Post by Phsycodelic on Oct 20, 2016 0:45:05 GMT
Dementation
Malkavians
Malkavians
Disturbingly, Dementation doesn't actually make their victims mad, but rather it seems to break down the doors to the hidden darkness of the target's mind, releasing into the open whatever is found there. The Malkavians claim that this is because insanity is the next logical step in mental evolution, a transhumanist advancement of what modern people consider consciousness. Other Kindred scoff that this reasoning is an outright justification for the chaos that Dementation brings. They don't scoff too loudly, however, lest the Malkavian advance their consciousness next.
[ 1 ] Incubus Passion ( XXX - Page X )
This ability inflames emotions that already exist in its target. This can be done for good or ill, but even a positive emotion that is tripled in intensity becomes uncontrollable, frightening thing. The Malkavian using Incubus Passion seizes on the strongest and most obvious emotion, and he intensifies it to the level of madness. The target casts aside other feelings he might be experiencing in favor of this one. A talented user of Dementation can use this ability to make frenzy all but unavoidable in a Cainite. Under no circumstances can it be used to calm a situation down or bring people to a more relaxed state.
When used in mortals, this power mimics one of the emotional effects of the Curse of Caine: Affection becomes obsession, desire becomes avarice, irritation becomes hatred and so on.
System: Roll Charisma + Empathy against a difficulty of the target's Humanity or Path score (for Cainites) or Willpower (for mortals). Every success extends the duration of the inflamed passion, per the following chart. Failure on this roll has no effect. A botch takes the emotion that would have been kindled in the target and forces it onto you, at tripled intensity the power creates. The effects last for a scene.
Successes | Duration |
1 | One turn. |
2 | One hour. |
3 | One night. |
4 | One week. |
5+ | One month. |
You may choose to use this ability to affect a Cainite's frenzy, instead. Every success you roll adds one to the number of successes that the target must accrue to avoid the frenzy.
[ 1 ] Passion ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 148 )
The vampire stirs his victim's emotions, either heightening them to a fevered pitch or blunting them until the target is completely desensitized. The Cainite may not choose which emotion is affected; she may only amplify or dull emotions already present in the target. In this way, a vampire can inflame mild irritation into quivering rage or atrophy true love into casual interest.
System: The character talks to her victim, and the vampire's player rolls Charisma + Empathy (difficulty equals the victim's Humanity or Path rating). The number of successes determines the duration of the altered state of feeling. Effects of this power might include one- or two-point additions or subtractions to difficulties of frenzy rolls, Virtue rolls, rolls to resist Presence powers, etc.
Successes | Duration |
1 | One turn. |
2 | One hour. |
3 | One night. |
4 | One week. |
5 | One month. |
6+ | Three months. |
[ 2 ] The Haunting ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 148 )
The vampire manipulates the sensory centers of his victim's brain, flooding the victim's senses with visions, sounds, scents, or feelings that aren't really there. The images, regardless of the sense to which they appeal, are only fleeting "glimpses," barely perceptible to the victim. The vampire using Dementation cannot control what the victim perceives, but may choose which sense is affected. The "haunting" effects occur mainly when the victim is alone, and mostly at night. They may take the form of the subject's repressed fears, guilty memories, or anything else that the Storyteller finds dramatically appropriate. The effects are never pleasant or unobtrusive, however. The Storyteller should let her imagination run wild when describing these sensory impressions; the victim may well feel as if she is going mad, or as if the world is.
System: After the vampire speaks to the victim, the player spends a blood point and rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty of his victim's Perception + Self-Control/Instinct). The number of successes determines the length of the sensory "visitations." The precise effects are up to the Storyteller, though particularly eerie or harrowing apparitions can certainly reduce dice pools for a turn or two after the manifestation.
