Post by Admin on Apr 21, 2016 21:33:32 GMT
It fine to use a previous character that already been made. But keep in mind this is a Game that will be focused on growth. And some restrictions apply. This is a V20 setting.
Thin bloods: One of the chief concerns of the Tal’Mahe’Ra is the weakening of the blood, each successive generation producing less powerful vampires. The Tal’Mahe’Ra disdains the creation of any Kindred greater than Tenth Generation, believing weak vampires are poor pawns and have no use even as an aperitif for ravenous Antediluvians.
Camarilla agents often seek to reduce or restrict the creation of childer within their cities. At least one Prince has banned siring entirely, forcing the Kindred of his city to travel to nearby towns to Embrace childer. Several more withhold permission to sire as a reward for the most loyal, and only bestow it on Kindred of sufficient Generation.
Vampires of Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Generations are regarded as a sign of Gehenna by the Tal’Mahe’Ra, especially when said Thin-Blooded are also Caitiff. When they believe they can do so unnoticed, seraphim and dominions attempt to purge such abominations from their cities. The Hand wishes the eldest Generations to rise. Since most prophecies suggest the Thin-Blooded will bring that about, the Hand recognizes the value of the youngest, even if not welcoming their membership. Further, this hostility is not just a social construct; the servants of the Antediluvians are instinctively aggressive toward the Thin-Blooded, as if something within their blood boils and demands they be culled.
Concept Not every vampire is suited for recruitment to the Sect. The Tal’Mahe’Ra has not achieved success by giving into impulsivity. No recruitment decision is made spontaneously. With rare exception, a prospective recruit is vetted over months, years, or even decades by extensive networks of spies. By the time the vetting process is complete, recruiters will know where the bodies are buried, who buried them, how they died, and what they ate for their last meal.
The core concept of a character needs to reflect this process. Characters should fill a role necessary to the goals of the Sect. The fingers of the Hand are in many pies worldwide, and a multitude of concepts are suitable to the Sect: soldiers, assassins, spies, rival Sect infiltrators, loremasters, thaumaturgists, doomsday harbingers, cult leaders, financiers, business managers, and information brokers are only a few that can find a home here.
Clan The Tal’Mahe’Ra once consisted of a handful of Clans and bloodlines, retaining an exclusive membership that turned otherwise-qualified candidates away. The world has changed greatly since, and the seraphim were forced to take a long, hard look at the Sect’s sustainability in the modern world. Under protest from core members, the Tal’Mahe’Ra reluctantly opened its doors. The previously-excluded Clans are still rare to find within the ranks, but they are growing in number.
There stands one hard addendum to this new policy,however. Followers of Set are disallowed membership. Brujah, Giovanni, Lasombra, and Tremere characters may be considered for recruitment, but are likely to face hostility from Tal’Mahe’Ra elders as their Clans historically diablerized or murdered Antediluvians. Recruits from these Clans must work twice as hard to earn the elders’ trust.
New Background: Cult You are the leader or otherwise have control over a cult of your own. Due to their broad membership, Cults as a Background act as a combination of Allies, Contacts, Herd, and Influence, but when called upon are effectively one dot lower in each of those categories (a rating of 1 is effectively 0) and require twice the effort to build or accumulate. Lastly, members of the Sect have a minimum one dot in True Black Hand Membership, which is mechanically identical to standard Black Hand Membership, though indicative of belonging to the Tal’Mahe’Ra and not Sabbat-specific. The following Backgrounds are restricted or altered for Tal’Mahe’Ra character creation
Backgrounds Contact with other supernatural denizens in the World of Darkness is more common with members of the Tal’Mahe’Ra than those belonging to other Sects. Supernatural Allies and Retainers take up a dot one lev-el higher than their human versions. The Tal’Mahe’Ra (as well as their Follower of Set and infernalist enemies) frequently utilize Cults.
Alternate Identity (Required) The Sect’s existence is so guarded, every vampire in the Tal’Mahe’Ra possesses this Background. It is very rare for even neonates to have less than 2 dots. This Background is tied to a character’s advancement within the Tal’Mahe’Ra; it is unlikely an ancilla will advance to elder without increasing her Alternate Identity rating. Elders may have additional Alternate Identities, and at least one will be three dots or higher. Seraphim maintain multiple Alternate Identity ratings between three and five dots.
