Caught in the Machine - Let's Play Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines

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GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

ArchWizard posted:

A female Ventrue named Melissa.

Will there be any bonus updates showing Malkavian conversations?

This because this was the next run I had planned before my computer imploded.

I still blame my Malkavian run for that. Malkav be damned, though, it was hilarious some of the poo poo that happened� I swear my Malk was self aware and loving with me. :tinfoil:

[Also, I think we should try to be LaCroix's best friend, partly because there's already one Anarch-lover playthrough in the archives and I'd be more interested in seeing something different, and partly because it seems fitting for a Ventrue to side with the biggest game in town, especially one similarly inclined.

GrimRevenant fucked around with this message at 06:30 on Nov 11, 2013

# ¿ Nov 11, 2013 05:11

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 01:26

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

gatz posted:

Could you spoiler tag that last paragraph, please?

Fixed. My mistake. Sorry! :shobon:

# ¿ Nov 11, 2013 06:30

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

A Tartan Tory posted:

Look at all these goons not voting for Malkavian

gatz posted:

I will not be accepting votes for playing as a malkavian.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one to miss something obvious. :sweatdrop:

# ¿ Nov 11, 2013 07:51

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

double nine posted:

About the origin of your sire: it's been a while since I played Bloodlines, but I don't think the game ever tells you anything about your sire's identity or his/her decision to sire you clandestinely - which makes sense for some of the clans like the Brujah (anarchists), Malkavians (lunatics) or gangrel (lone wolf types); but it doesn't make sense for a Ventrue or Tremere clan member due to their clans being quite hierarchical. So I'm a bit disappointed that we never learn about your undead parent or his/her motivations for siring you...

If I recall correctly, the Tremere Regent mentions something about your sire having been an Anarch, but possibly this only applies if you, yourself, are a Tremere.

Conskill posted:

Not in the Bloodlines, but in the roleplaying game the Nosferatu get an Obfuscation ability to pass themselves off as a normal if ugly person for awhile.

I have vague memories of there being a magic sparkle effect during the intro as a Nossie that implies a power like that falling off.

The ability is called Mask of a Thousand Faces, and yes, I also remember this happening.

GrimRevenant fucked around with this message at 04:36 on Nov 14, 2013

# ¿ Nov 14, 2013 04:16

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

double nine posted:

Firearms are good when you get to the mid-endgame weapons and after you've dumped a lot (5+) of skillpoints into ranged combat.
�
Basic rule of thumb: stick to melee until you get to Hollywood.

This, although I'd add that the sniper rifle(s, depending on patch) come incredibly handy in a couple of fights, and that even the humble .38 potentially has its time to shine: shooting zombies in the head before they can close with you � other than that, though, it's garbage.

I'm pretty sure you can take Melee or even Unarmed to more ridiculous levels than you can Ranged, but the really big advantage is that it's ranged � �reach out and touch someone.� It's mostly not my preferred combat style � too much loving about � but if you seriously invest in it then it pays serious dividends, particularly later in the game if you've been cultivating your suppliers and keeping your skills sharp. As double nine says, Hollywood is where it starts paying off.

Probably worth pointing out that the flamethrower doesn't actually rely on your Ranged feat, meaning that anybody who gets their hands on one has a potent ace in the hole, assuming they don't manage to incinerate themselves accidentally.

e: Wait, is talking about upcoming weapons spoilers?

GrimRevenant fucked around with this message at 02:19 on Nov 17, 2013

# ¿ Nov 17, 2013 02:13

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

OAquinas posted:

Ultimately it's irrelevant to Bloodlines--as mentioned, Humanity is the only game in town and it's been simplified to "kill people outside of combat area/do bad things = lose, do good things = gain" and its sole effect is to game-over you if you start with the wanton slaughter.

Actually, you can hit 0 Humanity in Bloodlines with absolutely zero negative effects, other than entering Frenzy far more easily. I did this on a Gangrel playthrough and it was absolutely hilarious what with the ridiculous buffs they get while frenzying in this game.

