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Deviation Actions
Literature Text
Animalism
Animal Succulence
(Animalism •••••, Protean •, Blood Potency 3)
Vampires at a certain Blood Potency find the blood of animals flat, tasteless and lacking in nutritional value. Some Gangrel and Ventrue, however, have refined their understanding of the spirits of such “lesser prey” to the point that they are able to draw sustenance from beasts where other Kindred of equal Blood Potency would find none. This power does not allow an elder to subsist solely on the blood of animals, but it does allow him to go for extended periods of time without taking vitae from humans or other Kindred.
Cost: --
Dice Pool: --
Action: Always in effect
Animal Succulence allows a character to feed from animals, no matter what her Blood Potency is. The amount of Vitae gained from such feeding is explained on pages 164-165 of Vampire the Requiem.
Animal Succulence does not allow a character to completely ignore his craving for blood of “higher” prey; in fact, it heightens his desire for “real food.” Every three times (rounded down) the character drinks from an animal, a cumulative – 1 die penalty is applied to the next Resolve+Composure roll the player makes when the character is confronted with the possibility of dining on human or Kindred blood (depending on her Blood Potency). This penalty is reset once the vampire has gained nourishment from either a human or Kindred.
Shared Soul
(Animalism ••••, Auspex ••••, Blood Potency 3)
This power allows a character to probe the mind of any one animal within reach. Shared Soul can be very disconcerting to both parties involved, as each participant is completely immersed in the thoughts and emotions of the other. With enough effort or time, each participant can gain a complete understanding of the other's mind. Shared Soul is most often used to extract an animal's memories of a specific event, but some vampires use this power as a tool in the search for enlightenment, feeling they come to a better understanding of their own Beasts through rapport with true beasts. Too close of a bond, however, can leave the two souls entangled after the sharing ends, causing the vampire to adopt mannerism, behavior patterns or even ethics (or lack thereof) similar to those of the animal.
Cost: 1 Vitae + 1 Willpower per roll
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Animal Ken + Animalism versus animal's Resolve
Action: Contested and Extended (6 successes to locate a specific memory; 10 successes to form a complete bond); Resistance is Reflexive (an amout of successes equal to the vampire's Willpower).
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character fails to bond with the animal; the character enters frenzy and gains a derangement or behavior pattern related to the type of animal the vampire tried to bond with. Until the player has spent three Willpower points specifically to overcome this behavior the character continues to display this animalistic behavior.
Failure: The character loses or ties the contested action and fails to bond with the animal.
Success: The character makes progress towards bonding with the animal.
Exceptional Success: The character makes considerable headway toward bonding with the animal.
The character must touch the animal he wishes to share souls with (see Touching an opponent, page 157, World of Darkness). If he intended to uncover a memory from the animal, it is revealed to the character. The Storyteller is advised to make the memories appear as if filtered through an animal's perceptions of the world.
If he intended to bond with the animal the character enjoys several benefits. He can at any time touch the animal, or look into its eyes to uncover a memory from the animal. Furthermore, the character can employ Feral Whispers and Obedience on the animal without the need for eye contact.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 1 The animal is a predatory mammal (wolf, cat, insectivorous bat).
+ 1 The character has already successfully used Feral Whispers on the animal he now attempts to possess.
+ 1 The character is able to assume the same animal form via the Protean Discipline as the creature with which he tries to communicate (though he need not actually make the transformation).
- The animal is another sort of mammal, a predatory bird or a large reptile (rat, owl, alligator).
- 1 The animal is another sort of bird or a small reptile (pigeon, snake).
- 1 The animal is a ghoul in the empoly of another vampire
- 3 The animal is an insect or fish.
Species Speech
(Animalism ••, Majesty ••, Blood Potency 3)
The basic powers of Feral Whispers and Obedience allows a character to communicate with only one animal at a time. With Species Speech, a character can enter into psychic communion with all creatures of a certain species that are present. Species Speech is most often used after an application of the Call of the Wild, which draws a crowd of likely subjects.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: -
Action: Reflexive
The character spends the point of Vitae when rolling Feral Whispers or Obedience to receive the additional benefits of Species Speech. The character must make eye contact with one of the animals present in order to influence the whole. There is no practical upper limit on the number of animals that can be commanded with this power, although all of the intended subjects must be in the vampire's immediate vicinity. Only one species of animal can be commanded at a time; thus, if a character is standing in the middle of the reptile house at the zoo, she could command all of the Komodo dragons, all of the boa constrictors or all of the skinks, but she could not simultaneously give orders to every reptile or snake present. Species Speech functions much like Feral Whispers or Obedience in all other respects.
The modifiers below are in addition to any modifiers that come with employing Feral Whispers or Obedience.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
- 1 Using Species Speech on a quarter of the animals of the target species present
- 2 Using Species Speech on half the animals of the target species present
- 3 Using Species Speech on three quarters of the animals of the target species present
- 4 Using Species Speech on all the animals of the target species present
The Conquering Beast
(Animalism •••••, Dominate ••, Blood Potency 4)
Masters of Animalism have a much greater understanding of both beasts in general and the Beast in particular. Those who have developed this power can master their own Beasts to a degree impossible for lesser Kindred to attain. The Conquering Beast allows the vampire to inflict their Beast on ordinary humans and other supernaturals, causing either frenzy or Rötschreck. This is an unnatural frenzy, however, as the victim is channeling the Kindred's own fury. As such, the vampire's own behavior, expressions and even speech patterns are evident in the subject's savage actions.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Intimidation + Animalism versus Composure + Supernatural Advantage
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Used on another, the character’s power rebounds and she enters either frenzy or Rötschreck, whichever she attempted to influence. Additionally, the subject is immune to any further Conquer the Beast attempts by the character until the next sunset.
Failure: The character loses or ties the contested action and the power fails.
Success: The character transfers the Beast successfully. The subject immediately enters either frenzy or Rötschreck with no initial roll to resist. The rules governing Frenzy on pages 178-181 in Vampire the Requiem apply to the subject. However, the subject ignores wound penalties until rendered unconscious rather than torpid. Also, the subject can not attempt to ride the wave. After the frenzy is over the subject gains a mild derangement.
Exceptional Success: If the subject is forced into frenzy or Rötschreck, he or she remains in that state for the remainder of the scene, regardless of surrounding events or circumstances. Additionally, Willpower cannot be spent to end the frenzy prematurely. After the frenzy is over the subject gains a severe derangement.
Once the frenzy is over the Beast leaves the subject and returns to the character. If the character leaves the target's presence before the frenzy expends itself, the vampire loses his Beast, perhaps permanently. A vampire without his Beast cannot be subjected to frenzy, Rötschreck or Wassail, and obviously cannot ride the wave. He is not affected by the Predator's Taint, and other vampires do not roll Predators taint when encoutering him. However, vampires studying him with Aura Perception can still identify him as a vampire.
While no longer vulnerable to frenzy, the character cannot use or regain Willpower and becomes increasingly lethargic. Every night the vampire goes without his Beast he suffers a -2 penalty to all dice pools, with the exception of Humanity and degeneration rolls. This pentalty is cumulative to a maximum of -5. After a week has passed, the vampire gains the depression derangement. After a month the derangement increases in severity to melancholia.
To recover the Beast, he must find the person who now posesses it (who likely isn't enjoing herself very much) and retrap the Beast. The most effective way to do so is to behave in ways that make the Beast want to return – however, this isn't a guarantee that it will wish to do so. Alternatively, the character can simply kill the host (thus
causing the Beast to return to the vampire immediately), but such an act likely warrants a Humanity roll.
Suggested Modifiers
If the character knows another’s Virtue and/or Vice, such knowledge grants a +1 bonus, though she must cajole the Beast by specifically focusing on those aspects of the subject’s personality. These bonuses are not cumulative. Knowing a character’s Virtue and Vice nets only a +1 bonus, not a +2.
Taunt the Caged Beast
(Animalism •••••, Dominate •••, Blood Potency 5)
Some Kindred are so attuned to the Beast that they can unleash it in another individual, human or supernatural, at will. Vampires who have developed this power are able to send their adversaries into frenzy with a finger's touch. This power is similar to the Conquering Beast, with the key difference that the vampire does not transfer his Beast from himself to the recipient. Rather, the physical contact allows the vampire's own Beast to reach out and awaken the animal-side of the victim, enraging it by threatening its spiritual territory, similarly to Leashing the Beast.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Empathy + Animalism versus Composure + Supernatural Advantage
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Used on another, the character’s power rebounds and a Willpower point must be spent or she enters either frenzy or Rötschreck, whichever she attempted to influence. Additionally, the subject is immune to any further Taunt the Caged Beast attempts by the character until the next sunset.
Failure: The character loses or ties the contested action and the power fails.
Success: The instant action inspires rage frenzy or Rötschreck in the subject. However, the subject ignores wound penalties until rendered unconscious rather than torpid. Also, the subject can not attempt to ride the wave. After the frenzy is over the subject gains a mild derangement.
Exceptional Success: If the subject is forced into frenzy or Rötschreck, he or she remains in that state for the remainder of the scene, regardless of surrounding events or circumstances. Additionally, Willpower cannot be spent to end the frenzy prematurely. After the frenzy is over the subject gains a severe derangement.
The character spends the Willpower point and touches the target (see Touching an opponent, page 157, World of Darkness). The target of Taunt the Caged Beast can be an ordinary human, or another supernatural.
Suggested Modifiers
If the character knows another’s Virtue and/or Vice, such knowledge grants a +1 bonus, though she must cajole the Beast by specifically focusing on those aspects of the subject’s personality. These bonuses are not cumulative. Knowing a character’s Virtue and Vice nets only a +1 bonus, not a +2.
Unchain the Beast
(Animalism •••••, Nightmare •••, Dominate •, Blood Potency 6)
The self-destructive nature of Kindred can be turned against them by an elder who possesses this formidable power. With a glance, the vampire can awaken the Beasts of her enemies, causing physical injury and excruciating agony as the victim's own violent impulses manifest in physical form to tear him apart from within. A target of this power erupts into a fountain of blood and gore as claw and bite wounds from an invisible source spontaneously tear his flesh asunder.
Cost: 3 Vitae
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Intimidation + Animalism - Composure
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character's own Beast turns against him. He immediately enters frenzy.
Failure: No successes are achieved. The target's Beast is not roused.
Success: Each success inflicts a point of aggravated damage on a target possessing a Beast. Most of the time, this means another vampire, but it could also be a person who has had a Beast unnaturally forced upon them by the Conquering Beast. Also, the victim enters Rötschreck or frenzy; the choice is up to the character. If the target is a vampire, each success also consumes one point of Vitae from the target.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward.
The vampire must make eye contact with the target. The power ignores Defense and Armor. Since the power requires eyecontact, incur a – 1 penalty if the target is moving about.
Auspex
Clairvoyance
(Auspex •••••, Vigor •, Blood Potency 3)
By using Clairvoyance, Mekhet can perceive distant events without using Twilight Projection. By concentrating on a familiar person, place or object, a character can observe the subject's immediate vicinity while staying aware of her own surroundings.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Empathy + Auspex
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character's mind ends up in a completely different location than the one desired.
Failure: The character cannot project his mind in a different location.
Success: The character successfully achieves clairvoyance. The character can perceive the events and environment surrounding the desired target for one turn per success. Other Auspex powers may be used on the scene being viewd: these are rolled normally. Clairvoyance does split the vampire's perceptions between what she is viewing at a distance and what is taking place around her. As a result, while using this power, a character is at a -3 pentalty on all rolls relating to actions that affect her physical surroundings.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
+ 1 The character has successfully drawn a psychic impression from the object or person before, using either Aura Perception, Spirit's Touch or Telepathy.
- 1 to - 10 The power is turned on a vampire posessing the Obfuscate Discipline (penalty equal to the level of Obfuscate possessed by the subject).
Prediction
(Auspex ••••, Celerity ••, Blood Potency 3)
Some people are capable of finishing their friends' sentences. Elder Mekhet with Prediction sometimes begin their friends' sentences. Prediction is a constant low-level telepathic scan of the minds of everyone the character is in proximity to. While this power does not give the vampire the details of his neighbors' conscious thoughts, it does provide a wealth of cues as to the subjects' moods, suppressed reflexes and attitudes toward the topic of conversation.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy + Auspex - Composure
Action: Reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character can not get a read on the subject. He cannot use Prediction on the subject for the rest of the night.
Failure: The character cannot get a read on the subject.
Success: Whenever the character is in a conversation and either participant in the discussion makes a Social roll, the character may pre-empt the roll to spend a point of Vitae. Each success is an additional die that can be applied to the character's Social roll against the subject or subtracted from the dice pool of the Social roll being made against the character by the subject.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
+ 1 The character has successfully used either Aura Perception or Telepathy on the subject in the scene.
- 1 Each derangement the subject possesses.
Telepathic Communication
(Auspex ••••, Obfuscate ••, Blood Potency 3)
Telepathy allows a character to probe and add thoughts to another's mind, one subject at a time. With Telepathic Communication, a Mekhet can form a link between his mind and that of other subjects, allowing them to converse in words, concepts and sensory images at the speed of thought. Vampires with this level of Auspex can act as “switchboard operators,” creating a telepathic web that allows all participants to share thoughts with some or all other members of the network as they choose.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Empathy + Auspex – Highest Resolve (if subjects are resisiting)
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Dramatic failure on a Telepathic Communication attempt can be disastrous, as the user instantly adopts any derangements present in the targets for the rest of the night.
Failure: Failure results in no link being established, and the character cannot try again for the remainder of the scene.
Success: A telepathic link is established between the character and all subjects. The maximum range at which a subject may be contacted and the maximum number of individuals who may be linked simoultaneously with this power depends on the Auspex rating of the vampire who initiates contact.
Auspex Rating Number of Targets Range
Auspex 6 3 subjects 100 miles
Auspex 7 Wits rating or 3 subjects, 200 miles
whichever is higher
Auspex 8 Wits + Composure 100 miles for every point of Intelligence
Auspex 9 Wits + Composure x2 200 miles for every point of Intelligence
Auspex 10 Wits + Composure x3 300 miles for every point of Intelligence
Exceptional Success: A telepathic link is established between the chareacter and all subjects as per a success. The character regains the spent Willpower point.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
+ 1 For every subject who the character has previously used Telepathy on successfully.
- 1 For each derangement a subject possesses.
- 1 For each 100 miles each individual subject is from the charcter (rounded down)
- 1 Using Telepathic Communication on a quarter of the maximum amount of subjects
- 2 Using Telepathic Communication on half the maximum amount of subjects
- 3 Using Telepathic Communication on three quarters of the maximum amount of subjects
- 4 Using Telepathic Communication on the maximum amount of subjects
Karmic Sight
(Auspex ••, Vigor ••, Blood Potency 4)
The power of Aura Perception allows a vampire to take a brief glimpse at the soul of a subject. This power takes Aura Perception several steps forward, allowing a Mekhet to probe the inner workings of a subject's mind and soul. Knowledge acquired in this fashion can be used in many ways, and a vampire who has developed this power is undoubtedly familiar with all of them.
Cost: -
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Empathy + Auspex – subject's Composure
Action: Instant (Note that though this is an instant action, it takes more than just a fleeting glance to uncover the inner workings of the soul. A character must scrutinize her subject for two full turns to glean information from her, though only the single, immediate roll is necessary to determine if she can read the subject successfully.)
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character gleans utterly misleading and wholly inaccurate information.
Failure: The character can distinguish no information at all.
Success: The subjects Virtue, Vice, Humanity rating (or equivalent) and Willpower rating (permanent and temporary) can be determined.
Exceptional Success: In addition to the information gleaned from a success, the state of the subject's karma may be determined. This is a highly abstract piece of information best left to Storyteller discretion, but should reveal the general balance between “good” and “bad” actions the subject has performed, both recently and over the course of his existence. If the plot merits it, the character may receive vision of one or more incidents in the subject's past that radically altered his destiny.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
+ 1 The character has successfully used Aura Perception on the subject before
Mirror Reflex
(Auspex ••••, Celerity •••, Blood Potency 4)
This power was developed by a Mekhet elder who made a fearsome reputation through her fencing prowess, acting as a hired champion in dozens of duels for the First Estate. Mirrior Reflex is similar to Prediction in that it is in essence a low-level telepathic scan of an opponent, but this power taps into physical (rather than social) reflexes, allowing the character to anticipate an enemy's moves in personal combat.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Wits + Combat skill opponent is currently using + Auspex – subjects Resolve
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character can not get a read on the subject. He cannot use Mirror Reflex on the subject for the rest of the night.
Failure: The character cannot get a read on the subject.
Success: The character spends the Vitae and rolls the dice pool to observe the subject's fighting techinque using her own rating in the relevant skill. Each success is an additional die that can be applied to the character's dice pools during the next turn of combat for any actions taken against the scanned opponent. The power has a maximum range in yards equal to the character's Willpower rating.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
+ 1 The character has successfully used Aura Perception on the subject in the scene.
+ 1 The subject is employing a fighting style related to the combat skill currently in use.
- 1 The subject possesses a fighting style not related to the combat skill currently in use.
Psychic Assault
(Auspex ••••, Vigor •••, Dominate •, Blood Potency 5)
Psychic Assault is nothing less than a direct mind-to-mind attack which uses the sheer force of an elder's will to overpower his target. Victims of Psychic Assault show little outward sign of the attack, save for nosebleeds and expressions of intense agony; all injuries by means of this psychic pressure inflicted are internal. A medical examination of a mortal victim of a Psychic Assault invariably shows the cause of death to be a heart attack or aneurysm, while vampires killed with this power decay to dust instantly, regardless of age.
Cost: 3 Vitae (+ 1 Willpower if assaulting a vampire or other supernatural being)
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Intimidation + Auspex - Resolve
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The target becomes immune to the character's Psychic Assault for one night.
Failure: The target is unharmed and may determine that a psychic assault is taking place by succeeding on a Wits + Occult roll.
Success: Each success inflicts a point of lethal damage on the target. The target also loses a point of Willpower per success achieved. Finally, if the victim is a vampire, he enters Rötschreck.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward. The victim also loses a Willpower dot.
The vampire must make eye contact with the target. The power ignores Defense and Armor. Since the power requires eyecontact, incur a – 1 penalty if the target is moving about. Alternatively, the power can be applied by touching the subject (see Touching an opponent, page 157, World of Darkness). If the target is a living being any result that causes the victim to lose his last temporary Willpower point also renders him unconscious for the rest of the night.
False Slumber
(Auspex •••••, Resilience ••••, Blood Potency 6)
Possibly the source the rumors that Methuselahs awaken from torpor with perfect memories, this power allows an Elder's spirit to leave his body while in torpor. While seemingly asleep, the Mekhet is able to project in twilight, think and perceive events normally.
Cost: -
Dice Pool: -
Action: Always active
No roll is needed. This power is considered to be active whenever the vampire's body enters torpor, whether through violence, starvation, staking or volunrary, and projections are handled as per the rules for Twilight Projection (see p. 123, Vampire the Requiem). The vampire may not be able to awaken physically at will, however – waking from torpor is handled per the normal rules for such an action (see p. 175-178, Vampire the Requiem).
As his Blood Potency decreases from his time in torpor, the vampire will lose all dots above his new trait limit, including this power. However, the power will still remain active during the entire period of torpor. When he awakens he will have to buy this ability again to reciveve the benefits the next time he enters torpor. Since the vampire is considered awake for all intents and purposes while projecting, he does not suffer the Fog of Eternity.
If the projecting vampire is barred from returning to his body, the vampire does not begin to lose Blood Potency, and the ghost-Kindred does not suffer the Final Death. Instead, he loses the use of this Auspex power and half of his permanent Willpower points, and the vampire enters true torpor. Both the Auspex 9 power and all of the Willpower points can be bought back using experience points when the character awakens from torpor. The vampire's soul slowly returns to his body over the course of a year and a day, during which time he may not be awakened from torpor by any means. During this time, the vampire doesn't dream or experience anything. It is as if he doesn't exist. Once he has been returned to his body he will suffer the Fog of Ages as usual. He will also awaken with a severe derangement, related to the horror of his temporary period of non-existence.
The vampire can at any moment return his conciousness to his body while using of this power. If he does so, the effects of this power end immediately and the character enters true torpor and suffers the Fog of Eternity as usual.
Celerity
Projectile
(Celerity ••••, Vigor ••, Blood Potency 3)
Despite the fact that a vampire with Celerity moves at incredible speeds, by some quirk of metaphysics any bullets he fires or knives he throws while in this state don't move any faster than they normally would. Scientifically minded Kindred have been baffled by this phenomenon for centuries, but more pragmatic ones have found a way to work around it. Projectile enables a vampire to take his preternatural speed and transfer it into something he has thrown, fired or launched.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: -
Action: Reflexive
Projectile requires the expenditure of a blood point. In addition, the player must decide how many levels of his character's Celerity he is putting into the speed of the launched object. Thus, a character with Celerity 6 in addition to projectile could decide to put three dots' worth of speed into a knife he is throwing, and use the other three dots to receive the normal benefits of Celerity. Each dot of Celerity infused into a thrown object becomes an additional die on the attack roll.
Flower of Death
(Celerity ••••, Protean •••, Blood Potency 4)
In combat, as in all things, speed kills. A proper application of Celerity in combat can turn even the meekest Kindred into a walking abattoir. How much more deadly, then, is a vampire with the ability to utilize his preternatural speed to the utmost in combat? The answer to that question is “Rather a lot.” Flower of Death allows a vampire to take his Celerity and apply it in full to each hand-to-hand or weaponry attack he makes.
Cost: 4 Vitae
Dice Pool: -
Action: Instant
Once Flower of Death is in effect, a number of dice equal to the vampire's normal Celerity rating gets added to every dice pool for attack the character makes until the end of the scene. The effect is limited to hand-to-hand or weaponry attacks – firearms, bows and whatnot are excluded. Also note that the power only grants dice, not dots. So a character adding dice to a weaponry attack does not receive additional dots of strength, and the damage potential of the weapon does not increase.
Flower of Death is not cumulative – it is impossible to “layer” uses of the power over one another to create astronomical dice-pools.
If the character decides to activate any other Celerity power while using the Flower of Death, the effects of the Flower of Death end, and the character has to activate the Discipline again if he wants to enjoy the benefits once more.
Zephyr
Celerity •••••, Vigor •••, Blood Potency 5)
Zephyr produces an effect vaguely similar to one of the legendary comic book-style uses of enhanced speed, allowing its practitioner to run so fast he can run across water (he's moving so fast he doesn't have time to sink). Particularly successful applications of Zephyr allow a vampire to go so far as to run up walls and, in at least one recorded instance, across a ceiling, though the latter is more of a parlor trick than anything else.
Cost: 1 Vitae + 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: -
Action: Reflexive
When activating Zephyr, the vampire enjoys the benefits of his normal Celerity rating, except that the benefits are doubled. A vampire with normal Celerity 8 in addition to Zephyr would thus receive + 16 to his Initiative, would multiply his speed by 18, and opponents would subtract 16 dice from their attack pools! Like normal Celerity, the effect lasts for one turn.
Unfortunately for the vampire in question, Zephyr requires such extremes of concentration that it cannot be combined with any form of attack, or indeed, with most any sort of action at all. If a character feels the need to do something else while moving at such tremendous speeds (it bears repeating: Zephyr cannot be combined with any form of attack), a Resolve + Composure roll is required. Needless to say, dramatic failures at Zephyr speed can be spectacular in all the wrong ways.
Most times, a vampire moving at such a rate of speed is barely visible, appearing more as a vampire-shaped blur than anything else. Observers must succeed on a Wits + Composure roll to get even a decent look at a Kindred zooming past in this fashion.
Dominate
Chain the Psyche
(Dominate ••••, Nightmare ••, Blood Potency 3)
Not content with merely commanding their subjects, some Ventrue apply this power to ensure obedience from recalcitrant victims. Chain the Psyche is a Dominate technique that inflicts incapacitating pain on a target who attempts to break the vampire's commands.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Intimidation + Dominate versus Stamina + Blood Potency
Action: Contested, resistance is reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The Dominate effect is completely broken, and the subject does not need to roll to shake off any compulsions or roll to uncover any memories tampered with.
Failure: The target can go ahead and roll to shake of any compulsion, or have someone roll to uncovered any memories tampered with.
