Dominate (VTM)

Name:	Dominate
Pronunciation:
Clans:	Giovanni, Lasombra, Malkavians, Tremere, Ventrue
Bloodlines:	Kiasyd, Nagaraja, Old Clan Tzimisce, Xi Dundu

Dominate is a Discipline that overwhelms another person's mind with the vampire's will, forcing victims to think or act according to the vampire's decree.

Overview

Dominate's aspect of the curse of vampirism is that it devaluates the basics of true friendship or intimacy. Dominate also dulls the empathy of the user, and one must take care not to become accustomed to being surrounded by sycophants at all times. Some become incapable of understanding why anyone would not agree with them, follow their commands or do whatever they can to serve them.

While undeniably powerful, its use almost always adheres to two important restrictions: the user must meet the eyes of the target and must speak in language that is clearly heard and understood by the target. Furthermore, this Discipline cannot be used upon Cainites of lower generation and cannot force someone to be self-destructive or defy their Nature. Using Dominate is often considered very heavy-handed, hardly appropriate within what passes for polite vampiric society, but it is also favored by those of age and status as an efficient means of asserting their authority.

Official Abilities

Included below are the official powers described in supplements for Vampire: The Masquerade and Dark Ages: Vampire. Sources are described below in the order they were printed.

Standard Powers

• ^[1]
  • Command: Give a simple one-word order that a target must obey
• ^[2]
  • Mesmerize: By holding a target with your gaze you can implant false thoughts or hypnotic suggestions in a target's mind
• ^[3]
  • The Forgetful Mind: Rewrite the memories of a target
• ^[4]
  • Conditioning: Over time make a target a slave to your will alone
• ^[5]
  • Possession: Transfer your mind into a mortal body and control their actions

Advanced Powers

• ^[6]
  • Autonomic Mastery: Start, stop, or otherwise control a target's bodily functions
  • Chain the Psyche: Attempting to circumvent your Dominate commands fills the target with incapacitating pain
  • Command Obedience: You no longer require eye contact for Dominate, relying on skin contact or your voice
  • Fealty: Enforce oaths a target makes to you so they cannot be broken
  • Implanted Opinion: Implant a feeling, opinion, or even a personality trait the victim will believe is their own
  • Loyalty: It becomes very difficult for other vampires to override your Dominate commands with their own
  • Memory Block: Leave a target unable to talk about a memory even while able to remember it
  • Obedience: The vampire may use any Dominate power without eye contact. Touching their skin, or even clothing, is sufficient.
  • Oberon's Grail: Erase entire nights of a target's memory
  • Rationalize: Those you Dominate refuse to believe their actions are not their own
  • Tranquility: Ease a vampire out of frenzy

• ^[7]
  • Chain of Command: Should a target be made unable to obey one of your Dominate command the effect will be passed to one who can
  • Repression of the Obvious: Learn a thought the target is repressing and make them blurt it out
  • Mass Manipulation: You can use Dominate on small groups at once
  • Still the Mortal Flesh: Shut down the body functions of a target
  • Strings of the Marionette: Force a vampire to obey your commands even when staked or in torpor
  • Tyrant's Gaze: Reduce the Attributes of a target with a look

• ^[8]
  • Carry the Master's Voice: Make it so you can issue Dominate commands through a thrall
  • Far Mastery: You can issue Dominate commands to someone you know anywhere in the world if you know their location

• ^[9]
  • Best Intentions: Make a target always act with your best intentions in mind
  • Speak Through the Blood: Guide the actions of your vampiric descendents over the years

• ^[10]
  • Puppet Master: Override a target's mind completely and make them think and act as you. This power may only be attempted once per year on a given victim.
  • Plot Device

References

^  Level 1

Command	Vampire: The Masquerade Rulebook	Pg. 97
Command the Wearied Mind	Vampire: The Masquerade Second Edition	Pg. 161
Observance of the Spoken Word	Vampire: The Dark Ages Rulebook	Pg. 150
Command	Vampire: The Masquerade Revised Edition	Pg. 157
Observance of the Spoken Word	Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook	Pg. 186
Observance of the Spoken Word	Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook	Pg. 186
Trance	Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

