Paradox Interactive and Hardsuit Labs have unveiled the fifth and final playable clan for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2. Operating on the edge of madness, the Malkavians have been mostly written off as lunatics or tricksters. However, those who understand the true nature of their insights can tap into a vast trove of hidden knowledge. And like the old saying goes, knowledge is power (especially in the case of the Malkavians).
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Malkavian Clan
According to their official lore page, the Malkavians are masters of the whispered secret. Their unique nature allows them to peer into (and directly affect) the minds of others. Other vampire clans fear the Malkavians’ mysterious power, but only because they have no understanding of its full potential.
Like the Ventrue clan, the Malkavians are a returning presence from the original Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines. In Bloodlines, Malkavian players could use their unique mental powers to trigger unique NPC encounters and conversations. According to Paradox, they’ll be able to do the same in Bloodlines 2.
As for their clan-specific ability trees, the Malkavians share the Auspex ability line with the Tremere clan. They also have a unique ‘Dementation’ ability suite all to themselves.
Dementation
- Haunt – Attack the target’s mind with a haunting specter, causing the target to flee in terror.
- Berserk – Fill the target with uncontrollable rage, causing them to lash out at any nearby targets, be they friend or foe.
Auspex
- Aura Sense – Locate nearby NPC’s through physical barriers like walls and doors. You can also spot individual targets in crowds and mark them for easy tracking.
- Psychic Projection – Project an astral form which unmoors from your physical body. This astral projection can scout nearby areas and even mark NPC’s with Aura Sense.
The Malkavians are the final clan in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2’s base game clan roster. However, it’s possible that additional clans will join the game as post-launch DLC. Even in the base game, though, this means players will have five powerful vampire clans to choose from.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is scheduled to launch in early 2020.