Generation Tal’Mahe’Ra do not recruit the weak. Whether through powerful sires or past diablerie, most Tal’Mahe’Ra char-acters begin play at Tenth Generation. Purchasing this Background can therefore lower a character’s Generation to a minimum of Fifth. With Storyteller permission, characters may begin at Thirteenth Generation, but do not gain any additional Background points.
Herd (2 dots maximum) The Tal’Mahe’Ra frowns on the cultivation of personal mortal herds. Beyond the difficulty of maintaining larger herds for members who regularly travel to and from the Shadowlands, large groups of kine pose security risks. The Sect prefers its members to feed from communal herds from pooled backgrounds with other Hand members. While it is not strictly forbidden, it may become an issue with the seraphim should the character possess more than 2 dots of this Background. (Restricted to 2 dots maximum at creation.) Kindred members with the Cult Background, described above, may enjoy the benefit of a higher Herd rating, so long as the Herd is intertwined with the Cult. Mortal cultists are slavishly devoted to the Tal’Mahe’Ra and pose no risk to outside exposure.
Mentor (Required for neonates) For neonates, a Mentor is a requirement. The Tal’Mahe’Ra elders guide their new additions in the Sect’s policies, schemes and responsibilities. This relationship is akin to sponsorship, though the Cainite assigned to shep-herd the neonate is not necessarily the one who proposed his inclusion. Over time, this Background either withers to nothing or converts to Allies or Contacts. Some Kindred maintain the relationship when they become ancillae.
Retainers Most ghoul servitors come from one of the three revenant lines that have served the Tal’mahe’Ra for centuries. Occasionally, a recruit may bring one or two previously bound ghouls with them, provided they pass the Sect’s rigorous vetting process.
Status (Restricted to ancillae, elders, and seraphim) Neonates may not possess Status (Tal’Mahe’Ra) until they have been deemed trustworthy. They may still retain previously-gained Status in their previous Sect, as well any Status gained prior to Tal’Mahe’Ra recruitment. Ancillae possess Status at one or two dots. Ancillae rarely achieve three dots before they become elders. Elders possess this rating at three to five dots. Seraphim possess this rating at five dots and up.
Path of Enlightenment Cainites of the Tal’Mahe’Ra do not follow the Path of Humanity. Alternate Paths of Enlightenment are detailed in V20 beginning on p. 316. Most members follow either the Path of the Bones, the Path of Cathari, the Path of Lilith, the Path of the Scorched Heart, the Path of Self-Focus, the Path of the Hive, or the Path of Power and the Inner Voice. The Path of Lilith has grown in popularity in recent decades, which has led to the decline of followers of the Path of Caine.
Cainites recruited from the Sabbat may follow a variant of the Path of the Bones known as the Path of Death and the Soul. They are mechanically the same.
While no hard rule limits Path of Typhon adherents, it can cause massive bias within the Hand.
Disciplines There is no additional restriction on the Disciplines a player may select for his character, with the exception of Vicissitude. It is a tenet of the Tal’Mahe’Ra to shelter and protect humanity from vampiric excess, but Vicissitude has no purpose but transhumanism. The more monstrous or alien your body becomes, the more monstrous or alien you behave. Evolving the vampiric condition fosters a radical disconnect from humanity, allowing Cainites to forget their curse. Some characters may have it, but understand the social implications of the purchase. Vicissitude will be treated as a disease of the mind and make one susceptible to The Path of Asakku should they come in contact with another victim of Asakku. If you wish to rp out this aspect you are welcome to take it but must have Dark Secret (1pt. Flaw) until you find a cure for the disease icly.
Virtues Tal’Mahe’Ra use Virtues in line with their Path of Enlightenment. Normal Virtues have a free dot. Alternate Virtues begin at zero.
Willpower Willpower must be a minimum of 5. If a character has less than 5, the remainder must be purchased with freebie points or experience.
Merits and Flaws Neonate characters, without exception, possess the Probationary Sect Member Flaw (V20, p. 493). They do not gain additional freebie points from this Flaw, nor does it count towards their maximum allowable freebie points gained from Flaws. When a neonate becomes an ancilla, this Flaw is removed without cost to the player.
The Tal’Mahe’Ra are cautious in their selection of Cainites for recruitment. Serious personality defects are often enough for recruiters to pass on a candidate. However, things do occasionally slip through the cracks; the vetting system is excellent, but it is not perfect. limiting selection of Merits and Flaws at character creation, notably Amnesia, Diseased, Fourteenth Generation, Fifteenth Generation, Guilt-Wracked, Impatient, Lazy, Lunacy, Narc, Soft-Hearted, Shy, Stereotype, Sympathizer, Thin Blood, True Faith, Unconvinced, Uppity, Victim of the Masquerade, and Weak-Willed.
