Attributes and Abilities

Strength is the raw, brute power of a character. It governs how much weight a character can lift, how much they can physically push, and how hard they can hit another character or object. The Strength Trait is added to a character’s damage dice pool when they hit their opponent in hand-to-hand combat. It is also used when a character wishes to break, lift, or carry something, as well as when a character tries to jump a distance.

The Dexterity Attribute measures a character’s general physical prowess. It encompasses the character’s speed, agility, and overall quickness, as well as indicating the character’s ability to manipulate objects with control and precision. Also included under Dexterity’s heading are hand-eye coordination, reflexes, and bodily grace.

The Stamina Trait reflects a character’s health, toughness, and resilience. It indicates how long a character can exert themself and how much punishment they can withstand before suffering physical trauma. Stamina also includes a bit of psychic fortitude, indicating a character’s grit and tenacity.

Charisma is a character’s ability to entice and please others through their personality. Charisma comes into question when a character tries to win another character’s sympathies or encourage others to trust them. Charisma reflects the power of a character’s charm and influence. It governs a character’s ability to convince others to see their point of view. This Attribute doesn’t necessarily indicate how the character is charismatic, whether they’re a silver-tongued charmer or a grinning bully. (These should come across through roleplaying and specialties.)

Manipulation measures a character’s ability for self-expression in the interests of getting others to share their outlook or follow their whims. In short, it’s getting others to do what they want. Manipulation comes into play when a character tries to influence or subtly guide another’s behavior. Manipulation is used to trick, bluff, fast-talk, and railroad other characters. Whether or not the characters in question actually like the manipulator is irrelevant (this is why Manipulation differs from Charisma). After all, a skilled motivator can even employ the talents of people who hate them.

Manipulation is a dangerous affair, though it is the way many Kindred primarily affect the world around them. Failed attempts at manipulation often earn the ire of the would-be patsy. Botching a Manipulation roll may add a name to the character’s list of enemies.

People are manipulated every day, and typically ignore it. (“Would you run to the store for me?”) If the fact is brought to their attention, however, many people become quite defensive. Manipulation can be the most powerful tool in a Kindred’s repertoire, but failure can be disastrous. Characters with high Manipulation ratings are often distrusted by those around them.

The Appearance Attribute is a measure of how well a character makes a first impression. This may be conventional “attractiveness,” but it can also be the effect of distinctive features, an exotic mien, an air of confidence, distinctive posture, a flair for dressing well — anything remarkable upon initial observation can contribute to a character’s Appearance. Indeed, Appearance is the amalgamation of many descriptive personal characteristics. Appearance is subconscious and instinctual — it appeals to the lower levels of the psyche, so it shapes first impressions and the nature of memories thereafter.

This Trait is useful for getting potential vessels to heed your beckoning across a crowded dance floor. In situations in which first impressions are paramount, or that involve people who view Appearance as very important, a character may have no more dice in a Social dice pool than their Appearance rating. Thus, it is critically important to either look your best or get to know people before you start trying to convince them to firebomb the Justicar’s haven.

Perception measures a character’s ability to observe their environment. This may involve a conscious effort, such as searching an area, but it is more often intuitive, as the character’s keen senses notice something out of the ordinary. Perception is a sensitivity to one’s surroundings, and is seldom present in the cynical or jaded (who have seen it all before).

Perception is used to determine whether or not a character understands a given situation or detects an environmental stimulus. It can warn a character of ambushes, distinguish a clue from a pile of refuse, or uncover any other hidden or overlookable detail, whether physical or otherwise.

The Intelligence Attribute refers to a character’s grasp of facts and knowledge. It also governs a character’s ability to reason, solve problems, and evaluate situations. Intelligence also includes critical thinking and flexibility of thought.

Intelligence does not include savvy, wisdom, or common sense, as those are properties of the character’s personality, not Traits. Even the smartest character may be too foolish to realize the thugs who want to “borrow” their car keys are up to no good.

Characters with low Intelligence aren’t necessarily stupid (though they might be); they are just uneducated or simple thinkers. Likewise, characters with high Intelligence aren’t all Einsteins; they may be better at rote memorization or have particularly keen judgment.

