The Trait of Humanity is a moral code that allows kindred to retain their mortal sensibilities in the face of their transformation into parasitic monsters. In essence, it is what keeps a vampire from becoming a mindless animal, enslaved by her thirst for vitae.

Humanity, unlike most other Traits, is rated on a scale of 1 to 10, as it is more complex than a 1-to-5 quantification allows for. Also, just because a kindred follows the Path of Humanity doesn’t mean she is a friendly, congenial saint. Vampires are predators by nature, and Humanity only gifts them with the ability to pretend they’re not. It is an inward charade that protects a vampire from herself, much as the Masquerade protects vampires from the mortals outside.

Unfortunately, the very nature of existence as a vampire is anathema to one’s Humanity. As the centuries wear on, the Beast takes hold, and kindred become less and less concerned with the well-being of mortal “kine” (after all, they’ll die eventually, anyway). As such, characters are likely to lose Humanity over the course of the game.

Mortals also typically follow the Path of Humanity, though this is largely out of ignorance: They don’t know they can be anything else. As such, this mechanical system for morality rarely comes into play for them. Certainly, some mortals - rapists, murderers and the like - have low Humanity scores, but they have no Beasts roiling within them, as do the kindred. It is possible for a vampire with a high Humanity score to be more human than some mortals are!

X Monstrous.

* Horrific.

** Bestial.

*** Cold.

**** Unfeeling.

***** Distant.

****** Removed.

******* Normal.

******** Caring.

********* Compassionate.

********** Saintly.

Vampires are monsters, have no doubt, and even a kindred with the highest of Humanity scores is nothing more than a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Nonetheless, as Humanity erodes, vampires not only become capable of, but also actively pursue, evermore depraved acts. It is in a vampire’s nature to hunt and to kill, and eventually every vampire finds himself holding the corpse of a vessel he had not intended to murder.

It is important, then, to know how vampires change as their Humanity scores deteriorate. Vampires’ behaviour, even under the auspices of Humanity, may become so utterly depraved and alien that the very thought of her causes discomfort in others. After all, a low Humanity score indicates that very little connects the kindred with her mortal origins.

Humanity 10 - 8:

Kindred with Humanity scores this high are, ironically, more human than humans. Many fledgling vampires sometimes adhere to codes more rigorous than they ever held in life, as a reaction against becoming a predator. Older kindred scoff at this practice, taking great mirth at the thought of newly whelped neonates cowering beneath fire escapes and subsisting on the foul blood of rats, vainly rebelling against their murderous natures. Oh, the humanity!

In truth, vampires who “maintain” high scores in Humanity are rare, as every kindred must kill sooner or later. Vampires with high Humanity are almost unbearable to their peers, who find frustration in their perceived naiveté and self-righteousness; most kindred prefer to suffer the slings and arrows of unlife without belabouring themselves. High Humanity scores indicate aversion to killing and even distaste for taking more vitae than is necessary. Though not necessarily passive or preachy, kindred with high Humanity uphold excruciatingly exacting standards, and often have very clearly defined concepts of moral right and wrong.

Humanity 7:

Most human beings have Humanity scores of 7 or so, so vampires at this level of Humanity can usually manage to pass for mortals. Vampires with 7 Humanity typically subscribe to “normal” social mores - it’s not acceptable to hurt or kill another person, it’s wrong to steal something that another person owns, but sometimes the speed limit is just too damn slow. The vampire is still concerned with the natural rights of others at this stage of morality, though more than a little selfishness shines through. Just like everyone else in the world…

Humanity 6 - 5:

Hey, people die. Stuff breaks. A vampire below the cultural human norm has little difficulty with the fact that she needs blood to survive, and she does what needs to be done to get it. Though she won’t necessarily go out of her way to destroy property or end a victim’s life, she accepts that sometimes that’s what fate has in store for some folks. Not automatically horrid, kindred at this stage of Humanity are certainly at least mildly unpleasant to be around. Their laissez-faire attitudes towards others’ rights offend many more moral individuals, and some minor physical eeriness or malformation may show up at this stage.

Humanity 4:

Hey, some people gotta die. The vampire begins an inevitable slide into urge indulgence. A Humanity of 4 indicates that killing is acceptable to this kindred, so long as his victim is deserving (which is, of course, quite subjective). Many vampire elders hover around this level of Humanity, if they haven’t adopted some other moral code. Destruction, theft, injury - these are all tools, rather than taboos, for a vampire with Humanity 4. Also, the vampire’s own self and agenda become paramount at this point, and Devil take whoever gets in the way. Physical changes become quite evident at this stage; while not hideous in the sense of the Nosferatu or certain Gangrel, the vampire acquires a pallid, corpselike and noticeable unwholesome aspect.

Humanity 3 - 2:

The lives and property of others are irrelevant to a kindred this far gone. The vampire likely indulges twisted pleasures and aberrant whims, which may include any manner of atrocity. Perversion, callous murder, mutilation of victims and wickedness for its own sake are the hallmarks of a kindred with very low Humanity. Few vampires maintain scores this low and lower for very long - their damnation is all but certain at this point. Vampires at this stage may be physically mistaken for human, but don’t bet on it.

Humanity 1:

Only nominally sentient, kindred with Humanity 1 teeter on the edge of oblivion. Little matters at all to vampires this far gone, even their own desires outside of sustenance and rest. There is literally nothing a vampire with Humanity 1 won’t do, and only a few tattered shreds of ego stand between him and complete devolution. Many who attain this stage find themselves no longer capable of coherent speech, and spend their nights gibbering blasphemy among their gore-spattered havens.

Humanity 0:

Must sleep. Must feed. Must kill. Players may not run characters with Humanity 0. Vampires at this stage are completely lost to the Beast.

Not all vampires follow the principles of the Path of Humanity. Many kindred outside the Camarilla, particularly the vampires of the Sabbat, see no need to continue to subscribe to moral codes akin to Humanity. These vampires do, however, have different ethical systems in place, as complete amorality is an open door for the Beast.

The “default” morality for vampire characters is Humanity, as control and the Beast are such major themes of the game. It is best that beginning players create characters adhering to this Path. Players may, however, choose different Paths should they wish to do so (at the ST’s discretion). After all, it just doesn’t make sense to play a malicious Tzimisce torturer who can’t hurt people without suffering crippling pangs of conscience.

If a player chooses a vampire clan that has a different moral outlook from that of Humanity, he should select the Path that makes the most sense for the character. Otherwise, the player should circle Humanity on the character sheet and continue the character-creation process.

The following are some of the other Paths of Enlightenment available to vampire characters: