Post by Phsycodelic on Nov 10, 2016 22:56:15 GMT
Obfuscate
Assamites, Followers of Set, Malkavians, Nosferatu
Assamites, Followers of Set, Malkavians, Nosferatu
Usually, few mortals or supernaturals (even those trained in Awareness) can pierce through the fog of Obfuscate. Animals, who rely more on their instincts than their normal senses, can sometime perceive (and be frightened by) the vampire's presence. Children and those to whom deception is foreign may also be able to pierce the illusion, at the Storyteller's discretion. Finally, the Auspex Discipline enables Kindred to see through Obfuscate. Even that is not guaranteed, however. (Storytellers needing a die roll for animals or children can use this quick and dirty guideline: Treat them as if they had Auspex 1 in terms of contesting Obfuscate. They do not have the Auspex 1 power, but are considered to have it when determining whether a vampire is noticed.)
Since Obfuscate clouds the mind of the viewer, vampires can't use it to hide their presence from electronic or mechanical devices. Video and photo cameras, for example, capture the vampire's image accurately. Even so, the person using, say, her cell phone to record an Obfuscated vampire will still have her mind impacted by the power, and she won't see the Kindred's image until she views the video at a later date (if even then).
Several Clans cultivate this power - the Assamites, Followers of Set, and Malkavians, for example - but the Nosferatu are particularly known for this Discipline. Some elder Kindred believe that Caine, or perhaps Lilith, bestowed the Clan with this Discipline to compensate for the hideous physical deformities its members suffer.
Most Obfuscate powers last for a scene, or until the vampire ceases maintaining them. Once evoked, they require very little mental effort to keep in place.
[ 1 ] Cloak Of Shadows ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 184 )
At this level, the vampire must rely on nearby shadows and cover to assist in hiding his presence. He steps into an out-of-the-way, shadowed place and eases himself from normal sight. The vampire remains unnoticed as long as he stays silent, still, under some degree of cover (such as a curtain, bush, door frame, lamppost, or alley), and out of direct lighting. The immortal's concealment vanishes if he moves, attacks, or falls under direct light. Furthermore, the vampire's deception cannot stand up to concentrated observation without fading.
System: No roll is required as long as the character fulfills the criteria described above. So long as he remains quiet and motionless, virtually no one but another Kindred with a high enough Auspex rating will see him.
[ 2 ] Unseen Presence ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 185 )
With experience, the vampire can move around without being seen. Shadows seem to shift to cover him, and people automatically avert their gazes as he passes by. Others move unconsciously to avoid contact with the cloaked creature; those with weak wills may even scurry away from the area in unacknowledged fear. The vampire remains ignored indefinitely unless someone deliberately seeks him out or he inadvertently reveals himself. Since the vampire fully retains his physical substance, he must be careful to avoid contact with anything that may disclose his presence (knocking over a vase, bumping into someone). Even a whispered word or the scuffing of a shoe against the floor can be enough to disrupt the power.
System: No roll is necessary to use this power unless the character speaks, attacks, or otherwise draws attention to himself. The Storyteller should call for a Wits + Stealth roll under any circumstances that might cause the character to reveal himself. The difficulty of the roll depends on the situation; stepping on a squeaky floorboard might be a 5, while walking through a pool of water may require a 9. Other acts may require a certain number of successes; speaking quietly without giving away one's position, for instance, demands at least three successes. Upon success, the vampire, all her clothing, and objects that could fit into a pocket are concealed. Some things are beyond the power of Unseen Presence to conceal. Although the character is cloaked from view while he smashes through a window, yells out, or throws someone across the room, the vampire becomes visible to all in the aftermath. Bystanders snap out of the subtle fugue in which Obfuscate put them. Worse still, each viewer can make a Wits + Awareness roll (difficulty 7); if successful, the mental haze clears completely, so those individuals recall every move the character made up until then as if he had been visible the entire time.
