The specialty Discipline of Clan Daeva, Majesty is the Kindred Discipline of preternatural charisma and charm. Its applications allow the practitioner to impose willing submission, to elicit the confessions of dark secrets and more. One of the most versatile of all powers, Majesty, unlike other Disciplines such as Dominate, can be used on crowds of people rather then a only a single person. It can be said that those who develop Majesty to its limit recognize that you catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar.
The downside to Majesty, such as is it is, is that its subjects retain their free will. Unlike victims of Dominate, who follow the commands of the Kindred nearly mindlessly, those acting under Majesty are simply emotionally predisposed to do whatever the power (or its user) suggests. While retention of personality makes victims more useful in the long run, it also means they require more care in handling than targets of Dominate. An abused victim of Majesty certainly subverts or represses what his emotions suggest in order to behave in the most appropriate manner. Meanwhile, subjects treated well might be persuaded to act against even their own interests.
- Any mortal can resist Majesty (except Sovereignty) for one turn if a Willpower point is spent and a successful Composure roll is made (though the Willpower point does not add three dice to the roll). This roll is reflexive. If the roll fails, the Willpower point is lost and the target remains under the effects of the power(s). If the roll is successful, the mortal probably spends his turn of “freedom” fleeing the vampire’s proximity, lest he continue to be affected. Refusing to pay attention to the vampire, rather than fleeing, can allow a mortal to resist the spell for a turn, but the power resumes effect if the mortal remains in the Kindred’s vicinity.
- Vampires resist Majesty (except Sovereignty) in much the same way (by spending a Willpower point), but Blood Potency is added to Composure rolls made for them. In addition, vampires of higher Blood Potency than the character invoking Majesty are able to resist his power for the entire scene with the expenditure of one Willpower point and a successful Composure + Blood Potency roll.
Basic Discipline Levels
• Awe
This power allows a supernatural degree of charm; people affected by the power fawn over the are fascinated by the user. They won’t take actions that will result in harm to them, but they will be polite and deferential. For the caster to use this power, roll Presence + Expression + Majesty. If you get more successes than the target has dots of Composure, that person is awed. When you make a social roll to affect that awed person anytime for the rest of the scene, you gain a bonus equal to the number of successes. Awe can be used against more than one person, but you suffer a –1 penalty for affecting two people, and –2 for affecting 3 to 6. Anyone can shake off the effects of Awe for one turn by spending a Willpower point.
Errata: Vampire
Up to 'Success' it's identical. In the Success description the following is added after the existing description (exact quote): Any social rolls he engages in with them gains a number of bonus dice equal to the number of successes rolled to activate the power.
Exceptional Success is completely changed and now only indicates that that you make a more profound impact on the audience. There is no more bonus effect here.
The effect works automatically. Rather than comparing successes people are now always affected in order of Composure levels, lowest first, highest last. So it's still not possible to single out a specific person. The amount of people affected is still determined by the penalty you are willing to take. The chart remains the same.
People affected pay attention to the Vampire. They laugh at jokes and believe the stories the Vampire tells. Subsequent uses of Awe can be attempted to affect more people, but the results of the new attempt replace the successes of the previous roll (so it could get worst if you get less successes).
The power is still 1 scene and people can still be thrilled to see the Vampire again after the affect has ended.
•• Revelation
The allure and reassurance of a Kindred with this power is enough to make others forego caution and share their innermost feelings and secrets. A few complimentary or compassionate words or a heartfelt look for the vampire can break down a person's prudence and fear, inspiring a desire to share deep feelings or dark secrets in an upwelling of affection or release
••• Entrancement
This power is perhaps the closest thing that Majesty gets to serious command over the thoughts of another. Its power warps the emotional state of the subject, making him a willing servant of the vampire. Subjects retain their sense of identity and free will, believing that every instinct to serve and admire comes of their own volition. When the duration of an Entrancement ends, however, confusion and displacement arise, often leading to mixed feelings. Similar to falling out of love, re-entrancing a former “lover” is difficult at best.
•••• Summoning
This rather potent power allows the vampire to call any individual he knows personally to his side. There is no limit to how far the vampire can reach out to someone but summoning someone halfway around the world takes time. The person the vampire summons is suddenly drawn to the vampire and imminently goes to be at the vampires side. The person effected would have a sort of directional sense to navigate to the vampire. He would take the most direct path to her. The call fades at the first signs of dawn.
••••• Sovereignty
One of the most potent of all Kindred abilities, Sovereignty augments the power of a vampire’s personal deportment to incredible levels. The newly empowered mien inspires devotion, respect and fear in those who stand in the vampire’s proximity. The weak-willed (and cunning) supplicate themselves for the chance to serve, and the stout of heart find themselves at a loss to do anything but acquiesce. Sovereignty’s power influences decisions, breaks hearts,cripples confidence and shakes the ambitious to the foundations of their determination.
The vibe the vampire gives off makes others quick to surrender, and the thought of risking his displeasure quails even the heartiest souls. Raising one’s voice to a sovereign Kindred seems unthinkable; aggressing upon him seems impossible. The power of this level of Majesty is a terrifying thing to behold, and a difficult thing to rein in once it’s let loose. Elders are wise not to abuse it or use it too flippantly, as its power is most effective when used both sparingly and exactingly. Despite its mighty prowess, Sovereignty is a finely honed tool — a scalpel, rather than a sword.
- Sovereignty is considered “always active” during scenes in which it is invoked, though it may be turned off at the Kindred’s discretion. Activating the power requires an instant action. Its capacity is tested whenever challenged. When the power is at its “normal” level, people can speak freely around the vampire as long as they don’t try to defy or criticize him, though their demeanor is marked by an obvious obeisance to the Kindred invoking Sovereignty. Anyone wishing to attack the vampire, however, whether physically, mystically or socially, calls the user’s Sovereignty into question. A reflexive and contested roll is made for presiding vampire and would be attacker.
- The power applies against physical attacks as well as intended uses of Disciplines that could harm or affect the reigning vampire negatively. Intentions to speak an ill word about or at the sovereign vampire invoke the same contested roll. If the effort fails, the would-be critic cannot bring himself to say what he wishes to.
- If the presiding vampire responds to aggression by physically attacking back, he breaks his Sovereignty with respect to that subject alone. Use of a Discipline in a damaging or negative way against a would-be aggressor also breaks the spell against that individual alone. All other would-be combatants, Discipline users or naysayers must continue to overcome the reigning vampire’s power if they wish to turn aggressor. The sovereign vampire does not break his spell over a subject by disparaging him publicly.
- +3 The challenger is a thrall to the sovereign Kindred, under a full Vinculum to her.
- +2 Power affects a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie[1].
- +2 The challenger is under the second stage of a partial Vinculum to the sovereign Kindred.
- +1 The challenger is affected by the first stage of a partial Vinculum to the sovereign Kindred.
- +1 The challenger has already attempted one attack in the scene, which was denied by the Discipline.
- — The challenger seeks to attack the sovereign Kindred.
- Dramatic Failure: A dramatic failure is rolled for the sovereign vampire. The assailant may attack, use Disciplines or criticize for the rest of the scene without having to make challenges to the character’s Sovereignty.
- Failure: The sovereign character loses or ties the contested roll; attacks, Discipline uses or criticisms proceed without penalty, but the attacker feels the weight of his action in every movement.
- Success: The sovereign character wins the contested roll by getting the most successes, and the assault cannot be carried out this turn. A subsequent attempt calls for another contested roll.
- Exceptional Success: The sovereign character wins the contested roll with five or more successes, and the would-be assailant cannot attack or disparage the vampire for the duration of the night.
- Note also that, unlike other uses of Majesty, Sovereignty may not be overcome with the expenditure of a Willpower point and success on a Composure + Blood Potency roll[2]. The power is defensive and overwhelming, and it must be countered by a determined foe as described here.
- Note that a contested roll must be made every time someone wishes to make a new attack, use a Discipline or criticize the vampire who uses Sovereignty (with the obvious exception of dramatic failures and exceptional successes).
