I have been working on a scenario setup based on a previous posting of this idea. MLM, multi-level magicking. Boil-down is that the party is a group of newbie mages (warlocks in DnD terms) at one or more of the local ‘Mages guilds,’ (which guild is determined by subclass) organizations which send out Mages to ‘help’ in one way or another. Some of the work is paid, but plenty of it is pro bono publica. The guilds have a great reputation because of the pro bono work, so PCs start with a very high-fantasy power rangers feel, but they got their powers by entering a magical loyalty contract to their ‘Mentor,’ and some of the jobs they get sent on will seem kind of ‘…off’ compared to the others, and they find out the only way to become more powerful (literally to gain levels, XP is meaningless/capped) is to find their Mentor’s Mentor and take their Mentor’s place, removing their Mentor’s power, which their mentor doesn’t want. So the party slowly gets to see that only the sneakiest, most conniving and underhanded Mages are able to advance, but now they have to either advance, or quit and become commoners.

Welcome to the Tremere.