Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 News

The Clan of the Hunt, Assassins, Children of Haqim, Saracens, Mediators, Lawmen

Cursed with a thirst for the Blood of other vampires, the Banu Haqim stalk the night as judges and lawbringers. To this end, most Banu Haqim adhere to a strict code of conduct - derived from law, faith, or personal ethics - sating their Hunger on those that breach these convictions.

[h2]Playing a Banu Haqim in Bloodlines 2[/h2]
Banu Haqim takes the role of a strategic stalker, using shadows to their advantage. You are a predator on a hunt, and your discipline powers focus on stalking, assassination, and silently moving faster than your foes can track. These skills are great assets when stalking the city for prey.



[h2]Abilities[/h2]
When you choose your clan, you will start out with a passive ability unique to each clan. You are then able to unlock abilities from the Ability Tree, starting with your chosen clan. Each ability requires spending Ability Points (AP) to unlock which are earned from completing missions, combat and exploration. At the peak of the Ability Tree, you can unlock the clan Perk, a reward to those dedicated enough to unlock all of the abilities for a clan, giving a permanent passive upgrade.

[h3]Silence of Death[/h3]
Clan Passive: All your actions become entirely silent for a period after feeding.

[h3]Mute[/h3]
Silence an enemy/civilian. Any sounds they produce, from screams to gunfire, are completely undetectable to others.

[h3]Split Second[/h3]
Move so fast that time appears to stop around you.

[h3]Bladed Hand[/h3]
Slash swiftly in front of you, beheading mortal opponents.

[h3]Unseen Aura[/h3]
Become temporarily invisible to enemies and civilians. Note: You can still be heard unless combined with Silence of Death.

[h3]Prowl[/h3]
Clan Perk: Can remain crouched whilst sprinting.

[h2]Customizing your playstyle[/h2]
There are many different ways to play your character in Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. The clan Banu Haqim focus on a stalking based playstyle to take out your enemies one by one, and the clan abilities are built to empower that. As we want to make sure this is not a game where you are required to optimize your abilities to the extreme, we’ve focused on making the base playstyles easy and straightforward. But for the players who want their experience to be a bit deeper and more customizable, you will be able to do so. By visiting important vampires who are sworn to assist the Sheriff (you), you can unlock abilities from their clan by drinking a bit of their blood.

Abilities from other clans may cost more AP depending on how well they align with your clans Disciplines. The Banu Haqim Disciplines are Celerity (speed enhancing abilities), Blood Sorcery (the ability to control blood with your arcane knowledge) and Obfuscate (abilities to easily hide, move without being noticed, and cast illusions.). If a Banu Haqim wishes to unlock a Blood Sorcery ability from another clan, it would cost less AP to unlock than an ability for a Discipline Banu Haqim don’t have. Those who unlock all abilities from a clan and get the Clan Perk, are able to stack them and have the effects of them all, elevating your power.

The activated abilities and Clan Perk can be learned from the other clans, but the clan passive can not. Because of this, you combine the clan powers in hundreds of different ways, but a Banu Haqim playthrough will remain its own gameplay experience.

Ability tree for Banu Haqim with all clan abilities and the clan perk are unlocked. An ability from the Tremere tree has been equipped instead of Split Second.

Let's now leap into Banu Haqim, another captivating Vampire clan that the players will encounter in Bloodlines 2. The essence of the Banu Haqim is defined by their mastery of stealth, precision, and a moral code that guides their hidden hand of justice. Our team had a lot of fun in reflecting these properties in their subsequent departments.

[h2]Designing modern Banu Haqim for Tabletop[/h2]
The Banu Haqim (“Assamites” at the time) were one of the first clans to be added to the original assembly in 1991. As such, they were less connected to a vampire archetype out of fiction and instead modelled on the Hashshashin — the Order of Assassins — out of Alamut. In time, they were expanded upon in the setting and incorporated new elements of mysticism and religion, but the core stereotype — the “arab assassin-cultist as vampire” — regrettably remained. Needless to say, they needed some work to align with the design principles of Vampire: The Masquerade’s latest edition.

The concept of a hunter of hunters driven by strong principles or a deep-seated sense of justice does resonate with powerful elements of vampire and vampire-adjacent media. Blade, Angel, and (for those that remember it) Forever Knight all feature vampires seeking redemption by taking the fight to their own, while the very vampire-esque Dexter is a poster child for the concept, as is the Caped Crusader. It is no fluke that the internal shorthand for the Banu Haqim was “clan Batman”.

