tinyE: For starters, should I go ahead and sell all my healing salves before I'm turned? What about the rats I catch? Holy Water? Stakes?
How is the game for balance on fighting types? Is it impossible to win with range versus melee? Magic versus strength?
Keep your healing salves until you are turned. There is a tough fight with Revenants, after Azhra. Rats can make you ill, though, plus have little blood... Risky to use, cheap to sell... Almost worthless. If you have high level Blood Healing (cures diseases), then you can use safely. Holy water is mostly useful for first boss (Azhra). Stakes are worthless (slow and small chance to stun); unless you get in modern times and pick up a Stake-gun.
Range is tricky and mostly used to finish injured opponents. Besides, bow have ammo and special artillery (like incendiary tipped arrows) are rare (or pretty expensive). Disciplines are like "spells", but are used mostly as complementary to melee functions (buffs, etc). Magic is potent, but only when you get your hands on the Tremere skill books. Learn everything on your protagonist (other characters get lost past certain points in the game), spares or duplicates on other group members. If you want great magic, a quick suggestion: Theft of Vitae (steals blood, but at high level kills mortals and without giving you XP), Prison of Ice (invaluable against bosses and tough enemies), Firestorm (optional, but deals great damage, especially against immobilized foes from previous spell), Call of Lightning (greatest ranged attack, lots of damage, few enemies resist) and a powerful summon to distract and aggo enemies (ideally, Summon elemental). Remember to wear jewelry that makes disciplines cost less blood, too (really expensive, but essential).
Anything else, just PM me. I will be happy to guide you.
