History TabletopGame / VampireTheEternalStruggle

* CastFromHitPoints: Players start with 30 pool, and have to transfer pool to uncontrolled vampires to bring them into play by adding enough counters to equal their capacity. This means a ten-capacity (very old and powerful) vampire represents an investment of one-third a player's life. Players also pay pool to bring equipment, locations, and certain other cards into play. Vampire minions get in on this too, spending their own blood to use certain cards.

** Diablerie. Once you've gotten an opponent's vampire into torpor, you can diablerize them, burning them (sending them to the discard, or ash heap), getting any blood and equipment they have on them, and can search your hand, library (deck), or ash heap for a Discipline card to put on the diablerizing vampire, giving them a new Discipline or increasing the power of a Discipline they already have. Once that's done, the Blood Hunt is called (this is not optional). As it's a normal referendum, vampires with titles or other sources of votes cast their votes normally, for or against the Blood Hunt. If the vote is successful, the diablerizing vampire ''is burned immediately'', NoSavingThrow. The player who's vampire you just burned is probably going to take it personally, and most other players probably aren't going to turn down the chance to burn someone's vampire literally for free.

Creator/WhiteWolf took over the development of the game in 2000 after it was dropped by Wizards. Notably, after the Time of Judgement had passed and wiped out the rest of the TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness in 2004, the game continued and was the only product of the old World still ongoing; the game was eventually transferred to CCP and finally ended in September 2010. Despite this, the game continues to be played and maintains a strong following, with official new card sets being created by the [[http://www.vekn.net Elder Kindred Network]] fan group.

* VampireHunter: The original set includes an ally called the "Muddled Vampire Hunter," who can attack vampires as an action, hits hard and attacks with first strike, making him pretty good at taking down vampires. He's "muddled" because, as the player's ally, he's being unwittingly controlled by a vampire.

Creator/WhiteWolf took over the development of the game in 2000, after it was dropped by Wizards. Notably, after the Time of Judgement had passed and wiped out the rest of the TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness in 2004, the game continued and was the only product of the old World still ongoing; the game was eventually transferred to CCP and finally ended in September 2010. Despite this, the game continues to be played and maintains a strong following, with official new card sets being created by the [[http://www.vekn.net Elder Kindred Network]] fan group.

* FurAgainstFang: Averted and invoked. One can recruit certain werewolf allies, who typically have good combat stats and ways to attack another player's minions directly, making them good for tying down resources of prey or predator. The aversion is that, most of these werewolves are restricted to use by specific Clans (usually Gangrel or Ravnos), implying the werewolf in question is on good terms with that Clan as a whole.

** The game is designed around this. In multiplayer games, the rules dictate that a player can attack the player on his left on his turn, and only that player. Thus, a player needs to defend himself only from attacks by the player on his right. (Predator > Player > Prey, proceeding clockwise.) This leads to (and indeed, the game ''encourages'') discussions, arguments, and deal-making between players, as a player can offer not to attack his target, leaving the target free to devote resources to attacking his own target, or the player can offer concessions to keep another player off his back while he launches a full assault. In addition, when a player is eliminated, the hunting order skips over him to the next player, making long-term planning a must.

** Diablerie. Once you've gotten an opponent's vampire into torpor, you can diablerize them, getting any blood and equipment they have on them, and can search your hand, library (deck), or ash heap (discard pile) for a Discipline card to put on the diablerizing vampire, giving them a new Discipline or increasing the power of a Discipline they already have. Once that's done, the Blood Hunt is called (this is not optional). As it's a normal referendum, vampires with titles or other sources of votes cast their votes normally, for or against the Blood Hunt. If the vote is successful, the diablerizing vampire ''is burned (sent to the ash heap) immediately'', NoSavingThrow. The player who's vampire you just burned is probably going to take it personally, and most other players probably aren't going to turn down the chance to burn someone's vampire literally for free.

** Smudge, the Ignored. One of the few Caitiff from the first base set with a beneficial special ability, but he's 1 capacity (the lowest possible) and has no Disciplines. His special ability is to gain +1 strength (normal minion strength is one) the first time he diablerizes an older vampire. Diablerie itself is awesome but impractical, and few players are willing to let Smudge gain his +1 strength that way, considering there are many ways to further pump Smudge's strength as well as give him cool Disciplines to use to become an outright murder machine. Which means that poor Smudge, the Ignored [[NonindicativeName often isn't.]]

** Making [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot Abominations]]. It's an action at +1 stealth, but plenty of decks can generate a paltry +1 intercept (and the decks that would be interested in making Abominations probably don't have much in the way of additional stealth). The card itself [[CastFromHitPoint costs 1 pool]], and requires you to burn a werewolf ally to put Abomination in play (the ally itself probably cost a not-insubstantial amount of pool, too), making it a rather significant investment of the player's resources. If it ''does'' work, you've got a vampiric shapeshifting murder machine that can directly attack any player's minions.
** Smudge, the Ignored. One of the few Caitiff from the first base set with a beneficial special ability, but he's 1 capacity (the lowest possible) and has no Disciplines. His special ability is to gain +1 strength (normal minion strength is one) the first time he diablerizes an older vampire. Diablerie itself is awesome but impractical, and few players are willing to let Smudge gain his +1 strength that way, considering there are many ways to further pump Smudge's strength as well as give him cool Disciplines to use to become an outright murder machine. Which means that poor Smudge, the Ignored [[NonidicativeName often isn't.]]

* FurVersusFang: Averted and invoked. One can recruit certain werewolf allies, who typically have good combat stats and ways to attack another player's minions directly, making them good for tying down resources of prey or predator. The aversion is that, most of these werewolves are restricted to use by specific Clans (usually Gangrel or Ravnos), implying the werewolf in question is on good terms with that Clan as a whole.

