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Lakedaimon posted:I do want to play this someday but man im cheap. If it ever goes on sale via Steam for like $10 someone send me a PM please Seriously. You're just terrible. This game is easily worth $20, if not 50 or even 60 bucks. STILL! If I were a mod, you would be probated for that post. Seriously.
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# ? Mar 25, 2011 04:15 |
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# ? Jun 10, 2024 12:55 |
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Fuzz posted:If I were a mod, you would be probated for that post. Seriously. Determined to live up to your custom title, huh? More to the topic: I've been getting back into this game, reinstalled with the newest fan patch and chose the plus version this time. Now the opening scene features a bunch of new camera cuts, in rapid succession at dizzying speeds. When I get outside, Jack starts his sequence by asking me something about wanting to go outside. Makes no drat sense, seems like cut dialogue jammed back in even though it can't be made to fit. The plus patch advertises a lot of changes that make sense, but am I gonna see much more of this ham-handed stuff?
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# ? Mar 25, 2011 06:14 |
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Fuzz told me to stop by this thread, presumably because I'm a walking encyclopedia of Vampire lore. Feel free to hit me up regarding fluff and backgrounds and such. Hell, maybe I'll even put together a series of Cainite history lessons.
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# ? Mar 25, 2011 11:41 |
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Vicissitude posted:Hell, maybe I'll even put together a series of Cainite history lessons. Yes, please
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# ? Mar 25, 2011 13:34 |
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Vicissitude posted:Fuzz told me to stop by this thread, presumably because I'm a walking encyclopedia of Vampire lore. Feel free to hit me up regarding fluff and backgrounds and such. Hell, maybe I'll even put together a series of Cainite history lessons. I demand to know more about Smiling Jack because he is awesome.
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# ? Mar 25, 2011 14:05 |
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projecthalaxy posted:I see. I thought it would be like Mass Effect, where like every other conversation had at least one of the variant dialogues. In that case, I will focus on my true calling, the wanton clubbing of dudes. Pump your intimidate. You'll miss a lot of dialogue and stuff but if you're roleplaying a thug there are definitely some good intimidate moments. Fuzz's freakout is a little much but he's right in the sense that a lot of the beauty of the game is in having at least some dialogue options available and going full retard is going to mean you miss a lot of stuff.
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# ? Mar 25, 2011 15:05 |
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Lakedaimon i wouldnt hold out for a sale if i were you i dont think ive ever seen activision games on sale, hell just look at how a lot of places still charge near full price for CoD4 or MW2.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 04:18 |
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Bellend Sebastian posted:I demand to know more about Smiling Jack because he is awesome. Smiling Jack is THE Anarch of the whole Anarch movement. Sadly, not much is known about him (or even her). It's even theorized that it's not one person, or even that when "Jack" dies, another Anarch takes up the title. Okay, that's the official Camarilla stance. Let's cut the elder bullshit and get down to the nitty-gritty, 'kay? Jack was a pirate in the Caribbean back in the 1650s. He tells people he was a captain, but never actually made it past second mate. He was noted for his wild temper, but fierce loyalty to his shipmates and exceptional skill in a fight. By the time he'd reached 40, he had enough money to retire to Barbados, where he immediately got in trouble with the local Don by beating the poo poo out of the man's son. While on the run, he was found (drunk) by the Anarch Brujah Mama Lion, who offered him an eternity to fight against the Dons. This move brought him in contention with the Don-backing Ventrue and his vocal outbursts made him a rallying point for young Anarchs. He was constantly railing against Camarilla institutions of all stripes, from elitist old boys' clubs to the outdated titles held by the 'officers' of the sect. Jeremy MacNeil, the Anarch who actually unified the movement and created the Anarch Free State, dislikes Jack's presence within the US, as he fears Jack's activities might just bring the wrath of the American princes against the Free State. Jack, though, has a greater reputation among the Anarchs than MacNeil due to those very same activities, so there's not easy way to oust the popular Brujah. Until, of course, the Cathayans began to expand their influence to North America. Currently in California, Smiling Jack fights a war on two fronts. He's got the Camarilla pressing in on one side and the Cathayans on the other. He leads packs of Anarchs against the Kuei-Jin to disrupt their activities and speaks very loudly against the Princes of the Camarilla, earning him the enmity of both groups. ------------------ That's really all there is about Jack. As for Cainite history, I'm gonna do a general fly-by from the First Nights to the Last, then I can focus on certain clans as people request.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 07:47 |
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I always thought the Tzimisce were pretty awesome from just the stuff they showed in Bloodlines + what I've managed to dig up on the internet. Although sadly I could never find a copy of their clanbook, Judging by your name you seem to know quite a bit about them. Mind sharing some cool things?
