Updated: We've learned a bit more about Bloodlines 2's Thinbloods from the Twitch stream. While it largely went over what was revealed below, a few additional details were shared. Thinbloods will be more powerful than their PnP counterparts, for instance, and while the game uses the rules from the current edition, V5, the Thinbloods have abilities like their counterparts from earlier editions.
A Thinblood eventually joining a vampire clan is unconventional in the World of Darkness setting, but apparently the story will deal with the fact that players will be joining as an outsider. Joining a clan also doesn't mean giving up your Thinblood powers.
Since Thinbloods pretty much burst into flames the moment they're hit by sunlight, none of the game will take place during the day. While it could have served as an interesting obstacle, the devs felt that ultimately it would just be too frustrating. So it's always late at night.
Original story: At the start of Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines 2, we'll be playing a newly-embraced Thinblood, a second-class citizens of the vampire world. They're not really liked and they're weaker than the full-blooded vampires that belong to various clans. We'll be able to join them, too, but even as a Thinblood we'll have a few tricks up our puffy vampire sleeves. Watch the teaser above for a brief introduction.
While Thinbloods aren't popular—they're seen as a troubling portent—Seattle is apparently a bit more welcoming than most cities. The Camarilla have recently taken control, so maybe that will change things, but Thinbloods are still able to rub shoulders with important vampires and hang out in vampire high society. Unfortunately, they're still treated pretty poorly compared to clan members.
At first, new vampires will have one of three Thinblood disciplines to choose from, giving them a different set of supernatural abilities that should come in handy both in and out of combat. Joining one of the five clans will also unlock more abilities and upgrades. Check out the Thinblood options below.
Chiropterans
- You love bats. Can't get enough of them.
- Glide makes your bones hollow like a bird, so you can temporarily float, get up to hard to reach places and surprise people by swooping down at them like a hungry Batman.
- Bat Swarm lets you summon a swarm of bat pals that can attack and disable enemies, and eventually you'll be able to protect yourself behind a wall of bats.
Mentalism
- Your massive vampire brain has given you telekinesis.
- Pull allows you to grab objects and weapons with the power of your mind.
- With Levitate you can suspend a person in the air, and eventually more than one person. Fully upgraded, you'll be able to levitate everyone and everything in a whole area.
Nebulation
- Your best mate is mist.
- Using Mist Shroud summons a cloud of mist that muffles footsteps and reduces visibility, letting you sneak around. You can also become a cloud of mist yourself, which will help you get around and get all up in your enemies' lungs.
- Envelop creates a vortex of mist that surrounds, blinds and chokes every enemy it touches.
All of these powers sound pretty great, so clearly Thinbloods just have a bad rap.
Hardsuit Labs will be discussing Thinbloods and what life in Seattle is like for them in a livestream on Twitch that's starting right now.
Vampire: The Masquerade—Bloodlines 2 is due out next year.
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