MALKAVIAN

The Circle of Chaos

The childer of Malkav bear two curses: immortal undeath and madness. From emotionless sociopaths to raving lunatics and everything in between, the Malkavians nonetheless command startling insight. Does what they know drive them to madness or does their insanity allow them too peer into a world the rest of us fear to see? -- Clanbook: Malkavian - Revised Edition

CLAN OVERVIEW 

DISIPLINES: Auspex; Obfuscate; Dementation

Upon the Embrace, all Malkavians are afflicted with an insurmountable insanity that fractures their outlook for every night thereafter, making their unlives one of personal madness. This in no way implies that Malkavians are drooling idiots or incapable of creative, intelligent, rational or even logical thought. It's just that their mental wiring often manifests in various forms, depending on their particular mental infliction. Some even consider a Malkavian's peculiarities as a form of oracular insight, while others simply consider them dangerous. 

(See DERANGEMENTS at the end of this page, or CLICK HERE.)

The Insanity of Insanity

It takes a very dedicated Roleplayer to consistently and accurately roleplay an insane Character without turning that Character into a divisive element, and potentially an unplayable one. As a Roleplayer, your Character needs to be cohesive with roleplay, not crush it or grind it to a standstill. While yes, the behavior your Character may be demonstrating may be in line with the type of insanity he has, as a Roleplayer you need to ensure you are not merely grandstanding or instigating drama for the sake of drama. 'Nuff said.

Make no mistake, Malkavian insanity is a painful, alienating phenomenon, but it occasionally provides the Lunatics with bursts of insight or heretofore unknown perspective. Dementation draws on the vampire's own insanity and uses it to achieve profound insights or inflict madness upon others. 

Madness for the Malkavians may take the form of any clinical insanity affliction, or it may be a hyperacuity of senses others don’t know they have; a supernatural puppeteer pulling the Malkavian’s strings, or a sense that the Malkavian is somehow ahead of evolutionary schedule. Malkavians may believe themselves to be an "idea" given physical form or an avatar of some concept the World of Darkness has yet to encounter. They may be a nonstop ravening psychopath, a tortured being slipping in and out of the multiverse, or may be a mostly lucid individual sometimes rendered catatonic by fear of an impending cosmic cataclysm. A good example of one type of Malkavian is Jared Leto's Joker in Suicide Squad. Click Here.

But do not assume their antics originate from stupidity or a failing of intelligence. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Malkavian's tend to be highly intelligent, even more so than any other clan. Which makes their insanity a particularly diabolical curse. In fact, those with near genius levels of intelligence can be tormented by the very speed and insight of their own levels of intellect, forcing them to simultaneously visualize (and live) in great detail the many possible futures based on even the smallest of events.

Their precarious stability makes it hard for other Kindred (or, indeed, any vessels with whom they may meet) to interact with Malkavians. The Clan sometimes indulges in elaborate, terrifying, and dangerous“ pranks” which do little to endear them to other vampires. These incidents are nominally meant to educate the target, but the lesson can often be lost between the vampire’s scramble for safety and the inability to parse the Malkavian’s inner logic. 

Common pranks might be to replace a vain Toreador’s haven door with a guillotine or to redistribute a Brujah elder’s wealth while he’s at Elysium, or it might take the form of giving a Hunter the location where the Nosferatu gather. Kindred both dread and resent the word “prank” almost as much as they do the Lunatics themselves.

Is There A Cure?

Possibly, though unlikely. And it would be one of the worst things that can happen to a Malkavian. However many things can occur during Roleplay. If a Malkavian is somehow permanently cured of his/her/their insanity, then that Character is no longer Malkavian and losses their ability to use Derangement. 

If a Malkavian is cured and becomes clanless, the Character will lose Derangement and the Player can: 

1. Retire the Character: all Experience Points are returned and the Player rolls a different Character.
2. Become Clanless: the Player can keep the Character, roleplay the Character as clanless, and select their choice of any other Vampire ability to replace Derangement. In this instance, any Experience Points used to purchase levels in Derangement will be returned. The Player selects a new Vampire Skill, and then those points can be used to purchase levels in the new skill.

MALKAVIAN CLAN OVERVIEW

Nickname: Lunatics

Sect: In their moments of lucidity, the Malkavians provide their unorthodox perspectives and Devil’s advocacy to the Camarilla, offering their visions and unique insights to cut through the webs of deceit. Princes and Primogen tolerate the Lunatics to varying degrees, but the Clan as a whole has always been a supporter of the Ivory Tower. Those who ignore their warnings or unusual conceptual observations risk not living long enough to regret it. 

