Thin-Blood

Too dead to go home. Too alive to be taken seriously.

What Are You?¶

You exist in the gap between mortal and Kindred, and neither side wants to claim you. Thin-Bloods are created when a vampire whose blood is already stretched dangerously thin attempts the Embrace; sometimes on purpose, sometimes by accident, almost always against the advice of every Elder ever. The result is something that barely qualifies as a vampire. You have the Hunger, yes, and the fangs, but the curse didn't fully take. Your heart almost beats. Your skin almost feels warm. You can eat human food, walk in daylight, and pass as mortal without even trying. To a lot of Kindred, that makes you an abomination.

What you lack in raw vampiric power, you make up for in ways nobody expected. Your people pioneered their own form of blood magic called Thin-Blood Alchemy; a filthy improvisational craft that mixes Vitae with emotions and raw ingredients to produce effects that rival more traditional Disciplines. You can even borrow other vampires' abilities temporarily by feeding from them, your diluted blood briefly taking on the flavor and power of theirs. The Beast barely whispers in your ear, which means you almost never devolve into a rageful menace. You're adaptable, inventive, and constantly underestimated.

The cost is everything else. You are the lowest rung of recognized Kindred society, beneath even the Caitiff. Elders view you as a sign of the end times. The fangs in charge have issued edicts to have Thin-Bloods branded with a crescent moon so they can be identified on sight. You can't reliably create Ghouls or Embrace others, which means building a power base the traditional way is nearly impossible. You survive on cleverness, solidarity with other Duskborn — the name your "Clan" chose for itself — and the fact that the monsters lording over you are usually too busy fighting each other to pay much attention to the dirt beneath their heels.

Disciplines¶

You have exclusive access to Thin-Blood Alchemy, and you can temporarily access level 1 of any other Discipline by drinking the right Vitae.

Bane: Diluted & Disliked¶

You are barely a vampire. Your Blood Potency is 0 and cannot increase through normal advancement — Diablerie is the one exception. You take Aggravated Harm from bladed weapons, bullets, and other sources that would only inflict Superficial Harm on full Kindred; your body is still mostly mortal. You cannot create Blood Bonds, and any attempt to Embrace a mortal has a high chance of simply killing them (the Storyteller decides the odds based on circumstances and must let you roll to determine the outcome).

Kindred society treats you as something between a nuisance and a bad omen. The Storyteller may apply a penalty of -1 to -2 Forward on social rolls with Kindred who know and care what you are, and many domains require Thin-Bloods to bear a crescent moon brand.

Compulsion: Nothing¶

You have no fixed Compulsion. You kinda just don't get it, man. Why is everyone so uptight?

Thin-Blood Perks¶

You get 3 unique abilities:

Duskborn: You can walk in direct sunlight, taking only 1 Superficial Harm per scene of sustained exposure (cloud cover, heavy clothing, or thick gloopy sunscreen can reduce this further, at the Storyteller's discretion). You always count as having Blush of Life active at no cost. You can eat food, drink, use touchscreens without difficulty, and pass most medical examinations. You are, for almost all intents and purposes, still alive.

Barely a Beast: Your Beast is a whisper, not a roar. You never Frenzy from Hunger alone. At 5 Hunger, you become desperate and afraid, but you retain full control of your actions; you choose what you do and who you hurt. You have Disadvantage on all rolls except Hunt and Feed until you slake your Hunger. Certain supernatural effects such as Animalism or Presence can still provoke Frenzy normally.

Just a Taste: When you Feed from a Kindred, you temporarily gain access to your choice of one of their Clan Disciplines and all its level 1 Powers and Perks. This borrowed Discipline lasts until you next slumber or reach 5 Hunger, whichever comes first.

Thin-Blood Experience¶

Once each per session, gain +1 XP when you...

• Accomplish something for the Coterie during daylight hours that would have been impossible for a full Kindred
• Survive a situation where your physical vulnerability nearly got you killed
• Use your mortal connections or appearance to bypass an obstacle that stumped the rest of your Coterie

If You Commit Diablerie¶

Should the fiction lead to this ultimate transgression, the standard Diablerie rules apply with one critical addition: you absorb not just the victim's power, but their lineage. You become a full Kindred of the victim's Clan.

Retire this Playbook. Inherit the victim's Clan Playbook and rebuild your character in it, replacing your Bane, Compulsion, Clan Perks, and Discipline options with theirs. Transfer all your Convictions, Touchstones, and any Debts. Your basic stat array remains the standard spread, but you may reassign them if you wish. All XP you earned as a Thin-Blood carries over and may also be reassigned. You lose access to Thin-Blood Alchemy permanently.

You are no longer a being straddling the worlds of life and death. You are Kindred, with all the power and terror that entails. Congratudolences!

Archetypes¶

• Alchemist: You can't do what they do, so you invented something they can't fathom.
  • Blood -1 | Shadow +0 | Resolve +1 | Demeanor +1 | Wits +2
• Daywalker: The sun doesn't scare you. It's the things that come out at night that do.
  • Blood +1 | Shadow -1 | Resolve +2 | Demeanor +1 | Wits +0
• Chameleon: You always taste like whatever you last consumed. Nobody's quite sure what you really are, including you.
  • Blood +0 | Shadow +2 | Resolve -1 | Demeanor +1 | Wits +1
• Custom Archetype: Create your own by distributing these stats: +2 | +1 | +1 | +0 | -1