[ 3 ] Mask Of A Thousand Faces ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 185 )
The vampire can influence the perception of others, causing them to see a face different from his. Although the Kindred's physical form does not change, any observer who cannot sense the truth sees whomever the vampire wishes her to see. The vampire must have a firm idea of the visage he wishes to project. The primary decision is whether to create an imaginary face or to superimpose the features of another person. Manufactured features are often more difficult to compose in believable proportions, but such a disguise is easier to maintain than having to impersonate someone else. Of course, things get simpler if the Kindred borrows the face but doesn't bother with the personality.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Performance (difficulty 7) to determine how well the disguise works. If the character tries to impersonate someone, he must get a good look at the subject before putting on the mask. The Storyteller may raise the difficulty if the character catches only a glimpse. The chart below lists the degrees of success in manufacturing another appearance. Vampires wishing to mask themselves as a person more attractive than they are must pay additional blood points equal to the difference between the vampire's Appearance rating and the Appearance of the mask (which means that younger vampires may need to take longer in order to spend the blood necessary). Actually posing as someone else carries its own problems. The character should know at least basic information about the individual; especially difficult deceptions (fooling a lover or close friend) require at least some familiarity with the target in order to succeed.
Successes | Result |
1 | The vampire retains the same height and build, with a few slight alterations to his basic features. Nosferatu can appear as normal, albeit ugly, mortals. |
2 | He looks unlike himself; people don't easily recognize him or agree about his appearance. |
3 | He looks the way he wants to appear. |
4 | Complete transformation, including gestures, mannerisms, appearance, and voice. |
5 | Profound alteration (appear as the opposite sex, a vastly different age, or an extreme change of size). |
[ 4 ] Vanish From The Mind's Eye ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 186 )
This potent expression of Obfuscate enables the vampire to disappear from plain view. So profound is this vanishing that the immortal can fade away even if he stands directly in front of someone. While the disappearance itself is quietly subtle, its impact on those who see it is anything but. Most kine panic and flee in the aftermath. Especially weak-willed individuals wipe the memory of the Kindred from their minds. Although vampires are not shaken so easily, even Kindred may be momentarily surprised by a sudden vanishing.
System: The player rolls Charisma + Stealth; the difficulty equals the target's Wits + Alertness (use the highest total in the group if the character disappears in front of a crowd). With three or fewer successes, the character fades but does not vanish, becoming an indistinct, ghostlike figure. With more than three, he disappears completely. If the player scores more successes than an observer's Willpower rating, that person forgets that the vampire was there in the first place. Tracking the character accurately while he appears ghostlike requires a Perception + Alertness roll (difficulty 8). A successful roll means the individual can interact normally with the vampire (although the Kindred looks like a profoundly disturbing ghostly shape). A failed roll results in a +2 difficulty modifier (maximum 10) when attempting to act upon, or interact with, the vampire. The Storyteller may call for new observation checks if the vampire moves to an environment in which he's difficult to see (heads into shadows, crosses behind an obstacle, proceeds through a crowd). When fully invisible, the vampire is handled as described under Unseen Presence, above. A person subject to the vanishing makes a Wits + Courage roll (mortals at difficulty 9, vampires at difficulty 5). A successful roll means the individual reacts immediately (although after the vampire performs his action for that turn); failure means the person stands uncomprehending for two turns while her mind tries to make sense of what she just experienced.
[ 5 ] Cloak The Gathering ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 186 )
At this degree of power, the vampire may extend his concealing abilities to cover an area. The immortal may use any Obfuscate power upon those nearby as well as upon himself, if he wishes. Any protected person who compromises the cloak exposes himself to view. Further, if the one who invokes the power gives himself away, the cloak falls from everyone. This power is particularly useful if the vampire needs to bring his retinue through a secure location without drawing the notice of others.
System: The character may conceal one extra individual for each dot of Stealth he possesses. He may bestow any single Obfuscate power at a given time to the group. While the power applies to everyone under the character's cloak, his player need only make a single roll. Each individual must follow the requirements described under the relevant Obfuscate power to remain under its effect; any person who fails to do so loses the cloak's protection, but doesn't expose the others. Only if the vampire himself errs does the power drop for everyone.
[ 6 ] Blithe Acceptance ( XXX - Page X )
Many Assamites undertake pursuits that would seem less than savory to most observers. Indeed, simply being known as an Assamite is enough to draw suspicion in many circles. This Obfuscate technique serves to dampen the repercussions of its practitioner's actions to a certain extent, making anything he might be doing seem much more tolerable. Bear in mind that Blithe Acceptance has is limits: While carrying a rifle down the street might be overlooked ("I'm taking this to be appraised."), firing that same weapon into a passing car would alert even the most complacent observer.
