Nightmare

Nightmare

Vampire The Requiem Sourcebook 133

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The Kindred Discipline of striking fear and dread into the hearts of others. Practitioners learn to manifest their inhumanity in their appearance or by letting unfortunate onlookers peer deep into their Damned souls. The Discipline can have a variety of effects, from shocking even the most jaded individual to literally frightening a victim to death. Nightmare is the signature Discipline of clan Nosferatu.

• Monstrous Countenance

The true face of a vampire is a frightening thing, indeed — made all the more terrifying by the assistance of this entirely unsubtle Nightmare power. When a Kindred activates Monstrous Countenance, he does so in conjunction with a ferocious baring of fangs and a raspy, malevolent hiss. This horrid display may be enough to shake the confidence on any onlooker, but the supernatural revelation of the vampire's Beast terrifies beyond the flesh, into the soul. The result is an experience most terrible, one that can make stalwart foes cower at the vampire’s feet.

•Cost: --

•Dice Pool: Presence + Intimidation + Nightmare versus subject's Composure + Blood Potency (The Nosferatu clan weakness does not apply to the Discipline user's roll.)

•Action: Contested

•Dramatic Failure: The vampire is incapable of Monstrous Countenance for the remainder of the scene.

•Failure: The subject's successes exceed or tie those rolled for the vampire. The subject is a bit shaken, but otherwise unaffected.

•Success: Successes rolled for the vampire exceed those rolled for the subject. The victim flees the vampire's presence entirely, using all available means at his disposal to do so. He continues fleeing for one turn per success rolled and will not come within sight of the vampire for the remainder of the scene.

•Exceptional Success: An exceptional success reduces the subject to a cowering heap, unable to take any action of his own volition. If attacked, a terror-stricken foe can defend himself (he is allowed Defense but not a dodge action), and may attack anyone who attacks him. He cannot attack the Nightmare-user, even if she is also the source of an attack. The victim remains terrified as long as the vampire remains in the vicinity.

•• Dread

A more subtle act than Monstrous Countenance, Dread instills the feeling of pure terror in the recipient's mind.

Effect: While an outward, physical manifestation can strike fear in onlookers, it is an overt, blunt means by which to prey upon the weak. More insidious and subtle is a general sense of unease, rising panic and paranoia that a vampire can engender with this power. The atmosphere of fear persists either as long as the vampire concentrates on it or until the end of the scene, whichever comes first. If the vampire does anything else drastic such as attacking someone, performing a dodge maneuver or activating another Discipline, the effects of Dread cease. Record the number of successes rolled for the vampire when this power is activated, and compare it to any rolled for newcomers to the power's area of effect. Those who lose the contested roll suffer a -2 penalty on all actions out of an inexplicable rising panic. Nor can they spend Willpower to gain three extra dice on any rolls, or +2 to any Resistance traits. (Willpower can be spent to activate capabilities or powers that require it, however.) Dread cannot be used selectively on some people surrounding the user, and not on others. Its effects are all or nothing. Nor can it be used more than once on any subject in a single scene.

•Cost: 1 Vitae

•Dice Pool: Manipulation + Empathy + Nightmare versus subject's Composure + Blood Potency (The Nosferatu clan weakness does not apply to the Discipline user's roll.)

•Action: Contested Gloom, disquiet and uncertainty creeps into the hearts of people around the vampire. Anyone within three yards per Willpower dot that the vampire possesses can be affected. One contested roll may be made reflexively for a crowd of prospective victims -- probably mortals -- based on the highest Composure among them.

•Dramatic Failure: The vampire is incapable of Dread for the remainder of the scene.

•Failure: Successes rolled for the subject exceed or tie those rolled for the vampire. The subject feels no ill effects.

•Success: The most successes are rolled for the vampire using Dread. See the above for results.

•Exceptional Success: The roll made for the vampire wins the contested roll and gets five or more successes. See the above for results. Each victim also loses a Willpower point.

••• Eye of the Beast

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.

•••• Shatter the Mind

The name is self-explanatory. Brutal, subtle, and evil, Shatter the Mind shows a victim their greatest fear, driving them insane.

Exceptional Success: No additional effect other than increased effectiveness.

•Effect: No description can be given to this level of Nightmare mastery other than inhumane brutality. And yet, the power is horribly insidious for affecting only a victim's mind, leaving the body untouched. The vampire confronts a subject with her greatest fear, driving her mad.

•Cost: 1 Willpower

•Dice Pool: Manipulation + Empathy + Nightmare versus subject's Composure + Blood Potency (The Nosferatu clan weakness does not apply to the Discipline user's roll.)

•Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive.

•Dramatic Failure: The vampire is incapable of using Shatter the Mind for the remainder of the scene.

•Failure: Successes rolled for the subject exceed or tie those rolled for the vampire. There is no effect.

•Success: The most successes are rolled for the user of the power. The victim loses her next action as she reels from the vision with which she is confronted. Her Defense still applies, but she cannot perform a dodge maneuver. All other actions for the remainder of the scene are performed at -1, and she loses one Willpower point. The victim is subject to a mild derangement for a number of weeks equal to the successes rolled for the Discipline user. The Storyteller decides what the derangement is. If the victim already has a mild derangement, the Storyteller can upgrade it to a severe one for the duration.

••••• Mortal Fear

The vampire weilds fear as a weapon, dealing actual physical damage with the terror they inflict. Premature aging, hair turning white, and even heart attacks are noted with use of Mortal Fear.

Even other vampires can be targets of Mortal Fear, reminding them of what they used to fear before becoming immortal.

Exceptional Success: No additional effect other than increased effectiveness.

Effect: At this point, the vampire is able to inspire fear as a weapon unto itself. A victim is so thoroughly and intensely frightened by the vampire that he suffers physical damage. He ages prematurely, his hair turns white and his heart stops temporarily -- or permanently. Even other vampires can be affected. They're reminded of what fear meant back during their breathing days, no matter how long ago those days might have been. The subject must be able to see the vampire employing this power for it to take effect.

•Cost: 1 Willpower

•Dice Pool: Presence + Intimidation + Nightmare - Composure (The Nosferatu clan weakness does not apply to the Discipline user's roll.)

•Action: Instant

•Dramatic Failure: The vampire is incapable of inflicting Mortal Fear for the remainder of the scene.

•Failure: No successes are achieved. While the subject is taken aback, he suffers no pain or other effects.

•Success: Each success inflicts a point of lethal damage on a living being, whether mortal or supernatural in nature, including ghouls. Each success costs another vampire a Willpower point.