IPM is literally her third or fourth line of mental defense.
First it has to beat her normal Willpower roll, then it has to beat her Intimacies if applicable, then it gets activate and bounce off Impervious Primacy Mantle.
And if its a magic spell, it has to beat her Wits + Occult reflexive counterspell.
Presumably Molly has her anima banner and caste mark up anyway.
Which means the surprise negator effect should be up anyway.
Any effect of that sort is probably Obvious to her.
Except we've seen this happen with Gorfel, and if you're getting hit with something that's trying to get you to ignore or forget something and you aren't ready for it you don't get the opportunity to counterspell or something. If that had been the case then we would've been able to do so on that occasion just as easily as now.
Molly's anima is a surprise negator and a perfect effect for piercing invisibility type effects. An AtP type one wouldn't qualify as long as the user isn't trying to attack her because they wouldn't be invisible, we'd just be ignoring them.
We didn't see the combat rolls, so it's not like we can check for mysteriously failed perception/willpower for an effect like this.
You keep trying to insist this is impossible whenever it comes up despite it clearly happening to us once and being a concern on multiple other occasions.
The only way to actually determine if something is going on or not is to spend willpower on IPM to immunize ourselves against it for the rest of the scene.
Good night guys see you tomorrow as Molly... *checks notes* digs into the vampire lair under Las Vegas with her magi-tech tools, yeah that sounds about right for a Solarioid.
Except we've seen this happen with Gorfel, and if you're getting hit with something that's trying to get you to ignore or forget something and you aren't ready for it you don't get the opportunity to counterspell or something. If that had been the case then we would've been able to do so on that occasion just as easily as now.
Unless essence dissecting stare gets some additional system support to match its fluff I'm not sure there's actually a canon charm for seeing through invisibility for infernals outside of the cases where the crown of eyes applies.
We should probably make something for this since it's a serious hole in our kit.
DP has replied twice now confirming the details. If say another infernal was somehow here under AtP our first sign of them would be when they tripped Molly's anima. That whole thing about how you're not allowed to roll against it until certain conditions are met is a real bitch like that.
I'll add it because Molly notes that some mental effect might've been used on Harry just now. If it's also hitting Molly that's a problem. If people don't vote for it now I'll bring it up again next vote.
Sandra has been enthralling people as a tactic and considering the possible rewards for them if she succeeds, she maybe making deals with high tier Outsiders. She could have "notice me not" ATP type effects at her disposal or summoned someone/thing who does.
[X] Use Akdin's talisman, that is sure to clear a lot of vampires
-[X] Activate IPM with one willpower.
Form of Dreams and Nightmares (1 pt. Form Element)
The Splendor takes the form of something that is evocative of the fantastic. It might be a child's
toy, a brightly-decorated banner, a monster or carnival mask, or a treasure chest. It might be a
kaleidoscope, or a bundle of bright balloons. This Element defines the Splendor's physical form
and gives it a character, and that character is aligned with the power of the Dreaming. Other
Elements may draw upon this fact.
The Splendor stands out as a powerful work of magic when seen with chimerical eyes or mystic
scrutiny, but it seems nigh-impossible to credit it with any specific significance if observed with
purely mundane senses. Even when presented with compelling evidence that there's something
weird about the object, anyone who hasn't made a magical survey of the Splendor must make a
Willpower roll against difficulty (4 + Splendor's rating) to accept such a conclusion.
As an Adornment, it raises the difficulty to affect the user with hostile works of Glamour by one.
As the basis for a Fascination, it may have one minor impossible feature such as floating in
defiance of gravity, reflecting people's true selves when looked into, or aging backwards in time.
Invincible Assertion (3 pt. Root Element)
This Splendor defines a rigid certainty and imposes it upon existence.
When used in an Adornment, define a specific roll of (Attribute) + (Ability) and a specialty that
it falls under. When the user makes such a roll, she cannot botch and cannot fail regardless of the
difficulty. No matter what, she always generates at least one success. If this roll is opposed by
another character, Invincible Assertion instead adds two bonus successes.
When used in a Fascination, define a specific roll of (Attribute) + (Ability) and a specialty that it
falls under. Under circumstances defined by the Splendor, such rolls cannot fail in its presence,
and always generate at least one success. If such a roll is opposed, it adds two bonus successes.
