A Rouse check is a specialized rock, scissors paper challenge. On a win or a tie, you have successfully kept your Hunger controlled. On a loss, your Hunger increases by one. A Rouse check is neither a contested nor static challenge.
Out of combat, you make a Rouse check immediately. In combat, each time you would normally make a Rouse check during the combat turn, make a tick mark in the Rouse box on your character sheet. At the end of the turn, the Storyteller will perform the Rouse checks as mass tests with all participating characters in the scene. Once the Rouse checks have been resolved, all players erase their tick marks and start fresh on the subsequent turn.
Example: Anton has three Rouse checks tick marks recorded, and Byron and Josie have two Rouse check tick marks recorded. The Storyteller performs a mass test with Anton, Byron, and Josie twice, and then performs one Rouse check with Anton for his third tick mark.
If a Rouse check results in an increase in Hunger, always resolve any outstanding effects prior to marking your increase in Hunger. At Hunger 5, a vampire can no longer intentionally Rouse the Blood. If you begin a combat turn below Hunger 5 and you fail too many Rouse checks at the end of a turn, you can inadvertently end up in Hunger Frenzy by going beyond Hunger 5.
Example: Angel is involved in a combat scenario. They are at Hunger 3. They Rouse four times in a turn. Unfortunately, they fail the first three of their Rouse checks, causing their Hunger to exceed 5. They immediately fall to Hunger Frenzy without a test. The remaining fourth Rouse check can be ignored for this turn.
At Hunger 5, if an outside factor causes a Rouse check, the vampire must instead immediately make a Hunger Frenzy check. Unless otherwise stated, failing a Rouse check that causes a Hunger Frenzy still activates the effect that required the Rouse check, if any. If an effect that causes an automatic Hunger increase is successfully used on a vampire at Hunger 5, the vampire immediately falls to Hunger Frenzy without a further test.
