Custom Disciplines by Request (or Here You Go, Josh)
It came up in conversation the other day, but I couldn't remember all of the powers or quite how they work. I remembered pretty well for not having looked at it in almost two years. It's a custom discipline I developed for a Vampire LAP several years ago. And here's the write up for it.
Ricerca Retests for Ricerca use the Subterfuge ability.
RICERCA: SENSE THE BEAST (BASIC)
The vampire using this power’s beast has become attune to the beasts of other vampires. When she is in the presence of another vampire, her beast rises up within them and causes a discomfort in the pit of her stomach.
Within a 10-foot radius, she can automatically tell if an individual is a vampire or not. This power will not pierce Obfuscate, unless she has already pierced it through the use of Auspex or a similar power. Because of the nature of this power, an experienced vampire can tell if another vampire is on the verge of frenzy or has entered frenzy. She is able to sense that the beast is stronger in these situations.
RICERCA: BLUR THE BODY (BASIC)
While powers such as Obfuscate will not fool machinery, this power is designed for just that. This power is primarily used to protect the Masquerade. Automatically, the vampire’s image on mirrors, cameras and video is blurred so that details are hard to make out. This power makes it nearly impossible for her to be identified by photo. Once learned, the only way to turn the effect off is to spend a Willpower trait to deactivate it for an hour or a scene, whichever is shorter.
RICERCA: CAT-LIKE THIEF (INTERMEDIATE)
Vampires using this power are some of the best thieves in existence. While the power is active, she does not make a sound. The change in her pocket does not even make noise. The effect also extends to the opening of doors and other similar actions that would normally give away their presence. This power will not cover up the sound of speech, gunfire or noises such as the breaking of a window or door. Heightened Senses used on a vampire’s hearing allows them to make a Mental Challenge to hear her.
In addition to moving silently, she also moves as if weightless. She does not leave tracks on the ground. Detection devices such as pressure plates on the floor would not detect her presence. To activate this power costs one blood trait and lasts for an hour or a scene, whichever is shorter unless another Blood Trait is spent to maintain it.
RICERCA: SHAPE OF THE BLOOD (INTERMEDIATE)
Vampires who have mastered the discipline can become the ultimate masters of disguise. By ingesting a Blood Trait from the target, spending a Willpower Trait and making a Static Mental Challenge with a difficulty of the target’s Social Traits, she can become the target for the night. She will take on the target’s physical appearance, voice and aura. She also gains any Negative Traits of the target for the duration of the power. On a failure, she will still gain the Negative Traits of the target.
If another vampire with at least Intermediate Auspex has reasonable suspicion that she is not the target, they must beat her in a Mental Challenge, retested with Investigation.
RICERCA: ARCANE (ADVANCED)
Like the Awakened, the vampire with this power can cause people to forget they ever spoke to them. With successful use of the power, the victim will not remember the details of the conversation or any details about who they spoke with. They will only have a vague recollection of having a conversation with someone.
To activate this power, the vampire spends a permanent Willpower. The power lasts for a scene and affects everyone in the scene. It does work retroactively to the beginning of the scene. This power can be reversed later in the same way that Forgetful Mind would be.