Refusing To Slash: A Choice In Bloodlines

can you refuse to slash the painting in bloodlines

In the game Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, players can choose to undertake the 'Slashterpiece' quest, which involves slashing paintings in a particular order. Players have debated whether it is possible to refuse to slash the paintings, with some suggesting that this is possible by walking away from the quest-giver, Jeanette, and returning to find that the paintings have already been destroyed, and others insisting that the quest must be completed to progress the story. The quest can be tricky, as slashing the paintings in the wrong order triggers a game over.

Characteristics Values
Quest Name Slashterpiece
Quest Giver Jeanette
Quest Initiation During the quests: Explosive Beginning, The Ghost Haunts at Midnight, and Spiritual Release
Requirements Strength of two, knowledge of biblical stories and vampire mythology
Refusal Consequences Two cop cars and police officers outside, the crime still occurs, possible violation of the Masquerade
Refusal Dialogue "Get the go-ahead from the level-headed 'sister' before I go stirring up for the myopic who has no leverage in my job to see Bertram"

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Refusing the quest

In the game Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, players can refuse to slash the paintings during the 'Slashterpiece' quest. This quest is initiated while doing the 'Explosive Beginning', 'The Ghost Haunts at Midnight', and 'Spiritual Release' quests, as all three are related.

To refuse the quest, players must go to the Asylum, acquire the necklace for Therese, and then speak to Jeanette. Jeanette will ask the player to slash the paintings in Gallery Noir, but the player can refuse to do this. If the player chooses to refuse, Jeanette will demand that they do it anyway, and the player can then end the dialogue and walk away. When the player exits the Asylum and returns, Therese will be there and will be angry at the player for destroying the paintings, as Jeanette lied and said they had done it.

It's important to note that refusing the quest may also impact the player's in-game "humanity", a stat that can be boosted by dancing on the dance floor in the club. Additionally, there are various ways to gain entrance to the gallery, such as dominating or persuading the guard, sneaking inside, or fighting their way in, which may have different consequences for the player's humanity and progress in the game.

While refusing the quest may allow players to avoid the moral dilemma of destroying artwork, it may also result in missing out on the experience of a fun dialogue and easy XP gain. Ultimately, the decision to refuse or accept the quest depends on the player's personal preferences and playstyle.

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Getting past the guard

In Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, the quest "Slashterpiece" requires players to slash paintings in Gallery Noir. To enter the gallery, players must get past a guard standing in front. Here are some methods to achieve this:

Dominate the Guard

Players with a Ventrue or Tremere character can use their vampiric powers to dominate the guard, compelling them to open the door.

Persuade the Guard

Through persuasive dialogue options, players can convince the guard to leave and go to The Asylum. This results in the guard dropping the key to the front door, allowing the player to enter.

Seduce the Guard (Female Characters Only)

Female characters have the option to seduce the guard, feed on him, and take his keys. This requires a seduction feat of two.

Sneak Through the Parking Lot (Strength of Two Required)

Instead of directly confronting the guard, players can sneak into the parking lot behind the gallery. With a strength of two, they can remove the iron bars and enter through the back entrance.

Fight and Kill the Guard (High-Risk Option)

Players can choose to fight and kill the guard to gain entrance. However, this option carries significant risks, including the possibility of police intervention and violating the Masquerade by openly using vampiric powers.

Once past the guard, players can proceed with the quest, slashing the paintings in chronological order and facing the consequences of their actions.

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Slashing the paintings in the correct order

In Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, the "Slashterpiece" quest will be initiated while doing the "Explosive Beginning", "The Ghost Haunts at Midnight", and "Spiritual Release" quests. To complete the "Slashterpiece" quest, you must slash the paintings in Gallery Noir in chronological order. Each portrait shows a part of Caine's legacy.

To get past the guard in front of the gallery, you have several options:

  • Dementate him (Malkavian only)
  • Dominate him (Ventrue and Tremere only)
  • Persuade him
  • Seduce him (Female fledgling only)

Alternatively, you can go to the parking lot behind the gallery, remove the iron bars, and enter through the back entrance.

