Skills

Unlike Talents, Skills develop as a direct result of training and instruction. No once really just knows how to drive a car, for example; you have to at least get in a little practice before hitting the interstate. Attempting feats when the character doesn’t have the skill in question is a bit trickier. The player rolls the dice at a +1 difficulty penalty. It’s a lot harder to shoot a gun than it seems on TV….

Animal Ken

Anoki quickly saw what the dogs were after, a cougar, wounded badly but still snarling. With a growl of his own, the Wendigo shooed away the mongrels, then crouched carefully besiude the feline. She hissed and spat. Anoki whispered softly, “Your people and mine are nod friends but I will help.” The big cat looked at him coldly but didn’t pull away as he touched her gently. Where his hands lay, wounds closed. She watched Anoki a long moment, then darted away into the hills.

Although they roo are animals, humans think and behave far differently than most creatures do. It takes a special touch to deal with critters, particularly if they are hurt or frightened. Animal Ken represents this knack. With it, a person (or werewolf) knows how to speak and move in such a way as to gain n animal’s trust. Without Animal Ken, even homid werewolves find that other creatures tend to be skittish and jumpy around them. Animal Ken is also necessary for training animals (such as working dogs) and for any specific activities that involve animals (such as leading a mule train).

* Novice: You know how to behave around typical pets.
** Practiced: Basic obedience and puppy training is easy for you.
*** Competent: You could train animals for highly specialised work.
**** Expert: Under your guidance, most animals can learn complex tricks and routines.
***** Master: Even the wildest animals seem attracted to your presence.

Possessed by: Veterinarians, Animal Trainers, Farmers, Pet Owners.
Specialties: Families of Animals (canines, felines, avians etc.), Farm Animals, Feral Animals.

Crafts

Music sprang from the forge where Diana Philothelides tapped her hammer on the twists of gold and bronze. She could never explain the rhythm in it, the song that was equal in some ways to the beauteous voices of her sisters in the pack. The smith looked up only when old Hera the warder, limped into the workshop.

“Best make the fires hotter.” She sighed, flicking back her steel grey hair “Our visitors say that a pack of Blood Spirals will be here before dawn, and our weapons need repair. “Diana nodded and put aside her creation of Luna’s Rising Over the Sea with a sad sigh. There’d be time enough for that when the battle was won.

Crafts allows a character to create lasting beauty or repair useful and functional articles with a variety of materials and media. Some crafters use this skill for building specialised devices for their packs; others make valuable tokens for sale or barter. The Skill is also valuable for those whop hope to make fetishes. Spirits are more prone to enter a vessel that’s made well, after all. The quality of the work depends on the expertise of the crafter, and the character should pick a particular craft (or two closely related areas) in which to specialise. The Skill may also impart basic knowledge of materials or methods, however, regardless of a player’s chosen Craft.

* Novice: You can produce something basic, but attractive or functional.
** Practiced: Your work has a known and recognizable style.
*** Competent: Other artisans are familiar with you, they praise your skill.
**** Expert: Unique items you make fetch high prices, and they are highly desired.
**** Master: You are among the greatest crafters in your chosen field.

Possessed by: Artists, Designers, Inventors, Handcrafters, Theurges.
Specialties: Woodworking, Drawing/Painting, Weaving, Craving, Sculpture, Metalworking, Car Repair.

Drive

“What do you mean you never drove a car?” Celeste squealed as Groznek rook another corner on rails. “You told me you’d driven all around Budapest!”

“Did I say this?” her companion asked “No, you did not hear. I said I had been in Budapest traffic. Big Difference! Ah, you worry too much. We will arrive at meeting in one piece. I have seen this done many times on big road.” Celeste held on for dear life as Groznek whizzed deftly through Chicago traffic, wondering how the lupus had ever talked her into this fiasco.

The drive skill is pretty self-explanatory. Having it means you can operate a car and possibly similar conveyances such as light trucks or vans. The greater your skill, the larger the variety of vehicle you can use. Your difficulty might increase or decrease depending on the vehicle, terrain and weather conditions. Note that riding a motorcycle is quite different than driving a sedan, and heading down a country two-lane road is nothing compared to a metropolitan beltway.

* Novice: You’re not just a Sunday driver, as long as you’ve got an automatic.
** Practiced: A sporty manual transmission is lots of fun for you.
*** Competent: You’re capable of driving large trucks on long hails.
**** Expert: Maybe you’ve even raced with professionals.
***** Master: A daredevil driver, skilled with many different vehicles and terrain.

Possessed by: Truckers, Modern folks in Western nations, Cabbies.
Specialties: Stick Shifts, Motorbikes, Four-Wheel Drive, Big Rigs, Sports Cars.

