When a person becomes a Kindred or vampire in Vampire: The Masquerade, they don’t just get an insatiable bloodlust. Alongside this curse comes a swath of gifts - supernatural senses, incredible physique, as well as blood talents or Disciplines unique to their Clan. In Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt, players take on the role of vampires that need to use all of these gifts together in order to survive horrific nights in Prague - especially when its streets have become a site for all-out vampire war.
Thankfully, Kindred in Bloodhunt can tap into their innate gifts as vampires from Vampire: The Masquerade. Each Archetype or character build possesses unique Passive Powers that can aid them in the match in a wide variety of ways, but some of them do seem to be a lot more useful than others in the hands of the right player. These are the best passive powers in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt.
7 Kindred Charm (Siren, Toreador)
Thanks to the innate charm of the Toreador, they almost always have this allure towards Kindred and especially mortals. Almost no mortal can resist a Toreador’s advances, which, in a critical situation like in Bloodhunt, means that the Siren (Toreador) can seek the aid of a mortal’s blood much easier than others. This is largely due to Kindred Charm (Passive Power), which allows them to feed much more easily.
Through this ability, the Toreador charms mortals and those close to them to such an extent that feeding on them won’t cause Masquerade brokerage, except if the mortals are killed. Not only that, but the Toreador can feed on mortals faster. Granted, the Siren can benefit from this skill in critical situations in which they need to recover quickly or jumpstart their Blood Resonances. However, there’s not much use to this passive, especially in combat.
6 Sense The Beast (Prowler, Nosferatu)
All Kindred possess something called the Beast, the primordial essence of Caine’s curse that continuously tempts them to feast on their urges and treat humans for what they are for vampires: food. The Nosferatu’s Animalism Discipline allows them to detect the inner Beast in others, particularly when it’s the most sensitive - when the vampire is losing its will through injuries. The Prowler (Nosferatu) takes advantage of this via Sense The Beast (Passive Power), constantly giving them a blood trail towards severely-wounded enemies.
When used offensively, Sense The Beast can help Prowlers to detect escaping enemies and finish them off before they have a chance to heal. However, the post-battle nature of this ability can be detrimental to players, as this requires them to ensure enemies are almost killed at first before being able to tap into this Passive. Even then, Kindred at low health can still turn the tide in combat.
5 Adrenaline Rush (Vandal, Brujah)
When a Brujah wants to make a statement, they make sure people remember it - even when relentlessly assaulted with objections. Thanks to their Discipline of Fortitude, the philosopher-kings of the Brujah are tough enough to endure even the rowdiest of detractors, and the Vandal (Brujah) has just enough juice to get up close to those who deny them their objectives.
Thanks to Adrenaline Rush (Passive Power), the Vandal can get moderate damage resistance when they get damaged by enemies at close range, meaning that they get much tougher in the front lines. While this may sound enticing, the fact that the Vandal is a melee-focused Archetype with their other Powers means chasing a ranged opponent that will obviously want to keep the distance. Unless a Vandal has an enemy cornered, Adrenaline Rush might not be as helpful in the long term.
4 Subjugating Presence (Enforcer, Ventrue)
The Ventrue often carry a reputation alongside their elitism, regularly sparking a sense of superiority among others - especially among the Ventrue in the Camarilla. This often intimidates others - something that reflects the actions of the Enforcer (Ventrue) in fierce combat. Through their Subjugating Presence (Passive), the Ventrue ensure that everyone knows exactly who they’re up against.
When used in combat, Subjugating Presence not only slows down nearby enemies, but also informs players of their presence. In a firefight, a Ventrue engaging one enemy will be instantly alerted of potential ambushes - something that is paired well with their engaging-oriented Unyielding Charge (Archetype Power) or defensive Flesh Of Marble (Clan Power).
3 Final Act (Muse, Toreador)
It’s often said that the Toreador always gets the last word in an argument, almost always giving them room to sway a room of detractors at the last second, courtesy of their Discipline Presence. For the Muse (Toreador), this simply alludes to their innate appeal as the charmers among the Camarilla. In combat, this is translated to Final Act (Passive Power), reflecting the way in which even the Muse’s last moments can change the tide of battle.
When used in combat, Final Act resets all of the cooldowns of the Muse when downed, and even allows them to use their abilities, alongside a nifty faster recovery rate. This is especially helpful, considering only the Muse can perform actions while knocked down - allowing them to heal allies or even teleport to safety. When used appropriately, Final Act can turn the tide of a losing firefight.
2 True Grit (Brute, Brujah)
Among the Kindred Clans that roam the night, it's the Brujah that hail from philosopher-kings. Always defiant and operators of change, no one can stop a Brujah dedicated to their cause. In Bloodhunt, the Brute (Brujah) represents this vigor, always preferring to be up close and personal with their enemies. Thanks to True Grit (Passive Power), the Brute can most certainly get up in anyone's face and still blast them to oblivion.
With True Grit, the Brute can get up to half of their current health restored when not taking damage. Thematically, this represents the Brujah's insistence on getting the job done. Gameplay-wise, this is a nifty "extra heal" in between encounters, ensuring that the Brujah doesn't need to feed on as many humans or consume as much blood except in emergencies.
1 Unseen Passage (Saboteur, Nosferatu)
Forced to live underground due to their horrid appearance, the Nosferatu have become so used to the nooks and crannies of cities that they almost always have somewhere to hide. Originally the settlers of Prague, the Saboteur (Nosferatu) is known exactly for their uncanny knowledge of the battlefield. Thematically, this makes use of the Discipline Obfuscate that lets the Nosferatu hide their presence.
However, Unseen Passage (Passive Power) is easily one of the best passive powers in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt to master. Simply put, crouching turns the Nosferatu semi-invisible, allowing them to move stealthily even in the presence of enemies. While not truly invisible, only those with detection abilities or with a good eye can detect the ever-so-slightly-disturbed image where light reflects the Nosferatu’s presence. This suits both aggressive and tactical players, as the invisibility perk will allow them to switch between playing styles whenever necessary.
Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt is available for the PC and PS5 and was released on April 27, 2022.