ASSAMITE VIZIER

ABILITY SET: QUIETUS, CELERITY, AUSPEX

Source Books: Clanbook - Assamite, Revised Edition; Vampire The Masquerade, 20th Edition

Assamite viziers are and always have been a vital part of the Clan. Magical knowledge and research remains the purview of the sorcerers, but the viziers are necessary for compiling and uncovering information on philosophy, government, the arts, and religion. The viziers have acted as leaders within the Clan — not where matters of war are concerned (this they wisely leave to the warrior Assamites), but when it comes to understanding and relating to mortals, the viziers make the best consultants and advisers.

Unfortunately, while they can learn, understand, and interpret mortal customs and mores, they have difficulty actually relating to them. Assamite viziers are driven to accumulate knowledge with a zeal that borders on obsessive. They can understand why people act the way they do on a large scale, but understanding the motives of a particular person is much more difficult. For many years, Assamite viziers and sorcerers were regarded as one caste (this is why sorcerers are still referred to as “viziers” by the ignorant). In modern times, the viziers have emerged from the shadows to conduct their scholarly research more visibly. Whether this will open the viziers to greater danger from the Assamites’ enemies or bring the caste more power remains to be seen.

Prior to the Final Nights, few modern Cainites would have guessed that a portion of the Assamite clan could be devoted to peaceful pursuits. Yet the vast majority of the vizier caste is, if not pacifistic, then at least inclined toward studies other than combat. By the most commonly accepted account, the viziers are the eldest of the three castes. Haqim was a warrior before he was a scholar, but his first brood was one of artisans and sages, each one the finest example of his chosen profession or craft that the Second City’s mortals had to offer. Such exclusive selection, so the stories say, caused no small amount of strife between Haqim and the Ancient Arikel, who most Cainite scholars agree was the founder of the Toreador clan. 

Indeed, the vizier line appears to bear some vague similarities to the “Clan of the Rose,” though neither group is willing to admit any close relation. The viziers originated as seekers of knowledge, and a surprisingly strong majority of the line has held to this ideal over the millennia. It seems as if the caste as a whole is driven to create and learn, as if possessed by a solitary mania — or guided by a single will.

 Yet few viziers consider their obsessive impulses anything more than perfectionism or the spark of inspiration (though the viziers are, in truth, no more capable of actual artistic creativity than other Cainites). To suggest that a vizier is mad — or, worse, lacking free will — is one of the greatest insults that one can bestow upon a member of this line.

After the fall of the Second City, as the Children of Haqim settled into their modern caste structure, the viziers became the clan’s thinkers, creators and occasional leaders, though the warriors never relinquished complete control of Alamut. They were also the Children who, as a general rule, had the closest contact with mortal society on a nightly basis. This latter state of affairs continues to the present night. 

While the warriors gravitate toward the martial and religious aspects of any given culture and the sorcerers seek certain select professions, the viziers tend to associate with nearly any social stratum. However, their innate monomania makes them less than adept at efforts to guide, or even slightly nudge, the mortal masses.

The viziers’ “caste culture” may best be described as a very loose affiliation of individualists. Most of the caste is as disunited as the sorcerers, but without that body’s resources for magical communication and coordination. Viziers tend to keep to themselves unless involved in a mentor-protégé arrange mentor conducting some cooperative venture. This is a product of boththe caste’s shared psychological tendencies and the need for secrecy during the Long Night and later periods. However, the Schism and the schismatics’ subsequent alliance with the Camarilla has allowed many viziers to exist relatively openly among other Cainites, and no few have chosen to enter social and political arenas — with varying degrees of success.

Nickname: Scholars or Artisans

Sect: The majority of the remaining viziers chose to follow al-Ashrad to the Camarilla. A minority of the caste remains loyal to Alamut. Few viziers are known to exist in the Sabbat, and even these are likely scattered fugitives.

Appearance: As a general rule, viziers are the Children of Haqim most adept at blending into mortal society. They usually dress professionally or informally as the situation requires. Their common particularity (or derangement) tends to polarize them toward the two extremes of hygiene and style. 

Many viziers are either immaculate and perfectly poised or unwashed, rumpled and constantly distracted.

Haven: Viziers tend to select havens that are indistinguishable from the homes of similar mortal professionals. As with personal appearance, depending on the focus and severity of the individual vizier’s tastes, the quarters are either immaculately clean or cluttered so heavily that walking becomes difficult. Many viziers maintain extensive libraries or workshops, preferring to “work from home.”

Background: As a caste dominated by intellectuals, artisans and a few politicians, the viziers usually Embrace individuals who are intelligent, hold advanced degrees, and are exceptionally dedicated to their chosen professions. Few viziers are Embraced in the hope that they will realize some previously neglected potential. 

When the clan was more unified, many viziers selected their progeny on the basis of their ability to serve the Children as a whole. In these modern times, they are more egocentric as a caste, selecting only the best of those humans who represent the Viziers' values. Viziers choose their childer on the hopes that they will exceed them and bring pride to their bloodline.

Organization: The viziers have no formal structure as a whole. They resemble a loose organization of vaguely affiliated professionals more than any sort of occult conspiracy or military order. Prestige is generally a matter of who an individual vizier knows and what he/she/they has done, and varies depending on the audience. For example, a poet may not be all that impressed by a particle physicist. 

The caste does have one unique custom derived from Arab scholarly traditions: Academic lineage is considered as important as blood descent. Thus, a vizier’s sire may not be as important as his instructors, and some go so far as to present themselves in such a manner when making formal introductions. As noted above, most viziers tend to their own affairs unless working on a specific cooperative project.

The Vizier

The leader of the vizier caste (also known as the “scholar caste”) goes by the title of Vizier. This may seem a confusing arrangement to outsiders, but the viziers are accustomed to it, usually applying a subtle emphasis to “the” when referring to the Vizier. 