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 08:33 |
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I do, actually. The great Dracula himself was a Tzimisce. [Tzimisce] was a master of the mortal frame, its own and others' as well, and could sculpt flesh like a potter molds clay. During the shenanigans going on in Enoch, [Tzimisce] (no name was ever actually found, but it is theorized its name was Mekhet) went east and ended up in what we know as Eastern Europe. There, it found and made pacts with and eventually bound the Demon Kupala. Kupala was trapped withing the lands of [Tzimisce]'s domain, but this came back to bite them in the rear end when Caine cursed his wayward descendants. Just as Kupala was bound to their soil, so too were the Tzimisce bound to their native soil, having to rest in at least 2 handfuls worth each night or begin to weaken. Tzimisce as a clan are simultaneously the best and worst of the human stock that they are Embraced from. They are lordly and aristocratic, ruling their moral serfs alternatively as benevolent kings or murderous dictators. At the same time, they are also the most alien and inhuman. Many espouse the Path of Metamorphosis and constantly change their forms through fleshcrafting, seeking to experience all states and, in understanding of each, reaching enlightenment or Golconda. Eventually, like all of the Antediluvians, [Tzimisce] fell into torpor. During the Anarch Revolt, when roving packs of neonates and ancillae were being sacrificed to the Inquisition's fires and sought their revenge on elders, it was diablerized by Lugoj Oath-Breaker. Or so it was thought. At that point, it had overwhelmed Lugoj and forced him to bring it to the New World. There, he deposited the new fleshy growth in the sewers beneath New York. [Tzimisce] had decided to reinvent itself through Vicissitude ( ). Starting off as single-celled organisms, it decided to evolve and, in doing so, bring its powers to the next step in evolution. In doing so, it found a way to spread itself through the biosphere and leave its physical body behind. The undead behemoth of flesh that picks off the odd stray bum and Nosferatu in the sewers these nights is just that, a mindless hulk of flesh.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 08:58 |
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Depending on which edition clanbook VVV thats pretty much what they were. They were basically a mix of vampire and Exalted with some wacky and overpowered as hell powers. Also, they are technically the only ones who got it right about what the Red Star was. OMFG FURRY fucked around with this message at 09:16 on Mar 26, 2011 |
# ? Mar 26, 2011 09:05 |
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What are the Kuei-Jin? The game basically describes them as Chinese not-vampires and stops there, but gives the ones you fight some crazy rear end powers.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 09:09 |
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Shalebridge Cradle posted:What are the Kuei-Jin? The game basically describes them as Chinese not-vampires and stops there, but gives the ones you fight some crazy rear end powers. Kuei-Jin are similar to Cainites, but are very different in origin and "curse". First off, they are not embraced. They are torn from the cycle of rebirth by unjust or outrageous deaths (deaths that CAUSE outrage, not XTREME! deaths). As unnatural beings, the sun will rot them away as opposed to burning and they can only be staked by the opposite element they are attuned to at the time (wood for yin, metal for yang). They heart is essential in Chi processing. Young Kuei-jin DO drink blood, but it is only the transmission vehicle for the Chi they need. As they progress toward enlightenment, Kuei-Jin start off as mindless wights (Dharma 0) and must feast on living or recently-living flesh for nourishment, as they can't refine the Chi any better. If they regain themselves before being destroyed, they become able to process blood into Chi. Eventually, they can even steal the breath of a mortal for Chi (though that harms the mortal just as blood loss does). At the peak of enlightenment, an eastern vampire can actually just absorb ambient Chi from the area they are in. Their Disciplines focus on using Chi and ley lines, or even controling the demon within. Kuei-Jin have a split soul as creatures both of the world and yet separate from it. The P'o or Demon Soul takes the place of the Beast and is the little voice that whispers to do evil things. They take many aspects and can come to the fore in ways dependent on that aspect. The Slave might make its host submissive and debase himself in the presence of a figure of great authority, while the Monkey might try to upset and anger that same authority figure. The Hun, on the other hand, is basically the vampire's higher, rational self. This is basically your character while s/he is in charge of him/herself. Kuei-Jin follow Dharma paths, similar to Cainite Paths of Enlightenment. Each has its own auspicious signs from which a vampire might draw insight into enlightenment or taboos that might confuse and befuddle them on their path.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 09:32 |
