Submission: Unknown Assassin

This should be the last of my discipline series of submissions - a library card for every discipline ( 14 cards, 28 disciplines, no overlap). I may create a single post and create links to the individual cards if that makes things easier.

Name: Unknown Assassin
Cardtype: Action
Cost: None
Capacity: Not applicable
Clan: None
Discipline: Protean or Quietus
+1 stealth
Attach to the acting vampire. While attached they may enter combat with another minion as a +1 stealth action.
as and when a minion opposing the attached vampire in combat leaves the ready region, the minion's controller loses 1 pool.
as and a minion opposing the attached vampire in combat burns a blood (or life) at the start of combat.

Flavor text: "One kills a man, one is an assassin; one kills millions, one is a conqueror; one kills everybody, one is a god." - Jean Rostand

Art Notes: "A man running down a path in the woods looking over his shoulder. His face shows panic."

World of Darkness reference: Protean has Eyes of the Beast, Dolphin's Unsight, Witness of Darkness, Gleam of Red Eyes (Protean level 1), Earth Meld, Will of the Wolf (Protean level 3), Shape of the Beast, Form of the Beast (Protean level 4), Mist Form, Body of Spirit (Protean level 5), Earth Control (Protean level 6). All of these abilities make Gangrel the ultimate Hunters, so much so they are usually used as blood hounds to hunt down running kindred in Blood Hunts. City Gangrel have specialized even further to specifically use protean to track humans and kindred. I will reference Gleam of Red Eyes from Vampire: The Masquerade Second Edition pg 167 which allows the user to see in total darkness. Quietus has Silence of Death (Quietus 1), Dagon's Call (Quietus 3), Ripples of the Heart (Quietus 4) ,Blood Sweat, and Thin Blood (Quietus 6). These powers allow them to easily get the drop on a target and weaken them at the start of combat. I will specifically reference Silence of Death from VTM: The Players Guide page 120.

How does this card address a compelling game need?: Gangrel are combat heavy but are very reliant on directed actions like Deep Song, Master cards like Haven Uncovered or Intercept options available to Animalism and Media locations. Unfortunately Gangrel Antitribu may not have Animalism. In addition, they have no Protean option available to them despite it being the thematic signature ability that makes them excellent hunters allowing them to enhance their senses and track their prey across crowded cities. In game terms they have all the tools to be effective in combat but must depend on other factors like having a built in rush mechanic to enter combat. To make matters worse, filling a deck with rush cards like Ambush means that they have less space for combat cards that they will need to use to be effective in that combat. My suggestion is to give them a way to permanently enter combat as an action without making them dependent on intercept. Assamites have another issue altogether. They generally have contracts to enter combat but have little way to push pressure on their prey other than taking down their vampires. Tension in the Ranks and Loss helps but neither are enough. I put the pool damage effect on inferior because superior Quietus is very expensive and having the pool damage on inferior is the most important part of the card for them. The enter combat effect on is not preferred by Assamites but having an alternative to drawing Contracts is very important. The effect might seem minor but with a consistent way to enter combat, an effect that punishes going to torpor... it is really quite nice. The obvious choice for this card is an Assamite / Gangrel Antitribu deck.

Created by: Justin Lacey

jblacey wrote:

Unfortunately Gangrel Antitribu may not have Animalism. In addition, they have no Protean option available to them despite it being the thematic signature ability that makes them excellent hunters allowing them to enhance their senses and track their prey across crowded cities.

If a strong part of the idea of the Protean level is to give the Gangrel Antitribu a tool for their thematic signature, it doesn't make sense to me that they only get to exploit inferior Protean.

Broadly, fallback levels work on cards where the main discipline is a Bloodlines discipline and would crossover with some of the potential supporting vampires. But when it's to capture a clan's "thematic signature", hamstringing the card with only an inferior level is going to cause aggravation.

jamesatzephyr wrote:

But when it's to capture a clan's "thematic signature", hamstringing the card with only an inferior level is going to cause aggravation.

You believe it is a strong enough card to stand on it's own? I could see that. The more time I spent on this card, the more clear to me that Gangrel (especially City Gangrel) need this card more so than Assamites even though it is only half a card for them. I have an idea how to fix it, update on the way.

So here is my thought. I was trying to do too much with the original card. Instead this is an attempt to focus on a single issue and solve that problem. The rush effect for Protean will be another card submission, then I will continue with my original plan of crypt card submissions.

Here is the redesigned version: Public Death

Public Death
Combat Action
Only usable when the opposing minion should be burned or go to torpor. Not usable by vampire being burned or going to torpor. Only one Public Death can be played per combat.
The Methuselah controlling the opposing minion loses 3 pool.
as
as and if the opposing minion goes to torpor attach this card. The attached minion has -1 stealth and they may take an action to remove this card.

Now it is equally useful for both Assamites and Gangrel. Instant Fame trick but no lasting effect. Nothing fancy, straight to the point. Both Protean and Quietus have the means to kill a vampire publicly and not expose their own identities. The superior Quietus is an extension of their ability to debilitate their targets as they have several powers that can cause this effect requiring additional time to recover. This solves the need for more pool damage from combat for Gangrel and Assamites. Yes, I realize that it can stack with Fame, but I don't think that is really a problem.

Better?

If this card is design is better. I will resubmit under the new name.

I am closing this topic as there is a new submission that replaces it.