Appearance: While Malkavians can come from any culture, the madness following the Embrace tends to lead them to extremes of self-presentation. Malkavians may appear disheveled, injured, or simply dirty. They could still be wearing the same clothes from the night of their Embrace, perhaps have stolen clothes from a laundromat or a department store during a fit of confusion or fugue, or dressed up in a costume of their favorite movie or anime character. Of course, Malkavians are just as likely to be meticulous and exacting in their appearance, trying obsessively to appear as normal as possible. 

Haven: Consistency is rare among Malkavians. Quite simply, they establish havens where they think they can recall. A significant number of Malkavians have literally no home, spending each night where exhaustion or the sun’s rays leave them. Others may permanently have the presidential suite in a posh hotel, a squat in the Barrens, the dispensary at a county jail, or a broom closet in a historical landmark.

Background: Malkavians Embrace with all the caprice one would assume from them. Lunatic childer come from all economic and cultural strata, though most have some sort of hard-luck story or black secret behind them that caused their sire to take note. Truly damaged Malkavians who are unaware of the meanings of their actions may not even be aware that they have sired childer, which makes for very difficult entry into Kindred society for these castoffs, many of whom end up among the Caitiff.

However, there is often a method to their madness in whom they embrace. And why. Like most lunatics, there is a constant desire to be understood and to be normal (whatever that definition is). In their desire to be cured (while perhaps not fully aware they strive for this) Malkavians seek to embrace those who also suffer with their own mental illness, and hence accept them. The disturbing logic here is if they populate the Kindred with insanity, then insanity is then the norm and then by definition they themselves are no longer insane.

Character Creation: Loner, outsider, and deviant concepts and archetypes prevail among the Malkavians, as do Mental Attributes (with an occasional Social-primary madman or Physical-primary maniac hiding among the ranks). Talents and Knowledges are likely most popular among Malkavians. Backgrounds tend to be either broad and shallow or few and deep, representing the way Malkavians make their way through unlife. Virtues, Humanity, and Paths often tumble quickly, usually in the wake of Willpower doing the same.

Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Dementation, Obfuscate 

Weaknesses: All members of Clan Malkavian suffer from a permanent, incurable derangement. They may acquire and recover from other derangements, and may attempt Willpower rolls to mitigate the effects of the derangement for a scene, but they can never recover from their original derangement.

• For Derangements, their descriptions and Playing Derangements, Click Here.

Organization: Rumor is more widespread than truth with regard to Malkavian organization, and any number of harrowing tales describe the function of the Clan. Some say the Lunatics all share a hive consciousness; others claim that this is in fact the lingering consciousness of the Clan’s progenitor Malkav. Still others claim that a network of madness puts all Malkavians in contact with one another and is the cause of their crippling insanity. 

If nothing else, the Malkavians prove inscrutable and uncanny. One night, each of them frenzies when they see one another, while the next night, they all converge at the same time at the Sheriff’s haven and accuse him of harboring Sabbat spies. Who can say how the “disease of information” or the customs of the Clan travel among them?

MALKAVIAN SKILLS

Quote: I was trying to turn water into wine. Where the fuck did all this blood come from? Oh, well — waste not, want not.

OBFUSCATE

Obfuscate is the uncanny ability for Kindred to conceal themselves from sight, sometimes even in full view of a crowd. An Obfuscated vampire doesn’t actually become invisible, however — rather, he is able to delude observers into believing that he has vanished.

Obfuscate also allows Kindred to change their features and conceal other people or objects. Typically vampires using Obfuscate must be within a short range of their witnesses (approximately five meters) for their power to be effective.

Unless the Kindred chooses to make herself seen, she can remain obscured for as long as she wills it. At higher levels, the vampire can actually fade from sight so subtly that those nearby can’t actually recall the moment at which she left. 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 if their Auspex is equal to or higher than the other vampire's Obfuscate level.

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).

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.

◉◎◎◎◎◎◎◎: Obfuscate 1 - Cloak of Shadows (Buff)   

• Base Roll: 30
• Mod: No Mods
• Energy/Blood Cost: 1 pts.
• Damage: 0
• Affects:
• Permanent:
  • +10 Initiative

Description:

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, lamp post, 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.

◉◉◎◎◎◎◎◎: Obfuscate 2 - Unseen Presence (Buff)

• Base Roll: 60
• Mod: Athletics/Reflexes & Willpower
• Energy/Blood Cost: 2 pts.
• Damage: n/a
• Affects:
• Permanent:
  • +5 Physical Defense
  • +5 Mental Defense

Description:
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. To remain hidden under these circumstances, the Player must spend 2 Points Energy/Blood and make a successful roll.

The vampire, all his clothing, and any objects that can fit into his pockets are concealed. The Storyteller should call for Stealth roll under any circumstances that might cause the character to reveal himself. 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 immediately after such actions. Bystanders snap out of the subtle fugue in which Obfuscate put them. 

