To the other denizens of the World of Darkness, this is possibly the most dreaded and dangerous power body thieves possess next to or possibly including their ability to swap bodies. With this unique ability, the thief is able to rob a supernatural being of the very talents that make them inherently what they are. A thief does not need to be intimately familiar with what it is the supernatural in question is capable of, it takes merely an estimate of what they should be able to do to draw out the gift. Witnessing the power in use and an Intelligence + Occult roll will suffice.

Manifestation of this ability among a society of thieves who recognize it for what it is tends to carry with it a certain amount of esteem as many consider it the pinnacle of their craft, magical or otherwise. Those aware of the power still fear those with it, as their own supernatural skills are not exempt from this theft, including the unique specifics of their own body swapping powers. The caster must be able to either clearly see the target or have a sympathetic connection to her in order to steal a supernatural power.

Dice Pool: Intelligence + Occult versus Resolve + Supernatural Advantage

Duration: One scene

Possible Modifiers: The caster is familiar with the power targeted (+2), the caster has never seen the power before (–2)

Roll Results

Dramatic Failure: The power fails; the victim is aware of the caster’s intentions and identity.

Failure: The power fails.

Success: The caster chooses one supernatural power possessed by the victim. For the remainder of the scene, the victim loses access to the power and the caster gains access to it. If the power requires an activation cost (Vitae, Essence, Mana, et cetera,) the caster must pay this cost in Willpower. At the Storyteller’s discre- tion, some powers may not be available to a body thief. Examples include powers that necessitate a dead body to function. As well, at the Storyteller’s discretion this Merit may allow the theft of an inherent ability, such as a werewolf’s regeneration. If there is a question as to what this power can or cannot work on, the default answer should be “no.”

Exceptional Success: As above, but the power is stolen for one full day.