CHIMERSTRY
Contents
Introduction
Chimerstry gives the Ravnos control over illusions. Where the power comes from is anyone’s guess. Many Ravnos attribute it to the self-enlightened state of seeing past the maya of the world. Yet, even those that do not believe in the illusions of reality can easily manipulate illusions. Some European Ravnos believe that the power comes from their founder drinking the blood of fairies, but the veracity of that claim is as ephemeral as the illusions the power controls. Regardless of the truth, the Charla- tans use Chimerstry as a potent tool in dealing with the world around them.
The Discipline allows the Ravnos to shape reality to his own vision and will, creating realistic illusions and phantasms to confuse the senses or trick the minds of his victims. Mortals and vampires alike fall prey to these illusions unless the vampire has learned in sufficient levels of Auspex (see p. 195). Victims of Chimerstry can see through the illusions if they can “prove” the illusion’s falsehood (e.g. a person who attempts to lean against an illusionary wall and passes through will no longer see the wall at all), and incredible illusions (e.g. monsters rising from the sea, or flying horses) give a chance for the victim to realize their falsehood with a roll of Perception + Alertness (difficulty 6).
●IGNIS FATUUS
The vampire can create simple static illusions that can confound a single sense. For instance he can create the sound of horse’s hooves, the smell of hay, the appearance of a shining jewel, or even the feel of a hand pushing inside a pocket. While tactile illusions can be felt, they cannot harm anyone nor do any real damage.
System: The player spends one Willpower point, and creating the illusions takes the vampire’s action. The vampire can create illusions in an area of roughly 7 cubic meters per dot the vampire has in Chimerstry, and the vampire must be able to sense the area in which he creates the illusion. For example, he cannot create the illusion of a coin inside a box unless he can see or feel the inside of the box, but he can create the sound of coins rattling around if the box is shaken. The illusion remains until the vampire chooses to end the illusion or leaves the area.
●●CHIMAERA
Chimaera allows the vampire to create static illusions that affect any or all of the senses. The vampire could create the illusion of a bladed weapon that feels hard to the touch, or a soft flower that gives off a sweet perfume. These are just illusions, and a sword will pass right through someone if thrust. An image created in this way can be completely stationary, as with Ignis Fatuus, or it can move naturally as an item can be carried by a person or a sword will look to be hitched to the sword belt.
System: The player spends one Willpower and one blood point to create the illusion. She must choose at the time of creation if the illusion is completely stationary or if it is tied to a person, place, or animal and will remain that way for its duration. These illusions follow the same rules for area creation and duration as Ignis Fatuus illusions.
●●●PHANTASM
Phantasm allows the vampire to give motion to an illusion created with Ignis Fatuus or Chimaera. Thus the user can create images of a roaring fire, a living moving being, or even a flag fluttering in the wind.
System: After creating an illusion with Ignis Fatuus or Chimaera, spend one blood point to make the illusion move. As long as the vampire concentrates on the illusion, he can make it move in any way he wishes, within reason. He can make an illusion of a person appear to move and talk as though she was real, or he can make the illusion of a sparkling ballroom with billowing drapes and flickering candelabras. If the vampire wishes to take any complicated action besides maintaining the illusion, he must first succeed on a Willpower roll. If the roll fails, the illusion will dissipate completely.
Once the creator stops concentrating on the illusion, it can continue in simple repetitive motions that could be described in a simple sentence, such as a horse nervously pawing at the ground. After that, the illusion cannot be controlled by the creator. He can allow it to move as he last directed, or dispel it as with Ignis Fatuus.
●●●●PERMANENCY
Like Phantasm, this power is also used in conjunction with either Ignis Fatuus or Chimaera. It extends the duration of the illusion indefinitely, even when the vampire is not around to maintain it. In this way, the Ravnos could create elaborate illusions of stately affairs with guests and dancing in a small run down building, without even having to be there to witness his victim’s impressions.
System: The player spends one blood point to make the illusion permanent until dismissed (this includes illusions “programmed” with Phantasm).
●●●●●HORRID REALITY
The vampire now has the ability to refine her tricks into very realistic pervasive illusions that affect only one person. The illusion is so real that the victim believes completely in its reality, even to the point of taking damage from it. As such, an illusionary wall would prevent a victim’s escape and an illusionary fire would burn a victim. This power only affects one person, but everyone can see the illusion he suffers from. Other people may attempt to convince the victim that the illusion is not real, though he has a hard time believing them. A victim with Auspex can still attempt to see through the illusion (p. 195).
System: A Horrid Reality illusion costs two Willpower points to create and lasts for an entire scene. The player must declare a victim when the illusion is created. If the user is attempting to injure her victim, her player rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge (difficulty the victim’s Perception + Self-Control/Instinct). Each success inflicts one health level of lethal damage on the victim that cannot be soaked.
If the user wishes to do less damage or bashing damage, she can declare a maximum amount of damage or the type of damage before rolling dice. Secondary effects (such as frenzy rolls for illusory fire) may also occur.
The victim can escape the terror of the Horrid Reality if he can be convinced the illusion is not real. This requires at least two successes on a Charisma + Empathy roll (difficulty equal to the Maniuplation + Subterfuge of the vampire using Horrid Reality). If the target is convinced the illusion is not real, the terror of the illusion no longer affects him. Illusory walls no longer stop him, and all damage is healed. If the target took damage from an attack due to Horrid Reality, he must be convinced of its illusory nature within 24 hours of the attack. Otherwise, it becomes too well established in his mind and he must heal it with blood (if a vampire), or over time (if mortal).
This power cannot actually kill its victim. A victim “killed” by an illusory attack loses consciousness or enters torpor.
●●●●●●FATUUS MASTERY
The vampire’s understanding of reality has given her mastery over the creation of illusions. The Ravnos has no limit to how many times she can create illusions with the first three levels (Ignis Fatuus, Chimaera, and Phantasm) and can maintain her illusions with minimal concentration or fatigue.
System: Fatuus Mastery negates the Willpower and blood cost for using the first three levels of Chimerstry. In addition, the Cainite is able to direct the movement of a number of illusions equal to her Intelligence without intense concentration. She can maintain her illusions as long as they remain within her Willpower rating in miles (1.5 times rating in km). However, she cannot make them react to events around them if she has no way of perceiving those events.
●●●●●●SHARED NIGHTMARE
Though everyone can see the illusion created with Horrid Reality, it only physically affects one person. With this level of Chimerstry, a Ravnos can inflict an entire crowd with her illusions.
System: To use this power, the player must spend two Willpower points plus one blood point per target. The player then rolls Manipulation + Subterfuge once, with a difficulty rating of the target’s Perception + Self Control/Instinct. The player compares their result against each target individually.
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