Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 does feature romance options, presumably because no TTRPG-to-video game adaptation would dare leave them out these days. However, don’t go in expecting romance side-stories with lasting implications for the main characters like those found in Baldur’s Gate 3, or even the self-contained but still significant romantic sub-plots of Cyberpunk 2077.
Instead, VTMB2 presents you with seven romance options, six of which work more or less like casual flings, and a final one which has all the plot importance but conversely the least spiciness. Read on for our VTMB2 romance guide and you’ll see what we mean.
VTMB2 romance options
The following characters can be the Nomad’s love interests in Bloodlines 2:
If you’ve played the game a bit, you might already have noticed that one of these things is not like the others.
The first six characters listed are the clan representatives you meet at the point in the story where you gain the option to unlock abilities from outside of your own clan. Safia, meanwhile, stands out as a more obviously plot-critical NPC.
We’ll go into each character’s romantic requirements below. But first, it’s worth noting that none of the romances in BL2 are gender-exclusive, so you won’t be locked out of any of these options regardless of whether you chose to play Phyre as female or male.
How to romance Safia in Bloodlines 2
You’ll meet Safia when you go to Weaver Tower for the first time to introduce yourself to Prince Ryong. Safia is Ryong’s personal warlock, one of only two Tremere of note currently residing in Seattle (three if you chose that as Phyre’s clan). You’ll find her in her lab, performing an autopsy on the recently-deceased former prince and seemingly unconcerned with the bloodbath going on at street-level.
If you are playing as a Tremere, Lou will already have prepared you to meet Safia, describing her as “a frazzled, graceless thing – positively lamentable – always with her nose in some dusty tome”. Based on this description alone, you perhaps weren’t anticipating meeting a very pretty young woman who has an extremely obvious crush on you by reputation alone, and is only more keen once you’ve actually exchanged a few words.
Safia remains an important contact throughout Bloodlines 2, and can usually be found at the Wake The Dead Café when she’s not working at Weaver Tower. You’ll need to return to speak with her occasionally to keep the plot moving, but if you do want to romance her while you’re at it, it is possible to do so – although unlike the more casual hook-up options in the game, it never goes beyond flirting and the implication that you two might be an item now.
To romance Safia, there are a few pointers to keep in mind:
- She cares far more deeply for her ghouls than is considered usual among kindred, so be supportive whenever she expresses concern for them and prevent them from coming to harm when you can.
- Demonstrate that you are also capable of caring for others, and don’t rush her if she becomes flustered while talking to you. Generally don’t be rude, but that probably goes without saying.
- When given the chance, always pick dialogue options that indicate you appreciate spending time with her, and don’t be afraid to be quite blatant that your interest in her extends beyond the necessary pooling of information when you work together.
- Take an interest in her research, and ask all available questions about every topic when you have the chance to do so before ending a conversation.
There’s no big payoff to romancing Safia, but if you have high enough approval her interactions with the Nomad will take on a very sweet and supportive tone, suggesting that there’s definitely something between them. Given how scarce true allies are in a Bloodlines game, it’s just nice to feel that somebody genuinely wants to have your back.
How to romance the clan representatives in Bloodlines 2
All six clan representatives have their own preferences, but nevertheless hooking up with any of them follows a very similar pattern, with one slight exception that we’ll get into in a moment.
There are two routes to getting up close and personal with a clan representative, although either will require you to lay some groundwork first by making the correct choices in conversation with them: none of these vamps are going to sleep with you if they simply don’t like you. (See each individual character’s romance guidelines below.)
Once they’re amenably disposed towards you, you can make your move by doing one of the following:
- Method 1: Successfully flirt with them three times in three separate conversations, by picking the dialogue option marked with a kiss symbol and paying attention to their responses.
- Method 2: Spend XP and blood points to unlock every clan ability that they can teach you.
If you’re going with Method #1, note that striking out even once with a failed attempt at flirtation can potentially lock you out of a romance route for the entire rest of the playthrough, so be sure to pick your moments! You also seemingly can’t successfully flirt during your first encounter with any of the clan representatives, and while some will mind more than others, there’s really no point shooting your shot that early with any of them.
Method #2 is more straightforward, but also more time-consuming (not to mention expensive), and less intuitive when it comes to knowing whether you’ve gained enough approval to be deemed romance-worthy.
Regardless of the approach you decide to take, you’ll know the romance route has been successfully triggered when the clan representative in question propositions you for an exchange of bodily fluids, bloodsucker-style (naturally). You can still turn them down at this point if you’ve stumbled onto somebody’s romance route by accident; enthusiastic mutual consent is important even to the undead, after all.
In what I’m choosing to believe is an homage to the infamous Jeanette Voerman “sex scene” in VTMB1, your reward is a bit of flirty banter followed by a fade to black and some suggestive noises from Phyre and their new friend-with-benefits.
One final thing to note before we get into the means of impressing each individual clan representative: for obvious reasons, you can’t use the buy-your-way-through-the-skill-tree method for seducing your own clanmate. So if you fancy a bit of romance with the representative of Phyre’s own clan, best ensure your flirting skills are up to scratch, since it’s the only way of impressing them.
