Finishing the museum without bloodshed (possible spoilers)

Tiberius · Post by **Tiberius** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 8:36 pm

I can see how it is possible to finish the Museum without killing any guards if you have high obfuscate (with 5 it is a walk in the park) and/or a discipline that incapacitates people temporarily, like Dementation, Dominate or Animalism, but how can you do it with a Brujah or a Toreador? The part that seems really impossible to me is at the end where you have to break a glass window and enter the security room with a guard in it and hack a computer to disable the alarm/beams. How can you do that without incapacitating the guard? It seems impossible to sneak by him and hack a computer (which means you no longer sneak) when you just blasted the window with a shotgun, he is already on the alert. Is there some way to dodge the beams without entering the security room and disabling them? It seems next to impossible to me.

On a sidenote, what good is Dominate 2 (Brainwipe)? I have never used that power, I rely on Trance all the time. Can someone list a use for that power?

][_aVey · Post by **][_aVey** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 9:02 pm

Have you ever tried crouching (sneaking) under the window instead of shattering it, opening/passing/closing the door and giving that suspicious looking fuse box a good melee whack?

P.S.: Be sure to save before sneaking under the window as the game tends to give bugs with those beams...

Tiberius · Post by **Tiberius** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 9:19 pm

Wow, thanks, I had never before actually noticed the fuse box, silly me!

Wesp5 · Post by **Wesp5** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 2:36 am

][_aVey wrote: P.S.: Be sure to save before sneaking under the window as the game tends to give bugs with those beams...

I think that these bugs have all been fixed in the latest unofficial patch

!

Kid SixXx · Post by **Kid SixXx** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:39 pm

Tiberius wrote:On a sidenote, what good is Dominate 2 (Brainwipe)? I have never used that power, I rely on Trance all the time. Can someone list a use for that power?

Brainwipe makes people forget that you're there for about five seconds, but only in an area of effect around yourself

Not nearly as accurate as Trance and since other people alerted to your presence will snap your targets out of Brainwipe, it's not that useful when someone else may sound an alarm or warn his friends.

I usually use a male Tremere & I've never done the museaum without killing at least one guard. I tend to trance the guard in the first security office and either stealth kill him or drain him dry (combat area so no loss of Humanity) and then hack the computer to shut down the cameras.

Once that's done, avoiding the remaining guard on his rounds is pretty easy; you can even shoot the glass to get into the room where Pisha's fetish is and still remain relatively hidden.

Like the other poster said, it's pretty easy to sneak by the second security office and just short out the fuse box with a gunshot or with a melee attack. The guard is so busy making sure that no one enters the second security office that you can inch through the laser field as the beams flicker on and off.

][_aVey · Post by **][_aVey** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 8:00 pm

Walk this way.

Kid SixXx wrote:I usually use a male Tremere & I've never done the museaum without killing at least one guard. I tend to trance the guard in the first security office and either stealth kill him or drain him dry (combat area so no loss of Humanity) and then hack the computer to shut down the cameras.

I also use a Tremere but female; I like how she handles her weapons better than a male. Also, you have quite some other ways to manage conversations which make her a much more versatile character than a male (who must rely in Persuasion most of the time).

I've tried playing with a Malkavian and a Toreador, but I can't say I had much fun with them. No matter how many times I start this game, I always end up choosing a female Tremere (the locatoin of her second haven rocks too!).

Now, regarding those guards in the museum...

The guard in the first security room is a nightmare to pass by without either killing him or making him alert, but at the end it's totally worth it because you get an extra 2 EXP points for not killing anyone, you can deactivate the cameras, and you can get your hands in a Security stat book.

