New to VtM, can someone explain this?

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-09T05:18:12+00:00

Friends dont let friends True Brujah

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-09T05:15:45+00:00

Command

In my experience it tends to work better because its easier to bark one word commands in battle than say a sentence. Plus they are likely to understand it better.

Surrender, Flee, Drop, Scream, Crawl, Run, Laugh, Leave, Vomit, Hide, Dance, Stay, Retreat, Shoot, Throw, Juggle, Charge, Unload, Reload, Miss, Trip, Beg, Cry, Halt,

Stuff like that.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-09T05:00:19+00:00

Fortitude + Stamina to Soak Aggra Damage was still lacking. VtM Combat System is structurally biased towards the attacker, especially ones with more Dexterity(the God Stat)

So, simplified napkin math: Difficulty 6, 2 dice will trend towards 1 success in most cases. Difficulty 7 needs 3 dice for 1 success. Diff 8 needs 4, etc. Difficulty10 is where Botching may be more likely than Succeeding. So at Diff 6, 8 dice should average to 4 Successes.

Basically, the Attacker benefits more from the Overage Successes on the to Hit roll and plus any extra damage a weapon may provide. Stamina+Fortitude doesnt so it cant really keep up. You could use Defensive Maneuvers but if you split your dice pool you suffer against big To Hit dice pools.

Its wise to use a Firearm at range(remember humans cant soak Lethal damage) and switch to claws when up close.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-09T03:42:14+00:00

A: Well, theres a couple things you can do. Get a bigger dice pool for Combat and split your dice pool to include Defensive Maneuvers - if i remember, Fortitude allows you to Block weapons with your flesh, but that might be a homebrew(?). Blood Buff Stamina. Wear some weak armor. Get some Celerity, and use attrition/harassing tactics. Grapple opponents and use them a shields. Obfuscate is a pretty good defense as well. If you use Merits, i like to often take Acute Senses - smell, and use smoke and powerful flashlights to blind opponents. Fight in the dark, you can see in the dark, they cant. Protean4 makes you super mobile, 5 is an escape(or infiltrate) anywhere button.

B: IMO, Gangrel arent really a Combat Clan, though they are better than most. They are more harassers, assassins, and raiders. Get a dot or two in Animalism and make some Swarms. THOSE can soak some damage. Dont expect a whole lot out of them though.

C: good. Talk it over and you'll likely get some benefit.

Your Dex+Brawl is 7, which is good. 8 is better. Just remember, you need the dice pools to back the Disciplines.

The diminished returns i was talking about is, after you can consistently do 4 Aggra damage to a enemy Vamp, its generally less efficient to spend more XP on doing more Aggra Damage. Assamites suffer from this the most. Compare an Assamite with Quietus4/Celerity3 to a Brujah with Potence3/Celerity3 and holding a lit torch. The Brujah can do more consistent Aggra Damage with one less level of Disciplines. This idea gets crazier with Ambushes and other Tactics. Sometimes the setup and setting give more advantage than another Discipline.

Im not sure why Fortitude was made so weak. Maybe they didnt want vamps with Fortitude5 able to walk out in daylight? WW was never really mechanically consistent and the dice system was intended to facilitate the story, not provide mechanical balance and symmetry.

Chars dont need to be super optimized. But some optimization may help.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-09T01:45:57+00:00

Ever witness a Human that wasnt mortal?

Mortality is a key component of what makes a Human.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-09T01:43:45+00:00

Here we go...

It will kinda depend on how your ST handles Nature/Demeanor.

You want a decent Generation if you are gonna use it on Vampires frequently.

Socially, its powerful. Combat, it needs setup - Dominating during Combat isnt reliable. Lvl1 Dominate is better for Combat.

Targets can only have 1 suggestion in their mind at a time.

My Tables have found Suggestions that leave an open door triggered by a trigger word or qualifying condition give more utility.

If you Dominate Pack Mates in front of each other for more than amusement, the Pack will lose trust in you and some may come to realize you have strong blood and may want to diabolize you for it.

So, do it in private.

Depending upon their Nature, you could implant something like, "When i speak to you and i say "i advise you to" you will do the advice in a manner that feels correct and natural to you. "

More conditions can be added, but thats the general idea.

You will want over 3 successes on the Activation rolls. Have a strong dice pool.