The Vizier is the foremost academician among the viziers and serves as the conduit for information that the Eldest needs from the caste. As the viziers’ studies range from theology to particle physics, this is a weighty responsibility indeed. Realistically, the Eldest rarely expects the Vizier to have comprehensive knowledge of every single item of data to which the viziers have access, but he must at least be capable of identifying the caste’s experts and gleaning from them information of greatest benefit to the Eldest.

VIZIER ABILITIES

QUIETUS

Pronounced “kwi-EET-us” or “kwee-AY-toos,” not “QUIET-us.”

The Discipline of silent death, Quietus is practiced by those of Clan Assamite. Based on elements of blood, poison, vitae control, and pestilence, Quietus focuses on the destruction of a target through a variety of means. This Discipline doesn’t always cause a quick death, but the Assamites rely on its lethality to hide their involvement in the demise of their victims.

◉◎◎◎◎◎◎◎: Quietus 1 - Silence of Death (Area of Effect)

Base Roll: 50
Energy/Blood Cost: 3
Damage: 0
Mods: None
Resist: None
Duration: 3 turns
Affects: All Individuals within the area

• +15 Stealth to Self & Allies
• Area of effect: 4 meters per level, max 20 meters (chat range)

Description: 
This ability makes the area around you completely silent, up to a 20 meter radius. No sound occurs inside this zone, though sounds originating outside the area of effect may be heard by anyone in it. While this is the distance of chat range in Second Life, this ONLY effects line of sight. Meaning the targets must be within sight. It does NOT effect characters that are in buildings, behind walls, or hidden from the Assamite's immediate sight range, within a max of 20 meters (4 meters per character's level). It DOES effect those within line of sight who are invisible.

System: 
The Player spends 3 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. This power has a max of 20-metera (4 meters per level) radius of utter stillness around the Kindred for three full turns.

◉◉◎◎◎◎◎◎:  Quietus 2 - Scorpion's Touch (Debuff)

Base Roll: 70
Energy/Blood Cost: 2
Damage: Temp -5 to target's physical defense (in addition to any weapon damage) for the duration of the scene.
Mods: Physical Attack
Duration: Good for three successful strikes.
Resist: None
Affects: Can be used on one-to-three targets, one strike per turn.

• Permanent: Adds +5 Athletics/Reflexes, +5 Physical Attack, +5 Physical Defense

Description:
Create a contact poison that when applied to an edged weapon, greatly debilitates a victim physically. Stacks with Baal’s caress.

By changing the properties of her blood, a vampire may create powerful venom that reduces the target's Physical Defense. 

System:
The Player spends 2 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. This roll MUST be notecarded if being done in advance of use. If successful, the Assamite then applies the blood to their edged weapon. The poison remains potent for a total of three strikes of that blade at any time in the future.

The Vampire must successfully hit the target with that edged weapon to cause the target to lose -5 points to their Physical Defense for the duration of the scene. The hit must be successful, though it is not required that the hit actually does any damage for the target's Physical Defense to go down. These hits are not cumulative, but they do stack with Baal's Caress. 

Vampires attempting to drink the blood of anyone suffering with Scorpion’s Touch are automatically considered to be “successfully hit” and lose 5 pts to their Physical Defense. If the Assamite misses, it does not count against his three successful strikes.

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◉◉◉◎◎◎◎◎:  Quietus 3 - Dagon's Call (Attack)

Base Roll: 90
Energy/Blood Cost: 3 pts.
Damage: 16 HP
Mods: Mental Skill & Willpower
Resist: No Resist if touch activated. Willpower vs. Willpower resist when activated remotely.
Affects: One Individual

Description:
This terrible power allows a vampire to drown the target in his own blood. By concentrating, the Kindred bursts the target’s blood vessels and fills his lungs with vitae that strangles him from within. The blood actually constricts the target’s body from the inside as it floods through his system; thus, it works even on unbreathing Kindred. Until the target collapses in agony or death throes, this power has no visible effect, and many Kindred like it because it leaves no trace of their presence.  Must show RP proof of contact.

System:
The Player's Character must touch the target, skin-to-skin. (Must have RP evidence of this occurring.) Within an hour of touching the Target, the Player may decide to implement Dagon's Touch by spending 3 points of Energy/Blood and making a successful roll. 

The Vampire need not be in the presence or even in the line of sight of the target. If used while touching your target, there is no resist.  If activated remotely, resist is Willpower vs. the target's Willpower (separate roll).

◉◉◉◉◎◎◎◎:  Quietus 4 - Baal's Caress (Debuff)

Base Roll: 40
Mod: None
Energy/Blood Cost: 4 pts.
Damage: Temp -10 to target's physical defense (in addition to any weapon damage) Stacks with Scorpion's Touch for duration of the scene.
Duration: Good for three successful strikes.
Resist: n/a
Affects: Can be used on one-to-three targets, one strike per turn.

• Permanent: Adds +10 Physical Attack
• Stacks with Scorpions Touch

Description:
The greatest use of blood as a weapon (short of diablerie itself), Baal’s Caress allows the Assamite to transmute their blood into a virulent ichor that corrupts any living or undead flesh it touches. Victims will become ill and their flesh will begin to decay where the touch occurred.

In nights of yore, when Assamites led the charges of Saracen legions, the Assassins were often seen licking their blades, slicing open their tongues and lubricating their weapons with this foul secretion. Baal’s Caress may be used to augment any bladed weapon; everything from poisoned knives and swords to tainted fingernails and claws has been reported.

System: 
Baal's Caress is a pre-combat ability. This must be applied to an edged weapon prior to combat, and the resulting chat notecarded if not done openly immediately before the battle. If the Assamite misses, it does not count against his three successful strikes.