My strategy is:

Make a manual save under the stairs you take near the security room, remain in a crouching position (until the end of the steps of all this strategy) then wait for the walking guard to make his round (sometimes it takes eons for him to walk near the room, but he'll eventually do it) so you have all the time possible before he walks there again.
Crouch (sneak) and try to get under the camera on the right. It's difficult as the camera must be facing left (from your position) when you make your attempt. If it's not, then you'll have to wait for it to turn and try again.
Once under the camera, still in crouching position, you must make sure the inner guard is on the far side of the room from you. You can say when he's far by studying the numbers in your Sneaking Radar and by the sound of his footsteps.
Once he's away, you must give the camera another look and wait until it faces left (from where you are now), then cast Blood Buff because it raises Dexterity, which means a temporary Sneaking bonus. The Bloodstar item which you can get from Strauss first will help you as the duration of Blood Buff is extended by two.
Now, quickly open the door and move into the room, Blood Buff will help you stay undetected, use this time to get the Security book and to close that door! Why, you ask? Because the camera outside has a perfect view of the computer we are planning to hack, and with the door open you'll definitely sound an alarm when you're trying to do it.
Once you got the book and closed the door, quickly cast Trance on the guard and use the computer.
The next step must be done very quickly and you must know how to input this from memory and as fast as you can: Input "cameras1" [ENTER], "pterodactyl" [ENTER], [ENTER] again, "disable", [ESC], and get back to your corner and cast Trance again on the guard.
Now do the same, but this time input: "cameras2" [ENTER], "velociraptor" [ENTER], [ENTER] again, "disable", [ESC]. You could cast one final Trance to the guard just to be sure. After that, the rest of the level is a breeze.

You must practice this strategy a couple of times until you develop the necessary speed, skill and luck for it to work correctly.

Remember not to kill any guard if you want those extra EXP points!

Peace.

Tiberius · Post by **Tiberius** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:33 pm

Last time, playing as Ventrue, I managed to lure out the security guard from the first office by shooting the camera and destroying it; the guy fired through the glass window and broke it, then came out looking for me, but I hid under the stairwell. He remained outside the room, in the corridor, while I entered the security room and disabled the cameras (and grabbed the security manual of course

).

It is totally possible to do the Museum without killing, I just tranced everyone that noticed me. With Toreador and Brujah who have no incapacitating disciplines that is probably harder, but then again you could just run like the wind with celerity if someone notices you I guess and hide till they lose you. The condition for getting the extra xp is not killing anyone, being noticed and escaping is fine as long as you don't hurt anyone.

@ Kidsixxx: I suspected this was the case with brainwipe, it might be useful if you use it on a group that has surrounded you and you just want to get out quickly and hide I guess, but for stealth missions I don't think it is any use if you can trance people. Might it reset the status of the Trafik mission? After you have been noticed (and thuse botched the stealth part) using it on the ones who noticed you should mean that they forgot and you are no longer noticed, right? Well at least it should work that way, but I doubt it.

Kid SixXx · Post by **Kid SixXx** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:57 am

Well, experimentation has shot down a theory I had.

It usually takes quite a while for a human to recover from the stupor induced by feeding, so I gambled that I could trance the security guard in the security room, feed on him but not to the point of draining the guard dry, and hope that the after effect of feeding would render the guard immobile long enough to disable the cameras.

No such luck. Not sure if it is a bug or by design to defeat that particular tactic, but the guard wakes up within seconds of being fed upon and is instantly alert.

Kree · Post by **Kree** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:04 am

Hmm, wellif I recall my most recent ventrue game, with a sneak of 2 thanks to a dex booster, It was quite easy to get around without notice. Once down to the basement area, I simply crouched (sneak obviously

) and waited fro the camera to move before crossing the hall. I went around the corner and approached the second corner, and waited for the camera to move up the hall. However, if you listen the guard moves positions. He stays in one place for one full camera rotation (The top area of the square) and then stays at the bottom area for two camera rotations. He will always move when the camera is facing your initial entrance so you can easily move across into the room sneaking when the camera is facing away and he is standing in the opposite corner.
Start....--------------
..........|............*.....|
..........|..............*...|
..........|...................|
..........|...*..............|
...........--------------
Camera

Shoddy room I know lol. Ignore the periods

The top star is his second postion (Or first) where he stays for one camera rotation. This is when I sneak in because the camera is facing the start

The second topmost star is the comp

The bottom star is his other position where he stands for two camera rotations. The door is pretty much right next to him.

