Talents, Skills & Knowledges

Collected Abilites: Talents|Skills|Knowledges for World of Darkness 20 th Anniversary Edition

Version 2.0
Table of Contents

OVERVIEW 3

Categorization 3

Systems 3

Skill Key 5

Altered Nomenclature 5

STANDARD ABILITIES 6

Standard Talents 6

Standard Skills 7

Standard Knowledges 9

SPECIALIST ABILITIES 11

Specialist Talents 11

Specialist Skills 13

Specialist Knowledges 17

Redactions & Changes 20

INDEX: GENERAL ABILITIES 21

APPENDIX: SUPERNATURAL ABILITIES 22

Key 22

Supernatural Talents 22

Supernatural Skills 24

Supernatural Knowledges 25

Redactions and Changes 25

INDEX: SUPERNATURAL ABILITIES 26

CREDITS & CONTACT 27

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Overview
Overview
Across the various World of Darkness Game Lines,
rules and approaches can vary significantly. In
particular, the Abilities traits that are supposedly
universal across all game lines can vary enormously
in definition and function. While this is no issue for
games constrained to a particular game line, this
can create issues for games set in a mixed
cosmology Different lines often define abilities in
different ways, assign them different categories,
and even introduce entirely new ways of handling
Specialties.
In this document, Players and Storytellers will find
my own interpretation and house rulings for the
Abilities in White Wolf and Onyx Paths Classic
World of Darkness RPG. These abilities are
condensed fro Demon: The Fallen, Hunter: The
Reckoning, Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th
Anniversary Edition, Vampire: The Masquerade
20th Anniversary Edition, and Mage: The Ascension
20th Anniversary Edition. This document is by no
means an absolute authority Notably, Wraith and
Mummy are not represented in this book, as I have
never used them in my games; Changeling: The
Dreaming is also not represented, as the original
Changeling Books are extremely depreciated, and I
have decided to await CTD20 before integrating
those rules.
Categorization
In order to make this book simpler to use, Abilities
are categorized according to availability.
Specifically, Abilities will be divided into Standard,
Specialized, and Unnatural abilities.
Standard Abilities represent those abilities that any
given person could possess Skills like Drive,
Talents such as Empathy and Alertness, or
Knowledges such as Academics and Computer.
Likewise, Specialized abilities represent abilities
usually only seen in specialized fields Your local
drive-thru cashier is not likely to possess
Demolitions or Pilot just as a middle-class office
drone is not terribly likely to possess the Subculture
Knowledge. Finally, Unnatural abilities represent
those only held by Supernatural Creatures Talents
such as the Feras Primal-Urge talent, or the Mages
Biotech skill. Some of these abilities (Particularly
those associated with Mage) may not be exclusive
to these Supernaturals, but are generally associated
almost exclusively with them.
Systems
The systems associated with Abilities may have
changed many times since the inception of World
of Darkness, but certain things have remained
universal. Most notably, the role and availability of
Specialties has changed several times through the
editions and lines; see the section below for more
information.
Dice Systems
When a character is called upon to use their
abilities in a field, an ability roll is made. The nature
of this roll is set by the storyteller, however all
Ability Rolls function as follows:
- The Storyteller instructs the player on the roll
and difficulty. An Ability Roll always has a Dice
Pool consisting of the relevant Skill + relevant
Attribute; e.g. spotting danger generally has a
dice pool of Alertness + Perception. Unlike many
other systems, these combinations are fluid A
character may pick a lock with Dexterity +
Security, but examining said lock may instead
require a Perception + Security or Intelligence +
Security roll instead.
- The Difficulty of a roll is set by the Storyteller
based on how difficult a particular action is. The
standard difficulty of a roll is six, however the
Storyteller may raise or lower the difficulty
based on the difficulty of the action performed
Generally, Difficulties range from 5-7 Inclusive,
however may be as low as 2 or as high as 10[V20,
249]
. For actions that a Storyteller rules go
beyond the Difficulty 9 Thresholds, an optional
Threshold Rule suggests that instead of having
Difficulties of 10, the Storyteller instead require
multiple successes i.e. a Difficulty 11 roll would
in fact be a Difficulty 9 Roll where at least 3
successes must be scored to pass.[M20, 387]
- Certain factors (Supernatural Abilities,
particularly fine tools, adverse conditions, etc.)
may modify the difficulty of a roll up or down.
- If a character does not have the ability required
for a roll, the difficulty is increased by 2. E.g, if a
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Overview
character must dodge a sword blow from a
frenzied Brujah (Dexterity + Dodge, Difficulty 6),
but does not possess the Dodge Talent, they
instead roll just the attribute with +2 difficulty
(Dexterity flat, Difficulty 8)
Ratings
Conventionally, A Characters Rating in an ability
ranges from 0 (Untrained) to 5 (Master). Certain
supernatural influences (Such as the immense
power and knowledge of an Elder Vampire) allow
abilities to go beyond the 5-dot Maximum,
however as a rule 5 is the absolute maximum.
During Character Creation, a character cannot
purchase dots above 3 in any Ability unless they use
Freebie Points, limiting the skill of Level 1
characters. Further, a character cannot obtain a
Specialty in an ability until they have reached 4
Dots of proficiency, with the exception of abilities
that utilize the Well-Skilled Craftsman rule below.
During character creation, a character receives a
number of points to spend in ability categories
based on their type (13/9/5 for Supernaturals,
11/7/4 for Mundanes), and may purchase
additional dots for 2 Freebie Points (flat) each.
Abilities may also be raised with Experience Points
at an exponential rate A new Ability costs 3 flat
Experience, and each dot above the first costs (2 x
Rating) to purchase i.e. purchasing the 3rd dot in
Alertness will cost 2x3 XP thus, 6xp.
Increasing Abilities after Character Creation,
however, requires the character to have a justified
reason A character cannot simply save up 6xp
over a session of reading in the library, then expend
it to increase their Brawl talent. As a rule;
- Talents are innate abilities, and a character may
justify an XP Expenditure on a Talent any time
they have used the relevant talent e.g. a
character may increase their Brawl after a
particularly big fight, or their Alertness and
Intuition after becoming more paranoid in the
wake of an ambush.
- Skills require training and practice to increase. A
character may spend a few weeks working on
their car, or attend a few workshops to practice
their Crafts skill, or attend training sessions at
the local firing range to increase their Firearms
Skill. Skills must be justified with proper practice
and training One afternoon of auto repair is
not going to be enough to show a marked
increase in Crafts.
- Knowledges represent knowledge gathered
from lengthy study and comprehension of a
subject. Increasing knowledge requires a
character to spend a long period weeks,
months, sometimes even years to
comprehend and understand a subject. Just
reading a book will not increase a characters
Science Knowledge, but completing a degree in
Physics certainly will.
Skill Ratings
Novice/Dabbler A hobby, Beginner
Practiced/Student Entry level job
Skilled/Scholar Youre a professional
Expert/Professor Respected teacher
Master Peerless, the human peak
Specialties & the Well-Skilled
Craftsman
The function of Specialties has changed several
times across the World of Darkness versions and
game lines. Below are the Specialty Systems I
recommend, drawn both from the books and house
rules I have played under;
- A characters Specialty causes any 10s on a
relevant Skill Roll to count as double successes
i.e. on a roll of 10,8,8,3,3,4 for a Difficulty 7 Roll,
a character with a relevant Specialty would
score 4 Successes, not 2. This rule is common
throughout the 20th Anniversary Lines released
thus far[M20 274, V20 96, W20 123]
- A characters Specialty allows a player to have
any 10s Explode Each 10 rolled allows the
player to roll another dice and add the result to
the dice pool, ignoring any Botch Results on the
extra dice. This version of the rule is less
powerful than the double-10s method above,
and is common in books that use the Pre-20th
Anniversary version of the Revised rules.[DTF 136,
HTR 101]
, however this rule may also result in a
more powerful roll, as any additional 10s rolled
may also explode.
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Overview
- A House-Rule that some Storytellers instead use
is to simply allow a Specialty to grant one single
automatic success to the relevant rolls
Effectively allowing a character to get 2 free
successes by spending willpower, or to increase
the minimal success from a Dice Pool higher
than the Difficulty Rating.
As of Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary
Edition, a name and clarification has been given
to a specialty rule previously mentioned in older
editions but limited to the Crafts and Academics
skills, occasionally attached to the Science skill as
well. The Well-Skilled Craftsman rule allows for
characters to master a range of different skills
that all fall under one related umbrella; a
character with sufficiently high Academics
knowledge can apply that knowledge to multiple
fields of understanding.
Mechanically, the Well-Skilled Craftsman rule
requires a player to denote a specialty in the
marked skills as soon as they obtain them. Instead
of offering the normal Specialty bonuses, the
specialty simply denotes the field of
understanding the character is focused upon
Craft[Automotive], Academics[German History],
etc. Once the character achieves 4 dots in the
Well-Skilled Craftsman ability, however, they may
begin to purchase additional specialties and, by
extension, additional fields of proficiency for
4xp. For example, a character with 4 dots in Craft
with an [Automotive] Specialty may purchase
[Electronics] for only 4xp, leveraging on their prior
understanding. Of course, the character must still
be able to justify this increase. Abilities that
utilize the Well-Skilled Craftsman Skill will have a
[W] marker in their title.
Skill Key
Certain skills have special rules attached, and will
be marked as such. Below is the key for these
markers, and the associated rulings.
[W] Well-Skilled Craftsman, this ability uses the
WSC Rule introduced in Mage: The Ascension 20th
Anniversary Edition and detailed above.
[G] This ability denotes a Skill Group, rather than
an individual skill. This ability may be taken multiple
times representing different skill groupings. Take
for example the City Secrets skill The character
does not actually take City Secrets on their sheet;
rather they take a separate skill for any given city
(Seattle Secrets, Perth Secrets, London Secrets). In
the case of Grouped Skills that also use the Well-
Skilled Craftsman rule, this may show knowledges
that branch out. For example, Seattle Secrets would
then have the WSC Specialties of Vampires,
Werewolves, Changelings, etc.
[C] This ability is a Core ability. In our games, we
utilize a character sheet that has empty lines where
Abilities are added as relevant to the character If
a player never intends to take, say, Martial Arts as a
skill, they dont need to use up space on the
character sheet with the redundant trait. Core
Abilities, however, are abilities that are
fundamental or ubiquitous to the World of
Darkness setting or the Storyteller System, and
thus should be on the character sheet even if a
character does not possess them for example,
Alertness, Intuition, Occult, etc.
[P] This denotes a skill that has a prerequisite. For
example, the Mage Skill Hypertech cannot be
higher than the characters Technology skill.
[X] This denotes a skill that behaves differently for
certain supernatural creatures. Notably, Esoterica
simply represents hokey new-age beliefs for most,
but for a Mage it may be an integral part of their
Magical Paradigm. Similarly, while Carousing is a
characters ability to have a good time and drink,
for a Vampire it is instead the ability to feign eating
and drinking.
[V] This denotes a skill that has conflicting rules in
different versions, whether this be by Edition or
Game Line.
[H] This denotes a skill with heavy Houseruling
Altered Nomenclature
In order to reduce confusion and conflicts,
certain Abilities with similar names and abilities
with different names across versions are
renamed. These Abilities will have a note at the
end of their description explaining the change,
as well as why.
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Standard Abilities
Standard Abilities
The following abilities are Standard, and can be
considered to be possessed by most Humans. On
an average street, selecting individuals at random,
most will have at least one of these abilities. As
such, most of the following should be present on a
character sheet even if a character does not
possess the ability in question.
Standard Talents
Alertness [C]
This represents how alert a character is, and how
quickly they notice things that go on around them
even when not actively looking for them. Alertness
represents the attention a character pays to their
surroundings, and is generally paired with
Perception for detecting physical stimuli (Smelling
Gas in that old house, or spotting that Zombie
reaching for the Lighter)
Skill Ratings
Youre alert to odd sights and sounds
You overhear lots of gossip at parties
You keep a sharp eye out around you
Youre almost paranoid
You spot the wolf before it spots you.
Athletics [C]
This talent represents a characters basic athletic
ability, as well as training in any sports and, paired
with Stamina, the characters overall fitness.
Athletics covers all forms of running, jumping,
throwing, swimming or sports and the like,
however it does not cover athletic feats covered in
other abilities such as Martial Arts, Brawl or Melee.
Skill Ratings
You were pretty active as a kid
You were an athlete in high-school
You never skip leg day
Youre a professional athlete
You could place in the Olympics
(Arcane) Awareness [C]
Arcane Awareness represents a characters
instinctual reaction to the presence of the
Supernatural and strange. While Alertness
represents a characters attunement to their
surroundings The ability to hear floorboards creak
or smell a smoking gun Arcane Awareness instead
represents the inspiration, hunches or sudden
dread associated with the instinctive recognition of
the wrong. This insight is purely subconscious
Awareness wont let you smell a Vampire, but it will
let you know that guy in the cloak with the big
collar just isnt right.
Skill Ratings
Sometimes, you feel like something
isnt quite right.
Sometimes you get strange vibes from
a particular direction or vague area
You know if something strange is
happening when you enter a room
If you really concentrate, you can
sense whether someone or something
in a group is supernatural.
You instinctively know if something or
someone is mundane or supernatural
Note on Nomenclature: This Talent exists in the
various rulebooks just as Awareness, however I
have found new players often get confused at the
difference between Alertness/Awareness and
appended the name. For groups desiring a less
diverse name, appropriate synonyms include
Cognizance, Discernment or Insight
Brawl [C]
This talent represents a characters ability to fight,
plain and simple How well you throw a punch,
swing a claw or dig your teeth into a foe. This talent
can represent everything from formal training to
just plain hanging out in awful pubs.
Skill Ratings
You were picked on a lot as a kid
Youve been in a bar fight or two
You get into a lot of fights, and usually
leave looking better than the other guy
You could be a serious MMA fighter
Agent Coulson
Dodge [C]
Dodge represents a characters ability to get the
hell out of the way. All manner of objects may be
dodged, within reason From bullets and fists to
subway trains and falling buildings. The ability to
dodge should of course be justified You cant
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Standard Abilities
dodge a spray of bullets, but you may be able to
dive into cover just in time.
Skill Ratings
You usually avoid getting slapped for
your puns
Youre usually the last man standing in
a round of dodgeball.
Youve come out of food fights clean
You seem to instinctively know where
a blow will hit
Youre near untouchable
Empathy [C]
This talent represents a characters ability to
empathize with others and sympathize with, feign
sympathy for, or play on such emotions as you see
fit. A character with high empathy is good at
detecting lies (paired with perception), or just plain
good conversation (paired with Charisma).
Skill Ratings
Youre a good shoulder to cry on
You can sometimes feel others suffer
You have a keen insight into what
people want from you
Youre a human polygraph (Except you
actually work)
You can discern intimate emotions at a
glance
Intuition [C]
This talent represents a characters innate sense for
correct choices and possibilities. Where Alertness is
a characters ability to spot things in their
environment, and Awareness is a characters ability
to recognize Supernatural goings-on, Intuition is
simply a characters gut feeling about certain things
That nagging something that tells you something
bad is about to go down, or that this is the right
choice.
Skill Ratings
You breeze through multiple-choice
exams
Youd make a good stock trader
Your gut prepares you for unpleasant
situations
The things you know are uncanny
Youd be burned as a witch in Salem
Subterfuge [C]
This talent represents a characters ability to lie and
get away with it (when paired with Manipulate), as
well as spot when others are lying (when paired
with Perception). A character with Subterfuge is
good at concealing their true motives and
projecting what they wish.
Skill Ratings
You tell the occasional white lie
You could get away with an affair for a
while
Youre a successful lawyer
You could be a career politician
People believe truth and lies are
whatever you tell them they are.
Standard Skills
Drive [C]
This skill represents a characters ability to operate
motor vehicles of various types; from Cars to
Motorbikes and even Armoured Personnel Carriers.
This skill does not automatically entail familiarity
with such vehicles, and difficulties may vary based
on your experience with different vehicles.
The scope of this skill varies between game lines
and editions; in some editions, Zero dots in drive
means a character Can drive, however only an
automatic and +1 difficulty is levied[HTR 111], however
other editions instead place the operation of an
Automatic at 1 dot, with 0 dots holding the
standard Untrained penalty for all vehicles.
Skill Ratings
You cant drive stick, but you can drive
You can handle a manual transmission
Youre a professional trucker
Youre a talented NASCAR racer or
daredevil, you could pilot a tank
You can use a car in place of an
elevator
Etiquette [V]
This skill represents a characters ability to
recognize and behave within the formal behaviours
of their society, and the local customs of cultures
other than their own. This first impression can
grant the important edge in negotiations, seduction
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Standard Abilities
or diplomatic manoeuvring, as well as helping
characters get into places they do not rightly
belong.
Skill Ratings
Youre not a total embarrassment at a
fine restaurant
Youve got some impressive manners,
and you can be seen at a charity dinner
You know your way around a
conversation with the affluent
You know what all those god damn
spoons are used for
You could be seen scolding the queen Melee [C]
Note on version differences: In M20, Etiquette is
noted as functioning for all cultures and societies,
however in Hunter: The Reckoning the skill instead
claims to only function for the society the character
originates from. Storytellers wishing to use the
latter definition may pair this skill with the Well-
Skilled Craftsman rule in order to make it more
sensible.
Firearms [C, W]
While Vampires and Werewolves hold stock in
ripping claws and gnashing fangs, and Warlocks
wield devastating Arcane Fire, some folks see the
value in a plain and simple shooter. The firearms
skill represents proficiency with a range of different
weapons, however the Well-Skilled Craftsman rule
applies, requiring a character specify exactly what
kind of firearm they can wield.
WSC Specialties: Handguns, Rifles, Assault,
Shotguns, Sniper, Artillery, Mortar, Flintlocks,
Cybernetic Weaponry, SMG, Military Hardware
Skill Ratings
Youve been to the firing range a few
times
Youre a decent hunter
Youve been in a firefight or two and your person or in the environment.
lived
Your friends call you a crack shot
Frank Castle
Investigation [C]
This skill represents a characters ability to actively
seek details and follow leads regarding a puzzle. It
does not just represent a good eye (thats more the
purview of Alertness), but also the ability to
recognize and follow up on clues, perform the
appropriate research and make the right
connections between leads and suspects.
Skill Ratings
Your google-fu is strong
You could be a police officer
You could be a good detective
You could work for the Feds.
No shit, Sherlock
Sometimes a semi-automatic assault rifle isnt on
hand, other times youre looking for something that
packs a little less than 140-decibels of street-
waking hell. Melee represents a characters
competency with everything from swords and
wooden stakes to barstools and broken bottles,
ranging even to Polearms and Chainsaws.
Skill Ratings
You practice a lot with that cheap
katana you bought at a convention
Running out of ammo doesnt leave
you helpless. Guns are heavy, right?
You prefer the grace of a rapier to a
gun
You could be an Olympic fencer.
When your Mosin runs out of ammo,
that is when they should start running.
Stealth [C]
Stealth represents a characters ability to avoid
being detected, whether it means pressing yourself
into a dark corner or slipping through a creaky old
house. Stealth is generally an opposed roll, taken
against someone elses Perception + Alertness, and
is used both to hide yourself and to hide items on
Skill Ratings
You can hide in a dark room
You manage to keep out of the
streetlights when shadowing someone
Youd be a great cat burglar
You can move quietly over dry leaves
All you need is an orange box.
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Standard Abilities
Technology [C, V]
This skill represents a characters knowledge of
modern technology and associated devices, relative
to the setting. Most modern, urban characters have
at least one dot in this skill; after all, this is the 21st
century you probably know how a toaster works.
Note that this skill only covers the use of simple
technology, simple repairs, modifications and
maintenance. For complex repair and
manufacturing, see Crafts. For software, see
Computer, and for the strange and esoteric, see
Esoterica, Energy Weapons, and Hypertech.
WSC Specialties*: Telecom, Computers, Security,
Communications, Improvised Solutions, Industrial
Espionage, Electronics, Vehicles, Media Tech
Skill Ratings
You can load a dishwasher. Properly.
Basic household, IT and automotive
maintenance are manageable
You can work almost anything thrown
at you.
You can whip up some impressive
improvised gadgets
You can program a VCR
*Note on Versions: In V20, Technology alludes to