Successes | Duration |
1 | One night. |
2 | Two nights. |
3 | One week. |
4 | One month. |
5 | Three months. |
6+ | One year. |
[ 3 ] Eyes Of Chaos ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 148 )
This peculiar power allows the vampire to take advantage of the fleeting clarity hidden in insanity. She may scrutinize the "patterns" of a person's soul, the convolutions of a vampire's inner nature, or even random events in nature itself. The Kindred with this power can discern the most well-hidden psychoses, or gain insight into a person's true self. Malkavians with this power often have (or claim to have) knowledge of the moves and countermoves of the great Jyhad, or the patterns of fate.
System: This power allows a vampire to determine a person's true Nature, among other things. The vampire concentrates for a turn, then her player rolls Perception + Occult. The difficulty depends on the intricacy of the pattern. Discerning the Nature of a stranger would be difficulty 9, a casual acquaintance would be an 8, and an established ally a 6. The vampire could also read the message locked in a coded missive (difficulty 7), or even see the doings of an invisible hand in such events as the pattern of falling leaves (difficulty 6). Almost anything might contain some hidden insight, no matter how trivial or meaningless. The patterns are present in most things, but are often so intricate they can keep a vampire spellbound for hours while she tries to understand their message. This is a potent power, subject to adjudication. Storytellers, this power is an effective way to introduce plot threads for a chronicle, reveal an overlooked clue, foreshadow important events, or communicate critical information a player seeks. Important to its use, though, is delivering the information properly. Secrets revealed via Eyes of Chaos are never simple facts; they're tantalizing symbols adrift in a sea of madness. Describe the results of this power in terms of allegory: "The man before you appears as a crude marionette, with garish features painted in bright stage makeup, and strings vanishing up into the night sky." Avoid stating plainly, "You learn that this ghoul is the minion of a powerful Methuselah."
[ 4 ] Confusion ( XXX - Page X )
The Cainite may cloud her victim's senses just by making eye contact and conversation. The target loses all sense of time, cannot recall most of his memories, and generally wanders aimlessly until the confusion lifts. The victim often allows himself to be "aided" during this time; this tractableness can lead to a gruesome fate.
System: The vampire must meet her victim's gaze and speak to him, while the player rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty equal to the target's Perception + Self-Control/Instinct). The duration depends on the level of success.
Successes | Duration |
1 | One turn. |
2 | One hour. |
3 | One night. |
4 | One week. |
5+ | One month. |
[ 4 ] Silence The Sane Mind ( XXX - Page X )
Ancillae of nearly every clan fear the Malkavians, and with good reason. This ability, for instance, allows a Malkavian to suppress another's conscious, sane mind for as long as a month. Once common application is to confuse the target by suppressing the higher mind's ability to make sense of the world. Doing so makes the target little more than a pliable automaton. The victim can do simple tasks, but she is prone to follow simple orders from anyone who states them forcefully enough. When the victim returns to her senses, she does not remember what she did under its influence. A sort of gray fog descends over her memory, obscuring nearly everything about that period.
While confused, the victim cannot remember may details about herself or her life. She wanders confusedly and has no sense of time passing - only the Rötschreck caused by the rising sun forces her to safety, and that often fails to protect her. The victim of Silence the Sane Mind rarely remembers the identity of her assailant, making it very difficult for a survivor of this ability to exact vengeance single-handedly. A confused character seems very much like a village idiot: He can answer direct questions, but he has little initiative and is unlikely to act without being ordered or shoved around.
Befuddlement is not the only possible effect of this power: Cruel Malkavians may use it to enrage their targets, driving them into a frenzy; or cripple them with fear, bringing about not the terrified flight of Rötschreck but rather a sobbing collapse of catatonia. In such cases, the character has a general absence of mind, as seen for the confusion aspect of the ability.
System: Make eye contact and engage in simple conversation with the victim. Activating this power takes one full turn and a Manipulation + Intimidation roll (resisted by the target's Perception + Self-Control/Instinct). A botch on this roll causes the Malkavian to enter the desired state for this target for a duration determined by the Storyteller. Success causes the target to enter the confused state for a duration as follows:
Successes | Duration |
1 | One turn. |
2 | One hour. |
3 | One night. |
4 | One week. |
5+ | One month. |
A victim afflicted with fury immediately enters a state akin to frenzy - though most Cainites who have been so targeted say that their Beasts are not truly unleashed in the way that a true frenzy does. The fury this power creates lasts just for on full day, unlike the confusion option. A victim driven to catatonia collapses and is not able to take any useful action for a full day.