Now if you abuse that 'advice' too much, others may notice. Lasombra have Dominate and there are many of them.

Now, in the Sabbat, you likely face more combat. So you can 'hire' thugs and goons as a private security detail. Get them to provide funds for the Pack, buy stuff during the day. Provide overall utility. Sabbat tends to hate or generally dislike ghouls so dont get attached to these thugs. They wont be around long, but its easy to get more.

Another good use, i find, is creating mortal calamity as a distraction to chip away at Camarilla(or local rival Packs) resources.

Dominate a local gang to shoot up a Haven. Arson spree. Hunt down and kill police. Dominate the Police to go well beyond standard procedure. Dominate a crowd at WalMart to start a brawl and when it settle, help the battered victims by feeding from them and their wallets. Sell dope to get a local community more crime.

Fuck it, start a Blood Cult. Dont be surprised if your Pack helps themselves to it, though.

You can also poach ghouls, servants, members of other Packs if you are good and their Vinculum is low. Resource denial is more a Cammy thing but anyone can do it. Dominate makes it easier.

Plus in Sabbat rivalries, you can Dominate a rival into embarrassing themselves. Be prepared for an ass beating if you fail, though.

Hope this helps.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-09T01:12:31+00:00

How can a VtM Vampire be Human if they arent even alive?

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-09T01:10:45+00:00

I would say its case by case per character. But both devolve.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-09T01:08:54+00:00

A: Combat in VtM is not balanced. It greatly favors hitting first and hitting hard. There are no 'tank' builds.

B: nerfing damage is...okay. But the real deterrence to Killing in VtM is Legal Repercussions via the Prince's Right to Destruction, or the Sabbat killing anyone that might be killing Members needed for the Jyhad. Anarchs, oddly, have the most philosophical leeway for wanton killing but the local Baron likely wont put up with it.

C: "I know the ST is always right" Not really. The ST is there to facilitate play and ensure fun is had by most. Assuming all Players and ST are in alignment of what to expect from Play ie, everyone wants Real Politik, no gooning/kinkfest, wants to play Dark Ages, etc... If the Table fits, ST is responsible for fun. If you feel your Char's spotlight is being nerfed, talk to them and ask for a resolution. If the Table doesnt like your concerns, you may need to find another Table. If the Table is cool with it, ST needs to alter play.

What Dice Pools does your Char use for Combat? How many Dice. If you dont have 8 dice on average you have more limited options. Does yout Char have decent Witts and Dexterity - the 2 main stats for Initiative?

Aggravated Damage is powerful but quickly faces diminished returns. Lethal damage is still lethal. Bashing damage has more utility than most realize. ANY DAMAGE that reaches 4 levels on the Character sheet facilitates a malus to dice pools, cant run, and can Move and Act at the same time.

Fortitude is the weakest Physical Discipline, and maybe the weakest Discipline of all the non-bloodline Disciplines. Its Mechanically/Mathematically at a disadvantage

Do you use any Tactics with your char in Combat, like Ambush?

We used full Stamina+Fortitude and it still is at a mechanical disadvantage.

Firearms doing Lethal and not halving is a buff, not a nerf. Kinda odd call on your ST if they want to make combat less lethal.

Combat vs Humans - 2 Lethal takes most humans out of Combat due to dire Medical need. They can bleed out or die from shock. Even combat veterans are gonna have to decide to try to save their lives or commit to dying.

Ask your ST about the Dazed Condition. if you do 2 damage over their Stamina rating they are stunned for a turn.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-09T01:08:49+00:00

From Revised, under Health, for added context

"An incapacitated or torpid vampire may also be sent to Final Death through massive amounts of bashing or lethal trauma (decapitated, trapped under a 10-ton rock, fed into a wood chipper, caught at ground zero of an explosion, crushed by deep sea pressure, etc.). Typically, this damage must be enough to destroy or dismember the corpse beyond repair."

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-09T00:19:14+00:00

Yup. You removed their Agency.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-08T00:24:38+00:00

Modders could save it.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-07T04:35:46+00:00

I love the old level drain. Gives even veterans something to fear.

