After you begin playing Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, you’ll be asked to choose one of six vampire clans. Picked early on, your clan will shape your main skills throughout the game. As you progress, you’ll gain access to all skills in the skill tree. Skills linked to your chosen clan will cost less, but you’re free to buy any other skill as long as you meet the Blood Resonance requirements.
In this guide, we’ll focus on the Banu Haqim, the newest playable clan in Vampire: The Masquerade. Known as assassins, lawmakers, and judges, the Banu Haqim are quick, stealthy, and often deliver justice with swift, brutal force. Their main advantage is their speed and ability to stay hidden. Here’s how to build a character that excels at what the Banu Haqim do best.
Best Skills for a Banu Haqim
Class-Specific Skills
Banu Haqim characters have a passive ability and five core skills:
| Ability | AP Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Silence of Death | 1 | Passive. Your actions are silent for a short time after feeding. |
| Bladed Hand | 1 | Attack with a slash; can hit multiple enemies. Weak foes are instantly beheaded. |
| Split Second | 2 | Slow down time briefly to relocate or strike. |
| Mute | 3 | Silence an enemy, preventing them from acting. |
| Unseen Aura | 4 | Make your character temporarily invisible. |
| Unseen Passage | 3 | Sprint while crouched to move quickly. |
You need to unlock these skills in order — you can’t skip ahead. The AP costs listed are for Banu Haqim characters; other clans might pay more unless they have specific affinities or relationships with this clan.
Other Class Skills
Once you’ve selected the Banu Haqim, you can start learning skills from other clans that enhance your abilities. You’ll need to meet with the relevant clan contact first; they will then allow you to unlock these skills at the required Blood Resonance cost.
Some useful skills from other clans include:
| Skill | Clan Contact/Location | Blood Resonance Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recall | Mrs. Amelia Thorn, Wake the Dead | 250 Sanguine / 100 Melancholic | Set a teleport point and return to it instantly, great for hiding. |
| Beckon | Patience, Aurora Pawn | 400 Sanguine / 150 Melancholic | Attract an enemy and lure them away, useful for crowd control. |
| Shadow Step | Onda, Glacier Hotel | 250 Melancholic / 100 Choleric | Teleport into an enemy’s shadow, perfect for stealth kills. |
| Cloud Memory | Fletcher, Makom Bar | 150 Melancholic / 400 Choleric | Make enemies forget you, reducing their aggression. |
| Mass Manipulation | Fletcher, Makom Bar | 650 Sanguine / 300 Choleric | Apply affect skills to all enemies in view, excellent for crowd control. |
| Enter Oblivion | Onda, Glacier Hotel | 650 Melancholic / 300 Choleric | Send yourself and an enemy into a pocket dimension for silent kills. |
Most of these abilities focus on movement and stealth, supporting the Banu Haqim’s natural talents. Some also enhance your crowd control options, which the clan lacks on its own.
By combining these skills, you can craft a character who hides in the shadows and strikes powerfully from the darkness. This setup will help you get through tough stealth and combat segments in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2.