Poisoned Chalice
(Dominate ••••, Majesty ••)
Proponents of the feudal structure of vampiric society, the Ventrue are purveyors of ceremonial rites and tokens of hospitality. The offering of gifts and presents (don’t say bribes) is one such affectation. It’s very common for a roaming Ventrue to send a gift to the Prince or Primogen of a city that he visits or passes through (unless his presence is a secret).
In a dead world where the only important possession is blood to sate one’s unending thirst, the only meaningful gift is blood. The Ventrue have traded mortal blood slaves as gifts for centuries. Such gifts are meant to curry favor and enmesh recipients in the webs of boon and counter-favor that typify members of the clan. If a gift-giver has learned the secret of this Devotion, the blood of an enslaved mortal can be far more than a token of esteem. It can be a conduit through which the benefactor works his inhuman powers on the recipient.
To use Poisoned Chalice, the vampire must have already Dominated a chosen mortal subject (the vessel) using the Conditioning power successfully. He must then feed the vessel a few drops of his own Vitae while concentrating on a specific subject — the intended recipient of the gift. The power of his Dominate Discipline is instilled in the vessel’s blood, which is laced with psychic energy. When the intended recipient drinks from the vessel, the trap springs, seeping into the subject’s mind and making him especially inclined to trust or favor the gift-giver.
In a dead world where the only important possession is blood to sate one’s unending thirst, the only meaningful gift is blood. The Ventrue have traded mortal blood slaves as gifts for centuries. Such gifts are meant to curry favor and enmesh recipients in the webs of boon and counter-favor that typify members of the clan. If a gift-giver has learned the secret of this Devotion, the blood of an enslaved mortal can be far more than a token of esteem. It can be a conduit through which the benefactor works his inhuman powers on the recipient.
To use Poisoned Chalice, the vampire must have already Dominated a chosen mortal subject (the vessel) using the Conditioning power successfully. He must then feed the vessel a few drops of his own Vitae while concentrating on a specific subject — the intended recipient of the gift. The power of his Dominate Discipline is instilled in the vessel’s blood, which is laced with psychic energy. When the intended recipient drinks from the vessel, the trap springs, seeping into the subject’s mind and making him especially inclined to trust or favor the gift-giver.
Effect
Dramatic Failure: For the giver: The subject is unaffected by the power and realizes that the vessel is tainted or cursed in some way. For the recipient: Treat as an exceptional success for the giver.
Failure: The same or most successes are rolled for the recipient. The subject is unaffected by the power and does not realize that the vessel’s blood is tainted.
Success: The most successes are rolled for the benefactor. The subject is strongly inclined to trust and respect the character. When they next meet, the benefactor gains a bonus to all Social-Attribute-based dice pools (not including Disciplines) equal to the successes achieved on the Devotion roll. This bonus lasts for one scene and applies only to Social rolls made against the subject. This excludes the use of any Disciplines.
Exceptional Success: For the giver: The bonus to Social rolls extends to the use of Disciplines involving Social Attributes in the dice pool. For the recipient: Treat as a dramatic failure for the giver.
Failure: The same or most successes are rolled for the recipient. The subject is unaffected by the power and does not realize that the vessel’s blood is tainted.
Success: The most successes are rolled for the benefactor. The subject is strongly inclined to trust and respect the character. When they next meet, the benefactor gains a bonus to all Social-Attribute-based dice pools (not including Disciplines) equal to the successes achieved on the Devotion roll. This bonus lasts for one scene and applies only to Social rolls made against the subject. This excludes the use of any Disciplines.
Exceptional Success: For the giver: The bonus to Social rolls extends to the use of Disciplines involving Social Attributes in the dice pool. For the recipient: Treat as a dramatic failure for the giver.
Side/Secondary Effects
Once a vessel’s blood is instilled with the power of Poisoned Chalice, it remains charged until consumed by the chosen recipient or until the character deliberately wills it to become inert. The character can affect only one vessel with this power at a time. If he wishes to use the Devotion on another subject, he must release the previous one or latent vessel (and can do so at any distance).
If the intended victim of the power does feed, he is susceptible to the benefactor’s influence for a short period. The power’s effects linger for a number of nights equal to the user’s Intelligence. If the character and subject do not meet in person in this time, the power dissipates and the subject is no longer affected.
Poisoned Chalice can be used with Kindred vessels, too, but this approach is rare. For one thing, it is politically dangerous to offer up another vampire’s Vitae as a gift, since drinking the blood of other undead always potentially risks Blood Addiction and a possible Vinculum. Kindred vessels are also unreliable. If, for any reason, such a vampire spends Vitae equal to the benefactor’s Intelligence before the intended subject feeds, the energies of Poisoned Chalice dissipate.
A successful use of Aura Perception on a vessel affected by this power reveals a muted aura similar to an individual under the effects of Dominate.
If the intended victim of the power does feed, he is susceptible to the benefactor’s influence for a short period. The power’s effects linger for a number of nights equal to the user’s Intelligence. If the character and subject do not meet in person in this time, the power dissipates and the subject is no longer affected.
Poisoned Chalice can be used with Kindred vessels, too, but this approach is rare. For one thing, it is politically dangerous to offer up another vampire’s Vitae as a gift, since drinking the blood of other undead always potentially risks Blood Addiction and a possible Vinculum. Kindred vessels are also unreliable. If, for any reason, such a vampire spends Vitae equal to the benefactor’s Intelligence before the intended subject feeds, the energies of Poisoned Chalice dissipate.
A successful use of Aura Perception on a vessel affected by this power reveals a muted aura similar to an individual under the effects of Dominate.
Material Components
Cost: 1 Vitae
Gestures & Ritual
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Expression + Dominate versus subject’s Resolve + Blood Potency
Effect Casting Time
Contested; resistance is reflexive
Applied Restriction
Modifier | Situation
+2 | Power is used on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see Vampire: the Requiem, p. 162)
— | The character has met the subject in the past.
-1 | The character has never met the subject, but knows enough about him to paint a fairly accurate mental picture.
-3 | The character has never met the subject and knows little more about him than him name or physical description.
+2 | Power is used on a vampire with whom the user has a blood tie (see Vampire: the Requiem, p. 162)
— | The character has met the subject in the past.
-1 | The character has never met the subject, but knows enough about him to paint a fairly accurate mental picture.
-3 | The character has never met the subject and knows little more about him than him name or physical description.