Morality is integral to Vampire. “A Beast I am, lest a Beast I become” has been an iconic phrase for the game, and summarizes the struggle between morality and monstrosity. The curse of vampirism can strip away the character’s mortal nature, and the character’s Humanity is a vital part of the game. Even those Cainites who have shed their human morality to follow a new Path of Enlightenment (Or a Road: older versions of paths rarely known about in the modern nights) often do so as a specific refutation of Humanity. A vampire without any form of morality is nothing more than a mindless killer enslaved by her thirst for vitae, so Humanity and Paths are an intimate part of every Vampire character. Humanity and Paths, unlike most other Traits, are rated on a scale of 1 to 10.
Think of Humanity and Paths of Enlightenment like a cage that a kindred uses to keep his beast in check, the lower your morality rating, the weaker the cage.
The system is simple: Whenever a character takes an action that is a sin against humanity or against the moral code of his Path and his morality rating is equal to or higher than the transgression, the character may suffer degeneration — a permanent loss of one point of his Humanity or Path. If degeneration is a possibility, the player whose character commits the act make a roll based on the severity of the sin. Willpower may not be on this roll — all the ego in the world won’t protect a character from guilt. If the player makes the roll with even one success, the character loses no morality. If he fails the roll, the character loses a point of Morality and must roll his new current Morality, if he fails this roll he gains a derangement. Obviously, morality is not something a Kindred can afford to take lightly. Remember that a vampire whose Humanity or Path/Road score drops to zero becomes a Wight.
All vampires begin their unlives on humanity and with 7 points in it. No matter if she was a saint or a serial killer, the embrace affords you some small measure of protection against the beast, of course awful human beings who become vampires will often find their humanity rating eroding fast. (In sabbat games all players start at 5 Humanity)
Vampires who wish to shed their humanity and go onto a Path or a Road must have a mentor to teach them and their humanities must be 3 or lower. The student rolls Resolve + Presence as an extended action, each roll taking a week of intensive study and requiring a Willpower. The Kindred attempts to gain 10 successes. If the student uses all of his rolls and comes short on successes he loses a dot of humanity and gains a derangement, if they meet the requires successes the kindred sheds his humanity for his new morality never to go back. His starting Path score is equal to the lower of his Resolve or Composure. If the student gains double the required successes during his tutelage, it is the higher of his Resolve or Composure.
The Paths and Roads We Walk