Skills

A character's Attributes measure their innate physical, mental and social qualities - how strong they are, how quick they think on their feet, and how well they interact with other people. The different ways in which a character can apply these Attributes are determined by their Skills. A character's Skills reflect the education and training they've acquired over the course of their life, and are a reflection of their origins and interests. Skills can be acquired in any number of ways, from institutionalized learning to hard, hands-on experience. A young recruit at the police academy is trained to use a handgun, while a gang member learns to shoot as a matter of survival.

Like Attributes, Skills are broken down into three general categories: Mental, Physical and Social. A character's initial Skills are purchased during character creation and are prioritized in the same manner as Attributes, with 11 points to allocate among primary Skills, 7 points to allocate among secondary Skills, and 4 points to allocate among tertiary Skills. Skill dots can then be increased further using experience points (both at the conclusion of character creation if the Storyteller allows it, and later during play). Or new Skills can be purchased during a chronicle at the player's discretion. For more information on selecting Skills for starting characters, see p. 34.

Skill Categories

 * Mental
 * Physical
 * Social

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.

Skill Specialties
Skills represent broad bases of knowledge and physical training in a given subject. An auto mechanic doesn't just know about fixing engines, for example, but is versed in repairing tires, replacing windows and painting the body. In addition to this broad foundation of knowledge, characters can specialize in a particular aspect of a Skill, giving them an edge in a particular application due to their increased focus. There's no limit to the number of Specialties that your character can have in a single Skill. You choose three Specialties at character creation. Any more must be purchased during play with experience points. Rolls involving a Skill Specialty gain a +1 modifier over and above any other situational modifiers. So, if your character has Crafts, but also has a Specialty in Automobiles, you gain a +1 bonus when they work on cars.

You are limited only by your imagination when devising your character's Skill Specialties, although their focus should be fairly specific. A character possessing the Drive Skill might focus on sports cars, trucks, off-road or high-speed driving. Each Skill listed in this chapter has a number of suggested Specialties to give you an idea of the possibilities.

Skill Tasks
If a Skill represents a particular body of knowledge or training, a Skill task describes a specific application of the Skill in question. Healing Wounds, for example, is a task describing an application of the Medicine Skill. Skill tasks combine an applicable Attribute with the Skill, plus any relevant equipment modifiers to form a dice pool, minus any situational modifiers. Climbing a steep cliff, for example, is a Skill task combining Strength + Athletics + equipment such as rope, pitons and cleats. Many Skills in this chapter have one or more tasks associated with them that suggest different ways in which the traits can be applied in various situations. Use these as guidelines for determining other Skill tasks that arise in your stories.

The Right Tools for the Job
Having the proper equipment for a task can often mean the difference between success and failure. In addition to situational modifiers and Specialties, Skill rolls gain bonus dice if your character uses high-quality or specialized equipment when performing a feat. For example, a driver with a high-performance sports car has an edge in a race over someone in an old pickup. See Equipment, p. 139, in Chapter 6 for more information on the gear available to your character. Each task presented in this chapter lists a variety of tools that could provide bonus dice to your Skill roll. These lists are by no means exhaustive. You're encouraged to employ other types of tools or equipment to assist in performing a task, but the Storyteller is the final arbiter on what bonus, if any, gear provides. It's possible that using poor-quality tools might even make a task more difficult to perform, so choose wisely.