In the use of any disciplines, successes are NOT always automatic. Just because you slam somebody with such and such, level so and so, does NOT mean that person will be fully effected. You may have to use the power over several turns or posts especially if the level requires successes. Keep that in mind and play fair, especially when the discipline you are using has serious effects. Your victim may become aware of what is happening and be able to respond with either a counter attack or running away. Also keep in mind that some of the disciplines are exceedingly rare and you can't just come up with one and have it in the middle of game play.

One note I will make here is on Vicissitude. It is a very easy discipline to get. Simply drinking the blood of a Tzi transfers it, which is the same with several other disciplines. But since Tzi are Sabbat and there is a thing called the Vaulderie, Vicissitude is one of the easiest disciplines to get. And Sabbat are the most likely to possess out of clans discs for this reason since Lasombra, Tzi, and many Antitribus participate in the Vaulderie. Lower levels are gained from the drinking of blood and can be used IF the character is aware of what that power does but higher levels still need to be taught. So if your character gets a dose of Tzi blood but has no clue what Vicissitude does then your char will not automatically be able to poof and perform Vicissitude. If at a later date, your char figures it out then yes your char can have Vicissitude but to gain any real mastery over it, your character will have to practice and it will be twice the difficulty in getting it down perfectly if it is an out of clan disc. With a discipline such as Thaumaturgy or Necromancy, the ability to perform it can be gained by drinking blood, unfortunately you still need to know the Paths which necessitates a teacher versed in Thaumaturgy and you have to practice, your difficulty level of learning something like Thaum would be twice as difficult as it would be for a Tremere. There is only one Path in Thaum that be learned with no thaumaturgical ability and that is Thaumaturgical Countermagic listed in Thaumaturgy.

Vampires often harbor antipathy for others who use disciplines on them. Kindred who take cavalier attitudes towards discipline use--Dominating vampires into telling the truth before their peers, cultivating false support through Presence, etc--will be received poorly by other vampires. Our above mentioned Prince would quickly find herself snubbed by primogen and harpies if she used such heavy-handed tactics. This is also the reason disciplines are verboten at Elysium. Even Aura Perception requires a scrutiny of the individual whose aura the vampire reads; is the Kindred going to stand by the door and stare intently at everyone who enters the Nightclub?
Disciplines are used largely for "when the shit goes down", not as crutches for nightly existence.
(VSH pg 15)

Though vampirism is a curse, the blood of Caine grants great mystical powers to those with the insight and dedication to pursue them. Called Disciplines, these supernatural abilities grant a vampire exceptional powers - incredible strength or speed, preternatural senses, the ability to hid from mortal sight or even stranger powers. Fueled by blood and will, these Disciplines are the hallmarks of a true vampire. Brash neonates may command a few moderate abilities, but the most fearsome vampires combine the strength of their Disciplines with hundreds of years of experinecnce and practice.

Each clan possess a group of Disciplines that are common among its ranks. These "clan Disciplines" can be unearthed and improved with relative ease. The disciplines of a particular clan are not the sole limits to a vampire's power, though; in theory, any vampire can develop any Discipline. The cost comes in time, effort and boons over to instructors. Vampires find that Disciplines outside their clan's strengths are more difficult to learn, harder to improve and often inaccessible without the assistance of a skilled teacher who already knows the Discipline in question. As many of the more mystical and unusual Disciplines are considered propieiertary to their clans, most vampires do not have the opportunity to learn the truly unique powers; most never have seen or heard of the Disciplines wielded by some of the independent clans and bloodlines.

Among most of the Children of Caine, there are eight relatively common Disciplines: the powers of Animalism (the ability to communicate with and master beasts), Auspex(heightened sensitivity and supernatural awareness), Celerity (incredible bursts of speed gifted by blood), Dominate (the ability to command anothers mind). Fortitude (supernatural resilience, against even fire and sunlight), Obfuscate (clouding of minds, granting disguise and stealth), Potence (vampiric strength) and Presence (preternatural charisma). The existence of these Disciplines is at least known to all but the rankest fledglings. Certain clans and bloodlines, though, possess their own special Disciplines, including Chimestry (the ability to conjure illusions and dreaming images), Dementation (influence over passion and madness), Necromancy (control and commerce with the world of the dead and the ghosts therein), Obtenebration (the capacity to unleash spiritual darkness), Protean (the power to shift shape and assume animalistic, Quietus (a Discipline of bloody assassination), Serpentis (a reptilian and manipulative Discipline form Egyptian lord), Thaumaturgy (the rigorous study of blood magic) and Vicissitude (molding and crafting of blood, flesh and bond). The extraordinarily rare bloodlines also practice Melpominee (manipulation of music and voice), Obeah ( a power of physical and spiritual healing) and Thanatosis (control over the process of physical death and decay). Some other Disciplines are thought to exist as well, though they and their practitioners are certainly so rare as to be nearly nonexistent.

Unless otherwise noted, a Discipline is only useful against one target at a time, and the subject must be sensed directly by the vampire - seen, heard or otherwise noticed. Sensory - enhancing powers may allow effects to target subjects at a distance outside the range of normal sight, but technological assistance is not sufficient - the subject must be noted with the vampire's own senses and powers. Fore example, you cannot use a camera or binoculars to locate a victim, but you can use Auspex.

Descriptions of the Disciplines usually refer solely to vampires or Cainites using the powers. Unless specifically noted otherwise, these descriptions include ghouls, revenants and other characters who use the appropriate power. Some Disciplines require a physical touch or grip to affect a subject. Acquiring this grip requires a Physical Challenge, though an unsuspecting victim may be lured in with a handshake. A subject who voluntarily meets your grip relents, and he is automatically affected; otherwise, you must make a challenge as normal, eve in striking from surprise or if you actually touch the other player. Touch - activated Disciplines can sometimes be used in conduction with an unarmed strike, in which case the strike does normal damage and the Discipline takes effect as well if the blow connects.

All vampires can naturally learn their clan Disciplines with nothing more than the expenditure of Experience Traits. As with any other learned capability, the new powers become available at the next game session. The cardinal eight Disciplines that are shared by every clan - Animalism, Celerity, Dominate, Fortitude, Obfuscate, Potence and presence - require only a willing teacher who is one level above what the student wishes to learn. What payment the teacher requires is best left for the characters to haggle out between themselves. Out of game, the Story teller may require that the vampire indicate who is teaching him his Discipline.

Certain Disciplines are proprietary to their clans - created by them and often practiced solely by them. Some clans have even hunted those outside the clan's bounds who knew of their secrets. Teachers of these wondrous powers are, consequently, few and far between. Those fortunate enough to acquire a teacher, however, are not done yet - in order to study the Discipline, they must drink a Trait of blood from a vampire capable of learning the Discipline (which need not necessarily be the teacher). Cainite scholars believe that this is necessary in order to "attune" the blood to learning something that is quite alien. The drink is only necessary once, and the student may learn as long as the teacher wishes to retain her. Those Disciplines that require this are Chimestry, Dementation, Melpominee, Necromancy, Obeah, Obtenebration, Protean, Quietus, Serpentis, Thanoatosis, Thaumaturgy and Vicissitude.

While the Book of Nod claims that Caine knew every Discipline, this would seem to be impossible in light of the fact that the Tremere with their Thaumaturgy, the Daughters of Cacophony with their Melpominee, or the Samedi and Thanoatosis (to name a few) did not exist when Caine was flourishing in Nod. (Taken from Laws of the Night-WW5013)