How to romance Fletcher in Bloodlines 2
- Do: Make polite small-talk about his bar and the city.
- Don’t: Ask him why he’s not more ambitious.
Fletcher is the Ventrue clan representative who can be found playing piano in his establishment, the Makom Bar. You’ll actually have met him a couple of times before he becomes your teacher slash potential squeeze, since he appears frequently in Fabien’s flashbacks and as a key investigation witness in an early-game quest.
When choosing dialogue options, reflect on the fact that Fletcher is a rare Ventrue who doesn’t display any political ambitions, and probably won’t appreciate you making a big deal out of that. He enjoys the peaceful unlife that his role as a facilitator for Seattle’s Camarilla usually affords, admires a display of good manners (hence his distaste for Fabien’s hardboiled P.I. shtick), and prefers light conversation over talking about business or politics.
How to romance Onda in Bloodlines 2
- Do: Show an interest in and respect for Lasombra powers.
- Don’t: Suggest that the two of you aren’t equals.
Onda is the Lasombra clan representative who can be found in the Glacier Hotel, near the elevator to Lou’s penthouse, as is fitting for her role as Lou’s new head of security. Given that she appears there immediately after you unlock clan representatives and you have to walk right past her shortly afterwards, she’ll very likely be the first one you meet in that role.
In conversation, Onda values the Nomad speaking to her as an equal. She’s proud of being a Lasombra and has no issue talking openly about the fact that her clan’s allegiances have switched during the Nomad’s century-long torpor, so long as you respect her strength and power. However, you need to tread a fine line, because Onda also doesn’t want you to suggest that she’s better than you – just that she deserves to be valued as your peer.
How to romance Mrs Thorn in Bloodlines 2
- Do: Make her feel respected and important.
- Don’t: Draw attention to the difficulties in her situation.
Amelia Thorn is the Tremere clan representative who can be found working behind the counter at her all-night coffee shop, the Wake The Dead Café. This cool old lady is the only politically significant Tremere in Seattle other than Safia upon your arrival, and so is the city’s de facto primogen of her clan in addition to her more official role as a reputable knowledge broker.
As such, Mrs Thorn appreciates dialogue options that respect her wisdom and authority. Don’t go suggesting that people are simply afraid of her because she’s a warlock, or that she might be lonely or overworked (even if you mean it sympathetically). Even if Phyre is a Tremere themself and therefore her elder in the clan’s hierarchy, respect is still owed to her position in Seattle’s political landscape; and if Phyre is not a Tremere, then it pays to remember that her clan traditionally values strict deference to social pecking orders.
How to romance Niko in Bloodlines 2
- Do: Be honest and trust him to understand your reasons.
- Don’t: Imply he’s allied with the Camarilla for personal gain.
Niko is the Banu Haqim clan representative who can be found working behind the counter of the Aurora Pawnshop. He’s generally the easiest to get along with of the clan representative characters: for one thing, he’s one of the minority who won’t rebuff you with a snide remark if you choose to make a pass at him right away. He’s also an old friend of Fabien’s.
In conversation, Niko appreciates the Nomad respecting that he’s independent from the Camarilla but working with them by choice according to his own moral code, and sharing his interest in mortal life – which can swing wildly from sympathy for everyday problems to summary execution for inconsiderate behaviour.
How to romance Patience in Bloodlines 2
- Do: Appreciate her art for its own sake.
- Don’t: Try to get fancy interpreting her artwork.
Patience is the Toreador clan representative who can be found in her studio, which doubles as the back room of the Aurora Pawnshop. Like many of her clan she’s all about artistic expression, with her particular medium of choice being sculpture.
In conversation, Patience likes it when you take the time to appreciate her art, but will think you’re being pretentious if you try to read more philosophical meanings into her work. She really means it when she says she enjoys visceral and morbid subjects, and actually prefers a straightforward reading of her themes.
How to romance Silky in Bloodlines 2
- Do: Make your point quickly and clearly, and be prepared to listen more than you talk.
- Don’t: Quote poetry back at him, or try to get him interested in your mission.
Silky is the Brujah clan representative who can be found seated upstairs in his bar, The Dutchman. He’ll be quick to inform you that he named the pub after an old boyfriend whom he misses dearly, and despite his rough appearance will demonstrate his clan’s learned side by quoting poetry at length given an opportunity.
However, Silky will think you’re being pretentious if you try to match his knowledge of poetry, isn’t particularly interested in your business in Seattle, and is also notably unimpressed by your reputation as the Nomad. He’s perhaps still a little too hung up on the Dutchman in question to make him an easy romance option, but you can still hook up with him if you’re always careful to get right to the point in conversation (even if that means being blunt) and listen to him rather than talking about yourself.
Being a seductive creature of the night is importantly, obviously, but picking the right dialogue options actually does come in handy in some other situations in VTMB2 as well. For one early-game example, see our guide to the correct dialogue choices when talking to Lou Graham during the In Chains of Lead and Gold quest in Bloodlines 2.