◉◉◉◉◉◎◎◎:  Quietus 5 - Taste of Death (Ranged Attack)

Base Roll: 70
Mod: Physical Attack, Athletics/Reflexes
Energy/Blood Cost: 7 pts.
Damage: 21 HP
Duration: Lasts for the duration of the scene.
Resist: Athletics/Reflexes to dodge
Affects: One Individual

• Permanent: Adds +5 Physical Attack & +5 Physical Skill

Description:
A refinement of Baal’s Caress, Taste of Death allows the Cainite to spit caustic blood at a target. The blood coughed forth with this power burns flesh and corrodes bone; some ancient vampires have been reported to vomit voluminous streams of vitae that reduce their targets to heaps of sludge.

System:
The Player spends 7 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. The vampire may spit up to 10 feet (3 meters). The Target of this attack must roll with a Mod of their Athletics/Reflexes to successfully dodge.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◎◎:  Quietus 6 - Selective Silence (Debuff)

Base Roll: 60
Mod: None
Energy/Blood Cost: 7 pts.
Damage: 0
Duration: 3 Turns
Resist: None
Affects: All Characters selected by the Assamite within 20 meters line of sight. Number of targets are one Target for every 2 levels of the castor.

Description:
Although Silence of Death is an effective tool for the battlefield and the court alike, it is indiscriminate in its effects. The assassin who uses it in preparation for firing a shotgun also silences the radio over which her comrades might warn her of an oncoming guard. The courtier who suppresses a room full of dissenting voices is likewise unable to speak her own mind. 

Selective Silence allows the skilled Cainite to overcome these limitations by silencing only those individuals or objects that she wants to silence. When using this power, most individuals exhale a thin mist of blood that clings to the selected subjects, gradually evaporating as Selective Silence’s effects fade. Some vampires also use a similar technique when invoking Silence of Death, in which case the mist surrounds them and moves with them.

System: 
The Player spends seven Energy/Blood points and rolls an unmodified 60+ difficulty. Each subject must be within 20 yards or meters of the character using this ability. Objects/Targets larger than a man count as more than one target. A heavy machine gun counts as two, a car is three, and a small aircraft as 5. Objects larger than a small aircraft or an elephant cannot be silenced through the use of this power.

Each subject is completely silenced for three full turns, unless the Assamite successfully uses this ability again on a separate turn. Nothing it does generates sound, though the secondary effects of its actions will do so normally. For example, a gun silenced with this power will not produce an audible explosion when fired, but its bullets still make noise as they break the sound barrier, hit a wall or shatter a window. A silenced victim can scream all he likes and not make a sound, but may be able to summon help by smashing a window.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◎:  Quietus 7 - Leech (Area of Effect)

Base Roll: 80
Mod: Physical Attack & Physical Skill
Energy/Blood Cost: 14 pts.
Damage: 31 HP
Duration: n/a
Resist: Athletics/Reflexes & Physical Defense
Affects: All individuals within a 5 meter radius. Regenerate's the Assamite's Energy/Blood Meter by 5 points per victim drained. Each victim suffers 31 HP damage.

Description:
This ability is one of the most powerful attacks in the Assamite repertoire, allowing the attacker to physically draw the target's blood through their skin. This ability is an ideal attack when Assamites find themselves surrounded by enemies and are low on blood. 

No longer required to actually bite a victim to drink their blood, it is pulled directly from the body and the blood flows into the mouth of the Assamite. This increases the Assamite character's Energy/Blood Meter by five (5) points per victim. This technique leaves no telling marks whatsoever on the victim. It will appear that their blood simply evaporated. 

System:
The Player spends 14 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. This effects everyone near the Vampire within 5 meters and takes one full turn to complete. This negates all other actions during the Player's turn. While it is an obvious violation of the Masquerade, there is no limit as to how many victims the Assamite can draw from at a time as long as they are all within the 5 meter radius. 

If the Assamite's Energy/Blood bar is full (or becomes full), then the extra blood will fall on the ground in a pool at the Assamite's feet.        

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉:  Quietus 8 - Erosion (Ranged Attack)

Base Roll: 110
Mod: Willpower & Mental Attack
Energy/Blood Cost: 10 pts.
Damage: 40 HP
Duration: n/a
Resist: Willpower & Mental Defense
Affects: Reduces target's Willpower by 10 points for the duration of the scene.

Description:
NOTE: This special skill can only be used after successfully using Taste of Death on the same target.

After using Taste of Death on a target, and spending ten more Energy/Blood Points, the Player's Character can immediately reduce the target's Health Points by 40.

System: 
The Player, after successfully using "Taste of Death" on the same Target, spends 10 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. The target must be within visual sight in order to execute this move and the Assamite must have used Taste of Death on the target within the same scene prior to using Erosion. This ability requires one full turn to execute, and there is a two turn cool-down before it can be used again on the same target.

CELERITY

When needed, some vampires can move fast — really fast. Celerity allows Assamites, Brujah, and Toreadors to move with astonishing swiftness, becoming nothing more than a blur of motion. The Assamites use their speed in conjunction with stealth to strike quickly and viciously from the shadows before they are noticed. Brujah, on the other hand, simply like the edge that the power gives them against overwhelming odds. The Toreador are more inclined to use Celerity to provide an air of unnatural grace to live performances or for an extra push to complete a masterpiece on time, but they can be as quick to draw blood as any assassin or punk when angered.

System:

Each point purchased in Celerity grants permanent, stackable mods to the player's character. For example: A character that has purchased three points in Celerity receives a cumulative +15 point mod in Athletics/Reflexes, 20+ mod in Initiative, and +5 mod in Physical Skill.

NOTE: Using Celerity 4-8 in public breaks the Masquerade.

