OFFICIAL VEKN BLOOD BROTHERS NEWSLETTER VOL 2 ISSUE 1 January 2003 -------------------------------------------------- Contents i. Introduction ii. Storytime - Case Study: The Blood Brothers iii. Focus on SANGUINUS iv. Vampire of the Month: Jack v. Deck of the Month: The Brothers 5 -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------- i. INTRODUCTION -------------------------- Welcome to the first issue of the second volume of the Blood Brothers newsletter with me as your new humble clan editor. Its been 8 months since the last Blood Brothers newsletter came out under the previous editor, so I hope to bring you some interesting news, ideas, and strategies concerning the band of Brothers known as Blood. If you would like to contribute or have submission ideas, email me at bbnews@bigfoot.com - Jordan -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ii. Storytime - Case Study: The Blood Brothers -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nicknamed "Frankensteins," Blood Brothers were conceived and created in crumbling Old World castles and chantries by the now vanished Tremere Antitribu and a few twisted Tzimisce sorcerers. The Blood Brothers are an artificially engineered bloodline of shock troops and servitors. The Blood Brothers are the dubiously successful result of extensive experiments in blood bonding, intended to create a cell of servants that think and act as one. Blood Brothers commonly form exclusive packs known as 'circles,' in which they undergo Tzimisce fleshcrafting to make themselves look exactly alike. Many usually shave their heads and get tattoos before their embrace to identify which circle they belong to. Most circles have between 3 to 7 members, usually already from preexisting street gangs in their mortal life. Their advantages include superhuman strength with POTENCE and the ability of to prevent damage from attacks with FORTITUDE. But their greatest advantage is their ability to draw power from one another for attacks and coordination with their specialized discipline -- SANGUINUS. This is a discipline that allows a group of brothers from the same circle to share the same thoughts and experiences vicariously through each other since the same blood runs through all their veins. This link allows them to work effectively apart from each other. They excel at coordinated attacks and espionage. Disadvantages: Since they share a hive like mind, they lack self awareness or originality, thus they aren't good at outmaneuvering or outthinking their opponents. Also, due to their telepathic blood bond, when a Brother is harmed in an attack, the other members of that circle also feel the pain (although this fortunately doesn't happen to them in under VTES rules). Blood Brothers tend to live together in Sabbat Communal Havens provided by their master. They travel in their respective circles, rarely socializing with others. Few outside the Sabbat have come in contact (or escaped from) the Blood Brothers to speak about them. These days Blood Brothers are rare and now more uncommon to come across, especially after their co-creators, the Tremere Antitribu were wiped out in Mexico City several years ago. Brothers lack the ability to embrace, so only those with extensive knowledge in Thaumaturgy or sorcerous rituals can make more. Should they try to embrace, the mortal simply dies without transforming. ------------------------------------- iii. Focus on SANGUINUS ------------------------------------- With Sanguinus a group of Blood Brothers of the same circle can do the following: 1 - Brother's Blood - One Brother may spend his own blood to heal the wounds inflicted upon another Brother. 2 - Octopod - In an attack, a Brother may use limbs "borrowed" mystically over a distance from another Brother. Stories have been told of Brothers that have sprouted multiple arms and legs in attacks. 3 - Coordinate Attacks - When Brothers use their Mental link between one another to coordinate combat with (In VTES this is used by a Brother to enter combat with the same opposing minion after a combat with a previous Brother has ended.) 4 - Coagulated Entity - Many Brothers may physically combine into one monstrous heap of undead flesh. While in this mode, they gain increased strength and can prevent an unheard of amount of damage while at the same time exchanging generations and disciplines. 5 - Gestalt - Brothers can create a telepathic link between each other to communicate and coordinate with each other to avoid surprise attacks. (This is their main source of intercept in VTES.) They can't read each other minds, but they can silently speak to each other telepathically. 6 - Walk of Caine - In Masquerade it's when 1 Brother lowers their generation temporarily at the expense of the other circle members who raise theirs to achieve monstrous feats of strength and power. (In VTES it allows a Brother to increase their bleed by one for each Brother of the same circle who contributes a blood to the WofC card.) 7 - Unwholesome Bond - A useful tool in VTES that allows a Brother to either gain X+1 blood for each ready untapped Brother of the same circle, or put one blood from the Blood Bank on a circle member in the uncontrolled region. Good for getting Brothers out while saving your pool. ------------------------------------------------- iv. Vampire of the Month: Jack ------------------------------------------------- Jack Blood Brothers Capacity 6 pot for sag cel Torrance Circle: You may tap Jack when you play a Master: Location (unique or not) to reduce the cost of that location by 1 pool. +1 strength. Sterile. Despite having no superior disciplines, Jack's one of the best Blood Brothers. His +1 strength comes in handy when you find yourself with no close range strike cards in hand and adds 1 more damage to any potence strength cards you play (not to mention when a Song of Serenity is played on you too). Plus his special ability saves you pool on any master locations. Rumor Mill is free and KRCG News Radio or The Hungry Coyote cost only one pool - and one is better than two ;) --------------------------------- v. Deck of the Month --------------------------------- Name: The Brothers 5 Description: Basic Torrance Blood Brothers Bruise and Bleed Deck. History: This deck got me into the finals of the ConCarolinas Tournament in Charlotte, NC in June 2002 with 3 VP & 1 GW. --------------------------------------------- Crypt: (12 cards) [Avg: 6] 2 Ilse (Blood Brother, 6, for POT pro SAN) 2 Jack (Blood Brother, 6, cel for pot san) +1 Strength 3 Karl (Blood Brother, 6, FOR POT pre san) 3 Mark (Blood Brother, 6, for obf pot SAN) +1 intercept on bleeds 2 Truman (Blood Brother, 6, dom FOR pot SAN) Library: (90 cards) Masters: (14/90) 1 KRCG News Radio 1 Rumor Mill 1 London Evening News 2 Info Highway 1 Hungry Coyote 4 Effective Management 4 Blood Doll Actions: (14/90) 8 Unwholesome Bond 6 Bum's Rush Action Modifiers: (10/90) 8 Walk of Caine 2 Freak Drive Combat: (37/90) 4 Taste of Vitae 4 Skin of Steal 2 Skin of Rock 2 Unflinching Persistence 10 Torn Signpost 9 Immortal Grapple 6 Octopod Equipment: (2/90) 1 Mr. Winthrop 1 Sports Bike Reaction: (13/90) 5 Gestalt 2 Elder Intervention 6 Forced Awakening ------------------------------- What's to come in next month's edition: Fiction: A Circle of One - What is unlife like for a Blood Brother who is the only surviving member of his circle? Focus on Sanguinus: Octopod - A farewell to arms? No actually just more. Vampire: There's Something About Jerry Deck: Barry Jive and his Uptown Five