Well, OK, having super-low Humanity also locks you into some fairly nasty dialogue choices at a few points, but if you've never tried a low-Humanity run I'd highly recommend it for the different experience.

Playing a monster also means you can do stuff you know is a bad idea and not feel bad about how it turns out for your character.

Vicissitude posted:

So back to Paths. Which path you want to hear about first?

My absolute favourite is the Path of the Feral Heart. :3:

# ¿ Nov 19, 2013 03:28

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

Ghouls are generally considered to be walking potential breaches of the First Tradition (Masquerade), although it's on their domitor (blood bond holder) to keep an eye on their actions and a hold on their leashes to make sure that doesn't happen, or clean up the mess if it does.

Depending on our choices, we'll be involved in one or more sides of this later on.

# ¿ Dec 2, 2013 07:07

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

OAquinas posted:

None that are explicitly Lasombra, no. The problem with their signature discipline--Obtenebration--is that it's a PITA to model properly in a game--especially on the receiving end.

There are a few vampires in the game which exhibit what I took to be Lasombra abilities.

It is my understanding that the majority of these are, in the Plus Patch, re-skinned and revamped into �proper� Lasombra.

I look forward to seeing this with approximately equal parts anticipation and apprehension.

# ¿ Dec 16, 2013 08:25

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

Tiggum posted:

Oh my god, you missed the best bit! Before you try to climb the staircase you can explore the ground floor a little bit. Down one corridor you'll find nothing but locked doors, but as you get near the end the girl's voice behind you whispers "He's coming!". You turn around and there's a guy with an axe standing there, but just for a moment before he fades away. Like everything else in this location, it's really well done.

I think I only discovered that my second time through and it scared the poo poo out of me.

The Hotel, in general, finds a new way to gently caress with me every time I play this game. There are ways to skip sections if you are cunning/agile enough, but it's amazing/wonderful/terrifying that it still gets a strong reactions every time. Good work, Troika. :allears:

edit: It was also interesting playing through this again after having read through Wraith. Felt much more like a duel of spirits.

# ¿ Jan 3, 2014 12:56

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

gatz posted:

Does anyone else want to see this?

Hey, you disrupted the operation, it�s only polite that you help remedy that.

# ¿ Jan 7, 2014 08:41

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

e:f;b

Is that little scene outside the gallery new to the Plus Patch? I could swear I've never seen that before.

# ¿ Jan 14, 2014 08:15

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

From memory, Sabbat can substitute Path rating for Humanity on some checks, and I�m pretty sure that includes taking action during daylight, as well as how long they spend in torpor. If you try a daylight raid on an elder expecting them to be incapacitated, you might be in for a nasty surprise.

Also I think some of their substitute Virtues can help with stuff like this, can�t really remember the details though. Paths of Enlightenment are kinda weird like this � Humanity can be technically considered a Path, and back in the Dark Ages, the Road (as they were then known) of Humanity was just one of many practised by Kindred of all kinds. The focus of the path is being like humans, which is why it lets Kindred seem more human, and why it�s the default path in modern Vampire � being human is something all humans have experience with, after all. A Kindred with very high Humanity rating will even seem to be more alive than most humans, and will have a much easier time blending in with them. Conversely, a low rating will make them seem very much inhuman.

Other Paths� I can't remember all the details, but they each have a different emphasis and make certain checks easier/harder. The Path of the Beast, for example (not sure I have the name right, there were a bunch of variants IIRC) will at high rating cause your presence to terrify humans, as they recognised the presence of a predator in their midst. This gives you a significant bonus to Intimidate, IIRC.

If anyone�s interested, I can dig up my books and expand on this a little more, or maybe someone has a handy link.

# ¿ Jan 24, 2014 05:03

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

citybeatnik posted:

I think the RAW is that if you're on a Path, you're treated as being Humanity 3 or less depending on your rating. Period.