Thus, while their origins are still the same, the shift in focus has provided the Banu Haqim with a role more easily applied to characters of any background or conviction. Cursed with a hereditary thirst for vampire Blood, the so-called Warriors shackle their impulses to strict codes of conduct, derived from mortal religions, vampiric tenets, or personal creeds. These traits, along with their feared reputation, makes them sought after as soldiers, lawbringers, and — occasionally — assassins in the societies of the night. Yet, the siren song of Kindred vitae perpetually tempts them, and more than one Judge has been tasked with the destruction of one of their own. To be Embraced into the Banu Haqim clan means walking an eternal tightrope, with no end and with nothing to catch you when you fall.

– Karim Muammar, Designer of Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition and Brand Editor for the World of Darkness



[h2]Niko Angelov[/h2]
“This vase belonged to a man who promised to visit his mother in hospital but did not. So I ripped out his spleen. Some people really do not know how to behave!”

Niko is wholly committed to living an honest life, to the point of barely being able to keep a single thought to himself.

You can find him at Aurora Pawn surrounded by the trinkets of hapless mortals. He pleases the Court by sourcing rare artifacts and by taking on special tasks for the Prince. Equally, he infuriates the Court by refusing to deviate from using strictly honourable means in all his transactions.

You might find that transparency helpful as you unravel the mysteries of the city, but be warned; he won't keep a secret, not even yours, so choose your words with care.

[h2]Writing the Banu Haqim[/h2]
“One of the most interesting facets of the Banu Haqim is their blue-orange morality. It's a clan that often appeals to seasoned players of the tabletop game because it allows them to challenge themselves with the self-imposed restrictions of their character's unique moral code. This is something we wanted to reflect with Niko; his obsession with absolute truth renders him incapable of being complicit in the back-stabbing nature of Kindred politics, so he must find other ways to make himself useful. His sincerity also makes him vulnerable to the manipulation of the Camarilla, which the player can choose to protect him from... or you could manipulate him yourself, if that's the kind of game you're playing.”
– Cherish Goldstraw, Writer

[h2]Combat Discipline Design[/h2]
“Banu Haqim, alongside Tremere, is our second clan that leans more into stalk within combat. While we’ve tailored Tremere for a slower, more tactical style of play, the Banu Haqim clan’s use of Obfuscation and Celerity make them much better suited to a faster, more confident approach.

The Banu Haqim abilities primarily focus on these two disciplines – the player can silence themselves and others, move impossibly fast, and vanish from sight completely. These can be used at any pace, but they truly shine when used swiftly together, dancing in and out of sight and dispatching opponents quicker than they can react. This makes them ideal for a player who likes to stay hidden, toy with their victim’s senses, and when needed, kill everyone in the room faster than a Tremere could decide their first move.

While we use quite a bit of slo-mo effects across combat, Banu’s version of celerity is its biggest use case - we needed a small subsystem specifically to manage time dilation across gameplay, to allow for its use in combination with other abilities. This has really paid off, I genuinely never get tired of using Banu Haqim’s lethal beheading strike in (almost) stopped time!
– Max Bottomley, Senior Game Designer

[h2]What do Banu Haqim sound like?[/h2]
In our Audio Design for the Banu Haqim clad, I leaned into harnessing the sounds of whispers and wind signifying the clan's predilection for stealth and silent execution. Our department here introduced a use of real-time Audio processing techniques that bring the player's manipulations of time and silence to life. As you use Split Second to slow time you will hear the pings of bullet shells dropping to the floor and strange voices slowed down to really sell the idea of good ol' Bullet Time. We intend to craft a fully immersive experience that comes with moving faster than sound, making every moment a deliberate and calculated dance between predator and prey.
– Marcus Bagshawe, Sound Designer

[h2]What do Banu Haqim look like?[/h2]
“When putting together the aesthetic identity for the Banu Haqim clan in the game, as always with us at The Chinese Room, we started with a rich palette of inspirations and tonnes of brainstorming. A tonne of good stuff ended up on our mood boards - functional aspects of Techwear (Health Goth, utility-based items with a high-end edge), the blend-in quality of corporate attire, and the vibrant, enduring spirit of Modern Persian fashion. These choices reflect a mixture of tradition and modernity, embodying the clan's adaptability and their profound connection to both their heritage and the demands of the modern world.

Banu Haqim’s garments in our game then are as much about form as they are about function – concealment, illusiveness. The ability to quickly disappear into the urban landscape or emerge as a silent avenger is key to the Banu Haqim's visual identity, mirroring their role as the unseen arbiters of justice in the shadow world, their righteousness and role as silent guardians of the vampire society.



