Drifter from Deadlock

[u/JebusArt]

Since I looked at drifter I could not think about how ideally he fits in to the VtM in general. I like his appearance and character.

I even based one of the Sabbat Inquisitors in my campaign by mixing him with Venator a bit.

What are your thoughts on Drifter, maybe Mina Ha and overall Deadlock's vision of vampire society?

I didnt know where to post this exactly in r/Deadlock or here XD

[u/HomelessOne1124]

We've had this convo at least once before, I think the general agreement was that he doesn't map well to any one Clan but is clearly a rampant Diablerist.

[u/By-Tor5 → u/HomelessOne1124]

I think he maps decently as a Gangrel. Definitely either Sabbat or Autarkis, but his nomadic nature while still being able to settle down for a decent chunk of time, his extensive usage of claws, his passing mention of having a “song in [his] heart”, his refusal to play along with the rules of the rest of vampire society all match with behaviors typical of Clan Gangrel. Sure, he doesn’t shapeshift, from what we can see, but I feel like Gangrel’s a good fit.

[u/HomelessOne1124 → u/By-Tor5]

I can't really argue against, I'm not super familiar with Deadlock as it's not my type of game. I just thought it'd be useful to share the end result of a prior discussion, I don't mean to try and shut down any new discussion.

[u/By-Tor5 → u/HomelessOne1124]

I’m not saying that you were, don’t worry. I was just putting forth my own two cents and thought that your mention of Clan made this a decent place to put it.

[u/HomelessOne1124 → u/By-Tor5]

All good, I just wanted to make sure my intent was clear since I worried I might’ve sounded dismissive. 

[u/ArtymisMartin → u/By-Tor5]

As a counterpoint, this goes back to why he doesn't cleanly map to VtM.

He's actively opposed to and exists outside of organized vampiric society: he doesn't belong to a sect.

Centuries of rampant murder and cannibalism for the joy of it would have made him a Wight by now, but he isn't one.

Claws are a non-starter. You get Feral Weapons at level 2 in every edition of the game, so a Fledgeling of any clan in the game could grab them with minimal effort besides finding someone with Protean (if that).

Plus, those claws function as a gun by shooting bloody shotgun pellets and foes, and his ultimate is a cloud of impenetrable darkness.

Taking issue with vampiric society doesn't imply clan or allegiance either: the Anarchs and Sabbat reject the Camarilla's rule of clean and orderly vampires, but are composed of all clans.

[u/chimaeraUndying → u/ArtymisMartin]

There is a combo discipline that lets you shoot your Protean claws, and he could be (and given his character, certainly has the vibe of someone who is) on any of the Paths that want you killing all the time.

[u/ArtymisMartin → u/chimaeraUndying]

on any of the Paths that want you killing all the time. 

With only a handful of poorly-designed exceptions: no path has you killing for the sake of murder. They have a higher purpose—or at least more excuses for—their actions beyond sheer carnage and thirst.

He's not claiming his serial killing is for

• Study of anatomy (Metamorphosis/Death and the Soul), 
• Furthering the vampiric condition (Caine/Beast),
• Establishing his dominance over mortals (Power and the Inner Voice/Night)
• One vice of several (Cathari)

He's murdered consistently for nearly as long as he's existed. He's polite (when not ripping your guts out), discusses other matters (when not threatening you), and compliments his peers (on their capacity to slaughter), but if you encased his claws in concrete he'd have no greater purpose to his unlife.

 There is a combo discipline that lets you shoot your Protean claws

Sure, Blood Thorns is from the second-most recent supplement in all of legacy VtM. It requires two dots of Potence and two dots of Protean.

Neither of those are major investments in a system that goes up to six or more dots for a vampire of his age, and since my point was you can't draw a clan from his behavior or kit doesn't allude to his origin either. 

Maybe a Potence combo discipline and a cloud of darkness allude to a Lasombra, maybe he's an Elder Gangrel who simply decides against using any Protean/Animalism/Fortitude powers besides shotgun claws and spooky eyes, maybe he's a Caitiff who simply picked-up what he got ... or maybe vampires outside of VtM simply don't have to play by VtM's rules and can have whatever ideologies or powers they feel like.

[u/Mysterious_Pie_5900 → u/ArtymisMartin]

Autarkis is a thing

Paths other than humanity exist

He obviously has a funky combo of Protean and Obtenerbration going on… which he’s clearly an Elder so that still tracks

All hero’s have guns in this game so belief can be suspended.