the Well-Skilled craftsman rule and required a
specialization be selected[V20 110], however in M20
the Technology skill is not tagged as a Well-Skilled
Crasftsman Skill. A list of WSC Specialties is
provided for Storytellers who wish to use this as a
WSC Skill.
Standard Knowledges
Academics [C, W]
This knowledge represents your overall academic
understanding Language skills, maths, history,
etc., as well as your area of academic expertise as
per the Well-Skilled Craftsman rule. Even outside
the specialized knowledge, however, this
represents a characters general competence in
scholastic subjects A character with 3 dots in
Academics[History] is considered to have
completed at least a certain level of schooling in
addition to their focus.
WSC Specialties: Teaching, Liberal Arts, Specific
field of study(Folklore, Language, History, Politics,
Architecture, etc.)
Skill Ratings
You managed to finish high school
You can write to an academic standard
You could get a paper published in a
respectable journal
You could be a tenured professor
Youre a leading authority in your field
Bureaucracy [C]
This skill represents a characters understanding of
The System, and their ability to navigate and abuse
it. This knowledge is useful for bypassing (or
creating) red tape, ensuring important things are
misfiled, and just plain simplifying ordinary life
Bureaucracy will help you get in and out of the
DMV at record speeds.
Skill Ratings
You keep a daily planner
You could work for the local council
You know who to see for the right
favours
You can keep track of an impressive
quantity of paperwork
You make all your friends and relations
file long applications
Computer [C]
This knowledge represents a characters
understanding of modern computing and
Information Technology. A single dot provides a
character with proficiency in whatever Basic
Computer Use is for the setting of the chronicle,
while higher points represent deeper
understanding of hardware, software, interface,
the internet and IT Culture in difficulty.
Skill Ratings
You know basic computer skills for
your time and place
Youve studied programming basics
You could build custom software
Youre a respected professional
SHODAN was your fault
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Standard Abilities
Enigmas [C*, X]
This talent represents a characters ability to think
laterally and solve complex riddles, esoteric secrets
and philosophical problems. Effectively, this is a
characters problem solving and philosophy
knowledge.
Skill Ratings
You know basic computer skills for
your time and place
Youve studied programming basics
You could build custom software
Youre a respected professional
SHODAN was your fault
*Werwolf: The Apocalypse: Fera use the Enigmas
Knowledge when meditating to regain Gnosis in a
Caern, Node or Wellspring. As such, this Knowledge
is marked as [C], but is only core for Shape-
Changing Supernaturals and certain spirit folk such
as Fomori and Drones.
Linguistics [C*]
This talent represents a characters mastery of
languages beyond their native tongue, as well as
understanding of language structure. A character
with high Linguistics can improvise languages they
dont know, and often knows many languages
themselves. In addition, each dot in Linguistics
allows the character to learn a new language
(though this of course must be justified Just
because you take the third dot in Linguistics,
doesnt mean you can take a course on German
and come out knowing Japanese as well!
Skill Ratings
You know one extra language
You know two extra languages
You know Four extra languages
You know Eight extra languages
You know Sixteen extra languages!
*Core Ability: In the standard World of Darkness
North American setting, Linguistics is far less useful
as a skill In a place where English is ubiquitous
and almost nobody speaks solely another language,
it is easy to write off Linguistics as unimportant.
However, if running a game set in Europe or Asia,
other languages become more important. Many
regions of Europe in particular have multiple ethnic
groups that may not speak the common language.
Occult [C]
This knowledge represents a working
comprehension of the World of Darkness as most
people understand it This knowledge can be
misleading or outright wrong. Three dots or higher
in this knowledge are required to actually sort truth
from falsehood, but this ability still gives a decent
overview of mystic practices, philosophies, lore,
history and supernatural culture.
Skill Ratings
You read Tarot Cards sometimes
Youve read some horror novels and
pseudoscientific nonsense that had a
grim ring of truth to it
Youve got some first-hand experience
with the world of Shadows, if fleeting
You know various legends about
monsters, their purported strengths
and weaknesses
Youve gazed into the Abyss And it
gazed back.
Science [C, W, X]
This knowledge represents a characters
understanding of scientific principles, history and
applications. The Well-Skilled craftsman rule
applies, and a character must take a specific field in
which their knowledge is applied. In the modern
world, most people should have at least one dot in
science, assuming a first-world education. Mages
may use specialized Science Fields as Foci.
WSC Specialties: Aeronautics, Astronomy, Biology,
Biopsychology, Psychology, Chemistry, Electronics,
Engineering, Forensics, Genetics, Geology,
Psychopharmacology, Hypermathematics, etc.
Skill Ratings
Youve got a high school education and
understand the basic principles of your
field
You possess a more advanced science
education and understand major
paradigms and theories
You could work in a think tank
Your papers are frequently seen in
respectable journals
One of the leading minds of your time,
your research will shape the world.
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Specialist Abilities
Specialist Abilities
The following abilities are those Specialized
abilities, possessed by only select humans or
supernaturals. Very few individuals have more than
a couple of these abilities A Cashier may have
Haggling, but is not likely to have Diplomacy or
Boat Handling.
Specialist Talents
Carousing [X]
This talent represents a characters ability to have a
good time. Though this doesnt immediately imply
drinking and debauchery, it usually is the case. A
character with high carousing can throw one hell of
a party, or just make themselves popular at the
pub.
Skill Ratings
You go drinking on the weekend
You go out dancing whenever you can
You drift from party to party
Youve seen the inside of a few cells
Party Gorilla
Vampire: The Masquerade: Vampires do not eat or
drink; as such they cannot participate in drunken
debauchery. For a Vampire, the Carousing Talent
instead represents their ability to feign such actions
pretending to eat food and drink beer.
Diplomacy
This talent represents a characters ability to
negotiate and navigate around touchy subjects, as
well as mediate disputes. Unlike Empathy or
Expression, Diplomacy is the subtle art of getting
along with others without overt manipulation or
putting aside your own goals.
Skill Ratings
You can iron out schoolyard disputes
Friends ask you to help them with
break-ups
You would be a great manager or HR
Rep
You could be a professional union
negotiator
You could make ISIS chill out a little
Expression [V, W]
The work of poets, musicians and playwrights, the
Expression Talent covers all manner of getting your
point across and understood From poetry and
song to political discourse and information bytes. A
character with high expression makes for both an
excellent performer and negotiator.
WSC Specialties: Acting, Poetry, Fiction,
Conversation, Social Media, Singing, Preaching,
Tactical Rhetoric, Command, Mimicry, Seduction
Skill Ratings
When you speak, folks notice
Your passions can captivate others
interest
You could be a successful writer
Your work is Pulitzer material
140 Characters to start a riot
Version Differences: Hunter: The Reckoning implies
that Expression also covers visual art; however this
skill is treated separately in 20th Anniversary.
Instruction [P]
This talent represents a characters knack for
imparting information. Possessed by teachers, sect
leaders or others in educative positions, this skill
allows a character to teach other characters the
Skills and Knowledges they possess, though only to
the level you possess i.e. you cannot teach
Science 4 if you only possess Science 3. For each
month of instruction, roll Manipulation +
Instruction; the number of successes rolled is the
amount of Experience the pupil may apply towards
the relevant trait. With storytellers approval,
certain Talents such as Brawl or Dodge may also be
imparted this way However, talents such as
Empathy or Alertness must be learned the hard
way. The prerequisite of the talent is that a
character must possess skills and knowledge to
share in the first place.
Skill Ratings
You can teach simple concepts in an
interesting and digestible manner
You can make moderately complex
things straightforward and interesting
You can make Calculus sound simple
You can explain String Theory to
almost anybody
Do, or do not. There is no try.
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Specialist Abilities
Interrogation
This talent represents a characters ability to extract
information from people through trickery, threats
and persistent questioning. It differs from torture in
that it does not involve any actual harm Just
careful and persistent psychological manipulation.
Skill Ratings
Nosy neighbour
Bad Cop
Talk-show host
Investigative Journalist, Detective
You have trouble convincing people
you *didnt* torture the perp.
Intimidation
You can control others through fear, whether
through force of personality or raw presence.
Maybe you have a way with social cues and cutting
words, showing off your skills, or perhaps youre
just big, mean and tough.
Skill Ratings
Playground bully
High School clique leader
People tend to call you Sir
You discourage muggers with a frown
You frighten serial killers with a laugh
Leadership
You have the ability to motivate people through the
force of your personality. Whether you direct by
example, fear, excellent planning or sheer
confidence, you rarely need to deceive people into
following you Your raw personality is often
enough. This talent is generally paired with
Charisma rather than manipulation, even though it
is focused on controlling people.
Skill Ratings
Head Cheerleader
The guy at the office that always takes
charge
Youd make a pretty decent CEO
Its not hard to make people respect
your authority
Nick Fury
Search
This talent represents a characters ability to look
for and find something or someone in a small area
where they can concentrate. Unlike Alertness,
which is a measure of a characters passive
reaction, Search represents a character actively
seeking something or someone in an area they
know (or at least think) it is located.
Skill Ratings
Youre good at finding lost belts
Tell-tale signs (broken plants) are
apparent to you
You always know just where to look
Nothing escapes your discerning eye
Hans Landa
Streetwise
This talent represents a characters ability to
assimilate themselves into the local scene, pick up
contraband and gossip and keep themselves out of
the trouble (Most of the time) Streetwise is also
important for knowing back routes, side streets and
indirect paths across a city Essential for fleeing
pursuers and evading arrest.
Skill Ratings
Rock Musician
Suburban drug dealer
Gang banger
Gang Lieutenant
Gang Lord
Visual Art [W,H]
Also known as Art or Artistic Expression, this talent
reflects your ability with visual artworks Drawing,
painting, sculpture, 3D Modelling, Web Design, etc.
Given such talents, you can work with your chosen
medium to produce works that get their message
across meaningfully and powerfully, without
needing to resort to length explanation and
analysis. This differs from the Expression talent
