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setting:vampire_talents [2026/Mar/12 00:31]
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setting:vampire_talents [2026/Mar/12 23:08] (current)
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| Back to [[vampire_character_creation|Vampire Character Creation]] | Back to [[vampire_character_creation|Vampire Character Creation]] |
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| ====== Character Traits ====== | ====== Character Talents ====== |
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| | ===== Primary Talents ===== |
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| ===== Attributes ===== | __Alertness:__ This Ability displays how aware you are of your physical surroundings. It has nothing to do with eerie feelings or the supernatural; it’s just a measure of knowing what’s physically out there. Alertness extends to sounds, smells, and touches as well as sights.\\ |
| | • Novice: You know which side to look on when someone taps your shoulder.\\ |
| | •• Competent: You could see how a stage magician did his tricks.\\ |
| | ••• Practiced: Pickpockets knew to avoid you.\\ |
| | •••• Expert: No one’s managed to sneak up on you in decades.\\ |
| | ••••• Master: You can hear a pin drop and know what type of grenade it came from.\\ |
| |
| * **Wits:** Your number of Dots in Wits limits how many **splat-specific powers** (e.g. Disciplines, Spheres, Lores, etc.) you can increase in one expenditure of XP. For example, if you have Wits 2, you may buy one dot in two Disicplines at once, but cannot buy a third until at least one of the other dots' completion date has been reached. Please note that even if a high number of dots in Wits allows you to learn three, four, or even five at once, keep in mind that time is finite; if you're studying that many different complicated fields at once, please don't then participate in a million scenes, otherwise your ST is granted the right to refuse one or more of the purchases even after approving it. (This is a SOtS universal rule) | __Art:__ Also known as Artistic Expression, this Talent reflects your ability with a visual art: drawing, painting, sculpture, and so forth. Given such talents, you can work within your chosen medium to produce works of startling power.\\ |
| | • Novice: You’re creative but unskilled.\\ |
| | •• Practiced: You’ve put some time and work into your chosen medium.\\ |
| | ••• Skillful: Professional art could bea viable career option.\\ |
| | •••• Expert: You’re a working pro whose work displays fascinating appeal and skill.\\ |
| | ••••• Master: You’re an acknowledged master of your field.\\ |
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| ===== Abilities ===== | __Athletics:__ Athletics is a measure of general physical fitness and skill at using one’s body in ways other than combat. This Ability measures how good you are at climbing trees, leaping chasms, walking tightropes and hitting fastballs. Athletics are complex Talents, requiring the combination of Physical Attributes and motor skills. Any roll that requires only an Attribute, such as powerlifting, does not involve Athletics.\\ |
| | • Novice: You weren’t the last kid chosen on the playground.\\ |
| | •• Competent: You are the terror of the company softball league.\\ |
| | ••• Practiced: You played for the varsity team in college.\\ |
| | •••• Expert: You could have made an Olympic team.\\ |
| | ••••• Master: You signed a $200M contract and the fans didn’t think you were overpaid.\\ |
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| It is an unfortunate reality that no two splats within the classic World of Darkness feature exactly the same list of abilities, which is of course a problem in a multi-splat game. To alleviate this issue we make use of the following lists of primary and secondary abilities for all splats. | __Awareness:__ As Alertness measures awareness of the natural world, Awareness measures a character’s ability to sense the supernatural world. It’s a kind of “sixth sense,” the ability to look beyond the mundane façade of everyday life in the World of Darkness to see what’s lurking beneath the surface. Generally, only supernatural beings have Awareness, although there are a rare few mortals capable of it as well. |
| | (Note: Awareness is not available for Changelings, Fera, and Werewolves. Characters of those splats instead make use of Kenning and Primal Urge, respectively.) |
| | • Novice: You pick up strange vibes from certain places and people sometimes.\\ |
| | •• Practiced: You know the supernatural when you see it or come in close contact with it.\\ |
| | ••• Competent: You can sense the flow of hidden forces through the world, peering behind the veil of mundane life.\\ |
| | •••• Expert: You pick up on subtle and hidden supernatural forces all around you.\\ |
| | ••••• Master: You can sense a supernatural influence anywhere nearby, and you sometimes pick up on more distant forces, if they’re strong enough.\\ |
| |
