Character Knowledge

As you build a character, keep it in mind that you do not know everything as presented in the rulebooks. Below outlines how to determine what your character actually knows:

• You understand the basic survival skills for a vampire, such as feeding and licking the wound caused by fangs, as well as the basics concept of the vampiric Disciplines and specific knowledge of those you have dots in.
  
• Having been brought into the night already at least one step towards a Blood Bond with their sire, all vampires understand the power of the Blood Bond and what kind of affect drinking vitae from a vampire has on a person, mortal or immortal. In addition, Sabbat vampires know of the power and affects of the Vinculum.
  
• All vampires have heard of the Traditions of the Camarilla, even the Sabbat and independant clans. In addition, if you are a Sabbat vampire, you know the Code of Milan.
  
• You are aware of the thirteen vampire clans and what their flaws are, but know nothing of the bloodlines.
  
• You understand the positions and practices associated with your particular sect or independent clan.
  
• You have heard the basic reputation of the Camarilla and the Sabbat and what clans commonly claim loyalty to which sect, as well as the reputation of each clan, including such prejudices as listed in the Clan Books.

There are many things that are not common knowledge and, most likely, not known to your character. Please be aware of these things:

• You do not know the workings or common practices and positions of rival sects without the appropriate Camarilla Lore or Sabbat Lore. This includes independent clans who know nothing of either sect without these Lores.
  
• You know the general use of Disciplines (such as Celerity is a method of supernatural speed and Dominate is an ability to control minds) but may not necessarily know the individual Discipline effects (such as Dominate's ability to impose instructions, erase minds, etc.) other than those Disciplines that your character has. If an appropriate in-game situation calls for it, you may roll Intelligence + Occult to determine if you know about a Discipline’s effect.
  
• You do not always and immediately know when a supernatural effect has occured. If you witness Discipline or other supernatural effect, you may roll Wits + Occult as a reaction to determine if your character understands what they have seen or experienced. The difficulty of the roll is 10 - <dots you possess of the Discipline being used> for spotting Discipline use or 10 - <dots in relevant Lores you possess> for other effects.
  
• You do not know what the vampiric bloodlines (those that are not the thirteen main clans) and other supernatural creatures are capable of without an appropriate Intelligence + Occult roll when an in-game situation calls for it. Sure, you may know werewolves and ghosts are out there, but your character does not know specific details.

Naturally, if you encounter situations in game where an OBVIOUS display reveals something about a Discipline, clan, creature, etc., then your character has knowledge about it AS RELATES TO THE IN GAME PERCEPTIONS. A Brujah may use Celerity to achieve supernatural speed, for example, but your character may not necessarily know about the blood expenditure.

There is always the chance that a Mentor might know something more and be able to help you with information. When contacting a Mentor, a Storyteller will roll the rating you have in the background to determine if your Mentor is either willing to share information, or even knows the requested information themselves.