above in that it focuses on the visual component,
more than the social component Where
Expression is more about the spoken and written
word, the nuance of artistic language or
understanding, Visual Art is more focused on
symbolism, artistic design and colour theory.
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Specialist Abilities
WSC Specialties: Painting, Video, Mixed Media,
CGI, Model-Making, Classic Art, Primitive
techniques, visual design, web design, SFX Makeup
Skill Ratings
You did a lot of sketching in math class
Your friends ask you to do artwork
You manage to sell most of your work
Youre a renowned artist
Please dont cut your ear off
Houserule: Throughout the various books,
Expression, Art and Performance have been ill-
defined and often flow into each other in difficult to
reconcile ways. As a solution, I have turned
Expression into a purely social/charismatic talent
Singing, writing, etc. with Visual Art serving a
more structured Drawing, Sculpture, SFX, etc.
discipline. Performance, as the third aspect, covers
more the captivating side of art otherwise
considered under the umbrella of Expression.
Specialist Skills
Animal Ken
This skill represents a characters ability to speak
and move in such a way as to gain an animals trust,
as well as their ability to understand animal
behaviour and train them. For characters with the
Animal Companion background, their companion
also starts the game knowing a number of tricks
equal to the characters starting Animal Ken skill.
Skill Ratings
You can behave around tame animals
Youve housebroken a few puppies
You could train police attack dogs
You can teach complex tricks
You can train wild animals easily represents your understanding of operating
Archery [W]
This skill represents a characters ability to wield
bows, crossbows and similar archaic projectile
weapons. Unlike firearms, which covers weapons
based on combustion mechanisms and similar
principles, Archery covers the use of tension-based
firing mechanisms and arc-firing. Many modern
bows are much more complex and powerful than
their archaic counterparts.
WSC Specialties: Crossbows, Compound, Longbow,
Repeating Crossbow, Ballistae
Skill Ratings
You were on the Archery Team in high
school
You go hunting with the bow every
now and again
You could have been a medieval
ranger
You can usually hit the bullseye
William Tell
Blind Fighting
This skill represents a characters ability to fight
when unable to see their foes, utilizing their
hearing and special sense to reduce the penalty to
their brawl or melee (but not Firearms) rolls. Each
point in this skill reduces the penalty of performing
actions while blind by one, however it can never be
reduced below its unhindered equivalent. Note that
this does not reflect any ability to see better in the
dark Rather, a character with Blind Fighting can
judge from sound, intuition and rote how to go
about tasks without visual input.
Skill Ratings
You dont stub your toe in the dark
You can pinpoint where sound comes
from
You can fight and predict enemy
position at the same time
You can almost feel where enemies
are
Matt Murdock
Boat Handling
The maritime equivalent to the Drive skill, this
seaworthy vessels and sailing. A character with this
skill can control a boat or similar aquatic vehicle;
however possessing this skill does not necessarily
mean familiarity with a variety of vessels.
Skill Ratings
You know how to row quite well
You can navigate a motor boat
properly
You understand how to set up and
control a sail
You could have been a dread pirate in
the 18th Century
Knight Boat
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Specialist Abilities
Crafts [W, C*]
This skill represents a characters ability to create
and repair things, pursuing a particular trade. It
reflects proficiency with the necessary concepts
and tools associated with the trade (Which is
chosen as per the Well-Skilled Craftsman rule).
Crafts is quite an overarching skill, as the principles
from one craft can be easily linked to the principles
of another, making it easy for a character to apply
like knowledge towards the other fields.
WSC Specialties: Armor, Gunsmith, Blacksmith,
Carpentry, Tailoring, Automotive, Renovation,
Leatherwork, Electronics, Tailor, Fletcher,
Clockwork, robotics, Demolitions, etc.
Skill Ratings
You have some idea of what youre
doing Simple things will work.
Youre good with general repair, your
work has that Home-made charm
You do nearly all of your own repairs
Youre a known and respected
craftsman
You could probably build a person with
the right equipment.
Disguise
This skill represents a characters ability to conceal
their appearance, and even make themselves look
like another specific person through the use of
clothes and makeup. Essential for spies or other
criminals in the Post 9-11 world of Cameras and
endless security, Disguise can be instrumental in
protecting the masquerade, getting away with less-
than-legal plans, or just plain breaking the
masquerade without it being pinned on you.
Skill Ratings
You can pull off a convincing blackface
You can fool people sometimes
You can usually pass yourself off as
someone else
Your disguises hold up to all but
rigorous scrutiny
AKU! Shapeshifting master of darkness
Escapology
This skill represents a characters proficiency in
various techniques used to escape bonds and
restraints. Unlike Security, Escapology wont help a
character pick a lock to break out of a cell But it
will help them wiggle out of ropes, handcuffs and
even a straitjacket.
Skill Ratings
Childrens Entertainer, you can escape
a badly-tied skipping rope
You can escape from decently-tied
bonds, scouts beware
You can escape from handcuffs and
chains
You could escape a straitjacket when
you dont want to take your medicine
Harry Houdini would be proud
Falconry
Once the sport of Lords and Nobles, Falconry is now
practiced by only a few enthusiasts and renaissance
faire types. Combined with supernatural powers
such as Vampiric Animalism or Life Sphere Magick,
this skill can achieve fantastic feats. Note:
Technically should be covered under Animal Ken,
but I decided it was too cool to leave out.
Skill Ratings
The bird might actually come back
You can do small displays that impress
You could work at the medieval fair
Once, Lords would have admired your
great skill in the craft
Once, you could have been the Kings
own Falconer.
Fast-Draw
This skill allows a character to ready a weapon
almost instantly. By making a Dexterity + Fast Draw
roll, a character scoring 3 or more successes can
draw a weapon and have it ready as a free action.
The difficulty is dependent on the holster and
complexity of the weapon.
Skill Ratings
You have pretty good reflexes
Youre good, but not great
You would have survived a wild west
movie
You could headline your own act as a
fast-shooter
Who needs Celerity?
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Specialist Abilities
Martial Arts
This skill represents the pursuit of one or more
martial art, making a characters fighting
techniques more effective than simple punches and
kicks. In game terms, this grants access to a variety
of special combat manoeuvres, detailed in various
books. Martial Arts may also be used as a Focus by
Mage Characters, and also paired with various
supernatural abilities for devastating affect Kung-
Garou, anyone?
Skill Ratings
You spend weekends getting your ass
kicked by a black belt
Youre an experienced student
Youre devoted to the art, its more
than just a hobby for you.
Youre an accomplished fighter you
could win medals.
Shredder
Meditation [X]
This skill represents a characters ability to enter a
trance-like state at will, focusing their mind inward
and dealing with mental and physical problems
through deep contemplation and body control. A
character can enter such a trance with a successful
meditation roll (Difficulty 7), and every hour may
take a Difficulty 9 Roll to regain one point of
willpower per success, however a botch will result
in a point being lost. Certain supernatural beings
have special uses for Meditation, such as Mages.
Note, however, that Shape-Changers, Possessed
and Kinfolk use Enigmas for their meditation in
order to regain Gnosis, representing a deep
understanding of the Spirit World they are attuning
themselves to.
Skill Ratings
You read a book on it once, man
You can relieve the stresses of life
through meditation
You have studied under a master, and
are beginning to learn incredible things
You could run de-stress workshops
You are an island of calm in a hurricane
Performance [H]
The Performance skill governs a characters ability
to perform more artistic performance endeavours.
It differs from Expression despite sharing a lot of
common ground A singer may use Expression to
deliver a powerful message, or Performance to
captivate and amaze an audience. Similarly, an
actor may present a deep and meaningful satire of
discourse using Expression, or an impressive
character play with a Performance roll.
WSC Specialties: Dancing, Singing, Rock and Roll,
Acting, Guitar Solos, Drunken Karaoke, Opera,
Howling
Skill Ratings
You could be in the church choir
Youre a regular on the club circuit,
and you could be Youtube famous
You can book a gig most nights; youve
probably been offered a contract
You could be a regional celebrity,
bordering on national.
Beethoven
Pilot [W,H]
The aerospace equivalent to Drive or Boat
Handling, this skill represents a characters ability
to operate flying machines. As per the Well-Skilled
Craftsman rule, a character must take a particular
type of vehicle to specialize in, as unlike Boats or
Cars, Air Vehicles often have significantly different
methods of propulsion and ways of traversing the
sky.
WSC Specialties: Gliders, Personal Planes, Personal
VTOL, Jets, Military VTOL, Commercial Planes,
Parachutes, Mass-Transit VTOL
Skill Ratings
You wont crash, as long as theres an
experienced co-pilot or the vehicle is
simple (Hang Gliders, Parachutes)
You can fly simpler vehicles (Hang
Gliders, Parachutes) unsupervised, and
with a good co-pilot can handle real
aircraft.
You could fly commercial flights
You could be in the Air Force
I am a leaf on the wind
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Specialist Abilities
Psychoanalysis/CBT
This skill represents aptitude at diagnosing and
treating mental ailments such as Derangements
without resorting to the use of behaviour-altering
drugs. During a session of analysis, you may roll
Intelligence + Psychoanalysis (Difficulty of targets
intelligence + 3). Keep track of your net successes;
the storyteller will decide how many successes are
needed to remove the derangement.
Treating an unwilling patient is more difficulty; the
roll instead is the subjects willpower + 3. No
amount of Psychoanalysis or Cognitive Behaviour
Therapy can cure a Malkavians Initial
derangement, a Virtue 7+ Hunters Derangement,
or similar afflictions of Supernatural origin These
maladies are not caused by deep-seated
psychological issues or cycles of repetitive negative
behaviour, but rather by Arcane means beyond the
scope of conventional psychology
Skill Ratings
Youre a good shoulder to cry on
You could be a volunteer counsellor
You may offer professional counselling
You could be a qualified Cognitive
Behavioural Therapist or Psychoanalyst
Hannibal Lector
Research
This skill represents a characters aptitude at
finding information through conventional research
means. Given enough time and a good library, this
skill allows you to accumulate knowledge on any
topic, so long as that knowledge is available to you
in some form.
Skill Ratings
Undergrad Student
Grad Student or Research Assistant
Professor
Researcher
Human Database
Riding
This skill represents the knowledge of how to
saddle, care for and ride some form of animal. In
combination with the Animal Ken skill, a character
proficient in this skill has a good chance of getting
where they want to go without being thrown off,
