by: Belladonna for Sanguinus Curae
(Each of these uniquely Caitiff-oriented Disciplines should not carry the normal restriction of improvement that falls upon Caitiff trying to improve existing Disciplines. After a fashion these should be viewed as 'Clan' disciplines for the Caitiff, costing only 5 times their current level in xp to improve. For now each of these Caitiff disciplines is limited to level five - the maximum Trait rating for anything up to 8th generation.)
All Vampires can influence thoughts and feelings, even make people love them and exert a kind of mind control, right? Just look at everything that's been written about them, from Dracula to Lestat, they can all do it. It may not be easy at first, but it's there.
The vampire can draw and hold the attention of a single target, seeming to become more attractive to that person for the duration of the focus. The target will find it difficult to deny the vampire anything she requests, and will tend to be awed or intimidated far more easily by the vampire's actions.
Roll: Charisma + Intimidation
The vampire must focus her mind and will upon her target, and through this force of personality she can influence the attention of that target. The number of successes she gains in her roll will determine the severity of effect on the target.
Botch or Fail: No effect on the target
1 success: The target is nominally distracted from her surroundings, resistance rolls vs intimidation, manipulation, or seduction by the vampire are made at difficulty 6.
2 successes: The target is heavily distracted from her surroundings, resistance rolls vs intimidation, manipulation, or seduction by the vampire are made at difficulty 7.
3 successes: The target becomes completely focused upon the vampire, resistance rolls vs intimidation, manipulation, or seduction by the vampire are made at difficulty 8.
4 successes: The target becomes exclusively focused upon the vampire, ignoring even persistent attempts at distraction, resistance rolls vs intimidation, manipulation, or seduction by the vampire are made at difficulty 9.
5 successes: The target becomes exclusively focused upon the vampire, ignoring any and all attempts at distraction, resistance rolls vs intimidation, manipulation, or seduction by the vampire are made at difficulty 10.
The vampire can influence the thoughts and reactions of her target in the fashion of popular hypnotism, focusing her subject's attention and then whispering commands that become part of the subject's thought process. The subject will act upon these commands or directives as though they originate from her own thoughts, although she may question herself and her actions during or following the completion of the directive. It is possible for the vampire to engage the use of this discipline from across a room or even from outside a window - without the target's awareness - although the target will become focused on the vampire for the duration - staring at them, thinking only of them, dreaming of them, etc. While the target will not remember the commands being issued, they will recall this daydream-like period of focus and even that it was directed toward the vampire.
Roll: Manipulation + Intimidation
The vampire must carefully detail the commands or directives she wishes her target to follow, whispering the instructions in their entirety. Ambiguity or vagueness can cause the target to follow the commands in unexpected ways, or even to fail to carry them out due to confusion, causing the target to simply behave erratically for a time. The number of successes the vampire gains will determine how strongly the directives are imprinted upon the target.
Botch or Fail: The target snaps out of the trance and hears the whispering, without any need to obey.
1 success: The target will follow directives subconsciously, as long as they do not contravene anything she feels or believes consciously, and can be easily dissuaded from carrying them out.
2 successes: The target actively tries to follow the directives, but will question her own abnormal behavior and can be easily dissuaded from carrying them out.
3 successes: The target actively tries to follow the directives, but will wonder about her own abnormal behavior, and can be dissuaded from carrying them out only with difficulty.
4 successes: The target follows the directives religiously, ignoring her own abnormal behavior, and can be dissuaded from carrying them out only with extreme difficulty.
5 successes: The target follows the directives religiously, ignoring her own abnormal behavior, and cannot be dissuaded from carrying them out.
The vampire can exert her will over her target with the employment of simple hand gestures. A wave of the hand will cause her target to fall asleep, while a summoning gesture will bring the target running. While they can be extremely subtle, the precise gestures and their effect must be relatively simple, and rely a great deal on the vampire's own desires and beliefs. A single precise gesture cannot have two meanings - the Player and Storyteller should keep a note of what means what.
Blood Point Cost: 1
Roll: Charisma + Intimidation
The vampire must focus directly upon her target and perform the gesture while concentrating on its effect, extending the power of her blood across the intervening distance to command her target. The number of successes she achieves determines how quickly and completely her target complies with the command.
Botch or Fail: No effect, and the Blood spent is lost.
1 success: The target responds slowly and carelessly, easily distracted from obedience.
2 successes: The target responds adequately, but can be distracted from obedience.
3 successes: The target responds immediately, but can still be distracted from obedience.
4 successes: The target responds immediately, and can only be distracted from obedience with difficulty.
5 successes: The target responds immediately and cannot be distracted from obedience.
The vampire can extend the power of her personality across vast distances to influence the subconscious thoughts and feelings of her target. She can cause her target to become obsessed by thoughts of her, dream of her, and even become emotionally infatuated with her even if they have never directly met. This goes a long way towards making a good first impression when you finally meet face-to-face. If the target is a previous victim of Fascination, the vampire can use this ability to transmit feelings, intentions, and even a summons to the target. All that is required is that the vampire has seen the target and is relatively aware of her location - within a few hundred miles. There is no real limitation as to the distance over which this ability can be employed, though the communication tends to be emotional only and does not take on the complexity of telepathy.
Blood Point Cost: 2
Roll: Charisma + Intimidation
The vampire must focus directly upon her target while concentrating on the desired effect, extending the power of her blood across the intervening distance to command her target. The number of successes she achieves determines how completely her target receives the communication.
Botch or Fail: No effect, and the Blood spent is lost.
1 success: The target receives only a vague and easily forgotten impression.
2 successes: The target receives a weak but lasting impression, coloring but not dictating reactions and dreams thereafter.
3 successes: The target receives a strong impression, affecting her subconsciously when her guard is down.
4 successes: The target receives a strong impression, affecting her subconsciously at all times.
5 successes: The target receives a strong impression which becomes the focus of her attention night and day.
The vampire can exert a powerful form of control over her target's dreams, shaping them into whatever form and experience she desires. She may draw her target into a ballroom of seduction where the two of them dance the night away, or she may plunge her target into a terrible nightmare from which waking is the only escape. The tapestry of these dreams is woven wholly from the vampire's imagination, and the participation of her target is assured. With this power the vampire can build deeply instilled feelings or reactions in her target as she wishes, capitalizing on these effects in the waking world. All that is required is that the vampire has seen the target and is relatively aware of her location - within a few hundred miles. There is no real limitation as to the distance over which this ability can be employed.
Blood Point Cost: 3
Roll: Charisma + Intimidation
The vampire must focus directly upon her target while concentrating on the desired dream tapestry and must remain focused for the entire duration, extending the power of her blood across the intervening distance to command her target. The number of successes she achieves determines how completely her target receives the communication.
Botch or Fail: No effect, and the Blood spent is lost.
1 success: The target receives only a vague and easily forgotten impression of the dream.
2 successes: The target receives a weak but lasting impression of the dream, coloring but not dictating her reactions thereafter.
3 successes: The target receives a strong impression of the dream, affecting her subconsciously when her guard is down.
4 successes: The target receives a strong impression of the dream, affecting her subconsciously at all times.
5 successes: The target receives a strong impression of the dream which becomes the focus of her attention night and day.