System: The player spends a blood point and rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty 7). Any observer must roll an equal or greater number of successes on a Wits + Alertness roll (difficulty 8, reduced to 6 if the observer is actively looking for suspicious activity) to take note of the character's actions, so long as these actions are not physically threatening and the character does not attempt to directly interact with the observer.
Unlike most Obfuscate powers, Blithe Acceptance remains in effect even if the character affects his physical surroundings or acts in an obtrusive manner. While using Blithe Acceptance, he could pick a lock, defuse a bomb, take money from a cash register or rappel down a skyscraper in Times Square, and all but the most perceptive or paranoid individuals would shrug his antics off and promptly forget ever witnessing them, as long as those actions stayed within the observer's definition of nonthreatening activity. They Storyteller is always the final arbiter of any given character's definition of "nonthreatening."
[ 6 ] Busy Doing Nothing ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 163 )
Prerequisites: Nosfaratu
With this ability, the Nosferatu is perfectly visible, but appears to be doing something innocuous when he is actually up to something else. If he is picking a lock, for example, he will appear to be standing by the door innocently. Even when involved in a brawl, he will seem to be a bystander. The image works in a similar way to Mask of a Thousand Faces, in that the Nosferatu is exactly where he appears to be.
System: To use this power, the Nosferatu rolls Manipulation + Performance (difficulty 7). The better the result, the more action the Nosferatu can take without disturbing the image. For one success, he might only be able to listen to a door while appearing to stand near it, while for five successes he can be engaged in a fight and appear to be a bystander.
[ 6 ] Conceal ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 186 )
The vampire may mask an inanimate object up to the size of a house (Obfuscate cannot be used to disguise inanimate objects without the use of this power). If the object is hidden, so are all of its contents. While Conceal is in effect, passersby walk around the concealed object as if it were still visible, but refuse to acknowledge that they are making any kind of detour.
System: In order to activate this power, a character must be within about 30 feet (approximately 10 meters) of the object to be concealed and the item must hold some personal significance for him. The Conceal power functions as Unseen Presence for purposes of detection, as well as the duration and durability of the disguise. Conceal can be used on a vehicle in which the character is traveling. In this instance, traffic patterns seem to flow around the vehicle, and accidents are actually less likely as other drivers subconsciously maneuver away from the concealed auto. A police radar gun still registers a speeding car masked in this fashion, but the officer behind the gun is disinclined to make a traffic stop of the phantom blip. Using Conceal on aircraft is problematic, as the power's range generally doesn't extend far enough to cover air traffic controllers and the like.
[ 6 ] Confusion Of The Eye ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 67 )
Prerequisites: Follower of Set
This power extends the effect of Mask of 1,000 Faces to another person in a specialized way. While under the influence of this power, the victim perceives one other person of the vampire's choosing as someone else. For instance, the victim might see and hear the city's Sabbat Archbishop as a mortal janitor, or a despised Anarch as a Primogen whose favor the victim desires. The victim hears whatever the "masked" person says, but unconsciously explains away any inconsistencies in the person's responses. If the "masked" person directly tries to persuade the victim of his true identity, the victim will prove hard to convince and may become angry.
System: This power costs one Willpower point to use. The vampire's player makes a Willpower roll (difficulty of the target's current Willpower). If the roll succeeds, the victim sees one person of the character's choosing as one other person, also of the character's choosing. The effect lasts up to 24 hours.
The victim will rationalize or ignore most evidence that the "masked" person is not who he believes. If the "masked" person tries to convince the victim of her true identity, the "masked" person makes a Charisma + Subterfuge roll, while the victim makes a Willpower roll (both difficulty 7). If the victim gets more successes than the "masked" person does, she is convinced. Otherwise, she isn't, and must make a Self-Control roll to keep her calm.
[ 6 ] Displacement ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 163 )
Prerequisites: Nosferatu
The Nosferatu can use his power not only to disappear, but also to appear shifted a little to one side or the other. Essentially, she isn't standing quite where she appears to be. This makes the vampire extremely difficult to hit. It is almost harder to strike her than when she is invisible, as trying to ignore what you can see in front of you is very difficult.
