Secondary Skills
Acrobatics
You are a trained tumbler and acrobat, able to perform feats of agility far beyond the capabilities of an untrained character. For each success w ith this Skill, a character can ignore one Health Level of falling damage, so a character with two dots in Acrobatics can fall up to 10 feet without injury, and takes only one Health Level of damage from a 15-foot fall. This skill may be paired with Dexter ity to roll for leaps and other acrobatic feats.
* Novice: Grade school gym class
* * Practiced: High school jock
* * * Competent: College team
* * * * Expert: State champion
* * * * * Master: Olympic gold medallistPossessed by: Professional Athletes, Jocks, Martial Artists, Dancers
Specialties: Sport, Martial Arts, Dance, Enhanced Jumping/Falling
Animal Training
You are able to train animals to obey commands and possibly perform tricks or other feats. Each species is a different specialty.
* Novice: Heel, Fetch, Sit, Stay
* * Practiced: Local show standard
* * * Competent: Champion sheep dog standard
* * * * Expert: Elite police dog standard
* * * * * Master: Circus/stunt standardPossessed by: Dog Handlers, Movie Animal Wranglers, Circus Animal Trainers
Specialties: Dog, Horse, Elephant, Seal
Archery
You know how to fire a bow, and may be able to do so with great proficiency. Modern bows can be very complicated gadgets (especially crossbows), and this Skill is essential if you hope to use them correctly. Bows are able to fire wooden-shafted quarrels (without metal tips . . . ).
* Novice: High school gym practice
* * Practiced: Forest bowhunter
* * * Competent: Medieval ranger
* * * * Expert: Will hit a bull's-eye, usually
* * * * * Master: Robin HoodPossessed by: Hunters, Hobby Enthusiasts, Competitors
Specialties: Arched Flight, Forests, Target, Hunting, Moving Targets
Artillery
You may operate and shoot artillery of all varieties - anything from a mortar to a howitzer. Additionally, your knowledge of the weapons includes the ability to repair them.
* Novice: Young recruit
* * Practiced: Operator
* * * Competent: Forward observer
* * * * Expert: Gun captain
* * * * * Master: Can fire the thing by yourself if need bePossessed by: Weapons Designers, Armed Forces Personnel, Mercenaries
Specialties: Aiming, Forward Observation, Line-of Sight, Out-of-Sight, Radar, Night Fighting, Desert, Jungle
Blacksmith
You are skilled in the working of iron, and can make objects from iron and steel.
* Novice: You can make a h orseshoe from a cut-iron bar.
* * Practiced: You can make wrought-iron and mild-steel objects.
* * * Competent: You can make different grades of steel and cast iron to industrial standards.
* * * * Expert: You can pattern-weld different grades of iron and steel to make a complex object such as a swordblade.
* * * * * Master: You can make a blade equal to any Japanese sword, or any other iron or steel object you please.Possessed by: Artisans, Blacksmiths, Artists, Swordsmiths, Hobbyists
Specialties: Wrought Iron, Cast Iron, Toolmaking, Blademaking, Art, Spot -welding, Pattern-welding
Blind Fighting
Even when unable to see your foes, you can use your Brawl or Melee Abilities with a reduced penalty or no penalty. This Skill may also be of great use out of com bat. It should be noted that this Skill does not grant any actual ability to see better in darkness. For each dot the character has in this Skill, reduce the difficulty for performing actions while blind by one. (Naturally, the difficulty can never be reduced below its unhindered equivalent.)
* Novice: You don't stub your toe in the dark.
* * Practiced: You can pinpoint the direction from which sounds come.
* * * Competent: You can fight and predict your enemies' locations at the same time.
* * * * Expert: You can almost "feel" where your opponents are.
* * * * * Master: You possess an almost mystical sense - Zen and the Art of Spatial Awareness.Possessed by: Ninjas, Assassins, Martial Artists, Spelunkers, Zen Archers
Specialties: Dodging, Punching, Indoors, Dueling, Multiple Foes
Boat Handling
You know your way around a boat, and can operate effectively in any crew position.
