Highlights
- Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 introduces players to a vast supernatural world beyond just vampires, including werewolves, demons, and more.
- Respect the hierarchy in the game's cities, whether it's the Camarilla or the Anarchs, or risk being seen as rude or an unwelcome infiltrator.
- Beware of hunters, as they pose a significant threat to vampires, having the ability to even the odds and use True Faith to subdue them.
Vampire: the Masquerade has become a popular TTRPG, spawning many computer games in the forms of RPGS, visual novels, and even a battle royale, to many fans' surprise. Recent news of Bloodlines 2 has placed it back on the map, with many returning fans excited to see what the follow-up to the cult-classic RPG holds.
These fans are likely already well-versed in the World of Darkness and are savvy with its lore. But for some players, Bloodlines 2 might be their first interaction with this gothic horror universe, and there are certain things they should know before diving into the game.
10 Vampires Are Not the Only Monsters
Vampires are not the only creatures that inhabit the night, as many others are haunting the land in different territories such as werewolves, wraiths, demons, changelings, and even mummies. Vampires, however, are mainly the ones that populate cities as their need to drink blood means they need to be close to viable sources at all times, which rural living would not accommodate.
Despite this, it's still possible to run into other supernatural creatures, such as restless spirits haunting where they died, and the Glasswalker tribe, werewolves that choose to live in bustling metropolises as opposed to forests, swamps, or other rural habitats. It's also possible these other creatures might be hostile to any vampire they meet, especially the werewolves, which are vampires' longest-running natural enemies.
9 Know Who Is In Charge
As with all civilized places, there is a hierarchy in VtM cities, where one faction, and one person, are usually in charge. Camarilla leaders take on the title Prince or a royal equivalent term as they see themselves as monarchs. Anarch leaders are known to their followers as Barons and essentially hold the same position a Prince would.
But whether it is Cam or Anarch territory, people must still pay proper respect to the ones in charge, and present themselves to them upon arriving in their city lest they be seen as rude guests or worse, unwelcome infiltrators in their cities. The Anarchs tend to be more lax with allowing entry into their domains, but this comes with its own set of risks.
8 Other Dangers Of The Night
If werewolves and demons aren't enough, vampire players must contend with another danger entirely: hunters. Hunters have existed for as long as vampires and other supernaturals have, intent on keeping the human population safe and wiping out any supernatural they come face to face with off the planet. While they may seem like a minor threat as they are only humans, hunters should not be underestimated.
Hunters have abilities that can help even the odds when confronting creatures of the night and some have a pesky ability known as True Faith, which can cow vampires into submission if they aren't strong enough. As such, vampire players need to take care not to let their true nature slip, or they might find a hunter knocking at their door.
7 Powers Of The Blood
Blood is something powerful and vital even for ordinary humans, as it is what keeps them alive and moving. But for vampires, it is doubly important, as they must sustain themselves on blood, and it is the source of all their powers.
Depending on which clan's blood runs through their veins will determine several things, including how they start their unlife, their relationship with their sire, and what powers are readily available, which are known as disciplines. A Tremere, for example, can learn Blood Sorcery rituals from their sire, and a Ventrue can override the mind of another with simple eye contact. Vampires can also heal wounds minor and grievous, and create a blood bond with a mortal or another vampire, in which a person will become devotedly loyal to the vampire whom they taste the blood of.
6 The Masquerade
The Masquerade is more than just a subtitle for the game, but an actual piece of in-game lore that is vital for all vampires to know. It will be one of the first things a sire teaches to their childer, and in most Camarilla courts, newly embraced fledglings must be able to recite all of the sect's rules to gain full membership. Failure will result in the beheading of both sire and childe.
The Camarilla holds more rules than the Anarchs that their members must follow, but there is one rule both these Sects share: keeping the existence of vampires a secret from mortals. The factions of hunters do know of their existence overall, but it is down to every individual vampire to never let the truth of their existence slip. Failure to comply can have disastrous consequences for all.
5 Phrases & Idioms
The World of Darkness almost has an entire language of its own, throwing its own phrases around like Crinos form, sire, childe, Camarilla, Anarch...it can all be a little much. But these words are vital, as it is what throws people who are not on a need-to-know basis off the trail of truth. Even vampires go by kindred instead, so as not to immediately ping the radar of nearby hunters.
Although the game will likely explain key phrases to players when they come up in Bloodlines 2, it still wouldn't hurt for players to get ahead of the game and brush up on some of the words themselves, so they know them when they come up in conversations.
4 There Are No Heroes
Those expecting a black-and-white heroes and villains story will be in for sore disappointment with games set in World of Darkness. After all, players take on the roles of vampires, werewolves, and demons, which are commonly used as enemies in works of fantasy. As such, they won't be the heroes of the story, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are the villains either.
World of Darkness is full of shades of gray. Even "good" players will find themselves resorting to drastic or distasteful methods at some point just to survive the night and the "bad" players will still have beacons of humanity, and people they care about.
3 The Curse Of Caine & The Antediluvians
The World of Darkness boasts its unique take on the mythos of vampires, as their creation is traced back to Caine, who killed his brother Abel to appease God. Instead, God placed a curse on Caine, resulting in a need to sustain himself on blood. Sunlight would burn his skin and his life would drain from his body, making him the very first vampire.
He sired more vampires, the second generation who then created the Antediluvians, who are the progenitors of each unique vampire clan. Each subsequent vampire bears the curse of Caine and the Antediluvians, the latter of which are known as clan banes. These weaknesses will plague vampires night after night, and they will constantly battle against the inner beast demanding blood.
2 The Clans
Vampires come in many different shapes and forms, known as clans in the Western regions. These clans each derive from a single Antediluvian, gaining a fraction of the powers as well as a bane unique to them. The blood grows thinner and less potent with each generation sired, which in itself has given birth to a new clan: Thin Bloods.
Including the Thin Bloods, there are a total of fifteen playable clans, each different from the rest. Each clan comes with access to three clan disciplines, but they can learn other clan disciplines by tasting the blood of a vampire with that power.
1 The Sects
Not only are vampires divided into clans, but their loyalties are also divided among the sects. In Western countries, there are a total of three sects: the Camarilla, the Anarchs, and the Sabbat. Some vampires belong to no sects and prefer to stick it out alone, but this idea of freedom comes with its own difficulties. The three sects, while bearing some similarities in terms of hierarchy, all play different roles and uphold different ideals.
The Camarilla at its heart supports the ideas of order and control. The old and influential lead the Camarilla, while the young and newly joined must follow orders without question. They have strict rules that they must follow to help preserve the masquerade. The Anarchs support the idea of vampire freedom but also wish to protect themselves from being detected by hunters. They are similar to the Camarilla in this regard, but look down on the rigidity of their power structure, seeing it as a way to oppress the young and weak. The Sabbat are wild cards. They see vampires as the next evolutionary step of humans, and as such, vampires should be running the show, and not hide their true nature. They hold a strong hatred for the Camarilla, and would happily see them wiped from existence.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 is set to release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S in 2024.