System: This power costs a blood point to activate for a scene. While active, this power imposes a three dice penalty to any attempt to hit or touch her. The attacker is allowed a Perception + Awareness roll (difficulty 9) to notice the deception after a few blows. If successful, the attacker can reduce the penalty by the amount of successes she gained. The penalty is also further reduced by the attacker's Auspex rating, but to a minimum of 1 in all cases.
[ 6 ] Gemini's Mirror ( XXX - Page X )
Legend speaks of strange Disciplines, mastered only by the most annuated Kindred, that allow the undead to split themselves in two . Gemini's Mirror doesn't have that level of power, but it does allow the character to appear to be in two places at once - or to move away invisibly while leaving an illusory double behind.
System: The character spends two blood points and rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge, difficulty 7. A mirror image of the character appears several feet from the character. The character may then move away, invoke other Disciplines or take any other action. The image can take any actions the character desires, though controlling both the image and himself in the same turn requires him to split his dice pools. The image remains visible even if the character hides his true self with Obfuscate or other Disciplines. It lasts for the scene, or until the character moves more than 100 feet away from it.
[ 6 ] Invisible Weapon ( XXX - Page X )
This power can be a potent tool for an assassin or thief. Invisible Weapon cloaks a weapon with Obfuscate, allowing the wielder to walk around with it drawn without attracting attention, and also to strike a target with the advantage of total surprise. The infamous Nosferatu assassin Vyacheslav of Bulgaria, who is fast becoming a well-used tool in vampiric conflicts in the Byzantine successor states, is known to wield this power.
System: The character chooses his weapon. The player spends a blood point and rolls Manipulation + Melee (difficulty 7), with the power lasting one hour per success. The weapon is cloaked by Obfuscate and is invisible to anyone who does not have sufficient Auspex to see through the Obfuscate. The vampire can walk through a crowded bazaar with a drawn sword and no one will notice. If the character decides to attack someone, the victim cannot see the attack coming. If any person has reason to suspect an attack (such as seeing the user approach and then swing at her), she may attempt a defensive action, such as a dodge or parry, at +3 difficulty. Any attacks breaks the invisibility of the weapon, but only with regard to the person attacked. Others sill see the wielder as empty-handed. After attacking, the wielder can choose to maintain the weapon's complete invisibility, at the cost of one Willpower each round. A defensive action against a still-cloaked weapon is at +2 difficulty, as the target knows that a weapon is employed, but cannot see it. This power also works on bows and crossbows, cloaking the missiles fired, as well as on thrown weapons.
Despite the name, this power can actually be used on anything the vampire holds in her hands. This makes it quite an efficient tool for a thief. When not being used to conceal a weapon, the activation roll is Manipulation + Larceny.
[ 6 ] Manifold Guise ( XXX - Page X )
Most Cainites believe that Obfuscate is only good for hiding. After all, the Nosferatu are hideous; why else would they use this Discipline if not to conceal their repugnant forums? The Nosferatu wield Obfuscate to shroud their presence, true, but it is also a tool of survival and a means to confuse the enemy. Manifold Guise enables the vampire to drape his countenance (or that of another person present) over everyone around him. What better way to elude a party of hunters bent on your destruction than giving them plenty of you to hunt after?
As with Mask of a Thousand Faces, those affected by Manifold Guise do not feel different. Still, by outward appearance, they look like whomever the vampire chose as a template; the Cainite employing this power must leave the area or stop using his ability for the ability for the effect to fade. Additionally, Manifold Guise also projects the same voice upon each person, so when they talk, they all sound like the template.
System: If the player succeeds in a Manipulation + Subterfuge roll (difficulty 7), the character can either cast his own appearance upon everyone within the immediate area, or choose someone he's looking at during that moment. The only way for people to detect each other is if one target notices movement or all actions that are typical of his ally or known enemies. This requires a Perception + Alertness (difficulty 6) in a resisted roll against the vampire's successes in pulling this charade.
The successes in Manifold Guise also work towards increasing the range of the effect. That means anyone caught within the area, be they two or a dozen, are all equally affected. The vampire need not see all the victims, just as long as he can see one target and the person whose appearance he is borrowing (unless he's using his own face). The effect is always centered on the vampire. If the Cainite employs this ability and moves about, he alters anyone new within the Discipline's influence. Anyone who moves out automatically reverts back to normal.