| ===== Additional rules and considerations regarding abilities ===== | __Brawl:__ Brawl covers a character’s prowess in unarmed combat, ranging from brutal street fighting to the “sweet science” of boxing and everything in between. For characters capable of changing their form it also includes fighting with tooth and claw (and any other sort of appendage). It handles knowing how to hit and how to do the most damage, along with how to defend yourself. |
| * **Technology** is a Skill, in all system types. | (Note: Consult the combat house rules for details on the differences between this talent and the Martial Arts skill.)\\ |
| * **Research** is a Knowledge, in all system types. | • Novice: You know how to throw a punch without hurting yourself and the common places on the body that are the most vulnerable.\\ |
| * **Martial Arts** are no longer hard OR soft style. All styles are both. This is covered in depth in [[Combat System House Rules]]. | •• Practiced: You can hold your own in a fight against most people.\\ |
| * **Religion** has been subsumed in the more general **Belief Systems.** | ••• Competent: You’ve fought regularly for some time (and you usually win).\\ |
| * We allow Dual Specializations, but they can only be purchased //after// character creation, never during. For the mechanics behind this, please see Page 277 of //Mage 20th Anniversary Edition// corebook, specifically the section titled 'The Well-Skilled Craftsman.' | •••• Expert: You could be a professional fighter, even a title-winner.\\ |
| * While most abilities receive a specialisation at four dots, there are some exceptions: **Academics, Art, Belief Systems, Crafts, Esoterica, Hunting, Performance** and **Science** receive a specialisation at the first dot. | ••••• Master: Welcome to fight club. You’re in charge.\\ |
| * Since the following abilities are defined differently in different game lines, the following compromise shall apply to all splats: | |
| * **Art** is a talent and applies to visual art forms: Drawing, painting, sculpting, flower arrangement, etc. | |
| * **Performance** is a skill that applies to performance arts: Dancing, singing, acting, etc. | |
| * **Expression** governs activities that involve the effective use of language, including writing novels or poetry. | |
| * **Crafts** encompasses abilities for the creation of primarily functional objects, like tailoring, carpentering, forging, etc. | |
| * **Technology** refers to the building, operation, and maintenance of electronics and electromechanical devices. | |
| * **Computers** is the software side to Technology's hardware. Writing, operating, and maintaining computer programs is handled by this ability. | |
| |
| ---- | __Empathy:__ This Talent is related to sensing and understanding what others are feeling. This is not to say that using Empathy automatically makes you sympathetic to what you pick up from others, but you do get an accurate reading of what they are really feeling.\\ |
| ===== Secondary Talents ===== | • Novice: You can keep your foot out of your mouth.\\ |
| (Of the one offered, below are the Secondary Talents available to Vampires)\\ | •• Practiced: Everyone cries on your shoulder.\\ |
| | ••• Competent: You know why others do what they do.\\ |
| | •••• Expert: It’s almost impossible to slip a lie past you.\\ |
| | ••••• Master: Your psychiatrist told you about his mother.\\ |
| |
| Blatancy: Through theatrical flair, audience appraisal, and raw audacity, you’re good at getting away with blatant acts of magick. Typically, this involves using tried-and-true dodges: “We’re shooting a movie,” “It’s all an illusion,” “Haven’t you ever seen a flash-mob before?” – that sort of thing. As you might expect, such claims typically require props to lend credibility to your claims (a “camera crew,” stage magic gear, a pack of willing conspirators, etc.). If and when you have the goods to back up your dodge, however, you can pull reality over people’s eyes more often than you would be able to do otherwise. | __Expression:__ This is your ability to get your point across clearly, whether through conversation, poetry, or even in 140 characters or fewer. Characters with high Expression can phrase their opinions or beliefs in a manner that cannot be ignored (even if their opinions are misinformed or worthless). Additionally, this Talent represents your ability for poetry, creative writing, or other literary art forms.\\ |
| • Novice: “No, seriously – we’re filming a video.” | • Novice: Your talent has matured past crude poetry on notebook paper.\\ |
| •• Practiced: “That just looked easy. It took me years to figure out how to do that trick.” | •• Practiced: You could lead a college debate team.\\ |
| ••• Skillful: “All the necessary permits and explanations are posted on our website.” | ••• Competent: You could be a successful writer.\\ |
| •••• Expert: “We did this trick on Mythbusters.” | •••• Expert: Your work is Pulitzer material.\\ |
| ••••• Master: “Nothing to see here – move along.” | ••••• Master: You rank with Cicero and Daniel Webster.\\ |
| (Source: M20 Core Book, page 291)(roll: Performance) | |
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| Carousing: You can be the life of the party. This Ability is the knack of having a good time at a social event and making sure that others enjoy themselves as well. It involves knowing the best places to go, eating and drinking without making a fool out of yourself and drawing out others so that they'll have fun. | __Intimidation:__ Intimidation allows you to gently — or not so gently — coerce another into doing your will. Uses of Intimidation range from subtle threats to making examples to causing severe physical pain, and each of these techniques has a time and a place. |
| • Novice: You can hold your liquor and keep your wits about you. | • Novice: You could take candy from babies.\\ |
| •• Practiced: You've been to a few parties in your time, and people find you an enjoyable guest. | •• Competent: You never lacked for other kids’ lunch money.\\ |
| ••• Competent: You know how to wine and dine someone quite well. | ••• Practiced: “Nice place you got here. Be a real shame if something happened to it…”\\ |
| •••• Expert: Everyone wants you at their parties. | •••• Expert: You could terrorize writers into making their deadlines.\\ |
| ••••• Master: Your gatherings are the greatest social events around. | ••••• Master: You can frighten off vicious animals.\\ |
| (Source: Mummy: The Resurrection, page 60)(Requirements: Blush of Health merit, enough dots in Resources background to equal the size and scope of party, Contacts background who can bring their associates. Charisma roll. | |
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| Diplomacy: You’ve got a knack for smoothing things over, making friends, and getting people to see past their differences. When you need to, you can also back up your guile with spine. A combination of ingratiating people skills, social psychology, knowledge of the situation, and innate timing allows you to gain people’s respect and then maneuver them to your desired point of view. A good diplomat can be transparent about his motives and yet still have people doing what he wants them to do while believing it’s their idea to do so. | __Intuition:__ Some call it a “gut feeling” while others say it’s subconscious logic, the ability to leap to the right conclusion without actually thinking it through — a matter of pure intuition. Intuition is the ability to choose between two (or more) options with a better chance of picking the right one. It represents that gut instinct for making the right decision at the right time. It’s the ability to roll when a character makes a decision largely at random, like whether to cut the red, green or blue wire as the timer counts down to zero, or picking the right away out of a maze while running away from something. |
| • Novice: Advice columnist. | • Novice: You’ve got a knack for making the right choice. |
| •• Practiced: Relationship counselor. | •• Practiced: You’ve learned to listen to and trust your instincts. |
| ••• Skillful: Hostage negotiator. | ••• Competent: When you have a “bad feeling” about something, everyone listens. |
| •••• Expert: Noted diplomat. | •••• Expert: You could make a killing in the stock market. |
| ••••• Master: Jimmy Carter. | ••••• Master: You’ve always managed to make the right choice at the last minute… so far. |
| (Source: M20 Book of Secrets, page 19)(roll: Manipulation) | |
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| Haggling: You are skilled at bargaining and can reduce another's price, or get some other concession, under most circumstances. To bargain, make an opposed roll using your Manipulation + Haggling against the other character's Wits + Haggling (or Wits + Alertness). Each net success you score reduces the price by five percent if you are buying, or increases the character's offer by five percent if you are selling. Failure means the price does not budge. A botch angers the other character, driving her away in disgust or worsening her offer by 50 percent in either direction (Storyteller's call). | __Leadership:__ You are an example to others and can inspire them to do what you want. Leadership has less to do with manipulating people’s desires than it does with presenting yourself as the sort of person they want to follow. Anyone can lead a group into some sort of conflict; a good leader can get them back out intact. This Talent is usually paired with Charisma rather than Manipulation. |
| | • Novice: Captain of your Little League team. |
| | •• Practiced: Student body president |
| | ••• Competent: An effective CEO |
| | •••• Expert: Presidential material |
| | ••••• Master: You could be beloved dictator of a nation. |
| | |
| | __Streetwise:__ On the streets, everything can be had for the right price. Streetwise is the art of knowing what you want, who has it, and how you can get it from them safely. With Streetwise comes an understanding of slang and street customs, as well as an instinctive way of fitting in. |
| | • Novice: You can sometimes get what you’re looking for. |
| | •• Competent: You can get connected with a few hours’ effort. |
| | ••• Practiced: You know where the bodies were buried. |
| | •••• Expert: You know where the bodies were buried, who buried them, and where they rented the equipment. |
