Character Talents

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. (Note: Consult the combat house rules for details on the differences between this talent and the Martial Arts skill.)
• Novice: You know how to throw a punch without hurting yourself and the common places on the body that are the most vulnerable.
•• Practiced: You can hold your own in a fight against most people.
••• Competent: You’ve fought regularly for some time (and you usually win).
•••• Expert: You could be a professional fighter, even a title-winner.
••••• Master: Welcome to fight club. You’re in charge.

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.
• Novice: You can keep your foot out of your mouth.
•• 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.

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.

(Of the one offered, below are the Secondary Talents available to Vampires, with corresponding rolls, requirements and results.)

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)

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 •• Practiced: Market trader ••• Competent: Horse trader •••• Expert: Con artist ••••• Master: Marco Polo (Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 23)

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.
• Novice: Nosy neighbor
•• Practiced: Movie cop
••• Competent: Talk-show host
•••• Expert: Investigative journalist
••••• Master: Spymaster
(Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 24)(Roll: Manipulation)

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)

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)

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.
•• Practiced: You can gain sympathy from most people.
••• 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)

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.
• Novice: Entertaining speaker
•• Practiced: Compelling speaker
••• Competent: Inspiring speaker
•••• Expert: Popular champion
••••• Master: Demosthenes
(Source: Vampire Players Guide (2nd Edition), page 25)

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)

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)

(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)