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So to help me better fathom this part in Bloodlines, how outmatched by werewolves are vampires really supposed to be in a fight? Is it really essentially a hopeless fight one-on-one unless it's, say, a newly "born" werewolf versus some ancient vampire? Do vampire powers like making guys commit suicide or vomit blood supposed to be totally ineffective against werewolves?
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 14:37 |
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Lassitude posted:So to help me better fathom this part in Bloodlines, how outmatched by werewolves are vampires really supposed to be in a fight? Is it really essentially a hopeless fight one-on-one unless it's, say, a newly "born" werewolf versus some ancient vampire? Do vampire powers like making guys commit suicide or vomit blood supposed to be totally ineffective against werewolves? Newbie characters meeting each other for the first time in a fight to the death? Vampires are COMPLETELY outmatched. Even those that twink their way into having combat bonuses have little on a Garou. Shifting to Crinos (the man-wolf war form) gives a werewolf +4 Str and +3 Sta. They can soak Lethal and can regen 1 health level per turn, more if they spend Rage. Rage can also be spent to gain extra actions, like Celerity, though at 1 Rage/action. They do aggravated damage with their claws and teeth and have some nasty Gifts (their version of Disciplines) that harm creatures of the Wyrm, which vampires technically are. Even a weak werewolf if a match for a moderately strong vampire, having minimum Str 5 and dealing Agg, against which only Fortitude will save you. Once a vampire has some influence, s/he can start to attack the Garou indirectly, but it's largely a bad idea since entire PACKS of them run together, packs which make up entire TRIBES, and they tend not to like that. Physically, an elder probably could Dominate a werewolf, pummel it to death with Potence/Celerity or possibly even control it with Animalism. There are ways of forcing a werewolf back to its "natural" form, either wolf or human depending on birth, but those are fairly rare objects or rituals. It's a rare thing to catch a werewolf alone and a whole pack could make short work of an elder without a LOT of preparation. Bottom line, Garou are rightly feared by vampires. Stay out of the woods.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 18:44 |
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So basically all werewolves in OWoD are like that one scary motherfucker you Yeah, even if I were a badass vampire I'd be making GBS threads blood if I came across a whole pack of those guys. VV If you mean Tremere, then yeah, they could make the werewolves literally poo poo blood. King Vidiot fucked around with this message at 18:56 on Mar 26, 2011 |
# ? Mar 26, 2011 18:48 |
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And mages can make breakfast out of both of them.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 18:50 |
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Jethro Tull posted:And mages can make breakfast out of both of them. Until the Mage's head explodes from paradox backlash. Or his entire body turns inside out, or his entire body spontaneously turns into a liquid paste, or his heart gets a mind of its own, sprouts legs, burrows out of his chest and proceeds to rip his head off to wear as a shell.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 19:08 |
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Tewratomeh posted:VV If you mean Tremere, then yeah, they could make the werewolves literally poo poo blood. Nah, Mages are another group from the WoD: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mage:_The_Ascension
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 19:11 |
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Ahh okay, so they're not even vampires.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 19:23 |
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Fuzz posted:Until the Mage's head explodes from paradox backlash. Or his entire body turns inside out, or his entire body spontaneously turns into a liquid paste, or his heart gets a mind of its own, sprouts legs, burrows out of his chest and proceeds to rip his head off to wear as a shell. Man, and other games try to talk about the "dangers" of magic, why don't they include some of this poo poo?!
