Empowering the Puppet King

Dominate 8

with this power, the vampire uses her singular will to give weight to the commands of another. In this way, she may rule from behind the throne, but still demand absolute compliance from her subjects. The puppet may not even be aware of the vampire's influence. She may mistakenly believe that her rule is absolute, failing to realize that only the support of her clandestine ally keeps her from the gallows.

Ventrue often use this talent to support a chosen noble in exchange for policies that favor and fatten the vampire's coffers. Malkavians, on the other hand, have used this ability at the most inopportune moments, choosing to empower sovereigns during heated debates or at whimsical moments. Noble lords have jumped into moats at the behest of their lieges, and ladies have met untimely fates on the chopping block due to the pranks of Madmen.

System: The player selects the subject of the character's Dominate attempt, and the nature of the Dominate power she wishes to bestow. The player must roll Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty equal to the recipient's Willpower). If the roll succeeds, the vampire may use any of her Dominate abilities through the pawn. The vampire attempts to Dominate any additional subjects as usual, though she may do so only through the eyes of her "puppet." In this way a puppet monarch can be made to condition subjects with Lure of Subtle Whispers, command guards with Murmur of the False Will, or the vessel may transfer mind into another's body with Vessel. The player must make the Manipulation + Subterfuge roll each time her character uses a new ability through the puppet.