* Novice: Weekend sailor
* * Practiced: Serious enthusiast
* * * Competent: Competitor or semi-skilled professional
* * * * Expert: Professional or Olympic standard
* * * * * Master: Instructor or Olympic gold medallistPossessed by: Fishermen, Sportspeople, Hobbyists, Outdoors Enthusiasts
Specialties: Sail, Power, Oared, Paddle, Inflatable
Brewing/Distilling
You are skilled in the manufacture of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. You are familiar with the equipment used in brewing and distilling, and can maintain, operate and repair such equipment.
* Novice: Brew-kit user
* * Practiced: Home winemaker
* * * Competent: Moonshiner
* * * * Expert: Commercial winemaker
* * * * * Master: Chateau of reputePossessed by: Hobbyists, Vintners, Moonshiners
Specialties: Wine, Beer, Spirits, Industrial Alcohol
Bribery
You know how, when and where to grease palms. Coupled with Streetwise or Politics, this Ability could buy you a very easy life. However, you still need to decide whom to approach and whom to leave alone - remember, not everyone turns a blind eye.
* Novice: Get a bouncer to overlook the dress code.
* * Practiced: Get the building inspector off your back.
* * * Competent: A policeman won't write you tickets.
* * * * Expert: The inspector from the EPA leaves you alone.
* * * * * Master: State politicians and local CEOs scratch your back.Possessed by: Politicians, Lobbyists, Business people, Criminals
Specialties: Police, Bureaucrats, Inspectors, Under the Table, Open "Gifts"
Camouflage
You can change your appearance through a mixture of clothing, makeup and movement, rendering you difficult to spot in a variety of different surroundings. This is not the ability to look like someone else, but simply to hide.
* Novice: Boy Scout
* * Practiced: Infantry trooper
* * * Competent: Marine
* * * * Expert: Special Forces
* * * * * Master: NinjaPossessed by: Hunters, Military Personnel, Spies, Assassins, Poachers
Specialties: Woods, Mountains, Urban, Open Country, Arctic
Carpentry
You are a competent woodworker, able to craft a variety of objects from wood.
* Novice: Amateur handyman
* * Practiced: Professional handyman
* * * Competent: Professional carpenter
* * * * Expert: Joiner and cabinetmaker or night school teacher
* * * * * Master: You have your own TV show; rich clients seek you out.Possessed by: Carpenters, Furniture Makers, Handymen, Builders
Specialties: Construction, Furniture, Quality Items
Climbing
You can climb mountains and/or walls, and seldom have any fear of falling. The technical skills of chimneying, spike-setting and rappelling are all well known to you - though, depending on your skill, you may be good or indifferent at them. Remember, mountain climbing at night is far more difficult than a daylight climb unless you can see in the dark.
* Novice: You can scale easy mountains or walls with handholds.
* * Practiced: You go on mountaineering vacations. You can climb heavily weathered stone or brick walls.
* * * Competent: You work in an outdoor pursuits center as a mountaineering instructor. You can climb moderately rough stone or brick walls.
* * * * Expert: You've done at least a couple of famous peaks. You can free-climb a fairly sm ooth stone or brick wall.
* * * * * Master: Everest and K2 are mild hikes. You could free-climb the World Trade Center.Possessed by: Mountaineers, Burglars, Enthusiasts
Specialties: Cliffs, Hiking, Ice, Buildings, Free-Climbing, Rappelling
Cooking
You know how to prepare a variety of meals, and present them in an appealing manner. Although vampires no longer eat, this can be a very useful social Ability, especially if you like to lure potential vessels to your haven with the promise of a candlelit tête-à-tête ...
* Novice: You give a reasonable dinner party.
* * Practiced: You give an excellent dinner party.
* * * Competent: You could make a business of this.
* * * * Expert: You could publish recipe books.
* * * * * Master: You could have your own TV show, or become a chef in the finest restaurants.Possessed by: Housewives or -husbands, Chefs, Gourmets
Specialties: French, Italian, Chinese, Thai, Cajun, Bread, Desserts, Pastries, Cordon Bleu
Dancing
You are a proficient dancer, and may perform socially or for the entertainment of others. You are familiar with most varieties of dance, but specialize in one particular style.
* Novice: You can manage a waltz at a wedding.
* * Practiced: You draw envious glances at weddings. You could perform on the local amateur stage.
* * * Competent: You are the talk of the ball. You could perform on the local professional stage.
* * * * Expert: People ask you to teach them. You could perform on TV.