◉◎◎◎◎◎◎◎: Celerity 1 - Cat's Grace (Buff)   

• Permanent: Adds +5 Athletics/Reflexes & +20 Initiative
• The vampire can automatically pass checks to keep their balance, and the vampire suffers no penalty to dodging gunfire without cover.

◉◉◎◎◎◎◎◎: Celerity 2 - Fleetness (Buff)

• Permanent: Adds +5 Athletics/Reflexes 
• The vampire can add their Celerity to modify non-combat Dexterity and Reflexes checks.

◉◉◉◎◎◎◎◎: Celerity 3 -  Traversal (Buff)

• Permanent: Adds +5 Athletics/Reflexes & +5 Physical Skill

◉◉◉◉◎◎◎◎: Celerity 4 - Blink (Buff & Ranged Attack Buff)

Ranged Attack Description:
Base Roll: 70
Mod: Physical Skill & Mental Skill
Energy/Blood Cost: 3 pts.
Damage: Does 5HP of damage, in addition to the weapon's damage

• Permanent: Adds +5 Physical Attack, +5 Physical Defense, & +5 Athletics/Reflexes
• Auto hit when using a ranged Melee weapon, such as a bow, throwing stars or throwing a dagger.
  
  

◉◉◉◉◉◎◎◎: Celerity 5 - Lightning Strike (Buff & Melee Attack Buff).

Base Roll: 80
Mod: Physical Attack
Energy/Blood Cost: 4 pts.
Damage: Does 5HP of damage, in addition to the weapon's damage

• Permanent: Adds +5 Physical Attack, +5 Physical Defense, +5 Athletics/Reflexes
• The vampire can prevent a target with no or lower celerity then their own from dodging or defending against the vampire's melee attacks. (This skill does not work when used against Flawless Parry)
• In Melee: Auto hit when using a Melee weapon, such as a sword, staff, dagger, etc.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◎◎: Celerity 6 - Split Second (Buff)

The vampire can supersede the Storyteller's narration and perform an action that only requires a few seconds like get through a door before it closes, roll out of the way of an explosion, etc. This does not use one of the Player's actions.

Base Roll: 85
Mod: Physical Defense & Athletics/Reflexes
Energy/Blood Cost: 5 pts.
Damage: 0

• Permanent: Adds +5 Athletics/Reflexes & +5 Physical Defense

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◎: Celerity 7 - Flower of Death (Buff)

Base Roll: 40
Mod: No Mods
Energy/Blood Cost: 6 pts.
Damage: 0
Duration: 1 Turn

• Permanent: Adds  +5 Physical Attack, +10 Physical Skill, & +10 Initiative 
• Use your Celerity to gain two attacks for one turn. 
• Does not require an action to activate.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉: Celerity 8 - Flawless Parry (Buff)

Base Roll: 80
Mod: Physical Skill & Athletics/Reflexes
Energy/Blood Cost: 10 pts.
Damage: 0
Duration: 1 Turn

• Permanent: Adds +10 Physical Skill

Description:
Make flawless defensive motions at the expense of taking no other actions. This allows the kindred a level of speed, fluidity of motion and poise that makes them a little harder to hit. While they may not be able to dodge a bullet 100% of the time,  attackers will find their blows frustratingly difficult to land.

This level of reaction and speed also allows the vampire to use a short burst of added velocity to gain traction up a vertical wall or surface of around 6 foot or so before they will need to push back off. Think of it as something of an acrobatic skill and the vampire in question will be more athletic and graceful.

AUSPEX

Auspex gives the vampire uncanny sensory abilities. Vampires with Auspex start with the capacity to heighten their natural senses significantly, but as they grow in power they can perceive psychic auras and read the thoughts of another being. 

Auspex can also pierce through mental illusions such as those created by Obfuscate. However, vampires with Auspex need to be careful. Their increased sensory sensitivity can cause them to be drawn in by beautiful things or stunned by loud noises and pungent smells. Sudden or dynamic events can disorient an Auspex-using character unless the Player makes a Willpower roll to block them out (difficulty of at least 60 and dependent on the Storyteller's call,) although the more potent the source of distraction, the higher the difficulty. Failure overwhelms the character’s senses, making the Auspex-using vampire oblivious to their surroundings for a turn or two. While the Malkavians and Toreador are more prone to these kinds of distractions, the Tremere and Tzimisce aren’t immune. Dots in Perception are very useful for using Auspex powers, as more points purchased in this ability will help the character gain more sensory information.

◉◎◎◎◎◎◎◎: Auspex 1 - Heightened Senses (Buff)   

• Permanent: Adds +5 Physical Attack, Physical Defense, Mental Skill and Athletics/Reflexes.
• The vampire can automatically pass checks to keep their balance, and the vampire suffers no penalty to dodging gunfire without cover.

Base Roll: N/A
Mod: N/A
Energy/Blood Cost: 1 pt.
Damage: 0
Duration: 2 Turns

Description:

This power increases the acuity of all of the vampire’s senses, effectively doubling the clarity and range of sight, hearing, smell and perception. While the vampire's senses of taste, touch and observation extend no farther than normal, they likewise become far more distinct. For example, the vampire could taste and identify the hint of liquor in a victim’s blood or feel the give of the board concealing a hollow space in the floor. When speaking with someone, they will sense if they are being lied to or someone is attempting to deceive them.

The Kindred may magnify his/her/their senses at will, sustaining this heightened focus for as long as the vampire desires. At the Storyteller’s option, this may make hunting easier. Occasionally, this talent provides extrasensory or even precognitive insights. 

These brief, unfocused glimpses may be odd premonitions, flashes of empathy, or eerie feelings of foreboding. The vampire has no control over these perceptions, but with practice can learn to interpret them with a fair degree of accuracy. 