trampled, and possibly even eaten by a more exotic
steed. Exotic mounts require at least riding 3 to
stay astride; under challenging circumstances a
character may need to roll Dexterity + Riding.
Charisma + Riding helps the rider control and bond
with their mount, while Intelligence + Riding helps a
character know how to take care of it, maintain
riding equipment, and puzzle out anothers riding
techniques.
Skill Ratings
You rode a horse at a tourist ranch
Youre a practiced equestrian
You pass as a professional rider
You could be a show jumping champ
Ride the Tiger!
Security (Larceny) [P, H]
This skill represents a characters familiarity with
security systems, as well as the tools and
techniques associated with criminal activity. Picking
locks, safecracking, hotwiring vehicles and various
forms of breaking and entering all fall under this
skills purview. This skill can also be used as a
counter Applying ones security knowledge to
devise an unbeatable system, or discern a thiefs
method of entry. Note that some systems will
require pre-requisite skills Hotwiring a car
requires at least Technology 2, cracking a computer
based lock will require enough points in the
Computer knowledge, arcane or mystical locking
systems that dont require outright mystical
knowledge may require Occult, Cosmology or
Esoterica in order to outwit.
Skill Ratings
You can pick a simple lock
You can hot-wire a car
You can open a locked window from
outside
You can outwit an alarm system
Danny Ocean
Note on Nomenclature: Though all other books
refer to this skill as Security, W20 instead refers to
this skill as Larceny and includes pickpocketing
and forging under its purview. As a house ruling, I
consider Security to cover the mechanical effects
16 | P a g e
Specialist Abilities
above, and treat Pickpocketing as either a Dexterity
+ Stealth or Dexterity + Subterfuge roll, and
similarly place Forgery under the WSC Crafts Skill.
YMMV.
Survival
A combination of learned knowledge and animal
instinct helps you find sources of food, water,
shelter and relative safety. A character probably
find their way through the wilderness or urban
wastelands, puzzling out local hazards long enough
to keep them alive. Very basic survival skills apply
to any situation, though you may require specialties
for particularly harsh environments. Further, a
variant of this skill Urban Survival may be taken,
which gives the expertise to live on the streets.
Skill Ratings
A few camping trips with the kids /
Passed out drunk a few times
You can identify edible berries and
mushrooms / You know where to
scavenge the fresher chuckout food
You can live off the land, make traps
and spot obvious hazards / You can
find decent shelter and avoid the more
violent dregs of society
Youre happy living months at a time in
the wilderness / You can generally find
an abandoned place thats got
comfortable amenities
Who needs society? / King of the
streets
Torture
This skill represents a proficiency in inflicting pain
and suffering on prisoners and victims, prolonging
their suffering and keeping them alive while still
causing the most pain possible in order to extract
information from them. This skill differs from
Interrogation in that, while Interrogation is mostly
about threat and grandstanding, Torture just skips
to carving folks up.
Skill Ratings
Playground Bully
Really, really bad cop
Fucked-up dominatrix
Covert Ops interrogator
High Inquisitor
Specialist Knowledges
City Secrets [G,W]
This knowledge represents a characters knowledge
of Supernatural power structures within a
particular city. Both the Group and Well-Skilled
Craftsman rules apply to this knowledge. The group
is the city in question (Berlin Secrets, Moscow
Secrets), and the knowledge must be taken entirely
anew for each new city. The Well-Skilled Craftsman
rule applies to the Supernatural Group in question
(Garou, Mage), as knowledge of one group (and its
allies and enemies) can lead to knowledge of the
other factions of the city.
Suggested Groups: (City Name) Secrets; i.e. Berlin
Secrets, Perth Secrets, Sydney Secrets, Los Angeles
Secrets, London Secrets, Moscow Secrets, etc.
WSC Specialties: Garou, Fera, Kindred, Mage,
Sabbat, Camarilla, Anarchs, Technocratic,
Traditions, Disparates, Pentex, Raveners, Faustians,
etc.
Examples: Berlin Secrets[Pentex], London
Secrets[Garou], Madrid Secrets[Sabbat]
Skill Ratings
Youre a Newcomer who pays
attention
Youre nave or inexperienced
You have an ear to the ground
Youre well-informed
You flit between the political
machinations like a ghost in the
machine
Cosmology/Subdimensions (H,X)
Known to most supernatural beings as Cosmology,
many Technomagi instead refer to this field of
learning as Subdimensions. This trait represents a
characters knowledge of otherworlds beyond the
earthly plane, notably the Umbral Realms, and how
to traverse them, spot hazards, deal with entities
and recognize opportunities and threats as you
encounter them.
Skill Ratings
Youre a student of the mysteries
Youve made the occasional voyage
Youre an experienced traveller
Youre a seasoned explorer
I watched C-Beams glitter in the dark
near the Tannhuser Gate
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Specialist Abilities
Houserule: In a game of Mixed Cosmology,
particularly involving Demon: The Fallen,
Storytellers may wish to allow characters that do
not otherwise interact with the Umbra a way to
gain access to it, allowing Demon or Vampire
characters to keep pace with Mages and Shape-
Changers who more easily jump between worlds. As
a house rule we utilize, any Demon Character with
the Lore of Realms and/or Lore of the Spirit that
learns 2 or more dots in Cosmology may begin to
apply those lores to the Umbra and its denizens.
Esoterica [W,X]
Esoterica represents a characters knowledge of
arcane peculiarities, pseudoscience and new-age
practices. While Occult represents a form of
cultural knowledge Who Alistair Crowley or
Frankenstein was, knowledge of Armenian
Werewolf Legends Esoterica represents practical
applications of unnatural knowledge, from
Crystalmancy to Yoga and Acupuncture. While
Esoterica does not grant magickal powers to the
mundane, it may still have mundane function.
Further, Esoterica can be used for Mages as their
focus.
WSC Specialties: Yoga, Tantra, Herbalism, Fortune-
Telling, Hypnosis, Astrology, Celestiography,
Demonology, Sacred Geometry, Prophecies,
Omens, Tai Chi, Alchemy, Symbolism,
Transhumanist Theory, Esoteric Musicology,
Crystalmancy, Voodoo, Tarot, Other Specific Arcane
fields
Skill Ratings
Youve skimmed some new-age books
Youve devoted time and energy to
Esoteric Subjects
Youve spent years building up a
working knowledge of odd subjects
You understand the interconnected
patterns of Arcane Disciplines
Youre a wizard, Harry.
Finance
This knowledge represents a characters
understanding of commerce, economics and trade,
and covers evaluation of an items worth as well as
knowledge of exchange rates and the stock market.
Finance is essential for characters who work with
large quantities of money and resources Or those
that wish to keep such monies hidden from the
proper authorities.
Skill Ratings
Youve taken some business classes
You have some practical experience;
your bookkeeping is pretty neat
Youd make a fine stock broker
You can advise corporations in
financial matters
Syndicate hasnt got shit on you.
Law
This represents a characters knowledge of the legal
system and its workings, covering everything from
police procedures to the nuances of local laws,
legislation, rights and criminal punishments.
Skill Ratings
Beat Cop
Police Sergeant
Police Chief
Federal Official
Attorney General
Local Area Knowledge [G]
Similar to City Secrets, this knowledge represents
familiar with the mundane aspects of an area
usually a city and knowledge about its structure,
history, geography and mundane politics. The
knowledge does not include supernatural affairs
That is covered under the City Secrets knowledge
above. Likewise, this knowledge denotes a Skill
Group, and knowledge for each city must be taken
as a new skill.
Suggested Groups: Berlin Area Knowledge,
Moscow Area Knowledge, Perth Area Knowledge
Skill Ratings
You read the tour guide properly.
You probably lived here a year or two
Youve lived here 5-10 years
Youre native born and never left
Inspector Butterman
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Specialist Abilities
Lore/RD Data [G,W,H]
This trait represents knowledge of a particular
Supernatural subset, such as Garou, Vampires,
Mages or Demons. You are familiar with the lore,
strengths and weaknesses, legends and histories.
Unlike the Occult knowledge, much of what you
know is in fact true. This knowledge denotes a
Group, with the group being the Supernatural
Archetype in question (Garou, Vampires, etc.), and
also utilizes the Well-Skilled Craftsman rule to
denote the sect your understanding is drawn from
Kindred Lore according to the Camarilla is rather
different from the lore espoused by the Sabbat, and
similarly Fera Lore as told by the Gurahl will have
differences as told by the Kitsune. Technocratic
Mages instead refer to this knowledge as Reality
Deviant Data, or RD Data.
Suggested Groups: Fera Lore, Garou Lore, Kindred
Lore, Mage Lore, Technocratic Lore, Demon Lore,
Pentex Lore, etc.
WSC Specialties: [Particular sect], i.e. Bone
Gnawers, Camarilla, Black Spiral Dancers, Sabbat,
Camarilla, Traditions, Disparates
Examples: Kindred Lore[Camarilla], Mage RD
Data[Disparates], Garou Lore[Wendigo], Kindred
Lore[Nodism], etc.
Skill Ratings
You know some speculation and
hearsay
You know a lot of relevant facts
You know what most knowledgeable
individuals know
You know what most of the Leaders
know
You know all but the deeply-held
secrets of the sect.
Medicine
This knowledge represents a characters knowledge
of medicine and surgical practice. While usually
exclusive to university-educated doctors, not all
medicine is constrained by such petty things as
Formal Training and Licencing. With sufficient essential to blend in with local groups.
proficiency in Medicine, a character knows how to
diagnose injuries and illnesses, as well as treat
them, however without a ready supply of medical
equipment and medications, other knowledges
such as Science[Chemistry] may be needed to fill in
the gaps.
Skill Ratings
Youve learned first aid and CPR
You can treat minor trauma or illness
You have proper medical training
You have an advanced medical degree
Dr. House
Politics [W]
This knowledge represents familiarity with current
politics, including who is in charge and how they
got there. The well-skilled craftsman rule applies,
and a character should take a specialty either
relating to a particular political ideology
(Communism, Conservative Libertarianism), or a
political part local to their region (Progressive
National Fascist Party, Socialist Isocratic Party). This
knowledge can aid a character in dealing with or
influencing mundane politicians, and combined
with other insights may even offer some
understanding of local Supernatural power
structures.
WSC Specialties: [Particular party], I.e. Republican,
Democrat, Nazi Party, Tory Party, [Ideology] I.e.
Communism, Fascism, Nationalism, Conservativism
Skill Ratings
Youre an activist, you annoy your
friends
Youre a political science major
Campaign manager or talk show host
Senator or influential politician
Machiavelli would be proud
Subculture [W]
This knowledge represents insight into a particular
mundane subculture, its behaviours and beliefs,
fashion and media tastes, as well as likely places of
gathering and how to get in the door. Covering
everything from local music scenes to gang culture
or church congregations, this knowledge is
WSC Specialties: Goth, Hipster, Metalheads,
yuppies, Catholic Youths, [Local group], i.e. Russian
Mafia, Yakuza, KKK, Westside Rollerz
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Specialist Abilities

