the mortal; a Nyanza witch-smeller or Bulgarian sabotnik might have uncanny [[32 Core Traits#Awareness|Awareness]], while a pious housewife on the way home from a mosque responds to her keen subconscious Insight. The ability works by dramatic necessity and doesn’t provide “vampire radar” – the mortal merely knows something unclean and evil lurks nearby. •••• The mortal cannot be turned into a [[48 States of Damnation#Ghouls|ghoul]] and never succumbs to any mind-altering [[52 Disciplines|disciplines]] such as Dominate, [[61 Presence|Presence]], or [[59 Obfuscate|Obfuscate]]. ••••• By brandishing a holy symbol or praying loudly, the mortal forces a vampire to make a [[49 Humanity#Remorse|Remorse test]]. Even if they win, the vampire collapses in helpless self-loathing and disgust, unable to act in anything but their own defense for a number of turns equal to their current [[49 Humanity#Stains|Stains]] (to a minimum of one). Afterwards they remove all Stains. With no successes, the vampire permanently loses 1 point of Resolve, loses no Stains, and immediately flees in terror frenzy. A vampire who cannot flee suffers damage as though the symbol were direct [[46 The Blood#Sunlight|sunlight]], and they must move as far from the symbol as they can. [[49 Humanity|⬅️ Previous Section]] | [[Vampire - The Masquerade 5th Edition Core Book#Structure|Table of Contents]] | [[51 Using the Vampire Dice - Hunger Dice|Next Section ➡️]]