All the time whilst in the room the sneak bar was at about a centimeter in height. I waited next to the table after closing the door until he moved to the bottom area of the square where I would sneak over to the comp and access it whilst in sneak mode. This move is truly homage to the poor Field of view the AI has when you are sneaking and it is dark. I was able to take as long as I needed as he would walk by me a couple of times. It is behind a chair on the other side. I was able to go in sneaking, do everything in the room including turning off the cameras and grabbing the book. Fairly easily. I remember the first time I used trance, but none after.

I dunno, maybe it was just me, but try it out. This was with 4.6 or 4.7 I believe...

Good luck

][_aVey · Post by **][_aVey** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 2:24 pm

Most interesting strategy Kree, I'll try that one in my next run.

Duskey · Post by **Duskey** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:06 pm

I can't seem to do it without shedding blood.

I get past the first guard using stealth and trance, I disable the camera and dodge the patrolling guard, piece of cake.

I get the workroom key card and the fetisch, BUT at the last guard station, I can't seem to smash the glass unless I (or the guard) shoots it. All the melee weapon including my fists doesn't seem to be able to break through it.
I seem to be too ham-handed to navigate through the laserbeams even when hitting the fusebox, only 2-3 of them flicker, but even if I could it doesn't get me past the last obstacle: A door.

The door right after the laserbeams is locked with a keycard, held by a guard standing opposite of it, how do you open that door without killing the guard?
The keycard I looted earlier in the museum is for the door behind this locked door.

I have the latest official patch, I don't trust the unofficial one.

Faust · Post by **Faust** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:15 pm

Duskey wrote:I can't seem to do it without shedding blood.

I get past the first guard using stealth and trance, I disable the camera and dodge the patrolling guard, piece of cake.

I get the workroom key card and the fetisch, BUT at the last guard station, I can't seem to smash the glass unless I (or the guard) shoots it. All the melee weapon including my fists doesn't seem to be able to break through it.
I seem to be too ham-handed to navigate through the laserbeams even when hitting the fusebox, only 2-3 of them flicker, but even if I could it doesn't get me past the last obstacle: A door.

The door right after the laserbeams is locked with a keycard, held by a guard standing opposite of it, how do you open that door without killing the guard?
The keycard I looted earlier in the museum is for the door behind this locked door.

I have the latest official patch, I don't trust the unofficial one.

Keep in mind, it doesn't matter if you get attacked by the guards. All that matter is that you cannot kill a guard. So, break into the final security room, use trance or whatever you've got to incapacitate the guard and hack away. You may take a lot of damage, but use blood packs to heal yourself and know the passwords in advance so you can avoid that difficulty, and it's doable to hack them even under fire. If you've got fortitude or celerity, it make for a very good time to turn it on, as well. But that's just my kamikaze strategy.

Shizz · Post by **Shizz** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 3:21 am

Or - as mentioned earlier - plant an axe into that inconspicious little panel on the right wall in the hallway with the laserbeams. That'll cause them to flicker and enable you to bypass them with the right timing. The door on the left after that should either be unlocked or the key should be somewhere around the basement, can't remember right now.
I recommend to look at the walkthrough on this very site to get that info; or to wait for someone with greater knowledge than me to happen by ;-)

CeciliaOfSweden · Post by **CeciliaOfSweden** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 4:00 pm

Toreador Female

I am playing as a Toreador female and I could not get pass the first securityroom whiteout killing the guard in it.

First I hid beside the dooropening when you get down from the stairs and waited for the walking guard to pass. This is the best strategy because it will take some time until he returns, as said above.