Worse still, each viewer can make an Awareness roll (difficulty 70); 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.

◉◉◉◎◎◎◎◎: Obfuscate 3 - Mask of 1000 Faces (Buff)

• Base Roll: 80
• Mod: Mental Skill & Willpower
  
• Energy/Blood Cost: 3 pts.
  
• Damage: n/a
• Permanent Affects: None

Description:
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.

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.

System: 
The Player spends 3 Points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. If the Character tries to physically impersonate someone, he/she/they must get a good look at the subject before putting on the mask. Or, it must be someone they are already familiar with. The Storyteller may raise the difficulty if the character catches only a glimpse of the person they wish to impersonate. 

◉◉◉◉◎◎◎◎: Obfuscate 4 - Vanish (Mental Skill)

• Base Roll: 70
• Mod: Mental Skill & Willpower
  
• Energy/Blood Cost: 4 pts.
• Resist: Alertness - a natural botch of 1-10 will have the Target spontaneously run from the area in abject fear and cannot return for 3 full turns until their fear dissipates.
• Damage: n/a
• Duration: For duration of the scene, unless dispelled earlier by caster.
• Permanent Affects: 
  • +5 Initiative

Description:
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. Those who see this risk running in fear to flee in the aftermath. Although vampires are not shaken so easily, even Kindred may be momentarily surprised by a sudden vanishing.

System: 
The Player spends 4 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. While there is no limit to how many people the Kindred can fool using Vanish, everyone who witnesses the disappearance can roll to resist, Modified by Alertness. When fully invisible, the vampire is handled as described under Unseen Presence.

BOTCH!: If the Vampire botches his roll (a natural 1-10) then he/she/they will fully believe they have succeeded and act as though they have successfully vanished. However, everyone will completely see them.

Target's Roll to Resist:

• If the target makes his roll to resist, then the individual can interact normally with the vampire (although the Kindred looks like a profoundly disturbing ghostly shape).
  
  
• A failed resist roll results in the target seeing the vampire fade completely from sight and disappear. He will then stand perplexed and confused for two full turns.
  
  
• A target that botches his roll to resist will spontaneously run from the area in abject fear and cannot return for 3 full turns until their fear dissipates.)

◉◉◉◉◉◎◎◎: Obfuscate 5 - Cloak the Gathering - (AOE)

• Base Roll: 80
• Mod: Mental Attack, Mental Skill, Willpower
• Energy/Blood Cost: 12 pts.
  
• Damage: n/a
• Area of Effect: Up to a 5 meter range on selectable targets
• Affects:
• Permanent Affects:
  • +5 Physical Attack
  • +5 Mental Attack
  • +10 Athletics/Reflexes
  • +10 Initiative

Description:

At this degree of power, the vampire may extend his concealing abilities to cover an area and those within that area, 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 Player spends 12 Points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. The Character may conceal up to eight additional individuals, including himself, using Cloak of Gathering. He may bestow any one additional Obfuscate power at a given time to the group concealed under this ability. While the power applies to everyone under the Character’s cloak, his Player need only make a single roll to succeed. 

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.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◎◎: Obfuscate 6 - Mask of Janus - (Mental Skill)

• Base Roll: 80
• Mod: Mental Skill, Mental Attack
• Energy/Blood Cost: 10pts.
• Resist: Willpower
• Damage: n/a
• Permanent Affects: None

Description:
While much like Mask of a Thousand Faces, it both allows the Vampire to exchange their face and appearance with that of another person within 20 meters of them. Mask of Janus allows the character to assume the physical appearance of another individual, however, the target's appearance also changes - to match that of the Vampire character invoking the power. 

Unlike Mask of a Thousand Faces, Mask of Janus can only be used to exactly duplicate another person. It cannot be used to create a new or unique image, nor can it be used to only assume select attributes. 

System:
The Player spends 10 Energy/Blood points and makes a successful roll. The target must be visible to the character, within 20 meters. The victim can resist, Mod Willpower, with a higher roll. This power lasts until the next sunrise, or until the Vampire discontinues it's effects, whichever comes sooner.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◎: Obfuscate 7 - Mental Maze - (Mental Attack)

• Base Roll: 70
• Mod: Mental Skill, Mental Attack
• Energy/Blood Cost: 7 pts.
• Resist: Willpower
• Damage: 0
• Duration: One Scene
• Permanent Affects: None

