Man to Beast

With this power, an Oberloch is able to reduce a subject’s mental acuity to that of a common animal’s. The victim’s higher brain functions give way to base, feral needs (i.e., the reptilian urges of food, sex, sleep and shelter). In some cases, a subject can even be made to manifest bestial features, further degrading identity.

The Oberloch can suggest a type of animal to the subject, but the influence is not necessarily followed. A victim could react based on the kind of animal to which he feels most connection. How an animal behaves is also open to interpretation. (People might have different opinions on how a hog acts, for example.)

Cost: 1 Willpower
Dice Pool: Wits + Expression + Protean – subject’s Resolve
Action: Instant

Roll Results
Dramatic Failure: The Devotion fails and the subject may not be affected by any uses of Dominate (including this and other Devotions that require Dominate) from the character until the next sunset.
Failure: Willpower is consumed, but the power fails with no effect. A successive attempt may be possible.
Success: The subject is reduced to feral, bestial behavior. Each success on the activation roll removes one die from the victim’s Social and Mental dice pools for a number of hours equal to the Oberloch’s Animalism score.
Exceptional Success: The victim also manifests animal features. One quality is gained for each success rolled at and in excess of five. (Five successes means one animal feature, six means two, seven means three, and so on.) A single feature could be a pig’s snout, ears, tail or hooves. In addition to the dice-pool penalties imposed by a success, the victim suffers a mild derangement based on the experience that can be overcome only through roleplaying or therapy.

A victim of this power can be subject to only one application of it at a time. The target must also be within direct earshot of the user. Trying to use the power over the telephone has no effect.