[ 4 ] Voice Of Madness ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 149 )
By merely addressing his victims aloud, the Kindred can drive targets into fits of blind rage or fear, forcing them to abandon reason and higher thought. Victims are plagued by hallucinations of their subconscious demons, and try to flee or destroy their hidden shames. Tragedy almost always follows in the wake of this power's use, though offending Malkavians often claim that they were merely encouraging people to act "according to their natures." Unfortunately for the vampire concerned, he runs a very real risk of falling prey to his own voice's power.
System: The player spends a blood point and makes a Manipulation + Empathy roll (difficulty 7). One target is affected per success, although all potential victims must be listening to the vampire's voice. Affected victims fly immediately into frenzy or a blind fear like Rötschreck. Kindred or other creatures capable of frenzy, such as Lupines, may make a frenzy check or Rötschreck test (Storyteller's choice as to how they are affected) at +2 difficulty to resist the power. Mortals are automatically affected and don't remember their actions while berserk. The frenzy or fear lasts for a scene, though vampires and Lupines may test as usual to snap out of it. The vampire using Voice of Madness must also test for frenzy or Rötschreck upon invoking this power, though his difficulty to resist is one lower than normal. If the initial roll to invoke this power is a failure, however, the roll to resist the frenzy is one higher than normal. If the roll to invoke this power is a botch, the frenzy or Rötschreck response is automatic.
[ 5 ] Total Insanity ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 149 )
The vampire coaxes the madness from the deepest recesses of her target's mind, focusing it into an overwhelming wave of insanity. This power has driven countless victims, vampire and mortal alike, to unfortunate ends.
System: The Kindred must gain her target's undivided attention for at least one full turn to enact this power. The player spends a blood point and rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty of her victim's current Willpower points). If the roll is successful, the victim is afflicted with five derangements of the Storyteller's choice. The number of successes determines the duration. On a botch... well, the Storyteller can decide what a vampire inflicts upon herself by attempting to incite the primal hells lurking within the darkest recesses of a victim's mind. The victim (or the target of a botch) can spend a number of Willpower points equal to the successes rolled to end the duration prematurely. The Storyteller decides when such Willpower points can be spent (such as after a therapy session or after a friend has managed to prove a particular delusion to be false).
Successes | Duration |
1 | One turn. |
2 | One night. |
3 | One week. |
4 | One month. |
5+ | One year. |
[ 6 ] Babble ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 143 )
Prerequisites: Malkavian
As an alternative, you may use Auspex 6 instead of Dementation 6. This power allows a Kindred to speak with multiple targets using telepathy. All of their minds are linked, but they must communicate with each other by speaking out loud. Furthermore, each person linked speaks as if the person he or she is talking to is standing right next to him or her. For example, if Alexandria and Mister E. are connected with Babble, Alexandria can murmur quietly and be heard since he's in a movie theater, while Mister E. has to shout because she's on the dance floor of the local dance club.
System: The vampire may link a number of targets equal to her permanent Willpower. Malkavians may push the number of people connected to Babble to her Willpower + Empathy, if all the subjects possess at least one derangement and don't resist the Discipline. Kindred with the Malkavian Time Specialty may choose to use their Awareness instead.
[ 6 ] Devil In The Mind ( XXX - Page X )
The insidious power becomes the bane of all the victim's social interactions, as it breaks down inhibitions and social mores, while at the same time pulling subconscious impulses, ideas and opinions to the forefront. The Malkavian Giselle the Fury used this power to ruin a delicate negotiation between a group of Toreador elders in the Courts of Love - and the elder Malkavian subsequently found herself subject to a blood hunt, as her victims realized the likely source of their distress.