People tend to ignore that little throw away line though.

V20 actually introduced the Auras from the various Dark Ages Roads to the modern paths, which is kinda nifty.

Well, I know that Torpor specifically checks against Humanity or Path rating, and in Dark Ages you rolled against your Road, be it Humanity or otherwise, for taking daylight actions, so it seems logical that it would work the same way in modern nights. The only �Humanity 3� thing I can recall in regards to Paths was that you needed to be that low to change to one, but it�s been a while, and I do remember there are some funky edge cases with Paths.

Will see if I can find it in my books if I get a chance, as this is now bugging me.

And yeah, I love the Auras. :drac:

⁂

In regards to the Anarchs, I think the term is more usefully understood with regards to its Greek roots:

I ripped this from Wikipedia because I'm lazy posted:

anarchy� derived respectively from the Greek ἀναρχία, i.e. anarchy (from ἄναρχος, anarchos, meaning "one without rulers"; from the privative prefix ἀν- (an-, i.e. "without") + ἀρχός, archos, i.e. "leader", "ruler"; (cf. archon or ἀρχή, arkhē, i.e. "authority", "sovereignty", "realm", "magistracy")

The Anarch Revolt was carried out in order to rid themselves of their leaders, the Antediluvians and Methuselahs, and the crushing influence of their Domains. Beyond that, well, it makes sense that vampire Anarch philosophy would differ greatly from that of human anarchists, as their fundamentally different natures mean vastly different needs and responses.

That�s in-universe rationalisation, of course. I, for one, am definitely looking to the upcoming Anarchs versus anarchism update.

GrimRevenant fucked around with this message at 06:49 on Jan 24, 2014

# ¿ Jan 24, 2014 06:13

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

If I recall correctly, didn't Cardinal Mon�ada of Spain (of Sabbat fame) possess True Faith? :psyduck:

# ¿ Feb 2, 2014 12:30

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

PureRok posted:

I know this is a really old post, but you wouldn't happen to be able to share these commands, would you?

I JGIF�d, and the closest I can find are the following console* commands:

code:

vstats get automatic_str_successes x	Gives permanent +10 stats to MELEE and UNARMED abilities.
vstats get automatic_soak_successes x 	Gives permanent +10 stats to EACH SOAK abilities.

Presumably, just set this to the same as your Potence/Fortitude level when you level it, and then never activate those abilities. A bit clumsy, but seems workable.

_{✱ Standard Quake/Source console, launch the game with -console in the command line and use ~ to activate ingame.}

# ¿ Feb 7, 2014 03:23

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

Tehan posted:

Don't rat out Mercurio and suck up to Lacroix.

Don't rat out Mercurio because we listened to the gypsy, and suck up to Lacroix because I�ve never seen it before and it makes sense to get in good with the local Ventrue power and learn the lie of the land, so to speak, before we start making our own moves. Never hurts to have the Prince onside, after all, and he did take responsibility for us (even if Nines pushed him into it) � who knows what he might do for us if we please him?

e: Also, gatz, I think you mean �fascist�, there, not �facist�. :shobon:

GrimRevenant fucked around with this message at 13:25 on Feb 10, 2014

# ¿ Feb 10, 2014 13:23

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

gatz posted:

Hey man

That guy on the left was right in the way of where I needed to go. I waited for a bit, but he didn't move.

Then as soon as I get to the ladder he opens fire on me, somehow having 20/20 eyes on the side of his head, but deaf to me walking behind him and blind with his front eyes.

Of course, I could have reloaded, but what's the fun in that?

This reminds me. I hope you dont mind if I :spergin:

about vidyagame mechanics a little? If I go too far, just tell me what to cut.

gatz posted:

We just have to sneak over there undetected. I put two dots into stealth for this, and it better pay off.

