“Whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.”
— Joshua 1:16 Compel allows a Sentinel to exert a holy magnetism over others, and channel some of the sovereign essence of the Lord’s mastery over all. Compel is a Divinity that must be used carefully and reservedly. Although it is well that the Chosen Elect of Michael should have such a power for times of emergency, they must always remember that the Almighty fiercely and unreservedly respects the free will of His creations. Compel is a tool for desperate situations that must be wielded with discretion lest its wielder grow to enjoy the feeling of dominion over others — the Legion is only too experienced at using temptation to lure souls to hubris and self-grandeur with the gifts of power. First Echelon: INFLUENCE
At the first Echelon of Compel, a Sentinel gains the ability to enhance the natural effect of his social abilities when dealing with others. At will, he may radiate a warm and commanding aura, causing others to not only take notice of him, but to pay more attention to what he is saying or doing.
Insight Cost: 0
Effect: The Sentinel may lower the DR of any ordinary roll involving Attractiveness, Reason, or Aura by -1. This does not include uses of the above Aspects to power or guide supernatural abilities, such as other Echelons of Compel. This power has no effect on supernatural beings, although they can sense its use if within sixty meters when evoked.
Second Echelon: SUGGESTION
A Sentinel wielding the power of Suggestion may give a clear, simple one or two word command to another person. Without really knowing why, the subject will obey the command to the best of his ability. Suggestion is a gentle power, deadening the subject’s natural apprehension and suspicion; causing him to accept the brief compulsion as nothing more than a reverie or slip of the mind.
Suggestion may be used to command just about anything in
the target’s immediate power to accomplish — with one solid limitation: the target may in no way be forced to take an action that he knows to be immediately hazardous to his health or welfare.
Insight Cost: 1
Effect: In order to effect a Suggestion on a mortal, the Sentinel must succeed in an Aura + Command roll against a DR equal to the target’s Willpower. This power has no effect on supernatural creatures. At the Prophet’s discretion, a Suggestion that does not threaten the safety of the subject but involves the sacrifice of something else important (substantial amounts of money, a valuable object, sentimental affectation etc.) may raise the DR of the roll by +1.
Third Echelon: THE SLEEPING WILL
The Third Echelon of Compel is more lasting and dynamic than the relatively simple power of Suggestion. The Sleeping Will is similar to Suggestion in that it cannot be used on supernatural beings. However, it does allow more control over another and binds the target for a longer period of time. The Sentinel can command the target with a number of sentences equal to his Willpower. For example, The Sleeping Will may convince a guard to leave his post for several minutes, force a recalcitrant prisoner to be quiet for a scene, or a hysterical innocent bystander to stay under cover until all the danger has passed. If challenged or confronted about any unusual behavior during this time period, the subject glibly rationalizes and explains his behavior without exciting his own curiosity or suspicion.
Insight Cost: 2
Effect: The Sentinel must succeed in an Aura + Command roll versus a DR equal to the target’s Willpower. The number of successes on the roll may be used to extend the duration of the effect:
1 success: one minute 2 successes: five minutes 3 successes: fifteen minutes 4 successes: one hour 5 or
more successes: two hours
Fourth Echelon: THE HIDDEN MESSAGE
The subtle yet powerful fourth Echelon of Compel allows a Sentinel to conceal the effect of any other Echelon of Compel within a totally innocuous and unassuming guise, so long as it involves any kind of rhythmic sound (not necessarily vocal). Thus, a Sentinel could ask someone a completely innocent question about the weather, and beneath it hide a supernatural command, leaving bystanders none the wiser to anything unusual. Sentinels with the appropriate skill may also hide commands within whistling, tapping, humming or music, including music that involves no vocal component.
Insight Cost: 2
Effect: The user of Compel may use it to totally conceal the use of Suggestion, The Sleeping Will, Shepherd the Many, The
Shackled Will or Holy Dominion, so long as some seemingly
innocent distraction (a song, a speech, a few notes from a flute, etc.) may be contrived.
Fifth Echelon: SHEPHERD THE MANY
At this level of Compel, the Sentinel may work his magnetic arts upon more than one person. The same command must be given to everyone in the affected group.
Insight Cost: 2
Effect: When using Suggestion, The Sleeping Will, The Shackled Will or Holy Dominion, the Sentinel may elect to make
an Aura + Command roll to see if he can attempt to influence more than one person with his power. The DR of the roll is always set at the highest person’s Willpower less one point in the intended group. For example, Josh is trying to Shepherd the Many on a small crowd at a funeral. The highest Willpower in the group is 6, so the DR of the roll is 5.
1 success: Number of individuals equal to the Sentinel’s Aura + Grace may be affected
2 successes: Number of individuals equal to the Sentinel’s Aura + Grace x 2 may be affected
3 successes: Number of individuals equal to the Sentinel’s Aura + Grace x 3 may be affected
4 successes: Number of individuals equal to the Sentinel’s Aura + Grace x 4 may be affected
5 or
more successes: Number of individuals equal to the Sentinel’s Aura + Grace x 5 may be affected
In the event that a Sentinel is only able to affect less than the total number of people in a crowd or group, he may choose who falls under his influence and who does not.
Sixth Echelon: THE SHACKLED WILL
The sixth Echelon of Compel is a forceful, obvious, and immensely powerful type of command. The Shackled Will may be used to command a non-supernatural being to do virtually anything, with the sole caveat that the action cannot result in inevitable or immediate death (leaping off a cliff, swallowing poison, etc.). Nonetheless, inherently dangerous and hazardous courses of action (walking into a building that’s on fire or across a precarious bridge) may be imposed.
The Shackled Will may even be evoked against a target that
is actively hostile toward the Sentinel — a charging attacker may be ordered to drop his weapon and step away. A cultist of the Legion may be ordered to cease his obscene incantations and perform nursery rhymes instead. A squad of unfriendly border guards may be ordered (in conjunction with Shepherd the Many) to calmly unload their weapons and hand them over to the Sentinel.
Insight Cost: 3 + 1 Grace
Effect: In order to effect The Shackled Will, the Sentinel must succeed in an Aura + Command roll versus a DR equal to the target’s Willpower. This power has no effect on supernatural creatures. All commands (short of immediate suicide) are obeyed with alacrity — the subject’s muscles betray him even if his mind resists.
Seventh Echelon: HOLY DOMINION
A Sentinel who has earned the seventh Echelon of Compel is invested with an awesome degree of authority over anything in corporeal form, even the mighty denizens of the Abyss.
Insight Cost: 4
Effect: All of the Sentinel’s Compel powers may now be used against all types of supernatural beings, including the Fallen and Nephilim.