[ 6 ] Mask Of Janus ( XXX - Page X )
Mask of Janus allows the character to assume the physical appearance of another individual, in much the same manner as Mask of a Thousand Faces. When a character assumes someone's form using Mask of Janus, however, the target's appearance also changes - to match that of the character invoking the power. Unlike Mask of a Thousand Faces, Mask of Janus can be used only to duplicate someone exactly. It cannot be used to create a new or unique image.
System: The player spends a blood point and rolls Manipulation + Performance (difficulty 7). The target must be visible to the character, though the reverse need not be true. This power works even over live or closed-circuit television. The victim can resist with a Willpower roll if she is of equal or lower generation than the character. Compare the character's net successes to the chart for Mask of a Thousand Faces to determine her degree of success. This power lasts until the next sunrise.
[ 6 ] Mental Maze ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 68 )
Prerequisites: Follower of Set
This power removes a victim's sense of direction, forcing him to move in circles and binding him to an area of the vampire's choosing. The vampire can trap a person in his own home. To the victim's point of view, the house folds back on itself, and all the exits lead back inside.
System: The vampire's player must make a Charisma + Intimidation roll (difficulty of the target's current Willpower). The difficulty increases by 2 if the character cannot speak to her chosen victims, telling them they cannot escape. For each success, the character may affect one victim. The effects last a full scene.
Normally, the power is used in a multi-room structure such as a house, or an outside area about the same size. A much larger area (anything from an office tower to a neighborhood) reduces the difficulty by 1 and increases the duration to a full day. If the vampire wants to trap a victim within a single room, the character must expend a point of blood. A character must also expend a Willpower point to use the Mental Maze upon supernatural victims such as werewolves, mages, other vampires, or ghouls.
[ 6 ] Mind Blank ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 186 )
A vampire with this power is able to shrug off telepathic contact, easily withstanding invasive probes of her mind.
System: Any attempt to read or probe the character's mind first requires a successful Perception + Empathy roll (difficulty equal to the character's Wits + Stealth). Even if a potential intruder does succeed, his dice pool for the attempt is then limited to the number of successes he scored on the initial roll.
[ 6 ] Scrawl ( Lore Of The Clans - Page 143 )
Prerequisites: Malkavian
What seems like meaningless scribble to the untrained eye is sometimes a tacit way for Malkavians to communicate with one another. Malkavians often communicate to each other in ways only other Malkavians understand, but Scrawl allows the Kindred to choose who makes out her cackling code. The shaky hand is recognizable as Scrawl to anyone with the Discipline, though no one outside the Clan recognizes the hidden meaning at all. Elders often use this to pass messages to other members of the Clan, or leave ones out in the open hidden in graffiti.
System: No roll is required to write the message, but if the Malkavian wants a specific Clanmate to read it only, she must know the target, his sire, or his progeny.
[ 6 ] Soul Mask ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 187 )
In addition to concealing her form, a vampire who has developed Soul Mask is able to conceal her aura. She may display whatever combination of colors and shades she wishes, or may appear to have no aura whatsoever. This power is of particular use to those of elder Generation who have reached such heights of power through diablerie.
System: The use of this power allows the projection of only one aura (or lack thereof) - the vampire chooses the precise colors to be displayed when she first develops Soul Mask. If the character has no experience with the use of Aura Perception, she may not choose an alternate aura, as she has no idea what one would look like, though she can still choose to display no aura whatsoever. Soul Mask can be bought multiple times, if desired, in order to give a vampire multiple alternate auras from which to choose. Unless the player states otherwise, Soul Mask is always in effect. If the character has bought Soul Mask two or more times, her "default" aura displayed is the first one she learned.
[ 7 ] Cache ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 187 )
Most Obfuscate powers require the individual using them to be within a short distance of the subjects of the concealment. Cache extends this range considerably, allowing an elder with this power to leave people or objects safely hidden while he goes about his business elsewhere.
System: A character must be within the normal required distance to initiate an Obfuscate power. Once this is done, the player spends a Willpower point, which activates Cache on top of the already functioning use of the Discipline. The concealment will now remain in effect as long as the vampire is within a distance equal to his Wits + Stealth in miles (or one and half times that in kilometers) from the object or person he wishes to conceal. The enhanced concealment fades at the next sunrise, or breaks (as always) if the Obfuscate subject reveals himself.