Etiquette

The caern Warder sneered at Bridget, appraising her hobby, clawless fingers and bitter heritage. “What do you want, freak? There’s no room for your kind here.”

Bridget seethed but gave him a wicked grin. There would be no tails the likes of which the Fianna never heard this night, and she intended to be all ears. “No place? And here I have a fine batch of mead, straight from Silver Tara itself.” She held up the enormous jug. “I was hoping to share.”

The warder’s nose twitched, and he stood aside grumbling.

Good manners and social niceties are but a small part of Etiquette. This skill is also used for general diplomacy, haggling and seduction. Knowing the intricacies of which wines to serve with certain foods and what to do when faced with six different forks is likewise part of Etiquette. The character using the Trait will be familiar with the culture in which he was raised, but the Storyteller may raise or lower the difficulty should the werewolf be faced with traditions and more that are not his own.

* Novice: You know when to speak and when to be silent.
** Practiced: The difference between a black-tie and a white-tie affair is crystal clear.
*** Competent: A multi-course dinner with complex utensils doesn’t pose a problem.
**** Expert: Your manners and grace marks you as the ideal guest for any occasion.
**** Master: Not only are you suave and debonair, others follow your perfect example, whether at the theatre or the negotiating table.

Possessed by: Socialites, Diplomats, Silver Fangs, Business Executives.
Specialties: High Society, Big Business, Wining and Dining, Moots.

Firearms

Rambler sung his Ingram in a wide arc, howling madly as the bullets hit the leeches and their lackeys. The undead kept coming, but he saw that a number of the humans had crumpled into heaps. He flung himself against the cover of a brick wall, switching weapons quickly. When he jumped out again, the Bone Gnawer ignored the sting of sliver bullets biting his shoulder and let loose the incendiaries with a gleeful shout. Now it was the vampire’s turn to scream.

A character with Firearms has a broad knowledge of how many different kinds of guns – from a kid’s BB pistol to a submachine gun – and he has the ability to use them as well. This skill also allows the character to repair all kinds of firearms and make decisions about the best ammunition for the occasion and the weapon. However, it doesn’t cover the use of heavy artillery or tank guns.

* Novice: You passed a hunter safety course.
** Practiced: Most of the time, you leave a firing range happy.
*** Competent: You’re accomplished with several different kinds of guns.
**** Expert: Chances are, you’ve fired shots (and been fired upon) in several battles.
***** Master: You leave smiley faces blown through all your targets.

Possessed by: Police, Criminals, Soldiers, Hunters.
Specialties: Rifles, Pistols, Submachine Guns, Gunsmithing.

Leadership

Bloodthunder acknowledged the licks and nuzzles of those holding their heads and tails below his own. As the pack gathered, he began to speak.

“You saw what humans did to our lake, our forest. Now they call it a place to bring food and crude shelter. This night, we will take back what is ours. The apes do not deserve this land. They have not protected it, as we have.” The Talon’s body grew larger and hairier. The whole pack trembled, waiting. “Tonight, we cleanse the stench. Together, as one pack and one tribe.” Bloodthunder led an ear-splitting howl, then darted off toward the enemy, a stream of dire wolves on his heels.

Often paired with Charisma, Leadership makes one the kind of person (or wolf) that others support and serve. It deals with knowing what to say and how to say it so that the troops stay loyal in the heat of battle. Good leaders know when to give hard orders, as well as how to lead by example. Leadership isn’t about tricking people into following. It’s about making yourself into something worthy to guide them.

* Novice: Little kids would do anything for you.
** Practiced: When you talk, others listen.
*** Competent: In touch times, others follow your lead eagerly.
**** Expert: You’re a natural alpha who attracts followers with little effort.
***** Master: Potentially, you could be one of the greatest leaders of the Garou nature - or one of the most infamous.

Possessed by: Military Officers, Pack Leaders, Philodox, Executives.
Specialties: Noblesse Oblige, Combat Readiness, Motivation.

Melee

The master of the Challenge gave her nod, and Claire jumped back toward Weston, pulling her knife in a fluid motion. With a quick thrust, she drew blood from her opponent. Weston snarled and leapt at his challenger, attempting to sweep Claire’s feet from under her with a staff. Just as the would was about to smash into her legs, Claire leapt, twisted and landed on Weston’s back with the knife at his throat.

“Care to give up now, pup?” she panted.

Melee involves fighting with a weapon, such as a spear, sword, staff or even a wooden stake (which is quite useful against Leeches). Similarly, Melee paired with Dexterity is used for klaive duels. Likewise, this skull covers weapons such as tonfa, sai and naginata. Some might think that Melee is a bot old-fashioned and outdated when matched against firearms, but it’s always good to have a backup when the gun jams or the ammo runs out.

