Path of the Vampire forum

What physically occurs when a Decoy is created? What do bystanders see? How does it differ from what is seen with Hall of Mirrors? In RP (or even NPC combat), would it be possible to use Decoy in the same method as Hall of Mirrors - multiple versions of yourself, less likely to hit?

Hall of mirrors is a momentary thing, but it creates many illusions of yourself. Decoy creates an illusion which remains there when the caster leaves, so that's the main difference. Yes, decoy could be technically used in a battle, at least in roleplay. As for what bystanders see, they see a mirror image of the caster, but the decoy would just stand around. Not completely still like a dummy, but they wouldn't be walking around or talking either.

Darkness Falls covers a "target" in a blanket of shadows. In RP, could this be used on inanimate objects like a table or book? Could it be used to blanket an entire room in darkness?

I don't see why not, but perhaps not an entire room. Maybe an entire room, if you had most of the other shadow related powers such as Commander of Darkness.

Is there any way to retrieve memories lost through Anterograde Turning Amnesia, perhaps long-term? I understand that each month, you lose your memories. But a year after your turning perhaps, could you gain the memories of your first month? What about an individual who has this curse, as well as the Retrograde Spyglass?

I'd say writer's choice for that.

Does Chaotic Presence affect vampires?

Yes, absolutely. Vampires are prone to more emotional outbursts than humans. They might, however, be more likely to be aware of the curse, so they might be able to resist it a bit better in terms of knowing what is being done to them.

Inheritance of Madness seems too easy to abuse as an 'easy' Curse, by which I mean people could take it without actually suffering. Easier things like bipolar disorder, acute stress disorder, ADHD, etc., could be used with this. Is that possible, or should the 'Madness' be deeper than those?

I would encourage people to only adopt severe mental illnesses for this, as the power description says. It's up to the writer to decide what is considered severe, but when writing it I was thinking in terms of actual insanity, rather than simply instability.

Irrational Fear + Shadow Realm. While you never directly come in contact with the Shadow Realm unless you're killed, does this mean the threat of death has the same affect on the Cursed individual?

If their fear is the shadow realm? Yes, the thought of it would be enough to make the cursed individual terrified, I'd imagine.

Does Omnilingual work on the written word? For example; if a character possessing this power were to read Arabic, would they be able to read/write it? Or would they have to have heard it first? Or not at all?

That's a good question. I'd have to talk to somebody who knows more about languages than I. It seems feasible, though.

Could Projected Rage turn someone against their allies?

The power doesn't direct the anger, it just stimulates it. As the description says, though, it's up to the player of the target as to how it affects them. If they agree it makes them turn on their allies, then it does.

Imagine an extremely materialistic individual. Someone who places great value on everything they own. Would Summon Possession then work on everything they own?

Only the things they have a serious emotional attachment to. It's up to the writer to decide what those things are.

The Human Curses of Amputee, Blind, and Deaf. If that Human is turned, do they remain or are they healed?

Writer choice. As the wiki says, some who are turned recover their limbs, and some who are turned never get those limbs back.

Would a Human with Intense Medium and a vampire in the Shadow Realm be able to interact?

Not on purpose. It's a curse, which means you can't usually put it to good use. It might happen by accident, though.

When it comes to Arcanist, what are reasonable limits to the magic the human can perform? Are these parlor tricks or things that can actually do damage?

Not actual damage, no. Somewhere between parlor tricks and wiccan spells (if you believe in that).

Does Sense Undead work on zombies, fadebeasts, and other undead creatures besides vampires?

Yes to all of those.

What happens to Humans with the fae-blood powers that are turned? Do those powers remain or vanish? Is that individual a hybrid? On the same train of thought, would a human with Friend of the Fae lose that power if they are turned?

They lose that power. Vampire blood is incompatible with demi-fae blood, as will be seen when Sidhe are playable.

When a vampire uses Swarm, I assume that they just kind of summon all nearby insects to attack. Would it be possible, for strictly RP purposes, for a vampire using Swarm to resurrect dead (or even prehistoric/fossilized) insects? I imagine that a Necromancer who has made their way to that power could do so.

Dead, yes, but perhaps not prehistoric.

If a vampire who has Animal Entity uses Swarm, would the insects then turn on the vampire in question? Or would the power even work for them?

Writer's choice on that one. Either sounds like a fun roleplay possibility.

Let's say a Human has Haunted. Could that Human be haunted by an existing vampire? For example; Jefferson has Haunted. Asher is sent to the Shadow Realm. During his stay there, could Asher haunt Jefferson? And then when Asher is alive again, is the Curse null and void?

No, vampire wraiths don't come and go in the same way human spirits do.

Robert Pratt wrote:

Mindspeak 2 - Send players telepathic alerts without needing to use emails (not viewable to those with Read Memories). Allows the initiation of private chats without the need of a phone.

Just wanted to check.....

The private chat referred to above, that's the new function on the phone system isn't it?

It's not a case of a telepath opening a two way conversation into someone's head so that they can have a convo without the other person having telepathy.

It is new, yes. Or was. And yes, it could be seen to allow two-way conversations as if you were talking with the person on a phone. But the receiver would be unable to initiate that conversation if there was no current established link between the two minds, assuming the receiver is not a telepath.

Verity wrote:Forgive me if this has been asked before, though I didn't see it anywhere:

What would happen to a human who dies with the blood of two vampires in her system? Would it depend wholly on amounts for who would sire them or on the blood that'd entered the system first? Or another instance not yet mentioned?

Good question. I don't believe it's been asked before, no.

I hadn't thought about it until now, but I think the most interesting choice would be to make it so that the stronger generation (lower numbered gen) vampire's blood prevails over the other vampire's blood, making them your sire. That also makes the most sense to me, according to the existing canon and the secret origins of vampires.

But I'm going to say writer's choice, because some might have already roleplayed it a certain way and might have good reasons for doing so.

Robert Pratt wrote:Enter Shadows.

The fade walker power that allows you to enter the SR, does your whole body go into the SR so that you're an actual physical being there - or is it just your spirit so you appear to be another wraith like all the rest?

Your actual body enters into the SR, but you would appear to be a wraith while there. Vampires are dead creatures after all, and their physical form only exists in the physical world.

Prudence wrote:In terms of decoy and rp, what can a decoy do or not do?
Talk, move, run businesses, etc, etc.

Just answered today. They don't walk around, don't talk, and can't interact with anything. They are just illusions who stand around looking like they are waiting for something.

PsychoCliff wrote:Er.. Just a random thought that turned into a question now...

If peeps are tunneling in and out of sewerrs, what is happening to all the holes left behind? Wouldn't it look strange to have all these holes in the ground?

I think the same could be said about all the summoned zombie bodies, etc. Some grid mechanics have to be taken with a pinch of suspending disbelief. Otherwise, they wouldn't be powers. We just have to pretend that vampires tunnel into the group less often than they actually do, or that they cover their tracks afterwards.

Prudence wrote:Do failed attacks with powers use anima now, or just certain powers?
Because I don't remember raise vampire taking anima when it failed a looooooong time ago.

That's a mechanics question, not a canon question. I'm not sure what the answer is, offhand.

Alexandrea wrote:A recent post by the Luff Man on the crownet got me wondering about vampire organ donors. Since those of the Killer path leave bodies behind, what would have if some of their organs were removed and put into humans?

They'd grow those organs back again once the vampire re-enters the body. As for what happens to the human, I'd say they just die on the operating table due to "rejection" of the organ tissue.

PsychoCliff wrote:Not Grid-wise, but RP Wise, Wraiths can still enter and exit the Mause without having to go through the sewer or fadeportals right?

Yes.