Morality
General Kings of New York allows characters to gain Morality Traits from story and role-play interactions with the game, in lieu of the need to spend experience points on it. All such approvals will be done by the Storyteller for the player. Kings of New York also uses the 10 point scale and not the 5 point scale for all Morality.
A character seeking to switch from Humanity to a Path (or Path to another Path) must have a Humanity (or Path) rating of 2 or below, as well as ratings of 1 in whichever Virtue or Virtues are to change to their counterparts. For example, a vampire seeking to follow a Path espousing Conviction and Instinct must have Conscience and Self-Control ratings of 1.
An initiate spends at least a year in contemplation and study of the Path’s ways. During this time, the initiate must forcibly degenerate his human Virtues, dropping them to “acceptable” levels (Humanity or Path rating 2 or below, ratings of 1 in appropriate Virtues), if he has not done so already.
The vampire then undertakes a test, which can be roleplayed by the player and Storyteller. This test can involve study of forbidden lore, answering of riddles, completion of ordeals and tasks, or whatever else the Storyteller deems appropriate for the given Path. However, part of the test always involves the vampire committing an act that, in human terms, would be viewed as an atrocity. Such a deed is undertaken not for the sake of mindless evil, but rather to impart a lesson about the character’s nature in relation to the Path.
Following the completion of the test, the character makes a Willpower Challenge. If the character’s Humanity (or Path) is 2, the difficulty of the Challenge is 7. If the character’s Humanity is 1, the difficulty is 6. 1 Willpower may be spent for a retest on this challenge, and only 1 may be spent. If the character succeeds, he sheds his human nature and the Virtues that accompany it, gains ratings of 1 in all appropriate Path Virtues, and gains a Path rating of 1. If the character wins the challenge outright, he experiences a profound (if twisted) enlightenment, gaining a Path rating of 2. If the character fails the challenge, he commits a stupid, pointless atrocity without gaining any corresponding understanding. He loses a point of Humanity, fails to attain the rudiments of the Path, but may reattempt the test (at a difficulty appropriate to his lowered Humanity Trait) in a month’s time. If the character fails, throw two simple tests. If both of these are lost, he loses a point of Humanity and may not reattempt the test for an entire year. Should a character be driven to Humanity zero in this fashion, his soul is lost to the Beast, and the character is permanently taken over by the Storyteller once they enter frenzy. Any Morality Trait gains from the Going on a Path still require the normal experience point cost associated with them.
If a Sabbat Priest or other clergy member assists in the learning of a path, they gain one free retest on the final challenge to change morality. If the path teaching the morality path is also on the same path as the student, the student also receives a +1 Bonus trait to the challenge to change paths.