The Wits Trait measures the character’s ability to think on their feet and react quickly to a certain situation. It also reflects a character’s general cleverness. Characters with low Wits ratings are thick and mentally lethargic, or maybe gullible and unsophisticated. By contrast, characters with high Wits Traits almost always have a plan immediately and adapt to their surroundings with striking expedience. Characters with high Wits also manage to keep their cool in stressful situations.

This is your basic knack for noticing things that go on around you, even when you’re not actively looking for them. Alertness describes the attention you pay to the outside world, whether otherwise occupied or not. This Talent is typically paired with Perception, and is best used when sensing physical stimuli (as opposed to moods or clues).

This Talent represents your basic athletic ability, as well as any training you might have had in sports or other rigorous activities. Athletics concerns all forms of running, jumping, throwing, swimming, sports, and the like. However, Athletics doesn’t cover basic motor actions such as lifting weights, nor does it govern athletic feats covered by another Ability (such as Melee).

Awareness is an instinctual reaction to the presence of the supernatural. It differs from Alertness (which measures sensitivity to mundane events) and Occult (which covers actual knowledge about the supernatural). Usually, only supernatural creatures have access to this particular Talent, but some unique mortals have a sense that something is strange in the world (such as those with True Faith).

Characters with Awareness sometimes get hunches, chills, or sudden flashes of inspiration when they are near supernatural creatures, objects, or events. This insight is purely subconscious, and knowing that something’s wrong doesn’t mean that the character knows what it is. To get more specific information, the Kindred will need to use Occult or a particular power — Awareness only makes the vampire more receptive to the presence of the unusual.

A vampire can use Awareness deliberately if they suspect that something is supernatural, but more often the Storyteller can ask for an Awareness roll to determine whether a vampire notices a strange event that’s not immediately visible.

The Brawl Talent represents how well you fight in tooth-and-nail situations. This Talent represents skill in unarmed combat, whether from formal martial arts training or simply from plenty of experience. Effective brawlers are coordinated, resistant to pain, quick, strong, and mean. The willingness to do whatever it takes to hurt your opponent wins plenty of fights.

You understand the emotions of others, and can sympathize with, feign sympathy for, or play on such emotions as you see fit. You are adept at discerning motives, and might be able to discern when someone’s lying to you. However, you may be so in tune with other people’s feelings that your own emotions are affected.

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). They might also be talented actors, skilled at conveying moods or communicating emotion with every gesture. Additionally, this Talent represents your ability for poetry, creative writing, or other literary art forms. For many elders, Expression is the subtle art of crafting a satirical epigram capable of socially crippling one’s longtime rival. For younger Kindred, Expression may well be the key to convincing thirty stake-wielding Anarchs to converge on the Sheriff’s private hunting ground with the right text message. You can choose a specialty in Expression, even at less than 4 dots.

Intimidation takes many forms, from outright threats and physical violence to mere force of personality. It needn’t be coarse or callous, and a well-placed intimidating word under the right circumstances might well be called “diplomacy” in certain circles. You know the right method for each occasion, and can be very... persuasive.

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.

The streets can provide a lot of information or money to those who know the language. Streetwise allows you to blend in unobtrusively with the local scene, pick up gossip, understand slang, or even dabble in criminal doings.

You know how to conceal your own motives and project what you wish. Furthermore, if you can root out other people’s motives, you can then use those motives against them. This Talent defines your knack for intrigue, secrets, and double-dealing. Mastery of Subterfuge can make you the ultimate seducer or a brilliant spy.

This category encompasses anything that the Storyteller deems to be mainly self-taught and is usually (though not always) more active than intellectual. Storytellers should first examine the list of existing Talents to determine if a particular activity might fall under one of those (for example, Swimming and Climbing would be specialties of Athletics).

You can understand animals’ behavior patterns. This Skill allows you to predict how an animal might react in a given situation, train a domesticated creature, or even try to calm or enrage animals.

This Skill covers your ability to make or fix things with your hands. Crafts allows you to work in fields such as carpentry, leatherworking, weaving, or even mechanical expertise such as car repair. You can even create lasting works of art with this Skill, depending on the number of successes you achieve. You must always choose a specialty in Crafts, even though you retain some skill in multiple fields.

