Under the Skin
Combination Discipline · Vampire · “Under the Skin (Auspex •••, Presence •••)”
The Kindred of Clan Toreador are natural critics. With insight and zeal they analyze and deconstruct art, culture, and politics. Some studied Toreador possess the ability to do the same with their peers, reading them like texts and making obvious their failings of personality. The Cainite using this power analyzes the personality of another, finds its weaknesses, and then uses the force of his presence to make light of those weaknesses and hammer on them like a battering ram. The results can be quite dramatic.
While this power is similar to Scalpel Tongue, it’s much more devastating. That one stings; this one draws blood (and possibly a lot of it).
System: The Toreador must interact socially with his target for a number of consecutive turns (2-5 turns is a good rule of thumb, at the Storyteller’s discretion) before this power can be activated. After that warm-up, roll Wits + Perception against a difficulty of 6 as the character begins his systematic analysis of the target’s psyche and self-esteem. The results of this assault are listed below.
Successes Result
1-2 Target is rendered utterly speechless with embarrassment and rage, and broods for the remainder of the scene. (One die penalty to all Social rolls)
3-4 Target storms out in a rage. (Two dice penalty to all Social rolls)
5 Target becomes violent, either toward the Toreador using this power (jumping over the table to attack, for example) or toward herself in a fit of self-loathing. (+1 difficulty to rolls to resist frenzy)
6+ Target enters frenzy. (+3 difficulty to resist frenzy)
The target may spend a Willpower point to lessen the effect by one category (e.g., from 6+ to 5 or from 3-4 to 1-2).
This power costs 18 experience to learn.