• Scan
The most basic of Web powers, this allows a vampire to “scan” and read one node in a network. If a node could be thought of as a buoy in the sea, chained to numerous other buoys in the dark, then this power can be thought of as shining a light on that buoy, revealing the types of chains that lead away from it and a vague idea of the directions they’re headed.
This power doesn’t give a Lynx much information on the network in general, but it provides the tools for investigating networks and assembling a map of their nodes. The information the vampire gains is full of strong sensations and mental images, tempered by the biases and experiences of his subject node. Thus the information received is accurate only to a point. However, when tracing a lead on information to an adjacent node in the same network, the Lynx instinctually realizes that she has made contact with a specific associate node.
For example, when a Lynx attuned with personal networks “scans” a mortal woman, she might learn that she is currently infatuated with a blond man and experiencing what feels like a bad break-up with a co-worker. If the Lynx encounters the woman’s “blond man” and scans him, the vampire instinctually understands that she has found the man the mortal woman is infatuated with. The Lynx may also learn that the blond man does not love her back.
What constitutes a node of any particular network type is open to some interpretation by the Storyteller. A personal node is always a person, and the interface with a personal node must always be through direct social contact, whether that means a formal interview, flirtations at a crowded restaurant or small talk on the subway. A formal node requires direct observation of the subject by the vampire, though contact is not necessary — trailing the subject is typical. A spatial node must be a junction or intersection on some sort of physical network, such as a freeway interchange, a telephone junction box or a boiler room, and must be visited in person by the Lynx for the scan to work.
This power doesn’t give a Lynx much information on the network in general, but it provides the tools for investigating networks and assembling a map of their nodes. The information the vampire gains is full of strong sensations and mental images, tempered by the biases and experiences of his subject node. Thus the information received is accurate only to a point. However, when tracing a lead on information to an adjacent node in the same network, the Lynx instinctually realizes that she has made contact with a specific associate node.
For example, when a Lynx attuned with personal networks “scans” a mortal woman, she might learn that she is currently infatuated with a blond man and experiencing what feels like a bad break-up with a co-worker. If the Lynx encounters the woman’s “blond man” and scans him, the vampire instinctually understands that she has found the man the mortal woman is infatuated with. The Lynx may also learn that the blond man does not love her back.
What constitutes a node of any particular network type is open to some interpretation by the Storyteller. A personal node is always a person, and the interface with a personal node must always be through direct social contact, whether that means a formal interview, flirtations at a crowded restaurant or small talk on the subway. A formal node requires direct observation of the subject by the vampire, though contact is not necessary — trailing the subject is typical. A spatial node must be a junction or intersection on some sort of physical network, such as a freeway interchange, a telephone junction box or a boiler room, and must be visited in person by the Lynx for the scan to work.
Effect
Dramatic Failure: The character fails to interpret any useful information from the subject and is unable to use this power again for the rest of the night. Vitae spent to activate the power is wasted.
Failure: The character fails to observe anything useful.
Success: The character uncovers a few leads from the node’s behavior. For each success scored on the activation roll, one piece of information is gained about the subject’s relationship with its network. This information may seem to be gleaned by subtleties of behavior (“See the way he’s eyeballing that dress? He was just thinking about buying it for someone. Someone with red hair.”) or attitude (“He’s pissed. Look at him. He hates his boss.”), but that is often just a trick of the blood. The information is often gleaned directly by vaguely sensing the subject’s psychic presence.
Alternately, the character can learn something about the subject’s Social Merits. To use this option, the Lynx must select a Merit to gauge — Allies, Contacts, Herd, Mentor or Retainer, for example — and then compare the successes on her activation roll to the subject’s dots in that Merit. The Lynx gets an intuitive understanding of the Merit in question, up to a value equal to the successes scored. For example, if a Lynx scores three successes on her activation roll, she can learn about as many as three of the subject’s dots in Contacts; if the subject as five dots of Contacts, two of those dots would go unread by the Lynx unless she tried to scan the subject again and achieved a greater result. Generally speaking, a Lynx first learns about the contacts and connections the subject is most comfortable with.
The information gained about a spatial node involves the human traffic through that node. A Lynx might sense that “around midnight, that bridge fills up with foot traffic,” “these vents lead outside, where people sleep on them” or “most of the calls through this box are inbound — and frightened.”
Exceptional Success: Extra successes are their own reward, but an exceptional success with this power also reveals information of greater clarity, usually beginning with the subject’s name (as she thinks of it).
Failure: The character fails to observe anything useful.
Success: The character uncovers a few leads from the node’s behavior. For each success scored on the activation roll, one piece of information is gained about the subject’s relationship with its network. This information may seem to be gleaned by subtleties of behavior (“See the way he’s eyeballing that dress? He was just thinking about buying it for someone. Someone with red hair.”) or attitude (“He’s pissed. Look at him. He hates his boss.”), but that is often just a trick of the blood. The information is often gleaned directly by vaguely sensing the subject’s psychic presence.
Alternately, the character can learn something about the subject’s Social Merits. To use this option, the Lynx must select a Merit to gauge — Allies, Contacts, Herd, Mentor or Retainer, for example — and then compare the successes on her activation roll to the subject’s dots in that Merit. The Lynx gets an intuitive understanding of the Merit in question, up to a value equal to the successes scored. For example, if a Lynx scores three successes on her activation roll, she can learn about as many as three of the subject’s dots in Contacts; if the subject as five dots of Contacts, two of those dots would go unread by the Lynx unless she tried to scan the subject again and achieved a greater result. Generally speaking, a Lynx first learns about the contacts and connections the subject is most comfortable with.
The information gained about a spatial node involves the human traffic through that node. A Lynx might sense that “around midnight, that bridge fills up with foot traffic,” “these vents lead outside, where people sleep on them” or “most of the calls through this box are inbound — and frightened.”
Exceptional Success: Extra successes are their own reward, but an exceptional success with this power also reveals information of greater clarity, usually beginning with the subject’s name (as she thinks of it).
Material Components
Cost: 1 Vitae
Gestures & Ritual
Dice Pool: Wits + Investigation + Web – subject’s Composure + Blood Potency
Related Discipline
Effect Casting Time
Instant
Level
1
Applied Restriction
Note, however, that while the actual moment of activation requires only an instant action, a character must observe or interact with a node for a number of minutes before this power can be used. In general, a Lynx may successfully scan with only one node per scene. Thus, at the end of many scenes, a Lynx’s player might attempt this power on any one character she was interacting with throughout the scene.
Modifier | Situation
+2 | The power is turned on a subject the vampire has fed from.
+2 | The power is turned on a vampire with whom the user shares a blood tie (see Vampire: The Requiem, p. 162).
–2 | The target and the user do not speak the s ame language.
–2 to –5 | The target node is not interacted with properly: a person may be frightened or offended, a spatial node might be visited in a rush.
Modifier | Situation
+2 | The power is turned on a subject the vampire has fed from.
+2 | The power is turned on a vampire with whom the user shares a blood tie (see Vampire: The Requiem, p. 162).
–2 | The target and the user do not speak the s ame language.
–2 to –5 | The target node is not interacted with properly: a person may be frightened or offended, a spatial node might be visited in a rush.
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