Agent (1pt Merit. Title) The covert operatives of the Sect, agents specialize in infiltrating enemy organizations, providing crucial leverage and intelligence for the True Black Hand. Individual agents may never know why they’re asked to perform certain actions or get a particular piece of information, but the seraphim who see the larger picture know exactly which strings to pull to achieve the Sect’s agenda. For more information on Titles see the V20 Companion. Tal’Mahe’Ra Titles can be found below.
Neonates Generation: Tenth Age: 50-100 Attributes: 7/5/3 Abilities: 13/9/5 Disciplines: 3 Backgrounds: 5, and Virtues: 7 Record Humanity (equal to Conscience + Self-Control), Path: 5 with only 1 free dot in Courage and 7 to add.
Willpower (equal to Courage), Path: 6, Choose Merits and Flaws (max. 7 points). Freebie points :15
Required Backgrounds: Alternate Identity 2+, Mentor Merits/Flaws: Probationary Sect Member (effective). No Ability higher than 3 at this stage.
Ancillae Generation: Eighth to Tenth Age: 100-200 Attributes: 8/6/4 Abilities: 14/10/7 Disciplines: 7 Backgrounds: 10 Required Alternate Identity 2+, Status (Tal’Mahe’Ra) 1) Virtues: 7 Freebie Points: 18
Freebie Points
Trait Cost
Attribute 5 per dot
Ability 2 per dot
Discipline 7 per dot
Background 1 per dot
Virtue 2 per dot
Humanity/Path 2 per dot
Willpower 1 per dot
---------------------------------------------------
Notes for Characters pre made:
Please add to Sheets at the bottom
XP: (total)
Example on how it was spent:
1 Animal Ken - 2 xp ( 1x2 (dot 2)
1 Arts - 3 xp (New 3 )
1 Other clan Discipline Protean - 10xp (New 10)
1 Other clan Discipline Protean - 7 xp (1x7)
1 Other clan Discipline Protean - 14 xp (2x7)
Please include a brief Summary for other clan Disciplines aside from Celerity, Potance and Fortitude. How did they acquire it? Who did they Acquire it from? Was it a Boon? It a Boon that has to be paid back? Was it passed on and etc. No need for long stories of History Here you can add that under a History: Add on.
Experience Costs
Trait Cost
New Ability 3
New Discipline 10
New Path (Necromancy or Thaumaturgy) 7
Attribute current rating x 4
Ability current rating x 2
Clan Discipline current rating x 5*
Other Discipline current rating x 7*
Secondary Path (Necromancy or Thaumaturgy) current rating x 4
Virtue current rating x 2**
Humanity or Path of Enlightenment current rating x 2
Willpower current rating
* Caitiff have no Clan-based Disciplines, just as they have no Clan. For them, the cost of raising all
Disciplines is the current rating x 6. This is both the curse and the blessing of being Clanless.
** Increasing a Virtue through experience does not increase Traits based on that Virtue (Humanity,
Path, Willpower).
-------------------------------------------
For all-
No Trait may be increased by more than one point during the course of a story. Vast changes in Traits take time, and the game should reflect that limitation. Increasing existing Traits can be done fairly readily, so long as the character uses or practices the Trait in question. Learning new Traits, however, is a little more difficult. Even a vampire can’t simply pick up a functioning legal knowledge or learn to fight if he doesn’t know even the basics (to say nothing of learning a new Discipline). Thus, learning an entirely new Ability or Discipline requires some tutoring and study, in addition to the required experience-point expenditure. This study can be simple (a night-school course to learn the basics of Computer) or brutally difficult (months or even years of mind-bending rituals, formulas, and blood manipulation to learn the first dot in Thaumaturgy), but it must always be accomplished. Having the Mentor Background helps, but even a mentor can teach only what she herself knows.
Adding Discipline without a teacher, he could not have improved it, and thus the Storyteller should not allow him to increase the number of dots in that Discipline. The same stands for improving Virtues: A character who just killed three children and diablerized her sire has no logical grounds for increasing her Humanity rating.
To keep things leveled and simple there are a few ST rules I will be applying as followed:
No character can have an Other Discipline higher level then their clan Disciplines.
