Author Topic: Help with "Compulsion" Power, Please?  (Read 1872 times)

Offline My Dark Sunshine

  • Participant
  • *
  • Posts: 46
    • View Profile
Help with "Compulsion" Power, Please?
« on: May 17, 2011, 04:27:36 PM »
Okay. So I'm working on a Vampire NPC. However this Vampire is not from one of the thus-far revealed Courts. It'll likely be from one of the unknown Courts (stealing the suggested colour of grey), although it could potentially work as a 'different' Black Court - in that this one isn't a corpse.   

They feed on blood, etc. Pretty much the common modern day interpretation of a standard Vampire; don't worry, they won't glow. Although, the inspiration is somewhat from the TV show Vampire Diaries - at least, for the power I wish to try and replicate. Anyone familiar with the show should recognise the name from the title.

Basically, the power allows the Vampire to force a (mortal) target to do something. Sort of like a Jedi Mind Trick, requiring eye contact. Powerful Vampires from the show can also use it to manipulate dreams and memories etc, but mostly I'm looking for the standard "you will not tell anyone I'm feeding on you", "shut up and don't move", "spike her drink with this", type things.

My first thought was to rework existing powers. Addictive Saliva, or Dominate. However the former places aspects, and the type of 'compels' (the pun is unavoidable) this power enables would exceed in-game compels power, IMO. Domination would fit better, as taking someone out allows for a variety of potent options - but this power would NOT turn someone into a mindless thrall. They would be themselves, but can be forced to take certain actions.

Any thoughts people? They would be greatly appreciated.

Offline devonapple

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2165
  • Parkour to YOU!
    • View Profile
    • LiveJournal Account
Re: Help with "Compulsion" Power, Please?
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2011, 04:38:50 PM »
If you buy up the Incite Emotion power, you can inflict Consequences which have to do with your control, and "taking out" a victim might allow you to rewrite one of their Aspects to reflect their devotion/slavery to you, without making them a mindless thrall.
"Like a voice, like a crack, like a whispering shriek
That echoes on like it’s carpet-bombing feverish white jungles of thought
That I’m positive are not even mine"

Blackout, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets

Offline sinker

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2115
    • View Profile
Re: Help with "Compulsion" Power, Please?
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2011, 06:13:49 PM »
Incite emotion would also allow you to maneuver and place similar aspects if you only want the control to last a scene and be relatively minor. Sounds like exactly what you want, you just need to re-skin it.

Offline Tsunami

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1169
  • Not delicate.
    • View Profile
Re: Help with "Compulsion" Power, Please?
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2011, 09:24:50 PM »
Domination pretty much does what you want.

To really force someone to do something you need to take them out mentally.
Domination victims can be made into Renfields, they don't need to be.

So when you take someone out with it you can simply say that he/she is going to spike someones drink. No need to fully enthrall them.

To bring it in line with what you've described, i'd remove the Renfield trapping completely, and make it possible to attack non-helpless victims.
So that you can look someone in the eye at a party and make them spike someones drink. Otherwise you'd have to subdue the victim before you could do that.

The Power would still cost -2 Refresh, since direct mental attacks are extremely powerful.

Offline InFerrumVeritas

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 813
    • View Profile
Re: Help with "Compulsion" Power, Please?
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2011, 09:44:22 PM »
For some spells, I've been playing with the idea of using something like a Mental Grapple. 

In the case of the spell, it would be something like:
# Shifts vs target's Discipline.  If you succeed, on your subsequent turn you may use your supplemental action to force the target to make an action, place a maneuver on the target, or inflict a one stress mental hit on the target.

So perhaps you could have it be something like Conviction vs. target's Discipline. 

Offline Becq

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1253
    • View Profile
Re: Help with "Compulsion" Power, Please?
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2011, 04:05:33 AM »
Domination is very powerful, but only works on a "helpless captive", which makes it useless for what the OP looks to be trying to do.  I think Incite Emotion is a much better model, but is probably too limited in scope.  It seems reasonable to 'upgrade' the power, call it perhaps "Incite Obedience", and allow it to inflict more flexible aspects via maneuver (or consequence if upgraded further) for -2 refresh.  I imagine a common aspect would be "Yessss, master!"

Note that buying Domination as well might be very appropriate.

Offline ways and means

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1783
  • What Lies in the Truth, what truth in the Lies.
    • View Profile
Re: Help with "Compulsion" Power, Please?
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2011, 04:09:49 AM »
Incite Awe is good for domination, Why do you want to serve me because I am your perfect lord and master.
Every night has its day.
Even forever must come to an end....
I think.

Offline SunlessNick

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 188
    • View Profile
Re: Help with "Compulsion" Power, Please?
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2011, 04:21:04 AM »
Quote
To bring it in line with what you've described, i'd remove the Renfield trapping completely, and make it possible to attack non-helpless victims.
So that you can look someone in the eye at a party and make them spike someones drink. Otherwise you'd have to subdue the victim before you could do that.  -  Tsunami
I concur.  Vampire Diaries compulsion is direct; even when it is used to manipulate emotions, it mostly seems to be force victims to act an emotion out rather than really feel it.  Incite Emotion seems to unspecific.

Offline Belial666

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 2389
    • View Profile
Re: Help with "Compulsion" Power, Please?
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2011, 10:28:18 AM »
Incite Loyalty. Simply put, you force someone to feel overwhelming loyalty to you and thus do what you ask them to. Incite+Potent+Lasting would do for the eye-gaze (you got to be close enough to look them in the eye). Incite+Lasting+Potent+Ranged for a bit more powerful version. Both can result in temporary effects (maneuvers/blocks) or lasting/permanent effects (consequences/takeout)

And add Ritual Psychomancy for those who can send nightmares, dreams, visions and the like from afar; rituals do not need Line of Sight and after drinking somebody's blood or a piece of their life-force, you got a ready-made sympathetic link.