System: In order to employ Devin in the Mind, the character makes eye contact with her target, and the player spends a point of Willpower and rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty of the target's Willpower). Devil in the Mind works in two ways. The first is to remove the normal social barriers that prevent people from speaking their minds, thus making the target say just what she feels and means instead of trying to cloak her words. This is an efficient method of ruining delicate circumstances such as seduction, negotiation or tense diplomatic negotiations. The second way is to strengthen impulses that would normally be suppressed and to make the victim focus on ideas and opinions that are inappropriate to the current situation. For example, a woman trying to coax information out of a man she finds unattractive might suddenly begin thinking of just how repulsive he really is, and be hard-pressed to not just come right out and say it; while a servant envying his master's warm cloak might simply try to take it, and demand that it be given to him if he is stopped.
Devil in the Mind lasts for one scene. Supernatural creatures (including ghouls) can resist it by spending a Willpower point and rolling Willpower (difficulty 6) each time they wish to resist an impulse or comment. Even if the resistance succeeds, the victim loses one die from Subterfuge and Etiquette pools (additional efforts at resistance do not incur this penalty). Once this power subsides, the victim realizes that something was not right, though she does not necessarily suspect outside influence.
[ 6 ] Kiss Of The Moon ( XXX - Page X )
The effects of this ability are not as dramatic as Total Insanity, but unlike that power, Kiss of the Moon is permanent. The vampire chooses a pair of related disorders and, after a few moment's conversation with the target, she passes them on to that poor soul. These afflictions haunt the victim for the rest of his existence. Rumors persist that the user of this power can withdraw the insanity it brings as will, but few Malkavians are willing to stop the flow of enlightenment that such madness brings, and almost no Cainites outside of Malkav's get are talented enough with Dementation to attempt such a thing.
System: Make a resisted roll with your character's Manipulation + Empathy (difficulty 6); the target resists with her current Willpower (difficulty 6). If you achieve at least two net successes, you may select two derangements (or describe two, if you have particular ideas that the Storyteller approves) and apply them to the target. The target cannot eliminate these derangements, but he may fight them as he would any other derangement. The Storyteller may allow you to withdraw derangements that you create with Kill of the Moon, but he will undoubtedly require an excellent reason for doing so. Even then, the Curse of Malkav may be irreversible. Note that derangements created with Kiss of the Moon do not suffice to allow the target to learn Dementation.
[ 6 ] Lingering Malaise ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 150 )
While lesser Dementation powers allow a vampire to inflict temporary (though often long-lasting) madness upon a victim, elders of the Clan have developed the ability to infect the minds of their victims with permanent maladies. Lingering Malaise causes permanent psychological shifts within the victim, making him, as one Gangrel elder remarked, "an honorary Lunatic."
System: The character speaks to his victim for at least a minute, describing the derangement that Lingering Malaise will inflict. The player rolls Manipulation + Empathy (difficulty equal to the victim's current Willpower points); the victim resists with a Willpower roll (using his permanent Willpower at difficulty 8). If the user of Lingering Malaise scores more successes, the victim gains a permanent derangement chosen by the individual who inflicts it. Lingering Malaise may only be used to inflict one derangement per night on any given victim, though multiple attempts may be made until the derangement takes hold.
[ 6 ] Shattered Mirror ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 150 )
Although Dementation's low-level effects are primarily to initiate or promote insanity rather than to create it spontaneously, some of its more potent manifestations are not as subtle. The wielder of this fearsome power can transfer her own deranged mindset into the psyche of a hapless victim, spreading her own brand of insanity like a virus.
System: The vampire must establish eye contact with her intended victim to apply this power. The player then rolls Charisma + Subterfuge (difficulty equal to the target's current Willpower points) resisted by the target's Wits + Self-Control/Instinct (difficulty equal to the Dementation user's current Willpower points). If the aggressor wins, the target gains all of her derangements and Mental Flaws for a period of time determined by the number of net successes the aggressor scored.
Successes | Duration |
1 | One hour. |
2 | One night. |
3 | One week. |
4 | One month. |
5 | Six months. |
6+ | One year per success over 5. |
[ 6 ] The Call ( XXX - Page X )
Although many clan gatherings happen spontaneously, the Call arising from a general subconscious need shared by a city's Malkavian population, it is possible to send the Call deliberately.
System: To send the Call, a Malkavian (and only a Malkavian) rolls Perception + Empathy, difficulty 6. As always, other clan members will hear (and attend if they so choose) only if they make their Malkavian Time rolls.
Successes | Duration |
1 | All within 3 city blocks. |
2 | All within a 3-mile radius. |
5 | All within a 10-mile radius. |
7 | The city's entire Malkavian population. |
10 | All within the greater metropolitan area. |
13 | All within 300 miles. |
15 | All Malkavians on the continent. |
20 | Every Malkavian in the world. |
The Call as broadcasted is not a verbal thing; it merely conveys an impression of a place and a time. There is no sense of purpose, nor even the name of the gathering point; still, neither is really necessary. The Call is so instinctive that if an American Malkavian who didn't speak a word of French were visiting Paris, and heard the Call, he'd be able to follow his impressions and visions to the gathering place as readily as any native Lunatic.
[ 7 ] Childmind ( XXX - Page X )
This dreaded ability allows the Malkavian to give another person the equivalent of a psychic lobotomy. By focusing the power of Dementation, the Lunatic can strip away much of a target's power of reasoning, reducing his victim to a childlike state.
System: The Malkavian must make eye contact with his victim in order to use this ability. Once eye contact is established, the player rolls Intelligence + Empathy, difficulty of the victim's Self-Control or Instinct.
The player can choose to reduce the victim's Mental Attributes by up to seven points, as long as the victim is left with at least one dot in each. The Storyteller is under no obligation to reveal the victim's actual Attributes, however; the player must guess which Attributes to reduce and by how much. The victim also gains the derangement of Regression for as long as the childlike state lasts.
Example: Hoxha, played by Ben, uses Childmind on Lauren-Bess. Hoxha (and by proxy, Ben) knows that she has a reputation for being intelligent and cunning, so Ben announces that he intends to drop her Intelligence by three, her Wits by three and her Perception by one. Lauren-Bess normally has Intelligence 5, Perception 3 and Wits 3; she's rather more intelligent and a little less cunning than Hoxha guessed. Her Intelligence falls to 2, as does her Perception. Her Wits becomes a 1, as the power cannot reduce any Attributes to zero. Lauren-Bess still retains some of her acuity and is as intelligent as the average person, but her decision-making faculties are severely impaired, and she will still regress to childlike behavior under the proper stimuli. At least she's still somewhat functional some of the time...
The number of successes determines the duration of the Childmind's effects.
Successes | Duration |
1 | One turn. |
2 | One night. |
3 | One week. |
4 | One month. |
5 | One year. |
6+ | One year per success past 5. |
[ 7 ] Delayed Delirium ( XXX - Page X )
One of the many things in which Malkavians delight is seeing ostensibly sane individuals suddenly overcome with madness. This refined version of Kiss of the Moon implants a Derangement of the vampire's choice in any victim, mortal or Cainite, to be released at a later date. Many a vampire has used this power to trigger insanity in a target to coincide with meticulous plans - just as many others have applied it purely on a whim.
System: The vampire must make eye contact and speak to the victim, describing the Derangement he wants the target to manifest. The dialogue may be interspersed in innocuous conversation, but this raises the Malkavian's difficulty by one. The Cainite also describes the circumstances under which the Derangement triggers - anything from "When you next see your wife" to "a fortnight hence." The player makes a resisted Manipulation + Empathy roll against the victim's current Willpower rating. If once success is scored, the victim manifests a Derangement of the Malkavian's choice at the indicated time, which lasts for one year. Two or more successes make the Derangement permanent.
[ 7 ] Restructure ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 150 )
The elder with this fearsome power has the ability to twist his victims' psyches at their most basic levels, warping their very beings. The subject of Restructure retains her memories, but her outlook on life changes completely, as if she has undergone a sudden epiphany or religious conversion. This effect goes much deeper than the implantation of a derangement; it actually performs a complete rewrite of the victim's personality.