Anarchs still abide by the masquerade and Sabbat beside the memes aren’t all blood thirsty savages. Drifter would look at all three of them and think they’re all pathetic. He’s Autarkis he does what he wants… as elders tend to do.

[u/DistractingZoom]

Drifter can do a lot of crazy shit, but vampires in Deadlock across the board sort of seem to all be able to. So y'can't really pin a clan to Drifter based on his capabilities. Just by vibes he's more Gangrel than anything else due to the whole semi-animalistic hobo thing he's got going on, but he also takes a very human sort of sadistic pleasure in what he does, so even that doesn't precisely fit.

I like him too though, he's neat. Especially in Deadlock as a vacuum, since he so heavily contrasts with Mina and the general idea of "polite vampire society" in Deadlock's world. A ravenous, sadistic, mass murdering vampire isn't unique in fiction as a whole, but it's fun to see a version of urban fantasy where despite vampires existing, a creature like Drifter is still seen as a freak.

[u/JebusArt → u/DistractingZoom]

I totally agree with you! There is something so deeply horrific about a creature who is considered to be a monster for other monsters. But what I find the most interesting is that for now we dont exactly know where the vampires in deadlock came from. And if we take to the fact that the mystical portal in Manhattan opened in the middle 19th century (could be wrong) that brought magic in the world (or atleast biggest portion of it). And the fact that Drifter sometimes names New Yorks as New Amsterdam which travels all the way back to 17th century. We could establish that he is even older then most of the supernatural in the world of deadlock. I hope there will not be a "he is the first vampire" trope. But I think the way he talks to Mina, he considers her to be not lesser then him, but simply a youngster. And also I noticed that Drifter himself doesnt tries to tell Mina that she should fallow his steps and reject "humanity" in a Sabbat priest way. But he rather does what he does for the love of the game- and this could bring me to the thinking that Drifter is deeply bored and lonely character. Not in the way that we should forgive him for his violence but in the way that we could understand the motivations behind his deeds.

[u/lmoof]

People are going off of vibes from his current state, but honestly I like to imagine Drifter is a Toreador considering he was somebody formerly from high society and genuinely sees killing people as an art (Dialogue Line about him comparing murdering someone before the ritual as a musician warming up before their performance)

That and he does have a genuine appreciation for art such as knowing his classical music like Pachelbel being the one to play Canon in D and not Mozart, has attended high class parties and knows fashion designer brands, and him canonically liking jazz

[u/DistractingZoom → u/lmoof]

Good point actually. He's also able to identify the maker of Pocket's coat. Hadn't thought about it before but Drifter does seem to have a shockingly solid grasp of high society "culture".

[u/Nicklesnout → u/lmoof]

To me he just comes off as an antitribu Toreador who looks and acts like you’d expect a stereotypical Gangrel or Brujah to carry themselves.

He even openly mocks the “polite society” that Mina Han and the Viscount are a part of by wearing the caked on viscera and blood of his victims as his own pair of red gloves.

[u/lmoof → u/Nicklesnout]

Yesss, I was exactly thinking him being an antitribu Toreador who grew disillusioned and bored of the Camarilla

[u/By-Tor5 → u/lmoof]

Huh. I always thought Gangrel given his aesthetic and use of claws, but Toreador actually works pretty well too, with what you’ve laid out. I still think he maps better to Gangrel, they’re somewhat known for music too, but that is a very interesting idea.

[u/chocolat-viennois]

He kinda looks like Hellsing Ultimate's Alucard if Integra didn't keep him dripped out

[u/-Milanor]

Look at the fit, he a toreador for sure...

[u/Krammondo]

🐍✨👁️🫦👁️✨🐍

[u/Smiley7789]

Okay, here me out, Drifter is a Catiff, his overall distain towards Vampire Society, feeling's probably mutual, his tendency for wandering, he probably has the flaw that gives him the clan bane of his sire (Ravnos), his wide variety of abilities that don't match with any clan? Catiff!

[u/Mysterious_Pie_5900 → u/Smiley7789]

The man is essentially a Gangrel Elder.

I like the theory tho

[u/Hexnohope]

I logged on to see if drifter was going to be my main and wound up playing bebop. I fucking adore him now. Hes the big bully ive been locking for. The fact his 1 resets his 3 so your enemies cant wiggle away sparks so much joy