Obfuscate
As creatures of cunning, intrigue and misdirection, Cainites possess an uncanny knack for deception and stealth. For some, though, this ability goes far beyond normal subterfuge. Such vampires actually cloud the minds of people around them, dulling notice and directing attention elsewhere. As a result, these vampires can remain obscured from observation, perhaps even extending their concealing powers to other objects and people.
Because Obfuscate clouds the awareness of its targets, they avoid notice of a concealed individual and to rationalise away such attention unless it is forced on them. Thus, if a vampire is concealed with this Discipline while wandering about a room, people avoid her subconsciously. If she sits in a chair while hidden, others ignore the chair, taking other seats or standing but failing to notice her innocuous presence or the "mysteriously empty" seat. This concealment is generally broken if the hidden individual deliberately interacts with the environment, by picking up or dropping something, speaking to someone, touching a person or manipulating an object - the amount of concealable activity varies with this Discipline’s power.
The concealment of Obfuscate functions against all of the senses, because it actually forces attention away from the hidden individual. Thus, the presence of a Nosferatu wandering about with Unseen Presence is not betrayed by any telltale odour of the sewers.
Cross your arms in front of your chest to represent your level of Obfuscate, displaying a number of fingers on each hand corresponding to your highest level of power.
The Discipline of Auspex can sometimes be used to pierce the veil of Obfuscate. An individual with Auspex (or a similar power of supernatural sensitivity) may penetrate Obfuscate if he is already looking for hidden individuals. The searcher may engage in a Mental Challenge with the hidden subject. If the searcher wins, then he pierces the Obfuscate and senses the hidden vampire normally. If the concealed individual wins, the searcher remains oblivious to her presence.
Obfuscate powers last as long as they are maintained, and they generally require no particular effort. These powers conceal the user and everything worn or carried. The Stealth Ability is used for Retests by augmenting the Discipline with natural shadows and concealment.
- First Basic - Cloak of Shadows
- Second Basic - Unseen Presence
- First Intermediate - Mask of a Thousand Faces
- Second Intermediate - Vanish from the Mind's Eye
- Advanced - Cloak the Gathering