Thin-Bloods
A deteriorated breed, a portent of the end times, or a vampire for a brave new world? Balancing at the midpoint between life and death, the everchanging nature of the Duskborn evokes pity, jealousy, and fear in equal measure. Survivors of the last decades of pogroms, prejudice, and ostracization, the thin-blooded are here to stay. Their messy street-alchemy and ability to pass as human makes them uniquely suited to thrive outside Kindred society and make their own fate in the post-modern nights.
Sires tell their childer of the 13th and 14th generation never to attempt the Embrace as their Blood is too far removed from Caine. They say it will bring nothing but death and sorrow. But, be it by mistake or design, this edict is not always followed.
A 14th generation Kindred, who only by miracle avoided the flaw of thin blood themselves, drain a mortal in a fit of frenzy and guiltily feed them a mouthful of vitae, hoping against hope that it might reanimate the broken body.
A Ventrue from a long line of liars thinks herself closer to her progenitor than she really is, and believes she is creating a worthy member for her clan. A prince’s great-grandchilde attempts to force their diluted vitae into the mouth of their ancestor’s executed, treacherous ghoul just to get back at the old tyrant.
A Tremere, often overlooked by his clan for his weakness of Blood and spirit, experiments with the Embrace to prove himself as good as them. In all these cases, a dusk-born may awaken, if the Blood wills it.
Kindred who intend to sire thin-bloods often target individuals they already have a pre-existing relationship with, such as a trusted ghoul or a human family member they cannot forget, or they seek out vessels who demonstrate specific traits or rare talents that make them better equipped to survive as the weakest of predators. Many Kindred view the thin-bloods as a threat to the Masquerade and will destroy them, if given the chance.
The thin-blooded can be of any mortal origin and are not affected by their parent clan’s curse nor by their preferences in the same degree as their sire. If they are allowed to rise, they will likely be turned away, gaining the luxury of freedom and the danger of solitude.
In 2009 the Inner Circle of the Camarilla issued an edict that all thin-blooded must be branded or tattooed with the “mark of the crescent moon”. Inked by a Tremere tattoo artist or scorched with a beam of sunlight, the brand is irreversible. Even Anarchs and unbound think twice before associating with a marked Mercurian.
Thin-Blood Characteristics:
A thin-blood is created when a 13th or higher generation vampire Embraces a mortal. While formally belonging to the 14th, 15th, or even 16th generation, these classifications mean nothing to the thin-bloods, as they exhibit a wide variety of traits with no connection to their supposed generation. A 14th generation thin-blood may be too weak to even Blood Bond with a mortal, while a 15th might still retain the ability to Embrace, and vice versa. Among the dusk-born, the lines are blurred.
Despite this, your thin-blood character is still fundamentally a vampire, and unless otherwise stated follows the same rules as other vampires in this book.
Blood:
Thin-bloods cannot create Blood Bonds or perform the Embrace with any certainty. A Rouse Check worth of thin-blood vitae imbues a mortal with ghoul-like powers, but only for a single night. Thin-bloods always have Blood Potency 0 (see p. 215).
Clan:
A thin-blood is always considered clanless and never suffers any specific clan bane or compulsion.
Damage:
Most thin-bloods sustain damage like mortals but mend like vampires. In game terms, they take Aggravated damage not only from fire, but also from slashing and piercing weapons. Impalement with a stake does not paralyze them but instead causes massive physical trauma, likely sending them into torpor. Once damaged, thin-bloods heal according to the rules for other vampires.
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