Information about the Friend or Enemy? trait in Vampire the Masquerade: Swansong, including gameplay information about the trait and how to obtain it.
How to Get the Friend or Enemy Trait¶
The Friend or Enemy? trait is your standard permanent, passive, mixed-bag trait in Vampire the Masquerade: Swansong, which makes it stand out in Emem’s second scene (Scene 04 - Unknown), as the other two traits in this scene - Amnesia and Tremere Concoction are both unusual in that they’re temporary and not obtained by making specific story/dialog choices.
To get this trait you’ll need to free the vampire prisoner atop the tower, which is easier said than done. Advance through Emem’s second scene until you perform your second Blink jump, after recovering your first missing memory (while looking at the Jefferson Library sign). You should find yourself on a ledge with a well-furnished study across from some sundered stairs that lead to a tower. Go up the stairs and Blink jump across another gap to reach a tower, inside of which you’ll find the ring puzzle, which, aside from searching for and watching memories, will consume much of your time in this scene.
(1 of 2) Solve the optional puzzles on the 1st, 2nd and 3rds floors…
Solve the optional puzzles on the 1st, 2nd and 3rds floors… (left), …and you’ll be able to ride up to the 5th-floor. (right)
To advance up the tower you’ll need to solve a series of puzzles, where you’ll be tasked with creating a channel from the pedestal at the edge of each floor with the center of each ring puzzle, which you can accomplish by rotating the grooved rings until such a channel is created. Each puzzle you solve will activate the elevator at the center of each ring puzzle, which will take you up to the next floor. Solve three and you’ll reach the 4th floor, where you’ll be able to go through a portal to reach the end of the scene.
If you want this trait, however, you’ll need to reach the top of the tower - the 5th floor. To do this, you’ll first need to solve the puzzle on each floor to unlock the elevator to the next floor, after which you’ll be able to interact with the pedestal again and can this time work on solving the puzzles that’ll ultimately unlock access to the 5th floor.
The goal of each puzzle the second time around isn’t the pedestal, but rather one of the runes encircling the puzzle itself. Note the runes on the floor near the bases of the pedestals, and the runes that encircle the ring puzzle on each floor. The rune encircling the puzzle that matches the one on the floor near the pedestal is what you need to create a channel to.
You will need to solve all three elevator puzzles to get to the 4th floor, then subsequently solve the bonus rune-puzzles to unlock access to the 5th floor. Six puzzles in total, but once done you can ride the elevator to the 5th floor, where you’ll find the vampire prisoner. After a scene, you’ll be able to investigate the ring surrounding the prone prisoner. Do so and you’ll get the option to “Erase the symbol.”, which will free the vampire prisoner and give Emem the Friend or Enemy? trait.
The “Friend or Enemy?” trait will boost Emem’s success rate during Psychology ties, but lower it during Rhetoric ties.
What Does the Friend or Enemy Trait Do?¶
While the long-reaching consequences of freeing the vampire prisoner may not be apparent yet, the effects of the Friend or Enemy? Trait is pretty straight-forward:
For the rest of the game Emem will receive a +10% bonus to success rates during Psychology ties, while suffering a -10% penalty to success rates during Rhetoric ties.
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