Then I sneaked under the camera and waited until the roomguard was furthest away from me and the camera turned the other way when I used bloodbuff to get a bit better sneakingskills and sneaked into the room and closed the door.

Then I simply sneaked up behind the guard and sucked him dry, grabbed the manual and hacked the computer. The rest of the level was easy whitout killing anyone.

Oh, And the laserbeams is not hard if you just sit and study them. Dont worry, You got the time for that. Just remeber to stay as close to the white dot the laserbeam comes out from as possible.

shift244 · Post by **shift244** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:40 am

Or you could take it the slower way by

Spoiler

sneaking in only for the book and

not being bothered to hack the PC there

Spoiler

to shutdown the cameras

. It's somewhat more difficult to maneuver the level, but it is doable with some waiting around for the right moments to sprint your way when the coast is clear.

Yes, sprint as in run. Not sneak around crouched.

Remember, there is line of sight for visual detection and circular radius of noise for audio detection. Some have both senses, some do not. Sneaking reduces the chance to detection from both sources when and only if they are within range and area of it's type of detection; so you can play this to your advantage.

Even totally non-sneaking capable characters can finish the floor without being noticed!

Duskey · Post by **Duskey** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:57 am

I did it without any unofficial patches and tripped the alarm beams, possibly locking the first door where I then needed to kill the guard to get it open again.
My theory is that if you disable to alarm by hacking or actually avoid tripping the alarm beams, the door would be unlocked.

Also, without the unofficial patches, hitting the fusebox will only result in TWO of the beams to flicker.

Tenser · Post by **Tenser** » Mon Oct 25, 2010 2:10 am

][_aVey wrote: My strategy is:

[...]

You must practice this strategy a couple of times until you develop the necessary speed, skill and luck for it to work correctly.

Remember not to kill any guard if you want those extra EXP points!

Thats helpful, thanks. At least now I have some idea how to make this work.

Duskey wrote: I have the latest official patch, I don't trust the unofficial one.

:laugh:

Because the people at Troika are demigods and the guy who does the unofficial patch is ... something inferior ... or what ? No such thing, man. They're all programmers. Just some feeble humans out of flesh and bone. Like you and me.

I can only strongly recomment the unofficial patch. It fixes tons of things and makes the game much more enjoyable. If you install plus, you even get quite a lot small changes that I considered, overall, an improvement of the original experience.

shift244 wrote: Even totally non-sneaking capable characters can finish the floor without being noticed!

Yes, probably, but how ?

And consider not knowing the level beforehand. Is it any realistic that you could do it ? As far as I know, you get no map of the area or anything.

Crenshinibon · Post by **Crenshinibon** » Mon Oct 25, 2010 6:52 am

Although your response to this thread is the first one in about two years, I'll reply as well and confirm that you do not need to sneak in order to get the extra experience for the mission.

First of all, you can see where the guards walk and simply avoid them. You can use distracting disciplines and walk right past them. Using Obfuscate requires no points in sneaking either. If they die from Dominate, it does not count as a death. Last, but certainly not least, you can make a mad dash for the goal using Celerity.

Tenser · Post by **Tenser** » Mon Oct 25, 2010 7:29 am

Does it matter how old this thread is ? This forum is pretty dead, and of all the museum threads I could find, this one was the one with the best information. I'm with a Toreador in this dungeon and it seem thats the worst of all clans you can have in there.

Shizz · Post by **Shizz** » Mon Oct 25, 2010 7:36 am

Depends... if you want to be stealthy-sneaky, Toreador have a bit of a problem, yes. If you just don't want to kill anybody: Observe and memorize guard patterns and use Celerity to pass them quickly; a combo of Celerity and Presence will help you escape, should you be detected. Ain't hard that way, given a little patience.

Personally, I find Bruhja to be more challenging down there (still doable though, just requires some experience or some more try&error).