Gestalt
The Blood Brothers may activate the unique ties of blood that bind them, establishing a "hive mind" of sorts. This expanded consciousness allows them to perform efficient and powerful attacks, avoid surprise attacks and even communicate with each other telepathically.
System: This power confers several benefits on the Blood Brothers. For this power to work, however, every Blood Brother in the circle must spend a blood point. If even one member cannot or refuses to spend a blood point, this power fails. Once a Blood Brother has met the Final Death, he is no longer a part of the circle, so the power continues to function among the still-undead members of the group. Gestalt lasts one scene. While this power is active:
- Dominate, Presence, etc. take effect against the highest Willpower score in the circle. For example, if a vampire attempts to Dominate a Blood Brother under the influence of Gestalt, she must roll against the highest Willpower score any of the vampires in the circle possesses, even if her subject has the lowest Willpower score in the circle. Additionally, a Blood Brother affected in this manner drops out of the Gestalt, though the power remains active for others. The Tremere supposedly created this mental "fuse" to prevent the entire circle from being Dominated by a vampire looking into the eyes of one Blood Brother.
- Perception difficulties for all Blood Brothers in the circle decrease by 1 - the number of members of the circle, up to three, as they share the sensory input of other vampires in the circle.
- By taking no action other than concentrating, a Blood Brothers may "loan" an Ability to another brother. For example, a wounded vampire with Melee 4 may step out of combat and loan a circle-mate with Melee 2 his mastery of that Skill. The"borrowing" vampire makes Ability checks against the loaned Trait as if were his own.
- Blood Brothers in the Gestalt share open, two-way telepathic communication with other members of the circle. This is not a chance to read the minds of other Blood Brothers, but simple, silent communication. Note that not all Blood Brothers need possess Sanguinus at this level to gain the benefits of Gestalt. Players of vampires of the circle who have not mastered Sanguinus to this level, however, must make a Wits + Occult roll (difficulty 7) to gain the benefits of this link. This roll is made before the Gestalt becomes active - no "loaning" Occult for this roll! If they fail this roll, they may not gain the benefits of the Gestalt for the scene, though their applicable Traits may be used (high Willpower) or loaned (but not borrowed).