You can drive a car, and maybe other vehicles as well. This Skill does not automatically entail familiarity with complicated vehicles such as tanks or 18-wheelers, and Difficulties may vary depending on your experience with individual automobiles. After all, helming a station wagon doesn’t prepare you for double-clutching a Maserati at 100 miles per hour.

You understand the nuances of proper behavior, in both mortal society and Kindred culture. In many cases, knowing how to broach a topic is as important as the discussion itself, and a person with poor etiquette will never have an opportunity to make themself heard because they don’t know when or how to interject. This Skill is used during meetings, haggling, seduction, dancing, dinner etiquette, and all forms of diplomacy.

Executing a mortal with a sword starts investigations. Clawing someone to ribbons tears the edges of the Masquerade. So Cainites adapt, and many have devoted their energies to learning how to kill with guns. This Skill represents familiarity with a range of firearms, from holdout pistols to heavy machine guns. Further, someone skilled in Firearms can clean, repair, recognize, and accurately fire most forms of small arms. This Skill is also used to unjam guns (Wits + Firearms).

This Skill entails familiarity with the tools and techniques for the sorts of physical manipulation typically associated with criminal activity. Picking locks, manual forgery, safecracking, simple hotwiring, various forms of breaking and entering, and even sleight-of-hand all fall under the auspices of Larceny. Larceny is useful not only for theft, but also for setting up “the unbeatable system” or deducing where a thief broke in. This Skill does not confer any aptitude with advanced security or anti-crime technologies such as video surveillance or alarm systems — those are covered by the Technology Knowledge.

As the Kindred maxim runs, “Guns mean nothing to a lifeless heart.” A blade is often worth far more, as is the skill to use it properly. Melee covers your ability to use hand-to-hand weapons of all forms, from swords and clubs to esoteric martial-arts paraphernalia such as sai or nunchaku. And, of course, there is always the utility of the wooden stake...

The Performance Skill governs your ability to perform artistic endeavors such as singing, dancing, acting, or playing a musical instrument. You are almost certainly specialized in one field, although true virtuosos may be talented in many forms of performance. This Skill represents not only technical know-how, but the ability to work an audience and enrapture them with your show. As with Crafts, you must choose a specialty, even though this Skill also imparts a general sense for watching and responding to your audience’s mood regardless of medium.

This Skill is the ability to avoid being detected, whether you’re hiding or moving at the time. Stealth is often tested against someone else’s Perception + Alertness. This Ability is, for obvious reasons, highly useful in stalking prey. In many cases, Stealth is also used to conceal items, whether on one’s person or somewhere in the environment.

Although vampires have little to fear from starvation and exposure, the wilderness can still be dangerous to a Cainite. This Skill allows you to find shelter, navigate your way to civilization, track prey, establish a makeshift haven, and possibly even avoid supernatural threats like werewolves that also prowl the World of Darkness. Note that Survival need not be used only in areas considered “wilderness.” There’s plenty of Survival that goes into getting by in various parts of modern cities.

This category encompasses anything that the Storyteller deems to be a taught Ability and is primarily active in application. Storytellers should first examine the list of existing Skills to determine if a particular task might fall under one of those (e.g. Tracking would be a specialty of Survival).

This catch-all Knowledge covers the character’s erudition in the humanities: literature, history, art, philosophy, and other “liberal” arts and sciences. A character with dots in Academics is generally well-rounded in these fields, and at high levels may be considered an expert in one or more areas of study. Not only can this Knowledge impress at salons and other Elysium functions, but it can also offer valuable clues to certain past — and future — movements in the Jyhad. If you like, you can choose a specialty for Academics even at less than 4 dots.

This Knowledge represents the ability to operate and program computers, including mobile devices. Most Computer use also imparts a degree of Internet awareness (if not savvy).

You know the ins and outs of commerce, from evaluating an item’s relative worth to keeping up with currency exchange rates. This Knowledge can be invaluable when brokering items, running numbers, or playing the stock market. Sufficiently high levels in Finance allow you to raise your standards of living to a very comfortable level.

You’ve learned to notice details others might overlook, and might make an admirable detective. This Knowledge represents not only a good eye for detail, but also an ability to do research and follow leads. Such research may include Internet searches or more specific research techniques like hitting the law books and periodicals archives at the library.

