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Chimerstry is the trademark Discipline of the Ravnos that conjures illusions into existence. Such phantom images are as real as the Cainite's skill allows, and will even fool technological sensors.

Overview[]

While its origins are lost in myths and half-truths, it is assumed to have been developed by the Ravnos Antediluvian, and over the centuries has greatly contributed to the perception of Ravnos as tricksters and con artists. Because Chimerstry works best when targets do not realize they are being deceived by illusions, most practitioners keep their knowledge of it a secret. Even then, it is not always easy to dismiss the phantoms created by this Discipline even when one knows them to be false. Vampires with high levels of Auspex may see through the effects of Chimerstry.[1]

As an added note, Chimerstry works against the Fae as if it were real. Because of this, the Ravnos are often feared by the Fae who are aware of this effect, since it essentially means the Ravnos can more or less do anything it wants to the Fae. It is, however, unspecified how this effect works with the power Horrid Reality, whether the world it traps the Fae in is an illusion or just as real as any other Chimerstry creation is to a Fae. The Fae believe that this is the result of a pact between the Wanderer and the early Unseelie Court from before the Sundering, which allowed him and his brood to call extensions of the Dreaming into the Autumn World.[2]

In order to properly utilize Chimerstry, the vampire has to experience the illusion he creates himself, deceiving even himself for an instant about the substance of his creation (which can lead to Rötschreck if the vampire summons the illusion of fire). Also, the vampire can only create illusions he can perceive by himself; a deaf vampire could not create auditory illusions, while a blindfolded vampire could not summon visual illusions.

Chimerstry is a part of the curse on a vampire because it fools him into believing that he is able to truly creative acts, when all he does is perverting and deceiving the senses of his audience.[3] Some advanced users become so enthralled and convinced in the reality in their illusions that they lose themselves in dreamworlds of their own making or other derangements.[4]

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[]

  • Menu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet [1]
    • Ignis Fatuus: Create a motionless illusion that affects one of the five senses
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet [2]
    • Fata Morgana/Dweomer: Create a motionless illusion that can affect any of the five senses
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet [3]
    • Apparition: Add motion to an illusion created by Ignis Fatuus or Fata Morgana
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bullet [4]
    • Permanency: Make an illusion created by Chimerstry last until dismissed
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet [5]
    • Horrid Reality: Places the mind of the victim in an illusionary world of the vampire's creation

Advanced Powers[]

  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Menu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet [6]
    • Army of Apparitions: Create multiple moving illusions
    • False Resonance: Disguise one's thoughts and aura from other attempts to read them
    • Fata Amria: Curse a target with a recurring illusion that interferes with them
    • Fatuus Mastery: No longer spend Willpower or blood points for the first three levels of Chimerstry, require less concentration to maintain illusions. Illusions manifest in the Penumbra as well as the Shadowlands.
    • Horrid Blade of the Demons: Create a dangerous weapon out of nothing
    • Subtle Spy: Impart a piece of the vampire's consciousness into a illusion which can be absorbed later to learn all the illusion witnessed
    • Shared Nightmare/Mass Horror: As Horrid Reality, except it affects multiple people
    • Truth's Essence: Reveal as falsehoods other uses of Chimerstry or Obfuscate
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet [7]
    • Aid of the Gandharvas: Make everything in a room seem luxurious and splendid
    • Far Fatuus: Create illusions anywhere you can visualize
    • Interrupt Reality: Make something that is real seem impossible or fake
    • Mirror's Visage: Create duplicates of oneself
    • Suspension of Disbelief: Make an illusion seem completely real or what is real seem unbelievable
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bulletMenu bullet [8]
    • Fantasy World: Place a target in an illusionary world in their mind
    • Occlusion/Synesthesia: Control how a single target's or group's senses work
    • Pseudo Blindness: See through almost all falsehoods including Fae Seemings.
    • Sensory Overload: Incapacitate a target by overstimulating their senses
    • Visions from the Asura: Assault a target with constant illusions, making it nearly impossible to know what is real or not
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu bullet [9]
    • Mayaparisatya: Temporarily make an illusion completely real or alter a person or object that already exists, possibly even erasing them from existence
    • Sensory Deprivation: Make a victim unable to use any of their senses, locking them out from the world
    • Truths of the Universe: Make a created illusion permanently real
  • Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet Menu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bulletMenu hover bullet [10]
    • Reality: Trap a victim in an alternate reality of your creation
    • Plot Device

Version Differences[]

In the Fifth Edition, Chimerstry is now a Level 2 Amalgam Power of Obfuscate with Presence 1, and the ability Fata Morgana a Level 3 Amalgam with Presence 2.

