Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2

Hints and Tips:
---------------
Submitted by: David K.

Play Phyre, an elder vampire sheriff in Seattle - first-person combat, dialogue
choices, and Masquerade stealth in open districts. No fast travel; rooftop
sprinting is the main way to cross the city unseen.

-= Clan choice (permanent) =-
* Pick after the tutorial escape - you cannot respec the clan passive later.
* Base game clans: Brujah, Tremere, Banu Haqim, Ventrue.
* Lasombra and Toreador need the Shadows and Silk DLC.
* You can unlock other clans' active abilities later, but only your starting clan
  passive stays unique forever.
* Cross-discipline abilities from other clans cost more skill points unless you
  build Clan Affinity with that clan's contact.

* Brujah - Melee brawler / tank; Brutality (+melee damage).
* Tremere - Blood magic AoE; Corrosive Touch (dissolve).
* Banu Haqim - Stealth assassin; Silence of Death (silent).
* Ventrue - Dominate / control; Flesh of Marble (tough).
* Lasombra - Shadow control (DLC); Shadow Cloak (harder see).
* Toreador - Speed / charm (DLC); Cat's Grace (+move speed).
* Tremere is a strong Masquerade-safe pick (bodies vanish after feeding).
* Brujah and Toreador suit aggressive play; Banu Haqim and Lasombra suit stealth.

-= Progression and abilities =-
* XP from quests, fights, and collectibles grants skill points - no character
  levels.
* Open Abilities from the pause menu (Escape).
* Awaken other-clan skills with Resonant Blood, then spend skill points to equip
  them.
* Clan contacts unlock after Benny's fate is decided early in the story.
* Full cross-clan awakening opens after the A Star of Cold Aspect main quest.

* Silky - Brujah; The Dutchman.
* Niko - Banu Haqim; Aurora Pawn.
* Patience - Toreador; Aurora Pawn backroom.
* Fletcher - Ventrue; Makom Bar.
* Mrs. Thorn - Tremere; Wake the Dead.
* Onda - Lasombra; Glacier Hotel lobby.

-= Resonant Blood =-
* Pink - Sanguine; Flirt / charm.
* Red - Choleric; Anger / antagonize.
* Blue - Melancholic; Intimidate / insult.
* Use Heightened Sense to spot glowing civilians; they also show on the map.
* Outfit changes how mortals react - fancy clothes can make red targets mug you.
* Dormant blood gives nothing until you resonate first with the right dialogue.

-= Masquerade and traversal =-
* Outdoors, a Masquerade meter tracks exposure (green, yellow, red).
* Double-jumping, climbing, or attacking mortals in public fills the bar.
* Red triggers police hunts - finish feeding or fights indoors or off the street.
* Lure resonant mortals with dialogue, lead them to a back alley, then feed
  safely.
* No fast travel - use Heightened Sense to find pipes, ladders, and vents to
  rooftops.
* Sprint, dash, and hover from rooftops to cross Seattle without breaking cover.

-= Combat =-
* Melee reach is longer than the on-screen swipe suggests - kite from safer
  distance.
* Crouch to cut detection; isolate packs by throwing bottles or gas with
  telekinesis.
* Room-to-room fights often do not alert distant enemies - scout with Heightened
  Sense.
* Elites need run or hold attacks to stagger - do not trade hits with shotgun
  elites.
* Possession on an elite clears whole groups; Blood Curse and AoE skills help
  crowds.
* Four wheel potions exist (heal, damage taken down, damage dealt up) - crosshair
  grows near hidden pickups and lore objects.
* Stay mobile; cornering yourself gets punished even on Brujah.

-= Saves and quests =-
* No manual save - autosave only, one active slot.
* Autosave icon appears top-right (Anarch-tag style) when a save triggers.
* Talk to NPCs or finish side quests to force a save before quitting.
* Exit to Main Menu warns about unsaved progress - do not alt-F4 mid-exploration.
* Title screen Load Game lists per-main-quest checkpoints; picking one overwrites
  the current autosave (useful for replaying choices, not parallel playthroughs).
* Side quests appear after Benny's fate and can vanish after story beats - clear
  them before advancing nights when markers are up.

