Upcomming Bloodlines set, what's needed?

I may be echoing another post here, but I've always wondered why there isn't a simple knife weapon for 1 pool. 'Strike: hand strike at +1 damage. (This strike is both a hand strike and a melee weapon strike)', which can also be thrown once per combat, like Kerrie . If a drawback is needed for balancing, inflicting three or more damage per strike breaks them (like Potence 5 used to in V:tM LARP) or Forger's Hammer can't be used on them.

For 2 pool a 'set of throwing knives' would be be appropriate and could include a manoeuvre and be throwable multiple times per combat. Or maybe that could happen if you got two copies of the first card on a minion (like 9mm ) - although that's more if a single-card solution was being pursued.

chrisn101 wrote:

I may be echoing another post here, but I've always wondered why there isn't a simple knife weapon for 1 pool. 'Strike: hand strike at +1 damage. (This strike is both a hand strike and a melee weapon strike)', which can also be thrown once per combat, like Kerrie . If a drawback is needed for balancing, inflicting three or more damage per strike breaks them (like Potence 5 used to in V:tM LARP) or Forger's Hammer can't be used on them.

For 2 pool a 'set of throwing knives' would be be appropriate and could include a manoeuvre and be throwable multiple times per combat. Or maybe that could happen if you got two copies of the first card on a minion (like 9mm ) - although that's more if a single-card solution was being pursued.

Not a bad direction, but would be wordy. Real issue in vtm vs vtes with guns n melee is guns did bashing on vamps, most melee would deal lethal. That not being.a "thing" in vtes made guns matter. The good melee is worse than ivory bow.

Trying it out, the text is not too bad. And such cards would go some way towards balancing melee.

Push Dirk (1 pool)
Melee weapon. Do not replace until after this action.
Strike: hand strike at +1 damage each strike, with an optional maneuver each combat. (This strike is both a hand strike and a melee weapon strike).
If the action to equip with the Push Dirk is successful, untap the acting minion at the end of the turn.

Throwing Knives (2 pool)
Melee weapon. Do not replace until after this action.
Strike: hand strike at +1 damage each strike, with an optional maneuver each combat. (This strike is both a hand strike and a melee weapon strike). Alternatively, inflict strength ranged damage each strike, with an optional maneuver each combat.

Anyone want to give them a go in their local groups and see how they do?

NO, DON'T PUSH DIRK!!!!! THIS MAKES DIRK ANGRY!!!!! SEE HOW ANGRY HE IS!!!!

Dirk sure looks angry

Maybe I'm over-thinking this, but I wonder if Angry Dirk is a nod to Dirk Gently from Douglas Adam's Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency ?

Push Dagger if you prefer

chrisn101 wrote:

Throwing Knives (2 pool)
Melee weapon. Do not replace until after this action.
Strike: hand strike at +1 damage each strike, with an optional maneuver each combat. (This strike is both a hand strike and a melee weapon strike). Alternatively, inflict strength ranged damage each strike, with an optional maneuver each combat.

I'm wary of this. On any vampire with a strength modifier, it's basically just better than .44 Magnum - and .44 Magnum is one of the best pieces of combat equipment in the game, really. Yes, it's not a gun so can't be used with ammo cards, but most of them are quite poor - and could be a Target card in many situations. You basically lose out on DBR. And it also has the Do Not Replace clause, but that's not much of a weakener for a permanent card. (And not even relevant if you Conceal it out.)

As a melee weapon, and one based on strength, you can use a variety of other cards with it to build up the strike. Unlike Dagger, it doesn't disappear after one strike, so you can blur etc, with it. Nor is it fragile like the Dagger. And unlike the .44 Magnum, if you get caught at close, you can still be doing a chunk of damage under an Immortal Grapple. I'm not sure I'm wild about a !Salubri using it with Sword of the Righteous to hit for ranged agg damage, either.

I'd love to see more viable melee weapon strategies, but I'm not sure essentially turning them into essentially a better gun is the right way forward.