Strings of the Puppet

By Perry Lyons (tikibun@epix.net)

Description

Strings of the puppet is a Dark Thaumaturgical path supposedly given to a Tremere infernalist sometime during the 12th century. It permits communication between the user and (un)willing targets, and at higher levels, near control.

System: A person can have a number of attachments up to her level of the path. An attachment can be severed at any time by the user, or by the expenditure of a permanent willpower point by the target. An attachment is visible as a chain link pattern across the aura to anyone using Auspex.

* Create/Sense String

At the first level of mastery, the user may create an attachement to a being and may get a general feeling as to the location of a person that he has an attachment to.

System: Roll Willpower + Manipulation (difficulty is the target's Willpower + 2) to create an attachment. Roll Perception + Willpower (difficulty 7) to get a general sense of the location (ie, nearby, north/south) of a person the user has an attachment to.

** Relay

At this level the user can relay a message to somone she has an attachment to. This is a one way form of communication, and a message can be no more than 20 words.

System: The user expends one Willpower point to send the message. An unwilling receptor can resist with a opposed Willpower roll, with each rolling against the other's current willpower.

*** Feed

Once per night the user may drain 1 blood point from a person he is attached to. If the attached person is kindred, the blood will be gained the next time the attached kindred feeds, and will not count towards a bloodbond.

System: None, this power is automatic

**** Command

The user may give a one word command to anyone she is attached to, no matter how long of a distance there is between them. This command cannot be directly self-destructive.

System: willpower+Manipulation((difficulty is target's wp+1)

***** Control

At this level, the user may assume complete control of a person he has an attachemnt to. While in control, he has access to all of the host's memories, skills and abilites, but while possessing a person in this manner, the users's body slips into torpor untill the possession ends.

System: Roll Manipulation + Willpower (difficulty of the target's Willpower + 2) to assume control, with the possession lasting the user's Willpower in scenes or until the user decides to give up control.