Talents aren’t the product of training alone. They’re mostly inborn Abilities that can be honed and improved, but they’re rarely created from scratch. However, characters are assumed to have potential in just about every Talent. It makes perfect sense that these abilities would improve through experience practice. If a character attempts a feat with a Talent he doesn’t have, the roll incurs no dice penalty. The player just rolls whichever Attribute the Storyteller decides is the most appropriate and he counts those dice to determine success or failure.
Alertness
Neverwise pricked her ears at the sounds of machinery. The Wyrmspawn had found the caern! Quick as lightning, she darted down the hill towards the barn. And only her inborn senses prevented the rifle butt from catching he in the shoulder as she spun at the last possible moment to face the farmerr who thought he’d been sneaking up behind her. She snarled at him, fangs bared. It would be the last wolf he’d ever threaten, she thought, sinking her teeth into the corrupted flesh of his throat.
Alertness describes how atturned the character is to things he can see, smell, hear or touché, and depending on the story perhaps things that are not so tangible. In combat it’s often paired with Wits to guage reaction and response time. Out of combat, it works well with perception to give the character clues about his surroundings. Alertness usually kicks in even when the character isn’t necessarily looking for something.
* Novice: You’re
alert to certain sights and sounds around you.
** Practiced: You know when to eavesdrop and whom to keep
an eye on.
*** Competent: You’re alert to even subtle changes
in the environment.
**** Expert: Very little gets past your vigilance, even if
you’re preoccupied.
***** Master: The wolf sense is particularly strong in you.
Even when sleeping, you’re wary to minute alterations in temperature,
light and other environment features.
Possessed by: Bodyguards,
Hunters, Thieves, Wild Animals, Security Personnel.
Specialists: Ambushes, Paranoia, Traps, Scents.
Athletics
The river pulled at Raine, trying to drag her under and against the sharp rocks in its depths. She’d had no time to react when her raft flipped in the strong eddy. Now, she struggled to right herself, to swim up for air and find a current to pull her to shore. Raine kicked hard and broke the surface. A few powerful strokes, and her hands grabbed dirt and roots. Good thing, she thought, hearing the roar of the rapids just ahead.
Athletics covers all kinds of athletic endeavours, whether formal sports or otherwise, such as running, jumping, throwing or swimming. A high athletic score can represent a trained athlete or a naturally athletic individual who spends a lot of time in free-form exercise. Although Athletics is a versatile Talent, it doesn’t cover simple motor action (like lifting weights) or athletic endeavours covered by other Abilities (such as boxing, which is the focus of brawl).
* Novice: Typical
active kid.
** Practiced: High-school jock.
*** Competent: College-level competitor.
**** Expert: Respectful professional.
***** Master: Olympic or world-class athlete.
Possessed by: Athletes,
Jocks, Kids, Lupus, Outdoors Enthusiasts, “Extreme” Sports Nuts.
Specialists: Specific sports, Team Play, Swimming, Rock Climbing,
Tumbling, Distance Trials, Pentathlon.
Brawl
Finishing her drink, Rebekah decided she’d heard one too many catcalls for the night. The Fury rose and moved over to the nearest creep, who groped immediately for her chest. He never got the chance. A hand with tight, raised knuckles busted his nose, and blood spurted. Rebekah’s fingers then slid into his eyes, clawing and scraping. Her target slid to the ground, howling with pain and Rebekah grinned invitingly at his friends. As everyone gave her plenty of room at the bar, she bit back her rage, lest someone unlucky bystander get slaughtered in battle.
Brawl represents training in unarmed combat. It reflects the character’s schooling or real-world experience with martial arts, street fighting and the like. This talent calls for real down-and-dirty action; typically, hand-to-hand fighting is ruthless and brutal. The character skilled in Brawl knows how to hit the opponent with all her might and bring him down as quickly as possible, while ignoring her own pain and loose teeth.
* Novice: You picked
some fights in the schoolyard.
** Practiced: A barroom brawl gets your blood pumping.
*** Competent: You’ve been in a fair share of fights,
more often than not walking away unscathed.
**** Expert: Professional boxers would have a hard time beating
you.
***** Master: Your fingers alone are deadly weapons, and
when your fists come out, people die.
Possessed by: Police,
Thugs, Soldiers, Werewolves, Self-Defence Instructors.
Specialities: Boxing, Wrestling, Dirt Infighting, Weaponless
Martial Arts (Judo, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, etc.)
Dodge
“Run!” Mimiteh shouted. “I’m not joking!” Young Tadi took one look at the spiral charging him and made quick tracks for their vehicle. But the fetid Wyrmspawn caught up in one leap. Seeing no other option, Tadi darted quick as a rabbit under the truck, rolling away from sharp, deadly claws. He was just pulling out his pistol when he heard the gratifying sound of Mimiteh’s klaive slicing through the Spiral’s spine.
