Electronic surveillance is a powerful tool. It watches endlessly, tracking and recording all human activities under its unblinking eyes and ever-vigilant ears. Before we had close-circuit cameras and pinhole microphones, “surveil- lance” just meant one person watching another person. However, human memories are fallible. Just because someone saw something doesn’t mean it’ll get back to you in the right way, or even at all. And you can’t rely on everyone to record everything they see on their cell phones (yet).
The Panopticon vector takes human frailties out of the equation. Why rely on human memory when you can simply use their eyes for yourself? Visualize their face, speak their name, and suddenly their eyes and ears are yours. Electronic surveillance is nice, but it can’t beat seven billion “surveil- lance devices” all over the world.
Of course, the Cryptocracy is committed to this constant surveillance. Everyone in the Cryptocracy is connected to Caliber, and everyone connected to Caliber can be tapped into by anyone else in Caliber. You don’t have any secrets to hide, do you? This power isn’t meant to be abused. It’s just another tool in the war against the Contagion. And to cure the planet, we need to see everywhere the infection takes root.
Don’t worry. It won’t even hurt. Just don’t blink for a moment.
A Promethean and a werewolf chant names while staring into a pool of clear water. Two vampires murmur, staring into each other’s eyes as they slowly fuck on the bed. A pair of hunters read off a list of names as they carefully watch an old television set flicker through channels.
System: If two cryptocrats both know a person’s name and face, they can look through that person’s eyes and hear through the person’s ears (assuming the target can see and hear). Whatever the target sees appears on a nearby reflec- tive surface, and whatever the target hears appears in the air around the cryptocrats.
The cryptocrats have no control over the target — they can’t encourage the person to look in a specific direction or take out their earbuds to eavesdrop on a nearby conver- sation. Further, this power does not grant any interpretation of events — languages spoken by or around the target are not translated, and the events transpiring around the target are presented as a flat, visual image. However, the events that appear are not unique to the users — anyone in the room can see and hear the events (and thus act as translators or consultants to interpret the events).
Note that being able to see through a target’s eyes does not allow the user to target individuals that target can see with their other powers. They are not there in person, so they can’t have their host use Disciplines, Gifts, or other powers.
Cost: Each cryptocrat using Panopticon spends a Willpower point.
Requirement: Two cryptocrats in the same bureau must both visualize a person’s face and speak that person’s name — a given name is fine, as long as they’re known by it — aloud while looking at a reflective surface.
Dice Pool: One cryptocrat rolls Wits + Occult. Success means the cryptocrats have gained access to the target.
Action: Instant; takes one minute Duration: One scene
Edges
Changelings, Deviants, Mummies: Some cryptocrats understand that looking at things from a different angle helps. Any user with this edge can “jump” into the senses of another target without making another roll, as long as the second target can be seen and heard by the first target. A target that is seen and heard remotely (such as a live television broadcast or video calling) is valid.
Demons, Hunters, Mages: These cryptocrats know what it’s like to try and live in someone else’s head. Sometimes, they even know how to get someone to do something, thinking it’s their own idea. Users with this edge can spend an additional Willpower during the scene to get the target to take one simple action. These actions include such things are “turn your head to look at that painting” or “take off your headphones to listen to that couple over there.” Any action that adjusts the sensory images and doesn’t put the target in any danger, discomfort, or distress is valid. The target will believe the action is their own idea.
Prometheans, Sin-Eaters: In general, the target of Panopticon needs to be... well, alive and whole. They need to be alive and have working eyes and ears, stuff like that. For cryptocrats with this edge, however, that’s not true — the target’s potential is all that matters. The users can see or hear what the target would see and hear, even if they are blind, deaf, or dead.
Beasts, Vampires, Werewolves: Sight? Hearing? Bah — it’s as if the Cryptocracy has forgotten that other senses exist! Users with this edge, however, can add smell to the sensory impressions they receive from the target. Further, this additional sense allows the user to get rudimentary emotional information from any characters around the target, such as “I’m horny” or “I hate you.” The emotions of the target herself aren’t communicated via the edge, however.
Specializations
Darklings: These mystery-addicted changelings identify and break down secrets with a little more ease than many of their peers in the cryptocracy. Riding their target and accessing their senses, the Lost also immediately picks up on any supernatural interference the host might have expe- rienced, whether they remember it or not. The cryptocrat can tell whether a vampire fed on this individual, whether they’re Wolf-Blooded, are suffering the symptoms of Sybaris, or any other supernatural effect.
Maa-Kep: The Maa-Kep have literally spent centuries quietly observing people for signs of discontent. Their knowledge of subtle body language tells opens a whole new world with this ability. If the character rolling for Panopticon is a member of the Maa-Kep, everyone in the bureau gets complete and full understanding of the situ- ation. All languages are translated, all confusing imagery is clarified, and the context of all visuals and sounds are understood. Any dice rolls used to understand the events transpiring under Panopticon gain three dice as well.