Custom Combination Discipline / Technique

The user of this Discipline never lacks for knowledge provided there is a nearby target with the skill set required. By invading the target’s mind, the Kindred can remove and assimilate a lifetime of learning in moments. Victims of this power are commonly thought to suffer varying degrees of dementia as their minds slowly struggle to recover what was lost.

System: The Kindred first engages the target in a mental challenge to establish the telepathic link and identify/isolate the desired skill set (the user can identify one ability set per two temporary Willpower available) and then spends one blood trait. Second, the vampire spends one mental trait per ability trait being stolen to extract that knowledge from the ensnared mind and may immediately spend experience points at a cost of two per trait to make the acquisition permanent. To steal and permanently acquire an ability, the victim must possess more permanent ability traits than the Kindred at the time of the theft. Any ability not purchased is forgotten at a rate of one trait per hour. Using this Discipline for an ability already known to the vampire temporarily destroys the victim’s ability to use the skill with no benefit to the thief.

As this power requires the use of Dominate, it can only be used on Kindred of equal or higher generation, and a temporary Willpower trait must be expended before any blood traits are used. Regardless of the victim’s nature, supernatural or otherwise, the mind regains its ability traits at the same rate as the creature’s body heals aggravated damage. Because the vampire is essentially imprinting memories from another being, he suffers from the active Derangement Sanguinary Animism for one hour per ability trait stolen. This time is cumulative provided multiple abilities are stolen from a single person. If the vampire steals abilities from multiple targets, then he takes on the Derangement for each victim and, if reckless, may find himself with too many active, albeit temporary, derangements to be allowed to live.

The use of this Discipline is tantamount to psychic rape. Player Characters following the Path of Humanity should, at the Storyteller’s discretion, test to maintain their Humanity when acquiring abilities in this manner.