Traditions (VTM)

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In Vampire: The Masquerade, the Traditions are the fundamental laws of Kindred society, supposedly handed down by Caine himself. The order of the traditions varies, but their basic breakdown is:

• Masquerade: Hide the existence of vampires.
• Domain: A kindred's hunting ground is his own territory, and he rules it absolutely.
• Progeny: Sire only with permission of one's elders.
• Accounting: Until childer are released, their actions are the responsibility of their sire.
• Hospitality: Honor the domains of others, and present oneself to the ruler of any domain you visit.
• Destruction: The right to kill Kindred is reserved for the Elder of a community. Only an elder may call a Blood Hunt.

The Traditions form the legal backbone of Camarilla society, although in modern nights, the Prince fulfills the elder role outlined in the traditions. Most vampiric culture springs from the Traditions — presentation is outlined in the Tradition of Hospitality, the Blood Hunt in the Tradition of Destruction and the parceling of land in the Tradition of Domain.

The ordering of Traditions varies between sources. In VTM's first and second editions, the order is Masquerade, Domain, Progeny, Accounting, Hospitality, Destruction — resulting in people referring the "First Tradition" to mean the Masquerade. In VTDA, the order is Legacy, Destruction, Progeny, Accounting, Domain, and Masquerade. Legacy refers to Cainites accepting their state as the dead, and replaces the Hospitality tradition (VTDA merges hospitality and domain).