System: As the description says, this power allows the vampire to change his target's Nature to one more suitable to his ends. To accomplish this, the character must make eye contact with his intended victim. The player rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty equals the victim's Wits + Subterfuge). If he rolls a number of successes equal to or greater than the target's Self-Control/Instinct, the target's Nature changes to whatever the player using Restructure desires. This effect is permanent and can be undone only by another application of Restructure (though subtle differences from the character's original Nature may still remain, as it is impossible for such a fundamental change to occur flawlessly). A botch on this roll changes the character's own Nature to that of his intended victim.
[ 7 ] Sleep Of Reason ( XXX - Page X )
This macabre power gained its name from a Goya print that has achieved remarkable popularity among the clan. The Malkavian with this ability can reach into his victim's mind, pull forth whatever hobgoblins he finds there, and set them buzzing to the attack.
System: The player rolls Wits + Intimidation, difficulty 6. The Malkavian must spend one blood point for each hobgoblin he creates, up to a maximum number determined by the successes on the roll. Thus, if Fitzgerald were to get five successes on the Wits + Intimidation roll, he could create up to five hobgoblins at one blood point each.
The hobgoblins can appear as almost anything, but they're usually caricatures of whatever insecurities or bad memories the target might possess. Since they are born of the victim's frailties, the victim's mental resilience determines just how powerful the hobgoblins are.
Each beastie's statistics are as follows:
Statistic | Rating |
Dexterity | 13 - victim's Willpower. |
Health levels | 13 - victim's Self-Control + Courage. |
Stamina | 12 - victim's Willpower. |
Strength | 10 - victim's Willpower. |
The hobgoblins have no Mental or Social Attributes of their own, and as creations of the victim's own psyche, are immune to any mental powers the victim uses against them. A victim cannot use Obfuscate to hide from his own persecutors, nor can he Dominate them into leaving him alone. Other vampires can affect the victim's hobgoblins with these Disciplines, but the difficulty to do so is the same as if they were using those powers against the victim himself. In any event, the hobgoblins will ignore all other beings save their target unless compelled otherwise, and cannot damage anyone other than their victim.
A hobgoblin can attack with a bite, punch, claw rake or whatever attack is reasonable for its form. All of these attacks inflict Strength + 1 lethal damage; however, this damage is purely psychic in nature, and will disappear at the end of the scene. The malicious little beasties can fly as quickly as their victim can run, and can find him wherever he runs. If not destroyed by the end of the scene, the hobgoblins melt back into the ether from which they sprang.
[ 7 ] Wave Of Insanity ( XXX - Page X )
The vampire using this power can cause the same effect as Total Insanity in a large number of mortals or vampires. If more subjects are present than the vampire can affect, the Storyteller chooses whom this power affects.
System: The vampire must make a roll using his Charisma + Empathy (difficulty 7) to see how many are affected. The vampire is capable of affecting one individual for every success. However, after the potential number of victims is determined, the vampire must roll a resisted roll for each individual to ascertain if the power works on that person, just as if he used Total Insanity. The vampire causes this effect by speaking to the victims in a peculiar way.
[ 8 ] Coma ( XXX - Page X )
This power allows the vampire to shock a person's mind until it shuts down all non -vital functions and goes into a coma. The method by which this power is carried out is unknown. The vampire simply concentrates and the victim goes first into convulsions and then a coma.
System: The vampire must make a roll using his Charisma + Intimidation (difficulty equal to the victim's Wits + [Courage or Morale]). The length of the coma is based upon the number of successes:
Successes | Duration |
1 | One week. |
2 | One month. |
3 | Six months. |
4 | One year. |
5 | Ten years. |
[ 8 ] Deny ( XXX - Page X )
This highly disturbing power offers a very compelling argument that the Malkavians see more of reality than anyone else does. The Malkavian using Deny is able to focus away from a certain object so completely that the object ceases to exist in the Malkavian's perception. However, the power of Dementation is so strong that for all intents and purposes, the Malkavian is right. The Malkavian may step through a locked door that he "doesn't see" as if it were an archway; a sword that he refuses to acknowledge will fail to cut him, passing right through his body. Those few elders of other clans who've seen this power in action cannot find a suitable explanation for how exactly it works. Perhaps the astral plane is somehow involved, or perhaps elder Lunatics simply function in more than three dimensions - Who can say? There's certainly no explanation forthcoming from the Malkavians...
This power cannot be used to "deny" the existence of living creatures, undead or spirits; it works only on inanimate objects. Some fragments of old stories hint that the Eater and perhaps even Malkav might have the ability to use a similar power against living creatures, but such a power is beyond the scope of most elders in existence today.
System: The player spends a blood point and rolls Willpower, difficulty 8. If successful, for the duration of the scene, the Malkavian cannot recognize or interact with the given object in any way. It's as if the object just didn't exist for the Lunatic. Of course, this does have one or two drawbacks; if a Malkavian has successfully "tuned out" an opponent's weapon, he won't be able to understand why his friends are reacting as if their foe were armed. (They're probably hallucinating, come to think of it.)
The aura of "non-interference" doesn't extend further than anything the Malkavian is holding; the Malkavian can swing a fire ax through a "denied" door to strike the opponent on the other side, but if he were to fire through the "open archway," the bullets would hit the door as usual (possibly to the Lunatic's consternation). The Malkavian cannot help other vampires or living beings to tune out the ignored object, even if touching them; the power only benefits the Malkavian and his personal effects.
[ 8 ] Minds Of The Children ( XXX - Page X )
This power has the same effect as Childmind, except that it can affect a large number of targets. If more potential victims are present than the vampire can affect, the Storyteller may choose whom this power affects.
System: The number of subjects potentially affected by the use of this power equals the number of successes made on a Charisma + Subterfuge roll (difficulty 7). Each individual case must then be handled just as it would be for Childmind to determine if or how long the victim is affected.
[ 8 ] Personal Scourge ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 151 )
Similar to the Auspex power of Psychic Assault, this fearsome ability allows the elder to turn the very strength of her victim's mind against him, inflicting physical harm with the power of his own will. Victims of this self-powered attack spontaneously erupt in lacerations and bruises, spraying blood in every direction and howling in agony. Those who have observed such an attack with Auspex note that the victim's aura swirls with violent psychosis and erupts outward in writhing appendages - a sight that can make even the most jaded Tzimisce quail.
System: The vampire must touch or establish eye contact (p. 152) with her target. The player rolls Manipulation + Empathy (difficulty equal to the target's Stamina + Self-Control/Instinct) and spends two Willpower points. For a number of turns equal to the number of successes rolled, the victim rolls his own permanent Willpower as lethal damage against himself. This damage can be soaked with his own Humanity or Path of Enlightenment (difficulty 6); Fortitude does not add to this soak dice pool, nor does body armor. He may take no actions during this time other than thrashing and gibbering; this includes spending blood to heal.
[ 8 ] Prison Of The Mind ( XXX - Page X )
Those who claim that insanity is the root of inspiration could well cite this power as evidence. Some Malkavians can create realistic yet delusional environments in which victims' minds are trapped. When this power takes effect, the subject convulses for a moment then collapses. She no longer senses the real world and interacts entirely with phantom people and illusory events. As long as the target's mind is locked in this psychic cell, her body ceases all but the most rudimentary functions in order to maintain life (in the case of Caimites, the subject effectively enters torpor).
System: The Malkavian must make eye contact and concentrate completely on the victim for a full turn. The player rolls Charisma + Intimidation in a resisted roll against the subject's Wits + Courage (both rolls are against a difficulty of 8). The length of time spent in the mental prison is determined by the successes obtained:
Successes | Duration |
1 | One week. |
2 | One month. |
3 | Six months. |
4 | One year. |
5 | Ten years. |
A mortal afflicted by Prison of the Mind must be spoon-fed and personally attended - she becomes an utter invalid for the duration of the power's influence.