| | ••••• Master: You can get anything, at any time, in any place. |
| | |
| | __Subterfuge:__ Subterfuge is the art of deception. Characters with this Talent know how to conceal their true feelings and act in a completely different manner. Subterfuge is used when telling a convincing lie, or hiding one’s emotions and reactions. |
| | • Novice: You can get away with the occasional lie. |
| | •• Practiced: You’ve got decent poker face, and you know how to bluff. |
| | ••• Competent: You can keep track of complex lies and hide your feelings easily. |
| | •••• Expert: You can pull of complex con games with style and panache. |
| | ••••• Master: No one would ever suspect you; every one trusts you implicitly.\\ |
| | |
| | ===== Secondary Talents ===== |
| | (Of the one offered, below are the Secondary Talents available to Vampires, with corresponding rolls, requirements and results.)\\ |
| | |
| | === Diplomacy === |
| | You’ve got a knack for smoothing things over, making friends, and getting people to see past their differences. When you need to, you can also back up your guile with spine. A combination of ingratiating people skills, social psychology, knowledge of the situation, and innate timing allows you to gain people’s respect and then maneuver them to your desired point of view. A good diplomat can be transparent about his motives and yet still have people doing what he wants them to do while believing it’s their idea to do so.\\ |
| | • Novice: Advice columnist.\\ |
| | •• Practiced: Relationship counselor.\\ |
| | ••• Skillful: Hostage negotiator.\\ |
| | •••• Expert: Noted diplomat.\\ |
| | ••••• Master: Jimmy Carter.\\ |
| | (Source: M20 Book of Secrets, page 19)(Vampire roll: Manipulation) |
| | |
| | === Haggling === |
| | You are skilled at bargaining and can reduce another's price, or get some other concession, under most circumstances. To bargain, make an opposed roll using your Manipulation + Haggling against the other character's Wits + Haggling (or Wits + Alertness). Each net success you score reduces the price by five percent if you are buying, or increases the character's offer by five percent if you are selling. Failure means the price does not budge. A botch angers the other character, driving her away in disgust or worsening her offer by 50 percent in either direction (Storyteller's call). |
| • Novice: Bargain hunter | • Novice: Bargain hunter |
| •• Practiced: Market trader | •• Practiced: Market trader |
| (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 23) | (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 23) |
| |
| Homiletics: You can give persuasive homilies, and inspirational sermons. You manage to turn almost any daily event into a life-enriching experience with many lessons to learn. This can be used from the pulpit, from a street corner, or even at the local bar; the audience can be a congregation or a circle of friends, | === Interrogation === |
| • Novice: You can retell a good homily you once heard. | You are able to extract information from people by fair means or foul. Using a mixture of threats, trickery and persistent questioning, you ultimately unearth the truth.\\ |
| •• Practiced: You can construct a small sermon of your own. | • Novice: Nosy neighbor\\ |
| ••• Competent: You can do this every week if you have to. | •• Practiced: Movie cop\\ |
| •••• Expert: You actually make people listen. | ••• Competent: Talk-show host\\ |
| ••••• Master: You have changed lives. | •••• Expert: Investigative journalist\\ |
| (Source: The Inquisition, page 54f) (roll: Manipulation, diff 8. This can be done once a month to gain a dot in Contacts.) | ••••• Master: Spymaster\\ |
| | (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 24)(Roll: Manipulation) |
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| Instruction: You’re really good at relaying information, teaching material, and helping other folks understand potentially complex principles. It’s not so much that you’re an expert on the subject at hand (though you might be), but that you’ve got a knack for taking your subject and making it easier to comprehend. A very useful Talent for mentors, professors and, of course, instructors for any given course of study, this Ability helps your character share his expertise with other characters. | === Malkavian Time === |
| • Novice: You can pass along basic concepts. | This Malkavian-specific Trait represents a Lunatic's particular connection to her clan's shared subconsciousness; needless to say, it's quite supernatural in nature. It allows the Malkavian to “plug into” the floodwaters of the Madness Network and filter out messages, impulses, shared visions, and knowledge of upcoming clan gatherings.\\ |
| •• Practiced: A topic’s finer points are easy for you to express. | • Novice: Your “cousins” are usually surprised when you manage to make it to a gathering.\\ |
| ••• Skillful: Assuming you know something, you can teach it. | •• Practiced: You've become accustomed to the occasional Call.\\ |
| •••• Expert: You’re one of those folks that people want to learn from. | ••• Skillful: You sometimes hear echoes of messages that might not be intended for you.\\ |
| ••••• Master: A master of all aspects of learning, you’re a teacher that pupils recall for the rest of their lives. | •••• Expert: When one of the family dies, you know.\\ |
| (Source: M20 Book of secrets, page 19) | ••••• Master: You are the undisputed local authority on what is necessary.\\ |
| | (Source: Clan Book Malkavian (Revised Edition), page 59) |
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| Interrogation: You are able to extract information from people by fair means or foul. Using a mixture of threats, trickery and persistent questioning, you ultimately unearth the truth. | === Masquerade === |
| • Novice: Nosy neighbor | This Talent cannot be taken during character generation, and is available only to vampires. Masquerade reflects how skilled a character is at appearing to be mortal: feigning respiration, creating a heartbeat, producing pink skin (by bringing blood to the surface), sneezing, masking vampiric tendencies, et al. Masquerade may be paired with a Social Attribute to determine whether the character successfully passes as a mortal among mortals.\\ |
| •• Practiced: Movie cop | • Novice: You might succeed - in ideal circumstances.\\ |
| ••• Competent: Talk-show host | •• Practiced: You are able to pass casual inspection.\\ |
| •••• Expert: Investigative journalist | ••• Competent: You are undetectable under most normal circumstances.\\ |
| ••••• Master: Spymaster | •••• Expert: You may succeed even under duress.\\ |
| | ••••• Master: Even a witch-hunter would be fooled.\\ |
| (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 24) | (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 24) |
| |
| Intrigue: Machiavelli’s ghost smiles upon you. In the vicious whirlpools of backstabbing power, you’re a force to be reckoned with. A combination of instincts, audacity, knowledge, guile, and ruthlessness gives you insights and edges that most folks lack. You may serve a greater purpose, work toward hidden agendas, or simply enjoy making puppets dance. Whatever your ultimate purpose, you’re a player, not a pawn, in your personal Game of Thrones. | === Panhandling === |
| • Novice: Ned Stark. | You are a skilled beggar. You are able to get people to give you money just by asking for it. The art of panhandling is performed through a subtle blend of Manipulation, Empathy, Intimidation, Streetwise and Subterfuge. You know whom to ask, how to approach them, what to say, and how to avoid police. This is a useful Talent for picking up quick cash or for creating a cover.\\ |
| •• Practiced: Cersei Lannister. | • Novice: You can tell a good hard-luck story.\\ |
| ••• Skillful: Varys the Spider. | •• Practiced: You can gain sympathy from most people.\\ |
| •••• Expert: Littlefinger. | ••• Competent: Real smooth. You can hit even the hardhearted for a few bucks.\\ |
| ••••• Master: Tyrion Lannister. | •••• Expert: People want to take you home and feed and clothe you.\\ |
| (Source: M20 Book of Secrets, page 19f) | ••••• Master: You can get whatever you want (within reason) for free.\\ |
| | |
| Lucid Dreaming: Most folks float through dreams with no sense of control. Not you. When you choose to assert yourself in the dreamlands, you may shift the tone of a dream, change locations, confront nightmares head-on, or even construct dreams of your choosing. | |
| In game terms, this Talent lets you manipulate your surroundings in a dream (Perception + Lucid Dreaming, difficulty 6); shape new structures (difficulty 8); or take complete control over that dream and your place in it (difficulty 9). | |
| • Novice: You’re aware of your dreams and can remember them if you choose. | |
| •• Practiced: You can try to dream a certain dream. | |
| ••• Skillful: Some control over your dreams. | |
| •••• Expert: You know how to influence and read dreams as aspects of your inner self. | |
| ••••• Master: You understand themetaphysical elements of dreams and can manipulate them, recall them, inspire them, or share them to your will. | |
| (Source: M20 Core Book, page 294) | |
| | |
| Malkavian Time: This Malkavian-specific Trait represents a Lunatic's particular connection to her clan's shared subconsciousness; needless to say, it's quite supernatural in nature. It allows the Malkavian to “plug into” the floodwaters of the Madness Network and filter out messages, impulses, shared visions, and knowledge of upcoming clan gatherings. | |
| • Novice: Your “cousins” are usually surprised when you manage to make it to a gathering. | |
| •• Practiced: You've become accustomed to the occasional Call. | |
| ••• Skillful: You sometimes hear echoes of messages that might not be intended for you. | |
| •••• Expert: When one of the family dies, you know. | |
| ••••• Master: You are the undisputed local authority on what is necessary. | |
| (Source: Clan Book Malkavian (Revised Edition), page 59) | |
| | |
| Masquerade: This Talent cannot be taken during character generation, and is available only to vampires. Masquerade reflects how skilled a character is at appearing to be mortal: feigning respiration, creating a heartbeat, producing pink skin (by bringing blood to the surface), sneezing, masking vampiric tendencies, et al. Masquerade may be paired with a Social Attribute to determine whether the character successfully passes as a mortal among mortals. | |
