by P. Padden Special: In addition to the experience cost of this merit, each level requires that the character spend a permanent Willpower dot. A character may only ever have one Path of Enlightenment. Effect: Each level of this merit is added to the characters humanity for the purpose of calculating time in torpor (pg. 175), and Daytime Activity (pg. 184). It has no effect on the Relating to Mortals (pg. 184) or derangements aspects of Humanity. (Optional: The merits level is added to the characters humanity to resist gaining new derangements from humanity loss.) Drawback: There is the chance that each level of this merit can be lost should the character breach the morality of their path. This potential loss is handled much like the degeneration rolls for Humanity, including the added risk of gaining a derangement. Each Path of Enlightenment has its own Hierarchy of Sins, if a charter breaches a sin of equal or lower value to their path rating, they risk stumbling on their path. Threshold of Sin Level 5 Roll 4 dice Level 4 Roll 3 dice Level 3 Roll 3 dice Level 2 Roll 2 dice Level 1 Roll 2 dice If no successes are rolled on the threshold of sin roll, the character losses a level in their Path of Enlightenment, and must check to see if they gain a new derangement. Roll the paths new level plus humanity as a dice pool. If no successes are gained the character gains a new derangement. The Ventrue clan flaw does apply. Derangements gained from losing a path trait can be removed in three ways. One, the character can raise their path of Enlightenment back up to the level where they gained the derangement (just like raising humanity can remove derangements). Two the character can raise a new path of enlightenment up to the level where they gained the derangement. (yes, switching paths is possible though a huge EXP and Willpower sink.) Finally, the character can spend a number of permanent willpower traits equal to the level of the path lose that caused the character to gain the derangement. Example: Path of Golgotha Level 5: Failing to Study or research at every opportunity. Level 4: Refusing to instruct other students of Golgotha Level 3: Failing to ride the wave, or resist frenzy Level 2: Refusing to pursue lore about vampirism Level 1: Denying the hunger or needs of the Kindred form