[ 7 ] Cloak ( XXX - Page X )
Just as Mind Blank allows a character to hide her psyche, so does Cloak allow her to conceal her aura from those using Auspex powers to search for her.
System: The searcher must score more successes on a Perception + Empathy roll (difficulty 8) than the concealer scores on a Wits + Subterfuge roll (difficulty 6) in order to detect her. If the character is detected, her aura can he read normally.
[ 7 ] Veil Of Blissful Ignorance ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 187 )
This power's development is attributed to the Malkavians, but many Nosferatu have also found it to be highly useful. The Veil of Blissful Ignorance allows a vampire to Obfuscate an unwilling victim, removing him from the notice of others. Some Nosferatu use this power to teach a humbling lesson to individuals who take the presence and aid of others for granted, while others utilize it to remove an essential member of a group in the midst of a crisis.
System: The character must touch the victim to activate this power. The player spends a blood point and rolls Wits + Stealth (difficulty equals the victim's Appearance + 3). If the roll is a success, the victim is subject to the effects of Vanish From the Mind's Eye for a length of time determined by the number of successes the player rolls. The victim of Veil of Blissful Ignorance does not necessarily know that he is under the effect of this power. He is only aware that everyone around him has suddenly begun acting as if he were not there. The victim cannot break this effect, even with violence; if he attacks someone, the target ascribes the act to the visible individual nearest to him. More than one fatal brawl has been incited by this side-effect. The Veil persists even if the vampire who activated it leaves the area. Curiously enough, Veil of Blissful Ignorance can never be used on anyone who is ready and willing to accept its effects.
Successes | Result |
1 | Three turns. |
2 | One minute (20 turns). |
3 | Fifteen minutes. |
4 | One hour. |
5 | One night. |
[ 7 ] Veil The Legions ( XXX - Page X )
Similar to Cloak the Gathering, this power was developed by Nosferatu strategists to conceal large forces. A cainite proficient with this power may maintain it from a distance so that her actions do not compromise the Veil's integrity. Any protected individuals who compromise the Veil are exposed to vies.
System: The vampire may conceal 10 individuals for each dot of Stealth she possesses. No roll is necessary to create the Veil, but anyone under its protection may disrupt it. Sounds of movement and whispers do not undo it, but shouting and combat within require the vampire's player to make Wits + Stealth roll to maintain the Veil's integrity.
Should she so choose, the Cainite may apply the power in person and then leave the area with successful Wits + Stealth roll (difficulty 7). The maximum distance the character may move from the Veil depends on the number of successes as noted below.
Successes | Result |
1 | 10 yards. |
2 | 30 yards. |
3 | 100 yards. |
4 | 500 yards. |
5 | 2000 yards. |
[ 7 ] Visit Faerieland ( XXX - Page X )
Prerequisite: Malkavian
The Malkavian can utterly disappear from the area and appear in Faerieland. From Faerieland, she can go anywhere on Earth she wishes to go. But, first, she has to pass the Fairie Keepers, who dislike capricious use of their land. They question the Malkavian about her purpose, and if they don't like her story, they push her back into the world she left, near the time she left it. The keepers are willing to listen bargains, especially if the Malkavian will Prank the entity of the Keepers' choice.
[ 8 ] Horrid Countenance ( XXX - Page X )
A power that appeals equally to the Nosferatu and Malkavian clans, Horrid Countenance veils the user in an illusion somewhat similar to Mask of a Thousand Faces, yet with important differences. Instead of a human appearance, the character takes on the aspect of a nightmarish creature, invoking blind panic in those around him. Like all Obfuscate powers, this effect is mental, affecting the mind of the target rather than the actual senses; each person looking at the user of this power sees something different, dredged up from his deepest fears. The user has no idea what different people may see, unless she possesses sufficient Auspex to read thoughts (and chooses to look).
System: The player spends one Willpower point. Players of normal mortals must make a Willpower roll (difficulty 8). If this is botched, this mortal dies of fright. If it fails, she collapses into a coma and awakens after an hour with a permanent derangement. With one or two successes, the victim cowers in abject fear; and with three or more successes, she flees. Animals and animal ghouls flee automatically.