| • Novice: You might succeed - in ideal circumstances. | |
| •• Practiced: You are able to pass casual inspection. | |
| ••• Competent: You are undetectable under most normal circumstances. | |
| •••• Expert: You may succeed even under duress. | |
| ••••• Master: Even a witch-hunter would be fooled. | |
| (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 24) | (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 24) |
| |
| Mimicry A skilled imitator, you can mimic voices or sounds; the higher your rating, the greater your ability. The human larynx is quite flexible, capable of a wide vocal range. At the lower levels, you can imitate accents or the voices of specific people, while higher levels help you fake an impressive range of sonic phenomena. | === Public Speaking === |
| • Novice: You mock celebrities for fun. | You are able to mold the emotions of a crowd by making a speech. This might be at a political rally, in a courtroom, at a lecture or even at the barricades once the revolution is underway. Whatever you want your audience to feel is what it feels.\\ |
| •• Practiced: Given time and practice, you can mimic a decent range of accents and voices. | • Novice: Entertaining speaker\\ |
| ••• Skillful: Your impersonations can fool folks who’re familiar with the people or sounds you’re imitating. | •• Practiced: Compelling speaker\\ |
| •••• Expert: You’re like that dude in those old Police Academy flicks. | ••• Competent: Inspiring speaker\\ |
| ••••• Master: Your ability to mimic almost anyone or anything is downright unsettling. | •••• Expert: Popular champion\\ |
| (Source: M20 Book of Secrets, page 20) | ••••• Master: Demosthenes\\ |
| | (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 25) |
| |
| Negotiation: An acute perception for what people want makes you a master wheeler-dealer. Combined with social savvy and the ability to say “No” when you need to do so, this perception lets you bring other folks around to your point of view, helps them strike bargains, and puzzle out the potential agendas that drive them to – and away from – the bargaining table. | === Sense Deception === |
| • Novice: You mediate disputes at home. | Over the years, you have developed the ability to know instinctively when people are not telling you the truth or not telling you the whole truth. There is a way they look, a tone of voice, a movem ent of the eyes - you can't analyze it, but it's always there and your instincts rarely let you down. |
| •• Practiced: You’re good at herding cats toward a common destination. | • Novice: Sometimes you can tell, hut you still get suckered - though more rarely than the average person does.\\ |
| ••• Skillful: Your arbitration skills are in professional demand. | •• Practiced: It takes a silver tongue to pull the wool over your eyes.\\ |
| •••• Expert: Regardless of the dispute, you often get your way. | ••• Competent: Anyone who can slip one past you is a highly skilled con artist.\\ |
| ••••• Master: You could forge lasting peace between old enemies, and leave them happy to have followed your lead. | •••• Expert: You could make a living screening people for security.\\ |
| (Source: M20 Book of Secrets, page 21) | ••••• Master: People whisper behind your back, and many are nervous talking to you. Your ability is almost supernatural.\\ |
| | (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 26) |
| |
| Newspeak: Language is your playground. In a brave new age, you coin brave new words. Why? Because language is the gatekeeper of status and initiation. Obfuscatory miscourse is keycode. Disinfotech relegates the bleaters to Sidelinedia. Coprosperity sails on neochop, and so you bait the beespeakers and decompartmentalize linguiblocks. What the hell are you saying, anyway? Whatever the hell you want it to mean! | === Ventriloquism === |
| Essentially, this Talent helps you spin and juggle buzzwords, either existing or original. Beyond the roleplaying fun you can have with this Trait, Newspeak provides a verbal arsenal for social entanglements. By pairing Social Attributes with this Ability, you can excite, incite or inspire your audience (Charisma + Newspeak); dazzle, befuddle or intimidate opponents (Manipulation + Newspeak); or blast holes in Preconceptionsville by pairing beauty with brains (Appearance + Newspeak). Intelligence + Newspeak may help you decipher or deconstruct someone else’s wordstorm, while Perception or Wits might help you keep track of a slogan-spitting raconteur… or beat her at her own game! | You have the ability to throw your voice, making it appear to come from somewhere else. This Talent can be used for entertainment - or deception.\\ |
| (Ideally, this Talent should be roleplayed out. Relegating it to a simple roll of dice is no fun at all.) | • Novice: You could do a ventriloquist act at a children's party.\\ |
