Presence

Anyone in the presence of the vampire finds their attention inexplicably drawn to them. Those listening to the vampire speak might suddenly agree on subjects where they once held different viewpoints. While this power doesn’t cause rapt infatuation, it is still strong enough to sway the minds of most mortals.

Dice Pools: Manipulation + Presence

Cost: Free

System: Add the Presence rating to any Skill roll involving Persuasion or Performance as well as to other Charisma related rolls, at the Storyteller’s discretion. Anyone aware that they’re being affected can try to resist with a contest of Composure + Intelligence vs the user’s Manipulation + Presence . On a win, the target can resist the effects for one scene; a critical win makes the target immune for the entire night. Once the power wears off, victims revert to their previous opinions.

Duration: One scene or until intentionally ended

Instead of attracting people, the vampire uses Presence to repel. With this power the user appears threatening and exudes an aura of menace powerful enough to make most mortals avoid their attention and even vampires think twice about acting against them.

Cost: Free

System: Add the user’s Presence rating to any Intimidation rolls. Attacking the user requires a Resolve+Composure roll at Difficulty 2.
Vampires cannot use Awe and Daunt simultaneously.

Duration: One scene or until intentionally ended

Amagalm: Protean 1

The eyes of the vampire turn into slitted, serpent-like orbs able to freeze a mortal meeting the vampire’s gaze in place. The user can even mesmerize other vampires with this power, though the effect is short lived and likely to rouse the victim’s ire.

Dice Pools: Charisma + Presence

Cost: Free

System: By catching the eye of a mortal (see avoiding eye contact on p. 255 in the Core book for victims actively trying to avoid it) the vampire can immobilize a victim, keeping them frozen in place as long as they themselves maintain eye contact. The effect can only be maintained on a single victim at a time, and ends if they suffer damage or are forcibly removed. Speech is still possible, though shouting is not. In order to paralyze a vampire in the same way, the user must win a contest of Charisma + Presence vs. Wits + Composure. The vampire victim can escape paralysis on any turn after the first by spending a point of Willpower.

Duration: Until eye contact is broken or the scene ends.

The Kiss of a vampire induces near-ecstasy in the victim, but this power leaves other Kisses in the dust. Victims fed upon by the user are temporarily empowered, but also become addicted to the Kiss, obsessing over it and even seeking the vampire out for repeated feedings. Mortals often become anemic, self-harm, or even die from this addiction. Addicting other vampires is also possible, with the caveat that obsessed vampires demanding to be fed from risk the user becoming Blood Bound. Once under a Blood Bond, a vampire becomes unable to use this power on other vampires, being limited to employing it on mortals.

Cost: Free

System: The vampire can choose to use this power during each feeding where they sate at least one Hunger. The victim gains a bonus equal to half the user’s Presence (round up) to one Social Attribute of their choice. This benefit lasts for a single night. Once it fades, withdrawal strikes and all the victim’s actions not spent working toward acquiring a new fix receive a dice penalty equal to the initial bonus. A victim in withdrawal can spend Willpower to ignore the penalties for a scene, and the penalties go away after a number of nights equal to the user’s Presence rating.
This power cannot be used on other vampires by a user who is under the thrall of a Blood Bond. Also, vampires with the Unbondable Merit cannot acquire this power.

Duration: A number of nights equal to the user’s Presence rating.

The voice of the user becomes like that of a siren, able to entrance or terrify by itself, without the user having to be present. The voice can affect anyone within earshot but does not retain its ability if recorded or electronically transmitted.

Cost: Free

System: The vampire is able to use Awe, Daunt, Dread Gaze, Entrance, and Majesty through their voice alone. They do not need to see the target, and the target does not have to be in their presence save to be close enough to hear their voice.

Duration: N/A

Briefly exposing their vampiric nature, the user instills a single subject with utter terror. Mortals are cowed, run, or freeze with fear, while other vampires either submit like whipped dogs or flee in frenzied Rötschreck.

Dice Pools: Charisma + Presence

Cost: One Rouse Check

System: Displaying their fangs, their face twisted in a predatory grimace, the user rolls a contest of Charisma + Presence against their target’s Composure + Resolve.
Failure: Mortals are unable to act other than in their own defense, backing off for a turn. Vampires are unaffected.
Win: Mortals run in fear. Vampires are unable to act other than in their own defense for a turn unless they spend Willpower equal to the users margin of win (to a minimum of one).
Critical Win: Mortals freeze or crumple into a fetal position. Vampires must make a terror frenzy test (Difficulty 3). If they win, they are still affected as above.

Duration: One turn

The vampire focuses their unnatural allure on a single person, instilling in them a rapt fascination or infatuation akin to falling head over heels in love or meeting one’s lifelong idol. The person affected does their best to remain in the vampire’s good graces, but stops short of causing themselves or their other loved ones physical harm.

Dice Pools: Charisma + Presence

Cost: One Rouse Check

System: The vampire only needs to gain the subject’s attention and win a contest of Charisma + Presence vs Composure + Wits.
The effect lasts for roughly one hour plus one per point of margin on the win. The vampire can renew this effect indefinitely, but a failure ends the effect and makes the subject immune for the rest of the night. After succeeding, the user adds dice equal to their Presence rating to any Social dice pool against the entranced subject.
Requests resulting in obvious harm to the subject or their loved ones, or that oppose the subject’s Tenets, fail and require an immediate power contest roll as above, or the Entrancement immediately fails.