Description:
This disorienting ability robs the target of all sense of direction, making them feel lost even in the most familiar of settings. Consequently, this ability forces the target to move in circles and binds them him to an area of the vampire’s choosing. While the Target may feel they are making progress in finding their way out, they always end up where they started from. By using this power, a vampire can literally 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 Player spends 7 Points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. This ability affects one person per use. To initiate, the Player makes a successful roll (70+) modified by Mental Skill and Mental Attack. Repeatedly using this ability, the Player can affect another person each time. Normally, the power is used in a multi-room structure such as a house, or an outside area about the same size. But it can be used on a much larger area (anything from an office tower to a neighborhood). It cannot be used to contain a victim to a single room.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉: Obfuscate 8 - Manifold Guise - (Mental Skill)

• Base Roll: 90
• Mod: Mental Skill & Mental Attack
• Energy/Blood Cost: 12 pts.
• Resist: None
  
• Damage: n/a
• Range: 20 Meters
• Duration: One Scene (or until the vampire leaves the area, or choses to discontinue it early.)
• Permanent Affects: None

Description:
This powerful ability enables the vampire to project his appearance (or that of another person) onto everyone near (or just a single/several people of their choosing), making them take on the physical appearance, clothing and voice of the Vampire using this skill (or the person he has selected as a template. This "template" must be a person in the same room). Want to confuse a bunch of Hunters or local police out for your blood? This would be the way to do it.

Much like Mask of a Thousand Faces, those affected by Manifold Guise do not feel different, nor do they feel their physical looks have changed in any way. Still, by outward appearance, they look like whomever the vampire chooses as a template. This mask cannot be wiped or cleaned away unless the Vampire who initiated the power leaves the area or chooses to stop using his ability for the effect to fade. Additionally, Manifold Guise also projects the same clothing and voice upon each person, so when they talk, they all sound like the person the Vampire wishes them to emulate.

System: 
The Player spends 12 Points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. The Player's Character can either choose to cast his own appearance upon everyone within the immediate area, or choose someone he's looking at during that moment (that person must be in the same room.) That means anyone caught within the 20 meter area, be they two or a two 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.

NOTE: The only way for a person to find the original amongst all the copies is if they notice movements, actions or other idiosyncrasies known to be displayed by that person (such as a nervous tick, coughing, allergic reactions, etc.). 

To make this observation, the person looking for the Vampire must know something of them that would identify them by their actions, AND requires a Roll higher than the Vampire's Roll, with a Mod Alertness and Investigation.

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)   

• Base Roll: PASSIVE
• Mod: N/A
• Energy/Blood Cost: 1 pt.
• Damage: 0
• Duration: 2 Turns
• Permanent Affects:
  • +5 Physical Attack, 
  • +5 Physical Defense
  • +5 Mental Skill
  • +5 Athletics/Reflexes
  • The vampire can automatically pass checks to keep their balance.

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: 
This is a Passive skill and does not require the use of Energy or a successful roll. In certain circumstances, a Storyteller may request a situational roll associated with using the character’s sense. 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. This power does not let characters see in pitch darkness.

◉◉◎◎◎◎◎◎: 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: 
The Player spends 3 Energy/Blood Points and makes a successful roll. The character stares at the subject for at least a few seconds, then the Player uses 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 (rolling a natural 1-10)  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! (Rolling a natural 1-10) 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.  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 spends 5 Points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. The Storyteller may provide a Temporary modifier bonus of +1 to +30 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 Mod 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
• Resist: 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, OR2) 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: 
The Player spends 8 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. 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, using this same skill a second time. 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
• Resist: 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 Player's Character finds a safe place for his/her/their body, then the Player spends 8 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. If the roll is not successful, the Player 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
• Permanent Affects:
  • +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 Player spends 6 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. For the next two turns, the Character can mentally scan the area, flying above, or until they end the ability. If the vampire is attacked by surprise while in this state, they suffer a -5 Physical 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 (Mental Attack)   

• Base Roll: 70
• Mod: Mental Attack & Mental Skill
• Resist: 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 Player spends 14 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. The character must touch or make eye direct contact with his Target. If the Target fails to resist, the Target takes 42 points of damage.

COOLDOWN: This can only be used once on an individual per scene. And can only be attempted on a different individual every other turn.

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

• Base Roll: 90
• Mod: Willpower, Mental Attack & Mental Skill
• Resist: None
• Energy/Blood Cost: 8 pts.
• Damage: n/a
• Duration: Lasts for the length of the scene
• Permanent Affect: 
  • +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 Player spends 8 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. The Player then sends an IM or sets 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 note-carded. 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.

DEMENTATION

Dementation is the Discipline that allows a vampire to focus and channel madness into the minds of those around him. Though it’s the natural legacy of the Malkavians, practitioners of Dementation need not actually be mad to use the Discipline, but it helps.