| • Novice: Lol | •• Practiced: You could get a spot with a local amateur vaudeville club. You can make someone standing next to you appear to speak.\\ |
| •• Practiced: u mad, bro? | ••• Competent: You could almost make a living from your talent, with occasional TV variety shows breaking up the round of cheap clubs and theatres. You can make someone (or something) within five yards of you appear to speak.\\ |
| ••• Skillful: Your neologic metaphases into commcom. | •••• Expert: You could take your act to Vegas. You can make your voice appear to come from any spot within 30 feet of you.\\ |
| •••• Expert: Masspeak is youspeak. Youspeak is allspeak. | ••••• Master: Young hopefuls bombard you with questions, and Variety calls you the savior of a lost vaudeville art. You can make your voice appear to come from anywhere within earshot.\\ |
| ••••• Master: That whirring sound you hear is Orwell’s grave. | (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 26) |
| (Source: M20 Book of Secrets, page 21) | |
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| Panhandling: You are a skilled beggar. You are able to get people to give you money just by asking for it. The art of panhandling is performed through a subtle blend of Manipulation, Empathy, Intimidation, Streetwise and Subterfuge. You know whom to ask, how to approach them, what to say, and how to avoid police. This is a useful Talent for picking up quick cash or for creating a cover. | ---- |
| • Novice: You can tell a good hard-luck story. | ===== Secondary Skills ===== |
| •• Practiced: You can gain sympathy from most people. | (Of the one offered, below are the Secondary Skills available to Vampires, with corresponding rolls, requirements and results.)\\ |
| ••• Competent: Real smooth. You can hit even the hardhearted for a few bucks. | |
| •••• Expert: People want to take you home and feed and clothe you. | |
| ••••• Master: You can get whatever you want (within reason) for free. | |
| (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 24) | |
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| Public Speaking: You are able to mold the emotions of a crowd by making a speech. This might be at a political rally, in a courtroom, at a lecture or even at the barricades once the revolution is underway. Whatever you want your audience to feel is what it feels. | Artillery: You may operate and shoot artillery of all varieties - anything from a mortar to a howitzer. Additionally, your knowledge of the weapons includes the ability to repair them. |
| • Novice: Entertaining speaker | • Novice: Young recruit |
| •• Practiced: Compelling speaker | •• Practiced: Operator |
| ••• Competent: Inspiring speaker | ••• Competent: Forward observer |
| •••• Expert: Popular champion | •••• Expert: Gun captain |
| ••••• Master: Demosthenes | ••••• Master: Can fire the thing by yourself if need be |
| (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 25) | (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 27) |
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| Scan: Your quick eyes spot things other people miss. Darting your gaze across a place or situation, you can catch a quick appraisal that would take most people a while to observe. Generally combined with Perception, this Talent helps your character scope out potential targets, threats, clues, faces, escape routes, and other vital details. He might not always know just what it is he sees, and he has to actually think about scanning an area in order to use this Ability. Given time for a fast glance or two, however, he’ll probably snag enough material to work with once he’s got the chance to process what he’s seen. | Boat Handling: You know your way around a boat, and can operate effectively in any crew position. |
| • Novice: You catch the obvious hints. | • Novice: Weekend sailor |
| •• Practiced: You’re good at noticing the little stuff. | •• Practiced: Serious enthusiast |
| ••• Skillful: Quick appraisals are your specialty. | ••• Competent: Competitor or semi-skilled professional |
| •••• Expert: Few details escape your gaze. | •••• Expert: Professional or Olympic standard |
| ••••• Master: Sherlock Holmes wishes he were you. | ••••• Master: Instructor or Olympic gold medallist |
| (Source: M20 Book of Secrets, page 21) | (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 27) |
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| Scrounging: Dude! Where’d you find that? You’re pretty good at spotting goodies in the oddest places. A skilled scavenger, you can discover all kinds of unlikely stuff. | Brewing/Distilling: You are skilled in the manufacture of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. You are familiar with the equipment used in brewing and distilling, and can maintain, operate and repair such equipment. |
| • Novice: You and Macklemore hit thrift shops together. | • Novice: Brew -kit user |
| •• Practiced: You are Macklemore. | •• Practiced: Home winemaker |
| ••• Skillful: You scrounge most of what you need from society’s cast-offs. | ••• Competent: Moonshiner |
| •••• Expert: Given enough time and trash, you could find almost anything you need. | •••• Expert: Commercial winemaker |