Skill Ratings Fishing has been culled and is considered a function

You hang out with the local pot dealer
Youre a regular at a local gangs
watering hole
Youre a member of a local gang
You know what it means to be a
member of the local gang
Tyler Durden
of the Survival Skill.
Cryptography has been culled and should be
considered a Specialty of either Science or
Academics.
Poisons has been culled and should instead be
considered a specialty of Crafts or Science

Lore(Sect) and Lore(Archetype) has been

Redactions & Changes
condensed into one Lore Knowledge and Skill group
Since the 1.0 version of this document, we have
played several games and been through various using the Well-Skilled Craftsman rule, where the
rules. As a result, weve come to the conclusion Archetype is the group and the Sect or subgroup
serves as Specialty, i.e. Garou Lore and Wyrm Lore
that certain abilities available in the previous
would become Garou Lore[Wyrm]. This also allows
version of this document were unnecessary, while
others that were previously culled were required for characters to have lore more specific to their
either to prevent certain skills being Overloaded origin Rather than just Wyrm Lore, a character
can take Garou Lore[Wyrm], representing the
or to preserve the mechanical integrity of certain
Garous lore of the Wyrm, or Hengeyokai
game lines. Below is a summary of the redactions
Lore[Wyrm] to represent the Beast Courts of Asias
and changes between this and version 1.0
take on the lore.
Categories Changed
The Lucid Dreaming skill has been moved to the Altered Traits
Archery now applies the Well-Skilled Craftsman
Supernatural Category. The Supernatural Category
rule, similar to Firearms. Suggested specialties
has been streamlined into one category, with
annotation as to what archetypes each trait is include Crossbows, Compound Bows, Repeating
Crossbows and Ballistae.
available to, in order to make it clearer for traits
that are nominally associated with one archetype
but can be shared in certain circumstances e.g.
Energy Weapons, Jetpack.

Added Traits
Expression, which in the previous version was an
overloaded talent covering all forms of artistic
pursuit, has been broken into its original three
component parts. This was done both to make it fit
a better thematic Singing and Painting, it was felt,
are not close enough in practice to use the Well-
Skilled Craftsman approach and to preserve
mechanical integrity, notably of Vampire and
Werewolf that treat Expression and Performance as
separate skills and use both in rather specific forms
as part of Disciplines and Gifts.

Culled Traits
Mimicry and Seduction have been culled, and
should be considered instead as Specialties of
Expression. Mimicry could also be considered for
use as a specialty of Performance.