Disturbingly, Dementation doesn’t actually make their victims mad, but rather it seems to break down the doors to the hidden darkness of the Target’s mind, releasing into the open whatever is found there. The Malkavians claim that this is because insanity is the next logical step in mental evolution, a transhumanist advancement of what modern people consider consciousness. Other Kindred scoff that this reasoning is an outright justification for the chaos that Dementation brings. They don’t scoff too loudly, however, lest the Malkavian advance their consciousness next.

NOTE: It is impossible to use Dementation without the user having at least one derangement. If that derangement is cured, then Dementation can no longer be accessed. This is seen as evidence by most vampires to the connection between the Discipline and the Clan Curse of the Malkavians. Also, users of Dementation are at risk of spreading their insanity to others.

For more information and the list of DERANGEMENTS, CLICK HERE.

◉◎◎◎◎◎◎◎: Dementation 1 - Passion (Mental Attack)   

• Base Roll: 50
• Mod: Mental Attack, Mental Skill
• Resist: Mental Defense
• Energy/Blood Cost: 1 pt.
• Damage: 0
• Duration: Two Turns
• Permanent Buffs: 
  • +5 Mental Attack
  • +5 Mental Skill

Description: 
The vampire stirs his victim’s emotions, either giving a push to heightening them to a fevered pitch or blunting them until the target is completely desensitized. The Cainite may not choose which emotion is affected, nor may they create emotions not already present; she may only choose to amplify or dull a single emotion already present in the target. In this way, a vampire can inflame mild irritation into quivering rage or atrophy true love into casual interest.

System: 
The Player's Character must first talk to the Target. Once a dialogue has started, the Player spends 1 point of Energy/Blood, makes a successful roll. If the Target fails to resist, the Player and then tells the Target Player in an IM if the ability will heighten or decrease an emotion. 

The Target may select which emotion is changed (typically this is the strongest emotion being felt at that moment, but this is up to the Target's Player, or Storyteller if the Target is an NPC). 

Example effects of this power might include:

• Subtracting -10 points for the Target to Frenzy 
• Adding +10 points to Frenzy. 
• Adding 1-5 pts of Rage for a Garou over the two turns
• Adding/decreasing 10 points for the Target to resist Presence powers
• And other such effects.

If the Target is already agitated or currently feeling a strong emotion, the Vampire can increase or decrease that emotion, sending mild irritation to a rage, intense love to indifference, or pushing any emotion from one end to the other.

◉◉◎◎◎◎◎◎: Dementation 2 - Haunting (Mental Attack)   

• Base Roll: 60
• Mod: Mental Skill
• Resist: Willpower
• Energy/Blood Cost: 1 pt.
• Damage: 1 HP
• Duration: 1 OOC day
• Permanent Affects: 
  • +5 Mental Attack
  • +5 Mental Skill
  • +10 Initiative
• Temporary Affects: 
  • -5 Mental Skill
  • -5 Mental Defense

Description: 
The vampire manipulates the sensory centers of his victim’s brain, flooding the victim’s senses with visions, sounds, scents, or feelings that aren’t really there. The images, regardless of the sense to which they appeal, are only fleeting “glimpses,” barely perceptible to the victim. An example of this might be to see a Shadow Person when no one is around, suddenly smell fresh oranges or cigarette smoke, feeling an invisible hand on their shoulder, and other such phenomenon. 

The vampire using Dementation cannot control what the victim perceives, but may choose which sense is affected. The “haunting” effects occur mainly when the victim is alone, and mostly at night. They may take the form of the subject’s repressed fears, guilty memories, or anything else that the Storyteller finds dramatically appropriate. The effects are never pleasant or unobtrusive, however. The Storyteller should let her imagination run wild when describing these sensory impressions; the victim may well feel her perception of reality is in question, she is going mad or as if the world is.

System:
After the vampire speaks to the victim, the Player spends one point of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. If the Target fails to resist, the Storyteller decides which particularly eerie or harrowing apparitions will haunt the victim. The Storyteller can also decide if those effects can inflict up to -15 mods on certain rolls for a turn or two after the manifestation. 

BOTCH! (Rolling a natural 1-10): The Malkavian using this skill instead becomes haunted by his own fear for one OOC day.

◉◉◉◎◎◎◎◎: Dementation 3 - Eyes of Chaos (Mental Skill) 

• Base Roll: 70
• Mod: Willpower, Mental Skill
• Resist: Willpower
• Energy/Blood Cost: 2 pt.
• Damage: 0
• Permanent Buffs: 
  • +5 Mental Skill

Description: 
This peculiar power allows the vampire to take advantage of the fleeting clarity hidden in insanity. She may scrutinize the “patterns” of a person’s soul, the convolutions of a vampire’s inner nature, or even random events in nature itself. 

The Kindred with this power can discern the most well-hidden psychoses, or gain insight into a person’s true self. Malkavians with this power often have (or claim to have) knowledge of the moves and countermoves of the great Jyhad, or the patterns of fate, turning what others perceive as chaos into order. For an example of how this might appear in roleplay, Click Here.