* ZombieNinjaPirateRobot: A late expansion introduced Abominations (werewolves Embraced and turned into vampires), both as existing vampires of their own "Clan" and as an action card to transform a werewolf ally into an Abomination. [[AwesomeButImpractical It's a very difficult thing to pull off, but it's totally awesome if you do manage it.]]

''Vampire: The Eternal Struggle'' -- originally known as ''Jyhad'', but changed to distance the game from the Islamic term "Jihad" -- is a CollectibleCardGame initially published by Creator/WizardsOfTheCoast and designed by Richard Garfield of ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' fame, released in 1994. Based on ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'', players assume the roles of Methuselahs, powerful vampires who are thousands of years old; while not being able to get involved personally, they direct their [[UnwittingPawn unwitting]] vampire minions to get rid of the other players by destroying their influence.

''Vampire: The Eternal Struggle'' -- originally known as ''Jyhad'', but changed to distance the game from the Islamic term "Jihad" -- is a CollectibleCardGame initially published by WizardsOfTheCoast and designed by Richard Garfield of ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' fame, released in 1994. Based on ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'', players assume the roles of Methuselahs, powerful vampires who are thousands of years old; while not being able to get involved personally, they direct their [[UnwittingPawn unwitting]] vampire minions to get rid of the other players by destroying their influence.

* ChainsawGood: Talbot's Chainsaw is a brutally powerful weapon that turns the holder in a combat monster, but also forces the holder to attack another character each round or damage himself.

* KingmakerScenario: The game is designed around this. In multiplayer games, the rules dictate that a player can attack the player on his left on his turn, and only that player. Thus, a player needs to defend himself only from attacks by the player on his right. (Predator > Player > Prey, proceeding clockwise.) This leads to (and indeed, the game ''encourages'') discussions, arguments, and deal-making between players, as a player can offer not to attack his target, leaving the target free to devote resources to attacking his own target, or the player can offer concessions to keep another player off his back while he launches a full assault. In addition, when a player is eliminated, the hunting order skips over him to the next player, making long-term planning a must.

WhiteWolf took over the development of the game in 2000, after it was dropped by Wizards. Notably, after the Time of Judgement had passed and wiped out the rest of the TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness in 2004, the game continued and was the only product of the old World still ongoing; the game was eventually transferred to CCP and finally ended in September 2010. Despite this, the game continues to be played and maintains a strong following, with official new card sets being created by the [[http://www.vekn.net Elder Kindred Network]] fan group.

''Vampire: The Eternal Struggle'' -- originally known as ''Jyhad'', but changed to distance the game from the Islamic term "Jihad" -- is a CollectibleCardGame initially published by WizardsOfTheCoast and designed by Richard Garfield of ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' fame, released in 1994. Based on ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'', the player plays a Methuselah; not getting involved personally but rather directing their ([[UnwittingPawn perhaps unknowing]]) pawns, they must get rid of the other players by destroying ''their'' influence and ''their'' pawns.

WhiteWolf took over the development of the game in 2000, after it was dropped by Wizards. Notably, after the Time of Judgement had passed and wiped out the rest of the TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness in 2004, the game continued and was the only product of the old World still ongoing; the game was eventually transferred to CCP and finally ended in September 2010.

* HellBentForLeather: There's an equipment card called "Leather Jacket", which prevents a single attack before being destroyed. Making it one tough jacket, considering some of the attacks you can go through. By comparison, the [[http://www.trollandtoad.com/p188448.html "Flak Jacket"]] card (usable every round, but only prevents one damage each time). Not to be confused with the newer card "Hell-for-Leather."

WhiteWolf took over the development of the game in 2000, after it was dropped by Wizards. Notably, after the Time of Judgement had passed and wiped out the rest of the TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness in 2004, the game continued and was the only product of the old World still ongoing; alas, the game did finally end in September 2010.

!!''Vampire: The Eternal Struggle'' provides examples of:

* HellBentForLeather: There's an equipment card called "Leather Jacket", which prevents a single attack before being destroyed. Making it one tough jacket, considering some of the attacks you can go through. By comparison, the [[http://www.trollandtoad.com/p188448.html "Flak Jacket"]] card (usable for every round, but only prevents one damage).
* KingmakerScenario: The game is designed around this. In multiplayer games, the rules dictate that a player can attack the player on his left on his turn, and only that player. In return, he need only defend himself from attacks by the player on his right. (Hunter > Player > Hunted, proceeding clockwise.) This leads to (and indeed, the game ''encourages'') discussions, arguments, and dealmaking among the players, as a player can offer not to attack his target, leaving the target free to devote resources to attacking his own target, or the player can offer concessions to keep another player off his back while he launches a full-fledged assault. In addition, when a player is eliminated, the hunting order skips over him to the next player, making long-term planning a must.

WhiteWolf took over the development of the game in 2000, after it was dropped by Wizards. Notably, after the Time of Judgement had passed and wiped out the rest of the OldWorldOfDarkness in 2004, the game continued and was the only product of the old World still ongoing; alas, the game did finally end in September 2010.

* AscendedDemon: Golcanda, as in Masquerade, which can be seen in [[http://www.trollandtoad.com/p188649.html this card]].

''Vampire: The Eternal Struggle'' -- originally known as ''Jyhad'', but changed to distance the game from the Islamic term "Jihad" -- is a CollectibleCardGame initially published by WizardsOfTheCoast and designed by David Garfield of ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' fame, released in 1994. Based on ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade'', the player plays a Methuselah; not getting involved personally but rather directing their ([[UnwittingPawn perhaps unknowing]]) pawns, they must get rid of the other players by destroying ''their'' influence and ''their'' pawns.