Gallery[]

References[]


^  Level 1

Ignis Fatuus The Players Guide Pg. 130
The Vampire Players Guide Second Edition Pg. 134
Vampire: The Dark Ages Pg. 146
Vampire: The Masquerade Revised Edition Pg. 154
Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook Pg. 181

^  Level 2

Fata Morgana The Players Guide Pg. 130
The Vampire Players Guide Second Edition Pg. 134
Vampire: The Masquerade Revised Edition Pg. 154
Laws of Elysium Pg. 62
Dweomer Vampire: The Dark Ages Pg. 146
Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook Pg. 182

^  Level 3

Apparition The Players Guide Pg. 130
The Vampire Players Guide Second Edition Pg. 134
Vampire: The Dark Ages Pg. 146
Vampire: The Masquerade Revised Edition Pg. 154
Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook Pg. 182

^  Level 4

Permanency The Players Guide Pg. 130
The Vampire Players Guide Second Edition Pg. 134
Vampire: The Dark Ages Pg. 146
Vampire: The Masquerade Revised Edition Pg. 154
Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook Pg. 182

^  Level 5

Horrid Reality The Players Guide Pg. 130
The Vampire Players Guide Second Edition Pg. 134
Vampire: The Dark Ages Pg. 146
Vampire: The Masquerade Revised Edition Pg. 154
Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook Pg. 182

^  Level 6

Fatuus Mastery The Players Guide Pg. 130
The Vampire Players Guide Second Edition Pg. 134
Mass Reality The Players Guide Pg. 130
The Vampire Players Guide Second Edition Pg. 134
Laws of Elysium Pg. 63
Fata Amria Clanbook: Ravnos Pg. 42
Mass Horror Vampire: The Dark Ages Pg. 147
Dark Ages: Vampire Rulebook Pg. 183
Army of Apparitions Dark Ages Companion Pg. 80
Horrid Blade Libellus Sanguinis 4: Thieves in the Night Pg. 34
Truth's Essence Libellus Sanguinis 4: Thieves in the Night Pg. 34
False Resonance Clanbook: Ravnos Revised Pg. 62
Fatuus Mastery Clanbook: Ravnos Revised Pg. 62
Shared Nightmare Clanbook: Ravnos Revised Pg. 63
Horrid Blade of the Demons Players Guide to Low Clans Pg. 146
Subtle Spy Lore of the Clans Pg. 183

^  Level 7

Far Fatuus The Players Guide Pg. 131
The Vampire Players Guide Second Edition Pg. 134
Clanbook: Ravnos Revised Pg. 64
Mirror's Visage Dark Ages Companion Pg. 80
Suspension of Disbelief Clanbook: Ravnos Revised Pg. 64
Aid of the Gandharvas Players Guide to Low Clans Pg. 147
Interrupt Reality Vampire: The Dark Ages 20th Anniversary Edition Pg. 206

^  Level 8

Pseudo Blindness The Players Guide Pg. 131
The Vampire Players Guide Second Edition Pg. 135
Laws of Elysium Pg. 62
Sensory Overload Clanbook: Ravnos Pg. 43
Fantasy World Dark Ages Companion Pg. 80
Occlusion Clanbook: Ravnos Revised Pg. 64
Synesthesia Vampire: The Dark Ages 20th Anniversary Edition Pg. 207
Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition Pg. 146-147
Visions from the Asura Players Guide to Low Clans Pg. 147

^  Level 9

Sensory Deprivation The Players Guide Pg. 131
The Vampire Players Guide Second Edition Pg. 135
Mayaparisatya Clanbook: Ravnos Revised Pg. 65
Truths of the Universe Players Guide to Low Clans Pg. 148

^  Level 10

Reality The Players Guide Pg. 131
The Vampire Players Guide Second Edition Pg. 135
Plot Device Gehenna Pg. 182


Vampire: The Masquerade Disciplines
Animalism · Auspex · Blood Sorcery · Celerity · Dominate · Fortitude · Obfuscate · Oblivion · Potence · Presence · Protean · Thin-Blood Alchemy
Amalgams Chimerstry · Dementation · Obeah · Serpentis · Valeren · Vicissitude
Legacy Abombwe · Bardo · Chimerstry · Daimonion · Deimos · Dementation · Flight · Kai · Kineticism · Maleficia · Melpominee · Mytherceria · Nihilistics · Obeah · Obtenebration · Quietus · Rift · Sanguinus · Serpentis · Spiritus · Striga · Temporis · Thanatosis · Valeren · Vicissitude · Visceratika
Legacy Blood Magic Abyss Mysticism · Akhu · Thaumaturgical Countermagic · Dur-An-Ki · Mortis · Nahuallotl · Voudoun Necromancy · Western Necromancy · Ogham · Sadhana · Sihr · Thaumaturgy · Dark Thaumaturgy · Sielanic Thaumaturgy · Assamite Sorcery · Anarch Sorcery · Koldunic Sorcery · Setite Sorcery · Wanga
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