Presence

To many, vampires seem to exude an air of command, sensuality or intimidation. For a master of Presence, emotions are playthings to be manipulated and stimulated. When many Cainites survive through careful manipulation of mortal society, the ability to sway emotions and control passions is a powerful capability indeed. More than simply using intrigue or carefully rehearsed acting to influence others, vampires with Presence literally project auras of power or dread.

The Presence Discipline is most common among vampires of the Brujah, Follower of Set, Toreador and Ventrue clans. Brujah often use Presence to whip mobs into righteous anger, while Followers of Set influence their "customers" subtly. Toreador cultivate an air of artistic beauty, and Ventrue rely on thier control of emotions to influence and rule their "subjects."

Unlike Dominate, which affects the rational mind directly, Presence affects emotions. Thus, it is a more subtle form of control. However, subjects of Presence are less predictable than Dominate victims. Also, whereas Dominate requires that the victim sees the user's eyes, Presence usually requires only that the face be visible — some Presence powers do not even require that much exposure, such as summon. Note: like most social powers if you are talking with someone or attacking them you are able to be affected by presence.

Trait: Socials Ability: Leadership

Passive: Every level of Presence grants the kindred and additional Social trait.

⚫ Force of Personality

Challenge: None Cost: None Duration: Activated

The sight of you turns heads. When you let your charisma shine, you draw attention naturally. People try to be close to you, and even those disinclined to listen to you give some consideration to anything you say or do.

This power only works on mortals. When used a mortal will stop doing whatever they were doing and pay full attention to you as if you were the most interesting thing they had ever seen. They will be one step more inclined to do what you ask for. This power may seem like a weaker version of Dominate but as an advantage, it is unnoticeable and does not even allow for an awareness check. Npcs will not do the things that are out of character for them, but they will stretch the limits of their nature.

⚫⚫ Dread Gaze

Challenge: Socials ( Leadership) Vs. Socials (Will power) Cost: None Duration: Scene

By hissing, baring your fangs and allowing your vampiric features to rise to the fore, you can terrify mortals and even shake the resolve of other vampires. Though few would risk the wrath of an angry Cainite, your fearsome visage goes beyond that, driving supernatural terror into the hearts of your victims.

By making a Social Challenge against your foe, you strike terror into your victim. If you succeed, the subject flees your presence and tries to avoid you for the rest of the scene or for one hour whichever is shorter. If cornered, the victim will still defend himself, but he will do his best to escape you. The subject defends himself normally, but he is loathe to engage you in Challenges.

⚫⚫⚫ Entrancement

Challenge: Socials ( Leadership) Vs. Socials (Will power) Cost: None Duration: Scene:

When you bring your charm to bear on an individual, you are almost hypnotically magnetic. Individuals affected by your Presence find your manner irresistible.

You must make a Social Challenge against a target to exercise Entrancement. If you succeed, the target is favorably disposed toward you, and she will not insult or attack you for the rest of the scene (or for an hour). Indeed, a formally neutral subject wants to aid you and act as your friend; even a previously hostile target is rendered neutral. If you take a hostile action against the subject, of course, the Entrancement is broken immediately, and it may not be used against the subject again in the same scene. If the subject wishes to initiate a challenge against the entrancer without the expressed permission of the entrancer they must spend a temporary willpower. The subject can still initiate challenges against all others in the scene.

Entrancement can alternately be used to make yourself the target of an opponent's ire. After a successful check in a mass combat, the target will attack the user of the entrancement on every action if possible. If they have area effect powers that still counts. If it becomes impossible to attack the user, due to distance or the target disappearing then the power will break and they will be allowed to target others again. Sabbat venture use this power to draw aggro from their more vulnerable compatriots.

⚫⚫⚫⚫ Summon

Challenge: Socials ( Leadership) Vs. Socials (None) Cost: None Duration: Scene

Extending your incredible manipulative powers, you can draw others to your location. Your victim need not see you, or even be seen by you — as long as the subject is known to you, you can Summon him to your side. Once called, the subject tried to get to you by whatever means possible, completely unaware of the supernatural nature of the desire and avoiding situations that would prevent fulfilling the compulsion (like locked rooms and overprotective allies). The compulsion lasts until the victim manages to arrive and make his presence known to you.