Drawing inspiration from iconic figures and settings such as John Wick, Lisbeth Salander from the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and the Fremen from Dune, we sought to imbue the Banu Haqim with a sense of concealed danger and an air of mystery. These influences helped shape a look that is both understated and unmistakably potent, emphasizing the clan's themes of elusiveness and intent. Our designs focus on clothing that allows for quick concealment or blending into the background, highlighting the Banu Haqim's proficiency in moving unseen and striking from the shadows.”
– Ben Matthews, Associate Art Director

Warlocks, Usurpers, Haemetics, Thaumaturges
Clan Tremere embraces scholars, academics, researchers, and other relentless pursuers of knowledge. These Kindred have an obsession with blood and vitae — vampire Blood — beyond even that of other Kindred, an obsession which extends to its control. Whether the blood coursing through their enemies veins, or a Tremere’s own vitae, a drop of red can turn into a deadly weapon in the hands of an experienced Warlock.

[h2]Playing a Tremere in Bloodlines 2[/h2]
As a Tremere in Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, you use your arcane powers to control your own Blood and that of your foes. The playstyle is rewarding when keeping your distance in combat, making enemies scream in agony as you boil their blood, shaping your own vitae into projectiles, or even ripping the blood from their veins.

In vampire society, Tremere are often mistrusted. Some characters in Bloodlines 2 may respond differently in dialogues depending on whether you reinforce or challenge their expectations of your clan.



[h2]Abilities[/h2]
As you select your clan, you unlock the clan’s unique passive ability. By spending Ability Points, you can then unlock abilities from the Ability Tree, starting with your chosen clan. Ability Points are earned when completing missions, combat and exploration. When you’ve unlocked all abilities for a clan, you can unlock the clan Perk, a permanent passive upgrade for those dedicated enough to unlock all abilities for a clan.

[h3]Corrosive Touch[/h3]
Clan Passive: Bodies will dissolve away after being fed on.

[h3]Cauldron of Blood[/h3]
Torture your victim by boiling their blood slowly from the inside, making them drop to their knees screaming. Nearby enemies/civilians are drawn to their screams.



[h3]Recall[/h3]
First Use: Mark your current location with a ward.
Second Use: Deconstruct yourself, and explosively reconstruct yourself at the marked location obliterating any enemies standing in that spot.



[h3]Blood Curse[/h3]
Curse a victim. The next time they take damage, their body swells horrifically and they explode, doing damage to all around them.



[h3]Blood Salvo[/h3]
Conjure a set of blood daggers that can be thrown at enemies.



[h3]Greed[/h3]
Clan Perk: A chance when feeding, that the last used ability receives twice as much blood, increasing the rate you can perform abilities.

[h2]Customizing your playstyle[/h2]
In Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, you can play your character in different ways. Tremere are a ranged, glass-cannon type, and the clan abilities are focused around supporting that playstyle. We want it to be straightforward playing a clan, and this is therefore not an ability optimization game where you have to go through a multitude of abilities and weigh them against each other.

For those who prefer a more advanced playstyle, you can customize your playstyle by visiting important Seattle vampires that are sworn to assist the Sheriff (you) , including offering their Blood to help unlock abilities from their clan. Abilities from other clans may cost more AP depending on how well they align with your clans Disciplines. The Tremere Disciplines are Auspex (the supernatural ability to become aware of more than meets the eye), Dominate (the power to mesmerize and control the actions of others) and Blood Sorcery (the ability to control blood with your arcane knowledge). If another clan has a Dominate ability not part of the innate Tremere kit, it would cost less AP to unlock than an ability for a Discipline Tremere don’t have, such as becoming faster which is a part of the Celerity Discipline. Clan Perks stack, and unlocking several elevates your power much closer to elder level.

In contrast to the activated abilities and Clan Perk which can be learned from the other clans, your clan passive can not. This means that you can combine features from other clans in hundreds of different ways, but your Tremere playthrough will remain unique from playing as another clan who branches into Tremere abilities.

Ability tree for Tremere with all clan abilities and the clan perk are unlocked. An ability from the Banu Haqim branch has been equipped, replacing Recall.

Allow us to introduce another Vampire clan in Vampire: the Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. world of So definitely different from Brujah!

We hope you enjoy this collection of testimonies from a few of our departments and how they have approached crafting the formidable, legendary Tremere.

[h3]Designing modern Tremere for Tabletop[/h3]
“While the vampire-as-sorcerer is rare outside of Hammer Horror films, the hubristic magician is an archetype strong enough to sit comfortably alongside the scheming undead of Vampire: The Masquerade. But for the game’s fifth edition we wanted to look beyond their signature powers, exploring the driving characteristics beneath.