-= Clan Affinity =-
* Side quests from Niko, Mrs. Thorn, and Onda raise affinity one quest per night.
* Collectibles raise affinity for Patience (9 Crosses), Fletcher (30 Anarch
  Tags), and Silky (I.A.O. security cameras - quest opens at We Don't Do Ghost
  Stories).
* Affinity is hidden until ability costs drop with a Clan Affinity label.
* Affinity discounts apply only to other clans' trees, not your starting clan.

-= Collectible hunt =-
* Circular crosshair grows near secrets; it turns red on the target collectible.
* Full landmark tables are in Secrets below.
* MISSABLE: finish all 30 Anarch Tags, 30 I.A.O. cameras, and 9 Crosses before
  entering Weaver Tower during The Coursing of the Rats - the building locks with
  no exit.
* Cameras only spawn after main quest We Don't Do Ghost Stories (Silky at The
  Dutchman).
* Turn in crosses only when all nine are found; tags and cameras report per
  pickup.

Money:
------
No shop currency on consulted PC guides. Progression uses skill points plus
Resonant Blood types (Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholic) instead of cash.

Secrets:
--------
-= Romantic feeding - not traditional romance =-
* Flirt only after several positive dialogue exchanges; bad flirt hurts the
  relationship.
* No relationship tracker - watch top-right reaction icons during conversations.
* Named vampires eventually offer a romantic feed (fade to black); multiple
  partners OK.
* Collectible side quests barely matter for romance - dialogue tone matters more.

* Fletcher - Makom Bar (piano); Respectful; skip pushy business.
* Onda - Glacier Hotel lobby; Flatter power; do not act lesser.
* Mrs. Thorn - Wake the Dead; Respect authority; stay formal.
* Niko - Aurora Pawn; Honest; sympathetic to mortals.
* Patience - Aurora Pawn backroom; Talk art, not business.
* Silky - The Dutchman; Personal space; Nomad fame fails.
* Safia - Wake the Dead / Tower; Soft, caring answers.

-= DLC and post-launch =-
* Shadows and Silk - unlocks Lasombra and Toreador clans at character creation.
* Blood Vial DLC - playable Benny Muldoon segments plus proper gun and melee
  systems.
* Later DLC packs add swordfighting and dual-pistol combat styles (base game is
  mostly powers and telekinetic throws).

-= Cross of Saint James - all 9 (Patience / Crosses to Bear) =-
* 2,000 XP and Crucifixation achievement when all nine are turned in at Aurora
  Pawn.

* 1 - Haven; Beside Christmas tree on upper landing.
* 2 - Aurora Pawn; Hallway poster between Niko and Patience.
* 3 - Wake the Dead; On a bookshelf.
* 4 - Makom Bar; Back room barrel.
* 5 - The Dutchman; Bathroom broken mirror.
* 6 - Hole in Wall; Dartboard.
* 7 - Auto Repair; Workshop tool pegboard.
* 8 - Glacier Hotel; Lou penthouse photo on balcony wall.
* 9 - Weaver Tower; Top floor couch armrest (opposite Safia lab).

-= Anarch Tags - #1 to #15 (Fletcher / 30 total, rooftops) =-
* 1 - Rooftop across from Atrium, barred window.
* 2 - Southern Weaver Tower wing - glide from west blocks.
* 3 - Behind pink Our Little Secret building, airduct corner.
* 4 - NW of Atrium between two SW buildings.
* 5 - NE of St. Stephens with church in view.
* 6 - Behind Makom Bar, low on wall facing bar.
* 7 - Third building east of Glacier Hotel roof nook.
* 8 - Roof behind fence facing Glacier Hotel sign.
* 9 - South of Hole in the Wall above red bar sign.
* 10 - NE of Hole in the Wall toward red tiger sign.
* 11 - N of lantern rooftop - drop into brick alcove.
* 12 - Between buildings N of Auto Repair near Wake the Dead.
* 13 - Behind Wake the Dead ledge across from Hotel Sunrise.
* 14 - Across from 93.9 STR FM building above roof exit.
* 15 - High climb below red satellite tower (near map edge).

