Dark Dreams
A Changeling: the Lost Crossover
The other theme is that of deals. Vampires are political creatures, well aware of favors owed and payment due. They possess an innate way to bind people to them through their blood bond. If Changelings put their faith in magically empowered contracts, Vampires put their's in blood. Changelings of course have their Contracts and Pledges. The interaction between these two sets of dealers should be interesting. Changelings should have the advantage but I find Vampire players much cannier in practice.
Speaking of blood, a vampire might lair in the Hedge, perhaps feeding on hobs through the Unnatural Affinity merit. They are not explicitly harmed by the Hedge though it would seem uncomfortable (and draining should they stray from the path).
This suggests an idea to me, one that I used in my Changeling game: Into the Hedge. A Vampire bloodline could be created when its founder broke a Pledge, perhaps with a True Fae. The curse penalized them and their childer with a new bane. But somehow part of the boon lingers twisted in their blood.
Covenants and Courts
A few covenant choices recommend themselves for a game like this. The Lancea Sanctum can draw on the rich seam of legendry about the church and the fae. The Ordo Dracul would of course be interested in exploring whether fae magic could yield a release from aspects of the curse.Then there is the covenant from The Danse Macabre, the Children of the Thorns, who serve some sort of fae creature known as Bloody Mary. Through her they possess the power to travel (awkwardly) vast distances. The logistics of such travel are complicated and I'm not sure how well it would work in anything but a globe-trotting game.
As for Changelings, the Autumn and Winter courts work well with vampires, through curiosity and mutual survival strategies respectively. Darklings and Beasts probably also get along well with the Kindred.
Devotions and Disciplines
One way to make Vampire work better with Changeling is to create some custom Devotions dealing with dreams and emotions. That would allow Kindred to involve themselves in more aspects of Changeling existence.Nightmare would fit thematically with powers involving real nightmares and dreamscaping. Here's an example:
Nightmarecaping
Prerequisites: Auspex 2, Nightmare 3
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Presence + Expression + Nightmare (see Dreamriding for further rules)
Upon a successful use of Nightmare 3 on a target they can then access their dreams when they next sleep. By meditating on the subject and spending a point of Vitae, they can enter and manipulate the subject's dreamscape. The dreams immediately take on a dark terrifying cast as the Kindred's Beast twists them unconsciously. Otherwise this works as dreamriding using the above dice pool for all actions.
Majesty and Nightmare might both be used for emotion manipulation. There are ample Devotions to show how that might work.
Lastly Bloodlines: the Hidden presents the Alucinor, masters of a unique Discipline known as Insomnium. Converting this Discipline into a set of Devotions opens up a number of crossover options.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy + Auspex vs. Resolve + Power
By attuning to the dreams of a mortal using some object of value to them, the vampire can learn about them, unraveling their secrets. Upon successfully activating this power, the Kindred experiences some aspect of the subject's current dreams. They uncover some minor secret like a hidden fear or valued item. This insight can be used to gain a +1 bonus to social rolls against the subject for a month or can be used to open 1 Door when Social Maneuvering the subject.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Wits + Occult + Auspex
By dwelling on the dreams and nightmares themselves, the vampire can potentially see what the future portends. Success grants a single reroll to be used that night. This Discipline can only be used once per night.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Subterfuge +Auspex vs. Resolve + Power
An alternate route to dreamscaping, this power allows a vampire to manipulate the dreams of others. Each success allows a single detail to be changed in the dream. This level of power does not allow them to attack the dreamer or force anything from them.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Empathy + Nightmare vs. Resolve + Power
The vampire inflicts night terrors on a sleeping mortal either physically present or affected by Dreams of the Many. The victims find their bodies and minds sluggish and almost paralyzed. With a successful activation the subject suffers a -2 penalty to actions for an hour per successes upon awakening.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Persuasion + Dominate vs. Resolve + Power
This power urges the subject to fall asleep and remain into a deep sleep until the end of the scene. Nothing short of suffering damage will awaken the victim. Vampires are affected as if they were active during the day.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Extended and contested; Manipulation + Subterfuge + Nightmare vs. Composure + Power. The target number is the Willpower of the opponent.
By reaching into the darkest dreams of a sleeping victim (either present or reached through Dreams of the Many) the vampire can physically harm them. Once the target number is reached the victim suffers Bashing damage equal to the vampire's Intelligence.
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Expression + Dominate - Resolve
This power works like Entombed Command except that the commands activate while the subject remains asleep and leave the victim with no memory of the event.
Experience Cost: 1 XP
Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Presence + Expression + Nightmare (see Dreamriding for further rules)
Upon a successful use of Nightmare 3 on a target they can then access their dreams when they next sleep. By meditating on the subject and spending a point of Vitae, they can enter and manipulate the subject's dreamscape. The dreams immediately take on a dark terrifying cast as the Kindred's Beast twists them unconsciously. Otherwise this works as dreamriding using the above dice pool for all actions.
Majesty and Nightmare might both be used for emotion manipulation. There are ample Devotions to show how that might work.
Lastly Bloodlines: the Hidden presents the Alucinor, masters of a unique Discipline known as Insomnium. Converting this Discipline into a set of Devotions opens up a number of crossover options.
Dreams of the Many
Prerequisites: Auspex 2Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Wits + Empathy + Auspex vs. Resolve + Power
By attuning to the dreams of a mortal using some object of value to them, the vampire can learn about them, unraveling their secrets. Upon successfully activating this power, the Kindred experiences some aspect of the subject's current dreams. They uncover some minor secret like a hidden fear or valued item. This insight can be used to gain a +1 bonus to social rolls against the subject for a month or can be used to open 1 Door when Social Maneuvering the subject.
Oneiromancy
Prerequisites: Auspex 2Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Wits + Occult + Auspex
By dwelling on the dreams and nightmares themselves, the vampire can potentially see what the future portends. Success grants a single reroll to be used that night. This Discipline can only be used once per night.
Lucid Dreaming
Prerequisites: Auspex 2, Dreams of the ManyCost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Subterfuge +Auspex vs. Resolve + Power
An alternate route to dreamscaping, this power allows a vampire to manipulate the dreams of others. Each success allows a single detail to be changed in the dream. This level of power does not allow them to attack the dreamer or force anything from them.
Chain the Enslumbered Mind
Prerequisites: Nightmare 3, Auspex 2Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Empathy + Nightmare vs. Resolve + Power
The vampire inflicts night terrors on a sleeping mortal either physically present or affected by Dreams of the Many. The victims find their bodies and minds sluggish and almost paralyzed. With a successful activation the subject suffers a -2 penalty to actions for an hour per successes upon awakening.
Blissful Sleep
Prerequisites: Dominate 2Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Manipulation + Persuasion + Dominate vs. Resolve + Power
This power urges the subject to fall asleep and remain into a deep sleep until the end of the scene. Nothing short of suffering damage will awaken the victim. Vampires are affected as if they were active during the day.
Travails of Morpheus
Prerequisites: Nightmare 4Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Extended and contested; Manipulation + Subterfuge + Nightmare vs. Composure + Power. The target number is the Willpower of the opponent.
By reaching into the darkest dreams of a sleeping victim (either present or reached through Dreams of the Many) the vampire can physically harm them. Once the target number is reached the victim suffers Bashing damage equal to the vampire's Intelligence.
Sleepwalker
Prerequisites: Dominate 3Cost: 1 Vitae
Dice Pool: Intelligence + Expression + Dominate - Resolve
This power works like Entombed Command except that the commands activate while the subject remains asleep and leave the victim with no memory of the event.
Experience Cost: 1 XP
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