| ••••• Master: Money-wise, you live off little or nothing. | ••••• Master: Chateau of repute |
| (Source: M20 Book of Secrets, page 21) | (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 27) |
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| Search: Given time and motivation, you know how to toss a room or comb the woods. You’ve honed an eye for clues, mastered the classic hiding spaces (and puzzled out some new ones), and learned how to follow your instincts. If there’s something to be found, you’re likely to find it… | Bribery: You know how, when and where to grease palms. Coupled with Streetwise or Politics, this Ability could buy you a very easy life. However, you still need to decide whom to approach and whom to leave alone - remember, not everyone turns a blind eye. |
| • Novice: You’re good at finding lost stuff. | • Novice: Get a bouncer to overlook the dress code. |
| •• Practiced: Clues seem to jump out at you. | •• Practiced: Get the building inspector off your back. |
| ••• Skillful: The last place to look is the first place you try. | ••• Competent: A policeman won't write you tickets. |
| •••• Expert: The pros consult you when something or someone needs to be found. | •••• Expert: The inspector from the EPA leaves you alone. |
| ••••• Master: Your gift for detections seems downright supernatural… and probably is. | ••••• Master: State politicians and local CEOs scratch your back. |
| (Source: M20 Core Book, page 294f) | (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 27) |
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| Seduction: You’re good at being bad. A master of attraction, you can draw people into engagements they might otherwise ignore or avoid. This Talent reflects the combination of carnal allure and emotional manipulation that can wind people around your fingers (or other parts of your anatomy…) whenever you want their attention. | |
| Seduction isn’t always sexual.It does, however, play off the target’s desires. Note that you don’t have to be gorgeous to use this Ability; many seducers, in fact, seem unremarkable until they put this gift to work. | |
| • Novice: You can score desperate drunks. | |
| •• Practiced: You can have almost anyone you want. | |
| ••• Skillful: You’re good enough to get people to go against their better natures. | |
| •••• Expert: Turn on the charm, turn off their brains. | |
| ••••• Master: Vows, homes, hearts, and marriages are yours to break at will. | |
| (Source: M20 Core Book, page 295) | |
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| Sense Deception: Over the years, you have developed the ability to know instinctively when people are not telling you the truth or not telling you the whole truth. There is a way they look, a tone of voice, a movem ent of the eyes - you can't analyze it, but it's always there and your instincts rarely let you down. | |
| • Novice: Sometimes you can tell, hut you still get suckered - though more rarely than the average person does. | |
| •• Practiced: It takes a silver tongue to pull the wool over your eyes. | |
| ••• Competent: Anyone who can slip one past you is a highly skilled con artist. | |
| •••• Expert: You could make a living screening people for security. | |
| ••••• Master: People whisper behind your back, and many are nervous talking to you. Your ability is almost supernatural. | |
| (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 26) | |
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| Style: You may not have been born good -looking, or possessed of a natural charm, but you know how to dress and make the most of your appearance. Even if you are not physically attractive, heads turn because of your dress sense and style. Note that this Talent only applies to people's reactions to your appearance; once you get closer, it's up to you. | |
| • Novice: Good taste | |
| •• Practiced: Socialite | |
| ••• Competent: Celebrity | |
| •••• Expert: Celebrity advisor | |
| ••••• Master: International model | |
| (Source: M20 Book of Secrets, page 22) | |
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| Ventriloquism: You have the ability to throw your voice, making it appear to come from somewhere else. This Talent can be used for entertainment - or deception. | |
| • Novice: You could do a ventriloquist act at a children's party. | |
| •• Practiced: You could get a spot with a local amateur vaudeville club. You can make someone standing next to you appear to speak. | |
| ••• Competent: You could almost make a living from your talent, with occasional TV variety shows breaking up the round of cheap clubs and theatres. You can make someone (or something) within five yards of you appear to speak. | |
| •••• Expert: You could take your act to Vegas. You can make your voice appear to come from any spot within 30 feet of you. | |
| ••••• Master: Young hopefuls bombard you with questions, and Variety calls you the savior of a lost vaudeville art. You can make your voice appear to come from anywhere within earshot. | |
| (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 26) | |
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