To Summon someone, inform a staff member of the person that you wish to Summon, as well as your number of Social Traits and whether you are using the Leadership Ability. The staff member then finds the subject, performing a Social Challenge in your stead and using the Leadership Ability for a retest if necessary. If the challenge succeeds, the subject comes to you as previously described. If the challenge fails, the subject manages to resist the Summon. In either case, you have no knowledge of the outcome, so there is no guarantee of success. Of course, if the subject does not appear, you can wait five minutes and then attempt to Summon the victim again.

You can only Summon someone that you know — at bare minimum, someone that you have had the chance to talk with for a few minutes, or someone who has been a target of your Presence powers before. If another individual then uses Summon on your subject, the victim heads to the summoner of the most powerful Generation; if multiple summoners are of the same generation, the victim goes to the first one to exert the power. Should two vampires of equal generation simultaneously Summon the same victim, then a staff member should make a Social Challenge between the two, with the victim heading to the victor.

In the unusual case that Summon is used on a false identity (an identity created with Mask of a Thousand Faces, for instance), the Summon still brings the appropriate individual. If multiple individuals use the same false identity, then Summons calls whichever is nearest. Thus, if three Malkavians using Mask of a Thousand Faces all pretend to be the same imaginary person, a Summon of that person brings whichever of the Malkavians is nearest and then calls that Malkavian for any future uses of Summon.

The summoner may decide whether he wants the target to know his identity or not when he uses the discipline. You can not summon someone from outside of the city nor from another plane of existence. The kindred makes all due haste to the summoner.

---

Master Level Powers

⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫ Majesty

Challenge: None, (targets must spend a Willpower (temp) to make a social challenge against the Presence user.

Cost: Willpower (Temp)

Duration: Scene

The force of your personality makes even the most stalwart tremble. When you exert your Majesty, heads bow, hearts break and spines quiver. None would dare to challenge you or risk your ire, for your ambiance is without peer.

By spending a Temporary Willpower Trait, you exert your Majesty for the duration of the scene. As long as you have Majesty, nobody may insult you or attack you as long as they are within the same room and able to see you - direct eye contact is not necessary. A subject may attempt to break through your Majesty by making a Social Challenge against you, but must spend a Temporary Willpower Trait to make the attempt. Failure means that the subject cannot challenge your Majesty again the same scene. Everyone affected by the Majesty will immediately defer the actions that they are taking to the person using this power, acknowledging the will of that person.

Combat amongst those affected will generally cease unless it is explicitly permitted by the user of this power, as will any other sorts of activities going on. No one under the effects of this power may initiate any challenges against the caster, without the express permission of the presence user.

If you attack someone or undertake a hostile action while using your Majesty, the aura fades automatically and immediately as your onlookers are startled or outraged. You may still use your Social and Mental Disciplines as long as they do not inflict direct harm — you may still Entrance or Dominate a subject — but a deliberate attack disrupts your Majesty.

• If majesty is used before a combat ticks start then no one may initiate combat without the express permission of the majesty user or in fact initiate a challenge of any type, as above. If activated as a part of combat rounds, the Majesty user may issue one ban or make one request of person under the effect of their majesty on their turn. Also if the user asks for combat to cease all of the people under his command will stop fighting so long as everyone else does the same. The power cannot be used to paralyze someone while all the other people beat on them.

(Majesty V Obfuscate ruling) Obfuscated kindred aren't forced to reveal yourself unless ordered to, so if the obfuscated kindred loses, leaving before being asked to reveal themself is probably wise. But one can respect the wishes of someone in Majesty and not attack anyone while maintaining Obfuscate

⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫ Paralyzing Stare

Challenge: Socials (Leadership) vs Socials (Willpower)

Cost: None

Duration: One Action

Channeling the essence of death into their gaze, the kindred stares a hole into their target’s soul. If successful the target can not move for three rounds if used in combat. Taking damage or being interacted with, snaps the target out of this trance. You can only have one person terrified with this power at a time.

⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫ Versatile Performer

Challenge: None

Cost: None

Duration: Permanent

Sometimes called Step on me Sensei, or Scarousing in Anarch circles, the kindred may use intimidation on any skill check that requires leadership, and leadership on any skill check that requires intimidation. You can use both on a single power activation.

⚫⚫⚫⚫⚫Unholy Commandment

Challenge: None

Cost: None

Duration: Passive

The Vampire has optimized their beauty and power such that none can resist them. The Vampire Wins ties on all offensive Social Challenges. This power does not function on extended challenges such as Expression based crafting. (Note that this does not work when using Majesty since others are challenging your Aura, If you are using Majesty and want to win ties you need Animalism 5: King of Monsters, so you can be unswayed by others.)