Expanded senses come at a price, however. Bright lights, loud noises and strong smells present a hazard while the vampire uses this power. In addition to the possibility for distraction, an especially sudden or potent stimulus (like the glare of a spotlight or a clap of thunder) can blind or deafen the Kindred for an hour or more.

System: 

It takes a reflexive action and the expenditure of Blood/Energy points to activate this ability, but no roll is required.  In certain circumstances, a Storyteller may request a dice roll associated with using the character’s sense (Mod Auspex level, Willpower and Mental Skill). The Storyteller may also use this power to see if the character perceives a threat. In this case, the Storyteller privately rolls the character’s unmodified Auspex rating, applying whatever difficulty he feels best suits the circumstances. For example, sensing that a pistol is pointed at the back of the character’s head may require a roll of difficulty 50, while the sudden realization that a rival for Primogen is planning her assassination may require a 90. 

Note that even this “precognition” comes only as a result of interpreting details the Kindred is able to notice "while actively using Auspex." It’s not an all-purpose insight or miraculous revelation. At the character’s discretion, he/she/they may selectively heighten one specific sense, rather than turning them up. In these cases, the difficulty to perceive stimuli using that sense drops by -10, but the difficulty to avoid distraction or temporary bedazzlement via the enhanced sense increases by +20.

This power does not let characters see in pitch darkness, but it does reduce difficulty penalties to act in such darkness by -10, and the character may make ranged attacks in pitch darkness if the vampire using Auspex can hear, smell, or otherwise detect her foe via the senses.

◉◉◎◎◎◎◎◎: Auspex 2 - Aura Perception (Mental Skill)   

Base Roll: 60
Mod: Willpower, Mental Skill
Energy/Blood Cost: 3 pts.
Damage: 0
Duration: 1 Turn

Description:

Using this power, the vampire can perceive the psychic “auras” that radiates about mortals and supernatural beings alike. These halos comprise a shifting, swirling series of colors that take practice to discern with any level of clarity. Even the simplest individual can have many shifting hues within his aura; strong emotions predominate, while momentary impressions or deep secrets flash through in streaks and swirls. The colors change in response to the subject’s emotional state, blending into new tones in a constantly dancing pattern of emotions and impulses. The stronger the emotions involved, the more intense the hues become. 

A skilled vampire can learn much from her subject by reading the nuances of color and brilliance in the aura’s flow. Aside from perceiving emotional states, vampires use Aura Perception to detect supernatural beings. The colors in Kindred auras, while intense, are quite pale, while mage halos often flare and crackle with arcane power. The race of shapeshifters has strikingly bright, almost frantic, auras, and ghosts have weak auras that flicker fitfully like a dying flame. While a faerie creature's aura is vivid and radiant, streaked with capricious rainbow hues.

System: 

After the character stares at the subject for at least a few seconds and makes a successful roll, use the chart below to determine how much of the subject’s aura the Player's character sees and understands (see the table below). A failure indicates that the play of colors and patterns yields no prevailing impression. A botch indicates a false or erroneous interpretation. The Storyteller may wish to make this roll, thus keeping the player in the dark as to the veracity of the character’s interpretation.

Roll Chart:

1-10: BOTCH! You may unknowingly perceive a false impression of the Aura. Exactly if or what that error in perception is will be determined by the Storyteller. Whether you are told fact, fiction or a mixture of the two will be unknown to you.

11-30:  The play of colors and patterns yields no prevailing impression to you at this time.

31-50:  You can distinguish only the intensity of the aura (pale or bright), but not its color. This gives you information on how strongly the subject feels at the time, but not what they are feeling.

51-60: You can distinguish the main color of the aura and the intensity.

61-70:  You can recognize the main color and the secondary color patterns in the aura, including the intensity of in both.

71-90:  You can detect the main and secondary color patterns in the aura, the intensity of those two patterns, plus any subtle shifts between the them that might indicate duplicity or one pattern threatening to overcome the other. For example, reading the aura of someone who's girlfriend is breaking up with them might show the blue colors of love shifting to the silver hues of sadness, then blazing into the red of anger. If you watch long enough, perhaps it will shift again to the gray of depression or a confused mottle hue of shifting colors.

91-100+:  You can detect the main and secondary color patterns in the aura, the intensity of those two patterns, plus any subtle shifts between the them that might indicate duplicity or one pattern threatening to overcome the other. (See example in 71-90).  In addition to knowing all the emotions depicted in the aura, their exact mix within it and their intensity, you also get a strong sense of the person's intent in regards to these emotions. As in the example above, the jilted boyfriend with an intense shade of angry red and shifts of silver sadness might also display vibrant flashes of aggressive purple. This would indicate that the man "intends" to direct these intense emotions against his girlfriend's new boyfriend, or her sister if he believes his girlfriend has been influenced her against him. This aggression could be physical and murderous, or sneaky and vengeful (slash the tires of her car or attempt to get her fired from work). 

◉◉◉◎◎◎◎◎: Auspex 3 - Spirits Touch (Mental Skill)   

Base Roll: 20
Mod: Willpower, Mental Skill
Energy/Blood Cost: 5 pts.
Damage: 0
Duration: Takes One Full Turn

Description: 

When someone handles an object for any length of time, that person leaves a psychic impression on the item. A vampire with this level of Auspex can “read” these sensations, learning who handled the object, when he last held it, and what was done with it recently. (For these purposes, a corpse counts as an “object” and can be read accordingly since it is merely a body without life.) 

These visions are seldom clear and detailed, registering more like a kind of “psychic snapshot.” Still, the Kindred can learn much even from such a glimpse. Although most visions concern the last person to handle the item, a long-time owner leaves a stronger impression than someone who held the object briefly in comparison.

Gleaning information from the spiritual residue requires the vampire to hold the object and enter a shallow trance. She is only marginally aware of her surroundings while using The Spirit’s Touch, but a loud noise or jarring physical sensation breaks the trance instantly.

System: 

The player makes a successful roll, modified by their Willpower and Mental Skill. The Storyteller will provide a bonus of 0%-50% on the roll, depending on how strong (or weak) the psychic impression is imbedded on the item. The Player can add this percentage manually into their HUD before they roll.

The difficulty for any object is determined by 1) the age of the impressions, 2) the intensity of the events the object was involved in, 3) and the mental and/or spiritual strength of the person who possessed it. Sensing information from a pistol used for a murder hours ago may provide a 40% bonus, while learning who first owned a bloodstained puppet fashioned a century ago might only give a 5% bonus. However, the same puppet might provide a 50% bonus regarding the blood on the puppet if the event was intense or led to the loss of life. 

The greater the individual’s emotional connection to the object, the stronger the impression he leaves on it — and the more information the Kindred can glean from it. However, a very old gold necklace that was worn for many decades by a long deceased woman could easily carry her imprint for a hundred years after her death, even if the item had experienced no intense negative/positive connection. This might make it more difficult to read through the years of following contact clutter to find out more recent events involving the necklace or who most recently owned it.

Events involving strong emotions (a wedding/birthday gift, a torture, a long family history, murder of passion) likewise leave stronger impressions than short or casual contact do.  (See the Roll Chart below.)

Roll Chart:

1-10: BOTCH! The character is overwhelmed by psychic impressions for the next 3 turns and is unable to act.

11-19: No information of any real value can be gleaned from the object. If the price tag is still on it, you will know how much it cost.

20-29: Very basic information, such as the last owner’s gender or hair color, for instance.

30-49: The information above, plus a second piece of basic information, such as if the owner wore glasses or a hat, a scent or a taste, etc.

50-69: All the information above, plus more useful information about the last owner, such as age and state of mind the last time he/she/they had the object physically in their possession, the intensity of that emotion, the time of day they last had it, etc.

70-89: You get all the previous information, plus the owner's name who possessed the object the longest, as well as what happened to the object immediately after it was passed to another. This would include all the events and information regarding when it exchanged hands. While the names of the successive owners may be missing or rather vague, the Player's Character can give an excellent and detailed physical description of all the owners.

90+: The Player's Character receives a wealth of information, nearly anything they want to know about the person’s relationship with that object is available, including a complete history of the item, who owned it, their names, and for how long. You can see flashes of events in which the object was present, as if you were the object. These flashes can include scents, visuals and sounds like snippets of a movie.

◉◉◉◉◎◎◎◎: Auspex 4 - Telepathy (Mental Attack)   

Base Roll: 30
Mod: Mental Skill and Mental Attack
Def: Mental Defense
Energy/Blood Cost: 8 pts.
Damage: 0
Duration: Takes One Full Turn

Description: 

The vampire can project a portion of her consciousness into a nearby mortal’s mind, creating a mental link through which she can:

     1) Communicate wordlessly or even read the target’s deepest thoughts, OR
     2) Project a thought into the target mortal's mind. 

When reading thoughts, the Kindred “hears” in her own mind the thoughts plucked from a subject as if they were spoken to her. When attempting to place a thought into the target mortal's mind, it is perceived as if it were the target's own thought. In either case, the mortal is none the wiser.

This is one of the most potent vampiric abilities since, given time, a Kindred can learn virtually anything from a subject without the person ever knowing. Or place a thought into the mind of a mortal. The Tremere and Tzimisce in particular find this power especially useful in gleaning secrets from others, or for directing their mortal followers with silent precision.

• NOTE: This can only be used on mortals and is not effective on vampires, Garou, spirits or fae. Attempting to do so will have the non-mortal unaffected, but certainly looking around angrily for the source of the attack.

System: 

Projecting or reading thoughts are separate rolls. They are the same skill, but much like you cannot breath in and breath out at the same time, telepathically reading or placing thoughts requires separate actions. The vampire must declare which they will attempt to perform before they make their roll. 

The Player makes a successful roll, modified by their Mental Skill and Mental Attack. The target may choose to defend by rolling against the vampire Player's roll, modified by the target's own Mental Defense.

If the mortal target makes their roll and successfully defends against this mental attack, the vampire fails to read the person's mind and the target is none the wiser. If the vampire is attempting to place a thought into the mind of the mortal, the target will recognize that the aberrant thought is not their own, but the target does not know from whence it came. The mortal may be puzzled or confused by the thought, then simply dismiss it as an odd experience. They might consider it as the results of too much wine, drugs or lack of sleep and think on it no more.

If the mortal target fails their defense roll, the vampire will be able to read the thought(s), or the vampire will successfully project a thought(s) into his/her/their mind. If the target is a Player Character, they will privately send the thought(s) in an IM to the vampire character's Player.

Reading minds or placing thoughts into the the minds of mortals can be a convoluted journey and must be accomplished in layers, like peeling an onion. For the most part, the human mind is a messy landfill of urges, impulses, emotions, song lyrics and trivia. The stronger your roll, the more you will be able to cut through the chatter and read/communicate meaningful thoughts. 

Roll Chart:

1-10: BOTCH! Not only are you unable to read or place a thought into the mortal's mind, you will be able to attempt any kind of telepathy for the rest of the scene. And now you have a brutal headache.

11-29: You can read the target's thoughts, but cannot choose the subject of that thought. It will be whatever is at the top of the person's mind, whatever they are thinking of at the moment. If attempting to place a thought in the mind of the target, you are only able to communicate a vague underlying emotion or condition, such as hunger/thirst, anger, curiosity, boredom, interest, suspicion, etc. The emotion/condition is not strong enough for the target to instantly act on it and they may choose to ignore it if they so wish. 

30-59: You are successful in placing or reading a single directed thought. If reading a thought, it will be one related to what you are specifically looking for, such as "Where are the car keys?" "Who do you love?", "Who killed Bob?", "What is your bank PIN?" These thoughts cannot be longer than five words. If placing a thought, it too can only be a maximum of five words.

60-79: You successfully place/read a single thought comprised of no more than two full sentences. If placing these thoughts, the target will treat them as if they are their own thoughts and act on them unless if violates their own self preservation. For example, you can't place a thought of suicide in the mind of a person, or make them jump of a building. However, the vampire can instill a sense that the target is getting cheated in a deal they are in the process of negotiating, or that the guy sitting next to them is hitting on their wife/girlfriend. The target will feel this thought came from their own mind and react appropriately. If attempting to read the target's mind on a single subject, the target will IM the character's Player and communicate their honest, unfiltered thoughts on the subject in two full and complete sentences.

80-99: If reading the person's mind, the target will tell you exactly what they know and think about the particular subject in as many words as it takes, but a minimum of five sentences. Even if it is a deep secret or something they would never tell another soul, they will confess everything to themselves in the perceived safety of their own mind...and the vampire.

If placing a thought in the target's mind, the vampire can use as many sentences as they wish to get their point across, motivate the target to an action, or make it irresistible to ignore. The target will understand the thoughts perfectly, but hear the words in their own voice.

100+: You get all the information from above, but when reading minds you get the full 3D experience as if you were there. For example, if you want to know everything the target knows about the death of Bob, he will not just tell you what happened, he will share the full memory of how it happened as if it were you own memory. This will include what was said, who pulled the trigger, what happened to the body, the smell of blood in the room, the sound the hacksaw made when it cut Bob apart, where they hid the body and any other evidence, etc. Even if the target wasn't the one who killed Bob or was present at the murder, he will share the memory of how and when he learned of Bob's death, what he knows of the murder and every little detail. 

If placing a thought in the mind of the target, the thought will become an actual memory. For example, if the vampire places the thought "Your wife is cheating on you with the guy who just walked into the bar. Remember that phone call and the photos that were mailed to you? That's the guy!" the target will visualize a memory of seeing the man and his wife together in a photo. The full memory will be up to the target to fill in the details per their own imagination. 

◉◉◉◉◉◎◎◎: Auspex 5 - Psychic Projection (Mental Skill)   

Base Roll: 80
Mod: Willpower & Mental Skill
Def: n/a
Energy/Blood Cost: 8 pts.
Damage: 0
Duration: Takes One Full Turn

Description: 

Vampires with this awesome ability project their senses out of their physical shell, and stepping away from their bodies as entities of pure thought. The vampire’s astral form is immune to physical damage or fatigue, and can “fly” with blinding speed anywhere across the earth — or even underground — so long as they remain below the moon’s orbit.

There is a danger in psychic projection. The Kindreds' material forms lie in a torpid state while their astral selves are active, and the vampires are not aware of anything that befalls their bodies until they return to it. This leaves them vulnerable and open to attacks.

An ephemeral silver cord connects the Kindred’s psyche to his/her/their bodies. If this cord is severed, their consciousness becomes stranded in the astral plane (the realm of ghosts, spirits, and shades). Attempting to return to the vampire’s physical shell is a long and terrifying ordeal, especially since there is no guarantee that the Kindred will accomplish the journey successfully. This significant danger keeps many Kindred from leaving their bodies for long, but those who dare can learn much.

System: 

The vampire finds a safe place for their body and makes a successful roll. If the roll is not successful, they may continue to try again in two turns. Unfortunately, a botch can have catastrophic consequences.  

If the roll is successful, exactly how high the roll is determines where and how far they are able to travel. (See Roll Chart below.)

An astral form may travel at great speeds (the Storyteller can use roughly 1000 miles per hour or 1500 kilometers per hour as a general guide) and carries no clothing or material objects of any kind. 

Some artifacts are said to exist in the spirit world, and the character can try to use one of these tools if the vampire finds one. The character cannot bring such relics to the physical world upon returning, however. Interaction with the physical world is impossible while using Psychic Projection. At best, the character may spend 3 Blood/Energy points to manifest as a ghostlike shape. This apparition lasts one turn before fading away; while she can’t manipulate anything physically during this time, the character can speak in hushed whispers while in the ghostlike shape.

Despite lacking physical substance, an astral character can use Auspex and mental skills normally. At the Storyteller’s discretion, such a character may employ some or all Animalism, Dementation, Dominate, Necromancy, Obtenebration, Presence, Thaumaturgy, and similar non-corporeal mental powers the vampire has acquired. 

Astral Shapes Meeting Each Other
If two astral shapes encounter one another, they  can interact as if they were solid. They may talk, touch, and even fight as if both were in the material world. Since they have no physical bodies, astral characters seeking to interact “physically” substitute Physical Abilities for Mental Abilities. This means mental skills, attack and defense numbers replace physical Attacks, Skills and Defense. Willpower is the modifier on all rolls.

Due to the lack of a material form, the only real way to damage another psychic entity is to cut its silver cord connecting the spirit to the physical body. When fighting this way, consider Willpower points x10 to be health points; when combatants lose all their Willpower Points, the cord is severed. Although an astrally-projected character remains in the reflection of the mortal world, she may venture further into the spirit realms, especially if she becomes lost. 

Other beings with particular sensitivity to psychic activity, such as ghosts, werewolves, and even some magi, travel the astral plane as well, and can interact with a vampire’s psychic presence normally (although the astrally projected character is not considered a “ghost” for powers such as Necromancy). 

Storytellers are encouraged to make trips into the spirit world as bizarre, mysterious, and dreamlike as possible. The world beyond is a vivid and fantastic place, where the true nature of things is stronger and often strikingly different from their earthly appearances.

Roll Chart:

1-10: BOTCH! Your body is flung to a random, unknown destination anywhere in the world. If that place is in the sunlight, you will need to roll for frenzy...even though the sunlight will not harm your spirit self. After two turns, you will need to refocus your efforts, spend another 8 points of Blood/Energy and make an unmodified roll of 80 to return. The return trip will not be pleasant. Re-entering your body will cause all bodily functions to spontaneously erupt as every muscle will convulse. 

IF you botch a second time, the vampire's psychic cord connecting their spirit to their body snaps, stranding the character’s psychic form in the mysterious astral plane.

11-79: Whatever the reason, you were not able to achieve Psychic Projection. You will need to expend 8 more Blood/Energy points and wait another two turns to clear your mind, focus and try again.

80-85: You can project to any place that is line of sight.

86-89: You can project to a familiar location within your city, or anyplace in your country.

90-95: You can travel to an unfamiliar place within your city, or a familiar place anyplace in the world.

96+: You can travel to anyplace on earth or above it, as long as you remain beneath the orbit of the moon. Travel beyond the moon is not possible using Psychic Projection.

◉◉◉◉◉◎◎◎: Auspex 6 - Eagle's Sight (Buff)   

Base Roll: 60
Mod: Mental Skill
Def: n/a
Energy/Blood Cost: 6 pts.
Damage: 0
Duration: Two Turns
Affects: Adds permanent bonuses -

• +10 Athletics/Reflexes
• +10 Initiative

Description: 

By using Eagles Sight, the vampire can mentally fly like a bird and visually see the land and all beneath them with complete clarity. This is different than Psychic Projection since the vampire's spirit never leaves his/her/their body completely and they can "snap out of it" at any time without injury or disorientation. 

Like the eagle, the vampire using this skill has a 340-degree field of vision that allows for both excellent peripheral and binocular vision. For example, an eagle is capable of sighting a rabbit two miles away (or 3.2 kilometers) while in flight the vampire can travel between 20-40 miles per hour (32-64 km) in normal flight at altitudes of 10,000 feet or more. 

System:

The vampire takes one full turn to focus their energy, spends 6 pts. of Blood/Energy and makes a successful roll. The effect lasts for another two full turns of scanning the area as they mentally fly above the area, or until they end the ability. If the vampire is attacked by surprise while in this state, they suffer a -5% defense penalty on the first attack and all initiative.

The vampire still has access to his own hearing and other senses (not including sight). Think of it like wearing VR goggles playing a video game. You can't see what's going on around you, but you can still hear, touch and smell.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◎: Auspex 7 - Psychic Assault (Attack)   

Base Roll: 70
Mod: Mental Attack & Mental Skill
Def: Willpower & Mental Defense
Energy/Blood Cost: 14 pts.
Damage: 42
Duration: Takes One Full Turn

Description: 

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, stroke or aneurysm, while vampires killed with this power decay to dust instantly, regardless of age.

System: 

The character must touch or make eye direct contact with his target. The player spends 14 Energy/Blood points and makes a successful roll, modified by Mental Attack and Mental Skill. The target rolls to defend against the attack. If they fail their roll, the target takes 42 points of damage.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉: Auspex 8 - Spirit Link (Mental Skill)   

Base Roll: 90
Mod: Willpower, Mental Attack & Mental Skill
Def: None
Energy/Blood Cost: 8 pts.
Damage: n/a
Duration: Lasts for the length of the scene
Permanent Buffs: 

• +10 Physical Attack
• +10 Physical Defense
• +5 Initiative

Description: 

This powerful ability allows higher-level vampires to mentally link their minds to the minds of any other being or creature. When used on sentient beings, the vampire can mentally link and communicate via hold an ongoing dialogue with any number of people at the same time. Everyone the vampire has selected to link to can hear him in their minds, and also hear the minds of all others in the linked conversation. Distance is not a factor. When used on animal minds, the communication is very limited. The vampire can speak to animals and it will respond as if it physically heard the words, but the animal can only provide an emotional response, such as happy, sad, frightened, angry, confused, anticipation, etc.

An Unexpected Side Effect
For the purpose of conducting group meetings with her clan members across the globe, this skill was developed by an elder Toreador Primogen many hundreds of years ago before modern mass communication. However, she did not anticipate the side effect this type of mental link would have on her. While it worked perfectly in linking multiple minds through her own for an open dialogue, the skill itself effected her own mind in a way she could not control. In essence, she could never fully turn off the skill. 

Such a thing could easily have caused a vampire to go insane. Fortunately for her, it had a powerful and unforeseen effect that forced her to continually reach out and touch the minds of all those around her, giving her a split second impression of impulses and basic non-verbal thought. The ability was reflexive, weak and easily unnoticeable in her normal activities. However, when she was in combat situations she found this constant stream of information allowed her to anticipate the defenses and attacks of her opponents without effort. With practice she honed the skill and became a Master of combat, often seen by the Prince's side to defend him against attacks and settle disagreements on his behalf with the sword.

System:

The Vampire expends 8 points of Blood/Energy points and makes a successful roll. He can then IM or set up a Group IM Chat IN CHARACTER with as many "Characters" (Player-Characters or NPCs) as he wishes. The vampires mind serves as a hub from which all participants can communicate freely. His communication must be notecarded. And the IM/Group Chat communication must include the Storyteller, even though they are not an active part of the In-Character conversation. 

However, if the vampire is attacked or he somehow loses focus, the communication is instantly severed. Length of the "call" is the duration of a scene, unless ended by the Vampire.

The combat bonuses/buffs for those purchasing this skill are permanent and always active.