The Vampire: The Eternal Struggle rulebook is updated!


Hi! We have been collecting player feedback on the Fifth Edition rulebook Vampire: The Eternal Struggle for several years now, and with the new print run we felt it was time for a little update. No rules have been changed in this 1.1 version, but things have been adjusted, so hopefully the already clarified rules will be even clearer now. Big thanks to all that provided feedback!

English and Spanish versions are available for download as PDF at the links below or on Blackchantry.com/Utilities, and French will follow soon.

Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition Rulebook (PDF)

Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition Rulebook in Spanish (PDF)

Enjoy!

Addendum: List of all changes

In addition to correcting some typos and rearranging the order of the minion card types, we have introduced the following changes in version 1.1 of the Vampire: The Eternal Struggle rulebook.

ADVANCED RULES (clarification) – Page 2
The new rules acknowledge the importance of “Advanced Rules” but suggest new players skip them for a simpler learning experience, deviating from the prior advice.

CARDS (addition) – Page 3
Added text summary: The new addition specifies that the crypt and library constitute independent stacks. During the game, library cards drawn go to the owner’s hand, while crypt cards are moved to the owner’s uncontrolled region, as detailed in Game Setup, Drawing Cards, and Influence Phase sections.

PLAYING A CARD (clarification) – Page 7
The new version specifies that when playing a card, it is placed in the ash heap “upon resolution.” It also clarifies that for certain cards, like action cards, which are not resolved immediately, they are temporarily out of play until reaching resolution.

REQUIREMENTS FOR PLAYING CARDS (addition) – Page 8
The added rule stipulates that costs must be paid using the Methuselah’s or the minion’s own resources. Alternative costs, like burning the Edge or discarding a card, require control of the Edge or using the Methuselah’s resources. Minions can access their controller’s resources to pay costs, such as discarding a card. Optional cost reducers can be applied during card play or upon resolution, providing flexibility. If the card is canceled, the effect is not utilized.

SEQUENCING (clarification) – Page 8
The concept of “impulse” is introduced. After the acting Methuselah plays a card or effect, they now have the “impulse” to play the next one. The impulse then passes to the next Methuselah in a specific order depending on the context: defending Methuselah first during combat or directed actions, followed by clockwise order in group actions, and a defined order in undirected actions. If any Methuselah uses a card or effect, the acting Methuselah regains the impulse.

BURN OPTION (clarification) – Page 17
The new rules clarify that for cards with a burn option icon, a Methuselah can discard it during any unlock phase if they do not control a minion meeting the card’s requirements or if the minion is not a legal target for it.

SELF-CONTESTING (clarification) – Page 17
The updated rules clarify that a player cannot voluntarily contest cards with themselves, emphasizing that if forced, the incoming copy of a unique card is burned.

CONTESTED TITLES (clarification) – Page 18
The new rules specify that contested titles refer to unique titles, and the term “unique title” is explicitly mentioned.

MINION PHASE (clarification) – Page 19
The updated rules broaden the conditions for a minion to be “stuck,” now specifying that if a minion has two or more different mandatory actions or one mandatory action they cannot take, they are unable to perform any actions.

TYPES OF ACTIONS (clarification) – Page 20
The updated rules modify the wording to specify that a minion cannot play the same named action card more than once each turn, even if the minion unlocks.

BLEED (clarification) – Page 20
The new rules clarify that during a bleed action, an action modifier card cannot be played to increase the bleed if another action modifier card is already increasing the bleed amount, unless either of them doesn’t count against the limit.

RESCUE A VAMPIRE FROM TORPOR (clarification) – Page 23
Default cost: The cost of this action being payable by the rescued vampire or splittable between the acting vampire and the rescued one is clarified as an exception to the general rule that states costs must be paid with the vampire’s own resources.

SUMMARY OF THE COURSE OF AN ACTION (clarification) – Page 24
1 . Action is announced: The new rules specify that some cards are played “as the action is announced,” and these cards must be played before regular action modifier cards and reaction cards.

ANNOUNCE THE ACTION (clarification) – Page 25
The updated rules specify that any card required for the action is played face up when the action is announced, but it is temporarily set aside (out of play) until the action resolves.

RESOLVE ANY BLOCK ATTEMPTS (clarification) – Page 26
Who may attempt to block: The new rules clarify that if the target of the action is changed (e.g. a bleed action is redirected), this will reopen block attempts, following the normal rules.

STEALTH AND INTERCEPT 1 (clarification) – Page 26
The updated rules now mention that some cards and other effects can be used to both increase or decrease (even below 0) a minion’s stealth or intercept, as noted on card text.

STEALTH AND INTERCEPT 2 (clarification) – Page 26
The updated rules clarify that if a block attempt fails and all Methuselahs decline to block, the impulse goes back to the acting Methuselah (followed by others) to play more cards and effects before resolving the action.

DETAILED COURSE OF AN ACTION (addition) – Page 27
New section added to the rulebook.

GAINING VOTES (addition) – Page 28
The new rules clarify that a minion may have a special ability granting additional votes or ballots without having a title themselves.

COMBAT (additions and clarification) – Page 29
Addition: The new rules now define the terms “combatant” and “opposing minion”.
Clarification: the only minion cards that can be played in combat are combat cards. “Minion” was missing in the old rulebook.
Addition: ADVANCED RULES: Some combat cards are played by minions “not involved in the current combat”. Minions controlled by ANY Methuselah can play those cards.

DAMAGE RESOLUTION (clarification) – Page 31
The new rules use the term “successfully inflicted” to clarify that only successful damage requires blood to mend.

ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE (clarification) – Page 31
The new rules specify that damage not inflicted by a strike (such as environmental damage from Carrion Crows or Murder of Crows) cannot be dodged, reinforcing that dodging only protects from the opponent’s strike.