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Index: General Abilities

Index: General Abilities

STANDARD TALENTS.......................... 6 Research .....................................................................16
Alertness [C] ................................................................. 6 Riding ..........................................................................16
Athletics [C] .................................................................. 6 Security (Larceny) [P, H] ..............................................16
(Arcane) Awareness [C] ................................................ 6 Survival .......................................................................17
Brawl [C] ....................................................................... 6 Torture........................................................................17
Dodge [C] ...................................................................... 6 SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGES............. 17
Empathy [C] .................................................................. 7 City Secrets [G,W] .......................................................17
Intuition [C] .................................................................. 7 Cosmology/Subdimensions (H,X) ................................17
Subterfuge [C] .............................................................. 7 Esoterica [W,X] ...........................................................18
STANDARD SKILLS ............................. 7 Finance .......................................................................18
Drive [C] ....................................................................... 7 Law .............................................................................18
Etiquette [V] ................................................................. 7 Local Area Knowledge [G] ...........................................18
Firearms [C, W] ............................................................. 8 Lore/RD Data [G,W,H] .................................................19
Investigation [C] ........................................................... 8 Medicine .....................................................................19
Melee [C] ...................................................................... 8 Politics [W] .................................................................19
Stealth [C] ..................................................................... 8 Subculture [W] ............................................................19
Technology [C, V] .......................................................... 9 REDACTIONS & CHANGES ............... 20
STANDARD KNOWLEDGES ................ 9 Categories Changed ....................................................20
Academics [C, W] .......................................................... 9 Added Traits ...............................................................20
Bureaucracy [C] ............................................................ 9 Culled Traits ................................................................20
Computer [C] ................................................................ 9 Altered Traits ..............................................................20
Enigmas [C*, X] ........................................................... 10
Linguistics [C*] ............................................................ 10
Occult [C] .................................................................... 10
Science [C, W, X] ......................................................... 10
SPECIALIST TALENTS ....................... 11
Carousing [X] .............................................................. 11
Diplomacy .................................................................. 11
Expression [V, W] ....................................................... 11
Instruction [P]............................................................. 11
Interrogation .............................................................. 12
Intimidation................................................................ 12
Leadership .................................................................. 12
Search......................................................................... 12
Streetwise .................................................................. 12
Visual Art [W,H] .......................................................... 12
SPECIALIST SKILLS........................... 13
Animal Ken ................................................................. 13
Archery [W] ................................................................ 13
Blind Fighting .............................................................. 13
Boat Handling ............................................................. 13
Crafts [W, C*] ............................................................. 14
Disguise ...................................................................... 14
Escapology .................................................................. 14
Falconry ...................................................................... 14
Fast-Draw ................................................................... 14
Martial Arts ................................................................ 15
Meditation [X] ............................................................ 15
Performance [H] ......................................................... 15
Pilot [W,H] .................................................................. 15
Psychoanalysis/CBT .................................................... 16

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Appendix: Supernatural Abilities
Appendix: Supernatural
Abilities
The following chapter is an appendix of Abilities
associated with Supernatural Creatures, as well as
those that can be learned by mundane humans but
simply arent normal. While most of these abilities
cover core Supernatural Abilities or the strange
knowledges of Mages and Technomancers, some
apply to knowledge a mundane character may
learn from a Supernatural Being that cares to teach.
Key
In addition to the standard key found in the
Overview, several other denominations are
added to categorize these abnormal abilities.
[M] Mage/Technomancer Archetype
[K] Kindred (Vampire) Archetype
[S] Shapechanger (Garou, Fera) Archetype
[D] Demon Archetype
[I] Imbued (Hunter) Archetype
[T] Though this trait is centred on a particular
archetype, others may learn it. I.e. the Energy
Weapons skill for Mages may be taught to Non-
Mages, allowing them to effectively use certain
applicable Enchanted Devices created by a
Technomancer.
Supernatural Talents
Blatancy [M]
This talent represents a Mage characters ability to,
through theatrical flair, audience appraisal or raw
audacity, disguise blatant acts of magic by
disguising them as falsehoods Pretending as if
theyre magic Tricks, film special effects or other
such Believable unrealities.
Skill Ratings
No seriously, were making a video
It took me years to learn that trick
All the explanations are on our website
You could fool Mythbusters
Nothing to see here, move along.
Do [M,P]
Not a mere martial art, Do is a devotion and way of
life mostly unique to the Mages of the Akashic
Brotherhood. A specialized martial arts reflected by
a unique collection of combat maneuvers and
Magickal techniques, Do requires a highly
disciplined state of being Diet, philosophy,
meditation, internal and external reflection, and a
refined sense of ones place in the cosmos all
characterize the study of Do. A character who does
not pursue each element of that study cannot
master Do.
In game terms, Do is more a way of being than a
learned skill A character cannot just learn Do. It
requires the aforementioned state of being and
mind, and can only be learned from an Akashic
Mage An optional rule suggests making the talent
Akashic Exclusive, at the storytellers discretion. A
starting character may begin the game with no
more than two dots in Do; all other dots must come
through in-game experience. Further, a character
must have 2 dots of abilities related to Limbs Other
than Dharmarmukti for each dot in do Before
another dot can be learned, the character must
meet the preresequite (i.e. 2 dots for the 1st dot, 4
dots for the 2nd, etc.)
Eight limbs of Do:
Dharmamukti (Combat): Alertness, Athletics, Do
Dhyana (Meditation): Awareness, Enigmas,
Meditation
Jivahasta: Life: Esoterica[Bodywork, Herbalism,
Yoga], Medicine, Survival
Karma (Place in Cosmos): Art(all kinds), Crafts(non-
martial only), Etiquette
Prajna (Ethics): Academics[Philosophy], Belief
Systems, Cosmology
Shastamarga (Weapons): Academics[Strategy],
Crafts[Weapon-related], Melee
Sunyakaya (Body): Meditation, Stealth, Subterfuge
Tricanmarga (Struggle): Acrobatics, Athletics,
Esoterica[Body Control, Yoga]
Skill Ratings
Insect (Ant, Grasshopper, roach, etc.)
Crawler(Lizard, Snake, Toad, etc.)
Four-Footed (Horse, Dog, Cat, etc.)
Bipedal (Monkey, Bear, Ape, etc.)
True Humanity, Master of the Way
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Appendix: Supernatural Abilities
Flight [M,S,T,K,C]
This talent represents a Shape-Changer or other
creatures ability to fly, using the natural aptitude
of a bestial form. Used by Shape-Shifting Mages,
Corax and other winged Fera, as well as Gangrel
and other Shape-Changing Supernaturals, this
talent is available to any creature with the ability to
fly without Technological Means. Note that this
talent is a Core Talent to Corax and Camazotz.
Skill Ratings
You fell out of a tree once and didnt
die
Awkward Angel
Quidditch Player
Winged Avenger
Wind-Dancer
Lucid Dreaming [M,T*,H]
This talent reflects a characters control of their
internal mindscape and dreamlands, and their
ability to assert themselves and shift the tone of
their dream, change locations, confront nightmares
head-on or even construct dreams of their own
choosing.
In game terms, this Talent allows you to manipulate
your surroundings in a dream (Perception + LD,
Difficulty 6), Shape new structures (Difficulty 8), or
take complete control over that dream and your
place in it (Difficulty 9). This talent can also direct
conscious meditations (Difficulties 5, 7, and 8
respectively), which can be used to gain insights,
unravel riddles and achieve a state of calm or
resolution. If meditating or dreaming on a
particular enigma, Lucid Dreaming may be used in
place of an Enigmas roll.
Skill Ratings
Youre aware of your dreams, and
remember those that you wish
You can try to dream a certain dream
You have some control over your
dreams
You know how to influence and read
dreams as aspects of the inners self
Inception
House Rule: As a House Rule, Non-Mage Characters
may utilize this talent. Storytellers may limit its
utility against Psychic Invaders however.
Malkavian Time [K]
An ability unique to Malkavian Vampires, this
represents a Lunatics ability to tap into the
Madness Network and filter out the cacophony of
deranged voices. Generally, a Storyteller should
make the rolls for this talent for the player one
week before an important gathering. With one
success, the lunatic will receive an impulse to
immediately head to a specific locale, but only as
the meeting is already starting. Three grants a night
or two of warning, and a general idea of the
meetings purpose, Five give a full weeks warning
and clear visions of the meetings purpose. Six
become a hazard to the Lunatics health, risking
shadows of Elders derangements this deep in.
Lunatics may also make a Difficulty 9
Wits+Malkavian Time roll, each success allowing
the Malkavian to send two words to a fellow
Malkavian within the city. Lunatics with 3 or more
dots in this talent may also hear Clanmates death
screams in the same city area.
Skill Ratings
Its surprising you make the meetings
You get the occasional call
You hear the odd echo, not for you
When a Clanmate dies, you feel it
You know what is needed.
Primal-Urge [S,C]
This talent represents a Shape-Changers
connection to their bestial nature. This
understanding makes transitioning between forms
easier, and can help a Shape-Changer instinctively
recognize Supernatural Activity, though rarely
beyond hairs standing on end or a chill down the
spine For more specific detection, one needs the
Awareness Talent.
Skill Ratings
A pup, the urge is there but not honed
Your instincts often keep you safe
You know when something strange is
going on
The Wolf guides you, and is seldom
wrong
You have a most intimate
understanding of what it means to be
of Gaias Chosen
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Appendix: Supernatural Abilities
Supernatural Skills
Biotech [M, T]
This skill represents an understanding of the
connections between Organic and Mechanical
experience, and where they interface. Biotech gives
your character hands-on experience with
Cybernetic Technology. Appropriate Science and
Hypertech knowledges, along with Sphere Magick,
are required to invent and install such technology,
however this skill represents practical application
to back that up.
Non-Mages might learn this skill in order to
maintain and use Biotech Enhancements added to
them by Mage allies and benefactors.
Skill Ratings
You might be able to make simple
repairs
You can design and install small
machines and make basic repairs
Your skill is honed by Study, field work
and lab experimentation
You can create, install and maintain
radical designs and major overhauls,
and can employ almost any biotech
device or procedure in your field.
Im Iron Man. decipher the odd perversions of scientific truth
Energy Weapons [M,T,W]
This skill represents understanding and ability to
use and maintain Energy Weapons, from the
steampunk artworks of the Etherite Rayguns to the
Chrome-Plated High-Tech Plasma Guns crafted by
Technocratic Scientists. Any grunt can use a
powder-and-slug weapon, but it takes specially
trained personnel to operate such advanced
weaponry.
This skill covers the basic understanding of Energy
Weapon technology Being able to turn it on, point
it in the right direction, not get blown up and all
the essential skills involved in handling and
maintenance of such equipment. This skill can be
taken by non-awakened characters They cannot
make the weapons, nor understand the intricacies
of their functions, but they can point, aim, fire and
reload. A character should define the form of
Energy Weapon they are specialized in, as per the
Well-Skilled Craftsman rule and similar to Firearms.
WSC Specialties: Laser, Plasma, Sonic, Tesla,
Raygun, Transdimensional, etc.
Skill Ratings
Imperial Stormtrooper
You can usually hit the target
Tecchnocratic Field Operative
Brotherhood of Steel Paladin
Han shot first
Hypertech [M, P]
The awakened counterpart to the Technology skill,
this skill represents understanding and proficiency
in the advanced principles employed by the
Technocracy, Virtual Adepts, Sons of Ether and
other Technomancers. These advanced
technologies, such as Trinary Computing,
Extradimensional Travel or Nanotech are within
your understanding.
At ranks 1 or 2, the Technomancer can only
understand principles that conform to their
Paradigm; An Iteration-X Macrotechnician cannot
understand an Ethrites Ethric Transmutation
Device. At rank 3 or higher, a Technomancer can
behind such alien devices, and thus use or modify
them. A successful Hypertech roll may allow a
Technomancer to employ a tool or device that
would not usually work for them due to their
paradigm.
Prerequisite: The Hypertech rating cannot exceed a
characters Technology Skill. Rating.
Skill Ratings
You understand the basics of
Alternative Sciences
You have a good comprehension of
your paradigms Hypertech
You can wrap your head around the
technological perversions of other
groups
You are proficient with the
technologies of your foes and rivals
Few technologies elude your
Command
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Appendix: Supernatural Abilities
Jetpack [M,T]
This skill represents the ability to control body-
mounted flying gadgets. As with other such tech
abilities, success depends a lot on the characters
familiarity or lack thereof with the technology in
question. A Void Engineer Space Marine would find
an Etherites Aetherpack extremely alien and
difficult to use, and likewise a Virtual Adept would
likely be confused by an Iterators Ion Pack.
Skill Ratings
ABORT ABORT
You can fall at high speed in the
direction you want to go (usually)
Experienced and in control
Aerial Combat isnt complete terror
To infinity AND BEYOND
Supernatural Knowledges
Belief Systems [M,D]
This skill represents your knowledge of what people
believe, how they believe it, why they believe it,
and where people hold such beliefs. As a trait, this
knowledge covers general ideological, religious and
philosophical beliefs throughout the modern world,
and how these matters apply to crafting
coincidental magick. This knowledge also allows a
Mage to appeal to local traditions, cultivate good
impressions or shift beliefs in their favour. For a
more mundane form of this Knowledge, see Politics
and Subculture. This knowledge is also of great
benefit to Demons, who study the worlds
Religions, enhancing their ability to reap faith, as
well as helping in the influencing and garnering of
followers.
Skill Ratings
Youve gleaned some stuff from
Wikipedia binges
You have a decent understanding of
current religious and cultural beliefs
Youve got a deep comprehension of
worldwide dominant belief systems
Youre a noted authority on Additions
comparative religions and political
philosophies
You could give L. Ron Hubbard a run
for his money.
(Gaian) Rituals [S,T*,H]
Rituals are an important part of Werewolf life.
Ritual behaviour helps a werewolf control the rage
within. This knowedge lets a character know about
traditions, mysteries and ceremonies of the Garou,
including how to participate in common rites and
how to behave properly towards elders and
leaders. Some Werewolf rituals are more than
formalized behaviour: They call upon ancient spirit
magics to powerful effect. A character cannot learn
a Rite of a higher rank than their Rituals rating.
Skill Ratings
Youve watched a number of rites
closely.
You know how to carry yourself at
tribal moots
Other tribes invite you to attend their
moots
Even Black Spiral Dancers know and
respect your knowledge
Youve quested into the Umbra to
develop new rites.
*House Rules: Though this knowledge is intended
for Shape-Changers, Storytellers may elect to allow
other characters to learn this Knowledge in order to
use the parts on Shape-Changer etiquette.
Storytellers may also allow Spirit and Prime mages
of sufficient power to use this knowledge and aid in
Gaian Rites.
Note on Nomenclature: Renamed to Gaian Rituals,
to more clearly distinguish it when Cosmology-
Mixing as a Shapechanger-Associated trait.
Redactions and Changes
As with the Standard and Specialist abilities, several
traits in this section have been revised for this
version of the Document.
Modifications
Energy Weapons has been updated along with
Archery to match Firearms in its behaviour, and is
now a Well-Skilled Craftsman skill.
Lucid Dreaming has been added, and removed from
the Specialist Abilities.
Gaian Rituals has been added, an oversight caused
it to be omitted from the previous book.
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Index: Supernatural Abilities

