In addition to immortality and regenerative abilities, all Kindred have access to the special gifts known as Disciplines. These powers, while strange and often wonderful, only serve to further alienate the Kindred from their mortal ties. Indeed, many Kindred, especially those with Advanced Disciplines, become drunk with their power and may even consider themselves to be deities when compared to their lessers.

According to legend, the earliest Kindred had access to the full spectrum of the following Disciplines, perhaps even more. For evolutionary reasons, or perhaps because of a supernatural hiccup, after successive generations, their blood grew thinner and their powers became more specific. Whatever the case may be, the bloodlines or clans of today show a distinct definition in the Disciplines they possess. While any Kindred can learn and eventually master almost any Discipline, they will find their intrinsic or clan Disciplines the easiest to master.

To reflect this, characters may only begin the chronicle with Disciplines form their clan list. To learn out-of-clan Disciplines, a character must first locate a willing mentor who possesses the desired Discipline. Furthermore, the character must pay an increased experience point cost for these Disciplines.

The clanless Caitiff pose an exception to his rule. Because of their mixed heritage, they may begin with three Disciplines except Thaumaturgy. These Disciplines are considered their "clan" Disciplines from that point forward. Any other Disciplines are then considered out-of-clan and must be acquired and paid for as mentioned above.

When purchasing Disciplines, a character must first master the lower levels of a Discipline before moving on to more advanced levels: Before learning Rapidity, for instance, a character must possess Alacrity and Swiftness. Additionally, some disciplines, such as Thaumaturgy, have special limitations that must also be observed. These are listed along with the Discipline in question.

Regardless of the nature of the Discipline, it is suggested that a character actually learn the Discipline between sessions. This prevents the character from instantly gaining the most efficient or effective Discipline during play, and it helps to realistically reflect the time it takes a Kindred to master her newly developing power.