Paralyzing Glance

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Presence 6

Description: Some elders have honed their mastery of Dread Gaze (Presence 2) to such a degree that they are said to be able to slay with but a look. Paralyzing Glance is not quite as effective as all that, but its impact isn't anything to sneeze at, either. The power's name is something of a misnomer, as victims of this power are not precisely paralyzed in a physical sense, but rather frozen with sheer terror.

System: The character must make eye contact with her intended victim. The player then rolls Manipulation + Intimidation (difficulty equal to the target's Willpower). Success renders the victim so terrified that he falls into a whimpering catatonic state, unable to take any actions except curling into a fetal position and gibbering incoherently. The condition lasts for a length of time determined by the number of success rolled. If the victim's life is directly threatened (by assault, impending sunrise, etc.), the poor wretch may attempt to break out of his paralysis with a Courage roll (difficulty of the character's Intimidation + 3). One success ends the paralysis. A botch sends the victim into a continuous state of Rotschreck for the rest of the night.

Successes Duration
1 success 3 turns
2 5 minutes
3 Remainder of the scene
4 One hour
5 Rest of the night
6+ A week (or more, at Storyteller discretion)