System: 
This power allows a vampire to determine a person’s true Nature, among other things. The vampire concentrates for a turn, then the Player spends 2 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. If the Target fails to resist, the information the Player receives depends on how well the Character knows the Target. The Storyteller will determine how much information you receive, however the more you already know of someone, the more information you can get.

The vampire could also read the message locked in a coded missive, or even see the doings of an invisible hand in such events as the pattern of falling leaves (difficulty 6). Almost anything or anyone might contain some hidden insight, no matter how trivial or meaningless. The patterns are present in most things, but are often so intricate they can keep a vampire spellbound for hours while she tries to understand their message.

STORYTELLERS: This is a potent power, subject to adjudication. Storytellers, this power is an effective way to introduce plot threads for a chronicle, reveal an overlooked clue, foreshadow important events, or communicate critical information a player seeks.
Important to its use, though, is delivering the information properly. Secrets revealed via Eyes of Chaos are never simple facts; they’re tantalizing symbols adrift in a sea of madness. Describe the results of this power in terms of allegory: “The man before you appears as a crude marionette, with garish features painted in bright stage makeup, and strings vanishing up into the night sky.” Avoid stating plainly, “You learn that this ghoul is the minion of a powerful Methuselah.”

◉◉◉◉◎◎◎◎: Dementation 4 - Voice of Madness (Area of Effect) 

• Base Roll: 80
• Mod: Intuition, Occult
• Resist: Willpower
• Energy/Blood Cost: 1 pt.
• Damage: 2
• Permanent Buffs: 
  • +5 Physical Attack
  • +10 Mental Attack
  • +5 Mental Skill

Description: 
By merely addressing his victims aloud, the Kindred can drive targets into fits of blind rage or fear, forcing them to abandon reason and higher thought. Victims are plagued by hallucinations of their subconscious demons, and try to flee or destroy their hidden shames. 

Tragedy almost always follows in the wake of this power’s use, though offending Malkavians often claim that they were merely encouraging people to act “according to their natures.” Unfortunately for the vampire concerned, he runs a very real risk of falling prey to his own voice’s power.

System: 
The Player spends one point of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. Humans are automatically affected and don’t remember their actions while berserk. Vampire, Garou or other supernatural Targets within a 20 Meter radius must roll to resist. However, all potential victims must be able to hear AND listen to the vampire’s voice. 

Targets who fail their roll to resist will fly immediately into frenzy or a blind fear like Rötschreck. Kindred or other creatures capable of frenzy, such as Lupines, must make a frenzy check or Rötschreck test (Storyteller’s choice as to how they are affected) at -20 Mod difficulty to resist the power.

 The frenzy or fear lasts for a scene, though vampires and Lupines may roll to resist once each turn to snap out of it. 

The vampire using Voice of Madness must also test for frenzy or Rötschreck upon invoking this power, though his difficulty to resist is at -5 Mod. 

If the initial roll to invoke this power is a failure, however, the Malkavian using this skill suffers a -20 Mod to resist the frenzy. If the roll to invoke this power is a Botch (rolling a natural 1-10), the Vampire's frenzy or Rötschreck response is automatic.

◉◉◉◉◉◎◎◎: Dementation 5 - Total Insanity (Mental Attack) 

• Base Roll: 95
• Mod: Persuasion, Mental Attack, Occult
• Resist: Willpower, Mental Defense
• Energy/Blood Cost: 1 pt.
• Damage: 2
• Duration: NPC, full day. PC, duration of the scene.
• Permanent Buffs: 
  • +10 Physical Attack
  • +5 Mental Attack
  • +10 Initiative
• Temporary Buffs (Afflicted Targets suffer debuffs for the duration of the afflicted):
  • -5 on all Rolls related to the following Mental Skills:
    • Mental Attacks
    • Mental Defense
    • Willpower
    • Persuasion
    • Intuition
    • Subterfuge

Description: 
The Malkavian vampire coaxes the madness from the deepest recesses of her target’s mind, focusing it into an overwhelming wave of insanity. This power has driven countless victims, vampires and mortals alike, to unfortunate ends as they suffer two mentally-agonizing derangements.

System: 
The Kindred must gain her Target’s undivided attention for at least one full turn to enact this power while the Malkavian Character speaks in riddles or nonsense. The Player then spends 1 Point of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. If the Target fails to resist, the Target is afflicted with two derangements of the Storyteller’s choice (see DERANGEMENTS below or CLICK HERE).

