More updates for my re-write of 5th lore, biggest change so far to address an internal paradox in the writting.
Caitiff/thin blood/dhampir-The Caitiff population has largely been decimated in the wake of the 2nd inquisition. The lack of clan support structure, abilities or even masquarade awareness ensured that Caitiff were the first up against the wall when the crackdown began to the point where early inquisition studies considered clans minority aberations . Remaining Caitiff are either typically countryside autarkis, Clan adoptees or Sabbat where pander cohesion and sect support provides them a fighting chance.
The thin Blood have fared even worse, The decimation of neonates and caitiff has effectively pushed the generations further back to an mean average of 11th in young vampires making their creation difficult bordering on impossible. Combined with a "kill on sight" standing orders in Both Sabbat and Carmarilla and the mass exections of the 2nd inquisition ensures thin bloods are borderline extinct. The few stragglers are oddly enough found either in Clan Tremere who have adopted them for blood magic research or are adopted in Mage/sorceror society as they are mistaken for hedge wizards.
Practical mechanics means all starter characters now begin at 12th before backgrounds. 3rd edition thin blood mechanics are still in place with Thauturgy simulating blood alchemy. Paths are limited to the extreme.
I don't know if I like the idea of the Thin-bloods being totally decimated. Yeah, no one is playing vampire to play a thin-blood, but I think they're a cool part of the setting and there's lots of room to tell weird stories about them and their powers and what happens when one fucks up. It's also worth noting depending on your game Thin-bloods
don't necessarily have to be extremely high generation. There's also the fact that their being more "Half-vampire, half-human" means they can navigate the day world much better than any elder can. They're young, and they have the advantage of being much more connected to the world than most kindred.
Also, I feel they would be more useful to the Inquisition than anything. These are young licks who have been ostracized and bullied by literal monsters since the day they were created. These are exactly the kind of "informants" that the Inquisition can make use of before silently blowing their heads off after they've outlived their usefulness. I agree that Thin-bloods have essentially no networks and are basically on their own, but they're definitely not going to get
completely slaughtered by hunters. They have powers and
weaknesses that both kindred and humans can find useful—a certain thin-blood with the ability to walk in daylight can make a very, very useful messenger or powerful retainer while being strong enough to handle jobs ghouls can't. In that regard you can make thin-bloods the "real" dhampir style characters of the game. Some of the strengths of the vampire, and some of the strengths of a human. Just get rid of actual Dhampirs entirely since they're basically revenants and add nothing to the game. The thin-blood stands in the twilight, walking the line between kindred and human.
Caitiff can get fucked though. They're everything shitty about a thin-blood minus the lessened curse. They can't "cope" with daylight or do anything that the Prince can't just have a proper kindred do. So they're likely still ostracized, and that leaves interesting story potential, as it means the
only organized group of Caitiff left would be Panders. Boom. You just got a hook for a Sabbat game. A couple of Caitiff on the run from First Light hear about the Sabbat's Panders and decide to join up. The Sabbat, hemorrhaging Lasombra neonates and ancilla, are happy to accept them as more canon fodder; maybe even sending this group off to fight in the Gehenna war—leading to some incredibly frightening and traumatic experiences on that front as these young licks go from being on the run from Alphabets armed to teeth, to vainly picking fights with Elder vampires and Methuselahs in the Middle East. Those that survive end up becoming the next generation of the Sabbat's hardened shock troops.
Besides I
really don't like the idea of someone getting the idea to buy five dots of generation to bounce all the way down to
6th generation. Then again, I play V20 mostly. I'm not quite sure how that system would work in earlier editions. Just my thoughts on the matter.