Psychometric Resonance
Power Description: Psychometric Resonance is far more than an advancement of the level three psychometric power, it is an evolution in the use of Auspex. The power of 'Resonance' differs from normal psychometry in that it does not require contact with items, only proximity, though contact can ease the difficulty of using this power. The power allows for psychometric examination of a space and all objects contained within that space.
At the time of its construction, a structure is a tabula rasa, with minimal inherent psychic impressions. Thereafter, it begins to absorb the psychic impressions of all those who have contact with it. Of course, those who lived and died within it leave the strongest impressions, but people of particularly strong emotion or personality can leave behind traces of themselves for years. Places can and usually do have particular psychic 'personalities' of their own, of which the user of 'Resonance' is privy. Should a vampire with 'Psychometric Resonance' come to reside in a building, he or she comes to intimately understand the underlying psychic pattern of the place and can detect subtle changes to the psychic environment.
As with psychometry, this power "reads" the psychic residue of a place and all things within it, from its beginning to the present time. Such a reading can reveal the identities of those who resided in or visited the place, what they felt and experienced, their intentions as they passed through the space and the items they handled while within it. The lesser powers of Auspex are usable at no additional difficulty, allowing the vampire to use his or her supernatural senses to learn about those who left psychometric impressions. The vampire can "look" at auras as they registered in the past, glean psychometric contact with items brought into that space earlier in history, and even "read" the surface thoughts of those present within that space at a previous time.
One of the experiential differences between psychometry and psychometric resonance is that instead of a "psychic snapshot" the vampire experiences a "psychic hologram" of events. The psychic experience is essentially a collage of the compressed emotional residue of one or more lifetimes. When this power is activated, the user begins his or her perceptions of past events at their beginning and moves forward through the psychic history of a place. Depending on the age of the building or location, this process could take a minimum of a few minutes or it might last the entire night. The vampire can at will, reverse the flow of images and impressions, stop them to study a particular event or fast-forward to another scene. As with anything else, practicing this power regularly improves one's chances of gleaning useful information and this power can be invaluable as a tool of investigation.
A wealth of information is usually available, but the vampiric user of this power may spend a considerable amount of time sorting through useless errata to find the experiences and impressions he or she is searching for. This power requires the vampire to be within the structure or in physical contact with its external surface and to enter a deep trance. While using "Psychometric Resonance" the vampire is out of touch with his or her surroundings and is vulnerable to observation or attack. It is wise for a vampire using this power to have someone dependable nearby to look after his or her body, while exploring the psychic history of a place.
The power may be used indoors or outdoors, but a defined and enclosed space eases the use of this power, allowing it to be channeled throughout a building. If used outdoors, it is limited to a small, but defined geographic formation, like a forest glen, a pond, a hilltop, etc. If used upon a building, the structure can be as small as a single room log cabin or as large as a modern sports stadium. Buildings such as a modern skyscraper or the catacomb of an ancient city are too large for this power to be effective.
Power System: The player rolls Perception + Empathy. The difficulty is determined by the age of the psychic impressions, the psychic strength of the individuals involved or the emotional intensity of the events that transpired. Perceiving impressions from a murder that occurred a few weeks ago may require a difficulty of five (5), while learning who slept in a particular room of the house decades ago, might require a difficulty of nine (9). The greater the emotional connection to a place, the stronger the emotional residue left behind will be and the more information the vampire can glean from that place. Events involving strong emotions (betrayal, birthdays, childbirth, dying, lovemaking, murder, weddings, etc) leave behind particularly intense and detailed residue compared to that of everyday life. Presume that each success reveals one piece of useful information. The more successes the user has, the more detailed the vision is and the more complete the vampire's understanding of past events. Ultimately, the Storyteller decides how much information the character receives and how useful it is to his or her investigations.
This power is particularly useful in connection with supernatural beings, as they tend to leave a more lasting impression on the psychic structure of a building or place. When a vampire attempts to read the surface thoughts of a supernatural being, he or she, need not spend a willpower point as normally required because the thoughts left behind by a supernatural being are not the same as trying to read the thoughts of a fully active supernatural mind with all its complexity and defenses. It is also worth noting, that this power by its nature leaves behind a very strong psychic signature on places and the objects they contain. Thus, a vampire with the level three Auspex power of Psychometry could easily detect the previous use of "Psychometric Resonance" on all the items in an apartment by simply 'reading' multiple objects present in the apartment at that time. Obviously, this is a signature discipline power and if detected points directly at its creator as an involved party; theoretically, it would be possible to mask the power with an equally potent power of the Obfuscate discipline designed to specifically cover the unique signature of psychometric resonance.
Note: Though this power has been used with the approval of storytellers in the past, it has never before been written down with a full description. I understand that it needs to be read and approved by the storytellers before it will be sanctioned for game play. I invite all players and storytellers to look it over and let me know what they think. - Bruce