IMMUNE TO DAMAGE (addition) – Page 32
The definition of “immune to damage” has been added to the rules.

DISCARD PHASE (addition) – Page 37
This rule was absent from the previous version of the rulebook: ‘Each event card may only be played once per game.’

INDEPENDENT (addition) – Page 39
The new rules add the clarification that the titles of Independent vampires, which may include starting votes as listed on card text, are not tied to a specific sect.

GLOSSARY (additions) – Page 41 to 44
Additions: Assamite, combatant, draw, Follower of Set, immune to damage, impulse, opposing minion, performing an action, sect, target, Thaumaturgy.
Clarifications: Limited, steal (a card).

Copyright © 2024 Paradox Interactive AB. www.paradoxinteractive.com. All rights reserved. Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and Vampire: The Masquerade® are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB. All rights reserved.

Rules Team Rulings with Fifth Edition rulebook addendum and errata (RTR 30/11/2020)

VTES - The Becoming - Art by Kyri Koniotis

Fellow Methuselahs,

To accompany the release of Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition, the following rule change will be effective December 30, 2020.

Rule Change: Default sect
Clans do not have a default sect anymore. This means that if a vampire changes clan, they keep their sect. For instance, a Derange played by Malkavian antitribu on a target vampire who is Camarilla Ventrue changes the target into a Camarilla Malkavian antitribu (not a Sabbat Malkavian antitribu as before).

This is a REVERSAL of the following rulings (based on the old rule):
LSJ 20030225, LSJ 19990924, LSJ 20010924.

The following cards have changed:
Becoming, The: Inherits the sire’s sect.
Brother in Arms: Inherits the sire’s sect.
Creation Rites: The vampire is now explicitly Sabbat.
Dual Form: Inherits the sire’s sect.
Nosferatu Bestial: Inherits the sire’s sect.
Third Tradition: Progeny: The vampire is now explicitly Camarilla.
Trophy: Progeny: Inherits the sire’s sect.

Fifth Edition Rulebook addendum

Drawing Cards (p. 7)
Whenever you are asked to draw from your crypt, move the top card from your crypt to your uncontrolled region.

Requirements for Playing Cards (p. 7)
Unless explicitly stated, costs you pay must be paid with resources you control: your pool, blood on vampires you control, cards in your ash heap, etc. For instance, you cannot play Enticement if you do not control the Edge, since you must burn it as part of its cost.

An exception is the “Rescue a Vampire from Torpor” action (p. 23) whose cost can be paid by the acting vampire or the rescued vampire, or the cost may be split between them.

Performing an action (p. 16)
The term “perform” applies to the entire course of the action, from the moment it is announced to the moment it is resolved. An action that is “performed” can end up by being successful or not. “Performing an action” does not imply that the action is successful.

Political Action Cards (p. 27)
Those cards simply say “1 vote”, rather than “worth 1 vote” (which was the wording used in older sets).

VTES Quick Rererence

Quick Reference (p. 53)
The Discipline Blood Sorcery is also called Thaumaturgy in older sets. They are exactly the same.

The clan Banu Haqim is called Assamite in older sets. They are exactly the same.

Similarly, the clan Ministry (whose members are called Ministers) is called Followers of Set in older sets.

For instance, if a card requires a ready Banu Haqim, any ready Assamite will fulfill this requirement (and vice versa).


Fifth Edition Rulebook errata

Rulebook, p. 15
The 30 pool displayed as your pool do not necessarily reflect the state of the game at that moment (since you have spent some of them to bring vampires into play), unless you have found a way to regain enough pool to reach your initial 30 pool. Also, please note that there is no limit to the amount of pool a Methuselah can have.


Fifth Edition Helpsheets errata

Leave torpor

The cost of the action is missing: “Action cost: 2 blood”.

Diablerise a vampire in torpor
The word stealth is missing in the following sentence: “Undirected +1 stealth action if you control both vampires.”

VTES Fifth Edition

Vampire: The Eternal Struggle Fifth Edition is available for all stores and distributors. For more information please visit the Products section at  www.blackchantry.com. Contact us by mail or social media.

Copyright © 2024 Paradox Interactive AB. www.paradoxinteractive.com. All rights reserved. Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and Vampire: The Masquerade® are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB. All rights reserved.

Clarifications: Murmur of the False Will and Dabbler

Black Chantry Productions would like to apologize for two errors in Vampire: The Eternal Struggle card texts recently, and show the correct texts. We cannot replace customers of practical reasons, but the correct texts will appear on the cards in future print runs.

ERROR IN CARD TEXT: MURMUR OF THE FALSE WILL
The card text in the first 25th Anniversary printing indicate you do not lock the minion for the redirect effect. This is wrong – you do lock the minion. Correct card text:

Murmur of the False Will
[ACTION MODIFIER] Only usable during a bleed action. +1 bleed (limited).
[DOM] [REACTION] Only usable if a younger vampire is bleeding you, after blocks are declined. Lock this reacting vampire. Change the target of the bleed to another Methuselah other than the acting vampire’s controller (that Methuselah can attempt to block).

ERROR IN CARD TEXT: DABBLER
The card text in the first printing of Heirs to the Blood 2 bundle indicate the card is only usable on your own actions. That is not the case; you can use it in other player´s turns. Correct card text:

Dabbler
Archetype. Trifle. Put this card on a vampire you control. Once each turn, this vampire can gain 1 blood or burn 1 blood to unlock after an action (successful or not) is performed during which they used 3 or more Disciplines to play cards. A vampire can have only one archetype.

Copyright © 2024 Paradox Interactive AB. www.paradoxinteractive.com. All rights reserved. Vampire: The Eternal Struggle and Vampire: The Masquerade® are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Paradox Interactive AB. All rights reserved.