• Hunger for Essentia
This power allows the user to perceive ghosts and haunts by sensing the raw spiritual power they emit. The Kindred experiences this first as a sensation of hunger, even if she is currently sated. This feeling is followed by the sight of a luminous apparition (in the case of ghosts) or a faint, yellow glow seemingly cast by the air of a space itself (in the case of haunts).
Successful use of Hunger of Essentia allows the user to delineate the exact boundaries of a haunt and gain some inkling as to how powerful a ghost is. As Dragolescu’s theory mentions, however, it in no way compels a ghost to communicate with or even acknowledge the vampire.
Successful use of Hunger of Essentia allows the user to delineate the exact boundaries of a haunt and gain some inkling as to how powerful a ghost is. As Dragolescu’s theory mentions, however, it in no way compels a ghost to communicate with or even acknowledge the vampire.
Effect
Dramatic Failure: The character becomes hyper-attuned to essentia. Everything and everyone glows to her eyes, imposing a –2 penalty on all rolls involving her sight for the rest of the scene.
Failure: Failure indicates that the power simply does not activate, and no successes are achieved. The character knows this immediately and may try again next turn.
Success: With a single success, the character sees a ghost as a ball of light or a faint glow, while the heart of a haunt appears tinted with a faint, dusky glow. With more successes, the character manages to make out more details. When the necessary number of successes have been accumulated, the character sees a ghost clearly (and may be able to identify it) or knows the exact boundaries of a haunt.
Exceptional Success: Extra successes are their own reward, as the character is able to make out more of a ghost’s or haunt’s features.
Failure: Failure indicates that the power simply does not activate, and no successes are achieved. The character knows this immediately and may try again next turn.
Success: With a single success, the character sees a ghost as a ball of light or a faint glow, while the heart of a haunt appears tinted with a faint, dusky glow. With more successes, the character manages to make out more details. When the necessary number of successes have been accumulated, the character sees a ghost clearly (and may be able to identify it) or knows the exact boundaries of a haunt.
Exceptional Success: Extra successes are their own reward, as the character is able to make out more of a ghost’s or haunt’s features.
Side/Secondary Effects
This power allows the user to see a ghost or haunt normally, until the glow leaves her sight (this can occur if the ghost flees the area or if the character moves so that the haunt is no longer in her field of vision, for example). If this happens, she must use the power again to regain sight of her subject.
Dragolescu’s Theory: “The wandering ghost is composed of pure essentia, and the place in which it lurks is thus saturated by it. With proper training, a strigoi can focus his hunger on this essentia, rather like the Beast focuses on blood. In this manner, we can see ghosts, though pure hunger does not facilitate communication; if a ghost does not wish to speak with us, we cannot force it to do so. Haunts become evident to the trained Essentiaphagist. Interestingly, sometimes mortals also appear significant when viewed in this manner, as though they are saturated with essentia. What makes a mortal appear thus? I cannot say, but faith and strength of will alone do not seem to be the only factors.”
Material Components
Cost: —
Gestures & Ritual
Dice Pool: Wits + Occult + Essentiaphagia
Related Discipline
Effect Casting Time
Extended
Level
1
Applied Restriction
If the character is performing a quick check to see if any ghosts are in the vicinity or if an area is a haunt, this power requires just a single success. If the user wishes to see a ghost more clearly or delineate the boundaries of a haunt, she may continue to roll on subsequent turns to accumulate more successes. Seeing a ghost clearly requires a number of successes equal to that ghost’s current Essence score (see p. 208 of the World of Darkness Rulebook for more information on ghosts and Essence). Marking a haunt’s boundaries requires a number of successes based on how large the haunt is:
Haunt Size | Successes Required
A small apartment or underground chamber | 5
A larger apartment or small house | 10
A small warehouse, church or large house | 15
A large warehouse or a mansion | 20
A sprawling estate or vast network of tunnels | 25
Modifier | Situation
+1 to +3 | The character has texts that aid in identifying ley lines and Wyrm’s Nests. (Only applies to haunts.)
+1 to +2 | The character has researched the history of the area or ghost to be seen. (+1 per five successes on the Research action.)
+1 | The character has not yet fed that night. (Only applies to ghosts.)
— | The character looks for traces of essentia in a calm space with medium light and noise levels.
–1 to –3 | The character is distracted by excess noise or light.
Haunt Size | Successes Required
A small apartment or underground chamber | 5
A larger apartment or small house | 10
A small warehouse, church or large house | 15
A large warehouse or a mansion | 20
A sprawling estate or vast network of tunnels | 25
Modifier | Situation
+1 to +3 | The character has texts that aid in identifying ley lines and Wyrm’s Nests. (Only applies to haunts.)
+1 to +2 | The character has researched the history of the area or ghost to be seen. (+1 per five successes on the Research action.)
+1 | The character has not yet fed that night. (Only applies to ghosts.)
— | The character looks for traces of essentia in a calm space with medium light and noise levels.
–1 to –3 | The character is distracted by excess noise or light.