* * * * * Master: Nijinsky, Fonteyn, Nureyev, Barishnikov, Astaire, Rogers, Kelley and you.Possessed by: Socialites, Pop Stars, Music Video Dancers, Ballet Dancers, Enthusiasts, Cruise Directors
Specialties: Waltz, Polka, Two-step, Foxtrot, live, Disco, Latin, Show, Ballet
Debate
You are skilled at reasoned debate, and can present a convincing case through reason and logic. Combined with Diplomacy, this Ability could make you a first -class negotiator.
* Novice: Student
* * Practiced: Debate team member
* * * Competent: Union negotiator
* * * * Expert: Politician
* * * * Master: You could make fundamentalists understand evolution.Possessed by: Diplomats, Negotiators, Academics, Politicians, Intellectuals
Specialties: Logic, Politics, Informal, Social Discourse, Morals, Lowbrow, Low Blow
Demolitions
You have a knowledge of explosives and demolitions that allows you to set off and create (at higher levels) all types of bombs. You know how to handle nearly anything, be it dynamite, plastique, nitroglycerin, black powder, blasting cord, nitrocellulose or napalm. Additionally, you know the techniques for disarming explosives.
* Novice: Guy Fawkes
* * Practiced: The Mad Bomber
* * * Competent: Underground chemist
* * * * Expert: You blow up buildings for a living.
* * * * * Master: Bye-bye, World Trade Center.Possessed by: Terrorists, Police Bomb Squads, Armed Forces Personnel
Specialties: Dynamite, Plastic Explosives, Car Bombs, Disarmament, Detection
Disguise
You can conceal your appearance and even make yourself look like another specific person through the use of clothes and makeup.
* Novice: Good enough to fool someone who knows neither you nor the person you're impersonating.
* * Practiced: Good enough to fool some of the people some of the time.
* * * Competent: Good enough to fool some of the people most of the time.
* * * * Expert: Good enough to fool most of the people most of the time.
* * * * * Master: Good enough to fool those nearest and dearest most of the time.Possessed by: Actors, Spies, Undercover Cops, Criminals, Con Artists
Specialties: Specific Person, Type of Person, Concealing One's Own Identity
Escapology
You are skilled in various techniques that enable you to escape from bonds and restraints. This skill is primarily used for entertainment purposes, but can also be very useful in real life.
* Novice: Children's party entertainer; you can escape from loose or poorly tied bonds.
* * Practiced: Amateur entertainer; you can escape from fairly well-tied bonds.
* * * Competent: Professional entertainer; you can escape from handcuffs and chains.
* * * * Expert: Star; you can escape from a straitjacket.
* * * * * Master: Houdini who?Possessed by: Entertainers, Spies, Special Forces, Amateurs, Pulp Detectives
Specialties: Magic Tricks, Ropes, Boxes, Locks, Underwater, Handcuffs, Showmanship
Falconry
Once the sport of nobles, falconry is now practiced only by a few enthusiasts. Combining this Skill with a Discipline like Animalism makes it possible to achieve truly impressive results.
* Novice: The bird comes back - sometimes.
* * Practiced: You can do small displays.
* * * Competent: You work most of the local medieval fairs and outdoor exhibitions. You can catch enough to subsist.
* * * * Expert: In a different time, you would have been a noble admired for your skill, or you could have worked for a noble.
* * * * * Master: In a different time, you would have been with the king's entourage.Possessed by: Professional Falconers, Very Old Vampires, Enthusiastic Amateurs
Specialties: Display, Hunting, History, Exotic Birds (e.g. Harpy Eagle)
Fast-Draw
This skill allows you to ready a weapon almost instantly. By rolling Dexterity + Fast -Draw and scoring three successes, your can draw a weapon and have it ready for use just as if it had been in your hand all along. The difficulty depends on how securely stowed the weapon is - a gun hidden in a character's underwear is harder to reach than one in a belt holster. This skill can be used with any weapon. When appropriate, the Fast -Draw score can be added to your initiative roll.
* Novice: You have good reflexes.
* * Practiced: You're good, but not great.
* * * Competent: You would have lasted a little while in the Old West. You could work Wild West shows.
* * * * Expert: Pretty fast. You could headline your own act.