Given that their concept implies — even necessitates — the practice of mystical arts, the Tremere are almost synonymous with Blood Sorcery. However, this is only one aspect of the Warlocks. Digging deeper we find that their defining trait, regardless of supernatural abilities, is raw, irreverent ambition. Their history is a tableau of temerity. Unwilling to settle for mortality, they clawed their way into undeath. Chafing at the limits of their condition, they turned a primordial curse into their instrument. And, once despised as pretenders, they now count themselves as pillars of the Camarilla.

Yet, for all the Tremere’s accomplishments, their triumphs are also their tragedies. Seeking eternal life, they found only an eternity of death. They are masters of the Blood, yet their own vitae is lacking, bereft of fundamental qualities. And even as they roam the halls of power, they are assailed by whispers: Blood-Thieves. Pretenders. Usurpers. A Tremere vampire walks an ill-fated path — challenged by their peers, haunted by suspicion, and doomed to risk every prize crumbling to ash in their hands.”

– Karim Muammar, Designer of Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition and Brand Editor for the World of Darkness



[h3]Mrs Amelia Thorn [/h3]
“There is an order and protocol to things around here, my dear. One must conduct oneself with proper decorum if one doesn’t want to get fucked over.”

Amelia Thorn does not suffer fools, gladly or otherwise. You'll find her at the Wake the Dead all night coffee-bar, where she serves up bitter grounds and biting criticism in equal measure.

Mrs Thorn serves as the Tremere Magister for Seattle's Court. She credits her longevity, both as a mortal and as a Kindred, to loyalty and knowing one's place. Work your way into her good books, and you'll find a powerful ally who can provide insights into everything from Camarilla secrets to arcane thaumaturgical rituals. Spill coffee on her books, and she is perfectly capable of turning your innards into outards.

[h3]Writing the Tremere[/h3]
“We wanted Mrs Thorn's personality to reflect some of the history and archetypes of the Tremere clan; perfectionism, the influences of the Pyramid with its dedication to order and hierarchy, and of course, the grim experiments with blood rituals.

We were inspired by themes of Victorian occultism, which inform the character's backstory, and allow us to really revel in the stark contrast between propriety and order with black arts and violence. That's what makes Mrs Thorn so fun to write - she's a bloodthirsty anachronism, and what's more vampiric than that?”

– Cherish Goldstraw, Writer

[h3]Combat Discipline Design[/h3]
“Tremere's Gameplay was designed to befit a more careful, scheming, and perhaps for a sadistic kind of player. Their combat abilities are all centred around Blood sorcery, and allow them to manipulate with pain, kill quietly from afar, and set up a cascade of gory death at a time and place of their choosing!

Tremere are at their strongest when they are patient and have a plan. This makes the clan ideal for players who want to take things at a slower pace, avoid direct (or fair) conflict and make use of vampiric abilities on a regular basis.

Cautious players should find appeal in the ability to dissolve dead bodies with acidic touch, keeping enemies unaware, while their recall ability (which allows you to quickly transfer and reassemble yourself at a previously marked location) gives you a great way to escape when your schemes don’t work out as planned...

Sooner or later though, the Tremere lust for knowledge will push you beyond caution. What happens to somebody standing where I'm going to recall to? What tactical uses might boiling blood torture have? Exploring and developing on these “what-ifs” has been the best part of building the Tremere’s combat toolset for me.”

– Max Bottomley, Senior Game Designer

[h3]What does a Tremere sound like?[/h3]
"For the Tremere audio, I wanted to focus on the haunting sound of blood and gore as the players manipulate the enemy's vitae. When you boil an enemy's blood from the inside, causing them to explode, you will hear the chilling sounds of guts and gibs splattering all around you. The enemies’ pained screams will morph and distort, echoing hauntingly as they are consumed by the inferno within. For full immersion, subtle arcane whispers and the eerie pulsation of blood magic will be heard, intensifying the macabre spectacle, and hopefully sonically reflecting the Tremere's mastery over blood sorcery.”

– Marcus Bagshawe, Sound Designer

[h3]What does a Tremere look like?[/h3]
“In crafting the visual identity of the Tremere clan for Bloodlines 2, we delved deep into the essence of blood magic and its enigmatic allure. Our Tremere are envisioned as beings that combine agility and fervour, also reflecting their preference for engaging in combat from a distance. This approach not only informs their abilities but also ensures their physical portrayal appears formidable, predatory, and adaptable while oozing ancient mystique. All this works in tandem when casting spells with intricate hand movements or unleashing their power from afar.