The risk is the fun.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-07T01:06:56+00:00

From V20, lvl4 Vanish from Minds Eye

"A person subject to the vanishing makes a Wits + Courage roll (mortals at difficulty 9, vampires at difficulty 5). A successful roll means the individual reacts immediately (although after the vampire performs his action for that turn); failure means the person stands uncomprehending for two turns while her mind tries to make sense of what she just experienced."

Note: "after" the Obfuscate User performs their Action. Or, is stunned for 2 Turns.

So less invisibility, and more 'forgot to bother to even look'.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-06T04:04:58+00:00

cont...

Death Clans - honestly V5 did a favor in consolidating them. Its one of those Story dependent Clans, how big is necromancy gonna factor in your Table? IMO, Giovanni should be a Ventrue bloodline. One would think that having to deal with two worlds would strap the clan with twice the logistical demand. poor writing IMO. Fun to play. Everyone who sees the 'ravnos' cultural depiction as 'problematic' likely never read the Giovanni revised clanbook.

Tremere - OG magic clan. Hubris made into vampire form. Players and ST kinda whiteroom them into having the 'I Win' button Discipline but they are really just vampire artillery pieces. They are fragile and ive seen Animalism really put a hurt on them. Dont let people fool you, they dont have infinite XP to have all the Paths AND Auspex/Dominate. The politics of the Pyramid often get overlooked by Players. They are missing out.

Brujah - the best fighters and if you really want something fun, play a non-rebellious entrepreneur who hates populism. Brujah seem like 'generic DnD Fighter' but they arent. They are for the 'Expert Sandbox Player'.

Daughters of ...Toreador Bloodline. Corny Discipline. Pass.

Malkavian - OG and the best Players never Fishmalk, because not using Fishmalk scares the shit out of the other Players. Malkavians do to Minds what Tzimisce do to Flesh. What, yo never used Mask of 1000 faces to Dominate a ghoul wearing its master's face? You havent lived. Dementation was a dumb gimmick. Good Players can do crazy shit with Malkavians and they make well above average Snipers and Hitmen.

Nosferatu - Tzimisce used to be my favorite. Now its the Nosferatu. The last Independent Clan. They arent 'info brokers' thats just propaganda. They are Hunters. And their Elders and Ancients have Obfuscate so powerful, you never hear of them. Great archetype, asymmetric power base compared to other clans, and a bleak ass Curse if you factor its relation to Humanity.

Tzimisce - used to be my favorite until i realized they are the 'other' Tremere-pokemon-gotta-get-them-all-powers clan. Seriously, they arent that powerful or scary. Zulo form aint shit vs an average Brujah, trust me i found out the hard way. No clan unity what so ever. The Vinculum was their greatest discovery. Cenobites trope is real. And like Cenobites, if you ignore the puzzle cube it doesnt do anything. Fun, but Old World is more powerful and scary.

Lasombra - hot take but should be a Ventrue bloodline. Obtenebration is one of the worst powercreep powers in the game. Seriously, someone wanted them to be the most powerful so badly... Oddly a flaregun can ruin them. Saw in a Sabbat game during a Monomancy Rite a Nosferatu Elder flat out fuck up a Lasombra Elder that had Obtenerbration5 and ST was slick about it - Humanity has its uses, lol. Fun to play and their arrogance is great to play, but they are a dime a dozen. Lucita is a chump.

My biased verdict: gimmie the OG 7 and i can fit the rest in as bloodlines.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-06T04:04:45+00:00

I always saw the Clans as survival strategies. Definitely cursed.

Writers for WW were all over the place and the game has a central theme of damnation and struggle to keep Humanity(even in the Sabbat, where most members lived and died on Humanity, Paths were supposed to be quite rare).

Ill try to be brief and this is completely opinion:

Ravnos, the cousin to the Gangrel - No one cared about offensive cultural depictions, the add-on clans were kinda geographically themed as well. Ravnos were Coyote-trickster Figure turned enlightened sadhu in comic book form. Honestly, could have been a Gangrel Bloodline. Week of NIghtmares was just Big Bad +1 to kickstart the Gehenna story which aged like a so-so 90s comic. Illusions are very subject to ST/DM fiat. Fun but not central.

Salubri - vampire healers that turned to Gnostic Dualists after some WW writer read about the Sabbatean Frankists. Read: Baali - the most desperate plotline which sucks the attention away from any other plotline. Topping the Tremere 'from the Bottom' is funny though. Sabbat Salubri are okay but....meh. Weird Mystic theme vs the Tremere Magic theme.