Duration: One hour plus one per point of margin

Amagalm: Obfuscate 3

Using a potent cocktail of concentrated emotion and illusions, the vampire can alter a mortal’s blood resonance or even risk a vampire’s connection to Humanity. The victim (and only the victim) perceives the vampire as a mortal they hold strong emotional ties with (such as hate for a rival, passion for a new lover, or the complicated feelings a vampire holds for their Touchstone).

Dice Pools: Manipulation + Presence

Cost: One Rouse Check

System: To impersonate someone the victim has strong emotions for, the vampire must know their appearance and what the victim feels for them. How they uncover this will vary between vampires. When activated the Storyteller rolls a hidden contest between the user’s Manipulation + Presence and the victim’s Composure + Wits, where failure means the visage holds no emotional charge, which is deeply uncanny and sours any social interaction with the victim. It also prevents them from falling victim to this power for the rest of the story.
On a win, the vampire adds their Presence rating to any rolls for affecting a mortal’s resonance or a vampire’s emotional state. Appearing as a vampire’s Touchstone is a dangerous game, especially if the victim possesses Sense the Unseen (see Vampire: The Masquerade, p. 249), but played right it can lead to Stains for the victim as their Touchstone appears to become damaged or detached entirely through shifts in behavior, ideals, or even apparent death.

Duration: One scene

Amagalm: Auspex 1

The vampire can cause their voice to emanate from any point within sight, whether as a whisper or shout. The voice is audible as if the vampire was standing in that spot and can be heard by anyone within earshot, depending on strength. The voice can also be left in a location, continuing to lure or terrify those who stray, depending on the power used.

Cost: One Rouse Check

System: No roll is required, apart from the Rouse Check. If using this power in combination with Irresistible Voice, Melpominee, or similar powers, they must roll as usual.

Duration: One Scene

Amagalm: Dominate 1

The Presence of the user becomes a conduit for Dominate. The vampire now only needs their voice to be heard in order to employ Dominate powers.

Cost: No additional cost

System: The user's voice alone is now enough to Dominate a target. This does not apply to voices transmitted through electronic media such as phones, television, or apartment door-buzzer speakers.

Duration: Passive

The vampire can call to themselves any person, mortal or vampire, upon whom they’ve previously used Awe, Entrancement, or Majesty, or who has tasted their Blood at least once. The target knows who is summoning them and the user’s current location. This calling lasts for a night. After that time, the effect subsides, but the user can repeat it night after night if required to reach the target or if the target is otherwise reluctant. Anyone Summoned feels a pull toward the summoner and tries to reach them, though without endangering themselves physically or financially. They won’t sell their house to buy a ticket or miss a vital meeting, but they might skip out of normal work or social commitments.

Dice Pools: Manipulation + Presence

Cost: One Rouse Check

System: The user needs to concentrate for five minutes and think of the person being summoned, then rolls Manipulation + Presence vs Composure + Intelligence.
On a win, the target hears the summoning, but may or may not heed it. On a critical win, the target arrives as quickly as possible, barring immediate risk to their well-being.

Duration: One night

While present in a building or similar locale the vampire is able to extend the powers of Awe, Daunt, and Majesty through the very structure of the building. Anybody in the building or looking at it will be affected by these powers, reacting to the building as if the vampire themself is present.

Cost: N/A

System: Anyone seeing the building from outside or who are present inside it needs to resist the power used as if the vampire was present, unless the vampire is within eyesight, at which point they themselves becomes the focus. As a building does not generally make Skill checks, apply the bonuses instead to any reaction the victim has to the place. A nightclub under the influence of Awe will have queues stretching around the block, while a haven under Daunt will turn away all but the most staunch investigators. Use of Majesty has to be done with extreme caution, as the results can be spectacular and volatile, far exceeding the effect of the more subtle powers.

Duration: As power transmitted

At this pinnacle of the Discipline the vampire can amplify their countenance to supernatural levels. Whether they appear as heartrendingly beautiful, monstrously terrifying, or wielding absolute command, everyone who views them is struck by their image, unable to act or even speak against the vampire. To experience Majesty is to be in the presence of the divine - or the infernal.

Dice Pools: Charisma + Presence

Cost: Two Rouse Checks

System: People in the presence of the user can only stare, slackjawed, or avert their eyes in fear or submission. Anyone wanting to act in any way in opposition to the user, except for self-preservation, must successfully win a contest of their Composure + Resolve vs. the vampire’s Charisma + Presence . A win allows one turn of freedom, plus one per point of margin; only a critical win resists the effect for the entire scene.

Duration: One scene

The Presence powers of the user now effect people viewing them on live feeds or hearing them over the phone. Recorded images or messages do not retain the effect, however.

Cost: One additional Rouse Check

System: Awe, Daunt, and Entrancement can be transmitted through live feeds via screens or phones. If Entrancement is used, the victim’s name must be spoken clearly, as that power only affects one person at a time. Anyone else viewing the same transmission only finds the user charming, but not supernaturally so.

Duration: As power used