The terrifying nature of the Beast is a horrific reminder of the fundamental predator-prey dichotomy of existence. Shown the Beast, another being is reduced to the most primal of instincts, foregoing all reason and cunning in the face of primeval horror. The vampire makes eye contact with a subject and reveals the inner core of the Kindred’s being. The Beast looks hungrily upon the subject and invokes a reaction appropriate to that person’s nature. Direct eye contact is required between vampire and target; looking at someone over a satellite transmission does not apply.
- (The Nosferatu clan weakness does not apply to the Discipline user’s roll.)
An activation roll is made for the vampire, and a reflexive and contested roll is made for any single person who looks upon him. The power now affects just one person. You can only affect a group indirectly in that the companions of the affected person may decide to follow his lead and join in on running away. This is purely up to the group members though, as they are not directly affected by the power. The onlooker must still see the Vampire and the television/video clause is still in place. Any onlooker must see the vampire in person; the character’s appearance is frightening on a television or video camera, but no more so than any special effect. Record the successes achieved on the power’s activation roll to compare to all comers’ contested rolls.
Roll Results
- Dramatic Failure: The vampire is incapable of Eye of the Beast for the remainder of the scene.
- Failure: Successes rolled for the subject exceed or tie those rolled for the vampire. The onlooker is taken aback, but no effect is triggered.
- Success: The most successes are rolled for the vampire against a mortal. The victim is paralyzed with fear, incapable of moving or taking any action. If the victim is attacked, his Defense applies and he may act in the next turn and thereafter, but he must dedicate all his efforts to escaping the vampire’s proximity. Therefore, he doesn’t take time to attack anyone unless doing so is necessary to escaping. Unmolested, a mortal remains paralyzed as long as the vampire remains in his presence. If the spell is broken with an attack, the victim spends the remainder of the scene trying to flee the creature.
- Alternatively, the most successes are rolled for the character against another vampire or another supernatural being that is capable of frenzy. The victim must flee the vampire for the remainder of the scene as per the Frenzy rules. Another vampire is subject to Rötschreck, for example. In this case, if successes rolled for the subject tie those rolled for the character, the subject simply frenzies for the remainder of the turn without fleeing, attacking anyone near him. That might include the user of Eye of the Beast.
- Exceptional Success: As a success, but the subject also loses a point of Willpower.