Character must have a teacher for each level be it a PC or an ST'd NPC in which you must RP a few scenes working on it.
Thin bloods: One of the chief concerns of the Tal’Mahe’Ra is the weakening of the blood, each successive generation producing less powerful vampires. The Tal’Mahe’Ra disdains the creation of any Kindred greater than Tenth Generation, believing weak vampires are poor pawns and have no use even as an aperitif for ravenous Antediluvians.
Camarilla agents often seek to reduce or restrict the creation of childer within their cities. At least one Prince has banned siring entirely, forcing the Kindred of his city to travel to nearby towns to Embrace childer. Several more withhold permission to sire as a reward for the most loyal, and only bestow it on Kindred of sufficient Generation.
Vampires of Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Generations are regarded as a sign of Gehenna by the Tal’Mahe’Ra, especially when said Thin-Blooded are also Caitiff. When they believe they can do so unnoticed, seraphim and dominions attempt to purge such abominations from their cities. The Hand wishes the eldest Generations to rise. Since most prophecies suggest the Thin-Blooded will bring that about, the Hand recognizes the value of the youngest, even if not welcoming their membership. Further, this hostility is not just a social construct; the servants of the Antediluvians are instinctively aggressive toward the Thin-Blooded, as if something within their blood boils and demands they be culled.
Concept Not every vampire is suited for recruitment to the Sect. The Tal’Mahe’Ra has not achieved success by giving into impulsivity. No recruitment decision is made spontaneously. With rare exception, a prospective recruit is vetted over months, years, or even decades by extensive networks of spies. By the time the vetting process is complete, recruiters will know where the bodies are buried, who buried them, how they died, and what they ate for their last meal.
The core concept of a character needs to reflect this process. Characters should fill a role necessary to the goals of the Sect. The fingers of the Hand are in many pies worldwide, and a multitude of concepts are suitable to the Sect: soldiers, assassins, spies, rival Sect infiltrators, loremasters, thaumaturgists, doomsday harbingers, cult leaders, financiers, business managers, and information brokers are only a few that can find a home here.
Clan The Tal’Mahe’Ra once consisted of a handful of Clans and bloodlines, retaining an exclusive membership that turned otherwise-qualified candidates away. The world has changed greatly since, and the seraphim were forced to take a long, hard look at the Sect’s sustainability in the modern world. Under protest from core members, the Tal’Mahe’Ra reluctantly opened its doors. The previously-excluded Clans are still rare to find within the ranks, but they are growing in number.
There stands one hard addendum to this new policy,however. Followers of Set are disallowed membership. Brujah, Giovanni, Lasombra, and Tremere characters may be considered for recruitment, but are likely to face hostility from Tal’Mahe’Ra elders as their Clans historically diablerized or murdered Antediluvians. Recruits from these Clans must work twice as hard to earn the elders’ trust.
New Background: Cult You are the leader or otherwise have control over a cult of your own. Due to their broad membership, Cults as a Background act as a combination of Allies, Contacts, Herd, and Influence, but when called upon are effectively one dot lower in each of those categories (a rating of 1 is effectively 0) and require twice the effort to build or accumulate. Lastly, members of the Sect have a minimum one dot in True Black Hand Membership, which is mechanically identical to standard Black Hand Membership, though indicative of belonging to the Tal’Mahe’Ra and not Sabbat-specific. The following Backgrounds are restricted or altered for Tal’Mahe’Ra character creation
Backgrounds Contact with other supernatural denizens in the World of Darkness is more common with members of the Tal’Mahe’Ra than those belonging to other Sects. Supernatural Allies and Retainers take up a dot one lev-el higher than their human versions. The Tal’Mahe’Ra (as well as their Follower of Set and infernalist enemies) frequently utilize Cults.
Alternate Identity (Required) The Sect’s existence is so guarded, every vampire in the Tal’Mahe’Ra possesses this Background. It is very rare for even neonates to have less than 2 dots. This Background is tied to a character’s advancement within the Tal’Mahe’Ra; it is unlikely an ancilla will advance to elder without increasing her Alternate Identity rating. Elders may have additional Alternate Identities, and at least one will be three dots or higher. Seraphim maintain multiple Alternate Identity ratings between three and five dots.
Generation Tal’Mahe’Ra do not recruit the weak. Whether through powerful sires or past diablerie, most Tal’Mahe’Ra char-acters begin play at Tenth Generation. Purchasing this Background can therefore lower a character’s Generation to a minimum of Fifth. With Storyteller permission, characters may begin at Thirteenth Generation, but do not gain any additional Background points.