Ghouls are subject to the same rules as mortals, but with the effects reduced one step (so a failure indicates that she cowers). Three or more successes indicates only a strong fear, reducing all dice pools not involved with getting away from the nightmare by two. Vampires must first check for Rötscheck at difficulty 9. If the check is successful, the vampire reduces all dice pools by two as above, until the player has gained five successes on an extended unmodified Courage roll (difficulty 7). If the Horrid Countenance attacks, the vampire must check for frenzy as if he were in mortal danger.
Lupines viewing the Horrid Countenance tend to fly into a homicidal frenzy (more so than normal when encountering Cainites), ignoring anything and anyone in order to get the character. Those who are blessed by God sometimes ignore the effects Horrid Countenance entirely.
[ 8 ] Old Friend ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 187 )
Many elder Nosferatu have made reputations for omniscience with the secrets they learn through creative uses of this power. A variation of Mask of a Thousand Faces, Old Friend allows a vampire to probe a subject's subconscious and take the semblance of the individual whom that victim trusts over anyone else. Someone using this power does not appear as someone who the victim is frightened of or awed by, but rather someone to whom the victim feels comfortable revealing intimate secrets. Old Friend doesn't necessarily make its user appear as someone who is still among the living; a long- dead friend or relative is just as likely, and in such cases the subject remembers the encounter as a dream or a ghostly visitation.
System: The player rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty equal to the victim's Perception + Alertness or Awareness, maximum 10). The more successes, the more convincing the impersonation. This power only affects one victim at a time; other observers see the vampire as she truly is, unless she also establishes a Mask of a Thousand Faces in addition to using Old Friend.
[ 8 ] Phantom Haunter ( XXX - Page X )
Prerequisite: Malkavian
This frightening ability taps into the victim's actual self-image and grants the power found therein to the Lunatic. The Malkavian using Phantom Haunter can reach into his target's mind, draw forth the image of the person who has most shaped (or fucked up) the target's self-image, and then become that person in all respects. If the victim was most traumatized by her Embrace, the Malkavian might appear as her sire; if she was most affected by her overweening mother, then her mother suddenly confronts her; if a friendly priest managed to pull her back from the brink of self destruction, the Lunatic might wear that priest's face. The phantom isn't necessarily accurate; as it's shaped by the victim's memories, the phantom might even be an outright caricature of the real figure from the victim's past.
Although the change is largely illusory, it's more than skin-deep. Once the Malkavian has assumed the persona of the phantom, he gains whatever knowledge of the victim that the victim believes the phantom would have. If the victim believes her father suspected her of slipping off to have sex with her boyfriend on Sunday mornings, then the Malkavian learns of that little habit, and can use that knowledge believably. Since the phantom's knowledge depends on the victim's belief, then the Malkavian can wind up lacking information that the actual figure would ordinarily possess, but can also gain knowledge that the real-world counterpart wouldn't know. It all depends on what the victim thinks her phantom tormentor or benefactor knows.
Of course, assuming this form and faux memories exacts something of a toll on the Malkavian. Spending too much time acting (and thinking) like someone's personal bugbear can temporarily imprint the Malkavian with behavior patterns not his own.
System: This power requires a Manipulation + Empathy roll, difficulty of the target's Willpower. Each success allows the Malkavian to assume the phantom's persona for one turn. While this power is in effect, the Malkavian can destroy his target's confidence by using the secret knowledge so gained; any Dementation, Presence or Dominate attempts against the victim are at -3 difficulty, and the victim loses one temporary point of Willpower each turn that the "phantom" continues its rebuke.
However, the Lunatic must make a Willpower roll, difficulty 6, every turn past the first in order to retain full control. Failing a Willpower roll means that the Malkavian is oversaturated in the conjured phantom's persona, and continues to be haunted by the phantom's habits and prejudices for the rest of the night. This can be treated as either mild multiple personality disorder or mild schizophrenia; in either case, the Malkavian temporarily loses some of his own self-image to the phantom's own personality. If the Willpower roll is botched, the phantom personality remains for a month or longer. In any case, the Malkavian no longer has access to the phantom's appearance or "memories"; the vague impressions of personality are all that remain.
[ 9 ] Create Name ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - Page 188 )
Some Toreador call this power the ultimate development of method acting. Create Name allows a character to create a completely new identity; face, speech pattern, aura, even thought processes are constructed according to the vampire's desired identity. The power can be used to impersonate an existing individual, or it can project the semblance of a completely fictional identity with perfect accuracy.