Please for the love of Caine tell me you didn't spend your hard-earned XP on those two dots of stealth. :negative:

I�m pretty sure you found that book on sneaking in Santa Maria, right? Well, what you may not know is this: if you sell a skill book to a vendor, you can turn around and buy it right back from them, read it, and then keep on buying copies until it no longer gives you a benefit. You can use this in Santa Monica to cheaply boost Firearms, Computers, and Stealth to 2 without needing to spend any XP, and there may be further opportunities ahead if you keep an eye out. :monocle:

Dexterity will also boost your Stealth, and more besides � from memory I was able to complete every mandatory stealth section in the game with only 3 Dexterity and 2 Stealth, although the extra elbow room is definitely noticeable.

gatz posted:

If we had one more dot in persuasion, we could convince Larry to also give us a discount at his store.

This reward is better than it sounds. Larry will give you a discount, all right, but the way he does so is to increase your Finance skill by 1, (up to a max of 3 IIRC). That point of Persuasion can save you a lot of money over time, which is especially useful if you�re speccing heavily into firearms.

In fact, between its boost to Persuasion and the Research requirement for reading skill books, Scholarship is probably one of the most useful skills to sink XP into. Not that that should stop anyone from playing a pure combat monster if they want to, but the little optional boosts here and there really add up over time.

And there are a lot of little things to discover. Last time I played through the game, I discovered several little things you can do which earn extra XP that weren't in any guide or FAQ I�ve ever read. Part of why I am enjoying this LP so much is seeing a side of the game I never have before� so thanks again for doing this, gatz.*

_{✱ Although you did an incredible job making it look good, I really am glad you�re done with BloodNet and onto a game that rewards your attention better.}

GrimRevenant fucked around with this message at 01:17 on Feb 11, 2014

# ¿ Feb 11, 2014 01:13

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

Tehan posted:

Hell, since this absolutely is abusing buggy game mechanics to get free skills, why not go all in and just open the console and type in 'giftxp 1000'?

Since Trip at the pawn shop sells two of these books straight out of the gate, complete with repeats, I hardly think this was unintended behaviour. If you want to, you can RP-explain it away as your character asking the shopkeeper for more manuals like the one you have, or you can just treat it as a bonus for characters who spend more on investigating and dialogue skills than on combat. And believe me, they�ll probably need it.

Even if you only get a single use out of them, those manuals can be pretty handy.

I realise I didn�t directly answer your question. The answer to why I don�t just use console commands to trivialise the game? It would be boring. :rolleyes:

This is hardly cost-free, but I�d definitely rather spend a little more effort and time rounding out my skills at the cost of money than I would spend my precious XP on stuff I don�t have to. It�s not a free lunch, it�s not cheating your way to success, and if you don�t like using an option the game presents then you�re free not to use it.

One of my favourite things about (most of) the game, actually.

TheMcD posted:

I love how I'm the only one in favor of giving LaCroix some sass, and even then that's only because I already went the suck-up route.

The only reason I�m voting for sucking up to LaCroix is that I could never manage it, no matter how I tried. :v:

GrimRevenant fucked around with this message at 06:43 on Feb 11, 2014

# ¿ Feb 11, 2014 06:40

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

UrbicaMortis posted:

I find it funny that most of the outfits at least look more protective as they go up but the gangrel just gets different coloured hoodies. We also need pictures of the nosferatu armours. I vaguely remember them getting increasingly gimpy as they went on.

Well, to be fair, if a Gangrel were to rely on clothes in a fight, they�d be a pretty poor example of the breed. You most likely want to be wearing something easy to slip out of or cheap to replace when you inevitable burst out of them, Hulk-style. The rest of the time? It�s just camouflage.

# ¿ Feb 12, 2014 01:16

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

gatz posted:

It's wesp5's fault.

At a guess, that extra dialogue line is for Presence? And yeah, Plus Patch. :jerkbag:

I had either completely forgotten or never knew that you could persuade that guy off. Then again, last time I think I frenzied and auto-killed him. Welp, no witnesses! :v:

Also, there is an Easter Egg if you can successfully put the severed head through the hoop.