This Element may be incorporated into a Splendor more than once.
Mystic Fortification (1 pt. Mystic Element)
One of the Splendor's snares or benefits is particularly wicked or potent. Modify one roll
associated with the Splendor by increasing or decreasing its difficulty by two, or modify one
value associated with activating or resisting its effects (such as the number of points of
Willpower that must be spent to shake off a Beautiful Lie) by two.
Decrease the difficulty of all perception+awareness by 2.
This innocuous pair of contact lenses seem almost painfully mundane, save that they occasionally seem to make the wearer's eyes a sharper green under some light. Their function is simple; while worn the user cannot fail to notice at least a hint of the supernatural.
Alternatively a dedicated arcana of some type. Don't have time for a stat block right now.
On an unrelated note, I found this in Death Mask chapter 10 about the Archive.
"Who are you?" I asked. "Why are you called the Archive?"
Ivy nodded. "The thorough explanation is too complex to convey to you here. But in short, I am the living memory of mankind."
"What do you mean, the living memory?"
"I am the sum of human knowledge, passed down from generation to generation, mother to daughter. Culture, science, philosophy, lore, tradition. I hold the accumulated memories of a thousand generations of mankind. I take in all that is written and spoken. I study. I learn. That is my purpose, to procure and preserve knowledge."
It's not like a warlock is going to blast people with Suppress Serotonin if they want to screw with their mood. My assumption is that it's something more spiritual without actually crossing the line into a full shaping effect.
[X] Use Akdin's talisman, that is sure to clear a lot of vampires
-[X] Activate IPM with one willpower.
Yes, it was retconed but not by me. When she gets kidnapped in Small Favor Harry writes a note to let her know help is coming, he does not just say it aloud. I guess she could have been lying too, but hat does not seem likely.
Steeling yourself you press forward, banishing all doubt and compulsion from your mind. Thus the last of the stone gives way and crumbles under the power of the drill, into a opening filled with the first time with light, though not of any kind so wholesome as might advertise forbidden fruit in the city above, it seems to hide more than it reveals, lessening the cone of riffle lanterns, only your own aura untouched. There through the cracks you see it.
Lost 1 Willpower -> Now at 6/9
If the chamber beyond had once been a part of the drainage system your company traipsed though until now there is no sign of it left, Black tendrils—or are those roots?— wrap around and around like a cocoon, already starting to grow into the opening as the old priest steps forward with his talisman. On the opposite side of the room black thins into a kind of red membrane in the midst of which hangs suspended a shape that might perhaps be a tree stump dead and rotting, the body of some squid thing squirming, some kind of naked brain-stem, horribly all and neither. Tiffany was wrong, this thing is a vampire. An eye of red opens to meet eyes of green...
...and one eye of beaten gold held up by an aged hand. It's gaze is withering flame and the shinning beacon that reveals all, it is judgement beneath which it burns, they burn. Six, eight, nine vampires that had been mortared into this thing go up in black and orange flames, like oiled rags burning, reeking twice as bad. But the thing in the middle does not burn, it merely smokes, it quivers as the agents step in to flank and then advance past Adkin, in step with you, at first you think it quakes in fear. Then it starts to laugh, a sound dreadfully, unspeakably... human.
"Mary Mother of God," in his shock Alexander Harrowmont had entirely lost his accent. It is to his credit that this is all he lost. He is still staring down the thing, dueling sword in hand.
"Definitely not her," Tiffany's voice echoes strangely as the stone the air all around, the shape and substance of the every day seems to warp and twist like cheap plastic under a lighter. Harry opens his mouth, Lydia raises her hand to hurl a bolt of silver, guns are shifted to target with inhuman precision and yet none of them fast enough. You must one chance to contest it before it works its will upon the world.
What do you do?
[] Flying charge right into the center mass and try to hack it apart
-[] Write in charms and stunt
[] Trigger Shintai to contest it, sure it will mean you might not be able to use it against Sandra, but you'll deal with that when the time comes
-[] Write in charms and stunt
[] Try to talk to it, if it can laugh, maybe you can get it to reveal something about what's going on down here
-[] Write in charms and stunt
[] Write in
OOC: To be clear, this thing is attempting wide area shaping magic, Molly cannot tell what kind, but it is unlikely to be friendly. Also it like all the other vampires took 8 wounds. It does not seem overly wounded.
