Rules Considerations
  1. Ability Rankings tell more than dice rolls.
    Sometimes, in a pinch, you need the dice to tell you what's what. For every other time, trust the ability rating. Unnecessary dice rolls add nothing to suspense and a whole lot to time and overhead. We're avoiding them whenever possible.

  2. Failing a dice check usually doesn't mean your character does something stupid or even looks stupid.
    If your character fails a dice check while he or she is attempting to do something that's obviously above his skill ranking, then he probably did something stupid. At all other times, failing a dice check means that something outside the character's control conspired against him that prevented him from succeeding in a task he rightfully should have looked awesome doing. I mean, come on. Your character is obviously a badass--otherwise, why the
    heck are you playing him, and why are we following him? Badasses don't look stupid when they fail onscreen; they still look awesome. Maybe the other guy looked awesomer this time. Maybe the deck was stacked against him. Either way, we're going to avoid making characters look dumb just because we rolled crappy dice for them.
    Choices make characters look stupid. Dice rolls do not make characters look stupid.

  3. Succeeding a dice check may not mean your character succeeds, necessarily--sometimes, the ST may offer a Complication on a skill check in exchange for an Experience Point.
    When the ST presents a complication, he or she describes what's going to happen to the character instead of success. The details may be fuzzy, but it's not a mystery offer. Accepting the Complication means the character immediately gains an XP but fails the check (or has it rendered moot) due to circumstances outside his or her control. Again, this is an option, and the player can always opt for her rightful success instead.

  4. Gaining XP is mostly about setting goals and seeing them through.
    XP is all about growth, and the best way to grow is to undertake a task and then to complete it.

  5. Regarding other supernatural critters in this setting, never assume you know what's what just because you've played other WoD games.
    I like to mix and match my World of Darkness rulesets, so... you know. Maybe wraiths are still a thing. Who knows?