A werewolf can’t get hit if he’s out of the way, can he? Dodge allows a character to do just that: duck, dive for cover or take whatever action necessary to avoid an incoming blow. Players should indicate to the Storyteller in what manner there characters are evading potential hits. The description may give them a bonus depending on the circumstances.
* Novice: You know
enough to hit the dirt when the bullets fly.
** Practiced: You’re capable of getting under cover
in most situations.
*** Competent: Evading thrown objects is pretty damn easy.
**** Expert: Only the most skilled martial artist can hit
you.
***** Master: Sometimes you can actually sidestep bullets.
Possessed by: Police,
Criminals, Martial Artists, Boxers, Ragabash.
Specialties: Finding cover, Sidestepping, Drop and Run.
Empathy
Derek wiped foaming spittle from the young metis’ mouth, feeling every awful sensation of the fit as it were his own. And another day, another minute, it just might’ve been. Strange, the Get thought, that I should meet another metis with the exact same curse. When the worst of it was over, the young werewolf turned thankful eyes to Derek, falling into exhausted sleep. Maybe we can watch over each other, Derek though. Two of us in the same boat, looks like, adrift on icy waters. Beats riding the waves alone.
The empathy trait allows characters to identify and discern other people’s emotions and feelings. With a highly successful roll, a character may even be able to tell if someone is lying to her or has al ulterior motive. Likewise, she may be able to adjust her own emotions to take advantage of someone, feign sympathy or give it genuinely. That’s the trickiest side of this Talent. A character with Empathy may get so caught up in the feelings of other that her own emotions will be affected, willingly or not.
* Novice: People consider
you a confidant.
** Practiced: You’re attuned to the pain of those around
you.
*** Competent: You can analyse the emotions of casual acquaintances
with skill.
**** Expert: Even strangers pour out their stories; it’s
easy to catch people lying too.
***** Master: You know what they’re going to say before
they open their mouths.
Possessed by: Counsellors,
Social Workers, Psychologists, Best Friends, Psychics, Hucksters.
Specialities: Detect Lies, Hidden Motives, Emotional States,
Personality Quirks, Affairs of the Heart.
Expression
Wanderer knew he’d never seen a female Kin, wolf or two-legged, as beautiful as the one who prowled near him now in the snow. He had voiced a howl just for her, punctuated by short playful yips. She grinned and waited. The lupus then circled his would-be mate, his throat emitting soft low growls with unmistakable meaning. To his delight, she had responded with a lift of her tail. For the young Wendigo, winter would not be so cold.
Expression is the art of getting your point across, no matter what the medium. With a high Expression score, your email is just as eloquent as your carefully planned oration, and whether the information is true or not, people sit up and take notice of your words. Expression covers the creation and delivery of speeches, poetry and other writing, but for singing, music and the like, a character needs performance. Expression is often combined with Charisma or Wits for a powerful effect.
*. Novice: You’re written imaginative poetry.** Practiced: Fast-debates and word contests are not a problem.*** Competent: You could make an easy living as a successful journalist or novelist.**** Expert: Your writing could win international awards.***** Master: Werewolves everywhere praise the beauty and flow of your words, especially when you speak them aloud.
Possessed by: Galliards,
Writers, Poets, Politicians, Actors.
Specialties: Rhetoric, Inspiring Speeches, Poetry, Drama,
Political Doubletalk.
Intimidation
Turganova looked over the Kinfolk’s cooling body dispassionately. “Take it to the quarters of my lady Kucacek in secret.” she said to her young servant. “Leave it across her threshold so that she knows her agents will not find a place in my dasha.”
“My liege.” The servant replied curiously but with deep respect. “I hear and obey, but would it not be more effective to simply let the carcass float down the Don? That way, the Lady of Shadows will never know what happened to her best spy.”
The Silver Fang smiled at the youth’s innocence. “I would Kucacek know that I have found her out. Fear is always a greater weapon than doubt, young Moon Dancer. Never forget it!”
Intimidation runs the gamut from soft, subtle persuasion to outright brute force. A character skilled in this Talent knows exactly how and when to apply pressure to make a target do his bidding. Intimidation is a powerful combination of words and deeds designed to cause a particular outcome. In the hands of a forceful personality, this Trait can be rather potent.
* Novice: Your threats are crude, but effective.** Practiced: That cold, hard stare of yours usually gets results.*** Competent: Your combination of bitch-slapping and understated coercion makes others fear you.**** Expert: Even tough opponents think twice about earning your wrath.***** Master: Few werewolves will stand against your goals and desires.
Possessed by: Pack
Leaders, Bullies, Officers, Drill Sergeants, Shadow Lords, Ahroun.
Specialties: Veiled Threats, Good Cop/Bad Cop, Blackmail,
Physical Threats, Revenge.
Primal-Urge
Something wasn’t right. Leif couldn’t say how he knew, but he yanked his paw back a split-second before it brushed the thick, dried leaves. A clang rang in his ears as the silver-toothed steel trap snapped on empty air. A fury like he’d never known spread over his body, and then, with paws turned to fists and claws, Leif ripped the trap out of the ground and tore the pieces asunder. Only after his own blood stained the dirt did he stop to think just who’d put the damn thing in his territory.
This Talent describes not only the bestial nature inside every werewolf (or any anima, for that matter), but also for the level of guy feelings the character has in her carious half-wolf, half-human forms. Characters with a high Primal-Urge rating can rely more easily on “wolf thought” - the ability to call on raw animal instincts for guidance – rather than the rationalization so typical of humans. Moreover, werewolves with strong Primal-Urge find it easier to assume their various forms of partial transformations.
* Novice: Merely a
pup. The urge is there, but it hasn’t been honed.
** Practiced: Your instincts often put you on the safest
path through danger.
*** Competent: You feel at ease in any form because you understand
the Wyld in your soul.
**** Expert: The world within guides you to react quickly,
without rational thoughts.
***** Master: Only powerful leaders among the werewolves
who are closely attuned with Gaia and the Wyld have this depth of understanding.
Possessed by: Lupus,
Warriors, Wild Animals, Predators
Specialties: Shifting Forms, Hunting, Protection
Streetwise
Angelica gave the skinny kid a wad of cash. “Now, tell me where you last saw him. There might be more where that came from.”
“There’s more, all right,” the kid snickered. “Anybody who hands out piles of 20s got a lot more.” He eyed her diamond bracelet with interest.
Angelica suddenly saw her contact flanked by more punks. Damn, she though, I didn’t imagine the little snot would lie to me.
“If you won’t give us your pretties,” her contact said, “reckon we’ll just have to wake ‘em.”
“Want to make a bet?” the Silver Fang smiled, tapping filed nail against her teeth.
This versatile Talent allows character to blend into rough crowds, gather information and strike deals on the streets without attracting too much attention. Botched Streetwise rolls can be a source of real danger, but the streets can provide enough wealth of hard-to-find items and gossip to indulge in larceny, get the skinny on local crime and fence stolen items.
* Novice: You’re
pretty sure those guys on the corner sell drugs.
** Practiced: Most of the local thugs consider you on their
level.
*** Competent: You could e a gang member or a successful
madame.
**** Expert: The streets are like a second home to you; not
much there you don’t know about.
***** Master: You could be a powerful crime-lord with multiple
organizations under your control.
Possessed by: Homeless
Folks, Bone Gnawers, Criminals, Detectives, Beat Cops.
Specialties: Picking Pockets, Fencing Goods, Drug Deals,
Gangs.
Subterfuge
“It’s a genuine antique?” the tourists asked, looking eagerly at her husband.
“Absolutely!” Keahi replied. “That’s a traditional grass skirt, possible from the time before cooks’ expedition. That’d make it, oh about 200 years old.”
“Fred, I must have it! Think how good it’d look in out den. “The man gave a sigh and shelled out Keahi’s asking price of $500. The Uktena kept her face solemn until the haole had move on. Then, with a grin, she stuck her head into the back of the shop.
“Hey, Lono, we need a couple more antique grass skirts out front and don’t make ‘em look too good, okay?”
Subterfuge is all about figuring out the opponent’s motivations and twisting them to your best advantage, while hiding your own goals and interests. This Trait often works with Manipulation or Wits to convince potential target of your sincere good intentions. Characters with a high rating in Subterfuge are masters of clever conversation, knowing exactly what to say and when to say it to fulfil their goals. Most people wouldn’t trust a master of Subterfuge – if they could recognise them.
* Novice: White lies
are easy to contrive.
** Practiced: You’ve gotten quite good at intriguing
pickup lines.
*** Competent: Hardened criminals find your cues in their
“not guilty” speeches.
**** Expert: The slickest used car salesperson is putty in
your hands.
***** Master: They’ll never figure out it was you all
this time.
Possessed by: Lawyers,
Con Artists, Vampires, Uktena
Specialties: White lies, Seduction, Innocent and Needy.
Other Talents: Instruction, Intrigue, Mimicry, Search, Ventriloquism.