MONDAY, AUGUST 2 It's Still a Matter of Discipline – This week, we're exploring more of the supernatural powers of the Damned, including the special Disciplines taught exclusively through Covenant membership. Today, however, we're going to reveal a little more about a Discipline common to the Mekhet and the Nosferatu. Obfuscate – Night-dwellers, predators and keepers of the Masquerade, vampires are inherently creatures of secrecy and stealth. The Discipline of Obfuscate builds on this nature, granting the Kindred uncanny powers of concealment and deception. The powers of Obfuscate cloud the minds of observers instead of actually altering the wielder. The victim of the power sees around the user, refusing to acknowledge what is truly happening. This is important, as Obfuscated Kindred still appear on tapes and recorded data, though not to a mortal merely looking through the lens. Similarly, animals are able to pierce the deception that Obfuscate provides. Even some mortals who see the world in unusual ways – such as children and the mentally ill – can see through the veil. Kindred with access to the Auspex Discipline can also sometimes pierce the illusions of Obfuscate, but such a contest quickly turns into a clash of wills, as both powers rely upon the might of the Kindred mind. The Familiar Stranger (Obfuscate ••••) – This power allows the character to assume the image of whomever the subject most expects to see under the circumstances in which they meet. The character has no say in whom he “becomes.” In fact, he is not even immediately aware of what aspect he is perceived to have, unless the target gives the identity away through verbal or behavioral clues. For this reason, The Familiar Stranger is best used under circumstances when contact between the character and the subject is likely to be brief. Otherwise, the character runs a substantial risk of giving the deception away through improper behavior. |