# ¿ Feb 13, 2014 03:54

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

gatz posted:

The first is Strauss. He's a primogen, like Strauss, so maybe he's had some dealings with Strauss. He might be able to give us some good information on him.

You know, I suspect you may just be onto something there. :v:

Pisha! One of my very favourite NPCs, especially since you can use her as an alternate solution to at least one other Downtown Hub quest (Patty the ghoul), with some great dialogue (something about never having ordered in before, IIRC) and commensurate Humanity loss if you do.

Zeroisanumber posted:

I never understood how that book made it to print. There were just so many flat-out terrible ideas and so much game-breaking weirdness that I don't know why someone further up the chain didn't pull the plug on it.

It was brutally retconned later, in hilarious fashion, but I guess it made it to print because enough people liked it/the playstyle it embodied? For me, the fact that this ages-old conspiracy hiding behind the already-secretive Black Hand were actually wrong about almost everything and died like chumps a book or two later is way better than them never existing in the first place. :unsmigghh:

GrimRevenant fucked around with this message at 03:10 on Mar 10, 2014

# ¿ Mar 10, 2014 03:05

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

DeusExMachinima posted:

Pisha is interesting but it's one of the more poorly built quests in a game that usually gives you multiple options. You can either silence the last witness and get a chance to get some powerful artifacts or get ready to fight infinite zombies, sweetheart. It's not a morally or practically gray choice either. Send a completely unlikable one note character to his early grave and preserve the masquerade orrrr don't.

IIRC you can convince him to keep quiet or that nothing happened, or just kill him yourself, any of which would be a more humane choice than sending him to be devoured alive.

But where would be the fun in that? :drac:

# ¿ Mar 10, 2014 05:08

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

Hymirvetr posted:

Oh god, I forgot that Bach has a stupid Pseudogerman first name.

Gr�nfeld, really?

It�s a legitimate ~~strategy~~ name! :reject:

Although it seems to be only attested as a surname, so combined with �Bach�? Probably a nom de guerre or religious name.

e: Also, drat, seeing Grout�s ramblings in writing makes me respect him a gently caress of a lot more.

GrimRevenant fucked around with this message at 11:40 on Mar 11, 2014

# ¿ Mar 11, 2014 11:36

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

double nine posted:

There is one other person who could potentially be sending us those messages. It's the other person in the final cinematic of the game. Not going to say more because of thread rules.

While I know exactly what you mean, it�s worth pointing out that what ending cinematic(s) you get depends on your endgame choices. I didn�t actually see that particular scene until I finished my second complete run through the game, and depending on the thread�s choices, we might never see it.

This game, man! :drac:

e: I am really glad someone else covered the Great Prank, my knowledge was really not at all good enough to do it justice. Man, this thread is loving great. :allears:

# ¿ Mar 13, 2014 03:59

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

Oh hey, she brought us dinner! It would be churlish to refuse� :drac:

If we can Dominate, then feed, do that; otherwise, just kill it.

tlarn posted:

Do ghouls pick up clan quirks as they have vitae in their system on a regular basis? I remember it being mentioned in the thread that ghouls can use their banked vitae to heal themselves, but I don't remember if they pick up any other abilities or the clan flavor and behavior.

What I'm asking is if Heather has any extra lines for each playable clan.

They do indeed! There�s an extensive list of different clan-based quirks ghouls can pick up depending what vitae they have been feeding from, and apparently �independent� ghouls (ghouls who take or trade for vitae rather than being beholden to a domitor) trade all sorts of tips on how to minimise or make the most of these.

Heather�s only observable difference is as the ghoul of a Malkavian player character, and hoo boy is it noticable! :j:

GrimRevenant fucked around with this message at 04:26 on Mar 20, 2014

# ¿ Mar 20, 2014 04:08

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

TheMcD posted:

I think that'd go in reverse, and I think that's the way it works in-game too. First you feed, then you're all YOU SAW NOTHING NOW LEAVE.