Index: Supernatural Abilities

SUPERNATURAL TALENTS 22

Blatancy [M] ............................................................... 22

Do [M,P] ..................................................................... 22

Flight [M,S,T,K,C] ........................................................ 23

Lucid Dreaming [M,T*,H] ............................................ 23

Malkavian Time [K] ..................................................... 23

Primal-Urge [S,C] ........................................................ 23

SUPERNATURAL SKILLS 24

Biotech [M, T] ............................................................. 24

Energy Weapons [M,T,W] ........................................... 24

Hypertech [M, P] ........................................................ 24

Jetpack [M,T] .............................................................. 25

SUPERNATURAL KNOWLEDGES 25

Belief Systems [M,D] .................................................. 25

(Gaian) Rituals [S,T*,H] ............................................... 25

REDACTIONS AND CHANGES 25

Modifications ............................................................. 25

Additions .................................................................... 25

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Master Index

Talents Skills Knowledges

CORE TALENTS Pg. CORE SKILLS Pg. CORE KNOWLEDGES Pg.
Alertness [C] 6 Drive [C] 7 Academics [C,W] 9
Athletics [C] 6 Firearms [C,W] 8 Bureaucracy [C] 9
(Arcane) Awareness [C] 6 Investigation[C] 8 Computer [C] 9
Brawl [C] 6 Melee [C] 8 Enigmas [C,X] 10
Dodge [C] 6 Stealth [C] 8 Linguistics [C] 10
Empathy [C] 7 Technology [C] 9 Occult [C] 10
Intuition [C] 7 Crafts [W,C] 14 Science [C,W,X] 10
Subterfuge [C] 7 Gaian Rituals [S,T] 25
Flight [M,S,T,K,C] 23
Primal-Urge [S,C] 23
Auxiliary Talents Auxiliary Skills Auxiliary Knowledges
Blatancy [M] 22 Animal Ken 13 Belief Systems[M,D] 25
Carousing [X] 11 Archery 13 City Secrets [G,W] 17
Do[M,P] 22 Biotech [M,T] 24 Cosmology/Subdim. [X] 17
Diplomacy 11 Blind Fighting 13 Esoterica [X] 18
Expression [W] 11 Boat Handling 13 Finance 18
Instruction [P] 11 Disguise 14 Law 18
Interrogation 12 Escapology 14 Local Area Knowledge [G] 18
Intimidation 12 Etiquette 7 Lore/RD Date [G,W] 19
Leadership 12 Energy Weapons[M,T,W] 24 Medicine 19
Lucid Dreaming[M,T] 23 Falconry 14 Politics[W] 19
Malkavian Time[K] 23 Fast-Draw 14 Subculture[W] 19
Search 12 Hypertech[M,P] 24 - Denotes a Supernatural Ability
Streetwise 12 Jetpack[M,T] 25 [C] Denotes a Core Ability
Visual Art [W] 12 Martial Arts 15 [W] Denotes an ability that
[M] Denotes Mage-Specific Meditation[X] 15 utilizes the Well Skilled
Abilities Performance 15 Craftsman rule.
[K] Denotes Kindred (Vampire)- Pilot[W] 15 [G] Denotes a group of Skills
Specific Abilities Psychoanalysis/CBT 16 that are separate but similar
[S] Denotes Shapechanger Research 16 [X] Denotes an ability that
(Garou, Fera)-specific abilities Riding 16 behaves differently for some
[D] Denotes Demon-Specific Security (Larceny) [P] 16 supernatural creatures.
Abilities [P] Denotes an ability with a
Survival 17
[T] Indicates specific abilities Prerequisite
Torture 17
that can still be obtained by
outsiders.

Credits & Contact

To White Wolf and Onyx Path publishing, for creating World of Darkness, WoD 20th Anniversary, and
everything in between Without which, Id probably be wasting my time on something far more antisocial.

To my players, for putting up with all my shit and helping me reconcile the rules for mixed cosmology games.

Title Font is BrushGrunge byMax Infield.

This document is a compilation & resource, intended for use with the World of Darkness 20th Anniversary
Edition like of Pen & Paper RPGs, I claim no ownership or rights to the content herein.

You can contact me via my email: bonegnawergalliard@gmail.com

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