• Player-Characters: 
  • If the Target is a Player-Character, the insanity is for the duration of the scene. 
    • If the Target is an NPC, or the PC Target rolls a Botch for their resist roll, they are afflicted for one OOC day.
    • The Player-Character may roll to resist every turn. If they are successful, the affliction ends immediately. 
• NPCs: If the Target is an NPC and botches the roll, the Target is afflicted for one OOC week.

NOTE: The Malkavian using this skill may decide to end the affliction of their Target at any time. However, for as long as the Target is afflicted, the Malkavian benefits by receiving a +5 on all rolls related to Mental attributes, such as Mental Attacks, Mental Defense, Willpower, Persuasion, Intuition, and Subterfuge. (This is not stackable with any other Targets of Total Insanity.)

BOTCH! - If the Malkavian attempting to use this skill rolls a Botch, the Storyteller can decide what the vampire inflicts upon themselves by attempting to incite the primal hells lurking within the darkest recesses of a victim’s mind.  Duration is for the scene.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◎◎: Dementation 6 - Devil in the Mind (Mental Skill) 

• Base Roll: 120
• Mod: Mental Attack, Mental Skill, Occult
• Resist: Willpower, Mental Defense
• Energy/Blood Cost: 1 pt.
• Damage: 
  • 3 HP
  • -10 Subterfuge (for the duration of the scene, even if the Target is eventually able to break free.)
• Duration: Scene
  Permanent Buffs: 
  • +5 Mental Attack
  • +5 Mental Defense
  • +10 Mental Skill

Description: 
This insidious power becomes the bane of all social interactions attempted by the Target, as it breaks down inhibitions and social mores, while at the same time pulling subconscious impulses, ideas and opinions to the forefront. The Malkavian, Giselle the Fury, used this power to ruin a delicate negotiation between a group of Toreador elders in the Courts of Love — and the elder Malkavian subsequently found herself subject to a blood hunt, as her victims realized the likely source of their distress. 

System:
The Character makes eye contact with her Target. The Player then spends 1 point of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. If the Target fails to resist, he/she/they will immediately begin to feel the effects of this powerful skill.

Devil in the Mind works one of two ways: 

1. Removes Social Barriers: Normal social barriers that prevent people from speaking what is really on their minds, allows the target to say just what she feels and means instead of trying to cloak her words. Removing these internal filters is an efficient method of ruining delicate circumstances such as seduction, negotiation or tense diplomatic negotiations. 
2. Heightens Impulses: The second way is to strengthen impulses that would normally be suppressed and to make the victim focus on ideas and opinions that are inappropriate to the current situation. 

For Example: A woman trying to coax information out of a man she finds unattractive might suddenly begin thinking just how repulsive he really is, and be hard-pressed to not just come right out and say it; while a servant envying his master’s blessings of a warm cloak might simply try to take it, and demand that it be given to him if he is stopped. 

Devil in the Mind lasts for one scene. 

NOTE: Supernatural creatures may attempt to resist this power once per turn, but that is their action for that turn. Once resisted, the power over them is broken, but they still suffer -10 Subterfuge for the duration of the scene. 

Once the power subsides, the victim realizes that something was not right, though she does not necessarily suspect outside influence. However, those who successfully resisted the initial attempt to use Devil in the Mind on them do not realize the Vampire was attempting to influence their minds.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◎: Dementation 7 - Wave of Insanity (AOE) 

• Base Roll: 100
• Mod: Willpower, Mental Attack, Occult
• Resist: Willpower, Mental Defense, Mental Skill
• Energy/Blood Cost: 2 pt.
• Damage: 0
• Duration: Scene
• Range: Sound of the Malkavian's voice (20 meter chat range)
• Permanent Buffs: None
• Temporary Buffs (stackable per successfully-afflicted Target for scene):
  • +5 on all Rolls related to the following Mental Skills -
    • Mental Attacks
    • Mental Defense
    • Willpower
    • Persuasion
    • Intuition
    • Subterfuge

Description: 
The vampire using this power can cause the same effect as Total Insanity in a large number of mortals or vampires. The Vampire is not required to be within visual distance of those affected, but his/her/their voice must be heard, even if it is merely a whisper through a wall (Storyteller's discretion on whether or not the Vampire's voice can be heard). 

System:
The Player spends 2 points of Energy/Blood and makes a successful roll. The Storyteller decides how many Targets can hear the Vampire's voice. Those Targets must then make a roll to resist.

If the Target's modified roll is higher than the Malkavian Player's modified roll, they escape the affects of this power and do not realize that any influence was attempted on them. 

If the Vampire's Player has a modified roll that is higher than the Target's, the target is subjected to FIVE derangements of the Storyteller’s choice (see DERANGEMENTS below or CLICK HERE). Unlike Total Insanity, the derangements (and the stackable temp buffs) last only for the duration of the scene.