In PnP maybe.

In this game it usually goes �use stunning power → feed off target while stunned → leave in post-feed trance OR kill depending on hunger/Humanity level�. This might be different because it�s a cutscene, but I wouldn�t be willing to lay money on it.

To clarify my vote: in the base game, using Dominate here is a Ventrue-only option. Tremere, the other clan who get access to Dominate, can�t use it in conversation. The Plus Patch probably changes this, but this is far and away the option that the fewest people are likely to have seen, and hence, the one I most want to see shown.

e: Regardless of which one wins, maybe we could just get the other as an extra? :shobon:

GrimRevenant fucked around with this message at 01:03 on Mar 21, 2014

# ¿ Mar 21, 2014 01:01

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

gatz posted:

...out of sight, the sound of a manhole opening, a gasp...

...and he's nowhere to be found as we turn the corner.

If you go down the manhole, you�ll find a bunch of blood and another free severed arm! :drac:

_{(I like to keep one in the fridge in case I guests get hungry.)}

# ¿ May 3, 2014 16:05

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

double nine posted:

"a whole bunch" is about 20-30 hostiles". They're a pain in the rear end, if you're not tremere.

They�re hilarious if you�re Gangrel. :gibs:

# ¿ May 22, 2014 02:43

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

Ash Rivers is basically a nod to several bits of Hollywood culture. The name is definitely reminiscent of River Phoenix, who famously died young (of a drug overdose), as well as �Ash� possibly being intended to reference, yes, the Evil Dead films (though it's nowhere near as strong a reference as Romero), while �Negative Zero� is clearly meant to invoke Less Than Zero, a movie where a main character dies of an overdose.

Are we sensing a theme, here?

# ¿ May 22, 2014 08:47

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

Talk him down, Melissa is good at talking. :words:

Albeit this fight is fun and there is at least one interesting way to win it, so I�m glad you�ll be showing multiple solutions. _{(And am curious as to the third!)}

Glazius posted:

How did this guy wind up vampired, though? Someone had to bite him.

Some clans put more time and effort into supporting childer than others. Ventrue and Tremere have extensive grooming and education of neonates before their presentation to broader Kindred society. Gangrel, on the other hand, are somewhat notorious for stalking and siring those they see as having potential and then abandoning them to survive or die by their own devices, which is probably why they have more bloodlines than the next two clans put together. To a great or lesser extent, there are those with each of these tendencies in every clan.

We�re definitely lucky we didn't end up like this guy.

GrimRevenant fucked around with this message at 10:35 on Jun 4, 2014

# ¿ Jun 4, 2014 10:27

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

Pwnstar posted:

Can vampires hide their bloodlines by acting a certain way or is it something that other vampires just innately recognize?

A Tremere, if they get their hands on some of your blood, can get an awful lot of information on you. With the right Thaumataturgical ritual, they can identify your generation, clan, and potentially all your sires back to the fourth generation if they get enough blood from you and they enough successes when performing the ritual. (Incidentally, they also have a ritual pretty much perfectly designed for getting their hands on your blood. If a Tremere offers you a sealed container, just say no�.)

Of course, the obverse of this is that most vampires cannot so readily and certainly identify others' Clans or have their own identified. Relationships, Discipline usage, and Clan weaknesses are very useful tools � for example, Toreadors usually flock together and behave similarly, and the guy with no reflection who's summoning shadow tentacles to rip your face off is definitely a Lasombra � but there can still be considerable room for misidentification, especially when time is short and opportunity scarce.

⁂

I always thought the Slasher was a feral Gangrel, since his Disciplines and (presumed) siring method match up fairly well _{at least with the way the game handles Protean*.}

Unless someone that knows more than I about getting information out of the game knows different, I can't see anywhere it actually specifies any given vampire's clan, so :shrug:

fakeedit: I just tried and I can confirm that, at least in Plus Patch, he does have the war form all the way back in the Santa Monica Diner and he will push your poo poo in if you attack him.

