                                  VITIATUS




"Bruises, bruises, bruises,
Cuts, cuts, cuts,
Giblets, giblets, giblets,
Guts, guts, guts."
- This Is Serious Mum, Death, Death, Death



   The Setites discipline of Vitiatus is derived and developed from the
   legendary powers of Set, and is entirely unique to the Setite clan.
   The over-riding concern of this discipline is the corruption of its
   victims by various insidious means.

   * Sense the Sin: By means of this power, the Setite can learn about
   the targets personal failings and weaknesses, if any. Such knowledge
   then provides the Setite with the direction further efforts at
   corruption should go. Such things as derangements, low Willpower,
   Virtues or Humanity, addictions or compulsions are revealed by this
   power. Note that this power cannot reveal any knowledge the target may
   have, such as a crime committed, unless it is connected to a
   consistant flaw, such as kleptomania.

   System: The Setite makes a Perception + Empathy roll, difficulty of
   the target's Humanity/Path. The number of successes determines how
   much information is gained, and how accurate it is. Note that no
   amount of successes will reveal a flaw that isn't there.

   ** Eyes of the Serpent: The eyes of the Setite appear to be gold with
   large black irises, and mortals around the character find themselves
   strangely attracted to him. These eyes are highly beguiling, and will
   immobilize mortals who look into them. Until the character takes his
   eyes off of them, they are frozen in place. The use of this power is
   generally to facillitate the use of other Vitiatus powers.

   System: No roll is required for the use of this power, but it can be
   avoided if the mortal takes care not to look into his eyes. Vampires
   can also be affected by this power, but the Setite must succeed a
   Willpower roll (difficulty of 9) in order for it to work.

   *** Heaven's Touch: Despite the name, this is a particularly insidious
   and subtle power. By speaking to the target for several minutes and
   working the power upon them, the target will find that all external
   pleasurable stimuli are dramatically increased, while all sensory
   pains are muted. Thus nice food tastes great, great food tastes
   wonderful, average sex becomes great sex, and the euphoric effects of
   drugs and alcohol are extremely pronounced. At the same time, dropping
   a brick on your foot causes little more than a distant and dull
   sensation.

   While this may seem great, the Setites are quick to exploit it's down
   side. While under the influence, self control and reason play little
   part in decision making as the desire for immediate gratification
   grows strong. Psychological addictions to substances are rapid, as are
   chemical ones. Addiction to the very state of being under the power of
   Heaven's Touch is common, as the target returns again and again to the
   Setite to enjoy the pleasures once more. All these possibilities
   render this seemingly benign power a potent weapon for the Setites.

   System: The Setite must spend at least 5 minutes speaking with the
   target and gazing into their eyes. The Setite then rolls Manipulation
   + Empathy (difficulty of the targets Willpower). The number of
   successes determines the duration and intensity of the effect.


             1 success       One minute and minimal effect
             2 successes     15 minutes and mild effect
             3 successes     1 hour and average effect
             4 successes     1 night and pronounced effect
             5 successes     1 week and extreme effect



   For every success gained, the victim can ignore 1 die of wound
   penalty. With 5 successes, a person could be crippled and function
   quite normally. However, when attempting a Virtue roll to resist any
   pleasurable or gratifying stimulus, including a vampire attempting to
   resist frenzy when hungry and confronted with blood, the victim
   suffers a dice penalty equal to the successes gained. Vampires only
   can attempt to resist the effect of the power for a single turn by
   spending a Willpower point. Spending Willpower equal to the successes
   the Setite gained will negate the power.

   Beyond the game mechanics, the Storyteller should emphasise the role
   playing aspect of this power. Certain Natures may more readily resist
   this power, while others wouldn't even try. The Storyteller should
   also feel free to give characters addictive Derangements when they
   wantonly indulge their appetites.

   **** Beautific Vision: Where Heaven's Touch tampered with the
   pleasures that satisfy desire, Beautific Vision corrupts the desires
   themselves. If a person subjected to this power feels any desires,
   then all objects reasonably associated with satisfying that desire
   will appear to the target as being as desirable as the most desirable
   example of those objects. Note that this will vary slightly from
   person to person. A desire to bet on the horses would render all horse
   races as desirable as betting on the Grand National maybe. A desire
   for food would render any food as desirable as a nine course gourmet
   meal. A desire for sex would render any appropriate partner as
   desirable as that person's sexual ideal. Pertinently, a desire for
   blood would render any blood as desirable as the incomprable blood of
   an Antedeluvian. Beautific Vision cannot actually induce the desire in
   anyone, unless combined with a power like Heaven's Touch. Only once a
   desire arises does the power take hold. The corrupting potential of
   such a power need not be dwelt upon.

   System: The Setite must talk with the subject, and maintain eye
   contact with them, for at leat 15 minutes. The Setite then rolls
   Manipulation + Empathy (difficulty of the target's Willpower). The
   number of successes determines for how long the power remains in
   effect.


             1 success       One Minute
             2 successes     One Hour
             3 successes     One Day
             4 successes     One Week
             5 successes     One Month

   If the character subsequently expresses a desire for something, or the
   Storyteller is reasonable sure they want it, then they must make an
   appropriate virtue roll, usually Self Control/Instinct, at a
   difficulty of 9, in order not to make some attempt to possess the
   object of desire. This roll must be made for every object of desire
   that confronts the character, until he fails a roll, or no more
   objects of temptation are in sight. A botched Self Control roll may
   mean that the character will go to any lengths to claim the object of
   his desire. For hungry Vampires, the difficulty of any attempts to
   resist frenzy when confronted by blood is automatically 10. However,
   Vampires only can attempt to resist the effect of Beautific Vision for
   a turn by spending a point of Willpower. Spending Willpower equal to
   the successes the Setite gained will negate the power As with Heaven's
   Touch, the use of Beautific Vision should emphasis the roleplaying
   aspect of vaulting desire. Simply because the character succeeded in
   making a Self Control roll does not mean he is as cool and collected
   as he ever was. If a charcter is not acting appropriately, you may
   require that they spend Willpower, reflecting the efforts at composure
   their are obviously making

   ***** Unholy Vision: No longer restricted to attempting corruption by
   temptation, a Setite who has advanced this far into the power of
   Vitiatus can attempt to corrupt a victim directly, by filling their
   minds with twisted visions of depravity, debauchery and perversity,
   and inviting them to enjoy what they behold. Multiple attempts at this
   can taint even the most saintly of souls, while average persons can be
   quickly drawn into the Abyss. System: The setite must spend at least
   an hour talking to the target, gazing into their eyes all the while.
   The Setite then makes a Manipulation + Empathy roll (difficulty of the
   targets Conscience/Callousness + 4). Any successes means that the
   target must make an immediate Humanity/Path roll, in the usual way, at
   a difficulty of the number of successes the Setite gained + 2. 5
   successes would require a difficulty 7 Humanity roll. If the Setite
   manages to successfully use Sense the Sin on the target previously,
   and discovered any hidden needs or desires the target had, then he can
   specifically include images intended to arouse that particular need.
   The successes gained in Sense the Sin are divided evenly between
   reducing the difficulty of the Setites attempt, and increasing the
   difficulty of the targets Humanity roll. Left over successes go to
   decreasing the Setites difficulty. The power of Unholy Vision can be
   used no more than once per day on any one individual.
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