Multiple (simultaneous) instances of Movement of the Mind

[Rotwood]

As reads:

System: The number of successes indicates the duration of the caster’s control over the object (or subject). Each success allows one turn of manipulation, though the Kindred may attempt to maintain control after this time by making a new roll (she need not spend additional blood to maintain control). If the roll is successful, control is maintained. If a thaumaturge loses or relaxes control over an object and later manipulates it again, her player must spend another blood point, as a new attempt is being made. Five or more successes on the initial roll means the vampire can control the object for duration of the scene.

If this power is used to manipulate a living being, the subject may attempt to resist. In this case, the caster and the subject make opposed Willpower rolls each turn the control is exercised. Like The Lure of Flames, individual power levels are not provided for this path — consult the chart below to see how much weight a thaumaturge may control.

Once a Kindred reaches a rating of 3, she may levitate herself and “fly” at approximately running speed, no matter how much she weighs, though the weight restrictions apply if she manipulates other objects or subjects. Once a Kindred achieves 4, she may “throw” objects at a Strength equal to her level of mastery of this path.

Hey again, this situation's been itching me and I don't know if there's anything that would disallow my character from employing the path's power this way, let's say I start combat against one individual, the first turn I employ Movement of the Mind 3 to force an opponent locked floating telekinetically in the air, in front of me, I manage to win the resisted Willpower roll and my initial roll has harnessed five+ successes which puts me at control of the subject for the duration of the scene. A second opponent joins the fight, which is when I too try to control him in the same state through Movement of the Mind while the first target is still held stuck; can I do this? Anything that prevents me from having multiple controlled iterations of Movement of the Mind going on at the same time? What would be the limit?

Thanks!

[Knowledgeseeker]

The above post is too strict of a ruling and here is why.

"System: The number of successes indicates the duration of the caster’s control over the object (or subject). Each success allows one turn of manipulation, though the Kindred may attempt to maintain control after this time by making a new roll (she need not spend additional blood to maintain control). If the roll is successful, control is maintained."

You can OBVIOUSLY control more than one object at a time with one roll, up to a weight limit. If they are living creatures, each one will need its own roll, but each is held for X turns, according to the roll you make. It does not limit your concentration further at all as the power is ALREADY DESIGNED to account for multiple uses and multiple targets.

So to answer the original question in the thread, yes. You can hold multiple opponents at a time as long as a roll is made for each one, and each one requires its own action to do so.

[Cadmiumcadamium]

I would say that MotM is too crude to allow the Thaumaturge to use a victim as a puppet, especially since there is a whole Path developed for this purpose (Mastery of the Mortal Shell).
I would allow the Thaumaturge to essentially ragdoll their victim, but not control their motor skills. fling them around, yes. make them walk towards you, no.

And to answer the OP. Yes, you could control two people like you described if you happen to get 5 successes on one of them and then a few turns later use MotM on the 2nd victim. But if i were the ST i would impose a hefty penalty on the 2nd attempt (something like +2 diff or minus 2 dice) since you are straining you concentration in two directions. It's not as if you can remove your concentration from your first victim just because you scored 5 successes, it just allows you to focus on him for an entire scene). Ofc, if you have Path of the Focused Mind 4 you can do two mental actions in the same turn without any penalties.

[Telgar]

There's nothing in the power that prevents you from levitating multiple opponents. BUT! You're rolling with a minimum difficulty of 6, and being contested by someone else. The difficulty of the opposition roll isn't given, so let's assume 6 as well. There are extreme odds against getting a net of 5 successes in a contested roll, much less doing it twice. Most combatants you face are going to have a Willpower score of 5-7, meaning they're subtracting an average of 2-3 successes from your roll. Given a generous WP 9 for your mage, you're only looking at an average of 4-5 successes on the activation roll, before resistance. But, yes, a very, very, lucky blood mage could levitate multiple opponents and not even use multiple actions for it.

Also, keep in mind that Movement of the Mind 3 only lifts 200 pounds. If you're fighting bigger opponents, you need to use Level 4, which is Difficulty 7. Level 3 may let you levitate yourself no matter your own weight, but it does not let you levitate other people regardless of their weight.

And, hey, actually you can fling your now-levitated opponent around and even force them to fight for you, like the Witch did in Stardust. Basically control them like a puppet. There are absolutely no limits on how much fine control you can exercise over a levitated object written into the rules. Because, of course, actually describing the limits of a power might make rules logical and fair or something else craaaaazy.

[garhkal]

I'd say you could use it as long as its considered a 2nd action for "multiple actions" and was the 2nd of those actions.. So you could do it as much as you had dice to pool down..

[Slick Willy]

I'd allow it, since each target will get a chance to resist, and it helps serious magi wreck loser Anarchs who try for the ole' Diablerie.