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 19:27 |
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There's some stuff in the game about a Malkavian hive mind or something, so I had a bit of a weird question: are Malkavians crazy because of the hive mind thing (I imagine a bunch of voices at once could make you insane), are they crazy as an unrelated side effect, or do they just appear insane to other folk because they really do have voices in their head that nobody else can hear? And on the topic of Bloodlines specifically, what is this Mr. Ox guy supposed to be? My Malkavian is all weirded out and "I know what you are" but Auspex just shows him as a human.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 20:11 |
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endolithic posted:There's some stuff in the game about a Malkavian hive mind or something, so I had a bit of a weird question: are Malkavians crazy because of the hive mind thing (I imagine a bunch of voices at once could make you insane), are they crazy as an unrelated side effect, or do they just appear insane to other folk because they really do have voices in their head that nobody else can hear? The Malkavian curse stems from the curse Caine put upon him when the antediluvians rose up and killed the second generation. The Malkavian Madness Network - as the hive mind is called - is actually the Malkavian antediluvian himself, loving your poo poo up.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 20:24 |
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endolithic posted:And on the topic of Bloodlines specifically, what is this Mr. Ox guy supposed to be? My Malkavian is all weirded out and "I know what you are" but Auspex just shows him as a human.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 20:34 |
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What? Are mages involved in Bloodlines somewhere? I was just thinking how glad I was that mages weren't in that game, as they sound really quite stupid, but I've played through Bloodlines a couple times now and I am not sure I ever saw a mage...
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 20:39 |
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Ah you're right, the talk about mages earlier in the thread somehow made me think there were mentions of mages in the game.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 20:43 |
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I always assumed Mr. Ox was a mage, he seems like how I imagine them to be. Also he disappears if you attack him.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 20:44 |
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Given that VtM "officially" ended and a new version was published, what exactly happened during the Final Nights? I know that in-game, a lot of fluff news stories are pointing to odd happenings around the world. I seem to recall that these coincide with what eventually became a massive campaign to bring about an official end to the OWoD. At least according to some friends, they do. DoubleNegative fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Mar 26, 2011 |
# ? Mar 26, 2011 20:56 |
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I'm pretty sure you fight one mage if/when during the end sequence you kill Ming Xiao and all the Kuei Jin. He's either a mage or a Kuei Jin who sets the whole room ablaze and then starts throwing fireballs at you on top of it. I loved the new guns in CQM for the endgame sequence. Happiness is Celerity 5, and a fully loaded G36 and a Thunderbolt. I also totally forgot how badass the ending was. Smiling Jack owns the entire undead population of Los Angeles. Well played you hilarious, scruffy bastard.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 20:57 |
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SourceElement posted:Given that VtM "officially" ended and a new version was published, what exactly happened during the Final Nights? All the scenarios are stupid basically.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 21:01 |
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endolithic posted:There's some stuff in the game about a Malkavian hive mind or something, so I had a bit of a weird question: are Malkavians crazy because of the hive mind thing (I imagine a bunch of voices at once could make you insane), are they crazy as an unrelated side effect, or do they just appear insane to other folk because they really do have voices in their head that nobody else can hear? A little bit of all three I believe. They also have the tendency to embrace people that are already a little bent to begin with. Almost (if not outright) crazy + Malkav's curse == arguing with stop signs.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 21:02 |
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Charlie Mopps posted:I always figured he was a demon, as that is pretty much the only OWoD line not obviously present in the game. Only changelings are completely left out of the game as far as i know. Mummy is absent as well, it also occurs before the week of nightmares so there aren't any real Hunters.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 21:05 |