Herd (2 dots maximum) The Tal’Mahe’Ra frowns on the cultivation of personal mortal herds. Beyond the difficulty of maintaining larger herds for members who regularly travel to and from the Shadowlands, large groups of kine pose security risks. The Sect prefers its members to feed from communal herds from pooled backgrounds with other Hand members. While it is not strictly forbidden, it may become an issue with the seraphim should the character possess more than 2 dots of this Background. (Restricted to 2 dots maximum at creation.) Kindred members with the Cult Background, described above, may enjoy the benefit of a higher Herd rating, so long as the Herd is intertwined with the Cult. Mortal cultists are slavishly devoted to the Tal’Mahe’Ra and pose no risk to outside exposure.
Mentor (Required for neonates) For neonates, a Mentor is a requirement. The Tal’Mahe’Ra elders guide their new additions in the Sect’s policies, schemes and responsibilities. This relationship is akin to sponsorship, though the Cainite assigned to shep-herd the neonate is not necessarily the one who proposed his inclusion. Over time, this Background either withers to nothing or converts to Allies or Contacts. Some Kindred maintain the relationship when they become ancillae.
Retainers Most ghoul servitors come from one of the three revenant lines that have served the Tal’mahe’Ra for centuries. Occasionally, a recruit may bring one or two previously bound ghouls with them, provided they pass the Sect’s rigorous vetting process.
Status (Restricted to ancillae, elders, and seraphim) Neonates may not possess Status (Tal’Mahe’Ra) until they have been deemed trustworthy. They may still retain previously-gained Status in their previous Sect, as well any Status gained prior to Tal’Mahe’Ra recruitment. Ancillae possess Status at one or two dots. Ancillae rarely achieve three dots before they become elders. Elders possess this rating at three to five dots. Seraphim possess this rating at five dots and up.
Path of Enlightenment Cainites of the Tal’Mahe’Ra do not follow the Path of Humanity. Alternate Paths of Enlightenment are detailed in V20 beginning on p. 316. Most members follow either the Path of the Bones, the Path of Cathari, the Path of Lilith, the Path of the Scorched Heart, the Path of Self-Focus, the Path of the Hive, or the Path of Power and the Inner Voice. The Path of Lilith has grown in popularity in recent decades, which has led to the decline of followers of the Path of Caine.
Cainites recruited from the Sabbat may follow a variant of the Path of the Bones known as the Path of Death and the Soul. They are mechanically the same.
While no hard rule limits Path of Typhon adherents, it can cause massive bias within the Hand.
Disciplines There is no additional restriction on the Disciplines a player may select for his character, with the exception of Vicissitude. It is a tenet of the Tal’Mahe’Ra to shelter and protect humanity from vampiric excess, but Vicissitude has no purpose but transhumanism. The more monstrous or alien your body becomes, the more monstrous or alien you behave. Evolving the vampiric condition fosters a radical disconnect from humanity, allowing Cainites to forget their curse. Some characters may have it, but understand the social implications of the purchase. Vicissitude will be treated as a disease of the mind and make one susceptible to The Path of Asakku should they come in contact with another victim of Asakku. If you wish to rp out this aspect you are welcome to take it but must have Dark Secret (1pt. Flaw) until you find a cure for the disease icly.
Virtues Tal’Mahe’Ra use Virtues in line with their Path of Enlightenment. Normal Virtues have a free dot. Alternate Virtues begin at zero.
Willpower Willpower must be a minimum of 5. If a character has less than 5, the remainder must be purchased with freebie points or experience.
Merits and Flaws Neonate characters, without exception, possess the Probationary Sect Member Flaw (V20, p. 493). They do not gain additional freebie points from this Flaw, nor does it count towards their maximum allowable freebie points gained from Flaws. When a neonate becomes an ancilla, this Flaw is removed without cost to the player.
The Tal’Mahe’Ra are cautious in their selection of Cainites for recruitment. Serious personality defects are often enough for recruiters to pass on a candidate. However, things do occasionally slip through the cracks; the vetting system is excellent, but it is not perfect. limiting selection of Merits and Flaws at character creation, notably Amnesia, Diseased, Fourteenth Generation, Fifteenth Generation, Guilt-Wracked, Impatient, Lazy, Lunacy, Narc, Soft-Hearted, Shy, Stereotype, Sympathizer, Thin Blood, True Faith, Unconvinced, Uppity, Victim of the Masquerade, and Weak-Willed.
