[Submission] 5 new Lasombra

Short check in TWDA made me realize that adding 6 cap with DOM OBT isn't best choice, it's better to give some vampire with just OBT POT dom instead.

Updated vampires are in first post.

IMO, there could be new keyword on vampires, that would simplify one-off specials (When played, put counter. -> Remove said counter to do something.) It could called one-shot or any other fitting name. Once per game specials would improve the game considerably, as due to non-digital nature of the game, most effects on vampires are permanent,which in turn lower amount of design space on vampires.

Lech wrote:

[Tercio Bravo
Lasombra G6
:
Sabbat: As Tercio Bravo enters play, you can distribute up to 4 blood from him to any of your uncontrolled Lasombra. +2 Strength.

Borges
Lasombra G6

Sabbat Archbishop of Miami: When Borges is in torpor, any sabbat vampire may steal his title as a action.

Timofiev
Lasombra G6

Sabbat Cardinal: As Timofiev enters play, you may search your library or hand for a location and put it in play(play cost as normal).

As vampires, they look solid overall. And as implementations of canon material, they look like decent adaptations.

Buuuutttt....

A particular problem with adapting things from tabletop resources is that the way that V:tM works is that - at least in some versions - lots and lots and lots of vampires take levels in Auspex, Celerity, and Fortitude, because they can be massively, massively useful. Auspex so you're not constantly ambushed, Celerity for the (ridiculous) advantage of extra actions (in some versions), and Fortitude for not dying, especially where sunlight is concerned. So lots and lots of vampires have them. Which is totally fine in the RPG, because characters aren't defined by their disciplines, but by the rich tapestry of backgrounds and alliances and friends and resources and personalities and everything else. In V:TES, disciplines are a huge part of most vampires.

Timofiev, in particular, is reminiscent of (basic) Melinda Galbraith - the same six disciplines and a Cardinal, though at different levels. Yes, the special is neat, but it's unlikely to be something you'd build a whole deck around. And while every group pair will need some weenies-to-midbies that are fairly bread-and-butter (with some minor specials and flaws for flavour, sure), it would be nice if the midbies-to-fatties were doing different things to previous group pairs. Like, this is the group pair with 3-4 vampires with out-of-clan Serpentis, an Archbishop of Johannesburg, and a couple of flavour specials about Laibon. Or this is the group pair that's set up to do interesting Anarch things. Or any other idea.

There is obviously tension between doing this sort of thing (which is good for V:TES) and implementing some canon vampires (which may be good for the wider WoD/Paradox).

Vince Cerutti
Lasombra G6

Sabbat: Once per game, Vince may play a card requiring .
(New York by Night, pg 94) Late teen man.

I really like this ability on this little guy. I wish more of these low caps had neat specials like this.

jamesatzephyr wrote:

Lech wrote:

[Tercio Bravo
Lasombra G6
:
Sabbat: As Tercio Bravo enters play, you can distribute up to 4 blood from him to any of your uncontrolled Lasombra. +2 Strength.

Borges
Lasombra G6

Sabbat Archbishop of Miami: When Borges is in torpor, any sabbat vampire may steal his title as a action.

Timofiev
Lasombra G6

Sabbat Cardinal: As Timofiev enters play, you may search your library or hand for a location and put it in play(play cost as normal).

As vampires, they look solid overall. And as implementations of canon material, they look like decent adaptations.

Buuuutttt....

A particular problem with adapting things from tabletop resources is that the way that V:tM works is that - at least in some versions - lots and lots and lots of vampires take levels in Auspex, Celerity, and Fortitude, because they can be massively, massively useful. Auspex so you're not constantly ambushed, Celerity for the (ridiculous) advantage of extra actions (in some versions), and Fortitude for not dying, especially where sunlight is concerned. So lots and lots of vampires have them. Which is totally fine in the RPG, because characters aren't defined by their disciplines, but by the rich tapestry of backgrounds and alliances and friends and resources and personalities and everything else. In V:TES, disciplines are a huge part of most vampires.

Yeah, that's particularly problematic aspect of designing vampires, they tend to gravitate toward common disciplines ( , rest is in clan), sometimes to less-common ( - most commonly and for obvious reasons) and insanely rarely toward bloodline specific disciplines.

But from game balance point of view, Animalism themed Lasombra are already in game (g3-g4 with Montano, Anton, Pustula, Nahir), both g2-g3 and g4-g5 already have huge representation, g2-g3 are Fortitude heavy, g3-g4 have a lot of untapped auspex potential with Bruce the Guy. Two untapped basic disciplines are obf (kinda, g2-g3 have decent obf representation with vitel, gratiano) and CEL (only Melinda, who is, to be blunt, kinda bad.) So i tried to add some celerity to g6 to even it out.

jamesatzephyr wrote:

Timofiev, in particular, is reminiscent of (basic) Melinda Galbraith - the same six disciplines and a Cardinal, though at different levels. Yes, the special is neat, but it's unlikely to be something you'd build a whole deck around. And while every group pair will need some weenies-to-midbies that are fairly bread-and-butter (with some minor specials and flaws for flavour, sure), it would be nice if the midbies-to-fatties were doing different things to previous group pairs. Like, this is the group pair with 3-4 vampires with out-of-clan Serpentis, an Archbishop of Johannesburg, and a couple of flavour specials about Laibon. Or this is the group pair that's set up to do interesting Anarch things. Or any other idea. [/quote[

Speaking about Timofiev in particular, given he have no cannon discipline set, i can give him for example:
or OBT:
It will be slightly over point allowance on vampires, but 10 capacity vampires do have those kind of things over and over.
Another thing worth noting, is that he along with tercio bravo, use his special again after descent into darkness, which make him gain 1 blood, unlock, and get location. Tercio can lose 3 blood to move 4 blood on any uncontrolled lasombra - or they can stay out of game for longer if situation arise (for example when you want to influence out another copy). Better yet if you have path. It's still worse than Govern the Unaligned, but not in all cases.

Well, i try to do something new - whole grouping about sabbat vampires, which is unheard off in Lasombra crypt.

There is obviously tension between doing this sort of thing (which is good for V:TES) and implementing some canon vampires (which may be good for the wider WoD/Paradox).[/quote]

Definitely. We still deal with design decision to get just two levels of disciplines instead of three levels.

For example. as a once prince of Algiers could have different discipline spread and different sect:
Zamra Matoub
Lasombra G6
or perhaps
Independent: If Zamra is ready during your unlock phase, a ready vampire you control can gain 1 blood.Once each action, he may burn 1 blood to give any minion +1 intercept.

Perhaps he could also have Inconnu keyword. His disciplines are: Auspex 4, Celerity 2, Dominate 7, Fortitude 3, Obtenebration 5, Potence 3, Quietus 2, which could warrant Dominate related special or perhaps +1 bleed.

Another example:
Borges
Lasombra G5
could very well be or for better compatibility with !Brujah.
Sabbat Archbishop of Miami: When Borges is in torpor, any sabbat vampire may steal his title as a action.

Lech wrote:

Short check in TWDA made me realize that adding 6 cap with DOM OBT isn't best choice

In g5 it's not best choice, it g6 it's good to add such vampire.