by Mithrandir (2 Mar 93)
The Discipline of the Mekara covers machines ranging from cars to computers to Big Guns and Little Guns. As such, it is similar in some respects to a few of the Garou gifts, particularly the Glass Walker Gifts. However, there are a number of diffrences, which make it into a separate vampiric Discipline (I hope! :-).
For all purposes except when making Repair or Computers rolls to do with the Discipline itself, add your Mechanus score to all rolls of a technical nature.
[1] Simple controlling: With this Power, the Vampire can cause machines to perform a simple action that they normally could perform, without having to touch the machine to begin with. Thus, he can cause a gun to fire, a radio to turn on and off, a fire sprinkler system to suddenly activate for no apparent reason. However, he couldn't make a car suddenly start up and drive away, but he could get the car to start without a key. This power will not open locks of anything but the most simple manner.
System: The Vampire spends a Willpower and makes a Wits+Repair roll with a difficulty based upon the type oof machine to be activated.
6 - Very Simple Machines, e.g, bicycles.
7 - Slightly complex, e.g Sprinkler systems.
8 - Fairly complex , e.g. Simpler engines, calculators, pistols.
9 - Complex machines , Car engines, computers, automatic weapons.
[2] Ceasing the Machine's life: This power causes a particular machine to suddenly stop working for no apparent reason. Computers shut down, guns jam, cars cut out suddenly. Thus, this power can have quite a few uses for those oh-so vital moments. The range of the Power is line of sight.
System: The Vampire Spends a Willpower and makes a Wits+Repair roll with a difficulty based upon the complexity of the machine.
5 - Highly intricate machines, computers, for example. Machines
that will fail if only a tiny part is out of place.
6 - Less intricate gizmos, like car engines, automatic weapons.
7 - Moderately complex machines : Simple engines, pistols,
calculators.
8 - Simple machines : Sprinkler systems.
9 - Really simple machines: Bicycles, tennis racquets, etc.
The machines remain jammed, even after the vampire has left the area.
[3] Complex Controlling: This power is very similar to Simple Controlling, but the Vampire can use this power to make machines run constantly or perform a wider range of functions. Thus while you can only start a car engine with Simple Controlling, you could get the car to drive away as well. You get a gun to keep firing, or issue a series of commands to a computer.
System: This uses the same system as Simple Controlling, except that two Willpower must be spent, not just one.
[4] Eluding the Electric Eye: With this Power, the Vampire can make himself completely invisible to all forms of mechanical detection at will. He ddoes not appear on film unless he wants to. Security cameras aren't alerted by his presence. Traps fail to work when they normally would. Telescopic sights cannot see him, nor can UltraSound, or anything like that.
System: No roll is required, but the Vampire must spend a Blood Point to activate this Power. It lasts for the duration of a scene.
[5] The wispy form.: When the Vampire reaches this level, his body becomes unharmable by normal mechanical weapons. Bullets pass right through him, blades cut his clothing only. This is a permanent condition. The Vampire can only be harmed by enchanted weapons, wooden stakes and natural weapons (claws, teeth, rocks) Any weapons that have been made cannot be used to hurt him.
Fire and Sunlight will still harm him, of course, and so will flamethrowers.
System: There is no System in this Power. It is always working.
[6] Machine Mastery: Vampires with Machine Mastery never need use WillPower when Controlling or Jamming machines. This Power affects levels 1-3 of Mechanus only.
[6] Multiple Control: The Vampire is able to control as many Machines at once as he has Wits points. This Power is very effecttive therefore in causing chaotic situations in factories, and so on, or just being lazy around the Haven.
[6] Summon the Machine: This Power works like the Thaumaturgy Path of Conjuration, but is superior. With Summon the Machine, the Vampire can cause literally any machine up to the size of a car to be created instantly. If the machine is a type that the Vampire knows, then he makes a Willpower roll with a target number for Machine Complexity as per Table for Simple Controlling. If he is trying to create something that he hasn't seen before, then he must make an intelligence+Repair roll with the same target number first. The number of sucesses indicate how well made the conjured item is. One sucess means that the item wwill work, but not for vvery long, while five means that it's as good as a Craftsman's creation.
Either way, the conjuration requires one Willpower and three Blood Points to create.
The conjured item is permanent.
[7] Zone of the Unworking: With this Power, the Vampire can create, at the cost of a Blood Point, a 100' radius (or less) zone in which Machines that are not enchanted will simply all cease to work. Any Machine entering the area fails automatically.
The Zone lasts until the Vampire wishes it to end.
[7] Alter Purpose: The Vampire, over a number of Rounds, can alter machines to suit his purposes. This can be as simple as causing gun barrels to bend around, wheels to puncture, or as complex as actually changing a car into a pile of molten slag, or transforming one machine into another one that is completely diffrent. The Processes involved are diffrent for each type of change. All require a Wits+Repair roll to alter the Machines. Sucesses are accumulated per Round until the Changes are complete. The Target Number is almost always 8.
Sucesses gained Effect
--------------- ------
1 Very Minor Alterations (slight bending perhaps)
2 Minor Alterations (could bend a gun barrel)
4 Warping/Heating (The object could have it's
overall shape changed a little, e.g become more
compressed Also, object may become too hot to
handle)
7 Minor shape change (Object can begin to soften
with heat, or alter shape quite a lot.
10 Major shape change (Object begins to melt,
becomes badly compressed or stretched)
15 Component altering (Object is nearly transformed)
20 Object Transformation
For Larger Machines, like cars, the ammount of sucesses required should be increased by at least 10.
[8] Traversing the Mechanic Plane: With this Power, the Vampire can travel through highly unusual means. He literally can enter machines with screens attached, like Computers and Televisions, and reappear out of another one of his choice. He can take a passenger too. While "inside" the screen, the world is just a series of bizzare and crazy images shifting back and forth with incredible speed. The Vampire does have a sense of where he or she is going, and the journey should only take a few mmoments. He reappears out of any screen, plugged in or no.
The Vampire must Spend a Blood Point and a Willpower, and make a Wits+Repair Roll, target number 8. The ammount of sucesses indicates how long it takes for the Screen to be ready for his transit. One Success means 10 seconds, two sucesses means 9 seconds, three gives 8 and so on. A Botch causes tthe screen to explode, possibly causing wounds to those near the it.
Once inside, the Vampire makes a Perception+Alertness roll to spot the correct Path through the Maze to arrive where he wants to go. The number of sucesses again indicate how long the travel will take. A Botch means that the Vampire is trapped in this bizzare place for quite a while. Nothing can attack him here, but he will be lost and cconfused, and eventually ejected out of the nearest screen (which can be VERY Dangerous if you land in a place where the sun is shining brightly.
These are all the Levels of Mechanus known, as there are no Mekara above 5th Generation known to have existed.