-= Anarch Tags - #16 to #30 =-
* 16 - Below metal platform right of a ladder.
* 17 - On smokestack when facing north.
* 18 - SW of Dutchman on out-of-bounds wall.
* 19 - Inner SW corner across from white Sparak sign.
* 20 - East of Dutchman on high south building wall.
* 21 - Below blue Penumbra Capital sign N of police station.
* 22 - Northernmost building on open brick wall (map edge).
* 23 - Between fire escapes across from red beer ad.
* 24 - Around Haven block facing Longthorne Bank chimney.
* 25 - Between two buildings NW of St. Stephens by air duct.
* 26 - Eastern Haven block roof near AC unit.
* 27 - Center building on cluster facing street.
* 28 - Behind small wooden building near frozen fountain.
* 29 - Garden plaza by conservatory - side of statue.
* 30 - Front door of conservatory greenhouse.
* Pull each tag with telekinesis; return all 30 to Fletcher for Clean Up the
  Streets.

-= I.A.O. security cameras - all 30 (Silky / Eyes of Argus) =-
* Disable with telekinesis when crosshair locks on; quest after We Don't Do Ghost
  Stories.

* 1 - Alley behind Haven.
* 2 - Behind The Dutchman fence.
* 3 - Northwest of police station.
* 4 - North of Haven.
* 5 - Northeast of Haven.
* 6 - West of conservatory.
* 7 - West of Weaver Tower.
* 8 - North of St. Stephens.
* 9 - West of St. Stephens.
* 10 - Northeast of Wake the Dead.
* 11 - North of Wake the Dead.
* 12 - South of St. Stephens.
* 13 - Southwest of Atrium.
* 14 - On Atrium rooftop bar.
* 15 - East of Atrium.
* 16 - East of Glacier Hotel.
* 17 - East of Glacier Hotel (second roof).
* 18 - West of Makom Bar.
* 19 - North of Hole in the Wall.
* 20 - Northwest of Hole in the Wall.
* 21 - Southwest of Aurora Pawn.
* 22 - Southwest of Aurora Pawn (alley).
* 23 - West of Weaver Tower.
* 24 - South of Auto Repair (visible from door).
* 25 - Southwest of Aurora Pawn.
* 26 - West of Aurora Pawn.
* 27 - North of Aurora Pawn.
* 28 - Southeast of The Dutchman.
* 29 - On police station.
* 30 - East of Haven.
* Return to Silky for 2,000 XP and Cutting the Feed achievement.

-= Ability mixing =-
* Sheriff NPCs can offer their clan blood to branch into other discipline trees.
* Abilities in your clan's disciplines cost fewer points than foreign
  disciplines.
* Clan perks at the top of each tree can still be unlocked regardless of start
  clan.

-= Outfits =-
* Twenty-four outfits unlock from ability-tree milestones - tied to unlock, not
  usage.
* Other-clan outfits need both skill points and Resonant Blood awakenings.

Solutions:
----------
-= Manual save workaround (optional mod) =-
* Nexus Mods hosts a UE4SS-based Manual Saving mod if you need multiple slots.
* Install UE4SS into Bloodlines2\Binaries\Win64, then drop the mod folder under
  Mods.
* Mod hotkeys include F5 quicksave and F9 quickload - avoid saving mid-cutscene,
  in interactive dialogue, during Niko's mission, or in boss fights.
* Brief freeze on save is normal for that mod.

-= Paradox Launcher =-
* Steam and other stores still route through the Paradox Launcher for this title.

Spotlight: New Version CheatBook DataBase 2026 CheatBook DataBase 2026 is a freeware cheat code tracker that makes hints, tips, tricks and cheats (for PC Cheats, Walkthroughs, PSP, Sega, iPhone, Wii U, Playstation, Playstation 2, XBox, Playstation 3, Nintendo 64, DVD, Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Color, N-Gage, Nintendo DS, gamecube, XBox 360, Dreamcast, Super Nintendo) easily accessible from one central location. (Release date January 10, 2026) - All Cheats and Codes inside from the first CHEATBOOK January 1998 until today. More Infos