• Halls of Power
Once a vampire has had a chance to observe the interactions of various members of an organization, she can mystically understand the connections and exchanges of power that make the institution run. After only a few moments, the Kindred can unravel even the most complicated social dynamics, figuring out who owes what to whom, who loves whom, who hates whom, and most important of all who has power over whom. How specific this information is varies, but the power never reveals secrets that involve more than basic relationships and power dynamics. For example, an Abbot using Halls of Power could learn that the Prince is afraid of the Mekhet Primogen, but not why. Similarly, it would be obvious that all of the doctors in a hospital acquiesce to the will of a nurse who intimidates and blackmails them, but it takes further, separate investigation to determine what she holds over them.
Effect
Dramatic Failure: The character gets drastically wrong information, confusing or completely misunderstanding the situation. She may think that the Sheriff is the weakest person in the room, when actually everyone is terrified of him. Storytellers might make activation rolls on players’ behalf for this reason.
Failure: The character cannot distinguish any information, although a successive attempt may be possible if the same people remain together in sight for another minute.
Success: Each success allows the character to gain one piece of information about the social dynamics of the subjects observed. Generally, the character has some influence over what is learned by where subjects focus their attention, but as some interactions are more subtle than others, the obvious ones may be learned first.
Example: Merrian uses Halls of Power while spying on a meeting at her hospital. Her player gets three successes on the activation roll, and tells the Storyteller that Merrian looks for people whom the chief of staff is afraid of, or from whom he backs down. The Storyteller relates that the chief is clearly in love with one of the nurses (one piece of information), but that she treats him with mild contempt (a second piece), and that the chief is overly solicitous of the opinions of one of the interns (a third piece). If Merrian wants to learn why the chief gives special favor to the intern, she has to conduct further investigation.
Exceptional Success: As with a success, plus the character gains one extra piece of information in response to any specific question asked or information sought about the subjects’ dynamics.
Failure: The character cannot distinguish any information, although a successive attempt may be possible if the same people remain together in sight for another minute.
Success: Each success allows the character to gain one piece of information about the social dynamics of the subjects observed. Generally, the character has some influence over what is learned by where subjects focus their attention, but as some interactions are more subtle than others, the obvious ones may be learned first.
Example: Merrian uses Halls of Power while spying on a meeting at her hospital. Her player gets three successes on the activation roll, and tells the Storyteller that Merrian looks for people whom the chief of staff is afraid of, or from whom he backs down. The Storyteller relates that the chief is clearly in love with one of the nurses (one piece of information), but that she treats him with mild contempt (a second piece), and that the chief is overly solicitous of the opinions of one of the interns (a third piece). If Merrian wants to learn why the chief gives special favor to the intern, she has to conduct further investigation.
Exceptional Success: As with a success, plus the character gains one extra piece of information in response to any specific question asked or information sought about the subjects’ dynamics.
Side/Secondary Effects
The Monk using this power must observe subjects directly. The power doesn’t work through a monitor or photograph. Only relationships among subjects observed can be discerned. Studying three prison guards indicates the relationships among them. It doesn’t indicate anything about the warden if he isn’t present. This power can be used successfully on an individual only once per scene, regardless of with whom she interacts. If a subject happens to belong to two groups read in the same scene, nothing is learned directly from that individual in the second reading.
Material Components
Cost: —
Gestures & Ritual
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Empathy + Institutionalize – the highest Composure in the group examined
Related Discipline
Effect Casting Time
Instant
Level
1
Applied Restriction
(Note that though this is an instant action, it takes more than just a fleeting glance to understand the permutations of the group. A character must scrutinize her subjects for a full minute to glean information, though only an instant action is necessary to determine if she reads them successfully.)
Modifier | Situation
+1 | The character has extended contact (at least six hours) with the group before attempting the roll
+1 | The character has an Academics or Politics Specialty that would apply to Skill rolls made with the current group
–1 to –3 | The group is particularly subtle or careful to conceal its motives and interrelations
Modifier | Situation
+1 | The character has extended contact (at least six hours) with the group before attempting the roll
+1 | The character has an Academics or Politics Specialty that would apply to Skill rolls made with the current group
–1 to –3 | The group is particularly subtle or careful to conceal its motives and interrelations