Skills and Specialties

## **Skill Dots**

Skills are rated from 1 to 5, with each score suggesting your character’s relative level of proficiency and knowledge in that area.

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## Mental

### **Academics**

General understanding of higher education, Arts and Humanities.

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* **Possessed by:** College Graduates, Executives, Lawyers, Librarians, Scholars, Students

* **Specialties:** Athropology, Archeology, Art, English, History, Law, Religion, Research, Philosophy, Mathematics, Sociology, Library Science, Business, Economics, Psychology, Cartography, Geography, Demographics, Stock Market, Cryptology, Symbology, Astronomy

### **Computers**

Training and knowledge of using computers

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* **Possessed by:** Businesspeople, Professors, Programmers, Students, Sysadmins

* **Specialties:** Artificial intelligence, Data Retrieval, Graphics, Hacking, Internet, Gaming, Web Design, Databases, Search, Presentations, Networks, Security

### **Crafts**

This Skill covers your ability to make or fix things with your hands. Crafts allows you to work in fields such as carpentry, leather working, weaving, or even mechanical expertise such as car repair. You can even create lasting works of art with this Skill, depending on the number of successes you achieve.

You must always choose a specialization in Crafts, even though you retain some skill in multiple fields.

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* **Possessed by:** Mechanics, Artisans, Artists, Designers, Inventors, Back-to-the-Land Types

* **Specialties:** Pottery, Sewing, Home Repair, Carpentry, Appraisal, Carburetors

### **Investigation**

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* **Possessed by:** Criminals, Doctors, Forensic Examiners, Police Officers, Scientists, Scholars, Soldiers

* **Specialties:** Artifacts, Body Language, Crime Scenes, Cryptography, Dreams, Autopsy, Puzzles, Riddles, Scientific Experiments, News Archives, Research, Fingerprints, DNA Analysis, Traffic Accidents, Missing Persons

### **Medicine**

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* **Possessed by:** Medical Students, Paramedics, Physicians, Psychologists, Surgeons

* **Specialties:** Emergency Care, Pathology, Pharmaceuticals, Physical Therapy, Surgery, Psychiatry, Oncology, Anesthesiology, Neurology, Hematology, Chiropracty, Dentistry, Dermatology, Dietetics, Epidemiology, Genetics, Hospital Administration, Optometry, Orthopedics, Phlebotomy (blood), X Ray Technician, Toxicology, Veterinary Medicine, Healing Wounds

### **Occult**

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* **Possessed by:** Anthropologists, Authors, Crazies, Neo-pagans, Occult Scholars, Parapsychologists

* **Specialties:** Cultural Beliefs, Ghosts, Magic, Monsters, Superstitions, Witchcraft, Herbalism, Vampires, Cthulhu Mythos, Crop Circles, Aliens, Parapsychology, Extra Sensory Perception, Geomancy, Tarot, Astrology

### **Politics**

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* **Possessed by:** Bureaucrats, Civil Servants, Journalists, Lawyers, Lobbyists, Politicians

* **Specialties:** Bribery, Elections, Federal, Local, State, Scandals, Campaigning, Beauracracy, Licensing, Laws, Cutting deals, Judicial

### **Science**

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* **Possessed by:** Engineers, Scientists, Students, Teachers, Technicians

* **Specialties:** Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Metallurgy, Physics, Agriculture, Botany, Marine Biology, Ecology, Meteorology, Biochemistry, Evolution

## Physical

### **Athletics**

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* **Possessed by:** Professional Athletes, Police Officers, Soldiers, Survivalists, Physical Trainers

* **Specialties:** Acrobatics, Climbing, Kayaking, Long Distance Running, Sprinting, Swimming, Throwing, Dancing, Skateboarding, Contortion, Aerobics, Ice Skating, Bicycling, Jumping

### **Brawl**

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* **Possessed by:** Bikers, Boers, Gangsters, Police Officers, Soldiers