Success: The character spends a point of Vitae when her character applies Mesmerize or the Forgetful Mind to a subject. Any attempt that the subject makes to go against the vampire's implanted commands (see p. 125, Vampire the Requiem) or when anyone else tries to recover stolen memories (see p. 127, Vampire the Requiem) causes intense pain in the subject. When the subject wants to attempt such a roll, the Storyteller rolls Chain the Psyche's dice pool. Each success equals one turn that the victim is unable to act, as she is wracked with agony. Furthermore, the target cannot make the roll to resist the Dominate effect. If she wants to try again, she must first make a successful Resolve + Composure roll. If that roll fails, the subject does not have the mental fortitude to face the pain again, and will not attempt to resist the Dominate effect for the rest of the scene. In the case of someone trying to recover memories from the subject using the Forgetful Mind, the subject must successfully roll Resolve + Composure to allow the attempt to continue. If she fails, she will try to get away from the person attempting to uncover the memories. On a dramatic failure, the subject enters frenzy. Each application of Chain the Psyche crushes a number of resistance attempts equal to the character's Manipulation rating, after which the effect fades.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
Loyalty
(Dominate ••••, Vigor ••, Blood Potency 3)
With this power in effect, the Ventrue's Dominate is so strong that other vampires find it almost impossible to break with their own commands. Despite the name, Loyalty instills no special feelings in the victim – the vampire's commands are simply implanted more deeply than normal.
Cost: -
Dice Pool: -
Action: Always active
Any other vampire attempting to employ Dominate on a subject who has been Dominated by a vampire with Loyalty must spend an additional Willpower point and make all rolls with a – 3 penalty. This penalty is in addition to any penalties stemming from past Conditioning on the subject.
Obedience
(Dominate ••••, Majesty ••, Blood Potency 3)
While most Kindred must employ Dominate through eye contact, some powerful Ventrue may command loyalty with the lightest brush of a hand.
Cost: -
Dice Pool: -
Action: Always active
The character can employ all Dominate power through touch instead of eye contact (although eye contact still works). Skin contact is necessary – simply touching the target's clothing or something she is holding will not suffice. If the subject is resisting, rolling to touch the subject may be necessary (see Touching an opponent, page 157, World of Darkness). The touch does not have to be maintained for the full time it takes to issue a Dominate command, though repeated attempts to Dominate a single target require the character to touch the subject again.
Mass Manipulation
(Dominate ••, Vigor ••, Blood Potency 3)
A truly skilled Ventrue may command small crowds through the use of this power. By manipulating the strongest minds within a given group, a gathering may be directed to the vampire's will.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: -
Action: Reflexive
The player spends a point of Vitae and declares that he is using this power before rolling for the use of another Dominate power. The resistance of the roll is made by the most resistant member of the target group – if he cannot be Dominated, no one in his immediate vicinity can. For every success past that needed to inflict the desired result on the first target, the player may choose one additional target to receive the same effect in its entirety. The vampire needs to make eye contact only with the initial target.
Still the Mortal Flesh
(Dominate ••, Vigor ••, Blood Potency 4)
Despite its name, this power may be employed on vampires as well as mortals, and it has left more than one unfortunate victim writhing in agony – or unable to do even that. A Ventrue who has developed this power is able to override her victim's body as easily as his mind in order to cut off his senses or even stop his heart. It is rumored that this power once came more easily to the Kindred, but modern medicine has made the bodies and spirits of mortals more resistant to such manipulations.
Cost: -
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Medicine + Dominate versus Stamina + Blood Potency
Action: Contested, resistance is reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The target becomes immune to the character's attempts at Stilling the Mortal Flesh for one night.
Failure: The roll fails or is tied, and the target is unharmed.
Success: The effects of Still the Mortal Flesh last for one turn per success. The character must choose what function of the target's body is being cut off before rolling. She may affect any of the body's involuntary functions; breathing, circulation, perspiration, pain receptors, sight and hearing are all viable targets. While Still the Mortal Flesh is in effect, a vampire can either stop any one of those functions entirely or cause them to fluctuate erratically.
The exact effects of any given bodily function being shut off are left to the Storyteller. Most mortals panic if suddenly struck blind, but the shutdown of the heart is one of the quickest ways to kill a target. Every success on the activation roll for stopping the heart stops the muscle for one turn, and the victim suffers a point of Lethal damage per turn his heart isn't beating. Vampires are unaffected by loss of heartbeat or breathing, but may be rendered deaf and blind as easily as mortals. Rules for fighting blind, listening and smelling are covered in the World of Darkness rulebook (pages 166 – 167). Rules for suffocation can be found in the same book, on page 49.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
Far Mastery
(Dominate •••••, Auspex •••, Blood Potency 5)
This refinement of Obedience (though the character need not have learned Obedience first) allows the use of Dominate on any subject that the Ventrue is familiar with, at any time, over long distances. If the elder knows where his target is, he man issue commands as if he were standing face-to-face with his intended victim.
Cost: 1 Willpower point (+ 1 Willpower point)
Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy + Dominate - Resolve
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character cannot establish a link to the subject for the rest of the night.
Failure: The character cannot establish a link to the subject but may try again by spending another point of Willpower.
Success: With a success, contact is established and the character may proceed to use any Dominate power as if he had established eye contact with the target. A second Willpower point must be spent in order for a vampire to use this power on another vampire or another supernatural.
Exceptional Success: The character also gains a point of Willpower.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
- 1 For each 50 miles each individual subject is from the character (rounded down)
- 1 to - 10 The power is turned on a vampire possessing the Obfuscate Discipline (penalty equal to the level of Obfuscate possessed by the subject).
Speak Through the Blood
Dominate •••••, Auspex ••••, Blood Potency 6)
The power structures of Methuselahs extend across continents and centuries. This ability is a powerful tool by which such ancients wield control over their descendants, even far outside their geographic spheres of influence. Speak Through the Blood allows a Ventrue to issue commands to every vampire with whom she shares a blood tie – even if the two have never met. Thus, entire broods act to further the goals of sleeping ancients whose existences they are completely unaware of. The vampires affected by this power rarely act directly to pursue the command they were given, but over 10 or so years, their priorities slowly shift until the fulfillment of the Methuselah's command is among their long-term goals. Speak Through the Blood, because it takes effect so slowly, is rarely recognized as an outside influence, and its victims rationalize their behavior as “growing and changing,” or something to that effect.
Cost: 1 Willpower dot
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Subterfuge + Dominate - highest Resolve
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The attempt fails and the character cannot use Speak Through the Blood for a year.
Failure: The command does not take hold.
Success: Unless the character is aware of the location (what city will suffice) and present agenda of every “family member” of his who he is trying to command – a highly unlikely event – he may only issue general commands, such as “work for the greater glory of Clan Ventrue” or “destroy all those who seek to extinguish the light of knowledge.” Speak Through the Blood can be used by a vampire in torpor. Commands issued through this power last for one decade per success rolled.
A vampire who has reached Golconda is not affected by this power, and is completely unaware that it has been used. Her childer, however, are affected normally unless they are also enlightened. Ghouls of the victims of this power are also affected, but to a lesser extent than vampires.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162). Redundant to claim, but it bears pointing out. This effect is not cumulative
- 1 For each “step” in close blood ties the character is trying to command (her sire and her childer). For instance, trying to command her sire would give the character a -1 penalty, while trying to command all her childer would also mean a -1 penalty. Were he to try and Dominate both steps, he would suffer a total of – 2. It is not the amount of characters that are important, but the steps removed.
- 2 For each “step” in distant blood ties (her sire's sire and her childers' childer) the character is trying to Dominate.
Animal Succulence
(Animalism •••••, Protean •, Blood Potency 3)
Vampires at a certain Blood Potency find the blood of animals flat, tasteless and lacking in nutritional value. Some Gangrel and Ventrue, however, have refined their understanding of the spirits of such “lesser prey” to the point that they are able to draw sustenance from beasts where other Kindred of equal Blood Potency would find none. This power does not allow an elder to subsist solely on the blood of animals, but it does allow him to go for extended periods of time without taking vitae from humans or other Kindred.
Cost: --
Dice Pool: --
Action: Always in effect
Animal Succulence allows a character to feed from animals, no matter what her Blood Potency is. The amount of Vitae gained from such feeding is explained on pages 164-165 of Vampire the Requiem.
