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--- setting:vampire_talents [2026/Mar/12 05:26]
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 Back to [[vampire_character_creation|Vampire Character Creation]]
-====== Character Traits ======
+====== Character Talents ======
+===== Primary Talents =====
-===== 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.\\
-===== 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.\\
-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.
+__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.\\
-    * **Performance** is a skill that applies to performance arts: Dancing, singing, acting, etc.
+• Novice: You can keep your foot out of your mouth.\\
-    * **Expression** governs activities that involve the effective use of language, including writing novels or poetry.
+•• Practiced: Everyone cries on your shoulder.\\
-    * **Crafts** encompasses abilities for the creation of primarily functional objects, like tailoring, carpentering, forging, etc.
+••• Competent: You know why others do what they do.\\
-    * **Technology** refers to the building, operation, and maintenance of electronics and electromechanical devices.
+•••• Expert: It’s almost impossible to slip a lie past you.\\
-    * **Computers** is the software side to Technology's hardware. Writing, operating, and maintaining computer programs is handled by this ability.
+••••• Master: Your psychiatrist told you about his mother.\\
+__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: Your talent has matured past crude poetry on notebook paper.\\
+•• Practiced: You could lead a college debate team.\\
+••• Competent: You could be a successful writer.\\
+•••• Expert: Your work is Pulitzer material.\\
+••••• Master: You rank with Cicero and Daniel Webster.\\
+__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 could take candy from babies.\\
+•• Competent: You never lacked for other kids’ lunch money.\\
+••• Practiced: “Nice place you got here. Be a real shame if something happened to it…”\\
+•••• Expert: You could terrorize writers into making their deadlines.\\
+••••• Master: You can frighten off vicious animals.\\
+__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: You’ve got a knack for making the right choice.
+•• Practiced: You’ve learned to listen to and trust your instincts.
+••• Competent: When you have a “bad feeling” about something, everyone listens.
+•••• Expert: You could make a killing in the stock market.
+••••• Master: You’ve always managed to make the right choice at the last minute… so far.
+__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.)\\
@@ Line 111: / Line 174: @@
 ••••• 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)
+----
+===== Secondary Skills =====
+(Of the one offered, below are the Secondary Skills available to Vampires, with corresponding rolls, requirements and results.)\\
+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: Young recruit
+•• Practiced: Operator
+••• Competent: Forward observer
+•••• Expert: Gun captain
+••••• Master: Can fire the thing by yourself if need be
+(Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 27)
+Boat Handling: You know your way around a boat, and can operate effectively in any crew position.
+• Novice: Weekend sailor
+•• Practiced: Serious enthusiast
+••• Competent: Competitor or semi-skilled professional
+•••• Expert: Professional or Olympic standard
+••••• Master: Instructor or Olympic gold medallist
+(Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 27)
+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: Brew -kit user
+•• Practiced: Home winemaker
+••• Competent: Moonshiner
+•••• Expert: Commercial winemaker
+••••• Master: Chateau of repute
+(Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 27)
+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: Get a bouncer to overlook the dress code.
+•• Practiced: Get the building inspector off your back.
+••• Competent: A policeman won't write you tickets.
+•••• Expert: The inspector from the EPA leaves you alone.
+••••• Master: State politicians and local CEOs scratch your back.
+(Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 27)

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