The signature Discipline of Clan Ventrue, Dominate is a powerful tool for those kindred who can't avoid social interactions. Even better for those who actually seek them, just to force other people to do their bidding; Dominate is, then, the Discipline of mind control, used by Kindred to destroy a subject's will and bending it to one's desires. It is a fine and dangerous tool, however, as most of its powers require both eye contact and precise wording of the mental suggestions or commands being issued; one wrong word or distracted glance could prove disastrous. That won't stop many kindred from using this power Discipline, as the benefits of supernaturally enforced, unquestioned obedience far outweight the drawbacks.
Discipline Levels
• Command
By using the power of his will, the vampire can issue a one word command to victim. If the commanding kindred's mental power overwhelms the target, she must obey that command to the best of her abilities, as long as her life isn't threatened or does something too unnatural. These commands can be immersed in daily speech to conceal them; however, the specific word that activates the compulsion must be intoned in a clearer, more noticeable way.
| Regarding tasks which might have a duration (ex. 'Guard' or 'Wait'), the duration will last for a number of Turns equal to the successes rolled on activation, as per Minds Eye Theatre The Requiem.
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•• Mesmerize
Overshadowing the power of Command, Mesmerize allows the vampire to give a series of complex suggestions and commands. Unlike Command, hiding these suggestion in normal speech is almost impossible due to the very particular way in which they must be articulated.
••• The Forgetful Mind
After the initial eye contact, the target enters a trance, during which the vampire can manipulate his victim's memories through verbal commands. Extreme care and precaution is needed: Not only does it take prolonged lengths of time to successfully alter a person's memory, it must also be made in a safe and quiet environment for it to work appropriately.
•••• Conditioning
A patient vampire can slowly erode a victim's will over time, making her more susceptible to all other uses of Dominate. This power needs even more time and more fine tuning, as the kindred using Dominate must use this power for weeks before effecting any noticeable change. The results are more than favorable, however, as the conditioned individual will often fail to realize her situation.
••••• Possession
The ultimate form of mind control, Possession turns a target's eyes into a doorway to her mind: The Kindred can actually overpower her victim's mind and take control of her body, implanting his vampiric mind instead. The Kindred's body remains in a torpor-like state for the duration of this power or until the Possession ends. It is the closest (Short of Golconda) that a vampire can be of removing the curse... And even then, it carries within many dangers.