Animal Succulence does not allow a character to completely ignore his craving for blood of “higher” prey; in fact, it heightens his desire for “real food.” Every three times (rounded down) the character drinks from an animal, a cumulative – 1 die penalty is applied to the next Resolve+Composure roll the player makes when the character is confronted with the possibility of dining on human or Kindred blood (depending on her Blood Potency). This penalty is reset once the vampire has gained nourishment from either a human or Kindred.
Shared Soul
(Animalism ••••, Auspex ••••, Blood Potency 3)
This power allows a character to probe the mind of any one animal within reach. Shared Soul can be very disconcerting to both parties involved, as each participant is completely immersed in the thoughts and emotions of the other. With enough effort or time, each participant can gain a complete understanding of the other's mind. Shared Soul is most often used to extract an animal's memories of a specific event, but some vampires use this power as a tool in the search for enlightenment, feeling they come to a better understanding of their own Beasts through rapport with true beasts. Too close of a bond, however, can leave the two souls entangled after the sharing ends, causing the vampire to adopt mannerism, behavior patterns or even ethics (or lack thereof) similar to those of the animal.
Cost: 1 Vitae + 1 Willpower per roll
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Animal Ken + Animalism versus animal's Resolve
Action: Contested and Extended (6 successes to locate a specific memory; 10 successes to form a complete bond); Resistance is Reflexive (an amout of successes equal to the vampire's Willpower).
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character fails to bond with the animal; the character enters frenzy and gains a derangement or behavior pattern related to the type of animal the vampire tried to bond with. Until the player has spent three Willpower points specifically to overcome this behavior the character continues to display this animalistic behavior.
Failure: The character loses or ties the contested action and fails to bond with the animal.
Success: The character makes progress towards bonding with the animal.
Exceptional Success: The character makes considerable headway toward bonding with the animal.
The character must touch the animal he wishes to share souls with (see Touching an opponent, page 157, World of Darkness). If he intended to uncover a memory from the animal, it is revealed to the character. The Storyteller is advised to make the memories appear as if filtered through an animal's perceptions of the world.
If he intended to bond with the animal the character enjoys several benefits. He can at any time touch the animal, or look into its eyes to uncover a memory from the animal. Furthermore, the character can employ Feral Whispers and Obedience on the animal without the need for eye contact.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 1 The animal is a predatory mammal (wolf, cat, insectivorous bat).
+ 1 The character has already successfully used Feral Whispers on the animal he now attempts to possess.
+ 1 The character is able to assume the same animal form via the Protean Discipline as the creature with which he tries to communicate (though he need not actually make the transformation).
- The animal is another sort of mammal, a predatory bird or a large reptile (rat, owl, alligator).
- 1 The animal is another sort of bird or a small reptile (pigeon, snake).
- 1 The animal is a ghoul in the empoly of another vampire
- 3 The animal is an insect or fish.
Species Speech
(Animalism ••, Majesty ••, Blood Potency 3)
The basic powers of Feral Whispers and Obedience allows a character to communicate with only one animal at a time. With Species Speech, a character can enter into psychic communion with all creatures of a certain species that are present. Species Speech is most often used after an application of the Call of the Wild, which draws a crowd of likely subjects.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: -
Action: Reflexive
The character spends the point of Vitae when rolling Feral Whispers or Obedience to receive the additional benefits of Species Speech. The character must make eye contact with one of the animals present in order to influence the whole. There is no practical upper limit on the number of animals that can be commanded with this power, although all of the intended subjects must be in the vampire's immediate vicinity. Only one species of animal can be commanded at a time; thus, if a character is standing in the middle of the reptile house at the zoo, she could command all of the Komodo dragons, all of the boa constrictors or all of the skinks, but she could not simultaneously give orders to every reptile or snake present. Species Speech functions much like Feral Whispers or Obedience in all other respects.
The modifiers below are in addition to any modifiers that come with employing Feral Whispers or Obedience.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
- 1 Using Species Speech on a quarter of the animals of the target species present
- 2 Using Species Speech on half the animals of the target species present
- 3 Using Species Speech on three quarters of the animals of the target species present
- 4 Using Species Speech on all the animals of the target species present
The Conquering Beast
(Animalism •••••, Dominate ••, Blood Potency 4)
Masters of Animalism have a much greater understanding of both beasts in general and the Beast in particular. Those who have developed this power can master their own Beasts to a degree impossible for lesser Kindred to attain. The Conquering Beast allows the vampire to inflict their Beast on ordinary humans and other supernaturals, causing either frenzy or Rötschreck. This is an unnatural frenzy, however, as the victim is channeling the Kindred's own fury. As such, the vampire's own behavior, expressions and even speech patterns are evident in the subject's savage actions.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Intimidation + Animalism versus Composure + Supernatural Advantage
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Used on another, the character’s power rebounds and she enters either frenzy or Rötschreck, whichever she attempted to influence. Additionally, the subject is immune to any further Conquer the Beast attempts by the character until the next sunset.
Failure: The character loses or ties the contested action and the power fails.
Success: The character transfers the Beast successfully. The subject immediately enters either frenzy or Rötschreck with no initial roll to resist. The rules governing Frenzy on pages 178-181 in Vampire the Requiem apply to the subject. However, the subject ignores wound penalties until rendered unconscious rather than torpid. Also, the subject can not attempt to ride the wave. After the frenzy is over the subject gains a mild derangement.
Exceptional Success: If the subject is forced into frenzy or Rötschreck, he or she remains in that state for the remainder of the scene, regardless of surrounding events or circumstances. Additionally, Willpower cannot be spent to end the frenzy prematurely. After the frenzy is over the subject gains a severe derangement.
Once the frenzy is over the Beast leaves the subject and returns to the character. If the character leaves the target's presence before the frenzy expends itself, the vampire loses his Beast, perhaps permanently. A vampire without his Beast cannot be subjected to frenzy, Rötschreck or Wassail, and obviously cannot ride the wave. He is not affected by the Predator's Taint, and other vampires do not roll Predators taint when encoutering him. However, vampires studying him with Aura Perception can still identify him as a vampire.
While no longer vulnerable to frenzy, the character cannot use or regain Willpower and becomes increasingly lethargic. Every night the vampire goes without his Beast he suffers a -2 penalty to all dice pools, with the exception of Humanity and degeneration rolls. This pentalty is cumulative to a maximum of -5. After a week has passed, the vampire gains the depression derangement. After a month the derangement increases in severity to melancholia.
To recover the Beast, he must find the person who now posesses it (who likely isn't enjoing herself very much) and retrap the Beast. The most effective way to do so is to behave in ways that make the Beast want to return – however, this isn't a guarantee that it will wish to do so. Alternatively, the character can simply kill the host (thus
causing the Beast to return to the vampire immediately), but such an act likely warrants a Humanity roll.
Suggested Modifiers
If the character knows another’s Virtue and/or Vice, such knowledge grants a +1 bonus, though she must cajole the Beast by specifically focusing on those aspects of the subject’s personality. These bonuses are not cumulative. Knowing a character’s Virtue and Vice nets only a +1 bonus, not a +2.
Taunt the Caged Beast
(Animalism •••••, Dominate •••, Blood Potency 5)
Some Kindred are so attuned to the Beast that they can unleash it in another individual, human or supernatural, at will. Vampires who have developed this power are able to send their adversaries into frenzy with a finger's touch. This power is similar to the Conquering Beast, with the key difference that the vampire does not transfer his Beast from himself to the recipient. Rather, the physical contact allows the vampire's own Beast to reach out and awaken the animal-side of the victim, enraging it by threatening its spiritual territory, similarly to Leashing the Beast.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Empathy + Animalism versus Composure + Supernatural Advantage
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Used on another, the character’s power rebounds and a Willpower point must be spent or she enters either frenzy or Rötschreck, whichever she attempted to influence. Additionally, the subject is immune to any further Taunt the Caged Beast attempts by the character until the next sunset.
Failure: The character loses or ties the contested action and the power fails.
Success: The instant action inspires rage frenzy or Rötschreck in the subject. However, the subject ignores wound penalties until rendered unconscious rather than torpid. Also, the subject can not attempt to ride the wave. After the frenzy is over the subject gains a mild derangement.
Exceptional Success: If the subject is forced into frenzy or Rötschreck, he or she remains in that state for the remainder of the scene, regardless of surrounding events or circumstances. Additionally, Willpower cannot be spent to end the frenzy prematurely. After the frenzy is over the subject gains a severe derangement.
