Generation is the term vampires use to distinguish a vampire’s place within a lineage. When one vampire Embraces another, that progeny is one generation higher than the vampire that created her. The lower a vampire’s generation is, the greater the potential power that lies in her Blood. The generation of a vampire does not always indicate her age. A 9th generation vampire could be an elder Embraced during the Renaissance or a neonate Embraced last Tuesday. Unless a vampire commits the forbidden act of diablerie–consuming the blood and soul of another vampire–her generation cannot change. Generation limits how potent a vampire’s Blood can become.
| Generation | Minimum Blood Potency | Maximum Blood Potency |
| 9th | 2 | 5 |
| 10th – 11th | 1 | 4 |
| 12th – 13th | 1 | 3 |
| 14th – 16th | 0 | 0 |
Vampire Age and Common Generations
Below is a list of vampire generations and their typical age bracket and its title. It should be noted that the terms methuselah, elder, ancilla, and neonate refer specifically to the age of a vampire. While the pairings above are the norm, a sixth-generation neonate, while rare, can exist.
Caine and the Second Generation
The true origins of vampires remain speculation and myth in modern nights. The most commonly believed myth is the biblical figure Cain is actually Caine, the original progenitor of all vampires. There is no proof of this, nor of him having sired a number of vampiric childer who would eventually sire the first of the clans.
Antediluvians: Third Generation
Less myth and more nightmare, the Antediluvians were said to be either the cause or the target of the biblical flood. In the millennia that followed the Antediluvians, intrigue would supposedly drive their lineages to subterfuge, conspiracy, and deceit on their behalf. In pre-modern times, the Camarilla denied their existence, claimed they were dead, or insisted they were lost to torpor. That was until fanatics within the Sabbat forced the Camarilla to admit the truth. The Sabbat claim they are on a holy mission from Caine himself to wake and destroy these Antediluvians. As the Sabbat leads its crusade, elder vampires across the globe hear the Beckoning calling them to protect the ancient vampires of the third generation.
Methuselahs: Fourth and Fifth Generation
Only slightly weaker and no less terrifying than the Antediluvians, the methuselahs of the Fourth and Fifth Generation retreated from society centuries ago. Some joined secret cults; others slept beneath ancient cities. Current knowledge of them is perhaps more rare than that of the Antediluvians. Have the Methuselah already been Beckoned to protect their sires from the Sabbat? Will they be soon?
Elders: Sixth through Eight Generations
Most of these vampires were Embraced multiple centuries ago. Many held prestigious positions within the Camarilla or the Anarch Movement. While some remain, most have been Beckoned to the front lines of the Gehenna War. Those that remain are almost always too busy fighting off the call of the Beckoning to remain publicly (or politely) active in society.
Ancillae: Ninth Generation, Tenth and Eleventh Generations
Vampires who have not existed long enough to be called elders, nor of the potency of Blood to claim the status of elders, are called the ancillae. Most ancillae are less than 250 years old and
often hold positions of importance within cities because of their proven experience in vampiric society.
The Ninth Generation are close enough to being elder-blooded that, while they do not feel the full call of the Beckoning, those of particularly high Blood Potency hear the whispers.
Neonates: Twelfth and Thirteenth Generations
The fastest growing generations of vampires are the neonates, and their numbers have bloomed in modern nights. Most vampires in a city are neonates. Some are so newly Embraced that they have barely had time to fully understand vampirism and the society they live in.
Thin-Bloods: Fourteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth Generations
With the huge mortal population boom and the increased number of neonates being Embraced it was only natural to expect an increase in the number of thin-bloods. Once thought to be a harbinger of the end times by the elders, these vampires have such diluted Blood that they have no clan and almost no real access to vampiric Disciplines. However, they do suffer fewer effects of the vampire curse and have access to a unique ability called Blood Alchemy.
