Psychic Empathy builds on the underlying power of Aura Reading, as the telepath moves from merely perceiving the emotional aura of a target to actively manipulating it and thereby affecting the subject’s mood. In order to use Psychic Empathy, a character must first successfully use Aura Reading on a target. Once the character can clearly see the target’s aura, he can psychically “adjust the colors,” affecting her mood.
The four-dot version is only capable of short-term manipulations, while the five-dot version can hardwire a victim to feel a particular emotional response for extended periods.
The intensity of any particular emotional state is determined by the chart below.
| Modifier | Emotional Response |
|---|---|
| 0 | No discernable signs of the emotional state. |
| -1 | Noticeable signs of the emotional state. |
| -2 | Obvious signs of the emotional state. A Resolve + Composure roll for the subject must succeed to avoid acting on the emotion in minor ways (snide comments toward someone he dislikes, flirting with the person for whom he now feels sexual attraction) every time he has an opportunity to do so. |
| -3 | Unambiguous signs of the emotional state. As with the previous entry, except that the target must get at least as many successes on the Resolve + Composure as the empath does on the Psychic Empathy roll to avoid acting out on the emotion in a very obvious way (picking a fight with a person he now hates, acting in a subservient manner toward a person he now loves). |
| -4 | Overwhelming signs of the emotional state. The emotional state approaches or even exceeds the level of a derangement (homicidal rage, suicidal depression, obsessive stalking). A Willpower point must be spent for the subject to even attempt a Resolve + Composure roll to contest the emotional compulsion, and he must still get as many successes as the empath does on the activation roll. The target seeks out opportunities to act on the emotion in obvious ways, and any attempt to conceal his state is automatically reduced to a chance die. |
Any attempt to manipulate a subject’s emotional state is penalized by the intensity of the emotion to be created or suppressed. Thus, if an empath wanted to make a total stranger fall in love with her (i.e., moving from no discernable signs (0) of love to unambiguous (–3) signs of love), the dice pool suffers a –3 penalty. Or if an empath wants to totally suppress an enemy’s overwhelming (–4) hatred of her in order to allow for peaceful interaction, the dice pool suffers a –4 penalty. Often, an empath seeks to produce an emotion that is the opposite of one a target currently feels, such as causing a man to hate his beloved wife, or when she wants a suicidal person to suddenly feel happy about his life. In such cases, the penalty is the total associated with the previous emotion, plus the new one. Thus, converting a subject’s unambiguous (–3) love for his wife into unambiguous (–3) hate inflicts a total –6 penalty.
Emotions produced with the four-dot version of this power last while the empath concentrates, or for the duration of an entire scene if the empath achieves an exceptional success. The five-dot version automatically lasts for at least a scene, and applies for a day with an exceptional success. With either version, the dice pool for affecting emotions is Manipulation + Empathy, contested by the subject’s Resolve + Composure. The five-dot version is capable of affecting a being with a supernatural template, but the four-dot version automatically fails against such beings.
Any emotion can be affected by this power, and its parameters are limited mainly by the Storyteller’s discretion and a player’s innovation. A few of the more commonly affected emotions include anger, happiness or sadness, love, sexual libido, possessiveness (for an object or a person) and compassion. Only one successful attempt can be made to alter a subject’s emotions per scene.
Cost: 1 Willpower per use. One Willpower must also be spent to activate the character’s Aura Reading powers prior to manipulating a subject’s emotions.
Dice Pool: The psychic must first successfully use Aura Reading on the subject. The roll to alter emotions is Manipulation + Empathy versus Resolve + Composure (resistance is reflexive).
Action: Contested
Roll Results
Dramatic Failure:
The character triggers psychic feedback in the target, making him instinctively withdraw or distrust her. The subject is also immune to the psychic’s Psychic Empathy for the rest of the scene.
Failure:
The character fails to influence the target’s emotions.
Success:
The subject’s emotions change according to the empath’s desires.
Exceptional Success:
The emotional change lasts for a longer period of time. With the four-dot version, the effect persists for a scene without concentration. With the five-dot version, the effect lasts for a day.
Option [Limited Empath]:
The empath’s powers are limited in some way, such as in the type of person affected, the type of emotion manipulated or the type of person or object that can be made the subject of an altered emotional connection. The dice bonus is determined by how specific and limited the empath’s powers are. An empath who can affect only women might gain a +1 bonus, while one whose sole power is to trigger intense misogyny in other men might gain a +3 bonus.
Option [Touch Only]:
With this option, the empath can affect another’s emotional state only while physically touching the target, (although concentration is all that’s required after contact is made).
Option [Uncontrolled]:
With this option, the empath’s power is not totally under his control. Whenever he experiences a profound emotion, a reflexive Resolve + Composure roll must be made, with a penalty based on the emotion as determined by the response table, above. If the roll is unsuccessful, Presence + Empathy is rolled, plus a bonus equal to the emotion’s rating, with everyone in his vicinity making a contested Resolve + Composure roll. Anyone who fails to get as many or more successes than the empath instantly experiences the same emotion as the character. Uncontrolled uses of Psychic Empathy do not require use of Aura Reading or the expenditure of a Willpower point. Deliberate uses of this power functions as normal, except that with this option, the empath has a +2 bonus.