Talents

Talents describe what you intuitively know, what you can do without coaching or instruction. The only way to improve your Talents is through direct experience - with the exception of a very few cases (such as studying a text on Jeet Kune Do to learn a dot or so of Brawl), these things can't be learned from a book or mail-order course. If you try an action involving a Talent your character doesn't possess, there's no penalty to your basic Attribute dice pool; these Abilities are so intuitive that virtually everyone has some degree of capacity in each one.

Alertness

Kincaid held up a finger, and the other vampires whispering in the darkened foyer immediately fell silent. "Lady Anna is coming, " he murmured. He cupped one hand to his ear, then nodded. "She's maybe two blocks away, and there's no other traffic on the street." He smiled a smile with razored edges. "That custom Rolls of hers, there's no mistaking it. Now shut up and get ready to welcome her in, you idiots."

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

* Novice: You're no mindless drone.
** Practiced: Habitual eavesdropper
*** Competent: You keep a sharp eye on your surroundings.
**** Expert: Whether from paranoia or good sense, you are rarely caught off guard.
***** Master: Your senses are on par with those of a wild animal.

Possessed by: Hunters, Bodyguards, Security Personnel, Journalists, Burglars
Specialties: Noises, Eavesdropping, Ambushes, Hidden Weapons, Crowds, Forests, Animals

Athletics

Ronnie took a running leap and hit the chain-link fence climbing. He could still hear the hooting and laughter of the gang behind him, and the sound shot more adrenaline into his aching muscles. But he'd done this a thousand times, and he was over the fence in record speed. As he raced further down the alley, he tried to clear his head, reassuring himself that there was no way those muscleheads could climb as quickly as he could. He'd bought himself a little more time; it was just a
matter of putting it to use.

Then he heard the gut-wrenching sound of metal wire being torn apart... This Talent represents your basic athletic ability, as well as any training you might have had in sports or other rigorous activities. Athletics concerns all forms of running, jumping, throwing, swimming, sports and the like; however, it doesn't cover basic motor actions such as lifting weights, nor does it govern athletic feats covered by another Ability (such as Melee).

* Novice: You had an active childhood.
** Practiced: High-school athlete
*** Competent: Professional athlete
**** Expert: Top-notch in your sport
***** Master: Olympic medalist

Possessed by: Athletes, Enthusiasts, Park Rangers, Jocks, Kids
Specialties: Swimming, Rock Climbing, Acrobatics, Dancing, Endurance Running, specific sports

Brawl

Lucita neatly snapped her knuckles into the prince's neck - one - then plunged her fingers precisely into his eyesockets - two. One-two, quicker than a child could draw breath and harder than any mortal could strike. She smiled tautly as the formerly regal Canute clawed in panic at his ruined eyes and crumpled windpipe. No sight, no voice - and no chance to invoke his otherworldly, hypnotic majesty. Now she could do the rest at her leisure.

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

* Novice: You were picked on as a kid.
** Practiced: You've seen the occasional barroom tussle.
*** Competent: You've fought regularly and routinely, and generally walked away in better shape than your opponents.
**** Expert: You could be a serious contender on a boxing circuit.
***** Master: You can kill three men in four seconds.

Possessed by: Military, Police, Roughnecks, Thugs
Specialties: Boxing, Wrestling, Dirty Fighting, Kicks, Karate, Judo, Muay Thai, Throws, Submission Holds

Dodge

Beckett cursed as the bullets struck the wall over his head, sending hot chips of brick into his hair. He launched himself sideways, rolling behind the dumpster just as the rounds cut into where he had been standing. Typical, he thought. Saguryev's minions are as subtle as he is. He flexed his fingers and growled as the black talons glided out of his fingertips.

"Let's see if they're slower."
As it turned out, they were.

The first rule of self-preservation, this Talent covers your ability to avoid blows, missile fire or even oncoming cars. Dodge entails taking cover, ducking punches or any other methods of getting out of harm's way.

* Novice: You can reflexively duck and cover your head.
** Practiced: You've weathered a self-defense class.
*** Competent: You can evade thrown rocks, maybe even knives.
**** Expert: It'd take a skilled brawler to land a punch.
***** Master: You can virtually sidestep bullets on open ground.

Possessed by: Police, Criminals, Brawlers, Boxers, People in Bad Neighborhoods
Specialties: Cover, Sidestep, Footwork, Leap

Empathy

"I mean," the young woman gesticulated, "how the hell was I supposed to take care of that baby? How could I?" She dabbed at her eyes with her napkin, then stared guiltily into her cup. "Oh my God. Look at me, breaking down right in the coffeehouse. You've got to think I'm so stupid."
"No, no," her companion said gently. "Please, don't. Here." He stood and offered her his hand. "Why don't we go somewhere a little less public, and you can get it all off your chest there?" She looked up and smiled a little at that, and the smile he returned her was nothing short of dazzling.

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

* Novice: You lend the occasional shoulder to cry on.
** Practiced: You can sometimes literally feel someone else's suffering.
*** Competent: You have a keen insight into other people's motivations.
**** Expert: It's almost impossible to lie to you.
***** Master: The human soul conceals no mysteries from you.

Possessed by: Social Workers, Parents, Actors, Psychologists, Detectives, Seducers, Mediums, Best Friends
Specialties: Emotions, Personalities, Motives, Gaining Trust

Expression

"By the Blood, Laveaux, compose yourself. Victoria's little ditty hardly merits consideration, let alone a blood hunt - notwithstanding lyrics which could indeed be interpreted as... satirical. A bit...tawdry for my tastes," the prince sniffed, "but scarcely a violation of the Masquerade."
"Billboard #8?!? Millions of kine are mocking me - in their automobiles, in their nightclubs, on their damnable electronic phonographs. I shall be a laughingstock in..."
"Elysium, Laveaux. Elysium. Hardly the place for such histrionics. Remember where you are! Anyway," the prince said airily, the faintest of smiles creasing his visage, "it can hardly be true, can it? That stanza about you and the..." Laveaux stormed away, gnashing his fangs in fury, as the harpies tittered behind him.

