Dévotion de Nelapsi
9 XP
Ghostly sounds, cold spots and floating lights are all common manifestations of a Nelapsi’s haunting — or so stories tell. By creating an aura of looming dread and focusing attention on tricks of the mind, a Nelapsi can cause various sensory manifestations that unsettle mortals or make Kindred wonder if a place is inhabited by more than just vampires.
Although Nelapsi refer to these manifestations simply as “witch lights,” the effects aren’t limited to light alone. They can include a sudden stench, a brief moment of cold, the sound of creaking floorboards or a colored illumination equivalent to a candle — a veritable cornucopia of ghostly effects.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Wits + Occult + Nightmare
Action: Instant
A Nelapsi can cause distracting and disturbing phenomena to occur anywhere he can see with the naked eye. The actual area of effect is four square yards per success achieved on the power’s activation roll. A subject surrounded by manifestations suffers a –2 penalty on all dice pools due to distraction, if not fear (rolls made for reflexive actions are not affected). Leaving the area of effect terminates the penalty, but it resumes if exposure is resumed. The penalty does not apply to the creator himself.
While manifestations aren’t detailed enough to assume specific shapes, sounds or messages, they’re certainly eerie. They don’t show up on any recording device or are distorted in some fashion and unrecognizable when they do. (A Willpower point can be spent for a Nelapsi to make all such signs recordable for a short time — see Vampire, p. 170.)
Manifestations persist for the remainder of the scene, unless the Nelapsi decides to dispense with them, he can no longer see the area of effect, he is rendered unconscious or torpid, or he is destroyed. A Glutton can maintain one application of this power at a time, but it doesn’t require any active concentration beyond continued observation. The center of Witch Light activity can move at a Speed of 3, as directed reflexively by the creator. Phenomena do not cause damage and cannot make objects invisible or alter items’ appearance. They can, however, be a distraction to the creator’s own activities.