Bloodlines first time , which clan ?

[Carceri]

My very first Bloodlines playthrough was with a malkavian and it didn't ruined or spoiled shit. So yeah, I'm with Satori on this one.

 

[corvus]

I'm playing gangrel for my first playthrough. I don't really regret it, the larper in me enjoys being an animalistic predator with a man-bat warform thing, and having low humanity and high frenzy rate makes for some interesting encounters. Trying to talk this one guy down after he catches me hiding a bad luck token in his locker, my character says, "I don't have time for this shit!!" and proceeds to feast on the dude's neck.

That said, this game is enjoyable enough to play through with different clans many times. Probably gonna go with ventrue next for a social character.

 

[Leonard DeVir]

Don't be a bitch and go Malkavian this shit up. The whole bitching about they give spoilers is nonsense, you only know what 'spoiling' if you've already done the game spoilered yourself if you get my meaning. Most people will disagree with me but those that have gone Malk for first time know that it's the most glorious brain fuck you'll ever receive and one of the most unique game experiences you'll ever have.

This. If you want, you can play as Malkavian without problems, but they are, um, very special. You maybe want to finish the game "normally" at first.[/quote]

 

[deuxhero]

I went Tremere (I forget the background, think infernal) then Malk with Ninja. Worked well.

 

[visions]

My very first Bloodlines playthrough was with a malkavian and it didn't ruined or spoiled shit. So yeah, I'm with Satori on this one.

 

[J1M]

I would say nosferatu or malkavian. You have already done the game on vanilla. It's not like you are going to miss anything, and it will be more interesting.

 

[Multidirectional]

How about Ventrue domination in dialog's ? Any good ?
And how much persuasion is enough ?

Domination is good, although not as awesome as Dementation.
Only quest that requires Persuasion more than 8 is very late in the game if I'm not mistaken. Never saw the benefits of Persuasion 10.

 

[Excidium]

Regarding Malkavian, there are some...unique conversations but from my experience most of the time it's just the player lines that changes to gibberish.

 

[SCO]

If it wasn't for exactly two dialog opportunities, investigation could be ditched - it actually makes the game worse, by making everything (including secret passages ffs) obvious - except in those two conversations, where it is well used to uncover small secrets.

Scholarship is very useful, though only if you plan ahead.

 

[Excidium]

Finance is a waste of XP too.

 

[SCO]

Not if you have the camarilla edition mod - there is a money drain there, i was actually selling weapons.

 

[SCO]

Oh btw, the clan quest mod for the tremere has a small surprise.

 

[laclongquan]

1st time player should go with batshit insane Malkavian. And listen to your voice, especially while in Obsfucated mode. Scary shit. It's an unique experience that cant be experienced ever again in anyway. You will be bewildered a lot but that add to the charms.

ANd no, Malkavian's lines are not jumbled nonsensically. Each has meanings and you can figure out what it is later on. Malk runs are very fun.

 

[Excidium]

Most of the time it's just gibberish.

The voices are cool though.

 

[Undead Phoenix]

Malkavian first time around.

Then when you do your 2nd playthrough, you'll truly appreciate how much of a masterpiece it is in a way that the oher way round wouldna do.

 

[Jaesun]

The reason to not play Malvian first is that Malkavians are Bat Shit Insane AND they see things other vampires do not see.

If you have played the game before then play a Malkavian and pay very very close attention to the Malkavian dialogue and the words they use, you realize how much a fucking great job they did of it.

You won't miss much playing one your first time, but will miss the incredible and highly rewarding dialogue that is done very well for that clan of Vampire.

Who in the fuck at Troika wrote that part by the way?

 

[Excidium]

I think it was Brian Mitsoda.

 

[catfood]

Word on Bloodlines' forums and all that says Toreador is pretty good for a first time or so, given Celerity is so totally OP that you can win most combat without much trouble if you focus on it and one combat skill, my preference being Guns. This frees you a lot of points to spend on a wide variety of skills to see as much of the game as you can.

Yup, if you want a powergaming build look no further than Toreador. Maxed celerity + maxed guns + maxed auspex = instant win. Makes those last couple of the hours of the game a lot more bearable.

Is it just me or is the speeding effect pretty much overpowered in almost any game out there? From RPG's to action games to strategy games, being able to move fast > pretty much any other power.

 

[halflingbarbarian]

Agree with a first time Malkavian playthrough. For myself I went with Brujah first, then Malkavian second. But after that I regretted because there is a tendency to 'blank-out' at certain parts of the game you've already went through before, and a Malkavian second/third playthrough just for the differences from other clans is not as holistic an experience as going into Bloodlines fresh and very very insane.

 

[Excidium]

Word on Bloodlines' forums and all that says Toreador is pretty good for a first time or so, given Celerity is so totally OP that you can win most combat without much trouble if you focus on it and one combat skill, my preference being Guns. This frees you a lot of points to spend on a wide variety of skills to see as much of the game as you can.

Yup, if you want a powergaming build look no further than Toreador. Maxed celerity + maxed guns + maxed auspex = instant win. Makes those last couple of the hours of the game a lot more bearable.

But if you want satisfying combat, go Brujah and max brawl + celerity + potency. Now that's real fun.

Is it just me or is the speeding effect pretty much overpowered in almost any game out there? From RPG's to action games to strategy games, being able to move fast > pretty much any other power.

It isn't just you, even on the P&P celerity is OP.

 

[halflingbarbarian]

It isn't just you, even on the P&P celerity is OP.

My PnP ST back in those days realised this as well and eventually had a house rule of fixing up Auspex with Celerity to even out the imbalance a little. Basically what we worked with is to roll a pool based on Celerity, and the target is at least 0 success, whenever Celerity is invoked. The negative difference in points between Auspex and Celerity contributes automatic '1's (botch) to the pool, while a positive difference yields no benefit. It was explained away as the ability to control your senses in tandem with the supernatural speed. A botched pool was therefore quite common if Celerity is invoked by a character without the control of Auspex, resulting in semi-funny circumstances where characters crashes into walls, or trips over his own limbs in celerity-augmented combat.

So saaay, Max, the Brujah thug has a Celerity of 3 and an Auspex of 1. He wants to accomplish the feat of escaping a warehouse rigged with explosives timed to blow in a few seconds (too few to dash out at normal speed).

He rolls 3 (Celerity) dices (only d10s used in WoD) with a ST suggested difficulty of 6 (running back along a recognised route: the way he entered the warehouse). The pool turns up 5, 2, 8. One success. Now add 3 (Celerity) - 1 (Auspex) = 2 (difference) botches for a result of a 1 botch roll.

Max probably will shoulder into a stack of crates on his way out, blocking the exit and trapping himself and his companions inside unless something else is done quick.

Oh man I miss those days.

Edit: How dare you edit the entirety of your post!!!

Edit2: :D

 

[Excidium]

I have this vice of posting something and then editing. Pisses me off too.

There, fixed.

That's a decent solution, but I don't know if I like the idea of making a discipline depend on another.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

I'd argue that ultimately Protean was more OP, due to the fact you had on-demand all-purpose aggro at rank 2.

What are those two Investigation dialogue options btw? I never ever leveled up Investigation due to it seeming a really gay way of wasting XP.

 

[made]

If you tend to play through a game just once like I do, Malk will provide the most unique and memorable experience.

I gave it another go with Tremere some time later and it just didn't pull me in the same way.

 

[Excidium]

Well aggravated damage is great but with celerity on that same level you get two extra actions in a turn with no penalties for the same cost. And you also have to wait a whole turn for the claws to grow. Hardly compares.

Protean is more fun, though.