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According to Assamite lore, this technique originated with a Byzantine scholar who wanted to protect his herd from the thirst of other Cainites. Ripples of the Heart allows a Cainite to leave emotions within the bloodstream of any mortal from whom he feeds. Any other vampire who subsequently drinks from that mortal experiences those emotions as if they were his own.

System: The character drinks at least one blood point from the subject mortal then spends a minute in physical contact with the subject while concentrating on the emotion he wishes to leave in her blood. The player spends a point of Willpower and rolls Charisma + Empathy (difficulty 7 under normal circumstances, 5 if the subject is currently experiencing the intended emotion, 9 if he is currently experiencing a strong opposite emotion). The subject’s blood carries the weight of the intended emotion for one lunar month per success rolled. A mortal’s blood can only carry one emotion at a time. Subsequent attempts to use Ripples of the Heart on the same individual have no effect until the previous application has worn off.

Any vampire who drinks from a vessel under the effects of Ripples of the Heart must succeed in a Self-Control/Instinct roll (difficulty of the mortal’s current Willpower points) as soon as she swallows the first blood point. If she fails this roll, the vitae-borne emotion immediately overtakes her. The strength of the emotion depends on how many blood points she drinks. One blood point results in a momentary mood swing, two causes a significant shift in demeanor, and three or more generates a complete change in emotional state. Depending on the circumstances and the precise emotion, the effects of this may be spectacular or catastrophic. A vampire overtaken by romantic passion may temporarily believe she is in love with the mortal (or any other convenient bystander). One who drinks from a hate-infused vessel may rend her prey to shreds, and one who takes a draught of a mortal touched with fear may run away screaming. The vampire remains subject to the emotion for a number of hours equal to the mortal’s permanent Willpower, though she is still subject to other feelings after the initial rush of sensation.

The mortal who is under the effects of Ripples of the Heart is unaware of the power’s effects on him, though he is slightly predisposed toward the emotion in question while the power is in effect. The vampire who

used Ripples of the Heart on a mortal is immune to any effects from that use.