* * * * * Master: Greased lightning. You might have been able to take Billy the Kid.Possessed by: Gunfighters, Martial Artists, Cops, Special Forces, Vigilantes
Specialties: Pistol, Knife, Sword, Arrow, Rifle/Shotgun, Sap
Fast-Talk
This Skill allows you to convince someone of something using a sincere expression and an avalanche of words rather than reasoned debate and logic. It's a surprisingly effective technique, provided that the mark has no time to think and does not have a Wits rating of four or more. The Storyteller should carefully judge whether this Skill is appropriate in a given situation, or whether it would be better to use some other Ability.
* Novice: Vacuum-cleaner salesman
* * Practiced: Used-car salesman
* * * Competent: Professional con artist
* * * * Expert: Teflon-coated politician
* * * * * Master: You could sell sand to the Saudis.Possessed by: Salesmen, Con Artists, Politicians, Televangelists
Specialties: Sell, Confuse, Get Off the Hook, Convince
First Aid
This Skill allows a character to give basic medical attention to another. It is not as comprehensive an Ability as the Medicine Knowledge, but does allow for a basic grasp of all the practices of first aid, and at higher levels, techniques known to paramedics. Note that vampires cannot benefit from First Aid.
* Novice: Mother of small children
* * Practiced: Boy Scout
* * * Competent: Office safety representative
* * * * Expert: School nurse
* * * * * Master: ParamedicPossessed by: Mothers, Boy Scouts, Paramedics, Explorers, Outdoors Types
Specialties: CPR, Broken Bones, Artificial Respiration,'Diagnosis, Terminology
Fishing
You can judge a body of water, and have a fair chance of catching fish if there are any to be caught. You are familiar with various kinds of fishing equipment.
* Novice: Weekend angler
* * Practiced: Serious amateur
* * * Competent: Competition winner
* * * * Expert: Professional fisherman
* * * * * Master: Fish leap onto the shore as you walk by.Possessed by: Weekend Warriors, Fishing Pros, Outdoors Types, Survivalists, Fishermen
Specialties: Rod & Line, Fly, Deep-Sea, Net, Sharks, Survival
Forgery
You can copy a document or two-dimensional artwork well enough to enable it to appear as the real thing under casual inspection, and perhaps more detailed inspection as well.
* Novice: Interoffice memos
* * Practiced: Signatures
* * * Competent: Commercial papers; passports
* * * * Expert: Checks; bonds; bank drafts; some artworks
* * * * * Master: Banknotes; old master paintingsPossessed by: Criminals, Artists, Schemers
Specialties: Handwriting, Drawings, Paintings, Bonds and Bills, Documents
Gambling
You are adept at one or more games of chance, and can play without too much risk of losing heavily. You can also increase your chances of winning without actually cheating.
* Novice: Saturday night poker with the boys
* * Practiced: A couple of weeks in Vegas each year
* * * Competent: You are known in Vegas, Reno and Atlantic City.
* * * * Expert: You make a living from this. Your mother despairs.
* * * * * Master: You have to be careful not to tell people your name.Possessed by: Professional Gamblers, Amateur Gamblers
Specialties: Card Games, Dice Games, Roulette, One- Armed Bandits
Game Playing
This Skill covers games of strategy and skill, such as chess, go, shogi, xiang qui, hnefatafl and so on. It does not cover card games ( see Gambling), or simple games like tic tac toe and gomoku, which rely largely on luck.
* Novice: You can beat your older brother.
* * Practiced: You could get on a school team.
* * * Competent: You could get on a college team.
* * * * Expert: You could get on a national team.
* * * * * Master: You could beat Karpov.Possessed by: Enthusiasts
Specialties: Chess, Go, Risk, Acquire, Stalingrad, Harpoon, Challenge
Gunsmithing
You can repair firearms and produce ammunition for a variety of different guns. At high levels of sk ill, you can construct specialty ammunition such as caseless, hollow - point, mercury -tipped, and silver bullets. Given the time and the tools (and enough skill) you can build a gun from scratch - perhaps even one of your own design.