* **Specialties:** Blocking, Boxing, Dirty Tricks, Grappling, Kung Fu, Throws, Sweeps, Holds, Kicks

### **Drive**

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

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* **Possessed by:** Cabbies, Truckers, Race Car Drivers, Automotive Show Hosts, Rebels
* **Specialties:** Off-Road, Motorcycles, High Speed, Heavy Traffic, Avoiding Traffic Cops

### **Firearms**

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

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* **Possessed by:** Policemen, Military Personnel, Survivalists, Hunters
* **Specialties:** Fast-Draw, Gunsmithing, Pistols, Marksmanship, Revolvers, Shotguns

### **Larceny**

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

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* **Possessed by:** Burglars, Security Consultants, Policemen, Car Thieves, Street Magicians
* **Specialties:** Safecracking, Misdirection, Lockpicking, Hotwiring, Pickpocketing

### **Stealth**

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

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* **Possessed by:** Burglars, Assassins, Kindred, Spies, Reporters, Commandos
* **Specialties:** Hiding, Silent Movement, Shadowing, Crowds

### **Survival**

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

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* **Possessed by:** Scouts, Soldiers, Outdoors Enthusiasts, Survivalists, Hunters
* **Specialties:** Tracking, Woodlands, Jungle, Street Life, Hunting, Urban Exploration

### **Weaponry**

A blade is often worth far more, as is the skill to use it properly. Melee covers your ability to use hand-to-hand weapons of all forms, from swords and clubs to esoteric martial-arts paraphernalia such as sai or nunchaku. And, of course, there is always the utility of the wooden stake…

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* **Possessed by:** Assassins, Gang Members, Martial Artists, Police, Duelists
* **Specialties:** Knives, Swords, Improvised Weaponry Riposte, Disarms

## Social

### **Animal Ken**

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

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* **Possessed by:** Farmers, Animal Trainers, Zookeepers, Veterinarians, Pet Owners
* **Specialties:** Dogs, Attack Training, Big Cats, Horses, Farm Animals, Falconry

### **Empathy**

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* **Possessed by:** Counsellors, Diplomats, Entertainers, Profilers, Psychiatrics, Police Officers

* **Specialties:** Emotions, Lies, Motives, Personalties, Body Language, Psychosis

### **Expression**

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* **Possessed by:** Actors, Ballet Dancers, Journalists, Musicians, Poets, Rock stars, Writers

* **Specialties:** Classical Dance, Drama, Journalism, Novels, Speeches, Musical Instrument, Short Stories, Editorials, Poetry, Songwriting

### **Intimidation**

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* **Possessed by:** Bodyguards, Bouncers, Gangsters, Executives, Police Officers, Soldiers

* **Specialties:** Bluster, Physical Threats, Stare-downs, Torture, Veiled Threats, Interrogation, Insults

### **Persuasion**

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* **Possessed by:** Con Artists, Executives, Generals, Lawyers, Politicians, Salesmen, Sexual Predators

* **Specialties:** Fast-talking, Inspiring troops, Motivational Speeches, Sales Pitches, Seduction, Cutting Deals, Negotiation

### **Socialize**

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* **Possessed by:** Diplomats, Entertainers, Executives, Politicians, Salesmen

* **Specialties:** Bar Hopping, Dress Balls, Formal Events, Frat Paries, Dinner Parties, First Impressions, Etiquette, Business Meetings, Carousing, Flattery

### **Streetwise**

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* **Possessed by:** Criminals, Gangsters, Homeless People, Private Investigators, Police Offficers

* **Specialties:** Black Market, Gangs, Rumors, Undercover Operations, Shelter, Laws, Shortcuts, Area Knowledge, Territories

### **Subterfuge**

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* **Possessed by:** Actors, Con Artists, Grifters, Lawyer, Politicians, Teenagers

* **Specialties:** Con Jobs, Hiding Emotions, Lies, Detecting Lies, Misdirection, Disguises, Cheating