Agent (1pt Merit. Title) The covert operatives of the Sect, agents specialize in infiltrating enemy organizations, providing crucial leverage and intelligence for the True Black Hand. Individual agents may never know why they’re asked to perform certain actions or get a particular piece of information, but the seraphim who see the larger picture know exactly which strings to pull to achieve the Sect’s agenda. For more information on Titles see the V20 Companion. Tal’Mahe’Ra Titles can be found below.
Neonates Generation: Tenth Age: 50-100 Attributes: 7/5/3 Abilities: 13/9/5 Disciplines: 3 Backgrounds: 5, and Virtues: 7 Record Humanity (equal to Conscience + Self-Control), Path: 5 with only 1 free dot in Courage and 7 to add.
Willpower (equal to Courage), Path: 6, Choose Merits and Flaws (max. 7 points). Freebie points :15
Required Backgrounds: Alternate Identity 2+, Mentor Merits/Flaws: Probationary Sect Member (effective). No Ability higher than 3 at this stage.
Ancillae Generation: Eighth to Tenth Age: 100-200 Attributes: 8/6/4 Abilities: 14/10/7 Disciplines: 7 Backgrounds: 10 Required Alternate Identity 2+, Status (Tal’Mahe’Ra) 1) Virtues: 7 Freebie Points: 18
Freebie Points
Trait Cost
Attribute 5 per dot
Ability 2 per dot
Discipline 7 per dot
Background 1 per dot
Virtue 2 per dot
Humanity/Path 2 per dot
Willpower 1 per dot
---------------------------------------------------
Notes for Characters pre made:
Please add to Sheets at the bottom
XP: (total)
Example on how it was spent:
1 Animal Ken - 2 xp ( 1x2 (dot 2)
1 Arts - 3 xp (New 3 )
1 Other clan Discipline Protean - 10xp (New 10)
1 Other clan Discipline Protean - 7 xp (1x7)
1 Other clan Discipline Protean - 14 xp (2x7)
Please include a brief Summary for other clan Disciplines aside from Celerity, Potance and Fortitude. How did they acquire it? Who did they Acquire it from? Was it a Boon? It a Boon that has to be paid back? Was it passed on and etc. No need for long stories of History Here you can add that under a History: Add on.
Experience Costs
Trait Cost
New Ability 3
New Discipline 10
New Path (Necromancy or Thaumaturgy) 7
Attribute current rating x 4
Ability current rating x 2
Clan Discipline current rating x 5*
Other Discipline current rating x 7*
Secondary Path (Necromancy or Thaumaturgy) current rating x 4
Virtue current rating x 2**
Humanity or Path of Enlightenment current rating x 2
Willpower current rating
* Caitiff have no Clan-based Disciplines, just as they have no Clan. For them, the cost of raising all
Disciplines is the current rating x 6. This is both the curse and the blessing of being Clanless.
** Increasing a Virtue through experience does not increase Traits based on that Virtue (Humanity,
Path, Willpower).
-------------------------------------------
For all-
No Trait may be increased by more than one point during the course of a story. Vast changes in Traits take time, and the game should reflect that limitation. Increasing existing Traits can be done fairly readily, so long as the character uses or practices the Trait in question. Learning new Traits, however, is a little more difficult. Even a vampire can’t simply pick up a functioning legal knowledge or learn to fight if he doesn’t know even the basics (to say nothing of learning a new Discipline). Thus, learning an entirely new Ability or Discipline requires some tutoring and study, in addition to the required experience-point expenditure. This study can be simple (a night-school course to learn the basics of Computer) or brutally difficult (months or even years of mind-bending rituals, formulas, and blood manipulation to learn the first dot in Thaumaturgy), but it must always be accomplished. Having the Mentor Background helps, but even a mentor can teach only what she herself knows.
Adding Discipline without a teacher, he could not have improved it, and thus the Storyteller should not allow him to increase the number of dots in that Discipline. The same stands for improving Virtues: A character who just killed three children and diablerized her sire has no logical grounds for increasing her Humanity rating.
To keep things leveled and simple there are a few ST rules I will be applying as followed:
No character can have an Other Discipline higher level then their clan Disciplines.
Character must have a teacher for each level be it a PC or an ST'd NPC in which you must RP a few scenes working on it.