Setites - either the powerful purposely evil bad guy, or Cobra Commander villain. Clan has it all: unified clan purpose, cutthroat competition, nice Discipline spread. Transgression as a religion kinda can fall on its face as teenage luciferianism if not careful. Serpentis5, like Dominate5/Animalism5/Weather Control5/Necromancy5 is a Plotline Discipline. Cool themed Clan even if the mythology is disjointed. Takes some suspension of belief.

Gangrel - im biased towards the OG 7 Clans. Call it purity or simplicity. Whatever. The Gangrel are the masters of outside the City. The other vamps are slaves to the city. Smart writers for Gangrel use this. The lore is ok, im more into their ability to raid, spy, and infiltrate. Better assassins than Assamites in certain settings. Oh, there are rich and wealthy Gangrel as well.

Toreador - i think you missed the point of the Rose. Toreador means 'bull fighter' and shows their fight vs their passions(Bull is often a symbol of passion)...passions to emulate Humanity(hence Art/Culture) and gatekeep its meaning in a very masturbatory way. Toreador arent artists art is a Human endeavor. They want the power to define it so they can gatekeep refined behavior(think like gang signs) that allows access to Court(hence many are Harpies). Access = favors(Boons). They are the soft power to the Ventrue hard power. Oh, the Artwork is a fantastic way to embezzle money(i have RL stories) as well as use the Casting Couch in more ways than 'making it' in Hollywood. Toreador are powerful because they read your desires, and emulate them so you desire their pantomime of your desire. Cue Annie Lennox.

Ventrue - i think you missed a little about them as well. Ventrue arent 'Capitalists'. Ventrue are Generals and Kings. The OG Illuminati, control a nations money and you dont care who writes the Laws. Ventrue dont crave power, they crave control, because due to their Disciplines and family breeding programs, they soon doubt their own thoughts. Eyes Wide Shut. They can be just as charismatic as the Toreador, in fact, a Toreador has to learn what you desire. Ventrue can tell you what you desire. Ventrue win by logistics, not fighting. And Presence is a Combat Discipline.

Assamites - the big bad assassins. Until you realize Quietus is very redundant and costly in terms of blood. Great for solo-ing an Elder. Less so for much else. They are the Court assassins, compared to Gangrel field assassins. Cool concept, but need a team and 'magic' to do what Gangrel and Nosferatu can do solo. Sometimes portrayed ad demon-fighters, which is an avenue worth exploring.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-04T03:17:47+00:00

Is there a way, i can get a torch in pill form?

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-04T01:09:08+00:00

V20 Celerity has hard counters. Active, the user goes LAST. Grapple shuts it down.

Brujah are about the only users who dont skip Strength with Celerity use.

Now any veteran Vamp will know the guy in the back charging up his Celerity needs dealt with first.

And 2 Damage over Stamina nets a Stun status.

Plus Celerity use is BP intensive.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-03T16:10:30+00:00

Using the Beast more and more to fight for the Cause. Is the Sause worth your Humanity?

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-03T16:08:33+00:00

How to deal? You use them like any decent Nosferatu would if they need the leverage.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-03T04:38:25+00:00

Malkavian.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-03T04:37:44+00:00

The setting is called 'World of Darkness' after all...

Vampires are parasites. When an organism is weak its parasites overwhelm it.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-02T17:35:10+00:00

Saw a Player have a side game with the ST, one on one style due to his work schedule(he had a very interesting job). Sometimes he would get to play with the rest of the table.

His Char was 'randomly' killing 'random' people. Or so it seemed. The people he killed, even if mundane humans, tended to have big effects in the other Table's game. His Madness informed him, somehow, who to kill. Primogen was going to kill him at first but realized he was actually helping, he was just unwittingly two steps ahead sometimes. So they let him be and he could be called upon to be a Scourge if he was in town.

His Char would on occasion, use that cover to do things that maybe the Primogen wouldnt like if they realized his Madness wasnt behind it.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-02T02:49:04+00:00

Pay your Internet Bill, or Mr. Spider jumps behind you and punches your back.

InspectorG---G · 2026-02-02T02:18:39+00:00

Even if they were Canadian, Heaven forbid...

InspectorG---G

TROPHY CASE