The struggle and eventual downward slide of Humanity is something that every vampire must contend with over the course of their existence. The very act of taking blood from the living is something that, most of the time, makes vampires objectify and dehumanize their (very human) prey. To combat this downward slide, and hopefully cling to their Humanity a little while longer, some vampires make it their regular practice to seek permission from their prey before taking their blood. They are called Consensualists.
For most Consensualists, the act of taking the blood without permission is one of the worst aspects of feeding from humanity. While other vampires may agree with this, they view it as a necessary evil. But these predators can't let this go. They see the act of gaining consent from the victims as a mitigating circumstance that lessens the sin they're committing; and they will obtain this consent by whatever means they have available (Allowing them to start with an additional dot of Humanity). Sometimes that even means coming clean to the victim about being a vampire, something that can earn the kindred a quick death at the hands of the Camarilla. There are those among kindred society that believe it is only a matter of time before the Consensualist breaks the Masquerade, and perhaps already has, earning them the Dark Secret Flaw: Masquerade Breacher. This can be a difficult thing to overcome in society, especially with the presence of the Second Inquisition.
A Consensualist is offered the option of a dot in Auspex or Fortitude. Auspex makes sense, as its the discipline of emotion and mentalism; a vampire may need this to feel out their victim's mental state before and after feeding. What makes less sense is Fortitude, and I honestly can't think of a reason that this would be any more prevalent in a Consensualist vampire than any other. Wouldn't it make more sense for them to gain Presence or Dominate? They are also given the option of a skill specialty in either Medicine (Phlebotomy) or Persuasion (Victims). This would seem to enforce the idea of Presence or Dominate. Can you think of a reason for Fortitude to be among these options?
Character Concepts:
The Preacher, who finds forgiveness for themselves by taking only what is freely offered; The Serial Sadist, who literally tortures their victims until they give consent to feed from them; The Fetishist, who seeks out those who enjoy blood play in their sexual life; The Me Too Vampire, who seeks to break the hurtful stereotypes of vampires feeding from unwilling victims.
Some Roleplaying Tips:
Consensualists often keep "blood pets," people who they can go to regularly for feeding if they are in need. What if one of these individuals decided to rescind their consent?
Similar to a Bagger, the Consensualist is likely to have emotions along the lines of shame, self-loathing, and disgust well up in themselves while feeding. As a Storyteller, remember to push this emotional aspect of the character; if they aren't feeling human, what's the point of their increased Humanity?
Looking at the requirement of consent makes this Predator-type particularly interesting. What vile and devious acts will your character justify just by saying that the victim allowed it to occur? Why is it, do you think, that consent (even manipulated consent) erases the sinful aspect of the acts associated with feeding?
Let us know about your Consensualist in the comments below.