The Law Knowledge represents a knowledge of both legal statutes and proper procedures for enforcing them. Law can be useful for filing suits, avoiding lawsuits, or getting out of jail. What’s more, the Kindred keep their own laws, and more than one vampire has saved their own unlife by deftly exploiting a loophole in one of the Traditions. The Law Knowledge has any number of specialties, and a player may choose one for their character when they take this Ability, representing both their field of experience and a general sense for how the legal system (especially in their locality) functions, though this is not mandatory.

You have an understanding of how the human body — and to a lesser extent the vampiric body — works. This Ability covers knowledge of medicines, ailments, first-aid procedures, and diagnosis or treatment of disease. Medicine is of great use to those Kindred with an interest in repairing, damaging, or reworking the human body.

You are knowledgeable in occult areas such as mysticism, curses, magic, folklore, and particularly vampire lore. Unlike most other Knowledges, Occult does not imply a command of hard facts. Much of what you know may well be rumor, myth, speculation, or hearsay. However, the secrets to be learned in this field are worth centuries of sifting legend from fact. High levels of Occult imply a deep understanding of vampire lore, as well as a good grounding in other aspects of the occult. At the very least, you can discern what is patently false.

You are familiar with the politics of the moment, including the people in charge and how they got there. This Knowledge can aid you in dealing with or influencing mortal politicians, or even offer some insight into the local Cainite power structure. The Politics Knowledge includes the ability to practically navigate various bureaucracies, as it assumes that certain organizational structures and relationship currencies are universal.

You have at least a basic understanding of most of the physical sciences, such as chemistry, biology, physics, and geology. This Knowledge can be put to all forms of practical use. In most cases, a player should select a specialty to reflect a focus for their character’s scientific studies, but this isn’t strictly necessary.

The Technology Knowledge represents a broad acumen with electronics, computer hardware, and devices more elaborate than “machines,” which fall under the Crafts Skill. If it has a processor, a transistor, or an integrated circuit — if it’s electronic rather than electrical — manipulating it uses the Technology Knowledge. This is the wide-ranging Ability used to build one’s own computer, install (or subvert) a security system, repair a mobile phone, or kitbash a shortwave radio. You must always choose a specialty in Technology, even though you possess some skill in multiple fields.

Like Hobby Talent and Professional Skill, this is a catch-all category. An Expert Knowledge is anything that is primarily intellectual or mental in nature and must be studied. Storytellers should first examine the list of existing Knowledges to determine if a particular field of expertise might fall under one of those (e.g. Forensics would be a specialty of Investigation).

This is the ability to function “smoothly” in a social setting. Gossiping, cutting deals in the halls of power, making a good first impression on a visiting Archon and handling yourself in an elder salon are all aspects of Grace.

You can trade favors, and negotiate costs and other specifics so that transactions come out in your favor. You can judge the relative value of goods and services quickly and easily, and know when someone’s attempting to rip you off.

The fine art of making people talk takes many forms. Interrogation can be as subtle as a well-intentioned psychoanalysis or as crude as a handful of rusty nails and a hammer. Many skilled interrogators don’t think of themselves as such, and some have never had any formal training whatsoever. The masters of this field have reputations that are sometimes as effective as the interrogations themselves.

This Talent cannot be taken by starting characters, and is (obviously) only available to vampires. It is the ability to falsely reproduce the frailties and subtle cues of mortality: respiration, creating a pulse, forcing blood to the skin to appear flushed, sneezing, slowing reflexes to mortal speed, et al. Masquerade may be rolled with a Social Attribute to determined how well the vampire fools the mortals around zir — any vampire can pretend to breathe, but not every vampire can do it well.

You have the ability to throw your voice, making it sound as if it’s coming from somewhere — or someone — else. This Talent can be used for either entertainment or deception, and can be combined with Mimicry for even more effect in either application. Note that Ventriloquism and Mimicry, while compatible, cannot be substituted for one another — they are completely different areas of vocal manipulation.

