The training rules describe how players can improve their characters over time.

Note that the training rules are an abstraction: while players explicitly state that their character is training, the characters need not necessarily be aware that they are "training". This means that some characters actively seek out training, whereas others might pick up skills by doing them. In both cases, the player of the character explicitly declares that their character is training, but their character might not experience it as such.

Quick overview:

1. To start: have enough free experience, arrange trainer if needed.
2. Write down a "training track" with the trait you are increasing, the xp this will cost, and the number of required training days.
3. Each time you train for this trait, check off a training day on the track.
4. When there are no more days left, you spend the noted experience and increase the trait.
5. You can have multiple training tracks open, and can train for several of them in one night.

Training requirements

Before you can begin training you must have the required amount of free experience (that is not earmarked for another training). For some types of training you will also need to arrange for a trainer to instruct you.

Training times

Players can have their characters use one or more parts of the night to train a trait, each part of the night spend in this way is builds up to completing the necessary training. A character may not train the same trait multiple times in the same night, but they can spend multiple parts of the night training different things.

Most training is not instant but states an amount of required "training time" in days. The stated training time is the minimum number of days a character needs to train to complete the training.

Training does not need to be consecutive, i.e., you can train Strength for a few days, do something else, and then come back to training Strength. You can have as many ongoing trainings as you like, bounded only by the amount of available experience.

Trainers

Some types of training require a trainer to instruct the character. This requirement is always explicitly listed with the training.

Note that a trainer is usually a person, but that is not necessarily the case. Sometimes a trainer can be replaced by another source of insights, a scroll of ancient knowledge written by a vampire eons ago, or even mystical insights achieved during lengthy months of meditation. To replace a trainer by some other source of insight, consult with the storyteller.

Anyone meeting the trainer qualifications as described in by the training type can perform the role of trainer. As such, player characters can be trainers, provided that they qualify for the trainer requirements.

Training Types

Attributes

Attributes can be raised up to and including 5.

Training time: (New Rating) weeks = (2 → 14 days, 3 → 21 days, 4 → 28 days, 5 → 35 days)

Experience cost: 12xp

Abilities

Abilities can be raised up to and including 5. Depending on whether the ability is a talent, skill, or knowledge, special requirements are in place:

• Talents (Alertness, Athletics, Brawl, Dodge, Empathy, Expression, Intimidation, Leadership, Streetwise, Subterfuge)
  No additional requirements.

• Skills (Animal Ken, Crafts, Drive, Etiquette, Firearms, Melee, Performance, Security, Stealth, Survival)
  A trainer is required for ratings 4 and 5.

• Knowledges (Academics, Computer, Stewardship, Investigation, Law, Linguistics, Medicine, Occult, Politics, Science)
  A source of knowledge is required (a trainer always counts as a source of knowledge).

Training time: (New Rating × 2) days = (1 → 2 days, 2 → 4 days, 3 → 6 days, 4 → 8 days, 5 → 10 days)

Experience cost (new): 6xp (5xp for favoured)
Experience cost (raise): 5xp (4xp for favoured)

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Trainer (required for Skills at 4 and 5): A trainer is required for training skills to ratings 4 and 5.

Trainer qualification: Ability rated at New Rating or better.

Specialties

Specialities can be raised up to and including 3, and requires a trainer.

Training time (favoured): (New Rating × 2) days = (1 → 2 days, 2 → 4 days, 3 → 6 days, 4 → 8 days, 5 → 10 days)
Training time (non-favoured): (New Rating) weeks = (1 → 7 days, 2 → 14 days, 3 → 21 days)

Experience cost: (New Rating × 2) xp = (1 → 2xp, 2 → 4xp, 3 → 6xp)

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Trainer (required): A trainer is required for training specialties.

Trainer qualification: Exact (or closely related) Specialty rated at New Rating or better

Advanced Training

Advanced Training can be raised up to and including 3, and requires a trainer.

Training time: (New Rating × 2) weeks = (1 → 14 days, 2 → 28 days, 3 → 42 days)

Experience cost (new): 12xp
Experience cost (raise): 8xp

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Trainer (required): A trainer is required.

Trainer qualification: Exact (or closely related) Advanced Training rated at New Rating or better

Expertises and Languages

Expertises and Languages can be trained if you have free slots available for their associated ability, and they require a trainer.

Training time (favoured): 1 week = 7 days
Training time (non-favoured): 2 weeks = 14 days

Experience cost: none

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Trainer (required): A trainer is required.

Trainer qualification: Must have the expertise or languages to be trained.

Disciplines

Disciplines, including the starting power, must be learned from a trainer, has special "Taste of Blood" requirement.

Training time (bloodline): 1 week = 7 days
Training time (non-bloodline): 2 weeks = 14 days

Experience cost (bloodline): 7xp
Experience cost (non-bloodline): 8xp

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Trainer (required): A trainer is required.

Trainer qualification: Must have the gift to be trained.

Taste of Blood: A character must have partaken at least once of the vitae of someone who has learned to use the discipline. This is often cited as the reason some Kindred call distinct powers "gifts of the blood". This requirement is considered satisfied for all gifts of Bloodline Disciplines that are described in the core book (special branches still require the Taste of Blood).

Backgrounds

Backgrounds can be raised up to and including 5, and require roleplay to acquire them.

Training time: Please confer with the storyteller to arrange the required story for your backgrounds. They may also be given out as rewards. Be sure to indicate what kind of backgrounds you are interested in when rewards come along.

Experience cost (new): 3xp
Experience cost (raise): (Current Rating × 2) xp = (2 → 2xp, 3 → 4xp, 4 → 6xp, 5 → 8xp)

Virtues

Virtues can be raised up to and including 5.

Experience cost: (Current Rating × 2) xp = (2 → 2xp, 3 → 4xp, 4 → 6xp, 5 → 8xp)

Willpower

Willpower can be raised up to and including 10.

Experience cost: (Current Rating) xp = (2 → 1xp, 3 → 2xp, 4 → 3xp, 5 → 4xp, 6 → 5xp, 7 → 6xp, 8 → 7xp, 9 → 8xp, 10 → 9xp)

Special situations

The following are special cases that can only be used in discussion with the Storyteller.

These special case rules describe optional methods of bootstrapping into knowledge without a qualifying trainer.

• Skills special case: favoured skills at ratings 4 and above can be trained without a trainer, but this takes (New Rating) months of training time.

• Specialities Special case: favoured specialities can be trained without a trainer, but this takes (New Rating) months of training time.

• Advanced Training Special case: advanced training in favoured abilities can be trained without a trainer, but this takes (New Rating × 6) months of training time.

• Disciplines Special case: It is possible to train for a Bloodline gift that builds on a gift that your trainer has (i.e., you can train for a gift directly following a gift your trainer mastered), in this case the training time becomes (Number of Precursors + 1) months. This does not apply to the first gift of a discipline — those are special cases unto themselves.

Note that in all these cases, the Storyteller will most likely state additional requirements based on the nature of the specialty, advanced training, or discipline.