Graduation System

Some character concepts are harder to play than others. They require some knowledge of the world, the system, and an understanding of the social dynamics of Vampire the Masquerade and, to some extent, the World of Darkness as a whole.

In *Dark Skylines*, we restrict certain character concepts behind a system we call “Graduations”. As a player earns “graduations”, the types of characters that player can play opens up to more advanced and more complex character types.

### Character Advancement Points (AP)

During the course of play, charatcers may earn Advancement Points. These points are awarded by the narrator team at the end of each month. Earning an Advancement Point is not a sure thing—these points are awarded to players whose characters made an impact on the game by advancing their clan, sect, or organizational goals. In essence, being a good ‘team player’ in-character is what leads one toward advancement points.
Some things which might earn Advancement Points are:

* Performing the duties of a sect or clan office well
* Upholding sect or clan laws
* Protecting sect or clan assets
* Contributing to the pursuit or achievement of sect or clan goals

Ultimately, the decision to award, not award, or even remove AP is the decision of the narrator team. Note that AP is earned per-character. When a character has earned a total of 4 advancement points, that player earns a Graduation. A character may earn a second graduation by earning 8 more AP, a total of 12 AP. The graduations earned by a character’s accumulation of AP are not lost if the character leaves play.

### Player Graduations

Graduations represent a player’s advancement in Dark Skylines and shows that a player has played a character that made a positive impact on the story of Dark Skylines. All players begin with 0 graduations.

Upon gaining a graduation, the player’s Merit and Flaw cap increases, and several character concepts become open to them. More graduations can reduce the cost of some merits, like rarity merits.

#### Vampire

Characters with 5 dots in generation (6th Generation) are not sanctioned for play. If a character’s generation is permanently lowered to 6th generation (i.e., via Diablerie), that character becomes an NPC.

General graduation requirements
 Social Status: Elder
 Generation • • •
 Generation • • • •
 Non-Humanity morality

##### Morality Paths

Some clans and bloodlines are more attuned to certain paths of morality than others and may purchase these Paths of Enlightenment for only 1 merit point.

These reduced costs are available to non-Camarilla characters with 1 graduation, and Camarilla characters with 2 graduations. However, a character who has spent the requisite time, including downtime expenditure, to learn one of these Path of Enlightenment during the course of play may purchase the Path, including any reduced costs, without the player having the requisite number of Graduations.

#### Mortals

Created using Ghoul/Mortal rules for each system.

Mortals
 Ghouls (NPC Domitor or Independent)
 Non-Ghoul Mortals and Non-numinous hunters
 Autumn People
 Revenants
 Kinfolk
 Inquisiton, Arcanum, & Project Twilight

#### Wraith

Created using our custom Wraith rules. These rules are tentatively being tested right now and may go through serious changes as they are tested.

Mortals
 Phasling (•)
 Lemure (••)
 Gaunt (•••)
 Spectres

##### Becoming Wraiths

In general, vampires should go straight to oblivion when they meet final death. However, some characters may, with Storyteller approval, become wraiths upon death. Whether this occurs is up to the storytellers, who will determine the resulting wraith’s fetters upon creation.

PCs who become wraiths do not remember the 2 weeks preceding their death and do not recall anything about the manner in which they died.

#### Changeling

Created using BNS *Changeling* rules.

Changeling graduation requirements
 Dauntain
 Seelie
 Thallain