_{* That reminds me, I have a crazy theory about the Gangrel in this game, but it�s massive spoilers until much later so I�ll bench it.}

# ¿ Jun 29, 2014 04:17

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

TheRagamuffin posted:

I finally have an explanation for why Minsc was some bizarre ranger kit with barbarian rage.

It's not the Dark Sun origin � berserkers are a pretty important part of the Rashemi culture to which both Minsc and Dynaheir belong, and which is an established part of the Forgotten Realms setting. _{(Their main foes on a national level are the Red Wizards of Thay, incidentally.)}

The rest of the article from which that quote is drawn is a pretty interesting read, especially the part on Xan.

# ¿ Jul 6, 2014 09:54

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

My favourite Gehenna scenario is still and will always be Tzimisze Eats Everything. :3:

# ¿ Jul 11, 2014 01:27

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

OAquinas posted:

The pre-vamp Tremere magic failing predates the formal Order of Reason by a few centuries, but it could just be the proto-paradigm of magic-as-technology starting to coalesce. Given that their own paradigm is based on the concept of angels and the like (in a very rough sketch) it could also be attributed to Lucifer's actions to sweep the angels/demons under the rug and deny them faith/power--by sidelining them he's undermining the Order of Hermes to an extent.

Of course, the REAL reason is that it just sounded good as a story hook and they furiously wrote around it without actually retconning it away.

The current concerns over Thaumaturgy failing can probably be laid squarely on the Withering, the general failure of Vitae during Gehenna. Magic powered by vampire blood doesn't do so hot when the blood's power fades.

Of course, if you throw in Saulot stealing Tremere�s body, Tremere now possessing Goratrix's body, the (now defunct) Clan Goratrix�s association with Dark Thaumaturgy and Infernalism, which was also a Baali gimmick, then consider the rumours of Saulot having started up the Baali, the killings of Tzimisce elders by �overly zealous� Salubri demon-hunters during the Baali War, and that Goratrix's �discovery� of rituals to transform the Tremere was a ploy by the Tzimisce antediluvian, quite possibly as an exceedingly long-ranged plot, and you've got� well. A clusterfuck.

And probably the single most hosed Clan, come Gehenna. Have fun, Tremere! :drac:

As I recall, the kindest fate shown to them in any Gehenna scenario or the novel was just them being missing entirely, gone without a trace. Which, when you consider all the things we know about that want a piece out of them� brr.

# ¿ Jul 14, 2014 12:10

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

If you have good enough stealth (possibly Obfuscate?), you can use it to get the drop on Chastity and just feed on her til she drops, making this possibly the easiest �boss fight� in the game. Her combat skills are good enough this feeding on her is not a valid tactic for most people if they alert her.

It�s been long enough I�m not entirely sure, but I think you can also just use a disabling power to get the drop on her � as she�s human, she's easy prey for all sorts of stuff that wouldn't work on supernaturals, and assuming you isolate her as suggested, there's nobody to break your bite once you get stuck in. :drac:

# ¿ Jul 24, 2014 12:27

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

gatz posted:

Has there been any attempts to unite the thin-bloods?

Funnily enough, the best answer to this contains spoilers for the game. Take a look at Gehenna: The Final Night (the final novel for VtM) if you want the details, but in short: only one that I can think of, but it's surprisingly effective.

# ¿ Aug 14, 2014 11:52

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

You might not think so, but there are a couple spots where that thing comes in real handy when you wanna reach out and touch someone.

Also, that poster of Ming Xiao is obviously from her younger days. What other reason could there possibly be for her to look different? :confused:

# ¿ Nov 13, 2014 14:56

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

TheMcD posted:

My answer to a question like that is usually "dur, me smart LPer ", and once again, that is true. I completely ignored that it's :WESP: we're talking about here and instead presumed upon the natural progression of melee weapons found in stores, in that the newest one usually is the best pick until you find something better strewn about during the quests or something. Turns out the broadsword is objectively superior to the katana. Whoops.

