Date: Tue, 2 Mar 93 13:08:11 GMT From: Mithrandir(S) Subject: New Clan - Mekara Clan: Storyteller (ancient and powerful Line) Generation: 1st (what else?) OK, so I've been thinking and tossing up ideas back and forth about machines and Vampire, and so I've come up with this New Bloodline and their own special discipline to be called Mechanus (NOT Meccano!) All this is (c) Tadhg Kelly (aka me!) 1993, with people on the Vampire Mailing List given permission to copy for their own personal use only. [WW People wat is reading this list, what wwould you reckon my chances of getting famous with this as a submission] The Mekara ---------- Nickname: Fixers Origins: The Mekara are a very small and recent (by Vampire standards) Bloodline of Western European origin. They were founded in the 17th Century by a Vampire called Mekar, and, as is always the way with many Clans, they took his name in his honour. Mekar was a Methuselah of the 5th Generation known for his interests in technology, which, during this period, was beginning to flourish due to the Rennaisance. Many of Mekar's Childer also had great interests in machinery, from the very simple upwards. Mekar eventuually developed his interests into a new Discipline, which he taught to all of his Progeny while he studied it. At that time, the Sabbat were at war with the Camarilla, and Mekar did not wish to side with either. However, his own Clan, the Toreadoor, insisted that he fight the Sabbat "scourge", but Mekar refused. He broke ties with his former Clan and took his Progeny with him to hopefully remain independant of thee trouble. This new line, the Mekara, remained secretive, but not terribly so, as they went about their business, ignoring the outside world. But as the line grew quickly, many of the younger ones longed to get involved in the conflict on the side of the Sabbat, and they did on occasion. Prompted by the now hateful Toreador that Mekar was a full traitor to the Camarilla, the Camarilla moved to crush the Mekara before they became a real threat to the Power Base of the Camarilla. Only a handful of the Mekara survived, and fled immediately to the Sabbat territory. Mekar himself disappeared, and is believed by the remaining Clan to be in Torpor to this day. Upon joining the Sabbat, the Mekara proved themselves immediately vaulauble with their new Discipline, and thus were accepted as one of the many Clans of the Sabbat. Today, the role of the Mekara is as great as ever, as technology flourishes even more than before. They are expert repairmen and saboteurs to boot. They take a most actiive intterest, along with the Toreador antitribu, in hunting out Camarilla Toreador and putting them to stake and flame. The Clan has retained much Toreador wild ways, and their parties are some of the most confusing affairs to outsiders. Frequently, there will be several computers and Console games all over the place, which are popular among the Mekara as Games to Play. Appearance: As often as not, Mekara will wear overalls while working or flamboyant clothes when "out and about", which bely their Toreador origins. The Mekara will always drive the best custom-made cars, have state of the art equiment on hand, and so on. Haven: Mekara usually keep two havens, one is their workshop, and the other is their condo/nice place. The workshop will have lots of tools and other gadgets lying around, while the apartment will be full of tech, like CD players, 28" TV's and so on. Background: The Clan usually choose those who are mechanically adept or who have artistic flair, although in times of Jyhad, they may pick just about anyone, depending on their taste in cars or whatever. All are taught ho set and fix things after being created, unless there's a Jyhad in the way, in which they don't bother until after the event. Character Creation: For the Mekara, mechanics and artists are the most common types chosen for tthe Creation Rites. Most are Visionaries or Conformists by Nature, with the most common Demeanours being Gallant Jester and Curmudgeon. Mental and Social are Primary, as are Skills. Typical Backgrounds are Resources, Contacts (to get illegal stuff) and quite a few have Pack Status, because of the good jobs they do. An increasing number of the Mekara are computer Freaks/Wizzes these days. Clan Disciplines: Auspex, Celerity, Mechanus. Weaknesses: The Mekara hold the same sort of fascination for things of technological beauty that Toreador do for objects of beauty. They must suceed in a Willpower roll or be transfixed for quite a while by the object in question. Also, the Mekara hold an unbounded hatred of Toreador Elders, and when in Frenzy situations, they must make another Instincts roll to control themselves against Toreadoor in the area. They will do anything to harm Toreador, especially burning their favourite artworks, or stealing away their prospective new members and killing them. Preferred Paths: Many of this Clan follow the Path of Cathari, though quite a few follow the Path of Honorable Accord, and the Path of Harmony. Organisation: The Mekara do not have the distinction of Artistes and Poseurs quite as badly as the Toreador, but nevertheless, they is always a little friction between both sides. Mekara prefer the company of themselves, mechanics and engineers to others, Their loyalties lie most often to the Sabbat first, the Clan second and the Pack third. They see themselves as individual from others, often. The Poseurs tend to see themselvees as more of a group than the Artistes. Gaining Clan Prestige: The usual way to gain Prestige is to design some item of machinery which is a big hit and innovative. Another way is to spite the Toreador better than everyone else. Also, throwing good parties is almost always a Prestige winner, if it's the sort that interests the Mekara (ie, lots of techie things to play with.). Quote: "Now, the Ford ThunderBird, there's a real car. I remember one time I stripped one of those babies down and played with the engine. Only, it was for one of those stinkin' Toreador, and well, next night, there was a lovely boom when he got into the thing. Shame about the car, though." Stereotypes: *Toreador - "They are dead meat if we ever get our hands on 'em" *Lasombra - "Let 'em scheme. It don't matter much to me, just so long as I keep this job I've got. They make good leaders" *Tzimisce - "They can scare you. A bit cruel to the humans, but hey, who isn't these days. Nifty tricks, too" *Assamite antitribu - " They always need my services, so that keeps me happy and workin' too. No sense of party, though." *Brujah antitribu - "They're nothing special. Always seem to think the Cammies are worth saving, I dunno about that, just so long as they leave the Toreador for us to mince." *Gangrel antitribu - "Mystery men. The Gangrel in Town are always acting the Mister Cool and Nasty, and the Country ones like forests. They are sound enough, but they don't seem to like it when they have to use stuff I made. Ah well, sod them. They're loyal at any rate." *Malkavian antitribu - "Don't go NEAR these freaks unless you have to. They love to wreck your work. Plus they're plain barmy" *Nosferatu antitribu - "Sound guys. They say little and look like the bad end of a crash, but they are useful and sometimes good fun." *Panders - "Hey, I suppose everybody likes to get together. The Pander aint so bad" *Ravnos antitribu - "They can be fun, but watch your wristwatch" *Serpents of the Light - "These dudes I don't trust. They're too much like the damn Settites as far as I'm concerned" *Toreador antitribu - "Well, they have their craft, we have ours. At least they hate Toreador as much as we do" *Tremere antitribu - "Can they be trusted? That's the big question really. They seem to do alright so far, but, I dunno. I never did trust magic " *Ventrue antitribu - "They are a whole lot more fun than their Cammie cousins, that's for sure." *Black Hand - "They shouldn't be used too often, like a parachute, cause they might tear and land us all in shit." *Camarilla - "Blow 'em away, that's my vote. But us and the Toreador Antitribu get first choice on the Toreador, ya hear?" Mechanus. --------- The Discipline of Mechanus 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. * 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. ** 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. *** 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. **** 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. ***** 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. Level 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. 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. 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 will work, but not for very 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. Level 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. 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. Level 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 confused, 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. Comments, criticisms, gales of laughter appreciated. To those trying to get in touch with Mithrandir, do not email to the Address in the header. It is borrowed, cause my newsfeed has exploded. Email:tkelly@unix2.tcd.ie Thanks.