Willie Tomg posted:I'm pretty sure you fight one mage if/when during the end sequence you kill Ming Xiao and all the Kuei Jin. He's either a mage or a Kuei Jin who sets the whole room ablaze and then starts throwing fireballs at you on top of it.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 21:05 |
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I considered the mummy Jack was chilling with at the end to be a nod to the Mummy line.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 21:06 |
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OMFG FURRY posted:Mummy is absent as well, it also occurs before the week of nightmares so there aren't any real Hunters. Huh, I always assumed Lassitude fucked around with this message at 21:44 on Mar 26, 2011 |
# ? Mar 26, 2011 21:11 |
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Society of Leopold existed before Hunters, Grout just has numina (psychics and stuff) powers. Yeah hunters are suppose to be regular folk who suddenly start seeing messages and basically go insane with very obvious supernatural powers. e: Wait Grout was the malk, the hunter was Bach OMFG FURRY fucked around with this message at 21:23 on Mar 26, 2011 |
# ? Mar 26, 2011 21:19 |
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DemonNick posted:You get the first email quest after the Prince sends you to the Elizabeth Dane, and Gary's start shortly after you meet him. The Clan Quest mod apparently cuts Gary's quests though, so if you're using that they won't show up. Wait what? Not that I'm all that concerned over the lack of posters, but if I remember right, the Gary quests gave a ton of Exp, and ended up being one of the only reasons to up hacking/lockpicking past 5. Is it confirmed the CQM disables those quests, and if so, why? e: Yup, I guess it is removed because of an item cap in the game overall, and he needed to add his quest items. Thats kind of really silly. I get why he did it, but it was the only case in the game where you needed Lockpicking or Hacking past 5, so it also kind of negated both of those stats. Guess that means more points for Firearms then. Rookersh fucked around with this message at 21:32 on Mar 26, 2011 |
# ? Mar 26, 2011 21:28 |
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Rookersh posted:Is it confirmed the CQM disables those quests quote:, and if so, why?
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 21:31 |
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Rookersh posted:Wait what? There are now places you need those skills though, with Cam mod. Logical places, mind you. Also the old poster quests barely gave any exp, as I recall, and like Pisha quest they were slightly dick in that you could completely miss them because you already did that mission... slightly less so than Pisha because you already met Gary if you're doing quests for Mitnick.
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# ? Mar 26, 2011 23:29 |
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# ? Jun 10, 2024 12:55 |
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endolithic posted:There's some stuff in the game about a Malkavian hive mind or something, so I had a bit of a weird question: are Malkavians crazy because of the hive mind thing (I imagine a bunch of voices at once could make you insane), are they crazy as an unrelated side effect, or do they just appear insane to other folk because they really do have voices in their head that nobody else can hear? It's kind of a chicken and egg scenario. According to a few sources, Malkav himself was 'gifted' with visions, very potent visions that tormented him ceaselessly. His brother (cousin?) Saulot was the only one who could help ease his nightly torment. Malkav's childer were often gifted with oracular ability, but not nearly to his extent. When Caine cursed his progeny, they all became as infirm of mind as Malkav. During a Malkavian embrace, they believe that they see a glimpse of the Truth on the other side of the veil. Due to that harrowing experience, their minds are irrevocably changed and warped, hence the derangements. As for the Madness Network, there are a few theories. Some think it's just a byproduct of Dementation that allows them to act in bizarre concert every now and then, others that the ties of blood allow for a direct connection to those with the oracular abilities Malkav sought. The "official" reason is that Malkav himself IS the connection. All things return to the blood and no Malkavian's blood is more potent than his. All the voices in Malkavs head are his own descendents, past, present and future. Fun Fact: When the Malkavians joined the Camarilla, many other vampires were terrified of their insane cousins. In order to make themselves more acceptable to the new sect, they simply forgot they had Dementation. Yeah, for a while, the Malkavian in-clan Disciplines were Auspex, Obfuscate and Dominate. In these Final Nights, there is a new resurgence in Dementation that swept across the globe and infected the rest of the clan. Again, the "official" explanation is Malkav. Supposedly he found a way to abandon his physical form and upload himself into the Madness Network. There, he's transcended the vampiric condition and can continue to 'live' vicariously though his offspring.
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# ? Mar 27, 2011 03:46 |