General Tweaks for the Nosferatu

[Joe England]

I'm fond of the Nosferatu, so here's a few general suggestions (expressed lengthily)… I apologize if any of this has been covered before, but thanks for taking the time to listen.

For one thing (and I'm especially sure that this must have been brought up by someone else at some point, in which case I'll just add my voice to the chorus)… their claws seem to go through their palms whenever they close their fists!  Those suckers stand out a mile.  I know these guys are physically twisted, but sending their own fingers through the backs of their hands is nuts even for them!  It's just a little detail, but it's always bugged me.

Also, the default walking animation seems inappropriate.  I'll echo Blood of Nightmare's post regarding different idle/standing settings.  It'd be great if the Nosferatu could have a different gait, sort of hunched over and wretched, as though their spine isn't straight or they've got something to hide.  A pose which could be alternately interpreted as predatory or shamed.  In any case, that "arms akimbo" standing position always seemed a little silly to me.  In fact, I'm not sure it suits any of the classes in particular… it almost says "super hero" more than it says "vampire."  I keep wanting my avatar to just drop their hands to their sides.  Especially in the beginning!  They just turned into a vampire and saw a monster chop off some guy's head!  But by the next cut scene they're marching around like they own the place.  If I were in that theater I'd be cringing, staggering, shaking like a leaf for days.

There's been some discussion regarding clothing as well, and I'll offer my support for having a few options which stray from the bondage gear motif.  Someone mentioned that Nosferatu should have skimpy apparel because they aren't ashamed of their bodies, but for the sake of roleplaying I think it'd be nice to offer alternatives which would suit an introverted attitude.  For example, a heavy trench coat would be appropriate for a Cleopatra to wear, hiding herself from view while she works through her issues.  Shame is a part of her character arc, it's weird to think she'd be sporting a black bikini for everyone to ogle.

Finally… so long as we're talking about roleplaying, what about that opening scene?  How the Hell did a Nosferatu manage to get someone into bed with them?  Did they get the player really, REALLY drunk?  Was there a leper fetish?  A costume party?  I don't know…  Wouldn't it make more sense for the Nosferatu to have a different opening?  Like… say, they just pull them into a dark alley or something?  Maybe not as "exciting," but… fewer questions raised.  I'm probably dreaming if I think this is subject to change, but so long as we're throwing out suggestions...

Speaking of the opening scene, here's an idea that could apply to all classes… if it has to be a sexual encounter, what if you want to play a gay character?  Maybe there could be a box that the player could tick during the setup regarding their avatar's preference, and that would decide whether the sire would have the male or female model.  Again, just for roleplaying, y'know?

Well those are my thoughts.  Again, thanks for listening!  Hope I made sense.

[ivan4041]

Hi, great to see that you care for the Nosferatu, they need it.

To clarify for the Nosferatu opening - if you look at it closely you will see that initially the Nosferatu looks normal, the Ventrue model I think, I might be wrong. That is because when you met and up until he/she got executed, a Discipline on Obfuscate 3 - Mask of a Thousand Faces was used, to trick you into seeing, feeling, smelling a normal human being. This ability of the Discipline is standard in the pen-n-paper game, but sadly is not present in Bloodlines, probably because then you will just spam it and play like any other clan.

And yeah, I agree that if we have a lot of extra clothes, they shouldn't adhere to the same stereotype. I wouldn't want all Nosferatu to be wrapped like burn victims (most common, believe me), nor would I like everyone be dressed as a gimp or a Baron Samedi. There should be enough diversity to not overthink clothing as if it's the sole expression of the Kindred's character like it is in Bloodlines.

[Joe England]

To clarify for the Nosferatu opening - if you look at it closely you will see that initially the Nosferatu looks normal, the Ventrue model I think, I might be wrong. That is because when you met and up until he/she got executed, a Discipline on Obfuscate 3 - Mask of a Thousand Faces was used, to trick you into seeing, feeling, smelling a normal human being. This ability of the Discipline is standard in the pen-n-paper game, but sadly is not present in Bloodlines, probably because then you will just spam it and play like any other clan.

Ah!  Thanks very much, I guess that would explain it.  I'm much obliged.

Though since it's not a playable element in the game (nor should it be, as, like you say, it would change the whole Nosferatu experience) it still becomes something of a narrative sin... creating a plot point which requires knowledge of outside material to understand.  I think I'll stand by my suggestion, since without making it clear in context it remains a curiosity to those not "in the know."

I mean, I'm assuming that "Mask of a Thousand Faces" isn't actually mentioned in the game... is it?  I ain't an expert by any stretch.

[ivan4041]

Not sure if any of the Disciplines other than a few trademarks ones are mentioned, most are implied.

I think Mask of a Thousand Faces can be smartly implemented in the game, because even in the original pen and paper it required blood points to maintain, and you didn't get to choose what you looked like (meaning you couldn't just be anyone's twin). If a Nossie decided to cross Santa Monica with that Discipline, he would end up losing most of his blood points. It's also not fullproof - animals and children might sense you and Auspex would outright dispel the illusion.