The Tremere wield their abilities to not only inflict direct damage, but also to apply offensive and passive effects by manipulating the vitae around them. This focus on ranged combat and blood sorcery will be visually represented through their movement, the visual effects of their spells and their outfits.
The attire of the Tremere is a tapestry woven from the threads of various cultural influences, most notably the New Romantics, Baroque fashion, and Nu Goth. We tried to convey a sense of the ancient, and the energetic, modernised; mirroring the Tremere's rich history and the vibrant, living essence of their blood magic arts. The goal for our department was to encapsulate an aesthetic that speaks to the Tremere's arcane roots, with outfits that hint at an opulent, mysterious past, and a potent, otherworldly presence. We hope you like them!”

– Ben Matthews, Associate Art Director

Rebels, The Learned Clan, Rabble, Hellenes.

The Brujah are known for their impetuous tempers and defiant natures, and the clan contains some of the most violent vampires. Visionaries and brutes both, the Brujah have fallen from their stature as the Learned Clan to a motley lineage of radicals, troublemakers, and firebrands — all as much at odds with each other as with the systems they claim to oppose.



[h2]Playing a Brujah in Bloodlines 2[/h2]
If you’re a player who leaves the shadows to the cowards, knows the frontline is where the fun is, and rebels against the establishment, Brujah is your clan.

In Bloodlines 2, Clan Brujah will offer a brutal brawling playstyle with its abilities (in Vampire: The Masquerade, known as Disciplines), getting you into the fray and rewarding you for staying there. The Brujah control the dance of combat by making enemies drop their defenses, knock them around on the battlefield and increase their damage by feeding for powerful finishing strikes.

In social environments, the Brujah are often expected to have a short temper. In Bloodlines 2, certain characters you meet may treat you differently depending on your clan, and while clans have access to angry, violent or threatening dialogue options, throughout Bloodlines 2 you will find unique dialogue sequences for the Brujah. And if you play against the archetypes, characters in-the-know will react.

As a predator of the night, hunting for blood is always a challenge, but the Brujah can often rely on their ability to influence pedestrians’ rage to make them chase you into an empty alley and have a midnight snack.



[h2]Abilities[/h2]
When you choose your clan, you will start out with a passive ability unique to each clan. You are then able to unlock abilities from the Ability Tree, starting with your chosen clan. Each ability requires spending Ability Points to unlock, which are earned from completing missions, combat and exploration. At the peak of the Ability Tree, you can unlock the clan Perk, a reward to those dedicated enough to unlock all of the abilities for a clan, giving a permanent passive upgrade.

[h3]Brutality[/h3]
Clan Passive
After feeding, become flushed with vampiric strength, temporarily increasing the power of all your melee attacks.

[h3]Taunt[/h3]
Use your supernatural Presence to enrage an opponent or civilian prey, compelling them to attack you. While enraged, the target takes increased damage.



[h3]Charge[/h3]
Surge forward with preternatural speed and rage, grabbing an enemy you collide with to use as a battering ram to knock down others in your path.



[h3]Lightning Strikes[/h3]
Target multiple opponents and unleash an unstoppable hail of punches, with the final strike dealing increased damage.



[h3]Earthshock[/h3]
Slam the ground with explosive force, flinging surrounding enemies into the air.



[h3]Pulverise[/h3]
Clan Perk
Killing enemies without feeding still activates your Clan Passive.

[h2]Customizing your playstyle[/h2]
In Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, you can play your character in different ways. Brujah are a more brawler type, and the abilities are focused around supporting that. We wanted to make sure that this is not an ability optimization game where you need to go through a multitude of abilities and weigh them against each other. Playing a clan should be straight forward if you want it to be.

While this is true, you can also dive deeper into the customization of your playstyle. This is done by visiting important Seattle vampires that are sworn to assist the Sheriff (you) including offering their Blood to help unlock abilities from their clan. Abilities from other clans may cost more AP depending on how well they align with your clans Disciplines. The Brujah Disciplines are Celerity (speed enhancing abilities) Potence (strength enhancing abilities) and Presence (the supernatural ability to attract, awe, or terrify)) so if another clan has a speed enhancing ability it would cost less AP to unlock than an ability for a Discipline Brujah don’t have, such as becoming stealthier which is part of the Obfuscate Discipline. Unlocking additional Clan Perks will make them stack, so you can collect them all if you wish, elevating your power much closer to elder level.

Ability tree for Brujah. All clan abilities and the clan perk are unlocked. An ability from Banu Haqim has been equipped. Each clan has hundreds of different ability combinations.

While the activated abilities and Clan Perk can be learned from the other clans, your clan passive can not. This means that you can combine features from other clans in hundreds of different ways, but your Brujah playthrough will remain unique from playing as another clan who branches into Brujah abilities.

Silky, Brujah Primogen in Seattle