* Novice: You’ve got the basics of fencing under your belt.
** Practiced: Trophies from local competitions gather dust on your shelves.
*** Competent: You’re attained skill with several different types of weapons.
**** Expert: If you can grab it, you can use it as a deadly weapon.
***** Master: You have a widespread reputation as an extremely dangerous opponent with a myriad of weapons.

Possessed by: Police, Thugs, Gang Members, Duelists, Ahroun.
Specialties: Swords, Spears, Saps, Eastern Weapons, Klaives.

Performance

Firefang’s howl for the dead seeped slowly into the bones of the assembled Talons. They all knew she’d crept around the still bodies for hours, on two legs and four, thinking about what to sing at the moot. Now as her song echoed through the valley, even the monkeys who’d lent unbidden assistance wept. The Galliard’s mournful voice stirred memories of glory and sacrifice, but also of the simple joys of sleeping in the sun and howling to the moon. No human tribute could’ve ever been better.

In her chosen area of expertise, such as music, dance or acting, the character has attained a notable level of success. She knows about the history of the art and probably has a broad repertoire of pieces to perform from a variety of time periods. Some of these areas may overlap, with Storyteller approval. For example, a character who plays musical instruments may have rudimentary knowledge of singing or composing music.

* Novice: You hold regular jam sessions, or you have been a success in a college play.
** Practiced: You’re a regular in community theatres or the club circuit.
*** Competent: Producers have approached you for a movie or record contract.
**** Expert: You’re a regional, if not national, celebrity.
***** Master: You’re genius will be remembered long after your death.

Possessed by: Galliards, Actors, Musicians, Dancers.
Specialties: Ballet, Ballroom Dance, Classical Music, A Cappella Singing, Improvisation, Howls.

Stealth

Cameo reminded herself to give Nknaka a stern talking to when they got back to the caern. The young Ragabash made more noise getting to the warehouse than a tractor rolling over rocks! Suddenly, her mind snapped back to the present. One of the guards looked their way. Cameo froze, and so to her surprise, she lost sight of Niknak in the shadows playing near the fence. If she hadn’t already known he was there, she’d never have noticed his gold eyes nestled in the black fur. Well, Well. Maybe the city jaunt had taught him a thing or two after all.

Stealth is the knack of moving so that you can’t be seen or heard. This skill also measures how good the werewolf is at making use of cover and shadow. When a character uses Stealth, Storytellers will probably have him match rolls against someone else’s Perception; whoever has the most successful thwarts the other. Note that Stealth can be a bit different when used in the woods and in an urban alleyway.

* Novice: In full darkness with a clear terrain, hiding isn’t a problem.
** Practiced: You know how to stick top the shadows.
*** Competent: Stalking and hiding is child’s play.
**** Expert: Dry leaves and twigs are silent under your feet.
***** Master: If you don’t want to be seen, you’re as good as invisible.

Possessed by: Cat Burglars, Ragabash, Hunters, Snipers, Assassins.
Specialties: Shadowing, Urban, Sylvan, Taking Point.

Survival

Being in the forest gave Corbin the creeps. He’d tried to start a fire, to no avail. Raw hamburger wasn’t so bad, but his feet were blistered and cold bit into his soaked jeans. Corbin would rather have hacked into IBM than spend a night outside. He started to change to his wolf form. At least it would be warmer.

Suddenly, he heard a noise behind him. Whirling around, he beheld the biggest dire wolf he’d ever seen. It grinned at him, then pawed the ground.

Oh shit, the city boy thought.

Living off the land is more than eating fruits and berries or drinking from a creek. It also involves finding shelter, tracking and even navigating through dangerous territory. Characters skilled in Survival know basics for finding food, starting fires and staying safe in harsh conditions. Storytellers should note that characters using Stealth in the wilderness can’t roll more dice than they have in Survival.

* Novice: You made it through scout camp.
** Practiced: The edible berries and mushrooms are familiar to you.
*** Competent: You can read animal signs and brew natural remedies.
**** Expert: The wild is your home; you feel at ease among all its wonders and dangers.
***** Master: You can survive even in the harshest climates and poorest conditions.

Possessed by: Hunters, Lupus, Explorers, Outdoor Enthusiasts, Rangers.
Specialties: Foraging, Tracking, Specific Environments (Arctic, Desert, etc.), Trapping.

Other Skills: Archery, Boating, Cooking, Demolitions, Disguise, Escapology, Fast-Draw, Gambling, Hypnotism, Kailindo, Klaive Dueling, Mechanics, Mediation, Pilot, Swimming, Traps.

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