Once inside, slash the paintings in chronological order. Slashing the wrong painting will trigger the message "Botch" to appear at the top of the screen. After slashing the paintings, a hostile Blood Guardian will spawn. You can either kill the Blood Guardian or stealth-kill it by crouching first and then slashing the last painting in the order from behind.

After dealing with the Blood Guardian, you can choose whether or not to steal the charity box. Doing so will grant you $250 and a Humanity Loss unless Jeanette explained what it's really for. Finally, head back to The Asylum.

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Consequences of refusing

In the Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines game, refusing to slash the paintings for Jeanette in the 'Slashterpiece' quest results in several consequences. Firstly, the player will find two police cars and multiple officers outside the gallery. Interacting with the lead officer reveals that the crime still occurred despite the player's refusal to comply with Jeanette's request.

To gain entrance to the gallery, the player must then choose from several options, each with its own set of consequences:

  • Dominating the guard: The player can use their vampiric powers to dominate the guard, forcing them to open the door.
  • Persuasion: Alternatively, they can persuade the guard to leave and go to the Asylum, causing the guard to drop the key to the front door of the gallery.
  • Seduction: If playing as a female character, the player can seduce the guard, feed on them, and take their keys.
  • Sneaking: Another option is to sneak into the parking lot and remove the iron bars blocking the back entrance of the gallery, allowing the player to crawl through.
  • Force: With a low Humanity score, the player can always resort to force and kill the guard to gain entry. However, this carries the risk of attracting police attention or violating the Masquerade by openly using vampiric powers.

Once inside the gallery, regardless of their previous choice to refuse slashing the paintings, the player will still need to slash the paintings in chronological order to progress in the quest.

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Workaround to refusing

In Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines, the "Slashterpiece" quest tasks players with slashing paintings in Gallery Noir. While there is no explicit refusal option, players can choose to refuse to slash the paintings indirectly by not completing this quest. Here are some workarounds and consequences to consider:

Workarounds to Refusing

  • Avoid triggering the quest: Players can avoid initiating the "Slashterpiece" quest by carefully navigating through related quests like "Explosive Beginning," "The Ghost Haunts at Midnight," and "Spiritual Release." By not triggering the quest, players can bypass the decision altogether.
  • Delay taking action: If the quest has already been initiated, players can choose to postpone completing it. They can continue exploring other areas, quests, or storylines within the game, effectively delaying the decision to slash the paintings.
  • Explore alternative entry methods: If players have triggered the quest but wish to avoid slashing the paintings, they can still explore alternative methods to enter Gallery Noir. This includes sneaking through the parking lot, removing iron bars, and entering through the back entrance, which requires a strength of two.
  • Interact with the guard: Instead of immediately slashing the paintings, players can interact with the guard in front of the gallery. Depending on their character's abilities and attributes, they may choose to Dementate, Dominate, Persuade, or Seduce the guard to gain entrance without resorting to violence.

Consequences and Storyline Impact

It is important to note that refusing to slash the paintings may have consequences within the game's storyline. If the player chooses to refuse Jeanette's request to destroy the paintings, they will encounter police presence outside the gallery, indicating that the crime still occurred. This refusal may also impact the player's relationships with certain characters and could potentially lead to alternative quest paths or outcomes.

While there is no direct refusal dialogue option, players can exercise agency by exploring alternative approaches and accepting the potential narrative consequences of their actions.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, you can refuse to slash the painting in the "Slashterpiece" quest. However, this may impact your progress in the game and your relationship with certain characters.

If you refuse to slash the paintings for Jeanette, there will be police officers outside the gallery, and you will still need to find a way to get past them.

Refusing to slash the paintings may impact your in-game "humanity" score, as it is not considered a "masquerade violation." You can boost your humanity by dancing on the dance floor in the club.

Yes, the paintings must be slashed in chronological order, i.e., the order in which the events depicted supposedly happened. You can deduce the order by reading the titles of the paintings and applying some knowledge of Biblical stories and vampire mythology.

While you can refuse the quest, it seems that you must accept it to progress the story. You can skip the quest by telling Jeanette you won't do it, ending the dialogue, and then returning to the Asylum, where Therese will confront you about the paintings.

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