This is your ability to get your point across clearly, whether through conversation, poetry or even email. Characters with high Expression can phrase their opinions or beliefs in a manner that cannot be ignored (even if their opinions are misinformed or worthless). They might also be talented actors, skilled at conveying moods or feigning emotion with every gesture. Additionally, this Talent represents your ability for poetry, creative writing or other literary art forms.

* Novice: Your talent has matured past crude poetry on notebook paper.
** Practiced: You could lead a college debate team.
*** Competent: You could be a successful writer.
**** Expert: Your work is Pulitzer material.
***** Master: A visionary such as yourself comes along only once in every generation.

Possessed by: Actors, Writers, Poets, Politicians, Journalists, Instructors, Rabhle-Rousers
Specialties: Acting, Poetry, Fiction, Impromptu, Conversation

Intimidation

Lucita audibly drew a breath, and something seemed, to gather around her. Something.. .palpable. Her gaze settled on one of the black' clad bodyguards, then the other, but lingered for no more than a second on each. Both men grew very pale; one tried weakly moving his hand toward his shoulder holster, but stopped almost instantly at the sound of her voice. "I said this conversation was private. Leave. Now."

Intimidation takes many forms, from outright threats and physical violence to mere force of personality. You know the right method for each occasion, and can be very... persuasive.

* Novice: Crude teenage bully
** Practiced: Mugger
*** Competent: Drill sergeant
**** Expert: Your air of authority cows casual passersby.
***** Master: You can frighten off vicious animals.

Possessed by: Bullies, Executives, Military Officers, Thugs, Bouncers, Gangsters, Sahbat
Specialties: Veiled Threats, Pulling Rank, Physical Coercion, Blackmail

Leadership

Kincaid stomped across the makeshift stage and shook one fistabove his head. "Are you going to go to one knee and offer your neck to your butcher, just because he says Father Knows Best? Are you going to pour your heart's fire between the decayed lips of the ancients? " Enthusiastic, powerful cries of "No!" shook the stage, but Kincaid went on as if he couldn't hear them. "Who will inherit this world, this night, this future? Those who have already seen a millennium or two - or those who can do something with their immortality? ARE YOU WILLING TO FIGHT FOR YOUR FREEDOM?"
The answer was a chorus of bone-rattling shouts. Kincaid screamed more fiery words into the crowd, but his heart was cold as ice, except for a growing flame of gloating satisfaction - and anticipation.

You are an example to others and can inspire them to do what you want. Leadership has less to do with manipulating people's desires than it does with presenting yourself as the sort of person they want to follow. This Talent is usually paired with Charisma rather than Manipulation.

* Novice: Captain of your Little League team
** Practiced: Student body president
*** Competent: An effective CEO
**** Expert: Presidential material
***** Master: You could be the lord and master of a nation.

Possessed by: Politicians, Princes, Managers, Executives, Military Officers, Police
Specialties: Oratory, Compelling, Friendly, Open, Noble, Military, Commands

Streetwise

In full daylight, the spraypaint would have had a distinctly neon glare. In the dim light of the streetlight's periphery, it was dull and heavy. Nonetheless, the young man in gang colors was studying it intently. "Yeah, I know that tag," he finally said. He shook his head. "That's a badass marker. The Green Nails. Vietnamese. The kind of gang you never hear about on the damn cop shows, but the ones nobody in their right mind fucks with."
The older man, his impeccable suit very out of place in the alleyway, merely nodded. "Yes, precisely. And very, very suitable for our purposes."

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

* Novice: You know who sells drugs.
** Practiced: You're accorded respect on the street.
*** Competent: You could head your own gang.
**** Expert: You have little to fear in even the worst neighborhoods.
***** Master: If you haven't heard it, it hasn't been said.

Possessed by: Criminals, Homeless People, Reporters, Detectives, Vice Squads, Sabbat
Specialties: Fencing, Illegal Drugs, Illegal Weapons, Rumors, Gangs, Pickpocketing, Local Slang

Subterfuge

"I mean - I can't promise anything, and I have too much respect for you to give you the usual BS. Who can tell what the future holds?" David looked up, met Linda's gaze across the low table. "But it is different when I'm with you. To be honest..." David's voice almost cracked with emotion, "I don't know if I ever have been in love, really, but this feels like it could, well...."
Wordlessly, Linda slid across the couch, took David's hand in hers, and pressed her forehead to his shoulder. Ah, the kine are even more unchanging than we, despite their vaunted "progress." David - Dar-lnku in another time - recalled other, similarly meaningless phrases, spoken in Greek, in Aramaic and Chaldean, in the baths of Rome and among the pillars of ruined Nineveh. A true master of the Jyhad, he mused, needs no mind-tricks to beguile a vessel.

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

* Novice: You tell the occasional little white lie.
** Practiced: Vampire
*** Competent: Criminal lawyer
**** Expert: Deep-cover agent
***** Master: You're the very last person anyone would suspect.

Possessed by: Politicians, Lawyers, Vampires, Teenagers, Con Men, Pick-up Artists
Specialties: Seduction, Impeccable Lies, Feigning Mortality

Other Talents: Instruction, Intrigue, Mimicry, Search, Ventriloquism.