The character spends the Willpower point and touches the target (see Touching an opponent, page 157, World of Darkness). The target of Taunt the Caged Beast can be an ordinary human, or another supernatural.
Suggested Modifiers
If the character knows another’s Virtue and/or Vice, such knowledge grants a +1 bonus, though she must cajole the Beast by specifically focusing on those aspects of the subject’s personality. These bonuses are not cumulative. Knowing a character’s Virtue and Vice nets only a +1 bonus, not a +2.
Unchain the Beast
(Animalism •••••, Nightmare •••, Dominate •, Blood Potency 6)
The self-destructive nature of Kindred can be turned against them by an elder who possesses this formidable power. With a glance, the vampire can awaken the Beasts of her enemies, causing physical injury and excruciating agony as the victim's own violent impulses manifest in physical form to tear him apart from within. A target of this power erupts into a fountain of blood and gore as claw and bite wounds from an invisible source spontaneously tear his flesh asunder.
Cost: 3 Vitae
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Intimidation + Animalism - Composure
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character's own Beast turns against him. He immediately enters frenzy.
Failure: No successes are achieved. The target's Beast is not roused.
Success: Each success inflicts a point of aggravated damage on a target possessing a Beast. Most of the time, this means another vampire, but it could also be a person who has had a Beast unnaturally forced upon them by the Conquering Beast. Also, the victim enters Rötschreck or frenzy; the choice is up to the character. If the target is a vampire, each success also consumes one point of Vitae from the target.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward.
The vampire must make eye contact with the target. The power ignores Defense and Armor. Since the power requires eyecontact, incur a – 1 penalty if the target is moving about.
Auspex
Clairvoyance
(Auspex •••••, Vigor •, Blood Potency 3)
By using Clairvoyance, Mekhet can perceive distant events without using Twilight Projection. By concentrating on a familiar person, place or object, a character can observe the subject's immediate vicinity while staying aware of her own surroundings.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Empathy + Auspex
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character's mind ends up in a completely different location than the one desired.
Failure: The character cannot project his mind in a different location.
Success: The character successfully achieves clairvoyance. The character can perceive the events and environment surrounding the desired target for one turn per success. Other Auspex powers may be used on the scene being viewd: these are rolled normally. Clairvoyance does split the vampire's perceptions between what she is viewing at a distance and what is taking place around her. As a result, while using this power, a character is at a -3 pentalty on all rolls relating to actions that affect her physical surroundings.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
+ 1 The character has successfully drawn a psychic impression from the object or person before, using either Aura Perception, Spirit's Touch or Telepathy.
- 1 to - 10 The power is turned on a vampire posessing the Obfuscate Discipline (penalty equal to the level of Obfuscate possessed by the subject).
Prediction
(Auspex ••••, Celerity ••, Blood Potency 3)
Some people are capable of finishing their friends' sentences. Elder Mekhet with Prediction sometimes begin their friends' sentences. Prediction is a constant low-level telepathic scan of the minds of everyone the character is in proximity to. While this power does not give the vampire the details of his neighbors' conscious thoughts, it does provide a wealth of cues as to the subjects' moods, suppressed reflexes and attitudes toward the topic of conversation.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy + Auspex - Composure
Action: Reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character can not get a read on the subject. He cannot use Prediction on the subject for the rest of the night.
Failure: The character cannot get a read on the subject.
Success: Whenever the character is in a conversation and either participant in the discussion makes a Social roll, the character may pre-empt the roll to spend a point of Vitae. Each success is an additional die that can be applied to the character's Social roll against the subject or subtracted from the dice pool of the Social roll being made against the character by the subject.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
+ 1 The character has successfully used either Aura Perception or Telepathy on the subject in the scene.
- 1 Each derangement the subject possesses.
Telepathic Communication
(Auspex ••••, Obfuscate ••, Blood Potency 3)
Telepathy allows a character to probe and add thoughts to another's mind, one subject at a time. With Telepathic Communication, a Mekhet can form a link between his mind and that of other subjects, allowing them to converse in words, concepts and sensory images at the speed of thought. Vampires with this level of Auspex can act as “switchboard operators,” creating a telepathic web that allows all participants to share thoughts with some or all other members of the network as they choose.
Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Empathy + Auspex – Highest Resolve (if subjects are resisiting)
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: Dramatic failure on a Telepathic Communication attempt can be disastrous, as the user instantly adopts any derangements present in the targets for the rest of the night.
Failure: Failure results in no link being established, and the character cannot try again for the remainder of the scene.
Success: A telepathic link is established between the character and all subjects. The maximum range at which a subject may be contacted and the maximum number of individuals who may be linked simoultaneously with this power depends on the Auspex rating of the vampire who initiates contact.
Auspex Rating Number of Targets Range
Auspex 6 3 subjects 100 miles
Auspex 7 Wits rating or 3 subjects, 200 miles
whichever is higher
Auspex 8 Wits + Composure 100 miles for every point of Intelligence
Auspex 9 Wits + Composure x2 200 miles for every point of Intelligence
Auspex 10 Wits + Composure x3 300 miles for every point of Intelligence
Exceptional Success: A telepathic link is established between the chareacter and all subjects as per a success. The character regains the spent Willpower point.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
+ 1 For every subject who the character has previously used Telepathy on successfully.
- 1 For each derangement a subject possesses.
- 1 For each 100 miles each individual subject is from the charcter (rounded down)
- 1 Using Telepathic Communication on a quarter of the maximum amount of subjects
- 2 Using Telepathic Communication on half the maximum amount of subjects
- 3 Using Telepathic Communication on three quarters of the maximum amount of subjects
- 4 Using Telepathic Communication on the maximum amount of subjects
Karmic Sight
(Auspex ••, Vigor ••, Blood Potency 4)
The power of Aura Perception allows a vampire to take a brief glimpse at the soul of a subject. This power takes Aura Perception several steps forward, allowing a Mekhet to probe the inner workings of a subject's mind and soul. Knowledge acquired in this fashion can be used in many ways, and a vampire who has developed this power is undoubtedly familiar with all of them.
Cost: -
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Empathy + Auspex – subject's Composure
Action: Instant (Note that though this is an instant action, it takes more than just a fleeting glance to uncover the inner workings of the soul. A character must scrutinize her subject for two full turns to glean information from her, though only the single, immediate roll is necessary to determine if she can read the subject successfully.)
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character gleans utterly misleading and wholly inaccurate information.
Failure: The character can distinguish no information at all.
Success: The subjects Virtue, Vice, Humanity rating (or equivalent) and Willpower rating (permanent and temporary) can be determined.
Exceptional Success: In addition to the information gleaned from a success, the state of the subject's karma may be determined. This is a highly abstract piece of information best left to Storyteller discretion, but should reveal the general balance between “good” and “bad” actions the subject has performed, both recently and over the course of his existence. If the plot merits it, the character may receive vision of one or more incidents in the subject's past that radically altered his destiny.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
+ 1 The character has successfully used Aura Perception on the subject before
Mirror Reflex
(Auspex ••••, Celerity •••, Blood Potency 4)
This power was developed by a Mekhet elder who made a fearsome reputation through her fencing prowess, acting as a hired champion in dozens of duels for the First Estate. Mirrior Reflex is similar to Prediction in that it is in essence a low-level telepathic scan of an opponent, but this power taps into physical (rather than social) reflexes, allowing the character to anticipate an enemy's moves in personal combat.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Wits + Combat skill opponent is currently using + Auspex – subjects Resolve
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character can not get a read on the subject. He cannot use Mirror Reflex on the subject for the rest of the night.
Failure: The character cannot get a read on the subject.
Success: The character spends the Vitae and rolls the dice pool to observe the subject's fighting techinque using her own rating in the relevant skill. Each success is an additional die that can be applied to the character's dice pools during the next turn of combat for any actions taken against the scanned opponent. The power has a maximum range in yards equal to the character's Willpower rating.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
+ 1 The character has successfully used Aura Perception on the subject in the scene.
+ 1 The subject is employing a fighting style related to the combat skill currently in use.
- 1 The subject possesses a fighting style not related to the combat skill currently in use.
