Neutrality
Quest implemented: 03 Aug 2003
.pansy says the Vampires! Dark Alleyway CSS file of ravenblack.net to the colours applied to neutral vampires, the only vampires you don't need to second-sight to smell what they are up to. I disagree with the statement - but this is a power that is massively looked down upon. Thankfully, it allows the only weapon for vampires who dislike it to be verbal abuse, though that goes both ways.
Neutrality is the power all lone vampires in high places dreamt of. It is ideal for those who are prone to being attacked for 'no reason' because they disagree with a clan at power. Just as loud as that statement was the uproar the implementation of this power caused.
Neutrality stops the vampire in question from using weapons, but in turn renders weapons against them useless. Sadly, it also makes almost all interaction with these vampires useless, too - they cannot give non-neutral vampires money, and their thieving profits (and yours, if you steal off them) are halved. I used to believe this is so Neutral vampires do not contract mercenaries - neither a "oh, I have 20k on me, steal some off me, we'll get the cash to you somehow", nor a "here, have 20k", directly, will work with the payment, so if a neutral vampire does want to contract someone, they need to 'pay' twice the amount they would - but Raven's since explained to me that this is not true. Nonetheless, that's ultimately the effect it has.
Thankfully, this power can also be removed, if only once. The prices are horrendous, but static both ways - it costs as much to remove Neutrality as it does to aquire it and vice versa, for every level.
Wait a second, you say. Levels? What can you level when Neutrality means no weapons both ways? Well, as usual, it's not quite so simple...
Effects of Neutrality
Neutrality(1): Scrolls of Turning only move you, they no longer damage you; depending on the amount of BP you have, HW damage is decreased (the higher your BP, the lower the damage)
Neutrality(2): Scrolls of Turning only move you, they no longer damage you; depending on the amount of BP you have, HW damage is decreased (the higher your BP, the lower the damage) (more than level 1)
Neutrality(3): Scrolls of Turning only move you, they no longer damage you; at any BP level, HW only does 1 pint of damage - less than a vampire with Suction.
Another big difference to other Guilds is that the Peacekeepers do not move. They are not illegal in-character like the other Guilds, so they pride themselves with announcing themselves openly, with flyers, and always being visible on the map.
Peacekeeper Guild Locations
Peacekeepers Mission 1: Emerald and 67th
Peacekeepers Mission 2: Unicorn and 33rd
Peacekeepers Mission 3: Emerald and 33rd
You can still use Scrolls of Turning for the moving effect when you are neutral - but they will no longer cause damage. HolyWater cannot be used at all, however, so you should try to sell them at the Pawn Shops if you can.
Prices
Neutrality(1): 10 000 coins
Neutrality(2): 10 000 coins
Neutrality(3): 10 000 coins
Pretty dull, huh?
Blood
Neutrality(1): -0 BP
Neutrality(2): -500 BP
Neutrality(3): -1 000 BP
Keep in mind both prices and blood loss are in both ways. So if you wanted to save yourself from an attack by a clan only temporarily, and went all the way up to Neutrality(3) for a certain timespan and then came down again once they let off, you'd need to pay 60 000 coins and 3 000 BP. Depending on the amount of bloodpoints you had before, this may not be a worthwhile investment at all. It likely won't ever be.
Warning
As I said before, this power created quite an uproar. Don't ever underestimate the hatred some vampires harbour for this power; though it's dimmed now that the power has become an accepted part of the game over the years. Back in 2004/2005, it was quite possible to encounter people who occasionally stalked Neutrals with a passion to leave nasty messages for them, mostly along the lines of what Raven himself thought on the matter of Neutrality (see first sentence of this post).
If you should ever go get Neutrality, despite things having simmered down, be prepared for this.
Summary
Cost: 3 * 10 000 coins, 500 BP and 1 000 BP: 30 000 coins and 1 500 BP
Benefits:
- near-immunity to holywater
- immunity to scrolls
- less likely to be stolen from (psychosocially)
- a nice glaring pink name (well, red at level 3)
Contras:
- cannot use weapons
- frowned upon socially and ridiculed (mostly unfairly)
- profits from thieving halved
- cannot give money to non-neutral friends