Reluctant Performance Artist
Combination Discipline · Vampire · “Reluctant Performance Artist (Dominate •••, Presence •••)”
Popular among the Situationists, this power not only lets the Brujah transform a mortal into an unwilling performer, it transforms other mortals into a captive audience. Other, less artistic Brujah who learn this power find it useful as a distraction to cover for their clandestine activities.
System: The player adds one Willpower point to the cost of using Mesmerize on a mortal who the Brujah the commands to perform some action in a public place. For Situationists, this action is typically something absurd or otherwise bizarre, consistent with modern performance art. Theoretically, however, the Brujah could command the mortal to do anything, such as start an argument with someone else or commit an act of public vandalism.
Other mortals who observe the performer and whose current Willpower ratings do not exceed the successes rolled by the Brujah are powerless to do anything except watch attentively. If the performer does something dangerous or illegal, treat each audience member’s Willpower as if it were 1 higher. If the performer attacks anyone in the audience, treat each audience member’s Willpower as if it were 3 higher.
If the performance is completed without interruption, affected audience members will move on and either forget about the performer’s actions or rationalize the events as being part of an artistic performance (no matter how odd the scene). Whether a particular mortal thinks the performance is any good will probably depend on her appreciation for performance art.
This power costs 18 experience points to learn.