"Vitae Efficacy Units" or "VEUs" are units developed by the Tremere researcher Maxius and the Malkavian Dr. Douglas Netchurch in order to measure the efficiency of a vampire's vitae (the game mechanic of the blood pool). The research lead to the conclusion that Kindred of lower generation have more VEUs to expend and that the thin-blooded have to expend more VEUs in order to activate the "natural" abilities of a vampire. There are five scales that are currently used: