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I'm preparing a Vampire the Masquerade v5 campaign, and I'm trying to plan for some questions my players might ask me. Can a thin-blood learn a discipline with the help of a non-thin-blood vampire?

As I read it, it look like yes:

GAINING AND LOSING ADVANTAGES: Events during the chronicle can change a character’s Advantage and Flaws, especially Backgrounds.

And Discipline Affinity is a merit (a thin-blood merit, but a merit), and merits are advantages. (V5, p.179)

Am I interpreting this correctly?

Addendum because of Draconis answer: The other thing that make me think that thin-blood could learn a discipline with the help of a non-thin-blood vampire, is that ghouls can learn their master discipline, so, why thin-blood couldn't? Aren't they "superior" ghouls after all? If they drink vampire blood (as needed to learn a non-clan discipline)?

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The implication is "no".

You must also choose between one to three Thin-Blood Merits and an equal number of Thin-Blood Flaws before choosing regular Advantages.

So thin-blood merits aren't handled alongside other Advantages.

These Merits and Flaws only apply to thin-blood characters. They have no dot value; each Flaw balances a Merit, and vice versa. They thus do not count against the maximum dots in Advantages and Flaws allowed to be selected during character creation or purchased through experience.

They follow different systems from normal merits.

Discipline Affinity: You have an affinity for a certain Discipline, picked at character creation.

And finally, you have to pick your affinity at character creation, rather than "when you purchase this merit".

To my eyes, the dev intent seems to be "you can't pick up Thin-Blood Merits after chargen".

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I understand, but since ghouls can learn their master major discipline, why thin-blood couldn't? they are "just" superior ghouls after all? \$\endgroup\$
    – Rorp
    Commented Jun 28, 2019 at 6:47
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    \$\begingroup\$ @Rorp That's not so, in a categorical way. Ghouls are living humans, thin-bloods are vampires. The difference is one of life and death—literally. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jadasc
    Commented Jun 28, 2019 at 11:10
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Rorp As Jadasc said. Also, they can—if they buy the merit at chargen. \$\endgroup\$
    – Draconis
    Commented Jun 28, 2019 at 15:32
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My guess would be No.

The problem with being thin-blooded is not a lack of knowledge, but not having fuel potent enough to support the use of Disciplines. This is one of the reasons people go in for Diablerie in the first place...to gain greater levels of power so you can support disciplines for longer, or to make them stronger.

On the other hand, if you're making a case for your thin-blood becoming a ghoul, then they become blood-bound to their teacher, just like any other ghoul, and likewise enslaved. The only difference might be that the lack of their teacher's blood over the long-haul wouldn't cause the thin-blood to expire from extreme age. However, as soon as they were out of the teacher's blood, they would immediately cease to be able to use those disciplines they'd learned.

It's either that, or you're saying your thin-blood has gained generations, in which case you immediately owe for all those points you got for taking the thin-blood disadvantage at character creation, and you should pay up.

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