* Novice: Black powder and paper cartridges
* * Practiced: Cased standard ammunition
* * * Competent: Magnum rounds
* * * * Expert: Caseless and hollow-point rounds
* * * * * Master: You name itPossessed by: Gun Nuts, Survivalists, Cops, Serial Killers
Specialties: Black Powder Weapons, Field Repair, Invention, Magnum and Supercharged Ammunition, Specialty Ammunition
Heavy Weapons
You have the ability to operate and shoot heavy weapons of all varieties - anything from an M60 heavy machine gun to a Dragon antitank weapon. Additionally, your knowledge of the weapons includes an ability to repair them.
* Novice: Basic training
* * Practiced: Operator
* * * Competent: Warrior
* * * * Expert: Killer
* * * * * Master: RamboPossessed by: Mercenaries, Armed Forces Personnel, SWAT Officers
Specialties: Desert, Jungle, Night Fighting, Friend from Foe, Loading
Herbalism
You have a working knowledge of herbs and their properties, medicinal and otherwise. You can find and prepare herbs, and know which herb or blend of herbs to use in any situation.
* Novice: Your read a book on it once.
* * Practiced: You are a serious student of herb lore.
* * * Competent: You are a local supplier.
* * * * Expert: You've written books on herbalism.
* * * * * Master: You could easily function as an apothecary.Possessed by: Holistic Healers, New Agers, Wizened Old Women, Low -Tech Societies
Specialties: Culinary, Medicinal, Poisonous, Narcotic/Hallucinogenic
Hunting
You are skilled at finding and killing animals for food or sport. In familiar terrain, you are a ble to predict the type, number and likely location of food animals, and know the best ways to find and kill them.
* Novice: Weekender
* * Practiced: Enthusiast or trooper
* * * Competent: Survivalist or Marine
* * * * Expert: Special Forces
* * * * * Master: LupinePossessed by: Survivalists, Military Personnel, Preindustrial Societies, Outdoor Types, Lupines
Specialties: Temperate Forest, Jungle, Bush/Scrub, Mountain, Coast, Arctic, Desert
Hypnotism
You can place a willing subject into a trance, and use hypnotism to gather information or treat psychiatric problems. To place a willing subject into a trance, make an opposed roll of your Charisma + Hypnotism against the subject's Intelligence (difficulty 6 for both rolls). An unwilling subject must be immobilized or Dominated to comply (he resists with Willpower). The number of successes indicates the depth of the trance, and can be added to the character's Hypnotism Skill when rolling to ascertain the success of tasks such as gaining information. For example, a hypnotist with Charisma 4 and Hypnotism 4 hypnotizes a willing subject with Intelligence 5. The hypnotist rolls five successes and the subject two - a total of three successes in the hypnotist's favor, indicating a fairly deep trance. The hypnotist can now roll seven dice (three successes plus Hypnotism 4) to probe the subject's mind.
* Novice: You do it occasionally, primarily to entertain.
* * Practiced: You are a skilled amateur.
* * * Competent: You could open a practice or go on the stage.
* * * * Expert: You could write books on the subject.
* * * * * Master: Who needs Dominate?Possessed by: Entertainers, Holistic Healers, New Agers, Police Specialists, Psychiatrists
Specialties: Interrogation, Past-life Regression, Hypnotherapy, Behavior Modification
Jeweler
You are able to produce saleable pieces of jewelry (Dexterity + Jeweler) and appraise jewelry you see (Intelligence + Jeweler). You can determine the approximate worth of most jewelry by quick appraisal, but it is easy to make a mistake withou t in-depth examination.
* Novice: You took a night school course once.
* * Practiced: You treat it as a fairly serious hobby.
* * * Competent: You could run a small business.
* * * * Expert: This is your chosen career.
* * * * * Master: You are up there with Cartier.Possessed by: Jewelers, Counterfeiters, Pawn Shop Owners
Specialties: Gold, Gems, Antique, Ancient, Mystical, Crystal
Journalism
You not only know how to write news stories, but also how to research and discover them in the first place. This Skill also gives you knowledge about the inner workings of a newsroom and a newspaper as a whole. Furthermore, Journalism often provides a familiarity with television news reporting.
* Novice: Hack (TV reporter)
* * Practiced: Features reporter
* * * Competent: Investigative reporter
* * * * Expert: Editor
* * * * * Master: Pulitzer Prize winnerPossessed by: Freelancers, Editors, Feature Reporters, Photographers, Foreign Correspondents
Specialties: Politics, Sports, Corruption, Business, Deadlines, Editing
Leatherworking
You are able to produce serviceable items of leather, either for sale or for your own use.
* Novice: You got a craft kit for your birthday.
* * Practiced: You make birthday presents for friends and family.
* * * Competent: You sell to local stores.
* * * * Expert: People ask for your work by name.
* * * * * Master: Your picture appears in magazine ads.Possessed by: Artisans, Survivalists
Specialties: Clothing, Utensils, Horse Trappings, Special Interest Items
Lip Reading
You are able to understand speech without hearing it, just by watching mouth movement. Though you will not pick up on every word, you can usually figure out the gist of a sentence without too much trouble.
* Novice: If someone talks slowly and clearly, with exaggerated mouth movement.
* * Practiced: If someone talks fairly slowly and you concentrate.
* * * Competent: Under most circumstances.
* * * * Expert: Even under bad conditions, including foreign languages, bad light and distance.
* * * * * Master: Under just about any conditions.Possessed by: Hearing-lmpaired, Spies, Detectives
Specialties: Accents, Drunks, Poor Lighting, Fast Talkers, Surreptitiously
Lockpicking
You are able to open locks without the correct key or the right combination. Though this Skill is certainly becoming more and more obsolete with all the new security devices in use, there are enough locks still around to make it worthwhile.
* Novice: Simple mortise locks
* * Practiced: Cylinder locks and basic security locks
* * * Competent: Advanced security locks
* * * * Expert: Safes
* * * * * Master: Fort KnoxPossessed by: Burglars, Safecrackers, Spies, Locksmiths
Specialties: Key -Operated Locks, Combination Locks, Mag-Card Locks, Alarm Systems
Mechanic
You are a jack-of-all-trades with a particular affinity for mechanical devices, and can jerry -rig or repair just about anything mechanical, given the right tools and materials.
* Novice: You can fix a broken doorbell.
* * Practiced: You can fix a lawnmower or scratch-build a doorbell.
* * * Competent: You can fix a car or build an automatic garage door.
* * * * Expert: You can fix a high-performance car or rebuild an engine.
* * * * * Master: You can fix, build or improve almost anything.Possessed by: Mechanics, Car Nuts, Hobbyists
Specialties: Electrical, Cars, Domestic, Inventing
Meditation
You are able to enter a trance-like state at will, focusing your mind inward and dealing with a range of mental and physical problems. A successful Meditation roll (difficulty 7) is necessary to enter this state; after each full hour, the character rolls Meditation (difficulty 9). Dice from the character's Dice Pool are subtracted if there are any distractions during that time. Each success on the second roll restores one point of Willpower; each botch result indicates that a Willpower point is lost. If the meditation is interrupted and concentration is lost before the hour is up, no benefits are gained.
* Novice: You read a book on it once.
* * Practiced: You are a serious student.
* * * Competent: You have studied under a master.
* * * * Expert: You are qualified to teach.
* * * * * Master: Just that.Possessed by: Yogis, Mystics, Holistic Healers, New Agers, Old Hippies
Specialties: Tantric, Transcendental, Yogic, New Age
Parachuting
You know how to use a parachute, both for sport and for other purposes.
* Novice: Weekend jumper
* * Practiced: Reservist
* * * Competent: Airborne regular
* * * * Expert: Special Forces or sport instructor
* * * * * Master: Special Forces instructor or sport championPossessed by: Sport Parachutists, Military, Flying Enthusiasts
Specialties: Skydiving, Mass Deployment, Escape, HALO (High Altitude, Low Open), Display
Photography
You know how to use a camera to produce quality and artistic pictures. You also know how to process photographic materials.
* Novice: Local club member
* * Practiced: Local club prizewinner
* * * Competent: Semi-pro; you sell some pictures.
* * * * Expert: Professional photographer
* * * * * Master: One of the bestPossessed by: Artists, Journalists, Enthusiasts, Police Specialists
Specialties: Art, Photojournalism, Portraits, Forensic, Xray, Photolithography
Pickpocket
You are able to remove objects from someone else's clothing and body without the person's knowledge, even if the objects in question are in an inside pocket. You generally bump into the person to distract her as you remove the object.
*Novice: You can take wallets in a dense crowd.
* * Practiced: You can take a wallet from an inside pocket.
* * * Competent: You can take a keychain from a trouser pocket.
* * * * Expert: You can take a watch while shaking hands.
* * * * * Master: You can take anything from anywhere.Possessed by: Criminals
Specialties: Pockets, Watches, Chains, Getaways
Pilot
You can operate a flying machine. Note that your skill limits the t ypes of aircraft you can fly. A glider pilot (one dot) cannot fly a helicopter (requiring four dots).
* Novice: Club member; hang gliders only
* * Practiced: Club champion; gliders and small aircraft only
* * * Competent: Professional or club instructor; commercial airplane license
* * * * Expert: Military or display pilot; helicopter pilot; any type of commercial aircraft
* * * * * Master: Top GunPossessed by: Enthusiasts, Pilots, Military, Police
Specialties: Night Flying, Thermals, Dogfights, Long Distances, Takeoffs and Landings, Gliders, Helicopters, Light Planes, Corporate Jets, Commercial/Transport Jets, Fighter Jets, Vintage Planes, Autogyros, Blimps, Balloons, Hang Gliders, Microlights
Police Procedure
You know the general techniques and procedures employed by law enforcement authorities, and may utilize them yourself (especially if you were once a police officer).
* Novice: Recruit
* * Practiced: Patrol officer
* * * Competent: Detective
* * * *Expert: Police lieutenant
* * * * Master: Only a master criminal would need to know this much.Possessed by: Police Officers, Attorneys, Reporters, Private Detectives, FBI Agents, Serial Killers
Specialties: APBs, Reports, Detectives, Autopsies
Pottery
You are able to make and fire ceramic items, either for artistic or practical purposes.
* Novice: Hobbyist
* * Practiced: Enthusiastic hobbyist; night school student
* * * Competent: Professional; night school instructor
* * * * Expert: Craftsperson; growing business
* * * * * Master: Household namePossessed by: Artisans, members of preindustrial communities
Specialties: Vessels, Sculptures, Models, Moldings
Psychoanalysis
You are skilled in diagnosing and treating mental ailments (such as Derangements) without resorting to the use of behavior -altering drugs. During a session of analysis, you may roll Intelligence + Psychoanalysis (difficulty of the subject's Intelligence + 3 ). Keep track of your net successes; the Storyteller will decide how many successes are necessary to remove the Derangement. Even Freud couldn't cure people in a single session, so be patient! Note that it is possible to treat an unwilling patient this way, though the difficulty of so doing is equal to the subject's Willpower + 3. No amount of Psychoanalysis can cure a Malkavian's initial Derangement.
* Novice: A shoulder to cry on
* * Practiced: Volunteer counselor
* * * Competent: Professional counselor
* * * * Expert: Qualified psychoanalyst
* * * * * Master: FreudPossessed by: Psychoanalysts, Holistic Healers, Good Listeners, Counselor s, Parents, Teachers, Priests
Specialties: Freudian, Jungian, Humanist, Ericksonian, Holistic, Wiccan, Childhood, Psychosis, Neurosis, Self, Sympathy, Terminology, Research
Research
You are highly skilled at finding information from conventional sources. Given time and a good library, you can assemble the sum of human knowledge on almost any topic.
* Novice: Undergrad
* * Practiced: Grad student or research assistant
* * * Competent: Professor
* * * * Expert: Research fellow
* * * * * Master: Human databasePossessed by: Academics, Advertising Execs, Authors, Detectives
Specialties: Any Knowledge
Ride
You can climb onto a riding animal and stand a good chance of getting where you want to go without falling off, being thrown or having anything else unpleasant happen to you. When attempting something difficult, or when danger threatens, the Storyteller may require a Dexterity + Ride roll to avoid trouble. This Skill can also be combined with Mental Attributes to reflect your working knowledge of the relevant trappings and equipment.
* Novice: Pony club member; dude ranch vacations
* * Practiced: Pony club champion; weekend cowboy
* * * Competent: Pony club instructor; professional cowboy
* * * * Expert: Showjumping champion; rodeo star
* * * * * Master: Stunt riderPossessed by: Enthusiasts, Cowboys, Stunt Riders, members of preindustrial societies
Specialties: Bareback, Horse, Mule, Camel, Elephant, Gallop, Tricks, No Hands
Scuba
You are proficient in the use of an aqualung (unnecessary for the Kindred), and are familiar with the many dangers of diving (such as sharks and the bends).
* Novice: Once a year, on vacation
* * Practiced: Local club member
* * * Competent: Instructor
* * * * Expert: Pro diver
* * * * * Master: Navy SEALPossessed by: Enthusiasts, Military, Treasure Hunters, Marine Biologists
Specialties: Cold Water, Reef, Deep-Sea, Recreational
Singing
You can sing over a wide range, with a variety of styles and techniques. Singing is an extremely lucrative and popular Skill in the modern age. Though most singers are amateurs, others make enormous amounts of money.
* Novice: You stand out when the family gathers around the piano.
* * Practiced: You could get lead roles with local amateur societies, or become a lead singer with a garage band.
* * * Competent: You could get a choral part on the professional stage, or get a recording contract.
* * * * Expert: You could get a lead on Broadway or a record on the charts.
* * * * * Master: They'll be playing your CDs 20 years from now.Possessed by: Church Chor isters, Rock Musicians, Pop Stars, Opera Singers, Drunks
Specialties: Opera, Easy Listening, Rock, Church, Musicals
Skiing
You can travel on skis for sport or transportation with little chance of a mishap. You can read snow, and know where it is safe and where it is not - under most circumstances.
* Novice: Vacation skier
* * Practiced: Enthusiast
* * * Competent: Ski bum
* * * * Expert: Hotdogger, ski champ, Arctic forces
* * * * * Master: Olympic medallist, elite forcesPossessed by: Sportsmen, Military, Arctic and Mountain Inhabitants
Specialties: Cross-Country, Downhill, Ski-jumping, Snowboarding, Stunts
Sleight of Hand
The quickness of your hands can deceive the eyes of others. You can perform magic tricks and other feats of legerdemain.
* Novice: Card tricks at Christmas
* * Practiced: Children's parties
* * * Competent: Stage magician
* * * * Expert: TV magician
* * * * *Master: A legend in your own timePossessed by: Stage Magicians, Thieves
Specialties: Produce Item, Conceal Item, Amuse
Speed Reading
Through practice, you have developed the ability to read and absorb large quantities of written material in a short time.
* Novice: The New York Times in an hour
* * Practiced: A novel in two to three hours
* * * Competent: A textbook in two to three hours
* * * * Expert: A fat textbook in two to three hours
* * * * * Master: War & Peace in two to three hoursPossessed by: Academics, Literary Critics, Journalists, Researchers
Specialties: Technical, Fiction, Newspaper, Research, Cramming
Torture
You know how to inflict pain. Your ability is so precise as to be a science. You are capable of interrogating prisoners through torture and prolonging their suffering, keeping them barely alive - or undead.
* Novice: You know how to hurt people in different ways.
* * Practiced: You are good at causing extreme pain and can keep someone alive for interrogation purposes.
* * * Competent: You are equal to a military torturer. You can create pain never experienced by most.
* * * * Expert: You are equal to a professional t orturer. You are able to get almost any information you want out of your subject.
* * * * * Master: You are an artist and a scientist of pain and suffering.Possessed by: Military Interrogators, Prison Guards, Nazi "Doctors"
Specialties: Exotic Methods, Prolonging Life, Pain, Flagellation
Tracking
You can identify the trail of an animal or person, and follow it under most conditions. The difficulty of such a feat varies according to the conditions - following fresh tracks in deep snow is easier than follow ing week-old tracks across a concrete sidewalk!
* Novice: Boy Scout
* * Practiced: Eagle Scout
* * * Competent: Hunter
* * * * Expert: Indian tracker
* * * * * Master: Grizzly Adams; TontoPossessed by: Hunters, Survivalists, Special Forces, Detectives
Specialties: Wolf, Deer, Rock, Urban, Identification
Traps
You know how to set various types of traps according to the type of game you want to catch.
* Novice: Boy Scout
* * Practiced: Weekend survivalist
* * * Competent: Outdoorsman
* * * * Expert: Mountain man
* * * * * Master: Grizzly AdamsPossessed by: Trappers, Special Forces, inhabitants of remote places
Specialties: Specific Species, Deadfalls, Pits