Talents, Skills & Knowledges

Talents, Skills & Knowledges Collected Abilites: Talents|Skills|Knowledges for World of Darkness 20 th Anniversary Edition Version 2.0 Table of Contents OVERVIEW 3 Categorization 3 Systems 3 Skill Key 5 Altered Nomenclature 5 STANDARD ABILITIES 6 Standard Talents 6 Standard Skills 7 Standard Knowledges 9 SPECIALIST ABILITIES 11 Specialist Talents 11 Specialist Skills 13 Specialist Knowledges 17 Redactions & Changes 20 INDEX: GENERAL ABILITIES 21 APPENDIX: SUPERNATURAL ABILITIES 22 Key 22 Supernatural Talents 22 Supernatural Skills 24 Supernatural Knowledges 25 Redactions and Changes 25 INDEX: SUPERNATURAL ABILITIES 26 CREDITS & CONTACT 27 2 | P a g e Overview Overview Biotech skill. Some of these abilities (Particularly those associated with Mage) may not be exclusive Across the various World of Darkness Game Lines, to these Supernaturals, but are generally associated rules and approaches can vary significantly. In almost exclusively with them. particular, the Abilities traits that are supposedly universal across all game lines can vary enormously Systems in definition and function. While this is no issue for The systems associated with Abilities may have games constrained to a particular game line, this changed many times since the inception of World can create issues for games set in a mixed of Darkness, but certain things have remained cosmology – Different lines often define abilities in universal. Most notably, the role and availability of different ways, assign them different categories, Specialties has changed several times through the and even introduce entirely new ways of handling editions and lines; see the section below for more Specialties. information. In this document, Players and Storytellers will find Dice Systems my own interpretation and house rulings for the When a character is called upon to use their Abilities in White Wolf and Onyx Path’s Classic abilities in a field, an ability roll is made. The nature World of Darkness RPG. These abilities are of this roll is set by the storyteller, however all condensed fro Demon: The Fallen, Hunter: The Ability Rolls function as follows: Reckoning, Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th - The Storyteller instructs the player on the roll Anniversary Edition, Vampire: The Masquerade and difficulty. An Ability Roll always has a Dice 20th Anniversary Edition, and Mage: The Ascension Pool consisting of the relevant Skill + relevant 20th Anniversary Edition. This document is by no Attribute; e.g. spotting danger generally has a means an absolute authority – Notably, Wraith and dice pool of Alertness + Perception. Unlike many Mummy are not represented in this book, as I have other systems, these combinations are fluid – A never used them in my games; Changeling: The character may pick a lock with Dexterity + Dreaming is also not represented, as the original Security, but examining said lock may instead Changeling Books are extremely depreciated, and I require a Perception + Security or Intelligence + have decided to await CTD20 before integrating Security roll instead. those rules. - The Difficulty of a roll is set by the Storyteller Categorization based on how difficult a particular action is. The In order to make this book simpler to use, Abilities standard difficulty of a roll is six, however the are categorized according to availability. Storyteller may raise or lower the difficulty Specifically, Abilities will be divided into Standard, based on the difficulty of the action performed – Specialized, and Unnatural abilities. Generally, Difficulties range from 5-7 Inclusive, however may be as low as 2 or as high as 10[V20, Standard Abilities represent those abilities that any 249]. For actions that a Storyteller rules go given person could possess –Skills like Drive, beyond the Difficulty 9 Thresholds, an optional Talents such as Empathy and Alertness, or Threshold Rule suggests that instead of having Knowledges such as Academics and Computer. Difficulties of 10, the Storyteller instead require Likewise, Specialized abilities represent abilities multiple successes – i.e. a Difficulty 11 roll would usually only seen in specialized fields – Your local in fact be a Difficulty 9 Roll where at least 3 drive-thru cashier is not likely to possess successes must be scored to pass.