Master Disciplines

How about not errating original Master disciplines, but rather offering alternative trifle versions, which don't give a capacity boost. Would that balance things a bit and reduce the opportunities for exploits?

(this all came from my frustration as an avid Ahrimane and DoC player and their lack of vampires with solid discipline spreads. I really didn't think about a wider picture, which perhaps I should...)

Kiddo wrote:

How about not errating original Master disciplines, but rather offering alternative trifle versions, which don't give a capacity boost. Would that balance things a bit and reduce the opportunities for exploits?

I don't think exploit are all that important. There is already a trifle capacity-enhancing master, and it have breaked nothing.

It's about not making too easy to ignore discipline requirement. VtES may spawn very interesting deck if you were able to build your vampires so they all have the discipline you need at the level appropriate for their cap, but it would lose something as deck would be easier and less interesting to build.

In fact, there is a format for this (called Create a Clan IIRC). It's far from being uninteresting or stupid, but it do highlight that crypt construction constraint are interesting too. Making, say, a potence / fortitude deck or an auspex / chimestry deck, and making it work, is hard and often lead to weak deck, but it's also interesting. And some combination, like celerity / dominate / obfuscate do work and feel great when they work.

The only real potential of abuse are dual discipline card done with the idea that the combination is hard to get, like Nightmare Curse. It don't seem all that threatening to be honest.

Kiddo wrote:

(this all came from my frustration as an avid Ahrimane and DoC player and their lack of vampires with solid discipline spreads. I really didn't think about a wider picture, which perhaps I should...)

I won't pretend to be a wise player with a lot of wide picture view, but I believe more interesting to have, say, Ahrimane with the thematic "weak vampire, great special discipline", than having every bloodline identical except for their special discipline.

Of course, maybe Ahrimane are just weak, or lead to only one kind of deck. But it would be better to see clear thematics and then, once thoses thematics are defined, help them exist than uniformizing clans and bloodline.

That's a point that could be taken from L5R TCG by the way : having clear thematics per clan.

(honestly, I find DoC extremely solid in term of discipline spread, but your mileage may vary)

Ahrimanes go extinct, so weak fits.
Daughters will become better when sirens lure is available pod, butci agreethat they are pretty awesome as is.

But i think LB getting fixed is all the skill card help thexgame needs.

If you're worried about the bloodlines not getting their disciplines strongly enough, then you use a "Blooding by the Code" type card.

Vocal Mastery
Master
1 pool
Requires
Put this on a ready . This vampire gains one level of Melpominee and +1 stealth on Presence actions. A vampire may have only one Vocal Mastery. +1 capacity; this vampire is one generation older. (Capacity logo).

Baron's Tutelage
Master
1 pool
Requires
Put this on a ready you control. This Samedi gains 1 level of Thanatosis , 1 level of Necromancy and +1 strength. A vampire may have only one Baron's Tutelage. +1 capacity; this vampire is one generation older. (capacity logo)

Self-made
Master
Requires
Put this on a non-slave Gargoyle you control. This Gargoyle gains 1 level of Visceratika and +1 intercept against actions targeting you. A vampire may only have one Self-made. +1 capacity; this vampire is one generation older (capacity logo)

Inner Calm
Master
Requires
Put this on a Salubri you control. This Salubri gains 1 level of Obeah and cannot be the target of Frenzies. A vampire may have only one Inner-Calm. +1 capacity; this vampire is one generation older (capacity logo)

Juggernaut1981 wrote:

If you're worried about the bloodlines not getting their disciplines strongly enough, then you use a "Blooding by the Code" type card.

I will be honest : maybe some bloodline need better access to their disciplines, but your attempt seem spectaculary bad, since at the same time it uniformize bloodlines, don't address whether it's a good thing for the game or not, and may very well be overpowered.

Maybe your reflexions are significantly better than what it seems, and in this case I encourage you to prove me wrong. But, out of the blue and with the current information, it seem very bad.

Ohlmann's typical answer : "nice effort, it's a superb concept -no it's not, your cards are crap."

I'd say your idea is interesting and the execution seems cool. I'd even like to try them. Don't listen to the naysayers !