Although Auspex is a potent Discipline, especially at high levels of mastery, a given Kindred’s execution of it is not always flawless. Other supernatural powers and abilities can cloud or contest the power of Auspex, the most common of these being Obfuscate — the direct opposite of Auspex, in many ways.
The heart of any Auspex-versus-Obfuscate contest is a clash of mighty wills, for both powers stem from and rely upon the power of the Kindred mind. When a character with Auspex uses his acute senses to see through another’s Obfuscate, make a contested roll of Wits + Investigation + Auspex versus Resolve + Stealth + Obfuscate. Whoever accumulates the most successes wins the battle of wills. Ties go to the defender. Most of the time, ties result in the Obfuscated character remaining hidden (as the Auspex-user is the initiator), but not always. In the event that a vampire uses Obfuscate right in front of a Kindred with Auspex, the hiding character is the challenger, as it is he who tries to hide in plain sight.
Obfuscate is not the only supernatural ability with the potential to foil the clarity of Auspex. For example, a character using the Twilight Projection power might be seen by a character using the Heightened Senses power. The general rule of thumb is to apply the same system, but in regard to whatever mechanic is used: Wits + Investigation + Auspex is still rolled for the perceiving character, and Resolve + an appropriate Skill + the Discipline in question is rolled for the defender.
House Rule
When someone is already Obfuscated and a Clash of Wills happens, the successes achieved in the activation roll fulfill the roll stated above. In effect, the Wits + Investigation + Auspex roll contesting the Obfuscation must at least tie with the activation roll of the Obfuscation (see below).
In reverse, when someone attempts to use Auspex on someone with Obfuscate the resist action is done (whether that's an Automatic or Contested Resistence) AND the one with Obfuscate rolls Resolve + Stealth + Obfuscate to pierce through the Auspex and hide from it. Resistance is entirely separate from Clash of Wills, so both take place at the same time. If the Obfuscate Clash of Wills roll exceeds, the Auspex activation roll (see below), then nothing is learned by the one with Auspex. A tie on the part of the one using Obfuscate means the Auspex user wins the Clash of Wills.
- Please note that Edge of Darkness always considers the Obfuscate user as the initator/attacker. Whomever is distorting reality will always be considered the "attacker" in mental contests.