For Example: The Vampire's Player rolls a modified 105 and successfully is able to challenge the mental stability of every human, immortal or supernatural being who is within the sound of his voice (chat range). The Vampire loudly recites a confusing poem he has composed for the occasion. The Storyteller says there are six people, one is in the bathroom next door but hears the odd poem) who are able to hear the Vampire. (Ambient noise, people talking loudly, a band playing or other performance can inhibit how many people can actually hear the vampire.)

The Vampire's Player individually challenges each person in turn with a roll modified by his Willpower, Mental Attack and Occult. Each Target's roll is modified by their Willpower, Mental Defense and Mental Skill.

Three of the six people fail to beat the roll of the Vampire's Player and fall under the five derangements set by the Storyteller. (Each person can have a different set of derangements, or all the same if the Storyteller chooses.

Because three people succumbed to the Vampire's use of Wave of Insanity, the Malkavian Vampire receives 3 x (+5 Bonus) = +15 Temp Mod bonus for the following mental skills:

• Based on the above scenario, here are the stackable bonuses on all Mental Skills: 
  (Number of Targets Affected x 5 = Temp Bonuses)
  • +15 Mental Attacks
  • +15 Mental Defense
  • +15 Willpower
  • +15 Persuasion
  • +15 Intuition
  • +15 Subterfuge

The more people who succumb to the Malkavian's mental power over them, the higher the bonus becomes.

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉: Dementation 8 - Lunatic Eruption (AOE) 

• Base Roll: 140
• Mod: Willpower, Mental Attack, Occult
• Resist: Mental Defense, Willpower
• Energy/Blood Cost: 2 pt.
• Damage: 0
• Range: 50 meter/55 yard radius
• Duration: Ten Full Turns (or the rise of the sun, whichever comes first).
• Permanent Buffs: 
  • +5 Mental Attack
  • +5 Mental Defense
  • +5 Mental Skill

Description: 
This fearsome ability is only known to have been applied a few times in recorded Kindred history, most spectacularly during the final nights of the last battle of Carthage. It is effectively a psychic nuclear bomb, used to incite every intelligent being within several miles (kilometers) into an orgy of bloodlust and rage. It is suspected that the Malkavians have used the threat of this power as a bargaining chip in several key negotiations. Of course, using this power is a violation of the Masquerade.

System: 
This is a 2-Roll discipline. 

First: The Player spends 3 points of Energy and makes a successful roll. If the Player rolls a Botch (natural 1-10) the Player's Character and all other Malkavians in the affected 50 meter radius are inflicted with this diabolical curse. 

Second: The Malkavian using this power makes another roll, modified by his/her/their Willpower and Mental Attack.

• All affected Players must roll to beat this number, modified by their own Willpower and Mental Defense.
• All affected characters on the Sim who fail this roll will immediately fall into a violent scene of bloodlust, rage, and insanity. 
  • These Players will make their way to the epicenter location were the Malkavian used this ability (not the Malkavian himself). As they make their way, they will enact fits of insanity and violence.
  • Victims who failed their roll can choose to roll each turn to regain control. This Does Not constitute an action. 
    • If they make their roll, the lunacy instantly leaves them. 
    • Any Players who roll a Botch (natural 1-10) have their Lunacy last three turns longer. This is stackable for how many times a Player rolling to resist rolls a Botch. 
      • If during this time they make their roll, they must still play out the remaining botch turns due to their Botch(es).
• Those affected characters who make a higher roll than the Malkavian will not be affected and will not know that any type of influence was attempted on them.
• Anyone entering the affected area during which it is infected (10 turns) must make a roll or also succumb to the madness for Ten Full Turns. They also will attempt to make their way to the epicenter.
• Leaving the area does not end the madness.
• During this time period, Victims will not willing leave the SIM as they are driven to make their way to the epicenter. 
• If a Victim falls unconscious, the madness ends.

All sentient creatures fall prey to their baser instincts. Mortals spontaneously riot, looting and burning between bouts of mass violence. Kindred enter hunger-induced frenzies, draining dry as many vessels as they can sink their fangs into. Garou will indulge their inner beast, but not necessarily turn, in the most hedonistic of ways. An entire city can quite literally be driven temporarily insane by this power. 

The Lunatic Eruption’s effects persist for Ten full turns, or until the rise of the sun (whichever comes first). The exception to this is rolling a Botch on any and all resist rolls, adding an extra three turns to the duration of the Lunacy.

The source of Lunatic Eruption may be pinpointed if a character is using Heightened Senses, Auspex, or an equivalent power during the duration of the Lunacy. After which, the spell's affects dissipate and can no longer be pinpointed. This is automatic and requires no roll. However, this grants no knowledge of what actually happened — the observer simply “feels” a massive psychic shockwave explode in the direction of the epicenter.