Even without factoring in :wesp:, you can usually pick up most of the weaponry available in shops from the corpses of those you kill, if somewhat later than you would otherwise be able to purchase it in stores.

If you'll permit a little :spergin:

: normally, enemies that carry "out of depth" weapons (weapons that you cannot purchase at the current point in the story) will not drop them. The most obvious early examples of this are the Cathayan in Santa Monica and the Chinatown gangsters in the car park in Downtown LA.

For everyone about to say "wait one minute": with Wesp's Plus Patch in play, a lot of these enemies will drop their weapons, albeit sometimes inferior versions (such as the knock-off katana), and there are a number of previously non-droppable weapons that are now obtainable, such as torches (available from vampire hunters and one late-game boss lair) and the crossbow, which ~~I think we've already got?~~ hahaha the Cathayan drops this too

Plus there are the weapons he's moved or just outright added, usually boosting the player's power level beyond that normally available at that point in the game. :wesp:, indeed. :rolleyes:

TheMcD posted:

EDIT: Also, we're totally meeting Ming-Xiao next update, because the game cockblocks most sidequests until you do that.

Have we talked about the Tradition of Hospitality yet? If not, it's very much relevant, especially here, but also helps explain why the leaders in each area seem to be such insufferable assholes. :drac:

e: Also, drat, don't think I ever noticed that easter egg room/computer before. That's... certainly something, all right. :magical:

GrimRevenant fucked around with this message at 02:17 on Nov 15, 2014

# ¿ Nov 15, 2014 02:08

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

It also gets harder to lose Humanity the lower it gets, as the threshold for how heinous your deeds have to be increases steadily. I think it�s at about 3 Humanity that casual murder of innocents no longer dings your Humanity at all� if you want it to go lower, you�ve gotta get creative.

Which is where some of those low-Humanity dialogue options come in real handy. :getin:

e: You can hit 0 Humanity in Bloodlines with absolutely no problems, unless you class �frenzying at the drop of a hat� as a problem. :black101:

fakeedit: I actually managed to do both endings to the hitman quest once� via a process something like: have them agree to reconcile, collect reconciliation reward from one, kill him, and turn in his key to the other guy for the other reward� but it was probably a bug, as I haven�t been able to reproduce it. Was funny, though.

GrimRevenant fucked around with this message at 17:09 on Dec 4, 2014

# ¿ Dec 4, 2014 17:06

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# ¿ Apr 25, 2024 01:26

GrimRevenant: Mar 28, 2011; Je Reviendrai.

As I recall we went into Paths a little bit earlier on in the thread, but now that we�ve met some of the more� interesting characters, it might be worth going over some more. Couple of examples:

Our buddy Andrei the Tzimisce, for example, is almost certainly on the Path of Metamorphosis, a philosophy which believes that the vampiric condition is the next evolution of humanity, and is dedicated to transcending it to find the next step. (Talking about Golconda and Path equivalents might be interesting, too?) Some of the tenets include frequent self-modification, always experimenting wherever possible, and at an advanced level, refusing to share you knowledge with or help others because it would hinder their own process of self-enlightnment. Metamorphosists tend to be� solitary, or at least surrounded people with no mouths. :silent:

�Pisha�, the Nagaraja corpse-eater, is probably on either the Path of Bones or of Death and the Soul, assuming I am remembering them rightly. Both are pretty appropriate for someone dedicated to their pursuit of Necromancy.

From a roleplaying perspective, there are enough characters who are on Paths to fairly easily rationalise a character with '0' Humanity having taken the first step onto a Path of Enlightnment, especially in light of various characters� attempts to persuade you to their way of thinking, and some of the more interesting theories regarding our chessmaster friend. :tinfoil:

# ¿ Dec 5, 2014 14:47

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