You can enter a trance-like state that allows you to leap through flames. This Skill is vital in the Fire Dance and other ritae. Demonstrating this Skill often equates to being a powerful and dominant member of the pack. This Skill does not grant any immunity from the fire, but it does allow the vampire to avoid being burned or succumbing to a frenzy. This Skill cannot be part of a split dice pool: The user must concentrate on Fire Dancing and nothing else. When the vampire tries to Fire Dance, damage should be rolled normally, but for every success with this Skill, reduce the amount of damage done by 1 health level. Few vampires outside the Sabbat have this Skill.

(Note: Unless the fire is actually a bonfire meant for the ritual dance, you do not suffer Rötschreck any less frequently than any other vampire.)

You have a knowledge of herbs and other natural substances and their properties for both medicinal and other applications. You know where such ingredients are likely to be found, and you can gather and preserve them.

You are able to understand speech without hearing the actual words, as long as you can see the subject’s mouth moving. Although you can rarely get the entire sentence, you can usually figure out what’s being said from context.

The speed and deftness of your hands can deceive the eyes of others. You can perform magic tricks, cheat at cards, or pilfer the pockets of unsuspecting bystanders.

You have learned information about the Black Hand — which may or may not be true since this information is known to few outside the organization. You have heard rumors and legends about the history, strategies, intrigue and rituals of the Hand. Additionally, you may be able to recognize numerous agents of the Hand within your own city and the surrounding area.

Bureaucracy represents your ability to get what you want out of “the system”, whether through paperwork, phone calls, or bribery. This Knowledge is useful for manipulating city officials, navigating the political system, or even operating a bureaucracy of your own design. Those with high Bureaucracy are among the most organized people in existence.

You know about the Camarilla. You are familiar with its leaders, both the real ones and the figureheads. You know history, the names of Archons and Justicars, the decisions of past conclaves, legends, the current “Most Wanted” list and the political stances of the major players. Not all Camarilla members have this Knowledge; many do not concern themselves with the night-to-night affairs of the political entity to which they belong. It is difficult for an outsider to have more than 2 dots in this Knowledge, and only the best-informed mortals will even have one.

You know things. City Secrets is a measure of how much a character knows of the hidden affairs of a city, the local intrigues and power plays and social structures and nightly double-dealings (not necessarily of the Kindred, either — “I remember a priest who said this place was cursed bach when they built this building”). City Secrets cannot be acquired during character creation, but only through direct experience. It is suggested that the Storyteller award separate experience points for City Secrets at the end of every game session during which the characters increase their familiarity with the local Kindred world. Information about Kindred affairs in different cities can give a character multiple City Secrets ratings: a Camarilla courier might have City Secrets (Boston) 4, City Secrets (D.C.) 2, and City Secrets (Baltimore) 3 while knowing nothing about the Kindred of New York.

You have knowledge about a particular clan of vampires that no outsider should possess. You are aware of the clan’s practices, rituals and secrets, and can put that knowledge to good use. However, members of the clan in question may not like the fact that an outsider has a handle on proprietary information, and may act to plug any such security leaks.

Note: This knowledge only grants information about one particular clan. Clan Knowledge must be purchased separately for each clan of expertise.

You know about the Sabbat. You know who holds power where, which fashion is in ascendance in various areas, where the war against the Camarilla is going well and where it’s failing, history, the tenets of various belief systems and the reputations of famous (or infamous) packs. Not all Sabbat members have this Knowledge; the Creation Rites do not always allow time to give the new members a detailed briefing. It is almost impossible for an outsider to have more than 2 dots in this Knowledge, and very few mortals survive long enough to have even one. Sabbat Lore may not be acquired during character creation.

You know quite a bit about sewers in general, and are quite familiar with the networks that run under your city of residence. You can navigate through the sewers and sub-basements with reasonable certainty of your directions. You know which territories are claimed by the Nosferatu and Giovanni, and whether or not it is safe to pass through those areas. You also know where other creatures, both normal and supernatural, may exist, and you know how many of the stories about them are rumors and how many are the horrid facts. Theoretically, you could survive underground for quite some time.

You know the politics and figures of organized crime within your city. You understand how the system works, whom to pay off, whose arm to twist and who gets the cement shoes. Whether it’s street drugs or vampiric blood for a secret cult of ghouls, you know the source and who’s playing the game. This Knowledge encompasses members of all criminal organizations, ethnic and otherwise, including the Mafia, Yakuza, and street gangs.