[M20, 387] Demolitions or Pilot just as a middle-class office - Certain factors (Supernatural Abilities, drone is not terribly likely to possess the Subculture particularly fine tools, adverse conditions, etc.) Knowledge. Finally, Unnatural abilities represent may modify the difficulty of a roll up or down. those only held by Supernatural Creatures – Talents - If a character does not have the ability required such as the Fera’s Primal-Urge talent, or the Mage’s for a roll, the difficulty is increased by 2. E.g, if a 3 | P a g e Overview character must dodge a sword blow from a the local firing range to increase their Firearms frenzied Brujah (Dexterity + Dodge, Difficulty 6), Skill. Skills must be justified with proper practice but does not possess the Dodge Talent, they and training – One afternoon of auto repair is instead roll just the attribute with +2 difficulty not going to be enough to show a marked (Dexterity flat, Difficulty 8) increase in Crafts. Ratings - Knowledges represent knowledge gathered from lengthy study and comprehension of a Conventionally, A Character’s Rating in an ability subject. Increasing knowledge requires a ranges from 0 (Untrained) to 5 (Master). Certain character to spend a long period – weeks, supernatural influences (Such as the immense months, sometimes even years – to power and knowledge of an Elder Vampire) allow comprehend and understand a subject. Just abilities to go beyond the 5-dot Maximum, reading a book will not increase a character’s however as a rule 5 is the absolute maximum. Science Knowledge, but completing a degree in During Character Creation, a character cannot Physics certainly will. purchase dots above 3 in any Ability unless they use Skill Ratings Freebie Points, limiting the skill of “Level 1” • Novice/Dabbler – A hobby, Beginner characters. Further, a character cannot obtain a •• Practiced/Student – Entry level job Specialty in an ability until they have reached 4 ••• Skilled/Scholar – You’re a professional Dots of proficiency, with the exception of abilities •••• Expert/Professor – Respected teacher that utilize the Well-Skilled Craftsman rule below. ••••• Master – Peerless, the human peak During character creation, a character receives a number of points to spend in ability categories Specialties & the Well-Skilled based on their type (13/9/5 for Supernaturals, Craftsman 11/7/4 for Mundanes), and may purchase The function of Specialties has changed several additional dots for 2 Freebie Points (flat) each. times across the World of Darkness versions and Abilities may also be raised with Experience Points game lines. Below are the Specialty Systems I at an exponential rate – A new Ability costs 3 flat recommend, drawn both from the books and house Experience, and each dot above the first costs (2 x rules I have played under; Rating) to purchase – i.e. purchasing the 3rd dot in - A character’s Specialty causes any 10s on a Alertness will cost 2x3 XP – thus, 6xp. relevant Skill Roll to count as double successes – Increasing Abilities after Character Creation, i.e. on a roll of 10,8,8,3,3,4 for a Difficulty 7 Roll, however, requires the character to have a justified a character with a relevant Specialty would reason – A character cannot simply save up 6xp score 4 Successes, not 2. This rule is common over a session of reading in the library, then expend throughout the 20th Anniversary Lines released it to increase their Brawl talent. As a rule; thus far[M20 274, V20 96, W20 123] - A character’s Specialty allows a player to have - Talents are innate abilities, and a character may any 10’s “Explode” – Each 10 rolled allows the justify an XP Expenditure on a Talent any time player to roll another dice and add the result to they have used the relevant talent – e.g. a the dice pool, ignoring any Botch Results on the character may increase their Brawl after a extra dice. This version of the rule is less particularly big fight, or their Alertness and powerful than the double-10’s method above, Intuition after becoming more paranoid in the and is common in books that use the Pre-20th wake of an ambush. Anniversary version of the Revised rules.[DTF 136, - Skills require training and practice to increase. A HTR 101], however this rule may also result in a character may spend a few weeks working on more powerful roll, as any additional 10’s rolled their car, or attend a few workshops to practice may also explode. their Crafts skill, or attend training sessions at 4 | P a g e Overview - A House-Rule that some Storytellers instead use times representing different skill groupings. Take is to simply allow a Specialty to grant one single for example the City Secrets skill – The character automatic success to the relevant rolls – does not actually take City Secrets on their sheet; Effectively allowing a character to get 2 free rather they take a separate skill for any given city successes by spending willpower, or to increase (Seattle Secrets, Perth Secrets, London Secrets). In the minimal success from a Dice Pool higher the case of Grouped Skills that also use the Well- than the Difficulty Rating. Skilled Craftsman rule, this may show knowledges that branch out. For example, Seattle Secrets would As of Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary then have the WSC Specialties of Vampires, Edition, a name and clarification has been given Werewolves, Changelings, etc. to a specialty rule previously mentioned in older editions but limited to the Crafts and Academics [C] – This ability is a “Core” ability. In our games, we skills, occasionally attached to the Science skill as utilize a character sheet that has empty lines where well.

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