System: A vampire working with Create Name must spend three hours a night in relatively uninterrupted quiet to establish a new personality by means of this power. The player makes an extended roll of Intelligence + Subterfuge (difficulty 8), one roll per night. A total of 20 successes are necessary to construct a new identity, while a botch removes five successes from the vampire's total. Once a new identity has been successfully created, however, the character can step into it at any time without any sort of roll. Any outside observer without Auspex 9 or the equivalent sees the artificial identity. The character's face, aura, Nature, Demeanor, even thoughts and Psychological Merits and Flaws all appear to be those of the persona selected and crafted by the character. The only way to pierce this disguise, other than Auspex 9, is to notice any discrepancies between the assumed identity and the Abilities it logically ought to possess. A character with no dots in Medicine should have a hard time pulling off a created identity as a neurosurgeon, for example. The Storyteller should make a secret roll of Perception + Alertness (difficulty 9) for each character who should catch a slip made by the impostor.
[ 9 ] Obscure God's Creation ( XXX - Page X )
No record of this power actually exists. That Methuselah's of certain clans might be able to achieve such an effect is purely theoretical, the logical extrapolation of the Obfuscate Discipline. Cainite scholars sometimes point out (somewhat fearfully)
that if such a power does exist, there would be no way to verify it, anyway. Obscure God's Creation allows the elder to remove an object or person from another's perception entirely.
System: In order to inflict Obscure God's Creation on a victim, the character needs to see him. The player rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty equal to the target's Willpower), and spends a variable number of Willpower points depending on the size of the subject. One point is needed to cloak anything up co the size of a sword, two to cloak something up to the size of a horse (people fall into this category), three to cloak.a building and four to cloak an entire castle. A certain number of successes are required to overcome the victim's emotional attachment co the object; additional successes determine the duration of the power. Successes Emotional Attachment/Duration
Successes | Target | Duration |
Failure | No emotional attachment. | 1 hour. |
1 | Knows the subject. | I night. |
2 | Has slight feelings for the subject. | l week. |
3 | Has feelings for the subject. | 1 month. |
4 | Has strong feelings about the subject. | 1 year. |
5 | The target's sire, parents or place of birth. | Permanent. |
The invoking vampire can cancel Obscure God's Creation at any time.
Example: The ancient Follower of Set Nebmaatsucekh decides to teach a young clanmate a lesson after he questions her on the dogma of their faith . She decides to remove the foolish youngster's haven, containing his own personal shrine to Set, from his mind. First, the Storyteller spends three points of Willpower in order for Nebmaacsutekh to affect a building. She then rolls Nebmaatsutekh's Manipulation + Subterfuge. The Storyteller decides that a haven merits four successes ( the youngster feels strongly about his home), so this is the minimum that must be achieved. With four successes, the power will last for just one hour, since no successes are allocated to duration. If the roll garners six successes, however, the power lasts for an entire week.
[ 10 ] Memory's Fading Glimpse ( XXX - Page X )
With this power, a vampire can erase all traces of her existence from the annals of time and mind, leaving absolutely no evidence that she ever existed - everyone simply forgets about her. Once this power is taken, the character simply disappears from living memory; not even her friends or family remember her. The effect is automatic and complete, affecting everyone in the world (except for those with 10 Auspex, or its magical equivalent). The character is not invisible, but is simply not recognized and not remembered.
Though written references to the character do not vanish and videotapes of the character do not go blank, all who read the references or see the images will hypnotically overlook them (though years and years later the images and words may return to their consciousness).
System: When the character meets someone who once knew her, she must roll Manipulation + Stealth (difficulty 8). The number of successes obtained indicates how successfully the character has "vanished."
Successes | Effect |
1 | The target remembers that he once knew you, but only remembers one very mundane thing about you. How ever, that might be enough to active his other memories if he contemplates you. |
2 | The target is sure that he knows you, but knows nothing about you. |
3 | "Don't I know you?" |
4 | The target looks at you oddly, thinking to himself, "There is something funny about her." |
5 | The target doesn't even see you, the effect is still so strong. |
The effects of this power, of course, mean no one else will ever come after the character. A botch is something like a beacon, for it sends a signal to anyone interested in the character, letting the interested party easily track her down.