^  Level 2

Mesmerize	Vampire: The Masquerade Rulebook	Pg. 97
Mesmerize	Vampire: The Masquerade Second Edition	Pg. 162
Murmur of the False Will	Vampire: The Dark Ages Rulebook	Pg. 151
Mesmerize	Vampire: The Masquerade Revised Edition	Pg. 157
Murmur of the False Will	Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook	Pg. 186
Brainwipe	Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

^  Level 3

The Forgetful Mind	Vampire: The Masquerade Rulebook	Pg. 97
The Forgetful Mind	Vampire: The Masquerade Second Edition	Pg. 162
Reveler's Memory	Vampire: The Dark Ages Rulebook	Pg. 151
The Forgetful Mind	Vampire: The Masquerade Revised Edition	Pg. 157
Reveler's Memory	Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook	Pg. 187
Suicide	Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

^  Level 4

Conditioning	Vampire: The Masquerade Rulebook	Pg. 97
Conditioning	Vampire: The Masquerade Second Edition	Pg. 162
Lure of Subtle Whispers	Vampire: The Dark Ages Rulebook	Pg. 151
Conditioning	Vampire: The Masquerade Revised Edition	Pg. 158
Lure of Subtle Whispers	Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook	Pg. 187
Possession	Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

^  Level 5

Possession	Vampire: The Masquerade Rulebook	Pg. 97
Possession	Vampire: The Masquerade Second Edition	Pg. 162
Vessel	Vampire: The Dark Ages Rulebook	Pg. 151
Possession	Vampire: The Masquerade Revised Edition	Pg. 159
Vessel	Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook	Pg. 188
Mass Suicide	Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

^  Level 6

Loyalty	VTM: The Players Guide	Pg. 80
Obedience	VTM: The Players Guide	Pg. 80
Rationalize	VTM: The Players Guide	Pg. 80
Tranquility	VTM: The Players Guide	Pg. 80
Loyalty	The Players Guide Second Edition	Pg. 74
Obedience	The Players Guide Second Edition	Pg. 74
Rationale	The Players Guide Second Edition	Pg. 74
Tranquility	The Players Guide Second Edition	Pg. 74
Fealty	Vampire: The Dark Ages Rulebook	Pg. 152
Autonomic Mastery	Dark Ages Companion	Pg. 83
Chain the Psyche	Guide to the Camarilla	Pg. 88
Loyalty	Guide to the Camarilla	Pg. 88
Obedience	Guide to the Camarilla	Pg. 89
Oberon's Grail	Clanbook: Tremere Revised	Pg. 48
Fealty	Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook	Pg. 189
Command Obedience	Players Guide to High Clans	Pg. 153
Implanted Opinion	V20 Lore of the Clans	Pg. 123
Memory Block	V20 Lore of the Clans	Pg. 123

^  Level 7

Mob Rule	VTM: The Players Guide	Pg. 80
Mob Rule	The Players Guide Second Edition	Pg. 75
Repression of the Obvious	Clanbook: Malkavian	Pg. 27
Command the Legion	Dark Ages Companion	Pg. 83
Mass Manipulation	Guide to the Camarilla	Pg. 89
Still the Mortal Flesh	Guide to the Camarilla	Pg. 89
Chain of Command	Archons & Templars	Pg. 144
Strings of the Marionette	Archons & Templars	Pg. 144
Tyrant's Gaze	Players Guide to High Clans	Pg. 154

^  Level 8

Far Mastery	VTM: The Players Guide	Pg. 81
Far Mastery	The Players Guide Second Edition	Pg. 75
Empowering the Puppet King	Dark Ages Companion	Pg. 83
Far Mastery	Guide to the Camarilla	Pg. 89
Carry the Master's Voice	Players Guide to High Clans	Pg. 154

^  Level 9

Best Intentions	VTM: The Players Guide	Pg. 81
Best Intentions	The Players Guide Second Edition	Pg. 75
Speak Through the Blood	Guide to the Camarilla	Pg. 89
Dominate the Descendents	Players Guide to High Clans	Pg. 154

^  Level 10

Puppet Master	VTM: The Players Guide	Pg. 81
Puppet Master	The Players Guide Second Edition	Pg. 75
Plot Device	Gehenna	Pg. 182

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