Psychic Assault
(Auspex ••••, Vigor •••, Dominate •, Blood Potency 5)
Psychic Assault is nothing less than a direct mind-to-mind attack which uses the sheer force of an elder's will to overpower his target. Victims of Psychic Assault show little outward sign of the attack, save for nosebleeds and expressions of intense agony; all injuries by means of this psychic pressure inflicted are internal. A medical examination of a mortal victim of a Psychic Assault invariably shows the cause of death to be a heart attack or aneurysm, while vampires killed with this power decay to dust instantly, regardless of age.
Cost: 3 Vitae (+ 1 Willpower if assaulting a vampire or other supernatural being)
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Intimidation + Auspex - Resolve
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The target becomes immune to the character's Psychic Assault for one night.
Failure: The target is unharmed and may determine that a psychic assault is taking place by succeeding on a Wits + Occult roll.
Success: Each success inflicts a point of lethal damage on the target. The target also loses a point of Willpower per success achieved. Finally, if the victim is a vampire, he enters Rötschreck.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward. The victim also loses a Willpower dot.
The vampire must make eye contact with the target. The power ignores Defense and Armor. Since the power requires eyecontact, incur a – 1 penalty if the target is moving about. Alternatively, the power can be applied by touching the subject (see Touching an opponent, page 157, World of Darkness). If the target is a living being any result that causes the victim to lose his last temporary Willpower point also renders him unconscious for the rest of the night.
False Slumber
(Auspex •••••, Resilience ••••, Blood Potency 6)
Possibly the source the rumors that Methuselahs awaken from torpor with perfect memories, this power allows an Elder's spirit to leave his body while in torpor. While seemingly asleep, the Mekhet is able to project in twilight, think and perceive events normally.
Cost: -
Dice Pool: -
Action: Always active
No roll is needed. This power is considered to be active whenever the vampire's body enters torpor, whether through violence, starvation, staking or volunrary, and projections are handled as per the rules for Twilight Projection (see p. 123, Vampire the Requiem). The vampire may not be able to awaken physically at will, however – waking from torpor is handled per the normal rules for such an action (see p. 175-178, Vampire the Requiem).
As his Blood Potency decreases from his time in torpor, the vampire will lose all dots above his new trait limit, including this power. However, the power will still remain active during the entire period of torpor. When he awakens he will have to buy this ability again to reciveve the benefits the next time he enters torpor. Since the vampire is considered awake for all intents and purposes while projecting, he does not suffer the Fog of Eternity.
If the projecting vampire is barred from returning to his body, the vampire does not begin to lose Blood Potency, and the ghost-Kindred does not suffer the Final Death. Instead, he loses the use of this Auspex power and half of his permanent Willpower points, and the vampire enters true torpor. Both the Auspex 9 power and all of the Willpower points can be bought back using experience points when the character awakens from torpor. The vampire's soul slowly returns to his body over the course of a year and a day, during which time he may not be awakened from torpor by any means. During this time, the vampire doesn't dream or experience anything. It is as if he doesn't exist. Once he has been returned to his body he will suffer the Fog of Ages as usual. He will also awaken with a severe derangement, related to the horror of his temporary period of non-existence.
The vampire can at any moment return his conciousness to his body while using of this power. If he does so, the effects of this power end immediately and the character enters true torpor and suffers the Fog of Eternity as usual.
Celerity
Projectile
(Celerity ••••, Vigor ••, Blood Potency 3)
Despite the fact that a vampire with Celerity moves at incredible speeds, by some quirk of metaphysics any bullets he fires or knives he throws while in this state don't move any faster than they normally would. Scientifically minded Kindred have been baffled by this phenomenon for centuries, but more pragmatic ones have found a way to work around it. Projectile enables a vampire to take his preternatural speed and transfer it into something he has thrown, fired or launched.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: -
Action: Reflexive
Projectile requires the expenditure of a blood point. In addition, the player must decide how many levels of his character's Celerity he is putting into the speed of the launched object. Thus, a character with Celerity 6 in addition to projectile could decide to put three dots' worth of speed into a knife he is throwing, and use the other three dots to receive the normal benefits of Celerity. Each dot of Celerity infused into a thrown object becomes an additional die on the attack roll.
Flower of Death
(Celerity ••••, Protean •••, Blood Potency 4)
In combat, as in all things, speed kills. A proper application of Celerity in combat can turn even the meekest Kindred into a walking abattoir. How much more deadly, then, is a vampire with the ability to utilize his preternatural speed to the utmost in combat? The answer to that question is “Rather a lot.” Flower of Death allows a vampire to take his Celerity and apply it in full to each hand-to-hand or weaponry attack he makes.
Cost: 4 Vitae
Dice Pool: -
Action: Instant
Once Flower of Death is in effect, a number of dice equal to the vampire's normal Celerity rating gets added to every dice pool for attack the character makes until the end of the scene. The effect is limited to hand-to-hand or weaponry attacks – firearms, bows and whatnot are excluded. Also note that the power only grants dice, not dots. So a character adding dice to a weaponry attack does not receive additional dots of strength, and the damage potential of the weapon does not increase.
Flower of Death is not cumulative – it is impossible to “layer” uses of the power over one another to create astronomical dice-pools.
If the character decides to activate any other Celerity power while using the Flower of Death, the effects of the Flower of Death end, and the character has to activate the Discipline again if he wants to enjoy the benefits once more.
Zephyr
Celerity •••••, Vigor •••, Blood Potency 5)
Zephyr produces an effect vaguely similar to one of the legendary comic book-style uses of enhanced speed, allowing its practitioner to run so fast he can run across water (he's moving so fast he doesn't have time to sink). Particularly successful applications of Zephyr allow a vampire to go so far as to run up walls and, in at least one recorded instance, across a ceiling, though the latter is more of a parlor trick than anything else.
Cost: 1 Vitae + 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: -
Action: Reflexive
When activating Zephyr, the vampire enjoys the benefits of his normal Celerity rating, except that the benefits are doubled. A vampire with normal Celerity 8 in addition to Zephyr would thus receive + 16 to his Initiative, would multiply his speed by 18, and opponents would subtract 16 dice from their attack pools! Like normal Celerity, the effect lasts for one turn.
Unfortunately for the vampire in question, Zephyr requires such extremes of concentration that it cannot be combined with any form of attack, or indeed, with most any sort of action at all. If a character feels the need to do something else while moving at such tremendous speeds (it bears repeating: Zephyr cannot be combined with any form of attack), a Resolve + Composure roll is required. Needless to say, dramatic failures at Zephyr speed can be spectacular in all the wrong ways.
Most times, a vampire moving at such a rate of speed is barely visible, appearing more as a vampire-shaped blur than anything else. Observers must succeed on a Wits + Composure roll to get even a decent look at a Kindred zooming past in this fashion.
Dominate
Chain the Psyche
(Dominate ••••, Nightmare ••, Blood Potency 3)
Not content with merely commanding their subjects, some Ventrue apply this power to ensure obedience from recalcitrant victims. Chain the Psyche is a Dominate technique that inflicts incapacitating pain on a target who attempts to break the vampire's commands.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Intimidation + Dominate versus Stamina + Blood Potency
Action: Contested, resistance is reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The Dominate effect is completely broken, and the subject does not need to roll to shake off any compulsions or roll to uncover any memories tampered with.
Failure: The target can go ahead and roll to shake of any compulsion, or have someone roll to uncovered any memories tampered with.
Success: The character spends a point of Vitae when her character applies Mesmerize or the Forgetful Mind to a subject. Any attempt that the subject makes to go against the vampire's implanted commands (see p. 125, Vampire the Requiem) or when anyone else tries to recover stolen memories (see p. 127, Vampire the Requiem) causes intense pain in the subject. When the subject wants to attempt such a roll, the Storyteller rolls Chain the Psyche's dice pool. Each success equals one turn that the victim is unable to act, as she is wracked with agony. Furthermore, the target cannot make the roll to resist the Dominate effect. If she wants to try again, she must first make a successful Resolve + Composure roll. If that roll fails, the subject does not have the mental fortitude to face the pain again, and will not attempt to resist the Dominate effect for the rest of the scene. In the case of someone trying to recover memories from the subject using the Forgetful Mind, the subject must successfully roll Resolve + Composure to allow the attempt to continue. If she fails, she will try to get away from the person attempting to uncover the memories. On a dramatic failure, the subject enters frenzy. Each application of Chain the Psyche crushes a number of resistance attempts equal to the character's Manipulation rating, after which the effect fades.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
Loyalty
(Dominate ••••, Vigor ••, Blood Potency 3)
With this power in effect, the Ventrue's Dominate is so strong that other vampires find it almost impossible to break with their own commands. Despite the name, Loyalty instills no special feelings in the victim – the vampire's commands are simply implanted more deeply than normal.
