The Tremere, a powerful group of warlocks, are the next vampire clan revealed for Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines 2. They’ll join the Brujah in the rain- and blood-streaked streets of Seattle when Bloodlines II launches next year.
VentureBeat has the full details on the Tremere clan and its unique powers. Through careful research, the Tremere have learned to control vampires’ blood, called Vitae, and use it as a powerful weapon. It’s Vitae that gives vampires their superhuman abilities, and the Tremere’s ability to weaponize it makes them powerful and feared, even among vampires.
Tremere blood magic comes in two forms. One is called Auspex, which provides heightened awareness and the ability to detach one’s consciousness from their body. Paradox revealed two Auspex powers:
- Aura Sense: This enables the vampire to spot NPCs even through walls, read crowds at a glance, and mark individuals to keep them in their sights over long distances. It also enables the vampire to spot the weaknesses in a marked NPC's attack and defence.
- Psychic Projection: This detaches the vampire's mind from their body. Untethered, they can explore the area in astral form, remaining free to use Aura Sight to mark any character they spot. Beyond that, the vampire's mastery of their own senses has grown to such an extent that they can telepathically overwhelm the senses of others for a short while.
Auspex abilities are allowed within the Bloodlines ‘Masquerade,’ the rules that demand vampires conceal themselves amongst humanity. But the Tremere also have access to Thaumaturgy, or destructive blood magic. Using these abilities in view of witnesses violates the Masquerade, and it’s easy to see why:
- Skewer: This launches a small portion of the vampire's blood at the feet of their enemies, where it erupts in a patch of razor-sharp spikes. Once they dissolve, a stream of blood flows back to the caster.
- Purge: This enables the vampire to make their victims vomit blood, damaging them heavily. A stream of blood flows back to the caster.
- Blood Boil: A master of Thaumaturgy may cast Purge for a second time on an affected NPC, causing the blood in all their veins to sear. The wretch explodes within moments; bystanders in a large area are damaged. Blood from each victim streams back to the caster.
The Tremere will be one of several vampiric clans you can join in Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines II when it launches next March.
