Even the most stalwart individual will fall back from the vampire's horrific visage. Dread Gaze engenders unbearable terror in its victim, stupefying him into madness, immobility, or reckless flight. While all Kindred can frighten others by physically revealing their true vampiric natures - baring claws and fangs, glaring with malevolence, hissing loudly with malice - this power focuses these elements to insanely terrifying levels. In addition rule says ( Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition - ): Why? Because it is a power level of 2 (it would be ridiculous if a Methuselah run away)! Hello, I simply think that the ninth generation doesn't run away in front of this (level two) power of presence (Dread Gage). Sure you might be able to make one vampire run away, but what if there isn't one vampire? What if he gets his buddies together and you're beset by several vampires and over a dozen ghouls? You can't Dread Gaze them all. Using Dread Gaze on the wrong person is a good way to make a powerful enemy, one who can make your life very difficult, and possibly even kill you. Being terrified and forced to flee is a humiliating experience, and vampires have a loooong time to nurse grudges. However there can be social consequences to using Presence past the first level (Awe) too liberally.

Beyond that, there's not much that can be done to directly counteract Presence, and that's by design as the powers wouldn't be much use otherwise. Vampires three or more generations lower than the Presence user don't need to roll, one Willpower will suffice to protect them for the rest of the night. On a success they can resist that power for the rest of the scene. Characters can resist a use of Presence by spending a Willpower point and then making a Difficulty 8 Willpower roll.

Presence vampire the masquerade