Animate the Inanimate
Blood Sorcery •••
- Amalgam: Dominate 2
By rousing a spirit from its slumber the Blood Sorcerer animates an object and compels it to obey their command. The spirit (when all goes well) returns to slumber once the compulsion has been obeyed or after an hour, whichever occurs first.
- Cost: 1 Rouse
- Dice Pool: Manipulation + Blood Sorcery (Difficulty 2 + 1 for every additional 3 meters across after the first 3) against objects whose spirit slumbers. Against objects possessed by awakened spirits the difficulty is equal to the successes garnered by blood sorcerer whom animated the object or if the spirit is free versus the spirit's Composure + Resolve.
- System: After spending vitae (1 Rouse worth) and achieving a successful activation test the Blood Sorcerer may command the object as if using Mesmerize. See Vampire the Masquerade Core Rulebook p. 256 The Object must be within the Cainite's line of sight and the sound of their voice. An object “hears” the command if a typical unimpaired non-supernatural mortal were able to do so when standing in the object’s location. If all conditions are met, the object animates and immediately acts upon the sorcerer’s orders to the best of its abilities. An object remains inanimate, however if the command includes any conditional directives such as, “if the man in blue appears hold him,” or ”When the Sun sets attack the first individual you see.” An object cannot take an action that would be impossible for something with its form. The object however does become more flexible – A chair will walk over to its master or slide under a table; a door may be compelled to open or a gun to fire or twist out of the wielder's grip. Unless there is a significant emotional tie or resonance to an individual, most objects are unable to recognize one individual from another. Blood Sorcerers should take care in crafting their commands to take into account these limitations. Animate the Inanimate automatically fails if used against a spirit that is not in possession of an inanimate non-living object.
For every success on the activation roll the animated object acts as a dot of Allies up to a limit of 5. Rules to create an Allie can be found in the Vampire the Masquerade 5th Edition Core rulebook, p.185. The Storyteller is free to cap the number of successes (or tweak the objects attributes) of the animated object if the object is structurally unsound, decaying, weak, or extremely small. The object is animated by the strength of its spirit so it may possess above normal capabilities than its structure or size may at first suggest. Reliability is not used as the object is compelled to act immediately just as a human might when dominated. A critical success on the activation roll grants the object access to one level one or one level two power. This is in addition to any power the animated object may possess if created as a level 5 retainer. The chosen power should be congruent with the themes of the object or its awakened spirit. On a total failure the object animates but ignores the kindred’s commands. The ST determines if the object flees, attacks or takes some other action. The object, no matter the STs decision, is initially unfriendly or hostile to the Caster, enraged that the caster woke it from its slumber or attempted to enslave it to its will.
For purposes of this power an object is any non-sentient item predominantly crafted by the hand of man. (A Stone sculpture is okay but a dolem or Inukshuk is not.) As an Amalgam, Animate the Inanimate is subject to the restrictions and conditions associated with Dominate unless stated otherwise above. Dominate overview may be found in Vampire: the Masquerade Core Rulebook, 5th Ed.. p. 255 .
- Duration: {{{duration}}}
Related Content
Credits
Author: Chris Wilson
Other Credits: White Wolf. A conversion and expansion of "Animate the Unmoving, Path of Elemental Mastery
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