[ 9 ] Blessing Of Chaos ( XXX - Page X )
The vampire who possesses this power is immune to others' Dementation, Dominate, Presence and Chimerstry. However, the Blessing of Chaos is not without its price. The vampire gains one additional Derangement that she can never remove. In addition, the vampire will occasionally suffer from The Haunting (as the Level Two Dementation power); however, due to the nature of this Discipline, she will be able to cope more readily with these delusions. It is up to the Storyteller to decide when and how The Haunting will affect the vampire.
[ 9 ] Lunatic Eruption ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 151 )
This fearsome ability is only known to have been applied a few times in recorded Kindred history, most spectacularly during the final nights of the last battle of Carthage. It is effectively a psychic nuclear bomb, used to incite every intelligent being within several miles (kilometers) into an orgy of bloodlust and rage. It is suspected that the Malkavians have used the threat of this power as a bargaining chip in several key negotiations.
System: The player spends four Willpower points and rolls Stamina + Intimidation (difficulty 8). The area of effect is determined by the number of successes scored. Within this area, all sentient creatures fall prey to their baser instincts. Mortals spontaneously riot, looting and burning between bouts of mass violence. Kindred enter hunger-induced frenzies, draining dry as many vessels as they can sink their fangs into. An entire city can quite literally be driven temporarily insane by this power. Lunatic Eruption's effects persist until the next sunrise, and anyone entering its area of effect (centered on the site at which it was used, not on the character who applied it) falls under its spell. However, momentum may carry the violence spawned by this power much farther - and keep it going much longer - than the power itself can force. Victims of Lunatic Eruption may resist with Self-Control/Instinct rolls (difficulty equal to the Dementation user's permanent Willpower rating); each success provides one hour of lucidity, which most wise individuals use to leave the power's area of effect (leaving the "blast radius" removes the power's influence). The source of Lunatic Eruption may be pinpointed if a character is using Heightened Senses or an equivalent power at the time it is used; this is automatic and requires no roll. However, this grants no knowledge of what actually happened - the observer simply "feels" a massive psychic shockwave explode from the character using the power.
Successes | Result |
1 | One city block. |
2 | An entire neighborhood. |
3 | A large downtown area. |
4 | Several neighborhoods. |
5 | An entire metropolitan area (approximately 30 miles or 45 kilometers). |
6+ | An additional 10 miles or 15 kilometers for every success past 5. |
[ 9 ] Mass Coma ( XXX - Page X )
This power allows the vampire to use Coma on a number of targets. If more subjects are present than the vampire can affect, the Storyteller chooses who will be affected.
System: To determine the number of individuals potentially affected by this power, the vampire must roll his Willpower (difficulty 7 ). The number of successes equals the number of individuals subject to the effects of this power. To determine whether each victim is actually affected, check for each using the method described under the Coma power.
[ 9 ] Touch Of The Saints ( XXX - Page X )
Those few who have heard of this power are baffled by it, for it seems totally at odds with Dementation. This power grants the target total clarity of mind, freed from all derangements and compulsions. The ancients of Clan Malkavian know the truth; Touch of Saints was an application of Dementation that Malkav himself learned while studying with his brother Saulot, who often soothed Malkav's pains. Because of this noble history, it is seen as the greatest gift a Malkavian Methuselah can bestow upon anyone.
System: In order to use this power, the Malkavian places her hand upon the face of the target, and the player spends a point of Willpower. Touch of the Saints then washes away any and all derangements and anything else influencing the target's mind at that time: the blood oath, Dominate commands, Presence-induced emotions, drugs - any and every outside influence is gone. The target immediately regains all temporary Willpower and for the next week, she has one additional die to all mental dice pools.
The effect of the Touch is permanent (though new mind-influencing powers can be inflicted). This power can not be used on oneself. The only thing it cannot cure is a Malkavian's clan derangement (though even this may be temporarily subdued).