Cost: -
Dice Pool: -
Action: Always active
Any other vampire attempting to employ Dominate on a subject who has been Dominated by a vampire with Loyalty must spend an additional Willpower point and make all rolls with a – 3 penalty. This penalty is in addition to any penalties stemming from past Conditioning on the subject.
Obedience
(Dominate ••••, Majesty ••, Blood Potency 3)
While most Kindred must employ Dominate through eye contact, some powerful Ventrue may command loyalty with the lightest brush of a hand.
Cost: -
Dice Pool: -
Action: Always active
The character can employ all Dominate power through touch instead of eye contact (although eye contact still works). Skin contact is necessary – simply touching the target's clothing or something she is holding will not suffice. If the subject is resisting, rolling to touch the subject may be necessary (see Touching an opponent, page 157, World of Darkness). The touch does not have to be maintained for the full time it takes to issue a Dominate command, though repeated attempts to Dominate a single target require the character to touch the subject again.
Mass Manipulation
(Dominate ••, Vigor ••, Blood Potency 3)
A truly skilled Ventrue may command small crowds through the use of this power. By manipulating the strongest minds within a given group, a gathering may be directed to the vampire's will.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: -
Action: Reflexive
The player spends a point of Vitae and declares that he is using this power before rolling for the use of another Dominate power. The resistance of the roll is made by the most resistant member of the target group – if he cannot be Dominated, no one in his immediate vicinity can. For every success past that needed to inflict the desired result on the first target, the player may choose one additional target to receive the same effect in its entirety. The vampire needs to make eye contact only with the initial target.
Still the Mortal Flesh
(Dominate ••, Vigor ••, Blood Potency 4)
Despite its name, this power may be employed on vampires as well as mortals, and it has left more than one unfortunate victim writhing in agony – or unable to do even that. A Ventrue who has developed this power is able to override her victim's body as easily as his mind in order to cut off his senses or even stop his heart. It is rumored that this power once came more easily to the Kindred, but modern medicine has made the bodies and spirits of mortals more resistant to such manipulations.
Cost: -
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Medicine + Dominate versus Stamina + Blood Potency
Action: Contested, resistance is reflexive
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The target becomes immune to the character's attempts at Stilling the Mortal Flesh for one night.
Failure: The roll fails or is tied, and the target is unharmed.
Success: The effects of Still the Mortal Flesh last for one turn per success. The character must choose what function of the target's body is being cut off before rolling. She may affect any of the body's involuntary functions; breathing, circulation, perspiration, pain receptors, sight and hearing are all viable targets. While Still the Mortal Flesh is in effect, a vampire can either stop any one of those functions entirely or cause them to fluctuate erratically.
The exact effects of any given bodily function being shut off are left to the Storyteller. Most mortals panic if suddenly struck blind, but the shutdown of the heart is one of the quickest ways to kill a target. Every success on the activation roll for stopping the heart stops the muscle for one turn, and the victim suffers a point of Lethal damage per turn his heart isn't beating. Vampires are unaffected by loss of heartbeat or breathing, but may be rendered deaf and blind as easily as mortals. Rules for fighting blind, listening and smelling are covered in the World of Darkness rulebook (pages 166 – 167). Rules for suffocation can be found in the same book, on page 49.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
Far Mastery
(Dominate •••••, Auspex •••, Blood Potency 5)
This refinement of Obedience (though the character need not have learned Obedience first) allows the use of Dominate on any subject that the Ventrue is familiar with, at any time, over long distances. If the elder knows where his target is, he man issue commands as if he were standing face-to-face with his intended victim.
Cost: 1 Willpower point (+ 1 Willpower point)
Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy + Dominate - Resolve
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The character cannot establish a link to the subject for the rest of the night.
Failure: The character cannot establish a link to the subject but may try again by spending another point of Willpower.
Success: With a success, contact is established and the character may proceed to use any Dominate power as if he had established eye contact with the target. A second Willpower point must be spent in order for a vampire to use this power on another vampire or another supernatural.
Exceptional Success: The character also gains a point of Willpower.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162)
- 1 For each 50 miles each individual subject is from the character (rounded down)
- 1 to - 10 The power is turned on a vampire possessing the Obfuscate Discipline (penalty equal to the level of Obfuscate possessed by the subject).
Speak Through the Blood
Dominate •••••, Auspex ••••, Blood Potency 6)
The power structures of Methuselahs extend across continents and centuries. This ability is a powerful tool by which such ancients wield control over their descendants, even far outside their geographic spheres of influence. Speak Through the Blood allows a Ventrue to issue commands to every vampire with whom she shares a blood tie – even if the two have never met. Thus, entire broods act to further the goals of sleeping ancients whose existences they are completely unaware of. The vampires affected by this power rarely act directly to pursue the command they were given, but over 10 or so years, their priorities slowly shift until the fulfillment of the Methuselah's command is among their long-term goals. Speak Through the Blood, because it takes effect so slowly, is rarely recognized as an outside influence, and its victims rationalize their behavior as “growing and changing,” or something to that effect.
Cost: 1 Willpower dot
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Subterfuge + Dominate - highest Resolve
Action: Instant
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The attempt fails and the character cannot use Speak Through the Blood for a year.
Failure: The command does not take hold.
Success: Unless the character is aware of the location (what city will suffice) and present agenda of every “family member” of his who he is trying to command – a highly unlikely event – he may only issue general commands, such as “work for the greater glory of Clan Ventrue” or “destroy all those who seek to extinguish the light of knowledge.” Speak Through the Blood can be used by a vampire in torpor. Commands issued through this power last for one decade per success rolled.
A vampire who has reached Golconda is not affected by this power, and is completely unaware that it has been used. Her childer, however, are affected normally unless they are also enlightened. Ghouls of the victims of this power are also affected, but to a lesser extent than vampires.
Exceptional Success: Additional successes are their own reward.
Suggested Modifiers
Modifier Situation
+ 2 Power is turned on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see p. 162). Redundant to claim, but it bears pointing out. This effect is not cumulative
- 1 For each “step” in close blood ties the character is trying to command (her sire and her childer). For instance, trying to command her sire would give the character a -1 penalty, while trying to command all her childer would also mean a -1 penalty. Were he to try and Dominate both steps, he would suffer a total of – 2. It is not the amount of characters that are important, but the steps removed.
- 2 For each “step” in distant blood ties (her sire's sire and her childers' childer) the character is trying to Dominate.
Inspired by the 5+ level disciplines found in VtM, and knowing that many a kindred feel challenged by mages after Imperial Mysteries came out, this thread is dedicated to translating powerful Masquerade disciplines into Requiem Devotions. Big hand to Kapten for saving my soul the drudgery of immense paperwork and mathematical calculation.
Formula:
The total number of dots in disciplines used in the devotion cannot go beyond that of the VtM discipline (ignoring blood potency).
Also, the VtM discipline requires its devotion-counterpart to have an equal number of dots in Blood potency -3, eg: a 6 dot discipline requires 3 dots in Blood Potency. Finally, dots in Vigor can be used to substitute dots in another discipline if need be.
<url=www.deviantart.com/art/VtR-Adv… Part 2</url> -- Majesty, Nightmare, Obfuscate
<url=www.deviantart.com/art/VtR-Adv… Part 3</url> -- Protean, Resilience, Vigor
Formula:
The total number of dots in disciplines used in the devotion cannot go beyond that of the VtM discipline (ignoring blood potency).
Also, the VtM discipline requires its devotion-counterpart to have an equal number of dots in Blood potency -3, eg: a 6 dot discipline requires 3 dots in Blood Potency. Finally, dots in Vigor can be used to substitute dots in another discipline if need be.
<url=www.deviantart.com/art/VtR-Adv… Part 2</url> -- Majesty, Nightmare, Obfuscate
<url=www.deviantart.com/art/VtR-Adv… Part 3</url> -- Protean, Resilience, Vigor
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