The Loathsome Foe
Nightmare •••, Obfuscate ••••
Much like The Familiar Stranger (Obfuscate ••••), this Devotion allows the Nosferatu to appear to a victim as someone other than himself. Here, though, instead of appearing to be whoever the victim expects to see most, the Haunt appears to be whoever the victim fears the most, no matter how unlikely that person’s appearance may be. A man might see a mugger who put him in the hospital six months back, or he might see the bully who humiliated him daily back in elementary school.
Effect
If the Nosferatu wins the contested roll, he may appear to one target as whom that target fears the most. Though the Nosferatu doesn’t necessarily know the nature of her mistaken appearance, she will easily see on the face of the target the abject fear. Any rolls the target makes against the Nosferatu are halved (round down). In addition, a number of the target’s traits are halved, as well: Defense, Initiative, and Speed. The target literally feels trapped in a Nightmare—running slow as if the ground is mud or a tangle of vines, being unable to work against an adversary, feeling overwhelming fear. Note that the suggested modifiers for The Familiar Stranger (p. 138, Vampire: The Requiem) can apply here, as well.
The Nosferatu’s appearance remains altered for the rest of the scene. The Nosferatu’s form reflects the fears of a single victim, and only that character is penalized. However, all characters in the scene are affected by the illusion, and see the vampire as person feared by the victim.
The Nosferatu’s appearance remains altered for the rest of the scene. The Nosferatu’s form reflects the fears of a single victim, and only that character is penalized. However, all characters in the scene are affected by the illusion, and see the vampire as person feared by the victim.